Royal news live: Kate Middleton channels Princess Diana with powerful message ahead of Addiction Awareness Week

Prince Harry’s latest legal claim against the publishers of the Daily Mail could go to trial, a High Court judge has said.

The Duke of Sussex has accused the publisher of allegedly commissioning unlawful activities, including hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, recording private phone conversations “blagging” private records, and even burglaries to order.

At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday High Court judge Mr Justice Nicklin said that it was important to progress the case to an eventual trial.

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The cost of King Charles’ coronation has been revealed, with government accounts showing that £72 million in taxpayer money was spent on the event.

An annual report from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) shows that it spent £50.3 million on the coronation. This was alongside the £21.7 million in policing costs for the royal event.

The coronation took place on 6 May 2023, marking the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Around 18 million viewers tuned in to watch the ceremony on the BBC – fewer than the 28 million that watched Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

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The Princess of Wales is set to play a role in the Emir of Qatar’s state visit to the UK next week.

Kate, who is recovering from cancer, will join her husband the Prince of Wales in greeting Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, at Kensington Palace on 3 December.

William and Kate are then due to travel with the pair to Horse Guards Parade, where they will receive a ceremonial welcome before meeting the King and Queen. Presentations will be made, a royal salute will occur and the Qatari national anthem is set to be played.

However, Kate will not attend the grand state banquet hosted by the King at Buckingham Palace in the evening, Kensington Palace said.

The princess, 42, has made just a handful of public appearances so far in 2024, after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January and then was diagnosed with cancer.

The King seemed amused as he watched a comedian’s impression of Donald Trump at the Royal Variety Performance on Friday.

Charles was seen laughing as British comedian Matt Forde poked fun at the US president-elect on stage at the Royal Albert Hall.

Forde referenced the unfounded claims Mr Trump repeated during his presidential debate against Democrat candidate Kamala Harris earlier this year, that illegal immigrants from Haiti were eating locals’ pets in the small Ohio city of Springfield.

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With both King Charles and the Princess of Wales stepping back from royal duties this year due to their cancer diagnoses, one supportive family member has become a regular feature in royal news.

Despite not being a working member of the monarchy, Princess Beatrice’s public profile has risen in recent months as she helps support Charles by carrying out royal duties.

In November, she took up an invitation from the King’s Foundation to visit the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea to visit the Future Textiles exhibition, where she tried her hand at embroidery and spoke about the importance of preserving traditional skills.

She also remains one of the four Counsellors of State, meaning she can deputise for the monarch should he be absent. While her popularity ratings have been boosted, palace insiders have insisted she is not due to become a working member of the royal family.

Princess Beatrice is currently expecting her second child with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles has revealed that King Charles has made a significant change to his diet in the wake of his cancer diagnosis.

The food critic told Saga magazine that he has reduced his intake of red meat, with the Queen also cutting back on lamb, beef and pork.

He noted that King Charles was “looking again at what, and when, he eats” following “what he’s been through recently”.

He added: “I’m no nutritionist, but I know that food is part of a body’s “medicine”. It knows when it’s having the right stuff.”

On their website, Cancer Research UK states: “Red meat is classed as a probable cause of cancer. This means there is lots of good evidence of a link between eating red meat and some types of cancer, but we need a few more of the best quality studies to be certain.”

The Duchess of Edinburgh has been named as the new patron for Plan International, a non-government organisation that promotes equality for women and girls across the globe.

In a statement on X, they said: “We’re delighted to announce our new Royal Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh ( @RoyalFamily ). As a champion of women’s rights, The Duchess has witnessed first hand the impact conflict and crisis can have on young women and girls. We look forward to working with The Duchess to raise awareness of the barriers facing girls around the world.”

Prince Edward’s wife Sophie is patron to a number of other charities that promote the end of violence towards women, and has travelled to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to promote this work.

Ahead of the release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, the former Suits star is busy shape-shifting into the perfect American wife, with her new jam products and ‘polo-mom’ glossiness. It’s a master plan that could make them millions, says Anna Tyzak:

Buckingham Palace will be undergoing huge upheavals in the coming months as the £369m refurbishment closes some of its grandest rooms.

The palace’s grandest rooms will undergo “phased closures” for renovation, beginning with the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room and the State Dining Room.

This will be followed by the Ballroom, where state banquets are held, and state rooms including the Throne Room and the Green Drawing Room.

Work will be paused during the summer months as the state rooms open to the public as usual.