Royal news – live: Kate Middleton’s touching conversation with cancer teen who has weeks left to live revealed

Can the royal family and King Charles adapt to the modern age and stay relevant? Will Harry be able to rejoin The Firm? And what will the next generation of royalty be like?

These and more questions from our audience were answered in The Independent’s virtual event on the future of the royal family.

Hosted by assistant editor Victoria Harper, the panel features bestselling authors Anna Pasternak and Tessa Dunlop, plus royal historian Jonathan Spangler.

Royal family well-wishers have expressed their delight that the Princess of Wales is slowly but surely returning to her duties.

Kate, 42, is in the midst of a gradual return to work after completing cancer treatment following her diagnosis earlier this year.

She was photographed this week hugging fellow cancer sufferer, Liz Hatton, 16, from Harrogate, who was invited to photograph the investitures at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

Praising the princess, one fan wrote: “So lovely to see HRH easing back into engagements.”

“Great to see Kate, looking beautiful and classy as ever,” added a second while a third praised: “This is beautiful to see you using your story to help others.”

Taking to the official Kensington Palace Twitter/X account, he wrote: “I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Alford Gardner, one of the last surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush.

“I was delighted to spend some time with him last summer and hear his story. As a leading figure in the Caribbean community in West Yorkshire, he changed the lives of so many with his courage and positivity.

“He leaves behind a legacy for us all to be proud of and will be remembered for his warmth, his courage, and of course his unwavering love of cricket! W”

The queen consort, 77, viewed the foundations of the £13m project that will allow members of the public to enter the historic building like royals.

Mr Dean, the Abbey’s Surveyor of the Fabric, said: “This building will be transformational. At the moment 10% of our area in the Abbey is wasted, with storage and items all over the place.

“We’ll be able to get all of that stuff in our new building, all the detritus and visitor clutter, and people buying tickets and picking up tickets and sound guides, all of that will move into the new building.

“But, most importantly, we’ll be rebuilding a part of the building that was intended by Henry III, his great rebuilding of the Abbey, on its original 13th-century footprint.”

Reacting to the work, Camilla said: “I can’t wait to see the final version.”

The Duke of Sussex, who recently turned 40, flew to London especially for the occasion, which honours the achievements of seriously ill young people and their families.

Scarlett Cripps, 10, who won the Inspirational Child Award in the seven to 11 category, said she wanted to give the prince and his family a present that might help them if they are ever “feeling down”.

She was in attendance with her mum, Aby, and younger sister, Sienna, seven, who also met with the prince.

“[Sienna] gave Prince Harry some crystal hearts so if he feels down he can give a crystal heart to each of his family members to squeeze and make them feel a lot happier,” the proud mum explained.

“They’re little baby crystal hearts. She said he does so much for other people as well. She’s getting an award tonight for the stuff she does for others and wanted to give him something back, as well.”

Reflecting on meeting Harry, the youngster told PEOPLE: “It was really exciting. We were talking about his charities.”

Scarlett, who has complex medical needs, was recognised for her determination to cheer up others facing similar health battles.

The Prince of Wales celebrated Aston Villa’s historic win over Bayern Munich so hard that he lost his voice.

In scenes that have not been seen since their European Cup final win 42 years ago, the team emerged victorious with a final result of 1-0 over their German rival last night.

William said: “I’ve lost my voice. I can’t quite believe it. 42 years.”

The heir to the throne met the team ahead of the historic game at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham.

The teenager with a rare form of cancer who met the Princess of Wales as she returned to duty on Wednesday has revealed what was said during their touching conversation.

Photographs of the meeting show Kate, 42, who recently finished chemotherapy, hugging Liz Hatton, 16, from Harrogate after she was invited to photograph the investitures on Wednesday.

Liz has described getting a hug from Kate as “really special” as she revealed what they spoke about during their “genuine” and “lovely” half-an-hour chat.

“There was nothing about them that suggested they were superior,” she told The Mirror. “They were just really human to be honest and really natural. There was never a moment of awkwardness. It was normal to talk to them. They talked a lot about my photography.”

She added that Kate talked a “little bit” about her own love of photography and she asked about what camera she uses.

Explaining the importance of the engagement, Kensington Palace said in a statement: “Although swimming is a vital life skill and the only sport that can save lives, almost one in three children in the UK currently leave primary education unable to swim.

“The Royal Foundation recently convened people from across the swimming sector to share their expertise, helping us shine a spotlight on the importance of access to swimming in local communities.”

Freddy Tuilagi, 53, choreographed the monarch’s routine which took place at a 300-guest-strong Commonwealth reception.

He described the king’s performance as “good” and admitted “he’s got the moves”.

The Princess of Wales yesterday met with an inspiring teenager battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer as she continues her return to duty.

Kate, 42, announced last month that she had completed chemotherapy for her own undisclosed form of cancer.

A picture of the princess hugging Liz Hatton, 16, from Harrogate after she was invited to photograph the investitures at Windsor Castle was later posted to social media.

Kate and Prince William wrote: “A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both.

“Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us. W&C”