Kate
This week is Children's Hospice Week, and to mark it the Duchess of Cambridge shared a letter in support of her patronage East Anglia's Children's Hospices. Kate praised the "remarkable and life-changing" support provided by children's hospices. She continued: "By supporting Children's Hospice Week we can help them spread joy and positivity across the UK, encouraging everyone to make the most of moments that matter. Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life and for me, as a mother, it is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish." The release was accompanied with an official photo we've seen a couple of times, Kate wearing her pale blue Catherine Walker suit.
Kate concluded, saying: "I hope you will join me in supporting Children’s Hospice Week this year. Together we can champion the vital role that children’s hospices play in helping seriously ill children and families to have more precious moments."
The letter in full:
More on the theme for this year's events: "We all want to do what we love and make the most of every minute. For children with life-limiting conditions and their families, 'Life’s Short' has a poignant meaning: they simply do not have time to waste. Children’s Hospices across the UK help these children enjoy the simple moments in life that we all cherish. Join us this Children’s Hospice Week 21-27 May to create more moments that matter and raise awareness and funds for the 49,000 children across the UK living with life-limiting conditions, and the lifeline services that support them."
For those considering supporting a hospice, EACH is not only tirelessly supporting families during a time of unimaginable need, they are planning to transform palliative care across Norfolk and north Suffolk. Due to the high demands of the charity's specialist services in Norfolk, the team has long outgrown their current hospice in Quidenham, a very old two-storey building. Accessibility and flexibility within the building is restricted and in order to continue to provide their services it was realised a new hospice was very badly needed. EACH obtained planning permission for a new hospice - the Nook - on a five acre site, with a vision to provide the latest and most efficient services. And thus the Nook Appeal was launched by Kate in 2014. Four years later, building is underway and the charity has raised £7.5 million, and are now £2.5 million away from their goal.
In 2016, the Cambridges attended 'A Taste of Norfolk' at their Norfolk neighbours' stately home Houghton Hall, hosted by David and Rose, the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley. The couple have been friends of William and Kate for several years now. The evening was in support of the Nook Appeal and raised over £400,000.
Yesterday EACH announced Rose Cholmondeley has become a Patron of the organisation. Lady Rose said: "I feel honoured to become a Patron of EACH, that provides incredible care and support for children and families in our region. It’s vital to raise funds every year to continue this, and to build the much-needed new hospice, and I look forward to helping in any way I can."
If you would like to 'Buy a Brick' in support of the effort please click here.
William
Prince William returned to duties following the royal wedding on Tuesday, beginning the week attending the Manchester Arena National Service of Commemoration, marking one year since the horrific attack in the city.
William read a Bible passage from the Book of Corinthians. He said: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
Prince William presented Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The awards were founded in 1956 by the Duke of Edinburgh, and have supported the self-development of over 1.2 million people in 130 countries over the past year alone. Although Prince Philip is now retired, it's wonderful to see other members of the Royal family preserving his legacy and supporting the achievements of those participating. The video below is a fun one :)
Celebrating @DofE successes: The Duke of Cambridge presents Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Awards to young people at Buckingham Palace🏅 pic.twitter.com/pcBMDetnHW— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 24, 2018
This morning the Palace confirmed news of a very important tour William will undertake in late June, when he will make history as the first member of the Royal family to officially visit Israel. More from People's story:
'Kensington Place announced on Thursday that William, 35, will tour Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories next month. His trip begins on June 24 in Amman, and includes stops in Tel Aviv and Ramallah before concluding in Jerusalem on June 28.
William’s visit marks the first time a member of the royal family has traveled to Israel on official business. Prince Phillip went in 1994 for a Yad Vashem ceremony honoring his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who saved Jews during the Holocaust by opening the doors of her palace in Greece. In 2016, Prince Charles attended the funeral of former President Shimon Peres.
The high-profile visit was “at the request of Her Majesty’s government and has been welcomed by the Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian authorities,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.'
This afternoon, William played in his first polo match of the season. He was in great spirits as his team won, and was watched by his cousin Zara Tindall, who is said to be due her baby very soon. It's the first of many he will play throughout the summer. We haven't seen Charlotte at the polo yet, but fingers crossed we see her and George at some point :)
George
We know how much the Queen adores horses; according to a recent report her great-grandson will be following in her footsteps. Hello! says George has been seen taking lessons at Windsor, practising on a Shetland pony that belong to Zara Tindall. A source said: "William and Kate were really keen to get George riding – it's something all the royals do and the whole family adore animals. But obviously he's only small so they didn't want to put him on a big horse. They asked Zara if they could use one of her Shetland ponies and he's been learning to ride on one of those." Who remembers this image of George on his rocking horse when the Obamas visited Kensington Palace in 2016? The little Prince will be 5 in July!
Charlotte
Princess Charlotte was one of the stars of the show at the Royal wedding.
It came as no surprise to hear she was also a very conscientious member of the bridal party. More from People:
'Fans loved when she stuck her tongue out in the car and did her royal wave on the steps of St. George’s Chapel on Saturday, but it turns out that behind the scenes, Charlotte, who served as a bridesmaid in the royal wedding, took control of the other children in the wedding party.
“She was really sweet,” a royal wedding guest tells PEOPLE. “There was one girl who wanted to go and she said, ‘No you can’t go yet. We have to wait until we are asked.’ She was really organized!”
The 3-year-old also had her trusty nanny by her side to help keep everyone in line — and nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo used a trick many parents can relate to: candy. “I was sitting right in front of [Maria] and she was bribing the youngest bridesmaid with Peppa Pig and Smarties,” the guest says, “which was quite funny.”
Louis
Several readers have been in touch regarding two questions about Prince Louis. Will he be with George and Charlotte at Trooping the Colour? And when is his Christening? I'm almost certain Louis is too young for Trooping but there's a good chance we'll see him next year. As for his Christening, Charlotte's was in early July, so I imagine the Cambridges will follow a similar time frame. William will be on tour until 28 June, so early July makes sense logistically.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
A very nice letter from Kate for Children’s Hospice Week. I know she is very deserving of a maternity leave, as all mothers are, but I can’t wait for it to be over so we can start seeing her on royal duties again!
ReplyDeleteWilliam will be on tour until 28 June, not July;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, updating the typo now :)
DeleteThank you Charlotte for the update. I check often for any news about the Cambridge family. Blessed weekend to everyone.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. The letter is lovely and all the additional images of Kate and William are wonderful. You just know Zara must be thrilled to be sharing her love of horses with any of the children. Do we know if Kate ever took up any riding after her marriage? I wondered from the begining if Meghan would learn to ride after marriage. They both may have some riding experience but you never see any reference to it.
ReplyDeleteI thought Kate was allergic to horses?
DeleteJessica, US
Anon 23.00 That was one of those foundless rumors that swirled around the wedding. It was denied by palace sources immediately but it's one of those things that have continued to be spread.
DeleteI think Kate has taken riding lessons. Definitely after her marriage and probably even before but she apparently doesn't love it. She once told someone that she will do everything in her power to support Charlotte's love of riding even though she doesn't share it.
DeleteMeghan already knows how to ride - there's childhood pictures of her riding horses.
Anon 12:30, I am chuckling because I rode as a child and went to horse camps in the summers but if I was to marry into the BRF I would not consider myself even close to being a "rider" the way most of them do and would quickly get started in lessons again:).
DeleteYes, I'm not saying that Meghan won't take lessons but she's not a beginner. How good or bad of a rider she is and how many lessons she'd need is anyone's guess. We don't really know. But even if she didn't keep up with riding over the years, she'd definitely have an easier time than someone who starts to learn as an adult.
Delete🌸 13:43. I understood what you meant. :)
DeleteMeghan will make short work of that learning curve, no doubt. 😉
Can't get sound on the video of William but just found it on YouTube. He read it beautifully. It's a lovely passage with a very similar message to that of Bishop Curry at the Wedding. Albeit more succinct!
ReplyDelete🌸 William is going to Israel. I am amazed at history being made in that way.❤️
ReplyDeleteGlad to know George will be a Royal equestrian. A Royal? Ya gotta know how to ride.🐎
Thank you for the updates, Charlotte . I appreciate how much you research the events the Duke and Duchess attend and explain them to us. It’s nice have an update about the children too. I thought the christening of Little Prince Louis would likely be in July. Any guesses as to where they might have it ? The same church as Princess Charlotte is my guess.
ReplyDeleteI love how you have reported on all our favourite royals, thankyou Charlotte! So good to know what they are all up to 😀
ReplyDeleteRoyal 👑 Watcher
Hmm i love the duchess of cambeidge letter. Hmm i love that duke and duchsas of cambridge are lovely parents hmm prince george would be lovely when he would bw next royal equstrrian hmm the the duchess never rode The horse tge duchess of sussex should learn to ride the horses ...
ReplyDeleteI like Kate's reference to quality time with her children. And regarding William's trip...some sleepless nights for Kate no doubt. Stay safe, William.
ReplyDelete🌸 definitely some heavy prayer coverage in order, rf. 🙏
DeleteI was thinking the same, royalfan. Hope all goes well.
DeleteHe probably won't be visiting his great-grandmother's grave but just knowing she is buried there will surely be important to him. Prince Charles visited her grave in autumn 2016 when he was there for Mr Peres' funeral.
Ladies, concerns about safety is one of the "perks" I do not envy. I'd rather be anonymous than have their PPO's at my side.
DeleteAlso as someone who learned to ride horses at age 10, I am so glad the children love horses! The best part of riding and being around horses is that it makes you forget all of your problems and is so much fun!
ReplyDeleteOh my, George will be 5 already? Does that mean I'm also aging? Lol where has the time gone? How lovely to hear that he is learning to ride, it must be very exciting for him to watch William do something and then do it as well :) And little Charlotte, the organised one - how sweet :)
ReplyDeleteVery happy to hear that William's tour will also include Jordan and Palestinian territories as it is so important to show support to them during this time.
Haven't we gotten stories about George learning to ride before? That he started at Anmer a year or teo ago?
ReplyDeleteI thought the story last year was about only Charlotte learning to ride but I may be mistaken. I don't recall ponies being mentioned for Charlotte but find it hard to believe she'd have started true riding lessons with a full-sized horse when barely 2 yrs old!
DeleteI think Charlotte was photographed at age two on a pony at the children's party during the Canada tour. From her reactions at the party she just likes animals, almost sitting on one inadvertently in her enthusiasm. I am sure her lessons are on a small horse. I understand the lessons are being supervised by HM at Windsor.
DeleteI'd think lessons for Charlotte would be on a pony or small horse too. But so much was made now of having to borrow a pony for George I wondered.
Delete🌸 I also remember Kate saying she supports Charlotte’s love of horses although she herself doesn’t share that affinity.
DeleteAnd didn’t Charlotte have a toy horse when sitting on the Queen’s lap in the photo portrait?
That’s more than enough for the Queen to take even that small liking of a horse and get Charlotte riding lessons right away. The Queen is no doubt “on it”, lol.
So wonderful about William going to Israel. It says a lot about his "trustworthiness"--his ability to be both warm and dignified. And of course as being so close to the throne, he was an appropriate choice. I don't envy him at all though given the history. I wonder if he will make a speech and whether he will refer to the difficult history.
ReplyDeleteJo, I also wonder if he will open a new Embassy in Jerusalem? Or will it remain in Tel Aviv.
DeleteNo, he won't open a new embassy in Jerusalem. There are no plans to relocate the British embassy to Jerusalem and even if there were, they would never send a royal to open it. That would be way too political and controversial.
DeleteLovely to see that Rose has now become a patron of EACH. Would love to see her and Kate collaborating more on behalf of their common patronage. They both seem to have had much in common before, and this may even bring them closer. I hope their daughters are friends too; they were born within a year of each other. Thank you for this information on Rose, Charlotte. I appreciate the update as well as the picture of her on the site where the new hospice is being built.
ReplyDeleteKate's letter is nice. She will surely enjoy her maternal retreat. Me too I had long maternities for my three children and I remember those periods as the happiest in my life. As for William journey I think it's very important to give support and solidarity in that troubled area. George and Charlotte will enjoy a wonderful summer with Prince Luois and new activities like horse riding that give much fun. Thank you Charlotte for making our waiting time sweeter with your updates!
ReplyDeleteI just realized Prince William will be 36 in June. It may be a poignant birthday for him as he will be the same age as his mother was when she died. How time has slipped by so fast. So glad he has found family happiness with The Duchess. Lovely letter from The Duchess too.
ReplyDeleteSarah, very true. Both my parents dies while I was still young and when I became the age my Mother was when she died it was a very poignant birthday. Your sense of who the person must have been at that particular age is so much fuller and your sense of how young they really were is heightened.
ReplyDelete🌸 ali. so sad that your parents died when you were young. hugs.❤️
DeleteThank you for the post. Enjoy your post so much here in East Tennessee USA.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, thank you for providing Anglophiles in USA with great information. Look forward to each blog and comments.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog which I consider one of my "happy" newspapers feeds of the day! Awe abut the picture of Princess Charlotte with her tongue out, even Royals can have silly moments! Is there any chance that you can add one of her pictures where she looks so mature and beautiful? Of course there are so many to be found via the Internet, however I would love to see one here. Again, let me express how your personalized sharing about the family is so wonderful and marvelous. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteWilliam's beautiful reading of the Corinthians passage is such a moving reply to Bishop Curry's sermon, so in tune with it. Perhaps this was a deliberate choice on someone's part, for that reason. William's voice and ability to speak and read are so much improved from a few years ago. He must have studied diligently, and he put his true ability into that reading.
ReplyDeleteI know every effort will be made to keep Prince William safe on his journey. May he return to his family better educated and having made a wise contribution to mideast diplomacy. And may he travel without untoward incident.
I've just been reading a book that details how the British pulled out of Israel in 1948 and how difficult that time was, how dangerous. It seems to me it has taken the growing up of three to four generations before it was seen as appropriate for the British to come back and visit officially. What an historic even William's visit will be, to be sure.
ReplyDeleteCatherine's letter about EACH is a good one; I'm also glad to see Rose Cholmondeley as a patron. It's great that they raised the money for the new facilities. Hope Catherine will be there at the opening ceremony, whenever that will be.
Prince George is going to be five. FIVE! I am having a hard time with how fast time is passing. And Princess Charlotte will be right up there on a pony next year I bet.
Regarding Charlotte's instructions to the other children at the wedding, it made me think of my niece and her older brothers when she was almost three. She used to stand at the bathroom door and "instruct" them on how to wash their hands and brush their teeth at bedtime. We called her The Enforcer.
Oh, I almost forgot to add--I enjoyed listening to Prince William read 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Very timely message.
ReplyDelete🌸 Beautiful scripture, Marci. 😊 And very timely.
DeleteGlad William is aware of that scripture, definite faith builder. 😊
Wonderful post, Charlotte. Thank you for giving us updates as we suffer post-wedding withdrawal.
ReplyDeleteThis may be unrealistic, but I'd love to see Meghan selected as a godmother to little Louis.
A tiny correction. Rose Cholmondeley is Lady Cholmondeley, not Lady Rose.
ReplyDeleteSarah, UK
I am so excited that William is visiting Israel. Indeed, it is a historic visit, and a wonderful mark for my country's 70th anniversary. I wish that Kate could join him, but as a mother of two (and one on the way...) I obviously fully understand why she would not come (at least not this time... :) ).
ReplyDeleteI have been an avid follower of this blog for a long time, and I don't comment often. But I would like to say to the author (Charlotte) how I deeply appreciate the effort and time put into it. Also, I learn so much from the various perspectives of the commentors to this blog. I often find myself coming here at the end of the day, just to relax from the day's work and chores.
Shira, Israel
1 Corinthians 13 was what was read at Leo's and my wedding - such a beautiful passage that can be used in different ways to express love, hope and faith in times of joy and sorrow.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see Rose Cholmondeley as patron of EACH - she looks so charming in the photograph.
I hope Kate becomes more involved when her maternity break is finished - with visits to hospices - not just letters. More engagements like at the beginning of the year.
It's an important tour for William - wish all the best. Perhaps he will have a chance to meet Rania who I hugely admire - she has done a brilliant job of combining work with motherhood - I remember her even travelling with her last baby when she was nursing.
Julia, what a beautiful idea to have that scripture read at your wedding.
DeleteI agree with you about Kate visiting hospices. No doubt it is hard to do, but I hope she does anyway.
Enjoyed the post. Thank you, Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteWhen was the last time Kate visited a children’s hospice as a patron?? Not a video or letter
ReplyDeletegreat post i love that stunning portrait of kate. thanks for all your hard work Charlotte
ReplyDelete