Liz Hatton: Kate Middleton’s touching tribute to terminally ill teen photographer who died aged 17 – royal news live

“I love the holidays,” Meghan shared enthusiastically. “Archie and Lilibet are now three and five, so every year it gets better.”

Buckingham Palace will be undergoing huge upheavals in the coming months as the £369m refurbishment closes some of its grandest rooms.

The palace’s grandest rooms will undergo “phased closures” for renovation, beginning with the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room and the State Dining Room.

This will be followed by the Ballroom, where state banquets are held, and state rooms including the Throne Room and the Green Drawing Room.

Work will be paused during the summer months as the state rooms open to the public as usual.

A town council in Canada is said to be at a standstill because of newly elected members refusing to pledge an oath of allegiance to the King.

Stephen Johnson, the mayor-elect of Dawson City, in the territory of Yukon, said he and others refused to take the oath because of the Crown’s history with indigenous populations, the Canadian Press news agency reported.

He told the news outlet that the council has not been able to govern and is waiting for the territory’s Department of Community Services to respond to its request to take an alternative oath.

The Canadian Press said the oath of allegiance requires newly elected councillors to swear or affirm they “will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III” and his “heirs and successors according to law”.

Mr Johnson said they are currently unable to do anything legally required of them under the Municipal Act.

“It’s a bit of a sticky situation,” he told the Canadian Press.

The territory is reviewing the council’s request to swear a different oath, a Community Services spokesperson said in an email to the Canadian Press.

Ahead of the release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, the former Suits star is busy shape-shifting into the perfect American wife, with her new jam products and ‘polo-mom’ glossiness. It’s a master plan that could make them millions, says Anna Tyzak:

The Princess of Wales has invited child survivors of the Southport stabbing to her annual Christmas carol concert.

Kate, who is recovering from cancer, has invited child survivors of the attack to her festive event at Westminster Abbey on December 6, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

The princess has set her sights on being able to stage the Together At Christmas service in 2024 despite the health challenges she has faced in what the Prince of Wales described as a “brutal” year.

It forms part of her gradual return to public duties after finishing chemotherapy treatment in the summer.

The Palace said Kate wanted the theme of this year’s carol service to celebrate those supporting others in need, with a focus on the importance of love and empathy.

Members of the royal family will gather with the princess as around 1,600 people fill the abbey in London for musical performances by stars including Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter.

Next month’s visit by the Emir of Qatar will be the last state visit to take place at Buckingham Palace for three years, as work continues on its historic renovations.

The palace’s grandest rooms will undergo “phased closures” for refurbishment, beginning with the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room and the State Dining Room.

The King and Queen will instead host royal receptions at St James’s Palace or Windsor Castle until the palace re-opens fully in 2027.

One of the most dramatic tales in English history is set to come to come to stage as a musical next year.

As one of the most diviside and well known historical figures, Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII changed the course of history as we know it.

Now, her legacy will be played out on stage as a musical next year at none other than her own childhood home, Hever Castle.

Steeped in history, Hever Castle was originally built in 1383 as a medieval defensive castle with a gatehouse and walled bailey, it was transformed in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Boleyn family, who added a Tudor residence within its walls.

Anne Boleyn the Musical will play in a specially constructed 1,800 seat outdoor auditorium in the grounds of the castle from 2 – 30 August 2025, and will tell the captivating story of Anne Boleyn at the very place where her journey began.

An Olympic champion warned the UK has an “inactivity crisis” as he picked up an honour from Buckingham Palace for his work promoting cycling and walking across the country.

Former professional cyclist Chris Boardman spoke after he was made a CBE during an investiture ceremony on Thursday morning.

Mr Boardman, who won gold for Great Britain in the men’s individual pursuit cycling at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, now works as the commissioner for the Government’s executive agency Active Travel, which seeks to promote cycling and walking.

He told the PA news agency: “It’s important that we recognise that it’s the foundation of a sustainable transport system.”

It comes after new data from Transport for London (TfL) showed that the number of daily cycle journeys in the capital in 2024 had increased to an estimated 1.33 million journeys per day — up by 26% since 2019.

Commenting on this recent figure, the 56-year-old said: “It’s been going up and up since 2010 because it’s just an easy way for people to get around. We can do that for the whole nation, where we have an inactivity crisis.

“That would really make a difference – and it doesn’t harm decarbonisation as well.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will bring a new series to Netflix in December, revealing the “grit behind the glamour” in the high-stakes world of polo.

The five-part series will debut globally on December 10, following elite global players on and off the field as they compete in the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida.

A trailer for the series titled Polo, executive produced by Harry and Meghan, was released on Thursday, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the “fast-paced and glamorous world of polo”.

In a statement, Harry said: “This series offers audiences an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look into the passion and determination driving some of the world’s elite polo players, revealing the grit behind the glamour.

“We’re proud to showcase the true depth and spirit of the sport — and the intensity of its high-stakes moments.”

It has been produced by the Sussexes’ Archewell Productions, having previously released three documentaries with Netflix as part of a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant.