Latest news with #KatieNicholl
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 'quietly devoted' royals who are setting an example for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Much has been made about the implications of being a 'spare' in the Royal Family - and Prince Harry's explosive memoir made everyone aware of the concept. Harry, of course, isn't the only 'spare' - a family member who isn't poised to be a direct heir to the throne in the line of succession. From Princess Anne to now Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, there are plenty. And it doesn't have to be seen as a negative. Something two dedicated royals are setting an example for Charlotte and Louis to follow, according to a royal expert. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were two senior royal family members who stepped up and stepped in after the Royal Family's tough year in 2024, with Kate Middleton and King Charles both battling highly publicized illnesses. And although they have been working royals since 2002, the BBC's former royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, believes that the couple are finally getting the "recognition" they deserve, stepping up to the plate when they were needed more than ever before. The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown by Katie Nicholl | Was $18.99, Now $15.19 at Amazon Katie Nicholl provides an intriguing and insightful look at Queen Elizabeth's extraordinary reign and draws on stories from Palace courtiers and aides, as well as family members. She reflects upon where The Firm could be headed now and how the Royal Family must react in the ever-changing modern Deal According to Jennie, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie proving themselves and taking on more duties also helped set an example on how to flourish as a "spare", something that could influence their great-niece and nephew, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Speaking to OK!, Jennie stated that the Edinburghs "thoroughly deserve the recognition they are now getting... They have always been quietly devoted to their various causes, but their work has been overshadowed by other royals," she continued. "I suppose every cloud has a silver lining… and as the King calls on them to take a more prominent role, Edward and Sophie are showing they are very much up to the task." Jennie then reflected that the couple are "serving as excellent role models to their great nephew [ ] and niece" as they are "showing that you can be a 'spare' or even a 'spare to the spare' and make a real success of working as a valued member of the Royal Family". Not only will the Duke and Duchess be a good example, it's been rumored that Sophie enjoys a great bond with Charlotte, and they offered a rare glimpse into their dynamic during the 2025 VE Day celebrations. The Duchess no doubt stepped in to help with Princess Charlotte and her brothers after Kate completed her cancer treatment in 2024. Sophie being an asset to the family has other benefits, according to another royal expert. Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl has previously claimed in her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown, as per that the Princess of Wales is "said to admire" Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's approach with their own children. She apparently appreciates how they're raising Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex "in the bosom of the Royal Family but prepared for life in the real world." Whether or not Princess Charlotte and Louis go on to become senior working royals or pursue separate careers, it seems Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie and their family are setting an example of "success" that could inspire them.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend had concerns about his 'roving eye' according to royal expert
Before settling down with wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry was known as a bit of a party animal and his royal status meant he had many late nights out on the town in the company of an 'endless supply of gorgeous young women'. Katie Nicholl, former Royal Correspondent for the Mail, wrote about Harry's nights at the exclusive London venue Boujis in her book, The Making of a Royal Romance. The Prince was a regular at the glamorous private members' club where he had his own barmen to look after him in the exclusive VIP room. Nicholl wrote: 'Harry was out with one girl guaranteed to rile Chelsy Davy, who was at home in South Africa working on her finals.' Zimbabwean businesswoman Chelsy Davy had an on-off relationship with Prince Harry between 2004 until mid-2010. In his memoir, Spare the royal writes that he 'couldn't help' but think what his grandmother thought about Davy's free-spirited lifestyle at the time. He wrote: 'I loved Chels' ease, that she wasn't complicated.' In Spare, Harry continued: 'She didn't care what anyone thought. She wore miniskirts and high-heeled boots, danced however she wanted, drank tequila like me, and all of this made me really happy. 'I couldn't help what my grandmother thought about it. Or the people. And the last thing I wanted was for Chels to change to please them.' Nicholl continued: 'Natalie Pinkham, a pretty TV presenter, was Harry's date for the night. 'In December 2001 there were reports that Harry had sent her a thong for Christmas and that he "fancied her rotten" despite the six-year age gap.' Natalie told Nicholl that the two 'got on well' but that was 'as far as it went'. The royal author wrote: 'On this particular occasion they were in the mood to party, and the champagne corks continued to pop as they danced and chatted in the dimly lit VIP room.' When the club closed for the night Harry suggested the two continued partying at former equerry Mark Dyer's house. Nicholl wrote: 'At Dyer's, Harry can be himself and, safe in the knowledge that what goes on inside those four walls stays there.' Nicholl continued: 'The drink always flows freely, and good-looking girls are never in short supply. 'As the prince escorted her to his waiting Range Rover, Natalie, a little unsteady on her feet after eight hours of drinking, begged Harry for a kiss goodnight. '"Not here," he said before whisking her back down the steps. 'They emerged seconds later, blissfully unaware that their late-night encounter had been captured by a long lens. 'When the story hit the newspapers the next day, there was an awkward long-distance call to Chelsy in South Africa.' And this wasn't the only escapade that started at Boujis that saw Harry having to explain himself. In May 2006 Harry regularly enjoyed VIP treatment at Boujis on Friday nights. Nicholl wrote: 'Sadly for Chelsy, 2006 was a summer of rather tacky confessions.' Nicholl continued: 'The flurry of tabloid tales left Chelsy in tears and cast fresh doubts on their relationship. 'First came the reports of Catherine Davies, a 34-year-old mother who claimed she was seduced by Harry at a house party in Fulham. 'Then in July there was allegedly a page three girl whom he danced and a masseuse who claimed she kissed him. 'She had told her friends in South Africa that she was in the relationship for the long term but was worried about her boyfriend's roving eye.' The author added: 'Harry assured her that she was the one, and for the first time Charles gave his seal of approval, allowing Harry and Chelsy to share a room at Highgrove.' Before the relationship ended Charles had warned Harry and his brother William to stay away from Boujis as the media had by then dubbed them 'the booze brothers'. Chelsy reportedly called things off with Harry before he left for a six-month tour of Iraq in 2007, just a week after he was photographed falling out of a London club with his 'favorite drinking buddy' Natalie Pinkham. When the on-off relationship ended for a final time in 2010 after seven years, Harry said this was primarily due to the intense media scrutiny the couple received and the pressures of being in the public eye. Big smooch: Harry and Chelsy kiss while sitting in the Royal Box at the Cartier International Polo Match in July 2006 Chelsy reportedly struggled with the relentless attention and press intrusion she received for being Harry's girlfriend which ultimately leading her to decide that a royal life was not for her. Chelsy and Harry have stayed amicable and in 2011 they went to Prince William's wedding together. Harry got back in touch with Chelsy to invite her to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 and he also invited his other old flame Cressida Bonas - but the invites were for the ceremony only. An emotional phone call followed, with the conversation reportedly acting as closure for the former couple. However, body language expert Judi James said Chelsy's feelings were evident during the wedding. She told MailOnline: 'When she arrived, everyone else was chatting and laughing, but she sat in the pews just looking to one side - gazing reflectively into space and biting her lips slightly. 'She was doing that at the end as well. It was almost the soap opera part of the ceremony.' In 2023 Harry told the High Court in his witness statement that 'whenever' he has been in a relationship, the woman 'is not just in a relationship with me but with the entire tabloid press' who try to 'ruin it '. Chelsy has since put her partying days behind her and has since launched two successful businesses; her jewellery brand Aya and the travel agency Aya Africa. She has two children, a boy and a girl, like Harry, and married her boyfriend of three years, Sam Cutmore-Scott, in a secret ceremony in 2022. Cutmore-Scott was in the year above Harry at Eton College and is managing director at The Harper Hotel in Holt, the family business. The couple are believed to split their time between a townhouse in Chiswick and the Norfolk coast. Chelsy seems to be enjoying her life outside of the public eye and didn't share the news of the birth of her son until three months later when he was introduced to their local parish council in Norfolk. In fact Chelsy kept the news so close to her chest that many of friends didn't even know she had fallen pregnant in lockdown.
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Meghan Markle ‘berated' her wedding caterer so badly Queen Elizabeth reportedly stepped in
Meghan Markle 'berated' one of her wedding caterers so badly that Queen Elizabeth II had to intervene, royals biographer Katie Nicholl claimed. 'On one occasion in the run-up to the wedding, Meghan went to Windsor Castle for a menu-tasting and ended up having a tense exchange with a member of staff,' Nicholl claimed in her book The New Royals, per the Daily Mail. 'Meghan was at the castle to taste some of the dishes, and told one of the caterers she could taste egg,' a source claimed. 'She got quite upset, saying that the dish was meant to be vegan and macrobiotic.' According to Nicholl's source, the incident got back to the Queen who allegedly decided to address the issue. 'Suddenly the Queen walked in and said: 'Meghan, in this family we don't speak to people like that,'' the insider claimed. A rep for the Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Page Six's request for comment. This wouldn't be the first time Markle, 43, has been accused of being 'difficult' with palace staff. In February, British journalist Tom Quinn claimed Meghan earned the nickname 'Duchess of Difficult' before she and husband Prince Harry stepped down from their royal duties and moved to the US in 2020. 'She could be difficult because she was finding life difficult — trying to feel her way and work out the intricacies of a positively medieval, labyrinthine system,' an anonymous palace staff member reportedly told him. The insider claimed the former Suits star was also called 'Mystic Meg' because of her 'new agey' views, which were deemed 'so woke'. The source further claimed, 'Through absolutely no fault of her own, Meghan wasn't always great with her staff — she just wasn't used to it as Harry was.' They continued, 'One minute she would be really friendly, perhaps over-friendly, hugging staff and trying to make friends with them, and the next she would be irritated by the fact they wouldn't respond instantly at all times of the day and night.' Meghan was also accused of bullying a young member of the palace staff in 2018.
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Meghan Markle & Prince Harry are all take take take – they attack Royals but want all the perks, royal expert claims
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MEGHAN Markle raised eyebrows as it was revealed she is still using her HRH title - despite promising the late Queen she wouldn't after leaving royal duties. Although she used it around her friends instead of for "commercial purposes', a royal expert has criticised her for using the title for her advantage. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 It recently came out on the Jamie Kern Lima Show that Meghan Markle still uses her HRH title privately Credit: Instagram 5 A photo was shared on the show of a hamper sent to Jamie by Meghan using her official title Credit: The Jamie Kern Lima Show 5 Vanity Fair's Royal Correspondent Katie Nicholl claims Meghan using the title is hypocritical Credit: The Sun In a recent podcast interview with pal Jamie Kern Lima, a photo showed a gift basket of ice cream and strawberry sauce Meghan sent her a year ago. With it came a note on monogrammed paper, signed: "With the compliments of HRH the Duchess of Sussex." However, during the chat, Meghan opened up on a number of personal topics, including describing royal life as being 'in the trenches.' Speaking on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show, Vanity Fair's Royal Correspondent Katie Nicholl said: 'I think it just poses just a bit of a hypocrisy element. 'A big issue over, well, you've attacked this institution many, many times, most recently in a podcast, which we've just heard this week. 'And yet you want to retain all of the perks and privileges of being in that institution, which is, of course, the titles. 'I suppose if they are just Harry and Meghan Sussex, because that is her name, she's right to say she's not a Markle anymore - when you marry most people take their husband's name and that's what she's done - but she doesn't need to be using the HRH title.' Katie speculated about the reasons for Meghan to continue using her royal title in California, particularly given her recent As Ever brand launch and Netflix cooking series, With Love, Meghan. The royal expert continued: 'She doesn't really need to be using the Duchess of Sussex. 'But of course, that sets her aside from, you know, everyone else, including top list, A-list Hollywood celebrities.' Harry LOSES security row after pleading 'my life is at stake' and now faces £1.5m legal bill Public Relations Consultant Mark Borkoski agreed, saying: 'Of course it adds weight and she knows it adds weight. 'And it gives that sort of subliminal aura that she still has links with the British Royal Family, which is a very, very, very powerful brand globally, particularly in America. 'And the fact if you are disconnected from that, of course you lose your social capital, you lose your weight in terms of sort of some of these deals that she's trying to do. 'And I'm sure she is using that when it's important, when she has to land something, to remind the people the power that she possibly has. 'This is a power game.' 5 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously criticised the royal family in their Oprah Winfrey interview Credit: Reuters The PR expert added that this is particularly important in America as 'that status is so important'. He explained: 'Without that status she just is another sort of B-lister in a continent absolutely populated with celebrities.' On The Jamie Kern Lima Show this week, Meghan also gushed over her husband's efforts to keep their family - which includes Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three - safe. She said: 'He's [Harry's] just out there, just constant, like he's just going to do whatever he can to make sure that our family is safe and protected and we're uplifted and still make time for date nights. 'He's also a fox. If you haven't noticed, my husband's very, very handsome. 'But his heart is even more beautiful.' 5 PR expert Mark Borkoski claims the Sussexes are keen to use their titles as the royal family is a 'powerful brand globally' Credit: Getty Meghan claimed that the pair are now enjoying the 'honeymoon' stage of their relationship after being in the 'trenches' for years. She shared: 'You have to imagine at the beginning, everyone has, like, butterflies. 'Then we immediately went into the trenches together. 'Right out of the gate, like six months into dating. 'So now, seven years later, when you have a little bit of breathing space, you can just enjoy each other in a new way, and that's why I feel like it's more of a honeymoon period for us now.' The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and relocated to California. In Prince Harry's recent security court case, which he has just lost, his lawyer said: 'On 8 January 2020, (the duke) and his wife felt forced to step back from the role of full time official working members of the royal family as they considered they were not being protected by the institution, but they wished to continue their duties in support of the late Queen as privately funded members of the royal family." They have since had a fractious relationship with King Charles and Prince William.
