King and Queen to mark D-Day in France in first overseas trip since cancer diagnosis

A charity established by the Queen has announced a second series of its podcast featuring guests including Neil Gaiman and Richard E Grant.

The Queen’s Reading Room was formed from a book club set up by Camilla in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic to celebrate the power and benefits of reading.

Across nine episodes, guests will speak to charity CEO and host Vicki Perrin about their relationship with reading. Other guests will include comedian Mel Giedroyc and novelist Kate Mosse.

The weekly series will begin on Monday, May 20.

The first series of The Queen’s Reading Room Podcast featured Rebus author Sir Ian Rankin, actress Dame Joanna Lumley, and comedian David Baddiel and was listened to in 158 countries.

Ms Perrin said: “We were astounded by the response to the first season of The Queen’s Reading Room Podcast.

“It is clear that the podcast reached and resonated with listeners globally, enabling them to connect and fall in love with books.

“I hope that this second season of the podcast will continue to inspire listeners to go on new literary adventures and help those wishing they loved books a little more, to discover the true joy of reading.”

Children are taking centre stage at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, which is being billed as “one of the greenest” in years with a focus on sustainability and the climate crisis.

The King and Queen, and celebrities will get the first glimpse of this year’s event run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in London on Monday, before the world famous show opens to the public on Tuesday.

But it is children who are getting a special role at Chelsea this year, with a “no adults allowed” garden co-designed by a group of primary school pupils and the chance to judge the show gardens as junior judges for the first time.

Charles will visit the show’s first garden to be designed by children, where adults who want to see it must pledge to plant a tree to help the environment, donate to the RHS school gardening campaign, or find a flower that starts with the first letter of their name.

The King, Queen and Prince of Wales will attend commemorative events in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Buckingham Palace has said.

Charles and Camilla will be at the Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion’s (RBL) event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer on June 6, and William will attend the Canadian commemorative ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, on the same date.

The prince will then attend the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mer, later that day alongside 25 heads of state and veterans from around the world.

The Princess of Wales is not expected to travel to France.

Defence chiefs are scrambling to secure more planes for a parachute drop to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day as crises in Ukraine and the Middle East have left the RAF’s transport fleet stretched.

Hundreds of paratroopers were expected to jump into Normandy, as an homage to the actions of their predecessors in the Second World War. However, a severe shortage of planes has led to these plans being scaled back.

The Mail on Sunday reported that only one plane was left for the Parachute Regiment to use, but sources believe at least one more can be made available.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has ordered an urgent review.

Paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team will jump from an RAF A400M and the Red Devils Parachute Display Team will also jump into Normandy.

Buckingham Palace made the revelation in a letter to Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), where it was said that the Queen, 76, “will not procure any new fur garments”.

“This comes with the Queen’s warmest wishes,” the palace added.

The news went down a storm with the animal rights organisation which said staff would be celebrating the Queen with “a glass of the finest claret”.

“It’s right and proper for the British monarchy to reflect British values by recognising that fur has no place in our society,” managing director Ingrid Newkirk said.

Prince Harry’s departure from the royal family changed the face of the British monarchy forever – but he is not the only royal black sheep to turn his back on palace life.

In Belgium, 60-year-old former playboy Prince Laurent has similarly established himself as an outsider in his own clan – much in the way that a young Harry did during his own turbulent formative years.

Laurent was affectionally known in the corridors of The Palace of Laeken as the “Playboy prince” before his marriage to Claire Coombs in 2003, while he courted further controversy with his spending and alleged entreprenurial work.

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Prince Edward, when he was at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland yesterday, described the support he received from royal chaplains following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II died in September 2022 at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, a mere 17 months after Prince Philip died in April 2021.

Andrew said that the deaths being so close made his mother’s passing “far more emotional”.

“For my own part, I just want to pay personal tribute to the chaplains of the Chapels Royal and especially those here in Scotland,” he said.

“There have been moments recently where I have been lucky to have sensed God’s care and love.”

“And who could forget the scenes that followed the passing of my mother?”

“The outpouring of emotions, the demonstration of respect, love and grief was overwhelming and a privilege to experience and behold.”

King Charles has granted a portrait photographer with a Royal Warrant for the first time.

Hugo Burnand told The Independent that he aims to give the public a true sense of who the royals really are through his official portraits.

Palace insiders said he is grateful to have been “trusted and supported” enough to take official photographs of the family at their milestone occasions and now to be granted this official seal of approval.

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The seventh Duke of Westminster – once dubbed one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors – is officially the richest man in the UK under 40.

According to the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List, Hugh Grosvenor, 33, has a net worth of £10.127 billion – a substantial increase from the £9.878 billion he had in 2023.

However, he is soon set to lose his bachelor status when he ties the knot in the society wedding of the year next month.

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