Prince Harry engaged to Ms. Meghan Markle

Read the full love story of HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle in the latest issue of Royal Life http://bit.ly/2zTAAxB

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT ROBIN HOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL TO CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOOL GARDENING

London

Wednesday 29th November

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Robin Hood Primary School to celebrate their work with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening.

The RHS Campaign for School Gardening, now marking ten years, inspires and supports schools to provide children with gardening opportunities to enhance their skills and boost their development. The RHS’s work with schools has shown benefits for children’s physical and mental well-being, and building life skills such as confidence, teamwork and communication.

During the visit, The Duchess will get a briefing on the RHS nation-wide campaign and hear about the benefits of learning outside from Robin Hood Primary School. Her Royal Highness will then join children in activities in the outdoor learning area and sensory garden and celebrate the 34,000 schools and groups now engaged in gardening through the campaign.

Robin Hood Primary School has developed a whole-school, progressive outdoor learning curriculum with support from the RHS. Children have access to a range of outdoor classrooms in the woodland setting including a purpose built Outdoor Learning Area and Sensory Garden. This outdoor learning gives children an opportunity to explore, consolidate and develop their knowledge and understanding of the ever-changing natural environment. The activities are created to inspire their curiosity, stimulate their senses and through challenging, yet achievable tasks using various real tools and natural resources, bring learning to life.

Sessions aim to encourage and inspire children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills through participation in tasks and activities that are both challenging and achievable. Helping to develop their emotional intelligence, empathy and communication enables children to manage their emotions effectively.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM

London

Tuesday 28th November, 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Foundling Museum on, Tuesday 28th November. Her Royal Highness will learn more about the Museum’s history and the way it continues to focus on its founding principles to use art and creativity as a means to support and engage children and vulnerable families.

The Foundling Museum explores the history of the Foundling Hospital, the UK’s first children’s charity and first public art gallery. The Foundling Hospital, which continues today as the children’s charity Coram, was established in 1739 by the philanthropist Thomas Coram to care for babies at risk of abandonment. After 17 years of tireless campaigning, Thomas Coram finally received a Royal Charter from King George II in 1739, enabling him to establish his Foundling Hospital. From 1741 when the first babies were admitted, to 1954 when the last pupil was placed in foster care, the Foundling Hospital cared for and educated around 25,000 children.

Instrumental in helping Coram realise his vision was the artist William Hogarth, who encouraged leading artists of the day to donate work, and George Frideric Handel, who conducted annual benefit concerts in the Hospital’s chapel. Their creative generosity set the template for the ways in which the arts can support philanthropy. Today artists continue to be central to the Foundling Museum’s work; through a dynamic programme of exhibitions and events the Museum celebrates the ways in which the arts have helped improve children’s lives for over 275 years and aims to inspire everyone to make a positive contribution to society.

During her visit, The Duchess of Cambridge will receive a briefing on the history of the Hospital and how the Museum continues to engage vulnerable and marginalised young people. Her Royal Highness will meet families and children who have benefited from the Museum’s education and outreach programmes, including pre-school children from a local nursery who regularly visit the Museum and young care leavers who are being trained to run their own creative workshops. The Museum aims to give young people new skills, an understanding of history, and a space in which their voices are heard.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL ATTEND THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE

Palladium Theatre, London

Friday 24th November, 2017

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium Theatre, London on Friday 24th November.

The Royal Variety Performance takes place every year, either in London or in a theatre around the United Kingdom. The event is in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, formally, The Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund, of which The Queen is Patron. The money raised from the show helps hundreds of entertainers throughout the UK, who need help and assistance as a result of old age, ill-health, or hard times.

The evening will be hosted by Miranda Hart and will include performances from The Killers, Paloma Faith, Louis Tomlinson and The Script.

The origins of the Royal Variety Performance date back to 1912 when King George V and Queen Mary agreed to attend a ‘Royal Command Performance’ at the Palace Theatre in London, in aid of the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund. In July 1919, the second Royal show was performed and was the first to be billed a “Royal Variety Performance”. Held at London’s Coliseum, the show was staged as a ‘celebration of peace’ and, as the official announcement expressed it, “had been commanded by The King to show his appreciation of the generous manner in which artistes of the variety stage had helped the numerous funds connected with the War”.

On the night, Their Royal Highnesses will meet a number of performers as well as Royal Variety Charity and ITV executives, both before and after the show.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT BIRMINGHAM

Wednesday 22nd November, 2017

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Birmingham for a day of engagements on Wednesday 22nd November 2017.

Their Royal Highnesses will begin the day at Jaguar Land Rover‘s Solihull Manufacturing Plant. On arrival, The Duke and Duchess will be given an overview of JLR and the Solihull site before heading to the Vehicle Assembly area, to view the assembly line and hear about the manufacturing process, meeting staff and apprentices. Their Royal Highnesses will then visit the Jaguar Land Rover Experience Centre, where they will meet Mountain Rescue volunteers participating in a vehicle familiarisation exercise. The Duke and Duchess will have the opportunity to drive a vehicle in the off-road driving area. Afterwards, Their Royal Highnesses will meet some of JLR’s volunteers, who support projects focusing on regeneration, education, young people, charity work and the environment, and they will meet schoolchildren from Topcliffe Primary School, Castle Vale – winners of the Jaguar Primary School Challenge and will see their winning model car race on a track.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will then travel to Aston Villa Football Club to see the work of the Coach Core programme taking place in Birmingham. Their Royal Highnesses will initially meet with a group of employers to discuss the positive impact of Coach Core and hear about the progression of the apprentices. The Duke and Duchess will then join a training session underway on the pitch, with Coach Core apprentices and tutors working with local schoolchildren. Coach Core works with Sport Birmingham to give young people between the ages of 16-24 living in Birmingham the chance to become the next generation of inspirational coaches and to give them the opportunity to succeed in employment.

Finally, The Duke and Duchess will visit Acme Whistles, the creator of the first police whistle and the original Acme Thunderer. Established in 1870, this family-owned business has developed and patented over 40 whistle designs during its 147 year history and currently exports to 119 countries worldwide. Today, their modern whistles are used in major sporting events globally and by police forces, including the Metropolitan Police. During the visit, The Duke and Duchess will hear about the history of the company and see past and present products. Their Royal Highnesses will then tour the workshop seeing the production process, including the presswork, plating, moulding, welding and polishing of the 115,000 whistles which are made and tested every week. Afterwards, The Duke and Duchess will join members of staff and apprentices at a short reception before unveiling a plaque to mark their visit.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

The Queen will visit West Sussex

30th November 2017

Her Majesty The Queen will undertake two engagements in West Sussex on Thursday, 30th November 2017.

Engagement 1:

The Queen will visit Canine Partners in Midhurst, West Sussex. Her Majesty will meet young dogs and their volunteer ‘puppy parents’ who take the puppies from the age of 8 weeks, implementing a programme of basic training until the age of 12-14 months when they are ready to start assistance dog training. The Queen will then view a demonstration by assistance dogs in their final stages of training, which involves opening doors, pulling clothes out of a washing machine and using an ATM.

After this, Her Majesty will view the accommodation used by partners who are meeting and training their assistance dogs, and meet partners and staff in the kitchen.

Engagement 2:

The Queen will visit Chichester Festival Theatre, where she will watch a performance by Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, including a scene from their forthcoming Christmas production Beauty and the Beast. Songs from CFT’s production of Fiddler on the Roof will also be performed by Omid Djalili, Simbi Akande, Lucinda Lawrence and Rose Shalloo.

Canine Partners is a registered charity that assists people with physical disabilities to enable them to enjoy greater independence and a better quality of life. Where possible the charity helps people with disabilities into education and employment through the provision of specially trained assistance dogs. As part of this partnership, the well-being of the dogs is also a key consideration. Canine Partner dogs are trained to perform tasks such as opening and closing doors for their wheelchair-using partners, retrieving dropped items, loading and unloading washing machines, helping their partners to undress and getting help in case of emergency. As well as providing practical assistance, the dogs provide companionship, emotional support and increased opportunities for the human partner to interact with members of the public. The Charity currently has nearly 400 dogs partnered with disabled people across the UK, all of whom receive regular aftercare support visits at home. Canine Partners works closely with other charities where it is beneficial to do so, including Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion.

Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK’s flagship theatres, renowned for the high standard of its productions as well as its work with the community and young people. Founded in 1962, the Festival Theatre’s thrust stage design makes it one of England’s most striking playhouses; a studio theatre, the Minerva Theatre, sits nearby. The annual Festival season runs from April to November, during which productions originated at Chichester reach an audience of over 200,000; many transfer to the West End or tour nationally and internationally. Year-round programming continues through the winter with the Theatre presenting high-class touring productions, as well as a traditional Christmas show mounted by Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, one of the largest youth theatres in the country.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TO MARK THE PLATINUM WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF HM THE QUEEN AND HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

New photographic portraits have been released worldwide to mark the 70th Wedding Anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on 20th November 2017.

The portraits, by British photographer Matt Holyoak of Camera Press, were taken in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in early November. Her Majesty wears a cream day dress by Angela Kelly, also worn at the Diamond Wedding Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving. The Queen is wearing the ‘Scarab’ brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, designed by Andrew Grima,  given as a personal gift from The Duke to The Queen in 1966.

In the first portrait The Queen and His Royal Highness are framed by Thomas Gainsborough’s 1781 portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years.

In a second sequence of pictures The Queen and the Duke are photographed against a platinum-textured backdrop.

The marriage of the then Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947 attracted worldwide attention. Distribution of the official wedding images, by the photographer Baron, were the first assignment of a new photo agency, Camera Press, which also celebrates its 70th year in 2017.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

ROYAL MAIL ISSUES STAMPS TO COMMEMORATE 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF HM THE QUEEN AND HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

Royal Mail today announced the release of a set of stamps to commemorate the 70^th Wedding Anniversary of HM The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

The six-stamp set features paired images from their engagement period, wedding and honeymoon.

On 9 July 1947, Buckingham Palace issued the following announcement: “It is with the greatest pleasure that the King and Queen announce the betrothal of their dearly beloved daughter The Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN.”

Officially, the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, which took place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey, was to be an austerity affair; the public and the wider world, however, had rather different ideas. For days before and after the service, huge crowds flocked to St James’s Palace to view an exhibition of some of the 2,500 wedding gifts.

These included a sewing machine from the Provost and Council of Clydebank and a sapphire and diamond necklace given to the Princess by her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

The day before the wedding, the King appointed his future son-in-law a Knight of the Garter. On the day itself, it was announced that the King had also granted him the titles of Baron Greenwich, Earl of Merioneth and Duke of Edinburgh. He would be His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and, following the wedding, his bride would be the Duchess.

More than 200 million listeners worldwide followed the service by radio. For the first time, newsreel cameras were admitted into the Abbey to film part of the proceedings – and cinemas were packed for weeks.

For her wedding dress, the bride had turned to Norman Hartnell, already a royal favourite. The bridal gown was made of ivory silk and decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls which Hartnell had sourced from America. The 15-foot train, with a star pattern, was inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera, symbolising post-war regeneration. Observing the tradition that there should be ‘something borrowed’, the Princess wore the tiara originally made for her grandmother Queen Mary.

The bride and her father travelled to the Abbey in the Irish State Coach. The groom, who had spent the previous evening at the Dorchester Hotel, was already waiting at the Abbey in his Royal Navy uniform, alongside his groomsman, the Marquess of Milford Haven.

The eight bridesmaids included Princess Margaret and Princess Alexandra, while two younger cousins, Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent, were page boys. The royal party entered to the hymn ‘Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven’, followed by another royal favourite, ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’, set to the Scottish tune ‘Crimond’.

After the wedding breakfast and an appearance on the Palace balcony, the newly-weds departed by carriage for Waterloo station. They travelled to Broadlands, Hampshire – home of Prince Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten. Huge crowds followed them to Sunday morning church at Romsey Abbey. They were afforded more privacy on the second leg of the honeymoon, at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate.

HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are the longest married British royal couple in history.

Royal Mail spokesperson, Philip Parker, said, “A platinum wedding anniversary is rare, and for the Royal Family it is unique. We are delighted to issue these six stamps to mark Her Majesty’s and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 70 years of marriage.”

STAMP BY STAMP

Engagement, 10 July 1947
The engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten is announced and the happy couple are pictured together in two images taken at Buckingham Palace.

Wedding, 20 November 1947
Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh walk down the aisle of Westminster Abbey after their wedding service. They are followed by Prince Michael of Kent and Prince William of Gloucester holding the bridal train, the eight bridesmaids and then the groomsman, the Marquess of Milford Haven.

Princess Elizabeth with her husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after the ceremony.

Honeymoon, 23 November 1947
The first image of the royal newly-weds in the grounds of Broadlands, Romsey, Hampshire, where they spent their honeymoon. The royal couple are looking at photographs of their wedding.

HRH Princess Elizabeth enjoys a stroll with her husband, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. This was their first public appearance since their wedding.

The stamps go on sale from 20 November and will be available online at www.royalmail.com/royalwedding by phone on 03457 641 641 and in 7,000 Post Offices throughout the UK.

THE PRINCE OF WALES WILL VISIT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND DOMINICA

17th–19th November 2017

His Royal Highness’s visit comes following the widespread devastation in the region caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

During the tour The Prince of Wales will meet members of the local communities and hear about the ways in which they have been recovering since the storms hit the Islands.

The Prince of Wales will arrive in Antigua and Barbuda on Friday 17th November, conducting engagements on the island of Antigua that day. His Royal Highness will visit Barbuda and The British Virgin Islands on Saturday 18th November. On the final day of the tour, Sunday 19th November, The Prince will conduct engagements in Dominica.

Antigua and Barbuda, The British Virgin Islands and Dominica were all severely affected when Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck in September 2017. The storms caused widespread devastation which led to the displacement of communities.

This will be His Royal Highness’s first official visit to Antigua and Barbuda, The British Virgin Islands, and Dominica.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE VISITS GOOGLE AND YOUTUBE TO LAUNCH NATIONAL ACTION PLAN TO TACKLE CYBERBULLYING

King’s Cross, London

Thursday 16th November, 2017

The Duke of Cambridge will attend the final meeting of The Royal Foundation’s Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying on Thursday 16th November, before announcing the results of the Taskforce’s work so far. The event will take place at the London headquarters of Google and YouTube in King’s Cross, London.

The Taskforce was convened by The Duke in May 2016 to support young people and their families affected by cyberbullying, with a focus on 11-16 year olds.

The Duke brought together some of the world’s most recognisable names in media and tech, as well as children’s charities and parents, to work alongside a panel of young people to find a way forward. Together they set themselves the task of creating a safer and more supportive life online. After more than 18 months of work, the Taskforce is unveiling an Action Plan to combat this problem.

On arrival at Google’s King’s Cross Headquarters, The Duke will attend the final meeting of the Taskforce, joining senior representatives from leading communication service providers, technology, social media and gaming companies, as well as experts from charities working to combat online bullying.

Chaired by tech entrepreneur Brent Hoberman CBE, the Taskforce members include: The Anti-Bullying Alliance; Apple; BT; The Diana Award; EE; Facebook; Google; Internet Matters; NSPCC; O2; Sky; Snapchat; Supercell; TalkTalk; Twitter; Vodafone and Virgin Media.

His Royal Highness will then head to the YouTube Space London to meet some of the Taskforce’s panel of young people. The Duke will also meet with parents, young people, and prominent YouTube vloggers to learn more about the impact of cyberbullying and how technology can be used to help.

The Duke will then address an audience of Taskforce members and guests to announce a series of initiatives from the Taskforce designed to use members’ power and skill to deliver real change, and empower all young people to take a stand against bullying.

To get all the latest royal news delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Royal Life Magazine today.