The Royal Dispatch
New royal portraits, sombre commemorations and more...
Hi Royal Clubbers,
It's Danielle here, filling in for Millie with this week's edition of The Royal Dispatch.
In the lead-up to the Pope’s funeral in Vatican City, monarchies from around the world have been paying their respects with heartfelt statements and tributes.
The British royals have also attended Anzac Day services in the UK and abroad this week.
And in more lighthearted news, new portraits have been released to mark Princess Isabella’s milestone 18th and Prince Louis’ seventh birthdays.
But before we get on to the best royal pictures of the week, time for some history.
On This Day…
Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) were wed at Westminster Abbey on 26 April 1923.
Royals from across Europe were among the 1,800 guests at their royal wedding , including King Alfonso XIII and Queen Ena of Spain, and King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway.
Lady Elizabeth had turned down proposals from the Prince twice, but in January 1923, she accepted his hand in marriage.
The bride's wedding dress was made from deep ivory chiffon moire, embroidered with pearls and a silver thread. The 1920s-style dress was designed by Queen Mary's dressmaker, Madame Handley-Seymour and was reportedly based on a gown created by French couturier Jeanne Lanvin.
Instead of a tiara, Elizabeth chose to wear a chaplet of leaves to secure the veil.
The groom wore his full RAF uniform in the rank of group captain on his wedding day.
The future king and queen began two royal traditions from their wedding day – firstly, their rings were made from 22 carat Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's mine in Bontddu. Clogau Gold is still used in royal weddings today.
Secondly, Elizabeth laid her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on her way into the Abbey, beginning a longstanding tradition for all future royal brides (if you missed my last The Royal Wardrobe on royal customs, you can read it here).
After a reception at Buckingham Palace, the couple honeymooned at Polesden Lacey, a manor house in Surrey, before travelling to Scotland.
George VI and Elizabeth went on to welcome their daughter, future Queen Elizabeth II, in 1926, followed by Princess Margaret three years later.
George ascended the throne unexpectedly in 1936 following his brother Edward VIII's abdication, reigning until his death on 6 February 1952.
Best Royal Pictures of The Week
Princess Isabella of Denmark
Proving she’s a modern-day royal, Princess Isabella was pictured with her phone as Queen Mary took a personal snap of her daughter wearing a satin burnt orange gown by Carina Grønning and her first diadem, The Turquoise Daisy Bandeau Tiara, to mark Isabella’s 18th birthday.
King Charles
The King worn a black tie as a mark of respect to the Pope as he met the prime minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, at Windsor Castle.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain
The Spanish royals were joined by Queen Sofia as they made a sombre visit to The Apostolic Nunciature of Madrid to sign a book of condolence to pay tribute to Pope Francis ahead of his mass funeral in Vatican City.
King Frederik of Denmark
The Danish monarch carried out a three-day solo visit to Japan to mark his accession. As well as meeting Emperor Naruhito, Frederik attended conferences related to food production and clean energy. He was also pictured using chopsticks as he visited a traditional ramen restaurant in Ginza.
Prince Louis
The Prince and Princess of Wales released this sweet portrait of their youngest son, Prince Louis, to mark his seventh birthday on 23 April. Louis flashed a gap-toothed grin as he was snapped playing in a bluebell wood in Norfolk by photographer Josh Shinner.
The Duchess of Sussex
The Duchess of Sussex was among the high-profile speakers at the TIME100 Summit in New York, where she appeared on stage to talk about finding the balance as a working mother.
The Princess Royal
Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, attended commemorations to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign during a two-day visit to Turkey.
More than 100,000 troops died in an ill-fated campaign during the First World War by the UK and allies to capture the Dardanelles Strait in what is now north-west Turkey.
The assault in 1915 was intended to wound the then Ottoman Empire and cut off a key connecting water route between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, a move which would have also aided Russia.
The Prince of Wales
Prince William was mobbed by fans as he returned to royal duties on Thursday. The future King happily shared hugs and posed for selfies as he visited Mentivity, a youth club in Walworth that aims to go beyond teaching life skills and help children acquire the emotional and social tools needed for a digital world.
The Duchess of Edinburgh
Duchess Sophie attended a Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner, and later the service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey to commemorate Anzac Day. The Duchess also attended the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Cenotaph and laid a wreath on behalf of The King.
Royal Diary
There’s double celebrations for the Waleses this week, and the King and Queen will host a special reception at Buckingham Palace.
Read on to find out more…