Royal Report: May
This month I am changing up the royal report to make it a little bit zippier and honestly, a little bit less of a bear to write! Going forward I will be featuring 5 highs and the occasional low from my favorite family and their busy schedules.
Covid restrictions are finally lifting in the UK, so the royals were able to make in-person appearances, and wooo boy did they ever! We saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge go on a tour of Scotland, the Queen sending off a new warship and the launch of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Royal Report: May
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured Scotland while William was there on behalf of The Queen as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. They screened Cruella for healthcare workers, visited St. Andrew’s 20 years after they first met there, and also made visits to a range of other non-profits. Kate rocked a number of monochromatic looks (I’m not totally sold on the camel one), one very questionable hat, and a fabulous tartan coat with an amazing fancy ponytail. It was lovely to see them back on the road, and feel like royal watching is getting back to normal as Covid restrictions are lifted. I especially loved seeing Kate meet Mila, the little girl with cancer who is part of the Hold Still exhibition/book, after they spoke on the (new!!) YouTube earlier in the month - Kate had promised to wear a pink dress and it was just adorable to see them together.
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mozzi Mapelli announced that they are expecting their first child together! Edo already has a son from a previous relationship named Wolfie, and I’m so happy for their growing family, plus all of these new cousins that will be around the same age!
The Queen announced the plans for her Platinum Jubilee next June, which will celebrate her 70 years on the throne. In addition to four days of events that include the glitzy Platinum Party at the Palace, the Trooping the Colour parade and more, they also shared a year-long initiative, the Queen’s Green Canopy and their invitation to the public that is cutely called “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.” The Prince of Wales is the Patron and they announced it together with a photo of the two of them planting a tree together earlier this year.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, who are joint Presidents of the conservation charity Elephant Family, highlighted the new exhibit of 100 life sized elephants made out of dried stands of an invasive plant that is damaging Indian ecosystems. The exhibit has been traveling the world, and has made its way to The Mall in London.
The Queen visited the HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of the two largest warships ever built by the Royal Navy, ahead of it’s maiden operational deployment. It was so cheerful to see her back making in person appearances!
May Milestones:
May 1st - Princess Charlotte’s sixth birthday
May 6th - Archie Mountbatten-Windsor’s second birthday
May 15th - Zara Tindall’s 40th birthday
Coming up in June:
June 10th - Prince Philip’s 100th birthday
June 12th - Trooping the Colour (more on that next week!)
June 13th - Visit from President Biden following the G7 summit
June 15th-19th - Royal Ascot (they have limited attendance this year, but we do expect to see some of the royals there!)
June 21st - Prince William’s 39th birthday
June 28th - The start of Wimbledon, which we usually see several royals attend in the Royal Box.