Earth Day: the letter from William and other activists 0:46
London (CNN)
- Members of Britain's royal family resumed their public engagements this week as the two-week royal mourning period draws to a close following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The movements indicate that the family hopes to get out of their collective grief and return to their busy schedules for the future.
Seeing the queen, who chose to celebrate her birthday in private on Wednesday, sitting alone in the Chapel of St. George during the funeral of Prince Philip clearly pointed to the beginning of a new stage in the reign of the monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II's birthday: a 1:17 conditional celebration
In 2002, when the queen, accompanied by Philip, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, it was seen as a turning point for her monarchy.
Joy was reflected on her face as she looked at a sea of supporters cheering her on and waving flags and umbrellas.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State float at the head of a parade along The Mall in London to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee on June 4, 2002.
That answer, almost two decades ago, was what the organizers expected. But it was not guaranteed. No one knew if it would materialize in the years of bad press that followed the death of Diana, the Princess of Wales, in 1997. The cheers turned to shouts of excitement as Princes Charles, William and Harry, then 53, 19 and 17 years, respectively, stepped forward behind the queen as the future faces of the monarchy. It seemed that the monarchy had not only recovered, but was here to stay.
Advisers hope to repeat that sentiment next year, when Elizabeth marks another milestone, her Platinum Jubilee, becoming the first British sovereign to celebrate 70 years on the throne.
In June 2022, during a four-day holiday weekend, an "extensive program of public events will mix traditional pomp with the most advanced technological displays," according to a UK government statement.
It will also be another chance to show how the family has been renewed following the royal revelations from Oprah Winfrey's interview with the Sussexes and the allegations stemming from Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Despite being more than 90 years old, Isabel has maintained a demanding schedule of commitments, taking advantage of video calls to continue with her obligations during the pandemic.
Even before the virus turned things upside down in the UK last March, it had made 296 commitments between 2019 and 2020.
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Prince William accompanied the queen during a visit to the Porton Down Science Park, near Salisbury, England, last October.
But since she can't do it all on her own, she draws on several generations of the family to complete the more than 3,000 commitments the royal family undertakes each year both at home and abroad.
In recent years, the figures of the family who help to fulfill public duties have varied more than imagined.
Felipe is gone, but so are Harry and Andrés, for very different reasons.
The core of royal royalty remains, consisting of the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Dukes of Cambridge.
In time, her sons, Prince George and his brothers, will join that cohort, but they are obviously too young to take on public duties now.
The question of who will assume the sponsorships and military titles previously held by Harry, Meghan and Andrés is undoubtedly something the family will try to address over the next year.
Opinions for and against the British monarchy in 2021 3:01
The Cambridges are doing more, but they have a young family, so the choice will be over whether the family reduces its public events, or whether they recruit lesser members of royalty until the next generation is ready.
Princess Anne, the queen's only daughter, already has a busy schedule, so the other option would be Anne's brother, Prince Edward, and his wife, the Countess of Wessex.
The queen is very close to them, which was evident when they publicly stepped forward to support her after Felipe's death.
Prince William might also consider relying on his cousins Beatriz and Eugenia, Andrew's daughters, who have retained their princess titles.
Royal succession planning proceeds at a frigid pace and is signaled with winks.
As the institution prepares to celebrate the 70-year reign of the monarch, next summer's celebrations will be the perfect opportunity for the queen to showcase the cast of support for future kings, Charles and William.
All eyes will be on the balcony, and the first group to follow her will be her amended view of the active monarchy.
The Firm, explained
Monarchy, Institution, and Signature: Are you confused by all the jargon associated with royalty?
We don't blame you.
There is a lot to understand.
The best way to break it all down is to start at the top.
The monarchy is much more than a family: it is an intricate multi-million dollar brand with thousands of employees.
So how has a 1,000-year-old institution adapted to be useful today?
Many people equate the royal family with a family business.
But that's the first misunderstanding, because you don't make money like a normal company.
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At the center of the working family is the firm, the group of royals headed by the queen, who are some of the closest to her in the line of succession.
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Then there is the institution of Buckingham Palace, which is run by the Queen.
The palace employs hundreds of people annually and these employees, unlike working royalty, are on the payroll of the royal house and have access to company benefits.
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Family commitments and the maintenance of royal estates are supported by the Sovereign Grant, a public fund that totaled more than $ 100 million for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
But in return, the monarchy is estimated to generate more than $ 2 billion a year for the UK economy.
News of the week
Prince Louis turns 3
One of the smallest members of royalty is celebrating his birthday this week. Prince Louis, the youngest son of the Dukes of Cambridge, turned three on Friday. His proud parents shared a new photograph of Louis, taken by his mother shortly before he was heading to his first day of preschool at Willcocks Nursery School, Kensington Palace said. William and Catalina have continued the tradition of posting a photo to commemorate their children's birthdays. The photos are usually from the couple's personal collection and are usually taken by Kate, who is passionate about photography. Want more adorable photos? Check out last year's hilarious birthday photo of Louis showing off his own artistic side here.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a new photo ahead of Prince Louis' third birthday on Friday.
Kate pilots ... more or less
The Duchess of Cambridge tested her piloting skills in a flight simulator while visiting an air cadet center on Wednesday. William, who previously served as a search and rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force and later as an air ambulance pilot, took care of his wife's bag as she climbed into the cockpit and put on headphones before testing the system. . The visit was the couple's first public act since attending the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last weekend. Felipe was Commodore in Chief of the Air Training Corps for more than 60 years. In 2015 he ceded the military patronage to Catalina. During his visit to Squad 282,The Cambridges met with the youth to learn how the aerial cadet program supports youth in developing life skills and met the students who were participating in field skills and leadership exercises. When the visit came to an end, the couple received three cheers in honor of Felipe.
The Duchess of Cambridge was dressed in black as a sign of respect after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh and had her face covered to combat the contagion of covid-19 during the visit.
William pronounces on the football controversy
The Duke of Cambridge has a very strong opinion on the controversial European Super League, which, amid vehement condemnation from fans, has been shelved, for now. William, who is president of the English Football Association (FA) and a devoted Aston Villa fan, underscored the importance of listening to the fans, in a rare personal post on Twitter after the six contestants English Super League players will announce their withdrawal from the exclusive competition this week. "I am glad that the united voice of football fans has been heard and heeded," the Duke wrote in the post. “Now it is really important that we seize this moment to ensure the future health of the game at all levels. As president of the FA, I am committed to playing my role in that effort. "he added before signing the tweet simply with "W".
I'm glad the united voice of football fans has been heard and listened to.
It is now really important that we use this moment to secure the future health of the game at all levels.
As President of the FA, I'm committed to playing my part in that work.
W
- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 21, 2021
Featured photos
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate 10 years of marriage next week, after marrying in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
To celebrate this milestone, we have thought of reviewing some of the best moments of the couple, with some family photos.
William and Catherine kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony in London in 2011.
Catalina and William celebrate during cycling trials at the London Olympics in August 2012.
This photo of Charlotte was taken in April 2017 by her mother.
William and Catalina visit a settlement of the Kalash people in Chitral, Pakistan, on October 16, 2019.
This Fall 2020 image provided by Kensington Palace shows the 2020 Christmas card from William, Catherine and their children.
Prince William and several celebrity activists, including Queen Rania of Jordan, David Attenborough and actress Cate Blanchett, signed an open letter for Earth Day 2021 calling on the world to 'channel the same spirit of innovation and possibility of the fight against the covid to our greatest challenge: to repair our planet ».
You can read the full letter here.
The Earthshot Prize is an annual environmental award launched by the Duke of Cambridge and Attenborough last October.
Earth Day: the letter from William and other activists 0:46
Prince Harry agreed with his brother on his own Earth Day message as president of African Parks, a non-profit conservation organization.
The group reissued a video narrated by the Duke in which he advocates the preservation of the national and protected areas of the continent.
In a statement, Harry spoke of the importance of "strengthening and protecting biodiversity" before reflecting on "the champions of conservation, including my late grandfather."
The duke added that he was "proud and energetic to continue to do my part in this legacy."
British royalty