The Prince and Princess of Wales marked the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s death today with a visit to Wales.
They were in St. Davids, where they attended a small private service at St. Davids Cathedral.
Earlier in the day, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a private service commemorating the late Queen’s life at Crathie Kirk, the parish church near Balmoral.
They were joined by two of Princess Margaret’s grandsons, Arthur and Samuel Chatto.
More from The Mirror’s coverage.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were spotted receiving a card and flowers from schoolchildren as they left the church service near Balmoral. They later went on a walkabout and smiled and shared jokes with Balmoral Estate staff, members of the royal household, Crathie Primary pupils and residents from the nearby town of Ballater, who treated the Queen as one of their own.
The Royal Family posted a message on social media after the service.
https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1700125655248023936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener
There was also a message from the Princess and Princess of Wales this morning. The letters “W & C” indicate it was a post the couple personally wrote.
Last night a statement from the King was released, for whom this was also the first anniversary of his Accession.
In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us. I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.
There were gun salutes fired today to mark the anniversary of Her Late Majesty’s death as well as the Accession of King Charles.
We now return to the Prince and Princess of Wales and their visit to St. Davids Cathedral. The royals were greeted by clergy as they arrived at the historic structure.
More about the Cathedral from this story in today’s Telegraph.
St Davids has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for more than 1,400 years, since St David – the patron saint of Wales – settled there with his monastic community in the sixth century.
Since the Reformation, one of the quire stalls has been in possession of the Crown and is known as the Sovereign’s Stall.
This makes St Davids the only UK cathedral where the sovereign has a special stall in the quire among members of the chapter, the governing body of the cathedral.
The couple as they were shown to their seats.
The Order of Service for today’s commemoration.
Rebecca English reports, that during the service, “…The Very Revd. Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, Dean of St. Davids, acknowledged the service of the late Queen: ‘It is particularly poignant to welcome you here, Your Royal Highnesses, on Accession Day, the first anniversary of the death of Her Late Majesty QEII. She came here four times: the only monarch to sit in the Sovereign’s stall, the seat of a Chapter member, which came into the possession of the Crown at the Reformation. Today countless numbers will be remembering her, with both sadness and with great affection; giving thanks again for her long life of dedicated service – as we do here.’’”
The couple laid flowers by a photo of Her Late Majesty.
A quick video via The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English.
https://twitter.com/RE_DailyMail/status/1700132824735432951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener
After the service, the Princess signed a book of condolence.
More from Danielle Stacey’s Hello coverage.
Speaking to media after the service, the Very Rev. Dr. Sarah Rowland Jones, spoke movingly about the emotions that the Prince and Princess displayed when they paid tribute to the late Queen.
“I was struck that they spent quite a time as they laid the flowers,” she shared. “In many ways our job is to give them the space for their remembering, because even if we had fleeting encounters with Her Late Majesty, none of us are part of that immediate family. It’s not for us to really question what they were going through, but to give them the space to do whatever they needed to do.”
The royals also met with local community members after the service. The guests included local residents who met Her Late Majesty during her visits to the city.
A small reception was held outside.
The Daily Mail reports on a conversation the Princess of Wales had.
Outside the cathedral, she then met local flying instructor Patricia Mawuli Porter OBE who spoke of the Queen’s warmth. And the Princess told her: ‘We all have wonderful memories of her, we have to hold on to them, cherish them.’
When the couple left the church, a group of children was waiting to greet them, and the Princess was given some lovely flowers.
Prince William chatting with one of the youngsters.
A video from People’s Simon Perry, via Anna on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/tokkianami/status/1700167617343103012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener
The royals did a walkabout.
And the Princess posed for a few selfies.
And a wave goodbye.
A social media post from Kensington Palace after the St. Davids service.
https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1700155681486037003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener
This was not the Prince and Princess’s only engagement of the day. They then traveled to Câr-Y-Môr Seaweed Farm – the first ‘regenerative ocean farm’ in Wales. Câr-Y-Môr translates to ‘For the Love of the Sea.’ The organization aims to improve the coastal environment through regenerative ocean farming.
More from the Western Telegraph’s coverage.
In 2022 Câr-Y-Môr raised £50,000 through a community share offer. This and other funding has allowed a three-hectare ocean farm to be established, growing various species of seaweed, mussels, native oysters, and scallops.
The business supports the local community through job creation, supply of fresh local seafood and environmental restoration.
This is not the first Royal visitor to Câr-Y-Môr , Princess Eugenie visited the seaweed farm in June last year.
Câr-Y-Môr is considered a key partner of a company called Notpla, a sustainable packaging start-up and winner of the 2022 Earthshot Prize for ‘Build a Waste-Free World.’ Prince William visited Notpla this May. Below, you see the Prince with co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, (L), and Pierre Paslier (R).
The couple met staff and volunteers at Câr-Y-Môr and learned about the impact the farm’s work is having on the ocean environment.
More from The Independent’s story:
Dressed in casual clothes the Prince and Princess of Wales were taken on a tour of the three-hectare seaweed farm in Ramsey Sound on a barge.
They were shown the seaweed lines where various species of seaweed, mussels, native oysters, and scallops were grown.
More from this Daily Mail piece.
The Prince quipped that seaweed produced at a seaweed farm off the Welsh coast tasted salty when asked what it was like to eat.
William made the comment to veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards, saying: ‘What did the seaweed taste like?’
He replied: ‘Salty.’
A video.
As you can just see in the video, the Prince and Princess then transferred from the barge to a lifeboat from RNLI St. Davids. The St. Davids lifeboat station has been launching lifeboats since 1867.Below, a social media post from the RNLI.
Her Late Majesty was Patron of the RNLI from 1952 until her death last year. Below, the Princess speaking with personnel at the station.
The couple met Isla Evans-Kohler, who is four, and her younger brother, Albie Evans-Kohler, age two. Their parents are deputy coxswain Judd Kohler and crew member Ellen Evans.
Isla gave the Princess a posy and Albie had a jar of honey for Prince William. We return to The Independent article.
Kate asked Isla: “Have you been on the lifeboat?”
The little girl shook her head and her mother explained she had been on the boat but not out on the water while Albie interjected and said: “Me.”
Kate asked the toddler: “Have you been on the boat? It goes very fast, and your daddy has got a very cool job.”
Albie then started mimicking the boat’s siren and the princess said: “I didn’t hear the siren, but it was a lovely day on the water. Thank you very much for coming to see us.”
One more photo from this engagement.
Now, a look back at the events that started a year ago today. If more interested in today’s fashion information, you can just scroll past this section.
It’s hard to believe it was a year ago we saw this message from Buckingham Palace on a Thursday morning.
Followed by this.
Just two days before, on September 6, the Palace released a photo of Her Late Majesty as she greeted the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral.
The situation brought to mind the quote from Mary Renault’s The Charioteer, “There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare.” So many of us knew the day was coming, but we found ways to avoid contemplating what that would be like. Below, the Daily Mail’s front page.
For its special cover, The Telegraph used a quote from the Queen’s message of support to families of the British victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
It’s odd what one remembers and what one doesn’t. I had forgotten the rainbows at Buckingham Palace that afternoon.
And at Windsor.
I did remember specific photos, like this one of Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, now the Duchess of Edinburgh, as she looked at floral tributes outside Balmoral Castle.
And Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie as they viewed the tributes at Balmoral.
The references to Paddington, including this one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, were a constant throughout the days following the Queen’s death.
The Queen’s children and grandchildren released statements as the week went on; this was Prince William’s message.
I distinctly remembered the face of Frank Groves in Ballater, the village closest to Balmoral. He arrived early on September 11 so he would have a good view of the cortége as it left Balmoral Castle and started the trip to Edinburgh.
The scene in Edinburgh that day as the seven-car procession arrived remained top-of-mind for me.
As did the faces of the Bearer Party from the Royal Regiment of Scotland as they carried the coffin into the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it remained until the service at St Giles’ Cathedral the next day.
And Princess Anne’s curtsy at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
King Charles and Princess Anne the next day as the Queen’s coffin was taken to the Cathedral for a Service of Thanksgiving.
I remember deciding I would stop trying to write and I would simply sit and watch the remarkable scene on September 13th as the Queen’s coffin traveled through London on its way to Buckingham Palace.
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The outriders bowed their heads as the cortége arrived at the gates of Buckingham Palace.
All of this on a chilly, rainy evening.
I had forgotten the special signs that went up for the queue to see HM lying in state.
I also remember the King’s salute the next day, the 14th, as his mother’s coffin arrived at Westminster Hall.
And the Wessex children as they left Westminster Hall following the service.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent at Westminster. All are cousins of the Queen.
The Prince and Princess of Wales as they left Westminster Hall.
And on social media that day, a post from the Prince and Princes of Wales.
Also on the 14th, this view of mourners lined up their respects.
The next day, the Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to Sandringham to view tributes honoring the Queen. I recall writing, “It is an awful lot to absorb, especially in public settings and circumstances are such that you become the repository for others’ grief.”
Eight-year-old Elizabeth Sulkovska brought flowers and a Corgi to Sandringham for the Queen.
I remembered the Wessexes viewing some of the cards and flowers left at Windsor.
And this image of the couple as they headed back inside.
I think we all remember the long lines to see Her Late Majesty Lying-In-State at Westminster Hall. The wait reached 24 hours during that long week.
At times, the queue was more than five miles long.
But I had forgotten all about the Lying-In-State Queue Tracker.
The scene at Tower Bridge on the 17th as people waited in the queue to see the late Queen.
There are many memories of the Queen’s children standing vigil in Edinburgh and at Westminster. Her grandchildren also stood watch on the 17th.
And overnight rehearsals were underway for the funeral.
I vividly recall the photos of people bundled up against the cold while waiting in the queue to pay their respects.
And the way the crowds just kept coming.
As well as the faces of these Scouts as they viewed the coffin the night before the State Funeral.
On the 19th I wrote, “The world said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II today, in scenes unlike any we have seen for more than seventy years.
Scenes most of us will not experience again in our lifetimes.”
And I remembered Mike Tindall with James, Viscount Severn, as they arrived at Westminster Abbey.
Along with this image of King Charles and the Prince of Wales during the procession.
And this photo of Princess Charlotte entering the Abbey.
Mourners in London along the Mall.
The Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Paul Burns, playing “Sleep, dearie, sleep,” a traditional lament.
Her Majesty’s coffin as the procession left the Abbey.
The Princess of Wales, Countess of Wessex, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte outside the Abbey as they watched the procession to Windsor get underway.
Many will remember what has become an iconic photo of the Princess of Wales.
The crowds along the Mall were enormous.
As were the crowds along Windsor’s Long Walk.
As the procession drew near Windsor, marchers saw a horse off to the side – that was Emma, Her Majesty’s Fell Pony.
Also there, her two Corgis, Sandy and Muick.
Along with members of the household staff greeting the procession.
Who can forget this image as the Bearer Party carried the coffin into St. George’s Chapel for the committal service?
Or King Charles, as he placed the flag of the Grenadier Guards on his mother’s coffin.
And that evening, the Royal Family released a new photo of the Queen.
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Now for our look at what the Princess wore for today’s engagements, beginning with her Eponine London coatdress.
The design is midi-length and features a vee-neckline, a ‘wrap-style’ front, padding at the shoulder, a fitted waist with side belting and decorative buttons, and a softly curved hem. The design was first worn last December for the taping of the Royal Carols: Together At Christmas concert.
A look at the two different engagements where this style was worn.
The Princess’s hat is by a brand we’ve not seen her wear before, Sahar Millinery.
The label is by Sahar Freemantle, an award-winning milliner based in London. She is a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust winner; the Trust “supports the training and education of talented and aspiring craftspeople through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships, and one-to-one training with a master craftsperson…”. Below, the Sahar Freemantle home page.
The Princess’s design looks similar to this teardrop-shaped style shown on the Sahar Millinery Instagram page.
The British Hat Guild writes, “Sahar’s work has been exhibited at the V&A, featured in The Guardian, The Independent and Evening Standards list of best Ascot Hats, on Screen in Downton Abbey, and on celebrities such as Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, Katy Perry and Celeste.” The hats are available via the website; a selection is also offered on etsy and at Not on the High Street.
You may have recognized the earrings, a sentimental touch for today’s events, the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee Diamond and Pearl Earrings.
A closer look.
Here you see Her Late Majesty wearing them after the Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Embed from Getty Images More from Bethan Holt’s column in The Telegraph.
In choosing the diamond and pearl earrings, which were first seen on her husband’s grandmother during the celebrations for her Silver Jubilee in 1977, the Princess is continuing a longstanding royal tradition of wearing diamonds and pearls during a time of mourning.
Today’s other accessories were understated pieces we have seen on multiple occasions, including the Bayswater Clutch by Mulberry.
And the Gianvito Rossi 105 suede pumps.
As seen in the photos, the Princess changed into a more casual look for the engagements at Câr-Y-Môr Seaweed Farm and St. Davids Lifeboat Station.
For the other two engagements, it looked like the Princess brought back her Troy London Parka in khaki ($408), a lightweight design with a cinched waist and drawstring hood, described as offering “fully waterproof protection.” It was first noted when worn in Canada during the 2016 tour.
The trousers appeared to be the G-STAR RAW Kafey Cargo Ultra-High Skinny Jeans first noted during the Big Help Out in May. After taking a closer look, I think the trousers could be the G-Star Raw High G-Shape Skinny Cargo Pant worn to the Maya archaeological site during the 2022 Caribbean tour.
She also wore her Veja Net Sustain Esplar Metallic-trimmed Sneakers ($150).
Above, you see the shoe as offered at Net-a-Porter; it is also in stock at Zappos ($140) and Tower London ($125).
I believe she also had on her Medium Twist Hoops (£60, about $80 at today’s exchange rates) by Spells of Love, a Wales-based brand. The earrings are crafted of sterling silver with 18k recycled gold vermeil. Here you see them as worn on a previous occasion.
I’ll see you tomorrow when the Princess of Wales attends the World Rugby Cup in France.
VIDEOS:
Sky News offers more than an hour’s coverage from today’s engagement.
This link takes you to an ITV story about the Queen’s death and funeral with a 5-minute video off the top (that I can’t embed for you to view here).
An ITV documentary, A Kingdom Says Goodbye.
This two-minute piece from the Royal Parks looks at the incredible floral tributes at Green Park.
The Telegraph offers almost nine hours of coverage in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession, service and committal
The documentary, “Elizabeth at 90 – A Family Tribute.”
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