Royal family recap: Peter & Harriet's countryside date, Norwegian royals begin duties after King's death, and more

Good morning and welcome to another busy day of royal news. We'll be keeping you up to speed on all the latest updates from royal households across the globe, so stay tuned for more!

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle  might have relocated to the UK, it looks like they're keeping their sprawling home in the star-studded Californian town of Montecito - and a fresh property just a few minutes' drive from the Sussexes' estate has just hit the market. 

According to Montecito Journal, a growing number of residences that have been listed for sale in the past month, including a unique one-floored property on 802 West Park Lane, which is on the market for a huge $11,350,000. The home features a pool, spa, guest suites and incredible sea views. 

The website explains it also has "a formal gated entrance and secondary gated access."

The property isn't too far from Harry and Meghan's Californian home, a 7.38-acre estate which they purchased in 2020.

Whilst details of Harry and Meghan's UK base remain under wraps, it's thought the couple have their eye on the Cotswolds as their next home. 

Read the full story here. 

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With  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle now back in the UK, speculation has surfaced as to whether a reunion might be on the cards for Harry, his brother Prince William, and their wives, Meghan Markle and Princess Kate.

But what have Kate and Meghan actually said about each other in the past?

In the past, Kate has shared her views on the Suits star, including after the news of Harry and Meghan's engagement in November 2017.

In a joint statement with her husband, Prince William, Kate said: "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together."

Meanwhile, Meghan's first mention of Kate came before the pair had even met. Writing on her former lifestyle blog, The Tig, the actress reflected on the public's fixation with the royal family, penning: "Grown women seem to retain that childhood fantasy. Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate."

Read our deep dive on Kate and Meghan's relationship here. 

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Marius Borg Høiby's house arrest has been extended past September 7, which is when his detention was scheduled to end. The 29-year-old son of Queen Mette-Marit, was sentenced in June to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape. 

"The prosecution will request further detention with electronic monitoring of Marius Borg Høiby," police attorney Oda Karterud confirmed in an email to Nettavisen.

Marius is serving his sentence under house arrest with an ankle tag while awaiting a new trial following his appealed against the conviction.

Norwegian police have said Marius will be allowed to leave house arrest to attend the funeral of King Harald on 9 September.

Read more. 

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The King and Queen will host the Sultan of Oman when he makes a state visit to the UK in October. 

Charles, 77, and Camilla, 79, will open the doors of Windsor Castle to Sultan Haitham bin Tarik when his three-day trip begins on October 22.

While details of the visit have been kept under wraps so far, it's expected to follow the traditional programme of a ceremonial welcome, state banquet and the viewing of exhibits from the Royal Collection.

The visit comes over a year after the King met the sultan for tea at Windsor Castle during the foreign head of state's private visit to the UK in July last year. 

The last state visit by a sultan of Oman to the UK was in March 1982, when the late Queen Elizabeth Il hosted Oman's previous leader Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

Charles, who has made four official visits to Oman, last travelled to the Middle Eastern country in January 2020 to offer condolences after the death of Sultan Qaboos.

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The Norwegian royal family's official Instagram account has shared a heartbreaking photo of Princess Astrid watching over her brother's coffin. The 94-year-old, who is the second daughter and the last surviving child of King Olav V and Princess Märtha of Sweden, can be seen sitting in a wheelchair in front of King Harald's coffin, which is lying in state at the Royal Palace in Oslo until his funeral on 9 September.

Further photos show mourners gathering outside the palace to pay tribute to the late monarch, as Astrid watches from a window of the palace. 

The late King Harald, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet on Friday 28 August.

The funeral service for King Harald will take place at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday, 9 September at 1:00pm. The funeral will be led by Olav Fykse Tveit, Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway. The Bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver, cathedral cantor Marcus André Berg, the Oslo Cathedral Choir and others will also take part.

Like most parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales try to reduce their children's screen time. In a world where children are now immersed in digital, online worlds, the royal parents have one non-negotiable rule at home - no mobile phones for Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.

Speaking to actor Eugene Levy on his Apple TV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler, last year, William revealed: "None of our children have any phones, which we're very strict about."

The royal also revealed that the family prioritise shared mealtimes at their Forest Lodge home, an eight-bedroom Georgian mansion in Windsor Great Park. "We sit and chat, it's really important," he said. 

During a visit to BAFTA's headquarters in London in 2022, William shared: "At the moment it's trying to regulate the gaming...monitoring screen time. Got to be careful of that. They're fascinated by it. George particularly. He's more interested in it. 

"The other two are a bit too small at the moment but they love the films. I adore film and gaming as well," added the prince. 

Read the full story here. 

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Gloria Steinem, the second-wave feminist and close friend of Meghan Markle, has passed away at the age of 92. The American journalist died peacefully at her home in New York City, Gloria's Foundation has confirmed. 

"Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her. Gloria's near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end," the statement read. 

"Gloria's greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor."

Meghan and Gloria grew close after the Duchess of Sussex moved to America in 2020. 

Speaking to Access about the royal, Gloria once remarked: "Meg is herself, smart, authentic, funny, political. She came home to vote. And the first thing we did and why she came to see me was we sat at the dining room table here, where I am right now, and cold-called voters. And said, 'Hello, I'm Meg,' and, 'Hello, I'm Gloria,' and, 'Are you going to vote?' That was her initiative."

Meanwhile, Meghan has previously referred to Gloria as a "friend".

Read more here. 

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Queen Camilla has arrived at the Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, London in celebration of the youth charity and community riding centre's 30th anniversary. 

The 79-year-old, how has been President of Ebony Horse Club since 2009, is expected to meet two horses, Maggie and Taylor, who have recently joined the Ebony Horse Club stables from the Royal Mews, as well as Ebony volunteers and young people who use the stables.

Throughout the visit, te Queen will be accompanied by Sid Holdsworth, Chief Operating Officer at Ebony Horse Club.

Her Majesty will tour the new Arch, a newly refurbished communal space for members, and hear from volunteer supporters of the charity. She will also meet two physiotherapists who volunteer at the club.This will be followed by a riding display by some of the young people, who will also demonstrate their horse-handling and leading skills. 

To conclude her visit, Camilla will hand out prizes to the young people involved in the display.

Watch Queen Camilla as she arrives at the club in the video below. 

It's no secret that Prince William and Kate's children are very sporty; the Waleses have often opened up about their time outdoors together, from running to hiking and team sports. 

In August, it was revealed that Princess Charlotte plays in an out-of-school netball team that competes at a high level across England. 

The 11-year-old has inherited her love of sport from her mother, who once captained the school hockey team at Marlborough College and also played in an under-11s netball team at St Andrew's School in 1992.

Brian Lutz, a licensed marriage and family therapist from Blume Behavioural Health, told HELLO! that netball will give Charlotte crucial skills for the future, aside from just exercise. 

He said: "You're accountable to eight other people, you have to read the room quickly, and you learn that your mistake doesn't end the game."

Read the full story here. 

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Hi, Rachel here, taking over from Nicky to bring you everything from the royal beat this afternoon. So far today we've heard the sad news of the passing of Meghan Markle's close friend, Gloria Steinem. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla has stepped out at Ebony Horse Club for its special 30th anniversary. 

In Norway, Marius Borg Høiby's house arrest has been extended. The 29-year-old son of Queen Mette-Marit, was sentenced in June to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape. 

Marius is serving his sentence under house arrest with an ankle tag while awaiting a new trial following his appealed against the conviction. Read more here. 

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James, Earl of Wessex is commencing his undergraduate life imminently at Royal Agricultural University to study Rural Land & Property Management. The 18-year-old is set to leave the luxury of Bagshot Park behind to move into humble university halls.

Prince Edward's son has decided to skip a gap year to go straight into his studies, just as his older sister, Lady Louise Windsor did.

The institution, which is set in Cirencester, hosts 1,000 students across around 30 different programmes. It is set to undergo a mammoth new project, which will be a UK first. The website brands it as "shaping the future of sustainable innovation".

Read more. 

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Meghan Markle recently broke her social media silence following her shock family move to the UK to share an emotional Instagram tribute to her close friend and mentor, Gloria Steinem, who passed away at age 92. In her heartfelt post, the Duchess of Sussex praised the feminist icon's public legacy and shared intimate details of their private friendship. 

Part of Meghan's post read: "Privately, she was even better than you would imagine - spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counseling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivaled cheekiness and wit."

Alongside her message, Meghan posted a series of photos, which notably included a never-before-seen framed picture of a young Prince Archie. 

See the picture. 

Royal Editor, Emily Nash, has been with Queen Camilla at Ebony Riding Club in Brixton, south London. 

The Queen praised an inner city riding school as "bigger and better" than ever as she visited two of its new horses, including a fell pony that used to ride alongside the late Queen.

Camilla has been President since 2009 and she looked delighted as she toured the stables.

Later, Camilla watched as Adam Bentallah, 12, on Taylor, and Isaiah Clayton, 16, on Maggie, gave a riding demonstration in the arena. Afterwards, she presented them both with trophies in recognition of their hard work and dedication.Handing one to Isaiah, she called him a "star rider" and told Adam his award was "very well deserved". 

There was laughter as dogs nearby began to bark loudly, and she told the schoolboy: "Even the dogs are applauding you."

Read Emily's full report.  

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Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the interior designer husband of Princess Beatrice, has recently returned to the UK following a brief work trip to the United States for his property and design company, Banda Property. His arrival back on British soil marks the end of the summer holidays, which the family is believed to have spent relaxing at their luxury country estate in the Cotswolds.

With the summer break over, Edoardo and Princess Beatrice are now gearing up for the busy back-to-school routine. Edoardo has previously shared that his busy morning school run even takes him past one of his own £42 million design projects in Belgravia, before he drops his daughter, Sienna, off at school. 

Check out the trip.

Thanks for joining me for this afternoon's news, now it is time for the lovely Rebecca Lewis to take over the royal news watch. Stay tuned for all the goings on! 

Prince Harry is set to complete a skydive this month, marking the fulfilment of a promise he made in 2025.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, will take to the skies alongside fellow veterans to support Sunnybrook and the True Patriot Love Foundation, which aids military communities in Canada. 

Read more from our report here.

It was a busy first day for Queen Camilla, back to work after a summer holiday in Balmoral Castle, and she capped it off with a surprise appearance at the Royal Festival Hall in London, reading a historic letter written by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, as part of Letters Live.

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Her Majesty participated in tonight’s show alongside other cast members including Jessie Buckley, Simon Callow, Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dame Harriet Walter, Rob Rinder, Sara Pascoe, and more.

The letter read by Camilla was written by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, following the death of her husband King George VI in 1952. 

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In response to a soothing anthology she had been sent by British poet Edith Sitwell, the Queen Mother’s reply highlights the power of books to provide comfort and peace in difficult moments.

The live event hopes to raise money for the National Literary Trust, which empowers people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. The Queen has been Patron of the charity since 2010.

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It was a busy day for Camilla as she also paid a visit to the Royal Academy of Dance's global headquarters in London.

There she met ballerina and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Darcey Bussell, who is president of the academy, as well as Sarah Platt, who once ran dance lessons for the Queen at Clarence House. 

Sarah, a former teacher trainer at RAD who later set up a programme for older people of all abilities, asked Camilla how she was feeling to which she joked: "I'm a little creaky."

Read our report, and watch the moment captured on film here

Also on Wednesday, Camilla was joined by King Charles for a special viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry,  the famous embroidered masterpiece, which has returned to the UK for the first time in more than 900 years.

Charles spoke of the close bond between France and Britain during the event, as the pair were joined by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, but it was Queen Camilla who gave the clearest indicator of the warmth between the two nations with a sweet, unprompted gesture towardst the French First Lady.

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Watch the moment, and read our full report, here.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman praised Queen Camilla for her surprise performance, telling Her Majesty that she "did a great job."

The pair spoke in the artists’ bar during the interval,  with Olivia adding: “I love that they keep it a secret who’s coming out. Did you hear the shock when they heard it was you?"

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Audience members gasped and applause broke out as the Queen arrived on stage for her reading of a 1952 letter from the Queen Mother.

Other readers included Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, Oscar winner Jessie Buckley and The Matrix actor Laurence Fishburne.

With Harry and Meghan now back in the UK, attention has turned to what, if any, public appearances they may make with the royal family. In particular, will Harry and William make any overtures to suggest they've buried the hatchet?

In Harry's 2023 memoir Spare, Harry described Kate as "the sister I'd always wanted" – but later detailed moments of tension, especially after the Prince met his future wife, Meghan Markle, and they began dating in 2016. 

When asked if William would ever be able to "forgive Harry" now that he's back on British soil, Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy, has suggested that William was not "prepared" to let the comments made by Prince Harry about his wife slide.

Read more of our chat with Robert here.

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And welcome back to our royal blog, where we'll be bringing you the latest royal news agenda as always.

I'll be bringing you the royal live news this morning. 

In particular, it's a big day for the Norwegian royal family, as King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra are set to begin their first official duties, one week after King Harald passed away at the age of 89. 

Starting mid-morning, the pair will attend a Council of State meeting, then hold a run of condolence audiences, receiving representatives from the Sami Parliament's Cooperation Council, the Armed Forces, and the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities.

Meanwhile, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden begins her official visit to Indonesia (until 8 September), while the Duke of Gloucester is in Sheffield. 

As always, we'll also be bringing you the latest on the British royal family, including King Charles's return to work and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the UK. 

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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is always up for anything - and even drove a tractor on her most recent engagement! 

The Dutch royal, 55, was seen at the wheel of the farming vehicle, used to grow fibre hemp, during a visit focused on bio-based construction to the Achterhoek region in Hengelo. 

King Willem-Alexander's wife has been seen skydiving, herding sheep on a farm, riding a bicycle - and now chose a tractor for her first official engagement after the summer holidays.

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Queen Máxima has resumed her official duties days after her husband did, with a visit to Achterhoek, a rural region in the province of Gelderland located between the IJssel River and the German border. 

The royal, who was wearing a yellow floral dress, has long had a passion for sustainability, which has become a key focus of her work.  

"She drove the tractor for a while. She mentioned that she often drives tractors. It showed," commented contractor Bernd Bösing, according to local press reports.

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The summer holidays are coming to an end and we're all feeling pretty sad about it. 

Cressida Bonas has shared a glimpse of what her family has been up to this summer - and the pictures are so adorable that they'll banish any back-to-school blues!

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Cressida was seen snuggling up to her husband, Harry Wentworth-Stanley, and their two children, Wilbur, three, and Delphina, one. 

Cressida looked effortlessly cool and casual in another picture, wearing a "Nantucket" cap and carrying blonde-haired Wilbur in her arms. 

The actress and model, 37, who dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014 and was London's "it girl" of the time, now enjoys a low-key family life away from the spotlight. 

She was first introduced to Harry by his cousin and their mutual friend, Princess Eugenie. Following their split in 2014, they remained on good terms and she attended his wedding to Meghan four years later. 

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It's been a busy few weeks, especially when you're a royal reporter!

Not only have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK, but Sarah Ferguson is also said to be back. 

Meanwhile, there's a new King in Norway as King Haakon has taken the throne after King Harald passed away. 

Our royal editor, Emily Nash, has answered everything you want to know about what's next for the royal family, both in the UK and Europe. 

From Meghan on the school run, to whether she will appear at the Princess of Wales's carol concert in December, we have all the answers for you. 

You can also watch the full episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast to hear the full discussion - I would grab a cup of tea for this one!

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One of the most asked questions following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the UK is what will they be doing next?

The couple will be continuing their charitable work, with Meghan has been tipped to make a return to acting. 

HELLO! has also caught up with two charities close to Meghan's heart, and the exclusive story is available to read now. 

One organisation thrilled to see the Duchess' return is a charity dear to her heart, Smart Works,  which the mother-of-two has remained a patron since 2019. 

A representative from the Charity told HELLO! Smart Works "are very excited to welcome the Duchess and her family back to the UK." 

The As Ever creator was also heavily involved with animal welfare charity Mayhew.

Asked about whether Meghan would be making a return to working with the charity, a spokesperson told HELLO! Mayhew "hasn't reconnected" with the Duchess since her return to the UK.  

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Prince George will be walking the corridors of Eton College in just days, like his father before him. 

But what can the future King expect from his time there?

The young Prince, now 13, will still be close to home, as Eton is located just across the River Thames from Windsor Castle. 

It's a full boarding school, and each boy has their own room, without needing to share. 

It's also known to be academically rigorous and is known for its excellence. 

So, what else can George expect? And will he finally be allowed his own phone?

Our US royal correspondent Alex Hurtado has researched the strict boarding rules, Windsor family weekend visits, and everything you need to know about George's Eton era.

Thank you all for joining me this morning!

I'm now handing over to our senior evening writer Matthew, who will take you through this afternoon's news and bringing you all the best pictures.