The Waleses Mark Black History Month In Cardiff (& More Royal News)
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8 months ago
What's going on with the British royal family?
Wondering what’s going on in the world of the royal family? Thankfully, you won’t have to search too hard for new info – we’ve compiled all of the latest news here, from appearances and exhibitions to what the royals have for dinner (yes, really). Here’s all the royal news you might have missed this week.
The Waleses Mark Black History Month In Cardiff
5 October 2023: The Prince and Princess of Wales have marked the beginning of UK Black History Month in Cardiff. Stepping out in the Welsh capital on Tuesday morning, the pair met members of the Windrush generation and primary school children, before heading to a secondary school to see some Black History Month celebrations.
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The school in question, Fitzalan High School, serves one of Wales’ most diverse and disadvantaged communities; 70 percent of pupils speak English as a second language.
More Royal News You Might Have Missed
The Queen Beams At Braemar Literary Festival
2 October 2023: Her Majesty The Queen was in attendance at a celebratory dinner at The Fife Arms hotel on Friday night (30 September), curated and prepared by internationally renowned chef Rick Stein, to mark the opening of the 2023 Braemar Literary Festival. Running from 29 September–1 October, the literary festival transformed the small Scottish village into a haven for the written and spoken word, with the likes of Dame Judi Dench, William Boyd, Anthony Horowitz, Grace Dent, Sam Leith and Mary McCartney all speaking at talks and readings.
Dame Judi Dench and Her Majesty Queen Camilla at Braemar Literary Festival
Her Majesty also attended a sold-out foodie event – ‘The Allure of Comfort food to soothe and satisfy. Grace Dent and Rick Stein in conversation with Tom Parker Bowles’ – a panel discussion indulging the joy of comfort food and home cooking.
Prince Harry Closes The Invictus Games With An Emotional Speech
18 September 2023: The Duke of Sussex concluded the Invictus Games for another year on Saturday (16 September), marking the end of the 2023 competition with a two-hour celebration and an emotional speech. His closing remarks included some German as he thanked Dusseldorf for playing host, as well as the heartfelt message that people should not be defined by their pain. ‘You’ve shown us the power in not defining people by assumption, their backstory or past pain, but rather instead on their ability, how they show up, and who they are in the present,’ said the Prince.
The Invictus games is an annual competitive sports event for wounded servicemen and women from across the globe, first launched in 2014 by Prince Harry. This year, he closed the sixth edition of the Games by telling competitors – of which there were over 500 from 21 countries – that they had provided ‘magic’ and ‘opened people’s hearts’. ‘We’ve all witnessed the true impact sport has had on your recovery and on your post-traumatic growth,’ he said.
‘I’m sure you’re all physically exhausted,’ he added. ‘But I hope you are mentally stronger than when you arrived. We may have provided the platform, but you provided the magic, and don’t you ever forget that.
‘Tomorrow you will each walk away with memories that are different and unique to you,’ Harry said. ‘But my hope is that every memory made brings a smile to your face through a sense of belonging, and an opportunity for you and your family to look forward, with pride and with purpose.’ Source: The Telegraph
King Charles III Releases Message Marking The Anniversary Of Queen Elizabeth II’s Death
8 September: It has been one year since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and the King has marked the anniversary with a special message commemorating his mother.
‘In marking the first anniversary of Her Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,’ the King says in his recorded message. ‘I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.’ Listen below.
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The photograph accompanying Charles’ message – the late Queen wearing Garter robes and a tiara – was taken by Cecil Beaton on 16 October 1968, and has never been released before now. The Instagram post was followed up with another, less formal image of the Queen smiling in a regal room with a pearl necklace and purple dress, accompanied by the caption, ‘In loving and everlasting memory.’
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Debate Over The Introduction Of An Ice Rink At Kensington Palace
17 August 2023: Plans are underway to install a Winter Wonderland-style pop-up at Kensington Palace – including a large ice rink and several food and drink stalls. But not everyone is so keen. The proposed site borders the official residence of the Finnish ambassador, and there are worries over security risks. ‘The planned public event creates a security risk for the official residence of the Ambassador of Finland, as the fence between the residence garden and Perks Field is not designed to hold back possible intruders,’ the Finnish Embassy said in a statement to Kensington and Chelsea council.
Concerns over the ecological impact have also been raised by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, who have pointed out the ‘potential detrimental impact on the amenity of our public spaces, security, public safety and ecological impact along Jubilee Walk’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children relocated to Windsor Castle last year, but Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace remains their base in the capital.
Kate Middleton ‘Secretly Attended Houghton Festival’
(c) Instagram @chrisjacksongetty
16 August 2023: Those who were partying at Houghton Festival this weekend may have spotted an unlikely visitor: the Princess of Wales. Kate Middleton allegedly attended the event, which is held in the grounds of the royal-owned Houghton Hall in Norfolk, after dinner with the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who live there. A source told the Daily Mail: ‘After dinner, one of the guests suggested that Catherine [Kate] go to the festival. Catherine was nervous about the idea, but after much discussion with her protection officers, she went with lots of security. William wasn’t there.’ Britain’s only ‘24-hour music festival’, Houghton was founded by DJ Craig Richards and specialises in electronic music, featuring 200 artists across 13 stages.
New King Charles Coronation Coins Are Being Released
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14 August 2023: From this Thursday, keep your eyes peeled for special fifty pence coins, created to mark King Charles’ coronation. Five million of the coins are being released this week, all featuring a design by Royal Mint coin designer Natasha Jenkins, offering people the chance to ‘find a piece of history’ in their change.
The coins are the second set of 50ps released with Charles’ official coin portrait on, following the first set back in December 2022, designed to mark the transition from the late Queen to King Charles.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: ‘We are delighted to announce that five million 50p coins produced to mark His Majesty King Charles III’s coronation will enter circulation from today. This is a special moment for the nation, as members of the public will have the opportunity to find a piece of history in their change. We anticipate the coronation 50p coins will be highly sought after among coin collectors and members of the public keen to own a piece of British history.’
King Charles Reshuffles Military Roles Within The Royal Family
© RHS/Oliver Dixon
11 August 2023: More royal news comes from the Palace today as it was revealed that the King has reshuffled the military appointments of all working members of the royal family. King Charles III has taken over eight of the late Queen’s honorary posts, including sponsor of the Royal Navy’s warship HMS Queen Elizabeth, while the Prince and Princess of Wales have acquired three extra roles each.
In an official statement from the Palace, it was announced that: ‘Following His Majesty’s accession, the King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working members of the royal family. The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the armed forces and the royal family in His Majesty’s reign.’
King Charles’s duties now form a long list, as he is now Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Royal Tank Regiment and The Royal Regiment of Scotland; Captain General of both The Royal Artillery and The Honourable Artillery Company; Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Marham and Air Commodore-in-Chief of RAF Regiment.
Following His Majesty’s Accession, The King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working members of the Royal Family.
The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family in His Majesty’s reign.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 11, 2023
The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh have been given two roles previously held by the Duke of York, with Kate Middleton becoming the new Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm and Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones the new Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Irish Regiment.
Kate will also be taking over from her husband as Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby, which Prince William had previously held since 2008, as well as the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards (known as the Welsh Cavalry), a duty previously performed by King Charles during his time as the Prince of Wales.
Prince William, meanwhile, will take up the duties of Colonel-in-Chief of The Mercian Regiment, Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Valley.
A new appointment has also been announced for Queen Camilla, who is now patron of The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department, a position once held by the late Queen.
No positions have been announced for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, nor his wife Meghan Markle, since the couple are no longer working members of the royal family.
The late Queen held over 50 ranks and appointments in the UK and Commonwealth Armed Service during her reign. Source: The Independent
Prince Harry’s Title Has Been Removed From Royal Family Website
9 August 2023: Royals enthusiasts will have noticed that the official royal family website recently underwent a few changes, with Prince Harry’s page being updated to remove the title of ‘His Royal Highness’. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would be stepping back from royal roles in January 2020, but Harry was still being referred to his HRH title on the royal family’s website until now. The page still calls Harry by the title of ‘duke’ and ‘the Duke of Sussex’, but all HRH references have been removed.
‘The Royal Family website contains over five thousand pages of information about the life and work of the Royal Family,’ the Palace said in a statement to Express. ‘Following the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, content has been revisited and updated periodically. Some content may be out of date until this process is complete.’
This comes after the profiles for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were moved to the bottom of the royal family’s website in September 2022. Prince Harry currently still holds his place as fifth in line to the throne, despite no longer using his HRH title. Source: The Independent
Kensington Palace / Sorted Food
Prince Williams Serves Up The First Earthshot Burger
31 July 2023: If you were looking for a good burger in London this weekend, chances are you might have come across none other than Prince William serving them up from a street food truck. The Prince of Wales teamed up with YouTube channel Sorted Food to spotlight last year’s winners of the Earthshot Prize, serving vegetarian burgers made from prize-winning products (ingredients from Kheyti and packaging from Notpla, cooked on a concept called Mukuru Clean Stoves) to hungry Londoners.
You can have a go at making the Earthshot Burger at home with the official recipe.
Prince George’s Favourite Dish Revealed – It’s A Carbonara!
31 July 2023: It seems the future King of England has great taste when it comes to dinner. Italian celebrity chef Aldo Zilli revealed, following a conversation with Prince William, that Prince George is a big carbonara fan. ‘Apparently his little boy’s favourite is spaghetti carbonara, so I’m waiting for the call to go and cook it for him,’ said Zilli. ‘If George has my carbonara, he will never have another one… let’s get the ball rolling, send me to the palace to cook!’
You can read all about Prince George’s love of carbonara here.
Featured image: Getty Images
