The King, Queen and Prince of Wales will attend commemorative events in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Buckingham Palace has said.

Charles and Camilla will be at the Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion’s (RBL) event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer on June 6, and William will attend the Canadian commemorative ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, on the same date.

The prince will then attend the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mer, later that day alongside 25 heads of state and veterans from around the world.

The Princess of Wales is not expected to travel to France.

Defence chiefs are scrambling to secure more planes for a parachute drop to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day as crises in Ukraine and the Middle East have left the RAF’s transport fleet stretched.

Hundreds of paratroopers were expected to jump into Normandy, as an homage to the actions of their predecessors in the Second World War. However, a severe shortage of planes has led to these plans being scaled back.

The Mail on Sunday reported that only one plane was left for the Parachute Regiment to use, but sources believe at least one more can be made available.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has ordered an urgent review.

Paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team will jump from an RAF A400M and the Red Devils Parachute Display Team will also jump into Normandy.

Buckingham Palace made the revelation in a letter to Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), where it was said that the Queen, 76, “will not procure any new fur garments”.

“This comes with the Queen’s warmest wishes,” the palace added.

The news went down a storm with the animal rights organisation which said staff would be celebrating the Queen with “a glass of the finest claret”.

“It’s right and proper for the British monarchy to reflect British values by recognising that fur has no place in our society,” managing director Ingrid Newkirk said.

Prince Harry’s departure from the royal family changed the face of the British monarchy forever – but he is not the only royal black sheep to turn his back on palace life.

In Belgium, 60-year-old former playboy Prince Laurent has similarly established himself as an outsider in his own clan – much in the way that a young Harry did during his own turbulent formative years.

Laurent was affectionally known in the corridors of The Palace of Laeken as the “Playboy prince” before his marriage to Claire Coombs in 2003, while he courted further controversy with his spending and alleged entreprenurial work.

Read the full article here:

Prince Edward, when he was at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland yesterday, described the support he received from royal chaplains following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II died in September 2022 at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, a mere 17 months after Prince Philip died in April 2021.

Andrew said that the deaths being so close made his mother’s passing “far more emotional”.

“For my own part, I just want to pay personal tribute to the chaplains of the Chapels Royal and especially those here in Scotland,” he said.

“There have been moments recently where I have been lucky to have sensed God’s care and love.”

“And who could forget the scenes that followed the passing of my mother?”

“The outpouring of emotions, the demonstration of respect, love and grief was overwhelming and a privilege to experience and behold.”

King Charles has granted a portrait photographer with a Royal Warrant for the first time.

Hugo Burnand told The Independent that he aims to give the public a true sense of who the royals really are through his official portraits.

Palace insiders said he is grateful to have been “trusted and supported” enough to take official photographs of the family at their milestone occasions and now to be granted this official seal of approval.

Read the full article here:

The seventh Duke of Westminster – once dubbed one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors – is officially the richest man in the UK under 40.

According to the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List, Hugh Grosvenor, 33, has a net worth of £10.127 billion – a substantial increase from the £9.878 billion he had in 2023.

However, he is soon set to lose his bachelor status when he ties the knot in the society wedding of the year next month.

Read the full article here:

The Duchess of Sussex has revealed the “best souvenir” she received on her three-day tour of Nigeria alongside Prince Harry.

Prince Harry, 42, made the comments during the unofficial tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

The couple were invited to the country by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff – marking their first overseas tour since stepping down as senior royals in 2020.

Read the full article here:

Prince Harry may hold a rare United States visa reserved for heads of state and royal family members, a lawyer has suggested – amid questions over how the Duke of Sussex’s past admission of drug use sits in relation to America’s tight immigration rules.

The royal – who lives in California with wife Meghan Markle and their two children – is currently the subject of a legal battle brought by the right-wing Heritage Group to demand that the US Department of Homeland Security release his immigration file.

Former US president Donald Trump and ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, are among those who have recently commented on the speculation ignited by Harry’s discussion of his past use of illicit drugs in his January 2023 autobiography Spare.

Read the full article here: