Woman's Weekly Living Series July 2023

The warm afterglow of King Charles’ coronation goes on and we’re continuing the celebrations with a look back at the royal event of our lifetime. Perhaps some will still remember the coronation of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but for many of us the sights and sounds of 6 May were a unique occasion that we will remember forever. But we’re looking forward too – and appreciating the youngsters who will carry on the traditions of royalty for the next century. George, Charlotte and Louis did their Grandpa Wales proud on Coronation Day. I think we can safely say that the future of the monarchy is in very good hands.…

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY It was an amazing weekend of coronation celebrations. From the pomp and tradition of the Westminster Abbey ceremony to the joyful Buckingham Palace appearances and spectacular Windsor Castle concert, the events spread some much-needed cheer throughout the land. We loved the official portraits that were released by the Palace a few days later, especially this group one that showed today’s band of working royals. Surrounding the King and Queen, from left, are Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Anne, Princess Royal, William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. We couldn’t help but compare it…

After the spectacular coronation weekend, King Charles III will soon face a poignant date – 8 September – the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death, which will also mark his first year serving as monarch. We can only hope the King has inherited his parents and grandmother’s longevity genes, and if so, this probably means we’ll see no big royal occasions for a couple of decades. As King Charles celebrates his 75th birthday this November (Queen Camilla turned 76 in July 2022), the busy couple deserve to put their feet up. After Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s wedding back in 2018, their subsequent stepping back from royal duties, Prince Andrew’s exile, the Platinum Jubilee and the Queen’s death, it’s been a roller-coaster ride of royal news and events,…

At the heart of royalty is a family – and now that family is a blended brood that reflects the domestic norm of many of us. By putting Camilla’s relatives centre stage at the Coronation, Their Majesties sent out a powerful message of unity. Camilla’s three 13-year-old grandsons and her great-nephew were her Pages of Honour and her sister Annabel Elliot, 74, was one of her two Ladies in Attendance. Even Camilla’s Coronation gown had the names of her children, Tom and Laura, plus her grandchildren, Lola, Eliza, Gus, Louis, and Freddy embroidered upon it. Images of Beth and Bluebell, her Jack Russells, were sewn on the hem. And on the Westminster Abbey guest list was her ex-husband, retired Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, 83. In Angela Levin’s Camilla: From Outcast…

LADY IN BLUE Jill Biden President Joe Biden regretfully declined his invitation to the UK for the coronation, so his First Lady brought along their 22-year-old granddaughter Finnegan instead. Jill, 72, looked stunning in a periwinkle blue suit and gloves, which she paired with nude-coloured bag and shoes. We loved her fascinator too. LOOKING SO ROSY Queen Letizia of Spain The 50-year-old style queen wore a Carolina Herrera punchy pink suit with peplum and lace detailing for her trip to Westminster Abbey. She matched the outfit with pink slingback shoes and carried a tiny fuchsia purse, also by Carolina Herrera. PROUD GRANDMA Carole Middleton Not the mother of the bride, but the future Queen, it was a proud day for Carole, 68. The Princess of Wales’ mum wore a Catherine…

In 1953, shortly before becoming engaged to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, press photographer Jacqueline Bouvier travelled to London to cover the Queen’s coronation for an American newspaper. She interviewed members of the public, who were waiting outside Buckingham Palace for a glimpse of the Royal Family, and even asked if they thought Elizabeth II would be Britain’s last queen. The young journalist was just one of millions watching history take place that day. Could she ever have imagined she would return to the Palace just a few years later, on the arm of the 35th President of the United States? Or that following his tragic assassination, 60 years ago this November, she and her children would be comforted by Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh? The Kennedys were megastars on…