Latest news with #royals
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hosting tips we've learned from the royals
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If there's one thing the royals know how to do well, it's marking an occasion. From lavish gala dinners to ceremonies upholding centuries-old traditions, events attended by - as well as those organized by - the British Royal Family are usually an elaborate affair. With the Royal Family's lives very much in the public eye, we've managed to learn a few hosting tips along the way, from how to hold a teacup in public to, most recently, stylish presentation tips from Meghan Markle's Netflix documentary, With Love, Meghan. Here are hosting tips we've learned from the royals covering how to greet guests in a regal style at a dinner party, invitations, menus, and table manners. As well as some tips on how to elevate simple dishes and make welcome drinks feel personal and unique. In other words, everything you need to bear in mind while hosting a dinner party fit for royalty. During her hit Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, Meghan Markle (or Sussex, as she corrects one guest in the show) says one of the most important parts of hosting is to ensure guests have something to snack on as soon as they arrive. "Never let a guest arrive without something to feed them on the table," she advises viewers while explaining her love of crudités platters. Another of Meghan's clear priorities when she has guests round is to ensure she's seen to be on top of her housework, as well as her cooking skills. She says when awaiting an LA chef for dinner in an episode of With Love, Meghan, "I need to impress this man! Not just with my doughnuts - with my tidiness, with my kitchen savvy, my cleanliness." A quick cleaning session after each task makes cooking and baking a lot less of a messy job. Meghan explains in an episode of With Love, Meghan, "So, just as with cooking, I will always have like a garbage vessel. "Everything stays organised, clean as you go," Meghan explained. "Lili has made a song out of it," she said, before singing herself: "Clean as you go – clean, clean, clean, clean." Lady Elizabeth Anson, a royal party planner who has worked with the British Royal Family (and is a first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II and a niece of the late Queen Mother), told the New York Times, "Lady Elizabeth uses high-end e-vite service Paperless Post. But clarified that wherever possible, it's best to send a physical invite and put some time and effort into it, as cheap invites make people "imagine there's going to be acidic wine and miserable food". Windsor and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has previously revealed exactly how the royals drink their tea, according to reporting from Reader's Digest. "The royals love their tea time, so it's especially important that they hold their cups correctly," he explains. "You pinch the handle with your thumb and index finger, so they meet in the middle rather than looping through the handle. Every time you drink, you look into the cup to show control and make sure the tea doesn't go all over. Kate does this very well.' Fresh flowers will always instantly brighten up a dinner space. Meghan revealed in an episode of With Love, Meghan, "First thing I do is see what colour I gravitate to, and then everything goes from there. "Kind of think about it like an outfit, and once you pick the base look, you have to accessorise in a way that makes sense and matches." "The Duchess of Cambridge is known to be an excellent hostess," Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, told Woman's Day. "She loves to cook, host, and is known to personally serve her guests. "While she may love to throw a party, Catherine also must be the perfect guest, as she attends many parties annually, personally and professionally, and spends long weekends with the royal family or Christmas lunch as a guest of the Queen at the Sandringham Estate." "If you have nine guests, you should serve a selection of at least three foods," explains Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, when advising on royal hosting. "Include a vegetarian option, and make them small enough to eat in one bite. Serve with cocktail napkins and offer toothpicks for oily foods. (Nobody wants to shake hands with greasy fingers.)" Meghan's one-pot pasta dish had mixed reviews online after With Love, Meghan aired, but her guest and long-time friend, make-up artist Daniel, had only good things to say about this easy-to-prepare dish. "This is literally cosy," Daniel said in appreciation. Meghan explained to viewers how she often opts for a one-pot dinner to save on prep and washing up. This is something that Kate Middleton is thought to be extremely good at. "As the host, your job is to speak to and engage each of your guests, making sure everyone is happy, comfortable, and feels welcome," says Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette. One of Meghan's dinner party tricks was to personalise her margaritas according to her guests' likes and dislikes. In With Love, Meghan, she made a margarita base and then different syrups for each guest, including a spicy mix for those who like a little heat with their cocktail. Personalized labels also add a thoughtful touch. "When it comes to banquets, all the menus are traditionally written in French, even if they're describing English dishes; that's just the way it's done," Tom Parker Bowles told Harper's Bazaar. "Happily, the Queen speaks flawless French, and she has the most incredible memory, so she remembers what every single guest likes and doesn't like." Make sure you're clear on what you're serving guests and feeling organised before a dinner party, if you want to host like a royal. 'She's [Queen Elizabeth II] intricately involved in what's on each menu, which is important if you're hosting the president of France or Japan,' Tom Parker Bowles told Harper's Bazaar. In With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, focuses on presentation a lot, using simple adjustments to make her dishes look more attractive. For example, on her crudité platter, she artfully arranges peas still in their pods, prompting her guest to say, "Why doesn't anyone ever present peas like this?!" There's no need to overcomplicate things. "A party with good table wine and good pasta or good sausages and mash can be just as much of a success as one with Krug, caviar, oysters and lobster,' party planner Lady Elizabeth told the New York Times. 'It's not about expensive ingredients. It's about people." "Typically, ' the Duchess Slant' is used when a lady has to sit for an extended amount of time while keeping poise and posture," says Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette. This is seen as a more elegant way to sit on a sofa or chair, perhaps during a drinks reception before dinner, and you'll notice it's a familiar posture for all the royal women. Holding a glass by its stem rather than the bottom will prevent heating the liquid, and you'll often see the royals adhering to this rule. When serving, remember that wine should typically be poured only to just below the widest part of the glass, according to traditional rules of etiquette. Another thing we learned from With Love, Meghan is that the Duchess really likes edible flowers - she sprinkles them everywhere. While the merits of doing so on one's own breakfast may be more questionable, when it comes to a finishing touch for a dessert on a fruity cocktail, they look stylish and sweet, particularly in the summer months. Dehydrated fruits were also popular with the Duchess during the first season of With Love, Meghan. This timeless garnish will instantly elevate a drink and can be easily made at home using an air fryer or by slowly heating slices in the oven on a low setting. Try lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange, depending on the notes in the cocktail. This is a big one for the Royal Family - they're always extremely discreet. When royals need to use the restroom, they won't announce the details and instead will excuse themselves quietly. 'When they get up, they cross their knife and fork so waitstaff know they'll continue to eat when they come back,' royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explains regarding how the royals break away from the table at a dinner event. Windsor and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams advises a modest dress code if you want to make like a royal at a dinner party. "The outfit has to be modest, elegant, and appropriate for the occasion, and it should never distract from the royal's role or risk causing a scandal or public debate,' he told Reader's Digest. A firm, assertive handshake is typical among members of the Royal Family. 'The handshake should be firm. The thumb goes up, the fingers [go] together, shake for two pumps," advises royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams when it comes to greeting guests. Another fun presentation hack picked up from With Love, Meghan, is creating signature ice cubes with flowers or fruit. However, she advises against using tap water. "I've made this mistake. Do not just use tap water," she said. "Otherwise, the ice cubes just come out a little cloudy, and you want to see the flower." A royal bathroom will be well thought out, but it won't have candles or reed diffusers, Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, explains. "The Duchess [Catherine] will also probably have lightly scented soap and paired hand cream. Many upper-class British homes prefer bar soap to liquid, so the Duchess may use that in her private quarters." Food writer and critic (and the Duchess of Cornwall's son!) Tom Parker Bowles previously told Harper's Bazaar, "Everything I've learnt about the Queen's preferences is from Mark Flanagan, the personal chef to the Queen. She likes seasonal ingredients - asparagus, lamb - and food from the estate, such as grouse or venison from Balmoral. 'She'll have pheasants from Sandringham (in season from October to February), and she even has her own cheese made using milk from the cows at the royal dairy in Windsor.' A cake makes a beautiful centre piece if having guests over for a special occasion, and according to Meghan Markle in With Love, Meghan, a naked cake is best. While baking in the Netflix show, she said about the cake she's made: "There's something really satisfying about a cake that is bare on the outside but she is so beautiful on the inside and you just don't know how good she is until you go deep and you get to know her better." Duchess Meghan loves a fruit or veggie platter. "We have a veggie platter, crudites, every day in our house,' she said in the Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. "Even for our kids, I think what's been so nice and why they love eating vegetables is because it looks colourful and fun." Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Meghan Markle left a 'trail of evidence' so she could 'hijack the narrative' following Megxit, royal author claims
While at long last relations between the Sussexes and the rest of the family appear to be thawing, for the staff that worked under Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the bad blood will likely remain. Indeed, those who worked closest with the couple - who called themselves the Sussex Survivors' Club - accused the couple of bullying during their brief period as working royals. But they themselves then faced claims from Meghan that they had failed in their duty of care after the Duchess of Sussex said in her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey that there was a point during that time when she didn't want to live anymore. Writing in his biography about the staff who serve the royals - titled Courtiers - author Valentine Low said the palace 'needed evidence of the duty of care the organisation had showed them [the Sussexes]'. And so Harry and Meghan's former aide Samantha Cohen and key courtiers Sir Edward Young - the late Queen's private secretary - and the King's private secretary Sir Clive Alderton agreed that evidence would be gathered by the aides to quash any claims Harry and Meghan had not been properly looked after. But Mr Low wrote that Meghan was already leaving a 'trail of evidence behind, so that when the time came for them [Harry and Meghan] to leave the monarchy, she would be able to say: look how they failed to support me'. Such as when Meghan went to HR for help and was given a 'sympathetic hearing' but the department was ultimately there to deal with 'employee issues, not members of the Royal Family'. Samantha and the other courtiers were aware of bullying allegations lodged against the Sussexes as early as 2018. 'Samantha The Panther', as she was known, told Australian media last year that she was one of ten staff members interviewed by the Palace following the complaints. Meghan during her Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021. Royal author Valentine Low claimed she 'hijacked the narrative' which at first quashed any complaints about her own behaviour However, it was Meghan that won in the battle to air her grievances first when - according to Mr Low - she 'hijacked the narrative by making it all about her mental health' and all the things royal staff had done to help the couple succeed were forgotten, allowing Meghan to point out all the times they had failed her. These failures were then singled out for millions to see during the Sussexes' interview with Oprah in 2021. Among her claims that concerns about her mental health were not taken seriously by staff, the couple also said separately that the Royal Family was racist. Pointing the finger at one member in particular, the couple alleged that the unnamed individual had speculated about the colour of their son Archie's skin while Meghan was pregnant with him. She recalled 'concerns and conversations about how dark his skin would be when he was born. People were concerned with how dark Archie's skin would be.' A tense looking Harry confirmed this, saying he was the one who'd heard these comments and had told his wife. But while the royal staff members' shortcomings were broadcast for the world to see, Meghan's own behaviour has also been in the spotlight. In 2018, royal aide Jason Knauf - who at one time was exceptionally close to Harry and Meghan - sent an internal email raising concerns about Meghan's alleged poor treatment of staff in the Royal Family, which was leaked after Megxit. 'I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X was totally unacceptable,' he allegedly wrote. 'The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y.' He also quit the royal household after accusing the Duchess of Sussex of mistreating two colleagues and undermining their confidence. According to royal author Robert Lacey, when Mr Knauf presented the Prince of Wales with a 'dossier of distress' about their behaviour he 'went ballistic' and was left 'astonished' and 'horrified' by what he heard. William's anger stemmed from the fact that a tradition of treating the staff 'like family' within the Royal Family had been broken and that he personally knew many of those named, Mr Lacey wrote. Accusations that Meghan is difficult to work with have also plagued her career away from the Royal Family. In May, MailOnline revealed that Meghan was 'banned' by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour from being on the cover of British Vogue in September 2022 after the magazine boss became 'frustrated with all the Duchess of Sussex's team's micromanaging', one source said. And before she was even the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan was already starting to build a bad reputation among other magazine editors. In September 2017, two months before her engagement to Harry was announced, Meghan graced the cover of Vanity Fair. Mr Knauf quit the royal household after accusing the Duchess of Sussex of mistreating two colleagues and undermining their confidence Writing in his biography about the staff who serve the royals - titled Courtiers - author Valentine Low said that the palace 'needed evidence of the duty of care the organisation had showed them' According to the then-editor of the magazine, Graydon Carter, the soon-to-be Duchess of Sussex challenged a reporter over why she was being asked about her relationship with the now-Duke of Sussex rather than her charity work. Speaking to the New York Post, Mr Carter said Meghan asked the journalist: 'Excuse me, is this going to all be about Prince Harry? 'Because I thought we were going to be talking about my charities and my philanthropy.' The former editor then admitted he had 'no idea' who Meghan was at the time and added that she was 'slightly adrift on the facts and reality'. Earlier this year, Mr Carter gave a simple but scathing takedown of Meghan during a discussion with Interview Magazine. When asked about his thoughts on the Duchess, he called her 'The Undine Spragg of Montecito'. His reference was to the main character in The Custom Of The Country - a tragicomedy by author Edith Wharton published in 1913. The book tells the story of Spragg, a social climber who moves from the Midwest to New York to experience the high life. Spragg then marries a man from Manhattan's high society, but she's never satisfied because of her greed and ambition, with some readers describing her as 'vain, spoiled, and selfish'. Two years later, Meghan guest-edited the September 2019 Forces For Change issue of British Vogue, which featured 15 'trailblazing change makers' on its cover. It became the fastest selling issue in the magazine's 103-year history, selling out in ten days. Among the advocates featured on the cover were Greta Thunberg, Sinead Burke, actors Gemma Chan and Jameela Jamil and New Zealand's then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern. But critics pointed out that the Queen was not among the 15 'women she admires' featured, and neither were there any nurses, doctors, lawyers or teachers. Three years later, the Duchess was due to appear on the cover of British Vogue at the same time as Meghan's keynote appearance at the One Young World Summit in Manchester in September 2022. But insiders from Conde Nast, Vogue's parent company, claim it was abruptly pulled and scrapped completely. An insider told MailOnline that Meghan was being 'difficult about making it a cover' and her team were 'insisting on particular straplines'. She then found herself at loggerheads with not only the editor of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, but the Queen of fashion magazines Anna Wintour. The insider said: 'Anna heard about it, and just like banned her and said: "That's it. We don't want to do this." 'And so [Meghan] didn't get the cover, and I guess she didn't even get the story. [British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful] probably agreed with Anna that you don't get to call the shots on who's on the cover. That's absolutely an editor's decision. 'Anna was p***** off. Anna was like frustrated with all the micromanaging, and just was like: "All right. That's it. She can't have the cover and we're not doing the story".' The source added that Meghan's 'level of desire for detail and control on the media is almost like Beyonce level... but she's not Beyonce'. However, the Duchess is said to have been relaxed with 'no expectations', although her team had 'high expectations for the piece' in Vogue. 'Enninful was not in a position to meet those expectations. He already had a magazine cover in the bag for that month,' Conde Nast insiders told the Mail On Sunday. Shelving the project is said to have damaged Mr Enninful and the Duchess's friendship. 'Edward was furious to have lost the project, as were the powers that be at Conde Nast,' a source told the MoS. However, reports are conflicting. Producer and journalist Jane Marie, who worked with Harry and Meghan during the development of Archewell Audio projects, insisted to Vanity Fair that Meghan is 'just a lovely, genuine person'. Other staff members have claimed that she would send her employees gifts ranging from dog leashes to skincare products. These wildly varying accounts of the work culture Meghan presides over are supported by a source that worked with her in the run-up to her wedding in 2018, who said she was 'lovely when it is all going her way but a demon when the worm turns'. The Duchess of Sussex has always denied the allegations of bullying, which she described as an orchestrated smear campaign against her.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
How a behind-the-scenes advisor handpicked by Queen Elizabeth quietly transformed William and Harry into modern royals... and the two unusual conditions he demanded from the late monarch
As the King is the head of state of 14 countries and the Commonwealth, making sure the monarchy is represented properly abroad is crucial to the Firm. Indeed, while the late Queen Elizabeth II was alive she reportedly believed it was essential to help the young Prince William and Harry grow into their roles as overseas ambassadors for the crown. At the helm of this mission was the former British ambassador to the USA Sir David Manning who was handpicked for the role by the Queen and went on to work with the royals for a decade. According to royal expert Valentine Low, writing in his book Courtiers, Sir David came to a rather unorthodox agreement with the Queen. 'Manning agreed to take on the job of adviser on two conditions: that he could do it part-time and that it was unpaid,' Low wrote. Sir David did not want a full-time paid role so that he did not become 'embroiled in the formal palace machinery'. But the Queen was happy to agree to his wishes. Having met Sir David on a number occasions she was certain he would be the perfect advisor to the young royals. Elizabeth was proven right with both William and Harry developing a close relationship with their advisor. Harry and William's former private secretary - Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton - told Low: 'Manning was a real confidant to the princes. He was somebody they could talk to, they could joke with.' 'He had enormously good judgement about people. I think they trusted him. They knew he would be very discreet. And they knew he would fight their corner,' He added. What made Sir David so good at his role was not only his friendship with the boys but his understanding that the best way for Harry and William to find their footing in their life as working royals was to allow them to 'develop in ways that felt natural to them'. Meaning, if they can find their passion within the institution they could really thrive. 'These are real people. They are not cyphers,' Low said. Under Sir David's guidance Harry and William created the Royal Foundation which was a 'leaner, nimbler way of working, and avoided being weighed down by long-term commitments'. 'Through the foundation, they would work out what they wanted to achieve and how best they could achieve it.' And therefore they could also build up their confidence and understand what they can do within their privileged roles Since its creation in September 2009, the Royal Foundation has worked on numerous projects close to the princes' hearts including mental health, environmental issues and homelessness. Before he worked for the royals Sir David was one Tony Blair's key foreign policy aides during the run up to the 2003 Iraq War. He also had an extensive diplomatic career which saw him represent the British government in Warsaw, New Delhi and Moscow Prince Harry helped set up the Invictus Games with £1million worth of funding from the foundation. In 2011, Kate Middleton joined the foundation as did Meghan when she married Harry. When Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals in 2020 they both left the organisation and instead founded their own company - Archewell. Sir David himself stood down from his role as an advisor to the princes a year earlier. A spokesman for the royals at the time said: 'Their Royal Highnesses are incredibly grateful for the guidance and support that Sir David has provided over the last 10 years. 'His wise counsel has been central to the success of their international tours and the early stages of their official work as members of the royal family.' Not only did he help the princes find their roles within the Firm but he also joined them on numerous royal tours across the world from Kate and Wills first joint trip to North America in 2011 and Harry and Meghan tour of Fiji and Tonga. While Meghan was a working member of the family it is understood that Sir David likely offered briefings on the British constitution to the American. Low's bestseler Courtiers. Harry and William former private secretary - Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton - told Low: 'Manning was a real confidant to the princes. He was somebody they could talk to,they could joke with' Sir David was the UK ambassador to the United States from 2003 until 2007. Before that he was one Tony Blair's key foreign policy aides during the run up to the 2003 Iraq War. He also had an extensive diplomatic career which saw him represent the British government in Warsaw, New Delhi and Moscow. Between 1995 and 1998 he was also the British ambassador to Israel.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Should Harry and Meghan move back to the UK? Have your say in the Palace poll
You've read the headlines and heard our experts' opinions - but what do YOU think? Have your say on the biggest royal story of the week by answering our poll below. You'll find the final results in our brilliant newsletter, Palace Confidential. Want more of the Mail's unrivalled royals journalism, straight from some of the world's leading experts on the monarchy? Now, you can make sure you're always in the know, by signing up to our brand new weekly newsletter: Palace Confidential. Sign up here. We'll bring together the most knowledgeable voices, gorgeous photography and exclusive insider commentary to expose the truth behind polished public appearances, and reveal the very human drama at the heart of this extraordinary institution. You'll have the chance to ask our Royal Editor, Rebecca English, and other top journalists anything you've always wanted to know about the monarchy.
Times
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Anne mirabilis: a popular princess who deserves all the plaudits
Princess Anne intends to work until the age of 90, like her father HODA DAVAINE/GETTY IMAGES W e are often told that longer lifespans mean we must expect to work beyond the traditional retirement age. Princess Anne appears to have taken this to heart. She will celebrate her 75th birthday next month but shows little sign of slowing down. Last year she carried out 474 official engagements. That is a work ethic even republicans can admire. It is surely no coincidence that polls consistently show her to be among the most popular of the royals. She has lived through turbulent decades for the monarchy, and on more than one occasion the behaviour of others in her family has risked damaging public support for the institution. Through it all she has quietly knuckled down and got on with the job. Anne's vigour is an inspiration to those of advanced years, and her wider approach is an example to all of us. She has focused on duties, not perks; substance, not style. There are others in her family who might take note.
