Royal news live: Prince Harry award backlash continues as petition against the Duke reaches almost 60,000 signatures
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 approaches almost 60,000 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.
This comes amid the revelation that Kate Middleton and Prince William have made a private donation to the victims of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.
The couple are said to be closely following the impact of the storm and the relief efforts.
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Queen Camilla enjoys vintage whiskey in Edinburgh
Queen Camilla has enjoyed a traditional Scottish whisky as the royals continue to mark Holyrood Week in Scotland.
Alongside King Charles, she is marking the 900th anniversary of the country’s capital city, Edinburgh.
Drinking what is known as a “dram” in the Scots language, the Queen admitted that the vintage whisky she sampled “hit the spot”.
Petition against Prince Harry reaches almost 60,000 signatures
A petition calling for a “rethink” of the decision to give Prince Harry the Pat Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games has reached almost 60,000 signatures.
While ESPN has now defended its decision to recognise the “incredible” work of the games, tens of thousands of people believe there are more deserving recipients of the award.
It is given to a person with “a strong connection to sports” in a similar way to the late soldier, who was killed in Afghanistan after giving up his football career to serve in the wake of 9/11.
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.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton make private donation to hurricane victims
The Prince and Princess of Wales are reported to have made a private donation to the victims of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.
Kate and Wiliam are said to be following the impact of the category four storm and the subsequent relief efforts closely.
According to reports, at least six people are confirmed to have lost their lives in winds which reached as much as 165 miles per hour.
In its most affected areas, as many as 95 percent of homes are believed to be damaged or destroyed.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tipped to have special celebration today
As the British public heads to the polls for the General Election, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are tipped to be celebrating Independence Day.
According to reports, the couple watched the annual parade in their California hometown last year.
The 4th of July, which marks the US’s Independence from the UK, also holds special meaning for the couple, something Prince Harry reflected on in his 2023 memoir Spare.
Reflecting on one of their first dates, he wrote: “[Meghan] walked in, wearing a pretty blue sundress with white pinstripes. She was aglow. I stood and said: ‘I bear gifts.’ A pink box. I held it forward. She shook it. ‘What’s this?’ ‘No, no, don’t shake it!’ We both laughed.
“She opened the box. Cupcakes. Red, white and blue cupcakes, to be exact. In honour of Independence Day. I said something about the Brits having a very different view of Independence Day from the Yanks, but, oh, well. She said they looked amazing.”
King Charles jokes about school’s poor cricket performance
King Charles did not hold back when it came to his honesty about his former Scottish school’s cricket performance.
While speaking to guests at a garden party in Edinburgh, the Monarch admitted that while he had the highest score on his team, “it was not very much.”
Trevor Hills from Nairn revealed: “Charles said when he was at Gordonstoun he played cricket against a team from Nairn.
“I was debating whether to ask the score when he said his school lost.
“But he did have the highest score – although he said it wasn’t very much.”
Wimbledon officials remain hopeful of Kate Middleton appearance
As this year’s Wimbledon tournament enters its third day, Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether or not the Princess of Wales will appear.
Officials, however, remain hopeful that she could attend to present the trophies after she expressed a desire to attend a handful of engagements this summer.
Kate, 42, remains off of official duty after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
“We’re hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club’s patron, but her health and recovery is the priority,” Debbie Jevans, the chair of the All England Club, told The Telegraph.
“We don’t know what we don’t know. All we’ve said is that we’ll work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible.”
Princess Anne remains off duty
Princess Anne remains off duty after spending the majority of last week in hospital after being kicked by a horse.
Widely reported to be the hardest-working royal, she sustained a concussion and minor injuries as a result of the incident on her Gloucestershire estate last Sunday.
Her engagements have been postponed for the foreseeable future, with brain and cognition expert Natalie Mackenzie telling The Independent that concussions can take up to two weeks to recover from.
David Beckham all smiles in Royal Box amid feud with Harry and Meghan
David Beckham appeared in the Royal Box at Wimbledon amid increased reports about his apparent feud with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
David and his wife Victoria were once on friendly terms with the Sussexes, but that changed when the couple allegedly accused the Beckhams of leaking information about them to the press.
Lizzie Cundy, a former friend of Meghan, said the pair were not the only former friends to distance themselves from the couple.
“I think Victoria and David have slowly tiptoed away like the other friends,” she told the Mirror.
“Many friends who went to the wedding have tiptoed away from Meghan.”
Despite what its name suggests, the Royal Box at the tournament is not only for royalty, but friends and guests of the tournament, with Sir David Attenborough also making an appearance at this year’s event.
Thomas Markle says he’s ‘in the same boat’ as King Charles
Meghan Markle’s estranged father has said that he is in the same boat as King Charles when it comes to their shared grandchildren.
Thomas Markle recently spoke about his desire to finally meet Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet ahead of his 80th birthday this month.
He also sympathised with reports that King Charles, who has only met Lilibet once, also wants to forge a proper relationship with his grandchildren.
He told the Daily Mail: “They have two grandpas who want to see them, one of whom is the King of England.
“I never in my 80 years thought I’d be in the same boat as the King.”
Meghan Markle ‘would love’ King Charles to promote lifestyle brand
Meghan Markle has set her sights on the royal family as she continues to promote her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, ahead of its launch, an insider has claimed.
So far, celebrity friends of the former actress have soft-launched some of its products including jams and dog biscuits.
But now an insider has claimed that Princess Eugenie and Beatrice are next to receive a freebie as they are the royals allegedly closest to the Sussexes.
“Meghan is looking for support wherever she can get it,” the source said, according to the Express.
“Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are at the top of her list, but she is shooting even higher and would love to get King Charles to give his stamp of approval.”
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