Royal news live: Friend says Harry and Meghan are in ‘extraordinary situation’ as duke prepares to return to UK
Prince Harry is returning to the UK alone at the end of September
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Prince Harry’s friend and fellow mental health advocate Bryony Gordon has said that he and Meghan Markle are an “ordinary couple” in an “extraordinary” situation.
The writer opened up about her almost decade-long friendship with the Duke of Sussex for his 40th birthday, telling the Daily Mail that people are often “disappointed” by the truth when they ask about the couple.
She said: “There are no airs or graces with them, no desire to do anything other than protect their children from an increasingly digital world that likes nothing more than seeing the worst in people.
“A world that forgets that no matter how high profile a person is, they’re just doing their best, like everyone else.”
This comes as Harry is set to return to the UK at the end of September for the WellChild Awards without Meghan Markle.
The Times reports the Duke of Sussex is believed to be making the brief visit to his home country without his wife and children.
He recently told ITV that he will not bring Meghan to the UK because he fears “a knife or acid attack”.
Harry will attend the London-based event in his capacity as patron for the charity, which provides support to seriously ill British children and young people.
Buckingham Palace says it did not crop Meghan out of Harry’s birthday photograph shared by Kate and William
In Diana’s arms to laughing with William and Kate: Look back at Prince Harry’s life as he turns 40
William and Kate wish Prince Harry happy 40th birthday in surprise public message
Harry at 40 might miss Britain, but the uncomfortable truth is we may miss him more
Harry and Meghan’s latest Netflix project teaser drops just hours after Kate Middleton cancer recovery video
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle encourage people to vote in the US election
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have encouraged people to vote in the upcoming American election.
Making yesterday’s National Voter Registration Day, they released a joint statement on the Archewell Foundation’s website, explaining that they had written letters to unregistered votes encouraging them to make their voices heard.
It read: “In honour of National Voter Registration Day, The Archewell Foundation team came together for a meaningful volunteer activity to support and empower our communities.
“Using Vote Forward’s impactful letter-writing tool, our team wrote personalised letters encouraging unregistered voters to take a crucial step: registering to vote.”
The former working royals added: “Voting is not just a right; it’s a fundamental way to influence the fate of our communities.
“At The Archewell Foundation, we recognise that civic engagement, no matter one’s political party, is at the heart of a more just and equitable world. By participating in initiatives like this, we aim to amplify the message that every voice matters.
“Together, let’s make sure every eligible voter is informed and empowered to participate in shaping America’s future.”
The couple moved to California in 2020 after stepping down from their previous roles in the British royal family.
New Prince Andrew drama to air tomorrow
A new drama series based on the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s 2019 Newsnight interview will be released on Amazon Prime tomorrow (19 September).
The three-part series, A Royal Scandal, will bring to life the events leading up to the interview that ultimately forced the Duke of York to step down as a working member of the royal family.
Watch the trailer below:
King Charles ‘relieved’ that new edition of Spare is not updated
King Charles is reportedly “relieved” that Prince Harry made the decision not to update Spare in light of its impending paperback release.
The bombshell memoir, which was first released last January, featured several shocking revelations about the royal family, including the claim that Prince William attacked Harry during an argument about Meghan Markle.
Vanity Fair reported the insider claim, adding: “They do speak on the phone. Charles wants to know what’s going on in Harry’s life and hear about the children, but he’s guarded because Harry has breached the trust between them on a number of occasions. Charles needs to know their private conversations remain just that. Private.”
Meghan Markle ‘genuinely happy’ after Kate’s positive health update
The Duchess of Sussex is said to be “genuinely relieved” that the Princess of Wales has completed her cancer treatment.
Speaking to Closer magazine, an insider said that the Sussexes have “complicated” feelings about the Wales family video released to announce the happy news last week.
“There’s still an element of guilt that she and Harry are grappling with. They both have regrets over going so public with their complaints about the family and Kate in particular,” the source said.
“When they spoke out, Meghan felt they had no other choice, but now that time has passed and those heightened feelings have cooled off, she realises things could have been handled more discreetly. It’s not something she likes to dwell on, but of course, watching Kate’s video brought it all to the surface.”
King Charles ‘will have spoken to Prince Harry on his birthday'
An insider has claimed that King Charles will have spoken to Prince Harry on his 40th birthday, despite ongoing tensions between the Sussexes and the royal family.
The revelation comes after the royals posted an unexpected birthday message for the duke on Sunday, which was shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
As reported by Vanity Fair, a source said: “It was always the king’s intention to publicly acknowledge his son’s 40th, and I am sure that the king will have spoken to Harry on his birthday.
“After all, it is his son, and whatever has happened, Charles loves Harry unconditionally as any parent does, and Sunday was an important day.”
Harry is reported to have marked the occasion in a low-key manner with his family in California and is set to further celebrate on a weekend getaway with friends.
Prince Harry to return to UK later this month
The Duke of Sussex will return to the UK at the end of September in his capacity as patron of the charity WellChild.
Harry, 40, will attend the charity’s awards in London on 30 September. WellChild provides support to seriously ill children and young people in the UK.
It is not known whether the duke will be accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle.
Princess of Wales returns to work after cancer treatment
The Princess of Wales has appeared on the royal rota for the first time since completing chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Kate, 42, attended a meeting at Windsor Castle yesterday (17 September) with her task force that supports early childhood development.
Yesterday’s Court Circular read: “The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this afternoon held an Early Years Meeting at Windsor Castle.”
The meeting likely concerned the Shaping Us campaign that aims to raise the profile of the importance of early childhood development and the impact it can have later in life.
This marks the princess’s third royal engagement of the year and her first work engagement.
King Charles has ‘ambition’ to reconcile with Prince Harry
King Charles is said to have an “ambition” to welcome Prince Harry back into the royal fold and reconcile.
The monarch last saw his youngest son for a reported 45 minutes in February following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis.
A family friend told The Daily Beast: “The King has made it very clear that he loves Harry and wants to be part of his and his family’s life.
“Publicly wishing him a happy 40th birthday is completely of a piece with that ambition.”
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Kate and William’s birthday message to Harry ‘not sent personally'
An insider has claimed that the Prince and Princess of Wales’s birthday message to Prince Harry was not sent personally by the couple.
They told The Daily Beast that if the message had been sent by the future king and queen, it would have been signed “W & C” as many of their other posts are.
“It was just a company thing,” the insider said. “Happy birthday blah blah blah.”
The source added: “It makes sense for Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace to align themselves on a little bit of essentially routine messaging around Harry.
“It shows William is willing to respect his father’s seniority and do what is asked of him.”
Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex! https://t.co/ZKJbYDmV6L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2024
Prince William has ‘no interest’ in reaching out to Harry
Prince William is said to have “no interest” in reconnecting with Prince Harry, despite wishing him a happy 40th birthday on the official Kensington Palace channel.
A friend told The Daily Beast: “The honest truth is that William has no interest right now in reaching out to Harry and Meghan.
“He regards what Harry said in his book [Spare] as unforgivable and, understandably given Catherine’s cancer diagnosis, just wants to focus on his wife and family first and his job second. There isn’t space for a complicated reconciliation process with Harry. It’s not a priority.”
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