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Meghan Markle's First-Ever Royal Speech Proves She's Meant to Be a Duchess


Ever since Meghan Markle announced her engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017, her life has been a frenzy of press appearances, events, and hats (like this one!). Despite all this publicity, though, Markle hasn’t really said much—not publicly, at least. Markle and and Prince Harry sat down for an interview shortly after their engagement reveal, but aside from that, it’s been relatively quiet—just lots of smiling, waving, and breaking royal protocol with messy buns.

But this changed last night at the Endeavour Fund Awards in the U.K., where Markle gave her first-ever royal speech. Because it’s Markle, though, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn her speech “broke” royal tradition. Rebecca English from the Daily Mail noted on Twitter that it’s actually unusual for someone to give a speech before they’re officially married into the royal family. Nevertheless, Markle persisted.

It was for a great cause, too. The Endeavour Fund Awards ceremony honors accomplishments of sick or injured veterans who’ve used sports as part of their recovery. Markle specifically gave the Celebrating Excellence Award to veteran Daniel Claricoates.

Granted, the speech got off to a rocky start—it looks like Claircoates fumbled a bit, but the audience cheered him on anyway. Soon, however, we were off to the races.

“I’m truly privileged to be here,” Markle said, according to People. “Daniel acquired complex post-traumatic stress after multiple tours in Afghanistan with the Royal Marines, during which he was awarded the Military Cross. “Despite his teammates stating that Daniel’s battle with post-traumatic stress was probably the toughest they have ever seen, Daniel joined ’65 Degrees North’ in climbing to the summits of the highest mountains in both Africa and Antartica. Daniel now works with children, assisting them to foster their own spirit of adventure through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Team.”

Check out some clips of Markle’s speech, below:

Spoken like a true almost-duchess, am I right?

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The Royal Family Is Reportedly Hiring a New Assistant, So Prep Your Résumé


Alright, my friends, 2018 is the year you snag your dream job—and if that job’s working for the royal family, then you’re in luck. According to news.com.au and this LinkedIn job posting, the royal family is hiring a communications assistant. That’s right, recent graduates: It’s possible your first post-college job could be with Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and company. Can you imagine?

The lucky person who scores this gig will join the family’s official communications team, which aims to promote “the work, role, relevance, and value of the Royal Family to a worldwide audience.” In other words, you’ll literally get paid to gush about how amazing Prince William and Kate Middleton are. That’s what most people do at happy hour for free.

To be fair, the job’s a little more involved than that: It’s a communications position, so you’ll be writing feature articles, social media posts, and press announcements about the royals. In addition, the assistant will “organize coverage of set-piece Palace engagements, including investitures and garden parties, and provide support as required for off-site engagements.” So attention to detail sounds like a must for this job.

But there are perks, of course. For one, you’d be based in Buckingham Palace and have the opportunity to travel with them overseas and across the U.K. If you’ve ever wanted to watch a bad movie on a private jet with Prince Harry, now’s your chance. (We bet he’s a hilarious travel partner.) If that’s not enough pull for you, though, the assistant also gets 33 vacation days. I’d spend those inside Buckingham Palace just twirling around, to be honest.

What are you waiting for? Prep your résumés and apply here. The Queen is waiting!

Related Stories:

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Meghan Markle Joined the Entire Royal Family for a Pre-Christmas Lunch With the Queen

The Best Photos of the Royal Family on Their Tour of Poland and Germany



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Meghan Markle's First Official Royal Gift Is an Apron. Really?


There are only four months to go before Meghan Markle becomes an official royal, and she’s already received her first official royal gift. Every January, the royal family releases a list of gifts they received over the past year, People reports, and Markle got one this past November when Prince William took a trip to Finland.

The November gift list is two pages long and absolutely fascinating. Prince William got 12 presents, including a wristwatch, a bottle of gin, and two fabric gnomes (!). Princess Charlotte got eight presents, including a child’s baking set, a hobby horse, and several books. The duchess of Cambridge got a necklace. And Meghan Markle got…an apron.

Just saying, Markle loves a lot of other things besides making a roast chicken with Prince Harry. Like calligraphy, which she calls a “lost art form.” Or yoga, which she does with her mom who may or may not be walking her down the aisle. Or novelty toys, like a singing hamster. Or books, or traveling, or Michael Bublé, all of which she’s written about on her lifestyle blog. This $75 sweater is nice. Hell, she’d probably even like that bottle of gin Prince William got. Just saying.

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Kate Middleton Tended to a Sick Boy During a Royal Visit


As any parent can attest, mom and/or dad duty never really ends…even if you’re in the middle of a royal visit. At least, that’s the case for Kate Middleton and Prince William. On Tuesday, People reports, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were paying a visit to an elementary school in Coventry when Middleton’s mom senses started tingling. One 10-year-old student had been waiting in the cold for three hours just to see the royals. When Middleton noticed he was looking pale, she came over and bent down to speak to him, according to Carole Flynn, a learning mentor at the school. Middleton then went back to her bodyguards and got the boy a brown paper bag, just in case.

“Princess Kate came over and give him a sickbag,” Flynn told People. “I think he was a little bit overcome.” Totally understandable. Who wouldn’t be? Thankfully, the child wasn’t so overcome that he ended up needing to use the bag. It seems like being taken care of by Middleton herself was a good enough cure.

“It was lovely of her,” Flynn added. “She really took time with him. You can tell she is a mom and has got that caring side.”

Meanwhile, Prince William had a kid crisis of his own to manage. According to People, there was a little girl in the crowd who was in tears because she wanted a hot chocolate. Before the royals left for their next appointment at the cathedral, Prince William reportedly asked her if he should order her a hot chocolate with marshmallows. “With lots of cream,” she answered.

Despite their expert handling of both kid catastrophes, a mom of three in the crowd still gave the royals some advice, just in case. (This April, the couple is expecting another baby, which brings the royal brood count to three.) “I told William ‘I’ve got three kids so get as much sleep as you can,’” Kelly Brown told People. “And he laughed and said, ‘I’m trying.’” Great to see that being a royal doesn’t make you immune from making dad jokes.

Related: Kate Middleton Started Her Day by Cuddling With a Therapy Dog



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Why Meghan Markle (Probably) Won't Be Sharing Prince Harry's Royal Fortune


The upcoming royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is about to make the United Kingdom an insane amount of money. Their marriage is expected to boost the economy by $680 million thanks to related tourism and T-shirt sales. And while the U.K. will have a lot to thank the soon-to-be royal couple for, Markle will be dealing with some much less fun financial conundrums. Specifically, her United States taxes (and you thought doing yours was annoying).

Although Markle plans to become a U.K. citizen, the process will take approximately three years, during which time Markle will remain a U.S. citizen. Why is this important? Royal expert Marlene Koenig told The Sun, that “Even when married to a member of the British royal family, as long as she remains a U.S. citizen she will have to pay income tax.”

Though Markle has wealth of her own (much of which comes from her role on Suits) that she’ll pay taxes on, she’s also about to marry into a family with a very large fortune. Prince Harry received half of his mother’s £21.5 million (about $29.2 million) estate when she died, and he shares a £3.5 million (about $4.7 million) annual allowance with his brother and sister-in-law, William and Kate. And that’s not to mention the rest of royal family’s worth.

If Markle receives any of her new family’s money, she’ll be at risk of paying income tax on it. “If she receives money from her husband or his family, and that’s considered income, she would have to pay income tax on that,” Koenig explained.

This poses an issue for the royal family, since Markle could have to reveal details of foreign trusts and the worth of the royals’ estate which has remained undisclosed.

“With that sort of money, if Meghan’s name is on that account, most likely she would be dinged—that would have to be reported as income in the United States. You can be sure that those at Buckingham Palace and those who run the accounts are looking very carefully at all of this to make sure that the royal family’s money does not get reported to the IRS,” Koenig said.

While planning her wedding much feel like a fairytale, this part is a royal pain in the you-know-what.

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–Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have a ‘Profound Sense of Commitment’
–How Meghan Markle’s Life Will Change After the Royal Wedding
–Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Wedding Is Happening So Soon



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The Royal Family's Best Moments From 2017


Although it might have been a dumpster fire for the rest of us, 2017 looked like it was certainly a wonderful year for the royal family: There was Pippa Middleton‘s instantly-iconic May wedding, Kate Middleton‘s pregnancy announcement about Baby No. 3 in September, and last, but very certainly not least, the December news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s engagement and their subsequent first Christmas together. (Now if only we could fast-forward to the May 19, 2018, wedding date.) Between these events, of course, were adorable royal toddler birthdays and a very special wedding anniversary.

Here’s a look back at 22 of the royal family’s best moments from 2017, from a queenly encounter with an elephant to a Vanity Fair interview that set the internet ablaze. Read on, royal-watchers: there’s lots a good stuff ahead—and even more to come in the new year. Let the royal baby watch begin!

April 10, that time Queen Elizabeth shook hands with Donna the elephant.

OK, really she was just feeding Donna at the opening of the Whipsnade Zoo’s new Elephant Centre. But it looks like they’re introducing themselves, right? The zoo also introduced a baby elephant named “Elizabeth” for the Queen in honor of Her Majesty’s 90th birthday in 2016.

April 16, when Kate displayed her perfect curtsy.

PHOTO: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

There was a lot to curtsy about in 2017, but one of our favorites is the curtsy that Kate Middleton did for Queen Elizabeth on Easter Sunday. The love on Kate’s face is so real.

April 30, when the royal family celebrated Princess Charlotte’s second birthday.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge unveiled a new photo of their daughter for the occasion, in which Charlotte looked every bit the royal princess she is.

May 19, when Pippa Middleton got married—and the day was stolen by the adorable Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Wedding Of Pippa Middleton And James Matthews

PHOTO: Max Mumby/Indigo

We’re guessing their aunt wasn’t even mad that her niece and nephew captured a few hearts on her big day because they were just so hilariously cute and entertaining.

Wedding Of Pippa Middleton And James Matthews

PHOTO: Max Mumby/Indigo

July 16, when Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall turned 70.

And the royal family posted this photo of her smiling next to Prince Charles to prove it.

July 17, when Kate Middleton joked about having “more babies”

Fast-forward to December, and we all know that Kate Middleton is pregnant. But remember back in July when we didn’t, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took Prince George and Princess Charlotte to Poland on the family’s second official outing, and Kate made a joke about having “more babies”? Yeah, that was fun.

July 19, when Princess Charlotte gifted the world an adorable royal curtsy.

It happened when the couple visited Germany. You have to click here to watch the video. But her form! Clearly, she is learning from the best.

July 21, when Prince George got his very own birthday portrait.

You know what they say: what you do for one kid you have to do for the other. So Will and Kate couldn’t not have an official birthday portrait taken of George since they did one for Charlotte. And we’re here for it.

July 8, when Duke William and Prince Harry opened up about Prince Diana publicly for the first time.

Timed to the 20th anniversary of their mother’s death, Will and Harry participated in the TV documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy and released some never-before-seen photos from their lives growing up with Diana.

August 2, when Prince Philip retired after 22,219 solo engagements.

Well sort of. It was his final solo appearance at an official event, which is basically the same thing. Since 1952, the Duke “has carried out 22,219 solo engagements, 637 solo overseas visits, given 5,496 speeches, and authored 14 books,” according to the royal family’s official instagram account. Now that he has some more free time, maybe he’ll reconsider watching The Crown?

September 4, when Kate announced that she was pregnant with Baby No. 3.

Kensington Place took to social media to break the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were “very pleased” to be growing their family by one more baby. Apparently “the Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news.” The baby is expected to arrive sometime in April 2018, but William has hinted it could be sooner.

September 5, 2017, when Meghan Markle announced that she and Prince Harry are just “two people who are really happy and in love.”

Day 1: Invictus Games Toronto 2017

PHOTO: Samir Hussein

Before news of their engagement broke, Meghan Markle gave a revealing interview to Vanity Fair in which she proclaimed for the world to read that she and Harry were “really happy and in love,” and then we did not stop talking about it for months.

September 7, when Prince George showed up for the first day of school.

Look at him shaking hands with a teacher while proud dad Will looks on! Has a more polite student ever existed? And then the family upped the cute by thanking “everyone for all of the kind messages they have received.”

September 25, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first official public appearance together.

Day 3: Invictus Games Toronto 2017

PHOTO: Karwai Tang/WireImage

The blessed moment happened at the Invictus Games in Toronto. They were first spotted at the opening ceremony, though they sat in different seats. But eventually, we got the PDA we’d all been hoping for when they were spotted holding hands and later shared a quick kiss in the stands.

October 31, when Prince Harry joined Michelle Obama to surprise a group of Chicago students.

The former First Lady and Harry joined former President Barack Obama at Hyde Park Academy in Chicago, which is across the street from the future location of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago. Don’t you love this transatlantic bromance?

November 20, when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip marked their 70th wedding anniversary.

The palace released four portraits of the long-long-time couple, taken at Windsor Palace, to mark the occasion. The Queen and Philip married at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.

November 27, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally announced their engagement.

After months (and months and months) of speculation, the world celebrated when the royal family finally announced the engagement of Harry and Meghan.

And then we instantly began dissecting everything about the interview they gave to the BBC right after.

December 4, when Kate wore Princess Diana’s tiara.

Diplomatic Reception At Buckingham Palace

PHOTO: Max Mumby/Indigo

Hard to believe that Kate has only worn a tiara six times, which made us all the more glad to see her with her late mother-in-law’s iconic tiara, also known as the Cambridge Lover’s Knot, sitting atop her head.

December 21, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their incredible engagement photos.

The couple said they were “so grateful” for all of the warm wishes they received. They also might be the most photogenic people on the planet.

December 25, when Kate and Meghan (alongside Will and Harry) made first public appearance together at Christmas with the Queen.

They look great together, don’t they? This is also the day we got Meghan’s first-ever public curtsy.

December 27, when Harry interviewed Obama for the BBC.

The bromance is strong with these two.





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