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
Queen opens up on tearful turning point that sparked domestic abuse campaigning
Health crises and conspiracy theories: How 2024 became Prince William’s ‘annus horribilis’
During what was perhaps the lowest point in her reign, the late Queen delivered a sobering speech famously labelling 1992 her “annus horribilis”.
Now – over 30 years later – her grandson has had what he believes to be his own ‘annus horribilis’.
William has spoken candidly about the royal family’s major health scares, saying 2024 has “probably been the hardest year in my life” and a “dreadful” experience.
My colleague Athena Stavrou reports:
Health crises and conspiracy theories: How 2024 became William’s ‘annus horribilis’
1992 marked a challenging year for the royal family
Recap: Watch as horses misbehave at King’s 76th birthday gun salute
Princess of Wales’s carol concert to return on Christmas Eve as she hosts first event since cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales will host her annual Christmas carol concert, with the service reflecting on “how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives”.
Kate, who is recovering from cancer, is going ahead with her televised festive event at Westminster Abbey on 6 December, Kensington Palace announced.
The princess set her sights on being able to stage the Together At Christmas service in 2024 despite the health challenges she has faced, and it forms part of her gradual return to public duties after finishing chemotherapy treatment in the summer.
My colleague Jabed Ahmed has the full story:
Kate’s carol concert to reflect on ‘how much we need others in difficult times’
The Together At Christmas service at Westminster Abbey will take place on 6 December
William and Kate’s special Christmas with George, Charlotte and Louis after ‘dreadful’ year
The Prince and Princess of Wales are likely to put on a particularly special Christmas for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis this year.
The royal family have endured what William described as a “dreadful” year, with both Kate and the King battling cancer, so it is looking probable that the royal couple will be putting their all into festive celebrations with their children.
The prince has stepped up admirably as both his wife and father face major health scares, admitting that 2024 has “probably been the hardest year in my life”.
As she gradually returns to public duties following her chemotherapy treatment, it has been confirmed that the princess will be hosting her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey on 6 December.
The whole family may be set to soon pick their Christmas tree together after they were spotted doing so from the Christmas Tree Shop in Berkshire last year, which is near to their home Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
All of the Waleses are also expected to spend Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House along with the rest of the royals, as is tradition, staying at their country home Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
Queen Camilla left ‘heartbroken’ after her beloved Jack Russell is put down
The Queen has been left heartbroken after the death of her beloved dog and “much-loved companion” Beth.
The terrier was adopted by Camilla from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, along with her other dog Bluebell.
Buckingham Palace posted on social media alongside a montage of images of the Queen’s pet: “A sad farewell to Beth, the Queen’s much-loved companion from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties or curled up by the fire.”
My colleague Jabed Ahmed reports:
Queen Camilla ‘heartbroken’ after her beloved Jack Russell is put down
The terrier was adopted by Camilla from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, along with her other dog Bluebell
Royal protection officer sacked for lying about lost bullet at Buckingham Palace
Royal protection officer sacked for lying about lost bullet at Buckingham Palace
Officer dropped magazine from firearm in move that should have led to ‘immediate and full search’ of palace grounds
King Charles birthday: A timeline of the monarch’s life with Prince William and Harry on his 76th milestone
King Charles: A timeline of the monarch’s life on his 76th birthday
Gun salutes will be fired in Green Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company as part of the military’s traditional celebrations
Pictured: King returns to Royal Marines training base to meet recruits
The last time someone tried to break in to Windsor Castle
On Christmas Day 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, climbed into the castle grounds with a crossbow and later declared “I’m here to kill the Queen”.
He was jailed for nine years.
On the day he got into the castle grounds, Star Wars fanatic Chail sent a homemade video to family and friends on WhatsApp in which he apologised for what he was about to do and called himself “Darth Chailus”.
He wore dark clothes and a metal mask as he adopted the persona of a Star Wars villain for the video.
In the clip, the defendant, who has Sikh Indian heritage, said he was seeking revenge for the Amritsar massacre in 1919, when British troops opened fire on thousands of Indians and left up to 1,500 dead.
Prince William and Kate suffer security scare as masked men raid Windsor estate at night
Masked thieves have mashed through a security gate at the Windsor Castle estate and stole farm vehicles, according to reports.
Two men scaled a 6ft fence at night and used a stolen truck to break through a gate at the royal venue, according to The Sun.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were sleeping in their home nearby, the publication added.
The men reportedly fled with a pick-up and a quad bike stored in a barn.
The burglary is said to have happened on 13 October.
The King was not in residence but William and Kate were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage with George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis.
It is five minutes away and the family are regularly seen using the wrecked gate — the nearest exit to their home.
In a statement to the newspaper, Thames Valley Police said: “At around 11.45pm on Sunday October 13, we received a report of burglary at a property on Crown Estate land near to the A308 in Windsor.
“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area.
“No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”
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