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So, on to this week’s main news – Catherine is straight back to business, releasing a moving new video on Friday, for her 44^th birthday. It’s the final instalment of her Mother Nature series and in it, she talks about, “coming to terms with her fears,” and “discovering what it means to be alive.”

The video shows Catherine walking in Berkshire, near her Windsor home, and a palace spokesperson told The Mail, the video is, “the culmination of a deeply personal creative project … spotlighting humanity’s long-standing connection to nature, as well as nature’s capacity to inspire us and help us to heal and grow in mind, body and spirit.”

The princess says, “Even in the coldest darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration. Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection, to discover the deepest parts of ourselves alongside the whispers and the pulse of every living thing. I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am, for the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify. Come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive. To be at one with nature – a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides, in memory, helping us to heal.”

This emotional openness was also in evidence on Thursday, when she made a last-minute decision to join William on a surprise visit to Charing Cross Hospital. According to The Telegraph, a volunteer talked about how cancer patients have to sit for hours undergoing treatment, to which Catherine responded, “I know,” touched William’s arm and repeated, “We know.” Catherine, who wore a Roland Mouret burgundy trouser suit, said, from a patient’s experience, the important things are “not in the job description, such as kindness and compassion.”

It’s something she has made her USP.

The King overtakes Anne as hardest-working royal

Wow! Proof he really does have an incredible work ethic, the King, despite weekly cancer treatment, has overtaken Princess Anne to be named, “the hardest-working member of the Royal Family in 2025”, according to research by The Telegraph. Charles undertook 533 engagements in 2025, while Anne – who has long reigned as the hardest-working Windsor – did 478. Camilla did 228 engagements and William, 202. Tad tardy, Wills! Even the Duke of Gloucester managed 212 and he’s 81. Tsk. Edward undertook 313 engagements and Sophie 235.

Camilla says make time to read every day

How lucky are we to have a Queen who believes “books do make life better”, dedicated to encouraging people to read and improving our nation’s literacy rates. This week saw Camilla mark her book club’s fifth anniversary, by describing her charity’s mission “more urgent than ever”.

Camilla, who founded an Instagram book club in 2021, said of The Queen’s Reading Room: “At a time when global reading rates are at their very lowest, my charity’s mission feels more urgent than ever. Books do make life better, and this is only the beginning.”

The motto for its birthday this year is Make Room for Reading, with a drive to encourage people to find easy ways to fit in just five minutes of reading a day, just like 10,000 daily steps or five portions of fruit and vegetables. Currently, only one in two UK adults read a book in a year, and 46 per cent of people say they struggle to finish one due to distractions.

Harry and Charles have no plans to meet

Harry’s set to land in London this week, however any reunion with Charles is not on the to-do list, reports suggest. The prince will fly back to the UK for the opening of his High Court privacy claim against Associated Newspapers Limited, alongside other high-profile claimants including Sir Elton John.

On his last visit in September, the Duke had a 50-minute meeting with his dad, the first time they had seen each other in 19 months. The pair are now said to be in regular contact. However, Charles, who likes to take a break in January, will almost certainly be on the Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands when Harry will be hundreds of miles away in London.

Happy birthday, Mia!

She may not have a royal title, but Mia Grace Tindall, who celebrates her 12^th birthday on Saturday, is every inch as adorable as her cousin and BFF Princess Charlotte. Last seen at Sandringham this Christmas, Mia’s the eldest child of Zara and Mike, granddaughter of Princess Anne and one of our favourite young royals. Like her mum, she’s clearly a very popular member of the family.