January 2023
Vol 44 No 1
Changes aplenty for William and Catherine; the first state visit of King Charles III's reign; downsizing decisions affect Europe's royal families; the Queen of the Belgians and her milestone birthday.
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Ingrid Seward
Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine
Ingrid is acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent writers and commentators on the royal family and has published over 15 books and contributed numerous articles to publications worldwide. Ingrid is in the unique position of knowing many members of the royal family personally and through Majesty enjoys a special relationship with the Royal Household.
Letter from the Editor

This month heralds two royal birthdays: the Princess of Wales will celebrate her 41st on 9 January and Princess Michael of Kent her 78th on 15 January. The latter princess, who was very athletic in her youth (her mother was an Olympic skier), has had rotten luck with her health over the past couple of years, revisited by old skiing injuries that necessitated a new knee and setbacks while recovering from Covid-19. We will be talking with her about her life and work as an author in the coming months.

Last year Catherine was so pleased with the photos taken for her 40th birthday by fashion photographer Paolo Roversi that she agreed to join other leading lights in displaying their portraits in venues that have special meanings to them around the United Kingdom. She chose the University of St Andrews, where she met William; Anglesey, the island in North Wales where they lived in the early years of their marriage; a church in Pangbourne near where she lived as a child; and Reading University, not far from Royal Berkshire Hospital where she was born. They will have a permanent home at London’s National Portrait Gallery when it reopens this year. 

Having been a member of the royal family for more than a decade the Princess of Wales has found a niche that she believes is of international importance. Catherine is putting her considerable energies into studying a child’s early years. In a rare interview with the Daily Telegraph she expressed her hopes and concerns.  

‘I have become more and more sure of one thing,’ she said. ‘If we are going to create a healthier and happier society for future generations, we must start by understanding and acknowledging the unique importance of the first five years of life.

‘Over the past three decades, the body of evidence to support this has grown substantially. We now know that in the first five years of our lives, our brains develop faster than at any other time and that the impact of those years is hugely significant.’

Good for her. It is certainly something many of us were unaware of, having been taught that children should sleep happily in a pram while nanny – if you were fortunate enough to have one – did her knitting. This was the way Prince Charles was brought up, though not his sons. As a former nursery school teacher Diana knew how to entertain children and put her skills to the test with William and Harry, although the Queen used to think they were very naughty – which of course they were.

After a media fuss about the wisdom of competing in ITV’s reality TV show I’m A Celebrity Mike Tindall, husband of Zara, narrowly missed out on being in the final. He demonstrated how to behave in a dignified way while enduring the nastiest of the programme’s infamous ‘trials’ to remain in the show. Princess Beatrice took to Twitter for the first time in two years to say of Mike: ‘He’s just the greatest’.

Mike was a favourite of the late Queen, who knew what a handful her granddaughter Zara could be. As a child Zara decided it would be fun to dissect Her Majesty’s pearls by removing the string; needless to say, she never did it again.

This Issue's Features
RED-CARPET TREATMENT: President Ramaphosa of South Africa is the guest of the King and Queen – the first state visitor of the new reign
QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS: Mathilde, diligent consort of King Philippe, is about to celebrate her 50th birthday, says Coryne Hall
ROYAL ROUNDUP: The revisions and changes that are necessary as Charles III’s household becomes established, by Ingrid Seward
DOWNSIZING: In Denmark the decisions have been made, but will other European monarchs follow suit, Trond Norén Isaksen wonders
PLAYING THE GAME: For William and Catherine life has changed considerably in the past few months, as Victoria Murphy explains
TO THE NEW WORLD & BACK: Amélie of Leuchtenberg, for a while Empress of Brazil, is still remembered in Scandinavia 150 years after her death
ON THE BOX: British royals are well used to appearing in TV programmes, a practice begun by the Duke of Edinburgh in the 1960s
PRINCE OF WALES: Henry Stuart was destined to succeed his father, James VI and I, but aged 18 an illness would prove to be fatal
Our round-up of photographs shows royal families of the world at work and play
Robert Golden reflects on various aspects of regal life, both ancient and modern

See more issues

Vol 45 No 12
Vol 45 No 11
Vol 45 No 10
Vol 45 No 9
Vol 45 No 8
Vol 45 No 7
Vol 45 No 6
Vol 45 No 5
View More

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