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Richard Palmer

@royalreporter.bsky.social
975 followers 142 following 980 posts

Royal Correspondent with 20 years’ experience of covering the UK Royal Family at home and abroad.

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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Prince William has always resisted efforts to portray him and Prince Harry as rival keepers of their mother’s flame. A proposed Diana documentary by Harry could rile him privately but he isn’t planning his own version. My piece in The i Paper weekend. inews.co.uk/news/harry-u...
inews.co.uk
The Harry U-turn that risks a permanent fracture with William
At the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, William said the brothers would not speak publicly about her again. Could that be about to change?
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
How the royals have trashed Earl Spencer’s Diana book while officially going no further than one brief sentence. But with his own Diana project under discussion, Prince Harry’s position is more nuanced. inews.co.uk/news/william...
inews.co.uk
William's icy silence reveals his fury over Diana memoir
Meanwhile, The i Paper understands Prince Harry is discussing making a documentary to mark the 30th anniversary of his mother's death in August next year
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
What’s more important and what will social media posters be talking about? The Royal Family’s various dramas over Harry and Meghan and Diana or the King convening experts amid fears artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within 10 years? royalreporter.substack.com/p/king-charl...
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
After visiting the Cairngorms National Park, the King says wildfires show why it is important to tackle the causes of climate change.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
In their own different ways King Charles III, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have all been trying to redefine what it means to be royal. royalreporter.substack.com/p/redefining...
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Prince Harry and Meghan no longer feel bound by a key part of the Megxit deal they struck with the palace in 2020 since their taxpayer-funded security was removed. That vow to uphold the Queen’s values, aides said, meant adhering to the Nolan Principles. inews.co.uk/news/how-har...
inews.co.uk
How Harry and Meghan plan to defy King's warning they're not 'working royals'
After a week of public tensions, a source close to the Sussexes told The i Paper they no longer feel bound to the terms of the Megxit agreement
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The Princess of Wales visited The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust this morning to hear first-hand how funds raised through her National Three Peaks Challenge and ongoing support will transform holistic care for cancer patients across the UK.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, accompanied by US ambassador Warren Stephens, will take the salute on behalf of the King at a special guard change at Buckingham Palace today marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Prince Harry and the King have spoken. Further discreet family meetings are expected, despite Sussex tensions with courtiers after Uganda quit the Invictus Games. The King supports Invictus. inews.co.uk/news/amid-th...
inews.co.uk
Amid the royal briefing war, Harry speaks to the King
Harry and Charles have spoken privately since the Duke's return, sources say, even as tensions between the Palace and the Sussexes spill into public view
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A war of words amid fears of rival courts and complaints about selective briefings to favoured media outlets on both sides. It is all eerily reminiscent of the War of the Waleses in the 1990s when the palace engaged in a briefing battle with Diana’s camp. inews.co.uk/news/palace-...
inews.co.uk
Palace fears Sussexes building 'rival court' as war of words erupts
Relations between Harry and Meghan and their royal relatives have descended into drama a mere two weeks into their return
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Is the palace just restating what was agreed six years ago for clarity or is this a shot across the bows? The King sees Harry and Meghan as private individuals but a friend of the couple says they can never live an entirely private life. inews.co.uk/news/king-te...
inews.co.uk
The new royal split created by King's hidden message to Harry and Meghan
A rather pointed letter on behalf of King Charles says 'personal latitude' which the couple enjoy in terms of finance and privacy 'will continue to be fully respected'
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Should we pay to protect Harry and Meghan and their children? royalreporter.substack.com/p/do-we-owe-...
royalreporter.substack.com
Do we owe the Sussexes a duty to protect them?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to move back to Britain has left the UK government in an awkward position over the family’s security.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
We’re likely to be told less about Prince George’s time at Eton than we know about his father and uncle’s, a sign of changing attitudes and different palace-press relations in the UK. My piece for The i Paper. inews.co.uk/news/prince-...
inews.co.uk
How Prince George's Eton experience will be very different to William's and Harry's
Beyond the obligatory first-day picture, Prince George's time at the world's most prestigious school is likely to remain largely under wraps
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The Sultan of Oman has accepted an invitation from the King to pay a state visit to the UK from October 20 to 22. The King and Queen will host the state visit at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace says.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A new royal term begins. royalreporter.substack.com/p/a-new-roya...
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
In a sign of a more conciliatory approach towards his family, Prince Harry has reluctantly accepted that there is no point lobbying to attend Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph and other state events - despite his Army record. inews.co.uk/news/prince-...
inews.co.uk
Prince Harry hopes to attend the Cenotaph again - but these obstacles remain
The Duke of Sussex appears to have accepted there is no point lobbying his father over joining the Royal Family on Remembrance Sunday
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
The Prince and Princess of Wales, back on duty in early September, are upping their workload. Harry and Meghan’s return has inevitably revived comparisons and criticism but the rift is not something they want to discuss. inews.co.uk/news/how-wil...
inews.co.uk
Work harder: The challenge facing William and Kate after Harry's return
The Prince and Princess of Wales' approach to work has come under fresh scrutiny following suggestions of competition with the Sussexes
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
A special musical tribute to King Harald V will be played at Guard Change. Charles III has issued a statement after the death of his cousin. He called Harald a towering figure whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A message from the King after the terrible death toll in Nepal. The statement describes the border with China rather than Tibet.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The King will visit The Bahamas and Guyana and then be joined by the Queen on a visit to Antigua and Barbuda before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting during an autumn tour from Oct 27 to Nov 4, Buckingham Palace says.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Harry and Meghan’s return to Britain will require increased cooperation between the Royal Household and the Sussexes’ office, even though they remain private individuals. inews.co.uk/news/harry-m...
inews.co.uk
Harry and Meghan now have to deal with the Palace, whether they like it or not
With the Sussexes back in the UK, the potential for conflicting engagements grows leaving the couple and Buckingham Palace little option but to increase contact, insiders say
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Prince Harry and six other claimants including Elton John have been ordered to make an interim payment of £9,544,355 by 4pm on 28 August 2026 after losing their claim of unlawful news gathering against the publishers of the Daily Mail.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Inside Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK. What happens next. My piece for The i Paper. inews.co.uk/news/inside-...
inews.co.uk
Inside Harry and Meghan's explosive return to UK - and what happens next
Richard Palmer, who has covered the royals for 23 years, explains the mechanics of the return deal that caught everybody off guard
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Prince Harry and Meghan are moving back to Britain at the end of this month and enrolling their children in school here, well-placed sources have confirmed.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have decided on names for their new daughter
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Homelessness is rising in four out of six UK locations where Prince William has spent three years vowing to show how to solve the problem by June 2028. That’s not William’s fault, of course, but it illustrates the challenge. My piece for The Observer. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
Prince William’s goal to end homelessness faces uphill ba...
Nationwide housing crisis is still not being tackled sufficiently, say experts, despite pledges by Prince of Wales and the prime minister
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Will the departure of Sir Clive Alderton make reconciliation easier inside the Royal Family and will the King appoint another white man to replace him as his key aide? Adam Forrest and I spoke to insiders and commentators. inews.co.uk/news/job-key...
inews.co.uk
The £300,000-a-year job that could be key to Harry and Meghan's royal comeback
Sir Clive Alderton stepping down as Charles's top aide may pave way for the Duke of Sussex’s return to the fold
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Thanks to those who sent word earlier of a report on Portuguese TV. Buckingham Palace has now confirmed that Princess Eugenie has given birth to a daughter, born on Aug 3 at 6.20pm and weighing 6lbs 90z, at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by the proud dad Jack Brooksbank.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The King’s principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, is to step down in May next year to coincide with his 60th birthday. He’s made his decision public to allow for an open and rigorous recruitment process for his successor. A handover period is planned next year.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
We know little about our future King, Prince George, compared to some of his predecessors. The historian Dan Snow takes issue with a headline but I thought the piece that went with it was excellent fwiw. www.instagram.com/reel/DbGN2Lx...
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The Crown Estate has embraced Manchesterism by pledging to rebalance its heavily London-based property portfolio and focus two-thirds of future investment outside south-east England. My piece for The Observer. observer.co.uk/news/busines...
observer.co.uk
Crown Estate embraces ‘Manchesterism’ with regional inves...
King’s property empire plans to ‘rebalance’ its portfolio, with two-thirds of investment to be focused outside of London and the south-east
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The National Union of Journalists has given its support to a parliamentary bill that would remove exemptions from freedom of information laws for the Royal Family in the UK. www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...
nuj.org.uk
NUJ supports bill to broaden scope of FOI laws
The NUJ has backed legislative proposals to bring the King and the Royal Household under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act with the aim of promoting transparency and press freedom.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, is in Qatar today to pay respects on behalf of King Charles after the death of the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto’s son, Samuel, is engaged to be married to Eleanor Eskerdjian. The couple, both 29-year-old artists, plan to wed in the spring of 2027. Sam made the porcelain engagement ring. Photos: Sam Chatto and Huseyin Ovayolu.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
The King and Queen hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet at Highgrove in Gloucestershire this afternoon.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Did the palace try to humiliate Prince Harry? Was he posturing and try to force his father’s hand? It’s a mess with a breakdown of trust on both sides but there is still a chance to build bridges and move on. My analysis for The i Paper. inews.co.uk/news/palace-...
inews.co.uk
The Palace 'tried to humiliate' Harry - but his bond with Charles could be fixed
Friends of the Duke of Sussex believe efforts were made to make his UK visit difficult. But a meeting between father and son has not been ruled out
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Prince Harry and six other people have lost their unlawful news gathering case against the publishers of the Daily Mail.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Harry and Meghan and the prospects of a family reunion. Will they or won’t they and will we care? I was among a number of people who spoke to Sean Coughlan for this BBC piece. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Prince Harry and Meghan: Will they or won't they, and will we care?
There will be much attention on whether the Duke of Sussex can build bridges with his family.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Is that royal reunion between the King and his grandchildren going to happen now? It’s confirmed Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will not be travelling to London with Harry next week. But no decision has been made on whether they will join Harry outside London, Harry’s camp says.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
It’s easy to get sucked into the minutiae of royal stores but at times it pays to step back and look at the bigger picture. My perspective after more than 22 years now of covering the monarchy. open.substack.com/pub/royalrep...
open.substack.com
The Royal Family and the bigger picture
The Royal Family promised a new era of transparency in the aftermath of the Epstein scandal and up to a point the House of Windsor delivered it last week.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
The Royal Family has almost halved its workload but more than tripled its taxpayer funding since the Sovereign Grant was introduced in the busiest year of the late Queen’s reign in 2012. My piece for The Observer. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
Royal family attending half the events it used to as stat...
Courtiers argue that increase in Sovereign Grant to £100m from 2027 is to support extra duties of working royals. But analysis of the Court Circular suggests otherwise
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Just back from a three-week break in the Far East to see that Prince William will not go to the US unless England or Scotland reach the World Cup final, according to a story in @theipaper. UK diplomats in the US had discussed two royal visits in 2026. inews.co.uk/news/william...
inews.co.uk
William to swerve World Cup until final - and avoid awkward Trump celebrations
The Prince of Wales will not attend this summer's World Cup - unless England or Scotland reach the final on 19 July
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
A National Audit Office report into properties owned by either the Crown Estate or the taxpayer-funded Occupied Royal Palaces Estate provides fresh details about the housing arrangements of some members of the family. inews.co.uk/news/landlor...
inews.co.uk
Landlord Andrew funded his lavish lifestyle renting out royal properties
Former prince urged to pay back rental income gained at Windsor after ‘outrageous’ subletting arrangement revealed
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
The Bosnian Serb war criminal Radovan Karadzic is seeking fresh ways to challenge his life sentence. A rare non-royal story from me in The Observer. I went to Bosnia in 1992 and 1993 to cover the war for The Sunday Times.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
The King will have to stop speaking about some of the causes closest to his heart if Nigel Farage wins the next general election, according to multiple sources. My weekend piece for The i Paper. inews.co.uk/news/why-far...
inews.co.uk
Why Farage as PM would be the King's worst nightmare
As the Labour leadership rivals threaten to unseat Starmer, inside the palace, the prospect of Nigel Farage in Downing Street is a cause of greater concern
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
It will be interesting to see what happens to Frogmore Cottage, empty now for three years. It’s the responsibility of the taxpayer-funded Occupied Royal Palaces Estate (not the Crown Estate) under an 1841 act that annexed it for the perpetual use of the sovereign.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Prince Harry seems to be focusing increasingly on the UK and in tune with his father, although much of that is a coincidence rather than coordinated. There’s been no discussion so far about a family reunion when he returns to Britain in July. inews.co.uk/news/harrys-...
inews.co.uk
Prince Harry’s hidden deal with the Palace over his UK comeback plans
The Duke of Sussex’s offices are liaising with the Palace and his message increasingly echoes his father’s – but insiders say the coordination is less joined-up than it appears
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
The King met the Jewish victims of last month’s stabbings in Golders Green today. He also spoke to members of the Jewish community police force Shomrim, who were involved in responding to the attacks on April 29.
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
The King and Queen are on their way to Westminster for the state opening of parliament. Live coverage here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgO_...
youtube.com
State Opening of Parliament 2026
YouTube video by UK Parliament
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Richard Palmer @royalreporter.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
The King honoured a newspaper editor who stood up to a Reform UK ban on her team of journalists. www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2026/news/ed...
holdthefrontpage.co.uk
Editor who fought press ban honoured with Royal garden party invite - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage
Journalist among 8,000 attendees at Buckingham Palace
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