With a small, aging group of senior working royals, King Charles has fewer people than ever to carry out official duties. But there’s one member of the family he’s always counted on, and that’s his sister, Princess Anne. The Princess Royal, 75, kicked off a tour of South Korea with her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, on July 13, and body language expert Darren Stanton shares why Anne was the ideal person for the job.

“I think immense trust is placed in her by The King,” Stanton says. “The fact Anne and Tim Laurence have been chosen for this trip shows that.”

The Princess Royal carried out a wide range of engagements on Tuesday ranging from a solemn event at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery to a visit to one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton says that it’s clear during her tour that the hard-working Princess Royal is admired in South Korea.

“You can also see that the people she is meeting in Korea have immense respect in her,” he shares. “They show a lot of submissive gestures, but also seem to be really warming to her. People can often be subservient out of fear or nerves, but the broad duchenne smiles on the faces of the people she is meeting shows that this subservience comes from a place of real respect.”

On Tuesday, July 14, the Princess Royal and Laurence traveled to Seoul, attending an event for UK-Korea Sustainable Fashion Futures, visiting Korea University and meeting with representatives from Save the Children, a charity she’s been involved with since 1970. She even met members of the K-Pop group NMIXX during a reception celebrating the UK–Republic of Korea partnership.

“What I have seen of the trip so far really demonstrates why the trust The King has in her is so well placed,” Stanton says of the “incredibly successful start” to the tour. “She is such a natural.”

He notes that the people she’s met “appear to be overjoyed to be in her company,” sharing that “confident and happy” Anne “also seems to be enjoying herself on the trip.”

“Anne is not the kind of person to fake these emotions if they aren’t genuine,” Stanton adds.

King Charles clearly learned a lot from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but he's also been striving to put his own mark on the throne. On July 9, The King paid a visit to London Zoo with Queen Camilla, and according to an expert, Charles displayed one of Queen Elizabeth's most valuable traits.

Body language expert Darren Stanton weighed in on the monarch's visit, telling Betfair Casino, "When he is looking at the penguins, Charles has his hands behind his back. That's almost his default posture."

Stanton continued, "It's clearly a comfortable position for him. If his hands were in front of him, you might sometimes interpret that as nervousness, but here he looks completely at ease in his surroundings with Camilla."

Charles and Camilla also had some fun when meeting the animals, which included helping a veterinarian take care of the penguins and feeding a 32-year-old Galápagos tortoise named Polly.

As for the one trait King Charles appears to have inherited from Queen Elizabeth, Stanton notes a moment the monarch spent with human beings at the zoo.

"When greeting a young woman, you can see he's fully engaged with her," Stanton told the outlet. "In many ways, he's very much like his mother. People often said that when they met Elizabeth II, they felt as though they were the only person in the room."

Stanton continued, "It seems Charles has either inherited or developed that same ability to build rapport and make people feel at ease."

According to the body language expert, King Charles was seen as "attentive" throughout the engagement, while "maintaining good eye contact."

Per Stanton, "Overall, Charles comes across as very self-assured, confident, and calm. We don't see any signs of pressure, stress, or a lack of confidence that we perhaps might have seen decades ago."

Basically, The King appears to be perfectly at ease with both humans and animals.

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Paul Burrell’s royal career ended when Princess Diana died in 1997, but the former palace butler originally worked as a footman to Queen Elizabeth before moving to Highgrove House in 1987. King Charles’s country retreat was a welcome escape for the then-Prince of Wales, but as Burrell tells Marie Claire, life in Gloucestershire became increasingly “difficult” as Charles and Diana led separate lives.

Burrell, speaking on behalf of Champions Speakers Agency, said Camilla would visit Prince Charles during the week, when Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Prince William were in London.

“Now, I was finding my job very difficult by this time because I realized that my duties were to be split between my princess and her boys at the weekend and Charles and his friend during the week,” Burrell says. “So it was difficult to keep those two worlds apart.”

When Diana came to stay at Highgrove, Burrell says he would join the family for “lovely outings to Alton Towers, to Bristol Zoo” and events like birthday parties. “William would drive his replica Aston Martin car down to our house to give my boys a ride around the estate,” he shares, describing his relationship with them as “kind of one big family.”

However, tensions between the prince and princess made working at Highgrove less “fun” for the butler. He describes one incident when Diana called “late at night” asking to speak to Prince Charles.

“I said, ‘I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness, he's not in,’” Burrell recalls. After Diana asked where her husband was, the butler said he wasn’t sure.

“She said, ‘You do know, Paul, because you know where he is 24-7. So either you're not telling me or you're lying for him,’” Burrell says, sharing that he asked her to not “drag” him into the situation.

“This was long before you knew there were troubles,” he says of Diana and Charles's marriage, sharing that the call put him in a tough spot because his “whole world” depended on his job.

After Diana called Charles the next morning, the now-King called Burrell in to speak with him. The former butler claims that Charles was livid, asking, “But why couldn't you lie? Why couldn't you say that you couldn't find me? Why couldn't you say I'd gone for a walk at 11 o'clock at night?”

After telling his boss that it wasn’t his “job to tell lies,” Charles allegedly showed off his “legendary temper” and “picked up a book and threw it” at the butler.

Following Charles and Diana’s separation in 1992, Burrell relocated to Kensington Palace to live with Diana and the boys, with Burrell sharing that the princess “rescued” him from the uncomfortable situation at Highgrove House.

“I thought, my time's up. My time is up. Diana rescued me,” he says.

Prince Harry is visiting the U.K. week this week to support the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham next year, and although he originally planned to bring his family for a reunion with King Charles, the meeting is now up in the air.

Earlier reports indicated that the Duke of Sussex was scheduled to bring wife Meghan Markle and kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet along with him, but security squabbles have resulted in Harry arriving to London alone. On July 7, Prince Harry learned that he’d lost his privacy case against Associated Newspapers, and after delivering a blistering statement that put The King in a compromising position, former royal butler Grant Harrold tells Marie Claire that he thinks a royal reunion is looking more uncertain than ever.

While royal sources have suggested that The King is still trying to arrange a meeting with his grandchildren, whom he hasn’t seen since 2022, Harrold says he doesn’t anticipate it being “happy families for a very, very long time.”

Prince Harry and six other claimants accused the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday of unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking. In a joint statement released on Tuesday with fellow claimant Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the Duke of Sussex and the baroness said, “We came to Court seeking justice and accountability. But we have received neither.”

“It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected,” they added. “However, the lengths to which the Court has gone to exonerate the Mail is as shocking as it is totally unwarranted.”

The attack on His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service puts King Charles in an awkward position, with Harrold, speaking on behalf of Action Network, noting, “With everything that's happened over the last 48 hours, I'd say it's highly unlikely we're going to see any sort of reconciliation anytime soon.”

Of course, The King still may arrange a meeting with his youngest son and grandchildren, should the duke choose to bring them to Britain later this week. But as Harrold adds, “I just don't quite see how The King can come back from what's happened, and equally, I can't see how Harry can either. The gulf between them now seems deeper than ever.”

“To me, it feels as though the ship has sailed,” The King's former butler adds.

A lack of official police security has caused Harry to keep his children away from the U.K., but a source has told the Mirror that he's “frantically” trying to arrange a way to get his kids over safely. The insider added that Charles “would not pass up the opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren and if there is a way of making it possible, he will do it.”

Only time will tell whether Meghan and the children make it back to Harry's homeland, but the Duke of Sussex will be in Birmingham either way as he supports the events surrounding the 2027 Invictus Games.

As for a reconciliation with the Royal Family, the Duke of Sussex told the BBC last year that he would “love” that, but acknowledges forgiveness might never happen with certain people. “Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things,” he said.

King Charles traded his crown for a military helmet during a visit to the Royal Tank Regiment in Dorset, England this week, and body language expert Darren Stanton says that the monarch looked like he was having the time of his life while testing out one of the regiment's new tanks.

“You may be cool... but you’ll never be King Charles III riding in a Challenger 2 tank cool 😎,” the Tank Museum captioned a video of The King riding in the commander's seat.

Donning a helmet and microphone, the monarch removed his suit jacket and climbed into the military vehicle, and King Charles seemed to relish the opportunity to get into the driver's seat. "King Charles has a mischievous grin and he’s really loving being on the tank," Stanton shares, speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, adding that he looked like a "kid in a sweet shop."

Stanton continued that Charles "very much looks the part" in clips of him driving the tank, adding that the monarch "can be seen asking lots of questions, which probably takes him back to his career in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy."

The body language expert noted that King Charles appeared completely at ease despite the imposing equipment surrounding him. "Being on a tank can be quite scary and daunting, but there is none of that with The King," Stanton shares. "He looked genuinely happy and he's interacting with the other soldiers, with no masking smiles."

The King served in the military between 1971 and 1976, and Stanton says that Charles was able to tap into a different side of his personality and get "back to his grassroots" while visiting the regiment Monday. "This is a very rare glimpse of Charles that we don't often see," Stanton explains. "It's a rare opportunity for him to take a day off as a monarch without the fancy pomp and regalia."

Royal nicknames are an endless source of fascination, with everyone from Queen Elizabeth (a.k.a. Lilibet) to Prince George (PG Tips) going by some adorable aliases. But when it comes to Queen Camilla, she has a rather unexpected nickname, according to royal author Gyles Brandreth.

Writing in his biography of the late Queen, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Brandreth shares that King Charles “sometimes calls” his wife Camilla “Mehbooba,” noting the nickname is “Urdu for ‘my beloved.’”

Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and is also commonly spoken in India, a country Charles has a deep affinity for and has visited 10 times since 1975.

The King has even called Queen Camilla by her Urdu pet name during public speeches, like when he attended an event for the British Asian Trust in 2022.

“I cannot quite believe it is almost two years to the day that both my mehbooba and myself were able to be with all of you,” he told the crowd at the time.

Although King Charles doesn't speak fluent Urdu, he's proficient in French and can speak conversational German and Welsh, along with having knowledge of the Scottish Gaelic and Greek languages.

As for Queen Camilla's nickname, she also has another unusual one, although King Charles reportedly didn't care for it. According to royal biographer Robert Hardman (via the Daily Mail), some friends and family started calling her “Lorraine,” a play on the French word for Queen, “la reine,” when it seemed she'd never become Queen. “She always saw the funny side of that—even if Prince Charles did not,” a friend said.

Princess Diana experienced both negative and positive press throughout her life, and endured a number of personal challenges in the public eye. Namely, the former Princess of Wales split from King Charles, an event which was voraciously reported on by the tabloids. According to her former butler, there was one particular thing that Princess Diana really wanted "people to understand" about her life.

In his book, A Royal Duty, former royal butler Paul Burrell claimed, "All she had ever wanted was for the British people to understand what she had gone through, how difficult it had been. And while she felt that [King] Charles had truly made her suffer, she had learned from her suffering."

According to Burrell, the princess's divorce knocked her confidence in a major way, after a lifetime of self-doubt.

"She felt her low self-esteem had taken root in childhood when she had acquired many of her ideas about herself," the former butler wrote. "She had taken that poor self-image into the marriage with [King] Charles."

Burrell continued, "In [Charles], she focused solely on deriving a boost to her ego, through his recognition of her achievements. When it was not forthcoming, she said she felt rejected."

According to the former Royal Family butler, Diana also had to learn to come to terms with the emotions she was experiencing.

"The princess also needed to realize, and I think many people told her this, that anger was a natural emotion, but she felt many women found anger distressing," he wrote.

Burrell further explained, "She even hired a boxer to come to [Kensington Palace] with his punchbag so that she could rid herself of her anger. Diana, Princess of Wales, could certainly pack a mean punch."

Ultimately, Princess Diana had to go through some incredibly difficult moments in her life, while navigating her role as a famous person, which can't have been easy.

Prince William has been a devoted soccer (or as he corrected Jason Kelce—football) fan since he was young, and he made a surprise appearance on Jason and Travis Kelce’s podcast, "New Heights," ahead of Taylor Swift and Travis’s wedding on Friday, July 3. But when Travis asked the Prince of Wales if “his dad” had influenced him to become an Aston Villa fan, William didn’t mince his words.

“Absolutely not. My father hates football,” he said of King Charles, causing the Kelce brothers to burst into laughter. William added, “My family haven’t got a particularly long history with football. There are a few of us who support teams.”

While King Charles isn’t the sportiest person, he’s more into other outdoor pursuits like mushroom foraging and organic gardening, and is also a lifelong lover of the arts.

Rather than his father, William said that friends influenced him to get into the Premier League, and the first match he ever saw was “Aston villa versus Bolton” in 2000, during which former England manager Gareth Southgate was a player.

Fast forward to 2026 and the Prince of Wales is patron of the Football Association. When Jason asked William what his role was in the FA, the Prince of Wales laughed and said, “Just don’t mess up.” More seriously, he added that “trying to get a World Cup to be hosted” in the U.K. was an aim for him, and also advocating for women’s soccer to become more popular.

As for the World Cup, Prince William promised he'd be heading to New Jersey if England makes the final later this month. One person who might not be attending, however, is Travis Kelce, who said he "probably won't be able to go" as he'll be at training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs. "Tell me who I need to write to, Travis," William said. "We'll get you out of there."

Like Queen Elizabeth before them, King Charles and Queen Camilla head to Edinburgh to take part in Royal Week each summer, and on Wednesday, July 1, they were joined by Prince William and Prince Edward for the Order of the Thistle service at St. Giles' Cathedral. But before the historic ceremony, King Charles hosted senior royals for a family dinner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as reported by the Daily Mail.

It was confirmed to the outlet that The King held a “dine and sleep” at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday night with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal. The three royals spent the night at the palace ahead of the Order of the Thistle ceremony, which celebrates the greatest order of chivalry in Scotland.

The family gathering happened the night before what would have been Princess Diana’s 65th birthday, and just days before Prince Harry is due to visit the U.K. As the Daily Mail noted, “with the drama surrounding Prince Harry's potential arrival in the UK this weekend—with or without his family—dominating royal news, and the ongoing issue of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, there would have been plenty for all to discuss.”

The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to travel to Britain with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for events related to the Invictus Games, but security concerns have potentially stalled a meeting with the children and their grandfather The King.

Although Prince Harry was offered a place to stay at a royal residence, fears about paparazzi following the children have reportedly caused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to reassess bringing Lilibet and Archie. A spokesperson for Prince Harry stated that the royal "continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the U.K."

Meanwhile, the former Duke of York made his first public appearance since his February arrest over the weekend, quietly slipping in to watch Duchess Sophie compete in the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials.

Queen Camilla has been a longstanding champion of reading and a supporter of literacy-related charities, often meeting with authors and visiting schools to read to children. But on Tuesday, June 30, the Royal Family received a barrage of negative comments after sharing a photo of The Queen with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Rowling has made repeated anti-trans comments over the years, and with their meeting taking place on the last day of Pride month, The Queen's meeting with the author was criticized by many social media users.

“With a shared passion for books and a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure, The Queen and author J.K. Rowling have met at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh,” the Instagram post read.

According to Buckingham Palace, "Her Majesty and Ms Rowling discussed the importance of ensuring that young people have access to books and the vital part reading plays in opening doors for future generations.”

Rowling has become a divisive figure for her social media posts about the transgender community, and the Royal Family's comment sections on both Instagram and X were filled with fans expressing their disappointment over Queen Camilla's meeting.

“As an admirer of the Queen and her Reading Room I’m deeply disappointed in her giving a platform to JKR, any month but especially during Pride Month,” one Instagram user wrote. “There are many other admirable individuals to spotlight who champion reading for children and young people.”

Another comment read, "there's a lot of other children's authors (who have published kids books more recently than 20 years ago) that you could have worked with on this," adding several emojis of the transgender pride flag.

The Queen's meeting with Rowling took place in Edinburgh, where the author wrote the majority of her Harry Potter books, and kicked off Royal Week in Scotland for King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Prince Harry is scheduled to return to the U.K. in early July for the Invictus Games One Year to Go event, but a reunion with Prince William will likely not be on his schedule. The brothers are understood not to have spoken since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022, but when they were growing up, Princess Diana tried to raise them exactly the same. According to the late royal’s former butler, Paul Burrell, one decision was especially tough because of the implications it would have on her children.

The King (then Prince Charles) and Princess Diana announced their separation in 1992, and although they initially did not have plans to formally split, their divorce was finalized in 1996.

“Diana struggled with the divorce [from Prince Charles],” Burell says, speaking on behalf of Casino.org. “She didn’t want it; she wanted to stay in the Royal Family, and for her, her struggle was keeping her boys safe and keeping her position.”

The former butler adds that it was “difficult” for Diana “to accept that the boys would grow up differently,” adding, “There was no difference between them in her eyes.” Even if members of the royal household treated Prince William in a more preferential way than Harry, Diana insisted “the boys were always the same.”

Bringing both of her boys up “in a solid family unit” was a high priority for Princess Diana, according to Burrell. “That’s why she resisted the divorce, because she thought that fracture in the family would lead to problems and complications for her boys,” he says.

The former butler and author continues that although they grew up in a “similar world,” royal life wasn’t as easy for Prince Harry as it was for William. “It was a lot easier and plain sailing for William,” Burrell says. “His map was already made, and Harry’s wasn’t. So, it was a complicated relationship, but their childhood was the idyllic part of it.”

Following her divorce from King Charles, Princess Diana's life was irreparably changed. While the former Princess of Wales remained beloved by people all over the world, she was no longer allowed to use her official Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles. According to a former Royal Family staff member, an unexpected royal reached out to Diana after hearing the news.

In his book A Royal Duty, former royal butler Paul Burrell revealed that Princess Diana was devastated to learn that, once her divorce was finalized, she'd no longer be allowed to use her HRH title.

"It was, she felt, part of her royal identity and she had worked tirelessly as a royal highness for many years," Burrell wrote. "When the final decision was taken behind the scenes, the princess was devastated."

According to Burrell, Diana "found support from an unlikely corner of the Royal Family" after news broke regarding the loss of her title.

"Princess Michael of Kent wrote a sincere letter," Burrell explained.

Per the royal butler, Princess Michael's letter allegedly said, "I was horrified to learn in the press that after your title was removed, you would be expected to curtsy in public when meeting me." The royal reportedly continued, "I insist that this would cause me the greatest embarrassment, so please do not even consider it."

The princess's letter also complimented Diana's "courage and strength," according to Burrell. "You will always have my support," Princess Michael of Kent reportedly shared.

Meanwhile, Burrell told the former Princess of Wales, "You don't need a title. Wherever you go in the world, you are known as Lady Di—and no one can take that away from you."

According to the former butler, having the support of Princess Michael of Kent gave Diana a boost at a time she needed it the most.

Princess Diana lived her life in an international spotlight after marrying King Charles on July 29, 1981. Unfortunately, the couple endured a somewhat tumultuous marriage, which led to divorce. And according to one of Diana's former royal butlers, the princess wasn't entirely happy with the way her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, handled the divorce.

In his book A Royal Duty, former royal butler Paul Burrell recalled Diana receiving a personal letter from Queen Elizabeth II regarding the princess's separation from King Charles.

"It began, as always, 'Dearest Diana' and ended, 'With love from Mama,'" Burrell explained. "This letter, though, was different from any other I had read and, as The Queen's former footman, I felt uncomfortable as I read it."

Burrell continued, "I was talking to the back of the princess's head as she remained on the [couch] but I needed to express my discomfort. 'I'm not sure I should be reading this, it says 'in the strictest of confidence.'"

In spite of his reservations, Burrell reportedly read the letter aloud to Princess Diana, who "jumped up, agitated, and began pacing."

According to the former butler, Diana exclaimed, "The Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury! My divorce has been discussed with John Major and George Carey before it has been discussed with me."

Burrell continued, "The princess was infuriated that The Queen had consulted the government and the church first...'This is my marriage and it is no one else's business!' she yelled."

Ultimately, Princess Diana reportedly "felt that her divorce, just like her marriage, was being handled as if it were a business matter," per Burrell.

Despite describing Queen Elizabeth's letter as "sympathetic, delicate, and devoid of anger," Burrell also suggested that the monarch was "a mother-in-law frustrated with the behavior of both parties, emphasizing that a divorce could not inflict further damage on the two sons who had suffered enough over the previous years."

Divorce is complicated, regardless of who you're married to, but it's clear that being a member of the Royal Family makes the entire process even more challenging for everyone involved.

The Royal Family released its annual Sovereign Grant Report on June 25, and along with releasing The King’s tax bills for the first time in history, the palace confirmed that Buckingham Palace will no longer be used as a royal residence.

King Charles and Queen Camilla currently split their time between Clarence House and their respective country homes, Highgrove House and Ray Mill House, opting not to move into Buckingham Palace since their 2023 coronation. Prince William has also made it clear that his Windsor home, Forest Lodge, will be his “forever home” and he has no plans to move back to London when he’s King.

Instead of making Buckingham Palace his royal home, King Charles has chosen to “widen” access to the historic building, which has only been open to tourists on limited dates in the past. “His Majesty retains huge affection for Buckingham Palace and a deep respect for its role in royal and public life,” the report stated.

“It will remain a working home but we are seeking to widen public access precisely to maximise the national benefit of a publicly-funded building,” Buckingham Palace continued, adding that The King and Queen want to ensure there are “increased opportunities” for visitors to tour the building on a more regular basis to lessen the taxpayer burden.

The decision makes King Charles the first monarch not to live at the palace since Queen Victoria moved into the building in 1837. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News that “the optics are likely to raise eyebrows” with the public, especially given the $487 million renovation plan that has been in process at Buckingham Palace since 2017.

However, he added, “I don’t think it will change Buckingham Palace's importance if they don’t live there. It will still be 'Monarchy HQ'; it is an iconic building known throughout the world, and there will be much more public access.”

Queen Camilla doesn’t appear to be making room in her calendar for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming visit to the U.K. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are crossing the pond next month to begin the one-year countdown until the 2027 Invictus Games. King Charles might be meeting with his son but it’s unlikely he’ll be accompanied by The Queen.

Camilla is “steering well clear” of the couple during the visit. According to the Daily Express, she is “not going to be around when they arrive.”

The Queen and Harry were never believed to be close. However, they remained civil when she married into the Royal Family in 2005. The tone publicly shifted after Prince Harry bared his true feelings on paper. In his 2023 memoir Spare, he opened about their complicated relationship, even revealing he and Prince William initially begged their father not to marry her.

According to The Times, Camilla still holds animosity for his public revelations. The Queen is “deliberately avoiding them” and has reportedly made plans to stay at her Ray Mill house in Gloucestershire during their time in the country. She is “unlikely to get involved” in any meetings with the couple, according to a source.

Queen Camilla doesn’t appear to be the only one keeping a distance from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their return to the U.K. Prince William and Princess Kate are also “incredibly unlikely” to meet with Harry.

King Charles seems to be the only working royal open to the idea of a reunion. Dan Wakeford, the founder of Celebrity Intelligence, told Fox News, "The King is the door that might open.”

Prince Harry has expressed a desire for reconciliation. The expert said, “Harry reportedly wants Charles to spend time with Archie and Lilibet, and he's been pushing for that. And I think that will likely happen from talking to folks in and around this."

Prince Harry’s return to the U.K. is unlikely to be marked with a brotherly reunion. The Duke of Sussex will be making a trip across the pond next month to mark the one-year countdown until the 2027 Invictus Games. He is expected to be accompanied by Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Although the occasion will be a family affair, there seems to be no set plans for a reunion with his extended loved ones.

According to Dan Wakeford, the founder of Celebrity Intelligence, royal sources believe Harry shouldn’t expect "a complete reconciliation with the family” this time around. He told Fox News, “It's a slight thaw and a good beginning.”

Compared to other members of the Royal Family, Prince William and Princess Kate seem to have not budged. He said, "A William and Catherine meeting is incredibly unlikely…[Harry] is not going to be meeting William. I cannot see that happening at all.”

There have been speculations of a rift between the brothers since 2018. Tensions have seemed to intensify since Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals and moved to Montecito, California. It is believed the last time the two spoke to each other was briefly at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022.

“The Wales household is completely bolted shut right now,” Wakeford continued. “[William's] stance has not changed, and they would not arrange to see Harry and Meghan outside an official public engagement. And I don't even think that is going to happen.”

While hopes for a William and Harry reunion are low, there seems to be a more of a chance for a meeting between the Duke of Sussex and his father King Charles.

"The King is the door that might open,” the expert shared. Prince Harry seems to be focused on that prospect, especially since he will be accompanied by his children. He said, “Harry reportedly wants Charles to spend time with Archie and Lilibet, and he's been pushing for that. And I think that will likely happen from talking to folks in and around this."

The U.K. has been battling record-high temperatures the past week, and despite the sweltering heat—and no air conditioning—King Charles kept up with his regularly scheduled royal duties. Ironically, The King was marking London Climate Week, and while addressing the historic weather, he had a royal aide bring along something to take the edge off.

In photos from the event, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, Master of the Household to the Sovereign is seen using a battery-powered fan to cool off The King as he chatted with guests at a St. James’s Palace reception.

Per the Express, there were fans set up around the palace during the event, but with temperatures reaching 96 degrees, it did little to help the situation. The King, dressed in a suit and tie, was pictured wiping the sweat from his face despite his portable fan situation.

The event focused on the impact of super-pollutants on the environment, with King Charles speaking with groups like the Clean Air Task Force and Clean Air Fund.

During the event, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband gave “safety announcements” about the accommodations in place, noting, “The very fact that we have to do that here in the U.K. in June says quite a lot about the circumstances that we are in.”

Prince William also marked London Climate Week earlier this week, teaming up with Robert Irwin—and riding in electric London bus—at an event for the Earthshot Prize.

Even members of the Royal Family aren’t immune from making a statement on their cars. Although King Charles typically rides in a chauffeured car to official events, he enjoys driving himself, too—and former royal butler Grant Harrold shares the very on-brand bumper sticker The King shows off on one of his vehicles.

Harrold, who served The King at Highgrove House from 2004 to 2011, told Select Car Leasing that his former boss shares his passion for wildlife conservation when he hits the road. Speaking of King Charles’s various cars, Harrold noted His Majesty owns “a Jaguar which has a big sticker on the back saying ‘Save the Red Squirrel’.”

As patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, it’s an especially meaningful sticker for King Charles. The monarch has supported the charity since 2009, and even admitted to letting the animals run around his Scottish home.

“As you will all know so well, these charming and intelligent creatures never fail to delight,” The King wrote in a letter to the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. “I take enormous pleasure in having them around – and in! – the house when I am at home in Scotland.”

King Charles praised the “inquisitive and delightful characters” in his note, adding, “they have even been known to hunt down a few of their favourite nuts left out in an unguarded jacket pocket!”

The King bought the Royal Family's first all-electric car, a Jaguar I-Pace, in 2018 after switching from all-petrol cars. He also still drives the convertible Aston Martin he received as a 21st birthday gift in 1969, but it has since been converted to run on wine and cheese.

“We couldn’t believe it when we found out, we used to joke about it a lot in the staff room,” Harrold said, adding that “Prince William used to mock his dad for it a lot, in a loving way of course, but it’s just such a random thing to do.”

Prince William marked both his 44th birthday and Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21, with his celebrations coming after a busy week of royal events. The Prince of Wales attended Trooping the Colour and Royal Ascot alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Kate, and to honor his birthday, shared a special photo of himself with Princess Charlotte on social media. Royal expert and former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said that for William, family coming first is a marked shift in how the monarchy operates.

King Charles grew up with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, as an example of duty above everything, and Prince William has been careful to prioritize time with his children first—even when the public questions why he doesn’t carry out as many royal engagements as the rest of his family.

“As we know, and in the face of some criticism, William has made the conscious and unabashed choice to put his children first whenever humanly possible,” Bond told the Mirror. “I’m sure his wife and kids love him all the more for that.”

“This is where he has drawn a distinct line between himself and his father,” Bond added. “Not that Charles was a bad parent, but he was often an absent parent because his work diary is always crammed.”

Although The King has prioritized family events in a way his mother likely wouldn't have—attending his nephew Peter Phillips's wedding on the same day as the Epsom Derby, for example—Prince William has been clear that he will always put Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis first.

Instead of staying for the full event, Prince and Princess of Wales left Royal Ascot early enough to be home for dinner with the kids—as I noticed when their car whizzed past me in the royal enclosure last Wednesday an hour before the last race was due to begin.

Bond said that it's also evident that William and Kate are a team in a way that Charles and Diana were not. “He and Catherine seem like equal partners in a relationship where, by dint of his birth, he could act as if they weren’t,” she noted. The royal expert continued that “perhaps William is more dependent on Catherine than the other way round.”

Once the calendar turns to summer, events like Royal Ascot, Trooping the Colour and the Wimbledon championships once again fill the Royal Family’s diaries. But when King Charles wants to be in top form for a long day of public events, he switches up his usual start to the morning.

“The King never eats lots on Trooping the Colour,” former royal gardener Jack Stooks said. “He would try and have something healthy like cereals with nuts and fruit and some honey. He's never been known to have huge meals.”

However, King Charles typically goes for a more protein-rich breakfast on other days. Former royal chef Darren McGrady shared the recipe for The King’s favorite cheesy baked eggs on his YouTube channel, stating that Charles “could live on cheese.”

Like most of his diet, The King's breakfast focuses on fresh, organic and locally-grown products, and he once encouraged the British public to buy local when making their own cheesy eggs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, The King (then the Prince of Wales) shared a photo of his favorite recipe on the Clarence House Instagram account, writing, “British cheesemakers need our support during this time of great uncertainty, and we can all help in the simplest way. By sourcing British cheese from local shops and cheesemongers, and directly from producers online, you can make a vital contribution to keeping these small businesses afloat during the prevailing crisis.”

McGrady said that The King was “into organic food before organic was even invented,” advising that it's “best if it's all organic” when attempting to recreate King Charles's baked eggs.

Now that King Charles is on the throne, Prince William is the heir apparent and he has started taking on more responsibilities. However, one royal expert claims that the Prince of Wales doesn't necessarily agree to every request his father makes.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal author Norman Baker claimed, "If you are looking for a royal to cut a ribbon, you are unlikely to secure the attendance of Prince William." Baker also alleged that Prince William regularly carries out far less official royal engagements than his father, King Charles, or aunt, Princess Anne.

"We might have expected William to represent the royals at events like the funeral for U.S. president Jimmy Carter, given his father's health ruled out transatlantic travel," Baker told the outlet.

The royal author continued, "It is rumored that Charles ordered him to go, but he refused as it was [Princess] Kate's 43rd birthday [on January 9, 2025]...Prince Edward, 14th in line to the throne, was dispatched instead."

As excuses go, not wanting to miss your wife's birthday while she's recovering from cancer is pretty hard to argue with. Plus, Kate and William have both been firm about setting boundaries for their family—an admirable feat while raising three children in the public eye.

Baker also claimed to the outlet, "William has stated firmly that his family must come first, and while that is laudable in some ways, is it really possible for the heir to the throne to absent himself from royal duties?"

Ultimately, by putting his wife and children ahead of the monarchy, Prince William is embodying a more modern approach to royal life. The fact that the Prince of Wales appears to be so dedicated to his family will also surely be seen as an asset when he does eventually take the throne.

One of the most exciting parts of a day at Royal Ascot is the Royal Procession, a parade of carriages and horses arriving at the famed race course and coming into the parade ring. Usually the carriages are reserved for actual royalty, but Hollywood royalty made an appearance on Day 3 of Royal Ascot 2026 as Stanley Tucci and his wife, Felicity Blunt, joined Lord and Lady Cavendish in the fourth carriage.

With the King and Queen leading the parade in the first carriage, Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie, and Zara Tindall were among the other royal members of the Royal Procession. Stanley Tucci may come as a surprise to join the royals and aristocrats usually riding in the carriage, but the actor most affectionately remembered as Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada is reportedly a very good friend of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

King Charles first crossed paths with Stanley Tucci during several events in support of The Prince’s Trust—now known as The King’s Trust. Their friendship became even more apparent in February 2025, when Tucci was tasked with creating and co-hosting a special Anglo-Italian "Slow Food and Fashion” dinner at Highgrove House. The event lead up to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official visit to Italy, and celebrated the unique relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom.

Stanley Tucci and his wife, Felicity, looked right at home in the Royal Box at Ascot, alongside close friends and family of The King and Queen. While Stanley has a friendly relationship with King Charles, the invitation may have actually come from Queen Camilla for Felicity Blunt, Tucci’s wife.

Blunt acted as agent for Queen Camilla’s dear friend, Jilly Cooper, and is an executive producer on Rivals, a show close to Queen Camilla’s heart (for many reasons). Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the leading writer and producer on Rivals, was also in attendance, leading us to believe this was Queen Camilla’s doing—perhaps she is also dying to know what happens between Taggie and Rupert during the rest of Season 2.

Despite suffering from mobility issues, Queen Elizabeth carried out her duties to the very end, meeting with the incoming Prime Minister, Liz Truss, just two days before her 2022 death at the age of 96. The late Queen turned to members of her family for support at times, but as Queen Camilla told author Gyles Brandreth, it wasn’t always “necessary.”

In the months following Prince Philip’s 2021 death, those around the late Queen worried about her mental state. Brandreth, a longtime friend of the Royal Family, noted in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait that Queen Elizabeth had a “different” approach to mourning than her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

“There is no magic formula that will transform sorrow into happiness,” she said, “but being busy helps.” Part of keeping busy meant attending to royal duties, when possible, since Philip's death happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant attending the October 2021 openings of Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd, and King Charles and Queen Camilla came along for both trips.

But Camilla, then known as the Duchess of Cornwall, told Brandreth that their presence really wasn’t “required” due to the formidable Queen.

“‘We weren’t required,’” the Duchess said to me soon afterwards, laughing,” Brandreth wrote. “‘We were there to help out if necessary. It wasn’t necessary. The Queen did it all. She wanted to.” Camilla added, “She’s unstoppable.”

Queen Elizabeth put so much energy into staying busy after her husband's death that Brandreth said she pushed it a bit too far. “In that period of six months, the late Queen “did so much, so purposefully and with such a determination to not give way to any form of self-pity (which, she said, ‘My husband would certainly have not approved of’), that she probably did too much.”

However, no could have accused of her of wallowing. “Life goes on,” she said. “It has to.”

King Charles has implemented a slew of changes within the Royal Family in 2026, many of which relate to his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The former Prince Andrew found himself mentioned in a plethora of documents contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files, leading to a permanent Royal Family demotion. Now, royal sources are discussing the alleged ban Andrew has been given regarding several regal events he previously attended.

On June 15, King Charles joined Princess Kate and Prince William for the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle, which honors the achievements of people throughout the country and inducts them into the special group. The ex-Duke of York was a member of the Order and previously attended Garter Day annually, either publicly or privately.

Discussing the huge change for Andrew, one royal source told the Daily Express, "He's become used to watching his family celebrate Trooping [the Colour] without him, but Garter Day will be a really tough day for him."

When King Charles removed Andrew's royal titles and banished him from his public role within the Royal Family, he also removed Andrew's membership to the Order of the Garter.

The source continued, "It's one of those days that reminds him of all that he's lost. He's feeling more isolated than ever; he's completely alone."

In 2025, King Charles reportedly made a special allowance for his brother regarding Garter Day. As a source previously told the Express, "He won't participate in the procession but he has been invited to the lunch and investiture."

According to the outlet, Prince Andrew's "inclusion in the private aspects [was] seen as a compromise by both sides." But in 2026, there will be no such concession for the disgraced royal.

With June in full swing, the Royal Family is getting ready to plan a summer full of activities, and that includes an annual trip to Balmoral. Picnics have been a big part of life on the Scottish estate, and former royal butler Grant Harrold shared that these relaxed moments allowed Queen Elizabeth, King Charles and the rest of the family the chance to step away from the formality of palace life.

“Picnics were a massive thing for the late Queen,” Harrold, speaking on behalf of Smooth Spins Casino, said. “She loved her picnics, and you can imagine the picnics come in different variations.”

The late Queen enjoyed everything from a casual meal “with the hamper and travel rug” to “the posher picnics where they all go out somewhere and there's tables and there's chairs,” Harrold shared. But what was more important than the location was the private time with family and friends.

Harrold, who served King Charles at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011, said that while he’d occasionally help set things up for the royals, they “would normally do it themselves.”

“The chefs prepared all the food, the butlers would load everything into the vehicles, and off they would go,” he recalled. However, if there was a larger lunch planned, Harrold said the butlers “would go and help lay out the tables, but we wouldn’t serve the food. It would all just get put out and they would help themselves.”

“There was no staff, so it was a great chance for them to have private time as a family,” he added.

That do-it-yourself attitude also extended to cleaning up. Multiple guests of the late Queen have noted that she washed the dishes herself after casual meals at Balmoral, including one former courtier.

“I was once at a shooting lunch,” the royal insider told Harry Mount (via the Daily Mail). “At the end of lunch, I heard someone say, 'I’ll do the washing-up.' I turned around and there was the Queen in her yellow washing-up gloves.”

Royal fans always eagerly await Prince Louis's appearance at Trooping the Colour every year. Although the little prince didn't seem quite as enthusiastic as he has during previous events, onlookers were quick to highlight Louis's resemblance to one particular Royal Family relative.

Taking to X, one royal fan commented on Prince Louis's appearance at Trooping the Colour 2026, writing, "Prince Louis is the double of his grandfather Michael Middleton and growing up fast." Another royal fan replied, "He's the spitting image of grandpa Michael."

Someone else concurred, writing, "I ALWAYS feel we are watching Michael grow up as we watch Prince Louis grow up ."

Another commenter suggested that Princess Kate's father was probably extremely happy about his resemblance to Prince Louis. They shared, "I bet Mike Middleton is like yes one of those royal babies looks like me!"

The comparisons continued, with another X commenter writing, "Definitely a Middleton that one!" Someone else replied, "Yes!! I've always thought this! Seems only fair right? Talk about great genes!"

"Prince Louis is the image of his grandfather Michael, Prince George resembles his uncle Charles Spencer," one fan shared on X. Basically, royal fans have spoken, and they almost unanimously seem to agree that Prince Louis is taking after Princess Kate's dad in a big way.

Of course, not everyone agreed with the comparison. One person responded by writing, "I don't know why I'm starting to [feel] that Prince Louis looks [like] Prince Edward."

Overwhelmingly, though, royal fans seem to believe that Prince Louis is basically "the double" of his grandad, Michael, which is pretty adorable.

Princess Charlotte's adoration of Jellycat's range of plushies and cute products such as bag charms and keychains is no secret. Even Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's daughter, Princess Lilibet, has shown love for the adorable brand. Now, King Charles appears to have taken notice of the growing Jellycat-inspired plushie trend.

Royal Family fans are able to shop a plethora of products in the Royal Collection Trust Shop, and in person at royal properties such as Buckingham Palace. The latest items to appear in the Royal Family's online store are a range of stuffed toys relating to regal afternoon teas.

One of the items is a "smiling teapot plush keyring," described as "a charming character inspired by our iconic Great Exhibition range and a playful addition to our Tea at the Palace collection."

Joining the teapot is a matching fluffy teacup, a cucumber sandwich plush keychain, and a strawberry cupcake keychain.

As emotional support accessories remain all the rage in 2026, it seems likely that King Charles's latest product release will be a big hit with royal fans.

Last year, Lilibet appeared on Meghan's Instagram account carrying Jellycat's Amuseable Rainbow Bag, which retails for $40.

Meanwhile, when Prince William was gifted two Jellycat toys for his kids—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—in May 2025, he replied (via the Daily Mail), "My children will love these...They are children's currency."

As King Charles is known to take style tips from his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, by wearing friendship bracelets she's made for him, it seems entirely likely he drew inspiration from her stuffed toy collection for his latest Royal Collection Trust products.

SHOP EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ACCESSORIES

Trooping the Colour has to be the most over-the-top birthday celebration, commemorating King Charles’s birthday with a military parade, carriage procession, flypast, and more. While his actual date of birth is in November, the annual parade takes place in June in the hopes of better weather. The birthday boy–that is, King Charles III—wore his usual military finery for the event, but a sweet little accessory was peeking out, and we think Princess Charlotte might have something to do with it.

While on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the annual flypast, King Charles waved to the crowds as several braided friendship bracelets peeked out from the sleeve of his coat. The two colorful string bracelets were a stark difference to his red wool coat and military honors. The King has been seen wearing friendship bracelets in the past, rumored to be made by his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte. While The King doesn’t tend to wear jewelry, and once famously eschewed a wedding ring due to personal taste, these little bracelets keep appearing on The King’s wrist during public engagements.

Princess Charlotte has often sported the classic preteen-girl friendship bracelets, whether they are Swiftie-inspired beaded bracelets or braided thread, and gave others out to close family members. The young princess has been seen wearing several different friendship-style bracelets over the last few years, at events like Wimbledon and days out with her family. King Charles’s decision to wear the bracelets on such an important occasion seems to be a clear sign of how much he cares for his granddaughter.

The King was surrounded by other members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the flypast, including three of his grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The collection of working members of the Royal Family were all in attendance for the most important date in the royal calendar to celebrate King Charles’s birthday.

Fans are looking forward to Prince William, Princess Kate and their children making their annual appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday, June 13, but when the Prince of Wales becomes King, this annual tradition could potentially get an update.

Trooping the Colour is the monarch’s official birthday parade, and has taken place annually since 1760, although it was first held during the reign of Charles II. The celebrations are now held in June, but neither King Charles nor Queen Elizabeth had a June birthday—a curiosity explained by former royal butler to The King, Grant Harrold.

“The tradition of a British monarch having two birthdays dates back to the 18th century,” he told Heart Bingo, adding King George II was born in November, “when Britain's weather was often cold, wet and unpredictable.”

Since holding an outdoor carriage procession and military parade in the autumn could be difficult and unpleasant for people to attend, King George II introduced the concept of an official birthday in the summer. “As a result, the monarch has both a real birthday and an official birthday, which are celebrated separately,” Harrold says.

However, Prince William’s birthday happens to be on June 21, unlike The King, who was born in November, and Queen Elizabeth, who had an April birthday. This makes the concept of having an official birthday somewhat unnecessary, as Harrold notes.

“There is no guarantee that Prince William will scrap the two-birthday tradition when he eventually becomes King, but some royal watchers have speculated that he could choose to review it,” he says.

Harrold adds that “there would be less practical need for a separate official birthday” because of William being born in the summer. While it would certainly make sense to hold Trooping the Colour on June 21, the event is traditionally held on a Saturday to allow members of the public to enjoy the festivities.

Only time will tell if the Prince of Wales decides to update Trooping the Colour once he takes the throne, but until then, birthdays are twice as nice for King Charles.

When it was announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla were confirmed to attend the Epsom Derby on the same day as his nephew Peter Phillips’s wedding, some royal watchers wondered if he’d be skipping the nuptials. But true to form, the smiling King and Queen arrived at the church in Kemble, England on Saturday before dashing off to the derby. It’s an approach The King’s former butler, Grant Harrold, says is markedly different from the late Queen.

Speaking on behalf of CasinoHawks, Harrold says King Charles has always “adored his nephew,” describing them as “very close.” He adds that even though it was a tight timeline, The King made sure that being at Peter's wedding was a top priority, despite his scheduled royal duties.

“It would have been a logistical nightmare to make it work, but the King and his team would have gone to extreme lengths to ensure he could be there for the ceremony,” Harrold shares.

Queen Elizabeth was known for her incredible dedication to Crown and country, but at times, that came at the expense of her family, as Harrold points out. He calls The King attending Peter and Harriet’s wedding “interesting because it shows how different the King is to his mother.”

“The late Queen was always about duty first, family after,” he shares. “She missed many family occasions as she didn’t want to let people down at official engagements. However, The King is a bit more relaxed on this, and wants to make sure he’s there for the big moments in his family’s life.” Harrold describes his former boss as trying to keep “all the plates spinning.”

“Where The Queen was Crown first, family second, the King works really hard to keep them equal,” he adds.

Although the King and Queen weren’t able to be there for Peter and Harriet’s wedding reception at Princess Anne’s home, Gatcombe Park, the bride and groom certainly would have understood.

“Many people took this as rude or a snub, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Harrold says of Their Majesties leaving early. “The King was due to present a trophy at the races, which is a huge engagement in the royal diary. And while for us, we wouldn’t feel bad about cancelling a work event for a close family member’s wedding, it’s of course very, very different from the royals.”

When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, she left behind an incomparable legacy, having spent 70 years on the British throne. But at a number of points during her life, the late Queen was reportedly compared to other Royal Family members, often unfairly, per one royal expert.

In the book Queen Elizabeth II: Pocket Giants, royal expert Victoria Arbiter examined one instance in which the late monarch was pitted against a younger family member.

"In 1983, Charles and Diana were lauded for taking their 9-month-old son Prince William on their 6-week tour to Australia and New Zealand," Arbiter shared. "Pundits took to their columns, comparing the cold unfeeling Queen who left her children behind, to Diana, who defied convention and broke with tradition."

But as Arbiter noted, the comparison isn't necessarily equitable due to a number of factors.

"In order to do a fair comparison, however, one must consider the generational divide," the royal expert explained. "30 years had passed between The Queen's tour and that of the Waleses's, during which time advances in modern aviation made travel significantly speedier."

Discussing some of the reasons why Queen Elizabeth II shouldn't have been compared to her daughter-in-law, Arbiter wrote, "People's attitudes towards royalty had shifted and, adored as she was, Diana was merely a princess, not The Queen."

Importantly, when the monarch arrived in Bermuda in November 1953 following a 17-hour flight, she faced a huge welcome party and incredible pressures.

"News reports declared that nearly every one of the island nation's 38,000 residents had turned out for a glimpse of their new sovereign," the expert explained. "Conversely, when Charles and Diana landed in Alice Springs...a handful of local officials waited to greet them."

Arbiter continued, "After a brief photo call, William and his nanny left for Woomargama, a working sheep and cattle ranch in South West Australia. He remained there for the duration of the tour, and his parents visited him several times."

Charles and Diana spent a total of 6 weeks in Australia and New Zealand. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth was away for 6 months—from November 1953 until May 1954—visiting everywhere from Jamaica, Fiji and Tonga, Australia and New Zealand, with a return sailing stopping in Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Malta, and Gibraltar, per Cambridge University.

With very different remits and expectations placed upon them, Diana and Elizabeth arguably had very separate aims during their respective trips, leading to unfair comparisons.

Much has been written about Prince William's alleged plans for the future. As the heir apparent, the Prince of Wales will one day become King, and when he does, the royal might implement some new rules and alter the status quo.

According to a new article by the Sunday Times's royal editor, Roya Nikkhah, "William is understood to be concerned about the optics of non-working royals benefiting from preferential living arrangements."

Per the outlet, William is motivated by the revelation that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had been subletting multiple properties, while only paying a small "peppercorn" rent for his own residence.

The fact that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have allegedly "never paid rent for their homes at St James's Palace and Kensington Palace" has only added weight to Prince William's initial concern.

Per Nikkhah, Prince William appears to be leading by example. For instance, the prince shared contract details for his new home, Forest Lodge, with the general public, which includes a rule preventing subletting.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are also paying considerably more rent for the property than the previous tenants did, seemingly proving that they're committed to transparency and fairness.

"Sources close to the prince told the Sunday Times that he wants to ensure it is 'fit for purpose in the modern era' and will 'look under the hood' of the institution," the outlet shared. Basically, the current Royal Family rules might not be "fit for purpose" moving forward.

The outlet's source also claimed that Prince William is "'mindful of how much the monarchy costs' and the size of the organization, and will be 'hands-on' in restructuring a leaner machine while assessing the 'footprint of the institution.'"

It appears as though the Royal Family will enter a very different era when William is King.

With a smaller group of working royals around him, Prince William will need to rely on his family’s support more than ever when he becomes King. Unlike Queen Elizabeth or King Charles, the Prince of Wales, 43, doesn’t have a balcony full of siblings or even cousins with full-time royal roles. But two people he can always count on are his uncle, Prince Edward, and aunt, Duchess Sophie—and they’ve been taking on an increasingly visible role in the Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been traveling to Portugal on behalf of King Charles this week, and the monarch’s brother and sister-in-law have taken on more responsibilities in the nearly four years since Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Speaking to Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton says Sophie, in particular, appears to have “grown into the role” and is “entirely at ease” with her increased royal duties.

“She carries herself exceptionally well,” Stanton says of Duchess Sophie. Whether it’s speaking on behalf of the UN’s Women, Peace and Security agenda or attending an agricultural fair with Prince William, the duchess is “comfortable being the center of attention,” the body language expert shares.

“Sophie and Edward seem to be growing steadily into a more prominent position within the Royal Family,” he continues. Although Prince Edward is the naturally more introverted of the pair, together, they “work as a team,” Stanton adds.

When Prince William takes the throne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will likely be among the only working royals left, other than Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who are all in their seventies and eighties.

‘‘As William and Kate move closer to becoming King and Queen, Sophie and Edward will inevitably become more visible and more important within the monarchy,” Stanton says. “In many ways, they're already being prepared for that shift.”

As the duke and duchess continue to support The King in their daily work, Stanton notes that the public has shown an extremely positive reaction to the couple. “People appear at ease around them, which is often a good reflection of the energy being projected,” he notes.

Ever since Prince Albert bought the Balmoral estate in 1852, it’s been a cherished retreat for members of the Royal Family. The 50,000-acre estate includes multiple private residences as well as Balmoral Castle, and is the traditional summer home of the British royals. King Charles and Queen Camilla invite family, friends and politicians to Balmoral every year, and former royal butler Grant Harrold is sharing what it’s really like behind the scenes at the Scottish retreat.

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Harrold—who served King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House for nearly a decade—says visiting Balmoral is “lovely but it’s quite full on and regimented.” Guests receive “a full information pack” before their arrival, and members of staff will take their bags away (and unpack them) once they get to the property.

Apparently, this part of the trip is what Harrold and other staff members sometimes struggled with when welcoming new guests. “The only issue we ran into was guests not knowing where their clothes were!” he reveals. “So we’d leave drawers slightly open and wardrobes ajar so they could spot their things. We’d unzip toiletries too, but never unpack them. We’d just leave them sitting by the wash basin.”

Describing the guest rooms at the castle, Harrold says they’re “more like an exclusive hotel” and are “private, elegant and a little grand with Victorian furniture.” Visitors and royals alike have often shared that they were overwhelmed with the rules at Balmoral, and Harrold admitted that “you can't really say no to anything.”

“Guests know what they’re doing at all times,” he said, explaining that a schedule is given that tells visitors where to be and when. However, the activities are planned with guests in mind.

“The Prime Minister would normally go up for a long weekend, but it will be the same treatment as any other visitors,” Harrold shares. “He'll be given an idea what to do and he'll get the itinerary. The itineraries are tailored to accommodate each guest. If he likes fishing, maybe they go fishing. If he likes walking, they'll go walking. He’ll also have meetings with the King and they can use the time to catch up.”

Once upon a time, guests would even expect to see a bit of royal dish washing. The late Queen’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter recalled a visit to Balmoral when he got to work cleaning up after a picnic with Her Majesty.

“No sooner had I started than I heard footsteps and, thinking it was the lady-in-waiting coming to give me a hand, I casually said over my shoulder, 'okay, I’ll wash you dry,' but it was not the lady-in-waiting,” he wrote in Woman & Home. “The Queen washed up and I dried, and no, she did not wear rubber gloves to protect her hands.”

Former Prime Minister David Cameron told a similar story to author Gyles Brandreth, who included the tidbit in his biography Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. “I'm not making this up, you sat down and Prince Philip and Her Majesty The Queen served your dinner and cleared it away and washed it up while you sat talking with the other guests,” Cameron told the author .

Princess Diana quickly became a beloved member of the Royal Family after marrying King Charles on July 29, 1981. Unsurprisingly, the former Princess of Wales was inundated with gifts every year on her birthday—including from one unexpected royal.

In his book, A Royal Duty, former royal butler Paul Burrell reflected on Princess Diana's birthday celebrations throughout the years.

"If the princess dreaded July 1, so did her butler," Burrell joked. "I would be running up and down those stairs for hours on end. A delivery from Selfridges, from Harrods, from the royal grocers Fortnum & Mason, from Harvey Nichols."

Despite announcing her separation from King Charles in December 1992, one member of the Royal Family always celebrated Princess Diana's birthday, according to Burrell.

"And then, without fail, a bunch of flowers from Prince Charles who addressed every letter and card he sent, every year until her death, 'Dearest Diana,'" the royal butler revealed.

Of course, King Charles wasn't the only person to send Princess Diana gifts every year on her birthday.

"24 long-stemmed yellow roses, boxed from Edward Goodyear, the florist in Mayfair, from a secret admirer the world never got to know about," Burrell revealed. "Red roses arrived from friends. Then white flowers—tulips from Elton John and more roses from Gianni Versace."

The former butler continued, "All her female friends sent flowers or presents. At the police box, well-wishers left cards, presents, and flowers. By the end of the day, [her apartment] resembled a florist's shop and every conceivable flat surface was covered with cards."

Basically, it sounds as though Princess Diana was shown a lot of love on her birthday from everyone around her.

In Queen Elizabeth’s day, the Buckingham Palace balcony was filled with extended members of the Royal Family. But King Charles and Prince William have both made a point to focus on the small group of senior working royals at public events—an inner circle that is quickly aging. As the Royal Family prepares to gather for Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding on June 6, former royal butler Grant Harrold is opening up about one member of the family who won’t be taking on full-time duties anytime soon.

Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Harrold, who worked for The King between 2004 and 2011, says that fans might not realize how involved Phillips is behind the scenes. “He’s had quite an active role in royal events over the years,” he shares, explaining that among other activities, Peter “was on the committee for the late Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.”

Peter’s sister, Zara Tindall, has supported their cousin Prince William and their uncle The King at events like royal garden parties, but Harrold notes that their branch of the family is unlikely to ever take on bigger roles in the family, especially when Prince William “talks about a slimmed-down monarchy.”

Speaking of Phillips, Harrold says that the groom-to-be “will be absolutely fine” with keeping his low-key profile. “He’s a businessman, he does his own thing and enjoys his own life away from the spotlight,” the former butler adds.

Princess Anne purposely didn't give either of her children royal titles in order to give them more freedom and career opportunities. Harrold says that although Peter doesn't have a title or an official role, “he’s still a close family member and a key part of the more private side of the family’s life.”

“He’s very close to his uncle, the King,” Harrold adds. “The King enjoys spending time with Peter and his sister Zara, which we see whenever they attend public events together. The King has a lot of time and love for him.”

A survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse has spoken out after the news that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is being investigated for possible sex crimes. Jess Michaels, who was sexually assaulted by Epstein in 1991, told the Telegraph that the Royal Family protected the former Duke of York despite knowing six years ago that he’d allegedly shared confidential information in his role as a U.K. trade envoy.

“Six years ago, the palace knew Andrew wasn’t just a problem, he could face a criminal investigation. And they sat on it,” Michaels said in a statement to the media outlet.

Michaels was 22 and working as a professional dancer in New York City when she was assaulted by Epstein in the ‘90s. She said that the consequences of the monarchy sitting on this information were wide-ranging for the women who suffered under Epstein, including the late Virginia Giuffre.

“Protecting him meant doubting her. Virginia Roberts Giuffre was telling the truth, and she didn’t live to see them admit it,” Michaels said. “That breaks my heart and it should break everyone’s.”

She added, “This is what institutions do. They protect powerful men and leave the people they harmed to carry it.”

The former Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February, and in May, Thames Valley Police announced they were looking into other alleged offenses, including sexual misconduct. One incident is an encounter with a waitress at Royal Ascot, who has accused Andrew of behaving inappropriately during Queen Elizabeth's 2002 Golden Jubilee year.

Andrew has vehemently denied any wrongdoing over the years.

After four decades, a letter King Charles wrote to a member of the royal household has been sold at auction, and in the never-before-seen note, he mourned the death of his old dog, Harvey. Although the yellow Labrador retriever was a fond companion of the then-Prince Charles, Princess Diana reportedly talked him into giving the dog away to a member of their staff.

The letter sold for £656 by London-based Chiswick Auctions, according to the Telegraph, and was sent to Lt Col Phillip Creasy, comptroller to Prince Charles and Princess Diana at the time. Creasy, who adopted Harvey from Charles, had to put the dog to sleep in 1987 and wrote to him to share the news.

“You were absolutely right to take the decision you did, although it is always a desperate one to have to take,” The King responded in his letter.

King Charles continued, “I am so pleased you all loved him so much. He was a splendid character and when we were both a bit younger, he made me laugh so much by his dotty antics.”

“As you say, he was a loyal old friend and I cannot thank you and your wife enough for your great kindness in agreeing to look after him and for giving him such a happy retirement away from those damp kennels,” Charles added.

Per the Telegraph, author Penny Junor wrote in The Firm that Princess Diana was the reason for Harvey’s departure. “He even gave away his faithful old Labrador Harvey because Diana thought he was smelly,” Junor wrote in the book.

Giving a dog away is quite possibly the last thing Queen Camilla would suggest, as the King and Queen share a huge passion for animals. Together, the couple own two rescue dogs, Bluebell and Moley, along with The King's Italian truffle hunting dog, Snuff, who is a Lagotto Romagnolo.

Royal Ascot isn’t Royal Ascot without the “royal” part—that is, the presence of royalty in the Royal Enclosure and the iconic royal procession of carriages arriving at the famed race course. Queen Elizabeth II, as a passionate horsewoman, attended almost every year, and King Charles III has taken up the reins as he attends the annual Royal Ascot races as often as he can.

The British do pomp and ceremony better than anyone else, and Royal Ascot is a great example of that. “That is the history we are trying to continue,” Mike Tindall, former rugby player and husband to King Charles’s niece, Zara Tindall, said on The Luxury Dispatch. “That royal procession down the course, it's still a standalone feature of what happens at Royal Ascot.”

Mike Tindall has sat in the royal carriage procession next to his wife, a well respected and former Olympic equestrian, many times, and revealed a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the events of the day. “You jump in cars, the fleet of cars that they use are old, historical, good old fashioned state cars and they take you to the edge of [Windsor] Great Park.”

From Windsor Great Park, the royals climb into historic wicker landau carriages that process through Windsor and onto the race course. “It’s about a 20 minute carriage ride from start to finish,” Tindall said, sharing the overwhelming experience of the entire procession. “The horses, the green coats, when you set off you go past schools, it seems to be a load of schools, and they always let the children out and wave the British flags, and I’m thinking that’s great.”

With Royal Ascot running in mid-June, there is a risk of the weather being too good. “If it’s too hot, it’s a bit of a nightmare,” Tindall admitted. Royal Ascot’s Royal Enclosure dress code requires full tails and a top hat for men, which can be oppressive if the temperatures are sweltering. “If you take the hat off, a pool of water drops out” Mike Tindall joked, referring to pools of sweat on a sweltering day.

The iconic image of the carriages processing through the Royal Ascot racecourse are a British classic. “You turn on to the track down the middle of the course, and when you turn into the stadium,” Tindall reflected on previous years at Royal Ascot. In carriages carrying the King and Queen and other senior members of the Royal Family, it’s hard to miss the significance of this carriage procession. “The anthem starts, and it’s quite special.”

Queen Elizabeth had a simple approach to food, and in her nineties, still enjoyed the same “jam penny” sandwiches she ate as a school girl. While she had a love for British classics, former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed that King Charles enjoys one particular cuisine more than his late mother.

In a video on his YouTube channel, the former Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace chef shared a recipe for a mushroom risotto that he served to The King—and revealed His Majesty’s fondness for Italian food.

“Now King Charles has a different palate to his mother,” McGrady said. “The Queen was very much into traditional French cuisine and British comfort food. But King Charles really, really likes Italian cuisine and especially this dish, risotto.”

The King and Queen Camilla are both avid mushroom hunters and are famously competitive over the hobby, and McGrady recalled a time when Charles invited him into the woods with a famous chef.

While preparing his risotto in the video, McGrady said that “King Charles preferred this classic dish with wild mushrooms” and would go out foraging for them himself, especially at Balmoral Castle.

“He would love to go foraging up there for the wild mushrooms on the estate,” the chef shared. “I remember one time he invited Antonio Carluccio, one of the most amazing Italian chefs who really knew his mushrooms, and I got to go out with them.”

As for the late Queen, she wasn't known to be a connoisseur of Italian food, and in a 2020 interview with Us Weekly, McGrady said that Queen Elizabeth “never had pizza.” “I didn't start cooking pizza until I moved across to Kensington Palace,” he added.

It’s hard to believe it was only a few months ago that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in connection with ongoing revelations on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. For many weeks, it seemed that no other royal news could eclipse the unending wrongdoings. Luckily, the 24-hour news cycle has created short memories for us all, and what was once a disaster for the monarchy is now a distant memory. “It’s easy to forget but the start of the year was torrid,” royal editor Emily Andrews wrote for Woman and Home.

“Headlines were dominated by the man formerly known as Prince Andrew,” Andrews wrote. “The fallout from the Epstein revelations felt never ending.” Every few days, a new disparaging story would appear. “The mood at Buckingham Palace was pretty bleak,” Andrews revealed, but luckily the monarchy knows how to handle a crisis. “The senior members of the Firm know to always keep their eyes on the long game.”

Keeping their eyes on the long game, combined with that Keep Calm and Carry On attitude, has gotten the British Royal Family through their fair share of controversies. The secret is to keep going, and do the job the very best they can. “The King and Queen showed what deft diplomats they are on their hugely successful tour to the USA,” Andrews explained. “The King—whose work has so often gone unrecognised—managed to utterly charm the President and First Lady” while “Queen Camilla too was widely praised—from beekeeping tips with Melania to promoting reading in New York with Sarah Jessica Parker.”

Instead of crumbling under the negativity and pressure, or answering endless questions from the press, the Royal Family quietly carried on, supporting grassroots charities and flying the flag for British diplomacy. “The Edinburghs and Gloucesters are plugging away on the road in the UK,” Andrews wrote, explaining that every working royal showed their strengths. “The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence have just returned from Greece,” Andrews said, while the Prince and Princess of Wales have carried out their official duties more than ever.

“There is a sense that everyone is working together,” Andrews explained. The cohesive action of Keeping Calm and Carrying On “in a content and confident manner” has turned the tide on royal news for the year. According to Emily Andrews, this devotion to duty in the midst of crisis is “everything the Royal Family should be: shining the spotlight on others. Long may it continue.”

Princess Diana was just 19 years old when she got engaged to King Charles. When the pair married on July 29, 1981, Diana had just turned 20; at the time, Charles was 32. As a result, the couple learned to navigate their age gap, and according to Diana, she sometimes felt like a child within the Royal Family.

In a letter written to former classmate Katherine Hanbury in September 1981, Princess Diana discussed a myriad of topics, including her recent honeymoon with Charles.

"We had a blissful honeymoon with endless sun and luckily calm seas," Diana shared (via the Telegraph). "[W]e are now up in Scotland until the end of October, which is a big treat for us—I adore being outside all day and hate London!"

Diana also praised her husband in the letter, writing, "[It's] wonderful being married—I think [it's] safe to say that after two months!"

As for how she felt about joining the Royal Family, Diana told Hanbury, "[It's] a case of playing with grown-ups!"

The letter, along with a collection of other memorabilia, is set to be auctioned by Gorringe's Fine Art and Interiors in July 2026.

Of the sale, Gorringe's books and manuscripts specialist, Albert Radford, told the Telegraph, "This intimate archive offers a rare glimpse of Diana, Princess of Wales, before duty and fame had the final say."

Radford continued, "She appears here as a young woman suspended between love and history—hopeful, unguarded, and not yet entirely claimed by the institution that would come to define her. In these small, fragile traces, innocence lingers—along with a quiet stubborn belief in something as simple and elusive as love."

King Charles and Princess Diana had somewhat of a tumultuous marriage. Having tied the knot on July 29, 1981, the couple went on to welcome two children together—Prince William and Prince Harry—before announcing their separation on December 9, 1992. The couple's divorce was finalized on August 28, 1996, and according to one former royal butler, Charles and Diana attempted to be civil during that time.

In his book A Royal Duty, former butler Paul Burrell recalled a surprise visit Princess Diana received from The King following their split.

"The last person I expected was the heir to the throne," Burrell shared. "Charles had popped in, unannounced. 'Hello, Paul, may I come in?' he said. He had been due to catch a helicopter...but was early, so he had decided to visit his estranged wife."

Noting his own shock at Charles's arrival, the former butler wrote, "If I was surprised, I couldn't wait to see the reaction of the boss [Princess Diana]."

After climbing the stairs inside Diana's residence, Charles called out to his ex, and "was met by the rather stunned princess on the first-floor landing and they greeted each other with a kiss on both cheeks."

According to Burrell, Diana was every bit as surprised as he was.

"She looked over his shoulder at me and her eyes widened with mock horror," the former royal employee explained. "Then she couldn't resist breaking the ice with her usual humor."

Per the ex-butler, Diana reportedly remarked, "I suppose you've come to take the furniture away, then, Charles!"

Remembering the strange moment, Burrell wrote, "Husband and wife, in the throes of a rather awkward divorce, laughed together for the first time in an age. If only they could have done that more in public, I thought."

Surprisingly, even during their difficult split, there were occasional moments of levity between Charles and Diana, according to a former staff member.

The end of May marks a holiday weekend in both the United States and the U.K., but according to former royal butler Grant Harrold, King Charles and the rest of the royals don’t get up to any exciting plans. Instead, they’re focused on business as usual, and when they do go away, Harrold says it’s “a bit boring.”

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, Harrold—who served King Charles as a butler at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011—says members of the Royal Family are “normally working” over a long weekend. “The royals have very boring bank holiday weekends,” he shares. “Sometimes they will have friends come over for dinner, but overall it would still be a working day for them. They’re creatures of habit, they don't change.”

Workaholic King Charles, in particular, likes to keep the same schedule. “The King’s routine is the same every day. His mother was the same, so I think it’s just how he’s been brought up,” Harrold added. “Even if they’re away for a bank holiday weekend, they still do their same routines. They’re a bit boring really.”

Like the late Queen, The King and Queen Camilla like to spend their time on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, but before she married into the Royal Family, she preferred warmer spots. “Camilla likes the sun, I think she likes the Mediterranean,” Harrold says. “Before she went to Balmoral, she used to go on yacht holidays.”

He adds that Prince William and Princess Kate—who are big fans of the French Alps as well as beach vacations— also “seem to like their yachting holidays.” As for Princess Anne, she’s more like her mother and eldest brother.

“I'm not aware of Princess Anne going overseas like that,” Harrold shares. “I think she tends to do the traditional Scotland when she goes up there for her breaks.”

Although he’s a Balmoral enthusiast, King Charles does occasionally travel elsewhere, with Harrold noting that when The King goes on an overseas tour, he “sometimes ties in other trips.” The former butler continues that King Charles has “a house in Romania, which he will add onto a tour. But normally for holidays it’s Scotland. He’s more of a traditionalist.”

It’s been a busy May for the Royal Family filled with overseas trips, garden parties and birthday celebrations, and despite the shadow of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s scandals, it seems like it’s back to business for the monarchy. After receiving a rock star reception in Italy, Princess Kate is generating quite the buzz about taking on more trips abroad, with multiple royal experts pointing out that the future of the monarchy is riding on Prince William and Princess Kate’s shoulders.

Reflecting on Kate’s first solo trip overseas since her 2024 cancer diagnosis, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson told People that it was integral for the future Queen to be out there in the public.

“As Queen Elizabeth used to say, you have to be seen to be believed,” Anderson said. The former palace employee continued that the Princess of Wales is “glamorous” and “beautiful,” as well as “warm and approachable.”

“On the back of The King’s successful visit to the States, William and Kate are upping their game,” she added.

With The King, Queen and Princess Anne all well into their seventies and Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie in their sixties, it’s become more important than ever for the Prince and Princess of Wales to carry more of the burden of royal work.

“Princess Anne and the other senior working royals are all stretched thin — and none of them are young,” author Catherine Mayer told People. “William and Catherine carry the whole thing.”

After years of being called “work shy,” Prince William and Princess Kate are now amping up their royal projects—on their own terms. The Princess of Wales, who announced she was in remission from cancer in January 2025, has been clear that family is her first priority. But as seen from the tremendous response to her Italy trip, she’s also needed as a worldwide ambassador for the Royal Family.

Mayer says that Prince William and Princess Kate’s star power is helping restore confidence in the monarchy after former Prince Andrew’s arrest and involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

“For the moment, after that period of unprecedented turbulence, they are doing a very good job of making it look like the ship is steady,” said Mayer. “That is why Kate is so important.”

The Queen Mother was known for her love of a good drink—especially a gin and Dubonnet—and although her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, wasn’t quite as enthusiastic of a drinker, she did enjoy when dinner parties became a bit spirited. Former royal butler Julius Smith says that the late Queen enjoyed “gossip” and she had a sure-fire way of getting people to open up.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Smith said that Queen Elizabeth had a “mischevious way” to loosen lips. “She used to love to gossip,” he revealed, adding that the monarch would make sure that all of her guests’ wine glasses were full at all times. The outlet reported that the late Queen wouldn’t accept an un-topped glass, “even if they attempted to stop the pouring with their hands.”

“She would say to pour it in through their fingers!” Smith said.

However, the former butler added that Queen Elizabeth’s lifestyle wasn’t as “boozy” as the Queen Mum, who reportedly drank up to 70 alcoholic drinks per week. “She certainly wouldn’t be drinking and things like that as part of the routine,” Smith said of the late Queen, stating that was “more the Queen Mother.”

As for King Charles, Smith said that the monarch prefers “Earl Grey or chamomile tea with honey already stirred in before it even reaches him.” He added, “You don’t need to waste his time offering things and asking questions because you already know what he likes.”

Like his late mother, The King is “not a big eater at all” and goes for modest meals, Smith shared. “She was very keen on white bread with jam and butter,” he said of the late Queen, referring to her favorite “jam penny” sandwiches.

As former royal chef Darren McGrady previously revealed, the sandwiches are “cut into circles the size of an old English penny,” and the late Queen enjoyed eating them her entire life—reportedly with a side of gossip.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting Northern Ireland this week, and proud grandpa Charles is bringing home a tween-approved souvenir for Princess Charlotte. While visiting Belfast, The King met with small businesses who are supported by The King’s Trust, including jewelry business Empower Flower, who gave him a special something to bring home to 11-year-old Charlotte.

While speaking with business owners at the W5 Life (Learning Innovation for Everyone) program, King Charles met Empower Flower’s owner, Rachel Rose, who told him she’s “trying to encourage people to come off their phones and use their hands to create some magic,” per Hello!

She then gave The King a beaded handbag charm she made for Princess Charlotte, with the monarch replying, “Thank you, she will love that.”

In an exclusive interview with Hello! earlier this month, royal biographer Robert Jobson said that Charlotte “enjoys a close relationship” with her grandfather. “He totally adores her,” the author said. “She loves it when he reads to her in his funny voices.”

Charlotte, who calls King Charles “Grandpa Wales,” is expected to make her next appearance on Saturday, June 13, when she joins the Royal Family for The King's official birthday parade, Trooping the Colour. She's also joined Prince William and Princess Kate at the Wimbledon championships over the past few years, wearing handmade friendship bracelets that she seems to have shared with her grandpa, too.

With Prince William rumored to be heading to the United States for the World Cup, it's possible Charlotte and her siblings could tag along—and what better time to show off her new bag charm?

Although King Charles reunited with Prince Harry in September 2025 when the Duke of Sussex was visiting London, it’s understood that Prince William has not spoken to his brother since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022. Prince Harry, who is celebrating his eighth wedding anniversary on May 19, has publicly stated that he’s open to reconciliation, but at the moment, the brothers remain estranged. However, according to one royal expert, there’s one unlikely person who might be able to get William and Harry in the same room.

Charlotte Griffiths, editor-in-large at the Mail on Sunday, shared that new royal aide Theo Rycroft has “become this great white hope for King Charles.” Rycroft formerly served as Minister and Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Paris, and the “incredibly talented diplomat” is being looked at as the one person who could intervene in the Harry/William fallout.

Noting that it was Rycroft who was responsible for King Charles and Donald Trump “getting along so well during the U.S. state visit,” Griffiths added that people in the royal household think that the new aide is a “diplomatic genius.”

Rycroft left Paris in January 2025, and has since gone on to earn a stellar impression inside the palace. Griffiths said that “the current rumor doing the rounds at the palace is that maybe Theo can smooth the way between William and Harry and get them to shake hands.”

She added that “there never may be any more than a handshake” and that it would be great to “get them in a room together, vaguely being civilized with one another for the sake of King Charles, who has, after all, got cancer and is going through a lot at the moment.”

In his role as deputy private secretary, Rycroft is one of The King’s most senior and influential staff members, and as such, serves as a gatekeeper of sorts to the monarch. Griffiths says that Rycroft considers it “his duty to help The King and help make The King’s life less stressful,” and one of his biggest stressors these days is the relationship with his youngest son.

Much has been written about the allegedly tumultuous nature of King Charles's marriage to Princess Diana. And according to a former palace employee, insults between the pair led to a depletion of confidence as the years went on.

Writing in the book A Royal Duty, former butler Paul Burrell shared, "I saw the confidence-crushing effect [King] Charles had on her in Japan when she tried to win his approval."

Referencing Diana and Charles's royal tour of Japan, which took place in November 1990, Burrell recalled a particularly upsetting moment for the princess.

"Charles and his staff were checking their watches as they milled in the grand hallway ahead of an official function when the princess, looking radiant, came downstairs wearing a Catherine Walker red tartan coat dress with red velvet collar and cuffs," the former butler explained.

Discussing the striking outfit, Burrell wrote, "It was loud but elegant and she was smiling. I was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when she walked to the prince's side and said, 'So, do you like my outfit, Charles?'"

Unfortunately, King Charles allegedly made a joke about his wife's outfit, which completely changed her mood, according to Burrell.

"His reply was soft and devoid of bitterness, but its effect was brutal," the ex-royal butler said. "'Yes. You look like a British Caledonian air stewardess.'"

Per Burrell, after Charles delivered his quip about Diana's outfit, "he turned and walked out of the front door to an awaiting car."

The former royal employee's account continued: "The smile vanished from the princess's face and she looked down. Then she did what she became expert at: she mustered confidence from somewhere and followed him out of the door."

Burrell further alleged, "It was not the only time he crushed her confidence, intentionally or otherwise."

Despite growing up as a member of the nobility, Princess Diana wasn't totally prepared for life within the Royal Family. In fact, mere months before her royal wedding to King Charles, Diana reportedly got cold feet while attending Prince Andrew's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle.

Elton John famously performed at the glitzy event on February 19, 1981, and later recalled his memories of the evening. But according to one royal author, Princess Diana didn't have an entirely positive experience at the party.

"Charles was behaving as if he was on duty and insisted, to the despair of his fiancée, on working the room and making sure he spoke with as many people as possible," royal expert Ingrid Seward shared in her book, My Mother and I.

Seward continued, "The younger crowd congregated in the disco, where the music was louder. Diana, nervous, upset and emotionally drained, danced frantically with first one man, then another, and eventually by herself."

Unfortunately, the experience allegedly had a fairly negative impact on the 19-year-old royal bride-to-be.

One member of staff, Mark Simpson, reportedly grew concerned about the princess's well-being at sunrise "when he glanced out of the window and saw Diana in the quadrangle, cutting a gaunt figure in the half-light, looking exhausted, lost in her thoughts, but still moving in a slow, rhythmic time to the music that was now playing in her head."

In the early hours of the morning, Diana reportedly drove to her family's home in Northamptonshire, Althorp. "At that moment, she was distraught, flustered, and had no intention of ever going back," Seward explained. And according to the royal expert, Diana came close to calling off her nuptials altogether.

"Her wedding to Charles was mere weeks away," the royal expert wrote. "As far as Diana was concerned that morning, it was canceled. In her anger and despair, she had decided she was not going through with it."

Diana's father, John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, "calmed her down and pointed out it would have been an act of gross discourtesy to break off the engagement to the future King so close to the wedding," Seward shared.

Had Diana's dad not convinced her to remain engaged to Charles, life would've turned out very differently for the young princess.