Recent News

Prince Harry doesn't seem to be too worried about leaving his teenage years behind. Doubled over in laughter, the young royal looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself in a new picture released to mark his 20th birthday.

The photo was taken by renowned lensman Mario Testino, who was responsible for some of the most enduring images of Princess Diana. It shows Harry sharing a warm moment with his father and his older brother William. Sitting outside the Orchard Room at Charles' Highgrove Estate, the three princes let a fit of the giggles get the better of them.

"The truth is that they were not laughing at anything in particular," explained the photographer. "It is just the way they relate to each other. They seem to have a uniquely close father-son relationship. One thing that has caught my attention since the first time I photographed them is that there exists an intimacy between them we rarely see."

Harry is expected to celebrate his birthday, which falls on Wednesday, with a low-key party at his home. The aspiring Army officer is currently preparing for his entrance assessments at Sandhurst Military Academy.

Prince William made a surprise entry in a charity run yesterday, reported an American ABC News station. Prince Harry was present at the run too, but an ailing knee kept him out of the race - and a friendly show of brotherly rivalry. (EPH)

Prince William turned Royal runner today as he joined the nation’s one mile sprint for Sport Relief.

The second in line to the throne was a surprise entrant in a mass charity dash, amazing fellow entrants by turning up decked out in sports gear.

Future king William, 22, was set to be joined by 19-year-old Prince Harry, but his younger brother had to pull out after injuring his left knee.

The young Royals posed for photographs with some of the youngsters running in London near Blackfriars Bridge before William followed starters orders running alongside celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, and comics Patrick Kielty and Nick Hancock.

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To see more photos from this event, you can visit CBBC.com
[Special thanks to Lindsay for letting me know where to find these pictures! :) ]

The Queen opened a London fountain in honour of the late Princess of Wales on Tuesday, at a ceremony attended by Diana's ex-husband, Prince Charles, and their two sons, William and Harry.

Speaking of the Princess in an official public speech for the first time since the eve of her 1997 funeral, the Queen recalled Diana as a "remarkable human being", and remarked that memories of "difficult times" had diminished over the years.

"I cannot forget - and nor can those of us here today who knew her much more personally, as sister, wife, mother, or daughter-in-law - the Diana who made such an impact on our lives," said the Queen as she unveiled the £3.6-million Hyde Park Fountain. "Of course there were difficult times, but memories mellow with the passing of the years. I remember especially the happiness she gave to my two grandsons."

The event brought together the Princess' two families –the Windsors and the Spencers –for the first time since Diana's death. In her speech the Queen referred to the two branches, reportedly at odds since Earl Spencer's scathing eulogy at his sister's funeral, saying she was opening the commemorative fountain "on behalf of Charles, William, Harry and all my family and of all the Spencer family with us today".

The granite oval with water flowing at different speeds has been the centre of controversy – the Princess' late mother was among its critics, saying it had a "lack of grandeur". However, while acknowledging the "challenge" of its creation, the Queen praised the work of the fountain's design team, led by landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson.

"I believe that you have given the park, at the very heart of our capital city that Diana knew so well, a highly original memorial which captures something of the essence of a remarkable human being," said the Queen. "I think Diana would have enjoyed it; and I believe she would want all of us to do so, too."

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Faces sombre, their heads bowed and wearing dark suits, Prince William and Prince Harry arrived in the Scottish seaside town of Oban on Thursday to bid farewell to their maternal grandmother Frances Shand Kydd. Princess Diana's mother died last week aged 68 after a lengthy battle with a degenerative brain disease.

Although brought up a Protestant, Frances converted to Catholicism in her later years, and the requiem mass was held at Oban's St Columba's Cathedral, on the Argyll coast overlooking the green hills of the isles of Mull and Kerrera.

The simple ceremony – "she wanted to be seen as one of us in Oban; I don't think she wanted any fanfare," said her friend Father Maclean – included a reading from Romans chapter eight by her elder royal grandson.

While Frances' former son-in-law, the Prince of Wales, was not present, her son, Earl Spencer, and daughters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes were among the mourners. Prince Harry had flown back to the UK from South Africa, where he is currently completing a gap year.

Paying tribute to his mother, Earl Spencer said: "My mother was an open book - a woman who was afraid of nothing and nobody, somebody not interested in convention but in truth and fun." He added: "She believed in equality and decency and had no time for self pity."

Mrs Shand Kydd was laid to rest in her beloved Highlands, at Pennyfuir Cemetary, just a couple of miles outside Oban.

Though Prince William – known as William Wales at his current institution, St Andrews University – has always insisted he be treated as just another student, he and his brother Harry have earned special recognition from their common alma mater.

Eton College, where both Princes were once students, has had their names carved on the door into the Upper School. Reading Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales, the engraving is an exclusive honour bestowed on standout alumni over the course of hundreds of years.

"There are thousands of names carved there, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries," headmaster Tony Little told the Daily Mail. "It is now only done in certain circumstances – for example, if someone has forebears whose names are on the wall, and if a special request is made by the family. For (the Princes), it seemed appropriate."

Prince Harry is to head off to Africa for the next stage of his gap year. The young royal will spend two months on the continent, working on community projects to help some of the world's poorest people.

For security reasons, the exact location has not been released yet. But Clarence House has revealed that Harry will be helping to build homes and teach new skills to mothers and children in the communities he visits.

The work will be physically as well as emotionally challenging, because the 19-year-old will have to spend long days lifting building materials in the fierce African heat. Palace insiders say he isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty, however, and the trip reflects the teenager's desire to help those who are most in need.

It is expected that Harry will visit a number of projects being run by international aid agencies. He is no stranger to tough physical work, having recently spent several months working on a cattle ranch in the Australian outback. The Prince will eventually go on to begin a military career when he enrols at Britain's Sandhurst officer-training academy.