Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have just made a huge mistake | Royal | News

My Instagram feed last week was dominated by pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Vancouver Invictus Games. Meghan Markle bombarded her 1.7million followers with dozens of updates for each of the five days she attended.

As the Duchess entered full-blown influencer mode, pictures of her hugging competitors and families, holding hands with her husband, selfies with fans, and behind-the-scenes clips were shared far and wide.

This new approach to social media is clearly an attempt to win over younger audiences, especially after Donald Trump recently branded her “terrible” in a humiliating swipe.

Their joint appearance – the first since their trip to Colombia in August – also served to reinforce brand Sussex after six months of solo engagements.

Meghan and Harry’s separate work lives had fuelled online rumours about a potential split, but last week the Duchess was determined to quash any speculation by packing out the PDA.

In one toe-curling image, she is seen grabbing her husband’s face as she pulls him for a kiss – not exactly normal behaviour for a member of the Royal Family.

But the couple clearly felt the loved-up pictures weren’t enough, as their team appeared to have briefed their trusted ally – People magazine – who typically run favourable coverage of the Sussexes, ahead of their arrival in Canada.

Did Harry learn nothing after almost four decades of growing up in the Palace?

There’s a reason his grandmother Queen Elizabeth adopted the unofficial motto “never complain, never explain”. As a PR strategy, it works.

All Harry and Meghan needed to do was present an unshakeable partnership. But as with many things they do, they simply went too far.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been unfairly criticised for not attending the BAFTAs tonight. Since William became President in 2010, he and Kate have attended together three times.

The prince attended solo in 2010, 2014 and 2024, appeared virtually in 2015 and 2022, and has skipped the event on five occasions.

When Princess Anne was president between 1972 and 2002, she only attended 13 of them.

Kate and William’s attendance at the BAFTAs is not a given, and as I pointed out two weeks ago, the glitzy ceremony falls during half-term, so they were likely to prioritise family time.

And who can blame them after the last 12 months they’ve had?

Royal tours aren’t always glitz and glamour. This time last week I was being thrown around in the back of a 4×4 at an unsightly hour as we climbed some 3,700ft up a treacherous single-track road from Pokhara to Ghandruk.

The movement was so exaggerated that my fitness watch told me I’d achieved a 10,000-step count while clinging on for dear life.

We encountered a JCB blocking our route – which involved frantic calls to the embassy and the town’s mayor to locate the owner and clear the path – as well as a particularly hazardous piece of road which would defeat our jeep.

As the driver attempted multiple times to cross the rocky terrain we got a puncture, leaving us stranded on the side of the cliff-edge road.

But after more urgent calls, we were eventually rescued by some Gurkhas and even managed to make the engagement in time for a cup of tea.

Mike Tindall became the first royal to guest edit Beano magazine last week, as he teamed up with Bananaman to save Beanotown from a rampaging toll.

As well as starring in the cartoon strip to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the hapless superhero, the former England rugby star gave a sweet insight into family time with wife Zara and their three children, Lena, Mia and Lucas.

He revealed that he loves to play pranks on them, especially hiding and then jumping out to scare them.

In return, the kids often sneak underneath the table and tie the adults’ shoelaces together.

This down-to-earth royal has just given us another relatable moment that shows just why the Tindalls are so popular with the public.

What a busy week it’s been for the Royal Family. The top four conducted no less than 14 engagements up and down the country, visiting Cornwall, Merseyside, Middlesbrough and London.

The King had a particularly busy schedule, undertaking three engagements in the south on Monday, followed by eight audiences, and two engagements at Buckingham Palace – one alongside the Queen – the following day.

On Wednesday, he visited Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium before travelling more than 250 miles to Middlesbrough for four engagements with the Queen.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that the 76-year-old monarch continues to undergo regular cancer treatment.