If you ever needed proof Prince William wants to do things differently, it’s this week. The heir to the throne has been all action in Brazil. There for his fifth Earthshot Prize, plus Cop30, he told world leaders, they must end the “delay and division” and instead “rise to meet this pivotal moment in human history” to save the planet.
There on behalf of King Charles and the UK government, William said, “This, here at Cop30, is our moment. Let us not waste it. Our children and grandchildren are watching, and hoping. Let us use these inspiring surroundings here in the heart of the Amazon to rise to meet this moment, not with hesitation, but with courage. Not with division, but with collaboration. Not with delay, but with decisive commitment.”
Posing in front of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, the campaigning prince will also no doubt be hoping to restore peace in his own family, after another week of turmoil, with Prince Andrew hitting the headlines, as he agrees to vacate Royal Lodge. William would also be noting he was following in Mum Diana’s footsteps, as she posed in front to the monument 34 years ago, in 1991.
His Royal Hotness has been quite the action man this week – pictured playing football in Maracana Stadium and volleyball at Copacabana Beach, boating through the mangroves and become the first member of the Royal family to set foot on the tiny island of Paquetá. The Earthshot Awards took place on Wednesday, where he unveiled this year’s winners – re.green, which uses AI and satellite data to restore the Amazon and Atlantic Forests; the City of Bogota for its clean air policy; The High Seas Treaty ocean conservation; Lagos Fashion Week’s sustainable policies and Friendship, for protecting communities in Bangladesh. Each winner gets a £1million grant.
“Our finalists are a shining example of how we can build stronger economies, design healthier cities and create better jobs for the next generation,” William said, at the glitzy ceremony, which featured performances from Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue.
He’s shown what a statesman he’s grown into – talking to celebrity.land’s Christiane Amanpour, William was asked about how he would pursue change, “given there has been a lot of change in your family recently”, to which he replied, “I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.” Bravo.
Today across the UK, and in countries around the world, millions of people honour the memory of servicemen and women who gave their lives in conflict. For our royals it’s one of the most important dates in the diary. Obviously, the most significant is this morning’s National Service of Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. But there are other important events where the royals pay tribute to the fallen.
Last night, with William flying home from South America, Prince George stepped up and escorted the Princess of Wales at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It was the first time the 12 year old, had attended the service at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He has previously attended the VE Day 80 military procession with his parents and siblings, and met Second World War veterans at Buckingham Palace in May. Charles and Camilla were also joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Princess Anne is in Australia.
On Thursday, Camilla was at Westminster Abbey’s Field of Remembrance and on Tuesday 11 November, officially Armistice Day, the Princess of Wales will make a solo visit to the National Memorial Arboretum.
Some happier news this week for the diminished House of York royals, Princess Beatrice has been named deputy patron of the charity Outward Bound as it looks forward to “a new chapter”. We’re pretty sure Beatrice will be feeling the same since the downfall of her father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and mum, Sarah Ferguson.
Beatrice has already served as a trustee for six years. She will be joined by her uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, who succeeded Andrew as patron. The former Duke of York was forced to walk away from the charity in 2019 after that Newsnight interview. Andrew had been in the role for just seven months, taking over from Prince Philip, who filled the position for 65 years.
We certainly hope His Majesty has plenty of puff left, as there will be 77 candles on his birthday cake this Friday, ready for him to make a wish! The King normally spends his weekends at secluded Sandringham, where we wish him a restful and relaxing celebration with Camilla by his side.
It’s fine to admit it – when we heard the news about Andrew and Fergie vacating Royal Lodge, we did start to fret about the fate of the late Queen’s corgis. Where will they go? The good news is, Kerry was put on the case for Reader’s Digest USA this week and can report Buckingham Palace has confirmed Muick and Sandy will stick with the former York household. Exactly which pooch parent will get custody, we don’t know, or where they’ll end up. If they go with Andrew, they will be based in one of the properties at Sandringham, but if they stick with Fergie, then it’s not been confirmed where she is moving to. Our money is on Sarah, as one of her last posts on Insta, before she went quiet, was about the dogs, on Sep 8. “Today marks three years since the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty will be forever loved, always missed, and never forgotten. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of the kindness I was unstintingly shown in good times and bad. Caring for Her Majesty’s beloved corgis is an honour and a daily reminder of the times we shared together,” she wrote. And on August 26, she posted a photo of herself with her dogs, writing, “Life is simply better with a wagging tail at your side 🐾🐶” Case closed.
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