All posts tagged: queen elizabeth

Prince Louis Celebrated His Eighth Birthday With a Brand New Smiley Photo

Prince Louis Celebrated His Eighth Birthday With a Brand New Smiley Photo

Published by Sam Flores

Cheeky smile, arms folded, hair tousled: one of the most faithful portraits of Prince Louis was shared on Kensington Palace’s official social media accounts to celebrate his birthday on April 23. The photo of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s youngest child was taken by photographer Matt Porteous during a short vacation that the Wales family took in Cornwall earlier this month to coincide with Easter. “Happy birthday, Louis! 8 today!” reads the caption alongside a brand-new image of the young royal. Birthday wishes for Prince Louis poured in from various followers, many of whom remarked on how much he has grown and his visible maturity despite his small stature. Perhaps because of the outpouring of birthday messages, a few hours later, Kensington Palace shared a video of Prince Louis. “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis. 8 is great!” the short clip is captioned. The montage features Louis playing on the beach, swinging a bat, and jumping into the ocean—a snapshot of carefree moments typical of a normal childhood. Prior to this …

Kate Middleton Pays Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in a Rarely Seen Piece of Heirloom Jewelry

Kate Middleton Pays Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in a Rarely Seen Piece of Heirloom Jewelry

Published by Sam Flores

The royals have carried out a number of engagements to mark a century since the birth of the Queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, on April 21, 2026. The celebrations started n Monday evening when King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, the landmark exhibition being staged at the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. They were joined for the private tour by the King’s much-loved cousin, Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of Princess Margaret. At midnight, Buckingham Palace released a moving speech by His Majesty, who acknowledged that, while his “darling mama” would have been “troubled deeply” by current affairs, viewers should follow in her example and “strive together towards a better, happier tomorrow—one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity and security.” The Princess of Wales meets guests at the party celebrating the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II Pool/Getty Images On Tuesday morning Princess Anne was in Regent’s Park to honor her mother, officially opening the two-acre Queen Elizabeth II Garden, designed as a site of quiet contemplation in the park. The …

A Never-Before-Seen Image of Elizabeth II In Honor of Her 100th Birthday

A Never-Before-Seen Image of Elizabeth II In Honor of Her 100th Birthday

Published by Sam Flores

I can only say that Catherine will one day be queen and that the late Elizabeth would be very proud of her. I think we are surrounded by greatness. Elizabeth II is often described as inscrutable, yet you were with her in an unusually intimate context. Were there any gestures that revealed something deeply human that the public never got to see? I will never forget this moment: I was preparing work in her studio in Windsor. I didn’t realize she had entered the room and was right behind me. I felt her presence, turned around, and there she was, very close. “Oh, Madam,” I said, clearly surprised. In that instant, the connection was immediate, glance to glance, and I had a strange sense of the magnitude of her life experience, something unique. Special. I felt I was in the presence of an extraordinary woman. That dry and devastatingly concise phrase—“You don’t need a passport photo,” that the queen said hints at a keen sense of humor. Did you witness other moments of wit or …

King Charles Remembers His “Darling Mama” on What Would Have Been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th Birthday

King Charles Remembers His “Darling Mama” on What Would Have Been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th Birthday

Published by Sam Flores

Charles also referred to the troubled world in which we live today and hinted at the challenging times ahead for the royal family. “Much about the times we now live in I suspect may have troubled her deeply, but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon,” he said. It is understood that he was making a reference to the wars blighting much of the Middle East as well as issues closer to home. The king also spoke about the huge amount of change his mother had witnessed over the seven decades of her reign, remarking, “Her near-century was one of remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast, and wholly devoted to the people she served.” Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales talk with guests during a reception at Buckingham Palace. Pool/Getty Images Senior family members spent Tuesday attending engagements to celebrate the queen’s life. Prince William and Kate Middleton …

Queen Elizabeth’s favourite sandwich she ate every day for 90 years

Queen Elizabeth’s favourite sandwich she ate every day for 90 years

Published by Sam Flores

The late Queen Elizabeth may have been the longest-serving British monarch with access to the most lavish and exotic cuisines imaginable, yet when it came to satisfying her sweet tooth, she favoured something decidedly ordinary and distinctly British. Throughout her 70-year reign, the late monarch undertook more than 200 visits to Commonwealth countries alone, which would undoubtedly have exposed her to an array of delicacies served at formal dinners. However, when it came to her preferences, Elizabeth would choose a beloved English favourite that countless Britons have come to cherish — one that she enjoyed every day from childhood. Darren McGrady, who served the Royal Family for 15 years as a chef preparing meals for all the senior members of the Firm, disclosed what the late monarch’s preferred afternoon indulgence was. In a YouTube video, he discussed the annual summer garden parties, explaining: “With 6,000 people at each garden party that’s a lot of food, and fortunately, the royal chefs only have to cater for the royal tea tent.” He continued: “The [late] Queen was …

How the Royal Family Will Celebrate the Centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Birth

How the Royal Family Will Celebrate the Centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Birth

Published by Sam Flores

This year, Queen Elizabeth II would have turned 100. So, to celebrate the centenary of her birth on April 21, the royal family has prepared a packed program of tributes and festivities. Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, after 70 years of the longest reign in British history. To honor her, three official events will be held in the presence of senior members of the Windsor dynasty, starting with King Charles III. Together with his wife, Queen Camilla and other members of the family, the monarch will visit the British Museum to see the final model of the future Elizabeth II memorial, in the company of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Lord Janvrin, the Queen’s former Private Secretary. They will meet the artists who imagined the monument, and watch a short film documenting its conception. The memorial will be located in the heart of St. James’s Park, a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. Two statues of the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, will be erected, as will …

The One Thing Harry and Meghan Aren’t Doing on Their Trip to Australia

The One Thing Harry and Meghan Aren’t Doing on Their Trip to Australia

Published by Sam Flores

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kicked off the public portion of their trip to Australia Tuesday. Now, they’re embarking on a series of events and engagements that looks fairly similar to what they did during their last visit to the continent back in October 2018. Their itinerary will take them to an array of sites connected to their charitable interests, including a children’s hospital in Melbourne, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and an Invictus Games–related sailing event around Sydney Harbour. But there is one aspect of their trip that shows exactly how much has changed for Harry and Meghan since the couple left their royal roles in March 2020. A source tells Vanity Fair that this time around, the couple’s Down Under itinerary does not include any public walkabouts. Instead, their goal is to minimize any disruption to the public as they travel to their engagements. The walkabout, a slow-paced meet and greet with the public, was a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth, and these appointments are a typical feature of any …

Why Queen Elizabeth II Skipped Charles and Camilla’s Wedding

Why Queen Elizabeth II Skipped Charles and Camilla’s Wedding

Published by Sam Flores

After an occasionally controversial and years-long relationship, then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were officially married 21 years ago, on April 9, 2005. It was a very intimate event with only 28 guests, including Charles’ sons Prince William and Prince Harry, Camilla’s children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, and Charles’ siblings, Princess Anne, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (then known as Prince Andrew), and Prince Edward. But unlike some family weddings, the groom’s mother and father were absent, a situation even more notable as his parents were Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. The future king’s marriage ceremony was held at Windsor Guildhall, a structure near the Windsor Castle estate, but just outside its boundaries. As both Charles and Camilla had been divorced, the ceremony was a civil one, not one held inside a church. That detail explains why Queen Elizabeth was not in attendance: As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England (a constitutional role that is distinct from its spiritual leader, the Archbishop of Canterbury), the queen considered it inappropriate to attend the …

A Complete List of Meghan and Harry’s Creative Projects, From Documentaries to Unrealized Podcasts

A Complete List of Meghan and Harry’s Creative Projects, From Documentaries to Unrealized Podcasts

Published by Sam Flores

In recent years, Meghan and Harry have admitted that they didn’t have a solid plan for how they would rebuild their careers after leaving the service of the crown in early 2020, just months before they signed their Netflix deal. Either way, it was clear that Hollywood was interested in giving them a shot, and their company Archewell Productions was born. They also signed an exclusive podcasting deal with Spotify, but that ended in 2023 after just 13 episodes had aired. It took a few years before they released any projects, but their first show on the streamer, Harry & Meghan, broke a documentary-debut record on the platform when it premiered in December 2022. Telling the story of their private meeting, royal wedding, and high-profile exit from the UK, the docuseries made headline news for weeks and provoked much upset among Harry’s extended family. Harry & Meghan and With Love, Meghan represent Archewell Productions’ biggest splashes in Hollywood by far, but the company has also had its hands in an array of other documentaries, the …

Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Refused to Answer Prince Harry’s Phone Calls Without a Witness Present

Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Refused to Answer Prince Harry’s Phone Calls Without a Witness Present

Published by Sam Flores

Following his farewell to the royal family and move to the United States, Prince Harry has had a fraught relationship with his relatives. In 2021, the Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle gave a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey that suggested the Windsors had been racist. At the time, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, responded with a diplomatic official statement: “The issues raised, especially the racial ones, are troubling. Although some memories may vary, they will be taken very seriously.” Now, in his new book Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, historian Hugo Vickers says the sovereign was “deeply hurt by her grandson’s attacks.” After that interview, the queen became very “distrustful of Harry,” Vickers claims, so much so that she reportedly “refused to answer his phone calls unless there was a witness who could record what was said.” Per Vickers, whenever Prince Harry called her, “the queen would ask her lady-in-waiting to be with her.” When she responded, Queen Elizabeth II reportedly limited herself to “monosyllabic conversations made up only of ‘yes’ …