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Sean Coughlan
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Royal correspondent
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Welcome to Royal Watch. There’s been a blaze of sunshine in London, which is tough for those still stuck in the office but good news for families enjoying half-term. On that note, Prince William has been chatting about family life - and singing the praises of his wife Catherine.
If you’re thinking of going to see the fashion exhibition of the late Queen Elizabeth II in London, extra dates have been added. And there are more developments in the police inquiries into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. As always, you can get in touch at [email protected].
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On a visit to the Isles of Scilly, Prince William paid tribute to his wife Catherine: “She’s an amazing mum and an amazing wife and literally our family couldn’t cope without her. So she’s been absolutely stunning.”
The Prince of Wales was speaking in an interview that was itself fascinating as a model of a modern monarchy. Relaxed and chatty, he riffed with the Heart Radio presenters and emphasised the ‘regular dad’ side of life - school runs and children’s jammy hands on car seats.
There was also a serious side to the trip, including William’s homelessness project, Homewards. Among its initiatives is using surplus cookers and fridges in accommodation being built to help people escape homelessness, instead of the appliances being discarded. It’s a simple but effective idea from the prince’s charity, suggesting that neither people nor perfectly good household appliances should be forgotten about.
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Prince William saw one of the 24 homes being developed for the homeless
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Prince William’s radio chat was after his football team Aston Villa triumphed in winning the Europa League final.
There was more football this week, with William showing up at the national football centre in Burton-on-Trent to thank England’s backroom team of advisers and specialists - the team behind the team - ahead of this summer’s Fifa World Cup. The visit was pre-recorded earlier in the month, but it meant there was content to make social media channels look busy during the half-term break.
And with England and Scotland having qualified for the group stages of the tournament which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico, there has been plenty of speculation that the World Cup could be Prince William’s next big trip.
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ROYAL QUIZ
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Prince William weighed in on the cream tea debate during a radio interview last week. How did he say his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, enjoyed her scones?
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A. The Devonian way - cream first, topped with jam
B. The Cornish way - jam first, topped with cream
C. Neither - she preferred them toasted and topped with butter
Read further down for the answer.
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Thames Valley Police repeated their call for the public to share any information, following the arrest in February of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
There was also a reminder that information could include sexual misconduct and abuse of position, not just potential financial misconduct. The police update also called for public patience, which might suggest that nothing is imminent from their investigations into the former prince.
Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing from his association with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein or any personal gain from his role as trade envoy.
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Mountbatten-Windsor spent a decade making visits as a UK trade envoy. Credit: PA
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Last week there were more details released about how Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed to become the UK’s special representative for trade in 2001. Newly-released documents show that his mother - the late Queen Elizabeth II - had been “very keen” on the idea.
Files released by the government showed that the late queen wanted Mountbatten-Windsor to have a “prominent role in the promotion of national interests” and that his succeeding the trade role from the Duke of Kent in 2001 would seem a “natural fit”.
He stayed in the role until 2011, stepping down over challenges about his links to Epstein. It’s also a reminder of how long questions about the former prince’s association with the late financier have been rumbling.
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An exhibition featuring garments worn by Queen Elizabeth II is going to be extended for another six months, to cope with the public demand.
Instead of ending in October 2026, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is now going to run until April 2027, at the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, in what’s become the biggest ever crowd-puller exhibition put on by the Royal Collection Trust.
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Exhibits include hats, shoes and accessories alongside ballgowns. Credit: Getty Images
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It’s the largest collection of the late queen’s clothes ever assembled, including pieces from the 1920s through to the 2020s, and it’s a fascinating prism through which to explore her life and wider social history. Tim Knox, director of the Royal Collection, described it as a “once in a generation” event.
And it may seem a shame that with such public interest, after this exhibition is over, most of the items will be packed away and are likely to remain out of sight.
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YOUR ROYAL WATCH
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Last week, we asked what you thought about Prince William’s plans to sell off some of the Duchy of Cornwall property over the next 10 years.
Lots of you were in favour of the move. Grace, in Ireland, called his plans “sound”, adding: “Providing homes that are affordable is first class.”
Laurie, from Canada, said the initiative “shows responsible leadership and management” from the prince while Anthony, from Malta, described the plans as “altruistic”.
Sandra, from Taiwan, said: “I think it’s not a bad plan, but they should inspect and make sure an eligible buyer owns the land.”
Dorothy said that while she approves of the idea it is “probably not going far enough”. She said: “I’m very happy to have the monarchy, and to see them well off, but not as well off as they currently are!”
Some of you had questions, though. “While laudible, I do wonder whether these cheaper properties are sold on for a large profit later on,” Sylvie from Bromley said. “A similar reservation I have for social housing generally.”
After William’s praise for Catherine’s work on her trip to Italy, we want to know what you think about the importance of partners - whether princesses, princes or queens - to the work of the royals? Please send your thoughts to [email protected], and remember to tell us where you’re writing from.
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King Charles was met with cheers as he joined an audience to watch Sir Kenneth Branagh star as Prospero at a sold-out performance of The Tempest in Stratford-upon-Avon last week. See the pictures from his surprise visit here.
The King is no stranger to the works of William Shakespeare, and has quoted the playwright in several of his speeches. He even played Macbeth in the Gordonstoun School production of the play in 1965.
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Credit: PA
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip watched their eldest son’s performance, which was well reviewed. He was described in the Sunday Telegraph as “the best actor in the school”.
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BBC NEWS
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After a performance of traditional folk songs and shanties, he was offered the chance to play the instrument during a visit in County Down.
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BBC SOUNDS
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The Tudor king is known as one of history’s most murderous monarchs, but was he always a monster? The After Dark podcast explores.
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BBC SOUNDS
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The team explores how Queen Elizabeth I - a skilled musician - used music as a symbol of her authority in 1564.
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ROYAL QUIZ ANSWER
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A. The Devonian way
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Speaking on Heart Radio’s breakfast show, the prince said that when it came to scones, “I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely, she would have the cream on first.” Discover the late queen’s drop scone recipe, which she sent to US President Dwight D Eisenhower in 1960 after he’d enjoyed them during a visit to Balmoral.
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