Melania’s Return to Office; Prince Harry’s Fairy Godmother, Interviewed; Trump “Irks” the King

Plus: Royal Summer Dressing

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS MATTHEW LYNCH, EXECUTIVE EDITOR Good afternoon, wherever this newsletter finds you. Maybe you've been working remotely but are mulling a full-on return, as our first lady seems to be doing. Maybe you're posting a permanent out-of-office message, like the director of the National Portrait Gallery just did. Maybe you're navigating some tricky interoffice waters, like King Charles is. Whatever your particular work-life balance is on this summer-Friday afternoon, this newsletter has something for you. More Monday… Royally "Irked" BY CLIVE IRVING According to a source, Donald Trump's bluster over Canada has annoyed King Charles, but as the real king shows, a ruler needs no military parade to show his power. READ MORE Talking Points C'EST LA VIE CHIC How the Royal Family Mastered Chic Summer Style BY ANNABELLE SPRANKLEN From Princess Diana's dungarees to Princess Anne's bandanas, these summer style highlights will inspire all season long. READ MORE OVERRULED Pete Hegseth Won't Say If He'd Abide by California Court Ruling BY ERIC LUTZ The legal wrangling doesn't seem to matter to the defense secretary, who ordered the deployment of 4,000 California National Guard troops, as well as 700 Marines, to quell demonstrations in America's second largest city. READ MORE ZOOMING IN Donald Trump Makes Melania an Offer She Very Easily Refused: Doing His Job BY KASE WICKMAN The couple appeared together for a second consecutive day, but Melania seemed unenthused by her husband's bold RTO proposal. READ MORE Godmother to the Stars Introducing Meghan Markle's Favorite Bookseller BY KEZIAH WEIR It takes about 14 seconds of speaking with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, co-owner of Godmothers, the Southern California bookstore-to-the-stars, to understand why Prince Harry describes her as his fairy godmother. She has the magnetic selling power one might expect from a woman who, in her past life, spent three decades ascending to the highest rungs of the publishing world as a literary agent to the stars, working with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Dani Shapiro, and Rob Lowe. "People have been calling me 'fairy godmother' for many, many years." In conversation with senior editor Keziah Weir, the Montecito bookstore owner talks about her life transition, her beloved and glittering social circle, and the books she can't stop thinking about. READ MORE Dear Old Dad From the Archive: Life With Father James Niven recounts growing up with his Oscar-winning father David Nevin, who provided a classic example of the demanding-famous-father syndrome. Meet Elon Musk's 14 Children and Their Mothers (Whom We Know Of) A guide to the billionaire father-of-the-year contender—and all of his publicly known children. From the Archive: Send in the Clones William D. Cohan probes whether Donald Trump Jr. and brother Eric have what it takes to run Daddy's family business. After 30 Years of "Living a Lie," Mariska Hargitay Is Embracing Her Biological Father In an exclusive interview with VF, Hargitay reveals a bombshell family secret. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2025. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.