When Canada’s First Lady Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau was photographed alongside The Duchess of Cambridge this weekend, her outfit helped to accomplish the next stage in her carefully orchestrated ‘project’ to promote under-the-radar Canadian designers. [...] This strategy of wearing exclusively Canadian brands is one that Gregoire-Trudeau and her old-friend-turned-style-advisor Jessica Mulroney have been working on ever since they inadvertently created a fashion moment with the cream wrap coat Trudeau wore to see her husband sworn in as Prime Minister last year. 

As part of his visit, Prince Harry spent a considerable amount of time learning about the HIV virus and sharing his efforts to encourage high-risk groups to undergo HIV testing for early detection and treatment. Earlier in July, Prince Harry underwent HIV testing himself to encourage people to put their inhibitions aside and embark on the antiretroviral drug therapy if tested positive.

The embassy tours will take place this weekend on a first-come, first-served basis and are part of Heritage Open Days, England’s annual festival of history, which will see thousands of places open their doors. [...] As well as the embassy tours, the trust has launched Europe and Us in 99 Objects and on 17-18 September will hold a weekend of events at Mount Stewart [...] exploring the history and politics of British diplomacy. 

Masafat (Distances) is a two-part international festival held in London and Cairo and organized by London’s Thirty Three Thirty Three in partnership with the ICA and Cairo’s VENT. In September, both cities will see four days of music, film, talks and events showcasing “the best in forward-thinking underground culture, promoting cultural and artistic exchange between the two regions,” according to the event description. 

The British Council India has come up with initiatives to launch new digital platforms under their campaign 'UK-India Year of Culture' with the aim to connect with the digital generation youngsters of India and UK culturally. [...] "We want to connect with the 4G generation who would like to travel with us digitally. Smart phones help connect with the younger generation and is one way to strengthen the cultural exchange between India and UK."

This summer one of the UK’s most prestigious universities provided refugees in the UK the opportunity to recharge their academic batteries by attending summer courses on a free bursary. For the third year running, King’s College London has been working in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to offer summer school places to people who have fled persecution and conflict in their home countries. 

The U.K.'s enormous soft power, painstakingly built in the post-imperial era, looks weakened following Brexit. In fact, negotiating acceptable divorce terms or preventing an economic decline may prove much easier than restoring British influence.  Some early indications of how Brexit has damaged the U.K.'s international perception can be found in a recent Ipsos poll conducted in 16 countries.