Prince Harry’s endless quest for taxpayer-funded police bodyguards has yet again been caught up in a tangle of red tape.
Ahead of his recent UK return, the Duke of Sussex requested a formal review of his security rights from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec). However, The Times reported this week that officials quietly placed a temporary pause on his case. The reason? An unprecedented strain on royal and government protection resources, thanks to the need to provide security for a record nine former Prime Ministers at the same time.
The delay left Harry’s security status in limbo during his recent trip home, forcing him to travel ahead of Meghan Markle and their children before the family joined him later in the week. Despite losing his Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office last May, Harry continues to push for reassessment, though he now finds himself waiting in line behind Britain’s growing roster of ex-PMs.
Harry continues to fight a government that has made its stance crystal clear. He can pay for his own private security, but if he wants state protection, he’ll just have to get in the queue behind Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.
Prince George’s birthday
Prince George celebrated his 13th birthday (Image: Kensington Palace)
By George, the Royal Family has a new teenager! The Prince and Princess of Wales’ eldest son marked the first day of his teenage years this week as he celebrated his 13th birthday. Prince George was not only the star of a dapper new portrait, but also proved he was the ultimate royal daredevil by leaping across cliffs in a glossy social media video.
The second-in-line to the throne flashed a cheeky grin at the camera while wearing the same orange sunglasses he recently wore at Wimbledon. As well as hopping effortlessly between cliffs, George can be seen playing cricket, sitting on a boat and spending time with his two pet spaniels, Orla and Otto. For his official portrait, though, the teen swapped the rocks for a suit jacket at Kensington Palace.
The photograph was taken just after Trooping The Colour last month, by the family’s favourite photographer, Matt Porteous.
George looked relaxed in the picture as he stood with his hands in his pockets, his top shirt button undone, and his tie removed following a busy day attending his grandfather’s official birthday parade.
This birthday is particularly significant for George as he is set to face some big changes in the months ahead, including a move to Eton College
King Charles’s bizarre week
In a final hurrah before the summer holidays, King Charles and Queen Camilla enjoyed a day out at the Sandringham Flower Show, an event held on the royal estate in Norfolk for almost 150 years.
With knitted radishes, prizes for the best upcycled containers and the King’s revelation that spinach is “the best thing in the world”, it was a classic royal day out for the couple.
Believe it or not, that wasn’t the most bizarre part of the King and Queen’s week as they also stepped out of Doctor Who’s Tardis at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It was a brilliant entrance. All that was missing was a sonic screwdriver!
Harry and Meghan’s old wounds reopened
Just weeks after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met privately with King Charles to mend fractured royal ties, old wounds have resurfaced thanks to their famous 2021 tell-all interview.
Reflecting on her top career moments for Vanity Fair, host Oprah Winfrey revisited the explosive sit-down.
Cheekily mimicking her famous zipped-lip gesture, Oprah explained why she pressed Meghan with the viral line: “Were you silent, or were you silenced?” Oprah clarified that she pushed for a definitive answer to prevent any later ambiguity about whether the Royal Family had muzzled the Duchess.
She also revealed that the original interview took over three and a half hours to record and had to be postponed three times.