Royal news live: Harry and Meghan accused of ‘ballot harvesting’ for Kamala Harris as duke plans UK return
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been accused of “ballot harvesting for Kamala Harris” after they launched a new campaign ahead of the US election.
While the couple have officially taken no political stance in the upcoming November election, they have been encouraging people to register to vote through their Archewell Foundation.
This has seen them write to unregistered voters, encouraging them to use their voices in the presidential election.
The chairman of the Republican movement in the UK, Greg Swenson, told the Daily Mail: “By encouraging people to vote they are essentially ballot harvesting for Kamala.
“You don’t have to say it... you don’t need a bumper sticker, we know who you voted for.”
Harry is set to return to the UK without Meghan at the end of September for the WellChild Awards.
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”.
Prince Harry ‘driven and committed’ to making the world 'a better place’
Prince Harry has stressed his commitment to philanthropic causes in a statement released ahead of his 40th birthday.
The Duke of Sussex, who celebrated the milestone yesterday (15 September), is said to have privately marked the occasion with his family in California.
Harry said in a statement to the BBC: “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”
He added: “Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work.
“Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”
Duchess of Edinburgh begins official visit to Tanzania
The Duchess of Edinburgh has today begun an official visit to Tanzania.
Sophie, 59, will spend five days in the country for the first royal visit since 2018. The visit is intended to highlight the UK and Tanzania’s work in the fields of female empowerment, health, and agriculture.
Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Edinburgh has arrived in Tanzania! 🇹🇿🇬🇧@RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/VAGzhlndRO
— UK in Tanzania (@UKinTanzania) September 16, 2024
Harry and William’s ‘lives are now seperate'
It has been claimed that there is no “fix” to Prince Harry and Prince William’s strained relationship, despite the Prince of Wales’s decision to wish his younger brother a happy birthday yesterday.
An insider told the BBC: “I just can’t see a fix. It’s been a long time now and they haven’t found a peace. Their lives are now very separate. It’s sad.”
The two brothers last saw each other at their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes’s funeral this summer, but they are reported to have kept their distance at the ceremony.
Their relationship has grown increasingly strained since Harry stepped down as a working royal in 2020 and gave several tell-all interviews with further bombshell revelations made in his 2023 memoir Spare.
Harry’s relationship with royal family ‘not defrosting'
A royal expert has claimed that Prince Harry’s relationship with the royal family is “not defrosting” following their seemingly unexpected decision to wish him a happy birthday.
The Duke of Sussex, who celebrated the milestone yesterday, had the occasion marked by both King Charles and Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales on social media.
Royal expert Tom Bower told the MailOnline: “William and Kate’s surprise birthday wishes to Harry do not signal a step towards reconciliation. Rather it shows that the Waleses don’t want to be criticised as churlish.
“Being diplomatic costs them nothing and avoids criticism. The King understandably has congratulated his son but there’s no evidence of defrosting their relationship.”
Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to The Duke of Sussex! https://t.co/ZKJbYDmV6L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2024
Princess Anne to attend prestigious horse event after hospitalisation
Princess Anne will attend a prestigious horse event after a recent accident left her hospitalised.
The Princess Royal, 73, suffered a concussion and minor injuries as a result of the June incident on her estate, which is believed to have been caused by a kick from a horse.
But on 18 October, she will join the audience at the Spanish Riding School’s opening show at OVO Arena Wembley, marking their first tour of the UK in eight years, according to a press release.
The release added: “Arriving in the UK adorned with dazzling white deerskin saddles, gold bridles, luxurious velvet saddle pads, and iconic uniforms, eight riders and up to 26 horses will present performances on the tour, showcasing perfectly synchronised routines to the sound of classical Viennese music.”
Anne herself is an experienced horsewoman and previously rode the school’s horses alongside her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1969.
King Charles ‘will never completely close the door’ on Prince Harry
Following the royal family’s seemingly surprise decision to acknowledge Prince Harry’s 40th birthday, it has been claimed that King Charles “will never completely close the door” on his youngest son.
Harry, who turned 40 yesterday, has had an increasingly strained relationship with the firm since stepping down as a working royal in 2020.
Royal expert Rebecca English told the MailOnline: “While angry and determined not to engage with some of Harry’s more egregious accusations, Charles will never completely close the door on his youngest son.”
The Duke of Sussex last saw the monarch following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February.
How late Queen Elizabeth II influenced Harry’s unexpected birthday message
The late Queen Elizabeth II is reported to have influenced the royal family’s seemingly unexpected decision to acknowledge Prince Harry’s 40th birthday.
According to several claims, the former monarch set a precedent for acknowledging the birthdays of non-working royals on birthdays ending with 0 on official channels.
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Meghan Markle was NOT cropped out of Harry’s birthday image by royal family
The Duchess of Sussex was not cropped out of Prince Harry’s birthday message from the royal family, The Independent can reveal, despite reports to the contrary.
While Meghan, now 43, was included in the original image alongside the duke, the cropped version simultaneously appeared on Getty Images alongside the full photograph in 2018.
This means that the decision to zoom in on Harry and edit the picture was made long before the couple’s relationship with the royal family appeared to sour.
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Meghan Markle has ‘reduced grown men to tears'
A bombshell report has claimed that the Duchess of Sussex has “reduced grown men to tears”.
The news comes amid the recent revelation that the Sussex’s chief of staff, Josh Kettler, left the role after three months on what was described as a “mutual” decision.
A source told The Hollywood Reporter: “Everyone’s terrified of Meghan. She belittles people, she doesn’t take advice.
“They’re both poor decision-makers, they change their minds frequently. Harry is a very, very charming person – no airs at all – but he’s very much an enabler. And she’s just terrible.”
Another source added to the publication: “She marches around like a dictator in high heels, fuming and barking orders.
“I’ve watched her reduce grown men to tears.”
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