Welcome to The Royal Files!

Welcome to our very first edition of The Royal Files Newsletter! A little introduction to start with - I’m Jane, an Australian royal fan since the 80s. I’ve been running my Instagram account @theroyalfiles for three years now and felt like it was time to expand and find a way to share more of my royal thoughts with you. Honestly, I’m just sick of Instagram caption limits making me edit my very lengthy opinions! 😂 I have all sorts of plans and ideas for the future of this newsletter but I’m starting dwith a weekly newsletter with my thoughts on the week’s royal news. I am very new at this so please bear with me - the newsletter will get fancier and prettier to look at as we good forward and as I figure out what I’m doing here! Let’s dive in, shall we…

The Balcony

Let’s kick off with the red velvet draped elephant in the room - the Trooping the Colour balcony. The palace set the corgis among the pigeons yesterday when it was announced that only the working members of the royal family would appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the Trooping the Colour. Predictably this set off the headlines of “Harry & Meghan BANNED!” - etc.

I honestly think this is the right move - it’s not banning anyone (well maybe one person is being banned - yes, I’m looking at you Andrew) it’s just putting the focus where it needs to be. Additionally, it not only allows the balcony spotlight to be where it deserves - on the Jubilee girl herself, but it also puts a nice line through the past of the working royal family and looks towards the future.

Also, for what my opinion is worth, I strongly suspect that this was strategically done today to end all media speculation about the Sussexes. “Will they come? Won’t they? Will they be on the balcony?”. The palace made its move and the Sussexes immediately released their statement that they are coming ( can we change their title to the Duke & Duchess of the Clapback?!). At least everyone knows where they stand now and the next few weeks can be just about getting ready for and enjoying the Platinum Jubilee!

Camilla the Closet Royal Collector

In what may be in my top ten favourite royal moments ever, the Duchess of Cornwall went shopping for royal souvenirs this week. Camilla was visiting a charity shop when she purchased a souvenir mug from the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. She happily told the staff that she has a quite a collection. I need to see Camilla’s royal memorabilia collection! Is it just mugs? Tea towels as well? Does she have a royal themed room at Clarence House? Do we think she bought the Queen Barbie doll? So. Many. Questions.

Platinum Jubilee Plans

It is now less than a month until Her Majesty’s big weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations. We got more details of the plans this week - of the Jubilee Pageant, the Party at the Palace Concert and of course the aforementioned balcony line up. I am planning a special edition of this newsletter to land with you this week with all the details, dates and highlights so look out for that! I am getting really excited - the Platinum Jubilee will be the biggest royal event in years. And after over two years of covid cancellations and restrictions, I think that this will be an incredible celebration that we all really need. Which Platinum Jubilee events are you most looking forward to?

Mental Health is NOT a Weapon for Social Media Trolls

Okay, I need to be serious for a bit here. I did not want to give this “story” more traction but it’s something very important to me and there are things that I think need to be said. The Duchess of Cambridge was this week announced as the new royal patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) - an alliance of incredible organisations that support the mental health of pregnant women and new mothers. I could not think of a more appropriate patron for this organisation and I know that she will be a wonderful advocate. As far as I’m concerned, that should have been the end of the discussion on the issue.

But of course, the usual suspects felt the need to go on the attack. Their ridiculous argument boils down to the assertion that apparently Kate is a hypocrite because she did nothing to help Meghan when she was pregnant and suffering mental health issues. So much to say here, I’m going to do this in bullet point form.

• Harry admitted in the Oprah interview that he did not tell his family that Meghan was struggling and suicidal. So unless Kate has developed psychic powers I’m not sure how she was supposed to help!

• Even if she had known, Kate is not a mental health professional. I’m not sure what people were expecting her to do.

• At the time all of this was happening, Kate was going through significant stresses and life events herself - a difficult pregnancy, having a newborn, being the mother of two other children, her royal duties and dealing with a brother suffering his own painful mental health issues (who has often said how supportive his family, including Kate, were of his struggles). I’m not sure where she was supposed to find the time to take on Meghan’s issues as well.

• I know that the Cambridges are the Sussex sycophants favourite targets but Meghan had her own support network - why are the Cambridge’s the only feet which they lay blame at? Meghan had her husband (who by his own admission was too ASHAMED to tell his family and get her help), her mother, friends etc. During her pregnancy she was also under the care of what we can assume was one of the best medical teams in the UK - who would have been professionally obligated to ask about her mental health issues. But sure; let’s blame the sister in-law she wasn’t even remotely close to for Meghan not getting mental health help.

• I have one final point and this is really the only one that matters. You are NEVER responsible for somebody else’s mental health. You can offer help, you can support, but somebody else’s issues are never yours to take on as your own. During my own struggles I have sought help and support, talked to my family and friends but I never once assumed that it was their responsibility. It was mine. Meghan’s mental health was not and is not Kate’s responsibility. It is wrong and extremely offensive for anyone to suggest otherwise.

These are very serious and deeply personal issues. They should never be used as fodder in some ridiculous game of tit for tat on social media. Anyone who does so needs to take a very long, hard look at themselves.

Wow, I’ve rambled on enough I think! I d didn’t mean for this first edition to be mostly taken up by such a serious issue but I hope that you understand. This is something that is deeply personal for me and I know for a lot of others.

On one final lighter note - the fashion highlight for me this week was definitely the Duchess of Cambridge this week when she presented The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design to fashion designer Saul Nash. Catherine looked stunning in a green dress by British Canadian designer Eveline Lee. I loved the whole look - the colour, the texture of the fabric, the belt, the sleeves, her hair. And I loved that she tried out a new designer!

Well that’s it for our first edition of The Royal Files newsletter! I hope you enjoyed it - please subscribe and share. I hope that you all have a happy and safe week ahead. Here’s to another fun week of royal watching!

- Jane.