From her glamorous appearances at Trooping the Colour, Royal Ascot and Centre Court at Wimbledon to hiking the mountains of the UK, the Princess of Wales is an impressive figure whatever she does. Last month Catherine took on the National Three Peaks Challenge – scaling Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Wales, all within 24 hours – to highlight the benefits of holistic healing and raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The princess loves this kind of physical test and has obviously worked hard to regain her pre-cancer fitness.
The indefatigable Princess Royal will celebrate her 76th birthday on 15 August. She has already undertaken several overseas tours this year, all the while maintaining a domestic programme filled with charity, military and civic engagements. Her favourite place in the world is Scotland and no doubt she will be sailing around the islands with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence at some point this month. Anne’s son Peter Phillips, who remarried in June, will be reintroducing his wife Harriet, now a member of the family, to the joys of Balmoral Castle, which closes to the public in early August. The family usually stagger their visits throughout the summer and early autumn, with fishing on the Dee – one of Scotland’s best salmon rivers – among their many outdoor activities.
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, has graduated from the University of St Andrews (where William and Catherine met) with a degree in English. The following day was equally special for her when she and other young women and men received their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The award was presented by her father, the patron and leading figurehead of the 70-year-old award scheme. In practical terms, Prince Edward is proudly continuing the work begun by his late father, Prince Philip. When he received his gold award in 1986, aged 22, it meant so much to him that he kept it on his bedside table.
Prince George has left Lambrook School and is enjoying the long summer break before starting at Eton College in September. His parents looked at more than half a dozen schools: based, no doubt, on the necessity for a sophisticated security detail for the teenage prince, Eton was considered the best option. Importantly it was also one of George’s choices. He is expected to be placed in Hawtrey House, as was his father, and I will be telling you more about the school, its traditions and royal Old Etonians next month.
As the Duke of Sussex arrived in the UK for a series of engagements last month it was announced that he and six other claimants, including Sir Elton John, had lost their High Court battle against Associated Newspapers Ltd over claims of unlawful information gathering. This will be disappointing for them all, particularly Prince Harry, who had made it his personal mission to bring the conduct of sections of the press to account.
‘It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected,’ he said in a joint statement with fellow claimant Baroness Lawrence.
