Royal Family RECAP: King Charles awards Phil Spencer MBE ahead of poignant cancer reception with Princess Kate

Good morning! Welcome to the beginning of another busy week of royal news. I'll be keeping you up to speed with all the latest news from royal households across the globe, so stay tuned!

So, what's on today's agenda? 

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will begin their three-day visit to Portugal, celebrating the historical ties and modern relationship between the UK and Portugal. 

Elsewhere, Prince William returns to royal duties after half term. 

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will embark on a visit to Japan, while the Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan celebrate their third wedding anniversary. 

Elsewhere, King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark begin their summer cruise on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog.

The King's nephew Peter Phillips and his fiancée, Harriet Sperling, are just days away from walking down the aisle. The couple will tie the knot on Saturday 6 June in the picturesque Cotswolds at All Saints Church, Kemble, Cirencester.

A host of royals are expected to attend the nuptials, including the King and Queen. Peter and Harriet's big day will begin with a traditional ceremony in a quaint village church, followed by a private reception. 

HELLO! understands that following the wedding, the reception will be held at Gatcombe Park, the residence of Peter's mother, Princess Anne. 

Earlier this month, HELLO! exclusively confirmed that Prince Harry, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson wouldn't be among the royals attending the wedding.

A friend of the couple told us: "When and whether Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson had been invited, it was probably not deemed appropriate to invite them. It's Peter and Harriet’s special day, and clearly their attendance would cause a distraction to the whole day.

"Peter and Harry haven't spoken for several years and have simply lost touch, so he hasn't been invited."

But while we know who won't be at the ceremony on Saturday, which royal guests will be in attendance? 

Find out everything you need to know about the upcoming nuptials, including the special royal guests who will be in attendance, in the latest piece for HELLO! VIP members, penned by our Royal Managing Editor, Ainhoa Barcelona.

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Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan have released a new portrait to mark their third wedding anniversary.

In the photo, Rajwa affectionately holds onto her husband as they both beam at the camera. Rajwa donned a stunning turquoise dress for the occasion, while her husband looked suave in a navy suit. 

The couple married on 1 June 2023 at Zahran Palace in Amman after the son of King Abdullah and Queen Rania proposed to Rajwa at her family's home in Riyadh. 

The pair rode in a procession through the streets, finishing at Al Husseiniya Palace, where a state banquet was held with 1,700 guests.

A number of European royals in attendance, including Prince William, Princess Kate, Queen Mary of Denmark, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and Princess Beatrice.

Rajwa, who welcomed the couple's daughter Princess Iman in August 2024, wore a stunning Elie Saab gown for her nuptials, featuring a long train with floral cutouts. She also wore a second gown - a princess-cut number by Dolce & Gabbana.

Find out more. 

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Princess Ingrid Alexandra will return home from Australia to be with her mother, Crown Princess Mette Marit, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018 and is on the waiting list for a lung transplant.

According to the Norwegian outlet NRK, the 22-year-old daughter of Mette-Marit and Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, who is due to complete the first year of her three-year bachelor's degree in Sydney, Australia, will soon fly home. 

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince will cut short his trip to Japan this week over the health of his wife, whom he recently said was "seriously ill".

A statement from the Palace read: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is shortening his official trip to Japan by one day due to the health situation of Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess."

Speaking to local media, the Crown Prince said: "The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately. So I am worried about her health.

"She uses oxygen in her everyday life, and that helps a bit. And these six months have gone pretty well, I think. But there are different phases. So we just have to try to solve it as best we can.

While Mette-Marit is on the waiting list for a lung transplant, t's unclear when this will take place. "It's up to the doctors, it's a medical question," he added. 

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Mike Tindall has revealed the sweet nickname he and his wife Zara use for each other away from the spotlight. 

The former England rugby star, who has been married to Princess Anne's daughter since 2011, shared new details about their family life in an interview with Woman & Home, giving royal fans a glimpse at their down-to-earth relationship.

When asked whether the couple have pet names for one another, Mike revealed that they do indeed. "If it's nicknames, it's Z and Mikey-T," said the 47-year-old, who lives with his family at Aston Farm, a renovated farmhouse on Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park estate.

The father-of-three also shared that he and Zara have another nickname for each other, "Munchkin." How sweet!

Opening up about how the couple navigate their busy family life as parents to three children, Mia, 12, Lena, seven, and Lucas, five, with work and public appearances, Mike admitted: "It can be stressful."

He continued: "You're trying to do everything all at once, and that's hard. But you find a way. The whole point is to find a way and get it done while having fun at the same time. That's what we try to do anyway."

Click here to read the full story. 

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King Charles has opened up about his love for Balmoral, the Scottish estate which held a special place in the heart of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In the foreword to a new guide book, Charles shared a deeply personal reflection on his mother's final days. Elizabeth died peacefully at the estate aged 96 on September 8 2022 following her 70-year reign as monarch. 

"Since my earliest childhood, it has held, and continues to hold, a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself, and my late mother particularly treasured her time at Balmoral," wrote Charles. 

"It was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days."

He continued: "Whatever the circumstances in which you are reading this book, I hope that you, too, will be inspired by the rich complexity of the architecture and share in the magic of the surrounding countryside, whose ‘wild and majestic’ landscape has been the source of inspiration and enjoyment for so many."

Balmoral was purchased by Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert in 1852 and has remained the cherish Scottish home of the royal family. 

Read the full story here. 

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For over three decades, Sir Timothy Laurence has been by Princess Anne's side, acting as a pillar of support for the Princess Royal. 

In HELLO!'s latest VIP piece, our Royal and Features Contributor, Tracy Schaverien, has revealed how Sir Timothy has quietly supported his wife during troubled times for the royal family. Become a HELLO! VIP to read the story. 

Did you know that Princess Anne and Sir Timothy were not allowed to marry in England when they tied the knot in 1992? 

The pair travelled to Scotland for their nuptials as they were forbidden from getting married in England at the time. Princess Anne had been previously married to Mark Phillips in 1973 and the divorce was finalised in early 1992. The Church of England did not permit remarrying, leaving Scotland as their only choice.

Princess Anne and Timothy now live together on the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, along with Anne's daughter Zara who lives with her husband Mike Tindall and their three children, Mia, Lena and Lucas. 

It's a special time for the family as Anne's son, Peter, will say "I do" to his fiancée, Harriet Sperling, on Saturday 6 June in the Cotswolds.

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That's all from me! I'll be handing over to TV writer Abby Allen, who will keep you updated with all the latest royal news this afternoon. Bye for now!

A royal wedding is undoubtedly one of the biggest events of the year – and an occasion that often sees the happy reunion of rarely seen family members as they gather to celebrate. 

Peter Phillips, Princess Anne's son, is set to marry Harriet Sperling on Saturday, 6 June at All Saints' Church in Gloucestershire. 

It's expected that there will be a lengthy royal guest list, with likely attendees including the King and Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales – though this hasn't been officially confirmed yet. However, one royal relative that will almost certainly be on the guest list is Peter and Zara Tindall's half-sister, Stephanie Phillips. 

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Stephanie, 28, is the daughter of Princess Anne's first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, to whom he was married from 1997 until 2012. The King's sister was married to Captain Mark from 1973 to 1992 and is now married to Sir Timothy Laurence.

Despite the age gap, it always seems that Stephanie, Zara, 45, and Peter, 48, get on very well when they're seen together. Get all the details here. 

It was a weekend of family celebrations for Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, as they marked their youngest son Ernest's third birthday.

Taking to Instagram, Eugenie posted a handful of family photos to mark the occasion, and one showed off her casual at-home wardrobe. 

As a busy mother-of-two who is preparing to welcome her third child this summer, Sarah Ferguson's daughter prioritised comfort and practicality, choosing a soft cashmere jumper that fan account Royal British Fashion spotted was from high-street store Uniqlo. 

The brown design, which cost £109.90 from the Anya Hindmarch collaboration, features a patch design on the left arm, thumb holes and even playful eyes, none of which were visible as she wrapped her arms around her son Ernie.

Black loose trousers and £49 Meller sunglasses perched on her head to keep her hair out of her face added the finishing touches. Meanwhile, her son also wore low-key blue shorts, trainers and a green long-sleeved top for the family picture.

Prince William has a "ruthless streak" that makes him an excellent judge of character, according to a royal biographer. 

In fact, it was William, 43, who played a major role in the royal family's handling of the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crisis, according to Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. 

© Andrew Parsons / Kensington Pala

Though the Prince has often exuded "normality" – he is a relatable parent to George, Charlotte, and Louis, and a loving husband to Kate – it's actually he who "calls the shots" behind the scenes. 

The royal author told the i Paper: "William is calling the shots more now that we're in this transitional phase towards him taking over."

Where King Charles is "sentimental" and a "bit of a ditherer", Andrew Lownie claims that William is much tougher and was "annoyed and frustrated" about the delay to act regarding Andrew. 

For example, William is thought to have been the driving force behind decisions such as the removal of Andrew's titles and his initial stepping down from royal duties after the 2019 BBC Newsnight interview. Get the full story here.

Louise Pragnell is one of Britain's leading portrait artists, having painted many celebrities and members of royalty, including Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Stéphanie.

One of the most notable moments came when Louise sat down to paint Princess Anne. On the day of Louise's first sitting with Anne, she was given strict instructions about where to stand, what to say and when to curtsey. When Anne arrived, she abandoned all protocol. 

"She walked in and looked straight across and waved and said, 'Hello!'," Louise told HELLO!. "The people around were thinking, that didn't go how we'd planned. She's really cool, she just gets on with it. 

"She's a seriously impressive person. Her first sitting was her fourth engagement of the day. She had to stand in these heavy robes for two hours. Halfway through, I said: 'Ma'am, do you need a break?' She was like: 'No, do you need a break, Louise?'"

Get the full story and read Louise's exclusive interview here. 

That's all from me! 

I'm now handing you over to Beatriz, who will continue bringing you all the latest royal news this Monday evening 👑

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh enjoyed a ride around Lisbon on a historic tram as they kicked off a three-day tour of Portugal.

HELLO's royal contributor Tracy Schaverien joined Prince Edward and Sophie as they hopped on the tram outside the city’s famous Estrela Garden, where they were greeted by the mayor Carlos Moedas as well as some off-duty firefighters, who were marking the country’s National Day of Children. 

The couple were in high spirits as they climbed inside the carriage and took a seat for their 10-minute ride, then chatted to the driver before getting off. 

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See more details here. 

That's all we have for you today, folks, but we'll be right back here early tomorrow morning for more of the week's royal news. 

Cheers! 

Good morning everyone,

And welcome to a very busy royal agenda!

The royals have returned to duties this week following a short break and they've got a lot planned! 

We have an investiture at Windsor Castle, Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward are in Portugal, and King Charles and Queen Camilla will later be hosting a reception for Cancer Research UK at St James's Palace. 

Princess Anne has two engagements today, attending a dinner at Trinity House and visiting Merville Barracks in Colchester. 

In terms of the European Royals, King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark are continuing their annual summer cruise on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, and Crown Prince Haakon is in Japan.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco are also on a two-day visit to Spain, yesterday meeting with King Felipe and Queen Letizia.  

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Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco have reunited with King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain! 

The four royals visited the Royal Botanical Garden's exhibitions "8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco" and "Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history" on Monday in Madrid. 

Albert and Charlene are on a two-day visit to mark the 150th anniversary of Diplomatic Representation of the Principality of Monaco in the Kingdom of Spain. 

The visit coincides with the celebration of the 270th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Botanical Garden in 1755. 

It's always so exciting to see different monarchies come together - Princess Charlene and Queen Letizia both looked stunning. 

I loved Charlene's blue sparkling dress, and her hair looked so elegant. Queen Letizia kept in simple with a bridal white dress, complete with a wraparound waist. 

© Europa Press via Getty Images

Our Royal Contributor Tracy is with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in Portugal - sign up to HELLO! VIP for her special behind-the-scenes dispatches. 

We've got some very exciting news, just in!

The Princess of Wales is to join the King and Queen at a reception celebrating the work of Cancer Research UK on Tuesday evening.

Kate, who revealed she was in remission at the start of last year, will join her father-in-law Charles, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, and Camilla at the special reception in London’s St James’s Palace.

Kensington Palace announced the Princess's attendance on Tuesday morning.

The event, hosted by the King as patron of Cancer Research UK, marks the charity’s 125th anniversary and will see the royals meet researchers, clinicians, volunteers and partners involved in Cancer Research UK’s prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

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Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she underwent chemotherapy, and she announced she was in remission 16 months ago in January 2025.

Last month, she returned to international travel by carrying out her first overseas royal visit since facing cancer, heading to Italy for a solo working trip as part of her early years work.

Duchess Sophie has stepped out for the second day of her Portugal visit with Prince Edward. 

On Tuesday morning, she met students taking part in Model NATO in Lisbon, a British Embassy Lisbon initiative that has been running annually since 2022. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh spoke with them about their experience with Model NATO and heard about their future aspirations. 

Model NATO brings together students from Birmingham University and six Portuguese universities to simulate a high-level meeting of NATO's North Atlantic Council.

She later gave a speech to students and was presented with a coat of arms by Professor Isabel Ferreira Nunes, the Director-General of the National Defence Institute. 

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Sophie has been a global champion for the UN’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and a supporter of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) for several years.

She announced her commitment to champion both causes on International Women’s Day in 2019.

Prince Harry has been pictured on a solo night out ahead of Princess Lilibet's birthday. 

The Duke of Sussex headed to the San Laurel at Conrad Los Angeles for acclaimed chef José Andrés's book launch for Spain My Way.  

At the event, the royal was seen in a smart navy suit, as he smiled for a photo with the iconic chef. Harry, 41, looked very handsome with his neatly trimmed beard and short hair.

© Jason Sean Weiss

Read the full story here. 

Even members of the royal family aren't perfect, and they've certainly dealt with their fair share of feuds and fallouts over the years. 

These include the sad deterioration of brothers Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship, along with reported tensions between sisters-in-law Princess Catherine and Meghan Markle. 

Meanwhile, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson were reportedly no longer on speaking terms at the time of the late Princess of Wales's death. 

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More recently, there has been distance between King Charles and his disgraced younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. 

For the full details of the royal feud and why they fell out, read the in-depth explainer by our US Royal Correspondent, Alex Hurtado, here. 

Thank you all for joining me this morning. 

I'm now handing over to our lifestyle editor, Nichola Murphy, who will be taking things from here!

Afternoon! Stay tuned for more big royal news this afternoon.

In the meantime, if you're eager for the upcoming royal wedding this weekend, don't forget to become a HELLO! VIP member to see all the latest information. Here's everything you need to know about the fairytale nuptials between Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling in our A to Z, from the official announcement to Peter's "boisterous" sister Zara Tindall's role.

Four rare photographs from Princess Diana's childhood at West Heath Girls' School in Kent have been released by her friend, Katherine Hanbury.

The former Princess of Wales, who attended the school between 1973 and 1977, was captured spending time with friends Tilda Swindon and Joanna Hogg, relaxing in her school dormitory and smiling in front of the sports fields. 

The photos form part of an auction collection, alongside personal letters and cards, which will go on sale at Gorringe's in East Sussex on 7 July, for an estimated  £4,000 and £6,000.

Albert Radford, books and manuscripts specialist at Gorringe’s, described the pieces as an "intimate archive" of "deeply unassuming" Diana before she hit the headlines as then-Prince Charles' wife.

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It was a day of celebrations at Windsor Castle, where an Investiture Ceremony celebrated the work of several celebrity figures, including Philip Spencer, who was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for charitable services by King Charles.

The Location, Location, Location star has been a patron of St Mungo's since 2010, a charity that works with people facing homelessness in Greater London.

He was joined by the likes of Sir Idris Elba, who became a Knight Bachelor for services to young people, and Dame Jayne Christensen and Sir Christopher Dean, who were appointed a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and a Knight Bachelor, respectively, in recognition of their ice skating and voluntary services.

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Ahead of her reception with King Charles this evening, Queen Camilla has had a busy afternoon in London, where she attended the official opening of the Neuro Intensive Care Balcony Garden at St George's Hospital.

Camilla was spotted chatting to staff and patients as she opened the balcony garden in Tooting, which will serve as an 'outdoor ward' for the hospital's most critically ill patients.

Created through a partnership between the John King Brain Tumour Foundation and St George’s Hospital Charity, the previously unused space is now a tranquil roof garden that aims to improve patient wellbeing by increasing motivation, regulating mood and improving sensory-motor and cognitive functions for those with brain injuries.

The opening marks 10 years since the death of John King, an internationally respected chef who was cared for by the team at St George’s after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumour in 2015.

Camilla was warmly greeted with a floral bouquet before posing for photos with Mark Lowcock, Chair of Epsom and St Helier's NHS Hospitals Trust, as they unveiled a plaque to mark the opening.

The royal called the space "wonderful", adding: "Stepping out here in the fresh air, I’m sure all the patients here will get all the benefits."

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King Frederik and Queen Mary visited Djursland Forestry School on Tuesday, where they planted a winter oak tree called the 'King's Oak.' 

Dressed in casual pink trousers, a white T-shirt and a blue jacket, Mary was pictured getting stuck into digging with a shovel in hand. Her husband looked equally as willing to get his hands dirty in his low-key jeans and trainers. 

The trees can live up to 500 years, and the royals received one to plant at home.

Frederick and Mary went on to take part in a luncheon hosted by the Municipality of Norddjurs.

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That's all from me! Handing over the baton to the US team. Don't miss the busy evening ahead for King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Kate...