Royal news – live: King Charles and Queen Camilla face surprising ‘snub’ by Australian leaders ahead of tour

Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has called for “full disclosure” of gifts handed to King Charles and other royals after annual lists have not been published for four years.

Responding to the news, first reported in the Observer, Republic’s Graham Smith said: “If politicians are being lambasted for failing to declare gifts, the same should apply to the royals.

“It is vital that the public knows about any possible conflicts of interest or attempts to curry favour with royals, as they have direct access to the highest levels of government. And we need to know if official gifts are being handed over to the state or surreptitiously kept for personal use.

“Charles and senior royals have access to government papers, can have secretive meetings with ministers and the prime minister and they have leverage to pressure government to do favours for them and their friends. So it’s vital we know what gifts they’re receiving.

“The royals have form when it comes to blurring the lines between what’s theirs to keep and what’s an official gift. So full disclosure is needed on what’s been received and where those gifts are now.

“There’s usually a good reason why billionaires and Saudi businessmen give gifts, because something is expected in return. So we need full disclosure, not just of royal gifts but also royal lobbying.

“If we demand high standards from politicians, we must demand those same standards from the royals.”

Buckingham Palace has said the list will be published in due course.

King Charles is reported to be bringing two doctors with him on his upcoming trip to Australia and Samoa.

While the monarch, 75, will “pause” his cancer treatment during the visit, the presence of the medical professionals will allow him to continue to be monitored closely, a palace source said according to The Times.

Hugo Vickers, historian and author, added: “I’m sure that the medical team has been consulted and will look after the King and make sure that he doesn’t overwork, as we know he has a propensity to do. I’m sure he wouldn’t be undertaking the trip unless he was fit enough to do it.”

Anti-royalist activists are selling “farewell tour” merchandise ahead of King Charles’ visit to Australia this week.

Charles and Camilla are set to kick off the first royal visit to the country in over a decade on Friday - but their anticipated arrival has sparked debate about the monarchy’s role in modern Australia.

The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) has branded the visit as the royal’s “farewell tour” as they campaign to separate the Commonwealth country from the monarchy.

Retro style satirical posters, T-shirts and beer coasters have been created with Charles, Camilla and Prince William on them, encouraging Australians to “wave goodbye to royal reign”.

A T-shirt, featuring the royal trio in aviator sunglasses, is retailing for 34 AUD on the campaign group’s website, finished with the description: “Alright legends the stage is set... Let’s wave goodbye to royal reign! Grab this killer t-shirt to support the campaign and help take the republic movement to the main stage.”

The Prince of Wales has pleaded with director Paul Greengrass to make a new Jason Bourne film as he celebrated young creatives in the film, television and gaming industries.

William clasped his hands together and told the film-maker “another Bourne, another Bourne” when he visited Bafta’s offices in central London last week to meet students benefiting from a Bafta bursary in his name.

Greengrass is also a champion of Bafta’s bursary which funds practical support such as buying equipment or paying for driving lessons to enable workers to get to a film set.

After meeting William, the director said about making a new instalment of the Bourne franchise: “Not for me, they need somebody younger, I’ve done my bit. But I hope they get somebody great and young to do it, I think they’re in the process.”

Greengrass directed the second film in the series, The Bourne Supremacy in 2004, The Bourne Ultimatum three years later and Jason Bourne in 2016, the final film in the franchise starring Matt Damon in the lead role.

Unlike MPs, members of the royal family are not required to declare gifts, donations and hospitality on a public register of interests.

Nevertheless, they began publishing an annual list of official gifts received by the royal household following scrutiny of jewellery given to Queen Camilla by a Saudi royal in 2007.

However, it has emerged King Charles and his family have not shared such a list since 2019.

It included a 24 carat gold-plated horse comb from President Borut Pahor of the Republic of Slovenia and three gifts the late Queen Elizabeth II received from Donald Trump during his presidential visit.

Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, has insisted: “It is vital that the public knows about any possible conflicts of interest or attempts to curry favour with royals, as they have direct access to the highest levels of government.”

Under rules reviewed in 2003, gifts received during official duties such as state banquets or royal tours are classed as an official gifts. Those given by someone a royal knows in a personal capacity are considered private.

Buckingham Palace has said the list will be published in due course.

The Emir of Qatar is to pay a state visit to the UK hosted by the King, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Charles and the Queen will welcome Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, to London on December 3.

They can expect to be feted with a traditional ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade and a grand state banquet at Buckingham Palace during the two-day incoming state visit.

Charles has visited Qatar eight times as the Prince of Wales and met the Emir at the Cop28 summit in Dubai in December. The Qatari leader and Sheikha Jawaher also attended the King’s coronation in Westminster Abbey, and the late Queen’s funeral.

The Qatari royal family is one of the richest in the world, with a reported fortune running into the billions.

Sheikh Tamim, 44, was educated in Britain, attending public schools Sherborne and Harrow, before graduating from the Sandhurst military academy. He set up Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2005, which owns the French football team Paris Saint-Germain.

Qatar – one of the richest Gulf states – is a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas war and the ruling Emir is likely to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for talks at Downing Street during his stay.

Want to dine like a King? Diners are going to be given the chance to experience an 18th century feast in the King’s favourite room at Dumfries House.

Charles takes most of his evening meals in the Pink Dining Room while staying at the Scottish stately home in Ayrshire.

Now his charity, The King’s Foundation, is offering a new private dining experience, allowing members of the public the opportunity to enjoy a three-course meal, authentic to the 1700s and served by a traditional butler, in the royal chamber.

Guests will eat at the King’s table – but not in the presence of the monarch – beneath the 35kg Murano glass floral chandelier, which was painstakingly reassembled after being found in the basement in more than 100 pieces nearly 20 years ago.

Menus will be based on 18th century dishes, such as poached salmon, fish soup, and manchet bread for starters, followed by roasted venison and beef, parmentier potatoes and a juniper sauce, and lemon and pistachio syllabub, bread and butter pudding, and apple and almond trifle for dessert.

Sir Trevor McDonald has recalled how Prince Phillip’s driving as “slightly mad” when he was given a tour around Sandringham years ago.

The veteran broadcaster described his car journey with the then Duke of Edinburgh whilst filming the 2008 documentary The Duke: A Portrait of Prince Phillip.

“I am not allowed to say this publicly, but I thought his driving was slightly mad,” he told Cheltenham Literary Festival.

“I remember he was extraordinarily generous in giving me his time like this. But he put me in this super duper thing we are driving around, it was around Sandringham so there was nothing in his way and he would stop to wave to people who worked there and so on.

“But then we drove into a puddle of mud and he went ‘how did this bloody thing get here, why can’t I get this out’, and I thought I mustn’t say ‘because you just put it in there’.”

As the King gears up to begin his nine-day tour of Australia this week, his arrival is expected to be met with a wave of both support and opposition.

Every single state premier has turned down invitations to attend his royal reception in Canberra during the trip, and anti-royalist groups have launched a campaign dubbing the trip a royal “farewell tour”.

The republican movement calls for an end to the monarchy’s role in modern Australia - but what is the royal family’s connection to the country?

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with the King acting as its head of state. However, the monarch does not have a role in the day-to-day running of Australia and appoints the governor-general, who is their representative, on the advice of the prime minister.

The Australian Constitution gives certain powers to the governor general to act on behalf of the King, such as giving Royal Assent to laws passed in parliament.