Marking a milestone on their family’s social media channels, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis penned a heartfelt message for their father, Prince William, on Father’s Day. This sweet tribute, signed “G, C, & L,”  marked the first time the young royals had directly contributed to their parents’ official social media presence. The post was accompanied by a heartwarming photograph, likely taken by their mother, the Princess of Wales, showcasing the close bond between Prince William and his children.

The post on X reads, “We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day”, followed by two red hearts.

The heartwarming photo, captured by Kate Middleton, shows a relaxed Prince William with his arms around his children, gazing out at the Norfolk coastline. The picture was reportedly taken during a family trip last month.

We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day G, C & L

The Princess of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/kI9AFV2XmT

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 16, 2024

Earlier on Sunday, William shared his own Father’s Day tribute to his father, King Charles III. The prince posted a photograph from his childhood, showing him playing football with the King in the gardens of Kensington Palace. The picture, taken on 12 June 1984, captures the nearly two-year-old prince smiling as he kicks a brightly coloured football. Just a few months after this photo was taken, William’s younger brother, the Duke of Sussex, was born.

The post is personally signed off by the prince, with the caption: “Happy Father’s Day, Pa.”

Happy Father’s Day, Pa. W pic.twitter.com/pjGuB2iLQ1

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 16, 2024

The Father’s Day post, featuring a football theme, could be a way to show support for the England team playing in Euro 2024 this evening.

Elgin, UK:

Facilities at Gordonstoun School in northeast Scotland include a climbing wall, rifle range and a five-hole golf course, while pupils can even avail themselves of bagpipe lessons.

But there is another reason why the institution in the far north of Scotland is well-known: one of its former pupils happens to be King Charles III.

It is hard to get more isolated than Gordonstoun, which lies near the city of Elgin, on the North Sea coast some 66 miles (106 kilometres) northwest of Aberdeen.

Getting there involves driving along narrow country roads.

Behind its gates are peaceful grounds stretching over 220 acres (90 hectares), with majestic trees and lush grass well watered by the Scottish rain.

Some 500 children and teenagers from about 40 countries attend the school, including Amelia Lee, 17, from Hong Kong, who has Charles’s old rooms.

“It’s just kind of surreal,” she told AFP, pointing out the desk where the future king would have worked and a chest of drawers from the time.

“To be honest, I don’t really use this,” she added. “I do store my snacks there.”

Lee was allocated the room after being elected class captain, just as Charles had been in his schooldays after initially sleeping in a dormitory.

Charles, then known as the Prince of Wales, spent his teenage years from 13 to 18 at Gordonstoun between 1962 and 1967.

His school attendance was a first at the time for a future British monarch, who until that point had been educated by a tutor.

“He was treated just as any other student,” said Gordonstoun principal Lisa Kerr.

Lara Croft

At the end of May, the king, now 75, agreed to become an honorary patron of the Gordonstoun Association of former pupils.

It was the latest public relations coup for the school, which has been working hard to dispel the idea that the monarch hated his time there.

Charles has often been quoted as describing his time at the school as like “Colditz in kilts”, likening it to the World War II prisoner of war camp.

The hit TV series based on the British royal family, “The Crown”, gave the reported comments wider currency.

But Kerr said: “We spent many, many months trying to find the origin of (“Colditz in Kilts”). We were not able to find it, so we have to accept it is a myth.”

Kerr accepted that his days would have begun with a morning jog to get the circulation moving, then a hot shower followed by a cold one.

Gordonstoun still provides a “challenging and broad” education, guided by the motto “plus est en vous” — “there is more in you” — to encourage effort.

On one wall pupils are told: “We don’t grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges.”

The school was founded in 1934 by a German-Jewish educator, Kurt Hahn, who fled the Nazis.

Among its first pupils was Charles’s father Prince Philip, who was married to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles’s younger brothers, Andrew and Edward, also attended it.

Other royal families also send their children to the school while Sean Connery’s son Jason and David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones both attended it.

The creators of “Tomb Raider” Lara Croft also imagined the adventurer as a former pupil after it opened its doors to girls in 1972.

Charles sent his two sons William and Harry to another elite school, Eton, near Windsor Castle, west of London.

Coastguard

Between classes, pupils wander around the Gordonstoun grounds in small groups in their sky blue and grey uniforms.

A third of the pupils are from Scotland, another third are other British with the remainder from overseas. Fees reach some £50,000 ($64,000) a year. Some pupils are on scholarships.

“It’s not just about passing exams and getting good grades,” said Kerr. “It’s about becoming a better person.”

Fees go towards a range of activities, from cricket and swimming, to tennis, hockey and sailing, while those more interested in music can have private lessons, including on the bagpipes.

One teenager sings in front of her classmates on the same stage where Charles once played Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Scottish play, watched by his mother in the audience.

All senior pupils must join one of the school’s nine community and rescue services. Amelia Lee is part of the Coastguard Rescue Team.

The pupils train with local coastguards on the cliffs above the sea.

“When it’s pouring down with rain… when it’s really cold, it teaches you about resilience,” Lee said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prince William recently talked about missing his wife, Kate Middleton, during a royal even in Sheffield, England, on Tuesday. During his speech, Prince William’s focus turned to the well-being of young children, making a light-hearted comment about his wife’s work on early childhood projects. “Venturing into my wife’s territory here. She needs to be sat here to hear this,” he said and smiled. 

 

During another interaction at the event, well-wisher Peter Brownley, 61, mentioned sending the Princess of Wales a ‘get well soon’ card. To this, Prince William replied, “You really are very kind,” according to Daily Mail.

Prince William had also mentioned his wife at a youth centre on March 14 after someone praised his cookies decorating skills. The Prince had modestly replied, “It’s really not impressive work. My wife is the arty one. My children are artier than I am.”

Kate Middleton has not been officially seen in public since Kensington Palace announced her planned abdominal surgery in January. The Prince’s visit came shortly after a video went viral allegedly showing the royal couple walking near their home at Windsor Farm Shop. 

Earlier, Kate posted a photo with her three children for Mother’s Day, but it was soon taken down by news agencies like AP, AFP, and Reuters which suspected that it was doctored. This sparked more speculation about her absence and led to conspiracy theories on the Internet. 

To clear up confusion, the Princess of Wales seemingly signed a statement shared on the official X account of the Prince and Princess of Wales, addressing concerns about the picture being photoshopped. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occassional experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day,” the statement read, signed “C.” 

Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024

Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that the Princess is set to make an official public appearance during Easter.

London:

AFP and other news agencies removed from their services on Sunday the first official photo of Britain’s Princess Kate Middleton to be released since her abdominal surgery, saying the image was found to have been manipulated.

The 42-year-old princess, whose husband Prince William is heir to the British throne, has been recovering mainly at their home in Windsor, west of London, since leaving hospital on January 29.

The photo released by Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day in Britain shows the smiling Princess of Wales sitting on a garden chair, dressed in jeans, a sweater and a dark jacket, surrounded by her three laughing children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” read a message accompanying the photo on the social media platform X.

“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” said the message, which was signed “C” for Catherine.

Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C

The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024

In a statement, the palace said the photo was taken “in Windsor earlier this week” by Kate’s husband, Prince William.

However, multiple news agencies including AFP later pulled the image over concerns it had been manipulated.

“It has come to light that the Handout issued by Kensington Palace today of Kate and the kids had been altered, therefore it was withdrawn from AFP systems,” the agency said in a note to clients accompanied.

The family photograph was the first official image of Kate released by the royal family since her hospitalisation at the London Clinic on January 16 for an abdominal surgery.

The future queen was last pictured in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, eastern England.

Photos published by TMZ earlier in March showed Kate wearing sunglasses while being driven in a car, with the celebrity news site saying they were taken near Windsor Castle.

UK media outlets including the Daily Mail and The Sun chose not to publish the pictures.

The sighting came after a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media over the famously hard-working and dutiful princess’s absence from the spotlight.

The speculation came despite Kensington Palace clearly saying at the time of her surgery that she would be “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”.

It also said the surgery was not related to cancer.

Kate’s hospitalisation came almost simultaneously with the announcement that William’s father, King Charles, had been admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition and subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer.

Charles, 75, visited his daughter-in-law’s bedside after being admitted himself on January 26.

The king withdrew from public duties during his treatment, though he attended church services and held his weekly audience with the prime minister.

Camilla steps in

Charles’s wife Queen Camilla, 76, has been the most visible senior royal, stepping in to cover many of her husband’s public duties during his treatment.

She is now on a break until March 11, when she is expected to join William and other senior royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

She is reported to be on holiday this week, effectively meaning all four of the most senior royals are out of action.

The princess is one of the most popular members of the royal family.

She and William have taken on more royal duties since his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan left for the United States in 2020, and the king’s brother Prince Andrew stepped back because of his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Britain’s Prince William visited a London synagogue on Thursday to hear about an upsurge in antisemitism, as he returned to public duties two days after mysteriously pulling out of a high-profile royal event over what was described as a “personal matter”.

A week after the heir-to-the-throne called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, William met young ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust who are seeking to tackle hatred amid soaring antisemitism in Britain.

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced 54 million pounds ($68 million) of new funding to protect Jewish communities after figures showed antisemitic incidents had hit a record high in Britain last year.

During his visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, the prince, who wore a kippah, the traditional Jewish cap, listened to Jewish students as they recounted how there had been what one described as an “explosion” in antisemitism, including death threats and assaults.

He also met with 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Renee Salt to hear of her experiences.

Last week’s unusually direct intervention by William that “too many have been killed” in the Gaza conflict and that Hamas must release hostages generated international headlines as royals by convention avoid contentious political matters.

But after becoming the first senior British royal to make an official visit to Israel and occupied Palestinian territory in 2018, he has followed the region closely, his office said.

The 41-year-old has been expected to step up and perform more public engagements after his father, King Charles, revealed earlier this month that he was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.

But his withdrawal from a memorial service at Windsor Castle for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, on Tuesday had sparked intense speculation, as William’s wife, Kate, is also recuperating from abdominal surgery last month and has not been seen in public since Christmas Day.

Palace sources said that his absence, officially because of an unexplained “personal matter”, was not linked to his father’s illness and that Kate was continuing to do well.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The British royal family is expressing solidarity with Israel following the unexpected attacks by Hamas operatives that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians over the past weekend. While the King and other senior members of the royal family have denounced the attacks, Prince William and Kate Middleton issued a joint statement on Wednesday evening strongly condemning Hamas’ brutal act of violence.

The BBC reported, quoting Palace sources, that the King was “appalled”, and condemned the “barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel”. The Prince and Princess of Wales are “profoundly distressed” by the events since strikes began on Saturday, according to their spokesman. He said the couple believes all Israelis and Palestinians will be “stalked by grief, fear, and anger”.

“A spokesperson for The Prince and Princess of Wales said, ‘The Prince and Princess of Wales are profoundly distressed by the devastating events that have unfolded in the past few days. The horrors inflicted by Hamas’s terrorist attack upon Israel are appalling; they utterly condemn them,” the statement shared on microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, read.

pic.twitter.com/lh3f5lusNx

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 11, 2023

“As Israel exercises its right to self-defense, all Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be stalked by grief, fear, and anger in the time to come. They hold all the victims, their families, and their friends in their hearts and minds. Those the Prince of Wales met in 2018 overwhelmingly shared a common hope-that of a better future.”

“In the midst of such terrible suffering, the Prince and Princess continue to share that hope without reservation.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces reported that approximately 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, had lost their lives in the Hamas attack, marking it as the most devastating in the nation’s history.

As Israel pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, a densely populated enclave of 2.3 million people, in response, the number of deaths there has also reached 1,200 people, including a high number of civilians, according to Palestinian authorities.

More than 338,000 people in the enclave have been displaced, according to the United Nations.

(With inputs from agencies)