Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer as expected to attend a Japanese state banquet ahead of next month’s election.

King Charles is hosting the event in honour of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday next week.

It has been stressed that this is not a political visit in light of the upcoming General Election, which prevents the royal family from attending any events which could distract from the ongoing campaigns.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry official said: “In Japan, Their Majesties (the emperor and empress) are not engaged in the political or the economic spheres so we don’t have any plans to promote our economic relationship by this visit itself.

“This visit is actually to promote our friendly bilateral relations in culture, [and] science.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning a “world tour” after their recent, unofficial trip to Nigeria as private citizens.

An unidentified source claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are likely to visit Ghana first.

They told the Mirror: “There is already a lot of talk and excitement in Ghana, everyone is so keen for Harry and Meghan to come and experience the great culture and warmth.”

They added: “Several top names have already visited Ghana in recent years from Ed Sheeran to Naomi Campbell and One Direction’s Liam Payne.”

TalkTV host Andre Walker claimed on That Was The Woke That Was that the pair have been encouraged by the success of their trip to Nigeria, which acknowledged the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

“Harry and Meghan are planning a world tour this summer following on from the success of their trip to Nigeria,” he said.

King Charles changed the order of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony at this year’s Trooping the Colour for a poignant reason, it has been claimed.

The Monarch’s former butler Grant Harrold believes that the King broke with royal protocol to reflect the fact that he and the Princess of Wales are both battling cancer, the Express reports.

He noted that traditionally Kate and Prince William would stand closest together, but this was not the case at this year’s event, which marked the Princess’s first public appearance of 2024.

Instead, the Princess stood close to both her husband and the King in a move that was reportedly “orchestrated” by the Monarch.

A Scottish minister who comforted the royal family after the Queen’s death at Balmoral has been recognised for his work by King Charles in his birthday honours list.

Reverand Kenneth MacKenzie of the Parish of Braemar and Crathie in Aberdeenshire was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) for his services.

He said that he did what any of his colleagues would have done in the same situation.

“I am honoured to have been awarded this recognition directly by His Majesty the King,” he said.

“In making this presentation, he, and by extension other members of the royal family, has once again publicly acknowledged and expressed his gratitude for the prayerful pastoral support that has been offered to him and the family by the church and in particular by the Chapel Royal in Scotland down through the ages, and especially in recent years.

“These awards are only ever given to individuals, but in every case, the recipient has always represented a much wider body.

“At the time of the late Queen’s death in Balmoral, I was the chaplain most closely engaged with the royal family and was simply being and doing what any of my colleagues would be and do in any similar situation.”

The pair, who stepped down as working royals in 2020, did not attend the King’s official birthday parade in 2023 either.

Royal expert Tom Quinn told The Mirror that while the possibility of inviting the Sussexes was considered, it was ultimately decided against because of ongoing tensions.

“There was a brief discussion among the senior royals about inviting Harry and Meghan to Trooping the Colour,” he said.

“But the idea was quickly dismissed, because even if the couple accepted the invitation there is a feeling that they cast a dark shadow over everything.”

This is because Queen Camila has become the patron of a new building project that will allow guests to enter the building through the Great West Door for the first time.

Construction work on the new King Charles III Sacristy entrance lobby, which will cost an estimated £13 million, is set to begin this year and conclude in 2026.

The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle said: “This splendid building, which is both new and old, will transform the welcome our visitors receive and, more importantly, change the way they see Westminster Abbey.

“The full drama of this shrine and house of memory is best appreciated by approaching it from the Great West Doors.

“The transepts and aisles will emerge calmer and more graceful as we move chairs and ticketing booths out of the abbey.

“It is a building fit for a King and for an abbey whose faith and ministry is both old and new.”

Taken by photographer Chris Jelf at their home in Surrey, Prince Edward and Sophie look happier than ever on their silver wedding anniversary, with the Queen’s youngest son, 60, wrapping his arms lovingly around his wife, 59.

“I’m incredibly lucky that I found Sophie and that she found me,” Edward said in a television interview.

Following the news that Prince Harry is allegedly hunting for a UK residence, a former royal butler has claimed that he and Meghan Markle will split their time between the UK and the USA.

The couple left the UK in 2020 for a new life in California, officially giving up their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, last June.

Grant Harrold, a former butler to King Charles, told The New York Post: “If Harry does buy a place in the UK, he and Meghan will live here for part of the year and part of the year in the States, that was the original idea.

“I would assume that this would mean Meghan would also be coming to the UK and you’d see them spending so many months of the year here.”

News of Harry’s alleged plan to have a more permanent base in the UK comes after he reportedly stayed in a London hotel on his recent visit to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games.

The Duke of Sussex moved to California in 2020 after stepping down as a working royal and officially vacated his UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, last June.

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digitial that the Prince was “likely permitted” to look for a new British residence by Meghan Markle.

“I hear that Harry is both content with his new lifestyle and homesick. It just depends on the day,” Schofield said.

“I’m sure Harry could get homesick, and we know that he is prone to wearing his heart on his sleeve. Meghan has likely permitted him to try to establish an additional residence in the UK if that will make him happy, but I doubt she has any desire to participate in the process or visit.”

This comes after King Charles failed to meet his youngest son on his recent trip to the UK, even though the pair have not seen each other since February.

Prince William, meanwhile, chose to acknowledge the event and posted a throwback picture of himself and the now-Monarch on 16 June, which notably did not include Prince Harry.

He simply wrote: “Happy Father’s Day, Pa. W.”