What kind of royal mum are you?
To celebrate Mother’s Day, test your parenting style against our favourite Windsor women…
Happy Mother’s Day to all our mum-readers in the UK! Hopefully you’ll be treated like a Queen for the day. To celebrate, we thought we’d have a bit of fun and see what kind of royal mums we take after. Kerry would like to think she’s a stylish, caring, Kate, but concedes she’s probably all Anne. Maria isn’t telling…
So, which royal mum are you?
Hands-on Kate: She’s the champion of early-years education and passionate about giving children the best start in life, emotionally. She’s caring, hands-on, but firm – always spotted telling her littlies they need to behave, in public.
Funny mum Camilla: Tom Parker-Bowles revealed the best thing about growing up in his happy childhood home – full of dogs and horses – was his mum’s sense of humour. “My childhood… was absolutely idyllic,” he said. “She’s been an exemplary mother. She never judges, she’s very funny.” Camilla is a fun mum and grandmother, with a famous wit.
Meghan and Harry with Archie and Lilibet and Anne. Pics: Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Royal Family Insta Laid-back Meghan: Archie and Lilibet are enjoying a laid-back Californian lifestyle, with mum Meghan clearly adoring being a parent. She has a terrific role-model in her mother, Doria, who brought her up in a loving, supportive, environment.
No-nonsense Anne: She doesn’t suffer fools and Anne’s no-nonsense approach extends to parenting. She passed her love of riding down to Zara and encourages an outdoor lifestyle. Calling her mum her ‘role model’, Zara said, “I definitely remember having a lot of fun and being able to experience a lot of things.”
Diana in her 1993 Christmas card, Sophie shows her compassion and Zara talks motherhood. Pics: Royal Family Loving Diana: She was determined to do things differently and Diana was a loving, caring, mother, who lavished William and Harry with kisses and cuddles. Often snapped throwing her arms wide for cuddles and taking them on fun days out, Harry said, “She was the best mum in the world. She smothered us with love, that’s for sure.”
Kind Sophie: The Wessexes live a private life in Windsor, but when they are out in public, Sophie is often snapped with her arms round her children, Louise and James. She’s genuine and open and Louise’s premature birth and sight problems inspired her to champion charities such as Vision Foundation.
Sporty Zara: Just as Anne inspired Zara to take up an equestrian career, so Zara now inspires children Mia, Lena and Lucas to live an active lifestyle. “We have always had sport in our lives and through our childhood. I think that really is important in every child’s life to have that opportunity,” Zara said.
Family out in force for Commonwealth Day
As Charles gave his first Commonwealth Day speech as King at Westminster Abbey, he was supported by senior members of the Royal Family including the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal.
Speaking from the pulpit to the 2,000-strong congregation, Charles, as head of the Commonwealth, gave a heartfelt speech paying tribute to his mother and admiring the diversity of the 56 member states that continued to “amaze and inspire” him. He urged the countries to “unite and be bold” so they could reach “near-boundless potential”.
On a rather windy Monday, the royals arrived at the Abbey, with Camilla and Catherine literally holding on to their hats. Catherine looked chic in a 1950s-style Erdem-designed skirt suit and wide-brimmed Sean Barrett hat, Camilla wore a sapphire Fiona Clare coat dress and Philip Treacy hat, while Sophie chose a cream Proenza Schouler coat dress and matching Jane Taylor pillbox hat.
The Princess of Wales dressed up for another occasion on Friday with the Irish Guards. In a teal custom-made Catherine Walker coat and Jane Taylor hat (both matched the shade of the regiment’s plume of feathers), she attended her first St Patrick Day’s Parade as Colonel, alongside Prince William.
The couple travelled to Mons Barracks in Aldershot where Catherine handed out sprigs of shamrocks to the regiment. Even their mascot, a two-year-old Irish Wolfhound called Turlough Mor, known as Seamus, got one too. Click on pic above to see him and Catherine in action.
King knights Queen’s Brian May
The band Queen seem to be a favourite of the royals. From opening last June’s Platinum Jubilee concert, with the late Queen tapping out We Will Rock You with Paddington Bear, to lead guitarist Brian May playing God Save The Queen on the roof of Buckingham Palace during the 2002 Golden Jubilee, it was also announced in the King’s New Year’s Honours list that Brian would be knighted.
And on Tuesday, Charles and Brian were reunited at Buckingham Palace, where the King made him a “Sir” for services to music and charity. Sir Brian, who is also an astrophysicist and an animal rights activist, said after the ceremony: “I will regard the knighthood not so much as a reward, but more as a charge, a commission, for me to continue to fight for justice - to be a voice for those who have no voice. I will endeavour to be worthy - to be that knight in shining armour.”
Royal Succession is the real drama
Actor Brian Cox was outspoken about Meghan’s “ambition” to join the Royal Family this week, saying the Duchess of Sussex, “knew what she was getting into,” when she married Prince Harry.
The actor – who stars in the hit TV drama Succession, which comes back on screen on March 27, told Haute Living, “You can’t go into a system where somebody’s already been trained to behave in a certain kind of way and then just expect them to cut themselves off.”
We love Brian – and Succession – and Kerry wrote an opinion piece on the parallels between the deliciously-dastardly drama of a warring family empire and the machinations of the Royal Family, for The Sunday Telegraph. Read it here.
Royalco, like Waystar Royco, is navigating choppy waters, as heirs to the top job rock the boat. Prince William (more Gerri than Kendall) is toeing the line, but Harry, like Roman, continues to torpedo the family’s plans. Meghan may be playing a Tom Wambsgans-game and Prince Andrew, like Connor, has been relegated to the sidelines. Disappointingly, there doesn’t seem to be a Greg, but there’s always time.
Champion knitter strikes again
Buckingham Palace was also in the news this week thanks to 93-year-old Margaret Seaman, who unveiled her new work of wonder: a eight-foot-long and five-foot-wide knitted model of Buckingham Palace. It even features a woolly Queen and Prince Philip.
The achievement took the great-great grandmother eight months to complete. “I just love a challenge and I like to keep myself busy,” she said. “I never dreamed it would lead to all this excitement.” Margaret was awarded a British Empire Medal from the Queen after she pulled off a giant knitted version of Sandringham in 2020. Bet she has some great yarns.
*And finally, a big Happy 33rd Birthday to Princess Eugenie on Thursday 23 March!