Queen Elizabeth news – Her Majesty, 95, looks happy & healthy as she’s seen for FIRST TIME since health fears grew
THE Queen looked all smiles today as she held her first in-person engagement at Windsor castle for nearly a month today.
, also the head of the British armed forces, held an audience with outgoing army general Nick Carter.
The monarch, 95, was pictured standing, smiling and shaking Carter's hand as she handled the official engagement with ease.
It comes the day after the Queen's son Edward read a speech on her behalf to the Church of England's national assembly.
After missing the Remembrance Sunday service at the weekend, the was due to appear in person at the Synod, but her appearance was cancelled last week - the first time she has missed the appointment in her 72 year reign.
Read our Royal Family live blog below for the latest news and updates...
Andrew looked relaxed whilst out riding
Prince Andrew was spotted riding a horse in Windsor Monday – just after a crucial date was set in his civil sexual assault case.
The Duke of York looked relaxed as he ambled along with another rider at Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, which is public property.
Pictures emerged as the civil case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre reached its next stage.
Virginia is suing the 61-year-old royal for “unspecified damages” – claiming that he sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager.
Andrew vehemently denies all the allegations and insists that he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her despite there being a picture of the pair together in 2001.
'True meaning of loyalty'
This is a comment piece by Clemmie Moodie
BLOOD, so the saying goes, is thicker than water. Unless you’re Prince Harry.
In which case it’s marginally thicker than water but definitely thinner than paper — specifically the £112million he got in paper bills after selling his soul to Netflix.
Now Jemima Khan, who wasn’t in any way, shape or form related to Princess Diana, has just shown the whining multi-millionaire the true meaning of loyalty.
The documentary maker has pulled out of Netflix show The Crown over concerns about its lack of compassion towards her late friend.
Sure, she may not need the money. And the four months she worked on the script was hardly going down a mine, or detonating IEDs — it was easy cash.
Read the comment piece in full here.
'Steer clear' of politics warns aide
MEGHAN Markle is “using her title out of context” for political lobbying, senior royal sources have said.
Palace aides warned the Duchess of Sussex should “steer clear” of politics after she cold called politicians using her royal title and lobbied for paid paternity leave.
One palace aide described the intervention as “outrageous” while another told : “As a member of the royal family, if you use the title, it means you steer clear of those kinds of things.
“Otherwise you’re using the title out of context and people will question your motive.”
The source added that the Royal Family has “no say” in American politics.
Aussie comedian takes swipe at The Queen and Meghan
Australian comedian Fifi Box fired a joke at the Queen and Meghan Markle whilst on 'Have You Been Paying Attention.'
A clip was shown of the Queen's welcome speech at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference where she spoke about her family.
'I could not be more proud of them,' the Queen said in the clip.
To which quiz master Tom replied "'Proud of them.' Proud of who?"
Fifi quick-witted response was: 'Meghan Markle's trolls.'
The audience erupted into laughter as the show once again made fun of the Royals.
Bookies cut odds on Meghan becoming President
Bookmaker Coral has cut the odds on Meghan Markle becoming President of the United States in the future to 40-1 (from 100-1).
Coral go 66-1 that she specifically wins the Democratic Nomination in the year 2032.
“Meghan doesn’t keep her passion for politics quiet and you definitely can not rule her out of running for office in the future. We go now just 40-1 that she becomes US President at any point in the future,” said Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead.
“The earliest it may come looks to be 2032, with odds of 66-1 on her being the Democratic Nomination for that US Election,” added Aitkenhead.
Queen's horse wins £24k
The Queen's horse, King's Lynn won the Wentworth Stakes this weekend whilst Her Majesty was in Sandringham.
It was yet another triumph at the races on Saturday when her horse won the race in Doncaster securing a prize of £24,385.
The Queen is known for her love of horses and was recently inducted into the official hall of fame for British flat racing.
Harry 'sold himself to the devil'
Prince Harry has stayed 'quiet' following reports that 'The Crown' will not 'respectfully' portray Diana in her final years.
Royal correspondent Rupert Bell told talkRADIO: "He's got a £112million dollar deal with Netflix and I imagine it's quite hard for him to extract himself from it.
"His feeling is probably to stay quiet because hopefully, it might go away.
"Clearly, I haven't seen this episode of The Crown and the way they are treating Diana in the new series, this was always going to be the problem for The Crown when it got nearer to home.
"It is difficult but he has now sold himself to the 'devil' Netflix for $112million and he's got an expensive lifestyle, he's also got to produce some goods in terms of the content but it isn't rushing out at the moment."
Meghan insists she was ‘standing up for what was right’
MEGHAN Markle insisted she's "standing up for what's right" amid an "arduous" court fight over a private letter to her father.
The Duchess of Sussex discussed the legal wrangle during an interview with the New York Times this evening.
Speaking to interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin tonight, Meghan said: “In terms of the appeal – I won the case and this issue, frankly, has going on from when I had no children at all.
"I now have two children.
“It’s an arduous process, but it’s just me standing up for what’s right, which I think is important across the board, be it in this case or the other things we’ve been talking about today.
“At a certain point, no matter how difficult it is, you know the difference between right and wrong.
"You must stand up for what’s right and that’s what I’m doing.”
Read more here.
In more Royals news
- Kate Middleton gave a rare glimpse inside her everyday bag & it’s surprisingly normal.
- And the Queen’s granddaughter set to reject chance to become working royal.
- Plus the Queen sent a sweet secret sign in honour of beloved Prince Philip during her COP26 speech, a royal expert claimed
In order of seniority
As the festivities undeniably revolve around eating, the Royal Family first enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings before indulging themselves in an afternoon tea complete with a "gargantuan iced cake".
What's more, The Queen's guests are also expected to "enter the dining room in order of seniority."
After they are then seated, "the head chef carves the turkey" and "paper hats are donned, but not by the Queen."
The Queen ‘will weigh’ Kate Middleton & Prince William
In 2018, royal expert Ingrid Seward Ingrid told that The Queen asks each of her guests - including Kate Middleton and Prince William - to "weigh themselves" when they arrive using a set of antique scales.
But this is all to make sure guests are having a great time - and they're weighed to make sure they're being "well fed".
The tradition dates back to King Edward VII's reign in the early 1900s - and applies to all members of the royal clan.
Royal fury
THE QUEEN furiously responded to Prince Charles’ plea to reduce her hostility towards Camilla, and said she wanted “nothing to do with her” in the late Nineties, royal author Tom Bower once claimed.
Tom Bower claimed in the Daily Mail in 2018 that the Queen had initially refused to have any interaction with Camilla at all.
He wrote: “For years, both the Queen and her mother had refused to have anything to do with Charles’ mistress.
“Not only did they not want her present at any royal function, either formal or informal; they actively disapproved of her, and of Charles’ relationship with her.”
After Diana tragically died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, Charles and Camilla worked hard to rehabilitate their image, in the hope that one day they would be accepted as a legitimate couple, but were met with fierce resistance.
Mr Bower wrote that Charles became “exasperated by what he termed an intolerable situation”.
Selling himself 'to the devil’
Prince Harry has stayed ‘quiet’ following reports that ‘The Crown’ will not ‘respectfully’ portray Diana in her final years.
Royal correspondent Rupert Bell told talkRADIO: “He’s got a £112million dollar deal with Netflix and I imagine it’s quite hard for him to extract himself from it.
“His feeling is probably to stay quiet because hopefully, it might go away.
“Clearly, I haven’t seen this episode of The Crown and the way they are treating Diana in the new series, this was always going to be the problem for The Crown when it got nearer to home.
“It is difficult but he has now sold himself to the ‘devil’ Netflix for $112million and he’s got an expensive lifestyle, he’s also got to produce some goods in terms of the content but it isn’t rushing out at the moment.”
Meghan ‘pushing Queen into corner’
Meghan Markle has been using her royal title to help influence her political ambitions, pushing ‘Queen into a corner’, a royal commentator has claimed.
Daniela Elser said Meghan’s use of her Duchess of Sussex title as she looks to make a difference in American politics is making things awkward for the monarch.
Elser went on to say that Meghan’s continued use of the royal title in politics is “pushing the Queen into even more of a corner”.
She continued by questioning how long the Queen would stand by with the use of the Duchess of Sussex title before she is “forced to act”.
'With great privilege comes great responsibility'
In tonight's interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Meghan Markle was asked if she'd been "working the telephones" following her letters to the US government.
Mr Sorkin said: "You've made this issue, and women, a central one for you.
"I'm sure there are people in the audience who are saying, 'I don't understand - she has this great privilege, why is this her topic?'"
Meghan, who laughed as he asked the question, said: "You've mentioned privilege.
"My husband always says, 'With great privilege comes great responsibility'.
"But even before I had any privilege in my life, when my life and my lifestyle were very, very different, I always just stood up for what was right.
"I've been gone from the US for a really long time.
"I lived in Canada for seven years for work, then moved to the UK, and to come back and now be a mother-of-two, and to see that the US is one of only six countries that doesn't offer any form of national paid leave for parents, just didn't make sense."
Meghan feels ‘much better’ after Megxit
MEGHAN Markle has tonight revealed she feels "much better" after telling Oprah she suffered with suicidal thoughts while pregnant with son Archie.
The Duchess of Sussex tonight sat down for her first in-person interview since her bombshell chat with TV chat show queen Winfrey back in March.
She told interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin her mental health is in a far better place now that she and Harry have stepped back from their work as senior royals.
Mr Sorkin interrupted the chat to ask: "Are you feeling just better about everything?"
Meghan quickly laughed - before Mr Sorkin added: "No - I'm serious."
Queen to miss big event on Saturday
On Saturday night, prominent royals will also attend the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
However, will not be present at Royal Albert Hall on Saturday.
Roya Nikkhah, the Royal Editor at The Times, wrote: “Most senior members of the royal family, except the Queen, will also attend the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night.”
Queen's possible first outing this weekend
The Queen still “intends” to spearhead the Royal Family’s tributes at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Remembrance Day on Sunday, despite cancellations to her royal engagements recently.
If she attends, this will be her first outing in weeks, following the cancellation of trips across the UK.
Remembrance Day, which falls on November 11, will be a Thursday this year – but official commemoration takes place on the closest Sunday to that date.
Is there a place in politics for them?
One palace aide told that the Royal Family has “no say” in American politics.
“Campaigning is important, but there’s a difference between campaigning on ‘issues’ like the environment and mental health, and aligning yourself with policies,” they said.
“The Duchess of Sussex doesn’t have the right to have a more powerful voice [on the issue] than any other mother in America.
“She should not be playing in politics.”
Idris Elba on how Meg & Harry are ‘a lot of pressure’
Idris Elba, 49, provided the musical entertainment at the couple’s nuptials at Windsor in May 2018 – and says that Meg, 40, took the reins when it came to song choice.
Speaking to the Elba said: “Meghan had sent me a playlist, so I knew what she wanted already.”
Elba, who has also performed for A-listers such as Madonna, admitted that the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was his most “high pressure gig.”
Asked which of his sets had been his most stressful, he said: “This wasn’t at the community hall — the reception, this was a big, big deal.
“They’re (Meghan and Harry) good friends and I wanted to make sure they had a great time, so there was a lot of pressure.”
The actor previously revealed that their set list included Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance with Somebody” and several hip hop hits.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1Xtra Idris said: “Meghan sent me a playlist with some bare tunes on it.”
Royal kids’ naughtiest moments revealed
THE royal family is usually the picture of elegance and poise during public engagements.
But the same can’t always be said for the youngest and most adorable members of the family, who occasionally have been spotted being rather naughty during events.
Like most kids, some of the younger royals have decided to have some playful fun when they are supposed to be on their best behaviour.
From sticking tongues out to playing pranks at school, the mischievous youngsters have won our hearts on numerous occasions.
Click here to see some of their naughtier moments…
Why the Queen never needs a passport to travel
THE royal family have lots of extra perks when it comes to travelling – as well as more rules to follow.
Here are some of the royal travel secrets which members are aware of when leaving the country.
The Queen is the only person who doesn’t need a passport to travel – as they are issued in her name.
The Royal Family website explains: “As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one.”
This will change to Prince Charles when he becomes King.
Aussie comedian takes swipe at The Queen and Meghan
Australian comedian Fifi Box fired a joke at the Queen and Meghan Markle whilst on ‘Have You Been Paying Attention.’
A clip was shown of the Queen’s welcome speech at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference where she spoke about her family.
‘I could not be more proud of them,’ the Queen said in the clip.
To which quiz master Tom replied “‘Proud of them.’ Proud of who?”
Fifi quick-witted response was: ‘Meghan Markle’s trolls.’
The audience erupted into laughter as the show once again made fun of the Royals.
The Crown bust-up
THE screenwriters who tackled the romantic entanglements of Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown have been involved in a backstage bust-up over her portrayal in the new series.
Jemima Khan, a close front of Princess Diana‘s, was brought in to help Peter Morgan – the Netflix series creator – write the script detailing the last years before her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
However, she has now revealed that she pulled out of the project after claiming that the portrayal of Diana’s story was not being handled “as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped”.
Khan and Morgan were briefly linked romantically, but broke up earlier this year.
She said she was asked by Morgan to help write the forthcoming fifth series in 2019.
Before taking to the script role, Khan revealed: “It was really important to me that the final years of my friend’s life be portrayed accurately and with compassion, as has not always happened in the past”.
Royals Xmas lunch bizarre tradition
As if Christmas at the Queen’s Norfolk estate Sandringham didn’t sound daunting enough, there’s also a VERY odd tradition every member of the Royal Family has to follow.
In 2018, royal expert Ingrid Seward Ingrid told that The Queen asks each of her guests – including Kate Middleton and Prince William – to “weigh themselves” when they arrive using a set of antique scales.
But this is all to make sure guests are having a great time – and they’re weighed to make sure they’re being “well fed”.
The tradition dates back to King Edward VII’s reign in the early 1900s – and applies to all members of the royal clan.
As the festivities undeniably revolve around eating, the Royal Family first enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings before indulging themselves in an afternoon tea complete with a “gargantuan iced cake”.