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Trooping the Colour 2025 fashion: Best looks from Princess of Wales, Queen Camilla and Princess Charlotte
Trooping the Colour 2025 fashion: Best looks from the royal family
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Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Princess Charlotte 'hands back' lavish gift worth eye-watering £36,000
Princess Charlotte was reportedly gifted an incredibly lavish present when she was born back in 2015 - but the then-newborn was forced to give the gift back due to strict royal protocols Princess Charlotte, who is third in line to the throne, reportedly had to return an incredibly lavish gift she received as a newborn. The ten year old princess was presented with a £36,000 item when she was born to her parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, in May 2015. However, due to stringent royal protocols, she was unable to keep this expensive present. The Natural Sapphire Company gifted the costly baby rattle, which was made from 18ct white gold and decorated with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies to create a Union Jack. The company explained on their website why they decided to splurge for Princess Charlotte's birth. They stated: "When Kate and William were engaged with the iconic blue sapphire ring that once belonged to Princess Diana, our sapphire ring sales rocketed. Women everywhere wanted to be just as fashionable as Kate. Today, we continue to grow as a business and it is with great joy that we celebrate the birth of a new royal. READ MORE: Princess Charlotte's sweet question to Kate Middleton in carriage decoded by lip reader "We're thanking Kate and William for introducing our company to the world, by gifting a custom-designed baby rattle, fit for their Princess. Baby gifts made from precious metals are a tradition dating back to the 18th century. Our luxury rattle, worth $45,000 (£36,000), is made from 18k white gold; lined with sapphires, rubies, and diamonds to produce the Union Jack flag. "Such a unique gift, unlike any they will receive from well wishes around the world, will surely be treasured." Despite presenting their little royal with such a lavish gesture, it seems Princess Charlotte may have never actually handled the opulent rattle. Reports in 2015 suggested it was seriously unlikely Princess Kate would keep the gift. Kensington Palace could not confirm whether the lavish baby toy was received by William and Kate as a general rule, it said, gifts from commercial companies were not accepted. Even if the young royal didn't keep the baby shaker, she wasn't left empty-handed. Rumour has it that King Charles presented her with a handcrafted willow rattle, coming in at a more down-to-earth £25 a far less hair-raising item for the tot to tote around, and certainly less of a headache for mum and dad. Last month, Princess Charlotte celebrated her tenth birthday and the royal family marked the occasion with a new portrait. The heartwarming photo was taken by mum Kate on her iPhone earlier this year during a trip to Cumbria and has been released on her parents' social media accounts today to mark her milestone birthday. Charlotte is pictured on a grassy bank with hills in the background and appears to be taking a break during the walk wearing a camouflage jacket by hunting and shooting brand Jack Pyke and a sturdy rucksack. The image of the smiling princess was posted with the words "Happy 10th Birthday Princess Charlotte!" alongside a heart emoji and a picture credit for Kate.
Daily Record
17 hours ago
- Daily Record
Meghan Markle 'terrified' and scared for future as regretful Harry makes major decision over UK return
Meghan Markle is 'scared' to return to the UK and Harry is a 'huge target' Trooping the Colour 2025 marked another significant blow to relations within the Royal Family as Prince Harry steered clear. The Duke of Sussex was not in attendance at last weekend's celebration of the King's official birthday. Queen Camilla joined Charles, as well as Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children George,11, Charlotte,10, and seven year old Louis. Harry was last in the UK in May, where he suffered defeat at the High Court over his ongoing battle to have security measures reinstated for him and his family when they visit from the US. The Duke of Sussex then gave an interview, where he revealed he hoped to reunite with his father but he couldn't bring his family to the UK until wife Meghan Markle and kids Archie, two, and Lilibet, four, were guaranteed to be 'safe'. Now a royal expert claims it's not likely the youngsters will ever build up a close relationship with their cousins, or spend much time in the UK, because of Harry and Meghan's worries, writes the Mirror. Former royal editor Duncan Larcombe said: 'Meghan understandably feels scared about coming to the UK with the children. 'The threats are real and genuine. The threat is from lunatics, radical protesters that might want to make a name for themselves by jumping in front of them. Then of course you have the worst type, the terrorist threat. And there's no doubt Harry – and his family, as a result – is a huge target.' Former actress Meghan recently embarked on a change of direction in her career, with her recent eight-part Netflix show With Love, Meghan topping charts across the globe. Earlier today, she took to social media to share her delight as her lifestyle brand As Ever products once again sold out in minutes following an announcement of a restock earlier this week. She's also been pictured in recent months enjoying a Beyonce gig and shared intimate family moments from a holiday to Disneyland in a reel of posts to Instagram. Earlier this month she and Harry hit the headlines once again as they shared their viral Baby Momma dance clip which was filmed when she went into labour with Lilibet. But despite Meghan feeling 'stronger' than ever and sharing fun parts of her life with fans, she's still hugely worried about the safety of her nearest and dearest. A source told the Mirror: 'In some ways she's feeling stronger and she wants to share that. 'But she's still terrified of putting her kids at risk by coming back to the UK – any parent would panic if they were in Meghan's shoes. 'So even though Harry is really feeling the absence of his dad, especially after Trooping the Colour and Father's Day, the security stuff will probably always be an issue. 'He knows that things could've been so different if things had gone another way, but it's been five years since they left the UK and the chances of them coming back, even for a visit, seem slim to none. It's heartbreaking.' In May, Harry gave a controversial interview with the BBC in which he said he 'would love reconciliation' with his family. Duncan Larcombe reckons that the duke is probably 'full of regrets' now about being so candid. He added: 'Harry is a sensitive soul and always wore his heart on his sleeve, so whether he'd admit it publicly or not, I'm sure he's full of regrets and wishes he'd done things differently. 'With Trooping the Colour and Father's Day falling on the same weekend, it was bound to make him look back at the happy relationships he once had with his brother and dad, and I'm sure he'd love to be able to rebuild those.' Duncan also states that Princess Diana's death is something that is an ever-present thought for Meghan and Harry, as a 'contributing factor' to her horror crash in Paris in 1997 was the lack of official protection from the Metropolitan Police. The expert explains that official royal security is armed and round the clock, provided by top Met Police officers as well as MI5, who 'surround them in a ring'. He added: 'Without the official support and security, Harry and Meghan are left with two or three bodyguards who are pretty blind to what the potential threats are.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Charles makes changes to favourite royal home for George, Charlotte and Louis
King Charles has always been known to put his own stamp on his home - but in recent years, experts reveal in a new documentary, he has also made sure to create spaces that his grandchildren can enjoy when they come to stay A childhood inside the Royal Family is undoubtedly a pretty unique experience - and as a thoughtful grandfather, King Charles has gone out of his way to make it even more special. In a new documentary about one of Charles's all-time favourite royal residences - Birkhall - experts have revealed that he has gone the extra mile to ensure his grandchildren enjoy coming to visit. The documentary, called Birkhall: The King's Secret Sanctuary, explores just why this relatively modest lodge house located close to the imposing Balmoral Estate holds such a special place in Charles's heart. Whenever Charles is seen with his grandchildren, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, six, it's clear that he shares a special bond with the Wales children - who all supported him at his coronation in 2023, with George even taking on a prestigious role as page of honour. The monarch is also said to be close with his step-grandchildren, who are said to "adore him". Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla's son, has said they have nicknamed the King 'Uppa' and Camilla has revealed that they love when he tells them stories, because he really commits to doing the voices for each character. Birkhall is, according to the experts, the real "marital home" of Charles and Camilla - it's even where Charles popped the question and asked his long-time love to become his wife. So it's no surprise that the couple worked to make it family-friendly, so their whole brood of grandchildren on both sides have a great time playing when they visit. There are three ways in particular that Charles has ensured the children will have the same good memories of Birkhall as he does, the experts revealed in the documentary. Firstly, a Wendy House that the late Queen - then-Princess Elizabeth - and her sister Princess Margaret played in as little girls still stands in the ground of Birkhall, and Charles has ensured it is still in good enough condition for the little ones in this generation to enjoy - nearly a century later. Jennie Bond, former royal correspondent for the BBC, explains, "It's really cute, it's so beautiful, it's got this thatched roof, but it's thatched with heather, and the walls are covered in bark, it looks like there should be a fairy in there or a gnome living at the end of your garden. Expert Mark Lane explained, "Just to think that Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret used to play there, have a wonderful time there, and now all the rest of the grandchildren can continue to play in the garden I think is a wonderful thing." He also noted that Charles has "always said that" he wants to keep "family tradition going through" - and it definitely seems to be working. But Charles hasn't stopped there, Mark reveals, there is a seriously exciting other feature he has designed for the youngsters, "So there is a bouncing bridge, and he [Charles] says 'You've just got to bounce on this bridge because it's so much fun'". Finally, the expert revealed, "There are small strawberries that kids can pick at the side of pathways, and he just always hopes that when Prince George has grown up, he too will love the trees and love Birkhall. Charles first spent time at Birkhall when he was, himself, just a little boy - when it belonged to his "beloved" grandmother, the Queen Mother. She took over the property in the 1950s, and she and Charles were always very close - with one royal author even saying that he perhaps saw her more like a mother figure than the late Queen herself, due to his mother's busy schedule as monarch often meaning she was away from him for long periods of time when he was a young boy. The experts explained that during his unhappy school years at Gordonstoun in Northern Scotland, he travelled as often as he could to see his grandmother at Birkhall - and even now they claim it is one of the only places Charles feels real "freedom". After the Queen Mother died in 2002, the property passed to Charles, and he and Camilla carefully renovated it, making sure to put their own stamp on the place, whilst keeping a sense of his grandmother present too, with Charles left utterly "devastated" by her death. This includes keeping some of her prized decorations in place, but also another heartbreaking tribute - the Queen Mother's coats still hang by the door, as if she would be back at any moment. Birkhall: The King's Secret Sanctuary, airs Saturday 21 June at 7.30 pm on Channel 5.
