Back again for another instalment of Musings on Monarchy! I have to say, June has been busier for the British royals than I expected they would be. (I figured that they would be taking some time to rest after the Jubilee but happy to say that they haven’t.) July and August are incredibly slow months for the royals, so I suspect this will be the last full royal news posts for a bit for me. However, I am here to share my thoughts on June royal news- let’s get into Musings on Monarchy: June 2022!
The Platinum Jubilee
I wrote a dedicated post on my thoughts on the Platinum Jubilee- you can find my Platinum Jubilee post here. I won’t rehash that now, but overall, I think it went exceptionally well!
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway’s Birthday Gala
This was an exceptionally exciting event for a number of reasons. Firstly, who doesn’t love a milestone birthday, especially for a future queen? Secondly, almost all of Europe’s heirs gathered together to celebrate and for a fantastic photo. We had Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Princess Estelle of Sweden, and Prince Charles of Luxembourg altogether- I was thrilled to see Estelle with them, she is so grown up now! (And her younger brother, Prince Oscar, also attended.)
It was a big tiara night for the heirs. Understandably, Estelle went with a headband but the other three heirs wore new (to them) tiaras. Ingrid Alexandra received a tiara that had originally belonged to her great-great-grandmother, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, the Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara. Princess Catharina-Amalia wore the Dutch Star Button Tiara- the same tiara that her mother wore on her wedding day. Princess Elisabeth’s tiara also caused quite a big stir, as the provenance is unknown. The Belgian royal family shared later that it was purchased for Elisabeth in 2019 for her own 18th birthday.
Prince Charles Attends CHOGM
At the time of posting, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are attending CHOGM in Rwanda. In case it is a new acronym for you, that would be the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. This is his first CHOGM as the future head of the Commonwealth, and is a politically complex meeting especially this year. (He was elected to be his mother’s successor in this Commonwealth role in 2018.) The British government has announced plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, and Prince Charles is said to be opposing the policy. He has long since made his political opinions known on a wide variety of subjects, but this meeting is one to watch- will he continue to speak his mind or move into a more neutral role like his mother?
The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room Back for Summer Season
Reading and literacy are extremely important to me, and I am thrilled that Camilla’s online book club is so popular. I’ve seen a lot of people read books that they wouldn’t have otherwise read, and that is wonderful. This summer season features Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Sara Sheridan’s The Fair Botanists, Philippa Gregory’s Dark Tides, and Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other. I personally am excited for The Fair Botanists but it currently isn’t available in Canada in any format, so I will need to order it in from the UK.
I know that people have very strong emotional responses to Camilla, but she is one of my favourites. She works incredibly hard, and she supports two causes close to my heart: literacy and dance for all ages. Online book clubs are a great way to connect with people no matter where you are.
I would love to hear your thoughts on these royal news items and any others- feel free to send me an email at AnHistorianAboutTown@gmail.com!
I hope that you’ve enjoyed Musings on Monarchy: June 2022!
Cheers,
The Historian
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