Latest news with #ex-BBC
Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Prince William under 'pressure' over being parted from son George by royal rule
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info As Prince George's 12th birthday approaches, Prince William faces the challenge of upholding a long-standing Royal protocol that will prevent him from travelling with his eldest son. Once George turns 12 on July 22, a traditional rule kicks in requiring that he must travel separately from his father for official engagements to safeguard the Royal succession in case of an accident. According to the centuries-old custom, those over 12 years old who are in the line of succession must not travel together, particularly by air, to ensure continuity of the monarchy. Although there's a common belief that the rule encompasses all forms of transport, Royal commentator Jennie Bond suggests it predominantly pertains to flights for heirs to the crown. Jennie Bond, ex-BBC Royal correspondent, mentioned to the Mirror: "This is a rule which I think applies only to flying, not to other methods of transport. Nevertheless, it's going to be rather annoying for the family because they are such a tight little unit and obviously enjoy travelling together." Despite the tradition, Prince William might sometimes opt to dismiss this rule as part of his ongoing modernisation of Royal practices. Royal commentator Katie Nicholl suggests that Prince William may face pressure to adhere to a Royal rule aimed at safeguarding the line of succession. "However, I think there will be pressure on William to stick to this rule – at least most of the time. It's all to do with protecting the succession to the throne.", reports the Mirror. Nicholl further explained that such a stringent protocol could leave a significant imprint on Prince George, whose path to sovereignty has been laid out since birth. She said: "It is of course quite a graphic illustration of how George's destiny is mapped out and of how he is different to everyone else. And that must be quite hard for a 12-year-old to accept." She highlighted the positive influence of the young prince's parents, saying, "But he has brilliant parents in Catherine and William, and I'm sure they will explain the situation as gently as possible to all three of the children. In any case, I don't think we should think of George flying on his own. I imagine they will just divide up as a family and as long as William and George are separate, they can make it work." Moreover, Nicholl acknowledged that with Prince William's current approach to modernising Royal traditions, he might choose to dispense with this historical precedent. She explained: "William is very much his own man and it may be that he feels this tradition is unnecessary – especially as some statistics suggest flying is safer than driving. So we shall have to wait and see whether he sticks to the way things have been done in the past."
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Masterchef star John Torode breaks social media silence after Gregg Wallace sacking
Masterchef host John Torode has broken his silence on social media after his co-star Gregg Wallace was sacked from the BBC show and banned from the broadcaster. Masterchef host John Torode has returned to the social media scene, after maintaining silence on the platforms during the aftermath of Gregg Wallace's dismissal and subsequent outspoken statement earlier this week. Gregg Wallace, 60, made headlines earlier in the week with a statement pledging he wouldn't 'go quietly' following news that he had been removed from the BBC show by production company Banijay. The Mirror then released an exclusive bitter letter stating that Gregg had received a ban from the BBC. Throughout this period, John refrained from social media interaction, but today he resumed his online presence. The 59 year old TV chef has seemingly chosen to sidestep the controversy surrounding his ex-BBC colleague, instead shining a spotlight on his professional endeavours with two Instagram story updates shared this morning. John's initial Instagram story upload was a Good Food repost featuring him preparing barbecue lamb cutlets which John dubs an "in or out dish" capable of being cooked inside or out. Shortly thereafter, John posted another story linking viewers to a promotional clip for today's edition of John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen on ITV, with John appearing beside his wife Lisa Faulkner. The couple informed their followers about their latest culinary creation on the programme, as Lisa announced: "We've just made the most delicious rice – Persian rice – with chicken thighs – absolutely gorgeous.", reports the Mirror. Lisa says: "And, at the bottom of it there's crispy, crispy rice. It's all things rice in this recipe," John chimes in, "It is all things nice and rice. We started off with your favourite thing ever, which is crispy rice, usually served with tuna and salmon but we did it with avocado and prawns.." Lisa responds: "We did. I served it. It's all things rice on this recipe – I've lost the plot." John adds: "And then we did a mango one..." Lisa continues: "We did sticky, salty coconut rice which sounds... is just delicious."
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'relieved' over French state visit despite King's 'snub'
King Charles delivered a powerful message to his son Prince William at the state banquet on Tuesday, marking the end of the final day of the French state visit to the UK. King Charles delivered a poignant message to his son Prince William during the state banquet on Tuesday, which marked the conclusion of the French state visit to the UK. The lavish banquet, graced by the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with hundreds of other distinguished guests, took place at Windsor Castle. Here, the King gave an emotive speech reflecting on the Royal family's ties with France. In his heartfelt address, King Charles expressed his affection for his eldest son, Prince William, commending his choice to set up his family residence in Windsor, highlighting the significance of the location due to its Norman roots. "The castle in which we meet this evening was begun by my ancestor - and your sometime countryman - William, Duke of Normandy, in the year 1070," Charles remarked. "It remains the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. "So it is perhaps rather appropriate that my son, the Prince of Wales, who shares that earlier William's name, has made Windsor his home with his family, like so many of our predecessors," the King continued, reports the Mirror. Observers were quick to note that the King's speech did not reference his younger son, Prince Harry, who stepped back from Royal duties in 2020 alongside his wife Meghan Markle and moved permanently to California. While some interpreted the omission of Prince Harry from King Charles's speech as a pointed 'snub', Royal commentator Jennie Bond has offered a different perspective. The ex-BBC Royal correspondent believes the King's address was nothing out of the ordinary. Speaking to The Mirror, Jennie Bond remarked: "I don't think it is significant at all that there was no mention of Harry. It would have been very odd indeed for the King to have mentioned him during a State occasion which was all about Anglo French relations." Bond further explained: "His reference to William was simply because of his name, the castle and its association with the Duke of Normandy. In no way was this any kind of snub." On whether the Sussexes might feel slighted by their exclusion from the King's speech and the French state visit, Jennie commented: "I don't imagine Harry or Meghan will have paid much attention to the Macron visit." She added: "If they did, they would probably feel relieved that they don't have to get dressed up and perform what is a very delicate and probably quite stressful diplomatic duty." The relationship between Prince Harry and King Charles has been notably tense over recent years, which could explain why the monarch chose not to mention the Duke of Sussex in his formal remarks. Prince Harry has expressed to the BBC his desire for "love a reconciliation" with his father, although he has suggested that King Charles is unwilling to engage in conversation with him. "There's no point continuing to fight anymore, life is precious," Harry remarked, further noting that he has "forgiven" them for their numerous "disagreements."
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh book festival has a few questions to answer
'Fury over £300k for Sturgeon book fest' was the splash headline over pictures of the former First Minister and her ex-aide Liz Lloyd. Ms Lloyd was appointed a director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in May, the paper reported. In June, the Scottish Government announced it had given the festival £300,000. Meanwhile, Ms Lloyd's old boss had been given a plum spot at the festival to publicise her new memoir, Frankly. My nose twitched. The eyebrows went skywards, but why? Here's the Sunday Mail again: 'The book festival said it would be 'spurious' and 'misleading' to suggest any link between Lloyd's appointment and the announcement of the cash, which it said had been planned for months.' Interesting choice of words there, particularly 'spurious'. It's the kind of ten-dollar word a lawyer might use when a simple 'wrong' would have done. It is there to send a message: nothing to see here folks, so let's all just shuffle on. Read more It is true. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong. As the festival said when news of Ms Lloyd's appointment emerged, she was appointed following 'a fully advertised recruitment process'. I could have applied, you could have applied, but we didn't. Moreover, she would bring 'valuable experience in communications, leadership and public affairs'. It has been more than the regulation two years since Ms Sturgeon and Ms Lloyd held positions in public life, the former as FM and the latter as her strategic adviser. Ms Sturgeon has carried on as an MSP, controversially as she has not been seen much in the Scottish Parliament. Those memoirs won't write themselves, you know. But Lloyd is different. She is a free agent, able to do what she wants, no permission required or sought. She has every right to earn a living by selling her skills wherever she pleases. Hence the application to the books festival. The same goes for her appointment to a firm called Flint. On its website, Flint says it 'helps businesses and investors succeed in an increasingly complex world'. Its CEO is James Purnell, former Labour MP, former minister under Blair and Brown, ex-BBC and think-tanker. Click through and you will eventually meet the Flint team, which now includes Ms Lloyd. Listed as a specialist partner with expertise in devolved administrations, operations team, policy and political analysis, her work for the FM is outlined in glowing terms. It's impressive stuff. She's an impressive woman. Once again, she's doing nothing wrong. Countless former aides, and elected representatives, have gone the same route, using what they learned in the public sector and applying it in the private. Put your knowledge and experience to work. Everyone who ever progressed in a career has done likewise. To summarise, Ms Lloyd was appointed a director at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Nothing wrong in that. She advises businesses and investors using the expertise acquired while working for the First Minister. Nothing wrong in that. As for her book festival appointment coinciding with the award of a £300k Scottish Government grant, remember the latter had been 'planned for months', according to the event organisers. The Scottish Government said the same thing when it announced the money at the end of June: the deal had been signed off months before by ministers but was not publicised. What I would like to know, as a taxpayer if nothing else, is exactly when Ms Lloyd was appointed books festival director, and whether anyone at the festival knew that the £300k was in the pipeline. Why was the Government announcement held back? The money is part of a larger package of help given to the event by the Scottish Government, and there is a lot more to come. Again, were those involved in the appointment of Ms Lloyd aware of this? It's a matter of public record, after all. Once again, nobody has done anything wrong. That happens a lot in Scotland, particularly when the Scottish Government, and the current administration in particular, is involved. You can pass any number of faces on the stairs, familiar ones like John Swinney, and swear they had a case to answer for something or other, but when it comes to holding them to account, there is nobody there. Ferries, education, NHS waiting times, growth - you name it, no one is taking the blame for failure any time soon. You will never see any of these faces take the sort of pasting handed out last week to Professor Iain Gillespie, former principal of the University of Dundee, by the Education Committee. Yes, ministers have been questioned, but not like that. One of the unfortunate principal's mistakes was to fail downwards when the done thing in Scottish public life is to fail upwards. Move on, move up, take the rewards but accept zero blame unless there is no other option. It was and is the Westminster way and it has transferred to the Scottish Parliament. We'll be seeing it a lot more of this moving on as the elections approach. Get ready to hold your nose as departing MSPs, and their aides, compete for jobs in the public and private sectors. And if the SNP should win a majority again, despite their record, the failing upwards can carry on as normal. I wonder if Ms Sturgeon will address the subject of failure when her much-anticipated session at the books festival comes to pass. If she is up for it, I would like to hear Ms Lloyd's thoughts as well. Now that she is a festival director and in what they call 'a public-facing role', there shouldn't be a problem. John Swinney too - all are welcome. Until then, I'll keep wrinkling my nose. Bewitched, no. Bothered, plenty. Alison Rowat is a Herald feature writer and columnist
Daily Record
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Prince Harry's pre-wedding tensions with Queen revealed as 'Meghan Markle's sincerity questioned'
A new book claims that the late Queen was "dismayed" by Prince Harry's behaviour in the run-up to his wedding. Over seven years on from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marital union, fresh allegations have emerged about strains prior to their wedding ceremony. While it is common knowledge that the lead-up to their May 2018 wedding faced choppy waters, particularly with Meghan's father withdrawing from attending at the eleventh hour, a Royal biographer has now unveiled claims that tensions ran higher than previously thought. According to the author, behind the scenes, Prince Harry had allegedly caused the late Queen Elizabeth II to feel 'dismayed' by certain elements of the wedding plans, even suggesting that he nearly jeopardised his relationship with his grandmother. Royal author Sally Bedell Smith alleges that she was informed by the now-deceased Lady Elizabeth Anson – a party planner with high society links and the Queen's cousin – that the Queen harboured "very worried" feelings regarding her grandson. The veracity of Meghan's intentions also came under scrutiny, reports the Mirror. The comments attributed to Lady Anson, who passed away in 2020, refer to events that unfolded over seven years ago. However, even as time has marched on since Harry and Meghan exchanged vows, Jennie Bond, ex-BBC Royal correspondent, relayed to the Mirror that Meghan recently appeared to revisit these past incidents first. Jennie Bond conveyed her thoughts: "There have been too many reports about tensions in the weeks running up to Harry and Meghan's marriage to discount them. I think the old saying 'there's no smoke without fire' holds true." "Lady Elizabeth Anson was certainly a very well-connected and informed source for these latest reports, which suggest that the Queen felt Harry was rushing into a marriage too quickly. "Worse than that, it seems the Queen and other members of the Royal family doubted Meghan's sincerity and found her very difficult to deal with. "It's extremely sad to think that the situation also soured the late Queen's relationship with her very much loved grandson, Harry: a young man she had nurtured and guided through the very worst time of his life, the death of his mother. "Is it fair that all this is being brought up so many years later? Maybe not, but then perhaps Meghan shouldn't allude to lies being told about her eight years ago, which she did in a recent podcast. "The fact is the royal story is always a source of curiosity and will sell books and papers, especially when there is a whiff of discord or scandal." One bombshell claim made in Bedell-Smith's Substack is that the former monarch had been left shocked that Harry had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the wedding ceremony without asking the Dean of Windsor first and that the now Duke of Sussex thought his grandmother could just "do what she wants". According to Bedell Smith, Lady Anson revealed that Harry had "blown" his relationship with the Queen. Several months before the wedding, Lady Anson recounted to her: "She [the Queen] said she was really upset. I was shocked when the Queen told me this, how she was so saddened. I had no idea about the conversation, that he was rude to her for ten minutes. "They had tea with her the day before yesterday. She was trying to find out about the wedding dress, and Meghan wouldn't tell her." However, closer to the wedding day, Bedell Smith claims Lady Anson informed her that Harry and the Queen had "patched things up" after he shared details of the upcoming wedding with her. Bedell Smith recounts Lady Anson describing Harry as "besotted and weak about women." Jennie now believes these claims indicate a significant change in Harry's character. She commented: "It does seem quite out of character for Harry to disrespect his grandmother and, if he did, it is a sorry reflection of how his relationship changed him. "He always claimed they had something special, and that she could confide in him in a way she did not with other family members. He suggested he was in some way her sure 'she had the right people around her.'". "The late Queen was meticulous about including both Harry and Meghan in statements she made about the situation and made it clear she would always regard them as part of the family. Whether she would still feel quite so magnanimous today is something we shall never know. I just hope Harry now feels it was all worth it." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! 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