Though King Charles III introduced a number of new traditions for this year’s royal Christmas celebration, one thing remained the same: The family’s morning walk to Norfolk’s St. Mary Magdalene Church continued as it has for years, with Charles and Queen Camilla leading the charge.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the Christmas Morning Service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2025 in Sandringham, Norfolk.
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Kate Middleton, Prince William, and children Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George also enjoyed the walk, which was observed on both sides by ardent fans, many bearing gifts. One such offering, a giant Lindor chocolate egg, thrilled the 7-year-old Louis, who snatched it from his father’s hands.
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.
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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.
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, English royal holiday banquets were stacked with countless dishes, with a heavy emphasis on expensive meats. According to Louise Cooling’s A Royal Christmas, 30 oxen, 100 sheep, five boars, nine dozen fowls, salted venison, salmon, lampreys (an eel-like fish) and 19 large wine casks were procured for King Henry III of England’s Christmas at Woodstock Palace in 1264.
Mincemeat pies, crane, swan, brawn (terrine made with a pig’s head and served with mustard), goose and lamprey pie, and even porpoise (served dressed with vinegar and breadcrumbs) were all popular holiday fare. A boar’s head, presented on a platter, was often the first dish of the feast. “After a flourish of trumpets it was carried into the banqueting hall, by the server, on a gold or silver dish,” the Nottinghamshire Guardian reported in 1900. “A procession followed, consisting of nobles, knights, and ladies singing a joyous carol.”
Peacocks were also considered a delicacy in medieval feasts; their colorful feathers proudly displayed. “The bird was first skinned, and the feathered tail, head and neck were laid on a table, and sprinkled with cumin,” Sheila Hutchins writes in Royal Cookbook: Favorite Court Recipes from the World’s Royal Families. “The body was then roasted, glazed with raw egg yolks, cooled, sewn back into the skin, and served as the last course.”
Frumenty—a wholegrain porridge made with cream, honey, expensive spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, and dried fruit and nuts—was a popular dish (which later evolved into a Christmas pudding). There was also “Christmas Pottage,” a plum broth of beef or mutton, breadcrumbs, raisins, currants and spices. This recipe would evolve over the centuries, becoming even more decadent. The recipe preferred by 19th-century English monarch George IV included beef, veal, dried fruits, spices, ground cochineal (for a festive red pigment) and tons of booze including port, brandy, sherry, Madeira and claret.
It was during Queen Victoria’s long reign that many of the British royal family’s Christmas traditions were set. “At dinner there were all the Christmas dishes, of which we generally had to eat a little,” Queen Victoria recalled, per Cooling. “First the cold baron of beef which stood on the large sideboard all decked out – brawn – game pies from Ireland…stuffed turkey – wild boar’s head…mince pies etc. etc. – and all sorts of Bonbons and figures and toys were brought at dessert, many of which were given to the children; and there used to be such great excitement and delight.”
Prince William and his eldest son, Prince George, put on aprons to help make Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter, a charity that the Prince of Wales first visited as a child with his mother, the late Princess Diana.The royal father and son were seen decorating a Christmas tree and helping with meal preparations in the kitchen at The Passage in central London, in a video posted to William’s YouTube account on Saturday.“Proud to join volunteers and staff at The Passage in preparing Christmas lunch – this year with another pair of helping hands,” read a post on the social media account of William and his wife, Princess Catherine.William is the royal patron of The Passage, which he first visited when he was 11 with his mother, Diana. The heir to the throne has visited the charity in recent years, but this was the first time George, 12, joined him.The young royal signed his name in a book on the same page that Diana and William had written their names 32 years ago, in December 1993.William was shown pouring Brussels sprouts onto an oven tray, while George helped set out Yorkshire puddings and set a long table for dozens of attendees.William launched his Homewards project in 2023 to tackle homelessness.
LONDON —
Prince William and his eldest son, Prince George, put on aprons to help make Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter, a charity that the Prince of Wales first visited as a child with his mother, the late Princess Diana.
The royal father and son were seen decorating a Christmas tree and helping with meal preparations in the kitchen at The Passage in central London, in a video posted to William’s YouTube account on Saturday.
“Proud to join volunteers and staff at The Passage in preparing Christmas lunch – this year with another pair of helping hands,” read a post on the social media account of William and his wife, Princess Catherine.
William is the royal patron of The Passage, which he first visited when he was 11 with his mother, Diana. The heir to the throne has visited the charity in recent years, but this was the first time George, 12, joined him.
The young royal signed his name in a book on the same page that Diana and William had written their names 32 years ago, in December 1993.
William was shown pouring Brussels sprouts onto an oven tray, while George helped set out Yorkshire puddings and set a long table for dozens of attendees.
William launched his Homewards project in 2023 to tackle homelessness.
Rumors of an alleged affair involving Prince William have been circulating for some time. Even as the Prince and Princess of Wales put on a unified public image, there have been multiple reports about William’s reported relationship with Rose Hanbury and what Kate’s reaction was when she found out about it.
Now, RadarOnline.com is reporting that “Kate was devastated by the rumors of the affair,” explaining that the couple allegedly entered counseling in 2019 as the affair rumors got stronger and stronger. However, the outlet also reports, “Since the rumors of the affair surfaced back in 2019, Kate and William have been through counseling and, although their marriage can be rocky at times, it’s safe to say that they won’t split anytime soon.”
However, back then, rumors indicated Middleton demanded Hanbury be “phased out” of their social circle. The two have not been seen together in public since.
Unlike the affair between King Charles and Queen Camilla when he was still married to Princess Diana, allegations of an affair on the part of Prince William have never been confirmed. However, all these years later, the topic is still fervently discussed and brought up anytime new reports of issues in the Prince and Princess of Wales’s marriage come up.
Hanbury, now the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, has long had ties to the royal family, as her grandmother served as a bridesmaid to the late Queen Elizabeth II. She married David Rocksavage, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, in 2009, and the couple has three children. Hanbury has repeatedly rejected the allegations of an affair, calling them “completely false.”
Not that long ago, RadarOnline.com reported that Hanbury was raising eyebrows for allegedly dressing a little too much like Middleton. “Rose has always had impeccable style, but lately her looks feel calculated,” a royal source told the outlet. “Every time she steps out, she’s wearing something that mirrors Kate – right down to the designer. It’s uncanny. People in royal circles can’t help but talk about it, and Kate’s finding it increasingly uncomfortable.”
“Back in 2019, Kate was crushed by all the rumors,” an insider told the publication. “Publicly, she was advised to stay quiet, but behind closed doors, she was deeply upset and angry. Whatever friendship she’d had with Rose ended right then and there.”
That, however, doesn’t mean that Middleton is over the topic, according to the outlet. “Kate views that friendship completely differently now,” a former royal aide said. “Whenever Rose shows up at a royal event, it brings all those painful memories flooding back. The affair rumors were humiliating for her, and seeing Rose echo her style only makes it worse. It’s as if Rose wants to remind the world she’s still part of the story.”
All of this considered, it doesn’t sound out of the question that the reason we haven’t seen Middleton and Hanbury together is that Middleton would rather not be reminded of the allegations every time she shows up at a royal engagement.
The Prince and Princess of Wales‘ firstborn son Prince George is facing a big life change – the start of secondary school. George, who currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire with his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, is due to change schools in September 2026.
William and Kate are said to be deciding between the two schools, but once they have made their decision, it’s likely they will delay announcing 12-year-old George’s next educational step for a while.
Why the delay?
Melanie Sanderson, Managing Editor of The Good Schools Guide, explained why. “If the Wales family runs true to form, they will announce Prince George’s secondary school at the eleventh hour, possibly as late as September 2026,” Melanie told HELLO!
“They understand that the school itself, as well as George’s new peer group, will fall under intense scrutiny as soon as it is revealed and will probably want to minimise this, allowing the young royal to transition to his new school with as little fanfare as possible.”
Prince George is rumoured to be going to Eton College, where his father William went
As for which school George will be enrolled in, Melanie argued: “I believe Eton is the most likely choice for Prince George. In our most recent review, we describe it as ‘traditional, radical, expectation-busting and packed with confident boys with nary a hint of entitlement’. To me, this encompasses all the values we are told are important to this generation of royals.”
Prince William pictured on his first day at Eton College in September 1995. His choice of school was announced three months before
The timing of previous announcements
Looking back at William and Kate’s previous family announcements, they did indeed wait until the eleventh hour to confirm their children’s schooling. Back in 2022 when the Waleses were moving from London to Windsor, they only announced that George, Charlotte and Louis would go to Lambrook School two weeks before the academic term started.
At the time, the statement from the palace read: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have today announced that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will attend Lambrook School in Berkshire from September 2022. Their Royal Highnesses are hugely grateful to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019 respectively and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas’s.”
George, Charlotte and Louis on their first day at Lambrook School in September 2022. The palace only announced their new school two weeks before
Looking back to when George started going to nursery, Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk, his parents also only announced the news in December 2015, one month before he started in January 2016. The nursery was close to William and Kate’s home at the time, Anmer Hall, which they still use for holidays, and was more importantly located on a private road.
Similarly, when William was preparing to attend Eton College back in 1995, his parents Charles and Diana only announced the move in June, three months before William started in September.
George started at Thomas’s Battersea in September 2017. The choice of school was announced six months prior and caused a lot of hype and fanfare
As for Thomas’s Battersea, however, William and Kate actually announced George’s new school in March 2017, six months before he started attending Reception. Cue the hype and fanfare around the private London school, which the Waleses are perhaps hoping to avoid this time around.
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.”
The root reason for Prince William and Harry’s rift might have been uncovered. A new report from RadarOnline shows that the Duke of Sussex’s chemistry with Kate Middleton might have angered the heir and led to their “bitter rift.”
A former royal aide told the site that the two had a”near-fling” after Kate and William’s 2007 breakup, and said William has never fully been able to recover from the jealousy of it. “The tensions it created still echo in the present-day breakdown between the once-inseparable princes.”
The report lines up with what former butler Grant Harrold said in his bookThe Royal Butler, “They got on so well. I remember, when Prince William and Kate separated – you know, Prince Harry and Kate got on so well that I even thought that maybe Harry and she would get together.”
The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service
He continued: “They were that close. They were best friends, and I wouldn’t have put it past Harry thinking, ‘Well, she’s a pretty girl, my brother didn’t want her. I’ll have her.’
“That wouldn’t have surprised me at all. So it could have been Harry and Catherine easily, I would have thought. But, you know, thankfully William got her back. What I’m trying to say is, that is how close they were.”
A senior royal source told the site that these thoughts “hit a nerve” for William because “everyone inside the family knew Harry and Kate shared a natural ease with each other,” and that William often struggled to see the side of it.
They continued, “William has always been more guarded, while Kate and Harry clicked instantly. People noticed it – including William. When they split, he knew there was a tiny window where anything could have happened.”
The two’s bond reportedly “created complications” with the brothers “long before his future wife Meghan Markle ever entered the picture.”
The insider said: “William would never admit it, but he hated the idea that Kate and Harry might have worked as a couple. It was a jealousy that wasn’t romantic – it was about loyalty, attention, the fear of being overshadowed.”
“They were genuinely close – laughing, teasing, finishing each other’s jokes. You could see why Harrold thought it was possible. And you could see why William didn’t like the speculation. It planted a seed that never really went away.”
Now it seems like there seems to be an effort for reconciliation between the brothers. The gossip site recently reported that the two are willing to meet. “He’s not heartless – part of him really misses how things used to be, the jokes, the closeness,” the source said, indicating, however, that the trust still needs to be rebuilt between the pair.
If those reports are to be believed, the rest of the family is pushing hard for reconciliation. “Kate often tells him that their mother would be devastated to see them like this. She keeps urging him to rise above it and take the first step. Charles, on the other hand, just wants peace – he’s longing for the day his sons can be in the same room without it turning into a showdown.”
“The ceremony will also highlight the stories of some of the assembly’s exceptional guests, who are leading by example and helping to create a more caring society,” the release continued. “This year, the evening will bring people together to celebrate love in all its forms, whether it’s love within families, through friendships, between communities, or even through powerful moments of connection with strangers. In a world that can often seem fragmented and disconnected, love is the force that reconnects us all, across generations, communities, cultures, and beliefs. As we approach the Christmas season, we summon the power of solidarity [and that of] compassion, kindness, and joy.”
Since its launch in 2021 to pay tribute to all those who mobilized to help during the Covid-19 crisis, the “Together at Christmas” concert has honored special guests who have given back to their communities. Last year, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all attended the event with Princess Kate and their father, Prince William.
For the latest edition of the carol concert, the details extend beyond the ancient interior of the Abbey: a decorative creation will be installed in front of the building by botanist and horticulturist Jamie Butterworth. Inside, wreaths designed by the Royal Horticultural Society in partnership with British ambassadors and schoolchildren will be on display—a nice nod to the important place nature occupies in the princess’s life. Indeed, Kate has often spoken of how walks in the open air, in contact with flora and fauna, helped her during her treatment for and recovery from cancer.
Kate is also keen to pay tribute to the Duchess of Kent, who died in September at the age of 92. The memory of this important member of the royal family will be celebrated in music by the young members of the Future Talent association, which she co-founded to awaken and encourage the artistic talents of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Katharine Worsley was herself a music teacher.
The Prince of Wales, 43, popped in unexpectedly during the 20th anniversary episode of the competition dance show to share a few words of encouragement with Irwin, an Earthshot Prize ambassador for William’s environmental initiative, which aims to find innovative solutions to repair and protect the planet.
Irwin, 21, told his dancing partner Witney Carson that he was supposed to be in Brazil for the Earthshot Prize awards in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 5 but he had to tell William, “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m still here.”
“We’re missing you, Robert,” William said in a video message. “Whilst your twinkle toes are going off elsewhere, I need you down here.”
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William told Carson that she needs to “get him in as much glitter as you can.”
“Guys, you’ve got a seriously good chance of winning it,” William said during the FaceTime call. “So, just the best of luck on the show.”
“I can’t believe he just said my name,” Carson said.
Irwin went on to say that he was dedicating his foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s Footprints in the Sand to his sister, Bindi, 27.
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“We are doing this dance for Bindi, and we are doing this dance for Prince William, so let’s not mess this up,” he said.
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Bindi had danced to the same song during her time on Season 21 of DWTS, which she won alongside professional dancer Derek Hough.
“A part of me healed that day. So now I hope that Robert gets that same experience,” Bindi said.
At the end of the number, Bindi joined her brother and Carson on stage and they wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders before kneeling as scenes of their childhood with their late father, Steve Irwin, were projected onto the ballroom floor.
Irwin and Carson celebrated after receiving their perfect score of 40 for their dance to the song, honouring his late father.
Irwin shared the dance on Instagram, with the caption, “Tonight was healing. This dance was emotional, beautiful and so deeply meaningful. I carry Dad’s legacy with me in everything I do, and it was a privilege to dedicate our foxtrot to him.”
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“Thank you @bindisueirwin for inspiring us with your freestyle to this song, and thank you @witneycarson for once again choreographing such a beautiful story through dance and for creating a space for me to convey raw emotions that I’ve never gotten to share before,” he continued.
“I’m a proud Wildlife Warrior, and I’ll always carry on my dad’s mission. I’m so grateful that I can do that in the ballroom.”
To mark Armistice Day on Tuesday, Prince William delivered a speech via video, encouraging young people to participate in remembrance commemorations and emphasizing the importance of wearing a poppy.
In his message for the Royal British Legion’s “Remembrance Assembly,” which was open to students between the ages of 9 to 14, the Prince of Wales said the day was “a reminder that Remembrance is for everyone.”
“When we remember, we connect with service in a personal way. We learn from the courage of others, and we carry their stories forward, so they are not forgotten. It’s not just about the past — it’s about shaping who we become in the future,” William, who served in the navy, the army and the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom, said. “Remembrance teaches us empathy, resilience, and responsibility. And when we wear a red poppy or take a moment of silence, we are saying, ‘Thank you. We have not forgotten, and we will not forget.’”
In the UK, the poppy symbolizes respect and remembrance for those who have died in active service. The tradition comes from the 1915 wartime poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae which describes red poppies growing between the graves of the fallen. The poppy is seen as both a symbol of bloodshed but also of hope and renewal.
Some view King Charles’s unprecedented decision to formally remove Andrew’s titles as a warning to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
“There’s a clear message from the very top,” says a source close to the royals. “William is ruthless when it comes to the monarchy and protecting its reputation. If anyone—and that includes the Sussexes—[is] seen to be damaging the reputation of the monarchy, there will be serious repercussions. Harry wants to come back to Britain more. Charles has opened the door, but William is more cautious. He’s tough and resolute and very protective of his family, and he will allow no one to damage it.”
According to another source, William spent time with his father in Scotland last month discussing how to deal with what is apparently known as “the Andrew problem.”
“The king doesn’t like confrontation and had concerns about cutting Andrew out completely. He is worried about Andrew being a loose cannon. William has been much firmer from the outset. He has no sentimental attachment to Andrew; he thinks he is toxic and wants him as far away as possible.
They both agreed the family needed to distance itself from Andrew, and robust action needed to happen. On that, they were absolutely aligned.”
In recent weeks, leaked emails emerged showing that Andrew continued to keep in touch with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein for some time after he claimed he cut off contact in a 2019 Newsnight interview with journalist Emily Maitlis. Soon after, Andrew’s princely status and royal orders were revoked.
The former Prince Andrew has been in the middle of numerous scandals in his life, a lot of them related to his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But Andrew has faced very little in the way of consequences for all he’s done. And even now, as he’s been stripped of his title and banished to Sandringham, his expenses will continue to be covered by his brother, the king, and he will continue not to be required to give any explanations.
Not just that, there are reportedly no plans to pass a law to formally remove Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from the line of succession, according to the BBC. That means that he remains eighth in line to the throne, as it would take an act of Parliament to remove him.
Buckingham Palace announced on October 30th that the former prince would now be called Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. This is all part of the fallout from his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which was brought back into the conversation by a new biography about Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, as well as a book by Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre titled Nobody’s Girl, who claimed she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. In an infamous 2019 interview that cost Andrew his status as working royal, he claimed he’d never met Giuffre, just before pictures of the two together were released by the media. Just recently, leaked emails showed that his ex-wife, Fergie, apologized to Epstein mere weeks after publicly disowning him, back in 2011.
All of this came after both Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew were photographed with other members of the royal family at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral, which seemed to grant legitimacy to the former couple and raised eyebrows considering Andrew’s numerous scandals.
That, in particular, seemed to have upset William, who The Mirror reported was determined “not be photographed” with his uncle, and has done his best to avoid him in public in recent years. According to royal author Andrew Lownie: “William, meanwhile, was ‘furious’ at being ambushed in this way, according to friends.”
“He has been at pains to distance himself from his uncle and not be photographed with him. He believes his father has not dealt with him with sufficient firmness and that Andrew – and Sarah Ferguson – have done much to undermine the good work of other members of the Royal Family.”
Despite that, Andrew remains very much part of the family, even if he’s been sort of exiled. Losing titles and having to move from a mansion to another smaller house where everything is paid for you isn’t that big of a punishment. All of this, in many ways, feels like the royals trying to do the quick damage control they always refused to do. Whether it works to sway public perception that they’ve been protecting Andrew all this time, however, remains to be seen.
In a bid to reduce his carbon footprint, William flew on a commercial flight ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony, which will mark five years of his environmental initiative. Every year, five finalists are each awarded £1M (which converts to about $1,305,260 USD) to put their plans into practice. Aides have described the awards as William’s legacy project and something that will continue when he becomes king.
In a recent interview with HELLO!Magazine, William said, “As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit. I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity, and a sense of hope about the future. But I also know that unless we act boldly now, that future is at risk. The Earthshot Prize is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow.”
William has the full support of his father, King Charles, who encouraged him to establish the awards as a way to find solutions around the globe to protect and save the planet.
Prince William playing volleyball on Copacabana Beach.Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
On Monday, William took a cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain, where he chatted with Brazilians and posed for selfies. He also visited the Maracanã stadium, where the soccer-loving royal met Brazilian legend Cafu. William and Cafu joined an event for young environmental campaigners, where William spoke about the importance of leadership and told the young people, “You guys are my hope, you’ve got the passion, the ambition, that’s what this needs.”
All eyes lately have been on the former Prince Andrew and his scandals. And when they haven’t, they’ve been on his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, or their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. But the royal family issues don’t stop there, and never have. In fact, it seems like with more eyes on the British royals these days, we are learning more and more about who they are and how they relate to each other. And not much of it is good.
The Daily Mail is now reporting that Queen Camilla and Prince William were instrumental in the decision to strip Andrew of his Prince title, with sources claiming William was “smoldering on the sidelines” over Andrew’s initial statement. Reports indicate Queen Camilla, meanwhile, was “really riled” by it and began “urging her husband” to take “decisive action” against his brother.
“[William] was fuming that the King had previously fudged dealing with Andrew and allowed him to make an earlier statement making him seem very honorable,” a source revealed. “The late Queen went to her grave believing in Andrew’s innocence in the Epstein scandal. It doesn’t fit well with the King to have to treat Andrew as harshly as he has to. William and Camilla take a harder line which has caused a lot of family angst.”
The disgraced former prince is set to leave Royal Lodge, which he has shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2008, and will now live at Sandringham. His move is said to be funded by King Charles. Sarah Ferguson is reportedly moving somewhere else and will not continue living with Andrew.
All of this comes amid reports that things between Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla aren’t exactly great. “What’s happening now feels like the fiercest clash we’ve seen between two senior royal women in years,” a source told RadarOnline.com. “Camilla feels sidelined, while Kate’s growing confidence and visibility are unsettling her,” explaining, “Both are aware that the balance of power is shifting – and neither is prepared to step back quietly.”
Camilla took on many more responsibilities when King Charles and Kate Middleton were sidelined with cancer, and reports indicate she has taken Middleton’s return to public duties and the spotlight that brings very hard. “Camilla worked hard to establish herself after years of criticism, and she doesn’t like the idea of being overshadowed,” an insider said. “Kate’s return has been polished, professional and very ‘queenly’ – it’s obvious she’s positioning herself for the future, and that’s making Camilla uneasy.”
Kate Middleton is, indeed, the future Queen, so the whole thing seems rather silly to begin with. But the two have reportedly pushed for a larger role as King Charles has continued his cancer treatment. “It’s subtle, but it’s there – in which events they attend, how much coverage each gets and even the tone of official briefings. You can feel the competition,” a palace source said, with reports even categorizing their relationship as “icy” and their issues as “impossible to ignore.”
What does that mean for William? Well, considering his not-so-great history with Camilla, it’s fair to say he’ll probably be on his wife’s side in whatever disagreement.
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.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have moved into what they hope will be their “home for life.” The couple and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, have bid farewell to Adelaide Cottage, where they had been living since late summer 2022, to take up discreet residence at Forest Lodge, a magnificent 19th-century manor house, also located on Windsor’s Great Park. The move took place during the All Saints’ vacation, which ended on Sunday, November 2, according to the Telegraph.
The couple’s move was confirmed by Kensington Palace last August. It was scheduled to take place “before Christmas,” but some renovation and modernization work, both inside and out, was reportedly completed ahead of schedule, allowing the timeline to shift. The necessary renovations, as well as the installation of privacy measures, are said to have been financed by the future king, William, himself. The family’s belongings were gradually moved from one house to another so that the move could be completed before the end of the school holidays, the Telegraph reported.
The red-brick mansion offers more space than the Prince and Princess of Wales’s previous home. Adelaide Cottage has four bedrooms, while Forest Lodge has twice as many. There’s also plenty of green space, including a pond and tennis court. By moving into Forest Lodge, the Waleses are staying in Windsor’s Great Park, where they love the peace and tranquillity of the green expanses, while remaining close to Windsor Castle and London—a good hour’s drive away—where they regularly travel on official business. As the old and new houses are only a 10 minute drive apart, the family will be able to maintain their usual routines. The children will continue to attend Lambrook School.
