To celebrate a decade of their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released photographs showing the couple snuggling in happy embrace, a contrast to the tensions that have gripped Britain’s royal family in recent weeks.
The images show Prince William, second-in-line to the throne, and the former Kate Middleton in complementary shades of blue. One image is reminiscent of their engagement photo.
Second-in-line to the throne William, 38, and Kate, 39, married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, after first meeting at university and then dating for more than seven years. They got engaged in 2010 after William proposed with Diana’s diamond and sapphire engagement ring.
“When I first met Kate I knew there was something very special about her,” William had said in an engagement interview.
They now have three children — seven-year-old Prince George, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, three — and their family represents several generations destined to head the centuries-old institution for years to come.
After 10 years carrying out solo and joint royal duties as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they have been formally known since tying the knot, the couple are among the most popular monarchy members.
Kate recently drew widespread praise for her demeanor and style at Prince Philip’s funeral, with a striking photograph of her arriving by car wearing a black veil and face mask making waves around the world.
The image drew comparisons with William’s late mother, Princess Diana.
William is far more preferred than his 72-year-old father, with around a third of Britons wanting him to succeed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, instead.
Meanwhile, Kate is the third most popular family member behind the 95-year-old queen and William. Two-thirds of people had a positive opinion of her, according to a YouGov poll published Tuesday.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s sudden exit from the Royal family and move to California sent waves of shock across the world leaving royal fans baffled and shocked.
Interestingly, renowned royal biographer, Angela Levin told talkRadio that Prince Harry actually quit being a member of the royal to do something Prince Charles had always wanted for a long time. Levin claims that Harry’s farewell to royalty was actually a selfless attempt to “cut the monarchy down in the future and save cash so that people be worth the money they paid for taxes”.
“This is something Prince Charles had wanted as well,” added Levin, explaining that the Queen does not approve of the “cutting down the monarchy”. According to Levin, the Queen very rigid when it comes to changes especially ones involving monarchy restructuring.
Levin even referred to the Queen’s lifelong attempt to hold the Royal family together as nothing more than a “sentimental gesture”.
She said that all that would change when Charles assumes the throne and the new slimmed down royal family will include only Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Charles’ eldest son, Prince William, and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and their three children.
Those not in the smaller, inner circle may have to enter the public workforce to support themselves financially and could lose their patronages or titles.
The news comes amid rumours that Prince Harry might cancel his upcoming trip to the UK in July after the “very, very cold reception” he received from the royal family at Prince Philip’s funeral.
A royal expert has claimed that Harry may also reconsider his return for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother Princess Diana.
“Some quarters of the family did give him a frosty reception and perhaps that did shock him somewhat,” Russell Myers told talkRADIO, adding the birth of Harry and Meghan’s second baby could provide a “convenient excuse” not to “face the family”.
The statue of Princess Diana was commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of her death and recognise her efforts for her country and those across the world. It will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on July 1, 2021, marking what would have been her 60th birthday. The statue had been commissioned by Harry and William two years ago and at this stage, it is one of their only joint ventures.
Meghan Markle was recently spotted showing off her baby bump and carrying son Archie.
According to Page Six, this is the first time Markle was seen in public since Prince Harry’s return from the United Kingdom, where he had gone for Prince Philip’s funeral. It was earlier reported that Prince Harry would stay in England for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s 95th Birthday, which was on April 21, but Harry returned to California before that.
This year, on Valentine’s Day, the couple announced that they areexpecting their second child. The couple’s announcement on Valentine’s Day was a nod to Princess Diana, who 37 years ago on the same day, had announced that she was pregnant with Prince Harry.
The couple made their final split with the royal family in February this year and in March gave Oprah a bombshell interview in which they accused the royal family of being racist and not supporting them, plunging the monarchy into its biggest crisis since the death of Lady Diana.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, the world’s oldest monarch, turns 95 on Wednesday, but there will be no public celebrations just days after she bade farewell to her husband of seven decades at his funeral.
Prince Philip, whom Elizabeth married in 1947, died on April 9 at the age of 99. The royals paid their final respects to the family’s patriarch at his funeral on Saturday at Windsor Castle.
Today is The Queen’s 95th birthday.
HM was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in London, the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York.
This year The Queen remains at Windsor Castle during a period of Royal Mourning following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh. pic.twitter.com/kOeH399Ndp
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the queen sat alone during the sombre service for Philip, who she had described as her “strength and stay”.
Elizabeth, who is also the world’s longest-reigning monarch, will be at the castle for her birthday, which traditionally passes off with little or no ceremony.
However, this year, with the royals marking two weeks of mourning, there will be no gun salutes at the Tower of London or the capital’s Hyde park which usually occur on the queen’s birthday.
“I was at the funeral on Saturday, her Majesty was, as always, more concerned with other people than herself, and she will be on her birthday,” Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told Reuters.
“She doesn’t do ‘I’m the most important person in the room’. She does ‘I mind about the other people more than about myself’. She is an extraordinary person.”
The queen also has an official birthday, which is usually celebrated with greater pomp on the second Saturday in June.
Queen’s Birthday in 2019
Philip’s death has robbed Elizabeth of her closest and most trusted confidant, who had been beside her throughout her 69-year reign.
Newspapers have suggested that family members would be visiting the queen over the coming days to ensure she would not be left alone while mourning her late husband.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment, saying all family matters after the funeral would be private.
The Queen’s message to people across the world who have sent tributes and messages of condolence following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh. pic.twitter.com/1apW7s1zXS
Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, in Bruton Street, central London. She ascended to the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, and surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in September, 2015.
Elizabeth is also queen of 15 former British colonies including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“I would like to send my warm wishes to Her Majesty The Queen on her 95th birthday,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter. “I am proud to serve as her prime minister.”
Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday bid farewell to her late husband, Prince Philip, at a royal funeral like no other, restricted by coronavirus rules but reflecting his long life of military and public service. The Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away on April 9 at age 99, was interred in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after a 50-minute service attended by just 30 guests.
The Queen, 94, seen for the first time since his death, was dressed in mourning black, with a white-trimmed, black face mask. Close family, also masked, sat socially distanced in the historic 15th-century Gothic chapel.
Philip — described by royals as “the grandfather of the nation” — was Britain’s longest-serving royal consort and was married to the Queen for 73 years. He was an almost constant presence at her side during her record-breaking reign that began in 1952 as Britain rebuilt from World War II, and as its global empire began to unravel.
Unseen photo of Queen and Philip in 2003 on the Balmoral estate
His death, which the family said had left a “huge void” in the Queen’s life, has robbed her of the man she called her “strength and stay” and closes a remarkable chapter for Britain’s most famous family, and in the country’s history.
https://youtu.be/OdYWnSZ2rWc
The last high-profile funeral of a senior royal was for the Queen’s mother, who died in 2002, aged 101. But unlike then, when more than one million people thronged outside Westminster Abbey in central London to watch the sombre pageant, the public was noticeably absent from Saturday’s ceremony.
Government guidelines limited the number of mourners and a quartet performed hymns the duke chose himself in a barren nave stripped of seating.
The ceremonial funeral from behind the stately castle walls was broadcast live on television to millions across Britain and the world.
Beforehand, a military gun fired to signal a minute’s silence, when his coffin, draped in his standard and topped by a wreath of white roses and lilies from the Queen, his naval cap and ceremonial sword was borne by a bespoke Land Rover hearse he designed himself, arrived at the chapel.
Across Britain — on the streets, in shops, railway stations and at sporting events — people bowed their heads with respect.
Flights in an out of nearby Heathrow Airport were stopped for the duration of the ceremony.
Despite the restrictions, the stripped-down sendoff for the former Royal Navy commander still combined centuries of royal protocol with pomp, pageantry — and military precision.
Members of the British armed forces, in formal dress, lined the procession route, heads bowed, as the cortege passed, as a minute gun rang out across the grounds and a bell tolled.
Philip’s grandsons William, 38, and Harry, 36, joined the procession, in their first public meeting since a reported falling out about Harry’s shock move to California, and his stinging criticism of royal life, including racism in the family.
Harry had to quarantine when he arrived back in Britain for the first time since his move to the United States with his wife, Meghan, last year. Meghan reportedly watched the funeral at her home in California after she was advised by her doctor not to travel while pregnant. US networks showed the funeral live as did British TV stations.
The religious service was a simple affair, reflecting the wishes of the straight-talking duke, who was known for his aversion to “fuss”.
In keeping with his wishes, there was no sermon, but the service reflected his love of the sea, and long association with the Royal Navy, including hymns and Bible readings.
The Queen, who had been escorted to the chapel by a lady-in-waiting in the royal Bentley, watched from the chapel choir as her husband’s was lowered steadily into the Royal Vault by electric motor.
The Pipe Major of the Royal Regiment of Scotland played a lament, and buglers of the Royal Marines sounded The Last Post.
When the Queen dies, he will be transferred to lie alongside her in the King George VI memorial chapel, which houses the remains of her father, George VI, her mother, also called Elizabeth, and the ashes of her younger sister, Margaret.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip will be laid to rest today (April 17) at Saint George’s Chapel in Windsor. The 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh passed away on April 9, 2020.
The funeral ceremony will just have 30 guests in attendance, in line with government COVID-19 regulations. Heir to the throne Charles, his wife Camilla, and the monarch’s three other children and eight grandchildren, as well as all their spouses, will be among those present.
Attendees including the Queen will be required to wear face masks, sit apart and observe COVID-19 social distancing rules.
Queen Elizabeth will be accompanied to the venue in the state Bentley by a lady-in-waiting, before sitting alone in the chapel.
Furthermore, William and Harry will not walk side by side in the procession, Buckingham Palace has revealed, giving traction to reports of rifts between the two. According to details, Princess Anne’s son, Peter Philips, is positioned between them and William will move ahead of his younger brother as the royal mourners enter in pairs.
Meanwhile, here is the full list of mourners who will attend the funeral of Prince Philip at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle:
Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Charles, eldest child of the queen and Prince Philip
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Charles’ wife
Princess Anne, second child of the queen and Prince Philip
Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Anne’s husband
Prince Andrew, third child of the queen and Prince Philip
Prince Edward, youngest child of the queen and Prince Philip
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Edward’s wife
Lady Louise Windsor, Edward and Sophie’s daughter
James, Viscount Severn, Edward and Sophie’s son
Prince William, eldest son of Charles and the late Princess Diana
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, William’s wife
Prince Harry, younger son of Charles and Diana
Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne and her first husband Mark Phillips
Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips
Mike Tindall, Zara’s husband
Princess Beatrice, elder daughter of Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Beatrice’s husband
Princess Eugenie, younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah
Jack Brooksbank, Eugenie’s husband
Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of the queen’s late sister Princess Margaret
Daniel Chatto, husband of Lady Sarah Chatto
David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon, son of Princess Margaret
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a cousin of the queen
Edward, Duke of Kent, a cousin of the queen
Princess Alexandra, a cousin of the queen
Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Baden, a German great-nephew of Prince Philip
Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse, a German cousin of Prince Philip
Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a German great-nephew of Prince Philip
Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, a friend of Prince Philip, married to the grandson of Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten
Senior members of the royal family will not wear military uniform at Prince Philip’s funeral, in a break with tradition designed to avoid embarrassing Prince Harry, British media has reported.
The Duke of Sussex, who lost his military titles after stepping down as a senior working royal, faced being the only senior male royal not in uniform, despite having served two tours in Afghanistan. According to protocol, he is required to wear civilian dress, although he would be allowed to wear his medals.
On the other hand, the Duke of York Prince Andrew, who stepped back from public duties following the controversy over his friendship with the disgraced financial and sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein, was due to be promoted to the rank of admiral in 2020 to mark his 60th birthday, but this did not go ahead following the fallout from his disastrous Newsnight appearance.
The dilemma that exists is the fact that both the royals are the only ones to have seen active service – Harry in Afghanistan and Andrew in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict.
As a result, the 94-year-old queen decided all royals should wear mourning suits to avoid any embarrassment. It was “the most eloquent solution to the problem”, said a source while talking on the matter.
At a ceremonial royal funeral like Prince Philip’s, it has been traditional for uniforms to be worn. They were worn at the last ceremonial royal funeral, that of the Queen Mother. However, a no-uniform rule was adopted for the private family funeral of Princess Margaret, when mourning dress was worn, and for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was by then no longer an official member of the royal family.
The decision is a break with tradition for ceremonial royal funerals and will contrast with the strong military presence that will be on show to honour the duke, who served with distinction in the second world war.
Meanwhile, Prince Philip’s funeral is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 17. Preparations for the funeral are underway and a specially built Land Rover will carry his coffin from Windsor to St George’s Chapel. The car had been designed by the Duke himself, reportedly 18 years ago.
Prince Philip “had a hand” in the design of this Land Rover Defender. At 2:41pm on Saturday, the Bearer Party will carry the coffin and place it on the back of vehicle. pic.twitter.com/2N98dcUN3X
The funeral ceremony will just have 30 guests in attendance, in line with government regulations. Heir to the throne Charles, his wife Camilla, and the monarch’s three other children and eight grandchildren, as well as all their spouses, will be among those present.
Other guests include the children of the queen’s late sister Princess Margaret, and three of Philip’s German relatives — Bernhard, the hereditary prince of Baden; Donatus, prince and landgrave of Hesse; and Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Countess Mountbatten, Penelope “Penny” Knatchbull, who was Philip’s carriage driving partner and one of his closest friends, is also invited.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson opted against attending to free up a space.
Attendees including the Queen will be required to wear face masks, sit apart and observe COVID-19 social distancing rules.
Queen Elizabeth will be accompanied to the venue in the state Bentley by a lady-in-waiting, before sitting alone in the chapel.
Furthermore, William and Harry will not walk side by side in the procession, Buckingham Palace has revealed, giving traction to reports of rifts between the two. According to details, Princess Anne’s son, Peter Philips, is positioned between them and William will move ahead of his younger brother as the royal mourners enter in pairs.
As young boys in 1997, the pair provided the most poignant image of their mother Princess Diana’s funeral as they walked, heads bowed, behind her coffin. Prince Philip had accompanied them, alongside their father Prince Charles and uncle Charles Spencer.
The funeral will be Harry and William’s first public meeting since Harry’s shock move to the United States last year and Oprah’s bombshell interview. The brothers have reportedly fallen out over Harry’s departure.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband and the longest-serving consort of any British monarch Prince Philip has died at age 99.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” it added.
The statement also said that further announcements will be made in due course.
The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.
Philip, who retired from public duties in 2017, had earlier been admitted to hospital on February 16, 2021. He went back home after nearly a month during which he was treated for a pre-existing heart condition and an infection.
His death comes just months before his 100th birthday in June — an event typically marked in Britain with a congratulatory message from the queen, who is now Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
The couple, who celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in November, had been living largely in isolation at Windsor Castle, west of London because their advanced age put them at heightened risk from COVID-19. They received their first vaccinations against the virus in January.
Officially known as the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip married Prince Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen and had been by his wife’s side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history. During this time he earned a reputation for a tough, no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for occasional gaffes. He is also credited with playing a key role in modernising the monarchy in the post-World War Two period, and behind the walls of Buckingham Palace being the one key figure the queen could turn to and trust.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years,” Elizabeth said in a rare personal tribute to Philip made in a speech marking their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s explosive, tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey has stirred up a meme fest on social media.
In the interview, the couple made several shocking revelations including harrowing discussions in the royal family about the colour of their son’s [Archie] skin, losing royal protection and the pressures that led the Duchess of Sussex to contemplate suicide.
While the Queen, in a statement, has said that “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members,” and that the Palace will be addressing their grievances privately, social media has been flooded with memes. If you haven’t seen any, check them out below:
The face you pull when you’re watching the Harry & Meghan interview on catch up and you can’t believe what you’re hearing They said whaaaaaatt???#HarryandMeghanonOprahpic.twitter.com/ERiFmstDAQ
— Albert the Pug (account now run by Betty) (@Oh_Alby) March 9, 2021
me muted on Zoom, but still doing the most with my expressions to show that I’m listening pic.twitter.com/SzOUrPj0h6
Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday responded to explosive racism claims from her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, voicing deep concern and sympathising with their troubles with royal life.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” said the head of the monarchy in a statement.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members,” it added.
Buckingham Palace has come under mounting pressure to respond to the claims made in an Oprah Winfrey interview first broadcast on Sunday, which triggered a crisis unseen since the anguished days of Harry’s late mother, Diana, in the 1990s.
It set off a whirl of speculation about the identity of the senior royal who asked how dark their child’s skin would be before he was born.
Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, also spoke about how she had suicidal thoughts, but failed to receive any support during her time in the royal family.
Winfrey was left open-mouthed by the racism claim, which reportedly left the palace in turmoil and scrambling how best to address it. The host later clarified that the racist comment was neither made by the Queen nor her husband, Prince Philip.
Prince Charles, Harry’s father and the heir to the throne, earlier ignored a question about what he made of the interview, as he made his first public appearance since the row erupted.
The level of controversy about the royals has not been seen since the 1990s, during the very public collapse of the marriage of Harry’s parents. His mother, princess Diana, collaborated with the author Andrew Morton in a revealing 1992 biography and gave a bombshell BBC television interview in 1995.
In it, she said both she and Prince Charles had been unfaithful, how he was unfit to be king, and that she felt isolated, struggling with self-harm and bulimia.
Harry and Meghan dramatically quit royal life last year and now live in California with their young son, Archie, and are expecting their second child, a daughter, this summer.
