King Charles 'very conscious' of his global responsibility - Inside the Palace

KING CHARLES 'VERY CONCIOUS' OF HIS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY

King Charles is "very conscious" of his global responsibility and the unique diplomatic role he plays - particularly in these uncertain times.

Just a few days after King Charles issued an official invitation to President Trump for an unprecedented second State Visit to the UK, the US President clashed with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine in the Oval Office.

Those claiming President Trump and Vice President Vance "ganged up" on the Ukrainian President, whose country was invaded by Russia three years ago, have joined calls for The King to rescind the State Visit invitation.

Others have praised the United States politicians for putting their own country first and demanding respect from a guest in the White House.

Whatever your opinion on the infamous spat, I don't think the King will be cancelling the State Visit any time soon.

The United States is a strategic partner of the United Kingdom, and the UK Government would love a free trade deal with them at a time when President Trump is threatening eyewatering tariffs with some of its closest neighbours.

President Trump also has huge respect for King Charles, and a State Visit and luxury banquet inside Windsor Castle could help soften the President ahead of tough economic negotiations in Downing Street.

Following President Zelensky's row in the Oval Office, he travelled as planned to London to attend a security summit with European leaders.

I understand it was President Zelensky who requested a meeting with the King at Sandringham afterwards, and both the UK Government and His Majesty agreed.

We do not know what was discussed in the meeting (although I doubt very much the events of the previous 48 hours were not brought up), but the images of Zelensky and the King sent a powerful signal to both Washington, DC and Moscow that King Charles stands with President Zelensky and Ukraine.

Separately, the King held a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justine Trudeau, likely his final meeting with the outgoing premier.

President Trump has publicly declared that Canada should be the 51st state of the United States of America, which has strong opposition, and he also imposed large tariffs on the nation.

King Charles is Canada's Head of State, so all of this could have made for an awkward conversation with President Trump during the State Visit.

Later this week, the US President expanded exemptions on Canadian tariffs, following a telephone call with Prime Minister Trudeau.

So what is King Charles's role in all of this?

Well, some have accused him of being too involved in geopolitical discussions, but a royal source said earlier this week: “It has been six days of royal diplomacy at its most delicate, deliberate and nuanced.

“His Majesty is very conscious of his responsibility globally, regionally and nationally – and passionately engaged in all the detail.

“As a global statesman and a head of state for both the UK and Canada, the King’s role is highly significant, and His Majesty is determined to play his part within appropriate parameters.

“His role by necessity and constitutional obligation is to offer symbolic gestures, rather than express comment.”

Although it has been in the diary for a long time, the King also became the first monarch in 40 years to visit a Royal Navy ship at sea.

He visited the aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, to thank her crew for the personal sacrifices they and their families have made.

As Head of the Armed Forces, His Majesty will be acutely aware of Britain's crucial role in global security in the face of continued Russian aggression.

MEGHAN DITCHES HER NAME 'MARKLE'

The wait is finally over, and Meghan Markle (sorry, Sussex) has released her eight-part Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

To be fair, the series is a very easy, bingeable watch if you are into reality TV shows offering a utopian lifestyle.

Who knows? The Duchess of Sussex may have inspired people around the globe to have a go at making their own jam or beeswax candles.

Others may have been angered by the suggestion that a normal working mother has time to make a fruit rainbow for her children; I am guessing lots of mothers are too busy rushing around trying to get their offspring ready for school.

I'm not going to review the series here; there are countless out there already, but I did want to pick up on the "Sussex" name point.

When Mindy Kaling addressed her friend as "Meghan Markle", Meghan was quick to correct her.

"You know I'm Sussex now?" Meghan declared.

"You have kids and you go 'No, I share my name with my children'. I didn't know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go, 'This is our family name. Our little family name.'"

Let's clear things up here...

When Meghan married into the Royal Family, it is highly likely she took the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

However, being granted the title "Duchess of Sussex" by Queen Elizabeth II means she has the choice to take Sussex as a surname for her and her children.

In a similar way, Princes William and Harry were known as "William Wales" and "Harry Wales" when they were younger because their father was the Prince of Wales.

Meghan and Harry, as we know, left their royal lives behind to live a blissful life in California, having visited the English counties of East and West Sussex once - a few months after their wedding.

Some are angry Meghan continues to use the Sussex name, but it is believed only an Act of Parliament could remove it.

I suspect it isn't high on the UK Government's priority list.

PRINCE WILLIAM SUGGESTS 'ENFORCED BREAKS' CAN HELP BREAK THE CYCLE OF POOR MENTAL HEALTH AMONG NHS STAFF

Earlier this week, I covered the Prince of Wales's visit to the Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre and garden at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, which happens to be where the Princess of Wales was born in 1982.

Sadly, it is also where the first person to die in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus was recorded, and Prince William was marking the five-year anniversary of that tragedy.

He chatted with lots of staff from the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust - many of whom were on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It took a toll on their mental health, and money from NHS Charities Together (which has Prince William and Catherine as joint Patrons) was used to renovate the staff wellbeing centre.

It was an incredibly tranquil place, and I had the opportunity to bask in the spring sunshine in the garden with NHS staff after the Prince had left.

They told me how staff morale had been greatly improved by the facilities they had, and the NHS Trust has better staff retention levels than others across the country.

Facilities for staff at the Royal Berkshire Hospital are an exception, however, not the norm - there are only two facilities of this kind supporting staff welfare in the entire country.

But do staff have time to use them, with gruelling shifts and only a half hour break?

Prince William suggested "enforced breaks" could be the answer.

He told staff: “I’ve seen that when I’ve worked with doctors, nurses, paramedics – they always put it down the line, they don’t want to put their workload on to someone else – how do you go around identifying the right people?"

“Because for me, looking into the nation’s mental health, if you like, over the last few years, unless there’s almost an enforced break in somebody’s career – as part of your career development – we’re never going to get to the point where we can look after their mental health, because you always rely on the individual to put their hand up.”

Will the future King's words have an impact? Let's see...

KING'S FOOT GUARDS START SUMMER EARLY

Summer started early for the Household Division, who donned their red tunics a few weeks before the clock change for an annual inspection.

The Foot Guards and Bands of the Household Division were making sure they were ready to represent Brand Britain on the world stage.

For weeks, Guardsmen had waxed their boots, polished their buckles and groomed their iconic bearskin hats with an exceptional attention to detail.

The army claims the discipline displayed at Wellington Barracks on Thursday morning, a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace, translates into an exceptional ability on the battlefield.

All this, of course, is happening at a time when the Prime Minister is considering sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.

The Princess of Wales's regiment, the Irish Guards, was the first on the parade ground, followed by the Coldstream Guards.

The regiment is celebrating its 375th anniversary this year and will be Trooping the Colour in front of the King in June.

The Household Division, as well as serving soldiers, is called upon by His Majesty to provide the very best of British pomp and pageantry.

This is why some of them will likely be involved in officially welcoming President Donald Trump during his unprecedented second State Visit to the UK.

Others will be taking part in commemorative events this summer, marking 80 years since the end of World War Two.

If the inspection was anything to go by, we're in for a treat this summer with a busy diary of royal events.