Royal news live: Harry and Meghan accused of ‘ballot harvesting’ for Kamala Harris as duke plans UK return

A British socialite has claimed that Prince Harry is kept “on a tight leash” by Meghan Markle who allegedly stopped him from having a large 40th birthday party.

According to reports, the Duke of Sussex, 40, had a low-key celebration with his family in California.

Lady Victoria Hervey told GB News: “40 is still very young – men are quite juvenile at 40 years old. If he had a choice, he would have probably been in England with a lot of his old friends, but she’s not going to let him do that, is she?”

“I think she keeps him on a really tight leash. You can see it in him, he’s deprived of freedom. She’s sort of his therapist and his babysitter and he’s very, very dependent on her.”

A royal author claims that Prince Harry “hates” King Charles for creating a “nightmare scenario” by leaving him out of his succession plans.

The Duke of Sussex, who recently turned 40, is currently fifth in line to the throne and the insider said he believes this gives him a right to be involved in future planning.

Harry moved to California with his family after stepping down as a working royal in 2020.

Royal author Tom Quinn told The Mirror: “Harry hates the fact that he is being left completely out of the succession planning, but he has only himself to blame.

“His choices illustrate perfectly the old adage - beware you get what you wish for. Harry wanted his freedom and he has it, but there is a price to pay and he is paying it.”

Prince William thanked those working to combat homelessness at an engagement in Aberdeen yesterday (19 September).

The heir to the throne, 42, made the visit as part of his work with his Homewards project, which aims to end the problem.

A post on the official royal family Twitter/X account read: “A huge thank you to the incredible homelessness workers and organisations in Aberdeen for your unwavering dedication and tireless efforts.

“Your work in supporting those most vulnerable and commitment to making a difference in the community is truly inspiring. Together we can end homelessness.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been accused of “harvesting votes for Kamala Harris” ahead of the US election.

Through their Archewell Foundation, the Sussexes announced that they were writing to unregistered voters and encouraging them to use their voices.

A statement posted to their website read: “Using Vote Forward’s impactful letter-writing tool, our team wrote personalised letters encouraging unregistered voters to take a crucial step: registering to vote.”

It added: “At The Archewell Foundation, we recognise that civic engagement, no matter one’s political party, is at the heart of a more just and equitable world.”

While the couple have taken no political stance in the election, the move has been slammed by the Chairman of the Republican movement in the UK, Greg Swenson.

He told the Daily Mail: “By encouraging people to vote they are essentially ballot harvesting for Kamala.

“You don’t have to say it... you don’t need a bumper sticker, we know who you voted for.”

King Charles is said to be “fed up” with Prince Harry’s requests for security on his UK visits.

This comes following the revelation that the Duke of Sussex, 40, will visit his home country later this month for the Wellchild Awards in London. According to reports, he will not see his father, who will be in Scotland, on the visit.

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital: “All royal family members want to be sure that their conversations remain private.

“King Charles is thoroughly fed up with Prince Harry assuming that he can [manage] his security requests. He will not be available 24/7 for Prince Harry’s demands.”

“However, King Charles loves Prince Harry as a father. [He] will make an effort to communicate with him, especially on important days.”

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will no longer be able to travel together in less than a year in a bid to protect the line of succession.

Under typical royal protocol, once George turns 12 next summer, he will no longer be able to travel with his nine-year-old sister, who is fourth in line to the throne.

This unique travel arrangement is done to protect key members of the monarchy should an accident occur when travelling by plane or similar.

The Duke of Sussex is said to be willing to personally “take the risk” of visiting the UK.

Harry, 40, is set to return to his home country at the end of the month for the WellChild Awards in London, however, he will not be accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle and their children.

He recently told ITV that he believes the UK is too dangerous for his family to visit because he fears “a knife or acid attack”.

Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker told GB News: “He’s prepared to take the risk, but not for Meghan and the children.”

Mr Walker added: “It’ll be interesting to see where Harry stays.

“We’ve seen him stay at hotel rooms - last month, he stayed with Diana’s family, Diana’s brother on their estate.”

A new documentary drama series about Prince Andrew’s notorious 2019 Newsnight interview, A Very Royal Scandal, is being released on Amazon Prime today (19 September).

The Duke of York’s attempts to explain his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein ultimately forced him to step down as a working royal.

The three-part series’s synopsis reads: “Based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations the Prince faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre.

“A Very Royal Scandal follows the actions of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in the lead-up to the interview, the event itself and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.”

An update has been provided about the Duchess of Edinburgh’s current tour of Tanzania.

Sophie, 59, was photographed at Mlandizi Health Centre, with an official statement explaining: “HRH saw trachoma screenings and surgery, and heard about progress to rid the country of the infectious and blinding disease.”

Prince Harry’s friend and fellow mental health advocate Bryony Gordon has opened up about the Sussex’s “extraordinary” situation.

Writing to mark the Duke of Sussex’s 40th birthday, she explained that they are an “ordinary” couple and described Harry as “pretty damn normal” after an almost decade-long friendship.

She told the Daily Mail: “There are no airs or graces with them, no desire to do anything other than protect their children from an increasingly digital world that likes nothing more than seeing the worst in people. A world that forgets that no matter how high profile a person is, they’re just doing their best, like everyone else.”

Ms Gordon added: “This is not what people want to hear, but it is what I’ve found, time and time again.”