Tag: Meghan Markle

Britain’s Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a US resident

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.

Four years after Harry and his American wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, decamped to a villa in Southern California, a travel company he controls filed paperwork this week informing British authorities that he has moved and is now “usually resident” in the United States.

The formal acknowledgment underscores the prince’s increasing estrangement from Britain, after he and Meghan walked away from royal duties to pursue lucrative media deals in America. Since then, Harry has repeatedly criticized the royal family, including allegations of unconscious racism that were included in a Netflix series and the prince’s autobiography, “Spare.”

The paperwork was filed by Travalyst Ltd, a company at least 75% owned by Harry and which was founded in 2020 to “to promote global awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism.” The documentation was received Monday by Companies House, the government agency that oversees the incorporation of U.K. companies.

The filing further separates Harry from his role as one of the king’s counselors of state — members of the royal family who can be deputized to carry out the duties of the monarch if he is unwell or out of the country.

While Harry formally remains a counselor of state, the crown informed Parliament in 2022 that “in practice” only working members of the royal family would be called upon to fill in for the monarch.

Although Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have put down roots in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, where they are raising their young son and daughter, Harry is also facing scrutiny about his U.S. residency.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has questioned the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to grant Harry a U.S. visa following admissions of drug use that were included in “Spare.”

The foundation, which has asked a judge to force the department to release Harry’s immigration file, argues that the prince either lied on his visa application or was given special treatment because a history of drug use would normally disqualify an applicant from being granted a visa.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Harry and Meghan, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and others to vacate homes in this Californian town

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A Californian town where many rich and famous have their vacation abodes is being evacuated as continuing storms have triggered flood and mudslide warnings. The 9,000-strong town of Montecito is home to Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle and also counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry, Rob Lowe and Larry David as residents. Other celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Aniston also have multi-million-dollar mansions in the small community around 144 km north of Los Angeles.

Residents have received messages from the local fire department asking them to evacuate as soon as possible. The continuous rain that has battered California, which is usually in the headlines for its long droughts, has threatened to cause flooding and in the case of hilly Montecito, mudslides. 

“LEAVE NOW! This is a rapidly evolving situation. Please pay close attention to emergency alerts,” a fire department alert on their website said. 

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Montecito is expected to receive an additional 20 cm of rainfall in the next 24 hours. The town has already received more rainfall in the past few days than it does in an average year.

“Over the last 30 days, Montecito has received 12-20+ inches of rain across the community, exceeding our yearly average of 17 inches. This cumulative, saturating rain puts the community at greater risk of flooding and debris flow,” the Montecito Fire Department said on Twitter. Along with Montecito, Southern Californian towns of Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz have also been ordered to evacuate. 

While the Golden State has been infamous over the past few years for not receiving enough rain, California has been battered by a series of successive storms that have brought a large amount of downpour which has quickly saturated the soil. US President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for California on Sunday in order to bring more resources for rescue and recovery efforts even as California Governor Gavin Newsom said that over 12 people have died in the past 10 days in the state. 

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Rescuers and emergency responders have been called in to help hundreds of stranded victims. But rising water levels and currents have made rescue operations dangerous in many cases, including the search and rescue operation for a five-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

‘He knocked me to the floor’, Prince Harry accuses brother William of physical attack in upcoming memoir

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prince Harry has accused his brother Prince William of physical violence in his upcoming memoir. Prince Harry recounts what he says was a physical attack by his brother, now Prince of Wales, over an argument related to Harry’s marriage with Meghan Markle.

The palace is yet to respond to the allegation.

In the memoir, Spare, which is set to release on January 10, Harry describes a confrontation with Prince William at his London home in 2019. According to The Guardian, Harry writes that William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”, which Harry calls a “parrot [ing of] the press narrative” about his wife.

The confrontation then escalated quickly. Harry adds that William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor”.

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“I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”

However, he also recalled that William looked “regretful, and apologised” after he was asked to leave post the fight.

The book further noted that William turned back and said, “You don’t need to tell Meg about this,” “You mean that you attacked me?” Harry asked to which William responded, “I didn’t attack you, Harold.”

Harry had just told his therapist about the incident, but then Meghan noticed “scrapes and bruises” on his back.

The extraordinary scene is one of many from the memoir, which is expected to spark a serious furore for the British royal family.

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The book’s title comes from an old saying in royal and aristocratic circles that a first son is an heir to titles, power and fortune, and a second son is therefore a spare, in case anything happens to the first-born.

Earlier, in a TV interview with a British channel, Prince Harry had said that he wants his father King Charles and brother back as a “family, not an institution”.

William and Harry were once seen as very close after the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in a Paris car crash in 1997.

But the brothers have fallen out since Harry married Meghan, a former actress, in 2018 and the couple then stepped down for royal duties to move to California two years later.

Since their departure, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as the couple are officially known, have delivered stinging criticism of the Windsors and the British monarchy which has included accusations of racism which William himself has dismissed.

Last month, their six-part Netflix documentary, which attracted record audiences, aired with renewed accusations including that William had screamed at Harry during a crisis summit to discuss his future.

The main criticism from Harry and Meghan is that royal aides not only refused to hit back at hostile, inaccurate press coverage but were complicit in leaking negative stories to protect other royals, most notably William.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Prince Harry says ‘silence is betrayal’ in explosive interview with Anderson Cooper

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who is awaiting the release of his autobiography ‘Spare’ next week, sat down with Anderson Cooper on the news show 60 Minutes for a “revealing and explosive interview”.

In the promo of the interview that airs on January 8 on CBS, Cooper asks Prince Harry how he has received criticism for publicly stepping back from the institutional role of a royal. Harry responds that he had first intended to be private in stepping back from his public roles, but had to go public in order to address rumours and tabloids.

“Every single time I’ve tried to do it privately, there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife,” Harry told Cooper. “You know, the family motto is ‘never complain, never explain,’ but it’s just a motto.”

Prince Harry tells @andersoncooper he was the target of press leaks after private conversations with members of the Royal Family. https://t.co/0xN8FdapYV pic.twitter.com/FRKfp8AVKp

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 2, 2023

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Harry went on to say that “they will feed or have a conversation with the correspondent” and “spoon-feed information” to write stories about Harry and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle.

“And at the bottom of it, they will say that they’ve reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. But the whole story is Buckingham Palace commenting,” he added.

Harry added that Buckingham Palace had told him that they couldn’t publish statements to protect him and his wife for the last six years but the institution had put out statements to protect other members of the family. “It becomes– there becomes a point when silence is betrayal,” he said.

The interview comes just a few weeks after the explosive Netflix documentary ‘Harry & Meghan’, which wasn’t received well by the royals. Directed by Liz Garbus, the series had the biggest premiere of any Netflix show.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

I want my father and brother back: Prince Harry before autobiography release

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Britain’s Prince Harry on Monday, January 2, in an interview with broadcaster ITV said his troubled relationship with the royal family “never needed to be this way” and he wants to get his father King Charles and his brother “back” in his life. In the video, he remarked, “It never needed to be this way. I would like to get my father back; I would like to have my brother back.” Additionally, he claims that “they’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile,” but it is uncertain as to whom he is referring.

Prince Harry made these comments during a conversation with ITV’s Tom Bradby, and he also spoke with CBS News. Both interviews will be broadcast on January 8, two days before the publication of his autobiography titled Spare.

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Prince Harry, while speaking to Anderson Cooper of CBS, alleged that he was betrayed before leaving his position as a working royal. “So when we’re being told for the last six years, ‘we can’t put a statement out to protect you,’ but you do it for other members of the family, there becomes a point when silence is betrayal,” he said.

Prince Harry’s interpersonal relationships and ‘never-before-heard details’ about the passing of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, will also be discussed at length during the interview, as per ITV.

In the trailer of the interview, which was filmed in California where the Sussexes reside, Harry can be seen talking about “the leaking and the planting” of stories by the royals. He added, “I want a family, not an institution.”

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“They feel as though it is better to keep us somehow as the villains,” Harry said. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and his wife Meghan, officially resigned from their positions as members of the royal family in March 2020. They declared that they wanted to start new lives in the United States away from media harassment.

Since then, they have expressed displeasure with how they were treated as members of the royal family, with Harry accusing William, Prince of Wales, of shouting at him at a meeting to decide his future.

Recently, the six-part ‘docu series’ Harry & Meghan became the most-viewed Netflix series.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Rishi Sunak defends UK’s record on race, says ‘Absolutely don’t believe Britain a racist country’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the UK’s record on race amid a brewing row over controversial remarks by a columnist attacking Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, who is of African-American heritage.

Sunak was addressing questions posed by reporters during a visit to the Latvian capital of Riga on Monday when he spoke out against racism and highlighted his own heritage as carrying some weight on the subject.

“I absolutely don’t believe that Britain is a racist country. And I’d hope that as our nation’s first British Asian Prime Minister when I say that it carries some weight,” he told reporters.

“You know, I’m really proud of our country, its culture, its resilience, its beauty. And actually, it’s an enormous privilege to champion Britain and indeed, its institutions like the monarchy when I’m out and about on the world stage as I am here today,” said the UK-born politician, who has his family roots in Punjab.

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Sunak was reacting to an ongoing row over former television presenter and columnist Jeremy Clarkson writing in ‘The Sun’ about loathing Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, “on a cellular level”, in the wake of the controversial ‘Harry and Meghan’ documentary being aired on Netflix recently.

Clarkson’s column received over 6,000 complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), resulting in an apology from the writer and the newspaper removing the column from its website.

“For everyone in public life, language matters,” said Sunak, when asked about the furore.

Meanwhile, more than 60 cross-party British MPs have written to the editor of ‘The Sun’, Victoria Newton, to demand action be taken against Clarkson.

In a letter, they said Meghan Markle had received credible threats to her life and that columns such as Clarkson’s contributed to an “unacceptable climate of hatred and violence”.

The letter, coordinated by the Conservative Party Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee in the House of Commons, Caroline Nokes, was signed by fellow Tory MPs as well as Opposition MPs from Labour, Lib Dem, Green and SNP.

“We cannot allow this type of behaviour to go unchecked any longer. We welcome the Sun’s retraction of the article and we now demand action is taken against Mr Clarkson and an unreserved apology to Ms Markle immediately,” they write.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

First trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new docuseries ‘Live to Lead’ out

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Netflix has released the first trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest project ‘Live to Lead’. The documentary series is presented by the former royal couple, and it shares messages from the extraordinary leaders of the world. The seven-part Netflix series will release internationally on December 31.  According to Prince Harry, the series is inspired by former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela. It features climate change activist Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern among the figures speaking about “inspiring life stories”.

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Besides Thunberg and Ardern, American social justice activist Bryan Stevenson, the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and South African lawyer Albie Sachs are also part of the series.

The series features the captain of the South Africa rugby union team Siya Kolisi, who is the first black player to ever hold the position, along with US social-political activist Gloria Steinem.

As per the description of the trailer, the series intends to “share messages of courage, compassion, humility, hope and generosity” through the extraordinary leaders of the world who were invited to speak on the show.

“Inspired by the iconic legacy of Nelson Mandela, Live to Lead highlights the fundamental values, daily disciplines and guiding principles that leaders employ to motivate others and create meaningful change,” the description read.

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The project by the Nelson Mandela Foundation is created and directed by Geoff Blackwell.  Blackwell conceived the project alongside producer Ruth Hobday when they worked on a book about Mandela in 2018. The project is executively produced by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Other executive producers include Ben Browning and Chanel Pysnik for Archewell and John Sloss for Cinetic.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Backstabbing, powerplay and racism — Harry and Meghan make major allegations against the UK monarchy and tabloids

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries is a story from the couple’s perspective about the mistreatment they had to undergo because the UK tabloids and certain sections of the royal family were trying to target them.

While the first three episodes of Harry & Meghan were released earlier this month, the final three dropped on December 15. The first part of the series shows how the unlikely couple met and how the major changes Meghan had to undertake in order to fit into the complex lifestyles of the UK royals.

The last three episodes are more personal as the couple revealed what made them move out of the United Kingdom and step back from their royal duties. The episodes also go into detail about how a “nexus between the royal PR machinery and a handful of UK tabloids which have special access to the family.

Here are the top 10 revelations from the Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries. [ SPOILERS AHEAD]

Prince William and Price Harry’s relationship

Probably one of the most explosive revelations came in the second part of the docuseries when Prince Harry claimed his brother screamed at him during a family meeting in 2020 after Harry revealed his and Meghan’s plans to step back from some royal duties became public.

Meghan added that she wasn’t invited to the meeting despite it being hugely important for the couple’s future.

“It was clear to me that they planned out so that you weren’t in the room,” Harry said.

Harry also said he was given five options, one being “all in, no change,” and five being “all out.” He said he chose option 3 to be half in, and half out and have their own jobs, but also work in support of the queen. However, the decision provoked intense feelings.

Harry said. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”

The same day, a story came out that said part of the reason for the couple’s decision to step back was William’s bullying. Hours later a joint statement from Harry and Williams was issued, with the intent of quashing the story and downplaying any rift between the brothers. Harry revealed that he had not given his approval to put his name on the statement.

Meghan’s infamous letter to her father and the story behind it

A large part of the second part focuses on a five-page letter Meghan wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, asking him to stop talking to the press about her.

Meghan says that King Charles III (then Prince Charles) and the Queen wanted her to send the letter to her father. Big chunks of the letter ended up being published by Mail Online. Meghan sued the Mail for this and won later.

Leaks from inside the palace

Harry and Meghan hinted that in the palace people would plant false negative news about them so that the press would hold off on writing negative stories about other members of the royal family.

Harry said that he and William had seen this happen in the pitting of two different palace camps against each other. He said they had vowed never to do it. He then claims that it’s sad for him “to see my brother’s office copy the very same thing that we promised we’d never do.”

Meghan’s miscarriage

Between having two kids, Archie in 2019 and Lilibet in 2021, Meghan became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage. In the series, Harry blamed the miscarriage on the events stemming from The Mail publishing her letter to her father and the stress from the following lawsuit.

“I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what The Mail did,” he said. “I can say, from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her,” he added.

Racism towards Meghan

The couple revealed that racism towards Meghan’s mixed-race background played a huge role in the couple leaving for North America.

They said after Archie was born, one social media user shared a photo of a couple holding the hands of a dressed-up chimpanzee, captioning it as if it were Meghan, Harry and Archie.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan had earlier revealed that someone in the royal family asked how dark her baby’s skin would be.

The Royal family asked why Meghan should be protected

Prince Harry claims in the docuseries that members of the royal family asked why Meghan should “get special treatment” and “be protected” when they questioned the UK press’ treatment of the actress in the early phase of their relationship.

In the second episode, Harry referred to a Daily Mail headline from 2016 that said: “Harry’s girl is (almost) straight outta Compton,” and he revealed that he was instructed to say nothing by the Palace.

Harry also said that he was told by some of the members of the family that “my wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected?”

Extensive ‘formality’ behind closed doors

Meghan also talks about her first meeting with Prince William and Kate in episode 2 and said she was surprised to see the “formality” that is shown to the public by the royal family “carries over” behind closed doors as well.

“I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger, I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits,” Meghan said.

Meghan also said that she quickly understood that the formality on the outside is carried through on the inside.

The royal family thought his and Meghan’s relationship wouldn’t last
Harry explained that Meghan’s career as an actress “clouded” the judgement of his family, and they assumed that the couple’s relationship wouldn’t last.

The huge level of unconscious bias in the royal family

Prince Harry revealed that in the royal family, sometimes you are a part of the problem rather than part of the solution and there is a huge level of unconscious bias.

The royal family has been accused of turning a blind eye towards several issues such as racism since the early years of the monarchy.

Harry explained that it’s actually no one’s fault but once it’s been pointed out or identified within yourself, you then need to make it right.

“It’s education, it’s awareness and it’s a constant work-in-progress for everyone, including me,” Harry said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Why the royals wear pearls during mourning?

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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When the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lay in state in Westminster Hall as part of the national mourning period, both Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry, were seen wearing pearl-based items of jewellery belonging to the late monarch. The queen herself had favoured pearls and was rarely seen without them. Hence it is likely that the royals will be paying their final respects to the late monarch at the state funeral on Monday, September 19 at Westminster Abbey wearing pearls.

However, the queen’s liking for pearls is not the only reason for the royals to wear pearls during times of mourning. The tradition of wearing pearls or ‘mourning jewellery’ has been prevalent since Queen Victoria’s era, said a report.

“It’s all about the suppression of colour, and also pearls are not glittery or brash. By choosing them, you are being low-key and respectful,” The Vogue quoted jewellery historian and author Vivienne Becker as saying.

Earlier, pearls, which are formed inside the shell of a mollusc, were associated with wealth and high social rank due to their rarity and high value.

Queen Elizabeth I preferred pearls to show her purity and chastity as she projected her image as the Virgin Queen.

The strong association of pearls with mourning started during the reign of Queen Victoria, who lost her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. The queen was only 42 and she spent the rest of her life – almost 40 years – in mourning. It was during this period that strict rules around the rites of mourning were developed.

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According to the book Jewels and Jewellery by Clare Phillips, jewellery curator at the Victorian and Albert Museum, in the 1860s, a widow had to wear black for a year to mourn her husband’s death and put on minimal black matte ornaments. She was later allowed to use more elaborate mourning jewellery and then diamonds and pearls. Finally, they were allowed to return to coloured stones. Those who wished to follow Queen Victoria never returned to more light-hearted pieces of jewellery.

Even though such strict rules are no longer observed, the royal family chooses to wear pearls due to their association with purity.

Queen Elizabeth II herself solemnly dressed in black and wore pearls when she was mourning her father George VI’s death in 1952. She also wore pearls to the funerals of Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Diana, Princess of Wales, wore pearls at the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco, who was killed in a car accident in 1982. Diana also wore large pearls at Gianni Versace’s funeral after his murder in July 1997.

Since Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022, members of the royal family have all worn pearl jewellery to pay respect to the late monarch.

Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was seen wearing the queen’s own Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch at a service at Westminster Hall on September 14.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, also paid her respect to the queen by wearing discreet pearl and diamond studs that were gifted to her by the queen.

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Queen Consort Camilla paired her pearl earrings with her favourite four-strand pearl necklace, while Princess Royal Anne wore her full Royal Navy ceremonial uniform with simple stud earrings.

A day earlier, the princess had accompanied her mother’s coffin on its journey from Scotland to London, wearing the Andrew Grima pearl earrings that were a gift from her parents in the late 1960s. She wore the same earrings during Prince Philip’s funeral last year, showing her closeness to her parents, Vogue reported.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow