King Charles has found the ultimate “secret weapon” to handle his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s scandal, a royal expert has claimed. The former Duke of York has long been dubbed the “black sheep” of the Royal Family due to the various scandals he’s been involved in. The last blow came earlier this autumn, when the King decided to axe his titles and honours due to his links to the convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.

Now royal expert Jennie Bond claimed that the King has found a “powerful shield” to protect the institution against his brother’s scandal – a “relentless work ethic” designed to “drown out” the noise. She told the Mirror: “The King is upping his workload to compensate. He is a man with a mission: to protect his mother’s legacy, make his own mark on the monarchy and then to hand it over in fine fettle to his son, William, when the time comes.”

Ms Bond added that Charles is trying to anchor the monarchy with a “steady hum of public service.”

THIS LIVE BLOG IS NOW CLOSED. UPDATES CAN BE FOUND BELOW OR HERE.

12 hours ago22:52 Jasmine Carey

Live blog closed

This live blog is now closed. We will be back tomorrow with all the latest Royal Family news.

12 hours ago22:13 Jasmine Carey

POLL: Should Princess Beatrice see Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor this Christmas?

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has had a pretty tough year so far, and it seems like he could be in for a dull Christmas too. While he has been shunned from Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham this year, the former prince may have hoped that he would at least have his two daughters for company on December 25 instead.

However, it isn’t looking likely that this will be the case. This is because while it is not yet known what Princess Eugenie is doing on Thursday, it has already been widely reported that Princess Beatrice won’t be seeing her father for the big day.

But do you think she made the right choice, or should Beatrice see her father on Christmas Day? Vote below or here.

13 hours ago21:35 Jasmine Carey

Duchess Sophie reveals her favourite part of royal Christmas – it’s not what you’d expect

Duchess Sophie has been a member of the Royal Family for years, and is very used to spending the big day with the Royal Family at Sandringham. While some may assume the Duchess of Edinburgh’s favourite festive tradition is something to do with Christmas at Sandringham, whether that be the church service or the Christmas lunch, it is in fact not.

Instead, the duchess is believed to like a different part of Christmas that not many people would class as their favourite. That is in fact Christmas carols.

Duchess Sophie has a favourite thing to do at Christmas (Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

13 hours ago21:13 Jasmine Carey

Unique way Queen Elizabeth did her Christmas shopping at Windsor Castle

With the big day now just hours away, many of us will have already braved the shops to buy all of our Christmas presents – but someone who had a very different approach to her festive shopping was Queen Elizabeth II.

Despite it being a challenge to shop for the people who have everything, only the best would do for Queen Elizabeth’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As a result, the late monarch introduced a very clever method to get her Christmas shopping done without leaving the comfort of her own home.

Queen Elizabeth II had a clever Christmas shopping hack (Image: Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

14 hours ago20:50 Jasmine Carey

King Charles’s hilarious 3-word nickname revealed

King Charles, like many across the world, is no doubt beginning to look forward to Christmas. With Christmas Day just around the corner, the King and Queen Camilla will be  busy finalising preparations as they start to welcome members of the Royal Family to Sandringham.

As well as making sure everything is set to run smoothly, the King will also be looking forward to much-loved annual festive traditions on December 25. This includes the Christmas Day church service, the family lunch, and – of course – watching his own speech on the TV.

King Charles had a nickname among staff (Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

14 hours ago20:25 Jasmine Carey

The Queen’s speech Prince William ‘knew would spark a Category 5 Harry tantrum’

Prince William feared a “Category 5 tantrum” was brewing when he realised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had been quietly excluded from the Queen’s 2019 Christmas message, according to royal author Tina Brown.

The late monarch’s annual festive broadcast has long been a moment of reflection and unity, watched by millions in Britain and across the Commonwealth since George V delivered the first radio message in 1932. Yet the 2019 address stood out for its understated tone – and for a detail that royal observers believe spoke volumes about growing divisions within the family.

Prince William reportedly knew the speech could cause problems (Image: HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

15 hours ago19:55 Jasmine Carey

Prince William and Princess Kate halt Christmas break to share heartfelt message

Prince William and Princess Catherine have interrupted their holiday break to post a heartfelt message on their social media. The Prince and Princess of Wales took to their official X account to post a sneak peek of Catherine’s Together at Christmas carol concert, which took place earlier in December and will air on Christmas Eve.

They captioned the post: “‘Love is how you live your life.’ Brilliant to be joined by Eugene Levy at this year’s ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service.” In the short, 36-second clip, Canadian actor, famed for his role in the comedy Schitt’s Creek, Eugenie Levy, who made a surprise appearance at the festive event, can be heard saying: “Love. That’s an important word for me. It’s kind of a how you live your life.”

15 hours ago19:23 Jasmine Carey

Princess Beatrice just told Andrew where to go – now it’s time for Eugenie to do the same

OPINION BY JASMINE CAREY

Princess Beatrice has surprised me today, but I think she has made the right decision. Just days before Christmas, news has emerged that the 37-year-old will not be spending December 25 with her scandal-ridden father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been shunned from royal Christmas celebrations.

While Andrew, 65, may have thought he would have his daughters’ shoulders to cry on over the festive season after months of facing new scandals surrounding his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, it seems this is now not the case. At least, not with Beatrice anyway.

But should her sister, Princess Eugenie, do the same? I truly believe Eugenie, 35, should follow in her sister’s footsteps, or at least take a page out of the same book and tell Andrew where to go.

Princess Eugenie shouldn’t see Andrew this Christmas (Image: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

16 hours ago18:51 Jasmine Carey

New pictures of Prince Harry released – as Meghan Markle nowhere in sight

New photographs have been released of Prince Harry this week as he undertook a new solo engagement without his wife Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex, 41, visited the Ventura Training Center in California to spend time with formerly incarcerated firefighters helped by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

Photographs showed the duke meeting the group, which included those who helped protect communities earlier this year during the Californian wildfires. The prince was not accompanied by his wife on the solo visit.

16 hours ago18:23 Jasmine Carey

Meghan Markle to miss one beloved family member this Christmas

Meghan Markle seems to be a big fan of Christmas, and will no doubt be excited to spend the day with her nearest and dearest in Montecito. While her and Prince Harry’s mansion will no doubt be full of laughter and fun, it may also come with a hint of sadness too.

This is because this upcoming Christmas is believed to be the first one Meghan, 44, has had in many years without her late rescue beagle Guy, who sadly passed away within the last 12 months. This is likely to be upsetting for Meghan, who was left devastated by the dog’s passing.

Meghan Markle’s rescue dog passed away earlier this year (Image: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Fortune Media)

17 hours ago17:49 Jasmine Carey

The 10 bombshell questions FBI wanted Andrew to answer over his links to Jeffrey Epstein

Prosecutors in the United States wanted to interview Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor under caution in relation to Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking allegations, the latest release of files show. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) issued a fourth batch of files totalling at least 8,000 on Tuesday (December 23).

The documents include records from the DoJ and FBI as well as audio recordings and videos. Also among the trove is video footage from August 2019 when the disgraced billionaire was found dead in a New York prison cell. Files show the DoJ invoked a legal agreement between the US and UK in April 2020 in a bid to interview the former Duke of York, who was stripped of his royal titles over his connection to Epstein.

Andrew has faced numerous scandals surrounding his past friendship with Epstein (Image: Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

17 hours ago17:22 Jasmine Carey

Full list of the 31 Royals on King Charles’s Christmas Day guest list

King Charles and Queen Camilla will no doubt be feeling excited as they are set to welcome members of the Royal Family to Sandringham tomorrow for the festive celebrations to commence. The King and Queen host Christmas for the royals on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk every year, where the royals enjoy much-loved festive traditions.

This includes Christmas Eve present giving, the Christmas day church service and, of course, the Christmas lunch. The family, like many, also reportedly gather on Christmas afternoon to watch the King’s speech.

Here at The Express we have looked at the 31 family members who are believed to be set to spend Christmas Day at Sandringham this year…

The Royal Family spend Christmas at Sandringham every year (Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

18 hours ago16:45 Jasmine Carey

Royal fans share verdict on whether Meghan and Harry should spend Christmas in the UK

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been urged by royal fans to stay in the US for Christmas. The couple have not spent Christmas with the royals since 2018, the year before their son was born. The couple marked Prince Archie’s first Christmas in 2019 in Canada with Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland. They have since spent Christmas in California every year since 2020.

Royal fans were asked in a poll conducted by the Express, which ran between 9.30am on December 21 and 12.30pm on December 23, if they would like to see the couple change their plans and travel to the UK this year.

Of the 6,458 people who voted, 6,186 shared that the family should remain in California.

Meghan and Harry no longer spend Christmas in the UK (Image: TheStewartofNY/GC Images)

18 hours ago16:14 Jasmine Carey

Royal fans say the same thing about Meghan Markle’s ‘cringe’ Christmas playlist

Meghan Markle shared a list of her favourite Christmas songs she plays “on rotation” in her home and royal fans had things to say. The Duchess of Sussex took to her official Instagram account to share a new video showing clips of her prepping food from what appears to be her Christmas special episode on Netflix.

At the end of the video, Meghan revealed the list of her favourite 16 Christmas songs, which included the likes of Norah Jones, Mariah Carey, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Wham!. But despite the list including modern artists singing Christmas songs, the Duchess was accused by fans of trying to appear “edgy” by listing “boomer” songs when she is a “millennial”.

19 hours ago15:47 Jasmine Carey

Hardest working royal of 2025 revealed – and it’s not Princess Anne

Princess Anne is not the hardest-working royal of 2025, as she has been overtaken by her brother, the King, according to new research. The Princess Royal, who has consistently held the top spot in terms of carrying out engagements throughout the year, may have worked more days this year but has ultimately taken on fewer engagements than the monarch, who is still undergoing cancer treatment.

King Charles has now been crowned the hardest-working royal of 2025, clocking up a total of 532 engagements in 12 months, 50 more than his sister, who carried out 478. According to the Mirror’s analysis of the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements, the King carried out 22% of them, which were 2,458 in total.

Princess Anne has not been named the hardest working royal this year (Image: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

19 hours ago15:18 Jasmine Carey

Real reason Prince Harry isn’t spending Christmas in the UK revealed

Prince Harry is unlikely to spend Christmas with the Royal Family anytime soon, following years of hostile relations, an expert believes. Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said he does not see the Royal Family and the Sussexes seeking a shared Christmas, even if there is a thawing of relations in some areas.

He explained that reconciliation and Christmas are not the same thing, and that progress on one issue does not necessarily unlock the other. Mr Fitzwilliams said: “What happens after the 2027 Birmingham Invictus Games, of course, is yet to be seen, but I can’t see them wanting to spend Christmas with the Royal Family or vice versa.”

Prince Harry will not be in the UK for Christmas (Image: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)

19 hours ago15:04 Jasmine Carey

Good afternoon

Good afternoon. Royal reporter Jasmine Carey here and I will be bringing you live updates this afternoon.

You can contact me at [email protected].

21 hours ago13:54 Sophia Papamavroudi

‘Forget Andrew, Harry and Meghan – a new hero is here to save the Royal Family’

COMMENT: “When the-then Prince Andrew flew helicopter sorties in the Falklands War, Brits briefly hoped we had a new royal role model the young could idolise – it was a tragic, false dawn.

“Then as the nation celebrated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage we all prayed this modern couple could engage in a new era of down-to-earth royalty.

“Last week the 12-year-old second in line to the throne, Prince George, joined his daddy the Prince of Wales on a Christmas visit to the same homelessness shelter that Princess Diana took William to at a similar age.

“If Prince Harry was a working royal it’s the sort of visit he’d have relished – but he’s in California counting the cool £22 million he made spilling the beans on Camilla, William and Catherine in his autobiography Spare.”

– By Chris Riches, North-West Correspondent

Prince George joined Prince William at an engagement recently (Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)

21 hours ago13:19 Sophia Papamavroudi

The 5 rarely seen young royals who will spend Christmas at Sandringham this year

King Charles will undoubtedly be delighted to be spending Christmas with three of his five grandchildren this week, with five other young royal relatives also set to join the royals at the Sandringham estate.

In addition to the King’s grandchildren, Princess Anne will also participate in the festivities with her children and grandchildren in Norfolk.

The King and Queen will be joined at the estate by Zara Tindall’s three children and Peter Phillips’ two teenage daughters.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will be hosting at Sandringham again (Image: Getty)

21 hours ago13:08 Sophia Papamavroudi

Real reason Prince Harry isn’t spending Christmas in the UK revealed

Prince Harry is unlikely to spend Christmas with the Royal Family anytime soon, following years of hostile relations, an expert believes.

Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said he does not see the Royal Family and the Sussexes seeking a shared Christmas, even if there is a thawing of relations in some areas.

He explained that reconciliation and Christmas are not the same thing, and that progress on one issue does not necessarily unlock the other.

Prince Harry is reportedly spending Christmas in Montecito (Image: Getty)

21 hours ago12:59 Sophia Papamavroudi

Kensington Palace reveal sneak-peek of royal first at Princess Kate’s Christmas concert

Kensington Palace have released a new set of photo illustrations from the Princess of Wales’s Christmas carol concert.

Princess Catherine’s Together at Christmas carol service took place on December 5 at Westminster Abbey.

The festive event this year featured an illustrator who sketched snapshots of the magical atmosphere inside the Abbey in real time.

Today, the Palace revealed the artist, Caroline Tomlinson, and shared a sneak peek of her work.

22 hours ago12:12 Sophia Papamavroudi

New ‘Epstein’ email ‘from Balmoral’ asks for ‘inappropriate friends’ and is signed ‘A’

Newly released Epstein files have unearthed an email from “Balmoral” and signed “A xxx”.

The message asks sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell if she had “found me some new inappropriate friends?” to have “fun” with.

The email, which was shared in the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein documents, was sent in August 2001.

It has not been verified whether the email was sent by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and there is no suggestion that the emails indicate criminal wrongdoing.

Andrew (centre left) with Jeffrey Epstein (right) (Image: Getty)

22 hours ago12:08 Sophia Papamavroudi

Unique way Queen Elizabeth did her Christmas shopping at Windsor Castle

With the big day now just hours away, many of us will have already braved the shops to buy all of our Christmas presents – but someone who had a very different approach to her festive shopping was Queen Elizabeth II.

Despite it being a challenge to shop for the people who have everything, only the best would do for Queen Elizabeth’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

As a result, the late monarch introduced a very clever method to get her Christmas shopping done without leaving the comfort of her own home.

The late Queen had a very clever tactic (Image: Getty)

yesterday10:18 Sophia Papamavroudi

Royal fans say the same thing about Meghan Markle’s ‘cringe’ Christmas playlist

Meghan Markle shared a list of her favourite Christmas songs she plays “on rotation” in her home and royal fans had things to say.

The Duchess of Sussex took to her official Instagram account to share a new video showing clips of her prepping food from what appears to be her Christmas special episode on Netflix.

At the end of the video, Meghan revealed the list of her favourite 16 Christmas songs, which included the likes of Norah Jones, Mariah Carey, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Wham!.

But despite the list including modern artists singing Christmas songs, the Duchess was accused by fans of trying to appear “edgy” by listing “boomer” songs when she is a “millennial”.

eghan Markle revealed her top festive tracks (Image: Netflix)

yesterday09:56 Sophia Papamavroudi

Hardest working royal of 2025 revealed – and it’s not Princess Anne

Princess Anne is not the hardest-working royal of 2025, as she has been overtaken by her brother, the King, according to new research.

The Princess Royal, who has consistently held the top spot in terms of carrying out engagements throughout the year, may have worked more days this year but has ultimately taken on fewer engagements than the monarch, who is still undergoing cancer treatment.

King Charles has now been crowned the hardest-working royal of 2025, clocking up a total of 532 engagements in 12 months, 50 more than his sister, who carried out 478.

Princess Anne has been overtaken by one of her brothers (Image: Getty)

yesterday08:25 Sophia Papamavroudi

Prince William and Princess Kate halt Christmas break to share heartfelt message

Prince William and Princess Catherine have interrupted their holiday break to post a heartfelt message on their social media.

The Prince and Princess of Wales took to their official X account to post a sneak peek of Catherine’s Together at Christmas carol concert, which took place earlier in December and will air on Christmas Eve.

They captioned the post: “‘Love is how you live your life.’ Brilliant to be joined by Eugene Levy at this year’s ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a new message (Image: Getty)

yesterday07:19 Sophia Papamavroudi

King Charles set to embrace major role over Princess Eugenie as key date looms

The Royal Family will be showing a united front in just a few days’ time as they’ll all gather in Sandringham for the traditional Christmas Day service and the King is tipped to embrace a key role amid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s latest scandal.

This year, aside from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who haven’t attended Christmas in Sandringham since 2018, there will be a number of royals who will be absent.

However, Princess Eugenie is expected to attend the festive gathering, with the King set to take on the role of a role model and emphasise family unity during a challenging time for the Firm, according to a royal expert.

Princess Eugenie is tipped to make a Sandringham appearance (Image: Getty)

yesterday07:16 Sophia Papamavroudi

Prince George gets new two-word nickname after milestone outing

Prince George has been given a new two-word nickname after his latest public outing.

The young prince, who is second-in-line to the throne, accompanied his dad Prince William to The Passage to volunteer last week as the charity prepared to serve its annual Christmas lunch.

The prince’s visit to the homeless shelter was very poignant, with Prince William, 43, having also started visiting the charity himself as a young boy with his mother the late Princess Diana.

Prince George made a new outing (Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)

King Charles to appear on popular BBC show today ahead of Christmas speech

King Charles reveals his great-great-grandmother Queen Alexandra sparked his initial enthusiasm for nature as he discusses his passion for the environment in a special Radio 4 programme.

In a special festive episode of This Natural Life airing at noon today, the monarch chats to presenter Martha Kearney about how he revelled in spending time outdoors as a child and why he thinks it’s important to teach children rural skills, particularly growing your own fruit and vegetables and learning about farming.

This Natural Life will air on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday December 23 at 12 noon and will be repeated on Christmas Day.

King Charles will make a special TV appearance today (Image: BBC/PA )