Royal Family

Prince Andrew wrapped up against the cold temperatures as he rode his horse around the grounds of Windsor Castle this morning. The Duke of York, 63, couldn't help but smile as he chuckled to a companion while taking to the saddle today. Andrew wore a navy jacket bearing the royal cypher of the Grenadier Guards, d espite being stripped of his honorary military roles by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022. The father-of-two is frequently spotted enjoying equestrian activities - and Range Rover driving - around the extravagant Berkshire estate.

Sandringham has been a feature of royal life since 1862 when Queen Victoria bought the estate as a gift for her son, the future Edward VII, who was turning 21 that year and was soon to marry. It was during Victoria's reign that Christmas evolved into the festival we know today, sparked by an 1848 newspaper image of the Queen, Prince Albert and their children standing round a Christmas tree. Sandringham: The King At Christmas, airs on Saturday at 8.25pm on Channel 5.

President Joe Biden name dropped Prince Harry and his work with the Invictus Games at Thursday night's National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse. The acknowledgment comes as the British Royal Family is embroiled in the latest chapter of the 'royal racist' row, which started when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey that a family member had 'concerns' about the color of Prince Archie's skin.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was effortlessly glamorous in a stunning black gown from Toteme as she and her husband joined the Prince and Princess of Wales  at the Royal Variety Performance tonight. The Duke and Duchess of Västergötland appeared in high spirits as they arrived at the Royal Albert Hall in London this evening. The eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf , 46, opted for a sophisticated monochrome ensemble, which featured light feathered fabric. The shoulderless dress teamed perfectly with a matching wrap, which she huddled into for warmth. Victoria accessorised her elegant look with a golden necklace band and another, more delicate chain.

At office water-coolers, on social media and in bars and cafes around the country, one question has dominated conversation. Everyone wanted to know the identity of the supposed 'royal racists' - who allegedly asked about the skin colour of Harry and Meghan's yet-to-be-born son Archie - after they were 'inadvertently' outed by the Sussexes' apparent mouthpiece Omid Scobie in his new book, Endgame. But everyone has been asking the wrong question. What people should be considering is whether it's racist at all to wonder out loud about the skin tone of an unborn baby. As the black mother of two mixed-race children, I can tell you one of the few things my ex-partner and I agreed on before our son's birth was his name: Ivory.

Downing Street today confirmed the three political big-hitters would each get their own jet to fly to Dubai for Cop28. The King is set to deliver an address at the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit where leaders will seek to update action to reduce global temperature rises. No10 defended the decision for the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to fly separately - and said that lower ranking ministers and officials would fly out on commercial flights. The PM's official spokesman said that Lord Cameron 'has different travel plans, which is not unusual for a Foreign Secretary', adding: 'The government's approach to tackling climate change, as we have set out repeatedly, is not about banning or reducing people from flying.'

REBECCA ENGLISH: Like a bitter ex, Scobie dons the mantle of narcissism and victimhood of the couple he most definitely doesn't act as a 'mouthpiece' for to attack everyone. The only person who has been ring-fenced is the late Queen Elizabeth, whom even Scobie knows (as do Harry and Meghan) it would be extremely unwise to take in his sights. The shock in palace circles this week, as the true nature of the book began to emerge, has been palpable. They were expecting a hatchet job, of course, given the author's well-known sympathies, but not one as viciously and aggressively one-sided as this.

Omid Scobie (left and inset), 42, previously claimed in a 2020 newspaper interview to have been 32 years old at the time - but journalists looked into the former tabloid reporter and discovered he was in fact 38. Scobie, the author of bombshell tome Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival (right), has since admitted that it was an 'unfortunate and naive' move on his part - but claims he felt insecure about approaching 40. In a series of interviews, the ex-Yahoo! News royal editor said he thought it was 'par for the course' to deduct a few years from your age in the world of television, where he regularly appears as a royal commentator.

Samantha, 59, claims Meghan defamed her when she said in her Oprah Winfrey interview that she had grown up an only child. She alleges that the remark, along with Meghan's comment that she 'doesn't really know her', was defamatory. Samantha is now demanding $75,000 in damages. The judge threw out the case in March but an amended complaint was filed the following month. Meghan sought to have that complaint dismissed in May, but the judge is yet to rule on the request.

Princess Martha Louise of Norway partied the night away this weekend after winning an award for her clothing brand. The only daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja, 52,  picked up the 'Business of the Year' award for her clothing brand Hest, which was made in honour of her late best friend. It was a family affair for Martha, as her influencer daughter Leah Behn, 18, also picked up a prize for 'creator of the year'.  Looking gorgeous in a white and gold dress, the royal shared clips of herself dancing the night away with her business partners after picking up the prize.The royal also joked she was 'resting her legs' before dinner and posted snaps sitting in a bed with Norwegian TV presenters Harlem Alexander and Jan Thomas, all dressed to the nines.

Harry attended the monarch's big day in May on his own (left, leaving the service at Westminster Abbey), with Meghan staying at their home in Montecito, California. He attended the ceremony in Westminster Abbey and then quickly returned to the US in time to see his son Archie on his birthday. Writing in his new book Endgame, which has been released in Australia and is published in the UK tomorrow, Scobie claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were unsure for months if they were going to be invited. In response to Harry's queries about an invite, the King allegedly said in a February phone call initiated by Harry, 'I... haven't decided'.

The usually Sussex-sympathising New York Times is withering about Omid Scobie 's new book, declaring that Harry and Meghan's favoured journalist does them 'no favours'. In a pithy review of Endgame, the liberal US newspaper claims a chapter on the couple even 'reads like a press release cooked up by ChatGPT '. It also says the book, out tomorrow, 'is not all that different from what Harry presented in "Spare",' and 'is devoted to setting the record straight on petty slights against the Sussexes'. America's first review of the book adds: 'Readers hoping for a final death blow of gossip will be disappointed. We've heard much of it before. From Fergie, from Diana, from Charles, from Harry, from Harry, from Harry again'. It came as the similarly left-leaning Independent news website in the UK claims 'he paints Meghan and Harry in a relentless saintly light'.

Netflix screened an unflattering portrayal of William and Harry's school days at £50,000-a-year Eton in Windsor. King Charles has also been shown as unhappy at Gordonstoun in Scotland. In season two, he is seen shivering in bed as rain pours through a dormitory window, soaking his sheets.

Lady Prudence Penn (pictured left in 1970 and right with Princess Margaret in 1974), who was known as Prue, served as lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother. She and the Queen, who were born 12 weeks apart, got married in the same year and both had nine great-grandchildren. Her husband was Sir Eric Penn, who served as Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office and passed away in 1993. His uncle had served as groom-in-waiting to King Geroge VI and then as private secretary and treasurer to the Queen Mother. The couple's son David and their grandson Rory both served as page of honour to the Queen.

It might be a little unfair, but from modern architecture to the 'grey goo' of nanotechnology, King Charles has often been accused of sticking his nose in where it's not wanted. But when it comes to food and drink, he's really quite an expert. And that's when the royal schnozzle comes right into its own...

In the letter, which will be auctioned in Germany, Queen Elizabeth, then 38, described newborn Prince Edward as 'good as gold' and said he 'makes everyone happy' (left). The missive was sent to he late monarch's midwife and friend, Sister Helen 'Rowie' Rowe, on 5 August 1964 - five months after welcoming Prince Edward into the world (right, the late Queen with Edward as a baby).

Millions of royal fans watched as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said 'I do' during their fairytale wedding at St George's Chapel in 2018.There was much to catch the eye, including the Duchess of Sussex 's minimalist silk Givenchy wedding gown. But there was something else, too, that was worthy of attention: the Rolls-Royce chosen to take the bride to the ceremony.Magnificent in its own right, the maroon-coloured Phantom IV transporting Meghan and her mother Doria Ragland from the Cliveden House Hotel to St George's Chapel had a rather unique history.