The Royal Dispatch
Tiaras, playlists and a Netflix show
Hi Royal Clubbers, It's Danielle writing to you from an unseasonably sunny London with this week's edition of The Royal Dispatch. I hope there's sunshine where you are too!
There's a lot to talk about this week: from two very important meetings at Sandringham House, to sparkling tiara moments and a divisive Netflix show.
But before we get on to the best royal pictures of the week, time for some royal history.
On this day…
Mary, Queen of Scots witnessed the gruesome murder of her private secretary, David Rizzio, on 9 March 1566 inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. It was Mary's second marriage, to Lord Darnley in 1565, which set the chain of events in motion that led to David’s demise.
Known for his spoilt and petulant nature, Lord Darnley's relationship with Mary soon soured after their nuptials.
Mary fell pregnant but Lord Darnley was said to be jealous of her close relationship with Italian-born Rizzio, and there were rumours of an affair between the two.
Lord Darnley, with a group of conspirators, plotted to have Rizzio killed. On the night of 9 March 1566, they burst into Mary's supper chamber where she was dining with Rizzio and her ladies-in-waiting. She was heavily pregnant at the time with the future James VI.
While she tried to protect her private secretary, Rizzio was stabbed 57 times by Lord Darnley's confederates and his body thrown down a staircase.
Relations between Mary and her husband did not improve, even with the birth of their son James in June 1566.
Eight months later, Lord Darnley was murdered at Kirk o'Field just outside the walls of Edinburgh on 10 February 1567, and many people suspected that Mary was involved in the crime. What goes around comes around, eh Lord Darnley…
Best Royal Pictures of The Week
King Charles
The King gave a warm welcome to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he greeted him at Sandringham after being hailed for showing solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The private audience on Monday morning came after the monarch welcomed Mr Zelensky to his private Norfolk estate on Sunday in the wake of the president’s dramatic Oval Office clash with US President Donald Trump.
Ahead of the meeting, the Canadian leader said that he would discuss matters of importance to Canadians with the monarch and that "nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation".
The Duchess of Edinburgh
Duchess Sophie donned combat fatigues as she visited troops based at Warcop Training Centre in Cumbria, in her role as Royal Colonel of The Queen’s Own Yeomanry.
King Charles
The King flew to HMS Prince of Wales in the English Channel, where he spoke to sailors and expressed his "heartfelt gratitude" for their service.
Charles was visiting in his role as the Honorary Commodore-in-Chief Aircraft Carriers – marking the first time in nearly 40 years that a reigning monarch has visited a Royal Navy warship at sea.
His trip came during the closing stages of crew's intensive training before setting sail for Japan on a mission to deepen the UK's defence partnerships and promote security and stability.
The Duchess of Sussex
The Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle series dropped on Netflix on Tuesday, with Meghan sharing her tips for cooking, gardening and hosting, as well as many other personal tidbits. The show has proven to be very divisive, and if you missed it, you can listen to HELLO!’s TV and film editor, Emmy Griffiths' take here.
Danish royals
King Frederik and Queen Mary travelled to Finland for a two-day state visit earlier this week.
At the gala dinner, Mary chose to wear jewels which haven’t been seen for over 140 years – Queen Caroline Amalie's gold diadem with antique cameos as well as Princess Vilhelmine Marie's bracelet with Vesuvian stones.
Dutch royals
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima carried out a two-day state visit to Cyprus, and the couple dazzled at the state banquet at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. Queen Maxima wore a ruby red caped gown by Jan Taminiau with the Dutch Diamond Bandeau.
Queen Letizia
Queen Letizia looked sharp in a pinstriped suit and tie as she stepped out for the Dia Mundial de Las Enfermedades Raras (World Rare Disease Day event) at the Auditorio-Palacio de Congresos Príncipe Felipe in Oviedo, Spain.
The Prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales spoke of the need for "enforced career breaks" to prevent medical staff reaching burnout as he marked five years since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prince William spoke to staff and volunteers at the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre and Garden, which was set up with funding from NHS Charities Together in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The Prince of Wales
On Thursday, Prince William visited Mental Health Innovations (MHI) in west London, a charity established by William’s Royal Foundation, to mark its merger last year with The Mix, a digital youth support charity.
William who volunteered in 2020 with text service Shout 85258 said: "I did volunteering for a bit back over Covid, and some of those conversations lived with me for quite a long time afterwards, and you always say to yourself 'Did I give enough, did I do enough, did I find the right answer'?"
King Charles
The King has collaborated with Apple Music to launch The King’s Music Room show, sharing his personal playlist of hits that bring him joy, including disco, reggae and Afrobeats – which you can listen to on the platform from Monday 10 March.
Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones and contemporary artists Davido and Raye are among those who make it into Charles’s top tracks from across the Commonwealth.
Royal Diary
There's a very busy week of royal watching to be had, you'll be delighted to hear, Royal Clubbers.
There's a big family reunion, a birthday celebration, a trip to the Big Apple and we're looking forward to seeing some race day fashion.
Find out more below…