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| Sean Coughlan | Royal Correspondent |
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| Welcome to Royal Watch, which I'm delighted to share has been shortlisted in the 2025 Publisher Newsletter Awards. Thanks as ever for reading and for all of your excellent questions and comments. In this week's news, the King has shared his feelings about being a cancer patient, with empathy for the struggles of others and praise for all those caring for them. It was a heartfelt and personal message. Prince William and Catherine marked a wedding anniversary on their own Scottish version of Love Island. And there was sad news about the death of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. | |
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King's heartfelt cancer message | King Charles sent a personal message to fellow cancer patients and all those who look after them, as he hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for cancer charities. The King is continuing his own treatment – and described becoming a cancer "statistic", one of more than 1,000 people every day who get a cancer diagnosis in the UK. He said living with the condition had shown him that "the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion". |
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 | The King spoke about how cancer can be a "daunting and at times frightening experience" Credit: Getty | The statement once again showed the King's readiness to be open about his experience. Understandably there is still much that's being kept private, but he is far more open about his health than previous generations of royals. |
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Mulling over an anniversary | Prince William and Catherine posed for photographs on the beautiful Isle of Mull in Scotland for their 14th wedding anniversary. It sounds like something out of a Tolkien story, but one of Prince William's Scottish titles is Lord of the Isles. He is also the Duke of Rothesay. |
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 | The couple shared this photo on social media to mark their anniversary. Credit: Kensington Royal | They spent their anniversary night at a self-catering holiday cottage on Mull, which was soon dubbed "love island" in the papers. The visit should certainly help the tourism industry in that scenic corner of the world.
During the two-day trip, William and Catherine visited community halls that their Royal Foundation is helping to refurbish. They also joined children on a nature trail. |
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Long shadow over Virginia Giuffre | There was bleak news this week about the death of Virginia Giuffre – one of the most prominent accusers of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – at the age of 41. Her family said she died by suicide.
She will forever be associated with her claims against Prince Andrew. The Duke of York has strenuously denied her allegation that she was trafficked to him aged 17, by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The case ended with an out-of-court settlement in 2022, in which Prince Andrew made a financial payment, but strongly denied any wrongdoing. |
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 | This picture of Prince Andrew with his arm around Giuffre was taken in 2001 in London. Credit: US Department of Justice | Giuffre's family have spoken of her courage in standing up for victims of sex trafficking and her willingness to take on powerful people. But there is something inescapably sad about her story.
She looks out from that famous photograph as a smiling teenager, alongside Prince Andrew and Maxwell, with Epstein supposedly taking the picture. Apart from Prince Andrew, everyone else in that photo is now either dead or in prison.
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Your Royal watch | Last week we asked for your thoughts on the best memorial for Queen Elizabeth II, after the Royal Parks said a new garden to commemorate her would open next year in London.
Anne in the US said any tribute should reflect her love of horses, such as a "comfortable retirement provision for working horses".
The animal theme was popular with readers. Debbie in the US suggested "a bronze statue of the Queen doing what she loved the most – riding her horse with a few of her corgis running along with her".
Claudia and Dorian in Romania said the "most prestigious horse race in Britain" should be named after Queen Elizabeth II.
"The most fitting memorial for our late Queen must be a state-of-the-art hospital," said Cathy in the UK, who said it should be available on an "equitable basis" for the public.
For this week's question, what message would you send King Charles about his latest words on cancer? Send your thoughts to royalwatch@bbc.co.uk. If your friends and family want to receive this newsletter they can sign up here if they're in the UK and here for anywhere else around the world. | |
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A piece of royal history | In the 1950s, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, restored the dilapidated Castle of Mey, turning it into a Highland retreat. She continued to spend holidays at the royal residence until October 2001, before her death in 2002 aged 101. |
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 | Credit: Getty | Located on the coast of Caithness, it is now a tourist attraction in the summer and the most northerly inhabited castle in Scotland. Over the years, King Charles has been a regular visitor.
The castle has recently made headlines with Highland councillors raising concerns over plans to build a large battery energy storage system (BESS) nearby. |
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Prince Andrew's firm linked to controversial PPE millionaire | For two years, one of the prince's prized business assets was administered by a company controlled by Doug Barrowman. | Read in full> |
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| Meghan uses 'HRH' title but denies breaking rules | She was seen using the title on a card sent to a friend, but according to sources Meghan doesn't use it publicly or commercially. | Find out more > |
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| 'Rare' young Queen Victoria coin sells for £1,600 | The 1838 gold coin was the first half sovereign minted for Queen Victoria, and bears a portrait of the young queen. | See it up close > |
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