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| Noor Nanji | Culture reporter |
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| Welcome to Royal Watch. I'm stepping in for Sean, who's on a well-deserved break and will be back next week. What a difference a year makes. There was a full royal turnout at this week's annual Commonwealth Day service, including King Charles III and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Last year, both were forced to cancel as they focused on their cancer treatment. Also this week, we learned that the King is into Beyoncé's music. Who knew! And, whether you love it or loathe it, Meghan's lifestyle TV show has been renewed for a second series. | |
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King and Kate return to Commonwealth service | Commonwealth Day is a major fixture in the royal calendar, and is traditionally marked with a service at Westminster Abbey. This year the King and Queen attended alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales.
It marks a change from last year, when both the King and Catherine missed the event due to their health issues. The Princess Royal also attended this year's annual service, along with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. |
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 | Catherine was absent from last year’s service as she was undergoing chemotherapy. Credit: Getty | We know that the Commonwealth is of deep importance to the King, as it was to his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
This year's service focused on the diversity of the Commonwealth, and, in his annual message, the King called for unity in what he described as "these uncertain times" of international tension. |
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|  | The theme this year was Together We Thrive. Credit: PA | It is a message that he has made before - that the diversity of peoples and cultures is a strength and not a weakness.
But it is particularly relevant now against a backdrop of global tensions, as the US pushes for an end to the war that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As we've been saying here, the King has been at the centre of diplomacy in recent weeks, and this latest address only reinforces that position further. |
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Royal quiz | Read further down the newsletter for the answer – and also the answer to last week's question, which we mistakenly missed. Apologies!
The first London marathon took place during the 1908 Olympic Games. Which royal residence did it start at?
A. Buckingham Palace B. St James's Palace C. Windsor Castle | |
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The Queen's letter of support | Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Queen sent a personal letter of support to French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot.
She was drugged and raped by her ex-husband, who also recruited dozens of men to abuse her, over nearly a decade. |
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 | The case brought global attention as Pelicot waived her right to anonymity. Credit: Reuters | According to Newsweek, Camilla, a long-standing campaigner on domestic and sexual violence, was said to be "tremendously affected" by her ordeal and wanted to recognise her "extraordinary dignity and courage". |
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More Meghan | Fans of raspberry jam and flower sprinkles, rejoice. The Duchess of Sussex has announced that her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, will be back for a second series.
The first series attracted critical reviews in both the UK and the US, with The Guardian describing it as "gormless lifestyle filler" and The Telegraph branding it "insane". But in an Instagram video, Meghan shared positive feedback she's had about the show, in which she discusses cooking, gardening and hosting tips with friends and famous guests at a California estate. |
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 | Film star Mindy Kaling is among the friends who dropped in for Meghan's first series. Credit: Netflix | Meghan recently appeared on Drew Barrymore's chat show in the US to promote her series and brand. Barrymore introduced her to the audience as "Meghan Sussex" after she corrected her friend, actress Mindy Kaling, for referring to her as Meghan Markle on the TV show.
It sparked a debate over what her real surname is. Her children are officially titled Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor – but there have been plenty of occasions where members of the royal family use titles as last names.
In the interview with Barrymore, Meghan also spoke of her love of being able to "hold and touch and embrace" people. Readers may recall that in the 2021 Harry & Meghan documentary, she suggested that hugs were "jarring" for a lot of Brits, and said she was surprised at the "formality" of the royal family behind closed doors.
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