Month: January 2020

In their statement, Prince Harry and Meghan said they would “work to become financially independent,” and published a detailed document outlining the structure and funding of their household.

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According to the statement, the couple receive 5 percent of their income from the Sovereign Grant — a lump some of UK taxpayers’ money given to the Queen every year — and 95 percent from the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate controlled by Prince Charles, Harry’s father.

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The couple said they intended to give up the money received from the Sovereign Grant. That move, they argued, will enable them to continue “charitable endeavours as well as establishing new ones,” while also allowing them to earn a professional income — which they are at present forbidden from doing.

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The website declares: “Their Royal Highnesses feel this new approach will enable them to continue to carry out their duties for Her Majesty The Queen, while having the future financial autonomy to work externally.”

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What is the Sovereign Grant?

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The Sovereign Grant is a an annual sum of money given to the Queen by the UK government to meet the central staff costs and running expenses of Her Majesty’s official household. It also covers maintenance of the royal palaces and the cost of travel to carry out royal engagements.

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In exchange for this public support, the Queen surrenders the revenue from the Crown Estate, a collection of UK properties and farms that generate hundreds of millions of pounds a year, to the government.

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The Sovereign Grant is calculated on a formula based on the size of that revenue. In the 2018-19 financial year, it was £49.3 million ($64.3 million). The royal accounts do not say exactly how much is transferred to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, although they do state that the couple received about £100,000 in travel costs.

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The Sussexes say the grant covers just 5% of their costs and is specifically used for their official office expense. They did not say how much they receive from the Sovereign Grant — but royal accounts show that they received just under $104,000 in the 2018/19 financial year for travel expenses. Other costs are not broken down in the accounts, so it is not possible to say how much they receive in taxpayers’ funding.

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In the statement, the couple said that they “prefer to release this financial tie.”

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The duke and duchess said the new approach will allow them to “continue to carry out their duties” for the Queen, while having “the future financial autonomy to work externally.”

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Under the current structure and financing arrangements the couple are not allowed to earn any income in any form.

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The couple attracted criticism about the £2.4 million (about $3 million) of public money spent on renovations to Frogmore Cottage, a large house on the Queen’s Windsor estate, where they live with the monarch’s permission. While the refurbishment was funded by the Sovereign Grant, the fixtures, fittings and furnishings were privately funded by duke and duchess.

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“Public funding has never been used, nor would it ever be used for private expenditure by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who also do not receive any tax privileges,” the couple said. That statement, however, omits to point out that the Duchy of Cornwall — the source of most of their income — itself receives significant tax exemptions because of the way it is set up.

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The duchy was established by King Edward III in 1337 in a charter that ruled that each future Duke of Cornwall would be the monarch’s eldest surviving son and heir to the UK throne, currently Prince Charles.

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Today it funds the public, charitable and private activities of Prince Charles and his family — including the Sussexes. It is exempt from UK business tax because it is not established as a corporation in UK law, and is also exempt from capital gains tax, according to the duchy’s website.

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How might they fund their lifestyle?

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The couple are unlikely to struggle when it comes to their private income — whether it might be through sponsorship, speaking tours or the like.

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Media reports have suggested that Meghan was independently worth around $5 million prior to marrying Harry.

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She rose to fame as Rachel Zane in the US legal drama Suits, but her popularity also grew through her hugely popular Instagram account and her successful lifestyle blog — The Tig — both of which have since been closed.

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In her first interview alongside Prince Harry in November 2017, Meghan said she intended to quit acting after their marriage, calling the change a “new chapter.”

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But royal biographer Penny Junor said that it was possible Meghan might revive her acting career, given the demand and fees she could command. “Perhaps she’d have to be careful about what roles she’d do, because she is a member of the royal family,” Junor said, according to Reuters.

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Besides his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, Harry inherited several million from the Queen Mother, and a few million more was left to him in trust by his late mother, Princess Diana.

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His personal wealth is estimated to be around $40 million.

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The cost of personal travel, which has landed the pair in hot water in recent months, is privately funded and will continue to be so, the couple said.

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Any official visits that they may do in future will continue to be funded by the Sovereign Grant, plus contributions from the host country, the statement added.

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The cost of security will continue to be the responsibility of the British government as the couple are “classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level of security.”

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No breakdown of the costs has been revealed, with the UK government citing security reasons.

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“Air France confirms that a lifeless body of a stowaway was discovered in the well of the landing gear on flight AF703 coming from Abidjan on the 7th of January,” the airline said in a statement shared on Twitter on Wednesday.

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“The company expresses their condolences and deplores this human tragedy,” they added.

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Air France confirmed that an investigation into the incident was underway, and has not confirmed the age of the victim.

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A spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office in Bobigny, Paris told CNN that an investigation has been opened into the cause of death, but would not confirm the age or identity of the individual.

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In July 2019, the body of a stowaway fell from a plane flying over London and dropped into a residential garden on Sunday, feet from a sunbathing man.

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The body was traced to the undercarriage of Kenya Airways flight KQ 100 that left from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

On Wednesday night, their problems worsened. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the shock announcement that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior royals. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year,” the couple said in a post on Instagram, adding that they hoped to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution.”

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While many were surprised, rumors that all was not well in the clan had been rife for months in Britain. From day one, Prince Harry and Meghan’s desire to do things differently irked many traditionalists. Their televised wedding in 2018 had so many personal touches that it stood in stark contrast to the relatively drab wedding of Prince William and Catherine just seven years earlier. Markle walked to meet her husband alone, with no man to give her away to another man. The couple left the chapel as a gospel choir sang Etta James’s version of “This Little Light of Mine,” a song synonymous with the American civil rights movement.

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The couple’s individualistic approach to royal life did annoy some, but was on the whole considered to be charming. Crucially, even in 2018, many British media commentators suggested the approach was driven by Meghan, and that Harry was simply giving her what she wanted.

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At a cursory glance, this might make sense. Meghan’s history of using her platform as a famous actor to speak out on issues ranging from gender equality to ending modern day slavery gives the impression of an independent woman. However, the idea that Harry — a headstrong young man who had spent a decade in the British Army, marching to the beat of a very different drum to that of his older brother — is merely living a life for the convenience of his wife is hard to believe.

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Indeed, the qualities of both Sussexes — and their very obvious public affection for one another — suggests that they are very well matched.

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The British media spent much of 2019 turning their fire on Meghan. She was painted by many as a whinging, out-of-touch celebrity who did little more than complain about how restrictive life in the clan was.

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Much of this will be down to the fact that Meghan and Harry didn’t engage much with the relationship that some of the British press have with the royal family, which is often criticized for being too transactional.

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The Sussexes bucked this trend when their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, was born in May last year. The couple were accused of being too private with pictures of their new child. They were then blasted for being overly protective when opting to make Archie’s christening a private affair.

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The press doesn’t want to upset any royal, but the risk here was low. Harry is only sixth-in-line to the throne and Meghan is a US citizen. And yes, even in 2020, that somehow still seems to matter.

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Stories began to appear in the press suggesting splits between Meghan and her sister-in-law Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Over time, that morphed into differences between Harry and William, although the implication that Meghan was really the cause of all the trouble was lathered on thick in much of the coverage.

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Whatever the personal differences were, everything spilled into the open in October, when Harry told a British reporter in a documentary that he and William were “certainly on different paths at the moment,” but added “I will always be there for him, and as I know he will always be there for me.”

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Cue more media hysteria, as reports emerged that William was “worried” about his brother. Palace sources told the BBC at the time that rather than being angry with his brother, there was a view the couple were “in a fragile place.”

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Of course, brotherly concern is better than spitting blood. But the picture being painted by the palace was one of Harry and Meghan being a delicate couple, struggling to cope with the pressure of living in the spotlight, while William and Catherine were simply looking out for them.

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The coverage of Meghan herself became increasingly toxic. One real low point was a British newspaper, the staunchly royalist Daily Mail, running a feature titled “How Meghan’s favourite avocado snack — beloved of all millennials — is fuelling human rights abuses, drought and murder.”

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In October, the couple sued the Mail’s sister paper, the Mail on Sunday, for publishing a private letter that Meghan had sent to her father. Harry said in a public statement that “Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences.” He added that he feared “history repeating itself,” a reference to how the media treated his mother, Princess Diana, who it should not be forgotten died in a 1997 car crash in Paris while fleeing press photographers.

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The direct line of succession — the Queen, Charles, William, George — is currently very strong. But the Sussexes’ decision to take a back seat is a headache for the royals, especially the Queen. Prince Philip is now 98 and has officially retired from public life. Prince Charles, first in line, is far from being the most popular royal. Prince Andrew stands accused of having sex with an underage girl, provided to him by Epstein — an allegation the royal vehemently denies. To borrow a sporting expression, the bench is looking light for the clan.

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However, possibly worse for the monarchy, it will raise more questions about how happy a place the family is these days, and cause many to wonder why the fairytale of marrying into royalty is such a horror show that an independently successful, confident royal couple felt they had no choice but to walk away.

Several players will be out of contract this summer and in 2021.

Those who are free agents in six months’ time will be allowed to sign pre-contract agreements with overseas clubs.

For those with 18 months left on their deals, United will quickly have to make a decision as to get them to sign new deals or try to offload them for the highest transfer fee.

After United’s 3-1 defeat to Man City in the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, Solskjaer said: “I think every player is playing for his future at the biggest clubs. You have to perform and you have got to do well.

“We all have different roles in it, at a different age you have got more influence behind the scenes as well to be one of the main characters.

“Both on and off the pitch, everyone here has a lot to play for.”

The Chelsea midfielder admitted getting caught photographed in unsavoury situations has been a ‘big lesson’.

Barkley made his first appearance in three months on Sunday, as the Blues advanced to the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

It’s been a rollercoaster season for the 26-year-old already, who has irked boss Frank Lampard on several occasions.

Barkley was snapped dancing shirtless in a Dubai nightclub in the summer which although it didn’t look good – Chelsea weren’t massively concerned because he was on holiday.

The England midfielder was then caught on camera being escorted to a cashpoint by two police officers in September withdrawing money to pay a taxi driver after a late night row over spilled chips.

Blues chiefs were incensed, and Barkley has acknowledged that embarrassing incident is one that shouldn’t have occurred, vowing to curb his partying lifestyle.

“It is that 10 seconds when you are not looking like a professional when you have got to let your hair down but then you can’t forget about your job,” he explained.

“It was unfortunate of me to get caught in that position and it will happen many times to players because you know what phones are like nowadays. I am just keeping my head down and it won’t happen again.

“It’s a big lesson. You have got to be aware of your surroundings when you let your hair down for any player out there.

You have just got to be aware of what’s around you. It is just more about being with the right company and in private.”

He added: “When you play in the Premier League, you are a high profile player, so it is about keeping low-key and switched on.

“It is just nowadays that you have to be careful because everyone is wanting to catch you out.

“When you are on holiday or away you need the right people around you.

“I have made that mistake and it won’t happen again but I am sure it will happen to young players in the future.

“We all make mistakes but it is about being aware.”

The Leeds midfielder clearly left a mark on the talkSPORT host, who watched the Championship side’s FA Cup defeat to Arsenal on Monday night.

Reiss Nelson hit the only goal of the game as the Gunners took advantage of profligate finishing from Leeds to secure their place in fourth round.

A decade on from a memorable FA Cup shock at rivals Manchester United, Leeds looked set to once again ruffle the feathers of the established order, only to fall agonisingly short after a fine display in front of a vast away following at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, taking charge of just his fourth match, must have displayed the half-time attributes of someone like his opposite number Marcelo Bielsa – whose first foray into management came when his counterpart was just eight years old – as Arsenal were a different prospect after a dismal first-half.

Leeds wasted a glut of chances to take the lead and make it a jittery night for Arteta and the home fans, Patrick Bamford coming closest when he rattled the frame of the goal.

In particular, Phillips shone in midfield as he dictated the tempo to suit the second tier side and Durham heaped praise on the 24-year-old on Drivetime.

“In terms of midfield, there was a midfielder for Leeds who outshone everybody,” Durham said.

“It’s the player Granit Xhaka probably dreams of being.”

“I think he could play for England as well,” Durham added. “I don’t think there is any doubt.

“And if he had been in the Premier League this season, I think he would be in the England squad!”

The Drivetime host was joined in the studio by Danny Murphy, the former Liverpool midfielder nurtured in the famous Crewe Alexandra academy.

Having first noticed Phillips around 18 months ago, Murphy admitted it was the movement and understanding of the game which set him apart.

And, ultimately, means he is likely to be playing in the Premier League irrespective of Leeds’ promotion push.

Murphy said: “When the ball is getting knocked about between the back four and the keeper, that holding role is really, really important.

The Championship high-flyers squandered several golden opportunities in an impressive showing in north London, and were eventually made to pay for that after the interval.

Reiss Nelson’s second-half goal was enough to send the Gunners through, who will now travel to Bournemouth at the end of the month.

England Under-21 winger Nelson finished from close-range to settle a tie which saw the second tier leaders more than match their top-flight opponents for a large majority of the contest.

A decade on from a memorable FA Cup shock at rivals Manchester United, Leeds looked set to once again ruffle the feathers of the established order, only to fall agonisingly short after a fine display in front of a vast away following at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, taking charge of just his fourth match, must have displayed the half-time attributes of someone like his opposite number Marcelo Bielsa – whose first foray into management came when his counterpart was just eight years old – as Arsenal were a different prospect after a dismal first-half.

Leeds wasted a glut of chances to take the lead and make it a jittery night for Arteta and the home fans, Patrick Bamford coming closest when he rattled the frame of the goal.

But, after the break, Arsenal responded to whatever Arteta demanded of them and Nelson’s tap-in on 55 minutes was enough to seal a hard-fought victory.

Nicolas Pepe, having already enjoyed an early run at the Leeds defence, was the first to draw a save out of debutant Illan Meslier in the visitors’ goal.

But it was the second-tier side who were using the ball better in the opening stages, working it into dangerous positions without finding an end product.

They eventually tested Emiliano Martinez as Jack Harrison stung the palms of the stand-in Gunners goalkeeper, who was then helpless as Patrick Bamford’s strike cannoned back off the crossbar moments later.

Arsenal – as they have been so often this season – were creating their own problems as a number of misplaced passes out of defence from the likes of David Luiz and fit-again Rob Holding saw them caught out by a Leeds side full of pressing players.

Arteta’s surprise decision to deploy Sokratis Papastathopoulos at right-back was also looking questionable as the Greece international was easily beaten for pace by Ezgjan Alioski, who then angled a shot wide.

Despite all of Leeds’ attacking play, they should have been behind on the half-hour mark but Luiz could only head Mesut Ozil’s corner wide having been picked out free in the box.

At the other end, Martinez had to spring across his goal to keep out Alioski’s close-range header after the winger once again got the better of Sokratis.

Yet another opportunity went begging for the away side as Robbie Gotts, another man making his Leeds debut, miscued a strike as the Arsenal fans began to grow restless.

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The 48-year-old has transformed the landscape of English football since arriving at Manchester City in the summer of 2016.

Guardiola’s trophy cabinet is impressive to say the least, with City’s second successive Premier League triumph in May securing him a 27th major trophy of his elite managerial career – surpassing Jose Mourinho in the process.

The unprecedented domestic treble Guardiola delivered last season underlined the Spaniard’s status as one of the all-time greats.

It is therefore no surprise to see that the City boss has an impressive record in domestic cup competitions.

But even so, it’s hard to believe just how astonishing his statistics are!

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The Gunners have won the historic competition a record 13 times, claiming glory in three of the last six seasons.