January is usually a quieter month for the royals, with The Queen taking a post-holiday break, and the royals with kids enjoying the last days of school holidays. This month was definitely a little bit lighter in terms of engagements, which was also impacted by the very strict lockdown the UK is under. We did see some big moments though, like The Queen and Prince Philip getting their Covid vaccines, Holocaust Remembrance Day and the launch of significant projects from the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

• I was so sad to learn that the Cambridge’s dog, Lupo had passed away, but this month we got the good news that they had a new puppy! Like Lupo, the puppy was a gift from Kate’s brother James Middleton, who posted about the new puppies over the summer. Now we can wait and wonder what name the kids picked out!

• Kate marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on a video call with two survivors she has met before, Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg and youth ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust, whicl

• The focus this month was very heavily on the NHS, and my favorite appearance was on Burns Night, a holiday in Scotland that celebrates the life and poetry of poet Robert Burns (who wrote Auld Lang Syne). Kate wore a tartan outfit from Emilia Wickstead, which I thought was adorable and on-theme. They sent lunch to healthcare workers at a Scottish hospital and sent a video message in support.

• Kate shared a video to kick off Childrens Mental Health Week, that was casual and less scripted than usual. Filmed while she was “out on a run” (let’s be honest, she was wearing mascara and makeup, so she was definitely just outdoors with her camera), it was adorably informal and brought great attention to the cause. It also highlighted the importance of the outdoors for mental health, one of her key causes.

Charles and CAmilla

• Camilla launched her Book Club, which I am so excited about, sharing four initial picks. The whole concept is so well thought out, with a few newer books, but most are older and readily available to check out from the library for no cost! The first books she selected are: Where the Crawdads Sing, The Mirror & The Light, The Architect’s Apprentice and Restless and I highly recommend following the Instagram page for the club.

• Prince Charles has long been an eco-warrior, and he has luanched huge programming since become the leader of the UN Sustainable Markets Initiative. This month, he launched Terra Carta, a 17-page and 85-point agreement meant to be a play on the Magna Carta and had major companies around the world commit $10 billion over 10 years to invest in green projects and sustainability.

Our Other Favorites

• The Earl and Countess of Wessex were also given the titles Earl and Countess of Forfar in 2019, and they put together a day-long virtual version of their annual Forfar visit.

• The Queen and Prince Philip both got the Covid vaccine! This was a very hot topic as they typically don’t comment on medical matters unless someone is hospitalized, but they saw the necessity of supporting the vaccine and the rest of the family also posted in support of the choice.

Gossip and Unofficial Work

• Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York announced that she is publishing a romance novel, “Her Heart for a Compass” based on one of her ancestors. The video she released was wacky and wonderful!

• Meghan had a big court date (I recapped all of the lawsuits here) and it was juicy! She is trying to get a Summary Judgement against the Mail on Sunday and so many juicy allegations were made, although we are still waiting for the judge to decide.

Key Celebrations in January

• January 9th- The Duchess of Cambridge celebrated her 39th birthday (we share it!)

• January 20th - The Countess of Wessex marked her 56th birthday

What I’m Looking Forward to in February

• Baby Brooksbank - Princess Eugenie is due with her first child, and we are very excited about it!