Prince Harry and Meghan make ‘mockery’ of royals with ‘political rant’
The Sussexes have been criticised by a conservative US think-tank following their latest statement.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been issued a dire warning by a member of the conservative US think-tank that wants to get the duke's immigration records public following their statement against Meta's changes on fact checking.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement this week accusing Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, of "allowing more abuse and normalising hate speech" after its decision to scrap third-party fact-checking and loosen its content moderation. The Sussexes called on Meta to reconsider the changes, and urged firms to commit to make online spaces safe, saying: "We applaud leaders who refuse to kowtow to bullying".
Now, Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and Barbara Lomas Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, accused the Sussex couple of making a "huge mockery" out of the Royal Family" with their "hugely inappropriate political rant", despite not being working members of the Firm.
The Heritage Foundation - a conservative Washington DC think tank - has been trying to force the US government to make Harry's visa application public following the duke's revelations in his memoir Spare, where he wrote about taking recreational drugs in the past. But US judge Carl Nichols ruled in September that the duke's visa application should not be made public, saying that "the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the duke’s immigration records".
Mr Gardiner told the Daily Beast: "For members of the Royal Family to engage in such overtly political matters is, quite frankly, highly inappropriate. It goes against royal protocol. Their use of these titles to further their personal and political agendas makes a mockery of the Royal Family’s customary neutrality. Their statement wasn’t a moderate call for dialogue or understanding; it was an outright political rant."
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KEY EVENTS
Duchess Sophie glows as she receives 60th birthday cake during poignant visit
The Duchess of Edinburgh was snapped in Community Shop's Lambeth store yesterday, Wednesday January 15, to see how it works to tackle the root cause of food insecurity across the country.
Meghan Markle 'looking to her friends' to boost her brand ahead of Netflix series launch
Meghan Markle is "looking to her friends" to her boost her brand, one PR expert has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex is preparing to launch her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan on March 4 - which was originally set to air today.
Due to ongoing devastation of the wildfires in California, a decision was made to postpone the series earlier this week.
Inside Meghan Markle's 'easy decision' to postpone Netflix show amid vicious LA fires
The Duchess of Sussex's latest project for the streaming giant, With Love, Meghan, was due to hit the screens on January 15.
Royal fans say same thing after spotting 'huge change' with Meghan's engagement ring
The 43-year-old - who is gearing up for the release of her new Netflix series on March 4 - released the trailer for With Love, Meghan earlier this month.
Princess Lilibet bares remarkable resemblance to Princess Eugenie in sweet snap
The three-year-old, who celebrated her first birthday whilst visiting the UK, is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second child and a younger sister to the couple's five-year-old son, Prince Archie.
Meghan Markle's wildfire visit brutally mocked as commentator issues savage six-word dig
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes' visit to a wildfire zone in California, a reporter described the actions of Meghan Markle while talking to the local mayor of Pasadena.
POLL: Should Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stay out of politics?
In the remarks published on their website, Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation accused Meta of having no "integrity", being "deeply deceptive", and "allowing either ego or profit, likely both, to guide decisions that affect billions."
Prince William forced to cancel major royal engagement today as Palace issues update
Prince William was meant to meet troops and their families from the Army Air Corps (AAC) at Wattisham flying station.
Good afternoon
Good afternoon from London. I'm Lauren Welch and I'll be bringing all the latest royal news into this evening. If you have any hints, tips or royal-related stories to share, do get in touch with our royal team.
Email: lauren.welch@reachplc.com
King Charles shows love for Scotland as he wears striking red kilt on charity visit
King Charles showed his support at a Scottish food bank and charity supporting people facing homelessness and families struggling with the cost of living crisis.
The Gate in Clackmannanshire, east-central Sctoand, which was set up 14 years ago, offers practical help and provides a safe environment for people affected.
Wearing a red and green kilt, His Majesty met volunteers and staff in the cafe, and is later set to meet representatives of the charities who have been presented with a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service or a King's Award for Voluntary Service.
Prince William receives touching message for Princess Kate after cancer update
Prince William was asked to send his "best wishes" to wife Princess Kate as he attended his first engagement of 2025 in Birmingham.
The Prince of Wales, 42, was unveiled as Patron of the College of Paramedics on Wednesday and attended its inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre.
Throughout his visit, William spent plenty of time talking to paramedic staff from across the country about current training programmes, the use of drones and hospital waiting times.
While William spent plenty of time talking to paramedics about their own experiences and job roles, Tracy Nicholls, Chief Executive Officer at the College of Paramedics, was keen to send her best wishes to Princess Kate following the news yesterday that her cancer was now in remission.
Duchess Sophie glows as she receives 60th birthday cake during poignant visit
Duchess Sophie was all smiles as she made a special visit to a supermarket tackling food poverty in south London.
The Duchess of Edinburgh was snapped in Community Shop's Lambeth store yesterday, Wednesday, January 15, to see how it works to tackle the root cause of food insecurity across the country.
Sophie met with staff and members of the supermarket, participated in community activities and helped to serve the store’s "Feast Day" before being presented with her own birthday cake ahead of her 60th birthday on Monday.
The royal looked stunning in a beige coat by Harris Wharf London, which she paired with a burgundy knit top by Whistles and a green pleated midi skirt by Alberta Ferretti.
Inside Meghan Markle's 'easy decision' to postpone Netflix show amid vicious LA fires
Meghan Markle had no trouble deciding to postpone her highly anticipated Netflix show amid the latest fire catastrophe in California, an insider has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex's latest project for the streaming giant, With Love, Meghan, was due to hit the screens on January 15.
However, due to the raging wildfires in Los Angeles, the show has been postponed until March 4.
While the decision behind the delay of her show and its motives was questioned by several royal watchers, an industry insider claimed it was an "easy decision" for Meghan, who has "genuine concern" for her hometown and those affected.
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Prince William forced to cancel major royal engagement today as Palace issues update
The Prince of Wales has postponed a major royal engagement today in Suffolk due to bad weather, it has been announced.
Prince William was meant to meet troops and their families from the Army Air Corps (AAC) at Wattisham flying station.
He was due to arrive in style in a Wildcat Helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft in the AAC's fleet.
But the bad weather forced Kensington Palace to postpone the engagement for the future King, who sent his "sincere apologies to those who he had been due to meet".
Princess Kate's £66m piece of jewellery originally owned by Queen Elizabeth
This piece of jewellery worn by Princess Kate is worth a huge £66 million.
The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace is one of the most extravagant pieces of jewellery worn by the Princess of Wales, says jewellery expert Stephanie Tyler from Purely Diamonds.
It’s a platinum and diamond necklace that the Nizam of Hyderabad gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947.
Prince Harry and Meghan make secret donation to teen charity after controversial LA outing
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have donated to a teen charity in Los Angeles amid their joint efforts to support those affected by the latest wildfires that have been spreading destruction in the area, it has emerged.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been spotted in LA this week visiting an evacuation centre and food bank in Pasadena, while Meghan was also seen volunteering at the teen charity's warehouse.
The Altadena Teen Girls Fire Recovery is an organisation set up by Avery Colvert, 14, from Pasadena, to gather beauty and other personal supplies for young girls affected by the fires, according to the Los Angeles Times.
And it has now emerged that the couple also made a secret donation to the charity through their Archewell Foundation.
Prince William enjoys cheeky Wetherspoons pint and buys round for punters
Prince William visited a city centre Wetherspoons on Wednesday to chat with some Aston Villa fans before the club’s big football game tonight, revealing one of his big fears.
The future King, 42, was spotted sitting at the pub enjoying a Bulmers cider at Birmingham New Street station with fellow fans just hours before Aston Villa took to the pitch against Everton.
After buying a round of beers for eight football fans, William spent half an hour chatting to them before catching a train back to London.
Lady Louise Windsor tipped to mark major milestone with Duchess Sophie
Lady Louise Windsor will celebrate a major milestone with her mum, Duchess Sophie, next week.
Louise, 21, is expected to be with the Duchess of Edinburgh next Monday as she marks her 60th birthday, despite being a university student.
This is because St Andrew’s University in Scotland, where Louise studies, is not set to begin its Candlemas Semester until January 27, when teaching for the new term begins, as reported by Woman&Home.
Meghan Markle spotted volunteering to support girls charity as LA fires rage
Meghan Markle has been spotted volunteering again this week in California as wildfires continue to rage through Los Angeles.
The 43-year-old was filmed arriving on Monday at the organisation Altadena Teen Girls, which local girl Avery Colvert launched to support the community following the wildfires.
In a reel shared online by the organisation, Meghan can be seen arriving at the organisation alone with bags of donations made through her and Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation, including clothing and beauty products.
Good morning
Good morning, I'm Sophia Papamavroudi and I'll be bringing you all the latest royal updates into this afternoon.
Feel free to get in touch with me as I work at sophia.papamavroudi@reachplc.com
