Royal Family: Charles and William under pressure to act after latest Andrew drama

A contemporary artist, who worked with the Queen, has spoken candidly about his “unnerving” experience with the monarch.

In 2003, Chris Levine received an unexpected phone call from Queen Elizabeth II’s assistant, asking him to create a “modern, almost futuristic” portrait of the royal.

As he began planning the portrait, which was commissioned as part of Jersey’s celebration of its 800-year relationship with the monarchy, one particular request stood out as more surprising than any other.

Chris recalled palace staff asking him what he’d like the monarch to wear, and even gave him permission to inspect her private wardrobe and jewellery collection.

It has been a week of board games across the country.

Christmas to New Year is synonymous with families playing around the kitchen table and it seems the royals are no different.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are seemingly no different to many children their age, with the trio understood to be ruthlessly competitive.

Prince William revealed during a conversation with Radio Marsden, which broadcasts to the Royal Marsden Hospital, where he is a patron, in 2021, that his children get very competitive when it comes to a game called Risk – even though everyone ends up feeling “very cross”.

Asked by young caller Henry what his favourite board game was, William responded: “Henry, we are playing board games with the children quite a lot.”

He went on to say: “We love Monopoly, that’s good and Risk, have you played Risk before? That’s a good board game; it goes on for hours, and usually, everyone gets very cross because they lose. But that’s what I like playing.”

Sarah Ferguson had serious concerns about her marriage to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor just three years after the pair tied the knot.

Those are the views of Dame Jenni Murray who spoke with the former Duchess of York in 1989.

She wrote that Sarah appeared “lonely [and] deeply unhappy” and was forthcoming about her genuine feelings towards her husband off-camera.

Discussing the experience in Saga Magazine, she wrote: “I was shown into the sitting room of a flat on the third floor of the palace, looking out at Queen Victoria’s statue.

“A young woman, wearing a pinny, her hair tucked into a mob cap came in, I thought she was a maid, it was Sarah.”

A major breach in royal protocol occurred when a senior member of the Royal Family marked their birthday, forcing Number 10 to apologise, newly released documents show.

The files, opened at the National Archives in Kew, reveal that the private office of former Prime Minister John Major made a mistake when commemorating Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s birthday.

The documents explain that Major’s office was contacted directly by The Queen Mother’s private secretary after the message to mark her 94th birthday in 1994 arrived, using the incorrect form of address.

Meghan Markle reportedly tried to make private contact with King Charles to ask about why she was prohibited from doing certain things when she was a working royal. Since making the decision to step away from her official role in 2020, Meghan has been criticised for publicly voicing her thoughts on her time as a member of the Firm.

It has been reported that Meghan did try and resolve the challenges she was experiencing behind closed doors, with her having written a letter to her father-in-law. In the message, Meghan is said to have complained about “different rules” that she had to follow while carrying out her royal duties, compared to other members of the Royal Family.

According to veteran royal-watcher Neil Sean, Meghan “wanted answers” from the King.

He said: “Meghan Markle wants some answers from His Majesty the King. She tried to set up a meeting with him, she sent him a letter and wanted a one-to-one to explain exactly the problems she’s encountered ever since becoming a member of the British monarchy.”

Prince William and Princess Kate head into the New Year with much to be optimistic about for 2026.

Kate’s incremental return to public life following her illness has delighted Royal fans, while her husband continues to be praised for his willingness to adapt the Royal Family to the modern day.

But New Year was not always such a happy time for the pair, with the future King once leaving his future wife in tears on New Year’s Eve, after cancelling plans to see one another over the festive period.

As with most years, 2025 has been a busy one for the royals, and not necessarily in the best ways. While there has been plenty of good news this year, such as Princess Beatrice welcoming her second daughter and Peter Phillips getting engaged, the monarchy has had a tough time too.

This is mostly the result of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the scandals he has faced, which resulted in him losing his royal titles. While this may have been a blow to the royals, they will undoubtedly still be feeling optimistic about what 2026 can bring, with some significant moments set to unfold.

Here, the Express have taken a look at some of the biggest royal moments expected next year…

A report for 2025 revealed that Prince William received an eye-watering £22 million for his second year’s income from the Duchy of Cornwall estate. The Duchy of Cornwall is a title and estate he inherited when his father, King Charles, ascended the throne in 2022.The Integrated Annual Report revealed a distributable surplus of £22.9 million ($30.9 million) for the 2024-2025 financial year. It covers the official, charitable and private expenses of Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Prince Harry had an incredibly privileged school life as he began his studies at Mrs Mynors Nursery School, before going on to Wetherby Prep School and later boarding at Ludgrove School and Eton College. The Duke of Sussex was just eight years old when he was sent to live away from home, so he received a great deal of support from school staff – and was even treated to a unique ritual.

Much to the delight of royal fans, Prince William and Princess Catherine have shared a collection of photographs from every month of the year in 2025. Highlights from the carousel include a previously unseen photograph from US President Donald Trump‘s state visit and a special moment from the Princess of Wales’ work with The Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood.

Queen Camilla has spoken out about fighting back after a man tried to grope her on a train to Paddington when she was a teenager in the 1960s. Speaking on a special Radio 4 Today programme, the Queen opened up about the incident for the first time.

The Queen was talking to John and his daughter, Amy Hunt, during a radio special with former Prime Minister Theresa May and Emma Barnett. Queen Camilla recalled being on her way to meet her mum when “this boy, man, attacked me”, adding “I did fight back”.

As the final days of the year slip away and the world prepares to welcome a fresh chapter, one constant has shimmered through every royal engagement: Princess Catherine’s unmatched command of style. In a year marked by diplomatic milestones, state banquets and deeply symbolic public appearances, her fashion choices have spoken as powerfully as any royal speech.Read about Princess Catherine’s style in 2025 here

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis seemingly take after their parents as the young royals apparently enjoy getting competitive when it comes to their favourite board games. Prince William and Princess Catherine typically spend Christmas on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, but the couple and their children enjoy one common festive joy with almost every other family across the world.

During a revealing conversation with Radio Marsden, which broadcasts to the Royal Marsden Hospital, where he is a patron, in 2021, William revealed that his children get very competitive when it comes to a game called Risk – even though everyone ends up feeling “very cross”.

Meghan Markle reportedly tried to make private contact with King Charles to ask about why she was prohibited from doing certain things when she was a working royal. Since making the decision to step away from her official role in 2020, Meghan has been criticised for publicly voicing her thoughts on her time as a member of the Firm.

It has been reported that Meghan did try and resolve the challenges she was experiencing behind closed doors, with her having written a letter to her father-in-law. In the message, Meghan is said to have complained about “different rules” that she had to follow while carrying out her royal duties, compared to other members of the Royal Family.

After a fall from grace which would rival a Greek tragedy, it’s fair to say that 2025 has been one of the most challenging years yet for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. And while the year began with an improved relationship between Fergie and the Royal Family, that is no longer believed to be the case.

The former couple have never been strangers to scandal and have frequently found themselves embroiled in one form of drama or another. However, when they did in the past, they always had a specific person to turn to – Queen Elizabeth II.

Meghan Markle has been told that she needs to “stay in her lane” if she wants to be successful in 2026. The Duchess of Sussex, 44, has had numerous business projects get underway this year, including her As Ever brand, her short-lived podcast, and her Netflix series.

We’ll be bringing you the latest updates on the Royal Family here as we get them.