Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has said Labour MPs will be feeling "despondent" following a chaotic week which has seen the sacking of Lord Mandelson and the resignation of Angela Rayner.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing questions over why he appointed Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US despite his known links to the convicted paedophile Jeffery Epstein.

The government said Mandelson was dismissed after new information about the extent of the two men's friendship came out this week.

The prime minister is now in the position of searching for a new ambassador to Washington, just days before the US President arrives for a state visit.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said: "Many of us were devastated by [deputy PM] Angela Rayner's departure from the government last week.

"She's an extraordinary woman who's overcome the most extraordinary challenges and we are grieving and feel quite acutely that sense of loss.

"Now to have the dismissal of Peter Mandelson just the next week, I totally get it, of course Labour MPs will be despondent that in two weeks in a row we have seen significant resignations from public service.

"These are not the headlines any of us in government or in Parliament would have chosen or wanted.

"But the fact is when the evidence emerged, action had to be taken and we are looking forward, therefore, to moving on."

Some Labour MPs have expressed anger at how the situation with Mandelson has been handled.

Paula Barker - who dropped out of the deputy Labour leader race on Thursday - said: "The delay in sacking him has only served to further erode the trust and confidence in our government and politics in the round."

Charlotte Nichols said Mandelson's sacking was "not immediate enough unfortunately, as he should never have been appointed in the first place".

Sadik Al-Hassan said there were "serious questions about the vetting process of the ambassador".

Prince Harry has visited Kyiv after an invitation by the Ukrainian government, the Guardian has reported.

The Duke of Sussex said he wanted to do "everything possible" to help the recovery of military staff injured in the war with Russia.

He is set to detail new initiatives to help the rehabilitation of those wounded during the trip alongside a team from his Invictus Games Foundation, the paper reports.

It comes after he met his father King Charles in London on Wednesday - their first face to face meeting since February 2024.

The prince said he was initially invited by the founder of the Superhumans Trauma Centre in Lviv, which he visited in April to meet war victims being rehabilitated.

Ahead of the visit, he told the Guardian: "We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process."

"We can continue to humanise the people involved in this war and what they are going through."

Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games in 2014 for wounded veterans to compete in sports events. During its opening ceremony in 2022, when Ukraine's team was given special permission to compete by President Volodymyr Zelensky, the prince said the world was "united" with Ukraine.

Other members of the Royal Family have expressed support for Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The King welcomed Zelensky to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk in March, having previously said Ukraine had faced "indescribable aggression" from Russia.

The Prince of Wales, Harry's brother, met Ukrainian refugees during a two-day visit to Estonia in March - where he said their resilience was "amazing".

Stephen Lawrence's mother has urged witnesses to come forward with information about her son's murder, as an official review - triggered by a BBC investigation - has begun.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence told BBC News the review was the "last opportunity" for full justice and said she cannot grieve until that is achieved.

Investigators working for the College of Policing are examining information held by the Metropolitan Police to identify any outstanding lines of inquiry.

In a statement, the College said the review was being "conducted independently of the Met Police".

Baroness Lawrence told the BBC she hoped people who hold information about the murder will now feel able to talk.

She said there were "reasons why they felt they couldn't do it at the time".

"This is the last opportunity that we're going to have to get the complete justice that I think Stephen so deserves.

"So I would like to ask them, whatever they felt at the time, or whatever happened if they tried to help, please come forward now."

The review was announced last year following a series of BBC reports which publicly named a sixth suspect in the murder, exposed a series of police failings, and led to an apology from Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to Baroness Lawrence for broken promises by the force.

A long process of negotiation followed over what the review would examine - with the Met conceding a series of key demands by the Lawrence family, including the full involvement of Clive Driscoll, the retired Met detective who achieved two murder convictions in the case.

In 2014, Mr Driscoll was replaced as senior investigating officer by the Met before he could complete his inquiry.

The review team will be led by a recently retired senior detective who had a career outside the Met.

It will seek to identify if any lines of enquiry were missed, not pursued properly, or now require a fresh approach.

One focus of the review will be the news reports by the BBC. If viable lines of inquiry are identified, they will be passed to an independent investigative body.

Institutionally racist

Stephen was 18 when he was stabbed to death in a racist attack in Eltham, south London, in April 1993. He had been waiting for a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks, who said there were six attackers.

The Met's failures to properly investigate the five prime suspects in the case became notorious and led to the force being branded "institutionally racist" by a landmark public inquiry. Two of Stephen's murderers were finally convicted in 2012, but the other suspects have remained free.

The murder investigation was closed in 2020, with the Met saying everything possible had been done.

Baroness Lawrence told the BBC that key suspects, brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, have "been sitting quite pretty".

"They believe they've got away with it, and the police have allowed them to think that they've got away with it," she said. The Acourt brothers have always denied being involved with the murder.

Two years ago, the BBC publicity identified a sixth suspect, Matthew White, who died in 2021 and exposed a series of failures by the Met relating to him. Evidence that implicates White also implicates the key outstanding suspects.

"It's been going on for 32 years, and we haven't come to an end of it," said Baroness Lawrence.

"Most people have come to the end and [are] allowed to grieve in private. We haven't been given that opportunity."

The Met said its objective remains "to achieve the arrest, prosecution and conviction of all of those responsible for Stephen's murder".

A spokesman added: "The review is being led by an experienced investigator working for the College and will focus on identifying any outstanding lines of enquiry which could reasonably lead to a suspect being brought to justice."

The review team can be contacted at StephenLawrenceReview@college.police.uk.

Michelle and John Wylie had a blissful November wedding four years ago at a boutique hotel on the South Ayrshire coast, surrounded by friends, loved ones – and one complete stranger.

The couple noticed the mystery wedding crasher only when they received photos of their big day – a tall man in a dark suit, with a noticeable look of puzzlement on his face.

They quizzed relatives, friends and staff at the venue, even asking the wedding photographer about the guest. No-one could provide any answers.

But now, after an internet sleuth joined the search, the mystery man has finally been identified.

Andrew Hillhouse, who was supposed to be a guest at another wedding two miles away, told BBC Scotland News he only realised he was at the wrong venue when the bride walked down the aisle.

Michelle and John were married on 20 November 2021 at the Carlton Hotel in Prestwick, surrounded by family and friends - or so they thought.

"It wasn't until I got the first few photos back from the photographer and me and my husband were looking at them that we went 'who's that?'," recalls Michelle, who lives in Kilmarnock.

"We started asking our parents first of all, then going through my aunties and the rest of the family, then my friends. Absolutely no-one knew who he was.

"Then we got on to the Carlton Hotel if they had an idea, but nope. We wondered if this was someone who had been helping bring the register down, but not a single person knew who he was."

A Facebook post by the bride did not provide any answers either, and as time passed trying to solve the mystery fell by the wayside.

However Michelle told the BBC it kept niggling away at the back of her mind.

"It would come into my head and I'd be like 'someone must know who this guy is'. I said a few times to my husband 'are you sure you don't know this guy, is he maybe from your work?'

"We wondered if he was a mad stalker."

Other theories included a new partner of the daughter of family friends or someone helping wedding photographer Steven Withers.

Then an appeal to content creator Dazza, asking him to share their pictures and attempt to track the wedding crasher down, finally revealed the man's identity.

On that same Saturday in November 2021 Andrew Hillhouse was running late for a wedding. With five minutes to spare, he pulled up at the venue he'd been told to go to, hurried in, and took his seat.

His partner David was to be among the bridal party, and Andrew was relieved to be there on time.

It was when the bridal party began walking down the aisle that a sinking feeling crept in.

"I assumed David was in another room with the bride so the music starts up, everyone turns around to look at the bride and the second I see her I'm like 'oh no, that's not Michaela, what's going on here?'," he says.

"But I was committed at that point, because you can't walk out of a wedding in progress so I thought I better double down. I'm 6ft 2in and I'm taller than everyone else, so I was trying to hunch down a bit and get out the way.

"I was just sitting there thinking 'please, let this be over with'."

Andrew's partner had given him completely the wrong venue - the wedding he was supposed to be attending was taking place at the Great Western Hotel in Ayr.

He only knew his partner and the bride to be, which is why he didn't raise any eyebrows at not recognising anyone else in attendance.

"There was a piper playing outside, and all these well dressed people, so I thought I was in the right place."

Once the ceremony ended, Andrew, who is from Troon, headed for the exit to phone David, only to find he couldn't escape just yet.

"I make a beeline for the doors, and hear 'can we get everyone together for a picture' and I was just going 'noooo' inside.

"So you can see my big head in the back row, trying to get out the way."

Andrew was finally able to get out, though he admittedly took a drink of cola on the way. He phoned his partner to ask where they were, and it was only then he realised how far away he'd been sent.

"He told me they were taking photos at the fountain, and I'm looking around going 'where is this fountain?' Eventually I asked where they were and he tells me they're at the hotel in Ayr."

He was then able to go the actual wedding he was planning to attend, where his mishap provided a fun tale for the other guests.

Finally a friend sent him the social media appeal, and he was able to explain online why he was there four years ago.

Andrew's explanation for his unintentional gate-crashing on Dazza's social media post garnered more than 600 comments and over 29,000 likes.

It has also put him in touch with the bride Michelle - the pair are now Facebook friends and have since met in person to share a laugh about their unlikely connection.

"I could not stop laughing," says Michelle.

"We can't believe we've found out who he is after almost four years."

"Michelle said I'd been haunting her for years," Andrew adds.

"It was much easier to crash a wedding than I'd have thought – I was in and out like an assassin, even if I only got a bottle of cola for it all!"

The North Korean government is increasingly implementing the death penalty, including for people caught watching and sharing foreign films and TV dramas, a major UN report has found.

The dictatorship, which remains largely cut off from the world, is also subjecting its people to more forced labour while further restricting their freedoms, the report added.

The UN Human Rights Office found that over the past decade the North Korean state had tightened control over "all aspects of citizens' lives".

"No other population is under such restrictions in today's world," it concluded, adding that surveillance had become "more pervasive", helped in part by advances in technology.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that if this situation continued, North Koreans "will be subjected to more of the suffering, brutal repression and fear that they have endured for so long".

The report, which is based on more than 300 interviews with people who escaped from North Korea in the past 10 years, found that the death penalty is being used more often.

At least six new laws have been introduced since 2015 that allow for the penalty to be handed out. One crime which can now be punished by death is the watching and sharing of foreign media content such as films and TV dramas, as Kim Jong Un works to successfully limit people's access to information.

Escapees told UN researchers that from 2020 onwards there had been more executions for distributing foreign content. They described how these executions are carried out by firing squads in public to instil fear in people and discourage them from breaking the law.

Kang Gyuri, who escaped in 2023, told the BBC that three of her friends were executed after being caught with South Korean content. She was at the trial of one 23-year-old friend who was sentenced to death.

"He was tried along with drug criminals. These crimes are treated the same now," she said, adding that since 2020 people had become more afraid.

Such experiences run counter to what North Korean people had expected from the past decade.

When the current leader Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011, the escapees who were interviewed said they had hoped their lives would improve, as Kim had promised they would no longer need to "tighten their belts" – meaning they would have enough to eat. He promised to grow the economy, while also protecting the country by further developing its nuclear weapons.

But the report found that since Kim shunned diplomacy with the West and the US in 2019, instead focusing on his weapons programme, people's living situations and human rights had "degraded".

Almost everyone interviewed said they did not have enough to eat, and having three meals a day was a "luxury". During the Covid pandemic, many escapees said there had been a severe lack of food, and people across the country died of hunger.

At the same time, the government cracked down on the informal marketplaces where families would trade, making it harder for them to make a living. It also made it nearly impossible to escape from the country, by tightening controls along the border with China and ordering troops to shoot those trying to cross.

"In the early days of Kim Jong Un, we had some hope, but that hope did not last long," said one young woman who escaped in 2018 at the age of 17.

"The government gradually blocked people from making a living independently, and the very act of living became a daily torment," she testified to researchers.

The UN report said that "Over the past 10 years the government has exercised near total control over people, leaving them unable to make their own decisions" - be they economic, social or political. The report added that improvements in surveillance technology had helped make this possible.

One escapee told researchers these government crackdowns were intended "to block people's eyes and ears".

"It is a form of control aimed at eliminating even the smallest signs of dissatisfaction or complaint," they said, speaking anonymously.

The report also found the government is using more forced labour than it was a decade ago. People from poor families are recruited into "shock brigades" to complete physically demanding tasks, such as construction or mining projects.

The workers hope this will improve their social status, but the work is hazardous, and deaths are common. Rather than improve workers' safety, however, the government glorifies deaths, labelling them as a sacrifice to Kim Jong Un. In recent years it has even recruited thousands of orphans and street children, the report claims.

This latest research follows a groundbreaking UN commission of inquiry report in 2014, which found, for the first time, that the North Korean government was committing crimes against humanity. Some of the most severe human rights violations were discovered to be taking place at the country's notorious political prison camps, where people can be locked up for life and "disappeared".

This 2025 report finds that at least four of these camps are still operating, while detainees in regular prisons are still being tortured and abused.

Many escapees said they had witnessed prisoners die from ill treatment, overwork and malnutrition, though the UN did hear of "some limited improvements" at the facilities, including "a slight decrease in violence by guards".

The UN is calling for the situation to be passed to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

However, for this to happen, it would need to be referred by the UN Security Council. Since 2019, two of its permanent members, China and Russia, have repeatedly blocked attempts to impose new sanctions on North Korea.

Last week, Kim Jong Un joined the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Beijing, signalling these countries' tacit acceptance of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and treatment of its citizens.

As well as urging the international community to act, the UN is asking the North Korean government to abolish its political prison camps, end the use of the death penalty and teach its citizens about human rights.

"Our reporting shows a clear and strong desire for change, particularly among (North Korea's) young people," said the UN human rights chief, Mr Türk.

If mealtimes with your child sometimes feel more like negotiations than nourishment, you aren't alone. According to the NHS, more than half of children will show fussy eating habits at some point.

Charlotte Stirling-Reed, a child and baby nutritionist, spoke to the CBeebies Parental Helpline about the best ways to manage it and said it's important not to blame yourself.

"It's a really normal part of many children's development. There are so many families out there dealing with this.

"Don't feel like it's just you because it isn't."

1. Let them choose

Whilst seemingly counterintuitive, Charlotte says allowing a child to pick what they want to eat can actually encourage them to try more things.

"If your little one says, 'I don't want to eat this food,' then saying to them, 'that's okay,' is a much more helpful stance."

As the child grows, they need to make their own decisions, so not suppressing this can help.

"Kids want autonomy, and us saying to them, 'you don't have to eat it' can often permit them to decide eating it is their choice."

She also suggests allowing them to leave the table when they want, saying prolonging mealtimes will only make the situation worse.

2. Don't label food as good and bad

Labelling different foods as good or bad can ultimately impact a child's relationship with what they are eating, says Charlotte.

"Try and be neutral. Avoid 'if you eat that, you'll get a reward or punishment'. Any of that can have a really negative effect on children."

Instead, Charlotte encourages parents to teach children about balance.

"We don't need to shame different foods, but we might eat some foods less frequently than others.

"I wouldn't have the conversation about what's healthier or what's not. I'd model it, I'd show them what moderation and variety and balance looks like."

3. Make enjoyment the priority

Making meals a more enjoyable experience away from the food itself can take attention away from the problem and encourage them to eat, says Charlotte.

This also helps shift the association of the table as a place where they don't want to be.

"Get a book out, anything you can do to make them want to be at the table. Then you could always say 'we're going to put that book away now and we're going to have our food'.

"But try not to focus on the food. Try and make the dinner table time fun, chat to them a lot."

4. Be mindful of appetite

As a child reaches the age of one, their growth can begin to slow, which can cause an appetite dip.

"There are peaks and troughs. Just like we don't always have the same appetite every day, it's the same for our kids."

She says being mindful of this is important.

"It's called responsive feeding, letting them dictate how much they eat. So we set a structure, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We offer it at that time and we choose what foods, but we should try and let them decide how much."

If your child is active and growing, then they're probably getting enough food. However, if you're concerned about your child's limited diet or you think they may have other sensory issues, then it's always worth discussing it with your GP.

5. Get them involved

Including your child as much as possible in food prep and meals can help them become more adventurous.

Charlotte says simple activities such as helping lay the table, stirring or spreading mixtures, doing the shopping together or even reading about food can all help.

She also advises exposing them to a wide range of foods.

"Children like familiarity. So the more they become familiar with all these foods, the more likely they are to accept them."

This doesn't have to take a lot of time. Charlotte recommends using food items that are quick to use and nutrient-heavy.

"Things like ground nuts, ground seeds, a handful of frozen fruit or vegetables.

"And also products that you can make a very quick meal out of, such as mixing tinned tomatoes, lentils and frozen veggies, and voila, you've got a really healthy, nutrient-dense pasta sauce."

For more advice on fussy eating see the NHS guide.

Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at an event at a university in Utah.

There's still a lot that is unclear about the incident but here is what we do know.

What happened?

Kirk, 31, had been invited to Utah Valley University (UVU) and was seated under a white gazebo addressing a crowd of about 3,000 people in the quad - an outdoor bowl courtyard.

According to eyewitnesses and videos taken at the scene, he was responding to a question about gun violence when a single shot rang out around 12:20 local time.

Kirk can be seen recoiling in his chair, blood on his neck, before the terrified crowd starts running.

"I heard a loud shot, a loud bang and then I saw his body actually - in slow motion - kind of fall over," one eyewitness told reporters.

"We all dropped to the ground, and I want to say we sat like that for about 30 to 45 seconds, and then everyone around us got up and started running," said Emma Pitts, a reporter from the Deseret News who was at the scene.

Kirk was rushed to hospital in a private vehicle - his death was confirmed by Trump hours later.

The university campus was evacuated, as authorities hunt for the shooter.

Kirk's wife and two children were on campus at the time, but are safe. No-one else was injured.

Who is the suspect?

Authorities say this was an assassination - but we don't know who shot Kirk, or why.

Two people were arrested in the hours after the incident and later released. They have "no current ties" to the fatal incident, Utah officials have said.

"This shooting is still an active investigation," the Department of Public Safety - which covers law enforcement in the state - said in its latest update.

A large manhunt for the shooter is under way. The BBC's Regan Morris, who is at the campus, said it has been locked down and heavily armed police were going door-to-door.

Law enforcement officials say the killer is believed to have fired the fatal shot from the roof of a building near the courtyard where Kirk was speaking. They have said they are studying CCTV from the university and believe the suspect was "dressed in dark clothing".

BBC Verify has been examining videos posted on social media, which people are claiming may show a "shooter" on the roof of a university building in the aftermath of the attack.

We zoomed in on the image, but the quality is too poor to make out what the dark shape pictured is.

Using features of the building shown, we identified it as UVU's Losee Center – which a campus spokesperson has said is where the shot came from.

The video was posted on X after the shooting. We cannot verify when it was filmed.

Who was Charlie Kirk?

Kirk was one of the most high-profile conservative activists and media personalities in the US and a trusted ally of president Trump. He was a guest at his inauguration and a regular visitor to the White House.

As an 18-year-old in 2012, he co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a student organisation that aims to spread conservative ideals at liberal-leaning US colleges.

He became known for holding open-air debates on campuses across the country, fielding rapid-fire questions in a signature "change-my-mind"-style - just like he was doing on Wednesday at the time he was shot.

His social media and daily podcast often shared clips of him debating people on issues such as gun rights, climate change, faith and family values.

He has, however, attracted criticism for promoting controversial and at times conspiratorial beliefs.

Kirk is considered by others to be a champion of free speech, is credited with playing a key role in convincing younger voters to turn out for Trump in last year's election, and became valued within the administration for his keen understanding of the grassroots Maga movement.

What has the reaction been?

There has been an outpouring of grief and anger from across the political spectrum in the US.

"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.

"He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me," the president added, ordering that all flags be flown at half-mast across the country.

All living former US presidents have also offered their condolences. Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, said there is "no place in our country for this kind of violence", while Barack Obama called the shooting a "despicable act" and said his family was praying for Kirk's loved ones.

Likewise a string of key White House officials have expressed their sorrow - including Health Secretary RFK Jr and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer has also offered his sympathy in a statement. "We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear."

Italy's Prime Minister Girogia Meloni said the "atrocious murder" was "a deep wound for democracy" while Argentinian President Javier Milei paid tribute to Kirk as "a formidable disseminator of the ideas of freedom and staunch defender of the West".

Is political violence in the US increasing?

In the first six months of this year, the US has experienced about 150 politically-motivated attacks – nearly twice as many as over the same period last year, an expert has told Reuters.

Mike Jensen - from the University of Maryland, which for over 50 years has tracked political violence in a database - said the US is in a "a very, very dangerous spot right now".

"This could absolutely serve as a kind of flashpoint that inspires more of it."

Kirk's murder is the latest in a string of high-profile attacks against political leaders in the US – including two attempted assassinations on Trump during his 2024 election campaign.

The president was injured in ear after he was shot at a rally in Butler, Arizona, last July and authorities say they thwarted a second attempt on his life at his West Palm Beach golf course two months later.

From the Oval Office on Wednesday night, Trump said "radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people".

Comments like these – which he has made regularly – have stirred controversy. Critics say they neglect to acknowledge that the spate of violence is affecting left-leaning politicians too, and could incite further violence against Trump's political opponents.

In June, Minnesota's top Democratic legislator and her husband were murdered in their home.

In April, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro's house was burned in an arson attack, while the Democrat and his family slept inside.

Other incidents this year include politically motivated fire attacks on Tesla dealerships and the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington.

And in 2022, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was bludgeoned with a hammer after a man broke into the couple's home looking for the top-ranking Democrat with the intention of taking her hostage.

"The horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible," Pelosi said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Former US representative Gabby Giffords – who survived being shot in the head during a meeting with constituents in 2011 – also condemned the attack.

"Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence."

Sir Kenneth Branagh is returning to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time in more than three decades, in what the RSC's artistic directors are calling a "once-in-a-generation theatrical event".

In a series of firsts for two of the great titans of British theatre, the Oscar-winning actor and director will play Prospero in The Tempest for the first time, at Stratford-upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare Theatre in the Spring of 2026, directed for the first time by Sir Richard Eyre.

Sir Kenneth told the BBC: "When they asked me to come back to the company, my response was a swift and enthusiastic yes."

The actor added he's "been aware of a new creative energy spilling out of those theatres" under the new regime of Harvey and her fellow artistic director Daniel Evans.

He will also perform in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard opposite Academy-award winner Helen Hunt, directed by RSC co-Artistic Director Tamara Harvey.

Sir Kenneth last appeared at the RSC more than three decades ago, in 1994, as Hamlet.

But he told me his first interaction with the Stratford-upon-Avon theatres was as an audience member in 1978 when he was 17.

He said he "hitchhiked to get there, and had a tent, a dream, and three cans of Heinz sausages and beans".

The first play he saw was The Tempest, with Prospero played by Michael Hordern.

He said he watched it "for 90p from the back of the Gods".

"I was enthused and excited by the whole experience and I feel the same way nearly 50 years later as I return, only this time I don't think I'll hitchhike, and I may avoid the sausages and beans," he added.

In the years since that memorable trip to the RSC, Sir Kenneth has attained theatrical and cinematic heights most actors can only dream of.

As one of Britain's most garlanded actors and directors, his screen credits are extraordinary; Peter's Friends, Shackleton, Wallender and Hercule Poirot.

He is also recognisable to legions of younger fans as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Sir Kenneth won an Oscar in 2022 for best original screenplay for his autobiographical film, Belfast which also won the Bafta for outstanding British film.

He is also set to star in the upcoming film The Devil Wears Prada 2 opposite Meryl Streep.

For many years Sir Kenneth was also internationally associated with Shakespeare on film.

He shot his Henry V, with no experience of directing movies, when he was only 28 and was nominated for a best director Oscar for it at 29.

I can remember being stunned by his depiction of the muddy Agincourt battlefield and the piles of the dead.

His next project was Much Ado About Nothing, a masterpiece, set in an Italian villa with his then partner Emma Thomson playing Beatrice joyfully to his Benedick.

Then came Othello, Hamlet and more - which can be described as a golden era of Shakespeare on film.

Sir Kenneth's worked on 35 productions of Shakespeare across his career - I wondered how he might now reimagine Shakespeare for a generation glued to their phones?

He talked of earning the audiences' attention and said: "We needn't overthink the so-called battle with technology or be militant about making people 'like' Shakespeare.

"The desire is to divert, not convert. That can be a lot of fun!"

Performing Shakespeare can be very physical and Sir Kenneth started training for his new role of Prospero in March.

He said he needs "at least a year of many types of exercise - mental and physical" to be ready.

For director Sir Richard, whose multi award-winning career also saw him lead the National Theatre throughout the 1990s, this will be his first time directing Shakespeare for the RSC.

He told the BBC that The Tempest "resonates for me because it's a play about freedom and power as well as colonialism and art".

Sir Richard says Sir Kenneth is playing Prospero because he's a "brilliant actor, who brings extensive experience of Shakespeare and of creating theatre and film. He'll bring great authority and gravitas to the part".

Eyre also wants his Tempest to capture imaginations: "I hope there'll be some magic about the production which should appeal to every generation".

At a time when arts funding is being squeezed, Sir Kenneth enthusiastically makes the case for state subsidy in the arts as an investment for the future.

"For the 90p ticket price with which government subsidy allowed me to make my first visit to Stratford nearly 50 years ago, they changed my life and helped steer me and many others into careers, projects and work that have ultimately brought hundreds of millions of pounds back into the economy.

"Cultural power may be considered soft power, but I would call it a super-power - a particularly British super-power to be proud of," he added.

Sir Richard too had a message for ministers: "I would like the Government to recognise that the arts are weapons of happiness and understanding and are as important to the health of the nation as weapons of war."

The RSC's 2026 season will also see Hunt and writer-performer Mark Gatiss make their RSC debuts, with Gatiss in Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.

Harvey and Evans said Sir Kenneth's return will be a "celebration of theatre-making on an epic scale".

For Sir Kenneth, the pull of Stratford never quite left him and stepping on to the stage is "never less than thrilling... The legacy of all those who've gone before - actors and audiences - is an inspiration rather than a weight."

More than 30 years on from his acclaimed Hamlet, Sir Kenneth's return promises to be one of the most talked-about cultural events of 2026.

The Tempest runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 13 May to 20 June, with press night on 26 May.

The Cherry Orchard opens at the Swan Theatre on 10 July.