As Prince Harry carries out engagements in the UK the question that we're all still asking ourselves is: will Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet be flying over to join him? The rest of the Sussex family has stayed in California so far but there has been speculation that they might meet up with the Duke once he leaves London.

It would be a huge moment for Archie and Lilibet and Woman's Royal Editor Emily Andrews assumes that the children will see King Charles if they come to the UK. Writing in the latest issue, she also suggests that it will "be interesting to see whether Meghan posts any pictures of that."

Emily adds, "She knows those images could boost the diminishing popularity of the Sussexes stateside and remind everyone of their royal pedigree and reacceptance into the family."

Since the Duchess of Sussex re-joined Instagram we've seen a lot more of seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet. They regularly appear in pictures and videos taken either in the garden of the Sussexes' Montecito home, or inside helping Meghan cook.

Their faces are always kept away from the camera to give them more privacy. Even so, photos of a possible reunion with Charles would naturally be met with immense excitement online. He's understood to have only met Lilibet once in person and there were no pictures shared of that.

A snap with both his Sussex grandchildren would be the first of its kind to be shared. Emily believes that Meghan is well aware of the positive response she'd get to sharing a picture like this, but that doesn't necessarily mean she'd ever do it.

Balancing privacy and PR is a tricky thing and royal author Tom Quinn has claimed that Meghan and Harry have argued about this before. In Betrayal, he alleged, "Insiders spoke about tensions between them and arguments about their children. Harry was reportedly irritated that Meghan used their children to promote herself."

The author goes on to suggest that Harry wants Archie and Lilibet to be "shielded from the media" and reportedly "insisted" that they shouldn't be photographed. Tom added, "Meghan argued the opposite. The children, she believed, were important for her brand. She spoke of them living as normal Californian children."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson has responded to Betrayal, expressing their view that "those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find [Bower]."

Personally, I believe that if Meghan, Archie and Lilibet do visit the UK and see King Charles, we won't see a picture posted on social media. However, Harry and Meghan might at least confirm the meeting took place to quell the public's curiosity.

This would also remind people of their "royal pedigree and reacceptance into the family". King Charles's schedule is always very busy, but a source has claimed to The Mirror that he "would not pass up the opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren."

"If there is a way of making it possible, he will do it," they stated.

Read Emily Andrews' feature in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

There was an intriguing story about Frogmore Cottage - which is the former home of the Sussexes - recently.

I remember breaking the exclusive story that the late Queen Elizabeth had given the use of the house to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as a wedding present.

Everyone had expected the Sussexes to move into Kensington Palace (a huge building which is split into apartments) as a married couple, upgrading from Harry’s bachelor pad, the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage in the grounds.

But, as I discovered, things had got so bad between Prince William and Harry, neither brother wanted to live next door to each other.

So Frogmore Cottage, which had previously been split into five staff apartments, had £2.4 million spent on it to convert it back to a single home in 2019.

Now, it’s been reported that three years after the Sussexes vacated the property, any trace of them is to be wiped!

The Crown Estate, who own the property on behalf of the monarch, are looking at plans to reverse the revamp and subdivide the house to let it to royal staff.

Harry and Meghan wanted to keep it as their UK home, but were evicted by the King in 2023, just weeks after the publication of Harry’s vitriolic, tell-all book Spare.

King Charles had wanted his brother Andrew to move there, but he opted instead for Sandringham.

I thought it was very strange that having spent all that money renovating Frogmore (which Harry pointedly paid back after he quit as a working royal) the Crown Estate would potentially rip it all out.

I can understand that it’s a bit tricky (and expensive) to let as one property as it’s within the Windsor security cordon, but surely that’s the purpose of advanced security vetting.

What’s even more bizarre is that I’m told Harry and Meghan are really annoyed about it! They have a lovely home in California - why do they care what happens with Frogmore?

But it’s the symbolism, isn't it?

The fact that not just them but even the very memory of them, and their marital home, is being removed.

First of all they were evicted (and Harry really wanted to keep it as his UK base). Now they are being erased.

Sure, it can be dressed up as ‘repurposing’ for staff accommodation. But it’s a virtual expunging from royal history. As if the ‘Harry and Meghan era’ never existed.

And that’s got to hurt.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

There has been a lot Prince Harry has lost or given up since he moved to the US, including his honorary military roles and HRH title. However, despite all the changes there's one part of himself he's refused to give up. When he was a working royal the Duke of Sussex was Patron of English rugby and was also a huge supporter of the English football team.

This is something he's carried through into his LA life as despite this summer's FIFA World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Harry's loyalty to England squad is rock solid. So much so that he's inspiring Prince Archie to support his father's home team too.

We saw the seven-year-old proudly wearing a red, white and blue English football shirt in the Father's Day photo Meghan posted on Instagram this year.

The picture showed both Archie and Lilibet hugging Harry tightly, and we got a good glimpse of the rose design on the Prince's shirt. Some people might've expected Archie to support the US football team since it's a home World Cup for them but clearly Prince Harry stepped in to steer his son in another direction.

Sport is one of the ways the King's younger son can show fierce patriotism for his home country despite not living there anymore. It's a connection to the UK for him and now for Archie too, giving father and son something they can enjoy together like Prince William and George when they go to watch England or Aston Villa play.

Archie is getting into playing too, as Meghan recently shared a spring-to-summer photo round-up which included a sweet snap of him and Harry kicking a giant football.

Football isn't the only game Prince Harry is determined to get Archie involved in, though. The Duke of Sussex used to be Patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League before his patronages were stripped. Rugby is a big passion of his and even when his son was a toddler, Harry had visions of Archie playing it too.

"What I need is a few mini rugby balls that I can then get Archie involved with the game because at the moment it's impossible to find any," he said in summer 2020. "But I've got a little space outside, which I'm fortunate enough to have so I need to get him playing some Rugby League."

Rugby isn't nearly as popular in the US as it is in the UK, so once again this is Harry introducing his son to part of his heritage. Perhaps they'll both be excitedly cheering England on in their matches throughout the World Cup.

As President of FIFA, Prince William could possibly make the trip to America this summer to watch a game in person. Meanwhile, reports have alleged that a UK visit could be on the cards for the entire Sussex family very soon.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet haven't been to the UK since 2022 so this would be a big moment for them. Even though they've spent very little time there, Prince Harry has always tried to give his children an upbringing with British elements.

The Sussex siblings have been raised to call their father "Papa" just like their Wales cousins do, even though "Dad" is far more common, particularly in America. They call Meghan "Mama", though when they've written her a letter before they've addressed it "Mummy". She's said she loves this, adding that it's "very British".

The Princess of Wales often sends subtle messages through her outfits and Carole Middleton is surely well aware of how fashion can tell a story. I'd imagine she puts just as much thought into what she wears for big occasions so her dress on Day 3 of Royal Ascot caught my attention.

She and her husband Michael enjoyed a day at the races together and Carole wore a knee-length peppermint-green coat and dress by Kate's go-to designer Catherine Walker. It featured neat lapels and darts running down the jacket to give it extra shaping and volume.

The colour is perfect for a summer capsule wardrobe and Carole Middleton has owned it for years. It's actually the same dress she wore to Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018 and it seems to be the first time she's been seen in it since then.

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There's no way that Carole didn't think this connection would be spotted given the amount of press coverage Royal Ascot always gets. She still wore the green two-piece and many people might be surprised to see this throwback link to the Sussexes.

Prince Harry has been very open about wanting to reconcile with the Royal Family, however it's thought that he and Prince William haven't seen each other since 2024. As she's the Princess of Wales's mum, it's natural to see Carole as being aligned with the Waleses instead of Harry and Meghan.

However, the Duke and Duchess's wedding day was a joyful occasion, years before they stepped back as working royals. Perhaps wearing this same coat and dress is a way for Carole to nod back to these happier times and mint green is often associated with tranquillity and healing.

There could also be a much simpler explanation for her choice. How many times does someone get to re-wear something as luxurious and formal as a jacket and dress set? It's not like Carole is a royal herself, so she might not have many opportunities to enjoy this design compared to Kate who goes to a lot of big events.

On Day 2 of Ascot she stepped out in the pink Catherine Walker Mother of the Bride coat dress she wore to Pippa Middleton's wedding in 2017. Wedding re-wears are sensible if she doesn't want these pieces to stay in storage at home.

I think the Princess of Wales's mum probably has a big collection of wedding outfits, though, so she could still have picked others over the mint green one. Maybe this suggests that Carole chose her style for both practical and meaningful reasons.

The colour of her jacket and matching dress is also beautiful for the heatwave, bringing to mind refreshing mint ice cream. This shade of green works well with white and cream for contrast and you can also lean into the pastels and pair it with blush or lilac.

At Ascot we saw Carole Middleton styling her co-ord with neutral accessories, all from British clothing brands. Her raffia top handle bag and suede slingbacks from Emmy London added texture to the look and she also wore a wide-brimmed cream Catherine Walker hat with a mint green flower decoration.

If the rumours are to be believed, it would be bigger than Spare. The ultimate first-hand account, not merely a publishing phenomenon but an extended multi-platform event including interviews, streaming components and global rights deals.

Meghan Markle's autobiography. For years it has been talked about as a potential project, never fully confirmed.

Indeed, buried right at the end of a Vanity Fair piece on the Sussexes last year was a reported rumour that Meghan's team had quietly floated the concept of a post-Harry divorce book to publishers.

The conversations (and, yes, supposedly, there were conversations!) were intended to gauge publisher interest in a hypothetical tell-all in the event of a future split.

Vanity Fair was quick to say that it was all purely exploratory (no manuscript, written proposals or offers) and any discussion was just to assess the appetite for such a memoir.

The appetite would surely be huge, and - given that Prince Harry received a reported £16 million in advance for his autobiography - so would the financial offers!

After all, neither she nor Harry has ever really gone into detail about some of their most damaging claims against the Royal Family, or who or what made Meghan feel suicidal and how she feels about it all now.

But it's widely believed Meghan keeps a diary and detailed records.

According to one publishing insider, 'Voice notes on her phone at 1am. Written journals. Structured reflections. She has been documenting everything since before Megxit.'

Its release would surely be bigger than Harry's Spare, which became the fastest selling non-fiction book of all-time, shifting more than 1.4 million copies on its first day of release in January 2023. By the following year, sales were in excess of six million. Publishing experts say Meghan's book could surpass even those numbers.

Although presumably a Meghan memoir would explore her life prior to joining the Firm - growing up as a child of divorce, struggling to make it in Hollywood before winning the part of Rachel Zane in Suits - it would of course be the past 10 years, since her relationship with Harry became public, that would generate the most headlines.

We already know from the couple's Netflix documentary how deeply hurt Meghan felt by the way she claims she was treated by Harry's family, by the press and by her own father.

Meghan also has a network of powerful Californian friends upon whom to call.

Neighbour Oprah Winfrey was the first to help Meghan and Harry tell their 'truth' on primetime TV - prompting that genius line from the late Queen Elizabeth that 'recollections may vary'.

Watched by 17 million Americans, 11 million Brits and millions more worldwide, the CBS interview in March 2021 was a global cultural event.

Meghan also counts Mellody Hobson as a mentor. Co-chief executive of Ariel Investments and former chair of Starbucks, the 57-year-old is married to Star Wars film-maker George Lucas and is a stellar networker in the world of finance and media. Such is her influence, she can open just about any door in Hollywood.

Another influential pal is Nicole Avant, a former diplomat who is married to the Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Although the Netflix relationship has cooled - the Sussexes' five-year £74 million deal was only extended in a non-exclusive arrangement and the streamer pulled out of Meghan's As Ever lifestyle business - the personal relationships are still good.

Nicole, 58, has reportedly long been an advocate for Meghan - particularly behind the scenes in the notoriously tricky la-la land of Hollywood.

It's she who is thought to have fostered conversations about how a potential Meghan memoir could be developed in partnership with Netflix.

Meghan reportedly sees the book as an opportunity for a reset, and she would like to highlight what she sees as her success in America, as well as tell her version of events.

But the timing is risky.

Harry is desperately trying to mend his relationship with his father King Charles, and a new Meghan memoir could derail that. Thus, any publication is not believed to be imminent.

Harry wants to stabilise and improve relations with the Royal Family and is said to be pleased that Archie, seven, and Lili, five, have occasional chats and video calls with their grandfather.

So Meghan knows a book is a risk - but it's also leverage.

You can bet your bottom dollar that much of her memoir is already written. It's really just a question of when she'll decide to publish...

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

When Prince Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back as working royals in 2020 the world reacted with dismay and there was speculation over how the Royal Family truly felt about it. Days later Queen Elizabeth declared in a personal message that Harry, Meghan and their son Archie "will always be much loved members of [her] family".

Nevertheless, it's now been suggested that she was slightly "worried" about what the Sussexes would do after their high-profile royal exit. Writing in the latest issue of Woman, royal correspondent Duncan Larcombe alleges that there was a condition set out by the monarch.

"Her Majesty made it clear to Harry that he and Meghan would leave with her blessing as long as they understood leaving royal life meant exactly that," he writes.

Duncan understands that "she was worried the Sussexes would continue with public engagements" but without coordinating their work to "prevent them overshadowing the actual work of the family". This half-in, half-out approach to royal life was something that Prince Harry and Meghan had reportedly hoped for.

However, Queen Elizabeth didn't share this vision for the Sussexes' future and left them in no doubt about her feelings. Writing in The Windsor Legacy, royal author Robert Jobson described a summit held at Sandringham House in January 2020.

"The answer from the top was clear: no halfway role was possible. They were either in or out," he claimed, adding, "Her Majesty's ruling deepened the existing tensions in the family, particularly between Harry and William."

Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex followed the rules set out for them at first, in recent years the thing Queen Elizabeth was "worried" about is seemingly coming true. The couple's Australia trip in April garnered both praise and criticism, particularly when it came to the elements that were similar to a traditional royal tour.

The visit came just before King Charles and Queen Camilla's US State Visit. Then in May, Meghan visited Switzerland for the inauguration of The Lost Screen Memorial which is dedicated to children who lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

A few days before, the Princess of Wales undertook her first overseas visit since her cancer diagnosis in neighbouring Italy. The working royals coordinate their engagements carefully but since Harry and Meghan stepped back who knows if there's any sort of communication like this between them all.

There's inevitably a lot of direct comparison when Sussex visits and royal engagements occur around the same time. So it's understandable that Queen Elizabeth might have been concerned about the institution's work being "overshadowed" by headlines concerning Harry and Meghan.

Her dedication to the monarchy and the Commonwealth was one of her strongest character traits and her grandson praised it in a statement following her death in 2022.

"In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen - and in mourning her loss - we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty," he declared.

Read Duncan Larcombe's feature in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Donning a sombre and razor-sharp designer black suit, Meghan Markle looked dressed for business. Her speech on the devastating effect of social media on kids was emotional and entirely fair.

Behind her in Geneva’s Place des Nations was the Lost Screen Memorial - an installation of 50 illuminated light boxes, each showing the home-screen photograph of a child who lost their life to online harm.

No one could fault the sentiment.

"Children today are being shaped by systems designed to capture attention at any cost: relentless algorithms, exploitative engagement and endless exposure to harmful content that they are not seeking out."

Few parents would dispute that.

And yet… this was not just a message about the evils of the internet. This was the Duchess of Sussex trying to step back into serious public life.

After trying (and some would say failing) to be a lifestyle hostess on the Netflix show With Love, Meghan, selling us jam with her As Ever range and attempting to be a producer, Meghan was asking the world to take her seriously again.

Not as a duchess, not as a fashion horse, but as an advocate.

As someone close to her told me, "Of course she cares about these issues, as all parents do, particularly when she’s personally suffered so much trolling at the hands of social media and the internet.

"She has always held strong opinions and wants to use her platform to drive change."

Indeed, it wasn't so much her stepping back into the political space as much as the timing that surprised me.

For it came in the same week as the Princess of Wales had enjoyed a stunning return to international tours since her cancer diagnosis and treatment two years ago.

As one royal source sniped to me, "It’s almost as if the duchess can’t help herself. Catherine goes to Italy for her work in children’s early years, is greeted by adoring crowds wherever she goes and is feted to the rooftops.

"So then Meghan appears to try and do the same or go one better. I understand that she always saw the princess as a rival, but regardless, she always seems to have to make a point.

"Catherine is learning about best practice in children’s education, whereas Meghan is trying to take on the big tech companies."

The contrast couldn’t be more marked.

The princess drew genuine crowds - thousands filling the town square in Reggio Emilia, people craning out of windows shouting her name, the streets of a small Italian city brought to a complete halt.

She drew the crowds because of what she represents - the Royal Family.

Meghan, of course, left and for the past six years has been repeatedly telling us that she was silenced. She had so much to say, but according to her, the institution wouldn’t allow her to say it.

Now she wants to make a difference.

Yet it’s harder to take this repositioning seriously due to Meghan’s own use of her children on social media.

The day before she gave her speech, alongside Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, she posted a picture of her daughter Lili, who’s about to turn five, to her 4.5 million followers.

Yes, the adorable redhead had her back to the camera and was sitting on the floor of Meghan’s walk-in wardrobe, surrounded by what looked like thousands of pounds worth of designer clothing (thought to be a Giorgio Armani blazer on the rail, dozens of high-end garments behind her, plus a pair of Dior heels and Manolo Blahniks on the floor).

The caption credited Lilibet as ‘Mama’s little helper’.

But this is something we’ve seen from Meghan time and time again.

A tease of her children’s faces - a side glimpse, a video of backs of heads in the pumpkin patch, emojis to conceal their faces at Disneyland, a family photo in the garden.

Normally in an apparent bid to drive business for her brand and lifestyle business (the candles are even numbered to mark her children’s dates of birth).

It seemed bizarre to me that Meghan would use her own four-year-old child to encourage interest on her huge social media platform, just as she was about to tell the world that big tech is preying on kids.

Driving engagement was key - and on the very social media platforms that Harry has described as being run by people who are ‘evil’ and ‘wicked’ and who ‘farm children’s minds’ for profit.

Harry has complained for years about his life being ‘commercialised’ since he was a teenager. Yet it seems Meghan is doing similar, I’d argue, to boost her brand.

Her kids have royal titles, have royal names and a monarch as a grandfather. The very thing she claims to hate is the thing she is using to promote herself.

No wonder she wanted to remind the world of her agenda for change.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Just over a year on from Prince Harry publicly declaring he'd "love" a reconciliation with his family, the Sussex family still hasn't visited the UK all together. However, royal author Ingrid Seward doesn't believe that a royal invite from King Charles is totally off the table for Harry, Meghan and their children this summer.

It would mean going a little further afield than Clarence House, though, as she thinks that Balmoral Castle in Scotland is the "only" place this meeting could happen.

"The only place that really I think they could meet if the King is to get to know or at least see his grandchildren, is at Balmoral," Ingrid claimed to The Mirror. "It's the only time the King has time and the Sussexes could be accommodated there because there's lots of cottages on the Estate."

The last time Archie and Lilibet were in the UK was in 2022 and Lili turned one during the trip. Four years later and that's still the only time she's met King Charles in person, so he'd no doubt be delighted to spend more time with her and Archie if they fly over.

As Ingrid mentioned, His Majesty has more free time than usual when he's at Balmoral as he usually goes there in August for his annual summer break. During this time he carries on with certain royal duties but public engagements are pretty much paused for the whole Royal Family.

Balmoral Castle is set on a 50,000 acre estate and Ingrid explained that Harry and Meghan "don't have to stay in the castle", although they "would expect to, but that's fine". She also believes the couple would "make sure" that their visit wouldn't coincide with the Prince and Princess of Wales going up to Scotland to see the King.

Whilst Charles and Harry have seen each other privately in the past few years, relations between William and his brother are as distant as ever. However, Ingrid thinks it's "not that difficult" for the two families to avoid each other, so a possible Sussex visit "can be done fairly under the radar".

Because Balmoral closes to the public over King Charles's summer break and he's generally not doing engagements, there's a lot more privacy up there for him and photographs are rarely taken. King Charles still has his round-the-clock security too which might give Harry and Meghan reassurance about Archie and Lilibet's safety whilst they're there.

Out of all the royal residences, Balmoral was said to be the late Queen Elizabeth's favourite home and she also spent her summers there, hosting various members of her wider family. Meghan, Archie and Lili have still never been to the castle but Prince Harry considers it a very special place to him.

"To me, Balmoral was always simply Paradise. A cross between Disney World and some sacred Druid grove," he wrote in Spare.

If King Charles does invite the family to join him at the Balmoral estate - and Harry and Meghan accept - then perhaps Archie and Lilibet can experience some of what their dad did as a child. It would also be a massive step for the royals after everything that's happened, so keeping it "under the radar" might be easier said than done.

Despite the number of royal guests at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding, the Duchess's anniversary throwback photos only featured one of them. King Charles can be seen standing in St George's Chapel to the left of Meghan in the third of the daytime pictures taken by photographer Chris Allerton.

As he wasn't the main focus of the snap, you could easily think this was a coincidence but royal expert and author Ingrid Seward believes otherwise. She thinks Meghan's choice speaks volumes about how she's feeling about her father-in-law and her and Harry's place in the Royal Family.

"Meghan doesn't do anything without purpose, so she's sending a message, isn't she?," Ingrid claimed to The Mirror. "The message is, 'We're still very much part of your family.'"

She continued, "That's what Harry and Meghan need because I don't think they knew when they cut themselves off - with Harry's book and the Oprah interview - just how alienated they were going to be."

King Charles is the head of the family and he and Prince Harry met face-to-face last year for tea at Clarence House, which some hoped could be the start of a tentative reconciliation. Meghan's relationship with her father-in-law isn't scrutinised as often as his bond with his sons, but Ingrid described the King as "very caring towards her".

According to the royal expert, the pair's relationship at the beginning "meant a lot to Meghan". This was reflected in his special role at the Sussexes' wedding, where he partially walked his daughter-in-law down the aisle instead of her father Thomas.

She walked down the first half of the aisle alone before King Charles joined her from the Quire until she reached her husband-to-be at the altar. In her and Harry's Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, the Duchess described how this came about.

"Harry's dad is very charming and I said to him, 'I've lost my dad in this'," Meghan shared. "Him as my father-in-law is very important to me, so I asked him to walk me down the aisle."

Meanwhile, Harry said in the documentary, Prince, Son And Heir: Charles at 70, that his dad "immediately" said "I'll do whatever Meghan needs and I'm here to support you". So much has happened since then and she and Charles last saw each other in person at Queen Elizabeth's funeral which was both a very sad and very public occasion.

Writing in the latest issue of Woman, Royal Editor Emily Andrews says that since Harry's tea at Clarence House, she's told father and son "speak on the phone every so often".

"The King also occasionally speaks to and video-calls his Sussex grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lili, four, whom he has only met a couple of times," Emily claims.

Duchess Meghan's public "message" that they're still part of the family is particularly interesting given how open Harry's been about wanting to reconcile with the royals. It's a subtle detail that could actually be very significant, hinting she's aligned with her husband on building bridges with King Charles.

The Met Gala is fashion's biggest night. Held at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, it's a red-carpet roll call of who's in (and who's out).

Earlier this month, the A-list turned out in force: Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Rihanna, Zoë Kravitz, Margot Robbie, Blake Lively, Madonna - the list goes on.

But there was one name missing - Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.

It was hugely surprising on two counts. The first because she's just launched herself as a fashion influencer (selling her 'look' online), and the second because two of her besties, Katy Perry and Serena Williams, were also there.

What better way to advertise her brand than by hobnobbing with the great, the good and every fashion designer worth their sequins?

But I believe the reason she wasn't invited is that she's reportedly upset the most powerful woman in fashion: Dame Anna Wintour, Vogue supremo and inspiration for The Devil Wears Prada.

Anna is a huge royalist, supported the King and Queen on their US state visit and was reportedly not amused by Meghan and Harry's bashing of the Royal Family.

It's she who is responsible for the guest list (incidentally, she has invited the Princess of Wales several times, but Kate has always gracefully declined) and she did not extend an invitation to Meghan.

And that's not the only door that's shutting. It was once rumoured that Meghan was hopeful of high-end fashion house Dior signing her (for big bucks) as an ambassador, but that did not happen.

And despite Meghan inviting herself to Balenciaga's Paris show last autumn, with her spokespeople gushing that she was a long-time friend of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, that brand has not signed her either.

One source said, '[Harry and Meghan] have truly lost the plot. I hear she's spiralling badly because she knows nothing is working. The whole thing about her [As Ever] stuff selling out isn't true any more. I don't think either of them are happy.'

I'm told other high-profile friends who could have helped them have also walked away due to their unfortunate habit of falling out with everyone.

Netflix chief Ted Sarandos was said to have 'grown weary' of the couple and, according to Hollywood bible Variety, reportedly said he would not sit for a call with Meghan without a lawyer on the line (Netflix has denied this).

Even when he and wife Nicole Avant posed for pictures with Meghan at a Netflix event, after the unflattering Variety piece, many of them mysteriously disappeared from the picture agency. Word on the street was that Meghan was unhappy with how she looked.

Pictures, again, were a source of dispute with the über-influential Kardashians.

After Kim and her mum Kris Jenner posted, then deleted, pictures of Harry and Meghan at Kris' 70th birthday party, the Kardashians were said to be furious about the Sussex briefings that they had not agreed to public pictures.

The reality was that Harry was unhappy because it was Remembrance Day weekend in the UK, and he worried that it looked disrespectful to be partying while all the other royals were solemnly remembering our war dead at the Royal Albert Hall.

As if to cement their persona non grata status, the couple were absent from all of King Charles' engagements in America.

President Trump reinforced their unpopularity when he said that there are 'too many things' stopping Harry returning to the family fold, adding, 'That wife of his. Boy, what she's done to that guy.'

Another source in their orbit claims the pair are 'wildly unhappy'. It's clear that many of their projects have not gone to plan. Perhaps they want different things work-wise?

Harry reportedly even wants to move to the solitude of Montana. Meghan is carefully watching their spend, while Harry is thought to lack 'basic awareness' of what things cost, having been brought up in a palace with no bills to pay.

I've reported before on their expensive lifestyle - and how they've recently gutted their Sussex operation. From 16 full-time staff, they are now down to a chief of staff each, a charity consultant, two TV executives, a communications chief in the UK and a press agency, Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, in the USA.

It's ironic that apparently one of the main reasons Meghan wanted to leave the UK was that she discovered that Prince William would ultimately fund them. Once she found out that, as King, William would be responsible for how much money they received, she apparently wanted out.

But Harry clearly misses the UK, his family and being a working royal. As I reported last week, he still thinks he is one, yet is making a buck at the same time. The path appears to be set - 'working royal' engagements plus commercial ventures that will lean on their status.

For, as one associate said, 'They don't have a choice at this point. They really need the money.'

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven't set foot on UK soil as a couple since Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022 but they made sure to include a very British detail in their wedding anniversary celebrations. Harry and Meghan marked their 8 year anniversary at home with Archie and Lilibet and whether they made it themselves or commissioned it, they all enjoyed a special cake.

In her Instagram Stories Meghan confirmed it was elderflower and lemon - the same flavour as the Sussexes' three-tier wedding cake. It even had a fresh flower on top too. The original masterpiece was crafted by Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery, who previously described the flavour of the elderflower buttercream as "quintessentially spring and British".

Elderflower grows wild in the UK and even though the couple broke with royal tradition with their surprising flavour choice, the final cake still paid tribute to Harry's home country. Usually royals go for long-lasting fruit cakes, like the Prince and Princess of Wales's and you save tiers to be used as christening cakes.

Harry and Meghan's children were fully involved in the anniversary celebrations and likely got to enjoy a slice of the new lemon and elderflower cake. We got to see a glimpse of their gifts for their parents and a handwritten card, with the envelope reading "Mama and Papa".

Interestingly, this is a subtle sign that Archie and Lilibet are being raised with little nods to their British heritage. Prince Harry and Prince William both call King Charles "Pa" and he in turn used to call Prince Philip "Papa". We also know that the Wales kids use "Papa" for William.

Harry has kept up the custom with his kids and you'd think that they might use "Dad" instead which is far more popular in America and more casual. Archie and Lilibet also call Meghan "Mama" but they've also called her the "best mummy" before.

The Duchess revealed as much on Jamie Kern Lima's podcast where she read out a letter from her children, with a little help from Prince Harry. Perhaps "mummy" and not "mommy" was used because it was him writing it, although Meghan actually said she loved that they chose this spelling because it was "very British".

Prince Harry appears to have nostalgia for British life too, as he apparently told singer Joss Stone how "wonderful" the schools are in the UK and "how important community is for children". Even though the family are well and truly at home in California, there's still a sense of both worlds.

The couple's wedding anniversary was the perfect opportunity to nod to this with their lemon and elderflower cake and in Meghan's Instagram Stories we also got to see what her husband got her for their bronze anniversary. Appropriately enough, it was a bronze statue of two penguins and the reason for the present was clear.

Beside the gift was a picture of Prince Harry and Meghan wearing penguin onesies at their engagement party back in 2017.

"When Mama and Papa got engaged, we had a party with all of our friends, and we said, 'Everyone wear an animal onesie,'" Meghan told Archie and Lilibet. "We were penguins. Because we're together for life."

The Duchess of Sussex has gone all out for her and Prince Harry's 8th wedding anniversary and shared two posts on Instagram featuring never-before-seen snaps. Taken by the brilliant photographer Chris Allerton, there's so much emotion captured in the pictures, but there's one photo of the Sussexes in St George's Chapel that caught my eye.

It's the second snapshot in the "daytime" post and shows Prince Harry pointing at the flowers in Meghan's bouquet as she beams down at it. It's easy to miss the significance of this moment and it's tricky to make out the exact flower he's gesturing to.

However, the bouquet was something he was personally involved in and it paid tribute to his late mother. At the time of Harry and Meghan's wedding Kensington Palace confirmed that he "handpicked several flowers" from their "private garden".

These were added to the bouquet designed by Philippa Craddock. The statement also announced that the spring blooms "include Forget-Me-Nots which were Diana, Princess of Wales' favourite flower" and "the couple specifically chose them".

Although blue Forget-Me-Nots are most common, the flowers also come in white and these ones fitted in beautifully with the rest of Meghan's all-white bouquet. Other flowers in the arrangement were sweet peas, jasmine, lily of the valley, astrantia and astilbe, as well as the traditional sprig of myrtle that royal brides have had since Queen Victoria's reign.

It's possible that any of these were the blooms Harry picked in their garden, though I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to pick Forget-Me-Nots because of how sentimental they are to him. This would also make sense that they're grown there because of Diana's connection to Kensington Palace, her former home.

Perhaps it was these flowers that Harry was specifically pointing to in the Chris Allerton picture shared by Meghan, as the others are pretty but don't necessarily have that emotional pull to them. This quiet moment at St George's Chapel would also have been an opportunity for the groom to properly look at the finished bouquet in all its glory.

The Forget-Me-Nots weren't the only way Princess Diana was included in the wedding day. Meghan's engagement ring features diamonds from her collection and for the evening reception, the Duchess of Sussex wore one of her late mother-in-law's rings.

The emerald-cut aquamarine ring is stunning and Meghan's gone on to wear it several times since her wedding day, including in December 2022 for the Ripple of Hope Gala.

It's clear how much thought went into the smallest details at the Sussexes' wedding and we got to see so many other special moments in Meghan's posts too, including the couple kissing on the dance floor at the reception and boogieing up a storm.

Their first dance was to Land of a Thousand Dances and in their Harry & Meghan Netflix series the Duchess described it as a "whirlwind".

"I just really wanted the music to be fun. Even our first dance," Meghan said, adding, "It was like a whirlwind, it was so great."

Looking solemn and reflective, Kate Middleton laid a wreath to honour Australia’s war dead on 25 April. In another sign of how much trust the King places in her and how she is stepping up as a senior royal, he asked her to represent the Royal Family for this year’s Anzac Day commemorations.

During a moving ceremony at the Cenotaph in London, the Princess of Wales laid a wreath to remember all those from Australia and New Zealand who served and died in military operations.

It is a national holiday and day of remembrance in both countries (similar to our Remembrance Sunday), and Kate later attended a service of commemoration at Westminster Abbey. What a difference to Meghan Markle, who had visited Australia just a week before…

There she was accused of 'cashing in' on her royal title, using visits to a children’s hospital and Bondi Beach as PR capital to boost a new fashion venture.

Although Meghan is not a working royal, she and Harry acted as though they were on a non-royal ‘royal tour’ of Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra - where, let’s not forget, Charles is the King and head of their Armed Forces.

A royal source said, "The Princess of Wales quietly showed everyone how it was done last weekend. Dignified, respectful and showing up to honour all the military of Australia and New Zealand. It’s a fitting riposte to the Duchess of Sussex.

"She is arguably only as famous as she is because of her title gained from marrying into the Royal Family. And she is using it to profit personally. Catherine is revered because she is all about public service and duty, never about herself."

Indeed, I’m told that the Prince and Princess of Wales were quietly ‘horrified’ about Meghan ‘selling’ the outfit that she wore to meet survivors and emergency responders of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

She appeared moved to tears while hugging and meeting those who had survived the Hanukkah event last December where 15 people were killed and 40 injured.

But she attracted huge criticism when, shortly afterward, her £1,480 ‘beach chic’ look of striped shirt and white trousers was posted on a fashion website where she is paid a percentage from sales.

Prince Harry and lifeguards were also in the picture - which was later changed to one of just Meghan next to a car, wearing the same outfit. But the damage was done.

Meghan’s page on fashion platform OneOff, where she is billed as 'Meghan, Duchess of Sussex', features dozens of pictures of her in recent months, many pointedly showing her hand-in-hand with the late Queen’s grandson (still fifth in line to the throne), all with links to buy her outfits.

Every time someone buys an item, the website receives a 10 to 25% cut - which is then split with Meghan.

It’s also highly likely that the duchess would have got much of her Australia wardrobe for free, as this is standard practice with fashion influencers. They are ‘gifted’ free outfits in return for featuring them on their social media platforms.

But for royal women, the rules are different.

The fundamental principle is that no gifts (ranging from clothes, jewellery and handbags to even cuddly toys or kitchen equipment) should be accepted that would, or would appear to, place the royal under any obligation to the donor - for example, receiving free clothes with the expectation that they be worn to a public event and thus give the designer publicity.

In the past, the Princess of Wales has bought clothes online, borrowed clothes from favoured designers (via her stylists and PAs) or paid cost price to have clothes made for her. She doesn’t receive ‘freebies’, although a company could get round the rules by, say, sending her a handbag as a Christmas or birthday gift.

And obviously she doesn’t get paid when the ‘Kate effect’ means her outfits then sell out.

Royal expert Richard Palmer said the sale of Meghan’s Bondi outfit online reflected badly on the Sussexes. "This is perhaps the starkest example yet of Harry and Meghan’s efforts to commercialise their royal brand," he said.

"I think this will have alarm bells ringing at the Palace. They can say it’s nothing to do with the institution because Harry and Meghan aren’t publicly funded members of it - but they are the King’s son and daughter-in-law and any suggestion of cashing in on royal status reflects badly on the monarchy."

But Kate quietly reminds Meghan how it should be done, arguably the biggest call-out someone could ask for…

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Was it all just one long 'Yah boo sucks' to the actual working royals? Or was it to show them that, actually, despite being denied the option of being 'half in, half out' at the Sandringham Summit six years ago in January 2020, Meghan and Harry have got exactly what they wanted?

For their ‘royal tour’ to Australia two weeks ago looked, well… extremely royal. And while they have denied that the trip was to seek publicity, they certainly found it.

They were feted at a children’s hospital in Melbourne, Meghan served lunch at a women’s refuge, Harry talked about fatherhood and mental health at an Australian rules football club, they sailed round iconic Sydney Harbour and Harry donned his medals for a sombre Last Post ceremony and wreath-laying at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

It was a veritable royal-tour bingo full house. Except there was also money to be made.

Ahead of the tour, much was made of their paid-for speaking engagements - Harry at a mental-health summit (although aides later insisted he didn’t receive a fee) and Meghan at a women’s retreat, earning her an estimated £130,000.

But, as became clear, this was the tip of the iceberg for Meghan’s money-making plan - perhaps explaining why she changed clothes so many times, had so many photo opportunities and was even a guest judge on MasterChef Australia.

Hours after she was meeting cancer sufferers and serving food to homeless women, it was revealed that Meghan was ‘merching’ the very clothes off her back via a new AI celebrity fashion portal that she is now investing in. Not just her £660 Karen Gee dress (an Australian designer, of course), but her £575 Real Fine Studio earrings and even her Christian Dior shoes.

Every time someone buys an item, the site gets a 10-25% cut - with Meghan receiving half. I’m not sure ‘tacky’ even begins to cover it. And it certainly explains why this initially ‘private’ and ‘low-key’ visit turned into a media circus. Meghan had to be seen to be believed - and sell her clothes!

Her page on the OneOff platform, where she is billed as 'Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’, features dozens of pictures of her in recent months, many pointedly showing her hand-in-hand with the late Queen’s grandson (still fifth in line to the throne), and all with links to buy her outfits.

Lest we forget (and, of course, recollections do vary), the late Queen said the Sussexes could not be ‘half in, half out’ royals because working royals cannot earn their own money (or merch their status), in order to preserve the clear blue water between public service and personal gain.

Despite the couple’s denial that the trip was for publicity, at Buckingham Palace there were eye-rolls and heavy sighs about the predictability of it all.

One Palace source said, "It’s pretty outrageous behaviour, particularly in a realm where the King is Head of State, to drum up all this publicity for their commercial endeavours with royal-tour choreography.

"The whole point about being a working royal is that they do it for others and for public service, not their bank balance."

So is it time they were stripped of their royal titles?

After all, in the giddy MasterChef Australia introduction, Meghan can be seen beaming from ear to ear after being introduced as ‘royalty’ and ‘the Duchess of Sussex’.

The only reason the Sussexes are famous is their relationship with the Royal Family - a relationship they have continued to monetise and, in my opinion, trash for five years, ever since they hung out their dirty laundry for Oprah Winfrey in 2021. No wonder the real royals are wary of seeing them.

Their former biggest paymasters - Netflix and Spotify - seem to have tired of them. So now, they are reduced to hawking their titles to anyone who will pay - rehashing the sob stories of ‘I was the most trolled person in the entire world’ (Meghan) and ‘I didn’t want this job, it killed my mum’ (Harry).

Which begs the question: Harry, what are you doing? The titles you insist broke you, the titles you refuse to relinquish and demand for your kids, are the titles that booked you those lucrative conference spots!

Certainly, the Aussie media were pretty hostile. One Melbourne newspaper ran a headline that read, ‘No One Cares About Sussexes’ “Faux” Tour’, while The Sydney Morning Herald put it more bluntly: ‘Australia was good to Harry and Meghan. Now they want to use us as an ATM. Does anyone seriously believe they are coming to our shores for reasons other than financial and reputational?’

And a comment piece in Melbourne’s Herald Sun described the couple as ‘grifters’ and criticised their ‘preachy brand of empowerment’.

One furious Australian told Woman, "They have no shame. They’re definitely not getting the same kind of welcome as last time. She went on MasterChef… they must be desperate. No half in, half out. He behaves as if he’s a working royal and he wants what Granny said wasn’t allowed.”

An online petition calling for no official support or taxpayer funding for the couple’s visit attracted over 45,000 signatures. The trip was privately funded, but police in Victoria and New South Wales confirmed they provided security as part of their “core policing business” and to ensure public safety.

It all looked very ‘half in, half out’ by stealth. Whether Harry and Meghan have the last laugh, with it providing wealth, remains to be seen.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Prince Harry has let it be known he’d 'love' to bring his family to Sandringham this summer. Those close to Team Sussex also say he believes an invitation from the King would allow him to bring Meghan, Archie and Lili with him to 'spend some time with the family' at the King’s private estate.

It’s thought the visit could coincide with an Invictus Games one-year-countdown event in Birmingham on 10 July, ahead of next year’s competition in the city.

So many questions... My first thought was why was Harry allowing his people to brief the The Sunday Times about his wishes, instead of calling his father himself? After all, the King may not have a mobile phone but the Buckingham Palace switchboard can put him through any time, anywhere. Why say anything at all publicly?

Harry has only seen his father twice since the coronation three years ago, Meghan hasn’t seen him since the late Queen’s funeral in 2022, while Archie and Lili have barely seen their grandfather at all. Why would Harry use the court of public opinion (again) to try and tug at the emotional heartstrings?

Of course the Palace is wary, and after all that’s happened could this be Meghan’s sweet revenge?

With their careers, credibility and collateral collapsing in the US, what are the Sussexes really after? Their partnership with streaming giant Netflix has all but come to an end, but would they still hope to turn up with a camera crew in tow for their big UK return?

Although the King and Harry are now talking, there is still a huge issue of trust (or lack of it). But the King has not seen Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, for four years, since they visited the UK during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. He is still receiving treatment for cancer and is not expected see them on his official three-day tour to America next week.

The King is known to be a doting grandfather to William and Kate’s kids - George, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, eight this week - and I’m sure would want to know his Sussex grandchildren better.

But one of the key sticking points for Harry is, and has always been, the issue of safety.

Harry, 41, is waiting for a decision on his security in the UK from the Home Office and has repeatedly said he doesn’t feel it is safe to bring his family into the country unless he is reinstated with armed police protection.

The Sussexes had their security downgraded after stepping down from royal duties and moving to America in 2020. It’s thought an invitation to the huge and private Sandringham estate would come with a royal security package from the King.

Meghan is also said to be keen to come to the UK this summer for the one-year-to-go Invictus event and potentially bring their children, too. Though not long ago it was reported that she 'never wants to set foot' in her husband’s homeland again. She has attended similar events previously in Canada and Germany, and sources have said she wishes to do the same in the UK, provided safety concerns are handled.

The couple do have private security (led by a former Metropolitan police detective) but Harry wants armed cops protecting his family while they’re here.

But I did wonder whether the Invictus Games - and indeed the King’s health - have prompted the Sussexes to be more conciliatory.

To me, it’s obvious that King William will, at the very least, strip Archie and Lili of their prince/princess titles. And given William can bear a grudge and also, in my opinion, be utterly ruthless, he could also strip Harry and Meghan of their titles under the guise of a more modern and streamlined monarchy.

Far easier, then, for Harry to heal the rift while his beloved, forgiving Pa is still alive.

So imagine the Sussexes' disappointment when a source close to the King bluntly replied, 'If Harry truly wishes to see his father, he would do well to encourage his supporters to allow such matters to be discussed privately, since low trust and bitter experience in this regard remains one of the principal barriers to progress.' Ouch.

With no other welcoming words from the King, it’s looking a lot like a non-starter, especially if William and Kate have anything to do with it, since they spend much of their summer holidays with the kids at their Anmer Hall home on the Sandringham estate.

Having said that, the King is a softie at heart. And wouldn’t he - and us all, really - like to see the rift with Harry and Meghan mended?

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

It’s easy to look at the photographs of Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia visit and think that they were met with excitement by the Australian public. They certainly made an impression and were greeted positively by so many people, yet there are also other factors when it comes to measuring the trip's success.

Unlike the last time the Sussexes were Down Under in 2018, this time the couple undertook no walkabouts. These occasions are usually an excellent indication of public interest and mood, and an associate professor at Flinders University believes Prince Harry and Meghan’s itinerary "minimise[d] the risk" of negativity.

Giselle Bastin, who has a research interest in the relationship between Australia and the monarchy claimed to the BBC, "They didn't turn up at great big advertised opportunities to see them, at least not in the form of walkabouts".

"So they've managed to minimise the risk of people having a negative reaction, or hecklers calling out or booing them or anything like that," she continued.

Giselle expressed her belief that the visit was "very carefully controlled so that they just sort of spontaneously appear at places". In her view, "If they think it's gone well, it's because nothing has gone wrong."

Whilst they didn’t engage with giant crowds, they still made an impact and Michael Hartung, chief executive of Invictus Australia praised how much Harry and Meghan do for charitable causes.

"A lot of criticism is thrown their way and what we've seen this past week is they do a hell of a lot for charity and organisations like us, where their presence here in Australia has made a significant impact on our work," he said, adding, "It really does make a difference."

Like is so often the case where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are concerned, this four-day visit appears to have divided people. Like Giselle mentioned, large-scale walkabouts would definitely have opened them up to more potential criticism, not least because these are a hallmark of any royal tour.

The Australia trip raised eyebrows with how similar certain aspects were to an official royal visit despite Harry and Meghan stepping back as working royals in 2020. In Woman magazine, a senior source based at Buckingham Palace alleged to royal expert Duncan Larcombe that the Sussexes are "acting outside the rules" Queen Elizabeth set for them then.

Meanwhile Duncan himself wrote that his sources believe "King Charles and William feel very strongly that Harry and Meghan need to be reined in" and that "their 'royal visits' could pose a possible problem for the rest of the family".

Royal tours are high-profile diplomatic trips and are carried out at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

The working royals are representing the UK abroad and their engagements aren’t blended with private, paid events. The same is true of State Visits like the King Charles and Queen Camilla will undertake to the US from 27th April-30th April, followed by His Majesty’s royal visit to Bermuda from 1st-2nd May.

King Charles and Prince Harry aren’t expected to meet during this time and this makes sense as the monarch’s recently-released schedule is packed. Traditional walkabouts apparently aren’t featured in the programme, but this is allegedly on the advice of the security services.

From the moment Prince Harry and Meghan confirmed their four-day Australia trip people couldn’t help but compare what they had planned with a traditional royal tour. Perhaps it didn’t help that the last time they were Down Under as a couple was when they were working royals on this kind of official overseas visit.

This time around the Sussexes aren’t representing the monarch and their itinerary is a mix of supporting charitable causes and private, paid events. This combination has raised eyebrows and in the latest issue of Woman, a senior source based at Buckingham Palace claimed, "Harry and Meghan are now acting outside the rules set down for them by Queen Elizabeth".

The late Queen apparently set these down "when they first chose to give up royal duties" in 2020. At the time, it was confirmed in a statement that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would not use their HRH titles as they weren’t working royals any longer.

Buckingham Palace also made it clear that with the Queen’s "blessing" the Sussexes would continue to "maintain their private patronages and associations", but could "no longer formally represent" her. Beyond this, it’s not clear which "rules" Queen Elizabeth set, however the statement makes a distinction between what they *used* to do and what they are going to do now.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia trip isn’t a royal tour but it does bear some resemblance to one and this hasn’t gone uncommented upon. It’s also been widely reported over the years that the couple initially hoped to have a half-in, half-out arrangement rather than stepping back as working royals entirely.

Their four-day trip is a mix of royal-esque visits and business which is perhaps similar to how they might’ve imagined this working. Queen Elizabeth is said to have been very much against the idea of anyone being half-in The Firm and made her feelings plain at a summit held at Sandringham House in January 2020.

"The answer from the top was clear: no halfway role was possible. They were either in or out," claims royal author Robert Jobson in The Windsor Legacy. "Her Majesty’s ruling deepened the existing tensions in the family, particularly between Harry and William."

No other working member of the Royal Family maintains separate careers alongside their duties. The Duchess of Edinburgh used to have her own PR company and Prince Edward had been head of his own production company at one point.

Neither have these businesses now and although Sophie says she did "miss it very badly for a while", she later put her experience to good use as a senior royal. She told Harper’s Bazaar that she tries to use her skills "without overburdening the organisations [she’s] involved with – because [her] opinion is only one opinion".

The Edinburghs play a key role in supporting King Charles and Queen Camilla and go on plenty of royal visits overseas as part of this. Prince Harry and Meghan’s time in Australia will culminate with the Duchess speaking at a women’s retreat.

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This week the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Australia. It was the first time since their hugely popular - and successful - visit in 2018.

During their four-day visit, the pair made headlines, with Harry candidly addressing his "disconnection" when Meghan was pregnant and Meghan revealing some of the private struggles she faces every day.

I was there when they headed Down Under as working royals and it was announced on their arrival that they were having their first child.

On the surface, it was a great trip.

Crowds came out in their thousands; Meghan baked banana bread for their hosts; they even brought much-needed rain to the Outback, and I remember chatting to Aboriginal girls who said that a woman of Meghan’s colour was an inspiration to them all.

But behind the scenes it was a different story.

Palace staff had scrambled to try to cover the trip after relations had broken down with some senior courtiers. The staff who did come seemed stressed, overworked and never entirely sure whether or where Meghan would turn up.

There were apocryphal stories of late arrivals for engagements due to the duchess not being happy with her hair or wardrobe; of fallings-out with Sir David Beckham and Harry refusing to be pictured with him at the Invictus Games (from memory, this was never actually communicated to poor Becks, so he was left to wonder what was up with Harry), and the initial rumblings that Harry had seriously fallen out with his brother, Prince William.

The tour can probably be summed up in a line Meghan was alleged to have said when she spotted the cheering crowds. According to author Valentine Low, she was heard to quip, "I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this." (You were, Meghan, BTW, via the UK and Australian taxpayer!)

This time, their tour is purely personal, taking in 'private, business and philanthropic' engagements. The financial highlights (for the couple, at least) include a weekend women’s 'retreat' to be held in a Sydney hotel where the duchess is the guest speaker and VIP tickets cost around £1,700 a head.

This reportedly led one royal insider to comment acidly, "She’s basically Fergie now."

Harry spoke at a mental-health event in Melbourne. Crisis support service Lifeline Narrm announced that he was to be a speaker at its InterEdge Psychosocial Workplace Safety Summit, which took place on 15th and 16th April.

It’s been suggested that Harry will pocket £30,000 for his gig, while Meghan’s, hosted by Aussie podcast, Her Best Life, is likely to pay less.

It’s a long way from those crowds I saw on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Prince Harry and Meghan's romance first became public in 2016 and since then, the Duchess of Sussex said she has faced an onslaught of online abuse every single day. She opened up about her private struggles with trolling during a visit to Batyr, a mental health engagement programme at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

Prince Harry joined his wife for this visit, where Meghan discussed the realisation she came to after being the "most trolled person" in the world. In a conversation with young advocates she declared, "Every day for ten years, I've been bullied and attacked, and I was the most trolled person in the entire world. Man or woman. But I'm still here."

Whilst the Duchess was a public figure before her relationship with Harry thanks to her role on hit show Suits, her profile and the scrutiny of her every move skyrocketed when they were linked. After their marriage things only increased and Megan described a heart-breaking realisation she had about the way things stand with the "

"When I think of all of you and what you're experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realise that, no, that industry, that billion dollar industry, is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks," she shared. "That's not going to change."

Her advice to the advocates was that "you have to be stronger than that" and spoke of how she'd been given a gift that helps her navigate life as someone targeted by trolls. A friend gave her a little bag with a quote on it that the Duchess of Sussex looks at "every single day".

It says, 'My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are and how you are to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness and to allow humour to lighten the burden of your tender heart.'

Duchess Meghan declared that this is her wish for all of the advocates too, encouraging them that they can do it. Given everything she’s experienced for a decade, she knows this could be easier said than done, saying, "I will personally tell you it's not easy, but you can do it."

She and Harry have been incredibly open about their mental health over the years and advocate for online safety, frequently talking about the impact social media can have particularly on young people. The Duchess of Sussex only returned to social media herself last year and her posts have comments turned off, likely to keep any potential bullying off her page and protect her wellbeing.

In December 2025 Australia restricted social media use for under-16s and during Meghan and Harry’s visit to Batyr, the Prince praised the country for doing so. He also lamented that it had come to this.

"Australia took the lead," he said. "Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban… from a responsibility and leadership standpoint - epic."

"It should have never, ever got to a ban," Prince Harry added. "Because the companies themselves have to be accountable, and there’s no way that young people should be punished by being banned from something that should be safe to use."

The Duchess of Sussex’s fashion sense is widely admired but her green look in Australia felt cooler and more contemporary than a lot of the sleek tailoring and floor-sweeping gowns she’s worn recently. Meghan and Prince Harry are undertaking a visit, likened by some to a royal tour, and on Day 1 she stepped out in a knitted vest, maxi skirt and collarless suede jacket at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum.

This was an outfit that is actually easy to recreate more affordably - something that can’t be said about every royal ensemble. Taking a leaf out of Zara Tindall’s book, the Duchess is clearly keen to champion Australian designers whilst in the country and her suede cocoon jacket and column skirt were both by St Agni.

Recreate Meghan's Outfit

Alongside trench coats and blazers, suede jackets are a popular outerwear style for spring and the texture of the material adds softness and dimension to an outfit. This is especially key if you’re dressing in primarily one colour like Meghan.

She tends to steer away from bright shades with her everyday wardrobe, but this look shows that you don’t have to go vibrant to embrace a pop of colour. Khaki is more muted than most of the spring/summer fashion colour trends for 2026 and it has a warmth to it that particularly complements neutrals like tan, cream and brown, though red also looks great with it.

Once inside the museum with Prince Harry, Meghan took off her jacket and this gave us more of a glimpse at her knitted vest too. On a cooler spring day a sleeveless knit can be the perfect top and hers was taupe, with a high neckline and ribbed detailing.

A vest like this is slightly more sophisticated than a basic cami top and can be just as versatile, tucking effortlessly into skirts, trousers and jeans. You can also layer over them with cardigans and jackets for extra warmth without overheating, thanks to the sleeveless silhouette.

Longer skirts work well with vests like Meghan’s, as they provide extra coverage to balance out the lack of sleeves and this combination together can sometimes resemble a chic midi dress. If you want a sleek, streamlined look then I’d advise sticking to column or pencil skirts and to accentuate the waist, a flared or A-line design would be ideal.

Another clever trick Meghan used with this outfit that’s worth copying is keeping to a minimal colour palette, which makes it look more understated and elegant. Many of the royals like doing this and the Duchess also matched with Prince Harry’s khaki shirt.

Everything looked considered and although we might never know for sure, it’s possible they both went for khaki green as a subtle nod to military uniforms, given where they were visiting. They were given a tour of the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum and were shown artwork created by an army reservist, before getting involved in a model-making activity with veterans and their families.

This was Day 1 of their four-day visit to Australia and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were last there together back in 2018 when they were still working members of the Royal Family. This 2026 trip will see them visiting charitable causes as well as private, paid engagements.

Prince Harry and Meghan are in Australia for four days on a visit some have likened to a royal tour. The couple, who stepped back as working royals in 2020, last went to the country together in 2018 and this time their itinerary is packed with everything from visits to charitable causes to private, paid visits.

They could've chosen to start off anywhere, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent a powerful statement when they began their tour in Melbourne. They headed to the Royal Children’s Hospital on the morning of Day 1 - a hospital which Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles visited during their royal tour back in 1985.

The medical centre is one of the country's foremost children’s hospitals. Other royals who have visited before include the late Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, who toured the paediatric care hub and officially opened it in 2011.

With so many different places the couple could have visited on Day 1, it’s perhaps not a coincidence that they followed in the footsteps of Harry’s late mother and his father. In a podcast interview in 2022, Harry told retired rugby player Gareth Thomas of his intentional decision to continue the legacy and work of Princess Diana, even after stepping back from royal duties.

He explained, "I think once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, I can't turn my back on that. Then add in the fact that my mum's work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible."

The Duke and Duchess's visit came 41 years after Diana's and was declared a major success by the Board Chair of the hospital, Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO, who told People, "Look around and you can see the crowds of people, the smiles on their faces and what it means to them."

"Everyone is absolutely delighted. You can’t measure the morale boost, but it is palpable," she continued.

The Sussexes will also travel to Canberra and Sydney during their time in Australia and all eyes are on the couple right now, with a lot of scrutiny over the schedule. Emily Andrews, woman&home's royal correspondent, thinks it's "quite confusing" that they're doing public visits "as this is categorically not a royal tour" and they're not representing King Charles or the Royal Family.

Harry and Meghan are said to have hoped to take a half-in, half-out approach before they stepped back as working royals. Queen Elizabeth, it is claimed, was not a fan of this idea, which royal historian Hugo Vickers explores in his biography of the late monarch.

"[Harry] wanted a half-in, half-out arrangement, whereby he would be self-financing but could still work for the royal family," alleged Vickers in Queen Elizabeth II. "In the new year of 2020, the three private secretaries, Sir Edward Young, Sir Clive Alderton, and Simon Case, went into summit mode on the Sandringham estate and drafted their proposal."

"[Harry] went to Sandringham for the meeting and was told it was either all in or all out. He returned to Canada - reluctantly out," the author added.

This week the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Australia. Initially I was told by their people that this was NOT a tour; rather a series of 'private business meetings', looking at 'potential supply partners and chains' for Meghan's As Ever brand with 'not much media'.

When I asked if Harry was even going to do anything (aside from a corporate speaking engagement at a mental health summit), we both joked that he could do some surfing or maybe something with Invictus. So imagine my surprise, when I was sent their four day public itinerary last week, to see it looked like a carbon copy of the royal tour playbook.

And far from 'not much media', the couple are taking a reporter and photographer from the Press Association (which files to all national and international media) to provide ample coverage of their four days in three cities (Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney).

Engagements such as visiting Canberra's national war memorial complete with last post ceremony, a children's hospital, a women's refuge, sailing around Sydney harbour and watching a rugby match easily tick off a royal tour bingo full house.

I was with Harry and Meghan the last time they visited Australia - in 2018 when they were still working royals. But this time they're combining money-making speaking engagements.

So I do think it's quite confusing for them to do these public visits (the Melbourne hospital is even called the Royal Children's Hospital) as this is categorially not a royal tour as they are not representing the Royal Family, nor Australia's monarch. I wondered why they've suddenly decided to do so many royal-type public engagements.

Is it in the quest for more (and frankly better than they've had recently) PR? Back in 2018 they travelled Down Under as working royals, having just announced that they were having their first child. On the surface it was a great trip.

Crowds came out in their thousands; Meghan baked banana bread for their hosts; they even brought much-needed rain to the Outback and I remember chatting to Aboriginal girls who told me a woman of Meghan's colour was an inspiration to them all. But behind the scenes was a different story.

Palace staff had been scrambled to try and cover the trip after relations had broken down with some senior courtiers. The staff that did come seemed stressed, over-worked and never entirely sure whether or where Meghan would turn up.

There were apocryphal stories of late arrivals for engagements due to the Duchess not being happy with her hair or wardrobe; of fallings-out with David Beckham and Harry refusing to be pictured with him at the Invictus Games (from memory this was never actually communicated to poor Becks so he was left to wonder what was up with Harry) and the initial rumblings that Harry had seriously fallen out with brother William.

In fact, the tour can probably be summed up in the quite amazing line from Meghan (according to the author Valentine Low) that when she stepped out onto the Sydney Opera House steps and saw the cheering crowds, she quipped to an aide: 'I can't believe I'm not getting paid for this.' Well…. Now she is.

This weekend is a 'Meet Meghan' three day wellness event hosted by popular Aussie podcast Her Best Life at a Sydney hotel where the Duchess is the guest speaker (VIP tickets cost £1705 a head). This led one well-placed royal insider to acidly comment: 'She's basically Fergie now' - a reference to the former Duchess of York's insatiable chasing of money after she left the Royal Family.

It's not known how much she's being paid, although Aussie media suggest that her involvement is also to promote the new Soho House Sydney, set to open in the coming months. So I do think the Sussexes need to stick to their lane. If they want to make money, make private visits.

If they want splashy positive PR, visiting a royal hospital last visited by the then Prince and Princess of Wales, return as working royals. But they shouldn't try to do both. Will the Aussies love them or loathe them? We'll find out this week!

Behind closed doors Queen Elizabeth was seemingly not afraid to put her foot down if she felt her family needed to be told off. According to royal historian Hugo Vickers, who met the late monarch over 40 times, she once "got in her car" and went to talk to the Duchess of Sussex after receiving a report from the head gardener at Windsor.

He was asked about the alleged incident on the Daily T podcast and claimed, "She apparently was rude to one of the under-gardeners and the head gardener went up to the Queen and reported this and the Queen got in her car and went down and tore a strip off her because you cannot be rude to staff."

In Hugo’s view, Meghan Markle had "been rude to the gardener, so she needed to be ticked off, put in her place" by Queen Elizabeth.

As of now, the Duchess of Sussex hasn’t publicly commented on the historian’s remarks regarding this supposed telling-off. However, this isn’t the first time reports have circulated about Queen Elizabeth rebuking Meghan over her approach to certain aspects of royal life.

Writing in The Windsor Legacy, royal author Robert Jobson claimed that the Duchess’s choice to wear a Dior dress with an "estimated £60,000 price tag" during a visit to Morocco "drew the Queen’s ire" when she read about it. She apparently "later let Meghan know" that an outfit this expensive "was an ill-judged choice".

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth is said to have made her feelings clear to Prince Harry about who had final say over the Duchess’s wedding tiara. His alleged "What Meghan wants, Meghan gets" comment is now well-known, but the monarch reportedly disagreed.

"Her Majesty did not approve. 'Meghan cannot have whatever she wants,' she was reported to have replied. 'She gets the tiara that she's given by me’," claimed royal author Robert Lacey.

In his memoir, Prince Harry denied he ever uttered such a remark at all and Meghan ultimately wore Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara for their wedding. Whilst these reports claim she might have had words with Meghan occasionally, the Duchess of Sussex has always talked glowingly about her late grandmother-in-law.

She called her the "most shining example" of female leadership a few months after Queen Elizabeth passed away and expressed "deep gratitude" for having got to spend time with her. The monarch was also known to step in and scold other family members, including Prince William, when she felt it was necessary.

He previously reminisced in the Our Queen at Ninety documentary about getting reprimanded when he was younger.

"We were chasing Zara around who was on a go-cart, and Peter and I managed to herd Zara into a lamppost. And the lamppost came down and nearly squashed her, and I remember my grandmother being the first person out at Balmoral running across the lawn in her kilt," he said, sharing that she came "charging over" and gave them an "almighty b*********".

Queen Elizabeth was also spotted telling the Prince of Wales to "stand up" when they were on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour in 2016. He’d been bending down to chat to George but immediately straightened up in response to his remarkable granny.

On the day Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022 the world looked on as her nearest and dearest made the trip north to Balmoral to her bedside. King Charles is understood to have called Princes William and Harry and asked them to head to Northolt Airport to travel to Scotland.

However, according to Tom Bower’s biography, Betrayal, Meghan’s plan to accompany her husband was deemed "unacceptable" by Charles. So much so that he allegedly phoned Harry again, unable to stop thinking about the Queen’s "disappointment".

"When Charles heard that Meghan intended to come, he called Harry. That was unacceptable, said Charles," Bower claims, adding, "Underlying Charles’s anger that fateful morning was his mother’s disappointment that the Sussexes had attacked the very institution which gave them so much."

The royal biographer suggests that "since Meghan had refused the Queen’s invitations to Balmoral" extended during Her Majesty’s lifetime, she was apparently "unwelcome at her death".

"Sharing his grief with Meghan, who maligned the monarchy, was unthinkable, said Charles. He believed that, to her dying day, his mother was shocked by Harry’s disloyalty," adds Bower.

The Sussexes’ spokesperson has already responded to the release of Bower’s biography, stating that the claims are "deranged conspiracy and melodrama" and that the author has "long crossed the line from criticism into fixation". Nonetheless, in his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry also describes the call with King Charles over Meghan’s intention to come to Balmoral with him.

He remarks that his father started to explain his reasons for the Duchess staying behind "but they didn’t make any sense at all" and were "disrespectful". It was also revealed to him that the Princess of Wales would not be coming, so Meghan wouldn’t be the only royal wife absent.

In Kate’s case, royal expert Russell Myers claims in William & Catherine that she stayed behind in Windsor to be there when Prince George, Charlotte and Louis got home from their first day at their new school and to tell them the sad news.

The King’s supposed "anger" that day the Queen died perhaps makes sense given how much scrutiny the royals had been under in general since Harry and Meghan’s departure and Oprah Winfrey interview. The prospect of losing his beloved mother likely only increased the sense of pressure and reflectiveness.

It’s thought that Meghan has still never been to Balmoral and there are various reasons why she and Harry might not have gone during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, including the distance after they relocated to the US. She attended the Queen’s funeral and has always been full of admiration when she talks about her husband’s grandmother.

"There’s been such an outpouring of love and support," Meghan said to Variety a month after the Queen’s death. "I’m really grateful that I was able to be with my husband to support him, especially during that time."

"Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like. I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her," the Duchess declared.

I confess I was slightly flabbergasted by the news that Netflix and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had consciously uncoupled.

Netflix had, of course, already 'dumped' Meghan and Prince Harry last year after their five-year media deal came to an end (the arrangement is now a 'first look' at any Sussex project.)

But the $350bn streamer had invested a lot of money 12 months ago in Meghan's lifestyle and jam-not-jam brand As Ever. Then I received a WhatsApp from Team Sussex telling me that As Ever and Netflix were breaking up.

And the reason? Because Meghan was being ‘held back' by a ‘cautious' Netflix. Say what?!

Team Sussex were busy spinning that the duchess, 44, was relieved to be able to ‘go it alone'.

One of her team told me, 'Netflix do sell merchandise [for hits] like Bridgerton or Squid Game, but it's only a side hustle to them. We've been pushing to do more as As Ever has grown exponentially over the past 12 months and they just wanted to play it very safe.'

Do we really think that the streaming giant would dump a 'hugely profitable business' (again, her team) just 12 months in? And ask for repayment of their investment?

Seems unlikely to me.

The move comes months after Netflix axed her lifestyle show With Love, Meghan after two series, and amid some scathing reviews. It also follows closely on the heels of that website glitch in January that revealed unsold stock totalling £16.3 million, including 220,000 jars of jam.

Could it indicate As Ever is struggling? Currently they only ship to the US, so if she does want global coverage, then I guess a big stock list is necessary.

But as I wrote a couple of weeks back, Meghan and Harry have a very expensive lifestyle to maintain.

I estimated it costs in the region of £4-5 million a year. That is a LOT of jam - sorry, spread - she needs to sell. This month, the Sussexes are off to Australia for 'business meetings' and separate speaking engagements in Sydney and Melbourne.

Maybe that's how they will fund their life now - and good luck to them.

Looking at pictures of Harry and Meghan’s recent visit to Jordan (just before Israel and the US started bombing nearby Iran), I was reminded how good they are at (that bit of) being royal.

Invited by the World Health Organization, they radiated sympathy and good cheer with a dose of Hollywood glamour.

Playing football with kids: check. Holding hands with victims: check. Visiting a refugee camp for displaced Syrians, supporting a centre for recovering addicts and writing Post-it messages of encouragement: check, check, check.

Meghan channelled some of her 'dress-down, caring Princess Diana' wardrobe in khaki, beige and black.

Yes, I know they’re no longer working royals, so this was not an official trip. But it’s undeniable that Harry, especially, is very good at this.

He connects with new people quickly, empathises consistently and finds it easy to communicate with those who’ve suffered great pain - authentically.

I know Harry and Meghan rather sold their family down the river with Oprah, Netflix and Spare, but it’s hard to deny that they are great in this kind of public tour.

After Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s fall from grace and the tarnishing effect on his poor daughters, royals outside the scandal have never felt so welcome.

While the King, Queen, William and Catherine were forced to stop much of their royal travel (and engagements) due to cancer and ill health, Harry and Meghan visited Colombia, Nigeria and Canada - and they’re off to Australia next month.

Their Jordan trip drew attention to the WHO’s work in helping refugees - as well as the non-profit World Central Kitchen, where they’ve donated their own money.

We can all scoff that it’s about them - but Harry does want to use their platform for good. I’m told he wakes up every morning and says: ‘What can I do to help?’

If they were still part of the Firm, they could visit women’s shelters and charities that combat sex trafficking - which would garner far more column inches than poor Camilla, who’s been working in this area for ages. (Her recent speech on the abhorrent violence against women for International Women’s Day was seen as a thinly veiled attempt to show the Crown is taking all this seriously.)

I have an idea. Meghan clearly wants to do the ‘girl boss’ thing, sell her flower sprinkles to the world, and never return to royal life (while keeping the titles, naturally…). But why can’t we have Harry back? He would be given a new lease of life and be utterly brilliant, just when the royals need it.

More from the palace

Preparations are under way for the King and Queen’s state visit to the US in April - but should they go? The King seems to be our only 'Trump card' with the US president in what feels like an increasingly fragile and insecure world.

Some politicians have called for the visit to be cancelled, but I think they have to go - even if the visit is to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Americans getting rid of the Royal Family to become a republic.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

We’ve arguably seen more of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet over the last year than at any other point in their lives. They're often in adorable snaps and videos on the Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram account, including recently-shared behind-the-scenes clips of Meghan’s As Ever brand shoot with "Mama’s little helpers".

Whilst their faces are still angled away from the camera, it’s a notable change from the approach Meghan and Prince Harry used to take. According to Tom Bower’s new book, Betrayal, insiders have suggested that there have been "arguments" over Archie and Lili’s exposure to the media.

"Insiders spoke about tensions between them and arguments about their children," the book claims. "Harry was reportedly irritated that Meghan used their children to promote herself. He believed they should remain shielded from the media to avoid the exposure he had suffered as a child."

Meghan had begun her speech after arriving on Day 3 of the Invictus Games Dusseldorf in 2023 by explaining she "had to spend a little more time getting [their] little ones settled at home" before making the trip from California. Reflecting upon the insider reports of "arguments", Tom writes that she and Harry had "opposite" views about Archie and Lili being photographed.

"Worried about security, Harry insisted that their children should not be photographed. Meghan argued the opposite. The children, she believed, were important for her brand. She spoke of them living as normal Californian children," the royal author alleges.

The Duchess reportedly also "demanded that in time, her little prince and princess should have the same exposure as William and Kate's children". They're all the King's grandchildren, but Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are significantly higher in the royal line of succession and have grown up as some of the most-photographed kids in the world.

Their public presence will only increase as they get older and Prince William ascends the throne. Comparatively, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are able to lead much more private lives in California, as Harry and Meghan aren’t working for The Firm and aren’t often at royal occasions.

Tom Bower suggests that "eyewitnesses speculated that the tension between the couple was resolved, or perhaps not" in their hotel suite. Since then, the Sussexes’ allegedly very different views over their children being photographed seem to have aligned. There’s surely no way that Meghan would feature Archie and Lilibet as often as she does on Instagram - minus their faces - if Harry were still "insisting" otherwise.

In a recent edition of her Royal Insider column, Woman’s Royal Editor Emily Andrews expressed her belief that the children "are part of Meghan’s 'perfect family' brand".

"Their team would argue that carefully controlled images of their children are totally compatible with both Harry’s campaigning (and wish for privacy) and Meghan’s quest for sales," she stated. "I would say that’s for the birds. Many celebrities rarely mention their children, let alone post pictures of them."

The publication of Betrayal has already attracted a considerable amount of attention, including from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex themselves. Responding after the release of extracts in recent weeks, their spokesperson stated their belief that investigative biographer Bower had "long crossed the line from criticism into fixation".

"This is someone who has publicly stated, 'the monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,' language that speaks for itself," they said. "He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have an extremely expensive life. Their annual cost of living in America is estimated to be around £5 million a year, when mortgage repayments for their Montecito mansion, security, staff and estate maintenance are added up.

Meanwhile, it's suggested Meghan's As Ever lifestyle range is in trouble, being given away for free at Netflix headquarters after a huge unsold stockpile was revealed in January, despite the gifting period over Christmas and New Year.

Prince Harry has spent millions on court cases - the bill for his failed attempt to get the Home Office to pay for his security in the UK was estimated at £1.5 million. And the ongoing court case in London’s High Court against the publishers of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday is estimated to run to £38 million in costs.

Although the Sussexes netted a deal with Netflix thought to be worth £74 million, they were let go last year. With their costs soaring, would Harry now be tempted (or forced) to write Spare 2?

After all, his initial biography netted him a cool £16 million as part of a potential four-book deal with Penguin Random House. It did sell extremely well - royalties were reportedly around £4 to £5 million.

But given that the Sussexes have spent roughly £30 million, so far, funding their lives in America, I could foresee the necessity of another big deal. Particularly after Meghan's cookery and lifestyle show was dropped after just two series.

She had high hopes that her As Ever brand would include the Netflix show, cookery books, a podcast and a lifestyle range (everything imaginable has been patented, from garden tools to tableware to pet accessories) - much like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

But in the end, she has been left with her online sales of jam, candles, wine, and her famous flower sprinkles.

There has long been debate about how well the brand is selling. Meghan, perhaps conveniently, has never released any sales data, but has said that the first two 'drops' of fruit spread sold out last year.

But then, in January, the As Ever website accidentally revealed the unsold stock totals, which added up to £16.3 million ($21.7 million). This included a staggering £900,000 ($1.2 million) worth of edible (and much-derided) flower sprinkles.

Although the issue has now been resolved, the website briefly displayed inventory that included approximately 220,000 jars of jam, 30,000 jars of honey, almost 90,000 candles, 80,000 tins of flower sprinkles and roughly 70,000 bottles of wine, including Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and brut sparkling wine.

It was also revealed in a snarky piece by the New York Post that countless products were 'being given away for free' to Netflix employees at the company’s LA headquarters. This and the overstock, along with the fact that Meghan currently only sells her products in the US and not worldwide, suggests that her As Ever sales are not going to put even a tiny dent in the Sussex costs.

The couple seemingly have no media deals left - after they were dumped by Spotify and branded 'grifters' by one of the top executives - despite the gloss applied by Team Sussex that this allows them to do other things (Meghan has reportedly starred as herself in an upcoming Amazon MGM film).

And although the Sussexes have cut costs by letting several of their Archewell staff go and effectively shutting the charity arm of their organisation, the couple’s super-rich Californian lifestyle does not come cheap.

Indeed, they are said to have mortgage payments of around £350,000 a year, while staffing costs come to an estimated £180,000 and estate maintenance upwards of £75,000.

That’s even before their private security, which would likely cost £1.5 million to £2.25 million, property taxes of approximately £110,000 and private school fees of more than £70,000.

Yet Sussex supporters maintain that As Ever is set for global expansion - hence the huge overstock as it prepares to meet future demand.

"While it’s normal for a business not to talk about sales data, I think it’s fair to say that the glitch that led to this data being revealed points to a business that isn’t just successful - it’s flying, literally off the shelf," one told People magazine.

Meanwhile, Harry’s paying job with coaching company BetterUp, and his fees from speaking at conferences with sustainable tourism firm Travalyst, don’t pay enough to cover the couple’s costs, and he seems most passionate when he is undertaking his charitable endeavours.

But trips to meet with World Health Organisation teams in Jordan, which the couple visited last month, are hardly going to fill the Sussex coffers.

Maybe it’s time for another book, Harry... But he knows that if he does write another, he can kiss goodbye forever to family reconciliation.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

It’s clear that the Duchess of Sussex has put all her organic free range eggs in one proverbial money-making basket. Her jam, wine and homeware line ‘As Ever’ launched with huge fanfare last year and was to be the golden egg (if you’ll excuse the continued fowl puns) in the Sussexes' commercial schemes.

Their exclusive Netflix deal was over, Spotify had dumped them, the two books signed up to the Archewell media slate had no producers with no signs of filming starting soon and it was clear that With Love Meghan was not going to be recommissioned.

Added to this was the ‘restructuring’ of their Archewell charity, which essentially meant letting staff go to save costs. Selling her As Ever products depended on her restoring her status in America and making repeated appearances at star-studded events.

This she did all through last autumn and winter. Engagements in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Washington, New York and Paris (remember that front row appearance for Balenciaga?) culminated with the Christmas cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

Or, as she would call her make-or-break-bid for commercial success, ‘her own next chapter.’

So imagine how flabbergasted I was to receive a Whats-App from Team Sussex telling me that As Ever and Netflix were breaking up.

And the reason? Because Meghan was being ‘held back’ by ‘cautious’ Netflix (who had invested a whole load of money in the brand). I think I was cooking my kids’ tea and I literally dropped the fish fingers when I saw that.

Alongside a breathless statement from the Duchess saying she was thrilled to now ‘stand on her own’ while Netflix had an even stranger claim that ‘it was always intended’ that Meghan would ‘continue independently’. Right….

Let’s remind ourselves of what Meghan said just last February when she announced the rebrand from American Riviera Orchard and said Netflix was ‘not just’ her show partner but also ‘partner in my business, which is huge.’

The idea that Netflix would pull out of a soaraway successful business feels…. Unlikely.

This, coupled with the fact that a website glitch in January revealed unsold stock totalling £16.3million including 220,000 jars of jam, makes me think As Ever could be struggling. Sure - I could be completely wrong.

But what’s also strange is Harry and Meghan’s upcoming visit to Australia. I assumed she was going to launch As Ever, given that currently it’s only sold in the USA. But while she may be having ‘meetings with potential partners and supply chains’ (says her spokesman), the focus of the trip seems to be a speaker’s event at Sydney’s Coogee Beach.

I’m assuming the Aussie podcast hosting the £1,705 a ticket three-day event where Meghan will be the guest speaker is paying for her airfare and expenses. Harry is also doing a speaking event in Melbourne - rumoured to be earning him £30,000.

I know that launching a business takes a huge amount of time and effort, with many bumps in the road along the way. But it does rather feel as if the Sussexes are a long way from where they wanted to be when they left as working royals six years ago.

I confess I’m confused. One of the reasons the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they were walking away from royal life in 2020 was their right to privacy.

I remember when Meghan was pregnant (with Archie). The Sussex’s office refused to say where, how or when they had their first baby. It was only after they’d got back home to Windsor that it was announced Meghan had even gone into labour - and it didn’t name the private Portland Hospital where she’d already given birth.

Which, frankly, I completely understood. Why on earth should Harry and Meghan make their kids public property?

The modern-day 'custom', started by Princess Diana, of posing on the steps of the Lindo Wing just a day after what could have been a complicated labour seemed utterly bizarre to me. (After the births of both my children, I was in no position to even walk, let alone pose in heels and a full blow-dry.)

So I just don’t understand why Meghan is now posting pictures of her kids on Instagram. The latest was a Valentine’s Day picture of Harry holding five-year-old Lilibet - with her face clearly visible.

The photo came in the same week as Harry hitting out (again) against the evils of social media for kids. He was in Los Angeles, offering emotional support to parents at the heart of a landmark California trial in which Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube are accused of designing 'addiction machines' that harm children’s mental health.

At times near tears, Harry’s sincerity is not in doubt, and as I’ve said here before, I salute him for his stand, which makes it even more inexplicable that he’s tacitly supporting his wife’s use of their children on social media.

Make no mistake, Archie and Lili are part of Meghan’s 'perfect family' brand - their baking, crafting and even just their faces being used on platforms to sell her As Ever products.

Meghan’s entire ecosystem is being sold through her personal and As Ever channels on Instagram - a platform that her husband must surely loathe.

Their team would argue that carefully controlled images of their children are totally compatible with both Harry’s campaigning (and wish for privacy) and Meghan’s quest for sales.

I would say that’s for the birds. Many celebrities rarely mention their children, let alone post pictures of them. We don’t even know the names of our Prime Minister’s kids, let alone what they look like.

This feels like complete hypocrisy to me - just another example of the Sussexes having their cake and eating it.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

The best trench coats instantly make even the simplest outfit feel put-together and yet we often think of them as a purely spring/summer style. This doesn’t have to be the case and the structured silhouette of Meghan Markle’s navy trench looked sensational when she attended the Sundance Film Festival in Utah on 25th January.

This Heidi Merrick piece was made from 100% wool, meaning that the Duchess of Sussex was kept cosy, yet it still had all the classic elements we know and love about a cotton trench coat. Just as the Princess of Wales and Zara Tindall love supporting British clothing brands, Meghan flew the flag for California-based Heidi Merrick with this coat, yet it had an English twist.

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The Fog Coat is described as being "inspired by English tailoring" and it’s maxi-length, with raglan sleeves that are roomy enough for a jumper to go underneath. This is exactly how Meghan styled it, as we got a glimpse of her knitwear later on during the Cookie Queens film premiere.

The coat had a rounded collar rather than the lapels we often see on trenches, and a belt that cinched in the waist. This was a clever touch and if you’re going for a more oversized or roomy trench, it's worth picking a design with a belt as it gives extra shaping and definition to balance things out.

Wool coats like the Duchess’s are an investment for your winter capsule wardrobe, but they’re breathable as well as warm, and you can wear something this classic well into spring too.

Man-made fabric trenches can be more affordable and would also bring the cosiness you just don’t get from a cotton one. Whichever material you go for, a trench is such a useful outerwear option as they help transform even the most low-key of outfits into something that looks more put-together.

At the Sundance Film Festival, the Duchess of Sussex wore black Veronica Beard flared jeans and a beige cashmere jumper underneath her navy coat. The trench elevated things and this type of coat looks lovely as a contrast against the casualness of blue denim too.

The length can make a big difference, and Meghan’s maxi coat was leg-elongating and would complement maxi or midi dresses or skirts as well as trousers and jeans. A pea-length trench is equally versatile, whilst mid-length coats look elegant with hemlines that fall to the same point.

Ultimately, though, how you style a trench coat is completely up to your signature style and is more about what makes you feel confident and chic. Beige, camel and black are the most popular colours for cotton trenches and these are also great options when you’re choosing a thicker coat too.

These neutral hues work with pretty much any other colour and don’t feel specifically seasonal, so it makes styling quick. Duchess Meghan is a fan of pared-back, minimal outfits and the day before, she went to the Sundance Film Festival wearing a chocolate brown belted coat.

She and Prince Harry were there as they worked on the Cookie Queens documentary, which explores the tradition of Girl Scout cookie season and follows girls striving to be top sellers.

The Duchess of Sussex went with Prince Harry on several overseas tours before they stepped back as working royals and a choice she made on one of them apparently didn’t go down too well with her grandmother-in-law. In February 2019, Harry and Meghan went on a three-day visit to Morocco.

As is almost inevitable whenever any of the senior royal women go anywhere, Meghan’s outfits received plenty of attention. None more so than the custom Christian Dior dress she wore to a reception at the British Ambassador’s residence in Rabat.

Writing in The Windsor Legacy, royal author Robert Jobson states the Duchess of Sussex’s expensive wardrobe was "raising eyebrows". He claims her Dior dress with an "estimated £60,000 price tag drew the Queen’s ire when she read about it in the press".

According to Jobson, Queen Elizabeth "later let Meghan know that such an expensive outfit was an ill-judged choice" after this revelation. The late monarch was famously practical and relatively frugal with her own clothing, with Princess Anne saying in 2022 that they’d discussed the difference between fashion and I style.

"She didn't do fashion but she certainly does style, and style tends to last longer," Anne added.

Perhaps growing up in wartime also inspired Queen Elizabeth’s preference for classic pieces and not being ostentatious with her clothing. Her warning to Meghan over wearing such an expensive gown on an official tour wasn’t the only time that the monarch and Duchess are said to have disagreed on matters of style.

It’s been widely reported that Meghan Markle wished to wear a specific tiara for her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. As Jobson describes it, "the Queen’s trusted dresser, Angela Kelly, refused" to allow this "over concerns about its Russian origins".

He writes that the "stress was eating away" at the Sussexes and claims that Harry "even snapped at Kelly, leading the Queen to explain to Harry that the tiara could not be used by Meghan". It was "not only a question of provenance, but also due to seniority".

As the wife of Prince William, who is now first in the line of succession, Kate is higher ranking than Meghan and so is Queen Camilla. The Duchess is also not a Princess by birth unlike Harry’s cousins Eugenie and Beatrice, and Eugenie was allowed to wear the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara at her own wedding five months later.

Despite the suggestions made in The Windsor Legacy, Harry recalled the tiara-choosing process as going a little differently in his memoir, Spare. He and Meghan went into the Queen’s private dressing room with her and Angela Kelly and were shown options.

"Granny said to Meg quite tenderly: Tiaras suit you. Meg melted," he wrote, saying that the tiara she picked was "seemingly made" for his now-wife.

The Duchess of Sussex wore Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara on her wedding day which is pave-set with large and small diamonds and has a detachable brooch at the centre. It was made in 1932 for Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, and Meghan is the only royal in recent generations to wear it on her wedding day.

Prince Harry has taken a very different path in life to his big brother Prince William and this also applies to how he first met his wife. There was no friendship-turned-romance at university to bring the Sussexes together like Kate and William. Instead, Harry hadn’t even met Meghan, let alone asked her on a date, when he first laid eyes on her.

Writing in his best-selling memoir, Spare, the King’s younger son recounted how he came across a video of a mystery woman whilst scrolling through Instagram in 2016. This woman was, of course, Meghan Markle and she was in the clip with Harry’s friend Violet von Westenholz.

"They were playing with a new app that put silly filters on your photos. Violet and the woman had dog ears, dog noses, long red dog tongues hanging out. Despite the canine cartoon overlay, I sat up straighter. This woman with Violet... my God," he wrote.

His mesmerised reaction to seeing his now-wife led him to watch the video "several times", adding that he’d "never seen anyone so beautiful".

"She believed life was one grand adventure. I could see that. What a privilege it would be, I thought to join her on that journey. In that moment I felt there might be only one face for me," the Duke of Sussex declared.

Meghan has since described her and Harry’s romance as a "modern fairytale" and it’s hard to argue that this chance glimpse and the meeting that followed sound like they’ve sprung from the pages of a love story. With hindsight, the Prince’s response to seeing Meghan made what happened next almost inevitable.

He described sending Violet a message asking to be introduced to Meghan and she obliged.

Before long, the royal and the Suits star had connected, exchanged numbers and were exchanging so many messages that Harry felt he was "texting like a teenager". The Duke of Sussex said as much when he reflected on a visit to the home of entrepreneur Sir Keith Mills.

He said he was texting Meghan "throughout the long drive and up the stairs into his guestroom" where he "locked the door and remained holed up".

Harry wrote, "I sat on my bed texting like a teenager until it was time to have dinner with Sir Keith and his family. Then, after dessert, I quickly returned to the guestroom and resumed texting."

Texting turned into a date at exclusive members’ club, Soho House, and from there the romance blossomed, leading to them enjoying a week-long trip to Botswana on what was technically their third date.

Within a little over a year, the couple were announcing their engagement. The news is said to have prompted Prince Philip’s harsh warning to his grandson and concern from William about the speed things were going, though Harry and Meghan happily tied the knot in May 2028.

Royal author Robert Jobson has suggested in his book, The Windsor Legacy, that King Charles was delighted about his son’s new relationship but by the time they got engaged, was a little more "restrained".

"Charles initially thought Meghan was good for Harry," he declares. "She pressed all the right buttons, said the right things. He liked her, as did Camilla. But by the time of the engagement announcement, his enthusiasm seemed to have waned. When staff offered their congratulations, his response was notably restrained."

Prince Philip famously never minced his words and it’s been revealed that months before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding he made a rather blunt remark about his grandson’s choice of fiancée. Harry and Meghan tied the knot at Windsor Castle in May 2018 and announced their engagement the previous November, after just over a year of dating.

Their news was met with excitement from fans across the world as they looked forward to another royal wedding. Behind closed doors, Prince Philip’s response to Harry was allegedly the warning, "One steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them".

Royal author Andrew Lownie made this claim in his tell-all book, Entitled, and it’s also been suggested over the years that Philip nicknamed Meghan "DOW" after American divorcée Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.

It was for love of Wallis that King Edward VI abdicated, leading to Queen Elizabeth’s father ascending the throne. She was not looked upon kindly in royal circles and it’s been widely reported that Philip felt the Duchess of Sussex reminded him of Wallis.

Whilst his supposed comment upon hearing of the Sussexes’ engagement might be considered harsh, he wasn’t alone in expressing reservations. Prince William was anxious about the speed at which the romance was moving and the Duke of Sussex remarked upon this in Spare.

The King’s youngest son recalled his brother telling him it was "too fast" and "too soon". Meanwhile, in The Windsor Legacy by Robert Jobson, it’s also stated that William was "uneasy" about his brother’s choice to pop the question to Meghan when he did.

"He thought Harry was moving too fast and didn’t know her well enough," Jobson writes. "Harry took this as an insult, and tensions flared. While William did not explicitly warn him against marrying her, Harry interpreted his comments as scepticism about his new girlfriend Meghan’s fitness for royal life."

Regardless of this alleged warning from his grandfather and his brother’s worries, Harry married Meghan in a ceremony watched by millions of people. Just under two years later, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed they were stepping back as working royals.

It’s believed a summit was held at Sandringham House in January 2020 to discuss the Sussexes’s future and whether they could forge a path as half-in and half-out of The Firm. It was attended by Queen Elizabeth, Harry, William and the now-King Charles, but not Philip.

Jobson declares, "The answer from the top was clear: no halfway role was possible. They were either in or out. Her Majesty’s ruling deepened the existing tensions in the family, particularly between Harry and William. Prince Philip, once a mentor to Harry, was so angered by what he saw as a threat to the family’s cohesion that he stayed away."

The Duke of Sussex was close to his grandfather and had succeeded him as Captain-General of the Royal Marines in 2017. At the time, Philip quipped, "Don’t f*** it up", and Harry is said to have been devastated when he was stripped of this title in 2021 after stepping back.

In August this year the Duke of Sussex asked for a wreath and letter to be laid on his behalf to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, and it paid tribute to the Prince.

"My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign," the Duke declared. "He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theatre of war. Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention to step back as working members of the Royal Family in January 2020 and undertook their last official engagement in March. It's widely reported that this came after Harry and Meghan's supposed hope for a half-in, half-out arrangement was rejected by Queen Elizabeth.

At the time, the Sussexes' announcement came as a shock to many, though there was a crucial moment the year before that signalled the couple were already edging away from "royal norms" towards their own way of doing things. Writing in his new book, The Windsor Legacy, author Robert Jobson described the birth of Prince Archie as a "shift".

"Their baby son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who was seventh in line to the throne, arrived on 6 May 2019. His birth marked a shift as Harry and Meghan broke tradition, skipping the hospital photo call," Robert wrote.

Now known as Prince Archie of Sussex since his grandfather King Charles's ascension to the throne, Harry and Meghan's son was privately introduced to the world with a press photo call at Windsor Castle. This took place two days after his birth, "signalling" - in Robert's view - "their move away from royal norms".

The author alleged that "their decision ruffled feathers in the palace and the press". It was certainly a very different way to introduce a royal baby than we've become used to. Archie's cousins Prince George, Charlotte and Louis were all pictured with their parents outside St Mary's Hospital in London where they were born.

By the time Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter Princess Lilibet arrived, the Sussex family were living in the US and they announced her birth on their Archwell website. The first photo of her wasn't shared until months later.

Their choice to do a private introduction in Windsor for Archie in 2019 was perhaps a mid-point between doing things in a way they felt comfortable with and adhering to royal customs. This "move away from royal norms" could be seen as an early signal that Harry and Meghan weren't opposed to breaking traditions they felt didn't align with their hopes for their family.

Just under a year later they attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in what was their final engagement at working royals. The Duke and Duchess later attended a Service of Thanksgiving during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee weekend in 2022 and were there with the royals in the lead-up to her funeral and at the State Funeral itself.

Only Prince Harry was there at King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation in 2023, though it took place on Archie's 4th birthday. Meghan remained in the US with him and Lilibet and the Duke of Sussex flew back home after the ceremony.

He met face-to-face with His Majesty at Clarence House in September, months after he told the BBC in an interview that he'd "love a reconciliation" with his family.

"There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious," Prince Harry added.

Try as they might, Princess Eugenie and Beatrice can’t outrun the headlines about their parents, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, in recent weeks. Wherever the disgraced former Prince and Duchess are mentioned, their daughters are soon brought into the conversation, especially as they have retained their titles.

It’s believed that King Charles’s "high affection" for his nieces led him to try and protect them from their parents’ fate. However, whilst they are not directly involved in the accusations being levelled against Andrew and Fergie regarding their association with Jeffrey Epstein, associating with them is a delicate issue for their wider family.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe has suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan are "divided" over publicly supporting the York sisters, with the Duchess "very aware" of the sensitivities involved.

"Harry has always been close to Beatrice and Eugenie," he is quoted as saying. "They didn’t see a massive amount of each other growing up because they didn’t live very close to each other, but they’d always get together for Christmas at Sandringham."

Meghan has gone on to forge her own close bond with Harry’s cousins over the years, especially Eugenie, who’s been out to visit the Sussexes in California. Despite this, Duncan thinks there’s a "divide there" with her, adding "The Jeffrey Epstein situation is hugely sensitive, especially in America, and of course Epstein, Harvey Weinstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were photographed together at Beatrice’s 18th birthday."

In his view, media-savvy Meghan "will be very aware of the sensitivities" and "won’t want to be seen to be too sympathetic towards them, so will keep her distance". Duncan admits that behind closed doors things could be a little different, though.

"I don’t think she could object to Harry privately supporting them, but they will be on very different pages," he continued. "Neither Harry nor Meghan will want to be seen to be associated with Andrew or Sarah Ferguson. From Meghan’s point of view it’s probably a commercial thing, from Harry’s point of view it’s probably more of an emotional thing."

The York sisters have kept a low profile in recent weeks, as the King firstly confirmed that their father would no longer use his Duke of York title and then dealt the final blow of stripping him of his Princely title and his home at Royal Lodge.

Prince William is thought to have played a major part in these developments, with a reported meeting taking place between him, Beatrice and Eugenie over persuading Andrew to leave the Windsor residence.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s apparent “divide” over Eugenie and Beatrice surely isn’t the only one, as who knows how William’s relationship with the sisters is right now given the situation with their parents and his role in the decision.

Andrew continues to vehemently deny the accusations against him, though the scrutiny surrounding him shows no sign of slowing down. With Christmas just around the corner, many people will be keeping an eye out to see if Princess Eugenie and Beatrice celebrate with their parents or with the Royal Family.

Whichever choice they make, it will inevitably send a significant message.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have always been mindful about how much they share their two children and there are only a few pictures of Prince Archie and Lilibet with their faces visible, mostly from years ago. However, the proud parents are more comfortable sharing anecdotes about their brood and Meghan’s latest remarks about family life included a surprising revelation.

Appearing alongside her close friend and author Courtney Adamo at an event at Godmothers bookstore, the Duchess shared that the Sussexes have a literal comfort blanket. When Archie and Lilibet are unwell they reach for this cosy item, dubbed the "healing blanket" by Meghan.

As per the Daily Mail, the mum-of-two explained that this blanket was a gift from Victoria Jackson, who co-founded the bookshop and it seems to be a treasured one.

The Duchess of Sussex also revealed several other rituals during her chat with Courtney, who was there talking about her new book, The Family Home: Inspiring Ideas for a Home Filled with Joy. Another interesting titbit shared by Meghan revolved around how she gives Archie and Lilibet a sense of routine even when they travel.

'First thing I do when I wake up in the morning is turn the music on in the house,' she reportedly explained, sharing that she takes a portable speaker when she and her family are travelling too.

That’s not the only connection to home Meghan brings with her. She apparently takes things a step further to create a sense of familiarity and brings a candle on trips.

The Duchess said, "I always travel with a candle. I am so conscious and sensitive to fragrance and I associate that with home."

We have a pretty good idea what Prince Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home smells like too, thanks to her profile interview with The Cut in 2022. Features Writer Allison P. Davis wrote that a Soho House-branded rose water candle was filling the air with its floral scent.

Soho House will always have a special place in Harry and Meghan’s hearts as it’s at Soho House 76 Dean Street in London that they had their first date. Sadly the rose water candle is out of stock right now so the couple might have had to switch things up, with the Duchess also said to be a fan of Diptyque Baies which was used at their wedding.

If fragrance plays such a big part in her feeling secure and at home wherever she is, it’s possible the same could be true for Archie and Lilibet. Growing up with a beautifully scented house might evoke a sense of calm whenever they are in a similar environment.

Speaking about her daughter more specifically, Meghan described her as a "strong personality" and "incredible". It’s never been confirmed that Lili and her confident cousin Princess Charlotte have met in person, but they do seem to have similar traits.

Like the Sussexes, the Wales family are also big fans of having music on in the morning too. On an episode of Apple Fitness +’s Time to Walk series in 2021, Prince William declared, "What I've been amazed by is how much my children already have inherited my family's love of music. Most mornings there's a massive fight between Charlotte and George as to what song is played in the morning."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's departure as working members of the Royal Family remains one of the most talked-about and shocking royal moments in recent years. Though for some months afterwards there was speculation that they could return, this was officially put to bed in a statement by Buckingham Palace in February 2021.

The couple relocated permanently to California with their son Prince Archie in 2020 and according to Meghan, she and Prince Harry actually had "no plan". They spent the time "healing" in the wake of their royal exit and just wanted to "get through" the next few years.

These revelations emerged during a conversation between the Duchess and Alyson Shontell, the Editor-in-Chief and Chief Content Officer for Fortune. Taking to the stage at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington DC, Meghan expressed doubts that she'd have had the "bandwidth" to formulate a long-term plan back then.

"I think five years ago was a very different situation for all of us," she said, as per the Daily Mail. "Archie was so little and I had just gotten pregnant with Lili around that same time. So we were nesting. Nesting and healing. And also, I don't know if I had the bandwidth at that time to think about what the "big picture" dream was. There was no plan."

Instead, their mentality was, "let's just get through these next couple of years". The former working royals wanted to "create community" in their new environment, which Meghan said was "always so important" to her and Harry.

Her remarks didn’t directly reference the Royal Family, though the suggestion that they took some time "healing" in 2020 could be seen as a subtle indication of the toll she feels royal life took on her and Prince Harry. Since they stepped back, Harry and Meghan have only visited the UK together twice and Archie and Lilibet just once.

In September the Duke of Sussex had his first face-to-face meeting with King Charles in over a year at Clarence House. Following this, he got candid in an interview with The Guardian about how he would like his kids to spend time in his home country, saying, "This week has definitely brought that closer."

Even so, it’s clear that the Sussexes are firmly rooted in California and this isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Meghan and Harry’s desire to build a "community" has sparked the launch of multiple ventures, including the Duchess’s As Ever lifestyle brand.

Meghan shared, "I think it was probably most people's assumption that if I was going to go into business it would be fashion and beauty. But those five years at home - I wasn't running around wearing beautiful outfits, I was probably in Birkenstocks and sweats like the rest of us, especially during Covid, or just barefoot at home, but I was making a lot of jam."

Jam-making became her "passion project" that she turned into a business. It couldn't be more different from her life as a working royal and she has ambitions to take it to the next level and get her As Ever projects on shop shelves in the future.

"I think my intention would be to have really bespoke, small retail collaborations, do some interesting ones as well in global territories," she said, before going on to later add, "And so when we think about larger retailers, I think in the next couple years, that would make sense."

The Duchess of Sussex is no stranger to dressing for special events but her latest red carpet look was a little different for her. Stepping out with Prince Harry in New York on 9th October to attend the Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day gala, Meghan went for a dramatic all-black outfit with a statement gold necklace.

It’s a far cry from the knitwear and jeans that have been the base of most of autumn outfit ideas recently and would work so well - dare I say it so early - for party season. The Duchess opted for a sleek black blazer by Armani for the event which saw her and Harry honoured for their work to create a safer online world for families and the youth.

She wore it as a top in its own right and paired it with matching palazzo trousers, black heels and an Anine Bing Double Link Chain necklace.

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It takes a lot of confidence to style a blazer in this way, but it’s simple to recreate a version of this look with a top underneath. If you want a similar effect with slightly more coverage, go for a black cami underneath your jacket.

Alternatively, a black shirt would also look chic, especially if it’s satin. The key to a successful black outfit is mixing different textures - and Meghan Markle did just that in New York.

Her Armani clutch bag was satin and her heels were leather. The contrast of these materials against her crisp blazer and trousers brought dimension to her ensemble. It’s easy to think of blazers and matching trousers as being too "workwear" or basic to make good occasion or date night outfits.

However, by styling them simply and with some glittering jewellery they instantly become more sophisticated and fashion-forward. The Duchess of Sussex tends to prefer dainty necklaces but this one was the perfect contemporary addition.

It was bold without being colourful and tied in with the gold hardware on her bag to create a cohesive, polished feel. Her brunette tresses were pulled back into a voluminous ponytail - something else we don’t see a lot from her nowadays. This ensured that the sweeping v-neckline of her blazer and the chain necklace weren’t obscured by her hair.

After all, they are the stars of the show and her hairstyle fitted with the smart but not super formal outfit. To make something like Meghan’s suit more cold weather-appropriate for a party or evening out, I’d recommend layering a black coat over the top and perhaps swapping court shoes for heeled ankle boots instead.

This wasn’t necessary for the gala in New York and it was announced ahead of time that the Sussexes would be receiving their award at the event. They declared in a statement that “working with families and young people to prioritise safety online has been some of the most meaningful work” of their lives.

Following the World Mental Health Day Gala, Harry and Meghan won’t be immediately leaving the city for their California home. The couple will attend the Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival on 10th October where their Archewell Foundation will be co-producing a series of conversations with mental health changemakers.

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, and the Duchess of Sussex's recent picture spoke volumes about her and Prince Harry. Posting on her As Ever Instagram account on September 24, Meghan shared a new photo that not only showcased her enviable backyard, but subtly paid homage to their love story.

The dreamy photo captures a perfectly blue Montecito sky and shows the Duchess standing with her dogs, black Labrador Pula and beagle Mia, with two sloping palm trees reaching up in the backdrop.

While the post was captioned, “Crisp air, blue skies and the sweetest moments”, it’s what wasn’t said that offers the sweetest significance as the palm trees are a symbol.

The Duchess revealed in a 2022 interview with The Cut that those palm trees mean something special to her and Prince Harry, and were something they noticed immediately when they first viewed their Montecito home.

She told the outlet, "One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees. See how they’re connected at the bottom? He goes, 'My love, it’s us.'"

She added that the palm tree metaphor has become well-known in their household, even being noted by their eldest child, Prince Archie.

"And now every day when Archie goes by, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa'," Meghan explained.

"If Prince Archie has grown-up knowing the story of the two palm trees, I'd be surprised if Princess Lilibet isn't aware of it too. It's quite the Sussex family symbol," says woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock. "They clearly find and appreciate the meaning in small things. We all know that the royals' wedding bouquets are put together with flowers that have special significance and this takes things another step further for Harry and Meghan."

The palm trees would continue to be represented in their ventures. Meghan made a palm tree a focal design of the As Ever brand's logo. In the As Ever crest, the palm tree is flanked by two hummingbirds - another symbol with special meaning.

In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry wrote about finding a hummingbird in his house shortly after his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away.

"I had a devil of a time guiding it out, and the thought occurred that maybe we should start shutting the doors, despite those heavenly ocean breezes," he wrote. "Then a mate said: Could be a sign, you know?"

"Visitors, as it were. Aztecs thought them reincarnated warriors. Spanish explorers called them 'resurrection birds.'"

October is a big month for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are set to be presented with Project Healthy Minds' Humanitarians of the Year Awards on October 9. The couple will receive this honor at the non-profit's third annual World Mental Health Day Gala which helps to support their mission to connect over 10 million Americans with mental health services over the next decade.

Prince Harry and Meghan will receive the award in recognition of their efforts to build a safer digital world for families and youth, as well as their contributions to advancing mental wellbeing.

In a joint statement released ahead of the gala, the Sussexes declared that, "Working with families and young people to prioritize safety online has been some of the most meaningful work of [their] lives."

"As parents ourselves, we have been moved to action by the power of their stories and are honored to support them. We’re proud to be long-time partners of Project Healthy Minds as we work together to shine a light on what remains one of the most pressing issues of our time," they continued.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable organization, the Archewell Foundation, was founded in 2020, and one of their initiatives emphasized the importance of helping families and young people affected by online behavior.

This project, The Parents’ Network, was introduced at the 2023 Project Healthy Minds festival.

Following the World Mental Health Day Gala, Harry and Meghan will later take part in Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival on October 10. The Archewell Foundation will again be involved, co-producing a series of conversations with mental health changemakers.

Most notably will be the Lost Screen Memorial, first unveiled in April 2025 for which Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan attended a private vigil. This powerful and moving installation is a memorial for those children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The images "represent the ones their parents have on their phone lockscreens" and serve as a "constant reminder of what has been lost", as revealed by Archewell.

"The responsibility to keep children safe online should not lie with parents alone," the Foundation added - something the Duchess also reflected upon at the unveiling of the memorial.

She told People, "No matter how polarized the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing that we can all agree on is that our children should be safe."

Mental health has been a hugely important cause for both Prince Harry and Meghan, both before and since they stepped back as senior royals. In his memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex wrote candidly about everything from the grief he felt losing his mom, Princess Diana, to panic attacks, PTSD and trauma experienced after serving in the military and the pressures of public life.

Sometimes referred to as the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland also counts several royals amongst its fanbase. Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been there separately and treated their children Archie and Lilibet to a trip too.

Prince Harry and Meghan have very different memories of visiting the resort and shared these experiences on a special documentary, The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland - A Special Edition of 20/20. The Sussexes recounted their childhood and student memories and discussed how they’re making new memories with their own children.

Harry's memories are from special family holidays as a child with his mom, the late Princess Diana. He remembered visiting for the first time in 1993, when he was just eight years old.

He revealed on the episode, “I went with my mom and my brother. I remember it very, very well. I remember losing it as a kid with all the characters. Like, losing it.”

As for Meghan who grew up a "southern California girl", she had easier access to the theme park but still called it "the biggest treat in the world". She visited the park late at night as well as during the day, when she was a senior in high school.

Cheekily, Prince Harry wondered if you can do that "in your forties". Could we be getting an insight into a future birthday party for the 41-year-old Duke of Sussex?

Despite possibly being up for an after-hours party, for now, Harry and Meghan’s trips to Disney are centered around their children. Earlier this year, the couple celebrated Lilibet’s fourth birthday with a family trip to the theme park, with Meghan sharing photos with her Instagram followers.

The clip captured snapshots of the foursome in matching Mickey Mouse hats, meeting Elsa from Frozen, and enjoying multiple rides. Prince Harry and Meghan also got their daughter a Little Mermaid-themed birthday cake.

Archie and Lilibet had a brilliant time at Disneyland and Harry explained, "They're like, 'This is amazing!' Like, 'Guys, this isn't even the front of it. Prepare yourself. You're about to be blown away.' To see the kids throw themselves into these experiences when they have no idea what they're walking into - it was amazing. And it brings out the kid in you again."

Being a kid again for the Duke of Sussex means going on his best-loved ride over and over again. Later in the documentary, Harry shared that Space Mountain is his personal favorite at the theme park, and he claimed to have gone around "10, maybe 12 times" during their last visit.

The Disney special aired just before Harry and Meghan made their first joint appearance in months for the One805LIVE! Concert. Held at Kevin Costner's oceanside estate in California, the couple were on hand to help raise funds for essential equipment and mental wellness programs for Santa Barbara County's first responders.

The Duchess of Sussex has launched two major ventures this year - her lifestyle brand As Ever and her series Love, Meghan. However, she’s now reportedly been given another career "offer" that’s a big change from what Meghan’s other projects since stepping back as a working royal.

Speaking on season 2 of her Netflix show which landed in August, the Duchess told guest Tan France about a rather surprising thing she misses about the UK. You might have expected Meghan to say the food or the scenery, but instead she revealed her love for Magic FM.

Tan jokingly responded that this is a "Grandma [radio] station" and the Duchess of Sussex owned it completely saying, "I’ll be that Grandma". Now Meghan could reportedly go a step beyond listening to Magic and actually become a presenter on it.

As reported by The Telegraph, the Duchess’s comments on With Love, Meghan haven’t gone unnoticed by the station. On the 23rd September the Content Director at Magic, Paul Sylvester, reportedly told a RadioCentre conference that they’ve reached out to the royal.

"We had conversations with the Sussex team and if the Duchess would like to add radio presenter to her CV there is an offer on the table," he declared. "Magic said it had "been in with her team and offered her a show, if she ever wanted one."

Magic FM is known for playing upbeat hits from the 80s,90s, 00s and a few from the present day and we can’t help but think how amazing it would be to tune in and hear the Duchess of Sussex herself on the air waves.

Even though she’s not presented a radio show of her own before, Meghan has got experience talking to listeners thanks to her podcast, Archetypes, which ran from August-November 2022.

However, although there is supposedly an "offer on the table", the chances of Meghan taking them up on it sadly might be slim.

She has so many other plates spinning at the moment, including being a hands-on mum to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Plus, with the time difference between the UK and the US the logistics might be a little more complicated than usual if Meghan is to take up a presenting slot.

Even if the Duchess doesn’t end up adding another string to her career bow, though, it’s brilliant that she’s been approached by Magic and shows how her Netflix show could spark other potential opportunities for her.

Thus far, her lifestyle show hasn’t been renewed by the streaming giant for season 3, though there will be a season special coming in December.

The revelation that she misses listening to Magic FM isn’t the only nostalgic reference Meghan’s made to the UK in recent months. The Duchess of Sussex spoke to Jamie Kern Lima on an episode of her podcast in May and shared that Archie and Lilibet had written her a letter in which they called her "Mummy" and she loved its Britishness.

"From Archie and Lili via Papa," she read out, as per the Evening Standard. "We love your cooking. We love your pancakes and we love, love, love your hugs. You're the best mummy and we love you. So sweet. I also love that it's mummy, instead of mommy, which is very British."

Warm, rich tones are everywhere right now, from rust red to chocolate brown as we all excitedly embrace seasonal shades. However, mustard yellow is having a moment this year too and is one of the biggest autumn/winter colour trends for 2025.

Last year was all about burgundy but mustard has caught my eye after seeing Meghan Markle style it as part of her go-to outfit formula. During season 2 of her Netflix series, Love, Meghan, and the Duchess of Sussex wore an oversized yellow shirt with white jeans and a smattering of glimmering gold jewellery.

The shirt is a luxurious linen piece by Heidi Merrick and Meghan wore hers with the collar slightly popped and the long sleeves rolled up for a casual feel. This relaxed quality was accentuated by not only the soft, drapey material, but the silhouette.

Shop Meghan's Shirt And Alternatives

Shop White Jeans

As much as I love scouring the best workwear brands for tailored staples, when you want a shirt that isn’t too corporate I’d recommend steering away from fitted items. You can do this either by choosing a deliberately oversized shirt like Meghan’s, or by sizing up.

The Heidi Mellick JJ shirt was designed with a men’s fit and has darted sleeves, a yoke and a pleated back. Just as the Princess of Wales often steps out in British clothing brands, Meghan was supporting a California-based one with this piece and the sunshine accentuated the boldness of the mustard colour.

Yellow in general can be tricky to style, though mustard works with other deep tones like brown, tan and camel. I also love a pop of mustard with forest green and it complements black as well.

The Duchess of Sussex took a more summer-to-autumn approach and wore her shirt with white jeans. Jeans and a shirt is Meghan’s go-to outfit formula and has been for years, both before and since she met and married Prince Harry.

She particularly loves a white shirt and blue jeans, and this new ensemble could be seen as a seasonal twist on this. Any colour of denim would work with this shade of yellow, but going for white jeans meant that Meghan’s linen shirt was the star of the show.

White jeans definitely have a place in autumn outfits, especially when the weather is still sunny and warm. They’re a little different and feel a bit smarter than blue washes and the royal’s pair were streamlined which balanced the top’s flowy shape.

For an understated daytime look I would have added a pair of white trainers or flat brown ankle boots. To dress something like the Duchess’s outfit up slightly more, swap these shoes for suede loafers or heeled boots.

She accessorised with gold bracelets and minimal gold stud earrings. Her brunette hair was swept back into a messy ponytail, with a few fame-framing pieces left loose and tucked neatly behind her ears. It was a very chic look and yet felt simple enough to be worn everyday rather than being saved for best.

The Duchess of Sussex has recently opened up about feeling "not well" after being apart from her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for "almost three weeks" in the past. She made the revelation in season 2 of her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, and explained that this was the longest period she’s been away from them.

Although it’s not known exactly when she’s referring to, Meghan hasn’t been away from her children for extended periods in the past few years. On the occasions Prince Harry has been back to the UK since they settled in the US, he’s tended to travel solo.

Now, speaking to OK!, royal expert Duncan Larcombe has expressed his belief that the Duchess was "never" ready to make certain sacrifices as a royal mum. In his view, she was always determined to be hands-on and this isn’t always easy when you’re a senior Royal Family member.

"Meghan clearly hates being apart from her children and when Harry has come to the UK, Meghan hasn’t come with him and has been blamed for snubbing Britain as a result," he said, claiming, "I think it runs deeper than that, she wants to be a hands-on mum and was never prepared to make the sacrifice that royal mums have to make."

According to Duncan, being a royal mother comes with specific sacrifices. We’ve seen this with the Princess of Wales, who's incredibly hands-on too. She’s constantly navigating work responsibilities with parenting Prince George, Charlotte and Louis.

She and Prince William often do the school run, though on the occasions where they can’t, Kate does feel "mum guilt". Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020, she admitted that this is the case, reflecting that she’d been asked by George and Charlotte, "Mummy how could you possibly not be dropping us off?"

The Princess also described the work/mum balance as a "constant struggle", and as a royal there are plenty of occasions where she’s been away from her kids for engagements or overseas visits. This will always be the case given her position and Duncan’s suggestion that Meghan supposedly might not have wanted to make this "sacrifice" is entirely understandable.

The royal expert went on to claim that the "biggest challenge" faced by senior royals as parents is striking a balance between allowing their children freedom and protecting them from scrutiny.

He alleged, "If you’ve got children and you’re a senior member of the royal family, your biggest challenge is to stop them growing up in a prison. Kate, for example, can’t just pop down to the shops with George."

Instead, the Wales family are always accompanied by their protection officers. As mentioned by Duncan, there "needs to be a degree of planning" whenever they leave Adelaide Cottage and they "run the risk of being mobbed by crowds" of friends.

In his view, "[t]hat’s not Meghan". Now she and Prince Harry live in the US, they still face scrutiny, but have more freedom to forge their own traditions, pursue their projects and dictate their schedules. Archie and Lilibet’s faces have only been shared online a small amount of times, giving them a high level of privacy too.

The last time the Sussexes all visited the UK as a family was back in 2022 for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. They marked the now-4-year-old Lilibet’s 1st birthday and shared a sweet picture of her taken by Misan Harriman to mark this special occasion.

One of the most exciting parts of any royal outing for us fans is getting to see new stunning outfits from our favourite royals. We adore their enviously elegant style, with everything from Kate Middleton's favourite autumn boots to Zara Tindall's understated summer sandals inspiring us to try out royal-approved wardrobe staples.

But, at the same time, we know that there are certain protocols and unspoken rules that keep them in check when it comes to their wardrobes – and there was one rule in particular that Meghan Markle has revealed she struggled with.

Speaking on Bloomberg UK’s The Circuit, Meghan said that while it sounds “silly,” she was left feeling “inauthentic” and unlike herself every time she had to wear “pantyhose” or sheer, skin-coloured tights, for public appearances when she was still a working royal.

“I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time… that was not very myself,” she explained. “That felt a little bit inauthentic, but that's a silly example.”

She added that because she felt she couldn’t dress how she wanted to, she was left feeling less like herself in other ways too. “That's an example of when you're able to dress the way you want to dress, you're able to say the things that are true and you're able to show up in a space really organically and authentically, that's being comfortable in your own skin," she said.

It’s safe to say that we have seen Meghan’s style change drastically since her and Prince Harry left their posts as working royals and moved their young family to America. Her best off-duty looks showcase her flawless California girl style, with grown-up and sophisticated cuts and fabrics.

Shop Meghan's 'authentic' style

Creamy neutrals and relaxed glam pieces are Meghan’s wardrobe staples now, with looser silhouettes and more free-floating shapes giving her outfits an understated flair. The epitome of quiet luxury, she’s certainly opting for a more laid-back and comfortable style now. And it’s working for her confidence, too, as she told The Circuit she feels she “has nothing to prove now” she’s more comfortable in her own skin.

While Meghan felt she always had to adhere to the “pantyhose” rule, there have been times when the royals broke protocol and plenty of them have stepped out in outfits that pushed the boundaries of the family’s usually strict rules regarding fashion. Princess Diana’s revenge dress is the obvious one that comes to mind, though Kate Middleton reportedly broke protocol with her wedding outfit when she wore her hair down for the ceremony.

But, that being said, despite all the rules regulating their wardrobes, we’ve seen some stunning and memorable looks from many different royals that do strictly adhere to regulation.

From standout outfits that make for the most glamorous state banquet looks worn by the Royal Family, to the Royals' best off-duty looks that sit at the other end of the spectrum entirely, it’s proof that modesty rules don’t impact the style of our Princesses, Princes and monarchs.

There’s no way of predicting people’s individual foodie preferences, but Meghan Markle’s recent revelation about Prince Harry came as a surprise to me nevertheless. According to her, the Duke of Sussex isn’t keen on a highly-prized item many people adore and which regularly features on fancy restaurant menus everywhere.

She shared this intriguing morsel of information in the trailer for season 2 of her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. During a conversation with chef José Andrés, she said, "Do you know who doesn't like lobster? My husband."

José was suitably shocked by this insight, responding, "And you married him?", which prompted laughter from Meghan.

Many consider lobster to be a delicacy and though it’s slightly more affordable across the pond, in Prince Harry’s home country it’s definitely a special occasion ingredient. Fresh lobster can be very expensive and it’s a rather specific thing for the Duke of Sussex not to like.

It’s easy to speculate that he doesn’t eat lobster because of the age-old suggestion that the Royal Family avoid shellfish. However, former royal chef, Darren McGrady, has previously countered this by sharing a photo of an old menu from 1989 on X (formerly known as Twitter), as per Hello!.

The starter was a lobster souffle, indicating that there isn’t a blanket ban on seafood for the royals at all. Prince William has also described his and Kate’s love for sushi before, though it’s likely the working royals still steer clear of them when they’re undertaking official duties to avoid any potential risk of food poisoning.

Given that Prince Harry isn’t a working royal any longer, it seems that he just doesn’t like the taste of lobsters - as much as that might shock and appal shellfish enthusiasts. Meghan’s reaction suggests she clearly does and as they came up in conversation, perhaps we can look forward to seeing her and José make a lobster dish when season 6 drops on 26 August.

If they do, clearly it won’t be something Prince Harry tucks into, but Meghan has shared a few other treats that her husband loves, including an American classic: the burger. Speaking to Variety in 2022, the Duchess of Sussex said that fast-food favourite In-N-Out is a bit hit with him.

"My husband’s favorite is In-N-Out," she confessed. "There’s one at the halfway point between LA and our neck of the woods. It’s really fun to go through the drive-thru and surprise them. They know our order."

Sadly, *we* don’t, though burgers will have been included for sure. In her Valentine’s Day post this year, Meghan shared a picture of herself and Harry kissing at dinner and promised that she would "eat burgers & fries and fish & chips with [him] forever".

This sentiment is sweet on its own, but her choice of dishes could be seen to represent their Anglo-American romance. Whilst burgers and fries are typically seen as an American dish, fish and chips is a quintessential British one.

There were always rumours that the late Queen found the Duchess of Sussex difficult. Now, three years after her death in September 2022, what Queen Elizabeth II really thought - in the opinion of one of her closest confidantes - has been revealed.

Certainly Megxit, when Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal life, is thought to have caused her huge upset and stress in the last few years of her life. But according to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, the late monarch and her innermost circle had had their doubts about Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle long before 2020.

In fact, Queen Elizabeth is thought to have feared her grandson was "besotted and weak" and confided that he had been "rude" to her in the lead-up to his wedding at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in 2018.

Just days before the wedding, the Queen’s cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson had told Sally, "We hope but don’t quite think [Meghan] is in love. We think she engineered it all." She added, "It’s worrying that so many people are questioning whether Meghan is right for Harry. The problem, bless his heart, is that Harry is neither bright nor strong, and she is both."

Lady Elizabeth was one of Queen Elizabeth’s closest friends, her party planner, and spoke to her almost daily. She also said the "jury was out" on whether the late Queen even liked Meghan. The late monarch was dismayed when Meghan wouldn’t give her any details about her wedding dress, and this was enough to spark concern in the Palace that Meghan could "turn into nothing but trouble" and that - despite royal protocol - "she sees things in a different way".

Sally, who has written several biographies of the Royal Family, detailed a number of her conversations with Lady Elizabeth (who died of emphysema in 2020).

Lady Elizabeth said Meghan had initially appeared "natural, intelligent and thoughtful" after getting engaged to Harry in 2017. But as their wedding approached, tensions crept in.

Prince Harry was reportedly "rude" to the Queen "for 10 minutes" in one meeting and upset her by asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the wedding service in May 2018, without seeking permission from the Dean of Windsor.

As a high-society event planner herself, Lady Elizabeth - who was born at Windsor Castle in 1941 and was also King George VI’s goddaughter - understood all too well what an embarrassing situation this put the Queen in.

She said at the time, "Harry seems to think the Queen can do what she wants, but she can’t. On the religious side, it is the Dean of Windsor’s jurisdiction." She added that as a result, "Harry has blown his relationship with his grandmother." They did later "patch things up" - but the hurt remained.

The Queen was also said to be worried about Meghan’s relationship with her new brother and sister-in-law, telling Lady Elizabeth, "Meghan and William and Kate are not working well."

As history has proven, Queen Elizabeth was right again. After Harry and Meghan’s wedding, it was widely reported that Meghan had made Kate cry over a disagreement about Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress.

Then, in Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry and Meghan claimed the "reverse" was true. Meghan said she was in fact the one in tears, adding, "I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something. But she owned it, and she apologised."

Two years later, in his 2023 autobiography, Spare, Harry threw more brickbats at his sister-in-law, implying that Kate had been icy and saying she’d grimaced when Meghan asked to borrow her lip gloss. Clearly, as the Queen and Lady Elizabeth foretold, that bad blood between Kate and Meghan and their warring husbands only worsened.

One former courtier said, "Ultimately, the Queen felt betrayed by Harry, and when he and Meghan attacked the institution that she spent her whole life serving, in the Oprah interview, that betrayal was complete. It was absolutely shocking to those of us that knew him that he would do that, not least because her husband was on his deathbed."

The Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan was broadcast on 7 March 2021 and Prince Philip died just over a month later. In the interview, Meghan alleged that the Royal Family had expressed concerns about "how dark" her first child’s skin would be when he was born (allegedly said to Harry, not her).

The allegation prompted Buckingham Palace to comment that, "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."

The former staffer added, "The allegations dismayed [the late Queen]. To accuse an unidentified person within the family of racism, thereby casting the shadow of suspicion over everyone, was unforgivable in her eyes. It was a horrific series of betrayals at the end of her life."

Emily Andrews’ Royal Insider column appears in each issue of Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Prince Harry might no longer be a working royal, but his commitment to affecting change hasn’t wavered one bit and he and Meghan have set their sights on raising awareness of the impacts of social media. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are too young to use the likes of Instagram or X yet, though their parents’ devotion to promoting online safety is something that speaks volumes to Royal Correspondent, Emily Andrews.

Writing in Woman's Royal Insider column this month, the expert said that this is "exactly the type of activism" she wants to see from the Sussexes. Last month, Prince Harry made an appearance at the Nexus Global Summit and didn’t hold back as he was interviewed on stage.

"We started to meet a lot of parents who had lost their kids to social media," he shared. "That’s when it really started to make sense to us."

Taking on the world’s major tech giants is no easy feat for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation, though it’s an incredibly important mission. In April 2025, Prince Harry and Meghan unveiled The Lost Screen Memorial.

As revealed by Archewell, this memorial is for those children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media. The images "represent the ones their parents have on their phone lockscreens" and serve as a "constant reminder of what has been lost".

"The responsibility to keep children safe online should not lie with parents alone," the Foundation adds and Meghan echoed this at the unveiling when she declared to People, "No matter how polarized the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing that we can all agree on is that our children should be safe."

Emily Andrews "could not agree with Harry and Meghan more" on this.

"As the mum of two kids, one of whom is about to go to senior school, the subject of how much they use the internet, what they look at and whether they can have a mobile phone is a constant source of moaning in our house," she reflected. "It’s become the norm to give children their own smartphone by the age of 11 - many have them even younger - often without any guard rails or parental restrictions on what they look at online."

Emily added that although children have to be 13 to sign up to most social media platforms, kids do lie about their age, and "it seems that tech companies do not have robust enough checks to catch" all of them out.

She said, "It’s great that Harry and Meghan are bringing so much attention to this issue. Their cohort of parents have found each other through the most unimaginable tragedy and it’s clear that countries such as the UK or America need to bring in more stringent regulation.

"There are similar movements here in the UK, such as the grassroot parent-led movement Smartphone Free Childhood, which recommends not giving a smartphone to our kids until 14, and no social media until 16."

"Like Harry said, ‘As the world gets harder, as people’s lives become harder, compassion can shrink. The thing that gives me the most hope is the grassroots approach’. Bravo Harry - this is exactly the type of activism you should be doing," she declared.

Back in 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan took to another stage together at The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age and expressed concern - and hope - over what future lies ahead for Archie and Lilibet.

"I feel fortunate that our children are at an age, again quite young, so this isn't in our immediate future, but I also feel frightened by how it's continuing to change and this will be in front of us," she admitted. "So it worries me, but I'm also given a lot of hope and a lot of energy by the progress we've made in the past year."

Emily Andrews’ Royal Insider column appears in each issue of Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.

Plans for a monarch’s funeral – as we saw with the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II – are elaborate and extensive. They require careful advance planning and this understandably takes time.

Although these royal plans are typically kept private by the Palace, The Telegraph has recently shared alleged details about what can potentially be expected from King Charles's funeral. Like his mother’s before him, his funeral will reportedly carry the codename Operation London Bridge.

More intriguingly, the publication claimed that "the Sussexes remain enveloped in the King’s funeral plans at the highest level, with [Harry] expected to walk side by side with his brother."

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be invited to take part in the family vigil during the lying in state at Westminster Hall and play a prominent role alongside the most senior royals during the funeral service," it reported.

King Charles’s grandchildren from his youngest son, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will also apparently be offered an important role.

The publication continued, "Arrangements have also been made for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to attend the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, as well as the committal at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, should they wish."

"If the Sussexes were included in King Charles's funeral plans I wouldn't be surprised," says woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock. "After all, Harry is his youngest son and a State Funeral is a very ceremonial as well as personal occasion for the royals. It's also not something that's limited to working royals.

"There's no reason why Harry, Meghan or their children wouldn't be there to pay tribute alongside the rest of the Royal Family."

His Majesty supposedly including Harry in his funeral plans might be a way of offering an olive branch as their estrangement continues. And it’s not the first sign of peace being brokered that has reportedly been shared in recent weeks.

In June 2025, it was suggested that Prince Harry could potentially extend an invitation to his father and brother, Prince William, to attend the next Invictus Games.

The annual event focuses on sport and wellbeing for those injured or wounded in active service. It will next be held in Birmingham in the United Kingdom in July 2027.

As per The Telegraph, other details of Operation London Bridge are similar in scale and protocol to Queen Elizabeth’s, but there could be some key changes, including nods to his lifelong passion for the environment.

Other suggested differences are in line with Charles’s attitude towards his role as monarch. He has famously been a fan of downsizing and scaling back, including limiting the number of funded working royals.

In keeping with this, the period of royal mourning could end up being reduced. The royal and national mourning period usually starts upon a monarch's death, and it's been claimed that his will last until the day of his funeral.

In contrast, the royal mourning period for Queen Elizabeth concluded a week after her funeral service.