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Big day
Let’s start Sunday the same way Prince Harry did, by sending happy birthday wishes to his wife on Instagram.
Child’s play
One might have though that after the reception given to the tale of “Budgie the Little Helicopter,” written by Prince Andrew’s wife Sarah Ferguson, swearing off further contributions to the world of children’s literature would be a cast iron condition of marriage into the royal family.
Apparently not, however, as it seems that Meghan Markle, undaunted by the savaging administered to her guest-edited issue of British Vogue, has decided to head once more unto the breach, with a publishing deal imminent to bring out a series of books based on her dogs.
The publishing of children’s books does seem to be a foible of underemployed royals: Fergie’s 1989 tale of a blue helicopter that uttered the phrase “Rocketing rotors!” with irritating frequency came a decade after Prince Charles wrote and illustrated what was actually a rather sweet book about an old man who lived on a mountain overlooking Balmoral Castle entitled “The Old Man of Lochnagar” (and yes, The Royalist, as a child, had a copy).
The idea of course that either of these works would have been published without the identity of the author as a member of the royal family being a key part of the marketing strategy would provoke hollow laughter in the cut throat halls of children’s publishing.
The Sun quotes a source as saying: “Meghan is going to become a published author and is very excited about it. The plans are in the very early stages and won’t be formally announced for some time. But she’s very excited about the possibility and is passionate about the idea of a work of fiction for children. She loves animals and her rescue dogs so it’s very likely they will be incorporated into the story.”
Flight of the fancy
As the fallout from Meghan Markle’s decision to edit the September issue of British Vogue continues to rain down upon the Royal family, there’s yet more criticism of Prince Harry for having allegedly attended an elite Google gathering in Sicily.
While celebrity environmentalists jetting into conferences about saving the world always face some criticism, Prince Harry’s new incarnation as royal poster boy for the environment is particularly hard to square with his and his wife’s jet-set lifestyle.
Harry showed up at the three-day event to give a ‘barefoot’ lecture about saving the world to a crowd of VIPs and power brokers, many of who arrived on a fleet of 114 private jets and stayed on gas-guzzling superyachts moored at sea.
During his speech, the prince repeated his vow first made in Vogue not to have more than two children with wife Meghan Markle because of his eco concerns, the New York Post reports. No doubt Kate and William, who are on their third kid and widely thought to be planning a fourth, are delighted at the never-ending display of tact from the Sussexes.
Cut-price class
Although his copy of “The Old Man of Lochnagar” is lost, The Royalist is the proud owner of a tome by Suzy Menkes entitled “The Royal Jewels”, which lists each and every piece of royal jewelry. If this doesn’t sound like the sort of book you’d like curl up for an hour with, feel free to skip to the next item.
Hello! magazine reports that British High Street store Marks and Spencer have created an updated faux version of Kate’s diamond and sapphire engagement ring. At £19.50, it is perfect for even the most abstemious royal. Kate’s ring previously belonged to Princess Diana and William said at the time of his engagement that giving the ring to his wife-to-be was his way of making sure his mother didn’t miss out on his wedding day.
This week in royal history
Happy birthday, Meghan Markle! The Duchess of Sussex turns 38 today, August 4 and is said to be planning a quiet day with the family. The British press have blown universal raspberries over her ‘forces of change’ September issue of British Vogue. She is variously accused of being too entitled, demanding, woke, and of being high-handed over her demands for privacy.
The press was always bound to fall out of love; it’s what it does. Despite the criticism facing Meghan, the public still seem to like her, and she seems determined to keep doing things her and Harry’s new kind of way. So, everyone should buckle up.
Royal fashion watch
New life goal: to have Prince Harry wander down a country lane holding an umbrella like this for us at some point. This picture is from his Vogue interview and shoot with anthropologist and primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.
Unanswered questions
What does the rest of the royal family think about Meghan’s guest-editing of Vogue, and does this signal how she intends to bring politics into the public realm in the future?
