The Royal Dispatch
A coronation anniversary and one royal's military adventure
Happy weekend, royal clubbers, and welcome back to the latest edition of The Royal Dispatch. If you missed the last one, you can read it here.
It’s been a quieter week for royals at home as King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal tour of Australia and Samoa came to an end, with the couple thanking the countries for “the warmest of welcomes and for the countless fond memories we will carry in our hearts for many years to come”.
If you’re a full subscriber, don’t forget to catch up on our reporter Tracy’s video diaries from her time accompanying the King and Queen in Australia.
Video diary one: A wet but warm welcome
Video diary two: Protests and pro-monarchy alpacas
Video diary three: BBQs and operatic finales
Before we jump into the royal pictures of the week, it’s time for some royal trivia.
On this day in royal history, 3 November 644, Umar I, the second Muslim caliph, died in Medina after a successful assassination attempt.
He was a central figure to the expansion of Arabia, leading armies to conquer Mesopotamia and Syria. He also began the conquest of Iran and Egypt in his rule.
Attacked by a Persian Christian slave called Abū Lu’lu’ah, Umar lay dying for three to four days before finally succumbing to his injuries. It was reported by historians at the time that the assassin had protested taxes, but other theories have emerged that the assassination may have been in protest of the caliph’s poor treatment of slaves.
If you’d like to read more royal history, don’t forget you can read my new monthly newsletter, The Royal Archive, in which I look at contemporary royal news through a historical prism. Marking the ongoing royal tour of Australia, last week’s post recalled previous occasions when the royals have headed Down Under.
There have been plenty of landmark moments for royals abroad, including a coronation anniversary and a gathering of the Japanese royal family for a special garden party.
Take a look at the highlights from the week below and scroll to the end for next week’s royal diary…