Tag: Duke of Edinburgh

Royal Roundup: Cyber-Bullying, Playdates & Meghan [UPDATED]

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…But not necessarily in that order. So, there’s a few things to catch up on from this past week that didn’t make it into other blog posts. First off, let’s touch base on Meghan Markle, on whose potential move to London we covered on Wednesday. Since then, there’s only been more confirmation that Meghan is indeed leaving her hit television show, including the image above which was shared by the actress’s body double with a caption that essentially wished her well.

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Royal Roundup: Paradise Papers & Prince Philip’s Retirement

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So, the Paradise Papers. In case you missed it, these are 13.4 million confidential documents leaked to a German newspaper last week, which contain sensitive financial information for a number of high-profile people regarding offshore investments they’ve made. Unfortunately for the British Royal Family, they’ve been wrapped up in the narrative and speculative conversations about their finances rarely stem from or lead to good things.

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The BRF Turns Out for Remembrance Ceremonies

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I’m a bit late to the party with covering the Festival of Remembrance last night and today’s ceremony, but I’m going to pull them both together here. It’s been interesting to watch this year’s commemoration unfold, because, for the first time in years, the Queen declined to lay a wreath on Remembrance Sunday and opted to stand next to her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, from a balcony of the Foreign Office. Instead, the Prince of Wales laid two for her. Meanwhile, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry skipped last night’s event at Royal Albert Hall to attend rugby matches, while the Duchess of Cambridge turned up with the rest of the Royal Family on her own. And finally, there are now headlines that Harry broke military rules by not shaving his beard for the ceremony.

A lot to unpack, but it’s always fun to cover these annual events, particularly when they feature the entire BRF coming together.

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A Break from the Norm: the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Wedding Anniversary to Be Private

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Curiouser and curiouser: The Sunday Express reported yesterday that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary privately. This will be a marked change of procedure from how they celebrated their prior anniversaries, which all saw a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. This is particularly notable because it’s just been made clear that the Queen won’t lay a wreath on Remembrance Day this year; instead, she’ll stand next to Prince Philip on the Foreign Office balcony.

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That Eulogy, 20 Years Later

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Last week I referenced Earl Spencer’s eulogy of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, and I think it’s a significant enough speech that it bears a closer look today, the 20th anniversary of its address and the Princess’s funeral. For those unfamiliar with it, at first blush it may seem fairly innocuous, albeit a fitting and lovely tribute, but there’s actually quite a bit going on here when you pull it apart.

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Royal Roundup: Henrik, Earl Spencer & the Succession

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Well, that’s a weird title, but I think it hits the highlights. Where to begin with the last few days? Let’s start outside the UK where the Danish Royal Family has been dominating headlines. Denmark’s  monarch, Queen Margrethe II has reigned for 45 years, is enormously popular and is supported by her two sons and plethora of grandchildren. That support does not, apparently, extend to her husband, Prince Henrik, a Frenchman to whom she has been married since 1967.

Henrik boldly stated that he had no desire to be buried alongside his wife at Roskilde, the traditional resting place for Danish monarchs and their spouses, because he had never been granted the title of “king.” His argument is that his prevention from receiving the title is 1) his wife’s fault and 2) sexist, because female consorts are given the title “queen.”

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The End of an Era: Prince Philip’s Last Engagement & Palace “Shakeups”

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Yesterday the Duke of Edinburgh carried out his final engagement as a full-time working royal, ending a 70-year career and beginning a very well-deserved retirement. In his capacity as Captain General of the Royal Marines, Philip attended a parade outside Buckingham Palace on Wednesday marking the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge, a series of physical challenges raising money for charity.

With grey skies and steady rain, the sight of Philip smoothly carrying out his work in a bowler hat and rain coat felt old school – a hallmark of a very particular generation of the House of Windsor and the end of an era.

And quite the era it was – Philip has carried out 22,219 solo engagements (not counting occasions during which he accompanied the Queen), gave 5,496 speeches and served as patron to 785 organizations.

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And That’s a Wrap for the Spanish Royal Visit

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That’s all, folks. This morning King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain said a formal goodbye to Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace after a whirlwind 72-hour trip.

The week behind him, Philip has reportedly bid a final adieu to state visits, making this one of his last high-profile appearances as a full-time working royal. When he and the Queen make their annual sojourn to Balmoral later this summer, he will finally be able to enjoy a proper retirement at the ripe old age of 96.

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Holyrood Week 2017

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Let’s segue from the Princess Royal’s tour of China to what the Queen has been up to: Holyrood Week, or as it’s known in Scotland, “Royal Week.” Each summer, the Queen spends one week in residence at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, the primary residence of kings and queens of Scotland since the 16th century.

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Ascot 2017 & the Tangled Windsor Web (Updated)

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Observing a moment of silence for the victims of recent terror attacks

Surprise! The Duchess of Cambridge made an appearance at Ascot today alongside her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Zara Tindall, among others. It was such a family affair that even Michael and Carole Middleton were seen in the Royal enclosure. But the true star of the show was the Queen herself, who has been attending the event annually alongside her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, since the ’50s. True to form, she was there today, rocking a lime green coat and hat, handbag and gloves properly in place.

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