Royal family lates Feb 9-10: Prince William continues his visit in Saudi Arabia and more

Robert Jobson breaks down Sarah Ferguson's relationship with late, convicted sex trafficker, and makes the case for her testimony into investigations concerning the disgraced financier here. 

Princess Eugenie's son, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, turns five on 9 February, and the tot is cuter than ever. As the daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, Princess Eugenie, 35, has made countless public appearances since being a very small child, but the same can't be said for August, or his little brother, Ernest, two.

The King's niece has opted to raise her sons in private with her marketing exec husband, Jack Brooksbank, splitting their time between London and Portugal. However, the couple made an exception for a very special occasion in 2022 when August joined both of his parents at the Platinum Pageant on The Mall to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne in 1952. 

More on what that says here. 

That's all we have for you today, but come back right here tomorrow for more of all the royal news you can't miss.

Cheers!

Good morning, royal readers!

Stay tuned for all the latest royal news this Tuesday, as Prince William continues his three-day visit in Saudi Arabia and more 👑

It was a busy day for Queen Rania Al Abdullah on Monday, when the Jordanian royal inaugurated the 25th branch of the Zaha Cultural Center in Aqaba Governorate. 

The queen toured its facilities and learned about its range of family-oriented programs, which aim to empower children, youth and women to develop their creative, cognitive and social skills.

A royal initiative, the Zaha Cultural Centers provide recreational spaces and safe learning environments, as well as training programs designed to serve all segments of society.

Queen Rania took to Instagram, @queenrania, to share pictures from the visit, captioning it: "Seeing children happy always makes my day! At the opening of Zaha Cultural Center in Aqaba today."

Royal fans were offered a sneak peek into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's home life in Montecito last week, when the Duchess of Sussex delivered a selection of chocolate bars from her lifestyle brand, As Ever, to her husband. 

Opting for the white chocolate, Harry said: "Thank you, love you!" from behind his desk. Eagle-eyed fans soon spotted a card in the background from the couple's children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, four. It read: "Love you Papa."

Prince William has begun his second day in Saudi Arabia and was pictured meeting locals and students in Riyadh during his visit to Sports Boulevard. 

© Getty Images

The sustainable urban regeneration project is set to become the longest linear park in the world when completed in 2027. 

© Getty Images

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has fallen from grace due to his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, for which he had his royal titles removed in October last year. While Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing, his family has remained focused on the victims. 

Here, our US Royal News Correspondent has rounded up everything the royal family has said on the record about Jeffrey Epstein… 

Prince William spoke to local Saudi women in Riyadh on Tuesday about recent freedoms that have transformed their prospects. 

The British prince discussed the changes brought about by their country's leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), with whom he dined with on the first evening of his visit. William's visit aims to strengthen ties with the Middle Eastern country.

© Getty Images

At the dinner, William and MBS enjoyed conversation which covered from many elements of the UK-Saudi bilateral relationship, before William gifted the Saudi leader an England football shirt signed and worn by England captain Harry Kane at the England vs Senegal friendly on 10 June 2025.

Princess Mette Marit of Norway has also been caught in further fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files, in which she was named multiple times. The Norwegian royal, 52, has apologised for her association with the convicted sex offender, calling it "simply embarassing" and her "deepest regret". 

Now, the Norwegian Council for Mental Health, of which Mette-Marit is also patron, has announced they are putting their collaboration with the princess "on hold" until further notice. 

Get the full story here. 

© Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Getty Images

That's all from me – I'm now handing you over to Josh Osman, who will bring you all the latest this Tuesday afternoon 👀

During his outing to the sports ground in Riyadh, a broadcast reporter travelling with the Prince of Wales challenged him over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's role in the ever-developing Jeffrey Epstein story.

The journalist asked, twice: "Sir, to what extent do you think the royal family has done enough around the Andrew and Epstein issue?"

Prince William did not respond, though it is unknown whether he heard the question clearly, as he was rather far away from the journalist. Read the full story here.

Princess Sofia of Sweden, the wife of Prince Carl Philip, has broken her silence on her connection to Jeffrey Epstein, after her named was mention in the latest release of files relating to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

"I have met him in a few social contexts," she said, as quoted by the Swedish media. She reportedly explained that they had met twice: once at a restaurant, where she was introduced to him, and again at a film screening attended by many other people

"Luckily it was just that. Now that I've read about all the terrible crimes he committed against young women, I'm grateful that I haven't had anything to do with him since the few times in my twenties."

It's no secret that Queen Rania of Jordan is one of the best dressed royal ladies worldwide, but she somehow still manages to surprise us every week!

For the inauguration of the 25th branch of the Zaha Cultural Centre in Aqaba, Jordan on Monday, 9 February, she looked wonderful in a very fashion-forward take on double denim.

See the best pictures of the Jordanian Queen from the occasion, and our breakdown of her look here.

© Royal Hashemite Court

Attending an e-sports tournament in a specially built arena, the Prince of Wales went head-to-head with Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, the Saudi E-Sports Federation’s Chairman, in a game of Rocket League, a popular video game in which players drive buggies to hit an oversized football towards a goal.

When he sat down, he told his teammate Abdullah Muthyib: "I have no idea what I'm doing. You'll have to show me." Prince William's team lost both matches, but remained a good sport.

During his visit to the stadium, the father-of-three learned about Saudi’s gaming environment, and chatted to women working in the e-sports industry.

© Getty Images

Queen Camilla also has a busy day today, as she begun by attending a service of celebration to mark the 650th anniversary of royal confirmation of the Guild of St Bridge, which took place at St Bridge's Church in London.

She joined the congregation for a service, which recognised the work of the guild in facilitating public worship and its ministry to journalism. Afterwards, she went to a short reception in the crypt, where she met with members of the Guild, as well as students supported by a Guild bursary.

© Getty Images

The Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence were spotted watching the curling mixed doubles bronze medal game, taking place between Great Britain and Italy at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.

They joined Eve Muirhead, Team GB's chef de mission, and Katherine Grainger, the former Olympic rower, at the match.

© PA Images via Getty Images

Did you know that today, 10 February, marks 21 years since the now-King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, announced their engagement? 

The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II presented his fiancée with a family heirloom engagement ring, which had previously belonged to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. 

The ring, which was designed in an art deco style, features a five-carat emerald-cut diamond in the centre, with three diamond baguettes on each side.

© Tim Graham

That's everything from this side of the Atlantic, but our New York correspondent Beatriz Colon will keep you in the loop with all the latest royal news and updates!

Sculpted in honey-hued stone and spanning 115 historic rooms, the 16th-century Burghley House isn't just one of Britain's most breathtaking Elizabethan properties – it is also a home. Growing up at the magnificent estate on the Lincolnshire-Cambridgeshire border was a huge adventure for Miranda Rock and her younger brother, Richard.

See here what the home's residents had to say about the property, which was used to debit the royals in Netflix's The Crown. 

There are a lot of rules and regulations that come with being a member of the royal family – like where to go, what to wear and even what to say – but there's a surprising rule that Queen Elizabeth II maintained behind closed doors. According to reports, the royals are banned from playing the popular board game, Monopoly.

As cited in a 2008 article in The Telegraph, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, revealed all during a visit to Leeds Building Society. The royal was given the board game to celebrate his visit to the Albion Street headquarters, but on receiving it, he said: "We're not allowed to play Monopoly at home. It gets too vicious."

Read more here. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales moved into Forest Lodge in Windsor in November 2025 with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It has been coined their 'forever home' with the perfect surroundings and plenty of space, but there have been some mysterious goings on – with tales of a regular ghost!

Richard Herne, known as Herne the Hunter, is said to frequent Windsor Great Park, which is where their impressive 8-bedroom home is located. While some believe the local legend protects the woodland, others believe he has more of a sinister presence, attacking livestock.

Read more spooky details here, if you dare. 

That's all the royal news we have for you for the first half of the week, but we'll have you (and the royals) covered the remainder of the week in our February 11 blog. 

Cheers!