Latest news with #TheElephantFamily
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Slimmed Down Monarchy? Not Anymore, Thanks to This Surprising Move from King Charles
It was a recent royal sighting that caught me off-guard: King Charles and Queen Camilla were spotted in attendance at a mid-May gala in Kew Gardens to help raise money for The Elephant Family, a charity set up by Mark Shand, Camilla's brother, before his death in 2014. The occasion was poignant; it was meaningful—but it also included a surprising (and typically less prominent royal): Princess the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attends her fair share of royal occasions, but usually they're limited to ones where the entire royal clan steps out. Royal Ascot, Easter, even the Christmas walk at Sandringham are all examples. But the Elephant Family event felt different and provided a moment for Charles's niece—who has long supported Elephant Family—to take center stage in a position typically reserved for more senior royals like Kate Middleton or Duchess Sophie. My take? It's about monarch, Charles has long been an advocate of a slimmed-down monarchy—or, at the very least, the idea of keeping a core group of working royals in sight vs. past visuals of a Queen Elizabeth II-era Buckingham Palace balcony overflowing with extended family such as aunts and uncles and random royal relations that have less of an impact on the royal brand. While the king has never officially brought his framework into public view, that working model took a major hit when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked away from the monarchy in January 2020. Questions—and constructive criticisms, like the comments made by Charles's sister Princess Anne—began to swirl about the lack of main characters left to represent the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie off the bench was a refrain I began to hear over and over again during my years co-hosting the Royally Obsessed podcast. That also brings me to my next point: Not only did Beatrice step out for the Elephant Family gala, we've been seeing a lot more of another lesser-known royal lately: Her sister, Princess Eugenie. Eugenie was recently announced as a mentor for the King's Foundation's 35 Under 35 initiative and the sisters, together, have been more vocal—and frankly, formal—about promoting royal patronages (like their joint role as honorary patrons of Teenage Cancer Trust). Heck, they've even been making more regular appearances at what I think of as signature events in the royal diary (everything from the Chelsea Flower Show to Buckingham Palace garden parties). Bottom line: Someone seems to have given King Charles a note that looping in Beatrice and Eugenie, who are 9th and 12th in line to the throne, more is good for royal business—and I'm thrilled to see it. After all, anything that has the potential to humanize the royal family makes sense. Beatrice opening up about the premature birth of her daughter Athena; Eugenie helping others and bringing attention to anyone navigating a scoliolis diagnosis—it's authentic and vulnerable, but most importantly, it brings people in. It was a major loss when Harry and Meghan left for Canada first, then Montecito. And, regardless of your feelings about the monarchy they left behind, their royal shoes can't be filled by William and Kate alone—there's simply too much royal work to go around. The move to include more of Beatrice and Eugenie not only lightens that load, it extends the glamour of the monarchy and lifts the spirits of royal supporters, too. While I thought this would be a decision relegated to when Prince William—who is close with his cousins and likely sees their potential—becomes king, it seems like Charles caught wind of it sooner. Next stop, the royal balcony? Time will tell. King Charles Wanted a Slimmed Down Monarchy—But Without Kate & Will, Is It Actually Time to Panic?
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Gossip Girl' Star Shares Photo of Meeting with King Charles (& Receives a Rare Reply from the Palace)
I'd have never guessed that King Charles would cross paths with legendary bad boy Chuck Bass at a royal event, but here we are. In case you missed it, His Majesty and Queen Camilla recently attended the 'Wonders of the Wild' event hosted by The Elephant Family, a wildlife charity founded by the queen's late brother, Mark Shand. Several notable guests were in attendance, including Gossip Girl alum Ed Westwick and his wife, Amy Jackson. The actor took to Instagram to share a few highlights, including his brief encounter with the king, and wrote, "Thanks to my wonderful wife @iamamyjackson for introducing me to the @elephantfamily." He continued, "It's my second event with you and I love to learn and hear about the continued work you do to protect elephants. An honor to meet @theroyalfamily, whose support has been massive to this organization. Well done, everyone, for such a spectacular evening @kewgardens with @chopard." Westwick's post included snaps of the gorgeous venue at Kew Gardens, a candid shot of the king and queen presenting on stage and a pic of him and Jackson posing with elephant sculptures. But what really caught my eye was what I saw in the comments section. In an extremely rare move, the royal family's official account responded to Westwick's post with emojis of an elephant and a red heart. Typically, the royal family shares updates to their IG account, and on a few occasions, they'll repost someone else's content to their IG Story. However, it's not often that you'll notice them engage with another person's post by hopping into the comments section. Westwick's wife also shared a carousel of photos from the event—and in another surprising move, the royal family account took the comments by dropping a blue heart emoji. In response, the actress wrote, "Such an honour." In her caption, Jackson revealed that The Elephant Family and British Asian Trust are both charities "very close to her heart." She said, "As an ambassador to the Elephant Family, I'm proud to support their incredible work protecting elephants and promoting human-wildlife coexistence, especially across South Asia." She also noted that she and Westwick "had the honour of meeting Their Majesties The King and Queen, who are passionate patrons of the charity." Seems like Chuck Westwick and Jackson made quite the impression! Want all the latest royal family news sent right to your inbox? Subscribe here. I'm a Royal Reporter and I Noticed Something Super Striking About King Charles's Seven Appearances This Week
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Buckingham Palace Shares Striking New Portrait of the King and Queen—But I Can't Get Over What's Around Charles's Neck
King Charles and Queen Camilla are quite the photogenic pair. During their visit to Sydney, Australia, in March, the palace shared an unforgettable image of the duo surrounded by kids with raised hands. Then, in April, a stunning pic captured the royal couple's intimate meeting with the Pope. Now, yet another striking photo of the king and queen is drawing everyone's attention. This week, His Majesty and Queen Camilla stepped out for a 'Wonders of the Wild' event at Kew Gardens, hosted by The Elephant Family—a wildlife charity founded by the queen's late brother, Mark Shand. For the occasion, the king wore a royal blue suit, complete with an elephant-patterned tie that happens to match his elephant-shaped pin. Meanwhile, Camilla stunned in an embroidered white ensemble, and I was immediately struck by the first image of the couple in the royal family's Instagram post. Buckingham Palace shared a few highlights from the fundraiser, and the very first image shows the king and queen wearing genuine smiles as they pose among life-sized elephant statues. Per usual, they stand in close proximity, which speaks to their tight-knit bond and comfort level. Also, with their matching expressions and color-coordinated outfits, the pair looks totally in sync. The IG caption reads, "The King and Queen, as Joint Presidents, have attended the @ElephantFamily's 'Wonders of the Wild' event at Kew Gardens, to celebrate art and conservation. The event recognised the work of the charity and is the conclusion of the 'Big Egg Hunt'; a public art trail which brought together leading artists and designers to create more than 120 egg sculptures, displayed at iconic locations across London." The caption also details how the charity, which was established in 2002, works with conservation experts to tackle the biggest challenges facing Asia's wildlife. It continues, "The charity has helped to deliver pioneering projects to protect wildlife, restore habitats and promote coexistence between people and animals."In the comments, one fan wrote, "These two are extremely happy people together!" Another said, "They are always so sweet together, the way they look at each other. They were married and lived happily ever after after so many years." During their appearance, King Charles delivered a speech and touched on his passion for the environment and preserving wildlife. He said, "This evening is an opportunity as well to pay a special tribute, I think, to all the wonderful people who are doing all the work on the ground in India to rescue not just elephants now, but even more species…To rescue this poor planet from continuing degradation and restore some harmony to the proceedings, we must also understand that whatever we take and exploit from nature we need to give something back in return to enable nature to sustain us." Want all the latest royal news sent right to your inbox? Click here. Buckingham Palace Drops Candid Video of King Charles and Queen Camilla Revealing the True Nature of Their Marriage
