A Queen at 100, a royal return to Australia, and Andrew’s awkward past resurfaces

Tea, Titles and Tiaras with Emily Darlow

A Queen Remembered, the Sussexes Touch Down Under, and Andrew’s Two Awful Words

It has been a quieter week on the royal front. Most of the family is tucked away on spring holidays in the UK, school is still out, tiaras mostly in their boxes. But quieter does not mean dull, and there is still plenty to talk about over your cup of tea.

A nation prepares to honour its most beloved Queen on what would have been her 100th birthday, Zara and a very stylish 12-year-old turn heads at Aintree, a deeply unpleasant royal revelation about Andrew and Fergie resurfaces, and Harry and Meghan touch down in Australia for the first time in eight years.

Somewhere in the mix, Andrew is still rattling around Sandringham with two farmhouses to his name while the rest of us manage with one. Let’s begin.

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty: A Century Remembered

All eyes are turning towards Tuesday April 21, what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday, and the Royal Family has announced a thoughtful and fitting program of commemorations.

The celebrations begin on Monday April 20, when King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the new Royal Collection Trust exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, at The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. It is set to be the largest exhibition of Her Majesty’s fashion, with more than 300 pieces spanning 10 decades. Dresses, hats, shoes, handbags and even a rare pair of trousers will be on display, many shown publicly for the first time.

The exhibition runs through to October 2026 and promises to be one of those rare moments where fashion and history meet in a way that feels genuinely personal.

On the birthday itself, the King, Queen Camilla and other members of the Royal Family will attend an event at the British Museum to view design proposals for the Queen Elizabeth Memorial. They will see scale models and meet the artists behind the works planned for the site.

Princess Anne will separately open the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, designed as an accessible space for reflection in the heart of London. It feels like a fitting tribute from the daughter who has so often carried out her duties without fuss or fanfare.

The day will conclude with a reception at Buckingham Palace, and it is this detail that lands most strongly. Guests will include representatives from organisations the Queen supported, along with centenarians who share her birthday. Charles will also deliver a national address.

A royal source has said the tone will be celebratory rather than sombre. That feels right. Queen Elizabeth II was not a woman who would have wanted silence and grey tones. She would have wanted colour, company and a proper effort with hats.

Suits, Style and a Mini Me Moment: Zara and Mia at Aintree

With most senior royals off duty, the week’s most joyful sighting came from the racetrack, where Zara Tindall attended Ladies’ Day at the Grand National Festival at Aintree with her daughter Mia.

Mia, now 12, completely stole the show.

She wore a sharp blue pinstripe suit with a lace collared blouse, silver loafers, a blue headband and a gold Aspinal of London clutch. It was confident, polished and far more put together than most adults manage at a racecourse.

Zara matched the moment in a peach toned suit by Me+Em, styled with a Cefinn blouse, Emmy London heels and a bespoke hat by Camilla Rose Millinery. Mike Tindall rounded things out in a coordinated grey and pink look.

The mother daughter styling was a highlight, but it was Mia’s presence that drew the most attention. It is hard not to think back to the little girl clutching her great grandmother’s handbag in the famous 90th birthday portrait. Now she is confidently stepping into her own moment.

Zara’s ease in these settings is no surprise. As an Olympic silver medallist in equestrian eventing, she is entirely at home in this world, and the Tindall family continues to be one of the most natural and likeable branches of the royal family.

It is also worth noting that Zara and Mike were absent from the royal Easter service at Windsor, making Aintree their main public outing over the holiday period.

The Two Words That Say Everything: Andrew’s Astonishing Insult to Fergie Resurfaces

Now to a moment that is difficult to read but impossible to ignore.

A passage from Tina Brown’s book The Palace Papers has resurfaced this week, and it has sparked fresh outrage. In 2015, while Sarah Ferguson was meeting with an American media executive at Royal Lodge, Andrew reportedly walked into the room and said, “What are you doing with this fat cow?”

The executive present was said to be stunned, describing Andrew’s behaviour as deeply unpleasant. The quote has circulated again this week, and it lands heavily.

This was the same man Sarah Ferguson has repeatedly defended in public. She has called him kind and spoken of their close bond long after their divorce. She has shared a home with him and maintained a united front through years of scrutiny.

To see that relationship framed in this way behind closed doors is confronting. It also adds a layer to recent reports about Sarah’s current state, with suggestions she has been unsettled and withdrawn.

Andrew, meanwhile, was spotted this week driving around the Sandringham estate, appearing entirely unbothered.

G’Day Your Highnesses: Harry and Meghan Arrive in Australia

Harry and Meghan have arrived in Australia for the first time in eight years, and the visit has already sparked plenty of conversation.

The couple flew Qantas first class into Melbourne, a far quieter arrival than their 2018 tour, when they drew enormous crowds across the country.

Their first stop was the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, where they met families, spoke with staff and greeted well-wishers. Harry kept it simple when asked about being back in Australia, saying he was looking forward to “everything.”

The four-day itinerary includes Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, blending charity work with paid engagements. Harry is set to speak at a psychosocial safety summit, while Meghan will headline a women’s event in Sydney. They will also visit the Australian War Memorial and meet with community groups.

The structure has been described as a quasi-royal tour. Familiar in format, but without the official backing. Questions have been raised about security costs and whether taxpayers may be contributing, despite claims the trip is privately funded.

Public reaction has been mixed. Some have welcomed the couple warmly; others remain more sceptical. Australia’s relationship with the monarchy has always been complicated, and the Sussexes bring their own version of that complexity.

What is clear is that their visit will continue to draw attention over the coming days, and there will be more to unpack next week.

And so another week of royal life draws to a close. A Queen about to be honoured as she deserves, an uncomfortable reminder from the House of York, and two familiar faces stepping back onto Australian soil. Until next week, keep the tea hot and the opinions ready.
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