Royal news live: Inside historic £369m Buckingham Palace refurbishment as Prince Harry’s court battle resumes
The palace’s grandest rooms will undergo ‘phased closures’ for refurbishment
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Your support makes all the difference.Buckingham Palace will be undergoing huge upheavals in the coming months as the £369m refurbishment closes some of its grandest rooms.
Next month’s visit by the Emir of Qatar will be the last state visit to take place at the famous royal residence for three years, as work continues on its historic renovations.
The palace’s grandest rooms will undergo “phased closures” for refurbishment, beginning with the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room and the State Dining Room.
The King and Queen will instead host royal receptions at St James’s Palace or Windsor Castle until the palace re-opens fully in 2027.
The latest hearing in the Duke of Sussex’s High Court claim against the publisher of the Daily Mail began on Tuesday.
Harry is among a group of high-profile individuals, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John, bringing legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) for allegedly carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars.
ANL firmly denies the allegations and is defending the legal action, claiming the allegations are “lurid” and “simply preposterous”.
Princess of Wales carol concert to return on Christmas Eve as Kate hosts first event since cancer diagnosis
Watch: Prince William tries flying drone during army live firing exercise
Princess of Wales shares behind-the-scenes glimpse of Christmas carol concert arrangements
Meghan Markle says ‘every year it gets better’ as she shares holiday plans with Archie and Lilibet
Watch: Prince William tries flying drone during army live firing exercise
Harry and Meghan’s polo docuseries to highlight ‘grit behind the glamour’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will bring a new series to Netflix in December, revealing the “grit behind the glamour” in the high-stakes world of polo.
The five-part series will debut globally on December 10, following elite global players on and off the field as they compete in the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida.
A trailer for the series titled Polo, executive produced by Harry and Meghan, was released on Thursday, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the “fast-paced and glamorous world of polo”.
In a statement, Harry said: “This series offers audiences an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look into the passion and determination driving some of the world’s elite polo players, revealing the grit behind the glamour.
“We’re proud to showcase the true depth and spirit of the sport — and the intensity of its high-stakes moments.”
It has been produced by the Sussexes’ Archewell Productions, having previously released three documentaries with Netflix as part of a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant.
Kate invites child survivors of Southport attack to her carol concert
The Princess of Wales has invited child survivors of the Southport stabbing to her annual Christmas carol concert.
Kate, who is recovering from cancer, has invited child survivors of the attack to her festive event at Westminster Abbey on December 6, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
The princess has set her sights on being able to stage the Together At Christmas service in 2024 despite the health challenges she has faced in what the Prince of Wales described as a “brutal” year.
It forms part of her gradual return to public duties after finishing chemotherapy treatment in the summer.
The Palace said Kate wanted the theme of this year’s carol service to celebrate those supporting others in need, with a focus on the importance of love and empathy.
Members of the royal family will gather with the princess as around 1,600 people fill the abbey in London for musical performances by stars including Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter.
Multi-million pound cost of King Charles’ coronation revealed
The cost of King Charles’ coronation has been revealed, with government accounts showing that £72 million in taxpayer money was spent on the event.
An annual report from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) shows that it spent £50.3 million on the coronation. This was alongside the £21.7 million in policing costs for the royal event.
The coronation took place on 6 May 2023, marking the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Around 18 million viewers tuned in to watch the ceremony on the BBC – fewer than the 28 million that watched Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
It’s time for the royal family to come clean on their finances
An investigation has revealed that the King and Prince of Wales’ private estates have struck rental deals with the NHS, schools and the armed forces worth millions of pounds.
It is time for much greater transparency about the royal family’s staggering wealth, writes Alan Rusbridger:
It’s time for the royal family to come clean on their finances
An investigation has revealed that the King and Prince of Wales’ private estates have struck rental deals with the NHS, schools and the armed forces worth millions of pounds. It is time for much greater transparency about the royal family’s staggering wealth, writes Alan Rusbridger
Meghan Markle says ‘every year it gets better’ as she shares holiday plans with Archie and Lilibet
Meghan Markle is embracing the magic of the holidays, thanks to her children with Prince Harry.
In an interview with Marie Claire, the 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex reflected on how her children — son Archie, five, and daughter Lilibet, three — are reaching the age when the festive season feels even more special.
“I love the holidays,” Meghan shared enthusiastically. “Archie and Lilibet are now three and five, so every year it gets better.”
Read the full story:
Meghan Markle says ‘every year it gets better’ as she shares holiday plans with kids
Duchess of Sussex gushes over the holiday season, despite keeping this year’s festivities ‘pretty low-key’
Watch: Prince William tries flying drone during army live firing exercise
William tries flying drone during Army live firing exercise
The Prince of Wales has spoken about the “reality” of drone warfare as he tried flying an unmanned aerial vehicle during a training session with the Welsh Guards.
William became colonel of the regiment last year and joined soldiers from its 1st Battalion practising live firing on Salisbury Plain.
Drones have become a significant military weapon on the battlefield in the war in Ukraine, used extensively by both sides in the conflict.
The prince appeared to enjoy flying the aircraft and one of the regiment’s senior drone operators said afterwards that each one cost £7,000.
He said about the prince: “With the drones he was saying what’s happening is reality.”
The drone operator, who declined to give his name, added: “It’s a new bit of kit brought into a military context.
“Drones have been a thing for years but now we’re utilising them as an asset on the ground and it’s proven successful in current affairs that’s actually happening now.”
Inside the next phase Buckingham Palace’s £369m refurbishment
Buckingham Palace will be undergoing huge upheavals in the coming months as the £369m refurbishment closes some of its grandest rooms.
The palace’s grandest rooms will undergo “phased closures” for renovation, beginning with the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room and the State Dining Room.
This will be followed by the Ballroom, where state banquets are held, and state rooms including the Throne Room and the Green Drawing Room.
Work will be paused during the summer months as the state rooms open to the public as usual.
Real Polo housewives of Orange County: Inside Meghan’s ‘domestic era’
Ahead of the release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, the former Suits star is busy shape-shifting into the perfect American wife, with her new jam products and ‘polo-mom’ glossiness. It’s a master plan that could make them millions, says Anna Tyzak:
Real Polo housewives of Orange County: Inside Meghan’s ‘domestic era’
Ahead of the release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, the former Suits star is busy shape-shifting into the perfect American wife, with her new jam products and ‘polo-mom’ glossiness. It’s a master plan that could make them millions, says Anna Tyzak
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