Someday, when you’re bored – or when you’re dead set on procrastinating – lose yourself in the Royal Family’s Media Centre. Run by Royal Communications, you can find press releases, speeches, and annual financial reports (and sign up to receive all of the above via email because why not) – but that’s not even my favorite part.
I absolutely love to visit The Royal Diary and see all of the upcoming engagements the working Royals have in the U.K. and abroad. And, when I’m feeling especially ready to dive headfirst into a time suck, I look at the Court Circular, which lists all Royal engagements back to 1997. (Look at September 6, 1997, the day of Diana’s funeral. All of the information you need to know is there. It's wild.) You can read about when investitures are happening, when and where the working Royals will be on any given day (well, for work functions at least), and so on. I have been obsessively checking The Royal Diary for Pakistan and South Africa dates, but, so far, no dice.
Just in case you are wondering who are considered “working Royals,” here you go:
· Her Majesty the Queen (Elizabeth)
· The Duke of Edinburgh (Philip, though he’s retired)
· The Prince of Wales (Charles)
· The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla)
· The Duke of Cambridge (William)
· The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate)
· The Duke of Sussex (Harry)
· The Duchess of Sussex (Meghan)
· The Duke of York (Andrew)
· The Earl of Wessex (Edward)
· The Countess of Wessex (Sophie)
· The Princess Royal (Anne)
· The Duke of Gloucester
· The Duchess of Gloucester
· The Duke of Kent
· The Duchess of Kent
· Princess Alexandra
· Prince Michael of Kent
· Princess Michael of Kent
Note that William and Harry’s cousins like Beatrice, Eugenie, Peter, and Zara are Royals, but not full-time working Royals. And, obviously, the Wessex kids, the Cambridge kids, and Archie are way too young to be working Royals (and I’m pretty certain the Wessex kids won’t be full-time working Royals, anyway, even when they're adults).
Have fun getting lost in that. A couple of other random tidbits on this Wednesday:
· We finally found out who Charlotte was sticking her tongue out to at the King’s Cup, and it wasn’t the press! It was actually her grandfather Michael Middleton. No wonder Kate had the adorable reaction she did.
· George’s school curriculum was released and – wow. Keep in mind the dude just turned six. He starts back to school on September 5 and will be studying core subjects (math, English, science) but also French, computing, and ballet, just to name a few. I think the only thing I learned at six was how to play with my Barbies, so props to the future king. This year, Charlotte will join George at his school, Thomas’s Battersea.
· Meghan is well-known for having a tight-knit circle of friends, and her best friend Jessica Mulroney is in the press for defending her BFF on Instagram, calling out “racist bullies” for criticizing Meghan (and Harry’s) private jet use. I’m so glad Meghan’s friends are rallying for her just like I did a couple of weeks ago. It’s about damn time. Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres, and Pink have also come to Harry and Meghan’s defense.
Now go get lost in the Court Circular for a few hours and take your mind off of this sometimes ridiculous world we live in.