Kate Middleton gives subtle nod to Prince Harry & Meg as Royal Family unites for Her Majesty

Princess Charlotte and Prince George join Kate Middleton and William on Wales visit

PRINCESS Charlotte and big brother Prince George today beamed as they joined their mum and dad for a royal outing.

The youngsters headed to Wales with Kate Middleton and Prince William to meet entertainers staging a show to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Young Charlotte, seven, even appeared to try to curtsey as she stepped out of the car with her family as they arrived at Cardiff Castle.

Kate and Wills, along with George, eight, and Charlotte are due to watch rehearsals and meet some of the acts taking part in the celebrations, including Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler.

Bonnie was last week made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to music.

The royals will also meet weatherman Owain Wyn Evans, best known for his role on the nightly news programme North West Tonight and The One Show.

Rain and thunderstorms impact Jubilee parties

Severe warnings of thunderstorms on Saturday have been issued by forecasters.

The Guardian reports that a yellow weather warning is in place on Saturday in south-west England, with a chance of flooding, damage to buildings, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds – as well as the risk of travel delays and cancellations of train and bus services.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England, in contrast, will enjoy sunshine and balmy temperatures on day three of the bank holiday weekend.

Hailstorms this Sunday could jeopardise Jubilee plans

Jubilee celebrations could be threatened by thunderstorms.

Express.co.uk reports that lightning storms and hailstorms could trigger power cuts.

Many plans for Jubilee events could be thrown into chaos.

Royal Family wishes Lilibet a happy birthday

The royals have tweeted Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet a happy birthday as the baby turns one today.

According to Express.co.uk, the Royal Family Twitter account said: “Wishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!”

Prince Charles and Camilla’s Clarence House account tweeted: “Wishing Lilibet a very happy 1st birthday today!”

Prince William and Kate said: “Wishing a very happy birthday to Lilibet, turning one today!”

Sussexes ‘put in their place’ at Jubilee service

The Sussexes “B-list status” was “painfully obvious” with their seats at a Platinum Jubilee event yesterday, a royal commentator has suggested.

Harry and Meghan joined members of the Royal Family at the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday.

Express.co.uk reports that royal columnist Daniela Elser spotted their relegated seating arrangement at the event.

Writing for news.com.au, Ms Elser said: “While the last time Harry had been inside the famed 17th century church, for the Grenfell Tower National Memorial service in 2017, he had sat sombrely in the front row next to his brother and sister-in-law, William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on Friday he was forced to accept his designated spot in cheap seats, the Sussexes’ B-list status made all-too-painfully obvious.

“Harry and Meghan were being, quite literally, put in their place.”

Express poll on whether crowds were right to boo Harry and Meghan

Meghan and Harry were greeted by boos and cheers as they arrived at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.

They sat in the second row from the front, with Harry next to Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank and Meghan next to Princess Margaret’s daughter Lady Sarah Chatto.

But were the crowds right to boo them? Express.co.uk is running a poll to find out.

You can vote here.

Which Platinum Jubilee events are taking place today?

Saturday marks the third day of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Express.co.uk reports that senior members of the Royal Family are touring the UK, with Prince William and Kate visiting Cardiff Castle, Princess Anne in Scotland, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex travelling to Northern Ireland.

The Queen is no longer attending the Epsom Derby this afternoon but she will be represented by the Princess Royal. 

A glamorous line-up of celebs will take to the stage for the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace tonight.

Palace aides carefully choreographed plan to ensure the Sussexes avoided William and Kate

Palace aides were said to have choreographed timings for the Platinum Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday to guarantee that Prince William and Kate Middleton didn’t bump into the Sussexes.

The couple sat away from the Cambridges, and Prince Charles and Camilla in the church after royal aides guaranteed they sat on separate sides of the aisle in a carefully conducted plan.

According to the Mail Online, as well as the seating arrangements in the cathedral, timings were also carefully considered by Palace aides, with the couple arriving and leaving the service at different times to William and Kate to avoid bumping into each other.

Harry and Meghan missed Jubilee party to avoid the Cambridges

The Sussexes have missed a Jubilee event to avoid “hobnobbing with the family”, in particular with William and Kate, it has been reported.

Harry and Meghan arrived together in Britain for the first time in more than two years to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and they intend to keep a low profile so as not to take attention away from the monarch.

According to mirror.co.uk, it appeared after yesterday’s thanksgiving service they had no desire to see William and Kate and retreated quickly back to Windsor.

A royal aide said that while they were happy to see Prince Charles they had no intention to meet the Cambridges at a Jubilee reception afterwards.

Birthday celebrations: Lilibet turns one today

Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet is spending her first birthday in Britain during the Jubilee celebrations.

According to Sky News, the Sussexes’ second child was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California.

She was named in honour of the Queen.

Lilibet was first used when Princess Elizabeth was unable to pronounce her own name properly when she was just a toddler.

King George V would call her “Lilibet”, copying her own attempts to say Elizabeth.

How much are the Crown Jewels worth?

Many think the Crown Jewels refer to a few crowns in possession of the royal family.

The Crown Jewels is actually a collection of 140 ceremonial objects boasting a spectacular 23,578 precious gemstones.

It includes the Imperial State Crown, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, and other regalia worn by the monarchy.

Only three people are allowed to touch the Imperial State Crown – the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Crown Jeweller.

The Crown Jewels include the sovereign’s coronation regalia, the largest set of regalia in the world and the only working set in Europe.

Part of the wider Royal Collection, the jewels represent over 800 years of royal history.

The crown jewels are not insured against loss and are unlikely to ever be sold.

They are officially priceless but estimated to be worth from £1billion up to £5billion.

Not meeting with Kate and Wills personally

Back in 2018, Meghan and Harry revealed they didn’t want to live in Kensington near Kate and William and instead they moved out to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

And ever since, public engagements where the four have been present have been tense, according to experts.

A series of royal engagements at Westminster Abbey in the months running up to Megxit showed how the relationship between the brothers – and their spouses – allegedly soured.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex felt they were “punished” as they joined senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service in March 2020 – in what marked their final public appearance as working royals.

The alleged frosty tensions were also felt on Friday morning during the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.

And afterwards, there were no indications that the foursome mingled as Wills and Kate were seen laughing together with Camilla and Charles.

It’s not known whether the couples have met together personally since Meg and Harry arrived from California.

But insiders have claimed that brothers William and Harry have no intentions of meeting up separately over the celebratory weekend.

A royal source told Page Six: “At the moment, it does not look likely that Harry and Meghan and William and Kate will meet up separately during the Jubilee celebrations.

“There is certainly nothing in the diary at the moment.”

No Netflix cameras allowed

A team has been allegedly tasked to stop any moves by filmmakers to “exploit” the streaming giant’s £112million deal with the couple at the Queen’s four-day celebrations.

A well-placed source told The Sun last month: “While the family are delighted Harry and Meghan are coming, there is a real fear of tension, especially over any Netflix crew.

“There are concerns tension could explode if the Netflix team comes to the UK and tries to exploit their opportunities.

“The worry is they will push it and try to gain access to areas of Jubilee celebration events where they can film Harry and Meghan and their children.

“Even if they accept that their Netflix crew can’t go into Buckingham Palace to film, they could cause problems – and at the very least cause a major distraction.

“Senior courtiers believe that Netflix will see it as one big opportunity to exploit their mega-millions agreement with the couple.

“So a team of Palace aides will be on standby to keep a very close eye on the crew, and act as minders if needs be.”

Inside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s return

Our first glimpse of Meghan back on British soil in two years came on Thursday – the first day of the royal celebrations for the Queen.

Meghan and Harry were banned from appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour, as per the Queen’s orders.

But the Californian couple were spotted in the background – chatting away to the Duke of Kent and whispering to the young royal children.

Wearing a navy blue dress and matching hat, Meghan stood in the Major General’s Office as the military spectacular took place below.

Meghan and Harry have brought their youngest child Lilibet to the UK with them – marking her first time in the country.

And the question everyone is asking is whether or not she has met her namesake yet, Queen Elizabeth.

The Queen is believed to have finally met her great-granddaughter Lilibet, according to sources who say they were united for the first time on Thursday.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s reunion with Royals was ‘frosty’, Piers claims

MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s reunion with the royals was “frosty” with “lots of tension” claims Piers Morgan.

The TalkTV host, 57, claims that royal insiders told him the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “disappeared” behind the scenes of the Trooping the Colour.

While the rest of the royal family mingled and milled about on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, Meg and Harry were nowhere to be seen, Piers claims.

Instead, the Sussexes just “disappeared” following the first day of celebrations, insiders told him.

Piers insisted that the glue binding the Californian couple with the rest of the royals is the Queen herself – who wasn’t present at St Paul’s.

Morgan claimed: “The rest of the family went into the garden and were milling around and they just disappeared.

“So there is already a lot of tension there and the only glue it seems in this whole tension is The Queen and she’s not going to be there.”

Queen, 96, WON’T attend Epsom Derby

THE Queen will miss the Epsom Derby because of her ongoing health issues, Buckingham Palace announced.

This is the second engagement Her Majesty has cancelled over the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday.

Harry grins as he holds hands with Meghan

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle looked happy to be back on home turf at a special service of thanksgiving for the Queen.

Cheers erupted as the “nervous” couple arrived hand-in-hand at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark Her Majesty’s momentous 70-year reign.

The Sussexes joined William, Kate and other royals for their first official event since Megxit on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

And they seemed at ease throughout the high-profile occasion – sharing smiles and jokes with family members and other attendees.

St Paul’s seating plan revealed

MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry today joined the Firm for their first Royal engagement since Megxit – with their seats giving an insight into how their roles have changed.

The royals gathered in the church for the Service of Thanksgiving – as part of the Queen’s stellar Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

While the Queen, 96, herself did not attend due to mobility issues, the rest of the Firm were there including Kate Middleton and Prince William, Charles and Camilla, Beatrice and Eugenie and Zara and Mike Tindall.

And images from inside St Paul’s show where Harry and Meghan stand in the royal pecking order since they quit the Royal Family.

Prince William and Kate Middleton, 40, were spotted next to one another in the front row on the left.

Whereas Meghan Markle, 40, and Prince Harry sat on the opposite side, one row behind.

Celebratory mood as Royal Family come together to honour Queen

From the joyous to the solemn, St Paul’s Cathedral in London has been the setting for national spectacle and ceremony for centuries.

On this occasion the mood was celebratory as hundreds of people gathered to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – an event the monarch would have held close to her heart due to the importance she places on her Christian faith.

While the Queen was not present for the service of thanksgiving, the enthusiasm and determination to mark the milestone and express gratitude was not diminished.

The Archbishop of York incorporated the Queen’s love of horse racing into his sermon, acknowledging that while she was not here in person she is “still in the saddle”.

His equine-themed quips sparked smiles among the Queen’s nearest and dearest, and laughter rippled through the cathedral.

As the congregation filtered into the famous place of worship, they were met with a pleasant cool air, a welcome respite from the warm sunshine bathing the capital on Friday morning.

In the couple of hours before the service began, as people made their way to their seats – laid out in perfectly straight rows – a relaxed and contented chatter filled the historic building.

Duke and Duchess CHEERED as they arrive at St Paul’s Cathedal

A huge cheer went up as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived and they were greeted at the great west door by the Dean of St Paul’s.

They spent a few minutes talking to the senior cleric before they entered the place of worship and proceeded to greet the long line of clergy who are taking part in today’s service of Thanksgiving.

Harry stopped to chat for a few moments with the Archbishop of York who later will give the sermon and is expected to praise the Queen’s 70-year reign.

Queen, 96, ‘finally meets Lilibet’ 

THE Queen is believed to have finally met her great-granddaughter Lilibet.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly introduced the youngster, who turns one tomorrow, to the monarch at Windsor Castle yesterday.

Royal commentator Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, said it would have been the first time the 96-year-old would have come face-to-face with her namesake, who was born in California.

He told BBC Breakfast: “Of course we know the Queen went back to Windsor Castle yesterday, the couple went back to Windsor as well where they’re staying at Frogmore Cottage.

“So that would have been the first moment or the first chance for her to meet her namesake.”

He added that people shouldn’t expect “some sort of big birthday extravagant event” for the soon-to-be one-year-old’s celebrations.