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The Queen Just Gifted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the Vacation House of Dreams


A lot of newlyweds would probably kill for a house of their own as they begin their marriage—but royals being royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not one, but three. They’ve apparently rented a “love nest” in the gorgeous Cotswolds along with their cottage on Kensington Palace grounds—but the latest digs come as a gift from Queen Elizabeth, and it happens to be the perfectly lovely York Cottage.

The house is located on the grounds of Sandringham Estate, where family tends to hang out: The Queen has one of her favorite homes on the property, and she gave Prince William and Kate Middleton Anmer Hall after they got married.

Meghan and Harry’s new digs date all the way back to King Edward VII, who gave it to his son, the future King George V in 1893. According to Metro, it’s been called “eccentric” and is “said to resemble ‘three Merrie England pubs joined together,’ which all sounds pretty great?

Of course, the “cottage” is a cottage only to a royal, as it’s pretty massive. Currently it’s both a holiday home and the central office for Sandringham staff—so there might be a few renovations in store for the newlyweds to make it their own. Check it this timelessly charming pic of it:

PHOTO: T.M.O.Buildings / Alamy Stock Photo

As Metro points out, York Cottage once had a now fairly ironic nickname: the Bachelor’s Cottage.

Don’t expect the couple to move in just yet, though: They live—and will probably continue to live—in Nottingham Cottage. According to Metro, the Queen knew Harry and Meghan would need to get away from it all, and thusly gifted them another cottage (one can never have too many).

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Queen Elizabeth II Has a Never-Before-Seen Photo of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on Her Mantle


Queen Elizabeth II may be the head of the British Monarchy, but, deep down, she’s just like any other grandmother, decorating her home with photos of her grandkids.

Want proof? An eagle-eyed reporter at Hello magazine spotted a never-before-seen picture of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle adorning the queen’s table in Buckingham Palace. The reporter spotted the pic in the background of a shot taken Wednesday during the queen’s private audience with George Brandis, the Australian high commissioner to the U.K. The framed photo — one of a few others that are blocked — shows Markle wearing a pale blue dress nuzzled up against her prince in a blue suit. It’s unclear where, exactly, the picture was taken, though Hello speculates that it could be from a selection of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s engagement photos that were never released publicly.

PHOTO: Getty Images

See the pic up close, below:

The queen and Prince Harry are known to have a close bond, so it’s hardly surprising that she’d decorate her home with photos of him and Markle. “Don’t forget she’s hugely close to her grandson,” royal expert Katie Nicholl said ahead of the royal wedding. “They have a very special relationship. She is thrilled to be seeing Harry settle down and finally marry.”

Not to mention that there was another tough audience that immediately took to Harry’s significant other: the queen’s corgis.

“It was very sweet,” Markle said of meeting the pups. To which Prince Harry responded: “For the last 33 years, I’ve been barked at. This one walks in, and absolutely nothing! Just wagging tails.”

Considering there was also an entire batch of official portraits taken on the day of the royal wedding that included Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and the queen herself, we’re willing to bet that there will be a new addition to the mantle in the near future.

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The Queen Just Formally Approved of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Marriage


With just six short days to go until the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the world is gearing up to watch what’s sure to be an a remarkably stunning ceremony. And even though we all might be enamored by the adorable couple and their fairytale romance, the union is short of impossible if royal protocol isn’t strictly followed.

Under the 2013 Succession of the Crown Act, it’s imperative that Harry, as sixth in line to the throne, obtain formal permission to wed—a permission that’s granted only by the current sitting monarch, the Queen. If consent is given, the couple will, following the church union, receive a written document from the royal monarch signifying her formal approval of their union.

Fear not: The Queen has formally consented to the lovely couple’s pending vows (whew!), and luckily for us, we don’t have to wait until Saturday for a first glimpse at this formal written acknowledgement.

On Sunday, Kensington Palace posted images of the Instrument of Consent, the ye-olde-sounding document that formally notes the Queen’s consent of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage (one which she formally gave to the couple at the meeting of the Privy Council on March 14).

Take a peek at the gorgeous document below:

Drafted by the Crown Office, the Instrument of Consent was handwritten and illuminated on vellum, a medium used only for highly important state documents in the U.K.

PHOTO: WPA Pool

The paperwork is stunning, to say the least: It definitely looks more like something in a museum than your average city clerk-bestowed marriage license. Here are a few close-ups of the beautifully-crafted document, penned in stunning script:

Royal Wedding preparations

PHOTO: WPA Pool

Royal Wedding preparations

PHOTO: WPA Pool

Royal Wedding preparations

PHOTO: Victoria Jones WPA/Getty Images

Adorned with intricate and colorful designs, the document celebrates Harry and Meghan’s heritage and adjoining future together and is embellished with symbols representing both the U.K. and the U.S. On the left side of the text, for instance, you’ll see a red dragon, symbolic of Wales, with a rose, thistle and shamrock, which are the official floral emblems of the U.K. The design also features Prince Harry’s Label and includes three tiny red shells from the Spencer family arms, a tribute to the prince’s mother, the late Princess Diana.

Illustrations to the right of the text include a rose, emblematic of the United States, which is adorned by two golden poppies, symbols of Markle’s birthplace of California. Additionally, beneath Prince Harry’s label are two olive branches: adopted from the U.S. Great Seal.

Take a look at some close-ups of the ornate embellishments—and their explanations from Kensington’s Instastory—below:

Kensington Royal Instastory
Kensington Royal Instastory
Kensington Royal Instastory
Kensington Royal Instastory

Referring to Prince Harry in the formal document as her “dearly beloved” grandson, the Queen formally acknowledges the pending nuptials between Meghan and Harry, stating: “NOW KNOW YE that We have consented and do by these Presents signify Our Consent to the contracting of Matrimony between Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, K.C.V.O., and Rachel Meghan Markle.”

The royal wedding will take place this Saturday, May 19 at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. (Here’s how to watch it!)

Obsessed with the Royals? Same. Click here to get Meghan Markle updates—and more—from Glamour’s daily newsletter.

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Here's Why Queen Elizabeth II Has Two Birthdays


Born on April 21, 1926, Queen Elizabeth II is Britain’s longest reigning monarch—and she turns 92 today. Although she’ll celebrate her birthday on Saturday with the royal family, she’ll get double the fun in June with another birthday celebration on June 9. Why? Apparently, it’s royal tradition for the sovereign to have both a private birthday and a public birthday. The private celebration takes place on the monarch’s actual birthday and the public event often takes place in the summer—when the weather is nicer.

Yep, that’s an actual thing: The royals celebrate a second birthday when the sun is more likely to be shining—and early summer offers much better chances of that, thanks to the rainy weather in the U.K. The June celebration is when the royal family takes part in the Trooping the Color parade.

According to People, the tradition likely started in 1748, during the reign of King George II, who was born in October. The annual Trooping of the Color had become a celebration of the King and the armed forces, but it needed to be moved to a date with better weather. King Edward VII, who reigned at the beginning of the 20th century, was also born during the colder months on November 9. His birthday was also celebrated in May or June, thanks to the parade. It’s now tradition that the parade be held on the second Saturday in June.

But back to her actual birthday! During the Queen’s private celebration on Saturday, there will be a special concert held for the Queen at the Royal Albert Hall in London with the royal family. Performers will include Kylie Minogue, Sting, Shaggy, Shawn Mendes, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Anne-Marie, Craig David, Sir Tom Jones, and Donel Mangena.

The royal family’s official Twitter also celebrated the Queen by releasing some archived photos of her when she was 20 and 21 years old.

She was also greeted this morning by The Band of the Irish Guards playing “Happy Birthday” during the Changing of the Guard.

Happy Birthday, Queen Liz!

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Getting a Very Scottish Wedding Present From Queen Elizabeth II


On May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be married at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. And when it comes to who is taking who’s name, the royals do things a little differently. On their wedding day, the couple will be given totally new titles. Of course, one title just won’t be enough for the royal couple: In addition to their English titles, Queen Elizabeth II will honor each of them with a second Scottish title on their wedding day.

When Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in 2011, the Queen gave them the formal English titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Harry and Meghan will follow suit: It’s expected that the couple will be named the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, according to Harper’s Bazaar UK.

However, it’s tradition for Queen Elizabeth to bestow the newlyweds with Scottish titles as well—and the royals are all about tradition. In addition to their Cambridge titles, William and Kate were given the titles of Earl and Countess of Strathearn. Prince Charles is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, and Prince Philip is known as the Duke of Edinburgh. According to the Press and Journal, these official titles are used when the royals are in Scotland.

As for Harry and Meghan? They’ll likely become the Earl and Countess of Ross. Ross is expected to go to Harry as it has a history of being given to royal second sons.

Their official titles won’t be announced until their wedding day, so we’ll have to wait until then to know exactly which Scottish titles they receive. In the meantime, we’ll be trying to memorize all of the different royal names to keep them straight.

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Meghan Markle Won the Queen Over With This Novelty Christmas Gift


Figuring out what to gift your in-laws for the holidays is no easy feat—so imagine how hard it is when those in-laws are British royalty. What do you give the woman who literally has access to the crown jewels? Meghan Markle, however, seems to know just the thing: When she joined her fiancé Prince Harry for their very first Christmas together as an engaged couple this past December, the actress scored major points with the Queen thanks to a hilariously offbeat novelty gift she brought along with her.

According to The Daily Star Online, it’s tradition within the royal family to partake in a silly, tongue-in-cheek gift exchange on Christmas Eve. So, sticking with royal holiday protocol, Markle decided to present the Queen with—drumroll, please—a singing toy hamster.

Yes, you read that correctly: Meghan Markle gave her future grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, a singing toy hamster.

While a seemingly unorthodox gift, the toy was, according to The Daily Mail, an absolute hit—particularly with the family’s matriarch, who supposedly began laughing as soon as she opened it. The fun didn’t end there, either: The Queen’s corgis tried to take the gift from her lap, so she quipped, “They can keep my dogs company!” Markle also reportedly gave the Duke of Cambridge a “Tam O Shanter hat, complete with fake ginger hair attached.” (If only my family parties could be this entertaining.)

In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4, for which Prince Harry has recently been serving as guest editor, the fifth in line for the throne gushed over how well the pair’s first Christmas together with his family went. “Oh, it was fantastic,” Harry explained. “[Meghan] really enjoyed it. The family loved having her there.”

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