Sept. 16, 2025

Prince Harry Opens Up in Ukraine, Trump Visits UK, and Royals Prepare for Historic Funeral

Prince Harry Opens Up in Ukraine, Trump Visits UK, and Royals Prepare for Historic Funeral

Prince Harry gets candid during his Ukraine trip—opening up about mental health, fatherhood, and media scrutiny. Meghan Markle celebrates his return with a subtle brand promo. Meanwhile, the Royal Family prepares for the historic Catholic funeral of the Duchess of Kent, and King Charles readies Windsor Castle for Donald Trump’s second state visit. Tensions, tributes, and tea—all in one packed update.

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Caalaroga shark media. Now, hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.

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I am your host, Mark Francis. The Guardian was allowed

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to tag along with Prince Harry on his visit to Ukraine.

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As Harry noted, the Guardian has long been critical of

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the monarchy and he is himself suspicious of the media.

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But over the course of the journey a clearer picture

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emerged of the man behind the headlines. Prince Harry informal

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in private, was seen padding around the train in socks

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and making dad jokes. He spoke candidly of boxing as

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his outlet, saying that hitting the hell out of a

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bag helps him decompress, and jokingly blamed his dislike of

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cycling on having a bone ass. In public, he showed

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poise and approachability At a veteran's event at the National

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Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War,

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he was greeted with hugs, cheers and admiration. One official

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Auga Runeva, remarked, we honestly didn't know he had become

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such a celebrity. I think Prince Harry coming here as

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a symbol of victory and power. Speaking on stage, Harry

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embraced his role, saying I would say that I have

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been fortunate. The one thing that people miss when they

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hang up their uniform is purpose, losing a sense of

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community and being a part of a team, and of

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course the camaraderie and adrenaline. But at the heart of

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it is your job. Your role is serving a purpose

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larger than yourself. He added that his work with Invictus

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saved me. The Prince stressed the importance of shifting perceptions

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about disability, saying seeing people with prosthetics and life changing

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injuries is going to be the norm in Ukraine for

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the coming decades. Nobody should feel embarrassed or ashamed about

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their disabilities. It's about flipping from sympathy to admiration and respect.

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He quietly laid a wreath at the unofficial memorial in

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Kiev's Maiden Square late saying I wanted to find a

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spot to lay the wreath in peace, away from everyone.

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My God, it's like a mazing there. I didn't appreciate

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how far back it went. Honestly, it is one of

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the saddest things I have ever seen, but also one

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of the most beautiful. It is also unnecessary. Later in

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the day, the Prince's vehicle peeled off from the convoy

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for an hour. Though unconfirmed, it's suspected he met privately

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with President Vladimir Zelensky, an advocate of the Invictus Games.

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As Harry departed, the Guardian spoke to him once again.

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It bore the overnight train back to Poland. Reflecting on

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his week, which also included a visit to the UK

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and a meeting with King Charles, he said, yes, I

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have enjoyed the week. I have always loved the UK,

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and I always loved the UK. It's been good to

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reconnect with the causes I am passionate about. I have

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been able to spend some time with people that I

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have known for so long. It is hard to do

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it from far away. He dismissed negative tabloid portrayals. It

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is only in certain elements of the press where you

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see this talk about me being or saying I am

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not smiling. This comes from people who think they know

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what I am thinking and how I am feeling. They

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are wrong. I think parts of the British press want

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to believe that I am miserable, but I'm not. I'm

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very happy with who I am, and I like the

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life that I live. He acknowledged recent challenges. I have

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certainly had to deal with some very stressful events over

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the last four years. There has been the uncertainty and

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stress of the litigation and finding out certain things that

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have really really hurt. Despite what's Britain, he said, I

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feel a lot of support from the British public, even

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now when I feel I have been destroyed by certain

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members of the British press. It serves them to think

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that the British public feels the same way about me

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as they do. But I don't feel that and I

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don't see that. For as long as I have known,

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certain elements of the British press have tried to speak

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on behalf of the nation. I think they are out

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of touch with the nation on lots of things. They

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hope to bring the public with them, But I think

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the British public can speak and think for themselves. When

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asked whether he might like to spend more time in

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the UK, he said yes, I would. This speak has

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definitely brought that closer. Though he wouldn't speak directly about

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his father, he did offer this, the focus really has

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to be on my dad. His wife, Megan was mentioned

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just once, as he recalled her advice, she said, just

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stick to the truth. It is the thing I always

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fall back on always, and if you think like that,

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who would be stupid enough to lie? It takes up

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too much time and effort. As for his book, Spare

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and other revelations he shared, he said, I know that

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speaking out annoys some people, and it goes against the

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narrative the book. It was a series of corrections to

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stories already out there. One point of view had been

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put out and it needed to be corrected. He added,

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I don't believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public.

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It was a difficult message, but I did it in

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the best way possible. My conscience is clear. Responding to

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the suggestion that he's stubborn, he said, it's not stubbornness,

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it's having principles. On his legal battles with the press,

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Harry was clear, it's not about revenge, it's about accountability.

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And as for his family, you cannot have reconciliation before

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you have truth. Megan marked Harry's return to California and

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his birthday were a perfectly timed bit of product placement.

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The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram via her as

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Ever lifestyle brand to toast his homecoming in a short

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story post, Megan Seine pouring two glasses of a thirty

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dollars rose on a rustic wooden board, surrounded by flowers

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and polished esthetics straight out of a home daycor catalog.

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I still have that bottle and I'm going to try

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it more, Pallace in just a moment. Season two of

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Crown and Controversy, focusing on Harry, kicks off this Sunday

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on the Normal Feed. If you're a subscriber, you don't

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have to wait. You can binge the entire season right now.

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And we also just released a new series, Crown and Controversy,

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binge that whole mini series two. Just when you think

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there's Royal Family's God Its issues, check out Norway. Now's

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It's a lot and we really thank you for your support.

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The funeral of Catherine, Duchess of Kent will take place

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at Westminster Cathedral to day, marking the first Catholic funeral

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for a member of the royal family in modern times.

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The King and Queen will attend alongside other senior royals.

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The service will be a private requiem mass led by

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Cardinal Vincent Nichols, with the Anglican Dean of Windsor also participating.

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Senior royals expected to attend include the Prince and Princess

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of Wales, the Princess Royal, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

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Members of the extended Kent and Gloucester branches are also

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likely to be present, including Prince and Princess Mike of

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Kent with their children, as well as the Duke and

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Duchess of Gloucester. Political leaders and representatives of the charities

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the Duchess supported are expected among the mourners. Prime Minister

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so Kias Starmer described her as bringing compassion, dignity in

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a human touch to everything she did. Dame Esther Ranson,

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who worked with her through Childline called her empathetic and kind.

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The Duchess will be remembered for her love of music,

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her work in education, and her long association with Wimbledon,

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where she famously comforted Yana Nevadna after the nineteen ninety

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three final. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova said it was amazing

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how many millions of people around the globe she affected

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in a positive way. After the funeral, the Duchess will

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be laid to rest at Frogmore in Windsor. Tributes have

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come across the country, including from the Prince and Princess

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of Wales Prime Ministers Kias Starmer, while the Duchess is

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also fondly remembered for her support of tennis, her work

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in education, and her charitable contributions. Donald Trump is set

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to make his second state visit to the UK, arriving tonight.

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The visit has Windsor Castle that the center of a

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large scale security operation. King Charles will host the US

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President and First Lady Milania Trump, beginning with a ceremonial

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welcome and culminating in at state banquet at Windsor. Thames Valley.

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Police have announced a major policing effort which will include

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drones monitoring the restricted airspace over Windsor, beginning today when

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rehearsals begin, through the duration of the visit. The DJI

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Matress thirty T drones already used for missing persons inquiries

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and drug operations, will provide continuous eyes in the sky coverage,

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with each flight lasting thirty minutes before a replacement takes off.

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Chief Inspector Matthew Wilkinson of the Joint Operations Unit described

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the effort as one of the larger ones the forces overseen,

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adding it's a significant policing operation for us. However, Thames

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Valley Police is proud to host these events and we

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have a good history of putting on these events for

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both the royal family and the country. The visit is

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also act to draw protests. Stop Trump Coalition has announced

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a mass demonstration in London on the first day of

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the trip, with further protests planned near Windsor Castle. This

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will be Trump's second state visit and unusual honour, with

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his first taking place in twenty nineteen, when large crowds

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gathered in London two voice opposition. This visit has been

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carefully stage managed, unlike President mccron's recent trip there will

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be no public procession. With security concerns and the potential

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for protest, the public will not get a glimpse of

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the King and the President sharing a carriage ride. Instead,

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most events will take place behind the walls of Windsor.

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A state banquet at Saint George's Hall will serve as

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the centerpiece. Guests will dine on a menu highlighting British

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and American dishes, with a kind of opulence that includes

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menus printed in French and several glasses per guest. King

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Charles is expected to toast the special relationship and nod

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to the wartime alliances shared between the two nations, perhaps

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even invoking memories of the Queen Mother or Trump's own

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Scott born mother who once watched Queen Elizabeth's coronation with

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wrapped attention. One name that will not be on the

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guest list Prince Andrew. Instead, the younger generation will help

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carry the load. Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales,

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will play a prominent role in the ceremonial welcome. Catherine

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is also scheduled to join First Lady Millennia Trump at

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a Scouts led nature project. Queen Camilla Meanwhile, we'll show

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Millenia one of Windsor's more eccentric treasures, a century old

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doll's house with real wine in the miniature bottles. Charles

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may not agree with Trump on climat or global order,

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but he knows how to play host. As one observer

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puts it, the chemistry between them will be very interesting.

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And there you have inflect. The email US address is

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