Prince Harry and Meghan would not be present at the Royal Family's festive dinner

All members of the Firm get together at the annual dinner held at Sandringham. However, this Christmas there is no invitation for Prince Harry and Meghan. This year, the monarch has extended invitation to the banished Sarah Ferguson. She has not been allowed to attend since 1992. The late Prince Philip banned her following the release of some photographs. By his action, King Charles has taken a bold step. He is "showing us all what Christmas is all about - family and forgiveness." That is how royal author Robert Jobson sums it up. He said the King's main concern this year would be the "missing" Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Charles tried to forgive them — he would love to be able to end the friction — but contact with them has been limited. It seems the monarch offered them an olive branch just before the Queen's death but they arrived late to the meeting. Robert Jobson goes on to add that Charles "has been pushed to his very limit with the Sussexes." However, their Netflix series and Harry’s new memoir "are still hanging over the Royal Family." King Charles's 'major problem' this Christmas will be Harry and Meghan's sad absence. Royal author Robert Jobson says - "It took three decades for Fergie to make it back to the Christmas table — for Harry and Meghan, it might be an even harder road back."

It seems Prince Harry will not be with the Royals for Christmas. Sources reveal that the relations were “near rock bottom” and the Duke of Sussex will snub an invite from King Charles ahead of the book’s global release on January 10. Harry’s elder brother Prince William and his wife Kate have reached Boston, US, ahead of the Earthshot Awards. However, they reportedly do not have any plans to catch up with Harry and Meghan. Harry lives with his family in California. It is about 200 miles from Boston. They have another program and travel to New York City to accept an honor at the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Awards. William will give the Earthshot Awards while Harry will receive Hope Awards.

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Life of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the era of Queen Elizabeth II

Mourning period of Queen Elizabeth II is over and Prince Charles is the heir apparent to the throne. Accordingly, the website of the Royal Family has been restructured. Prince William is now The Prince of Wales and will become the next king after King Charles. Hence, his picture appears just after The King and Queen Consort Camilla. The picture of Kate Middleton, The Princess of Wales, is below that of Prince William. As far as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are concerned, they still have a place in the British Royal Family’s website but right down the list. Even now, they continue to be working members of the family but their images are below everyone else. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle get ‘lowest place’ in Royal family.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had resigned from their positions in January 2020. They were forced to take the seat directly behind Princess Anne. However, with King Charles III taking the throne, Harry and Meghan are now directly seated on top of Prince Andrew. They have hardly ever been seen in Britain since the infamous "Megxit." The two of them now live in California and returned to the UK after the demise of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. It seems a book lists a number of fresh scandals involving the couple. The book goes on to say that once his nephew Prince George attains the age of 18, Harry could fade into obscurity. Moreover, the book makes a mention of Harry's long-held worry about being an "also-ran." Incidentally, soon after Charles became The King, his message to the couple via television was - “Today, I also want to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.” He does have a soft corner for them but Prince William was furious at their decision to quit from Royal responsibilities.

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Remembering Princess Diana on her 20th death anniversary

Prince William and Prince Harry will mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death by commissioning a statue of their mother. When Diana passed away, killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997, Prince William was 15 years old and Prince Harry just 12.
The Princes plan to install a permanent statue in Kensington Palace of their mother.
In a joint statement they have said: "It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue.... Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy."
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 29 January 2017.

It is planned to put the statue of the Princess in a public part of Kensington Palace gardens, Diana's former home. The Princes want a small committee to help them come up with a design and choose a sculptor. The committee would have Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Julia Samuel, a godparent of Prince George who was a close friend of the Princess, and the team will be chaired by Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, their former principal private secretary.
The statue is likely to be unveiled later this year.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Prince William and Kate have rounded off their first day in Mumbai, the city of dreams, with a charity show by artistes from the Hindi film industry led by Shah Rukh Khan. Before that, the Royal couple had engaged in a dusty exchange with slum children over a game of dodgeball at the Oval.
Taj Mumbai welcomed William and Kate who are the fourth generation of British monarchy. The Taj Mahal Palace had hosted King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, in whose honor the Gateway of India was built. Then came a visit by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1961 and, subsequently, twice by Prince Charles. He had come once in 1983, and again in 2013 with wife Camilla.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 12 April 2016.

Celebrities from Bollywood and the business world were present at the charity dinner was held at the Ballroom of the Taj Palace Hotel. The fundraiser was co-hosted by the British High Commission and the British Asian Trust and was held to support three charities that the Duke and Duchess had met earlier in the day. These are Doorstep School, Magic Bus and Childline.
The Duke and Duchess also got a live introduction to the song and dance routine that is typical of Hindi cinema. The hotel staff had prepared a classic Indian vegetarian lunch complete with Alphonso mangoes and malpua with rabdi for dessert - but, the royal couple did not eat lunch at the hotel.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Prince William and Kate Middleton enjoy cricket with Tendulkar at Oval Maidan, Mumbai

The Royal couple of Prince William and Kate Middleton have arrived in Mumbai and have, literally, let down their hair - they enjoyed cricket with Sachin Tendulkar at the Oval Maidan, Mumbai when the cricket icon bowled what was probably his slowest delivery at Prince William. He and his wife Kate began their India visit from Mumbai.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 11 April 2016.

William and Kate began their trip by offering a tribute to the victims of 26/11 at the Taj hotel followed by the cricket match, where, after Tendulkar's inaugural delivery, a schoolgirl bowled to William. While he played that one, William was caught out on her second delivery. Then came a couple of slow deliveries for Kate as she took the crease. Tendulkar's wife Anjali was also present on the occasion.
At the Oval ground, the royal couple interacted with representatives and children of three NGOs based in Mumbai - Magic Bus, Door Step School, and India's Childline. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also autographed cricket bats for the NGOs, and, subsequently, took an open-top bus tour of Mumbai with children from the local charity, Apnalya.


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Duchess of Cambridge ready for trekking to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest monastery in Bhutan

The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to be packing 12 to 15 outfits for her upcoming six-day tour of India and Bhutan and, among many other things, she is including her £106 Hillmaster boots in her luggage for the trek to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest monastery built on a Himalayan rock face in Bhutan.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 3 April 2016.

The Royal Couple of Kate and William will fly into Mumbai next Sunday for the trip where they will be given a welcome ceremony at the Oval Maidan cricket ground.
She has packed formal dresses for her engagements apart from a pair of hiking boots. The last time she wore the practical footwear was during a trip to Borneo with William when they abseiled in the jungle.
From 10 to 16 April they will undertake a six day tour during which they will take in a safari at Kaziranga national park where they will visit an elephant sanctuary set up by Mark Shand, the late brother of the Duchess of Cornwall. Other engagements include watching children play cricket and undertake a grueling six hour hike to the Tiger's Nest monastery in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
The monastery is situated on the side of a rocky cliff 3,000 feet above the Paro valley in Bhutan and at 10,000 feet it can be difficult to breathe comfortably while exercising vigorously.
They will also visit the poverty-stricken streets of Mumbai - made famous by Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and will meet and play with children who live in slums around the city. They will also go to Malabar Hill to see people who are living in tough circumstances in a small slum.


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Royal couple of Prince William and Kate Middleton to arrive in India on April 10

The Royal couple of Prince William and Kate Middleton will arrive in India on April 10 and, in their six-day tour, would visit Bhutan also. Their purpose is to make efforts to build an "enduring relationship" with the country.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 26 February 2016.

As per the itinerary released by the Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will land in Mumbai on April 10, then leave for Bhutanese capital Thimpu on April 14 before returning to India on April 16 to depart for the UK.
After landing in Mumbai, they will proceed to Delhi for two days on April 11, followed by a visit to Kaziranga National Park where they will spend April 12 and 13. They will visit the Taj Mahal in Agra on April 16 - it was here that Prince William's mother Princess Diana had posed for one of her most iconic photos in 1992.
Prince William (33) is the second in line to Britain's throne The Royal couple will be alone and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will remain back in the UK during the six-day two-nation tour.
This Royal visit had been announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK last November and was being undertaken at the request of the UK government to promote India-UK ties.


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Prince William and Kate Middleton to visit Taj Mahal during their tour of India

#PrinceWilliam #KateMiddleton #TajMahal #Agra India will get to host the Royal Couple Prince William and Kate Middleton who are expected to visit the Taj Mahal during their forthcoming tour of India - they will reportedly follow in the footsteps of Princess Diana. The Duke of Cambridge's mother was pictured sitting on a bench in front of the landmark in Agra in 1992. It was a symbol of her loneliness months before she and Prince Charles separated.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 7 February 2016.

It is understood that Price Wlliam (33) and Kate (34), will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site in April. An 'advance team' from the British High Commission has held talks with officials in Agra to sort out security arrangements for the royals. Of course, the advance team did not disclose much information about the itinerary. The exact dates were also not shared.
If it materializes, it will be the first time Kate or William would have journeyed to the country. Earlier, the Prince of Wales had visited India as recently as November 2013, on a nine-day tour.
The itinerary includes traveling round the Asian subcontinent between April 10 and 17 - their children would not be with them. Wills and Kate felt the trip would be too grueling for their children. It will not be the first time that the couple would have come minus their children. The couple had been to New York City in December 2014 without George who remained at home.
Incidentally, it had been revealed in November last year that their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit India in the spring of 2016. It was being undertaken at the request of Her Majesty's Government and will be the first time The Duke and Duchess have visited the country.


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Prince William becomes Air Ambulance pilot

#princewilliam #airambulance Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is slated to take up a job as the pilot of an air ambulance and will report for his first shift at Cambridge Airport. He began a course in September last to become a civilian pilot and has undergone a dedicated 999-response training which will help him to take up the assignment with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 13 July 2015.

His training is now complete and William, a former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, will henceforth work as a co-pilot and his duties would be to transport patients to hospital from emergencies ranging from road accidents to heart attacks.
He is excited at the job because, in his opinion, it is a sort of continuation from the military rescues since both require the same sorts of skills - in short, it is a similar type of job. He is already qualified to be a captain or pilot of a Sea King helicopter.
He would be an employee of Bond Air Services and will work alongside a pilot and a team of medics. He would be flying missions over Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. He will be paid a salary and, this he will donate in full to good causes.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Ivory, rhino horns and stuffed heads of animals removed from Royal Trophy room in Sandringham

#Sandringham #rhinohead #ivory #PrinceWilliam It had been a tradition to display stuffed rhino heads and gleaming white tusks in the Royal Trophy room at Sandringham as memories of a bygone era when hunting wild animals and proudly displaying the stuffed remains was a pastime of the royalty. But, it is now becoming an embarrassment for Prince William, the animal welfare crusader.
A decision has been taken to remove all such items from view in keeping with the feelings of the age of political correctness – hence, the Queen’s Norfolk estate has removed from public display every last piece of hunting memorabilia. These have now been replaced with what one visitor called ‘trinkets and bric-a-brac’.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 6 April 2015.

There were 62 exhibits in all and these included an Indian tiger, a leopard, skins and tusks – these have been moved into storage. The blood-red walls have been painted white, and a sign outside the Sandringham museum indicates the need to fall in line with changing times which has necessitated end for some exhibits.
The museum had opened in 1928 to house George V’s collection of ‘big game trophies’, but, in the world of today, the gun has been replaced by the camera to capture the beauties of wild animals.
It may be recalled that Prince William had denounced the illegal wildlife trade in ivory, rhino horn and endangered animal parts during a speech in Washington DC. And, he had also called for the Royal Family’s ivory collection to be destroyed.

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Prince William joins East Anglian Air Ambulance to train as an Air Ambulance pilot

#PrinceWilliam #airambulance #KensingtonPalace #BondAirServices Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has joined East Anglian Air Ambulance and would be trained to take up the work of piloting an Air Ambulance. It is expected that he would fly rescue missions from this summer itself.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 30 March 2015.
Prince William is not new to flying – he is a former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, and has now begun work at Bond Air Services, which runs air ambulance operations in the UK. His new assignment has been confirmed by Kensington Palace.

In a statement, it has indicated that the Duke of Cambridge has started work as an employee of Bond Air Services and, over the coming months, will undertake job-specific training before he starts to pilot Air Ambulances during the summer. His training would involve simulator, aircraft and in-flight skills training.
He would probably operate out of East Anglian Air Ambulance's base at Cambridge Airport and would be at the controls of a new EC145 T2 helicopter which is expected to enter service in April. It would provide greater speed, endurance and capacity.
While Prince William will be the pilot, he would have with him a co-pilot, a specially trained critical care paramedic and a senior medic who would be a consultant who specializes in intensive care, anesthesia or trauma.

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Prince William’s tour of Japan and China – ban on illegal wildlife trade on his agenda

#PrinceWilliam #wildlifetrade #ivorytrade #China #JapaneseTsunami Prince William is on a tour of Japan and China and, after conclusion of the Japanese leg, he is now in China where he would be attending a few events as representative of the Queen and in others as an ambassador of Britain. This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 1 March 2015.
The visit of Prince William to Beijing would be the first visit to China of a senior British royal in three decades. As per the itinerary, the Duke of Cambridge, would spend three days in visiting Beijing, Shanghai and an elephant sanctuary in Yunnan Province.
The trip after his four-day tour of Japan, would test his diplomatic skills because UK is actively seeking to expand economic and cultural opportunities with China. Therefore, while trade would be one area of focus, Prince William is also expected to take up the issue of China's role in ending the illegal wildlife trade.
In Japan, he had spent the last day of his tour listening to the pathetic stories from the survivors of the 2011 Japanese tsunami. He had toured the coastal town of Ishinomaki which was hit by an estimated 28 foot wave in which 3,275 people died. It seems 430 people are still missing. Moreover, nearly 22,000 residents lost their homes and 53,000 homes were damaged in the Tsunami.
In China, Prince William would meet President Xi Jinping and tour the Beijing's iconic Forbidden City before flying to Shanghai where he would officially declare open the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai. This is a British initiative to set the ball rolling for what is billed as a "flagship year of cultural exchange between the two countries".
In the last leg of his tour in China, he would focus on his favorite cause of combating the illegal wildlife trade. As per plans, he will visit China's only elephant sanctuary on the border with Laos and Myanmar. And, on this occasion, he would get the opportunity to call for a ban on illegal wildlife trade in China, especially the ivory trade.