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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been “hurt” after a flop in ratings from their new Netflix series, according to a PR expert. The couple executive produced the series and made an appearance in it. An American PR expert, who goes by the alias “Royal Tea” on social media, tweeted: “‘Live to Lead’ from the Sussexes and the Mandela Foundation has had very little press coverage and promotion behind it, which is strange given their association and the impressive list of bold names involved.”
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Harry and Meghan signed a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix in 2020 (Image: GETTY)
She added: “It is one of the first tests commercially of their brand strategy to pull people in [with] personal drama and hope they stay for the philanthropy.
“With little to no PR, a Saturday/holiday release, and no gossip to drive organic press, it didn’t even crack the Top 100 TV shows.
“The way it’s being handled feels like a throwaway project to fulfil a contract. Maybe they had to hit a certain number of Netflix projects by the end of this year.
“The one thing that is clear is that the Sussex name alone isn’t enough to drive views, which will hurt them.”
The liveblog for reporting recent Royal Family updates and stories has now closed.
A new blog will be set up sometime day to bring you the latest updates.
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A friend of King Charles has revealed that a Christmas worker bumped into the royal while he was on an outing in Mayfair.
The incident is reported to have happened last month in December before Christmas when King Charles was having an outing with Queen Camilla in London. His Majesty found it amusing and laughed about the event afterwards.
A friend of King Charles told the Daily Mail that King Charles and Queen Camilla were attending a party in a pub when the accident happened.
The pub worker was reportedly carrying a large tray of food from the kitchen and facing backwards when he ran into the King.
King Charles reportedly laughed after a Christmas worker bumped into him (Image: Getty Images)
Before becoming King Charles, the then Prince of Wales had a huge portfolio of impressive properties.
They ranged from Tamarisk House on the Isles of Scilly to the Castle of Mey at the other side of the UK in the north of Scotland.
But following the Queen’s death, all these residences are controlled by the Crown Estate.
Some of the properties, such as Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle, where the Queen sadly died in September 2022, are privately owned.
Throughout his long tenure as heir in waiting The King lived in several of these royal residences – but always had his eye on one home in particular.
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King Charles reportedly cherished Marlborough House (Image: Getty Images)
Mike Tindall has once again stripped down to his swimming trunks and taken in a dip in a freezing cold lake as part of a charitable challenge.
Alongside a couple of friends, the late Queen’s grandson-in-law took a swim as part of Doddie Aid, a virtual exercise challenge taking place for six weeks from January 1.
The aim of the challenge is to raise money and awareness for the My Name’s Doddie Foundation, set up in memory of former Scottish rugby star Doddie Weir who died from motor neurone disease last November.
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Mike Tindall took a cold dip this week to raise money for Doddie Aid (Image: Mike Tindall Instagram)
King Charles is set to do as many engagements as possible this year but is likely to pull back on some commitments, according to a royal expert.
Former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond revealed that the King and Queen Consort Camilla will “take a leaf out of the Queen’s book and step up their engagements”.
She told OK magazine that the King, well known for his passionate devotion to various causes when the Prince of Wales, would now increasingly pass his campaigning baton to his son Prince William.
The former BBC News presenter explained that this was because of the heavier workload he now faces as King, as opposed to his time as the Prince of Wales.
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King Charles recording his Christmas speech at Windsor Castle last month (Image: Getty Images)
In an interview, the Duke of Sussex blamed his father, King Charles III, and brother, Prince William, for a rift within the family.
The Duke of Sussex claimed the Royal Family has shown “absolutely no willingness to reconcile”, adding he would like to get his father and brother back.
But sources close to the King have told the Telegraph the monarch has always made clear how much he loves both his sons.
The king and his youngest son are understood to have stayed in contact, having met a number of times during the Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
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ing Charles III and Harry in a scene from one of his TV interviews (Image: Getty Images/CBS)
The coronation is set to take place on Saturday May 6, with Monday May 8 as an extra bank holiday to celebrate.
King Charles III has made plans for his coronation to be “inclusive” and “less archaic”, according to royal commentator Jennie Bond.
The new monarch reportedly wants to reflect the changes seen in British society over the 70 years since his mother’s coronation in 1953.
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The King wants to reflect certain traditional elements while holding a modern ceremony (Image: Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex fail to see British society is no longer deferential, a commentator has claimed. Sean O’Grady, Associate Editor at the Independent, also writes in an op-ed that neither Harry nor Meghan understand how the media works.
Mr O’Grady’s comments come ahead of the publication of the Duke of Sussex’s memoir Spare, which hits the shelves on January 10.
It also comes after broadcasters CBS and ITV released trailers of bombshell interviews with the Duke. In a series of clips, Harry tells ITV presenter Tom Bradby of leaking and planting of stories in the press as well as his wish for a family “not an institution”.
Mr O’Grady claims in his op-ed that while Harry and Meghan know what the media is capable of, they do not understand how it works.
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Meghan and Harry at an awards ceremony in the USA (Image: Image: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Now, as 2022 comes to a close, Express.co.uk wants to know who you think deserves to be named royal of the year from our shortlist.
During the first half of the year, Queen Elizabeth II’s mobility issues meant that certain members of the Royal Family had to step up to support her on occasions such as Prince Philip’s Service Of Thanksgiving, and in other instances to fulfil her duties, such as at the state opening of Parliament.
However, her death at Balmoral on September 8, aged 96, forced Britain and the Commonwealth to reflect on her life. The UK’s 10 days of national mourning were followed by a state funeral.
This signified a change in the Royal Family with King Charles III ascending the throne and taking over the responsibility to lead the Firm. Alongside his Queen Consort Camilla, the pair have taken on their new roles in their stride as he and the nation navigates life without his mother.
Prince William and Kate became the new Prince and Princess of Wales this year, something which sparked some controversy and a long-forgotten debate.
VOTE HERE
VOTE: Who do you think deserves to be royal of the year 2022? (Image: Getty Images)
The Duke of Sussex claimed the Royal Family has shown “absolutely no willingness to reconcile”, adding he would like to get his father and brother back.
But sources close to the King have told the Telegraph the monarch has always made clear how much he loves both his sons.
Read the full story
King Charles (inset) and Harry in a scene from the trailer (Image: Getty/CBS)
It is widely believed the daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Lilibet, is the first member of the Royal Family to be born in the US.Although Lilibet was the first of Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandchildren to be born abroad, there is also another young American royal.
Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina Windsor is often seen at major events, yet few royal fans know who the ten-year-old is.
She was spotted with Princess Charlotte while the pair were bridesmaids at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to her husband Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
She is currently 53rd in line to the British throne and is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Prince Michael of Kent.
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Harry and Meghan with their children Archie and Lilibet in an image from their Netflix series (Image: Netflix)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been urged to take some advice from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the subject of the first episode of their new Netflix documentary series – and stop feeling sorry for themselves.
Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich also suggested the Duchess of Sussex would do well to steer clear of “anger and jealousy” in line with another recommendation by the former US Supreme Court judge, who died in 2020.
Ms Fordwich, a British business development consultant who is based in Washington DC, takes a keen interest in the monarchy and regularly appears on US television to discuss royal affairs.
She told Express.co.uk: “It’s one thing for M&H to piggy-back upon the success and inspiration of others, but to be totally partisan means this series is more propaganda than politically an impartial docu-series.
“Another pity is that neither Meghan nor Harry took the sound advice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s mother gave her, namely to ‘stop feeling sorry for yourself’.”
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Image: Getty)
Meghan Markle will reportedly get a new princess title if she loses or drops the name Duchess of Sussex, according to an expert.
The new title would have a nod to Princess Michael of Kent.
According to Ingrid Seward, the Editor in Chief of Majesty magazine, Meghan could be known as Princess Henry if she was no longer Duchess of Sussex.
Speaking on the Royal Beat podcast, Ms Seward explains that royal protocol dictates the mother-of-two could take her husband’s first name.
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A new title for the Duchess of Sussex would be similar to Princess Michael of Kent’s (Image: PA)
King Charles’ first Christmas speech was broadcast on the BBC in 2022 despite it being the turn of ITV to oversee production.
According to royal expert Rafe Heydel-Mankoo, the decision for it not to be aired on ITV could be linked to the rift between Charles and Prince Harry ahead of his upcoming interview.
Speaking on GB News, the expert questioned if the King was already aware of his son’s approaching sit-down chat with Tom Bradby and opted not to have the broadcaster handle his first Christmas delivery.
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King Charles during his Christmas speech (Image: Victoria Jones/Pool/Getty Images)
The Prince claimed the Royal Family used leaks against him and Meghan – but critics argued he is just as guilty.
Twitter user Countess Commonwealth highlighted that the Sussexes had themselves in the past contacted members of the media in order to try and control the narrative surrounding them.
They tweeted: “Remind us again – who went to the press to leak private conversations?”
The user included a link to an interview with CBS This Morning host Gayle King.
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Prince Harry in a scene from a forthcoming interview and (inset) Gayle King (Image: PA/CBS)
From celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee to the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell docuseries, to King Charles III’s first Christmas message – let us know who you think should be named Express.co.uk’s Royal of the Year 2022 by voting in our poll.
Cast your vote here
Elizabeth II, Charles, Camilla and the Waleses on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (Image: Getty)
The heir to the throne was spotted whizzing Princess Kate around the Norfolk countryside in a new Aston Martin like James Bond.
The Welsh-built vehicle, called the Aston Martin DBX707, was given to the Prince for a weekend test drive.
The car is worth £189,000 and capable of reaching speeds of 193 mph but is yet to appear in a James Bond film.
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Kate and William attend the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in the US (Image: Getty)
King Charles celebrated his 74th birthday on November 14, while Queen Consort Camilla turned 75 on July 17.
The Queen Consort spoke to Vogue about why your 70s can be a fabulous period.
When asked if there is anything “good” about being in her 70s, Camilla gave a very relatable answer, explaining that she has reached a level of self-acceptance.
She said: “Well, I think you can’t do much more about yourself. You’ve done what you can.
“I think you just accept that you are who you are. You get to be a 75-year-old.”
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Camilla, Queen Consort, has shared her views on being in her 70s (Image: Getty)
Two interviews with Prince Harry are to air this weekend ahead of the release of his tell-all memoir, Spare.
Nile Gardiner, a foreign policy analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, has claimed Harry’s ongoing media campaign is nothing more than a hit job on the Royal Family.
Mr Gardiner wrote on Twitter: “Prince Harry is doing all he can to damage the Royal Family and alienate himself from the British people.
“He has reduced himself to little more than Meghan Markle’s puppet.”
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Harry and Meghan at an awards ceremony in New York (Image: Getty)
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ youngest child again became the centre of public attention when he joined the Royal Family on the Windsors’ traditional Christmas walkabout for the first time.
This year has seen Louis take on a more public-facing role, accompanying his parents and siblings at various official events, often stealing the show.
The four-year-old made a notable appearance during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June when he joined Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, in a carriage ahead of the Trooping the Colour.
He also appeared alongside the rest of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and later entertained the crowds with his wide range of facial expressions.
Royal commentators Zoe Forsey and Russell Myers discussed Louis’ appearances, saying they have benefitted the Royal Family at a “testing time”.
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Prince Louis attends the Christmas Day service at Sandringham (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry’s sure-to-be bombshell interview with hardnosed hack Anderson Cooper is set to premiere on Sunday evening.
A royal expert told Express.co.uk that Cooper may bring something different to the table than Oprah did when she questioned the Duke nearly two years ago.
Richard Fitzwilliams said that TV megastar Winfrey failed to “forensically examine” the answers given by the Prince and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle when she interviewed the couple in 2021.
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Harry and Meghan in an image which featured in their Netflix documentary (Image: Netflix)
Elizabeth II put her usual New Year celebrations aside to join former Prime Minister Tony Blair at the grand opening of the Millennium Dome on December 31, 1999.
Despite being started by the former Labour PM’s Tory predecessor, John Major, it had become one of Prime Minster Blair’s signature projects.
Tina Brown, author of The Palace Papers, recounted the New Year’s Eve celebrations, claiming Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were not impressed with the event.
She wrote: “The dawning of the third millennium was an anxious time for Queen Elizabeth II.
“Normally, she would have been in Norfolk surrounded by family and friends for her annual New Year’s Eve celebration at Sandringham House. Instead, on the night of the 31 December 1999, she had gone to bed at Windsor Castle distinctly disgruntled.”
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Elizabeth II and Tony Blair celebrate the New Year at the Millennium Dome (Image: Getty)
William and Kate were honoured with new titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales after the death of Elizabeth II last year.
The new titles came months after the couple’s first overseas tour since the Coronavirus pandemic. Their visit to the Caribbean sparked a significant backlash from the public and parts of the media.
In a podcast episode reviewing the Royal Family’s year, royal expert Russell Myers claimed William and Kate’s “biggest issue” became evident during the trip, arguing that it is something the pair will work on in the months and years to come.
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William and Kate ride in an open top vehicle during their Caribbean tour (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry has been criticised for his “idiotic” tactic at a potential reconciliation with the Royal Family, in particular King Charles and Prince William.
During a trailer for the Duke’s forthcoming interview with journalist Tom Bradby, Harry said he would like to get his father and brother back.
In an opinion piece for the New Zealand Herald, royal commentator and writerDaniela Elser said: “It’s hard to find the right words here to truly quantify how stupefying, how ridiculous, how downright idiotic the Duke’s logic is here.”
She added: “Harry wants his family ‘back’ and the way he is going about that is by pillorying them afresh to a global TV audience?
“By giving an interview to US 60 Minutes that was being promoted on Tuesday as explosive?”
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Harry during Elizabeth II’s funeral (Image: Getty)
The Royal Family has remained silent after the release of Harry & Meghan on Netflix last month and is yet to comment on the Duke of Sussex’s memoir, Spare.
Prince Harry’s highly-anticipated memoir Spare is due to be published next week, on January 10, offering insight into the Duke of Sussex’s life in the Royal Family. On Sunday, January 8, ITV will broadcast a 90-minute interview between Harry and ITV’s News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby. With the mounting pressure, do you think the Firm should keep their silence or speak out now? Vote in our poll.
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The Duke of Sussex is likely to see his forthcoming book as a “chance to prove himself” suggested journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry risk “saturating the market with gossip”, a royal expert has warned, as they prepare for the publication of the Duke of Sussex’s controversial memoir in just over a week’s time.
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Prince Harry has been criticised by a US celebrity for his latest interview criticising the Royal Family, set to be aired next week.
Prince Harry has been slammed in the US for his latest interview “whining” about the Royal Family, with one celebrity saying it feels like “Groundhog Day”. Bethenny Frankel, a former Real Housewives of New York City star, has said “you never have to speak to them again” after seeing a clip from his sit-down with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes.
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Prince Harry is set to have two huge interviews released in the coming days amid the upcoming release of his bombshell memoir.
Since the news of the interviews, royal expert Emily Andrews has tweeted about some claims made in the trailers by Prince Harry. Sharing a video on Twitter for his upcoming interview with 60 Minutes, which airs on CBS, Ms Andrews wrote: “[Prince] Harry has some valid points BUT he ignores one very obvious (and well-known) source of stories.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are “bitterly jealous” of the Prince and Princess of Wales, a royal expert told Express.co.uk. The comments come just days before Prince Harry is set to release his memoir Spare.
Meghan and Harry have been branded “bitterly jealous” of Prince William and Kate Middleton by a royal expert. The comments come following reports that Harry’s new book Spare will be highly critical of the heir to the throne and his wife.
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A previously unseen photo of Lilibet Diana’s first birthday cake has been released.
The London-based baker, also responsible for Meghan and Harry’s wedding cake, has released a photograph of the birthday cake that she made for the couple’s daughter, Lilibet Diana, who turned one in June 2022.
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A video has appeared on social media of a Royal Guard “staring at a duck” while on duty.
The clip, which earned thousands of views on TikTok, shows the guard loitering outside the Royal Family‘s residence at Windsor Castle. The guard, who filmed the clip himself, can be heard saying: “I am currently standing outside Windsor Castle.”
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Prince Harry’s explosive interviews with Anderson Cooper and Tom Bradby both air on Sunday.
Prince Harry’s “constant sniping” is proving increasingly wearisome for the Royal Family, an insider has warned – while he and Meghan Markle’s publicity campaign is turning into a “media circus”, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has said.
READ MORE HERE
Good morning from London. I’m Lauren Welch and I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the Royal Family over the next 8 hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me throughout the day if you have a story or a tip to add!
Your thoughts are always welcome!
Email: lauren.welch@reachplc.com
Twitter: @laurenmwelch
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