The Royals

Prince Harry is back in Britain for events linked to the Invictus Games — but what should have been a visit focused on his charity work has become a full blown Sussex-Palace psychodrama. Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey unpack a bruising week for the Duke of Sussex: a humiliating High Court defeat against the publishers of the Daily Mail, a row over Buckingham Palace accommodation, unresolved security concerns, and uncertainty over whether Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will come to the UK. Was this ever an opening for reconciliation with the royal family — or does every return to Britain now risk becoming another palace crisis?Has Harry overplayed his hand - or has the palace acted coldly? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: Harry, the Duke of Hazard?

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton is a former SAS soldier who became one of the royal family’s most trusted insiders – serving the Queen Mother, guiding Princes William and Harry through their early public lives, playing a key role in Prince William and Kate’s 2011 royal wedding, and later becoming godfather to Prince George.This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah speak to Jamie about what it takes to prepare young royals for public duty, and what he learnt about William’s future as king, Harry’s bond with the military and Kate's quiet confidence. And as the royal family becomes increasingly slimmed-down, what can his experience tell us about the challenges facing the next generation?Jamie's novel, Beyond the Edge of Light, is available from 9th July. You can buy a copy from The Times Bookshop, with a special discount for Times+ members.Got a question? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert Wallace, Harry BlighExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: Kate, Wills and Harry's confidant: the man who kept their secrets

King Charles and Prince William have revealed their personal tax bills for the first time, in a historic moment for royal financial transparency. But the disclosures come as the Sovereign Grant rises to £132.1 million, with core royal household funding set to double in the next three years.This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey is joined by Katie Tarrant, Whitehall correspondent for The Sunday Times, to unpack the Sovereign Grant report. They discuss why the King and Queen will not move back into Buckingham Palace after its £369 million reservicing programme, how William is responding to scrutiny over Dartmoor Prison rental income, and what the accounts reveal about Duchy wealth, public funding and value for money. Is the Palace’s new transparency push enough to answer critics – or does it simply open the door to more questions about royal money?Is this a new era of royal transparency? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: King Charles and Prince William pay more than £50m in tax

From Trooping the Colour to Garter Day and Royal Ascot, this was the week the royal family put on their grandest annual display of glamour and spectacle. This week on The Royals, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by the historian and author A.N. Wilson to ask whether these massive public events still have a place in modern Britain.They look beyond the carriages, uniforms and hats to discuss what these public ceremonies are designed to achieve for the monarchy and the country. At a time of protests, scandal, a smaller working royal family and growing scrutiny over royal wealth, is pageantry still the monarchy’s best way of proving its value, or does the institution now have to work harder to justify the show?Do the royals justify the pageantry? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk Roya won! But you can still donate to Roya’s racing challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support through JustGiving.Image: GettyProducer: Robert Wallace, Shabnam GrewalExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: To shake off Andrew, royals must pay their way

As police widen their inquiry into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a major National Audit Office report has disclosed new details about his dealings on Royal Lodge, including that he sublet three cottages on the estate for 20 years. On The Royals this week, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey analyse what the report reveals about royal property arrangements – from grace-and-favour homes to rents paid by members of the Royal Family.They are joined by The Times chief reporter Fiona Hamilton to look at the latest developments around Andrew, including reports that Buckingham Palace was handed an archive of emails in 2020 relating to Andrew’s time as trade envoy. Andrew denies wrongdoing and has not been charged with any offence.Will this trigger a turning point for royal transparency?Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: I fear the royal family will never let Andrew end up in court

Two significant developments surround the story of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. First, detectives investigating Andrew could examine allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption as part of their inquiry into potential misconduct in public office. Andrew has not been charged and denies all wrongdoing. Secondly, newly released government files show that it was the late Queen’s wish for Andrew to take on the prominent trade envoy role now under scrutiny.Roya Nikkhah is joined by The Sunday Times’s Whitehall correspondent Katie Tarrant to discuss the latest police developments and unpack the government files. We also hear from Fiona Hamilton, chief reporter for The Times, on the Thames Valley Police briefing. Image: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: The Andrew files - read the documents in full

As scrutiny grows over royal wealth, property and privilege, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey ask whether Prince William is becoming more transparent about royal finances – or being pushed into openness. They examine new details about the Prince and Princess of Wales’s annual rent at Forest Lodge, The Sunday Times’s reporting on William’s tax bill, and the ripple effect of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s peppercorn rent deal at Royal Lodge. Will Humphries, southwest and countryside correspondent forThe Times, joins to explain his investigation into changes at the Duchy of Cornwall, from tenant farmers in Devon to William’s plans to sell off part of the estate and invest in housing, renewable energy and communities.Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: Inside the £1bn property empires of King Charles and William

Following the King’s diplomatic success during his state visit to the US, the Princess of Wales stepped back onto the international stage with a visit to the Italian city of Reggio Emilia. Four years on from her last official overseas visit, aides say the Princess is “taking it up a gear” as she resumes foreign travel following her cancer treatment. Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah are in Italy with the latest from the Princess’ milestone trip. What does her star power abroad reveal about the royal family’s enduring international appeal? And what more can we expect from the Princess on the world stage in the year ahead? They also speak to Trudi Seneviratne, a consultant psychiatrist who has worked alongside the Princess on her Early Years initiative since 2017 to find out the inspiration behind Catherine’s passion for the project and what the Princess is really like to work with behind the scenes.Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Natalie KtenaExecutive Producer: Priyanka Deladia