Archive July 27, 2025

‘Prince Harry misunderstood his own family – he was never a Spare’

According to one expert, the Duke of Sussex had a much more significant position within the Firm than the King, which he claimed was responsible for.

A royal expert believes that Prince Harry misinterpreted his role as the “save” in a royal palace.

Prince Harry has long claimed that he has lived his entire life in the shadow of Prince William as the ‘spare’, even using it as the title for his tell-all autobiography. According to the Duke of Sussex, his role as the second born son to the King was to be a back-up monarch in the event his older brother was not able to fulfil his role as the future King.

However, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes that Prince Harry had a more important position to play within the royal family at large: one that he could’ve learned from his aunt, Princess Anne. The King’s sister, who was also dubbed the ‘spare’ as the second sibling to Charles, has led a life devoted to the Firm, often referred to as the “hardest working royal”.

Prince Harry
A royal expert believes Prince Harry misunderstood his role as the second born son to the King(Image: Getty Images)

As Harry wrote in his memoir, it was his father King Charles who first used the harsh nickname of ‘spare’ to refer to his youngest son, in reaction to Princess Diana giving birth to a second boy. Harry said his dad’s words were: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare – my work is done.”

Prince Harry should have consulted with the Princess Royal about how to support the royal family throughout his life, according to Jennie Bond, rather than focusing on his unofficial title of “pare.”

Bond told the Mirror : “She could have told her nephew that ‘playing second fiddle’ is the wrong way to look at his status. Instead, as she has shown, the second born can be an invaluable support to the institution of monarchy, and a vital friend, confidant and wingman/woman to the monarch.

Prince Harry and Princess Anne
Jennie Bond believes Prince Harry could’ve learned from Princess Anne about his role as a ‘spare’(Image: Getty Images)

She could have said that they are a team, a company, working together to maintain the monarchy’s relevance and to support charities and local communities.

The Duke can’t wait for his aunt to help them reach a peaceful resolution, according to the royal expert, who also believes that Prince Harry could use his relationship with Princess Anne to mend the royal rift with his father before it is too late.

Yes, Anne would have been the ideal person to offer advice and guidance, but sadly Harry has made it abundantly clear that he has no desire to live as a working royal.

The former BBC royal correspondent also questioned whether Princess Anne was aware of the extent of the family rift and whether she would not want to participate in revisiting the Harry and Charles drama.

Continue reading the article.

She said, “I’m not sure if the King and Anne would want to get involved, though it might be that the King has had a conversation about his family issues.” Loyalty is important to Anne, and I suspect she understands why Harry has treated his father, his brother, and the monarchy poorly. That might be difficult for her to forgive.

Israeli aid airdrop injures Palestinians in north Gaza; Hamas condemns move

According to medical sources, at least 11 Palestinians have been injured in northern Gaza as a result of an airdrop from an aid truck that landed directly on tents where displaced people are living.

As part of its ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military announced on Saturday that it had carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid.

However, some of the aid pallets were reported to have struck tents close to al-Rasheed Road, a major thoroughfare that runs north to south of the Gaza border.

Many more pallets were dropped in areas close to the Israeli military’s compound and far from the displacement sites in northern Gaza.

The Israeli military resumed its daily “tactical pause” of operations in some of Gaza on Sunday and established new aid corridors after months of international pressure.

Hamas, a Palestinian organization, described Israel’s airdrop operations and limited humanitarian corridors as “symbolic, deceptive moves intended to whitewash its image in front of the world.”

Hamas claimed in a statement on Sunday that Israel is “deflecting international demands to lift the siege and end the hunger campaign against Palestinians” and that it is a part of “a calculated policy to manage famine, impose coercive realities, and subject civilians to danger and humiliation.”

Gaza receiving food and medicine is not a favor; it is a natural right and a pressing need, according to Hamas, citing the need to put an end to the Nazi-like occupation’s catastrophe.

Hamas called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of aid and the starvation deaths of Palestinians “clear-cut war crimes” and said he was directly responsible for the policies that have caused numerous civilian deaths.

Hani Mahmoud, a journalist from Gaza City, reported on how airdrops used in the past in Gaza “weren’t effective, they didn’t reach enough people, let alone the chaos and violence they have caused.”

The Israeli military is testing every attack and policy, he said, adding that the airdrops confirm what we have previously reported.

Aid organizations expressed skepticism about the safety of airdrops in carrying enough food to address the region’s more than two million residents’ growing hunger crisis, while also referring to it as a “grotesque distraction.”

Many in the humanitarian community believe that airdrops in Gaza were ineffective when several Western and Arab governments carried out them in 2024 when land-based aid deliveries were also restricted.

Airdrops won’t stop the deepening starvation, according to Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA director, on Saturday. They can even kill starving civilians because they are expensive, ineffective, and ineffective.

However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week endorsed the idea and said he would work with Jordan to restart airdrops. Additionally, the UAE stated that it would resume airdrops “immediately.”

More than 100 NGOs warned that “mass starvation” was becoming a reality in Gaza in recent days as the humanitarian situation has seriously deteriorated there.

Israel’s military alleges that UN agencies and relief organizations don’t collect aid once it enters the territory because it doesn’t restrict the number of aid trucks entering Gaza.

Tears of joy as Lynn urges Wales to ‘believe’

Images courtesy of Getty
  • 7 Comments

Summer women’s television series starring Australia and Wales

Location: North Sydney Oval On Friday, August 1 Kick-off: 10:00 BST

“Remember it, remember this one.”

Head coach Sean Lynn recited those words to Wales’ battered players after Saturday’s heroic 21-12 victory over Australia in Brisbane.

He said, “You’ve just taken a scalp and entered the Aussies’ backyard.”

“Believe in this, believe in this journey we’re on, it’s going to be good,” he said.

The proud Welshman won his first game since taking over in March, and it was obvious that he had overcome emotion.

How significant victory was it when Lynn and captain Alex Callender both arrived at the press conference with tears still in their eyes.

It was a significant milestone in Wales’ professional career after what had been a disastrous couple of years, though it wasn’t the World Cup final.

The 2025 World Cup, which begins in England in just four weeks, was marked by the performance, which was even more important.

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.

Fantastic Captain

After losing all five of their Six Nations games for the first time in their history, Lynn and the players had a point to prove during the build-up in Brisbane.

And they did, without a doubt.

Let’s get to the point where Callender was chosen to serve as a co-captain. She was simply outstanding.

The 24-year-old showed maturity beyond her years while leading from the front with a dynamic defensive display when she was playing in unfamiliar territory at the age of eight.

When Australia started the second half strong, her try-saving turnover served as the epitome of her effort.

Callender remarked, “I’m so proud of the girls.

One to 23 people sat up today after we had spoken extensively about physicality. We wanted this statement and a platform that we can enjoy.

Her predecessor, Hannah Dallavalle (nee Jones), deserves praise, too. Lynn stripped her of the captaincy in an effort to encourage the form he believed she could achieve while they were together at Gloucester-Hartpury.

After pouncing on a perfectly weighted kick from Lleucu George, whose kicking style proved invaluable in challenging circumstances, Dallavalle scored the decisive try.

Seren Lockwood, Nel Metcalfe and Tilly Vucaj celebrate after the match Images courtesy of Getty

The kids are fine.

Let’s talk about the young people, which is perhaps the most positive aspect of Wales’ victory.

Six of the matchday squad members were under the age of 21, which indicates that they will likely be at their best when the World Cup of 2029 is held.

Nel Metcalfe, 20, earned the honor of player of the match with her two-try full-back heroics, while lock Alaw Pyrs, 19, put in a grueling tackle after tackle, earning her best win overall.

While Tilly Vucaj, Katherine Baverstock, and Seren Lockwood all made an impact on debut from the bench, Maisie Davies, who has a baby-faced face, continues to look as though she is an international prop.

Sisilia Tuipulotu, who had been sidelined for the Six Nations, was also a welcome sight from the bench. Although she may have been around for a few seasons, the strong tight-heart is only 21 years old.

The “old guard,” Bethan Lewis, 26, worked incredibly hard alongside Callender in the back row, but we must not forget that.

When Lewis was questioned about what it meant for Lynn, her former coach at Gloucester, to win the first game, Lewis held back her tears.

She said, “I’m emotional.” He is a talented individual, and to be able to put that performance on for him, I know how much he cares and shows us, and to be able to do that and hopefully improve in the future, means the world.

After capturing her 50th cap, Kelsey Jones, who is constantly smiling, beamed with pride.

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.

In progress

Of course, we must avoid getting carried away while rolling down Proud Mary’s River.

You only need to think about the September 2014 clash between Wales and Australia at Rodney Parade before being hammered by the same opposition at WXV2 a week later.

If Wales are to be considered a contender for World Cup Pool B, which also includes Canada, Scotland, and Fiji, they will need to show how they did when they face Australia again on Friday under the lights in Sydney.

Important captain Siokapesi Palu was the only person who missed out on Saturday, but Wales also has the likes of Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Abbie Fleming, and co-captain Kate Williams.

We know we have work on Monday ready for a six-day turnaround, but “we are going to enjoy it [victory],” said Lynn.

We still have a lot to work on, even though the team and the girls delivered what I wanted, according to the statement.

related subjects

  • Welsh Rugby
  • Wales Sport
  • Rugby Union

Gerry Kersey dead: BBC Radio Sheffield legend with 50-year career dies

Age 86, Gerald Kersey passed away.

The former BBC Radio Sheffield presenter, who had enjoyed a 50-year career in the field, passed away on Friday with his wife Christine by his side. He is said to have had some health before he passed away.

The “true legend of local broadcasting,” according to Katrina Bunker, the head of BBC Yorkshire. She remarked, “Gerry was a true legend of local broadcasting, who began his career in 1968 as one of the first voices on BBC Radio Sheffield.”

With his paintings in exhibitions and a love of performing in theaters, Gerry launched his radio career. He had an “alarmingly unbalanced life” in a 2018 interview with the Sheffield Star due to juggling two jobs in the 1970s: his radio career and his advertising work.

His father worked for 39 years at Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, which has since replaced his previous job, which was a gigantic steelworks site. As a wages clerk for the company for four years, Gerald spent a lot of time wandering through the rolling mills and furnaces.

He claimed to The Star in 2022 that the air was filled with chemicals, hot, sticky, dark, and dangerous, but it also had a magnificent stage with molten steel, sparks, and tough fit men manipulating massive forgings and machinery.

With my wife’s full support, Gerry said, “I would take it on and see what I could do, despite the fact that it was only earning £12 per week.”

The radio personality of Gerry gained notoriety on BBC Radio Sheffield and independent station Radio Hallam as a result.

His former co-stars have since expressed their gratitude to the “super talented” broadcaster, with football reporter Alan Biggs tweeting: “Radio listeners in Sheffield will mourn Gerry Kersey’s passing. Gerald was a staple of both Radio Sheffield and Radio Hallam (where I was fortunate to work with the kindest bloke). Super talented, as well as being an actor and artist. Thinking about Gerry’s family and numerous friends.

He continued, “Not just in Sheffield. If more characters were permitted for the post, I would have said South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. Some wonderful, sincere, and sincere words that Gerry’s family will surely appreciate.

This story, do you like? Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeandThreads for more latest news and gossip.

Israeli military begins daily ‘tactical pause’ in parts of starving Gaza

In order to address the Palestinian enclave’s worsening humanitarian situation, the Israeli military has set a “tactical pause” in fighting in three of Gaza’s three regions.

The military announced in a statement that it will start “tactical suspension of military operations for humanitarian purposes” from 10am (07:00 GMT) to 8pm local time every day starting on Sunday in al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah, and Gaza City.

Although the Israeli military claims that it doesn’t operate in these areas, fighting and strikes have recently broken out in all of them.

The Israeli government denies that the besieged enclave is starving, but the military added that it would designate safe routes to aid aid organizations in delivering food and other supplies to Gazan residents.

The military added that in order to combat the rising hunger in Gaza, it conducted aid airdrops on Sunday, including packages of aid that included flour, sugar, and canned goods.

After months of warnings from international aid organizations, rights experts, and various governments about famine as Israel continued to halt essential aid to Gaza, Israel made the decision to stop aerial bombardment and ground attacks.

As hundreds of Palestinians have been killed recently while attempting to reach food distribution centers run by a notorious group supported by Israel and the United States, the world has grown in criticism, even from Israel’s close allies.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported on Sunday that the Israeli military also intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Palestinian territory, detained 21 international activists, journalists, and seize all cargo, including food and medicine, from the Israeli military.

The Israeli military “violently intercepted” the vessel in international waters, cutting the cameras and communications, just before midnight on Saturday, according to the coalition that runs the ship.

Israeli denying that they are starving

Aid organizations reported last week that 2.2 million Gazans were experiencing widespread hunger after Israel stopped all supplies in the area in March, and that the situation resumed with new restrictions in May.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, in recent weeks, scores of Palestinians have passed away from malnutrition. Since the start of the war, 85 children have died as a result of malnutrition, according to the ministry.

On Saturday alone, at least five Palestinians died from starvation.

One-year-old Muhammed Zakariya Ayyub al-Matouk, one of the tens of thousands of children in Gaza who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Israel has consistently denied starving the Palestinian people in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, who reported from Jordan because the network has been banned in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

She continued, “The Israeli military insists that there is no starvation in Gaza and that they are trying to refute these claims in their statement, despite the fact that they are now enacting a new series of measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Israel has largely accused the UN of not distributing the aid trucks, but Israel has claimed that it has not permitted them to do so.

Salhut claimed that the Israeli government’s security cabinet called for the military to stop attacking after the Israeli political elite had issued a command to do so.

BBC and ITV secure 2027 World Cup rights

Images courtesy of Getty

The 2027 World Cup in Brazil will continue to be broadcast on the BBC and ITV, keeping UK viewers able to watch the biggest game of women’s football.

In the group and knockout stages, the broadcasters will show both teams’ matches, with the final also being shown.

The drama and spectacle of the Women’s World Cup continue to be broadcast on air thanks to our partnership with Fifa, according to BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski.

“BBC Sport has been a steadfast champion of women’s football, helping to make the sport, which is now a sport with unprecedented popularity and reach across the BBC Sport platforms, a sport that has never been before, a champion.”

“We’ve already brought the defining moments to millions of people in the UK, including this summer’s Women’s Euro tournament,” according to the report. “From domestic leagues to significant international tournaments.

In addition to providing coverage to the website and social media platforms, BBC Sport will also broadcast live coverage on TV and iPlayer.

Live games will also be available on ITV, along with ITVX and social media coverage. Additionally, the broadcaster will broadcast all of England’s friendlies and qualifying games.

The Fifa Women’s World Cup 2027 is undoubtedly another outstanding event, according to Niall Sloane, ITV’s director of sport. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with both Fifa and the BBC.

The 32-team competition will begin on June 24 and run until July 27.

After defeating England 1-0 in the 2023 World Cup final, Spain are the defending champions.

In Sunday’s Euro 25 final, the two will square off once more.

related subjects

  • FIFA Women’s World Cup
  • Football
  • Women’s Football