Royal news 17-18 November: Prince William joins Charles and Camilla at Windsor Castle reception, Princess Kate misses out, more

In case you missed it, watch Kate arriving at The Future Workforce Summit in London earlier today.

The Princess enjoyed a private lunch before meeting many of the key players who have long championed her early years work.

She had originally planned to leave after the morning session but opted to stay for the rest of the summit to hear how taskforce members were inspiring change.

A royal source said the Princess "feels passionately" about their work in placing childhood at the heart of the business community.

Queen Maxima of The Netherlands looked lovely in autumnal burgundy today as she toured the SAWA residential building, which is constructed from wood, as part of its officially opening in Rotterdam.

The building is designed with biodiversity, circularity, and community at its core. 

© ANP/AFP via Getty Images

Joining the Princess at the Summit earlier today were rapper Professor Green, who collaborated with Kate on her Shaping Us campaign, launched in 2023 to highlight the crucial first five years of a child's life.

She also chatted to Giovanna Fletcher, who interviewed the Princess on her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in February 2020, and former England player Ugo Monye, another Shaping Us champion.

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A message from the Princess of Wales on Instagram after the Summit today. 

A reel showed the highlights from her day, with Kate adding: "A brilliant day highlighting the vital role businesses can play in early childhood. 

"The focus was clear: to ensure the next generation develops the uniquely human skills needed to thrive in a world of rapid technological change, we need to focus on the earliest years of life."

The Duchess of Edinburgh is on the final leg of her Central/South America trip in Belize, where she will  celebrate the nation's diverse and dynamic society, including attending the national holiday of Garifuna Settlement Day. 

The royal family's Instagram account shared some images from Sophie's time in Guatemala, including visits to Tikal National Park and the Street Kids Direct Project. 

The Duke of Edinburgh is visiting Nigeria and Ghana from Monday 17 to Wednesday 26 November 2025 to celebrate the relationship between the UK and both Commonwealth countries, with a particular focus on supporting young people, and highlighting the positive impact of sport.

In Abuja, Nigeria, the Duke met with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The next leg of his trip will see him travel to Lagos to join The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gold Event and Forum, hosted by The International Award for Young People Nigeria (IAYPN). 

He will also deliver the keynote address at the Forum, which meets every three years and convenes almost 200 young people from more than 50 countries over the week, alongside hundreds of leaders delivering the Award globally.

The BBC has issued an apology after receiving complaints for using the Princess of Wales's incorrect title during a broadcast. 

During their Armistice Day coverage, the BBC referred to the Princess of Wales as "Kate Middleton," which prompted backlash on social media. 

In the BBC's response to the complaint, they stated: "During our coverage of memorials to commemorate Armistice Day we mistakenly referred to Catherine, Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton; these were errors during hours of live broadcasting for which we apologise.  Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title." 

Read the full story here.

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That's all from me in London this evening. 

Our New York writer, Beatriz, will be updating you with royal news throughout the evening.

Have a good one, wherever you are! 

A royal biographer has claimed that the late Diana, Princess of Wales had strong opinions about her former brother-in-law, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Lady Diana Spencer married Andrew's brother, then Prince Charles, in 1981 – five years before Diana's friend, Sarah Ferguson, would go on to wed the former Duke of York.

In his book, Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, royal biographer Andrew Lownie claims that Andrew's boisterous nature and desire to cause trouble was far from appealing for the late Diana. See what he had to say here. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales will be the guests of honour at the Royal Variety Performance this year, where they will enjoy performances by the cast of Paddington The Musical, pop star Jessie J and Madness. It will be the sixth time Prince William and Kate have attended the show, and the first since the Princess's recovery from cancer.

Back in 2017, the then Duke of Cambridge prompted fits of giggles from his wife, as host Miranda Hart persuaded the future King to gallop in the royal box during the show. Take a look back at the moment here.

The King and Queen hosted the diplomatic reception on Tuesday evening with Camilla sporting the emerald tiara worn by Princess Eugenie on her wedding day. 

The Prince of Wales made a solo appearance as the Princess of Wales missed the annual white-tie and tiara event for the second year in a row. The royals mingled with over 900 diplomats in the state rooms at Windsor Castle for the first time since 2001. Traditionally, the event takes place at Buckingham Palace. See all the photos here.

King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales stepped out on Tuesday evening to attend the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Windsor Castle. The Queen turned heads in a dazzling emerald tiara also worn by Princess Eugenie on her 2018 wedding day, and here at HELLO! HQ, it made us think of how rare royal tiara moments are. 

The Princess of Wales, who usually attends the diplomatic reception, was notably absent. She had spent the day in London attending a summit and championing a cause close to her heart - the Early Years. But in her previous appearances at the Diplomatic Corps event, she has worn the Lover's Knot tiara as well as the Lotus Flower tiara. See some of the best looks here.

And we'll leave you with that for now, folks. Keep up with all the rest of the week's royal news and updates here, starting bright and early tomorrow morning.

Cheers!