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TV star Ruth Langsford shared a personal lunchtime recipe after taking inspiration from social media – here’s everything you need to know

Ruth Langsford has shared a personal lunchtime dish with fans, encompassing several healthy ingredients. The Loose Women panellist, 64, noticed so many ‘pretty’ variations on social media and decided to whip up a version of her own.

“Keep seeing these posts of salad bowls so thought I’d try one,” she wrote to her 1.1 million followers. “So pretty & healthy!” Ruth’s note was accompanied by a short clip of her meal which was a far cry than just green leaves and dressing.

Prawn, cherry tomatoes, olives and lettuce were among the ingredients she included, as well as avocado and what appeared to be celery and tuna. While each of these staples boast their own unique health benefits, avocado has received special attention from experts after being dubbed a ‘superfood’.

This is because they are brimming with several key nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids. The latter is what’s often referred to as ‘healthy fats’, which are critical for heart health, reducing diabetes risk, and cognitive function, according to emerging research.

Specialists at the University of Rochester Medical Centre outline: “Omega-3s are a helpful and important form of fat. Your body needs it but can’t make it. Your body needs 2 forms of omega fatty acids. These are omega-3 and omega-6.

“Experts believe that omega-3s help prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy people. They also believe omega-3s can slow progress of the disease in those who already have it.”

This isn’t the first time Ruth has shared a healthy recipe on Instagram. The TV star’s ‘upside down salad’ trick was also celebrated by fans, after she unveiled a tutorial on the platform.

Prawn, cherry tomatoes, olives and lettuce were among the ingredients Ruth included ( 
Image:
Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)Last September, she explained: “So, now I’m going to make what I call my ‘upside down salad’. So, basically, I put everything in layers in one of these [glass tubs], which means that when I tip it out the lettuce is on the bottom and everything else that I want is in layers. Anyway, you get the gist.

“So, basically I put kitchen roll in the bottom [of the tub] because then any kind of juices from the tomatoes and cucumber soak a bit into that, so the whole salad doesn’t get soggy. So, that’s the gist and let me show you how I do it.”

This time, Ruth’s salad included nine key ingredients, these are:

Tomatoes
Red onion
Tuna in olive oil
Hard boiled eggs
Avocado
Black olives
Cucumber
Lettuce
Brianna’s Honey Mustard DressingShe previously added: “I take this to work most days….stops me grabbing unhealthy, processed food. Even when you make a healthy choice and buy a salad, in my experience, they’re mostly leaves!!

“This way you get a good, decent portion salad and you get to put all the things you like in it!”

Former Love Island star Maura Higgins posted an Instagram story that showed she wasn’t staying at home on Valentine’s Day following her reported break up with Strictly Come Dancing’s Pete Wicks

Maura Higgins posted an Instagram story on Friday night that showed she was having a great time on Valentine’s Day without Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks.

Maura and Pete have reportedly called time on their on-off romance, but the former Love Island star proved she was getting along just fine without reality star Pete in a social media post in which she was “painting the town red” with celebrity hair stylist Carl Bembridge.The Instagram story featured Maura and Carl at central London restaurant Sheesh, with both of them dressed in matching burgundy outfits. While Carl sported a muscle-defining long sleeve T-shirt and leather trousers, Maura celebrated Valentine’s Day by wearing a corset-style mini dress with ruffled skirt. Maura posed for a video clip entitled “My date is hotter than yours,” and also shared photos in which she and Carl posed with a glass of red wine. The song she featured on her Instagram story was Whitney Houston’s classic It’s Not Right But It’s Okay, which features lyrics in which a woman confronts her lover about his infidelity.

Maura shared photos of her Valentine’s night out ( 
Image:
Instagram/ @maurahiggins)

Maura wished her fans a Happy Valentine’s Day ( 
Image:
Instagram/ @maurahiggins)
It is believed that Maura and Pete have decided they are better off as friends after being in an on-off relationship for several months. Rumours the long-time pals had struck up a romance began last year when they were caught sharing a kiss during a Soho dinner in August. But it now looks like the relationship is over before it even really began.

A source told MailOnline: “Maura and Pete have decided to call off their romance. There have been a few clashes, and it was eventually agreed they were better off as friends. Those closest to them know it’s been a very on and off relationship, which is why they were so resistant to go public in the first place. They remain close and share a deep connection.”

Both Maura and Pete have previously been questioned about their relationship, most recently when Maura appeared on Loose Women following her time in the jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

A red-faced Maura Higgins was grilled about Pete Wicks romance rumours on Loose Women ( 
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She was left blushing when she was questioned about her supposed boyfriend Pete. When asked if she would consider appearing on the All Stars version of the ITV2 dating series that made her a household name, Maura quickly responded “no”, adding: “My dating show days are done!”

The panellists were quick to probe further into her comment, leading Maura to clarify: “I don’t want to go on a dating show, I’ve turned down All Stars before and I turned down the Celebs Go Dating. I’ve done it once and I spent the whole time in Love Island single!”

She was then asked by panellist Katie Piper if that meant she was not currently single, to which Maura replied: “No, did I say that? I know what you’re doing! No, I never said anything, next question! ” Frankie Bridge then directly asked: “Is there anything going on with Pete?” and commented that they made a lovely couple.

Maura responded: “Do we? I never really thought about it. He’s got better hair than me to be fair! There’s not really much to tell, I know that’s very boring, we’ve known each other for what, six years? We spend time together, we get on very well, our personalities are very very similar and he’s a great person but there’s actually nothing to tell. There’s really not though, no one believes me, there’s not!”

Emmerdale actor Jeff Hordley, who played Cain Dingle on the ITV soap for over two decades, has opened up about his battle with a chronic disease that has impacted his life

Jeff Hordley, best known for his role as Cain Dingle in the popular ITV soap Emmerdale, has shared how a simple lifestyle change has helped him manage his chronic Crohn’s disease without medication.

The 54-year-old actor opened up about his health battle on the Another Day Another Collar podcast. Crohn’s disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of parts of the digestive system, according to the NHS. It falls under the category of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

When asked by host Steve Mann if he was still an ambassador for Crohn’s disease, Jeff responded: “Crohn’s; no, I’m not anymore, but I was for years because I’ve had Crohn’s since I was 24, 25, and I’ve now managed to keep it under wraps because of diet.”

He went on to explain: “Certainly, like you were saying about, we eat very much seasonally; we eat from our allotment, from definitely June through to now.

“So that’s how I’ve managed to do it and exercise and things like that. I’ve managed to avoid any medication, which not every Crohn’s sufferer manages to do, but that’s the way I’ve managed it.”

Jeff went on to be an advocate who campaigned to raise awareness ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Jeff added that people look for “quick fixes” rather than looking at things “holistically”. Instead of taking note of their rest, exercise, and what they are “putting” into their bodies, he said they ask for a tablet, something he described as the “modern way.”

According to the National Health Service, Crohn’s disease is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 500,000 people across the UK.

Of this number, around 115,000 individuals are living with Crohn’s, based on data from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Jeff was diagnosed with Crohn’s after he sadly lost his mother, who also had the condition, and he went on to be an advocate who campaigned to raise awareness.

While on an episode of Loose Women, his wife, Zoe, opened up about her husband’s fight with the condition, saying it “changed [their] lives” and that Jeff was concerned it would prevent him from pursuing a career in acting.

Jeff Hordley explained how he manages to “avoid any medication” ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
As an ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Jeff reassured others by saying: “You are not alone if you are suffering from Crohn’s or Colitis… although sometimes you might feel as if you are.”

Crohn’s symptoms can range from diarrhoea and abdominal pain to blood in the stool, fatigue, and unexpected weight loss. The disease can cause flare-ups that are either persistent or sporadic.

The health service says you should visit your doctor if you notice poo in your blood, experience diarrhoea for more than seven days, have constant cramps or aches in your stomach, lose weight for no apparent reason, or your child isn’t growing as you’d expect.

You can learn more about Crohn’s disease via the NHS website here.

Princess Kate recently made a poignant visit to a prison to meet mothers behind bars, and she was able to put everyone at ease as she toured its on-site nursery

The Princess of Wales has a knack of putting people at ease when they meet her face-to-face. And that natural charm came into play when she visited a women’s prison in Cheshire earlier this week.

Kate, 43, continued her measured return to public duties by touring HMP Styal near Wilmslow, a closed-category prison for adult female and young offenders over the ages of 18. Inmates are serving sentences for everything from robbery and drug offences to the most serious, such as murder.

The princess was there to tour a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in her role as Patron of Action for Children to highlight how important “strong, loving and consistent” relationships are to a child’s development, even in the most challenging of environments. Amanda Taylor, Action for Children’s Operational Director of Children’s Services, later spoke to People about Kate’s “incredible visit”.

“We felt very privileged that the princess visited one of our mother and baby units,” she said. “We consider them our little gems that we don’t always get publicity about. It is incredibly important work that we deliver and for the princess to shine a light on that work was a fantastic opportunity for us.”

Although the mothers in the unit were “nervous,” the Princess of Wales made everyone feel “incredibly comfortable,” Taylor says. “She just naturally helped the women to feel relaxed,” she explains. “One of the women found it hard to talk and she spent some time with her at the end, talking to her one to one. She is very skilled at making people feel comfortable. These are very vulnerable women in a difficult situation.”

The prison, which has a capacity of 454, currently has about 400 female prisoners, both on remand and those already completing their sentences, including those for life. Pregnant women and mothers live in a separate area of the building and are supported to care for their babies by trained prison staff and early years experts, who even ensure that babies are exposed to regular experiences such as going on walks, shopping and travelling on a bus. They also help to organise overnight stays with other family members to establish strong bonds with a wider network.

Ultimately, the MBU’s aim is to help establish and maintain a strong bond between mother and child, particularly in the crucial few months of their lives. The hope is that the units will also help break the cycle of re-offending, which for female offenders in England and Wales sits at a rate of 22.3 per cent.

During her visit, the princess met staff and former residents to hear about the high-quality nursery provision the prison provides, as well as targeted intervention and parenting support for inmate mothers. She also visited its on-site nursery to see where babies and children living on-site can learn and play. And she chatted to a group of current inmates on the MBU to hear about how Action for Children has been helping them.

One of them left the prison six weeks ago with her toddler son after serving a 14-month sentence for an undisclosed offence, and another was 30 weeks pregnant when she began an 11-month sentence and gave birth to a daughter in prison.

One of the women told Kate how it was only by being sent to prison that she received “so much” help, something that was unlikely to have been available in her local community. The future queen replied: “It shouldn’t have to take something like this to get access to something like this…”

Omid Scobie – seen by many as the Sussexes’ mouthpiece – has had his company MeYou dissolved, two months after being sent a formal warning. He was the sole director

It’s bad news for royal expert Omid Scobie. The Finding Freedom author has had his company forcibly closed down after receiving a compulsory strike-off notice in December.

Omid – who has close connections to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle – established MeYou in 2016 and was the sole director. According to Companies House, the nature of the business was ‘other publishing activities’.

A compulsory strike-off notice is a formal warning that a company is at risk of being dissolved and removed from the Companies House register, reports MailOnline. It’s issued by Companies House when they believe a company is no longer trading. Omid, who now lives in California, just like the Sussexes, took no action and as a result MeYou has been dissolved.

The 43-year-old first came to public attention in August 2020 with the release of his co-authored book, Finding Freedom, which revolved around the married lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and was written with Meghan’s contribution through a third-party source.

November 2023 saw the publication of Scobie’s next book, Endgame, in which he took aim at the British royal family as an institution as well as at individual members of the family. And there was further uproar when a Dutch translation named King Charles and the Princess of Wales as the two members of the royal household who allegedly raised “concerns” about the skin colour of Meghan and Harry’s then-unborn son.

After denying that he had ever named the two members of the Royal Family, Scobie later performed a U-turn that saw him admit that he did name the two Royals in an “early” version of the scathing book. Initially, Scobie had denied ever writing their names in the English manuscript, but he then said that an “uncleared” version of the manuscript was provided to the Dutch publisher without his knowledge, seemingly confirming the names at some stage.

According to the author, an “early and uncleared” version of Endgame was sent to the Dutch publisher so work could start on translating. The Dutch edition was not the final version he had submitted, he said.

Scobie admitted that his “stomach flipped” when he first realised the royals had been named. Writing in an opinion piece for the i, he said: “Unbeknownst to me at the time, early and uncleared text was provided to the Dutch publisher in order for them to start work on the translation, with the understanding that their translation would be updated to reflect the final version of the book I officially submitted.

“Other foreign-language publishers, including in France and Italy, were also doing the same thing, though their versions perfectly replicated the completed work. What I can be sure of is that I edited carefully, took independent legal advice, and the finished book that I submitted was not the version published in the Netherlands.”

Scobie said the only publisher he had worked with was the “one covering the US and UK”. He previously told the BBC he did not know how the Dutch translation came to name the two royals. And he had earlier stated on Dutch television: “For me, I edited and wrote the English version; there has never been a version that I’ve produced that has names in it.”

Prince William has shared a snap of himself and Princess Kate for Valentine’s Day – and fans gush over the simple but powerful nod to their extremely challenging year they have faced

Prince William has shared a loved up post to his wife celebrating Valentine’s Day after getting through their “hardest year”.

The royal uploaded the snap of himself and Princess Kate to their official Instagram account as they sat on a tree trunk surrounded by woodland. The sweet photograph shows Kate giggling as he kisses her cheek and simply captioned the post with a red heart.

The photo was taken from the video they released last year which revealed Kate had finished her chemotherapy – and is a nod to the challenges they had been through. Fans gushed over the post and praised it being “true love forever”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

William has been very vocal about his immense pride for his wife amid her health battle, and in November, he said the diagnosis of both his wife and dad was “brutal” but shared how proud he was of them both. He was asked how his year had been while on a trip to South Africa and simply replied: “Honestly? It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.”

Prince William said it had been the ‘hardest year’ of his life with his wife’s cancer diagnosis ( 
Image:
AP)

William isn’t one to shy away from public affection on social media, and it comes after he paid an emotional tribute to wife Kate on her birthday after a turbulent year along with a beautiful new photo of the princess.

He issued an unprecedented written message on social media publicly praising her as an “incredible wife and mother” and hailing the strength she has shown in the past year following her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment as ‘remarkable’.

In his message declaring his love, William wrote: “To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W”.

Last month marked a year since she was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16, just seven days after her 42nd birthday. She spent nearly two weeks in the London Clinic after undergoing the major operation and was recuperating at home when she was told she had cancer and had to begin chemotherapy.

The princess, a future queen of the nation, is expected to continue her gradual return to public duties with more appearances this year.

William and Kate look set to carry out an overseas visit together, with the Prince hinting as much. “I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up,” he said during his tour to Cape Town last autumn.

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Prince Harry has opened up about seeking therapy to help ‘relieve the pressure’ of hearing traumatic stories from injured military veterans taking part in the Invictus Games

Prince Harry says he has therapy to help cope with hearing heartbreaking stories from brave injured military veterans taking part in the Invictus Games.

The poignant admission came in as the Duke spoke with veteran Mark Beare, who suffered from PTSD as a result of listening to the trauma and grief of other soldiers – many of which lost friends in combat.Like Prince Harry, the former Canadian soldier served Afghanistan. As Commanding Officer, Beare said that soldiers would often lean on him with their traumatic stories and after years of taking on that emotional weight, he hit a point where it became impossible to process.

Prince Harry with army veteran Mark Beare ( 
Image:
CTV News)
“Towards the end of my career, I was diagnosed with PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress disorder] and MDD [Major Depressive Disorder] and it really rocked me,” Beare said in a televised interview special with Canadian news channel CTV News. “I felt like I was broken and that I had failed.”

The veteran then explained that he didn’t share his diagnosis with his extended family until 12 months ago, and credits the Games for helping him start the conversation.

As Harry listened to Beare’s powerful story, he revealed that as founder of the Games and as a combat veteran, he resonated with the emotional toll of hearing from soldiers who have suffered life-altering injuries and PTSD from serving in war zones.

In the pre-recorded interview, TV anchor Omar Sachedina asks the prince: “Some of this is so raw and so painful. How do you find the strength to keep listening?”

Prince Harry with members of Team Canada at the Invictus Games ( 
Image:
Invictus Games Foundation via Ge)
In response, the duke, who served two tours in Afghanistan during his 10-year army career, said: “I do my own therapy. I think it’s really important for everything that we take on as individuals who help other people, that you also need to find a place to be able to relieve that pressure on yourself. I try to give some advice. I try to connect the dots. I tell those individuals that they have the support structure around them.”

Harry added: “People come forward more to share, you know their stories, and I don’t always get the chance to have that really deep conversation with them. A lot of times I do. You know, if there would be a time and a place for that, and timing is everything, and the last thing I want to do is be the person to probe a little bit deeper.”

The duke founded the Invictus Games ( 
Image:
Invictus Games Foundation via Ge)The Duke also revealed how much the Games means to him. “Being around this community is my fix. When you’re around these people, you hear other people’s stories, and you can make that connection with your own experience. There’s just a lot of weight that gets taken off your shoulders because a lot of these individuals feel or have felt very lonely.

“I get so much out of hearing their stories, and that may sound weird, but I get my own sort of cure and confidence from them, knowing that what we’re doing is working. And being able to serve, I guess, is part of my service, and being able to use the position, the platform, and the spotlight gives these guys all the attention and the opportunity.”

It’s not the first time that Harry has candidly opened up about his own therapy. The Duke has previously said he sought professional help to cope with the loss of his mother, Princess Diana. He used a special therapy programme called EMDR to process the loss, and said that living with the trauma of his mother made him feel ‘helpless’, ‘hunted’ and as if ‘there is no escape’.

lsewhere in the 30-minute interview, Harry has suggested he and wife Meghan are unlikely to have any more children. The dad-of-two, 40, described parenthood as “amazing”. But he admitted: “I think one or two kids is probably enough… I definitely think that.

“I know some people who’ve got five. I just say, ‘Well, that’s your own fault!’. Having kids is amazing, but it is… it’s a journey every single day, every single week, they just grow, and they change”. Harry added: “I love the questions that they ask and the experiences and the challenges that they give you. It’s great.”

The Duke is at the Games in Vancouver and Whistler until the closing ceremony on Sunday. His wife, Meghan Markle, joined him for five days but has since returned home to California, to be with their children Archie and Lilibet.

As Prince Harry opens up about his hopes for his children to attend the Invictus Games, Meghan Markle is making Valentine’s Day special for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

The Duchess of Sussex is making Valentine’s Day extra special for her children after returning home from Canada to be with them.

Meghan Markle, 43, has shared an adorable video of her making love-themed bagels with her kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on her Instagram Stories, after leaving Prince Harry at the Invictus Games earlier this week. Meghan posted a video clip that showed her cutting strawberries into hearts and decorating marbled bagels with pink cream.

In the background of the footage, it seems her daughter Lilibet and son Archie are helping her prepare the Valentine’s treat, and the pair appear to be relaxed in their pyjamas at home. The post is one of many updates Meghan has shared on her social media since she flew home from Canada to reunite with their children on Tuesday. But she rarely shares glimpses of her youngsters, and royal fans have spotted just how grown-up five-year-old Archie looks in the clip.

Meghan shared a video of her in the kitchen at home with her children ( 
Image:
Instagram/meghan)

Archie appeared to be helping his mum make some Valentine’s treats ( 
Image:
Instagram/meghan)
The Duchess has been very active on Instagram today while her husband continues his work at the Games. Earlier, she shared an affectionate post with an unseen snap of her and Harry kissing at the dinner table. Meghan had her hand placed tentatively on the side of Harry’s cheek as they closed their eyes for the rare moment caught on camera. The Duchess added a touching message, honouring her husband for his work at the Games this week and a heartfelt ‘thank you’.

She wrote: “Back home taking care of our babies, and missing my Valentine, as he continues on at the Invictus Games, changing lives and reminding all of us of the power of healing and resilience through these incredible veterans and their families. Beyond proud of my husband and what he’s created. My love, I will eat burgers & fries and fish & chips with you forever. Thank you for you. #lovewins. As ever, M.”

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Harry has shared how he wants his children to attend the Games one day. Speaking to Town & Country, Harry said: “I’d love for them to experience the Invictus spirit first-hand one day. Right now, they’re still young, but we already talk about the importance of resilience, community, and service—everything Invictus represents.”

The Duke, who is expected to remain at the Games until after Sunday’s closing ceremony, is no stranger to the area, after he and Meghan moved to nearby Vancouver Island after quitting the UK in 2020, in what became known as ‘Megxit’. They also began their relationship with secret dates and stays in Toronto, where she lived while starring in the hit TV show Suits for five years.

Meghan shared an affectionate picture of her and Harry to mark Valentine’s Day ( 
Image:
Instagram/meghan)

The Duchess left her husband to fly home on Tuesday to be with their children ( 
Image:
Humphrey Nemar)Harry said: “It feels like a full-circle moment. Canada has been so kind to us over the years, and to be back here for another Invictus Games eight years later—married, with two amazing kids—is awesome! Spending time with our Invictus community is always a privilege.” This year’s Invictus is the seventh event held after previous Games in London, Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, the Hague, and Dusseldorf.

“The highlight so far has been seeing competitors and their families take to the snow in Whistler,” Harry went on. “Introducing winter sports to the Invictus Games is a huge milestone—one we’ve been working toward for a long time—so witnessing both the competition and the pure joy on everyone’s faces makes me really happy. The welcome, the hospitality, the scenery—the entire experience has been life-changing for so many, and we are incredibly grateful to all Canadians for the lifelong memories created during these Games.”

Harry added: “The Invictus Games give us all an opportunity to recognise, celebrate, and honour this incredible community for their service and sacrifice. The stories shared and amplified through accurate, honest reporting are exactly what the world needs—stories of resilience, strength, and the best of the human spirit.”

The Royal Family has dramatically increased their number of engagements with King Charles leading the way – their output is 75% up during the first seven weeks of 2025 compared to last year

The Royal Family are off to a flying start, clocking up more engagements in the first seven weeks of the year than at any time in the same period since the pandemic.

The King has led the way in boosting their output by 75% from last year. The royals, including Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales, have clocked up 269 engagements from January 1 to February 13, according to official Court Circular records.

They were rocked in the first few days of 2024 when the King and Princess of Wales were hospitalised on the same day, Charles for a procedure on his prostate and Kate for an abdominal surgery.

Weeks later, they were both diagnosed with cancer, sending The Firm into a spin about its future. But the pace at which they have collectively bounced back this year is up massively from previous years,

The family carried out 154 engagements last year, so this year’s start is already up 75%. And it’s just under a third from 2023, when they undertook 204 engagements between them.

William during a visit to Carnoustie and Monifieth Men’s Shed, in Angus ( 
Image:
PA)
The King, who is still having treatment for cancer, has already been to Poland for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, as well as going on away days to Cornwall and Middlesbrough. The Princess of Wales continued her comeback from cancer treatment by visiting a women’s prison in Cheshire and returning to the London hospital where she had seven months of chemotherapy.

News of the output is hugely positive for the King given his family were plagued by health woes last year, including Princess Anne being rushed to hospital and having to spend time in intensive care after she was knocked unconscious by a horse. Charles has welcomed faith leaders to Buckingham Palace, thanked Polish veterans for their Second World War service, visited a new housing estate in Cornwall with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and been to Tottenham Hotspur’s North London stadium.

Queen Camilla has opened a sexual assault centre in Exeter and celebrated Olympians and Paralympians at Clarence House, while the Prince and Princess of Wales attended Holocaust memorial events in London. Engagements in 2025 are however down 12% from those in 2020 but back then there were 14 working royals, including the late Elizabeth II, who completed 306 engagements by February 13.

King Charles got off to the fastest start of the year since before assuming the throne. His workload of 67 engagements from the New Year until February 13 is up 86% on the same period in 2023 – the year before he was ill – and up 109% from the 32 in 2022.

The Princess of Wales during a royal visit to the National Portrait Gallery ( 
Image:
PA)
In 2024, he had done just three due to his medical issues. But he is not alone in starting the year with a noticeably busier schedule. Camilla undertook 91% more engagements than during the same period of 2024. Although the overall number is low – 21 compared to 11 – she was last year widely praised for steadying the ship throughout a turbulent time when her husband and stepdaughter-in-law were both having cancer treatment.

Prince William was also taking a leave of absence to look after his three children while Kate was receiving chemotherapy. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who recently returned from a visit to Nepal, are on track to post high annual numbers – they are already up 31% and 65% from 2024, respectively.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, at 80 and 78 years old, have been busy with 21 engagements, and the 89-year-old Duke of Kent has chipped in with 11. Princess Anne’s tally is down 25% this year but the Princess Royal’s overall number of engagements is still impressive. As of February 13, she is in second place with 48 engagements, behind Charles, with 67.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are also ramping up their workload after a tumultuous time for the couple and their three young children. William undertook 21 engagements until February 13, up from the four he did in that period in 2024, and Kate – whose medical situation meant she had no engagements until June of that year – has already done six this year.

Patricia Treble, author of the Write Royalty newsletter, who undertook the analysis, said: “I knew they were doing more than last year but what surprised me is how much more they are doing than previous years when there were more working royals. Will this jackrabbit start to the year continue? It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, impressed former US marine Michael Harrold, who today said: “Everyone laughed. He’s got a good sense of humour and he’s very engaging”

Prince Harry had athletes in stitches at the Invictus Games after telling a risqué joke about snowmen.

The father-of-two, 40, told the gag after Michael Harrold, a former US marine, urged him to tell his best dad joke at a breakfast event with competitors from Team USA.

Michael, from Virginia, met Harry at the event this week and then again today when he appeared at the Invictus Games swimming finals at Vancouver’s UBC Aquatic Centre, where he posed with a US flag before signing it.

Recounting the joke, Michael, 41, told the Mirror: “He asked me ‘what is the difference between snow men and snow women? … snowballs!’. Everyone laughed.”

Michael Harrold, Ashley Christman and Jacquelyn Marty spoke to the Mirror ( 
Image:
Patrick Hill/Reach Plc)

Ironically, Michael was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November 2022 and chose an aggressive approach to the treatment, which led to him being nicknamed ‘single jingle’ by his son. He said: “I’d already told [Prince Harry] a joke my son made up and told him he owed me one back, so after he’d met a couple of other people he came back and found me. He’s got a good sense of humour and he’s very engaging.

“For a man of his calibre and his stature to make the time is fantastic. He makes the time to talk to people and remembers them from previous times he’s met them. He cares.” Telling how the Invictus Games have helped him, Michael added: “It’s given me redemption.”

Ashley Christman, 45, from southern California said: “He’s incredibly down to earth and personable. And as a fellow service member he has been out there alongside us suffering through the same kinds of environments that we have seen and so he gets it and our battles. It feels like he is just part of the brotherhood and sisterhood as well. It doesn’t feel like he’s royalty. He’s just one of us.”

Meghan Markle was with Prince Harry for the first few days but then returned home as planned ( 
Image:
Humphrey Nemar)
Jacquelyn Marty, 57, from Kentucky, said: “I feel like Invictus has given me a drive and a purpose. I love goals and trying to achieve or surpass them. It gives me a purpose in life. I don’t have my military community nearby so this is my community and I love it.”

The trio spoke out on Friday – day eight of this year’s Invictus Games, which are being held in Vancouver and Whistler, hours after the publication of a new interview in which he told how he wants his children to attend the Invictus Games.

The royal was accompanied by wife Meghan, 43, for the first five days of this year’s championships, but their kids Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, stayed at home in California and have yet to attend the event, which Harry founded for injured service people in 2014.

Harry said: “I’d love for them to experience the Invictus spirit first-hand one day. Right now, they’re still young, but we already talk about the importance of resilience, community, and service—everything Invictus represents.”

Athletes, including members of Team Nigeria, were delighted to see the Prince ( 
Image:
AP)
Harry, who is expected to remain at the Games until after Sunday’s closing ceremony, is no stranger to Canada, after he and Meghan moved to Vancouver Island after quitting the UK in 2020, in what became known as ‘Megxit’. He and Meghan also began their relationship with secret dates and stays in Toronto, where she lived while starring in hit TV show Suits for five years.

Speaking about this year’s Games, Harry said: “It feels like a full-circle moment. Canada has been so kind to us over the years, and to be back here for another Invictus Games eight years later—married, with two amazing kids—is awesome! Spending time with our Invictus community is always a privilege.

This year’s Invictus is the seventh held after previous Games in London, Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, the Hague and Dusseldorf, and is the first that has included winter sports, including alpine skiing, biathlon and wheelchair curling. Harry said: “The highlight so far has been seeing competitors and their families take to the snow in Whistler.

Harry looked as though he was enjoying the visit ( 
Image:
AP)“Introducing winter sports to the Invictus Games is a huge milestone—one we’ve been working toward for a long time—so witnessing both the competition and the pure joy on everyone’s faces makes me really happy. The welcome, the hospitality, the scenery—the entire experience has been life-changing for so many, and we are incredibly grateful to all Canadians for the life-ong memories created during these Games.”

Speaking to Town & Country, the Duke of Sussex added: “The Invictus Games give us all an opportunity to recognise, celebrate, and honor this incredible community for their service and sacrifice. The stories shared and amplified through accurate, honest reporting are exactly what the world needs—stories of resilience, strength, and the best of the human spirit.”