Charles and Camilla charm Samoa and Oz
The King and Queen have been warmly welcomed on their tour - and start planning some more...
It’s funny how things play out, isn’t it? If you believed the narrative before the King and Queen set off for their Autumn Tour of Australia and Samoa, they were going to encounter at best a disinterested reception and at worst, lots of anti-monarchy campaigners. What they found, however, was a welcome so warm, in Sydney, it totally disarmed them.
Kerry went on Sky News Australia to talk about their tour and watched live footage of the pair emerging from church in North Sydney, last Sunday. The reception they received and the ever-growing crowds, was just the beginning, of what turned out to be a huge turnout everywhere, particularly at Sydney Opera House on Tuesday.
“Farewell Australia. It was a spectacular end to Their Majesties’ visit to Australia at the iconic Sydney Opera House. Thank you to all who came out to show their support - and for so many special memories,” the team posted on Instagram. Charles and Camilla were clearly touched by people’s genuine enthusiasm – you can watch some of Kerry’s commentary here.
From Australia, they headed to Samoa, for the hosting of the CHOGM conference. They kicked it off by attending an ‘ava welcome ceremony at the National University of Samoa. This involves drinking ‘ava - made from the dried roots of the ‘ava plant – which is meant to bond people together in harmony. We drank this many moons ago, when we visited Fiji and it must have worked, as we’re still friends!
Mike shares what the royals are really like in private
He’s the Royal Family’s ultimate ‘funcle’ and this week Mike Tindall revealed what the royals are really like off duty and how “easy” he found it fitting in after marrying Zara in 2011, because he was “nice to them”. In an interview with The Telegraph, the former England rugby star, said: “Believe it or not, marrying into the Royal Family was pretty easy for me. They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really.”
As for his strong bond with William and Catherine, he said, “They’re just a family who love sport. Catherine loves her running.” He continued: “George loves his football. I’ve played numerous times in the garden with him. He’s passionate about Aston Villa, too. Wherever he is, he’ll sit down and watch that game.”
Mike, promoting his book, The Good, the Bad & the Rugby - Unleashed, with James Haskell and Alex Payne, also revealed how the royals “are a very close family who loved each other dearly” and recalls watching TV with the late Queen and chilled-out picnics with the family.
“Zara and I would often watch the racing with her on TV, as I’m sure lots of people reading this have done with their gran.” He continued: “Lunches were also relaxed, especially up in Scotland, where lunch would often be heading out into the open space of the Scottish Highlands for a picnic.
“I'm sometimes asked if the Queen did informality like ‘normal’ people, and the answer to that is yes. Her life wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey, with meals on long tables and everyone dressed in their finery every night.”
Camilla’s not so smart phone
The Queen’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, revealed this week that his mum’s phone is an old Nokia ‘brick’, and how he can never get hold of her, especially as she can’t join the family WhatsApp group.
“My mum still uses an old-fashioned Nokia telephone, so [she] can’t [join WhatsApp]. I think it’s for security,” said Tom. “She’s always worked quite hard [so] it’s still the case of, I ring my mother, she doesn’t answer, I look on the television [and think] ‘Ah! She’s in Jersey!”
Due to national security not much is known about the royals and their mobile phones. The late Queen was believed to have owned a Blackberry, while Charles apparently does not even have a phone, and lets staff take his calls. We’re liking Charles’ style!
Fancy getting married at Balmoral?
The Scottish castle was the favourite home of Queen Elizabeth II, where she loved making memories surrounded by friends and family. Now, King Charles’ plans to turn the estate into a wedding venue could see many more people making happy memories there. In application plans submitted to the council, Charles hopes to convert the Queen’s Building, which is metres from the castle, into an events space, a destination for “weddings, dinners, meetings and other events”. Watch this space!
What it felt like to be at Diana’s funeral
If you haven’t listened already, tune in to our Secrets of the Royals podcast. We have launched the first series of our new podcast, which covers the tragedies that befell the Royal Family. Here’s a taste of episode six - all about the last days of Diana and what it felt like to be at the funeral. You can listen to it here on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!