The Princess of Wales orchestrated the “ultimate royal slapdown” after Meghan Markle accused the family of racism, according to a new biography of Kate Middleton by royal author Rob Jobson.
In her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan claimed that then-unidentified members of the royal family had speculated about the colour of Prince Archie’s skin ahead of his birth.
Royal biographer Omid Scobie later claimed in his 2023 book Endgame that the royals Meghan referred to were King Charles and Kate Middleton.
It has now emerged that it was Kate, rather than the Queen, who responded with the powerful phrase released by the Palace at the time, stressing that “‘recollections may vary”.
This comes amid the news that Buckingham Palace has released a new set of royal values for the first time in King Charles’s reign.
These include a commitment to “stay curious” and “help shape a better world”.
The Palace said in its annual report: “The new reign has given the royal household the opportunity to define a new expression of purpose underpinned by a refreshed set of values.”
Key Points
- Kate Middleton orchestrated ‘ultimate royal slapdown'
- Prince Harry fears for Meghan's safety after bad press
- Prince Harry claims tabloid battle was central piece to royal rift
- ‘Intimate’ letters from Princess Diana up for auction
- King Charles to replace helicopters after £1m flight costs
Prince Harry ‘fears’ knife or acid attack on Meghan Markle
Saturday 27 July 2024 02:00
Emma Guinness
Prince Harry has said he will not bring Meghan Markle to the UK over ongoing security concerns.
In the new ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, he admitted that he believes the former Suits star could come to physical arm because of the actions of the tabloid press.
“All it takes is one lone actor, one person who read this stuff, to act on what they have read, and whether that is a knife or acid… they are genuine concerns for me, they are one of the reasons I won’t bring my wife back to this country,” he said.
Buckingham Palace releases new set of values
09:40
Emma Guinness
Buckingham Palace has released a new set of royal values for the first time in King Charles’s reign.
The “refreshed set of values” from the Royal Household commit to “[staying] curious” and “[helping] shape a better world”.
“The new reign has given the royal household the opportunity to define a new expression of purpose underpinned by a refreshed set of values,” the Palace said in a statement.
The values are split into five key principles – “Act with Care”; “Make an Impact”; “Succeed Together”; “Stay Curious”; and “Lead by Example”.
King Charles ‘looking much better'
09:27
Emma Guinness
King Charles is “looking much better” as he continues his packed schedule of engagements with cancer.
The comment was made by royal well-wisher, Joanne Barker, 75, who met the monarch as he made his way to church on the Sandringham Estate on Sunday.
“I think he looks a lot better. I admire him so much,” the mobile hairdresser said of their Norfolk meeting.
“Even just to talk to people, he’s amazing, but I think he looked a lot better than he has done.
“He was walking quite well. I think he seemed in good spirits, he was lovely and he had a laugh with us.”
The monarch was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease in February and took a temporary step back from public-facing duties as a result. He returned to work at the end of April.
Kate Middleton orchestrated ‘ultimate royal slapdown'
09:12
Emma Guinness
The Princess of Wales orchestrated the “ultimate royal slapdown” after Meghan Markle accused the royal family of racism, royal author Rob Jobson has claimed.
In his upcoming biography of Kate, 42, he said that the princess was key in the pointed wording of a statement released by the Palace in the wake of the claims – namely, that “recollections may vary”.
Meghan, also 42, made the shocking claims in her 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey discussing her and Prince Harry’s departure from the royal family.
She said that ahead of Prince Archie’s birth, unidentified members of the family had “concerns and conversations about how dark [her baby’s] skin might be.”
Royal author Omid Scobie later claimed in his 2023 biography, Endgame, that the royals Meghan referred to were the now King Charles and Princess of Wales.
The Palace said in a statement: “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
Late Queen ‘supported’ Prince Harry’s battle against UK tabloids
Friday 26 July 2024 20:00
Emma Guinness
Prince Harry has reiterated that the late Queen Elizabeth supported his ongoing battle against the UK tabloid press.
The Duke of Sussex made the revelation in the new ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, where he said that he does not believe his wife Meghan Markle is currently safe in the UK because of the actions of the press.
“We had many conversations before she passed, and this is very much something that she supported,” he said of his ongoing action against the publisher of The Sun, News Group Newspapers (NGN).
“She knew how much this meant to me and… she’s very much out there, going see this through to the end, without question.”
Intimate Princess Diana letters to be sold at auction
Friday 26 July 2024 18:00
Emma Guinness
Intimate letters from the late Princess Diana to her housekeeper have given a sweet insight into royal life.
Violet Collison, who the princess nicknamed Collie, was thanked in the exchanges for gifts she gave to a young Prince William and Harry.
“William adores his little brother & spends the entire time pouring an endless supply of hugs & kisses over Harry,” Diana wrote from Kensington Palace on 25 September, 1984.
The letters are set to be sold at auction 30 July, with initial estimates suggesting they will fetch several thousand pounds.
Prince William refuses to rehire Queen Camilla’s sister
Friday 26 July 2024 16:00
Emma Guinness
Prince William has refused to rehire Queen Camilla’s sister as an interior designer for the Duchy of Cornwall.
Annabel Elliot, 75, who was given the role following the now King Charles’s 2005 wedding to her sister was removed from the payroll for the year 2023 to 2024.
The Telegraph reported: “Sources confirmed that Prince William would no longer employ Ms Elliot, although it was no reflection on her work.”
The Duchy said in a report: “During the period to 8th September 2022 the Duchy paid Mrs. Annabel Elliot, the 24th Duke of Cornwall’s sister-in-law, in the normal course of business and on an arm’s length basis £19,625 for fees and commission and £12,316 for the purchase of furniture, furnishings and retail stock for the Duchy of Cornwall Holiday accommodation, Duchy offices and Duchy Nursery.”
‘Zero chance’ Meghan Markle will miss UK Invictus Games
Friday 26 July 2024 14:30
Emma Guinness
A royal expert has said there is “zero chance” that Meghan Markle will miss the upcoming UK Invictus Games.
This comes after Prince Harry recently revealed that he has chosen not to bring his wife to the UK since the late Queen’s funeral in September 2022 over ongoing security concerns.
But one expert believes that an exception will be made for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
“There’s zero chance of Meghan missing the Invictus Games,” royal author Christopher Andersen told Fox News.
“I guess that she will be there, briefly, but without [their children] Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Meghan and Harry’s security concerns are legitimate, but the rest of the royal family doesn’t see it that way. Neither do the British courts.”
“The feeling in the UK is that the Sussexes are no longer working royals, and therefore are not entitled to state-funded police protection.”
Prince William refuses to disclose how much tax he pays
Friday 26 July 2024 13:30
Emma Guinness
Prince William has come under fire for refusing to reveal how much tax he pays on his vast private property portfolio.
He reportedly recieved £23 million in the past tax year from the Duchy of Cornwall.
But in a marked change from his father, who he interited the estate from, William, 42, has chosen not to dislcose how much tax he is paying on its earnings.
It has been claimed that despite the non-disclosure, William pays an “appropriate” amount of tax.
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said this decision could become “unsustainable” in the current economic climate.
“The absence of answers to basic questions could prove unsustainable in the years ahead,” he wrote on Twitter/X.
King Charles installs solar panels at Windsor Castle
Friday 26 July 2024 12:30
Emma Guinness
King Charles has installed solar panels at Windsor Castle in a bid to be more environmentally friendly, palace officials said.
The panels replaced the led roof that had previously existed on the Lord Chamberlain’s Upper Store and there are plans to add more in the future.
This is not the only move the royal family are making in this area and their Bentley limousine cars are also being converted to run on biofuel.
GoFundMe launched to support Thomas Markle
Friday 26 July 2024 11:30
Emma Guinness
A GoFundMe has been launched to support Meghan Markle’s estranged father after his 80th birthday wish to meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, went unanswered.
Created by Lady Colin Campbell, the fundraiser praises Thomas Markle’s “kindness and generosity” and said it aims to show him “that there are still people in the world with good hearts, good values, and good intentions” after he was “rejected and abandoned” by his daughter.
Thomas, who turned 80, this month, became estranged from Meghan around the time of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry after it emerged that he had taken part in a staged paparazzi photoshoot.
The fundraiser was created with a £10,000 target, but it has already exceeded this amount and raised over £39,000 from over 2,000 donors.
“My father is gone from this earth and I wish I could give him a hug,” wrote one supporter.
“I want to give it to you and just know that you have daughters around the world now. You are loved.”
Meghan Markle ‘likely’ to miss UK Invictus Games
Friday 26 July 2024 10:20
Emma Guinness
Following the news that Prince Harry’s Invictus Games will be held in Brimingham, it has been speculated that Meghan Markle will miss the 2027 event.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, has not spent any time in the UK since the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.
Harry, 39, recently opened up about his ongoing security concerns in the new ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial and admitted that press intrusion into his life has made him fear for Meghan’s safety to the point where he does not believe she is safe in the UK.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! magazine: “Unless this is resolved and Harry gets the guaranteed police protection he feels he needs for himself and his family - a demand that I have some sympathy with, I can’t see him bringing Meghan and the children here.
“The security issue always provides a credible excuse for Meghan and the children not coming to the UK.
“Personally, I don’t think she ever wants to come here again, but I think she will be acutely aware that her absence at something like the Invictus Games – her husband’s greatest achievement – would signal more than a concern about safety.”
Prince Harry stumbles over health of Princess Kate and King Charles
Friday 26 July 2024 06:58
Barney Davis
The Duke of Sussex appeared to be flustered when he was asked about Princess Kate and King Charles’s cancer battles in a new documentary.
In Tabloids on Trial, ITV New’s Rebecca Barry asked the prince: “Both your father and your sister-in-law have been unwell.
“It’s a reminder, I guess, to all of us that life is precious.
“Does it ever just make you think, ‘This is not worth it. Life is just too short for these legal battles’?”
Prince Harry, appeared shocked by the question, he replied: “Erm, I don’t think the legal, the continuation of these legal battles is the sort of, I...
“The two things are completely separate.
“Erm, you know, my father and my sister-in-law, and me, you know, following through on these legal battles are two completely different things.”
Harry wants entire Royal family to join his battle with the press
Friday 26 July 2024 06:00
Barney Davis
In the Tabloids on Trial documentary, Prince Harry was asked whether his determination to fight the tabloids destroyed the relationship with his family.
Harry replied: “Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it.
“But, you know, it’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press.
“I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done.
“It would be nice if we, you know, did it as a family.”
He stressed that those in a public role should do things for the greater good.
“I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you are in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good,” he said.
“But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons.”
Prince Harry speaks on tabloid court battle
Friday 26 July 2024 05:00
Barney Davis
Prince Harry is set to break his silence on his phone-hacking court battle with the tabloid press tonight, as he delves into particular headlines about his personal life.
Looking at a headline from the time about his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy apparently preparing to split with him, the Prince said: “Harry’s girl to dump him - seems as though they knew something before I even did.”
He also says in an ITV documentary airing tonight: “I think there’s a lot of I guess, paranoia, fear, worry, concern, distrust in the people around you, clearly a headline like that has absolutely no public interest whatsoever.
“There’s a big difference between what interests the public and what is public interest, so what happens in my private life between myself and [my] then girlfriend is exactly that, between us.”
Mirror group apologise for ‘historical wrongdoing'
Friday 26 July 2024 04:00
Barney Davis
MGN said in response to the Tabloids on Trial programme: “We welcomed the judgment in December 2023 that gave the business the necessary clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago.
“Where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologise unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid compensation.”
Harry has also brought legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations it carried out or commissioned unlawful information-gathering, which are all denied by the newspaper group.
They have accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of allegedly carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records, burglaries to order and accessing and recording private phone conversations.
The legal claims are in the preliminary stages.
Paul Gascoigne sobs as he recalls emotional distress of phone hacking scandal
Friday 26 July 2024 03:00
Barney Davis
Prince Harry says mother Diana was ‘absolutely right’ in phone hacking suspicions
Friday 26 July 2024 01:00
Barney Davis
Prince Harry reveals Queen supported his battle with the press
Thursday 25 July 2024 23:45
Barney Davis
Prince Harry revealed he had many conversations with his grandmother the Queen about his battle with the press.
He told ITV: “We had many conversations before she passed. This is very much something she supported.
Pointing to the sky, he said: “She knew how much this meant to me and she’s very much up there going ‘See this through to the end’ without question.”
Prince Harry fears for Meghan's safety after bad press
Thursday 25 July 2024 22:14
Barney Davis
Prince Harry claims he “will not” bring his wife, Meghan Markle, back to the UK over fears for both their safety. He has told an ITV documentary “it only takes one lone actor [who reads negative stories about Harry and Meghan in the press] with a knife or acid.”
On if he’s seeking attention through the court battles, he said: “There is more than enough attention on me and my wife anyway.
“There was... they pushed me too far. It got to a point where you’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t.
“They pushed me too far. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
“I don’t think there’s anybody else in the world that is better suited and placed to be able to see this through than myself.
“It’s still dangerous. And all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff, to act on what they have read...
“And whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is.
“And these are things that are a genuine concern for me.
“It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Meghan has not returned to the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
Harry speaks about how his mother Princess Diana was painted as paranoid by press
Thursday 25 July 2024 22:06
Barney Davis
As he breaks his silence on his successful High Court case, Prince Harry opened up about his mother’s own experience of phone hacking.
Speaking in a new ITV documentary about whether the hacking made him paranoid he said: “I think paranoia is a very interesting word because yes, then it could be paranoia, but then when you’re vindicated it proves that you weren’t being paranoid. You know, same with my mother.
“You know, there is evidence to suggest that she was being hacked in the mid-nineties, probably one of the first people to be hacked and yet still today, the press, the tabloid press very much enjoy painting her as being paranoid.
“But she wasn’t paranoid, she was absolutely right about what was happening to her. And she’s not around today to find out the truth.”
Prince Harry speaks about the ‘harrassment' from paparazzi
Thursday 25 July 2024 21:29
Barney Davis
The Duke Of Sussex was shown video footage of him immersed in flashing cameras as he tried to get into a car after a night out.
He said: “In those days the paparazzi was something else.
“I remember that night out I remember being hit over the head by cameras.
“My security did everything to keep them away.”
He added: “It feels horrible then and it feels horrible now.”
Prince Harry feels vindicated by legal victory against tabloids
Thursday 25 July 2024 21:23
Barney Davis
Harry won a legal battle against the tabloid press last December as it was ruled he had been a victim of phone hacking.
Prince Harry told ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial: “Yeh I did feel vindicated. Phone hacking has been going on for a long time. The defendants claim for it all to be historical.
“Well, there’s a huge amount coming to light now that the British public especially simply have no idea about.”
He added on their tactics: “Well there’s voicemail interception, blagging of flight records.
“It was always referred to as phone hacking but it’s the unlawful information gathering, and use of private investigators that was really the secondary part to this.”
Prince Harry says he is seeking justice for everybody in ITV phone hacking documentary
Thursday 25 July 2024 21:12
Barney Davis
Prince Harry says he is seeking justice for everybody as he speaks to ITV about the phone hacking legal battle for the first time.
He said: “This is a David v Goliath situation.
“The Davids are the claimants and the Goliath is this vast media enterprise.
“I’m trying to get justice for everybody.“I don’t think there is anybody better in the world to see this through than myself.
Looking back at old paper headlines accusing him of smoking weed as a teenager, he said: “Being that young and being under constant surveillance and distrusting everyone around you. It sucks.”
Full story: Princess Diana’s ‘intimate’ letters to former housekeeper up for auction
Thursday 25 July 2024 20:00
Athena Stavrou
More than a dozen personal letters and cards from Princess Diana to her family’s former housekeeper are set to go under the hammer.
Diana sent the previously unseen notes to Violet Collison, who she affectionately called Collie, the head housekeeper at Park House on Sandringham Estate where Diana spent her childhood years.
Collie witnessed the births of four Spencer children, including Diana, and remained close with the family until her death in 2013 at the age of 89.
The collection, being auctioned at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, reveals a unique insight into crucial stages at the princess’ royal life.
Read the full story below:
Royal pictures of the week so far
Thursday 25 July 2024 19:00
Athena Stavrou
Diana ‘wished people could see love letters’ sent from Charles during happy times, biographer claims
Thursday 25 July 2024 14:20
Athena Stavrou
A royal biographer has claimed Princess Diana wished people could have seen love letters she received from Charles during happier times.
Ingrid Seward made the comments at an Oldie magazine lunch, according to The Times, where she said: “Diana told me very shortly before she died that she wished people could see the love letters that she had from Charles.”
She added: “She really wanted people to know that she loved Charles and he loved her. And I always remembered that. And she wanted the boys [Prince William and Prince Harry] to know that,” she continued.
Recap: Monarchy’s income to rise by £45m due to Crown Estate profits
Thursday 25 July 2024 13:50
Athena Stavrou
The monarchy is to receive a boost of more than £45 million, with a 53% jump in its official annual income to more than £130 million.
Soaring profits from the Crown Estate to £1.1 billion mean the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant, which supports the official duties of the royal family, will increase from £86.3 million in 2024/2025 to £132 million in 2025/2026.
Officials said the increase will be used to help fund the final stages of the 10-year £369 million renovation of Buckingham Palace, keeping it on time and budget.
The boost will be reviewed through legislation in 2026/27 to keep funding of the royal family at a “more appropriate” level, a Palace spokesman said.
Royal travel costs soar by £300,000 despite fewer engagements, figures show
Thursday 25 July 2024 13:20
Athena Stavrou
Royal travel costs soared by hundreds of thousands of pounds last year despite fewer engagements due to the illness of the King and Princess of Wales, figures show.
The Sovereign Grant report revealed travel expenditure went up by £300,000 at a bill of £4.2m despite there being around 400 fewer visits and less foreign travel than the year before.
My colleague Alexander Butler has the full story:
King’s annual private income from Duchy of Lancaster hits £27m
Thursday 25 July 2024 12:50
Athena Stavrou
The King’s annual income from his private Duchy of Lancaster estate was more than £27 million, accounts have shown.
Charles received the money from the Duchy, an ancient portfolio of land, property and assets which is held in trust for the sovereign, in his first full financial year as monarch.
This private Duchy income is separate from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant and has been the personal estate of the reigning monarch since 1399.
It spans more than 18,000 hectares of land in England and Wales and comprises commercial, agricultural and residential properties mostly in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Lincolnshire.
It gives the monarch a source of income for funding his private activities and some official expenditure, but the breakdown of how the King spends the private money – which is independent of the Government – is not released.
Watch: Prince Harry calls upon royal family to join him in tabloid fight
Thursday 25 July 2024 12:23
Athena Stavrou
The Duke of Sussex called upon his family to join him in his fight against the tabloid press in an explosive new documentary.
Prince Harry said his determination to fight his court case had been a “central piece” in the rift between him and his family.
Harry spoke to ITV for a documentary exploring the egregious and illegal methods some journalists used to gain access to the voicemail accounts of celebrities and public figures.
“This is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we, you know, did it as a family,” he said.
Harry won his privacy case against Mirror Group newspapers last December after a High Court judge ruled his own phone had been hacked.
Prince Harry set to join world’s most expensive wedding party in the UK
Thursday 25 July 2024 11:52
Athena Stavrou
Prince Harry and Boris Johnson are among guests pencilled in for the UK-leg of the $600m wedding for the son of Asia’s richest man.
A glittering array of A-list celebrities and politicians descended on Mumbai last weekend as the Ambani-Merchant wedding reached its crescendo with three days of lavish celebrations.
The happy couple tied the knot on the weekend of July 12 but celebrations are expected to continue for months to come – with festivities resuming at the historic Stoke Park Country Club near Slough.
Some guests who attended the Mumbai wedding such as Boris and Carrie Johnson, who were reportedly paid to attend, may make a second appearance at the hotel. The pair could be joined by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are rumoured to be among the UK guest list.
William removes Camilla’s sister from royal payroll
Thursday 25 July 2024 11:18
Athena Stavrou
Prince William has removed Queen Camilla’s sister from the Duchy of Cornwall payroll after taking over from his father.
Annabel Elliot, 75, served as Charles and Camilla’s chief designer of their estates following their 2005 marriage and has been paid several hundred thousands of pounds since.
The 2023 annual report detailed how the Duchy paid Mrs Elliot over £30,000 for her work “in the normal course of business and on an arm’s length basis”.
However, the King’s sister-in-law is noticeably absent from 2024’s report, now that William has taken over the estates.
Harry to speak about Princess Diana as he opens up about phone hacking case
Thursday 25 July 2024 10:15
Athena Stavrou
As he breaks his silence on his successful High Court case in an explosive documentary tonight, Prince Harry will open up about his mother’s own experience of phone hacking.
Harry won a legal battle against the tabloid press last December as it was ruled he had been a victim of phone hacking.
Speaking in a new ITV documentary about whether the hacking made him paranoid he said: “I think paranoia is a very interesting word because yes, then it could be paranoia, but then when you’re vindicated it proves that you weren’t being paranoid. You know, same with my mother.
“You know, there is evidence to suggest that she was being hacked in the mid-nineties, probably one of the first people to be hacked and yet still today, the press, the tabloid press very much enjoy painting her as being paranoid.
But she wasn’t paranoid, she was absolutely right of what was happening to her. And she’s not around today to find out the truth.”
Pictured: Princess Anne meets Team GB athletes on first foreign trip since horse accident
Thursday 25 July 2024 09:45
Athena Stavrou
‘Intimate’ letters from Princess Diana to go under the hammer
Thursday 25 July 2024 09:06
Athena Stavrou
More than a dozen “intimate” letters and cards from Princess Diana to her family’s former housekeeper are coming to auction later this month.
Diana sent the personal notes to Violet Collison, who she affectionately called Collie, the head housekeeper at Park House on Sandrigham Estate.