The Princess of Wales made a surprise return ahead of the Paris Olympic Games closing ceremony on Sunday alongside Prince William, who was sporting a decidedly more rugged new look.
Congratulating Team GB’s heroes in a short video clip, Kate says: “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” before William adds: “Well done with all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”
While her surprise appearance delighted royal fans, it was William’s new beard that stole the show with some viewers praising the look.
Meanwhile, some residents of Colombia are claiming the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes tour of the country is being used as a distraction from corruption scandals dogging its government.
Harry and Meghan will begin a four-day tour of the country from Thursday where they will “engage with leaders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress.”
However, some remain unconvinced. A lawyer based in Bogota told the Mail on Sunday: “I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated.
“Of course, their star power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad.”
Key Points
- Prince and Princess of Wales congratulate Team GB in video
- Harry and Meghan’s Colombia tour dubbed ‘a distraction’
- Meghan Markle’s half sister sues her for defamation
Full story: Prince William revealed Kate romance during classic British drinking game
14:27
Athena Stavrou
Prince William’s ex-girlfriend “unwittingly” revealed his relationship with Kate Middleton during a fateful game of Never Have I Ever with friends, a new biography has revealed.
The now heir to the throne, 42, met his future wife while studying at St Andrew’s University in Scotland and the pair started out as friends.
However, over time, romance blossomed and it was initially “shrouded in secrecy” because of William’s position within the royal family.
But the cat was let out of the bag when William’s former flame, Carly Massy-Birch participated in a game of “Never Have I Ever”.
Read the full story here:
Why Kate Middleton’s ‘traditional’ Balmoral summer could be positive sign
13:57
Athena Stavrou
The Windsors are enjoying their summer break with an annual sojourn to their private estate at Balmoral imminent.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have already been joined in Scotland by Princess Anne and it is believed that they will soon be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as their three young children.
The journey to Scotland marks the furthest distance Kate is reported to have travelled since being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year.
Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “The fact that Kate is well enough to travel to Scotland and enjoy a holiday at Balmoral is a sure sign she is on the mend and a very positive step.”
King congratulates Team GB
13:27
Athena Stavrou
The Prince and Princess of Wales were not the only royals who congratulated Team GB athletes as the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close.
King Charles also released a heartwarming message from himself and the Queen as the pair sent their “warmest congratulations to the competitors and their support teams from Team GB and across the whole Commonwealth”.
“Your achievements, across so many disciplines, were forged from that invaluable combination of raw talent, true grit and hard toil over many years, burnished these past weeks by sportsmanship and team spirit in the finest tradition of the Games,” the message read.
“To those who missed out on the greatest prizes, you have most certainly not fallen short in the pride that you, too, have generated for your nations.
“As we thank France for hosting such a wonderful tournament and look to the Paralympics ahead, I can only say that you have all been an inspiration.”
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand suffers new setback
12:58
Athena Stavrou
Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard has suffered a setback ahead of its official launch following the discovery of trademark “irregularities”.
According to reports, several items intended to be sold by the luxury brandincluding yoga matts and picnic labels were incorrectly labelled and needed to be “corrected”.
The error, identified by the US Patents and Trademarks Office in July, will cost an estimated $11,382 (around £9,000) to fix.
News of American Riviera Orchard was first revealed earlier this year when the Duchess of Sussex, 42, set up a website and Instagram page for the brand.
While the pages did not reveal any of its products, it did reveal its logo and name “ARO” and the word “Montecito” – a reference to the California town where Meghan lives with Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Thomas Markle’s birthday fundraiser reaches £55,000
12:32
Athena Stavrou
A birthday fundraiser set up for the “rejected and abandoned” Thomas Markle has raised over £55,000.
The GoFundMe was set up by British socialite Lady Colin Campbell to show the Duchess of Sussex’s father that “there are still people in the world with good hearts, good values, and good intentions.”
Mr Markle, 80, has been estranged from his daughter Meghan, who recently turned 43, since around the time of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. He has never met Prince Archie and Lilibet.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised £71,977 from almost 3,000 supporters.
Royal fans praise William’s new rugged look
12:10
Athena Stavrou
William’s new rugged look has sparked a huge debate online as he congratulated Team GB on their Olympic effort in a new video.
In the short clip, Kate says: “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” before William adds: “Well done with all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”
While her surprise appearance delighted royal fans, it was William’s new beard that stole the show with some viewers praising the look.
One social media user wrote: “William please keep growing that beard!!”
Another wrote “unshaved William” followed by two flame emojis.
Canada paid for extra police during Harry and Meghan visit - reports
11:40
Athena Stavrou
Canada reportedly paid for police presence during Harry and Meghan’s visit to the country despite saying they would not use taxpayer money.
Vancouver police spent C$44,555 (£25,436) on 390.5 hours of security-related overtime during the couple’s visit in February for an Invictus Games event, CTV reported.
A representative for the Invictus Games said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s security was paid for by private donors. It is also noted that the police overtime was not specifically used for Harry and Meghan as unrelated protests were also happening in the city.
“We didn’t specifically provide security for them,” a Vancouver police department spokesman told the outlet. “But we had officers in the area they were in [in] case any issues arose due to the ongoing protests in the city.”
A freedom of information request reportedly revealed the Invictus Games had paid $10,221 of the $44,555 security bill while the rest was paid for by the Canadian taxpayer.
Duchess of Edinburgh on royal visit today
11:15
Athena Stavrou
The Duchess of Edinburgh is carrying out some royal duties today as she visits the island of Guernsey.
Sophie will attend the Association of Sail Training Organisation’s Guernsey to Poole Small Ships Race on Monday to support the organisation of which she is a patron of.
Harry and Meghan’s Colombia tour dubbed ‘a distraction’
10:45
Athena Stavrou
Mome residents of Colombia are claiming the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes tour of the country is being used as a distraction from corruption scandals dogging its government.
Harry and Meghan will begin a four-day tour of the country from Thursday where they will “engage with leaders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress.”
However, some remain unconvinced. A lawyer based in Bogota told the Mail on Sunday: “I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated.
“Of course, their star power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad.”
Kate and William congratulate Team GB in surprise video
10:21
Athena Stavrou
William and Kate appeared in a video message congratulating Team GB, with a compilation of messages from celebrities including Snoop Dogg and David Beckham.
Congratulating Team GB’s heroes in a short video clip, Kate says: “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” before William adds: “Well done with all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”
Prince Harry thought King Charles would ‘forgive him and make amends’
Saturday 10 August 2024 06:00
Emma Guinness
Following the claim that King Charles is ignoring Prince Harry’s calls, a royal expert has said that the Duke of Sussex “assumed he would be forgiven”.
Royal author Tom Quinn told The Mirror: “Despite all his criticisms Harry always assumed he would be forgiven by his father.
“He thought Charles would make amends for the hurt that – in Harry’s view – justified the criticisms.”
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has been a vocal critic of life as a working royal after stepping down in 2020 and his relationship with his family has worsened as a result.
Kate Middleton’s trip to Balmoral ‘a very positive step'
Saturday 10 August 2024 04:00
Emma Guinness
The Princess of Wales’s decision to travel to Balmoral as she continues her cancer battle has been described as “a very positive step”.
Kate, 42, will travel to the Aberdeenshire estate to spend some quality time with her family as the royals enjoy their summer break after a difficult first half of the year.
Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “The fact that Kate is well enough to travel to Scotland and enjoy a holiday at Balmoral is a sure sign she is on the mend and a very positive step.”
Meghan Markle was ‘screaming’ after latest interview
Saturday 10 August 2024 02:00
Emma Guinness
The Duchess of Sussex was “screaming” after her latest interview when she was unexpectedly asked about her mental health.
Royal author Angela Levin said that Meghan, 43, had a “meltdown” when she was asked about her previous suicidal thoughts, which she admitted in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“After the interview was over, she was apparently screaming at the producers, very, very annoyed at what they had asked,” Levin said, as reported by OK! magazine.
“You mustn’t do that with Meghan because she’s in control. But you could see she couldn’t contain her anger, her fury.”
In response to the question, Meghan said that she had not yet “scratched the surface” of her mental struggles in the royal family.
People want Prince Harry to give back his £7 million inheritance
Saturday 10 August 2024 00:00
Emma Guinness
A new poll has found that the majority of people think Prince Harry should give back the £7 million he will receive from the late Queen Mother when he turns 40 next month.
Carried out by the Express, 75 percent of respondents said that the Duke of Sussex should return the money.
However, not everyone was against his receipt of a portion of her estimated £70 million fortune and 22 percent of respondents said Harry should keep the money.
Three percent of respondents were undecided about what he should do.
Prince William praises success of air ambulance fundraiser
Friday 9 August 2024 22:00
Emma Guinness
Prince William has praised a successful fundraiser by London’s Air Ambulance Charity, which raised an impressive £15 million to replace its helicopters.
This is a role close to the heir to the throne’s heart as he previously piloted an air ambulance.
Taking to Twitter/X, he wrote: “Fantastic news! This is going to have a life-saving impact. A huge thank you to everyone who donated. W”
Meghan Markle’s latest interview ‘a real car crash'
Friday 9 August 2024 20:00
Emma Guinness
The Duchess of Sussex’s latest interview has been described as a “car crash” after she and Prince Harry shared their fears for Prince Archie and Princess Lillibet growing up in an online world.
The interview, which aired on Meghan’s 43rd birthday, saw the duchess unexpectedly asked about feeling suicidal when she was a wroking royal.
This prompted her to admit that she had not publicly “scratched the surface” when it came to disclosing the experience.
Many viewers have now said they believe that the duchess was angry that the issue had even been raised by CBS Sunday Morning host Jane Pauley.
Broadcaster Dan Wooton said on his podcast: “I imagine that’s the sort of question, she wasn’t there for that, because she said ‘I did not expect this’. But you could see she couldn’t contain her anger and fury.”
Prince William ‘completely crestfallen’ about Kate’s cancer
Friday 9 August 2024 18:00
Emma Guinness
Prince William was “completely crestfallen” when Kate Middleton was diagnosed with cancer, a new biography of the princess has revealed.
The Princess of Wales announced her diagnosis in March after initially stepping back from her duties for planned abdominal surgery in January.
She explained that her doctors initially did not think her condition was cancerous, but it was, and she was prescribed “preventative chemotherapy” as a result.
Royal author Rob Jobson told US Weekly the diagnosis was “devastating” for William who was left “completely crestfallen” after learning that King Charles also has cancer.
Harry and Meghan have ‘set up rival court'
Friday 9 August 2024 17:00
Emma Guinness
Following the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s second unofficial tour of the year to Colombia, an expert has said they have set up a “rival court”.
Royal author Phil Dampier has said that while it is “tragic”, it should not be an issue as long as it does not overlap with the work of the Wales family.
“Now that they [have] set up as this kind of rival court, they will obviously hope that things they do don’t overlap what William’s doing,” Dampier told Fabulous.
“He’s [William’s] got events with the Earthshot Prize that he’s involved in in South Africa later in the year, and Harry, of course, has got his Invictus Games, so as long as they don’t directly clash in terms of dates, and try and score points off each other, and they’re not directly competing in the same field, I think they can carry on.
“But it’s just tragic that it’s come to this, that they’re doing their own thing.”
Princess Eugenie praises Beatrice for ‘paving way’ in royal family
Friday 9 August 2024 16:00
Emma Guinness
Princess Eugenie has praised her older sister Beatrice for “paving the way” in the royal family.
Eugenie, 34, marked her sister’s 36th birthday yesterday (8 August) with a sweet tribute that included pictures of the pair together.
She wrote on Instagram: “Happy birthday dearest Beabea!!
“What an inspiration you are. You’ve paved the way for your little sissy. Love you xx”
Friday 9 August 2024 15:00
Emma Guinness
A royal expert has claimed that Prince Harry and William would have never fallen out if Princess Diana was still alive.
They also suggested that the late Princess of Wales would be “heartbroken” over their ongoing feud, which reportedly began in 2017 when Prince William urged his younger brother to slow down the pace of his relationship with Meghan Markle.
Royal expert Richard Kay told Palace Confidential: “‘[They’ve] been tussling over Diana’s legacy, they’ve been pulling apart Diana’s legacy, [and picking] which part suits them best. I think it’s a great tragedy.
“What I knew about Diana was, first and above all, was her love for her sons, that was clear to the whole world, she loved those boys. I think she would’ve been broken-hearted.
“The big question is, would it have still happened had Diana still been with us? My own view is that it probably wouldn’t have because she would’ve remained the pivotal figure in both their lives and prevented the fallout from happening.”
Thomas Markle birthday fundraiser reaches £54,000
Friday 9 August 2024 13:00
Emma Guinness
A birthday fundraiser set up to remind Meghan Markle’s father that there are still “good people” in the world has raised over £54,000.
Describing him as “rejected and abandoned”, the GoFundMe’s creator Lady Colin Campbell said Thomas Markle deserved acknowledgement of his 80th birthday.
This comes after Mr Markle told the Daily Mail that his one wish was to reconnect with his estranged daughter and finally meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The pair have been estranged since Meghan’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry after a scandal erupted when it emerged that Mr Markle had taken part in a staged paparazzi photoshoot.
How Meghan Markle and King Charles ‘bonded'
Friday 9 August 2024 12:00
Emma Guinness
Meghan Markle’s relationship with the royal family might have soured in recent years, but she and King Charles got off to a promising start.
Prince Harry recalled how the pair bonded over a coincidence “once night” shortly after his 2018 wedding to the former Suits star.
He wrote in his 2023 memoir Spare: “One night, over pre-dinner cocktails, Fred Astaire playing in the background, it emerged that Meg shared a birthdate with Pa’s favorite person: Gan-Gan [the Queen Mother]. August 4. ‘Amazing,’ Pa said with a smile.”
Harry, 39, is set to receive £7 million from his late great-grandmother when he turns 40 next month.
Prince Harry ‘bored’ and ‘misses’ old life
Friday 9 August 2024 11:00
Emma Guinness
The Duke of Sussex is “bored” and “misses” his old life in the UK, it has been claimed.
This comes four years after Harry, 39, stepped down as a working royal with his wife Meghan Markle, citing press intrusion and a desire to live a more independent life.
Royal expert Tom Quinn told The Mirror: “He is trained from birth to do one thing only – to be a royal and he has thrown that away. His 100% support for his wife and her business ventures has never wavered, but he doesn’t really have very much to do on a day-to-day basis.
“After he’s taken the dog for a walk and maybe gone for a drive, he has nothing to do other than support Meghan.”
King Charles and Prince William ‘pleased’ by Harry and Meghan’s absence
Friday 9 August 2024 09:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Prince William are “pleased” by Harry and Meghan’s decision not to attend the Paris Olympics.
This comes as after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently announced their second unofficial tour to Colombia.
“Monarchs and crown princes from across the globe have been in the French capital along with Hollywood royalty,” sources told the Daily Mail.
“The presence of Harry and Meghan would not have amused Charles or his heir.”
Meghan Markle ‘couldn’t stand Harry speaking’ in new interview
Friday 9 August 2024 08:20
Emma Guinness
Meghan Markle “couldn’t stand [Prince] Harry speaking” in the couple’s latest interview about online safety.
After the chat with CBS Sunday Morning, where the Duchess of Sussex was unexpectedly asked about her prior mental health struggles, she was allegedly “screaming at the producers”.
“After the interview was over she was apparently screaming to the producers, very, very annoyed at what they had asked her,” royal author Angela Levin said, as reported by OK! magazine.
“Just the same as in and out of the interview, she couldn’t stand Harry speaking. She would look at him with such harsh eyes and such a terrible expression on her face because she didn’t want him to talk, I imagine.”
In the latest bombshell interview with the former actress, Meghan admitted that she had not “scratched the surface” in publicly disclosing her struggles within the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth memorial garden will mark her 100th birthday
Friday 9 August 2024 06:00
Emma Guinness
A new memorial garden in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth is set to open on what would have been her 100th birthday in 2026.
Construction is set to begin on the new garden in Regent’s Park, which will feature flowers of personal significance to the monarch, later this year.
Prince William ‘disgusted’ by Harry’s £7 million 40th birthday inheritance
Friday 9 August 2024 04:00
Emma Guinness
Prince William is reportedly “disgusted” that Prince Harry will receive a £7 million inheritance from the Queen Mother when he turns 40 next month.
A source told Closer magazine: “William’s pretty disgusted that once again Harry’s going to be cashing out and taking millions back to his Montecito home without lifting a finger for it.
“There’s nothing he can do about it, aside from shaking his head, but if it were up to him, Harry would not be getting this payday.
“William doesn’t think his brother is in any position to be getting this handout and he’s letting it be known that he thinks it’s a pretty rotten situation.”
Prince Harry to ‘take millions back to Montecito’
Friday 9 August 2024 02:00
Emma Guinness
The Duke of Sussex is set to “take millions back to Montecito” when he turns 40 next month.
This is thanks to a interitance of £7 million from the late Queen Mother, who set up a trust fund for her grandchildren to distribute her wealth.
Harry is set to receive a total of 10 percent of her estimated £70 million wealth.
The Queen Mother passed away in 2002 at the age of 101.
The ‘surprisingly normal’ way Kate Middleton travels to Scotland
Friday 9 August 2024 00:00
Emma Guinness
The royal family are currently on their summer break and it has been reported that the Princesss of Wales could take a “surprisingly normal” means of travel to Balmoral.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are already at the royals’ Scottish retreat and the Wales family are expected to join them imminently.
As revealed by a TikToker, last year, Kate travelled on an economy flight to Scotland last year with Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte while Prince George travelled with his father.
“[Kate] got up halfway through the flight to get her daughter’s iPad,” they recalled.
“And yes she was stunning, even gave me a smile while looking back at the row behind her to talk to her son.”
Prince Harry has ‘lost his credibility'
Thursday 8 August 2024 20:00
Emma Guinness
Prince Harry has “lost his credibility” for revealing so much information about his time within the royal family, a historian has claimed.
Simon Heffer, who admits to having read “bits” of Spare, described the ghostwritten memoir as “horrible”.
“I read bits of it. I mean, life’s too short, but I read enough of it to get a flavour of it. I thought it was horrible,” he said, as reported by the Express.
“People are shocked the first time. But how many more Netflix series? How many more rather ghastly books can he churn out and be taken seriously?”
‘Not the right time’ for King Charles to comment on riots
Thursday 8 August 2024 18:00
Emma Guinness
Now is “not the right time” for King Charles to comment on the anti-immigration riots taking place across the UK, a royal historian has claimed.
The monarch has received some criticism, including from the anti-monarchy group Republic, for his silence on the issue, though palace sources have said he is monitoring the situation.
Sir Anthony Seldon told the BBC: “Now is not the right time for the King to become involved.
“He is head of state, and it’s appropriate that while the crisis is going on, the head of government, the prime minister, handles the crisis management and says what is needed to be said.
“The time for the King to speak, if at all, is when everything has calmed down again. The issues that have led the riots are not going to go away quickly. We need to hear his considered thoughts then about societal harmony.”
King Charles not planning to visit areas of UK hit by rioting
Thursday 8 August 2024 17:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles does not have any current plans to visit the parts of the UK affected by recent anti-immigration riots.
According to royal sources, the monarch is receiving daily updates about the situation.
The wave of violence erupted in the wake of the Stockport stabbings, which saw three children murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
Thomas Markle’s birthday GoFundMe raises over £53,000
Thursday 8 August 2024 16:00
Emma Guinness
A fundraiser marking the 80th birthday of the “rejected and abandoned” Thomas Markle has raised over £53,000.
Created by British socialite Lady Colin Campbell, the GoFundMe is designed to show the Duchess of Sussex’s father that “there are still people in the world with good hearts, good values, and good intentions.”
Mr Markle said ahead of his milestone birthday that all he wanted was for his daughter Meghan to get in touch and to finally meet his grandchildren. His wish appears to have gone unanswered.
Meghan fell out with her father around the time of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry over a staged paparazzi photoshoot.
Harry and Meghan ‘desperate’ to heal ‘rift’ with royals
Thursday 8 August 2024 15:00
Emma Guinness
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly “desperate” to start healing the rift between them and the royal family.
Their relationship has deteriorated since Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals in 2020 and now King Charles is reportedly ignoring calls from his youngest son.
A former royal employee told the Daily Mail: ““It seems quite clear that they are desperate to start healing the rift.”
The publication’s royal expert Richard Eden suggested their desire to make amends could be a result of the 2024 November election as Donald Trump has promise to treat Harry like any other citizen should it emerge that he has lied on his via application about prior drug use.
Prince Harry ‘really lost at the moment'
Thursday 8 August 2024 14:00
Emma Guinness
Prince Harry is “really lost at the moment”, an expert has claimed, following his latest interview with Meghan Markle.
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