Author: bang7

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have now been married for seven years but before Harry popped the question, he had to ask his late grandmother the Queen for permission

Prince Harry with his late grandmother the Queen(Image: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently celebrated their ‘love story’ by marking seven whole years of marriage. And their journey down the aisle to say ‘I do’ started almost eight years ago when they announced their engagement to the world.

After sharing the news with an official statement, they posed for photographers at Kensington Palace before sitting down for a interview with the BBC to share their joy. But before Harry was even allowed to get down on one knee, there was on obstacle he first had to overcome. Due to a long-standing royal tradition, Harry had to ask permission from his late grandmother the Queen to ask for Meghan’s hand in marriage.

The late Queen with the Sussexes(Image: Getty Images)

Convention dictates that the first six people in the line of succession must ask the monarch for permission to become engaged. So when the duke realised he was ready to make the next step with Meghan, he broached the late Queen for her blessing before presenting the former actress with her ring.

And in his memoir Spare, he details the moment he plucked up the courage to broach the subject with his granny – and her ‘cryptic’ nine-word response. In the book, Harry says he decided to wait until the family were on a shooting trip in Sandringham before raising the subject, hoping it would put the late Queen in a ‘good mood’.

Once the shoot was finished Harry managed to get his grandmother alone, admitting his mind was racing. He recalls his exact words in Spare, telling his grandmother how much he loved Meg and that he wanted to marry her. According to the book, he then awkwardly asked: “I’ve been told that I have to ask your permission before I can propose”.

Harry and Meghan on the day they announced their engagement (Image: Getty Images)

He says the Queen then replied: “You have to?” to which Harry replied that is what he had been told. He then details a moment of silence before the Queen replied and told him: “Well then, I suppose I have to say yes.”

Harry admits he was completely thrown by her answer. He writes: “I didn’t get it. Was she being sarcastic? Ironic? Deliberately cryptic? Was she indulging in a bit of wordplay?

“I’d never known Granny to do any wordplay and this would be a surpassingly bizarre moment (not to mention widely inconvenient) for her to start, but maybe she just saw the chance to play off my unfortunate use of the word ‘have’ and couldn’t resist”

He claims he stood there trying to work out what she was saying, but then ‘realised’ she was saying yes, describing himself as a ‘muppet’. He then thanked her, saying it was ‘fabulous’.

Once he had the go-ahead, it came to designing the ring and planning the perfect moment with Meghan. He took two diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection and one he procured from his beloved Botswana to create the gold ring.

The couple in New York last month (Image: Getty Images for TIME)

He popped the question during a night in at their Kensington Palace home. The couple roasted a chicken and then headed outside with candles to sit under the stars. But Harry almost gave the game away with his choice of drinks for the casual weekday dinner.

Speaking of his proposal in their Netflix show Harry and Meghan, the prince explained: “I did pop a bottle of champagne while she was roasting a chicken and that kind of slightly gave the game away. She was like, ‘You never drink champagne, what’s the occasion?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, I just had it like, lying around”

While he set things up, Meghan called a friend to share the excitement. She recorded the phone call, and can be heard saying: “Oh my God Jess, Jess, it’s happening, it’s happening. He told me not to peek.”

The couple shared a romantic photo of the moment on the docuseries, showing Harry kneeling on a blanket holding a ring box in one hand and their dog Guy’s collar in the other while a bunch of white roses sat on the floor in front of him.

Recalling the moment in their engagement interview, Harry said: “She didn’t even let me finish. She said, ‘Can I say yes? Can I say yes?’ and then there were hugs and I had the ring in my hand and I was like, ‘Can I – can I give you the ring?’ She goes, ‘Oh yes the ring’. So no it was – it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch – catch her by surprise as well.”

With Meghan Markle pressing ahead with her As Ever lifestyle brand, reports have suggested Prince Harry could soon follow in her footsteps with his own commercial brand – but one expert has given him a warning

Prince Harry(Image: Getty Images)

Prince Harry could spark a brand new royal row with his potential new career move, according to an expert. While wife Meghan has basked in the limelight by pressing ahead with the launch of her As Ever business, the same can’t be said for her husband, who appears to have taken a back seat after the couple seems to have decided to pursue different career paths.

However, reports have suggested that all that could be set to change as he attempts to find a ‘new purpose’. It is reported that Harry could be launching his own commercial venture in the next few months, while also concentrating on his Invictus Games Foundation.

Prince Harry on a surprise trip to China (Image: Trip.com Group Envision 2025/Travalyst)

There are no details so far on what the venture could be, which will be one of the first tasks for the Sussex’s newly formed team of advisors. But former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has said that if Harry wants to follow a money-making route, it could prove very tricky.

She told the Mirror: “Personally, I think this commercial route opens him up to all sorts of accusations of trading on his royal status which would make him an even angrier young man than at present. I think Harry is still trying to figure out where he goes from here. By normal standards, he’s a very rich man, but life in Montecito doesn’t come cheap, especially with all the security costs he deems necessary.

Harry with wife Meghan, who has launched her own lifestyle brand (Image: Getty Images for W+P)

“So is he content for his wife to be the breadwinner while he concentrates on the children and charity work? There’s nothing wrong with that but he might feel he needs to pursue commercial ventures too.”

Prince Harry’s recent appearances have seen him promote his charitable and non-profit causes. Earlier this month, he appeared at an event in Las Vegas to promote the Diana Award. While earlier this week, he unexpectedly turned up at a travel conference in Shanghai and gave a speech on sustainable travel in his role as co-founder of Travalyst.

And Jennie added: “There’s nothing wrong with being a stay-at-home dad and using his influence to help charities around the world. He’s brilliant at interacting with people and at just being Harry. He should perhaps stick to what he’s born to, trained for and truly good at.”

Harry with his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet (Image: INSTAGRAM)

Harry’s trip to China marked his first visit to the country and came on the same day his estranged father King Charles landed in Canada for a historic visit.

But Jennie explained: “Fortunately it seems not to have overshadowed Charles and Camilla’s trip to Canada. In fact, it seems to have made very little news at all. If the idea was to garner as much publicity for the cause as possible, it would seem to have fallen rather short.

“There was no advance information about it and not much of a splash when he was there. But he is clearly employed by Travalyst to make keynote speeches like this, and I’m sure he made a good job of it. The timing of the conference would have been coincidental to the King’s trip to Canada, certainly not deliberate.

“However, the irony of flying across the world to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly travel is hard to ignore. Surely a video speech would have been more ethical?

“The same criticism could be lobbed at William flying around the world to host the Earthshot Awards but sometimes it just raises the profile in a way nothing else could. I’m not sure that Harry’s presence did the same.”

Pop icon Louise Redknapp has opened up on her love life with Drew Michael, stating she is ‘enjoying’ having ‘special times’ following her divorce from Jamie Redknapp in 2017

Pop icon Louise Redknapp has given a rare update on her love life, after previously being labelled a “cougar”, as she opens up on her boyfriend’s relationship with her two children.

Louise, who looks as gorgeous as ever, revealed it is “difficult” to have her personal life in the public eye, but that she is “enjoying” having “special times” with her partner of two years Drew Michael.

After going through a high-profile divorce with her ex-husband Jamie Redknapp in 2017, Louise dated but didn’t get involved in anything serious until she met Drew in October 2023.

Louise opened up about her partner, who is 9 years younger, and revealed he has a ‘brilliant friendship’ with her two boys, Charley, 20, and Beau, 16.

Pop icon Louise Redknapp has given a rare update on her love life

Louise told The Sun: “It’s hard putting your personal life out there, but I am very reactive and tend to write how I am feeling at that very moment.”

Opening up on her relationship and family life, the former singer said: “Drew’s great. We’re having a lovely time together. It took me a long time to get to that place and be open about anything. I was very guarded and scared. But I’m really enjoying having special times with someone. He’s a great guy and super-kind.”

Emphasising how important it is that her partner got along with her sons, Louise said: “What’s great is he’s brilliant on a friendship level with the boys. They get on great with him. And that, for me, is super-important. There’s just a real mutual respect there. Obviously Beau is still at school, but we spend a lot of time together.”

Louise, who looks as gorgeous as ever, revealed it is “difficult” to have her personal life in the public eye(Image: PA)

When Louise started dating Drew, she received backlash about the 9-year age gap and was labelled a “cougar”, with Drew described as a “toyboy”; however, Louise now says that is “water off a duck’s back”.

Earlier this year, Louise appeared on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast where she explained her two boys saved her from reaching low points after her split from Jamie.

Louise went through a high-profile divorce with her ex-husband Jamie Redknapp in 2017(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Louise explained: “If I didn’t have my kids, I just, I think I would have just given up. I really do. I think I just knew that my kids were my everything and they needed me.”

Jamie went on to marry Swedish model Frida Andersson, with the two welcoming a son named Raphael.

The Prince of Wales inherited the role of Duke of Cornwall when his father became King in 2022 and hopes to transform the ancient Duchy of Cornwall estate into a force for social change

The Prince of Wales inherited the role of Duke of Cornwall when his father became King in 2022 (Image: PA)

Prince William has set out his vision to transform the 700-year-old Duchy of Cornwall into a force for social change. The Prince, who inherited the role of Duke of Cornwall when his father became King in 2022, wants to use the ancient estate “to make people’s lives better.” On a recent visit to Duchy farmland on Dartmoor, William, 42, vowed: “We’re not the traditional landowner – we want to be more than that.” The estate – spanning 128,494 acres from rural Devon to inner-city London – was originally set up to generate private income for the royal family. But William is determined to re-write the rule book, instead using his title to push for “social change.”

The Prince’s priorities include supporting the mental health of farmers(Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
He added: “The Duchy has been a positive force for good, but we can do so much more. I think the key thing is, it’s about not losing the important community and historical links of the Duchy. But it’s also about making sure we’re building on and enhancing, modernising the Duchy. We’re going to modernise it without losing its key spirit of community.” The Prince’s priorities range from restoring rivers to ending homelessness, supporting the mental health of farmers and arranging get-togethers to combat rural loneliness. He has even launched a new strap-line: “Positive impact for people, places and planet.” Unlike previous generations, William has a more hands-on approach and visits part of the estate once every four to six weeks. His trips are usually private and kept quiet by loyal locals who are used to royal comings and goings.

The Duchy of Cornwall estate spans 128,494 acres(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)

In keeping with a more modern approach, rural director of the Duchy, Matthew Morris, revealed how employees “no longer feel the need to put on a tie when the Duke of Cornwall is in town.” And William shared how he communicates with the estate’s more than 150 staff via WhatsApp and asks questions over social media to keep in the loop.

When the Prince becomes King, the Duchy of Cornwall title will pass to his eldest son Prince George. The estate was established by Edward III in 1337 to generate private income for his then seven-year-old heir and takes in 20 counties across England. Despite being called the Duchy of Cornwall, its largest landholdings are actually in Devon.

William shared his vision after the property and land empire, as well as the King’s estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, were investigated by a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary: The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions. In the 2024 programme, it was revealed how the the Duchy of Cornwall is profiting from public services.

The Prince hopes to use his title for fight for “social change”(Image: PA)

In 2017, it billed Devon county council £300,000 in a 21-year rental deal for a primary school on Dartmoor. Other deals include charging a primary school near Bath £60,000 for a 25-year lease and £189,000 to a secondary school in Cornwall over 30 years to use a farmhouse.

The Duchy of Cornwall said it is “a private estate with a commercial imperative… committed to restoring the natural environment.” The Duchy of Lancaster said it “operates as a commercial company” and “complies with all relevant UK legislation.”

Cruz Beckham took to social media to share a cryptic post about ‘telling the truth’ amid a huge family fallout with Brooklyn Beckham

Cruz Beckham begs ‘tell the truth’ in cryptic Instagram post amid family feud(Image: Getty Images)

Cruz Beckham posted a cryptic post about “telling the truth” amid his family’s feud with older brother Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz. The couple have been the topic of conversation for several months after fans noticed them snub both Victoria and David’s recent birthdays.

They failed to show up to any of David’s many 50th birthday celebrations, including his family trip to Paris, family dinner in the Cotswolds and celebrity party in Notting Hill. Brooklyn added fuel to the fire when he seemingly showcased his stance by posting “I’ll always choose you” in a tribute to his socialite wife.

Cruz shared a cryptic post on social media(Image: cruzbeckham/Instagram )

Amid the family drama, Cruz took to his Instagram Stories to share a cryptic post. Using a picture of the top of his hair as the background, he wrote: ”

“It takes 43 muscles in your face to frown, and 17 to smile. Be kind and tell the truth,” he wrote. It comes only a few days after Cruz broke his social media silence to defend his family.

Amid the ongoing family feud, Brooklyn stunned fans as he declared publicly he is ‘choosing’ wife Nicola Peltz in a gushing tribute to the Bates Motel actress.

It comes amid a reported family feud with Brooklyn at the centre(Image: Getty Images)

The message stunned fans with many calling for Brooklyn and his billionaire heiress wife to ‘grow up.’ Brooklyn was warned about cutting ties with his once close knit family as he appeared to shatter for good the once impenetrable bond.

Cruz appeared furious as he took to Instagram and seemed to make a dig at his big brother’s antics.

He shared: “I love my family, I love you guys more than anything, mum & dad you gave us life and cared for us no matter what, I cannot tell you how blessed we all are to have you in our lives x.”

The picture Cruz shared alongside the post did include Brooklyn as he appeared to extend an olive branch to the wannabe chef who has distanced himself from his family in recent months.

Brooklyn had previously shared a clip of him driving wife Nicola on his motorbike through California where they now live.

Nicola put her arms round Brooklyn and held tightly on as he sped around the palm tree lined streets.

Captioning the short video, he wrote: “My whole world x I will love you forever x I always choose you baby x you’re the most amazing person i know xx me and you forever baby.”

The ITV Daytime series will only run for 30 weeks of the year from 2026

Nadia Sawalha has fought back tears as she addressed the cuts coming to ITV Daytime show Loose Women.

Her comments come after Jane Moore became the first Loose Women regular to break their silence on the cuts that are expected to hit the lunchtime series she appears on.

Earlier this week, in a column for The Sun, Jane reflected on the “efficiencies” that could affect Loose Women, sympathising with those she believes are most likely to “bear the brunt” of any job losses.

Nadia, too, has also addressed the “redundancies” that will take place behind the scenes.

It was announced last week that GMB, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women, will endure cuts to scheduling and production.

Jane Moore addressed potential job losses on Loose Women earlier this week (Credit: ITV)

Jane Moore on Loose Women cuts

Insisting Loose Women provides company to viewers – who may include stay-at-home mums, office workers on their lunch break, people living with disability, shift workers, ­students and the elderly – Jane Moore listed how the show has won plaudits for the Facing It Together campaign against domestic violence.

She also stated how Loose Women has been effective at holding political guests to account, and has previously covered important topics such as miscarriage, postnatal depression, menopause, midlife female invisibility and breast cancer awareness.

Reflecting on the range of her on-screen colleagues, Jane wrote: “All interesting, funny women with wisdom to impart and great stories to tell. Yet dismissed by some as though all we’re doing is gossiping over the garden wall after pegging out our washing.”

She also complained about speculation about which panellists may or may not get on with one another. And Jane also lashed out at “keyboard warriors” online.

But she did also make mention of how cuts will affect the daytime broadcast. She quoted another journalist who’d remarked how “deeply depressing” they found it that other female-led programming has been slashed, meaning it may feel like the ‘world is going backwards’ with regards to the ­visibility of women’s issues.

‘Staff behind the scenes will bear the brunt’

Jane continued by noting it is “the dedicated staff behind the scenes, rather than the on-screen freelancers, who will bear the brunt of the job losses that come with both shows being cut back to term-time viewing only”.

Switching back to commentary about the quality of the programme, she went on: “So much of what I read, day in, day out, are just lazy, anti- female tropes that simply add fuel to the fire of the modern-day ­misogyny being stoked by the likes of Andrew Tate.”

It’s just one of those things that ITV has to make programme cuts for business reasons.

She also implored any cuts not to be used as “yet another excuse to treat women’s viewpoints as irrelevant”. Jane also suggested: “It’s just one of those things that ITV has to make programme cuts for business reasons.”

Jane didn’t mention how she might personally be affected by any cuts personally. She noted production staff are more likely to ‘bear the brunt’ (Credit: ITV)

Nadia Sawalha fights back tears

Her colleague Nadia Sawalha has also broken her silence in her Coffee Moaning podcast with her husband Mark Adderley.

Speaking to camera, Nadia said: “The brutality of the world, right… What a lot of people don’t realise is, we’re self-employed. Every contract is a new contract. I could be let go tomorrow, in five years, you don’t know, we’re not employees. So I can’t tell you anything other than I’m on till my next contract – it’s never been any different.

“But what’s been brutal, absolutely brutal, over the last week, and honestly I’ve been tearful, is that hundreds of people are going to be made redundant out of the blue. These are all the people behind the scenes, that support us in every way. You cannot have one without the other. But it’s just the way of the world.”

Nadia Sawalha was supported by her husband Mark as she addressed the ITV cuts (YouTube)

‘So awful’

She then added: “Inflation is insane, cuts have to be made and I know you guys will be feeling this in your families. Many of you will have partners or yourself who’s been made redundant. Being self-employed, it’s a constant roundabout of being out of work and in work.

“But a lot of my friends and colleagues on this show have worked here for decades. And I can’t tell you how upsetting it was to see people just walking around, numb with shock, fear about what they were going to do. Television is coming slowly, very slowly, to its natural end – like so many professions are. That has been so awful.

“All of us on screen are in work and proud of what we do. But behind the scenes there are people that are really suffering,” she added. “You never see the army of people behind the scenes and how hard they work. So to all my friends and colleagues behind the scenes,” she said, her voice breaking, “that have just got the most huge shock out of the blue, I’m so sorry. Mark knows how much, how upset I’ve been at home about it. I just can’t bear it.”

Who hosts Loose Women now?

Among the hosts who currently anchor the show are Charlene White, Christine Lampard, Ruth Langsford, Kaye Adams and Coleen Nolan.

‘Without telling you, they replaced you with Rachel Hunter, who was Rod’s ex-wife’

Penny Lancaster refused to speak about her previous row with Ultimo bra boss Michelle Mone during an awkward discussion on Loose Women today (May 29).

Today’s show saw the panel – anchored by Kaye Adams – discuss last night’s BBC documentary, The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone.

Penny became the face of the underwear brand in 2002. However, she was sensationally axed two years later and replaced by Rod Stewart‘s estranged wife Rachel Hunter.

Rod and Rachel were married from 1990 till 2006, but split in 1999. Rod and Penny Lancaster met in 1999 and married in 2007. Penny is Rod’s third wife.

Despite a probing by Kaye Adams, Penny Lancaster refused to share her thoughts on being axed by Ultimo (Credit: ITV)

Penny Lancaster quizzes on Ultimo fallout

After the scandal was revisited on the documentary last night, Kaye broached the subject with Penny on Loose Women today.

After showing a clip from the show, she asked: “Do you mind if I say what your involvement was?” “Sure,” Penny replied.

“She asked you to come and model her lingerie very early on didn’t she?” said Kaye. “It was over 20 years ago,” Penny responded.

“And you were a huge hit and the company really grew on the back of that. Then, without telling you, replaced you with Rachel Hunter, who was Rod’s ex-wife,” said Kaye, as the audience expressed their shock with a collective “ooooooooooh”.

‘Karma gets you, I guess’

As Penny looked increasingly awkward, Kaye continued: “Did you know that this was being played out on television? Did you know anything about it?”

“I wasn’t aware, I wasn’t informed of the documentary. It didn’t surprise me, because karma gets you I guess,” said Penny. “But as far as any details I’m prepared to talk about, it would have to be the right time and place for that. And I’ve put it behind me for the time being,” she added firmly.

Kaye pressed, however. “Okay, I get that, and I totally respect it, but it must’ve been a difficult period…,” she started, before Penny commented: “Yeah, it was, a very difficult time, yeah, and I know…” she said shrugging.

“Penny, I totally get it, and I hope you’ll tell the story one day, will you?” Kaye asked. “Probably,” she answered.

Penny shared that she decided to rise above it to maintain her ‘peace’ (Credit: ITV)

‘It was 20 years ago’

Kaye wasn’t done there, though. “A lot of is it out there if anyone wants to see it. But what I can say is that, oh my goodness, Rod came out swinging for you in terms of his response to that. I’ve got this quote here.”

“It was 20 years ago,” Penny reminded her again.

I wasn’t prepared to get into a fist fight in the media, so I left it to my husband to do.

“Yes, 20 years ago but it was on the documentary,” she said, before reading a quote from Rod: “Michelle really needs to be put in her place and if this is revenge so be it. I’m sticking up for my old lady. Penny doesn’t want to admit it but she has been hurt by all of this. She’s been in tears. Penny is a beautiful girl and I hate to see her hurt in this way. She did nothing wrong, put yourself in her place. How do you think she feels to be told she’s being replaced by Rod’s ex-wife?”

‘I like to just have my peace’

Kaye continued: “That must’ve been a lot, Penny. Because he does that stuff for you, doesn’t he?”

Penny responded: “Well I guess anyone who loves and cares for you, whether it’s a friend or your partner, they don’t want to see that happen, for you to be treated like that. But I wasn’t prepared to get into a fist fight in the media, so I left it to my husband to do.”

“You’re very gracious in that way, I don’t know if I would contain myself in quite the same way,” said Kaye.

“Well when there’s bad energy and negativity and you hold on to that and run with it, it can eat away at you. So I like to just have my peace, rise above it and be the best one,” she said, as the audience cheered.

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster with Michael and Michelle Mone (Credit: BBC/Rogan Productions/Alamy)

Michelle Mone’s response

Kaye read a comment from Michelle on the show, hitting out at the BBC documentary.

“I’m deeply disappointed by the BBC’s decision to broadcast a programme that’s deeply misleading and a one-sided account of my life and career,” she said.

At the time, she defended her decision to axe Penny and replace her with Rachel.

“I did it for the team. I did it for the brand and I knew it was going to create lots of publicity,” she said. She added: “I replaced his then-girlfriend with his ex-wife. I didn’t create a crime,” she said. “It was a business decision. Would I do it again? Yeah.”

Viewers react

The debate caught the attention of the Loose Women viewers. However, they were divided over it.

Among the comments backing Penny, one said: “Well said Penny Lancaster – rise above it.”

However, others wondered why Penny was on the show if she wasn’t prepared to discuss it.

“What’s the point of having Penny Lancaster on today if she’s not going to talk about it?” asked one.

Prince William has taken part in a new interview about his ambitious work with the Duchy of Cornwall, and some of his staff members have admitted he has tough standards as a ‘man on a mission’

Prince William has inherited his father’s ‘impatience,’ staff claim(Image: Chris Jackson, Getty Images)

When King Charles took the throne, Prince William automatically inherited the Duchy of Cornwall – making him one of the UK’s biggest landowners.

Whilst William had long shadowed his father to understand how the 52,000 hectares (128,000 acres) estate worked, in a new interview with The Telegraph, the Prince of Wales has made it clear he wants to do things his own way and was described by one staff member as being a “man on a mission” of modernisation.

The staff quoted repeatedly praised William’s dedication to his vision for the Duchy – which was last year subject to some controversy with the release of a Dispatches report about how it generates its income – but one admitted that William can be a “pretty demanding” boss.

Will Bax, secretary of the Duchy, made the admission amid singing William’s praises, and added that he thought the level of demands being made was a good thing, that went hand in hand with the level of ambition William has for the Duchy of Cornwall.

He quickly clarified that it’s “great” to have the Prince at the helm as part of the the job is amplifying others: “Seeing the spark and getting the bellows out”.

Another staff member – Estate Director Ben Murphy – noted some similarities between William and his father King Charles, having worked for both, saying that William has a “healthy impatience, as his father did,” to get things done. Murphy added that in his view this impatient streak “puts the wind in our sails; he really cares”.

Last year it was revealed by The Mirror and C4 Dispatches that both the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster – held by the reigning monarch – made millions each year charging public institutions rent, including schools and the NHS, as well as the Armed Forces.

The Duchy of Cornwall – worth £1.3 billion – receives £1.5 million a year from HMP Dartmoor, which is currently not in use because the cells contain high levels of radon gas. The investigation further revealed that some of William’s residential tenants are at risk for fuel poverty, with the worst ratings for energy efficiency.

One in seven of the properties is therefore liable to become cold, damp, and mouldy. In response to the controversy, staff from the Duchy said to The Telegraph that it had motivated them to become more transparent about the work they are undertaking to support communities and modernise.

The Duchy of Cornwall paid William an income of nearly £24 million last year, and he “voluntarily” pays income tax on profits, though this figure has not been disclosed.

A royal expert has claimed that Prince William has a serious ‘grudge’ against his uncle Prince Andrew, and would prefer the disgraced Duke of York to ‘vanish’ from the public eye altogether

Prince William wants Andrew to ‘vanish’ expert claims(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

It looks like things might go from bad to worse for Prince Andrew when the time comes for Prince William to take the throne. A royal expert has claimed that the Prince of Wales has a very “strained” relationship with his uncle, the disgraced Duke of York, and even holds a real “grudge” against Andrew.

The expert further claimed that, when Prince William eventually wears the crown, he is likely to “banish” Andrew from even family events.

Andrew, who was known to be very close with his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, stepped back from official royal duties and was stripped of his ‘HRH’ styling back in 2019, after a car crash interview with Newsnight regarding his long-term friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

More recently, Andrew has generated more negative headlines for the Royal Family due to his connection with an alleged Chinese spy, a revelation that saw him “banned” from attending the House of Windsor’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.

It’s believed Prince Andrew could be left out in the cold once William is on the throne(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

However, King Charles has still allowed his younger brother to attend a number of family events, including the Royal Family’s recent Easter festivities, which sources have said is a point of contention between Charles and the heir to the throne.

The royal expert, Hilary Fordwich, said to Fox News that during William’s reign, Andrew should not expect to be invited to events like this.

“Prince William has long had a strained and distant relationship with Andrew,” the expert said, adding that he holds “a grudge against his disgraced uncle. Andrew’s future within the Royal Family is beyond bleak, since Prince William is firmly opposed to any public rehabilitation with no foreseeable path back. He wants Andrew to vanish from public view”.

The Mirror’s Royal Editor, Russell Myers, recently echoed these sentiments on True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, remarking: “Is it a convenient truth that Andrew was going? William has no time for him.

“And indeed, William was overruled by the King when he said, I mean, William was absolutely influential in banishing him at that time, when he was forced to step back from duties. But when the King decided, after the Queen’s death, that he was going to be brought back into the family fold, William said absolutely not, and the King overruled him.

“We have this sort of interesting power struggle going on, and I imagine you know that hopefully in a long time in the future, when William is King, he [Andrew] will be nowhere to be seen around the family.”

It’s understood that Prince William has ‘no time’ for his uncle(Image: PA)

Whilst Andrew attended the Easter celebrations, William and Kate spent the holiday elsewhere with their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.

A royal source told The Mirror, “William has no time for his uncle. This Easter was about spending time with his own family, but he would far prefer a situation where he doesn’t have to spend time with him.”

King Charles may be willing to include his brother in some family events, but he is reported to be at loggerheads with Andrew over the Duke of York’s refusal to vacate his 30-room mansion, Royal Lodge, after being offered a smaller home on the royal Windsor estate.

The two brothers have reached something of a stalemate, with Andrew insisting he has a 75-year “cast iron lease” with the Crown Estate—not the King himself —that he signed in 2002.

He’s said to have told friends he “is going nowhere” and even begun managing the undertaking of much-needed renovations of the property himself in an attempt to save money, with a source explaining: “The Duke has been walking around the estate a lot recently, speaking to staff and asking for tips on managing the grounds.

“The whole place has fallen into disrepair and needs a lot of attention. He’s been asking about different kinds of trees and shrubs and whether it would be possible to move or relocate certain trees. He’s certainly got a spring in his step and is a lot cheerier of late, which is surprising given everything he has going on.”

Former glamour model Katie Price has revealed her shock at her teenage daughter Princess Andre’s latest purchase as she admitted she is ‘turning into’ her

Katie Price had plenty to say on daughter Princess Andre’s new purchase (Image: Getty Images)

Katie Price was left stunned by her daughter Princess Andre’s latest purchase as she revealed her honest reaction. The former glamour model, 47, admitted her eldest daughter is “turning into” her now that she has her own money.

Princess, 17, proudly revealed she has passed her driving test and showed off her white Audi A1 complete with a personalised number plate. The social media star flashed a huge smile as she stood next to the flashy vehicle and told her fans she had bought it herself.

She was hit with claims her famous parents, Katie and Peter Andre, had chipped in yet insisted her hard work has paid off and that she was able to save up for the flashy motor herself. Buying the car wasn’t the only treat Princess decided to have, however, as she also splashed out on a keyring.

Princess showed off her own car after passing her test(Image: princess_andre/Instagram)

It wasn’t just any old keyring, as Katie was left lost for words when she found out the price tag. Princess revealed to her mum that she had forked out almost £300 for the accessory.

Katie gushed out Princess’ achievement in passing her test before telling her sister about the splurge. “She’s so excited, she ordered a b****y Louis Vuitton key ring for £290,” she said on her podcast Houses, Horses and Harvey.

Her sister Sophie was taken aback by the price as she quipped: “I went straight to Halford’s and got an air freshener.”

Amid her shock, Katie joked that Princess was “turning into me”. She revealed the teenager planned to have her “all sparkly pink” and said she would help Princess make it a reality. “She’s a girl of my own heart,” Katie confessed.

Katie was keen to express her support to Princess on social media when she announced she had passed her test. She shared her daughter’s post on her Instagram Story and wrote: “So proud and so scared at the same time my baby girl turns 18 next month too so lots of exciting things we will be doing together.”

Princess’ step-mother Emily Andre, who has been married to her Peter since 2015, also shared her support as she left a series of flame and heart emojis, alongside the word: “Yay”.

While hundreds of her followers were happy for her, a few trolls came out of the woodworks to claim her parents bought the car for her. “Let’s just say mummy and daddy brought your first car,” one said and another posted: “Wish I had rich parents.”

After noticing the pattern, Princess took to the comment section of the post to hit back at those doubting her. She wrote: “These comments are so funny

“To everyone out there, yes I work and yes I earn my own money which I’m super proud of and so thankful that I’m lucky enough to buy my own car.”

Peter previously treated son Junior to an Audi A1 for his 17th birthday – before he even got a driving licence. The Mysterious Girl hitmaker paid out for out for he car complete with a private registration and specially designed green calipers.