Royal Family

The suspected operative knew the duke for a decade, prompting major concerns about national security and Beijing 's influence on the British establishment. The Mail can reveal that as well as royals and former prime ministers, the alleged agent also mixed with captains of industry - leading to calls for him to be identified publicly amid fears there may be others in high office who are unaware they have had dealings with a supposed spy. He can currently only be referred to as H6, thanks to an anonymity ruling by an immigration court that banned him from Britain on the grounds of national security. Yet, making a mockery of that order, the 50-year-old's name and picture is being used wantonly in Chinese and US news reports and on social media, in coverage seen by millions around the globe. The matter is due to be reconsidered by High Court judges as early as this week. Last night, MPs urged judges to lift the order as soon as possible - or face the prospect of MPs using Parliamentary Privilege to name him in the Commons or the Lords without fear of legal recriminations.

Sarah Ferguson has revealed she is looking after her 'sad' ex-husband Prince Andrew and 'won't let him down'. The Duchess of York, 65, and the disgraced royal divorced in 1996 but have remained close and even live together at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate. Sarah - or 'Fergie' - as she is affectionately known was speaking in a new interview with The Sunday Times, published today but given before recent allegations regarding Andrew and his links to a Chinese spy came to light. Fergie and Prince Andrew are pictured together, inset, in 2019. Andrew is pictured right with the alleged spy.

His birthday, 129 years ago today, fell on the 34th anniversary of the death of his great-grandfather Prince Albert. Named Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, George VI was welcomed into the world at York Cottage in Sandringham on December 14, 1895, by the Duke and Duchess of York, who were later crowned George V and Queen Mary. Known as 'Bertie' within the Royal Family, the prince grew up as the shy 'spare' to his older brother who would become Edward VIII. By the age of eight, he had developed a stammer and was forced to wear leg braces to correct his knock knees. A timid boy, Albert was never expected to one day become king.

The Princess of Wales (pictured earlier this month, left, with Prince William) 'is not back to normal' but there are signs of 'light at the end of the tunnel', a family friend has told US-magazine People. 'She won't be going back to work in the same way for a long time', an insider said to the publication , while a source close to the palace added: 'She is focused on herself and her family right now, rightly.' It comes after fans caught a glimpse of Kate, 42, when the future queen was joined by members of the royal family and dozens of special guests to record her fourth 'Together At Christmas ' carol service last week. Speaking to guests at the concert, the mother-of-three movingly said that she 'didn't know' what 2024 had in store for her at last year's carol service as she arrived to host the annual event at Westminster Abbey (pictured right).

King Charles joined Apple CEO Tim Cook for a visit to Battersea Power Station in London on Thursday afternoon. The monarch's King's Trust is partnering with the business executive, 64, on workshop sessions to empower young people to build confidence and develop creative digital skills.  The pair first browsed the Christmas market stalls, before heading to the Apple HQ.

The Queen has revealed that the area - understood to be where her £850,0000 Wiltshire home is located - was 'underwater' following the devastating flooding after continuous storms. While chatting to members of the Military Wives Choirs - who treated Charles and Camilla to a festive performance in Buckingham Palace today - the royal recounted the damage, possibly referring to Storm Bert, two weeks ago.

She famously described herself as a 'hugger' in her Netflix series - and Meghan Markle certainly lived up to that label in Prince Harry's new polo documentary. This morning, the five-episode series POLO - which delves into the 'fierce rivalries' between teams competing in the US Open Polo Championship - landed on Netflix.  In the final episode of the series, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, is filmed attending the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, which benefits Sentebale - the charity Prince Harry co-founded in 2006. At the annual event, which took place in April at the USPA National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida , Prince Harry's Royal Salute team triumphed over Maseru - who were led by the Duke's close friend Nacho Figueras. Following their victory, the Duchess of Sussex joined her husband in congratulating the players, including Adolfo Cambiaso (right) - who has won nine US Open Polo Championships over the course of his 34-year career. As the Duchess approached Adolfo on the field, the player (left) reached out his palm for a handshake - before Meghan went in for a hug. The mother-of-two was filmed grabbing onto Adolfo's hand and pulling the polo player close (inset).

The Canadian women who were hand picked to attend the crowning of the late Queen, met King Charles in December 2023 where he revealed his anxieties about wearing the crown at his Coronation. He told the women, who were the focus of a new film, Coronation Girls, he remembered 'quite a lot' from his mother's Coronation and spoke of how she practised wearing the heavy Imperial State Crown ahead of the occasion in 1952.

This time last year Kate, 42, was focusing on her work and children, and looking forward to the festive season with little inclination of what was to come. Weeks later she underwent abdominal surgery in hospital, after which doctors broke the news that they had found evidence of cancer and advised her to undergo a gruelling course of preventative chemotherapy. Kate and Prince William found their lives turned upside down. Now, having completed her treatment, the royal is beginning to return to public duties and has held her fourth 'Together At Christmas' carol service at historic Westminster Abbey, which will be televised by ITV on Christmas Eve. Kate was joined by her husband the Prince of Wales and their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, to host her Together At Christmas carol service. It is the first time the Wales family have been seen together in public since their appearance at Trooping the Colour , the King's birthday parade, in June.

The creator of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse said tonight it had been 'very special' to be asked by Kate and her team to create the illustration. He said: 'Love, empathy and kindness are important messages for us all. As the theme of the Princess of Wales' carol service this year, it was very special to have been asked to create the illustration for the Order of Service. I hope it reminds us of the beauty of being there for each other at Christmas.' It shows a group of people embracing, arms wrapped around each other for support, walking towards Westminster Abbey through a blanket of snow. 'How did I help?' the caption asks. 'You were by my side, which was everything,' comes the reply.

Prince Harry last night revealed that he and wife Meghan Markle have no plans to return to the United Kingdom with Archie and Lilibet. The Duke of Sussex, 40, opened up about his desire to stay in the United States at the annual DealBook Summit live in New York on Wednesday. It was there that the prince said security was a factor for his and Meghan's decision to stay put for the time being - as well as their children's future.

The Royal Family love to throw themselves into celebrations during the festive season. And for the past three years Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has added to the jollity with her annual Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey. This year will be no different and the princess is set to host the event tomorrow - making it one of few official appearances from Kate this year as she gradually returns to duties after cancer treatment.

King Charles offered Sir Keir Starmer a snifter of whisky, I hear, thinking the new PM might enjoy his audience more after a restorative dram.  Starmer politely declined the offer. He's rarely associated with frivolity. At Labour's election victory party at Tate Modern, guests were given a voucher for one free drink.  Old Labour was more fun. Old soaks boast that dinner invitations to its annual seaside conferences read '7 for 9pm' - leaving adequate time for refreshment.

As Rachel Zane in Suits, Meghan Markle was no stranger to raunchy scenes. And neither was one of her and Prince Harry's most loyal aides, Beth Herlihy, who before joining their team played a stripper in British soap Hollyoaks who helped a gangster drug an enemy to frame him for a murder. Today it emerged that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's charity, the Archewell Foundation, paid her consultancy business a six-figure sum last year to support their work. As Honey, under her stage name Bethan Coundley, Ms Herlihy appeared in two episodes in 2011 where she played a stripper slept with a man and gave him drugs, causing him to hallucinate and believe that he had beaten her to death with an axe. Before Hollyoaks, Beth also took part in several photo shoots, including one in 2012 when she posed in a PVC body suit. But only a few years later she was working for the royal family. But only a few years later she was working for the royal family - and most recently has supported the Sussexes at Invictus Games events.

Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer has been caught up in an explosive High Court battle between his new lover and his estranged wife. Dr Catrine Jarman, Earl Spencer's archaeologist girlfriend, is suing Countess Karen Spencer for allegedly revealing intimate secrets about her and causing 'distress and embarrassment'. Earl Spencer, 60, and Dr Jarman, 42, revealed they were together in October - after he announced his split from Lady Spencer, 52, in March. But his old and new lovers are now set to clash in a bitter High Court showdown over the spilling of intimate secrets. Viking expert Dr Jarman has accused Lady Spencer of revealing private details of her life to others, sparking a major rift at the heart of one of Britain's most famous families.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas this year as they have reportedly not been invited to the festivities. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven't received an invitation to the royals' Christmas at Sandringham, it has been reported. They are expected to spend the festive holidays in America instead with their children Archie and Lilibet.

It's the closest any member of the public - two or four legged - is likely to come to the royal furnishings. Eight unique footstools have been created using recycled curtains from Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to be auctioned for charity. And among the first to get a look at them were a selection of rescue animals from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, whose patron is Queen Camilla.

Known for her timeless elegance and carefully curated style, the Princess of Wales has a knack for choosing pieces that seamlessly combine luxury, practicality and sustainability. Whether it's her signature handbags, go-to beauty essentials, or the delicate jewellery she wears to royal engagements, Kate's picks consistently captivate audiences - and now they're available at irresistible prices.

When Prince Harry's memoir Spare came out, we were shocked by his portrayal of Camilla. He wrote of how he and Prince William pleaded with his father not to marry her: 'Despite Willy and me urging him not to, Pa was going ahead. We pumped his hand, wished him well. No hard feelings.'

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Does Andrew's invitation to Sandringham for Christmas, confirmed by a reliable source, indicate all tensions over his occupation of Royal Lodge have been resolved? Not according to my mole who says it's merely a demonstration of the King's commitment to keeping his brother in the family fold. Charles has another reason to look after Andrew. He gave an undertaking to the late Queen to look after him, aware that he is thinner skinned than his bombastic facade admits. HM has tried to be good to his word. Security arrangements were revised only after careful consultation, as was his financial support. The King, despite the headlines, has no wish to humiliate his one-time spare.

The Queen is said to be devastated after being forced to put Beth, a 13-year-old Battersea Dogs and Cats Home rescue, to sleep a week ago after she was diagnosed with an inoperable tumour. It comes on top of her being forced to pull out of several public engagements, including the Royal Variety Performance, after suffering from the lingering after-effects of a nasty chest infection.

Looking smart in a crisp dinner jacket, the monarch laughed as he entered the Royal Albert Hall - and was met by Sir Elton John.The red carpet was stolen by television presenter Amanda Holden , who was channelling her inner Little Mermaid - not to mention a set of killer abs. She sported in a sea-foam coloured cropped, sequin-studded top with boxy shoulder pads and a skirt with a tulle train that bore a startling resemblance to Ariel's tail. Holden was there with her show co-host, Alan Carr , whose midnight blue dinner jacket and waistcoat was given added sparkle by a lizard brooch.

The Prince of Wales, 42, visited The Nelson Trust - a member of the Homewards Newport coalition - to hear about their approach to preventing women's homelessness in the city. Founded in 1985, the charity plays a pivotal role in delivering trauma-informed support for women in Newport. The Nelson Trust will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. As the future king introduced himself to representatives of the local charity, one woman made a self-deprecating remark about her 'cold hands' to which Prince William kindly replied: 'Don't worry'.

Her Majesty, 77, was given an Honorary Doctorate of Literature by the University of London, whose Chancellor is the Princess Royal. The two women arrived at the Senate House building in Bloomsbury, central London, together by car having travelled from St James's Palace for a rare joint engagement. In a sweet moment between the sisters-in-law, Queen Camilla instinctively invited Princess Anne to enter into the room, where they were due to greet fellow recipients of honorary doctorates and their families, before her. Smiling Anne, no doubt with an eye on precedence, demurred and invited the Queen to enter first.

RICHARD EDEN: While the Princess of Wales looks forward to her Together At Christmas carol service, Queen Camilla's nephew Sir Ben Elliot has signed up an American hip-hop star for his own festive charity event. I hear Philadelphia-born rapper Eve will be the headline act at the Fayre of St James's Christmas carol concert next week, at St James's Church in Piccadilly. Eve is known for hits including Let Me Blow Ya Mind and lives in London with her husband, former racing driver and Gumball 3000 founder Maximillion Cooper. The fundraiser, which will also feature pop stars Emeli Sande and Jack Savoretti, is in aid of the Quintessentially Foundation and its Firefly Project initiative, which supports young people affected by poverty in London.

The couple huddled up to one another as they posed with presenter Nick Knowles at the event, hosted by Rugby for Heroes - of which Princess Anne 's son-in-law is Patron - in London . The organisation works with the sports community to 'raise funds and awareness for military personnel who are making the transition to civilian life'. The father-of-three, 46, looked dapper in a sleek tuxedo and bowtie as he shared photos from the event on Instagram .

The thought that someone's been rifling through your private letters would be disagreeable enough. But imagine learning that the same correspondence - all of it concerning your marital status - was being sold on eBay, priced '£65 or best offer' per item. Yet that's the indignity, I can reveal, currently being suffered by Princess Michael of Kent, who, until I alerted her, was blissfully oblivious of what was going on.

MAILONLINE BLOG: Follow live coverage as King Charles spends his 76th birthday working in London with gun salutes to ring out across the capital to mark the occasion.

The King, 75, was joined by a host of TV and film stars as he hosted a glittering reception to celebrate the centenary of the Film and TV Charity at Buckingham Palace . Charles could be seen getting on particularly well with Lewis, 53, who made the King erupt into laughter. Lewis, who is currently starring as Tudor monarch King Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, cheekily told him: 'At least you can claim not to be related to him!' But Charles is in fact a distant relative of Henry VIII through George I, a great-grandson of James I, who was a great-great-grandson of Henry VII. Charles III is a ninth-generation descendant of George I.

One enduring curse of the internet is the unutterable rubbish people say and do on social media in pursuit of clicks, and the sheer number of nasty individuals who seem to make a living out of this. Narinder Kaur is a case in point.

It remains an abiding mystery why the late Queen missed out on a Nobel Peace Prize for transforming and expanding the Commonwealth. A senior courtier sheds some light on the subject, whispering that she didn't want the honour. While candidates don't have to be consulted, Buckingham Palace was approached on more than one occasion by Commonwealth leaders 'for guidance' on nominating Her Majesty. They were politely told, 'Thank you, but no thank you'.

The Princess of Wales honoured Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth by donning a dazzling set of pearl drop earrings for her appearance at Remembrance Sunday today. At the annual event at the Cenotaph in London, Kate appeared emotional as she wore the historic jewellery, with pearls often favoured by the late Queen Elizabeth for solemn and reflective public events. (Pictured right: Kate Middleton donning the earrings at Remembrance Sunday today; left: Princess Diana borrows the pair in 1982; inset: Queen Elizabeth spotted in them for the first time in 1952)

Prince William says the Princess of Wales is 'doing really well' and that she and their children will be watching his Earthshot Prize environmental awards tonight. The Prince of Wales paid tribute to wife Kate on his trip to Cape Town, saying she had been 'amazing' during her tough year of cancer treatment. 'She's doing really well thanks. And… hopefully she is watching tonight. So cheering me on. She's been she's been amazing this whole this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success,' he said. William was speaking to the BBC and Sky News as he prepared to host his fourth annual Earthshot Awards designed to highlight and scale up the best solutions on the planet to the current environmental crisis. He said that he and his family, like so many, have conversations about trying to 'do what they can' at home.

Prince William got a taste of the Springboks' legendary physicality today when he joined a charity rugby union event in Cape Town. The future king, still wearing his smart jacket from an earlier event in the South African city, joined children from Ocean View Secondary School taking part in a training session along with a number of South African legends including 'The Beast' Tendai Mtawarira and Joel Stransky. Getting stuck into a drill encouraging kicking, handling and counter attack techniques, Stransky saw the royal going for the ball and couldn't resist grabbing his arm and pulling him away by his jacket. The prince got a consoling pat on the back from another legend, former England player Jason Leonard. Stransky told the Mail afterwards: 'It happened by accident. We were doing the drill and it just happened, instinct took over I guess. It's always instinct when there is a maul around, it has to be! I just thought afterwards 'oh no, I've grabbed a prince'. But he's a lovely guy, very humble. He was so genuine. And I think he enjoyed it, to be honest. I expect in his role he would like to get out there and do more like this. He thanked me for taking part.'

Crumbling paintwork, cracks, and black mould can be seen on the outside walls where inside his beloved mother once roamed with her sister Margaret as a young Princess Elizabeth. The shocking state of the Duke of York's 30-room Windsor Royal Lodge comes just days after it emerged King Charles had severed his beleaguered younger brother's annual personal allowance, believed to be £1 million. Andrew, 64, who now lives in the £30 million property with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson , signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate when he moved in, making a £1million initial payment. The agreement included a notional rent of £260,000 a year.

Just in time for Christmas, King Charles has introduced an exclusive whiskey crafted from barley grown on his Highgrove estate - with a price tag of £250. While this may be the estate's priciest whiskey, it's far from the most extravagant item available from the Royal Collection Trust.

Halloween is over and Christmas is coming up fast. In terms of international and domestic markets, we are now into the most lucrative sales period of the year: a time when business-savvy celebrities and major stars all want to get their product out in front of the public. Whether their reward is cold, hard cash or simple warm goodwill, now is the time to make hay. Everybody wants a slice of that profitable festive cheer. And these days, the Royal Family are no different.

Adams, who played Mike Ross, posted behind-the-scenes photos of the Suits cast on Instagram on Tuesday, while promoting the latest episode of his podcast with actress Sarah Gafferty. In his post, Adams, 43, included pictures of Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter, crew members on the sets of Suits, and Meghan, who played his on-screen love interest and paralegal Rachel, on the show.

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: King Charles celebrates his 76th birthday on November 14 but our Shakespeare-loving sovereign marks another milestone on Monday.

Al Fayed's former security chief Andre Steele also claimed that the disgraced former owner of Harrods blamed 'dark forces' for the 1997 crash which claimed the lives of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. Mr Steele, who guarded Al Fayed from 2004 to 2008 said that Al Fayed believed that Diana and Dodi had been 'betrayed and ultimately killed by the royals.' This is despite an inquest finding the pair were unlawfully killed in the Paris crash in part due to the 'gross negligence' of their driver who had been drinking.

Maxine's Gentlemen's Club is a large but somewhat dingy 'erotic lounge' on the main road through Brunswick, a traditionally working-class area of Melbourne that is in the process of being gentrified by the city's burgeoning hipster community. Outside the venue, oddly situated a few doors from the local mosque, a sign advertises weekend 'lunches and dinners' along with a 'male revue' troupe called Toyboys who appear alongside more traditional female hostesses on Saturday nights. Inside, you'll find booths filled with red velvet chairs, a stage adorned with metal poles, plus notices informing patrons of the house's 'lap dance rules', the most printable of which stipulate 'no open mouth contact' and explain that 'touching is permitted in dances over $80 only'.