News about Elizabeth II

King Charles (pictured left and right in Sydney on Tuesday) is a noted polo and horse racing enthusiast but his knowledge of Australia's biggest football code has never been put to the test - until now (inset, action from this year's AFL grand final).

It's been nearly 25 years since a set of state-of-the-art toilets were built ahead of the late Queen Elizabeth II's 1992 visit to Australia - but a royal has yet to use them. According to the Australian Daily Telegraph, it was hoped that the King, 75, might make use of the toilets that would cost £30,000 in today's money - but alas, no comfort break was required. (Pictured: The King in Sydney this weekend, with Queen Camilla greeting well-wishers. Inset: The Queen in 1992)

Princess Anne, 74, was treated to perfectly synchronised routines set to classical Viennese music by eight riders and up to 26 horses from the Spanish Riding School. The academy, based in Vienna, Austria, has been maintaining and practising classical horsemanship in its Renaissance tradition of the High School for more than 450 years. The princess, watching the tour's opening night at OVO Arena Wembley from the royal box, joined model Lady Victoria Hervey , influencer Chuggs Wallis and thousands of fans at the show. White Lipizzaner horses, in their gold bridles, performed choreographies of All The Steps And Movements Of The High School, On The Long Rein and School Quadrille.

Prince Edward (pictured), 60, joined TV personality Paul Roseby and the Chair of Trustees of the National Youth Theatre, Dawn Airey CBE, to watch The National Youth Theatre's production of The War of the Worlds in London this evening. Also joining King Charles's younger brother was the Executive Director of Wilton's Music Hall, Holly Kendrick (pictured left).

The Duke of Edinburgh enjoyed a bumper afternoon at Hankley Common today, where he donned a full camo suit to attend training exercises. Prince Edward , 60, looked fetching in khaki on Wednesday as he joined British soldiers for a training session at Hankley Common in Surrey. The youngest child of the late queen, Edward is Royal Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, a title her took over in May 2022. Arriving at the military base camp in Surrey, the royal donned a full camo suit including a long collared jacket and a pair of trousers.

Buckingham Palace says records are still being updated and would be provided in future - but had been hampered by the change of reign, with Charles becoming King following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in October 2022. Anti-monarchy campaigners say they should be held to similar standards as MPs who must declare 'freebies' - such as the Taylor Swift concert tickets and clothing recently revealed to have been donated to Sir Keir Starmer and Labour ministers. The new concerns raised about an apparent lack of transparency on gifts to royal family members follow previous 'cash-for-honours' allegations. And there was uncertainty over £500,000 ear-rings worn by the Duchess of Sussex at an event in Fiji six years ago - later revealed to have been given to her by Saudi Arabia 's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A woman who worked as an aide of the late Queen Elizabeth II (pictured) for 18 years has revealed some unexpected details about her boss - including that the monarch was a 'gutsy' driver who loved to travel at high speed. Samantha Cohen, 56, (pictured) spoke to the Sunday Times about her time working with Her Majesty, discussing how she joined the press office some 25 years ago before being promoted to the royal's communications secretary, and then her assistant private secretary. Cohen said she first saw the woman who'd become her future employer during the head of state's visit to Australia in 1977 during her Silver Jubilee year. A schoolgirl in Brisbane at the time, Cohen said she was 'beyond excited' about the occasion. Not only would she go on to work for Queen Elizabeth for nearly two decades, she would also become 'one of [her] most trusted aides and closest confidantes'.

Diners are to be given the chance to experience an 18th century feast in the King's favourite room at his Scottish stately home - from £375 a head. Charles takes most of his evening meals in the Pink Dining Room while staying at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, which he has renovated. Now his charity, The King's Foundation, is offering a private dining experience, allowing members of the public the opportunity to enjoy a three-course meal, authentic to the 1700s and served by a traditional butler, in the royal chamber.

A distinctive statue of Queen Elizabeth II was unveiled today in Newcastle-under-Lyme to celebrate the town's 850th anniversary. Commissioned by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, the statue's design is inspired by photographs of Her Majesty taken during her visit to the town in 1973 (inset), which marked the 800th anniversary. The statue, crafted from bronze and weighing one ton, stands at one-and-a-quarter times life size and is positioned just inches above ground level in the town's Queens Gardens. Funding for the project was provided by two major donors: JCB, the Staffordshire digger manufacturer, and Capital&Centric, the developers leading a multi-million-pound regeneration of Newcastle's town center, with each organisation covering half the cost. Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council,said: ''This wonderful statue of the late Queen Elizabeth is unique to Newcastle-under-Lyme and inextricably linked to our history and our celebrations of the town's 850th anniversary.

Last night Sophie, 59, read a book by Bristol-based author Yasmeen Ismail about a young lion who doesn't feel comfortable enough to wear his new bright red glasses to school. The wife of Prince Edward , who has always been passionate about supporting the sight loss community and eliminating avoidable blindness, opted for a light pink woolen jumper to read the story - as well as her own square-frame glasses. 'Hello, I'm Sophie,' the Duchess said to start the programme. 'And this is Rex. He's wearing very snazzy specs. Do you or does anyone in your family wear glasses? Rex used to feel a little shy about wearing his glasses but not anymore. He loves to wear them now. Let me tell you all about Rex in tonight's CBeebies Bedtime Story.'

What does a legendary luxury fashion brand do when profits are down and the future looks uncertain? Return to its core brand, focus on what it does best and remind people that they were the first. If it can, it re-establishes its style credentials with some reference to its glorious past and icons who have worn it.  And if that brand is Burberry, renowned for its British heritage classics, then there's only one icon who will do: Queen Elizabeth II. Pictured L-R: Olivia Colman, Cole Palmer and Cara Delevingne.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh got into the festive spirit on day three of their visit to Malta - as they celebrated a King's Birthday Reception at the residence of the British High Commissioner this evening. Sophie, 59, beamed as she made a toast at the celebrations, sporting a colourful patchwork dress. Her husband Prince Edward, 60, too looked dapper in a chic black suit as he made a speech at the event - which was hosted for the royals to meet young people from across the country. The couple looked to be in high spirits as they enjoyed their last night on the island, mingling with guests and chatting up a storm.

Anwar Hussein, who has died aged 85, was the longest-serving royal photographer, credited with helping change the public view of the British Royal Family. Through his impressive photos, captured across five decades, the African-born photo journalist gave rise to a more informal and candid variety of royal photography. Given his relaxed style, Anwar struck up a close bond with Princess Diana and snapped some of her most well-known moments - from her solo picture at the Taj Mahal in 1992 as her marriage with then-Prince Charles disintegrated to her 'revenge dress'. Such was their friendly relationship, Diana even asked him for advice on interfaith marriage as they shared a flight during a tour in the mid-nineties. Speaking in 2022, the photographer revealed how the royal approached him for a hushed conversation during her relationship with Doctor Hasnat Khan.

Prince Edward and Sophie appeared in good spirits on Wednesday as they took a tour of a villa that was once the residence of the Queen and Prince Phillip, during their trip to Malta. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh smiled animatedly as they were accompanied by representatives from Heritage Malta on a tour around Villa Guardamangia - in Pieta, Malta on the third day of their visit to the island. The four-day visit marks the 60th anniversary of Malta's independence and celebrates the country's shared heritage and continuing collaboration with the UK. The Maltese villa holds special significance for the Royal Family as it was where the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip lived between 1949 and 1951, as young newlyweds (right)

Queen Sofía of Spain was in good spirits today as she attended an awards ceremony in Madrid - less than 24 hours after she appeared to lose her balance at a military event in the Spanish capital. Dressed in a khaki and white embellished blazer and a pair of tapered brown trousers, Sofía looked typically stylish at Tuesday's engagement.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have dropped a wreath and posy of flowers outside the entrance to Malta's Grand Harbour during a tour of key Second World War sites. Sophie, 59, and Prince Edward, 60, are on a four-day visit to the island to mark the 60th anniversary of its independence and celebrate the country's shared heritage and continuing collaboration with the UK.

The monarch, 56, looked dapper in a suit as he participated in the opening of an exhibition at the centre called 'The Water is Coming' in Copenhagen. The display has been put on to prompt a deeper understanding of dependence on water and the challenges it poses to cities. It also presents different solutions for how we can live with water in the future while looking at the issues of global warming and climate change . The father-of-four looked dapper as he posed alongside DAC's CEO Kent Martinussen (pictured left).

Prince Edward and Sophie beamed on Monday as they arrived in Malta to mark the 60th anniversary of the island's independence.  The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh appeared in great spirits as they met with President Myriam Spiteri Debono and her husband Dr. Anthony Spiteri Debono (pictured inset) at Grandmaster's Palace in St George's Square, Valletta.  The four-day visit is set to mark the 60th anniversary of Malta's independence and celebrate the country's shared heritage and continuing collaboration with the UK.  

Queen Sofía of Spain, 85, appeared unsteady on her feet on Monday as she attended a military event in Madrid. The mother of King Felipe VI of Spain, who has previously been spotted in a wheelchair on occasion at royal events, was in Torrejón de Ardoz in the Spanish capital to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the creation of the Military Emergency Unit.

Richard Colville (left, and inset, taking Prince Charles to school in 1959) was first employed as press secretary to King George VI and dedicated more than 20 years to royal service. He treated the media 'with a mixture of intolerance, scorn and contempt,' Valentine Low wrote in his book, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown. He was Queen Elizabeth II's first press secretary after her accession in 1952 and served her until his retirement in 1968. Martin Charteris, the Queen's assistant private secretary, referred to Colville as 'an anti-press secretary,' Robert Lacey told in his 2002 book, Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. During the Queen's tour of Australia in 1954, Colville abrasively dealt with a royal bust-up that the press witnessed. Prince Philip was seen dashing outside as the Queen (seen right on the tour with Philip) angrily shouted after him. Filmmaker Loch Townsend was making a documentary on the trip and recalled how Colville told photographers to turn off their cameras and give him any film taken.

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: The Duke of Sussex is happily married to Meghan, but his close friend who also found love with an American former actress and set up home in California is nursing a broken heart. I hear that Arthur Landon, 42, has split up with his fiancee, Alessandra Balazs, 35. 'They parted ways some time ago,' confirms a friend. The film producer, who inherited most of his brigadier father Tim's £200million fortune, plus an enchanting 4,250 acre Hampshire estate, defended Harry after their 2012 trip to Las Vegas when the prince was notoriously photographed at a naked pool party. He and Alessandra sat at the front of St George's Chapel for Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018. And Landon remained close friends with Harry after 'Megxit' as he has a home in Los Angeles.

Sophie (pictured), 59, read Specs for Rex by Bristol-based Yasmeen Ismail, a story of a young lion who does not want to wear his new glasses to school. He tries to hide them, but it's a little tricky given their size and bold red colour. The wife of Prince Edward , who is passionate about supporting the sight loss community and eliminating avoidable blindness, opted to wear her glasses and a pink jumper for the occasion.

Walsall Council, which is aiming to save £20m this year and has raised council tax by 4.99 per cent, spent a whopping £35,000 on the sculptures. People criticised the Council's decision to spend a five-figure sum on the installation incorporating water bowls for dogs. One woman on Facebook wrote: 'I could perhaps understand a statue of the late Queen, but her dogs? Spending on anything like this when services are being cut is ridiculous.' And its not the first time that Royal statues have faced criticism. Here, MailOnline has put together a round up of some other monuments that have split public opinion.

Beatrice has gladly taken on the role of stepmother to Wolfie, calling him her 'bonus son' and introducing him into the royal fold, including at Kate Middleton's carol service in Westminster Abbey 2023 (pictured left). Wolfie made his first official appearance at a royal family event at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations (pictured inset). (Pictured right: Beatrice, Wolfie, and Edo at Sandringham 2022)