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Well! We have much to discuss this week — paramount being the fact that, thanks to news that Buckingham Palace called an emergency All Staff meeting at 3am on Thursday morning (the meeting was called at 3am, it wasn’t held at 3am) and recalled people from Balmoral, everyone who was awake in the United States on Wednesday evening spent several hours pretty sure that either Prince Philip or the Queen had died or was in a coma. French newspapers even reported that Philip was dead, which…I mean, I cannot imagine who would leak that to the French. Maybe if they were in France. But no. Everyone is alive! Which is news I am always happy to share. I drove home from a dinner that evening thinking about how sad Her Majesty must be. I then ended up staying up very late to find out WHY said meeting had been called. The Palace popped out early to assure everyone that the oldsters were alive and well, and I knew it wasn’t going to be about an engagement (because you don’t need to call an emergency GET DOWN HERE TOMORROW FIRST THING meeting for an engagement), but then I started thinking, “if it is an engagement or someone else is dead, I will need to write a post.” ANYWAY. Philip is just “retiring from public life” in the fall, although he’s reserved the right to come to various events if he wants to. (My guess is this means he might want to occasionally trot out to the balcony and wave at people during Trooping The Colour and he’ll probably still want to go to the races.) He’ll be 96 when this happens; that seems fair to me.  The statement from the Palace was like, “he has the full support of the Queen,” and I’m sure that he does, but also, they’re hardly going to say, “Her Majesty is really annoyed about this, but what can you do? He’s a stubborn old coot.” SO. MUCH TO DISCUSS.

Before we get into ALL THAT, in case you missed it, we have new pics of Princess Charlotte, as it was just her birthday. Kate also had an event this week that involved petting many many adorable tiny farm animals.

And now:

– This at the Daily Mail (I KNOW),  it is FULL of Royals Logistics regarding this Prince Philip thing.but Say what you will about the DMIK, but their Logistics Person is on it. Noteworthy:

  • “Senior royals including Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew will undertake more duties with their mother in a new strategy dubbed ‘Team Windsor’.
  • Younger members of the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, will be expected to ‘step up to the mark.”

My first reaction was, PRINCE ANDREW? Good luck with that. But alongside the Queen does make sense. My second reaction was, “WE’LL SEE.” However! William was at the Palace a lot this week. It seems from news reports that basically everyone told Phil to go ahead and retire, and I’m sure part of that was the grandkids assuring him that they’d be around to help.

– I assume you want to see the thank you card Wills and Kate sent to people who sent them congratulatory notes about their anniversary. They picked a good piano photo for it, if a sweaty one. [Hello!]

– Vanity Fair reports on home life for Wills and Kate, which sounds super normal, which is — as I have always said — probably what he’s wanted his entire life.

– People gives us a primer on the court case currently happening in France, wherein Wills and Kate are suing over the topless pics a French publication published of her, ages ago. God, that took forever to move through the courts! It does seem to me that you should assume no one will take a photo of you topless from like MILES AWAY.

– BBC reports “‘Priceless’ sarcophagus destroyed in Prince Charles’s Poundbury development,” and I read that and thought, “oh, I know all about Poundbury!” Thanks to his recent biography! LEARNING! -

- HBO is making an authorized documentary about Princess Diana; Vogue has the scoop has the scoop.

Finally, here’s a bunch of interesting social media bits and bobs:

Many of these are from the day after Phil announced his retirement:

I feel like they probably both wanted to burst into this event and yell, “WE’RE ALIVE!”

A little retro look at Phil. Very glam!

There is a very awkward and funny photo of this in the slideshow, but it’s fun to see it in action:

Sophie’s been on a trip to Estonia this week:

More bits and pieces from King CG’s birthday for you:

Feels right to end on crazy pants.

Tags: Royals Round-Up, Charlene of Monaco, Charlotte Casiraghi, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Maxima, Wills and Kate
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Behold: Praise for Something Ellie Goulding Is Wearing
Behold: Praise for Something Ellie Goulding Is Wearing
Fugs and Pieces, May 5th, 2017
Fugs and Pieces, May 5th, 2017