Insiders reveal the food King Charles has BANNED from French state visit banquet – and the reasons why (but mushrooms are on the menu because they remind him of Queen Elizabeth II)

• Charles provided a strict list of culinary demands for meal at Palace of Versailles

By Peter Allen In Paris

Published: 03:03 EDT, 20 September 2023 | Updated: 04:56 EDT, 20 September 2023

The King and Queen today attended a special service at Crathie Kirk to commemorate the life of the late Queen Elizabeth – and appeared moved by warm-wishes from crowds who also gathered to mark the anniversary of her death.

Charles and Camilla made the short journey by car from the nearby Balmoral Estate to the Scottish church, where successive monarchs have worshiped since Queen Victoria. 

The couple spoke to crowds outside afterwards who shared their condolences and handed them bouquets and cards. The King told them that the flowers were ‘wonderful’ and joked with children about getting back to school.

Other royals were also at the service, including the Queen’s great nephews Samuel and Arthur Chatto, sons of Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, who also went. And staff from Balmoral, the beloved Scottish home of the Queen where she died, also attended, walking to and from the service in the September sunshine. 

The King looked emotional as he left Crathie Kirk having paid a moving tribute to his adored mother as the nation marks the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death today. Crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace and Army gun salutes honouring Her Majesty rang out across the United Kingdom. 

In an unprecedented break with tradition, signifying how touched he has been by the country’s grief at her passing but also pride in a remarkable life of public duty, His Majesty recalled his mother’s ‘long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us’. 

William and Kate have travelled to Wales to grieve Queen Elizabeth’s passing and shared their own favourite pictures of the late monarch and said: ‘Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C’. 

Initially Charles, 74, had planned only to mark his mother’s death – and his own grief-tinged accession – in ‘quiet contemplation’ at home in Scotland.

In doing so he would follow the same pattern that Queen Elizabeth chose to adopt for 70 years, marking her father King George VI‘s death, at Sandringham in Norfolk, away from public gaze.

But in recent weeks he began to have a change of heart, having been so deeply touched by the global outpouring of grief after his mother died on September 8 last year.

Indeed, the Mail can reveal that the King and Queen Camilla chose last night not to return to their own home at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate as planned, but to remain at the castle itself where Elizabeth died at the age of 96, surrounded by the glory of the Scottish Highlands she adored.

They will remain there today, comforted by some of those who were closest to Her late Majesty, spending tonight there as well, before moving back to their neighbouring estate. A source said: ‘I think it will be of comfort to be surrounded by so much that was familiar to her.’

Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales are to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death with a small private service in Wales. William and Kate will attend St Davids Cathedral in St Davids, the smallest city in Britain, in Pembrokeshire on Friday. They will also meet members of the local community in the adjacent cloister, including local people who met Elizabeth II during her visits to St Davids.

St Davids has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for more than 1,400 years, since St David – the patron saint of Wales – settled there with his monastic community in the sixth century.

Since the Reformation, one of the quire stalls has been in the possession of the Crown and is known as the Sovereign’s Stall. This makes St Davids the only UK cathedral where the sovereign has a special stall in the quire among members of the chapter, the governing body of the cathedral.

His tribute was echoed by that of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said: ‘On the solemn anniversary of the passing of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our thoughts are with His Majesty King Charles III and the whole Royal Family.

‘With the perspective of a year, the scale of Her late Majesty’s service only seems greater. Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper. And our gratitude for such an extraordinary life of duty and dedication only continues to grow.

‘I treasure my memories of those occasions when I met Her late Majesty, in particular the private audience I had with her at Buckingham Palace before presenting my first Budget as Chancellor. I was struck by her wisdom, by her incredible warmth and grace, but also her sharp wit.’

And he spoke for many when he recalled the effect that she had on everyone she met.

‘People across the UK – whether they had the good fortune to meet Her late Majesty or not – will be reflecting today on what she meant to them and the example she set for us all. We will cherish those memories,’ he said.

‘The bond between country and monarch is sacred. It endures. So, while we continue to mourn Her late Majesty’s passing, we should be proud that this remarkable legacy of service – and this remarkable bond – continues to grow today under the reign of His Majesty the King.’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the long queues through the night to see the late Queen lying in state had shown that she ‘always enjoyed a special bond with her people’.

‘It was a relationship built from her understanding that service of this great nation is the thread that unites sovereign and subject,’ he said.

‘So, as we reflect on her legacy again today, let us embrace that spirit of public service as our guide towards a better future.’

Her last prime minister – albeit briefly – Liz Truss, with whom she was so memorably photographed for the final time, also opened up about their encounter.

She described how the frail but ‘upbeat’ and ‘mentally alert’ monarch had told her they would be ‘meeting again soon’. The Queen had welcomed Ms Truss to Balmoral on September 6 to appoint her as prime minister.

‘She was very, very keen to reassure me that we’d be meeting again soon. It was very important to her,’ Ms Truss told GB News.

Ms Truss added: ‘She was very determined to do her duty, right to the end.’

The Queen died two days later, with Ms Truss describing the scene as she waited in Downing Street when the confirmation came at around 4.30pm.

‘We were in the Downing Street flat with, officials, other people. So when the news came through, it was sort of confirming all the worst fears that we’d had,’ she said.

She recalled the King was ‘very, very resolute’ when she spoke to him to express her condolences on the phone the day his mother died and his reign began.

Today, soldiers and horses which took part in the state funeral procession and proclamation salutes signifying the new reign are to return to perform Accession Day anniversary gun salutes in the King’s honour.

Captain Amy Cooper – who was the lead rider in the procession which carried the Queen’s coffin to lie in state in Westminster Hall – will give the order to fire a 41-gun salute at midday in London’s Hyde Park.

Captain Cooper is with the King’s Troop, almost all of whom played a role in the final farewell to the Queen a year ago.

There will also be a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London by The Honourable Artillery Company, while bells will be rung at Westminster Abbey at 1pm in commemoration of the King’s accession.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will be in Wales at St David’s Cathedral where they will commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth and speak to members of the community she met during her visits to the city.

A source said it was important to William and Kate to be in Wales in honour of their new titles and to honour the bond the late monarch had with the Welsh nation.

A source said King Charles and Queen Camilla will ‘balance between reflecting properly on the public nature of moment but finding the space for privacy to reflect in private’.

King Charles III has paid tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as he attended the Highland Games today – an event that was a firm favourite of the monarch.

The King represented the Royal Family at the event alongside his wife Queen Camilla – the first since the Queen Elizabeth’s death.

The King and Queen were joined by Anne, Princess Royal, and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, as the royal siblings sat next to each other and shared a giggle.

The Braemar Gathering – the most famous of the Highland Games – was a particular favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth, who rarely missed the spectacle which takes place in September each year near Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire.

It comes a year after the late Queen was forced to miss the event – prompting the initial grave concerns for her health, and less than a week before her passing.

Prince Charles would often accompany the monarch at the gathering which has existed in some form for 900 years – and its most modern form stretching’s back nearly 200 years.

Then the Prince of Wales, Charles still attended the event last year despite officials saying at the time that the the decision was made that the late Queen wound not be there ‘for her comfort’.

The festival is known to attract visitors from all over the world and frequently featurs competitors from Scotland, England, Australia and America. 

Various events throughout the day include traditional Scottish games, including caber-tossing and tug-of-war, and take place at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar.

The Braemar Gathering is the most famous of the Highland Games and is known worldwide. Each year thousands of visitors descend on this small Scottish village on the first Saturday in September to watch one of the more colourful Scottish traditions.

The King wore a kilt to the games, donning the newly created King Charles III tartan, while Camilla wore an outfit by Mr Roy.

‘The green, blue and red tartan was designed by The Scottish Tartans Authority earlier this year to mark the occasion of the coronation and in recognition of His Majesty’s strong support in preserving the culture and traditions of highland dress and Scottish tartans,’ the Scottish Tartans Authority said of the tartan.

‘The unique design presented to His Majesty, is based on the Balmoral tartan sett which dates from c.1850 and continues to be worn by the King and members of the royal family today.

‘The new tartan has been officially registered with the Scottish register of tartans which is administered by the National Records of Scotland.

‘The cloth, woven in 100% Scottish wool by Lochcarron of Scotland in Selkirk, includes a central triple stripe motif (one broad and two narrow) which is a feature of royal tartans previously worn by His Majesty including the Duke of Rothesay, Duke of Rothesay Hunting and Lord of the Isles Hunting tartans.

‘The colours have been matched to the natural dyes of 18th century tartan specimens in the collection of the Scottish Tartans Authority.’

The Royal family originally started attending the games in the in the mid-1800s when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased the castle.

It comes almost a year to the day after the late Queen Elizabeth was forced to miss the event over her ailing health and mobility issues. She would pass away some days later.

Attending in place of his mother last year, the then Price Charles officially opened The Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Archway during the festival before presenting awards to the top-performing competitors as the events across the day.

The Archway was opened last year to commemorate the Queen’s historic 70 years on the throne in recognition of Her Majesty as a patron of the world-famous event.

While she could not attended in person last year, the late Queen was able to watch from the comfort of Balmoral as the events were streamed online.

The exact date that King Charles and Prince Harry are likely to ‘meet for peace talks’ has been revealed – but Meghan Markle isn’t expected to be there, according to a well-placed source.

Prince Harry, 38, is reportedly due to fly back home to California via London next month when his Invictus Games end in Germany.

Meanwhile, the King, 74, is due to return from his summer holiday in Balmoral in mid September, meaning both the monarch and his youngest son will be in the British capital at the same time.

As such, it’s thought that the pair could meet with one another in the hopes of smoothing out tensions within the Royal Family, following the release of the Duke of Sussex‘s explosive memoir Spare, and his and his wife’s Netflix docuseries. 

Staff are reportedly making plans for the ‘peace talks’ to take place on September 17, ahead of the King’s trip to France on September 20, a source told OK! magazine. 

The source said: ‘King Charles is due to return to London from Balmoral in the middle of September which ties in with the end of Harry’s Invictus Games trip to Dusseldorf. 

‘The King has a rescheduled official visit to France on September 20 so has a few days to spare in London to meet with his son. Staff are trying to fine-tune the details as we speak.’

The insider added that Charles was also understood to have been upset by the claims his son made in his memoir Spare – particularly those concerning his wife Queen Camilla, who Harry felt ‘had sacrificed me on her personal PR altar’.

‘If the talks take place, the King will make it very clear that there will be absolutely no private family business discussed in public moving forward,’ they told OK!.

Indeed, it was reported that Camilla herself was ‘hurt’ by the contents of the book, in which she was labelled ‘dangerous’ and a ‘villain’, according to one of her closest friends.

‘Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts,’ Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne – who was one of the Queen’s official companions at the King’s Coronation, told the Sunday Times.

‘But she doesn’t let it get to her. Her philosophy is always, “Don’t make a thing of it and it will settle down – least said, soonest mended.”‘

Although Meghan is said to be accompanying Harry to the Invictus Games, the source said it was ‘highly unlikely’ that she would be included in any ‘peace talks’ that took place between Harry and the King. 

Earlier this year, other insiders expressed their belief that a reconciliation between Harry, Prince William and their father is not out of the realm of possibility.

‘It’s fixable,’ they told The Times. ‘Both sides need to hold their hands up and admit ”we didn’t get everything right, and we got a lot wrong”… It’s going to take flexibility on all sides, but it can be done.’

‘It needs Harry over here, in the room with the King and Prince of Wales, a couple of other family members, some of ‘his people’ he trusts who always had his back, so he doesn’t think he’s being ambushed.’

However, the Prince of Wales may be slightly harder to win over, the source added.

Harry had shared deeply personal recollections of brotherly spats, revealed text messages between his wife Meghan and the Princess of Wales during their now infamous bridesmaid dress argument and accused the future King and Queen of endorsing his Nazi costume.

Even still, the royal source says William’s loyalty is ultimately to his country, and he will reconcile if he believes it’s the best thing for the future of the monarchy.

Next month, Harry and Meghan are set to present a segment of Invictus Games weeks after putting on a united front in a TV appearance against cyberbullying. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, will enter the stage in September during the closing ceremony of the games. 

Meghan will host the ‘Lifestories Scene’ segment, which provides insight into the bravery and resilience of the injured servicemen and women competing. 

Her contribution will be ‘poignant’ and serve as a testament to the games’ ability to transform lives, organisers said, according to The Telegraph.

Meanwhile Harry will deliver a goodbye speech at the closing ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany, which is set to take place on September 16. 

The royal will apparently praise the competitors’ ‘unwavering spirit and impressive recovery journey’. 

King Charles last night urged the Lionesses to ‘roar to victory’ as the England women’s football team stood on the brink of history.

An expectant nation will today cheer on manager Sarina Wiegman and her players as they strive to become the first England football team to triumph in a World Cup Final since 1966.

In a dramatic rallying cry ahead of today’s clash against Spain in Sydney, King Charles declared: ‘Good luck today Lionesses, and may you roar to victory!’ His stirring message on social media was signed Charles R.  

With the country gripped with excitement, Football Association president Prince William apologised for not travelling to Australia.

Both he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have come under fire for opting to stay at home, while Queen Letizia of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter Infanta Sofia have jetted out to Sydney to cheer on the team.

Appearing in a video alongside his eight-year-old daughter Charlotte, Prince William said he was sorry he could not watch today’s match ‘in person’, but wanted to send ‘huge good luck’ to the Lionesses. Clutching an apparently well-used football in her lap, an excited Princess Charlotte added: ‘Good luck, Lionesses!’

In an impassioned letter to ‘Sarina and all our Lionesses’ overnight, Mr Sunak heaped praise on the team for securing ‘a lasting legacy’ for women’s sport – and said he recognised the huge challenges some of them faced on their way to the top.

‘For many of you, the honour of putting on that England shirt was earned against the odds,’ Mr Sunak wrote. ‘It should never have been like that. At times, some of you were even stopped from playing. But you faced down outdated attitudes and fashioned your own opportunities to play.’

Mr Sunak, who will watch the match in a pub in his North Yorkshire constituency, said the Lionesses had made his daughters Krishna, 12, and Anoushka, ten, connect with the game.

‘For my daughters, and for every girl in this country, you have made football something for them; you have made them feel they belong on the pitch. So – in a way – you’ve already brought football home.’

The Lionesses reached the final at the 83,500-seat Stadium Australia with a resounding 3-1 victory against Australia in Wednesday’s semi-final. Up to 14 million are expected to tune into the BBC One or ITV coverage of today’s match, which kicks off at 11am.

It is thought the final will boost the UK economy by £185 million. Demand has jumped at supermarkets, with Waitrose stocking more breakfast items and English sparkling wine for the game, and Aldi expecting sales of crisps, burgers and prosecco to be significantly higher than usual.

Online fashion giant Boohoo revealed that searches for ‘Lionesses kit’ exploded by 3,981 per cent in the hours following the semi-final victory.

The King’s motivational message is a break with centuries of tradition.

When Queen Elizabeth wished the England men’s team good luck for the final of the Euro championships in 2021, she sent an official letter addressed to the team’s manager Gareth Southgate.

In a video posted online last night, Southgate told the Lionesses: ‘You are doing a brilliant job. There is of course no advice because you have done more than us already and you know what is needed to win.’

Charles III’s good-luck message to the women’s team was posted online at 9.30pm to coincide with dawn in Australia and appeared alongside a majestic picture of a lioness and the Royal crest. A Buckingham Palace source said: ‘Both Their Majesties will be following events with the greatest interest.’ Prince William and his family are expected to watch the final at Anmer Hall.

England men’s captain Harry Kane also urged the Lionesses to ‘bring home the trophy’.

‘It’s been an amazing journey so far and you should be really proud of yourselves,’ he wrote on Instagram. ‘We’re all behind you, we’re all supporting you and we know you can do it. So go and get that World Cup win and bring that trophy home.’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also sent a letter cheering on the Lionesses and recalled the impact that seeing them in action last year had on his daughter: ‘Last summer, when I took my daughter to watch your Euros semi-final game, she was immediately absorbed. Seeing how much you have inspired her has filled me with pride.’

In their final press conference before the match, Wiegman and England captain Millie Bright urged England to play the game of their lives. ‘We have felt the support, we have felt the support here, but also from the other side of the world in the UK,’ Wiegman said. ‘That’s something that you dream of.’

The players visited Stadium Australia yesterday ahead of their crunch match. Ella Toone, who scored England’s first goal in the semi-final, said: ‘One game to go, baby.’

Animal masks in hand, the King and Queen led the festivities at a conservation charity ball tonight. 

Charles, 74, and Camilla, 75, appeared in great spirits at the party at Lancaster House to mark the 20th anniversary of wildlife conservation charity Elephant Family, which was established in 2003 by Her Majesty’s late brother Mark Shand.

This year’s annual Animal Ball is a celebration of indigenous communities, hosted by the Elephant Family in partnership with the British Asian Trust. 

At the London event, the King and Queen, dressed in a custom Anna Valentine, presented two Elephant Family awards – the Mark Shand Award and the Tara Award – to recognise contributions to protecting Asian wildlife. 

On arrival in the garden at Lancaster House, Their Majesties were met by Ruth Ganesh, co-founder of the Elephant Family, and Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust. 

Many well-heeled guests joined the royal couple at the glitzy event, including  Christian Louboutin, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sir Brian May, his wife Anita Dobson, Donna Air, Keely Hawes, Emma Weymouth and Gwendoline Christie.

The garden at Lancaster House was decorated with the charity’s Lanterna Elephant sculptures, which were part of the ‘Co-Existence’ exhibition across the Royal Parks in 2021. 

Amongst the Lanterna Elephant sculptures, the King and Queen met the night’s award winners, which included members of the Adivasi tribal community from the Nilgiri Mountains, India. 

The community received the Elephant Family’s Mark Shand Award for 2023 from the Queen. The King and Queen also met Oscar-winning Indian documentary-maker, Kartiki Gonsalves, who received the newly created Tara Award from His Majesty. 

The Tara Award is named after Mark Shand’s elephant, who first inspired the establishment of the Elephant Family. 

After meeting the charity’s supporters and performers at the Animal Ball, the King and Queen proceeded to a marquee for the award presentations. 

During the presentation, Their Majesties listened to a series of musical performances from the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and singer-songwriter Tom Odell.

The King urged people to ‘pay attention’ to indigenous communities ‘before it’s too late’ during an impromptu speech after presenting a conservation award at the ball.

He said: ‘I think it’s over 35 years ago now that I tried to see if I could set up a project to collate as much of the indigenous knowledge and wisdom as possible throughout the world. But in those days, nobody wanted to know.

‘But now if I may say so, it is absolutely critical that we turn to all that indigenous knowledge and wisdom as the only way really of restoring the balance and harmony that is so badly needed in this world if we are going to save the planet.

‘So it’s up to all of us to pay attention to that knowledge and that wisdom before it’s too late.’

The King told a star-studded audience of around 300 guests: ‘Both my wife and I [are] so very proud to be able to present both these awards particularly, if I may say so, it transpires that today is actually Mark Shand’s birthday.

‘And he would have been so thrilled to know that Elephant Family had managed to get its 20th anniversary.’

On what would have been Mark Shand’s 72 birthday, the monarch had presented Oscar-winning Indian filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves with the Tara Award – named after the elephant which inspired him to set up the charity in 2003.

Her documentary film The Elephant Whisperers won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film in February – the first Indian-produced film to win the accolade.

This year’s colourful event, which was jointly hosted by Elephant Family and the British Asian Trust, drew a line up of famous faces including Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Keeley Hawes, Matthew Macfadyen, Jilly Cooper, Christian Louboutin, Emma Weymouth and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadim Zahawi.

The King and Queen also met former Towie star Gemma Collins, who is a supporter of Elephant Family.

The Queen looked elegant in a blue embroidered tunic top with blue palazzo chiffon trousers by Anna Valentine and diamond earrings by Van Cleef and Arpels. 

She and the King were presented with Shola masks by renowned Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, carved from sholapith, a sustainable type of cork grown in the marshlands of Bengal.

The royal couple posed for photographs surrounded by lifesize elephant sculptures made from Lantana, an invasive weed that impacts human and animal habitats in India, and which were part of the charity’s 2021 Co-Existence exhibition across the Royal Parks.

Some of the 125 elephant sculptures from its 2021 exhibition are now permanently displayed in the gardens of their Majesties’ private homes at Highgrove and Raymill – and two are owned by Gemma Collins.

‘They are absolutely beautiful,’ she told the Queen. ‘What I love about them is the way the eyes move with you in the garden.’

Her Majesty complimented the TV star on her eye-catching headwear – a headband with a shiny cherry and caterpillar on top.

‘I’m just so happy to be here and share this evening with you,’ Gemma told her.

Turning to the King, Gemma said: ‘You really are King of the planet and we love you for what you do for the animals. Please keep getting that message out there, it means so much.’

The King and Queen have long supported the Elephant Family, from visiting the charity’s projects whilst on overseas visits as The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, to supporting initiatives such as The Big Egg Hunt and the CoExistence campaign, which saw 125 life-size elephant sculptures displayed in London’s Royal Parks throughout summer 2021. 

Some of the Lanterna Elephant sculptures that formed part of the exhibition now live permanently in the gardens at Highgrove and Raymill.

Elephant Family is a wildlife conservation charity committed to building landscapes that support coexistence between humans and wildlife. 

The charity supports a wide range of projects that find ways for humans and animals to live closer together – from securing a network of wildlife corridors which act as bridges between islands of forests, to relocating busy highways that slice through primary forest. 

The organisation was founded in 2003 by the late Mark Shand, who died in 2014. He was deeply passionate about protecting and supporting elephants and Asian wildlife.

In 2020, Elephant Family joined forces with the British Asian Trust in a new philanthropic partnership dedicated to supporting Asia’s wildlife. 

The alliance brings together the best minds in conservation, management and philanthropy to respond urgently to the growing human-wildlife conflict crisis and the loss of habitat threatening Asia’s elephants, big cats and the rural communities who live alongside them. 

By combining expertise, the charities are accelerating their response and scale their impact on both. 

As The Prince of Wales, The King founded the British Asian Trust in 2007 alongside British Asian business leaders. The charity works to reduce poverty and disadvantage for communities in South Asia. 

This includes work in areas of anti-trafficking, education, livelihoods, mental health and conservation. 

Speaking after her meeting with the King and Queen, Gemma said: ‘It is an absolute honour to be here this evening. To actually get the royal invitation from the King and the Queen to personally meet me and to be recognised for my love of animals and conservation.

‘And King Charles is the king of the planet. All the youngsters need to know that if we do not start looking after animals and having respect for animals and stopping this abhorrent cruelty that is going on on a daily basis, they will not be able to show their children animals in the future, they will become extinct.

‘In this decade, there should not be anyone that shows any cruelty to another living being and this is why King Charles and Camilla are close to my heart. And I’m just so fascinated with all the good work that they do for conservation.

‘Her [Camilla’s] brother Mark Shand… what he did was insane. And I just find with a lot of youngsters today, it’s not about TikTok, come off TikTok, come off of Instagram. Let’s get connected with the animals and let’s all coexist. Let’s get a grip and save these beautiful creatures that give us so much enjoyment.

‘And King Charles and Camilla… I’m really hoping… I’m looking to make a documentary to make the youngsters aware. I’m really hoping they’ll get on board. I mean, me and King Charles and Camilla on Safari would be amazing.

‘We would have so much fun and you know, it doesn’t matter what background [you’re from] and this is why I love King Charles and Camilla… because they literally have taken me close to them. To invite me here has just meant so much to me.

‘I’ve got two of the elephants in my garden. And do you know what, I wake up every morning and they give me so much joy. And it’s just a message we need to get out there for once and for all.

‘We are not to kill or hurt our animals. We are to support them and be the voice for them and that’s why the King and Queen are way up there for me.

‘He’s King of the Planet. These occasions, yes they are for well-to-do people, but it goes beyond that. Everyone can show compassion to an animal.

‘People are not getting the message. It’s not about eyelashes, hair, what car you’re driving, if you’ve got a Rolex watch, that is so boring. 

‘What have you done today to help an animal? What have you done to minimise your carbon footprint for the planet? What message if you’ve given to someone today? It’s all got lost, it’s all gone crazy. People have got to take it back and get serious because… a lot of these animals aren’t going to be around much longer.’

She said of the King: ‘He’s got such personality. And he really can resonate with them and if we get all these youngsters behind it, big amazing things can happen.’

King Charles and Queen Camilla were all smiles as they led the procession for the final day of Royal Ascot this afternoon.

The monarch, 74, wore traditional charcoal morning suit and black top hat as he arrived in a horse-drawn carriage with his wife.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla, 75, looked effortlessly elegant in a white coat dress by Anna Valetine and matching feathered hat by her go-to designer Philip Treacy.

The stylish royal paired her sophisticated piece of outerwear with a simple gold necklace.

Camilla has worn two other Anna Valentine coat dresses this week, including the one she previously picked for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.

Meanwhile, Philip Treacy – who also created Camilla’s wedding headpieces – has been the royal’s go-to hat designer this week.

The royal couple were joined by the Earl of Caledon – who carried Northern Ireland’s Standard at their Coronation last month – and his wife.

Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Lady Sophie followed behind the King and Queen in the second carriage.

The pair shared a carriage with Princess Zahra Aga Khan, who will be presenting a trophy today, and Lady Weatherby, who is the wife of the late Queen’s Ascot representative.

Prince Michael of Kent’s daughter Lady Gabriella and her husband Thomas Kingston followed in the third carriage with horse trainer Andrew Balding and his wife Anna-Lisa.

Finally, retiring jockey Frankie Dettori and his wife Catherine – who will also be presenting an award today – arrived in the fourth carriage in the procession with Jamie and Lucy Snowden.

Frankie – who makes leaping out of the saddle his trademark move – hit a new milestone yesterday when he hit 80 winners at Ascot yesterday.

The British royal family have been out in force at the event this week, with the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, all attending.

Yesterday, the Princess of Wales, 41, looked sensational in a scarlet Alexander McQueen dress as she attended Ascot.

During her visit to the Berkshire races, Kate enjoyed chats with her royal relatives including the Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, and also other famous faces including Dame Judi Dench. 

The mother-of-three tied her hair back into a sleek bun and opted for fabulous statement gold earrings from Sézane, which she has worn before. 

As she looked elegant in the A-line red frock, the mother-of-three paired her dress with a red clutch bag from Hermes and red suede pumps.

Joining the Prince and Princess of Wales in the second carriage in the royal procession was Princess Beatrice, 34, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 39.

The foursome arrived in the second carriage in the procession, which followed King Charles and Queen Camilla with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year where she couldn’t attend due to mobility issues.

On Thursday, King Charles and Queen Camila both shed a tear when they secured their first ever Ascot win.

The royal couple were overcome with emotion as they watched their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race from the royal box, after two losses.

Throughout the week Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice and Mike and Zara Tindall have also been spotted enjoying the races.

This year, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years.

They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. 

The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on as her horse galloped along the track.

The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with other members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. 

What’s more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. 

The event turned out to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize.

The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. 

The Queen was dressed in one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple. 

Underneath her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress – which perfectly complimented the flowers on her hat. 

In the image, the Queen is seen wearing a three-strand pearl necklace – which she also wore to her final ever Ascot in June 2021.  

Charles Oliveira stops Beneil Darius in the first round at UFC 289 before calling out lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, with Dana White admitting a rematch ‘makes a lot of sense’

• The fight was stopped after Oliveira dominated for just over four minutes
• He called out Makhachev for a rematch after the fight having lost the first bout
• The Russian congratulated Oliveira online but said there are ‘levels to this game’

By Lewis Browning For Mailonline

Published: 02:10 EDT, 11 June 2023 | Updated: 02:15 EDT, 11 June 2023

Two of America’s best-known billionaires are at loggerheads over a new Nantucket clam shack.

San Francisco Giants owner Charles Johnson, 90, is trying to block the Straight Wharf Fish Market from opening this summer over fears it will bring noise and congestion to the area where he lives.

Johnson, who is worth an estimated $5 billion, has a simple shack which sits next to the dining spot on the famed tycoons’ enclave.

But another billionaire who also has a property nearby – investment guru Charles Schwab – has come out in support of the new food venture, to the delight of its owners. 

Johnson filed suit on May 12 in Nantucket Superior Court seeking to invalidate licenses the Straight Wharf Fish Market had received from relevant authorities.

He and a group of his neighbors who have residences on the historic Old North Wharf have come out against the 62-seat eatery, arguing it will generate too much noise and congestion.

Local community boards, however, have backed the development.

Gabriel Frasca, one of the restauranteurs behind the project, said the lawsuit may delay their expected opening in July, and that the suit brought by the wealthy cohort of the resistance party had been financially draining.

‘This is one of a number of headwinds we are fighting our way through. We remain hopeful we can open this season, but it is hard to continue to throw time and money at a project that we may have to stop at any moment,’ Frasca told the Boston Globe.

Frasca and his partner Kevin Burleson plan on reviving the space that used to be known as the Straight Wharf Fish Store and Stars Ice Cream, which shut down in 2021. 

He said, at this point, it will be a challenge to meet a planned July opening date.

Johnson has asked the court to overturn the state’s April 11 approval of the restaurant’s liquor license, which was granted by the Select Board in March.

Danielle deBenedictis, Johnson’s attorney, called the decision to approve the liquor license improper due to its perceived ignorance of the ‘traffic, noise, congestion, and parking problems,’ that the restaurant may create.

Johnson’s attorney says his property would be just 18 inches from the clam shack. Though the cabin is modestly sized at just 1,200 square feet, it is valued at nearly $6.5million.

One voice who has come out as pro-clam shack is billionaire businessman Charles Schwab, 85, whose support the owners said is a pleasant surprise.

DeBenedictis had initially told the Select Board that in addition to Johnson, she represented Schwab and a number of other high profile residents of the wharf.

However, last month, Schwab declared in a statement through his attorney that he never opposed the opening of the restaurant and was never represented by deBenedictis, who is also the owner of a Nantucket restaurant and bar The Summer House, as reported by the Nantucket Current. 

An attorney for Schwab said his client had initially been concerned when notified about the project, but ‘quickly adjusted’ his position when presented with a fuller picture of the plans for the restaurant.

Schwab’s attorney wrote in an April letter to the town and state alcoholic beverages commission that ‘the Schwabs and many neighbors at Old North Wharf were originally concerned when told that the Straight Wharf Fish Market would be a nightclub with a bar, dancing, and live music.  

‘However, when a review of the permits showed this was not the case, the Schwabs decided to not oppose’ the restaurant.

‘We all look forward to enjoying a fresh clam roll and cold soft-serve twist cone on the harbor,’ the lawyer, Steve Cohen, wrote.

Schwab paid $10million in 2021 for neighboring cottages in the Old North Wharf named Nautilus and Zenas Coffin. The cottages have several boat slips between them, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Frasca said that the Schwabs have been ‘incredibly gracious’ and that the business team behind the Straight Wharf Fish Market ‘appreciate the faith that they have shown in us.’

The owners have years of experience opening and operating restaurants on the New England island. Plans for this restaurant include a 14-seat dock and menu that will offer classics like lobster and clam rolls, as well as more modern fare.

Frasca told the Globe he was ‘a little surprised’ when he was made aware of the lawsuit, but said he expects Johnson’s suit won’t be the last one facing the restaurant.

‘Really I think Mr. Johnson just doesn’t want to own property next to a clam shack. And though I understand the sentiment, that isn’t a good reason to prohibit a properly zoned business from opening,’ he said.

Despite the ongoing opposition, Frasca says he remains optimistic the restaurant will be able to open this summer.

‘Obviously, missing even a single day of those sales has an outsized impact on our ability to earn a profit,’ he said. ‘Given that most restaurants operate within a 10 percent profit margin (at best), it’s pretty easy to see what the effect of missing any part of peak season would be.’ 

Sarah Alger, an attorney representing the Old North Wharf Cooperative said she believes members of the group are generally in agreement with Johnson’s sentiments.

‘I know there’s been kind of an effort to make this into kind of a David and Goliath story. I don’t really see that as being all that accurate,’ she said. ‘You know, this whole folksy clam shack thing. It isn’t a clam shack. It’s a restaurant.’ 

Prince William planning ‘different coronation from King Charles’ with controversial ‘homage of the people’ tradition set to be scrapped

• The Prince of Wales is looking for ways to ‘evolve’ the ancient service

By Matt Powell

Published: 20:07 EDT, 13 May 2023 | Updated: 07:23 EDT, 14 May 2023