Tag: King Charles

The royal family attends Easter Sunday service without the Queen

The first Easter Sunday service of the new monarch’s reign has been held at Windsor Castle with the presence of King Charles, Queen Camilla, and senior royals.

The Firm is present in full form at St. George’s Chapel in the Berkshire estate’s grounds for the customary Easter Sunday Mattins.

The funeral will be the first to be held since the late Queen’s departure, making it a melancholy occasion for the family. The 15th-century church will serve as her ultimate resting place.

Her devoted husband Prince Philip, who is interred next to her in the modest King George VI Memorial Chapel, passed away two years ago on this day as well.

A staple in the royal calendar, the family was pictured enjoying the bright spring sunshine before the morning service.

On what is also their 18th wedding anniversary, Charles and Camilla arrived wearing matching royal blue outfits, with the King in a suit and the Queen Consort wearing a long dress.

They were followed by the Duke of York and the Princess Royal.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

Kate wore a marine blue dress and matching pill-box hat.

William and Prince George walked side by side wearing matching navy suits, while Princess Charlotte held her father’s hand.

Prince Louis, attending the service for the first time, wore a suit jacket and light blue shorts.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrived with their son James, Viscount Severn.

Princess Beatrice and her husband, Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi, also attended the service, as did her sister Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Zara and Mike Tindall and their two daughters, Mia and Lena.

Following the service, the family will sit down for a roast dinner together, tucking into items sourced from royal estates, such as venison, spring vegetables, new potatoes, carrots, salmon and roast ham.

It is thought Charles may relax one of the late Queen’s dinner rules for the occasion.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said: ‘They will all have dinner together but not the young children they will eat in the nursery dining room.

‘The Queen always said until they could hold a knife and fork properly they could not eat at the table, but Charles might have relaxed that rule a bit. But dinner is only for grown-ups.’

There is also said to be a new role for the Princess of Wales – organising the Easter egg hunt for the royal children.

Ms Seaward told The Sun: ‘Kate is a great organiser and will almost certainly organise an Easter egg hunt – the children can also go to the royal mews and see the horses there and there is an indoor pool for swimming and ponies for them to ride.’

Charles, as monarch, has succeeded his mother to become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In less than a month’s time, he will be crowned alongside Camilla in a religious service in Westminster Abbey.

As the Prince of Wales, Charles often released an Easter message and last year highlighted the millions of displaced people ‘wounded by the past, fearful of the future’, but this year has not, likely to be a reflection of his new role as head of state.

April 9, 2023
Charles was welcomed with boos that said, “Not my King

King Charles was once more met by anti-monarchy demonstrators as he entered York Minster for a Maundy Thursday ceremony.

It came after comparable protests in locations the monarch had recently visited, such as Milton Keynes, Colchester, and Westminster Abbey.

People holding posters and donning hoodies that said “not my king” participated in the protest, which was organized by the advocacy group Republic.

The remainder of the crowd booed as a man with a microphone shouted “power to the people” and “raise the republic.”

Charles’s trip to York is being held exactly a month before his coronation is due to take place.

Demonstrators have said their campaigning is building up to the day of the ceremony on May 6.

The King arrived with the Queen Consort for the service at the historic church, where he will be distributing the Maundy Money, earlier this morning.

They were welcomed by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.

A significant portion of the crowd appeared to be part of the demonstration (Picture: Reuters)

Several royal fans were among them, with some bringing flags with them (Picture: Reuters)

On his previous visit to York in November last year, Charles had to dodge eggs that were thrown at him.

A 23-year-old student named Patrick Thelwell was arrested, but later pleaded not guilty to a public order offence.

Today’s trip to the city comes after new details were revealed about the upcoming coronation, including the extravagantly decorated design of the invitation and the roles some family members will be playing in the ceremony.

A YouGov poll released by Republic earlier this week said 52% of the public was not interested in the coronation, with 72% saying the Royal Family should pay for it themselves.

April 6, 2023
Prince George will play a crucial part in the coronation – Buckingham Palace

It has been reported that Prince George will have a significant role in his grandfather’s coronation.

On May 6, a ceremony at Westminster Abbey will see King Charles crowned.

The significance of Prince George’s participation in the occasion has already been verified by Buckingham Palace.

One of eight all-male Pages of Honor during the coronation will be the nine-year-old.

He’ll be responsible for holding the King and Queen Consort’s robes throughout the ceremony, which should last about 2.5 hours.

George, second in direct line to the throne, could see himself crowed at Westminster Abbey in the future.

Camilla’s grandsons Gus and Louis Lopes, both 13, and Freddy Parker Bowles, 12 are expected to carry out the Pages of Honour role.

Her great-nephew Arthur Elliot, 11, will also join the group.

For the King, his Pages of Honour include Prince George, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, Nicholas Barclay, 13, Ralph Tollemache, 12, and Charles’s godson Edward.

The coronation is drawing closer and closer, with more plans being unveiled for the weekend of celebrations.

Question marks remain on whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend in any capacity.

Last night, it was announced that Camilla will be known as ‘the Queen’ with the ‘Consort’ title dropped from May 6.

The King acceded the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother – but it is traditional for a full ceremony to be held a significant time later as a mark of respect to the late monarch.

Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will also feature in the new monarch’s coronation procession on May 6.

The three children will sit in a carriage behind the King and Queen Consort with their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Other royals expected in the procession out Westminster Abbey will be Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and his sister Princess Alexandra.

Both George, 9 and Charlotte, 7, both accompanied the royal family during the Queen’s funeral procession but Louis, 4, was considered too young at the time.

The children delighted royal fans at the Queen’s platinum jubilee as Louis showcased his cheeky side.

On the palace balcony alongside his siblings he could be seen holding his hands over his ears and pulling many facial expressions.

Louis also shared a sweet moment with Charles as he sat on his lap during the Jubilee Pageant as the parade passed by the royal box.

April 5, 2023
King Charles is now shown on fresh stamps as of right now

The King’s image will appear on UK stamps for the first time starting today, although the Queen won’t stop appearing on our mail for some time.

All future stamps will now bear the likeness of King Charles, but sales won’t begin until stockpiles bearing the Queen’s head have run out.

The Royal Mint used Martin Jennings’ adaptation of the King’s image for usage on coins.

Charles’ head and neck are depicted on the new issue facing left, as they have on every monarchy since Queen Victoria initially appeared on the world’s first postage stamps in 1840.

And the monarch asked for existing stamps featuring his mother’s image to be used up, rather than be destroyed.

David Gold, director of external affairs at Royal Mail, said: ‘The King gave very clear directions he didn’t want anything to be pulped, he didn’t want things being shredded, he didn’t want stock being thrown away.

‘He was very clear, however long it takes to clear the stock there’s no rush – entirely in line with his well-stated principles of waste and environmentalism.

But you’ll still be seeing the Queen’s image for some time as last stocks are used up (Pictures: PA)

‘The guidance we got from His Majesty was more about continuity and not doing anything too different to what had gone before.

‘I think there’s an acknowledgement that, for 70 years, people have been so used to seeing the image of Her Majesty – even through the current image only started in 1967 – they didn’t want anything too different.’

The colour of different classes of stamps will remain the same – plum purple for first class, holly green for second class, marine turquoise for large first class and dark pine green for large second class.

But another change to stamps is still in progress, with new barcoded stamps entering circulation and the deadline to use up old stamps extended until July 31.

And while the monarch’s image will continue to face to the left on stamps, the same cannot be said for coins.

King Charles is set to face left on newly minted coins, compared to the Queen who faces right.

The change in images comes just a day after a rise in stamp prices, with first class increasing by 15p to £1.10 and second class increasing by 7p to 75p.

Royal Mail described the price rise as ‘necessary’, explaining the number of letters being sent has declined by 25% compared to before the coronavirus pandemic, and added they are ‘committed’ to keeping prices affordable.

April 4, 2023
King Charles attempted to manufacture German cheese before he fled in hysteria

Following a failed attempt to create traditional German cheese, King Charles may have taken on too much.

During his first trip abroad as a king, the King visited Brodowin Farm in Brandenburg, Germany, and was left in a fit of laughter.

But it appears that there is a knack to manufacturing cheese that the monarch was unable to quickly learn.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Charles, farm owners Ludolf and Katja von Maltzan, and others were given the chance to try manufacturing the cheese.

The King quipped ‘I’ll do my best’, but as the cheese curd mixture started quickly pouring he was left laughing while frantically pushing it into the moulds.

Charles joked: ‘I need longer arms,’ as he tried to make the traditional German sliced cheese, coloured naturally with carrot.

He was dressed in a white lab coat coat with plastic overshoes inside the cheese factory.

King Charles was left in a fit of the giggles as he tried to make German cheese (Pictures: Getty/AFP)

The King had also planned to see some of the farm’s calves living in special igloos which are more hygienic and prevent the spread of illness – but a heavy storm sent Charles rushing indoors instead.

There he was presented with a cake, shaped like a crown on a purple cushion, which took chef Antje Neumann 21 hours to bake.

Charles tasted a slice of the huge white chocolate and Victoria sponge cake, which weighed 10 kilos, saying: ‘This is brilliant, it must have taken you weeks. This is seriously good cake.’

Since his arrival in Germany on Wednesday King Charles has visited Berlin, Hamburg and Brandenburg.

Yesterday he addressed the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, in a speech in both English and German.

And on Wednesday one absolute whopper tried to crown the King with a paper Burger King crown during a walkabout in Berlin.

April 3, 2023
King Charles receives a standing ovation following his historic Berlin speech in German

As King Charles created history by becoming the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, King Charles declared to his mother that the UK’s connection with Germany was “extremely special.”

He claimed that beginning in 1965, when it was still “scarred” by the war, she frequently visited the nation, which is “probably the reason why she has won such a precious part in the hearts of all Germans.”

Speaking in both German and English, he said he could ‘hardly begin to express the pride’ he felt in the relationship and spoke fondly of his ‘cherished’ family ties to Germany.

He also thanked the country for its kindness and ‘deep sympathies’ following the death of his mother, the late Queen.

Charles said: ‘Today, it gives me particular pride to be with you … and to renew the special bond between our two countries.

‘This friendship meant so much to my beloved mother, the late Queen, who often spoke of the 15 official visits she made to Germany, including her five state visits.

‘The first of those, in 1965, came when our continent was still deeply scarred by war, and the trauma of conflict. Hers was the wartime generation, and like my father, the Queen had served in uniform.

‘That my parents’ 11-day tour of Germany should prove to be a pivotal moment in the reconciliation between our nations was, therefore, a matter of great personal significance to them both.

King Charles addresses members of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin (Picture: Reuters)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is among the politicians who applauded the monarch (Picture: EPA)

‘My mother understood the immense achievement that reconciliation represented, and in returning to Germany time and again, she was determined to play her own part. It is, perhaps, for this reason that Her late Majesty won a particular place in the affection of the German people.’

He also drew laughs by poking fun at the rivalry between the two nations on the football pitch, including the Lioness’s victory over Germany in last year’s Euros.

The monarch hailed it as ‘just one example of how our countries, together, can offer a compelling example to the world’.

He went on to praise Germany for supporting Ukraine, saying Russia’s invasion ‘threatens’ security across Europe.

To more applause, he went on: ‘We are deeply shocked by the destruction, but we can be encouraged by our unity when it comes to defending Ukraine, peace, and freedom.

‘Germany’s decision to provide such military support to Ukraine is considered to be very welcome and very important by the world at large.’

Charles spoke of the years of ‘mutual admiration’ between the nations (Picture: PA)

The King also touched on climate change leadership and praised their joint work in developing offshore wind capability, as well as the use of hydrogen, which he describes as ‘the fuel which could transform our future’.

‘This essential partnership between our two countries is built on the expertise, dedication, and ingenuity of countless people in both Germany and the United Kingdom,’ Charles added.

‘To them all, I can only offer my sincere and heartfelt gratitude.’

Concluding the address, he said: ‘In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten.

‘Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less.’

March 30, 2023
King Charles delays his trip to France over chaotic demonstrations

In response to violent protests in France, King Charles has postponed his state visit.

The announcement follows unions’ promises to continue causing trouble during the monarch’s visit.

The King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, were scheduled to visit President Emmanuel Macron from March 26 to March 29.

But, the royal visit has been postponed due to turmoil in France, where buildings have been set on fire.

Bordeaux town hall ablaze after protesters set fire to iconic building

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: ‘The King and The Queen Consort’s State Visit to France has been postponed.

‘Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found.’

Protests in France are in response to President Macron’s controversial plan to push through a bill to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote in the French Parliament.

Backlash has led teachers, oil refinery, railway and airport workers at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to walk out.

More than 450 protesters were arrested in Paris and beyond on Thursday, as some 300 demonstrations drew more than a million people nationwide.

Last night, Bordeaux Town Hall was set alight amid the disruption.

The mayor of the town, Pierre Hurmic, said on Friday he had ‘difficulty understanding the interest of such acts of vandalism’.

Meanwhile in Paris, there have been occasional clashes between police and masked rioters who smashed shop windows, demolished street furniture and attacked a McDonald’s restaurant, according to Reuters.

Attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles were closed on Thursday.

There were further clashes in other French cities in the west of the country including in Nantes, Rennes and Lorient.

Polls say most French oppose Mr Macron’s Bill to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64, which he says is necessary to keep the system afloat.

In Greece, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Athens on Thursday to show solidarity.

Protesters chanted slogans and held placards that read ‘Macron, your democracy hangs on nine votes’ and ‘From Greece: victory for the workers of France’.

March 24, 2023
French unions will demonstrate in conjunction with the state visit of the King

Next week, in conjunction with King Charles‘ visit, French unions said they will organize more demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform.

A ferocious outcry to President Macron’s plans for a sumptuous feast at the Château of Versailles may be postponed or possibly cancelled.

The president is receiving a lot of criticism from the people for passing a law that would have raised the retirement age to 64 without a vote in the French Parliament.

The move has seen Anti-Macron protests swell to an all-time high, with over 10,000 tonnes of rubbish lining the streets of Paris after binmen withdrew their labour.

France has been rocked by furious protests following Emmanuel Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age without a vote in parliament (Picture: AFP)

Observers say the optics could not be worse for both Charles and the president, with a Buckingham Palace source saying the situation ‘was being monitored.’

Union representatives of French workers responsible for ceremonial trappings, like red carpets, have also said its members would not prepare a welcome for the King and Queen Consort when they arrive on Sunday.

‘It’s very bad timing. Normally the French would welcome a British king. But in this moment, people protesting are on high alert for any sign of privilege and wealth,’ said Paris-based writer Stephen Clarke, the author of Elizabeth II, Queen of Laughs.

The King and his wife will travel to Paris this weekend then visit Berlin from March 29-31, during a trip which a source said previously was planned in an ‘extraordinarily positive’ atmosphere by all.

But French labour union CGT union announced this week that its members at Mobilier National, the institution in charge of providing flags, red carpets and furniture for public buildings, would not help prepare a Sunday reception for the king upon his arrival in Paris.

‘We ask our administration to inform the services concerned that we will not provide furnishings, red carpets or flags,’ a CGT statement read.

The Elysee Palace, the French president’s official residence, has said non-striking workers would set up the necessary accoutrements for the trip.

Some opponents accuse the president of being out-of-touch, and Charles has come in for similar criticism as protests continued this week which could overshadow the royal tour if they continue.

Sandrine Rousseau, a lawmaker from France’s Green Party, told French channel BFM TV: ‘Unbelievable. We are going to have Emmanuel Macron, the Republican monarch, welcoming King Charles III in Versailles, while the people in the street are demonstrating.’

‘Of course’ the King should cancel his visit, she added.

Versailles – west of Paris – is where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, France’s last proper king and queen, lived before being guillotined.

Meanwhile former presidential candidate and head of France’s left-wing Anticapitalist Party Olivier Besancenot said Charles’ visit would be met ‘with a good old general strike,’ adding: ‘We are engaged in a battle, there will be a winner and a loser.’

Other parts of the king’s three-day itinerary also appear to be in doubt, as tram drivers in the city of Bordeaux, to which he is due to travel on Tuesday, announcing that they are not willing to take Charles on a planned sightseeing trip of the town.

‘It is almost certain that the King will not be able to take the tram,’ warned Pascal Mesgueni, a representative of the CFTC union, in an interview with French media.

‘No driver will want to transport the king.’

Perhaps more alarming for monarchists, however, might be a new chant which has become increasingly popular amongst protestors gathered around fires in the Place de la Concorde: ‘Louis XVI, Louis XVI, they beheaded him; Macron, Macron, we can start again.’

Elsewhere throughout the city, refineries and ports have been blockaded, gas stations are running out of fuel, planes have been unable to take off, and 790 people have been arrested in Paris alone in the six days since the demonstrations started.

Macron’s government survived two no-confidence votes at the lower chamber of parliament on Monday, and has indicated that the retirement bill will ‘continue its democratic path’.

French newspaper Le Monde suggested the strikes could soon leave France ‘on the brink of the unknown,’ and deplored the burning of effigies of Macron on streets.

According to a recent survey, 56 percent of respondents said they supported rolling strikes, and 59 percent backed the call to bring the country to a standstill.

However, some 64 per cent of the French thought the government would pass the bill all the same.

‘We’re going to grin and bear it and wait for it to blow over,’ one Macron aide reportedly told Le Parisien.

March 24, 2023
King Charles “objects to pay for Andrew’s Indian healing

As per rumours, King Charles has once again snubbed Prince Andrew by refusing to pay the £32,000 annual fee for his brother’s Indian healer.

According to reports, the humiliated Prince submitted the expenditure claim to the Privy Purse with the expectation that it would be approved without issue.

The King, however, is alleged to have turned down Andrew’s request and instructed him to cover the cost of the live-in yoga instructor out of his own pocket.

The Duke of York has been using the yoga teacher for several years, the Sun reports.

Charles reportedly thought his brother was ‘having a laugh’ when he submitted the expenses claim for the guru’s services (Picture: Getty)

The guru comes to live with Andrew in the Royal Lodge for a month at a time, and helps ‘heal’ the Prince using chanting, massages and holistic therapy, the paper reports.

The late Queen used to sign off on the expense every year, and was said to be happy to indulge her son’s lifestyle.

But since becoming King, Charles is looking to be much more thrifty about spending the Palace’s £24,000,000 annual income, which he believes reflects poorly on the royals in an age of austerity.

A source told the Sun: ‘While the Queen was always happy to indulge her son over the years, Charles is far less inclined to fund such indulgences particularly in an era of a cost-of-living crisis.

‘Families are struggling and would rightly baulk at the idea of tens of thousands paid to an Indian guru to provide holistic treatment to a non-working royal living in his grace and favour mansion.

‘This time the King saw the bill for the healer submitted by Andrew to the Privy Purse and thought his brother was having a laugh.’

The news comes days after reports that Andrew could be banned from wearing ceremonial robes to the King’s coronation on May 6.

The King is looking to tighten the royal purse strings out of respect for the cpst of living crisis.

The Duke of York is said to be furious about being kept ‘in the dark’ over whether he’ll be allowed to wear flowing velvet robes decorated with glistening insignia which denotes his position as a ‘Knight of the Garter’.

Andrew was stripped of his royal titles by the Queen last year following sex abuse claims made by Virginia Guiffre when she was 17 and revelations about his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffery Epstein.

The move saw him banned from wearing his military uniform at the Queen’s funeral, and means he can no longer be called ‘His Royal Highness’- a symbol of his status as a senior royal.

He has also lost access to taxpayer-funded security and is set to have his £249,000-a-year grant slashed by Charles next month.

In January, reports claimed the Duke of York had been banned from using his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace and would never return.

Plans are now in place to evict him from his £30,000,000 mansion at the Royal Lodge, with the palace reportedly drawing up a range of options to rehome him.

The Mirror reports that the monarch ‘will tempt the Duke of York with houses across the royal portfolio’ following his potential eviction from Royal Lodge.

Plans are also in place to evict Andrew from his royal mansion and ban him from wearing ceremonial robes at the King’s coronation in May (Picture: Getty)

A royal source told the newspaper: ‘The King and the Duke (of York) have vastly different ideas of where he (Andrew) should base himself both geographically as well as his involvement in family affairs.’

But Andrew is not prepared to go down without fighting, with sources reporting he may now give another historic tell-all interview in yet another effort to clear his name.

A source close to Prince Andrew told the Mirror: ‘Nothing is off the table.

‘Andrew has been made to give up his job and now potentially his home.’

The source added that he feels there is ‘little to lose’ and that the Prince believes he has already ‘paid an awfully high price’.

March 12, 2023
Harry and Meghan maintain their status as prince and princess despite eschewing the royal life

Once the titles are finally posted on the royal website, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said that it is their children’s “birthright” to be named prince and princess.

In announcing the christening of their daughter Lilibet yesterday, Prince Harry and Meghan used the title of “Princess” for the first time in public.

It’s understood that they will now use their son Archie’s regal title of “Prince” to address him in formal settings as well.

Now, they have issued a fresh statement saying Buckingham Palace had long agreed the change would happen when the King acceded to the throne.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said: ‘The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.

‘This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.’

Archie and Lilibet were listed as master and miss on the royal website until this morning when their titles were updated – despite the line of succession changing five months ago when the Queen died.

Harry holds Archie when he was a newborn.

Harry and Megan are said to be keen to allow their kids to choose whether to drop the royal titles for themselves when they get older.

Title rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lilibet, as the children of a son of a sovereign, automatically became a prince and a princess when Charles became King.

They would also be entitled to an HRH style, but their parents no longer use this after they stepped down as senior royals.

Some people have demanded the couple give up their titles after they moved to America and did a number of interviews making explosive claims about the Royal Family.

When asked in an interview with Anderson Cooper if he would do this, Harry asked: ‘And what difference would that make?’

Cooper replied: ‘One of the criticisms that you’ve received is that okay, fine, you wanna move to California, you wanna step back from the institutional role. Why be so public?

‘Why reveal conversations you’ve had with your father or with your brother? You say you tried to do this privately.’

Lilibet became a Princess when her grandad King Charles came to the throne (Picture: PA)

Harry responded saying ‘every single time I’ve tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife’.

The dad-of-two added: ‘You know, the family motto is never complain, never explain. But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really hold.’

Sources have claimed the Sussexes invited King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton to Lilibet’s christening, but none of them came.

According to People magazine, around 25 attended the event, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilbet’s godfather, Tyler Perry and an unnamed godmother.

March 10, 2023
Harry received approval from Charles to use the names Archie and Lili

In a “secret meeting,” King Charles reportedly told Prince Harry he would be able to confer the titles of prince and princess on his children.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first used the term “princess” last Friday at the baptism of their 21-month-old daughter Lilibet.

‘I can report that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3, by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor,’ Harry and Meghan’s formal statement about the occasion read.

The use of royal titles for Lilibet and Archie, three, have technically been allowed since the Queen died in September, under rules set out more than a century ago by King George V.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the royal website ‘will now be updated in due course’ – though they’re both currently still listed as plain master and miss on the line of succession.

A royal source told the Daily Mirror: ‘The appropriate conversations have taken place ahead (of Lilibet’s christening).’

It’s understood that Harry and Meghan will now refer to their children using their royal titles of princess and prince in formal settings.

The couple hopes to give their children the chance to decide whether they want to keep or drop the titles.

They will also be able to use HRH stylings if they choose to.

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, also known as Lili, was christened in Montecito last Friday (Picture: PA)

In a statement given by their spokesman, Harry and Meghan described the option as a ‘birthright’.

He said: ‘The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.

‘This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.’

According to People magazine, around 25 attended Lilibet’s christening, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilbet’s godfather, Tyler Perry and an unnamed godmother.

Right Reverend John Harvey Taylor, who carried out the baptism at the couple’s home in Montecito, California, was a former newspaper reporter and chief of staff for ex-US president Richard Nixon.

March 10, 2023
Harry and Meghan speak after King Charles kicks them out of Royal House

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have acknowledged that they have been ordered to “vacate” their Windsor Castle residence.

According to reports today, a day following the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare, King Charles III ordered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate Frogmore Cottage.

The spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan stated this evening that the couple had received a “request” to vacate their residence.

We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to leave their home at Frogmore Cottage, the official added.

It’s uncertain whether the Sussexes will attend King Charles’ coronation in two months (Picture: Getty Images)

This means the couple will no longer have their last remaining home in the UK.

It comes after Omid Scobie, one of the authors behind the Harry and Meghan biography Finding Freedom, claimed the couple were told the home was needed for ‘someone else’.

Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the Royal Firm plummeted to an ‘all-time low’ after Harry’s emotional and embittered memoir was released.

Writing for Yahoo, Scobie said: ‘It’s news, sources tell me, that has left Harry and Meghan stunned, and at least two members of the Royal Family “appalled”.’

He claimed the Sussexes have until the King’s Coronation in May to leave the home – a ‘clear sign of just how sour relations’ have become.

Their belongings will be shipped to their home in Montecito, California, it is understood.

It has been reported that the property has been offered to Prince Andrew, the disgraced Duke of York accused of raping a woman three times.

Prince Andrew, accused by Virginia Giuffre of raping her while she was a teenager, has reportedly been offered the five-bedroom house (Picture: AP)

Harry previously claimed that an icy Charles eventually stopped returning his calls (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo)

Spare was released in January and became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever.

The tell-all memoir was heavily critical of the royals and saw Harry open up about his time in Afghanistan and scuffles with his brother, Prince William.

He and Meghan moved away from the monarchy in 2020 as they felt increasingly isolated within Windsor Castle and targeted too frequently by the British press.

Since then, Harry said his family have shown little interest in extending an olive branch.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph last month, Harry acknowledged that his family would find it hard to forgive him after he split from royal life.

He said: ‘Some of the stuff I’ve put in there, well, they will never forgive me anyway.

‘But the way I see it is, I’m willing to forgive you for everything you’ve done.’

March 2, 2023
Historically significant graffiti discovered on a 700-year-old chair used for King Charles’ coronation

Westminster Abbey‘s coronation chair is being restored by conservator Krista Blessley

The ancient chair King Charles will be crowned on has some brand-new ornamental embellishments.

This throne has witnessed the coronations of Henry VIII, Charles I, and Queen Victoria. It last saw use in 1953 for the late Queen.

Although having a 700-year history, it was notably covered in graffiti in the 18th and 19th centuries by students and tourists who wrote their initials or names.

One visitor carved ‘P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800’ on the seat. Slithers of wood were also cut off as souvenirs.

Detail of graffiti on the chair, which is being restored ahead of the upcoming coronation

Tourists used to carve their initials or names in the 18th and 19th centuries

Krista Blessley, paintings conservator at Westminster Abbey, was tasked with the cleaning and preservation of the gliding.

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But she believes she has found a previously overlooked part of a figure during the work.

She said: ‘I think they are previously undiscovered toes in the punch-work gilding on the back of the chair.

‘So there are areas of drapery where you can tell there would have been a figure.

It is thought the chair was made in 1,300 out of oak

‘It might be they are figures of kings or it might be a figure of a saint, because so much is lost we cannot tell at the moment but will do some further investigation.’

Estimated to have been made in around 1,300 for King Edward I, the throne was used to house the coronation stone.

Constructed from oak, decorated with coloured glass, and gilded with gold leaf, it is ‘a complex layered structure’.

Ms Blessley, who has been working on the chair for months ahead of the May 6 coronation, said it is ‘a real privilege’ to be conserving a historic object central to the life of the nation.

Detail of a golden lion on the throne

‘It is so important to our country’s history and in the history of the monarchy, and it is really unique as a conservator to work on something that is part of a working collection and still used for the original function it was made for,’ she said.

She has been meticulously preserving the flaking gilding and cleaning the chair’s surface using sponges and cotton swabs.

Ms Blessley added: ‘It has a very complex layered structure, which means it is very prone to the gilding on it flaking.

‘So a large part of what I have been doing is sticking that gilding down to make sure it is secure, and then I will surface clean it and that will improve the appearance a little bit.’

March 1, 2023
EU and UK finally reach new agreement over Brexit

Two government sources told CNN that Britain and the EU have achieved an agreement on new trade regulations in Northern Ireland in an effort to settle a contentious issue that has stoked post-Brexit tensions in Europe and on the island of Ireland.

Prior to a declaration regarding the agreement in the House of Commons, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen came in the UK on Monday for final discussions with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
According to Buckingham Palace, Von der Leyen will also have tea with King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

Negotiations intensified in recent weeks, after months of impasse over how to handle border checks in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK but shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.

Now that a deal is done, Sunak faces a political backlash from hardline Euroskeptics in his Conservative Party.

Von der Leyen’s meeting with the King has proved controversial. “The King is pleased to meet any world leader if they are visiting Britain and it is the Government’s advice that he should do so,” the Palace said when it announced the sit-down.

According to a royal source, the meeting would be an opportunity for King Charles to discuss topics including the war in Ukraine and climate change.

But it was criticized by some prominent unionist figures.”I cannot quite believe that No 10 would ask HM the King to become involved in the finalising of a deal as controversial as this one,” former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster wrote in a tweet. “It’s crass and will go down very badly in NI.”

A new deal would update the arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, signed with Brussels by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which attempted to recognize the delicate situation that Brexit created in Northern Ireland.

Ordinarily, the existence of a border between an EU member state and a non-EU nation like the UK would require infrastructure such as customs posts. But during the period of sectarian strife known as the Troubles, security posts along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland became a target for paramilitary groups fighting for a united Ireland.

In theory, the Northern Ireland Protocol was intended to do away with the need for border infrastructure. It was agreed that Northern Ireland would remain within the EU’s regulatory sphere, and that goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain would be checked before they arrived – effectively imposing a sea border.

That enraged the pro-British unionist community in Northern Ireland, who argued they were being cut off from the rest of the UK and forced closer to the Republic. Disputes about the arrangements, in part, have been a barrier to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which has been suspended since 2017. The sharing of power between unionists and republicans is a key part of the Good Friday Agreement – the peace deal that marked the end of the Troubles.

The wrangling has also affected trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the extent that the UK has not fully implemented the protocol.

February 27, 2023
King Charles’s childhood letter to his “granny” discovered in attic

A couple in Warwickshire, England, found a letter from King Charles to his “granny” when they were cleaning up their attic over the holiday break.

“Hello, Grandma.”
I’m sorry to hear you’re sick.
The letter, beautifully handwritten on lined notepaper from Buckingham Palace and dated March 15, 1955, when the King was six years old, reads, “I hope you will be better soon.”

On the reverse, there are doodled circles and colorful kisses with the words “Lots of love from Charles.”

It was discovered inside an envelope addressed from Queen Elizabeth II to the Queen Mother, providing a “three generation run,” Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers and who is responsible for the sale of the letter, told CNN Thursday.

Finding the letter, which Hanson estimates could fetch as much as £10,000 ($12,000) at auction, left the couple “gobsmacked” as they sifted through their loft.

“It had belonged to my late grandad Roland Stockdale,” the seller, a 49-year-old farm manager who has not been named, said in a statement.

“My wife said ‘wow, look at that!’ We were pretty gobsmacked but we weren’t sure whether anyone would be interested in it.”

Stockdale worked for the Metropolitan Police where he was part of the Queen’s personal protection force during the 1950s after he had left Carlisle, northern England, and his previous job as a farm worker, the seller added.

Stockdale’s folder containing the letter had “been gathering dust” in various attics for “30 to 40 years” as it was passed around family members following his death.

“I have absolutely no idea how he came to have the letter written by King Charles when he was a boy,” the seller said. “It’s one of many things he kept.”

Citing postcards and birthday greetings that Stockdale received from the Queen and Queen Mother, Hanson hypothesized that “these keepsakes were gifted to the officer” since he “was clearly so highly regarded.”

The couple found other royal memorabilia in the folder, including an invitation to a dance at Balmoral Castle, a note signed by the Queen Mother, gift tags signed by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as well as a copy of the Queen’s 1956 Christmas broadcast.

February 27, 2023
King Charles Coronation: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle still expected to attend event

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are still expected to attend King Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, which also happens to be their son Archie’s fourth birthday, despite the fact that many royal experts have cautioned that their attendance could be a distraction. This is true despite all the confessions in “Spare” and the Netflix “Harry & Meghan” docuseries, which aired in December last year.

A royal insider reportedly told the Daily Mail that the Sussexes will “definitely” be at the coronation, but should not expect any apologies or reconciliation talks. “Members of the family have told me that both Harry and Meghan will definitely come. They fully expect that,” the insider said, adding, “And they should realize that there is only one subject that many members of the royal family will be willing to discuss… and that’s the weather.”

Another insider previously told The Independent that Prince Harry and Meghan would of course be invited, but noted that “it would be very hard” for them to be there “given everything that has been said.” Another source told The Mirror that Prince Harry doesn’t want to get on a plane to the U.K. until he has a summit with his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William.

“Harry has been very clear and his position hasn’t wavered—he isn’t going to come if he feels the atmosphere will be as toxic as it was during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and funeral,” the source said. “He’s said he wants to reconcile with his family, and it’s their call, but so far nothing has changed.”

February 20, 2023
Details of King Charles’s coronation revealed

Buckingham Palace has squashed any suggestions of a slimmed down coronation by announcing a three-day weekend of “ceremonial, celebratory and community events”.

Taking place between Saturday 6 May and Monday 8 May, King Charles has insisted the historic moment should be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” but also “look towards the future”.

The King’s first balcony moment as monarch at Buckingham Palace, a grand coronation procession, a concert featuring global stars and a day of volunteering will all form part of the three-day spectacle.

It isn’t clear yet exactly how the coronation ceremony on the Saturday will be modernised or changed, except guidance from royal sources that the service will be shorter than the Queen’s in 1953, which ran for three hours.

There had been suggestions that due to the cost of living crisis the events should be scaled back to acknowledge the current economic difficulties many are facing.

But royal sources have been adamant that the feedback they have received is that people want to see the full spectacle of a grand national event, showcasing the best of Britain today and celebrating the United Kingdom’s rich and unique history.

There are also similarities with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year.

While that weekend was designed to be a celebration of her 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II also wanted it to be an opportunity to recognise community heroes and bring people together.

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Her son and heir wants to follow the same ethos by encouraging street parties on Sunday 7 May and a day of volunteering events on Monday 8 May.

The involvement of refugee and LGBTQ+ choirs on the Sunday concert also appears to be a part of efforts to make the weekend feel as inclusive and diverse as possible.

The coronation itinerary: Saturday 6 May and Sunday 7 May

The coronation of the King and Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on the Saturday morning, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The palace says it will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry”, and involve two processions on the day.

Charles and Camilla will arrive at the Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as “the King’s procession”. After the service a larger ceremonial procession, known as “the coronation procession”, will see them return to Buckingham Palace and join the family on the balcony.

The palace has not said exactly which family members will appear in the coronation procession or on the balcony.

On Sunday, “global music icons and contemporary stars” will descend on Windsor Castle for the coronation concert.

It will also feature “the Coronation Choir”, a diverse group of community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.

A ticket ballot will be available for members of the public, with representatives from the King and Queen Consort’s charity organisations also in the audience.

To spread the celebrations to other parts of the country there will be a “lighting up the nation” moment where landmarks across the UK are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

Meanwhile, people are invited to gather for a “coronation big lunch” on Sunday, overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project.

The coronation itinerary: Monday 8 May

On Monday, a bank holiday, has been set aside for volunteering and is being billed as “the big help out”.

The palace said in tribute to the King’s public service, the big help out “will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas”.

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https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.552.0_en.html#goog_174410164Play Video – Date set for coronation bank holidayMonday 8 May made a bank holiday for coronation

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the coronation is “a huge milestone in the history of the UK and Commonwealth”, adding that the weekend of events will bring people together to celebrate “the mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great”.

Arrangements for the coronation, like those for the Queen’s funeral in September, will be diplomatically sensitive, with world leaders expected to fly in from across the globe.

It could also pose difficulties for the Royal Family with a question mark over whether Harry and Meghan will be among those attending.

Source: BBC

January 22, 2023
King’s Christmas message to pay tribute to Queen’s legacy

King Charles is set to include a tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in his first Christmas message as monarch.

An image of Charles delivering his speech, which is due to be broadcast on Christmas Day at 15:00 GMT, shows the King in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

In her final Christmas message, the late Queen spoke of “passing the baton” to the next generation.

And her son’s first Christmas Day message will remember her legacy.

This will be the first televised annual royal Christmas Day broadcast not to be presented by the late Queen, who appeared in the first TV message in 1957.

The photo of the King shows him recording this year’s message in the chapel where a committal service was held during the Queen’s funeral in September.

Both his mother and father, Prince Philip, are buried in the George VI Memorial Chapel within St George’s Chapel.

The picture, released by Buckingham Palace, shows King Charles standing in front of a Christmas tree with plastic-free, recyclable decorations and arrangements of holly and ivy in the background.

This year sees the King and Camilla the Queen Consort return to the tradition of spending Christmas in Sandringham, Norfolk, after concerns about Covid and Queen Elizabeth’s health kept the Royal Family in Windsor last year.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are among the senior royals expected to be with King Charles for Christmas.

In her 2021 Christmas message, the Queen gave a highly personal tribute to her “beloved” Prince Philip, who died in April of that year.

Her broadcast was the most watched programme on Christmas Day in 2021, drawing almost nine million viewers.

Image caption,Queen Elizabeth presented the first televised Christmas message in 1957

The King’s Christmas Day broadcast continues a tradition going back 90 years.

The first royal Christmas broadcast was a live radio speech in 1932, delivered from Sandringham by George V, with the script written by the author Rudyard Kipling.

In 1957, Elizabeth II delivered the first televised message, saying that it was a technological landmark that “television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day”.

The message became part of many families’ Christmas celebrations and the first televised broadcast in 1957 set a familiar pattern.

The national anthem was followed by the monarch speaking directly to the camera, with a speech that included Christmas greetings, a religious lesson, support for the Commonwealth, a round-up of the royal year and a moral message for the times.

In 1957 it meant a warning about values in public life, criticising a culture of “self-interest”.

The timing of the Christmas broadcast was originally set for 15.00 GMT as best for reaching the most countries in different time zones around the world.

December 24, 2022
King Charles hosts Buhari at Buckingham palace

King Charles welcomed the president of Nigeria to Buckingham Palace on Wednesday afternoon.

President Muhammadu Buhari told journalists after the meeting that they had discussed “mostly economic” issues.

Mr Buhari said King Charles spoke “very well of Nigeria” and was “interested very much in Nigeria”.

🇳🇬 The King welcomed the President of Nigeria to Buckingham Palace for an Audience this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/SEo9eU2mWk

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 9, 2022

The Nigerian leader said the meeting was initially scheduled to take place in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in June but it was postponed.

President Buhari has been in London since last week for what his office called a “routine medical check-up”. He is expected back in Nigeria next week.

King Charles will later this month host the first state visit of his reign when he welcomes the South African president to Buckingham Palace.

The visit will take place from 22-24 November.

It will be the first time a South African leader has visited the UK in an official capacity in more than a decade, with the last state visit being in 2010 when Jacob Zuma visited the late Queen.

Source: BBC

November 10, 2022
Rishi Sunak to become UK’s New Prime Minister

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, is set to become the UK’s next Prime Minister just 44 days after it was announced that ex-Conservative party member, Liz Truss, would be stepping down as Britain’s governing leader.

The 42-year-old, who is the son of Indian immigrants, is one of the wealthiest politicians in Westminster and will be the country’s first leader of colour. The ex-banker will also be asked to form a government by Britain’s recently appointed head-of-state, King Charles, after he defeated opponents Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt.

“This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party,” Mordaunt said in a statement as she withdrew from the race after failing to garner support. “Rishi has my full support.”

Sunak was selected to follow on from Truss by lawmakers from the Conservative Party, becoming the nation’s third prime minister in less than two months tasked with restoring stability to a country indebted with years of political and economic turmoil.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, said that when announcing the results of the leadership race, the Conservative Party only received one “valid” nomination to be the leader and therefore Prime Minister, and that was Sunak.

An Oxford University graduate, the former Goldman Sachs analyst first came to national attention just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit Britain, where he served as Finance Minister under Boris Johnson, developing the successful furlough scheme.

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Sunak met his wife, Akshata Murthy—whose father is Indian billionaire N. R. Narayana Murthy, founder of outsourcing giant Infosys Ltd—while at Stanford University. Sunak will only become Prime Minister when Liz Truss formally hands in her resignation with King Charles, when he will be invited to form a government.

Source: Complex.com

October 24, 2022
I faced ‘great economic and international instability’ – Outgoing UK PM

On Thursday, October 20, Liz Truss, the UK Prime Minister announced her resignation after 44 days in office.

Speaking outside the No. 10 Downing Street, Truss indicated that she cannot fulfil the mandate to which she was elected, hence her decision to resign.

She explained that she came into office at a time of “great economic and international instability”.

She added, “I recognise… given the situation I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”

Liz Truss noted that she had already informed King Charles but that she will remain in office until a successor is elected.

The Conservative Party leader’s resignation comes a few days after she sacked Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng.

Kwarteng was sacked on October 14 amidst the government’s tax cuts that are believed to have sparked financial market turmoil.

In a letter reacting to his dismissal, he said “You have asked me to step aside as your Chancellor, I have accepted.

“When you asked me to serve as your Chancellor, I did so in full knowledge that the situation we faced was incredibly difficult, with rising global interest rates and energy prices. However, your vision of optimism, growth and change was right,” his letter read.

October 21, 2022
King Charles will not attend climate summit on Truss advice

King Charles will not attend the climate change conference COP27, which is due to be held in Egypt next month, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

It was responding to a story in the Sunday Times which claimed Prime Minister Liz Truss had “ordered” the King not to attend.

The Palace said advice had been sought by the King and given by Ms Truss.

“With mutual friendship and respect there was agreement that the King would not attend,” the Palace stated.

Before his ascension to the throne last month, the King – then the Prince of Wales – had indicated he would attend the annual conference.

Royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the BBC had put it to the Palace the King must be personally disappointed given his long decades of passionate environmental campaigning.

But the Palace responded that the idea the King was uncomfortable was not the case, and he was ever mindful of the sovereign’s role to act on the government’s advice.

Last November – as Prince Charles – the King travelled to Egypt with the then-government’s blessing to urge the Egyptian administration on its efforts, meeting President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi during a planned visit.

In the past, the King has demonstrated his deep commitment to environmental issues and, as Prince of Wales, had a long history of campaigning to reduce the effects of climate change.

Only last year he made a speech at the COP26 opening ceremony in Glasgow, when the summit was hosted by the UK. The late Queen also gave a speech at the event, via video link.

Senior Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said he hoped “common sense would prevail” and the King would be allowed to go Egypt.

He said in a tweet that King Charles was a “globally-respected voice” on the environment whose attendance would add “serious authority” to the British delegation.

At last year’s COP26 conference, King Charles – or Prince Charles as he was then – was one of the star turns, delivering a passionate call for world leaders to adopt a “war-like footing” over climate change.

This year he’ll have to keep his powder dry, after what’s presented, on the surface at least, as a dispute-free agreement that he shouldn’t go.

Although it’s worth noting this is about not attending “in person”, which might leave the door ajar for other virtual contributions.

There will inevitably be speculation that, below all the constitutional smoothing, this will have really disappointed the King. He has campaigned devotedly for decades, heart on sleeve, on such environmental issues.

And it could also raise the prospect of early tensions between a new King and a new PM.

But it’s a case of different role, different rules, and the King has always known that as sovereign he would have to act within a different set of politically-neutral constraints.

The Egyptian authorities say they hope to use their presidency of COP27 to urge the international community to act on pledges of support for developing countries to cope with the devastating impacts of climate change.

However, there has been criticism ahead of the summit. Human Rights Watch has said Egypt has severely curtailed the work of environmental groups. Officials in Cairo said the report was “misleading”.

COP27, a United Nations event, is being held in the coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh from 8 to16 November.

Next week, King Charles will attend his first public engagements since the royal period of mourning came to an end, including a reception in Edinburgh for South Asian communities from across the UK and a visit to Dunfermline Abbey in Fife.

A new picture of the King with the Queen Consort, Prince and Princess of Wales was released on Saturday

October 2, 2022
Prince Harry and Prince William’s participation in the Queen’s funeral procession together wasn’t a publicity stunt – King Charles says

Prince Harry and Prince William walked side by side at the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

The decision wasn’t a PR stunt, according to King Charles’ former butler Grant Harrold.

Harrold said the brothers showed they were “a united family” leading up to the funeral.

Grant Harrold, a former butler to King Charles, spoke to Insider about Prince Harry’s relationship with the royal family following the Queen’s funeral.

Harry and William walked side by side in the funeral procession for Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. It was a contrasting image to Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, where their cousin Peter Phillips stood in between the brothers.

King Charles III, Prince William, and Prince Harry at the funeral of Prince Philip on April 17, 2021.Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

It’s unclear whether the brothers have reconciled following reports of a rift that dates back to 2018. The Guardian reports that William and Harry made no eye contact and kept a physical distance apart during the funeral.

Harrold was employed by the royal household from 2004 until 2011 and worked closely with Charles, Harry, and William. He said he doesn’t believe Harry and William’s joint appearance would have been a PR stunt, but rather a decision that was made naturally.

“Things don’t just happen. They are always planned. But I don’t think this was intentionally planned,” Harrold said.

Harrold said the brothers already previously showed they were “a united family” when they had a walkabout with their wives at Windsor Castle to view tributes to the Queen a couple of days after she died.

“It could be short-lived, but the Queen’s death brought them together,” Harrold said.

William invited Meghan Markle and Harry to join them for the walkabout, a Kensington Palace spokesperson previously told The Times of London.

“The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family,” the spokesperson said, according to The Times.

Harrold added that Harry’s relationship with the king could be improving as well. The monarch mentioned his “love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas” in his first speech as king on September 9.

“The fact that Charles said that, it was him extending an olive branch,” Harrold said.

“He acknowledged their new life in California, but made clear they are part of the family. This was his first major statement as king, and he made it clear that even if people don’t like Meghan, she is part of the family,” he added.

Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, and representatives for the Duke of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

source: Yahoo

September 23, 2022
“The Land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart’, King in his speech to the Welsh parliament

“I am very grateful for the condolence addresses which so movingly pay honor to our late sovereign, my dear mother the Queen,” the King said to the Senedd.

“Through all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart.

“I know she took immense pride in your many great achievements – even as she also felt with you deeply in time of sorrow.

“It must surely be counted the greatest privilege to belong to a land that could inspire such devotion.

“I am resolved to honour that selfless example.”

The monarch added: “I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales.

“That ancient title, dating from the time of those great Welsh rulers, like Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, whose memory is still rightly honoured, I now pass to my son, William, whose love for this corner of the Earth is made all the greater by the years he himself has spent here.

“Having visited the Senedd regularly since it was founded, and having heard your heartfelt words today, I know we all share the deepest commitment to the welfare of the people of this land and that we will all continue to work together to that end.”

September 16, 2022