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Since Meghan, Duchess of Sussex quit life as a working royal, allegations and rumours that she isn’t the easiest person to work with have continued to abound – but Prince Harry has a totally different take

Rumours that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex can be a difficult boss have plagued her since she was a working royal.

And in a scathing new report by Vanity Fair, staff members who worked with her at Spotify have added their voices, claiming they found their time with the Duchess to be challenging. Meghan has strongly denied claims that she “bullied” her staff members, pushing back on what her spokesperson previously called a ‘calculated smear campaign’.

Equally, there have been many other former staff members who have come forward to publicly disagree with these assessments, insisting they found her to be a great boss.

Prince Harry, Meghan’s husband, also opened up about his view on the way Meghan dealt with her staff in his memoir Spare, and while he has not spoken publicly about the new allegations that have surfaced, it’s clear that he has a different take on why emotions often ran high in the royal offices.

 

This Morning: Cat Deeley announces breaking Prince Harry news

The first allegations that Meghan had “bullied” two royal aides emerged in 2021 – around the time of the couple’s bombshell sit-down with Oprah Winfrey where they explained the reasons behind their shock exit from the UK. The incidents are reported to have occurred as early as 2018, with two PAs leaving their roles in the royal household quickly after the couple’s fairytale royal wedding in Windsor.

Harry and Meghan got married in 2018 in Windsor ( 
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Two PAs left their jobs shortly after the couple’s wedding ( 
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The Times reported in 2021 that Jason Knauff, former communication secretary for the couple, made a complaint about what he perceived to be “bullying” behaviour from Meghan towards royal staff, writing to Prince William’s private secretary about his worries on the matter: “I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights”.

The newspaper also quoted multiple sources that used the term “bullies” to describe Meghan and Harry, with one claiming that another member of the team was left “completely destroyed”, and another alleging they were “humiliated” by the Duchess while others were apparently left in tears. In her defence, Meghan is said to have stated that it was not her “job to coddle people”.

Jason Knauff left his position shortly after making the complaint, but by Harry’s own admission, there were tears and incredibly high tensions amongst the staff that year. However, he made it clear in Spare that in his view, none of the blame for that lay at Meghan’s door.

Jason Knauf was the couple’s comms secretary, and complained about Meghan’s behaviour towards staff in 2018 ( 
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Instead, Harry wrote that it was the growing tension between himself, Meghan, his elder brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Kate – alongside the huge demands the press team was facing without enough staff to meet them – that was to blame for the “poisoned atmosphere” in the office.

“There was frequent bickering around the office,” Harry wrote, “Sides were taken. Team Cambridge versus Team Sussex. Rivalry, jealousy, competing agendas, it all poisoned the atmosphere.

“It didn’t help that everyone was working around the clock. There were so many demands from the press, such a constant stream of errors that needed clearing up, and we didn’t have nearly enough people or resources. At best we were able to address 10 percent of what was out there.”

Harry blamed his feud with William for the mounting tensions ( 
ImageThe atmosphere, from Harry’s description, got pretty toxic, and meant that what he perceived as “constructive criticism” towards staff ended up leaving them upset or offended instead, he claimed. “Nerves were shattering, people were sniping. In such a climate there was no such thing as constructive criticism. All feedback was seen as an affront, an insult. More than once a staff member slumped behind their desk and wept.”

He added that William laid the blame solely at Meghan’s door and made this clear repeatedly, leaving the Duke of Sussex furious. In contradiction, Harry painted a picture of his wife as an ideal boss, who went above and beyond for her staff members – and that he never witnessed her speaking rudely to anyone who worked for them. Instead, she “spread kindness. She sent out handwritten thank you notes, checked on staff who were ill, sent baskets of food and flowers or goodies to anyone struggling, depressed or off sick.”

Not only that, Harry claimed, but she also personally funded amenities for the office like electric heaters, and threw socials for her staff.

There have been two major reports over the last few months negatively depicting Meghan’s style as an employer – one in the Hollywood Reporter that describe Meghan as a ‘dictator’ and claimed she had “reduced grown men to tears”. And another in Vanity Fair, alleging that one member of staff who worked with Meghan at Spotify needed “long term therapy” after their experience with the Duchess, while others took “extended breaks” from their jobs.

However, some employees speaking to Vanity Fair had nothing but glowing praise for the Duchess, and several members of staff – both current and former – went on the record with Us Weekly recently describing their incredibly positive experiences of working with Meghan, and reiterating the claim that she goes above and beyond, regularly handing out freebies and gifts to her staff.

Former England captain David Beckham has opened up about his royal connections with both King Charles and Prince William after making several high-profile appearances with them both at recent events

An emotional David Beckham has opened up about his royal connections and how he responded to a request from Prince William.

The former England captain has made a string of high-profile appearances with both the Prince of Wales and King Charles in recent months. The 49-year-old was recently appointed an ambassador for the King’s Foundation and also joined a royal engagement with William to unveil the London Air Ambulance’s new helicopters.

During an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Becks was asked about his royal pals and recent work with the monarchy. And he became emotional and admitted he always gets “emotional talking about anything that I do with our Royal Family”.

David Beckham at the World Economic Forum in Davos ( 
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When it came to William, Becks said that he’s joined forces with the Prince “whenever he’s asked me to get involved”. He explained: To be involved in that has always been a ‘yes’ for me. Whenever the Prince of Wales sends me a message and says ‘I need you to do this’ or ‘be there’, it’s always a ‘yes’.”

When it came to his role with Charles’ King’s Foundation, he praised the monarch as an incredible man and revealed his mum Sandra burst into tears when he told her he’d been asked to be an ambassador for the charity.

He added: ” She knows my grandparents would have been proud that I have played such an important role in the Royal Family and the charities that they have.”

Beckham with Prince William at an engagement for the London Air Ambulance ( 
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Becks’ comments come just weeks after speculation began mounting that he could be knighted after growing particularly close to the King. It came after David and his fashion designer wife Victoria were surprise guests at a glittering state banquet in honour of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher in December.

The former Man United star was described in royal circles as “the perfect guest” for the state occasion, owing to his ambassador role for the 2022 Qatar World Cup when the competition broke ground by being held in the Middle East for the first time.

The ex-player, who was capped 115 times for England as well as captaining the team for six years, has in the past been widely tipped to have a promotion from his current OBE, after being named in the late Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to football in June 2003. But after hanging up his boots playing for some of the world’s most illustrious clubs including AC Milan and Real Madrid.

The King shares a joke with the former England captain ( 
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AFP via Getty Images)In June, the King turned to brand Beckham to help him rebuild the reputation of his main charitable foundation after a cash-for-honours scandal. Becks was announced in the new role after the two met for tea at the monarch’s Highgrove home in Gloucestershire.

A photo of Charles giving Beckham a personal tour of the grounds sits prominently on the superstar’s website under the philantropy section. Beckham said he was looking forward to exploring a newly discovered shared interest with the monarch in rural skills, nature and the British countryside as well as swapping beekeeping tips.

After one particularly major life event, royal insiders have revealed that King Charles ‘lightened up’ significantly – and seems far less ‘stressed’ compared to those around him

King Charles has undoubtedly faced an incredibly challenging 12 months, undergoing cancer treatment at the same time as settling into his role as monarch.

As the person to hold the title Prince of Wales for the longest time in British history, Charles had a lot of time to prepare for what he wanted his reign to look like – but he still had a big pair of shoes to fill.

The late Queen Elizabeth maintained sky-high approval ratings throughout the majority of her long reign, and Charles had only been on the throne just over a year when he was diagnosed with cancer.

The monarch was then forced to step back from public duties for a time as he focussed on his treatments, but after being given the all-clear to get back to engagements by his doctors, Charles has been hard at work.

While the King’s cancer treatment is said to be continuing this year, those around him are impressed with the light-heartedness and positivity he has shown despite these personal challenges.

Insiders speaking to ABC News Australia explained that this positive outlook is something that they have come to expect from Charles, after watching him work for many years.

One insider, royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who has captured photographs of the royals at major, and minor, events over decades revealed that in his opinion, there was one major life event that took place nearly 20 years ago that saw the now-King “lighten up” for good, and seem far less stressed out generally – his marriage to Queen Camilla.

While Charles and Camilla had been romantically involved long before they made things official and tied the knot in 2005, it was their wedding that saw this shift in Charles’s approach, the royal expert claimed.

“When Charles married Camilla, from that day on he lightened up, no longer stressed about things,” Edwards said, but he wasn’t the only person from Charles’s inner circle who spoke about the hugely positive effect the Queen has had on her husband.

Julian Payne, who formerly worked as Charles and Camilla’s communications secretary, said: “I think she’s given him the assurance that it’s okay to allow a degree of informality into the edges of what you do. You can have a joke. You can dance with me at an Elvis tea dance. It won’t make a mockery of the royal institution.”

Payne added that whilst Charles has some great advisors around him, Camilla is up there as one of his best, “The Queen is the greatest consigliere that the King has” the insider explained.

Prince William and Princess Kate famously met and fell in love during their time at St Andrews University. And on the day of their joint graduation, the Vice Chancellor made a prophetic comment

Prince William, Kate Middleton and their proud families were in attendance for the couple’s joint graduation ceremony at St Andrews University in 2005.

And during the proceedings, they listened to a speech from the Vice Chancellor which proved particularly prophetic for the Royal Family. William and Kate famously first met at the university as students and graduated on the same day in June, with the late Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, among the audience. Both achieved an upper second class degree, William in Geography and Kate in Art History.

On the day of their graduation, Vice Chancellor Brian Lang addressed the students and – as revealed in Katie Nicholl’s biography Kate: The Future Queen – made a telling remark.

Prince William pictured on his graduation day in June 2005 ( 
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He said: “You will have made lifelong friends. You may have met your husband or wife. Our title as the top matchmaking university in Britain signifies so much that is good about St Andrews, so we rely on you to go forth and multiply.”

Little did he know how ‘prophetic’ those words would become years later, Ms Nicholl wrote, with William and Kate going on to tie the knot in 2011.

According to Katie Nicholl in her 2010 book William and Harry, William noticed Kate as soon as he arrived on campus. The boys in their dorm, St. Salvator’s (nicknamed Sally’s), had unofficially crowned Kate as the prettiest girl there.

And while routinely bumping into each other in class – both were studying art history at the time – and around Sally’s, Kate and William discovered they had things in common, including a love of swimming and skiing. Within weeks, Kate and William, alongside their new university friends, were having breakfast together.

The late Queen, Prince Philip, then-Prince Charles and Camilla were all in the audience for the ceremony ( 
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The couple later spoke about the start of their relationship when they sat down for their engagement interview in November 2010. Tom Brady asked the pair: “When did you first set eyes on each other and what did you think?” William replied: “It’s a long time ago now, Tom, I’m trying to wrack my brain. We obviously met at university – at St Andrews we were friends for over a year first and it just sort of blossomed from then on. We just spent more time with each other, had a good giggle, had lots of fun and realised we shared the same interests and had a really good time.

“She’s got a really naughty sense of humour, which kind of helps me because I’ve got a really dry sense of humour, so it was good fun, we had a really good laugh and things happened.” Tom then asked Kate, “What did you think of William? It’s clearly not quite the same as meeting your average university student, or maybe it was, what was your first impression?”

The future Princess confessed: “Well I actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you. Actually William wasn’t there for quite a bit of the time initially, he wasn’t there for Freshers Week, so it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each other but we did become very close friends from quite early.”

Sophie was visibly emotional as she spoke about her two children with Prince Edward, Lady Louise Windsor and James Viscount Severn, after a poignant royal moment

The Duchess of Edinburgh was moved to tears this week as she made a rare comment about her two children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex.

Sophie and Edward chose not to give their daughter and son a royal title at birth and very rarely speak about their private family life. But the proud mum opened up about Louise, 21, and James, 17, during a visit to L’Arche – a south London community of “friends and equals” made up of people with learning disabilities and their supporters.

While there, Sophie was asked about the moment her two children stood vigil beside the coffin of their late grandmother, Elizabeth II following her death in September 2022. Louise and James both took their place in Westminster Hall alongside their older cousins, including Prince William, Prince Harry, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, in a poignant tribute.

Lady Louise and James joined their older cousins to hold vigil besides the Queen’s coffin ( 
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The Telegraph was on hand to capture her moving response: “Unflappable, she thinks a moment before answering. It was, she says, ‘incredibly moving’, leaving her ‘just so proud of them’ – ‘all of the cousins’ – for the way they listened to instructions.”

Sophie continued: “I suppose there was a part of me initially that thought, ‘Would it be appropriate for James, perhaps, to do it?’ because he was younger than the others, but he was really keen to do it. And I think it was really important for him to do it, and obviously for Louise as well.

“But they did it so well, each and every one of them. I was slightly holding my breath, wanting them to feel that they’d done it well more than anything else. I wasn’t worried about anything happening; it was more that I wanted them to feel that they’d done their bit for their grandmother. It was incredibly moving, and lovely to see her surrounded by them.”

According to the publication, Sophie then paused, put her hands on her heart and seemed to “blink to stop tears falling”, before saying: “I don’t think I can talk about it any more.”

Sophie spoke of her pride for all the late Queen’s grandchildren ( 
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Sophie has a very close relationship with the late Queen. The monarch is said to have ‘trusted’ and ‘relied’ on Sophie to a greater extent than many others in her inner circle, and reportedly saw her as ‘more like a daughter’ than a daughter-in-law.

Their special bond was said to be down to their similar interests, with the pair often spending Saturday or Sunday evenings together at Windsor, watching old war films and historical documentaries. Sophie was frequently given the honour of travelling with the Queen when she attended church services at either Sandringham or Balmoral, a sign of just how close they were.

The Duchess also famously once referred to the Queen by a deeply personal nickname in a speech – ‘mama’. And when she was asked once whether she genuinely shared the closest of bonds with the late Queen, as many reported, Sophie touchingly replied: “I think so. I hope so.”

One ‘hardworking’ member of the Royal Family was once praised by a close protection officer as one of the ‘nicest of them all’ and dubbed a total ‘gem’ by the bodyguard

It isn’t often that the public gets to hear what the close protection officers who take care of the Royal Family think about their principals.

But on a major landmark birthday a few years ago, one of the highly trained officers opened up about one member of the House of Windsor, and sung their praises.

In a profile released to mark the ever-popular Princess Anne’s 70th birthday back in 2020, the close protection officer couldn’t have spoken of the Princess Royal more highly, dubbing her a total “gem” and admitting that in their view she was one of the “nicest” members of the Royal Family.

“She’s a gem. Truly one of the nicest and most hardworking of them all,” the CPO told Vanity Fair.

Numbers don’t lie, and Princess Anne was indeed named the hardest-working royal in 2024 – carrying out hundreds of official engagements representing the crown, and it was the fourth year in a row she had earned the title.

Anne admitted to Vanity Fair that her love for getting as much work done as possible does make things a little trickier for her royal aides who have to make sure all the practicalities are attended to.

“I make their lives more difficult in terms of the logistics, I’m afraid, but if I’m going to be in London, I don’t want to be hanging about.

“A lot of stuff goes on here, so there’s a question of filling in the time. I’m fortunate that the program that I make up is a direct result of being asked to do these things. It would be a pity if you didn’t try and do them,” Anne explained.

The protection officer wasn’t the only person willing to sing Anne’s praises for the landmark birthday – another source who spoke to the magazine and has worked closely with the Princess revealed just how personable and easy to get along with Anne can be.

“She’s had me in stitches over some very naughty jokes,” said John McLean, who is chairman of one of Anne’s patronages, the Carers Trust.

McLean also admitted that Anne visits multiple times a year, and some of the trips are undertaken privately too, and he praised the work she has done with the organisation.

Princess Anne will turn 75 this year and shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently on an official solo royal visit to South Africa, where she has visited a wide range of organisations, including the South African Riding for the Disabled Association, and unveiled the new Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial as part of her role as President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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The Princess of Wales revealed she is in remission from cancer after an emotional visit to the hospital that treated her – and an insider has given an insight into Kate’s life after her significant update

The Princess of Waleses’ cancer journey has been “harder than we perhaps thought”, according to an insider – but she’s moving forward with “positivity and hope”.

Kate, 43, revealed after her first solo engagement since revealing she had received a cancer diagnosis that she is now in remission. The news came after she visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where she received her cancer treatment to thank staff and meet patients on their own cancer journey.

During the visit, she opened up about the shock of her diagnosis, how tough her chemotherapy treatment had been and even how she was fitted with a port in order to deliver her treatment.

Kate revealed she is now in remission ( 
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Hours after her trip to the Royal Marsden, Kate took to social media, where she described her relief at being in remission and said “there is much to look forward to”. And an insider told People: “It has been a tough journey – harder than we perhaps thought. She has been through a lot, and it has been a rough road. Serious illness like cancer does change you.

“She has a young family, and it makes you rethink everything – your purpose and what you want to do with your life.” They added: “She has drawn a line under the last year, and she can move forward. The word ‘remission’ is such a positive one to use, and it just feels like a veil has been lifted on their life of the last year, and that they can move forward with positivity and hope.”

Kate’s statement about her cancer update was the first time she described herself as being in remission following her diagnosis last February.

In a heartfelt message on X, she said: “I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year. My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional.

Kate during her visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London ( 
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“In my new role as Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden, my hope is, that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence, as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer.

“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.” The message was signed off with a C denoting it was a personal message from the princess.

The mum-of-three took an extended break away from royal duties after major abdominal surgery last year to concentrate on her recovery following her cancer diagnosis, only making brief appearances at Wimbledon in the summer, the King’s official birthday celebrations in London and her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

On completing her chemotherapy treatment in September, she released a video alongside her family promising to stand shoulder to shoulder with those facing their own battles, saying: “To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”

Royal aides said Kate’s visit to the Royal Marsden was “incredibly poignant for the princess, Kate thanked medical staff for their “care, support and compassion” and swapped stories with patients who are still undergoing their own treatment.

Queen Camilla welcomed Olympic and Paralympic equestrians, as well as the grooms, coaches and managers at a reception at Clarence House after last year’s successes

The Queen was tickled to receive a drawing from the daughter of an Olympic horsewoman in which she shared her dream of being a princess.

Camilla giggled as she was presented with the artwork by team eventing gold medallist Ros Canter, whose daughter Ziggy, five, had asked her to pass it on. “My daughter was jealous of me coming here,” Ros told the Queen, adding, “She wants to be a princess.” “That’s very sweet. Tell her I will send her a letter,” replied Camilla.

“She loved it,” said Ros afterwards. “She said she was going to write her a letter back. So that’d be amazing. She’ll be the talk of the school, so she’ll be very proud of that.

Camilla reading the note written by Rosalind Canter’s (left) daughter ( 
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Camilla met Ros and six of her Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic equestrian team mates as she hosted a reception at Clarence House for them and the grooms, owners, coaches and managers who helped make last summer’s Games one of their most successful of recent years. Paralympians Natasha Baker, Sophie Wells, Georgia Wilson and Mari Durward-Akhurst, who brought home one silver and six bronze medals between them were among the guests.

Grooms, managers and coaches also attended ( 
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Natasha said: “We spoke about the fact that it was my fourth Paralympics and I’ve become a bit of a seasoned pro now, and we spoke about where we keep our medals. I keep mine in socks, because the boxes are so big you can’t fit them in your handbag, so if they’re in socks, they don’t clang together and damage each other.

Queen Camilla enjoyed her afternoon ( 
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“Clean socks!” she clarified, adding of the Queen’s response, “She thought it was hilarious.”

Camilla had been due to attend a reception for Team GB athletes at Buckingham Palace before Christmas, but had to pull out while recovering from pneumonia. Natasha said: “We met the King then, which was lovely, but she was disappointed to miss it, I think she likes a good get together.”

Queen Camilla speaks to Sophie Wells ( 
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“She’s just so knowledgeable about horses and equestrian sporting in general, and she’s so supportive of us. You know, hosting events like this, it’s such a huge honour for us to be invited to come along and to be able to meet her.”

Also attending were reserve athletes, grooms and along with performance managers, coaches, vets and human and equine physiotherapists from the British Equestrian World Class Programme. In an impromptu speech to 93 guests, Camilla, who has been patron of the British Equestrian Federation since 2006, said: “I’m so proud to be your patron and it made us all very proud to be British.“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, but I was watching very keenly every bit of it on the television and it really did bring tears to the eyes. So thank you, the whole team, for everything you do and let’s keep the British the best.”

Attendees at today’s event ( 
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Camilla’s words followed those of the BEF’s CEO Jim Eyre, who had joked: “2024 was an incredible year. It pains me to say how well the French did. It was a roller coaster year, and there were the highs and there were the lows, and that our teams were able to perform so extraordinarily well and every rider came back with a medal, it’s testament to the talent we have within this country.”

He presented the Queen with a souvenir photobook from the Paris Games, compiled by team photographer Jon Stroud, joking it had “all the gory snapshots, the tears, the thrills and the medals.”

The memorial playground dedicated to the late Princess of Wales in Kensington Gardens and visited by a million people a year is set to get a ‘Peter Pan’ makeover

Princess Diana’s love of children will be celebrated with a £3million revamp of the playground built in her memory.

The memorial playground dedicated to the late Princess of Wales in Kensington Gardens and visited by a million people a year is to get a ‘Peter Pan’ makeover.

The site, which opened in 2000 marking what would have been the princess’s 39th birthday, will close for six months from this autumn while its ageing features are replaced.

The Royal Parks charity said the refit will feature a new galleon to replace the old pirate ship which will be more accessible for youngsters of all abilities.

The refit will feature a new galleon ( 
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Plans will “retain the characteristics of the existing Peter Pan-inspired playground but will provide more accessible and inclusive play, as well as challenging physical play, so that children of all abilities can enjoy creative and imaginative play together”.

The galleon will include an additional ‘crow’s nest’ and a double storey ‘stern’ with a ship’s wheel and a telescope.

The galleon will include an additional ‘crow’s nest’ and a double storey ‘stern’ with a ship’s wheel and a telescope ( 
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A new multiple-level Tree House encampment, constructed with sustainably-sourced timber, will provide opportunities for children to climb and play at different heights and includes areas accessible to wheelchairs. Three towers at different heights will provide different levels of challenge, while other features include a suspension bridge, a tunnel slide, a rope bridge and a see-saw bridge with a slide.

A redesigned and improved Mermaid Fountain will expand the water and sand play area. The new designs will allow runoff water to be collected and reused for irrigation.

Three towers at different heights will provide different levels of challenge ( 
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New tree planting for shade and biodiversity, together with sensory, allergy-friendly and pollinator-friendly planting will improve the playground’s natural setting, alongside new seating and paths which will improve access for all.

Andy Williams, Park Manager, Kensington Gardens says: “It’s been wonderful to welcome millions and millions of children to what is arguably the most famous playground in the world, set against the beautiful backdrop of Kensington Gardens.

The playground was opened to mark what would have been the Princess’ 39th birthday ( 
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Diana with husband Charles and sons William and Harry ( 
Image“We’re delighted to share the first designs for this exciting renewal which will retain the character of the existing playground, but will incorporate new improved features, inspiring children to be curious about the natural environment, for many years.

“We’re working together with local communities, especially children, to gather and incorporate their feedback into the designs at every stage, so that all children feel welcome and can enjoy free, accessible, creative and social play, fostering their health and wellbeing.”

The playground will reopen in spring 2026.

The first ever winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Tony Blackburn, appeared on The One Show to discuss his time in the jungle, with his blunt advice leaving the hosts in stitches.

BBC radio icon Tony Blackburn, who clinched the title in the inaugural I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! back in 2002, graced The One Show with his presence alongside Loose Women panellist Judi Love this evening.

Chatting to presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, Tony reminisced about his jungle adventure two decades on from his victory in the much-loved ITV show.

Though Tony shared some fascinating titbits about his stint on the program, it was one particularly forthright comment he made that left the presenters momentarily lost for words after a question from Alex, reports Wales Online.

“Tony, you won it, you were the first king of the jungle,” Alex prompted. “What advice would you give to the campmates?”

Tony Blackburn appeared on The One Show ( 
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In response, Tony deadpanned: “Don’t do it.” This provoked a burst of laughter from both Roman and Alex, evidently taken aback by his candidness.

“Get out of there,” chipped in Alex, going along with the levity before Tony pointed out he was “making a joke”.

Delving deeper into his Jungle experience, Tony expressed: “It’s a hard show to do. I’m a vegetarian and I didn’t have to eat all that stuff.

“I couldn’t do it now – it’s horrible, the stuff they have to eat. But I think you’ve just got to be yourself on, it because that’s all you can do.”

The 2024 season of I’m A Celebrity promises to be a glittering affair, featuring an ensemble of fan favourites like Love Island star Maura Higgins, McFly’s Danny Jones and the adored Strictly Come Dancing pro Oti Mabuse, all competing to seize the jungle crown.

Tonight’s instalment of the show will see the campmates compete for a coveted gold ticket to the legendary Celebrity Cyclone, granting them immunity from the next two eliminations.

Roman and Alex were in stitches ( 
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However, this new twist has left some fans disgruntled, with accusations flying at ITV for “ruining” the series. Discontented viewers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction.

On X, previously known as Twitter, one user expressed: “Nah, not up for this at all. Taking part in the cyclone is a privilege bestowed by the viewers. You’ve actually ruined a great series by doing this. And we all know it’ll be Colleen.” (sic)

Another viewer aired their concerns about the potential impact on the show’s dynamics, saying: “If this is an immunity thing, please don’t. It skews the order in which the public vote them out. I’m always suspicious of this. You know who is likely to be up next and are trying to save them unfairly.”Despite the backlash, some fans are eager to see how the competition unfolds, with one enthusiast commenting: “Soooo good! Love it.” (sic)