Catching up with the royals (March 10, 2025 edition)

To keep track of everything going on in the royal world — which is a lot lately — I’ve been creating detailed “royal week that was” lists. Some of the items go into my “2025: A Timeline of events” rolling post but most topics are more transient in nature.

I’m going to share them with readers of this newsletter as I think you may also enjoy them. I will publish a new version every Monday (or Tuesday, depending on the news cycle), in addition to my regular end-of-the-week post.

Please note that they are by no means an exhaustive take or list on every royal story, but rather items that interest me, plus some analysis (for the first item, I asked for help!)

Here we go!

Patricia

p.s. This inaugural issue will be free to all. As it takes a lot of time to create, I’ll be adding a paywall next week, so please consider becoming a subscriber.

He teamed up with Apple Music to release a “a selection of songs which have brought him joy” in a podcast titled the King’s Music Room to mark Commonwealth Day. The name syncs with that of the Queen’s Reading Room, Queen Camilla’s online book club.

King Charles III loves music and has eclectic and wide-ranging tastes. And he’s done playlists before, including this one for the Spotify in 2021. The video announcement is here:

The King’s Music Room playlist:

1. Bob Marley and The Wailers: Could You Be Loved
2. Millie Small: My Boy Lollipop
3. Kylie Minogue: The Loco-Motion
4. Al Bowlly: The Very Thought of You
5. Grace Jones: La Vie En Rose
6. Raye: Love Me Again
7. Daddy Lumba: Mpempem Do Me
8. Davido: Kante (feat. Fave)
9. Miriam Makeba: The Click Song
10. Jools Holland and Ruby Turner: My Country Man
11. Anoushka Shankar: Indian Summer
12. Siti Nurhaliza: Anta Permana
13. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: E Te Iwi E (Call to the People)
14. Michael Bublé: Haven’t Met You Yet
15. Arrow: Hot Hot Hot
16. Beyoncé: Crazy in Love (feat. Jay-Z)
17. Diana Ross: Upside Down

His discussions of his selections are worth a listen, including him describing the infectious dance nature of Kylie Minogue’s “The Loco-Motion,” which features a military band playing part of it outside Buckingham Palace

I’m out of my depth when it comes to talking about music (my last name is Celtic, and, alas, has nothing to do with music), so I emailed the list to a friend. Michael Barclay is one of the top music writers in the business. His own Substack newsletter, That Night in Toronto, is excellent, as are his longer-form creations, such as his biography of the Tragically Hip, The Never-Ending Present.

I’ve edited his pithy reply for content and length (note: he only looked at the list):

My first thought is: a clear reckoning with colonialism, Windrush and the Commonwealth in general.

My Boy Lollipop getting the second slot: the first international Jamaican pop hit, shortly after the country’s independence and around the time that Caribbean people start migrating en masse to Britain

I mean, obviously, leading with Marley speaks to the same thing. What’s also interesting about Marley is what a revolutionary thinker he was, a rebel who’s been sanitized by frat boys and Jamaican tourist ads. I can only imagine what he’d think of being on this playlist. And that song! *Could* Jamaicans be loved in Britain? When that song came out the National Front was on the rise. That’s not what the song is about, but … maybe it is.

Australian Kylie Minogue doing an 80s cover of a 60s bubblegum song that, inexplicably, keeps getting covered. Terrible song! But its pan-generational appeal maybe speaks to this Boomer king — as does its blandness.

Grace Jones: Perfect. Interesting that in this Jamaican’s discography he chose her doing a Piaf cover. I’m guessing Charles has fond memories of Jones hula-hooping through Slave to the Rhythm at his mom’s jubilee a few years ago.

Raye: Hey look, new talent (with very old-school, musical-theatre skills)! The King is up on current music!

I don’t know a lot of the middle of this playlist, other than Miriam Makeba, a South African who had one of the first non-English hits in the English-speaking world, back in the mid-60s. She was most white people’s introduction to African music.

Anoushka Shankar: daughter of Ravi (playing Massey Hall this month)

Bublé: the only Canadian on the list

Not sure what Beyoncé and Diana Ross are doing on here, politically or symbolically — other than that Beyonce is every old person’s shorthand for claiming to be down with modern Black culture. Maybe he just genuinely likes these jams!

But I’m extremely suspicious of all major political figures’ public playlists, which I think [Barack] Obama started, and don’t really believe they’re indicative of a person’s taste. A few tracks, sure, but it’s mostly a PR exercise to make them seem relatable.

The King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales, and other working royals attended the annual service at Westminster Abbey, Charles and Kate for first time since their cancer diagnoses.

In his message, the King focused on the need for unity among Commonwealth nations (without specifically mentioning Canada):

In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship.
…

The Commonwealth’s ability to bring together people from all over the world has stood the test of time and remains as ever-important today

The King of Canada

The British press is picking up on the fact that Charles, as King of Canada, is going to be required to talk about the tensions with the U.S. and that could prove tricky for U.K. relations with the Trump administration

The Times, quoting a source: “Canada is particularly on his mind. Of course, he knows he has to be mindful of being the UK head of state and the head of state in Canada, as well as being the head of the Commonwealth. It does require delicate diplomacy, given that not everyone’s interests are aligned.”

My analysis: Gonna be frank — if the King of Canada’s interests don’t align with those of the people of Canada, then I can see a situation in which the people end the Canadian Crown. And yes, ripping apart the Constitution won’t be easy but this is an angry country, a proud country, and a determined country. What was impossible a few months ago is more than possible now.

My piece on Charles III needing to prove he truly is King of Canada is here.

After meeting with outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, the King visited the new British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on Tuesday. He was wearing his Royal Navy uniform, with its rows of ribbons, including Canadian honours.

People and news organizations, including the Canadian High Commission, seized him wearing Canadian honours as a gesture of support to us in our existential fight against the Trump administration. Not really.

He always wears Canadian medals or ribbons, including in his official U.K. portrait, which features the red Canadian Forces long-service medal and three medal bars.

Everyone is so sensitive that ordinary things are getting blown into something they aren’t.

There is a report that the U.S. president is unhappy that the King met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at his private residence of Sandringham as it makes him feel “less special” about his upcoming state visit to the UK.

Given the King is going to meet a lot of world leaders between now and the state visit, British diplomats are going to be working overtime to keep the U.S. president happy.

Via her Instagram account, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex released some previously unseen images of her family for International Women’s Day, including Lilibet in her father’s arms on a boat. It’s a beautiful image, even though critics point out that the 3-year-old is not wearing a life jacket.

The Netflix lifestyle show has been renewed for a second season, coming this autumn. They filmed the new episodes back-to-back with the first season shows in 2024.

Filming two seasons of such a show at the same time makes sense as it’s financially prudent and it means they have continuity with their production crew, location, etc. Also, Netflix is able to give a concept a good try without that large of an investment.

That announcement came after scathing reviews by industry media outlets, like Variety — “a Montecito ego trip not worth taking.” — and amid signs that viewership may not be what Meghan hoped for. In Canada, the show held at No. 4 on Netflix’s top shows list for three days, then dropped completely out of the Top 10. (My review is here)

Another issue is that such a filming schedule could mean that many of the problems of the first season may be repeated in the second season, including its forgettable nature. I do hope we won’t have edible flowers sprinkled on every dish.

Video that accompanied the second season announcement:

Meghan has admitted to some of the problems, albeit it vaguely. At a local bookstore, she said: “I’m taking baby steps and big strides at the same time, making mistakes and learning from them, and really working to find all the joy while diving into the creative process and the business”

Meghan’s product line tied into her Netflix show should be coming this spring. Some were heavily featured in With Love, Meghan. Items include:

• Raspberry spread

• Edible flower sprinkles

• Shortbread with edible flowers (of course)

• Various teas, honey, and a crepe mix

There’s so little in the series that everyone seized on that moment when she snapped at Mindy Kaling that her surname wasn’t Markle but Sussex.

Sure enough, for what’s believed to be the first usage of the “Sussex” last name, Drew Barrymore referred to Meghan as “Meghan Sussex” on her show.

As for Meghan’s comment that she shares the Sussex surname with her family — that’s kinda true. Taking the name of a peerage (Sussex) as a surname is an informal practice used by royals and titled folk in Britain. For instance, when in school, Prince George was George Cambridge when his parents were the Duke and Duchess of of Cambridge (his full name was HRH Prince George of Wales, which is a mouthful in a classroom) and now he’s George Wales now that they are Prince and Princess of of Wales.

But California isn’t the U.K. when it comes to such informal customs. Harry and Meghan’s kids have a legal last name: Mountbatten-Windsor.

And if we’re getting precise, then Meghan’s name on her show’s credits — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — is wrong. She is the Duchess of Sussex, period. Only ex-wives of peers use their first names à la Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (which is how I and many others ID her for readers not familiar with the intricacies of British titles — it’s so elaborate that the government has a 46-page explainer for passport titles)

You know that I love royal jewellery.

Last week, Queen Mary of Denmark surprised everyone during a state visit to Finland when she donned a golden tiara that hasn’t been worn for more than a century. It dates back to 1820, and includes carved stones collected during a trip to Italy.

Like Queen Camilla, Mary has been delving into the farthest corners of the Danish royal jewellery collection and pulling out pieces that haven’t been seen for quite some time. For more, read the Court Jeweller’s post!

ROYAL LOOKAHEAD

March 10: Prince Edward turns 61 (1964).

March 10: Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

March 14: First anniversary of Meghan soft launching her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard on Instagram and website. (starting with just a logo, sign-up list, and 15-second video).

March 22: First anniversary of the Princess of Wales revealing in a 2:20 minute video that cancer had been found in post-operative tests and she had been undergoing preventative chemotherapy since late February.