Kate Middleton's no-nonsense approach, ‘ruthless discipline' shapes her future as queen: expert
Kate Middleton is said to be taking a no-nonsense approach to becoming queen one day.
The Princess of Wales, who is recognized as Britain's reliable royal, is said to hold a greater influence over the House of Windsor than once imagined, as she supports Prince William, heir to the throne.
"Her emphasis on a ruthless discipline in her regimented daily routine and commitment to self-improvement has helped her," British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
"She divides her time meticulously between parenting, supporting the heir to the throne, and her royal duties and manages to fit in an intense workout regime," said Fordwich. "Regarding her three children, she can combine tradition with a modern, more middle-class approach to family. This, on top of her dedication to duty, is seen as essential for the monarchy's relevance and continuity."
Fordwich's statements came shortly after a source close to the royal household told People that the 43-year-old is the most popular member of the royal family.
"She's very much seen as a player at the center of team Windsor," added Simon Lewis, a former Buckingham Palace communications chief.
Royal author Valentine Low also told the outlet that Kate has "developed a toughness" behind palace doors as she supports her husband. One source told the outlet, "She takes things seriously – and thank goodness for that."
"She has this public image of being nice and smiley," Low told the outlet. "But she is strong-minded, strong-willed, and prepared to fight for what she wants and what she thinks is right."
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that Kate has good reason to develop thicker skin.
"The onset of a life-threatening illness can make a person tough," he explained, referring to the royal's past battle with cancer. The princess announced she was in remission from cancer in January of this year.
"When they have a clear goal, as Kate has, the maintaining of the monarchy and bringing up her family means the experience, although traumatic, can be used to advantage in the years ahead," he said.
WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON MAKES KEY DECISIONS FOR ROYALS AS FUTURE QUEEN: EXPERT
"Kate needed confidence as a public speaker, which she now has," said Fitzwilliams. "She is a fashion icon, which she uses to enormous advantage. And she and William are so close, as their PDA clearly shows. They are the monarchy's future. They work brilliantly as a team now, and they will continue to do so when William becomes king."
Royal historian Amanda Foreman previously told People that the Prince and Princess of Wales have an unwavering partnership as a couple. William, she noted, has allowed Kate to shine on her own as she takes on royal duties.
William and Kate became Prince and Princess of Wales upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II. England's longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96.
"The last five years have been a nightmare for them in every possible way – the past year even more so," Foreman explained to the outlet.
"That either crushes a marriage or it brings them together," she said. "And just in time, frankly – if there was ever a time when the country required stability, this is it. The international stage is so unstable, it is rather extraordinary to see how both have risen to the occasion."
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that William has taken on more duties to support his father, King Charles III. The monarch, 76, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024.
Kate has prioritized having a hands-on approach to raising their three young children, giving them as normal of an upbringing as possible while bringing them to royal events.
"Without a doubt, Princess Catherine's toughness is a brilliant combination of resilience, self-discipline and emotional maturity – qualities which have rendered her the most popular of royals and crucial for the monarchy's future stability as well as public image," said Fordwich.
"Prince William's influence and enduring strength of their relationship is significant, but so is her independent strength. Together, their sum is greater than their respective parts."
The road to being a beloved royal wasn't always smooth for Kate.
The Middleton family has no aristocratic background, and the British press often referred to Kate as a "commoner" marrying into the royal family. In 2001, she met William when they were students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Friends and housemates at first, their relationship came to be in the public eye when they were pictured together in 2004.
As a romance blossomed, the pair's relationship came under intense public scrutiny from the start. In 2005, Kate's lawyers asked newspaper editors to leave her alone, saying photographers were invading her private life. That didn't stop media interest in her relationship with William, or unkind headlines calling her "Waity Katie" when the couple briefly split in 2007.
WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON'S DORMMATE RECALLS BEFRIENDING THE FUTURE PRINCESS OF WALES
The couple's 2011 wedding sparked a level of royal mania unseen since the nuptials of the then-Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
After the wall-to-wall wedding coverage, the couple retreated to a relatively quiet life away from the limelight in rural Wales for two years while William completed his military service.
But the royals' tussle with the press again came to the fore in 2012, when William and Kate sued a French magazine for publishing photos of a topless Kate, snapped while the couple was vacationing at a private villa in southern France.
Media pressure on Kate largely eased when her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, married Meghan Markle in 2018. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. They now reside in California.
Kate rarely revealed her thoughts in public, though in recent years she has grown in confidence as a public speaker and a champion of early education for young children. In 2021, she demonstrated some talent as a performer, surprising the audience at a Christmas carol service with her piano playing.
Motherhood also brought about a determination to forge a new, more controlled relationship with the press. Kate and William stressed they wanted their children to lead as "normal" a life as possible.
In 2022, the family moved from Kensington Palace in central London to a cottage near Windsor Castle, further underlining their desire to raise their children in relative privacy.
Fordwich said Kate's battle with cancer has made the public view her differently in recent months. The princess announced she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease in March 2024.
"Her cancer diagnosis and her personal decision to record a video for the nation demonstrated her grace, composure and sense of duty," said Fordwich. "Her poise and strength were on full display, as it has been during all of her public engagements before and since."
"Importantly, the public admired her humanity and ability to weather storms without either drama or complaining," Fordwich shared.
"This renders her a vital anchor for the future of the monarchy. Overall, polling shows that the British public's faith in the monarchy is bolstered by Catherine's visible strength and reliability, especially since she and William are representative, in an ever-changing and chaotic world, of a solid collective future."
Fordwich is adamant that Kate's future is looking bright. The princess will quickly be embraced by the public as queen when the time comes, she insisted.
"Her admirable stoicism and discretion, which she has consistently displayed during difficult periods, is of tremendous appeal," she said. "… The [past] media scrutiny and classist attitudes she endured… it strengthened her, rendering her the stalwart senior royal she is today."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
I attended Britain's poshest sports events. This is what I learned
The train from central London to Ascot is a hotbed of sharp suits, stunning designer dresses and brow sweat. It's 26C (79 Fahrenheit), summer has finally arrived in England, and, for the immaculately dressed people heading for a day at the races in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, that's perfect timing. Advertisement For a start, it gives the above-average ratio of people who have decided to wear sunglasses on the train an excuse to keep them on, despite the carriage being in the shade and, well, inside. Without meaning to stereotype, there are a lot of people who really, really love themselves on this train. To be blunt, it's a high tosser ratio. Much higher than usual. Normally, a train full of people heading to a sporting event, a football match, for example, would involve at least some discussion about the day ahead. Two blokes in this carriage are discussing the relocation of Abercrombie & Fitch. There is some chat about the impending race day. Some women are talking about their tickets being 'in with the plebs' and are discussing tactics about how to blag their way into the Royal Enclosure. One of their number regales an anecdote about last year's event and how their friend was excited to win £80 ($107) on a race. 'Oh, that was cute,' one of the group scoffs. 'We won £900 last year and £2,000 the year before.' These are by no means gambling experts, given that they then describe how their cat helped pick their chosen horses. But hey, if you've got the cash, flaunt it. And that will happen a lot today. This is Royal Ascot, slap bang in the middle of the high-society British sporting summer, which encompasses a jewel-encrusted series of events scattered around west London and surrounding areas. Tennis at Queen's Club, polo at Hurlingham, more racing at Epsom, cricket at Lord's, rowing at the Henley Regatta… all early summer events within a 40-mile radius stretching west of the UK's capital city, where the on-field action often feels secondary to the social buzz that surrounds them. So, who exactly attends these events? And do they actually care about the sport? The Athletic donned its finest attire to find out. At Ascot, the five-day race card is open to all (there is a £35 ticket option), but it also welcomes royalty, Andrew Lloyd Webber and lots of well-spoken blokes in top hats. 'Look at her, she's got nothing on her shoulders,' one irate woman points and speaks in angry, hushed tones to her friend. 'That's not for a royal occasion.' Advertisement Royal Ascot is about what you wear as much as it is about horses. The latter is more important to the majority of people in attendance. That and flashing your cash. 'I know more about finance than everyone here put together,' a bashful chap states to his weary companion, who replies with silence. He must be quite the finance guru, seeing as there are tens of thousands of people here, part of an overall five-day attendance that will top 250,000, making Royal Ascot one of Britain's best-attended sporting events. Before The Athletic can ask this incredible man for advice, there is a smattering of noise around the amphitheatre-esque oval ring. Ah, the national anthem has started. Hat off. Time to pay your respects, or even record it on your phone. Polite applause follows as the King and Queen are paraded for our entertainment in a horse-drawn carriage. 'Three cheers for the King,' an enthusiastic royalist bellows. This is all part of a tradition that dates back 200 years, beginning when George IV attended Ascot in 1825 with the Duke of Wellington. Queen Elizabeth II was British racing's greatest ambassador and a successful owner in her own right (she had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners). She also genuinely loved the sport, having regular catch-ups with her racing manager and only missing one Royal Ascot meeting (in June 2022, three months before she died). King Charles III does not have the same affinity for the sport, but he does his best, taking on his mother's stable of horses and waving dutifully at the Royal Ascot parade, which takes place every day before the first race. It is part of several traditions that racegoers still adhere to in 2025, such as the dress code. If you're sat in the Royal Enclosure, banned items include strapless or one-shoulder dresses, see-through fabric, midriffs, bow ties, cravats or neckerchiefs. Instead, women must wear a dress or skirt that falls just above the knee or longer, or a trouser suit of matching material or colour, and a hat or headpiece with a minimum diameter of four inches. Advertisement Men have to wear a morning suit which is black, grey or navy, a waistcoat and tie, a top hat, and black shoes with socks covering the ankle. The cheaper the seats, the more relaxed the dress code becomes, but absolutely none of the 250,000 attendees can wear trainers, shorts, denim or leggings. With all this pomp and ceremony, you'd hope the facilities match the occasion, and Royal Ascot does not disappoint. The main grandstand was rebuilt 20 years ago in a £220million ($297m) redevelopment, the biggest investment ever made in British horse racing. You can see where the money went; the huge, sprawling stand comes with great views, great bars, great eateries and great, well, everything. Massive escalators can take you to a higher vantage point (if you've bought the more expensive tickets), while outside there is a vast grassy area of more bars, more food and hundreds of seats and tables, covered or uncovered. People approach their days differently; in one of the private enclosures, three old boys in full old-school suits and top hats sit and peruse their racecards and newspapers, smoking cigars and barely saying a word. In the (cheaper) Windsor Enclosure, people queue for pizza slices and beers and dash to put their bets on for the next race. Wherever you are, it isn't cheap. A small glass of red wine? That'll be £8.50. Bottled beers are £7.20, a pint is as much as £7.80, and a single vodka and diet mixer is £9.30. Or just get a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rose for £130. American sports fans may consider these prices reasonably good value given what is routinely charged at U.S. venues, but for Brits, this is punchy. The Athletic accidentally wanders into luxury fashion shop LK Bennett, which sells dresses and bags. Could treat a friend to a gift, perhaps. Wonder how much that bag is. Oh, £299.99. That's OK, I'm all good thanks. Advertisement Meanwhile, a woman stubs out her cigarette in her own ashtray, a mini glass jam jar. The posh don't like littering, apparently. It's 5pm and, by a statue of famous horse Frankel, there is a make-up brush on the ground and half a portion of chips. Almost everywhere you look, women are hobbling. Some are already carrying their shoes in their hand and, if they get the train back, will be grateful to the young lads selling flip-flops for £5 near the station (just a 10-minute walk away). 'Yeah, we're not doing good, I'm afraid,' a man down on his luck bemoans on the phone. However you're spending your day and however much you're spending (or losing), there is a sense of this being somewhere near the best of British. Yes, it's exclusive, but unless you're wearing fancy dress or shorts, everyone is welcome. The glorious sunshine helps, but the enormous Union flags that adorn the front of the main grandstand reflect the grand occasion. See the Union flag at most other locations in the United Kingdom and it'll mean something very different indeed, but here Britishness is celebrated. Royal Ascot may be the most prestigious race day on the calendar, but the most iconic race is surely the Derby. Yes, not the Epsom Derby, it's just the Derby. Britain's richest flat horse race was first held in 1780, almost 100 years before the first Kentucky Derby. It runs in the first week of June and, like Ascot, attracts the highest of society. As The Athletic wanders around the Queen Elizabeth II Stand, the glances made are like towards excrement on a shoe. No top hat, you see. And everyone else is wearing one. Here they're drinking Blanc de Blancs (Champagne) or Pimm's. In the owners' and trainers' viewing area, the atmosphere is quiet. Normally, you'd expect some rambunctious cheers as the winning horse crosses the line; here, there is barely a noise. It's just the day job. Advertisement 'Well done, old chap,' one man remarks to his friend in an accent that makes King Charles sound like a commoner. Epsom offers a stark contrast between the rich and the not-so-rich. On one side of the dividing line, there are expensive suits and Champagne, a few metres away, there are, yes, plenty of young lads in suits, but also baseball caps, hoodies and see-through ponchos. There is a section of exclusivity, for sure (Queen Elizabeth II was a regular on Derby day) and Epsom certainly caters for the Royal Ascot crowd, but you wonder if it wishes to exclusively do so in the future given how prices have gone up for your average racegoer. It's £76.50 for a Derby day ticket in the main Grandstand near the finishing line (£165 for the Queen Elizabeth II stand). Even for the day before, Ladies Day, it's £72, which is up from £50 just a few years ago. There are cheaper alternatives, such as £35 for the Tattenham Corner, but that is situated far from the finish line and there is no access to the parade ring. Pints, surprisingly, are more expensive at Epsom than at Ascot; a Pravha or Madri will set you back £7.99, as will a Guinness. It's not cheap and the crowds have visibly dwindled in recent years. The Racing Post reported that this year's Derby crowd was 22,312, down from 38,044 in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Even the hill opposite, which is free to attend, is noticeably quieter, although the horrific, endless rain will have something to do with that. If Epsom is maybe unclear as to its target audience, those in attendance still make the most of the day despite the weather. And unlike in the posh bit, winning bets are celebrated like a last-minute football goal. 'GET IN THERE,' one chap punches the air, cigarette in hand, before sprinting off to collect his winnings. Another has been slightly less lucky in that he's won, too, but has discarded his betting slip. He and his friends start the demeaning task of rummaging through discarded pieces of paper on the soggy, concrete floor, pushing past umbrellas and apologising through grimaces. It's safe to say he isn't wearing a top hat. There are umbrellas at Queen's Club, too, but only to shelter from the unyielding, scorching heat. Queen's, sponsor-titled as the HSBC Championships, is the premier warm-up for Wimbledon at the start of the tennis grass-court season. Its main court, the newly minted Andy Murray Arena, hosts almost 9,000 spectators. For comparison, Wimbledon's Centre Court hosts just shy of 15,000. Queen's this year hosted a women's singles event for the first time since 1973, with the competition having moved to Eastbourne in the intervening decades. Both it and the men's event are 500-level, two rungs below a Grand Slam such as Wimbledon. It boasts a stellar line-up: 10 of the world's top 20 women, including Madison Keys and Zheng Qinwen, and in the men's draw, Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz. While Wimbledon is far more well-known and prestigious, Queen's takes its place on the summer social calendar of 'to be seen' west London events. Advertisement Wimbledon is posh, too, sure, but it boasts many more tourists than Queen's, which has an air of exclusivity with its endless swathes of beige trousers and pink shirts. Like the All England Club, it's also a private members' club for the rest of the year. Good luck getting in, with membership applications closed since 2019. If they ever reopen, the annual fee is just over £2,000, but anyone who makes it as a member also has to purchase a £15,000 share in the club. During the tournament, Neal's Yard Dairy knows its audience. Positioned just outside Barons Court underground station, one of its staff is stood outside selling picnic boxes with four classic British cheeses for £15. Or a sparkling apple juice for £3.50. A man in vanilla trousers and a blue shirt marches down the street, having bought a Panama hat. Unbeknownst to him, the label is bouncing off the back. There's no official dress code at Queen's, but most people dress exactly the same anyway, particularly the men. Light trousers, light shirt, Panama hat. Done. Everyone tends to drink the same, too; Pimm's, at £34 a jug or £12 a glass. It's also incredibly well positioned, just a five-minute walk from Barons Court on the London Underground and sat almost invisibly among rows of terraces and marbled houses and apartments. A posh version of Everton's (now former) football ground Goodison Park, basically. Temporary stands are erected on the two main courts; the Andy Murray Arena and Court 1, while the middle of the venue plays host to a maze of makeshift concourse areas and corridors that link all the courts together. A marvel of organisation. The contrasts between the two biggest courts are vivid; on centre court, where Brit Dan Evans is putting on a stirring, crowd-pleasing performance, they keep as quiet as possible during play. Even back on row N, where The Athletic is positioned, they're whispering, despite being nowhere near the court. Advertisement Over on Court 1, where Portugal's best player, Nuno Borges, blows a one-set lead against veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, the noise never ceases. For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm's and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point). Where professional sport means a social occasion. A woman eats salmon with a plastic spoon while Batista Agut glares at someone who decides to get up and walk out during a point. Borges' serve is later delayed for the same reason. 'Why don't we just play on?' he angrily queries. 'People are just f****** moving on the sides anyway, we might as well just play.' No one seems too concerned by the outburst. One man's primary issue is balancing his tray of sushi on his knees while he squirts soy sauce over the top. Pie and a pint, this ain't. Despite the quantities of alcohol being quaffed (they don't drink here, they quaff) and the boiling weather, it's a civilised day to the end. The gender split being balanced as much towards women than men undoubtedly helps on that front. All of which, coupled with the incredible access fans can have to players (Borges and Batista Agut simply walk through the crowd alone at the end of their match, out to the corridors where anyone can stand and ask for their autograph or a selfie) makes Queen's a great day out. And a pretty posh one at that. It's not as posh as The Hurlingham Club, though, which surely takes the crown (a pretty expensive crown, too) as Britain's most exclusive early summer soiree. This is polo's blue riband event, based near Putney Bridge and Fulham Football Club. Known as Chesterton's Party in the Park, this is far more about hob-nobbing than it is about polo. For context, the only thing holding up traffic near the venue on a sunny Sunday morning is a delivery van from Waitrose, the British middle classes' go-to supermarket. A man walking past has a jumper tied around his shoulders in a non-ironic manner. And every second person looks like Benedict Cumberbatch. Advertisement The three-day tournament climaxes on Sunday with six teams from Dubai, the U.S. and London among those doing battle. 'This is adrenaline-fuelled, high-class international top-quality polo,' the announcer says to a crowd of a few hundred sat in a temporary stand. The rest of the venue is littered with benches featuring people drinking, yep, Pimm's, or wine, watching blokes dressed as knights on horses attempt to lance a ring of flames onto their spear as a warm-up act before the main event. If you go to watch football, cricket or rugby, you'll probably find burger vans, bars and merchandise stalls. At Hurlingham, there's a Hello Fresh stand. Or a Champagne tent. Or a shop for hand-rolled Cuban cigars. You can also book dog-and-family professional photography, or buy lots of expensive clothes. As for food, burgers are out, teriyaki rice bowls, calamari and Moroccan street food wraps are in. And if you want a pint of British bitter on draught, forget it. The only thing on tap is, you guessed it, Pimm's. If you're not wearing a cream blazer, you probably shouldn't be here. As for the sport, well, as we're told, it's 70 per cent about the horse and 30 per cent about the rider. If you've never seen polo, the horses basically chase a ball around a large field while their riders stoop down and try to hit it through goalposts with a large mallet. But no one is really watching that; Hurlingham is about drinking and being seen, or just catching up with friends. And there are a lot of kids around, who are all allowed onto the pitch at half-time to stamp out the divots. A family-friendly day of posh food, posh drink and not much polo. And an overriding smell of privilege and horses**t. (Top photos: Benjamin Cremel, Dan Kitwood, Marco Endelli, Dan Istitene, John Walton – all Getty Images; design: Kelsea Petersen)
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Weight loss pill shows promise in new trial
A new weight loss medication, which can be offered by injection or tablet, can help patients lose a significant amount weight, studies suggest. An early study have found that people who received higher doses of amycretin as a weekly jab lost 24.3% of their body weight after 36 weeks of treatment. And initial trials assessing a tablet form of the drug also showed promising results, with patients taking daily tablets losing an average of 13.1% of their body weight after 12 weeks. Weight loss jabs have been hailed as transformative by NHS leaders. But injections come with additional work for over-stretched health services so tablet forms of medication may offer a new hope for the millions of people looking to lose weight. It has been estimated that around 1.5 million Britons are having weight loss jabs, which have been either prescribed through specialist weight loss services or private prescriptions. GPs will be able to dish out that jabs from next week. Amycretin, made by Novo Nordisk, helps to control blood sugar and appetite by targeting two specific receptors in the body – GLP-1 and the amylin receptor. An early trial in 125 adults testing weekly injections of amycretin, which has been published in The Lancet, found that those taking the highest dosage (60mg) lost 24.3% after 36 weeks of treatment. It also showed signs in improving blood sugar levels. Side effects included nausea and vomiting and were mostly mild to moderate and resolved by the end of treatment. 'These phase 1b/2a data support the potential of once-weekly subcutaneous amycretin as a therapeutic for people living with overweight or obesity,' the authors wrote. 'Amycretin appeared safe and tolerable, and there were significant reductions in body weight after 36 weeks of treatment.' The second early trial, published in the same journal, assessed amycretin in tablet form in 144 people over 12 weeks. There were mild to moderate side effects including loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Researchers found that people taking the highest dose of 100mg per day, lost 13.1% of their body weight over four months. The authors wrote: 'Amycretin effectively lowered body weight and improved metabolic and glycaemic parameters in people with overweight or obesity. 'Longer studies with more participants are warranted for evaluation of the safety and efficacy of amycretin in individuals living with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and to optimise the dosing regimen.' The studies were also presented at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions in Chicago, in the US. It comes as a separate study, which was published at the same meeting, examined the effects of weight loss jab Wegovy at higher doses. Researchers found that giving patients 7.2mg of Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, once a week led to an average weight loss of 20.7%, with a third of participants losing 25% or more of their body weight after 72 weeks.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Palestine Action to be banned after break in at RAF base, Sky News understands
The home secretary is planning to proscribe the Palestine Action group, effectively branding them as a terrorist organisation, Sky News understands. Yvette Cooper is preparing a written ministerial statement which would make becoming a member of the group illegal. The statement is expected on Monday and will then need to be enacted through new legislation. It comes after pro-Palestinian activists- with Sir Keir Starmer describing their actions as "disgraceful". A security review has now been launched after the breach. Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, is the largest RAF station with approximately 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. In a video shared by Palestine Action on Friday morning, a person can be seen approaching an aircraft on a scooter as music is played. Red paint can be seen on the ground. The organisation - which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and has previously - said it had damaged two military planes at the base, where flights depart on a daily basis for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The group said two activists "broke into the largest air force base in Britain and used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes". They said they did so because "despite publicly condemning the Israeli Government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets". "Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East," the group said in a statement. "By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people." However a senior RAF source told Sky News's that the aircraft have nothing to do with Israel's war in Gaza. Sky News has contacted Palestine Action for further comment. The two Voyagers - out of a fleet of 10 currently being used by the RAF - have been impounded while an investigation into the extent of the damage is carried out. On X, the prime minister condemned the "act of vandalism", adding: "Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed it is "working closely with the police, who are investigating". A "proscribed organisation" is an organisation or group that is illegal to join or show support for, because it has been identified as being concerned in terrorism. The home secretary has the powers to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000, if that organisation commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes or encourages terrorism (including the unlawful glorification of terrorism); or is otherwise concerned in terrorism.
