Royal Round Up: Prince Harry, Prince William, Queen Letizia

Royal Round Up: Prince Harry, Prince William, Queen Letizia

Here’s another royal round up, with: Prince Harry in Aberdeen, Scotland; Prince William gaving a speech at the Tusk Trust ‘Time for Change’ event; and Queen Letizia out and about.

I’m starting with Prince Harry because I know many of you like him. Harry was in Aberdeen, Scotland on September 20 for a visit to Mackie Academy, Streetsport at Robert Gordon University, and Transition Extreme Sports.

While at Mackie Academy for a youth mentor training event which was part of The Diana Award “My Mentor” program, Harry spoke about his mentor who helped him gain confidence: his Colour Sergeant from his 2005 entry to Sandhurst military academy. Harry said:

    “I was at a stage in my life when I was probably lacking a bit in guidance. I lost my mum when I was very young and suddenly I was surrounded by a huge number of men in the army. He was someone who teased me at the right moments and gave me the confidence to look forward, to actually have that confidence in yourself to know who you are and to push forward and try to help others.”

Harry spoke with Diana Award recipient Jamie McIntosh, 17, who received the award for writing a book to help teenagers deal with grief after the death of his mother to breast cancer:

    “That’s what’s it all about, it’s trying to stop other kids in your position having to go through what you had to go through and now your book is going to help everyone around you. If anybody around me ever has any grief, especially close family, you feel as though you can help because you’ve got the experience and that’s what mentoring is all about.”

These photos are of Harry at Streetsport initiative at Robert Gordon University.

Prince William, as Royal Patron of Tusk Trust, gave the keynote address at the Tusk’s ‘Time for Change’ event yesterday, September 22, at The Shard in London.

William gave his speech about the diminishing elephant population. For space, I’m only quoting part of the speech – you can read the full speech here.

    “When I was born, there were 1 million elephants roaming Africa. By the time my daughter Charlotte was born last year, the numbers of Savannah elephants had crashed to just 350,000. And at the current pace of illegal poaching, when Charlotte turns 25 the African elephant will be gone from the wild. And the risk is not just to elephants. Today is World Rhino Day. A species that, due to demand for its horn, is being killed at a rate of nearly three animals a day. Rhinos face extinction in our lifetimes as we struggle to correct lies about the supposed benefits of using its horn as a drug. However, this crisis is not just about animals – this crisis is also about people. It is some of the world’s poorest people who will suffer when their natural resources are stripped from them illegally and brutally. It is families in the world’s most vulnerable regions who suffer when two rangers are killed every week on the frontline of this fight. It is fragile democratic systems in many nations that are at risk from the scourge of violence and corruption that the illegal wildlife trade fuels. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not prepared to be part of a generation that lets these iconic species disappear from the wild.
    “I am not prepared to explain to our children why we lost this battle when we had the tools to win it – and I know that none of you in Tokyo, Johannesburg or here in London want this either. I fear we will not know what we have lost until it has gone. But there is hope – we can do something. There is huge momentum building from governments, businesses, conservationists, and the public to take the steps required to stop the killing. […]
    “We have the opportunity to end, once and for all, the mixed messages we have sent for too long about the value and desirability of wildlife products. We have the chance to say that ivory is a symbol of destruction, not of luxury and not something that anyone needs to buy or sell. We have the chance to say that rhino horn does not cure anything and does not need a legal market. Now is the chance to send an unambiguous message to the world that it is no longer acceptable to buy and sell ivory, rhino horn or other illegal wildlife products.
    “Indeed I would challenge anyone who knows the truth of how these wildlife products are obtained, to justify desiring them. Materialistic greed cannot be allowed to win against our moral duty to protect threatened species and vulnerable communities. This is not just an issue for people on the other side of the world – the British Government announced yesterday that it is looking closely at this issue in respect of our own domestic trade. Wherever we are in the world, we must all play our part. The opportunity that the CITES conference presents to halt the illegal wildlife trade will not come round again for another three years.
    I sincerely hope that the Parties are able to unite around an unmistakable message to the world about the crisis in which we find ourselves – in my personal opinion, a tightening and not a loosening of the rules around the international trade in ivory and rhino horn. Mixed messages about the viability of trade in elephant or rhino parts would surely serve only to confuse wouldbe consumers at this crucial time. We cannot undo the mistakes of the past. But we can and must take moral responsibility for the decisions we make today.”

I rolled my eyes when William mentioned Charlotte, so I’m really glad he actually mentioned other reasons why people should care about the diminishing elephant population. I don’t know if William’s speeches actually accomplish anything significant, but it was a good speech.

I have to wonder, though, about Kate receiving the Royal Family Order. Many people thought Kate would be wearing it when she attended the State Banquet for China last October, and I’ve seen people speculate that Kate will be wearing it by the time she attends her next white tie event. BUT, the Royal Family Order is painted on ivory. William just said “We have the opportunity to end… the mixed messages we have sent for too long about the value and desirability of wildlife products.” Even if Kate wore a recycled RFO, it would still be a GIANT mixed message for William’s wife to wear ivory when he’s calling for an end to the ivory trade and saying “We have the chance to say that ivory is a symbol of destruction, not of luxury.”

So I wonder: Will Kate ever wear the Royal Family Order? To keep in line with William’s message, I don’t think she ever can – lest it show William’s hypocrisy.

The only way I think she ever can wear an RFO without it being hypocritical is if they change the material the RFO is painted on, and specifically come out and say that they changed it. Actually, this could be a great PR opportunity for William to say that they changed the material the RFO is painted on specifically to take a stance on the anti-ivory trade. There you go, Jason, free advice.

PS. Do you remember when William took off to Kenya over Easter weekend without Kate and the kids to go to Jecca Craig‘s wedding? Well he also meet with the Kenyan President and saw “first-hand some of the longstanding conservation and anti-poaching initiatives taking place in Kenya” on Lewa Conservancy – which was founded by Jecca’s family. Chris Jackson, Golden Boy, went with William and took photos of William doing his hands-on conservation work. Here are a couple photos that I totally missed back in March. William’s all, “SEE, I can do hands-on African conservation work, too!”

PPS. William will visit Vietnam from November 17-18 at the invitation of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the third International Wildlife Trade Conference which will be hosted in Hanoi. William will also have the opportunity to engage with local people and leaders in conservation while visiting the country.

Here are some photos of Queen Letizia from recent weeks. On September 22, Leti attended an event in association with World Cancer Research Day and the Spanish Association Against Cancer. She gave a short speech.

letizia-speech-at-world-cancer-research-day-s
[Casa de S.M. el Rey]

On September 15, King Felipe and Letizia attended the Royal Theatre opening season concert. September 15 is Leti’s birthday, and the musicians performed a song for her birthday.

On September 13, Leti opened the Ginés Morata primary school in Almeria.


65 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: Prince Harry, Prince William, Queen Letizia

  1. That is the excuse the fanatical sides made last year for Kate. They all said she probably received the order and just couldn’t wear it because it was on ivory. Which to me, if she really received it it would now be on something else due to the Ivory. I think it will be a while before she receives the order and at that point be on a new material. William isn’t the brightest but even he must realize the hypocrisy otherwise.

    And of course William had to mention Charlotte. I was annoyed at first since it seems once again all about him. But at least he did mention more reasons. I feel like he used that same sentence about Charlotte in another speech. William and Kate really do recycle the same sentences over and over again

    1. Yes, I’ve read that. But having now read William’s most recent speech, I actually really think Kate should never wear the RFO because I know I will now be screaming “Hypocrisy!” from the top of my lungs if she does. I don’t think the ivory thing is why Kate hasn’t received the RFO yet – I don’t think she’s earned – but I do think she cannot wear it in the future now due to the ivory thing.

      When I first read about this speech from William it came up on Twitter and the only quote I read was the one about Charlotte and I kept thinking “I don’t care about whether or not your kids will be able to see elephants when they go on safari, William, find a new way to talk about this”. So I was pleasantly surprised when I read the entire speech.

    2. Yes I think he used the same sentence about Charlotte in a speech he made for the ratification of a text for conservation at Buckingham Palace at the beginning of this year.
      Actually I wonder if there are not more parts of his speechs that are the same.

        1. Not that I would give William a pass on much but a I think in this context he’s trying to make it more relatable. Instead Of just saying in 25 yrs…. But if he throws in the age of one of his munchkins it’s more tangible.
          Having said that, when the great elephant census came out about a month ago, saying things were more dire than they thought, I went over to their Twitter feed to see if they made any reference to it. Nothing. Conservation when it’s convenient for them.

          1. I thought that too, Sarah, he wanted to make it more relatable. The problem is newspapers only bothered to quote what he said about Charlotte, so he ends up sounding self-centered.

            I think neither William nor Harry are consistent with their conservation work, so it’s hard to take them seriously. William just seems to want a pet cause so that he can be seen “working”, and Harry seems to use it as an excuse to spend a month vacationing in Africa.

          2. We all know that W and K have children. Why does everything always revert back to his kids? This will be a great loss for the world, William. The loss of such beautiful animals doesn’t just pertain to whether Charlotte (and George) will get a chance to see one or two when they are in their 20s.

            I hate to admit this, but after that sentence, I stopped reading the rest of the speech, so I am glad that he did at least say some other things that were relevant.

  2. Oh and seriously! I love Letizia’s professional wear. She looks like a boss! Now if we could only get Kate to try pants like hers….maybe she doesn’t realize they come in more than skin tight form?

    1. I do agree and she is my template for the perfect Royal lady but I saw a picture of her stood next to Michelle Obama yesterday and Letizia looked very, very frail. Am I mean worryingly frail. It concerns me as this lady is too smart for it to be about just personal vanity. I do hope she is ok because she has so much to give the world.

      1. Yes, I noticed her very thin arms in the picture of her in the lovely black dress. I agree, Letizia appears too intelligent and mature to be driven by personal vanity. I have a lovely colleague of similar build who runs daily and cycles a great deal; she is healthy and happy, though is very body-conscious – no sweets, and only fish and vegetables. She is partial to a shared bottle of wine! I’d imagine Leti exercises similarly, and with two children plus other duties, keeps trim.

      2. I have always thought she was far too thin bordering on emaciated. I wish she wasn’t driven to do that to herself, but I guess we all have our control issues. That’s why I don’t really comment on Kate’s size anymore. Sometimes the extreme thinness is a byproduct of something else other than the desire to be waif like.

      3. Letizia has always been tiny, her mother is tiny, her sisters are(were) tiny. Her arms and legs have always been tiny, which is why she used to hate her legs and wear pants so much. Her arms are thin but very muscular.

        Back when she was a reporter she was this thin, there is nothing new here.

        http://reinaleonors.tumblr.com/post/107993282727/prior-to-her-marriage-to-the-prince-of-asturias

        When she stands next to Felipe or Michelle O, of course she’ll look even smaller. She is naturally fine boned, not dieted down to an unhealthy amount for a larger frame like KM and CP Mary. Felipe himself says she eats more than he does, but she burns it all off running around and working.

  3. Hmm… isn’t The RFO given at the pleasure of the Queen? Kate doesn’t deserve any award from anyone because in five years of marriage she has avoided service to the public as much as possible. I doubt the ivory, assuming it’s over 70 years old anyway, would be a factor for Kate; I don’t see any ethical core to her. But it’s a good face-saving excuse for her not being awarded the RFO in the first place.

    1. Yes. I don’t think the Queen has given it to Kate yet – that’s why she didn’t wear it. But what I mean is that going forward, if the Queen does give it to Kate and Kate wears it, then I’m going to scream “Hypocrisy!” at anyone who will listen because William allowing his wife to wear ivory when he is so staunchly against it is going against what he just said in this speech of his.

      1. Oh, KMR, it would be hypocritical, for sure! But would that surprise you? William is utterly hypocritical when it comes to separating conservation issues and his own personal pleasures. His recent statement about killing older animals was obscene.

        I think this couple want what they want and it’s left to others to clean up their muck. If/when Kate gets the RFO, she’ll wear it because for her it will be like winning a competition to her. And we know how competitive the Middleton’s are…

      2. I know ivory was once prized as a luxury item, and has many unique properties that make it good for carving, but can’t they replace it with a British stone? Inquire amongst jeweler sand carvers and geologists about what would be a good replacement. Who cares if it is a cheaper stone? It would be local and non-elephant harming. That would be a win-win. I imagine it is the older members of the BRF and courtiers who are keeping this from going forward, people resistant to change.

        1. Surely in this day and age there is a substitute for the ivory used in miniatures?

          Maybe they could recycle the older ones, or use enamel?

      3. The Queen is still the Queen and if the Queen gives you an honor you wear it. No way is Kate being given a personal honor like that and not wearing it publicly when the occasion calls for it. It would be disrespectful to the Queen. Is it possible the Middletons were in Balmoral not just as guests, but to be present when the Queen presented it to Kate? Perhaps the trip to the Netherlands is simply so Kate can actually represent the Queen somewhere – whereas when William is with her – as blood/heir he is her representative and she is simply his helpmate. William has no control if the Queen chooses to give Kate an honor on ivory – but I’m sure the delicacy of the situation has been pointed out to the Queen. Is there a Fall State Banquet planned? If so are we expecting the Cambridges to take part?

        1. Then William can STFU and have all the seats.

          The President of Colombia is coming in the fall. I expect Charles and Camilla will attend since they visited Colombia in 2014. I doubt William and Kate will attend, but if they do they will be seated differently this time and we probably won’t see them.

          1. KMR: thank you for spelling Colombia correctly!!! It’s my mother’s homeland and it drives me bat crazy when people spell it like the University or South Carolina (Columbia).

        2. Sorry, but the thread comments about ivory encorage the pitiful excuse by some….of the reason HM has not given entitled, dutiless, lazy Cannot, who refuse to bond with the royal family as the children not alowed with royal grandpa/ma, other than carol and middletons, other than compel to appear for events ( Carol had to appear at Bamorals if she is the ‘Prince’ family).

          We all know ivory or whatever the covet RFO is not the reason entitle ‘normal’ cannot middleton is not wearing one. Speaking of Ivory and the Order will only allow the excuse to continue by carol middleton and whiny PR.

  4. Leti’s white pants suit is a total miss for me. Holy Del Boca Vista?. She is rockin robin in the black pants and sleeveless blouse though- gorgissimo

  5. Queen Letizia ozzes class no matter what she wears,you don’t necessarily have to like it.
    A woman of substance, how terrific she supported Cancer day as well as research. She is a great asset.
    Oh my is it just me ladies or is King Felipe becoming more distinguished and definitely handsome! I hope that is not inappropriate, but it has been a while for me since I have seen a photo of him!

    1. To my mind the best looking European royal man.

      I think Leti and her business attire for many functions is great. Not so fond of that lace skirt detail, but at least the dress is not foofy and girly.

  6. Great to see Harry again. He always seems so natural and enjoying himself meeting people and doing smt for a good cause!
    I understand that not everyone is good with people, speaking in public or other things but Royals have a lot of option so I think it would be great to see some others try and find their position in royal work and life!

    I wonder what in the last 5 years would explain Kate to receive a royal order actually. It can’t be the work she has done, influence she has or whatever… there is basically nothing. And if she had, and didn’t wear it, they could have easily made an announcement on that she got it, that she won’t wear it, and that they will get a new one – but that didn’t happen.
    About William – glad he had also other reasons but somehow, well he knows they media and people will focus on the Charlotte comment so he could have rather dropped it or mention his children both…

    Love Letizia. She does a wonderful job as Queen and she really takes a position serious.

  7. I saw some of William’s speech on the news yesterday and he came across as a bit more mature. Not trying to play for silly jokes and score points off others with flippant remarks but he was almost, dare I say, it a bit statesmanlike in his presentation & demeanour. If this is the path forward it would be very welcome and not before time. I liked it and it shows he has the potential. As for Harry…..he continues to be everything we love about him. He truely has ‘it’.

    1. Hi Mrs BBV, I too have noticed that, at times, William can act more statesmanlike, more dignified. I hope he continues on this path but I also hope he works at honing his comedic skills. I don’t mind the more light hearted speeches, when appropriate, but I get tired of his constant jabs at others, especially his son and brother.

  8. It’s nice to see in the pictures of William that he actually does something like caring for the elephant. It really hurts to see and to know all the sorrows and miseries in the world and some people in our societies just care about their skincare or which shoes are chic. Animals are really tough and I deeply admire them for this trade (although they are born with it 🙂 ) I hope he really tries to do something, not just talking, he has the opportunity!
    I think Letizia is a really nice woman, but of course, it’s sad to see her that fragile. If she feels alright than I won’t say anything against it.

  9. William’s speech was good though I don’t know how much impact it will have either, KMR. A small portion of his speech has just been shown on TV here, but as with the EAAA/BBC documentary, and the upcoming Canada trip, there is no further discussion emanating it. It becomes a ‘filler’ of the ‘royal family’ variety in the 24-hour news cycle. I wonder how royalty is viewed these days in the wider community, that is, their cut-through when it comes to these far-reaching issues.

  10. Thanks for another great roundup KMR!!!

    It’s always such a treat to see Harry in action, the joy and fun he exudes is pure magic. I really like the part about the Colour Sergeant at Sandhurst who helped him out, I like that while Harry didn’t mention his name, it’s obvious this many years later the positive effect that man had on him.

    Kudos to William for his continued work in the battle to save endangered species. It doesn’t really bother me that he brings up his daughter in his speeches but I’m glad he was able to come with other reasonings as well as to why these animals should be saved.

    All Hail Queen Letiza, the Queen of Perfect Posture!! Hail! Hail! lol While I’m not huge fan of the all white pantsuit outfit (it is after Labor Day after all) I love that she wears pants to events involving children. It must be so much easier to bend, sit and interact with the kids on their level without having to worry about showing one’s bits. I have to say that when we first started following Leti here at KMR, she seemed a bit cold to me but now after seeing her in action more and more I do see more warmth and caring emanating from her, especially around the elderly and children.

    1. Lol, the ‘no white after Labor Day’ is not an unwritten fashion rule anymore. It is actually considered chic to wear white year round. Especially in the winter, winter white looks great :). I also love that she wears pants when she has events involving children. Then she doesn’t have to worry about bending down.

  11. Queen Letiza is an ambitious and clever woman , one of the many things I like about her is her encouraging Spanish designers , she rarely or never wears anything not designed by Spanish designers . Good for her and her people .

    1. Correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t Queen Leti wear Hugo Boss a lot? I think she was criticized for it, I just couldn’t remember where I read it from.

        1. True , now I remember seeing her wearing it once as it was mentioned on the Daily Mail , but I didn’t know she wore it a lot

  12. Harry: LOVE that he mentioned someone we wouldn’t automatically expect as his mentor; someone he met at the very beginning of his military career so many years ago. I’m curious as to who William and/or Kate would say is their mentor. Bonus? Harry just looks so handsome being all casual and cool with the kids.

    William: I tried to read the speech but as soon as I saw the mention about Charlotte, I rolled my eyes. I’m not knocking his investment and agree that these animals shouldn’t be slaughtered because humans want something of theirs for various, unnecessary reasons but he shouldn’t always, automatically mention the kids and I wish he was this passionate about something, anything, within his own home country.

    Leti: the woman is a boss but, like others, I am concerned about her frame. I truly hope she’s well.

    1. Please look at the link I provided above. She has always been this small. It is like reverse body shaming.

      I’d hate for all of you to meet one of my cousins who is healthy, happy, and naturally tiny like Letizia. She has to do weight training to keep weight on, because her body naturally reverts to 105 pounds no matter how much she eats.

  13. I find it really hard to reconcile the fact that William went on a hunting trip in Spain and then I believe, over the last few weeks of the summer there was a shooting party at Balmoral. I know the reason can be used that these hunts are sanctioned to cull animal populations, but in my opinion, as Royal Patron of Tusk, he should not be doing any type of shooting at all.

  14. I find the ivory question so interesting. I agree that William’s having characterized ivory as “a symbol of destruction” would seem to rule out Kate’s ever wearing it – even “old” ivory would still function as a symbol. However, if the Queen should award Kate the order, and it were still painted on ivory, could Kate reasonably not wear it? Could William lobby for a change in the order’s material?

  15. happy friday indeed when there’s a Harry and Leti post!=)
    Two out of the three Leti outfits were a win for me. The white one is off. I don’t know if it’s the texture of the blazer or the shirt? Neither do it for me. Love the the other two tho. Has the Spanish gov’t finally gotten a majority? I haven’t been paying attending lately.
    Harry’s just so darn cute. Love him

  16. What a great roundup. While I wish Mr. Rhiannon were the future King, I think he’s able to do more and have impact. But, you never know. I find it so lovely that Harry is truly adored. He looks adorable playing soccer (football). He’s just dreamy.

    I am so impressed with Leti. She works hard and knows her stuff. I like that she always, always dresses for the event. It’s appropriate and you never have to worry about a wardrobe malfunction with her. I need that black dress in my life. I have to say it: I love Felipe with a beard.

    William – I am just going to say this: when will he have an anecdote about Georgie? It’s all about Charlotte now. I am going to leave it at that. He just frustrates me.

    Thanks for a great roundup, KMR!

  17. Random question. I’m assuming George is still doing his montesorri school, did they release I start of school picture and I missed it?

  18. I just looked at a typical day for the Cambridges Canada tour and found this:
    • 10:12 a.m. — Tour of Victoria Cridge Centre for the Family, which provides shelter, care and hope for children, women, families and the elderly
    • 10:35 a.m. — Outside Cridge Centre: Unveiling of a monument dedicated to people who have overcome adversity
    • 10:55 a.m. — Breakwater Cafe and Bistro to meet with members of the Kelty Mental Health Resources Centre
    • 11:45 a.m. — Victoria Inner Harbour to sail on Pacific Grace with members of the Sail and Life Training Society
    • 12:45 p.m. — Dock at Ship Point
    • 3:40 p.m. — Arrive at Victoria Harbour seaplane terminal for ceremony to mark departure from Canada
    • 3:50 p.m. — Depart Victoria

    Seems like it takes just as much time, if not more, to board a boat than to spend time mingling at certain events. Curious question for royal watchers: is this common? When Harry or Charles/Camilla travel, is it common to spend only twenty minutes at a location? I suppose it’s all about the photo opportunity and Canada hopes people learn about an organization through press coverage. But I would think as a royal, that would be frustrating – to be expected to “make a difference” and then only spend twenty minutes somewhere.

    1. I don’t think it is for the other royals. Harry and Charles spend a lot of time mingling and it’s echoed in their schedule, or they are late to the following event because they stay long past the scheduled end time.

      Looking at W&K’s tour all the events sans the receptions are pretty much 20-40 minutes max. Really pathetic.

    2. Hi Anne, this is the itinerary for their last day in Canada, do you know if this is typical of their entire stay? I read at People online that most of their engagements would be in the morning or afternoon, so they can spend as much time as possible with the children. I would be curious to know if that’s true or are they going to try to pack in as many engagements as possible?

        1. I had read that that event will be the only one they attend that day, in order to spend more time with their children.

          Thanks for the link, it was interesting.

      1. Looked at the rest of the stuff from a website I found. Most engagements are 20-45 minutes, give or take.

        I’m amused they bring the kids for PR and also use them as an excuse to beg off work, this time the Canadians pay for it. I’m sorry, Canada.

  19. William doing hands-on conservation work lasted for a few hours before spending the weekend at Jeccas’s wedding. KP used one of the pics for World Elephant Day a few weeks ago at the same time Harry was workig with the 500 elephants project in Malawi. No pic or word about him of course. These pics will be re-used again and again to prove he’s not just making speeches. People who are not really following the Royal Family will buy into it, others won’t. PR is what he lives for.

  20. Haryy always makes a great impression on me. He looks happy and great in the photos. Reaching out to kids, having fun with a ball! He knows how to enjoy himself and make certain that those attending his appearances enjoy themselves, too.

    Nice to hear positive words about his role model. Also, wonderful to mention the work of a youngster who is helping others cope with loss/illness of a parent. Of course, Harry understands loss. He did not go overboard in comparing his loss to the other person’s, but he did relate well, imo.

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