Princess Kate and Prince William to stay in 'Heir BnB' - Inside the Palace

HEIR BnB?

Have you ever wondered where members of the Royal Family stay when they are on an official tour? Palaces? Castles? Five-star hotels?

Well, think again! The Prince and Princess of Wales are opting for a self-catered cottage on the Isle of Mull when they visit Scotland’s West Coast next week.

The Lord and Lady of the Isles (also known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland) are visiting the Isles of Mull and Iona on a two-day visit next week.

I understand Prince William and Catherine have been keen to visit the Inner Hebrides for some time, and are excited to spend time with the unique communities, where the pace of life is often slower and more tranquil.

The future King and Queen, I’m told, want to celebrate and connect with rural island communities and showcase the importance of protecting and nurturing nature.

I suspect the latter will be a particularly important theme for the Princess of Wales, who found solace in nature during her cancer treatment, and recently joined the Scouts in the Lake District to promote the importance of young people spending time outdoors to support their well-being.

HAS ED MILIBAND USED THE KING FOR HIS NET-ZERO AGENDA?

Has the King made a rare intervention in politics?

Well, some social media trolls have accused him of doing so, but not everybody.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s Energy Secretary, read out a message from His Majesty during a global energy summit held in London this week.

The message said: “As we all navigate the transition to cleaner energy for our planet and energy security for our citizens, Summits such as these are of vital importance in facilitating shared learning between nations, particularly those in the global south and across the Commonwealth.

“Events over recent years have shown that, when well-managed, the transition to more sustainable energy sources can itself lead to more resilient and secure energy systems.

“While each country will follow its individual path, there are many shared challenges and opportunities on which we can work together, as partners.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for participating in this summit on the future of energy security, and to send my warmest best wishes for productive discussions over the coming days.”

The Energy Secretary said he was “honoured” to have the King’s support for his global energy summit.

As Prince of Wales, Charles was sometimes accused of straying close to the political line, particularly on issues he cared about, such as sustainability and climate change.

In 2022, during COP26 in Glasgow, he said we needed to be on a “war-like footing” to combat climate change.

However, since becoming King, His Majesty has been careful not to say anything which could be misinterpreted as political.

It could be argued that King Charles's letter to Ed Miliband was an example of a sovereign acting on Government advice.

King Charles is a constitutional monarch; he has no political power.

Instead, he wields so-called ‘soft power’ - a unique ability to increase Britain’s influence on the world stage.

This was a global summit bringing influential people from around the world to our nation’s capital - an opportunity for the Labour Government to push its agenda.

Some people may disagree with Ed Miliband’s net-zero policies, but for better or worse, King Charles appears to be a card the Labour Government is willing to play.

WILLIAM MOBBED BY ROYAL FANS

Prince William got more than he bargained for on Thursday when he was mobbed by a sea of royal fans.

The future King was visiting Mentivity, a youth club in South London that aims to teach life skills and help children build the resilience needed for a digital world.

Even before he arrived at the centre, a lady bounded across the grass and hugged the Prince, beaming with joy.

She asked for a selfie, and Prince William happily obliged.

When His Royal Highness left the youth centre, he was surrounded by phone cameras and excited well-wishers.

He happily chatted to lots of locals, spending 30 minutes longer at the engagement than planned.

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ROYALS COMMEMORATE ANZAC DAY

On Friday, the Duchess of Edinburgh represented the King in London to commemorate the thousands of Australian and New Zealand troops who laid down their lives during the Gallipoli campaign during World War One.

It was a poignant Dawn Service at Wellington Arch, a stone’s throw from the Australian and New Zealand war memorials.

The King’s sister-in-law laid a wreath in front of hundreds of members of the public, veterans, and serving troops.

Her Royal Highness also laid a wreath at the Cenotaph and walked in the footsteps of King George V by attending a special service at Westminster Abbey - something the late monarch did in 1916.

Friday marked the 110th anniversary of Australian and New Zealand troops landing on the beaches in Turkey.

50,000 allied troops lost their lives during the ill-fated campaign.

His Excellency Stephen Smith, Australia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, told me: “It’s a deeply significant occasion for us, and we very warmly welcome the fact that we can [commemorate Anzac] in London at the sight of our Australian and New Zealand memorials, and in the presence of Her Royal Highness, we're deeply grateful to the Royal Family.

“Every year, they'll send a representative to bring the standing and stature of the Royal Family to our National Commemoration Day.

“We are very grateful to His Majesty the King and the Royal Family for always providing a representative here.”