Palace releases new portrait of King and Queen as their Samoa trip ends

The Prince of Wales is using the school run to tell his children about homelessness, just as his mother did when he was a boy, as he attempts to find ways to tackle the issue.

William said he talks to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis when they spot rough sleepers – much in the same way that his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, did when he and his brother Harry were children.

He tells the ITV1 and ITVX documentary – Prince William: We Can End Homelessness: “When you are that small you are just curious and trying to work out what’s going on. You ask the question ‘why are they sitting there?’

“My mother would talk to us a bit about why they were there and it definitely made a really big impact.”

William was asked on the documentary when he felt the right time would be to introduce George, 11; Charlotte, nine; and Louis, six, to homelessness.

He replied: “I am probably already doing it on the school run. The first few times I thought ‘do I bring this up or should I wait to see if they notice?’ Sure enough, they did. They were sort of in silence when I said what was going on.”

There are no plans to host weddings for members of the public on the King’s Balmoral Estate, a spokesman for the royal residence has said.

Weddings are mentioned in plans a representative for the Aberdeenshire estate had lodged for the Queen’s Building, on the grounds near Balmoral Castle.

The plans state the venue “may be used for weddings, dinners, meetings and associated events”, which it said would be “rare throughout the year”.

But a spokesman for the estate said: “There are no plans for Balmoral to host weddings as a commercial venture.”

It is understood the estate has had the capability to host functions and events, both private and public, for a number of years.

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Mike Tindall, the late Queen’s grandson-in-law, says the Queen’s life “wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey”.

The world cup winning rugby union player, who is married to the Queen’s granddaughtr Zara Tindall, revealed what the Queen was like behind closed doors in his joint book ‘The Good, The Bad and The Rugby – Unleashed’, released alongside podcast co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne.

“I’m sometimes asked if the Queen did informality like ‘normal’ people, and the answer to that is yes,” Mr Tindall said.

“Her life wasn’t like an episode of Downton Abbey, with meals on long tables and everyone dressed in their finery every night, and Zara and I would often watch the racing with her on TV, as I’m sure lots of people reading this have done with their gran.

“Lunches were also relaxed, especially up in Scotland, where lunch would often be heading out into the open space of the Scottish Highlands for a picnic.

“There’s a great picture of my daughter Mia sitting with the Duke of Edinburgh that captures exactly what those afternoons were like: members of a very close family who loved each other dearly spending precious time together. Yes, there’s a lot of drama surrounding the royal family, but they aren’t much different to anyone else underneath it all,” he added.

As the King’s landmark trip to Australia and Samoa come to an end, here’s a look at one of the more bizarre moments of the royal tour.

The King was left in “disbelief” after a crown-wearing alpaca dressed in a suit with a gold bow tie sneezed as he went to say hello on Monday.

The animal was calmly waiting with its owner among hundreds of well-wishers to meet the King outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra when he committed the social gaff.

Robert Fletcher had brought his nine-year-old alpaca – named Hefner as his mother was called Playgirl – on its lead to meet the King.

But when Charles stroked his nose the animal sneezed and those around him laughed.

Mr Fletcher said afterwards: “I got to shake his hand and then Hefner sneezed. The King just looked in disbelief. But it’s just who Hefner is. He is an alpaca after all.”

The King has said he hopes to “survive long enough” to return to Samoa as he heads back to the UK.

Charles and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to Samoa by visiting a village twinned with the UK, as a major Commonwealth summit was hosted by the Pacific nation.

After his landmark speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) on Friday, the King and his wife took part in a cultural welcome as guests of Siumu village the following day.

He told his guests: “I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you all.”

From poignant remembrance events to ancient welcome ceremonies, the King and Queen’s tour of Australia and Samoa had it all.

Crowds flocked to the famous Sydney Opera House to see the monarch making his first visit to Australia as King, with his wife Camilla. It saw the largest crowd of the tour, with more than 6,000 people vying for the best spot to get a glimpse of the couple.

In the capital Canberra the mood was very different when the couple paid their respects at the Australian War Memorial during a poignant wreath-laying ceremony. There were moments when the formalities were forgotten, including Charles being hugged by one well-wisher during his visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney.

Some encounters were more unusual, from an alpaca wearing a crown and bow tie that sneezed as the King stroked its nose, to the Queen trying to coax a parrot to talk.

Royal tours sometimes have controversial moments and when Charles was welcomed by parliamentarians in Canberra, senator Lidia Thorpe accused him of “genocide” against the First Nations.

In Samoa the King showed off his own take on local fashion during welcoming ceremonies.

Charles swapped his trademark tailored suit for a short-sleeved white jacket and trousers he designed himself as he was honoured with a new title, sipped a symbolic drink and was presented with a pig for feasting on the opening day of his state visit to the Pacific nation.

The itinerary was tailored to give the King, who has been receiving treatment for cancer for much of the year, periods of rest. A rest day was allocated after the couple first arrived in Australia and the King looked engaged, relaxed and in good spirits throughout the overseas visit.

Charles and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to Samoa on Friday as they boarded their plane back to the UK.

Before departing, the King and Queen visiteda village twinned with the UK and later sheltered under umbrellas when they boarded their plane home in torrential rain.

Camilla went ahead of her husband, who chatted to dignitaries for a few minutes before joining his wife at the top of the steps and they both waved goodbye to the Pacific nation.