Royal family recap: King reveals rare details of friendship with cousin, Duchess Sophie's ballet class, and more

Good morning! It's a busy day for the royals, with several key members of the family gearing up for engagements across the UK. As London Climate Action Week kicks off, Prince William will meet Earthshot Prize Finalists at a 'Leading with Impact' event hosted in the heart of the City of London. 

In his role as Founding Patron of the Royal Drawing School, King Charles and Queen Camilla will join renowned artists, creative figures and alumni at a reception celebrating the Royal Drawing School’s 25th anniversary.

Elsewhere, Princess Anne will travel to Moray in Scotland where she will visit Forres and Nairn District Group and open a new Coastguard Rescue Centre at Gordonstoun. 

Finally, the Duchess of Edinburgh is set to visit the Central School of Ballet in her role as patron. 

Architect Lord Foster has won the bid to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, with a new bridge in St James's Park inspired by the late Queen’s wedding tiara. 

Key features include a statue of the Queen in a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, a new Prince Philip Gate on the other side of the park on Birdcage Walk with a statue of Philip, as well as a "family of gardens",  and a new translucent, glass bridge.

© Getty Images

Oh what a night! The Norwegian royals looked so elegant on Monday evening as they stepped out to attend a gala dinner in honour of the French President and his wife at the Royal Palace in Oslo. 

For the special occasion, Princess Ingrid Alexandra wore a ruby-red Vivienne Westwood gown complete with a corset top. For added shimmer, she spruced up her look with a diamond and pearl tiara. Sublime! 

© Getty Images

In this week's issue, we explored Princess Kate's return to royal duties, and how she's resolved to focus on her wellbeing. Despite making appearances on Garter Day and Trooping the Colour, the royal mother-of-three cancelled plans to attend Royal Ascot as she continues to "find the right balance". 

"Kate might be back, but she's doing it sensibly, and on her own terms," Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, tells HELLO!. "Her priorities have changed and she's listening to her body, instead of being a people pleaser. She's absolutely got to be strict with herself and say: 'No, I can't do this.'

To read the full report, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK now. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.

Football enthusiast Prince William is reportedly hoping to travel to Switzerland next month to cheer on the Lionesses as they defend their Euros crown. 

William, who is patron of the FA, previously cheered on Sarina Wiegman's squad back in 2022. He also showed support in 2023 when he visited the Engalnd Women's team at St George's Park ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup. 

© Getty Images

In a surprise move, William left a voicenote for Scott Mills and Robert Irwin during this morning's instalment of Scott's BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show. 

As Robert answered a series of wild-life questions from children who had left voicenotes, Scott revealed that there was one more voicenote they needed to listen to. 

In his message, William said: "Good morning, Scott, or should I say G'day, Scott? I know you've got the fantastic Robert Irwin on the show this morning, brilliant ambassador for the Earthshot Prize. Sorry, I can't be with you both this morning, hoping to catch up with you soon.

© BBC

"You're very much invited to the Earthshot Prize in Rio in Brazil in November. It's going to be a fantastic event, great show. Just beware Scott, that Robert likes to pull random terrifying animals and creatures out of his pockets while he's on anyone's show and talking to them. So just watch your back at all times that a tarantula or something doesn't suddenly pop onto your desk."

He finished by adding: "But listen, have a good show, and hope to catch up on you both very soon. Goodbye." 

HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast is going live for the very first time – and you can join them!

This Thursday, hosts Andrea Caamano, Emmy Griffiths, and royal editor Emily Nash will be live from Ladbroke Hall with two incredible guests: Tony Juniper and Pierre Paslier. Don’t miss out!

Get your FREE ticket here.

In his role as  President and Founder of The Earthshot Prize and as Founder of The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife, Prince William met with Earthshot Prize finalists at a ‘Leading with Impact’ event. 

During his visit, the royal met with Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Global Advisor to The Earthshot Prize Winners, and also took part in a workshop to hear more about the 2024 cohort of finalists and their progress.

© Getty Images

Good afternoon, royal fans! Katie Daly here, HELLO!'s Lifestyle Writer. 

I will be bringing you the latest royal updates this afternoon, so stay tuned for news you won't want to miss!

The Duchess of Edinburgh showcased her summer style, braving a heatwave in a chic white cut-out cotton sundress by Erdem during a visit to Rochester Cathedral. 

She paired the elegant dress with Penelope Chilvers espadrilles and a vibrant orange Sophie Habsburg handbag.

The outing saw her visit a group of volunteers from the Paramount Foundation. It came just weeks before she showed off the best of her summer wardrobe at Royal Ascot. 

While we bring you the latest royal news of the day, we remember a sweet moment from 2022 when Prince George snuck a £1.25 snack into a royal engagement.

© Getty

Prince George was spotted enjoying a Cola bottle sweet, believed to be from a bag of Haribo, during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Pageant. The young royal, then eight years old, was seen discreetly eating the sugary treat while watching the grand procession on The Mall. 

This relatable moment, showing George indulging in a popular snack, quickly caught public attention and endeared him to royal fans. Happy snacking!

On the topic of royal kids, it has been revealed that Dara Huang, the mother of Princess Beatrice's stepson Wolfie Mapelli Mozzi, is learning a new skill!

He is learning Chinese to connect with his mother Dara Huang's Taiwanese heritage. The eight-year-old, whose Chinese is reportedly better than his mother's, is also a talented painter.

© Getty, Instagram

She explained: "I hired a nanny to teach him Chinese. His Chinese is better than mine." 

Speaking of their annual parties, Dara added: "I have a son, he is eight years old. Every year, I throw him a big Chinese New Year party. All his friends come over and they wear traditional Chinese outfits. His favourite things are bubble tea, noodles and dumplings."  

Over in Monaco, Princess Charlene has been spotted out with her husband, Prince Albert, and their children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, for Saint John's Day.

© Palais Princier de Monaco

Dancers in traditional dress surrounded the Prince's Palace of Monaco as the royal family made a balcony appearance. 

The celebrations are held in honour of the birth of Saint John the Baptist, which is documented in the Bible as taking place six months before the birth of Jesus. 

Princess Charlene honoured the occasion with an appearance in a simple black crew neck dress.

The Princess of Wales missed Royal Ascot last week as she continues to "take each day as it comes" as she makes a gradual return to royal duties after her treatment for cancer. 

© Getty Images

In a new piece for the MailOnline, royal editor Rebecca English, has hinted at how serious Kate's health condition was last year prior to her planned abdominal surgery. 

The royal editor said: "As I have previously revealed, the princess was seriously unwell in the run-up to her surgery in the first place.

"And while that is a story only for her to tell – if she ever chooses to do so – I can say that, from what I understand, she is fortunate to even be speaking of recovery."

Over in Montecito, the Duchess of Sussex is keeping fans updated with more of her home life than ever before. 

© Getty

Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand, As Ever, has offered a peek into her family's home life, revealing a charming wooden tree swing at their $29 million Montecito estate. 

This feature mirrors similar swings found in the childhood homes of her children's royal cousins, like Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie at Royal Lodge and Prince William and Princess Kate's at Anmer Hall. Click here to see her gorgeous garden feature!

The Mayor of Rio has made an exciting announcement regarding the upcoming Earthshot Prize.

© Getty

Eduardo Paes has announced that the Earthshot Prize will be held at the Museu do Amanha in Rio this year. The Earthshot Prize is a prestigious global environmental award launched by the Prince of Wales and The Royal Foundation in 2020. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot," its mission is to discover, spotlight, and scale innovative solutions to the world's environmental challenges.

In 2024, the Earthshot Prize was hosted in Cape Town, South Africa.

Brunei's Prince Mateen and his wife Princess Anisha have attended a friend's wedding and the royal was a vision in a satin gown by a certain celebrity designer.

Princess Anisha Rosnah recently served as a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding, opting for a chic ice-white satin midi dress by Victoria Beckham. This understated event contrasted sharply with her elaborate ten-day royal wedding to Prince Mateen in January 2024. 

The bridesmaid dress featured a high neckline, gathered sleeves, and a ruched back, flowing into a silky fluted skirt. For her own nuptials, Princess Anisha wore an ivory gown with intricate patterns, complemented by diamond jewellery and a tiara valued at over £10 million.

Joining a panel discussion at London Climate Week earlier today, the Prince of Wales has said that saving the planet was a "team game".

© Getty

"Everything we want to do here starts with a team game. And the prize is just the pinnacle of the ability to showcase all the brilliant people around who are working in this space to better the planet, to better our futures, and to make life more sustainable in all walks of life," the royal said.

"A lot of people think the Earthshot Prize is just about climate change; it really isn't. It's about waste. It's about plastic pollution. It's about the health of our oceans. It's about the air we breathe. 

“It's all the things that we as human beings care about," William added. "And so it takes a village to raise a family."

The Prince of Wales has confirmed his upcoming travel plans - and the location has been on his bucket list for some time!

© Getty

Joining a panel discussion at Bloomberg’s London HQ for London Climate Week, William said that he was "excited” about travelling to Rio de Janeiro later this year when the city will host the Earthshot Prize ceremony.

He added: "From a personal point of view, I've always wanted to get South America, particularly Brazil. So I'm personally very excited about going down there. I think South America as a whole, the amount of ecosystem, kind of environmental interest and passion that is there, I think that's really important."

According to his friend and fellow conservationist Robert Irwin, the Prince of Wales is "creating an amazing legacy" for his children and "for an entire generation".

© Getty

Speaking at the London Climate Week earlier today, Robert, son of the legendary conservationist Steve Irwin, said there was a "symmetry" between the way he and William both encountered wildlife from a young age. 

"I was born and raised and grew up in a family business and a family environment, you know, creating this amazing empire of conservation and a positivity,” he told HELLO!. "There is such a symmetry in that Prince William, the environment that he grew up in, how he travelled so much from such a young age and got to see wildlife around the world."

That's all from me in London! 

Live from across the pond, our Los Angeles correspondent, Rebecca Lewis, is going to keep you updated with the latest royal news this afternoon and into the evening so you don't miss a thing!

Hello HELLO! readers, I am taking over the blog for the rest of this Tuesday, and I'd love to hear from you: what have been your favorite stories from the past week, and what are you looking forward to?

Drop me an email on rebecca.lewis@hellomagazine.com...

Just in from Buckingham Palace - the King and Queen and members of the royal family will visit Scotland for the annual Royal Week from 1 July to 4 July. 

© Alamy

Engagements will include the King attending the Ceremony of the Keys in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse - the royal family's official residence in Edinburgh. 

Other highlights will also include a garden party at the Palace on 1 July, with Their Majesties, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence in attendance.  

Duchess Sophie visited young ballet dancers at the Central School of Ballet, London, and looked gorgeous in a green Zimmermann dress.

A professional dance training based in the South Bank arts community, the school offers classes from age three through to 18 in their school, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate levels of education.

© Max Mumby

The 2025 ceremony will be held on 5 November at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro.

This will be the first time the prize will be held in Latin America and comes just days before Brazil hosts COP30 in Belém.

© Getty

You can find out more about the incredible organization here...

Elsewhere today, Prince William has shared his excitement about travelling to Rio de Janeiro for the fifth Earthshot Prize Awards later this year.

The future King said: "From a personal point of view, I've always wanted to get South America, particularly Brazil. So I'm personally very excited about going down there. I think South America as a whole, the amount of ecosystem, kind of environmental interest and passion that is there."

We're awaiting our invite, your Royal Highnesss...

Read more here.

The main studio's are known as The Countess of Wessex Studios, named after Sophie who is the Royal Patron.

© PA Images via Getty Images

King Charles and Queen Camilla have marked 25 years of the Royal Drawing School with a reception at St James’s Palace where His Majesty revealed he had contributed artwork to the new exhibition, a 2000 pencil sketch of the gardens at Highgrove.

We will update as soon as we get a picture of the sketch... 

© PA Images via Getty Images

The King also gave an impromptu speech where he shared rare details of his private life.

"I can’t resist saying a few very small words because above all I wanted to pay a very special tribute to darling Catherine [Goodman] who, can you believe it?, it all goes back really to when my very special cousin, Sarah [Chatto], and Catherine were young 18-year-old students at Camberwell School of Art and used to come bouncing in to my room," he began.

© Getty Images

"So when I needed somebody to start the life drawing classes at my original old Institute of Architecture in Regent’s Park, I thought Catherine is the ideal person. Otherwise these young trainee architects won’t understand the importance of life drawing in terms of proportion, scale and everything else."

The exhibition, The Power Of Drawing, features 50 works by well-known names and emerging talent including a David Hockney original charcoal pieces called Cut Trees And Timber Gone.

Charles and Camilla were joined by Grayson Perry and Tracey Emin at the reception, where the King was in high spirits.

Lady Sarah was also in attendance.

Here it is, King Charles' 2000 pencil sketch of Highgrove.

"Seen from behind + to the left,"  he added in the top corner of the sketch, seemingly describing the view of the home which has been the monarch's family residence for decades.

© Royal Rota