Kate and William 'rid Royal Family of stuffy traditions' says commentator

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The council tax charge is based on the value of their property and is double what experts estimated. The couple bought the mansion in 2020 for over £10 million but it is now thought to be worth close to £30 million. Documents revealed by The Sunday Mirror indicate Harry and Meghan must pay two instalments of £51,978 for their nine-bedroom, 13 bathroom home, bringing the bill total to £103,995.

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KEY EVENTS

‘Clearly not happy’ Harry ‘fish out of water’ in US appearance as Meghan ‘in her element’

Prince Harry was “clearly not happy” during his appearance on stage over the weekend, while his wife Meghan Markle appeared “in her element”, according to a body language expert. 

During their acceptance speech, Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, paid tribute to the people of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis and called for global support for the country.

Harry said: “Before I begin, we would like to acknowledge the people of Ukraine who urgently need our support as a global community.

“I think it’s safe to say I come from a very different background to my incredible wife, yet our lives were brought together for a reason.

“We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to confront injustice and a belief that the most overlooked are often the most important to listen to.”

Prince George’s new school boasts 9-hole golf course and skiing among other unique classes

Prince George is moving to a preparatory school in September and, according to reports, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge may have chosen one. 

The Prince is currently at Thomas’s School in Battersea, where his younger sister Princess Charlotte also studies, and their younger brother Prince Louis will start in September.

Lambrook School is a prep school set in 52 acres of Berkshire countryside that offers flexi-boarding to its 600 students.

The school boasts many facilities including its own farm with chickens, pigs and bees, an orchard, a 9-hole golf course, woodland, sports pitches and a 25 metre swimming pool.

Lambrook, which is open to both boys and girls, charges up to £6,999 per term plus £1,481 for boarding.

Buckingham Palace chefs use bizarre hack to cook eggs for hundreds of people

Buckingham Palace chefs used an ingenious hack to cook eggs for the hundreds of staff that work there, according to Owen Hodgson who was a chef there in the 90s. 

Mr Hodgson revealed how chefs at the palace cooked eggs quickly for the hundreds of staff working there every day.

He said: “Eventually after some more weeks past I got to start making breakfasts.

“With nearly 600+ staff in each day Buck House was a busy kitchen.

“We fried eggs in Yorkshire pudding trays under the salamander 30 at a time.”

Grandmother to future King launches new party supply collection with regal theme

Kate Middleton’s mother, Carole, started her Party Pieces company making party supplies when her daughter Kate was five years old and has now launched a brand new collection, fitting for the grandmother of a future King. 

Sharing a statement on the Party Pieces Instagram, Ms Middleton said: “I am excited to be supporting the incredible work that Big Blue Ocean Cleanup does to protect our oceans.

“At Party Pieces we want to make it easier for people to celebrate consciously – our new sustainably-sourced ranges help to protect the planet without compromising on the magic of parties.” 

Prince Andrew could face more lawsuits if new sex abuse claims emerge, lawyer says

Prince Andrew could face more lawsuits if new sex abuse claims emerge after a change in US law, according to a high-profile lawyer. 

Attorney Gloria Allred – who represented multiple victims of Epstein – has said a new law could open up more opportunities for accusers to come forward against Andrew.

Ms Allred said: “The effort is to essentially model [the new law] on the Child Victims Act to provide a year during which an adult victim of adult sexual abuse could sue. 

“I do not know any other person who might allege that she was wrongfully sexually abused by Prince Andrew, but if there are such people then they would need the law.”

‘Always in safe hands’ Kate and Prince William can count on ‘very faithful’ staff member

Kate and Prince William can depend on their “faithful and loyal” nanny, according to a royal expert.

Royal commentator Jennie Bond said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge know their children are in “safe hands” with Norland nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

The royal expert told OK! magazine that the Cambridges would have left Charlotte and Louis with Maria or Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton.

Ms Bond said: “They, of course, have this very faithful, loyal nanny that they’ve had for years and so I think they know the children are always in safe hands.

“But the Middletons are very, very close as well to them, so I’m sure they step in and do the babysitting from time to time.

“They’ve got a great set up, William and Catherine, it’s a very, very stable domestic set up with the nanny who’s been in place for such a long time.

“And with the Middletons there, I think that’s really important for the children.

“And I think that that’s what William and Catherine both feel.”

Prince William’s thinly-veiled swipe at Vladimir Putin: ‘Hugely important’

Prince William made a thinly-veiled swipe at Vladimir Putin during a speech in Stockholm four years ago.

The Kremlin issued a fierce warning to Sweden and Finland over the weekend as talks of potential NATO membership resurfaced.

The Scandinavian nations are reportedly considering joining the military alliance to protect against ongoing Russian aggression, particularly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, said on Friday: “Their accession to NATO can have detrimental consequences and face some military and political consequences.”

NATO members are committed to defending one another from attack by other foreign powers.

Prince William visited Stockholm in January 2018, shortly after Putin had ramped up Russia’s military presence in the Baltic region.

William sent a clear message to his Swedish counterparts in a speech, saying: “Tomorrow, we are looking forward to meeting representatives of Sweden’s armed forces.

“There is a Swedish saying that I won’t attempt to say in Swedish but which translates in English something like, ‘It matters to you, too, when a neighbour’s wall is on fire’.

“Your security concerns are ours, and it is hugely important that we continue to work ever more closely together to reduce threats.”

The Royal Family generally keep their political views hidden, something William admitted he found “frustrating at times” in a 2018 interview with GQ.

He said: “I have written to ministers but purely to point them towards people I think they should see.

“So a charity might ask me if I can help with someone and I can help get them access to the people in the Government.

“There are issues I am interested in and I am happy to connect people to ministers.”

‘Clearly not happy’ Harry ‘fish out of water’ in US appearance as Meghan ‘in her element’

On Saturday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took to the stage in Los Angeles to accept a top accolade at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards.

The couple were presented with the prestigious President’s Award in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service for their humanitarian work.

During their acceptance speech the royal pair paid tribute to the people of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis and called for global support for the country.

International renowned body language expert Dr Lillian Glass analysed the appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the event exclusively for Express.co.uk.

Dr Glass claims there is a distinct difference between the couple’s appearance on stage, as Harry appeared “uncomfortable” whereas his wife appeared “in her element”.

She told Express.co.uk: “Harry looked like a fish out of water as he didn’t know what to do or how to comfort himself as he looked down at the award and examined it and then rocked back and forth and pulled away from Meghan.

“He straightened up for a while when she quickly turned her head towards him and shot him a not so pleasant look indicating that he was on stage and to be aware of it and to shape up.

“He purses his lips in embarrassment and then cocks his head like a wounded puppy and then looks at the camera.

“He is not smiling the whole time he is up there. He then forgets and looks back at her and looks down and then returns to facing the camera.

“While looking at the camera he continues to rock back and forth like a child that feels uncomfortable because they have a full bladder.”

Prince William’s friends had ‘a problem’ with Kate: ‘Social divide created tensions’

Kate Middleton is now one of the nation’s most-loved royals, but her journey to public life was not always easy, royal commentators claim.

 Over the years, Kate has been subject to intense public scrutiny, including unflattering nicknames, most famously ‘Waity Katie’ which was given to her before her and William’s engagement was announced in 2010.

In the early stages of her relationship, her future husband’s aristocratic friends also gave her a cruel moniker, which mocked her middle-class status. 

In ‘William and Kate: Into The Future’, royal author and journalist Katie Nicholl said: “There is some snobbery towards Kate Middleton who’s very cruelly and unfairly become known as ‘Kate Middle Class’.

“She is a middle class girl, essentially, from Berkshire, but it seems to be William’s friends, some of William’s friends, that have a problem with it.”

Some of the Duke’s social set were slow to accept Kate. 

Ms Nicholl noted: “They are known as the ‘glossy posse’. They are the set that come from Gloucestershire, they mix with William at Highgrove and they are essentially the sons and daughters of wealthy, blue-blooded aristocrats.

“And they are the ones that can be terribly snobby.”

In an article for Vanity Fair, royal author Vicky Ward wrote that the Duchess was victim of “vicious sniping” and “snobbish insults” from people who “believe that the monarchy needs to stop marrying ‘out’ of its class.”

Queen’s cousin Prince Michael’s denied ‘special relationship with Putin’

The Queen’s cousin Prince Michael of Kent last year denied having a “special relationship” with Putin, after he was accused of using his royal status for personal profit and to promote businesses to those in the Kremlin.

Michae at his time of birthwas eighth in line to the throne ‒ now he is 52nd. The Prince was forced to give up his place in line to the throne when he married German divorcèe, Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz, a Catholic who is now known as Princess Michael of Kent, a highly controversial member of the royal family recognised for her glamour and outspoken ways.

The elderly royal was the subject of a Sunday Times and Channel 4 investigation last year into allegations he was cosy with Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Prince and Princess Michael earned a reputation for always looking to make “a quick buck” and have been known as the “Rent-A-Kents”.

Speaking on the Channel 5 documentary, ‘Princess Michael: The Controversial Royal’, Dr. Chandrika Kaul, a Historian at University of St Andrews said: “There was a common perception that they were ‘available for hire’, that they were perceived to be always sort of looking to make a quick buck.” 

In May 2021, Prince Michael faced new allegations of being a ‘Rent-a-Kent’ when it was reported that he could be hired for £10,000 a day to promote businesses to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle. 

The Marquess described Prince Michael as “Her Majesty’s unofficial ambassador to Russia” and said he was able to meet with Putin.

According to the Royal Family website, the Prince’s connections to Russia stem from “his maternal grandmother”. 

It added that he has a “strong interest in the country” and became the “first member of the Royal Family to learn Russian”.

The Queen’s cousin was given one of the Kremlin’s highest honours, the Order of Friendship for his work on Anglo-Russian relations. 

The royal who dropped from second in line to throne to 17th because of archaic royal rule

Princess Anne is one of the Royal Family’s most famous members, as the Queen and the late Prince Philip’s only daughter.

Anne is frequently crowned the Royal Family’s hardest worker alongside her elder brother, Prince Charles.

Despite all of this, she is comparatively low in the line of succession in relation to other royal relatives.

Princess Anne was born to then-Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1950, a few years before her mother ascended the throne as Queen Elizabeth II.

Anne moved from third in line to the throne to second when her mother became Queen, and her elder brother Prince Charles became first in line and heir apparent to the throne.

But now her position has dropped remarkably all the way to 17th.

When Princess Anne was born, the British monarchy operated under a system of male primogeniture.

This meant the birth of Princess Anne’s younger brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, saw Anne’s place in the line of succession drop, as Andrew and Edward took precedence over their elder sister.

A long-awaited rule change came into place a few years ago, however, in light of the birth of Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge’s first baby in 2013.

As Princess Anne was born before the Act was passed, her place in the line of succession remains unchanged by the new royal rules.

Meghan Markle sparks frenzy as she pens touching note ‘Powerhouse’

Meghan Markle shared her views on the nomination of Judge Jackson for an essay penned by leading US lawyer, educator and author Anita Hill.

The article, published as Black History Month comes to an end in the US, sees the Duchess of Sussex describing the nomination put forward by US President Joe Biden as historic. 

Meghan told Ms Hill for the article published by URL-media.com: “The civil rights history of tomorrow is being written today.

“Judge Jackson’s nomination has opened new ground for women’s representation at the highest level of a judicial system that for too long has tilted against the very community she hails from.

“For the millions of young women who will rightfully find inspiration from this moment, let’s remind ourselves that Black achievement is something that exists not just today or yesterday, and not just in moments of celebration, but as a fabric woven into the entire chronicle of the American story.”

Meghan’s contribution to this op-ed delighted fans of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

One Twitter user, @loveobidi, believes the Duchess has become an important voice on the international stage through her charity work and activism.

They wrote on the social media platform: “Meghan the powerhouse. She already made a place for herself at the table.”

Prince George proves he’ll be perfect King during rugby game with Will and Kate

Prince George was spotted at a Six Nations rugby game on Saturday with his parents Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and it seems the future King already has a key quality he’ll need in abundance when he is crowned.

As George was seated in between his parents, he was perhaps perfectly positioned to act as a peacemaker between his famously competitive parents.

Noticeably absent from George’s outfit were any signs of affiliation with either team, while mum Kate wore an England scarf and William wore a red Wales one.

And in a chat with representatives of the RFU and WRU before the match, George proved himself to be the perfect future King when asked what team he was supporting.

Like any good monarch, George chose to be impartial, shrugging off the question off before smiling at William, who chimed in: “It’s become quite the thing in the house.”

William also alluded to his wife’s competitiveness since her new rugby appointments, adding: “She is quite into it, I’m trying to stay out of it.”

Commander Kirsty Marlor, who represents the Navy on the RFU Council, said after meeting the young Prince: “I get the impression he’s yet to choose a team.

“I asked him which position he plays but I don’t think he’s got one yet.

“The Duchess was talking about how interested she is in the community game, which is so great to hear.”

Good afternoon

Good afternoon from London, I’m Rachel Hagan. I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the Royal family for the next eight hours.

Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.

Email: [email protected]

Britons issue brutal assessment of Prince Andrew

Britons have issued a brutal assessment of Prince Andrew’s settlement of the civil lawsuit against him.

A passerby told Express.co.uk “I think [the Queen] get rid of his titles.”

“He should stand back,” added his companion.

“At least until he is either proved innocent or guilty.”

Another sightseer said: “It is correct that he lost all his titles.”

Prince George exposes playful rivalry with Kate in rare engagement

Prince George spoke about a playful rivalry with his mother during a rare engagement. 

The Prince joined his mother and father on Saturday at Twickenham for the match between England and Wales. 

Prior to the match, the Cambridges met with representatives of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). 

During the meeting, Prince George was encouraged to tell the representatives about his own experiences with rugby, which he has started playing at school.

 Kate said: “He has all the kit.”

George revealed to the group that he has recently learned to tackle. 

He then said to his mum: “But I haven’t tackled you yet!”

Kate replied, laughing: “Yes you have!”

Beatrice and Eugenie share similarities with young Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

Judi James, a body language expert, spoke to Express.co.uk about the similarities between both the current York Princesses, and Elizabeth and Margaret who were also the children of the Duke and Duchess of York before their father became King George VI.

Judi said: “Having always been so close to her own sister and her mother it is unsurprising that the Queen has very strong bonds of empathy and understanding with her granddaughters Beatrice and Eugenie.

“Like the young Elizabeth and Margaret, Fergie’s girls have always been brought up to form a very close team of two, with each appearing to offer the other support and friendship throughout their lives.

“Both sets of sisters were the children of second sons, although in Elizabeth and Margaret’s case their father leap-frogged to the role of King when his older brother abdicated.

“This hierarchical change did produce some differences in the sister’s body language signals, many of which were taught rather than spontaneous.

Princess Margaret fearful of notes left by husband

Princess Margaret was fearful of notes left by her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones which said “I hate you”, her biographer said in a documentary. 

Speaking on the Channel 5 programme Secrets of the Royal Palaces’ earlier this month, Christopher Warwick said: “Tony was out doing his own thing.

“She said he would spend the day in his study ‘drinking my claret’.

“He would leave notes in her drawer, saying ‘I hate you. Ten reasons why I hate you’.

“It got to the point where she would ask a friend or a lady-in-waiting: ‘Just have a look in the book to see if there is a note left in my glove drawer.’”

Historian stunned by amazing Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn discovery

A historian was left stunned by a discovery about the relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. 

While Henry was still married to his first wife, he and Anne Boleyn exchanged a number of love letters which are now housed in the Vatican Library.

Sandra Vasoli visited the archives and said she was “surprised” by what she saw. 

She told Express.co.uk: “You can see them digitised and there are a couple of them that are fairly available on the internet, even though the Vatican Library does protect them.

“But when you see them in person, when you sit right there with them, it’s so uncanny.

“There is just an aura that comes off of them that is very hard to describe.

“I looked through them, I came away from that session knowing that she loved him, that she grew to love him.

“And she loved him, I would say, as much as he loved her. And that surprised me.”

Harry and Meghan face HUGE £105k bill on lavish Montecito mansion

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing a huge £105,000 bill on their mansion in Montecito, California.

The council tax charge is based on the value of their property and is double what experts estimated. The couple bought the mansion in 2020 for over £10 million but it is now thought to be worth close to £30 million. Harry and Meghan must pay two instalments of £51,978 for their nine-bedroom, 13 bathroom home, bringing the bill total to £103,995.

William and Kate adopt new strategy to ‘modernise’ Royal Family

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William have developed a new strategy to ‘modernise’ the Royal Family, a Royal expert has claimed. 

Charlie Lankston said: “William and Kate are already not acting as though they are already the leaders of the monarchy but they are taking on a huge amount of responsibility, not just in terms of public engagements but also in terms of the way in which the monarchy is run.

“They are making small but very important changes, opening up the monarchy to a more modern point of view, not perhaps in a way is noticeable every single day.

“But bit by bit they have helped the monarchy to evolve, to embrace new traditions, and to maintain the important heritage of the past while saying, ‘a few of the things that we used to do are seen to be very stuffy.’

“They are very stuffy, here’s ways we can maintain the tradition behind these things without making it appear as though we’re completely ignorant to what the rest of the world is doing and how they’re living.”

Timothy Laurence is ‘a bodyguard’ for Princess Anne’s ‘strong character’

Princess Anne’s husband Timothy Lawrence is undoubtedly one of the most private members of the Royal Family. 

But what does his body language say about him? 

Body language expert Judi James spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about Timothy Laurence.

She said: “Was Timothy Laurence Princess Anne’s ultimate ‘smart move’ choice of a husband, given the dramas that were involved in all the gory and very public divorces of her generation of royals?

“Anne is a strong character and clearly needs someone who will match her when the chips are down.

“But for Timothy, the limelight is totally his wife’s.

“He is often seen beside or behind her on formal occasions but it is Anne you notice and there is rarely if ever any exchanges between them.”

Kate and Meghan BEATEN in race for coveted royal title – ‘golden ratio’

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have been beaten in the race for the most beautiful royal of all time.

Instead, the title was scooped by their late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

Princess Diana, got the highest score after Harley Street surgeon Dr Julian De Silva ran ‘golden ratio’ analysis on some of the most well-known royal women.

Queen Rania of Jordan and the late Grace Kelly of Monaco grabbed the second and third highest scores while Meghan and Kate came fourth and fifth respectively.

Commenting on the results of the analysis, Dr De Silva said: “Diana, Meghan and Kate are all very beautiful women. But when measured against the Greeks’ Golden Ratio of physical perfection, Princess Diana comes out on top.”

Good morning

Good morning, I’m Olivia Stringer and I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the Royal Family, for the next eight hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @Livstringer_

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