Royal news – live: King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘snub’ by Australian leaders ahead of tour sparks backlash
Charles and Camilla to begin royal tour of Australia later this week
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King Charles and Queen Camilla are facing an embarrassing snub by leading Australian politicians ahead of their tour of the country.
As the couple prepare to kick off their nine day visit Down Under on Friday, every single state premier has turned down invitations to attend their royal reception in Canberra on October 21, reports suggest.
The King is set to deliver a speech at the event to recognise Australians for their achievements in the arts, culture, sports and health.
Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan is the latest representative to snub the invitation, whilst other politicians have given excuses such as “schedule clashes” and “election campaign duties”.
The first royal visit to Australia in more than a decade has sparked debate about the role of the monarchy in the Commonwealth country, with some republicans selling ‘farewell tour’ merchandise ahead of their arrival.
Australian pro-royalists have called the backlash a “slap in the face” to the royal monarchy, with the Australian Monarchists League telling local media: “All premiers and ministers have sworn allegiance to our monarch, Charles III, and it is a monumental insult that they now spit in his hand extended in friendship.”
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Recap: Campaigners are demanding ‘full disclosure’ of gifts to King Charles after four-year silence
Campaigners have called for “full disclosure” of gifts received by the royal family after it emerged King Charles has failed to publish an annual list for four years.
Recent delays in sharing details of presents received by royals have been attributed to a challenging few years for the family, including the pandemic, the change of reign and high-profile state occasions such as the coronation, The Independent understands.
Read the full story:
Campaigners demand ‘full disclosure’ of royal gifts after four-year silence
King Charles and the royals have not published a list of official gifts since 2020, it has emerged
ICYMI: The King ‘greatly saddened’ by death of Alex Salmond
The King said he was “greatly saddened” by the sudden death of Scotland’s first SNP first minister Alex Salmond, aged 69.
The monarch led tributes after news of the politician’s death broke on Saturday afternoon from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.
King Charles said in a message issued by Buckingham Palace: “My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond.
“His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.
“We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time.”
Mr Salmond served as first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and was leader of the SNP on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014.
The Alba party said it understood he had suffered a heart attack, although there will be a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death.
Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond dies aged 69
The Alba Party leader passed away on Saturday after giving a speech in North Macedonia
Royal aide reveals late Queen was a ‘gutsy’ driver who left passengers with white-knuckles
One of Queen Elizabeth’s most trusted aides has revealed the late monarch was a “gutsy” driver who loved speed behind the wheel.
In her first interview about her 18 years as one of the royal’s most trusted confidantes, former communications secretary Samantha Cohen recalled spending summers with the Queen at her Scottish estate Balmoral.
She told The Sunday Times: “She loved hosting everybody for summer, allocating the rooms and checking them herself.”
The aide said her children, who would stay with her in a lodge near the castle for the summer, would often look up at breakfast and see the Queen riding by on her horse.
She also revealed the monarch had a taste for speed behind the wheel as she drove around the remote Scottish estate.
“She was gutsy,” Ms Cohen said. “She would drive her cars fast around Balmoral.”
What are royal gift lists?
Unlike MPs, members of the royal family are not required to declare gifts, donations and hospitality on a public register of interests.
Nevertheless, they began publishing an annual list of official gifts received by the royal household following scrutiny of jewellery given to Queen Camilla by a Saudi royal in 2007.
However, it has emerged King Charles and his family have not shared such a list since 2019.
It included a 24 carat gold-plated horse comb from President Borut Pahor of the Republic of Slovenia and three gifts the late Queen Elizabeth II received from Donald Trump during his presidential visit.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, has insisted: “It is vital that the public knows about any possible conflicts of interest or attempts to curry favour with royals, as they have direct access to the highest levels of government.”
Under rules reviewed in 2003, gifts received during official duties such as state banquets or royal tours are classed as an official gifts. Those given by someone a royal knows in a personal capacity are considered private.
Buckingham Palace has said the list will be published in due course.
Royal gift list row: Republic’s statement in full
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has called for “full disclosure” of gifts handed to King Charles and other royals after annual lists have not been published for four years.
Responding to the news, first reported in the Observer, Republic’s Graham Smith said: “If politicians are being lambasted for failing to declare gifts, the same should apply to the royals.
“It is vital that the public knows about any possible conflicts of interest or attempts to curry favour with royals, as they have direct access to the highest levels of government. And we need to know if official gifts are being handed over to the state or surreptitiously kept for personal use.
“Charles and senior royals have access to government papers, can have secretive meetings with ministers and the prime minister and they have leverage to pressure government to do favours for them and their friends. So it’s vital we know what gifts they’re receiving.
“The royals have form when it comes to blurring the lines between what’s theirs to keep and what’s an official gift. So full disclosure is needed on what’s been received and where those gifts are now.
“There’s usually a good reason why billionaires and Saudi businessmen give gifts, because something is expected in return. So we need full disclosure, not just of royal gifts but also royal lobbying.
“If we demand high standards from politicians, we must demand those same standards from the royals.”
Buckingham Palace has said the list will be published in due course.
King Charles facing calls for ‘full disclosure’ of royal gifts after four-year silence
Campaigners have called for “full disclosure” of gifts received by the royal family after it emerged King Charles has failed to publish an annual list for four years.
Unlike MPs, members of the royal family are not required to declare gifts, donations and hospitality on a public register of interests.
Nevertheless they began publishing an annual list of official gifts received by the royal household following scrutiny of jewellery given to Queen Camilla by a Saudi royal in 2007.
However it has emerged King Charles and his family have not shared such a list since 2019.
Recent delays in sharing details of presents received by royals have been attributed a challenging few years for the family, including the pandemic, the change of reign and high profile state occasions such as the coronation, The Independent understands.
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has hit out at the delays, insisting: “If we demand high standards from politicians, we must demand those same standards from the royals.”
Buckingham Palace has said the list will be published in due course. Read the full story:
Campaigners demand ‘full disclosure’ of royal gifts after four-year silence
King Charles and the royals have not published a list of official gifts since 2019, it has emerged
ICYMI: Inside Buckingham Palace’s £360m renovation
The royal family has shared a behind-the-scenes look at Buckingham Palace as a 780-strong team undertake a £360 million refurbishment of the historic building.
As part of the palace’s reservicing programme, work is taking place in the basement, replacing old electrical cabling with brand new cables under the floors and throughout the iconic palace.
In a new video, released by the royal family this week, workers can be seen pulling some of the 25,000 metres of cable through the basement.
The vast amount is equivalent to the weight of 12 elephants and runns the length of 250 football pitches.
Behind-the-scenes at Buckingham Palace as 780-strong team undertake £360m refurb
The royal family has shared a behind-the-scenes look at Buckingham Palace as a 780-strong team undertake a £360 million refurbishment of the historic building. As part of the palace’s reservicing programme, work is taking place in the basement, replacing old electrical cabling with brand new cables under the floors and throughout the historic building. In a new video, released by the royal family on Tuesday (8 October), workers can be seen pulling some of the 25,000 metres of cable through the basement. The vast amount is equivalent to the weight of 12 elephants and runns the length of 250 football pitches.
James Middleton shares how sister Kate helped him with depression in first live TV interview
James Middleton shares how Kate helped him with depression in first live TV interview
James Middleton has shared how his family, including sister Catherine, Princess of Wales has helped him with his depression. The 37-year-old author spoke openly about how the Middleton family supported him with his mental health problems, when he appeared on ITV’s Lorraine show on Thursday (26 September). Mr Middleton said: “To open up to my family was a very challenging step, so initially I went into therapy, and at the right time my family got involved and I was very fortunate, because they did have to be patient with me. “It was challenging for them to see me suffer but they understood a lot more than I actually thought.”
King Charles shows off his dance moves with rugby star at glitzy palace reception
King Charles shows off his dance moves with rugby star at glitzy palace reception
The King was given a Samoan dancing lesson ahead of his trip to the Pacific nation – and was dubbed a man with “moves”. Charles did not need to be asked twice when a guest at his Commonwealth reception, celebrating achievements of people from the “family of nations”, asked him to dance on Wednesday evening (2 October) Freddy Tuilagi, 53, the eldest brother of the famous rugby-playing siblings, choreographed the King’s performance, holding out his arms across his chest and fluttering them, which Charles copied. The King smiled as he moved and was watched by the Queen.
Sarah Ferguson describes Kate in two words as princess makes first public appearance after cancer treatment
Sarah Ferguson described the Princess of Wales in two words as Catherine made her return to work following her cancer treatment
The Duchess of York called the Princess “brave and courageous” as she made her first public appearance on Thursday (10 October), after finishing her chemotherapy treatment.
Kate joined the Prince of Wales to meet with families of victims of the Southport Taylor Swift dance class tragedy.
The Duchess told Channel 5 News on Friday: “It’s such a brave and courageous move and it is so wonderful to see.
“It will inspire and help those poor families. That’s what we should be looking at, courage and courage and courage.”
Sarah Ferguson describes Kate in two words as princess returns to public life
Sarah Ferguson described the Princess of Wales in two words as Catherine made her return to work following her cancer treatment The Duchess of York called the Princess “brave and courageous” as she made her first public appearance on Thursday (10 October), after finishing her chemotherapy treatment. Kate joined the Prince of Wales to meet with families of victims of the Southport Taylor Swift dance class tragedy. The Duchess told Channel 5 News on Friday: “It’s such a brave and courageous move and it is so wonderful to see. “It will inspire and help those poor families. That’s what we should be looking at, courage and courage and courage.”
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