The Royal Dispatch
Royals in tiaras and a special pilgrimage
Hi Royal Clubbers, it’s Millie bringing you our latest edition of The Royal Dispatch.
It’s been a very glamorous week for royals near and far, with plenty of tiara moments to enjoy.
But before we get on to the best royal pictures of the week, time for some royal history.
On this day…
On this day in royal history, 19 April 1921, the funeral of the last German Empress took place.
Augusta Victoria was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a niece of Queen Victoria. She married her half-second cousin Prince Wilhelm of Prussia in February 1881, and the couple had seven children together.
Augusta, known as Dona to her family, had something of a fracas with her sister-in-law Crown Princess Sophie of Greece, who announced her intention to convert to Greek Orthodoxy in 1890, to which Augusta responded by threatening to bar her from Germany, warning Sophie that her soul would end up in hell.
An argument between the two women ensued and Augusta gave birth prematurely to Prince Joachim, from which point she became deeply protective over the prince.
After the outbreak of the German Revolution, Augusta’s husband, now Kaiser Wilhelm, was forced to abdicate, and in 1920 they were exiled.
At the same time, Augusta’s son Joachim found himself struggling with commoner status and a sudden loss of titles and prospects. This, combined with his failing marriage and subsequent divorce led to his suicide in July 1920.
Augusta was greatly affected, and passed away on 11 April 1921 in the Netherlands where she lived with Wilhelm. Her remains were transported back to Germany, but as Wilhelm was exiled from German soil, he could only accompany his wife to the German border, and no further.
She was buried in Potsdam, Germany.
Best Royal Pictures of The Week
Princess Isabella of Denmark
A very happy birthday to Princess Isabella who turns 18 on Monday. She looked suitably glamorous at a performance put on to mark the occasion at the Royal Danish Theatre's Old Stage in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Queen Maxima
A suitably stylish moment for Queen Maxima who opted for an unusually monochrome look during an official welcome ceremony on the Dam Square at the Royal Palace for Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to mark the start of the state visit from Oman on Tuesday.
Prince William
A jubilant moment for Prince William and Prince George, who clearly shares his father’s love of football. The royal father-son duo celebrated the second goal of Aston Villa during the UEFA Champions League fixture on Tuesday.
Queen Margrethe
A vision in tartan! Queen Margrethe waved to well-wishers during festivities to celebrate her 85th birthday at Fredensborg Castle, Denmark on Wednesday.
Princess Catharina-Amalia
How radiant is the Dutch princess? She was a vision in ruby jewellery, wearing a tiara she once played dress-up in as a child. Her regal attire is part of a state banquet offered to the Sultan on Tuesday.
Queen Mary
How radiant does Queen Mary look in this simple yet effective evening look? The diamonds are a fabulous accessory for a very regal look as Queen Mary attended the performance for her daughter’s 18th birthday celebrations this week.
Belgian royals
Perhaps more low-key attire than we’re used to seeing the royals in, the King and Queen of Belgium donned their walking gear on Wednesday for a walk along part of the famous 'Camino de Compostela' pilgrimage route in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
King Charles and Queen Camilla
It was a lovely seasonal outing for King Charles and Queen Camilla on Thursday as they attended the Royal Maundy Service at Durham Cathedral. The King presented the Maundy recipients – 76 men and 76 women – with two purses: one red and one white, containing Maundy Money. The white purse held specially minted silver Maundy coins, while the red purse contained a £5 coin commemorating The Queen Mother and a 50p coin featuring WWII stories.
Royal Diary
The royal diary will be filling up again in the coming weeks as we come into the Windsors’ packed spring calendar.