New Idea Royals 2501

Families can be complicated at the best of times, but add a pinch of royalty and a sprinkling of money, and those complications can have a damaging ripple effect. For the royal family, one big problem comes in the shape of Prince Andrew. And, no matter how hard they try to make him disappear, he often seems to find a way back into the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons. Now, the King is desperate to kick his younger brother out of Royal Lodge and cut off his allowance. And, while most people would agree with Charles’ actions, there are two who have become collateral damage – Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Is it finally time for them to cut ties with their disgraced dad? Also this month,…

SOPHIE’S BEEN BUSY Cakes, test tubes, embroidery… the Duchess of Edinburgh has had a busy month! Sophie helped with needlework during a visit to the Feel Good Inside and Out Project outside London. Wearing a striking AU$6000 leather midi dress from the brand Loewe, and with her long hair curled, the duchess also showed off her cooking skills. In her role as patron of the charity Wellbeing of Women, Sophie, 59, warmly greeted their president, Sir Marcus Setchell. Sir Marcus was the former surgeon and gynaecologist to the late Queen Elizabeth – and was also Sophie’s doctor for the birth of her first child, Louise, which became a medical emergency after the duchess lost a large amount of blood. CAMILLA’S HEARTBREAK Queen Camilla’s rescue dog, Beth, has had to be…

As the world watches the ongoing stoush between King Charles and Prince Andrew, over Andrew’s refusal to vacate his long-term family home, spare a thought for two others who have been caught in the crossfire. That is, the Duke of York’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Singing star James Blunt has reportedly told friends that his pals Beatrice and Eugenie have had a ‘rough ride’ in recent years and don’t deserve it. The King cut off Andrew’s $AU2 million yearly allowance and stopped paying his personal security bill of $AU6 million back in August – in an effort to ‘smoke him out’ of the grand 30-room Royal Lodge. It was thought Andrew would be forced to leave, bringing an end to the royal stand-off. Royal Lodge is on the Windsor…

It was a four-day trip to South Africa for William to present the fifth year of his Earthshot Awards – the now globally celebrated prize for young entrepreneurs that’s quickly become one of the world’s most prestigious awards in environmental innovation. Perfectly attired for the ‘green carpet’ in his secondhand Prince of Wales houndstooth jacket and biodegradable sneakers, William seemed incredibly at ease. The focus was on Africa, with more than 400 African-led projects nominated for this year’s awards and another 350 linked to the continent. The prince announced five winners at the Earthshot Prize Dome – a purpose-built venue, designed and engineered in South Africa, that is then dismantled, moved and used again. Each winner was awarded AU$2 million for their environmental innovations. The event is now referred to…

Ever since the ‘Marius affair’ broke, the Norwegian royals have been in damage control – with recent events and arrests sending shock waves through the country. On 4 August the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit was arrested and charged with violence against his then-girlfriend. Following the arrest, Marius Borg Høiby – who is Mette-Marrit’s son from her previous relationship, but who has been raised by Crown Prince Haakon as his own – released a statement via his lawyer. ‘Last weekend something happened that should never have happened. I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in an apartment in the intoxication of alcohol and cocaine after an argument,’ he said. ‘I have several mental disorders which mean that throughout my upbringing and adult life, I have had, and still have,…

Tom Parker Bowles is an award-winning British food writer, restaurant critic for The Mail on Sunday and a regular guest judge on the BBC’s MasterChef. He is also the son of Queen Camilla, and godson of King Charles III. So, he knows a thing or two about food and royalty. From breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners, to coronations, teatimes and state banquets, Tom’s new book, Cooking and the Crown, explores 200 years of British royal food. With step-by-step recipes for everything from the Birkhall ginger cake, Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite curry and the Balmoral Scotch broth, this is an everyday kitchen cookbook that’s also stuffed full of delicious anecdotes, delectable titbits and nuggets of royal history. TEATIME Queen Victoria, according to a courtier, had a ‘strong weakness for afternoon tea’.…