TODAY'S ROYAL STORIES
- Celebrities step out to watch Prince Harry at the Polo
Good morning!
It's a day of celebration for the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh today as their son, James, Earl of Wessex, celebrates his 18th birthday.
The teenager did not appear to attend his uncle King Charles's pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace yesterday, but he is a regular at the Easter Sunday service and Christmas Day.
Anne's agenda
It's a week of festive engagements for the Princess Royal as she's set to attend a carol service and reception in support of her patronage Opportunity International United Kingdom, at New College Chapel, Oxford, later today.
Yesterday, after joining the King's pre-Christmas lunch, Anne was a guest at a carol service at St Olave's Church in London.
Action royals
The Norwegian royals invited representatives from the emergency services to Christmas in the Castle Chapel for a festive soiree on Tuesday night.
It comes after Princess Ingrid Alexandra and her brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, met the crew at the Sentrum fire station in Oslo.
Queen Letizia is out
Spain's Queen Letizia is currently commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Fundacion del Español Urgente "FundeuRAE", held at the Royal Spanish Academy.
The main function of the linguistics organisation is to ensure the proper use of Spanish in the media.
Royal absence
While many guests were in attendance for the King's pre-Christmas lunch yesterday, there were some notable absentees, including Princess Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Find out why the property mogul missed the festive bash.
"Strange and unthinkable"
Princess Ingrid Alexandra has commented on the Bondi Beach terror attack.
After visiting the fire station yesterday, the Norwegian royal, who is currently studying at the University of Sydney, was asked about the tragedy.
"My thoughts go out to those who have lost someone. Especially to the Jewish community, both in Australia and back home in Norway," she told TV2.
She added: "Sydney is a city I have grown to love very much, so it is a bit strange and unthinkable that it has happened right there."
Princess Diana's relative charged with strangulation offences
Just in...
The Duke of Marlborough, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, has been charged with intentional strangulation.
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three offences between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said.
The 70-year-old has been summonsed to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Thursday following his arrest on 13 May last year.
Royal website update
The Norwegian royal family's website has been given a fresh update ahead of the new year, as noticed by Gert's Royals.
And there's more outings scheduled for Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid-Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus today as they visit Langerudhjemmet, a nursing home in Oslo.
An award for the Swedish Queen
Queen Silvia has been awarded the Bavarian State Medal during a ceremony at the Munich residence.
The Bavarian State Medal for Social Services is awarded to people who have made special efforts in the social area of the Free State of Bavaria and its inhabitants.
The medal was established in 1970 by the then Minister of Social Affairs Dr. Fritz Pirkl and is usually given to a maximum of 20 people annually.
What an honour!
James, Earl of Wessex's milestone moments
While the royal family has not released any new portraits of James, Earl of Wessex to mark his special day (a practice typically reserved for senior working royals!) take a look back at some of his milestone moments in our gallery.
Prince Louis stole his brother's jumper
For the family's festive lunch yesterday, Prince Louis stole one of his older brother's Christmas jumpers, which he also wore to a special family event five years ago. Find out which one, and learn more about the royal family's Christmas traditions, here.
Princess Anne schools us on rocking a festive scarlet lip in your 70s
A long-standing fan of the bright pink lip, the Princess Royal switched things up at King Charles' pre-Christmas lunch on Tuesday, going for a much more festive red lip. See the best pictures of Princess Anne from the day, and our expert tips on styling a red lip in your 70s, here.
A Princess Kate throwback
The Princess of Wales has become a beacon of style inspiration during her time in the spotlight, especially thanks to her glittery ballgowns and chic coat dresses. However, if there's one thing she's always done especially brilliantly, it's dressing for purpose. Take a look at one of our favourite fashion moments from the Princess of Wales – featuring skinny jeans and a killer pair of heels.
David Armstrong-Jones arrived at King Charles' Christmas lunch on his bike
Most of the King's relatives rocked up to the annual festive lunch in their cars, but one British royal decided to shake it up a little. David Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon and a cousin to the King, chose a more eco-friendly method of transport when making his way to Buckingham Palace. See the best photos here.
Queen Letizia schools us on how to style a double-breasted blazer in your 50s
Queen Letizia of Spain wore one of her best outfits of the season for a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Fad Juventud Foundation, for whom she serves as honorary president, at the Meta headquarters in Madrid. She opted for a gorgeous double-breasted suit, which she styled with the most incredible twist – see our breakdown of her look here.
Prince Harry's surprise ski trip – exclusive photos
The Duke of Sussex enjoyed a boys' ski trip with his close friend, polo player Nacho Figueras, – find out more about his covert holiday, and see our exclusive photos here.
That's all, folks!
That's everything from this side of the Atlantic, but our wonderful Los Angeles correspondent, Rebecca Lewis, will keep you updated with all the latest in the world of royal news. Have a lovely evening!
King Charles meets survivors of train attack
King Charles has met members of the public and railway staff who showed particular bravery in response to an attack on board a British train in November.
The King received Mr Andrew Johnson, Mrs Christina Jones, Mr Michael Gawthorpe, Mr Stephen Crean, Mr Samir Zitouni and Mr Kevin Deeley on December 17, 2025.
Prince Harry back on the polo field
Prince Harry has been confirmed to take part in The St Regis World Snow Polo Championship!
The Championship will take place in Aspen on December 17-18 2025.
BTS of the royal Christmas lunch
On Tuesday, members of the royal family gathered at Buckingham Palace to enjoy a big sit-down pre-Christmas lunch, and Flora Vesterberg, the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra of Kent, has given royal watchers a glimpse into the special day!
Around 70 family members were invited to the get-together at Buckingham Palace, including Princess Kate and her family.
See Flora's pictures here.
Charlotte's twinning moment
And speaking of the Christmas lunch, Princess Charlotte joined her parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the young royal coordinated with her mom in a way that may have been missed!
Read the full feature here.
Earl on the gears
But this may be my favorite story from the lunch!
While many of the King's royal relatives rocked up to his pre-Christmas lunch in their cars, his cousin, David Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, chose an eco-friendlier mode of transport, arriving at the festive bash at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday on a pushbike!
See the pictures here.
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to today's royal blog. Today we will see the King and Queen host a reception at St James's Palace to mark the return of HMS Prince of Wales from Operation HIGHMAST.
Also today, the Princess Royal will be heading to Scotland to attend the Linlithgow Marches Golden Jubilee. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Edinburgh is out at the Disability Initiative, Camberley.
Queen Camilla's celebration
Ahead of her recpetion, the Queen will be celebrating a different special occasion. Her son, Tom Parker Bowles, turns 51 today. Happy birthday!
William and Kate's family Christmas card
It's not Christmas until the royals release their festive Xmas cards, and the Prince and Princess of Wales have now released theirs. The image features the royal couple sitting with their children in a green, grassy field. Click through to see the gorgeous image.
Insides the Sussexes' Christmas plans
Every family from across the world has their own different ways to celebrate Christmas, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have their own ways to mark the season, instead of the "complex" ways that the royals typically celebrate. Read more here to find out all about them!
Sophie gets into the festive spirit
The Duchess of Edinburgh completely got into the Christmas spirit as the royal was seen decorating gingerbread men while visiting the Disability Initiative in Camberley, Surrey. The royal was seen wearing a Santa's hat and wearing blue gloves as she decorated her gingerbread.
Flirty Meghan
Prince Harry turned heads with his polo post yesterday, especially that of his wife's, Meghan Markle. The Duchess of Sussex left a flirty message in the comments, read it here...
Charles braves the rain!
The King was more than happy to open a new Guinness brewery on Thursday, with the monarch heading to Covent Garden to open the Open Gate Brewery. However, the royal needed to brave the elements with the heavens opening during the visit, leading the monarch to shelter undernearth an umbrella.
Beatrice's Christmas party
Princess Beatrice was out at a Christmas party on Wednesday evening, celebrating the night away with the likes of Samantha Cameron and Piers Morgan. See photos from the night here!

























