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...
Queen’s hint
A royal expert has said that the Queen is “coming to terms” with the idea that “she won’t be around forever”.
The monarch paid a moving tribute to her son Charles and grandson William during her recorded COP26 speech yesterday.
And she told delegates: “We none of us will live forever.”
Her Majesty is currently taking a two-week break from her duties on doctors’ orders after an overnight stay in hospital during October.
She was seen out in Windsor a few days ago behind the wheel of her Jaguar – a sighting that will doubtless reassure Brits concerned for her health.
Queen on ‘light duties’
Doctors have told the Queen to remain on “light duties” for two weeks after spending a night in hospital last month for “preliminary investigations”.
Sources close to the Queen told The Sun she wants to return to work, if fit enough, in time for Remembrance Sunday on November 14.
Despite her flight, her Royal Standard flag — which denotes when the Queen is in residence — has continued to fly at Windsor Castle.
It is understood that the standard remains at the castle because her full official court of staff and servants have not travelled with her.
A source said: “The Queen is following medical advice to be on light duties — so a break to Sandringham would only be on the strictest of doctor’s orders.”
£7,000 wedding gift
While the 46-year-old actor attended the royal couple’s nuptials, Meghan was unable to attend Idris’ wedding to Sabrina Dhowre in April 2019 because she was heavily pregnant.
However, we previously revealed that the Duchess of Sussex sent the newlyweds a £7,000 wedding gift to make up for missing his glamorous Moroccan celebrations.
Harry and Meghan gave the couple a Connor Brothers painting of a glamorous woman from the 50s, .
It was imprinted with the words “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
No place in politics
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.”
Explained: 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.
Fergie’s evidence
Reports claim that Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson could be called to give evidence in a US lawsuit accusing him of raping a teen sex slave.
Lawyers for Virginia Roberts Giuffre say they are seeking formal interviews with two “witnesses” in the UK in the coming weeks.
The Duke of York also faces attempts to force him to give a deposition – recorded questioning by lawyers that forms part of a civil lawsuit.
Details emerged in a brief hearing in New York yesterday when District Judge Lewis Kaplan set a provisional date for a court showdown next September.
The blockbuster trial would overshadow the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, palace aides fear.
Virginia, now 38, filed a lawsuit in August accusing the prince of forcing her to have sex at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home when she was 17.
'If I could turn the clock back I would'
Meghan's brother went on to say that the letter he sent previously was 'possibly the biggest mistake of my life' and that he wishes his sisters family the 'most loving' life possible.
"Meg, if I could really turn the clock back, I would truly tell you that I am so, so proud of you and truly I am so happy for you and Harry. And I love you.
"You are my little sister, my family and you always will be. Now you have found the love of your life and started a family of your own.. couldn't be more proud of you.
"The last several years of my life, I have grown and learned a lot more of myself and I must say that what I did to you with that letter is quite possibly the biggest mistake of my life.
"I truly hope you and Harry find it in your hearts somehow to accept my sincere apology because this is the real Tom Markle Jr. I truly love you guys and I want you to know that about me.
'I wish you Megan, Harry, Archie and Lily the happiest, most loving life possible. Sincerely, your big brother, Tom."
Meghan Markle’s brother Thomas issues surprise apology
MEGHAN Markle's half-brother Thomas has written another letter, from the Big Brother house, apologising for sending a "mean" note before the Royal Wedding.
Back in 2018, Thomas Markle Jr, 55, penned a letter calling Meghan a "jaded, shallow, conceited woman" and branded the upcoming wedding as a"fake fairy tale."
Big Brother contestant Luke Toki was tasked with convincing Thomas to write another letter to the Royals to apologise for the bombshell 2018 note where he warned Prince Harry his "shallow"; sister will "ruin his life."
Thomas agreed to do so and admitted that the previous letter "came from a very dark and hurt part of my heart."
He wrote: "Dear Meghan and Harry, the first thing I want to say to both of you is that I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart for the awful mean letter that I wrote to you prior to your wedding.
"And I want both of you to know it did not come from the real person that I am but came from a very dark and hurt part of my heart… I am not a mean person at all, and I have more love inside me to give than anything."
Harry’s ban
PRINCE Harry will be banned from wearing military uniform when he dishes out awards to forces heroes next week.
The war veteran — who served two tours in Afghanistan — will help hand out five prizes on board a warship in New York.
But he can no longer wear uniform as he was stripped of his honorary military titles when he quit royal duty for California.
Harry will instead have to wear black tie but can pin his four medals on his suit at the gala a day before Veterans Day.
Idris Elba: Meg & Harry are ‘a lot of pressure’
The Luther actor, 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.”
Will Harry ditch his Netflix deal?
Prince Harry is being urged to ditch his £100million Netflix deal after his late mothers pal has ditched the show as an advisor.
Jemima Khan, 47, Diana’s close confidante, has left the show after she was helping in an advisory role, however she felt her friends story was not being “told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped” and asked for her contributions to be cut from the show.
It will be interesting to see whether he will stand his ground and refuse to work with Netflix after the controversial depiction of Princess Diana.
Explained: 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.
Queen on ‘light duties’
Doctors have told the Queen to remain on “light duties” for two weeks after spending a night in hospital last month for “preliminary investigations”.
Sources close to the Queen told The Sun she wants to return to work, if fit enough, in time for Remembrance Sunday on November 14.
Despite her flight, her Royal Standard flag — which denotes when the Queen is in residence — has continued to fly at Windsor Castle.
It is understood that the standard remains at the castle because her full official court of staff and servants have not travelled with her.
A source said: “The Queen is following medical advice to be on light duties — so a break to Sandringham would only be on the strictest of doctor’s orders.”
Diana put famous dress in charity auction
Just two months before she was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997, the princess requested that the frock be sold in a charity auction, with proceeds benefiting cancer and AIDS-related organisations.
A total of 79 pieces belonging to the her were put up at Christie’s in New York – including her ‘Elvis’ and ‘Travolta’ dresses.
The ‘revenge dress’ was sold for $69,000 – approximately £122,000 – according to .
In 2017, it was exhibited at the Museum of Style in Newbridge, County Kildare for their exhibition Diana: A Fashion Legacy.
Jemima Khan quit Netflix’s The Crown over Diana… but Harry’s on mute
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.
Harry's busy day tomorrow
The duke is set to speak out against the "internet lie machine" at a tech summit organised by Wired magazine.
According to scheduling details Harry, 37, will discuss social media algorithms which "reward shock value over reality" before asking: "How did we get here and how do we get out of this mess?"
It's not known how much he'll receive for the appearance.
However, last year, experts predicted he and Meghan, 40, could earn more than £1m each time they do a speech after signing up with an elite agency.
Some say the couple could become the world's wealthiest 'personal brand' - and they may already be valued at £250m.
The Sussexes have been highly critical of the media, while continuing to give interviews to favoured outlets.
Prince Harry will speak on the 'internet lie machine' at a tech summit tomorrow Credit: Getty Meghan's court fight
Raising the stakes further, the Mail would be entitled to demand the disclosure of documents and messages from Meghan and possibly some of her friends.
Mr Knauf "emphatically" denied co-writing the letter, with his lawyers saying "it was the duchess's letter alone", the court has previously heard.
A three-day hearing will begin tomorrow.
On the same day, Meghan will speak at The New York Times DealBook Online Summit.
She'll give a talk on how women can reach economic and professional equality between 2pm and 2.30om Eastern Time - 7pm to 7.30pm Greenwich Mean Time.
It comes days after she allegedly lobbied Republican senators on their private phones.
Meghan Markle faces crunch High Court privacy showdown TOMORROW
MEGHAN Markle faces a crunch High Court privacy showdown tomorrow following a three-year legal wrangle.
The duchess is bracing for battle amid the next stages of her court fight over a letter she sent her father begging him to stop talking to the media.
She won her privacy and copyright row against the Mail on Sunday's publisher Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) after extracts of a five-page note to Thomas Markle were published.
ANL is appealing the court's decision, which was made in February.
Lawyers are arguing over a technicality. They claim former aide Jason Knauf was the co-author of Meghan's letter.
If proven, that means the letter would belong to the Crown - and Meghan wouldn't own the copyright.
If the royal wins, it will end the court case for good.
But if the newspaper claims victory, the case will be sent for a trial in which Meghan herself would have to give evidence and face questioning by lawyers.
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…
Piers Morgan demands
PIERS Morgan has demanded that Meghan Markle is stripped of her royal title – after she cold-called politicians as the Duchess of Sussex.
The TV firebrand, a long-standing critic of Meghan and Harry, kicked off after learning the royal is allegedly lobbying Republican senators on their private phones.
He tweeted: “Just outrageous for Princess Pinocchio to use her royal title for political lobbying like this.
“The Queen must stop the Sussexes causing such endless damage to the monarchy’s reputation.
“Take their titles away.”
'I'm a 'mum and not a politician''
The Duchess of Sussex wrote a lengthy plea to two Democratic lawmakers in Washington DC in which she advocated for paid family leave.
Megan insisted that the plea was sent as an American and a “mum” and not a politician.
She wrote in her letter: “I'm not an elected official, and I'm not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent.
“And because you and your congressional colleagues have a role in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, that's why I'm writing to you at this deeply important time – as a mom – to advocate for paid leave.”
America currently has no system for paid parental leave, although President Joe Biden has vowed to introduce it.
Meghan ‘using her title out of context’
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.
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.