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The King and Queen are commemorating the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II with private prayers and a moment of reflection at a Scottish church.

Charles and Camilla made the short journey by car from the nearby Balmoral Estate to Crathie Kirk where monarchs have worshipped since Queen Victoria.

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King thanks people for ‘love and support’

They were joined by the late Queen’s niece and nephew, Lady Sarah Chatto and the Earl of Snowdon.

A small group of Balmoral estate workers, members of the public and pupils from Crathie Primary School had gathered close to the church.

The Rev Kenneth Mackenzie, minister of Crathie Kirk, who officiated at the event, said it was “a simple reflective time”.

“I think that those of us that did get to see the Queen in different situations, but particularly up here, felt it today, were reminded of the loss,” he said.

“And wherever they might be, in their own homes or wherever, I’m glad that people will have the opportunity to reflect and gives some thanks for the life of the Queen.”

The King outside Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, Scotland
People walk outside Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, Scotland

Crowds also gathered outside Buckingham Palace in central London and Windsor Castle and left written messages and flowers outside and at the gates.

The event will be a deeply personal moment for the King, who became sovereign when his mother died peacefully on September 8 last year at Balmoral, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

Charles has been staying at his Birkhall residence and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire over the summer.

Sky News royal correspondent Laura Bundock said: “This has felt like a day where the whole family has been reflecting on what has been a huge, monumental year of change – for them as a family, and the wider country.”

She added: “It was always going to be an emotional day, particularly for the King, and I’ve really reflected on the sense of symmetry we have – that the late Queen would always go to Sandringham to mark the anniversary of her father George VI’s death, that was where he died, and now we see the same moment mirrored by the King, as he chose to come to Balmoral Castle.”

Queen Elizabeth II photographed by Cecil Beaton in October 1968. Pic: Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023
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Queen Elizabeth II photographed by Cecil Beaton in October 1968. Pic: Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Other members of the Royal Family have also been paying tributes, including Prince and Princess of Wales, who will visit the Welsh cathedral of St Davids for a short private service on Friday, also paid tribute, saying: “We all miss you.”

The message written by William and Kate on X, formerly known as Twitter, read: “Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C.”

A picture of the late Queen outside Windsor Castle
Image:
A picture of the late Queen outside Windsor Castle

Anne Daley and Bartley Graham commemorate the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death, at Windsor Castle

Princess Eugenie wrote on Instagram: “Thinking of you today. Missing you so much but remembering what a life of service, love and dedication to everyone and to your family, who loved you so very much. Forever grateful to you. And always in my heart.”

It was followed by two red heart emojis and an image of a smiling Eugenie sat next to the late Queen on what appears to be a bench outside a cabin on the Balmoral estate.

Prince Harry, who flew to London for a WellChild award ceremony on Thursday ahead of the start of the Invictus Games in Germany, also paid tribute to his grandmother.

He said: “I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together, continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.”

Prince Harry. Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

The King has also recorded a message and released a favourite photograph of his mother on the first anniversary of her death.

He recalled his mother with “great affection” and remembered her “devoted service” and “all she meant” to the country, and released a portrait of her taken by Cecil Beaton in 1968 when she was 42.

In it, she is standing side on to the camera, wearing her Garter robes and the Grand Duchess Vladimir’s Tiara, made of 15 interlaced diamond circles.

In a short statement written and recorded at Balmoral Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II died, her son said: “In marking the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.

“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”

To mark Accession Day, soldiers and horses who took part in the state funeral procession and proclamation salutes signifying the new reign performed anniversary gun salutes in the King’s honour.

Captain Amy Cooper – lead rider in the procession which carried the Queen’s coffin to lie in state in Westminster Hall – gave the order to fire a 41-gun salute at midday in London’s Hyde Park.

A 62-gun salute was also planned at the Tower of London by The Honourable Artillery Company.

In commemoration of the King’s accession, bells will be rung at Westminster Abbey at 1pm.

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Gun salutes ring across UK

Rishi Sunak has also paid tribute, noting her “sharp wit”.

With the “perspective of a year”, the prime minister said the “scale of Her Late Majesty’s service only seems greater”.

Remembering his meetings with her, he added: “I was struck by her wisdom, by her incredible warmth and grace, but also her sharp wit.”

Mr Sunak said while the country should be proud of the late Queen’s “remarkable legacy of service”, a “remarkable bond” between the country and the monarchy “continues to grow today under the reign of His Majesty The King”.

A woman lays flowers outside the Buckingham Palace on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death
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Flowers have also been left outside Buckingham Palace

A woman lays flowers outside Buckingham Palace on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Queen Elizabeth “always enjoyed a special bond with her people”.

He added: “It was a relationship built from her understanding that service of this great nation is the thread that unites sovereign and subject.”

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Last UK blast furnaces days from closure as Chinese owners cut off crucial supplies

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Last UK blast furnaces days from closure as Chinese owners cut off crucial supplies

​​​​​​​The last blast furnaces left operating in Britain could see their fate sealed within days, after their Chinese owners took the decision to cut off the crucial supply of ingredients keeping them running. 

Jingye, the owner of British Steel in Scunthorpe, has, according to union representatives, cancelled future orders for the iron ore, coal and other raw materials needed to keep the furnaces running.

The upshot is that they may have to close next month – even sooner than the earliest date suggested for its closure.

Read more: Thousands of jobs at risk as British Steel consults unions over closure

The fate of the blast furnaces – the last two domestic sources of virgin steel, made from iron ore rather than recycled – is likely to be determined in a matter of days, with the Department for Business and Trade now actively pondering nationalisation.

The upshot is that even as Britain contends with a trade war across the Atlantic, it is now working against the clock to secure the future of steelmaking at Scunthorpe.

British Steel proceesing

The talks between the government and Jingye broke down last week after the Chinese company, which bought British Steel out of receivership in 2020, rejected a £500m offer of public money to replace the existing furnaces with electric arc furnaces.

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The sum is the same one it offered to Tata Steel, which has shut down the other remaining UK blast furnaces in Port Talbot and is planning to build electric furnaces – which have far lower carbon emissions.

These steel workers could soon be out of work
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These steel workers could soon be out of work

However, the owners argue that the amount is too little to justify extra investment at Scunthorpe, and said last week they were now consulting on the date of shutting both the blast furnaces and the attached steelworks.

Since British Steel is the main provider of steel rails to Network Rail – as well as other construction steels available from only a few sites in the world – the closure would leave the UK more reliant on imports for critical infrastructure sites.

British Steel in action

However, since the site belongs to its Chinese owners, a decision to nationalise the site would involve radical steps government officials are wary of taking.

They also fear leaving taxpayers exposed to a potentially loss-making business for the long run.

British Steel

The dilemma has been heightened by the sharp turn in geopolitical sentiment following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The incipient trade war and threatened cut in American support to Europe have sparked fresh calls for countries to act urgently to secure their own supplies of critical materials, especially those used for defence and infrastructure.

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Gareth Stace, head of UK Steel, the industry lobby group, said: “Talks seem to have broken down between government and British Steel.

“My advice to government is: please, Jonathan Reynolds, Business Secretary, get back round that negotiating table, thrash out a deal, and if a deal can’t be found in the next few days, then I fear for the very future of the sector, but also here for Scunthorpe steelworks.”

British Steel declined to comment.

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Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace branded ‘crude attempt to enrich himself’ as Chinese spy documents set to be released

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Prince Andrew's Pitch@Palace branded 'crude attempt to enrich himself' as Chinese spy documents set to be released

Prince Andrew’s efforts to make money from his Pitch@Palace project have been branded as a “crude attempt to enrich himself” at the expense of “unsuspecting tech founders”, as new documents may shed more light on what he and his team have been attempting to sell.

Today is the deadline for documents to be released relating to Prince Andrew‘s former senior adviser Dominic Hampshire and his interactions with the alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.

In February, an immigration tribunal heard how the intelligence services had contacted Mr Hampshire about Mr Yang back in 2022. Mr Yang helped set up Pitch@Palace China, a branch of the duke’s scheme to help young entrepreneurs.

The alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, has links with Prince Andrew
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The alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, has links with Prince Andrew

Pic: Pitch@Palace
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Yang Tengbo. Pic: Pitch@Palace

Judges banned Mr Yang from the UK, saying his association with a senior royal had made Prince Andrew “vulnerable” and posed a threat to national security. Mr Yang challenged that decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Since that hearing, media organisations have applied for certain documents relating to the case and Mr Hampshire’s support for Mr Yang to be made public. SIAC agreed to release some information of public interest. It is hoped they may include more details on deals that he was trying to do on behalf of Prince Andrew.

So what do we know about potential deals for Pitch@Palace so far?

In February, Sky News confirmed that palace officials had a meeting last summer with tech funding company StartupBootcamp to discuss a potential tie-up between them and Prince Andrew relating to his Pitch@Palace project.

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The palace wasn’t involved in the fine details of a deal but wanted guarantees to make sure it wouldn’t impact the Royal Family in the future. Sky News understands from one source that the price being discussed for Pitch was around £750,000 – there are, however, reports that a deal may have stalled.

Photos we found on the Chinese Chamber of Commerce website show an event held in Asia between StartupBootcamp and Innovate Global, believed to be an offshoot of Pitch.

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Who is alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo?

Documents, released in relation to the investigations into Mr Tengbo, have also shown how much the duke has always seen Pitch as a way of potentially making money. One document from 21 August 2021 clearly states “the duke needed money at the time, and saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding”.

But Prince Andrew’s apparent intention to use Pitch to make money has led to concerns about whether he is unfairly using the contacts and information he gained when he was a working royal.

Norman Baker, former MP and author of books on royal finances, believes it is “a crude attempt to enrich himself” and goes against what the tech entrepreneurs thought they were signing up for.

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He told Sky News: “The data given by these business people was given on the basis it was an official operation and not something for Prince Andrew, and so in my view, Prince Andrew had no right legally or morally to take the data which has been collected, a huge amount of data, and sell it…

“And quite clearly if you’re going to sell it off to StartupBootcamp, that is not what people had in mind. The entrepreneurs who joined Pitch@Palace did not do so to enrich Prince Andrew,” he said.

Rich Wilson was one tech entrepreneur who was approached at the start of Pitch@Palace to sign up, but he stepped away when he spotted a clause in the contract saying they’d be entitled to 2% equity in any funding he secured.

He feels Prince Andrew is continuing to use those he made a show of supporting.

He said: “It makes me feel sick. I think it’s terrible – that he is continuing to exploit unsuspecting tech founders in this way. A lot of them, I’m quite grey and old in the tooth now, I saw it coming, but clearly most didn’t. And a lot of them were quite young.

“It’ll be their first venture and you’re learning on the trot, so to speak. So to take advantage of people in such a major way – that’s an awful, sickening thing to do.”

We approached StartupBootcamp who said they had no comment to make, and the Duke of York’s office did not respond.

With reports that a deal may have stalled, it could be a big setback for the duke – especially with questions still about how he’ll continue to pay for his home on the Windsor estate now that the King no longer gives him financial support.

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UK in talks with Brazil over ‘potential sale’ of two Royal Navy amphibious assault ships

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UK in talks with Brazil over 'potential sale' of two Royal Navy amphibious assault ships

The UK is in talks with Brazil over the “potential sale” of the Royal Navy’s two amphibious assault ships that are being ditched to cut costs, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

Defence experts said the fact HMS Bulwark – which has only just received an expensive refit – and HMS Albion are being flogged off underlines the pressure on the defence budget even though Sir Keir Starmer keeps talking up his promises to boost expenditure.

The two warships can be used to deploy Royal Marines to shore – a vital capability at a time of growing global threats.

News of the possible sale was first revealed in Latin American media.

One report said the Royal Navy and Brazilian Navy had signed an agreement that would see the UK giving information to the Brazilians on the state of the two ships prior to any purchase.

Asked about the claim that the UK would sell the assault ships to Brazil, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We can confirm we have entered discussions with the Brazilian Navy over the potential sale of HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion.

“As announced in November, both ships are being decommissioned from the Royal Navy. Neither were planned to go back to sea before their out of service dates in the 2030s.”

More on Brazil

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, appeared to question the wisdom of the move.

“At Defence orals [House of Commons questions] on January 6th Defence Secretary John Healey said: ‘HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion were not genuine capabilities’,” Mr Cartlidge wrote in a post on social media.

“They’ve just been sold to Brazil.”

Matthew Savill, the director of military science at the Royal United Services Institute, said the plan to sell the vessels demonstrates there “is still life in both these ships”.

He said: “The fact that the UK is prepared to sell off useful amphibious capability – which could be used in evacuation operations or other cases where air transport is difficult – shows just how tight finances are even with the promised budget increase.

“The replacements for these ships are still several years away and won’t be available until the 2030s.”

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Prince Harry’s charity row explained
US seems content to cosy up to Russia instead of imposing tariffs

Mr Savill added: “As an aside, Brazil will probably have greater amphibious capacity than the UK, having previously bought HMS Ocean, the UK’s helicopter assault ship.”

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark entered service two decades ago.

Both are currently held at lower readiness having not been to sea since 2023 and 2017 respectively.

HMS Ocean, a helicopter-landing vessel and once the largest warship in the Royal Navy, was sold to the Brazilian Navy in 2018 after 20 years in service.

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