Royal family recap: Meghan Markle is ultimate hostess, Queen Mary's return, and more

Good morning, it's HELLO!'s Abby Allen bringing you all of the up-to-date royal news from London.

It's set to be a relatively relaxed Wednesday for the royals, who are still enjoying a well-deserved summer break – but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for any surprise appearances that may occur later this afternoon 👀

Stay tuned for this and more!

The Duchess of Sussex gave fans a glimpse of her 44th birthday celebrations on Tuesday, taking to Instagram with a photo of herself blowing the candles out on a beautiful cake topped with yellow flowers, while seated at Funke restaurant in Los Angeles. 

"Blowing out the candles on a beautiful 24 hours, and thanking my husband, friends and family for making it so special," penned Meghan. "To those of you I don’t know, but who send love every day - thank you so much. Please know I feel it and appreciate it."

Find out more here. 

The Princess of Wales and her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has launched a new animated film series unpacking the science behind early social and emotional development.

The royal described supporting early childhood as a "sacred opportunity to transform our societies" and raise children who are "better equipped to face the future". 

Read the full story here. 

© Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

An investigation into the leadership fallout at the Duke of Sussex's charity, Sentebale, has found no evidence of alleged harassment or bullying within the organisation.

While a spokesman for Prince Harry said that these findings were "unsurprising," the report had fallen "troublingly short in many regards".

Harry and the co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, stepped down in March after the relationship between the board of trustees and chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka broke down.

Read the full story. 

© Getty Images

Princess Anne is in Dublin today, where Irish President Michael D Higgins will welcome her at his official residence.

The Princess Royal will visit Aras an Uachtarain (official residence) in the Irish capital, in what has been described as "a courtesy call".

During her visit, Anne will meet President Higgins and his wife, Sabina, before attending the official opening day of the 150th Dublin Horse Show at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). She will also tour a special exhibition on the history of the show and meet representatives from Festina Lente (a Bray-based charity offering equine-assisted learning and therapy services) and the Riding for the Disabled Association Ireland.

We will share pictures as they come!

© Getty Images

King Frederik and Queen Mary are set for a major change to their routine next week as they resume a fuller schedule of public engagements. The Danish royal couple have been quietly spending time at their summer residence, Gråsten Palace, in the Jutland region of Denmark.

According to BILLED-BLADET, Frederik, 57, and Mary, 53, will reportedly return to Copenhagen at the end of this week.

More details here. 

© EPA/Shutterstock

Princess Leonor raids Queen Letizia's closet for stunning summer look

Princess Leonor of Spain takes after her mother when it comes to her fashion sense. The 19-year-old looked stunning during her latest appearance at an official dinner in Palma de Mallorca on Monday night, wearing a blue and white ruffled max dress taken straight from Queen Letizia's closet, as were her shoes. 

The dress, which was designed by Desigual in collaboration with Stella Jean, featured abstract animal designs and sat off her shoulders, creating a graceful silhouette. 

Find out more.

© Getty Images

Former royal chef Darren McGrady shared an insight into Princess Diana's daily menu, revealing she would often share lunch with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. 

"When she was entertaining, especially if she had the boys home, William and Harry, I had to change the menu to make it nursery friendly so that the boys would like it - comfort food that they would like but a dish to two that she would like too," Darren revealed.

Get more details. 

© Getty

That's it from me for today. I'm now handing over to Rachel Avery for the rest of today's news!

Hi, I'm Rachel and I'm on royal reporting duties this afternoon. Just as I've joined the desk, pictures of Princess Anne's Dublin outing have dropped. 

© PA Images via Getty Images

The Princess Royal was seen shaking hands with President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, and then they posted for a photograph, alongside the president's wife, Sabina. Anne glowed in green for the occasion - a subtle nod to Ireland, perhaps. 

© PA Images via Getty Images

While King Charles is busy in Scotland today, we've been rounding up the best photos of his regal residence in Norfolk, Sandringham. The monarch has been busy overhauling the place since he took over the reins, including opening up an extra-special holiday home on site. Imagine rubbing shoulders with the royals while on your jollies! 

The monarch arrived at R.A.F. Lossiemouth today, to mark the Stand Up Parade of the 42 Torpedo Bomber Squadron. 

The King addressed everyone warmly, and his meaningful speech that talked through the history of the squadron and concluded with "Your dedication, skill and professionalism are an immense credit to the Royal Air Force and to the United Kingdom. You carry forward a proud legacy, and I have no doubt that you will continue to uphold the highest standards in the years to come."

More information and pictures of His Majesty to follow.

The monarch looked incredibly smart in his own military uniform as he stepped out to greet R.A.F personnel as well as their friends and family for the special Stand Up Parade at R.A.F Lossiemouth. The squadron stood in line as the King walked past.

© POOL/AFP via Getty Images

There was one onlooker who wasn't so sure about the royal's visit, though, as a new baby in the crowd let out a big cry as the King stopped to say hello. You can't please everyone, it seems...

© Getty Images

Queen Letizia of Spain and her daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia have gone viral thanks to a clip of them using sign language. 

The trio were hosting local authorities at their summer residence, Marivent Palace in Majorca, when they had a sweet exchange with one guest Ana María Ruiz, president of the Mallorca Deaf Persons Association.

Watch the amazing video here. 

On The Royal Club they've been swooning over the impressive sports-honed physiques of the royals. Did you know that there is a European royal who is a fully-fledged Olympian and another royal family member who is a qualified personal trainer? Sculpted arms and impressive regimes right this way. 

Taking a look back through the archives, I've unearthed this corker of a photo from 6 August 2005, showing Princess Kate as a boho beauty, complete with cowboy hat and cord necklace. At the time, she was Prince William's girlfriend and she was attending the Festival of British Eventing, held at Princess Anne's home of Gatcombe Park.

© Getty Images

More snaps from King Charles' appearance at R.A.F Lossiemouth have dropped, and they've even caught the sweet moment he was given a bouquet of flowers by children. See all of the pictures here.

© Getty Images

While Prince William and Princess Kate's 2011 royal wedding may be etched on your memory thanks to the gorgeous photographs, there was a special element you may know nothing about. 

The couple had real trees they used as décor to line their aisle, and after the big day, they were replanted in the grounds of one of King Charles' private properties, Llwynywermod in Wales. However, despite the trees flourishing, the royals can no longer admire them in person, and here's why. 

© Getty Images

Just before I depart for the day, here's another peek into the royal photo album. This intriguing picture shows the late Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles sitting down inside Kensington Palace for a planning meeting. This 1986 meeting was one of many that the couple had with their team to organise their upcoming diaries. 

© Getty Images

I'm now handing over to Beatriz Colon, who will be on hand this evening for any breaking royal news. Over and out! 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's life in Montecito couldn't be further from their former setup on the grounds of the Home Park estate in Windsor, but it seems their son is right at home with a Cali lifestyle.

Last weekend, Prince Archie, six, was spotted taking surfing lessons at a local beach following in the footsteps of his father, Prince Harry, who caught a wave or two at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch in California in 2024.

Not only is surfing a natural part of growing up in the Golden State, but it will set Archie up for the future, as Dr. Amanda Gummer, Chair of the Association of Play Industries and Founder of FUNdamentally Children, tells HELLO!. See more of what she had to say about little Archie here.

Meghan Markle has taken to the official Instagram page for her brand, As Ever, to share an exciting new way to try the latest product – and it's got summer indulgence written all over it...

The King has had quite the hectic day with his appearance at R.A.F. Lossiemouth, and the royal family have shared a montage video of what he got up to on their official Instagram page. Take a look below.

Though it's a quiet night royal-wise, we did another deep dive into the royal archive, and found a beautiful photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II with two of her grandchildren, Zara and Peter Phillips, who look absolutely adorable gazing into the abyss from the Britannia.

© Getty Images

That's all from us for this evening, but stay tuned tomorrow for all the latest news on the royal families!

Good morning, royal fans. It's Thursday, and the weekend is almost here.

Before that, we'll be keeping you posted on what's in store for the royals today. Looks like it might be another quiet day while plenty of senior royals enjoy their August break, but we'll be sure you don't miss a beat if anything happens...

It might be her birthday week, but never doubt the Duchess of Sussex's ability to be an impeccable host for others celebrating her special day.

Meghan was seen in an Instagram Story shared by As Ever on Wednesday, looking like the ultimate summer hostess. The mother of two and wife of Prince Harry looked gorgeous in a pale pink dress and large shades as she carried a tray of popsicles made from her new rosé wine through her Montecito garden.

© Instagram, As Ever

Well, I don't know about you, but these rosé ice lollies look like they're going to be my refreshing treat of choice when the weather in the UK warms up this weekend. 

© Instagram

No, it's not Halloween, but this spooky royal story caught our eye this morning. According to Robert Hardman, after stories of a haunted room at Sandringham began to circulate among royal staff, it was reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II attended an "exorcism" to put fears at ease.

The royal author explained that the Queen mother allegedly invited a local parson to perform a "religious cleansing ceremony" inside one of the rooms, with her daughter, the Queen, invited to attend. "It wasn't a conventional exorcism. There was no dramatic casting out of demons, like you see in films. 

"The late Queen had a strong faith, but she was not superstitious", Robert Hardman said, "But she did have a strong sense of the spiritual."

© GC Images

After a summer break, Queen Mary is returning to royal engagements next week to attend the opening of the counselling service Headspace Tårnby, and it's a gesture that makes a "world of difference" to their volunteers and young people.

When asked what the upcoming royal visit means to the organisation, Trine Hammershøy, CEO of Headspace Danmark, tells HELLO!: "When Queen Mary takes the time to come out and open a new local headspace centre, it makes a world of difference for all of us at headspace Danmark. Not least to our many volunteers and the young people they support who feel seen and heard in a very sincere way."

© Getty Images