Charles, The Greatest Statesman
The King Trumps Canada on his tour
Forget The Greatest Showman, we reckon the King is The Greatest Statesman, as he made a rallying speech on his triumphant visit to Canada, this week.
The King and Queen were in Ottawa on a two-day trip, the first as sovereigns. They undertook multiple official events, including travelling to the Senate in a horse-drawn State Landau, accompanied by 28 horses.
But it was Charles’ speech to the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday, which hit the headlines. In it, the King appeared to give a rallying cry to Canadian freedom, saying the nation was “strong and free”, after President Trump threatened to annex it, dubbing it America’s 51st state.
Speaking in French and English, Charles said, “Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them. Fundamental change is always unsettling. Yet this moment is also an incredible opportunity. An opportunity for renewal. An opportunity to think big and to act bigger.
“The Prime Minister and the President of the United States, for example, have begun defining a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States, rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests, to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.”
He said the Crown has long been a symbol of unity for Canada. “It also represents stability and continuity from the past to the present. As it should, it stands proudly as a symbol of Canada today, in all her richness and dynamism,” he said.
He finished the speech with, “When my dear late mother addressed your predecessors seven decades ago, she said that in that age, and against the backdrop of international affairs, no nation could live unto itself. It is a source of great pride that, in the following decades, Canada has continued to set an example to the world in her conduct and values, as a force for good.
As the anthem reminds us: The True North is indeed strong and free.”
You know, whenever we speak to people who question the role of the monarchy, we always point them to diplomatic speeches like this. The King, who is in a unique position of being an apolitical ambassador can (hopefully) act as a conduit between leaders. And this week shows just how skilled he is. Read the full transcript here.
William: ‘I want to be a force for good’
Running the vast centuries-old Duchy of Cornwall is a serious business for William, who inherited the estate from his dad, when Queen Elizabeth died and Charles became King in September 2022. It's one aspect of the royal’s responsibilities we don’t often read too much about. Which is why the Telegraph’s exclusive with the prince this week, as the paper’s royal editor joined him for a ‘Duchy day’ last month really does makes for a fascinating long read.
“I see the Duchy as an extension of the work we do with the Royal Foundation,” William said. “I see it as a branch of my philanthropy. There’s so much good we can do in the rural world. I see it [the Duchy] as another arm to the work that I want to do, which is being a positive force for good.” For instance, We Are Farming Minds, a Duchy of Cornwall-supported charity, of which he is patron, helps farmers experiencing isolation and mental health issues.
With his new mission statement for the Duchy: ‘Positive impact for people, places and planet’, the 25th Duke tries to visit a part of the estate every four to six weeks (it stretches across 20 counties in the UK, covering 128,494 acres). The visits are usually private and see him ‘working his way through its farms and offices to meet families and staff, shake hands and quiz them on what he can do to help’. Read the full article here.
Happy 4th Birthday, Lili!
We know right, it only seems like last year that Harry and Meghan had a baby girl and provoked a right old royal row by giving the unsuspecting newborn her great-granny’s beloved family nickname: Lilibet. Well, now the little Princess (AKA Lili) is celebrating her fourth birthday this Wednesday.
We hope it’s a perfect day for the preschooler, just as sweet as this short video posted by Meghan, showing off her beekeeping skills and honey harvesting. Meghan captioned it: “Look at all of that fresh honeycomb! Harvesting honey with my little honey. (Like mother, like daughter; she’s even wearing my gloves).”
And as we went to press, there’s another Sussex name game is brewing. The Mail on Sunday reports that Harry once asked his uncle, Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer about whether he should change his family’s surname from Mountbatten-Windsor to Spencer. “They had a very amicable conversation and Charles Spencer advised him against taking such a step,” a friend of Harry’s told the paper.
The Wales’ welcome new family members!
Another week, another puppy arrival – this time it’s William and Kate’s dog Orla who has started a new doggy dynasty. Kerry wrote a fun piece for Reader’s Digest about it – read it here. It turns out, five-year-old black cocker spaniel, Orla, has given birth to quads and we hear George, Charlotte and Louis are in love with the pawsome foursome. “Everyone loves a new royal baby news and so new royal puppies run very close,” an insider told The Sun. “We always thought the patter of tiny feet in the Wales’s household had ended, so the sound of tiny paws will have to do.” There’s no news who the daddy is, or whether they’ll keep one or all of the new pups. Orla was gifted to the family by Kate’s brother James, who bred her and their previous pet, Lupo. And she’s much loved – Wills even let slip she sleeps with him and Kate.
Johnny, the ‘hot equerry’ is married!
Some bittersweet news for fans of Major Eye Candy AKA Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, the King’s aide and former senior bodyguard to Queen Elizabeth II. He quietly married Olivia Lewis last weekend in Wiltshire, in what the Mail on Sunday described as an ‘elegant’ and ‘low-key’ ceremony, followed by a lunch and reception at Olivia’s parents’ house. The King and Queen were invited. Although, looks like a honeymoon with his second wife is on hold, as two days after waking down the aisle he was flying to Canada with Charles and Camilla.