Royal news live: Kate Middleton reaches major milestone after cancer treatment update as Harry to return to UK
The Princess of Wales has completed her first work engagement of the year
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The Princess of Wales has undertaken her first work engagement since completing chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Kate, 42, attended a meeting with her Early Years task force at Windsor Castle yesterday afternoon, marking her third appearance on the Court Circular of the year and her first work engagement.
It 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.”
According to reports, 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.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Sussex is set to return to the UK later this month as part of his charity work with WellChild, which supports seriously ill British children and young people.
The charity is hosting its annual awards on 30 September, and Harry, who turned 40 on Sunday, will attend the event in London in his capacity as patron.
It is not known if he will be accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle.
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
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.”
‘No doubt’ Prince Harry will accept multi-million birthday inheritance
Prince Harry is set to receive an estimated £8m from the late Queen Mother for his 40th birthday, and an insider has said there is “no doubt” he will accept the money.
The Duke of Sussex, who turned 40 yesterday, is said to have received a larger portion of the wealth set aside by the late royal because he was never destined to be king.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold told The New York Post: “I’ve no doubt that Harry will accept it... It’s money that’s owed to him, money that’s coming to him.
“I don’t think he will decline the money – it’s inheritance, so it’s his right.”
The Queen Mother passed away in 2002 at the age of 101. She is reported to have placed an estimated £71m in a trust fund for her grandchildren, to be distributed at milestone birthdays.
Meghan Markle cropped out of Prince Harry’s 40th birthday greeting
The Duchess of Sussex was cropped out of the picture used by the Royal Family to wish Prince Harry a happy 40th birthday yesterday (15 September).
The unexpected greeting, shared by King Charles and Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales, marked the first public acknowledgement of the Duke of Sussex’s birthday since 2021.
“Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” the post read alongside a picture of Harry taken at a Dublin engagement in 2018, when he was still a working royal.
The original picture also featured his wife Meghan Markle, who he married that year, but she was cropped out for the birthday greeting.
🎂 Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today! pic.twitter.com/sAlSiV9EaZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 15, 2024
Prince Harry ‘obsesses’ over public image in UK
Prince Harry wants to be warmly regarded in the UK after stepping down as a working member of the royal family, an expert has claimed.
“Over the years, Prince Harry has studied all the articles written about him,” broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
“He still obsesses over his public image here in the UK. He is on a mission to change public perception, desperate to be seen in glowing lights rather than the constant negative PR whirl that surrounds him.
“Prince Harry… is interested in turning his public image around.”
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