Royal news live: King, Queen and William host glittering reception at Buckingham Palace but Kate stays away
Camilla steps out in late Queen’s aquamarine and diamond tiara for the first time at annual palace event
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Your support makes all the difference.The King, Queen and Prince William have hosted a glittering annual reception for diplomats at Buckingham Palace.
Foreign ambassadors and high commissioners based in the UK, their spouses or partners, and diplomatic staff were among those who were entertained at the white-tie event hosted by senior members of the royal family.
The Princess of Wales was absent as she continues her gradual return to public duties following chemotherapy.
It came as reports suggested 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.
It has been confirmed that the princess will be hosting her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey on 6 December, and the whole family may be set to soon pick their Christmas tree together after being spotted doing so in Berkshire last year.
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Royal protection officer sacked for lying about lost bullet at Buckingham Palace
An armed royal protection officer who lied about losing a bullet in the grounds of Buckingham Palace and covered it up for eight days has been sacked.
Stephen Cotgreave, based within the Metropolitan Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection, was on foot patrol alone in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on the afternoon of December 6 2022 when he accidentally dropped the magazine from his firearm.
He picked up the magazine and placed it back inside the gun but when he returned the firearm to the armoury at the end of his shift an hour later, it was found that one round of ammunition was missing.
The officer, who was 48 at the time, was then asked if he could explain the missing bullet but he insisted he could not and denied dropping the magazine.
The incident, which was captured on CCTV, “should have led to an immediate and full search of the area” and posed a risk to the welfare of the royal household, a misconduct hearing heard on Monday.
Recap: Emotional Kate makes milestone return to duty as she joins King at Remembrance Sunday service
An emotional Princess of Wales completed a milestone in her return to royal duties last Sunday, as she joined other members of the royal family at the Cenotaph.
The appearance marked the first time Kate had carried out commitments on two consecutive days since she was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year.
Kate looked on at the Remembrance Sunday service as the King, who is still undergoing treatment for his own cancer diagnosis, led the nation in a two-minute silence to honour fallen servicemen and women.
My colleague Athena Stavrou reports:
Kate makes milestone return to duty as she joins King at Remembrance Sunday service
Kate made two appearances on consecutive days for first time this year
Harry says Invictus Games school launch had ‘profound impact’ on him
The Duke of Sussex has spoken of the “profound impact” launching a schools programme ahead of the Invictus Games had on him at an event in Canada.
Harry travelled solo to launch the programme for the 2025 event, which is due to be held in Vancouver and Whistler in February.
He marked the countdown by joining students at Seaforth Armoury, a historic military facility, where he launched an online programme to introduce the Invictus Games into schools.
“Seeing them learn about the Invictus Games has had a profound impact on me because this is where Invictus starts to go even wider outside of the Invictus community, into schools in Canada and hopefully around the world,” he said.
Harry, a former British Army captain, launched the Invictus Games in 2014 as an international sports tournament for injured and wounded service personnel and returned veterans.
Addressing the crowd, the Duke also spoke of his emotions in seeing returned service personnel at the Games’ opening ceremony.
“You need to understand what that means to them because that can be a life-altering moment,” he said.
“There’s resilience that has got them there. There’s teamwork that has managed to get them to the starting line, and there’s courage in getting them to that point.
“For most of them, for some of them, it’s very hard to walk into a busy room, and here they are walking into a stadium of tens of thousands of people.”
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
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