Royal Family

Prince Philip was way sicker than the Palace led everyone to believe ... because they just revealed he underwent heart surgery.

Queen Elizabeth's 99-year-old husband is recovering from what the Palace describes as a "successful" heart operation for a pre-existing heart condition. They went on to say he'll continue to be hospitalized "for a number of days."

The whole thing is a little Trumpian. In case you forgot, when Trump contracted COVID and went to the hospital, his doctor said he was doing fine, when in reality his condition was so dire he was almost placed on a ventilator.

Well, in Philip's case, the Palace said on 2/17, “The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s doctor, after feeling unwell." “The Duke is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest.”

On 2/19 -- "It is understood he had felt unwell for several days before royal doctors ordered him to hospital as a “precautionary measure."

On 2/22 Prince William said his grandpa was "OK."

The Palace never mentioned a heart issue until 3/1.

It's not unusual to downplay the severity of an illness when it comes to government officials, but the timing here is problematic. The Palace is in a brewing war with Meghan and Harry, and people are going to be taking sides after the Oprah interview this Sunday. If people feel the Palace was misleading on the Philip front, it could create doubt they're fessing up on the Meghan and Harry front.

Meghan Markle says she knows what it's like to experience bullying, but denies dishing it out ... something Kensington Palace staff have accused her of doing.

According to a spokesperson for Meghan and Prince Harry ... "The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself."

The spokesperson says Meghan's "deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma" and is "determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."

All this comes in response to UK reports Tuesday the Duchess faced a bullying complaint in October 2018 -- made by her former communications secretary, Jason Knauf.

Meghan allegedly drove 2 personal assistants out of her household with her treatment, undermined the confidence of another worker and would occasionally reduce staff to tears ... according to the reports.

A report from The Times also claims that during a trip to Fiji in 2018, Meghan wore earrings that were a wedding gift from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia ... the same man who has been accused of allowing the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan called the recent bullying report a "calculated smear campaign" by Buckingham Palace against the couple, and said it was no coincidence the report came out just days before their sit-down with Oprah.

A royal source reportedly told MailOnline the recent allegations were in no way an orchestrated attack, and that aides are currently focused on the declining health of Prince Philip.

Despite what The Palace has said, it's hard not to question the timing of everything -- Meghan and Harry's potentially explosive sit-down interview with Oprah about dealing with the Royal Family and the British media is set to air Sunday.

The Duke and Duchess also recently made it official they will not be returning to their roles as senior royals after stepping back from their duties last year.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are about to drop some bombshells about their Royal lives ... at least that's how Oprah's teasing her sit-down with the couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex apparently allowed O to broach any topic she wanted for their upcoming 2-hour primetime TV special, "Oprah with Meghan & Harry," which hints at some "shocking" revelations ... including a suggestion Meghan's been "silenced" by Queen Elizabeth and the Palace.

As for Harry ... both promo clips show him talking about his late mother, Princess Diana, and expressing his concern that his life would tragically end up like hers if he didn't do something about it.

As we reported, Harry recently confided in James Corden that he stepped away from his senior Royal responsibilities and left the UK with his family to protect them ... and his own mental health.

Prince Harry says he moved his family to L.A. to protect his family like any husband and father would -- and blamed the media for "destroying my mental health."

Harry's episode with James Corden for 'The Late Show' finally aired Thursday night and while riding an open-air double-decker bus -- COVID-safe -- he denied leaving the Royal family.

In his eyes, "It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment. As I think a lot of people saw, we all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health. This is toxic. I did what any husband, any father would do. I needed to get my family out of here."

Just last week, Buckingham Palace said Harry and Meghan had "confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family."

James and Harry, who are mates off-camera, also talked about Netflix's "The Crown" ... with Harry saying even though the series is clearly fictional it's loosely based on the truth.

She's gone from "Twilight" to "Charlie's Angels," but now she's taking on her biggest role yet ... and it looks like Kristen Stewart royally nails it.

The actress is in full Princess Diana mode in Germany this week on set of the upcoming film "Spencer" ... rocking a vintage Lady Di look, with glasses and without.

Obviously, Kristen's Adidas kicks are just for getting around on set and not what the Princess of Wales wore back then ... at least we don't think so.

As for the movie ... the title is Diana's maiden name -- for the young'uns not in the know -- and the plot revolves around a weekend she spends with the British Royal Family before deciding to divorce Prince Charles.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are not having a change of heart about stepping down as senior royals -- the Palace says they're donezo for good.

According to Buckingham Palace ... "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family."

Queen Elizabeth's rep added that in stepping away from their Royal work, it's not possible for Harry and Meghan "to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."

The statement makes it seem like this was a trial separation, but now they will be stripped of their "honorary military appointments and Royal patronages" ... which now go back to the Queen for redistribution to other working royals later. Ouch.

It all sounds pretty harsh and contentious, especially since Buckingham Palace ends by saying ... "While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family."

Basically, the British version of "bless their hearts."

The Palace announcement makes it sound like this final parting of ways was all on Harry and Meghan, though they put out their own statement saying they remain committed to their duty and serving the UK "regardless of official role."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have another bun in the oven ... they're expecting baby #2.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the announcement Sunday, saying they are due to have a second child together ... although they didn't reveal how far along Meghan is, or the sex of the baby.

The couple says, "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child." It looks like they already posed for some maternity shots too -- photo and personal friend Misan Harriman snapped some photos of Meghan and Harry in a lush forest, showing off her baby bump.

Harriman apparently did the photoshoot remotely, adding this ... "Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow. Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!"

The news comes not too long after Meghan revealed in November she'd suffered a miscarriage this past July, detailing the heartache and agony she and Harry went through ... and in private, no less. Her pregnancy wasn't known until she discussed it in the NYT.

Archie, who was born in 2019, will be turning 2 in May. Not a bad age difference as an older sibling.

Congrats!!!

Prince Harry's left his quiet home in Montecito to spend some QT with his pal James Corden ... but this bro hang is all about work, instead of play.

We got this vid of the famous mates chilling on an open-air double-decker tour bus Friday in Hollywood -- and they were rolling pretty deep. As they pulled out of the CBS lot around noon, they were surrounded by a full crew, including 3 cameras and also got a police escort!

No word what they were shooting, but it has all the makings of a pretty epic Carpool Karaoke ... especially because Harry's not exactly known for his pipes.

James and Harry have been tight for years -- the 'Late Late Show' host attended Harry and Meghan's wedding. It is February Sweeps, so looks like James is pulling out the big guns for ratings.

Of course, Harry & Meghan left the big city last year when they spent $14 mil on a mansion up in Montecito -- but good to see he'll fight through SoCal traffic to help a friend in need.

Prince Harry has lost his personality, his edge and his purpose ... this according to his biographer in a scathing review.

Angela Levin, who wrote "Harry: A Biography of a Prince" back in 2018, says Harry has lost his way and is now just following Meghan Markle's "woke ways" in the U.S.

Levin, who wrote an op-ed for the Sunday Telegraph, says Megan's doing great in California, while Harry has succumbed to her "woke ways" and "has become a shadow of the prince I once knew."

And, maybe this is just an English thing, but in the U.S. it sounds pretty sketchy ... she writes Harry jettisoned his "life as an action man to become an airy-fairy do-gooder."

She goes on and on, saying Harry "seems to accept being second to Meghan." She even suggests he changed his accent, pointing to a recent Harry and Meghan podcast.

And, there's this ... she thinks a lot of what Harry and Meghan are doing is a shameless money grab ... "The couple's endless announcements about clinching one money-raising deal after another ... could be seen as insensitive at a time when hundreds of thousands of livelihoods were lost." She says Harry has "tucked his family away in a multi-million-dollar mansion in California ... making himself look out of touch."

Baby Archie may only be 17 months old, but that's not stopping him from wishing everyone a Happy New Year ... and naturally, it's to the delight of Mom and Dad.

Archie made a surprise appearance on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first episode of their "Archewell Audio" podcast Tuesday. Meghan first asks Archie if he's having fun, to which Archie replies, "Fun." Then, Dad coaxes him into wishing listeners a "Happy New Year."

It's clear to tell from the audio that both Harry and Meghan are more than excited to hear little Archie speak on the podcast ... Harry can barely contain his own laughter.

The rest of the episode featured some massive stars including Elton John and Tyler Perry ... Stacey Abrams also joined. But, c'mon, Archie upstaged 'em all.

It was just last week when Harry and Meghan were spotted strolling the streets of Beverly Hills. TMZ broke the story ... the couple plunked down $14 million on a Montecito estate back in August.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left their posh Montecito estate for even posher Bev Hills, and they went pretty much unnoticed.

Harry was super casual and Meghan was all bundled up ... a little weird, since it's been in the 70's lately.

They entered a building with lots of medical offices and medical spas, but beyond that we don't know what suite if any they hit up.

They have increasingly ventured out in public. They've already connected with neighbors in Montecito, many of them famous like David Foster and Katharine McPhee. The foursome dined out recently.

Princess Diana's fans still have her back -- in a big way -- and Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles are getting a harsh reminder of that with the release of their Christmas card.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's official card is now posted on Instagram, but instead of warm and fuzzy holiday remarks ... they're getting flooded by Diana loyalists with comments like "SHE'S OUR QUEEN," referring to Di.

The running theme in the comments is pure shade. One person said, "Diana's always in our hearts" ... while another commented, "Diana will always be her [Camilla's] shadow."

Things got personal too, and as it played out in real life ... Camilla got the brunt of it, instead of Charles.

That the couple's getting torched shouldn't come as a huge surprise ... coming on the heels of the Netflix series "The Crown" depicting Prince Charles as a total villain in the split from Diana.

On the show, Diana's all but abandoned by Charles, who can't get enough of his affair with Camilla.

The show's come under fire ... with Royal staff recently coming out to say Charles' depiction is NOT accurate.

Prince Charles comes off as a gigantic a-hole in the latest installment of Netflix's "The Crown," and it has royally pissed off his fam and at least one member of Parliament.

The hubbub is over the way Charles is portrayed in his relationship with Diana. The show paints Charles as bullying, cruel and supremely disloyal. Netflix has said it took liberties with the facts, but that apparently has been lost on viewers.

It's interesting ... although Netflix claimed a lot of the show was fiction, it put a video from a Diana documentary on its social media account ... in which you hear Diana tearfully complain Charles was clearly in love with Camilla ... and some folks in Great Britain think all this does is double down on the perception "The Crown" accurately reflects the relationship between Charles and Diana.

The Royals have taken a lot of incoming ... hateful tweets based on people's perception "The Crown" is factual.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, a member of the House of Lords, called the series a "hurtful, false, misleading and poisonous impression of people in our public life who cannot fight back."

The Queen is down to just one dog after the passing of her dorgi named Vulcan.

Queen Elizabeth's dog died at Windsor Castle -- according to Buckingham Palace -- where she and Prince Philip have been staying amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 94-year-old British monarch is known for her love of dogs, and Vulcan was one of the 4 that appeared with her in a set of portraits shot for her 90th birthday by famed photog Annie Leibovitz.

Vulcan's death leaves her with just Candy, another dorgi, after a lifetime of owning multiple corgis and dorgis since she was gifted a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday.

Though her last purebred corgi that was a descendant of Susan died in 2018, the Queen reportedly engineered the dorgi mix -- corgi and dachshund -- years ago by breeding her corgis with her late sister Princess Margaret's dachshunds.

Bottom line -- the lady loves her pups and has been photographed enjoying their company for decades. However, in 2015 she stated she didn't want to get any more dogs for fear of leaving a young pooch behind ... so Candy might be her last pet.

Sadly, news of Vulcan's death comes just weeks after Prince William and Kate lost their family dog too ... a cocker spaniel named Lupo.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's beloved dog, Lupo, has died ... a dog that was responsible for choosing the name of the future King of England.

The couple announced the sad news, saying, "Very sadly last weekend our dear dog, Lupo, passed away. He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much."

Lupo, an English Cocker Spaniel, has been the face of the breed for several years and is responsible for the gain in the breed's popularity across the pond.

The pooch is the offspring of a dog owned by Kate's parents ... and Lupo was happily adopted by William.

Lupo, which means wolf in Italian, is responsible for Prince George ... well, sort of. Back when Kate was pregnant, she and William reportedly wrote a bunch of names on paper, which were strewn across their floor. They turned Lupo loose to see which piece of paper he would tap ... sure enough, it was the one bearing the name George.

Lupo was 9.

Meghan Markle talked openly about a distinction of hers she would clearly rather do without -- being last year's most trolled person in the entire world.

Meghan and Harry sat down with 3 high school students for their "Teenage Therapy" podcast, to mark Saturday's World Mental Health Day.

Meghan talked about what could be the biggest problem facing teens ... online bullying. Check out the podcast at 4 minutes and 49 seconds. You hear the emotion in Meghan's voice as she says, "I can speak personally, too. I'm told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female."

She went on to say ... "Now 8 months of that [when she was pregnant] I wasn't even visible. I was on maternity leave or with a baby. But, what was able to be manufactured and churned out, it's almost unsurvivable."

As for Harry ... he talked about loss and grief -- something he knows all too well. He also obliquely talked politics, saying, "Vulnerability is not a weakness. Showing vulnerability in today's world especially is a strength." And, then he said this ... "We can certainly see that more from some of our global leaders." A slam at Trump perhaps ... a President who views masks as a sign of weakness and calls coronavirus "a gift from God."