Prince Harry and King Charles' feud takes fresh turn in 'passport fury'
Prince Harry is said to have had difficulty procuring British passports for his two children - Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet - allegedly due to his desire for the documents to use their royal titles
Prince Harry came into difficulty when trying to get British passports for his two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, it has been claimed - but the saga is said to have left royal insiders bewildered.
The Duke of Sussex allegedly faced delays when it came to procuring the official documentation for his children, in part due to his desire to use their royal titles in the passports.
According to a report by The Guardian, Harry and his wife Meghan were told that the passports had been delayed for their kids due to technical issues, so they re-applied through the 24-hour service that is available - only for the required meeting to be cancelled.
The couple are said to have sent a legal letter that threatened to seek the data surrounding the issues - and the passports were finally issued just days later, six months after the process began. A standard passport application usually takes around three weeks in the UK.
During the long process, Harry was reportedly so frustrated he even considered applying for the passports under his mother, the late Princess Diana's, family name of Spencer.
Archie already had a British passport under the name of Mountbatten-Windsor, but the new document would have used the name Sussex, along with his royal title of prince and the styling 'HRH'.
This was a point of contention, a source close to the Sussex family claimed, as "the King hadn't wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names."
Buckingham Palace strongly denied that the King or palace aides had anything to do with the delays in issuing their passports, The Telegraph reports.
It was also reported that Harry is keen for the children to have the 'Royal Highness' styling so when they are older they can decide if they would like to be working members of the Royal Family themselves - or stay out of the spotlight.
However, this claim is said to have left insiders confused, with "bemusement in royal circles" about the idea.
Harry and Meghan dropped the HRH styling in 2020 when they stepped back as working royals as it was decided the couple would make a full break from the monarchy.
In a report marking Prince William's 43rd birthday, the Sunday Times claimed, "Under the next reign, roles for Archie and Lili as working royals are unlikely."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
UK households urged to do one task so butterflies will keep returning
Transform your garden into a colourful butterfly haven with this one expert gardening tip that will see these gentle creatures fluttering around your lawn summer-round If you want to see butterflies fluttering across your lawn all summer, make sure you complete this one simple task. Encouraging butterflies in your garden is more crucial than ever, given that these beautiful creatures have sharply dropped in population in the UK. According to the results of Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count, 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies, making it the fifth-worst year since records began. Conservation specialists now say that over half of butterfly species are in long-term decline. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can make your garden more butterfly-friendly - and it takes barely any time at all. According to Harry Bodell, a gardening expert from having fresh blooms is key to keeping butterflies around your home. He said: 'Butterflies need fresh flowers, as old ones have little to no nectar.' He continued: 'When you remove dead blooms from your flowers, known as deadheading, you free up energy and space for the plants to create new blossoms, meaning more nectar for butterflies.' To deadhead flowers, Harry says that you first must remove the faded or wilted blooms from the plant. He explained: 'Pinch or cut off the flower stem below the spent flower and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves.' Don't worry about what tools you have on hand. Harry adds that you can use your fingers, pruning shears, or scissors to do this. As for what kinds of flowers you should plant in your garden, Harry suggests that butterflies are attracted to colourful blooms, such as red, orange, purple and yellow. He added: 'Other factors that will make plants appealing include sweet nectar, accessible shape, and scent. Some of the best flowers for attracting these pollinators to your garden are aster, lavender, milkweed, sage, and sunflowers.' Equally, it's a good idea to plant perennial and annual plants. Perennials regrow every spring while annuals last just one growing season a year. This helps provide butterflies with a year-round variety of plants to feed on. As for other ways to keep butterflies coming back to your garden, it can be helpful to reduce your mowing frequency. This is because butterflies prefer lawns with varying grass lengths. Allowing your garden to grow more freely can create a far more diverse environment, which is ideal for butterflies. It can also allow other creatures to thrive.
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
UK wildlife park on mission to save lions who 'beat all odds' in Ukraine
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is urging the British public to help their mercy mission to save lions from Ukraine Three young lions stranded in war-torn Ukraine are being rescued by a British wildlife charity and park. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is appealing to the British public to help bring stricken Oleg, Rafael and Shanti, to safety. The trio who have 'survived against all odds' are currently in a rescue and rehabilitation centre in Kyiv and are thought to be about nine months old. The lions have been through hell since they were born, with siblings Rafael and Shanti discovered in the Kharkiv region next to their dying mother. The tragic lioness who had been abandoned in a private menagerie and starved. The third lion, Oleg, is all alone after being rescued as a cub from private owners, who fled the Sumy Oblast region during the escalation of war. YWP has been told he was raised by humans but desperately in need of connections with other lions. Now The WildLife Foundation, the charity based at the park, is launching an appeal to fund their rescue and the 2000-mile journey to Doncaster. It is the third rescue undertaken by Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which has previously seen 17 rescue lions brought to Lion Country, its seven-acre reserve. Director of Animals, Charlotte MacDonald, revealed: 'We are delighted to be able to support another lion rescue and save these beautiful lions who have not had the best start in life. 'Oleg and Rafael and Shanti will meet for the first time to live in a proper pride-like setting for the first time. Oleg currently lives alone and so we are looking forward to introducing him to the others. 'Rafael and Shanti survived against all odds and are now inseparable, gentle and curious around people. They will live safely together in their new home in Yorkshire.' The park has a history of rescuing lions around the world, starting with a mercy mission to save 13 Romanian lions back in 2010. These lions were flown back to the UK after the British public backed the rescue. Sadly Carla and Crystal, the two remaining Romanian lions, recently died. The success of this first rescue encouraged park bosses to take on a second lion rescue in 2024. The Mirror joined their experts to bring Aysa and her cubs, Emi, Santa and Teddi, now nearly three years old, back to the UK from Poland. They arrived at the Doncaster wildlife park after travelling more than 2,000 miles across six countries. The lions were found abandoned in the Donetsk region of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. They were left cowering in fear amid the bombs, alone with no food and water. The little pride was taken to a rescue centre in Poland but the cubs had to be separated from mum. For months they lived in concrete pens next to their mum but unable to see the sky or go outside because of a shortage of space. They are now thriving in Lion Country and Aysa has since given birth to three more cubs. YWP CEO John Minion said: 'We are looking forward to welcoming the new lions to the park and proud to be rescuing lions for the third time.' The WildLife Foundation has played a key role in raising funds to support the rescues, transportations and rehabilitations of the lions. Trustee Cheryl Williams said: 'We are extremely proud of our previous rescues, and it is rewarding to see all of the lions settle into their home in Yorkshire 'We hope that Oleg, Rafael and Shanti will enjoy the quality of life they deserve here. 'We are really grateful for all donations to The Foundation. However big or small, they make a huge difference to animals around the world and our rescues would not have been possible without the support.'
The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Revealed: the blood and guts tales of Scottish whalers
But as the converted Second World War Royal Navy corvette dipped and swayed in the pounding South Atlantic waves, his first challenge would not be with whales, but with the sea itself. 'It was a lively ship,' he remembers. 'She could roll pretty well, almost lifeboat to lifeboat. 'It was frightening to begin with, but you learned to cope.' Whale catcher vessel, Southern Jester, brings home its catch (Image: South Georgia Museum) The next challenge would be the gruesome sight of a factory ship's deck, swimming with blood and its crew smeared head to toe in guts. It was 1958, and the Shetland lad was among a stream of Scots who would make the long journey to a world of icy beauty where pristine seas bubbled with blood and the sickening stench of boiling whale meat lingered in the air. Over three years, he grew from boy to man chasing whales in the sub-Antarctic, one of thousands of mainly Scots employed to hunt and process vast numbers of whales to near oblivion. Brutal as it was, from seasickness to the nauseating sight of crews waist deep in entrails, blood and sludge, there would be excitement and a unique bond between men who, perhaps surprisingly given the environment, would go on to show tenderness and care for each other. Read more by Sandra Dick: Now their memories of living, working and bonding in the Southern Hemisphere's long-gone whaling industry have been gathered for a new digital archive that explores the reality of the British whaling industry. The Whalers' Memory Bank, including previously untold stories from former whalers, their families and communities from all corners of Scotland, will be unveiled by historian Dan Snow in Dundee on Friday. Its launch brings to a climax two years of work with former whaling communities by the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the South Georgia Museum to shine light on an uncomfortable chapter of Scotland's industrial heritage. A whale undergoes processing on the Flensing Plan at Grytviken Whaling Station on South Georgia (Image: South Georgia Museum) Whale numbers in the northern hemisphere had already been seriously depleted when attention in the early 1900s turned to bountiful numbers in the south. Britain became the world's leading whaling country, home to whaling companies that earned fortunes from whale meat, byproducts and oil. With largely Scottish workforces, they established huge whaling stations and ran fishing fleets and factory ships to handle their catch. Despite the violent seas and logistical challenges of the South Atlantic, whaling fleets would leave species there tottering on the brink. It came to an end in 1965, by which time whale numbers had slumped and the manufacture of items such as margarine, soap and cosmetics had shifted from using whale products to vegetable alternatives. Whalers take a break over a drink (Image: South Georgia Museum/Eric Stevenson) As well as highlighting whalers' stories, the archive explores the wider social and environmental impacts of the industry, including how whale produce became an essential ingredient in British life. While in some cases, the industry played a vital role in sustaining remote communities that might otherwise have dwindled. For Gibbie, now 83, whaling offered adventure and opportunity when there were few jobs for young men like him. 'We were living in a backwater, where nothing had really changed from the 1930s,' he recalls. 'Work was hard to come by and you had to leave to go to sea or move away for work. 'This was a fantastic adventure. Life on a whale catcher was to me a boy's adventure, a dream.' Grytviken Whaling Station on South Georgia (Image: South Georgia Museum) Once in South Georgia, he was thrown into the role of deck mess boy keeping the whale catcher ship clean, serving food, washing and scrubbing. Although the youngest on board and one of only four Scots among a crew of mainly Norwegians, he was quickly treated as one of the men. Within days and despite no experience, he was given the wheel of the ship only to rapidly wander wildly off course. Other times, he'd be at the helm peering into the darkness, trying to avoid ice floes while the crew played cards below deck. The violent and stormy seas left some whalers dangerously ill - conditions could test even the toughest sailor. Read more by Sandra Dick: But, he adds: 'It was fantastic and exciting. And we were wild and free.' While his whale catcher hunted down its prey, factory ships processed the carcasses, gutting their enormous bulk on board and leaving decks and water around blood red. It left an unforgettable impression. 'The factory ship was a vision of hell,' says Gibbie, who is chair of the Shetland ex-Whalers Association. 'I could see the deck and it was red with blood and meat, people cutting up whales and big holes in the deck leading to cookers down below. 'It was a terrible place; the smell was something else.' Humpback whale lunge feeding in the waters around South Georgia (Image: British Antarctic Survey) Whaling began in Cumberland Bay in December 1904 when whales were plentiful. In the first season 183 whales were caught. But demand soared for whale produce that could be used for lubricants, in food production and nitro-glycerine for explosives. By 1925, some 8,000 whales were processed at the Leith Harbour works, many weighing up to 90 tons. For Edinburgh-based whale company Salvesen, there were handsome profits of £300,000 profit a year - equivalent to £100 million today. Shetland man James (Jeemie) Balfour was among hundreds of Scots whalers (Image: Balfour Family) Over 1,000 workers were employed on South Georgia whaling ships and land-based processing stations, staying from May until October. Before the industry came to a halt, a staggering 176,000 whales had been processed island-wide. Although Gibbie recalls awful sights, there were also remarkable acts of compassion among the whalers. When one burly Norwegian fell ill with what Gibbie now suspects may have been aggressive motor neurone disease, men rallied to build a makeshift iron lung to help his breathing during his final days. Another, who sustained a dreadful fall from a ship's mast to its deck, was tenderly cared for at Leith Harbour hospital by a doctor carrying out delicate surgery aided by a mess boy. By October, most men returned home with pockets stuffed with wages to see them and their families through the winter months. A blue whale is hauled into position, ready to be processed (Image: According to Shetland native Helen Balfour, whose grandfathers both worked as whalers and who is Assistant Curator of South Georgia Museum at the former whaling station at Grytviken, whaling was a vital component that helped keep fragile island communities intact. The experiences left a mark on both of them, she says. 'My grandad Jimmy Balfour was there for ten seasons with mostly Norwegian crews. He could speak fluent Norwegian with the same accent that they had. 'My other grandfather, Alan Leask, came from Yell. A lot of men went whaling from there because there were so few jobs. Read more by Sandra Dick: 'Whaling was very helpful for the Shetland economy,' she adds. 'Quite a few men came home with enough money to invest in fishing boats or other businesses, and it meant they didn't have to find work at sea or move away.' Alongside insights into what life was like for whalers on South Georgia, the digital memory bank includes a 3D tour of a whaling station on South Georgia. The Whalers' Memory Bank has been backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by the Scottish Fisheries Museum, the Scottish Maritime Museum, the Shetland Museum & Archives and Dundee Heritage Trust's Verdant Works. The Whalers' Memory Bank brings together whalers' stories, photographs and other material for the first time (Image: South Georgia Museum) The Salvesen Ex-Whalers Club and the Shetland ex-Whalers Association have also been instrumental in sharing their experiences and memories. Its launch is the centrepiece of a three-day festival organised by the South Georgia Heritage Trust in Dundee which includes interactive exhibitions, activities, talks from world-renowned polar explorers and scientists, and the unveiling of a new artwork, Commensalis, by Scottish sculpture Michael Visocchi which reflects on the whaling industry.
