Royal Special: The Passions and Pastimes of the Royal Family

This year’s Tokyo Film Festival (TIFF) has three Japanese filmmakers playing in competition — a haul that TIFF programming director Ichiyama Shozo told Deadline is a welcome high for the fest. 

Naman Ramachandran Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has wrapped his latest film “Last Defenders of Monogamy.” The cast is headlined by popular Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury (“Karagar,” “Hawa”) and Xefer Rahman and the cast also includes Samina Hussain Prema and Shuddho Rai. The film follows Shafqat (Chowdhury), a father of two adolescents and a loving husband, who is a firm believer in the ideals of monogamy but the winds of change take a big test of his ideologies. “Working with Farooki is always special.

Billy Connolly has admitted that he made ­“ridiculous” diva-like demands when on tour.

Kate Middleton is an "incredibly successful import into the Royal Family" but she is in a "lonely position", a royal expert said. The Princess of Wales has certainly taken on more responsibilities since the Queen died last year, alongside her husband Prince William, with the royal couple now seeking a CEO for their household.

As devoted parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the Prince and Princess of Wales are determined to allow their three children to enjoy as much fun and freedom as possible, despite traditional royal constraints. “They seem to want them to have a normal life, and to be far more involved as parents than previous generations,” says Tom Quinn, author of a book about royal children called Gilded Youth. “King Charles and his brothers and sister had to follow 200-year-old royal customs, where every day for half an hour, they were dressed up and taken to their parents for what was like a formal audience.They would then disappear downstairs to be looked after by the staff.

The sight and sound of the royals playing musical instruments is not something we are often privy to, but many of them are skilful musicians who can more than hold a tune. Unsurprisingly, cream of the crop in the musical stakes is the Princess of Wales, who holds a Grade Three in piano and flute, plus Grade Five in singing and theory.

There are very few people who don’t enjoy a good boogie from time to time, and members of the Royal Family are no exception. From an early age, the late Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret had ballet lessons provided by London’s renowned Vacani School of Dance, which also taught a young Prince Charles years later.

With an exclusive menu prepared by chefs and served by footmen on a silver tray, Queen Elizabeth’s pampered pooches dined every day on freshly cooked meat, vegetables, rice and a special gravy, said to be made from Her Majesty’s own recipe.The late Queen described her dogs as her “family”, and over the course of her life she owned more than 30 corgis. Diana, Princess of Wales, once referred to the monarch’s dogs as a “moving carpet” that would accompany her to meetings with world leaders and prime ministers.

a selfie with them.Journalist Jen Su and her friends spotted the duchess, 42, on their way out to eat on Thursday evening.“Landed in LA and on our way to dinner, we ran into Meghan Markle,” Su captioned the snapshot on Instagram.“Totally low-key and super friendly, nice conversation. #girlsnightout#meghanmarkle #losangeles,” she added.Markle donned a simple fitted Polo Ralph Lauren Oversize Fit Striped Linen Shirt (that retails for $168.00) and aviator sunglasses.The “Suits” alum and her husband, Prince Harry, left the rainy streets of England for the sunny shores of Montecito, California, in 2020.Markle has been keeping an eye on Hollywood for quite some time, as she signed with talent agency WME in April.

Daily Mail. “I’ll try.”Last month, Middleton was also seen wearing Band-Aids on the same two fingers while visiting High Down Prison in Surrey.The incident was due to jumping on a trampoline with children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.The Duchess of Cambridge has bandaged her hand on more than one occasion.

Diana, Princess of Wales was the chief prankster of the family, often doing cheeky things or buying naughty gifts for her sons. Several stories about Diana’s mischievous antics have been made public, from a funny tradition where she gifted her godchildren the noisiest presents to irritate her friends to the time she pranked Prince William with three famous supermodels, the royal was certainly very cheeky. But it would appear that the late princess's naughty tricks didn't stop with her children as she also liked to do cause trouble with other members of her family.

told the Express.Quinn, who wrote “Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family,” said Harry has always played “second fiddle” to his older brother Prince William, who is first in line to the throne.“You can’t change the fact that William and Kate [Middleton] are number one,” Quinn said.And the feeling of being an afterthought within the monarchy may have contributed to his desire for a fresh take on a relationship, Quinn suggests.“All Harry’s complaining is really about the fact that he’s not number one, he doesn’t have a bigger role,” the expert shared.“It’s obvious when you think about it, but I think she thought she could come into the royal family and be the star.”“And of course, she [Meghan] couldn’t because the monarchial structures are medieval, they’re rigid,” he added.Quinn claims that the pair’s relationship may have kickstarted over Harry’s ongoing royal woes, and Markle’s lust for an “American dream.”Harry, who is currently fifth in line to the throne, left no stone unturned in his bombshell tell-all memoir “Spare,” released in January.In the protocol-shattering book, the exiled prince detailed his experience of feeling second best, and even claimed he was only bred to offer literal spare parts for his brother in case the heir apparent ever needed new organs. “Two years older than me, Willy was the Heir, whereas I was the Spare,” he wrote of his 41-year-old brother William.“I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B.

Hello! magazine that like the monarch, 74, William refuses to eat lunch when out shaking hands and smiling for photographers. While William may sample treats while on the go, he does not like to have a full meal when he’s making public appearances.As for the root of this strange habit, Charles’ former press secretary, Julian Payne, previously gave some insight into why the king doesn’t munch on his midday plate.Payne dished to the Mirror earlier this year: “The king doesn’t eat lunch.”“So, an early lesson I learned when out on the road with him was to have a big breakfast or bring a few snack bars with you to keep you going,” Payne explained.

Sky News Australia where she claimed that Harry, 39, and his wife Meghan Markle are “so adamant that they want to curate their own public image.”“And unfortunately, the more they seem to do that, the more they actually fail,” she explained.Harry and the former actress, 42, departed from the royal family in 2020 and made the grand move to Montecito, California.Since arriving to the West Coast, they have tried to become big players in Hollywood, releasing a medley of content such as their Spotify podcast “Archetypes” and their Netflix doc “Harry & Meghan” last year.However, Krakue believes that the couple’s attempts to stay in the limelight are ineffective.She added: “Many people don’t understand but actually the royal family and their coverage of Prince Harry over the years, they really actually saved his public image.”“Ever since he’s left and he’s been completely in charge of his image, alongside [Markle], it’s completely tanked,” Krakue said.“And it just shows that sometimes actually having the protection of people you may not always agree with is a blessing more than a curse,” she noted.Despite the Invictus Games founder and the “Suits” alum making a home for themselves in the land of glitz and glamour, the prince is reportedly itching to get back to his old life in the United Kingdom.“Prince Harry’s social life has notably shifted over the past decade,” media expert Mark Boardman told OK! magazine recently, adding that Markle is “frustrated” that her husband wants to move back to his homeland.The professional claimed: “He appears to have distanced himself from his college friends and lacks a permanent UK residence.”“During his visits to London, he typically resides in hotels and avoids public appearances.

It was revealed last week that the Princess of Wales will not travel with Prince William to Singapore in November for the third annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony. Instead, the devoted mother-of-three will stay at home in Windsor and support Prince George, 10, through his school exams - those of which will decide if he enters a top-ranking school such as Eton College. Despite some initial sadness that the Princess will not be in attendance at the awards ceremony, after she showed her support during the first year in London and the second in Boston, a leading royal expert has heralded the move as the "best decision".

Mirror reported Tuesday.There has been back and forth for a time between Andrew and Charles, 74, on whether or not the former could stay at his longtime home.The king had previously inquired Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, in an attempt to scale down the monarchy.The outlet then noted that the Duke of York’s been “given time to assure his brother he can come up with the necessary funds to carry out much needed repairs” on the Royal Lodge. Andrew has been given a “stay of execution,” despite the repairs on the 30-room mansion needing more than $2 million to renovate.He also reportedly cashed out on more than $200,000 for roof repairs over the summer.Prince Andrew was famously stripped of his royal and military honors by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, following his alleged friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Fox News.“I just feel that Meghan’s never really embraced the rules and rituals of the royal family,” he explained. “The royal family is very much in the rearview mirror of her life.

The BBC’s royal correspondent who was famously described by the King as an “awful” man, is retiring after nearly five decades with the corporation. Veteran broadcaster Nicholas Witchell, who has covered the royal family since 1998, will retire next year after joining the broadcaster as a graduate news trainee in 1976. In 2005, the then Prince of Wales, was caught on a microphone making remarks about Nicholas, who had asked a question about the royal’s upcoming nuptials to Camilla Parker Bowles during a photoshoot in the Swiss Alps.

After many months of speculation, it appears that the Duke of York will be allowed to keep his home at the 30-room Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, rather than relocate to a smaller home, The Mirror reports.The news comes after ongoing reports that King Charles wishes to downsize the number of properties that make up the royal portfolio, it was suggested that Prince Andrew could move into the slightly smaller Frogmore Cottage - the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan.The paper has revealed that Andrew, 63, has been granted a “stay of execution”, despite his annual £250,000 handout being stopped the King and his home needing an estimated £2million in repairs. It has also been claimed that Prince Andrew had paid more than £200,000 for roof repairs over the summer, described by sources as an "interim payment".

Back in the 90s it was all about the ‘Diana Effect’ - the late royal’s style choices making headlines across the globe. But now in 2023, the ‘Kate Era’ is with us, and it’s here to stay. But gone are the floaty dresses that the Princess of Wales made her trademark.

It is a huge challenge to name any new royal baby, especially if that youngster is destined to one day be king or queen. Almost every royal name has at least one, if not more, links to previous royals. Whether it is William, George, Henry or Elizabeth, it is important that there are no overriding historical associations which will affect their future.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have worked incredibly hard to protect the privacy that their three children are afforded. But as the years go by, they are slowly introducing them to the importance of royal engagements.This gentle upbringing, largely governed by the modern principles in early years development, is something that former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond feels will serve Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis well in the future.

given the royal titles of prince and princess.Now, one expert on the Sussex saga is speaking out — saying that King Charles, even if well-intentioned, made the absolute wrong decision.Tom Bower, author of “Revenge: Megan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors” told the Express recently that Charles’ made a “terrible mistake” by throwing the royal lifeline to his California-dwelling grandkids — saying that the move could well end up embarrassing and even damaging the sovereignty.By decree, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2, are now sixth and seventh in line to the British throne, despite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex making the noisiest of exits from the Firm, back in 2020. “Harry and Meghan have undermined the monarchy,” Bower said.

Mike Tindall has discussed his marriage with royal Zara in a new two-part programme Grand Slammers. In a rare conversation about the royal family, the former rugby international opened up about his relationship with the niece of King Charles. The comments were made as Mike appears alongside his old England teammates, including Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Phil Vickery on the new ITV reality show.

married Prince Harry in 2018, she exited the show.When the Duke of Sussex, 39, first met Markle two years prior to their wedding, he decided to binge-watch the series to get a taste of what his ladylove did for a living. Amid the recent surge in “Suits” viewership since it was added to Netflix in June — and co-star Patrick J.

Kate Middleton has found a new confidant in the royal family following years of feuding with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Express that it’s “unlikely ever to see Meghan in the same frame as [Prince] William and Kate.”Irving went on: “I don’t think [Markle] is comfortable with them because they’re not comfortable with her. I think it’s basically Harry’s appearances that will matter now, not her.” He added that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not using their royal status to become celebrities and are building their media empire on their own.“Harry and Meghan’s celebrity used to rest on the former’s connection to the royal family, but they’ve now been celebrities in their own right for so long that they don’t need to trade on that anymore,” Irving said.He continued: “That’s no longer part of their lives.”Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, moved to California in 2020 once they stepped away from the royal family.He also discussed how Markle won’t be attending many royal engagements anymore as she allegedly doesn’t want to be “accused of embarrassing” King Charles or “being a burden on the monarchy.”Middleton and Markle have not always been the best of friends, with a rift between the sister-in-laws bubbling over in the last few years.The Invictus Games founder even described the tense relationship between the two women in his recent memoir, “Spare,” noting their fight over Markle’s bridesmaid dress fitting in 2018.

Kelly Osbourne has slammed Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle again as she accuses him of taking the “victim road.” On The Osbournes, the podcast that she co-hosts alongside dad Ozzy, mum Sharon and brother Jack, Kelly, 38, said that she feels “a certain level of disappointment” towards the couple - who are reportedly in the midst of a disagreement about spending more time in the UK. “I feel like they had the opportunity to become the most liked, loved people in the entire world that could actually bring some positive change,” the star explained, “I get wanting to leave the Royal Family, I get that, but then just leave.

In the fishbowl of royal life, there are very few people those at the very top can trust, so it must be a great joy and a relief to find an ally behind palace walls. That is exactly what has happened for the Prince and Princess of Wales as they have both formed a close bond with the Duchess of Edinburgh over the years thanks to her dedication to duty, devotion to her charities and all-round discretion.

Shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in Germany for the Invictus Games, it was the Prince and Princess of Wales' time to shine as they had a busy week of a trip abroad and high profile solo engagements. As Prince William touched down in New York for the first Earthshot Prize Awards Summit, he made his passions for the United States clear with a comment posted on the couple’s social media, which read: “It’s so good to be back in the United States.

Royal christenings have for years been enormous events and cause for celebration among keen fans.The ceremonies have been held in various locations, such as in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace or in the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace. One location that has only seen two christenings of living members of the Royal Family holds many special memories.The setting in question is St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where both Princess Eugenie and Princess Charlotte were christened.The stunning church may look familiar as it is where the Royal Family gather almost every year for the annual Christmas Day service before heading back to Sandringham House for lunch.

The late Queen was famous around the world for many reasons - whether that was down to the fact that she had an incredibly vibrant wardrobe, her lifelong love of Corgis or because she was the longest reigning monarch in British history. While the monarch dedicated her entire life to royal service and always carried out her duties effortlessly, there was one part of her job that she reportedly wished she could change.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have earned themselves a brand new celebrity status meaning they no longer need to rely on their royal names to get them by, an expert has claimed.

Hot on the heels of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Invictus Games in Germany, it was the Prince of and Princess of Wales’ turn to shine. While Kate stepped out for important engagements in the UK, William jetted across ‘the pond’ for the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York, armed with his ambitious goal to save the planet via the ten-year project. But there was heartache behind William’s heroism, arriving on Prince Harry’s adopted US ‘home turf’ amid no sign of a reconciliation between the two brothers.

Kate Middleton and her family have remained an "extremely close unit" despite shooting to worldwide fame, a royal expert said. Since Kate tied the knot with Prince William on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey - the Middleton family have remained in the spotlight as relatives of the future Queen and are often spotted supporting the Royal Family.The family made up of parents, Carole and Michael along with their three children, Kate, Pippa and James Middleton no doubt have pressures when it comes to being in the public eye, but seem to have taken it in their stride.

They’ve lost more titles.The drama surrounding Prince Harry, 39 and Meghan Markle, 42, has prompted the baby names “Harry” and “Meghan” to decline in popularity in Britain, according to an analysis by the UK-based BabyCentre.“Crashing down from 13th place to number 23, the previously popular name Harry seems to have had a negative reception from parents this year. Meghan and alternate spelling Megan have also dropped in registrations,” the site wrote, referencing the couple’s “explosive and somewhat controversial” Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan” and Harry’s January memoir “Spare.”The Post reached out to reps for the couple for comment.BabyCentre revealed that several of the top baby names of 2023 have been influenced by culture trends and Hollywood happenings.