Per Page Six, during an interview, the Prince of Wales revealed that he once presented the Princess of Wales with a pair of binoculars, a gift that has since become a running joke between the couple.

“I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once. She’s never let me forget that,” Prince William said, as per Page Six.

“That was early on in the courtship — I think that sealed the deal.” He went on to explain that the gift didn’t go over well, adding, “It didn’t go well. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars, it seemed like a good idea at the time,” as per Page Six.

The humorous confession comes from the early days of their relationship, which began when both William and Kate were students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

The couple met in 2001 and, after years of dating, married in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.

While the binoculars might not have been the perfect gift at the time, they have since become a fond memory for Kate, who William joked “has never let me forget” it.

In fact, the royal family has a tradition of exchanging gag gifts during the holidays, as per Page Six.

Prince Harry, for example, revealed in his 2023 memoir, Spare, that he once received a fish-shaped ballpoint pen from Princess Margaret, while it’s also been reported that Harry gifted Queen Elizabeth II a cheeky shower cap with the words “Ain’t life a b–h” on it, as per Page Six.

Meanwhile, Kate herself once reportedly gave Harry a playful “grow-your-own-girlfriend” kit.

This year, Prince William, Kate, and their three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 spent the festive season at the royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, following the longstanding royal tradition of gathering there for Christmas.

Ahead of the holiday, Prince William shared that he would be hosting 45 guests at Sandringham and anticipated a “noisy” celebration.

However, one notable absence this year was Prince Harry and his family.

Reports from Page Six suggest that Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, did not receive an invitation to the holiday festivities.
 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

US President-elect Donald Trump is poised to make history as the first elected politician to receive two state visits from the British royal family. According to a report by The Telegraph, Downing Street and the Foreign Office are preparing to extend an invitation to Trump for another state visit once he returns to the White House in January.

The move is seen as an attempt to strengthen ties between the UK and the US, with British diplomats hopeful that Trump’s admiration for the Royal Family will play a significant role in fostering a closer relationship between the two nations. A senior Whitehall source revealed to the Telegraph that Trump’s affection for the royals is well-known, citing the fact that he had a personal photo album made of his previous state visit to the UK in 2019.

During that visit, Trump was treated to a lavish three-day state visit, which included dining with the late Queen Elizabeth II and a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth. The visit was seen as a significant moment in Trump’s presidency, with the Queen herself telling Trump, “I hope you come to this country again soon.” Trump responded by praising the Queen, calling her a “Great, great woman.”

Trump’s relationship with the Royal Family appears to be warming up, with a recent meeting between Trump and Prince William at the historic reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The two shared a warm handshake, and later spent 40 minutes in private at the UK Ambassador’s Residence in Paris, discussing various global issues and the UK-US relationship.

Trump even praised Prince William, saying he’s “doing a fantastic job.” The President-elect also shared fond memories of the late Queen. The meeting was seen as a significant moment in Trump’s relationship with the Royal Family, with many hoping that it will mark the beginning of a closer relationship between the US and the UK.

The potential state visit is expected to take place in 2026, although no official date has been confirmed. If it goes ahead, Trump will become the first elected politician to receive two state visits from the British royal family. The visit will likely be seen as a significant moment in Trump’s presidency, and will likely be closely watched by diplomats and politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.
 

Amid reports about the alleged rift between Prince Harry and Harry Meghan, a documentary, based on the couple’s life away from the spotlight of the royal family in the UK, is set to release in Germany next month. Award-winning filmmaker Ulrike Grunewald who travelled to the Californian town of Montecito to record the couple’s experiences, said they had been leading a very ‘isolated’ life in what was a lively setting for socialising and mingling in the who’s who of America.

“Harry and Meghan have set the bar very high. They want to be global benefactors who bring about tangible change. So far, they have not lived up to this image at all,” Ms Grunewald, who has been a royal correspondent since 1987, told The Mail.

“The cultural life here is very lively but often happens in closed circles, and Harry and Meghan rarely participate. They seem to have isolated themselves a lot.”

A similar version was echoed by one of the neighbours named Richard Mineards who said the Sussexes were seldom seen in the town.

“Sometimes you see her at the farmers’ market or walking a dog, but generally, you don’t see much of her or him. It’s a shame. This is a lovely place,” Mr Mineards said.

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Notably, the film intends to examine whether the couple had achieved “freedom” and financial independence since stepping back from royal duties.

“During the year that we worked on this film, a change of strategy was recognisable in Harry and Meghan. They started out as a power duo in their new life in California,” said Ms Grunewald.

Now they mainly appear separately, as they were unable to create a functioning image together. They have come down to earth. I was interested in whether Harry and Meghan’s strategies for an independent life are working. After four years, the results are very mixed,” she added.

Professional separation?

In the last week, multiple reports have claimed that the couple was exploring separate career paths, in what experts have described as ‘professional separation’. While Ms Markle is reportedly aiming to launch American Riviera Orchard next year, Mr Harry is planning the second iteration of Invictus Games in Canada. The first installment took place in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2023 and invited positive reviews. However, reports suggest that it cost German taxpayers 40 million euros (Rs 357 crore), undermining the goodwill.

Former rugby union player James Haskell, who has been best friends with Prince Harry for a long time, has labelled the British royal family “very dysfunctional”, adding, some of the members “aren’t as great as others.”

Mr Haskell opened up about his bond with Harry and his family in an interview with the London Times and said he has spent a lot of time with them over the past several years.

“They do amazing work — but they’re also a modern family that’s very dysfunctional,” Mr Haskell said.

He said he was in attendance when Harry got married to Meghan Markle, adding he was even a part of “Mike and Zara’s wedding.”

Despite criticising some of them, the 39-year-old defended the monarchy, saying they “serve an important role”.

“To those who want to get rid of the monarchy — once they’re gone, they’re gone. There’s no way back from that, so remember they serve an important role. I love what they do,” he added.

In the last few years, all has not been well between the royal family and Prince Harry and Meghan, particularly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved out of the family. It got no better after Harry opened up about his issues with his father and brother in his memoir, Spare.

Earlier, a source close to the family told People magazine that although the rift between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William was “very bad,” it wasn’t “irreparable.”

Harry visited his homeland last month but did not see either his father or brother during the trip.

Meanwhile, Haskell continues to share a special connection with the royal family as he hosts “The Good, the Bad & the Rugby” podcast along with Alex Payne and Mike Tindall, who is married to Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne.

The Tindalls are said to be close to both Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton and Harry’s family.

Prince Harry is set to receive a huge payout on his 40th birthday later this year, according to a report. The Duke of Sussex will turn 40 on September 15. In striking contrast to his elder brother Prince William, who received a ceremonial bell concert at Westminster Abbey on his 40th birthday, Prince Harry will inherit millions on his milestone birthday, thanks to arrangements made by his late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. 

According to the Times, the late Queen Mother established a $90 million trust fund for her family, which listed that the Duke of Sussex would receive his share when he turned 40. Prince Harry will reportedly rake in around $8.5 million from his share, which is more than Prince William is slated to get.

However, Prince Harry would still have to pay taxes on his inheritance, while his elder brother would benefit from the tax-exempt Duchy of Cornwall – a private estate that funds his public, charitable and private activities. 

“William will benefit from the vast wealth of the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate that funds the public, charitable, and private activities of the king’s heir,” a source said, per New York Post. “As a result, Harry is likely to receive slightly more than half of the 14 million pounds allocated for the brothers,” they added. 

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With an estimated current net worth of about $60 million, Prince Harry’s upcoming inheritance would be a welcome addition, the outlet noted. 

Following their exit as senior working royals, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle settled in Montecito, California. Their net worth was largely boosted because of the several high-profile projects they’ve taken on since quitting royal life in 2020. These projects include a Netflix original, Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, and Meghan Markle’s 12-episode podcast, Archetypes. 

According to the Post, Prince Harry is even considering publishing a follow-up book. The duo are also in for a big payday with the forthcoming launch of Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. 

Princess Beatrice’s ex-boyfriend was found dead earlier this year in a Miami hotel room following a suspected overdose. The US city’s police department has confirmed the identity of a man who died in the M Miami Worldcenter hotel on February 7 as Paolo Liuzzo, according to TheIndependent. Mr Liuzzo’s death is being investigated as an ”overdose death” according to the police. 

His body was flown back to Long Island, New York, and a funeral took place on February 16. His death certificate says he had been working as an art industry consultant and never married.

Sources said he had struggled with drugs and racked up big gambling debts. A longtime friend of Mr Liuzzo said, ”Paolo was not doing great on a personal level. He loved to party and gamble. He began using a lot of pharmaceutical drugs but that later led to cocaine and harder drugs. It was a very fast lifestyle and we all feared it would catch up with him eventually. He was always borrowing money to pay off loans. It became a vicious cycle.”

He was previously arrested in Australia over a string of offences including possessing cocaine.

The princess, who is the daughter of the disgraced Prince Andrew, started dating Mr Liuzzo in 2005 when she was aged 17 and he was 24. Their relationship came to light when he was invited by Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to join the family on a skiing holiday to Verbier.

However, the couple separated in 2006 after it emerged that he had been forced to return to the US for breaching the conditions of his probation for an assault conviction.

In 2020, Princess Beatrice married the property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise, private ceremony that was scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic. She gave birth to a baby girl, her first child in September 2021. 

Donald Trump has hit out at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, accusing the couple of “breaking Queen Elizabeth’s heart”. The former president of the United States spoke to Nigel Farage in an exclusive interview and expressed his disapproval of how the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as members of the royal family in 2020, Independent reported. 

Speaking about the Queen, he said, “I think there was great disrespect to a person I got to know very well and like; the Queen. She was unbelievable you know.”

He continued: “I thought she was treated very disrespectfully by them. Although she wouldn’t show it because she was strong and smart, I imagine they broke her heart. The things that they were saying were so bad and so horrible and she was in her 90s and hearing this stuff. I think they broke her heart. I think they hurt her bad.”

The former President further insisted that Harry and Meghan ”were very disrespectful to the royal family” when they decided to step down from their duties. 

Meanwhile, he praised the late Queen, who died in September 2022, stating she “never made a mistake” during her reign. He told Mr Farage: “I’m a little prejudiced because I thought the Queen was incredible. I mean, think of it all those years, 75 years. She’s rarely made a mistake.”

The Duke of Sussex moved to the US with his wife Meghan Markle in January 2020. It was reported they “ignored” the Queen’s request to delay announcing their decision to quit public life.

During the interview, Trump also hinted that if he is elected as the US president, Prince Harry may face deportation over drug use he admitted to in his 2023 memoir. Notably, The Duke of Sussex’s immigration status has become the subject of a legal battle after Harry admitted to taking illegal drugs in his memoir, ‘Spare’  which was released last year.

”We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action,” Trump said.

In ‘Spare’, Harry wrote that when he was younger, he had taken cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, noting that the cocaine ”didn’t do anything for me,” but ”Marijuana is different, that did help me.”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle’s biographies on the Royal Family’s official website have been updated. The couple’s biographies have been removed and merged into a single joint profile, as per a report in People Magazine.

Before this, both had individual biographies on the royal family website, which acts as a digital hub for news and updates on the monarchy. Their statement on the page says, “As announced in January 2020, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped back as working members of The Royal Family. The couple married in St George’s Chapel, Windsor on 19 May 2018 and have two children: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.”

Under the headings “About the Duke of Sussex” and “About the Duchess of Sussex,” the page breaks down Harry and Meghan’s biographies, recapping notable moments like Prince Harry’s ten years in the British Army and the founding of the Invictus Games alongside Meghan Markle’s seven seasons on ‘Suits’ and lifestyle blog The Tig. Earlier, both had longer biographies including Prince Harry’s page mentioning his role of “supporting the Monarch.”

The Royal family’s website also mentions a link to their new website which was launched in February by the couple. In a new rebranding move, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s website has the latest news about the couple as well as links to their Archewell Foundation organization and Archewell Productions hub.

Their website which was earlier called Archwell will now be referred to as, sussex.com. The homepage features a photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Germany at the 2023 Invictus Games closing ceremony in September. According to the statements issued by The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex, the couple aims to showcase their passions and endeavours, asserting their identities beyond traditional royal responsibilities.

“The reality behind the new site is very simple – it’s a hub for the work the Sussexes do and it reflects the fact the family have, since the King’s coronation, the same surname for the first time. That’s a big deal for any family. It represents their unification and it’s a proud moment,” an insider said.

However, the couple was slammed for using their royal titles and the Royal Coat of Arms on their new Sussex.com website. “Prince Harry and Meghan’s Biographies are immaculate! Come on”. said a reader. “This signifies their Hollywood failure and inability to succeed in their numerous business ventures. So they are falling back on the only thing they know to do and what can make them any money, trading off their royal titles. This is pathetic and demonstrates, yet again, why the titles must be removed,” an X user wrote.