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Prince Harry risks being removed from line of succession in royal revenge plot. Prince Harry’s position as fifth in line to the throne could be in jeopardy due to his permanent residence outside the UK and absence of royal duties.

According to a source, discussions at the Royal Family’s summit at Balmoral this summer may not only address Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles but could also consider removing them from the line of succession. “The order of succession can be altered by statute if a member of the Royal Family permanently resides outside the UK and no longer undertakes royal duties,” said the source.

“If that were to happen, Harry’s children could also be removed from the line of succession.” Robert Blackburn, a professor of constitutional law at King’s College London, tells Express.co.uk that although living abroad is not a legal disqualification for becoming monarch, Prince Harry can still be removed from the line of succession by an Act of Parliament. “Like Edward VIII, Prince Harry does not wish to perform the role of royalty expected of him and has withdrawn to live abroad. Presumably therefore Prince Harry would be agreeable to abdicate his place in succession if for any reason this became an issue in royal affairs being legislated upon,” said Blackburn.

“Several Acts of Parliament have changed the law on succession or imposed conditions for becoming Monarch, notably the Bill of Rights 1689 and Act of Settlement 1701. More recently Edward VIII voluntarily abdicated and was replaced as King by his brother George VI by Act of Parliament in 1936.” Blackburn adds that for a constitutional measure like this, it is customary for the British Government to take the initiative and introduce the Bill – not the monarch. “Backbench MPs or Peers can technically introduce a Private Members’ Bill on the subject, but it would get nowhere and be blocked by the government from proceeding further than a formal First Reading,” said Blackburn.

“The only possible scenario, as I see it, is for there to be a Government Bill being prepared on another royal issue, such as an amendment to the Regency Act dealing with eligible counsellors of state, and a clause being added at the same time which Prince Harry himself requests that removes him from the line of succession as a mark of him clearly wishing to relinquish all ties to the public work of the Monarchy and Royal Family.” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to step down as senior working royals in January 2020, stating that they planned to “work to become financially independent”.

However, shortly after taking up residency in the United States, the couple embarked on what was described as a “royal bashing session” where they appeared in a chat with Oprah Winfrey, filmed a documentary for Netflix and Harry slated his family in his memoir, Spare. The couple reportedly further angered the Royal Family when they undertook a tour of Colombia recently which saw them visit the South American country to shine a light on cyberbullying and female empowerment. Express.co.uk exclusively revealed last week that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles will be up for discussion at Balmoral when the Royal Family meet for their annual summer holiday.

According to a source, one point of discussion at what has been dubbed a “royal family summit” will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and how they will fit in with the Royal Family over the next decade. “Not only will Harry and Meghan’s tours and upcoming trip to Canada be on the agenda, but also their titles and peerages will be up for discussion,” said the source. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have just completed their second quasi-royal tour this year – in Colombia, where they spent four days last week promoting mental health among youngsters and the military community, cyberbullying, female empowerment and the cultural richness of Colombia.

Back in May, the Sussex couple also visited Nigeria. Royal commentator Emily Andrews dubbed Harry and Meghan’s “tours” as “somewhat risky” due to them not having the protection or diplomatic expertise of the Foreign Office as they are not working royals. The couple were invited to Colombia by Vice President Francia Márquez who provided them a full security detail during their visit, the cost of which reportedly hit the country with a £1.5 million bill, according to local media. As they sensationally quit their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US, the Sussexes no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits.

In what can only be described as a bombshell interview, British TV personality and outspoken critic Piers Morgan has once again set his sights on Meghan Markle, delivering a stinging critique that some claim could derail her career. The fiery exchange has sent shockwaves through the media, reigniting the public debate about Markle’s role in the spotlight and raising questions about her future endeavors.

The Interview: Morgan’s Scathing Remarks

In the interview, Piers Morgan wasted no time addressing his ongoing criticisms of Meghan Markle, whom he has consistently accused of being disingenuous and manipulative since she and Prince Harry stepped back from their royal duties in 2020. Morgan’s comments this time, however, were sharper than ever. He not only questioned Markle’s professional choices but also accused her of crafting a public persona that, according to him, is rooted in self-interest rather than genuine compassion.

Morgan’s primary critique centered around what he called Markle’s “victim narrative,” accusing her of leveraging her personal struggles to gain public sympathy and further her career. He pointed to her various media projects, including the much-talked-about Netflix documentaries and her podcast, suggesting that Meghan’s motivations are more about self-promotion than philanthropy.

“You can’t expect to play the victim card and still enjoy the perks of fame,” Morgan said, taking direct aim at Markle’s public statements about her struggles with the royal family. He added, “If you’re going to step into the public arena, you have to take the criticism that comes with it.”

Widespread Reactions and Debate

As expected, Morgan’s harsh words have ignited a firestorm of controversy, with public opinion split between those who agree with his assessment and those who believe his comments are rooted in personal animosity. Social media platforms quickly became flooded with reactions, with hashtags like #PiersVsMeghan and #MeghanStrong trending within hours of the interview airing.

Supporters of Morgan argue that his critique of Meghan Markle is justified, seeing her as a public figure who has consistently sought the limelight while shunning its consequences. Many of Morgan’s fans have called him a voice of reason, praising him for what they perceive as his refusal to “buy into Meghan’s narrative.”

On the other hand, Markle’s defenders have labeled Morgan’s remarks as spiteful and misogynistic, accusing him of harboring a personal vendetta against her. Critics have highlighted Morgan’s history of clashes with Markle, including his infamous walk-off from Good Morning Britain following the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. These critics suggest that Morgan’s comments are less about fair critique and more about a long-standing grudge.

The Potential Impact on Meghan Markle’s Career

The broader question in the wake of this interview is how these comments might affect Meghan Markle’s career moving forward. Since stepping back from royal duties, Markle has positioned herself as a media figure and advocate, championing causes like mental health and women’s empowerment. But with Morgan’s comments casting a shadow over her motivations, some wonder if her public image could take a significant hit.

Industry experts have suggested that while Morgan’s critique might sting, it’s unlikely to completely derail Markle’s career. Her platform remains strong, with millions of supporters worldwide, and her projects, including her podcast and media ventures, continue to garner significant attention. However, the interview has undoubtedly stirred debate about her authenticity, which could influence how she is perceived in future public appearances and projects.

A History of Tension

The tension between Piers Morgan and Meghan Markle is nothing new. Their feud began years ago, when, according to Morgan, Markle “ghosted” him after they struck up a friendship. Since then, Morgan has been one of her most vocal critics, regularly accusing her of playing the victim while seeking celebrity status.

While Morgan’s criticism has resonated with some, others see it as part of a broader issue involving the treatment of women, especially women of color, in the public eye. Meghan has repeatedly spoken out about the harsh media scrutiny she has faced since joining the royal family, particularly in the UK.

Conclusion: A Divisive Moment in Public Discourse

Piers Morgan’s latest interview has once again thrust Meghan Markle into the center of a heated public debate. While Morgan’s comments may have resonated with some, they have also drawn fierce backlash, with critics accusing him of fueling personal vendettas and perpetuating negative stereotypes.

As the controversy unfolds, the long-term impact on Markle’s career remains to be seen. One thing, however, is clear: Meghan Markle continues to polarize public opinion, and Piers Morgan has ensured that her name remains firmly in the headlines. Whether this latest critique will damage or ultimately strengthen her public image remains the question everyone is watching.

PRINCESS Diana’s dance teacher has recalled the heartbreaking moment the late royal broke down in tears during their lesson as she battled to save her marriage.

Anne Allan, then a dancer with the London City Ballet, was hired in 1981 to teach the Princess of Wales how to dance.

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Princess Diana opened up to teacher Anne Allan during dance classes, she has claimedCredit: Alamy

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According to Anne, Diana spoke about everything from the state of her marriage to how she felt when she confronted CamillaCredit: Getty

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There were more than a few tearful occasions Anne said of Diana, seen here dancing with John Travolta in 1985Credit: AP:Associated Press
She spent the next nine years helping Diana on the dancefloor, building a close bond with the royal during that time.

And as well as using her lessons to pick up the skill of dancing, Diana also confided in Anne about difficulties in her personal life – including her struggle to save her marriage to Prince Charles, as he was then.

Anne has opened up about some of the most heartbreaking moments in a new memoir titled Dancing With Diana, as she recalled the time Diana told her she was desperate to make Charles happy.

“I do love him so and want to make him happy and to be proud of me as his wife,” Anne said Diana told her.

Within minutes, Diana was overcome with emotion and sobbing, Anne said, as she told her teacher: “You must think me awful”.

Things went from bad to worse for Diana, Anne said, as she opened up about Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles – now Queen Camilla.

“I know he is seeing Camilla again,” Anne said Diana told her.

“Am I expected to accept that, like the other Princesses of Wales before, one just turns a blind eye to husbands having a mistress! Why does he not love me?

“I really don’t understand. I have tried everything, I tried to conform to his wishes even though I don’t always agree.

“There is no affection between us, and I am always on my own. I just want to be loved.
Diana’s bodyguard reveals what would have saved her life on night of crash
“I can’t keep going on like this. They are really expecting me to just say nothing and keep going? How do I do that?!”

While Diana tried to concentrate on her dancing during her time with Anne, she struggled to contain herself as she opened up to the teacher about her “unbearable situation”.

“I haven’t seen Charles for weeks and he doesn’t want to talk to me,” Diana said, according to Anne.

“I thought he would come back to me, and we could work things out. How do I go on when I’m not wanted?”

Diana is also said to have told Anne that her biggest priority was “keeping her family together”, for the sake of sons William and Harry.

She apparently told Anne about her various attempts to rekindle things with Charles, including when she had set up a picnic in his favourite garden.

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However, when Charles saw the table set up, he demanded a butler take everything in because he “doesn’t eat outside”, Anne said Diana had cried.

Elsewhere in the memoir, Anne claimed that Diana also spoke to her about the time she confronted Camilla about her relationship with Charles at a party in the 1980s.

“Camilla, I’d just like you to know that I know exactly what’s going on,” Diana is said to have told Camilla after finding her and Charles in a room with a group of other men.

“I know what’s going on between you and Charles and I just want you to know that.”

Camilla apparently replied that Diana had “all the men in the world” falling in love with her, as well as “two beautiful children”, adding: “What more could you want?”

“I want my husband,” Diana replied, simply, Anne remembered.

After the exchange with Camilla, Diana told Anne about the confrontation, and added: “I feel a tremendous shift, Anne, in myself”.

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Anne said that Diana told her the most important thing was keeping her family together as rumours surged about the nature of Charles and Camilla’s relationshipCredit: Getty

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King Charles and Queen Camilla seen here in Scotland earlier this monthCredit: Getty

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Anne opens up about her time with the late royal in her memoir Dancing With Diana

PRINCE Harry will accept an £8million inheritance despite not being a working royal – with an expert claiming Meghan is “desperate” for the cash.

Before her death, Harry’s great-gran the Queen Mother arranged for him to get the trust fund payment on his 40th birthday.

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Prince Harry will accept an £8million inheritance despite not being a working royalCredit: Splash

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The Queen Mother arranged for him to get the cash sum on his 40th birthdayCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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Harry got a 40th birthday message from Kate and William’s account this morningCredit: Twitter
That milestone falls today – and Harry is reportedly set to accept the cash sum despite no longer being a working royal.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold told the New York Post: “I’ve no doubt that Harry will accept it.

“It’s money that’s owed to him, money that’s coming to him. I don’t think he will decline the money.

“It’s inheritance so it’s his right. It’s already something that has been set in place for years now.”

The Queen Mother put aside a tax-free £19million trust fund in 1994 to leave to her great-grandchildren.

Her bequest was divided into two installments – one payment when the royals turned 21, and another on their 40th.

Royal expert Hugo Vickers said the timing couldn’t be better for Harry and Meghan.

Vickers told The Sun: “No doubt it would be helpful because I think he leads a very expensive lifestyle.

“Hopefully he will put the money to good use. £8million can disappear pretty fast in a place like Montecito.

“The couple have an enormous staff, a big house to maintain, and cars.

“Harry has to pay for his own security too which we know he takes very seriously.”

Harry got a surprise 40th birthday message from Kate and William’s account this morning – in a hint of an olive branch after their feud.

Posting on Instagram, William and Kate’s account said: “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex.”

The official account shared a snap of California-based Harry smiling in a grey suit and white shirt.

But the post was not signed off with William or Kate’s initials, as is normally the case for posts they write themselves.

The Royal Family’s account shared the same snap, saying: “Wishing the Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”

It is the first time the royal family has shared a public message for Harry since wishing him a happy birthday in 2021.

Last year the royals declined to publicly celebrate Harry’s 39th birthday.

Harry was heard admitting he hadn’t heard from his family when asked by a well-wisher at the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany.

The royals’ silence came after Harry released his memoir Spare, which blasted his entire family – including William, Kate and Camilla.

This year prince is marking his 40th birthday with family and friends at his £11million mansion in California.

He will then jet off for a “weekend getaway” with a few close friends, The Sun revealed this week.

It is not yet known where Harry will go or who will join him on the trip.

But the group is unlikely to include his brother William – as he and Harry have not spoken for more than two years.

And Harry’s wife Meghan and children Archie and Lilibet will stay at home while he heads off with his mates.

The band of brothers could include Harry’s polo BFF, his “second dad” and a “party animal” pal.

Harry is reportedly asking former aides to help him plan a comeback from his US exile and spend more time in Britain.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, is said to be consulting people “from his old life” after growing frustrated with American PR experts.

Harry reportedly plans to spend more time in the UK in a bid to repair his relationship with King Charles.

The strategy could see a “rehabilitated” Harry stage a partial return to royal life.

But insiders said Harry and Meghan are not seeking a permanent return from California.

A source told the Mail: “Harry is turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and is seeking counsel from his old friends and associates.

“He is clearly reaching out thinking, ‘I need to do something different because what I’m doing is clearly not working’.”

The source added: “In short, Prince Harry is rethinking the way he operates.”

Harry has reportedly sent WhatsApp messages to a number of old friends in the UK.

The prince’s former private secretary Edward Lane Fox has reportedly been tipped to plot a comeback.

But Lane Fox said: “It’s not something I’ve got a view on I’m afraid.”

Harry has reportedly decided not to update his memoir Spare for its paperback edition, which is due to come out on October 24.

He will not be doing any interviews to promote the paperback, it is understood.

Friends are said to believe Harry’s comeback could succeed if it staged with zero publicity or “fuss”.

It is feared that Harry’s relationship with his brother William is beyond repair.

But King Charles is reportedly open to spending more time with his son.

It comes after The Sun revealed William and Harry stood “virtually back to back” at their uncle’s memorial service.

Harry secretly dashed from his US home to the service for Lord Robert Fellowes, who was married to Princess Diana’s sister Jane.

But the Duke of Sussex and his brother did not exchange a word at Thursday’s memorial in the Norfolk village of Snettisham.

One mourner told The Sun: “They were only five yards from each other.”

William and Harry chatted to mourners as they mingled at their uncle’s memorial service.

At one point the princes were standing “virtually back to back” at the wake.

But both left separately without seemingly exchanging a word, onlookers said.

The Sun revealed Harry jetted in secret from the US after previously saying he could not attend due to security fears.

IT’S a “myth” that Princes William and Harry were always close, a royal expert has claimed. 

According to Ingrid Seward, Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine and royal biographer, Prince Harry, 40, wanted his late mother, Princess Diana, “to himself” and only grew closer to his brother, 42, after her death.

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Ingrid Seward has claimed it’s a ‘myth’ that William and Harry were always closeCredit: AFP

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The Royal Biographer claimed that the pair only grew close after the death of their mother, DianaCredit: The Sun

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She claimed that prior to Diana’s death, sibling rivalry was rife between Harry and WilliamCredit: Getty

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Ingrid told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive that Harry ‘wanted his mother to himself’Credit: Getty
Ingrid told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive that Harry was a very tactile young boy, who wasn’t close with his sibling.

Speaking to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, Ingrid shared Diana’s “concerns” for Harry, as she confessed: “[Diana] opened up and she said at one time she really worried about William, but then she started to be concerned about Harry as she said he had no interest in learning, he never picked up a book.

“She obviously really tried to help him, but all Harry really wanted to do was have his mother to himself.

“He would sometimes pretend that he was ill at school so she could pick him up and take him home so he could sit and watch television with her all afternoon. He was a very tactile young boy. Very close to his mother.”

Ingrid claimed that the pair became “unified” after Diana’s death, but sibling rivalry was rife between them.

She continued: “I remember after William went on his gap year, way back on operation Raleigh, Harry said ‘he’s much nicer now’, so this myth that Harry and Wiliam were very close, is a myth.

“They were only really close after their mother died. Of course they unified and they were the only two people that knew what it felt like.

“But they weren’t very close as youngsters.”

The royal expert claimed that she and Diana discussed the rift between the boys regularly, as she added: “We talked about it quite a lot. She said ‘I worry for Harry and I’m really, really careful that he’s not treated differently than William’.

“When they used to go and see the Queen Mother, she would pat the chair and say ‘come and sit here William’ and completely ignore Harry, and that really upset Diana.

Uniquely selfish’ Harry is STILL plugging memoir Spare filled horrid criticism of his own family, expert slams
“And that’s one of the reasons she said to me she wanted him to go to Eton rather than some other school which might’ve suited him better.

“She didn’t want people to say ‘he’s stupid’ or that ‘he can’t get in there’. She was very concerned about his feeling of inadequacy with William.”

Diana was very conscious of Harry being a very sensitive child

Ingrid Seward

Ingrid claimed that Diana was “worried” for Harry and “conscious” of his sensitivity.

She added: “I think she worried much more for Harry because she just wasn’t sure which way he was going to go.

A timeline of Prince Harry’s family feud

IN 2018, the Sun told how “simmering tension

The first hints of friction reportedly came after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace.

Once she’d returned home to Canada, William and Harry sat down for a brother-to-brother chat.

He knew Harry was already head-over-heels for her but it has been claimed he advised him to take it slowly.

The younger prince reportedly didn’t take too kindly to the advice, with one royal source saying he “went mental”.

Then in June 2019 Harry and Meghan officially split off from the charity they shared with William and Kate.

The Royal Foundation will be divided between the Sussexes and Cambridges as the couples focus on their own separate charitable endeavours.

Prince William and Prince Harry first established the Royal Foundation in 2009 before Kate joined two years later shortly after their engagement was announced.

The trio would often appear together at events and the Foundation had huge successes with projects like the Invictus Games for injured veterans and the mental health Heads Together campaign.

The Royal Foundation said the decision was made following the conclusion of a review into its structure – but added both couples will continue to work together in the future.

Harry and Meg were living in close proximity to Kate and Wills within the Kensington Palace estate, but they switched to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor before baby Archie was born.

The move further increased rumours of a fallout.

Harry also hinted in his ITV documentary “Harry and Meghan, An African Journey” that he and his brother had grown apart.

In 2021, Harry and Meghan give their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey where Harry accused his dad of cutting him off financially.

Harry then jetted back to UK to join William in unveiling a statue to their mother Princess Diana in the grounds of Kensington Palace. But sources claimed William didn’t want to attend the memorial amid their ongoing rift.

In 2022, just before their grandmother the Queen died, sources claimed Kate acts as a “peacemaker” between the brothers.

Harry claimed his brother “knocked him to the floor” during an argument about Meghan, in his memoir.

In Spare, Harry said William branded Meghan “rude” and “difficult” during a row.

Harry alleged William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor”.

He said he was left with a visible injury to his back following the argument in 2019 at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he was living at the time.

In January this year, Harry flew in to be with Charles after the monarch’s shock cancer diagnosis.

Harry flew back to the US the following day – without seeing Wills.

In May he visited the UK for a three-day visit without seeing King Charles or Prince William.

“When William was a little boy, he would bully him quite a lot, which was perfectly normal, and Harry would always take the blame for the scrapes they’d get into. Again, perfectly normal for young boys.

“But Diana was very conscious of Harry being a very sensitive child and she wondered what he was going to do, was he going to follow his love, which was the army, even as a little boy.

“It was planted very, very young, that seed of William having the privilege. And Harry of course didn’t really understand. In a way it’s better to be the spare than the heir.”

They were only really close after their mother died…they weren’t very close as youngsters

Ingrid Seward

After stepping down as working royals and leaving the UK in 2020, Harry, who is based in California with wife Meghan Markle, 43, and their two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, now live in their sprawling mansion in Montecito, with A-listers including Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow as their neighbours.

Relations between William and Harry have been strained for years, but their rift became even more apparent when Harry and Meghan spoke out against the Royal Family during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 – where they claimed Kate had made Meghan cry ahead of her 2018 wedding in an argument over bridesmaid dresses.

Harry then made a string of bombshell claims about William in his controversial memoir, Spare, last year, claiming that William had once ‘knocked him to the floor’ in a physical fight and that he had also pointed his finger in Meghan’s face and branded her ‘rude’.

William and Harry are no longer on speaking terms, and it’s thought that they kept their distance when they recently attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in Norfolk.

When it comes to Harry’s fall-out with his brother, Ingrid suggested: “What [Diana] wouldn’t like is this fall out from the family. She would really hate that.

“She wouldn’t be at all happy that Harry had fallen out with William. She always said to them ‘please, please remember, don’t ever forget that you’re brothers and I want you to be friends’. That would worry her about Harry.”

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According to Ingrid, Harry thought William was ‘nicer’ after returning home from his gap yearCredit: The Sun

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She claimed the seed was planted very young that William had ‘privilege’Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Get

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Ingrid claimed that Diana would be ‘worried’ for Harry after falling out with William

A GIGGLING Harry and Meghan were spotted leaving a star-studded bash on the duke’s birthday weekend.

The couple headed home from the £23million Montecito mansion on Saturday in a chauffeur-driven all-black Range Rover after partying with actor Tyler Perry and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany, in September last yearCredit: PA

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The couple, snapped here on a Zoom call with Tyler Perry, were out celebrating the actor’s birthdayCredit: Twitter

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Tyler also appeared in Harry and Meg’s Netflix docCredit: Netflix

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Harry and Meghan also partied with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, who they are being interviewed by here in 2021Credit: Reuters
Meghan, 43, was snapped giggling in the backseat next to hubby Harry just hours before the prince turned 40 years old and he set off on a “getaway with closest pals”.

The former actress’ outfit could not be seen through the car window but Meg had her hair scraped back in a ponytail while her diamond engagement ring and wedding banned were on show.

Harry donned a grey suit as he was seen leaving around 11pm.

A man hired to work the event told MailOnline: “There was a lot of music, dancing, and singing. Lots of speeches and food too.

“Everyone was having a lot of fun. It was a good party. There were a lot of famous people but I cannot say any more.”

The Sussexes were out celebrating Tyler Perry’s 55th birthday, who let them stay in his Santa Barbara home when they first moved stateside.

Paramount CEO Brian Robbins and his wife, Tracy, who are neighbours of Meghan and Harry’s, were also at the celebrations.

As Harry and Meg headed back to their own Montecito mansion, they were accompanied by an unknown pal, security detail and a driver.

Hours before the star-studded event, the duke and duchess attended the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament in Los Angeles.

It was in honour of Kelly McKee and Julian Zaifen’s late son George who tragically passed away a couple of years ago.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle ‘desperately need his £8MILLION birthday gift – they love to spend money’, expert says
Meghan wore a mini dress and heels from Giuliva Heritage.

Harry sported a white t-shirt, jacket and casual trousers for the tournament as he was filmed beaming chatting to Netflix’s Buying Beverley Hills star Zach Goldsmith.

It came just hours before wife Meg was set to stay behind in California with kids Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, while Harry celebrated his birthday with friends.

PRINCE William finds “solace” in brother-in-law James Middleton following his relationship with brother Prince Harry becoming “fractured”, according to an expert.

The Prince of Wales, 42, is said to have a “strong bond” with wife Kate’s brother, 37, and sees himself as part of the Middleton family.

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Prince William and brother-in-law James Middleton are said to have a close relationshipCredit: AP:Associated Press

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Currently Prince William and Prince Harry are said to have a ‘fractious’ bondCredit: AFP

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Brother James Middleton tribute to sister Kate with this sweet childhood photo following her cancer diagnosisCredit: Instagram
Royal biographer Claudia Joseph told Fabulous: “I imagine that William finds it a huge solace that he is so close to the Middleton family as his relationship with his own brother Harry has become so fractured.

“From the moment that he began dating Kate at St Andrews University, he fell in love with her close family, something he tragically lost with the divorce of his own parents and the death of his mother.

“He has even jokingly called Michael Middleton ‘Dad’ and definitely enjoys their close relationship.”

This comes as James – younger brother of Kate and Pippa – has opened up about the moment he knew Prince William was right for his sister.

In an extract from his upcoming book, Meet Ella, which is to be published on September 26, James spoke of the moment the engagement was pending.

He wrote: “William has been in our lives for so long and we’ve grown very fond of him. He feels like our older brother and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other. As we digest the news, I know I haven’t yet experienced the love they feel for each other myself. But I’m hoping one day I will.

“I thought how lucky William was to be marrying my capable, down-to-earth big sister, and I felt absolutely reassured that they were in love.

“It was beautiful to see how he brought out her confidence. She’d blossomed. I knew he’d look after her, and he does to this day.”

James and William’s ‘brother bond’

Claudia added: “James obviously adores his brother-in-law.

“In his autobiography, he describes him as the ‘older brother’ he never had and says he was ‘reassured that they were in love’.”
Michael and Carole Middleton, parents of Kate announce engagement of daughter to Prince William and leave hospital after birth of Prince George
The royal biographer pointed out there are numerous “parallels” between William’s family and the Middletons, which has enabled the Prince and Princess of Wales to create a “strong bond.”

Claudia explained: “They both grew up in the Home Counties, with a love of country pursuits and animals, went to neighbouring public schools, which played sport against each other, and have strong competitive instincts.”

She claimed that William and James – who is married to French finance worker Alizée Thevenet and dad to son Inigo – particularly bonded over their love of dogs.

Bonded over dogs

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James and William found common ground over their love of dogs, according to royal biographer Claudia JosephCredit: Rex

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William with James and Harry at Pippa’s wedding in 2017Credit: Getty
Claudia continued: “There is obviously a strong bond between William and James, as James suggests in his autobiography Meet Ella.

“In fact, it was when James got his dog Ella as a puppy that the two men first bonded.

“As a child William had a black labrador called Widgeon and when he died, there was a hole in William’s heart.

He [Prince William] feels like our older brother and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other

James Middleton

“That hole was fixed when Ella had a puppy Lupo, who became an important member of the Cambridge family.

“From the moment William met Ella, they bonded, and Ella gave William the excuse to escape the competitive nature of the Middleton family and slink off to cuddle her and take her for walks.

“When Lupo died in 2020, James gave his nieces and nephews another black cocker spaniel called Orla.”

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James seen with Prince William and Princess Kate on Christmas day in 2016Credit: Getty – Contributor

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William and Harry are currently said to have a tense relationshipCredit: Getty

Mental health honesty

In his upcoming book, James has been candid about his struggles with his mental health, and the royal family are passionate about tackling stigma surrounding the topic.

The Prince and Princess of Wales even launched the mental health initiative Heads Together to help change the conversation on mental health.

Claudia added: “James has also been incredibly open about his own mental health struggles, as has Prince Harry.

“But tragically, while James has talked about how he survived feeling suicidal, without laying the blame at anyone’s door, Harry has consistently blamed the Royal family for his woes.

“If Harry could take a leaf out of James’ book, perhaps the Royal brothers could be close once more.”

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Princess Kate with younger brother James at The Concert For Diana At Wembley Stadium

The billionaire rapper is facing four lawsuits alleging sex trafficking and abuse

The Duke of Sussex has been named in a $30m (£24m) lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, in which the rapper is accused of sex trafficking and sexual abuse.

Combs, who faces a litany of sexual assault allegations, is said to have drawn guests to his infamous parties through his VIP associations with “celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians and international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry”, according to the legal notice.

The 73-page lawsuit was filed last month by record producer Rodney Jones, and accuses the billionaire of being a serial sex abuser.

Prince Harry has been named in the lawsuit as an example of a well-known associate of the rapper (Reuters)

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the prince, and his name is only mentioned once in the documents as an example of a well-known celebrity associate of Combs.

Both Harry and his brother Prince William were pictured with Combs and Kanye West in 2007 after the musicians performed in the Concert for Diana at Wembley stadium.

In his lawsuit, Mr Jones accuses Combs of sexually assaulting him and claims that he threw parties attended by sex workers and underage girls.

He also alleges that Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. The 54-year-old media mogul has denied the claims, which he described as “pure fiction”.

Combs is also facing lawsuits from three other women, while two of his properties in Miami and Los Angeles were searched by federal agents on Monday as part of the ongoing investigation.

US Homeland Security said: “Homeland Security Investigations New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”

Law enforcement agents stand at the entrance to a property belonging to rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs (AP)

In November last year, Combs was sued by his former girlfriend R&B singer Cassie, who alleged she had been raped, plied with drugs and assaulted by Combs over a 10-year period.

The suit was settled the next day, but the three other lawsuits followed over the next month, alleging that he had sexually abused the claimants or participated in revenge pornography against them.

In a statement in December, he described the claims as “sickening” and said his accusers were “looking for a quick payday”.

“Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth,” he said.

Also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy, Combs is one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the 21st century, and has previously worked with artists including Usher, Notorious BIG and Mary J Blige.

PRINCE Harry is set to give an emotional speech in New York as he follows in his mum Princess Diana’s footsteps.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, will be in the Big Apple during the UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week, which takes place from 22 to 29 September.

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attends the One805 LiveCredit: The Mega Agency

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Diana, Princess of Wales wearing a bombproof visor during her visit to a minefield in Huambo, AngolaCredit: PA:Press Association

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Prince Harry followed in his mum’s footsteps in 2019Credit: PA:Press Association
Harry will embark on a solo trip to New York City and take part in a number of engagements, including with African Parks and The Diana Award.

And he will take to the stage tomorrow during an event hosted by the HALO Trust, a landmine clearance charity which Diana worked with before she died.

Princess Diana famously walked through an area being cleared of landmines in Huambo, Angola, a few months before her death in 1997.

The image went on to become one of the most iconic photos of the late princess.

Prince Harry followed in his mum’s footsteps in 2019 as he walked down a busy Angola street that once was the minefield she visited.

A spokesperson for the Duke said: “During UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week in New York City, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will be in town to advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives.

The statement added: “He will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst.

“In addition, he will be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. More details will be shared as we approach the week of events.”

It comes after Harry cracked a joke as he took to the stage at a star-studded event yesterday.

He presented an award at an event which Hollywood actor Kevin Costner organised to raise funds for emergency services.
Prince Harry surprises Richard Marx backstage at One805Live! concert
Meghan Markle was absent from the fundraiser near their California home due to reported illness.

A source at the event told the Mirror: “We were all hoping Meghan would attend like she did last year but the word is that she is sick and could not make it.”

Harry wore a suit but no socks to the annual Santa Barbara One805Live! event.

He presented an award to local helicopter pilot Loren Courtney soon after arriving at 7pm.

Former chopper pilot Harry joked about how they both felt more at home behind the controls of a helicopter than onstage.

Costner, pop star Pink and Eighties legend Richard Marx all performed at the event.

The prince is reportedly also set to travel to the UK for an event on September 30.

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He presented an award to helicopter pilot Loren Courtney yesterdayCredit: Getty

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The event was organised by Hollywood star Kevin CostnerCredit: Splash

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Meghan Markle missed the event due to reported illness

He was the Eton-educated royal playboy who massacred nearly all his family after a row about the woman he wanted to marry.

On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shot dead eight relatives, including his parents – the king and queen – and siblings before turning one of his weapons on himself at the family’s palace in Kathmandu.

Despite being in a coma with grievous head wounds, Dipendra, 29, was named as the new king – but ‘reigned’ for just three days before his life support machine was switched off.

Now, the troubled playboy’s motive for the killings that shocked the world is being explored in the penultimate episode of Daily Mail podcast series Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things.

Mail columnist and royal biographer Robert Hardman and his co-presenter Professor Kate Williams examine Dipendra’s long-held desire to marry Devyani Rana, the daughter of an Indian princess.

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On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shot dead eight relatives, including his parents – the king and queen – and siblings before turning one of his weapons on himself at the family’s palace in Kathmandu. Above: Crown Prince Dipendra examining an automatic rifle in a Pakistan ordinance factory

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Princess Diana poses with King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya and their son, Crown Prince Dipendra during her visit to Nepal in March 1993

His mother, Queen Aishwarya, was particularly against the match, and on the night of her murder, she and her husband – King Birendra – had a stand-up row with Dipendra.

During his time at Britain’s most prestigious private school, he was given the nickname ‘Dippy’ and was known for his obsession with guns and martial arts.

Birendra had become the monarch in 1972 after the death of his father, King Mahendra.

Birendra willingly gave up some of his power to make his kingdom more democratic, but the move was unpopular with traditionalists in his family, including his wife and oldest son.

Princess Diana got on well with Dipendra when she visited Nepal in early 1993, a few months after she separated from Prince Charles.

Mr Hardman recounted how the royal went missing one evening during her visit, which was her first official trip after her separation.

The historian was told that she had gone off with Dipendra, who drove her around Kathmandu after getting the police to shut down all the roads.

On the night of the royal massacre, the family had come together for dinner at the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu because it was the end of the week.

While discussing affairs of state, things ‘started to go wrong’, Mr Hardman says.

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The royal family of Nepal poses for a photo at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Katmandu, Nepal. From left: Princess Shruti, King Birendra, Crown Prince Dependra, Queen Aishwarya and Prince Niranjan

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King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, talking to Crown Prince Dipendra in Kathmandu during his visit in 1998

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Charles is given a warm send off by Crown Prince Dipendra in Kathmandu at the end of his four-day visit, February 1999

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Crown Prince Dipendra (pictured above in 1998) wanted to marry Devyani Rana (right)

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The ninth episode of new Daily Mail podcast, Queen’s Kings and Dastardly Things, airs from today

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The podcast is presented by Mail columnist and royal biographer Robert Hardman and historian Professor Kate Williams

Dipendra had a ‘huge standup row’ with his parents and then ‘gets up and he leaves the room.’

‘Instead of going off to stew in his apartments, the crown prince wasn’t letting this lie.

‘We know that he changed into fatigues. And there, suddenly, to everyone’s horror,

‘At the door of the room, there is the crown prince in military kit, and he’s armed, and he opens fire.

‘He shoots his father, his father the king, but then as other members of the family either rush forward or rush away, he starts to shoot them as well.’

Dipendra, who was armed with weapons including an MP5 submachine gun, a shotgun and a Colt carbine –  even chased his own mother out of the room before executing her.

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King Dipendra is taken for cremation in Kathmandu, wearing a flower on his forehead to hide the fatal bullet hole

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A distraught mourner is held back in front of a picture of slain King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya on the street in Kathmandu, June 4, 2001

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Pall bearers carry coffins with bodies of Nepal’s royal family through the river Bishumati for cremation in Kathmandu June 2, 2001

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After Dipendra’s death in hospital, the Nepalese crown went to the king’s brother, Prince Gyanendra, who was the younger brother of Birendra

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The Daily Mail’s coverage of the massacre, from June 2, 2001

As well as refusing to spare his brother and sister, Dipendra killed his aunts, one of his aunt’s husbands and a princess who was a cousin of the king.

‘By the end of this extraordinary, horrific act of regicide, it’s not just the king who lies dead, there are eight members of the royal family, and then he turns the gun on himself,’ Mr Hardman adds.

After Dipendra’s death in hospital, the Nepalese crown went to the king’s brother, Prince Gyanendra, who was the younger brother of Birendra.

Gyanendra, who had briefly ruled Nepal as king from 1950 to 1951 as a toddler, had not been at the fateful family dinner.

Like his nephew, he was opposed to the democratic reforms that had been enacted by his brother.

However, his rule proved deeply unpopular, ultimately leading to the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008.

But as for the role that Dipendra’s love for Devyani Rana played in his unfathomable decision to kill his whole family, listen to the latest episode of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things to hear the verdict of Mr Hardman and Professor Williams.