Royal news – live: William meets David Beckham as he steps out in London after Harry’s awards ceremony

The Duchess of Edinburgh was busy this week with a series of community engagements in Surrey.

Her busy schedule was shared on the official royal family Twitter/X account in a post that read: “This week, The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Surrey, engaging with local initiatives.

“At Hale Community Centre, The Duchess met community groups and admired artwork by Creative Response.

“At Mane Chance Sanctuary, The Duchess helped groom and feed horses with @DofE Award students.

“At Parity for Disability, The Duchess joined students for sensory activities and cake decorating.”

The taxpayer-funded grant to the monarchy is set to rise by £45m - a raise being funded by soaring profits from the Crown Estate.

The money is said to be used for ongoing renovations to Buckingham Palace.

The raise will see the Sovereign Grant increase from £86.3m for the years 2024 to 2025 to £132m for the years 2025 to 2026.

Queen Camilla’s son, the food critic Tom Parker-Bowles, has revealed his thoughts on spending time with his mother and King Charles in a column with the Telegraph.

Recounting his day as part of their weekly My Saturday, which sees celebrities recount their favourite weekend rituals, Mr Parker-Bowles said he was more likely to see the royal couple during the week, and often visits for a cup of tea.

“I know some people might visit their family for a bite to eat on a Saturday, but I don’t tend to nip down for lunch at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House as my mother is usually in the country at weekends now,” he said.

“Charles, who genuinely is the loveliest man in the world, and I’m not just being oily, knows so much about food and loves his food, as does my mother,” he added.

Prince Harry unexpectedly showed up on Jimmy Fallon’s US talk show – and his appearance left him screaming and swearing.

Harry was invited to walk through a “haunted” maze with the host, and the result was broadcast on Thursday night’s episode of The Tonight Show (26 September).

Based on Fallon’s nightmares, the maze is a New York-based attraction set to feature several rooms filled with actors jumping out at attendees.

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The King said Scotland “has always had a uniquely special place” in the hearts of his family.

He said: “We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland, because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based, as it is, on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions and frequently deeply held beliefs never cease to inspire.

“From the central belt to the north Highlands, across the islands in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns and villages, all the coastal communities, who I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?

“Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.

“My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish, my late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.”

The King has marked the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, saying it has more than “thrived”.

Charles and the Queen, during their visit to Holyrood on Saturday, were met by presiding officer Alison Johnstone and deputy presiding officers Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing.

The royal couple then greeted Holyrood’s party leaders: First Minister and head of the SNP John Swinney, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton

Addressing the chamber on Saturday, the King said: “This place has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland.”

Boris Johnson was not asked by Buckingham Palace to try and persuade Prince Harry to stay in the UK, despite the former prime minister’s claims in his new book.

In a section serialised by the Daily Mail, Johnson claims he was asked to give the Duke of Sussex a “manly pep talk” to convince him to remain part of the working monarchy, which he described as “totally hopeless”.

He alleged that officials from the palace and Downing Street made the request in the belief it might encourage the Duke to change his mind.

However, The Telegraph understands this was not the case, and there was no specific request from the palace for such an intervention to take place.

Following the Duke of Sussex’s decision to step down as a working royal in 2020, it has been claimed that he is “attempting a gradual re-entry” to the fold.

Harry, 40, is currently in New York promoting several charitable causes on a visit not dissimilar to those undertaken by working royals.

Royal commentator Maureen Callahan told GB News America: “I think what’s happening here is that Harry is attempting to make a very soft, gradual re-entry.

“The paperback of his memoir is coming out next month, and he pulped the extra chapter of additional new information. It seems like a very small but meaningful steps to try to make his way back into the fold.”

Can the royal family and King Charles adapt to the modern age and stay relevant? Will Harry be able to rejoin The Firm? And what will the next generation of royalty be like?

These and more questions from our audience were answered in The Independent’s virtual event on the future of the royal family.

Hosted by assistant editor Victoria Harper, the panel features bestselling authors Anna Pasternak and Tessa Dunlop, plus royal historian Jonathan Spangler.

If you enjoy our virtual events, please consider supporting The Independent with a donation or by subscribing to Independent Premium.