Royal family 15 September: Prince William meets friendly alapaca as Prince Harry turns 42, more

Good morning and welcome to another busy day of royal news. We'll be keeping you up to speed on all the latest updates from royal households across the world. So stay tuned!

What's on today's agenda? 

Prince Harry turns 42 today. It marks the Duke of Sussex's first birthday since moving back to the UK with his family. 

It comes as Harry prepares for his first public outing since the relocation. The royal is set to lead a series of charitable events this month, with his first event taking place this week. The duke will attend the first Invictus Spirit Awards on 17 September 2026 in London. The inaugural event will celebrate his Invictus Games Foundation and honour some of the individuals involved. Harry will then travel to Birmingham for another event linked to Invictus, where he'll be playing pickleball with fellow veterans and meet with 200 students.

Harry isn't the only royal celebrating his birthday today. Queen Letizia of Spain turns 54, while Prince Daniel of Sweden turns 53.

Elsewhere, it's a busy day for Princess Anne, who, as Royal Patron of Certa Cito Foundation, will hold a Reception at St. James's Palace. She will also attend a dinner at The Old Bailey, as Guardian of The Chaffinch Trust, and as Guardian of Give Them a Sporting Chance, will hold a Management Team Meeting at Gatcombe Park. The Princess Royal is also expected to as Patron of The Horse Trust.

Meanwhile, Prince Edward will visit Stanley Park in Blackpool to mark the park's Centenary. He will also visit Manchester Tennis and Racquet Club for its 150th anniversary.

And finally, the Dutch royal family will attend Prinsjesdag, an annual tradition similar to the opening of Parliament. King Willem-Alexander rides in the Royal Carriage to deliver the Speech from the Throne.  

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Meghan Markle marked her husband Prince Harry's 42nd birthday with a touching post on social media this morning. Taking to Instagram, the Duchess of Sussex shared a selection of family photographs and footage, including an adorable video of Princess Lilibet, five, riding her bike whilst her older brother, Prince Archie, seven, runs alongside her.

"He's simply the best. Happy birthday, my love," Meghan wrote alongside the video.

Meghan also included a sweet black-and-white image of herself and Harry kissing between rows of vines. The duchess is pictured wearing a flowing white dress, while her husband is casually dressed in a light polo shirt and dark trousers.

Harry's birthday comes just over two weeks after the family moved back to the UK. 

The Swedish Royal Family's official Instagram account has officially marked Prince Daniel's 53rd birthday. Alongside a snap of the royal wearing a green polo shirt and blue cap, the caption read: "Today H.K.H. Prince Daniel turns 53!"

Prince Daniel joined the Swedish royal family after marrying Crown Princess Victoria in 2010. The couple's engagement was announced at the Royal Palace on 24 February 2009, and they later tied the knot in Stockholm Cathedral on 19 June 2010.

The royals share two children: Princess Estelle, who was born in 2012, and Prince Oscar, who arrived in 2016.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have moved their children Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie to new schools after just two days following security concerns over getting them to and from the original property.

Heavy traffic and the lengthy journey to the school are thought to have been contributing factors. Sources close to the couple have made clear there was no issue with the school itself.

"It’s a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents. It was perfect for them in every way and the children really enjoyed their time there. They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn’t make the school run operationally secure," a friend of the couple told HELLO!.

Read the full exclusive. 

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As his brother Prince Harry turns 42, Prince William will be busy carrying out a solo engagement in Dartmoor. The 44-year-old is due to launch a new regeneration scheme in Princetown, which is located close to Dartmoor Prison. The Princetown Community Fund is due to release £250,000 into the local community to help with locally led social, economic and environmental projects.

During his visit, William will head to Gather & Moor, a new community and cultural hub for the area where he will meet representatives from heritage business Princetown Press.

William is also set to meet local residents at a youth club, which recently received money from the Duchy of Cornwall to improve their facilities.

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The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh attended the wedding of Ella Mountbatten, Prince Edward's goddaughter over the weekend. 

Ella, who is the eldest daughter of Lord Ivar Mountbatten, tied the knot with Fergus Wright before the couple drove away in a classic car following the ceremony and reception, according to Tatler. 

Ella works for private jet fleet Flexjet in brands and partnerships, while her new husband Fergus also has royal-adjacent heritage. 

The couple's engagement was announced last year by Lord Ivar, who shared a picture of the couple and the stunning ring on Instagram.

He wrote, "I couldn’t be happier to announce the engagement of my eldest and most precious daughter Ella @ellamountbatten to her fabulous boyfriend Fergus."

He joked: "Ferg is not one to be rushed so I am incredibly pleased that he has finally put us all out of our misery! I know he will look after my daughter to his dying day - they couldn’t be better suited. Enjoy this special time in your life. Much love to you both."

Read the full story. 

© Lord Ivar Mountbatten

HELLO! understands that Meghan Markle is teaching her daughter Princess Lilibet how to play Mahjong - a popular tile game the Duchess of Sussex loves to play with her friends. 

The five-year-old was seen wearing a Mahjong-themed headband in a post shared on Meghan's social media for Prince Harry's 42nd birthday today. 

The popular tile game is thought to have originated in 19th-century China and is suitable for all ages, helping learners to develop their strategy skills. 

In an episode of Meghan's 2025 Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, the entrepreneur revealed that she and her friends had recently learned how to play mahjong and referred to themselves as the Maj Squad.

For Meghan's 45th birthday in August, she celebrated with a towering, mahjong-themed cake, adorned with pink flowers, mahjong tiles and a decorative illustration of a bird. 

Prince William was spotted shaking hands with locals during his solo trip to Princetown in Devon today to discuss the Princetown Community Fund.

As his brother Prince Harry turns 42, the future king is launching a new regeneration scheme in Princetown, which is located close to Dartmoor Prison. The Princetown Community Fund is due to release £250,000 into the local community to help with locally led social, economic and environmental projects.

© Alamy Stock Photo

During the outing, William will meet representatives from heritage business Princetown Press at Gather & Moor, a new community and cultural hub for the area.

He will also meet local residents at a youth club, which recently received money from the Duchy of Cornwall to improve their facilities.

Princess Olympia of Greece was a vision in lilac as she walked the runway during New York Fashion Week over the weekend. 

The daughter of Crown Prince Pavlos and granddaughter of the last King of Greece, Constantine II, attended several of the spring/summer 2027 shows before taking to the runway herself for Conner Ives in a backless dress.

Olympia is no stranger to participating in fashion weeks, and has long been a fixture on the international circuit, attending shows in Paris, Milan, London and Copenhagen.

On the first day of Fashion Week, Olympia attended the Kallmeyer show at the Ukrainian Institute, accompanied by Lauren Santo Domingo, founder of Moda Operandi, a platform for which the princess is an ambassador, and shared the front row with content creator Charlotte Groeneveld.

Read the full story here. 

© WWD via Getty Images

It's been just over a fortnight since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been back in the UK, and while their exact living arrangements have been kept firmly under wraps, the Duchess of Sussex has given some major clues via her Instagram feed. 

To mark Prince Harry's 42nd birthday, Meghan shared a collection of clips, giving fans a glimpse at their wholesome adventures in England, including Prince Harry driving a quad bike with his two children as passengers. 

Meghan and Harry, who have chosen to retain their Montecito mansion in the US, are thought to have settled in the Cotswolds.

"They have lots of friends in the area," a source told HELLO! previously. "Meghan is close to Ellen DeGeneres, who lives there with her wife, Portia de Rossi, as does Simon Cowell, who is friends with Prince Harry."

Read the full story. 

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Prince Harry was all smiles in a candid video filmed by his wife, Meghan Markle, on his big day. 

The clip, shared on Meghan's Instagram Stories, showed Harry in his car as the pair drove through an idyllic forest landscape.

"Happy Birthday!" the Duchess penned in the caption. 

Prince Harry has turned 21 just three weeks after announcing the news that he was returning to live in the UK with his family despite last year saying "he couldn't imagine" moving back. 

His children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, started at new schools but have already swapped institutions, HELLO! can confirm. 

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The Dutch royals were out in full force on Tuesday, attending the Royal Theatre on the Prinsjesdag in The Hague.

Dressed in their best, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia, Princess Ariane, Princess Laurentien and Prince Constantijn wave to the crowd from the balcony of Noordeinde Palace.

In the Netherlands, Budget Day is known as Prinsjesdag or ‘Prince’s Day’, and is held on the third Tuesday in September. On this day, the King delivers the Speech from the Throne, officially opening the parliamentary year. The King’s speech contains the government’s key plans for the year ahead.

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The princesses wore vibrant colours and elegant hats, and Princess Ariane chose a recycled dress from Queen Máxima's wardrobe. 

Catharina-Amalia appears to be wearing an elegant olive-green maxi dress by Rachel Gilbert, featuring a dramatic integrated cape detail. She completed her look with an elegant headband and matching pointed-toe stilettos.

Meanwhile, Princess Ariane wore a striking bordeaux-red strapless gown paired with a matching embroidered short cape by Jan Taminiau. Princess Alexia chose an asymmetric dark charcoal gown.

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New year, familiar territory. After six years of living in the United States, Prince Harry returned to his native United Kingdom last month for an extended stay, and is ringing in his 42nd birthday back on home soil. 

HELLO! understands that the Prince is celebrating his birthday on September 15 by working and enjoying time with family and friends. One source told HELLO!: "He's spent it working this morning and then having a late lunch with friends."

With the Sussexes settling into life in the UK once again, HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash says the Duke "will be delighted to be spending his birthday back in the UK." She explains: "He's wanted to be back here for a long time and will be making the most of being closer to friends and family."

Although the Duke's address may be different this birthday, his status remains the same.

At King Charles' direction, the Lord Chamberlain issued a letter earlier this month, confirming that Harry and Meghan Markle will remain private citizens while in the UK. The letter stated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's "position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."

To read Alex's full analysis, click here.

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The Prince of Wales met an alpaca during a visit to Princetown in Dartmoor on Tuesday to launch the new Princetown Community Fund.

The new fund will make at least £250,000 available to support locally led projects delivering social, economic and environmental benefit to the community of Princetown.

© Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to hit the red carpet in London in just one week – and they'll reunite with an A-list actor.

Prince William and Kate will attend the world premiere of Digger, which highlights the dangers of an environmental disaster, at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square on 22 September. 

They will reunite with cast member Tom Cruise, with whom they previously walked the carpet at the screening of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.

The Princess looked so glamorous in her off-shoulder Roland Mouret gown, with Tom gallantly offering her a helping hand as she climbed up some steps.

As well as meeting the Mission: Impossible star, the couple will be welcomed by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu and senior representatives from the Film and TV Charity. 

William, who is president of BAFTA, is passionate about championing the British cinema industry, and Digger was filmed at Pinewood Studios in the UK. 

© Instagram / @meghan

Meghan Markle has confirmed that the family's beloved pet Labrador has joined them in their relocation to the UK. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 45, shared a series of posts on Instagram for Prince Harry's birthday and to celebrate the family's first few weeks in Britain, after flying over from Montecito, California. 

And front and centre was black Labrador Pula, whom Harry and Meghan adopted in 2018, shortly before their wedding at Windsor Castle. 

The pooch was seen running in front of the couple on a walk through the woods and wagging her tail and splashing around in the weeds as the Sussexes went on a fishing trip. 

She also followed Harry, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, as they rode a quad bike with a bag of goodies from M&S, appearing to settle happily into UK life.

The final tickets are on sale for HELLO!'s exclusive event about the two most famous Princesses of Wales – the current holder of the title, Kate, and the late mother-in-law she never met, Princess Diana. 

The intimate event – a live recording of A Right Royal Podcast – will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday 23 September at Quaglino's in central London, and you're invited! 

Our podcast hosts, Emily Nash, Andrea Caamano, and Emmy Griffiths, will be quizzing author Ingrid Seward about her new book, Catherine & Diana, which explores how these two royal women have shaped the monarchy in their own unique way. By attending, you'll have early access to Ingrid's book and be the first to see it, plus have the chance to buy a signed copy before it officially hits shelves later that week.