Royal news live: King Charles ‘axes’ Prince Andrew’s £1m allowance due to Royal Lodge row
King Charles cut the £1 million payment after Prince Andrew refused to move out of his current royal home
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Your support makes all the difference.The King will cut financial ties to the disgraced Duke of York after he refused to move out of his home, a royal writer has claimed.
Prince Andrew’s £1 million “living allowance”, received every year, has been withdrawn by Charles as he continues to seek to distance himself from his younger brother.
This is according to royal writer Robert Hardman, in the serialisation of a new book published by the Daily Mail.
The keeper of the privy purse was “instructed to sever [Andrew’s] living allowance”. It comes after Andrew reportedly refused to move out of the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor Great Park into the smaller Frogmore Cottage - previously inhabited by Harry and Meghan.
"’The duke is no longer a financial burden on the King,’ confirms one familiar with the situation,” Mr Hardman writes.
"’He claims to have found other sources of income related to his contacts in international trade, sufficient to cover all his costs - which would be a welcome outcome for all parties if that turns out to be the case.
"’But as to whether this funding can be relied upon in the long term is another matter."’
Prince William hits back at critics over homelessness project
Inside the no-frills health retreat Charles and Camilla can’t keep away from
Charles and Camilla broke up flight home from Samoa with India stopover
Princess Diana biographer issues withering Meghan Markle verdict: ‘She’s flawless about getting it all wrong’
‘It’s important to change the narrative around homelessness’, says William
In the ITV documentary We Can End Homelessness, Prince William said it is vital to change attitudes towards homelessness.
“I think it’s really important that we can try and change and tackle the narrative around homelessness,” he said. “People live with it, we see it every day in our lives, that’s something I want to challenge.”
One of the clips shows the prince looking through photos of a visit to a homeless charity when he was a child, with his mother, Princess Diana.
“That’s when it dawned on me that there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do. When you’re quite small, you just think life is what you see in front of you, and you don’t really have the concept to look elsewhere,” he said.
“It’s when you meet people, like I did then, who put a different perspective in your head and say like, ‘well, I was on the street last night’, and you’re like, ‘whoa’,” he added.
Prince William faces uncomfortable moment in homelessness documentary
Prince William has faced an uncomfortable moment during the premiere of his documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, which aired its first part last tonight.
In the film, the Prince of Wales, 42, was confronted by Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, who challenged him to address the “failed thinking” surrounding homelessness.
Lord Bird bluntly stated he wanted no “b******t” in their discussions, urging the prince to spearhead a new approach through his Homewards programme - an ambitious initiative aiming to end homelessness within five years.
“We need the expertise of everybody,” Lord Bird said during their meeting in episode one.
He criticised the fragmented efforts of local authorities, charities, and government departments over the past three decades.
William responded with an invitation for open dialogue, adding: “I’m conscious that it’s a team environment... please do feel free to pile in when you need to.”
To which Lord Bird replied: “I hope you mean that,” before jokingly adding: “Sorry, I’m jumping in.”
The Prince’s goal of ending homelessness has been inspired by his childhood experiences visiting shelters with his late mother, Princess Diana.
ICYMI: King’s ‘hot equerry’ Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson is engaged
Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, affectionately dubbed the ‘hot equerry’, has announced his engagement to Olivia Lewis, his girlfriend of 18 months.
The announcement, first reported in The Times, has sent ripples through royal circles, as admirers of the dashing equerry come to terms with his impending nuptials.
The engagement announcement read: “The engagement is announced between Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Thompson of Morpeth, Northumberland, and Olivia Rose, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Lewis OBE of Primrose Hill, London.”
You can read the full story below:
King’s ‘hot equerry’ Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson announces his engagement
King Charles and Queen Camilla could be among the attendees at the wedding of the ‘hot equerry’
The £3,000-a-week luxury spa resort King Charles has visited
With 21 deluxe rooms, private gardens and open-air showers, the SOUKYA spa resort looks to be the perfect stop-off for King Charles on his way back from his tour in Australia and Samoa.
The health care centre, spread over 30 acres of scented orchards, is a renowned resort for celebrity clientele, with the likes of Dame Emma Thompson and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu having stayed there.
It’s been reported that King Charles and Queen Camilla have enjoyed morning yoga sessions along with rejuvenation treatments at the £3,000-a-week site.
The Palace issued a statement on Sunday revealing that King Charles will return to regular overseas trips next year as he adapts to living with cancer.
An update about the state of the King’s health or his treatment has not been given but the news that Charles will take on more overseas trips suggests his cancer is being managed successfully.
Queen Camilla ‘terrified’ after King Charles’ health admission
Queen Camilla is reportedly feeling “terrified” following King Charles’s recent admissions about his health, with sources suggesting she fears he may be “rushing” his cancer recovery.
Friends close to the Queen have expressed their concerns over the King’s determination to return to full duties too quickly after his diagnosis earlier this year.
While Buckingham Palace outlines plans for Charles to return to a “full” schedule of international travel next year, concerns about his well-being remain.
A senior palace official told GBNews:“We’re now working on a pretty normal-looking full overseas tour program for next year.”
However, this push for a robust itinerary raises alarm for Camilla, who is worried about the implications of such commitments on her husband’s health.
“It’s hard to overstate the joy that he takes from duty and service,” the official added.
Donald Trump’s son attacks Meghan Markle and Harry
Donald Trump’s son, Eric, has attacked Meghan Markle describing the Duchess of Sussex as “pretty unpopular”.
A row between the Trumps and the Sussexes was ignited in 2016 after Meghan described the former US president of being “divisive” and misogynistic” during an interview on The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore.
Three years later, the Republican candidate replied by saying: “I didn’t know she was nasty,” and attempted to dismiss the comment.
In 2020, Trump slammed Meghan again and said: “I’m not a fan of hers. I wish a lot of luck to Harry, he’s going to need it.”
Now, his son has hit out at Harry. He told the Daily Mail: “Kate, I think she conducts herself so incredibly well and has been such a rock in the next generation of the family.
“And William, obviously I don’t really think has made a misstep.
“And yet, you look at this one black sheep [Harry] who doesn’t exactly know where he is, led by a wife who’s pretty unpopular, both here and over where you are.”
Queen Camilla’s son reveals her kitchen secrets
Tom Parker Bowles has lifted the lid on the cooking of his mother, Queen Camilla, and the meals they ate at home while he was growing up.
Describing Camilla as a “good, basic cook”, he said she perfected slow-cooked scrambled eggs (always on the Aga) and roast chicken – but steered clear of all spice and curries.
Never following a recipe, she relied on “very, very simple food” while providing meals for Tom and his sister Laura at their home near Chippenham in Wiltshire.
Read the full story below:
Queen Camilla’s son reveals her kitchen secrets
Cooking expert Tom Parker Bowles also tells of his mother’s special way of scrambling eggs– and which meal still causes Buckingham Palace to grind to a halt
VOICES: The royal family’s finances are a mystery: it’s time to open the books
The view of the monarchy in the UK remains overwhelmingly positive, writes Alan Rusbridger.
But the public deserve full transparency on the family’s staggering wealth:
The royals’ finances are shrouded in mystery: they need to open the books
The view of the monarchy in the UK remains overwhelmingly positive, writes Alan Rusbridger. But the public deserve full transparency on the family’s staggering wealth
Pictured: Duchess Sophie showcases £1,600 Valentino skirt in Reading
Princess Kate forms ‘very close’ bond with King after shared health battles
Princess Kate has developed a notably close relationship with King Charles in recent months.
Known for her connections with various royals, Kate's bond with the King appears to have deepened after both faced significant health challenges this year.
The Princess of Wales and the King underwent surgeries at the same hospital, both receiving cancer diagnoses shortly after their procedures.
This shared experience has seemingly strengthened their relationship, lending credence to Prince Harry’s assertion that illness can bring families closer together.
A source close to the Palace revealed that King Charles made a poignant gesture during Kate’s health scare in January, visiting her in her hospital room while he was also a patient at the London Clinic for his own prostate surgery.
According to Palace sources, the King views Kate with deep affection, considering her as a daughter.
“They are very close, and he thinks of Catherine as his daughter,” the source said.
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