Month: November 2024

The death of Queen Elizabeth II was devastating for so many people up and down the country, but there were also some unexpected consequences.

The monarch died in September 2023, just days before the Robbie Williams biopic – which depicts the Angels singer as a CGI monkey – was due to start filming.

Director Michael Gracey, best known for his work on The Greatest Showman, had arranged to have London’s Regent Street closed down for four nights so he could film an elaborate musical number for Better Man.

However, his permits were pulled during an official period of mourning, and insurers refused to cover the costs – which left the project ‘millions of dollars’ worse off.

‘On the Friday we were feeling very buoyant, because the first night of filming was Sunday night, and we got a call from the Crown Estate to tell us that the queen had just died and we wouldn’t be shooting because there’s 10 days of mourning,’ he told HELLO!

‘So we lost all of the money. There’s no insurance for the death of the queen.

‘People will say to you: “No, there is, because it’s force majeure”, and you say; “No, it’s not”. It’s civil authority that shuts you down with the death of the queen, and after Covid, civil authority was capped at 250 grand payouts.’

It took the production ‘another five months’ to get back onto the street for filming, and they had to find the money again.

‘So we lost millions of dollars,’ he added. ‘And every time I watch it, I think people have no idea how close we came to that not being in the film.’

Even getting the permits in the first place was a bit of a nightmare, with the idea of completely shutting down the street ‘for four nights’ proving difficult, particular with the need to ‘redirect the buses’.

The Better Man crew were ‘told no so many times’ before the Royal Family’s fondness for Robbie helped turn the tide in their favour.

The director said: ‘Fortunately, the land is Crown Estate, and the royals like Robbie and so between Westminster Council and the Crown Estate and the most incredible amount of paperwork, we got to shut it down for four nights.’

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Today, King Charles III celebrates his birthday. Born on 14 November 1948, His Majesty turns 76 years old.

Many of us would jump at the chance for a second birthday celebration, after he celebrated his official birthday with Trooping the Colour – a summer parade – in June.

Similarly, his mother Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April, but her ‘official birthday celebration’ also took place in June.

Until she sadly passed away aged 96, Queen Elizabeth II held the title of the oldest member of the Royal Family.

She was also Britain’s longest-serving monarch, with a reign lasting an astonishing 70 years – beating the previous record holder, Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, at 63 years.

But which member of the Royal Family can claim to be the oldest living royal now?

Here’s the answer.

Who is the oldest member of the royal family?

Now, it is Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who can claim to be the oldest living royal, aged 91 years old. 

Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was born on 22 February 1933 and will celebrate her 92nd birthday in just a few months.

Katharine is the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who is two years younger than her. They have three children: George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, 62, Lady Helen Taylor, 60, and Lord Nicholas Windsor, 54.

Katharine does not spend as much time in the public eye as serving royals and stepped back from public duty in 2002.

Has any royal lived to 100?

Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, whose official royal title was Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, lived to be 101.

She was born on August 4, 1900 and died on March 30, 2002.

Meanwhile, the longest living member of the royal family was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, who lived to 102. She was born in 1901 and lived until 2004.

She was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (the third son of King George V and Queen Mary) and the aunt of Queen Elizabeth II.

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As monarch, King Charles III has two birthdays – just like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did.

While a second birthday is something the rest of us could only dream of, the late Queen celebrated two birthdays each year throughout her seven-decade reign.

Her Majesty was born in 1926 on April 21, but an ‘official birthday celebration’ took place in the form of Trooping the Colour – a summertime parade.

Indeed, King Charles has carried on this tradition. You may be wondering why monarchs have two birthdays – and how this first began.

Here’s all you need to know.

Why does King Charles have two birthdays?

King Charles has carried on the tradition of Trooping the Colour, which dates all the way back to 1748.

As a result, he does indeed mark two birthdays – the official one, which traditionally takes place on a Saturday in June, and his actual date of birth, on November 14.

The first sovereign to have two birthday events was King Charles’s distant relative, King George II – who wished to throw a public celebration, complete with a parade and plenty of pomp and circumstance.

However, having also been born in November, the odds of the weather holding out for a huge outdoor bash in the UK were pretty slim.

Instead, the monarch decided to use the UK’s annual military parade held in the summer as his official birthday celebration.

He would therefore mark his birthday twice – once publicly in June, and once privately in November.

How does King Charles celebrate his birthdays?

This year, King Charles will spend his birthday working to support the Coronation Food Project – just like he did for his 75th birthday.

Last November, the King launched the Coronation Food Project, which aims to support the nation during the cost-of-living crisis by redistributing food destined for landfills.

On his birthday, he toured a surplus food distribution centre outside London with Queen Camilla and hosted a reception for nurses and midwives at Buckingham Palace.

The King also shared his birthday celebrations with neighbouring 75-year-olds and community champions by hosting live music and tea parties at Highgrove House, before ending the day with a private family dinner at Clarence House.

How old is King Charles?

King Charles is 76 years old, as of Thursday, November 14 2024.

In September 2022, Charles became the oldest monarch to accede the throne at age 73.

Previously, that title was held by William IV, who was 64 when he assumed the throne in 1830.

By contrast, Queen Elizabeth II, The King’s late mother, was just 25 years of age when she became Queen in 1952.

The youngest British monarch at the start of her reign was Mary, Queen of Scots, who became queen aged 6 days in 1542 – while the youngest King was Henry VI, who was 8 months and 26 days old at the time of his accession in 1422.

What will happen after King Charles?

As King’ Charles’ birthday is also in November, the decision to host Trooping the Colour in June feels more connected to history than ever before.

When the time comes for the nation to have William as sovereign, the tradition of two birthdays might come to an end.

This is because Prince William’s birthday falls on June 21 already.

Future king Prince George also has a summer birthday, on July 22.

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Kate Middleton took a significant step in her return to public life this weekend, as she attended two major events with the royal family.

The Princess of Wales joined Prince William, King Charles and others at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday, November 9 and watched the Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph on Sunday, November 10.

These are the most high-profile events the princess has attended since revealing her cancer diagnosis in March. Kate announced she had finished a course of treatment in September and is now focused on remaining cancer-free. 

For the poignant event on Saturday, which honoued the service of, and the sacrifices made by, the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces community, the 42-year-old wore a sombre all-black ensemble, accessorised with several sentimental jewellery choices.

As well as pinning a poppy to her Alexander McQueen black coat dress, she wore her Fleet Air Arm Brooch, which is a nod to her role as the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm. The King appointed her the military title back in August 2023, along with two others – Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the R.A.F. Coningsby.

The brooch features a crown, laurel wreath and feathered wings, and likely also holds a deeper significance for Kate, as her grandfather, Captain Peter Middleton, served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II.

Her look was finished off with a few other notable pieces, including her iconic sapphire engagement ring, which previously belonged to Princess Diana. The royal has been pictured without it several times since her cancer treatment, with experts claiming she might have been wearing it less frequently for ‘comfort and practicality reasons’.

However, it was back on dazzling display at the Remembrance event, along with Princess Diana’s timeless Collingwood Pearl Drop earrings. The stunning pearl and diamond earrings were gifted to Kate’s late mother-in-law following her engagement to Charles.

Diana wore them at many royal events over the years, including as part of her going-away outfit following her wedding. Kate has also donned the special earrings many times over the years.

Her final piece of jewellery was a gold and pearl necklace by British jewellery brand Monica Vinader. 

The Remembrance events continued on Sunday, November 10 as the royals attended the Remembrance Day Service. King Charles led the nation in remembering those who lost their lives in two world wars and other conflicts at the Cenotaph in central London.

He laid a wreath before overseeing a two-minute silence while joined by veterans of World War II and an assortment of religious and political leaders.

The Princess of Wales appeared on the central balcony. In 2023 Kate stood next to the Queen, but in Camilla’s absence this year due to a chest infection the princess was accompanied by the Duchess of Edinburgh.

At this event, Kate pinned three poppies to her black military-style coat instead of just one. There are several theories as to why she does this. Some believe it’s to honour different branches of the military, while others think it’s a tribute to family members who have fought and died in wars. Kate’s great-grandmother had three brothers who were all killed in action during World War I.

She paired her look with another poignant jewellery choice, wearing the Bahrain Pearl Diamond Drop Earrings from the late Queen Elizabeth’s private collection.

The jewels in the earrings were gifted to the Queen and Philip by the ruler of Bahrain in 1947 as a wedding present. They were later made into beautiful jewellery pieces and the Queen famously wore them in her first Royal Command portrait by Dorothy Wilding in July 1952. 

Kate has been spotted in the earrings a number of times over the years, including most notably at Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021, and for the Remembrance Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2016.

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Prince Andrew has lost his rumoured £1 million annual allowance after the King officially cut him off financially, it has been claimed.

In recent weeks Charles is said to have instructed the Keeper of the Privy Purse, his finance director, to end the Duke of York’s annual personal allowance.

The King also no longer pays for his seven-figure private security detail or for the upkeep of his 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor, it is understood.

‘The duke is no longer a financial burden on the King,’ a source told the Daily Mail.

The reported move, made in royal writer Robert Hardman’s book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, makes good on the late Queen’s alleged desire to solve the ‘Andrew issue‘ once and for all.

Andrew – long touted as Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘favourite son’ – stepped back as a frontline royal in 2019 after a disastrous Newsnight interview which delved into his relationship with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

On top of this, he was dogged for many years by claims that he had sex with then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre – who was sex trafficked by Epstein – in London in March 2001.

The pair eventually settled out of court in 2022 with Andrew accepting that Ms Giuffre was a victim of abuse. He made no admission of liability and has always denied the allegations.

Sources told Mr Hardman that, had she lived another year, the Queen would have forced Andrew to downsize to Frogmore Cottage, the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

It sits within Windsor Castle security ‘ring of steel’ and would provide room for the Duke and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson – who he lives with.

This would allow the Duke to be protected while not being a burden on the Royal purse.

Despite the suggestion, Andrew is reportedly unwilling to leave the lodge.

Sources close to the Duke have long argued that he has a cast-iron lease on the late Queen Mother’s former home which runs until 2078 and can remain there until then.

And after being stripped of his patronages, military associations and effectively barred from using his HRH title in public, the Duke is reportedly determined to cling onto his home.

But it will come at a considerable cost and there are questions over whether Andrew can self-finance the upkeep of the 19th Century listed building.

He would also have to pay to protect several valuable and historical works of art and pieces of furniture borrowed from the Royal Collection that it houses.

Dubbed the “Siege of Royal Lodge”, Andrew has reportedly insisted he has ‘other sources of income‘ related to his contacts in international trade, sufficient to cover all his costs.

‘If he can find the money, then that is up to him, but if not, he will find that the King does not have unlimited patience,’ an insider told the Mail.

Family friends claimed that Andrew’s ‘obstinacy’ over the latest development has ‘soured’ family relationships.

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Queen Elizabeth II is set to make an appearance in the third Paddington movie, following her death two years ago.

The longest-reigning monarch died at the age of 96 in September 2022, having ascended to the throne at just 25.

Our late Queen was first associated with the beloved Paddington Bear during the celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee, which saw them form an unlikely bond in a heartwarming sketch.

Then, when she died and as the nation grieved, stuffed Paddington toys appeared everywhere in tribute, with mourners leaving his famous marmalade sandwiches outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.

So, it probably seems fitting that the late royal has a cameo in Paddington in Peru.

The family adventure movie, which opens in cinemas on November 8, also stars Olivia Colman and Ben Whishaw, who, of course, reprises his voice-acting role as the adorable bear.

The plot of the movie centres around Paddington and his adopted family, the Browns, as they visit his aunt Lucy in Peru.

However, in typical Paddington style, circumstances lead them towards misadventures in the mountains and Amazon rainforest.

As for the Queen’s minor appearance, this will be a photograph of her having afternoon tea with Paddington, which was given the green light by the Palace.

Ron Halpern, the head of global productions at StudioCanal, the film’s distributor, said the Queen’s cameo was done ‘with the consent and agreement of the royal household’.

Co-producer Rosie Alison told Variety: ‘[The royal family] were actually very happy for it to happen.

‘But we don’t like to make a big deal of it because Paddington’s obviously a very modest fellow.’

The original sketch between the Queen and Paddington aired in June 2022, just months before she died.

In the week leading up to the milestone, millions hosted street parties up and down the country before tuning in for a special concert on the BBC.

Prince William gave a heartfelt speech, while the likes of Sam Ryder, George Ezra, Sir Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keys, and Diana Ross performed.

Perhaps the most talked about moment, however, came from the pre-recorded comedy segment, which showed the Queen offering tea to Paddington and pulling a marmalade sandwich from her handbag.

Removing his hat from his head, the bear pulled out his own sandwich and professed his love for them, with Her Majesty replying: ‘So do I,’ prising open her bag to say: ‘I keep mine in here.’

Chaos then ensued as Paddington was his usual clumsy self and squirted the cream from his chocolate eclair over a footman.

The segment ended with her showcasing her fun spirit, tapping her teacup to the beat of We Will Rock You before Queen and Adam Lambert opened the show in real time.

Paddington in Peru is the third instalment in the live-action franchise, following Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017).

Other cast members include Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters, plus Emily Mortimer who replaces former Mary Brown actress Sally Hawkins.

Paddington in Peru lands in cinemas on November 8.

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