Can the Queen win over Scotland?
The monarch has been on a charm mission during Holyrood Week
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, may have announced her fight for another independence referendum, but she was all smiles when she met the Queen on Wednesday, during the annual Holyrood Week celebrations.
The politician even gave the Queen a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky, a tartan throw and a picture of trees about to be planted in honour of the Jubilee. “What a nice thing to have,” Her Majesty replied.
Whatever the Queen thinks about the latest political moves, she isn’t saying, but her love for Scotland is well-known. And she was clearly delighted to be back in the country this week. Known as Royal Week in Scotland, Holyrood Week is a custom begun by Queen Victoria and continued by every monarch ever since. The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is the official royal residence in Scotland and the Queen visits it during this celebration to promote Scottish culture and achievements.
The week began with the traditional Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Monday and the Queen was in attendance, accompanied by Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, or The Earl and Countess of Forfar as they are known in Scotland. She was all smiles in a light blue coat dress and matching hat. At the Act of Loyalty parade on Wednesday, she looked lovely in a lavender coat dress with jaunty buttons and matching hat and the same day appeared in a floral frock to meet Nicola Sturgeon, during her traditional address. The Queen looked cheery at events all week, although she was absent at the Garden Parties.
Prince Charles and Princess Anne were also there in support – on Thursday they took part in the Order of the Thistle procession and service in Edinburgh.
Kate goes in all guns blazing
We loved these photos Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge posted on Instagram on Armed Forces Day last weekend.
Catherine paid tribute to all those who serve and have served in the Forces and posted a series of snaps of her getting some hands-on experience with the British Army last year. She is Honorary Air Commandant of The RAF Air Cadets and The Royal List wonders if this signifies she will take on more honorary positions soon. “William and I would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women, past and present, serving in all of our armed forces, at sea, on land and in the air, here in the UK and around the world,” she wrote. “Thank you for all you and your families sacrifice to keep us safe. Last year, I was honoured to spend time with the British Army to see how they train serving personnel and new recruits. It was wonderful to see first-hand the many important and varied roles the military play day in, day out to protect us all.”
William, meanwhile, is Colonel of the Irish Guards, Honorary Air Commandant of the Royal Air Force Coningsby, Commodore-in-Chief of Royal Naval Command, Scotland and the Submarines.
Charles bags the cash
Prince Charles has had a less than ideal week, with the revelations he accepted cash donations totalling €3 million (£2.5 million) from a former prime minister of Qatar, between 2011 and 2015. According to The Sunday Times, at one 2015 meeting in Clarence House, Charles was given a holdall containing €1 million and on another, €1 million in carrier bags from Fortnum and Mason.
There is no suggestion the donations were illegal and royal sources say the money was given to Charles’ charities and the decision whether to accept the donations left with them, but they stressed it would not happen now.
Bags of money is not the best image for a cost of living crisis, whichever way you look at it. However, for a lighter-hearted take on the topic, Kerry wrote how another queen – Queen Bey - could give the embattled Prince of Wales some regal tips, in her column for The Sunday Telegraph. Read it here.
Game, set and match for the Middletons
In The Royal List’s book it’s not officially summer until the Middleton family has wowed us with their court-side style at Wimbledon. While we’re still waiting to see the Duchess of Cambridge in the Royal Box, with the second week kicking off it really can only be a matter of days until she hits SW19. We all know Catherine is crazy about the game and Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
In the meantime, we ‘Love all’ of Carole Middleton’s outfit as she attended the third day of the tournament with a dapper-looking Michael by her side. Rocking a floral Boden jumpsuit (yours for £90), Carole also wore a white Hobbs jacket, gorgeous pink heels from Fold London and carried an Osprey London bag. And taking another fashion tip from her eldest daughter, she had the same Kiki McDonough topaz necklace as Catherine.
And finally… another reason the Queen is Cool Britannia
It was 40 years ago this Saturday, on July 9, 1982, at about 7.15am that Her Majesty was woken up by a stranger sitting at the end of her bed. The intruder was Michael Fagan, an unemployed 31 year old who had already broken into Buckingham Palace the month before. The Queen’s shocking encounter was dramatized in The Crown (season four, episode five called Fagan) but what happened on screen was very different to actual events. Fagan later recalled her only words to him were “What are you doing here?” before running off to find help.