Lady Louise graduates from St. Andrews University

 

Lady Louise's degree is in English and International Relations.  The 22-year-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh plans to take a gap year, "intending to combine work, volunteering, and travel before exploring her future career plans."

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Although Lady Louise and her younger brother, James, Earl of Wessex, are grandchildren in the male line of the Sovereign, they are not styled as HRH Prince or Princess.  On the morning of Prince Edward's wedding, the Palace released this statement.

Please note the wording:  the Queen DECIDED, and Edward and Sophie agreed that their children would not have royal titles. This was the outcome of the Way Ahead group, to limit the size of the Royal Family.  There is nothing in this statement that offered the opportunity to be styled at HRH Princess Louise.  It was clear in 1999, and it is clear now, that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's two children will not be royal and will not undertake royal duties.

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ROYAL FAMILY OF SERBIA PARTICIPATES IN “BEST OF SERBIA” BUSINESS FORUM IN VALENCIA

 

@Cm Films

Valencia, 2 July 2026 – 

TRH Prince Alexander and Princess Dr Vesna supported and participated in the “Best of Serbia” Business Forum held in Valencia, Spain on 27 June 2026 as part of the “Vidovdan Days”, with the aim of connecting and exchanging ideas between successful Serbian and Spanish entrepreneurs, strengthening the connection of the economies of the two countries, but also promoting our country, culture, economy, and history in the Kingdom of Spain.

@CmFilms

Prince Alexander addressed the audience at the opening ceremony, expressing his pleasure that the event was strengthening ties between Serbia and the Kingdom of Spain, especially given the close relationship between the House of Karadjordjevic and the Spanish Royal Family. “The connections between the Royal Houses of Serbia and Spain are another bond that brings the people and cultures of our two countries even closer together. This further supports the main purpose of this business forum.”

His Royal Highness also reminded us that this year we are marking the 110th anniversary of official diplomatic relations between Serbia and Spain, and that the hand of friendship was extended during one of the most difficult periods in Serbian history. “This business forum is in the spirit of these good and friendly relations; it improves our connections but also contributes to the well-being of our people. 

It is well known that each country's existence, future, and progress are conditioned by its economy. No country in the world can have a strong economy on its own. We are all focused on each other, on mutual cooperation, exchange of ideas, knowledge, goods, and technologies, in order for our national economies to be stronger and more efficient. 

That is why we wholeheartedly supported this gathering, which is also one of the traditions of our family – to contribute to our country and people in any way we can, but also to all our foreign friends. To build bridges of friendship and cooperation”, concluded Prince Alexander, inviting the participants from Spain to visit Serbia and firsthand see how beautiful our country is and how much potential it has.

@CMFilm

HRH Princess Dr Vesna spoke in the “Female Entrepreneurship” panel, sharing her personal experiences of starting, opening, and growing her own professional practices, which was very interesting for the participants. Her Royal Highness also made a historical remark, reminding that HM Queen Maria, the great-grandmother of her husband, was a great example of a woman ahead of her time, who supported female education and the empowerment of women. 

Together with the Prince, the speakers at the opening ceremony were also HE Irena Sarac, the Ambassador of Serbia to the Kingdom of Spain, Mr. Miljan Randjelovic, Assistant for Economic Diplomacy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Mr Vladimir Kokanovic, Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Ms Branislava Simanic, Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, and Ms Milena Lazic Tejeda, on behalf of the Organising Committee of the Business Forum. 

Prince Alexander on this occasion also presented the Royal Compound in Belgrade as a beautiful tourist site which attracts with its contents both domestic and foreign visitors. He also spoke about the work of Crown Prince Alexander’s Foundation for Education and Culture, and his vision that the Royal Complex should become a gathering and educational point for young people, where they will share ideas and gain new knowledge, which would be important for their further development and careers.

Ms Lazic Tajeda on this occasion said: “We achieved concrete results, established valuable connections, and created new opportunities for cooperation between Serbian and Spanish businesses. The forum provided an excellent platform to showcase the talent, expertise, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit that Serbian companies bring to the international market. Just two days later, we continued this momentum with an important meeting at one of the leading construction companies in Spain.

We are especially honoured that our initiative was recognised and supported by His Royal Highness Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, whose presence added great significance and prestige to this important gathering. Following the announcement of his participation, Spanish institutions, media representatives, and companies expressed significant interest in the event. We sincerely thank Their Royal Highnesses Prince Aleksandar and Princess Vesna for their support and for contributing to the success of this initiative.

It is important to emphasise that we are extremely proud to have such highly educated, both traditional and open-minded members of the Royal Family, who represent Serbia among international circles with dignity, professionalism, and a positive vision. We believe this is only the beginning of promoting Serbian knowledge, expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit in Spain. We remain committed to supporting this mission and warmly welcome future opportunities for cooperation and joint projects. We are proud that this first business forum brought together people, ideas, and businesses, creating a strong foundation for future partnerships and successful projects between Serbia and Spain.”

On 28 June, Vidovdan, Their Royal Highnesses participated in the celebration of this Holiday, attended the Holy Liturgy, and the solemn celebration of the Serbian religious and national holiday, using this opportunity as well to connect with our diaspora.

The “Best of Serbia” Business Forum was held as part of the “Vidovdan Days” (Vidovdan is a great and important Serbian national and religious holiday), on which the Serbian economy, tradition, and culture were presented in the Kingdom of Spain, in order to better and more closely connect business people from the two countries. One of the main topics was: "Why invest in Serbia?", also covering EXPO promotion, considering that Spain is one of the 12 major exhibitors at the upcoming Specialised Exhibition in Belgrade, but also discussing key sectors for cooperation between Serbia and Spain, from energy, IT, digitalisation, infrastructure, tourism, food production, etc. 

@CmFilms

The business forum in Valencia was organised with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Madrid, the Directorate for Diaspora and Cooperation with Serbs in the region of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia.

 

Belvoir Castle - June 11, 2026

Belvoir Castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, in Leicestershire, was on our original schedule last year, but due to the wedding of the Duke's eldest daughter, Lady Violet, to Viscount Garnock, we had to change plans.  The castle is usually open from Wednesday through Monday.   

https://www.belvoircastle.com/

I arrived in London on June 10th and headed from Heathrow to Paddington (Heathrow Express) to King's Cross (Hammersmith & City Line), where I would catch a train to Harrogate via Leeds.   My flight was on time, so when I got to King's Cross, I went into the ticket office to see if I could get the earlier train that left at 10:40 a.m.  Paid £10 for the change.  Watched the departure board only to notice that train after train heading north was delayed.  The fine print noted that between Peterborough and Stevenage a person had been hit by a train.  

I went back into the ticket office to find out more.  I was told that I could use the ticket on any train.   As I was leaving the office, the woman who had done my ticket exchange brought me back to her window, refunded the £10, and issued me another ticket.  

The departure board now notes that all the trains are canceled.  I get in line outside the ticket office with a LNER representative, who asks me where I am going. I said Harrogate (and I can go via Leeds or York). She said I could walk to Euston and get a train to Manchester, then Leeds or St Pancras to Sheffield, where I could get a train to Leeds.    I asked which would be better.  She responded: St. Pancras (which is across the street from King's Cross). 

I said thank you and walked across the street.  St. Pancras was crazy.  I had to walk all the way to the end of the station, take the escalator to the second floor, and then walk all the way back to the departure area.  The other escalators were closed because of the crowds.

The line for the Sheffield train was horrendous.  I think I got on the second train. A nice person helped me and my luggage onto the train.  I managed to get a window seat, but we were all crammed in with people sitting on the floor as well.  No snack trolley.  To get to the loo, one had to climb over a few people.    It takes about 2 hours to get to Sheffield.  At one point, the conductor came on to say that the train was making an unscheduled stop in Duffield, just past Derby, as someone had pushed the emergency button.

The emergency services got on at Duffield and assisted a young woman off the train after she became unwell on the crowded train. Just after the train pulled out of Chesterfield, the conductor came on again, and from the sound of his voice, it was apparent he did not want to give more bad news.  We would be delayed into Sheffield and would have to take a cross-county diversion as a car had hit the railroad bridge.  Let's just say, the train eventually arrived in Sheffield.   I still had two trains to catch.   I also needed to get a sandwich and a bottle of water.  And then I was off to Leeds, a 40-minute-or-so journey ... and then a train to Harrogate, which suffered from low power.   I should have arrived in Harrogate at 1:20 p.m.   I did not arrive until just before 6 p.m.

The conductor reminded travelers about the delay refund.  When I got to Harrogate, I asked what this was, and how to do it.  I was given the link to the website.  I filled out the form and hit the submit button.  Because the delay was more than two hours, I received a total refund: £39.60!!!!!!

Michael and Alison Rhodes were waiting at the train station.  I was soooooo happy to see them.   After dropping off my luggage and having a cup of tea,  we decided to go to The Fisherman's Wife in Harrogate.  I chose the small haddock and chips, sticky toffee pudding for dessert, and a large glass of chardonnay.

https://thefishermanswife.co.uk/

On Thursday, June 11, we piled into the Cooper and headed toward Belvoir Castle. It rained nearly the entire day, but that did not dampen our spirits.

This is Bertie the Bear, who lives at Belvoir Castle.  You can play Find Bertie - there are clues in the booklet that are given to kids.  I asked if I could find Bertie.  I said: I found all of the Clarence the Corgis on the Royal Yacht Britannia.  I was handed the booklet and a pencil.  I can take pictures, observe, take in all the history, and look for Bertie.

There are many family photographs on display.   Belvoir Castle is first and foremost a family home.

Lady Violet is the first of the Duke and Duchess' five children to marry

Afternoon tea was created at Belvoir Castle by the Duchess of Bedford.

We had lunch in the Aviary Tearoom  https://www.belvoircastle.com/castle-dining/aviary-tearoom

Another Bertie

the chapel

This room is where many of Lord and Lady Garnock's wedding photos were taken

Coronation chairs from 1937 and 1952

found another Bertie

On the left,  Frances Sweeney, daughter of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll.  Frances was the mother of the present Duke of Rutland.

Can you find Bertie?

There used to be a brewery at Belvoir

We planned to do an hour-long garden tour, but the little shuttle had broken down, so no garden tour!

The castle is high up on a hill -- and it is a long upward walk from the parking lot to the castle's entrance.

Michael Rhodes inspecting the horse

The fox has been moved to the new animal trail between the Castle and the animal farm.

Michael and Alison heading toward the gardens

Heading into the rose garden

I wandered down a path that led me to the private entrance.  The path continues, but you cannot leave it to walk toward the private entrance.

Part of the private gardens

I walked a bit further before turning back to find Michael and Alison.

Would have enjoyed a cup of tea .... but the rain....

We made our way back down the winding footpath to the parking lot and crossed the road Belvoir Retail Village, which includes restaurants, shops and an Animal Farm (which was closed)

Ladscape designer Capability Brown

Even though the Animal Farm was closed, I was able to see a few animals, including these adorable pigs

This was my prize:  a cute sticker.  I keep it with my Clarence the Corgi button that I got at the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Back into the Cooper for the nearly 2-hour ride back to Harrogate.  During the ride, we discussed possible places for dinner, and settled on The Queen's Head Inn at Kettlesing, just outside Harrogate.  I chose the Wensleydale (Cheese) and Bacon salad.  Soooooo good.  And a Pimms.

https://www.queensheadkettlesing.co.uk/eat.php

@Michael Rhodes

Michel also snapped a few photos of me at Belvoir Castle.

Bertie is not in this room  

Ahh, the next room!!!

A bit wet.  

Belvoir is pronounced Beaver Castle. It has been used for numerous film and TV productions, including The Crown.

Books about Belvoir.

https://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2026/07/books-about-belvoir-castle.html

The following day, I left Harrogate for London, arriving at King's Cross and catching a bus to Camden Town, where I was staying in an Airbnb—in fact, the same place as last year.   After checking in and being treated to a cup of tea, I headed to Piccadilly to shop at Fortnum & Mason and Hatchards, where I bought Hugo Vickers' biography of Queen Elizabeth II.   

It was an early night, as I wanted to be on the Mall by 6 a.m., for the Trooping.

Michael Rhodes runs the very excellent Peerage News Blog.

https://peeragenews.blogspot.com/