Author: quyen3

Queen Camilla kicked off Christmas with one of her most-loved traditions – and made a heartwrenching comment about 2024 coming to an end amid health battles for King Charles and the Princess of Wales.

The Queen invited a group of terminally and seriously-ill youngsters to a magical morning of festive fun, decorating her Christmas tree and enjoying a sausages and mash lunch. The annual tradition – now in its 19th year – at Clarence House sees children supported by the hospice Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity to spend a morning with her at Clarence House, with a host of special surprises.

The children and young people were overjoyed to be met by Father Christmas before Her Majesty, as patron of both charities, invited them to decorate a Christmas tree in the Library.

Queen Camilla enlists her young guests to help her decorate the Clarence House Christmas tree ( 
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Getty Images)
They were also treated to a Christmas performance by the Band and Bugles of the Rifles before joining the Queen for a lunch. Despite the upbeat event, Camilla revealed to one family she was looking forward to an end to 2024, which has proved to be so challenging for the royal family because of the cancer diagnoses for both her husband, the King and Kate.

Marie Verney, 48, who attended with daughters Katie, 17, and Faye, 12, who has complex medical needs, chatted to Her Majesty at length after she had served up plates of sausage and mash in the shape of smiling faces and spooned gravy onto the plates of the eight youngsters invited to her annual festive lunch.

Marie, who was widowed when Faye was a baby, said of Camilla: “She was very understanding and sympathetic of people’s lives. And her life hasn’t been easy this year, has it? She said she’d be glad to get to the end of the year and I think a lot of the families here feel like that as well.

“So there was that mutual understanding, but also, she’s a fun grandma. She talked about her granddaughters herself because they are 17, like Katie. She’s a really down to earth lady and put us at ease.

Camilla greets one young boy to her annual event ( 
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Getty Images)
“To me it was as though she was like a grandma, the concern, but also the fun – she’s mischief. She said to Katie have you got a drink? She had elderflower. She said: ‘Surely you’d like champagne?’ Katie said yes. Next thing you know, she’d gone and got a glass of champagne for Katie and then she talked to Katie about driving and driving lessons, and then more serious stuff.”

It’s no secret that Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship has been pretty icy for some time now, but Queen Camilla’s son has shed fresh light on their troubles.

The brothers were once so close that they seemed to the public totally inseparable – and the challenges both went through together in their young life with the loss of their mother Princess Diana meant that the brothers shared a complete understanding of what growing up in the royal spotlight really meant.

And in a new interview, William and Harry’s stepbrother – Tom Parker Bowles, 49 – opened up about his impressions of the challenges they have faced. Queen Camilla’s told The Telegraph that even though his own experiences with this kind of public scrutiny were far less intense than what William and Harry had dealt with, it gave him a sense of the difficulties they endured, particularly as they were growing up.

Tom – a broadcaster and food writer – is the eldest child of Queen Camilla and her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, and saw firsthand the intense public attention that his mother received due to her romantic connection to King Charles during the monarch’s first marriage to Diana.

In his younger years, he got a taste of the constant scrutiny that his stepbrothers William and Harry have been under their entire lives, and called what the brothers have been put through “appalling”.

“I remember being chased at 100mph by paps trying to get a shot. My mother being screamed at to try to get a reaction. Pushing, jostling. It was horrific, and you are protective of your mother. Counting how many paps were at the gates, to see who was watching us and taking photographs: it was all as normal as bacon and eggs in the morning. You didn’t think of it in any other way … [But] it was barbaric.”

While Tom showed some hesitance to speak about his stepbrothers, he could not help but express sympathy for how much worse they have had it. “I learned a long time ago not to put my fat fingers into the world of William and Harry,” the food writer said. “But it was appalling what they went through. I’ve had a billionth of what they’ve had to go through but hell, I sympathise.”

Camilla and Charles were romantically on and off for decades, but it was only in 2005 upon their marriage that William and Harry gained two step-siblings, Tom and Laura, 46

A Royal source has claimed that the King’s ordeal with cancer has had a profound impact on Kensington Palace, hastening preparations for Prince William’s ascent to the throne.

Despite King Charles being in good spirits at 76 following his treatment and recovery process, it seems Kate Middleton is grappling with the prospect of becoming Queen sooner than anticipated, dealing with her own cancer struggle in the past year as well.

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People magazine: “Although the King is carrying out his duties with typical determination, he has had to accept limitations during his cancer treatment. As a result William has been taking on more responsibilities, and he and Kate have been preparing for their future roles sooner than they would have expected.”

One palace insider remarked: “There’s a sense of calm before the storm. They are next in line for the biggest job of their lives, and of course, Kate’s health has taken priority, but it’s also allowed everyone to take a step back and figure out what’s important right now.”

A YSL beauty icon loved by Kate Middleton is on offer in the Debenhams sale ( 
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Getty Images)

Meanwhile, according to US magazine reports, behind the scenes plans are quietly advancing for the duo’s eventual succession, clarifying that both William and Kate are “increasingly aware” of the impending responsibilities. Notably, William deputised for Charles at Notre Dame Cathedral’s reopening ceremony in Paris on December 7, engaging in a lengthy conversation with then US President-elect Donald Trump.

In his usual straightforward manner, Mr Trump later shared: “I asked him about his wife, and he said she’s doing well. And I asked him about his father, and his father is fighting very hard, and he loves his father, and he loves his wife, so it was sad.”

Royal insiders maintain that succession plans are always ready. “It is something the institution is always mindful of,” a source revealed to People, describing the situation as one of “institutional awareness”.

Friends have stated that Kate and William will not alter their priorities, with their children George, Charlotte and Louis always being their main focus. “Life-threatening illnesses bring a reconsideration of priorities,” one friend noted.

“She and William have always made it clear that family is the most important thing.”

However, it seems evident that there has been a shift in thinking about what the future may entail, according to the Scottish Daily Express. Royal author Robert Hardman commented: “We are being encouraged not to look at this as a chapter that’s over and then it’s back to normal, because cancer doesn’t work like that. The details remain private, but there’s no sense of trying to gloss over the reality that it’s an unpredictable disease.”

A magazine once favoured by Meghan Markle has seemingly turned against the Duchess of Sussex with a very scathing review.

The harsh article in The Cut was titled ‘Harry and Meghan’s Projects Can’t Stop Flopping’.

Pop culture news and entertainment writer Danielle Cohen commented on the couple’s “tortured attempts to launch a successful Stateside endeavour” which she wrote “continued this week” with the release of Polo on Netflix. The five-part series about Prince Harry’s favourite sport has been met with poor reviews, leading Cohen to predict: “Seems like this one is bound for the same fate as Markle’s beleaguered jam company.”

This critique comes shortly after The Cut highlighted the struggles faced by Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard “lifestyle brand”, which launched by gifting jars of strawberry jam to celebrities such as Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen.

This was followed by allegations that employees were leaving the new company, coupled with a trademark dispute from US food and gift company Harry and David, which sells Royal Riviera Pears. Olivia Craighead, who reports on pop culture and celebrity, wrote: “For Markle’s sake, I hope the next big story about ARO has the headline ‘Meghan Markle finally launches jam, ‘The best I’ve ever had,’ says King Charles.’ Maybe we’ll get a Christmas miracle.”

The CUT magazine cover featuring Meghan Markle ( 
Image:
Campbell Addy / The Cut)
The negative coverage is significant given that The Cut, part of liberal New York Magazine, famously published a cover interview with the 43-year-old Duchess in August 2022, where she made derogatory comments about other members of the Royal family, reports the Scottish Daily Express.

Long before Meghan Markle fell in love with Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex we know today, one former ESPN host has revealed he had hoped to find romance with the star, but things didn’t quite go to plan. Former ESPN host Ryen Russillo once slid into Meghan’s DM’s after running into each other while playing a game of celebrity flag football, but despite his high hopes, Russillo, now 49, revealed that Meghan wasn’t nearly as thrilled about the prospect during Super Bowl weekend 2014, reports UsWeekly.

Recalling their meeting on The Bill Simmons podcast, Ryen revealed: “We played in a celebrity flag football game together and it was all of the [ Sports Illustrated ] swimsuit models. So, nobody was really paying any attention to Markle.”

Sports host Ryen Russillo was snubbed by Meghan back in 2014

The game featured a host of former NFL stars and famous faces including The Vampire Diaries actress Nina Dobrev, Black Panther star Michael B Jordan, and Sports Illustrated models like Chrissy Teigen, Nina Agdal and Hannah Davis, meaning Meghan was in some impressive company for the fun-filled match.

“I was like, ‘That’s my lane. She’s probably doubting herself a little bit right now,’” Russillo remembered. “She’s never been more obtainable.”

The game took place just before Suits season 4 premiered, and was around two years before Meghan first started dating her future husband Prince Harry. Following the conclusion of the game however, Russillo decided to shoot his shot and send the future-Duchess a cheeky DM.

“It was a very soft sell,” Russillo explained. “It was, ‘Hey, I know the new season of Suits is coming out if you ever want to come on the show to promote it.’ It was really professional.”

Meghan Markle and Nina Dobrev participate in DIRECTV’s 8th Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl
Despite the professional sell however, he did admit he had an ulterior motive at play adding: “It was like a gauging of interest,” he said. “Like, if I got an emoji back, who knows?”

Not long after sending the DM, Meghan did respond to the invitation, but it wasn’t quite the warm reception Russillo might have hoped for. “It was ice cold,” Russillo recalled. DM. “It was, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer.’”

Ultimately, Russillo said: “It didn’t work out.”

As the festive season approaches, speculation is growing about who will join King Charles and Queen Camilla for this year’s Royal Family Christmas celebrations.

The royal family traditionally gathers for the holidays at Sandringham, the family’s estate in Norfolk, and it is expected that many members of the family will attend.

While the guest list has yet to be officially confirmed, several key members are anticipated to make the trip. These include Prince William and Kate Middleton,

who are likely to attend with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Their attendance would be in line with previous years, as the family has often been part of the Christmas festivities at Sandringham.

In addition to the Prince and Princess of Wales, other senior members of the royal family, such as Princess Anne and her family, are also expected to be present.

Princess Anne has long been a regular at the Sandringham Christmas celebrations, and her presence is a sign of the close-knit nature of the family during the holiday season.

Similarly, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, are likely to join the King and Queen for the traditional Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church, which has become a hallmark of the royal Christmas tradition.

However, there are several members of the family whose attendance is less certain. Given the ongoing tensions between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the rest of the royal family, it remains unclear whether the couple will join King Charles and Queen Camilla this year. The Sussexes have spent recent holidays in the United States, and although they have been invited in the past, their relationship with the family has been strained in recent years, particularly after the publication of Harry’s memoir and the release of their Netflix documentary. As a result, many are speculating that Harry and Meghan may opt to spend the holiday away from Sandringham once again.

One of the most intriguing questions surrounding the royal Christmas is whether any of the younger members of the royal family, such as Zara Tindall or Mike Tindall, will also be part of the festivities. Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne, has often been seen at Sandringham during the holidays, and her children are expected to take part in the fun. Mike Tindall, Zara’s husband, is also a beloved figure within the family, and his presence is always anticipated during royal events. While their exact involvement in the Christmas celebrations remains to be seen, it is expected that their family will be part of the gathering in some capacity.

While the guest list is still largely unknown, King Charles and Queen Camilla will likely enjoy the company of their closest family members during what is expected to be a more subdued Christmas celebration. The royal family has been adjusting to life without Queen Elizabeth II, and this year’s Christmas may be marked by a quieter, more intimate atmosphere as they reflect on her legacy and continue to adjust to the new reign. Regardless of who attends, the Royal Family’s Christmas celebration at Sandringham is expected to be a significant moment in the royal calendar, with many eyes watching to see how the family comes together during the holiday season.

Queen Camilla’s son has revealed his mum’s emotional Christmas plea after a “hell of a two years”.

In a matter of weeks, the Royal Family will be heading to Sandringham for their festive celebration with King Charles and Camilla set to host relatives, including the Prince and Princess of Wales along with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. And according to Tom Parker Bowles, the Queen’s oldest child, Camilla has requested that he and his family also join in with the royal gathering this year. In previous years, Camilla has spent Christmas Day with the royals without her children Tom and Laura and her grandchildren.

However, according to Tom, although it is not ‘100 per cent’ confirmed, he does plan to take his family to Sandringham this year. He told The Telegraph that the invitation to go to Sandringham has always been there, but his mum specifically asked him to be there this year.

He explained: “My mum said ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time’. “It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it.”

Tom says that he usually spends Christmas relaxing with his ex-wife Sara Buys and their two children Lola and Freddie meaning a Sandringham Christmas would be very different, although he says he’s not quite sure what to expect. He added: “I genuinely know nothing about it. I know there’s turkey and sprouts and church. And I have to bring a suit and a dinner jacket.”

Christmas this year comes amid a year of health worries for the royals with the King still receiving his treatment for cancer and Camilla getting over the lingering effects of a bout of pneumonia.

Charles and Camilla at Sandringham last Christmas Day ( 
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AFP via Getty Images)
In previous weeks, the King visited his Sandringham home to make sure it is ready to welcome the family to Norfolk for the festive holidays. Royal sources revealed how Charles had been touring the estate and main house, busy liaising with staff about Christmas plans.

A royal insider said: “The King is embracing the Christmas period already and really getting into the spirit. Staff who have seen him this week remarked how happy and healthy he was looking.” It is believed both the King and Queen have been enjoying spending time at the estate so much together that they are planning an extended festive break and will spend New Year’s Eve in Norfolk.

A source close to the King said: “His Majesty has taken great solace in being among nature and enjoying time outdoors throughout his cancer treatment. It’s something he believes has helped him incredibly throughout his ordeal. He is very much looking forward to spending quality time with as many of his close family as possible.”

There is nothing like a shared experience to bring two people even closer together. Without a doubt, King Charles and the Princess of Wales will have found strength in each other as they confront their own respective health battles.

That bond has never been more in evidence than at Trooping the Colour in mid-June. In a break with protocol, King Charles arranged for his “darling daughter-in-law” to stand next to him as the family gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to the crowds. Their closeness was clear to see as Kate whispered something to Charles, making him laugh before the National Anthem was played.

Last year, Charles stood next to his son William, the Prince of Wales. The change of order was viewed as a mark of respect for Kate and an acknowledgment that she had chosen his official birthday to return to the public eye.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold exclusively told OK!, “It is changing protocol to show the King and Kate united with each other and going through similar battles, so I would say this is down to the King’s preference. The balcony [line-up] is orchestrated, so I have a feeling the King said to Kate, ‘You stand next to me.’”

The timing of the pair’s illnesses has been eerily similar. In January, both Kate and Charles were treated in the same hospital, the London Clinic, at the same time and were able to offer reassurance to one another in the early stages of their treatment. Then, the announcement of their cancer diagnoses came just a month apart, Charles’ in February and Kate’s in March.

After Kate’s public video message on 22 March, in which she revealed her diagnosis to the world, the King released a statement saying that he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did”. It added that the King was in “the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law” and that both he and Queen Camilla “continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time”.

It was a remarkable public expression of their private fondness, with royal expert Hugo Vickers telling us he would not be surprised if there hadn’t been “a lot of plodding along the hospital corridor to see each other”.

Kate and Charles have been leaning on each other amid their respective cancer diagnoses ( 
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WireImage)
Kate’s closeness to Charles has long been recognised in the royal family, and she has even been overheard calling him “Grandpa”. The strength of that relationship is due to the fact that in the early stages of William and Kate’s relationship, Charles made a special effort to bring his son’s girlfriend into the family fold.

The princess has described her father-in-law as being “very, very welcoming, very friendly”. In 2004, she was invited to Charles’ 56th birthday party at Highgrove. There were also invitations to several family ski trips to Klosters – where Kate and William were first pictured together – and in 2008, the fact Kate was included on another ski trip showed that she was truly back in the fold after her brief split from William.

Royal expert and author Duncan Larcombe says, “Charles and Camilla adore Kate, and I think they have from the very beginning. One of the very early signs of that was the fact that William got permission for Kate to come on Charles’ ski trip with the family in 2004 and 2005. Charles wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t approve of her then.

Charles said at William and Kate’s wedding that the family were “lucky to have her” ( 
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Getty Images)
“That was the start of this bond between Charles and Kate. He’ll be absolutely over the moon with how she’s grown into the role, how she’s made it her own and how the public have warmed to her.”

In her book Kate: The Future Queen, royal author and biographer Katie Nicholl writes, “William’s father was very fond of Kate and already saw her as a future daughter-in-law.”

Charles backed this up in practical ways, too, allowing Kate to use his lawyers Harbottle & Lewis when she was besieged by paparazzi in the London years. He also offered up his house, Highgrove, as a bolthole for the young couple so they could spend time together privately – perhaps mindful of how much scrutiny the late Diana, Princess of Wales, had come under in the early stages of their relationship.

In Katie’s book, a senior member of Charles’ household is quoted as saying, “Charles was like any other father: he was very kind and hospitable towards Kate from the beginning. He was delighted William had found such a lovely girlfriend, and she was made to feel at home.”

Unlike Diana, the young Kate took to country pursuits like deer stalking and shooting immediately. In 2007, Kate and Charles were pictured, without William, in what appeared to be a lesson in the art of the sport.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with senior royals remains achingly fraught, but one bond has stayed strong throughout.

Harry and his cousin Eugenie – the younger daughter of Prince Andrew – have always shared a close relationship and even throughout the last few difficult years, which has seen much strife between Harry and his brother Prince William, and father King Charles, it’s stayed solid.

Eugenie has visited Harry in the US, and recently Harry and Meghan are reported to have purchased a home in Portugal – their first European home since the couple were evicted from Frogmore Cottage – where Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank also own a place.

However, recent reports have claimed that despite her strong relationship with her cousin Harry, Eugenie has begun to find the strained and icy relationship between the Sussexes and some of the other senior royals “tiresome” and has at times acted as a go-between of sorts between her uncle King Charles and Harry.

“Eugenie is in a difficult position because she’s always been close to Harry, but she is mindful of how that relationship could affect her standing with the rest of her family. She is always trying to manage a difficult balancing act, which can become quite tiresome at times,” an unnamed source explained to The Express, who also claimed that Meghan and Harry have invited Eugenie, Jack, and their two children – August, three, and Ernest, one – to spend the festive season in California with them.

The source claimed that while the invite to spend Christmas in Montecito was welcomed, it was not the only royal invitation Eugenie received this year. “Harry and Meghan have invited Eugenie and Jack to join them in California during the holidays. It’s a very difficult position for Eugenie because she has also been invited to Sandringham,” the source explained.

Every year the monarch hosts many of the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas, a tradition that has been going on for decades – and sees the House of Windsor conduct a walkabout and chat with the public on their way to the annual Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

This isn’t the first time that Eugenie is reported to have found herself in the middle of Harry’s icy relationship with his father and brother, with a source expressing similar sentiments to back in October.

Royal expert Jennie Bond – the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years – said to OK! that she believed Charles was likely “grateful” to be able to get updates on his youngest son from Eugenie. ” Eugenie undoubtedly does have something of a challenge on her hands to maintain good relationships with both Harry and Meghan—and the rest of the royal family,” the expert said. “But I think the king is probably happy that Harry still has at least one royal cousin he clearly trusts, and presumably wants to see more of.

“However, I think it’s a positive thing that Charles does have someone he can quietly ask about Harry‘s well-being, if he is so inclined. And Harry can presumably gauge the mood of the family via Eugenie,” Bond added. “Any reconciliation—which at this stage still seems unlikely—has to start somewhere and with someone. And that person could possibly be Eugenie.”

Prince Harry didn’t hold back in shutting down rumours about his marriage to Meghan Markle, but his remarks reveal some hidden personal struggles according to one expert.

The duke laughed as he brushed off the claims in a recent sit-down interview with the New York Times, and addressed the fact that he and Meghan have been attending work engagements solo more often recently.

He didn’t hesitate in his response, joking that claims about the couple moving house come up as often as those that they are heading for a divorce. “Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?” Harry joked to Andrew Ross Sorkin, the columnist hosting the event.

Despite finally addressing the rumours about his marriage head on, a royal expert has claimed out the comments did reveal something of the “inner turmoil” that Harry suffers from. “[Harry] said that all the pundits must be very disappointed, and he felt sorry for them that none of these things actually happened,” royal author Hugo Vickers told The Sun.

“What else can he say? He must be roundly fed up with all the kind of speculation that’s been going on over his whole life, ever since he was a little boy, so in that respect, I sympathise with him.”

The royal author added that Meghan and Harry working separately likely does not indicate any marital woes, and instead is probably part of a larger strategy for their careers going forward, in which they both are able to play to their personal strengths.

“They’re always playing to their particular skills. They’re also always having to reinvent themselves. They’re always having to try and keep focused in the public eye,” he added.

The expert’s comments reflect many things that Harry has said over the years, about the massive amount of scrutiny his personal life has generated given his royal position. In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote extensively about how the “role” carved out for him in the public imagination brought him a lot of mental distress, especially when he was younger.

“I’d been cast in my role in the Rolling Royal Melodrama. Long before I was old enough to drink a beer (legally) it became dogma. Harry? Yeah, he’s the naughty one. Naughty became the tide I swam against, the headwind I flew against, the daily expectation I could never hope to shake,” Harry wrote in one moving passage.

“I didn’t want to be naughty […] but every sin, every misstep, every setback triggered the same tired label, and the same public condemnations, and thereby reinforced the conventional wisdom that I was innately naughty.”