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Royal news: Queen’s first public engagement, portraits of Diana and Kate compared

In this week’s royal update, comparisons of Princess Diana and Kate Middleton have taken centre stage once again. 

Queen Elizabeth is also set for her first public engagement since recovering from Covid-19.

And do Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want baby number three?

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Princess Diana’s portrait compared to Kate Middleton’s

Dubbed the “people’s princess” over the years, Kensington Palace has released a never before seen portrait of Diana that was taken in 1988. 

US Weekly reported that the photograph was taken by David Bailey and was unveiled as part of a new exhibition at the London National Gallery, titled, “Through a Royal lens”.

ALSO READ: Royal news: Royal family worried as Queen battles Covid-19, Andrew ‘broken’ after court settlement

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The exhibition also displays pictures of other royal family members in their royal palaces. 

Diana’s portrait is a black and white photograph, capturing Diana’s side profile, as she appears stoic, wearing a one-shoulder dress and simple drop earrings. 

It was reported that Diana selected Bailey to take the picture, to capture a different side of her and how she identified herself. 

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Because Kate is married to Prince William, one of Diana’s sons, she was subsequently compared to the late princess. 

Kate Middleton’s 40th birthday portraits. Picture: Instagram

The Duchess of Cambridge recently had an equally stunning portrait done to mark her 40th birthday.

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Because the style of dress and her pose being similar to Diana’s, people couldn’t help but compare the two portraits. 

RELATED: Kate Middleton turns 40, palace shares new portraits of the ‘future queen’

Queen Elizabeth ‘feared several setbacks’ in the 1990s

Queen Elizabeth II has held the throne for about 70 years and the monarch’s most turbulent years actually came in the 1990s.  

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The 95-year-old monarch was constantly concerned about the family scandals splashed daily in United Kingdom tabloids, particularly at the height of Prince Charles and Diana’s divorce.

The Queen also had to handle the 1992 Windsor Castle fire, feeling there was a new problem that would appear “around every corner”.

These concerns were shared on extracts of a new book by Robert Hardman titled Queen of our Times: The Life of Elizabeth, Mail on Sunday reported. 

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Charles Anson was the royal press secretary during that time and provided this information to Hardman.

Diana passed away in a car accident in 1997 and the Queen’s reaction was pivotal for the royal family during the tragedy.

The Queen had to make sure that Diana’s funeral was not overwhelmed by officialdom that had to break with tradition. 

Queen Elizabeth’s health update

The monarch’s health has been a trending topic of late after she tested positive for Covid-19 over two weeks ago.

It was confirmed by the palace that Queen Elizabeth was still doing “light” work, however, she has moved out of Buckingham Palace. 

The decision was made at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, as she chose to be isolated in Windsor Castle.

It was reported that royal family members were worried that she may have caught the virus at the worst time.

The Queen was pictured on Monday meeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle, her first public engagement in weeks.

She reportedly made the politician giggle during their meeting, as Trudeau was in London to meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to hold talks over the Russian invasion into Ukraine.

The royal leader appeared more frail and thin than usual however was all smiles during their engagement.

Baby number three for Prince Harry and Meghan?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their second child, Lillibet, just nine months ago, but is the former royal couple wanting baby number three? 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also have a three-year-old son named Archie.

An old interview of Harry with Vogue magazine in 2019 resurfaced where he talks about parenthood, Express UK reported.  

Harry shared his concerns about climate change and how that has affected how he will raise his kids.

He expressed that the next generation has a difficult task at hand in terms of dealing with the effects of the environmental changes.

But he reiterated that a two-children maximum is good for him, something he also said during their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey last year.

More family drama

Meghan has once again had to deal with her family members, her half-sister Samantha Markle is suing her claiming that Meghan made “false and malicious statements”.

Samantha is referring to the claims made in the Oprah interview.

In the legal documents seen by US media, Samantha accuses Meghan of falsely claiming to be “an only child” and lying about when they last saw each other.

Samantha also accuses the actress of selling a false “rags-to-royalty” narrative of her life and misleading the public about their father Thomas Markle’s absence from her wedding in 2018.

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By Sandisiwe Mbhele