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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to have “backed themselves into a brand corner” two years after their exit from the Firm, according to a royal commentator. Upon announcing their commercial deal with video streaming platform Netflix, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in September 2020 they wanted to create inspiring, uplifting and informative content. However, journalist Daniela Elser noted the pair have so far announced only a handful of projects for the entertainment giant and released only a biographical docu-series including damaging allegations against the Palace and some of their royal relatives. The content of the Harry & Meghan documentary paired with many of the interviews and public appearances done by the Sussexes over the past months have painted a very specific image of the Duke and Duchess, Ms Elser said, which may be difficult for them to now shake off.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry signed a deal with Netflix in 2020 (Image: GETTY)
In a comment piece for the New Zealand Herald, the columnist wrote: “Take away their titles, take away their palace ties, take away their claims of royal racism and a callous indifference to their suffering, and is what is left that attractive a proposition to, say, Netflix? Bigger picture, the Sussexes would seem to be in something of a bind. Their entire public image and business output too have thus far been founded on their royal refugee status, understandable given it was their most valuable commodity when they arrived in the US and suddenly found the royal money teet had gone dry, including having to pay for their security.” After saying that the match between Netflix, voracious for content, and the Sussexes, who needed money, appeared “made in heaven”, Ms Elser added: “Except more than two years on, it feels a bit like Harry and Meghan have backed themselves into a brand corner and today they are not defined in the public imagination by their humanitarian work but by their willingness to pillory the royal family, at times with a large cheque attached.” Just days after the debut of Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess announced Live To Lead, a documentary focused on leaders who left a mark in the world.
THIS LIVE BLOG HAS NOW CLOSED
Prince William and Kate Middleton have explained to Prince George he will be King one day, but are still trying to give him an “ordinary” childhood with “lots of love”, says royal experts.
Royal experts have given insight into how Prince William and Kate Middleton are trying to give their children an “ordinary” childhood despite also trying to prepare them for being royalty.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, the experts also explained how Prince George is being prepared to one day be the monarch.
Duncan Larcombe, the former royal editor of The Sun, has said, Prince William and Kate Middleton are attempting to give their children a more normal childhood like the Princess of Wales had with her parents.
The royal expert claimed Prince George is being “raised in a very different way” compared to his father Prince Willaim.
He said: “William has based his children’s upbringing on the Middleton model – three children, affluent, but hard-working parents and lots of love in the house.
“By the time Kate was in her early twenties, she counted her mother and father on the list of her best friends. That’s what William and Kate are aspiring to with their children.”
Kate, the Princess of Wales used to have a very close relationship with Prince Harry through the early years of her marriage to Prince William.
Kate, Princess of Wales feels “hurt and betrayed” over Prince Harry‘s conduct towards her and the rest of the Royal Family over the past two years, an insider claimed.
The Princess of Wales was known to share a close bond with the Duke of Sussex, especially in the early years of her membership in the family.
Kate and Harry could often be seen teaming up with Prince William through their shared work at the Royal Foundation but their connection dwindled in recent years.
Mia Tindall poked Prince George and tried to draw him away from the crowd as members of the family greeted royal fans.
A playful moment between Prince George and his cousin Mia Tindall captured the attention of spectators gathered to watch the Firm’s Sandringham walkabout.
Members of the Royal Family came together to mark the festive season with a traditional service at Sandringham Church.
Following the service, excited royal fans were greeted by members of the firm, but cheeky Mia nearly disrupted the show as she attempted to draw Prince George away from the crowd.
Royal Mint has unveiled the new collection which symbolises one of the biggest changes to UK coins since decimalisation.
The Windrush generation and the NHS will be celebrated in new commemorative coins for the New Year featuring King Charles’ face on them. All newly-released Royal Mint coins struck from January 1, 2023 will bear King Charles III’s official coinage portrait.
Collectors of the coins will see them make their transition for portraits of the King from the Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s monarch from 1952 until her death on September 8, 2022.
The divisional director of the collector services at the Royal Mint, Rebecca Morgan said: “Each year the Royal Mint reveals a collection of coins, known as the annual set.
“[They] feature a range of designs that appear on £5, £2 and 50p coins marking some of the year’s most significant moments and anniversaries.”
Coins in the commemorative collection will mark milestone anniversaries and moments in history.
The Duke of Sussex revealed his first thoughts when he saw his wife-to-be walk down the aisle.
Prince Harry opened up about his and Meghan Markle’s wedding day during their six-part documentary series on Netflix. Harry and Meghan, which aired earlier this month, detailed the blossoming of their romance, experiences of life as working royals and their shock decision to leave.
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Prince Louis appears to be growing up as a prankster, as he was seen on Christmas Day giving his mum Kate Middleton the slip as the family walked to Norfolk St. Magdalene’s Church in Sandringham.
Prince Louis, ever the character, managed to find a way to divert the attention from his mother Kate Middleton as the pair walked alongside Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte towards Norfolk St. Magdalene’s Church in Sandringham for the Christmas Day church service.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s eponymous Netflix series, was released in two parts earlier this month.
It has now been revealed that, during the first seven days alone, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s Netflix series ranked up more views than The Crown. Early figures for Harry and Meghan, from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), show the first episodes of the documentary, released on December 8, had viewing figures of 2.4 million.
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The Duchess of Sussex said she wanted to make the Royal Family proud when she was pregnant with her first child.
Meghan Markle has said her son Archie was denied the big family she wanted for him.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales want to “drip-feed” their children into the public domain, royal expert Duncan Larcombe said.
Prince William and Kate would keep their children away from the public eye if they could, but believe Prince George needs to win the hearts of the British public early in his life if he is to be a successful King, according to a royal expert.
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Fans of Meghan Markle are demanding an apology after an article was published likening the Duchess to Donald Trump.
The Politico piece, which was titled ‘2022 Is The Year We All Finally Got Tired of the Narcissists’, has been branded “racist” on social media by some fans of Meghan Markle.
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The Danish Queen has celebrated 50 years on the throne by having official portraits with her family.
The Danish royal family have released two new photographs of Queen Margrethe II with her sons and daughters-in-law, marking the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The royal is celebrating her 50th year on the throne.
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The late Queen’s ham maker has revealed a secret recipe that has been a festive favourite of the Royal Family, in particular the late monarch, for many years.
Neale Hollingsworth, founder of DukesHill, told how the Queen enjoyed a poached egg served on a slice of ham as she sat down for brunch on Boxing Day every year.
He told how the dish has been a favourite with the Firm for nearly 30 years.
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Princess Beatrice stepped out in London one last time before the traditional royal Christmas celebrations held in Sandringham.
The elder daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was spotted at a luxury event on Friday evening, which she attended with another member of the wider Royal Family – Sophie Winkleman.
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Meghan Markle has broken her silence following the apology over Jeremy Clarkson‘s comments.
A spokesperson for the Duchess has said the apology is “nothing more than a PR stunt”.
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Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco have released a “wonderful” Christmas picture and message on social media.
The post, uploaded to Monegasques Royal Family’s official Instagram account, showed a series of images marking December 25 festivities.
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King Charles is hosting his first Christmas dinner at Sandringham and there could be several changes to the festivities as the Royal Family gather for the first holiday season after Queen Elizabeth’s death.
A royal expert has claimed that the King’s Christmas could be “more lavish” due to his “high standards”.
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Personnel from the Armed Forces have been honoured in a special tribute during the Royal Family’s Christmas carol service.
Members of the Firm, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, attended the event at Westminster Abbey on December 15.
The Christmas carol service was later aired on ITV1 last night.
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Good evening. I’m Jack Walters. I will be bringing you the latest Royal Family developments over the next eight hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: jack.walters@reachplc.com
Twitter: @JTWalters99
The Princess of Wales has made a touching tribute to the Queen tonight.
Queen Elizabeth II held Christmas close to her heart and although the first Christmas without her will make it feel very different, they will remember the traditions they shared with her, says the Princess of Wales. She paid a touching tribute to her late grandmother-in-law at the start of a carol concert which is on ITV tonight.
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King Charles III is set to deliver his first-ever Christmas speech as monarch on Sunday.
Like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles is reportedly unlikely to “shy away from faith and diversity” in his first speech, which will air on Christmas Day at 3pm. Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and papal legate to the UK, told Sky News that he would be surprised if the King did not allude to his own faith and that of others in his Christmas message as he knows this “matters to people”.
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The Princess of Wales has celebrated the “memories and traditions” of the late Queen Elizabeth II in her annual Christmas carol service.
On the ITV show, which was recorded earlier this month, a segment was shown of Kate meeting some people whose lives will be affected this Christmas. The three people chosen to speak to the Princess of Wales all sat down and spoke to her, in a pre-recorded clip, at Windsor Castle. One person that the Princess spoke to was a man named Lionel.
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Princess Charlotte and Prince George melted hearts as they were spotted singing Christmas Carols at the special service spearheaded by Kate, the Princess of Wales.
Princess Charlotte and Prince George looked adorable as they joined the rest of the Royal Family and the congregation in singing Christmas Carols throughout a special service. The royal children joined Prince William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, at Westminster Abbey to attend the second Together at Christmas.
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In a column for The Sun last week, Jeremy Clarkson claimed he “hated” Meghan Markle following the release of the Netflix series, Harry & Meghan.
Meghan Markle has broken her silence following the apology over Jeremy Clarkson‘s comments. A spokesperson for the Duchess has said the apology is “nothing more than a PR stunt”.
READ MORE HERE
Queen Elizabeth II was known for making a touching reference to her faith in her Christmas speech each year.
For the first Christmas without Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the Royal Family are set to carry on the late Queen‘s “Christian aspect” tradition. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, royal expert Marlene Koenig, who is internationally recognized for her knowledge on British and European royalty, spoke on the “extremely difficult” Christmas ahead for the family.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury said that he is having “nightmares” ahead of King Charles’s Coronation, to be held on May 6 next year.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, Archbishop Justin Welby said that he has been dreaming about accidentally leaving the crown to be used during the historic event at his official London residence Lambeth Palace.
He said: “It’s giving me nightmares already.
“I dreamt we got to the point and I’d left the crown at Lambeth Palace.
“It’s obviously weighing on me quite a lot.
“But it’s just an enormous honour and privilege to do that, and the coronation weekend is going to be a time of bringing the country together.”
Read the full story here
The monarch is keeping the door open for Prince Harry, it has been claimed.
However, Buckingham Palace won’t be drawn into a “constant tit-for-tat” over the issues raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their documentary released by Netflix earlier this month.
Appearing on the Mail+’s Palace Confidential programme, royal correspondent Rebecca English said: “The King has made a very conscious decision that this is his son, he loves him.
“He’s not going to respond and the door is always there and is open for him, but you’ve got to ask yourself: how much can one man take?”
Read the full story here
Prince Harry is fifth-in-line to the throne (Image: GETTY)
Tina Brown, author of the bestselling biography The Palace Papers, previously claimed that Prince William invited his then-girlfriend Kate to a Christmas party at Sandringham in 2006.
She wrote in the book: “Before graduation [from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst], William had issued his girlfriend the coveted invitation to join him at the Queen’s annual Christmas house party at Sandringham.
“Kate, reflecting the confident mood of her Philip Treacy hat, maintained her resolve that she would not go to such a significant Royal Family gathering unless she had a ring on her finger.”
Ms Brown added: “She declined. William met her decision with silence.”
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Prince Andrew, 62, will no longer be allowed to have an office at Buckingham Palace or to use the Palace as a corresponding address, it has been claimed.
As a result, the few staff retained at Buckingham Palace after the Duke of York stepped down from frontline royal duties three years ago could now face redundancy.
A source told the Sun: “Any presence at the Palace is officially over.
“The King has made it clear. He isn’t a working royal. He’s on his own.”
Read the full story here
Prince Andrew is no longer a working member of the Firm (Image: GETTY)
Nile Gardiner, a Washington-based foreign policy expert and Royal Family enthusiast, has accused the Duchess of Sussex of putting her acting skills to the best possible use in the Harry & Meghan docu-series released by Netflix earlier this month.
He told Express.co.uk: “This documentary series has very much been the Meghan Markle show. She is literally acting throughout all of the interviews she is shown doing.
“Prince Harry is the Best Supporting Actor to Meghan’s starring role. What we have really seen is Hollywood fiction, with Meghan running for Best Actress.
“At points in the documentary series, especially in the early part, Harry looks thoroughly bored and doesn’t look overly comfortable with a lot of what Meghan is saying.
“Meghan is in complete control and Harry’s role is to serve her. The whole thing is a truly bizarre episode in filmmaking.”
Read the full story here
Buckingham Palace released a picture taken while King Charles was filming his first-ever Christmas broadcast.
Filmed in the quire at St George’s Chapel, the speech will likely feature tributes to his mother Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
In the snap, the monarch smiles while wearing a blue suit and tie.
The King’s Christmas speech will be televised at 3pm on Christmas Day.
Read the full story here
King Charles’s speech will be aired at 3pm tomorrow (Image: PA)
Commentator Daniela Elser analysed the content announced and released in the past two years by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The pair, she said, have so far portrayed their story and struggles but they now are reportedly looking at the future beyond their family drama.
However, Ms Elser believes the pair have backed into a corner with their previous interviews and releases and created an image of themselves as royal “refugees rather” than global humanitarians.
She wrote in a column for the New Zealand Herald: “Take away their titles, take away their palace ties, take away their claims of royal racism and a callous indifference to their suffering, and is what is left that attractive a proposition to, say, Netflix?
“Bigger picture, the Sussexes would seem to be in something of a bind. Their entire public image and business output too have thus far been founded on their royal refugee status, understandable given it was their most valuable commodity when they arrived in the US and suddenly found the royal money teet had gone dry, including having to pay for their security.
“(It seemingly had not occurred to them that British taxpayers would not be chuffed about paying to protect two people who had no official status and lived 8500km away from London.) They needed money; Netflix had a voracious appetite for content – it seemed to be a match made in producing heaven.
“Except more than two years on, it feels a bit like Harry and Meghan have backed themselves into a brand corner and today they are not defined in the public imagination by their humanitarian work but by their willingness to pillory the royal family, at times with a large cheque attached.”
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