Monday morning news briefing: Prince Harry breaks silence on royal exit
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Prince Harry: I had no choice but to leave
The Duke of Sussex last night described his "great sadness" over his split from the Royal family, but said: "There really was no other option." In his first personal comments about the decision to step back from public life, the Duke expressed disappointment with the conclusions - revealing the move followed "so many months of talks". The Duke's speech (read in full here) came barely 24 hours after Buckingham Palace announced the couple were to give up their HRH titles and would no longer formally represent the Queen. It has become clear Harry and Meghan jumped the gun with their vision for how their new lives would look. Victoria Ward explains the vast chasm between what they said they wanted - and the reality of what they got. One of the main sticking points was funding. It has emerged that the Prince of Wales is planning to review the couple's financial "abdication" deal within a year amid fears over mounting costs.
It took just 10 days from the Duke and Duchess dropping their bombshell to the Queen granting their exit from The Firm - a quickie divorce if ever there was one. Read a comprehensive recap of how the royal drama unfolded. Camilla Tominey writes in this analysis that Her Majesty's decisive action over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex not only reminds us who is boss - but why. For more exclusive insight from Camilla, sign up to Your Royal Appointment newsletter for free.
Killer drivers to face life imprisonment
Dangerous drivers who cause deaths face life imprisonment under Boris Johnson's plans for longer sentences. The maximum term for causing death by speeding, racing or using a mobile phone will rise from 14 years to life - equivalent to manslaughter. Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas reports that the crackdown on killer drivers has been dubbed Violet-Grace's Law by campaigners in memory of a four-year-old killed by a speeding stolen car being driven at 83mph in a 30mph zone.
Montague wins £400,000 in BBC pay row
Sarah Montague has won a £400,000 payout in her "stressful" fight against BBC gender discrimination. The journalist - a former host of Radio 4's Today, who now presents The World at One - said she also received "an apology from the BBC for paying me unequally for so many years". The settlement is the latest in the BBC's dispute with female members of staff - with as many as 120 bringing forward equal pay cases.
News digest
PM meets Putin | Johnson warns of no thaw in Russia relations
Bercow blow | No peerage for ex-Speaker, says Long-Bailey
Triple stabbing | Three men killed in east London knife attack
Impeachment trial | Democrats push for new Trump witnesses
Not what the doctor ordered | Lonely turn to GPs just for a chat
Gallery: The big picture
Mists of Avalon | The view from Glastonbury Tor at sunrise as mist rolls over the Somerset landscape, creating the illusion of a tidal wave. View our picture editor's choice of more striking images of the day.
Comment
Tim Stanley | Royal deal is good for everyone, except Harry
Nick Timothy | Liberal Left is collapsing under its own intolerance
Roger Bootle | Brexit will prove there is an alternative to the EU
David Malpass | Africa needs to seize this golden chance
Jane Shilling | Co-parenting latest twist in cult of the selfish
Editor's choice
It's Blue Monday | Simple techniques to boost your mood
Strictly Curse | Rugby star Ben Cohen's new life purpose
Christine Keeler | Where her true sexual interest lay
Business and money briefing
Flybe's plan | Bailed-out Flybe is preparing to launch services on the lucrative route from Heathrow to Germany's industrial heartland, threatening to further enrage airline executives fuming by a government rescue. Oliver Gill reports that the planned Dusselfdorf link is part of an overhaul including an extra service between Newquay and Amsterdam.
Church loan scandal | MPs attack HSBC and Amigo
Investment tip | Makeover is bearing fruit: This is a buy
Alex cartoon | See our brilliant cartoonist's latest work
Sport briefing
Liverpool 2 Man Utd 0 | Jurgen Klopp insists he and his team will not get drawn in to the party which Liverpool fans are currently enjoying on their seemingly inevitable march towards a first title in 30 years. The Reds are now 16 points clear at the top of the table with a match in hand. Read Jason Burt's match report from Anfield.
Burnley 2 Leicester City 1 | Keeper saves penalty to set up win
'They stole our club' | Owners accused of losing West Ham soul
Relegated Saracens | Club will be broken up in 'end of an era'
And finally...
Frozen fans overrun village | With its frozen vistas and sparkling lakes, the Austrian hamlet of Hallstatt is renowned as a real-world inspiration for Frozen, Disney’s hit musical. But fame has brought unbearable levels of tourism to the 16th-century settlement, which is inundated with selfie-taking tourists who seem more interested in their Instagram profiles than local businesses and culture.
