Innehållsförteckning för 2403 från New Idea Royals

A laid-back Aussie on the Danish throne... Mary Donaldson was crowned Queen alongside King Frederik X. A fairytale ending to a boy-meets-girl story? Hopefully, yes. But it’s been a hectic few weeks in the state of Denmark. What was Fred doing on that October night in Madrid? Allegedly, dining out late with a beautiful socialite and being photographed with her. Mary looked very unimpressed when the story broke – despite the other woman’s denials. Now, just weeks later, Mary’s a new Queen. Can she put the story behind her? Were they simply empty rumours anyway? Or is she now feeling trapped in a fairytale golden cage? We also look at how Prince William has shown himself a loving modern father for a new monarchy. And ask what’s really happening with…

Since his father stepped into the role of King, Prince William has remained steadfast and committed to serving the Crown. But one event has made him step away from royal duties, because there is one thing this thoroughly modern prince will always put before the Crown: his family. On 16 January, when Kensington Palace issued the shock announcement that William’s wife, Princess Catherine, was recovering in hospital following abdominal surgery, the prince immediately stepped away from the royal spotlight to focus on his wife and children. At the time, the royals confirmed that the beloved Princess of Wales would be in hospital for around two weeks, and would then take a long break from her commitments to fully recover at home. While, no doubt, Kate, 42, would have a full…

When she stepped out onto the balcony of Christiansborg Palace on 14 January, resplendent in a bridal-white gown by Danish designer Soeren Le Schmidt, the transformation of not-so-trendy Mary Donaldson into a very modern monarch was totally complete. ‘Our’ Mary looked every inch the stylish and elegant Queen we have come to expect in a contemporary world. ‘I still can’t believe it,’ an overwhelmed Schmidt told Vogue Scandinavia. ‘The first dress that Queen Mary would wear under her new title as Queen – a dress for the history books – means a great deal. I am very moved.’ The simple coronation ceremony, which saw Mary’s husband proclaimed King Frederik X of Denmark, did not involve crowns or tiaras. Instead, Mary’s natural beauty shone through – her hair was styled in…

ALEXANDER OGILVY Proclaimed in a headline as ‘the hottest British royal you’ve never heard of’, Alexander Ogilvy is the 27-year-old grandson of the Queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra of Kent. He sits well past 50th in line to the British throne. WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? Going viral on TikTok. At the Queen’s 2022 funeral, a nine-second clip of the model-esque royal walking into Westminster Abbey was viewed more than 4.9 million times. Generally, however, he’s pretty elusive: Alexander actively avoids the spotlight and isn’t on social media. IS HE AVAILABLE? The New York-based royal works at a software development company and is rumoured to have previously dated Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, the granddaughter of the late Robert Kennedy. Alexander has most recently been linked to London ‘It’ girl influencer, Isabella Charlotta Poppius.…

One of Queen Silvia’s favourite jewellery pieces is the Swedish royal family’s amethyst tiara. While the Queen herself had a hand in the diadem’s stunning design, the jewels that feature within it are steeped in history. Known as the Napoleonic Amethyst Tiara, it is believed the enchanting amethysts once belonged to Empress Joséphine, Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife, and were part of a ‘parure’ – a matching necklace, earrings, brooch and bracelet set that was highly fashionable at the time. The revered jewels were naturally then handed down through the generations – first to Joséphine’s daughter-in-law, Princess Augusta of Bavaria, who in turn passed them to her own daughter, Joséphine of Leuchtenberg… who then took these family jewels with her to Sweden for her 1823 marriage to King Oscar I. And the…

While playing the Duchess of Rochester in the highly anticipated second season of period drama Belgravia, Sophie Winkleman, also known as Lady Frederick Windsor, rules the roost as the queen of society. But when it comes to her real life, the actress is the one who is happily doing the curtsying. The 43-year-old became a bona fide member of the aristocracy upon her marriage to Freddie Windsor, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Her husband, Lord Frederick, is 53rd in the line of succession to the British throne. As a non-working member of The Firm, Lady Sophie does not carry out official duties, but she does lead a life of incredible privilege. Invitations to the royal box at Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales’ Christmas Carols Service and…

FIT FOR THE QUEEN? Inspired by the colours of the Italian flag, a pizza maker served this tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza (patriotic red, white and green) as a treat for Queen Margherita of Savoy while she was visiting Naples around 1889. Margherita pizza is now one of the most popular foods in the world. CRAB LOUIE Very much like a prawn cocktail – featuring the all-important mayo, ketchup and iceberg lettuce – but made with lobster instead of prawns, this dish was named for King Louis XIV, the French ‘Sun King’ (1638–1715). King Louis was famous for being able to tuck away a big dinner. Legend has it that an autopsy after his death found the King had a stomach twice the size of any ordinary man! WORLD’S BIGGEST…

ZARA’S GIRL GANG It was a family affair for Zara Tindall as she enjoyed a day out at the races with her mini-me daughters Mia, 10, and Lena, five, and her nieces, Savannah and Isla Phillips. The girl gang was seen whooping and cheering from the spectators stand and appear to have inherited Zara’s love for the sport. The former Olympic horse-rider was on hand to give out medals to the winners of the New Year’s Day event held at Cheltenham. Dressed in a plaid brown coat and chocolate-coloured hat with a big bow, Princess Anne’s daughter was her usual stylish self as she looked right at home on the racecourse. RARE KITTY SIGHTING Princess Diana’s socialite niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, 33, was spotted out on a walk in Cape…

From re-purposed raincoats to risky habits, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II likes to buck the trend. Known as ‘Daisy’ to her inner circle, the 83-year-old has been a hugely popular sovereign, with many surprising facets to her personality, even declaring once how much she detested mobile phones and the internet. Unpredictable as ever, when she stepped aside to allow her son Frederik to become Denmark’s monarch in January, she became the first Danish royal to abdicate in 900 years. To celebrate her reign and legacy, here are some things you may not know about the singularly remarkable Queen Margrethe II. SHE CAME TO RULE AFTER A CHANGE OF LAW In 1952, when Margrethe was 13, a new Act of Succession would alter the course of her life. Until that time, only…

It’s no wonder colour is often called for when it comes to royal events. Elaborate ensembles in rich, vivid hues stand out and add to the fabulousness of pomp and ceremony. But what is equally impressive is the magic these monarchs still manage to bring to low-key day looks. It’s a lesson in the subtlety of styling neutrals.…

NORMAN HARTNELLThe master of finery Although he’s closely associated with the late Queen Elizabeth II, fashion designer Norman Hartnell has links to the royal family that extend back even earlier. Hartnell began his designing career during his time at Cambridge University, making costumes for the famous Footlights comedy troupe. He would soon find his work on a much bigger stage, however. He eventually dropped out of Cambridge and began making his original creations for friends, and his business grew from there. Hartnell’s first royal commission was to make the wedding and bridal party dresses for Lady Alice Montagu Scott in 1935 – including outfits for the young sisters Elizabeth and Margaret, who were bridesmaids. Their doting mum, the Queen Mother, loved his work and she became a devoted client for…

28 JUNE 1978 It was easily the wedding of the year when 21-year-old Princess Caroline – the elder daughter of Prince Rainier III and former Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly – wed 38-year-old Parisian playboy banker, Philippe Junot, in 1978. In true royal Monegasque style, the sensational couple said ‘I do’ twice. The first occasion was on 28 June, during a private ceremony in the 16th century Throne Room in Monaco’s Royal Palace. And, the very next day, they did it all again, exchanging vows in an outdoor Roman Catholic ceremony within the palace grounds. The second occasion was a lavish affair, witnessed by over 500 guests, including members of the European aristocracy and high society, and Hollywood luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck.…

PRINCESS LEONOR’S MILITARY DEBUT Spanish Princess Leonor of Asturias made her debut attendance at the Pascua Militar – ‘Military Easter’ – ceremony. The event takes place every year on 6 January in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Dating back to the 18th century, the tradition was established by the Spanish King Charles III in celebration of the Franco–Spanish army’s recapture of the Menorcan town Mahon from the British in 1782. The princess stood proudly in her military uniform alongside her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia. The ever-stoic Spanish Queen continues to put on a brave face, despite her former brother-in-law’s shock allegations that he and Letizia had an affair while she was in a relationship with King Felipe. LUXEMBOURG’S BABY BOOM! The House of Luxembourgh–Nassau…

In the dark early days of World War II, when Nazi Germany invaded France in 1940, the exiled Duke and Duchess of Windsor were forced to flee their home in Paris and escape to Portugal. While frightening for the Windsors personally, their predicament was also rather troubling for the British government, which needed to ensure the safety of the exiled couple – while also ensuring they didn’t return to England. The fear for the government, as well as for the new royal family itself, was that if the Windsors did return, the former King Edward VIII – who had famously renounced the British throne just three years earlier – could unsettle the status of his younger brother, King George VI. So it was decided to send the Windsors to a…

A golden cage? Tasmanian Mary Donaldson is now Mary, Queen of Denmark. Married to the new King Frederik X of Denmark. It should be a fairytale… the new Queen in her bridal-white gown, kissing her husband on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace. But there were awkward moments and uneasy whispers. Is something rotten in the state of Denmark? When the world’s newspapers devote as much space to rumours of infidelity as to the coronation itself, it would seem there may be ‘something to see here’. Even if that something is just a difficult family dilemma being sorted out by an elderly (but extremely perspicacious) mother. It’s always emotional for ex-pats when they leave their family and friends on the other side of the world to return to their adopted homeland…

Supercross Simply solve our crossword and work out the secret answer, which is revealed in the coloured squares, reading left to right and top to bottom. ACROSS 1Princess in The Little Mermaid (5)4Room in the roof (5)6Roman god of the underworld (5)9Prince –, comic strip adventure hero (7)12 Matured (4)13 Musical about Eva Peron (5)14 Sea between Europe and Africa (13)15 Narrow back-street (5)16 Indonesian resort island (4)17 Two in 35 across (3)18 – VIII, last Tudor King of England (5)22 Citrus peel grated as a flavouring ingredient (4)24 Passionate ballroom dance (5)25 Cricket official (6)27 Sir – Newton, scientist (5)28 Bin chicken (4)29 Underground networks of tunnels, sometimes used as cemeteries (9)33 Metaphorical minor storm container (6)35 Madrid's country (5)36 Make a mistake (3)37 Sunrise direction (4)39 Scarlett –,…