Royals mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Charles, William and Camilla show their respects on the 80th anniversary

The Queen lights a candle for Holocaust Memorial Day. Pic: Royal Family Insta

Tomorrow, January 27^th, is a solemn and significant date – not only Holocaust Memorial Day, but this year, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of the Holocaust. On Thursday, Camilla, who is patron of the Anne Frank Trust, marked the date at a reception in London.

The Queen paid tribute to the teenage Holocaust victim, who died aged 16, in Bergen-Belsen, just before the war ended and whose diary later became a bestseller. “As Anne wrote in her diary on the 7^th of May, 1944, ‘What is done cannot be undone, but at least one can prevent it from happening again’,” Camilla said, in a speech, where she urged everyone to, “unite in our commitment to take action, to speak up and to ensure that the words, ‘Never Forget’ are a guiding light that charts a path towards a more tolerant future for us all.”

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Tomorrow, the King will become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz for the 80^th anniversary of its liberation, where he will join heads of state from around the globe for a ceremony. Camilla attended the 75^th anniversary, but this will be Charles’ first visit. Earlier this month, the King, who is patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, told guests at an event, “I feel I must for the 80th anniversary. It’s so important.”

And in London, Prince William will attend an event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

William has a ball in Liverpool

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Our football-loving Prince of Wales had a ‘fantastic’ day out on Thursday, showing off his skills on the pitch - or at least trying to - when he visited a new football centre in Toxteth, Liverpool.

The Aston Villa fan was at the Tiber Football Centre, which hosts 1,200 young people a week, where he played with some teenagers and barely got a touch, joking: “I’m not going to go around slide tackling, am I!” Afterwards, he met Liverpool FC legend Sir Kenny Daglish.

Earlier in the day, William pumped up a bike tyre at the Cycle of Life and learnt all about their ‘On The Go’ project, which provides bicycles and teaches people how to fix them, ride them, and use them to start their own businesses.

Sophie meets Louis. Pic: Royal Family Insta

It’s a dog’s life for Sophie

We adore this photo of Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, cuddling Louis, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Sophie was visiting Dogs for Autism, in Hampshire, on Tuesday, where she learned all about the role of assistance dogs for people with autism. The dogs help by giving comfort, reducing anxiety, and improving quality of life. Sophie visited the charity’s training centre and watched demonstrations from dogs Buddy, Jack and Finn. She was also introduced to the newest member of the team – nine-week-old Louis. For more on the charity, visit dogsforautism.org.uk.

Anne in South Africa this week. Pic: Royal Family Insta

Anne remembers her horse accident

The Princess Royal has spoken publicly for the first time about the unexplained concussion she suffered last June. “You are sharply reminded that every day is a bonus, really,” she said, seven months after the horse accident.

Anne, who was on a two-day visit to South Africa, recalled she had been making her ‘regular visit’ to see her chickens, adding: “I don’t have any idea what I was doing in the field, because I never normally went that way. It just reminds you, shows you - you never quite know, something [happens] and you might not recover.” Asked about any lasting ill effects, she joked: “Apparently not, at least I don’t think so. As far as I know nobody else thinks so – [or] they haven’t been honest enough to tell me yet. So far so good.”

Anne spent five nights in hospital, with head injuries suggesting she had been struck by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate. The exact circumstances remain unknown, as she is unable to recall what had happened.

Asked about the possibility of retiring, she said: “It really isn’t written-in, no. It isn’t really an option, no, I don’t think so. You’re jolly lucky… if you can continue to be more or less compos mentis, and last summer I was very close to not being. Take each day as it comes, they say.”

Harry’s dramatic last-minute settlement

In a shock twist to the Duke’s ‘crusade’ against the UK press, Harry accepted an eight-figure financial settlement from News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, ending his legal action minutes before the 10-week trial was about to start on Wednesday.

The settlement is believed to be between £10 million and £20 million, and brings to an end five years of litigation. Harry received an ‘unequivocal apology’ from NGN after’ serious intrusion’ by The Sun, including unlawful activities by private investigators working for the paper. Rupert Murdoch’s company also apologised for the impact on the Duke of ‘extensive coverage and serious intrusion’ into his private life and that of his mum, Diana.

Although the settlement does not mean NGN accept any liability, Harry hailed a 296-word statement in which NGN admitted for the first time unlawful activity by private investigators as a “monumental victory”.

But watch this space, Harry is also suing the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, which is due to go on trial in 2026.

The tragedy of the ‘other’ dashing Prince William

If you haven’t listened to our podcast, Secrets of the Royals, yet, check out episode one, as Kerry and Maria explore the life of Prince William of Gloucester, a largely forgotten but fascinating member of the royal family. He was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth and his grandfather was George V. We discuss William’s love of flying, his career abroad and his passionate love affair with a twice divorced mum of one whom he met in Tokyo. Sadly, his life was cut tragically short, aged 30, in a 1972 air show plane crash, near Wolverhampton. Listen here on Substack, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.