Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen's most festive Christmas Day style

In an ordinary Christmas season, there are two questions that would keep cropping up in the countdown to the big day. What colour will the Queen choose for her Christmas Day speech and what shade will she select for her visit to church for the festive service that brings together her whole family at Sandringham. We can still speculate on the speech (and we will, don’t worry) but the coat and hat…
Read more
Spain

Political pressure grows for King Felipe VI to criticise his father in his Christmas Eve speech

A spokesperson for the minority partner in Spain’s coalition government has told King Felipe that he must condemn the financial irregularities of his father, Juan Carlos, in his Christmas Eve speech as a ‘bare minimum’. A representative of the left wing Unidas Podemos, which governs alongside the more moderate socialist PSOE, has said that unless the issue is addressed, the monarchy will…
Read more
British Royals

The Royal Family, like millions, face a very different Christmas as new restrictions kick in

Millions of people across England woke up to new restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic on December 20th 2020. The revised rules, announced just hours earlier by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, include a Tier 4 which limits contact between households even further. The regulations will stay in place for the forseeable future meaning many Christmas plans will have to be cancelled as…
Read more
Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen's Christmas Day surprise

It’s proving to be a very different Christmas in more ways than one for many and the Queen is no exception. This year, the contents of her Christmas Day speech will be kept secret until the moment it is broadcast. Her Majesty usually pre-records her Christmas Day…
Spain

Will King Felipe use his Christmas speech to publicly distance himself from his father?

A Spanish government minister has indicated that King Felipe will use his Christmas message to distance himself from his father, Juan Carlos I, whose financial affairs have seen his royal family plunged into crisis over the past year. Exactly a week before Felipe is set to address Spain in his annual festive speech, Carmen Calvo, first vicepresident of the government, described the King as…
Read more