Royal News Roundup: the Queen’s Surprising Demotion, Kate’s New Fall Look and Meghan & Harry’s Major TV Appearance

By Alexandra Hough

Published Sep 17, 2020

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3:41pm

HERE, ALL THE ROYAL NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2020.

Five months after Kate Middleton first launched the initiative, her Hold Still virtual exhibit officially went live. Early Monday, the Duchess of Cambridge announced the release of the online photography exhibition, which aims to reflect the feelings of everyone across the United Kingdom amid the current coronavirus pandemic.
In honor of the one-year anniversary of the launch of her workwear capsule collection, the Smart Set, Meghan Markle took part in a video call with Smart Works, a charity that helps prepare women to enter the workforce. During the call, she spoke with women who were recently assisted by the organization in returning to work and even showed off the gorgeous fireplace, plants and artwork featured in her new Santa Barbara home.
This week, we learned that Prince Philip will not be joining his wife, Queen Elizabeth, at Windsor after their summer holiday comes to an end. Instead, he will stay in Sandringham at Wood Farm. However, the couple’s staff is creating a “special bubble” in order for the duo to safely visit each other.

Prince Harry celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday and received a lot of love from his royal relatives across the pond. Prince William and Kate Middleton kicked off the wishes with a throwback photograph on Instagram writing, “Wishing a very happy birthday to Prince Harry today!” Prince Charles also sent a short but sweet sentiment to his youngest son. “Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duke of Sussex today!” he captioned a slideshow including two photographs alongside a birthday cake emoji.
However, it was Queen Elizabeth’s tribute to her grandson that really stood out to us. The photo choice specifically showcased that she still supports the duke, even after his decision to step down as a senior member of the royal family. The snap focused solely on her grandson and only showed the back of the queen’s head, symbolizing a deep deference to him.
While we’re on the topic of Harry’s big day, it turns out the former royal and his wife Meghan Markle celebrated by donating $130,000 to the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), an organization that’s near and dear to both of their hearts. In a statement released by CAMFED, the couple said: “No better way to celebrate what really matters.”

This week, Kate Middleton and Prince William paid an official visit to one of London’s most iconic bagel joints, Beigel Bake. During the trip, the royal couple helped to separate ingredients, knead the dough and assisted the staff in making fresh bagels. Not to mention, the Duchess of Cambridge debuted her new halo highlights.
During a recent trip to the London Bridge JobCentre, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge—who were visiting with employers helping people find jobs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—revealed that 2-year-old Louis would especially love to see some demolition work. “The children—especially Louis—would love to come and watch that, to see the diggers, they love it,” William said. Kate followed up with, “Don’t forget Charlotte! She’d love it too.”
Barbados had some major news this week: The Caribbean island announced that they will remove Queen Elizabeth as their head of state by as soon as next year. On Wednesday, governor-general Sandra Mason read a speech written by the nation’s prime minister Mia Mottley. “The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,” she said. “Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving.”
On Thursday, we learned that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to appear on ABC's TIME 100 Special on September 22, according to an exclusive promo video shared with E! News. However, the ex-royal couple chose to leave their royal titles out of the announcement.

On Thursday, we learned that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to appear on ABC's TIME 100 Special on September 22, according to an exclusive promo video shared with E! News. However, the ex-royal couple chose to leave their royal titles out of the announcement.