Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London: April 16-20, 2018

[Pranter]

THE QUEEN'S DINNER AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Thursday 19th April 2018

Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, will host The Queen's Dinner at Buckingham Palace on the evening of Thursday 19th April 2018.

Her Majesty, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, will receive Commonwealth Heads of Government and their spouses in the Blue Drawing Room, where the evening will commence with a drinks reception. The dinner will take place in the Picture Gallery, where Her Majesty will give a speech.

Members of the royal family in attendance will include the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Princess Michael of Kent.



So no Meghan at the dinner...I thought she'd be at that one.


LaRae

I think Meghan will attend some of the forums, esp with Harry. It would be great if she went with Camilla on the 18th to this:

"The Duchess of Cornwall will attend a roundtable meeting and the closing session of Women's Forum at the QEII Centre."
(Source: Majesty MAgazine)

I don't think she will attend formal events yet.

Why wouldn't they mention Meghan is attending, just like they did when she went with him to the Commonwealth Services.



LaRae

 

[PetticoatLane]

Should we expect tiaras on this occasion? HM has worn a tiara at these events previously or was that a separate dinner at the CHOGM?

If so there would be a large number of tiaras on display and maybe Beatrice and Eugenie would get their first opportunity to wear one?

 

[RoyalHighness 2002]

For the dinner, I wonder how they will walk in and be seated. If it the members of the Royal Family are arriving alone, then we should get a good view of Princess Beatrice because she would then go along with the Duke of Cambridge during the procession.

 

[ACO]

I don't expect Meghan to be involved at all. Never expected the dinner or formal events. This way too official and she not a royal yet. I do think she will likely be at the concert for the Queen's birthday though.

 

[Somebody]

THE QUEEN'S DINNER AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Thursday 19th April 2018

Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, will host The Queen's Dinner at Buckingham Palace on the evening of Thursday 19th April 2018.

Her Majesty, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, will receive Commonwealth Heads of Government and their spouses in the Blue Drawing Room, where the evening will commence with a drinks reception. The dinner will take place in the Picture Gallery, where Her Majesty will give a speech.

Members of the royal family in attendance will include the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Princess Michael of Kent.

The order of names is interesting. The queen's grandchildren are listed after their parent(s), which is probably done as normally Charles' sons are given precedence over their uncles and aunts, so the same rule is applied to the York princesses, however, the princess royal should/would normally, come after the Earl and Countess of Wessex...

I don't expect Meghan to be involved at all. Never expected the dinner or formal events. This way too official and she not a royal yet. I do think she will likely be at the concert for the Queen's birthday though.

Nor is Jack Brooksbank invited. I guess they figured they would need to invite either both or none of the royal fiancés.

 

[Dman]

I don’t expect the royal fiancée/fiancé to be named in the official announcement, but that doesn’t mean Meghan won’t attend.

Diana wasn’t a senior royal yet, but she attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace before her wedding. She probably wasn’t named in the official announcement either. No, Diana, didn’t wear a tiara for the banquet.

I guess we just have to wait and see if Meghan attends on the day of. I’m sure the royal reporters will tweet about it.

 

[Pranter]

Should we expect tiaras on this occasion? HM has worn a tiara at these events previously or was that a separate dinner at the CHOGM?

If so there would be a large number of tiaras on display and maybe Beatrice and Eugenie would get their first opportunity to wear one?

Yes it should be a tiara event but IIRC in the BRF unmarried women don't wear tiaras.


LaRae

I don’t expect the royal fiancée/fiancé to be named in the official announcement, but that doesn’t mean Meghan won’t attend.

Diana wasn’t a senior royal yet, but she attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace before her wedding. She probably wasn’t named in the official announcement either. No, Diana, didn’t wear a tiara for the banquet.

I guess we just have to wait and see if Meghan attends on the day of. I’m sure the royal reporters will tweet about it.

Oh yes that was the famous black dress event...


LaRae

 

[RoyalHighness 2002]

Yes it should be a tiara event but IIRC in the BRF unmarried women don't wear tiaras.


LaRae

Do you know when that rule was put into place because Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, and Princess Anne wore tiaras before marriage?

 

[Osipi]

Oh yes that was the famous black dress event...


LaRae

Actually that black dress event wasn't a state banquet but rather a charity event at Goldsmiths' Hall in London.

Diana attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace for the Nigerian President, Sharari in March of 1981 while engaged to Charles.

 

[Mbruno]

The order of names is interesting. The queen's grandchildren are listed after their parent(s), which is probably done as normally Charles' sons are given precedence over their uncles and aunts, so the same rule is applied to the York princesses, however, the princess royal should/would normally, come after the Earl and Countess of Wessex...

And the Duke of Duchess iof Gloucester should come before the Duke of Kent, shouldn’t they ?

 

[cepe]

Why wouldn't they mention Meghan is attending, just like they did when she went with him to the Commonwealth Services.



LaRae

The media mentioned a few weeks ago that H&M would be involved in CHOGM. That was my starting point. I thought it meant that she would have the opportunity to meet some of the Commonwealth officials (ie Baroness Scotland).

I dont expect her to meet HoGov therefore not attending the dinner.

I think she could attend the Forums as an observer (not taking a leading role) therefore not mentioned in advance.

When she attended Commonwealth Service she was part of the official royal party, hence the announcement. But no appearance in the CC.

 

[Iluvbertie]

THE QUEEN'S DINNER AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Thursday 19th April 2018

Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, will host The Queen's Dinner at Buckingham Palace on the evening of Thursday 19th April 2018.

Her Majesty, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, will receive Commonwealth Heads of Government and their spouses in the Blue Drawing Room, where the evening will commence with a drinks reception. The dinner will take place in the Picture Gallery, where Her Majesty will give a speech.

Members of the royal family in attendance will include the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Princess Michael of Kent.



So no Meghan at the dinner...I thought she'd be at that one.


LaRae

I am surprised not to see a lot of discussion on the two announced women who will be attending their first such dinner - Beatrice and Eugenie. This then is their 'coming out' dinner at this level which will be interesting.

As Eugenie is also engaged it would be strange for Meghan to attend and not Jack ... but maybe they will both be there with partners or is it that Beatrice and Eugenie will be there to make up the balance with Kate on maternity leave and no Meghan for Harry.

 

[Somebody]

And the Duke of Duchess iof Gloucester should come before the Duke of Kent, shouldn’t they ?

Yes, indeed! As the Duke of Gloucester was the older brother (eventhough the current Duke of Kent became a royal Duke many years before the current Duke of Gloucester. Princess Michael of Kent is behind princess Alexandra as her husband is not accompanying her, so at leadt that is according to the order of precedence (although I wouldn't have been surprised had she been ahead of her younger brother as well given the mess-up).

 

[Pranter]

Do you know when that rule was put into place because Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, and Princess Anne wore tiaras before marriage?

I read somewhere, something changed and they went with the no tiara before married thing, maybe it was just a changing time? I've never heard of the York girls wearing one? Might of just been bad info I read too!


LaRae

 

[Iluvbertie]

We have never seen the York girls at a formal function though so we don't know if they ever wear them.

I have heard that the Christmas Eve dinner at Sandringham is a tiara affair so maybe they have work one there but with no photos being made available we simply don't know.

 

[Princess Larisa]

I really hope Beatrice and Eugenie wear a tiara, since they only have one, the other would have to be borrowed, so I’m hoping for something long unseen from the Queen’s stash.
On the other hand, Lady Gabriella attended a State Banquet for Spain and didn’t wear a tiara, despite her family owning more than one.

 

[Pranter]

So this will be interesting then, tiara watch for the York girls! Will Beatrice wear the York? What would Eugenie wear? Hmmmm.


LaRae

 

[ACO]

Nor is Jack Brooksbank invited. I guess they figured they would need to invite either both or none of the royal fiancés.

Makes sense. I really don't think she will be involved at all but if I am proven wrong then that's cool.

Glad for the Yorks. I hope they do wear a tiara though I wonder if Eugenie will be tempted not to so her wedding will be the first time we see her in one.

 

[Iluvbertie]

If the 'unmarried girls/women' don't wear tiaras is a real rule than neither York Princess will wear a tiara at this dinner.

Sarah has one tiara but that isn't necessarily available for either of the girls and maybe the Queen would prefer that they didn't wear that one at such an event anyway - given the fact that Sarah is now out of the family.

We will have to wait and see.

What we will definitely see is whether either or both of them have been given The Queen's Family Honour (and imagine the conniption here is they have it and Kate doesn't ... )

 

[Osipi]

What we will definitely see is whether either or both of them have been given The Queen's Family Honour (and imagine the conniption here is they have it and Kate doesn't ... )

That won't come to pass as Kate isn't expected to be at the formal dinner with or without the RFO. She's going to be more concentrated on the little one and staying off her feet.

 

[jacqui24]

If the 'unmarried girls/women' don't wear tiaras is a real rule than neither York Princess will wear a tiara at this dinner.

I think that rule only applies to those that aren't born princesses.

 

[Iluvbertie]

That won't come to pass as Kate isn't expected to be at the formal dinner with or without the RFO. She's going to be more concentrated on the little one and staying off her feet.

But Kate has been appearing at these sorts of events now for a few years so it will cause a melt-down with some posters if at the very first dinner the girls tur up with it and she hasn't.

 

[Osipi]

That's a good point. Actually, I would be very surprised if the York girls do not have the RFO though. They've just never had any occasion to wear them in public up until now. They've been part of the Queen's family since birth and that's what the RFO is for. Family of the monarch.

 

[Dman]

The family orders are for senior working royal ladies in the family. I wouldn't expect Beatrice and Eugenie to have it. They're not senior working royals.

Yes, that would be a slap in Catherine's face publicly for sure.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The RFO is for whomever the monarch of the day wishes to have it. The present Queen had George V's for instance and she was most certainly NOT a senior working royal during his reign as he died before she was 10. Princess Margaret wasn't even 8 and she also had it - royal granddaughters of the King during his reign being their only qualification.

The Queen may have given it to them at birth - we don't know. They are after all Princess 'of York' as she herself was when born. She may not have given it to them of course.

It is NOT for 'senior working royal ladies' at all. It is for members of the family the monarch wishes to honour and nothing else.

There are already two examples from HM that she doesn't require them to be 'senior working royals' - Princess Alexandra 1952 aged 15 (she didn't turn 16 until Christmas Day that year) and Princess Anne - aged 18/19 depending on the exact date. She didn't start being a full-time working royal until into the late 1970s when she gave up being a world class equestrienne, which was her main occupation from the late 60s until the mid-late 70s.

With those examples it wouldn't surprise to find out that both the York Princesses have had the order since they were 18 or 21 but as they haven't had a chance to wear it in public we haven't seen it.

 

[Osipi]

Actually, the Royal Family Order is not restricted to "working" royals only. It is a family order that is given to members of the Queen's family at her will and her pleasure and nothing more or less. It is only given to female members of the royal family.

So, yes, I'd be very surprised if Beatrice and Eugenie did not have their grandmother's RFO.

 

[Dman]

Yeah, okay, we shall see.

 

[Madame Verseau]

Beatrice and Eugenie are going to make up for not going to the Commonwealth service. Andrew always wanted his daughters to be recognized and treated as senior royals; he may have pushed for them to be in attendance. Let's face it, if Kate and Meghan attended the cameras would be on them.

 

[sndral]

I have long suspected that Beatrice and/or Eugenie would in the future attend the occasional formal or state dinner much as non senior members of the extended family do now. Princess Michael has attended several.
I assumed they would do so as the Queen’s cousins became too infirm to attend, most likely during their Uncle’s reign or even as late as William’s, so their attendance this early is a bit of a surprise.

 

[ACO]

Beatrice and Eugenie are going to make up for not going to the Commonwealth service. Andrew always wanted his daughters to be recognized and treated as senior royals; he may have pushed for them to be in attendance. Let's face it, if Kate and Meghan attended the cameras would be on them.

They should be in attendance! I do agree this is a good chance for them to have attention on them because you are 100% correct about Kate and Meghan getting the focus otherwise.

It also seems that Harry has become the official President of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. He is listed as such on the official website. I believe last year it was revealed this would be launched right before CHOGM. They likely will announce it next week sometime. I suspect Meghan will also join.

Here is the website https://www.queenscommonwealthtrust.org