In August, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Colombia, on the invitation of the country’s vice president. The British media threw a huge tantrum over it, slamming Colombia, belittling the continent of South America, and saying outright that only desperate and pathetic countries would invite the Sussexes to visit. Even more hilarious was when the royal reporters revealed that those talking points came directly from Buckingham Palace. Well, first they cry, then they mock, and then they copy. Guess who’s going to South America next year? It looks like Prince William will soon announce that Earthshot’s 2025 ceremony will be held in South America, and he also revealed plans to go to COP30 in Brazil.
Prince William is looking ahead to the next year of taking his environmental mission, The Earthshot Prize, around the world. The Prince of Wales, 42, is looking forward to “playing a role” at the next big climate control meeting in Brazil, PEOPLE understands.
His attendance at the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference — known in shorthand as COP30, and scheduled for mid-November 2025 —would be the latest stage of his increasing role as a world statesman. In doing so, Prince William would follow in the footsteps of his father King Charles, who has attended — and spoken at — climate conferences several times.
The next venue for William’s Earthshot Prize Awards — the fifth iteration of the 10 ceremonies expected — has yet to be announced, but it is widely expected to be in South America.
Conveniently, the Earthshot Prize Awards typically fall within the first weeks of November, setting the Prince of Wales up to potentially attend COP30, which runs from Nov. 10 to 21.
Usually, William announces the next year’s Earthshot host city at Earthshot or just after. The silence seems to indicate that maybe South American countries aren’t all that eager to play host to Peggington’s vanity project? It would be hilarious if William demanded to go to Colombia, but I suspect he’ll probably try to go to Brazil. The fact that William is running around, briefing everyone about his plans to go somewhere in November 2025 shows you that this sad man has very little on his plate:
The Prince of Wales will attend next year’s COP climate conference in Brazil, it has been confirmed, as he pushes to “use his platform to spread urgent optimism” around the environmental debate. He wants to take that message to the high-level UN climate conference – due to take place in Belem next November.
A royal source said: “Throughout his trip (to South Africa) the prince spoke about the importance of not losing sight of what needs to be done between now and 2030 – the Earthshot decade. His commitment to restoring the future of the planet is unwavering and the prince is determined to do all he can to use his platform to spread urgent optimism. Next year, the climate COP will take place in Brazil, and it’s set to be hugely consequential. The Prince of Wales is looking forward to playing a role there.”
His decision to attend COP can potentially be seen as a sign of his desire to take on an even greater diplomatic role in the environmental sphere. It’s understood that Prince William’s decision to fly to Brazil won’t necessarily be in place of the King, who has delivered keynote speeches at a number of COP conferences, and is viewed as a global leader in environmental matters. But the King’s attendance would be at the foreign office’s request, and under the advice of doctors following his cancer treatment.
Just so we’re clear, he briefed everyone about his plans to attend next year’s COP conference… while he and his father are not bothering to go to this year’s conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. That’s how much William “cares” about all of this, including statesmanship – he’s too lazy to actually go to a conference of world leaders this week, because he’s too busy screaming about how he’ll be a statesman one year from now. Anyway, I’m looking forward to hearing where Earthshot will go next year. As I said, I bet they’re having difficulties finding a country to host.
In recent days, many have remarked that there won’t be the same kind of audience for Donald Trump’s palace intrigue this time around. I’m not so sure – it seems more terrifying to think that Trump might staff the White House with low-drama professionals who get sh-t done, as opposed to staffing himself with an assortment of narcissists, clowns, incompetents, sycophants and Kellyanne Conway. Interestingly enough, Elon Musk has been camped out at Mar-a-Lago for the past week. He hasn’t left. Elon is in every meeting, Trump is putting him on calls with world leaders, and Musk is making staffing decisions too. Gross.
After all that election night excitement, it seems Elon Musk just doesn’t want to go home. Multiple sources have told CNN that amid the post-victory buzz around Mar-a-Lago, the Tesla CEO has been at Donald Trump’s Florida resort almost every single day over the past week, with Instagram posts under the location tag showing him dining with the president-elect and his wife on Sunday, as well as spending time on the grounds with his son over the weekend.
“Dining with him on the patio at times, today they were seen on the golf course together,” network anchor Katilan Collins said in a broadcast on Sunday. “Musk has been in the room when world leaders have called, and tonight we have learned he’s also weighing in on staffing decisions, making clear his preference for certain roles even. While Musk himself is still not expected to take any kind of formal position inside Trump’s administration, given how complicated it would be with his companies, what’s becoming clearer tonight is that he doesn’t really need to,” Collins added. “One source told me, Elon Musk is having just as much influence from the outside.”
Other commentators have noted that Musk’s persistent presence at the resort over the past few days appears to be unnerving some members of Trump’s transition team, who have reportedly already come to view the tech tycoon as something of the “guest who wouldn’t leave” after the party.
“He definitely inserts himself all the time, that’s his style,” tech journalist Kara Swisher told CNN on Monday morning. “I’ve heard from Trump people, calling me saying, ‘Oh, wow. This is odd’. And it is.”
Swisher goes further to speculate that Trump and Musk’s bromance likely won’t survive the pressure of two planetary-sized egos vying for space in the halls of power.
“They’re both narcissists, and there can be only one narcissist as head of the country, and that’s Donald Trump,” Swisher said. “Trump goes through people like tissues, essentially. And even if it’s Musk, they’re going to clash at some point.”
Pre-election, I remember someone saying that Musk and Peter Thiel were vying to see which of the Apartheid-loving fascists would become Trump’s favorite. What’s even crazier is that I agree with Kara Swisher – Trump will get tired of Elon’s BS really quickly. Elon will become the least favored Large Adult Son. Notice who they’re not talking about – where is the other surrogate Large Adult Son, JD Vance?
Meanwhile, Trump has made some staffing decisions. He will appoint Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, which would make her the first woman in history to take that role in the White House. Wiles is a longtime Republican strategist and she looks like the biggest Karen in history. Terrifying. Reportedly, Trump will tap Joseph Goebbels-wannabe Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff and chief policy advisor. Trump will also appoint Thomas Homan as his “border czar.” Last month, 60 Minutes interviewed Homan and he is a stone-cold psychopath who wants to deport every person with a Spanish-sounding surname.
Several days ago, the Crown Estate confirmed something interesting: after King Charles “cut off” Prince Andrew financially, with the hope of driving Andrew out of Royal Lodge, Andrew revealed to the Crown Estate that he had plenty of money to stay at Royal Lodge. Thus, Charles’s two-year-long plot to drive Andrew out of Royal Lodge has ended in a whimper. Charles and his people briefed about Andrew constantly, deflecting to “the Andrew situation” whenever they needed a quick pseudo-positive headline for Charles. It’s been the weirdest gossip thread to follow, because it was perfectly obvious that Andrew has had millions squirreled away for years. Well, now sources close to Andrew are taking a victory lap and saying outright that Charles looks weak and enfeebled for focusing so much time and effort on this ridiculous plot.
While the palace is refusing to comment officially, some of Charles’ friends are furious, saying that he has been badly advised—and calling for heads to roll. The story has sucked up a remarkable amount of royal time and energy since reports Charles wanted Andrew to leave first began appearing in U.K. papers in early 2023, just after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had been booted out of Frogmore Cottage in a kingly fit of pique over Harry’s depiction of the family in his memoir Spare.
Now, 18 months later, the king’s camp have been forced to admit what Andrew’s side have told The Daily Beast and others from day one; they don’t have a legal leg to stand on and Andrew and his heirs are entitled to stay at the fabulous, ten-bedroomed, crenelated mansion on 90 acres until his lease expires in…2078!
One friend of Charles and Camilla’s said: “Whoever advised the king to set off on this road and keep going down this road has very serious questions to answer. Charles loathes incompetence above all else. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some people quietly clear off at Christmas never to be seen again.”
Another friend of the family said: “I’m afraid it’s another reflection of the family’s fundamental dysfunction. Normal families don’t have these kinds of arguments. The king’s aides were foolish to wash the family’s dirty linen in public in this way.”
Friends of Andrew told The Daily Beast this weekend they were happy for the disgraced duke. One said: “We are thrilled for Andrew. Andrew has a cast iron lease on the property so god knows why Charles chose to pick this battle. He has been comprehensively humiliated. It’s hard to imagine anyone would have any interest in where Andrew is living if Charles’ aides had not spent the past year banging on about it. He was never going to just walk away from the property; the lease is a valuable asset he intends to leave to his children, and maybe William will be glad of having Eugenie or Beatrice there in years to come. It’s a great result for Andrew and Sarah. It’s absurd that Charles wasn’t dissuaded from launching this campaign against them in the first place, but then to continue it this year, when the king has been so ill, was, frankly, nuts.”
While Andrew is obviously trash, I have to admit, in this very limited situation, I’m fine with him “winning” and I agree that Charles put himself in a losing position, and that this was a humiliating defeat for Charles. You would have thought that the biggest crisis for the monarchy was Andrew’s valid lease on Royal Lodge, that’s the way “palace sources” banged on and on about it for two years. It looks like QEII was able to protect her favorite son much better than she protected her favorite grandson. Remember, Charles is only now claiming that QEII was the one who wanted Andrew out of Royal Lodge (a lie) AND that she would have evicted the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage as well. Charles is such a dumbass, my god.
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly have been mostly together since they met in 2020. They were drawn to each other immediately and began referring to each other as “twin flames.” Their relationship certainly has been fiery – the engagement ring designed to make Megan bleed if she ever removed it, the very loud breakup in early 2023, the on-and-off status of their engagement for a year, and on and on. Their relationship seemed toxic to me, but I think Megan likes the drama. Well, Megan and MGK are now expecting. This will be their first child together, and fourth overall for Megan.
Congratulations are in order for Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly. Fox took to Instagram on Monday to share that she is pregnant with her fourth child, her first with Machine Gun Kelly (whose real name is Colson Baker). Fox shares three sons with ex-husband Beverly Hills, 90210 star Brian Austin Green. Kelly is also a father to a daughter from another relationship.
“Nothing is ever really lost. welcome back,” Fox wrote alongside an angel emoji and a heart. In the post, Fox can be seen cradling her baby bump while covered in black liquid, tagging Kelly in the photo. In another image, she shares a photo of the positive pregnancy test.
The caption references song lyrics from Kelly’s “last november,” a song about his and Fox’s past pregnancy loss, which Fox had opened up about in some poems in her book Pretty Boys Are Poisonous.
Appearing on Good Morning America last year, Fox talked about the miscarriage: “I’ve never been through anything like that in my life. I have three kids, so it was very difficult for both of us and it sent us on a very wild journey together and separately … trying to navigate, ‘What does this mean?’ and ‘Why did this happen?’”
In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Fox said of the miscarriage, “That experience was so much harder than I would’ve anticipated it being, and I’ve really analyzed ‘why was that? Why was that so difficult for me?’ Because when I was younger, I had an ectopic pregnancy, I’ve had other things that I’m not going to say because God forbid the world will be in an uproar. But I’ve been through other similar issues, but not with someone who I was so in love with.”
Congrats to them. As I was looking for photos of them, I realized that they’ve been pretty quiet (as a couple) this year. All of their drama was front-loaded, and once they got back together for good last year, they’ve been keeping their sh-t off people’s radars for the most part, minus some of Megan’s interviews. They were seen on Halloween, where Megan dressed up as Padme and MGK dressed up as Anakin Skywalker. FIERY! Honestly, Meg’s Padme costume slaps, she really pulled it off. And to think, she was actually covering up her bump on Halloween.
A lot of people have been posting a British talk show clip over the past week. In the clip, reporter Rhiannon Mills (Sky News’ royal reporter) is speaking about the Princess of Wales, and instead of Mills reciting the palace’s lines about Kate’s cancer, Mills said that doctors found “pre-cancerous cells.” This clip has been cited repeatedly on social media, as people have been expressing skepticism about what we’ve been told about Kate’s health for months now. Looking back on everything around Kate in the past two years, I’ve become a Kate-Really-Was-In-Poor-Health-Originally Truther. As in, the start of all of this was legitimate, and she needed some kind of abdominal surgery to take care of something (which has never been disclosed). But so much of what has happened this year and so much of what we have been told absolutely *feels* like some kind of cover story or PR move. I don’t know the truth, but I understand why so many people feel like we’re being lied to. As for the “pre-cancerous cells” situation, the Daily Beast’s Royalist is one of the few outlets to touch the controversy:
Conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis and recovery have erupted online again, after a report by a respected and accredited royal reporter suggested the Princess of Wales never had cancer but was instead found to have “pre-cancerous cells.” Vicious rumors perpetrated by online trolls alleging that Kate either faked or exaggerated her cancer to cover up personal difficulties have been turbocharged by the claim.
When Kate announced she had cancer in March 2024, she said tests after abdominal surgery “found cancer” and that she was advised to “undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy.” However, a doctor told The Daily Beast, “You either have pre-cancerous cells or you have cancer, the two terms are not interchangeable.”
The renewed attention on Kate’s condition was triggered after a September report by Rhiannon Mills, senior royal editor for Sky News, resurfaced this weekend. When covering the Princess of Wales’ joyful video announcement that she was “cancer-free,” Mills wrote: “In March the princess confirmed that pre-cancerous cells had been found following abdominal surgery and that she would have to undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy.”
The specific formulation of the words went largely unnoticed at the time amid relief at Kate’s announcement that she was “cancer-free” and widespread astonishment at the deeply personal nature of the film, which showed Kate and Prince William and their family engaged in a series of wholesome and well-lit pursuits.
Mills’ remarks cannot be easily dismissed, however, as she is a member of the so-called royal rota, a quasi-official group of royal journalists working for British media who, while maintaining their editorial independence and frequently writing critical stories about the royals, cooperate with the palace, especially on logistics, in a broad sense. The palace is often able to get simple errors made by rota journalists corrected, and the fact a correction hasn’t been made is relevant. Mills is a hugely experienced journalist.
Not only is Mills well-respected within the British media, Mills was one of the reporters who traveled to South Africa last week with Prince William. Mills secured an exclusive interview with William (the “hardest year of my life” interview). From a media-management perspective, if Kensington Palace was pissed about Mills accidentally (or on purpose) revealing something about Kate’s health, they would have kicked her off the traveling rota for this trip. And William certainly wouldn’t have given her an interview. There’s another possibility too, connected to William’s interview – perhaps William’s interview was part of a quid pro quo to keep Mills from spilling more? A completely different possibility: maybe Mills was just talking out of her ass and she actually forgot what the palace’s line was, and she never thought people would call attention to it.
I’m not sure where that has come from. I may have missed it but I don’t recall the Princess or anyone at Kensington Palace using the phrase pre-cancerous cells. https://t.co/8VJ6J4OGtj
— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) November 7, 2024
I totally forgot that Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger were expecting again. They announced Katherine’s pregnancy back in June, and last week, they welcomed their third child together (and fourth for Chris). After two girls, they “got the boy.” Which is what Chris wanted, I’m sure. This is their third child in five years. Which is on-brand for Chris Pratt.
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger—who tied the knot in 2019—welcomed their third baby together, a son named Ford Fitzgerald Schwarzenegger Pratt, on Nov. 8.
“We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our son,” they shared on Instagram Nov. 11. “Mama and baby are doing well and Ford’s siblings are thrilled by his arrival. We feel so blessed and grateful. Love, Katherine and Chris.”
Katherine confirmed that they were expecting their third baby together in July with an Instagram post featuring her bump and a pair of pink plaid maternity overalls.
Their little one joins big sisters Lyla, 4, and Eloise, 2, as well as Chris’ son Jack, 12, with ex-wife Anna Faris. And over the years, the Jurassic World actor has given insight into life with his kids.
Ford?? Ford Fitzgerald Schwarzenegger Pratt. That name is a mouthful. Fitzgerald obviously has a connection to Katherine’s mother Maria Shriver and the Kennedy-Shriver family. But at no point has Katherine used “Shriver” for one of the middle names. Lyla does have the middle name “Maria” though. So, what our thoughts on the name Ford Pratt? Eh. And not to be too bitchy, but I really hope Chris Pratt doesn’t praise Katherine for giving him another “healthy” child again.
Martha Stewart is supremely miffed that her past legal troubles were even mentioned in her Netflix documentary, Martha. You know, that little kerfuffle where she was accused of insider trading and then convicted of lying to the FBI after being targeted by an overzealous James Comey that resulted in a two-month prison sentence. Why on earth would anyone want to put that in a biographical documentary! Martha hasn’t forgotten that period, though she’d very much like you to. Martha also hasn’t forgotten the NY Post columnist who covered her 20 years ago, though she has forgotten the woman’s real name. And the fact that she’s still alive. During an interview segment in the doc, Martha declares it a very good thing that “New York Post lady” is dead. Which of course prompted said “lady,” aka Andrea Peyser, to clap back with: “I’m alive, bitch!” Excellent, no notes.
Martha Stewart mistakenly killed off a journalist mentioned in her new Netflix documentary, Martha.
In the film, which aired on Oct. 30, Stewart, 83, claimed Andrea Peyser — a New York Post columnist who covered Stewart’s infamous 2004 trial — was “dead now, thank goodness.” Except, she isn’t.
Peyser used her latest column for the newspaper to declare, “I’m alive, bitch!” Peyser, who started working for New York Post in 1989, has published at least eight other stories in 2024.
Stewart was convicted for lying to the FBI during an insider-trading investigation in 2004.
“Guilty, guilty, guilty on all these counts of whatever,” she said in Martha. “My daughter, she fainted when they read the verdict. Poor child.”
Stewart referred to Peyser as simply “New York Post lady” and recalls seeing her in the courtroom when the verdict was announced. In her latest story, Peyser confirmed she “wrote weeks of Post columns” during that time.
“New York Post lady was there, just looking so smug,” said Stewart. “She had written horrible things during the entire trial. But she is dead now, thank goodness. And nobody has to put up with the crap she was writing all the time.”
“News of my passing came as a shock,” said Peyser of her “uncredited cameo appearance.”
“But rather than feeling angry or worried that Martha has offed me, or to seek an emergency order of protection, I am overwhelmingly sad in the face of Martha’s bitterness.”
It is unclear why Stewart believed Peyser was dead.
See, Ryan Reynolds, you got off easy just being called “not so funny in real life.” Martha could’ve knocked you off in her imaginary life! Ahead of its release, I predicted the pop cultural ripple effects of Martha would be epic, and I do believe that prediction has borne out, my friends. Martha was denouncing the trial’s inclusion before the doc even came out, which only served to bring more attention to that ordeal and whet our appetites for what else filmmaker R.J. Cutler had in store. (For what it’s worth, I thought Cutler actually did right by Martha in presenting a compelling case for the indictment being a legally-murky, overblown response from Comey.) It’s still hilarious to me, as an ardent observer of the human condition, that Martha was in a tizzy about coverage of her trial, when the real bombshells all had to do with her marriage, and selectively applied beliefs on fidelity. Martha wanted to cast her ex-husband Andy Stewart as a terrible cheater… and then turned around and casually dismissed her own indiscretions as not unfaithful but “emotional,” or not consequential because she would never leave her marriage over it and/or because Andy “never knew.” I’m not saying everything was Martha’s fault, I just find the gap in self-awareness FASCINATING.
Someone who’s not so enamored of all this rehashing? Andy Stewart’s current wife, who posted on social media recently that she wished Martha would please stop talking about a marriage that ended 34 years ago, one that she says was “painful and abusive” for Andy. And I think we all know who Martha’s going to declare dead next.
Photos credit: Getty, © 2024 Martha Stewart/Courte via Netflix Press, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix, IMAGO/mpi099/MediaPunch/Avalon and screenshots from Martha on Netflix
Leonardo DiCaprio had a star-studded 50th birthday celebration. [Just Jared]
Donald Trump’s chief of staff looks like and sounds like the mother of all Karens. Is this seriously the first female WH chief of staff in history? [Jezebel]
Nicholas Hoult really wanted to play Batman. [Socialite Life]
I’m still of the opinion that Kathleen Kennedy doesn’t know what she’s doing with the Star Wars franchise and maybe someone else should be in charge? [LaineyGossip]
I hope people see Conclave, it’s great! [Pajiba]
New music from John Duff. [OMG Blog]
Jodie Turner Smith wore Robert Wun to the EMAs. [RCFA]
There’s a big problem with the Wicked Barbies. [Seriously OMG]
Getting to know Bhad Bhabie. [Hollywood Life]
Behind-the-scenes stories from Anora. [Buzzfeed]
People are still buzzing about the Princess of Wales’s two public appearances this past weekend. On Saturday, she attended the Festival of Remembrance with her husband, and on Sunday, she watched the wreath-laying at the Cenotaph from a balcony, alongside the Duchess of Edinburgh. Kensington Palace must have issued talking points on their royal rota WhatsApp, because everything is about “Brave Kate” and “completing chemotherapy” and “everyone was there to support and center Kate.” From a PR perspective, it’s interesting to watch the push-pull of how this whole saga has played out over the year. Even after Kate’s weird “prancing in the meadow” short film in September, it felt like reporters were itching to call her out. Anyway, here’s the latest, from People:
The royal family was there for Kate Middleton during her first major set of events after completing chemotherapy treatment. The Princess of Wales, 42, stepped out for her first consecutive royal events this weekend after announcing on Sept. 9 that she completed chemo —six months after revealing her cancer diagnosis and treatment. Her family’s unwavering support was evident through their subtle, supportive gestures.
On Nov. 9, Princess Kate appeared at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, for what marked her first major outing with the royals since completing chemo. From the moment they arrived, Prince William’s protective energy toward his wife was clear. He gently placed a reassuring hand on Kate’s back several times as they entered the venue in a loving gesture of support. The sentimental gesture was a rare display of PDA from the Prince of Wales, 42, who described 2024 as “brutal” and the “hardest year” of his life as his wife, Princess Kate, and his father, King Charles, were each diagnosed with cancer.
Decoding the PDA on Saturday, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE, “He was putting his arm around her and being very protective. It is connected to what he said about this being a ‘brutal’ year.”
“He is not known for expressing his emotions in that way,” Bedell Smith says about William. “It was solicitous and protective in a very understandable way. There was a reason behind it, she was going into a big event where she was going to be on display. There was an element of reassurance in the way he was behaving.”
Princess Kate has never missed a Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph since she married Prince William in 2011, and Sophie showed her support as they stood together on the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The two women shared a soft smile at one point during the solemn ceremony, and Sophie put her arm around Kate as they exited the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
We’ve actually seen William put his arm around Kate at public events here and there. He’s usually trying to steer her somewhere, or get her to stop talking and jazz-handing. Is that “reassurance” and support? I don’t know. In their few joint events this year, he’s mostly looked annoyed and over it. But I agree with many commentators: whatever has happened behind-the-scenes, I think William has been told and convinced that it’s easier and cheaper to have Kate around.
Also: Apparently, Kate’s name was left off the signed card on the Remembrance wreath. Usually, William and Kate “sign” the same wreath. Her name did not appear this year.
@KaiseratCB when you see it… #NOMB pic.twitter.com/xbAaJPGUPg
— Father Glowworm (@CarltonBaraza) November 11, 2024
Months ago, when I was covering some story about the Heritage Foundation pushing hard for Prince Harry’s visa records and eventual deportation, I remarked that if Donald Trump won the election, everyone would have much bigger worries than “is Harry going to be deported?” We absolutely do have bigger fish to fry, but predictably, the royalists are throwing a huge party because of Trump’s win. The Venn diagram of royalists and MAGAts is an overlapping circle, and they’re begging the incoming Trump administration to please spare a moment to release Harry’s visa records and throw him out of the country. They honestly believe that Trump is going to order someone to handcuff Harry and march him back to England. Like, they believe Harry has no other options? It’s bizarre. Anyway, the Mail’s Richard Eden must have talked to all of Prince William’s clownish advisors, because everyone over there is damp with expectations of Harry’s eventual deportation.
When I disclosed last month that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had bought a home on the coast of Portugal, the reasons behind the purchase remained shrouded in mystery. Why had the couple bought their first European property after being evicted from Windsor’s Frogmore Cottage by King Charles early last year? Now, things may have become clearer: Prince Harry and Meghan could have been seeking an escape route if Donald Trump returned to the White House.
A royal source told me earlier this year that the Sussexes were making increasingly ‘desperate’ efforts to extend olive branches across the Atlantic. It followed a string of hostile comments from the Trump family. And the same insider yesterday said: ‘We can expect to see more of Harry back in Britain in years to come.’
During a visit to the Trump International Golf Links in Scotland in August, the President-elect’s son Eric called the Duke and Duchess ‘spoiled apples’ and echoed his father’s claims that Harry could be deported if the Republicans won. ‘You can happily have those two,’ Eric added. ‘We might not want them anymore; it feels like they’re on an island of their own.’
Donald Trump had previously suggested that Harry – who has lived in California since 2020 – would not get ‘special privileges’ and indeed may be deported if he is found to have falsified information on his visa form.
Someone who worked for the royals while the couple were still part of ‘The Firm’ told me in August: ‘It seems quite clear that the Sussexes are desperate to start healing the rift [with the Royal Family].’ As evidence, the source pointed to the string of stories that had recently appeared in People magazine, a favoured outlet of Harry and Meghan. They included an article in July about Harry’s despair that his father was not accepting his phone calls and another claiming that his rift with Prince William was not ‘irreparable’.
“We can expect to see more of Harry back in Britain in years to come.” Sounds like that’s what William believes, maybe Charles too. But my sense is that Harry would rather live literally anywhere else with Meghan and their kids, and that his attempts to speak to Charles are about Charles’s health and not anything else.
Meanwhile, Heritage’s Nile Gardiner is already providing quotes to British media about his hopes, and Heritage’s hopes, that a Trump-administration’s DHS would release Harry’s visa records. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told i News: “If [Trump] is provoked, it could get very messy. The whole thought of a member of the Royal Family being thrown out of the United States, especially given the special relationship, it would be very embarrassing for the Royal Family.” LOL, if this ends up being one of those “when the dog catches the car” situations, I will laugh my ass off. Trump’s DHS will release Harry’s visa records, then suddenly DHS is inundated with calls to release all visa records, and Heritage pressures Trump to deport Harry (for no reason, because Harry’s casual drug use years ago is not a deportation-level offense) and Trump doesn’t want to because even he knows it will opening a huge can of worms. Anyway, I’m glad Harry and Meghan have that Portuguese bolthole.