First off, in case you missed it, The Royal We is currently only $3.99 for Kindle. THAT IS A STEAL. You should buy it for your Kindle if you haven’t yet done so: It’s a People’s pick, and made the EW Must List and the New York Times Summer Reading List and all kinds of other good stuff. Check it out!
In today’s slideshow, Sophie Wessex gets REALLY invested in sport, Albert and Charlene bring out the twinsies, and Letizia continues to be worried that she’s left the waffle iron on.
And elsewhere:
- QE2 is going to pass Queen Victoria as Great Britain’s longest-reigning monarch on Wednesday (knock on wood), and there’s loads of coverage of this milestone, as you can imagine. All the Brits are basically up at Balmoral this week to fete her (and presumably to coo over Charlotte/try to keep George from setting the tapestries on fire.) We’re going to have a fun giveaway that day, so please make sure to pop by and check it out.
- Speaking of stuff on the sked, Kate’s back in action on the 17th, so mark your calendars; per People, she’s going to “really get going” in terms of engagements toward the end of this month, and then in October and through the holidays. Yay! (PS: OK is currently reporting that Kate’s pregnant again, and, (a) this is the US version of OK, which has never been right about Kate’s pregnancies and in fact had her give birth two weeks before it actually happened last time, complete with a wholly fictional story about Wills rushing to her side from wherever he was at the time, and totally made up quotes about the baby, and (b) if she were pregnant, she would not have just announced that she was doing a bunch of engagements over the next three months. Friends, if you take one thing away from me as a person, make it that that you should NEVER believe ANYTHING OK says about Kate’s uterus. They are a less reliable source than the Daily Mail.) (Watch, now they will be right. But…they’re not.)
- Maclean’s has QE2’s fitness tips. She has to be doing SOMETHING right, beyond Really Good Genes.
- Okay, this is from the Daily Mail (I KNOW), but although it’s gossipy, I also think it’s worth a read, because it’s fascinating (I never send you to the DMIK unless I think you might actually enjoy it!): The Queen only her friends know: A never-before-seen look into the private life of Britain’s beloved monarch as told by her closest companions
- Let’s check in with self-described “bad uncle” Prince Harry, who ought to be back in the UK any day now. (Vogue)
- He’ll FOR SURE be back for his birthday on the 15th, since he’s due to by flying a Spitfire that day in an event commemorating the Battle of Britain. Prince Harry flying a Spitfire is going to give me…longings. (Vanity Fair)
- Tatler has rounded up a bunch of photos of Royals And Their Dogs, which I assume you will want to see. (Lots of corgis, obviously.)
- Crown Princess Mary had some engagements this week; I’m not in love with her blush-colored dress, but props for the sparkly shoes. (Royalista)
- And Haakon and M-M went to a rat hotel, AS ONE DOES. (Royalista)
- So, there’s a slice of QE2 and Phil’s wedding cake still floating around ALLEGEDLY EATABLE. I am not going to volunteer to test that theory. The photo of the cake itself is a must-see, though. (The Duchess Diary)
- Also at The Duchess Diary, Kelly talks to Dickie Arbiter about the Queen’s behavior after Diana’s death (the anniversary of which was this past week).
- People takes a look back at what it was like to be a royal reporter upon that fateful day. It’s fascinating. (I clearly remember that I was in my car [I was also in my car when I heard JFK Jr had been killed; this is what it means to be in Los Angeles], driving past a church on Ocean Park in Santa Monica, when the DJ on KROQ — which is the alternative rock station, so not at all an outlet you’d think would care — actually broke into a song with the news that Diana had died.)
- This week marked Queen Rania’s birthday, and People takes a look back at some of her recent looks.
- Wills and Kate are definitely going to be doing an overseas visit in 2016, to somewhere, some time, we’re pretty sure. (Hello!)
- At the moment, though, they’re in Scotland with everyone else. The Queen has an event on Wednesday, her Whoo Hoo I’m Officially The Longest Reigning Monarch So Suck It, Victoria!!!! Day, and there’s a rumor that W&K will also be there, but I would bet ten bucks that they will not be. Let the Queen have her moment! (People)
- The big question, of course, is which Commemorative Mug I need for this event. This one, or this one, or this one?
- And FINALLY, per the Swedish Royal Family’s official Instagram, confirmation of the suspicions of MANY of you:
