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”.
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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.
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