Latest United Kingdom News | Fox News

The White House and Buckingham Palace: A special relationship

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:23:18 -0400

In advance of King Charles' upcoming visit to Washington, D.C., it's worth looking back at the long relationship between the White House and Buckingham Palace. While American presidents and British royals are fast friends today, this was not always the case.

King George III, of course, was the villain in our story of the American Revolution, and he was still in the picture during the War of 1812, in which British troops burned the White House to the ground.

In the middle of the 19th century, Queen Victoria became a heroine to some, but a villainess to others, when she read the anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" aloud to the royal family. Abolitionists may have liked this, but it was less favorably received in the slaveholding South.

Things began to change in the late 19th century due to both technological and diplomatic advancements. The United States and Britain began to recognize common interests, and transatlantic travel and communication became easier.

KING CHARLES URGES 'DIGITAL DETOX,' RECONCILIATION IN CHRISTMAS SPEECH AFTER YEAR OF ROYAL DRAMA

By 1903, when former President Theodore Roosevelt broadcast the first transatlantic message over the radio, he directed it to Britain's King Edward VII, saying:

"In taking advantage of the wonderful triumph of research and ingenuity which has been achieved in perfecting a system of wireless telegraphy, I extend on behalf of the American people most cordial greetings and good wishes to you and all the people of the British Empire."

In the 1910s, the U.S. and Britain grew closer as allies against Germany in World War I. In 1939, King George VI made the first visit of a British royal to the White House, visiting former President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

KING CHARLES, PRINCE HARRY AT POINT OF 'NO TURNING BACK' AS MONARCH REFUSES RECONCILIATION: EXPERT

The U.S. still had a bit of an anti-royal chip on its shoulder, though. Roosevelt famously served hot dogs to the king and queen to show his connection to the common man.

Our nations became even closer as a result of our alliance in both World War II and in the subsequent Cold War. Improvements in transatlantic travel meant that visits by presidents to London and royals to Washington became semiregular events.

In her 70-year reign from 1952 to 2022, Queen Elizabeth II met 13 of the 14 presidents who held office during that period. This included every sitting U.S. president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Joe Biden, with the sole exception of Lyndon B. Johnson.

‘GLADIATOR II’ STAR DENZEL WASHINGTON HAS AWKWARD ENCOUNTER WITH KING CHARLES

Although the queen’s role was now largely ceremonial, sometimes there was a diplomatic component to her visits as well. When she visited Eisenhower in 1957, she helped smooth over tensions that had emerged between Britain and the U.S. as a result of the Suez Crisis.

Sometimes there was a larger, more public element to her visits. In 1976, Queen Elizabeth spoke at the White House while visiting former President Gerald Ford during U.S. bicentennial celebrations, perhaps demonstrating that Britain had finally gotten over things from 1776.

In recent decades, nearly every president has had some interaction with the royal family: Prince Charles' wife, Lady Diana, famously danced with actor John Travolta at a White House event during the Reagan administration in 1985.

KING CHARLES HAUNTED BY PRINCE ANDREW AS 'GRUBBY' DUKE HUMILIATES MONARCHY IN 'YEAR FROM HELL': EXPERTS

Queen Elizabeth also granted former President Ronald Reagan an honorary knighthood in 1989, after he left office. Former President George H.W. Bush had the queen on his legendary 30,000-person Christmas card list.

In December 2000, with the presidential election to determine his successor still in doubt, former President Bill Clinton had tea with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace.

When I served in the George W. Bush White House, I remember Karl Rove telling a very funny story from his stay at Buckingham Palace with Bush and forgetting a pair of socks. At an early morning White House senior staff meeting, Rove did an uproarious imitation of a palace attendant presenting a new pair of socks to the "Right Honourable Mr. Rove" on a silver tray.

Sometimes there have been diplomatic snafus: former President Barack Obama got some pushback for gifting the queen an iPod in 2009. It turns out that she already had one. Biden got better grades for giving her a sterling silver box from Tiffany & Co. with personalized engravings.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

And now, as King Charles embarks on his first visit to the U.S. in President Donald Trump's second term, the U.S. and Britain are in the midst of a disagreement over the war with Iran.

Charles is not a political ruler, but perhaps his visit, like his mother's in 1957, can smooth over tensions and help maintain the special relationship America has long had with the United Kingdom.

College graduate who paid 6-figure fortune for his degree can't find a job

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:54:02 -0400

A 21-year-old who graduated at the top of his class after spending roughly $125,000, including expenses, on his college degree said "the system is broken" after he applied for 500 jobs and didn't get one.

Khaled Sharif, 21, earned a degree in digital media tech from Kingston University just outside London, England. He began applying for relevant roles after he graduated in 2025, news agency SWNS reported.

But despite submitting 500 applications, he said he’s had less than 20 job interviews and is yet to land a job — despite expanding his search into sales and other sectors that he "didn’t want to work in."

MAN SPARKS OUTRAGE BY CALLING 30-MINUTE AIRPORT RIDE A ‘MASSIVE INCONVENIENCE’

Sharif, who holds U.K. residency through his mother, moved to the United Kingdom from Qatar at age 18.

At the time, he said he was the envy of his peers, thanks to the U.K.’s reputation for offering some of the "best opportunities in the world." But Sharif said he believes his degree is not the problem.

Instead, he said the job market is a "broken system" that is "flooded" with graduate applicants.

"It does make me really upset. It’s really stressful," he told SWNS. "I got [a] top-of-my-class [designation], but I can’t find anything. Kingston’s not a top university, but I just can’t find anything — and I’ve applied for everything. If people got a lower grade, how hard would it be for them?"

He added, "Since I posted on TikTok about it, I’ve had people [who hold] masters [degrees] saying they can’t get anything."

He went on, "I could easily get a part-time job in a Tesco [supermarket]."

But he wants "to use his degree," he said.

He mentioned how much he spent to earn a college degree — and said, "I think the system is broken. More opportunities have to be made, but because of COVID and now AI, companies don’t want to hire. They’re looking to save money."

He noted that he could go "back home" to Qatar — "but if you tell people you’ve worked here [in the U.K.], they instantly have respect for you, but it’s been really hard."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

He said he suspects that when people look into his background and see that earlier on, he went to school in Qatar, "they instantly think I need sponsorship, even though I’m a resident, so I can legally work. I don’t think they read to the end of my application to see that I don’t need one."

Life lessons

Sharif was born in Egypt and moved to Qatar at age four. He then moved to London in 2022, with a degree on his resume that he said is "essential in my culture."

His mom soon followed to start her business, YallaCook — giving him residency.

He believed that London was the best place to be as a "global hub of business," he told SWNS. He said that the job search has been demoralizing for him.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"From the 500 applications, I’ve had 10 to 20 interviews. … They all say I passed the first one, but after the second I hear back in two weeks, and they say they’ve decided to move forward with someone else," he said.

International students studying at Kingston pay an annual tuition fee in the region of $30,000 — and with cost of living incorporated, he estimates his degree cost him about $125,000.

Having accrued work experience as a videographer and a photographer while working toward his degree, he's continued to freelance in place of full-time employment, he said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

He added that working for his degree "taught me a lot of life lessons but, honestly, I didn’t learn much. Everything I know content-wise is because of experience, volunteering and YouTube."

He said that in retrospect, "I wish I [studied] filmmaking. But when I was thinking about it before, there were many fewer job opportunities [in that field] than [earning his degree]. I don’t think it makes a difference."

As a result of his misfortune in the job market, he's now started his own clothing brand, named Zoqué ("my style" in Arabic).

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

He said that's in order to combine his passion for presentable clothing and photography.

In the U.S., according to the latest figures from a variety of sources, the typical cost of a four-year college degree varies widely by the type of education, the school itself and the financial aid that may be given to the student.

For a public college for in-state students, the cost of a four-year degree can range from roughly $80,000 to $120,000.

For a public college for out-of-state students, the cost of a four-year degree can range from approximately $170,000 to $200,000 or more.

And for a private college, costs of a four-year degree can range from about $180,000 to $260,000 and beyond.

Bible verse leads to trial in Europe. Growing crackdown threatens our US-UK values

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:00:27 -0400

A 77-year-old retired pastor stands outside a hospital in Northern Ireland and gives a short message based on a Bible verse that many learned as children: "For God so loved the world…"

For that, Clive Johnston is now on trial.

His alleged offense is not harassment, obstruction or intimidation. It is preaching a sermon — including the words of John 3:16 — within a legally defined "buffer zone" near a hospital where abortions take place. Prosecutors argue that he may have "influenced" those accessing such services, thus breaching the law.

That word — "influence" — is doing extraordinary work.

WALKING ACROSS AMERICA SHOWED ME WHY FAITH AND FREE THOUGHT CAN STILL WIN

Johnston did not speak about abortion. He did not approach anyone. The case rests on the idea that passers-by might have inferred his beliefs about abortion from his Christian message that had nothing to do with abortion, and that this alone could constitute unlawful "influence."

If that standard holds, it not only regulates conduct, it regulates belief, through a kind of guilt-by-association. Put simply: the Bible is on trial.

For American readers, this may sound implausible. The United States has long treated religious expression as a core liberty, protected even — and especially — when it is controversial. But in parts of the United Kingdom and across Europe, a different approach is taking hold.

STATE DEPT. SAYS IT IS MONITORING CASE OF UK WOMAN FACING CHARGES FOR HOLDING SIGN IN ABORTION ZONE

In Finland, Päivi Räsänen, a former interior minister, has recently been convicted of "hate speech" over a pamphlet she wrote in 2004 outlining her church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality. In England, individuals have been convicted for silently praying on certain streets.

These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a broader shift: a growing willingness to treat public expressions of Christian belief not as contributions to democratic debate, but as potential harms to be managed.

If quoting the Bible can be criminalised in case it offends, then what is unfolding is not simply a domestic legal dispute. It is a test of the values that underpin one of the world’s closest alliances.

FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS TEXAS LAW REQUIRING TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC CLASSROOMS

The United States and the United Kingdom have long described their bond as a "special relationship," rooted in shared history, shared language and, crucially, shared commitments to fundamental freedoms — including free speech and religious liberty. That assumption is now under strain.

Speaking ahead of his trial, the U.S. State Department warned this week that cases like that of Clive Johnston represent an "egregious violation" of fundamental rights and "a concerning departure from the shared values that ought to underpin U.S.-U.K. relations."

Alliances depend on more than mutual interests. They depend on a baseline agreement about the rights of citizens — what can be said, what can be believed, and whether the state exists to protect those freedoms. When that baseline shifts, so too does the relationship.

The irony is that this moment of legal restriction comes just as faith is resurging across the West. In both the United States and Europe, members of Generation Z are rediscovering Christianity in unexpected numbers. Churches report growing youth attendance. Bible sales are rising. A generation once assumed to be post-religious is beginning to take belief seriously again.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

But while the resurgence is shared, the response is not.

The United States has, for now, resisted Europe’s censorial trajectory. Its constitutional tradition reflects a confidence that citizens can encounter competing ideas — even uncomfortable ones — without the state policing their expression. But that confidence is not guaranteed. The value of freedom of expression needs perpetually reinforced to a population which may feel too easily drawn to the false compassion of "safe spaces" and "hate speech bans".

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Clive Johnston’s case across the Atlantic may seem small: a single man, a single sermon, a single Bible verse. But it raises a question with transatlantic consequences. If preaching the Bible in ‘the wrong place’ can be treated as a form of unlawful influence by one of America’s closest allies, what does that say about the durability of the freedoms they claim to share?

The special relationship has long been described in near-sacred terms. But it rests, ultimately, on shared values. It may not be quite accurate to say it is living on a prayer. In this case, it may be living on something more fragile: whether a man is free to speak a Bible verse in public.

US monitoring ‘concerning’ UK prosecution of retired pastor who preached John 3:16 near hospital

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:00:11 -0400

A retired pastor in the United Kingdom is awaiting a ruling after standing trial Wednesday on criminal charges relating to a gospel sermon he preached near a hospital.

Clive Johnston, 77, faces two charges from a July 7, 2024, sermon on John 3:16 he delivered near Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.

Prosecutors claim he violated Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act 2023 by preaching near a hospital where abortions are performed. If convicted, he could face a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 ($3,376).

MAMDANI IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER FIRST VETO DERAILS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM: 'DISAPPOINTED'

Johnston may be the first person prosecuted under the law for preaching a sermon unrelated to abortion in a protected zone, according to the Christian Institute, which is supporting his legal case.

At Wednesday's hearing at Coleraine Magistrates' Court, a district judge announced he would reserve judgment until May 7, according to the legal group.

A newly released police bodycam video of the July 2024 incident was shared with Fox News Digital Wednesday. In the video, an officer approaches Johnston to tell him he is in a clearly marked safe access zone and cannot be filming or preaching in the area.

"You can say to yourself, in the goodness of my heart, ‘I am coming here to preach the word of God,’" the officer says at one point. "However, if you are reckless, as to the effect that it could have on patients, staff or any protected person, then you may be committing an offense."

"That is an incredible thought," Johnston replies in the video. "Because what you're saying is the word of God, which the country has had free to proclaim and read in church for hundreds of years, freedom since the Magna Carta, suddenly could become offensive because it's outside a hospital."

The officer told Johnston he may go inside the chaplaincy area in the hospital if he wants a "safe area" to give "religious guidance or comfort or help."

"But while you're out here in the safe access zone, any act in that area which may dissuade any protected person from availing services, harassment or cause them distress, is an offense," he added.

Prosecutors accuse Johnston of "influencing a protected person, whether directly or indirectly," by conducting a "protest" near the hospital, where abortions are performed, in violation of the 2023 law. He is also accused of failing to leave the safe access zone when directed.

The Christian Institute said Johnston’s sermon did not mention abortion.

Ahead of the hearing, the U.S. State Department expressed concern about Johnston’s case.

"The United States is still monitoring many 'buffer zone' cases in the U.K., as well as other acts of censorship across Europe," the department told The Telegraph.

Referring to other cases of Christians prosecuted under the abortion law for silent prayer, the department added, "The U.K.’s persecution of silent prayer represents not only an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and religious liberty but also a concerning departure from the shared values that ought to underpin U.S.-U.K. relations."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Simon Calvert, deputy director of the Christian Institute, said Johnston’s prosecution sets a troubling new precedent in the U.K.

"Should a law designed to stop abortion protests be used to criminalize gospel preaching? John 3:16 is a wonderful, famous verse, and everyone knows it says nothing about abortion," he said in a press release.

"We have amazing freedom in this country to share the Christian message. That’s why we’ve taken on this case. Prosecuting Pastor Johnston for preaching ‘God so loved the world’ near a hospital on a quiet Sunday is a shocking new attempt to restrict freedom of religion and freedom of speech in a part of the world where open-air gospel services are a part of the culture."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Johnston said he was grateful the judge decided to take time to think about his case before issuing a ruling because "there is a lot at stake."

"It’s a difficult thing to go through, but we are upheld by the prayers of God’s people, and we have drawn near to Christ for help and strength," he said. "Christ is the most precious thing in the world to us, and that is why we are so keen to talk about him in the highways and byways of this land that we love."

Rare royal artifact linked to influential king-turned-saint uncovered after decades missing

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 08:00:34 -0400

Officials recently unveiled the discovery of an 11th-century wax seal belonging to one of the most influential monarchs in English history.

The seal, which had been missing since the 1980s, was found by a Ph.D. student in the Archives Nationales in Paris, where it has been held since the 18th century.

Known as the Saint-Denis seal, the artifact was uncovered in 2021, though the discovery has only now been made public.

LEGENDARY CAPTAIN WHO INSPIRED 'THE THREE MUSKETEERS' MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND UNDER CHURCH ALTAR

The seal was used by Edward the Confessor, who ruled England from 1042 to 1066.

"By far the best-preserved impression of the three seals known to have been used by Edward, its loss sparked great consternation among international historians," the University of Exeter said in an April statement.

"But it has now emerged that the wax artifact was found by a curator and a Ph.D. student conducting research in a section of the Paris archive that contained a collection of detached and damaged seals," the release added.

Edward was the last ruler of the Anglo-Saxon royal line before the Norman Conquest.

DISCOVERY AT MONTICELLO REVEALS CONSTRUCTION SECRETS THOMAS JEFFERSON LEFT OUT OF MAPS AND LETTERS

Harold Godwinson, who died at the Battle of Hastings, was technically the last Anglo-Saxon king, though he was not part of the same royal line.

Edward, known for his strong piety, is also distinguished as one of the few English kings to be canonized.

He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161, and his shrine at Westminster Abbey became a major pilgrimage site in medieval England.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Pictures of the artifact show that the wax seal impression bears the image of a crowned ruler, surrounded by faint inscriptions and marked by visible age and wear.

One striking detail was how well-preserved the seal was, said Levi Roach, a medieval history professor at the University of Exeter.

Roach, whose findings were recently published in the journal Early Medieval England and its Neighbors, told Fox News Digital there is "clear evidence of modern restoration" on the seal, which was not there when it was last photographed in the 1950s.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

"The detached seals section of the French National Archives was used to train up archivists in restoration practices in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so this is presumably the product of such work," he said.

"Whoever restored it clearly was blissfully unaware that the seal was thought lost!"

Roach also noted the seal shows Byzantine influence, including its use of the imperial title "basileus" and sword imagery.

The find highlights how those ideas spread across Europe — and even reached England faster than previously understood.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"Direct contacts with the Byzantine Empire existed, but are much less well evidenced than indirect ones," he noted.

"The seal's iconography demonstrates not only that Byzantine influences reached England via France, Germany and Italy — as has long been known — but also did so directly from Byzantium, in some cases within the span of little more than a decade."

These influences show that England was more connected to continental Europe before the Norman Conquest than people might assume, Roach added, pointing to rare royal documents — among the only known examples — produced by continental scribes and Edward's close ties to Normandy.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"This demonstrates growing continental influence under Edward," he said.

"Many of the processes we classically associate with the Norman Conquest had already begun in his reign."

US embassy in London warns to 'exercise increased caution' near Jewish sites in UK, Europe after attacks

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 02:17:34 -0400

The U.S. Embassy in London on Friday warned Americans to "exercise increased caution" while visiting Jewish and American areas in the U.K. and in Europe because of a recent rise in threats.

"The U.S. Embassy in London notes recent attacks and threats targeting Jewish and American institutions in the United Kingdom and Europe," the alert said. "U.S. citizens, particularly those visiting institutions serving Jewish or American interests, should remain alert and exercise increased caution."

The embassy further advised Americans to remain alert while visiting tourist and expat areas and houses of worship, review personal security plans and to check local media for updates.

Concerned citizens can also enroll in the State Department's Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive travel and security updates.

NRA FORGES HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP WITH JEWISH GROUP AMID RISING ANTISEMITISM

The advisory followed a series of recent antisemitic attacks in the U.K. and in Europe, including an arson attack on four ambulances linked to a Jewish charity in London on March 23, an April 18 attack on the Kenton United Synagogue in London, and a March explosion at a Jewish school in Amsterdam that authorities called a "targeted attack against the Jewish community."

No one was injured, but the school was damaged.

ANTISEMITIC ATTACKER FACED 30-YEAR SENTENCE, GETS LESS THAN 1½ YEARS IN PLEA DEAL

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

U.K. authorities are investigating whether "thugs for hire" backed by Iran are instigating the attacks in London, GB News reported.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the Jewish Chronicle: "In relation to malign state actors more generally, proscription, we do need legislation in order to take necessary measures, and that is legislation that we're bringing forward as soon as we can."

Unexploded mortar shell from bloodiest battle in country's history unearthed after nearly 280 years

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:55 -0400

Archaeologists have uncovered a mortar shell from the bloodiest battle in Scotland's history — a shell that never detonated.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) announced in mid-April that its archaeologists had found a mortar shell at Culloden Battlefield, just outside Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

The Battle of Culloden was fought on April 16, 1746, when a Jacobite force led by Charles Edward Stuart — known as Bonnie Prince Charlie — clashed with troops loyal to King George II.

SURPRISED ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT GRAVES CAUGHT BETWEEN PAGAN, CHRISTIAN RITUALS IN POLAND

In under an hour, the Jacobites were crushed, ending any serious bid to restore the Stuart monarchy. Culloden remains the last large-scale pitched battle fought on British soil.

Officials believe that the recently uncovered shell was fired by government artillery during the battle.

"Intact and gunpowder-packed when it was discovered, the 5.5-inch shell is the first piece of complete government ordnance found at Culloden battlefield. [It] provides fresh evidence for the deployment and action of government and Jacobite forces at pivotal moments in the battle," the statement said.

DISCOVERY AT MONTICELLO REVEALS CONSTRUCTION SECRETS THOMAS JEFFERSON LEFT OUT OF MAPS AND LETTERS

"Many other projectiles, including cannon shot, musket balls and fragments of mortar shells, have been uncovered at Culloden, but never before has undetonated ordnance been found," the statement also said.

The shell, weighing nearly 18 pounds, is believed to have been fired from one of the government's Coehorn mortars.

It was uncovered during excavations in October 2025, but officials did not announce the discovery until April 16 — which marked the 280th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden.

Other projectiles, including pistol shot and lead musket balls, were also found.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

"Parts of the battlefield are on boggy ground, and it is thought the shell landed on wet ground and the fuse extinguished before it could ignite the powder," noted officials.

The shell still contained remnants of its original plug and traces of plant material, which were recovered for analysis.

Officials said that, once the black powder in the shell was exposed, there was a "slight exothermic reaction."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

A specialist "safely cleaned out the interior of the shell, preserved samples of the contents for further study, and certified the shell as free from explosive hazard," the release noted.

In a statement, the NTS's head of archaeology, Derek Alexander, called the discovery a "remarkable — dare I say, explosive — find of the kind archaeologists dream of, but never expect to encounter."

"Along with the other projectiles recovered, this discovery helps us better understand the formation of troops and concentration of fire during this brief, but brutal, battle," said Alexander.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"The mortars may have been aiming at the Jacobite artillery, so the place where the shell landed may mark the heart of the Culloden battlefield."

An NTS official told Fox News Digital the shell was buried nearly a foot underground — something only professional archaeologists could uncover — and that the site remains safe for visitors.

The discovery comes just months after officials announced a similar find at the same battle site.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In late 2025, officials announced archaeologists had uncovered a cache of bullets fired during the Battle of Culloden, shedding new light on its final moments.

English nature festival makes the important clarification that it is not for nudists

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:54:47 -0400

When you hear the words "nature festival," what do you think of?

I think of trees. Tall good ones.

However, enough people in the United Kingdom hear "nature festival" and think "nudists" that one such festival had to put out an APB on Facebook to set the record straight that clothing is not just encouraged, it is mandatory.

So if you were hoping to see some pasty English buttocks, look elsewhere.

JASON DAY ASKED TO TONE DOWN MASTERS ATTIRE AFTER UNCONVENTIONAL CLOTHING CHOICE LAST YEAR

The Cumbria Nature Festival runs from May 8 through May 10 and is set to include conservation groups, stands and activities, food, live music, and more.

However, "nudity" does not fall under their definition of "more."

"Cumbria Nature Festival is primarily aimed at NATURALISTS... not NATURISTS," their Facebook post reads. "Whilst we aim to be as inclusive as possible, and certainly do not judge anyone, we are aiming the event at wildlife enthusiasts. Please do dress appropriately."

'FLYING NAKED' IS THE LATEST TRAVEL TREND DIVIDING THE INTERNET, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK

This has to be the first warning to people that they have to wear clothing to an event that includes the word "whilst."

Classy.

"We haven't ultimately had to refund anyone so we're hopeful our offering has been sufficient to retain their interest, despite imposing a dress code," organizing committee member Sam Griffin told the BBC. "People hear 'naturalist' and they interpret it as something else. It's a common misunderstanding, I suppose," he said.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Is it though?

Call me old-fashioned or even prudish, but whenever I hear about any kind of event — nature festival, box social, wake — I assume I'm supposed to show up clothed.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Now, we can debate whether that means formal or business casual or business formal or casual formal or whatever, but clothes will be worn.

So the next time you see an ad for a nature festival, save the nice folks organizing the time of having to make a "No nudists" Facebook post and just assume clothes are a must.

Landlords allegedly posting 'Muslim-only' apartment ads in violation of country's equality act: report

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:55:56 -0400

Some landlords in England are apparently advertising "Muslim-only" apartments online, according to a local media report.

An investigation by The Telegraph found that alleged listings posted in London on Facebook, Gumtree and Telegram feature phrases such as "only for Muslims," "for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls," and "Muslims preferred."

Other ads appeal to Punjabi and Gujarati speakers, while some job vacancies on the platforms are advertised for men only.

Some listings specify "Hindu only," in addition to posts that likely use religious subtext by stating: "The house should be alcohol and smoke-free."

IS MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST PUSH FOR RENT CONTROLS ABOUT TO WRECK THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING MARKET?

On Facebook, a company called Roshan Properties posted dozens of listings stating "prefer Muslim boy," "one double room is available for Muslims," and "suitable for Punjabi boy." A Meta spokesman told Fox News Digital that Facebook then removed the company's page "for violating the platform’s policies on discriminatory practices."

The ads run afoul of Britain's Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on religion or belief, race and other protected characteristics.

"These adverts are disgusting and anti-British. It goes without saying that there would be a national outrage if the tables were turned," Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s economic spokesman, told The Telegraph. "All forms of racism are unacceptable, and no religious group should get a special exemption to discriminate in this way."

One landlord told The Telegraph to "go away" when asked about an ad for a "Muslims only" room for $1,150, and whether it was available to renters of other faiths.

A spokesperson for Gumtree told the newspaper that the company has clear policies in place that prohibit unlawful discrimination.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"We take reports of inappropriate listings very seriously," the spokesperson said. "The ads referenced appear to relate to private rooms within shared homes, where existing occupants may express preferences about who they live with. This is different from renting out an entire property, which is subject to stricter rules under the Equality Act."

Telegram did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Critics fret over United Kingdom health strategy making it easier for women to procure same-day abortions

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:00:54 -0400

The United Kingdom government is moving to fund more same-day, or what some call "lunch-hour" abortions, in a shift officials say is about "removing barriers." But critics warn it could pressure women into rushed decisions.

"The Government has announced plans to financially incentivize abortion clinics to provide ‘lunch-hour’ or ‘same-day’ abortions," the conservative group Right To Life UK said in a Monday post.

The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, released this month by the Department of Health and Social Care, states it was "changing the NHS Payment Scheme to remove financial disincentives to provision of timely abortion care. This makes clear that prices paid should not discourage the delivery of consultations, scans and procedures on the same day, and asks providers and commissioners to agree arrangements to ensure the service is safe and sustainable."

MAJOR PRO-LIFE GROUP RELEASES ‘MAKE AMERICA PRO-LIFE AGAIN ROADMAP’

In the Monday post, Right To Life UK said that the policy of the National Health Service (NHS), the UK's publicly funded health care system, has been that abortion clinics are usually paid separately for each component of the abortion process, identified as the initial appointment, scan, and abortion procedure.

According to Right To Life UK, the change "will financially incentivize the UK’s largest private abortion providers, BPAS, MSI Reproductive Choices, and NUPAS, which are paid to provide most of the abortions provided through the NHS, to rush women into abortions with ‘same day’ or ‘lunch-hour’ abortions."

Right To Life UK is concerned that women will be fast-tracked into undergoing abortions, writing, "The planned changes will likely see women being rushed through the abortion process, being given little time to process and contemplate whether to go ahead with what, for many, is a life-changing decision to have an abortion."

NEWSOM BAILS OUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD WITH $140M TO KEEP 100 CLINICS OPEN AFTER TRUMP CUTS

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said, "This is completely false. These changes are about removing barriers that can delay care and putting women in control."

The spokesperson added that, "These reforms ensure women can access safe, regulated abortion services — whether that is in a single visit where clinically appropriate, or over multiple appointments. The previous system disincentivized providing timely abortion care and incentivized services to ask patients to come back on a separate day, even if there was no clinical reason to do so."

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, told Fox News Digital in a statement that, "Women facing an unplanned pregnancy need time, care and support, not a system that gives abortion clinics a financial incentive to rush them through consultations, scans and abortions on the same day."

"This change is part of much wider major plans of the Labour Government to further expand and liberalize abortion provision, which would likely lead to more lives being ended by abortion here in the UK," Robinson said.

She added, "Under the current NHS Payment Scheme, abortion clinics are typically paid separately for each part of the abortion pathway – the consultation, scan and procedure. This encourages abortion providers not to rush the process in one day, and also gives women more time to consider their decision before the actual abortion procedure happens."

Robinson continued, "Under the Government’s new approach (page 28), abortion clinics will now be paid a bundled payment for providing all stages of the process – and the Government has made it clear they are doing this to financially incentivize clinics to provide abortion ‘consultations, scans and procedures on the same day.'"

Fox News Digital reached out to the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, BPAS, MSI Reproductive Choices, and NUPAS for comment.

HAWLEY URGES DOJ PROBE INTO ABORTION PILL MAKER OVER SAFETY CONCERNS

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Jewish student says campus antisemitism and London arson attacks show Britain is failing its Jewish community

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:31 -0400

Being a Jewish student in Britain today means living a kind of double life. I go to lectures. I take exams. I navigate seminar rooms and library queues like any other student. But unlike most of my peers, I do all of this while calculating: am I in danger because my Star of David or Kippah (Skull cap) is visible? Will speaking up in this discussion make me a target? Is today the day they'll be a demonstration outside?

Going to university is supposed to be a student’s main job. Right now, for many British Jewish students, it feels like a side gig — squeezed in around the exhausting, full-time business of simply being Jewish on campus.

My great-grandmother was Lily Ebert. She arrived at Auschwitz at just 20 years old. In a single day, her mother, her younger sister, her youngest brother and over one hundred members of her extended family were murdered — gassed and cremated, their ashes scattered with no grave, no place to mourn. That was July 1944.

THIS PASSOVER, NO MORE WAITING: A CALL FOR STRENGTH, UNITY AND THE UNAPOLOGETIC DEFENSE OF JEWISH LIFE

She survived. She came to Britain to rebuild her life, and she did more than survive; she thrived. She built a large and loving family: 10 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and even a great-great-grandchild in her final year. She believed Britain would be a safe haven. A place where her family could live openly and proudly as Jews. A country that has learned the lessons of history.

For decades, she traveled across the U.K. speaking in schools, and in her later years she used social media to warn young people that the Holocaust did not begin with violence. It began with words. With small actions. With a shifting atmosphere.

In her final months before she passed away in October 2024, my great-grandmother was horrified. Horrified to see the country she had trusted — after the greatest crime in history, beginning to fail at its most basic duty.

She was right to be horrified. And this week, her warnings feel more urgent than ever.

WESTERN LEADERS MUST CONFRONT ISLAMIST-INSPIRED ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE BEFORE IT TARGETS EVERYONE

British counterterrorism police are now investigating a wave of arson attacks against Jewish sites across London — four in as many days — probing whether Iranian proxies are responsible. Two synagogues and a Jewish charity were torched. And an Iran-linked group is threatening to fly drones carrying hazardous substances at the Israeli embassy.

This all coming only a few weeks after ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set alight in Golders Green — one of the most Jewish areas in the U.K. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has warned that "a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the U.K. is gathering momentum."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed surprise and called the attacks "abhorrent." But how can he possibly claim surprise? If you tolerate chants of "Globalize the Intifada," don't be surprised when the Intifada is globalized.

And throwing money at the problem simply is not a solution. You cannot pay your way out of an Intifada. And we cannot continue to besiege ourselves with security – living behind ever thicker doors and higher fences with barbed wire.

SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER

This violence doesn't begin with arson. It begins with ideology — and until Britain starts tackling the ideology, no amount of policing or security will stop the flames.

That means banning Iran's IRGC, which may well be behind this very campaign of attacks. And it means confronting the Muslim Brotherhood, which is radicalizing young people across this country — on campuses, in mosques, in community centers — and may well be recruiting the people lighting these fires.

And it starts closer to home too, on campuses like mine, where week after week, masked demonstrators flood university spaces, chanting slogans that go far beyond political protest into something far darker. Jewish students are singled out in lectures, booed, shouted down, accused of being "baby killers" simply for being Jewish. Many now tuck away their Star of David necklaces and think twice before speaking up in seminars. A Jewish professor had his lecture stormed by masked protesters who screamed abuse, branded him a "war criminal," and — according to witnesses — threatened to behead him. His only crime was being Jewish and refusing to be intimidated.

And it is not just coming from the students. Too often, academics themselves are part of the problem. On my own campus, the medieval blood libel — the conspiracy that Jews use non-Jewish blood in their rituals — was repeated to students as fact, at one of supposedly the best universities in the U.K.

Beyond campus: an NHS doctor posts "gas the Jews" online and faces no meaningful consequences. Jewish artists are quietly dropped from programs. Jewish events are canceled without explanation. Protests where chants cross into open hatred are allowed to continue unchecked by police.

Individually, each moment can be explained away. Together, they reveal a slow and steady normalization of dangerous Jew-hatred.

In the past year alone, the U.K. recorded the highest number of violent antisemitic assaults per capita anywhere outside of Israel — roughly one for every 2,500 Jews. Jewish schools have warned students not to wear visible symbols on their commute. Jewish teenagers have been assaulted on public transport. Every Jewish institution now sits behind security barriers, guards and locked doors. We are a community under siege.

My great-grandmother spent her life warning that these things begin not with violence, but with silence. With small capitulations. With institutions that hedge, qualify and reach for the language of "context" and "balance" — as if balance is possible when a minority is being targeted.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Britain has a choice. It can honor the lessons it claims to have learned. Or it can allow that silence to continue — and discover, too late, where silence leads.

My great-grandmother, Lily Ebert, survived Auschwitz. She did not survive to see Britain become the country she fled.

UK’s elite soldier unit faces exodus over ‘lawfare’ fears — warning sign for US military?

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:16:49 -0400

Britain’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) is facing a growing exodus as soldiers resign over fears they could face years of legal scrutiny for actions taken on the battlefield, according to a report in The Telegraph.

Several sources told the British newspaper that members of 22 SAS, the British Army’s most elite regiment, have applied for premature release amid anger over investigations into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, Syria and Northern Ireland.

The debate is not confined to Britain.

American troops could face similar concerns if political leaders fail to distinguish between legitimate investigations and politically motivated campaigns, according to John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute.

SIX DEMOCRATS URGE MILITARY MEMBERS TO 'REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS' IN VIRAL VIDEO; HEGSETH RESPONDS

"I welcome timely investigations of allegations of violations," Spencer told Fox News Digital, "but want our leaders to protect all our forces, special or not, from agenda or politicized ‘witch hunts.’"

In Australia, the case of Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has become a rallying point for veterans who fear elite soldiers could face years of legal battles after serving in combat.

Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has denied allegations that he committed war crimes in Afghanistan. Earlier in April, Australian authorities charged him with five counts of murder related to his service in Afghanistan.

To many British veterans, the Australian case reinforces fears that the same trend could spread across other Western militaries, including the United States.

At least two SAS squadrons have been affected, with several current and former members describing the losses as a "threat to national security." The paper did not publish the precise number of departures for security reasons.

The resignations come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government faces criticism over both defense spending and the treatment of veterans.

Britain’s armed forces have faced mounting scrutiny over their size and readiness in recent years. But the U.K. government says it is reversing that trend, reporting that total armed forces strength stood at 182,050 personnel as of Jan. 1, 2026, including 136,960 regular troops, an increase from the previous year.

The government also has pledged what it calls the largest sustained rise in defense spending since the Cold War, with military spending set to reach 2.6% of GDP by 2027, backed by an additional £5 billion this financial year and £270 billion in defense investment over the course of the current Parliament. Britain also has said it aims to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by the end of the next Parliament.

Former and current soldiers said they believe Britain’s legal system has turned against troops who were sent to fight on behalf of the government.

"If a soldier discharges their weapon, they are almost certainly going to get a knock at their door one day," George Simm, a former regimental sergeant major of 22 SAS, told The Telegraph. "It feels like a betrayal and a break in the trust."

RETIRED GENERAL BLASTS DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS' 'IRRESPONSIBLE' VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO REFUSE 'ILLEGAL' ORDERS

The controversy centers on ongoing investigations into British special forces operations.

A total of 242 special forces troops, including 120 still serving, are currently involved in legal inquiries costing roughly £1 million per month. Those inquiries involve operations in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Syria.

Critics say those investigations have created a culture in which soldiers fear that decisions made in combat would later lead to prosecution.

Andrew Fox, a former British Army officer and senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank, told Fox News Digital the relationship between soldiers and the government has been badly damaged.

"Soldiering contains a pact between the government and those they employ to use lethal force," Fox said. "Soldiers will take human life within the rules set for them by international law, and in return, their governments should support them.

"This has been inverted, and international law has been weaponized and exploited by our enemies to persecute our soldiers. All too often, governments are coming down on the side of those enemies, not our troops."

Fox said it was understandable that some soldiers would no longer want to serve.

"Of course, law breaking should be punished, but we are seeing a breakdown in trust between governments and their armed forces when politicians allow troops to be hounded through the courts unjustly," he said.

Spencer said professional militaries depend on maintaining public trust through a strong internal justice system.

"A professional military holds the trust of its society because it lives by a strict ethical code, its laws, and its rules," Spencer told Fox News Digital. "That trust is what gives soldiers the unique authority to use lethal force in the worst conditions a human being can face."

Spencer said allegations of wrongdoing should be investigated quickly and fairly.

"We need investigations that move quickly and fairly on any credible allegation," he said. "If there's real evidence of wrongdoing under the law of armed conflict or the rules of engagement, then both the military and society must act on it. That's how you keep the trust alive."

PRINCE HARRY FIRES BACK AT TRUMP OVER NATO CRITICISM: 'I LOST FRIENDS' IN AFGHANISTAN

At the same time, Spencer warned that some legal campaigns risk crossing the line into what troops perceive as politically motivated "witch hunts."

"I've seen too many human rights lawyers blur the line between basic human rights and the actual law of armed conflict," Spencer said. "They don't always understand the application of the use of force in context or the split-second chaos of combat. When that turns into what troops call witch hunts, it eats away at morale and readiness."

Spencer said governments have a responsibility both to investigate credible accusations and to protect troops from what he called agenda-driven campaigns.

"It's also the duty of the government to shield the military from agenda-driven witch hunts," he said. "A rigorous military justice system and honest self-policing are essential for an ethical force. Without them, the profession loses the very trust that lets it do its job."

Britain’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson told Fox News digital that, "While it is a long-standing policy of successive governments to not comment on U.K. Special Forces, we are immensely proud of all our Armed Forces and their extraordinary contribution to keeping the U.K. safe at home and abroad."

"We are committed to ensuring that the legal framework governing our Armed Forces reflects the practical realities of military operations — and that those who served with honor are properly protected," he added, "Where the U.K. undertakes military action, it complies fully with U.K. and international law. We are clear that upholding those standards does not prevent our Armed Forces from conducting effective operations."

Former British military chiefs warned in an open letter to Starmer in late 2025 that soldiers increasingly believe they must worry about "not only the enemy in front of them but the lawyer behind them."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Make no mistake," the retired generals wrote, "our closest allies are watching uneasily, and our enemies will be rubbing their hands."

UK chief rabbi says Jews targeted by ‘sustained campaign of violence and intimidation' after string of attacks

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:03:19 -0400

British counterterror police are investigating whether suspected Iranian proxies are behind a wave of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in London, as a chief rabbi warned that such attacks are escalating.

The Metropolitan Police said specialized counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues, Jewish-linked facilities and a Persian-language media company critical of Iran’s regime.

The latest incident caused minor damage to a north London synagogue Saturday night. No injuries have been reported in any of the blazes, which all happened within a few miles of each other.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said investigators are examining claims by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which has taken responsibility for several attacks. The group’s name means Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right.

TRUMP WARNS OF IRANIAN 'SLEEPER CELLS' AS CANADA ACCUSED OF HARBORING REGIME OPERATIVES

"We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran. As you would expect, we will continue to explore that question as our investigation evolves," she said.

"I’ve spoken previously about the Iranian regime’s use of criminal proxies, and we’re considering whether this tactic is being used here in London," Evans added.

Authorities say the group — which Israel has described as a possible Iranian proxy — has also claimed synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

IRANIAN MAN, 2ND PERSON ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO ENTER UK NUCLEAR MISSILE BASE: REPORT

Police have flooded northwest London with additional officers after a series of incidents in recent weeks, including the torching of four Jewish charity ambulances in the Golders Green neighborhood on March 23.

Several suspects, ranging from teenagers to people in their 40s, have already been arrested and charged.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned on X that "a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum."

"Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society," he added.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, calling the attacks "abhorrent" and vowing those responsible "will be found and brought to justice."

The threat level rose further after the group released a video claiming it would target Israel’s embassy in London with drones carrying hazardous substances. Police shut down nearby Kensington Gardens while investigating suspicious items but said no dangerous materials were found.

UK COUNTERTERRORISM POLICE PROBE ANTISEMITIC ARSON ATTACK AS IRAN-LINKED GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

British officials have long warned that Iran uses criminal networks to carry out attacks in Europe. MI5 says it disrupted more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-linked plots in the past year.

Police issued a blunt warning to any "thugs for hire" involved in such attacks.

"Let’s be really clear — it’s a mug’s game," said Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes. "That’s what people who are now serving long prison sentences have found out, and the same fate awaits those responsible for these recent crimes."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Investigators say the probe remains ongoing as authorities work to determine whether the attacks are part of a coordinated foreign-backed campaign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bride’s sister-in-law douses her in black paint moments before ceremony in horrifying ‘revenge’ attack

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:41:44 -0400

A British bride has battled depression and has been unable to work in the nearly two years since she was drenched in black paint by her spiteful sister-in-law. The attack occurred moments before she was slated to walk down the aisle to wed her childhood sweetheart — the climax of a revenge attack amid an ongoing feud.

Gemma Monk, 35, a mother of two, was looking forward to marrying her now-husband, Ken Monk, in May 2024. She was walking with her father on a cream-colored carpet at the venue in Maidstone, England, when someone called out her name. Seconds later, she was splashed with black paint, she told Kent Online in an article published Friday.

Realizing the attacker was her sister-in-law, Antonia Eastwood, who is married to Gemma’s older brother, Ashley, Gemma grabbed her by the hair, but Eastwood managed to get away. The bride was left distraught and in tears.

JEALOUS EX-BOYFRIEND ACCUSED OF ‘VICIOUS’ ACID ATTACK THAT LEFT COLLEGE STUDENT SEVERELY BURNED: DA

"This has had a dramatic impact on my life," Monk told Kent Online on Wednesday, after Eastwood was sentenced by a British court for two offenses of criminal damage. "Even while I was providing this statement at the police station, I got extremely emotional and started crying while talking about the incident.

"Since the incident, if it wasn’t for my children or my family, I don’t think I would even get out of bed to care for myself," she added. "I have lost all my dignity and good habits in life. I have lost who I used to be. This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory — one I will never forget, and neither will my family."

The attack occurred after Monk had lost significant weight during a cancer scare. Though she has since been given a clean bill of health, Monk said her sister-in-law knew about the medical struggle at the time but "still decided to ruin the most important day of my life and put me at risk."

Eastwood, 49, had been banned from the wedding following a feud that stemmed from her own nuptials, during which Monk was accused of "trying to trip up" Eastwood.

MICHIGAN WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STARVING, TORTURING DISABLED SISTER-IN-LAW SHE LOCKED IN BASEMENT

In court, Eastwood was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to perform 160 hours of community service.

"This was meant to be a special day for Gemma Monk and her family. Courtesy of your conduct, it turned into a nightmare," Judge Oliver Saxby told Eastwood before imposing the sentence.

Eastwood's husband, Ashley, was once Ken Monk's best friend and actually introduced him to Gemma when she was only 14.

Despite the attack, Gemma scrubbed the paint from her face and body in the changing room and borrowed a dress fetched by an usher so she could marry her partner of more than 20 years.

"We had waited for that day for so long. Nothing was going to stop me," she said. "I did not think twice; I would have walked down the aisle in my knickers and with black paint over my face if I had to."

However, Monk, a mental health worker, has since suffered from depression and has been unable to work. In a statement to the court, she said the incident changed her outlook on life and "made me question whether I had done something really bad, whether I had done something wrong."

The couple also called off a planned honeymoon to the Maldives because Gemma "wasn't up to it."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"I had a gut feeling—a bad feeling that something was wrong—when I got out of the car with my dad," Monk said. "But he said it must be nerves."

"I will never accept her apology," she added. "I thought the sentence was too light. She should have received at least 23 months for the wait we have had to get this to court."

Starmer and Macron accused of ‘playing at being relevant’ with Strait of Hormuz plan

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:49 -0400

As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron convene a summit Friday on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the two leaders are pushing a European-led plan to reopen the vital shipping lane after the war, without U.S. leadership.

The proposal envisions a post-conflict naval mission made up of Britain, France and other "non-belligerent" countries that would deploy only after fighting ends. Unlike President Donald Trump’s current strategy of blockading Iranian ports with U.S. naval power, the Anglo-French initiative is intended to be separate from the warring parties and focused on restoring commercial shipping.

A senior European official insisted the initiative is not meant to go around Washington, telling Fox News Digital that Paris began discussing a future maritime mission "from day one" of the conflict and is now formalizing those plans jointly with London.

NATO CHIEF SIGNALS ALLIES MAY ACT ON HORMUZ, WARNS OF ‘UNHEALTHY CODEPENDENCE’ ON US

Macron and Starmer are expected to host a summit to advance what both governments describe as a "coordinated, independent, multinational plan" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the fighting ends.

"France and the United Kingdom will also host a conference in Paris this Friday, bringing together by video conference non-belligerent countries ready to contribute, alongside us, to a multilateral and purely defensive mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions allow," Macron wrote on X.

Starmer similarly described the effort as a "coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends," saying Britain had already convened more than 40 nations around the initiative, Reuters reported. Washington was not part of those earlier talks.

The European senior official said the proposed force would be "strictly defensive" and would only deploy after active fighting and bombardment have ended, with the goal of restoring normal shipping rather than enforcing a wartime corridor.

"What we want in the end is no blockade, no toll, no nothing that blocks the fluidity of what is going through the Strait of Hormuz," the official told Fox News Digital, while stressing that Iran remains "the first problem."

The official also rejected suggestions that Paris and London are trying to sideline the Trump administration, saying the U.S. has been kept informed and that there is extensive coordination with Washington even if the emerging mission is currently limited to "non-belligerent" countries.

WATCH: EX-NATO CHIEF DRAWS RED LINE AS TRUMP FUMES ALLIANCE ABANDONED US DURING IRAN WAR

"We’re coordinating a lot with them," the official said, adding that the goal is to create a framework that can operate once the conflict is over.

Macron has repeatedly emphasized that France’s envisioned mission would be "strictly defensive" and ruled out escorting ships while "bombings" are ongoing. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said "several dozen countries" already had participated in preparatory discussions led by military chiefs of staff, and that any future mission would also require coordination with Gulf coastal states, according to Reuters.

The Anglo-French initiative comes as Trump has taken a far more aggressive approach, ordering the U.S. Navy to blockade Iranian ports and continue operations aimed at securing the strategic waterway after ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran collapsed in Pakistan.

Critics argue that without American military power, the European proposal risks being largely symbolic.

PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL 'ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS

Britain and France are overstating what they can realistically achieve, The Henry Jackson Society analyst Barak Seener said.

"Britain and France are playing at being relevant as so-called ‘Middle Powers’ in international affairs," Seener told Fox News Digital.

"Keir Starmer’s assertion ‘We’re not getting dragged into the war’ disguises the embarrassing fact that the Royal Navy is facing a hollowed out crisis, causing the initiative to be ‘strictly defensive’," he said.

"France’s navy is also facing structural and budgetary pressures that strain its ability to conduct high-tempo operations."

"It is laughable that a European coalition of ‘non-belligerent’ countries that are only willing to engage once hostilities have ended can even speak of protecting its shipping lanes," Seener added.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Ultimately, the U.S.’s deployment of hard power, consisting of carrier strike groups and fighter aircraft to blockade Iranian ports and clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, can protect shipping lanes."

The U.K. government and the White House did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment before publication.

UN filing accuses UK of forced displacement as Diego Garcia tensions and security fears grow

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:51:49 -0400

U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces a "crimes against humanity" complaint at the United Nations over the treatment of the Chagossian people as tensions rise after an Iranian missile attempt targeting Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer, who is named in the filling, has been reported specifically over the removal of four people who returned to the island in a complaint filed by the attorney general for the Chagossian government.

James Tumbridge's filing also comes as the exiled leadership stressed the importance of strong ties with the United States, telling Fox News Digital that Washington is a "brother in arms for global security."

TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES

On March 20, Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia from more than 2,300 miles away, missing the target but underscoring the base’s strategic importance.

Chagossian leaders have since backed a continued U.S. presence, with First Minister Misley Mandarin saying they want to "uphold the 1966 agreement and consider the U.S. as a brother in arms for global security."

The 1966 agreement allowed the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for defense purposes, initially for 50 years.

"The desire of the Chagossian government is to have a positive relationship with the U.S. and an ongoing presence on Diego Garcia of the U.S. military," Tumbridge also told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP PROVEN RIGHT ON IRAN'S LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABILITY AS REGIME TARGETS US-UK BASE, EXPERTS SAY

Meanwhile, Tumbridge’s U.N. submission claims U.K. actions risk the "forced depopulation" of the Chagos Islands.

Expulsions began in 1968, when about 2,000 residents were removed, culminating in 1973, and in February the U.K. issued new removal orders to four Chagossians who had returned to the islands.

The filing calls the situation "forced displacement" that could constitute "a crime against humanity by forced depopulation of a territory."

It warns the British government of a "fresh crime now" that could complete a decades-long erasure of the Indigenous population, stating, "The removal of these four persons would result in the total physical erasure of the Chagossian people," potentially "amounting to ethnic cleansing."

FARAGE SLAMS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRUMP'S IRAN STRIKES

"The BIOT commissioner accepted that the Chagossians were wronged in the past," Tumbridge said Wednesday.

"How can the U.K. prime minister, who claims to value the rule of law and human rights, not want to right that wrong and let the people return to their islands?"

The filing also comes as the U.K. considers transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

This followed a 2019 International Court of Justice opinion, while preserving the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.

President Donald Trump criticized the proposed handover, and the U.K. has since paused legislation to formalize the deal, with ministers saying it has become "impossible to agree at a political level."

The legislation was expected to be included in the King’s speech outlining the next parliamentary session’s agenda.

TRUMP’S ‘SMALL ASK’ FOR GREENLAND WOULD BE THE REAL ESTATE DEAL OF A LIFETIME

A UK government spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the Diego Garcia military base is "crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe.

"There are ongoing legal proceedings before the BIOT courts. Various UK and international courts have found that there is no right of abode on the Archipelago," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Responding to the statement, Tumbridge claimed Starmer's government was "misleading" people and warned a "serious fight" is on the horizon.

"Sadly, the British Government is misleading people. No court anywhere has ever found ‘that there is no right of abode on the Archipelago.’ Tony Blair’s Government took away the right of abode and passed attempts to quash that law in court failed, until the Supreme Court of the BIOT ruled on March 31st and quashed it," he said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Since then, the Foreign Secretary has applied to intervene in the case, we are going to the Court of Appeal, and clearly a serious fight remains," Tumbridge added.

Shoplifter's beefy backpack rips open on escalator, sending dozens of steaks sprawling across floor

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:41:33 -0400

In what can only be described as a high "steaks" game of tug-of-war, a brazen shoplifter at a supermarket in the U.K. found himself at the center of a viral "beef" with local security after he attempted to smuggle a small fortune in red meat out of the building, Jam Press reported.

The incident took place at a Tesco Extra in the United Kingdom. It was captured on a mobile phone, racking up over 400,000 views after surfacing on April 9.

The drama began when a sharp-eyed security guard noticed a man acting suspiciously as he headed toward the exit.

KITKAT LAUNCHES STOLEN CHOCOLATE TRACKER AFTER THIEVES PLUNDER 12 TONS: CHECK YOUR CANDY

Rather than use a standard shopping basket or bag, the man’s backpack appeared to be bulging at the seams — its straps straining under the weight of unidentified and clearly heavy cargo.

As the suspect attempted to make a clean getaway via the store’s downward escalator, the guard made his move.

A bizarre, slow-motion struggle then ensued on the moving stairs — all the way to the outer doors of the building.

A fellow shopper, unable to contain his or her laughter, took video of the scene as the security officer grabbed hold of the would-be shoplifter's packed bag, refusing to let the thief make a full descent toward the exit.

The brazen "burger-lar" didn’t give up easily.

'EGG COFFEE' DRINK GOING VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS DOCTOR WARNS OF HIDDEN HEALTH RISK

The two men engaged in a desperate grappling match until the backpack finally gave way.

In a scene described by commenters as "pure chaos," the bag’s zipper failed, sending a cascade of vacuum-sealed steaks across the supermarket floor.

Dozens of premium cuts lay scattered like a meaty carpet.

While staff were momentarily stunned by the sheer volume of the steal, the suspect took advantage of the distraction, untangling himself from the struggle and bolting for the exit before police could arrive.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Meat has become a primary target for shoplifters, according to recent data.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

Get Licensed's UK Retail Crime Report named meat as the U.K.'s most stolen item in 2025, with 85% of retailers reporting high theft rates.

"That’s like two grand in steaks," one viewer noted. "A valuable commodity nowadays."

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Another commenter pointed out the evolution of petty crime.

"Standards in shoplifting seem to be getting higher now," the person wrote. "Back in the '80s, they nicked fish fingers."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Jam Press reportedly approached Lancashire Police for comment.

Synagogue in London targeted in attempted 'antisemitic hate crime,' UK police say

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:34:32 -0400

Police in London are on the hunt Wednesday for two masked suspects behind an attempted arson attack on a synagogue that is being treated as an "antisemitic hate crime."

The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police said the individuals, who were wearing "dark clothing and balaclavas," approached the synagogue in the Finchley neighborhood shortly after midnight Wednesday and "threw two bottles, suspected to contain petrol, and a brick at the building."

"We are aware of the significant concern that this incident will cause in the community, particularly in the wake of the arson attack in Golders Green last month," Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said. "We are working with the affected synagogue and continuing to meet with community leaders."

"I would like to reassure the community that we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and detectives are working urgently to identify the suspects," he added.

UK PROSECUTORS CHARGE 3 IN ARSON ATTACK ON JEWISH AMBULANCES IN LONDON

Police said neither bottle ignited and no damage or injuries were reported.

British prosecutors earlier this month charged three suspects — ages 17, 19 and 20 — in an alleged arson attack targeting Jewish community ambulances in north London.

The March 23 incident unfolded at around 1:45 a.m. in the Golders Green neighborhood, where four ambulances operated by a volunteer emergency service serving the Jewish community were deliberately set ablaze in a synagogue parking lot.

EVANGELICAL LEADERS RALLY FOR TRUMP AND ISRAEL AS OPERATION EPIC FURY RESHAPES THE REGION

In the latest incident, the Metropolitan Police said no arrests have been made as of Wednesday afternoon local time.

"If you have any CCTV, dash cam footage or information that could help officers please contact the police," Williams said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Residents can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area over the coming days. We have brought in additional officers and would urge anyone with concerns to speak to them," he added.

Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

Iran secures UN role with backing from UK, France, Canada, Australia as US stands alone

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:38:34 -0400

Western democracies, including the UK, France, Canada and Australia, are facing backlash after allowing Iran and other authoritarian regimes to secure seats on influential United Nations (U.N.) bodies, with the United States standing alone in opposition.

The controversy stems from decisions by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a 54-member body that plays a central role in shaping U.N. policy and staffing key committees.

Critics warn the outcome could allow governments accused of human rights abuses to influence global policy and control which civil society groups are granted access to the United Nations.

TERROR SPONSOR IRAN GETS UN LEADERSHIP OVERSEEING CHARTER PRINCIPLES

ECOSOC nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the U.N.’s Committee for Program and Coordination Wednesday, a body that helps shape policy on human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism.

The nomination is widely expected to be finalized, as the United Nations General Assembly typically approves such recommendations without a vote.

At the same session, ECOSOC elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which oversees accreditation and access for thousands of NGOs operating within the U.N. system.

The United States was the only member state to formally break from consensus.

MIKE WALTZ TURNS TABLES ON IRANIAN ENVOY AT HEATED UN MEETING

In remarks delivered April 8, U.S. Representative to ECOSOC Ambassador Dan Negrea said the U.S. "disassociates from consensus" on both decisions, calling several of the countries involved unfit for such roles.

"The regime threatens its neighbors and has, for decades, infringed on the Iranian people’s ability to exercise their basic human rights," Negrea said, adding that "we believe Iran is unfit to serve" on the committee.

The decision drew sharp criticism from UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog group.

Hillel Neuer told Fox News Digital: "By their cynical actions at the UN, major Western states have betrayed their own human rights principles, severely undermining the rules-based international order that they claim to support."

"We note that the EU states clearly had another option. They did take action in recent years to stop Russia from getting elected to similar bodies, and so we deeply regret that they failed to do the same now to stop the election of serial violators such as Iran, China, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan."

"We salute the United States for their moral clarity and leadership in objecting to the election of the Islamic Republic of Iran and other brutal regimes."

Neuer warned the composition of the NGO committee could allow authoritarian governments to influence which organizations are accredited, potentially sidelining independent human rights groups.

"This means dictatorships will have a majority on the committee in order to deny United Nations accreditation to independent organizations that call out their human rights violations, and to accredit more fake front groups created by the regimes," he said.

Israel’s mission to the United Nations also pointed to political tensions surrounding the vote, saying Iran attempted to challenge Israel’s candidacy during the same ECOSOC session.

AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ LAYS OUT ‘AMERICA FIRST’ VISION FOR US LEADERSHIP AT THE UN

Israel was elected to several U.N. bodies, according to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, including the Commission on the Status of Women and the NGO Committee, despite opposition.

"Iran also tried to turn the elections at the UN into an arena for incitement against Israel and failed," Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said. "Those who oppress women and trample on human rights in their own country will not teach us what women's rights are."

Ahead of the vote, around 70 civil society groups warned that countries with poor human rights records could secure seats on key oversight bodies, but the elections proceeded without a formal vote, a process known as approval "by acclamation."

Critics argue that this procedure allows controversial candidates to secure influential roles with limited transparency or accountability.

The developments are likely to intensify scrutiny over how U.N. bodies are staffed and whether political considerations are outweighing human rights concerns.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Thida Ith, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, told Fox News Digital that, "Iran was nominated on April 8 to the UN Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) subsidiary body, by acclamation. ECOSOC members, including Canada, did not cast a vote, in accordance with established procedures for ECOSOC elections. The vote to elect nominated candidates to the CPC will take place in the UN General Assembly in November 2026, with all UN Member States voting. Canada works closely with partners to actively counter Iran's candidacies in UN bodies."

"Canada remains unequivocal in its view that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a principal sponsor of terror in the Middle East," Ith added, "Iran has a long-standing history of abhorrent conduct, both domestically and internationally. Canada does not support Iran for positions of influence in the United Nations or elsewhere."

Fox News Digital reached out to the UK, France, Australia and U.S. mission for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment.

Cold War bunker 'waiting for Armageddon' found beneath medieval castle in 'perfect location'

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:31 -0400

Experts recently uncovered a nuclear bunker from the Cold War — located, strangely, on the grounds of a medieval castle in England.

The bunker was decommissioned and sealed in 1968, British news agency Jam Press reported.

The hideout was presumed lost until archaeologists from English Heritage recently pinpointed its location at Scarborough Castle in North Yorkshire.

CONSTRUCTION CREW UNEARTHS SURPRISING 300-YEAR-OLD CANNON WHILE DIGGING IN HISTORIC CITY

The tiny space measures roughly 15 feet, 6 inches long and 7 feet, 6 inches wide.

The bunker was intended for volunteers of the Royal Observer Corps (ROC), who would monitor and report on nuclear blasts in the event of war.

The lookout post has remained a mystery since its closure, with online sleuths suggesting it was buried somewhere between the castle and the North Sea.

Britain was once dotted with around 1,500 ROC posts, a little-known Cold War network, said Kevin Booth, senior curator at English Heritage.

"Wherever you lived in Britain, you were probably no more than a few miles from an ROC post," he told Jam Press.

Booth added, "It seems strange to have a Cold War bunker built inside Scarborough Castle, but in many ways, it is a perfect location."

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The expert cited the bunker's strategic position on a headland used since the Bronze Age, including during the Roman period and the Middle Ages.

He described it as a "1960s concrete bunker watching for Armageddon."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Booth added that researchers were keen to locate it and "reopen it [to] see what was inside."

"Old mapping gives a sense of where it might be, but it really comes down to survey — looking under the ground with radar to find the big black blob that is a concrete structure," he said.

The bunker remains sealed for now, and researchers found that it had around six feet of water in it.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

They hope to open it in the future once it is safe to access.

The find adds to a growing list of recent archaeological discoveries across England.

Excavators recently found four-wheeled wagons from the Iron Age near the village of Melsonby in Yorkshire — the first such discovery in Britain.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Officials also recently announced they had identified a 2,000-year-old coin unknowingly used as bus fare in Leeds.

UK defense minister warns Putin of 'serious consequences' after covert underwater military operation

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:30:26 -0400

U.K. Defense Minister John Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of "serious consequences" Thursday after revealing a weeks-long military operation to deter Russian meddling in the North Sea.

"To President Putin I say we see you, we see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences," he cautioned.

The defense minister detailed an operation involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Royal Air Force patrol plane and hundreds of personnel deployed to deter a trio of Russian submarines that were detected near underwater cables in Britain’s economic exclusionary zone.

RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE

One of the submarines, Healey announced, was a nuclear-powered Akula-class submarine, while the other two were spy submarines from Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, also known as GUGI. Subs from this unit were directed specifically by Putin "to conduct hybrid warfare activities against the UK" and its allies, Healey said.

At least one of those allies, Norway, was involved in the deterrent operation, Healey revealed. Norway’s Defense Minister Tore O Sandvik confirmed the cooperation in a Thursday statement.

"Norway has participated in a coordinated military operation with our allies to send a clear message: covert activities in our waters will not be tolerated," Sandvik wrote.

The submarines left U.K. waters after a protracted period of monitoring from the U.K. and Norway, and there is no evidence of damage to any underwater infrastructure, Healey said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.K.’s Defense Department for more information.

The Russian incursion marked the second time in less than six months that the U.K. detected Russian seacraft near its territorial waters. Healey announced a similar military operation in November after Russia deployed the spy ship Yantar to the North Sea in 2025.

TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES

Healey also cited this year’s incident as an example of why the U.K. hasn’t sent troops to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf key to global energy markets that Iran has choked off in recent weeks.

"I understand people questioning why all UK military assets and personnel have not been deployed to deal with it. But that is not in Britain’s national interest," he said, later calling Russia "the primary threat to the UK and to NATO."

President Donald Trump has criticized NATO allies and the organization itself for not acceding to requests to help open the Strait of Hormuz.

"NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN," he wrote in a Thursday morning Truth Social post.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The U.K., while holding a planning meeting on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran War is over, initially refused to let the U.S. use a British air base to launch military strikes against Iran.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer eventually allowed the U.S. to launch "defensive strikes" from Royal Air Force bases after Trump slammed him as "not Winston Churchill."

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle caused ‘unforgivable’ stress for Queen Elizabeth in final years: author

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:00:18 -0400

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly caused "unforgivable" stress for Queen Elizabeth II during the final years of her life.

The claim was made by royal biographer Hugo Vickers, who has written a new book, "Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History." It explores the late monarch’s triumphs and personal challenges based on sources close to the palace.

Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. A spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital, "We don't comment on such books." A spokesperson for Archewell, which handles the offices for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, told Fox News Digital, "This is not something we would comment on."

PRINCE HARRY'S FEUD WITH PRINCE WILLIAM LEAVES KING CHARLES CAUGHT IN ROYAL CROSSFIRE: EXPERTS

"What I find unforgivable is the stress that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle put on the queen in the last years of her life," Vickers told Fox News Digital.

"[Harry] was doing a really good job over in England and indeed in the Commonwealth. And [Meghan] also seemed to be very committed to the Commonwealth. Even as an actress, before she met and married Prince Harry, she was going to African countries and undertaking humanitarian work. And obviously, she addressed the United Nations. It all looked very positive, but it wasn’t to be."

Vickers shared a similar sentiment in his book, writing, "The distress the Sussexes caused the Queen in the last years of her life cannot be overestimated."

WATCH: PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE CAUSED QUEEN STRESS IN FINAL YEARS: AUTHOR

Meghan, an American actress and divorcee, married the British prince in 2018. The couple stepped back in 2020, citing unbearable intrusions by the British press and a lack of support from the palace.

After settling in California, the couple gave an explosive televised interview to Oprah Winfrey in which they aired their grievances. The sit-down, which aired several allegations about the royal family, was viewed by nearly 50 million people worldwide.

After the bombshell tell-all, the queen refused to take Harry’s phone calls without another person in the room, Vickers claimed.

"I think that the queen was obviously feeling rather cautious whenever he got in touch," said Vickers. "I think that’s how I would put it."

In the book, Vickers wrote, "Whenever Prince Harry called his grandmother, she asked her lady-in-waiting to stay with her."

Harry, 41, relocated to his wife’s home state after Queen Elizabeth II rejected his proposal to be "half-in, half-out" as a working royal, according to Vickers.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

"She did give Harry and Meghan a year to think about whether it was going to work out, this exile," he explained. "She made it quite clear on advice, obviously from her private secretary and his private secretary, and others, that you couldn’t be half in and half out. You couldn’t do what they wanted to do, which was to make their own money and still be contributing to royal duties. This wasn’t going to work. You either did your duties, or you didn’t."

"And so, they decided that they were going to go off first to Canada, and then later on, to California," he shared. "And then after the year went by, the question arose: ‘How was it working out?’ They decided that they were going to stay. And at that point, he stepped down from his various positions in England."

Vickers claims the queen told a friend that Harry, once in "a very useful role" as a popular working royal in the U.K., had "turned into a kind of childminder." The comment implies his life had largely shifted to caring for his children at his mansion in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito.

"The way I interpreted that, perhaps rather more harshly, was you cannot be Captain General of the Royal Marines, a very distinguished position which had been held by Prince Philip for many years, and lie barefoot under a tree in California," said Vickers.

Meghan and Harry’s whirlwind romance began in July 2016 after they were introduced by a mutual friend, quickly escalating from a low-profile courtship to a royal engagement by November 2017. Less than a year later, they were married.

While numerous reports over the years have said Prince William cautioned his brother about moving too quickly, Vickers said he was far from the only one who shared those concerns.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

"I think that whenever somebody rushes into a marriage, there are always likely to be people who are going to say, ‘Steady on, have you thought this through? How’s it going to go? Give it a bit of time,’" said Vickers.

"It’s a very sensible bit of advice to give somebody. Of course, it’s not very popular with the couple in question. And I think that was one of the problems, one of the issues, that people close to Prince Harry — his father, his brother and so forth — did say, ‘Steady on, what’s going on? Are you really sure you are taking the right course?’ And if he were to have repeated that to his bride, she wouldn’t have been very pleased. So, I think that’s part of the tension, frankly."

Vickers wrote that while some palace staff referred to Meghan, 44, as "Sparkle," Philip, Harry’s grandfather, dismissed her as "the American." Charles reportedly urged his son to "have fun with her, but don’t marry her." The queen even suggested that Harry should wait a year before marriage.

Harry didn’t wait.

"Many were alarmed that the bride had no family members to support her other than her mother," Vickers wrote. "It was said that the queen did not like the dress — too white and with ungainly shoulders. Someone close to the queen said her attitude to the actual wedding was: ‘You get on with it. It’s nothing to do with me.’"

Vickers said that Harry and Meghan proposed a half-in, half-out arrangement, allowing them to carry out official engagements while pursuing financial independence. Senior royals reacted negatively to the idea, pointing out that part of being a working royal is dedicating your life completely to the role. Vickers wrote that Harry was "reluctantly out."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2022, the queen, England’s longest-reigning monarch, died at age 96. In 2023, Harry’s memoir, "Spare," was published. In it, he laid bare his struggles with royal life and shared personal details about his family. It became the fastest-selling nonfiction book ever, and it went on to become one of the bestselling memoirs of all time.

The Duke and Duchess are raising their two young children in California.

"How did the queen’s view of Meghan Markle change?" said Vickers. "Well, I should imagine it changed quite a lot. She … [would have seen Harry go] off into a different world and not undertake his duties in the way she has done. I’m sure that was very distressing for her."

"I think that their departure and the subsequent activities, particularly the Oprah Winfrey interview, obviously were very upsetting," he said. "And she came up with that wonderful remark, ‘Recollections may vary,’ which was a very polite way of putting it. So I think it inevitably caused her distress."

"What I feel sad about the queen is that she had a lot of problems going on in the last years of her reign," Vickers reflected. "She had Brexit, she had [former Prime Minister] Boris Johnson, she had issues with the [former] Prince Andrew, she had issues with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whereas she should have been sailing into sort of sunlit uplands, enjoying her Platinum Jubilee."

"… A lot was going on. But then, of course, there always had been all through the reign. There were always problems that had to be dealt with."

UK's NATO show of force ends with docked destroyer in Mediterranean after 'technical' issue

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:11:27 -0400

The United Kingdom’s only warship deployed to the eastern Mediterranean during the Iran conflict has been forced into port over a "technical" issue, abruptly sidelining a key piece of Britain’s regional military presence as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of the crisis.

The docking of HMS Dragon — a Type 45 destroyer tasked with defending U.K. assets and projecting force near the conflict zone — weakens Britain’s visible military posture at a sensitive moment, as a fragile U.S.-brokered pause takes hold and criticism from Trump administration officials and conservative voices builds over delays and restrictions that they say damaged London’s credibility with allies.

HMS Dragon was facing issues with its "onboard water systems," which impacted water provisions for sailors on board, The Daily Mail first reported.

MULTIPLE ALLIES DECLINE US CALLS FOR STRAIT OF HORMUZ SUPPORT AMID RISING MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS

"HMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the Eastern Mediterranean, allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement to the outlet.

The ministry said in a statement to the Daily Mail that if necessary the ship will be "able to sail at short notice."

"The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, working in coordination with allies. This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems."

While the Iran war began on Feb. 28, the U.K. did not announce the deployment of HMS Dragon to protect its air bases in Cyprus until five days later. The announcement came a day after Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah struck RAF Akrotiri, one of the United Kingdom's air bases in Cyprus. HMS Dragon did not depart from Portsmouth, England, until March 10 — a week after Starmer's announcement.

HEGSETH DECLARES 'DECISIVE MILITARY VICTORY' OVER IRAN

Trump and Starmer have been at odds since the conflict's onset. While the United Kingdom has allowed the U.S. military to operate out of those bases, Starmer restricted the U.S. military from carrying out offensive missions from its bases. Trump compared Starmer's approach to Iran to former United Kingdom Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who adopted an appeasement policy toward Nazi Germany during World War II.

During a press briefing, War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday called on "so-called allies," referring to the United Kingdom, to "take notes" on what the U.S. and Israel accomplished.

Criticism of Starmer's handling of Iran is also coming from United Kingdom Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly, a member of the Tory Party who is also a military reserve officer. Cleverly scrutinized Starmer's decision to visit the Middle East after the ceasefire was brokered in an interview with GB News.

FARAGE SLAMS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRUMP'S IRAN STRIKES

"He was opposing the United States using their own aircraft from British bases. Then he was in favor of it. He delayed the decision to deploy British naval assets," Cleverly said.

"He left British military personnel and our allies in the region not properly defended, and now he's finally engaging properly with this situation," Cleverly continued.

He claimed that Starmer's conduct had cost the country "credibility on the world stage."

"I know a lot of our friends and allies in the region and beyond are very disappointed in Britain's response. And that is entirely because of decisions that Keir Starmer failed to make," Cleverly said.

British journalist Patrick Chrysty, host of GB News, also criticized the United Kingdom's efforts in the Iran war. He called Secretary of Defense John Healey a "bumbling idiot."

"It took us a month to get HMS Dragon to Cyprus after Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah attacked our military base there... And right as the world holds its breath, HMS Dragon has a fault with its fresh water supply. It's gone to dock for repairs. It's out of action. This is an abomination!"

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

John Hemmings, director of the National Security Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Starmer's visit to the Gulf is his way of showing the United Kingdom is in support of Western allies' efforts in Iran.

"UK Prime Minister Starmer’s trip to the Persian Gulf shows the pressure he is under to ‘fly the flag’ and it’s clear that he’s trying to use Britain’s traditional networks and connections amongst the Gulf Arabs. In some ways, the Starmer team’s behind-the-scenes mediation strengths were proven in the Hamas-Israel peace deal with Jonathan Powell leading,

"This time, Yvette Cooper at the FCDO has been in the lead, running a virtual meeting of over 40 countries to coordinate a response to Iran’s blockade in early April."

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense for comment.

Queen Elizabeth’s final wish for great-grandchildren included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s kids: book

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:45:06 -0400

Queen Elizabeth II had one final, deeply personal priority in what would become her last summer — making sure her great-grandchildren would remember her with joy.

As her health quietly declined in 2022, the late monarch focused not on ceremony, but on creating lasting moments with the youngest members of the royal family at Balmoral Castle, according to a new book by royal biographer Robert Hardman via The Daily Mail.

"The Queen wanted all the great-grandchildren to come up to Balmoral at some point over that summer, even if the Sussexes might not be able to make it," Hardman wrote in "Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story," in an excerpt published April 6.

PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON PULL BACK FROM PUBLIC EYE THIS MONTH AS ‘WORK-SHY’ CRITICISM LINGERS: EXPERTS

At the time, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were living in California after stepping back from royal duties, though they had returned to the U.K. weeks earlier with their children for Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

"‘She wanted to make sure that they all had a really happy memory of her,’ explained a friend of the family," Hardman wrote.

Even as the end of her reign approached, Queen Elizabeth was carefully shaping how she would be remembered.

"Queen Elizabeth was blessed in that in her final months, when her health declined, she was able to put things, as she saw them, in order," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. "She knew her time had its limits and wanted all her great-grandchildren to have a happy memory of her."

Fitzwilliams noted that Balmoral, long considered the Queen’s sanctuary, was a natural setting for such moments.

"She thought Balmoral, which she loved, would be the ideal setting, and George, Charlotte and Louis made the trip in August with their parents, shortly before her death," he said. "Harry and Meghan brought Archie and Lilibet over for her Platinum Jubilee. She was unselfish to the last, but extremely conscious of the importance of happy memories in the minds of the young."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

British royals expert Hilary Fordwich said the reported wish is entirely in keeping with the Queen’s lifelong sense of duty — and devotion to others.

"As always, this is totally consistent with her 21st birthday declaration during her radio address on April 21, 1947, when the then-Princess Elizabeth pledged, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong,’" Fordwich told Fox News Digital.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

"She was always thinking of others, she was always planning and she was always thinking of the future," she added. "No doubt in her final days it was those closest to her heart too, that she wanted to ensure she could impart some of these high esteemed values, hence wanting them to remember."

By the time of her death in September 2022, the Queen had 12 great-grandchildren — among them Prince William and Princess Kate’s brood, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The next royal generation has continued to grow, with two additional great-grandchildren born: Princess Eugenie’s second son, Ernest Brooksbank, and Princess Beatrice’s second daughter, Athena.

Balmoral Castle, one of the only residences she personally owned, had for generations served as the royal family’s escape.

In her final months, it took on added meaning — a private sanctuary where Queen Elizabeth focused on creating lasting, personal memories with the youngest members of her royal family.

Construction crew unearths surprising 300-year-old cannon while digging in historic city

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:00:25 -0400

Construction workers in the United Kingdom recently unearthed a 300-year-old cannon during a routine day on the job.

The find was made during work in Kingston upon Hull, a city in East Yorkshire, according to an announcement earlier this year from the Hull City Council.

After the cannon was found, archaeologists from Humber Field Archaeology, a unit of Hull City Council, examined it.

WORLD'S LARGEST MEDIEVAL CARGO SHIP EMERGES FROM ITS UNDERWATER GRAVE OFF ONE COUNTRY'S COAST

The cast-iron cannon likely dates to the late 17th century or early 18th century.

The artifact measures nearly nine feet long and weighs over a ton, officials said.

"Initial observations indicate the cannon had been decommissioned, with the nozzle deliberately capped," the announcement said.

"Archaeologists believe it was likely repurposed as a mooring post, a common practice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before being pushed into the dock area prior to it being infilled in the 1930s," the council noted.

Pictures show the iron cannon heavily encrusted with dirt and corrosion after being unearthed at the site.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The discovery was "very unexpected," said Peter Connelly, archaeology manager for Humber Field Archaeology.

Connelly told Fox News Digital the contractors "certainly weren’t expecting a cannon to turn up" — and didn't even realize it was a cannon at first.

"The archaeologists weren't expecting it because they knew that the deposit being dug into was dock backfill," he said.

He observed, "This discovery just goes to show that people will deposit anything in a conveniently large hole in the ground when it is being backfilled."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

While such finds are not unheard of, Connelly described the find as "definitely very rare."

Hull archaeologists previously found a Henry VIII-era cannon in the late 1990s, as well as a fragment of a cannon from just before the English Civil War.

"This new cannon discovery is only the third of its kind in 30 years," said Connelly.

Archaeologists were instead expecting typical 20th-century "domestic refuse," he added, as well as the "occasional accidental loss."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

"For example, a complete late 19th century glass decanter was recovered from the dock backfill — somebody was probably quite upset when they lost this," Connelly recalled.

The archaeologist said the cannon showed clear signs of being deliberately decommissioned before being reused.

"After the dock fell out of use, and as it was being backfilled and converted to a garden, this mooring post no longer had a function and the cannon was tipped with the backfill," he said.

Researchers will analyze the cannon to see whether it was made in Hull, as the city had its own cannon makers in the late 18th century.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Further work is still to be carried out on the cannon to focus on when exactly it was cast, where it was made and hopefully find out who made it," Connelly said.