Latest news with #HugoVickers
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry Initiating King Charles Reunion To Avoid ‘Guilt,' ‘Royal Family Friend' Claims
Prince Harry seemingly wants to mend fences with King Charles and end the royal family feud before it's too late. Reports previously stated that the Duke of Sussex is making efforts to patch things up with his family. However, a royal family friend recently claimed that Harry initiated his bid to settle the rift to avoid the 'guilt' of never seeing his father again. The king has been receiving cancer treatment and hasn't met his younger son in over a year. Page Six exclusively learned about Prince Harry and King Charles' possible reunion after last week's secret aides' meeting. A royal family friend, Hugo Vickers, claimed that 'the ball is in Harry's court' in his bid to reconcile with his family. Vickers suggested that the Duke of Sussex will be 'riddled with guilt' if he never meets the king. So, the dad of two should apologize to his family and ask 'for forgiveness,' not vice versa. Last week, staff members for the Sussexes and King Charles' top aide secretly met in London in an attempt at reconciliation. It reportedly took place at a private members' club called the Royal Over-Seas League. Vickers claimed that the meeting was likely to discuss 'routine things,' adding that a reconciliation remains imminent. Nevertheless, the family friend believes Harry won't return to royal duties and thinks mending fences would be a positive step. Prince Harry and King Charles last met in early 2024 when he announced his cancer diagnosis amid the royal family feud. The Duke of Sussex has previously made his intentions for a reconciliation abundantly clear. Now, other sources believe that Harry, Meghan Markle, and their kids — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — might visit the king in Balmoral. It's the Scottish estate where he spends time every August. The post Prince Harry Initiating King Charles Reunion To Avoid 'Guilt,' 'Royal Family Friend' Claims appeared first on Reality Tea.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The royal who had a 'Hanoverian temper' and 'kicked a Corgi': Insider reveals the senior Windsor who couldn't handle his serious health crisis
King George VI lost his temper so badly during his battle with ill health that he allegedly kicked a Corgi across a room in Windsor Castle, a royal insider has revealed. The shocking incident occurred while George was receiving treatment for an arterial blockage in his right leg. According to Hugo Vickers, who wrote a biography of the Queen Mother, the King faced a 'real danger of losing his leg' in 1949, but by December George was firmly on the road to recovery. Nevertheless, he remained a 'difficult patient' during his time bedridden and proved 'hard to keep "amused and occupied"'. It was while recovering that the King apparently became more irritable and aggressive. Vickers said: 'His Hanoverian temper remained a problem. He had been known to kick a Corgi across the room at Windsor.' Somewhat ironically, James Learmonth - the King's surgeon - had advised George to 'reduce the tempo of his life since thrombosis could occur if he was stressed either psychologically or physically', Vickers wrote. George's wife, the then-Queen Elizabeth, nursed her husband throughout his health battle by taking on much of the burden of royal engagements while he recovered. King George VI smoking a cigarette at a tennis match with Australian player G. L. Patterson. George was a lifelong smoker who allegedly puffed on 50 cigarettes a day, meaning he spent an estimated eight hours a day smoking She also proved more than capable of calming her husband down when he lost his temper. 'During one of the King's "gnashes" Queen Elizabeth held the King's arm high, appearing to take his pulse, and saying "tick, tick, tick" to lighten the moment,' Vickers wrote. Although the King's leg was saved, his health crisis was far from over as physicians faced the daunting task of making him cut down on cigarettes. George was a lifelong smoker who allegedly went through 50 cigarettes a day, meaning the King spent an estimated eight hours a day smoking. Tragically, his habit took a toll on his body, leading to a swift deterioration in his health in the final years of his reign. This started to affect the King's ability to carry out his duties, with the heir to the throne - Princess Elizabeth - taking on more and more engagements. By May 1951, the King was well enough to open the Festival of Britain, but afterwards he was forced to take an extended leave of absence. This led to the cancellation of an official visit from the King of Norway just hours before he had been due to meet George. In September that year, he had his left lung removed for was referred to at the time as 'structural abnormalities'. However, in reality, it was due to cancer. The King's doctors kept this diagnosis both from the public and the monarch himself. Although he did seem to be recovering from the procedure, the King died suddenly from a coronary thrombosis - or blood clot in an artery - five months later, in February 1952. His death was a shock to the public and the Royal Family. The King, in what would be his last public appearance, had seemed well when he waved off his eldest daughter at London Airport on January 31, 1952 as she and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, set off as his replacements on what was intended as a lengthy Commonwealth tour. Joined by his wife and their younger daughter, Princess Margaret, the Royal Family said their goodbyes on the Tarmac before gathering on a rooftop to watch the plane take off. Just six days later George passed away in his sleep. News of her father's death, and her immediate accession to the throne, reached Elizabeth while she was on safari in Kenya. King George VI (right), the then Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave farewell to Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh as they depart for a tour of the Commonwealth in January 1952. This would be George's last public appearance The tour was abruptly cancelled as the new Queen, then aged 25, rushed back to London. The unexpected nature of the King's death meant Elizabeth did not have a change of black clothes to mark his passing. This led Queen Elizabeth II to add a new royal protocol that royals must always travel with a change of black clothes in the event of such a tragedy. As the second son of George V, the King was a famously reluctant monarch who had acceded unexpectedly to the throne in December 1936 after the dramatic abdication of older brother Edward VIII. Christened Albert after his great-grandfather Prince Albert in the last years of Queen Victoria's long reign, and known as 'Bertie' to his family and friends, George VI had been a shy and sickly child who suffered from a stutter and had always been content to live in the shadows of the more charismatic and glamorous Edward. George went on to see the country through the darkest days of World War Two, which was the defining period of his reign. When the Royal Family elected to stay in London for the majority of the war, their fortitude won them the enduring respect and affection of the British people. They even subjected themselves to food rationing and restrictions on the depth of their bathwater.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Inside the royal tour to South Africa which was the young Elizabeth's FIRST trip abroad, royal author reveals
It was the then-Princess Elizabeth's first trip abroad - but her tour of South Africa would become important for so many other reasons. With the memory of World War Two still very raw and King George VI worn out by the toll of guiding his country through the conflict, the spring 1947 tour of South Africa was seen as the perfect opportunity for the Royal Family to enjoy some well-earned sunshine. On top of this, the trip took on more personal and formal reasons. The King wanted to travel down to the dominion to thank the more than 300,000 South African servicemen who were part of the war effort. On a personal note, the King was keen to enjoy a family holiday with just 'us four' - as George described his family unit - fully aware that in July, Elizabeth's engagement to Philip would be announced, forever altering their family dynamic. In his biography titled 'Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, royal insider Hugo Vickers revealed the royals were torn about whether to go on the trip due to issues at home and abroad. Many Britons were struggling to get by with rationing still in place and country effectively bankrupt. Meanwhile, unrest was growing across the British Empire with many colonies actively seeking independence. Vickers said: 'The King and Queen felt uneasy about sailing away from Britain when it was wracked with economic hardship.' The country had also been battered by one of the coldest winters in living memory and the King felt 'guilty heading for the sun while Britain froze', said Vickers. However, then-Prime Minister Clement Attlee convinced George not to cancel the trip and so in January 1947 the Royal Family departed for Portsmouth aboard the HMS Vanguard. Joining the royals on the 30-day voyage was an army of personal including a crew of 1,715 as well as three private secretaries, three ladies-in-waiting, a medical officer and a press secretary. The royals also had a full personal and clerical staff from London at their disposal including hairdressers, valets, maids and dressers. Their journey to the southern hemisphere was far from pleasant, with the rough weather meaning the family spent much of the journey sat in the sun lounge watching waves crash against the ship. The heavy seas even damaged the Vanguard as it travelled through the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France. Just two years after the end of the Second World War, there were also concerns about unexploded mines in the ocean. But for the young Elizabeth, she had other things on her mind. With her engagement to Philip set to be announced in July, royal author Andrew Morton claims that the 'lovesick' Elizabeth was 'distracted and reluctant to fulfil her duties'. The royals wave at the crew aboard the HMS Vanguard at the end of their journey back to Britain In his book 'Elizabeth and Margaret', Morton claims the future Queen 'moped' and was 'very eager for mail throughout the tour'. Once they arrived in South Africa in February, the Royal Family travelled for 10,000 miles, mostly by train, and visited 400 cities. King George's most important constitutional duty of the tour was the opening of the South African parliament. The visit came at a crucial moment politically for the then-Prime Minister of South Africa Jan Smuts who - according to Vickers - saw the visit as a moment to unite his country ahead of the upcoming 1948 election. Smuts's more moderate United Party would be defeated by the white supremacist National Party in the subsequent poll who went on to implement the racist policies of Apartheid, which would not be fully repealed until the 1990s. For Elizabeth, the trip proved that even at just 21 years old she was a true monarch-in-waiting. As the young Princess gave one of her most famous speeches over the radio to mark her birthday. In the broadcast, she promised Britons that her 'whole life whether it be long or short' would be devoted to their service. Royal writer Valentine Low revealed in his 2022 book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind The Throne that the future Queen was made so emotional by the stirring words that she cried. The Royal Family enjoy some rifle shooting on the deck of HMS Vanguard. Their journey to the southern hemisphere was far from pleasant with the rough weather meaning the family spent much of the journey sat in the sun lounge watching waves crash against the ship Alan Lascelles, private secretary to her father, said to her: 'Good, for if it makes you cry now, it will make 200million other people cry when you deliver it, and that is what we want.' Incredibly, a draft of the speech was briefly lost in a bar in Cape Town the month before Elizabeth delivered the words. When it was found, Lascelles wrote to Dermot Morrah, the journalist who wrote the speech, to tell him: 'The missing letter has now turned up. The steward in the Protea diner had put it in the bar, among his bottles, little knowing that it was itself of premier cru.' He went on to praise Morrah for the quality of the speech. Lascelles said: 'I have been reading drafts for many years now, but I cannot recall one that has so completely satisfied me and left me feeling that no single word should be altered. 'Moreover, dusty cynic though I am, it moved me greatly. It has the trumpet ring of the other Elizabeth's Tilbury speech, combined with the immortal simplicity of Victoria's 'I will be good'.' Elizabeth began her birthday speech, which was delivered from Government House in Cape Town, by saying: 'On my 21st birthday I welcome the opportunity to speak to all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire, wherever they live, whatever race they come from, and whatever language they speak. 'Let me begin by saying 'thank you' to all the thousands of kind people who have sent me messages of good will. This is a happy day for me; but it is also one that brings serious thoughts, thoughts of life looming ahead with all its challenges and with all its opportunity. 'At such a time it is a great help to know that there are multitudes of friends all round the world who are thinking of me and who wish me well. I am grateful and I am deeply moved.' The royals bid farewell to South Africa as they prepare for the journey back to the UK She went on to mention the six-year conflict with Nazi Germany, saying: 'We must not be daunted by the anxieties and hardships that the war has left behind for every nation of our commonwealth. 'We know that these things are the price we cheerfully undertook to pay for the high honour of standing alone, seven years ago, in defence of the liberty of the world. 'Let us say with Rupert Brooke: "Now God be thanked who has matched us with this hour".' But it was her prophetic concluding words that made the speech so historic. Elizabeth said: 'I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. 'But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Meg ‘is copying celebs AGAIN & they won't be happy – she'll get in trouble if she doesn't do something original'
MEGHAN Markle has been accused of copying celebrities again with her new wine. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has added Rosé wine to her range of As ever products - which is her first alcoholic beverage. 5 5 5 Hugo Vickers is a royal expert, known for his books on the Windsors and their ancestors. The expert kicked out against Meghan's new drink which is part of her brand As Ever, which includes her jam range. However, Hugo issued an urgent warning to the Duchess, advising her to make sure that her rosé is different enough to the slew of celebrity alcohol brands which have been released in recent years. Hugo said: 'And that's where you've got to be jolly careful. 'Because if you start just sort of taking other people's products and putting your name on it - I'm not saying that she's absolutely exactly done that - if you do something even by accident, then you're going to get into trouble. 'Because people who are less successful, who are selling them or the same thing and seeing them going out under her name, they won't like that definitely.' He added: 'If you like rosé wine, you'll probably find that you've got a particular one that you like, and I must admit I wouldn't be tempted to go for hers. 'I don't know what hers is, how hers is going to be so different from anybody else's. 'It's probably going to be more expensive because it has a sort of brand on it.' He also claimed that much of her popularity can be attributed to her famous husband. Hugo said: 'Prince Harry gives it a kind of a soap opera element which would otherwise be lacking, because, as you say, there are numerous other celebrities launching products, and you know you see them here and there, and you may be interested in them. Meghan's kids will be SO angry when they grow up & realise how they were used by her 'You may like the star who's put their name to it, and you might buy it for that reason.' The expert added that Meghan's new product won't 'concern' the Prince greatly. He said: 'I don't think it's going to concern him very much. 'I think he's probably much more interested in getting to Ascot and seeing whether one of his horses does well.' Meghan's new wine follows her jam brand, which went viral on social media. She also went viral for her remark that every 'failure' is actually a 'success'. However, Hugo slammed the comment - saying: 'She must have been doing an awful lot of winning recently, because quite a lot of the things that she's done have not been wildly successful.' He added: 'I think you do better actually by winning than failing.' Hugo also had a great tip for readers who are in the market for a new rosé. He said: 'Buy the palest kind of rosés that you can find, and those do tend to be rather more expensive, and don't buy the ones that look like syrup, because they're horrible. 'But there is a huge different range of rosés, so I don't entirely blame her for having a go at that one especially. 'Listen, we're talking on probably one of the hottest days in England, and a glass of ice cold rosé wouldn't go amiss.' The Sun has approached Meghan and Harry's representatives for comment. The 2023 pink booze from Napa Valley, California, will be sold via her As ever website from July 1. It has been announced alongside two new spreads now available including a Limited-Edition Orange Blossom Honey for $28 (£20). And she has also restocked six of the original products including $15 flower sprinkles. But there is no new raspberry spread available after Meg admitted she may never restock the infamous jam spread. 'COPYCAT' BEHAVIOUR It comes after Pamela Anderson fans accused Meghan of "copying" her Cooking With Love show with her own Netflix cookery programme With Love Meghan - released last month. And in February, the mayoress of Porres in Majorca complained the logo for the Duchess' lifestyle brand, As Ever, resembled her town's historic coat of arms. The town's mayor, Francisca Mora Veny, was considering taking legal action against the royal and has asked Meghan to remove the logo. Ms Mora told The Sun: 'We don't want our coat of arms to be perverted because it belongs exclusively to Porreres. 'The only difference with their logo and our coat of arms is that theirs shows two hummingbirds and in ours are either swallows or pigeons — historians cannot agree. "We will ask Meghan to remove the logo from their website.' Even before Meghan became a member of the British Royal Family, she appeared to be looking to others for inspiration. In her speech for International Women's Day at the UN in 2015, she was accused of lifting whole chunks from one delivered by former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt. The Sun previously compiled a list of seven times, in fact, that Meghan has been accused of being a "copycat". 5 5
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
How dare Meghan lecture the royals on ‘truth'? Her whole brand is built on ‘LIES', expert says
MEGHAN Markle should not lecture the royals on "truth" as her whole brand is built on "lies", an expert has blasted. The Duchess of Sussex recently appeared on her podcast alongside friend Emma Grede, CEO of Good American, where she seemed to take several digs at the Royal Family. 5 5 5 Royal author and broadcaster Hugo Vickers and news commentator Samara Gill spoke to our royal editor Matt Wilkinson this week about Meghan's comments. On The Sun's Royal exclusive show, Matt noted how he was stunned at Meghan's latest podcast interview where she asked people to "tell the truth about her". Samara said: "The fact is she is a constant liar and her whole brand is built on a spin of lies." "I don't trust a word that woman says. I think it is very, very low for her to insinuate that we should listen to her truth or that the royal family should tell the truth. "The lack of authenticity in that interview is palpable." Samara added that perhaps the "revolving door of staff" the Sussexes have employed may shed more light on "truth". have joined a long list of people who over the years no longer wish to associate with the mum-of-two. Samara also referenced bullying allegations levelled at her from staff during her time at Kensington Palace. The royal expert added: "I don't want to listen to this woman about truth. "The fact of the matter is that she is a constant liar." On the podcast, Meghan revealed that she wanted people to "tell the truth" about her, when asked "if you you could rewrite your public narrative from scratch, is there anything you would do differently?" The Duchess went on to share advice that she had received from Serana Williams regarding how she was viewed in the public after falling love with Prince Harry. Why Harry will not be happy after hypocrite Meghan published intimate moments online, expert reveals "My dear friend Serena, she told me years ago: 'A lie can't live forever,'" said Meghan. But Hugo, agreed with Samara on the issue and questioned how accurate Meghan's accusatory comments actually were. He said: "I think Samara and I, as well as others, do tell the truth about her and I don't think she likes it very much." The royal expert added: "No one would actually listen to Meghan Markle if it wasn't for the fact she married Prince Harry. "It's because she's married to Harry it gives the soap opera quality that seems to appeal to everyone. "Otherwise would not really care about her, a lot of other people are doing stuff similar to her on social media anyway." It comes after the Duchess broke her silence on her cringey twerking video after it sparked wild conspiracy theories. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, posted the footage earlier this month showing her and Prince Harry dancing in a hospital room as she tried to induce daughter Lilibet's birth in 2021. But conspiracy theorists bizarrely claimed that Meghan's bump was not real, suggesting she was wearing a prosthetic pregnant belly in the clip. Now, almost a fortnight after sharing the 80-second video with her three million followers on Instagram, the ex-Suits actress has defended her decision to post the personal footage. 5 5
