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Tag: royalty and monarchy

  • Princess Catherine Fast Facts | CNN

    Princess Catherine Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here is a look at the life of the Princess of Wales, the former Catherine (Kate) Middleton.

    Birth date: January 9, 1982

    Birth place: Reading, Berkshire, England

    Birth name: Catherine Elizabeth Middleton

    Father: Michael Middleton, former airline pilot, now mail-order business owner

    Mother: Carole (Goldsmith) Middleton, former flight attendant

    Marriage: Prince William, The Prince of Wales (April 29, 2011-present)

    Children: George Alexander Louis, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and Louis Arthur Charles

    Education: University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, 2005, MA, Art History

    Is the eldest of three children of self-made millionaires.

    Her engagement ring belonged to Princess Diana.

    2001 – Meets Prince William at University of St. Andrews.

    2002-2005 – Shares living quarters with William and several other college students.

    2003 – Begins dating Prince William around Christmas.

    April 1, 2004 – First public sighting of the couple, a ski trip in Switzerland, is reported.

    2006-2007 – Works as an accessories buyer for British ladies’ fashion chain store Jigsaw.

    March 2007 – Ends relationship with Prince William, but within months they are on again.

    October 2010 – Becomes engaged to Prince William during a trip to Kenya.

    November 16, 2010 – Prince Charles officially announces the engagement to the world.

    April 19, 2011 – The Middleton family coat of arms is unveiled.

    April 29, 2011 – Marries Prince William at Westminster Abbey and becomes Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.

    June 2011 – The Duke and Duchess make an apartment on the grounds of Kensington Palace their London home.

    June 30-July 8, 2011 – The couple’s first official trip to a foreign country, Canada.

    July 8-10, 2011 – Visits Los Angeles, where she and William visit a job fair for veterans and an arts center in a low-income neighborhood. It is her first trip to the United States.

    July 22, 2011 – Her wedding dress is put on display at Buckingham Palace.

    January 5, 2012 – Announces the four charities she will support as a patron: the Art Room, which helps disadvantaged children express themselves through art; the National Portrait Gallery, which houses a famous collection of royal paintings and photographs; East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, which helps children with life-threatening conditions; and Action on Addiction, which assists those with addiction issues.

    March 19, 2012 – Gives her first official public address at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice facility in Ipswich, England.

    September 2012 – The French magazine Closer runs photographs of the Duchess privately sunbathing topless. The pictures also run in the Irish Daily Star newspaper.

    September 17, 2012 – The Duchess and William file a complaint in France against the photographer who took the topless sunbathing pictures. They are seeking damages and would like to prevent further publication of the photos. The French magazine Closer, the Irish Daily Star and the Italian magazine Chi have each published some of the topless photos.

    December 3, 2012 – The royal household announces that the Duchess is pregnant. According to the announcement, she is admitted to hospital with acute morning sickness.

    July 22, 2013 – The Duchess gives birth to the couple’s first child, a son weighing 8 lbs., 6 oz. The baby is named Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

    May 2, 2015 – The Duchess gives birth to the couple’s second child, a daughter weighing 8 lbs, 3 oz. The baby is named Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge.

    February 17, 2016 – Guest edits Huffington Post UK as part of her Young Minds Matter initiative.

    April 30, 2016 – As part of a partnership with the British National Portrait Gallery, the Duchess will appear on the cover of the centenary issue of fashion magazine British Vogue, and have two of her portraits hung in the gallery.

    September 4, 2017 – Kensington Palace issues a statement that the Duchess is pregnant. The baby will be her and Prince William’s third child.

    September 5, 2017 – A French court rules that the topless sunbathing pictures of the Duchess were an invasion of privacy, awarding her and William 100,000 euros (about $119,000) in damages.

    April 23, 2018 – The Duchess gives birth to the couple’s third child, a son weighing 8 lbs., 7 oz. The baby is named Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge.

    November 27, 2020 – The Duchess and the Royal Foundation release the findings of a study on how Covid-19 has impacted parents and caregivers of those raising children under the age of five. The study relied in part on a survey of more than half a million people about the early childhood years in the UK.

    June 18, 2021 – The Duchess launches The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. In a video announcing the center’s creation, the duchess says the goal is to “raise awareness of why the first five years of life are just so important for our future life outcomes.”

    September 8, 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II dies, and Charles ascends to the throne.

    September 10, 2022 – King Charles III announces William will be given the title Prince of Wales, making Catherine Princess of Wales.

    January 17, 2024 – Kensington Palace says the Princess of Wales will spend up to two weeks recovering in hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery.

    March 11, 2024 – Apologizes for an edited official photograph that was recalled by a number of international news agencies over concerns it had been manipulated. Catherine says she is sorry for “any confusion” caused by the image after her “experiment” with photo editing. The photograph, released to mark Mother’s Day in the UK, was the first official picture of Catherine since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

    March 22, 2024 – Reveals she has been diagnosed with cancer and is in the “early stages” of treatment.

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  • New audio of Princess Diana claims Charles was disappointed at having boy, not girl, when Prince Harry was born | CNN

    New audio of Princess Diana claims Charles was disappointed at having boy, not girl, when Prince Harry was born | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    New audio has been released of Princess Diana talking about how Britain’s Prince Charles – now King Charles III – was disappointed that they were having a boy, not a girl, when Prince Harry was born.

    The late princess recorded a series of audio tapes in the 1990s and had them secretly delivered to author Andrew Morton before her death in a high-speed car crash in 1997.

    Some of the audio is being heard for the first time ahead of a documentary coming out next year called, “Diana: The Rest of Her Story.”

    Thursday marked 26 years since Diana’s death.

    ABC’s Good Morning America got an exclusive listen to the tapes in which Diana says her husband wouldn’t even talk to her stepmother Raine Spencer.

    “Because at Harry’s Christening, Charles went up to mummy and said, ‘You know we were so disappointed, we thought it would be a girl,’” she said.

    “And mummy snapped his head off and said, ‘You should realize how lucky you are to have a child that’s normal,’” she recalled.

    Diana said ever since that day, “a shutter’s come down, and that’s what he does when he gets somebody answering back at him.”

    Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced in January, 2020 that they were stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family and planned to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America, as they worked towards becoming financially independent.

    In response, late Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement then that they would no longer be performing work duties and would cease receiving public funds for royal duties.

    Since then, they have been featured in a Netflix docuseries critical of how the media and the royal family treated them, while Harry recounted his past in his memoir Spare.

    In the newly released recordings, Diana also discusses the troubled relationship she had with her stepmother.

    “And I said, ‘I hate you so much. If you only knew how much we all hated you for what you’ve done. You’ve ruined the house. You’ve spent Daddy’s money.’ I said everything I possibly could,” she said.

    She recalled Spencer reacting by saying she had “no idea how much pain your mother put your father through.”

    The late Princess responded: ‘Pain, Raine? That’s one word you don’t even know how to relate to. In my job and in my role, I see people suffer like you’ve never seen. And you call that pain? I said, you’ve got a lot to learn.’ I remember really going for her gullet.”

    Her biographer Andrew Morton told ABC’s Good Morning America Friday that there is a real “poignancy” in hearing her voice and first-hand views of the monarchy.

    “She never thought for a second that Camilla would become queen, so we have a very different perspective on unfolding history,” Morton said.

    There are seven hours of tapes in total. When asked if he would release more audio, Morton said, “There is global interest, but we’ll have to see what happens.”

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  • Biden meets King Charles III for the first time since coronation | CNN Politics

    Biden meets King Charles III for the first time since coronation | CNN Politics

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    President Joe Biden and King Charles III on Monday met for the first time since the British monarch ascended to the throne, with the US president visiting Windsor Castle for all the pomp and circumstance that comes with a royal meeting.

    Biden arrived to inspect an honor guard formed of the Prince of Wales Company of the Welsh Guards – with hundreds of uniformed troops, and its military band – positioned on the grassy quadrangle before a tent. The band played “God Save the King” upon the monarch’s arrival and “The Star-Spangled Banner” upon Biden’s entrance.

    The moment marked Biden’s second trip to Windsor Castle since taking office – the president met the King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at her home just outside London in June 2021. The Queen met 12 US presidents spanning her reign, all but President Lyndon Johnson. The president said at the time the Queen wanted to know about Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Biden was meeting in Switzerland days after their visit, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Biden said he wished he could have spoken to the Queen for longer. “She was very generous,” he told reporters.

    This latest meeting with Charles was a closely watched moment for how the King balances his traditionally apolitical role with a cause he is passionate about that has become a signature priority. Biden has called climate change “the existential threat to human existence as we know it.”

    Biden, Sullivan told reporters, “has huge respect for the king’s commitment on the climate issue in particular. He has been a clarion voice on this issue and more than that, has been an actor – someone who’s mobilized action and effort. And so the president comes at this with enormous goodwill at this relationship,” Sullivan said, calling Monday’s engagement an opportunity to “deepen the personal bond” and “harness their shared interest in trying to drive climate progress and climate action.”

    Biden, King Charles and special envoy for climate John Kerry met with private sector company leaders at a climate event. The group discussed barriers to private investment, and Biden was expected to encourage those in attendance to “step up to their responsibilities,” while also highlighting public investment, Sullivan said.

    WINDSOR, ENGLAND - JULY 10: King Charles III and US President Joe Biden pose in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023 in Windsor, England.

    In keeping with US tradition, Biden did not travel to London for the coronation, but first lady Dr. Jill Biden and granddaughter Finnegan Biden attended the ceremony. Both the president and first lady did make the trip across the Atlantic for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year.

    Earlier on Monday, Biden kicked off the first full day of his trip abroad with a London visit aimed at bolstering the US-UK “special relationship” on the eve of a high-stakes summit with NATO leaders.

    Biden arrived at 10 Downing Street and was greeted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of discussions on a range of issues, including Ukraine, a topic on which the two leaders have closely coordinated. Biden recounted all of the places he’s met with Sunak – from San Diego, California, to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Hiroshima, Japan, to Washington, DC – six times in the six months since the prime minister took office.

    US President Joe Biden, right, shakes hands with Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, ahead of their meeting at Downing Street in London, UK, on Monday, July 10, 2023.

    “Couldn’t be meeting with a closer friend or greater ally. Got a lot to talk about,” Biden said, adding, “Our relationship is rock solid. … And I look forward to our discussions.”

    Sunak welcomed Biden back to 10 Downing Street, which he was visiting for the first time as president, saying he is “very privileged and fortunate to have you here.”

    He said they would be strengthening cooperation on joint economic security, as well as discussing the NATO alliance.

    “We head from here to NATO in Vilnius, where we stand as two of the firmest allies in that alliance and I know we want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security. Great pleasure to have you here,” Sunak said.

    Their meeting came after the US announced Friday that it will be sending cluster munitions to Ukraine for the first time, a rare topic on which the US and United Kingdom publicly disagree. The UK, Sunak told reporters Saturday, is “signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use.”

    Sunak continued, “We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we’ve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine.”

    National security adviser Jake Sullivan downplayed any concern that Biden’s decision to send cluster munitions would present any “fracture” with allied countries that oppose the use of such equipment, suggesting that Sunak was stating a “legal position” as he highlighted broader US-UK unity.

    “The prime minister stated the UK’s legal position, that they are a signatory to the Oslo Convention. The United States is not. That being a signatory means discouraging the use of these weapons. He fulfilled his legal obligation, but I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what we’re trying to accomplish and as united as ever, both in this conflict and writ large,” Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday.

    Sullivan noted that the US has not received any negative feedback from NATO allies regarding the decision.

    “That will be repeated, in my view, with all the leaders of the alliance. I do not think you will see fracture, division, or disunity… as a result of this decision. Even though many allies – the signatories to Oslo – are in a position where they themselves cannot say, ‘We are for cluster munitions.’ But we have heard nothing from people saying this cast doubt on our commitment, this cast doubt on coalition unity, or this cast doubt on our belief that the United States is playing a vital and positive role as leader of this coalition in Ukraine,” he said.

    A Defense Department release on the US’ latest equipment drawdown also said that the decision was made following “extensive consultations with Congress and our Allies and partners.”

    In a readout following the meeting, the White House said Biden and Sunak “reviewed preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius.”

    “They reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression,” the White House said, adding the two leaders also discussed last month’s newly announced economic partnership and developments in Northern Ireland, including “efforts to ensure continued progress there.”

    Later Monday, the president departs London for Vilnius, Lithuania, where NATO leaders will gather for critical meetings amid the war in Ukraine and last month’s failed coup attempt in Russia, posing the biggest threat to global stability for the alliance in recent history.

    Following the NATO Summit, Biden travels to Helsinki, Finland, where he will offer a notable show of support to Nordic countries during a summit with the leaders of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark.

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  • Prince William believes you can have zero homelessness and he’s using Finland as a case study | CNN

    Prince William believes you can have zero homelessness and he’s using Finland as a case study | CNN

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    Prince William believes you can have zero homelessness and he’s using Finland as a case study.

    The Prince of Wales is launching a five-year, locally led plan in six flagship locations around the UK that will demonstrate it is possible to end homelessness, Kensington Palace announced on Monday.

    The program, “Homewards,” will bring together “an unprecedented network of organisations and individuals,” tapping into their collective expertise to “create and deliver a tailored plan to prevent homelessness in their areas,” the palace said.

    It will provide up to £500,000 ($637,000) of flexible seed funding in each of the six locations – which will be announced later this week – to support projects, and findings from the program will be used to create a model that can be used elsewhere across the UK and internationally.

    “In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need,” the Prince of Wales said in a statement Monday, marking the launch of his first big initiative as heir to the throne.

    “Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and over the next five years, give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented when we collaborate.”

    The project draws inspiration from Finland’s “Housing First” policy which unconditionally offers rental homes with contracts to people experiencing homelessness, as well as support if needed and wanted.

    Finland’s successful homelessness policy “has been the leading example for a number of years,” Matt Downie, CEO of homeless charity Crisis told reporters. Its collaborative approach and “the whole of society committing for the long term” is key to its success, added a spokesperson for the Royal Foundation, the charity established by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

    Similarly, William said in an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times last week that he hopes to bring “all the wonderful people and pieces together of the puzzle.”

    “And from that, we can then get other councils in other parts of the country to copy,” he added. “It’s about that momentum. So you go, ‘Right, we can fix this and we will fix this.’”

    William was careful to stress that he wasn’t trying to interfere with government policy, saying that his plan “is an additive to what is already being done.”

    His initiative will also focus on reframing the issue and improving understanding among the general public.

    More than 300,000 people in the UK are affected by homelessness, research from the Royal Foundation found, though the number is likely to be larger given the number of people sofa surfing, living in cars, or staying in hostels or other types of temporary accommodation.

    Over the next two days, William will travel to each of the six locations to formally kickstart the program.

    William has long used his platform to spotlight homelessness, ever since his mother, Princess Diana, first took him to homeless shelters as a child.

    “I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem,” he wrote in a piece last year published in The Big Issue, a magazine which offers employment opportunities to people in poverty.

    He took up Princess Diana’s patronage of the homelessness charity Centrepoint in 2005, spent a night sleeping rough in temperatures that reached -4 degrees Celsius (24.8 degrees Fahrenheit) four years later, and spent two days volunteering with Centrepoint, helping young people directly with its accommodation services.

    Last year, William attempted to go undercover on the streets of London and sell The Big Issue to “experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor,” he wrote in the magazine afterwards.

    Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.

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  • King Charles III to ride on horseback in first official birthday parade | CNN

    King Charles III to ride on horseback in first official birthday parade | CNN

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    King Charles III will revive a royal tradition when he rides on horseback in the first Trooping the Colour of his reign, which marks the British sovereign’s official birthday.

    The traditional military spectacle returns on Saturday and is a staple in the royal diary drawing huge crowds to central London. Charles’ actual birthday is in November and is typically celebrated privately.

    He will join 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians as they file from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park for the ceremony watched by members of the royal family.

    It’s the first time a reigning monarch has ridden in the procession since Queen Elizabeth II in 1986.

    He’ll be joined on horseback by the royal colonels including Prince William, who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards and Princess Anne, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals. The event is described by the palace as “a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare.”

    Well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags gathered early to claim prime positions along the Mall outside the royal residence in the hours ahead of the parade.

    The monarch is head of Britain’s armed forces and would traditionally lead an army into war. During the ceremony at Horse Guards, the monarch will take the salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division’s seven regiments before he is given a chance to review and approve his army.

    Queen Camilla will join her husband as they watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their color, or regimental flag, in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers. The regiment will carry out intricate battlefield drill maneuvers to music, with Kensington Palace describing this year’s musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme,” with new compositions from the band specially for the occasion.

    After the parade, the royal party will return to Buckingham Palace and watch an extended military flypast. A similar display had to be scaled back after the King’s coronation last month because of poor weather.

    Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take to the skies from 15 locations around the UK before converging to fly across the British capital, according to the Ministry of Defence. The impressive aerial presentation will include aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, Typhoon fighter jets and culminate with a display from the famous RAF Red Arrows.

    “We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for His Majesty the King,” Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton said ahead of the event.

    “We have planned a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that should be a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”

    There will also be a 41-gun salute in nearby Green Park from The King’s Troop, with a second salute of 62 guns fired at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, the City of London’s Army Reserves.

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  • Prince Harry gives tense testimony in historic courtroom battle against British media | CNN Business

    Prince Harry gives tense testimony in historic courtroom battle against British media | CNN Business

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    Prince Harry has become the first senior British royal to give evidence on a witness stand in 132 years, as his bitter fight against the UK’s tabloid press came to a head in tense courtroom showdown on Tuesday.

    Harry is suing a big British newspaper group, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), alleging the publisher’s journalists hacked his phone and used other illicit means to gather information about his life between 1996 and 2009.

    Follow live updates from the courtroom here.

    As the landmark hearing got underway at the High Court in London, Prince Harry answered questions in a measured, almost hushed tone. He appeared nervous at first, and was at one point asked to raise his voice.

    He faced forensic and detailed questioning from MGN’s lawyer, Andrew Green who probed him on the specifics of his claims and occasionally left him scrambling to recall sections of his written statement or find pieces of evidence.

    But the Duke of Sussex brought to court an overriding argument that he has previously made on television programs and in podcast interviews: that the media’s intrusion and tactics caused him significant distress and wrecked some of his closest relationships.

    And he increasingly asserted himself as the testimony wore on, clashing at times with the publisher’s lawyer as they dissected reams of press coverage and legalese.

    “Some editors and journalists do have blood on their hands” for the distress caused to him, Harry told the court at one point – and “perhaps, inadvertently death,” he added, in reference to his mother Princess Diana.

    Here’s what we learned as Harry began giving evidence on Tuesday.

    Tuesday’s courtroom session touched on dozens of snippets from Harry’s youth, repeated aloud in court as the prince and MGN’s lawyer parsed over the fine details of several news articles.

    Harry’s diagnosis with the “kissing disease,” also known as mono; his teenage trips to the pub; his broken thumb and a back injury sustained in a game of polo; his gap year afternoons on the beach; and Princess Diana’s trips to collect him from school – all were all the subject of stories entered into evidence, and each was dissected by Green and the duke.

    Overall, the prince alleges that about 140 articles published in titles belonging to Mirror Group contained information gathered using unlawful methods, and 33 of those articles have been selected to be considered at the trial.

    In the courtroom on Tuesday, Harry said that “every single article has caused me distress.”

    “All of these articles played an important role – a destructive role – in my growing up,” Harry said. The newspapers in question were on constantly display “in every single palace, unfortunately,” while he was growing up. At school, fellow students and others would read the articles, he said. Harry described the level of coverage as “incredibly invasive.”

    Green began by attempting to establish whether Harry remembered reading the articles in question at the time of publication. When the duke conceded he could not always recall, Green pressed him on how he could realistically argue they could have affected him so strongly. It was a theme to which Green would often return.

    In a written statement entered into the court record on Tuesday, Harry expressed concern that his conversations with family and friends may have been intercepted. He noted that he and his brother, Prince William, “naturally discussed personal aspects of our lives as we trusted each other with the private information we shared.”

    He said private information about his life was raised on voicemails left on the phones of his father Charles and his mother Diana.

    Prince Harry at his school, Eton, in 2003. The period being examined in the trial covers Harry's teenage years and his early 20s.

    Harry said that he would discuss “private and sensitive matters regarding our family and personal lives” on voicemails left on the phone of the then Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, he said. The Duke listed a number of other friends with whom he had been in contact, including the late TV presenter Caroline Flack, in his witness statement.

    He said he recalled “unusual mobile activity” relating to his voicemails that he dismissed at the time, but now alleges was caused by phone hacking.

    “I remember on multiple occasions hearing a voicemail for the first time that wasn’t ‘new’,” he wrote. “I would simply put it down to perhaps a technical glitch, as mobile phones were still relatively new back then, or even just having too many drinks the night before (and having forgotten that I’d listened to it).”

    Also in his written statement, Harry argued that the press actively tried to ruin his relationships. “I always felt as if the tabloids wanted me to be single, as I was much more interesting to them and sold more newspapers,” Harry wrote.

    “Whilst they would, of course, report on my successes in life, it seemed to me that they took far greater pleasure in knocking me down, time and time again,” he added.

    Harry claimed that papers would go about that task by putting “strain” on his relationships and creating distrust between him and his partners. He spoke regularly about one of his former girlfriends, Chelsy Davy, alleging journalists would find out about flight details to photograph her at airports, and would book rooms in the same hotels as the couple when they were on vacation.

    The duke evidently believes that continues to be the case since his marriage to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. “This twisted objective is still pursued to this day even though I’m now married,” he wrote.

    There was a throng of media outside the court on Tuesday.

    The atmosphere in court was occasionally tense. “Are we not, Prince Harry, in the realms of total speculation,” Green asked Harry at one point on Tuesday, after an exchange over a story about the teen prince breaking his thumb. Green had quizzed the duke about which specific illicit means of newsgathering Harry was alleging.

    “I’m not the one who wrote the article,” Harry replied.

    “No, but you’re the one who’s bringing the claim,” Green said.

    Earlier in the morning, when discussing Harry’s use of a landline phone to talk to his mother from school, Harry suggested that either that phone or Diana’s could have been hacked.

    “That’s just speculation you’ve come up with now,” Green said in response.

    The exchanges between Harry and Green ultimately settled into a predictable pattern; when a new article was brought up, Green would press Harry on how he could know that the information was obtained illegally, and not through typical means.

    Harry would often respond that he couldn’t fathom how information would have made its way into newspapers without illicit involvement. And he would repeatedly assert that the journalists who wrote the stories, not the subject of the stories, should answer questions about their sourcing.

    There were times during the back-and-forth between Harry and Green when the prince appeared uncomfortable or unaware of the minutiae of his case.

    Harry at one point joked that he was being put through a “workout” by having to repeatedly reach for bundles of evidence, stacked in folders beside him.

    Green offered to arrange for someone to help the prince navigate the evidence, and Harry would often reply “if you say so,” when Green sought to establish details of the articles the prince’s team entered into evidence.

    After a brief mid-morning recess, the judge asked Harry to raise his voice to ensure he could be heard throughout the courtroom, telling the duke that a number of observers in the courtroom had struggled to hear him.

    The questioning was far more intense and detailed than anything Harry has experienced in the many television and podcast interviews he has given on the topic of press intrusion.

    And Green sought to poke a number of holes in Harry’s argument, including that Harry was initially unaware of several specific stories, or that details in those stories could not have come through phone hacking as they had already been reported by other outlets.

    In a lengthy witness statement and over the course of an hours-long testimony, the Duke of Sussex touched on a number of topics. They included:

    The British government: Harry criticized the current Conservative government in his written testimony, in particular for what he described as an overly close relationship with the media.

    “On a national level as, at the moment, our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government – both of which I believe are at rock bottom,” Harry wrote.

    He added that Rishi Sunak’s government “clearly have no appetite” for press regulation, “because their friends in the press said so.”

    Piers Morgan: The British broadcaster was the editor of The Mirror from 1995 to 2004, and has been intensely critical of the duke and his wife, Meghan, in recent years. “The thought of Piers Morgan and his band of journalists earwigging into my mother’s private and sensitive messages … makes me feel physically sick,” Harry wrote in his evidence.

    He claimed that, in response to his lawsuit, “myself and my wife have been subjected to a barrage of horrific personal attacks and intimidation from Piers Morgan,” suggesting that Morgan has taken the stance “in the hope that I will back down.”

    Morgan has been unapologetic about his criticism of the pair, calling them “repulsive narcissistic hypocrites” in one December tweet.

    The Queen’s concerns: Harry said he had recently learned that Queen Elizabeth II had a member of her staff secretly fly to Australia in 2003, and stay in a house down the road from where Harry was staying on his gap year.

    “She was concerned about the extent of the coverage of my trip and wanted someone I knew to be nearby, in case I needed support,” Harry wrote.

    At the time Harry had been photographed on the beach with friends – photos that Harry claims must have been obtained illicitly, because he did not understand how any journalists would know he was there.

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  • Prince Harry is already back in the US after quick coronation appearance | CNN

    Prince Harry is already back in the US after quick coronation appearance | CNN

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    It was just a short trip back to the UK for Prince Harry, who attended the coronation of his father, King Charles III, in London on Saturday.

    The Duke of Sussex immediately flew back to California, where he resides with his wife and two children, catching a commercial flight shortly after the coronation service concluded, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

    British Airways flight attendants confirmed Prince Harry had been on a flight that landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7:30 p.m. local (10:30 p.m. ET) Saturday, PA Media reported.

    Harry’s appearance at his father’s big day was the first time he had been seen publicly with his family since the release of his explosive memoir “Spare.”

    CNN understands that Prince Harry did not receive an invitation to join the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Westminster Abbey service. The King and Queen waved to huge crowds outside the royal residence, joined by “working royals” and their children, among others.

    The balcony moment, which featured a slimmed-down flypast by the Royal Air Force, has become a flagship part of royal occasions. Prince Andrew wasn’t present either.

    See the moment King Charles III was crowned

    Earlier Saturday, Prince Harry was among the first group of royals to enter Westminster Abbey, arriving alongside his uncles, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, and two of his cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

    Harry, wearing a morning suit and medals, sat with Andrew in the third row of the service. Both are non-working royals and did not perform any duties during the ceremony.

    He did not join members of his family to ride in an impressive procession back to the palace. Instead, he got into a car alone and departed the abbey shortly after the service had ended.

    Prince Harry was among the first royals to enter the Abbey.

    The King’s youngest son had reportedly returned to London on Friday. His wife, Meghan, stayed behind in the California with their children to celebrate Prince Archie’s fourth birthday.

    There was widespread speculation in the build-up to Saturday’s celebrations over whether Harry would have a role in proceedings – and if his return might suggest the family has moved on from the rift that saw the Sussexes step back from their role as senior members of the royal family.

    Harry did not join members of his family for the balcony greeting at Buckingham Palace.

    Harry launched a series of incendiary accusations against members of his family in “Spare,” in which he recalled a number of private confrontations between him and other senior royals and detailed his split from the family.

    Among the most explosive claims in the autobiography, published January, was Harry’s allegation that his older brother, Prince William, knocked him onto the floor during an argument over Meghan.

    Britain's Camilla walks wearing a modified version of Queen Mary's Crown during the Coronation Ceremony inside Westminster Abbey in central London, on May 6, 2023.. - The set-piece coronation is the first in Britain in 70 years, and only the second in history to be televised. Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. Outside the UK, he is also king of 14 other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. (Photo by Richard POHLE / POOL / AFP) (Photo by RICHARD POHLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

    Watch archbishop formally crown Queen Camilla

    CNN royal historian Kate Williams previously described Harry’s appearance at the coronation as a “flying visit.”

    “[Prince Harry] is coming for this major event of his father’s coronation but it’s not going to be a family reunion. We’re not going to see lots of big family meet-ups. Certainly, there has been damage done,” she explained.

    Williams added that Harry’s presence was a “show of unity” – but the extent of that unity remains to be seen.

    Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.

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  • King Charles III is crowned in once-in-a-generation ceremony | CNN

    King Charles III is crowned in once-in-a-generation ceremony | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.


    London
    CNN
     — 

    Britain’s King Charles III has been crowned in a once-in-a-generation royal event that is being witnessed by hundreds of high-profile guests inside Westminster Abbey, as well as tens of thousands of well-wishers who have gathered in central London despite the rain.

    The intricate coronation service followed a traditional template that has stayed much the same for more than 1,000 years.

    The King took the Coronation Oath and became the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. In his prayer he asked to “be a blessing” to people “of every faith and conviction.”

    He was anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church who is leading the ceremony. The anointment, considered the most sacred part of the ceremony, took place behind a screen.

    The King was presented with the coronation regalia, including the royal Robe and Stole, in what is known as the investiture part of the service.

    He was then crowned with the 360-year-old St. Edward’s Crown, the most significant part of the coronation ceremony. After crowning the King, Welby declared: “God Save the King.”

    Wearing the crown, the King was seated on the throne, after which the Archbishop of Canterbury invited the British public, as well as those from “other Realms,” for the first time, to recite a pledge of allegiance to the new monarch and his “heirs and successors.”

    Ahead of the event, some parts of the British media and public interpreted the invitation as a command, reporting that people had been “asked” and “called” to swear allegiance to the King. In the face of such criticism, the Church of England revised the text of the liturgy so that members of the public would be given a choice between saying simply “God save King Charles” or reciting the full pledge of allegiance.

    Once the King was crowned, his wife, Queen Camilla, was crowned in her own, shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown – marking the first time in recent history that a new crown wasn’t made specifically for this occasion – and presented with the Sceptre and Rod.

    While Charles became King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II in September last year, the coronation is the formal crowning of the monarch and is a profoundly religious affair, reflecting the fact that aside from being head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries, Charles is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

    However, it has been modernized in certain key ways. The archbishop acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK during the ceremony, saying the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely.”

    King Charles III during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London, on Saturday.

    The King and Queen arrived at Westminster Abbey in a splendid coach drawn by six horses, accompanied by the Household Cavalry. They then walked down the long aisle wearing historic robes, flanked by the top officials of the Church of England as well as some of their closest family members.

    Despite the splendor of the occasion, it has not been without controversy. Some have objected to millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being spent on a lavish ceremony at a time when millions of Britons are suffering a severe cost-of-living crisis.

    The coronation has also attracted anti-monarchy demonstrations, with a small number of protesters arrested in central London on Saturday morning before the event began.

    Some royal fans spent the past few days camping along the 1.3-mile (2km) route from Buckingham Palace, the British monarchy’s official London residence, to Westminster Abbey, the nation’s coronation church since 1066, in order to secure the best vantage point for the procession.

    By early Saturday, the London Metropolitan Police Service announced that all viewing areas along the procession route were full and closed off to new arrivals.

    The Met said ahead of time that Saturday would be the largest one-day policing operation in decades, with more than 11,500 officers on duty in London. Security around the event came into focus earlier this week when a man was arrested just outside Buckingham Palace after he allegedly threw suspected shotgun cartridges into the palace grounds.

    The ceremony was expected to last two hours – about an hour shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. It began with the recognition and oath, followed by a reading from the Bible by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and – in a coronation first – gospel music.

    The congregation, while including some 2,300 people, is much smaller than it was in 1953 when temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people on the guest list.

    The doors to the abbey opened just before 8 a.m. local time, with the first guests taking their seats a full three hours before the ceremony began.

    Among the first people to arrive were singer Lionel Richie, musician Nick Cave, actresses Emma Thompson, Joanna Lumley and Judi Dench, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, and broadcaster Stephen Fry.

    Top British officials, faith leaders and international representatives followed in their steps. They all took their seats in the vast church with more than an hour to go – reflecting the huge logistical challenges presented by an event attended by hundreds of VIPs.

    All Sunak’s living predecessors as prime minister were there: Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, UK opposition leader Keir Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt were also in attendance.

    First Lady of the United States Jill Biden arrives for the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 2023.

    First Lady of the United States Jill Biden and the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry were there, as was the Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and numerous other world leaders were also present.

    Last to arrive, just before the King and Queen, were the most senior members of King Charles’ family, his siblings and children, including Prince Harry who traveled to the UK from the US without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and their two young children. Saturday is also Prince Archie’s 4th birthday.

    Music is playing a central part in the ceremony, and five new compositions have been commissioned for the main part of the service, including an anthem by Lloyd Webber, who is better known for West End musicals.

    Charles’ consort Camilla will also be crowned in a shorter, simpler part of the ceremony.

    Once done with the formalities, the newly crowned King and Queen will ride back in a much larger parade to Buckingham Palace, where they will be greeted by a royal salute.

    The pomp and pageantry will conclude with the customary balcony appearance by the King and his family as they join the crowds below in watching a flypast of more than 60 aircraft.

    While undoubtedly a historic occasion, the run-up to the coronation has seen controversy.

    Republic, a campaign group that calls for the abolition of the monarchy, said the idea of the “homage of the people” was “offensive, tone deaf and a gesture that holds the people in contempt.”

    Some eyebrows were also raised earlier this week when a controversial and widely criticized UK public order bill came into force.

    Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, there have been a number of instances of anti-monarchists turning up at royal engagements to voice their grievances against the institution.

    The new rules, signed into law by the King on Tuesday, just days before the coronation, empower the police to take stronger action against peaceful protesters.

    From Wednesday, long-standing protest tactics such as locking on, where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings, could lead to a six-month prison sentence or “unlimited fine,” according to the UK Home Office.

    Republic said it had received a letter from the Home Office which set out the new policing powers and asked the campaign group to “forward this letter to your members who are likely to be affected by these legislative changes.” The group added that it would not be deterred by it.

    Republic said it was expecting between 1,500 and 2,000 people to join an anti-monarchy protest at Trafalgar Square, just south of the royal procession route. On Saturday morning, Republic said on Twitter that organizers of the protest had been arrested shortly after the demonstration started – including the group’s leader, Graham Smith.

    Protesters hold up placards saying

    The Metropolitan Police tweeted: “Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.”

    A further three people were arrested “on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage,” the force added. And “a number of arrests” have been made of people suspected of breaching the peace.

    Republic had said earlier on Twitter that police “won’t say” why their demonstrators were detained. “So much for the right to peaceful protest,” the group said.

    Despite the pomp of Saturday’s events, the King is facing significant challenges. A CNN poll has found that Britons are more likely to say their views of the monarchy have worsened than improved over the past decade.

    The results of the survey, conducted for CNN by the polling company Savanta in March, show Charles’ heir Prince William is viewed with greater affection than his father.

    Despite their cooler attitude towards the King, most Britons say they plan to take part in at least one event related to the coronation this weekend, the poll found, with many communities planning street parties and lunches.

    Artists Katy Perry, Richie and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening and people have also been encouraged to use Monday, the final day of the long weekend, to volunteer in their communities.

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  • King Charles invites Harry and Meghan to coronation, but it’s unclear if they’ll go | CNN

    King Charles invites Harry and Meghan to coronation, but it’s unclear if they’ll go | CNN

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have received an invite to the coronation of King Charles III – but the couple have yet to confirm if they will attend, the Duke’s spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.

    “I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation,” the spokesperson said. “An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”

    King Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.

    The coronation will see three days of celebrations across the country in which the public will be invited to participate.

    Buckingham Palace said the coronation itself will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” that reflects “the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions.”

    That line has been interpreted by experts as a hint that Charles’ coronation will be different and more subdued than the one his late mother experienced seven decades ago, with a shorter ceremony and amendments to some of the more feudal elements of the ritual.

    At this point, the palace has not specified which members of the family will appear in a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, and on the balcony of the palace at the end of the day alongside the King and Queen Consort.

    It follows Prince Andrew’s continued exile from public life as a result of historical sexual abuse allegations and the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, which railed against his family.

    Harry has previously declined to be drawn on whether his family will return for his father’s coronation.

    “The door is always open,” he said in a January interview with Britain’s ITV to publicize his book. “The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they’re willing to sit down and talk about it.”

    On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told CNN the couple had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their official UK residence.

    Buckingham Palace said Wednesday it would be offering no comment. A royal source told CNN that any such discussions would be a private family matter.

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  • Letter written by King Charles to his ‘granny’ in 1955 found in attic | CNN

    Letter written by King Charles to his ‘granny’ in 1955 found in attic | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A childhood letter written by King Charles to his “granny” has been discovered by a couple living in Warwickshire, England, as they cleared out their attic during the Christmas break.

    “Dear Granny, I am sorry that you are ill. I hope you will be better soon,” the letter reads on one side, carefully written on lined Buckingham Palace notepaper and dated March 15, 1955, when the King was six years old.

    “Lots of love from Charles,” it says on the other side, alongside colorful kisses and doodled circles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Then-Prince Charles as a small boy with his grandmother, the Queen Mother.

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

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

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

    The items will go on sale March 7.

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  • Buckingham Palace reveals details of three-day celebration to mark King Charles III’s coronation | CNN

    Buckingham Palace reveals details of three-day celebration to mark King Charles III’s coronation | CNN

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    Buckingham Palace on Saturday revealed details of King Charles III’s coronation that will see three days of celebrations across the country in which the public will be invited to participate.

    The coronation will take place on Saturday May 6, a “Coronation Big Lunch” and “Coronation Concert” the following day, and an extra bank holiday on Monday. The public will be invited on the last day to join “The Big Help Out” by volunteering in their communities.

    “Everyone is invited to join in, on any day,” Michelle Donelan, UK Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said in a statement.

    “Whether that is by hosting a special street party, watching the Coronation ceremony or spectacular concert on TV, or stepping forward during The Big Help Out to help causes that matter to them.”

    The coronation itself will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the palace said.

    It will, the palace reiterated, “reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”

    That line from the palace has been interpreted by experts as a hint that Charles’ coronation will be different and more subdued from the one his late mother experienced seven decades ago, with a shorter ceremony and amendments to some of the feudal elements of the ritual. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was the first live televised royal event and lasted three hours.

    Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as “The King’s Procession,” and return later in a larger ceremonial procession, known as “The Coronation Procession,” accompanied by other members of the royal family.

    The King and Queen Consort, alongside members of the royal family, will then appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to conclude the day’s events.

    At this point, the palace has not specified which members of the family will appear in the procession and on the balcony, following Prince Andrew’s continued exile from public life as a result of historical sexual abuse allegations and the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir which railed against his family.

    “It would help Charles a lot in terms of his image if Harry and Meghan were there,” royal historian Kate Williams previously told CNN. “It’s particularly going to look bad for him if his son is not there because, of course, Harry still is very high in line to the throne, as are his children.”

    In a sign that not all Britons will be celebrating the event, anti-monarchy campaign group Republic vowed to protest near Westminster Abbey. “The coronation is a celebration of hereditary power and privilege, it has no place in a modern society,” spokesperson Graham Smith said in a statement.

    “At a cost of tens of millions of pounds this pointless piece of theatre is a slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

    “We have already been in touch with the Metropolitan Police, and we expect them to facilitate peaceful and meaningful protest. We intend to make our presence felt in parliament square as the royal procession passes through to the Abbey.”

    The day after the coronation, May 7, thousands of events are expected to take place across the country as part of the “Coronation Big Lunch,” while as-yet unnamed “global music icons and contemporary stars,” will come together for a “Coronation Concert” held on Windsor Castle’s East Lawn, the palace said.

    “The Coronation Big Lunch helps you bring the celebration right into your own street or back yard,” said Peter Stewart, Chief Purpose Officer at the event’s organizing body, the Eden Project.

    “Sharing friendship, food and fun together gives people more than just a good time – people feel less lonely, make friends and go on to get more involved with their community,” he added in a statement.

    The concert will be attended by a public audience composed of volunteers from the King and Queen Consort’s charity affiliations as well as several thousand members of the public selected through a national ballot held by the BBC.

    They will watch a “world-class orchestra play interpretations of musical favorites fronted by some of the world’s biggest entertainers, alongside performers from the world of dance…and a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen,” the palace said, adding that a line-up would be released in due course.

    King Charles III and the Queen Consort attend a reception at Buckingham Palace on December 6.

    A diverse group comprised of Britain’s Refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs, will form “The Coronation Choir” and also perform at the concert, alongside “The Virtual Choir,” made up of singers from across the Commonwealth.

    Well-known locations across the country will also be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations as part of the concert.

    The celebrations will conclude on the bank holiday Monday with hundreds of activities planned by local community groups for “The Big Help Out.”

    “It is going to be a festival of volunteering,” said Jon Knight, Chief Executive of the Together Coalition.

    “The aim is to create a legacy of better-connected communities long beyond the Coronation itself.”

    To get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter.

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  • Opinion: Why Prince Harry can’t stop oversharing | CNN

    Opinion: Why Prince Harry can’t stop oversharing | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: Dr. Peggy Drexler is a research psychologist, documentary film producer and author, including two books about gender and family and the forthcoming “Mean,” a book about women behaving badly, to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2024. Her latest film, “King Coal,” will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers. View more opinion on CNN.



    CNN
     — 

    The soap opera that is Prince Harry versus the British monarchy continued this week with the buzz surrounding the upcoming release of his memoir, “Spare.” Contents leaked from the book and released excerpts from his forthcoming interviews with “60 Minutes” and ITV offered some eyebrow-raising anecdotes and heightened the already-sharp tension between the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, and the royal family. Lurid details aside, the most notable disclosures included new details about Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William, whom Harry apparently refers to in the book as his “arch nemesis.”

    Courtesy of Peggy Drexler

    Public interest in the royal family is at an all-time high — thanks to both real world events that include the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, the impending coronation of Harry’s father King Charles III and the resignation of former Prime Minister Liz Truss, and to the wild popularity of fictionalized series like “The Crown” — and Harry and Meghan are certainly capitalizing on that. Meanwhile, the royal family, including William, has remained silent.

    Good for them. Where Harry may have once engendered some sympathy for having endured a lifetime of being the “spare” — the lesser of the two brothers, now fifth in line for the throne (coming in behind his 7-year-old niece, Princess Charlotte) — empathy is running short. Harry and Meghan quit the royal family amid complaints that they preferred a private life as “regular people,” no longer wanting the media attention that came with being royals, including being tabloid fodder. In an excerpt from an upcoming interview, Harry told ITV: “I want a family. Not an institution.”

    And yet here they are, fully and willingly creating that fodder themselves.

    And fodder it is. Among the gossipy allegations Harry lobs at his brother in “Spare” are details of a physical altercation between the two during which William knocked Harry to the floor and left him scratched and bruised, and claims that William and his wife, Kate Middleton, were the ones responsible for encouraging Harry’s controversial Nazi costume in 2005. Revelations in “Spare” also dish on Meghan’s relationship with Kate, including a claim that Kate demanded Meghan apologize for once suggesting she had “baby brain.” Buckingham Palace has repeatedly declined to comment on the book.

    prince harry memoir

    Penguin Random House worldwide

    Through these disclosures, what we’re seeing is a little brother desperate to fight back against a lifetime of feeling inferior, but doing so in the dirtiest way possible. And, well, it seems pathetic.

    Competition between children is common, and sibling rivalry between brothers even more so, especially when there are just two of them. Certainly, most aren’t born into families with set hierarchies that serve to remind them of their exact place. But brotherly discord has existed throughout time, inspiring countless works of art in all spheres (most of them tragedies). Harry is not special — his is one of the commonest dramas of human nature.

    Prince Harry and Prince William in 2014.

    He’s also not a victim, nor blameless. While much has been made since their union began about Meghan’s influence on Harry’s defection from the family, by now it’s clear that he, wounded, went looking for what he needed: someone to help him separate from his family and, perhaps, someone who supported and understood his anger. He found it in her, a woman whose ambition drove her career as an actress and whose own family life included contentious relationships with her half-sister and her father; a woman who was not afraid to express herself, even to royalty.

    It’s clear that Harry and Meghan are, at some level, trying to take control of the narrative about themselves after negative press coverage that brought misogyny and racism to bear on an already-toxic family dynamic. But Harry’s attempts now to heal those wounds by making public private family matters aren’t noble, and they won’t save him, either. In fact, through Harry’s revelations, one might now feel the most empathy for William, a man who was raised, from birth, with a set destiny, and, unlike Harry, few choices.

    William will be king, and Harry will not. But whether that is something William desires, or something he’ll instead fulfill out of sheer patriotic and familial duty, is unknown. That’s because William is taking the high road of silence. Isn’t it ironic that we know so much more about Harry and Meghan, the couple who resigned from royal life because they wished to remain private, than the couple who opted to stay?

    While we can, and should, have some disdain for how Harry has chosen to approach his life circumstances, it’s also possible to have some compassion for him — and understanding. He did not, after all, entirely create himself. And, sheltered and uber-privileged as he was for much of his upbringing, he is likely a fairly immature 38 year old.

    Now, he’s pushing back against the machine that made him in the only way he knows how — and possibly doing so because it’s the only way he knows how to make his own money and live independently. He felt exploited as a child and younger adult; he’s now in turn profiting off his family (and earning an enormous amount of money in the process).

    Perhaps someday we’ll hear from Harry as Harry, a man truly independent of the royal family from which he has claimed, time and again, he desperately wants to separate. Until then, we can likely expect more of the same negativity, blame, immaturity and victimization — qualities, in fact, quite unbecoming of a royal. But, then, Harry no longer is one.

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  • Prince Harry says ‘heinous, horrible’ stories have been ‘spoon-fed’ to press from the palace | CNN

    Prince Harry says ‘heinous, horrible’ stories have been ‘spoon-fed’ to press from the palace | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Prince Harry told CBS’ 60 Minutes Sunday he hasn’t spoken with his brother, Prince William, for “a while,” in the second of two major interviews ahead of the publication of his memoir, “Spare” on Monday.

    The Duke of Sussex told Anderson Cooper he doesn’t “currently” speak with the Prince of Wales, “but I look forward to us being able to find peace,” he said. It follows an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby, ahead of what is likely to be an explosive week for the British royals with the release of Harry’s memoirs.

    The interviews address a wide range of topics from the death of Prince Harry’s mother, the Princess of Wales, his frustration towards the British press, the treatment of his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and the subsequent fallout with his family since his marriage.

    Buckingham Palace has repeatedly declined to comment on the contents of Prince Harry’s forthcoming memoir.

    In the interview and in excerpts from his memoir shared by ITV, the Duke of Sussex addressed how strife in his family has been fueled by the relationship between Buckingham Palace and media outlets.

    “We’re not just talking about family relationships, we’re talking about an antagonist, which is the British press, specifically the tabloids who want to create as much conflict as possible,” Prince Harry told Bradby. “The saddest part of that is certain members of my family and the people that work for them are complicit in that conflict.”

    He also stated that the “leaking” and “planting” of “a royal source” to the press “is not an unknown person, it is the palace specifically briefing the press, but covering their tracks by being unnamed.”

    Prince Harry added that he thinks “that’s pretty shocking to people. Especially when you realize how many palace sources, palace insiders, senior palace officials, how many quotes are being attributed to those people, some of the most heinous, horrible things have been said about me and my wife, completely condoned by the palace because it’s coming from the palace, and those journalists have literally been spoon-fed that narrative without ever coming to us, without ever seeing or questioning the other side.”

    He spoke about how his mother was hunted by paparazzi, recalling the traumatic night his father told him Princess Diana had died from injuries sustained in a car crash.

    “I don’t want history to repeat itself. I do not want to be a single dad. And I certainly don’t want my children to have a life without a mother or a father,” Prince Harry said in the interview.

    The Duke of Sussex also talked about his decision to write the book, saying, “thirty-eight years of having my story told by so many different people, with intentional spin and distortion felt like a good time to tell own my story and be able to tell it for myself. I’m actually really grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to tell my story because it’s my story to tell.”

    Prince Harry pointed out that he has tried over the last six years to resolve his concerns with his family privately.

    “It never needed to get to this point. I have had conversations, I have written letters, I have written emails, and everything is just, ‘No, you, this is not what’s happening. You, you are imagining it,’” he said. “That’s really hard to take. And if it had stopped, by the point that I fled my home country with my wife and my son fearing for our lives, then maybe this would have turned out differently. It’s hard.”

    The duke said he wants “reconciliation but first there needs to be some accountability,” with respect to his family.

    “You can’t just continue to say to me that I’m delusional and paranoid when all the evidence is stacked up, because I was genuinely terrified about what is going to happen to me,” he said.

    “And then we have a 12-month transition period and everyone doubles. My wife shares her experience. And instead of backing off, both the institution and the tabloid media in the UK, both doubled down,” he added.

    Still, the duke said, “forgiveness is 100 percent a possibility,” during the interview.

    “There’s probably a lot of people who, after watching the documentary and reading the book, will go, how could you ever forgive your family for what they have done? People have already said that to me. And I said forgiveness is 100% a possibility because I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back. At the moment, I don’t recognize them, as much as they probably don’t recognize me,” Prince Harry said.

    On Monday, the duke’s interview with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Michael Strahan will air on the ABC show, followed in the evening by a half-hour special on ABC News Live. And to top things off, the duke will make an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” hours after his book is released on Tuesday.

    With that all to come before the public is even able to get their hands on book, one has to wonder if there will be any revelations left to read. For days now, leaks from the upcoming tome have sparked headlines around the world.

    It is now known the duke has made a slew of damaging accusations against the British royal family in “Spare” after several outlets obtained early copies of the book before the weekend. CNN has not seen a copy of the book but has requested an advance copy from the publisher Penguin Random House.

    Perhaps the most incendiary revelation to emerge was Prince Harry’s claim of a scuffle with the Prince of Wales during an argument over his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2019, as he described while reading in an excerpt of his memoir on air on Sunday.

    Prince Harry said his brother never tried to dissuade him from marrying Meghan, but expressed some concerns and told him, “‘This is going be really hard for you,’” Prince Harry recalled during his interview.

    “I still to this day don’t truly understand which part of what he was talking about,” Prince Harry continued. “Maybe he predicted what the British press’s reaction was going to be.”

    His relationship with Prince William is just one of a series of incredibly candid accounts of life as the “spare heir” in his memoir. The book’s title of “Spare” – a reference to a nickname the duke lived with while growing up. Prince Harry’s version of events also tackles his final moments with the late Queen Elizabeth II, his attempts to seek closure after his mother’s death, and other deeply personal conversations with members of “The Firm.”

    One part of the book that is seeing some backlash is his reported remarks on killing 25 Taliban fighters during his time in the British Army in Afghanistan. In addition to disclosing the figure, the duke is also quoted as describing the insurgents as “chess pieces” taken off the board rather than people, according to UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

    Prince Harry’s comments have prompted criticism from some British security and military figures – and an angry rebuke from the Taliban.

    Before publicity ramped up around the duke’s book, the Sussexes had previously opened up about the challenges and hardships of royal life in their Netflix docuseries and to Oprah Winfrey.

    In both those royal exposés, the couple outlined their acrimonious split with the House of Windsor and blamed the media for invasive, unrelenting coverage, particularly of Meghan.

    The Sussexes announced in 2020 that they were stepping away from their roles as senior royals and planned to work towards becoming “financially independent.” The following year, the palace confirmed the couple had agreed with Queen Elizabeth II that they were not returning as working members of the royal family.

    In the recent six-part Netflix documentary, Prince Harry didn’t hold back when he blamed the press for placing undue stress on his wife, saying it led to her having a miscarriage and suffering suicidal thoughts.

    Meghan said she wanted to go somewhere for help but claimed she wasn’t allowed to because of the optics on the institution, without specifying who she believed stopped her. She made similar comments in her explosive 2021 interview with Winfrey.

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  • Prince Harry alleges William physically attacked him, according to new book seen by The Guardian | CNN

    Prince Harry alleges William physically attacked him, according to new book seen by The Guardian | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Prince Harry has accused his brother, William, of physically assaulting him during an argument over his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2019, according to The Guardian.

    The UK newspaper claims to have seen an advance copy of Prince Harry’s highly anticipated memoir, Spare, in which Harry, the Duke of Sussex, reportedly alleges his brother William, the Prince of Wales, knocked him to the floor during the altercation.

    The alleged scuffle took place after a conversation between the two brothers, during which William, the heir to the British throne, called Markle “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive,” according to The Guardian.

    The confrontation escalated until William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor’,” The Guardian reported.

    CNN has requested an advance copy of the book from publisher Penguin Random House, but has not received a response. Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for the Sussexes declined CNN’s request for comment on the alleged altercation.

    The Guardian article focuses on the alleged physical altercation between the brothers but describes the entirety of the book as a “remarkable volume.”

    The article reports Harry’s version of events, in which William arrives at Harry and Meghan’s then home, Nottingham Cottage on Kensington Palace grounds, to allegedly discuss “‘the whole rolling catastrophe’ of their relationship and struggles with the press.”

    Harry alleges that William attacked him after he had offered him water and attempted to cool a heated verbal exchange, according to The Guardian.

    The article quotes Harry: “He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”

    The article says Harry states in the book that William urged him to hit back, but he refused to do so. William left but later returned, “looking regretful” and apologized, according to the Guardian article, quoting the book.

    Spare is due to be released on January 10.

    Since their wedding in 2018, Harry and Meghan’s relationship has been under intense media scrutiny, with particular focus placed on the Duchess of Sussex.

    In a recent Netflix documentary, Harry blamed the media for placing undue stress on his Meghan, leading to her having a miscarriage and suffering suicidal thoughts.

    The couple said the unrelenting media coverage ultimately led them to quit working as members of the Royal family.

    Harry admitted in the six-part documentary that he didn’t deal with Meghan’s deteriorating mental health “particularly well” at first.

    “I knew she was struggling; we were both struggling, but I never thought it would get to that stage. The fact it got to that stage I felt angry and ashamed,” Harry recounted, adding: “I dealt with it as institutional Harry as opposed to husband Harry.”

    Meghan said she wanted to go somewhere for help but claimed she wasn’t allowed to because of concerns about how it would look for the institution, without specifying who she believes stopped her. She made similar comments in her explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

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  • First images of British banknotes featuring King Charles III unveiled | CNN Business

    First images of British banknotes featuring King Charles III unveiled | CNN Business

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    London
    CNN Business
     — 

    The first images of banknotes featuring Britain’s King Charles III were unveiled on Tuesday by the Bank of England.

    Charles’ portrait will appear on English notes of £5, £10, £20 and £50. Meanwhile, the rest of the design will remain the same as the current notes that feature the late Queen Elizabeth II on the front. The cameo in the transparent security window will also feature the current monarch, the United Kingdom’s central bank said in a press release.

    The new banknotes are expected to enter circulation by mid-2024 and will co-circulate with notes featuring the Queen’s portrait, which will remain legal tender in the UK, according to the bank.

    “This is a significant moment, as The King is only the second monarch to feature on our banknotes,” Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said ahead of the release.

    The reverse side of the notes will remain unchanged – the current designs feature portraits of Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing on the reverse of the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes, respectively.

    “To minimize the environmental and financial impact of this change, new notes will only be printed to replace worn banknotes and to meet any overall increase in demand for banknotes,” the Bank of England added.

    Earlier this month, the first coins bearing the official effigy of King Charles III entered circulation. The 4.9 million 50 pence coins feature the King’s portrait, and on the reverse, a design symbolizing the “life and legacy” of the late Queen, according to the Royal Mint.

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  • Prince Harry says William ‘screamed’ at him over royal split with Meghan, in final episodes of Netflix documentary | CNN

    Prince Harry says William ‘screamed’ at him over royal split with Meghan, in final episodes of Netflix documentary | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Prince Harry said it was “terrifying” to have his brother, Prince William, scream at him during his bitter split from the royal family, in the final installments of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s controversial Netflix documentary that were released Thursday.

    The fourth, fifth and sixth episodes of “Harry & Meghan” cover the pair’s challenges since their 2018 wedding, Meghan’s deteriorating mental health and her 2020 miscarriage, and ultimately their decision to quit as working members of the family.

    Harry said he initially asked for a “half in, half out” arrangement, where Harry and Meghan would have their own jobs but still work in support of the Queen, during a crunch family meeting. “But it became very clear very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” Harry said.

    “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and take it all in,” he said, recalling the conversations with Prince William, then-Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II.

    “But you have to understand that from the family’s perspectives, especially from hers, there are ways of doing things. And her ultimate mission and goal, responsibility, is the institution … she’s going to go on the advice that she’s given,” Harry said.

    The pair describe throughout the new episodes how, in their view, their position within the royal family became untenable after constant hounding from Britain’s media and repeated disregard for the couple’s wellbeing inside palace walls.

    Buckingham Palace reiterated it will not comment on the documentary on Thursday. Royal engagements are meanwhile continuing, with King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, set to visit a community kitchen in London and attend a carol service with the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the family.

    Harry hinted that there was jealousy from other royals towards Meghan given the amount of media attention she was initially receiving. “The issue is when someone who is marrying in, who should be a supporting act, is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who is born to do this,” he said.

    “That upsets people. It upsets the balance. Because you have been led to believe that the only way that your charities can succeed and your mission can grow is if you are on the front pages of those newspapers.”

    The series also touches on Meghan’s deteriorating mental health and her miscarriage in July 2020. “I was pregnant. I really wasn’t sleeping. The first morning that we woke up in our new home is when I miscarried,” Meghan said.

    She described experiencing suicidal ideation, telling the filmmakers she believed “all of this will stop if I’m not here. And that was the scariest thing about it, it was such clear thinking.”

    “The lies, that’s one thing. You kind of get used to that when you live within this family,” Harry added. “But what they were doing to her, and the effect it was having on her… enough. Enough of the pain, enough of the suffering.”

    “I just did everything I could to make them proud, and to really be a part of the family,” Meghan said in the fifth episode, speaking of her relationship with the other royals. “And then the bubble burst.”

    “I realized that I wasn’t just being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves,” she said.

    The highly anticipated Netflix documentary marks the Sussexes’ latest attempt to reclaim the narrative surrounding their departure from royal life.

    It features details on the increasingly tense relationships between Harry and his brother, WIlliam, and his father, King Charles III. And it emphasizes the suggestion that the royals wanted to sideline and isolate the couple, often through the planting of negative media reporting, rather than have them dwarf more senior royals in popularity.

    “My dad said to me: ‘Darling boy, you can’t take on the media. The media will always be the media,” Harry said, describing the palace’s relationship with news outlets as a “dirty game.”

    The culmination of the breakdown between the royal institution and Harry and Meghan, who were once touted by parts of the media as the modernizing force the monarchy needed, was their historic and controversial decision in early 2020 to quit as working royals and leave the UK.

    Harry said he spoke to Queen Elizabeth II and arranged to meet her, with Meghan, before that split was finalized.

    “She knew that we were finding things hard. I’d spoken to her many times about it,” Harry said. But as the meeting approached, Meghan said they received a message from an aide telling them they were not allowed to see the monarch.

    “I’ve actually been told that I’m busy all week,” the Queen then told Harry, according to his recollection. “I was like, wow,” Harry said. “This is when a family and a family business are in direct conflict … really what they’re doing is blocking a grandson from seeing his grandmother,” added Meghan.

    The couple were critical of the Queen’s aides but again were again complimentary of the late monarch herself, who died aged 96 in September, shortly after filming concluded for the series.

    Their documentary, and Harry’s upcoming memoir, focus more attention on the difficult relationship between the prince and his father, King Charles.

    Thursday’s release follows last week’s batch of episodes, in which Prince Harry criticized “unconscious bias” inside the family.

    It remains to be seen whether the venture will enhance the reputation of the couple as they look to sculpt their post-royalty personas.

    Six in 10 Brits believe it was a bad idea for the duke and duchess to release the Netflix documentary, according to a Savanta poll of 2,250 British adults carried out online between December 9 and 11, between the release of the first and second parts of the series.

    The same poll found that Harry and Meghan both have negative approval ratings among the British public – -3 and -19 respectively, when subtracting those with a negative opinion from those with a positive one – unlike the high popularity of Prince William (+60) and Charles III (+36).

    If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

    Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.

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  • Princes Andrew and Harry will keep their last royal roles. But there’s a catch | CNN

    Princes Andrew and Harry will keep their last royal roles. But there’s a catch | CNN

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    A version of this story appeared in the November 18 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Sign up here.


    London
    CNN
     — 

    When King Charles III celebrated his birthday earlier this week, the headlines focused on the new monarch taking on a new park ranger post previously held by his father, Prince Philip.

    Then there were, of course, the military bands performing “Happy Birthday” outside Buckingham Palace at the changing of the guard. And many of the family posted celebratory notes and photographs to official social media accounts. All of this will have probably helped make the day a memorable one.

    But separately, the King also moved to address a dilemma that has remained unresolved since long before Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

    On Monday, Charles asked the UK Parliament to allow his siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, to become Counsellors of State. The move would empower them to step in for him temporarily when directed to do so. The King said in a message read out in the upper chamber, the House of Lords, that maintaining the smooth running of the government was behind the request.

    “To ensure continued efficiency of public business when I’m unavailable, such as while I’m undertaking official duties overseas, I confirm that I would be most content should Parliament see fit for the number of people who may be called upon to act as Counsellors of State under the terms of the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953 to be increased to include my sister and brother, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex and Forfar, both of whom have previously undertaken this role,” the King wrote.

    The same message was also read out in the lower house, the Commons.

    At present, by law, the group of royals who can fill in for the sovereign numbers five – limited to the monarch’s spouse and the first four family members in the line of succession over the age of 21. Two counselors can be appointed to act on the monarch’s behalf through a letters patent and help keep the state ticking over. Currently, that means the cohort includes Queen Consort Camilla as well as the Prince of Wales, Duke of Sussex, Duke of York and Princess Beatrice.

    Experts have long suggested the existing pool of counselors is too small, while public debate on the topic grew toward the latter part of the late Queen’s reign as she became increasingly frail. Charles and William were authorized to act as counselors on occasion when the Queen was unwell. But it was not lost on many that her other two counselors were Princes Harry and Andrew, despite no longer being working members of the family – albeit for very different, well-covered reasons.

    Normally, the machinations of royal duties would remain behind palace walls. But the topic re-emerged with Charles’ accession, and because any changes to the Regency Act require legislation, the discussion was broached in the House of Lords for the first time late last month.

    Labour Peer Viscount Stansgate challenged Andrew and Harry’s regency powers, remarking that the Duke of York “has left public life,” while the Duke of Sussex “has left the country.” He queried if it was time “to approach the King to see whether a sensible amendment can be made to this Act?” In response, the Lord Privy Seal, Lord True, said he wouldn’t divulge “any private conversations” he may have had with the King or the Royal Household but that “the government will always consider what arrangements are needed to ensure resilience in our constitutional arrangements.”

    Princess Anne and Prince Edward are set to become Counsellors of State.

    The King’s moves this week confirm that the palace has been thinking about the dilemma and the options available. And adding to the group of official stand-ins is not unprecedented, having previously been done for the Queen Mother in 1953 after Elizabeth II came to the throne.

    Practically, it seems there is a desire within Parliament to resolve the issue quickly. A day after Charles’ request, members of the Lords replied to the monarch, assuring him they would act “without delay” and “will provide such measures as may appear necessary or expedient for securing the purpose set out by His Majesty.”

    And the Lords weren’t kidding when they offered expedience, with the Counsellors of State Bill 2022-23 whipping through the Palace of Westminster at breakneck speed. It was given its first reading by Tuesday afternoon and is set to have its second reading and be debated next week.

    Expanding the group of royals who can deputize for the King in his absence is an elegant solution to a potential constitutional crisis. It provides for more flexibility while probably going some way to avoid family awkwardness and shields the two dukes from the public embarrassment that might have arisen had they been stripped of their positions. Charles’ approach means both are still technically counselors on paper but firmly puts an end to speculation over whether Harry or Andrew will ever be called upon.

    Prince William presented England winger Jack Grealish with the iconic number 7 shirt.

    William sends England squad off to World Cup in style.

    The Prince of Wales visited the England soccer squad on Monday at St. George’s Park, the team’s HQ, ahead of their departure for the World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off this weekend. Just before the Three Lions swapped the drizzly winter weather for the heat of Doha, William was on hand to wish the team well. “I’m really here to point out that the rest of the country is behind you,” he told the squad, as he presented each player with their shirt number. “We are all rooting for you, enjoy it.”

    While William serves as president of England’s Football Association, many Welsh fans on social media suggested the visit was tactless for the holder of the Prince of Wales title and questioned his loyalties.

    William has never been shy about being a passionate England fan, as we mentioned last week. And he has been a presence in the Wembley stands, along with his son, George, cheering the team on at previous tournaments. However, he sought to address the criticism mid-week during a trip to the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff. “I’m telling everyone I’m supporting both, definitely. I can’t lose,” he said. “I’ve got to be able to play carefully with my affiliations because I worry otherwise if I suddenly drop England to support Wales then that doesn’t look right for the sport.”

    William continued that while he was growing up, Wales didn’t qualify for many football tournaments and so he picked England. But he’ll be cheering both teams on in their first games on Monday and more broadly, he’s found a way to back both countries over the years. “I’ve supported England [football] since I’ve been quite small, but I support Welsh rugby. That’s kind of my way of doing it.”

    This year’s tournament is Wales’ first World Cup in more than half a century. The two teams are set to clash in the group stages on November 29.

    King Charles shares ‘concern’ after Australia floods.

    The King sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late last week to express his concern after flash floods devastated parts of Victoria, a state in the southeast of the country. “Our heartfelt thoughts are with all those affected and for the losses that have been suffered,” Charles wrote. “It has been particularly inspiring to see how communities have pulled together to protect homes and livestock and to support each other during this appallingly difficult period,” he added. The floods are the latest threat caused by climate change that Australia has faced in recent years – after battling wildfires for months in 2020. According to PA Media, Albanese said in September that he would be “very comfortable” with the King expressing his views on the “importance of climate change. It is about the very survival of our way of life,” he said.

    Kate visiting Ukrainian refugees who have resettled in the UK.

    The Princess of Wales visited Reading Ukrainian Community Center on Thursday, to meet with displaced Ukrainian families who have arrived in the United Kingdom following Russia’s invasion of their home country. After hearing the stories of these families – whose lives at the end of the year are unrecognizable from how they were at the beginning – Kate joined Ukrainian children taking part in an art session. Kate’s visit followed a virtual roundtable meeting she hosted last week, where she discussed with the First Lady of Ukraine how best to provide mental health support to Ukrainians amid the ongoing conflict.

    Kate took part in an art class with young Ukrainian refugees.

    Harry pens deeply personal letter to bereaved military children.

    Prince Harry may not have been in the UK for last weekend’s Remembrance Day but he found his own way to mark the occasion. The Duke of Sussex wrote a letter to bereaved military children through the British charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, offering his sympathies and sharing how he has navigated his grief. “We share a bond even without ever meeting one another, because we share in having lost a parent. I know first-hand the pain and grief that comes with loss and want you to know that you are not alone,” he wrote. The charity supports children whose parents have died in service of the British armed forces. On Remembrance Sunday, dozens of these brave children marched through London wearing the charity’s black and yellow scarves. Harry also wrote knowingly of the “difficult feelings” acts of remembrance can stir. “Whenever you need a reminder of this, I encourage you to lean into your friends at Scotty’s Little Soldiers,” he said. “I couldn’t be more grateful and relieved that you have amazing people walking beside you throughout your journey.” Over in the United States, Harry commemorated Veterans Day by attending a remembrance service at Pearl Harbor, while on his Archewell foundation’s website, he and wife Meghan praised the “brave men and women” who have “made tremendous sacrifices and embody duty and service.” Read Harry’s full letter here.

    Prince WIlliam visited the Welsh Parliament, called the Senedd, on Wednesday.

    Getting grilled about his footballing allegiances was not William’s principal reason for going to Cardiff. The Prince of Wales visited the Senedd Wednesday to meet representatives of the Welsh Parliament and hear about the issues of the greatest importance to the Welsh people. William also met the Welsh Youth Parliament, whose members opened up about topics concerning their generation of future leaders.

    King Charles attended the Remembrance Sunday service at The Cenotaph in London.

    Charles III led Britain’s annual Remembrance Sunday service for the first time as monarch last weekend. The King attended the service alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, and other members of the royal family at the Cenotaph monument in central London. The new monarch laid a wreath, the design of which paid tribute to the wreaths of his grandfather, King George VI, and his mother, the late Queen. Camilla was joined by other senior royals including the Princess of Wales to view the moment from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which looks out onto the war memorial. A wreath was laid on the Queen Consort’s behalf for the first time. Find out more in our story.

    “Over the past few months, my husband and I have drawn immense comfort from the messages of condolence that we have received, and continue to receive, from the four corners of the world. They have reminded us that the written word has a unique ability to connect, to heal, to reassure and to offer hope, even in the midst of grief.”

    The Queen Consort paid tribute to her “dear mother-in-law” during a reception for winners of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2022.

    The speech during the reception at Buckingham Palace on Thursday was the first time Camilla had publicly spoken in her role as Queen Consort.

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  • Britain’s King Charles leads Remembrance Sunday service for first time as monarch | CNN

    Britain’s King Charles leads Remembrance Sunday service for first time as monarch | CNN

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    London
    CNN
     — 

    King Charles III is leading Britain’s annual Remembrance Sunday service for the first time as monarch.

    The King is attending the service alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort and other members of the royal family at The Cenotaph in central London.

    The King laid a new wreath at the Cenotaph, the design of which pays tribute to the wreath of his grandfather, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.

    The wreath’s poppies are mounted on an arrangement of black leaves, as is traditional, and its ribbon bears the King’s racing colors of scarlet, purple and gold.

    Camilla viewed the moment from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. A wreath was laid on her behalf for the first time.

    The King and Queen Consort’s wreaths were accompanied by handwritten cards bearing their new cyphers.

    A national two-minute silence was held at 11 a.m. local time (6 a.m. ET), marked by the tolling of Big Ben – which has now officially returned to use after a five-year restoration project.

    Other members of the royal family attending the service include William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Edward and Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princess Anne.

    The event Sunday also featured a march past by some 10,000 Royal British Legion veterans, including World War Two veterans and those who have served in conflicts since.

    The annual service is held on the Sunday closest to November 11 – the day World War I ended in 1918.

    The event commemorates all those who have died in conflicts.

    On Saturday evening, members of the royal family including Charles, Camilla, William and Kate attended the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. A video tribute was paid to Queen Elizabeth in the course of the event, which also commemorated 40 years since the Falklands war.

    Charles, 73, became Britain’s monarch following the death of his mother in September. His coronation has been scheduled for next May to allow time to mourn Elizabeth’s death and to plan the ceremony.

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  • ‘The Crown’ reloads with new leads and old troubles in a more disjointed fifth season | CNN

    ‘The Crown’ reloads with new leads and old troubles in a more disjointed fifth season | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Questions of propriety about the fifth season of “The Crown” premiering two months after Queen Elizabeth II’s death are largely eclipsed by other issues, as the Netflix series reloads with new prestige talent in key roles and old troubles, while feeling more disjointed than unusual. The result is an uneven campaign that reinforces a sense the Emmy-winning series risks extending its reign too long.

    That theme is among the juiciest bits of palace intrigue in the new season, as Prince Charles (Dominic West) chafes about his heir-in-waiting status and openly discusses “Queen Victoria Syndrome,” a reference to his mother, the Queen (Imelda Staunton), being too rooted in the past and tradition to meet the shifting demands of a modern monarchy.

    Of course, the season begins in 1991, so there’s the tantalizing knowledge that Elizabeth would retain that title for another three decades, and that Charles is about to badly damage his public image thanks to the breakup of his marriage to Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), who perfectly captures Diana’s pensive, vaguely sad gaze. The character fares less well in terms of emotional insights, since she’s portrayed less sympathetically this time around, at least in her naivete about the hell that speaking publicly about the Royal Family would unleash.

    The discomfort associated with those public flareups falls upon the new Prime Minister, John Major (Jonny Lee Miller), who recognizes the dynamics of what’s happening better than the key players, which doesn’t make his role any less uncomfortable for him.

    Writer/producer Peter Morgan again wades into all kinds of situations over the 10 episodes, including the unlikely friendship that develops between Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce, who plays a large role) and Penny Knatchbull (Natascha McElhone), the much-younger wife of Philip’s godson, which begins as he seeks to console her over the tragic death of her daughter.

    Philip also takes it upon himself to chide Diana for failing to understand the institution into which she married, reminding her that it’s “not a family. It’s a system.”

    Still, given the focus on Diana and Charles during this decade, the digressions seem more pronounced – and in some instances, questionable – this season, from the plight of Princess Margaret (now Lesley Manville), who hasn’t entirely made peace with her past, to an extensive detour into the backstory of Dodi and Mohamed al-Fayed (“The Kite Runner’s” Khalid Abdalla and Salim Daw, respectively), Diana’s eventual boyfriend and his status-obsessed wealthy father, in whose eyes the younger man can never achieve enough.

    Throw in an episode devoted to Russia and the Royals’ sordid history around the Revolution, and it occasionally feels like a bridge or two too far.

    The upper lips remain incredibly stiff, even under the most trying of circumstances. When Charles privately tells his mother in regard to Diana, “I’ve done as you asked, mummy. I’ve tried to make it work,” she responds tartly that “Being happily married is a preference rather than a requirement.”

    The casting remains a gaudy flex at almost every level –Timothy Dalton even shows up in a small but significant cameo – and for those who can’t get enough Royal gossip, Morgan again makes the audience privy to his version of what unfolded behind closed doors, such as Charles and Diana quietly chatting after finalizing their divorce.

    “You’ve never been young, even when you were young,” she tells him.

    “The Crown” has been great, as the Emmy haul for its fourth season attests, and it’s still pretty good. Yet given the highs that the younger versions of these characters delivered, to borrow from the Queen, watching the current season feels more like a preference than a requirement.

    “The Crown” begins its fifth season November 9 on Netflix.

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  • Judge gives US government one week to handle request for Prince Harry’s visa records | CNN Politics

    Judge gives US government one week to handle request for Prince Harry’s visa records | CNN Politics

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    CNN
     — 

    A federal judge has given the Department of Homeland Security until next Tuesday to decide how it will handle a conservative think tank’s request for Prince Harry’s US immigration records.

    The Heritage Foundation has asked the US government via the Freedom of Information Act to see his visa application, citing his admission of past recreational drug use in his memoir. The group is questioning whether immigration officials properly granted Prince Harry’s application, since admission of past drug use can be grounds to reject a visa application.

    At a hearing Tuesday in Washington, DC, federal judge Carl Nichols gave DHS until June 13 to determine whether or not it will expedite or respond to a request for the records.

    Several agencies within the department, including US Border Patrol, have denied the FOIA requests, but the agency’s headquarters has not yet made a determination.

    In court filings, DHS has noted that the US Customs and Border Protection agency originally denied the requests from Heritage because the group did not have Prince Harry’s authorization or consent to release the information.

    “A person’s visa … is confidential,” DHS attorney John Bardo said in court Tuesday.

    DHS attorneys have also said that an injunction to expedite the FOIA requests is not appropriate in the case since Heritage has, among other things, not shown how they will suffer irreparable harm if the information is not quickly released.

    Attorneys for the Heritage Foundation see the case as part of a larger effort to uncover non-compliance with the law by DHS in different areas – including accusations from Republican lawmakers that DHS is “deliberately refusing to enforce the Country’s immigration laws and is responsible for the current crisis at the border,” court filings read.

    When asked about the privacy aspect of their records request, attorney Samuel Dewey, who represents Heritage, said Prince Harry’s privacy on the issue of past drug use has been “extraordinarily diminished” given his public remarks on the subject.

    “We’re only focused on the specific issue that’s drawn all the press attention: the drug use,” Dewey said. “He’s talked about, he’s written about it extensively. He has waved any privacy interest he has in his drug use. He has bragged about it (in his memoir) and sold that.”

    To CNN, Dewey added: “This is a case that concerns Prince Harry, but what it’s focused on is DHS’s conduct.”

    Separately on Tuesday, Prince Harry testified in a case in London against the publisher of a UK tabloid, alleging the media organization used illegal methods in their reporting, namely by hacking his phone.

    It was the first time in over a century that a member of the British royal family has testified in court.

    This story and headline have been updated.

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