Queen Elizabeth II has given her formal consent to the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth leaves after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London, Monday, March 12, 2018. Organised by The Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)
The British monarch has issued a declaration consenting "to a Contract of Matrimony between My Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Rachel Meghan Markle."
The prince, fifth in line to the British throne, and the American actress are to marry May 19 at Windsor Castle.
Alongside the declaration that was made public Thursday, the queen signed an Instrument of Consent, a formal notice of approval, transcribed in calligraphy and issued under the Great Seal of the Realm.
Harry is among a handful of senior royals who must seek the monarch's permission to marry or have their descendants disqualified from succession to the crown.
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Europe must continue to step up its help for Ukraine even after the approval of a big U.S. aid package, but made clear that he's sticking to his refusal to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv.
Scholz spoke after meeting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Berlin. The two countries are Europe's biggest suppliers of military assistance to Ukraine as it counters Russia's full-scale invasion, and both vowed to keep that up “for as long as it takes.”
Ukraine's cause was boosted this week by the approval in Congress of a $61 billion U.S. military aid package that had been held up for months. Scholz described it as “an encouraging and necessary signal.”
“But I also want to say clearly that the United States' decision doesn't release us here in Europe from the task of further expanding our support for Ukraine so that the country can defend itself against the aggressor,” he said.
Scholz, whose country recently pledged to supply a third Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, appealed again for other European countries that have the system to examine whether they can spare one.
Still, asked whether he will reverse his often-criticized refusal to send Taurus missiles, Scholz listed at length the military hardware Germany has provided and added: “As far as the weapons system you mention is concerned, my decision won't change.”
Scholz has argued that Taurus missiles could only be used responsibly with the involvement of German soldiers, whether inside or outside Ukraine, and says that is a line he doesn't want to cross.
Sunak, who on Tuesday pledged new military aid to Ukraine, praised Germany's efforts on air defense in particular and said “every country has got different things that it can bring to the table.”
Ukrainian troops have faced acute shortages of shells and air defense systems, allowing Russian forces to edge forward in some parts of eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for greater international assistance, warning that his country will lose the war without it.
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, listens to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz address the media during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, second left, and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, greet delegation members during an official welcome ceremony at the Chancellery in Berlin, Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Henry Nicholls/Pool via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz prepare for a press conference in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shake hands during a joint press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Henry Nicholls/Pool via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attend a press conference in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak give a joint press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Henry Nicholls/Pool via AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a press conference with Rishi Sunak in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
