At this point, I really feel a deep discomfort with the way Prince William and his associates try to bully his father, bully the British media and dictate the coverage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Like… William is not very bright, and he surrounds himself with yes-men and Tory political operatives (often one and the same), which means that anyone with half a brain can see the angry egg behind the curtain. Well, hot on the heels of the news about the Sussex family’s visit to the UK, the Mail published a big exclusive: “’It feels like emotional blackmail’: As Harry and Meghan announce return to Britain with Archie and Lilibet, insiders reveal fears about decision to bring children and ‘manipulation’ of Royals.” William was so clearly raging out all of last week.

The Mail is trying and failing to hide their sources, and make it sound like King Charles and his courtiers are very upset with the way the Sussexes have handled all of this. That false-attribution has become very typical of Kensington Palace’s clownish communications team. William loves nothing more than forging someone else’s signature, and it’s become his communication team’s modus operandi. The big “tell” of this Mail piece came at the very end, after several pages of rants about Harry and Meghan, when “sources” trying to figure out the secret reason why Harry and Meghan would even come to the UK. A source says, about the Sussexes: “Forcing their hand on security is another step to get back in the fold because they are broke.” No, William. Your brother is not broke. Meghan is not broke. They’re not defeated or broken. You’re just unhinged. Some lowlights from the Mail’s exclusive:

They’re blaming the Sussexes for all of the stories about the family’s visit: As apparently briefed by the Sussex’s publicity team – comprised of former journalist Liam Maguire in the UK and the LA-based Sunshine Sachs PR agency – to an Australian news website, Harry has indicated he hopes to re-introduce his children to their grandfather, which would be a monumental development in family relations.

Insiders are aghast that the Sussexes would dare to meet with King Charles: In royal circles the visit has been interpreted differently. Insiders are aghast at the prospect. Although framed in heart-warming terms of a son wanting to make up with his beloved ‘Pa’ – and there’s certainly much to make up for, after those attacks in his memoir, Spare, as well as in endless interviews – Harry bringing his children to the UK has been interpreted as a ‘manipulative’ gambit and an act of ‘emotional blackmail’ against the King. Strong words – but they are also echoed in California where two sources close to the Sussexes were equally stunned by this week’s announcement, calling it ‘a new low’. This, they say, is nothing short of a gauntlet thrown down by Harry and Meghan.

It’s a trap!! A source said: ‘I don’t think this will be a reunion. It’s more of a trap. It’s a challenge. They are saying: “Try and ignore us when we are here with the kids.” ‘If they don’t meet up [with Harry and Meghan], then they can say: “We came to you and we were ignored.”’

The security issue: The source reflected on this, saying: ‘It’s clear to me that Harry and Meghan are doing this to force their hand, so they have to give him security or else they are endangering the children. This is a huge new low as a tactic – and it is going to backfire.’

William doesn’t know what’s in the king’s schedule!! Yet there’s one gaping hole in the ‘reconciliation’ narrative as billed by the Prince’s side: nobody is aware of a meeting with the King in the diary, not for Harry, nor his wife or children. The King does not, despite reports to the contrary, share details of his diary with the Sussexes so they have no idea of his commitments in July. They simply don’t know how busy he is, or where he will be. ‘He might suddenly find he’s very busy then,’ said a source.

Royal weariness: A source in royal circles said the Palace reaction to news of the visit was a weary one: ‘Will they ever learn?’ They added: ‘They do not want to get involved with saying anything when it comes to the couple as they have a red line. If they start briefing it goes in a bad direction. They won’t do it and they won’t be seen to do it because they don’t want a war of words. But the feeling in royal circles is that this is manipulative. It seems like no coincidence this comes when they are expecting a decision from the Home Office on security. They are genuinely bewildered that anyone would think that this is the way to proceed if you want to repair relations. This feels like emotional blackmail.’

Overshadowing the king’s work!! A source said: ‘The feeling is that the question of Harry and a meeting overshadows all the King’s work. In terms of the meeting, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. The narrative becomes about the personal family dynamics and that is what they don’t want. He made a rod for his own back meeting him the last time; the King felt bounced into it.’

Archie & Lili are being used to boost their parents!! Little wonder, perhaps, that some are viewing the addition of Archie and Lili to the travelling party as the ultimate ‘bounce’. The source close to the Sussexes was particularly scathing about their intentions in this domain: ‘Recently we are seeing more and more content of the kids as Harry and Meghan become less and less relevant.’

The children might attend the Invictus events! Extraordinarily, there are now indications that the uber-protective Harry is planning to bring the children to ‘public-facing events’ when they visit the UK – such as the launch on July 10 of the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games, which takes place in Birmingham in 2027. Having fiercely protected their identities from birth, it’s claimed by some in the Sussex camp that Harry is planning to launch Archie and Lili into his world of ‘service’ when they are here – rather like William’s three were seen at Trooping the Colour last week. That’s a prospect which makes his enemies shudder. Such a move would surely provoke global attention and possibly mark a high-water mark of influence. One source says: ‘Nobody understands how this can happen given Harry’s feelings about having been used as a child in the service of the monarchy. But it looks like July could be the big reveal of [Archie and Lili’s] faces.’

A two-week visit? The family are making no flying visit, either. The Sussexes are thought to be arriving in the UK on July 6 and will stay for about two weeks, also taking in events for other charities with which Harry has links, such as Scotty’s Little Soldiers and WellChild. The publicity around Archie and Lili’s presence would be both stratospheric and sustained.

And finally, the Sussexes are broke! After the downgrading of their Netflix deal and a fall in visitors to Meghan’s website, another source described the development of the UK visit in more blunt terms: ‘Forcing their hand on security is another step to get back in the fold because they are broke.’ So what do they hope the visit will achieve? An attempt at family unity? A strategic operation over security arrangements? A high-stakes attempt to undo the shackles of Megxit?

[From The Daily Mail]

This reads like William is rocking in the corner and doing a stream-of-consciousness rant about all of his fears. William is the one who would freak out entirely if Archie and Lili are seen, and it’s now clear that William is incandescent with fear that he’ll be overshadowed by his ginger niece and nephew. As for all of the stuff about “emotional manipulation” and the Sussexes’ setting a “trap”… it’s not emotional manipulation to say “hey, Pa, I’m going to be in town in July, should I bring your grandchildren over so you can see them for the first time in four years?” That’s literally all Harry has done. And it’s not a trap per se, it’s more like an acknowledgement that Harry has all of these people over a barrel. If they screw up his family’s security, he’ll call them out AGAIN. If the whole family comes for a visit and Charles refuses to meet with them, Charles is the one who looks horrible. But no, again, the Sussexes are not broke or desperate to go back to being working royals. My god.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are almost definitely planning to visit the UK in July, and it’s very likely that they’ll bring their children. Team Sussex still hasn’t confirmed anything, which I find interesting. Or maybe not, you know? We’ve always known that the palace leaks like a sieve, and here’s further evidence of that. What I find chilling is the idea that these stories are not completely coming from the palace though, that the leaks might be coming from police and/or government sources with knowledge of the arrangements around the visit. Given that Harry gave the police/Home Office 30 days notice (as he’s supposed to, to get security), the timing of all of these stories makes sense. So, now that the British media is riled up, it’s apparently time to reveal that King Charles apparently offered Prince Harry and his family some kind of royal accommodation.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will stay at a royal residence with their children when they return to the UK next month, The Telegraph can reveal. The family was offered both accommodation and security provision by the King in a move that signalled a clear desire to be reunited with his young grandchildren.

Prince Harry had long planned to travel back to the UK to attend events marking the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham.But his decision to bring Meghan, as well as Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, was made only recently following assurances from Buckingham Palace. The invitation to stay within the security cordon of a royal residence meant the Duke felt confident enough to bring his wife and children back for the first time in four years.

He is said to be looking forward to introducing them to family and friends as well as aspects of royal and British culture they do not experience growing up in Montecito, California. He had previously said that without adequate, state-backed protection they would not be safe, and that he could not risk putting them “in danger”.

The Duke was offered accommodation at Buckingham Palace in 2024 but turned it down because he did not have police protection. The entrances and exits to the palace are so exposed he believed he would be a “sitting duck”. This time, however, the palace gave assurances that the family would also receive security.

The full extent of that provision is not yet known. The Duke has not heard back from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the Home Office committee responsible for such decisions, despite sharing his travel plans within the allotted time frame.

He will attend several events promoting the one-year countdown to Invictus as well as some involving his remaining patronages which include WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

The Duchess’s attendance at the Invictus events has not been confirmed. However, she has been a staunch supporter of the initiative ever since making her first official appearance alongside the Duke at the 2017 Games in Toronto, regularly addressing the athletes and cheering them on from the stands.

It is not yet known whether the children will be seen at any official events. The Duke and Duchess have long protected their privacy but are aware they cannot do so forever.

[From The Telegraph]

“The Duke and Duchess have long protected their privacy but are aware they cannot do so forever.” I find that chilling as well, it’s basically a slow reveal that the British press has put a bounty on photos of Archie and Lili’s faces. The British media will claim that “Harry and Meghan know that they can’t hide their kids forever.” Incidentally, I don’t believe Archie and Lili are going to any public events either. I think they’re being included on this trip specifically so they can spend time with Charles.

The Mail is already wondering aloud about which “royal residence” will be used to house the Sussex fam, and they suggest St. James’s Palace, Windsor Castle or Sandringham. Keep in mind, the Sussexes will be in Birmingham for two days, and I bet they’ll be staying in a hotel there. Then they’ll be in London for WellChild and maybe some other events, so… a London accommodation would probably be best for a day or two. It would be funny as hell if they went to Norfolk for a weekend with King Charles though. Prince William would completely lose his mind.

Photos courtesy of Meghan’s Instagram.

I was wrong about Dua Lipa’s Italian wedding. I thought for sure that the second wedding – the multi-day extravaganza in Sicily – would be photographed exclusively for Vogue or British Vogue. Everyone wanted to see her wedding aesthetic and it would be a no-brainer for any magazine to do a huge cover feature, right? Well, Dua is a woman of the people. No magazine editorials. She posted her wedding photos on her social media for everyone to enjoy.

The bride wore Chanel, because she’s a Chanel brand ambassador. Thoughts on the dress? I like the cut of it, but I think the feathers are way too much. It’s because not only is the skirt feathered, but Dua wore some kind of feathered headpiece along with her veil. The bejeweled “loop” on her backside is also an odd choice for a wedding gown. Still, it’s clear that she loved her look and that she was a very happy bride.

Callum Turner looked nice too. There were some rumors going around that Callum was trying to parlay his wedding into some kind of audition for James Bond. I actually think Callum is a more likely candidate for Bond than Jacob Elordi, but who knows. I still think this guy looks like Andy Murray too. It’s his eyes, forehead and hairline.

A lot of people have said they like her first wedding look a lot better! It was snazzy.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Dua’s Instagram.

In recent months, we’ve seen several celebrities in their 40s announce their pregnancies. Natalie Portman got knocked up at 44 by a dude named Tanguy, and 44-year-old Natalia Vodianova is expecting her sixth child with a billionaire heir, Antoine Arnault. The 40-something women really decided that the Year of the Fire Horse was the perfect time to have a baby. Speaking of, Anne Hathaway is pregnant! She’s 43… but she’ll be 44 in November.

We basically learned about Anne’s pregnancy because she’s on vacation with her husband Adam Shulman in Saint-Tropez and the paparazzi got some photos of Anne with a nice-sized bump. Soon after those photos came out, Anne confirmed her pregnancy by posting her bump on Instagram. Congrats to her, truly. In many interviews, she’s alluded to the fact that her journey to motherhood has been bumpy, but she’s got two healthy sons and they are her world. Kind of wonder if she’s hoping for a girl!

Annie just completed her huge promotional cycles for Mother Mary & The Devil Wears Prada 2 this spring, but she’s got a bunch of films coming out in the second half of the year: Verity, The Odyssey and The End of Oak Street. They better not make her fly all over the place for promotion! Let her rest! Build a nap schedule into her promotional cycles!

Anne Hathaway reveals on Instagram that she is pregnant and expecting her third child with Adam Shulman. pic.twitter.com/aeG8MRvbD0

— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 19, 2026

Anne Hathaway confirms pregnancy and sports her bump during Saint-Tropez getaway. https://t.co/ZvyktSrEXD

Credit: Backgrid pic.twitter.com/EVBmHvWh8Z

— TMZ (@TMZ) June 19, 2026

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and Anne Hathaway’s Instagram.

Programming note: We’re leaving early in honor of Juneteenth. We hope everyone has a happy holiday!

Zendaya wore a pretty great McQueen ensemble to the Amsterdam premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day this week. [RCFA]
Zohran Mamdani uses Minoxidil? [OMG Blog]
Olivia Rodrigo’s gross confession. [Socialite Life]
All about the bonkers first season of Widow’s Bay. [LaineyGossip]
Wait, this Maggie Rogers story is wild?? [Just Jared]
Review of Maternal Instinct. [Pajiba]
Zendaya also wore a weird Louis Vuitton look. [Go Fug Yourself]
Lacey Chabert’s European adventure starts now. [Seriously OMG]
Bunny XO says she’s still planning to have a baby. [Starcasm]
Sasha Obama is so beautiful! [Hollywood Life]
Tips for a more frugal life. [Buzzfeed]

It was one of the most obvious predictions, but still – as soon as we heard that the Sussex family plans to visit the UK next month, everyone knew that the Prince and Princess of Wales would spend the next four weeks thrashing around and throwing tantrums. Well, here we go. The opening salvo in what will be a month-long hissy fit from Prince William in particular. Incidentally, William’s 44th birthday is on Sunday and I’m sure all of his birthday profiles are going to be about how much he hates the Sussexes and how Harry is already dead to him. Forty-four years old and fueled solely by rage and hate. So, the opening salvo and preview of coming attractions comes via Tom Sykes’ Royalist Substack. Some lowlights from this exclusive: “Raging William Shuns Charles Over Harry and Meghan Invite.”

King Charles is happy about the Sussexes’ visit: The visit is being paid for by King Charles, who I am told is “happy” at the “outcome” which means he will get to meet his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, for the first time in several years.

Prince William refused to attend a Trooping lunch: I also exclusively revealed on my podcast with guest Mark Dolan yesterday that William is so appalled by what he sees as his father’s betrayal that he refused to join a customary family lunch after Trooping the Color last weekend, and left the celebrations with his wife, Catherine and his three children immediately after the RAF flypast.

William’s threats: He will boycott “the big house” at Sandringham “for ever” if Harry and Meghan are invited there, as they have been lobbying to be allowed to for several weeks, one source said. And an extraordinary revelation just published in The Sun, that Charles is footing the bill for Harry and Meghan’s security detail during the trip, will infuriate Wiliam, who will see it as irrefutable evidence that his father, who he believes has been weak, has allowed himself to be emotionally blackmailed by Harry and Meghan into greenlighting them a VVIP visit.

The fatted calf: Charles’ friends have defended the king, with one telling me tonight that he was likely inspired by the Bible story of the prodigal son, saying, “It’s a happy outcome for the king. The fatted calf will be slaughtered.”

William is owed respect!! However friends of William said the King should support his heir and that he owes William more respect. The king’s offer to underwrite Harry’s security means that a still unresolved decision from RAVEC about Harry’s security becomes irrelevant—for now. The fact that Charles is paying settles an argument I have been having with the rest of the royal commentariat for the better part of this year. While it is true that the Sussexes have been relentlessly pushing the story, the revelation that Charles’ office has been secretly planning the logisitics and how to pay for the trip shows the true engine of Harry and Meghan’s return to the tent is Charles. It is an astonishing betrayal of his loyal and dutiful heir who has made clear he never wants to see Harry again, believes he should be exiled (as far away as possible) and has told friends he blames the stress of Harry and Meghan’s betrayal for aggravating Catherine’s cancer.

William won’t be lectured by his father: Discussing William’s “frostiness with his pa,” one source told me, “[William] probably feels he is due no lectures from that quarter (Charles) on the subject of duty and personal wishes. [Diana] might just agree.”

Half-in!! The reality of this trip is that Harry and Meghan have won: they simply enacted the half-in, half-out status they wanted all along, and now the King is endorsing them….Charles and Harry are temperamentally alike: impetuous, impatient with the institution, quick to feel wronged.

[From The Royalist Substack]

I believe that William has reacted this way. I’ll buy that William made a point of not attending the Trooping lunch, and that William is fully wailing and threatening his father about “boycotting” Sandringham if the Sussex family spends time there. What’s funny about that in particular is that I think William has had full use of the Sandringham “big house” for years now, since the pandemic. When the family “stays at Norfolk,” I’ve always believed that Kate and the children are at Anmer Hall, where William stays at the big house or… elsewhere. Nevermind that the whole idea behind boycotting Sandringham is shockingly childish, even for William. Like, he would boycott a house where Meghan and Harry stayed for a few days? Really??

I also believe that William sees zero hypocrisy in punching walls and shrieking “respect my authority as heir” to his father. This is, after all, the heir who spent several years briefing the press that his father was close to kicking the royal bucket and that “the Scooter King reign” was almost upon them. Throwing these kinds of tantrums rarely earns the respect of anyone, that’s all I’ll say.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.

Thursday was the inauguration of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. This is the Obama library, they’re just calling it the “presidential center,” which is fine with me. The whole Obama family came out for it, and Malia continues to steal her dad’s whole face. Genetics are wild! Sasha and Malia turned out so great, Barack and Michelle did an amazing job with them. The Obamas invited their friends to the opening – Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush and Laura Bush, Joe and Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff. Nancy Pelosi and Angela Merkel were also invited (Merkel loves Obama). No Trumps allowed.

As I was looking through the photos, I made several weird political observances. While the Obama presidency looks more and more like the last truly great moment in American political history, Dubya’s presidency looks almost modest compared to what Donald Trump is doing. Like, pre-Trump, Bush was easily the worst president since Nixon. Nowadays, Bush has some kind of “at least he wasn’t Trump” glow-up. Bush always loves spending time with Michelle Obama too.

It was nice to have a reminder of the way things used to be.

Hillary Clinton really like the peace prize line pic.twitter.com/m8CZw0C5Ky

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 18, 2026

To George and Laura, Bill and Hillary — we're grateful for your friendship, counsel, and devotion to this country. And to Joe and Jill, thank you for being on this journey with us.

[image or embed]

— Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) June 18, 2026 at 3:57 PM

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty Images.

This week, the British media announced that Prince Harry, Meghan and their two children plan to visit the UK next month. Most of the visit is about the Invictus One Year to Go events in Birmingham, but people obviously expect King Charles to at least spend a little bit of time with his grandkids. Throughout all of the discussion, there have been questions about security and whether Harry would bring Meghan and the kids to the UK if he wasn’t completely sure that they could be safe. RAVEC and the Home Office have still not made any kind of ruling on whether the Sussexes would get “automatic” security whenever they’re in the UK. But the Sun has just reported something interesting – Harry has apparently received assurances from his father that the Sussex family will have security, and Charles will pick up whatever extra cost there is.

Harry and Meghan will jet to the UK with their kids after King Charles offered to help cover their security arrangements, it is claimed. The Home Office has still granted taxpayer-funded round-the-clock armed police protection for their trip next month.

A review of the threat level posed to the couple has been ongoing and has not led to a change in security arrangements. But the King is believed to have intervened to offer his own resources so the couple can bring their two children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, over for their first visit in four years.

Harry, who stepped back from royal duties when he moved to California, lost a legal case against the Home Office last year when it downgraded his security. He later said it was not safe to bring his family to the UK. But this week a “safe return” for a five-day visit was said to now be possible after “changes” to security arrangements.

However, sources said the Government’s Royal and VIP Executive Committee had not upgraded its threat level. A Government spokesman said of its protective security system: “It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”

Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes, scheduled to be at Harry’s Invictus Games in Birmingham, declined to comment.

[From The Sun]

First thing: this is all about face-saving for RAVEC and the Home Office, not to mention Buckingham Palace. As I said, Harry has them over a barrel, and they’re terrified about what Harry would do or say if they rejected his family’s security needs outright. This arrangement sounds like a completely typical – meaning “half-assed” – British arrangement to save face at an institutional level while still providing security. Second thing: this arrangement, with the sovereign basically intervening and picking up any additional security costs, is exactly what Queen Elizabeth did for the Sussexes when they visited twice in 2022. That is exactly what Harry had argued in his lawsuits as well, and this has been his position since 2022 – that his father could easily intervene, just as QEII did, to assure the Sussex family’s security. Charles never “intervened” before because he’s a rotten old man who wanted to keep the Sussexes away and/or put them in as much danger as possible.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

We’ll have to pace ourselves, because I have a feeling that the next four weeks are going to be full of royalist and deranger shenanigans, all around the Sussex family’s likely trip to the UK in July. Remember how the British and Australian tabloids tried to sabotage Prince Harry & Meghan’s Australian trip? It will be like that, only much, much worse. The only thing that might hinder the sabotage is if King Charles and his courtiers make it known that the Sussexes were invited and that shenanigans will not be tolerated. I will try to track what the most clued-in royal rota reporters are saying fresh from their WhatsApp. While the Mail’s Becky English hasn’t chimed in (curious), the Mail’s Martin Robinson had a big exclusive about how Charles plans to “set aside” time for the entire Sussex family.

King Charles wants reconciliation with Prince Harry and will set aside time for him, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet if they make a rare trip to Britain next month, it was claimed today. The monarch would likely want to keep any reunion private – and meet on a royal property – if the family do all visit the UK together in mid-July.

But Queen Camilla may find an excuse not to be there and there is ‘no way’ the Prince and Princess of Wales will want to be in the same room as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, experts have said.

Palace aides will also be wary that Harry and Meghan could use the trip as another relaunch amid reports they could be accompanied to the UK by a Netflix camera crew.

‘Cynics would say Harry and Meghan feel their star power in the US has diminished and so they need an injection of royal magic,’ royal expert and biographer Phil Dampier said.

But not everyone in Harry’s family will be as keen to see them as King Charles, particularly his wife and eldest son. Phil Dampier said: ‘The King wants a reconciliation with his son and wants to see his grandchildren. I think he will want to avoid a public meeting on this trip as it would turn into a circus, but would meet them privately. But whether Queen Camilla is keen to meet is another matter. It wouldn’t surprise me if she has some family commitment to go to and avoids them. She will feel she was badly treated in Harry’s book Spare.’

He added: ‘There is now no way, however, that Harry will meet up with William and Catherine. He [Harry] has been making it clear in recent months that he wants a reconciliation with his family, but how genuine that is only he knows. Harry’s aim is to get him along to the Invictus Games as guest of honour next year.’

Phil Dampier also believes that the fact all four Sussexes are coming to the UK suggests that Harry has had ‘assurances’ they will get taxpayer-funded armed bodyguards.

‘No one knows what security arrangements have been made for Harry and Meghan’s trip next month, but the fact she is coming with their children indicates they have been given some assurances,’ he said. ‘It may be that security is provided on a case-by-case basis in future. I don’t think taxpayers would want to finance their security full time, so this is a compromise.’

Royal commentator Richard Palmer says the Palace remains worried about Meghan and Harry’s motives for wanting contact with the Royal Family again. Aides are concerned about whether to trust them, given all the secrets they have spilled since Megxit. He said: ‘There remains a fair degree of suspicion within the Royal Household, and there is the fear that they will use any meetings with the monarch to try to boost their commercial brand. But against that, the King wants to have a relationship with his grandchildren. If Archie and Lilibet are coming over, then I think it makes it highly likely that the Sussexes will spend time with the King. There’s a good chance that this could be the start of the family coming to terms with the rift and starting to try to rebuild relationships.’

[From The Daily Mail]

LMAO – “whether Queen Camilla is keen to meet is another matter. It wouldn’t surprise me if she has some family commitment to go to and avoids them.” Don’t threaten the Sussexes with a good time! Charles managed to meet with Harry solo last September too, meaning Camilla was not in the room and she wasn’t able to feed this particular tabloid beast. I hope Charles pulls the same thing this time around, and orders Cam to decamp to Ray Mill or whatever. The next four weeks are going to be full of William and Kate thrashing around, screaming about how they’ll never, ever see Harry, Meghan or the children. Again, no one asked to see W&K. I do think it’s pitiful that William has never met his niece, and he’s probably only met his nephew once or twice when Archie was a baby. But it is what it is – William made his choices, and hey, Camilla got exactly what she wanted. She managed to successfully drive a wedge between Diana’s sons.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Meghan’s Instagram.

I love this royal pattern. We’ve seen it a lot in recent years. Step #1: The Windsors do something wildly unpopular, or they get booed or heckled and suddenly look out-of-touch. Step #2: Everyone is reminded of how the left-behinds are a bunch of lazy flops and that becomes the story. Step #3: A few days later, the royal propaganda machine begins reimagining the “unpopular Windsors” incident and tries to force the royal counternarrative that your eyes must have deceived you, the Windsors are perfect in every way. So it is with this year’s Trooping the Colour. Ahead of Trooping, royal reporters were so bored, they wrote stories about whether Prince Harry would come. Then Trooping came and Republic protesters booed and heckled the royals, which was more noticeable because of the sparse crowd. Cameras got footage of the Princess of Wales icily glaring at protesters, her mask completely off. Well, forget all of that. Royal commentators insist that Kate is a rock star and that Charles was very happy with the image he presented of the modern monarchy and it’s pale-and-stale balcony.

By now, they’re pros. Having appeared at Trooping the Colour since they were toddlers, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, looked completely at ease on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Throughout the morning of June 13, they waved to cheering crowds, watched the RAF flypast overhead and chatted with their parents as thousands packed the Mall below.

George — looking increasingly every bit the future king — was spotted pointing out military aircraft to Prince William, 43. He later managed to stifle a sneeze until the final notes of “God Save the King,” sharing a laugh with Kate Middleton, 44, after holding it together. Charlotte, meanwhile, appeared as poised as ever, while Louis seemed determined to savor every moment of the event.

“He was having a blast, like any other 8-year-old, loving the spectacle,” says former palace courtier Ailsa Anderson. “You can see the close bond between the three siblings.”

The appearance capped a day of military pageantry celebrating the monarch’s official birthday. And King Charles, 77, had every reason to feel encouraged as he surveyed the crowds. Still undergoing treatment for cancer, the King has spent much of the past two years navigating health challenges, family fractures and renewed scrutiny of the monarchy. But this year’s parade arrived at one of the most positive moments of his reign.

A week earlier, Charles joined much of the extended family at the wedding of his nephew Peter Phillips, following the King’s successful visit with Queen Camilla, 78, to the U.S. in April, including a well-received address to Congress. Combined with Princess Kate’s ongoing return to public life after her cancer remission announcement in early 2025, and a widely praised trip to Italy in May, the family is riding a wave of momentum unlike any since Charles became King.

Much of that optimism has centered on the Princess of Wales. “Kate is the closest they have to a rockstar member these days, and she’s the one everyone wants to see,” says royals author Catherine Mayer.

And while the royals gathered in London, Prince Harry, 41, was thousands of miles away in Texas attending Game 5 of the NBA Finals—a reminder of how far removed he has become from the royal duties and traditions that once defined his life. His expected return to Britain in July for Invictus Games events will put his relationship with the family back under the spotlight.

Yet the lasting image of the day was not one of absence. As Charles stood alongside his heir and three of his grandchildren, the monarchy’s future was on display for all to see — a powerful portrait of continuity at a moment when the institution appears to have regained its footing.

“It felt like a family affair; the King will have taken absolute joy and pleasure in that,” Anderson says. “They are starting the summer on a high.”

[From People]

The “Kate is the closest they have to a rockstar member these days” thing is so funny when you really think about it. Because it’s actually true – Kate is the “rockstar” of this motley crew. But that’s not a ringing endorsement of her star power, is it? “Oh, they’re more excited about seeing Kate than Camilla or Prince Edward!” Well, yes. That’s the only way Kate can look popular. And I also think Charles looked pretty over it during Trooping too – rather than basking in the affection of a nation, he tried to hustle off that fakakta balcony before he was supposed to.

Kate Middleton looking angry and the kids looking completely uncomfortable and confused, getting booed during trooping the colour. If looks could kill. Princess Kate didn't like that. pic.twitter.com/5Vz1ymbhf6

— Nina (@ShakeLS) June 13, 2026

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Royal Ascot Day 3 (Thursday) brought out the core royals: King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Edward & Sophie), Princess Anne, Zara Tindall and… Carole Middleton. Truly, Carole is the next best thing to the Queen Mum – she is the mother of the future queen consort and grandmother to a future king. Plus, the Queen Mum was always gin-pickled too. Interestingly, Carole heard all of our comments about her missing husband, so Michael Middleton was dutifully trotted out for Day 3. He was barely photographed, almost as if he only came out to keep up appearances and then left quickly. I do think it’s interesting that Carole was welcomed two days in a row as well – her daughter wasn’t there, and yet Carole was still rubbing shoulders with Sophie Who and Zara in the royal box. I have to hand it to her, Carole negotiated a great deal for herself in 2024.

I didn’t get a chance to talk about Duchess Sophie at Ascot earlier because there was so much going on, but Sophie bizarrely wore two very dark, funereal looks to Ascot. While the cut and length of these dresses adhere to Ascot’s dress code, she broke the unwritten rule of Ascot style: “don’t look like a goth witch.” Her black dress on Day 2 and her navy dress from Day 3 were both from Suzannah London. Both are just terrible dresses overall as well. Sophie gets it wrong like 90% of the time.

Meanwhile, Day 3 was the first time Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall were invited to ride in the carriage procession. The Tindalls have been there every day, so this was a special treat, I guess. Zara wore another puffy-sleeved Rebecca Vallance bridesmaid’s dress for some reason.

One more fashion note – Camilla wore a custom Fiona Clare, paired with a Dior purse. She also wore diamond earrings (likely from the Royal Collection), a Cartier bracelet and the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch. Also: Andrew Parker Bowles was there too.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Getty Images.

So, do I similarly give the current president a pass on algae blooming immediately after his renovations? NO, I do not! Because as per usual, President Dumbf–k’s changes were all surface no substance, enacted brazenly without federal oversight, and undertaken with pernicious, politicized commentary. Trump has constantly framed the latest pool refurbishments as fixing what Obama didn’t do right, so for it all to blow up in Don’s face in such neon fashion is exactly what he deserves. I was all set to write about just how vast this algae bloom is, when lo and behold, another problem emerged: the new blue-hued lining is already peeling. After only two weeks.

Cracks in the system: Some blue material at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is peeling off, days after the pool was painted blue and refilled as part of a multi-million dollar renovation ordered by President Donald Trump. On Thursday at the National Mall, CNN observed a flap of blue material that was partially attached to the bottom in one area of the pool and floating toward the top. It is unclear if the material is paint or sealant, and it’s unclear what caused it to come up. The Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The renovator responds… kind of: Shown pictures and videos of the materials, Eddie Wood, who owns Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia-based firm hired to renovate the pool, said the images do not provide enough information “to tell exactly what that is.” “There’s several things that we’ve got to address when we come back for maintenance, and anything like that will be addressed, if it’s a problem,” Wood said.

An expert weighs in: Tim Auerhahn, a pool infrastructure expert and the chairman of the Aquatic Council, said it’s difficult to tell from the videos what was causing the “apparent delamination.” “A coating system can fail for several reasons, including substrate preparation, surface contamination, application conditions, adhesion issues, product selection, mechanical damage, environmental exposure, or a combination of factors,” Auerhahn said. The larger question, he added, is whether this represents a localized issue in that part of the pool or a larger, more systemic issue with the coating. “If the coating is losing adhesion in multiple locations, that could indicate a more significant concern,” he said.

The algae of it all: But it didn’t take long for many of the same issues to resurface. Not long after the newly renovated pool was filled with water earlier this month, algae again discolored the water. Earlier this week, in an apparent effort to remediate that discoloration, workers were seen pouring jugs of hydrogen peroxide into the pool and deployed what an Interior spokesperson described as “advanced nanobubbler technology.” As of Thursday afternoon, the pool was still green in large sections, with algae visible.

[From CNN]

What?! The advanced nanobubbler technology didn’t work?? Not the “state of the art ozone nanobubbler filtration” the Department of Interior has been touting?? Surely you jest?!! Ok, I’ve since learned that nanobubble technology is a real thing, but I also can’t be the only one who heard “nanobubbles” and immediately conjured an image of farting in the bathtub. Also, c’mon, it’s just plain funny sounding! “The nanobubbler is malfunctioning!!” (Yes, I am a child. No, I do not apologize for that.) As for the work done by Trump’s handpicked pool guy under a $14 million no-bid contract already falling apart… if you’re surprised, the joke’s on you. There have always been structural issues with the Reflecting Pool; not one of them has ever been that the water wasn’t “American-flag blue” enough. The one thing the pool is accurately reflecting right now is the ineptitude of this administration. If the hydrogen peroxide somehow turns out to be the culprit for the lining falling apart, I call Bingo.

>Give $14M no-bid contract to your friend to paint the pool blue
>Pool turns green anyway because algae grows in warm stagnant water
>Pour hydrogen peroxide into the pool to kill the algae
>The hydrogen peroxide peels off the blue paint https://t.co/QGJoHWioPz

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) June 18, 2026

Went back to the reflecting pool with a waterproof camera. Here’s what it looks like underwater where a section has peeled up and was removed. pic.twitter.com/jWS9LtGGZE

— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) June 19, 2026

I’m sorry, no. This is not the guy who did the reflecting pool. No. Come on. We’re just putting a hat on a hat here.
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u…

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— Philip Bump (@pbump.com) June 18, 2026 at 9:50 PM