Royal news live: Prince William punches the air at England’s Euro win amid Harry veteran award backlash
Harry has been defended for his ‘incredible’ work with the Invictus Games
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Prince William was in Germany to watch England play in the Euro 2024 quarter-final, while his brother, Prince Harry, has been defended over the decision to give him an award for veterans.
The heir to the throne, who is president of the Football Association, joined guests in the stands as the England team sang ‘God Save the King’ before kick-off in the match against Switzerland.
A petition calling for a “rethink” on the decision to give the Duke of Sussex, 39, the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games, has passed 63,000 signatures.
The mother of Pat Tillman, an American football player who enlisted in the US army, is among critics who have argued there are more deserving recipients, but the sporting network ESPN has defended its decision, hailing the “incredible” work of the games.
“While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” a spokesperson told Sky News.
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From the Middletons to Bear Grylls : Who’s who in the Royal Box on Wimbledon day four?
Prince Harry defended as petition against the prince reaches 50,000 signatures
Wimbledon officials remain hopeful of Kate Middleton appearance
As this year’s Wimbledon tournament enters its third day, Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether or not the Princess of Wales will appear.
Officials, however, remain hopeful that she could attend to present the trophies after she expressed a desire to attend a handful of engagements this summer.
Kate, 42, remains off of official duty after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
“We’re hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club’s patron, but her health and recovery is the priority,” Debbie Jevans, the chair of the All England Club, told The Telegraph.
“We don’t know what we don’t know. All we’ve said is that we’ll work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible.”
King Charles jokes about school’s poor cricket performance
King Charles did not hold back when it came to his honesty about his former Scottish school’s cricket performance.
While speaking to guests at a garden party in Edinburgh, the Monarch admitted that while he had the highest score on his team, “it was not very much.”
Trevor Hills from Nairn revealed: “Charles said when he was at Gordonstoun he played cricket against a team from Nairn.
“I was debating whether to ask the score when he said his school lost.
“But he did have the highest score – although he said it wasn’t very much.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tipped to have special celebration today
As the British public heads to the polls for the General Election, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are tipped to be celebrating Independence Day.
According to reports, the couple watched the annual parade in their California hometown last year.
The 4th of July, which marks the US’s Independence from the UK, also holds special meaning for the couple, something Prince Harry reflected on in his 2023 memoir Spare.
Reflecting on one of their first dates, he wrote: “[Meghan] walked in, wearing a pretty blue sundress with white pinstripes. She was aglow. I stood and said: ‘I bear gifts.’ A pink box. I held it forward. She shook it. ‘What’s this?’ ‘No, no, don’t shake it!’ We both laughed.
“She opened the box. Cupcakes. Red, white and blue cupcakes, to be exact. In honour of Independence Day. I said something about the Brits having a very different view of Independence Day from the Yanks, but, oh, well. She said they looked amazing.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton make private donation to hurricane victims
The Prince and Princess of Wales are reported to have made a private donation to the victims of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.
Kate and Wiliam are said to be following the impact of the category four storm and the subsequent relief efforts closely.
According to reports, at least six people are confirmed to have lost their lives in winds which reached as much as 165 miles per hour.
In its most affected areas, as many as 95 percent of homes are believed to be damaged or destroyed.
Petition against Prince Harry reaches almost 60,000 signatures
A petition calling for a “rethink” of the decision to give Prince Harry the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games has reached almost 60,000 signatures.
While ESPN has now defended its decision to recognise the “incredible” work of the games, tens of thousands of people believe there are more deserving recipients of the award.
It is given to a person with “a strong connection to sports” in a similar way to the late soldier, who was killed in Afghanistan after giving up his football career to serve in the wake of 9/11.
The Change.org petition reads: “Prince Harry, while a former military officer, has been involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honour of this magnitude.
“He has faced accusations of endangering his squadron by publicly revealing military kills.
“The Prince also allegedly targeted his own father, Prince Charles, during a flyover.
“More recently, his role in the Invictus games, a platform meant to celebrate the resilience and dedication of veterans, has been criticized as self-centered.”
Queen Camilla enjoys vintage whiskey in Edinburgh
Queen Camilla has enjoyed a traditional Scottish whisky as the royals continue to mark Holyrood Week in Scotland.
Alongside King Charles, she is marking the 900th anniversary of the country’s capital city, Edinburgh.
Drinking what is known as a “dram” in the Scots language, the Queen admitted that the vintage whisky she sampled “hit the spot”.
How the General Election affected royal engagements
Today’s General Election impacted royal engagements from the moment it was called in May.
As the royals must remain politically neutral, their engagements were altered to cancel or postpone any events “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign.”
This led to some doubt being cast over last week’s Japanese state visit, which ultimately went ahead as planned.
King Charles’s role in the General Election
King Charles could be about to welcome the third prime minister of his reign if Rishi Sunak is replaced.
The Monarch, while politically neutral, must appoint the new prime minister after a General Election and they do not have to consult anyone before doing so.m
Charles’s reign began with Liz Truss, who the late Queen Elizabeth appointed before her death in September 2022, and has predominately featured the current Prime Minister Rishi Sunack.
The Middletons appear at Wimbledon
Kate Middleton’s parents Michael and Carole are set to appear in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
This will mark the couple’s second public outing since their daughter’s cancer diagnosis was announced earlier this year, the first being an appearance at Royal Ascot with Prince William.
Prince Harry’s ‘deep regret’ over drug taking revelations
Prince Harry is said to be experiencing “deep regret” over his disclosure of past drug use in his 2023 memoir Spare.
The royal is currently being investigated over speculation that he could have lied about his drug use on his visa application and this could see him deported from the country he has called home since 2020.
Royal expert Tom Quinn told the Mirror: “The couple have taken legal advice because they’re seriously worried that if Donald Trump wins the next election Harry’s visa may be revoked. Trump has insisted that if Harry is found to have lied on his visa application about his admitted drug taking, he could be asked to leave the country.
“Harry initially thought this couldn’t possibly happen to him as the normal rules don’t apply to a Royal Prince, but he is increasingly realising that in the United States being a Prince doesn’t actually count for very much. But one thing is for sure Harry deeply regrets ever making his drug-taking public. It never occurred to him that this might end up threatening his whole life plan.”
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