{"id":778068,"date":"2026-09-21T18:40:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T18:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/778068\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T18:40:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T18:40:44","slug":"the-hidden-signs-we-all-missed-about-harry-meghan-and-the-spencers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/778068\/","title":{"rendered":"The hidden signs we all missed about Harry, Meghan and the Spencers"},"content":{"rendered":"

This summer, as Archie and Lilibet pranced at Althorp<\/a> and family was reunited, the Duke of Sussex and his uncle, Earl Spencer, were keeping secrets from each other. <\/p>\n

Harry knew a book was being written, but he and the Earl didn\u2019t discuss the content. He did not know that the Earl\u2019s memoir Swan Song would cut his father, the King, off at the knees.<\/p>\n

And while Harry and Meghan were marinating the idea of returning to the UK, they did not reveal this to Spencer at the time.<\/p>\n

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news<\/p>\n

Everything you need to know about the Russian elections<\/p>\n

\"TOPSHOTCaption: TOPSHOT \u2013 Russian President Vladimir Putin walks down the steps to address troops from the defence ministry, National Guard, FSB security service and interior ministry gathered on the Sobornaya (Cathedral) Square from the porch of the the Palace of the Facets on the grounds of the Kremlin in central Moscow on June 27, 2023. (Photo by Sergei GUNEYEV \/ SPUTNIK \/ AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: SERGEI GUNEYEV
Provider: SPUTNIK\/AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP<\/p>\n

The pro-Putin \u200bruling United Russia party retained its decisive majority in the national parliament, near-complete election results showed on \u200cMonday, while the anti-war Yabloko party appeared to have won a tiny foothold in one regional parliament.<\/p>\n

The background<\/p>\n

Vladimir Putin had cast the three-day election to the State Duma \u2013 the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022 \u2013 as a test of support for the war.<\/p>\n

Elections for \u200bsome regional parliaments and governors were held at the same time.<\/p>\n

In a tightly controlled political system, which critics \u200bsay does not tolerate genuine dissent, few surprises were \u2060expected.<\/p>\n

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Exclusive<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

A closer look at the results<\/p>\n

With over 95 per cent of the vote counted, Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, said United Russia had won a resounding victory with 57.83 per cent, up from the 49.8 per cent that it won in the last parliamentary election, in 2021.<\/p>\n

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Analysis<\/p>\n

4 min read<\/p>\n

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4 min read<\/p>\n

\nWhat else you need to know\n<\/p>\n

United Russia was set to control 355 \u200bseats or nearly 80 per cent of the 450-seat Duma, a total that includes results in individual constituencies.<\/p>\n

That would maintain its constitutional \u200bmajority \u2013 enabling it to pass laws and initiate amendments to the constitution without support of other parties.<\/p>\n

Pamfilova said three other parties had \u200cmade it \u2060into parliament \u2013 the Communists with 13.81 per cent, the ultra-nationalist LDPR with 8.98 per cent, and the New People party with 7.96 per cent.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

read the i paper\u2019s latest analysis<\/p>\n

What Putin\u2019s paranoia will lead him to do next<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Jonathan Charles<\/p>\n

Former BBC News Foreign Correspondent<\/p>\n

\u201cStalin knew how to run Russia and how to get respect. Vladimir Putin could learn something from him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TelevisionCaption: Television programme: That Mitchell and Webb Look.
Picture shows: Captain Good (Robert Webb) and Monsieur Voirons (David Mitchell)
TX BBC Two Thursday 11th June 10.00pm
Photographer: BBC
Provider: BBC
Copyright: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

news<\/p>\n

BBC removes That Mitchell and Webb Look sketches from iPlayer<\/p>\n

The\u00a0BBC\u00a0has removed several sketches from\u00a0That\u00a0Mitchell\u00a0and\u00a0Webb\u00a0Look on\u00a0iPlayer\u00a0after deciding some of the comedy\u00a0show\u2019s\u00a0material \u201cno longer works today\u201d.<\/p>\n

\nControversial material removed\n<\/p>\n

The sketch comedy\u00a0show, starring comedians David\u00a0Mitchell\u00a0and\u00a0Robert\u00a0Webb, originally ran for four seasons between 2006\u00a0and\u00a02010.<\/p>\n

\"TELEVISIONCaption: TELEVISION PROGRAMMES: THAT MITCHELL AND WEBB LOOK.
PICTURE SHOWS: ROBERT WEBB AND DAVID MITCHELL
Sir Walter Raleigh (David) names his latest discovery Virginia. His First Mate wonders if it\u2019s \u201ca bit personal, to name a new land after the fact that our Queen\u2019s never done it\u201d.
BBC Two: Thursday 21st Feb 2008
BBC WARNING: Use of this copyrighted image is subject to Terms of Use of BBC Digital Picture Service. In particular, this image may only be used during the publicity period for the purpose of publicising \u2018That Mitchell and Webb Look\u2019 and provided the BBC is credited. Any use of this image on the internet or for any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising or other commercial uses, requires the prior written approval of the BBC.
Photographer: BBC
Provider: BBC
Copyright: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

\"TelevisionCaption: Television programme, \u2018THAT MITCHELL AND WEBB LOOK\u2019. BBC Picture shows: Rob Webb and David Mitchell as Phillips (a scientist) and Monsieur Garnier TX BBC TWO TUESDAY 12TH JULY 2010
Photographer: BBC\/Sue Foll
Provider: BBC
Copyright: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

However, some material has been removed, including scenes featuring war re-enactors in Blackface, a joke about Jimmy Savile\u00a0and\u00a0a sketch about a contestant on a makeover show\u00a0wearing a burka, The Times reported.<\/p>\n

What did the BBC say?<\/p>\n

This is a 20-year-old sketch\u00a0show; in consultation with the programme makers, we have included the ones\u00a0that\u00a0still work today\u00a0and\u00a0not the ones\u00a0that\u00a0don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

bbc spokesperson<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

news<\/p>\n

Flights disrupted across north of UK \u2013 what you need to know<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM \u2013 SEPTEMBER 08: Passengers wait inside and around London Heathrow Airport following widespread flight delays and cancellations caused by a technical failure in National Air Traffic Services\u2019 (NATS) flight processing system in London, United Kingdom, on September 08, 2026. Technical issues are causing disruptions in flight departures at UK airports, Britain\u2019s air traffic control service said Wednesday. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim\/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
Provider: Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Anadolu<\/p>\n

Flights across the UK \u2013 particularly Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England \u2013 are facing disruption due to a \u201ctechnical issue\u201d with air traffic control.<\/p>\n

Here is everything you need to know \u2013 including the airports affected.<\/p>\n

What caused the problem?<\/p>\n

Nats, which runs air traffic control, has said the issue at its Prestwick centre in Ayrshire is\u00a0\u201cnow fixed\u201d, and that it is working to \u201csafely lift air traffic regulations as quickly as we can\u201d. It said the glitch was a\u00a0\u201cconnectivity issue with part of our systems network\u201d. <\/p>\n

\"CRAWLEY,Aviation analytics company Cirium said as of 5.30pm, 357 flights had been cancelled or not taken off at UK airports on Wednesday (Photo: Dan Kitwood\/Getty)<\/p>\n

\"TravellersCaption: Travellers lay on the floor with their luggage at the South Terminal of London Gatwick airport near Crawley, southern England on September 9, 2026, following second day of major disruption due an issue affecting the NATS air traffic control systems. UK travellers faced more misery on September 9, with more than 150 flights scrapped across the country, as Britain\u2019s air traffic control service scrambled to recover from a technical glitch that sparked chaos. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS \/ AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JUSTIN TALLIS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors<\/p>\n

\nSecond failure in two weeks\n<\/p>\n

This is the second failure at Nats in less than a fortnight. <\/p>\n

But it said this most recent disruption has \u201cnothing to do\u201d with the software defect that led to the\u00a0cancellation of 2,000 flights across the UK\u00a0earlier this month.<\/p>\n

\"(FILES)Europe has just six weeks of jet fuel supplies, experts have warned (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\"TOPSHOTCaption: TOPSHOT \u2013 Cancelled flights are pictured on an electronic check-in display board at Terminal 3 of London Heathrow airport, west of London on September 8, 2026, following major disruption due an issue affecting the NATS air traffic control systems. Flights to and from the UK were cancelled on on September 8, due to a \u201ctechnical issue\u201d affecting UK\u2019s National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which says it is working to resolve the situation. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS \/ AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors<\/p>\n

EasyJet\u00a0said this \u201conce again calls into questions the resilience of Nats\u2019 systems\u201d.<\/p>\n

Airports report disruption <\/p>\n

Airports across the UK have reported varying degrees of disruption. They include:<\/p>\n

Glasgow\u00a0and\u00a0Aberdeen\u00a0\u2013 Arrivals and departures.<\/p>\n

Manchester\u00a0\u2013 Issue causing some delays.<\/p>\n

Newcastle\u00a0\u2013 Experiencing \u201csome delays\u201d.<\/p>\n

Liverpool\u00a0\u2013 Urging passengers to contact their airline.<\/p>\n

Bristol\u00a0\u2013 Experiencing some delays and cancellations similar to other airports.<\/p>\n

London City\u00a0\u2013 Experiencing \u201csome disruption\u201d and \u201cworking closely\u201d with Nats to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n

Belfast City\u00a0\u2013 Warns that there \u201cwill be disruption\u201d to both arrivals and departures.<\/p>\n

NEWS<\/p>\n

Cindy Crawford\u2019s son Presley Gerber dies in rehab aged 27<\/p>\n

\"LOSCaption: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA \u2013 JANUARY 20: Presley Walker Gerber attends the world premiere of \u201cInfinite Icon: A Visual Memoir\u201d at AMC The Grove 14 on January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper\/WireImage)
Photographer: Monica Schipper
Provider: WireImage
Source: WireImage
Copyright: 2026 WireImage<\/p>\n

Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, has died at the age of 27.<\/p>\n

The former model died on Sunday at a rehab facility, according to the Los Angeles county medical examiner. The cause of death has not been disclosed.<\/p>\n

A closer look at the detail<\/p>\n

Gerber, who was the eldest child of the celebrity couple, and brother of model Kaia Gerber, had spoken openly about his mental health and drug use in recent years. <\/p>\n

His sister mentioned his \u201cdecade-long struggle with drug addiction\u201d in the September 2026 issue of\u00a0Vogue.<\/p>\n

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Mental health struggles<\/p>\n

Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that\u2019s all I need to do.<\/p>\n

Speaking to podcast Studio 22 in 2023, Gerber hoped that sharing his story would help others suffering with mental health issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"PresleyCaption: Presley Gerber, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber at the premiere of Apple TV+\u2019s \u201cPalm Royale\u201d held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on March 14, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto Rodriguez\/Variety via Getty Images)
Photographer: Variety
Provider: Variety via Getty Images
Source: Variety
Copyright: AER<\/p>\n

Life in the limelight<\/p>\n

Gerber had been a model like his mother and younger sister Kaia, making his runway debut for Italian label Moschino aged just 16.<\/p>\n

He went on to model for brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta.<\/p>\n

Gerber posted a video about undergoing drug withdrawal treatment in the months before his death, though the cause of his death was not disclosed.<\/p>\n

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Family asks for privacy<\/p>\n

\"PresleyCaption: Presley Gerber, Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber at RE\/DONE x Kaia Gerber \u2018Short\/Cuts\u2019 Launch Event on May 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores\/WWD via Getty Images)
Photographer: Gilbert Flores
Provider: WWD via Getty Images
Source: WWD
Copyright: Variety<\/p>\n

Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber, told CBS: \u201cThe family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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news<\/p>\n

Badenoch pledges to bring back tax-free shopping for tourists<\/p>\n

\"BRIDLINGTON,The Prime Minister has the skills and persona to be a retail politician, and has told voters that tax is a lever he can pull. If he cannot capitalise on that opportunity, then Kemi Badenoch certainly should (Photo: Ian Forsyth\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Kemi\u00a0Badenoch\u00a0has promised to revive a tax-free shopping scheme for tourists by reversing a post-Brexit rule change.<\/p>\n

The decision to scrap the VAT refund scheme for international visitors in 2021 left the UK \u201cless competitive\u201d than many other European holiday destinations as the country left the EU, the Tories said.<\/p>\n

Business chiefs hail \u2018pro-growth\u2019 policy change<\/p>\n

Badenoch said the policy was letting down businesses.<\/p>\n

Business chiefs, including the bosses of Fortnum & Mason and Paul Smith, hailed the policy change as \u201cpro-growth\u201d and \u201cpro-jobs\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ShoppersCaption: Shoppers and visitors on Oxford Street carrying shopping bags on 9th June 2024 in London, United Kingdom. Oxford Street is a major retail centre in the West End of the capital and is Europes busiest shopping street with around half a million daily visitors to its approximately 300 shops, the majority of which are fashion and high street clothing stores. (photo by Mike Kemp\/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Photographer: Mike Kemp
Provider: In Pictures via Getty Images
Source: In Pictures
Copyright: Mike Kemp<\/p>\n

\"ShoppersCaption: Shoppers and visitors out on Oxford Street walk down the steps into a very busy Oxford Circus underground station on 4th January 2026 in London, United Kingdom. Oxford Street is a major retail centre in the West End of the capital and is Europes busiest shopping street with around half a million daily visitors to its approximately 300 shops, the majority of which are fashion and high street clothing stores. (photo by Mike Kemp\/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Photographer: Mike Kemp
Provider: In Pictures via Getty Images
Source: In Pictures
Copyright: Mike Kemp<\/p>\n

Losing out to \u2018rival cities\u2019<\/p>\n

We have iconic retailers, inventive designers and brilliant manufacturers, but they are being let down by a tax policy that is chasing their customers away. Holidaymakers are choosing rival cities in other countries for the simple reason that it saves them money.<\/p>\n

Kemi badenoch, lEADER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY<\/p>\n

\"AExtreme temperatures in Paris have led to the closure of the top of the Eiffel Tower (Photo: Ludovic Marin\/AFP)<\/p>\n

A closer look at the detail<\/p>\n

\"RetailCaption: Retail space under refurbishment which will be opening soon as a new Michael Kors store on Bond Street on 7th April 2024 in London, United Kingdom. Bond Street is one of the principal streets in the West End shopping district and is very upmarket. It has been a fashionable shopping street since the 18th century. The rich and wealthy shop here mostly for high end fashion and jewellery. (photo by Mike Kemp\/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Photographer: Mike Kemp
Provider: In Pictures via Getty Images
Source: In Pictures
Copyright: Mike Kemp<\/p>\n

Spending by visitors remains 8 per cent lower than before the pandemic \u2013 despite numbers returning to pre-Covid levels, according to 2024 estimates from tourism agency VisitBritain.<\/p>\n

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Treasury: \u2018UK visitors can claim VAT\u2019<\/p>\n

Almost every European country offers tax-free shopping for tourists, except the UK \u2013 although the minimum spend varies.<\/p>\n

A Treasury spokesperson said \u201cvisitors can still claim VAT relief where the items purchased are shipped directly to their home country as exports\u201d and that it is working to \u201cwelcome 50 million international visitors a year to the UK by 2030\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)Caption: (L-R) Sue Clark, Anoosheh Ashoori, Joe Bennett, Leila Ashoori, and Richard Ratcliffe, family and supporters of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a couple detained in Iran without charge pose for a selfie photogragh in Downing Street during a day of action in London on January 3, 2026, to raise national awareness of the couple\u2019s ongoing detention and the need for urgent intervention. A British couple, Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their early fifties, were seized in January 2025, as they passed through Kerman, in central Iran, while on a round-the-world motorbike trip. Iran accuses the couple of entering the country pretending to be tourists so as to gather information for foreign intelligence services, an allegation the couple\u2019s family rejects. (Photo by Brook Mitchell \/ AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: BROOK MITCHELL
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors<\/p>\n

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\"CharlesEarl Spencer\u2019s new memoir contains bombshell claims about a phone conversation with then-Prince Charles over Diana, Princess of Wales\u2019s funeral (Photo: Max Mumby\/Getty)<\/p>\n

news<\/p>\n

All the latest Earl Spencer revelations as royal row continues<\/p>\n

A war of words has broken out after Earl Spencer made a series of damning claims about the King in a new memoir about his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.<\/p>\n

Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to be published on Tuesday. Here are some key claims made in excerpts from the book released so far.<\/p>\n

\n\u2018We\u2019ll forget her soon enough\u2019\n<\/p>\n

Spencer claims he and Charles argued over arrangements for his sister\u2019s funeral in 1997 and the King told him: \u201cRest assured, we\u2019ll forget her soon enough\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"PrinceCaption: Prince Harry, and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive for an event, during a visit to Bondi Beach, Australia, April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Brady\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Photographer: Jonathan Brady
Provider: Jonathan Brady\/Pool PA via AP
Source: Pool PA
Copyright: PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES<\/p>\n

\"BritishCaption: British Royal Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997), wearing a blue-and-white Catherine Walker suit and matching hat, attends the service marking the 50th anniversary of World War II\u2019s Battle of the Atlantic, held at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, in Liverpool, England, 30th May 1993. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Photographer: Tim Graham
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Tim Graham Photo Library<\/p>\n

Spencer has also said he believes the relationship between the press and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex \u201cechoes\u201d the way the media treated his sister.<\/p>\n

Other key claims made<\/p>\n

Spencer has written of how Charles\u2019s phone call following the car crash in 1997 \u201csounded strangely matter-of-fact\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Charles] sounded giddily elated \u2013 like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time,\u201d Spencer writes.<\/p>\n

In another extract, Spencer told of his memories of the funeral, and his concern for Harry, after he observed a \u201clack of obvious care\u201d.<\/p>\n

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How Charles has responded<\/p>\n

While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.<\/p>\n

Buckingham Palace spokesman<\/p>\n

\"Britain'sCaption: Britain\u2019s King Charles III stands for the national anthem during the opening ceremony of the 23rd Commonwealth Games at the OVO Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 23, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF \/ AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: OLI SCARFF
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: Afp or licensors<\/p>\n

King accused of gaslighting<\/p>\n

Spencer has accused the King of gaslighting him and called his response a \u201crather poor imitation of the \u2018recollections may vary\u2019 quote\u201d \u2013 the late Queen\u2019s response to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex\u2019s allegations in their Oprah Winfrey interview, The Mail on Sunday reports.<\/p>\n

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Watch more from The i Paper<\/p>\n

@theipaper<\/a> <\/p>\n

OPINION | \u201cThe brother who vowed Diana\u2018s blood family would protect her sons has now placed them in the middle of a blood feud,\u201d writes Jennie Bond. Earl Spencer\u2018s new book about his sister Princess Diana is likely to affect \u201cthe two nephews he so publicly promised to guide and protect\u201d. She adds, \u201cHarry and Meghan\u2019s reconciliation with King Charles just became much more awkward\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 The i Paper \u2013 The i Paper<\/a> <\/p>\n

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The move was only decided and confirmed after their July visit and was not discussed during their stay. But while the Earl did not engineer the move, he will surely be thrilled by it. Because I understand that one of the big motivations behind the Sussex return was to be closer to Diana\u2019s side of the family<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It answers the question which has been rife since the Duke and Duchess touched down in Birmingham in September. Everyone wants to know: what brought Harry home<\/a> when he felt things in Britain were so bad they\u2019d been driven out? The draw must have been something fundamental.<\/p>\n

One key reason, I\u2019m told, was their children, who \u2013 with their transatlantic blend of ginger locks and peppy American accents \u2013 Harry didn\u2019t want to miss out on a great British education. <\/p>\n

The couple have also decided a return is a strong career move. Despite some reports to the contrary, I know that acting is not off the table for Meghan.<\/a> She may even choose to launch her lifestyle brand As Ever in the UK. Although it could be tricky: As Ever jam is going to struggle in the Cotswolds where everyone makes their own<\/a> already.<\/p>\n

Harry, on the other hand, is getting stuck in with his work on the Invictus Games, and was visibly thrilled to be at the Invictus Spirit Awards<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n

Some suggested their move was to rebuild relations with the King, who is still being treated for cancer. But over tea at Highgrove this summer, Harry did not discuss their potential return. <\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Prince Harry with Charles Spencer and Lady Sarah McCorquodale \u2013 Diana\u2019s sister \u2013 at the 10th anniversary memorial service For Diana at The Guards\u2019 Chapel in London in 2007 (Photo: Tim Graham\/Getty)<\/p>\n

And the real cynics \u2013 my highly social American sources \u2013 have big opinions about how the Duke and Duchess simply couldn\u2019t keep up in California\u2019s Montecito<\/a>, a richer than super-rich enclave. One tells me insurance on her friend\u2019s house costs more than $200,000 (\u00a3150,000) a year. Just the insurance. And that, when you add in high-ranking nannies and cleaners, healthcare and lavish hosting (essential for relevance), the Sussexes were not on a par with greats such as Oprah<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet, even despite the potentially mammoth bill<\/a> awaiting Harry and his co-defendants from their unsuccessful action against Associated Newspapers, I understand he has substantial investments, and inheritances from Diana, the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II. He certainly isn\u2019t desperate for money. As Ever is doing \u201cquite well\u201d in America, according to insiders, and Meghan has been celebrating that success over glasses of her own wine among friends in Montecito. While huge Netflix and Spotify deals and the royalties from the Prince\u2019s memoir Spare have helped.<\/p>\n

But the key to the Sussex relocation lies in Harry\u2019s blood ties. And not those he shares with the King.<\/p>\n

Harry\u2019s close connection to the Spencer family<\/p>\n

A few miles north of the Cotswolds border sits Althorp, Earl Spencer\u2019s family seat, where his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, is buried at the centre of its lake.<\/p>\n

Other close family on that side are Diana\u2019s sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale (plus her children Emily, George and Celia), and Lady Jane Fellowes (plus her children Laura, Eleanor and Alexander). Both were included front and centre at Harry\u2019s wedding, where Jane delivered the reading from the Song of Solomon, and at Archie\u2019s christening. Harry travelled back to Britain for the funeral of her husband Lord Fellowes in 2024.<\/p>\n

Harry is particularly tight with George McCorquodale, who is his peer. He will remind the Duke of happy younger years and childhood holidays together with Diana and Sarah \u2013 including a trip to Richard Branson\u2019s Necker Island in 1990. He was a guest of honour in South Africa\u2019s KwaZulu-Natal for George\u2019s 2016 wedding, where they all, apparently, had a very raucous time.<\/p>\n

\"ALTHORP,A cheeky Harry sticks out his tongue as he stands alongside cousins Eleanor and Alexander Fellowes as a pageboy at the wedding of his uncle Charles Spencer at Althorp in 1989 (Photo: Anwar Hussein\/Getty)<\/p>\n

But it is the Earl\u2019s sense of duty towards Harry<\/a> that is unique. In the first serialisation of Swan Song, Diana My Sister, trailed and published in the Daily Mail, the Earl lays claim to Diana\u2019s sons. \u201cDiana had left me as her sons\u2019 guardian,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThis was a role without legal function while the other parent lived, but it made me feel empowered to speak on Diana\u2019s behalf with William and Harry in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Referring to the request for the boys to walk behind her coffin, Spencer wrote: \u201cI knew that she would never have wanted her boys to have to undertake such a public ordeal,\u201d calling it \u201cbarbaric\u201d.<\/p>\n

The death of his sister devastated the Earl. It broke something in him that blew up his respect for protocol, most dramatically during the live television broadcast of Diana\u2019s funeral. \u201cOn behalf of your mother and sisters,\u201d his voice echoed in Westminster Abbey, \u201cI pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned.\u201d <\/p>\n

It was a blunt message to the Palace and Charles \u2013 and the boys returned to Althorp with him after the funeral before Diana\u2019s coffin was delivered. <\/p>\n

Now the war of the Charleses has reignited<\/a>. In his book, Spencer has unleashed all hell on the King in such a forthright fashion it made his infamous eulogy sound like a kitten\u2019s purr. The Earl claims that then-prince Charles sounded \u201cgiddily elated\u2026 like a lottery winner\u201d about Diana\u2019s death; calls him a \u201cbellowing buffoon\u201d; and alleges that he ended a phone call with a hiss: \u201cRest assured, we will all forget her soon enough.\u201d It is an explosive, emotional, intentionally worded account that has rattled the Royal Family.<\/p>\n

\"WINDSOR,Lady Eliza Spencer, Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, Victoria Lockwood and Lady Kitty Spencer at Harry and Meghan\u2019s wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018 (Photo: Max Mumby\/Indigo\/Getty)<\/p>\n

The King issued a rare and immediate statement<\/a>, suggesting that the Earl\u2019s memory had been clouded by grief. It is curious that Spencer has reignited this story the very month of Harry\u2019s return, but I understand there are no links.<\/p>\n

Spencer\u2019s loyalty to Harry has been true. Where the Earl failed to attend even the wedding of his daughter Kitty in 2021, he was front and centre at his nephew\u2019s nuptials. But this new eruption could put Harry in a difficult spot just when he was trying to smooth things over with his father.<\/p>\n

The rift that can\u2019t be healed <\/p>\n

The King is already wary of his younger son. Only a week ago a statement was put out on his behalf confirming that the Sussexes would remain private citizens. It \u201cshocked\u201d team Sussex. So while that fragile relationship is being rebuilt bit by bit, Harry\u2019s proximity to a man making such damning statements about the King, dredged up after 29 years, will be a difficult hurdle to clear.<\/p>\n

There is a marked contrast between the modus operandi of the Spencers and the Windsors. King Charles has certainly been cross, though that ice is melting. The Prince and Princess of Wales now treat the Sussexes with total froideur. To them, the relationship is over.<\/p>\n

In the Spencer camp, Harry evidently feels less judged and is freer at the green haven of Althorp. His mother craved freedom too, from things real, imagined and self-inflicted. And as with Diana, there is a driving force in Harry to tell his truth \u2013 even when those close to him advise otherwise. Now, as the Earl spells out his version of the Spencer story, the family connection looks clear.<\/p>\n

There is certainly no press briefing from the Spencer side. While the Sussexes and the Palace have proactive relationships with the media, and the Spencer girls Kitty, Eliza and Emilia are very press-friendly when it comes to their own lives and projects, every one of my approaches to discuss Harry is politely shut down. And while Harry and Meghan are not living on the estate, when visiting its 14,000 acres they can be guaranteed the safety and privacy of the bucolic home Diana grew up in.<\/p>\n

If Meghan is smart, she will know that the Cotswolds already has its queens: it will be an incredibly tough social scene for her to crack. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if she and Harry end up settling nearby around the border of the Cotswolds and Northamptonshire.<\/p>\n

But perhaps it was always going to end up this way. Perhaps we all missed the signs. Because the real tell was at St Paul\u2019s in 2024, when George McCorquodale was seated directly behind Harry at the Invictus Games anniversary, alongside two other Spencer cousins \u2013 actor Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp (heir to Althorp) and his sister Lady Lara Spencer. <\/p>\n

It is among this group that he thrives. There is a connection with his mother and a sense of that freedom he so desires. <\/p>\n

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