Royal family RECAP: Harry and Meghan's big news, Duchess Sophie's special visit, more

Good morning, royal fans! It's a quiet week in the royal world as the royals enjoy their summer breaks.

So what's on the royal agenda this week? 

• Duchess Sophie to meet 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran at his care home in Salisbury on Tuesday 
• Princess Anne is set to celebrate her 75th birthday on Friday
• Members of the Royal Family will attend engagements to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day on Friday 

We'll be keeping you posted with any updates as and when they come! 

The royal family are preparing for the upcoming 80th anniversary of VJ Day on 15 August, which will mark the anniversary of Japan's surrender to the Allies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, effectively ending the Second World War.

As well as an address to the nation, the King and Queen will attend a service of remembrance alongside war veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

While Charles and Camilla are at the National Memorial Arboretum event, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a service at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle, organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland.

Elsewhere, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will join the congregation at the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service at Norwich Cathedral, before attending a second commemorative service dedicated to the Children and Families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk.

Ahead of VJ Day, Sophie will meet Second World War veteran Jim Wren on Tuesday, who was serving on HMS Repulse when he was captured and held on the Indonesian island of Sumatra until the end of the war.

How lovely did Flora Vesterberg look for her brother Alexander Ogilvy's military graduation? 

The art historian looked elegant in a blue and white printed dress by Emilia Wickstead for the occasion.

The late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Princess Alexandra, 88, also attended her grandson's graduation from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst alongside her granddaughter Flora and Alexander's parents, James and Julia Ogilvy.

The royal family's Scottish residence, Balmoral, officially closed to the public yesterday ahead of the King and Queen's upcoming annual stay.

The Castle held its finally family day over the weekend, complete with an outdoor cinema.

Were you lucky enough to explore the grounds this summer?

The Danish royal palace has outlined King Frederik and Queen Mary's children's plans for the coming year - and Princess Josephine has made a surprising move!

The 14-year-old princess has opted to continue her studies at Spir Efterskole, a boarding school in Snaptun in Jutland.

The efterskole is a form of boarding school unique to Denmark. Students aged 14 to 18 can choose to spend a year or two of their lower secondary school education before continuing on to upper secondary education.

This is the first time a member of the royal family has decided to attend this type of school.

Find out what Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and Prince Vincent will be up to.

This morning, King Carl XVI Gustaf and his daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, had a joint outing with the External Affairs Committee at the palace in Stockholm.

The Foreign Affairs Committee is a consultation body between Parliament and the government with the head of state as chairman. The committee convenes at a summon by the government.

Hello! Abby here, taking over the royal blog for the afternoon…

Flora Vesterberg isn't the only royal whose style we're admiring today. 

Earlier this month, Princess Beatrice was spotted at the official opening of the UAE's largest bank, FAB's (First Abu Dhabi Bank) new London branch, and she was wearing the most beautiful white tea dress (£175/$416.50) by ME+EM.

Beatrice styled the regal number with a matching blazer from Zara and a pair of Nicholas Kirkwood pumps. Read all about her outing here. 

Speaking of royal style, our Lifestyle Writer Katie Daly just cannot get enough of Zara Tindall's knee-high boots.

Back in 2006, the daughter of Princess Anne wore these lace-up heeled boots, pairing them effortlessly with khaki rolled-up shorts and a GBC Charity Day top. At the time, Zara was attending a BGC Partners fundraising event at Canary Wharf. 

"Boots like these became an instant talking point and a go-to piece for making an entrance," fashion stylist Oriona Robb told Katie.

Read the full story here. 

August is holiday season for the royals, and it's been revealed that King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain are taking some time away from the spotlight. 

The royal couple are believed to be with their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, and are staying at the Greek residence of the Dutch royals, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, in the Peloponnese region.

Oh, what we'd do to be holidaying with them in Greece right now…

Get the details on their ultra-private trip here. 

From the Spanish royals in Greece to the English in the US… 

Lady Kitty Spencer, the daughter of Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer, shared some holiday snaps from the Hamptons, which are located on the South Fork of Long Island in New York. 

The fashion model shared pictures on Instagram with her daughter, Athena, husband Michael Lewis, as well as friends Simon Huck and Phil Riportella. The caption read: "Happiness in the Hamptons".

Did you know that Princess Anne is celebrating her 75th birthday this week?

The royal family's official Instagram has shared a sweet tribute to the King's sister, captioning it: "As we celebrate The Princess Royal turning 75 this week, swipe to find out more about the life and work of Her Royal Highness."

The collection of pictures charts the timeline of Anne's royal life and duties, reinforcing why she's often hailed as one of the hardest-working members of the monarchy.

Did you know that Pippa Middleton, the Princess of Wales' sister, made a rare appearance at the Sugarplum Ball at One Mayfair back in 2013?

Here, HELLO!'s Lifestyle Writer Katie Daly takes a closer look at the Temperley gown – which was never seen again – and speaks to fashion stylist Oriona Robb about how Pippa styled the look.

It's finally been confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have extended their partnership with Netflix in a multi-year, first look deal.

Their production company also confirmed a string of upcoming projects, including season two of the Duchess' lifestyle and cooking series, With Love, Meghan, which will drop on Netflix later in August.

So for those looking for their next binge-watch, here are the exciting upcoming projects to look out for: 

With Love, Meghan Season 2: Debuting on Netflix later this month, this season will feature Meghan welcoming celebrity chefs, artists and friends for hands-on adventures, cooking challenges and DIY projects.

With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration: A new holiday special episode of With Love, Meghan is set to premiere on Netflix this December, featuring family holiday celebrations, feasts and gift crafting.

Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within: A new documentary-short film, debuting on Netflix later this year, from Campfire Studios in association with Wontanara Productions and Archewell Productions. It will explore an orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, where orphaned children find joy and healing through dance.

Feature adaptation of Meet Me At The Lake: Archewell Productions is in active development on a romantic drama film based on Carley Fortune's bestselling novel, which follows a decade-spanning love story.

Expansion of Meghan's As ever brand: Meghan's lifestyle brand, launched in April, will continue to expand into new product categories, developed in partnership with Netflix.

Get the full details on the new deal here. 

That's all from me on the latest royal news from London – but I'm handing you over to the lovely Beatriz, who will be bringing you all the latest updates from across the pond… 

Goodbye for now!

The Princess of Wales has earned iconic status when it comes to impressive hairdos, but a windswept moment in 2019 showed her natural blonde highlights in all their glossy glory.

The then-Duchess of Cambridge, now 43, visited The Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, where her brunette hair was styled in a curly blow-dry with flicky front strands. Revisit her honey-hued locks here. 

Hi, it's Rachel here. I'm up bright and early, the sun is shining and I'm excited to bring you all the royal news as it happens this morning. The Duchess of Edinburgh is set for an incredible engagement in Salisbury, meeting a 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran and I'll bring you the latest on that as well as everything else.

Each year the royal family retreats to Balmoral for a summer away from royal duties, and this snap was taken 28 years ago to the day. King Charles (who was then a Prince) looked relaxed and happy as he posed alongside his boys, Prince William and Prince Harry in the grounds of the Scottish estate. With the dogs in tow and Charles' walking stick, it looks like they were set for a day of adventuring. 

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden looked glowing as she accompanied King Carl XVI Gustaf and the Swedish Prime Minister at a Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. Pictures released from yesterday's event show the royal stepped out in a navy floral dress with collar detail, and she teamed it with matching navy shoes. The sort of effortless coordination fellow style queen Princess Kate would applaud.

A new YouGov survey has found that 67 per cent of brits would back removing the Duke of York’s remaining royal titles. Only 13 per cent say they oppose the idea of stripping his titles, and 21 per cent remain undecided. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh met Mr James 'Jim' Wren today, a 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran. The royal visited his care home in Salisbury, and intently listened to his incredible-yet-harrowing war-time experiences.

Princess Diana's brother Earl Charles Spencer is expanding his brood - but not in the way you might think! He's expecting two new babies to arrive next summer. Find out who's pregnant here. 

Sarah Ferguson celebrated International Youth Day with the cutest round-up of pictures through the years of her charity work. Did you spot the Duchess' own children's book, Budgie the Helicopter Rescues Kubbie the Koala?

On this day, 39 years ago, an almost two-year-old Prince Harry was pictured sucking his thumb and cuddling into his mum, Princess Diana while on a holiday to Majorca. We spy impressive mother-son twinning in chic stripes!

Taking the royal reins this afternoon we have Francesca. Until next time, cheerio!

Hello, dear readers. Francesca here to keep you updated on all things royal for the rest of the day. 

It's a scorcher out there, and I don't know about you, but my desktop fan is working overtime. Keep cool and carry on, folks, as we take you through Tuesday's afternoon blog...

Photos of Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh's meeting in Salisbury with 105-year-old Royal Marines Veteran, James 'Jim' Wren have been shared.

Sophie's meeting with James took place in his care home in Salisbury and was carried out to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which is on 15 August, and recognises the day in history when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces, marking the end of six years of the Second World War.

She never gets it wrong, does she? The Princess of Wales is a constant source of inspiration when it comes to sartorial elegance.

Kate's post-wedding outfit was an equally beautiful yet striking contrast to the fairy tale gown she wore on her wedding day on 29 April 2011.

For her 'getaway outfit', ahead of her and Prince William's lavish honeymoon, Kate wore an outfit that was, according to experts, a "deliberate departure" from her usual style, and it also had significant meaning. 

Find out more about Kate's post-wedding outfit.

Princess Anne is marking her 75th birthday this week, and what better way to do so than on board her Rustler 44 yacht with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence.

The Princess Royal, who will turn 75 on 15 August, and her husband are sailing around western Scotland for ten days before joining the King at Balmoral.

The monarch's sister inherited her love of sailing from her late father, Prince Philip, having learned the ropes on a Bloodhound (a yacht).

HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey, took a look back at the Princess Royal's iconic nautical style that has endured for decades. See the most fabulous looks from over the years.

It feels like it's getting hotter by the minute in the UK this week.

And while it's lovely to lap up some blissful summer sunshine, health alerts have been issued up and down the country to ensure everyone is keeping safe and cool during the heatwave, and the royals are no different.

Rachel Avery, our Homes editor, shares why the Prince and Princess of Wales's expansive green space at their home in Windsor could be at extra risk of danger.

Since this week is, quite rightly, all about Princess Anne and her milestone birthday, we had to share this wonderful, unearthed photo of the Princess Royal and her two children, Zara and Peter Phillips, taken 40 years ago, almost exactly to the day.

Taken on 14 August 1985, the day before Anne's 35th birthday, the daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II looked super chic in her tartan skirt, bright blue blazer and yellow collared shirt. We love how little Zara and Peter are matching with their tartan outfits, too!

The family were photographed arriving in Scrabster, Scotland, for their holidays.