The House of Windsor has got the shoulder to the proverbial. The week is still building up to its crescendo and we've already got appearances as far as the eye can see. From catch ups at children's centres to catch up with superstar athletes, it's been busy and varied. ICYMI, here's what the Windsors have been doing so far this week.
It was a case of keeping promises for Kate who paid a visit to the Hornsey Road Children's Centre in London on November 14th - this is the engagement she was meant to carry out at the start of September but had to skip when the extreme morning sickness she experiences at the start of her pregnancies took hold.
The Duchess of Cambridge made up for lost time by chatting to the parents and children who use the centre as well as hearing about prenatal mental health support. There was a chance to play with some of the children, too, and everyone looked rather happy that Kate kept her date and paid Hornsey Road a visit. Except perhaps, her husband - the duchess told her hosts that Prince William had struggled to adapt to parenthood in the early days. Bet that's gone down well with Wills.
Prince Harry was putting smiles on people's faces earlier in the week when he unexpectedly praised the media while handing out some awards. The prince was in charge of dishing out some of the prizes at the Mind Media Awards on November 13th - they recognise the best reporting of mental health issues across all forms of media.
Before presenting the Speaking Out Award, Prince Harry delivered a short speech. pic.twitter.com/vPHpPOUjes— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 13, 2017
Harry was on hand to celebrate with those involved in the programme ''Mind Over Marathon'' which aired on the BBC earlier this year. The prince told those at the ceremony that ''we were all beginning to grasp that mental fitness was an issue worth talking about, for every one of us....and while talking doesn't cure all ills, we are now shattering the silence that was a real barrier to progress.''
The Countess of Wessex began the week by hosting a reception for Women of the Future at Buckingham Palace on November 13th. The following day, Sophie was in Wiltshire where she took part in a Welcome Home Parade for 5th Batallion The Rifles - she is their Royal Colonel. They are just back from a deployment in Estonia.
November 14th also saw Princess Alexandra present the Royal Humane Society Awards at Buckingham Palace. The princess is the President of the Society while her cousin, the Queen, is its patron. The annual awards recognise acts of bravery in saving human lives.
Wishing HRH The Prince of Wales a Happy Birthday! #HappyBirthdayHRH pic.twitter.com/P0PwbZXyCy— The Duke of York (@TheDukeOfYork) November 14, 2017
Tuesday also saw a whole host of archive photos of the Prince of Wales being shared on official royal social media accounts. Charles turned 69 on November 14th and was given ample warning of what to expect for the big 7-0 next year as endless snaps appeared on official Twitter and Instagram. A word to the wise - be nice to the brothers because, as you can see, Andrew is already in the mood to bring out all the photos you thought had been forgotten.
Congratulations Sir Mo Farah!@Mo_Farah is the most successful British track athlete in history, with 4 Olympic Golds & 6 World Championship Golds. pic.twitter.com/mTc8zSIK03— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 14, 2017
November 14th also saw the Queen hold an investiture at Buckingham Palace. Among those being honoured was Olympic gold medallist and all round superstar, Sir Mo Farah, who received his knighthood. He did the Mobot with the medal outside while his proud wife Tania, now Lady Farah, looked on. Inside, it was all rather genteel as is to be expected. But don't let the calm confuse you - the Windsors might look laid back but this week is a busy one and then some.
Photo credit: Kensington Palace Twitter
