Latest news with #WindsorCastle
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Kate Middleton pulled out of Royal Ascot at the last minute - so why DID she miss her day at the races with Prince William?
The Princess of Wales sparked concern as she pulled out of attending Royal Ascot yesterday, apparently at the last minute. But royal sources insisted there was nothing to worry about and that it was simply a case of crossed wires. Aides also stressed that Catherine was continuing to 'balance her return to public life' following her cancer diagnosis last year, after which she made clear that she would resume her duties with a slow and measured approach. The mini-drama came as her husband, Prince William, handed out the prize for the Prince of Wales stakes at the racecourse in Berkshire. Executives at Ascot had expected the princess to join him, travelling down in the carriage procession from Windsor Castle with King Charles and Queen Camilla. At 12pm they issued the procession list for the day, featuring the Prince and Princess of Wales in the second carriage after the King and Queen. But 22 minutes later, guidance was issued which said Catherine would not be attending. It is understood an 'inaccurate version' of the list was 'issued in error'. An updated list was circulated and Lord Soames – a good friend of the King – lost his seat to make way for William in the first carriage with Charles and Camilla. They were also joined by Saudi's Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud. Sources stressed there was 'no cause for alarm' and Catherine was following guidance palace aides have always given: that she would 'balance her return to public duties', following appearances at Trooping the Colour on Saturday and Monday's Order of the Garter service. They added that she was 'disappointed' not to attend but 'has to find the right balance'. Catherine, 43, had abdominal surgery last January, after which she was told cancer had been present, forcing her to undergo preventive chemotherapy. At the beginning of this year she revealed she was in remission and would begin a slow and measured return to royal life. While Catherine was not present at Ascot, Charles and Camilla were there for the second day running and plan to attend all week. Her Majesty wore an emerald crepe silk dress by Anna Valentine, with a matching hat by Philip Treacy and an emerald and diamond drop brooch which belonged to Queen Elizabeth. The Princess of Wales's mother Carole Middleton also attended, alongside her daughter-in-law Alizee Thevenet, the wife of Kate's brother James Middleton. Looking relaxed and in his element, Prince William , 42, was pictured enjoying what appeared to be a Pimm's after putting on an animated display while watching the races The King hosted Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of his late aunt Princess Margaret and a favourite of the late Queen. She was joined on the fourth carriage by her artist husband Daniel Chatto. Also in the procession were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who sat in the second carriage. The royal procession is celebrating its 200th anniversary, a tradition begun in 1825 when George IV was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington. The King and his wife have continued Queen Elizabeth's close association with the Berkshire race meet, but they had no luck when their horse Reaching High was beaten in the Ascot Stakes. The late Queen was a passionate owner of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Ascot absence is just a blip in Princess of Wales's remarkable recovery
As the sun blazed down on Royal Ascot on Wednesday, racegoers were abuzz with news that the Princess of Wales would be attending the meeting. The official list of carriages in the Royal Procession had her name on it, along with those of the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales, in what was expected to be her return to the summer season after her chemotherapy this time last year. In the end, it was not to be. In the hours ahead of the procession, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess would be unable to attend. It is said that while she was understandably disappointed not to attend, the Princess was mindful of treading a careful line as she returns to work. It is a salient reminder that life, even for the royals, is not a fairytale. There is no magic wand for health. There is no cause for alarm, we are told, backed by evidence of the Princess laughing and happy at the Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle just two days ago. She has, in truth, been staging a remarkable comeback. Since the September video in which she announced that she had finished her chemotherapy, the Princess has surpassed all expectations in her steady march back to work. From a lively anniversary trip to the Isle of Mull to placing a considered spotlight on Britain's creative sector at the V&A last week, she has looked happy, healthy and – as far as the public could see – as if she had never been away. At Trooping the Colour on Saturday, she appeared flawless, standing beside the King in the public eye for hours and watching over her well-behaved children. However, behind closed doors, it seems, things have not been so blissfully uncomplicated. The 'cancer journey', Catherine said in September, 'is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you'. 'Much needed time to heal' Almost exactly a year ago, as she attempted to reconcile her deeply private health issues with her public role, she said she was experiencing 'good days and bad days'. 'Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal,' she said. Since then, the Princess has made a valiant effort to get back into the public eye. At a time when the public would have given her grace in recovery, she has signed up to public engagements (more than 20 this year), and high-profile Royal events at which every camera lens is focused on her face. Her appearance, recently so healthy, has belied how difficult things were last year, and how hard the fight to return to normality has been. The King and his daughter-in-law have walked similar paths this year in very different ways. While the King, as a 76-year-old head of state, has largely ploughed on during cancer treatment, packing his diary with domestic engagements and international travel, the Princess – correctly – has had her mind on other things. With three small children, a future King among them, she is focused on the long term, supporting her husband and being there in all senses for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. She is disappointed to miss Ascot. But the big picture, as she, William and their advisers know, is more important. The watchword at the Palace is 'balance'. Her illness was serious, sources emphasise, and the long-term effects for any patient are unpredictable. The public are kind enough, nowadays, to understand that royals are human and they cannot perform at all times. The summer season at Ascot will survive, with royals aplenty. The presence of the Prince of Wales, who would have no qualms about shouldering criticism to skip the event to be by his wife's side if needed, as well as that of Carole Middleton, the Princess's mother, was reassuring. The Princess is likely to be seen again very soon, at Wimbledon as well as official engagements, before the children break up for their school holidays. 'Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,' she said in September. This year, she has made it look easy – but it is not.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Late Queen's secret nickname revealed by her close confidante (and it's not Lilibet!)
Queen Elizabeth's secret nickname used by her close family members has been revealed for the first time in the writings of a royal author. Lady Elizabeth Anson, born at Windsor Castle, was not only Elizabeth's cousin but also one of her closest friends, having supported the monarch through the deaths of her mother, the Queen Mother, and sister, Princess Margaret. Now, nearly four years on from Lady Elizabeth's death aged 79, a royal journalist has revealed the special nickname she used for the late monarch - separate from the known moniker Lilibet, after which Harry and Meghan's four-year-old daughter was named. Writing on Substack, Sally Bedell Smith, the American author behind four royal books, revealed that Lady Elizabeth often referred to the monarch as 'Jemima'.' 'In the Queen's later years, Lady Elizabeth (herself nicknamed Liza) affectionately referred to her as 'Jemima' (for reasons she never explained) and 'The Number One Lady',' she wrote on the newsletter platform. A far stretch from her Christian name, Elizabeth, the nickname Jemima is just one of a handful of monikers used to refer to the late monarch, perhaps the most well known being Lilibet. At the time of her death in 2022, aged 96, her official title was: Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. In other official realms, she was known as 'Mother of all People' by the Salish nation in Canada, 'Paramount Chief' to many in Fiji, and 'The White Heron' by the Maori people of New Zealand. Beyond her role as Head of State, she carried a range of sweeter, more personal monikers coined by her family members, including Gan Gan, Cabbage, and Lilibet. A young Prince William even added Gary to the list after one incident in which he shouted for Gary, rather than Granny, caught on. Lady Elizabeth, known as Liza to her friends, died in November 2020 at the age of 79, just shy of two years before Queen Elizabeth passed away in September 2022. Though separated by 15 years in age, the pair were known for their close relationship, their bond having strengthened following the deaths of two of the Queen's closest relatives, her mother and sister. They would speak on the phone on a weekly basis, and the Queen would hold monthly quiet dinners for just the two of them, the author wrote. Lady Elizabeth Anson was born at Windsor Castle during World War II and with King George VI as a godfather, she grew up surrounded by, and on first name terms with, the royals. Lady Elizabeth was also royally connected (her mother, a Bowes-Lyon, was a niece of the Queen Mother) but she was also one of the Queen's closest friends. When she married, the then 20-year-old Princess Anne was a bridesmaid, and her society cameraman brother Patrick (the Earl of) Lichfield, who gave her away, was — along with the Earl of Snowdon — the royals' go-to photographer. For almost 60 years she presided over London's party scene with a ruthless efficiency. From royalty to celebrity her business, Party Planners, organised the capital's best and most lavish celebrations. She first decided to be a party planner when she was 17. She was working as a receptionist at the Hyde Park Hotel in London, but she fell down a flight of stairs and injured herself. The fall meant she needed to find a job that would enable her to work from home, and was inspired at having to organise her own debutante party when she realised she could make a living from planning celebrations. Her first event was for the late Queen Mother. 'She was hosting a party for one of her godchildren,' Lady Elizabeth previously told Mail on Sunday. 'I remember charging very little and receiving a letter from the Queen Mother telling me to double the invoice.' She hosted bashes for everyone from Baroness Thatcher and Sir Mick Jagger, to Tom Cruise and Bill Clinton. Weddings were a speciality: there was pop star Sting's to Trudie Styler to the slightly more reserved nuptials for Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece (to heiress Chantal Miller). When Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, the Queen asked her to organise a party for all the visiting royal guests. By then she was a veteran of royal party planning. No palace event, it seemed, was complete without input from Lady Elizabeth. She arranged the Queen's 80th birthday party and that to mark the 50th anniversary of her coronation. In April 2021, the Queen made Lady Elizabeth a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order as a sign of her personal esteem.
Vogue
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Kate Middleton Rewears One of Her Favorite Dresses for the Order of the Garter
It's been a busy week for Kate Middleton. Over the weekend, the Princess of Wales joined the rest of the British royals for the Trooping the Colour, where she wore a jubilant aquamarine Catherine Walker coatdress (and coordinated with her daughter, Princess Charlotte). Today, Middleton was out and about once again for the Order of the Garter service at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. To celebrate Britain's oldest order, the Princess opted for a white dress that she wore last month. Kate Middleton with Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh at the 2025 Order of the Garter service. Pool/Getty Images Middleton turned to a Self-Portrait dress comprised of a white boucle top that resembles a blazer—complete with a belted waist and pocket flaps—over a pleated midi skirt with a white lace trim. The Princess gave the look a royal touch with a five-strand pearl necklace from Susan Kaplan, chunky earrings, nude pumps, and a crisp white hatinator that matched her dress.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Kate makes Order of the Garter service return in Windsor
The Princess of Wales was seen smiling and joking with other royals during the Order of the Garter service a year after missing the event while receiving cancer treatment. Catherine appeared to be in good spirits as the sun shone and she watched the procession of Ladies and Knights of the Garter through the grounds of Windsor Castle to St George's princess was joined by the Duchess of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence at the chapel's Galilee porch, a traditional vantage point to see the King and Queen followed convention and were at the back of the procession dressed in white plumed hats and dark blue velvet robes, as were the other members of the order. The Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, Duke of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were also in attendance at what is considered one of the highlights of the royal calendar. The route was lined by troopers on foot from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals. They wore plumed helmets and carried of spectators lined the procession route, with many bringing hampers and camping the service King Charles hosted a lunch for the order. The Duke of York was among the guests, though he did not join the others for the prime minister Sir Tony Blair and Lord Lloyd-Webber are also Garter knights and were part of the Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior orders of chivalry in Britain, with knights chosen in recognition of their public ceremony is part of a busy period for the royals. The King and Queen are expected at Royal Ascot in the coming days. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
