Royal Family

Updated: 10:11 EDT
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Could school the King called 'Colditz in Kilts' have been the making of him? How at

He allegedly described his experience at Gordonstoun as 'Colditz in kilts' and once wrote to his mother the Queen expressing his desire to 'come home'. But the King's decision to accept a prestigious patronage at his former school in May hinted that his experience was not all bad. In her recent book My Mother and I: The Inside Story of the King and Our Late Queen, royal author Ingrid Seward quotes Charles's former classmate, Ross Benson, who revealed the future monarch's stoicism in the face of bullying - even when he got his nose broken in a rugby match. Charles continued to play rugby right up until he left Gordonstoun. Ms Seward said he 'never hesitated' or showed 'signs of fear'. And in his final year, the Prince was chosen to portray the Pirate King in a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera the Kings of Penzance, having also acted in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Charles arrived at Gordonstoun in April 1962 (left) after spending four years at Cheam School in Hampshire. He stayed until 1967 (right, final day) and left as House Captain and Guardian (Head Boy) with five O-levels.

Hopes Kate will attend Wimbledon finals while William flies out to Berlin for England v

Rebecca English Royal Editor It's going to be the biggest Sunday of sport for decades - and the royals are likely to be in the thick of it.Although there has been no official confirmation yet, the Prince of Wales is expected to fly to Berlin to watch his beloved England play their first ever major final on foreign soil. Meanwhile back in the UK, Wimbledon officials remain 'hopeful' that his wife, the Princess of Wales, may feel well enough to hand out their own trophies over the weekend. Contingency plans are in place for the Duchess of Gloucester, who is a massive tennis fan and been an Honorary President of the Lawn Tennis Association for 25 years, to step in if Kate is unavailable due to her ongoing preventative cancer treatment. And no promises have been made by Kensington Palace.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are treating life like a 'prom event' as they surround

Charlotte Griffiths, the Editor at Large for the Mail on Sunday (pictured left), told the Mail+'s weekly talk show that the Montecito-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex are treating life 'like a red carpet event'. The panel spoke about the growing backlash about the decision to give Prince Harry the memorial award set up in the name of the late Pat Tillman, an American football star who gave up a £3million contract to enlist in the US Army after 9/11. Pat's mother Mary said she was 'shocked' and was not consulted about the prize going to the Duke of Sussex.

RICHARD EDEN: Like all of us, the 'Sussex Squad' are feverishly awaiting Kate's possible

Her presence would generate more excitement among the Wimbledon crowd than even the moment a Royal actually played at the tournament back in 1926. That was when King Charles 's grandfather, George VI , competed in the men's doubles tournament alongside his friend and mentor Sir Louis Greig. And, increasingly, there are hopes that the Princess of Wales , could attend the Championships this weekend to present the trophies after the finals. Catherine's attendance has, of course, been taken for granted in previous years. As Patron of the All England club since 2016, she's become synonymous with Wimbledon as strawberries and cream.

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: King Charles offered Sir Keir Starmer a snifter of whisky during their

King Charles offered Sir Keir Starmer a snifter of whisky, I hear, thinking the new PM might enjoy his audience more after a restorative dram.  Starmer politely declined the offer. He's rarely associated with frivolity. At Labour's election victory party at Tate Modern, guests were given a voucher for one free drink.  Old Labour was more fun. Old soaks boast that dinner invitations to its annual seaside conferences read '7 for 9pm' - leaving adequate time for refreshment.

King Charles hails 'best of British' business prize winners at Windsor Castle ceremony -

He welcomed companies recognised for their innovation with the King's Award for Enterprise to his Berkshire home, and chatted to the entrepreneurs and established executives whose practices and products have earned them praise. The awards are one of the most prestigious business accolades in the country, with winners able to use its emblem for the next five years and many report it boosts their profile and access to new markets. Among the guests was Jonathan Reynolds, the new Business Secretary, and pointing to the business people Charles told the politician 'they represent the best of British'. One of the first winners Charles met was the senior team from WeWalk, which has produced a smart walking stick for the visually impaired that can give directions, beep when obstacles are sensed and even provide information about points of interest.

Wimbledon lines up the Duchess of Gloucester to present trophies on finals weekend if Kate

The Duchess of Gloucester has been lined up as a possible replacement to present the Wimbledon trophies this weekend if the Princess of Wales is unavailable amid her cancer treatment, it has emerged. It's understood that Kate is being given 'as much flexibility as possible' by the All England Club, who will not make a final decision until the morning of the women's final on Saturday. The Princess of Wales took over Queen Elizabeth II as patron of the All England Club in 2016, and has presented trophies on Centre Court ever since. But she had made just one public appearance this year at Trooping the Colour following her announcement in March that she is having preventative chemotherapy for cancer which was found after major abdominal surgery in January.

Prince William hugs England goal hero Bukayo Saka as he congratulates the Three Lions

Prince William hugged England goal hero Bukayo Saka as he congratulated the Three Lions after their latest Euros win.  The Prince of Wales hailed last night's game against Switzerland 'nail-biting to the very end' and was snapped cheering with his fists in the air at Dusseldorf Arena after Saka scored the equaliser at the 80th minute. Chants of 'England, England, England' echoed throughout the stadium during the thrilling moment. 

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The Duchess of Edinburgh is an 'achiever' who has earnt the 'trust' of King Charles as she

Over the past four years, royal fans may have noticed that Sophie has been working her way up the cogs of The Firm. From attending glittering banquets to standing next to Queen Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour, her high status is crystal clear to the public.  But she was afforded the opportunity to move to the inner circle when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were leaving the Royal Family in exchange for a more star-studded lifestyle in Montecito, California (Sophie and Meghan pictured in 2018, left and 2019, inset). The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are the only two working members, apart from the Prince and Princess of Wales , who are under 70, therefore it was only natural for them to step up and take over as senior working royals, earning the trust of both the late Queen and King Charles. And this was seen recently when Sophie was 'promoted' to the top table at the lavish State Banquet for the Japanese royals last week, where she was placed right next to Emperor Naruhito at Buckingham Palace (pictured right).

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RICHARD EDEN: If Harry has any decency he will hand back his controversial award and give

When the Duke of Sussex gave his first speech (above) after quitting royal duties in 2020 to seek his fortune overseas, he voiced both his sadness and indignation that his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, had not allowed him to keep his ties to the Armed Forces. 'Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the Commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding,' he told guests at a charity event in West London . 'Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.'

King Charles and Queen Camilla stand proud in new portrait following Thistle Service in

The British royal family have released a new portrait (pictured) following the Thistle Service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh today. The service celebrated Scotland's highest honour of chivalry and made Camilla, 76, and Prince Edward , 60, members of the Order of the Thistle. The King and Queen stand proud in the centre of the portrait, with the Prince of Wales, 42, and the Duke of Edinburgh on either side. (Pictured from L to R: Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince Edward)

Duchess of Edinburgh leaves Prince Edward and Lady Louise in hysterics as she fails at

The Duchess of Edinburgh (centre) had Prince Edward and Lady Louise in hysterics this weekend when she took part in an unusual challenge while carriage driving. Sophie, 59, was seen participating in the Sandringham Driving Horse Trials on Saturday while her husband and daughter watched on. During the event, the royal was challenged to hold a wine glass full of sparkling water (right) between her teeth as she drove along. The Duchess (left) was then meant to place the glass down at the next stand - but missed the post.

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: As Kate's Wimbledon attendance hangs on the word of her doctor,

Kate's hopes of attending Wimbledon might depend on doctor's orders - but there is another issue. Her stand-in to present the trophies, Prince William, might not be available. His diary is in the hands of Gareth Southgate, whose England team could be in action in the Euro Championships final on Wimbledon's last weekend. William, possibly with George in tow, is pencilled in to attend. What to do? Former President of the Lawn Tennis Association the Duchess of Gloucester, who has never presented the trophies, would surely be chafing at the bit. THE inquiry into the election betting fiasco triggers nervous gulps among Palace flunkeys who discreetly provide inside information about royal events to favoured punters for a fee. Before the Palace released advance details of what the Queen would wear to Royal Ascot, one courtier trousered a hefty bookie bonus by correctly betting on her hat colour. The sale of advance info remains lucrative with staffers anxious that the current probe doesn't upset the honey pot. As essayist Walter Bagehot noted on the mystery of majesty: 'We must not let in daylight upon magic.' TREASURY plumbers are on standby for likely election victor Rachel Reeves's elevation to Chancellor. Current incumbent Jeremy Hunt's black-and-white tiled private bathroom is 'masculine and functional' and has never had a female occupant. The biggest headache has been whether to leave the urinal in place. Mandarins have decided to leave the decision to Reeves, above. 'Tis all cisterns go Rachel!

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