• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly once engaged a royal aide in a "physical altercation," according to claims in new biography, Elizabeth II by Robert Hardman.
• The former Prince allegedly confronted Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Jonstone-Burt after he was told that "he'd have to wait his turn like anybody else" when planning an event at Buckingham Palace.
• "The Duke went for him," royal household sources reported, per Hardman, describing the incident as "not just an outburst of expletives and a jab of a finger," but a "kinetic" blow.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been accused of a "physical altercation" with a royal aide, according to a new biography.

Elizabeth II by Robert Hardman is set for release later this week, detailing "the inside story" of the late Queen's life both "in private [and] in public".

Ahead of its highly-anticipated release, the book is being serialised by the Daily Mail, with Hardman publishing regular excerpts from the upcoming biography.

This involved shock claims around the late monarch's second son, with reports that the former Duke of York, who was stripped of his titles last year, once engaged a royal aide in a physical altercation.

The aide in question, Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Jonstone-Burt, was allegedly confronted by the former Prince after he was told that he could not hold a Pitch@Palace event at Buckingham Palace.

"It was a routine household matter," a source within the royal household reportedly told Hardman. "The Duke wanted to have a reception, and there wasn't any room. It was as simple as that."

"Tony said he'd have to wait his turn like anybody else, and the Duke went for him."

The alleged "altercation" was "not just an outburst of expletives and a jab of a finger," reported one source, while another claimed that it was a "kinetic" blow.

The incident was allegedly reported to the Lord Chamberlain, who spoke to King Charles about the situation.

However, according to the reports, an apology did not follow, with Andrew telephoning the Lord Chamberlain and allegedly telling him, "I gather you've been calling people and causing problems".

Per the excerpt, Andrew's father Prince Philip did reach out, writing a letter of apology to Sir Tony Jonstone-Burt after the alleged incident.

Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story. by Robert Hardman is set for release on Thursday 9 April 2026.

• A friend of Prince Harry has reported that the royal is hoping for an invite to Sandringham to "spend some time with the family."
• "If he was invited by the King, he would get a package of security that automatically kicks in," the insider reported to The Sunday Times, which would allow the Duke of Sussex to bring his children.
• Prince Harry has voiced his UK safety concerns for his family in the past, noting that he would not be able to return with his wife and children without security.

Prince Harry's relationship with the royal family continues to make headlines, with tensions well-documented since the Sussexes' step away from royal life and relocation to Montecito, California.

However, in recent years, there have reportedly been major advances towards a reunion, with the Mountbatten-Windsors appearing to extend olive branches to the Duke and Duchess.

And with Prince Harry and King Charles meeting in 2025 for a successful face-to-face peace talk, described as "an important first step towards rebuilding their relationship," it was believed that a summer in Sandringham could even be on the cards.

Prince Harry has spoken publicly about his safety concerns around bringing his family to the UK, with the Duke of Sussex currently waiting to hear whether his police protection will be reinstated.

However, according to insiders, an invite to Sandringham from the King would automatically entitle the Sussexes to security there - something that would allow the family of four to accept the invitation and reunite with the Mountbatten-Windsors.

"If he was invited by the King, he would get a package of security that automatically kicks in," a friend of Prince Harry recently explained to The Sunday Times. "He’d like an invite to Sandringham.

"Would he go? It would depend who was there," the insider continued. "If the King was to say, ‘Come up and spend some time with the family’, he’d love that."

"He’s not given up hope on bringing his family back to the UK," another source reported to the publication last year. "He wants to be able to show his children where he grew up. He wants them to know their family here. He really would like to come back to the UK much more."

"There have been so many disagreements, differences,” Prince Harry explained to BBC’s Nada Tawfik of his relationship with the Mountbatten-Windsors last year.

"I would love reconciliation with my family," he added. "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious."

We will continue to update this story.

• The Prince and Princess of Wales are planning to modernise the monarchy during their reign, with their "slimmed-down" approach said to be more relatable.
• This reportedly involves moving away from outdated traditions, with the future King and Queen already parting with "archaic" systems behind closed doors.
• "Even though they of course hope the King is around for many years to come, they are both ready to step into the roles when required," royal expert Russell Myers has explained. "Which has come from a reliance on each other."

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been front and centre in 2026, stepping up as leaders within the royal family.

And with the future King and Queen widely acknowledged as change makers, the royal couple is said to be planning to reshape the monarchy during their reign, opting for a more relatable, slimmed-down and modern system.

This is something royal expert Russell Myers has opened up about this month, releasing new biography, William & Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story.

And in a recent conversation with Vanity Fair, Myers went on to explain how Prince William and Princess Kate are already prepping for their royal future as King and Queen.

"We have seen in recent times William openly speaking about change - and 'change for good,'" Myers explained in the recent interview.

"This will involve making the monarchy more accountable, such as William’s ongoing audit with the Duchy of Cornwall, and more relatable, such as William and Catherine centering on public work that has more impact across many years, such as his homelessness project Homewards, the environmental project Earthshot, or Catherine’s early years work."

"Both the Prince and Princess of Wales want to rule, when the time comes, with more empathy and a greater personal relationship with the people," he continued. "And we are seeing that with the way they speak about their own mental health and wellbeing, it’s incredibly forward-looking."

This, according to Myers, also involves ending various outdated traditions behind the scenes, with the royal couple already changing the way they raise Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

"The children are aware of their position in the family and the wider world, but in a way that is very different to William and Harry’s upbringing," Myers reflected. "The concept of 'heir and spare' may be clear in the different roles the children will play in the future, but both William and Catherine view it as damaging and archaic, and it doesn’t feature in their upbringing of the children."

"They may only have a few more years until they are king and queen when their roles will change dramatically," Myers later reflected, noting that Prince William and Princess Kate have found "a great deal of common ground" navigating the situation together.

"Even though they of course hope the King is around for many years to come, they are both ready to step into the roles when required," Myers added. "Which has come from a reliance on each other and an appreciation that they will be leading a much slimmed down monarchy in the future."

We will continue to update this story.

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest could reportedly have a major impact on the royal family, with the 66-year-old taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
• "The problem will be — who knew what and when and why was nothing done?," reported royal expert Robert Jobson.
• "If it comes out that people knew stuff," Jobson continued, "whether it be members of the family or police or staffers, then heads must roll."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested this week on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The 66-year-old was taken into custody on Thursday following a series of allegations against him, after the release of files relating to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has since been "released under investigation".

King Charles issued an immediate statement after his brother's arrest, offering his "full and wholehearted support" in the ongoing investigation.

“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities," his statement read. "In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," he continued, choosing not to comment further on the matter.

However, despite the firm's continued co-operation, royal experts have warned that Andrew's arrest could impact the royal family, particularly if and when members of the fold had been aware of any allegations relating to the 66 year old.

"He was Prince Andrew, Duke of York," explained Robert Jobson, royal expert and author of The Windsor Legacy, in an interview with PEOPLE. "He was right at the heart of the Royal Family and appointed by the late Queen and the government. It is one thing kicking him out now and saying he is a bad apple, but they didn’t have due diligence in place."

Jobson went on to report that questions around "who knew what?" and "why was nothing done?" could cause repercussions, stating: "If it comes out that people knew stuff - whether it be members of the family or police or staffers - then heads must roll. Charles is not guilty of anything here, but the monarchy needs to change."

He continued: "The lack of accountability and the lack of transparency has led to complacency which has led to this problem."

The investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains ongoing. He has continuously and strenuously denied all allegations against him in relation to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Earlier this morning, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former Prince, who was stripped of his titles in October last year following public scrutiny over his alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, said at the time that 'the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family'. Following his arrest today, Andrew is currently being held in custody. Although details about the allegations are yet to be shared by officials, he has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing in all matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.

In response to Andrew's arrest, King Charles has released a statement confirming that he is offering full 'support and co-operation' in the wake of the investigation. The BBC reports that the monarch and the Palace were not informed of the arrest prior. In his statement, the King wrote: "I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.

"In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

Earlier this morning, Thames Valley police released a statement confirming that Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct. They also confirmed that he was being held in custody, and that they were carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. It reads: "As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. The man remains in police custody at this time. We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court."

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright added: "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office. It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence. We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time."

We will continue to update this story.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former Prince, who was stripped of his royal titles late last year, is confirmed to be in custody.

A statement from Thames Valley police, as per BBC, reads: "As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. The man remains in police custody at this time.

"We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court."

In addition, Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office. It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence. We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time."

According to the BBC, police are searching addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk in relation to the arrest. The report suggested that Andrew's arrest may be linked to an investigation into the recently released Epstein files 'that goes back to documents from when he was a trade envoy, that are alleged to have been passed to Epstein'. However, at the time of writing, the details of the investigation - including the allegations - have not been confirmed. Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing in all matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.

We will continue to update this story.

• King Charles will celebrate Christmas at Sandringham this year with Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales
• Prince Harry is reported to be building bridges with the King after years of estrangement
• A Christmas reunion between King Charles and Prince Harry is unlikely, according to royal experts, but the monarch could offer his son an alternative way be involved in the festivities

The royal family has a number of popular festive traditions, from their annual morning walk to church for a Christmas Day service to their funny secret Santa gifts. Every year, the family heads to Sandringham to celebrate the holidays - but since their decision to step down as working royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not attended.

Over the last few months, as the relationship between King Charles and Prince Harry improves, many have questioned whether the estranged Duke of Sussex would be invited to join the royal Christmas. However, as Harry's legal challenge over UK security protection continues, it appears that the Sussexes are unlikely to return for the festive period. But, according to royal experts, this year the King could offer an olive branch to his estranged son.

Royal correspondent Richard Palmer has claimed that King Charles is aware of the importance bringing his family, as well as the nation, together at Christmas. He said (per The Express): "Certain aspects of the royal Christmas are a fundamental part of our lives, and have been for generations. The King’s speech, the big gathering at Sandringham and the family’s walk to church on Christmas Day all fill the news schedule, providing a sense of tradition and an important message about their values and the way they lead the nation."

However, he added that Prince Harry may not be at the royal Christmas gathering despite mending his relationship with the King, and instead may unite with his father in a more modern way. Palmer continued: "A Skype call is probably a more realistic option. It’s too soon for Harry and Meghan to attend an event like the royal Christmas when there’s so much still to sort out."

Royal expert Katie Nicholl added: "It’s a major thing because there are only two occasions in the year when the whole family gets together for any length of time – during the summer at Balmoral, and then at Christmas at Sandringham."

On the Sussexes potential involvement in a royal Christmas, she added: "The initial step of reconciliation between Harry and his father will hopefully lead to something meaningful in future, but I’m not sure everyone’s as willing to welcome Harry in from the cold just yet."

• Prince William previously admitted that 'change is on the agenda' when he becomes King
• Royal commentators have claimed that the Prince of Wales is 'moulding the monarchy' now in preparation for his royal future
• They add that William and Kate play a 'vital role' in the preservation of the institution for future generations

The Prince of Wales has opened up about the significant changes he wishes to make within the monarchy as he prepares for his future as King. During a recent appearance on Eugene Levy's Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler, Prince William explained that change is 'on [his] agenda', adding that he 'doesn't fear it'. According to insiders, William's candour caused tensions with King Charles and his approach was deemed 'deeply unsettling' by some royal experts - but his openness was received well by the public, and he is often praised for his relatability.

As King Charles continues to focus on his health after a cancer diagnosis in 2024, William is subtly 'moulding' the monarchy in preparation for his future. In an interview for Fox News Digital, royal commentator Hilary Fordwich claimed that William is 'determined to modernise' the institution, stating: "Much of what we don’t see front and centre is actually rather critical in this moulding of the monarchy’s future image to ensure it remains relevant. Given his immense popularity and that of Princess Catherine – we know she will play a vital role – particularly as their children grow and are launched."

He added: "We should expect her to become ever more influential behind the scenes, even with King Charles III as they have a rather wonderful rapport strengthened by their shared health crisis."

Following King Charles' cancer diagnosis last year, William's royal responsibilities expanded and he stepped in for the monarch at several engagements. While some insiders have claimed he will a 'tough ruler', he is also expected to prioritise his family when he eventually takes the throne. Princess Kate's own cancer diagnosis reportedly forced the couple to reevaluate their work life balance, and the couple are 'setting boundaries' when it comes to both royal commitments and family time.

During the segment with Eugene Levy, William said: "I think it’s really important that that atmosphere is created at home. You have to have that warmth, that feeling of safety, security, love. That all has to be there, and that was certainly part of my childhood."

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the publication: "William early on laid down the markers for his apprenticeship before becoming king, priority and privacy for his family."

Prince William visited Brazil this week as part of his ongoing work with the Earthshot Prize. The initiative, launched by the Prince of Wales back in 2020, awards monetary grants to those tackling environmental challenges, and the 2025 ceremony took place in Rio earlier this week.

As part of the event, William was interviewed by journalist and television host Christiane Amanpour. As well as discussing the Prince's commitment to environmentalism, Amanpour also asked the royal about recent comments he made in an episode of The Reluctant Traveler, hosted by actor Eugene Levy. During his appearance on the Apple TV show, William discussed how he hopes to make 'change for good' when he one day becomes King. Although this comment reportedly led to some tension between William and his father, King Charles, he was praised by many for sharing his desire to take a more modern approach.

In the fireside chat, Amanpour asked William if he could elaborate on his comments about change, adding that there has 'been a lot of change in your own family recently'. In recent weeks, William's uncle Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been stripped of all royal titles, including his Prince title. William promptly responded: "I think the Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. These people in here are the true action heroes of our time. Change will come by backing them, not by what I do."

As per The Sun, this was met with applause from the audience, with William adding: "I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world."

According to reports, William has actively distanced himself from Andrew in recent years and was 'furious' when he was photographed next to him at the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September. Royal experts have also claimed that Princess Kate was 'instrumental' in the decision to strip Andrew of his royal titles.

Prince William is currently in Brazil preparing to host the Earthshot Prize, an initiative he set up in 2020 which awards grants to those tackling environmental challenges. The Prince of Wales landed in Rio on Monday and has already made a number of stops - including a visit to Sugarloaf Mountain and a game of volleyball on Copacabana Beach.

The ceremony is set to take place later today, but William's visit to Brazil coincides with another royal trip. Following his arrival in Rio, Prince Harry shared that he would also be travelling overseas; he'll be in Canada to meet with veterans and military personnel for Remembrance week. However, the timing of Harry's announcement led to a wave of online criticism, with some claiming that he was 'upstaging' his estranged older brother. But in a surprising move, a spokesperson issued a statement to the Daily Mail in response to the growing backlash.

They explained that the events were 'planned nearly a year ago' and that 'the date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry'. The rep added: "The period of Remembrancetide traditionally extends from the 1-11 November and has done since 1918, over 100 years. He can't choose to move those dates."

The spokesperson also claimed that Harry is 'not afforded the same level of security and protection as other working members of the royal family', stating: "It means therefore, that the period of time in which we can release details of events is much more truncated than it is for His Majesty the King or the Prince of Wales."

Prince Harry lost an appeal for automatic police protection in the UK earlier this year after an ongoing legal challenge, and he spoke in detail about threats to his and his wife, Meghan Markle's, safety during his Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan. In the same statement, Harry's spokesperson said: "We are always guided - as to when we can announce trips like this, by the advice given to us by his private security advisers and the event's security team. This visit, months in the planning, marks a return to a city that has a special place in the Duke's heart, having played host to the Invictus Games back in 2017."

The Duke of Sussex released a personal essay this morning about what it means to him to be British, which some have called an 'olive branch' to William - speculating that it could have been released early in order to avoid any more clashes with royal scheduling. Prince Harry and King Charles have been working to mend their relationship in recent months, and the estranged father and son spent time together in September - reportedly the first time they have seen one another since February 2024.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have often ripped up the royal rule book - from curating their own wedding guest list to their royally-unapproved house habits. Over the years, Prince William and Princess Kate have also tried to give their children a 'normal upbringing' - they're regularly spotted doing the school run, they prefer modern parenting to a traditional royal approach, and the couple left London in 2022 to ensure that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would have more freedom. Just last week, a source claimed that Kate is "quietly rebelling" against royal rules.

In recent weeks, Prince William's refreshingly candid interviews have also made headlines. He appeared in an episode of The Reluctant Traveller alongside Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy, where he spoke about the personal challenges he faced last year in the wake of both Kate and King Charles' cancer diagnoses. He also discussed how the monarchy might look in the future, telling the actor he wants to make it 'fit for purpose', explaining: "I think it's safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. I embrace that and I enjoy that change – I don't fear it."

However, it has since been claimed that William's comments have 'worried' those in the Palace, and royal experts are alleging that his decision to speak so candidly is 'deeply unsettling' as it 'could alienate his subjects'. A royal expert told RadarOnline. "People are worried that by putting family life and privacy first, William could start to lose touch with the public... The late Queen always believed visibility was essential – and some think he's pulling back more than he should."

Last week it was reported that King Charles was also unhappy with William's candour in the interview, and that their opposing views on how the monarchy should function had caused tensions between them. An additional source later told the Daily Mail that 'no such rift exists'.

There has been growing speculation about what Prince William and Princess Kate's royal futures will look like. While some have predicted that the Prince of Wales will be a 'tough' ruler, others have praised him for his more relatable approach.

Prince Harry has spoken publicly about his fractured relationship with the royals in recent years. The Duke of Sussex relocated to the US, where he now lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two young children. In his Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, as well as throughout his best-selling memoir, Spare, Harry detailed the breakdown of his relationship with his father - but the Duke's candid interviews reportedly left the King feeling 'frustrated' and he then declined to take his son's calls.

Harry hadn't seen the King since the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, but the Prince spoke about his desire for reconciliation with his father during an interview with the BBC in May, stating: "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore." Two months later, aides from both sides were spotted in London engaging in 'peace talks'.

During Harry's visit to the UK in September, he did meet with King Charles and even offered a meaningful gift - a framed photograph. A spokesperson for Harry later confirmed: "While we would have preferred such details to remain private, for the sake of clarity we can confirm that a framed photograph was handed over, however the image did not contain the duke and duchess."

In photos obtained by the Mirror, King Charles has framed pictures of Harry and Meghan throughout one of his royal residences. According to the publication, the images can be seen on display at his official Northern Irish residence, Hillsborough Castle, and they include a photograph of Harry and Meghan's engagement, as well as an image of the couple alongside the King, Queen, Prince William and Princess Kate, taken for King Charles' 70th birthday. This has been interpreted as a subtle olive branch from the monarch to the Sussexes after years of estrangement.

A source told the paper: "Royal Historic Palaces make decisions on what they believe to be appropriate. They are also guided by members of The Royal Family, but the decision over what pictures of the family to use ultimately lies with the King."

It isn't the first time that the royals and their choice of family photographs has piqued the interest of royal fans. In late 2019, shortly before their royal departure, a framed photo of Harry and Meghan had been removed from a table in Buckingham Palace. As per the report in the Mirror, it was noted that the King does not currently display any photographs of his brother, Prince Andrew, at the property.

Prince Harry and King Charles appear to be making amends after several years of estrangement. Following a swift departure from royal life in 2020, Harry has opened up about his strained relationship with the King during various interviews and in his best-selling memoir, Spare. In May, Harry told the BBC that Charles "wouldn't speak" to him following the ongoing legal challenges over his UK security detail, but added that he hoped for "reconciliation" in light of the monarch's cancer diagnosis. By July, aides for both parties were spotted engaging in "peace talks" in London, sparking fresh hopes that the father and son would reunite.

While Prince William reportedly has no desire to reconnect with Harry, the King reportedly spent some time with Harry on his most recent visit to the UK. The Duke of Sussex returned to the capital earlier this month to attend the WellChild Awards, and although a meeting between Harry and the King had not been confirmed prior to his arrival, they did meet for the first time in almost two years. According to Palace sources, Harry and Charles met for a "private tea" at Clarence house.

In the wake of the reunion, there has been speculation that Harry could return to the royal fold in some capacity in the future. However, as per a source who spoke to The Times, King Charles has made it clear that there is no royal future for him. They said: "The King has been absolutely clear in upholding his late mother’s decision that there can be no ‘half-in, half-out’ public role for members of the family."

And it seems that Harry isn't seeking to secure that arrangement, either. He spoke about his love of LA in the Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, and a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex stating to the publication: "The Duke has made it clear that the focus has to be on his dad. Beyond that, and on any other issues as it relates to his family, we won’t be commenting."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the UK in 2020 and relocated to the US with their young son, Archie. The couple has since welcomed their daughter, Lilibet, and the family is now settled in Montecito, California.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were among several royals who attended the Duchess of Kent's funeral earlier this week. Prince William and Princess Kate joined King Charles at Westminster Cathedral, London on Tuesday 16 September for the service, although Queen Camilla was unable to attend due to illness. However, Prince Andrew's appearance came as a surprise to many with The Mirror claiming that the crowds "gasped" upon seeing him.

But it is Prince William's reaction that royal fans have noted, as photos of the heir standing by his uncle have circulated online. In the images, William appears to be looking away from Andrew and avoiding engaging with him. According to The Daily Beast, a friend of William's said the Prince was "furious" and felt "ambushed" by the positioning, claiming that the placement was a "disgrace". The source also alleged that William has attempted to avoid photographs with the Duke of York for years, noting that the future King has made his feelings quite clear.

In recent months reports have surfaced suggesting that William's disdain for his uncle started long before Prince Andrew's controversial friendship with convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, came under scrutiny. Earlier this year, journalist Richard Kay claimed that William's issue with Andrew dates back to the early days of his relationship with Catherine, Princess of Wales. According to Kay, Andrew was "unwelcoming" when Kate was introduced to the family.

But insiders claim that the royals have differed when it comes to Prince Andrew's role and royal visibility. Following a sexual abuse lawsuit in 2022, which was eventually settled out of court, Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles, patronages and HRH title, and is no longer a working royal. Although he has largely kept a low profile since, he attended the Easter Service earlier this year and remains living at the Royal Lodge in Windsor - another point of contention between him and William, per royal experts.

But William and Charles reportedly have conflicting approaches about how Andrew should function within the royal fold. While King Charles is said to have adopted the late Queen Elizabeth II's motto of "never complain, never explain", William could take a "ruthless" approach to Prince Andrew when he becomes King.

In the wake of an explosive new biography about the Duke of York, royal historian Christopher Wilson told The Telegraph: "I think to a large extent Charles has adhered to that as a safe policy – the moment you start tearing the family apart, where does it stop? With William it will be a different approach – he has hard-nosed ideas about how the Royal family needs to appear in the frenzied social media world we now inhabit, and I think will be ruthless."

Prince William and Prince Harry's fractured relationship has been well documented in recent years, with the Duke of Sussex opening up about their distance in various interviews and throughout his memoir, Spare. Prince Harry, who now lives in the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two young children, has not been seen in public with his brother since the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022. According to reports, this was also the last time they ever spoke.

More recently, royal insiders have claimed that William has already determined Harry's role in his future coronation, and that the heir to the throne will 'never' forgive the Duke for his candid media interviews. In fact, when King Charles' aides were spotted engaging in 'peace talks' with Harry's reps earlier this year, Prince William's team was noticeably absent as the Waleses will be a 'tougher to crack', according to an insider.

Later this month, Harry is set to return to the UK to attend a charity event in London. As per royal insiders, it has provided the estranged Prince and the King an opportunity to connect with a source telling RadarOnline: "It's early stages. But both sides are looking at this meeting between reps as a start, a breaking of the ice. Right now, the feeling is both Charles and Harry want to move forward to a point where they can at least sit down face-to-face."

However, William allegedly has some strong opinions about a potential reunion between King Charles and Prince Harry. Per a source who spoke to The Daily Beast: "William was right about Andrew, and he is right about Harry. Charles is weak. William is anything but weak. Ultimately, William is a loyal soldier. He respects his father’s rank, and he respects his father’s right to make his own decisions, and he won’t make a fuss if it happens. But he thinks a Harry meeting is a terrible, terrible idea."

Despite reports suggesting that an 'ice breaker' meeting will take place in the coming week, the source added that an in-person talk between the King and the Prince is 'unlikely'. They said: "It’s absurd to even imagine that after what Harry said - unless there is some form of direct apology from Harry."

Harry is expected to attend the WellChild Awards in London on 8th September 2025, but it's still unclear if he will see King Charles. However, earlier this year Harry emphasised his desire to build bridges with his father, telling the BBC: "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious."

Prince William and Prince Harry's estrangement has been well documented over the last five years, but the royal brothers have continued to remain united when it comes to protecting their late mother's legacy. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex came together publicly in 2021 to unveil a memorial statue for Princess Diana, and royal experts recently spoke about the 'important warnings' that the royal left for her two sons.

Both Princes are committed to keeping Diana's memory alive through their work, championing causes she was passionate about. William has spearheaded campaigns to end homelessness, and Harry has supported various international initiatives that Diana was also involved with.

According to reports, Harry may release a documentary in 2027 to mark the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. However, his rumoured plans may not go down well with William; sources told Radar Online that Harry could release a series as part of his recently renewed contract with Netflix, but William would be "far less welcome" to the idea. In fact, the insiders allege that the Prince of Wales would retaliate if this were to happen, and it would crush any remaining hope of reconciliation between the estranged brothers.

They told the publication: "If he hears Harry is doing a warts-and-all film on their mom, he will want to do a gentler one. The 30th anniversary of Di's death could turn into a battle of their documentaries. It would also mean William would probably cut Harry out of his life forever."

A second source added: "If Harry is now going to do another massive Netflix show, effectively claiming her legacy, William will have to fight back, whether that's with an interview or a documentary of his own. The whole situation is just very sad."

Harry recently shared that he wishes for reconciliation with his family, more than five years after he left the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle. The couple detailed the reasons behind their decision to relocate to the US in their Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, citing royal fallouts and fears for their safety.

However, there is hope that the Duke of Sussex will build bridges with King Charles and Prince William - something which has started to seem more likely in recent months, following a meeting of royal aides from both sides in July.

Prince Harry has made it clear that he's willing to make up with his royal relatives recently, and by the sounds of it, he's continuing on that trajectory towards potential peace. In latest news, the Duke of Sussex has allegedly "offered to share his official diary engagements with the Royal Family," as reported by the Daily Mail.

This move, if true, is a real olive branch, whose aim is to avoid Harry's public engagements clashing with major royal moments - which can lead to both camps fighting for media coverage and one overshadowing the other. The most salient example of this recently was when Harry visited Angola, retracing his late mother's steps in a minefield there, which of course was a deeply poignant moment that prompted a lot of press coverage. However, the visit coincided with the Queen's 78th birthday, and the portrait that was shared of her for the occasion drew very little attention. Harry offering his schedule would hopefully prevent this kind of clash in the future.

This news follows a fairly historic meeting between two reps for the Sussexes and one for Buckingham Palace earlier this month. King Charles' press secretary Tobyn Andreae, Sussex PR rep Liam Maguire and Sussex CCO Meredith Maines all met at a private members' club in London. The meeting showed that the King is open to a potential reconciliation; however, Prince William's exclusion is equally telling.

One insider told the Daily Mail at the time: "Tobyn Andreae is director of communications for the whole royal household so in that sense could be seen to be representing the Prince and Princess of Wales but, in reality, they run their own operation. Many things have been said that probably everyone regrets but if there is reconciliation, it’s likely that William and Kate are going to be a tougher nut to crack than the King."

They added: "I’d be surprised if William wasn’t aware that it was going ahead. His office and Team Sussex have coordinated in the past, even when the two brothers weren’t speaking, over events for the Diana Award or the unveiling of the Diana statue. But relations have been increasingly strained even at that level between the Sussexes and both the King’s and William’s offices."

Harry previously said in a BBC interview that he "would love reconciliation" with his father and family. Their relationships have been deeply strained since the Duke and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020, then went on to make explosive revelations about the royals in the media. William is said to be completely closed to the idea of a reconciliation.

Prince William will not be a part of any peace talks that may be unfolding between Prince Harry and King Charles. The big royal news this week is that a "peace summit" has taken place in the past few days between two Sussex representatives and one Buckingham Palace official, which marks the closest thing to a reconciliation we've seen between the two royal camps in months.

According to ITV, the meeting was between Sussex Chief Communications Officer Meredith Maines, Sussex UK PR chief Liam Maguire, and Royal Household Press Secretary Tobyn Andreae. While this was supposed to be a secret meeting in a London private members' club, the Daily Mail published photos of the conversation unfolding, which has led to speculation that the estranged family may be moving one step closer to a reunion.

Marie Claire UK already reported on Monday that William reportedly wanted nothing to do with this meeting. A source told the Mail: "Tobyn Andreae is director of communications for the whole royal household so in that sense could be seen to be representing the Prince and Princess of Wales but, in reality, they run their own operation. Many things have been said that probably everyone regrets but if there is reconciliation, it’s likely that William and Kate are going to be a tougher nut to crack than the King."

The insider went on to add: "I’d be surprised if William wasn’t aware that it was going ahead. His office and Team Sussex have coordinated in the past, even when the two brothers weren’t speaking, over events for the Diana Award or the unveiling of the Diana statue. But relations have been increasingly strained even at that level between the Sussexes and both the King’s and William’s offices."

It has been widely reported that William has little interest in repairing his relationship with his younger brother following the Duke's public revelations about the royals, with insiders claiming that Harry's name is not to be mentioned around the Prince of Wales, and in the past he is said to be 'spitting mad' about his brother's candid interviews. A new source has reinforced that message, with an insider telling The Daily Beast: "William will never, ever forgive Harry for what he has done. Charles is the King; he can do what he likes. But make no mistake: William believes with every fibre of his being that giving Harry and Meghan back any royal imprimatur is a huge mistake."

While it's unclear exactly what the goal of the "peace talks" may have been, it's certainly a positive step for Harry's relationship with his father — whether personal or official. "There’s a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years," a source previously told the Mail (via NBC News). That's likely cause to celebrate for the two men, but one thing seems clear: William would like to be excluded from this narrative.

Prince Harry has publicly spoken about his desire to reconnect with the royal family, five years after stepping down. The Duke of Sussex left the UK in 2020, and has since settled in the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, and the couple's two young children, Archie and Lilibet. However, following the news of King Charles' cancer diagnosis last year, Harry shared that he "would love reconciliation" with his father. During an interview with the BBC following his legal challenge for UK police protection, he explained: "Life is precious, I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff."

Just last week it was reported that Harry had plans for a royal reunion without Meghan but it seems that a tentative reconciliation could already be underway for the Duke and the King. Per a report published by ITV, on Wednesday a meeting took place between Harry's Chief Communications Officer, Meredith Maines, the Sussexes UK PR representative Liam Maguire, and King Charles' Press Secretary, Tobyn Andreae. The trio's 'peace summit' reportedly took place at a private members club near Buckingham Palace.

However, there was a noticeable absence from Prince William's camp as the Prince of Wales did not have an aide of his own present at the meeting. In recent months, many insiders have spoken about William's 'distrust' of Harry, with some claiming that there's 'no turning back' for the brothers. Others have claimed that Harry is 'not to be mentioned' around William, and that the future King has already decided on Harry's involvement in his coronation when the time comes.

But according to a source, William would likely have been made aware of this meeting ahead of time. The insider told the Daily Mail: "Tobyn Andreae is director of communications for the whole royal household so in that sense could be seen to be representing the Prince and Princess of Wales but, in reality, they run their own operation. Many things have been said that probably everyone regrets but if there is reconciliation, it’s likely that William and Kate are going to be a tougher nut to crack than the King."

The source continued: "I’d be surprised if William wasn’t aware that it was going ahead. His office and Team Sussex have coordinated in the past, even when the two brothers weren’t speaking, over events for the Diana Award or the unveiling of the Diana statue. But relations have been increasingly strained even at that level between the Sussexes and both the King’s and William’s offices."

A separate source told The Mirror that it will be far harder for Harry to build bridges with William, as it's a "different matter entirely, and one which he will find much harder to repair."

Still, it appears to be a positive move for Harry and the King and could well be the start of the father and son rebuilding their fractured relationship.

Prince Harry recently opened up about his desire to reconnect with the royal family, five years after leaving the UK and relocating to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two young children, Archie and Lilibet. Since the couple decided to leave their royal roles behind, the Duke of Sussex has spoken openly about his fractured familial relationships - namely in his memoir, Spare, as well as during sit-down interviews and the couple's Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan.

According to a new report, a source has alleged that Harry expected to be in conversation with his family by now. However, he 'unhappily accepts' that things are more complicated, with the insider claiming to Radar Online: "Harry didn't expect the fallout to drag on this long. He's beginning to see that including Meghan only complicates things with the royals, so he's accepted – though not happily – that going it alone might be the only option for now."

The source added that Harry is keen to keep an open line of communication with members of the royal family, stating that he's 'realised the way he handled things before hasn't brought any progress'.

Over the last five years, Meghan has detailed the challenges she faced while living in the UK and how her mental health suffered during her first pregnancy. A recent report from royal commentator Duncan Larcombe claimed that Meghan was 'terrified' of returning, and Harry told reporters that he 'didn't feel safe' bringing his children to his home country after losing a legal battle over his security detail.

But the insider claims that the Prince believes a royal reunion is only possible if he attempts to reconcile with the King and Prince William alone. The source added: "It's incredibly hard for him. He cares deeply for Meghan, but he can't deny the reality of the situation anymore. If there's any hope of reconnecting with his family, he knows he has to try without her... He wants back into the royal fold and is feeling totally lost in America – it's Meghan's home and world, not his."

While experts have claimed that there's no turning back for Prince William, Harry said that he wishes to talk to King Charles during an interview with the BBC in May, stating: "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore... Life is precious, I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff."

It has been rumoured that the Duke of Sussex will invite the royals to the Invictus Games in 2027, as they are set to take place in Birmingham, UK and could be an opportunity for public reconciliation.

The Prince and Princess of Wales' royal responsibilities have increased in recent years, with King Charles working towards creating a 'slimmed down monarchy' following his coronation in 2023. As a result, Prince William and Princess Kate's royal duties have expanded; following King Charles' cancer diagnosis in 2024, William stepped in for his father on several occasions, with insiders and royal experts claiming that it was the Prince's 'dry run as King', and Kate has been hailed as the 'future of the monarchy'.

Earlier this year, William received a new title from his father - which marked a royal first from King Charles - and it seems that the monarch is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to broadening William and Kate's responsibilities. In fact, the Wales' were recently gifted another significant royal power; the couple were appointed grantors of royal warrants by the King himself, meaning that they are now able to issue their own royal seal of approval.

Royal warrants have been used since the 15th century, and allow members of the royal family to formally recognise excellence within the businesses and services provided to them. A number of well-known brands, such as Burberry, Barbour, and Fortnum & Mason, are currently in possession of a royal warrant, and it's a hugely significant honour for a company to be acknowledged by the royal family. As per the Royal Family's website, the King is the only royal currently issuing royal warrants.

So, what does this mean for William and Kate? Businesses holding an existing royal warrant can now apply to have an additional royal nod from the Wales', and later, new companies are welcome to apply for consideration. Since the announcement was made by King Charles' spokesperson earlier this week, Prince William's private secretary, Ian Patrick, said: "Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to be able to recognise and celebrate British industry, creativity and skills through the granting of Warrants."

This additional royal power also breaks a centuries-old tradition, too - and it's all down to Kate's title. In fact, she will be the first Princess of Wales with the power to issue royal warrants since Mary of Teck, former Queen consort and wife of George V, in 1910.

King Charles has just made a decision that separates him from 156 years of royal tradition. Buckingham Palace has announced that the official royal train would soon be taken out of commission, in a bid to reduce overall expenditure. Taking the train out of service helps save money in two ways: first, it's really expensive to run (not to mention store), and second, it would cost far too much to upgrade it for the current railways, as reported by AP News.

"In moving forwards we must not be bound by the past," palace official James Chalmers has said. "Just as so many parts of the royal household’s work have modernised and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward-looking in our allocation of funding."

The decision was made public in the Royal Household's Sovereign Grant Report, which was released on 30th June, according to People. There's still time yet to witness the royal train in action, as it won't stop operating until March 2027, when its current contract is up. However, it has been agreed that the train is no longer worth maintaining "following a thorough review into its use and value for money."

The decision won't have come as a huge shock to those who follow royal affairs closely, as the train's future has been under review ever since King Charles ascended the throne in 2022. A March report in The Telegraph expressed hope that the train would be kept operational as it was being repainted with the King's cypher, but also reported that the train was "phenomenally costly to run," and had been used only a tiny handful of times since the late Queen's passing.

King Charles used the mode of transport once in January 2023, in a trip that cost £31,571, and once later that year, in a trip that cost £52,013. Prince William, meanwhile, hasn't traveled on the train since 2021. Given these dismal stats, it's not hard to see why the decision to decommission it makes sense as part of the King's long-term strategy.

Queen Elizabeth II was a big fan of the train, as it afforded security advantages, as well as allowing her to catch up on work while onboard. You might also remember Meghan Markle famously joining the monarch aboard the royal train circa 2018.

The first royal train was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1869, consisting of two special carriages and opulently decorated, as reported by Trains. The one that's currently operational was built in 1977 and updated in the '80s. End of an era!

Prince Harry's expected "olive branch" to the Royal Family puts senior members such as King Charles and Prince William in a difficult position, according to royal experts. Ever since it was announced that the 2027 Invictus Games would be held in Birmingham, UK, there has been mounting speculation about the royals' attendance - because although their relationship with Harry is deeply strained, it could negatively impact their image if they skipped such an important event so close to home.

In the last few days, royal insiders have claimed that the Duke of Sussex will include the royals on his Invictus guest list, with a source telling the Mail on Sunday: "Harry has agreed that Invictus should extend an invitation to his family... [he] is hopeful his father will set aside their differences to attend the Invictus Games and support veterans. The royals have always been hugely supportive of Invictus and proud of what Harry has achieved in that arena. This is one olive branch from him which might be reciprocated."

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, writing in the Express, is less hopeful about the situation. He writes: "This clearly places the King in an extremely difficult position, which is precisely what it is meant to do and probably why the venue was chosen. He is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Invictus is a major military charity. Also, as head of state, he is a symbol of national unity. If he accepts, he would be putting duty above what obviously is a painful public rift between him and his family and the Sussexes. It will be argued that that is his job."

The Invictus Games, established by Prince Harry in 2014, see wounded and sick military personnel compete in a series of athletic competitions. And of course, as pointed out by the royal expert, the military is central to the functioning of the Royal Family. In this way, per Fitzwilliams: "The invitation to attend Invictus represents a direct challenge to King Charles."

It is currently unclear if members of the royal family would accept this invitation, but given that the event is still two years away the estranged father and son may have formally reunited by then.

Prince Harry is gearing up to host the Invictus Games in his home country in 2027. That year, the (typically) annual event he founded in 2014 is scheduled to take place in Birmingham, which under normal circumstances would make it easy for the Duke of Sussex's family members to attend. However, as Harry's royal relationships have deteriorated over the last five years it's unclear whether we can expect them to show up for the event and support the Prince in a public capacity.

Still, senior royals such as Prince William, Princess Kate, King Charles and Queen Camilla are reportedly set to be invited, according to one source who spoke to the Mail on Sunday. The insider claimed: "Harry has agreed that Invictus should extend an invitation to his family. Invictus hopes the Royal Family will come along to support the wounded veterans taking part. Harry is hopeful his father will set aside their differences to attend the Invictus Games and support veterans. The royals have always been hugely supportive of Invictus and proud of what Harry has achieved in that arena. This is one olive branch from him which might be reciprocated."

The impending invitation puts the royals in an interesting position, as they've largely managed to avoiding crossing paths with Harry for a while now. But, as one royal expert points out, attending the event would be good PR for the royal family, and could actually help to bring the estranged family members together. Ingrid Seward told the publication: "The King might attend to show support for the Armed Forces and congratulate Harry on the most significant success in his life. The only reason the King is wary of associating with his son is that he no longer trusts him not to repeat their private conversations as he has done in the past. This goes for all the working members of the family."

Meanwhile, royal expert Katie Nicholl said: "The King absolutely wants a relationship with his youngest son and with his grandchildren. He has an incredible capacity for forgiveness and he wants to be magnanimous in all of this and therefore there's certainly a possibility that the King might consider attending Invictus."

None of the senior royals attended the 10th anniversary celebrations for Invictus, which were held at St. Paul's Cathedral in London last year, despite reportedly being invited. It remains unclear whether the 2027 Games will change anything, as a reunion between Harry and William has previously been called "unlikely."

Prince Harry is all set to return to the UK for a special event, but there's little chance of a Royal Family reunion according to insiders. The Duke of Sussex will be coming back to his home country in the summer of 2027 to attend the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham as confirmed by the organisation's official social media accounts on Tuesday. The Games took place in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, in 2025, and while the 2027 Games host city is confirmed, next year's event doesn't seem to have been scheduled just yet.

Under ordinary circumstances, it would go without saying that senior royals like King Charles and Queen Camilla, and Prince William and Princess Kate, would attend such a high-profile event organised by one of their own family members - particularly when it's taking place here in the UK. However, given Harry's fractured relationship with his father and brother, GB News points out that it's "unlikely" we'll witness a heartfelt family reunion in Birmingham. Likewise, senior royals skipped the 10-year anniversary celebration for the Invictus Games in 2024, even though it was held on their doorstep at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games back in 2014 after being inspired by the Warrior Games in the U.S. The international event sees active and veteran members of the armed forces who are sick, injured or wounded compete in a series of athletic events, and they are now an annual celebration.

While many are dubious that there could be a Royal Family reunion in 2027, one PR expert previously argued that it would be in William and Charles' best public interest to attend Invictus that year. Ryan McCormick told the Mirror U.S. in February: "I think the Royal Family should attend the event (it's good PR for them) and should also include Harry. When respected leaders and figureheads can show that differences can be put aside, it can inspire others to do the same. Hard times are almost always guaranteed but, so can be the unwavering love and bond between family."

During a recent visit to the Army Air Corps in Sussex, the Prince of Wales gave an unfortunate hint as to how much we can really hope for a brotherly reunion in the near future. Joking with the troops about how often they see their nearest and dearest, William said: "Some of them might not want to see you that much. It's a mixed bag."

Interesting sentiment...

Several royals are standing in the way of a potential Prince Harry and King Charles reconciliation, according to a new report. It comes following Harry's recent interview with the BBC, where he told the broadcaster that he would 'love reconciliation with my family', adding that he didn't know 'how much longer my father has' and stating: "There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious."

As per the report in The Times, the estranged father and son could be on the verge of a reunion if it were up to the King alone, claiming that perhaps a rapprochement could be possible, although certainly not guaranteed. However, as things stand, the publication claims: "Insiders maintain that the King is bemused by Harry’s repeated airing of laundry and that as long as William, Kate and Camilla have a say in the matter, Harry will be left out in the Californian wilderness."

The Times confirmed that Harry and Charles haven't seen each other since the Prince flew over to the UK to visit his father following his cancer diagnosis, in February 2024. The outlet also verified that Harry's relationship with his older brother Prince William is almost certainly "beyond repair."

The report alleges that Harry's public denouncements of the Royal Family — in Spare, and in his and Meghan Markle's Netflix docuseries — have created a rift which is nearly impossible to bridge at this stage. Both his father and his brother are loath to forgive him for it, with William particularly refusing to recover their relationship. Meanwhile, a former friend of Harry's told Hello! last week: "He needs the world to forgive him. His family have never bent on their stance, which is that he should not take up issues in public."

A second source said at the time: "There is zero trust. The family feels that private conversations with Harry are not possible."

When it comes to the royal family, an individual's titles - and the rules and traditions around them - can be hugely important. While some indicate a royal's position in the hierarchy and reflect the line of succession, there are certain titles that hold more sentimental weight. Following the late Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton were given the Prince and Princess of Wales titles, the latter of which had gone unused for over two decades following the death of Princess Diana, and royal experts have commented on the fact that Princess Charlotte will never be a Duchess; instead, she is set to inherit this hugely iconic title. Now, in a royal first for King Charles, we can expect to see the monarch bestow a new title upon his eldest son, Prince William.

On Friday 16th May, Charles and William will attend the Service of the Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey. The event marks the Order's 300th anniversary, and will welcome members via invite-only. Those on the guest list include members of the royal family, senior civil servants and senior military personnel. It's a particularly special occasion for the King given that it will be his first time acting as Sovereign of the Order, and during the service he is also expected to name William as Great Master of the Order - a title which he himself was was given by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1975.

Since King Charles' cancer diagnosis in 2024, William has noticeably taken on more royal responsibilities. Over the last twelve months, he has stepped in for the monarch at several engagements and many royal experts have claimed that he is preparing for his future role as King. In a recent interview with The New York Times, historian Ed Owens said: "William has sometimes been seen as work-shy, but we see him gravitating toward bigger, more media-friendly events. He's burnishing his reputation as a statesman."

However, he added: "The job that William does not want, at least for now, is his father's. But fears over The King's health have made talk of succession inescapable."

Prince William will attend Pope Francis' funeral, while King Charles will skip it.

Per BBC News, Kensington Palace has announced that the Prince of Wales will be making the journey to Rome to attend the service on Saturday.

The funeral will take place at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Other major world figures who have confirmed their attendance include Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, and Emmanuel Macron.

One glaring absence, though, will be that of King Charles. However, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that his absence is in accordance with both royal protocol and precedent: Vanity Fair reports that monarchs do not attend funerals.

This statement is a bit of an over-generalisation, given that of course Charles attend the funeral of his mother the Queen in 2022, but presumably this just means he limits the number of funerals he does attend.

With all that said, Charles and his wife Queen Camilla were among the last people to visit Pope Francis before his passing. Two weeks ago, according to the BBC, the royal couple visited the religious leader at the Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City.

A representative for Buckingham Palace said that the meeting had been a "very significant and special moment" — not least because it fell on Charles and Camilla's 20th wedding anniversary.

The pope died at age 88 on Easter Monday, following a stroke. Before his passing, however, he had been able to greet crowds of well-wishers in Vatican City on Easter Sunday.

The news of William's attendance at the pope's funeral comes after some controversy surrounding his and Princess Kate's decision to skip the annual royal Easter service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Instead the Wales family opted to celebrate more quietly at Sandringham — but this apparently didn't sit well with everyone.

"Everyone understood the family not attending last year when Kate was sick but there's been a lot of raised eyebrows at the palace about William's decision to skip again this year," a source told Us Weekly. "It feels like a deliberate move and even a snub."

Oops.

Prince Harry's relationship with his dad King Charles isn't looking good.

It's common knowledge at this point that the two men aren't on good terms, but a new report from People highlights how dire the situation actually is.

According to sources close to the Duke of Sussex who spoke to the outlet, "his calls and letters [to Charles] continue to go unanswered."

The father and son duo are so estranged that Harry isn't even kept up to date on the King's cancer journey — even learning about a recent hospital stay through the media rather than through his own family.

A source close to the Palace told People about the two men's relationship: "I don’t think there is any rapprochement. Nothing has changed."

A second source echoed this point, saying: "They are distant."

As far as we know, the last time Harry and Charles were in a room together was in February 2024, after the Duke learned of the King's cancer diagnosis and immediately flew to the UK to be by his side.

At the time, Harry was only granted around a 45-minute audience with his ailing father, which many commentators felt was incredibly short in comparison to how far the Duke had to travel for it.

Still, it was considered a positive step at the time, with royal correspondent Daniela Relph saying: "It mattered that Harry was here, it mattered that the King wanted to see him."

But though this meeting could have marked a new chapter in the men's path to reconciliation, the King then refused to see his youngest son on subsequent visits to the UK, typically citing his busy schedule — but royal commentators read between the lines and declared these instances to be snubs.

We hope that Harry and Charles are eventually able to reconcile — if that's something they both want.

Prince Harry arrived in London on Sunday ahead of his ongoing legal dispute over reduced UK security. The Duke of Sussex has been attending hearings at the Royal Courts of Justice this week, where he is appealing the decision to remove his right to automatic high-level police protection. After stepping down as a working member of the royal family in 2020, his police protection while in the UK was revoked. However, the Duke has been fighting to restore the same high-level of security, and is currently challenging a 2024 decision to dismiss the case.

During the hearings, Harry's barrister Shaheed Fatima KC has claimed that Harry and Meghan were 'forced to step back' from royal life five years ago, adding in her closing remarks: "There is a person sitting behind me whose safety, whose security and whose life is at stake. There is a person sitting behind me who has been told that he is getting a special, bespoke process, when he knows and has experienced a process that is manifestly inferior in every respect. His presence here, and throughout this appeal, is a potent illustration, were one needed, of how much this appeal means to him and his family." (per BBC).

It is unclear if Harry has plans to see the royal family during his trip, but reports suggest that King Charles was unable to see his estranged son earlier this week. While Harry reportedly arrived in London on Sunday, Charles is said to have flown to Italy just hours later to embark on a state visit alongside Queen Camilla. Although the Duke was asked by reporters if he had seen his father, he declined to comment, with royal insiders claiming that the pair have not met in person since Charles' cancer diagnosis in early 2024.

In light of his court proceedings this week, a report inThe Sunday Times has resurfaced online with a source telling the publication last August that the King was in a 'tricky position'. According to the insider, the monarch will continue to to refrain from intervening in the ongoing legal dispute between Prince Harry and the British government, with the source telling the publication: "His Majesty’s son is suing His Majesty’s government, and that is very tricky for the King. If they were to meet, there is a worry that son would lobby father because of the mistaken belief that the King has control over his security. For him not to have accepted the judgment of His Majesty’s government and courts is frustrating."

They added that it would be "wholly inappropriate" for the monarch to get involved in the legal proceedings.

You won't be surprised to hear that King Charles has regrets from his marriage to the late Princess Diana, given what we know now about their union.

"Both of them [Charles and Diana] behaved badly in that first marriage and made decisions that none of us could ever condone," a friend of the royals told the Daily Mail's Rebecca English as part of a new report. "But we can seek to try to understand them."

Seemingly alluding to Charles not being able to marry Camilla when he wanted to, the friend added: "When you look back on it now, asking someone to sacrifice... happiness for the sake of their public persona seems really quite cruel."

Charles and Camilla were romantically involved prior to the King-in-waiting's marriage to Diana Spencer, but they broke up and Camilla got engaged to Andrew Parker Bowles while Charles was in the Royal Navy, according to People.

However, their story was far from over, and Charles and Camilla got involved again while she was married, but before Diana came into the picture. Charles and Diana married in 1981 and it's unclear whether Charles was still seeing Camilla at this point, but we do know that they had an affair from around 1986 onwards. The two pieces of proof we have: recordings of private phone calls between them (including *that* tampon conversation), and Diana's assertion that "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded" on the BBC's Panorama in 1995.

Diana is also known to have had several affairs during their marriage, which was largely unhappy. Charles and Diana officially separated in 1992, then divorced in 1996. As you well know, they shared children Prince William, born in 1982, and Prince Harry, born in 1984.

Meanwhile, Camilla divorced from Andrew — with whom she also had two children — in 1995, and Charles and Camilla went public with their relationship in 1999, then married in 2005.

King Charles is starring in a new documentary, a showbiz-like move that one expert points out is eerily reminiscent of Meghan Markle's strategy as a media personality.

The monarch's film, which will be released on Amazon Prime, will centre around his environmental work over the years — and is based loosely on his 2010 book Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World, as reported by BBC News.

Charles is reportedly "greatly looking forward" to the film and the impact it could have on viewers. The project is already underway, filming at Dumfries House in Scotland.

Of course, it doesn't take a seasoned royal expert to see the similarities between this and Meghan and Prince Harry's professional life: the Sussexes have an ongoing contract with Netflix, which has already given us a look at their everyday life (Harry & Meghan) and at one of their initiatives (Heart of Invictus). The Duchess' cooking show, With Love, Meghan, is set to be released on 4 March.

"There is a new King in Amazon’s jungle! Hot off the weekend press was news that Charles had stolen a move from his daughter-in-law Meghan’s playbook and will soon be streaming green trees from Dumfries House," remarked royal expert and historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop, speaking to the Mirror. "Expertly timed to fill the sails of Saturday’s news agenda it was let slip that King Charles will be collaborating with Amazon Prime to get his environmental message out to a wider audience."

The King has appeared in a number of documentaries over the years, even making cameos on Corrie and EastEnders, so he's no stranger to the TV world.

But for Tessa, it's particularly telling that Charles opted for Amazon over the BBC or ITV, which have been the more natural choices for royals over the years.

"That’s right, the monarch has ditched our national channels for a platform with international reach," the expert commented.

So, did he get the idea from Meghan, or is this simply the future of royal forays into broadcasting? We shall see!

King Charles would reportedly quite like to improve the Royal Family's relationship with Prince Harry, but there's an important roadblock: Prince William.

Royal fans didn't fail to notice that the King left any mention of Harry, Meghan and their two children out of his annual Christmas speech in 2024. Though this can certainly be seen as a deliberate decision on the Firm's part, one source has claimed that said decision wasn't Charles's.

This source told The Daily Beast that, in the publication's words: "Charles would like to reconcile with Harry but is being blocked from bringing him back into the family by William."

As royal watchers well know by now, William remains deeply upset by Harry and Meghan's revelations about the royals in Spare, their Oprah interview, and through other media appearances.

In particular, they accused a senior royal of racist remarks, revealed that Kate and William had known about Harry's scandalous Nazi costume beforehand, and opened up about a physical altercation between William and Harry.

Though they have been in the same room in recent months, it's believed that the two royal brothers have not spoken in many months, if not years, with William declining to see Harry any time he's in the UK.

Meanwhile, Harry met with his father in February 2024 after the King announced that he had cancer, though their meeting at the time was brief. Charles has declined to see Harry on his subsequent visits to his home country.

In terms of why William has such a say in whether Harry can be welcomed back into the royal fold, as The Daily Beast writes: "William’s consent is needed because Charles, who is sick with cancer, feels he cannot bequeath his heir a settlement with Harry that William cannot live with."

Here's hoping everyone can smooth things over in the coming year.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have long been one of the most popular royal couples, and for many years insiders and experts have discussed their future roles as King and Queen. Experts have claimed that Kate 'holds the future of the monarchy in her hands', while others have spoken about how their more relaxed approach to royal life will impact the monarchy as we know it today.

However, in a new report, one royal insider has claimed that the discourse around William and Kate's future roles is 'a sensitive topic' in the Palace and has caused 'occasional tension'. According to a source in a piece for Us Weekly, Charles and Camilla want to enjoy their roles as King and Queen given that they were 73 and 75 years old when they were officially coronated. They also alleged that Camilla is very fond of her role as Queen, and is 'particularly hesitant to pass on her duties to Kate', claiming: "She loves her responsibilities. Her whole life, she has always wanted to be queen, so she doesn’t want to let it go so fast."

The insider claimed that Camilla and Kate have 'always had a tense relationship', and that there has also been a shift in dynamic between the King and his eldest son, too. A second source told the publication: "Charles has wanted to be the monarch for decades. Even though he’s battling cancer, he’s not letting that get in the way of his desire to be successful on the throne or a dynamic leader."

Prince William's ascension to the throne has been widely discussed in recent years, with some experts claiming that his success as King will largely depend on how he navigates the estrangement from Prince Harry. The Wales' have offered a number of olive branches to the Duke of Sussex, from surprising birthday wishes to reported phonecalls, with Kate said to be the driving force behind reconciling the royal brothers.

The report also claimed that while William and Charles are 'close', the Prince of Wales is 'like his father, he takes being a success in the royal role very seriously' and they are 'rivals when it comes to work'. However, this was refuted by an additional insider who said that the King 'doesn’t feel sidelined' and is 'more proud than anything'.

Paul Mescal met King Charles III recently, and has since admitted he wasn't overly impressed. The King attended the London premiere of Ridley Scott's long-awaited Gladiator II starring Paul on 13th November, and he spoke to members of the film's cast and crew.

Asked a few days later about what it was like meeting the monarch, Paul told Variety: "It’s definitely not something that was on the bingo cards. I’m, like, Irish, so it’s not kind of on the list of priorities."

Although he didn't elaborate further, Paul is originally from Maynooth in County Kildare and Ireland and Britain have had a long and complicated history, particularly with regards to the monarchy and ruling classes. Ireland was under British rule for some 700 years, as per the BBC, and the nation officially became the Irish Free State in 1922 following the Irish War of Independence.

Though Paul wasn't the most enthusiastic about his royal meeting, he also wasn't dismissive, and realised how much it meant to his director on Gladiator II. He continued: "But it's an amazing thing for Ridley, because I know how important that is for him. So, to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special."

When the reporter pressed Paul on what he and Charles chatted about, the actor admitted: "You just kind of nod along and... I found it hard to hear exactly what he was saying, because your head is in such a kind of... so you're just kind of nodding along and just smiling."

Gladiator II has been in cinemas since 15 November, and its release comes 24 years after the release of Gladiator. It has received mixed reviews so far, with Brian Orndorf at blu-ray.com wrote that 'the staleness of Gladiator II is difficult to ignore' while William Bibbiani at TheWrap concluded his review with the following: "All I am left with are the words of Emperor Commodus: 'It vexes me. I’m terribly vexed.'

However, others have thoroughly enjoyed the return of the franchise, with The Guardian giving it four stars and calling it "a gobsmacking reboot".

King Charles and Prince Harry's relationship is very complicated these days, and it's not set to improve anytime soon — according to one royal author at least.

"I know people keep saying, 'Why doesn’t he see Harry when he is in town? Why can’t they patch things up?'" Robert Hardman told Fox News recently.

"But right now, there is a sense that we’ve just got to keep the King’s stress levels down. We don’t want him to have extra things to worry about. Let’s get through this… There is a sense that now is probably not the time."

Robert is most likely referring to the King's cancer diagnosis, which he revealed earlier this year. While Charles has been well enough to take on royal engagements including a recent tour in Australia and Samoa, his recovery is obviously a top priority.

"If you listen to what Harry has said in his TV series, in his book, in interviews — there’s a lot to unpack," Robert continued. "There are a lot of things he wants to get sorted out to go through to process… Right now, there’s a sense that it’s not the time. But I’m sure the King would like to normalise things."

Charles and Harry have had a really rocky relationship since the Sussexes first stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, but things went from bad to worse after the Duke of Sussex made many public revelations about the Royal Family that didn't necessarily paint his relatives in the best light.

Recently, though, there was a glimmer of hope that the father and son pair could patch things up, but it was short-lived.

Last November on the King's birthday, the two men are said to have had a really successful phone call.

When Charles announced he had cancer in February, Harry immediately jumped on a transatlantic flight to see his father, though he was only granted a 45-minute meeting.

On Harry's other shorts stops in the UK this year, the King sadly declined to meet with him, typically citing a busy schedule.

Lady Tatiana Mountbatten is expecting her second child!

Tatiana is a distant relative of King Charles', as her father the Marquess of Milford Haven is descended for Queen Victoria, according to Tatler.

The equestrian and psychotherapist announced she's getting ready to welcome her second baby with husband Alexander "Alick" Dru on Instagram, writing alongside a photo of her in a beautiful floor-length deep purple dress: "A private preview of my growing bump @maxmara exquisite new collection."

Tatiana and Alick got married at Winchester Cathedral in July 2022, as reported by Hello!, and welcomed daughter Elodie in September 2023. Writing on Instagram in October of that year, Tatiana shared: "One month of motherhood …and what a month it’s been! Elodie arrived on 20th September ... it’s already going far too quickly."

Since then, the mum has shared the sweetest updates featuring baby Elodie, so we can probably expect the same with her little sibling. Because Tatiana is only royal-adjacent, she can generously share as many updates about her personal life on social media as she wants!

The news comes just weeks after another royal announced she was pregnant.

On 1 October, Princess Beatrice — King Charles' niece — confirmed that she and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were expecting their second child together.

Alongside a sweet photo of the spouses, a message on the Royal Family's Instagram page read: "Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their second child together in early spring; a sibling for Wolfie and Sienna.

"His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news."

Beatrice and Edo are already parents to daughter Sienna, 3, while the Princess' husband shares son Wolfie, 8, with his ex Dara Huang.

Such fab news all around!

Princess Charlotte was born Charlotte Elizabeth Diana on 2 May 2015, and her full name is chock-full of sweet references to other members of the Royal Family.

Starting with the obvious, Charlotte's second name Elizabeth is a nod to her late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, while her third name Diana was chosen to honour her late grandmother Princess Diana.

But one royal reference in Charlotte's name you may not have realised was there is actually hiding in plain sight: her first name is the feminine version of Charles, after her grandfather King Charles III, as pointed out by the Mirror.

However, the name Charlotte also has a sweet significance for her mum Princess Kate, whose younger sister Pippa Middleton has Charlotte as a middle name.

At the time of Charlotte's birth, a friend of the late Princess of Wales' told Vanity Fair: "Diana would be over the moon. It's William's way of honouring his mother's memory. A way of making sure Diana's legacy lives on. This way she will never be forgotten. When Diana was alive, William promised her when he was King [that] Diana would have her HRH restored. This is his way of doing it."

Speaking on a documentary earlier this year, royal expert Richard Kay praised Prince William and Kate for not calling their daughter Diana as her first name.

"I think [Prince William] very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother's name as her first name," Richard said. "Everything she did and said would have been compared with her."

He added: "By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there."

Despite having a very regal name on her passport, the little princess has a pretty normal one at school: Charlotte Wales (formerly Charlotte Cambridge).

Like many other nine-year-olds, she's also known by some sweet nicknames, including Mignonette, poppet, and Lottie. Cute!

We all know King Charles and Queen Camilla have had a long romantic history together. And of course, with such a long romance, there were bound to be twists and turns along the way. But one major twist? The time Camilla wrote to Charles while he was on deployment with the Navy to inform him that she was engaged to another man.

The now-King and Queen were dating when Charles went on tour, and they took a break from the relationship at that time. But while he was away, Camilla got engaged to husband-to-be Andrew Parker Bowles — which she told Charles in a letter. He, of course, was none too pleased.

"She wrote to Charles herself to tell him. It broke his heart," royal author Penny Juror wrote in her book, The Duchess: The Untold Story (as reported by the Mirror). "He fired off anguished letters to his nearest and dearest. It seemed to him particularly 'cruel,' he wrote in one letter, that after 'such a blissful, peaceful and mutually happy relationship' fate had decreed that it should only last a mere six months."

Camilla was married to Andrew between 1973 and 1995, and the two share children Tom, 49, and Laura, 46. Meanwhile, Charles went on to marry Princess Diana in 1981, with their divorce being finalised in 1996. As you well know, they welcomed Prince William, 42, and Prince Harry, 40, during their ill-fated marriage.

With that said, Charles later admitted on television that he had cheated on Diana with Camilla. According to TODAY, the two resumed their romance circa 1986. Camilla didn't divorce from Andrew until 1995. It wasn't until 1999 that Charles and Camilla became a public couple, and they eventually married in 2005, with Camilla taking on the title of Queen (and not Queen Consort) when her husband ascended the throne.

Prince Harry is coming to the UK really soon, but once again, it looks like he won't be seeing his dad or his brother while he's on this side of the Atlantic.

One royal source who spoke to Harper's Bazaar has said that it's "unlikely" that the Duke of Sussex will have a meeting with King Charles or Prince William later this month when he's in London for the WellChild Awards.

Bazaar's source explained that the King and Queen will be in Scotland around the time of Harry's visit for an official event celebrating the Scottish Parliament on 28 September, and are allegedly planning to stay for a few more days after that.

Meanwhile, Harry's engagement (i.e. the charity awards ceremony) takes place in London on 30 September, so "a few days" could mean Charles and Camilla just miss him when they head back to the capital. The Duke has also made a habit of only staying for a couple of nights max when he's in the UK, which further slims down the chances of a father-son conciliatory meeting.

As for a meeting between Harry and William, most insiders and royal experts have pretty much given up on one happening anytime in the near future.

The assertions made by Bazaar's insider source are pretty much in line with those made by an anonymous source who spoke to the Express earlier this week.

"The King is due to head south in late September," the source told the publication. "The King and Queen will mark the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament on September 28 and will have several free days afterwards. There are currently discussions ongoing about finding a mutually agreeable place in the diary."

But the source didn't want anyone getting their hopes up: "If the King decides to head to London in the evening of Sunday 29 for meetings pencilled in early that week, it is still looking highly unlikely that there will be time to meet with his son," they said.

The insider added that Harry's will be "a flying visit" and that a potential meeting between the two men "doesn't look promising."

Harry's relationships with his dad and brother are not at their best, to say the least. The Duke was in the UK in August to attend his uncle Lord Fellowes' funeral, and though William was also in attendance, the two brothers reportedly didn't speak at the event.

When the US-based royal visited his home country back in May, the King famously declined to see him, citing an overly busy schedule. And in February, Harry immediately flew over to the UK after hearing of Charles' cancer diagnosis, but the two men only met for about 45 minutes at the time.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have often been praised for the modern approach they've taken when it comes to parenting their three young children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. William and Kate reportedly use a 'chat sofa' to discipline their little ones, they regularly do the school run just like any other parent, and they love to spend family time together in the kitchen - something that the late Queen Elizabeth II 'couldn't stand'.

While their parenting is deemed 'relatable' and they have their own rules to empower the young royals, it was recently reported that William is 'determined' to give his sons and daughter a totally different upbringing to the one that he experienced as a young Prince. One expert claimed that the Prince of Wales wants George, Charlotte and Louis to have a 'more casual and playful life... than he or his father were allowed to enjoy.'

Now, royal author Robert Jobson has claimed that Kate also made it very clear that her children would always come first when she joined the royal family. In his most recent biography Catherine, The Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen, Jobson writes that the Princess of Wales established some very clear boundaries with the royal family and was keen to let the late Queen Elizabeth and the then-Prince Charles know that her children would be her main priority.

During an interview with HELLO! magazine, he elaborated on his claims about Kate's parenting style, adding: "With her children, she made it very clear to both the late Queen and to the Prince of Wales, as he was – now the King – that she's not going to be rushed into doing things that she doesn't necessarily want to do. I think she realises that she only has one shot at this. She's got three young children, and they have to come first."

Well, that's that!

In most cases, the Royal Family's many members of staff pass fairly under the radar. Not so with King Charles' equerry Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, also sometimes known as the "hot equerry."

While Major Johnny's nickname sooort of speaks for itself — that's right, royal fans think he's very dishy — there are some other things to know about him and why he's quite so popular.

As reported by People, the handsome military man was first spotted in royal circles in 2018, when he served as a senior bodyguard for the Queen. He was then seen again at several crucial royal events, and was tasked with helping the royals after the monarch passed away.

It's around that time, in 2022, that Johnny started to go viral, as royal watchers found him so handsome and were often on the lookout for the man during royal events.

One TikTok user whose video made the rounds online dubbed him "major eye candy," which tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

Someone in the comments at the time took on the difficult task of breaking hearts everywhere when they informed Johnny's fans that he was in fact married. However, the two have since separated and he was spotted holding hands with girlfriend Olivia Lewis circa February, according to Tatler.

These days, Johnny "remains senior equerry to the King and the Queen" but is working in a "more executive and less public-facing role," and apparently it's because he didn't love being the centre of so much attention, as reported by Express.

If, like many of us, you pretty much only know what an equerry is from watching The Crown, the role means that they are "an officer of the British royal household in personal attendance on the sovereign or a member of the royal family," per Merriam Webster's definition.

Since he's now in a more behind-the-scenes role, a Major Johnny sighting is ironically even more of an event for his admirers, and he was spotted earlier this month during King Charles' visit to Scotland. After that, social media users called the equerry "dashing" and "nice to see." Incorrigible!

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to the US, their relationships with other members of the royal family have continued to be strained. Upon the news of their departure from royal life in 2020, there were reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had fallen out with Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Harry confirmed that tensions had been rising between the brothers in both his interview with Oprah and his memoir Spare, as well as in his Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan.

Following a number of bombshell revelations during his media appearances over the last two years, King Charles has reportedly distanced himself from his youngest son and did not see Harry when he was in the UK earlier this year. However, there has since speculation that Harry and Meghan could return to the UK this summer to build bridges with the royals at Balmoral following Charles and Kate's cancer diagnosis'. The couple reportedly reached out to the Princess of Wales after her appearance at Wimbledon, and there have been hopes that the estranged family members may reconcile at the royal family's Scottish estate, a place that was often used by the late Queen Elizabeth II in the warmer months, and where the Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to spend time there with their young family in August.

However, one royal expert and author has now claimed that Harry and Meghan will not be invited to Balmoral this year, as the King and the Duke of Sussex are not in contact. Author Tom Quinn, who has penned a number of royal biographies, told the Mirror: "With Kate and Charles in a difficult place, the last thing the family needs is Harry at Balmoral. Everyone knows that it couldn’t be done without also inviting Meghan and that is a step too far.

"Meghan has always been seen as the main driving force behind Harry’s public attacks on the family. William and Charles know that inviting Harry without Meghan is just to give Harry another subject for the sequel to Spare that Harry is writing."

While the King has allegedly expressed hopes to welcome the Sussexes back into the fold to reduce the public interest in the family dramas, William is 'completely adamant that they shouldn't be welcomed back', according to a report in the Express. A source told the publication last year: "William doesn't think the Sussexes have much more ammunition and they've already played their best cards. Charles is the only senior member of the family who is holding out any hope of a reconciliation, but that has more to do with Harry being his son than anything else."

The Palace has not yet commented.

In recent years, a number of historic royal rules and regulations have been changed to accommodate the younger members of the family. When the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed their second child, Princess Charlotte, the then-monarch Queen Elizabeth II changed an important rule which dictated the line of succession. It secured Charlotte's place as William's second heir, where previously a younger brother - such as Prince Louis - would have outranked her.

And it isn't the first time that the senior royals have made amendments in order to modernise the monarchy. For instance, William has often been permitted to fly with his whole family - something which breaks protocol as heirs should not travel together - and even the Wales' parenting techniques are said to buck royal trends.

In accordance with this newfound flexibility to update royal traditions, King Charles is just as open-minded, it seems. According to a new report, the King was 'persuaded' to change one specific royal rule last year at the request of his grandson, Prince George.

As reported in the Mail, George - who turned 11 in July - was concerned about his formal attire for the King's coronation in May 2023. At the time, the young royal was just 9 years old and was chosen as a Page of Honour for Charles' ceremony, despite the fact that the role is usually reserved for boys between 12 and 15 years old. While those who are selected would usually wear white knee breeches, George was worried that his peers at school would mock him for it. The report claims that George 'wasn't keen on wearing tights and becoming a subject of ribaldry at school'.

As per the report, King Charles agreed to make some changes and the eight Pages wore trousers instead. A source at the time said that Charles' enthusiasm to include the younger royals on the day, as well as his willingness to adapt, was 'a wonderful sign of the future being laid out by the King.'

They said: "Even though he is only nine, George is very mature and already has a deep understanding of the roles of his grandfather and father, as well as his future role."

It seems Prince Harry's relationship with royal dad King Charles is at an all-time low.

We knew it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows when the King didn't make time to see his youngest, expatriated son when he was in the UK in May, but according to some new sources, things between the two men may be even worse than we thought.

Apparently, these days, Charles won't even pick up the phone when the Duke of Sussex calls.

"He gets 'unavailable right now,'" a friend of Harry’s told People in a new cover story. "His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King's health, but those calls go unanswered too."

According to sources who spoke to People, one of the main things Harry wants to discuss with Charles is the issue of appropriate security for him, Meghan Markle, and their children when they visit the UK — something that they haven't been entitled to since stepping down as senior royals.

"Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father," an insider told the publication. "Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs."

The Duke has previously offered to privately pay for police protection while he's in the UK, but that request was denied.

As for Harry and Charles' relationship, there seemed to be hope for them when they had a "positive" meeting in February following the King's announcement that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

This followed an apparently successful call between the two men on the King's birthday back in November.

But it seems these hopeful events weren't indicative of an impending reconciliation. Meanwhile, Harry and his older brother Prince William reportedly haven't spoken properly in months — and their relationship shows no sign of improving.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were leaving the royal family in 2020, one of the biggest talking points was the financial implications. In their departure statement, they expressed their desire to be financially independent and detailed their plans to do so on their website.

Now, one royal expert has claimed that King Charles allegedly gave his youngest son a "substantial sum" to live on, in order to support him and his wife Meghan. However, it is unclear when this might have happened.

In his new book Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography, as serialised by the Daily Mail, royal expert Robert Jobson writes: "Harry, however, later claimed that his father told him there was 'not enough money to go around' for Meghan, because he was already having to pay for William and Catherine. Harry was furious, feeling that he and Meghan were entitled to lavish handouts from 'Pa' in return for agreeing to serve the Crown. In fact, according to close sources, Charles ended up giving Harry a 'substantial sum' and did not cut him off financially."

It's unclear from this excerpt whether the alleged payment happened when Harry and Meghan were still senior working royals, but the quote from Harry mentioned by Robert is one from his memoir Spare, referring to the Sussexes' financial situation post-royal life.

Days ahead of Harry's memoir publication date, Us Weekly published an exclusive excerpt, in which the Duke claimed that his dad told him 'there’s not enough money to go around' as he was already supporting Kate and William financially. In a 2021 interview with CBS, Harry shared that in the aftermath of his and Meghan's royal exit: "My family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us. [I was cut off] in the first quarter of 2020. But I’ve got what my mum left me and without that, we would not have been able to do this."

The Sussexes went on to work on a number of profitable projects, including publishing Spare, as well as their TV and podcasting contracts. More recently, the Duchess has teased the upcoming launch of her consumer lifestyle brand, named American Riviera Orchard, which will sell fine food items and homewares.

Neither the Palace nor the Sussexes have publicly commented on the allegations.

The Princess of Wales is currently taking time away from royal duties as she receives cancer treatment. In March, Kate announced that during abdominal surgery at the start of the year, doctors found that cancer had been present and she was advised to undergo preventative chemotherapy. The video announcement came after weeks of speculation about the Princess and her health, and she asked for privacy for herself and her family as she recovers.

Almost three months after the news was shared with the public, Kate's return to work has been thrown into question as one insider claimed that she 'may never' go back to her royal role - sparking health concerns once again, and fuelling the same 'wild conspiracy theories' that circulated on social media earlier this year. Last weekend, Kate did not attend the Colonel's Review - a rehearsal for the annual Trooping the Colour event - and wrote a letter to the Irish Guards as their Colonel apologising for her absence. She explained: "Being your Colonel remains an honour and I'm very sorry that I'm unable to make the salute at this year's Colonel's Review... I do hope that I'm able to represent you all once again very soon."

While Kate's absence from the Colonel's Review was confirmed earlier in the week, it is still unclear whether or not the Princess will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony this weekend. Traditionally, the royal family gathers to watch the ceremonial flypast as part of the Trooping the Colour event, and the King is expected to appear alongside his family on Saturday 15th June. However, according to one PR expert, the King would be 'delighted' to have Kate by his side, despite the fact that her appearance would 'dominate' the headlines and detract from his birthday ceremony.

During an interview with GB News, Rhea Freeman said: "If Kate were to appear on the balcony it would definitely dominate the news. But from everything I’ve read and seen, I would imagine that the King would be delighted to have her there. It would reinforce the strength of the monarchy moving forward, something that has been questioned by some with both the King and Kate’s recent health concerns."

But last week royal expert Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that it's 'unlikely' Kate will appear on the Palace balcony this weekend, stating: "She has made it very clear that she wants to stay out of the spotlight. She needs this period and below the radar for her recovery. We're so used to seeing her up on that balcony."

The Palace has not yet commented.

Princess Lilibet turned 3 years old on 4 June, and her grandpa King Charles made sure to adequately mark the occasion.

Despite the monarch's tense relationship with Lili's parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he "had no intention of completely ignoring Lilibet's birthday so he has sent a gift along with a message," royal expert Tom Quinn told the Mirror.

We don't know what the gift Charles sent Lilibet is, but Tom explained that there's a particularly special present he'd like to give her in the future, on a couple conditions. "He gave Prince George a beautiful hand-made wooden swing with George's name carved on it and he has plans to give something similar to Lilibet but not this year," the expert claimed. "And not unless and until the family feud dies down."

The Royal Family didn't publicly wish little Lili a happy birthday, but this shouldn't be read as a snub — and rather as simple protocol when it's the birthday of a non-working royal's family member. (Harry and Meghan stepped down from their official royal roles in 2020.)

Sadly, the King's and Prince William's relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (and their children by extension) is tense at best these days, with Charles declining to see his youngest son during his brief visit to the UK in May. This, unlike the silence on Lili's birthday, could definitely be read as a snub if you ask certain royal experts.

But far away from the UK in sunny southern California, of course Lilibet enjoyed a birthday party fit for a Princess.

According to a report from People, the Sussexes celebrated their young daughter with a party ahead of her birthday over the weekend, held at their home in Montecito. The outlet reported that (adult) friends and family were in attendance, and that some of Lili's own friends were also there.

Also among the guest list were apparently Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, plus their daughter Daisy, who's a similar age to Lilibet. Harry and Meghan reportedly avoided inviting any royals so as not to cause any additional drama, per the Mirror.

King Charles' schedule may not be able to accommodate Prince Harry when he visits the UK next week — or at least not for very long.

The Telegraph reports that the King's diary is "quite busy," and doesn't leave much space for a meeting with the Duke of Sussex.

Harry will be in London to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games — one of the initiatives closest to his heart — on 8 May.

His visit coincides with the King resuming public duties amid his recovery from cancer, as he visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre with wife Queen Camilla on Tuesday. Next week, the Telegraph reports, the King's diary includes Wednesday's audience with the Prime Minister, plus the first Buckingham Palace garden party of the year, and various other official engagements.

As for Harry, his visits to England have been extremely fleeting since he moved to the US, and this one is promising to be similarly short — especially as it's his son Prince Archie's 5th birthday on 6 May.

However, it's been reported for months that there's lots of willingness on both men's parts to see each other while Harry is on this side of the pond.

They last saw each other when Harry made a quick visit to the UK in February after Charles announced his cancer diagnosis. They had a 45-minute meeting at the time.

Just this week, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: "The King has always kept the door open to Harry," meaning for a reconciliation.

The February meeting between father and son capped off a few months of the two men building bridges with each other, starting with their phone call on the King's birthday last November.

They had been close to estranged prior to that, as tensions have grown since Harry stepped down from his royal duties. Sadly, while Charles and Harry are laying down the foundations to repair their relationship, it's not looking like Prince William has any intention of speaking to his younger brother any time soon.

Still, former royal butler Grant Harrold claimed recently: "It is very likely that Harry and William will see each other [in May] and anything is possible. The King will want the brothers to patch things up so it’s more than likely that he could play peacemaker." We shall see!

Prince William is having a difficult time.

Not only does he have to contend with the emotional challenges that come with both his wife Princess Kate and his father King Charles dealing with their cancer diagnoses, but he also has to hold the fort on a more practical level as well. This includes taking care of the children, and keeping up with his work as a senior royal — plus standing in for Kate and Charles where he can.

"It’s been stressful," a source told Us Weekly of the past few weeks. "William feels a profound sense of duty to uphold the monarchy’s stability and inspire confidence in the public that everything will be OK. It’s an immense responsibility."

Unfortunately, it's not just these two illnesses that are rocking the monarchy at the moment: "It was always anticipated that Charles would have three working siblings and two working children and their wives, and that would be a sustainable footing," royal historian Gareth Russell told the publication.

Of course, that's no longer the case: Although Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie are all hard-working royals, Prince Andrew has been disgraced since his ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were revealed and he was himself accused of sexual abuse.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020, leaving just one of the King's two sons to take on official royal duties. Since William's wife is also ill at the moment, there are very few working royals left to visit organisations around the country and generally show face.

But of course, the emotional side of things can't be understated. "He’s got young children, a sick wife and a sick dad, and memories of losing his mom [Princess Diana] early," royal biographer Tessa Dunlop said. "There’s a lot at stake, and he does need support."

Another source claimed that, unsurprisingly, "Around the palace, he looks tense. He clearly has a lot on his mind. The palace is backing off and giving him space."

We wish both the King and the Princess of Wales a swift recovery, and hope that the Prince of Wales feels supported in dealing with his many responsibilities.