Royal Report: July 2020
What a month it was for royal watchers! With the family out and about again for work, it was a full month of big impact engagements, plus a royal wedding - and some remarkable photo, video and press opportunities.
Kate revealed a project she has been working on for around 6 months with the BBC, launching Tiny Happy People an new online resource with content to help parents raise and interact with children up to age 4.
Princess Beatrice’s wedding was far and away the highlight of the month. The vintage fashion! The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attending! THOSE FLOWERS! I was so excited that I did a full post on it which is linked here with ALL of the details.
Following the wedding, the Queen made her first in-person appearance since March to knight Captain Thomas Moore, a 100-year-old veteran who raised $40 million for the UK’s National Health Service by walking laps around his garden during quarantine. Watching these two inspiring elderly people driven by duty was truly touching, although I did worry about the Queen being able to lift the sword!
In addition to the wedding, the Duke of Edinburgh made a rare public appearance as part of handing over his role as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall. They held two ceremonies with different parts of the regiment at each of their homes, which was a lovely socially distant way to pass it down from the spouse of the current monarch, to the spouse of the next monarch.
Princess Anne’s 70th birthday is next month and there has been a full schedule of press rolling out in the lead up. The big exclusives included a Daily Mail piece, Australian Women’s Weekly taking photos of her sleeveless, in chambray on her farm, guest editing Country Life magazine and this week’s ITV special that included interviews with her, her husband and kids. These interviews are great - especially in the Australian piece on her farm where she reveals that she and Charles differ so hugely in their feelings about GMO seeds, that they just can’t speak about it - how perfect and land-owning British is that?!?
Charles and Camilla went on an abbreviated and socially distanced version of their annual tour of Devon and Cornwall (their duchy, which provides much of Charles’ money and will one day go to William)
A few disappointments:
It’s starting to feel like every month, I use this section to complain about Meghan and Harry’s continued legal drama. Their various privacy lawsuits all soldier on, and this month we also had the beginning of excerpts from a new book about them. While the book claims it didn’t speak to them directly, there are details in there that are ripped from Meghan’s diary, and they are basically using this book to just slightly dispute some of the specifics of their most negative press stories. Honestly, they are a mess and just need to go quiet outside of charitable work for a few months.
Prince Andrew, my other pal in the “disappointments” each month, also made headlines as Jeffrey Epstein’s closest confidante/procurer of girls and women, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested. We will see what this ends up meaning for the grossest member of the royal family.
Key Celebrations in July
July 17 - Duchess Camilla celebrated her 73rd birthday
July 22 - Prince George’s 7th birthday was marked with the release of two new adorable photos.
What I’m Looking Forward to in July
August 4th - Duchess Meghan’s 39th birthday
August 8th - Princess Beatrice’s 32nd birthday
August 15th - Princess Anne’s 70th birthday, which is expected to be celebrated in a big way!
August 26th - The Duke of Gloucester’s 76th birthday