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Prince Harry Says He’ll Never Bring Meghan Markle Back To The UK

Prince Harry has no plans to return to his homeland. In the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, which aired on July 26 and explores several legal battles against U.K. newspapers, the Duke of Sussex voiced safety concerns about bringing his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, back to Britain.

“It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read,” he said in the doc. “Whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”

Harry announced in January 2020 that he and the Duchess of Sussex would be stepping back from their royal duties. In June of that year, the couple moved to California, where they currently reside with their two children.

After retreating from royal life, Harry and Meghan’s right to police security in the U.K. was removed by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures. In 2023, the Duke challenged the decision in court, offering to pay for police protection himself.

In a court statement at the time, Harry said he and Meghan “felt forced” to leave the U.K. due to safety concerns. His statement came after the former head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu, said the agency had found “disgusting and very real” threats to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In February 2024, Harry lost his case against the U.K. government, but is able to appeal the court’s decision about his family’s access to police protection.

Harry’s Royal Rift

In the recent Tabloids on Trial doc, the Duke also spoke of his recent legal battles with British tabloids, which included taking a newspaper group to court over the alleged hacking of his phone.

Harry explained that his legal challenges have been a “central piece” in his rift with senior members of the royal family. However, he stands by his decision to call out the “torrent of abuse from the press.”

“It would be nice if we did it as a family,” he said in the doc. “I believe that from a service standpoint and when you’re in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good.”

Meghan Markle Says Opening Up About Her Mental Health Was “Worth It”

Meghan Markle keeps getting candid about her mental health. On Aug. 4, the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry were interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning to talk about their latest project, The Parents Network, which aims to support parents whose children have been “affected by social media harms.”

During their sit-down, host Jane Pauley asked Meghan about her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which she shared that she “didn’t want to be alive anymore” during her time as a working member of the royal family. While the duchess “wasn’t expecting” to be asked about the famed interview, Meghan said she stands by her decision to open up to Winfrey about her struggles with mental health and thoughts of suicide at the time.

“When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey, certainly part of mine, is being able to be really open about it,” she said, adding that she hasn’t “really scraped the surface” about her experiences in the British monarchy following her and Harry’s exit from the royal sphere in early 2020.

“I would never want someone else to not be believed,” Meghan continued. “If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them, and not assume that the appearance is good so everything’s OK, then that’s worth it.”

Following Harry and Meghan’s 2021 interview with Winfrey, which was watched by 17 million viewers in the United States alone, the royal family released a statement addressing the duchess’ comments about her mental health, among other revelations.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” a Buckingham Palace statement read. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

Prince Harry Was “Devastated”

The Duke of Sussex previously spoke of his wife’s mental health struggles in the couple’s 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, revealing that he was “devastated” to learn she had been experiencing suicidal ideation.

“I never thought that it would get to that stage,” he said. “The fact that it got to that stage, I felt angry and ashamed. I didn’t deal with it particularly well. I dealt with it as ‘institutional Harry’ as opposed to ‘nd Harry.’ And what took over my feelings was my royal role.”

 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had initially wanted to be ‘half-in, half-out’ members of the royal family – but their suggestion was shut down by the late Queen

Meghan Markle always wanted to become a “superstar” and would never have been happy living the “quiet” life of a lesser royal family member, an expert has claimed. Prince Harry and his wife had originally wanted to be “half-in, half-out” members of the Royal Family, which would allow them to support the late Queen but also be allowed to work and earn independent salaries.

But Her Majesty shut down this suggestion, prompting the couple to leave the UK and settle in the US on a permanent basis. At the time, some of the Sussex fans questioned the decision, comparing Harry and Meghan’s situation to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who have normal jobs but also appear at royal events. But royal commentator Jane Barr has said the former actress would never have been happy living a more low-key lifestyle like the two sisters.

Writing in the From Berkshire to Buckingham newsletter, Barr suggested: “She [Meghan] would not have been happy with the ultimately quiet or truly independent/non-royal lives that William and Harry’s cousins actually live. “Looking back to Megxit, Harry was not just the grandson of the Queen, the same relationship all his cousins had to the sovereign, he was the son of the future King.

“William and Harry were — from birth — preeminent royals, while their cousins, although celebrated, surely, began as secondary royals and only continued to fade as the years went by. Harry seems so bitter about being the spare, but he has always been quite senior to his cousins, and treated accordingly.”

It comes after a documentary from German network ZDF accused Harry and Meghan of hypocrisy given their luxurious lifestyle in the US. The Lost Prince, made by award-winning filmmaker Ulrike Grunewald, contrasts the couple’s high-profile visits to impoverished nations with Meghan’s penchant for costly designer outfits – and also accuses the couple of capitalising on their former royal roles to fund their lifestyle.

The Mirror’s Russell Myers told the show: “If you’re going to places like Nigeria, like Colombia, which have huge socio-economic problems, some of the world’s poorest communities in these countries, and you’re turning up wearing tens of thousands of pounds worth of designer clothes – it really doesn’t send the right message.” Elsewhere in the documentary, former soldier Ben McBean, who once shared a flight home from Afghanistan with Prince Harry, criticised the royal for his revelations about his family in his explosive memoir ‘Spare’ and the Sussexes’ Netflix show.

McBean, who tragically lost his left arm and had his right leg amputated above the knee following a landmine blast in Afghanistan in 2008, didn’t mince his words when he appeared on the documentary , according to the Daily Mail.

The veteran soldier expressed: “I just thought, with him kind of whinging about his family and he was saying something about his brother pushing him over or something like that, I was just like, “Mate, just leave it out” You and your brother had a little fisticuffs…but family’s family, you know.”

According to Omid Scobie’s book, Endgame, the Duke wanted Buckingham Palace to wait to announce the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death as he wanted to be with the family

Prince Harry “begged” the Royal Family to hold off announcing important news to the world, an author has claimed.

According to Omid Scobie’s book, Endgame, Prince Harry wanted Buckingham Palace to wait to announce the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death, as he wanted to be with the Royal Family at the time the news was released.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death was officially broadcast to the world at 6:30pm on September 8 2022, just before Prince Harry was able to arrive in Aberdeen and make his way to Balmoral. However, in his book, Omid claims the statement was due to be released earlier but Prince Harry had begged the release to be delayed.

Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, along with their wives, visited Windsor Castle to see floral tributes left for the late Queen ( 
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The Prince’s plane was forced to circle the airport before landing due to stormy weather, reports the Express. The extract reads: “When Harry’s plane finally touched tarmac twenty minutes later, he received a text from Meghan urging him to call ASAP followed by a breaking news alert via the BBC News app with the announcement of the Queen’s death.”

The Palace did agree to wait for Harry to arrive, but eventually they decided to announce the news without him. A spokesperson for the King said in a statement: “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed.” The newspaper also quoted a source saying that the King was “adamant” that all members of ‘the Firm’ had to be informed of the monarch’s death before the palace broke the news.

Members of the Royal Family had rushed to Aberdeenshire on the day if The Queen’s death, to be by her side at Balmoral. The Duke of Sussex was scheduled to appear at a charity award ceremony in London on September 8, but had to cancel his plans to rush to his grandmother’s bedside.

Just days after her death, Prince Harry and his brother Prince William along with their wives, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, were reunited to view floral tributes which has been left outside Windsor Castle. The was the first time that all four members of the family appeared in public together, since the Queen’s thanksgiving in June 2022, as part of her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

Prince Harry and Prince William were last seen together at a memorial service for their mother’s brother-in-law, Lord Robert Fellowes, back in August 2023. Harry has also visited the UK to see his father, King Charles, in February of this year and again for the Invictus Games, an international sporting event held for wounded and ill members of the armed forces veterans, in May.

According to author Omid Scobie, the Duke of Sussex begged his family to delay sharing some crucial news – but they went ahead and made the announcement in his absence

Prince Harry pleaded with his family to hold off on making a hugely important announcement, according to Endgame author Omid Scobie.

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was officially announced at 6.30pm on September 8, 2022, just before Harry was able to touch down in Aberdeen and make his way towards Balmoral.

In his book, Scobie claimed that Buckingham Palace had planned to release a statement earlier, but that Harry “begged” them to hold off, as stormy weather meant his plane had to circle the airport before it could land and he wanted to be with them at the time. However, a decision was made to make the announcement without him.

“When Harry’s plane finally touched tarmac 20 minutes later, he received a text from Meghan urging him to call ASAP followed by a breaking news alert via the BBC News app with the announcement of the Queen’s death,” the extract reads.

A spokesperson for the King later confirmed: “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed.”

Harry wrote in detail about the Queen’s death in his tell-all book Spare, and shared his anger that his father Charles forbid wife Meghan from travelling with him to Scotland: “He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want… her. He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn’t having it.”

Harry said he retorted firmly to his father’s comments about Meghan, saying: “Don’t ever speak about my wife that way…He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming, Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t. Then that’s all you needed to say.”

Indeed, Prince William travelled to Balmoral with his uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and Duchess Sophie. Princess Kate made the difficult decision to stay at home with the couple’s three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. The royal youngsters had their first day at their new school, Lambrook, on September 8, and Kate thought it was important for her to be there to support them.

The Queen peacefully passed away at 15.10pm on September 8 2022. Of her family members, only Charles, Camilla and Princess Anne were able to see her before she died; by chance the siblings were already in Scotland for prior engagements.

William, Andrew, Edward and Sophie landed at 3.50pm, 40 minutes after her death. And with the new Prince of Wales at the wheel, they drove to Balmoral, arriving at 5.06pm. Harry, meanwhile, left Luton airport onboard a private jet at about 5.30pm. He was still in the air when the announcement of the queen’s death was made at 6.30pm.

Writing about the moment he found out his grandmother had passed away, Harry wrote: “When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: ‘Call me when you get this.’ I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King.” He further stated that when he did finally make it to Balmoral, his aunt Princess Anne led him upstairs to “Granny’s bedroom” so he could pay his respects.

Prince William is set to meet President Elect Donald Trump and First Lady Jill Biden for meetings in Paris as the Notre Dame Cathedral gets ready to reopen to worshippers

As the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris gets ready to reopen its doors after a devastating blaze, Prince William will be meeting with US First Lady Dr Jill Biden and President Elect Donald Trump.

They will be among the world leaders, dignitaries and worshippers gathering to mark the reopening following the restoration of the 861-year-old landmark. The cathedral was almost destroyed when a fire broke out in 2019, and over the course of five years, the structure that took almost two centuries to build was restored.

A reopening celebration is being held this evening under the Gothic arches, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich with around 1,500 guests expected to attend. It comes as the Prince of Wales has begun to take on an increased role as a global statesman over the last two years, with royal sources saying “this is a further example of The Prince stepping up onto the world stage to represent the United Kingdom.”

Notre Dame has been lit up at night ahead of its reopening ( 
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A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The Prince of Wales will travel to Paris tomorrow to attend the ceremony marking the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. His Royal Highness is travelling at the request of His Majesty’s Government on behalf of the United Kingdom.”

Prince William last met the current First Lady of the United States when she attended His Majesty’s Coronation in 2023, and last rubbed shoulders with President Elect Trump at his state visit to the UK in 2019, during his last presidency. Ahead of the gathering of world leaders, a huge security operation involving surface-to-air missiles and SAS-style anti-terrorist units was spotted in Paris.

Paris police prefect Laurence Nunez explained that “increased security [is] essential because of the very high level of terrorist threat”. Noting multiple attacks by Islamist groups over the last decade, Mr Nunez said there will be “6,000 police and gendarmes mobilised to secure the events”. Officers will include members of the elite GIGN, the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, who will provide everything from rooftop snipers to helicopter-borne rapid intervention teams.

But for worshippers, all eyes will be on the spectacular restoration of Our Lady of Paris. Notre Dame’s rector, Reverand Olivier Ribadeau Dumas explained the cathedral is “more than just a French monument” and a beloved treasure of the world’s cultural heritage.

“The cathedral is a magnificent symbol of unity,” the rector said. “A sign of hope, because what seemed impossible has become possible.”

Saturday’s events will blend solemn religious tradition with cultural grandeur, starting with Ulrich symbolically reopening Notre Dame’s grand wooden doors. Tapping them three times with a staff crafted from charred wood salvaged from the cathedral’s fire-ravaged roof, he will declare the cathedral open for worship once more.

EXCLUSIVE Kate Middleton and Prince William still enjoy romantic dates together to keep their spark alive – often heading off for long weekends away without the kids

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been leaning on one another after a difficult few years for the Royal Family, and clearly have strong foundations. But after over 20 years together and 3 children, how do the royal couple keep the romance alive? The married couple have previously shared how they would converse over romantic homecooked dinners in the early days of their relationship, but now enjoy ailing holidays, roast dinners and long weekends at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. Just over 20 years ago, their romance came to light when pictures emerged of a handsome young prince cosying up to a beautiful brunette on a T-bar ski lift.

The chemistry between the pair was unmistakable – a whispered conversation, gloved hands touching – and both of them wearing what could be described as matching outfits. Here was evidence that William had finally got his girl – which, incidentally was the headline on a tabloid newspaper that enraged the Palace. Up until that point, Kate and William, both students at the University of St Andrews, had managed to keep their romance under wraps, even though they were living in a cottage together in the middle of nowhere.

The couple have been together since 2001 and still have fun with one another trying new things ( 
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Now their two-year romance was out in the open, and the nation fell in love with William’s refreshing choice of girl-next-door. There was a frenzy to discover more about the former Marlborough College pupil who had captured the prince’s heart, with Middleton and Goldsmith family trees unearthed and much made of her mother Carole’s former job as an air hostess.

But what was it that first attracted the heir to the throne to Kate? Rather shy and aloof when he first started studies at St Andrews, he began to come out of his shell once he started to mingle with Kate’s circle of public school pals. They started off as friends, before becoming boyfriend and girlfriend after moving into a shared house at 13a Hope Street.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told OK! exclusively, “William was really very starry-eyed about Kate and they brought out the best in each other in many ways. William is quite shy and can be reserved around new people. He’s very cautious, and in that way they are quite similar characters. Their relationship blossomed on spaghetti bolognese and rain-swept beaches.”

They have gushed over one another in the past, with Kate sharing how her husband ‘looks after’ her ( 
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Kate offered more than just her fun, down-to-earth personality and good looks, however. Once William got to know them, the Middleton clan provided something that perhaps William had never experienced up until that point: a sense of family stability and comfort far removed from the grandeur of royal palaces.

Royal expert Hugo Vickers says, “We’ve always been told that Prince William found the Middleton household very convenient, in the sense that he felt it had a sort of a normality that his own upbringing hadn’t particularly had.”

Duncan adds, “It’s easy to underestimate the role the Middletons have played in William’s life. Yes, he fell in love with Kate at university, but frankly he fell in love with the Middleton family as well. They were the family he has never had – the mum, dad and three kids spending time together and going on family holidays. It was a new world he’d not experienced before.

“The biggest proof of the influence they’ve had on William is that he and Kate are following the Middleton model as they bring up their three children, sending them to the same school and keeping them all close together.”

The royal couple often take long weekend breaks away, escaping from the pressures of royal life ( 
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That love of normality has been evident throughout their relationship – who can forget Kate wheeling a trolley into a Waitrose supermarket near the couple’s house in Anglesey, just days after her 2011 wedding to William?

It’s this ability to keep a life entirely for themselves alongside their public duties that has been the bedrock of their marriage. During their younger years, there were occasional photos of them out partying and clubbing together, like any couple in their 20s enjoying London life. But as they got older, their private social life moved behind closed doors – much
as it had been during their time at St Andrews.

Hugo says, “They’ve always been good at keeping their private life away from the public gaze, just as they did in Anglesey. Now, of course they have help at home in Windsor but they don’t have many staff. I think they’ve always tried to keep it informal so that they are all together as a family.”

Their four-bedroom home – with sofas covered with cushions and framed family photos – was originally described as “quaintly elegant” when it was built in 1831, and with its large garden it is the ideal place to raise their three children and entertain local friends. As Duncan says, “By royal standards, Adelaide Cottage is incredibly modest. They could be living in any number of places that would be 10 times bigger and 10 times grander, with 10 times the staff, but that just doesn’t seem to be how they’re wired. There is a humility to both of them.”

They also enjoy skiing, being spotted together for the first time ever during a ski trip to KlostersDuring term time, other parents at their children’s school, Lambrook, are very familiar with the sight of either Kate or William dropping off their three children, Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte, and attending events on the school’s extensive 52-acre site in Berkshire.

It’s this family togetherness that makes them so strong. Duncan says, “One thing that has struck me over the years is how much they changed after their engagement and marriage. From William’s point of view as heir to the throne, things did get very serious. Now they’ve replaced that carefreeness they had in their youth with a family bond with their kids. They live their lives through their children when they’re not on official duty. And that’s probably one of the secrets of their success – not trying to relive their youth. They just absolutely love being Mum and Dad to three kids.”

Ahead of the school summer holidays, it was Prince William who was taking the strain of the daily school runs while Kate recovered from her chemotherapy treatment. In her announcement that she had cancer, Kate movingly spoke of her husband, saying, “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance.”

But these days, they take most pride in doing things as a family – embracing the roles of mum and dad ( 
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This echoed what Kate said when the pair got engaged in 2010. At the time, she revealed, “You know, over the years William has looked after me, he’s treated me very well – as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and through the bad times.”

But perhaps what has held them together more than anything else is their fantastic sense of humour. In public, we don’t always see that side of the couple – bar the odd knowing side glance – but in private, it’s very different.

William has said of their relationship, “Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we’re down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she’s got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.”

We’re sure he’ll be doing his utmost to keep a smile on his wife’s face right now.

The King and Queen have released their informal-looking Christmas card for this year as Camilla’s son spoke out about the difficult two years his mother has had

A photograph of the King and Queen in the Buckingham Palace garden has been chosen for the royal couple’s Christmas card this year.

The touching image shows the couple standing side by side on what appears to be a bright and sunny day in the palace garden and was taken by photographer Millie Pilkington in April 2024. The Queen can be seen wearing a blue wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare and private jewellery, while the King – hand in pocket – is wearing a grey suit and blue tie.

A simple message is attached to the cards, which reads: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.” The card is more informal than years past, including the one chosen in 2023

The more informal Christmas card is a contrast to last year ( 
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Last year’s picture was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand and showed the royal couple in the Throne Room at the Palace following the coronation. Charles was seen wearing the Imperial State Crown and Camilla was wearing Queen Mary’s Crown.

The King was also pictured wearing a Coronation tunic and the robe of estate. Christmas images used to decorate official festive cards are regularly released by senior members of the royal family, with the cards sent to friends, family and colleagues.

It comes after the Queen’s son, Tom Parker-Bowles, has revealed the “hell of a two years” endured by his mother and the King, marked by significant health challenges. The Palace announced King Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, and Camilla has been recovering from a bout of pneumonia since returning from a royal tour of Australia and Samoa.

Last year’s picture, taken by photographer Hugo Burnand ( 
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The 49-year-old food writer and critic told the Daily Telegraph he was planning to spend his first Christmas at Sandringham later this month after their difficult year. “My mum said ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time’,” he said.

“It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it.”

Despite the chest infection temporarily ruling her out of royal duties, Mr Parker Bowles described his mother as a resilient woman. “She went back to work before she should have done but she’s fine. She’s tough. She hates that she missed Remembrance Sunday. That’s a big day for her,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE: As the Princess of Wales and her father-in-law King Charles recover from cancer treatment at the same time, we look at the incredible bond that they share

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kate and Camilla have lots in common ( 
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GC Images)It came as no surprise then when Charles said at William and Kate’s wedding that the royal family were “lucky to have her”. When his son became Prince of Wales in September 2022, his father specifically name-checked Kate in his speech, saying, “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers, author of A Royal Life, a biography of HRH The Duke of Kent, echoed Charles’ words, telling OK!, “Charles has always appeared to be very, very fond of Kate – and he should be, as they are very lucky to have her. Theirs is a good relationship.”

The camera never lies, and numerous pictures of Kate and her father-in-law reveal the bond between them. At Charles’ coronation, Kate was seen to kiss him on the cheek, and after the funeral of his father Prince Philip, she put her arm around his shoulders outside St George’s Chapel.

Kate and Charles’ close bond was on display at the King’s Coronation
Naturally, Charles has also been keen to ensure his “beloved” daughter-in-law is close to the other women in his life, especially Queen Camilla. The two have something unique in common – both are married to a monarch or a future monarch. That shared understanding of their roles has helped them form a bond.

Ahead of William and Kate’s wedding, Camilla gifted her a beautiful gold bracelet with two “Cs” on a charm – and in the run-up to the Westminster Abbey nuptials, the pair were seen lunching together with Pippa Middleton and Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes. The quartet were overheard discussing final preparations for the nuptials, where Camilla’s granddaughter Eliza was a flower girl. More recently, Kate was given the honour of taking photographs of Camilla to mark her 75th birthday.

In public, Camilla has described Kate as “a lovely girl”, and royal expert Penny Junor has said, “They are two very normal people. Camilla is so easy to get on with, so un-stuck-up, and Kate is young and friendly.”

It’s no wonder then that the King has made such public and heartfelt declarations of support for his daughter-in-law. He knows that, in part, the future of the monarchy rests on her shoulders. Her appearance next to him on the balcony of Buckingham Palace is proof that he will do everything he can to support her through the challenges she’s faced and continues to face this year.

Prince Andrew and his family have spent many a Christmas at Sandringham, but the Duke of York has found the ‘perfect excuse’ not to attend this year, according to a royal expert.

King Charles is set to open the doors of Sandringham house for another year, continuing a tradition that has seen the Royal family spend Christmas at the Norfolk home for over 160 years. The festive gathering is no small affair, with the wider family, including Prince Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, usually in attendance.

However, this Christmas day, Andrew has the ‘perfect excuse’ not to attend, according to former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond. With both Eugenie and Beatrice now married and mothers themselves, Jennie has suggested to OK! the house could be too full.

“As families expand, life gets more complicated. And the Yorks now have two sons-in-law and four grandchildren to consider. So it is beginning to become untenable to have the whole extended royal family under one roof at Sandringham…especially with Camilla’s family to consider as well,” she explained.

Christmas at Sandringham has been a long-standing royal tradition, with Prince Andrew (pictured there in 2000) a staple on the guest list ( 
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Getty Images)

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie are both doting mothers now, making Christmas busier ( 
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Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Eugenie is mum to two sons, August and Ernest, with her husband Jack Brooksbank, whom she wed in 2018. Meanwhile, Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are expecting their second child together. They already share a daughter, Sienna, born in 2021, and Edoardo has an eight year old son, Christopher Woolf, from a previous relationship.

Jennie confirmed that Andrew will definitely receive an invite, as usual. She said: “However, it seems that Andrew remains keen on the traditional royal Christmas and, even after all the controversy over Royal Lodge, he and Sarah will almost certainly be invited to share the King and Queen’s celebrations. They don’t, however, usually stay in the main house but at Wood Farm nearby, where they can do their own family thing if they want. Charles is not a vindictive man…far from it…and whatever has gone on between the brothers, I think he will always extend an invitation for Andrew and his family to share big family occasions.”

Jennie also speculated that things would be easier if Andrew and Sarah do their own celebrations. “But Andrew’s own growing family will give him and Sarah the perfect reason to avoid Sandringham and surround themselves with their daughters and little one. Beatrice and Eugenie are very protective of both their parents”.

Christmas at Sandringham sees the royals head to church on Christmas day ( 
Image:
Getty Images)“And you can’t help but think that life would be easier all round if the Yorks began to stage their own festivities at Christmas.”

Christmas at Sandringham is a tradition embedded into Royal life, with Royal expert Duncan Larcombe recently sharing: “Christmas at Sandringham has been absolutely central to the family for years, and that legacy looks certain to continue with Charles.

“The estate has more of a country house feel than other royal residences, and it reflects the family’s love of the great outdoors.” Queen Victoria bought the 20,000-acre estate for £22,000 in 1862. When the pandemic struck in 2020 it prevented Queen Elizabeth II hosting Christmas there for the first time in 32 years.

“Sandringham had a very special place in the Queen’s heart,” Duncan adds. “It was where her father George VI passed away in 1952, which always gave it extra meaning for her.”

US President-elect Donald Trump gave the Prince of Wales a pat on the shoulder before the two shook hands and spoke for a few seconds at the Notre Dame ceremony

Prince William shook hands with US President-elect Donald Trump as the two greeted one another at the Notre Dame ceremony in Paris.

Mr Trump gave William a pat on the shoulder before the two shook hands and spoke for a few seconds on Saturday evening. The world-famous Notre Dame cathedral burned in a devastating fire in 2019, causing its spire to topple. In a ceremony to mark the re-opening of the landmark in central Paris, William and Trump were seen chatting ahead of a scheduled meeting the two are due to attend later this evening.

The Prince of Wales had been expected to meet Trump and outgoing first lady Dr Jill Biden ahead of the event, but Kensington Palace later said the pair would meet after the ceremony in another location in Paris.

US President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he talks with Prince William
Around 50 heads of state and government will be in the French capital to celebrate the rebuilding of the Gothic masterpiece following a restoration project that costed hundreds of millions of euros. Among those attending are billionaire Elon Musk and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

French President Macron will deliver a speech at around 7pm ahead of a commemorative service hosted by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris. From around 8:15pm, choirs of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris will sing during the service, while a televised concert is due to be broadcast from 21:15pm.

Trump was seen patting Prince William on the shoulder ( 
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Getty Images for Notre-Dame de P)

French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince William and Brigitte Macron ( 
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Blondet Eliot/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock)
Later this evening, William and Trump will meet to discuss the importance of the US and UK’s “special relationship”. Kensington Palace announced yesterday that the Prince of Wales would be attending the event marking the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday.

A palace spokesman said: “The Prince of Wales will travel to Paris tomorrow to attend the ceremony marking the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. His Royal Highness is travelling at the request of His Majesty’s Government on behalf of the United Kingdom.”