May 15, 2025

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Emotional Tribute, Royal Horse Racing First, and New Polling Trouble with Young Britons

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Emotional Tribute, Royal Horse Racing First, and New Polling Trouble with Young Britons

In this packed royal roundup: King Charles and Queen Camilla lead a star-studded conservation gala in memory of Camilla’s late brother, Mark Shand, at Kew Gardens. The King makes history by teaming up with legendary trainer Willie Mullins to send a royal racehorse to Ireland for the first time. Meanwhile, sobering new polling reveals growing generational disinterest in the monarchy — especially toward Queen Camilla. Plus: Canadian PM Mark Carney slams King Charles for staying silent amid Trump’s “annex Canada” remarks, and insiders reveal the King’s heartache over Prince Harry and his California-based grandchildren.

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Calarogu Shark Media A Hello and welcome to Palace intrig

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again your host Mark Francis, His Majesty, the King and

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Queen Camilla were the guests of honour at a dazzling

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reception and awards ceremony held in aid of Elephant Family,

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the conservation charity founded by Camilla's late brother Mark shand

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The event staged amidst the lush splendor of the Royal

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Botanic Gardens a Q through a host of notable figures

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from royalty to international celebrities. Princess Beatrice made a striking

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appearance and a red Rebecca Valance gown, while attendees also

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included Lady Marina Windsor, Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nasaria, and

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actors Ed Westwick and Amy Jackson and singer Sophie Ellis Baxter.

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But the evening's most poignant moment came when Queen Camella,

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dressed in a cream tunic with gold embroidery and matching

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Palanzo trousers by Anna Valentine, watched a posthumous video of

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her brother Mark Shann, who died in twenty fourteen at

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the age of sixty two. Following a tragic fall was

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seen in the film, expressing his enduring hope for the

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future of endangered elephants, Her Majesty, visibly moved, was joined

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by her sister Annabel Elliott as the room shared in

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a moment of remembrance. The charity, now part of the

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King's British Asian Trust, continues Shan's mission of protecting Asia's

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elephants and mitigating human wildlife conflict. His Majesty, wearing at

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tire adorned with an elephant motive, gave an impromptu address

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after presenting a conservation award, remarking this evening is an

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opportunity as well to pay a special tribute, I think

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to all the wonderful people who are doing all the

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work on the ground in India to rescue not just

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elephants now, but even more species. As the Trust and

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the Elephant Family develop an even greater ability to manage

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the human and animal conflict, it just seems to me

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that this is a great example of way collaboration is

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far better than conflict. And also why if we're going

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to rescue this poor planet from continuing degradation and restore

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some harmony to the proceedings, we must also understand that

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whatever we take and exploit from nature, we need to

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give something bag in return to enable nature to sustain us.

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Their Majesties began the event at the Temperate Git, greeted

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by a stillt walker dress as peacock, before hosting a

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private reception for fifty guests in the Marianne North Gallery.

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From there they were led down an avenue lined with

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thirty decorative eggs, part of the Big Egg Hunt, a

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public art trail across London aiming to raise both funds

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and awareness for the charity. Among the artists featured was

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one who had created a Union flag themed egg with

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the words God Save the Queen, citing nineteen seventies inspiration.

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Earlier in the week, Charles, in his role as Colonel

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in Chief of the Household Cavalry, was joined by Her

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Royal Highness, the Princess Royal Colonel of the Blues and

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Royals for a solemn and splendid occasion on twelfth of May,

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the presentation of new standards to the Lifeguards and the

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Blues and Royals. The ceremony, held within the quadrangle that

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Windsor Castle, paid tribute to the enduring legacy and ceremonial

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Brilliants of the Household Cavalry, the two most senior regiments

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in the British Army. These new standards, steeped in tradition

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and honor, served as sacred emblems of regimental history, valor

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and identity. On arrival, His Majesty was received with a

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royal salute and the national anthem. The King, accompanied by

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the Princess Royal and Lieutenant General Sir Edward Smyth Osborne,

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Colonel of the Lifeguards, then proceeded to inspect the troops

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on parade. The Chaplain General of His Majesty's Land Forces

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consecrated the new standards, which were presented to the King

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before being passed to the commanding offices of each regiment.

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A royal fanfare sounded as the parade marched past the dais,

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capping the formal portion of the proceedings. Addressing the assembled squadrons,

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the King remarked, the Household Cavalries renowned worldwide for the

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splendors of all those unique ceremonies the heart of the nation,

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and today seeing you all on parade here I can

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see you continue to represent the very best of that

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ceremonial brilliance. The Household Cavalry, dating back to sixteen sixty,

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has long served as both the personal guard of the

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Sovereign and a ceremonial symbol of the British Army's finest traditions.

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Speaking of horses, the King and legendary trainer Willie Mullins

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have forged an historic agreement, one that sees a horse

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bred by the late Queen Elizabeth joined the stable of

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Ireland's most decorated national hunt handler. The horse, a four

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year old Golding named Reaching High, will be trained by

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Mullins and what is believed to be the first time

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a reigning British monarch has a horse trained in Ireland.

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Reaching High, previously trained by the now retired Sir Michael Stout,

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stunned onlookers with a commanding seventh length victory in the

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Racing League at Wolverhampton last August. Though that was his

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sole win from eight starts, his pedigree suggests a much

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brighter future. He is out of estimate the late Queen's

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beloved Mayor, who captured the Ascot Gold in twenty thirteen

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and sired by the legendary See the Stars, the two

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thousand guineas Derby and Ark winning Titan of two thousand

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and nine. Mullens, who trained the first three home in

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this year's Grand National and was crowned both British and

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Irish Jumps Champion trainer, said he first met the King

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at Royal Ascot last year. Deal was quietly struck at

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that meeting and the fruit of that conversation now comes

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in the form of reaching high. Speaking to the Irish Field,

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Mullins confirmed plans for a Royal Ascot bid, saying he

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could be a contender for the Ascot Stakes over two

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and a half miles on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

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His pedigree is all stamina, so those kind of races

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should suit him. The Golding is due to make his

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debut for Mullins at Leopardstown this Friday. The Royal Racing operation,

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once thought likely to be downsized following the King's accession,

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has instead continued to flourish under the stewardship of both

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King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Queen consort is known

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to be a passionate supporter of the sport. Charles faces

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a significant generational challenge as new polling reveals a distinct

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lack of enthusiasm for the monarchy among Britains under the

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age fifty. The letter's data from Yugov, which has tracked

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royal popularity since twenty seventeen, offers a sobering insight into

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the views of younger citizens. While the King maintains a

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narrow net positive rating among eighteen to twenty four year

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olds and performs modestly better among twenty five to forty

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nine year olds, his standing falls well below the popularity

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he enjoys with those aged fifty and above. Queen Camella

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fares even worse. According to the survey, she holds a

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net negative rating among both younger demographics, and is in

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fact the second least popular royal among eighteen to twenty

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four year olds, surpassed in unpopularity only by Prince Andrew.

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Perhaps most strikingly, Queen Camilla does not appear to benefit

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from any halo effect derived from her husband's support among

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older Britons. Among the over fifties, she trails the King

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by more than twenty points in favorability. More broadly, the

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royal famili's collective standing with younger generations is caused for concern.

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The eighteen to twenty four Cohort currently views the institution

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with a net popularity score of zero, a precarious midpoint

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that could tip decisively in either direction in the years

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to come. The yug of data also revealed that Megan

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Mikel has reached a record low in popularity in the

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UK since Poland began eight years ago. Harry, however, solace

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may be found not at home but across the Atlantic.

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In the United States, where he and the Duchess now reside,

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Prince Harry remains more popular than in the UK. Fifty

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six percent of Americans hold a very or fairly positive

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view of the Duke, compared to twenty one with a

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negative opinion. Yet even on American soil, the Duke finds

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himself eclipsed by his elder brother. Prince Williams scored a

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commanding sixty three percent positive rating from US respondents, with

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only ten percent holding a negative view, placing him ahead

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of both Harry and their spouses. The Princess of Wales

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also fared well with American audiences, garnering a forty nine

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percent favorable rating. The King himself earned a respectable forty

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eight percent positive score. In contrast, the Duchess of Sussex

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through a forty one percent positive rating, placing her below

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the other senior royals currently in the public ie. The

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least popular royals in the United States, according to the poll,

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were Queen Camilla and Prince Andrew. By contrast, the most

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beloved figures remained two icons of the past, the late Diana,

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Princess of Wales and her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the

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second more Palace in just a moment. In a rare

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public rebuke, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has taken aim

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at King Charles for remaining silent in the face of

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US President Donald Trump's increasingly provocative statements about annexing Canada.

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Since returning to officing January, President Trump has repeatedly floated

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the notion of Canada becoming America's fifty first state, a

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suggestion that has sparked outrage north of the border and

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placed Britain in a diplomatically awkward position given King Charles

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duel rollers monarch of both countries. Carnee, who swept to

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victory in last month's Canadian federal election on promise to

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stand firm against Trump, has criticized both the British government

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and the Palace for what he characterized US as an

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ill judged and ill timed gesture inviting President Trump for

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a second state visit to the United Kingdom. Speaking the

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Sky News, mister Carney said, I think to be frank,

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Canadians weren't impressed by that gesture, given the circumstance. It

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was at a time we were being quite clear about

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the issues around sovereignty. Although the King has made symbolic

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efforts in recent months, including donning Canadian honors, planting a

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maple tree, and referring to himself as King of Canada,

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Cannie made clear these gestures were not seen as sufficient

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in the current climate, adding all issues around Canada's sovereignty

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have been accentuated by the President, so no, it's not coincidental,

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but it is also a reaffirming moment for Canadians, referring

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to the King's forthcoming attendance at Canada's state opening of

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Parliament on twenty seventh May, the first time reigning British

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monarch has done so since nineteen seventy seven. Charles is

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said to be very sad over his lack of a

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relationship with his California based grand children. Prince Archie and

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Princess Lilibet. Yet, according to his sources close to the monarch,

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Prince Harry's recent remarks to the BBC have only served

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to deepen the existing rift, leaving trust between father and

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son at a complete standstill. The King, who has not

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seen Archie and Lilibet in person four several years, reportedly

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remains open to reconciliation, but views the path forward as

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contingent upon Harry's actions. A source explained, the King does

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not like conflict and he would love for all of

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this to be resolved, but Harry has to earn the

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trust back the balls in his court in that respect.

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The King loves his son and he is very sad

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that he has not spent any time with Archie and Lilibet,

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but Harry hasn't made a reconciliation easy. That said, the

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door is always open as far as the King is concerned.

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He's a magnanimous man, not a malicious man. But his

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priority is the preservation of the monarchy. And there you

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have it. The email us addresses the Palace Injury, get

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a Gmail and dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple,

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or the Apple of your twins and leave us a

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nice review If you're enjoying the show, tire, we have

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the podcast Diddy Do It available wherever you get your

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podcasts like this one. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to

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John McDermott. This is Palace Injury and Good Turns.