Royal Family: Zara Tindall set to shun Balmoral while Meghan Markle comes under fire

King Charles may have sent Prince William a hidden message about how to handle a brother when relations become strained, according to royal experts.

The Monarch's youngest brother Prince Andrew has been embroiled in unsavoury headlines in recent years, but the King offered a rare signal last year showing he reportedly still willing to offer a "second chance".

On Christmas Day Prince Andrew joined the Royal Family, including the King, Queen and the Wales family at Sandringham, striding out alongside his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

The Duchess of York was also making her first appearance on December 5 in 30 years, although she was often said to have been a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth, alongside her former husband.

Robert Jobson, author of the new book 'Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The biography', wrote for the Daily Mail that the significance of Prince Andrew being invited to Chritmas was actually not about him, but a message from the King to Prince William about Prince Harry.

When Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry and formally entered the royal fold, there was potential that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would form a "fab four" with the Prince William and Princess Kate.

However, roll on six years and the chasm between the two couples couldn't be larger. Both emotionally and geographically, Prince Harry and Meghan are distant from the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Cracks began to emerge between the couples not long after the sumptuous wedding between the red-headed royal and the hollywood actress.

However, Prince Harry's tell-all memoir Spare suggests that the rift between Kate and Meghan may have been sparked far earlier and now a brand new book claims one factor in particular was to blame.

According to Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, serialised in the Mail On Sunday, Meghan was "taken aback at the disparity between the brothers."

Meghan Markle wore a linen suit by Australian brand St Agni and accessorised with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery at the G9 Ventures Summer Summit.

One of the items she wore was a Cartier watch once owned by Princess Diana, worth over £17,000.

According to Page Six, Meghan had flown into the swanky area by private jet with entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima, from Santa Barbara, with sources telling the outlet that she is there to pick up tips on her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

Prince William has chosen not to reveal how much his tax he pays, unlike his father King Charles.

The heir to the throne is not required to share this information, but one royal expert believes there is only one reason why he would choose not to do so.

ITV royal editor Chris Ship told the Talking Royals podcast: "He [Prince William] is handling things in a slightly different way and I'd say a bit less transparently.

"That's the only way to draw a conclusion from this. Prince William is the heir to the throne and he gets a separate pot of money, that comes from the Duchy of Cornwall.

"The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate so they don't have to tell us what they do with that money. However, when King Charles was the last Duke of Cornwall he told us how much tax he paid.

"We asked 'why didn't William' reveal his tax,' and they said 'well he doesn't have to.' The only conclusion is that he doesn't want to be as open as his father was. It's as simple as that."

COMMENT by Nathan Kay

The upcoming Royal Family gathering at Balmoral Castle in mid-late August is set to be more than just a traditional summer get-together. Sources claim it will serve as a pivotal summit for the strategic planning of the monarchy's next decade.

Hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla, this meeting comes at a time of significant transition and offers a unique opportunity for the Royal Family to chart a course for its future amid great difficulty.

The Firm is not only dealing with the ongoing 'Sussex problem' but also facing health challenges, with two senior figures announcing cancer diagnoses and Princess Anne suffering a head injury from a suspected horse kick.

If the slimmed-down monarchy wasn't thin on the ground, it most certainly is now. One notable aspect of this year's Balmoral gathering will be the absence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the main family celebrations.

Prince Michael of Greece has passed away in Athens aged 85.

He was the first cousin of Prince Philip, who was also a member of the Greek Royal Family.

The last remaining grandson of George I with a lineage to the House of Bourbon through his mother's side of the family, is set to be buried in the Greek capital on Thursday.

Samuel Chatto is celebrating his 28th birthday today.

He is the grandson of Princess Margaret and great-nephew of Queen Elizabeth, but he is not a working royal.

Instead he stays out of the royal spotlight and works in a ceramics studio.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be spending more time apart over the summer, if he wants to travel to the UK.

Meghan would likely prefer to stay at home in Montecito with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Harry and Meghan are also set to release their own separate work projects, with the release date of both remaining unknown.

EXCLUSIVE: Zara and Mike Tindall may not be able to join the Royal Family at Balmoral in August due to a diary clash.

A source has told Express.co.uk that Zara has submitted an application to compete at the Wellington International Horse Trials in Hampshire, which takes place August 24 until 26.

The Royal Family are planning their annual Sunday service 535 miles away at Crathie Kirk church near Balmoral in Scotland on the same bank holiday weekend.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first got engaged in 2017, they began winning over the public and the press.

This is something that may have gotten under Prince William's skin, as he was used to him and Princess Kate being front and centre.

However the Sussexes themselves also became jealous of the Waleses being higher up the pecking order and having access to more money.

Good afternoon from London, I'm Catherine Meyer-Funnell and I'll be bringing you all the very latest royal updates into this evening. Feel free to get in touch at cathey.meyerfunnell@reachplc.com

Queen Camilla's transformation from being perceived as fashionably conservative to becoming a style icon involves a combination of strategic fashion choices, professional guidance, and evolving public perception.

In her early appearances, the Queen often dressed in jeans and baggy sweatshirts, embodying the typical attire of someone who enjoys the rural lifestyle of the Cotswolds.

However, with time, over time she has completely transformed her look - and is now known as a fashion icon in royal circles, up there with the likes of Princess Kate and Duchess Sophie, who both also know how to dress for the occasion.

Meghan Markle is said to find her declining popularity "hard to swallow" - but Prince Harry has a completely different reaction.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen a sharp decline in popularity in recent years - in both the US and UK.

Harry recently faced major criticism for receiving the Pat Tillman Award for service. This was something that many, including Pat's mother Mary Tillman, thought was a wrong move.

Meghan Markle has been described as a "two-bit hustler with delusions of adequacy" by Julie Burchill, who went on to note that her and Prince Harry have little left to offer as their more lucrative deals have expired.

When the Sussexes first left the Royal Family in 2020 and moved to the US, they pitched themselves as major new players in the entertainment industry, signing deals with Netflix, Spotify and Penguin Random House.

A potential memoir by Meghan Markle now hangs in doubt as it is deemed the British public "won't believe" what she writes.

Prince Harry released Spare in January 2023, with speculation that Meghan may release her own memoir soon followed.

Ulrike Grunewald, who is working on 'Harry - the lost Prince' which is due to air on the ZDF network in Germany in December, has suggested that people in the UK likely won't believe a word of what Meghan writes.

King Charles has an unexpected landlord for his beloved Highgrove House – his son Prince William and daughter-in-law Princess Kate - which might have seen him having to seek approval to hire a new gardener to transform the grounds.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will reportedly receive up to £700,000 a year rent from King Charles.Prince William now controls the Duchy of Cornwall and its £345million property portfolio - including Charles’ 18th century Gloucestershire estate.Despite Highgrove having a new owner, a source tells Express.co.uk that King Charles will make all the decisions about its upkeep and reside there for the rest of his life.

The Princess of Wales sounds "posher" than Prince William due to "several rounds of elocution lessons", reavealed royal author Omid Scobie.

As well as the lessons, the 42-year-old's "received pronunciation" is also likely down to her own upbringing and private education.

As a child, one of my earliest memories is of my mother being cross with me because I refused to stand up at the end of a film - Born Free, appropriately, so I would have been seven - when they played the National Anthem, as was the habit of cinemas until 1974.

Already I was a rebel - and I found the monarchy, with the element of enthusiastic bowing, scraping and brown-nosing involved, particularly hard to stomach. I became ever more of a republican.

King Charles may never reunite with his two youngest grandchildren as Prince Harry refuses to bring his young family to the UK, sources claim.

Speaking on ITV's latest documentary named 'Tabloids on Trail', Harry revealed that he would not be bringing his wife and their children to the UK over fears for their safety.

Prince William and Queen Camilla's bond has been further cemented by each having to face caring for a sick spouse, a royal expert has commented.

When details of the Royal Family's yearly finances were published earlier this week, it was noted by several news outlets that Camilla's sister, Annabel Elliot, had been taken off the Duchy of Cornwall payroll.

Meghan Markle has been urged to "stay out of US politics" after claims that the 42-year-old is looking to "queue jump" into the political office.

The Duchess of Sussex, who stepped down as a senor working royal in 2020, reportedly "wants to be involved" in this year's US election following rumours of a potential presidency bid.

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Meghan Markle could soon release a book compiling her diary entries during her time in Britain, according to a filmmaker behind a controversial new Prince Harry and Meghan Markle documentary.

Ulrike Grunewald, who is working on 'Harry - the lost Prince' which is due to air on the ZDF network in Germany in December, has suggested that the British public won't believe a word Meghan Markle writes.

Good morning from London. I'm Lauren Welch and I'll be bringing you all the latest royal news into this afternoon. Please feel free to reach out via email lauren.welch@reachplc.com