Latest news with #GrenadierGuards
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Names of SAS troops were published online for a decade in major Ministry of Defence blunder
THE names of SAS troops were published online for a decade in another major Ministry of Defence security blunder – sparking a major inquiry. Defence Secretary John Healey and Army boss Sir Roly Walker were said to be furious over how details of special forces soldiers recruited from the Grenadier Guards were made publicly accessible through an Army in-house magazine. 2 The publication contained a roll call of the names and deployments of its most senior officers including some attached to the UK special forces directorate, who are deployed to the most dangerous combat zones around the world. Last year's edition included the names of ten men in the regiment and the code 'MAB' – a reference to the UK Special Forces' headquarters. It comes after a Ministry of Defence official circulated a spreadsheet containing the names of SAS members and MI6 operatives, along with the details of thousands of Afghans who applied for relocation to the UK. Ministers have since relocated thousands of Afghans to Britain at a cost of up to £7billion. The information was kept a secret for 18 months through a superinjunction used by the MoD – the first time one had been used by the Government against the press. The latest document is produced by the Grenadier Guards regimental association, a charitable enterprise consisting of former service members. General Sir Roly Walker told The Sunday Times: 'As a result of this incident, I have directed an immediate review into our data-sharing arrangements with our regimental and corps associations, to ensure appropriate guidance and safeguards are in place to best support the vital work they do.'
Metro
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Here's what to expect from Donald Trump's second UK state visit in September
On September 17, Donald Trump will land in the UK for his second state visit – just a little over six years since his first. It's widely described as unprecedented, and it certainly is for a US President. Just don't tell Trump about the First World War-era French President Raymond Poincaré, who visited in 1913 and 1919. In any case, this will be the first time a world leader has been granted the privilege of a second state visit in well over a century. That raises a few questions – how similar will this trip be to the President's first? How do you change it up to stop him getting bored? There will, of course, be several differences. The obvious one is a different monarch – Trump was hosted by Queen Elizabeth six years ago, while King Charles will have the honour this time round. Then there's the choice of venue. The late Queen welcomed the President to Buckingham Palace, with his helicopter Marine One landing in the gardens in the early afternoon of June 3 2019. Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here. In September, the King will host him at Windsor Castle, as was the case with French President Emmanuel Macron when he had his own state visit earlier in July. There were a few ruffled feathers when Keir Starmer produced an invitation for a second state visit on his visit to the White House in February. But the backlash barely registered compared to the outrage that followed the announcement of the first state visit. A petition calling for the offer to be revoked attracted more than 1.8 million signatures. It's still one of the largest petitions in British history. Of course, it still went ahead. The President and First Lady landed at Buckingham Palace on a mild summer's day, and were greeted at their helicopter by Charles and Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Queen Elizabeth met them at the entrance to the Palace a couple of minutes later, ahead of a performance by the Grenadier Guards. That was the beginning of a pretty packed first day: a private lunch was followed by a look at items from the Royal Collection highlighting the relationship between the US and UK. Trump was then joined by Prince Andrew on a visit to Westminster Abbey, where he placed a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That evening, the white-tie state banquet took place at Buckingham Palace. The following day, June 4, was more political. Trump joined then-Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street, and the pair held a press conference – where the President memorably said the NHS would be 'on the table' as part of a future US-UK trade deal. On June 5, he travelled with the Queen and Prince of Wales to Portsmouth for an event marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, then left to visit Ireland. One of the most memorable images from the first state visit was the inflated caricature of Donald Trump in a nappy floating above Parliament Square. London Mayor – and outspoken Trump critic – Sadiq Khan had given demonstrators permission to fly the so-called blimp the previous year. A team of people in red jumpsuits and hats reading 'Trump Babysitters' started to blow up the 18-foot balloon around 8.30am on June 4, and it later formed the centrepiece of a large-scale protest march. It all ended violently, though, when a Tommy Robinson supporter filmed herself slashing the blimp with a pair of scissors. Two years later, the inflatable became part of the Museum of London's protest collection, alongside artefacts linked to the suffragettes and climate campaigners. More Trending It's unclear if it will come out of retirement for this year's visit. Buckingham Palace has not confirmed much about the state visit, beyond the fact it will take place at Windsor Castle from September 17 to 19. We can expect a few things, though. The state banquet and laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are traditional parts of all such visits. Trump will join the Prime Minister at Downing Street for talks that will likely touch on trade and defence, and there will almost certainly be another joint press conference which will no doubt generate plenty of news. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Prince Harry 'set for peace summit with King Charles' – but won't be meeting William MORE: King to host Donald Trump's second UK state visit at Windsor Castle MORE: Donald Trump accused of 'ruining' Chelsea's Club World Cup trophy presentation
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did President Emmanuel Macron Break Royal Protocol with King Charles at Windsor Castle?
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for a possible breach of royal protocol While inspecting troops at Windsor Castle, President Macron walked a few steps ahead of King Charles, which is typically frowned upon A similar controversy arose in 2018, when President Donald Trump walked ahead of Queen ElizabethFrench President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for what some say was a breach of royal protocol during his official state visit to the U.K. As part of his ceremonial welcome on July 8, President Macron and King Charles inspected the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards at Windsor Castle, walking among the troops. However, some pointed out that Macron walked a few steps ahead of the King for much of their procession. "Shouldn't he know he is not supposed to walk in front of the King? Dude truly thinks he's Napoleon," wrote one user on X, while others accused the French president of having "no respect, no class." While it is true that royal protocol usually dictates that no one walk in front of the monarch, GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker explained during their livestream that the rules were slightly different in this case. "[It] is perhaps custom that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state, which is the honored guest at Windsor Castle," he said. Walker also pointed out that a similar uproar happened in 2018, when Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Donald Trump for a state visit. During their inspection of the guard, Trump walked ahead of the Queen and blocked her as they rounded a corner. "President Trump was heavily criticized for walking in front of Her Majesty the Queen," he noted, adding, "There shouldn't really have been perhaps so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did." Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! While his royal etiquette may not have been strictly against the rules, some have said the late Queen did find Trump distasteful. In his 2024 book A Voyage Around the Queen, biographer Craig Brown writes, "A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him 'very rude:' she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting." Macron's royal etiquette was also called into question at the start of the visit, after he and his wife, Brigitte, disembarked their flight at RAF Northolt on July 8. Prince William and Kate Middleton greeted them on the tarmac, and Macron met Kate with a kiss to her hand. While the gesture may have raised some eyebrows, it is not actually against royal protocol. The royal family's official website explains that there are no strict codes of conduct for meeting royals. "There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way," the website states. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did President Emmanuel Macron Break Royal Protocol with King Charles at Windsor Castle?
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for a possible breach of royal protocol While inspecting troops at Windsor Castle, President Macron walked a few steps ahead of King Charles, which is typically frowned upon A similar controversy arose in 2018, when President Donald Trump walked ahead of Queen ElizabethFrench President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism for what some say was a breach of royal protocol during his official state visit to the U.K. As part of his ceremonial welcome on July 8, President Macron and King Charles inspected the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards at Windsor Castle, walking among the troops. However, some pointed out that Macron walked a few steps ahead of the King for much of their procession. "Shouldn't he know he is not supposed to walk in front of the King? Dude truly thinks he's Napoleon," wrote one user on X, while others accused the French president of having "no respect, no class." While it is true that royal protocol usually dictates that no one walk in front of the monarch, GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker explained during their livestream that the rules were slightly different in this case. "[It] is perhaps custom that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state, which is the honored guest at Windsor Castle," he said. Walker also pointed out that a similar uproar happened in 2018, when Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Donald Trump for a state visit. During their inspection of the guard, Trump walked ahead of the Queen and blocked her as they rounded a corner. "President Trump was heavily criticized for walking in front of Her Majesty the Queen," he noted, adding, "There shouldn't really have been perhaps so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did." Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! While his royal etiquette may not have been strictly against the rules, some have said the late Queen did find Trump distasteful. In his 2024 book A Voyage Around the Queen, biographer Craig Brown writes, "A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him 'very rude:' she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting." Macron's royal etiquette was also called into question at the start of the visit, after he and his wife, Brigitte, disembarked their flight at RAF Northolt on July 8. Prince William and Kate Middleton greeted them on the tarmac, and Macron met Kate with a kiss to her hand. While the gesture may have raised some eyebrows, it is not actually against royal protocol. The royal family's official website explains that there are no strict codes of conduct for meeting royals. "There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way," the website states. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Emmanuel Macron under fire for breaching royal protocol as he walks in front of Charles during State visit
French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire for seemingly breaking strict royal protocol after he walked in front of King Charles during a ceremonial inspection at Windsor Castle - prompting comparisons to US President Donald Trump. Macron, who was invited to inspect the troops in the Upper Ward of Windsor as part of a State visit, was seen strolling ahead of the monarch while reviewing the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards. In a GB News livestream of the event, Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker noted the potential breach and drew a pointed comparison. He said: 'On your screens now you'll see the King is walking behind the President of France. 'If you remember a few years ago where Queen Elizabeth II invited President Trump of the United States, during his first term of office, to inspect a guard of honour, President Trump was heavily criticised for walking in front of Her Majesty the Queen. 'And as you can see on your screens here, President Macron is walking in front of His Majesty the King. 'Now, I understand that there shouldn't really have been perhaps so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did, as this is perhaps custom - that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state which is the honoured guest at Windsor Castle.' Despite Walker's attempt to clarify the tradition, many viewers were unimpressed by the optics of the French President striding ahead of Britain's sovereign. Social media erupted with criticism, with some users suggesting Macron's behaviour was a deliberate snub. One furious commenter wrote: 'He's doing it on purpose. He's French, he doesn't believe in monarchy and he's an absolute narcissist trying to feel like Napoleon for 5 minutes.' Others echoed the suspicion, with one saying: 'I bet Macron is doing it on purpose. I bet he won't get as much criticism as Trump did.' Another added: 'At least Trump corrected his error by waiting for the Queen to catch up, Macron thinks he is the supreme ruler there.' In the video clip, Macron is seen conversing with members of the King's Guard as King Charles walks a few paces behind - a detail not missed by eagle-eyed royal fans. One remarked: 'And conversing with the King's Guard, as though the King was not even there! Unbelievable.' Some royal watchers placed the onus on the monarch himself, suggesting King Charles had failed to assert his position during the formal proceedings. One commenter argued: 'I don't like it but The King has not asserted himself or held any position. Avid royal fans took to social media with a flurry of opinions, with speculations emerging of tension between the King and Macron 'By speaking at the WEF, he is basically a pawn in the game and positions himself on par with people like Macron… the King should not be aligning himself with such degeneracy.' While criticism of Macron dominated much of the online chatter, a few more diplomatic voices suggested that the order of walking may have simply followed longstanding custom in which the host monarch steps back to allow the guest head of state to lead during troop inspections. One person said: 'I think he is leading the way as he is the host.' Another agreed: 'He knows royal protocol.' But the spectacle struck a nerve with many royalists, who viewed it as an example of a foreign leader failing to respect British traditions. Though there is no evidence of any personal tension between the King and the French President, the moment added fuel to the reactions, with critics keen to draw links between Macron's perceived arrogance and what they view as a lack of deference to the Crown. Whether Macron's move was a diplomatic faux pas or a customary gesture remains up for debate but, for many, the optics alone were enough to spark outrage.
