Prince William and Kate Middleton kick off Children's Mental Health Week and give some sound advice about unrealistic beauty standards.
Welcome back to ET's weekly royals column!
As we discussed last week, we'll be breaking down all the latest updates from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry as they gear up for their May 19 wedding, as well as how the rest of the royal family is preparing for what's sure to be the biggest event of the year.
We've got plenty to talk about, so let's kick things off once again with an update on how many more days we have to wait for Meghan and Harry to say "I do" at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle:
The lovebirds have been keeping busy with wedding planning. They reportedly are in the process of setting up a wedding fund, in which they would ask guests to make a charitable donation in lieu of luxurious gifts. "Harry doesn't want guests spending lots of time buying him extravagant presents," a source reportedly told Mail Online. "But he does want them to support his charity work."
And good news for the entire royal family... ET has learned that Princess Eugenie of York's wedding to Jack Brooksbank won't interfere with Meghan and Harry's special day. The two are set to wed on Oct. 18 at the same venue.
Aside from the wedding, Meghan and Harry are also gearing up for a fun, pre-Valentine's Day trip. The two will be in Edinburgh one day before the romantic holiday, marking their first official joint trip to Scotland. There they will be welcomed to the city by the Royal Marines Scotland Band at Edinburgh Castle, and will later meet with members of the public to learn more about the organizations that work in the local community and nationwide.
Meghan loves the holiday, and we have no doubt that Harry will shower his bride-to-be with love. But if you're single / still waiting to meet your own Prince Charming / already dreading Feb. 14, Meghan has some pretty regal advice on how to "be your own valentine."
In a post from February 2015 that was up on her now-deleted lifestyle blog, The Tig, Meghan explained why the romantic holiday doesn't need to be lonely. "I think you need to cook that beautiful dinner even when it's just you, wear your favorite outfit, buy yourself some flowers and celebrate the self love that often gets muddled when we focus on what we don't have," Meghan, who was single at the time, suggested. "This Valentine's Day I will be with friends, running amok through the streets of New York, likely imbibing some cocktail that's oddly pink and jumping over icy mounds in my new shoes through the salted snowy streets of the West Village."
She continued, "But those shoes, by the way, were my gift to myself. Because I've worked hard, because I'm not going to wait for someone to buy me the things I covet (nor do I want to), and because I want to treat myself as well as I treat those dearest to me. Because I am my own funny Valentine."
Meghan concluded the hopeful post by urging fans to always "be good" to themselves. "Love yourself, treat yourself, honor yourself and celebrate you," she wrote. "Be your own beautiful, darling, cherished and funny Valentine. You deserve it."
Of course, you could always stay home and binge-watch Suits, which is most likely what one of us two writers will be doing. Wendell Pierce, who plays Meghan's onscreen father on the series, jokingly revealed earlier this week that he gives Harry his blessing to marry his pretend daughter. "I had a really wonderful moment as we were coming to an end of her time on the show," he recalled of one of their last days together on the season seven set. "It was just she and I in the room and I said, 'I know your life is going to change, but always know, no matter where you are, I will always be your loving fake father.'"
In case you missed last week's discussion, we decided to rewatch the USA Network show Meghan stars in from season one, and we're happy to say we're already onto season four. What's probably wayyyy too close of an observation of Meghan on the show, we learned the brunette beauty's nose gets rosy after a kiss:
On the show, her character, Rachel Zane, is kissing Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), but we'd like to think this also happens in real life with Prince Harry. Sweet, right?
Oh, and speaking of TV news, you've probably already heard that Lifetime is making a TV movie about Meghan and Harry's love story. The leads for Harry & Meghan were announced by the cable network on Monday. Parisa Fitz-Henley will portray Meghan...
...with Murray Fraser as Harry.
On that note, let's move on to Kate Middleton and Prince William. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned home after their four-day royal tour of Sweden and Norway, but that didn't mean they took a break from their duties.
Kate kicked off Children's Mental Health Week on Monday by recording a PSA about the charity Place2Be in which she emphasized the importance of working together to support youth. This year's theme is "Being Ourselves" and promotes children and youth embracing who they are and the qualities that make them unique.
The royals have been big advocates of mental health and it is also something that Harry has been very open about in the past.
Meanwhile, William attended the 2018 Annual Dinner of the UK Chamber of Shipping on Monday night. The Duke, who is president of United for Wildlife, took the stage to address what the shipping world can do to combat and protect species from illegal wildlife trade.
The Duke and Duchess don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon because on Wednesday Kate stepped out to the opening of Action on Addiction Community Treatment Centre in Wickford, England. The future queen looked regal in a royal blue coat by designer Goat that perfectly matched her sapphire engagement ring and earrings.
Though, while arriving to the center and greeting the staff, it appeared as if Kate's black heel got caught in a grate. It was no biggie as she laughed off the moment and continued making her way inside.
During the event, Kate participated in a round-table discussion with healthcare professionals and met with the staff and clients. She later attended a reception to commemorate the opening.
William also showed us what a great uncle he will be to Harry and Meghan's future kids. On Thursday, he surprised students at Burlington Danes Academy in London, where he discussed cyberbullying and pointed out unrealistic beauty standards online, specifically, how it affects young women.
"I worry for you girls," he said candidly, according to The Telegraph. “The touched-up pictures are not real. Don’t try to recreate them or think that’s what you’ve got to aim for. There’s a lot of fakeness online, so don’t worry about that."
Unfortunately, this week didn't bring a sighting of all four together -- but we're hopeful one will come soon as the wedding planning continues.
And that's a wrap on your weekly royals update! Join us next week for another roundup, and stay tuned to ETonline.com daily for the latest on the royal family. In the meantime, let us know all your thoughts on this column via Twitter (@desireemurphy_ & @lizcalvario).
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