Royal news live: Prince Harry award backlash continues as the Middletons appear at Wimbledon
Harry has been defended for his ‘incredible’ work with the Invictus Games
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Prince Harry has been defended as a petition calling for a “rethink” on the decision to give him an award for veterans has surpassed 63,000 signatures.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, is set to receive the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games, which celebrates the sporting achievements of wounded, sick and injured service people.
But tens of thousands of people, including the late Tillman’s mother, Mary, believe there are more deserving recipients.
Now the sporting network behind the award, ESPN, has defended its decision, hailing the “incredible” work of the games.
“While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” a spokesperson told Sky News.
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton’s parents Michael and Carole made their second public outing since the announcement of her cancer diagnosis at Wimbledon yesterday (4 July).
The couple appeared in the Royal Box, which has the tournament’s best view of Centre Court.
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Prince Harry defended as petition against the prince reaches 50,000 signatures
Harry and Meghan planning holiday on ‘private island'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning a summer holiday on a “private island” where they plan to live in “complete luxury”.
A source close to the couple claimed they want a chance to relax and have fun after a “stressful” year so far with the royal family’s health troubles.
“Meghan wants to get away with Harry and the kids to a remote island so they can just have fun as a family without any outside pressure and be in complete luxury,” they told OK! magazine.
“Archie and Lilibet are at that age now where they can do more adventurous stuff and Meghan has even talked about a trip to Disneyland as she knows they will be well looked after there and how much the children would love it.
“Lili is very into Disney princesses right now and would be in her element.”
Princess Anne’s hospitalisation ‘shaken Zara to the core'
The Princess Royal’s recent hospital stint reportedly shook her daughter Zara Tindall “to the core”.
Zara, 43, is Anne’s only daughter and she has allegedly been concerned about her mother’s unwillingness to slow down as she ages.
Anne, 73, is widely considered to be the hardest-working member of the royal family and has attended over 200 engagements this year.
She was hospitalised almost two weeks ago after sustaining a concussion and minor injuries after being kicked by a horse.
According to reports, she also sustained memory loss as a result of the incident.
“This is exactly what Zara’s been worried about happening for years now, but her mum hasn’t had a chance to slow down with everyone else falling apart,” a source told OK! magazine.
“It’s really shaken Zara to the core and she’s desperately hoping this memory [loss] is temporary. This has been a huge wake-up call for everyone in the family and they’re rightfully distressed.”
Why the royal family do not vote
The royal family can vote in General Elections but choose to stay politically neutral for “practical reasons”.
Their roles, for example, require them to interact with people of all political affiliations.
Robert Blackburn, a professor of constitutional law at King’s College London, told Time magazine: “The King and active members of the royal family can legally cast a vote at General Elections on the same basis as other eligible citizens.
“But in practice [they] do not do so for obvious reasons, especially because it would cause a furore of media speculation and violate the constitutional requirement today that they maintain a strict party political impartiality.”
Prince Harry petition continues to gain momentum
A petition calling on American sports network ESPN to “rethink” its decision to give Prince Harry an award for veterans has continued to gain momentum.
It currently has over 63,000 signatures, despite the network defending its decision to give the Duke of Sussex the award for his “incredible” work with the Invictus Games.
The Change.org petition reads: “Prince Harry, while a former military officer, has been involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honour of this magnitude.
“He has faced accusations of endangering his squadron by publicly revealing military kills.
“The Prince also allegedly targeted his own father, Prince Charles, during a flyover.
“More recently, his role in the Invictus Games, a platform meant to celebrate the resilience and dedication of veterans, has been criticized as self-centered.”
Princess Anne remains out of action after hospitalisation
Princess Anne remains off duty as she continues her recovery after being kicked by a horse almost two weeks ago.
Following the incident on her Gloucestershire estate, the Princess Royal was hospitalised for five days before being released on Friday.
She suffered a concussion and minor injuries in the incident, with brain and cognition expert Natalie Mackenzie telling The Independent that concussion symptoms should resolve within two weeks.
King Charles pictured with SNP leader before election losses
King Charles was pictured with the SNP leader John Swinney on the eve of his party suffering huge losses in the General Election.
The pair met yesterday (4 July) as part of Holyrood Week, which celebrates Scotland’s achievements, culture and community.
It was cut short so that the Monarch could return to London to appoint the new prime minister, Keir Starmer.
The SNP lost 38 seats in the election, leaving them with just nine and calling into question the party’s mandate for Scottish Independence.
King Charles appoints Keir Starmer as prime minister
King Charles has officially appointed the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The Monarch travelled back from Scotland to ask the Labour leader to form a new government after his party won yesterday’s General Election by a landslide.
King Charles accepts Rishi Sunak’s resigniation
King Charles has met with Rishi Sunak after the Conservative Party’s devastating defeat in the General Election.
The politician formally handed in his resignation as prime minister before leaving Buckingham Palace after it was accepted.
The Monarch will now meet with Keir Starmer to ask him to form a new government. It is not known for long this meeting will take place for.
Prince William flies to Germany for Euros
Prince William is once again flying to Germany to support the England squad at this year’s Euros.
The heir to the throne, who is president of the FA, will watch the Three Lions take on Switzerland in the quarter-final tomorrow night.
King Charles arrives in London to appoint new prime minister
King Charles has arrived back in London to appoint the new prime minister Keir Starmer.
He will formally ask the Labour leader to form a new government after his party won the General Election by a landslide.
Starmer will be the third prime minister of Charles’s reign.
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