Boris Johnson says he was asked to give Harry ‘manly pep talk’; Palace sources deny claim – Royal news live
Sources close to Buckingham Palace have denied that Boris Johnson was asked to give Prince Harry a “manly pep talk” to convince him not to step away from royal duties in January 2020.
The former prime minister claimed in his new book Unleashed that officials from the palace and Downing Street had asked him to intervene, which he described as “totally hopeless”.
However, sources familiar with these meetings have told The Telegraph that no such request as made.
This comes as Prince Harry made a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as he visits New York alone for a series of philanthropic engagements.
Meanwhile, Princess of Wales has continued her gradual return to work after completing chemotherapy by visiting an “inspiring” ballet performance in London.
Kate, 42, later praised the performance on official Kensington Palace channels, where she described the performance of Giselle at Sadler’s Wells Theatre as “creativity at its best”.
Other upcoming engagements for the princess include the National Service of Remembrance in Whitehall and her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster, which she has already attended a meeting for.
Key Points
King Charles praises Maggie Smith’s ‘warmth and wit’ in touching tribute to late film star
The monarch shared his statement alongside a photograph of the pair speaking at the Pride Of Britain awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel in October 2016.
“My wife and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” said Charles.
Holyrood guest gives King a hug at event to mark 25 years of Scottish Parliament
A woman has said she gave the King a hug as he visited Holyrood “because of him being unwell”.
Yvonne Macmillan, 59, from East Renfrewshire, chatted to Charles as she attended a special ceremony to mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.
The King was diagnosed with cancer in February this year, and underwent treatment shortly afterwards.
He has now returned to public duties, with Mrs Macmillan telling the PA news agency: “I asked him if he was feeling better and if I could give him a hug. I actually said to him: ‘Can I hug you?’
Duchess of Edinburgh carries out engagements in Surrey
Her busy schedule was shared on the official royal family Twitter/X account in a post that read: “This week, The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Surrey, engaging with local initiatives.
“At Hale Community Centre, The Duchess met community groups and admired artwork by Creative Response.
“At Mane Chance Sanctuary, The Duchess helped groom and feed horses with @DofE Award students.
“At Parity for Disability, The Duchess joined students for sensory activities and cake decorating.”
This week, The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Surrey, engaging with local initiatives.
At Hale Community Centre, The Duchess met community groups and admired artwork by Creative Response.
Taxpayer-funded grand to monarchy to rise by £45m
The raise will see the Sovereign Grant increase from £86.3m for the years 2024 to 2025 to £132m for the years 2025 to 2026.
King Charles is the ‘loveliest man in the world’, says Camilla’s son
Queen Camilla’s son, the food critic Tom Parker-Bowles, has revealed his thoughts on spending time with his mother and King Charles in a column with the Telegraph.
Recounting his day as part of their weekly My Saturday, which sees celebrities recount their favourite weekend rituals, Mr Parker-Bowles said he was more likely to see the royal couple during the week, and often visits for a cup of tea.
“I know some people might visit their family for a bite to eat on a Saturday, but I don’t tend to nip down for lunch at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House as my mother is usually in the country at weekends now,” he said.
“Charles, who genuinely is the loveliest man in the world, and I’m not just being oily, knows so much about food and loves his food, as does my mother,” he added.
King warns of climate change dangers as he marks 25 years of Scottish Parliament
King warns of climate change dangers as he marks 25 years of Scottish Parliament
Prince Harry screams and swears his way through surprise Jimmy Fallon appearance
Prince Harry unexpectedly showed up on Jimmy Fallon’s US talk show – and his appearance left him screaming and swearing.
Harry was invited to walk through a “haunted” maze with the host, and the result was broadcast on Thursday night’s episode of The Tonight Show (26 September).
Based on Fallon’s nightmares, the maze is a New York-based attraction set to feature several rooms filled with actors jumping out at attendees.
Charles says Scotland has ‘uniquely special place’ for royal family
The King said Scotland “has always had a uniquely special place” in the hearts of his family.
He said: “We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland, because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based, as it is, on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions and frequently deeply held beliefs never cease to inspire.
King Charles recalled the death of the late Queen, who chose to spend her final days in Balmoral (Getty)
“From the central belt to the north Highlands, across the islands in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns and villages, all the coastal communities, who I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?
“Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.
“My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish, my late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.”
King Charles marks 25th anniversary of Scottish Parliament
The King has marked the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, saying it has more than “thrived”.
Charles and the Queen, during their visit to Holyrood on Saturday, were met by presiding officer Alison Johnstone and deputy presiding officers Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing.
The royal couple then greeted Holyrood’s party leaders: First Minister and head of the SNP John Swinney, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton
Addressing the chamber on Saturday, the King said: “This place has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland.”
Buckingham Palace ‘did not ask’ Boris Johnson to intervene with Harry and Meghan
Boris Johnson was not asked by Buckingham Palace to try and persuade Prince Harry to stay in the UK, despite the former prime minister’s claims in his new book.
In a section serialised by the Daily Mail, Johnson claims he was asked to give the Duke of Sussex a “manly pep talk” to convince him to remain part of the working monarchy, which he described as “totally hopeless”.
He alleged that officials from the palace and Downing Street made the request in the belief it might encourage the Duke to change his mind.
However, The Telegraph understands this was not the case, and there was no specific request from the palace for such an intervention to take place.
