PRINCE William is known to have had a good education and to have met his wife Kate Middleton along the way.
They’re both bright sparks, but where did the future King go to university?
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Kate and William met at universityCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Where did Prince William go to school?
Prince William‘s education began in London when he went to Jane Mynors’ nursery school and then moved on to pre-preparatory Wetherby School.
He then went to Ludgrove School in Wokingham, Berkshire and had Rory Stewart privately tutor him.
Away from the academic side, he also participated in several sports such as football, swimming, basketball, cross-country running and clay pigeon shooting.
He went on to take an entrance exam to attend Eton College, which is a school famously known among the Royal family.
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When he went to Eton, he obtained his A-levels in geography, A, biology, C, and history of art, B.
His love of sports continued specifically in water polo and he was also captain of the swimming team and the football team.
He then took a gap year to take part in British Army exercises before he returned to the UK from Belize.
Upon his return, he attended the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.
What did Prince William study at university?
At St Andrew’s university, PrinceWilliam studied a degree course in Art History.
He later changed his subject to Geography and wrote his dissertation on the coral reefs of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean.
In 2005, he graduated with upper second class honours in an undergraduate degree in the Master of Arts.
His sporting hobbies did not stop at university, and there he also made part of the water polo team.
The future King represented the Scottish national universities‘ water polo team at the Celtic Nations Tournament in 2004.
During his time at St Andrews, the media respected the Prince’s privacy and let him enjoy his university years with fellow students.
Students were told not to leak any stories into the press about him and he adapted the alternative name of “Steve” to avoid journalists overhearing anything about him and finding out about his identity.
Did Prince William meet Kate Middleton at University?
The short answer is, yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton met at university.
They were both students at St Andrews when they first crossed paths in 2001.
The pair soon became friends before moving in with each other, but it took a few years before romance sparked.
It’s been said in the past that it took Kate’s iconic sheer dress fashion show moment in 2002 for the couple to realise they were more than just friends.
SHE was the Queen’s party-loving younger sister, known for smoking 60 cigarettes a day, high-profile romances and iconic style.
But in later life, Princess Margaret was plagued by health issues which saw her glamorous lifestyle replaced by hospital stays and agonising pain.
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Princess Margaret, pictured in 1965, was the Queen’s party-loving little sisterCredit: Rex Features
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The princess, seen in 2000, was plagued by agonising health issues in later lifeCredit: PA:Press Association
Margaret’s declining health is seen the new series of The Crown, which shows her clutching an oxygen mask to her face after undergoing lung surgery.
Yet the scenes, starring actress Helena Bonham Carter as Margaret, are only a glimpse into the chain-smoking princess’ lengthy battle with ill health – from strokes and a nervous breakdown to a horrific bath accident.
From ‘party princess’ to health woes
In her heyday, Margaret was a vivacious ‘party princess’ – dancing until dawn and finding any excuse to hang out with actors and rock stars.
A blue-eyed beauty with a tiny waist, she had a string of celebrity lovers, reportedly including actors Peter Sellers, David Niven and Peter O’Toole.
But she wasn’t lucky in love.
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Margaret, portrayed by actress Helena Bonham Carter, clutches an oxygen mask in The Crown’s fourth seasonCredit: Netflix
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Bonham Carter plays Margaret in seasons three and four of the Netflix hitCredit: Netflix 2020, Inc
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Margaret, pictured dancing with her husband Lord Antony Snowdon at a ball at the Tower of London, was a vivacious ‘party princess’Credit: Corbis – Getty
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She is pictured leaving London’s King Edward VII Hospital on November 1, 2001, three months before her death aged 71Credit: PA:Press Association
Ill-fated romances
During her early twenties, Margaret – known for her love of vodka, Scotch whisky and cigarettes – had a doomed fling with RAF pilot Peter Townsend.
She later married motorbike-riding philanderer Lord Antony Snowdon, – with their union coming as a bombshell to the Royal Family.
Despite having two children together, the pair’s marriage was marred by affairs and “gunfire”-style rows, and they eventually divorced in 1978.
But while Margaret seemed prone to ill-fated romances, she also suffered misfortune when it came to her health – starting from her mid-teens.
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Margaret, pictured in 1970, had a penchant for alcohol and cigarettesCredit: Rex Features
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She smiles beside Lord Snowdon during an official royal engagementCredit: Popperfoto – Getty
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The couple wave from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia during their Caribbean honeymoon cruise in the West Indies in 1960Credit: Getty – Contributor
Operations from aged 15
Aged 15, she underwent surgery for appendicitis at Buckingham Palace. A news bulletin in November 1945 declared the operation a “success”.
Then, in May 1948, the young princess contracted measles – though palace officials were quick to stress that she hadn’t infected sister Elizabeth.
Over the next couple of decades, while her big sister got to grips with being Queen, Margaret battled through migraines, laryngitis and the flu.
In 1964, four years into her marriage with Lord Snowdon, she was left bedbound with catarrhal infection (inflammation of mucous membranes).
Then in 1968, she had to have her tonsils removed.
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Margaret, pictured with big sister Elizabeth in a 1940 portrait, was just 15 when she underwent surgery for appendicitis at Buckingham PalaceCredit: Bettmann
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The princess, seen waving to crowds in Jamaica in 1962, suffered from migraines, laryngitis, bronchitis and gastric flu during her lifeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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Margaret dances with ballet star Rudolf Nureyev at a party in June 1977Credit: Hulton Archive – Getty
Despite her pain, the princess, who had suffered from acute tonsillitis, was later pictured smiling as she left London’s King Edward VII Hospital.
She was accompanied by then-husband Antony, in a show of support.
A nervous breakdown
Yet in the 1970s, Margaret’s marriage to Lord Snowdon collapsed – and she suffered a nervous breakdown as her mental health deteriorated.
Despite the pair’s then-scandalous divorce, they remained friends.
But in October 1978, Margaret’s health took a pounding again as she was diagnosed with pneumonia in Tuvalu, in the South Pacific.
Fortunately, she pulled through after being flown to an Australian hospital.
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Margaret is seen at the Badminton Horse Trials in the 1970s – the decade her marriage collapsed and she suffered a nervous breakdownCredit: Rex Features
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She chats with Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger in a restaurant in 1976Credit: AFP – Getty
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The Queen and Margaret are seen attending the Epsom Derby in Surrey in 1979, a year after Margaret was diagnosed with pneumonia overseasCredit: Getty Images – Getty
However, in the ’80s, the princess’s health issues escalated – with Margaret suffering from a seemingly endless string of illnesses over two decades.
In 1980 – the year she turned 50 – she was admitted to a London hospital for surgery to remove a benign skin lesion, according to the BBC.
Cancer scare
Then in January 1985, the ’60 cigarettes a day’ princess had part of her lung cut out in a cancer scare (though, luckily, the tissue was non-malignant).
At the time, Margaret’s office said doctors had removed a small area of her left lung, after she was admitted to a private suite at Brompton Hospital.
The princess’s children Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, then aged 23 and 20, were on holiday in Venice when the scare occurred.
And Margaret’s ex Lord Snowdon told reporters: ″I am very relieved that everything went all right and that it was not something serious.″
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Margaret is pictured with Princess Diana and the Queen Mother in 1981. A year earlier, she had undergone surgery to remove a benign skin lesionCredit: Getty – Contributor
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Prince Edward, the Queen, Princess Diana, the Queen Mother, Prince Charles and Princess Margaret are pictured outside Clarence House in 1990Credit: Getty – Contributor
60 cigarettes a day to 30
After the op, Margaret continued smoking – despite four monarchs having died from smoking-related illnesses, including her own dad, King George VI.
Never afraid of speaking her mind, she refused to bow down to pressure from both doctors and members of her family to ditch the cigarettes.
However, it is reported she cut down to 30 a day, rather than 60.
Determined Margaret also continued with royal engagements – but in 1992, she was forced to cancel some after developing a “feverish cold”.
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Glamorous Margaret, pictured in 1991, reportedly cut down from 60 cigarettes a day to 30 after having surgery to remove part of her lungCredit: Rex Features
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The princess, pictured in 1956 during her 26th birthday, had started smoking at a young ageCredit: EPA
And months later, still only in her early 60s, the princess was hospitalised with another bout of pneumonia after complaining of “feeling unwell”.
Again, she fought through.
Holiday horror
But in 1998, Margaret suffered her first mild stroke on the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique, where she had her own holiday hideaway.
The princess – who had been gifted a plot of land on the island as a wedding present, and loved partying there – fell ill while dining with friends.
She was flown by air ambulance to Barbados, though witnesses said she was able to walk across the Tarmac to the plane and didn’t need a stretcher.
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Margaret was spotted holidaying in Mustique with gangster John Bindon, pictured wearing a T-shirt with the slogan ‘Enjoy Cocaine’Credit: Alamy
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The princess, pictured centre, and her friends Lord Colin Tennant and Lady Anne Tennant are seen waiting on the jetty at Mustique to greet the Queen during her Silver Jubilee tour of the West IndiesCredit: PA:Press Association
Despite her love for Mustique, Margaret’s health would take another blow on the island: a year later, she badly scalded her feet in a boiling hot bath.
She sustained horrendous burns in the accident, which left her reliant on support to walk (and on some occasions, she required a wheelchair).
Following her return to England, Margaret continued to support the work of the dozens of charities and organisations she was involved with.
But over Christmas 2000, the hard-working royal found herself bedbound at Sandringham following what was suspected to be a second stroke.
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Margaret is pictured on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during celebrations for the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday in August 2000Credit: EPA
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The Sun’s Gardening Editor Peter Seabrook greets Margaret at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2000Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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The princess walks with a stick amid her health strugglesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Then, in January 2001, she was hospitalised with a “severe loss” of appetite – leaving loved ones, including the Queen, concerned about her “frail” state.
Margaret’s cousin, the now-late Hon Margaret Rhodes, told the BBC: “All her life she has been the sparkling one, the centre of attention, but since her stroke three years ago, she has lost that particular facility to sparkle.”
At that point, Margaret hadn’t been seen in public since October 2000. Once the life and soul of every party, she was said to be depressed by her illness.
All her life she has been the sparkling one, the centre of attention, but since her stroke three years ago, she has lost that particular facility to sparkle
Margaret’s cousin in 2001
And the “stoic” princess’s condition only worsened that March when she had another stroke, which impaired her vision, according to the Guardian.
In her younger years, Margaret had loathed the idea of living a quiet life. Now, confused and withdrawn, it was reported she had lost the will to live.
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Margaret is helped down a flight of steps by a nurse as she leaves King Edward VII Hospital in London in January 2001Credit: PA:Press Association
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Margaret’s daughter Lady Sarah Chatto and son Viscount Linley leave the hospital after visiting their mumCredit: PA:Press Association
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The Queen Mother waves to supporters as Margaret looks on in a wheelchair in August 2001, after suffering a stroke which impaired her visionCredit: Reuters
But once more, she seemed to bounce back, even dining out in Mayfair.
In October 2001, the princess – who also fought off bronchitis, gastric flu and mild hepatitis during her life – was admitted to hospital for tests.
A couple of months later, she managed to attend the 100th birthday celebrations of her aunt, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.
But tragically, it would be her last public appearance.
A peaceful death
On February 9, 2002, Margaret died peacefully aged 71 at King Edward VII’s Hospital, having suffered cardiac problems following yet another stroke.
The princess passed away with her children by her side.
In her last years, she had battled through more health problems than most 100-year-olds. But she’d also lived life to the full, when she could.
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Margaret, once the life and soul of every party, was said to be confused and withdrawn after her numerous strokesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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She attends the 100th birthday celebrations of her aunt Princess Alice, pictured centre, along with the Queen in December 2001Credit: PA:Press Association
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Her coffin is carried out of hospital following her death in February 2002Credit: AP:Associated Press
Aside from her passion for partying and socialising, Margaret was a talented piano player who could pick up and play by ear almost any tune.
As grieving nephew Prince Charles said after her death: “My darling aunt had such dreadful times in the past few years with her awful illness and it was hard for let alone her to bear it, but for all of us as well – particularly as she had such a wonderfully free spirit.
“She lived life and lived it to the full and from that point of view it was even harder for everybody to witness this.”
The Crown Season 4 – Official trailer for the Netflix drama starring Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson
PRINCE Harry proposed to Meghan Markle in 2017 with a custom three-stone ring.
However, eagle-eyed royal fans have noticed that the Duchess of Sussex hasn’t worn her diamond sparkler much this year. Here is everything you need to know.
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The ring was redesigned back in 2019 to feature even more diamondsCredit: Getty
What engagement ring does Meghan Markle have and how much does it cost?
Prince Harry designed the bespoke three-stone piece with the help of Cleave & Company, the late Queen Elizabeth’s regular jeweller.
The engagement ring worn by Meghan, features three stones, a design referred to as a trilogy ring.
The centre diamond, which is cushion cut, is estimated to be three carats and was sourced from Botswana – where the pair had their second date.
The smaller diamonds on the side came from Princess Diana‘s personal collection.
READ MORE ON MEGHAN MARKLE
The value of Meghan’s engagement ring is estimated to be upwards of £120,000.
At the time of their engagement, Prince Harry said: “The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s [Meghan’s] favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together.”
Meghan added: “‘Everything about Harry’s thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [Princess Diana’s stones] and obviously not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us.”
Why does Meghan Markle not always wear her engagement ring?
However, relationship expert and co-founder of So Syncd, Louella Alderson, believes it could be due to her charity work.
She told the Mirror: “Meghan’s commitment to charity and her personal style suggests that she might not be keen on wearing something so flashy all the time.
“She could be trying to go for a more relatable look which could be why she’s opted for two subtle rings.
“It could also be a practical measure—wearing an expensive ring comes with responsibility.”
The band was changed to a micro pavè band with smaller diamonds going around the band to emphasise the three original diamonds.
The decision was reportedly one made not by Meghan herself, but by her husband.
Prince Harry reportedly chose to upgrade the band at the same time that he ordered the ring as a gift for their first wedding anniversary.
In the royal biography, Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand explain: “On May 19, 2019, Harry also surprised his wife of one year with the gift of a ring that he had created with jeweller-to-the-stars Lorraine Schwartz, a favourite of Meghan’s.
“The conflict-free diamond eternity band paid homage to the family of three with Meghan’s, Archie’s and Harry’s birthstones (peridot, emerald, and sapphire, respectively) on the underside of the ring.”
What types of engagement rings do other royals have?
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II‘s engagement ring was a platinum ring set with 11 diamonds.
It had a 3-carat round solitaire and 5 smaller stones set on each shoulder.
The stones were taken from a tiara owned by Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Princess Diana
King Charles presented Diana with a selection of rings from Garrard and asked her to choose her favourite.
Diana opted for a 12-carat Ceylon sapphire stone surrounded by diamonds and set in white gold.
ANDREW PARKER BOWLES is perhaps best known for being the ex-husband of Queen Camilla but his royal connections go beyond just that.
Since her and Andrew’s split Camilla has gone on to become a member of the Royal Family thanks to her marriage to King Charles and Andrew has also gone on to find love again.
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Andrew Parker Bowles is the former husband of King Charles III’s wife Queen CamillaCredit: Karwai Tang/WireImage
Who is Andrew Parker Bowles?
Andrew Parker Bowles is a retired British Army officer.
He was born on December 27, 1939, and is the eldest child of Derek Henry Parker Bowles and Ann Parker Bowles.
Andrew’s father was the great-grandson of Thomas Parker, the sixth Earl of Macclesfield, and his mother was the daughter of racehorse owner Sir Humphrey de Trafford.
Camilla gave birth to their son Tom Parker Bowles on December 18, 1974, a year after they married, and four years later the pair had their second child Laura Lopes.
Andrew and Camilla divorced in 1995, after he had various affairs during the marriage.
He then married Rosemary Alice Pitman, who was previously married to Lieutenant Colonel John Hugh Pitman, in 1996 but she sadly died in 2010 to cancer.
The couple reportedly got together in late 2022 after being set up by a mutual friend.
A friend of the pair said: “They have judiciously avoided being photographed together as they both wanted to keep this quiet for as long as possible.
“Annie proudly tells everyone she is the daughter of a market trader chicken-seller and is as far removed from a toff as could be — frankly it beats any storyline The Crown could possibly come up with.
“Annie and Andrew get on splendidly — she makes him laugh, a lot, and he is one of the few people to get away with poking fun at her.”
How old is Andrew Parker Bowles?
As of December 2023, Andrew is 83 years old.
He was born on December 27, 1939, in Surrey, England.
What is the relationship between Princess Anne and Andrew Parker Bowles?
It has been rumoured that Princess Anne and Andrew were a couple for in the 1970s but split before his engagement to Camilla.
Biographer Sally Bedell Smith told Elle.com that the relationship could not have been “very serious between Anne and Andrew because Andrew was Catholic”.
Princess Anne and Andrew stayed friends after their rumoured romance and he was later named the godfather to Zara Tindall, Anne’s daughter.
Are Andrew Parker Bowles and Camilla still friends?
Andrew and Camilla have remained friends despite getting divorced in 1995.
PRINCE EDWARD is perhaps the most low-key of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s children.
The brother of King Charles and his wife Sophie Wessex, Duchess of Edinburgh, largely stay out of the spotlight and, unlike some of their cousins, the couple’s children do not hold prince and princess titles.
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Prince Edward and his wife Sophie decided that their children will not inherit royal titlesCredit: Getty
Who are Prince Edward’s children?
Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones share two children together.
She went to St George’s School, Windsor Castle before moving to St Mary’s School Ascot in 2017.
Lady Louise then started studying English at the University of St Andrews in September 2022.
James was baptised in 2008 in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle and his godparents are Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, Duncan Bullivant, Thomas Hill, Denise Poulton and Jeanye Irwin.
He attended Eagle House School – a prep school near Sandhurst in Berkshire.
Louise and James accompanied their parents on a trip to South Africa in April 2015, their first overseas engagement.
The family’s official London residence is based at Buckingham Palace. but they also live in Bagshot Park in Surrey.
Why do Prince Edward’s children not have official prince and princess titles?
Not all were given hereditary titles and, upon his wedding to Sophie, Prince Edward agreed with his mother that his kids would be deemed as children of an Earl, instead of being called His or Her Royal Highness.
Princess Anne‘s children, Zara and Peter, also don’t have royal titles but Louise and James are the Queen’s first male-line descendants not to have them.
They are also the first in the family to be allowed the proper use of the Mountbatten-Windsor family name.
Lady Louise is known as Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, instead of HRH Princess Louise of Wessex.
James, meanwhile, uses his father’s subsidiary title of Earl of Wessex as a courtesy and is not HRH Prince James of Wessex.
Sophie, who married Prince Edward in 1999, has said her children will not work in an official capacity for the Royal Family when they turn 18.
She told The Sunday Times in 2020: “We try to bring them up with the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living.
“Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles.
“They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but it’s highly unlikely.”
Your Prince Edward questions answered
Are Prince Edward’s children in line to the throne?
Louise is 16th in the line of succession to the British throne, while James is 15th in line to the throne.
The rules of royal succession have changed significantly since 2011, when leaders of 16 British Commonwealth countries (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Jamaica) voted to alter the centuries-old tradition to include daughters as well as sons.
Previously, daughters could only inherit the throne if there were no living sons.
The new rule only takes into account children born after 2011, meaning James, born in 2007, is ahead of his older sister, Louise, born in 2003.
DODI AL-FAYED and Princess Diana’s romance is one of the most famous, and highly-publicised, in recent history.
What some may not know, however, is that Al-Fayed was involved with another woman shortly before news of his relationship with Diana broke – and they were reportedly even set to wed.
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Former model Kelly Fisher was heartbroken when she found out her fiance Dodi Al-Fayed was dating Princess Diana
Who is Kelly Fisher?
Kelly Fisher is a property developer and former model who worked for major brands like Armani and Calvin Klein.
She was born in 1967 and was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, in the US, for the first eight years of her life.
Her family relocated often due to her father’s work as the vice president of an international company.
As a teen, Kelly moved to Toronto, Ontario, and at the age 16 she started modelling.
How did she meet Dodi Al-Fayed and how long were they together?
The pair became engaged in February 1997 and were set to move into a Malibu mansion that Dodi had purchased for them, according to Kelly.
The wedding date was set for August 9, 1997, and Kelly was so committed to her future with Dodi that she claims she was convinced by her future husband to give up her career, receiving a £2,000-a-day allowance in return.
The former couple never made it down the aisle however as Kelly, who was 30 at the time, claims that Dodi dumped her by phone on August 7, 1997 – the day his relationship with Princess Diana first hit the news.
The snap, taken by an Italian paparazzo using a telephoto lens, showed Dodi and Diana embracing on a yacht Jonikal off St Tropez.
It was bought for £300,000 by a Sunday newspaper but, in total, images from the holiday were sold for more than £3 million around the world.
Kelly had actually been in St Tropez at the time the kiss picture was taken, staying aboard another of the Fayed family’s yachts.
After the pictures were released she returned to California and gave a tearful appearance at a press conference where her attorney announced plans to sue Dodi for “emotionally leaving her at the altar”.
The lawyer held up one of two sapphire and diamond rings Kelly claimed Dodi had bought for her, the other of which Kelly was still wearing.
Kelly later gave a tell-all newspaper interview claiming Dodi was a dud in bed who one gave her a cheque for £100,000 which bounced.
The ex-model has spoken about the impact the 1997 situation had on her, saying: “You go in the course of three weeks from being engaged to Dodi to being left for the most famous, gorgeous woman in the world, to them all dying.
“In three weeks. That was just terrible. I was pretty young. It was pretty bad.”
She has also said that her pain was made worse by Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died in September 2023, denying his son had ever been engaged to her, and accusing her of being a “gold-digger”.
She explained: “He was talking about the lawsuit but I had stopped working – I put my life on hold.”
Kelly has also said that she has left all the grievances in the past, despite the controversy and the drama that surrounded her, Dodi, and Diana.
She told The Sun: “I was heartbroken to see the pictures of Diana and Dodi together but the most heartbroken I ever, ever was – ever – was when he died.
“That was too much for me, it was incredibly difficult.”
She also revealed that she kept the engagement ring from Dodi as a memento of their time together.
Expressing sympathy for Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, she said: “I have a daughter now and cannot imagine what would have happened if I was suddenly gone. I can’t imagine what those boys must have felt.”
What does Kelly Fisher do for a living?
Fisher has left behind her career as a model and now works as a property developer.
Since the summer of 1997, and the tragic events that unfolded, she has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
Who is Kelly Fisher’s husband Mikhail Movshina?
Kelly’s husband, Mikhail Movshina, is a pilot.
The couple met in 2007 while they were both on a safari in the Central African Republic.
After stints living together in Paris and the Swiss Alps, Kelly and Mikhail moved to South Carolina to start a family.
Does Kelly Fisher have any children?
Kelly shares one daughter, Alexandra Grace, with her husband.
How many children do Peter Phillips and Lindsay Wallace have?
Peter is a father of two daughters from his marriage with Autumn – Savannah and Isla.
Savannah is Queen Elizabeth’s first great-grandchild, born on December 29, 2010, at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
She is 19th in line to the throne.
On March 29, 2012, the couple’s second daughter, Isla Elizabeth, was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, making her 20th in line to the throne.
Peter and Kelly divorced in June 2021.
Lindsay also has two children from her previous marriage.
Peter and Lindsay do not share any children together.
Has Lindsay Wallace been married?
Lindsay is separated from her husband Andrew.
It is not known if the couple are divorced with reports in 2022 saying they were still married.
Royal Family roles explained
Who are Lindsay Wallace’s parents?
Linday’s father Keith was born in May 1960 and has been described as “an oil tycoon”.
He founded EPC Offshore which was taken over by Costain Group.
A source said: “Her father worked in the oil industry and the family pride themselves on being a Christian family who are pillars of their local community.”
No information is known about her mother, but Lindsay does have siblings as in an interview with Energy Voice in 2014, Keith talks about his son and daughters.
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Lindsay and Peter grew close after a school reunion, following the breakdown of both of their previous marriagesCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
Princess Theodora died just five weeks before her mother in 1969Credit: Getty Images – Getty
The second daughter in the family was Theodora, who was born on May 30, 1906, and died on October 16, 1969, when she was 63 years old.
Theodora married her paternal second cousin, Berthold, Margrave of Baden, in 1931, and they had three children together.
She died just five weeks before her mother, Princess Alice, who passed away on December 5, 1969.
Alice had been invited by Philip and the Queen to live in Buckingham Palace before passing away aged 84.
Princess Cecilie Of Greece And Denmark
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Cecilie tragically died in a plane crash in 1937Credit: Alamy
Philip’s third sister was Cecilie, who was born on June 22, 1911.
Tragically she was the first of Prince Andrew and Princess Alice’s children to die.
Cecilie was just 26 when she died in a plane crash on November 16, 1937.
The flight had been going from Darmstadt to London, and it later emerged that pregnant Cecilie gave birth while on the plane.
A Belgian enquiry concluded that the captain had tried to do an emergency landing in bad weather due to the labour.
Her husband, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse, and two of Cecilie’s other children – sons Ludwig (aged 6) and Alexander (aged 4) – also perished on the flight.
Cecilie’s daughter Johanna, who was not on the flight, was adopted by another member of the royal family, but died of meningitis two years later.
Princess Sophie Of Greece And Denmark
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Princess Sophie was married twice, and had eight children in totalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Philip’s closest sibling in age was Sophie, who was born on June 26, 1914, and died at the age of 87 on November 24, 2001.
Sophie’s first marriage was to Prince Christoph of Hesse when she was just 16, and she was the first of Philip’s siblings to tie the knot.
The couple had five children together, but Christoph was tragically killed in an airplane accident in a war zone near Forlì, Italy, on October 7, 1943, and his body was found two days later.
Sophie’s second marriage was to Prince George William of Hanover, but the union was controversial.
Although King George VI gave permission for the couple to marry, consent was later withheld due to the UK being at war with Germany at the time.
This is the only known case of marriage permission being rejected by a British monarch.
Despite this, Sophie and George later married without monarch consent and went on to have three children.
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Left to right: Princess Cecilie, Princess Margarita, and Princess Theodora with Princess Sophie standing in frontCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Was Philip close to his sisters?
Prince Philip had a famously turbulent childhood and was forced to flee Greece in 1922 when his father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, feared he would be executed during a military coup.
The family fled to France, but were soon separated, with Philip being sent to the MacJannet American School before moving to the UK to study at Cheam School.
His sisters later largely lived in Germany and all married German aristocrats.
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Prince Philip’s parents, Prince Andrew and Princess AliceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Not much is known about his relationship with his sisters, but he and Sophie were said to be close.
Edward and his family are often seen making appearances at royal events and rubbing shoulders with their more famous family members, but what was life like for Prince Edward growing up?
We take a look back through the archives that show Prince Edward as a young boy and teen, before he headed off to join the Royal Marines and make a name for himself in TV production.
Here’s everything you need to know:
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Edward is the youngest of The Queen and Prince Philip’s four children – pictured here with his older siblings Charles, Andrew, and Anne in 1965Credit: Getty
He is 16 years younger than his oldest brother King Charles.
It’s believed that Edward’s birth was the first that Prince Philip was there to witness – and the first royal father in history to be at a birth – after the Queen asked him to be there, according to the book My Husband And I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of Royal Marriage.
Edward, who was born on March 10, 1964, and is 16 years younger than his oldest brother Charles, pictured at The British Driving Society’s Annual Competition In Windsor in 1970Credit: Rex
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Prince Edward, pictured as a boy in a carriage at Windsor, grew up loving horses and reportedly learnt how to ride a pony at two years oldCredit: Rex
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Black and white photos from the archives show him looking after the Queen’s corgis, while with his mother and brother Andrew at Liverpool Street Train Station in 1971Credit: Rex
What was Prince Edward like as a young child?
It’s fair to say that Edward had a pretty unconventional childhood growing up.
It’s claimed he learnt how to ride a pony when he was just two years old and he was minded by a governess, just like his siblings.
His governess taught him early on at Buckingham Palace before he headed off to school.
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He had an unconventional childhood growing up in the Palace – seen here with the Queen and Prince Andrew in 1970Credit: Rex
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At five, Edward – seen here at Smith’s Lawn for the polo – reportedly told Neil Armstrong he wanted to be an astronautCredit: Rex
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Edward, pictured shopping at Harrods in 1971, was looked after and taught from an early age at Buckingham Palace by a governessCredit: Rex
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When he was old enough, Edward – seen here with his mother and brother Andrew, who was closest in age to him – headed to school in KensingtonCredit: Rex
By the time he was five, Edward had personally met Neil Armstrong – the first person to walk on the moon – and told him he too wanted to be an astronaut, according to The Sunday Post
Black and white photos show Edward always dressed in his Sunday best and enjoying family trips, hanging out with horses and helping to look after the Queen’s beloved corgis.
Where did Prince Edward go to school?
Edward spent his early years being taught at Buckingham Palace.
He then headed to Gibbs School in Kensington before enrolling at Heatherdown School, near Ascot, in 1972.
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Edward, pictured on his first day at Gibb School in 1971, before later being educated at Gordonstoun – a boarding school in northern ScotlandCredit: Rex
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Edward’s was the only birth Prince Philip was reportedly at- seen here with the Queen, Prince Philip, Andrew and corgis on a tour of the gardens of Windsor Castle in 1973Credit: Rex
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A young Edward, pictured fourth from left, with his dad Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips, the Queen, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles at the 1976 Quebec Olympics, in CanadaCredit: Rex
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Throwback pictures see Edward spending time with his mother Queen Elizabeth II as a boy at Badminton in 1971Credit: Rex
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Since he was little, he has appeared alongside HRH at public events – seen here again with the Queen at Badminton Horse Trials in 1978Credit: Rex
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Prince Edward at The Montreal Olympic Games in 1976, along with his mum and two older brothers Prince Andrew and Prince CharlesCredit: Rex
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Edward was a head boy at schoolCredit: Rex
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Edward received his gold medal Duke Of Edinburgh Award from his father Prince Philip in 1986Credit: PA:Press Association
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Edward, playing rugby in 1983, took a gap year after school before heading to Cambridge UniversityCredit: Rex
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Edward, pictured at the Royal Horse Show in 1982, worked as a house tutor at a school in New ZealandCredit: Rex
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Rugby player Edward studied a history degree at Jesus College at Cambridge UniCredit: Rex
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Edward graduated from university in 1986, before heading off to join the Royal MarinesCredit: Rex
Following in the footsteps of his older brothers and dad Philip, Edward then moved to Gordonstoun – a boarding school in northern Scotland – where he later became head boy.
Before heading to university, Edward took a gap year to work abroad in New Zealand as a house tutor for two terms at a school.
He then attended Cambridge University and graduated from Jesus College with a history degree in 1986.
What jobs did Prince Edward do as a young man?
After university, Edward enlisted in the Royal Marines – he had been a university cadet for three years, but quit just three months into the military’s 12-month training programme.
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Edward always had an interest in theatre and television – seen here manning the laser light display at the Royal TournamentCredit: Rex
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Straight from uni Edward, pictured receiving weapons training at Lympstone in 1987, enrolled in the Royal Marines, who reportedly paid £12k for his tuitionCredit: LNS: London News Service
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He quit the Royal Marines after completing three months of its 12-month training programme – seen here in uniform at RAF BensonCredit: Getty
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Following his time in the military, Edward pursued his love of theatre, seen here on stage in costume in 1985Credit: Rex
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He worked as a production assistant on musicals for Andrew Lloyd-WebberCredit: Rex
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Edward later set up his own production company titled Ardent ProductionsCredit: Rex
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Edward, seen recording for the Royal Tournament in 1984, produced documentaries and dramas in the UK and the USCredit: Rex
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After a decade as director of the company, Edward stepped down to become a full-time working royal – pictured here at Ascot in 1984Credit: Rex
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Edward, pictured with Prince Andrew on VJ day in London in 1995, carried out duties for the Queen and now King Charles, taking over a lot of public duties after his dad Prince Philip stepped back from public lifeCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
The Royal Marines allegedly paid £12,000 for Edward’s tuition fees on the condition that he served five years after he graduated.
Philip had been serving as the Captain General Royal Marines at the time and while some reports say he “reduced Edward to tears” after he decided to quit, others go against this and say Philip was actually the most “sympathetic”.
Following his time in the Royal Marines, Edward went on to pursue a career in theatre and television, and worked as a production assistant on musicals like The Phantom Of The Opera and Cats for Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Your Prince Edward questions answered
In 1993, he created his own production company, Ardent Productions, to produce documentaries and dramas.
Nearly a decade later in 2002, Edward stepped down as the company’s director to become a full-time working royal and carry out his duties for his mother, the Queen.
KING Charles and his wife Queen Camilla were married in April 2005.
Both of them had been wed before, and have children from their past relationships – with her son and daughter being out of the limelight unlike their step-siblings Prince William and Prince Harry.
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Queen Camilla seen with her children Thomas and Laura Parker BowlesCredit: Getty
Tom is a British food writer, food critic and author of seven cookbooks – in 2010, he won the Guild of Food Writers 2010 award for his writings on British food.
During his time in education, Parker Bowles was educated at Summer Fields School in Oxford and Heywood Preparatory School in Corsham, before going on to study at Eton College and Worcester College, Oxford.
Parker Bowles states that immediately after leaving school, he fell in love with food writing, and it was his mother’s cooking skills and recipes that inspired him to become a food writer.
He is also known for his appearances as a judge in numerous television food series and for his reviews of restaurant meals around the UK and overseas for GQ, Esquire, and The Mail on Sunday.
Your Queen Camilla questions answered
He shares two children from a previous marriage associate editor of Harpers & Queen magazine and senior editor of British Town & Country magazine, Sara Buys.
Uniquely, King Charles is both his stepfather and godfather.
Laura Lopes
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Laura Lopes is an English art curatorCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Laura Rose Lopes, born January 1, 1978, is the second child of Camilla and Andrew – and the stepdaughter of King Charles III.
She is an English art curator and co-founding partner and gallery director of London’s Eleven gallery.
Lopes was educated at St Mary’s Shaftesbury, a Catholic girls boarding school in Dorset, before attending Heywood Preparatory School in Corsham, alongside her brother.
She later attended Oxford Brookes University, where she studied History of Art and Marketing.
Laura is married to chartered accountant Harry Marcus George Lopes, after the pair wed in May 2006.
The wedding took place at St Cyriac’s Church, an 11th-century Anglican church in Lacock, Wiltshire – where Lopes wore a wedding dress by Anna Valentine, the designer known for designing her mother’s dress for her wedding to the Prince of Wales in 2005.
Laura and her husband share three children, daughter Eliza and twin sons Gus and Louis.
Even though Sarah and Prince separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 they continue to live at Royal Lodge in Windsor together.
Their close friendship and living situation has meant the former couple have often been plagued by rumours that they will one day reunite romantically – something Sarah appears to have not ruled out.
“All I can say is that we’re happy with the way we are right now,” she teased when quizzed about their relationship in an interview with The Telegraph.
“We always say we are the most contented divorced couple in the world. We’re divorced to each other, not from each other,” she added.
“We are co-parents who support each other and believe that family is everything. I’m proud of the job we have done together in bringing up our children and sustaining a strong family unit. Our bywords are communication, compromise and compassion.”
Both of their children are all grown up now, and have kids of their own.
They called him Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, revealing their son’s name was inspired by “his great-great grandfather George, his grandpa George and my grandpa Ronald”.
Penelope has been so much a part of royal life, household staff have nicknamed her And AlsoCredit: Alpha Press
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Penelope has been a trusted member of the Royal Family’s inner circle for years and bonded with Philip through their love of carriage-drivingCredit: PA
The Countess Mountbatten of Burma — 32 years younger than the late Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021 aged 99 — has been a trusted member of the Royal Family’s inner circle for years and bonded with Philip through their love of carriage driving.
She was the only non-family member at Philip’s small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary.
Indeed, she has been so much a part of royal life, household staff nicknamed her “And Also”, because whenever Philip listed guests who were to be invited to a royal do, he would end with “and also Penny”.
When Philip was involved in a car accident near the Queen’s Norfolk retreat of Sandringham in January 2019, Her Majesty dispatched Penny to encourage the duke to surrender his driver’s licence.
Ingrid Seward, author of biography Prince Philip Revealed: A Man Of His Century, said: “The Queen had enlisted the help of the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who visited Philip and helped convince him to give up driving.”
Three weeks after the accident, which Philip blamed on him being blinded by the low winter sun, it was announced he had stopped driving.
The Truman Show actress Natascha McElhone plays Penny in The Crown, with veteran actor Jonathan Pryce taking over from Tobias Menzies as Philip.
A TV insider said: “The highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by the Queen or the rest of the Royal Family.”
Penny was introduced to Philip at age 20 while dating husband-to-be Norton Knatchbull, Philip’s godson and grandson of the duke’s uncle Lord Mountbatten.
Norton had been a year above the then-Prince Charles at Scottish boarding school Gordonstoun and the Queen and Philip never forgot his kindness in looking after their eldest child during his challenging time there.
Back then, Penny was simply Penelope Eastwood, daughter of Reg Eastwood, a wealthy butcher turned businessman who founded the Angus Steakhouse restaurants.
Tragedy befell the family in 1979 when Lord Mountbatten — affectionately known by the royals as Uncle Dickie — was assassinated by the IRA.
The bomb blast on board his fishing boat off County Sligo, Ireland, which featured in the last series of The Crown, also killed Norton’s 14-year-old brother Nicholas and his grandmother, Lady Brabourne.
Devastated by this horror, Penny and Norton decided to postpone their wedding for two months.
When they did tie the knot, with Charles as best man, they inherited Mountbatten’s 18th-century, 60-room Broadlands estate near Romsey, Hants, where Charles and Di would spend part of their honeymoon two years later.
‘Tremendous support’
With Philip and Penny, who was previously known as Lady Romsey then Lady Brabourne, it was a meeting of the minds.
Educated in Switzerland, and with a business degree from the London School of Economics, friends describe her as being “outgoing, engaged, clever and well-read”.
She and the duke also both shared a “boisterous sense of humour”, according to Ingrid. But it was after Penny’s five-year-old daughter Leonora died of kidney cancer in 1991 that Philip really began to take her under his wing.
One source said: “He was a tremendous support during a time of unimaginable grief.”
He encouraged Penny to take up his sport of carriage driving, to distract her, and got his head groom Micky Flynn to show her the ropes.
For Philip, it meant he gained an attractive companion to events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show and at numerous social gatherings associated with the sport and beyond.
They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. Of course, incidents like this on the Isle of Wight only fuelled whispers that they may have been more than just good friends.
It was even rumoured Prince Charles had cut off his friendship with Penny after someone close to him shared their suspicion that his father was having an affair with her.
But author Ingrid said: “We’ll never know how the Queen felt about it all. Philip always was a flirt and the Queen used to joke about his lascivious nature. If she had been hurt by rumours of supposed dalliances, she would never let on.”
Philip himself would simply laugh off any suggestion of impropriety. He told journalist Jeremy Paxman: “Every time I talk to a woman they say I’ve been to bed with her. It’s absolutely cuckoo.”
‘Absolutely cuckoo’
Penny’s marriage broke down in 2010, after 31 years and three children. Her husband Norton, now the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, fled to the Caribbean to be with fashion designer Eugenie Nuttall. Jeannie, as she is known, is the sister of former Bahamas Attorney General Sean McWeeney.
Penny, left to manage her and Norton’s 5,000-acre Hampshire estate alone, reportedly gathered together all the staff while her estranged husband was mid-flight and told them he had gone but everything else would stay the same.
One source said at the time: “Not for a moment would Penny allow her husband’s departure to interrupt the smooth running of the estate.”
There was never any question she would leave Broadlands, where every day she visits the tall stone monument, about 100 yards from the house, which stands above her daughter Leonora’s grave.
The Royal Family, in particular The Queen, were full of admiration for Penny’s stoicism. She did allow Norton back to Broadlands in 2014, not to the marital home, but to a converted barn there.
Her marriage troubles came on top of worry about their son, Nicholas, who was a year above Prince William at Eton, and had spent years hooked on crack cocaine and heroin. It was only when he feared he would be cut off from the family’s £100million fortune that he checked into rehab and kicked his habits.
In May 2021, tattooed Nicholas, 40, a music producer and gardener, married Ambre Pouzet, a French former fire-eating mermaid performer. The civil ceremony at Broadlands was a far cry from his sister Alexandra’s lavish 2016 wedding at Romsey Abbey, in which she was given away by the now-King Charles, as her father, The Queen and Philip watched.
A family friend said: “It’s very unusual to be given away by someone else at your wedding, even if it is by the Prince of Wales. Alexandra was at the time furious with her father for leaving her mother, but of course she still wanted him at the wedding.”
Alexandra, a financial analyst known as Knatch, chose to marry Thomas Hooper, an entrepreneur, on what would have been her sister Leonora’s 30th birthday. By coincidence, Leonora shared the same birthday as Uncle Dickie.
The day after Philip was laid to rest at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, Irish republican partySinn Fein — the political wing of the IRA — apologised for Mountbatten’s assassination. Penny continued to visit Philip until he died on April 9.
She was one of the only people apart from family members who he saw at Wood Farm, the five-bedroom home on the Sandringham estate where he spent most of his time after he retired from royal duties in 2017.
Ingrid says: “They were brought together by tragedy but were there for each other through thick and thin. He trusted her implicitly and she adored him. She never betrayed him. She was a keeper not only of his secrets but those of the family.”
Penny returned to the Royal Windsor Horse Show without her decades-long comp-anion for the first time. She was seen standing behind the Queen, broad grins on both their faces.
If Philip had been looking down on them, he surely would have been smiling too.
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Jonathan Pryce as Prince Phillip and Natascha McElhone as Penny Knatchbull in The CrownCredit: NETFLIX
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Penny was the only non-family at Philip’s small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretaryCredit: Getty
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Penny and Prince Charles pictured in 1983Credit: Alpha Press
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The pair mount their motorbikes during the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Home Park, Windsor Castle on May 13, 2005Credit: Getty
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Philip and Penny at Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2009Credit: Getty
THE Queen Mother was the late Queen Elizabeth’s mum and a much-loved national treasure.
Here’s everything you need to know about the great royal matriarch.
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Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on her 50th birthdayCredit: Getty – Contributor
Who was the Queen Mother?
The Queen Mother was born on August 4, 1900.
In 1923 she married Prince Albert.
She became Queen Elizabeth after Prince Albert’s brother King Edward VIII abdicated the throne on December 11, 1936.
Edward wanted to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, but as King he was head of the Church of England, which at that time did not allow divorced people to remarry.
READ MORE ON THE QUEEN MOTHER
Rather than abandon his plans to wed Simpson, he chose to abdicate in favour of Albert, who became King in his place on December 11, 1936 under the name of George VI.
King George VI and Elizabeth were crowned King and Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions, and Emperor and Empress of India in Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937.
Elizabeth’s crown was made of platinum and was set with the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Elizabeth was Queen consort — the title of the wife of the King, although she doesn’t rule as the monarch.
She would remain Queen consort until King George VI’s death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
When did the Queen Mother die?
The Queen Mother died on March 30, 2002.
Her younger daughter, Princess Margaret, had passed away seven weeks earlier.
At 101 years and 238 days old, she was the longest-living member of the royal family in British history.
On the day of her funeral, April 9, 2002, the Governor General of Canada issued a proclamation asking Canadians to honour her memory, while in Australia the Governor-General read the lesson at a memorial service held in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.
How long was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married to King George VI?
Prince Albert — known as Bertie — first proposed to Elizabeth in 1921, but she initially turned him down.
Elizabeth said she was “afraid never, never again to be free to think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to” if she became part of the Royal Family.
But the Prince did not give up his hopes to marry her and declared he would marry no other.
His mother, Queen Mary, visited Elizabeth’s childhood home to meet her, and became convinced that she was “the one girl who could make Bertie happy”.
In February 1922 Elizabeth was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Albert’s sister, Princess Mary, to Viscount Lascelles.
The following month, Albert proposed again, but she refused him once more.
Eventually, in January 1923, Elizabeth agreed to marry Albert, and they selected a platinum engagement ring featuring a Kashmir sapphire with two diamonds adorning its sides.
They married on April 26, 1923, at Westminster Abbey, and Elizabeth, aged 22, became styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York.
Following a wedding breakfast at Buckingham Palace, the new Duchess and her husband honeymooned at Polesden Lacey, a manor house in Surrey.
The couple were married for 29 years, until the King’s death on February 6, 1952.
Their eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth was born three years later, on April 21, 1926.
An estimated 200,000 people over three days filed past as she lay in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster.
In London, more than a million people filled the area outside Westminster Abbey and along the 23-mile route from central London to her final resting place beside her husband and younger daughter in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
At her request, after her funeral, the wreath that had lain atop her coffin was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, in a gesture that echoed her wedding-day tribute 79 years before.
What was the Queen Mother’s name?
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the Queen Mother’s given name.
She became Queen Elizabeth after her husband’s brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne.
A Queen Mother is a dowager queen who is the mother of an empress mother.
She was popular, earning the nickname “Smiling Duchess” and was known for her cheerful spirit.
ONCE dubbed ‘Acid Raine’ by the late Princess of Wales, the two endured a bitter feud that lasted two decades.
Here’s everything you need to know about Princess Diana’s “wicked” stepmother Raine Spencer.
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Raine pictured with Princess Diana outside The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, LondonCredit: Getty – Contributor
Who was Princess Diana’s stepmother Raine Spencer?
Raine was born on September 9, 1929, and was the daughter of romantic novelist and socialite Dame Barbara Cartland.
Her mum held the longest entry in Who’s Who, due to every one of her 723 books being included.
Her father was Alexander McCorquodale, an Army officer who was also the heir to a printing fortune but her parents divorced and her mother married his cousin Hugh and had two sons.
She spent time in Canada and was “always top of the class” at school, and was described as an excellent dancer.
Read More on Princess Diana
Raine was married three times which gave her five titles including the Honourable Mrs. Gerald Legge, Viscountess Lewisham, Countess of Dartmouth, Countess Spencer and Comtesse de Chambrun.
After entering London high society aged 18, she became engaged to Hon Gerald Humphry Legge, who was heir to earl of Dartmouth and they wed in 1948.
They had four children but their marriage broke down after she began a relationship with John Spencer in 1973.
Raine married Princess Diana’s father John in 1976 after her mother Frances Shand Kydd left.
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After John’s death in 1992, she left the family seat of Althorp due to her strained relationship with her stepson Charles.
She went on to marry her third husband, Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun in 1993, after a 33-day courtship but they divorced just two years later.
What was her relationship with Diana?
Diana and her siblings did not like their stepmother and referred to her as “Acid Raine” and often sang “Raine, Raine, go away!”
The Daily Mail reported that “as the Princess was coming to terms with the breakdown of her marriage — while estranged from her own mother — Raine had provided a no-nonsense shoulder to cry on”. In a rare public appearance at Diana’s inquest, she said: “She (Diana) always said I had no hidden agenda.
“So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life.”
The pair shared a passion for horoscopes and Raine quipped at the inquest “we all want the dark, handsome gentleman to walk through the door”.
The BBC reported Raine said to the Judge Lord Justice Scott Baker: “I beg you to do your utmost to solve this mystery, to tear aside anything that could be a cover up and sift everything possible and indeed impossible in order to allow poor Diana and poor Dodi [Al Fayed] to at last, truly, rest in peace.”
What was her career in politics and role at Harrods?
Raine publicly cautioned women on the dangers of work in the 1950s and 1960s, while pursuing a political career.
She hit the headlines for complaints about dirty cups and ashtrays on the table at London Airport which she branded a “disgrace to Britain”, the Telegraph reported.
In 1967 she was elected to the Greater London Council (now the Greater London Authority) as a councillor for Richmond borough.
Raine won praise for resigning from a committee overseeing a large development in Covent Garden because of the lack of public support.
She later was involved with the British Tourist Authority.
In 1996, she became a member of the boards of directors at Harrods and occasionally worked in the store.
She said: “Ironically, I never went shopping in Harrods.
“It was my husband [Earl Spencer] who practically lived there.”
In 1989 a big falling out is said to have taken place between Raine and Diana, who was then 27 years old.
According a Channel 4 documentary, entitled Diana’s Wicked Stepmother, Diana pushed Raine down some stairs.
Raine’s personal assistant, Sue Howe, told the documentary how Diana grew a strong dislike for her stepmother as she felt she was not paying enough attention to her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, during Charles Spencer’s wedding.
Ms Howe said: “[Raine] was badly bruised and dreadfully upset. It was not justified at all, it was a cruel heartless thing to do and I think it was Diana’s perception of how Raine was treating Mrs Shand Kidd. I think Diana was very stressed. This sounds really wrong but she wasn’t centre of attention on this occasion.”
What was Raine Spencer’s cause of death?
The stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, died aged 87 on October 21, 2016.
She died on Friday morning at her London home, her son William Legge, the Earl of Dartmouth and a Ukip MEP, confirmed.
In a short statement the family said: “Raine, Countess Spencer, died peacefully at her home in London on 21st October, 2016, after a short illness.”
The tunnel is located in the heart of the French capital next to the River Seine.
The Sandringham-born Princess was being chauffeured after staying at the Hotel Ritz Paris, and according to reports, she was travelling to an apartment in Rue Arsène Houssaye.
She was making the journey with companion, Dodi Al Fayed.
In 2008, a lengthy inquest officially concluded those involved in the crash were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of chauffeur Henri Paul, who had high levels of alcohol in his system, and paparazzi photographers pursuing their limousine.
The forewoman read: “The crash was caused or contributed to by the speed and manner of the driving of the Mercedes, the speed and manner of driving of the following vehicles, the impairment of the judgment of the driver of the Mercedes through alcohol, and there are nine of us who agree on those conclusions.
“In addition, the death of the deceased was caused or contributed to by the fact that the deceased [were] not wearing seatbelt(s), the fact that the Mercedes struck the pillar in the Alma Tunnel rather than colliding with something else, and we are unanimous on that, sir.”
Forensic Collision Investigator Tony Read was one of the experts drafted in to the Met’s Operation Paget team to investigate conspiracy theories surrounding the crash.
Speaking for the first time about the high-profile case to The Sun, the former traffic cop said: ”I’m firmly convinced that if both of the occupants had been wearing seatbelts they almost certainly would have survived – I have almost no doubt in my mind.
“The collision was survivable because [bodyguard] Trevor Rees-Jones survived.”
What happened to Dodi Al Fayed, Princess Diana’s lover?
Princess Diana’s companion, Dodi Al-Fayed died almost instantly at the scene of the crash.
The pair spent time in the South of France and Sardinia before flying to Paris where they later died.
Following his death, Al Fayed’s body was flown to Britain, for a funeral service in line with Muslim customs – where a small Islamic funeral was held at a mosque in central London.
His coffin was escorted by police and a number of well-wishers lined the streets to pay their respects.
He was then buried in a London cemetery – but was later transported to his father, Mohamed Al-Fayed‘s property in Surrey, for his final resting place.
Once Dodi’s death was confirmed, the 11,000 electric bulbs which usually light up the facade of the Harrods store were switched off – which at the time was owned by his father.
The department store also honoured the late couple with miniature shrines – and in 2005 a bronze statue of the couple dancing was erected.
However, in 2018 it was announced that the statue would be removed and returned to Dodi’s father. Mohammed reportedly spends 300 days a year sitting beside his son’s body for hours at his mausoleum in the grounds of his mansion in Surrey.
What happened to Princess Diana’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones?
Trevor Rees-Jones was the only survivor of the tragic car crash, but suffered life-changing injuries.
He spent 10 days in a coma, sustained severe brain and chest injuries and every bone in his face was broken.
Surgeons used 150 pieces of titanium to rebuild his face, using family photos as a guide.
Everything you need to know about Princess Diana’s final years
In 1997, Princess Diana spent her summer in the south of France and Italy. During August, she visited Sarajevo, Bosnia, to highlight the fight against landmines.
By the end of the month, the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed travelled to Paris together.
Her funeral was held on September 6, 1997. As her coffin made the journey from Kensington Palace to Westminister Abbey, Prince William and Prince Harry walked behind their late mother.
Due to him suffering from a serious head injury – Trevor Rees-Jones does not recall any details from the night of the fatal crash.
Trevor reportedly travelled back to Britain and quit his job as Mohammed Al-Fayed’s bodyguard the following year.
The grief-stricken bodyguard later published a book called The Bodyguard’s Story: Diana, The Crash, And The Sole Survivor, which earned him a rumoured £1million in 2000.
What happened to Henri Paul, Princess Diana’s driver?
Driver and French bodyguard Henri Paul was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
The 41-year-old had a reputation as a “macho action man” who loved being around celebrities.
Blood analysis results from Paul’s post-mortem suggest he spent the early evening drinking – he was found to be three-times over the French drink-drive limit.
An inquest into Diana’s death heard he had been privately treated for alcoholism but his family denied he had a drinking problem.
Evidence from a Ritz bar bill shows he had two Ricards – a French aniseed spirit – while waiting for Diana and Dodi to leave the hotel.
As mentioned above, after 22 hours of deliberations, an inquest jury ruled Diana had been unlawfully killed as a result of Paul’s drinking driving, and chasing photographers.
Dodi attended schools in Paris, the exclusive Le Rosey in Switzerland and had a brief stint at Sandhurst military academy, which Princes William and Harry also attended.
He split his time between the Khashoggi homes in Paris, the Riviera, Cairo, and his father’s home in Alexandria, Egypt.
Read more on Dodi Al Fayed
When he was 15, Dodi moved to London and became a familiar face on the nightclub scene.
He worked as a junior officer in the United Arab Emirates air force, stationed in London, but he soon moved into the film industry.
Did Dodi Al Fayed produce Chariots Of Fire and did he win an Oscar for it?
Dodi won an Academy Award as part of the production team, along with David Puttnam, on the 1981 film Chariots Of Fire.
The legendary movie actually won a total of four Oscars, which also included Best Picture.
The film is based on the true story of two British athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
What other films did Dodi Al Fayed produce?
Through his family’s production company, Allied Stars, Dodi was an executive producer on a number of successful films.
This included Hook, Breaking Glass, and The Scarlet Letter.
He was also executive creative consultant for F/X: The Series.
Who did Dodi Al Fayed date before Princess Diana?
The Playboy was linked to a string of famous women – including rumours he dated actresses Brooke Shields, Winona Ryder and Nancy Sinatra.
He married model Suzanne Gregard in 1986 but they divorced after just eight months together.
In 1997, he got engaged to American model Kelly Fisher and bought a house in Malibu for themselves using money from his dad.
She later claimed Dodi had dumped her for Princess Diana and tried suing him for $500,000 because she said she had sacrificed her modelling career to marry him.
The Royal Family was initially just told Diana had a broken arm, and Charles was even making plans to visit her in hospital after the crash.
But he was informed at 3.45am UK time that the Princess had died of her injuries.
An inquest held in London concluded in 2008 that the Princess had been unlawfully killed, blaming the crash on grossly negligent driving by Paul and the pursuing paparazzi.
Paul was speeding and over the drink-drive limit at the time of the smash.
He was the go-between for the Princess of Wales and biographer Andrew Morton for the famous tell-all book, Diana: Her True Story, which was published in 1992.
Dr Colthurst took Morton’s questions to the palace and then made secret recordings with Diana.
He told Daily Mail Australia how he remembered listening back to the tapes in a working man’s cafe.
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Colthurst said: “All around everyone’s eating bacon and eggs chatting away, and I put these headphones on and turn on the tape recorder and listen to Diana talking about bulimia nervosa, which I’d never heard of, talking about her suicide attempts, talking about this woman called Camilla Parker Bowles.
“It was like entering a parallel universe, I walked out of that café thinking, ‘wow what on Earth have I heard’.”
He added: “It was the most incredible outburst of really innermost pain, rage, frustration, anger – you were swept away with it.
“It was very compelling.”
Born in March 1957, Dr Colthurst married Dominique Coles in 1990.
The couple have two daughters, Cicely and Leah.
He was educated at Eton College in Windsor, before training as a surgeon at St Thomas Hospital in London.
His family in Ireland live in the medieval Blarney Castle near Cork.
How did Dr James Colthurst and Princess Diana become friends?
The two met in Val Claret in France when Diana hurt her ankle on a ski trip and needed a doctor.
On what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday, he wrote: “She knew several of the friends I was with [on the trip], and they brought her back to our apartment when she twisted her ankle, telling her I would look at it as I was a medical student at the time.
“Good fun, bright and mischievous, it was hard not to hit it off with Diana straight away, and so began the friendship she and I maintained for the rest of her short, eventful life.”
He also added how he supported her when she became a member of the Royal Family.
He added: “Perhaps one of the toughest features of being her friend was trying to encourage her to limit her task list as well as coaxing her over the many bumpy moments which she found almost overwhelming.
“But she was so happy to feel she had something to give that she took on a daunting number of patronages and these all took time and effort.
“She was interested in such a wide range of subjects that it balances what seemed an unhappy life at Kensington Palace with daily encounters with happy, smiling faces.”
How did Dr James Colthurst help Princess Diana?
Dr Colthurst was a person that Princess Diana could always speak to about difficult topics, especially when it came to life as a royal.
The doctor claimed that Princess Diana feared that palace officials wanted to undermine her because of her media popularity compared to Charles and separate her from William and Harry.
In a documentary Dr Colthurst said: “There was a great deal of jealousy from the grey men who sat behind Prince Charles, not wanting him to be living in her shadow.
“Her character was being written down – as she saw it, a campaign to sideline her and remove her from the boys.
“That was her worry, that she was going to lose the boys – overriding, above everything else, that was the concern – and that they were using a character run-down as a means of making that happen, an understandable next step.”
He also believed that Diana’s suffering with bulimia was a “reaction to her circumstances” and that “all staff” knew about Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla.
AN UNASSUMING lawyer from India has been identified as a possible heir to the French throne.
Balthazar Napoleon IV de Bourbon, 65, believes he is a senior descendant of France‘s Bourbon kings and the rightful ruler of the defunct Kingdom of France.
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Indian lawyer Balthazar Napoleon IV de Bourbon claims he is the pretender to the throne of the defunct Kingdom of FranceCredit: Rex
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The 65-year-old is married and has three children
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Big brass letters spelling out ‘House of Bourbon’ hang outside Balthazar’s front doorCredit: 2007 AFP
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Shaukat Mahal is a 19th century palace designed by a Frenchman said to be a descendent of the Bourbon kingsCredit: Alamy
The Bourbon dynasty ruled France from 1589 to 1789.
Balthazar claimed his royal heritage was instilled in him from the moment he gained consciousness.
“I am born an Indian,” he told the LA Times in 2008. “But the fact of life is that I belong to the royal family of France.”
A lawyer and part-time farmer by trade, Balthazar is married to an Indian woman named Elisha Pacheco with whom he shares three children: Frederick, Michelle, and Adrian.
It is his family’s understanding that an exiled French noble by the name of Jean Philippe de Bourbon ended up in Goa on India’s southwestern coast after escaping the clutches of pirates.
The story goes he survived assassination attempts as well as a kidnapping at sea before washing up in India.
The French noble, a nephew of King Henry IV, made his way to and served at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.
By the 18th century, his descendants had moved to Bhopal, central India – where Balthazar Napoleon de Bourbon and his family reside today.
Members of the De Bourbon family are understood to have intermarried with members of the local population.
Balthazar Napoleon IV de Bourbon seems, on the surface, as ordinary as they come.
He is short and portly, and often spends his days tending to his tractor and covered in grease, describing himself as “poor” but “happy”.
“I’m not looking for any claim to any riches,” he said. “I’m not begging [for] anything from anybody. I’m a happy man.”
His unwavering belief in his supposed royal heritage was apparently confirmed by Prince Michael of Greece – the first cousin of the late Prince Philip – in the mid-2000s.
The prince came to know of Balthazar in 2006 while staying at a hotel in Bhopal on holiday.
He told the LA Times: “I was upgraded in the best hotel from a room to a suite. And what do I see on the door of my suite? ‘Bourbon Suite.’
“So I rushed to the porter of the hotel and asked, ‘Why do you call it Bourbon here?’ And he said, ‘There is a family called Bourbon and they are well-known in Bhopal.’
“I had no idea they were still existing. I must say it’s quite amusing to see in a directory in India the name Bourbon.”
The coincidence inspired Michael to research and write a historical novel, Le Rajah Bourbon, in which he seemed to confirm Balthazar was the long-lost descendent of the Bourbon kings.
Balthazar told Times of India in 2007: “Ever since I was a boy people have been contacting me to establish my French lineage. But this is the first time my lineage is being acknowledged in Europe.”
He noted he wanted to continue to live in India as an Indian citizen and had no interest in relocating to France or trying to obtain French citizenship.
The entrance to Balthazar’s home in Bhopal features big brass letters declaring “House of Bourbon” and the fleur-de-lis: a heraldic crest that has been associated with the French monarchy for centuries.
His living room is also French in style.
According to the Legitimists, Louis Alphonse de Bourbon is the head of the House of Bourbon and the pretender to the defunct throne of France as Louis XX.
He has used the title Duke of Anjou since his father’s death in 1989.
The French monarchy was formally abolished during the French Revolution in 1792.
Louis XVI, the last king to live at the Palace of Versailles, died at the guillotine in January 1793.
The Bourbon monarchy was briefly restored in 1814 and again in 1815, after the fall of Napoleon, with Louis XVI’s brothers on the throne.
It lasted until a popular uprising in 1830.
After that, Louise Philippe I ruled as “King of the French” from 1830 to 1848 when the Second Republic was formed.
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Balthazar’s father Salvador instilled his royal heritage in him at a young ageCredit: Rex
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Prince Michael of Greece, cousin of Prince Philip, was the first in Europe to acknowledge BalthazarCredit: Wikipedia
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Balthazar never had any doubts about his royal lineageCredit: 2007 AFP
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Louis-Philippe I (1773-1850) was the last French kingCredit: Heritage Art/Heritage Images
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The current Duke of Anjou, Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, is another pretender to the French throneCredit: Wikipedia
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Louis XVI was the last king to live at the Palace of Versailles
Born on October 24, 1966, Sir Edward Young was educated as a boarder at Reading School in Berkshire.
Before becoming an advisor to the royals, Sir Edward Young worked for the international side of Barclays Bank between between 1985 and 1997.
He has had executive roles including as a specialist in international trade finance and as manager for the Corporate Bank European Currency Programme.
In 1997 he made the move to Barclays’ Head Office to become the bank’s Deputy Head of Corporate Public Relations.
After leaving his role as the bank’s Deputy Head of Corporate Public Relations, Sir Edward Young became the advisor to the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Michael Portillo in 1999.
After that he became the advisor to the Leader of the Opposition, William Hague.
In 2001, he was appointed Head of Communications at Granada plc working primarily on the merger with Carlton Communications which formed ITV PLC in 2004.
It was also in 2004 that Sir Edward Young began as the Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen before being promoted to Deputy Private Secretary in September 2007.
After a decade working as Deputy Private Secretary to Her Majesty, Sir Edward Young was promoted to Private Secretary in 2017 – after Christopher Geidt retired from his role.
When did Sir Edward Young become King Charles’ private secretary?
Following the death of the Queen in 2022, Sir Edward Young now guides King Charles on matters of the state and constitutional issues.
He also works closely with the Government.
What is the role of a private secretary?
As Private Secretary to the Sovereign, he is the senior operational member of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom and is responsible for supporting the King in his duties as Head of State.
The Private Secretary also liaises with the Armed Forces, the Church and the many organisations of which Her Majesty is patron.
Young is also Keeper of the Royal Archives and a Trustee of the Royal Collection Trust and has direct control over the Press Office, the office of the Director for Security Liaison, the research, correspondence, anniversaries and records offices.
