The King strikes the right note... and Meghan the wrong one
Charles continues to spread the message of harmony
You’ve got to give them credit – the royals are striking the right note at the moment, making a concerted effort to bring harmony and joy to the world. After welcoming President Zelensky at Sandringham last week, directly after his US peace deal debacle, now the King has released a playlist of his favourite tunes, which he says, bring him happiness.
Released on Apple Music for Commonwealth Day tomorrow, Charles said in a video recorded at Buckingham Palace, “Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. I know that is also the case for so many others. It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places.
“But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy. So this is what I particularly wanted to share – songs which have brought me joy.” The playlist includes everyone from Bob Marley to Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones.
Charles and Camilla, accompanied by William and Catherine, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, will attend the Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey tomorrow. This year’s theme is ‘Together We Thrive’ and in a time of increased international tension, it couldn’t be more appropriate. Organisers say the theme, “celebrates the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family. Rooted in the principles of family, unity and peace, the theme highlights the importance of fostering strong and connected communities that support and empower their members, enabling meaningful progress.”
Meghan’s show off-key
Meanwhile, Meghan Sussex, as she points out is her new name, launched her much-anticipated Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, this week. To be expected, the press were less than kind in their reviews, panning it for being out of touch. Variety magazine said, “With Love, Meghan is made with a great deal of love – in the sense that the greatest love of all is the one that a person has for herself.” And Time said it, “couldn’t be more boring”. However, at the time of writing, it was number five in Netflix’s UK chart, so it’s certainly been a success. Meghan was delighted with the news, posting, “In just 24 hours [it] is already in the Top 10! Thank you to all of you around the world who are tuning in!”
As to our verdict – it’s beautifully produced and looks like a glossy Instagram page, but in the same way, doesn’t seem to have much soul behind it. Her bee-keeping tips and tutorials on creating home-made bath salts, crudité trays and snacks for visitors are all lovely, but we would have liked to have seen something on why it’s better to make your own bath products, or why bees are endangered, for example, not just play it safe. Despite the terrible reviews, there will be more. The second series (which was filmed alongside the first eight episodes) will be released this autumn. We wish Meghan and her flower sprinkles every success.
Bea’s very personal new job
Two months after her daughter, Athena, was born weeks prematurely, Princess Beatrice has been appointed a patron of Borne, a prematurity charity, dedicated to funding research into the causes of premature birth in Britain and the world.
“The work that Borne is undertaking is something that is incredibly close and personal to me following the recent birth of my daughter,” Beatrice said. “Every year in the UK, 60,000 babies are delivered too soon, with little information or research as to why this is. That is why I am really looking forward to supporting Borne and its programme of groundbreaking research, which I hope will help thousands of parents and children in the future.”
The Princess gave birth to her second daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, several weeks early on 22 January at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. On Thursday, Beatrice made her first public appearance since the birth at the charity’s gala event at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where her patronage was announced.
William’s heartfelt worries
The Prince of Wales has always been open about the emotional toll working as an air ambulance pilot from 2015 to 2017 took on him, however, on Thursday William spoke about how he found another job, his first shift volunteering at a Shout 85258, a young persons’ text messaging helpline, equally emotional and “terrifying”.
“You always say to yourself, ‘did I give enough, did I do enough, did I find the right answer?’” said William, while visiting Mental Health Innovations, charity established by the Royal Foundation. “I did volunteering for a bit back over Covid, and some of those conversations lived with me for quite a long time afterwards.”
A day earlier, William was again mindful of people’s wellbeing, stating the NHS staff should be given “enforced career breaks” for their mental health. “The last person who gets looked after is the individual,” he told nurses at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. “I’ve seen when I’ve worked with doctors and nurses, when I’ve worked with paramedics, they always put it down the line because they don’t want to put their workload on someone else.”
The Prince, who alongside the Princess of Wales, is the joint patron of NHS Charities Together, continued: “For me, looking into the nation’s mental health over the last few years, unless there’s almost enforced breaks in someone’s career, as part of your career development, we’re never going to get to that point where you can look after their mental health, because you always rely on the individual to put their hand up.”
See Dress Codes at Kensington Palace
Here at The Royal List, we love the exhibitions at Kensington Palace, which is why we can’t wait to see Dress Codes, opening Thursday. So why the excitement? Well, among the highlights are pieces worn by Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Princess Margaret and Queen Victoria. It promises to explore “the codes and conventions of royal clothing, and the powerful impact fashion can make when boundaries are pushed and 'dress codes' evolve”. Buy your tickets here.
And finally… Happy Birthday to Prince Edward!
The Duke of Edinburgh will be blowing out 61 candles on his cake tomorrow. We wish him a splendid day with family and friends.