Kate proves she's a real trooper
After a challenging six months for the Princess (and the King), it was all smiles at his official Birthday Parade
There may have been grey skies, but the Princess of Wales brought the sunshine back, yesterday, at Trooping the Colour.
It was glorious to see Catherine once again, as she travelled to the ceremony in a carriage, waving to the crowds of well-wishers. On Friday, the Palace confirmed she was still undergoing cancer treatment, but would be able to attend events as and when she felt well enough, and she looked wonderful in her white Jenny Packham dress, hat by Philip Treacy and the Irish Regimental Guards brooch.
With Princes George, Louis and Princess Charlotte, Catherine watched as Prince William, in full ceremonial dress, rode in the historic ceremony, in front of the King and Queen Camilla. And the whole family came out onto the balcony for the traditional flypast, to the deafening cheers of the crowd.
On Friday, the princess posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, alongside a lovely photo of her under a tree, by Matt Porteous. “I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months,” she wrote.
“It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times. I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.
“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal. Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”
We wish her well for her continued recovery.
The golden couple celebrate turning silver
Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who hit their silver wedding anniversary on Wednesday. One of our favourite couples, Edward and Sophie tied the knot on June 19, 1999, in a fairly-low-key ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
What most people have forgotten, is they had a rocky start – first dubbed as “boring”, they struggled to combine their careers with being working royals, something Harry and Meghan wanted to do. Edward had a TV production company and Sophie was a PR. But when his film crew fell foul of following Prince William around St Andrews uni and Sophie was caught in a newspaper sting, saying rude remarks, they both gave up their jobs and became full-time royals.
They have two children, Louise and James, and the family is now integral to the monarchy – Sophie is enjoying rising popularity, according to the latest YouGov polls. Oh, and we love her continued style evolution – especially her blooming marvellous frock at Windsor Flower Show last weekend. Most of all, they just seem, well, really genuine. “He is the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and still is my best friend,” Sophie said in tribute to Edward’s 60th birthday in March this year.
William’s footie-fever birthday
The Prince of Wales is set for a memorable week. On Friday, William is celebrating turning 42, while the day before he’s off to Germany to cheer on England in UEFA Euro 2024. The royal footie fan, and president of the Football Association, will be in the Frankfurt Arena to watch England play Denmark this Thursday.
Before the squad left for Germany, William visited them at St George’s Park, Burton-upon-Trent, on Wednesday; where he told them that Louis had some nutritional advice: double their dinner. “The best bit of advice I got, to ask you, was to eat twice the amount you normally would eat,” he said. “So I then had visions of you running around, massive great tummies and loads of stitches on the pitch. I think maybe take my youngest’s advice with a pinch of salt, particularly around the physio team.”
The day before, William was at Cardiff Metropolitan Uni talking all things seaweed where he was reunited with one of his Earthshot Prize winners, Notpla. Speaking to co-founder Pierre Paslier, the Prince said, “The amount of benefits of seaweed farming are great, it’s an untapped resource.” Football was on the agenda even here, when William learnt that Notpla supplies sustainable seaweed packaging to seven Premier League clubs, including his team, Aston Villa. Pierre later said William ‘really knows his seaweed’.
Camilla’s big tease about title
We all know the King and Queen are into gardening, so it’s no surprise that Camilla fancies nabbing a horticultural patronage away from her green-fingered husband. The Queen was visiting Gardening Bohemia: Bloomsbury Women Outdoors at London’s Garden Museum on Wednesday, when she joked, “I know my husband is the patron but I might have to nudge him.” Making her third trip to the museum in just over a year, she called it, ‘such a special place’. The exhibition, which celebrates the gardens of Virginia Woolf, her sister Vanessa Bell, Vita Sackville-West and Lady Ottoline Morrell, is on until September 29. Buy tickets here.
Becks is stung again in the birthday honours
Charles was joined by Sir Rod Stewart, David Beckham and other celebrity supporters at St James’s Palace for his King’s Foundation inaugural awards ceremony on Tuesday. The evening was high on humour, especially when rocker Rod popped onto the podium and teased the football legend, saying, “I am also wonderfully honoured to be a knight, and David - yours is coming soon!”
The former England captain, who has an OBE, was recently made a Foundation ambassador and on the day of the announcement was happily swapping beekeeping tips with the King. But alas, he was stung again, and didn’t get a nod in the King’s birthday honours.