Christopher Sharp

Royal correspondent Simon Vigar recalled that Kate Middleton responded to comments about her relationship with Prince William by saying, “he's lucky to have me,” portraying her as confident from the beginning of their romance. Vigar also discussed the difficulties she faced when entering royal life and her development since marrying William. Further reports suggest Kate could accompany William to the Earthshot Prize ceremony in India, reflecting their shared environmental interests and mutual support. Russell Myers said Kate helped inspire William to launch the Earthshot Prize, which has become a major global sustainability initiative.

Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries said Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi laughed loudly and behaved disrespectfully during a church service where he and Princess Beatrice sat behind her, claiming that a stern look from her made him quiet. The piece also highlights Edoardo's comments about valuing family time, travel and experiences, the couple's recent holiday and royal wedding appearances, and speculation about Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's future visibility within the Royal Family. Brand and culture expert Nick Ede said greater public visibility was a positive strategic move for the couple.

Meghan Markle reportedly asked to be addressed as “Ma’am” during a meeting connected to the Invictus Games, while Prince Harry was to be called “Sir.” The report contrasts this formal usage with Harry’s earlier request to be called simply “Harry” after the couple stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 and lost their HRH titles. It also discusses controversy surrounding Meghan’s introduction as the “Duchess of Sussex” and “royalty” during a MasterChef Australia appearance.

Royal author Robert Hardman praises Queen Camilla’s energy and work ethic after meeting her at two appointments in one week, while Gyles Brandreth says she shows no reluctance toward her demanding schedule. Camilla also revealed that she dislikes science fiction during a visit to London bookshop Heywood Hill. Despite her 228 engagements and Princess Anne’s 186 working days in 2025, King Charles led the royal family with 532 engagements while undergoing cancer treatment.

Actress Sophie Winkleman, married to Lord Frederick Windsor, says life in the British Royal Family involves relentless scrutiny, distrust and pressure that can amount to a form of torture. She expresses sympathy for royals who have no choice over their public exposure. Winkleman also criticizes excessive reliance on digital learning and warns about AI collecting children's data, while Mike Tindall discusses the financial and professional challenges faced by non-royal family members.

King Charles III is due to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and receive the title of Royal Confrater, including a special chair and prayer in the Sistine Chapel. Royal commentator Ephraim Hardcastle argues that Charles may have lost the chance of receiving an unprecedented papal knighthood by permitting Sarah Mullally to become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. The honour had reportedly been considered by the late Pope Francis in recognition of Charles’s efforts to improve Anglican-Catholic relations, while the Church of England says the Royal Confrater title celebrates interfaith cooperation and historic ties between the two churches.

Prince William has said that change will be on his agenda when he becomes king, though he does not envision an overly radical transformation. Staff at the Duchy of Cornwall reportedly no longer routinely wear ties when he visits, unlike during King Charles III’s visits, while royal commentator Ingrid Seward expects William to reduce some of the monarchy’s more elaborate ceremonial clothing. Experts also say William is prepared for an earlier-than-expected accession and point to his increasing role in major diplomatic engagements, including meetings with Donald Trump and other world leaders.

Beachgoers at Old Hunstanton in Norfolk initially believed a stranded animal was a dolphin, but coastguards and marine-life rescuers identified it as a dead female Sowerby’s beaked whale, a rarely seen deep-diving species. The whale was examined for injuries, measured and documented, while a necropsy may be conducted by the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme to investigate its life and cause of death. Experts said the rarity of the stranding highlights how little is known about the species.

Prince George’s future schooling has reportedly been decided privately, but Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have not announced whether he will attend Eton College or Marlborough College. George has reportedly already been allocated a house at Eton, while uncertainty over changes in the school’s leadership may have prompted consideration of alternatives, including his mother’s former school. Commentators say the decision will mark a significant transition as George approaches his teenage years and prepares for his eventual role in the line of succession.

Lip-reading specialist Nicola Hickling claims that King Charles appeared emotionally distressed during a carriage ride with Queen Camilla at the 2024 Trooping the Colour ceremony, possibly saying that he felt emotional but would get through the day while recovering from cancer treatment. A Channel 5 documentary will present the interpretation. The report also discusses a separate lip-reading analysis by Jeremy Freeman of Charles’s remarks at the 2025 ceremony, which commentators speculated may have referred to Prince Andrew and tensions over the withdrawal of taxpayer-funded police protection for Andrew’s daughters.

King Charles’ 2011 decision to withdraw taxpayer-funded police protection from Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie reportedly upset Prince Andrew and was interpreted by commentators as a public signal of deteriorating relations between the brothers. Andrew’s exclusion from serving as a Counsellor of State after rules were changed to require working royals is presented as another indication of his reduced status. The article also discusses Charles’ continuing pain over his rift with Prince Harry and Valentine Low’s view that the King would support reconciliation.

Army tailors secretly added sweat patches and used lightweight wool in Prince William and Prince Harry’s military uniforms for William’s 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton, helping conceal perspiration in case of heat or nerves. The modifications were later revealed by tailors through journalist Emily Andrews. The piece also revisits claims that Kate departed from royal tradition by wearing her hair down rather than in an updo.

Before his 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey, Prince William spent time speaking with Princess Diana's sisters and other members of her family, a gesture royal journalist Victoria Murphy interpreted as a quiet tribute to his late mother. The piece also revisits commentary about Diana's continuing influence on William and Prince Harry, including psychological speculation about their attachment and comparisons with Noel and Liam Gallagher's relationship.

King Charles joked with Declan Donnelly about children who dive into swimming pools during a Buckingham Palace conversation ahead of The King's Trust awards. Donnelly praised the King’s humour, warmth and commitment to the charity. The piece also discusses Charles’s relationships with his grandchildren, speculation about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s possible roles in future funeral arrangements, and the King’s undisclosed cancer diagnosis, including a reported conversation about treatment and diet with student Stamford Collis.

Prince William was said to have broken his usual rule of avoiding discussion of romance during his and Kate Middleton’s 2010 ITV engagement interview. Royal commentator Richard Kay described the interview as unusually revealing. The article also revisits recent scrutiny of the couple’s public appearances, including Kate’s absence from Royal Ascot while recovering from cancer treatment and body-language interpretations of William’s behavior at Ascot and Trooping the Colour.

Body-language expert Arthur Cassidy interpreted Prince William’s tight upper lip and prolonged gaze toward Kate Middleton during Trooping the Colour as signs of intense affection. Judi James said the senior royals’ balcony appearance projected stoicism and unity, while King Charles III’s conversations with Prince Louis and William suggested growing warmth between father and son. The ceremony was also framed as conveying a symbolic message to Prince Harry.

King Charles III has reportedly prohibited disposable wet wipes at several royal residences, including Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, because of plumbing damage and their plastic-related environmental impact. Former palace cleaner Anne Simmons said the wipes caused repeated blockages and costly repairs, prompting staff to use reusable cleaning cloths instead. The move is part of Charles's broader environmental agenda, which also includes refurbishing royal Bentleys and adding a Lotus Eletre electric SUV to the fleet. Natural England chair Tony Juniper praised Charles as a longstanding and effective environmental campaigner.

Lord Robert Fellowes, the late husband of Princess Diana’s sister, reportedly left most of his £1.5 million estate to his wife, with Prince William and Prince Harry receiving no inheritance. Fellowes, a former private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, also left donations to a hospice, Eton College and a local church. Both princes attended his 2024 memorial service, one of their rare joint appearances since Harry moved to the United States. The report links the inheritance news to continuing speculation about tensions between the brothers and Harry’s hopes of reconciling with the royal family.

Kate Middleton received two Jellycat toys from nine-year-old Mateo, the brother of late cancer campaigner Liz Hatton, during her first Buckingham Palace garden party in two years. The gifts—a £23 tarte au citron and a pickled onion—had special meaning for Liz and William’s children. Middleton and Prince William had met Liz after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and helped fulfil her wish to photograph a member of the Royal Family. Following Liz’s death at 17, her family founded Capture to support people with the rare cancer that claimed her life. The event came after Middleton completed chemotherapy treatment.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold says Prince William’s remark that he and Catherine had already changed Prince George’s first nappy highlighted William’s hands-on and openly discussed approach to fatherhood, contrasting it with King Charles III’s more private style. The piece also examines William’s public image, including criticism from historian Ed Owens that he has sometimes appeared work-shy, alongside his growing focus on media-friendly events and initiatives such as Homewards and Project Flourish, which aim to reduce homelessness and support vulnerable young people.

Elaine Paige recalled that Queen Elizabeth II comforted her after an earring fell out during a performance, sharing a similar story about losing an earring while dancing with Zimbabwean leader Canaan Banana. The piece also discusses Paige’s 60-year entertainment career, anecdotes about Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s relationship, and the planned 2026–2027 release of official government communications that could reveal more about the late royal couple’s views.

King Charles is reportedly saddened that he has spent little time with Prince Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet, but an unnamed insider says the preservation of the monarchy remains his foremost priority. Harry has publicly expressed a desire to reconcile after years of strained relations, while the source claims he must rebuild the King’s trust. Royal commentator Robert Jobson argues that Harry should apologize directly and that Charles may ultimately offer another opportunity to repair the relationship.

Prince George unexpectedly joined Prince William and Kate Middleton at a Buckingham Palace tea party for World War II veterans during VE Day commemorations. Veterans and royal commentators praised his respectful engagement, while Robert Jobson and Jennie Bond said the appearance was a deliberate effort by his parents to prepare him for public life and his future role as monarch and head of the armed forces.

Zara Tindall said the Royal Family faces relationship difficulties and other personal struggles much like any family, while emphasizing its mutual support. At a London Sporting Club lunch, she also paid tribute to her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, calling her an inspiration. Zara recalled the humorous beginnings of her relationship with Mike Tindall, and Mike has previously discussed their family life with children Mia, Lena and Lucas and his warm reception by the Royal Family.

Dame Sheila Hancock revealed that she became involved in a furious political argument with an unnamed important guest at a Christmas party hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. A fellow attendee intervened to calm the dispute, and Hancock later used another guest to avoid a confrontation with former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, whom she criticized over his handling of abuse in the Church of England. Hancock also discussed her views on cancellation, free speech, age, her early acting career and the need to build a more united and peaceful world.