Princess Catherine, Prince William reveal what they’re ‘looking forward to’
Prince William and Princess Catherine look to Paris again as the future King and Prince Harry avoid an awkward New York encounter.
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Sports-loving royals Prince William and Princess Catherine have thrown their support behind Britan’s Paralympics team, as the Paralympics kicked off in Paris.
In a message shared to their social media pages, the couple said, “Looking forward to another few weeks of incredible sport! Wishing the very best of luck to our @ParalympicsGB athletes and those competing at #Paris2024.” The message was signed with their first initials, “W & C,” indicating that the note came personally from the royals.
Prince Edward also shared a message of support for the Paralympians. The Duke of Edinburgh has supported the British Paralympic Association since visiting the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona and became royal patron in November 2003.
“To all members of the @ParalympicsGB team heading for Paris, whether athletes, officials or staff, I want to wish you the very best of luck at the Paralympic Games,” King Charles’ youngest brother said.
Looking forward to another few weeks of incredible sport! Wishing the very best of luck to our @ParalympicsGB athletes and all those competing at #Paris2024. W & C https://t.co/5epHiMOpXv
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) August 28, 2024
Prince William and Princess Catherine’s message comes shortly after the 2024 Paris Olympics wrapped, and they appeared in a video clip alongside famous faces like Snoop Dogg to express their praise of British athletes.
“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB!” the Princess of Wales, in a rare appearance amid her cancer treatment, said in the clip.
“Well done on all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all,” added the Prince of Wales.
ðŸ…To all members of the @ParalympicsGB team heading for Paris, whether athletes, officials or staff, I want to wish you the very best of luck at the Paralympic Games.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 28, 2024
-The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron of the British Paralympic Association pic.twitter.com/fsjTr1Xcnr
HARRY, WILLIAM AVOID AWKWARD NYC RUN-IN
It comes as Prince William and Prince Harry will not face the possibility of an awkward run-in in New York in September, despite reports that the warring brothers would be in the city at the same time.
Express has revealed that Prince William will not attend the Earthshot Innovation Summit scheduled to take place at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan on September 24 and there will be no change to his plans following the announcement that his brother, Prince Harry, will be in New York at the same time.
Prince William attended the same event last year.
“William is not due at the event because he has other plans,” said the source. “It’s not an event he was ever due to attend but I’m sure there will be speculation that he’s pulled out because Harry will be there. But it’s simply not true.”
The news comes amid incorrect reports that Prince William was due to host the summit while Prince Harry will be in New York at the same time for a packed solo trip next month.
The brothers have barely spoken in years amid Prince Harry’s constant attacks on the Royal Family and his decision to opt out of royal life all together in 2020 for a new life in the US.
The Duke of Sussex will attend the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week.
He will “advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives,” his spokesman said in a statement to People magazine.
“He will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst,” the spokesman confirmed.
He will also “be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the non-profit organisation he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex”.
PRINCE HARRY’S NEXT VERSION; COACHING MOVE
Prince Harry is releasing a paperback version of his controversial memoir Spare, the explosive tell-all that lifted the lid on some of the royal family’s biggest secrets, destroying his relationship with his father and brother.
Despite initial reports claiming that the Duke of Sussex was looking for new bombshell material to include in the new format of his book, Penguin Random House confirmed the contents of the paperback, to be published on October 22, “are unchanged” from the memoir’s original version”.
“The new edition will have the same cover image as the hardcover edition, a newly designed package and the contents of the book are unchanged,” the publishing company said in its statement.
The reissue of Spare, originally published in January 2023, will reignite bombshell claims made by Prince Harry against his family, including allegations that Prince William shoved him onto a dog bowl and broke his necklace during an explosive row.
He also recalled numerous private family conversations between himself, his father and his brother while revealing relations between Meghan and Princess Catherine hit rock bottom when Meghan said William’s wife had “baby brain”.
The fact that Prince Harry has chosen not to add new chapters after the royal family’s tumultuous year may be seen by some as an olive branch to his family.
Spare, which was accompanied by several high-profile interviews in which Prince Harry laid out his grievances against his family, became an instant publishing sensation.
The memoir and sold more than six million copies, in both print and audio and holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time.
It came amid revelations the exiled royal is working with his current employer BetterUp to create a “life-coaching” university.
Prince Harry first joined the US coaching platform in March 2021 and works as the firm’s Chief Impact Officer.
The company is now looking to expand and launch an academic institution called the BetterUp University, which will offer degrees in life coaching, The Express reports.
MEGHAN ‘IN TEARS’ OVER LIFESTYLE BRAND
Meghan Markle is “struggling” to find a CEO for her new brand American Riviera Orchard after its lacklustre launch left her “in tears”, according to reports.
The Duchess of Sussex announced the business in March with its first product, jam, sent to influencer friends ahead of an expected rollout.
But five months later, Meghan has not yet appointed a CEO as copyright disputes, trademark setbacks and bureaucratic red tape delay the lifestyle brand from coming to market.
“The numbers don’t lie and to have almost 20 members of staff quitting on them tells its own story. It’s unprecedented, even for a start-up,” a source familiar with the challenges told Closer.
“The brutal reality is that Harry and Meghan are the toughest of taskmasters, they’re very demanding and difficult to work for and that puts a lot of people’s backs up.”
The brand’s launch has also been waylaid by an accompanying cooking TV show being pushed back by Netflix possibly until May next year, according to The Daily Beast.
“Everyone has to abide by Netflix’s schedule these days. They are by far the biggest player in town, The source told the Beast, adding “literally no point in Meghan doing anything” until her series is on the air.
Meghan’s “worst nightmare” is that the business fails before it’s started and she has to admit to another flop.
“Meghan’s been putting a really brave face on this and saying any talk of delays are just haters doing their thing,” a source close to the Duchess told Closer.
“It’s incredibly hurtful and frustrating that people keep trying to tear her down. It’s so obvious to her that they get a kick out of attacking her, regardless of what the facts are, and have simply seized on this narrative about her business failing.”
After unveiling American Riviera Orchard in an Instagram post, Meghan was said to be left in tears over the mocking response to the announcement.
“The one fly in the ointment is Meghan’s new internet brand, America Riviera Orchard. Meghan was in tears when the brand launched and her new jam was widely mocked for being expensive and nothing special,” royal author Tom Quinn told The Mirror.
“She has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticised. Like her husband, she feels that people are unfairly picking on her — she cannot understand why people don’t admire her work.”
WILLIAM AND HARRY’S FINAL SAD MEETING
Friends of Prince William say the next likely meeting between him and Prince Harry will be at a sombre event — King Charles’s funeral.
The once-close relationship between the brothers has become deeply strained in recent years, with reconciliation appearing increasingly unlikely.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 which has since caused a deepening rift after they aired their private lives within the Firm publicly on TV and in the bombshell memoir, Spare.
A friend of Prince William told the Daily Beast they don’t expect Harry to be invited to William’s coronation.
“I believe it 100 per cent. Why would William and Kate want all the distraction and circus that his presence would bring?,” the unnamed friend said.
“ I suspect that William will see Harry one more time in his life in the flesh — at their father’s funeral.”
“Things are totally frozen between the two of them. It is hard to overstate how utterly William feels betrayed and hurt on a very personal level.
“The two brothers were so close growing up that they would finish each other’s sentences. Amid all the trauma of their mum dying and their dad being quite distant, it was an amazing thing to witness.”
A source also told The Daily Beast that the Prince of Wales was annoyed when Harry and Meghan chose to refer to his wife as “Kate” in that March 2024 statement instead of “Catherine”.
The statement read: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
‘FERGIE’ WEIGHS IN ON ONGOING ROYAL DRAMA
Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson offered a cryptic reply when questioned about Prince Andrew’s ongoing dispute with his brother, King Charles, regarding their royal accommodations.
Although Ferguson and the Duke of York divorced in 1996, they have remained close and continue to live together in the lavish Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.
Since early last year, it has been widely reported that the King has been trying to negotiate the eviction of his younger brother, who stepped back from official duties in 2019 due to his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
And although Prince Andrew retains a long-term lease on the 98-acre, 30-room estate, it is understood that the King has proposed he move out and downgrade to the nearby Frogmore Cottage — the former residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Prince Andrew, however, has so far declined the suggestion.
When asked in an interview with ¡HOLA! TV about the ongoing stand-off, Fergie replied: “Don’t always believe what you read.”
When pressed further, she claimed she wasn’t privy to conversations surrounding the Royal Lodge’s occupancy, adding: “I don’t know. I take every day as it comes.”
Earlier this week, The Sun reported that the King had upped the ante in the housing battle by firing the 10-person security team stationed at Royal Lodge.
“They are all working the final weeks of their contract till the end of October. It’s not thought anyone is being lined up to replace them,” a palace insider told the outlet.
“Everyone is speculating this means the Duke will have to leave the Royal Lodge because what other reason could there be to take his security away?”
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