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  • The Day Princess Elizabeth Became Queen Elizabeth: How ‘Operation Hyde Park Corner’ Unfolded

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    It was February 6, 1952, when Prince Philip told his wife, who we now know as Queen Elizabeth, that her father King George VI had died. Although the King had suffered from a prolonged illness, the moment still came as a profound shock to the 25-year-old Princess, who had to mourn her dear ‘Papa’ while facing the realization that she was now Queen.

    To make matters more complicated, the royal couple were in Kenya at the time. Just a week earlier, King George VI had bid daughter and son-in-law farewell for what was intended to be a six-month tour of the Commonwealth. The King himself had been due to undertake the international journey but had to withdraw due to ill health; he was suffering from lung cancer.

    Father and daughter: King George VI and the then Princess Elizabeth in 1946

    Getty Images

    The first stop of the tour was Kenya. After three days in Nairobi, the couple drove up to Sagana Lodge, a property in the foothills of Mount Kenya that was given to them as a wedding present. After lunch on February 5, Philip and Elizabeth ventured out 20 miles to Treetops, a game-viewing lodge overlooking an elephant waterhole where they planned to spend the night before continuing with the duties of their tour.

    It was while the couple were there, soaking up the majesty of the African wildlife, that King George VI took his final breath at Sandringham House, in Norfolk. Operation “Hyde Park Corner” whirred into action, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill was immediately informed. However, it took hours for the news to reach the Princess, who only found out after returning to Sagana.

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    Hope Coke

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  • Princess Anne Arrives at the Winter Olympics 2026: Relive 50 Years of Her Olympic Looks

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    Before donning the institutional Olympic robes, Anna wore those of an assiduous supporter and professional athlete of the equestrian discipline of “full riding,” in which the rider must compete in three tests: dressage, show jumping and cross-country. It is a sport that requires technique, readiness, steadiness, but also style, which the princess has not failed to show off in all the Olympic occasions she has participated in over the years, both from the stands and as an athlete.

    Princess Anne, Montreal Olympics, 1976.

    Reg Lancaster/Getty Images

    That’s why, on the occasion of her presence in Milan-Cortina 2026 and as a tribute to her fervent passion for sports disciplines and her participation, five decades ago, in Olympic competitions, we went over some of Princess Anne’s most beautiful five-ringed looks.

    The sporty-chic look at the Munich Olympics, 1972

    Princess Anne inherited her passion for the equestrian world from her mother Elizabeth II, and then passed that love down to her daughter Zara, whose father is Anne’s ex-husband Mark Phillips. He competed during the 1972 Olympics in the all-around competition, winning a team gold medal. Princess Anne was there supporting him from the stands.

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    Princess Anna, 1972 Munich Olympics.

    Express/Getty Images

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    Laura Scafati

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  • Prince Harry’s Court Cases and Legal Battles: An Exhaustive Guide

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    This week, Prince Harry traveled to the UK without his wife, Meghan Markle, or their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to launch another front in his long-running war against the British press. He made an appearance in a London courtroom for his privacy-invasion trial against Associated Newspapers, one of Britain’s largest newspaper companies, and on Wednesday, he took to the witness stand to discuss the case.

    The royal family spent most of the 20th century largely avoiding public litigation. Harry, though, has spent years aggressively challenging both the press and the government of his native country, ever since he stopped getting legal advice from Queen Elizabeth II’s lawyers and instead hired his own legal representation.

    Harry’s quest began in 2019, shortly after his wife launched her own battle against Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday, alleging that the publisher breached her privacy and copyright. (Meghan would eventually emerge victorious in that lawsuit.) At the tail end of a trip to South Africa, Harry announced that he was suing News Group Newspapers and the Mirror Group, and the following spring, he added that he and Meghan would no longer be cooperating with reporters from many tabloids. His announcement shocked the global media—and would play a pivotal role in the dissolution of Harry’s relationship with his family, which would culminate in Meghan and Harry’s 2020 decision to step back from senior royal duties and move to North America. In June 2023, Harry became the first senior royal to testify in High Court since 1891, when his great-great-great-grandfather Edward VII testified for 20 minutes during a trial.

    After more than six years of courtroom struggles, Harry may be getting ready to bury the hatchet. “It’s not a nice experience for anyone to find themselves in court,” a source close to the prince told the Times earlier this month. “But he sees it as a necessary thing to do for a lot of reasons, a continuation of an ongoing mission, and he’s feeling confident going into it. He just wants to get through it and move on.” In the meantime, though, he’s currently involved in two major cases—with four more in the rearview mirror. Here’s a guide to each one.

    Harry vs. Mirror Group Newspapers

    At issue: Alleged illegal information gathering and phone hacking at The Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People.

    Outcome: Harry won on 15 of the 33 claims he had made and was awarded a modest penalty payment of 140,600 British pounds.

    Harry signed on to this case in 2019, joining with other British celebrities like former soccer player Ian Wright and the estate of George Michael. Harry’s lawyers alleged that unlawfully gathered information was used in dozens of articles about the prince that had been published between 1996 and 2010. The prince appeared in court for the suit in June 2023 and ultimately testified for two days, describing how the disclosure of private information affected his mental health and his relationship with his then girlfriend, Chelsy Davy. On the stand, Harry said that he joined the lawsuit in order to push back against the assumption that his personal life is open to media scrutiny by default. “There’s a difference between public interest and what interests the public,” he said.

    Harry (and Meghan) vs. Paparazzi Agency X17

    At issue: Photographs of Archie taken at the home the family borrowed from Tyler Perry.

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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  • Inside the Wild Wedding of Lady Pamela Hicks

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    The bride, now Lady Pamela Hicks, wore a white satin gown by Worth, which featured white fur as a nod to the winter wedding. Atop her head was the Mountbatten Pearl and Diamond tiara, loaned to her by her mother for the occasion. The provenance of the Belle Epoque style piece is unknown, but The Royal Watcher surmises that it must have originated around 1901, as a wedding gift for Countess Mountbatten’s own mother, Amalia Mary Maud Cassel, when she married Wilfried Ashley.

    Lady Pamela wore a gown by Worth and a family heirloom tiara

    PA Images/Getty Images

    Lady Pamela wore the tiara for some of the nation’s most historic moments, including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the following Commonwealth tour, which she recalled being a tiring experience, especially “donning an evening dress and tiara at 10 in the morning.”

    On her wedding day, Pamela Hicks was accompanied by a host of royals–though her friend, Queen Elizabeth II, could not attend, as she was heavily pregnant with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at the time. Queen Louise of Sweden and Prince Philip joined the congregation, as did the Queen Mother (who wore a brooch belonging to Queen Victoria), Princess Alice, Princess Marina, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Sophie of Greece and Hanover, and Penelope Knatchbull. Alongside them were a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then aged just 11 and 10 respectively.

    The newlyweds would go on to welcome three children–Edwina, a goddaughter of Queen Elizabeth; Ashley, a godson of Prince Philip, and India, a goddaughter of King Charles who served as a bridesmaid at his wedding to Princess Diana–and raised their family at home in the Chilterns. The Hickses continued to serve a crucial role as pillars of support for the late Queen and the royal family for decades to come, and David and Lady Pamela spent 38 years together before David passed away on March 29, 1998.

    Originally published in Tatler.

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    Ben Jureidini

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  • Princess Anne Dethroned as Britain’s Hardest Working Royal

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    But this year, Princess Anne has dropped to second place, Teble writes, though she was out and about even more in 2025. But though the 75-year-old had 478 engagements, she was outpaced by her brother, 77-year-old King Charles. He carried out 535 official acts, netting him this crown in addition to that other one.

    That uptick in activity can be viewed as a sign that his health is indeed improving, a theory blostered by an announcement the king made earlier this month. “Thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention, and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” the king said in a prerecorded message that aired as part of Stand Up to Cancer’s 2025 broadcast on the UK network Channel 4. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”

    Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh attend The Coral Gold Cup at Newbury Racecourse on November 29, 2025.

    Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images

    Taking third place is Charles and Anne’s 61-year-old younger brother, Prince Edward, with 313 acts. His wife, 60-year-old Duchess Sophie, is ranked fourth with 235 events in 2025. At age 78, Queen Camilla is the oldest royal on the list—but is also one of its busiest, with a fifth-place ranking for 228 official acts.

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    Diego Parrado

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  • King Charles Shares “Good News” About His Cancer Treatment

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    On Friday, King Charles III shared the most comprehensive update on his health since he announced a cancer diagnosis in February 2024. In a prerecorded message that aired as part of Stand Up to Cancer’s 2025 broadcast on the UK network Channel 4, he shared the “good news” that his treatments would be less frequent in the new year.

    “Thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention, and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” the king said. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”

    Though a palace source previously mentioned that the king’s cancer was being treated as a “managed condition,” this is the first time that he has shared a public update on his health status since he was briefly hospitalized for treatment side effects in March 2025. According to Sky News, Charles has been undergoing weekly treatment since his original diagnosis last year.

    In the video, which was recorded late last month in Clarence House, the king thanked the professionals who have cared for him since his diagnosis. “I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming,” he said. “Throughout my own cancer journey, I have been profoundly moved by what I can only call the ‘community of care’ that surrounds every cancer patient—the specialists, the nurses, researchers, and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives.”

    A Buckingham Palace spokesperson added that the king had “responded exceptionally well to treatment” and decided to share “the positive trajectory of his own continued recovery” in a message encouraging the public to take advantage of cancer screenings. “His doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase,” the spokesperson said, per The Mirror. “This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.”

    When the palace announced the king’s diagnosis, it declined to specify the type of cancer but confirmed that it was not prostate cancer. In April 2024, he took on a new role as the patron of Cancer Research UK, the nation’s largest independent charity fundraising for medical breakthroughs. In Friday’s video, he said his own progress was a “testimony” to the value of advancing research, adding that he hopes it “may give encouragement to the 50% of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”

    According to friends who spoke to Vanity Fair, the king is in good spirits and good health. One friend added, “He is on wonderful form and looking forward to Christmas.”

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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  • “Prince Andrew” Plaques and Street Names Have Sparked a Global Debate

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    For the last 15 years, the royal formerly known as Prince Andrew has faced scrutiny over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, but as new emails and documents emerge, the fallout has intensified. King Charles III made the decision to strip his brother of his titles, honors, and style late last month, renaming him Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Now the institutions Andrew worked with during his decades as a senior royal are trying to figure out how to remove his ceremonial plaques from their walls.

    From the large to the small, these organizations are doing their best to erase any trace of the disgraced royal from their public spaces.

    He Lost His Final Military Role

    Despite losing most of his royal military titles in 2022, when he settled a lawsuit with accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre in which Andrew rejected any claim of wrongdoing and accepted no liability, news broke that Andrew still held on to one final role as honorary Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy. But on November 5, Secretary of Defence John Healey announced that the Royal Navy was trying to remove that title as well. “We’ve had Andrew surrender the honorary positions he’s had throughout the military, and—guided again by the king—we are working now to remove that last remaining title of Vice Admiral that he has,” Healey told the BBC. “This is a move that’s right, it’s a move the King has indicated we should take and we’re working on that at the moment.”

    He Was Removed From Plaques on the Falkland Islands

    Earlier this month, there was a reprieve when the Ministry of Defence announced that Andrew would be allowed to keep the medals he earned when he served in the Falklands War in 1982. But the Falkland Islands themselves are not so fond of the association. In the decades since he made his name as a military hero in the small territory off the coast of Argentina, he made multiple visits to celebrate the ties between the UK and the land it fought to defend. But in 2022, after Andrew settled out of court with Giuffre, his plaque was taken down from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley, the islands’ capital city.

    According to the Daily Express, all signs of Andrew’s name have now been erased from the islands following this year’s developments. A plaque with his name was removed from the Mount Pleasant Airport, which he opened in 2002, and another was taken down from a wildlife center run by his former patronage, the Falklands Conservation trust. “He was removed as patron and the plaque at the field centre has gone,” a staff member said, as reported by the Daily Mirror. His plaque at the center was also scrapped, and a spokesperson confirmed that Andrew is “no longer connected to our school.”

    Town Councils Across the UK Regret Their One-Time Exuberance

    When the king announced that Andrew would no longer be a prince, town councils across the UK had to weigh what to do with the streets named in his honor. The New York Times documented the debate in Heldeson, a village in eastern England that adopted the street name “Prince Andrew” when he was born in 1960. (He was the first child born to a sitting monarch in more than 100 years, which caused a fair degree of media excitement at the time.)

    According to one town councillor who spoke to the newspaper, the change wouldn’t be an easy one to accomplish in the small town of 11,000 residents. “It would be very difficult to obtain a consensus of all residents,” Shelagh Gurney told the Times. “My emails clearly indicate that this would not be achieved.”

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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  • The Meaning Behind Queen Camilla’s Pinky Ring

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    For months, royal watchers have been fascinated by a tiny mystery: The small ring gleaming on Queen Camilla‘s left-hand pinky finger. It sits discreetly next to the precious Art Deco engagement ring given to her by husband King Charles III, and interested parties have found little information at hand about the jewelry and its history. It’s part of the Royal Collection, but further details are sparse. What, then, has made it so special to the queen?

    Queen Camilla with the mystery ring on her little finger.

    Tim Clayton/Getty Images

    From photos, it appears that Queen Camilla began wearing the mystery ring in February 2025. It didn’t take long for royal enthusiasts to take notice. In pictures, not much could be seen of the piece, but it seemed to be made of gold, with several small circles in the design. It was noted that Charles, too, wears a ring on his own left pinky. His is a signet ring, and has been a constant for more than 50 years.

    The Royal Collection described the piece as “a gold ring composed of seven circular plaques, each engraved with ancient symbols, plain gold shield in front.” Other pieces in the collection have more information, such as the piece’s provenance. When experts zoomed in on image of the ring, they identified some symbols related to the tradition of ancient Greece, including a boat, a lyre, an amphora, as well as Greek letters.

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    Giorgia Olivieri

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  • Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Isn’t a Prince Anymore, but He Could Still Become King

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    On the official Buckingham Palace website, the line of succession to the throne still shows the “Duke of York” in eighth place. Of course, this page is missing an update, considering that this noble title has been unclaimed for more than two weeks. In an October 17 statement, Prince Andrew publicly renounced it after a “discussion with the king and my immediate and wider family.” After the palace’s shocking announcement last week that King Charles was stripping his brother of his titles and honors, the lingering name is evidence of a strange truth: Though Queen Elizabeth II’s third child is no longer a prince, he could still become king.

    To remove Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from the line of succession would require an act of parliament. That, in turn, would need approval from the commonwealth member states, since the British monarch is recognized as their head of state. And despite pressure from Westminster to look into permanently removing Andrew from the line, Keir Starmer’s government “has no plans” to do so, per the BBC.

    Removing Andrew from the line of succession would primarily be a symbolic gesture, as the former prince’s chances of assuming the throne are almost nil. At birth, Andrew was second in line, but now his name falls after Prince William and his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, followed by Prince Harry and his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

    Little by little, Andrew has lost nearly all of the distinctions associated with royal status. In 2022 the queen revoked his honorary military ranks and he was denied the right to style himself “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity. Last month, Andrew gave up the Duchy of York. Now, the formal process of withdrawing his titles and honors is underway, including the appellation of “prince.” But if Andrew were to be removed from the line of succession, Parliament’s involvement would become necessary.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair Italia.

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    Vanity Fair

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  • King Charles Issues Stinging Rebuke, Andrew Stripped of “Prince” Title and Home

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    At the direction of King Charles, Buckingham Palace made a near unprecedented announcement on Thursday evening. Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the House of Windsor’s official family name, and will lose his home and surrender the lease on Royal Lodge.

    “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” read a statement from Buckingham Palace. “His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.”

    The announcement comes nearly six years after Andrew stepped back from his official duties as a senior royal due to the controversy over his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Though Andrew’s involvement in the scandal has been a matter of public debate since 2011, new developments have made his presence at family events with fellow royals a continued problem for the king and his son Prince William.

    The palace statement acknowledged that allegations have continued to cause controversy for years, despite Andrew’s denials. “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the statement continued. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”

    The palace confirmed to Vanity Fair that Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will retain their titles. In addition to the princely title, which was his right at birth, Andrew will also lose his dukedom. As such, he may no longer style himself “Duke of York,” “Earl of Inverness,” “Baron Killyleagh,” or “His Royal Highness.” He will also be stripped of his honors, including Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order.

    One palace source said that the king initiated the process to strip his brother of his HRH status and titles, and Andrew has not objected. The king has the backing of the Prince of Wales, and other members of the family agree that Andrew should be stripped of his titles.

    Two weeks ago, Andrew said in a statement issued through Buckingham Palace that he would entirely forgo the use of his “Duke of York” title. “I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life,” it read. “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me.” But the public outcry continued, and there have been calls within parliament to formally strip Andrew of his titles.

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    Erin Vanderhoof, Katie Nicholl

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  • Albert Windsor, 18-Year-Old Cousin of King Charles, Is the British Royal Family’s Gen Z Heartthrob

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    Once upon a time, it was Prince William who created scenes of collective hysteria among young girls. Today, since it’s still early days for little Prince George to inherit the title, Gen-Zers needn’t fear: There’s a Prince Charming for you, and his name is Albert Windsor.

    If you don’t know him and you’re under 25, note this name: he’s the only royal to have been included by Tatler, the English high society magazine, in the list of the most eligible bachelors who will be increasingly discussed in the coming months.

    With a melancholy yet captivating look and short blond hair, Albert Windsor is only 18 but shows great promise. The cousin of King Charles and grandson of the Duke of Kent, from whom he will one day inherit the title, he is the first royal to bear the name of Prince Albert, known as Bertie, who later became George VI, father of Elizabeth II. Furthermore, Albert was the first royal baby in the modern era to be baptized in a Catholic rite.

    His father, Lord Nicholas, converted to Catholicism and was forced to renounce his position in the line of succession to the throne, thus also excluding Albert, who would have been 37th in line. The boy grew up in Rome with his two younger brothers, Leopold, now 16 (and who, like his brother, already shows signs of being a potential heartthrob), and Louis, 11.

    The fact that he was away from the United Kingdom for much of his childhood meant that he was rarely seen in public. Since turning 18, Albert seems to have become more active in society. Unlike his father, who is not on good terms with the royal family and was reportedly not even invited to King Charles’s coronation ceremony, the boy is viewed favorably by the monarchy.

    At the funeral of his grandmother, Katharine, Duchess of Kent—held at Westminster Cathedral in London—the young man was reportedly close to William, Kate, and Charles himself, godfather at his father Nicholas’s christening. So, watch out for this newly minted blue-blooded eligible bachelor.

    Originally published in Vanity Fair Italia

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    Ilaria Perrotta

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  • Queen Camilla’s “Hot Equerry” Wins a Legion of Fans After Rare Vatican Visit

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    Captain James Boggis-Rolfe (Dismounted Equerry in Waiting to King Charles III) and Major Oliver Plunket (Equerry to Queen Camilla) attend day one of Royal Ascot 2023 at Ascot Racecourse on June 20, 2023 in Ascot, England.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

    Following his gap year, Plunket enrolled on a Military Scholarship to Exeter University, where he read Arts, Politics, and Philosophy from 2013 to 2016. In 2017, he started at Sandhurst, where he followed in the footsteps of Prince William, Prince Harry, and the Duke of Edinburgh by completing the gruelling military training. His career with The Rifles has seen Plunket hold appointments including department manager and military operations manager, serving in Iraq, Canada, Liberia, and Italy during his tenure. Before his role with Queen Camilla, he worked with the United Nations on a number of projects.

    As for his personal interests? Plunket is a big sportsman, finding time to surf, ski and play golf when he’s not supporting the royal family, as Tatler reports. Perhaps it’s time to start practicing your swing.

    Originally published in Tatler

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    Isaac Bickerstaff

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  • Prince Andrew Is Officially Dropping His “Duke of York” Title After New Epstein Revelations

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    Prince Andrew has agreed to give up his royal titles to save the royal family from further embarrassment over his connections with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Though he took a “step back” from his role as a senior royal in November 2019, he has continued to use the “Duke of York” title that was conferred by Queen Elizabeth II on his wedding day in 1986.

    The prince shared the news in a statement issued through Buckingham Palace on Friday, adding that he consulted King Charles III in the course of making his decision. “I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life,” it read. “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.”

    Though his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, died by suicide earlier this year, her allegations have resurfaced in a memoir that is due to be published on October 21. In his statement, Andrew continued to deny all claims of impropriety. “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” the statement read. “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first.”

    It is understood that the prince agreed to give up his remaining royal titles amid mounting pressure over his links with Epstein and an alleged Chinese spy. The king, who has been at a loss over how to deal with what is known as the “Andrew problem” at the palace, is said to be “glad” about the outcome.

    Along with other members of the royal family, Prince William, who has privately been concerned about the optics of Prince Andrew retaining his titles and being seen as close to the royal family, was consulted.

    Sources say the decision for Andrew to give up his titles was taken in close deliberation with the king and in recognition of the fact that the prince’s personal issues continue to distract from the work of the wider royal family. It is understood that the king appealed to Prince Andrew, who still lives at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, to do the right thing and give up his titles in order to preserve the reputation of the monarchy.

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    Katie Nicholl

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  • Prince William Has “No Time” for Prince Andrew

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    Prince William is in Scotland this week enjoying some quality time with his father, King Charles, for what has become an annual father-son holiday.

    Royal sources tell VF that the trip has become a “much looked forward to” date in the diary for both William and his father, who they insist are closer than ever, despite recent reports that the Prince of Wales does not see eye to eye with Charles over several issues regarding the royal family—principally over the King’s recent meeting with Prince Harry and the very public inclusion of the Duke and Duchess of York at a recent family funeral.

    “They are both in Scotland and will see each other, but it’s in no way connected to recent family dramas,” a source tells VF. “They speak very regularly, and there has been no fallout.” Buckingham Palace declined to comment on speculation about the king’s relationship to his eldest son.

    Their time in Scotland, a country they both love, will, however, give the king and heir a chance to discuss some important matters. VF has been told that the Prince of Wales is keen to come up with a solution for what is being referred to in palace circles as the “York problem.”

    “It’s something that William is acutely aware of and wants resolved,” a family friend tells me. “Charles is not a confrontational person and doesn’t want any more family feuds, but he recognizes that his brother poses challenges. William takes a harder line and has made it clear that he thinks his uncle and aunt could cause the monarchy real reputational damage.”

    This week, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was dropped by seven of her charities after an email from 2011 revealed that she continued corresponding with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after claiming she had distanced herself from him. The king is under pressure to cut ties with his sister-in-law, according to royal insiders.

    Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of Yorks, which lifts the lid on Sarah and Prince Andrew’s close relationship with Epstein, says the king could face a backlash if he continues to be seen as supporting Andrew and Sarah, who still live at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

    Despite Prince Andrew and Ferguson’s separation in 1992 and subsequent divorce in 1996, Charles still maintains a good rapport with the Duchess of York. Now their relationship is “causing problems for the King because of the optics of the royal family being so close to the Yorks,” Lownie says.

    But Lownie tells me Charles and William disagree about what to do. “I’m told William’s view is that his father needs to take a firmer line with Andrew,” Lownie says. “I think this could cause real tensions between Charles and William. William, as future king, will have to deal with the fallout from this. He wants this problem solved and has no sentimental attachment to Andrew. He has no time for Andrew, and he can see how toxic the Yorks are.”

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    Katie Nicholl

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  • Sarah Ferguson Avoided the Worst of the Epstein Fallout—but a Newly Uncovered Email Has Led to New Consequences

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    Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has cost the royal dearly. In the aftermath of Epstein’s final arrest and death, Andrew resigned his royal duties, lost his military titles, and settled a reported multimillion-dollar lawsuit over his Epstein ties. Yet Sarah Ferguson, who is still known as the Duchess of York even though she and Andrew divorced in 1996, largely managed to evade the scandal because she had publicly disavowed Epstein in 2011.

    Now, though, it seems Ferguson may have been caught in the Epstein crossfire. This past weekend, The Mail on Sunday published parts of an email showing that the duchess corresponded with Epstein even after her public disavowal. “As you know, I did not, absolutely not, say the ‘P word’ [pedophile] about you,” she said in an April 2011 email, per the Mail. “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me from what you were either told or read and I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that…. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”

    On Monday, Ferguson’s 35-year-long affiliation with the Teenage Cancer Trust came to an end—making that organization one of seven charities to cut ties with Ferguson following the Mail’s report. Another charity, children’s hospice Julia’s House, said it would be “inappropriate” for her to remain in her role as a patron, according to the BBC. The duchess was also dropped by Prevent Breast Cancer, the British Heart Foundation, food-allergy charity the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, and the Children’s Literacy Charity. In the wake of the Mail on Sunday piece, events meant to promote Ferguson’s recent children’s book have been canceled.

    The roots of the controversy reach back to 2011, when News of the World published a photograph of Andrew and Epstein walking through Central Park, taken amid a 2010 trip during which Andrew stayed at the financier’s now notorious Upper East Side townhouse—years after Epstein’s guilty plea on prostitution charges. Subsequent reporting revealed that Andrew had also arranged for Epstein to help pay money Ferguson owed to a former assistant. (Vanity Fair reported in 2022 that Andrew had visited New York to seek Epstein’s assistance with the debt.)

    Ferguson gave an interview to the Evening Standard in March 2011, after those allegations became public, in which she attempted to defend Andrew and apologized for Epstein’s involvement in the matter. “I abhor pedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf,” she told then editor Geordie Greig. “I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”

    In that interview with Greig, Ferguson might have been trying to take some of the pressure off Andrew over his Epstein ties. In it, she praised Andrew for being a good father to daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and also hailed the work he did as a trade ambassador. Ultimately, she expressed remorse that her own money woes were a factor in his relationship with Epstein. “I cannot state more strongly that I know a terrible, terrible error of judgment was made, my having anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein. What he did was wrong and for which he was rightly jailed,” she said. “Once again my errors have compounded and rebounded and also inadvertently impacted on the man I admire most in the world, the duke.”

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    Erin Vanderhoof

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  • Are King Charles and Prince Harry Working Toward a Joint Public Appearance?

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    Prince Harry was in London a few weeks ago to attend the 20th WellChild Awards, a ceremony he never misses and an organization of which he has been patron for 17 years. It was a rare opportunity to return to Harry’s native land, and, even more notably, a long-awaited reunion with his father, King Charles III, whom he had not seen for 19 months. The meeting, held at Clarence House, lasted just 50 minutes: a “private tea” between father and son, the first step to mending the relationship between the monarch and his second-born son, which has been beyond tense since Harry’s dramatic 2020 departure from the U.K. and his position as a senior working royal.

    But the fact that this meeting took place does not change the Firm’s official position: “Any suggestion that the prince might return in a more formal capacity has been rejected,” The Independent reported. There is no question of a half-hearted return to the family, or an “à la carte” role. A royal source quoted by the paper confirmed that King Charles is toeing the line set by his mother, Elizabeth II: “The King has been absolutely clear in upholding his late mother’s decision that there can be no ‘half-in, half-out’ public role for members of the family.”

    A decision that seems to suit the 41-year-old prince perfectly. Now settled in California with wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, Harry is cultivating a life away from the palace, a life he says is fulfilling.

    This does not mean, however, that family tensions have been laid to rest. In an interview with the BBC last May, Harry expressed a desire for appeasement: “I don’t know how much time my father has left. He doesn’t want to talk to me anymore because of these security issues, but it would be nice if we could get together.”

    These security issues are at the heart of a dispute between Harry and the British Home Office. Since he renounced his status as an active member of the royal family, he is no longer entitled to police protection—a decision he is contesting. After two days of hearings and an appeal earlier this summer, the verdict remains unchanged: his request for a reassessment of the security arrangements has been rejected. “I don’t want history to repeat itself,” he insisted to the BBC, referring to the fatal accident involving his mother, the late Princess Diana. “I think there’s a lot of other people out there, the majority, that also don’t want history to repeat itself. But through the disclosure process, I’ve discovered that some people do want history to repeat itself, which is pretty dark.”

    Yet the door to appeasement doesn’t seem completely closed. According to the Mail on Sunday, “tentative” discussions are taking place between Buckingham Palace and Prince Harry’s staff, with a goal of a possible rapprochement. A joint public appearance could even be in the cards, according to the newspaper. Is the familial hatchet about to be buried?

    Originally published in Vanity Fair France.

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    Blanche Marcel

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  • Prince William and Kate Middleton Will Play a Major Role in Donald Trump’s Visit to Britain

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    Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to play a major role in the impending US state visit to Britain, which will see Donald Trump and Melania stay at Windsor Castle from September 17 to 18—and include a joint engagement for the first lady and the Princess of Wales with the Scouts at Frogmore Gardens.

    The Trumps are slated to arrive at Windsor Castle on the morning of the 17th, where they will be officially greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The quartet will then meet King Charles and Queen Camilla, who will receive the Trumps for a Royal Salute, fired from the East Lawn of Windsor Castle at the same time as a salute from the Tower of London. Their Majesties, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the President and First Lady will then make a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the Castle, which was also the site for French president Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain this summer.

    Both nations’ anthems will play as the Procession moves off. In a historical move, a Guard of Honour will be presented at the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, featuring the State Colours of the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, and the Scots Guards. This will mark the first time that such an occasion will feature three State Colours—typically, just one would be showcased at the parade. The President and the King will then inspect the Guard of Honour, followed by a Rank and March past The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards.

    The Trumps joined King Charles and Queen Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, for a dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador, where US President Trump stayed on his 2019 state visit

    CHRIS JACKSON/Getty Images

    Then, lunch will commence in the State Dining Room, with various members of the Royal family. The party will attend a special display of America-related items from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room. In a solemn moment, later that afternoon Trump is set to privately pay homage to the late Queen Elizabeth—whom he has previously described as a “grand and beautiful lady”—by laying a wreath on her tomb at St George’s Chapel.

    King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Trumps will then be joined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Lady Starmer for a Beating Retreat ceremony on Windsor’s East Lawn, featuring a flypast by UK and US F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows. The visit will culminate in a state banquet at the Castle—and if the French state visit was anything to go by, it will be a dazzling display of tiaras and royal jewels for Middleton and Queen Camilla. Both the King and President Trump will deliver speeches at the beginning of the dinner.

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    Ben Jureidini

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  • Harry Just Made His 1st Comment About His Meeting With Charles as Sources Reveal What Really Happened Behind Closed Doors

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    Prince Harry finally had his highly anticipated meeting with King Charles in the UK. The King and the Duke of Sussex reportedly met for less than an hour on Sept. 10, 2025.

    Buckingham Palace confirmed the father and son met in Clarence House for a private tea, which marked their first time seeing each other in person since February 2024. When Harry was leaving the premises, he responded to reporters’ questions about his father, simply saying, “Yes, he’s great.”

    The reunion was expected, but very last minute according to royal sources. “The meeting was brief because of the King’s busy diary and Harry having an Invictus engagement in his diary, but it’s very significant that it has happened,” said Charlotte Griffiths, editor at large at The Mail on Sunday to Vanity Fair.

    Related: Harry Seemingly Takes Swipe at ‘Mad’ William After Reports His Brother ‘Rejected’ His Attempt to Reconcile During His UK Visit

    Up until then, the Duke spent the afternoon in White City touring Imperial College London’s Centre for Blast Injury Studies, where he took selfies with students until he had to go because he was “late.” “Harry had a meeting in London this morning and then made sure he kept his schedule completely clear so that he could see his father at a moment’s notice,” Griffiths noted. “It was a last-minute diary plan – it wasn’t in Harry’s diary – but perhaps that’s because he was nervous about leaks. He was prepared to drop everything to see his father and he let that be known to the palace.”

    Now that the meeting is done, reports say that the ball is in Harry’s court. “The King has always left the door open for Harry to come back to Britain, Charles genuinely misses him and it pains him that there is a rift, but the ball is in Harry’s court,” a source who knows the King told Vanity Fair. “If details of their meeting are leaked, then it will be a short-lived reconciliation. The issue of trust is very important to the King, and has been breached in the past.

    ‘Harry has to prove he can keep the conversations between them private if he wants to really have a relationship with his father.”

    Harry visited his home country because the Invictus Games Foundation hosted Invictus Horizons at Gherkin in London on Sept. 10, where he met with supporters. After losing his security appeal in May, he talked to the BBC about how he would like to talk to his father again. “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.”

    Though Harry completed a meeting with Charles, there’s no chance that he will meet up with his brother William. “At the end of the day, as he’s (Harry) no longer a member of the institution, he doesn’t feel bound to de-conflict his diary with the institution,” a source told the Times of London about William’s schedule.

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    Lea Veloso

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  • A Former Butler Reveals What Princess Diana Really Thought About the Balmoral Test

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    Princess Diana’s former butler decided to write a book, and the Crown is nervous. Those who work closest to the British royal family are also their closest confidants. Sometimes, years after their loyal service, they decide to recount staggering details about their ex-employers’ private lives. Such is the case of Paul Burrell and his book, The Royal Insider: My Life with The Queen, The King and Princess Diana, currently being serialized by the Daily Mail and due for release on September 11. The Briton worked with the former Princess of Wales for a decade, from 1987 until her tragic death in 1997.

    In one section, Burrell recalls that she abhorred one of the royal family’s most ancestral traditions: hunting. “Diana was a city girl. She disliked country pursuits: horses, shooting, mud and particularly hunting, which she thought was barbaric. But she tried so hard to please her husband,” he writes. “I remember her returning from her first stalking party at Balmoral. She hated every moment of it: watching the deer’s belly being slit with the entrails coming out and the ritual blood smeared on her face.”

    Horrified by the practice, Diana would have complied with protocol “for Charles.” Burrell previously discussed this episode with Marie Claire, recounting how stifled Diana felt at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she was forced to spend part of her summers with the rest of the royal family. “She lived in the real world,” Burrell said. “She lived in a world with homelessness, HIV and AIDS, and landmines. They didn’t fit into the walls of Balmoral Castle.” As for the ritual whereby a young hunter must smear his face with the blood of his first victim, she “thought that was like something from a Victorian novel”. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry himself admitted his distaste for the practice, which he remembered above all for the “infernal smell” causing his stomach to turn.

    In his forthcoming book, the former butler recounts that, in private, Diana was not tender when talking about her husband. “He never wanted a lover. He wanted a mother,’ Diana told me once. “She always loved Charles, but she despised Camilla Parker Bowles, the ‘other woman.” He adds that this love was clearly not reciprocated. “Diana once told me that Charles had told her in the middle of one of their epic arguments: ‘I never loved you. I only married you to have children.’”

    He describes the royal couple’s relationship as a “war zone”, the outcome of which would have been irreversible when their second son, Prince Harry, was born in 1984. “Charles came into the hospital room, looked in the cot and said: ‘Oh, red hair.’ Diana replied: ‘But Charles, you know that’s the Spencer gene, we all have red hair.’’

    Is the former butler insinuating that King Charles doubted his paternity, according to the eternal rumor spread by Diana’s detractors? When Diana reminded him that red hair was prevalent in her family, he reportedly replied, “At least I have my heir and heir apparent now, and I can go back to Camilla.” The princess reportedly found support from her butler. “She told me: ‘I cried myself to sleep that night knowing that my marriage was over.’”

    This isn’t the first time Paul Burrell has made startling revelations. The man whom Diana considered “her rock” is certain that she would like him to pass on crucial information to Princes William and Harry, with the hopes “to reunite the two brothers,” who have been estranged since Harry and his wife Meghan Markle became the victims of media harassment and left the royal family. Burrell also said that despite Charles’s enduring love for Camilla, it was his marriage to Diana that “defined” the king’s life.

    Original story from Vanity Fair France.

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    Valentine Ulgu-Servant

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  • Prince Harry’s Makes a Discreet Tribute to Prince Philip In Honor of His WWII Service

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    On August 15, Prince Harry honored the memory of his grandfather, Prince Philip, on the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in the Pacific during World War II. The Duke of Sussex asked a friend to lay a wreath at the foot of the National Memorial Arboretum once the official ceremony was over and King Charles III and Queen Camilla had left, so as not to disrupt the course of the day. The royal couple had been present at the commemorations, and were seen to be very moved when a veteran stepped away from his speech to say a few comforting words to the sovereign, who was suffering from cancer.

    The wreath was accompanied by a typed letter, topped by Prince Harry’s seal. In it, he saluted the “courage” and “resilience” of the “’Forgotten Army,” dedicating an entire paragraph to his grandfather, who died at the age of 99 in 2021.

    “For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning. My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign,” he wrote in his letter, as shared by GB News. “He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theatre of war.”

    Queen Elizabeth II’s husband joined the Royal Navy in 1939. After missions in the Mediterranean, he went to the Pacific. Second in command, he was on board a destroyer on a mission in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.

    “Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave,” confided the former soldier. He concluded: “I am humbled by your example, proud of your service and dedication, and profoundly grateful for what you endured. Your story is part of our shared heritage, and it must never be forgotten.” The note was signed “Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.”

    The 40-year-old Briton served ten years in the armed forces, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Inspired by his military background, in 2014 he created the Invictus Games, a sporting event for veterans and those wounded in war. His honorary military patronages were withdrawn and returned to his grandmother the Queen in in February 2021, one year after he and wife Meghan Markle relinquished their royal duties.

    La reine Elizabeth II, le prince Philip et leurs petits-fils, le prince William et le prince Harry, à Londres, en novembre 2004.

    Tim Graham/Getty Images

    Prince Harry had already spoken of his admiration for his grandfather, “a seriously sharp wit,” who “could hold the attention of any room due to his charm,” as he wrote in a statement shared on the Archewell website after the announcement of his death. He was a “consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke,” and above all a beloved grandfather, “master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end,” he recalled.

    Original story from Vanity Fair France.

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    Séraphine Roger

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