Royal news – live: Kate Middleton portrait splits opinion as Harry and Meghan’s next tour ‘revealed’
King and Queen send ‘sincere apologies’ to those affected
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A new portrait of the Princess of Wales is continuing to cause controversy after some criticised the work upon its release for looking nothing like her.
The painting, by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, features on the forthcoming edition of Tatler magazine and was created in honour of the Princess’s “courage and dignity” when announcing her cancer diagnosis.
Other criticisms include claims that the painting does not do the princess justice, with some commentators believing that a true likeness could not be captured in a portrait that the princess did not sit for.
This comes amid claims that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s next unofficial tour will reportedly take place in Ghana.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now allegedly in talks about an invitation to the country following their recent three-day tour of Nigeria.
A source told The Mirror: “There is already a lot of talk and excitement in Ghana, everyone is so keen for Harry and Meghan to come and experience the great culture and warmth.”
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Kate Middleton makes ‘return’ as she issues first major update on project since cancer diagnosis
Windsor Castle ends free entry for locals
Locals will no longer be able to visit Windsor Castle for free in a move that has left many furious.
The perk, which is offered by The Royal Collection Trust, will end on 1 June.
From then on, residents with a Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Advantage Card will have to pay to enter, although they will receive a 50 percent discount.
Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Julian Tisi slammed the move and said that locals deserve free access.
“Windsor, and specifically the castle, is visited by millions of people from around the world,” he said.
“During the season, residents gladly welcome tourists to their shops and restaurants, they drive them around in taxis and are happy to give directions in the street.
“In return, we get to live and work near one of the most iconic buildings in the world – and visit when we choose.”
King Charles prefers home grown fruits and vegetables
King Charles has said that homegrown fruits and vegetables taste “so much better”.
The Monarch made the revelation while speaking to children at the Chelsea Flower Show’s “no adults allowed” garden.
“There’s nothing more fun than eating the things you’ve grown,” he said before adding: “It tastes so much better”.
Queen Camilla reveals she’s a Bridgerton fan
Queen Camilla has revealed that she is a fan of the hit Netflix show Bridgerton.
The Queen Consort made the revelation at the Chelsea Flower Show while touring a garden inspired by the show, which has just released its third season.
“I watched the first lot,” she admitted as she looked around a garden inspired by one of its characters, Penelope Featherington.
King Charles and Queen Camilla given brilliant new nicknames
King Charles and Queen Camilla were given brilliant new nicknames by children when they visited the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday.
In honour of his environmental work, the Monarch was renamed the “King of the Compost”.
Meanwhile, the Queen Consort was renamed the “Queen of Bees” after visiting the Bees For Development garden party, which highlighted the importance of bees at the event.
The couple were given the names as they visited the “no adults allowed” garden, which was designed in collaboration with primary school children to highlight the importance of giving young people access to the natural world.
The King and Queen were given badges to commemorate their honourary new titles.
Charles is reported to have taken one look and said: “Oh, hahaha. Quite right!”
Kate Middleton gives her first major project update since cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales has given her first major project update since beginning her cancer treatment.
Her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood has released a report today that has been personally reviewed by Kate from home.
It suggests that if businesses adopt more family-friendly working practices, £45.5 billion could be added to the economy a year.
A spokesperson for the Princess said: “The work of The Prince and Princess’ projects is ‘always on’… early childhood is a huge priority for The Princess and so she has been kept fully updated throughout the development of the Taskforce’s work and she has seen the report.”
The Princess has not undertaken any public engagements this year after undergoing planned abdominal surgery in January.
She later revealed in March that doctors had discovered cancer and asked for space and privacy as she undergoes “preventative chemotherapy” in private.
Artist reveals why his portrait of the King is so red
The artist who painted the King’s latest portrait has revealed why the artwork is so red.
The painting by Jonathan Yeo, which was unveiled by the monarch at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, depicts the King wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards against a red backdrop.
The unusual portrait has divided opinion amongst royal fans and social media users, with some saying the large swathes of red made them “uncomfortable” and that it looked like the monarch was “in hell”.
As for why he chose to use so much red in the portrait, the 53-year-old said he wanted it to tone and distract from the King’s brightly coloured uniform.
“I thought the red will really distract,” he told the paper, adding that his solution was to instead cover the whole painting in crimson.
“That may also have had psychological backing, because I had a heart attack [in March 2023] when I was painting this,” he says. “But certainly none of that I was conscious of – it was just: I like this colour.”
Prince Harry recalls William's blunt response to Meghan Markle's pregnancy announcement
Prince Harry’s memoir reveals Prince William’s response upon learning of Meghan Markle‘s pregnancy.
The couple announced they were expecting their first child together, Archie, on the eve of their Royal tour of Africa in late 2018 a few months after their Windsor wedding.
Harry reportedly discloses in his book Spare that the couple shared their joyous pregnancy news at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in October 2018.
Hello! Magazine reports Harry told his brother the news during a reception at Windsor Castle, and William responded exactly as Harry had expected, saying “we must tell Kate”.
Harry and Meghan spotted celebrating anniversary
Prince Harry and Meghan stepped out for a double date to celebrate their wedding anniversary over the weekend.
On Saturday evening, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted at Lucky’s, an upmarket steakhouse in Montecito, California.
The couple were joined at the local restaurant for dinner by Brian and Tracy Robbins, according to Tatler.
Kate Middleton completes ‘crucial’ milestone from home
Kate Middleton has completed a “crucial” milestone in her early years childhood work while undergoing her cancer treatment.
Her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood yesterday released a new report on the impact of family-friendly working policies.
It suggests that £45.5 billion could be added to the national economy a year if family-friendly policies are embraced by employers.
Christian Guy, executive director of the early childhood centre, said: “This is another crucial moment for HRH’s early childhood work...its impact, and the work of her Centre for Early I know, having briefed The Princess on this, that she is enormously grateful to the members of the Taskforce who have made such fantastic progress on this work over the past year.”
The report was reviewed by the Princess at home as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy, it has been confirmed.
Queen admits she binges Bridgerton
The Queen admitted she had watched Bridgerton as she toured a garden inspired by the television show during a royal visit to the Chelsea Flower Show with the King.
Camilla said “I watched the first lot” during her visit to a garden based on the Penelope Featherington character from the hit Netflix Regency-era show.
The royal couple were accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as they visited the world-famous Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show on a sunny Monday afternoon in London.
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