Royal News Roundup: Baby Archie’s Birthday Video, Kate Middleton’s New Project & Meghan Markle's Interview Pep Talk

Published May 7, 2020

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7:07pm

Here, all the royal news you need to know for the week of May 7, 2020.

In honor of the U.K.’s Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, the Duchess of Cambridge made a surprise video call to new parents Rebecca and John to congratulate them on their newborn son, Max. The couple, who was at Kingston Hospital in the U.K., opened up about the “shocking” video conversation in an interview with People magazine. Yeah, shocking is definitely a good word.
On Sunday, the Royal Kitchens revealed tips for growing fresh mint as well as a secret kitchen garden recipe on the Royal Family’s Instagram Story (which is no longer available). And by the looks of the salad recipe, Queen Elizabeth knows that simple is best.
PBS's new documentary, The Queen at War, debuted on Tuesday and focused on the entirety of WWII as well as the monarchy's role in the conflict. We even got to see some footage of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret during their relocation to the English countryside during the Blitz. We love vintage Elizabeth.
Earlier this week, Princess Eugenie celebrated her husband Jack Brooksbank’s birthday by posting a brand-new photo of herself and her hubby from their 2018 nuptials.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (we’ll never get tired of saying that name) celebrated his first birthday on Wednesday. In honor of the big day, Meghan and Harry surprised us all and shared a new video of their son that was taken for Save the Children U.K.'s #SaveWithStories campaign.
Sure, Kate Middleton and Prince William officially landed on the name George Alexander Louis for their firstborn, but according to the Mirror, this was almost not the case. Per the outlet, the duchess originally “had set her heart” on the name Alexander.
On Wednesday, HarperCollins Publishers announced that they’re blessing us with an all-new Prince Harry and Meghan Markle biography, called Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, that will debunk the most controversial royal rumors. Bring on the royal tea.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, formally opened a new emergency field hospital in Sunderland this week. The NHS Nightingale Hospital North East, which has the capacity to provide 460 more beds, was officially declared open by Sophie via video chat from her home in Windsor, where she gave us a peak at her boldly colored walls.

AFP Contributor / Contributor/ Getty Images

Prince William approved the use of Kensington Palace’s private lawn, Perks Field, for refueling air ambulances in hopes of saving valuable time for paramedics. This specific area is usually reserved for the Windsors’ own helicopters so it’s kind of a big deal.
Remember last week when we reported that Meghan Markle made a surprise video call to a client of Smart Works? Well, the organization just provided us with an update, and, apparently, she got the position. The duchess must give one hell of a pep talk.
Kate Middleton just launched Hold Still, a photography initiative aiming to capture the feelings of U.K. citizens amid the current coronavirus pandemic. While discussing the new project on British daytime program This Morning, the duchess also opened up about homeschooling her kids and those now-famous portraits of Prince Louis.

Queen Elizabeth shared a special tribute on her official social media account (@theroyalfamily) in honor of her great-grandson.
Kate Middleton and Prince William also sent their love and birthday sentiments from across the pond.
Fans quickly noticed the crazy resemblance between Prince Harry and his son.
The birthday boy used the occasion to show us his baby teeth for the first time ever.
Doting grandparents Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles posted a sweet throwback photo of the littlest Sussex.
Meghan Markle totally gave away baby Archie’s nickname during his birthday video.
As it turns out, Harry himself actually recorded the birthday video on his own.