Insiders reveal why Kate and Charles are in a very different position – live

Prince Harry’s alleged decision to turn down King Charles’s offer of staying in a royal residence on his trip to London has been dubbed “extraordinary behaviour”.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, instead chose to stay in a London hotel while briefly visiting to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

According to reports, this was because of Harry’s ongoing security concerns, but Helena Chard, a British broadcaster and photographer, said this could not have been the case.

“He could have stayed at St. James’ Palace, a stone’s throw away from Clarence House, where the King is usually based,” she told Fox News Digital.

“Harry turned down staying in a palace, where he would have received armed security protection from the SO14 Royalty Protection Group. He chose to stay at a hotel in Mayfair without this protection.

“Not only would he have received armed security protection, there is a far higher chance that he would have seen his father.”

The Monarch, 75, returned to work last month while Kate, 42, has not been seen in public since Christmas Day last year.

Now, an insider close to the family has said that she will not undertake any unnecessary duties while she undergoes “preventative chemotherapy”.

“No one wants to put any pressure on Catherine,” the source told the Daily Mail.

“The only thing that matters at the moment is her getting better. She has been through an ordeal this year.

“What this means in practice is that big decisions, such as the appointment of new staff, can wait.

“It’s a reflection of Her Royal Highness’s importance to the future of the Monarchy that she has been given as much time as she needs.”

They added: “As Sovereign, His Majesty is in a very different position from the Princess of Wales.

“There is no need for her to be seen while she’s recovering.”

According to a source cited by The Mirror, the couple are currently in talks to be invited to the country following the roaring success of their three-day trip to Nigeria to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Harry’s Invictus Games.

“There is already a lot of talk and excitement in Ghana, everyone is so keen for Harry and Meghan to come and experience the great culture and warmth,” the source said.

“Several top names have already visited Ghana in recent years from Ed Sheeran, Naomi Campbell and One Direction’s Liam Payne. Idris Elba, who DJ’d at Harry and Meghan’s wedding is a regular too, he is part-Ghanaian and loves spending time ‘back home.’”

They added: “Harry certainly won’t be short of people to show him around and they will certainly roll out the red carpet for him, drafting in some of the finest Afro-beats performers to welcome him and his family.

“So perhaps it is only a matter of time before Harry and Meghan come out, and sample the famous jollof rice!”

A portrait of Kate Middleton commissioned by Tatler magazine has been attracting mixed reviews online.

Kate did not sit for the portrait of herself. Instead, the artist behind it, Hannah Uzor, a British-Zambian artist, sifted through over 189,000 photos of Kate to “capture her likeness,” according to Tatler.

“It’s really important to capture the soul of the person, so I spent a lot of time looking at her and looking at her pictures, watching videos of her, seeing her with her family, seeing her in diplomatic visits, seeing her rowing or visiting children in a hospice,” Uzor said in a video shared by Tatler on Instagram. “It has been really interesting for me to get a sense of who she is.”

Uzor said she went through multiple sketches to correctly capture Kate’s expression and chose to paint her in the Jenny Packham gown because it was “physically striking.”

“(It)made her look very regal and very confident,” she said.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Following the Prime Minister’s statement this afternoon calling a General Election, the royal family will, in accordance with normal procedure, postpone engagements that may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign.

“Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result.”

The upcoming election could see King Charles welcome the third prime minister of his reign.

Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne and one of the Queen’s oldest grandchildren, has revealed what her mother truly thought about her “unroyal” piercing.

“At least I didn’t have it coming out of my nose, or anything,” Zara said to Tatler Magazine years later in 2011, discussing her teenage style choice, and it has been reported that Princess Anne didn’t mind her daughter’s metallic accessory at all.

The Princess Royal, “unfazed by [Zara’s] shocking new look, simply [asked] if her daughter could speak properly with her piercing”.

This comes after she and every other member of Prince Harry’s immediate family failed to attend the thanksgiving service marking the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games.

The Princess of York, 34, said: “Come rain or shine, I was delighted to support my family yesterday to meet some special individuals at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities and the country.”

The Duke of Sussex opted to stay at a hotel in London during his last visit to the UK instead of staying at St James’ Palace.

Royal broadcaster Helena Chard said Harry’s choice seems to suggest there are “deeper-rooted problems” as she described the Duke’s behaviour as “beyond strange”.

Ms Chard told Fox News Digital: “He could have stayed at St James’ Palace, a stone’s throw away from Clarence House, where the King is usually based. Harry turned down staying in a palace, where he would have received armed security protection from the SO14 Royalty Protection Group. He chose to stay at a hotel in Mayfair without this protection.

“Not only would he have received armed security protection, there is a far higher chance that he would have seen his father. It worries me that Prince Harry has deeper-rooted problems, most likely related to his mother, as I feel his behaviour is beyond strange. I am, however, aware that his behavior keeps the victim narrative alive, a narrative which maybe he feels serves a purpose at this time.”

According to a report in The Telegraph, Harry rejected his father’s invitation due to security concerns.

The TV star, who is also 48, said he had not been asked yet, “everybody else has presumed, I won’t presume”, he said.

He then took the opportunity to explain why Ant was not present, joking to King Charles that “he was at home breastfeeding.”

“I don’t know whether I broke royal protocol by giving that information,” he laughed.

The joke went down a storm with the King, who burst out laughing.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been using their royal titles as they go globe-trotting.

But royal author and expert Tom Quinn has exclusively told The Mirror that King Charles and Prince William “have had lengthy discussions about stripping Meghan and Harry of their royal titles, but they are terrified this would backfire and make the situation worse”.

Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020, with them moving to America mere months later.

The Sussexes proudly sat in chairs labelled ‘Duke’ and ‘Duchess’ during their recent tour of Nigeria.