Kate to make poignant return to duty as William opens up on ‘brutal’ 2024: live

The royal family has wished a happy 21st birthday to Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Lady Louise – the youngest niece of the King and granddaughter to the late Queen – is studying English Literature at St Andrews University. She is following in the footsteps of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who met at the university in Fife, Scotland in 2001.

She is 16th in line for the throne and she and her younger brother James, the Earl of Wessex, will be expected to work for a living and are unlikely to use HRH styles as adults.

Louise was born prematurely in November 2003, weighing just 4lb 9oz. Her mother, Sophie, was rushed to hospital at eight months pregnant, with severe internal pains and doctors found she was dangerously ill from blood loss and performed an emergency Caesarean.

Newborn Louise was transferred to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, for specialist care, while the duchess remained at Frimley Park Hospital near their Bagshot Park home. They were separated for six days.

The late Prince Philip taught Louise how to drive a carriage and she is often seen at the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show. She occasionally accompanies her parents at events and attends royal celebrations such as Trooping the Colour.

The Prince of Wales has told supermodel Heidi Klum he woke feeling “emotional” and “excited” after his Earthshot Prize awards.

William sat by the waterside in Kalk Bay Harbour in Cape Town with the celebrity and fellow model Winnie Harlow and reflected on his “green Oscars” as they enjoyed a braai or barbecue.

They were joined by celebrities Billy Porter and Tobe Nwigwe, who had also taken part in Wednesday’s ceremony which saw five environmental winners awarded £1 million to develop their ideas to “repair” the planet.

William told the famous Earthshot advocates: “I really appreciate all your support,” and Harlow replied: “It was an honour.”

He added: “I woke up this morning feeling quite emotional and excited.”

Klum, who announced the Fix our Climate category winner, won by an organisation that converts waste heat into energy, said: “I was emotional on the stage.”

The Prince of Wales has admitted he misses his former “life” working in search and rescue as he took to the seas with a lifeboat crew in Cape Town.

William kicked off his final day in South Africa with a visit to Simon’s Town Harbour, home to the country’s largest naval base.

He met volunteers working for the National Seas Rescue Institute (NSRI) to hear about their lifesaving work and asked what inspired them to get involved.

Before donning a life jacket and heading out with the crew, he asked how choppy the water was and joked that he should possibly be wearing more kit so he did not get wet.

William also revealed that he was trying to teach his three children about rip tides and admitted he wished his family had been with him for the four-day trip.

He was asked by a member of the crew if he had ever done search and rescue work, he replied: “I miss this life. Any chance to get back, I’ll take.”

The future king was a search and rescue helicopter pilot based at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales before working as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The Duke of Sussex has told bereaved military children he “understands, perhaps more than most” the weight of losing a parent at a young age.

In a letter to young people supported by the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, Harry said it can be “overwhelming and isolating” and acknowledged that remembrance is “not only time to honour the extraordinary sacrifices made by our service members but also to recognise the impact these sacrifices have on families”.

Harry lost his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in 1997 – when he was just 12 years old.

The duke added in his letter: “We find strength in the love and memories left behind, and I have seen how communities like yours can offer deep comfort and healing.

“Scotty’s Little Soldiers embodies this spirit of community. In coming together to support one another, you not only honour the memories of your loved ones but also forge bonds that can and will carry you through the toughest times.

“The tears and laughter, the shared experiences, and the moments of joy you create together are powerful reminders that love endures.”

The King shared details of his exercise regime with Team GB athletes as he congratulated this year’s Olympic and Paralympic squads at Buckingham Palace.

Charles told the women’s athletics squad that he works out twice a day as he and the Princess Royal honoured them at an informal reception on Thursday.

The King also revealed he looked forward to watching Britain’s most decorated Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, compete on Dancing On Ice next year.

Sprinter Desiree Henry, who was part of the silver medal-winning women’s Olympic 4x100m relay team, told the PA news agency: “He said he squats and does the pull-up bars.”

Charles has followed the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 5BX (Five Basic Exercises) regime for years.

Eleven minutes long and equipment-free, the routine of simple exercises was designed in the 1950s to keep Canadian pilots fit at home and abroad.

The King gave King Abdullah II of Jordan a special gift as he welcomed him to Windsor Castle to celebrate his silver jubilee.

The Jordanian monarch, who met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street on Wednesday, joined the King for tea at the castle on Thursday, where Charles presented him with a silver beaker. The gift, engraved with the ciphers of the King and Queen, marks 25 years since Abdullah became King of Jordan.

As the King of Jordan arrived in a grey Range Rover, the guard of honour gave a royal salute and the band played the Jordanian national anthem.

The two kings shook hands and Major Edward Emlyn-Williams, the Captain of the Guard, in Arabic invited Abdullah II to inspect the guard.

Afterwards the kings watched a military march-past before they laughed as they spoke to a guard before going into the castle for tea.

The Prince of Wales has revealed his daughter was not a fan of his beard when he first grew it – and had to shave it off after it left her “in floods of tears”.

Prince William revealed Princess Charlotte hated his newly grown facial hair at first, but has since come round to the idea of seeing her father with a beard.

The heir to the throne debuted his new look in an online video with his wife, Kate, in August, when they praised the achievements of the nation’s athletes after the Paris Olympics.

Speaking at the end of a four-day visit to Cape Town, he said: “Charlotte didn’t like it the first time. I got floods of tears the first time I grew a beard, so I had to shave it off.

“And then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second and I convinced her it was going to be okay.”

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The Prince of Wales arrived at Simon’s Town Harbour on Thursday (8 November), where crowds waited to eagerly meet him.

Several people commented on William’s newly grown beard.

Smiling, the prince thanked them, before joking about shaving it off.

The prince earlier revealed he had to shave the beard after he first grew it because it left his daughter Princess Charlotte in floods of tears

The King has acknowledged his “advancing years” as he revealed his approach to birthday celebrations ahead of turning 76.

Charles wrote personally to thank the Military Wives Choirs for their gift of a new single in his honour, saying he was “deeply touched by your wonderfully thoughtful tribute”.

The monarch added, in a nod to reaching a “certain age”: “While those of us of a certain age may feel the need for any such birthday celebrations is in inverse proportion to our advancing years, I am none the less deeply touched by your wonderfully thoughtful tribute.”

Charles reaches his 76th birthday on November 14 after a personally difficult year in which both he and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.