The Throne Rangers Podcast Episode 6: Royal birthdays all round

Trooping the Colour was our main theme this episode, what with carriage rides and marching and fly pasts and Charlotte taking a tumble on the royal balcony. It’s always a spectacle every year, and one you know you’re going to see all the little royal kiddies at, which is even funner when they do unexpected things like clap their hand over their giggling cousin’s mouth during the national anthem. Savage Savannah!

Of course, everyone was hanging to see what Meghan was going to wear and how she was going to go on the balcony with her new extended fam. The answer: an off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera and recycled hat, and she asked Harry when to curtsey to the Queen when she returned from the Trooping.

Cath as usual was regal AF at all times, and looked a right picture striding out onto that balcony in her elegant get up. Alexander McQueen, I’m told. Tons of folks opted for blue again, including Liz herself.

Happy birthday, Lizzie!

We had a discussion about who rides in the parade, and what they wear – this year we had Prince Charles, Colonel of the Welsh Guards; Prince William, Colonel of the Irish Guards; the Princess Royal, Colonel of the Blues and Royals(hence her black outfit, similar to Harry’s), and Prince Andrew. Harry doesn’t ride on horseback at the event as he’s not a Royal Colonel yet, neither did Andrew until this year when he succeeded his father as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

The Saturday before last marked 65 years since the Queen’s Coronation, which is an extraordinary effort. In amongst all the other things she’s expected to do, the Queen reads official parliament papers and correspondence twice a day, every day (except Christmas), no matter what. A couple of hours in the morning, and again at night – where I’m flaked on the couch with a cold block of Aldi fruit and nut, she’s cracking open official ministerial documents and expected to make sense of them.

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Phil’s celebrated his 97th birthday the day after Trooping, and I celebrated by indulging in many black and white pictures of a young hottie.

Our Pip also announced her pregnancy in her regular Waitrose Weekend magazine column, where she devised a workout routine for expectant mothers. No Matterhorn in that, thankfully.

Liz and Charles were also seen opening the Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey, where they saw plenty of artwork and exhibits, including the (rather unsettling) 1509 funeral effigy head of King Henry VII.

Beth was affronted at Will straddling a mortorbike and mourned the loss of his royal hotness, which has been missing since 1998. We also debate whether Harry is past his prime and whether or not the beard should stay.

Both of us were beside ourselves at the prospect of the BBC Countryfile episode that covered the Royal Dairy at Windsor, and BBCOne also had unprecedented access to Balmoral for a documentary in celebration of the Queen’s 65 years on the throne. So if you need either of us, it’s likely we’re bingeing ROYAL RURAL PURSUITS. Deeply pleasing.

What else is good to binge is the new Netflix-style on-demand documentary/TV series platform that launched in Australia this week, where you can get your fill of royal watching whenever you damn well please. TrueRoyalty TV is your new favourite thing.

Liz and Mills met medical detection dogs in one of their outings this week, which is a fantastic photoset if you enjoy canines and Queen Elizabeth looking politely at things.

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Our Queen in sunnies caught the attention of many, as she hosted the first Garden Party of the year. We found out later she’d undergone a relatively simple procedure to remove a cataract, not that she wanted to channel her inner Bono.

As discussed, Meghan and Her Maj were aboard the Royal Train on an overnighter ahead of a day of engagements in Cheshire, which we’ll cover off on the next episode. We joked that Meghan would go all out on the shoulders in response to the fabricated controversy and boy she did NOT DISAPPOINT. And what a fetching typewriter cover it was too.

I did mention one of my favourite Cath outfits was the LK Bennett 40s-style suit she wore on her first away day away day to Leicester as part of the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Tour with the Queen, complete with “fairy tale” hat and Episode Angel heels (which are still my favourite and sadly she doesn’t wear them any more, nor can I buy them. Sob!).

Upcoming Royal Events

• Royal Ascot runs from the 19-23 June, which we just missed out on in the podcast but is running as we speak. The fashion rules changed earlier in this year, ruling out “strapless, off the shoulder, one shoulder, halter neck, bardot and spaghetti straps”, which will upset Meghan’s apple cart. I mean, she showed up in some casual bespoke Givenchy, so no biggie, but there was absolutely not a hint of shoulder.
• Louis’ christening – rumoured to be very soon
• Wimbledon next month, expect to see Cath as she’s patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and a huge tennis-lover
• Duke and Duchess of Sussex Autumn tour announced, which you will find Beth and I at, like the true superfans we are.
• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit Dublin, Ireland on 10th & 11th July, and I’ve just heard a couple of days in France are also on the cards.

Find the official Throne Rangers Podcast show page here, where all episodes and show notes will be linked. Do please subscribe and leave a rating/review if you find it to your liking, and share it with your friends/acquaintances/people you hate!