{"id":2252002,"date":"2026-01-27T00:13:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:13:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2252002"},"modified":"2026-01-27T00:13:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:13:43","slug":"catching-up-with-the-royals-jan-26-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/catching-up-with-the-royals-jan-26-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching up with the royals (Jan 26, 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kate throws a stone down the ice with members of the British Olympic curling team in Stirling on January 20, 2026 (Photo: Andrew Parsons \/ Kensington Palace)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Last week, the news was filled with how President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cGreenland tariffs\u201d on the U.K. and European nations threatened to derail the widely-expected state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the U.S. this spring. (My pieces are <\/span>here <\/a>and <\/span>here<\/a>.) <\/span><\/p>\n

Those economic threats were rolled back.<\/p>\n

Then, on Thursday, Trump trashed NATO allies,<\/span> <\/strong>falsely saying they can\u2019t be trusted as they \u201cstayed a little back, a little off the front line\u201d in Afghanistan.<\/span><\/p>\n

That spawned outrage throughout NATO for the Afghan campaign was the result of the US invoking Article 5 of the NATO charter, which says that an attack on one is an attack on all, after the 9\/11 attacks. <\/p>\n

In Afghanistan, more than 850 allied forces were killed, including:<\/p>\n

Afghan campaign veterans reacted with fury at Trump\u2019s denigration of the service of troops from NATO and other allied countries, including Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, <\/span>who stated<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n

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Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost,” he said. “Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Such was the fury in the U.K. that PM Keir Starmer talked with Trump on the weekend. Then, suddenly, <\/span>Trump posted a message<\/a> that referenced only the bravery of British troops in Afghanistan. It turns out that King Charles had sent a message to the White House through back channels, relaying \u201chis concerns over the hurt [that] had caused through the comments, whether inadvertent or not,\u201d <\/span>according to the Sun<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

I think the damage could be significant as there appears to be a lot of rethinking in the United Kingdom about how to deal with a mercurial American president. Before the Greenland tariff threat, I\u2019d have pegged the possibility of the state visit at 100 percent. Now, I put it at a soft 75 percent. <\/p>\n

After a tough week for the couple \u2014 Harry testifying in his civil trial, Meghan getting terrible ratings for her Netflix show \u2014 the couple went to <\/span>Utah for a happy work <\/a>event and a red carpet!<\/span><\/p>\n

On Saturday, the Sussexes hit the red carpet at the Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of<\/span> <\/a>Cookie Queens<\/a><\/em>, a documentary about Girl Scouts<\/a> (the American version of the Girl Guides in Canada) who are navigating the cookie-selling season. On Sunday morning, they attended the first screening of the documentary. (Video <\/span>here<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

The locale in Utah means the dress code favours jeans and sweaters, rather than gowns or tuxedos. The couple are two of 16 executive producers on the documentary; they signed onto the project in December. <\/p>\n

Meghan had been a Girl Scout<\/a> as a child, and even published an image last year of her selling a box of cookies. She clearly liked the experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

(Aside: Is it just me, or do the red carpet photos make it look like Harry\u2019s balding hair is redder and thicker than it appeared in London?)<\/p>\n

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The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay visit The Kelpies in Falkirk, Scotland, on January 20, 2026 (Photo: Andrew Parson \/ Kensington Palace) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Last Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay (how the Prince and Princess of Wales are known in Scotland) spent the day in Falkirk and Stirling. <\/p>\n

They did a bit of curling with the British Olympic teams and sure enough, it got a bit competitive as they both practised throwing the heavy stones (which is far more difficult than it appears) and then tried to outdo each other. <\/p>\n

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Emily in Palace \ud83d\udc51 on Instagram: “The Prince and Princess of Wa\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Kate\u2019s team did better, and I\u2019m seriously impressed as Kate heaved her stone down the ice while wearing a long skirt!<\/p>\n

ROYAL FASHION ALERT: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Kate wore a lovely blue plaid coat that she helped design as a way to celebrate British textiles. On their Scottish trip, they visited a tartan-weaving studio, which was the latest in a series of engagements she\u2019s done that promotes the use of British textiles. The cloth was specially woven by Johnstons of Elgin (a famous wool firm) and made into a coat by London-based designer Chris Kerr.<\/p>\n

Princess Amalia, the future monarch of the Netherlands, completed her General Military Training, as part of a program she\u2019s doing at the nation\u2019s Defence College.<\/p>\n

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ChristinsQueens on Instagram: “The Princess of Orange completes\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

She is part of the first generation of princesses to undergo such military training on a regular basis as part of their preparation to be monarchs. Before now, the military was almost exclusively the field of princes. (Queen Elizabeth was in the military during the war).<\/p>\n

Now, the future queens of Spain, Belgium, Norway, and now the Netherlands are in the midst of training, which is often customized given their royal status. <\/p>\n

In fact, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 49, did basic training in 2003, then refreshed her military knowledge in 2024 after Sweden joined NATO.<\/p>\n

And Edward and Sophie\u2019s daughter, Lady Louise, is in the University Officers Training Corps at St Andrews. There\u2019s speculation that she\u2019ll join the military after her degree.<\/p>\n

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The dark walk by towering snowbanks, en route to the subway station on January 26<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Sooooo, Toronto was subjected to a massive snowfall on Sunday. We broke every record that had stood since they started keeping them: The most snow to fall in one day, the snowiest January on record, the snowiest \u2026. you get the drift. The downtown core was absolutely wallopped with an average of more than 60 cm (two feet) of very fluffy snow. Some areas got much, much more. A friend who lives nearby reported more than 70-cm of snow in her back yard. <\/p>\n

The snow shovelling ordeal of<\/span> The Morning Show<\/em> co-host Carolyn MacKenzie was replicated across this city of three million. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Carolyn MacKenzie on Instagram: “Check-out new ep of \u201cThe Winte\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I knew that getting to the Global TV studios on the Toronto waterfront was going to be a challenge since my trip would start around seven hours after the snow stopped. But I\u2019m a Canadian who has lived in many snowy parts of this country, including Montreal and New Brunswick. <\/p>\n

Preparation is key. <\/p>\n

I had to be at the studio by 8:45 a.m. at the very, very latest to be on air at roughly 9:10. If I couldn\u2019t manage the trip, then we\u2019d do the segment over Zoom. <\/p>\n

I got up at 5:30 a.m and immediately called the taxi firm I usually book. An agent said that it wasn\u2019t taking timed bookings and to expect a 30-45 minute wait after placing a booking. I did my hair and was ready to leave by 6:30, only to discover that the taxi firm (and all other firms) had no available taxis or drivers in the city. Uh oh. <\/p>\n

So I checked the TTC trip planner and discovered that a bus that will get me very close to the studio would arrive at a nearby subway station in 11 minutes. Deciding it was better to get to the studio early than deal with any more disruptions, I pulled on my winter gear, including snow pants (the windchill was -22 C) and headed out. <\/p>\n

My luck turned. Not only was the road to the station plowed, but the sidewalk had also been cleared by the city. The bus arrived exactly on time and kept to its schedule as it navigated snow-covered roads. Twenty-five minutes later, I was at the studio. <\/p>\n

Sure, I was there two hours before air, but there was a fresh pot of coffee made, so I could finally relax. Bliss. <\/p>\n

And yes, I got home by TTC bus, as well. In fact, I had the same driver. \u201cIs your day already over?\u201d he asked. Not quite.<\/p>\n

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My morning cup of coffee on the set of The Morning Show on January 26, 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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