RECAP: Prince William releases personal message, Meghan Markle suffers 'disappointing' blow & more

Hello! Welcome to Friday's live blog of all things royal!

As the week draws to a close, Friday's royal agenda is surprisingly quiet. Today Princess Anne is expected to visit the CoFarm Foundation's Community Farm. She will also head to Insmed Innovation UK Limited's new genetic research centre in Cambridge.

If you're in the market for a new job, I have good news - Mike Tindall is hiring! 

The rugby pro's podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, is on the lookout for a social media ingénue. 

Interested? According to the job listing on LinkedIn, the pod's Social Content Lead will be responsbile for shaping content strategy and growing its audience. 

Imagine Mike as your boss!

While he's awaiting his new podcast hire, Mike Tindall has been enjoying some downtime, sharing snaps from his and Zara's holiday to Australia.

We love to see Mike wearing his trademark jazzy shorts!

As well as her busy day of engagements (and we'd expect nothing less from the hardest-working royal!), today is special for our beloved Princess Anne, as her lifetime of service is set to be formally celebrated with the first-ever official UK coin dedicated to her - it's been a long time coming!

Unveiled in celebration of her 75th birthday, this commemorative piece from The Royal Mint has been dubbed the "Anne-iversary coin." 

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The £5 piece received personal approval from the Princess herself and features a striking portrait of the King's sister, depicting her with her signature bouffant hairstyle, elegantly swept up and adorned with the magnificent Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara.

On the exciting new coin, Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: "For the first time in British numismatic history, we are honoured to celebrate the Princess Royal on an official UK coin.

"Her Royal Highness's unwavering commitment to public service, charitable work, and support of His Majesty’s armed forces over seven and a half decades makes her truly deserving of this tribute."

To the right of the princess’s portrait is a depiction of her official coat of arms, and on the obverse is the King, who gave the creation its final sign-off in honour of his sister.

Thomas T Docherty, who designed the coin, said it reflected the Princess' "strength of character" and "understated elegance".  

Prince William and Princess Kate took to social media this morning to urge their followers to head outside this summer holiday.

"From now until 10th August, join thousands across the UK in spotting and recording butterflies to help protect these vital pollinators," they wrote. "It only takes 15 minutes to do in any green space from your local park, garden or balcony!"

Prince Harry received support from an unexpected royal this week - find out who - and why - here.

Good afternoon and happy Friday! 

Join me, Nichola, as I explore the biggest royal news right now. Stay tuned...

We love a royal fashion hack here at HELLO! HQ, and who better to turn to than style icon, the Princess of Wales? Since marrying into the royal family in 2011, Princess Kate has repurposed some of her most special occasion wear with clever styling hacks. 

Whether she's adding new accessories such as clip-on bows or corsages, swapping out handbags to give a fresh look to familiar dresses, or utilising statement jewellery, she consistently makes sure she maximises her wardrobe while maintaining a fresh and elegant appearance. Discover all her thrifty fashion hacks here.

Despite initial fanfare, Meghan Markle's Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, didn't make it into the streaming giant's top 300 most-watched programmes for the first half of the year. 

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With 5.3 million views, it placed at number 383, which HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast host Andrea Caamano noted was "disappointing," adding: "Something Meghan herself is likely feeling too."

We're still obsessed with Princess Beatrice's makeup-free appearance in her fifth wedding anniversary post with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi! The sunny beachside photo Edo posted on Thursday gave us a valuable skincare lesson, reminding us why SPF is the key to avoiding premature ageing - something Beatrice has mastered.

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Juan Lopez, Founder and Medical Director at SkinMedico, explained: "Up to 80 per cent of visible skin ageing is caused by sun exposure, not by age alone." Terrifying, right?

But that's not to say that you can't add makeup to your SPF routine if it takes your fancy! Beatrice prefers a "less is more" approach that we're obsessed with for the hot summer weather.

Prince Harry popped up unannounced in Angola this week, reminding the world of his more serious side by making a symbolic walk through a cleared minefield to highlight the work of the HALO Trust. The timing of the trip was particularly interesting given a meeting that took place in London this week.

Want to know more? Then hop over to The HELLO! Royal Club where HELLO!'s Royal Editor, Emily Nash, decodes the royal week in her brilliant weekly newsletter. 

Princess Diana's brother Charles, 9th Earl Spencer has revealed he has welcomed a new addition to the family - a new puppy! The adorable dog looked so well-behaved as he sat between the legs of Charles' girlfriend, Professor Cat Jarman.

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Charles is yet to reveal the name of his mini black and tan furry friend, simply nicknaming the family member "pup", but we hope to see much more of him or her in the author's updates around his 13,000-acre ancestral home, Althorp House.

This comes just five months after Charles announced he had got a new dog back in February.

How incredible did Sarah Ferguson look at the Third Knights Of Charity Gala in Cannes?

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The mother of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice turned heads in an emerald green caped gown with a hot pink lining - an outfit that may look familiar to eagle-eyed royal fans.

It was by London-based designer Safiyaa, who was also the mastermind behind several of the Duchess of Sussex's caped outfits over the years, from the blue gown she wore during the royal visit to Fiji in 2018, to the pillar-box red version she stepped out in for the Mountbatten Festival of Music in 2020.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi may have just celebrated his wedding anniversary yesterday, but that hasn't stopped him from celebrating work achievements, too. 

His property development and interior design company, Banda Property, often posts updates of their gorgeous finished designs on Instagram, and the latest one shows a swoon-worthy marble-covered bathroom with a free-standing bathtub and his and hers sinks.

As a long-time admirer of royal fashion, let me tell you that it doesn't get more exciting than hearing some of your favourite royal fashion staples are on sale for summer.

© Getty Images

Aspinal bags have graced the arms of Princess Kate, who loves the classic 'Mayfair' bag, and Zara Tindall, who adores the brand's 'Camera Crossbody Bag' among others. So if you're in the market to update your summer wardrobe, look no further than Aspinal, which has a whopping 60 per cent off right now! See exactly what we'd buy before it sells out.

Despite being married to King Charles for 20 years, Camilla still has some separation from the royal family, as emphasised by royal photographer Chris Jackson, who was responsible for Queen Camilla's birthday portraits this month.

They revealed where she really calls "home" with her beloved dog, Moley, and where she feels "happy and relaxed" away from the public eye.

Queen Maxima's daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, recently celebrated her university graduation with friends on a well-deserved holiday in Ermionida, Greece! 

Royal fan page New My Royals reported that the Princess of Orange, who studied politics, psychology, law, and economics at the University of Amsterdam, left behind her family home Huis Ten Boschor for sunny Greece, where the Dutch royal family have a private villa in Kranidi. 

It will be a welcome break from what has been a complicated journey through her studies, from moving accommodation due to security concerns to undergoing surgery for her broken arm.

Prince William released a personal message of support to the British & Irish Lions rugby squad ahead of their match against Australia tomorrow. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "Good luck to @lionsofficial as they take on the Wallabies in the first Test tomorrow. A classic sporting rivalry and always tough opposition! Everyone back home is cheering you on!" signing off the post with his initial 'W.'

As the weekend rapidly approaches and the sunshine is calling, I'll say ciao for now! 

Our wonderful team in the US will continue to keep you updated with all the latest royal news this evening.

Happy Friday, HELLO! readers, and to kick off the last few hours of the blog, have a picture of a puppy!

© Instagram

Princess Diana's brother Charles, 9th Earl Spencer has revealed he has welcomed a new addition to the family, although he shared they have yet to decide on a name.

Have you seen this story from our Deputy Lifestyle Editor Melanie Macleod about how Princess Beatrice has taken guidance from her cousin Prince William in how to conduct personal relationships?

© WireImage

Click here to read the full feature.

British schools close out their school year today and early next week, and like other families with young children, the Prince and Princess of Wales are likely planning how to spend the warm summer months.

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While their holiday home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk, offers a familiar retreat from their usual home in Windsor, there's another forgotten gem further afield that promises privacy and a taste of "ordinary" life...

Click here to find out more.

Elsewhere this week, Princess Delphine of Belgium expressed her understanding of Prince Harry's situation, speaking openly about the Montecito-based royal's difficult predicament after several years of estrangement from the British royals.

© POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Hearing the perspective from another member of European monarchy is fascinating; click here to see what Princess Delphine had to say...

Princess Catharina-Amalia has also been planning for her summer break, and has now taken a group of friends to Ermionida, in Greece, where Catharina-Amalia's family own a gorgeous holiday home.

Thew group are celebrating their recent graduation from the University of Amsterdam. 

The property was purchased by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima back in 2012. The 4,000 square-metre estate cost the royals €4.5 million and boasts a swimming pool, private beach and marina for their exclusive use.

See the pictures here.

Thanks for following along with us this week.

For further weekend reading, take a look at HELLO!’s latest must-have special collector’s issue, Royal Retreats, which explores the holiday hideaways beloved by the royal family.

From the English countryside to the wilds of Africa and from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean to the mist-shrouded landscapes of Transylvania, the royals' favorite getaways are all on display in this gorgeous new coffee-table book.

BUY SPECIAL EDITION HERE