September 2023
Vol 44 No 9
A month of royal milestones: The first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III; the Prince and Princess of Wales's momentous year; the King of Sweden's golden jubilee.
Subscribe &
never miss an issue
All the latest royal news from around the world delivered direct to your home or your digital device every month.
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 sees the first anniversary of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. We understand that King Charles III will mark the day in very much the same way his mother did for King George VI’s anniversary: a day of quiet contemplation – in her case at Sandringham, where her father died, and for the King Balmoral, which is where the Queen died. 

The King has always been deeply religious and a day spent in prayer and meditation is a luxury he seldom has time for. A loner at heart, he is at his most content on Royal Deeside, which he has frequently described as the place he loves most on earth. 

The royal family’s Scottish sojourn is precious to them all and especially so this year. Parts of the castle are being renovated and areas that were open to the public remained accessible until mid-August. This gave the family less time than usual to be there to enjoy the grouse shooting, stalking and fishing essential for the profitable running of the sporting estate. 

The Prince of Wales has come in for some light-hearted criticism for his apparent unwillingness to wear the kilt. William has not been photographed in a kilt since he was a child, so it has been assumed in the media that he is not fond of the traditional Highland dress. I am sure that William would look magnificent in a kilt, given his height and athletic build. 

When he became first in line to the throne he acquired a number of new Scottish titles: Duke of Rothesay, first conferred by King Robert III on his eldest son David in 1398; Earl of Carrick and Baron of Renfrew; Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (the hereditary office dating from the 12th century); and – my favourite – Lord of the Isles. This ancient title, held by those who ruled the Western Isles as vassals of the kings of Norway, Ireland or Scotland, was annexed to the crown by James V of Scotland in 1540 to be passed to his heirs.

With that many Scottish titles, I am pretty sure that we will see William in a kilt before too long. Balmoral is also his favourite place and was, of course, where he and Harry were staying when they were told that their mother had died following a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997, now 26 years ago.

This month the Duke of Sussex, who celebrates his 39th birthday on 15 September, is travelling to Germany with the Duchess of Sussex for the Invictus Games Düsseldorf. The games, which Harry launched in March 2014, were first staged that September to great acclaim in London’s Olympic Park. Archewell Productions’ documentary series Heart of Invictus, which follows a group of remarkable veterans around the globe to the 2022 games in The Hague, with the duke as its executive producer, is due to be shown soon on Netflix. However, nothing is certain in the multi-million-dollar world of entertainment, as Harry and Meghan have recently been discovering.

This Issue's Features
FIRST ANNIVERSARY: A year has passed since the death of Queen Elizabeth II but her remarkable legacy remains with us, says Ingrid Seward
EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE: The change of reign in Sweden 50 years ago coincided with other seismic events, as Trond Norén Isaksen explains
CHARLES III – THE KING’S FIRST YEAR: Our new monarch’s life has changed immeasurably in the past 12 months, as he knew it would, Joe Little notes
ELIZABETH STUART: The short but unhappy life of King Charles I’s frail daughter, a kind soul despite her many troubles, by Coryne Hall
THE WALESES: William and Catherine’s status is different now, but their family situation is relatively the same, according to Victoria Murphy
HAPPY & GLORIOUS: A decade-by-decade pictorial tribute to the late Queen, whose ‘wonderful blue eyes’ and smile are unforgettable
PARTY HOUSE TO KING’S RETREAT: The Castle of Mey, recently visited by His Majesty, was regarded by the Queen Mother as a place to entertain and relax
ROYALS AT RISK: Security is paramount, but it was not always as effective as it should have been, as Jane Dismore discovered
QUEEN IN NAME ONLY: Anne of Romania had been married for more than four decades before she could visit her husband’s birthplace
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 46 No 1
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
View More

Subscribe & never miss an issue

All the latest royal news from around the world delivered direct to your home or your digital device every month. Enjoy the best features written by leading royal experts. Never miss an issue – receive your magazine before it appears on newsstands.
Print subscription benefits
  • Save money by subscribing
  • 13 magazines for the price of 12
    for NEW subscriptions
  • Keep your printed collection forever
  • A multiple-year subscription protects you
    from possible cover price increases
Digital subscription benefits
  • Save even more with a digital subscription
  • Available on Google Play, Apple App Store
    & Amazon Kindle Fire
  • Access to all your editions wherever
    you go, on your digital device
  • Choose single, monthly or annual subscriptions
Protect your collection with our stunning binders.
Keep your collection in pristine condition with these stylish blue leather-look binders. Each holds 12 issues of Majesty Magazine.
Get Binders
Complete your collection from our back issue store.
You can buy current and back issues from our sister company, CALM Productions. Complete your set today.
Get Back Issues
Timeless collectables & royal merchandise
You can now buy merchandise and royal collectables from our sister company, CALM Productions. See our full range of products.
MERCHANDISE SHOP
Sign up for our newsletter and receive extra articles, pictures and promotions. Enter your email below.
You can easily unsubscribe at any time. Click here for our privacy policy.