Charles and William should accept Harry's olive branch
The dreaded 'palace sources' indicate that this gesture by Harry will go some way to mollifying his father (Charles was apparently miffed that Harry's trip to see landmines in Africa this month inadvertently knocked Queen Camilla's birthday portrait off the front pages of the papers, which is why they are going to sync calendars from now on). But all this talk of dovetailing schedules and the King's people talking to Harry's people is ridiculous. Whether we are princes or paupers, family is family: sometimes, our nearest and dearest drive us nuts; sometimes, we may not love their choice of partner; sometimes, they behave in ways which hurt or humiliate.
But them's the breaks! Blood is thicker than water. Our kin are our kin. The point of family is we look past faults and embrace the love that binds; that we bite our tongues when we want to yell, and give them a big hug anyway… because they are our brother, or dad, or sister, which matters much more in the long run than feeling piqued. Those of us who live in complicated families learn to lower our expectations and move on, with love. Harry lost his mum as a child, his dad has cancer and hasn't seen his grandchildren for years; his sister-in-law has also been gravely ill. His brother needs him. The cousins should know each other.
This is a time for the Royal family to pull together; to let bygones be bygones. Come on, Charles, show some true statesmanship, befitting your role as the head of the Church of England, and forgive Harry and Meghan before it is too late. That is the yardstick by which you will be judged. We may not all be kings, but we all know what family is about. Harry is trying to meet you on the territory that you most care about (your royal image) – it's up to you as King, but most importantly as his father, to bury the hatchet. Come on, Charles, be the grown-up, the paterfamilias, and get off your high horse... There's no time like the present.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
James Whale remembered as ‘broadcasting legend' after death from cancer
James Whale, the long-serving radio DJ and TV personality, has died at the age of 74 after a prolonged battle with cancer. His wife, Nadine Lamont-Brown, said he 'slipped away very gently', while TalkTV, his employer, paid tribute to him as a 'broadcasting legend for over 50 years'. Whale was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer in 2020, having previously survived the disease in 2000, which inspired him to launch Kidney Cancer UK. Known for pioneering late-night phone-in shows, he had a career spanning five decades across ITV, Sky, BBC, TalkSport, and LBC, and received an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours. Whale's colleague Mike Graham said: 'James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves, and did it all on his own terms ... he was a companion, a provocateur, and a good friend that we'll all never forget.'
Scotsman
14 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe comedy reviews: Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... COMEDY Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two) (Venue 33) until 24 August ★★★★☆ Sam Nicoresti's evolution as a stand up has been inextricably bound up with their journey as a trans person. And very specifically in this show with their quest to find the perfect two-piece skirt suit. A mortifying experience in the changing rooms of a high street clothing retailer – during a Pride march no less – could be seen as symbolic of the culture wars. And it unquestionably is at a superficial level. But Nicoresti focuses on the very personal fallout of the tale: the humiliation and novelty of the scenario, those fundamental bedrocks of good anecdotal humour. Sam Nicoresti in Baby Doomer | Contributed Blessed with an interrogative intelligence and self-lacerating streak, they're living at the vanguard of social upheaval, just scrambling to be themselves with audiences the beneficiaries. No shrinking violet exactly, fond of tossing out a challenging aphorism such as 'all kink is autistic' or observations like the trans community being inherently drawn to magic, then winning you round to their point of view, Nicoresti nevertheless radiates fragility and insecurity. Any big laughs they elicit, and there are many, feel like bigger affirmations of self. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's trauma, certainly, though Nicoresti is bleakly, hilariously forced to confront the reality that their flavour of PTSD may not be quite of the same strength or vintage as those of others. Related in characteristic asides, their parental support network is ambivalent at best. And the episode of their sperm donation is an eye-opening account of what some people have to go through in order to sustain the possibility of a family. With a lovely, precise turn of phrase and an extreme insider-outsider perspective in such ultra cisnormative environments as the gym, Nicoresti remains a highly distinctive act who doesn't seem to have peaked quite yet, with a long way to seemingly go in every respect. JAY RICHARDSON COMEDY Caroline McEvoy: Train Man Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) until 25 August ★★★☆☆ Caroline McEvoy's impressive Fringe debut draws its title from the YouTube channel and abiding obsession of her younger brother, one of the most important shapers of her identity. Jonathan is profoundly autistic. And her family's adaptation to his needs has massively impacted the London-based Northern Irish stand up's upbringing and present circumstances, while likely dictating her future. As the big sister charged with additional responsibilities, McEvoy nurtures some lingering resentments. But she's simply outgunned in the war of sibling rivalry thrust upon her, with the more consequential conflict of sectarian Ireland a backdrop that she archly and tonally astutely weaves into their story. Disney films are another recurring metaphor that she leans on, contrasting their optimistic sentiments with her own, somewhat more jaded perspective. She doesn't lay all of her issues at her brother's door though, with her teenage sexual awakening a confusion entirely of her own experimentation, though girls-only education unquestionably played a part. Keeping it light and entertaining for the most part, the self-mocking McEvoy is alive to her own foibles. But she fully conveys the magnitude of Jonathan's challenges, not just in his endearing, atypical quirks but also the ways in which society fails their family. JAY RICHARDSON COMEDY Sam Williams: Touch Me Not Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until 25 August ★★★☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Such is the idiosyncrasy of Sam Williams' first full-length Fringe show, that the stand up's claims of scratching a living eating cat food for marketing purposes and to be dating an Olympic champion, facilitated in an online netherworld that maybe has some overlap with the real, physical realm, aren't the most remarkable aspects of his debut. If all had gone to plan, the garrulous comic would be in a French monastery right now he maintains, having undertaken a vow of silence. Truly, God moves in mysterious ways. Because as a proudly sex-positive and articulate bisexual, Williams seems an unlikely adherent to the Christian faith. With two queer brothers, and parents who run the gamut from evidence-based rational thinking to hallucinogen-induced mysticism, Williams is that most scallywag of rogues, the charismatically Byronic storyteller with an exposed belly of vulnerability and overarching need to belong. As a lost soul, evoking the parable of The Prodigal Son through the clumsily cringe retelling of Rob Lacey's Street Bible, the text rendered in grasping yoof speak, this is a real curate's egg of an hour. Williams seems open, intelligent and painfully self-conscious. But his naked admission of embellishing his story somewhat undermines the spiritual epiphany, not least as he can't help getting a little too serious in his conclusion. JAY RICHARDSON Make sure you keep up to date with Arts and Culture news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. COMEDY Fisherman Jon: What's on the End of My Rod? A Clown Odyssey Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) until 25 August ★★★☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A fishy tale to be sure, Coral Bevan's drag clown show has a mythic quality that belies its modest staging. Alone on his boat, endlessly polishing his rod to a gleaming shine, grizzled old sea dog Jon chatters away to himself and casts into the ocean, taking a more than famished interest in what he might catch. To the calming lapping of the waves, What's on the End of My Rod? opens as a gently beguiling character comedy hour, as the wild-eyed, mostly toothless mariner baits and swims amongst the crowd. After reeling in a beauty however, the show takes a starboard lurch for the surreal and becomes epically Homerian, with the storm-tossed angler doggedly clinging to survival, a dream of love and resisting sirens' call. With the grotesquely made-up, utterly unrecognisable Bevan portraying both Jon and his screeching nemesis, the slippery characterisation plays with gender and even species specificity. You wouldn't call it particularly challenging or radical, beyond having a woman artfully assail an environment historically depicted as masculine, from the Greeks to Hemingway. Yet this Asparagus Mousse production is peculiar, throwaway silliness that charms with the fulness of the briny world it evokes. JAY RICHARDSON COMEDY Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians Whistle Binkies (Venue 158) until 24 August ★★★☆☆ This can be a tricky room to play as the noise spill from the bar can be overpowering. But it is an absolute joy to see Peter Buckley Hill back on stage with the show that started the whole Free Fringe – and paved the way for all that came after. And he doesn't let us down. Opening with a good old knob gag and moving on into a selection of his finest and jolliest musical ditties, he herds his baby audience from bemused through disbelieving to loving every moment. It is an object lesson in MCing a gig. We herald the start of each new song with the traditional 'Ohhhhhhhhhhhh,' giggle our way through a rousing rendition of Nobody Gives a F**k If You're a Vegan and even join in Peter's highly controversial take on babies' foreskins. The titular Some Comedians tonight are Vinay Sagar who's extraordinary ability to remember (today) Pi to the 467th digit is not best displayed here, thanks to an audience who seem unsure as to what Pi is, and Sam Love, who seems less than enthused about the entire thing. But we are given the parting comedy gift of The Ballad of Adolf and Eva and we all go out singing.
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a royal fashion expert and these are Meghan Markle's best outfits and where to buy them - as Duchess celebrates her 44th birthday
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more As a royal fashion expert, I've followed Meghan Markle 's style closely over the years, from her first public appearances with Prince Harry to her more recent outings in California. Her wardrobe has always stood out for its mix of simplicity, elegance and thoughtful detail. Whether she's wearing an oversized blazer or a sleek evening gown, Meghan has a clear sense of personal style that blends classic pieces with a modern edge. What I've always appreciated about her fashion choices is how she keeps things polished without overdoing it. Even in the most formal settings, she manages to look comfortable, confident and true to herself. As she celebrates her 44th birthday, I've rounded up Meghan's best looks over recent months, plus one timeless favourite for good measure. You'll find exact product matches, plus an edit of high street alternatives to recreate her style at any price point. Farm Rio co-ord Meghan marked Independence Day 2025 with a relaxed family celebration in Montecito. While she shared a fun cocktail recipe for the occasion, it was her vibrant Farm Rio co-ord that caught my attention. The outfit comprised a knitted halterneck crop top and a matching midi skirt in a striking blue and white floral print. Stylish yet easy-going, the set could be dressed up with espadrille wedges or kept casual with flat sandals. Get the look for less Mint Velvet Top and Skirt Set £101 Shop YAS Top and Skirt Set £134 Shop Hobbs Bianca Top and Skirt Set £148 Shop Mango Top and Skirt Set £79.98 Shop SHEIN Top and Skirt Set £23.49 Shop Johanna Ortiz gold dress This metallic gold gown might just be Meghan's most memorable look yet. She wore the show-stopping bandeau dress to the 2023 Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre. Designed by Johanna Ortiz, the dress featured a shimmering jacquard texture, a subtle cut-out at the bust and a dramatic front slit. Meghan made the piece her own by removing the straps to show off her shoulders - and the result was flawless. EXACT MATCH: Johanna Ortiz Ideal Universe Dress £1,388 Shop Get the look for less Nadine Merabi Nina Sequin Midi Dress £263 Shop Oh Polly Katalia Cut-out Embellished Gown £90 Shop Club L Astro Embellished Midi Dress £120 Shop Goddiva Liquid Sequin Midaxi Dress £59 Shop House of CB Calla Embellished Mesh Maxi Dress £199 Shop Ralph Lauren trouser suit For the TIME100 Summit, Meghan wore a Ralph Lauren suit, teamed with a silk blouse from the brand and her trusty Manolo Blahnik heels. A perfect choice for summer, the suit is tailored from breathable linen in a flattering camel hue. With its oversized blazer and wide-leg trousers, this ensemble is classic Meghan - modern, refined and effortlessly stylish. Carolina Herrera denim dress Meghan joined Prince Harry for a night out at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. While Harry embraced the Western vibe with a cowboy hat, Meghan opted for a sultry off-shoulder denim dress by Carolina Herrera. Part of the label's Fall/Winter 2022 collection, the form-fitting piece has since sold out - but similar styles are still available for those looking to recreate the look. Carolina Herrera Gathered Cotton-blend Midi Dress £1,630 Shop Get the look for less Ralph Lauren striped shirt Meghan first wore this Ralph Lauren striped shirt at Wimbledon in 2018, attending the Ladies' Singles Final alongside the Princess of Wales. Since then, it's become a firm favourite in her wardrobe - she even brought it back for Independence Day this year. The menswear-inspired fit and timeless navy and white stripes make it endlessly versatile, whether paired with crisp white trousers or classic denim. EXACT MATCH: Ralph Lauren Collection Capri Striped Shirt £570 Shop Get the look for less French Connection Striped Shirt £30 Shop Lilysilk Amalfi Striped Silk Shirt £135 Shop Gant Oversized Striped Shirt £62.50 Shop Boden Sienna Shirt £65 Shop
