The end of August and beginning of September were eventful for the wives of the reigning kings. Queen Rania’s birthday, Camilla’s surprise appearance at the Letters Live event in London, Queen Maxima driving a tractor, and other royal news from the beginning of autumn – in our weekly digest.
Queen Rania
On August 31, 2026, Queen Rania of Jordan celebrated her 56th birthday. To mark the occasion, the Hashemite Royal Court published a new portrait of the Queen. In the photo, Rania is captured in an extremely relaxed look – blue jeans and a white T-shirt.
But the Queen herself shared another photo on social media. In the picture, Rania is surrounded by all four of her granddaughters: Princesses Iman, Amina, and newborn twins Talia and Rania, one of whom was named after her grandmother. The Queen accompanied the photo with a warm caption, calling time spent with her granddaughters the best way to celebrate a birthday. Instead of a traditional grand reception or public event, Rania chose to showcase her new role—that of grandmother. Over the past two years, this role has become a noticeable part of the image of one of the most famous and stylish queens of our time.
The next day, September 1, Queen Rania visited the cultural district of Jabal al-Luweibdeh in Amman. There, she inspected the preparations for the fourth edition of the Amman Design Week festival. This famous district of the Jordanian capital will become one of the main venues for a major international event in the world of design in October. During the visit, the Queen met with local entrepreneurs and representatives of the creative community. She also got acquainted with the projects that will be presented as part of the festival.
Amman Design Week will return to the capital of Jordan after a long break. The fourth edition of the festival will take place from October 2 to 17, 2026, and will be dedicated to the theme “Accumulations.” The organizers see this theme as a reflection on the collective experience, knowledge, and ideas accumulated by the design community of the country and region. The festival will bring together designers, architects, artists, students, and representatives of the creative industries. Its program traditionally includes exhibitions, installations, educational projects, lectures, discussions and events for local communities.
Queen Rania is the patron of Amman Design Week. Her visit to Jebel Al Luweibdeh was a personal show of support for the festival ahead of its return and highlighted the importance of design as a vital part of the cultural and economic life of contemporary Jordan.
Queen Camilla
On 3 September 2026, Queen Camilla visited the Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, London, to mark the charity’s 30th anniversary. Camilla is President of the Club and has supported its work for many years.
Ebony Horse Club works with children and teenagers from inner-city London areas. They learn horse riding and how to care for horses. The organisation also uses working with animals as a tool for developing confidence, responsibility and social skills. Many neuropsychologists recommend hippotherapy as a method of psychophysical rehabilitation.
The Queen’s visit was timed to coincide with the club’s anniversary and became one of her first independent public events after the summer period.
That evening, Queen Camilla attended the Letters Live event at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. Her Majesty, as patron of the National Literacy Trust, took part in a literary evening dedicated to reading famous letters. The event is held by the trust, which develops literacy and promotes reading among children and adults.
One of the highlights of the evening’s program was the unexpected appearance of the Queen herself. Camilla took to the stage and read a letter from the late Queen Mother to poet Edith Sitwell. The event was also attended by Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman and other famous British actors and artists.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Queen Camilla at the Letters Live event. Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London, September 3, 2026
Queen Máxima
In the Netherlands, the royal news of early autumn is connected with the opening of the official working season after the summer break. On September 3, 2026, Queen Máxima went on an unusual visit to the Achterhoek region. The trip was dedicated to sustainable construction and the use of biomaterials. The Queen did not limit herself to theoretical knowledge of the production technology and got behind the wheel of a tractor herself.
First, Maxima got acquainted with the process of growing and processing the plant used to produce environmentally friendly building materials, and then personally took part in the harvest. She rode a tractor through the field and helped compress the harvested materials into large rectangular bales. The contrast between the Queen’s unusual occupation and her attire attracted particular attention from the press. For her work in the fields, Máxima chose a gold top and midi skirt set, along with signature ballet flats and oversized accessories. After visiting the farm, the Queen of the Netherlands went to other sites in the region.
