The Royal Dispatch
Edward and Sophie in Nepal and a big fat Greek royal wedding
Hello Royal Clubbers, I hope your week is going swimmingly. It’s Millie here with the latest edition of The Royal Dispatch, bringing you the best pictures and moments from the week, as well as a lookahead to what the royals are up to next week.
As you know, I love a bit of royal history, so let’s dig into a siege that took place on this day over 700 years ago…
On this day…
On 9 February 1234, the Mongol Army, allied with the Southern Song dynasty, triumphed over the Jin dynasty to conquer the region of Caizhou, present-day Runan County in the Henan Province in China.
The background to this conflict was the ongoing struggle between the Mongols and the Jin, kickstarted by the invasion of Ghengis Khan earlier in the century.
Pursued across the country by the Mongols, Emperor Aizong, the leader of the Jin, was forced to move from place to place until he finally arrived at Caizhou on 3 August 1233.
The Mongol Army arrived a few months later in December, supported by the Southern Song dynasty who had allied against the Jin in spite of warnings that the Mongols may turn against them next.
Emperor Aizong attempted to escape but increasingly desperate and faced with the likelihood of defeat, he committed suicide. He abdicated to Wanyan Chenglin on 9 February, and Caizhou was breached the same day. Wanyan Chenglin died in the fight, having reigned for less than a day, ending the Jin dynasty.
Best Royal Pictures of the Week
Queen Rania
Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan met Pope Francis for the World Summit on Children's Rights at the Clementina Hall on Monday in Vatican City.
Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie posed with Gurkha veterans, widows and staff on a visit to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Welfare Centre during day three of their official tour to Nepal on Thursday in Pokhara.
Duchess Sophie also got up close and personal with some wildlife on Thursday during a visit to the Living Mountain Lab at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.
Queen Camilla
An emotional woman looked on as Queen Camilla opened a new purpose-built Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Exeter on Thursday as part of national Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2025.
Swedish royals
It was a poignant outing for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia, who lit a candle at the memorial service in the Saint Nicholas church in Orebro, Sweden on Wednesday, one day after a shooting at the adult education centre where eleven people were killed.
Greek royals
It was wedding bells for Prince Nikolaos and Chrysí Vardinogiánni as the lovebirds tied the knot in low-key winter wedding in Athens on Friday. The bride’s father escorted her.
Belgian royals
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde greeted members of Belgium's main authorities at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Tuesday.
Prince Christian
Crown Prince Christian of Denmark began an exciting new journey on Monday when he arrived at the the Antvorskov barracks in Slagelse, Denmark to start training with the Guard Hussar Regiment.
Prince William
Prince William had some small companions join him at Windsor Castle on Friday for a special reception for the five winning children of the Blue Peter Earthshot competition.
Princess Anne
The Princess Royal made a special trip, returning to Southmead Hospital in Bristol to thank the team of doctors, nurses and health professionals who treated her following her accident in June last year.
Princess Catherine
The Princess of Wales joined a group of four and five-year-old school children at The National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday to kick off a new initiative from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, focused on helping young children develop essential social and emotional skills.
Royal Diary
It's the week before the annual February school holidays in the UK but the royals are just as busy as ever.
And across the pond, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to attend various competitions at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.
Here's what we can tell you about what's happening next week, including a very star-studded bash.