Queen Camilla makes apology, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie tour Japan and more

Good morning!

Today is a busy day for the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who are kicking off their trip to Japan, taking place from 18 September to 22 September, celebrating the strong bilateral relationship between the UK and Japan. 

Elsewhere, the Queen’s Reading Room festival at Chatsworth commences.  Camilla will meet people participating in one of the charity's grassroots outreach programmes, watch a performance of Jane Austen’s work, view items from the author's life, and meet members of the public attending a showing of Pride and Prejudice on the lawns of the house. 

Her Majesty will also join a reception with literary figures taking part in the festival. 

Stay tuned...

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During their visit to Japan, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will focus on celebrating shared values and cooperation in areas like education, sustainability, innovation, youth opportunities, and women's leadership.

The trip also aims to support the UK's presence at Expo 2025 in Osaka, where the British Pavilion will highlight British creativity, clean energy, and global collaboration.

What's on their agenda?

• Meetings with the Emperor and Empress, as well as the Crown Prince and Crown Princess
• A tree planting ceremony to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's 1975 visit.
• Visits to the National Sumo Arena and Kasai Marine Park, where they will focus on environmental education
• A reception to celebrate the MUSUBI Initiative
• A tour of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025
• Participation in a UN Women panel at the Expo's Women's Pavilion
• A visit to Koyasan, including the Kongobuji Temple and Okunoin Cemetery

In a lighthearted moment during Donald Trump's two-day state visit to the UK, King Charles offered a three-word warning to the US President: "Watch the sword." The comment was made as a Beefeater prepared to place his sword on Trump's shoulders during a ceremonial inspection of the guards. 

Watch the video to see their interaction.

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Princess Beatrice is set for fun-filled family celebrations this weekend as her eldest daughter, Sienna, turned four this Thursday. While we don't know exactly how she will mark the occasion, we can be sure that the family will have something special planned. 

The York royal is notoriously private. Unlike her sister Eugenie, she has no public Instagram account, and the rare family photos we do see come courtesy of her husband's socials. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled....

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President Donald Trump has said that being around "wonderful" King Charles was the best part of his historic state visit to the UK. His verdict on the state banquet? The US President saw more paintings "than any human being has ever saw" and, when quizzed about what he ate at the Windsor Castle banquet staged in his honour, he said: "Whatever the hell they served us."

Guests at the lavish event - which took four days to stage - were treated to Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, followed by organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes, with a thyme and savoury infused jus, rounded off with a bombe glacee cardinal.

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While the Trumps were visiting the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were making their way to Tokyo to celebrate the enduring partnership between the UK and Japan.

Upon arriving, the royal couple were greeted by Hello Kitty at the British embassy ahead of the MUSUBI Initiative reception celebrating the people-to-people ties built between Japan and Britain. 

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After being welcomed by  Britain's Ambassador to Japan, Julia Longbottom and Tokyo Governor, Yuriko Koike, the Duke and Duchess were invited to take part in a ceremonial planting of an oak sapling grown from the tree planted by late Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit to Japan in 1975. The special moment took place at the Akasaka State Guest House 

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While the world focused on the Princess of Wales' glittering gold gown and Melania Trump's controversial colour-scheme at the State Banquet on Wednesday evening, one person whose dazzling moment flew under the radar was the Princess Royal. 

Anne was her usual immaculate self, wearing an off-white ensemble, featuring a jacket with mid-length ruffled sleeves, a high V-neckline and a cinched waist; a matching maxi skirt; her signature gloves, and a pair of white heels. But the best surprise about her look was the beautiful Pineflower Tiara she wore, which was previously on display at the V&A.

The tiara, which was gifted to Anne on her wedding day by the Queen Mother, had recently been removed from display in the iconic museum, leading to some speculation that it would make an appearance at the State Banquet on the following day, as noted by one eagle-eyed fan on X.

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The Duchess of Edinburgh made sure to showcase her impressive curtsy while meeting Their Majesties, The Emperor and Empress of Japan. The meeting was to reaffirm ties between households and celebrate the breadth of the UK-Japan relationship, at the Imperial Palace, in Tokyo.

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Following the meeting with the Emperor and Empress, Sophie and Edward met professional wrestler and the Chairman of the Sumo Association, Asanoyama Hiroki, before attending the sumo wrestling at Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena. Sumo wrestling is Japan's traditional national sport.

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Duchess Sophie was pictured using a pair of binoculars to see the wrestlers on stage ahead of the The Grand Sumo Tournament in October. The wrestlers wore traditional dress as they paraded the stage. The Duke and Duchess watched on from a box.

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Hello, royal watchers, I'll be taking over from the wonderful Isabelle Casey this afternoon. Expect to see more of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's visit to Japan over the coming hours...

Looking back at the State Banquet held for the second visit of US President Donald Trump, we spoke to an expert royal commentator and celebrity psychologist about the Prince and Princess of Wales' united appearance at the banquet, and the powerful message their gestures send. See the full exclusive here.

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To mark the end of Donald Trump's state visit, a special Changing of the Guard took place at Buckingham Palace today, with what the British royal family's social media page calls a "truly memorable performance". See the video below.

Over in the Netherlands, Queen Maxima went on an outing to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Netherlands Brain Bank – but her outfit left royal style fans feeling a little divided. Read the full story here...

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The British royal family have shared more photographs from the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's state visit to Japan to their official Instagram account, including snaps from a dawn flag-raising ceremony and a state dinner. See the photos below.

Surprise, surprise! The Princess of Wales has proven once again that she's a true fashionista, nailing not only classical style or the current trends, but finding the perfect way to blend them both. This time, she's nailed the 'naked dress' trend, but in her very own classy way – and we're obsessed. See the full story, and pictures, here.

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Though his reunion with his father made headlines, Prince Harry, who recentyl gave an exclusive interview with HELLO!, also paid a visit to another member of his family in secret during his four-day trip to London... read the exclusive story here.

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The King and Queen Consort have had an incredibly busy week thanks to the state visit from Donald and Melania Trump. Following the traditional gift exchange, Queen Camilla made an incredibly 'thoughtful gesture' as a display of respect for the American couple. Read the full story here.

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Annie Miall, the celebrated stylist for Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, has taken to Instagram to share her thoughts on Princess Kate's new look from her outing with Melania Trump. See the full story here. 

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Queen Camilla apologised to visitors to her third literary festival as she continues to recover from acute sinusitis. At the start of her speech, she said: "I'm sorry if my voice gives half-way through but as you can imagine I've been doing quite a lot of talking the last few days. I'll try to hang onto it."

King Felipe and Queen Letizia are enjoying some time in Egypt, and just like anyone on holiday, they've been filling their Instagram grid with snaps from their time abroad.

Highlights have included a visit to an archeological and a visit inside an Egyptian tomb. See their snaps below...

In a new interview with PA, Alan Titchmarsh was incredibly complimentary to King Charles. Speaking to the outlet, he said: "I've known the King for 40 years now. Actually, first met him 40 years ago this year. We've just got to know one another and I very much rate what he does, what he stands for.

"He's an extraordinarily hard-working person with an enormous conscience about his role and what he wants to achieve, what he hopes we can all achieve. I just enjoy his company and I've been very lucky enough to get to know them [members of the royal family]. Particularly with the King, we have conversations about gardening, as you do with any gardener."

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The Queen met plenty of stars at the literary festival, including actress Celia Imrie and Richard Osman, who penned The Thursday Murder Club. Camilla had to turn her head up to speak to the author, known for his height.

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit will be standing away from her royal duties from next month as she undergoes pulmonary rehabilitation. Find out more, including what the treatment is, here.

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At the literary festival, Queen Camilla met with Rivals author Dame Jilly Cooper, and she revealed her love for the book and the show it inspired. Speaking about her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, and daughter, Laura Lopes, Camilla told the author: "They enjoyed your party. They love a bit of your Rivals. Everybody's enjoyed your Rivals."

Camilla was greeted at her outing by Lord William Burlington, the chairman of The Chatsworth House Trust, and during her speech, she made an unexpected reference to him.

Explaining how Chatsworth House inspired the setting of Pride and Prejudice, she said: "Who can forget the infamous scene of Mr Darcy emerging from the lake in the BBC version?" Addressing Lord Burlington, she teased: "Maybe, William, we can persuade you to re-enact the scene here to add to the excitement of the day?"

Thanks for following along with us this week, it's been such a busy one, hasn't it? Join us again on Monday for the best royal news of the week.