Wellness, as readers may have cottoned on to by now, is no longer just about being … well, well. It is the inescapable “lifestyle trend” infiltrating our Instagram feeds and online shopping baskets. Mostly, it is associated with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow (whose Goop enterprise recently opened its first London pop-up shop, in case you were after one of those infamous jade vaginal eggs); but if you needed any more evidence that wellness has gone well beyond a hashtag, look to the usually stiff-lapelled and stiff upper-lipped monarchy.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has recently revealed a passion for shinrin-yoku, the Japanese activity of “forest bathing” – not submerging oneself in a tub of liquefied leaves, but spending time in greenery because greener is good and makes you feel good – in her show garden for the forthcoming Chelsea flower show.
The Duchess brought the concept to her woodland wonderland from “a folder of cuttings ... full of ideas”, revealed Davies White landscape architects, which worked with her on the entry on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society. Speaking about her design – with the requisite upbeat influencer tone – Kate said she likes gardening because it is “really fun … if you haven’t tried it, you don’t know how cool it is!”
It follows the revelation that Prince Harry meditates daily – or so he told a Buddhist monk at his appearance in Birkenhead earlier this week. This may be shocking to hear, because the tabloids tend to shy away from reporting on anything to do with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (please! Just a few crumbs! The silence is deafening!) – but there is a suggestion that all this mindfulness may be down to the influence of our new American queen. (Queen in the vernacular. Liz is still the actual queen.)
Other outlets have reported that Harry has given up caffeine and alcohol “in support” of Meghan during her pregnancy. There are also apparently plans to build a family yoga studio with a “floating” floor in Frogmore House ahead of the arrival of their newborn.
Meghan is a known lifelong fan of yoga, with a mutual love of downward dog reportedly behind her close bond with her father-in-law Prince Charles. His charity has just funded a project to help prisoners with their mental health with yoga, meditation and “breath-focused stretches”. Charles, for his part, has a long interest in and history of advocacy for homoeopathy, which is definitely a thing that really works and not complete bunkum. Just like jade vaginal eggs.
