Royal news live: Unseen Meghan Markle picture sparks debate as King Charles enjoys ‘holistic’ Indian Spa break

Charles and Camilla have landed in India on a four-day private visit after their tour in Australia and Samoa.

The couple are on a retreat at Soukya Health and Wellness Centre in Bengaluru’s Whitefield seeking wellness treatments before they go back to their busy schedule.

This marks the King’s first visit as a monarch to India since his coronation in 2023.

The government will sanction Russian agencies linked to a disinformation campaign that targeted Princess Kate following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

The disinformation network, known as the Doppelganger group, was formed of six Russian agencies and individuals accused of spreading false rumors about the Princess of Wales in March - shortly after she revealed her health condition.

The Foreign Office described this network as a “vast malign online presence” designed to disrupt democratic processes and create confusion through the dissemination of fake news.

Condemning the actions, foreign secretary David Lammy said: “Putin is so desperate to undermine European support for Ukraine that he is now resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to stoke unrest.”

The Doppelganger’s operation was first detected by security experts at Cardiff University, who identified the methods used to push false narratives online about the Princess.

In response to the campaign, the Princess of Wales took a firm stance by publicly addressing her diagnosis, quelling the unfounded speculation that had spread across social media.

Prince William has mentioned Prince Harry publicly for the first time in years, as he recalls a childhood memory in his upcoming documentary.

The Prince of Wales recounted the time his mother, the late Princess Diana, took him and his brother to visit a homeless shelter more than 30 years ago.

He said: “My mother took me to The Passage. She took Harry and I both there. I must have been about 11, I think probably at the time, maybe 10. I’d never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect.”

The mention of Harry is believed to be the first in six years. The last time William spoke about hus brother publicly is thought to be in 2018 when the pair were interviewed at Royal Foundation Forum.

Previously unseen pictures have also released as part of the documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, showing William as a child on the visit.

King Charles is set to return to his normal schedule of overseas tours next year, amid his ongoing cancer treatment.

In an update given by a palace official, it was revealed Charles will fly abroad during the spring and autumn in 2025, provided doctors sanction the travel.

“We’re now working on a pretty normal looking full overseas tour programme for next year, which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms,” the official said.

An update about the state of the King’s health or his treatment has not been given but the news that Charles will take on more overseas trips suggests his cancer is being managed successfully.

Cooking expert Tom Bowles has revealed the meals he ate at home with Queen Camilla.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent’s editor-in-chief, Geordie Greig, the renowned food writer discussed everything from his fondest childhood food memories to the one meal that causes Buckingham Palace to grind to a halt.

He said: “We had no spice whatsoever in our upbringing. We didn’t have curries.

“The only spice in the house might’ve been a tiny old dusty tin of curry powder for some disgusting coronation chicken occasionally and a bottle of old Tabasco for a Bloody Mary. That was the only spice.”

But when Parker Bowles moved onto prep school however, he realised just how bad some food can be, describing the breakfast provided as a “study in sadism” with “ice hockey puck eggs” that tasted of fish and “scummy flaps of bacon”.

Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, known as King Charles’ equerry, is engaged to Olivia Lewis.

Thompson gained attention on social media following King Charles’ accession in September 2022, particularly with a viral TikTok video.

He was also featured during the coronation in May 2023, where a video of him assisting the King garnered significant views.

The Times announced the engagement, saying: “The engagement is announced between Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Thompson of Morpeth, Northumberland, and Olivia Rose, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Lewis OBE of Primrose Hill, London.”

Campaigners have called for “full disclosure” of gifts received by the royal family after it emerged King Charles has failed to publish an annual list for four years.

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.