By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 11:20 BST, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 12:30 BST, 21 August 2026

Teofimo Lopez takes on Rolando Romero in Las Vegas this weekend, with the winner likely to face whoever comes out on top between Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia

The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is the place to be over the next couple of weeks, starting this weekend when Teofimo Lopez takes on Rolando Romero for the super version of WBA welterweight title.

Lopez moves up to 147 pounds as he bids to recharge his career after the defeat to Shakur Stevenson last time out. Stevenson was all wrong for Lopez, who loves opponents to come on to him.

He won’t have far to look for Romero, who knows only one way to fight. Romero has been quiet since his surprise win over Ryan Garcia 15 months ago.

Victory will likely open the door to a moneyed showdown with the winner of Garcia and Conor Benn, who meet in the same Vegas ring next month.

Romero’s two defeats have come against compact aggressors with big punches. Lopez does not offer the same heavy-handed threat as Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz, but he can still punch and has more strings to his bow. Lopez is the better technician. He can box, counter and wallop.

What he can’t do is back up opponents, which is precisely the game of Romero, who is tough, takes a shot and fights at pace.

Romero reminds me a little bit of the great Mexican Carlos Palomino, who knocked out John H Stracey and Dave Boy Green a year apart at Wembley half a century ago for the WBC welterweight crown.

Romero doesn’t have Palomino’s finesse but he fights in the same mauling style. He wants that slugging match, but Lopez is too smart for that.

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It’s all happening at 147 with Garcia and Benn setting the economic agenda with their big- money match. The fight generated $6.3m in ticket sales in the first 24 hours. Benn was demanding $15m to take the fight. The details of the deal have not been disclosed but it’s fair to say the numbers for both boxers will be big.

Lopez and Romero are doubtless fighting for less in the hope of hitting the jackpot against next month’s winner. For Lopez it is a real chance to get everyone talking about him again after the Stevenson setback.

The defeat to Stevenson was predictable. Lopez doesn’t like guys who run or stand off him. He can’t chase them down.

That is why this has the makings of a classic. Lopez wins by controlling the centre of the ring with his jab and whipping in the right at every opportunity. Expect Lopez to start getting through in the later rounds and possibly winning by stoppage.

Follow Barry on X at @‌ClonesCyclone @mcguigan’s_Gym

Trumpington residents said the developer, who remains responsible for the roads, has been ‘very very slow’ to fix broken lights

Cambridge residents fear their safety may be at risk after delays in fixing broken streetlights in a new development has left streets “completely dark at night”. Clay Farm and Glebe Farm saw their first homes occupied more than a decade ago, but residents report ongoing issues with road management.

Central to their concerns is that responsibility for the roads still lies with developer Vistry, not Cambridgeshire County Council, as they remain unadopted. Residents on the Trumpington estates have reported issues with parking enforcement and long delays for repairing street lights.

Dr Kevin O’Brien has lived on Clay Farm since 2016, but said that since then they’ve got no closer to road adoption. The 56-year-old said the developer, who sub-contracts much of the road management, has not taken responsibility for the roads.

He said: “In the summer of 2023, a whole series of lights went out – both street and pathway lights – and it has been an ongoing battle to get these things fixed.”

He said three years on, some lights have finally been fixed – only for new ones to go out. Dr O’Brien even tried to get the police involved due to safety concerns, but was told they couldn’t do anything as the roads are privately owned.

He said: “There are complete blackspots where you can’t see anything. The police have had a major push to combat violence against women and girls – and one of the concerns around violence against women and girls is poor lighting and dangerous streets. There’s an enormous amount of frustration as a home-buyer – you buy into a new development, get all these promises of how it’s going to be brilliant, and then left in these rabbit holes from all of these issues.”

David Plank, a Glebe Farm resident and member of the Trumpington Residents’ Association, said the developer had been “very very slow to attend” to the lighting issues.

The 82-year-old said: “There are significant street lighting problems in the new developments with lights not working. A very significant number of street lights on Glebe Farm are not working and the developer is being very very slow to attend to it. There are safety issues apart from anything else.

“It really is a scandal that more than ten years on none of the roads in those two developments have been adopted. It leads to difficulties for residents actually getting problems sorted out and it can be an obstacle to selling your house if people see the roads aren’t adopted.”

Cllr Olaf Hauk, of Trumpington, raised a motion at last month’s Cambridge City Council meeting to highlight the issues residents face on estates with unadopted roads.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “As a resident of a new development, you encounter broken street lights and street furniture, missing or confusing signage, uncertainty over parking rules. If there is something weird and it don’t look good, who are you going to call? Well you don’t know because you don’t know who owns the place.

“And sometimes it really feels like we are hunting ghosts. Some streets are completely dark at night because streetlights have not been fixed. The fundamental problem is that public services are expected to be publicly accountable.

“Residents on these estates pay exactly the same council tax as everyone else in Cambridge. Yet often they receive fewer public services because essential infrastructure remains in private hands.”

A spokesperson for Vistry said they have done a survey of the lighting infrastructure across the development and started work to fix them.

They said: “The works are now underway and will be carried out over the coming weeks. We recognise the frustration experienced by some residents and are committed to improving the reliability of the lighting network across the site. We will continue to work with relevant stakeholders as the programme progresses.”

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said developers can offer roads up for public adoption but they do not have powers to mandate this.

They said: “As such, it is not possible at this time to suggest when these roads may be adopted. However, the council has been in dialogue with the developers throughout the design and construction phases of these developments.

“We approved the design of the streets and we have inspected the works throughout the entire construction period. The Council therefore remains content, in principle, to adopt the internal roads within Clay Farm and Glebe Farm once all technical and legal requirements have been fulfilled by the developer.”

Prince William was spotted on his Balmoral summer holiday with Kate today as they come to terms with Prince Harry and Meghan’s surprise return to Britain.

The Prince of Wales and the King have held a ‘Sussex summit’ during their stay in Aberdeenshire as the royal family discuss Wednesday’s shock announcement.

Photographs taken this morning outside the estate showed a convoy of royals driving out, including William and Kate who were together in a Land Rover Discovery.

Princess Anne was behind the wheel in another car, while Zara and Mike Tindall were spotted in a further vehicle and Prince Edward was driven by his son James.

A source told the Daily Mail that the royal family are believed to have gone grouse shooting in the area of Corgarff Castle, which is about a half-hour drive away. 

William remains estranged from his brother after Harry unleashed a barrage of accusations about him, his family and other royals in the wake of Megxit in 2020.

This situation is unlikely to change for now, with a source telling the Mail that William ‘has no desire whatsoever to reconcile will his brother, as it stands’. The Waleses are also said to ‘have no interest in engaging with anything Harry and Meghan do or say’. 

Kate and William have not reacted publicly to Harry’s return while they are on holiday at Balmoral with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

They are joining Charles and Camilla and a series of other royals for the annual trip to the Highlands, following the monarch’s arrival on Tuesday for his summer break.

Earlier that day, Zara and Mike were spotted walking to Balmoral’s gates with Peter Phillips and his new wife Harriet Sperling to watch the official welcoming ceremony.

The Tindalls’ children Lena and Mia were also seen, along with Peter’s children Isla and Savannah from his marriage to Autumn Kelly; and Harriet’s daughter Georgina.

The royals were at Balmoral when news broke publicly on Wednesday night that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were moving back to Britain after six years in the US.

Another view of the Prince and Princess of Wales this morning in their car outside Balmoral

Princess Anne drives herself in another vehicle outside Balmoral today amid a convoy of royals

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Mike Tindall and his wife Zara leave Balmoral this morning as their summer holiday continues

Prince Edward is driven by his son James, Earl of Wessex outside Balmoral this morning

The King was told of his youngest son’s return just three days earlier on Sunday, while Harry’s brother William was also informed in advance of the announcement. 

But the news will have been a shock, given sources insist the topic was not raised or discussed when Charles and Camilla hosted the Sussexes at Highgrove in early July.

Other members of the inner royal circle would have also been surprised, given they are all said to have been unaware that the couple had been planning a return.

One point to discuss will be questions over who will pay for the Sussexes’ security in the UK, given the family are set to live in a non-royal residence outside of London.

Decisions about whether taxpayers will foot the bill for their security still remain unanswered, as does the exact reason for the couple’s decision to relocate.

They have already enrolled Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in British schools, and the children will likely need a form of security given their high-profile nature.

But Harry has faced a protracted legal battle with the Home Office over the security arrangements for him and his family while in the UK, after his level of protection changed when he stepped down as a working royal and moved to the US.

In January 2020, the duke and duchess announced they intended to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, become financially independent, still support Elizabeth II, but split their time between the UK and North America.

The late Queen ruled at the famous ‘Sandringham Summit’, which was convened in Norfolk to resolve the crisis, that the couple could not be half in and half out.

By March 2020, Harry and Meghan had set up a permanent home in California, officially stepped down as senior royals and stopped using their HRH styles.

Now, Harry’s return to the UK could cost taxpayers up to £5million a year – with Dai Davies, the Metropolitan Police’s former head of royalty protection, describing it today as an ‘incredible expensive scenario’.

A welcoming ceremony for King Charles III as he arrives at the Balmoral estate on Tuesday

King Charles III meets well-wishers following the Balmoral welcoming ceremony on Tuesday

Zara and Mike Tindall at Balmoral on Tuesday with Peter Phillips and his wife Harriet Sperling to watch the ceremony. The Tindalls’ children Lena and Mia were seen, along with Peter’s two children Savannah and Isla from his first wife Autumn Kelly ; and Harriet’s daughter Georgina

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The Tindall and Phillips families are seen leaving after the ceremony at Balmoral on Tuesday

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘The only way I can see it now happening if the security intelligence and the threat assessment both from terrorism and from fixated individuals would warrant you and I paying what will be an incredible expensive scenario for protecting him, his wife, his children, their schooling and all his adventures when he’s going out making money for himself.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham would not be drawn on Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements in the UK, saying the funding for it was a ‘private matter’.

At the end of June, Harry was still waiting for a review by the Risk Management Board, part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements – and he and his security detail were working to try to ensure his July visit could take place safely.

Individual decisions on protective security for key public figures, including members of the royal family, are made by Ravec, which includes the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Royal Household, which advises an independent chairperson. 

But an ex-cabinet minister told the Daily Mail it would be difficult for the public to swallow if the burden fell on taxpayers.

The former minister said: ‘The hard-pressed British taxpayer has been forced to watch an unedifying circus and spectacle around Harry for far too long. It was first and foremost a family fall-out but, secondly, it has been a display of flagrant entitlement.’

They predicted that Ravec would eventually be required to look again at the Sussexes’ case, adding: ‘It is right that Ravec will, most likely, go through all the due diligence.

‘His Majesty will be quite extensively consulted, I have no doubt. Ravec will be under some pressure here… they will consider what liabilities there may be if something were to go wrong. They will not want anything coming back on them.’

A security source said round-the-clock protection for a family of four ‘could easily run to millions a year, perhaps between £3million and £5million’.

Royal observers will also be keenly watching whether William makes any public statement about the Sussexes’ return, given he remains estranged from his brother.

A source close to Harry told Sussex-friendly publication People last night that his return will provide the ‘best opportunity’ for a reconciliation.

The source added: ‘It would never happen with him in America. This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.’

Confirming there had been ‘no contact’ between the brothers, the source also said: ‘Catherine may step into that breach and try to help, too, because she knows how important family is and how important Harry is to William.

‘She would want to see that healed, as any wife would. This gives them opportunity to try and mend that bridge.’

The Sussexes decamped to California more than six years ago amid the turbulent Megxit crisis, which was followed by ongoing family fallouts and a barrage of accusations fired at the Prince and Princess of Wales and the King and Queen.

Charles is believed to be glad to be able to spend more time with the Sussex family, but remains adamant they will not be working royals, and there is no half-in, half-out option.

The source close to Harry also said: ‘He will want to see his sons together over time. This is the best opportunity we have seen in recent years.’

Archie and Lilibet are expected to start at their new schools in early September.

The Duke of Sussex in Washington on Wednesday for discussions about supporting veterans

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne in April

King Charles with Harry at Windsor Castle after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022

The Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

There will be no photographs of the children when they start school and on their birthdays as for working royals, it is understood.

The duchess will continue to run her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from their new base – and the Sussexes are keeping their homes in California and Portugal.

The departure from the US had raised questions over what will happen to their nine-bedroom Montecito mansion, which they purchased for $14.75million (£10.8million) from Russian tycoon Sergey Grishin on June 18, 2020.

But the Daily Mail understands that despite the huge cost of maintaining the Montecito property and its grounds, Harry and Meghan have no plans to sell up.

The 14,563-square-foot home, known as ‘The Chateau’, sits on 5.4 acres of land and boasts a swimming pool, a tennis court and immaculate gardens.

They also own a £6.3million villa on Portugal’s idyllic Melides coast, and are set to keep this too.

Meanwhile only 21 per cent of Britons are in favour of Prince Harry and Meghan returning to the UK.

That was the damning result of a YouGov poll of 5,810 adults yesterday, with 45 per cent unsure whether they wanted the couple back.

Another poll taken last month showed both Harry and his wife are viewed unfavourably by the public.

Only 22 per cent of Britons view Meghan positively, while 65 per cent hold an unfavourable view. Prince Harry performed slightly better – with 33 per cent seeing him positively and 58 per cent negatively.

Opinion towards the duke has improved over the last year, with his positive rating up six points and his negative rating down five points since May 2025.

The only royal less popular than Meghan is Andrew MountbattenWindsor, at just 2 per cent positive and 92 per cent negative.

The Prince of Wales is the most popular royal on 76 per cent, followed by his wife Catherine on 74 per cent. King Charles is on 62 per cent.

A year after successfully transmitting ocean data from a shark for the first time, scientists are pushing ahead with an unusual experiment that could eventually help predict the strength of hurricanes.

Researchers from the University of Delaware, US, first revealed the project last summer after fitting sharks with sensors that measure conductivity, temperature and depth as they swim through the Atlantic.

The researchers are continuing to test whether sharks could become roving, near-real-time ocean observers, gathering information from parts of the Atlantic that are difficult and expensive to monitor.

Of particular interest is the heat content of the ocean’s upper layer, which can influence how powerful a hurricane becomes before it reaches land.

Until now, researchers have relied partly on robotic ‘gliders’ – mini submarines that gather similar measurements – but the machines are expensive, relatively slow-moving and cover limited areas.

Sharks, by comparison, can travel vast distances. Researchers have identified shortfin makos, blue sharks, smooth hammerheads and juvenile great whites as promising candidates because they regularly surface, allowing sensors on their fins to transmit data to satellites.

The researchers stress that the idea is still being tested, but hope shark-gathered data could eventually supplement existing observing systems and help forecasters better predict hurricane intensity.

“They are amazing animals perfectly adapted to the ocean, and we can learn a huge amount from them,” principal investigator, prof Aaron Carlisle, told Reuters. “If we can show that sharks can help people, it’s a win-win situation.”

Image: University of Delaware

The top jumps trainer is aiming to cater for up to 2,000 people who will get a behind the scenes glimpse of the operation of a major racing stable

Top jumps trainer Olly Murphy is throwing open his doors to up to 2,000 members of the public next week determined to show horse racing in the best possible light.

Murphy will be joined by champion jump jockey Sean Bowen at his 145-box yard at Wilmcote, near Stratford-Upon-Avon, at the event on Tuesday, one of the biggest stable visits to be staged during National Racehorse Week.

Over ten days from August 22 to 31, 96 different racing venues across England, Scotland and Wales will be open to the public, alongside over 50 community events and three city activations held at some of England’s biggest cities and landmarks.

And the sport is coming to the heart of London for the first time when the public can meet a racehorse, at one of four city pop-up racing yards. Two will be held in Liverpool and another in Portsmouth.

Spaces are available for more than 15,500 people to attend public events this year, an increase on last year’s figure of 14,800 free spaces available to book. During the event there will be 111 public open days across 96 venues including: 76 training yards, 11 studs and nine aftercare centres

Murphy has been a staunch supporter of National Racehorse Week, believing he has a duty to show the sport’s commitment to horse welfare.

“We are opening our gates to an unlimited number,” he said. “We are at a very important stage in horse racing and this gives the wider public an opportunity to see what we do.

“I am very keen to have the public come in and see how these horses are looked after, spend the morning with us and meet myself and the staff and see how we operate.”

As well as Bowen signing brochures, Murphy will put on various demonstrations of the operation of a racing yard.

“This is not about me trying to get new business or new owners, it’s just to welcome everyone into Warren Chase who might not have seen a racing yard before or even those who have.” he said.

“It’s important we can show off our sport and what goes on behind closed doors. Anyone who hasn’t got the greatest perspective of how a racehorse is looked after and is very inquisitive please come along and see the love, care and attention we give these horses.”

National Racehorse Week runs from the 22nd to 31st August 2026. Bookings open on 15th July.

Events are free to attend, advance booking is required. At some events spaces are limited. To browse participating venues and secure your place, visit www.nationalracehorseweek.uk

The developer behind Elden Ring has suggested it is looking to dive back into single-player games after The Duskbloods, ahead of its network test this weekend. 

FromSoftware has built its name on predominantly single-player games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but its recent titles have been geared towards multiplayer. 

Both Elden Ring: Nightreign and its next game, The Duskbloods, require you to play with others online. In the case of the latter, it combines player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) elements in matches for up to eight players. 

For anyone adverse to multiplayer, it’s perhaps not an enticing prospect – but it sounds like the studio is looking to get back to single-player games for its future projects. 

Speaking to IGN, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki said there was never a plan to release two multiplayer games back-to-back, it just happened that way because ‘both of those ideas just coincided’.

‘It’s funny because there was never really any big plan that these two games [Nightreign and The Duskbloods] would both release next to each other,’ Miyazaki said. ‘I mean, that’s a different director, but both of those ideas just coincided with being multiplayer games. 

‘It’s not necessarily some big reveal saying that this is the direction we plan to go moving forward. We still have a heavy focus on single-player content as well. This is just something that happened to work out the way it did.’

Miyazaki went on to indicate that the studio is looking to go the other way for its next project, adding: ‘But, it’s like, the more you work on something multiplayer for a long time, if anything, it scratches that itch only to want to make something single-player again.’

Elsewhere in the same interview, Miyazaki described The Duskbloods as an outlet for ideas that ‘didn’t really fit in the context of a single-player game’. 

As for why it’s a Switch 2 exclusive, FromSoftware’s president said Nintendo ‘seemed very excited and very receptive’ to the pitch of The Duskbloods, which gave Miyazaki ‘a lot more reassurance for moving forward’ with the idea. 

He went on to explain that FromSoftware’s shortcomings when it comes to tutorialisation also played a factor in collaborating with Nintendo. ‘The onboarding tutorials and making sure players understand how the game works and how to succeed in the game is something we’ve historically not been super great at conveying instantly,’ he added.

‘We’ve definitely just dropped players in and hoped they would figure it out. Nintendo is definitely the right partner for better conveying that information in a way that is understandable to the player; it definitely suits their strengths.’

What is The Duskbloods? 

The Duskbloods is a PvPvE game with battle royale elements. Each match pits eight players against each other across four timed phases, where players are eliminated as the match progresses until there’s one last person left standing. 

The overall goal is to gather Virtue, which you can earn by defeating other players, wiping out bosses and other smaller threats in the open world, or by exploring and discovering Virtue-infused corpses. By the fourth phase, the top three players with the most Virtue advance to an arena battle to decide the overall winner in a final confrontation. 

What time does The Duskbloods network test start and can I still join? 

Unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to sign up for the network test. The application period closed in late July and successful applicants have already been sent codes.

For those who have signed up and were successful, you can check out the network test schedule below. It’s set to begin from today at 11am BST. 

A release date for The Duskbloods is yet to be announced, but it’s slated to launch later in 2026. 

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For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

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ISLAMABAD (AP) — The family and opposition party of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday accused authorities of violating a Supreme Court order by taking him to a government hospital for a medical examination instead of a private hospital designated by the court.

Khan’s sister Uzma Khan told a news conference she was present at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, a government-run hospital in Islamabad, when Khan was brought there overnight.

Khan’s personal physician, Faisal Sultan, said he had been escorted to Shifa International Hospital, where he waited for Khan until early Friday. He said he was eventually told that Khan had returned to Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

The accounts came hours after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan had been returned to prison after doctors examined him and found him medically fit.

Tarar said authorities took Khan to the public hospital because of security concerns involving supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, who had gathered outside Shifa International Hospital or were heading there. He said Khan was found to be in good health.

Dozens of journalists gathered outside the private hospital overnight after Khan’s party said he was being taken there. Authorities deployed heavy security around the facility.

Khan’s sister said that during a meeting with her, Khan complained that he had been kept in solitary confinement, which she said amounted to mental torture for him.

Suhail Afridi, a senior PTI leader, also accused the government of violating the order by taking Khan to the public hospital.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Khan be examined at Shifa International Hospital by a medical board that included specialists and one of his personal physicians. On Thursday, government minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry wrote on X that the government would fully comply with the Supreme Court ruling.

The government maintains that under existing prison rules, inmates receive medical treatment in prison and can be transferred to government hospitals when necessary.

Concerns about Khan’s health intensified in late January after his family said he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye, a claim the government disputed. Authorities later said his condition was improving.

The former cricket star turned politician was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases.

The Cotswolds, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly moving to imminently, might feel a million miles away from glitzy Montecito, the Californian enclave the couple are trading in for a new chapter in the UK. 

While the former is a picture-perfect portion of rural England, all honey-coloured villages, thatched cottages and rolling hills, Montecito is more sprawling gated mansions and mountain-to-ocean views. 

However, there’s one thing both places very much have in common, and it’s likely to have influenced the Duke and Duchess’ thinking about their potential new home. 

The ratio of mere mortals to celebrities is disproportionately high; you can rub shoulders with an A-lister at the drop of a hat in these discerning destinations on opposite sides of the Atlantic.  

And while, just like in Montecito, many celebrities reside on vast estates away from prying eyes, they do occasionally come out to play, with the Cotswolds’ raft of historic pubs their favourite port of call. 

From Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi to the Beckhams, Kate Moss, Liam Gallagher, Jeremy Clarkson and Damien Hirst, there are famous faces galore who call the Cotswolds home.

The area’s most famous resident – and one who was there long before the rest – is Harry’s father, the King. The prince’s cousins, Beatrice, Eugenie and Zara Tindall, are also regularly spotted in the area.

Over the last 30 years, the Cotswolds has become the rural hideaway of choice for major stars, with the Beckhams regularly sharing snaps of their lives there

Charles’s Cotswolds’ home, Highgrove, close to the royal town of Tetbury, was the venue for the Duke and Duchess’ recent private reunion with the Monarch – a meeting that may have spurred on the couple to return to UK shores with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

So, where might Harry and Meghan go for a quick pint or a Sunday roast in their new home – and feel right at home… 

An old stomping ground: The Tunnel House Inn 

Cotswold beauty: Just 15 minutes’ drive from Highgrove, The Tunnel Inn is tucked away in rural countryside and was a firm favourite of the royal family before closing in 2020

This remote 18th century pub, tucked away in rural farmland just 15 minutes from the King’s Highgrove estate, was a firm favourite with the young Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex before their high-profile falling out.

The off-the-beaten track pub often saw the brothers sharing a pint while staying at their father’s Cotswolds retreat…but the popular inn was left in need of major restoration after its previous owners called time on running it due to a rental disagreement. 

At one time, speculation suggested that the pub might have been the venue for Prince Harry losing his virginity in 2001 – but the Duke of Sussex clarified in his memoir Spare that the encounter had actually taken place at The Vine Tree Inn, in the Wiltshire village of Norton.  

The centuries-old pub, popular with walkers and close to the small West Country village of Coates, first shut its doors – and boarded up the windows – during the pandemic in 2020.

However, local publican Peter Austen, who also runs The Bell in nearby Sapperton, re-opened the historic pub after extensively renovating in June this year.

Spice up your life: The Fox, Oddington

The Fox (pictured), Bamford’s latest business venture, is a ‘million miles from a traditional Cotswolds pub’, according to Jane, though she notes that it has two ‘traditional’ rooms off the main bar

Owned by Daylesford Organic creator Carole Bamford, wife of billionaire Tory donor and JCB chairman Lord Bamford, The Fox is a character-filled pub with six trendy suites for guests who want to stay a little longer. 

Who might you spy perched at the oak bar, by the large inglenook fireplace, or sinking into the chocolate-coloured armchairs in the Tack Room? Geri Horner and Christian Horner are frequently spotted here.

The Swan Inn, Swinbrook 

Right next to St Mary’s church, where many of the Mitford family are buried, sits The Swan Inn at Swinbrook. This down-to-earth rural pub on the River Windrush has likely heard a few tales, with former Prime Minister, now Lord David Cameron of Chipping Norton, a regular. Other politicians have also been known to thrash out the country’s future while dining on a classic pub dinner.

‘Poshest pub in Britain’: The Wild Rabbit, Kingham

The bar at The Wild Rabbit, described as a ‘modern interpretation of a traditional country inn’

When it opened in 2013, The Wild Rabbit, also from Lady Bamford, the undisputed Queen of Cotswolds cool, it was dubbed the ‘poshest pub in Britain’.

Who might you find tucking into the highly-rated menu? David and Victoria Beckham have been seen enjoying family meals here, while Kate Moss is also a fan. 

And should Harry and Meghan fancy a rave up, Pete Tong will host a Day of the Dead DJ set there in November. 

The royal family has a long-standing love affair with the Cotswolds, with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, right with Harry at Trooping the Colour in 2015, regularly spotted lunching in pubs there 

An F1 favourite: The Killingworth Castle, Wootton 

When Sir Winston Churchill stayed at Blenheim Palace in the 1930s, he would occasionally slip away for a spot of lunch at The Killingworth Castle. 

Opened in 1637 by Thomas Killingworth, this centuries-old public house is still enjoying the attentions of the rich and famous, and particularly those with a passion for speed – F1 stars Jenson Button and George Russell, and Geri and Christian Horner have all been spotted enjoying a pint or two.

Million dollar question: The Falkland Arms, Great Tew  

If Beyoncé and Jay-Z do seal the deal on those 58 acres, The Falkland Arms in Great Tew is likely to be the region’s newest A-list residents’ local boozer.

The pub has pedigree when it comes to famous people supping there; indeed millionaire television producer John Lloyd came up with the idea of long-running quiz show QI while at the bar. 

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have all been spied dining here, as have Benedict Cumberbatch and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Cousins’ catch-up? The Bull, Charlbury  

In good company: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are fans of the The Bull in Charlbury

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Former The Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith is a fan of this 16th-century foodie pub with rooms on Sheep Street in Charlbury. 

She told the Daily Mail in 2024: ‘We’re spoiled for great pubs in the Cotswolds and my current favourite is The Bull. ‘It still looks like a proper pub, not some decorator’s fantasy, and the food is just great – unpretentious, hearty and cooked with imagination and talent.’

Indeed, the grub is now so sophisticated, The Bull ranked 11th on the Estrella Damm’s Gastropub list this year. 

What might Prince Harry drink if he pops in? A pint of Steady Rolling Man pale ale, from DEYA Brewery, is a local favourite. 

Those who’ve also been spotted popping in for a Sunday roast include Robbie Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and Jeremy Clarkson.

Lunch with Camilla: The Bell at Charlbury  

Just one letter separates this pub from its also popular peer The Bull in the gorgeous market town of Charlbury. 

This 17th-century coaching inn is also part of the Daylesford empire and attracts a similar clientele to The Wild Rabbit and The Fox – well-heeled, basically. 

Who might you share the bar with? Queen Camilla has been known to lunch here. 

Regal patrons: The Woolpack Inn, Slad  

Overlooking the Gloucestershire valley that was made famous by Laurie Lee in Cider With Rosie, the Woolpack Inn is an unpretentious Cotswolds pub that knows how to host a sing-a-long – with the pub piano often the focal point. 

You Magazine’s Food Critic Tom Parker-Bowles, Queen Camilla’s son, is a regular thanks to this cosy boozer’s ‘really excellent food’. 

Lily Allen’s dad Keith Allen used to work behind the bar too.

A motorist is prosecuted every week for risking a head-on collision by driving the wrong way on the motorway, research has found.

Reckless drivers are caught reversing along the carriageway, pulling U-turns next to high-speed traffic and driving backwards in a bid to reach a missed exit junction, court papers show.

Some 31 drivers in the past 30 weeks were charged by police with criminal offences involving driving in the wrong direction on the motorways of England and Wales.

The shocking update comes days after five teenagers died in a catastrophic collision on the M9 in Co Kildare when their BMW crashed while driving the wrong way in a bid to get away from police.

Three sisters and a seven-year-old boy in the other car are still critically injured in hospital.

In June, National Highways data revealed that 947 incidents involving ‘oncoming vehicles’ on England’s motorways had been logged in the 12 months to May 11.

In a recent court case, Ervis Hatellari, 38, from Woodford Green in north-east London, was convicted after being caught reversing a Nissan Qashqai along the M11 in Essex.

Sergeant Philip Roberts, from Essex Police, said the incident happened at around 10pm on New Year’s Eve 2025 when he saw the car ‘in the hard shoulder and half in lane one of the M11, with reverse lights on, backing up to junction five’.

When Hatellari was pulled over, it turned out his driving licence had been revoked and the vehicle was being driven while uninsured.

At Chelmsford Magistrates Court on July 27, Hatellari was fined £660, banned from driving for a year and also ordered to pay £120 costs and a £264 victim surcharge.

In another case, van driver Daniel Udrescu, 57, apologised for a ‘moment of poor judgment’ when he was caught reversing up the slip road for the M6 toll motorway in Cannock, Staffordshire.

He told police when pulled over, at around 10.30pm on April 29, that he was ‘attempting to get to Glasgow and went the wrong way’.

The officer also spotted that the driver’s seat belt was clipped in place, indicating that Udrescu was not wearing it while driving.

He pleaded guilty last month to both offences at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and was handed three penalty points, a £445 fine, £120 in costs, and a £178 victim surcharge.

In a third case, Innocent Ayodele, 32, an NHS worker from Manchester, apologised to a court in May after he was caught trying to escape a traffic jam on the M61 by driving the wrong way up an entry slip road.

PC Peter Weatherstone, from Greater Manchester Police, told the court he spoke to Ayodele to ask ‘what he was playing at driving the wrong way’.

‘I could see another driver at the side of another vehicle whom he could have struck,’ he wrote in his statement.

‘I pointed out the dangers of such behaviour, but the driver seemed totally blatant in his necessary to do this simply because he had finished worked and wanted to get home.’

Ayodele told Preston Magistrates’ Court he was trying to get home to his pregnant wife, but with nine penalty points already on his licence he could now face a ban when he is sentenced.

In June, the National Highways said its data showing 947 incidents of wrong way driving could include unconfirmed reports and it insisted ‘confirmed incidents of wrong‑way driving on motorways remain rare. Every report is treated seriously and acted on quickly’.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: ‘To think anyone could drive the wrong way onto a motorway heading into fast-moving traffic is truly the stuff of nightmares.’

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