If you're going to San Francisco/Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
"As women, it is one hundred percent our responsibility, I think, to support and uplift each other" - Duchess of Sussex
Welcome back! Let’s dive right in, since they’re all back to work…
Gardening Duchess
As expected, Kate was at RHS Wisley to launch her third and final (and permanent) Back to Nature Garden:
It’s been a treat to see Kate’s focus on nature, gardening, and encouraging children to play outdoors over the past year.
For something that could’ve just been rote planning with an experienced team of award-winning gardeners, she really ran with all aspects of it. Not only planning, designing and implementing, but also appearing on Blue Peter and creating the activity cards and inviting schoolchildren and charities she works with to take part as well.
Kate arrived on a tractor at the Back to Nature Festival, along with Mary Berry (a woman Kate apparently stans), and played with a bunch of kids before giving a speech.
Kate said:
I am not as green fingered as many of you here, but I was passionate about creating a garden that inspired children and adults alike to get back to nature and reap the positive mental and physical health benefits that it can bring.
The gardens were, I suppose, a manifestation of some of the work I have been focusing on around how best we can support our children in the earliest years.
You can read the rest of her speech here.
That’s a wrap on the year of gardening, but at least we’ll always have William the Giant on a rope swing:
(I was worried I wouldn’t find a way to use this gif this week but I did it!)
Designer Duchess
Meghan’s highly-anticipated capsule collection was launched on Thursday, and it’s called The Smart Set.
Five pieces: a white blouse, black trousers, a black blazer, shift dress, and tote bag.
The lovely ladies behind Meghan’s Mirror have a breakdown of the collection, which you can find here.
I’m super impressed with how affordable everything is, as well as the inclusive sizing. Also, these pieces are timeless and the women who benefit from the Smart Set will benefit hugely from that.
This was Meghan’s first official engagement back from maternity leave, and she looks great (she arrived wearing some of the Smart Set pieces, and will wear other pieces during the South Africa tour next week):
She met with the designers and gave a speech about the project. I love how Meghan explained the idea of a shared community of women supporting women behind the Smart Set Capsule Collection:
Community is going through your closet and saying, this is the blazer I wore when I nailed my first job interview and got my dream job and I don’t need that anymore because I’m where I want to be. But if I’m able to share that blazer and be part of another woman’s success story then that’s community.
One of my favourite things about Meghan is her public speaking abilities. As someone who still occasionally struggles to find my voice in staff meetings when I’m the “office expert” on the topic at hand, seeing her speak so effortlessly and passionately about her projects is motivating.
You can read her speech in full here.
Kensington Corner
(All the other news out of Kensington Palace this week)
I love how Kate’s become this nature queen. First step, getting kids outside. Second step, helping save the bees:
William met with the Financial Action Task Force of the United 4 Wildlife campaign:
First Kate, then William, held meetings with screenwriter/director Richard Curtis (best known for rom-coms like Love, Actually, Notting Hill, and the Bridget Jones’s Diary series as well as charity work in support of mental health) this week.
There’s no concrete information yet but there is this from Rebecca English of the Daily Mail:
Would I be opposed to a video of Willam dancing through KP à la Hugh Grant in Love, Actually while Kate stares on agape? No, I would not.
William also held a Duchy of Cornwall meeting. He’s becoming increasingly more involved in the processes there, so it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out once he’s actually the Duke of Cornwall (y’know, years from now and everything)
Elsewhere:
It’s back to school for Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco:
It was also back to school for Princess Leonore and Infanta Sofìa of Spain (Hello!)
Prince Charles is heading to the Vatican next month:
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has published a book where she talks about her difficult teenage years. (Royal Central)
Princess Madeleine of Sweden revealed in an interview with a Swedish parenting magazine that she was having contractions and was 3 cm dilated during her brother’s wedding in 2015 (Prince Nicolas was born two days later). Meanwhile I’m still complaining about stubbing my toe last week… (Royal Central)
Madeleine also made a rare appearance this week:
She and her husband, Christopher O’Neill, are based out of Florida for his work, so it’s rare that she undertakes royal engagements these days. Enjoy it while it happens!
People magazine devoted their cover story to Kate, talking about how she’s diving into her expanding role as future queen, and there’s a lot of great stuff about her work with mental health and young people. (People)
Queen Màxima of the Netherlands visited Alzheimer’s Netherlands in support of its 35th anniversary:
What I Wrote at Royal Central This Week:
Camilla takes a twirl with Strictly star Len Goodman
Princess Beatrix opens Kinderdijk’s visitors centre
Ellen DeGeneres teams up with the Sussexes and reveals she’s held Archie
Queen Mathilde visits Venice Biennale
The Duke of Cambridge visits Devon to discuss first responders’ mental health
Crown Princess Mary to address health ministers at WHO/Europe’s annual meeting
Nadal congratulated by King Felipe after US Open win
King and Queen of Malaysia receive Earl of Wessex
The Duke of Sussex celebrates fifth anniversary of the Invictus Games
Details of Swedish Crown Princess Couple’s visit to Denmark announced
Dork of the Week:
Dancing duchess!
See you next week!