MEGHAN and Prince Harry’s absence at an engagement for a charity they set up with Kate & William means the “ship has sailed” on a return to royal life, an expert has said.
The Duchess of Cambridge highlighted the incredible work of mental health service Shout, which she set up with William, Prince Harry and Meghan using £3million from their then-joint foundation.
But the absence of Harry and Meghan was noted, Royal biographer Robert Jobson said Kate handled the appointment perfectly on her own.
He told the Mirror: “When Kate turned up at Shout’s Notting Hill office on Wednesday to mark their millionth text, she was relaxed and very well informed. She put everyone she met at ease, asked all the right questions, talked about difficult issues such as people struggling with family relationships, and depression and suicide, without turning the entire visit gloomy.”
But the writer says the Duke and Duchess’ absence means the end of foursome’s close bonds – and a definitive door being closed on Meghan & Harry’s return to Royal life.
Jobson continued: “When she met volunteers, the duchess was warm and encouraging. She has easy, natural style, but was clearly well-read and well-briefed too on the success of the initiative, now supported by William and Kate’s foundation, not by the Californian-based “H” and Duchess Meg.
“‘I’ll have to become a volunteer’, she joked, knowing that her hard work and influence and money had made it possible for this essential free service to continue. It could have been a ‘Fab Four’ day out if things had been different – but that ship has long sailed.”
Read our Meghan Markle live blog for the latest news and gossip
-
Prince Charles ‘unlikely’ to pass throne on to William
A royal biographer has claimed that Prince Charles is unlikely to abdicate the throne to pass it on to William.
Penny Junor claimed that there is “very, very little chance” that William will become king before Charles.
She told Podcast Royal: “I think there is very, very little chance that it would happen, constitutional Monarchy means our Monarchy is based on hereditary and if you start deciding that you should abdicate for somebody else then you lose the logic, I mean of keeping it within the family.
“I think it is inconceivable that he [Charles] would pass it along.
“As you say, he has been preparing it for a very long time, he would be the best-prepared Monarch this country has ever had. The only way, the only circumstance that I could see a change to that if, at the time of the Queen’s death, he was for whatever reason so unpopular, the public really didn’t want him but I think that is very, very unlikely.”
-
William says he monitors George’s screen time
Speaking about his family, Prince William said: “At the moment it’s trying to regulate the gaming…monitoring screen time. Got to be careful of that.
“They’re fascinated by it. George particularly. He’s more interested in it.
The other two are a bit too small at the moment but they love the films.
“I adore film and gaming as well.”
-
William visits BAFTAs HQ (continued…)
During the visit, William chatted to actress Suranne Jones, who starred in the acclaimed BBC series Doctor Foster and mentors fledgling stars for Bafta.
The duke also met young creatives helped by another scheme that bore his name, the Prince William Scholarship, and asked them: “Is it working well for you? I can have a word with the boss, the real boss.”
William also joined Jones and BBC3 presenter and campaigner Annie Price and their two mentees Lily Blunsom-Washbrook and Roxanne McKenzie.
Roxanne told the prince: “It can seem an impossible dream to reach so mentoring is helpful.”
William added: “When you first start off it is interesting how (you have) different levels of what success means and it must be daunting to… get through and navigate through the system, it is such a big enormous industry so having mentoring support and bursary is important.”
-
William visits Bafta’s revamped HQ as bursary in his name is announced
The Duke of Cambridge has launched a bursary scheme in his name to help future stars from under-represented groups forge a career in the creative industries.
William is president of the arts charity Bafta and praised the organisation’s “commitment” to ensure those with potential have every opportunity to develop their skills.
He marked the bursary’s launch by visiting Bafta’s newly redeveloped headquarters in central London and revealed Prince George has a love of gaming, but William said they “regulate his screen time”.
The Prince William Bafta Bursary for films, games, and television professionals aims to “supercharge” Bafta’s support for these talented individuals, the charity has said.
The duke said in a statement: “I am hugely proud of Bafta’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that young talent from all walks of life are given every possible opportunity to build and develop successful careers in the film, games and television industries.
“The redevelopment of 195 Piccadilly has created fantastic new learning spaces to ensure that future generations can receive the support they need to thrive.”
-
Prince Andrew demands jury trial in civil sex case
The Duke of York has demanded a trial by jury in the civil sexual assault case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.
Legal experts had predicted Andrew would seek a settlement after the Queen stripped him of his military roles, widely seen as the monarchy distancing itself from any potentially damaging developments.
But Andrew has taken the dramatic decision to face his accuser in court and become the first member of the modern royal family to submit to being cross examined over serious allegations.
David Boies, who is representing Ms Giuffre in her lawsuit against Andrew, said his client and legal team were looking forward to “confronting” the royal about his “denials”.
-
Prince Charles says we are ‘all responsible for one another’
In the foreword for a catalogue accompanying the exhibition, Charles wrote we are all “responsible for one another, for our collective history”.
He added: “One of the starkest reminders of this was the Holocaust, when a third of Europe’s Jews were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime as it sought to extinguish not just the Jewish people, but Judaism.
“Seven portraits. Seven faces. Each a survivor of the horrors of those years, who sought refuge and a home in Britain after the war, becoming an integral part of the fabric of our nation.
“However, these portraits represent something far greater than seven remarkable individuals. They stand as a living memorial to the six million innocent men, women, and children whose stories will never be told, whose portraits will never be painted.”
-
Seven holocaust survivors featured in paintings commissioned by Prince Charles
The Prince of Wales has hailed seven portraits of some of the nation’s last remaining Holocaust survivors as a “powerful testament” to their lived experience.
Charles commissioned the paintings of the elderly men and women to stand as a lasting reminder of the horrors of the Nazi regime, and was left moved after meeting one sitter who showed the prince her concentration camp tattoo.
Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert, 98, whose picture was unveiled with six others at the Queen’s Gallery in London, also showed the heir to the throne a golden pendant she hid from camp guards in her shoe then later in her daily bread ration.
She told the prince during the event held on Monday: “Meeting you, it is for everyone who lost their lives,” and Charles replied: “But it is a greater privilege for me,” and touched her shoulder.
-
Commemorative Jubilee item sells out in seconds
THE QUEEN has sparked a shopping frenzy after one particular Jubilee item sold out within seconds of it going live.
A new range of commemorative items to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee were released on the official Royal Collection website.
The limited-edition set of champagne saucers were out of stock just moments after being advertised to shoppers. The glasses, sold in pairs, cost £120 and are engraved with the EIIR cypher and olive branch emblem of the Platinum Jubilee.
However, there were only 70 available in the first place – the same number of years the Queen has held her position for.
-
Andrew could pull back from trial to avoid legal spectacle
Media lawyer Mark Stephens speculated the duke may still pull back from a trial to avoid the legal spectacle which could damage the standing of the monarchy in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.
Mr Stephens explained: “The reason we think he’s got to settle is because of the timing.
“Essentially this case is going to take up the rest of this year and if it takes up the rest of this year, that’s the whole of his mother’s Platinum Jubilee.”
He added: “The only thing he could have done to stop this getting worse is to have pulled the case and stopped it in some way so there was no alternative news.
“This is going to be crippling if he really is dead set on running this to a trial.”
-
Andrew’s civil sex trial ‘threatens the Monarchy’ says lawyer
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations will be “overshadowed” by the Duke of York’s civil sex trial and lead to questions about the “relevancy” of the royal family, a leading lawyer has said.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens said Andrew would also face detailed questions of a sexual nature when he gives evidence, whether in person or via video link, in the jury trial expected towards the end of the year.
But depending on developments, there was still the prospect the duke may reach an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre who is suing the Queen’s son for sexual assault. The duke denies the allegations.
Mr Stephens said any trial could have far-reaching consequences for the wider royal family.
He said: “I can’t conceive that the royal family will allow him to run this case and overshadow the Platinum Jubilee.
“It’s going to spark debate about the relevancy and appropriateness of the royal family and we’ve already seen that they moved very fast to strip him of his titles and that debate abated but the more detail that comes out the more there’s going to be a problem for the wider royal family.”
-
Harry under fire for refusing to terminate £18m Spotify deal
PRINCE Harry is under pressure to end his £18million Spotify deal after the streaming giant was accused of promoting anti-vaxxer content.
Harry, 37, is set to release podcasts on the same platform as Covid jab sceptic Joe Rogan.
Yet just four months ago the Duke of Sussex hit out at news and social media outlets for “peddling lies” about vaccines.
He claimed the only way to “overcome” Covid-19 was to “break the system” of misinformation.
Last night a source said of Harry: “Refusing to cut ties with Spotify after they’ve aired anti-vaxxer material is incredibly two-faced.
“If he was that principled, and meant what he said, he’d cut ties, even if at a personal financial cost.”
-
Letter by Mary Queen of Scots goes to auction (continued…)
Cathy Marsden, rare books, manuscripts and maps specialist at Lyon & Turnbull, said: “It is rare for a document with Mary’s handwriting to come up for auction. Having custody of this fragile letter is quite special.
“There are 12 lines written by a secretary, and (an) additional six lines in Mary’s own hand. The letter is signed, ‘Votre bien bonne amye, Marie’, which translates as ‘Your very good friend, Mary’.
“Given Mary’s unique place in history, we anticipate a lot of interest in this sale.”
The letter asks the French ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I to lend George Douglas, the bearer, 300 ecus (gold coins) and to negotiate with the French royal family to secure George’s trouble-free passage.
Mary’s escape from Lochleven had been helped by George Douglas and his cousin, William Douglas.
She went to England to seek refuge from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, but was apprehended by Richard Lowther, deputy governor of Cumberland, and escorted to Carlisle Castle.
Mary was imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I for 19 years before she was beheaded in Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire on February 8 1587 at the age of 44.
-
Letter written by Mary Queen of Scots expected to fetch up to £18k
A letter featuring the handwriting of Mary Queen of Scots is to go under the hammer next month.
The document, which could fetch between £14,000 and £18,000, is an appeal from her to the French ambassador in England to allow the safe passage of Scottish nobleman, George Douglas, to France.
It was written in Carlisle Castle two months after her escape from Lochleven Castle in Perthshire on May 2 1568, where she had been imprisoned for nearly a year following a forced abdication in favour of her infant son, James VI.
Mary hoped that by helping to ensure a safe journey to France for George Douglas, he would intercede with the French king on her behalf to help secure her freedom.
The letter will be sold live and online by fine art auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull, which has its headquarters in Edinburgh, on Wednesday February 2
-
Meg & Harry ‘hiring’ THREE producers for Archewell podcast
It has been claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are searching for three new producers for their Archewell audio podcast.
Podcaster Rachel Bowie claims that Prince Harry and Meghan are looking for someone who has experience working with “high-profile” women, with a high in social activism and popular culture – alongside preparing for a host of recordings.
The podcast will feature elite women who will share their stories on their new weekly show.
Rachel Bowie, host of Royally Obsessed, said: “We’ve been seeing this week that they [Archewell audio] are hiring so it sounds like something is gonna happen with that.
“We’ve all been kind of waiting to have Harry and Meghan back in our ears, and they posted this week that they are looking for a team of three producers to work on a new weekly show for Archewell audio that will feature high-profile women.
“The responsibility is that they need to prep for the host for recordings, have experience working with high-profile talent with the interest in the intersection of social activism and popular culture. So first I was kind of ignoring that news, I was like “It’s not gonna be that insightful” and I started thinking like, ‘Gosh! What is this show gonna be, what kind of guests they’re gonna have’.”
-
Camilla will receive Queen title to avoid ‘humiliation’
According to a royal biographer, Camilla will become Queen when Charles takes the throne, to avoid humiliation.
Penny Junor said that she has a ‘suspicion’ that Camilla will be called Queen as Charles is grateful for all that she has sacrificed for him.
She said: “I have a suspicion that she will be called Queen because I think Charles would find it very humiliating to call her anything else.
“He is hugely proud of her, hugely grateful to her, for all that she has sacrificed to be with him.
“As I think, though Clarence House has always protested and said, ‘No, No she will be Princess Consort’.
“I think actually come the day she will be the Queen, and I think that we saw the Queen herself condoning that in an unspoken way, just a couple of weeks ago when she made her member of the Garter that was the highest level of honour that she could have bestowed on Camilla.
“And I think it was an indication, a gratitude for her hard work, for her discretion, for her loyalty, and I think recognising that she is a very very valuable member of the family.”
-
Andrew’s strategy branded ‘risky’
A US legal expert has described Prince Andrew’s strategy to try and attack and blame Virginia Giuffre as “incredibly risky”.
Moira Penza, a former Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said that the Prince is keeping his options open to how he will respond to allegations.
She said: “What we have seen in other cases, is that that is an incredibly risky strategy for someone in Prince Andrew’s position to employ.”
On the photograph which appears to show Prince Andrew with his arm around the 17-year-old Virginia, Ms Penza said: “What I think is happening there is you’re never going to admit in this sort of filing, ‘Yes, what Virginia Giuffre is saying about that photograph is true’. That just would never happen at this stage in the proceeding.
“But what he’s doing is he’s keeping options open, depending on how the facts play out in discovery over the course of a trial where perhaps he can make arguments as to why he’s in that photograph, when that photograph might have been taken, what the circumstances were around that photograph, rather than it being specifically tied to sexual assault of Virginia Giuffre.”
-
Prince Harry’s security risk has ‘spiked since Megxit’
A royal expert has claimed that Prince Harry’s security risk has spiked since Harry and Meghan stepped down from senior royal duties.
Richard Atch, director of operations for Mobus International Security said: “By virtue of the fact he is a senior member of the Royal Family, he is exposed to a wide variety of serious threats and the risks to those threats have increased since his departure from the Royal Family.
“The fact that he no longer received police protection, his risk to threats have certainly spiked.
“When you make a comparison between Prince Harry and other members of the Royal Family who don’t receive protection; you have Harry who has served two tours in Afghanistan.
“He is a very high profile member of the Royal Family and he has somewhat developed a band of people who would take offence to his action from departing the Royal Family after moving over to the states.”
-
Prince Andrew claims he wasn’t frequent guest of Epstein
The Duke has denied that he was “a frequent guest in Epstein’s various homes around the world, including New York City,” where he has been accused of sexually abusing Giuffre.
In his 11-page “answer and affirmative defenses” to Giuffre’s civil complaint, the Duke said he met Epstein “in or around 1999”.
Andrew was pictured with Epstein in New York’s Central Park in 2010 and admitted staying with him for several days despite knowing he was a convicted sex offender.
When questioned about why he stayed at a paedophile’s mansion by Emily Maitlis on BBC’s Newsnight in 2019, he replied: “It was a convenient place to stay.”
During this stay, many young women were reportedly seen coming and going from the house, and literary agent John Brockman claimed to have seen the prince getting a foot massage from a young Russian woman, alongside Epstein, something he has denied.
-
Claims Guiffre & others were responsible for her own alleged abuse
Prince Andrew has refuted Giuffre’s major claim of “sexual abuse” and “rape” when she was “under the age of 18”.
His lawyers have stated: “Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage, Giuffre and/or others, who are not Prince Andrew, contributed in whole or in part to the alleged damage.”
Andrew’s legal team also listed “consent” and the “doctrine of unclean hands” – alleging Giuffre acted unethically related to the accusations – among his defences.
“Giuffre’s alleged causes of action are barred in whole or in part by her own wrongful conduct,” they wrote.
-
Seven bizarre claims from Prince Andrew’s legal papers
The Duke of York has denied being a close friend of Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker, while his lawyers say he wants a trial by jury to contest the claim brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew faces damages which could “easily” be in excess of £14m if he loses the civil case, according to lawyers.
The Duke has consistently denied all the allegations, and on Wednesday, his lawyers officially filed documents to court. A trial is scheduled for later this year.
Here are seven bombshells from Prince Andrew’s court documents.
- Doesn’t admit to knowing whether Epstein was registered sex offender when he visited
- Denies being close friends with Maxwell
- Claims he wasn’t frequent guest of Epstein
- Doesn’t know if Virginia Roberts picture exists
- Doesn’t know if he invited Epstein to Beatrice’s 18th birthday
- Doesn’t know whether he emailed Maxwell about Giuffre in 2015
- Claims Guiffre and others were responsible for her own alleged abuse
Read the article in full here.
-
’40-year-old men don’t just randomly put their arms around girls’
While commenting on the infamous picture which appears to show Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, a GMB presenter suggested there might have been a reason he had his arm around her.
However, former US federal prosecutor Mitchell Epner speculated: “40-year-old men don’t just randomly put their arms around 16 or 17-year-old girls they do not know are not related to, or not the children of friends at random parties.
“That does not occur.”
-
Andrew will have ‘every bit of dirty laundry aired’
PRINCE Andrew will have “every single bit of dirty laundry aired in public,” at the Virginia Roberts trial, a lawyer has claimed.
It comes as Andrew, 62, sensationally demanded a trial by jury overnight in his battle against sex abuse claims.
former US federal prosecutor Mitchell Epner says that Prince Andrew will in reality lose the case, whatever the outcome in court.
“If he goes to trial, he will either lose by having a verdict against him or he will lose because it will be the most pyrrhic victory in history because every single bit of dirty laundry he’s ever had will be aired out in public,” he told GMB.
The lawyer explained the demand for a jury is “a standard thing” he had to do if Ms Giuffre did decide to drop her demand for a jury trial and have the case tried by the judge.
He would not then be “stuck in front of the judge” who so far “has shown enormous antipathy towards Prince Andrew’s attorneys”.
Attorney Mitchell Epner said “every single bit of dirty laundry he’s ever had will be aired” -
Prince Charles ‘unlikely’ to pass throne on to William
A royal biographer has claimed that Prince Charles is unlikely to abdicate the throne to pass it on to William.
Penny Junor claimed that there is “very, very little chance” that William will become king before Charles.
She told Podcast Royal: “I think there is very, very little chance that it would happen, constitutional Monarchy means our Monarchy is based on hereditary and if you start deciding that you should abdicate for somebody else then you lose the logic, I mean of keeping it within the family.
“I think it is inconceivable that he [Charles] would pass it along.
“As you say, he has been preparing it for a very long time, he would be the best-prepared Monarch this country has ever had. The only way, the only circumstance that I could see a change to that if, at the time of the Queen’s death, he was for whatever reason so unpopular, the public really didn’t want him but I think that is very, very unlikely.”
-
Prince Charles ;dreading becoming King’
A royal biographer has claimed that Prince Charles is terrified of becoming king.
According to Penny Juror, although Charles has been training for the role for years, he will be devastated to take the throne from his mother.
Penny said: “This is a moment that he [Charles] has been dreading all his life really because his achieving the top job, the job he’s been training for and preparing for all these years does inevitably means the death of his mother and he loves his mother very dearly.
“So it’s going to be a very vicious week, moment and I think that I am sure that he is pretty terrified of the whole prospect.
“He is a very emotional man and a sensitive man, he did take the death of his father very badly. He takes the death of any loved one to heart and I think it would be, it’s devastating for him as it is for anyone who loses a much-loved mother.”
-
Kate ;has changed since joining the Royal Family;
According to a body language expert, Kate Middleton has become more confident since joining the royal family.
Judi James told Express.co.uk: “Her body language signals at the start of her marriage suggested a polite and charming woman who displayed gestures of a self-effacing shyness while she was inducted into her royal role.
“But since then she has worked hard to turn herself into a speaker and presenter who is at an almost professional standard.
“However she feels inside her externally projected persona now looks firm, capable and much more confident.
“Kate’s current body language shows how much she has grown in both confidence and charisma but without once compromising William’s obvious desire to avoid rabid interest or to provide any soap-opera-style narrative”.