PRINCE Harry and Meghan told the Queen they never wanted to be on the Buckingham Palace balcony at her Platinum Jubilee, a pal claims amid Her Majesty's ban.
However the Sussexes did insist on attending Her Majesty’s Thanksgiving Service.
The Duke and Duchess say they will return for the four-day party marking the Queen’s 70 years on the throne, and bring their children, next month.
But the pair’s biographer and pal Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, denied they were “cut” from the balcony line-up and Trooping the Colour, which marks the monarch’s birthday.
Writing for Yahoo news, Scobie said Harry had “spoken with his grandmother about the possibility of not attending Trooping the Colour long before last week’s announcements”.
The Sussexes thought it “inappropriate” to appear at the “balcony moment” as they were no longer working royals, he added.
But they were “keen” to be part of the Jubilee and to attend the service on June 3.
Read our Meghan Markle live blog below for the latest news and updates…
- Louis Allwood
What is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration?
The Queen is getting ready to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in style.
One of the big celebrations is an all-star event that will take place at Windsor Castle tonight.
It will be aired live on ITV and will start at 8pm this evening.
- Louis Allwood
Prince Charles ‘needs’ Prince Harry & Meghan Markle when becoming King
PRINCE Charles will need Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when he becomes King, a royal expert claimed.
The Prince of Wales is likely to want and need them because their young appeal is a “huge asset”, author Tina Brown added.
It comes after Britain got a glimpse of Charles’ reign as he stepped in for The Queen at Tuesday’s State Opening of Parliament.
Ms Brown, speculating that Harry and Meghan could return to the Firm, said: “My guess is Charles is really going to want them back — sort of need them back actually — because Harry and Meghan were huge assets to the whole royal repertoire quite frankly.
“They had a young appeal that was very, very potent in the country.”
- Milica Cosic
Serbia sung about Meghan during the Eurovision song contest
Last night, the Eurovision song contest took place and saw Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra win the contest.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle received anunlikely shout-out at the Song Contest.
Serbia's track “In corpore sano” from singer Konstrakta references Duchess in its opening lines – but that’s only the beginning of its hidden meaning.
Within the song’s dark and ominous beat, the lyrics in question translate as: “What could be the secret of Meghan Markle’s healthy hair? What could it be? I think it’s all about deep hydration. They say our skin and hair show it all.”
Speaking at a press conference in Turin, Konstrakta explained the song is intended in part to reflect the “disorientation” people can feel about health.
She said: “We’re all a little bit disoriented because of this great field of information offering us many, many opposite ways to be healthy. Behind all of that, there is a great field of consumption, you spend a lot of money to be healthy nowadays.
“This is really a multi-layered song, you need to read the lyrics to dive into the meanings, and you can read it in many ways.”
The Latin title of the song is a saying that translates as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”.
Konstrakta explains: “It has a dual meaning. We are so much focused on a healthy body, and in a way, maybe mind is suffering. On the other hand, this field of mental health is another field of consumption opening.”
She added: “In a way, everybody nowadays has an obsession with a healthy life, because we are living in such an atmosphere”.
So, while hidden meaning in the track that may not be immediately obvious, if you listen to the lyrics again it becomes the opening lines are intended to parody the media’s fixation on celebrity.
- Milica Cosic
News about Meg & Harry you may have missed
- Harry and Meghan told Queen they never wanted to be on palace balcony at Jubilee, pal claims
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry forced to pay £213,000 to charity as they settle final debts over Sussex Royal foundation
- Meghan Markle ‘trampled on others to get to the top like a politician’ her biographer claims
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are ‘too out of touch’ & ‘naive’ for Netflix after TV show snubbed, say TV sources
Meghan & Harry 'need to top up brand with royalty' amid Jubilee visit
A PR expert has said that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry "need to top up their brand with a little bit of royalty", following the news they will return to Britain for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Pauline Maclaran, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Research at Royal Holloway, said Harry and Meghan need to maintain their royal connections so their brand in the US has a "competitive edge".
The PR expert told Express.co.uk: "I think they really need to top up their brand with a little bit of royalty and reinforce their connections.
"Of course, there are the family connections too and I'm sure the families do want some kind of reconciliation.
"But I can't help but think Harry and Meghan are definitely trying to reinforce their brand with the royal connections and being part of these very crucial celebrations.
"If Harry and Megan don't keep up the royal connections then really their brand in the US has not got a competitive edge to differentiate them more strongly from other celebrities."
Here’s what Harry & Meghan’s home says about them
Interior design expert Georgina Burnett, who has featured on This Morning and vlogs for The Home Genie, lifts the lid on what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's choice of decor say about them.
- 'Showy' study – Meghan, 40, treated us to a look inside her home office on her 40th birthday last year, when she launched a new charity initiative.
But Georgina points out that the study looks more for show than a place where actual work happens. For a start, Meghan's laptop is positioned on a towering pile of books. - 'Need for control' – Georgina says the artwork in the study is "hung with perfect symmetry" usually intimates "a need to be in control".
- 'Missing home' – Harry's Apple TV series – The Me You Can't See – about mental health revealed another of the couple's lounges. Georgina suggests the room's dark wood furnishings are comforting for Harry as they're more in-keeping with the type of homes he grew up in across the pond.
- Escapism – A scene from the couple's explosive interview with Oprah in March 2021 showed them in their garden – in particular their chicken coop.
Georgina suggests this is a place in their home where the couple come to "get away from it all".
Read the article in full here.
Meghan and Harry 'would never shine' in UK
A royal commentator has claimed that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would "never shine" as full-time working members of the Royal Family.
This would be down to the Firm's structure.
Royal author Ian Lloyd, the author of the biography 'The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II', told Express.co.uk: "The problem with being the second is that you grow up with your sibling and you are equal – Diana treated Harry and William as equals, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth treated Elizabeth and Margaret like equals when they were children.
"But then what happens is that when the older one becomes sovereign or the heir it feels the second sibling more or less disappears."
Speaking about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's possible future position within the Firm, Lloyd added: "There is no obvious role and I think Meghan thought she could come in and make a role and sort of take on the Royal Family but the Palace and the organisation won't do that.
"They only ever support the heir and spare, so Meghan and Harry would never shine in this country."
Plan for 'high tea' birthday party for Lilibet
Fans of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's are planning a "high tea" birthday party for Lilibet as she is set to turn one.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter celebrates her first birthday on June 4.
Fans of the couple – the Sussex Squad – shared plans on Twitter for a virtual "high tea" party to celebrate the special occasion.
One Twitter user posted: "#SussexSquad Breaking News! Lilibet Diana’s Birthday Party has been changed to a High Tea Birthday Party! So save the date and get your tea sets and fascinators ready!"
Harry & Meg told Queen they never wanted to be on palace balcony
HARRY and Meghan told the Queen they never wanted to be on the Buckingham Palace balcony at her Platinum Jubilee, a pal claims.
But the couple did insist on attending Her Majesty’s Thanksgiving Service.
The Queen, 96, controversially ordered that only working royals could appear on the balcony on June 2 — ruling out Harry and Meghan.
But the pair’s biographer and pal Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, denied they were “cut” from the balcony line-up and Trooping the Colour, which marks the monarch’s birthday.
Writing for Yahoo news, Scobie said Harry had “spoken with his grandmother about the possibility of not attending Trooping the Colour long before last week’s announcements”.
The Sussexes thought it “inappropriate” to appear at the “balcony moment” as they were no longer working royals, he added.
But they were “keen” to be part of the Jubilee and to attend the service on June 3.
- Milica Cosic
SHOCK claims Charles 'will need' Meg & Harry when he's King
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry are 'huge assets' to the royal family, and when Prince Charles becomes King he 'will need' them back, claims a royal author.
On this week’s episode of “Royally Obsessed,” Tina Brown, author of the new book The Palace Papers said: “My guess is Charles is really going to want them back—sort of need them back, actually—because Harry and Meghan were huge assets to the whole royal repertoire, quite frankly.
“They had a young appeal that was very, very potent in the country.”
Backing Ms Brown's claims, Kinsey Schofield, royal expert and founder of ToDiForDaily.com, told the Express that Charles has a “very soft heart” and is “anxious to start the healing process” with Harry.
“I think he’s desperately in love with Prince Harry—he loves Prince Harry,” she says.
“He doesn’t like his actions, but Prince Harry is his DNA, and he does hurt when they’re not talking, he does hurt when things aren’t on the right path, and I think he’s anxious to start the healing process. I think that Prince Charles is very forgiving.”
- Milica Cosic
Prince Harry and Meghan will stay in Frogmore Cottage
The Sussexes intend to return to Frogmore Cottage when they visit the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, reports say.
According to the Daily Mail, Harry's cousin Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August, currently live in the Grade-II listed property, on the Frogmore Estate in Windsor.
Nonetheless, it was reported in February that Prince Harry had renewed his lease on the cottage.
Harry and Meghan Markle are now planning to return to Frogmore Cottage when they head to the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next month.
Heightened security measures are already being put in place in anticipation of the royal couple arriving with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
- Milica Cosic
Sussexes’ appeal ‘eroded’ as Harry and Meghan’s £18m Spotify mega-deal could fail
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been advised their brand could be "further eroded" if the royal couple do not have a "positive experience" with Spotify.
The Daily Express reports that despite this, the couple’s £18 million deal yielded no content for the streaming platform in 2021.
Spotify was anticipating further content from Harry and Meghan last year.
This was because their company Archewell Audio recruited podcast producer, Rebecca Sananes in the summer of 2021, and said it was looking forward to sharing more content later in the year.
But no new projects for the couple have appeared on the platform.
Marketing expert Baruch Labunski said that, if the Sussexes have a “positive experience” with Spotify, it could increase their “overall brand”.
But he claims that, if not, the deal could “further erode it”.
- Milica Cosic
Harry and Meghan ‘should panic’ over photo of Charles
A photo of Prince Charles representing the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament this week should be a "cause for serious alarm" for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a royal commentator has suggested.
The Daily Express reports that royal commentator Daniela Elser said a shot of the Prince of Wales at the State Opening of Parliament displays the Queen's reign is "every day drawing just a bit closer to closing" and "should panic" and be a "cause for serious alarm" for the Sussexes.
She added: "This hands-off approach on the part of the Palace could very possibly go out the window under King Charles III.
"He has waited a literal lifetime for the top job and his willingness to sit back and take whatever Molotov media cocktails the Sussexes might lob at the Palace in the future could be very, very limited."
- Milica Cosic
Sussexes would ‘never shine’ in UK as Palace only supports ‘heir and spare’
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would “never shine” as full-time working members of the Royal Family due to its structure, according to a royal commentator.
The Daily Express reports that royal author Ian Lloyd suggests that the royal couple would have struggled to “shine” had they remained as senior royals as there is normally “no obvious role” for the second child of the future monarch.
He added that Prince Harry isn’t the first member of the Royal Family who has been highly prominent as Prince Charles’s “spare”.
The author of the biography 'The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II' told Express.co.uk: "The problem with being the second is that you grow up with your sibling and you are equal – Diana treated Harry and William as equals, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth treated Elizabeth and Margaret like equals when they were children.
"But then what happens is that when the older one becomes sovereign or the heir it feels the second sibling more or less disappears.”
- Milica Cosic
Harry & Meghan ‘need’ to attend Jubilee
According to a royal author, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to join the Platinum Jubilee celebrations is “entirely down to branding”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex desperately “need” the Platinum Jubilee to boost their celebrity credentials, according to two leading royal experts.
Speaking to True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, royal author Hugo Vickers said Harry and Meghan’s decision to attend the Platinum Jubilee next month is “entirely down to branding”.
Russell Myers, Royal Editor of the Daily Mirror, echoed this, saying the couple desperately “needed to stay relevant”.
- Milica Cosic
Queen sent warning over Harry’s role
The Queen has been sent a warning over a key position that Prince Harry still holds.
The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge opened Parliament on the Queen’s behalf in a historic shift on Tuesday, and saw Charles read the Queen’s Speech.
The monarch pulled out of the occasion, nearly 60 years after she last missed it, following advice from her royal doctors.
But one expert has warned this highlights the need for Harry and Andrew to be removed as counsellors of state.
Royal journalist Richard Eden said: “This emphasises the urgency of Prince Andrew and Prince Harry being stripped of their roles as two of the Queen’s four counsellors of state.”
- Milica Cosic
Will Harry heal his rift with William at the Jubilee?
A royal expert has cast doubt on Prince Harry’s plans to use the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee trip to heal his rift with Prince William.
According to Vanity Fair journalist Erin Vanderhoof, the rift between the two royal brothers is “really deep and really personal” and has only gotten worse in recent months.
Ms Vanderhoof explained: “Meghan and Harry together are going to use the Jubilee as an opportunity to make some family moments and introduce the kids to the rest of the family.
“And they will try at least make sure they understand that can still figure something out in the future.
“But our reporting for the podcast shows that the rift between Harry and William is really deep and really personal.
“It will take both of them coming to a point where they want to make up before that is possible behind closed doors.”
And, sources have hinted that the Duke of Cambridge is “wary” about his brother’s decision to join the Monarch’s weekend celebrations.
A source told The Sun: “‘William wants to talk to Harry to try to heal the rift between them but he’s fearful it will find its way onto Netflix, Oprah or into Harry’s upcoming book.”
- Milica Cosic
Keeping children safe: Prince Harry helps make an online toolkit
Social media is a difficult and dangerous world to navigate at times, but Prince Harry wants to make sure kids are protected.
The Duke of Sussex, who shares two adorable children with Meghan Markle, is helping to launch a Global Child Online Safety Toolkit.
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell foundation will also support working mums.
The US is the only well off nation that doesn’t have a national paid parental-leave programme.
Meghan has become a strong advocate for ensuring working mums are offered help with childcare.
- Milica Cosic
Meghan Markle SLAMMED as “Ms I want privacy” after dabbling in US politics
Rumours have been rife that Meghan is considering running for US Presidency.
GB News presenter Megyn Kelly slammed Meghan Markle in front of her audience, amid rumours Meghan might dabble in politics in the US.
Some people have found the rumours contradict Meghan’s reason for departing the Royal family, which was due to a need for privacy.
Savage Megyn said that Meghan “loves the spotlight”, despite seeking privacy and security in America for her family.
Ms Kelly said: “Ms I want privacy wants to run for President. Ms I want privacy for my children, she’s showing up to the Jubilee with her children who are going to be on camera and she wants to rub shoulders with the first tier royals.”
- Milica Cosic
Harry ‘in danger of becoming just another foreign prince’
A royal author has claimed that Prince Harry could become “just another foreign prince” if he further cuts ties with the Royal Family.
Royal author of the newly-released biography ‘The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II’, and photographer Ian Lloyd told Express.co.uk: “It’s a shame because he has got the Invictus Games and quite a lot going for him.
“But I think he is in danger of evaporating.
“He and Meghan haven’t had the great launch in America we were expecting, they promised a lot and so far nothing much has happened.
“And I think they will soon realise that with Netflix and other deals it is just people ultimately wanting to trade on their royal status.”
Lloyd continued to say: “Why Harry is a big name in America? It is because his mother was Diana and his grandmother Elizabeth II.
“If he does distance himself from the Royal Family that brand will eventually be damaged, he will be just another foreign prince.
“He needs to be working in close ties with the Royal Family to heal the divisions to strengthen his own brand.”
- Milica Cosic
‘Prince Harry is incredibly brave’, says James Corden
In 2018 James Corden trademark segment Carpool Karaoke with Paul McCartney was the most-watched YouTube clip of the year — beating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding.
On the topic of which James, famously, has become pals with the Duke of Sussex and his actress wife.
In something of a televisual coup, last February Harry appeared atop a double decker bus to be interviewed by the 43-year-old comic.
In the segment, Harry rapped to the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air theme tune, FaceTimed Meghan and swore while being driven around Los Angeles, drinking cups of tea.
Within minutes, clips of their cosy chat had gone viral.
James and his wife, Julia Carey, who have three kids, Carey, Max and Charlotte, live just 90 minutes from Harry and Meghan’s sprawling Montecito mansion.
So do the quartet socialise? Has he been round to the couple’s £11million home?
“I have”, he says. “It was more a sort of play date scenario [with the kids]. Then we went out for dinner after, it was lovely. Obviously I’m not telling you any more. Obviously.”
He continues: “Look, I’m a huge fan of both of them. Obviously I know Harry better than I know Meghan but I think it’s really hard to judge, or be judgmental.”
Corden added: “I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for Harry, and anyone who has been around him and spent time with him would feel exactly the same way.
“I think he is a devoted and loving husband and father and I think what they have done [in turning away from royal life] is incredibly brave and I’ll always be in their corner.
“I have nothing but admiration and respect for them. I think it’s impossible to judge any of it really.”
Read the article in full here.
- The Sun
Will and Kate's children face ‘intense pressure’ says royal commentator
It will be up to the Duke and Duchess' children to preserve the Royal family, a duty that will lead to "intense pressure" a royal commentator has said.
Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Daniela Elser said: "There is no way that I can see that, at this stage, Charlotte and Louis will have anywhere near the latitude and freedom to ever make a similar choice."
According to Elser, the Royal children have a duty to continue the family's work.
She added that the children may be "dragooned into working royal life whether they fancy the gig or not".
- The Sun
Duke and Duchess could 'face a much less sympathetic time of it' should Charles take the throne according to royal writer
Royal commentator Daniela Elser believes that Her Majesty has been kind to the Sussexes despite their many interviews and controversies.
Writing for news.com.au, Elser commented: "What happens, both in a personal and a royal sense, when she passes away and Charles takes the reins? (Or should that be reigns? Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
"There is every chance that Harry and Meghan might face a much less sympathetic time of it."
Harry and Meghan have been distancing themselves from the Royal Family for some time.
Some have suggested that the Platinum Jubilee could be a good chance for the couple to reconnect with their relatives.
However, others have claimed that Harry has no intention to rekindle his family ties.
- The Sun
Duke and Duchess of Sussex to return to Frogmore Cottage for Jubilee
As we approach Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, the Daily Mail has reported that Sussexes will return to their England home for the celebration.
Currently, the cottage in Windsor is lived in by Princess Eugeine, her husband and their son August.
Excitement is rapidly building for the Jubilee, over 70,000 Jubilee Lunches are planned to take place across cities and towns throughout Britain.
Many had reported that Harry and Meghan would never return to the cottage when they made the decision to move to LA.
However,news emerged earlier this year that they had renewed the lease on the property.
- The Sun
Heroic Deborah James receives Damehood from Prince William
The inspirational Deborah James met with Prince William to be granted her Damehood this week.
The podcast host thanked the Royal for "going above and beyond to make a very special memory".
"I cannot thank you for your generosity at launching the @bowelbabefund which now stands at £5.7 million, and to the @dukeandduchessofcambridge for going above and beyond to make a very special memory happen yesterday. Can't quite believe im actually a Dame!" she said via instagram.
James has brought the country together with her truly inspiring fight to raise money for bowel cancer research.
"I may be getting weaker and more tired each tired having run off pure adrenaline, but my word, I always said I wanted to slide in sideways when my time is up, with a massive smile, no regrets and a big glass of champagne! Still my intention!!!"
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