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  • Princess Irene of Greece, Queen Sofia of Spain’s Sister, Dies at Age 83

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    Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, the inseparable younger sister of Spain’s Queen Sofía, has passed away in Madrid’s Zarzuela Palace. A statement from the Royal House reads: “It is with deep sadness that the Greek Royal Family announces that HRH Princess Irene, beloved sister and aunt, passed away on Thursday, January 15th 2026, at 11:40 local time, in Zarzuela Palace in Madrid surrounded by loved ones. Details will follow regarding the funeral procession.”

    Princess Irene was 83 at the time of her death. She leaves behind her a silent, but decisive mark in the history of the Greek and Spanish monarchies. Close confidant of King Felipe VI’s mother, for decades, Princess Irene became a silent witness of the ins and outs of the Spanish monarchy. She led an interesting life marked by her constant renunciation of the limelight, absolute loyalty to her family, and a spirituality influenced by the years she lived with her mother in India.

    In her last moments, she had been accompanied by Queen Sofía, who canceled her schedule of activities in Palma de Mallorca to be by her sister’s side, Hello! magazine reported.

    Settled in Zarzuela since the mid-eighties, for more than forty years, Princess Irene became the main support of her older sister, although she used to say that her role was not “official.” With an intense, unpredictable, and luminous personality, Irene won the affection of her large family, who affectionately called her “Aunt Pecu” (for being so peculiar), with whom she spoke in English and Greek despite speaking correct Spanish, and who loved and accompanied her until the end. She never married, but remained close with her kin. Queen Sofía and King Juan Carlos of Spain’s daughter, Princess Cristina, even named her only daughter Irene in her aunt’s honor.

    Princess Irene was born on April 11, 1942 in Cape Town, South Africa, in the middle of World War II, while her family lived in exile due to the Nazi occupation of Greece. The first months of her life were spent on a farm, surrounded by domestic animals and wild landscapes, in an environment far from the European palaces that would come to define her adulthood.

    From an early age, Princess Irene showed a personality of her own. She studied archaeology in Greece, another common interest with her sister, but soon broadened her horizons to the East. She spent six years in India, where she came into contact with the Gandhi family and was trained in comparative religious studies in ancient Madras.

    Princess Irene of Greece performing Bach at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 1969.

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    MARTA SUÁREZ

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  • King Felipe VI Made History With a Visit to Versailles This Week

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    King Felipe VI has an intense official schedule ahead of him. On Monday, the Spanish head of state was in Madrid, where he held meetings with various ambassadors at the Royal Palace before going to the Palace of Zarzuela on the outskirts of the city, where he received Kyriákos Mitsotákis, the Prime Minister of Greece. On Tuesday, he traveled to Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him at the Elysée Palace for a luncheon in his honor.

    It’s his second trip to France in recent weeks. Last week, Felipe joined his mother, Queen Sofia, and his sisters, Princess Elena and Princess Cristina, to say goodbye to their cousin Tatiana Radziwill, who died on December. Radziwill was a great friend of the emeritus queen. This private trip, outside the official agenda, was endearing gesture of the king toward his mother and a public reunion with his sisters. This week’s trip to Paris is for official business, and the king is traveling without his wife, Queen Letizia. (On Monday, she visited the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid for the presentation of the Zenda Awards for fashion.)

    While in Paris this week, Macron and the king traveled to Versailles to attend the opening of an exhibition called The Grand Dauphin: Son of a King, Father of a King, but Never a King. The show examines the life of Louis, the Grand Dauphin of France, son of Louis XIV (known as the Sun King), whose 72-year reign remains the longest in the history of the monarchy. The Dauphin, on the other hand, spent his entire life in the shadow of his father, without ever reigning. He died of smallpox at the age of 49.

    The exhibition aims to recognize a great collector, as well as a central man in the history of the French and Spanish monarchies. Before his death, the dauphin saw his son, Philip V, ascend to the Spanish throne. He founded the Spanish Bourbon branch that has lasted more than 300 years, and its lineage includes Felipe VI.

    The exhibition reconstructs the life of the Grand Dauphin from his birth, surveing his education and passion for the arts. His father said he was the “best educated prince in the history of the country,” says the curator Lionel Arsac, who gathered an exceptional personal collection. The exhibition contains 250 works related to his life, some never before exhibited. It includes the monumental Alari d’Algarda from the Wallace Collection in London, jewels from the Prado and Louvre Museums, or a pair of chests of drawers from the Spanish royal collections.

    Felipe VI’s visit to Paris is is a milestone in history: it is the first time a Spanish king has (officially) visited Versailles in more than 120 years. As reported by Point de Vue, the team of the Palace of Versailles’s director, Chirstophe Leribault, had to turn to the archives of the institution to find the last monarch to visit the great Parisian palace. The last Bourbon to pass through the palace gates was Alfonso XIII, which occurred on June 2, 1905.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair Spain.

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    Ana Salas

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  • Inside the Wild Wedding of Lady Pamela Hicks

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    The bride, now Lady Pamela Hicks, wore a white satin gown by Worth, which featured white fur as a nod to the winter wedding. Atop her head was the Mountbatten Pearl and Diamond tiara, loaned to her by her mother for the occasion. The provenance of the Belle Epoque style piece is unknown, but The Royal Watcher surmises that it must have originated around 1901, as a wedding gift for Countess Mountbatten’s own mother, Amalia Mary Maud Cassel, when she married Wilfried Ashley.

    Lady Pamela wore a gown by Worth and a family heirloom tiara

    PA Images/Getty Images

    Lady Pamela wore the tiara for some of the nation’s most historic moments, including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the following Commonwealth tour, which she recalled being a tiring experience, especially “donning an evening dress and tiara at 10 in the morning.”

    On her wedding day, Pamela Hicks was accompanied by a host of royals–though her friend, Queen Elizabeth II, could not attend, as she was heavily pregnant with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at the time. Queen Louise of Sweden and Prince Philip joined the congregation, as did the Queen Mother (who wore a brooch belonging to Queen Victoria), Princess Alice, Princess Marina, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Sophie of Greece and Hanover, and Penelope Knatchbull. Alongside them were a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then aged just 11 and 10 respectively.

    The newlyweds would go on to welcome three children–Edwina, a goddaughter of Queen Elizabeth; Ashley, a godson of Prince Philip, and India, a goddaughter of King Charles who served as a bridesmaid at his wedding to Princess Diana–and raised their family at home in the Chilterns. The Hickses continued to serve a crucial role as pillars of support for the late Queen and the royal family for decades to come, and David and Lady Pamela spent 38 years together before David passed away on March 29, 1998.

    Originally published in Tatler.

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    Ben Jureidini

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  • Philippe Junot, First Husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, Dies at 85

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    Philippe Junot, the first husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, has died in Madrid, where he lived, at the age of 85. His eldest daughter, Victoria, shared the news of his passing on Thursday, January 8, via social media.

    “It is with immense sadness that I announce the death of my father,” she wrote in a caption with a carousel of photos of Junot. “He departed this side of the world peacefully surrounded by family in Jan 8, 2026 in Madrid after a long beautiful adventurous life. A grandfather of 3 almost 4. To my legendary Papa, oh how we love you ❤️ we will miss you, no adequate words…”

    She went on to thank her deceased father for “all the laughs and the adventures, showing us *your* world & the inspiration to reach greater heights,” as well as for “your love which will never leave us.”

    Philippe Junot was the son of Congressman Michel Junot, and was descended from a family associated with the French nobility. An entrepreneur and a man of unquestionable charm, he was often in the spotlight even before becoming part of the royal family of Monaco. Junot had four children: Victoria, Isabelle, and Alexis, born of his 1987 marriage to Danish model and socialite Nina Wendelboe-Larsen (they divorced in 1997), as well as Chloé, 20, whom he shares with his current partner, Swedish model Helén Wendel.

    The most famous chapter in Junot’s life, however, remains his brief marriage to Princess Caroline. In 1978, Caroline was 21 years old and already drawing plenty of international attention. She announced that she would marry Philippe Junot despite the doubts of her parents, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, who considered him common, as well as skepticism from the press. Junot, 17 years her senior, was perceived as a Don Juan, entangled in shady affairs, but for the young princess love evidently overcame all misgivings.

    The two were married in a civil ceremony on the Rocher de Monaco on June 28, 1978, followed by the religious ceremony the next day, all just a few months after the couple met at a nightclub. They honeymooned in Tahiti, their every move chronicled by the press.

    Despite the harmony of the early days of their marriage, Junot soon returned to his playboy ways, and photos of Junot and another woman in America reached Caroline. The marriage lasted just two years: Caroline filed for divorce in October 1980. In 1992, Pope John Paul II annulled the marriage within the Catholic church, which does not allow divorce, citing “insufficient consent” and making the marriage as if it had never happened, in the Church’s view. Caroline first petitioned for the annulment in 1982. In 1983, she married Stefano Casiraghi in a civil ceremony, while the Church was still considering her case. Caroline and Casiraghi had three children, Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre, before he died in a speedboat crash in 1990.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair Italia.

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    Monica Coviello

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  • Kate Middleton Celebrates Her Birthday With Emotional Video About Healing: “Deeply Grateful”

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    To celebrate her 44th birthday, Kate Middleton has chosen to honor Mother Nature. This Friday, January 9, the Princess of Wales shared a personal video, in which she celebrated the healing power of nature.

    The video is the fourth and final installment of her Mother Nature series. Each season, she has made a habit of sharing her feelings and thoughts, encouraging those who follow her on her social networks to cherish their connection with the natural world. In this highly symbolic new episode, she appears on screen several times. We see her walking alone in frosty, wooded landscapes, enjoying the view, a ray of sunshine, and running her hand through the water of a river, looking tranquil. In the shots, she’s dressed in a long olive green coat, and accessorizes with a newsboy cap.

    “Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience, and quiet consideration,” she says in a voice-over. “Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection. To discover the deepest parts of ourselves, alongside the whispers and the pulse of every living thing. I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am. For the rivers within us flow with ease. Fears washed away, cleanse and purify. Come to peace with our tears, and discover what it means to be alive. To be at one with nature. A quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides. In memory, helping us to heal.”

    This poetic message echoes the princess’s own healing journey. In 2024, Kate Middleton was diagnosed with cancer following abdominal surgery. She was admitted to the Oak Cancer Centre at the Royal Marsden Hospital for preventive chemotherapy. She announced the end of her chemotherapy in September 2024 and her remission early last year. In another symbolic gesture, she chose to dedicate her first official outing of 2026 to the carers and patients of Charing Cross Hospital on January 8, the eve of her birthday.

    The future queen’s message is accompanied by a caption in her Instagram post: “The Mother Nature series has been a deeply personal, creative reflection on how nature has helped me heal. But it is also a story about the power of nature and creativity in collective healing. There is so much we can learn from mother nature, as we look to build a happier, healthier world. C.”

    According to an aide to the princess quoted in the Daily Mail, the video posted today marks “the culmination of a deeply personal creative project for The Princess, spotlighting humanity’s longstanding connection to nature, as well as nature’s capacity to inspire us and help us to heal and grow in mind, body and spirit.” The newspaper reported that the clip was directed and produced by Will Warr, and was filmed in Berkshire, Cumbria, Gloucestershire, London, East Sussex, and the Cotswolds.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair France.

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    Valentine Ulgu-Servant

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  • Kate Middleton’s Favorite Everyday Jewelry—From Her Nameplate Necklaces to Her Kiki McDonough Earrings

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    The princess first wore the piece in January 2025, for a Holocaust memorial service at the Guildhall—a particularly poignant choice for the label. “Today marks 80 years since the Holocaust, and as a Jewish owned brand we are honoured that the Princess of Wales chose to wear our necklace for today’s memorial to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day,” the brand wrote on Instagram.

    She has worn the necklace on several occasions since then—including for the VE Day 80th anniversary concert at Horse Guards Parade in May, when she teamed it with matching pearl earrings, also from Susan Caplan, and a white bouclé and chiffon midi dress by high street brand Self-Portrait. Clearly, it was an outfit that resonated with her: She wore the exact same look for the Order of the Garter celebrations a month later, this time adding a new, wide-brimmed hat by milliner Sean Barrett. Most recently, she donned the classic necklace for the first day of the German state visit to Britain, which saw her view a special exhibition at Windsor Castle with the president and first lady.

    Cartier Trinity collection

    The Princess of Wales tends to favor styles that never go out of fashion, making it little surprise that she has a fondness for Cartier’s iconic Trinity collection, in which pieces feature three intertwined bands in 18-karat white, yellow, and rose gold. Kate owns several items from the range, including a pair of hoop earrings she debuted during an engagement at the Royal Marsden Hospital in January 2025—and wore for the Wales family’s recent Christmas card—as well as two other, diamond-accented pairs that she has sported for various royal engagements since 2016.

    Kate wore a necklace and a pair of earrings from Cartier’s Trinity collection in Paris in March 2017.

    Pool

    The princess also has two necklaces from the same collection: one small, pendant style that she first wore in Paris in 2017, and another, more lavish station necklace, which has been in her jewelry box since around 2012. The truly timeless Trinity collection by the French label celebrated its 100th anniversary last year and has had a legion of famous fans: Grace Kelly loved her classic ring, as did Romy Schneider; actor Jacqueline Bisset, meanwhile, was often seen in a chunky bracelet from the range.

    Most poignantly, perhaps, Princess Diana was fond of the Trinity collection and owned a classic ring from the range, which she wore on her little finger. Stories abound about the origins of the design. Some point to its ancient Celtic roots, while others claim that the interlocking bands are descended from Russian wedding rings. Whatever the truth behind the fables, the legends persist —and the marriage of the three metals, combining different entities into one, has picked up its own symbolism. Indeed, those three hoops have come to represent endless meanings: past, present, and future, for instance, as well as love, loyalty, and friendship. Fitting indeed for a princess who has made jewelry with a hidden meaning something of her trademark.

    Original story appeared in VF France.

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    Clara Strunck

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  • Queen Camilla Describes Train Attack in First Public Statement

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    In an interview Wednesday, Britain’s Queen Camilla spoke publicly for the first time about an assault she experienced as a teenager. The incident, which occurred in the 1960s, helped convince the queen to make opposition to domestic abuse one of her royal causes, she said during a special episode of BBC Radio 4’s Today program, which airs on New Year’s Eve.

    Now 78, the queen said in the interview that “When I was a teenager, I was attacked on a train. I’d sort of forgotton about it, but I remember at the time, being so angry.”

    The attacker was “somebody I didn’t know,” she said. “I was reading my book and, you know, this boy—man—attacked me, and I did fight back.”

    The incident she described was first detailed in Power and the Palace, a book published in September that explains the present day relationship between the UK’s monarchy and its elected officials. According to author Valentine Low, Camilla told Boris Johnson, who was London mayor at the time, about the attack in 2008, three years after she had married the then-Prince of Wales.

    King Charles and Queen Camilla on September 08, 2024 in Braemar, Scotland.

    Chris Jackson/Getty Images

    When Johnson asked how she responded, Low writes that the queen replied, “I did what my mother taught me to. I took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel.” Buckingham Palace did not confirm that that conversation had taken place when it was reported last fall, nor had King Charles III or the queen addressed the incident previously.

    Camilla told Johnson about the attack during a conversation about plans to open three sexual assault crisis centers in London, Low writes, saying the queen would eventually visit some of those centers. “Nobody asked why the interest, why the commitment. But that’s what it went back to,” Low writes.

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    Marzia Nicolini

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  • Prince William Will Earn Over $30 Million This Year

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    Prince William‘s finances are in good shape, it appears. According to the annual Integrated Impact Report for the prince’s Duchy of Cornwall, the estate has generated a distributable surplus of £22.9 million, which is equivalent to about $30.9 million US. That’s a slight decrease from last year, when the estate reported a distributable surplus of 23.6 million British pounds.

    This year marks William’s second as head of the Duchy of Cornwall, which is typically passed on to the heir to the throne. King Charles III was the previous head of the estate, which, per People, includes houses, farms, land and other assets across 130,000 acres spanning 23 counties in England and Wales. The Duchy, which was established by King Edward III in 1337, is worth over $1 billion today, and was passed on to Prince William after Queen Elizabeth died in 2022 and Charles assumed the throne.

    William doesn’t earn a traditional salary for his royal duties, so it’s up to the Duchy to cover the private, official, and charitable expenses for the prince, wife Kate Middleton, and children Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Prince George, the latter of whom is expected to inherit the Duchy when his father eventually becomes king.

    According to its annual report, the past year was “one of both change and evolution for the Duchy, particularly in its organisational strategy to focus on positive impact for people, places and planet.”

    Prince William, Prince of Wales at The Duchy Of Cornwall Nursery on July 10, 2023.

    Hugh Hastings/Getty Images

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    Valentine Ulgu-Servant

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  • Kate Middleton and Prince William Join King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Other Royals for Christmas at Sandringham

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    Though King Charles III introduced a number of new traditions for this year’s royal Christmas celebration, one thing remained the same: The family’s morning walk to Norfolk’s St. Mary Magdalene Church continued as it has for years, with Charles and Queen Camilla leading the charge.

    King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the Christmas Morning Service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2025 in Sandringham, Norfolk.

    Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images

    Kate Middleton, Prince William, and children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George also enjoyed the walk, which was observed on both sides by ardent fans, many bearing gifts. One such offering, a giant Lindor chocolate egg, thrilled the 7-year-old Louis, who snatched it from his father’s hands.

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    Stefania Conrieri

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  • Princess Anne Dethroned as Britain’s Hardest Working Royal

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    But this year, Princess Anne has dropped to second place, Teble writes, though she was out and about even more in 2025. But though the 75-year-old had 478 engagements, she was outpaced by her brother, 77-year-old King Charles. He carried out 535 official acts, netting him this crown in addition to that other one.

    That uptick in activity can be viewed as a sign that his health is indeed improving, a theory blostered by an announcement the king made earlier this month. “Thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention, and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” the king said in a prerecorded message that aired as part of Stand Up to Cancer’s 2025 broadcast on the UK network Channel 4. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”

    Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh attend The Coral Gold Cup at Newbury Racecourse on November 29, 2025.

    Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images

    Taking third place is Charles and Anne’s 61-year-old younger brother, Prince Edward, with 313 acts. His wife, 60-year-old Duchess Sophie, is ranked fourth with 235 events in 2025. At age 78, Queen Camilla is the oldest royal on the list—but is also one of its busiest, with a fifth-place ranking for 228 official acts.

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    Diego Parrado

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  • Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras Had a Friendly Ski Weekend in Aspen

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    December is for hitting the slopes, even if you’re royalty. And because Aspen is the top destination for skiing in the U.S., it was only a matter of time before Prince Harry made an appearance there. The Duke of Sussex traveled to Colorado last week to attend the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship.

    Aspen Snow Polo’s Instagram page noted that Harry competed on the Aspen Valley team, playing alongside Grant Ganzi and Nic Roldan. Missing from that roster was Nacho Figueras, Harry’s friend and a former professional polo player from Argentina, who was instead a part of the St. Regis team.

    Even though they were competitors at the sporting event, the pals were spotted on the slopes before the games began. Figueras and Harry spent a few hours together skiing and having a high-altitude lunch. According to Hello, which first reported the news, “Harry seemed happy and was also joined by a number of male friends on the slopes.”

    Harry and Figueras first met in 2007 during a tournament raising funds for Sentebale, a charity founded by the prince. Afterward they bonded over their shared passion for polo. Figueras was among the guests at Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, and he also appeared in Polo, a docuseries that Harry and Meghan produced for Netflix.

    Meghan wasn’t on hand to cheer for her husband this time around; she remained in Montecito, California, with her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Meghan did share her enthusiasm for the event by sharing a picture of Harry on horseback to her Instagram account.

    Earlier this month, the duchess’s father, Thomas Markle, underwent a leg amputation in the Philippines. On December 10, a spokesperson said that Meghan was able to deliver a letter to his bedside, per The Guardian, and criticized the British media for making it difficult for her to have private exchanges with her father. Last week, Harry and Meghan shared their annual holiday card, including a family picture showing Archie and Lilibet in profile.

    Meanwhile, Harry’s time in Aspen was his first public appearance in weeks, and he seemed to be enjoying this boys’ weekend in the snow. As a child, the prince would spend vacations with his family in cold destinations like Switzerland. Most years, he still chooses to spend some time on the slopes. In 2024, he even tried sit-skiing during a visit to a training camp ahead of the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler and Vancouver. That same year, he reportedly took his own children to Powder Mountain Ski Resort in Utah for a family vacation.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair Italy.

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    Alessia Ferri

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  • What the Royal Families of Europe Eat During Christmas

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    During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, English royal holiday banquets were stacked with countless dishes, with a heavy emphasis on expensive meats. According to Louise Cooling’s A Royal Christmas, 30 oxen, 100 sheep, five boars, nine dozen fowls, salted venison, salmon, lampreys (an eel-like fish) and 19 large wine casks were procured for King Henry III of England’s Christmas at Woodstock Palace in 1264.

    Mincemeat pies, crane, swan, brawn (terrine made with a pig’s head and served with mustard), goose and lamprey pie, and even porpoise (served dressed with vinegar and breadcrumbs) were all popular holiday fare. A boar’s head, presented on a platter, was often the first dish of the feast. “After a flourish of trumpets it was carried into the banqueting hall, by the server, on a gold or silver dish,” the Nottinghamshire Guardian reported in 1900. “A procession followed, consisting of nobles, knights, and ladies singing a joyous carol.”

    Peacocks were also considered a delicacy in medieval feasts; their colorful feathers proudly displayed. “The bird was first skinned, and the feathered tail, head and neck were laid on a table, and sprinkled with cumin,” Sheila Hutchins writes in Royal Cookbook: Favorite Court Recipes from the World’s Royal Families. “The body was then roasted, glazed with raw egg yolks, cooled, sewn back into the skin, and served as the last course.”

    Frumenty—a wholegrain porridge made with cream, honey, expensive spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, and dried fruit and nuts—was a popular dish (which later evolved into a Christmas pudding). There was also “Christmas Pottage,” a plum broth of beef or mutton, breadcrumbs, raisins, currants and spices. This recipe would evolve over the centuries, becoming even more decadent. The recipe preferred by 19th-century English monarch George IV included beef, veal, dried fruits, spices, ground cochineal (for a festive red pigment) and tons of booze including port, brandy, sherry, Madeira and claret.

    It was during Queen Victoria’s long reign that many of the British royal family’s Christmas traditions were set. “At dinner there were all the Christmas dishes, of which we generally had to eat a little,” Queen Victoria recalled, per Cooling. “First the cold baron of beef which stood on the large sideboard all decked out – brawn – game pies from Ireland…stuffed turkey – wild boar’s head…mince pies etc. etc. – and all sorts of Bonbons and figures and toys were brought at dessert, many of which were given to the children; and there used to be such great excitement and delight.”

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    Hadley Hall Meares

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  • Princess Leonor Makes History and Becomes the First Woman in Spanish Royal Family to Fly Solo

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    Over the last few months, the future head of state’s training has included, among other activities, pre-flight preparation, operational briefings, aircraft checks and teaching flights, as well as training in flight simulators. Leonor’s instruction has been completed with other activities typical of military air training, such as survival exercises at sea, training with protective equipment, including the anti-G chaps, and her participation in the traditional act of swearing of the flag held at the General Academy of Air and Space on the occasion of the feast of the patron saint of aviators, the Virgin of Loreto, celebrated this month.

    Moment in which the Princess of Asturias is equipped with the anti-g chapstick before a teaching flight.

    Casa de S.M. el Rey

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    During one of the Pilatus flight simulator sessions established to achieve the necessary skills that have allowed her to perform “the release” safely.

    Casa de S.M. el Rey

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  • Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Their Children Share Their Holiday Card (And a Major Change for Their Foundation)

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    “Happy Holidays! From our family to yours,” the post’s caption reads.

    On the Sussexes’ official website, they shared another holiday greeting: “On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Archewell, we wish you a very happy holiday season and an excellent New Year.”

    The sentiment is paired with a recap of their charitable and humanitarian activities in 2025. The couple also took the opportunity to share some news about the organization: “After five beautiful years, the Archewell Foundation is becoming Archewell Philanthropies. This charitable entity allows the couple and their children to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors as a family.”

    Archie and Lilibet also appear in the video recap; on Thanksgiving they volunteered alongside their parents at the Our Big Kitchen Collective, which provides over 70,000 meals a year to Los Angeles residents. The family helped prepare meals that were then distributed by Mercy Housing, Pico Union Project, and PATH, groups that directly help local communities in the Sussexes’ adopted home of LA.

    Yesterday, Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William, shared his own festive family photo on Instagram. Kate Middleton and her husband also opted for a country setting: they pose, seated in the grass, with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair France.

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    Valentine Ulgu-Servant

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  • King Charles Shares “Good News” About His Cancer Treatment

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    On Friday, King Charles III shared the most comprehensive update on his health since he announced a cancer diagnosis in February 2024. In a prerecorded message that aired as part of Stand Up to Cancer’s 2025 broadcast on the UK network Channel 4, he shared the “good news” that his treatments would be less frequent in the new year.

    “Thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention, and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” the king said. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”

    Though a palace source previously mentioned that the king’s cancer was being treated as a “managed condition,” this is the first time that he has shared a public update on his health status since he was briefly hospitalized for treatment side effects in March 2025. According to Sky News, Charles has been undergoing weekly treatment since his original diagnosis last year.

    In the video, which was recorded late last month in Clarence House, the king thanked the professionals who have cared for him since his diagnosis. “I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming,” he said. “Throughout my own cancer journey, I have been profoundly moved by what I can only call the ‘community of care’ that surrounds every cancer patient—the specialists, the nurses, researchers, and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives.”

    A Buckingham Palace spokesperson added that the king had “responded exceptionally well to treatment” and decided to share “the positive trajectory of his own continued recovery” in a message encouraging the public to take advantage of cancer screenings. “His doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase,” the spokesperson said, per The Mirror. “This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.”

    When the palace announced the king’s diagnosis, it declined to specify the type of cancer but confirmed that it was not prostate cancer. In April 2024, he took on a new role as the patron of Cancer Research UK, the nation’s largest independent charity fundraising for medical breakthroughs. In Friday’s video, he said his own progress was a “testimony” to the value of advancing research, adding that he hopes it “may give encouragement to the 50% of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”

    According to friends who spoke to Vanity Fair, the king is in good spirits and good health. One friend added, “He is on wonderful form and looking forward to Christmas.”

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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  • Where In the World Do All the Royal Families Spend Christmas?

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    The festive season is fast approaching, and Europe’s various royal families have already begun putting up their respective Christmas trees and rolling out traditions. But where will they be celebrating Christmas Eve this year? While most of them prefer to stay in their main residence, some are treating themselves to a stay in a completely different place.

    Find out where the crowned heads of multiple royal families will be spending Christmas this year.

    The British Royal Family

    The family, who have already gathered for the annual carol concert organized by Kate Middleton will be celebrating Christmas in the private residence of King Charles III at Sandringham. Every year, the British royal family celebrates Christmas with a sumptuous meal in the ballroom of their residence on the Norfolk coast. Beforehand, the family heads to Sandringham village church for a service.

    Sandringham House

    Tim Graham/Getty Images

    The Spanish royal family

    This Christmas, Felipe VI and Letizia of Spain will be welcoming their loved ones to the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. Unlike other royals, Spanish festivities extend right up to the eve of Epiphany, on January 5. The military ceremony known as Pascua Militar, led by the King and Queen, concludes the following day, marking the start of the official calendar of Spanish sovereigns.

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    Margot Blaise

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  • Queen Camilla Helped Create Her Own James Bond Moment in a New Literary Thriller

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    For the last decade, Queen Camilla has established herself as the United Kingdom’s biggest book lover. From her Queen’s Reading Room foundation and festival to her role as patron of the Booker Prize, she has lavished praise on England’s authors, sparking up a few friendships with them along the way. Now she’s the star of a new literary thriller by Peter James called The Hawk Is Dead.

    In a video on his Facebook account, James said that the novel is “set in London, largely in Buckingham Palace, where Queen Camilla is one of the key characters.” In another video, he added that King Charles III is also a character. The Hawk Is Dead, the 21st book in James’s long-running Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, centers on an assassination attempt on the royal train. Though the royals’ lives are spared, the queen has to spring into action to help evacuate the train after it crashes in a tunnel. Her fictional private secretary, Sir Peregrine Graves, is murdered, and it’s up to Grace to figure out if he was actually the intended target. The novel also includes a scene where the queen takes the detective on a private tour of Buckingham Palace.

    In an interview with ITV, the British network that airs a TV series based on the Roy Grace novels, James said the idea for the novel was actually suggested by the queen herself. “She has been brilliantly helpful. I was given complete access to Buckingham Palace,” he said. “There’s a big chase scene in the book and I had a three-and-a-half-hour tour to get it right. I love the fact that she’s such a fan of books.”

    The novelist added that initially he thought the queen was joking when she said she wanted to read a book set in the palace. “Then a senior member of the royal household told me Her Majesty was serious,” James said. “She would love to see Roy Grace in London, and perhaps Buckingham Palace might be a good location? Perhaps there might be a murder in the palace, or two? Might I come up with an idea he could run by her?”

    The queen’s love for Grace first became public in April 2020, when she posted a quarantine “shelfie” of her workspace in Scotland that prominently featured several of James’s books. In 2024, James appeared on her podcast series, The Queen’s Reading Room. There, Camilla said that Roy Grace is her favorite fictional detective.

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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  • Why Princess Charlene of Monaco Rewore Her Wedding Tiara for the First Time

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    But when the couple made their formal entrance as husband and wife at their reception that evening, Princess Charlene had swapped her wedding dress for a slinkier gown (also Armani) and added a glittering diamond tiara which features a “spray” of diamonds like a “wave breaking over her head”—in a nod to the Princess’s preroyal career as an Olympic swimmer.

    The piece, featuring pear-shaped diamonds, was commissioned as a gift by Prince Albert II and dubbed the “Diamond Foam Tiara” by its maker. On the evening of her nuptials, Princess Charlene wore the tiara towards the back of her head, as an elegant addition to her swirling chignon. Last night, it was worn in a more 1920s style at the front of her head—a signal, perhaps, that she didn’t want this major tiara moment to be missed.

    Princess Charlene originally wore the tiara swept to the back of her head for her wedding reception

    Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

    Any references made by Princess Charlene to her wedding day are always significant as she and Albert have faced near constant public scrutiny of their relationship. Reports swirled in the days leading up to the wedding that Charlene had gotten cold feet, but the rumors were denied and their big day went ahead as planned. The three-day proceedings began on June 30 with a concert by The Eagles. This was followed by a civil ceremony on July 1 in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace, for which Charlene wore a custom-made aquamarine Chanel suit. Then finally there was a religious ceremony on July 2, when Charlene wore an off-the-shoulder Armani Privé gown with 40,000 Swarovski crystals, and which was attended by supermodels, sports personalities, and world leaders. As photos from the wedding began to circulate, there was commentary on how visibly upset Charlene appeared (the newly titled princess was photographed with tears in her eyes)—but she brushed these rumors off, insisting all brides are emotional on their wedding day.

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    Stephanie Bridger-Linning

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  • Kate Middleton’s 2025 Christmas Carol Concert Will Celebrate Love, With Help From Kate Winslet

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    “The ceremony will also highlight the stories of some of the assembly’s exceptional guests, who are leading by example and helping to create a more caring society,” the release continued. “This year, the evening will bring people together to celebrate love in all its forms, whether it’s love within families, through friendships, between communities, or even through powerful moments of connection with strangers. In a world that can often seem fragmented and disconnected, love is the force that reconnects us all, across generations, communities, cultures, and beliefs. As we approach the Christmas season, we summon the power of solidarity [and that of] compassion, kindness, and joy.”

    Since its launch in 2021 to pay tribute to all those who mobilized to help during the Covid-19 crisis, the “Together at Christmas” concert has honored special guests who have given back to their communities. Last year, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all attended the event with Princess Kate and their father, Prince William.

    For the latest edition of the carol concert, the details extend beyond the ancient interior of the Abbey: a decorative creation will be installed in front of the building by botanist and horticulturist Jamie Butterworth. Inside, wreaths designed by the Royal Horticultural Society in partnership with British ambassadors and schoolchildren will be on display—a nice nod to the important place nature occupies in the princess’s life. Indeed, Kate has often spoken of how walks in the open air, in contact with flora and fauna, helped her during her treatment for and recovery from cancer.

    Kate is also keen to pay tribute to the Duchess of Kent, who died in September at the age of 92. The memory of this important member of the royal family will be celebrated in music by the young members of the Future Talent association, which she co-founded to awaken and encourage the artistic talents of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Katharine Worsley was herself a music teacher.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair France.

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    Valentine Ulgu-Servant

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  • Inside Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Emails to Jeffrey Epstein

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    A new trove of over 20,000 documents from the Jeffrey Epstein estate was released on Wednesday, providing unprecedented insight into how the late financier and convicted pedophile interacted with his associates and famous friends. Following an initial drop of emails that showed Epstein discussing President Donald Trump, the House Oversight Committee released a series of unredacted emails sent to and from Epstein, including at least two that appear to have been sent from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. (Andrew has not yet responded to a request for comment.)

    In the documents, an email address attributed to “The Duke” appears to belong to Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, whose honorifics were stripped late last month due to his relationship with Epstein. The emails give a new perspective on what happened between Epstein and Andrew in 2011, when reporters from the Mail on Sunday published a photograph of Andrew with his accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. (Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied the allegations.)

    The email conversations show a list of questions Mail reporters sent to Ghislaine Maxwell on March 4, 2011. After the inquiries, “The Duke” account wrote the following message to Epstein: “Hey there! What’s all this? I don’t know anything about this! You must SAY so please. This has NOTHING to do with me. I can’t take any more of this[.]”

    In response, an email from Epstein’s address said the allegations were “ridiculous,” adding that “the only person she didn’t have sex with was Elvis.”

    In another email from March 4, “The Duke” account got more specific: “Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and that I knew and know NOTHING about any of these allegations.”

    Two days later, Epstein asked “The Duke” how he was doing, and denied a few of the allegations in the original 2011 story—including the Mail’s claim that the outlet planned to publish excerpts from Epstein’s little black book. “You ok? these stories are complete ant utter fantasy,” Epstein wrote. He also denied ever meeting Al Gore or hosting Bill Clinton on his private island, Little St. James. “The telephone book is not mine, it was stolen by my houseman that is currently in prison for doing so,” Epstein added.

    The documents reveal how Epstein responded after early press investigations into his wrongdoing. Following the 2011 Mail story, emails from PR representative Brian Basham suggest a plan to hit back at the tabloid. “We should think about a letter to the editor today,” he wrote. “‘School’ can mean university. Age of consent in Florida is complex.”

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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