Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank made their feelings known over King Charles’ warm welcome, which also cleared the York Princesses royal position after the Epstein scandal.

After months of negativity and controversies, Eugenie’s baby news brought joy to the royals.

It was reported that the youngest daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson was hesitant in reaching out to her uncle about her third pregnancy.

Zara Tindall “persuaded” Eugenie to break the news to the monarch.

On May 4, Buckingham Palace officially announced that “Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer.”

It was further shared that the King has been informed and he is delighted with the update.

As per the sources, Eugenie and her husband gave a surprising reaction to the warm welcome shown by the monarch.

“…she and Jack were quite surprised by the warmth of the palace response,” an insider shared.

The report stated, “They had feared a frostier reception, but the King made contact and asked his officials to make a formal announcement.”

Stocks extended gains on Thursday as renewed hopes of Middle East de-escalation lifted investor sentiment, even as crude prices edged higher after a sharp fall in the previous session.

During the session, the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 Index climbed to an intraday high of 167,924.09, gaining 3,092.67 points, or 1.88%, and retreated to a low of 166,638.56, reflecting a gain of 1,807.14 points, or 1.10%, from the previous close of 164,831.42.

“A flurry of diplomatic moves to end the war created downward pressure in the oil markets, and oil traded about 6% down,” said Ahfaz Mustafa, CEO of Ismail Iqbal Securities.

“This is signalling an end to hostilities and the reopening of the strait and eventually normalisation, which buoyed investors’ sentiment,” he added.

Asian markets also advanced on Thursday, supported by hopes of a Middle East peace deal after Iran said it was examining a new US proposal to end the war.

Japan’s Nikkei jumped more than 3.5%, while South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index surged 6.8% in morning trade, with Samsung Electronics trading 5.9% higher. Taipei rose 3.6%, Sydney gained 1.6% and Singapore was up 0.4%.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok and Wellington also moved higher, though Jakarta lost 1.5%.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that talks were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed attacks, adding to cautious optimism across financial markets.

Oil had fallen more than 5% on Wednesday as peace hopes gained traction, but crude prices edged higher on Thursday. West Texas Intermediate was up 0.5% at $98.75 a barrel, while Brent North Sea crude rose 0.4% to $105.43 a barrel.

On the domestic front, the government raised Rs688 billion in realised value from the auction of market treasury bills on Wednesday, with yields increasing across all tenors.

The one-month T-bill cut-off yield rose 86 basis points to 12.23%, while the three-month yield increased 41 basis points to 12.4904%. The six-month yield rose 15 basis points to 12.4999%, and the 12-month yield increased nine basis points to 12.59%.

The government raised Rs702 billion in face value from the auction against a target of Rs450 billion and maturity of Rs479 billion, while participation stood at Rs1.73 trillion.

In the previous session on Wednesday, the KSE-100 Index surged 1,934.74 points, or 1.19%, to close at 164,831.42 against the previous session’s close of 162,896.68.

The index touched an intraday high of 165,081.7 and a low of 162,895.74, while the KSE-30 Index gained 669.37 points, or 1.37%, to finish at 49,356.83.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will be wrapping their three-day visit to Northern Ireland after a “distressing” mishap.

The monarch, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, appeared in high spirits and active as he enjoyed a “sunny afternoon in Hillsborough”.

Buckingham Palace shared a special, albeit reassuring update, noting that Charles was healthy and continuing with his duties as per schedule despite the blunder by a UK radio station.

“The King and Queen attended a Garden Party at Hillsborough Castle with brilliant people from across Northern Ireland’s voluntary and charitable sectors,” the message read.

“Guests were invited in recognition of the have positive impact they have made within their communities.”

The King and Queen did not seem bothered by the brief panic that was caused in the public. Camilla seemed bright and cheerful in her Fiona Clare’s sapphire blue silk crepe dress and wool crepe coat by Philip Tracy hat.

Meanwhile, the monarch, dressed in a grey suit, was very much in his element, as he picked up a shovel to plant a tree. Charles, who is an avid gardener and an advocate of the natural environment, was not afraid to get his hands dirty.

He was also seen laughing and joking with military personnel in attendance. He even laughed off having a bird poo on him during the event, quipping that “at least it didn’t land on my head”.

Hence, it would appear business was usual even though a blunder from a UK radio station that accidently ran death of King Charles III protocol. They later issued an apology citing a “computer error”.