Royal family 9-10 March: Queen Camilla delivers 'powerful' Women of the World speech, William's Kent plans, more

Good morning and welcome to the beginning of another busy week for royal news. 

We'll be keeping you up to speed on all the latest updates from royal households across the globe.

So, what's on today's agenda? 

The King and Queen will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence at the Commonwealth Day service 2026. 

The service is a celebration of the Commonwealth which is in its 77th anniversary year and will take place at Westminster Abbey this afternoon. 

It marks royal family's most high-profile event following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor last month.

Meanwhile, Princess Anne, as Patron of Save the Children UK, will attend the International Financing Review Awards Dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London today. 

For the first time in 37 years, the BBC has made the decision to axe the live broadcast of the Commonwealth Day Service. The service has been broadcast live from Westminster Abbey every year since 1989, apart from 2021 due to the pandemic. 

The decision has been prompted due to "funding challenges," according to the BBC. 

A BBC spokesperson told HELLO! on Friday: "Our decision not to broadcast the Commonwealth Day Ceremony in the same way we’ve done in previous years reflects the difficult choices we have to make in light of our funding challenges. We can confirm BBC News plans to cover the service across its platforms, including the BBC One bulletins and rolling news channel."

© UK Press via Getty Images

In an exclusive interview with Best Quality Designer Handbag , India Hicks opened up about a recent cancer scare. 

The designer, humanitarian and royal bridesmaid was joined by her daughter, Domino, 18, for an exclusive chat at their Oxfordshire home ahead of Mother's Day.

"I'm religious about skin cancer check-ups and I'd had one six months earlier, but something felt not quite right on my leg, so I flew to Miami to see a specialist," India revealed. "It was a squamous cell carcinoma, which isn't life-threatening if you're quick. 

"It was very narrow but very deep and aggressive, and had gone down to the bone, so I had to have it cut out straight away."

Read the full interview here. 

© Getty

Happy Birthday, Princess Adrienne of Sweden! The young royal, who is the daughter of Princess Madeleine and graddaughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, turns eight today. 

Her mother, Princess Madeleine, marked the little girl's big day with a sweet post to Instagram. "Happiest 8th birthday sweet Adrienne! We love you and are so proud of the kind and loving girl you are," she penned, alongside an adorable snap of Adrienne. 

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are facing growing scrutiny amid questions over their exposure to Jeffrey Epstein. But could the King's nieces lose their homes?

Find out what Best Quality Designer Handbag 's Royal Editor, Emily Nash, said about their future here.

© Getty Images

The Princess of Wales is "critical to the running of the monarchy, and she really does understand the vision of the future," Russell Myers, the author of William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, told HELLO!.

Meanwhile, Robert Jobson, the author of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, added: "She's the glue, really. She has an understanding of the way the world works. This is a woman who has come from the people and actually does understand what people expect."

Read the exclusive here. 

© POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are too "tarnished" to appear at royal events until after the summer, according to royal author Phil Dampier. 

"I think they have been tarnished," Phil told HELLO!. "If you remember last Christmas, when they were both invited to Sandringham, they were very much seen as the innocent victims. The King and Queen were metaphorically putting an arm around them.

"I think that has changed following Andrew's arrest and mentions of them in the Epstein files."

Read the full story. 

© UK Press via Getty Images

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in line to the throne. But amid a string of scandals relating to his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, there are questions over whether he should be removed from the line of succession.

This would require an Act of Parliament approved by all 14 realms of the Commonwealth, where King Charles is the head of state. It would need to be approved by MPs and peers before being given royal assent by the King.

So, which countries want to remove him? Find out here. 

© POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Meghan Markle marked International Women's Day with a sweet tribute to her daughter, Princess Lilibet, on Sunday. 

Taking to Instagram with an adorable photo of the mother and daughter, Meghan penned a moving message to her little girl. "For the woman she will one day be… Happy International Women's Day," penned the wife of Prince Harry. 

Full story here. 

© Instagram

Royal photographer, Chris Jackson, appeared on the latest episode of HELLO!'s  A Right Royal Podcast, where he revealed a poignant moment from the Princess of Wales' first public visit to London's The Royal Marsden Hospital in January 2025. 

The princess was privately treated at the hospital in 2024 when she received chemotherapy and returned the following year to thank the staff. 

"As she arrived at the hospital, I really won't forget that moment, just for a fleeting second, she glanced up at the sign on the door, and it must have brought back some memories of the experience that she'd had during her stay," said Chris. 

Find out more. 

© Getty

The Royal Family's official X account has marked Commonwealth Day on social media. 

Alongside several snaps of royal family members visiting Commonwealth countries over the years, the caption read: "As we mark #CommonwealthDay, thank you to everyone around the Commonwealth who has welcomed a member of the Royal Family to their country in the past year."

HELLO! is hosting an exclusive event with royal author Robert Hardman in celebration of the late Queen's life and legacy. 

As we approach the late monarch's centenary in April, A Right Royal Podcast hosts Emily Nash, Andrea Caamano and Emmy Griffiths will take to the stage in central London to quiz royal author Robert Hardman on the late Queen and his new book, Elizabeth II.

Find out more about the event here. 

© Getty Images

Good afternoon everyone, I'm taking over the royal news from here - thank you to Nicky for keeping us all updated this morning. 

Stay tuned for what's set to be a very busy afternoon for the royal family. We're expecting to see the King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Gloucesters later on. 

The finishing touches are underway at Westminster Abbey for this afternoon's Commonwealth Day service, which will not be shown on the BBC for the first time in decades (excepting 2021, due to the pandemic). 

However, you can keep up to date with all our coverage on HELLO! this afternoon. We'll be bringing you the latest news, fashion details, and everything you need to know. 

The first arrivals have begun for the Commonwealth Day service 2026.

Commonwealth athletes Timothy Munnings Jr, Dame Laura Kenny and Lewis Stewart (with the King’s Baton) and James Ball have been seen outside the Abbey. 

Laura was made a Dame in the 2022 New Year honours. 

© Getty Images for Commonwealth Sp

Geri and Christian Horner were the first celebrity arrivals to be seen at the Commonwealth Day service this afternoon. 

Former Spice Girl Geri, 53, was wearing her typical shades of white, while former F1 boss Christian was dressed in a smart navy suit. 

Geri previously joined Queen Camilla for a visit to Maggie's Cheltenham in January, where they asked each other how they were doing in a warm exchange. 

© Getty

The service appears to have got off to a slightly rocky start as anti-monarchy protestors gathered outside Westminster Abbey this afternoon. 

The protestors were holding signs reading "not my King" and "down with the crown". Others read "abolish the monarchy" and asked, "What are you hiding?"

It comes after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on his 66th birthday last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office. 

© Getty

Children's author and presenter Dame Floella Benjamin arrived in a light blue suit to the Abbey. 

The baroness was given an OBE in 2001 and later became a Liberal Democrat peer. 

She was front and centre at King Charles's coronation in 2023, where she carried the Sovereign's sceptre. 

Speaking ahead of the landmark occasion, Floella said: "To be selected to carry the sovereign’s sceptre with dove, which represents spirituality, equity and mercy, is for me very symbolic as it’s everything I stand for and sends out a clear message that diversity and inclusion is being embraced."

© Getty Images

Sarah Ferguson is facing a difficult time: her whereabouts are unknown, and her charity partnerships appear to be no more. 

It's now been reported that she has been rejected for a £1.5million book deal in the US, where she once enjoyed a variety of successes. 

It's part of the ongoing fallout concerning her friendship with the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, which has also impacted her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. 

For full details, see our story. 

© UK Press via Getty Images

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has led the political figures arriving at the service. 

Others have included Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign Office Chris Elmore, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel. 

© Getty Images

Prince Albert of Monaco is the first royal to have arrived at the service, wearing a navy suit. 

He has arrived just ahead of the British royal family, with more arrivals expected imminently. 

© Getty Images

Breaking: The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived ahead of the annual Commonwealth Day service of celebration at Westminster Abbey.

William and Kate were welcomed by Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and waited for the arrival of the King and Queen. 

The Princess is wearing navy blue, including an elegant hat - but more details to come. 

© Getty Images

Princess Anne looked elegant in green today as she attended the service with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence. 

Anne, 75, and Sir Timothy were seen chatting outside Westminster Abbey before the service began. 

© Alamy

The King and Queen have now arrived at Westminster Abbey. 

Charles’s annual address to the family of nations was included in a special booklet given to the congregation.

He said in his message: "Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good…".

© Getty

Queen Camilla has arrived at Westminster Abbey alongside her husband, King Charles. 

Camilla, 78, opted for a bright red overcoat and matching hat, paired with a black clutch bag. 

© Getty Images

We've now got a selection of lovely pictures in of the Princess of Wales. 

As always, she looks radiant and is said to be wearing a Catherine Walker dress, with earrings from her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. 

© Getty Images

We've now got video in of the royal family arriving at Westminster Abbey this afternoon. 

So far, we have seen King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence. The Gloucesters are also present for the service, which began at 3pm. 

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, are at the service this afternoon. 

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are senior working royals and frequently carry out engagements, and are commonly seen at high-profile events. 

© Getty Images

The Queen is wearing a red crepe wool dress and coat by Fiona Clare, with a hat by Phillip Treacy. 

Her palm leaf brooch once belonged to the Queen Mother. 

© Getty

The royal party has arrived to a fanfare inside the Abbey, with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester entering first. 

They were all greeted by the Dean of Westminster. The King and Queen were the last to arrive, greeting the rest of the family with warm kisses. 

The family formed a procession ahead of the National Anthem, before taking their seats. 

© Alamy