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 is set to begin 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
Princess of Wales shares behind-the-scenes glimpse of Christmas carol concert arrangements
Queen Camilla left ‘heartbroken’ after her beloved Jack Russell is put down
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Pictures: Highgrove festive decorations
Highgrove decorations feature Camilla’s dog Beth and eco-friendly ornaments
The King’s country estate Highgrove has been decorated for Christmas, with a sweet nod to the Queen’s beloved dog Beth.
Among the tree ornaments is an embroidered motif of the Jack Russell, who had to be put down last weekend, leaving Camilla heartbroken.
The handmade likeness of Beth, wearing a red bandana decorated with a crown, and one of Camilla’s other terrier Bluebell, complete with a crown on the dog’s head, are new additions to the Highgrove shop this year.
Embellished with gold metal thread work and sequins, the decorations cost £12.95 each and were introduced in September as part of a long-planned addition to the Christmas range, and placed on the tree earlier this month, before Beth’s illness became known.
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.
Town council in Canada at standstill over refusal to pledge oath to King
A town council in Canada is said to be at a standstill because of newly elected members refusing to pledge an oath of allegiance to the King.
Stephen Johnson, the mayor-elect of Dawson City, in the territory of Yukon, said he and others refused to take the oath because of the Crown’s history with indigenous populations, the Canadian Press news agency reported.
He told the news outlet that the council has not been able to govern and is waiting for the territory’s Department of Community Services to respond to its request to take an alternative oath.
The Canadian Press said the oath of allegiance requires newly elected councillors to swear or affirm they “will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III” and his “heirs and successors according to law”.
Mr Johnson said they are currently unable to do anything legally required of them under the Municipal Act.
“It’s a bit of a sticky situation,” he told the Canadian Press.
The territory is reviewing the council’s request to swear a different oath, a Community Services spokesperson said in an email to the Canadian Press.
King’s coronation cost £72 million, government accounts show
The King’s coronation cost taxpayers £72 million, official accounts have revealed.
The figures included £50.3 million of Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) costs and £21.7 million for the Home Office for policing the “once-in-a-generation” event in May 2023.
Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world.
A star-studded concert at Windsor Castle took place the following night.
The DCMS annual report and accounts said the department “successfully delivered on the central weekend of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation, enjoyed by many millions both in the UK and across the globe”.
DCMS was the lead government department working with the royal household on the coronation, which it described as a “once-in-a-generation moment which provided an occasion for the entire country to come together in celebration, and offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world”.
William speaks of passion for Oman as he launches expedition
The Prince of Wales has spoken of his desire to return to the Middle East as he launched an expedition inspired by a famous British explorer.
William visited Oman in 2019 and on Monday gave his support to six explorers who have been inspired by Bertram Thomas, who took a 42-day trip along the south-east coast of the country in 1928 discovering new specimens.
Speaking on Monday to a group of education and youth outreach staff at the Royal Geographical Society, William expressed his desire to return to Oman, saying: “We’ll make something happen, time flies.”
The prince’s 2019 trip was without the Princess of Wales, but he has sounded optimistic about possible joint overseas engagements with his wife after her cancer battle.
“I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up,” he said earlier this month.
Pictured: William sports beard and beret as he visits troops in Salisbury
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.
Last state visit at Buckingham Palace for 3 years
Next month’s visit by the Emir of Qatar will be the last state visit to take place at Buckingham Palace 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.
Kate to play a part in Emir of Qatar’s state visit
The Princess of Wales is set to play a role in the Emir of Qatar’s state visit to the UK next week.
Kate, who is recovering from cancer, will join her husband the Prince of Wales in greeting Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, at Kensington Palace on December 3.
William and Kate are then due to travel with the pair to Horse Guards Parade, where they will receive a ceremonial welcome before meeting the King and Queen. Presentations will be made, a royal salute will occur and the Qatari national anthem is set to be played.
The Emir and Sheikha Jawaher will join Charles and Camilla and William and Kate in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where they will be met by a second guard of honour.
However, Kate will not attend the grand state banquet hosted by the King at Buckingham Palace in the evening, Kensington Palace said.
The princess, 42, has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.
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