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A source tells us that Meghan Markle is devastated by the latest speculation that she and Prince Harry are heading for divorce – and claims her team have touted a tell-all book about it

Meghan Markle was left “devastated” by rumours that her team floated the idea of a post- Prince Harry divorce book to a publisher, a source claims.

The explosive Vanity Fair cover story claimed the Duchess of Sussex’s team had a conversation with a publishing house to “gauge interest” in a tell-all book about her life if a divorce from Prince Harry were ever to happen, as reports OK!.

Shockingly, the article claims that talk of the book emerged just a short time after the couple left their roles as working royals. However, the piece also makes it clear that no offer was made by the publisher and no manuscript was ever written. In fact, the article states that Harry and Meghan are still loved-up and not headed for divorce. The report resulted in fans fearing the pair were on the brink of ending their marriage. “Meghan knows that the rumours always make their fans worry about a split, and she doesn’t like that sort of negativity being spread,” the source told OK!.

Fresh reports of the rumours ‘devastated’ Meghan, our source says ( 
Image:
Anadolu via Getty Images)
Our source said that while the book rumours aren’t true, Meghan, 43, is becoming increasingly frustrated at the almost constant speculation that her marriage is on the rocks.

“Meghan was devastated when she saw all of these reports about a ‘post-divorce’ book coming out,” they claimed. “She knows there’s no truth to them and it’s just upsetting for her to constantly have this negativity around them. She’s getting really sick and tired of all the split rumours. Everywhere she looks and reads there is something about her and Harry breaking up.”

The latest report – a cover story in Vanity Fair – claimed the idea was “not a general book on life after marital dissolution, or one about Meghan’s past experience”, but “might center on a post-Harry divorce”. Of course this isn’t the first time the couple have heard and read rumours about a possible split, and Harry himself even addressed the speculation recently, making light of it at a major book event in New York.

When quizzed about how he feels about the constant rumours on stage at the The New York Times’ 2024 DealBook Summit, Harry, 40, said, “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?’ It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it.”

The couple spoke about the marriage in their Netflix documentary ( 
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Netflix)
But given that Harry has form for publishing best-selling bombshell books himself, the couple should maybe not be surprised by the claims that should a divorce ever transpire, one of them might write about it.

Harry’s autobiography Spare, which came out in January 2023, is largely considered to be one of the final nails in the coffin for his relationship with his brother Prince William. Its 416 pages included details of conversations – some of them very heated – between Harry and William, 42, plus some rather uncomplimentary comments about his stepmother Camilla, and Meghan’s fallouts with sister-in-law Kate.

Harry has reportedly banked around $27m (£21.8m) from his advance fee and subsequent hardback and paperback sales. Prior to stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the Sussexes received around 95% of their annual income from King Charles (then the Prince of Wales), with the rest coming from the Sovereign Grant – funded from taxpayers’ pockets.

Harry’s book has reportedly made him more than £20m ( 
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Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Despite the appeal of earning millions from written revelations, our source said Meghan would never dream of subjecting Harry or their relationship to a ‘Spare-like’ treatment.

“In reality, they’re really happy and strong, so it’s frustrating to constantly have people saying they’re on the edge of a split,” they claimed. She’s getting bored of the rumours – she would never write a book about him. She just wants Harry to be happy, and for people to realise how much he does for her because they’re in love.”

Meanwhile, the world will have to wait for a glimpse into the life of Meghan and Harry in Netflix ’s big-budget series With Love, Meghan. The eight-parter was due to drop earlier this month, but has been pushed back because of the devastating wildfires across California.

Meghan’s new show has been pushed back to March ( 
Image:
Netflix)Netflix released a statement the day before it was due to air on 15 January saying the decision to push it back came “at the request of Meghan”, and that the “heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California” would land on 4 March instead. Harry and Meghan, who have children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, reportedly opened up their Montecito mansion for nearby friends who had to evacuate, and posted a list of resources and charity links on their official website, along with a plea for others to do the same.

“If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do,” it said. “And be sure to check in with any disabled or elderly neighbours to see if they need help evacuating. Some families and people have been left with nothing. Please consider donating clothing, children’s toys & clothing, and other essentials.”

Prince William is set to have a private meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer today amid a busy day for the Prince of Wales, who is also leading the nation in commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day

Prince William is set to hold a meeting with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid a busy day for the Prince of Wales.

It has been confirmed that William will sit down for a meeting later today with Mr Starmer as part of the royal tradition that sees the heir to the throne have an annual meeting with British PM. However, the meeting will be strictly private with anything discussed remaining a closely-guarded secret.

It comes on the same day that William is leading the nation in commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day – and it has been confirmed he will also be joined by wife Kate. The Prince of Wales is set to give a reading at a special service in London attended by survivors and guests from around the world who have spent their lives fighting extremism.

Prince William with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the summer ( 
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Getty Images)
As part of this year’s event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia, the prince’s speech will be in line with the theme “for a better future”.

Ceremonies held across the world will remember the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution, and those killed in other genocides such as in Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Cambodia. . A royal source said: “As part of an unending commitment to remember those who perished and suffered from the horrors of the past, the Prince of Wales is honoured to take part in such an important commemoration.”

In 2020, Prince William and wife Kate – when they were styled the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – joined Holocaust survivors at Westminster’s Central Hall to mark the 75 year anniversary. During the poignant commemorative ceremony, William read an extract from a letter written by a friend of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, which described her efforts to save Jews in Athens.

William and Kate met Holocaust survivors in Westminster in 2020 ( 
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PA)
At the same time Kate published photographs of Holocaust survivors in a contribution to an exhibition marking 75 years since the end of the genocide. At the time she said her subjects were “two of the most life-affirming people that I have had the privilege to meet”.

A year later the moving portraits were part of an exhibition at The Imperial War Museum London, featuring 50 contemporary portraits of Holocaust survivors and their families.

Today, the King is visiting for the first time the Auschwitz-Birkenau site in Poland as part of a one day visit to the country. The Mirror last month revealed Charles will become the first British monarch to visit the Polish death camp, after the Prince and Princess of Wales made an emotional pilgrimage in 2017 to the Stutthof camp in northern Poland, where 65,000 people died during Germany’s occupation.

William and Kate described their experience as “shattering” and said the site is a “terrible reminder of the cost of war”. The late Queen Elizbeth II in 2005 made her last official foreign trip to Germany where she also made her first-ever visit to a concentration camp, stopping to lay a wreath at Bergen-Belsen and to meet with Holocaust survivors.

King Charles has become the first British head of state to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau today after attending a poignant ceremony at the former Nazi concentration camp to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation

A moved King Charles has made history by becoming the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz for an emotional ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation.

Charles has headed to Poland to commemorate the milestone with foreign monarchs, presidents, prime ministers and Holocaust survivors invited to a service at the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and memorial. More than a million people, mostly Jews but also Poles, Soviet prisoners of war and other nationalities, were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Second World War as part of the Holocaust in which six million Jewish men, women and children were killed.

During the ceremony today, the King looked emotional and appeared to wipe away a tear has he listened to Auschwitz survivors poignantly recall their stories of surviving the Nazi death camp. He sat alongside other moved royals, including the King Frederik of Denmark as well as Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

King Charles listens as survivors tell their stories at Auschwitz today ( 
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AFP via Getty Images)
The ceremony was being held in front of the infamous gates of the former Nazi concentration camp which had the words Arbeit Macht Frei – “work sets you free” – above it. Auschwitz survivors adressed the invited guests who include France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine’s Vlodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia.

At the end of the service, Charles and other dignitaries walked along the railway where Dr Josef Mengele – the so-called “Angel of Death” – decided which of the new arrivals should live or died, and they place candles at the monument.

After the ceremony Charles will walk through the gates to view personal items confiscated from victims when they entered the camp and lay a wreath at a reconstruction of the Death Wall, the site where several thousand people, mainly Polish political prisoners, were executed.

King Charles solemnly listens to the stories of survivors during a ceremony at Auschwitz today ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier today Charles visited the heart of Krakow’s Jewish community as commemorations began. He told those gathered at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) that remembering the “evils of the past remains a vital task”, and knowledge should be used to inspire people to “build a kinder and more compassionate world”.

He told the guests to be in Poland to mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz was “sombre and indeed a sacred moment”. He went on to say: “It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long by the world.

“And it is a moment when we recall the powerful testimonies of survivors such as Lily Ebert, who so sadly passed away in October, and who collectively taught us to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.”

Charles lays a candle at Auschwitz ( 
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UK)He added those lessons could not be more important in a world that has seen the “dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism” and remains “full of turmoil and strife”.

The King said: “As the number of Holocaust survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn. The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.”

Meanwhile, back in the UK, the Princess of Wales will make a last-minute appearance alongside husband Prince William today as he leads the nation in commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day.

Polish historian and Holocaust survivor Marian Turski delivers a speech during the emotional ceremony at Auschwitz ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)William will give a reading at a special service in London attended by survivors and guests from around the world who have spent their lives fighting extremism. The event will be the princess’ first official outing since she revealed she was in remission from cancer just under two weeks ago.

In 2020, the Waleses when they were styled the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, joined Holocaust survivors at Westminster’s Central Hall to mark the 75 year anniversary. During the poignant commemorative ceremony, William read an extract from a letter written by a friend of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, which described her efforts to save Jews in Athens.

At the same time Kate published photographs of Holocaust survivors in a contribution to an exhibition marking 75 years since the end of the genocide. At the time she said her subjects were “two of the most life-affirming people that I have had the privilege to meet”.

The Princess of Wales has joined Prince William for a poignant ceremony in London to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the pair paid their respects on what is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

The Princess of Wales had an emotional reunion with two Holocaust survivors at a poignant ceremony in London to mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz.

Kate hugged Yvonne Bernstein and Stephen Frank at a reception for around 50 survivors of the Nazi campaign and survivors of subsequent genocides, telling them it was a treat to see them again after taking pictures of them for a Holocaust photography project in 2020.

As she sat catching up with Yvonne, the two women held hands, with Yvonne stroking the Princess’s arm and thanking her for coming. “It was such a treat for me to come and see an old friend,” said Kate, who wore a black coat over black wide-leg trousers and a black sweater with a five-string pearl necklace.

Kate embraces Yvonne at the event in London today ( 
Image:
Arthur Edwards The Sun)
She had greeted the 87-year-old by saying: “It’s so nice to see you,” and hearing that Yvonne had suffered some health problems, she added: “You’ve had such a hard time, haven’t you?” Kate also shared a warm hug with Stephen, 89, who thanked her for sending him a Christmas card and the two chatted about his family.

William sat with Polish born Alfred Garwood, who survived Bergen-Belsen as a child and Bosnian genocide survivor Sabina Kadic-Mackenzie, who now lives in Liverpool. Both the Prince and Princess discussed their desire to teach their children about the Holocaust, with William saying: “George is getting to the age where he’s starting to understand things. So it’s getting interesting to talk to him about what happened.””

Apologising that they couldn’t spend longer talking, he said: “There is a lot of history at this table, we need to hear it all.”
Kate asked Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines: “Do you write a diary? It’s so important that these stories are written down. They are still relevant stories.”

On arrival the couple were welcomed by Olivia Marks-Woldman, Holocaust Memorial Day chief executive and Laura Marks, the charity’s chair of trustees. “I can’t believe it’s been 80 years,” said William. “It’s staggering.”

Kate shares a hug with Holocaust survivor Steven Frank ( 
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POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Telling the Princess she was glad she was feeling well, Kate replied: “Thank you, it’s good to be able to be here.” Speaking ahead of her reunion with Stephen and Yvonne, she added: “It will be good to see them again. “We are glad we are here,” said William. “It’s important to be here.”

The royal couple then joined 50 Holocaust survivors for a photograph, along with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Other politicians meeting survivors and their families in the reception included home secretary Yvette Cooper, former home secretary Sajid Javid and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.

All guests then moved to the Great Hall for a special ceremony. The hall’s walls, ceiling and chandeliers were lit purple as the London Youth Chamber Choir performed with an orchestra on stage.

Several extracts from memoirs written by Jewish people during the Holocaust were read out, including by TV personality Robert Rinder, while the testimonies of survivors were also played on TV screens. In a short speech, William said: “I am honoured to join you today to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and to remember the millions murdered during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides.

William with Polish born Alfred Garwood, who survived Bergen-Belsen as a child ( 
Image:
Arthur Edwards The Sun)
“We also remember those survivors who have lived with scars, both mental and physical. Their bravery, in sharing with us the most harrowing moments of their lives, are extremely powerful and ensure that we never forget. I assure them we never will.

The prince then read an extract from the book Holocaust Heroes, which made reference to the efforts made by his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, to help a Jewish family in need.

The event is the princess’ first official outing since she revealed she was in remission from cancer just under two weeks ago. Katehas been gradually returning to royal duties since her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment last year. It will be her first official appearance at an engagement alongside her husband since they visited Southport to meet emergency services there.

She also made a surprise return to public appearances earlier this month when she gave thanks to medical teams at The Royal Marsden hospital in London, where she received her cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, on a trip to Poland today, a moved King Charles made history by becoming the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz for an emotional ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation.

William and Kate light candles at the service in London ( 
Image:
Arthur Edwards The Sun)Charles has headed to the country to commemorate the milestone with foreign monarchs, presidents, prime ministers and Holocaust survivors invited to a service at the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum and memorial. More than a million people, mostly Jews but also Poles, Soviet prisoners of war and other nationalities, were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Second World War as part of the Holocaust in which six million Jewish men, women and children were killed.

During the ceremony today, the King looked emotional and appeared to wipe away a tear has he listened to Auschwitz survivors poignantly recall their stories of surviving the Nazi death camp.

Earlier today Charles visited the heart of Krakow’s Jewish community as commemorations began. He told those gathered at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) that remembering the “evils of the past remains a vital task”, and knowledge should be used to inspire people to “build a kinder and more compassionate world”.

Kate’s attendance at the event was announced at the last minute ( 
Image:
Arthur Edwards The Sun)More than a million people, mostly Jews but also Poles, Soviet prisoners of war and other nationalities, were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau, as part of the Holocaust in which six million Jewish men, women and children were killed. When soldiers opened the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, on January 27 1945, just 7,000 prisoners remained. Charles earlier this month said his upcoming visit to the concentration camp was “so important.”

At a Buckingham Palace reception marking Holocaust Memorial Day, the King met survivors of the Nazi terror, telling them: “I feel I must go for the 80th anniversary.”

EXCLUSIVE: With reports saying that senior royals will be sent to “reinforce the special relationship” between the UK and US, a leading expert questions who could undertake the visit

The special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States is one which has been nurtured by a strong relationship between the monarch and the sitting President. And, following on from Donald Trump’s inauguration, it is clear that this position will continue.

With reports that senior members of the Royal Family will be planning to head across the pond to “reinforce” the bond between the two countries, experts have questioned who will make the first trip Stateside and when it is likely to happen.

Despite not being in the Commonwealth, the US visit would clearly be one of the upmost importance, with a leading commentator saying that it would be a trip which would be “hugely [flattering]” to President Trump.

Jennie says that President Trump is someone who is “hugely flattered” by attention from royalty ( 
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Getty Images)
Speaking to The Mirror, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond explained: “Soft power is one of the great strengths of the monarchy. It’s what they are particularly good at: treading a delicate diplomatic tightrope without the complication of being involved in the political arena.

“Donald Trump is a man who appears to be hugely flattered by attention from royalty. So the Government would be crazy to ignore the asset they have.”

Referring to Prince William’s visit back in November to Paris to mark the re-opening of the Notre Dame where he met Trump, Jennie adds: “William has already gone down well with the President, but Trump would probably now hope for a visit by the King.”

With important events such as the World Cup and the Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary of independence) both coming up in 2026, it would be the perfect opportunity for the visit to take place.

As for whether the King would be sent to carry out his first visit to the US since his reign began, Jennie concludes: “The decision will be up to the Foreign Office – and the King’s doctors – but the anniversary next year would be an obvious opportunity to deploy the Royal Family in cementing relations with the USA.”

Donald Trump met Prince William in Paris in November ( 
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(Image: Getty))
President Trump’s November meeting with the Prince of Wales generated a great deal of interest. Speaking after he and William met at the official re-opening of the Notre Dame in Paris, Trump praised the Prince saying: “He’s a good-looking guy. He looked really, very handsome last night.”

In a talk with the New York Post, the-then President Elect added: “Some people look better in person? He looked great. He looked really nice, and I told him that,” Trump told the paper.

Donald Trump went on to speak about what he and the Prince spoke about as he called their interaction a “great talk” as they touched on some personal issues, including Kate and King Charles’ battles with cancer.

“I asked him about his wife and he said she’s doing well,” Trump said. “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.”

EXCLUSIVE: Lady Louise Windsor is a member of the University Officers’ Training Corps at St Andrews and is said to be making it known she wants to follow in the footsteps of her late grandmother

The role that lies ahead for the Prince of Wales is one that few would envy, but he is thankfully surrounded by many supportive and experienced family members who will no doubt be there to do whatever they can to aid him.

While the strictures of the slimmed-down monarchy are by now very well-known, there have been times that the likely future of what the Royal Family could look like under Prince William’s reign have been showcased with his close cousins joining him at engagements.

And while his two youngest cousins – Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17, – are still in education, a leading expert has suggested that the pair could be on hand in the future, especially because of the influence their mother, and indeed the late Queen, have had on them.

The Edinburgh family are very close with the Waleses ( 
Image:
2022 Max Mumby/Indigo)
Following the Duchess of Edinburgh’s 60th birthday on 20 January, reports were made that William will give his aunt a key role in the future. A royal insider told The Sunday Times: “They [the Waleses and the Edinburghs] get on very well.” The source then added that they believe that the Prince of Wales will be “eager for his aunt and uncle to play a more prominent role in public life”.

This popularity also extends to the Edinburghs’ two children, particularly after images surfaced of Lady Louise’s determination to follow in her family’s footsteps and be involved in the Armed Forces.

Praising the royal, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror: “I think there is quite a lot of her grandmother in Lady Louise. Elizabeth was champing at the bit to do her military service, but by the time she was old enough to join up, the war was almost over.

Princess Elizabeth as an ATS subaltern undergoes training as a mechanic ( 
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mediadrumimages/TopFoto)

Lady Louise in the St Andrews University Officer Training Corps ( 
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standrewsuotc/Instagram)
“Nevertheless, her time in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) gave her a taste of military life – and she really enjoyed it. The papers dubbed her Princess Auto Mechanic. And for the rest of her life, she boasted that she knew her way around an engine.”

Following a number of images surfacing of Lady Louise’s involvement in the army cadets during her time at St Andrews University, Jennie added: “Lady Louise seems to have been keen on the military from an early stage in her undergraduate studies and the pictures show that she has thrown herself into the training exercises, including liberally camouflaging her face and proudly wearing combat gear.

“She is said to have loved every minute of her time as an officer cadet and is keen to turn it into a full-time career. So she’s clearly taking more after her grandmother than her father, who quit his training as a royal Marine and tried a career in the arts instead.”

On the roles that lie ahead in Louise and James’ futures, it is clear that they will make their own decisions. “Edward and Sophie are keen that Louise and James should choose their own career paths,” Jennie says.

“Sophie has said that she has brought them up to expect that they will have to pay their own way and make their own careers but I’m sure that if in the years to come, if cousin William needs a few extra hands to the pump at any stage, Louise and James will be willing to help.”

Lady Louise Windsor in military uniform with university friends ( 
Image:
standrewsuotc/Instagram)As well as showing that she achieved an impressive 4 A* grades in her A-Level’s – the highest of any member of the Royal Family – Lady Louise’s LinkedIn page indicates her interest in a military career, with careers in diplomacy or law as alternative options.

If she joins the military after completing her final year of university next year, Louise would be the first female royal to do so since the late Queen, who served as a Junior Commander with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War Two. This was a position the late monarch cherished and had her dubbed Princess Auto Mechanic by the newspapers at the time.

It was also the start of a lifelong love and appreciation for all regiments of the Armed Forces. She created a new medal in 2009, the Elizabeth Cross, to honour the families of those who were killed after World War II in the course of military action or as the result of terrorism.

At a poignant ceremony held to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, Prince William told the remarkable story of his great-grandmother who risked death to protect a Jewish family

Today, the Prince and Princess of Wales marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz at a poignant ceremony in London, and Prince William made sure to pay tribute to a very special member of the Royal Family. In a moving speech, the future King spoke with admiration of those “who risked their own lives to help and save others”, including his own great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Princess Alice, whose remarkable life was touched upon in the hit Netflix drama The Crown, had been living in the Athens palace of her brother-in-law, Prince George of Greece, when World War II broke out. She had returned to Greece following a period of exile. By 1941, Greece was occupied by Axis forces, and by 1942, Athens fell completely under the control of the Nazi regime following the death of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. It was at this point that the horrific attack on Jews in Greece intensified.

Princess Alice, the mother of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, saw first-hand the horrors that unfolded and was moved to action after hearing the story of a Jewish mother desperate to protect her five children.

Princess Alice was the mother of Prince Philip ( 
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TV Grab)
As per Holocaust Centre North, Haimaki Cohen was a Greek member of Parliament and well-known to the Royal Family. Throughout the political turmoil of the 1910s, Haimaki continuously showed his support for Princess Alice’s father-in-law, King George I of Greece.

And when Haimaki sadly passed away, Princess Alice made it her mission to help his widow, Rachel Cohen, and their children, sheltering them in her own home.

According to The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, the four sons of the family had wanted to cross over into Egypt, where they would join the exiled Greek Government in Cairo. However, the journey would have been too dangerous for Rachel and her daughter, Tilde.

The princess put her own life at risk by sheltering Rachel and Tilde behind palace walls ( 
Image:
Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
Putting her own life at risk, Princess Alice sheltered Rachel and Tilde at the palace, where they were joined shortly afterwards by one of the sons who had been forced to return to Athens.

The family remained hidden behind the palace walls until Greece was finally liberated. During that time, German officers were suspicious about what the princess was up to, and she was even subjected to an interview by members of the Gestapo.

Staying strong, however, Princess Alice used her deafness as a weapon, pretending she couldn’t understand her interrogators’ questions until they finally let her be.

Alice was even interviewed by members of the Gestapo – but managed to trick them ( 
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PA Archive/PA Images)

Prince Philip remembered his mother as ‘a person with deep religious faith’ ( Thanks to Princess Alice’s bravery, the Cohen family survived the horrors of the Holocaust, during which some 60,000 Greek Jews were slaughtered.

Prince William today said: “On this, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we also recall those who risked their own lives to help and save others. They risked death, torture and persecution to defy the aggressors. I was recently reminded of my great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who lived in Athens during the Second World War.

“This is an extract from the book Heroes of the Holocaust: ‘In the early days of German occupation, conditions deteriorated rapidly as food ran out when an estimated 300,000 people died.

William and Kate today met with Holocaust survivors ( 
Image:
Arthur Edwards The Sun)
“Conditions were particularly severe in Athens and its port, Piraeus. Alice worked tirelessly for the Red Cross, helping to organise soup kitchens, opening shelters for orphaned children, and setting up a nursing system for poor areas of the city.

“It was at this time that Princess Alice gave refuge to a Jewish widow, Rachel Cohen, and two of her five children to save them from deportation to the death camps.”

He continued: “This was an extremely risky undertaking in the close-packed streets of Athens where there was always the danger of spies and gossip. On 15 October 1943, Rachel Cohen and Tilde moved into Alice’s home. The staff were told that Mrs Cohen was the former governess to her children.

“Michel, the youngest of the four brothers, joined them about a month later. There were great risks, not least the position of the house – the front door faced the residence of the local Archbishop, which always had a German guard on duty outside.

The future king paid tribute to those ‘who risked their own lives to help and save others’ ( 
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Getty Images)
“‘She was sometimes interviewed by the Gestapo and used her deafness to an advantage, pretending not to understand their questions or what they were talking about.

“‘It worked, and they soon gave up. Thanks to her, the entire Cohen family survived the war.’ It has been a great honour for Catherine and I to join you all today. Thank you.”

After the war, Princess Alice continued with her life of good work. In January 1949, she founded a nursing order of Greek Orthodox nuns – the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary. Then, in 1967, following the colonels’ coup d’etat in Greece, the princess-turned-nun moved to Buckingham Palace to be close to her son, Prince Philip in her final years. She passed away in London two years later at the age of 84.

In 1993, Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to Holocaust victims, bestowed upon the late royal the title of Righteous Among the Nations on Princess Alice. Once year later, Prince Philip travelled to the remembrance centre, where he planted a tree in honour of his mother.

Reflecting on his mother’s legacy, Philip told ceremony attendees: “I suspect that it never occurred to her that her action was in any way special. She was a person with deep religious faith, and she would have considered it a totally human action against fellow human beings in distress.”

In 2010, Princess Alice was also awarded the posthumous title of British Hero of the Holocaust.

King Charles joined world and religious leaders to hear harrowing tales from survivors returning to mourn those who perished at Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland

The King said future generations must never allow the horrors of the Holocaust to be forgotten or repeated, as he made an emotional pilgrimage to Auschwitz for the first time.

On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, Charles joined world and religious leaders to hear harrowing tales from survivors returning to mourn those who perished here in north west Poland. Six million people, mostly Jewish, were slaughtered by the Nazis, with more than a million across the Auschwitz complex.

At the entrance to arguably the most notorious site in Europe, Charles paused under the infamous iron gates bearing the motto ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ – Work Sets You Free – that have come to symbolise the terror of the Nazi regime. He appeared to hold back tears as he laid a special wreath at the notorious ‘Death Wall’ where thousands of prisoners were shot dead, biting his lip after placing a handwritten note with the words “In special remembrance”, personally signed Charles R.

The monarch lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland ( 
Image:
UK)
Each anniversary there are fewer and fewer survivors, but even after 80 years there are thousands of them left. Some of those who gathered, among the last witnesses of unimaginable cruelty and the worst crime in human history, proudly wore the blue and white striped pyjamas inmates were forced to wear.

Alongside other European royals including the Danish and Dutch king and queens, Charles listened intently to their testimony of survival during a two hour ceremony outside the gateway where 1.3million people arrived from 1941 until the camp was liberated by Soviet soldiers on January 27, 1945.

At the end of the service, Charles and other dignitaries walked along the railway where Dr Josef Mengele – the so-called “Angel of Death” – decided which of the new arrivals should live or died, and they placed candles at the monument. Afterwards, Charles, 76, was escorted on a private tour of the camp in complete darkness. He paused as his guide Marta Bielska told him how prisoners in the metal working labour detail deliberately reversed the letter ‘B’ as a camouflaged mark of disobedience.

Charles during a tour of the concentration camp ( 
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Getty Images)
In another moment of incredible poignancy for Charles, who surprisingly is the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz, he remarked how it was “just astonishing” when shown tiny pairs of shoes in exhibition cases, stripped from children before they were murdered in the gas chambers. Items seized from murdered Jews, including baskets, suitcases, and various everyday articles including children’s clothes are held in the building as a sombre reminder of the 1.1million who were slaughtered at the Polish camp.

King Charles attends a commemoration event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz ( 
Image:
REUTERS)
On being shown a glass exhibition cabinet filled with hundreds of pairs of tiny shoes, many decomposed by the passage of time, Charles told how had read of one young victim being “just two years old”. He said: “I remember reading a story of one child, just two years old. Just astonishing.”

Marta explained that SS guards lied to prisoners with “propaganda”, saying that they would be reunited with their belongings when in fact they were sent to their deaths. Noting a name on some of the brown leather suitcases, Charles read: “Klinger Zdenka.”

Shoes at Auschwitz ( 
Image:
Victoria Jones/REX/Shutterstock)

He added: “I remember a survivor I met two or three years ago called Zdenka. I went to see her before she died. What name is that? Is it Polish?” After going on to the death wall, Charles then made a private visit to sign the visitors’ book in what was previously the laundry room at the camp.

It read: “Remembering what took place here, and those who were so cruelly murdered is a duty; a sacred duty that must be protected. Being here today, hearing the stories of those who experienced its horrors, seeing the shoes of children whose lives were taken when they’d just begun, and walking the paths upon which such cruelty was inflicted, is something that I will never forget.”

Along the sandy, uneven alleyways in the eerie quiet of Auschwitz-1, Charles approached the Death Wall close to Block 5 where he viewed the exhibits. The King breathed a huge breath as he took a moment’s reflection, dropped his head as if in prayer before pressing his lips together.

The king alongside King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark ( 
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He turned to walk away but turned back twice to take in the magnitude of the terror dealt out at the sire. Earlier in the day, the King met survivors at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) in Krakow to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, where he implored the world to “challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.”

Remarking on the “sombre and indeed a sacred moment”, Charles paid tribute to victims and survivors who told their stories including Lily Ebert, who in October sadly passed away aged 100. Ebert was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, where her mother and two younger siblings were sent immediately to the gas chambers.

She survived with two other sisters and went on to write a book about her experiences with her grandson, meeting the King on several occasions. Charles said: “(She) collectively taught us to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.”

An Auschwitz survivor is comforted as she lays a candle ( 
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UK)
Amid war in the Middle East and the rise of antisemitism around the world, Charles said “In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife….there can be no more important message.” The King beamed as he was reunited with Holocaust survivor Ryszard Orowski, 84, who lost his entire family after they were deported to the ghetto in Skawina from Krakow.

Charles credited Mr Orowski for his inspiration to back the creation of the community centre following a previous visit to Poland in 2002. As barely 250,000 survivors of the Nazi horrors survive today, Charles implored the world and future generations to remember them and their stories.

A general view of the ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ gate at Auschwitz ( 
Image:
Victoria Jones/REX/Shutterstock)
He said: “As the number of Holocaust Survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn. The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.”

He added: “They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations; a world of which we can be truly proud. And this remains the sacred task of us all.”

A commentator claims Meghan Markle is struggling to improve her public image after bombshell allegations from her former staff – with one source claiming she could ‘throw staff to the wolves’ at any moment

Meghan Markle is reportedly grappling with “deep struggles” to salvage her public image in the wake of explosive claims made by former aides. The Duchess of Sussex, who had a team behind her Spotify podcast ‘Archetypes’, saw the show cancelled after just 12 episodes when Meghan and Prince Harry’s contract with the streaming service was terminated.

A source has now come forward alleging that Meghan was “really, really, really awful” to work for and described the experience as “painful”, with some staff members allegedly requiring “long-term therapy” after leaving their roles. Media guru Michael Levine weighed in on the situation, telling The Mirror US: “Meghan Markle’s deep struggle following the Vanity Fair exposé highlights the immense pressure of life in the public eye.”

He told The Mirror US: “Navigating fame requires skill and resilience, and the Sussexes’ transition from royal life to private enterprise has been fraught with challenges. The article underscores the power of narrative and the importance of managing one’s public image. Whether fair or not, such scrutiny can profoundly impact personal and professional pursuits.”

Meghan Markle and Spotify eventually parted ways
Levine also hinted that the intense scrutiny faced by Meghan could be “make or break” for her career.

This comes amid claims from a source that Meghan’s unpredictability could have significant repercussions for her staff.

An insider speaking to Vanity Fair claimed: “She’s constantly playing checkers – I’m not even going to say chess – but she’s just very aware of where everybody is on her board. And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment.”

Meghan, however, has always firmly refuted claims that she ‘bullied’ her staff, denouncing these allegations as part of a “calculated smear campaign” orchestrated against her. Loyal former staffers have rallied to her defence.

In 2023, Meghan and Harry wrapped up their Archetypes podcast, with the duo and Spotify confirming their partnership had ended. They maintained that the decision was “mutual” and emphasized they were “proud of the series we made together.”

Post-Spotify era, Meghan inked a fresh agreement with Lemonada for an intriguing yet mysterious “dynamic new podcast.”

This deal was publicly shared last February, though precise details about Meghan’s latest venture remain under wraps.

Linda Robson has completely shut down any rumours that she and Pauline Quirke are at loggerheads as she chatted about their present relationship on Wednesday’s Loose Women

Linda Robson has continued to slam rumours around her long-standing friendship with Pauline Quirke.

There was buzz around the Loose Women studio as Linda celebrated 35 years since the popular BBC One programme Birds Of A Feather first aired on screens. It was at this point, the actress recalled how she and Pauline had first been scouted.

Chatting to her fellow panelists about her big television break on Wednesday’s (October 16) episode, Linda recalled the pair racing against the clock and across town on a bus together. They made it to the studio with seconds to go and completely knocked it out of the park with their audition.

After they’d showcased their acting skills, one producer approached them saying “we’ve got a huge success on our hands here,” and the pair immediately knew their lives were about to change for the better.

Detailing the moment with fondness while also shutting down rumours that she and Pauline were ever at loggerheads, Linda explained: “Just two friends racing across town on the bus to make it and here we are all those years later, still the bestest of friends.”

Linda continues to shut down feud rumours with PaulineShe added: “I mean, who would have thought it?” There were gushes of praise as Linda received warm compliments from her co-stars, Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan and Katie Piper, who had all grown up with the much-loved programme on their screens at home.

Previously, there had been growing speculation over a possible feud between the two stars left fans heartbroken, especially after knowing Linda and Pauline’s history off-screen.

It was speculated that Pauline and Linda fellout over the Christmas special
The pair were best friends since primary school and even joined a drama club as teenagers together. Their friendship went beyond that of a normal pals, with their relationship blossoming in front of millions of viewers on the hit show Birds of a Feather throughout the 80s.

Rumours that there had been trouble in paradise between the pair started to swirl when a Christmas episode aired in 2020 but Pauline chose not to be part of the production, leaving Linda and Lesley Joseph “devastated”.

The trio shut down rumours with a social media snap ( 
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ITV)At the time, Linda shared on ITV’s Loose Women that she’d been upset over Pauline’s decision but reassured fans it would not impact their friendship. She said: “I’m not going to lie and say Lesley and I weren’t disappointed. Of course we were. We were gutted and we couldn’t imagine going on without her.

“We were a trio how could it possibly work without any one of us? But at the same time as all that sadness, there was acceptance and understanding, too.”