Duke of Sussex says he will keep the 18th-century house as his UK residence
The Duke of Sussex has paid back £2.4m of taxpayers’ money used to renovate Frogmore Cottage, his spokesperson has said.
Harry and Meghan’s official residence was gifted to them by the Queen but required extensive renovation to make it habitable for the couple and their son, Archie.
Continue reading...The scampish prince and his duchess definitely have a story to tell, but it is not the story in this book
Prince Harry – HRH as was – has long had to endure cruel snarks about, among other things, his paternity, yet in Finding Freedom, he confirms one thing beyond a doubt: he is 100% his mother’s son. Just as 1992’s Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words, by Andrew Morton, gave readers an intimate look at the royal family from the perspective of a disgruntled member of the firm, so this book repeats the trick with Diana’s younger son and his wife, Meghan Markle. What this semi-sequel lacks in novelty, it makes up for in cattiness (aimed largely – and this is the only real surprise of the book – at the woman born Kate Middleton, now known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. We’ll return to that in a tick.)
Writers Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie insist Harry and Meghan were not involved in the book. Given the deluge of personal minutiae – from Harry’s emoji habit to Meghan’s favourite hair highlight shades – as well as their litigiousness when it comes to undesired invasions of privacy (they are currently engaged in legal battles with the Mail on Sunday and an American paparazzo), this seems about as credible as Diana’s similar protestations of innocence, all of which Morton scotched about 10 seconds after she died. But whereas Diana chose a tabloid hack as her Boswell, who knew a good story when he saw it, Harry and Meghan opted for two royal journalists. This means the reader is subjected to the Sylvie Krin style of writing that is de rigeur in the genre (I could just about stomach Harry and his “famed ginger locks”, but details of his and Meghan’s glamping trip to Botswana, on which “their days were spent getting closer to nature and their evenings, closer to each other” made me briefly furious that the book hadn’t come with a health warning). Less forgivable than the predictable fluff is how the authors fluff the tale. Because Harry and Meghan definitely have a story to tell, but it is not the story in this book.
Continue reading...Duke of Sussex urges advertisers to demand companies do more to curb hate speech online
Prince Harry has hit out at social media companies for creating a “crisis of hate” and called for “meaningful digital reform” after an unprecedented advertiser boycott of Facebook.
In an opinion piece for the US business magazine Fast Company, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he and his wife, Meghan, had begun campaigning for change in social media “a little over four weeks ago”.
Continue reading...Prince William said to have feared brother was ‘blindsided’ by lust in his haste to marry
The royal rift that led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving Britain and stepping back from royal duties began after Prince William feared his brother had been “blindsided” by lust in his haste to marry Meghan Markle, a new book claims.
Harry was offended by William’s advice to “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl”, causing tension between the two that finally led to “Megxit” , according to the authors of Finding Freedom.
Continue reading...Couple say process will be uncomfortable but ‘needs to be done because everyone benefits’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said the Commonwealth “must acknowledge the past” even if it is “uncomfortable”, as the couple spoke of historical injustice, unconscious bias and racism in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.
They said the Commonwealth, which grew out of the British empire and is headed by Prince Harry’s grandmother the Queen, needed to follow the example of others, and they accepted it would not be easy.
Continue reading...Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s video posted on Save the Children UK’s Instagram page
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared a rare public glimpse of their son, Archie, marking his first birthday on Wednesday with a video of him enjoying one of his favourite books, Duck! Rabbit!
The footage, shot by Harry during the lockdown birthday celebrations, showed Meghan cradling Archie, and was posted on Save the Children UK’s Instagram page in support of its coronavirus campaign to raise funds for children and families struggling in the pandemic.
Continue reading...Judge rules part of Duchess of Sussex’s case against Associated Newspapers be struck out
Lawyers for the Duchess of Sussex have insisted her privacy claim against the publishers of the Mail on Sunday (MoS) will continue after she was dealt an initial blow when a judge ruled that part of her case should be struck out.
Lawyers for Associated Newspapers had argued last month against elements including that some words and sentences from a letter by Meghan to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, had been “dishonestly” cut out before publication in order to paint a misleading picture of the relationship between the two.
Continue reading...Duchess sues publisher of British newspapers over use of letter to father Thomas Markle
A newspaper was accused of “stirring up” issues between the Duchess of Sussex and her estranged father, Thomas Markle, then using it to justify publishing a “private and confidential” letter, a court heard.
Lawyers representing Meghan said she was distressed at the realisation that Associated Newspapers had an agenda of “intrusive and offensive” stories about her, a judge was told.
Continue reading...Harry repeatedly tried to contact Meghan’s father, warning that talking to press would backfire
Prince Harry pleaded with his then future father-in-law, Thomas Markle, to stop talking to the newspapers and blamed the media for the collapse of Markle’s relationship with the royal couple, according to a series of text messages sent on the eve of the Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle.
The messages, revealed in court documents filed at the high court on Monday, show Harry repeatedly tried to make contact in the days before the televised royal wedding in May 2018. Thomas Markle, who lives in Mexico, had been expected to walk his daughter down the aisle in the ceremony at Windsor Palace, and was revealed by the Mail on Sunday to have helped stage paparazzi pictures of himself preparing for the wedding.
Continue reading...Dame Jane Goodall also reveals Duke of Sussex is finding departure from UK ‘a bit challenging’
The British primatologist Dame Jane Goodall believes the Duke of Sussex will give up hunting because of his wife’s dislike for the sport, and thinks he has been finding life “a bit challenging” since the couple moved to North America.
Goodall, 86, a friend of the pair who has been a guest at their Frogmore Cottage home in Windsor, said in an interview with the Radio Times that Harry and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, were champions of the natural world – “except they hunt and shoot”.
Continue reading...Application filed in US ranges from awards to clothing to a health website
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear to be planning a wide-ranging non-profit empire, including websites, films and their own awards, according to trademark applications lodged in the US under the name of Archewell.
The first clear indications of how Harry and Meghan intend to rebrand themselves as non-working royals are revealed in an extensive list published on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
Continue reading...Duke and Duchess of Sussex reveal plans for foundation to replace Sussex Royal brand
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to launch a charitable organisation named Archewell, the couple have said.
Prince Harry and Meghan said they “look forward” to launching the foundation, which will replace their Sussex Royal brand, with plans reported to include their own charity as well as a website.
Continue reading...The royal couple are tipped to be the toast of the celebrity circuit but they will have to work hard to maintain their A-list status
Touching down to a city in lockdown cannot have been what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had in mind when they had imagined starting a new life in Los Angeles. With a stay-at-home order in place, all activities usually associated with the city – premieres, parties, events and schmoozing – were on hold when they reportedly arrived last month, and studios had stopped production.
Following months of drama swirling around Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down as working royals, which officially came into force on Wednesday, in the face of a deadly global pandemic they have finally taken a backseat in the public consciousness.
Continue reading...Couple reveal plans as they prepare to officially cease working duties later this week
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who begin their new life as non-working royals this week, have said they intend to spend the next few months concentrating on their family and privately supporting their charities.
The couple, who have relocated to California, will cease to be working royals and can no longer officially represent the Queen from Wednesday, as they seek to become financially independent.
Continue reading...President tweets his intention as Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly move to California
Donald Trump has said the United States will not pay for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s security protection after they reportedly moved to California.
Harry and Meghan are said to have left their rented home in Vancouver, Canada after taking a private flight to the US before the border closed between the two countries last week.
Continue reading...Elephant will launch on Disney+ days after Sussexes step back from being senior royals
The Duchess of Sussex is to narrate a Disney film which documents the journey of a family of elephants across the Kalahari desert in southern Africa, which will launch three days after she and Prince Harry “step back” from being senior royals.
Meghan will voice the Disneynature documentary Elephant, which will be available on Disney+ from 3 April, and is her first major acting role since becoming a royal.
Continue reading...Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov’s account of hoax highlights lapse in security and screening
The Duke of Sussex gave Russian hoaxers his personal email and phone number and even rang them back on his mobile, it has been claimed.
Prince Harry responded to an email sent by Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, who told the Sun that none of his advisers checked if they were genuine.
Continue reading...Royal expert sounds alarm after Prince Harry seemingly duped into thinking he was talking to Greta Thunberg
Russian hoaxers who apparently tricked Prince Harry into offering help to take penguins to the North Pole have raised serious questions over security and screening measures for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they leave the royal fold, a royal expert said.
Posing as the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and her father, hoaxers Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov managed to reach Harry on his landline at his rented Vancouver Island mansion on New Year’s Eve and on 22 January, it has been reported.
Continue reading...London concert for Royal Marines one of couple’s final public engagements as senior royals
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a standing ovation at the Royal Albert Hall as they attended one of their final public engagements before they step back as senior royals.
The couple were treated to a sustained round of applause before the national anthem and as they took their seats in the royal box at the London venue on Saturday for the annual Mountbatten Festival of Music.
Continue reading...Couple appear at the Endeavour Fund awards as they begin final round of public engagements
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made their first official appearance together in Britain since their shock announcement they are stepping back as senior working royals.
Meghan flew in from Canada, where the couple have been living since November, to join Harry as they begin their final round of public engagements in the UK.
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