Prince Philip was known for his famously deadpan—and sometimes inappropriate—remarks over the years, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to his no-nonsense daughter, Princess Anne. Although the off-color comments her father made aren't the Princess Royal's style, she's famous for her directness, as former royal chef Darren McGrady recently shared on Instagram.

McGrady worked as a chef at Buckingham Palace before serving Princess Diana at Kensington Palace, and he weighed in on a claim that Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, made in his new book, Swan Song. Earl Spencer wrote that he was seated next to Princess Anne at a pre-wedding dinner for Diana and Prince Charles in 1981, and when he asked her how her daughter Zara's christening had gone, Anne made him "feel small."

According to Spencer, the Princess Royal "stopped, looked at me witheringly, and asked, 'Tell me, how's a christening supposed to go?'" He continued, "And I, being 17 and clueless about dinner party small talk, turned red and looked at my plate, unable to conjure up a reply."

Spencer noted that other family members had an easier time at the dinner, writing, "It was the luck of the draw that night, whether you were placed next to a royal who was happy to make you feel small, or one who had the grace and manners to look for common ground, wherever it might be found."

Sharing an image of a story in the Daily Mail about the incident, McGrady wrote, "Oh this just tickles me. Typical no nonsense Princess Royal (love her) Her father’s daughter."

He added that Earl Spencer's story made him think of the time he saw Princess Anne deliver a similar remark to someone when he was working for the palace.

"Reminds me of when I flew back from Balmoral with her on the Queen’s flight," McGrady wrote. "As we disembarked an official asked her 'how was your flight?' She replied 'have you ever flown before? It was like that!'"

Prince William and Princess Kate probably aren’t planning their Christmas decor just yet, if their visit to a Northern Ireland IKEA is any indication. The Prince and Princess of Wales spent the day in Belfast on October 9 to highlight the work being done to combat youth homelessness in the area, and while visiting IKEA to see a job program in action, they came across a Christmas display.

In a video shared by Hello! magazine on Instagram, the Prince of Wales looks at his watch and exclaims, “October the ninth for a Christmas tree?” after walking past a decorated tree in the store.

A laughing Prince William told employees, “That is getting it in early!” adding, "What!" after one of the store's workers shared an inaudible tidbit with him in the clip.

Although William didn’t elaborate about his own decorating plans, Princess Kate once shared the type of Christmas tree they typically buy while visiting a farm in 2019. “She said that they normally have the Nordmann Fir inside that doesn’t drop the needles,” tree farm owner Roger Brill said at the time, per People.

During their outing at IKEA, the Prince and Princess of Wales met with a young woman who got her job through an initiative created by William’s Homewards organization. Homewards was launched in 2023 by the Royal Foundation and is a five-year program to help make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated, with its jobs initiative being piloted in Northern Ireland.

After meeting with business leaders to talk about expanding the career program, William and Kate got some hands-on training themselves working at cash registers in the store. Needless to say, they didn’t pick up any Christmas decorations, but Kate helped some little girls purchase their candy, reminding them, "Don’t forget these."

Prince William and Princess Kate visited Northern Ireland on Friday, October 9, to highlight the work being done to prevent homelessness, and one of their stops included a Belfast IKEA where shoppers were shocked to be waited on by none other than the future King and Queen.

Prince William’s Homewards program is working with local charities and businesses to recruit young people at risk of homelessness, and along with speaking with an employee who is working at the store through the program, the Waleses got down to work themselves.

Wearing a ruffled blouse and a new green tartan skirt, Kate is pictured working behind a cash register in a video shared by Kate Mansey of the Times on Instagram. Prince William also got in on the action, chatting with shoppers as they checked out of the busy store.

An employee shows Princess Kate how to run a credit card in Mansey's video as a woman and two children checked out, and the royal handed one girl the receipt, saying, “don’t forget these,” pointing at a bag of sweets they’d purchased. “Enjoy your dance lesson!” the princess said with a wave.

While speaking with the young woman employed through the Homewards initiative, Their Royal Highnesses learned how her job and the relationships she's built working at IKEA have helped her build confidence, stability and independence. They also met with other U.K. business leaders while visiting the store to discuss Homewards' plans to expand the Northern Ireland job program pilot.

Although you might not expect royals to shop at IKEA, William and Kate once shared a surprisingly relatable detail about their former home at Kensington Palace. In 2018, they told IKEA's head of design, Marcus Engman, that they used furniture from the brand in Prince George and Princess Charlotte's bedrooms.

"I'm proud that we can suit everybody," Engman said at the time, via Hello! magazine. "That's what we want Ikea to be—for the many people of the world, both royalty and ordinary people."

James Middleton is famous for his love of dogs and is responsible for introducing Prince William and Princess Kate to their own furry friends. On Friday, October 9, the Princess of Wales's brother announced that his beloved 15-year-old cocker spaniel, Zulu, has died.

"My darling Zulu has passed away 🖤," Middleton captioned a series of photos of Zulu on Instagram, including a sweet black-and-white portrait of himself holding the dog.

"I’ve written a lot about losing dogs. About the grief, the emptiness, how difficult it is to say goodbye," he wrote. "I’ve shared my own experiences, tried to find the words to comfort others and, in doing so, perhaps tried to make a little more sense of it myself. But no matter how many times you experience it, how much you write about it, or how much you think you’ve come to understand it, nothing quite prepares you for this cacophony of emotions…"

Along with a sweet photo of his son, Inigo, kissing Zulu on the head and a group photo of his dogs together, James shared a heartbreaking photo of Inigo standing in front of Zulu's freshly-dug grave.

Middleton credits his late dog Ella with saving his life during a period of deep depression, and he shared that Zulu, who was Ella's son, is now buried next to his mother. Prince William and Princess Kate's late dog, Lupo, was Zulu's brother, and James wrote that he hoped the dogs were now reunited.

"I have laid Zulu to rest beside his mother, Ella. I like to think that he’s already found her, his brother Lupo, Tilly, Mini and the other animals who have shared my life," he added. "That they’re all together again and he’s busy telling his mum everything she’s missed. All the adventures, all the changes in our lives and, most importantly, just how wonderful little Inigo is…"

Zulu would have turned 16 this month.

Prince William and Princess Kate surprised fans with a visit to Northern Ireland on Friday, October 9, and the Princess of Wales managed to wrap four of the season's hottest fall fashion trends into one timeless-looking outfit.

Plaid has always been a fall staple—especially for the royals—but this year it's bigger than ever, and Kate debuted a green tartan midi skirt by one of her favorite brands, Emilia Wickstead, for her trip to Belfast. She paired it with an old favorite ivory blouse by British brand Knatchbull, and its high collar and ruffled front combined two fall trends in one classic top.

She topped off her outfit with a long black coat, a custom piece by Catherine Walker, accessorizing with a black croc Ralph Lauren belt, new black pumps by Gianvito Rossi, her go-to Cartier Trinity Earrings and a perfectly on-trend Mulberry bag.

Top-handled bags feel especially fresh this fall, and the princess carried the Small Amberley Satchel she debuted during a 2022 visit to Boston in an autumnal evergreen shade.

The Princes of Wales has long been a fan of Mulberry, and although this is only the third time she's carried her green bag, she owns at least eight other styles from the British brand ranging from clutches to a sensible work tote.

William and Kate traveled to Belfast to highlight the work of Prince William's Homewards organization. The Prince of Wales is on a mission to prevent homelessness in the U.K., and they met with local charities and young people to see how they're working together to provide pathways to employment, stability and opportunity.

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Unlike Queen Elizabeth, King Charles has a slimmer pool of family members to support him in carrying out official duties, but there’s one royal who can always be counted on. The King’s former butler at Highgrove House, Grant Harrold, recently told GB News that Duchess Sophie has become the “perfect royal,” just like Princess Anne.

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, Harrold said the Duchess of Edinburgh “is known as a trustworthy and hardworking member of the Royal Family” thanks to her tireless dedication to causes such as preventable blindness and sexual assault in conflict zones. “She is the next generation's Princess Anne," he shared. "They share many of the same qualities."

"Like Princess Anne, Sophie will always be a member of the family that The King trusts," Harrold added. "The duchess is taking on the exact role that Princess Anne has played for decades. They are incredibly similar in the sense that they just get on with it."

Harrold noted that he met Sophie for the first time in 1999, the same year she married Prince Edward, and “her relationship with the Royal Family was incredibly strong."

"She has always clearly been a favorite, and they all enjoy spending time with her,” he shared. Duchess Sophie was extremely close to her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, and Harrold noted that she has the same "poker face" as the late Queen.

As for Sophie's nephew, Prince William, Harrold said she'll continue to be a strong support for him and his wife, Princess Kate. “I have no doubt she will become one of the future King’s closest allies," he said, adding that Sophie "will be a matriarch for the Royal Family, and a vital asset to future King William.”

Princess Diana never got to meet Prince William or Prince Harry's wives, but according to Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward, the current Princess of Wales has one major advantage to help her in royal career.

Speaking to Hello! magazine for a live episode of its “A Right Royal Podcast,” Seward said that the difference between the two royal women comes down to support.

“It's one of the tragedies of Diana's story that she was adored by millions, yet emotionally denied by the few who mattered most,” the Catherine and Diana author said. “And that is where the contrast with Catherine is most striking.”

The Princess of Wales, who announced she was in remission from cancer in January 2025, has experienced her own struggles, but at the end of the day, her family is beside her.

“Her life is not perfect, but it is rooted in a shared understanding with William, her husband, Diana's son,” Seward said. “They face the institution together. Diana faced it alone.”

Reflecting on Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, along with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James, Seward said that the princess has “something that Diana didn't have: an incredibly close-knit family, and a very ambitious mother.”

Seward pointed out that the Princess of Wales likely looks to her late mother-in-law’s mistakes when considering her approach to royal life.

“Catherine took lessons from Diana,” the royal commentator said. “She saw that Diana gave so much of herself to people, but it exposed her too much. Catherine learned from that: just give enough, but don't give too much, because you're too vulnerable that way, and people are going to strip you bare if you do that."

Zara Tindall has followed in mom Princess Anne’s equestrian footsteps, and now there’s a new member of the family on the competition scene. Zara’s 12-year-old daughter, Mia Tindall, took part in the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials for the first time in September, and Zara shared one story about riding with her daughter on the “Talk Horse” podcast.

"I took Mia for a jump the other day. Mia and her two cousins,” Zara shared in part of the episode, released October 7. “And then I said, 'To me' or something, she just rolled her eyes and went 'Urgh.’ I was like, 'I literally said the same thing to the other guys. They didn't roll their eyes at me.’”

Zara, who won silver in the 2012 Olympics, admitted that she was the same at Mia’s age. "I think I was probably like that with my mother and father too, I'm sure they'll tell you that," she added.

Princess Anne’s first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, who is Zara’s dad, is an Olympic gold medal-winning horseman, and Zara shared that he’s always been “tough” on her.

"Barely you would get a 'Yeah that was good' out of him, he was a tough coach,” she said, adding, “I try not to be quite that bad with my own kids."

Zara reflected on growing up with parents who were involved in the equestrian world, explaining that she had to be very hands-on.

“My mum and dad's head girl at the time was like a Rottweiler,” Zara said. “We had to do everything with them. We had to clean our tack, muck them out. And if we didn't do it, we were in serious trouble." "She was amazing though,” Zara added. “Put us in our place to learn about the discipline of having horses."

Zara explained that there was "a family love for horses" and it wasn't an interest that was "forced" on her since both of her parents were Olympians. "I don't remember my parents going, 'Come on let's go and do this,' and us not wanting to go," she said.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their Windsor home in 2020 for a new life in North America, and in a new MasterClass on grief, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he crashed emotionally once they moved.

The Sussexes relocated to Vancouver Island, Canada before buying their home in Montecito, California, and Prince Harry noted that he didn’t realize how much he was relying on “stress” to power through until he stepped down from his royal role.

“We moved to Canada to get some space away from everything, just to be able to think,” he said, per People. “Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where presumably my body was just pumped full of adrenaline, within two or three days, I experienced this adrenaline crash—something that I’d never experienced before.”

The Duke of Sussex said that being away from the pressures of royal life felt like a shock to the system. “It was as if I needed stress in order to get the adrenaline to make my brain function because I became useless around the house,” he admitted. “I actually slipped into depression for about two weeks and I felt like I couldn’t function without adrenaline.”

Through therapy, Prince Harry has been able to address his unresolved feelings of grief from losing his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 12. Part of this involved figuring out why he leaned on adrenaline to get through life, and he admitted that joining the military was "the perfect distraction."

“And for 15, 20 years, when I was being asked, ‘Are you okay?’ My response was, ‘I’m fine.’ It was numbness, emotional shutdown,” he said. “And without knowing it, adrenaline was pushing me, was driving me. It was the driving force of what took me to joining the military at the age of 20."

While he's been able to come to terms with many of his feelings, the Duke of Sussex said that from time to time, he feels the same driving force. “There are some public engagements that still involve adrenaline,” he shared. “I’m not gonna lie there.”

Prince Harry is taking part in a new MasterClass conversation about grief, and in the video, the Duke of Sussex reveals that he pushed down his feelings so much that he actually forgot certain things about his mother, Princess Diana. Through therapy, he found himself able to reconnect with his memories, and that involved one unexpected tactic.

The Duke of Sussex joins Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, in the MasterClass titled "Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss." Per People, Harry revealed that he “shut down” and didn’t even cry when he found out his mother had died in August 1997.

“The defense mechanism for the mind and the body was to shut down the emotions and shut down the memories,” he said. “Not just the bad memories, the good memories as well. I forgot what my mom sounded like. I forgot her laugh. I couldn’t really visualize what she looked like without looking at a photograph of her.”

One way he was able to reconnect with his mother was through scent. When his therapist told him to spray Princess Diana’s favorite perfume, Prince Harry found himself “unlocking” the feelings he’d been pushing down.

Harry shared “it was like being transported to another time” when he sprayed the scent. He added “it unlocked everything that had been locked previously" and felt "almost like knocking certain bricks through so that I could see through and certain memories and experiences could start seeping through.”

As for the perfume in question, the Duke of Sussex wrote about bringing a bottle of First, his mother's favorite perfume by Van Cleef & Arpels, to a therapy session in his memoir, Spare.

In Prince Harry's MasterClass, launched ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday, he also admitted that he suppressed his grief so much that he found it difficult to cry about his mother.

"I didn’t cry when I was told my mom died, only at her burial, and then not again for nearly two decades,” he said. “I was convinced that was strength, but it wasn’t. I was a 12-year-old boy with no permission to fall apart and no roadmap for how to heal.”

Members of the Royal Family don’t wear tiaras as much as they did during the earlier years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, typically reserving them for major state occasions like the opening of Parliament or formal banquets for visiting world leaders. While you won’t see Princess Kate wearing a diamond headpiece at a film premiere or black tie event, in 1973, it was commonplace for the royals to break out a tiara, like Queen Elizabeth did for the Fanfare for Europe Gala.

The glittering event was held at the Royal Opera House in London, and while traveling to the gala from Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth experienced a tiara mishap.

According to the Royal Watcher blog, the late Queen, who was wearing an ivory gown with a matching fur stole, was reportedly wearing the Vladimir Tiara, but it broke en route to the Royal Opera House. Since they didn’t have time to detour to Buckingham Palace to get a replacement tiara, an alternate solution was required.

Fortunately, Queen Elizabeth’s equerry and friend Lord Plunket lived near the opera house, located in London’s Covent Garden neighborhood, and he offered to loan her his family’s diamond tiara for the night. Lord Plunket “took it out of the safe in time for the Queen’s car to arrive,” per the Royal Watcher, and she had just enough time to arrange it on her head before they got to the opera house.

“It was indeed their family’s tiara,” Mrs. Shaun Plunket, sister-in-law of Lord Plunket, wrote to Royal Jewels of the World. “The queen’s tiara had somehow broken that night en route to the event; Lord Plunket (Shaun’s older brother) lived around the corner and dashed home to retrieve his own tiara for her to wear. Voilà.”

The gala marked the only time Queen Elizabeth wore a tiara that wasn’t part of the Royal Family’s collection, and Lord Plunket wasn’t forgotten for saving the day. Per the Royal Watcher, the late Queen made Lord Plunket a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order the following year, but sadly, he died of cancer in 1975.

Princess Diana is buried at her family’s ancestral home, Althorp, and when it came to selecting a gravesite, privacy and protection came first. Her brother, Charles Spencer, decided to bury Diana on an island in the middle of the property’s Oval Lake that’s inaccessible to the public, and he tells Marie Claire about the “incredibly peaceful” spot.

Earl Spencer, whose book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, was released on September 22, says that he visits Diana “quite a lot.”

“I’ve got this cheap and cheerful little plastic boat that I'm quite a master of paddling over with one oar to the island,” he shares. “And I find it is very sad being over there, but it's also incredibly peaceful and beautiful.”

From the shore, the island where Princess Diana is buried appears to be completely overgrown with trees, but Spencer reveals there’s a secret feature of her gravesite.

“On the island, there's a small maze, you know, a grown up maze, and going through that is almost like shedding the real world and getting to this, I hope, really beautiful graveside spot, and communing with Diana,” he shares.

While a small bridge was set up to transport family members to the island for her 1997 burial, Spencer chose to leave Diana’s grave accessible only by boat for privacy reasons. In Swan Song, the earl writes about one time when he broke the bridge rule for Nelson Mandela, who was visiting Althorp and didn't feel physically able to climb into a boat.

As for when he rows across to Diana’s grave, Spencer says “it goes in phases.”

“You know, sometimes I find I need to go across, and obviously, I go across on her birthday and the anniversary and lay flowers, but sometimes I just go across anyway,” he says.

Speaking about Swan Song, Earl Spencer says that his eulogy at Diana’s funeral provided a through line to tell the story of his relationship with his sister. “What I wanted to do in a way, this book is a 350 page version of my eulogy at the funeral,” he says. “To tackle—first memoir, and it's half history— to pull that together, it needed a strand, and I found the eulogy did that because it covers both sides of my personal take and setting things down for history.”

At the end of the day, Spencer says he hopes his book serves as tribute to Diana's memory. “I've said this before, but it's—without wishing to sound emotional—when you lose a sibling, part of your childhood's gone forever,” he says.

Reflecting on his two older sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, he notes that because of the “British upper class lunacy of sending people off to boarding schools,” he didn’t grow up alongside them. “By the time I was a toddler, those two sisters were gone, you know?” he notes.

“Obviously, I'm in my sixties now, so it's no surprise that my parents and stepparents are gone,” he added. “But to lose the one person who shared your childhood as well, at quite an early age, does leave you slightly on your own.”

Prince William and Prince Harry are understood not to have spoken since 2022, but with Harry and wife Meghan Markle now living in the U.K. again, royal insiders have been wondering whether the brothers will reconcile. On October 6, the Express reported that Harry and Meghan were planning to make amends with the Waleses, but a source now tells People that any idea of an apology is off the mark.

"Harry and Meghan have always known since they decided to return to the U.K. that they would need to eat humble pie," a source told the Express. The insider continued that the couple's "one big regret about leaving the Royal Family" involved their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, especially the revelation about a senior royal commenting about what Prince Archie's skin color might look like.

"Harry was angry with his family at the time, and backed Meghan up, but they now realize what a low blow it was," the source claimed. "They both know they're hot-headed and realize they took things too far."

Prince Harry has publicly stated that he hopes to reconcile with his family, and the media outlet's report continued that Harry and Meghan "really want a sit-down so they can address what they said, and Meghan will apologize."

However, a source close to the Sussexes have reached out to People to say that the report was "nonsense."

Although the brothers remain estranged, Prince Harry and his family did visit with King Charles and Queen Camilla over the summer, and there's hope that the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death might bring him back in contact with William.

Per the Daily Mail, a memorial service for the late royal is being considered with both the Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales in attendance. “While the boys seem to have rejected any chance of working together, the religious event might help heal the rift," said columnist Ephraim Hardcastle.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is awaiting a judicial review after he challenged the legality of the search warrants in his February arrest, but in the meantime, a report in the Times suggests the disgraced royal is living the good life on the Sandringham estate without Sarah Ferguson.

Ferguson and the former Duke of York lived together for nearly two decades at Royal Lodge before they were evicted by King Charles last year. The divorced couple also lost their Duke and Duchess of York titles in the aftermath of the scandals surrounding their friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew and Sarah often spoke about their close relationship, despite having been divorced since the early ‘90s, but these days, the pair are said to be no longer speaking. A source told the Times that interestingly, it was Andrew, not Ferguson, who had distanced themselves from the friendship.

“The red setter, as she’s known, is not welcome at Marsh Farm,” the insider said of the former duke's new Sandringham home. "She's persona non grata as far as Andrew is concerned.”

The Times added that it was “unclear” what Ferguson had done to cause Andrew to cut ties, but documents in the Epstein files “appear to show it was Ferguson who introduced him to Epstein.”

Despite his recent legal woes and banishment to The King’s Sandringham estate, a “well-placed source” told the Times that Andrew was doing just fine.

“Don’t believe all that poor Andy crap,” the source said. “He’s having a very nice time, thank you very much. He goes out, he goes off shooting with friends, he sees his old chums who are very loyal to him. He’s not sitting around feeling sorry for himself any more.”

It's understood that “plenty of friends from the old guard” join Andrew for shooting trips and other outings, with a source adding, “I don’t agree with this viewpoint but there’s a feeling among a lot of these chums that this is a storm in a teacup and it will blow over."

As for Andrew's judicial review, which will take place on October 8, friends told the Sun that the former duke is convinced he'll be able to clear his name. Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February, but if his review is successful, it will mean that any evidence police gathered at the time won't be able to be used in any investigations against him.

“He is utterly convinced that one day he will be completely exonerated,” an insider claimed. “He thinks this is the first step towards that.”

Last night, my teenage son asked me how much I spent a year on skincare and after a beat, I said “a lot.” Working at a fashion magazine definitely has its benefits, but being influenced by all of the new products out there (see: Marie Claire’s 2026 Beauty Awards) also has some downsides. That being said, one brand that I started using because of my job is Tatcha, and it’s all down to Meghan Markle’s longtime makeup artist, Daniel Martin.

Martin, who serves as Tatcha’s first-ever Global Director of Artistry and Education, has used the brand on the Duchess of Sussex for years, including on her 2018 wedding day to Prince Harry—and some of Meghan’s top products are now up to 30 percent off in Amazon Prime's Big Deal Days.

I started using Tatcha’s fan-favorite products several years ago after writing so many royal beauty articles including Meghan’s go-tos, so I was excited to see many of my picks are included in this year’s Prime sale.

If you can only try one Tatcha product, I’d recommend starting with its Rice Polish. Before her royal days Meghan praised the cleanser to Allure, sharing: "I really love the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder. It just sort of foams on your face and gives you a really subtle exfoliation."

There’s a version for every type of skin, but I stick with the classic iteration, and since it’s 30 percent off in Prime’s Big Deal Days, you can bet I’m stocking up. Another one of my Tatcha must-haves (and Meghan's) is its Serum Stick, another 30 percent off deal in Amazon's yearly October event.

Martin told Allure in 2021 that he used Tatcha’s serum stick mixed with Danessa Myrick’s Lightwork Palette to create a custom highlighter for Meghan, but the product is often dubbed “Botox in a stick” because of its line-smoothing, hydrating properties. I use it under my eyes before applying concealer and have seen a major difference in how smoothly the color goes on.

When it came to Meghan's wedding day makeup, Martin said on the "Breaking Beauty" podcast last year that her skincare prep "was basically a lot of Tatcha." When the Duchess of Sussex briefly added links to her wedding day makeup on her ShopMy page, she included Tatcha's Luminous Dewy Skin Mist.

I was skeptical when I first tried it, but the spray—now under $35 in Prime Big Deal Days—adds moisture and helps your makeup go on more smoothly while also providing a pick-me-up in the middle of the day.

More of Martin and Meghan's favorites are included in the sale, including Tatcha's Water Cream and Kissu Lip Mask, along with a host of the brand's other essentials. The bad news? Wednesday, October 7 is the final day of the deals, so act now before prices go back to normal on Thursday.

Members of the Sandringham community are in shock after a “hugely experienced and much-loved” family doctor who treated the senior royals was found dead in her home. According to the Sun, Hannah Terry, 45, was reportedly murdered by her husband, Mark Cain, as they hosted a children’s sleepover over the weekend.

Terry was part of the pool of doctors who treated members of the Royal Family when they visited the Sandringham estate, and per the media outlet, “was believed to have treated senior royals, including Queen Camilla.”

Cain was charged with murder after Terry was found dead at 2:20 a.m. Sunday morning in their home in Dersingham, England, an upscale village located on the edge of King Charles's private estate. Cain appeared in court on October 7 and remains in custody.

The mother of three worked at Grimston Medical Centre in King’s Lynn, where members of the Royal Family routinely seek out medical treatment. Per the the clinic's Facebook page, it was closed Monday “due to extremely difficult circumstances affecting our practice team."

King Charles and Queen Camilla were made aware of Terry's death, and tributes to the beloved doctor have poured in from patients and members of the local community.

Clinical administrator Julie-Ann Rayner told the Sun: “I had the pleasure of working with her for a few years. She was an amazing doctor and an amazing person, really wonderful, really warm-hearted, she really cared about her family."

“It’s incredibly sad what’s happened, everybody’s completely shocked," she added. “I can’t stop thinking about her boys and what they must be going through.”

Princess Margaret was famous for her love of a good time, but that also led to some sticky incidents, as her former lady-in-waiting, Anne Glenconner reveals in her new memoir, Trunks & Tiaras. Lady Glenconner served the late princess for 31 years, and she admits that Margaret could sometimes let people down.

In a serialization of the book in the Daily Mail, Lady Glenconner wrote that “traveling around the world with a princess was great fun.” However, one of their journeys was a slight disaster due to the free-flowing alcohol.

“A trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras proved too much temptation for both Princess Margaret and her maid,” Lady Glenconner wrote. “We’d had a fabulous day watching the floats go past and enjoying the carnival. It was all great fun, but there had been rum on tap all day.”

Princess Margaret’s maid got so drunk that when it came time to prepare a bath for the royal, she “crawled into the bathroom on all fours, barely managing to reach up to the taps.”

Lady Glenconner said that she put the maid to bed, “ran the bath and told Princess Margaret that the maid wasn’t well,” adding that Margaret “was not remotely cross about the fact that she’d been unable to fulfil her duties.”

But the next day, it was the princess who couldn’t commit to her duties. The Trunks & Tiaras author explained that they “were supposed to be visiting a historic house which the owner, a nice woman, had been doing up all year in preparation for the visit.”

Despite committing to the visit far in advance, Princess Margaret refused to get out of bed. “I had a little tap tap on my door from the maid who said, ‘I’m so sorry but I can’t seem to get Princess Margaret up,” Lady Glenconner wrote. “She says she has a headache.’”

Lady Glenconner said she replied, “Well she’s jolly well got to” and attempted to get Margaret out of bed. “Most of the time this worked but, on this occasion, she simply said, ‘Oh, Anne, stop bullying me,’ and pulled the covers back over her head,” the author shared.

“I ended up having to call the lady whose house we were supposed to be visiting to tell her Princess Margaret was unwell and that I would be attending on her behalf,” Lady Glenconner wrote, recalling that “the poor woman was naturally extremely disappointed and burst into tears on the telephone.”

The author also recalled a time when a "very tired and rather grumpy" Princess Margaret arrived in Australia and ignored a group of Girl Guides who had been waiting to meet her.

"It was my first visit with her abroad, so I was a little anxious but I pulled her aside and said, ‘Ma’am, I’m so sorry to ask but the Guides have been waiting here for hours and I know how kind you are and that you won’t want to let them down. Could you possibly just go over and say hello?’" Lady Glenconner recalled.

Fortunately, Princess Margaret took the speech to heart and greeted the girls. "To her credit she did," Lady Glenconner wrote. "Sometimes my powers of persuasion worked, unlike the disastrous hangover in New Orleans."

Sites like Kensington Palace, Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey are highlights of any tour of the U.K., and for royal fans, they’re on the top of most people’s bucket lists. Finding a guided tour that’s entirely royally focused is tough to find, but Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, is partnering with Great Rail Journeys in 2027 to provide the ultimate royal experience.

Offered monthly from April through October 2027, "Premium London and Scotland" is a seven-day luxury U.K. vacation featuring a talk with Burrell and other private royal experiences that will give travelers the inside stories behind iconic buildings.

“I am looking forward to showing these palaces to people for the first time through my eyes,” Burrell tells Marie Claire. “I know these buildings intimately as they were my home too, and I can share special stories which took place behind closed doors.”

The trip is capped at 24 guests per group, providing a more intimate way to experience the places that shaped the Royal Family’s lives—including Diana’s former home, Kensington Palace.

After touring the palace, guests on the tour will be treated to a private talk with Burrell, who says he’s excited to share stories "of our Royal Family from my personal experience of over 21 years.”

“I will bring you a personal and unique insight of this journey whether serving Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, living with Princess Diana at Kensington Palace or sailing around the world on HMY Britannia,” Burrell says.

Along with visiting Kensington Palace, travelers will experience Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle before heading north to Edinburgh, Scotland. Exclusive experiences include early morning access to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Family’s official Scottish residence, a tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia and a private gala dinner at the five-star Balmoral Hotel.

When asked what his favorite royal residence is, Burrell notes that while Buckingham Palace “is the seat of the British Royal Family” and served as his home for more than a decade, Scotland has his heart. “Balmoral has always been my favorite and is the favorite of many in the family including the late Queen, who spent her last days here,” he says. “It is a very special and magical place with a unique atmosphere—a fairytale castle set amongst the heather-covered mountains of the Scottish Highlands.”

The vacation includes five-star hotel accommodations, guided excursions, daily breakfast, five dinners and first-class rail travel, with itineraries starting at $6,999 per person.

Prince William headed to Ilminster, England to highlight the impact of extreme weather on local communities, and during his day out, he tried to get actor Ross Kemp to spill some spoilers about The Traitors.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are both fans of the reality show, and Kemp—who rose to fame with his role in soap opera EastEnders—is taking part in the new Celebrity Traitors season in the U.K. Kemp serves as an ambassador for the National Emergencies Trust, while Prince William is the charity’s royal patron, and they teamed up for an event unveiling a new emergency kit for local residents.

While joining the Ilminster Under 16s football club to chat about how they can take action against flooding, the topic of who might win Celebrity Traitors came up.

“I’ll get Ross to tell me the answer about what happens. Spoiler alert!” Prince William exclaimed, per the Sun, but Kemp remained tight-lipped about the outcome of the show. “I am a faithful,” was all he’d tell the group.

The Ilminster area was impacted by both severe flooding and wildfires in the past year, and Kemp joined Prince William in training exercises designed to help residents prepare for severe weather.

As for Celebrity Traitors, Kemp didn’t seem surprised that the royals were into the show. Speaking about William and Kate watching at home, Kemp said: “That’s great. Them and the rest of the country. I’ve been on the TV for 43 years but I’ve never known anything like this.”

October is a prime time (pun intended) to stock up on your fall wardrobe essentials, and Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are here once again. Running October 6 and 7, this year’s sale is full of fashion and beauty steals, including one of the Royal Family’s favorite accessories.

A good pair of rain boots are a necessity when it comes to rainy English days, but you don’t have to live in the U.K. to appreciate Hunter’s classic wellies. Everyone from Princess Diana to Meghan Markle has worn the British brand’s trusty boots, and several pairs are included in this year’s Big Day Days event.

Diana sent women around the world searching for their own pair of olive green wellies when she was photographed in a pair of Hunter boots ahead of her 1981 royal wedding, and the brand's waterproof styles remain a rainy day staple. While the Original Tall is one of Hunter's most beloved designs, its newer Play Tall boot featuring a wedge heel is $40 off in Amazon's sale.

While the royals are most often spotted in a traditional knee-high wellie, Hunter also offers shorter styles, like the short version of its beloved Original boot or the brand’s Original Chelsea Boot, both included in Prime Big Deal Days.

Originally priced at $154.99, the Chelsea style is a massive 60 percent off and features a chunky half-inch heel, while the Original Short, marked down to $105, is a more traditional rain boot silhouette with a buckle strap at the ankle. At 36 percent off, Hunter's Play Short boot is also included in the sale and includes a 1.5-inch wedge heel and a ribbon loop at the back for easy on-and-off.

Think of these as the wellies to grab when you're wearing wide-leg jeans and can't necessarily tuck your pants into your rain boots without that awkward bunching, or pair them with a skirt and tights.

If you're hoping to splash out on a new pair of boots, act soon—the deals go away on October 8.

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Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are here, and as a royal editor, I’m always on the lookout for Princess Kate-approved steals in the sale. Whether you’re looking for her rumored favorite mascara or a pair of her beloved sunglasses, this week’s sale has got you covered.

The Princess of Wales is a big fan of Ray-Ban’s classic styles and has worn four different pairs through the years. Other than her Folding Wayfarers, my favorite pair of Kate’s Ray-Bans is the Chris style— and they happen to be majorly marked down for Prime Big Deal Days.

The square-shaped frames typically retail for $197, but they’re $148 in the sale, along with an added bonus gift. The sunglasses come with not only the usual Ray-Ban case, but the brand’s official care kit including lens spray, a cleaning cloth, and a tiny screwdriver for any adjustments.

While I own plenty of statement sunglasses, they can admittedly get a bit heavy when you’re wearing them for long periods of time. But Kate’s frames with metal temples are super light and comfortable on your ears, even after long days at the beach or sightseeing.

The Princess of Wales has worn her Ray-Ban Chris sunglasses for everything from an official trip to Belize to a casual park outing with local mothers after debuting the shades at the 2018 Wimbledon championships.

Along with my personal favorite Ray-Bans, Amazon is also offering a deal on the Folding Wayfarers the Princess of Wales has worn numerous times. The clever style is hinged at the bridge to let them fold in half and the arms also fold up, allowing them to form a neat little bundle to pop in your purse or pocket.

If you're in the market for some royally-approved sunnies, these deals won't last for long. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are October 6 and 7 this year, and at midnight on the 8th, the savings will be gone (until the next Prime Day, at least).

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is fighting back after he was arrested in February, and according to a friend of the ex-Duke of York, he’s “buoyant” about the possibility of clearing his name.

Andrew has taken legal action against Thames Valley Police over the search warrants used when they took him into custody on his 66th birthday, with a judicial review to take place on Thursday. His friend told the Sun that Mountbatten-Windsor sees this as “the first step” to ending his recent woes.

The former duke, who was stripped of his titles last October, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19. Emails released in the Epstein files revealed that Andrew had allegedly shared confidential information surrounding his former role as a U.K. trade envoy with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

However, the ex-Duke of York is now demanding a review of the warrants that allowed police to search his home on King Charles’s Sandringham estate, as well as his former home, Royal Lodge.

“He seems incredibly buoyant despite everything he has been through and is really upbeat,” Andrew’s friend said.

“He is utterly convinced that one day he will be completely exonerated,” the insider continued. “He thinks this is the first step towards that.”

The former Duke of York's judicial review—the first to take place for a member of the Royal Family since King Charles I in 1649—will be held on October 8, but it's unclear if Andrew will attend the hearing.

Carole Middleton has been a strong sense of support not only for her daughter, Princess Kate, but for Prince William, too. The 71-year-old mother of the future Queen has proven to be a trusted member in royal circles, and based on her affectionate outing with Queen Camilla and Princess Anne in March, she’s a true part of the family. It’s a stark contrast to the relationship Princess Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd, had with Queen Elizabeth, and royal author Ingrid Seward says there’s a key reason why.

In Seward’s new book, Catherine & Diana, the Majesty magazine editor-in-chief wrote that Middleton used a tactic that was very different from Princess Diana’s mother.

"Put simply, Carole used her head, not her heart, when dealing with the phenomenon of becoming mother-in-law to the Prince of Wales,” Seward explained.

"Carole's wiliness was in her silence—it's what has made a woman from truly humble beginnings such a successful royal mother-in-law,” the author added.

Frances Shand Kydd, on the other hand, was the “opposite” of Middleton, per Seward, and her public comments about Diana didn’t go over well with the late Queen. "The Queen liked Carole very much; she didn't like Frances,” Seward wrote.

Earlier this year, royal author and journalist Robert Jobson told Hello! that Carole’s discretion earned her a spot in the inner circle. “Trust is the thing with Carole,” Jobson said. “She has been inside this world since William and Catherine first got together, and nothing has ever come out: not a conversation, not a confidence, not a whisper.”

“The Middletons aren’t guests any more,” he added. “They stopped being guests a long time ago. They’re family.”

Members of the Royal Family are famously sporty and competitive, whether it’s Zara Tindall and Princess Anne competing in the Olympics or Prince William and Princess Kate taking on a sailing race against each other. Zara’s husband, Mike Tindall, is a former England rugby player, and during a live recording of his podcast, he admitted that the family’s competitive spirit has extended to his three kids.

While taping “The Good, The Bad and The Rugby” at the Henley Literature Festival, Mike shared that Mia, 12, Lena, 8, and Lucas, 5, take after their sporty parents.

“Even if it's just a race upstairs to bed, there will be ankle taps,” he said, referring to a rugby move where you reach for someone's ankles to take them down. “It might lead to a broken leg one day, but they will learn."

"Hopefully the children will turn out like us," he added.

However, Mike hinted that his wife is the most competitive member of the family, joking, "And if they are as competitive as their mother, then we are all f****d!"

Mia had the opportunity to go for glory last month at the Blenheim International Horse Trials, riding her adorably named horse, Bunny Two Twirls, in the show jumping category as mom Zara cheered her on. It was 12-year-old Mia's first time at the competition, but if she follows in her mother and grandmother's equestrian footsteps, it certainly won't be the last.

Since her death on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth's legacy has continued to be celebrated. From her impeccable style to the fact that she reigned for seven decades, The Queen was truly one of a kind. And according to a new interview, the monarch trusted one person with a "very intimate job."

In an interview with Woman and Home, hairdresser Ian Carmichael discussed working with the late Queen.

"It was a very intimate job and there probably weren't many people who could touch her in such a normal way, as you just didn't touch The Queen," Carmichael explained. "I enjoyed being with her and it was always an honor, but I knew my place."

The hairstylist also noted that the monarch put a "huge amount of trust" in him to carry out the job.

As noted by the publication, Carmichael spent 25 years working for Queen Elizabeth and would regularly wash her hair, "then perm it with rollers and set it." Per the hairdresser, The Queen sometimes asked for an "occasional silver rinse for a bit of shine."

During the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth's dresser and close friend Angela Kelly took over hairdressing duties.

"From March 2020 onwards I washed The Queen's hair every week, set and styled it, and even trimmed it when needed," the royal dresser said, via Hello! magazine. "My team named it Kelly's Salon."

Kelly continued, "The Queen knew I was nervous, and during the first two weeks I was shaking. I had only done her hair once or twice before while on board the Royal Yacht Britannia. The Queen was so kind as she advised me on the very specific way to put the rollers in."

Basically, The Queen required a very trustworthy person to wash and style her hair, which is unsurprising considering what an "intimate job" it can be.

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Prior to marrying King Charles in April 2005, Queen Camilla lived a full and busy life away from the Royal Family. In fact, according to The Queen's son, Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla developed one unexpected, hidden skill when he was still a child.

In a new interview with the Press and Journal, Parker Bowles discussed his upbringing, and one of the talents Queen Camilla developed early on.

"People forget that before she was, you know, this royal figure, we grew up in the country in Wiltshire [in England]," the food critic shared. "My dad [Andrew Parker Bowles] was in the army and was away a lot. So she cooked for us kids."

Parker Bowles continued, "She was a really good cook—a traditional British cook."

Sharing insight into one of his mom's recipes, the food writer shared, "You know, get the best chicken you can afford. Cover it with butter, put a lemon in its cavity. Not up its bottom, as [Camilla] always says; it's actually the neck cavity. And roast it, and that's it."

The outlet also asked Parker Bowles whether he ever gets the chance to cook for Queen Camilla and King Charles when he visits them at home.

"I don't think they would want me to cook for them when I visit," he told the Press and Journal.

As for some of the simple dishes The Queen apparently likes to eat, Parker Bowles said, "She loves toast, actually, and she makes amazing scrambled eggs."

While Queen Camilla likely doesn't cook very often anymore, it's clear that she was once a master of the kitchen.

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King Charles is probably one of the busiest people in the world, particularly since he acceded the British throne. However, according to one family member, The King has always had quite the talent for reading to his grandchildren.

In a new interview with the Press and Journal, Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, discussed his stepfather, King Charles.

Opening up about whether or not his mom, Camilla used to read to him as a child, Parker Bowles shared, "She was quite animated. And she did read to us every night. And I think it's fair to say she would have tried to do all the voices, but that's maybe not her thing."

The food critic continued, "The King used to do it with [the] Harry Potter [books] with my children, and my nephew and nieces...He would sit with them, reading, and he really is a good actor."

Parker Bowles further explained, "I think my mother would admit she's good at many things, but she's probably not a natural actor. Although, she was a good reader."

As for King Charles, he clearly left a big impression on Queen Camilla's son.

"But [The King] would do all the voices in Harry Potter," Parker Bowles noted. "That was special."

Of course, Queen Camilla is known to be a big reader, and she even created The Queen's Reading Room to encourage royal fans to engage with books. Still, it's heartwarming to know that King Charles seems to enjoy reading to the younger members of the Royal Family.

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Charles Spencer has been open about his own late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, and says he believes Princess Diana was also neurodivergent in his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Speaking to Marie Claire, the 9th Earl Spencer shares that while his sister struggled with certain aspects of royal life, he thinks potentially having ADHD actually gave her a leg up in some ways.

“I think it enhanced the natural empathy in her,” Spencer shares. “I think that's where I see her ADHD explaining some of her extraordinary public life.”

In the book, Earl Spencer writes about how Diana had trouble concentrating or sitting still in school. Her learning difficulties were frequently pointed out by teachers, but since “such things were poorly understood in England” in the ‘60s and ‘70s, she “was never even tested," Spencer notes.

People with ADHD are able to focus on their special interests intensely, and when asked if he thought Diana was able to hyperfixate on her charity work Earl Spencer replies, “I think yes, she did.
I don't know if it's hyperfocused, but certainly she had an ability to really focus in on the minutiae of the causes that would be very challenging to a normal person from a royal heritage, if you see what I mean.”

“I think she cut through the conventional way of looking at causes to see the bits that really mattered,” he adds.

Spencer notes that getting his own diagnosis as an adult helped life "make more sense," and he reflects on whether his sister's story could have been different if she'd received treatment for ADHD.

"Well, all I can say about that is that having a late diagnosis for myself, I found it incredibly helpful to understand life better,” he shares. “And the reactions that you feel as an ADHD person, without explanation, can be quite overwhelming. And I think if you can just pause and think, ‘Okay, I have this neurodivergence and maybe that's why I'm feeling this,’ I'm sure that's helpful to most people.”

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) is a sudden emotional pain triggered by a real or perceived rejection, and it's something most people who have ADHD experience. When asked if he thought Diana suffered with RSD, Spencer tells Marie Claire that one area of royal life Diana particularly struggled with was the overwhelming press attention she received, especially in the late '90s when the coverage turned negative.

“It's interesting, actually, because I’m only using myself as an example with Diana in mind—this is not about me,” Spencer says. “But in the past, when I was slaughtered in the press for a day or a week, it felt like a bereavement, which, of course, is illogical. But it cut to the bone.”

Earl Spencer recalls that people would try to console him, but it didn’t work. “And friends would say, ‘Oh, why bother, you know…today's newspapers, tomorrow's fish and chip wrapping,’ which is a very English idea that, you know, it's something that's going to be absolutely irrelevant the next day.”

“But I think for somebody with ADHD, like Diana, to be roundly criticized in the worst sections of the media really, really hurt her very badly indeed,” he shares.

As the father of three young kids, Prince William likely his hands full right now. But when the Prince of Wales was a child himself, he apparently caused some drama for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

In a new article in the Daily Mail, Princess Margaret's former lady-in-waiting, Anne Glenconner, recalled one incident involving Prince William when he was a young boy.

According to Glenconner, she accompanied the Royal Family to Balmoral Castle in Scotland in August 1990 for a shooting weekend.

"It was a very relaxed, family weekend and everything was going smoothly until I was waiting for Princess Margaret in the castle later in the afternoon and heard raised voices coming from outside," Glenconner wrote in an excerpt from her latest book.

Glenconner continued, "I peered out of the window and saw The Queen tearing a strip off Prince William who was on his pony on the drive. He must have been around [8 years old]."

The lady-in-waiting explained, "I crept back from the window not wanting to be spotted and reported back to Princess Margaret what I'd seen. She said, 'Oh, I wonder what's happened. I'll ask The Queen.'"

It later transpired that "Prince William had been out riding with the groom and his cousins and had...returned to the castle on his own without letting anyone know," Glenconner explained. "The grooms had been frantic looking for him."

Understandably, William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, had been incredibly worried about the young prince.

"You can imagine how terrified they were in case he had fallen and hit his head with no one knowing where he was," Glenconner wrote. "Princess Margaret said, 'The Queen was quite right to give him a rocket.'"

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Princess Kate is known for her ability to make items of clothing sell out almost immediately whenever she wears them. But the "Kate effect" seriously worried one fashion designer, who couldn't believe what happened when the Princess of Wales wore their brand.

British designer Jade Holland Cooper, who runs Princess Kate-approved brand Holland Cooper, revealed what happened when the royal endorsed her label during an appearance on the "Olivia's House" podcast.

"The first time she wore it, it was just like amazing," Cooper explained (via People). "She's probably the only person globally you can't pay to wear something...so when she wears something, you know, she likes it, [and] she's picked it organically."

The designer continued, "I remember looking down at my phone, and I had like 200 missed calls, and I thought, 'Oh my god, someone's died! What's happening?'"

When Princess Kate wore two outfits from the designer on the same day in May 2021, Cooper was pretty overwhelmed.

"She wore our double-breasted blazer in the morning, and then she wore our trench coat on the red carpet in the evening, and it was just like this...supersonic day where the globe goes green, everyone's shopping all over the world," Cooper explained.

The designer continued, "You're on every press article, every news coverage, there's 500 million fan accounts, like, it's crazy."

As Cooper noted, "They call it the 'Kate effect' for a reason." Basically, the Princess of Wales can completely alter the trajectory of any brand, which is more than a little impressive.

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On October 27, 2026, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to Antigua, Barbuda, the Bahamas, and Guyana for an 8-day royal tour. However, there are certain topics The King won't be discussing during the trip, according to new reports.

During the royal tour, King Charles will reaffirm "the wrongs of the past" regarding colonialism and slavery, but he "will stop short of issuing an apology or offering reparations on the advice of the government," Hello! magazine has reported.

Referencing King Charles's upcoming trip, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson shared (via the BBC), "There are important discussions taking place in various fora about colonial legacy and the intergenerational impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved persons."

The statement continued, "While these are primarily matters for governments to address, His Majesty's previous statements on them have been unequivocal, describing them as an 'atrocity' which 'forever stains our history.'"

Per Charles's spokesperson, "The visit program will therefore not shy away from 'the darkest days of our past,' as His Majesty has described them, but—in keeping with the wishes of our host nations—it will principally be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country."

Buckingham Palace further noted, "[Charles] has a long history of engaging on this particular issue and all of the things that he has said...in the past, about his personal sorrow, about this particular period of our history, are worth repeating."

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Charles Spencer has been busy promoting his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, in the United States this week, and on the latest episode of the “Next Question With Katie Couric” podcast, Couric told Earl Spencer about one of her personal encounters with Princess Diana.

While attending a charity luncheon for breast cancer research held in Chicago in 1996, the journalist found herself sitting “two seats away” from Diana. “She complimented my lipstick. I was very flattered,” Couric recalled.

The broadcaster shared how she remembered Diana being “really lovely and easy to talk to,” and said the royal even asked her for some parenting advice.

Couric, who had two very young daughters at the time, recalled Diana “was asking how to keep William and Harry from watching too much telly, because I think they were young teenagers.”

The boys, who were 11 and 13 at the time, were splitting their time between their mother and Prince Charles, whose divorce would be finalized later that summer. The former Today show host said she remembered the sad response Diana gave when asked about returning home to London.

“I said, ‘This must be exhausting, you know, traveling all over the country.’ I don’t know how many cities she was going to, but you know, just exhausting, shaking hands, making small talk, meeting person after person after person,” Couric told Earl Spencer.

“I said, ‘You must be so excited to go home.' And she kind of looked at me and said, ‘Yes, but I’ll be going home to an empty house,’” Couric shared.

Earl Spencer admitted that he didn't realize how unhappy his sister was after her separation from Prince Charles, telling Couric, “I regret to say I was probably just so busy getting on with my own life. And I think Diana spoke more about her marital problems to our mother and sisters than to the younger brother."

“It was amazing she coped as well as she did, given the huge amount of pressure on her," Spencer said. "Unprecedented pressure.”

Princess Diana and her younger brother, Charles Spencer, had a difficult relationship with their father’s second wife, but the late princess developed a curious friendship with Raine Spencer in her later years. It’s a decision Earl Spencer didn’t quite understand at the time, and as he tells Marie Claire, it points to his sister’s “complex” personality.

In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the earl writes about his childhood with Princess Diana and the shock they experienced when his father married socialite Raine McCorquodale. The siblings called her “Acid Raine” and Diana even pushed her down the stairs in a shocking incident detailed in the book, yet the princess seemed to warm to her stepmom in the late ‘90s.

When asked about one story where Diana held hands with Raine at their father’s funeral, Spencer tells Marie Claire that he wanted to “touch on how complex Diana was” in Swan Song—and that includes how she played Raine against their mother, Frances Shand Kydd.

“You know, Raine was, in many ways, a classic unfortunate stepmother for us,” Spencer says. “And yet, for Diana, she was something to almost be played with, you know, at the end.”

In Swan Song, Earl Spencer recalls his surprise at seeing how kindly Diana treated Raine at their father’s funeral, writing that he felt his sister was “playing to the gallery at the cost of integrity.”

Princess Diana would go to lunch with Raine and the royal was photographed laughing with her stepmother at the auction of her famous dress collection in June 1997, just two months before her tragic death. But Spencer says he feels there was a hidden motivation behind Diana’s sudden chumminess with Raine.

“I actually, genuinely—this is not because I, as it is clear, I don't like Raine—I don't think Diana ever liked Raine," Earl Spencer shares. “But she was having trouble with our mother. Diana and my mother had fallen out. So, Diana knew that sort of publicly befriending Raine would be very painful to my mother.”

He adds, “I think that is complex, but it is an honest look at the whole of Diana, really.”

Ironically, Raine was the one who introduced Princess Diana to Dodi Fayed, as she was working for his father, Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, at the time. "I think Raine had this grifter quality to her. So exchanging a date with her stepdaughter with the man who was effectively employing her and his son was the sort of way she operated, you know?" Earl Spencer says.

Although Raine was responsible for connecting the duo, who died in a car crash when they were visiting Paris, Earl Spencer says he doesn't blame his late stepmother. "I think that would be unfair on Raine, to be honest," he shares.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis might be members of the Royal Family, but their mother still has to nag them to remember one important task. Princess Kate was visiting with senior citizens in Pulborough, England, and when she boarded the West Sussex Minibus, she joked about forgetting her purse and telling her kids to buckle up.

After guiding 94-year-old Stella Drewett from her house to the bus, the Princess of Wales shared, "everyone always runs after me [shouting] ‘you forgot your handbag!'"

“I have to remind my children to put their seatbelts on too,” she added.

Prince William and Princess Kate drive their kids to school themselves each day (minus Prince George, who is now away at boarding school), so they’ve had plenty of experience with seatbelt reminders. Earlier this year, William spoke about their occasionally chaotic morning routine when he spoke to Britain’s Heart Radio.

“It depends if there’s a guitar lesson going on in the morning, a music lesson,” he shared. “You’ve got to get the guitar in the car? No, we’re not taking the guitar; we need the bag for school. Are we boarding? No, we're not. Are we seeing friends? No, we’re not. So there’s all that going on in the morning."

“There’s a lot of jam sandwiches taken in the car usually," Prince William admitted. "Louis will leave jam fingerprints throughout the car, which is really helpful."

During Kate's visit to Pulborough on Wednesday, she also visited a weekly lunch club for seniors, and she opened up about how she enjoys washing dishes, just like Queen Elizabeth used to do.

“I love washing up. I really do,” she told the group. When someone asked if the Prince of Wales also got involved with washing dishes, she shared that “he does the drying. We are a good double act,” adding that they also “get the children involved.”

Prince William visited Wales on October 1 to meet communities affected by recent flooding, and while chatting with local residents, he met a man who shared a hilarious memory of the future King as a child.

The Prince of Wales met Rod and Helen Wyatt in the village of Skenfrith, and as he spoke to them about the four major floods they’ve experienced in the past six years, Rod told him they’d met before.

“First time I met you, you were this high,” Rod said, gesturing to his waist. “In Glanusk Estate, you sold me a CD from a bric-a-brac stall.” The memory made the Prince of Wales laugh and he recalled, “Dodgy car boot sale, yes, I remember that.”

Glanusk happens to be where Prince William’s former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke grew up, and her family has managed the vast property for generations, but it also is home to a campground and serves as a venue for weddings, fairs and other events.

Prince William and Prince Harry spent a good deal of time at Glanusk when they were young and attended their nanny's wedding on the estate in 1999, but apparently, William also got put to work at a boot sale (a British version of a flea market). After sharing some laughs, Rod asked the Prince of Wales, “Still doing that?”

“No, I don't sell…it's dried up a bit that one, perhaps I should reopen it,” William joked. “'I got up to a lot,” the Prince of Wales added. “We had some fun ‘round there.”

Ahead of next month’s Earthshot Prize ceremony in Mumbai, India, the Prince of Wales is putting a spotlight on climate change. With a potentially record-strength El Niño event that could intensify climate impacts globally, his visit highlighted the importance of building resilience at a local level.

The Wyatts told Prince William how they changed the flooring on their ground floor to be tile because of the constant flooding they’ve experienced in recent years, and how at one point, they had to “give up” trying to deal with it and went upstairs to watch Strictly Come Dancing.

“It must be so demoralizing for you now, the worry each year you've got to go through that again, potentially, is becoming more frequent,” William said.

He also met representatives from Stump Up For Trees, a community-based environmental charity working across South Wales to restore native woodland and recognize its potential to support solutions to flooding risk. He saw the charity's work in action with a local farming family, learning how they've partnered with the charity to use their land for upstream flooding interventions.

When Charles Spencer began promoting his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, his comments about King Charles made headlines around the world, but especially in the British media. Princess Diana’s brother tells Marie Claire that he’s had an interesting—and rather different—reaction to his book in the United States, and Spencer feels part of that comes down to what he sees as the Royal Family’s influence on the U.K. media.

"I think it's surprising to people to know quite how powerful, in real terms, the Royal Family remain today," the 9th Earl Spencer says. Aside from the "pageantry and charming dressing up and having palaces and all of that sort of thing," Spencer says he feels the monarchy does wield a "very serious power."

"When somebody steps outside what [the Royal Family] would consider acceptable norms, they do galvanize sections of the U.K. media to take vengeance on their behalf," the Swan Song author shares, adding he's "certainly felt that" response.

In the book, Spencer recalls a heated conversation he had with King Charles (then Prince Charles) shortly after Diana died, writing that the then-Prince of Wales sounded "giddy" and told Spencer that Diana would be forgotten “soon enough." He also notes that Diana once told him she thought Prince Charles was "in love with his valet."

An early serialization of the book prompted Buckingham Palace to issue a rare statement, with a spokesperson for The King writing, "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss."

Numerous royal commentators have come to The King's defense, claiming that the remark about forgetting Diana is something he'd never say. But Earl Spencer has stood by his comments, and he tells Marie Claire "there's simply nothing about the Royal Family that's not entirely in context."

Spencer compares the British media's reaction to his book to the negative press he received after Diana’s death. He says, “Twenty-nine years ago when I gave the eulogy at Diana's funeral, I was pummeled very much by the U.K. media who did not want me saying things about them to the world. So, there's been a reflex reaction to that again in the U.K.”

He spoke passionately against the paparazzi and tabloid journalists in his eulogy at Diana's funeral, calling his sister "the most hunted person of the modern age." In Swan Song, Spencer writes about how he became a target for his comments, and today, the earl says he's seeing a similar response from certain royal experts and journalists.

However, Spencer noted there's been a more positive response during his United States book tour, especially since he's been promoting Swan Song after its release as opposed to the pre-publication interviews he did in the U.K.

"I find Americans have a broader view of the world and the Royal Family than in the U.K.," Earl Spencer shares, adding he thinks U.S.-based royal fans "have been much more rounded in their view of not only the book, but my intention."

Aside from the comments about his conversation with Prince Charles, Swan Song reads more as a memoir about the days between Diana's death and funeral, peppered with stories about their childhood and brother/sister relationship. "It's not setting out to be revengeful or point scoring as it was portrayed before the book was out in the U.K.," Earl Spencer says.

He adds there's "been a different dynamic" during this part of his book tour, admitting, "I've always had a much better ride in the U.S. anyway."

At the end of the day, the author says Swan Song has never been about trying to bring the Royal Family down, and he's glad "people have had a chance to see the book for what it is, which is a brother's heartfelt celebration of a much loved sister and not an attack on an institution."

Next August will mark 30 years since Princess Diana died, and although it’s been reported that Prince Harry is planning a documentary to mark the milestone, a new report in the Daily Mail claims that a service of thanksgiving is being planned to honor the late royal's life.

Per columnist Ephraim Hardcastle, King Charles has “raised no objection” to the religious service, which would follow in the footsteps of the 10th anniversary event that was held at the Wellington Barracks Guards’ Chapel in London.

Prince William and Prince Harry remain estranged, but Hardcastle noted, “While the boys seem to have rejected any chance of working together, the religious event might help heal the rift.” Now the Daily Mail’s diary editor, Richard Eden, has spoken to another source who confirmed “a service including both brothers is being seriously considered.”

Prince William is said to have rejected participating in any kind of documentary for the anniversary, but the service would give him the chance to publicly remember his mother in an "inspirational way," Eden reported.

“William could celebrate his mother’s life by giving a reading," the insider told Eden. "That would be far more dignified than appearing in a television programme that would inevitably be portrayed as a rival to whatever Harry might make. And it would also serve to bring the brothers together.”

A spokesperson for the Prince of Wales denied to comment on how William will mark the anniversary next year.

The news comes after Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, released his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, last month. Earl Spencer recently told Marie Claire how Diana gave the monarchy “an injection of relevance and glamour.”

“For many people before Diana came along, the Royal Family was a totally acceptable, benign relic from the past, and relics from the past can soon lose all relevance,” he noted.

Since King Charles took the throne following Queen Elizabeth II's death, there have been reports of alleged friction at the palace. Namely, some have suggested that King Charles and his eldest son, Prince William, don't always see eye to eye on certain matters. And according to one royal biographer, The King has some opinions about the Prince of Wales.

In the book The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal, and Survival, royal biographer Robert Jobson discussed William and Charles's relationship.

"William, indomitable, has clashed not only with his father's courtiers, but at times with Charles himself," Jobson explained.

The author continued, "In 2014, tensions flared over William's proposal to destroy the Royal Collection's 1,200 ivory artifacts...as a bold stand against the illegal ivory trade."

According to Jobson, "Charles rejected the move as 'naive,' arguing that the cause could be championed without erasing history."

As noted by the royal biographer, "The episode underscored their diverging views on heritage, symbolism, and modern ethics."

"The King, close sources say, believes William is occasionally hasty and can be too quick to dismiss sage, well-meaning advice," Jobson explained.

However, Prince William is also growing as a senior royal and as the heir apparent.

As Jobson shared, "William is steadily evolving into the global statesman he must become, using soft power diplomacy on the world stage."

Even if their relationship isn't always perfect, it seems as though Charles and William have been learning how to work together on a large scale in recent years.

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Working with the British Royal Family is likely a coveted job for many. However, the role often comes with some very specific drawbacks. And according to one of Princess Diana's former employees, being a royal butler could be pretty stressful sometimes.

In his book The Royal Insider: My Life With The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana, ex-royal butler Paul Burrell opened up about some of the former Princess of Wales's fears.

"Diana was convinced that someone was eavesdropping," Burrell wrote.

He continued, "We took down every wall mirror in the palace, having been told that a beam from a satellite could be bounced from a mirror to listen to conversations in the room."

Burrell wrote, "At times, it felt like I was living in a James Bond movie."

In an attempt to put Princess Diana's mind to rest, Burrell claimed that he "rolled up carpets and pulled up floorboards."

Per the former butler, "I even removed a panel in the bathtub to look in the void behind, but we found nothing."

Despite never finding any evidence of eavesdropping, Burrell revealed that he often wondered if someone might have been listening in.

"We have no proof that anyone hacked Princess Diana's phone but they may well have done," he explained.

The ex-butler shared, "She was, at the time, arguably the most famous woman in the world and a person of significant interest to national and international newspapers. We can only speculate as we will never know the truth. She could also have been listened to by secret services."

Considering the press intrusion Princess Diana experienced throughout her life, it's hardly surprising she feared being wiretapped.

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Following her 2022 death, Queen Elizabeth II has remained a beloved figure worldwide. However, according to royal sources, a new film about the late Queen threatens to potentially tarnish her legacy.

Royal expert and journalist Richard Eden has written a new column for the Daily Mail, in which he discusses a forthcoming "drama in the style of Netflix hit The Crown."

It was previously thought the project would be a documentary involving Queen Elizabeth's longtime dresser, Angela Kelly. Per Eden, a movie will "give the creators much more freedom to tell the extraordinary life story of Liverpool-born Kelly, 68, who wielded almost unparalleled influence in the royal household."

The working title of the movie is Trouble, which sources believe is a worrisome prediction of its content.

"The film's title tells you all you need to know," one source told Eden.

Screenwriter Jeremy Brock's agent told the outlet, "He has just been commissioned to write an original screenplay entitled Trouble for Fox-Searchlight about the friendship between Elizabeth II and Angela Kelly."

Notably, this isn't the first time Brock has written about the Royal Family. He previously worked on the miniseries A Royal Scandal, which followed the fallout from Prince Andrew's BBC Newsnight interview.

According to Eden, "filmmakers may have found a way around the confidentiality agreement that the crane driver's daughter had to sign as part of her royal service."

As for how Queen Elizabeth's relatives are likely taking the news, one source previously told the publication, "The royals will be worried, and they are right to be worried."

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After wearing a sleek white Dior suit to meet with Pope Leo earlier this week, Princess Charlene of Monaco opted to wear a similarly angelic outfit for another special occasion.

On September 30, Princess Charlene joined her husband, Prince Albert, for a reception celebrating the arrival of the 10,000th Monégasque citizen. The event took place at Monaco City Hall, where Charlene and Albert met baby Anna, whose birth took Monaco's citizenship to 10,000 individuals.

Charlene demonstrated the skills she's acquired as the mother of twins—11 year olds Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella—by holding Anna and effortlessly making the baby smile.

For the adorable occasion, Princess Charlene opted for a celestial white dress from Carolina Herrera. The Jacquard A-Line Midi Dress features a fitted bodice and a flared skirt with pockets, and retails for $1230.

The former Olympian accessorized the stunning dress with a pair of heels from a Princess Kate-approved designer. Charlene wore Jimmy Choo's Love 85 Slingback Pumps in Chai, which typically retail for $875.

The royal family's official Instagram account shared photos taken by Frédéric Nebinger, with the caption, "Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene attended, this Wednesday, September 30, the reception organized in honor of the 10,000th Monégasque, which was held at Monaco City Hall."

The caption continued, "This figure, highly symbolic, testifies to the remarkable evolution of the national community, which, despite the necessity of the territory, tripled in a few decades...The Monégasques have been thus, for several years, the first community of the Principality."

Finally, the caption revealed, "This reception took place in the presence of the family of the young Monégasque named Anna, born last June, whose birth allowed the Principality to reach this historic path."

Luckily, Princess Charlene had the ideal angelic dress on hand for such a special reception.

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Following Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, 2022, Prince William and Princess Kate started to take on an even more central role within the Royal Family. Now that King Charles is on the throne, William is the heir apparent and is likely preparing for his own reign. And according to a body language expert, Princess Kate is well equipped to become Queen, having learned one special skill from Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Body language expert Darren Stanton weighed in on the Princess of Wales's recent royal appearances, telling BetFair Casino, "With Kate, we've got somebody who comes across as incredibly internally confident."

Stanton continued, "She's very humble and respectful of other people, so she's extremely socially aware in her non-verbal communication, but she also has this quiet confidence in the way she carries herself."

Most importantly, Princess Kate appears to be following in Queen Elizabeth's footsteps in an important way.

As the body language expert noted, "Kate is developing a skill and ability that the late Queen had. She's an expert at showing people that, although she's a princess, she's also a human being who is genuinely interested in connecting with the people around her."

Stanton continued, "Whether that's through a conversation, a photograph or another interaction, she appears very comfortable making that connection, and I think that's becoming a real strength in her body language."

Analyzing Princess Kate's walk, Stanton suggested that she "has quite a big stride, almost like she's marching."

Alongside her confident stride, the body language expert said, "Unlike some public figures, who can display signs of nervousness in these situations, Kate appears very at ease. There's a natural sense of purpose in the way she moves and interacts with people."

Furthermore, Princess Kate appears to have "an unparalleled ability to build connections and establish rapport," according to Stanton.

"We also see a lot of mirroring, where she naturally adopts some of the other person's body language or gestures," the expert explained. "That's an important social behavior because it shows a desire to connect and establish deeper rapport."

Basically, it sounds as though Princess Kate is on her way to replicating some of the magic once exhibited by Queen Elizabeth II.

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Prince William and Prince Harry were only 15 and 12 when their mother died, but Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, tells Marie Claire that he sees his late sister’s influence on both of his nephews.

Earl Spencer, whose new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, was released on September 22, shares that like Princess Diana, William and Harry display an “independence of thought” from the rest of their family.

“Times have changed,” Spencer says, adding he thinks it’s “huge progress” that Prince William and Princess Kate spent some of their Christmases with the Middleton family before he was the Prince of Wales.

“You know, it really hurt Diana, family Christmases were a very, very big deal for us growing up, whether they're with my father or mother, and then we did those alternately,” Spencer shares. Instead of seeing her family, Princess Diana wasn’t given a choice other than to spend the holidays with the Royal Family—an experience she hated.

Spencer continues that it was sad for his family to have their Christmas celebrations continue on without Diana, especially since she “was only 20 when she got married.”

He says it “just seemed so thoughtless” that his sister could never celebrate Christmas with the Spencers, praising William for spending holidays with his in-laws when he could. “I think that would be the sort of independent, logical thinking that Diana would have imparted into her sons,” Spencer shares.

As for Prince Harry, Earl Spencer says his nephew has inherited one of Diana’s best qualities. “It’s very interesting to me to watch Harry with people,” he tells Marie Claire. After “chatting with Elton John at a charity event,” Spencer says they both agreed that other than Diana, Harry was the only high-profile person they’ve seen “instantly connect on sort of a joyful level with members of the public."

“He also has this incredible connection with kids, which, you know, you can’t fake that,” Spencer adds of the Duke of Sussex, praising the “incredibly easy way” he relates to children, just like his mother.

Spencer has made his feelings on King Charles known in the book (and in numerous interviews), but when asked what type of King he thinks Prince William will be, Spencer takes a moment to consider it.

"That's such a tricky question," he says after a beat. "I'm not avoiding the question, but I'm sure he'll be a successful one. I've never thought about it, to be honest."

Touching on how the Prince of Wales has been open about wanting to make some changes to the monarchy, Spencer adds that he thinks his nephew will combine "the obvious duty of the role with a thoughtful take on what is expected in the modern world from a monarch."

Despite William's potential plans for modernization, Spencer notes that his nephew "would never impose any of those thoughts on the world when his father is the monarch," adding, "I'm sure it will be very considered when the time comes for him to take over."

Princess Kate was full of giggles at an unorthodox girl’s lunch in Sussex, where she proved she is still as down-to-earth and relatable as ever. Instead of brunch and bellinis, the Princess of Wales joined retirees at a weekly lunch club for soup and socializing. At a village hall in Pulborough, West Sussex, tables were set with white tablecloths, flowers, and a heaving bread basket with fat slices of butter, ready for a social afternoon. Princess Kate sat with regulars, chatting about daily life at home like she was just another local lady.

“I love washing up,” Princess Kate told the group, referring to washing dishes after meals. “I really do.” A guest at the table joked, “Oh good, a volunteer,” referring to the post-luncheon cleaning at the volunteer-run event. Asked whether Prince William was a helper in the kitchen, the princess revealed that “he does the drying. We are a good double act.” Their kitchen at Forest Lodge must be busy after family dinners. Princess Kate shared that they “get the children involved” in clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Princess Kate complemented the table, which was beautifully set with bread rolls, thick slices of butter, bowls of chips, and other tempting foods. “I bet you never eat crisps,” a friendly guest at the table teased, referring to potato chips. “I do,” Princess Kate replied. “I love salted,” she said, taking a potato chip and enjoying it alongside the rest of the guests at the table. The Princess of Wales rarely eats at royal engagements like these, so to see her snacking on potato chips was a real treat.

The entire visit was full of down-to-earth moments, giving a glimpse of what Princess Kate is like off-duty, and on Mom Duty. Outside, the princess met two little boys, and complimented the younger boy’s fox wellies. “Look at your cool boots!” she told young Albie. These casual remarks hint at the sweet family moments happening at Forest Lodge, with a big bowl of salted chips.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton once worked for both Prince William and Prince Harry as a private secretary, and in a new interview, he’s weighing in on their very different personalities.

Appearing on Gyles Brandreth’s “Rosebud” podcast, Lowther-Pinkerton—who serves as one of Prince George's godfathers—said that the Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales could’ve been a “very powerful” team if their relationship hadn’t deteriorated.

“I thought they both had great talents in very different ways,” Lowther-Pinkerton said of the time he worked with the brothers. “One was instinctive, one was very considered.”

He compared the different helicopters the brothers flew during their duties as indicative of their personalities. “Harry would be clipping the trees at 130 knots or whatever it was, with 35 things to do in an attack helicopter," Lowther-Pinkerton said of the Duke of Sussex, who served in the British Army.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales, who worked as a search and rescue pilot before taking on full-time royal duties, had a different approach.

“You know, Prince William was in a great big yellow helicopter and he had to go out into the storm, literally for 300 miles in a straight line, make sure fuel loads were precise,” Lowther-Pinkerton said of William's missions to save people "who were in trouble."

Adding that “those two helicopters slightly describe them,” Lowther-Pinkerton shared that he also looks at Harry and William as similar to two famous royal siblings of the 1300s. He compared Prince Harry to John of Gaunt, the fourth son of King Edward III, and William to John’s brother Edward, the Black Prince, who was the Prince of Wales.

“You know, they were both equally powerful,” Lowther-Pinkerton shared of William and Harry. “I don’t mean in terms of the roles they were going to have to fulfill, but they had the potential to be very, very powerful actually, the two of them. And as you say, it didn't turn out like that.”

Princess Kate’s style has become so iconic that her glamorous outfits and on-trend styles regularly make fashion headlines, to the point where it has become unsurprising to see her ballgowns and blazers top the Best Dressed lists. While her enviable shoe and handbag collection gets regular attention, her athletic outfits are considered mild. That is, unless you’re a passionate outdoor enthusiast—in which case, they’re inspiring.

Kristen Geil, Gear & Affiliate Director at Outside Interactive, hailed the Princess of Wales’s hiking gear as “unremarkable,” but in a good way. The “no frills, no fancy features, no splurgey add-ons” outfit that the princess wore to complete her Three Peaks Challenge was ‘fashion inspo’ from a slightly different lens.

“The princesses I grew up watching in cartoons and reading about in the tabloids wore bedazzled ball gowns, eye-popping revenge dresses, glittering tiaras, and occasionally, a mermaid tail,” Geil wrote for Outside Interactive. “No matter the occasion, princesses had the right outfit for it—and that outfit had been tailored within an inch of its life.” Princess Kate’s red athletic shorts and simple t-shirt were a far cry from bespoke gowns and royal jewels. “It was refreshing, then, to watch Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, conquer the U.K.’s National Three Peaks Challenge in a basic pair of running shorts,” Geil said.

“I fully expected to click into the Instagram carousel announcing Princess Kate’s milestone (requiring her to climb the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales within 24 hours) and immediately recognize a $500 jacket, a $400 pair of hiking boots, and a $600 heavy-duty pack,” Geil said, referring to her Fjallraven jacket, Brasher boots, and simple backpack. “If anyone would have a primo hiking ensemble, it would be the Princess of Wales.”

“To my surprise, I saw clothes that I could conceivably have in my closet,” Geil wrote. The Princess of Wales could have worn a bespoke designer technical ensemble, handcrafted from the finest British textile artists. Instead, she chose shorts and a t-shirt from the back of her closet. The Three Peaks Challenge was a personal triumph, undertaken with her brother, James, and her husband and children cheering her on at the finish line. It wasn’t a perfectly polished occasion, but a personal best. “At the end of the day, Kate’s gear isn’t what got her to that final peak; it was her determination and her dedication to the cause.”

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Princess Kate has rarely been spotted with a colorful manicure–in fact, there is only one time in recent years that she has worn an actual color, and not just a shade of beigey pink or sheer nude. The Princess of Wales has always preferred a bare nail, or on rare occasions a barely-there nail, with a tidy, almost nonexistent polish. The message has been consistent: she’s low maintenance, down-to-earth, and more likely to be gardening or beekeeping than sitting in a salon chair.

On her recent engagements, a shiny, sheer nude polish was apparent as she shook hands and chatted with volunteers at a local community lunch. As the bare nails trend picks up steam—and controversy—the presence of a polish feels like more of a statement than no polish at all.

Beauty trendspotters noticed that bare nails and no polish manicures have become a status symbol, playing into “quiet luxury” and “old money” trends. Celebrities have begun eschewing their bright, elaborate manicures and long nails in favor of short, bare nails. “I knew bare nails had officially become a trend when people started asking for a manicure that didn't really look like, well, a manicure at all,” Marie Claire’s Beauty Editor, Siena Gagliano, writes. “Suddenly, the best inspo on Instagram wasn't chrome or intricate nail art—it was healthy-looking nails that seemed completely untouched.”

Princess Kate’s sheer manicure leans right into the trend, which recently made unexpectedly tense headlines. The BBC removed an article on the bare nail trend titled How the Bare Nails Trend Became a Class Issue after intense backlash. Beauty journalist Kristina Rodulfo was quoted saying that the trend is “often called elegant or tasteful, and these are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty." Kristina accused the trend as being a sign of “counter signalling,” where trends and status symbols shift as they become more accessible to the masses. "The same way that logo bags are considered gauche or quiet luxury is more aspirational, bare nails are considered the trend now.”

Since Princess Kate has sported a sheer, barely-there manicure for most of her public life, it seems unlikely that she is buying into beauty trends or making grand statements. Regardless, her fashion and beauty choices make headlines whether she consciously chose the sheer pink to make a statement, or simply wanted a swipe of color to give her a clean, manicured look.

In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer shares a brother’s account of the days between Princess Diana’s death and funeral while weaving in stories of their sibling relationship. The late royal, who died in August 1997, did much to modernize the British monarchy, and the 9th Earl Spencer tells Marie Claire that her brand of star power wasn’t always welcomed.

“I think that people would be most surprised if they knew how competitive the Royal Family have always been with each other,” Spencer says. “I know it sounds mad because from the outside world they’re one brand and they should support and celebrate each other, but 30, 40 years ago, Diana’s huge popularity globally was seen as really irksome by some of the Royal Family.”

Spencer adds that some of the royals found Diana’s modern approach to be “wrong” and” in some way threatening,” even though she was adding a much-needed dose of relatability to what many saw as an outdated institution.

“I think this is really sad because I think I said it in the book, she wasn’t a problem, she was actually a protection for the Royal Family,” Spencer shares. He explains that before Diana married Prince Charles in 1981, much of the British public viewed the Royal Family as “a sort of backdrop to the nation’s silhouette” but “there was no warm connection” aside from “huge respect” for Queen Elizabeth.

“There wasn’t much more of an emotional connection than that,” he continues. “Diana brought that to the Royal Family for the first time, probably ever.” With her unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life, the late princess gave the monarchy “an injection of relevance and glamour,” Spencer says.

“For many people before Diana came along, the Royal Family was a totally acceptable, benign relic from the past, and relics from the past can soon lose all relevance,” he notes.

Spencer shares that there was an element of jealousy within the Royal Family about “this incomer who’s hijacking the headlines,” but the competitiveness also extended to members of the royal household—or the men in gray suits, as Diana called them.

In Swan Song, Spencer writes about how Diana was "wary of any form of palace advice" since she viewed courtiers as prioritizing the interests of blood royals over "the people who dared to marry into it."

After being asked about how that culture continues today when members of the Royal Family have competing events, Spencer shares that there's an element of behind-the-scenes maneuvering. “There is an incomprehensible mixture here of—it’s not just members of the Royal Family that get caught up in this. It’s their teams.”

“The more I push my principle, the better it is for me and my career,” he says of royal aides. “It’s office politics. That’s what it is.”

On Princess Kate’s recent outing for a community lunch, she skipped her usual glossy waves in favor of a bouncy ponytail. The style was unfussy and elegant, but noticeably not sleek. Princess Kate has rarely opted for a sleek, tight hairstyle, but this latest ponytail feels like another nail in the coffin for the slick back trend.

“For the past few years, the slick back bun has been the staple updo of basically every stylish woman on the planet,” Marie Claire’s Beauty Director Hannah Baxter recently wrote, as she acknowledged that the hair trends are shifting to softer, looser, and occasionally disheveled styles. Princess Kate’s ponytail had some soft volume at the crown, with soft, loose, almost messy waves in the tail.

“I'd wager a guess that a slick back bun will always remain a mainstay in the hairstyling repertoire,” Baxter writes, explaining how the hairstyling landscape is shifting. “I am encouraged to try out some different options for the foreseeable future, especially since I'm desperately trying to minimize hair loss at the moment (the tension of a slick back can lead to traction alopecia!).”

Many stylish women have raised concerns about the negative impacts of a slick back, including hair loss, tension headaches, and a general discomfort from the harsh hairstyle. ”A slick back bun is a polished and sleek hairstyle that involves pulling all the hair back and securing it into a bun at the nape or back of the head,’ Paula Pop, co-founder of GLAMHAIR Studio, told Country and Townhouse. “This style is usually achieved with products like gel or something similar to make the hair shiny and smooth.”

“The use of heavy products and tight styles can lead to hair breakage, particularly around the hairline,” Paula said. “It can be a bit uncomfortable on the scalp too, and you might find you feel a bit headachy from ongoing tension on the roots. Wearing a slick back bun every now and then is totally fine—as long as you’re careful with how you do it.”

Princess Kate was out and about for the second day in a row on Wednesday, September 30, and she surprised seniors in Pulborough, England who are taking part in activities to combat loneliness. Wearing her hair in a bouncy ponytail, the Princess of Wales joined in some lively conversations during a lunch club at the local village hall, and she even snagged a potato chip from them.

In a video shared by the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English on Instagram, Kate shares some laughs with a group of women at the lunch club, with one participant pointing out “it makes a lot of difference” to get out and see people. “You must all love coming together,” the princess said.

After laughing about having a few “crisps” or potato chips, the princess is seen popping one in her mouth later in the Reel.

For the outing, the Princess of Wales went for a monochrome look, wearing a new gray pussybow blouse by Reiss with matching gray trousers and a repeat Jigsaw coat. She accessorized with burgundy Gianvitto Rossi pumps, a matching Victoria Beckham belt and a new (but past-season) maroon Smythson bag, adding her Kiki McDonough hoops with dangling pearl charms by Annoushka.

During her day in Pulborough, Kate climbed aboard the West Sussex Minibus, a community-run transportation option for citizens who can’t otherwise get around. The service is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and along with taking a ride, the princess helped people from their homes onto the bus and met with volunteers who make sure that local residents can continue to participate in community life.

Per Kensington Palace, the Princess of Wales hopes to “underscore how a culture of care can be created anywhere, with small, everyday gestures helping to build stronger, more connected communities.”