Prince Harry ‘eyes return to duties’ as Kate and William prepare for milestone – live

A schoolboy proudly showed off his prize-winning crown in front of King Charles as the monarch visited a flower show in Scotland.

Oliver, eight, from Portlethen, near Aberdeen, said: “He asked if it fits just perfectly for my size and if I would like to try it on.

“It was good. It was unusual with me wearing one and him not wearing one.”

The winning crown was made of silver cardboard, purple tissue paper and golden tinsel and displayed at the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen’s 200th-anniversary show.

According to insiders, while Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are not planning to permanently relocate to the UK, the duke does wish to return in some capacity as he “misses” his old life.

“Harry is turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and is seeking counsel from his old friends and associates,” a source told the MailOnline.

“He is clearly reaching out thinking, ‘I need to do something different because what I’m doing is clearly not working.’ In short, he is rethinking the way he operates.’”

The couple moved to California in 2020 after stepping down as working royals.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are currently preparing for a September milestone as they enjoy the last days of their summer break at Balmoral.

This Wednesday (4 September), Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will all return to the Lambrook School in Bracknell.

Fees at the prestigious public school vary from between £5,434 and £7,968 a term, depending on age.

Wool from the sheep owned by King Charles in Scotland has been used for new clothes inspired by none other than Queen Victoria’s watercolours.

The collection consists of 13 pieces created with wool from sheep who live at the King’s Foundation HQ in Dumfries, Scotland.

A portion of the sale of the clothes, designed by graduate fashion students, will be donated to the foundation’s charitable work.

Jacqueline Farrell, education director at the King’s Foundation, said: “Inspired by the natural world, this year’s artisans have worked tirelessly to develop and hand-craft a unique capsule collection that will stand the test of time.”

She added: “Everything we do here at the King’s Foundation is inspired by His Majesty King Charles III’s vision of harmony, promoting traditional skills and providing holistic, collaborative training for the fashion and textiles professionals of tomorrow.”

An insider has now claimed that Harry is attempting to “reconnect” with friends in the UK and longs for aspects of his old life as a working royal.

“Harry is feeling more and more isolated in California, which is why he has been reconnecting with old friends back home,” the source told The Sun.

“The Colombia trip also really highlighted how Meghan is comfortable stepping into the spotlight, while Harry cuts a very sulky, unhappy figure in the background.

“He wants to carve out a way back into royal life back in the UK and is seeking counsel from old friends and associates.”

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex both attended the funeral of their mother’s brother-in-law, Lord Robert Fellowes, it has been reported.

Harry flew from the US to join William at the service at St Mary’s Church in Snettisham, Norfolk, on Thursday, The Sun said.

The newspaper said that the brothers made a discreet appearance and sat apart at the back of the church.

A local resident was quoted by The Sun saying William and Harry kept their distance and did not speak to each other.

Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, moved to the US in 2020 after they stepped down from royal duties.

The princes did not meet when Harry spent time with the King at Clarence House after news of his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Harry published his memoir Spare last year, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan. It was also claimed William teased Harry about his panic attacks.

Further tensions between the royal brothers can be traced back to the early period of Harry’s relationship with Meghan, when his then fiancee had a falling-out with the Princess of Wales in the run-up to their wedding.

Lord Robert, Queen Elizabeth II’s former private secretary, died earlier this month aged 82. He was married to Lady Jane Fellowes, the sister of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The royal family can take some comfort in the knowledge that their popularity with the British public remains solid, with King Charles still popular two years after acceding to the throne.

According to a YouGov poll six in ten Britons (63%) have a favourable opinion of Charles III, against only three in ten (29%) who hold a negative view of the reigning monarch. This gives the King an overall net favourability rating of +34, something many politicians would be deeply envious of.

More popular are heir apparent Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales. They are Britain’s favourite royals, with three-quarters of Britons (74-75%) having a favourable view of the couple, and disliking the two a minority view (13-16%).

Sir Keir Starmer has been staying with King Charles at Balmoral this weekend, enjoying his first official stay at the royal residence as prime minister.

King Charles III is hosting Sir Keir and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer, in line with a long-held tradition that UK prime ministers visit the monarch at the Scottish castle for a few days towards the end of summer.

Little detail about Sir Keir’s visit to Balmoral has been shared by either No 10 or the Royal Family.

The trips tend to take place shortly before MPs return from their summer recess – with this year’s recess due to end on Monday.

King Charles has released a statement offering his condolences to the people of Aotearoa after the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia.

Buckingham Palace released the following statement: ”My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the death of Kiingi Tuheitia.

“I had the greatest pleasure of knowing Kiingi Tuheitia for decades. He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand founded upon culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion.

“I remember with immense fondness meeting Kiingi Tuheitia many times, including when Her Majesty and I were hosted so warmly and graciously at the Tuurangawaewae Marae in 2015, and then again during our meeting at Buckingham Palace last year. His death is a particular shock in view of the fact that I had only very recently spoken to Kiingi on the telephone at the beginning of August.

“Kua hinga te tōtara i Te Waonui a Tāne. (A mighty Totora tree has fallen.)

“My wife and I extend our deepest condolences to Kiingi Tuheitia’s whaanau and friends and all those who will mourn his loss. Our special thoughts and prayers will be with you at this most difficult and heartbreaking of times.”

It was signed ‘Charles R’.

Kiingi Tuheitia was elected to the Māori throne on 21 August 2006 and held several important roles, including patron of Te Matatini, the largest Māori cultural festival. He also represented the Māori people at King Charles III’s May 2023 coronation.

Following tradition, the next Māori monarch will be chosen with an election.

One of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists who have set up a camp in Windsor has said she thought the King would “probably be here” and “up for doing some camping” if he was not the head of state.

Tents, stages and speakers were set up in Windsor Home Park on Friday morning ahead of an “action-packed” weekend of activities.

Activist Marijn van de Geer, 41, said of Charles: “I reckon if he wasn’t the King he’d probably be here. I think he’d probably be quite good at giving some talks and trainings. He’s quite an outdoorsy person, he’d probably be up for doing some camping, it’s a shame he’s the King because he obviously can’t be here.

“As an individual he has spoken out a lot about the environment. He was well ahead of his days at the time when he was talking about it and everyone was laughing at him.

“This is 100 per cent not an attack at the King. Extinction Rebellion UK does not have any plans to storm Windsor Castle, any hotels, nor cause public disruption.”