Harry and Meghan release first photo of Lilibet on Christmas card

Image taken at home shows daughter held up by her mother, as prince sits with son Archie on his knee

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released the first picture of their daughter, Lilibet, with Meghan holding up the laughing child in an image on their Christmas card.

The photo, which also shows Prince Harry with curly haired Archie on his knee, was taken by Alexi Lubomirski this summer at the couple’s home in Santa Barbara, California.

Continue reading...

How Meghan took personal risks in Mail on Sunday privacy victory

Analysis: Duchess of Sussex says she faced ‘deception, intimidation and calculated attacks’ and suffered a miscarriage

The privacy victory over the Mail on Sunday has seemingly exacted a toll on the Duchess of Sussex, who in vigorously pursuing the case went far further than any other present-day royal in taking on the tabloid culture.

The court of appeal stressed “no expense” was spared in fighting and defending the legal action over publication of extensive extracts of her private letter to her estranged father. As losers, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publishers of the newspaper and Mail Online, will bear the brunt.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry compares Covid vaccine inequity to HIV struggle

Duke of Sussex says on World Aids Day that vaccinating the world against Covid is ‘test of our moral character’

The Duke of Sussex has warned of “corporate greed and political failure” prolonging the Covid pandemic, comparing a “spectacular failure” of global vaccine equity to the struggle by millions to access HIV medicines.

In a letter read out at a World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS event on World Aids Day, Prince Harry said lessons must be learned from the HIV/Aids pandemic.

Continue reading...

Donald Trump accuses Meghan of disrespect towards royal family

Former president says Prince Harry ‘has been used horribly’ in interview with Nigel Farage

The former US president Donald Trump has accused the Duchess of Sussex of being “disrespectful” to the Queen and the royal family.

In a wide-ranging interview with the politician turned broadcaster Nigel Farage, Trump said he thought the Duke of Sussex had been “used horribly”.

Continue reading...

Reporter denies William tacitly approved leak of Meghan bullying claims

In BBC documentary, Times journalist Valentine Low plays down rumours of briefing war between royal brothers

Allegations that the Duchess of Sussex had “bullied” two members of staff at Kensington Palace were “absolutely not” leaked with Prince William’s tacit approval, according to the journalist who reported them.

The final part of a controversial BBC documentary on the relationship between Prince William, Prince Harry and the media examined allegations of a briefing war between the brothers.

Continue reading...

Claim Prince Charles speculated on grandchildren’s skin colour ‘is fiction’

Clarence House denies claim in new book that Charles asked about ‘complexion’ of Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future children

The private office of the Prince of Wales has dismissed as “fiction” claims in a new book that Prince Charles was the royal who speculated on the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future children.

The American journalist and author Christopher Andersen, a former editor of the US celebrity news magazine People, alleges in the book that Charles made the comment on the day Harry and Meghan’s engagement was announced in November 2017.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry says online misinformation is ‘global humanitarian issue’

Duke of Sussex says issue needs to be tackled by policies including investment in local journalism

Prince Harry has described online misinformation as a “global humanitarian issue” that needs to be tackled by policies including investment in local journalism and cracking down on super-spreaders of false content.

The Duke of Sussex contributed to a report by a US thinktank into disinformation, which made 15 recommendations after a six-month study.

Continue reading...

Judgment time: admission and apology up the ante in Meghan privacy case

The Duchess of Sussex’s case against the Associated Newspapers offered much drama this week which looks set to continue

An 11th-hour intervention, an admission of forgetfulness, and an apology to the court; the potentially explosive developments in the Duchess of Sussex’s privacy case against the Mail on Sunday offered much drama this week.

And it may be far from over. Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) wants the court of appeal to overturn a judge’s ruling that the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online breached the duchess’s privacy in publishing extracts of her letter to her estranged father Thomas Markle, 77, and for the issues to go to trial.

Continue reading...

Meghan chose to write letter to father to protect Prince Harry, texts reveal

Duchess says in messages to aide that Harry was receiving ‘constant berating’ from family over Thomas Markle

The Duchess of Sussex chose to write a letter to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, to protect Prince Harry from “constant berating” from the royal family to do something to stop him talking to the media, texts have revealed.

Meghan also believed a letter was better than an email or text as it “does not open the door for a conversation”.

Continue reading...

Meghan admits aide gave biography authors information with her knowledge

Duchess of Sussex apologises for misleading court, stating she forgot she had authorised PR chief to brief Finding Freedom authors

The Duchess of Sussex has apologised in court for failing to remember authorising a senior aide to brief the authors of her and Harry’s unofficial biography.

Meghan submitted a statement to the court in which she said she could not remember emails between her and her then press secretary, Jason Knauf, about the unauthorised book.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry says ‘Megxit’ is a misogynistic term aimed at his wife Meghan

Duke of Sussex says the term was created by a troll to describe their decision to quit royal duties, which was then amplified by the press

Prince Harry has said the word “Megxit”, used by the British press to describe the decision by him and his wife Meghan to quit their royal duties, was a misogynistic term.

He said the word was an example of online and media hatred. “Maybe people know this and maybe they don’t, but the term Megxit was or is a misogynistic term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew into mainstream media. But it began with a troll,” Harry said. He did not elaborate.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry and Meghan appeal to G20 to keep Covid vaccine donation pledges

Prince Harry and Meghan join WHO in urging leaders to honour promises to help low-income countries

Prince Harry and Meghan have joined the World Health Organization (WHO) and Save the Children in appealing to G20 leaders meeting this weekend to honour promises to send Covid-19 vaccines to low-income countries where just 3% of people have had a jab.

It is one of the most directly political initiatives at a high-profile political summit by the former royal couple since they left the British royal household.

Continue reading...

Meghan target of coordinated Twitter hate campaign, report finds

Analysis identifies 83 accounts behind 70% of tweets abusing Duchess and Duke of Sussex

The Duchess of Sussex, who has said she avoids social media for “my own self-preservation”, has been the subject of a coordinated hate and misinformation campaign on Twitter, according to a new report.

Both she and Prince Harry, who are advocates for healthier social media, have been targeted on the platform, with Meghan receiving about 80% of the abuse, according to the Twitter analytics provider Bot Sentinel.

Continue reading...

Screen time: are Harry and Meghan right to limit it to just 20 minutes?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are advising visitors to their Archewell website to take regular screen breaks. How does this approach line up with the evidence?

Name: Screen time.

Age: It’s less about how old, more about how long.

Continue reading...

Spice Girl among stars to begin phone-hacking claims against Murdoch empire

Melanie Chisholm, Boyzone’s Shane Lynch and S Club 7’s Hannah Spearritt latest to allege voicemail interception

A group of 1990s pop stars are among the latest individuals to launch phone-hacking cases against Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, as the scandal that has dogged the company for more than 15 years continues to rumble on at the high court.

Melanie Chisholm from the Spice Girls, Shane Lynch from Boyzone, Hannah Spearritt from S Club 7, and Steps’s Ian Watkins and Lee Latchford-Evans have recently filed claims against the company.

Continue reading...

Meghan launches work initiative for women on 40th birthday

40x40 project encourages people to donate 40 minutes of their time to help women return to workplace

The Duchess of Sussex has used her 40th birthday to launch an initiative to help women back into work after the huge job losses caused by the Covid pandemic.

The project, which was launched with a comedy film featuring a juggling Prince Harry, is called 40x40 and is focused on encouraging people around the world to donate 40 minutes of their time to help women return to the workplace.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry agrees publishing deal to write his memoirs

Penguin Random House announces book is expected in late 2022 with proceeds going to charity

The Duke of Sussex has agreed a publishing deal to write his memoirs and said he would do so “not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become”.

The global deal for his “literary memoir” was announced by Penguin Random House, with publication expected in late 2022 and proceeds to be donated to charity.

Continue reading...

William and Harry unveil Diana statue at Kensington Palace

Bronze artwork depicts princess flanked by children to represent ‘generational impact of her work’

The long-awaited statue of Diana, Princess of Wales was finally unveiled in a scaled-down ceremony on Thursday which saw the dukes of Cambridge and Sussex reunited in tribute to their mother, setting aside their recent differences.

On what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday, the brothers appeared together for the first time since the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, after Prince Harry flew in from California for the brief ceremony.

Continue reading...

Harry and Meghan reject claim Queen not consulted on Lilibet name

BBC correspondent says palace source claims Sussexes did not ask for permission to use name for daughter

Buckingham Palace has become embroiled in a row over whether the Queen was consulted over the naming of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter.

Harry and Meghan’s decision to name their second child Lilibet, a childhood nickname of the Queen, was seen as an attempt by the couple to try to mend their rift with the royal family.

Continue reading...

What’s in a name? The meanings of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have named their new arrival with the royal family in mind

As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcome their new baby, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world, many are curious to know what the names of Prince Harry and Meghan’s second child and first daughter mean.

Lilibet refers to the Queen’s nickname within the family, and was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her name correctly.

Continue reading...