Royal news – live: King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘utterly shocked and horrified’ by Sydney stabbing attack
Emergency services rushed to the scene in the Australian city at 3:30pm local time on Saturday as shocking videos showed a man wearing shorts and a green and yellow shirt carrying a blade
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King Charles and Queen Camilla have said they were “utterly shocked and horrified” by the knife attack at a Sydney shopping mall.
Their statement follows one issued by the Prince and Princess of Wales earlier today in which they praised the “heroic” emergency responders.
Emergency services rushed to the scene in the Australian city at 3:30pm local time on Saturday as shocking videos showed a man wearing shorts and a green and yellow shirt carrying a blade.
One of his victims is a nine-month-old baby, who is undergoing surgery in hospital.
The attacker was also shot dead by a police officer, who confronted the attacker and shot him as he faced her and raised a knife.
Police do not believe the act was terror-related, but that the man is known to law enforcement.
In a statement, the King said: “My wife and I were utterly shocked and horrified to hear of the tragic stabbing incident in Bondi.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed during such a senseless attack.
“While details of these shocking circumstances are still emerging, our thoughts are also with those who were involved in the response, and we give thanks for the bravery of the first responders and emergency services.”
Harry ‘eager to return to London’ amid royal family health concerns
Prince Harry is reportedly “eager to return to London” and “help take up some of the slack” amid the royal family’s health crisis, a royal author has claimed.
The claims come from Christopher Andersen, author of The King: The Life of Charles III, as Harry prepares to return to the UK for the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games next month.
“In fact, he’s eager to return to London and help take up some of the slack now that the medical issues of the King and the Princess of Wales have thrown the monarchy into a state of crisis,” he told author told HELLO! Magazine.
He added: “If they [the royal family] could all put these perceived slights and resentments behind them, Harry and Meghan could be hugely valuable assets to the monarchy at a time when it could use all the help it can get.”
Prince William breaks social media silence
The Prince of Wales has broken his social media silence for the first time since his wife’s cancer diagnosis.
William took to the couple’s joint Instagram account to share a heartfelt message to Lionness Rachel Daly upon her retirement from the England squad.
“Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @racheldaly3. Plenty more goals for Villa now!,” the message reads, before being signed off with the prince’s signature letter W.
It marks the first time the pair have released personal messages on their account since Kate revealed that she was undergoing cancer treatment.
Princess Eugenie to ‘support’ sister Beatrice after Netflix feature
Princess Eugenie is set to “support” her sister Beatrice after her role in their father’s disastrous Newsnight interview was featured on Netflix.
Beatrice was featured briefly in the new film, Scoop, earlier this month about Prince Andrew’s infamous interview about his friendship with Jeffery Epstein.
The 35-year-old is also said to feature more prominently in another three-part series about the interview on Amazon Prime later this year.
A royal source told OK! Magazine that Beatrice is “dreading” the upcoming series and that she feels “unfairly targetted”.
“Beatrice is luckily a very resilient young woman. She is trying her very best to stay focused and weather the storm, but it’s been tough for her,” they said.
“Eugenie and her close friends have been there for support and she’s putting on a very brave face. Both girls [Beatrice and Eugenie] wish the whole thing would just go away but fear they could be tarred with this brush for the rest of their lives. It’s difficult to see them like this.”
ICYMI: French soldiers take part in Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace for first time
French soldiers have guarded Buckingham Palace for the first time marking a historic moment in cross-Channel relations.
France became the first non-commonwealth country to take part in the Changing the Guard ceremony on Monday in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
Crowds looked on as 32 members of the Gendarmerie’s Garde Républicaine and 40 Guardsmen from the F Company Scots Guards marched together on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace, where they were inspected by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the French Ambassador.
Read the full story here:
French soldiers take part in Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace
British and French troops swapped roles to mark the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale
Royals targeted in Russia’s disinformation war with fake story about King Charles selling Highgrove
A Russian disinformation network has made a series of false claims about the British royal family in its ongoing information war with Ukraine.
Among the incorrect allegations being made by pro-Kremlin campaigners is the suggestion circulating on fake news sites that King Charles has sold his royal residence Highgrove House to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for £20m.
The bizarre report was initially made in a YouTube video that featured someone who claimed to be the estate agent behind the made-up sale. However, security experts told The Times the character, named Sam Murphy, appeared to be AI-generated.
Read the full article here:
Russia spreads fake news that King Charles sold Highgrove House to Ukraine
Fake news sites falsely claim King has sold Highgrove House to Volodymyr Zelenskyy for £20 million
First pictures of bank notes featuring King Charles
Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle UK’s least favourite royals, says poll
They may no longer be referred to as HRH, but Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle can still claim the titles of being the UK’s least favourite royals, a new poll has found.
According to the recent survey, the disgraced Duke of York, whose car-crash Newsnight interview in now subject to not one but two separate TV dramas, was seen in a negative light by 86 per cent of respondents.
His lowly rank was followed by the Duchess of Sussex, whose new wellness brand is also unlikely to appeal to the 64 per cent of Britons who admitted holding negative views towards her.
Emma Guinness reports:
The royal title they didn’t want! Andrew and Meghan voted UK’s least favourite royals
The Princess of Wales emerged as the UK’s favourite royal following her brave cancer diagnosis message
Emily Maitlis breaks silence on rival Netflix movie Scoop
Emily Maitlis has broken her silence on the new Netflix drama Scoop, based on her infamous interview with Prince Andrew.
The film, released on Friday (5 April), depicts the events behind the Duke of York’s car-crash sit down with the BBC broadcaster, played by Gillian Anderson.
“I’ve left them very much to do their own thing because I think the last thing they want is me peeking around the edges offering my [views],” Maitlis told Deadline.
The Newsnight host is also executive producer of a rival three-part Amazon series about the same interview, which will star Ruth Wilson as Maitlis.
King Charles faces backlash from Kent residents over plans to build ‘ideal town’
The King’s plan to build an “ideal town” in Kent has sparked outrage amid accusations of “swallowing up historic villages into one urban mass”.
The Duchy of Cornwall has proposed to build 2,500 homes on 320 acres of agricultural land in the medieval market town of Faversham, Kent.
The plan was announced when Charles, then the Prince of Wales, managed the estate in 2018, with the aims of delivering the “most sustainable” homes possible, while simultaneously combatting a housing crisis in the area.
Read the full story here:
King Charles faces backlash from Kent residents over plans to build ‘ideal town’
Duchy of Cornwall proposes to build 2,500 homes on 320 acres of agricultural land in medieval market town Faversham
Prince William breaks social media silence
The Prince of Wales has broken his social media silence for the first time since his wife’s cancer diagnosis.
William took to the couple’s joint Instagram account to share a heartfelt message to Lionness Rachel Daly upon her retirement from the England squad.
“Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @racheldaly3. Plenty more goals for Villa now!,” the message reads, before being signed off with the prince’s signature letter W.
It marks the first time the pair have released personal messages on their account since Kate revealed that she was undergoing cancer treatment.
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