Royal news – live: Prince Harry arrives in London for awards ceremony as King Charles spends time in Scotland
The king has not seen his youngest son since the annoucement of his cancer diagnosis in February
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The Duke of Sussex has arrived in London this afternoon for the WellChild Awards as King Charles continues to enjoy his summer break in Scotland.
Harry, 40, will attend in his capacity as patron and is expected to present an award and deliver a brief speech at the event, which celebrates the achievements of seriously ill children in the UK and their carers.
This will be one of a handful of visits the duke has made to the UK this year, and it is not known if he will reunite with his father, King Charles, on this visit.
The pair last saw each other for a reported 45 minutes in February following the announcement of the king’s cancer diagnosis.
It is believed that the monarch will remain in Balmoral, Scotland, over the coming days, but The Independent has reached out to Buckingham Palace for clarification.
Harry’s relationship with his family has deteriorated publicly following his decision to step down as a working royal in 2020 and give a series of tell-all interviews to the press.
However, his decision not to update his bombshell 2023 memoir, Spare, which is being released in paperback for the first time next month, has been interpreted by some commentators as an olive branch.
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Anti-monarchists claim royal family costs ‘half a billion a year'
An anti-monarchy group has claimed that the true cost of the British royal family is “half a billion a year”.
According to Republic, the royals cost the taxpayer £510m a year, and the group has slammed this expense as unnecessary amid Labour’s bid to cut back on public spending to combat national debt.
This comes as the profits from the Crown Estate exceeded £1.1 billion, resulting in an increase of £45m to the Sovereign Grant, which is reportedly going to be used to finish ongoing renovations at Buckingham Palace.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, said: “If (Chancellor) Rachel Reeves thinks tough decisions are needed in these difficult times, she needs to start with the royals.
“We’re being told the Budget will be painful.
“Well if that’s true, the cuts must start at the top.
“How can we talk about cutting the winter fuel allowance while wasting half a billion pounds on the royals?
“How does the Government defend this rhetoric of painful decisions when the royals cost us enough to pay 18,000 NHS nurses?
“The Sovereign Grant is spiralling out of control, set to rise by another £45 million a year.
“Yet the true cost of the monarchy is well over half a billion pounds.”
Harry pays tribute to Princess Diana at charity event in New York
The Duke of Sussex took the opportunity to honour Princess Diana at an awards ceremony in New York.
Harry, 40, attended The Diana Awards yesterday as part of a visit to the city which will see him undertake several high-profile philanthropic engagements.
Set up in honour of the late princess, the awards recognise the achievements of young people who are making a difference in the lives of others.
Harry said: “I applaud you, certainly at your age, to be on this stage, to have the confidence that you do and to be able to speak as clearly and as passionately as you do.”
He added: “I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys… the way that you do it, your activism, your compassion, those two things are so true to how my mum led her life and what she believed in. And the way that you do it is incredible, so thank you.”
Prince Harry’s US visa to remain private, judge rules
A judge has ruled that the Duke of Sussex’s US visa application will remain private following an investigation into its contents after revelations about prior drug taking.
Harry, 40, admitted to taking several illegal substances in the bombshell 2023 memoir Spare, including cocaine and magic mushrooms, raising questions about whether or not he had lied on his application.
US judge Carl Nichols ruled: “The public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the duke’s immigration records.
“Like any foreign national, the duke has a legitimate privacy interest in his immigration status.”
This comes ahead of the November presidential election, which could see Donald Trump return to the White House. He previously said he would treat Harry like any other citizen should he have lied on his application.
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