Olympics fans react with delight as Kate makes surprise return

Prince William stole the spotlight in a surprise video with Princess Kate as his new rugged look sparked a major online debate.

In the video posted to their social media, Kate said: “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB.” William then added: “Well done on all you’ve achieved, you’ve been an inspiration to us all.”

However, it was not the couple’s kind message that grabbed the attention of viewers as most seemed preoccupied by their appearances.

Kate, who is undergoing cancer treatment, stood smiling in a striped long-sleeved top and a simple necklace. William sported a markedly more casual look, with a Team GB T-shirt and most notably a long stubble.

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The now heir to the throne, 42, met his future wife while studying at St Andrew’s University in Scotland and the pair started out as friends.

But the cat was let out of the bag when William’s former flame, Carly Massy-Birch participated in a game of “Never Have I Ever”.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla have already been joined in Scotland by Princess Anne and it is believed that they will soon be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as their three young children.

The journey to Scotland marks the furthest distance Kate is reported to have travelled since being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year.

Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “The fact that Kate is well enough to travel to Scotland and enjoy a holiday at Balmoral is a sure sign she is on the mend and a very positive step.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales were not the only royals who congratulated Team GB athletes as the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close.

King Charles also released a heartwarming message from himself and the Queen as the pair sent their “warmest congratulations to the competitors and their support teams from Team GB and across the whole Commonwealth”.

“Your achievements, across so many disciplines, were forged from that invaluable combination of raw talent, true grit and hard toil over many years, burnished these past weeks by sportsmanship and team spirit in the finest tradition of the Games,” the message read.

“To those who missed out on the greatest prizes, you have most certainly not fallen short in the pride that you, too, have generated for your nations.

“As we thank France for hosting such a wonderful tournament and look to the Paralympics ahead, I can only say that you have all been an inspiration.”

The error, identified by the US Patents and Trademarks Office in July, will cost an estimated $11,382 (around £9,000) to fix.

News of American Riviera Orchard was first revealed earlier this year when the Duchess of Sussex, 42, set up a website and Instagram page for the brand.

While the pages did not reveal any of its products, it did reveal its logo and name “ARO” and the word “Montecito” – a reference to the California town where Meghan lives with Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

A birthday fundraiser set up for the “rejected and abandoned” Thomas Markle has raised over £55,000.

The GoFundMe was set up by British socialite Lady Colin Campbell to show the Duchess of Sussex’s father that “there are still people in the world with good hearts, good values, and good intentions.”

Mr Markle, 80, has been estranged from his daughter Meghan, who recently turned 43, since around the time of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. He has never met Prince Archie and Lilibet.

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised £71,977 from almost 3,000 supporters.

William’s new rugged look has sparked a huge debate online as he congratulated Team GB on their Olympic effort in a new video.

In the short clip, Kate says: “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” before William adds: “Well done with all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”

While her surprise appearance delighted royal fans, it was William’s new beard that stole the show with some viewers praising the look.

One social media user wrote: “William please keep growing that beard!!”

Another wrote “unshaved William” followed by two flame emojis.

Canada reportedly paid for police presence during Harry and Meghan’s visit to the country despite saying they would not use taxpayer money.

Vancouver police spent C$44,555 (£25,436) on 390.5 hours of security-related overtime during the couple’s visit in February for an Invictus Games event, CTV reported.

A representative for the Invictus Games said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s security was paid for by private donors. It is also noted that the police overtime was not specifically used for Harry and Meghan as unrelated protests were also happening in the city.

“We didn’t specifically provide security for them,” a Vancouver police department spokesman told the outlet. “But we had officers in the area they were in [in] case any issues arose due to the ongoing protests in the city.”

A freedom of information request reportedly revealed the Invictus Games had paid $10,221 of the $44,555 security bill while the rest was paid for by the Canadian taxpayer.

The Duchess of Edinburgh is carrying out some royal duties today as she visits the island of Guernsey.

Sophie will attend the Association of Sail Training Organisation’s Guernsey to Poole Small Ships Race on Monday to support the organisation of which she is a patron of.