Royal Style: Diamonds are a Queen's best friend..

[Maireas]

Evening all! Thanks to Tracy Beaker for the new title!
Roll on some bling and style, though it may be a while!

A London shipping firm has the actual table that Prince Philip was born on in its boardroom, too. The legend is that it's a kitchen table, but it's actually a rather nice plain mahogany dining table.

You'd think Philip would have wanted to buy it from them! Also the orange crate which transported him into exile.

Wow, Durek really loves himself.

Leka was born in Tirana.

The one born at a London hotel is Alexander of Yugoslavia, but it was Claridge’s, not the Ritz. The soil history is not confirmed. The other tale about his birth is that the British Government would have temporarily ceded sovereignty over the suite he was born in for him to be born in Yugoslavia but there are no documents proving that.

Btw, his mum was Alexandra of Greece, a cousin of Prince Philip’s.

Thanks for the update, @Mencia .

The Tatler article is amusing. I assume they meant it to be. There’s a chap with good self esteem!

I like Sophie’s VB dress.

ML seems quite a gentle soul so I really hope they’ll be happy. They’ve been together quite a number of years now, haven’t they?

https://www.queenletiziastyle.com/blog/queen-letizia-embraces-boho-chic-in-babbaki-tie-dye-ensemble-during-palma-shopping-outing
More summery goings on with the Spanish RF in Mallorca. I usually like their Mallorca wear, and although I'm not a fan of tie dye, I like the colour of Leti's top and skirt. Leonor in a strapless top (below), Sofia in a crop top, Queen Sofia looking cool and elegant.

I love how relaxed the Spanish royals are. I can never see Kate Charlotte and Camilla just out mooching in the shops for the afternoon.
Has JC been excommunicated by the family?

Maybe they mooch around under the radar a bit. Who knows?
I always like their Mallorcan holiday wear.
I think JC may be low profile, I also think he's been unwell.

William and Catherine aren't having a lovely summer like the foreign royals. It's a pity granny can't whisk them off for some fun in the sun

The Spanish Royals call the press beforehand so that they can take pics of them out and about. It's all a bit fake and cringe to watch really. They used to do a photoshoot at their Majorcan palace but a few years ago they stopped those and started doing these 'walks', as I say by way of official photoshoot.

This year they chose to take their 'walk' at 4 pm and poor queen Sofia was visibly exhausted in the heat.

No idea why they stopped doing their Marivent photoshoot, it worked really well and felt less fake.

Oh, that's disappointing 😞. I'm obviously easily fooled. One was obviously posed, but the rest looked real

I think they are 'real' in the sense that they tell the press they will be going to x, y and z shops at such and such time so the photos are them genuinely walking into shop x or out of shop y.

Doesn’t JC now live in Dubai or one of the other Emirates?

Does he? I didn't know that.

King Juan Carlos has been living in Abu Dhabi since 2020. He was known to have a fortune in Switzerland which had not been declared to the Spanish tax authorities, and he preferred to become an expat so as to avoid paying an enormous amount of tax. Plus, and maybe more importantly, his controversies (money related and lovers related) were damaging Felipe's monarchy so he was kind of "pushed away". He visits Spain 3- 4 times a year for family reasons and to take part in sailing races with his friends.

Thanks, @LivelyBlake - I didn't know this. What a charmer.

He’s also rumoured to have two illegitimate children, a son born before his marriage and a daughter between Infanta Cristina and Felipe.

It sounds as if Sofia has had to put up with a lot.

Yes, the very definition of the long-suffering wife. Though I do wonder how Leti feels about her MiL accompanying them on every holiday? If she were to post here then I’m sure the general consensus would be YANBU!!

I recall reading JC leching over Diana when she visited Spain with Charlie and the boys. Ugh!

Grim! She was only a few years older than his oldest daughter.

I read that he propositioned her... shudder...

They do not spend their holidays together. Sofia stays in Mallorca the whole time but Felipe and Letizia only spend there a week or so - and they have separate residences, they do not share a palace. During this week Felipe does some sailing, they hold a reception for the local authorities and do a photoshoot. Once the week is over they go elsewhere on a private holiday. Sofia stays in Marivent.