Meghan Markle will celebrate her 44th birthday tomorrow, but I suspect very few people in royal circles will be raising a glass in her honour. Behind Palace walls she has retained her “Duchess Difficult” nickname, and many continue to blame her for Prince Harry’s decision to turn his back on the Royal Family.
Five years after Megxit, many courtiers still fail to understand why Harry abandoned everything he knew in favour of a Hollywood lifestyle. And as Meghan only had a crash course in royal protocol, their behaviour at public events has raised more than a few eyebrows among those who worked for the King’s youngest son.
During the opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games, the couple was caught sharing an intimate moment in the stands. Meghan places her hands on her husband’s cheeks and pulls him in for a kiss, in a picture that caused indignation from one courtier.
“He’s a prince for God’s sake!” They exclaimed, looking visibly alarmed by the over-the-top public display of affection.
Meanwhile, another source told me that Harry has no chance of reconciling with the Royal Family while Meghan is still around.
“They just don’t trust her,” the insider said. But that doesn’t mean that the feud will rumble on for years to come, just that any family reunions will have to be a solo affair. Meghan, I’m told, wouldn’t be welcome.
The family fears that anything said to Meghan will be used as material for her ventures, whether that be her Instagram feed, cooking show, podcast, or interviews.
Harry, meanwhile, has said his peace and is ready to bury the hatchet – as he’s made clear in recent interviews. “I would love reconciliation with my family,” he told the BBC in May. “There’s no point continuing to fight anymore; life is precious.”
Only time will tell if Harry succeeds in making amends with his father, who continues to undergo regular cancer treatment. But I think we can all be sure about one thing: Meghan has no part to play. Fortunately for them, the Duke has already drafted the perfect get-out clause, saying it’s not safe for his wife or children to set foot in the UK.
As for Meghan, there’s no love lost, and she will be more than happy to stay in their Montecito bolthole.
The King looked resplendent in a tartan kilt last week, as he carried out an engagement north of the border. Following in the footsteps of generations of royal men, Charles is more than happy to wear traditional Scottish dress, and it is one of his wardrobe go-tos when he’s working in the country.
But the tradition of royals wearing kilts is likely to end when the Prince of Wales ascends the throne, as he cannot stand them!
While older working royals such as the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Edinburgh will uphold the custom, the tartan doesn’t feature in William’s plans to make the monarchy more relevant.
The prince hasn’t been seen wearing a kilt for decades, and will leave the sartorial wooing to his wife.
How refreshing to see Princess Beatrice and her family join the crowds celebrating England’s victory in the Women’s European Championship on Tuesday afternoon.
Casually dressed in a dress and jumper with her hair swept back in a messy bun, the King’s niece blended in with the thousands of cheering fans. She was joined by her husband, his son from a previous relationship, and their two daughters, as they stood on the Mall in honour of the Lionesses’ defense of the European title.
It served as a stark reminder that despite their titles and proximity to the crown, royals are ordinary people, celebrating the nation’s success the same as anyone else.
By cheering beside everyday Britons, Beatrice reminded us that unity, celebration and national pride are still alive and well.
Yesterday marked eight years since the late Prince Philip hung up his working boots and completed his final royal engagement, aged 96. He ended seven decades of service by meeting Royal Marines in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.
It marked his 22,219th solo engagement since his wife became Queen in 1952. The Duke of Edinburgh’s daughter, Princess Anne, who has inherited the same stoicism as his father, is expected to continue working into her 90s as well.
Royal life is no walk in the park. It’s not just ball gowns, banquets, and living in a palace—there’s endless travel, having to be constantly switched on and camera-ready, and knowing the ins and outs of hundreds of different organisations.
While working well past the retirement age is in Anne’s genes, it’s not something that many of us are used to. The average retirement age in the UK is 64.6, though if Starmer’s Government has anything to do with it, we’ll all be forced to adopt the work ethic of the late Prince Philip.