Catching up with the royals (May 20, 2025 edition)
A Canadian birthday, a visit to Canada House, and the upcoming visit to Canada
Note: This newsletter is a day late because Monday was national holiday. My posts for the rest of this week and next may be erratic as I travel to Ottawa for the royal visit.
COUNTDOWN TO CANADA
Canada marked the official birthday of its King on Monday, which was Victoria Day. That national holiday was declared to be the birthday of the monarch per royal proclamation issued on February 5, 1957.
The next day, Charles III and Queen Camilla went to Canada House in London to mark the 100th anniversary of the High Commission. The full-throated displays of nationalism offers a glimpse of what will be seen in Ottawa next week.
But …. I was extremely disappointed that the Queen didn’t pin one of her five Canadian brooches to her red floral dress, even while the King wore his Order of Canada pin. Optics matter.
I worry that palace staff do not fully understand the seriousness with which the visit to Ottawa is being taken in Canada. And how much is on the line for the Canadian Crown and the nation’s monarch. Everything from speeches to clothes and jewellery must scream “the King and Queen of Canada are defending Canada’s sovereignty. ” That didn’t happen for Queen Camilla for the trip to Canada House, which is concerning.
That mistake can’t reoccur in Ottawa.
FYI: Here’s what I said on the issue on Global TV’s The Morning Show:
MOLEY THE RESCUE DOG
Queen Camilla released a photo of her with her newest rescue dog, Moley (a Jack Russell mix) ahead of going to the Chelsea Flower Show, where there is a dog garden with paths inscribed with the names of royal dogs, including Moley and her other rescue, Bluebell as well as Charles’s new puppy Snuff.
Moley is a very, very good puppy, as can be seen by another official portrait.
THE KING IS DOING OK
The Times annual rich list is out and Charles is No. 238 in the U.K. (up from No. 258 last year) with a net worth of around CAD$1.1 billion, up CAD$75 million from last year.
For those wondering why the King isn’t No. 1: The Times doesn’t include items that come with the job and which can’t be sold by the monarch (think Buckingham Palace, the Duchy of Lancaster, the Royal Collection). Instead, the newspaper only counts private assets (think Balmoral and Sandringham, plus racehorses and perhaps the best stamp collection in the world — don’t laugh, philatelic auctions generate serious money).
REGAL ODDS AND ENDS
At Windsor Castle, the King presented new Standards to the Life Guards and Blues & Royals, of which Princess Anne is colonel.
Oh, and the King has ordered a spiffy electric vehicle from Lotus, and is reportedly getting it painted in the hue of “Royal Claret” to match other vehicles in the royal fleet.
As well, the King and Queen went to Kew for an annual fundraising event for the Elephant Family, which “works in partnership with conservation experts on the ground to tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the communities that live alongside it. Established by Queen Camilla’s brother Mark Shand in 2002, since then, the charity has helped to deliver pioneering projects to protect wildlife, restore habitats and promote coexistence between people and animals. The charity is now part of the British Asian Trust.”
ROYALS GO TO VATICAN CITY
Representatives of Europe’s royal families were at Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration on Sunday, including Prince Edward, who represented his brother, the King.
If you're wondering why some royal women are wearing white, not the traditional black, it's because the “privilège du blanc” custom, by which seven Catholic royal women are allowed to wear white when they meet the Pope, as can be seen by Queen Letizia of Spain.
DRESS UP
On Friday, William was installed as the Great Master of the Order of the Bath in its 300th anniversary year. He and his father wore the red satin robes of the civil and military order to Westminster Abbey. Gotta say that William is looking more comfortable in such old-fashioned garb.
Not to be outdone on the style front, Kate wore a fab Victoria Beckham trouser suit to present a fashion award in London.
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
Last week, "Catherine's rose" was unveiled by the Royal Horticultural Society to honour the the Princess of Wales. The coral-pink rose celebrates the healing power of nature and all sales will benefit the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which is for the hospital where she got her chemo treatments, and where she is now patron.
Masses of the roses were on display at the Chelsea Flower Show, with one visitor saying, “It has lovely scent to it.”
A LOOK BACK
On her seventh wedding anniversary, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex released an image of a photo board full of snaps of Harry, Meghan, and their kids to the tune of "I'm gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers (this live version of the song is infectious).
Her note read:
Seven years of marriage.
A lifetime of stories.
Thanks to all of you (whether by our side, or from afar) who have loved and supported us throughout our love story - we appreciate you.
Happy anniversary! ❤️
ENTER THE BECKHAMS, STAGE LEFT
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