There were just two female royal entrants to The Derby this afternoon as the Queen was accompanied by her cousin, Princess Alexandra as she arrived for one of the highlights of the royal calendar.

Thousands of punters have descended on Epsom Downs in Surrey for the 229th Derby, one which this year has even the experts confounded, such is the open nature of the field.

Not that the racing experts are the only ones to have caused confusion for Her Majesty this past week....

The Queen and Prince Philip may have thought they’d seen everything during more than six decades on the public stage; from bare-breasted women offering tribal greetings to senior members of one’s own family dressed up as part of a medieval game show.

Today, though, came a sight few would expect to see greeting Her Majesty as, in response to a broad smile, she was faced with a grotesque grimace which even Prince Philip himself couldn’t better at the point he discovered his granddaughter is about to become a journalist!

Now let's be honest, there aren't many royal princes who'd have the good grace to laugh when he's faced with the harsh reality that his playboy reputation tends to go before him.

Today, though, Prince Harry showed he's a right royal trooper with a sense of humour to match his cheeky grin after he found himself being asked 'is the baby yours?' during a visit to Wales.

Here's another royal trivia quiz to while away a few moments as we await the latest stories from the royal scene, the likely highlight of today being the appearance of Prince Harry on a day of engagements in Wales.

Pelting peanuts at members of the Fourth Estate gathered in the apes cage during a visit to Gibraltar, Prince Philip declared: "Which are the apes and which are the Press?"

Now it would appear it’s time for the Queen’s inimitable husband to look around his family and ask: "friend or foe?", for it’s reported that his own granddaughter is about to join sides with 'the enemy'.....

While political debate on matters royal is essentially banned from the floor of Britain's House of Commons, over in The Netherlands the tricky subject of royal wealth is once again taxing the minds of MPs...

A man who has spent much of his life interviewing the kings and queens of entertainment today stepped up to receive his knighthood from a lady who will stay forever beyond the reach of even his inquisitive nature.

Former chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson swapped the TV studios for the Palace Ballroom as he was honoured at Buckingham Palace less than a month after he rubbed shoulders with the royals at the wedding of his most illustrious personal assistant...

On Monday, the Queen paid a farewell visit to her ocean-going namesake in Southampton. Today, it was the turn of Queen Elizabeth II to enjoy her own travels around the globe.

Thankfully for the octogenarian monarch, though, Her Majesty didn’t even need to leave the comforts of her London home for her latest lesson on the far-flung Commonwealth nations over which she’s Head of State, one of which is currently affording a warm welcome to her youngest son....