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What causes the itch in mozzie bites? And why do some people get such a bad reaction?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Are you one of these people who loathes spending time outdoors at dusk as the weather warms and mosquitoes start biting?</p> <p>Female mosquitoes <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153618">need blood</a> to develop their eggs. Even though they take a tiny amount of our blood, they can leave us with itchy red lumps that can last days. And sometimes something worse.</p> <p>So why does our body react and itch after being bitten by a mosquito? And why are some people more affected than others?</p> <h2>What happens when a mosquito bites?</h2> <p>Mosquitoes are attracted to warm blooded animals, including us. They’re attracted to the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-entomological-research/article/abs/role-of-carbon-dioxide-in-hostfinding-by-mosquitoes-diptera-culicidae-a-review/2506B86EF63852B2D02EC3FCEE1E3B8B">carbon dioxide</a> we exhale, our body temperatures and, most importantly, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-08/mosquitoes-climate-change-skin/104548122">the smell of our skin</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/abstract/S1471-4922(21)00237-3">chemical cocktail</a> of odours from bacteria and sweat on our skin <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00532-8">sends out a signal</a> to hungry mosquitoes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X21000522">Some people’s</a> skin smells more appealing to mosquitoes, and they’re more likely to be bitten than others.</p> <p>Once the mosquito has made its way to your skin, things get a little gross.</p> <p>The mosquito pierces your skin with their “proboscis”, their feeding mouth part. But the proboscis isn’t a single, straight, needle-like tube. There are multiple tubes, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/07/480653821/watch-mosquitoes-use-6-needles-to-suck-your-blood">some designed</a> for sucking and some for spitting.</p> <p>Once their mouth parts have been inserted into your skin, the mosquito will inject some saliva. This contains a mix of chemicals that gets the blood flowing better.</p> <p>There has even been a suggestion that future medicines could be inspired by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2018/03/29/mosquito-saliva-vital-to-the-discovery-of-future-drugs.html">anti-blood clotting properties</a> of mosquito saliva.</p> <p>It’s not the stabbing of our skin by the mosquito’s mouth parts that hurts, it’s the mozzie spit our bodies don’t like.</p> <h2>Are some people allergic to mosquito spit?</h2> <p>Once a mosquito has injected their saliva into our skin, a variety of reactions can follow. For the lucky few, nothing much happens at all.</p> <p>For most people, and irrespective of the type of mosquito biting, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024559/full">there is some kind of reaction</a>. Typically there is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161589023002304?via%3Dihub">redness and swelling of the skin</a> that appears within a few hours, but often more quickly, after just a few minutes.</p> <p>Occasionally, the reaction can cause pain or discomfort. Then comes the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2023-01-20/mosquito-bites-itchy-calamine-heat-ice-antihistamine-toothpaste/101652608">itchiness</a>.</p> <p>Some people do suffer severe reactions to mosquito bites. It’s a condition often referred to as “<a href="https://www.webmd.com/allergies/what-is-skeeter-syndrome">skeeter syndrome</a>” and is an allergic reaction caused by the protein in the mosquito’s saliva. This can cause large areas of swelling, blistering and fever.</p> <p>The chemistry of mosquito spit hasn’t really been well studied. But it has been shown that, for those who do suffer allergic reactions to their bites, the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091674904022183">reactions may differ</a> depending on the type of mosquito biting.</p> <p>We all probably get more tolerant of mosquito bites as we get older. Young children are certainly more likely to suffer more following mosquito bites. But as we get older, the reactions are less severe and may pass quickly without too much notice.</p> <h2>How best to treat the bites?</h2> <p>Research into treating bites <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0161589023002304">has yet to provide</a> a single easy solution.</p> <p>There are many <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/outdoor-health/home-remedies-for-mosquito-bites">myths and home remedies</a> about what works. But there is little scientific evidence supporting their use.</p> <p>The best way to treat mosquito bites is by applying a cold pack to reduce swelling and to keep the skin clean to avoid any secondary infections. Antiseptic creams and lotions may also help.</p> <p>There is some evidence that <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10309056/">heat may alleviate</a> some of the discomfort.</p> <p>It’s particularly tough to keep young children from scratching at the bite and breaking the skin. This can form a nasty scab that may end up being worse than the bite itself.</p> <p>Applying an anti-itch cream may help. If the reactions are severe, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/insect-bites-and-stings">antihistamine medications</a> may be required.</p> <h2>To save the scratching, stop the bites</h2> <p>Of course, it’s better not to be bitten by mosquitoes in the first place. Topical <a href="https://theconversation.com/insect-repellents-work-but-there-are-other-ways-to-beat-mosquitoes-without-getting-sticky-171805">insect repellents</a> are a safe, effective and affordable way to reduce mosquito bites.</p> <p>Covering up with loose fitted long sleeved shirts, long pants and covered shoes also provides a physical barrier.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/are-mosquito-coils-good-or-bad-for-our-health-88548">Mosquito coils and other devices</a> can also assist, but should not be entirely relied on to stop bites.</p> <p>There’s another important reason to avoid mosquito bites: millions of people around the world suffer from mosquito-borne diseases. More than <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria">half a million people die</a> from malaria each year.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005070">Ross River virus</a> infects more than 5,000 people every year. And in recent years, there have been cases of serious illnesses caused by <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/how-rains-pigs-and-waterbirds-fueled-shocking-disease-outbreak-australia">Japanese encephalitis</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1256149/full">Murray Valley encephalitis</a> viruses.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-the-itch-in-mozzie-bites-and-why-do-some-people-get-such-a-bad-reaction-243044">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Buckingham Palace announces joyous royal baby news

<p>In a delightful announcement, Britain’s Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are expecting their second child, due in early spring of next year, or our autumn. Buckingham Palace confirmed the joyous news, stating, “His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.”</p> <p>This exciting chapter comes after Beatrice, 36, and property developer Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in a charming private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor, in July 2020. The couple welcomed their first child, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, on September 18, 2021, who is now three. Beatrice is also a loving stepmother to Mapelli Mozzi’s son, Christopher Wolf, affectionately known as Wolfie, from a previous relationship.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlYZhLM4vG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlYZhLM4vG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>With the new baby set to be born as 11th in line to the throne, the little one will join the growing royal family, further enriching their close-knit bond. The child will be the 14th great-grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the second to arrive since her passing in 2022, following the birth of Beatrice’s sister Princess Eugenie's son, Ernest.</p> <p>The news is a bright spot in what has been a challenging year for the royal family. Both the Princess of Wales and Beatrice’s mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, have been undergoing treatment for cancer, with the Duchess triumphantly receiving the “all clear” after battling breast cancer and malignant melanoma. Despite these trials, Beatrice's pregnancy brings hope and happiness, with her family embracing the next royal arrival.</p> <p>The Duchess of York, known as Fergie, expressed her overwhelming joy at the news. “Words cannot express the joy and excitement I feel... Becoming a granny again fills my heart with so much happiness and gratitude. I cannot wait to meet this little one,” she shared. Fergie also celebrated her daughter’s motherhood journey, calling it one of the “greatest privileges” of her life. She beamed with pride at how Beatrice has blossomed as a mother to Sienna and stepmother to Wolfie, and looks forward to welcoming the newest addition to their ever-growing family.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlxz75ucf6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlxz75ucf6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) (@sarahferguson15)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Beatrice’s younger sister, Princess Eugenie, was equally thrilled, sharing her congratulations on Instagram. “So looking forward to more on this journey of motherhood together,” she wrote, eagerly anticipating the arrival of her future niece or nephew.</p> <p>As Beatrice and Edoardo prepare to welcome their second child, royal fans and family alike are filled with happiness for the couple. With a supportive and loving family surrounding them, this new chapter is set to be a beautiful continuation of their growing love story.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Princess Beatrice's husband shares sweet new photo of toddler

<p>Princess Beatrice's daughter Sienna Elizabeth is two years old! </p> <p>The young royal's proud dad, Edoardo Mapello Mozzi, took to Instagram to share an unseen photo of her in celebration of her birthday. </p> <p>"Happy Birthday Baby Girl. You bring us so much love and joy every day," he captioned with three pink love hearts. </p> <p>Sienna was pictured walking along a garden in a floral dress with a sombrero, which delighted a few Mexican fans. </p> <p>"Que foto más bella!! Con su sombrero mexicano! HERMOSA!! ❤️😍," wrote one fan, which rougly translates to: "What a beautiful picture!! Rocking her Mexican hat! Gorgeous!!" </p> <p>Another commented: "So cute!!!! As a Mexican I feel so happy to see her with a traditional Mexican hat!" </p> <p>Many other fans also took to the comments to share their birthday wishes for Sienna. </p> <p>"Happy birthday sweet Sienna! As stylish as mummy already!" wrote one fan. </p> <p>"Happy birthday little Sienna 😍❤️" wrote another. </p> <p>"Happy Birthday to your sweet baby girl! 🎂" commented a third. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxU4yIMoEWC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxU4yIMoEWC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Edo Mapelli Mozzi (@edomapellimozzi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The couple tied the knot in July 2020, and had a small wedding due to the pandemic, before welcoming their first child together a year later on September 18 2021. </p> <p>Edoardo, who is a descendent of Italian nobility, also has a son, Christopher Woolf (known as “Wolfie”), from a previous relationship. </p> <p>When the couple first announced Sienna's birth, they also shared that Wolfie was getting along well with his younger sister. </p> <p>"We are all doing well and Wolfie is the best big brother to Sienna," the Princess wrote in a tweet. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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It’s warming up and mozzies are coming. Here’s how to mosquito-proof your backyard

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>The weather is warming up and that means more time in the backyard. It also means more mosquitoes.</p> <p>Here are five ways you can mosquito-proof your backyard that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-battle-against-bugs-its-time-to-end-chemical-warfare-111629">don’t rely on spraying insecticides</a>.</p> <h2>1. Get rid of water</h2> <p>Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycles. They <a href="https://theconversation.com/feel-like-youre-a-mozzie-magnet-its-true-mosquitoes-prefer-to-bite-some-people-over-others-128788">need blood</a> – but water and warmth are just as important.</p> <p>Getting rid of water around your backyard will go a long way to keeping mosquitoes away. Water trapped in blocked roof gutters, drains and tarpaulin covering boats and trailers can be a great home for mosquitoes.</p> <p>Mosquitoes can exploit the tiniest of water sources too. It may just be the upturned lid of a discarded plastic drink bottle. If it traps water, mosquitoes will find it and lay eggs in it.</p> <p>Flush out your bird bath once a week to disrupt the mosquito’s life cycle.</p> <p>If you have a pond, installing a fountain will discourage mosquitoes. If you can’t keep water clean and circulating, consider filling it with sand and gravel to create an interesting garden bed for succulents or other plants.</p> <p>Mosquitoes will avoid clean and chlorinated swimming pools but will quickly move into “green pools”. If you’re not using your pool, consider <a href="https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Environment/Your-local-environment/Wildlife/Living-with-wildlife/Pool-to-pond/How-to-convert-your-pool">converting it to a “pond”</a> so that fish can help keep mosquito numbers down.</p> <h2>2. Screen up – windows, doors and rainwater tanks</h2> <p>If you can’t get rid of permanent water, at least stop mosquitoes getting to it (or you).</p> <p>Ensure <a href="https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/water/water-smart-homes/rainwater-tanks/using-your-rainwater-tank">rainwater and septic tanks</a> have screens to stop mosquitoes entering.</p> <p>Screen windows and doors to stop mosquitoes entering the home. There are plenty of flexible screening options for windows, doors and balconies.</p> <p>If you live in a mosquito-prone area, creating a screened outdoor area (such as a pergola, courtyard, or balcony) will give you the opportunity to spend time outdoors without being hassled by mozzies.</p> <h2>3. Choose your garden plants carefully</h2> <p>Some plants <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/Journal-of-the-American-Mosquito-Control-Association/volume-25/issue-3/09-0016.1/Are-Commercially-Available-Essential-Oils-from-Australian-Native-Plants-Repellent/10.2987/09-0016.1.short">contain essential oils and other chemicals</a> that, when extracted and concentrated, provide protection against biting mosquitoes. But there isn’t a lot of evidence that the whole plant will keep mosquitoes away from your garden.</p> <p>Some types of plants are even marketed as “mozzie blockers” or “mosquito repelling”. But there isn’t <a href="https://www.veranda.com/outdoor-garden/a40592197/do-mosquito-repelling-plants-work/">any evidence of effectiveness</a>. In fact, some of these plants, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1440-6055.2009.00736.x">such as melaleucas</a>, also happen to be associated with <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/36/4/515/903838">hot spots of mosquito breeding</a> in coastal Australia.</p> <p>The plants to <em>avoid</em> around the home are those that help mosquitoes breed, such as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-6055.2008.00641.x">bromeliads</a>, which trap water.</p> <h2>4. Encourage the animals that eat mosquitoes</h2> <p>Mosquitoes are food for a range of animals including birds, bats, fish, frogs, lizards, insects, spiders and <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-2656.13965">dragonflies</a>. But don’t expect them to eat enough to keep all mosquitoes away.</p> <p>Bats are often promoted as a good “biological control” options but studies have shown mosquitoes are <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0077183">more likely to be a snack food</a> for small bats, not an irresistible staple of their diet.</p> <p>For garden ponds, frogs will eat a few adult mosquitoes but tadpoles of Australian frogs generally <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-the-american-mosquito-control-association/volume-21/issue-4/8756-971X(2006)21%5b492%3aTOFCAF%5d2.0.CO%3b2/TADPOLES-OF-FOUR-COMMON-AUSTRALIAN-FROGS-ARE-NOT-EFFECTIVE-PREDATORS/10.2987/8756-971X(2006)21%5B492:TOFCAF%5D2.0.CO;2.short">don’t eat many mosquito “wrigglers”</a>.</p> <p>Australian native fish <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15532929/">will readily eat mosquitoes</a> and may be useful for backyard ponds.</p> <p>But not all fish are good. While “mosquitofish” (aka “plague minnow”) is distributed overseas to assist in mosquito control, <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article/30/3/316/134508/Does-predation-by-the-fish-Gambusia-holbrooki">it’s a disaster for local wildlife</a> and, <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquatic-biosecurity/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/finfish-species/gambusia">along with other exotic fish species</a>, should not be released into local waterways.</p> <p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13157-019-01133-2">Healthier habitats promote fewer mosquitoes</a> so the best thing you can do is create habitats for the animals that eat mosquitoes.</p> <h2>5. Avoid traps and other gadgets</h2> <p>There are lots of devices purported to catch, kill, or repel mosquitoes from your garden. Some may catch a mosquito or two but they’re not very effective in knocking out big numbers.</p> <p>“Bug zappers” with bright lights will collect lots of flying insects. It’s just that mosquitoes make up a very small proportion of collections.</p> <p>Electrocuting devices, again, don’t seem to attract a lot of mosquitoes.</p> <p>Devices that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-buzz-from-your-smartphone-wont-stop-mosquito-bites-92611">emit high frequency sounds</a> won’t help either.</p> <p>The best devices are typically those that are baited with carbon dioxide. These are a mainstay of state and territory <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/mosquito-borne/Pages/surveillance.aspx">mosquito and arbovirus surveillance programs</a>. For a mosquito, the C0₂ tricks them into thinking the trap is a warm-blooded animal. The only problem is these can be expensive to run and don’t seem quite as effective for mosquito control <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-the-american-mosquito-control-association/volume-22/issue-3/8756-971X(2006)22%5b490%3aTATTFA%5d2.0.CO%3b2/Traps-and-Trapping-Techniques-for-Adult-Mosquito-Control/10.2987/8756-971X(2006)22%5B490:TATTFA%5D2.0.CO;2.short">unless used in large numbers</a>.</p> <h2>Yes, you’ll still need repellent</h2> <p>Perhaps the best way to avoid mosquito bites is to pick an insect repellent <a href="https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/december-2016-volume-26-issue-5/a-review-of-recommendations-on-the-safe-and-effective-use-of-topical-mosquito-repellents/">recommended by health authorities</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/mozzies-biting-heres-how-to-choose-a-repellent-and-how-to-use-it-for-the-best-protection-150183">apply it</a> to ensure all exposed areas of skin are covered. These products and safe, affordable and effective.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212711/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736"><em>Cameron Webb</em></a><em>, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-warming-up-and-mozzies-are-coming-heres-how-to-mosquito-proof-your-backyard-212711">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Young woman loses all four limbs to mozzie bites

<p>A woman has shared her story of waking up from a coma to discover all four of her limbs had been amputated.</p> <p>Tatiana Timon, 35, was on a dream trip to Angola, South Africa, as part of a dance group, but her health took a turn for the worse when she arrived back home in Camberwell, South London.</p> <p>The 35-year-old had spent 10 days in Angola before flying home and within days her health had declined, leaving her extremely weak.</p> <p>Tatiana was rushed to hospital where doctors confirmed she had contracted a deadly form of malaria.</p> <p>She had contracted the disease from a mosquito bite while overseas in May 2022.</p> <p>Her condition quickly worsened and she was put into an induced coma after developing sepsis.</p> <p>“All of my friends and family were worried because the doctor was telling them that I was going to die, like I was about to die three times", she told <em>MyLondon</em>.</p> <p>In order to stop blood poisoning from spreading to her vital organs, doctors were forced to amputate all four limbs.</p> <p>“When I woke up from the coma I knew, I saw that I was in hospital, and I knew something had happened to me", she said.</p> <p>“At that time I didn’t know how bad it was, like I just knew something had happened.”</p> <p>Tatiana says she strives to come independent and is fitted with prosthetic arms and legs.</p> <p>She shares frequent updates on her Instagram page and vows to stay positive during this hard time.</p> <p>"Now even without limbs I know that I will go back to the gym”, she wrote on one post.</p> <p>“I am determined to go back to being my healthy self, mentally and physically.”</p> <p>Tatiana is currently fundraising with hopes of buying new prosthetics which come with a hefty price tag, costing up to $294,100.</p> <p>“A negative thing I can turn into a positive thing to make my life easier because I don’t like to stress.</p> <p>“It happened, so I need to deal with it.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram/Facebook</em></p>

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Why mozzies bite some more than others

<p dir="ltr">While summer brings with it days on the beach and nights outside enjoying the balmy weather, another, more unpleasant summer fixture also comes out in droves: mosquitoes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although some of us dread being covered in itchy bites, there are others who mosquitoes seem to ignore - and now scientists have part of the answer explaining why.</p> <p dir="ltr">Researchers from Rockefeller University have found that mosquitoes are attracted to people based on the smell of their skin, created through a blend of particular acids.</p> <p dir="ltr">Focusing on Aedes aegypti, the mosquito which carries viruses such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika virus, the team used samples of human forearm odour collected on nylon stockings from 64 people, performing more than 2300 tests over 174 days across a three-year study.</p> <p dir="ltr">They found that people who were highly attractive to the mosquitoes had significantly higher levels of carboxylic acids which contribute to their skin odour.</p> <p dir="ltr">These carboxylic acids are produced when bacteria on the skin breaks down steroids and cholesterol secreted by our sweat glands.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We tested mosquito attraction to human skin odour and identified people who are exceptionally attractive or unattractive to mosquitoes," they wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Chemical analysis revealed that highly attractive people produce significantly more carboxylic acids in their skin [than others]."</p> <p dir="ltr">They also noted that there weren’t any chemicals found in higher levels on the skin of less attractive people and argued that this supports the idea that people’s skin lack attractive odours, rather than emitting an odour that repels mosquitoes.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for why some people have higher levels of these chemicals in their skin odour than others, the researchers suggested that genetics may play a role.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Understanding why some humans are more attractive than others provides insights into what skin odorants are most important to the mosquito and could inform the development of more effective ... repellents," they wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The study, published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.034" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cell</a></em>, isn’t the first time scientists have attempted to understand why some people are more attractive to mozzies than others - and there are plenty of reasons why.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mosquito researcher Dr Cameron Webb from the University of Sydney told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-19/nt-mosquitoes-study/101548550" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em> it could be to do with genetics, as well as your temperature, your diet, whether you’re sweaty or even whether you’re pregnant.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Gordana Rasic, a senior mosquito research officer at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland, explained that the factors driving the behaviour of mozzies are “very complex”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Mosquito brains are small but they still process signals from hundreds and hundreds of different receptors," she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Biting humans is specific to female mosquitoes — they need to bite humans and take blood in order to develop their egg and basically reproduce — so it's an absolutely essential instinct."</p> <p dir="ltr">While this study adds a new piece to the puzzle of mozzie behaviour, Dr Webb noted that this study focused on one mosquito species out of thousands of species around the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Even if you solve the problem for one mosquito, that doesn't mean the relationship and their willingness to bite people applies to all of the mozzies," he said. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-07911092-7fff-f285-028e-94767fc3f8aa"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Cats love it but mozzies don’t

<p>At the risk of becoming the Pied Piper of cats, you could use the garden herb catnip as a non-toxic insect repellent – and scientists have now nutted out why it wards off mozzies and other irritating bugs.</p> <p>The active ingredient nepetalactone in the mint-like herb (<em>Nepeta cataria</em>) selectively activates the irritant receptor <em>TRPA1</em> (transient receptor potential ankyrin 1) in certain insects, according to a study <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00217-7" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal <em>Current Biology</em>.</p> <p>The protein is best known as the “wasabi receptor” (many people will be familiar with the eye-watering sensation caused by the Japanese horseradish), but although humans and other animals have it, catnip doesn’t affect us in the same way.</p> <p>More intriguingly, tear gas – which contains mustard oil – activates the same irritant receptor in both mosquitoes and humans, says co-senior author Marco Gallio from Northwestern University, US.</p> <p>“But it may not be a good insect repellent,” he adds, “as it makes people miserable too.” Even better, catnip doesn’t seem to deter bees (although aphids don’t mind it either).</p> <p>Importantly, it’s particularly effective at repelling mosquitoes, which pose a major <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/bacteria-v-mozzies-bacteria-holding-their-own/" target="_blank">public health problem.</a> Some studies show it to be as effective as chemical repellents such as DEET – <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-36814-1" target="_blank">if not more so</a> – which many cannot afford or avoid due to concerns about toxicity.</p> <p>And its use is not new. As lead author Nadia Melo, from Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues note, Pliny the Elder described several medicinal uses of it in his encyclopedia <em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.livius.org/articles/person/pliny-the-elder/pliny-the-elder-natural-history/" target="_blank">Naturalis Histori</a></em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.livius.org/articles/person/pliny-the-elder/pliny-the-elder-natural-history/" target="_blank"><em>a</em></a> back around AD 77.</p> <p>In the ninth century, they write, <em>Bald’s leechbok</em> “reports catnip as effective against everything from bedevilment (mix leaves with ale, chant 12 masses) to shoulder pain (pound leaves in ale, drink by fire)”.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p140820-o1" class="wpcf7"> <p style="display: none !important;"> </p> <!-- Chimpmail extension by Renzo Johnson --></div> </div> <p>In humans it was known to be soothing and calming, while for cats, rolling in it seems to evoke euphoria – apparently it gives them an opioid-like hit – and it’s thought the aim is to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/search/mozzies+vs+moggies/" target="_blank">help them deter mosquitoes</a>.</p> <p>But it’s long been observed that mozzies and other insects are not nearly as keen on catnip – the team notes its historical use as a repellent against “pesky small creatures”, as referred to by Johannes Franck’s <em>Speculum botanicum</em> in the 1600s, and others.</p> <p>Adding some modern molecular science to this, the collaborative experiment by Melo and colleagues at Marcus Stensmyr’s lab in Sweden was quite thorough.</p> <p>First, they tested Pliny’s claim that catnip repels scorpions by allowing four <em>Heterometrus cyaneus</em> to choose a pot to hide in, one of which contained catnip. The scorpions all chose the pot with catnip, “displaying no apparent distress”. To be fair, the authors say the plant Pliny refers to as <em>Nepeta</em> may have been a different herb.</p> <p>They continued with a vast array of experiments with different arthropods ranging from ticks, mites, aphids and planthoppers to bees, wasps, weevils, beetles, flies and mosquitoes, finding evidence to support the notion that nepetalactone is an irritant.</p> <p>Then they used cultured cells expressing the <em>TRPA1</em> genes – a molecular mechanism for “pain” and response to irritants <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2017/october/wasabi-receptor-for-pain-discovered-in-flatworms/" target="_blank">discovered</a> by Gallio’s lab – in flies, mozzies and humans to test if they are activated by catnip and nepetalactone.</p> <p>Finally, the team tested catnip on mutant mosquitoes and flies without the <em>TRPA1</em> receptor and found they lost their aversion to the herb. “<em>TRPA1</em> mutant mosquitoes in particular do not avoid catnip any more at all,” says Gallio. “Cool.”</p> <p>Now they’ve shown why catnip works and is so powerful, he says their study further supports its widespread use as a natural, safe repellent, accessible in poor countries afflicted by mosquito-borne diseases. “Great because it’s cheap and it grows like a weed.”</p> <p>What can you do to avoid excessive feline affections while warding off the pesky bugs? Not a problem, says Gallio: “We like cats.”</p> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=140820&amp;title=Cats+love+it+but+mozzies+don%E2%80%99t" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/cats-love-it-but-mozzies-dont/" target="_blank">This article</a> was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/natalie-parletta" target="_blank">Natalie Parletta</a>. Natalie Parletta is a freelance science writer based in Adelaide and an adjunct senior research fellow with the University of South Australia.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

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Princess Beatrice in hospital

<p><em>Image: Getty </em></p> <p><span>Princess Beatrice was admitted into a London hospital over the weekend, according to reports, with at least one royal expert claiming a birth announcement is imminent.</span></p> <p>Robert Jobson, the leading British Royal commentator has tweeted: “Princess Beatrice, is reportedly in a London Hospital. Looks like the birth of the Queen’s 12th great-grandchild imminent.</p> <p>The last time Princess Betrice was seen publicly was at a garden party for Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice of which she is patron. The organisation was marking its’s 10th anniversary at its Russell House Facility.</p> <p>The royal and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi announced they were expecting their first child together in June, a sibling for Edoardo’s son and Beatrice’s stepson Wolfie, aged five.</p> <p>The baby will be Queen Elizabeth’s 12th great-grandchild and the fourth royal baby born in 2021. Already, the royal amily have had the first child of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in Feburary, son August. Followed by Zara and Mike Tindall’s third child who arrived in March, baby Lucas.</p> <p>Prince Harry and Megan Markle welcomed their second child on the 4th of June, Lilibet.</p> <p>Beatrice has been admitted to The Portland Hospital for Women and Children, where her sister gave birth to her first child. This was also the same hospital where Beatrice and Eugenie were born.</p> <p>Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were married in July 2020, at their secret wedding which was only attended by a few family members including the Queen and Prince Phillip. They had been planning a large celebration however were forced to postpone and go ahead on a reduced scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>This will be a special time for sisters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, both becoming mothers in 2021.</p> <p>Princes Eugenie is staying at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Proud grandparents Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew have visited with the family and are looking forward to the birth of their second grandchild.</p> <p>This is despite Prince Andrew facing growing legal dramas surrounding the sexual assault case.</p>

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"Brave and true:" Birthday wishes flow in for Princess Beatrice for big 33!

<p><span>Princess Beatrice is 33!</span><br /><br /><span>The royal has stayed relatively quiet on social media by choosing only to have a public Twitter account, which is rarely used.</span><br /><br /><span>However, her closest family members have taken a moment to pay tribute to Beatrice on her special day.</span><br /><br /><span>Leading the birthday posts was her husband Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi, who shared a black-and-white photo of the pair with the caption: "Happy Birthday my love. I love you with all my heart."</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSTj4eCgMQ_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSTj4eCgMQ_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Edo Mapelli Mozzi (@edomapellimozzi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>Her mum, Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, has also taken a moment to wish her eldest daughter a happy birthday.</span><br /><br /><span>Taking to Instagram, the royal shared a photo of beautiful flowers with text over them, which read: "Happy birthday my magical Beatrice."</span><br /><br /><span>As she typically does for royal family members, Princess Eugenie pulled out a series of old photographs from the childhood they shared together.</span><br /><br /><span>"Happy Birthday to my big sissy.. BeaBea you are sensational and I have loved every minute watching you be brave and true...and you ❤️...and now a mummy to be :) #iloveyou,” she wrote in the caption.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSUz98NDGIC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSUz98NDGIC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>Princess Beatrice, 33, married Eduardo in a secret ceremony at Windsor Castle on July 17, 2020.</span><br /><br /><span>The private wedding was attended by just a small group, including Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip.</span><br /><br /><span>While Bea and Edo, an Italian property tycoon, planned to wed in Italy on May 29 of last year, the pair opted for a toned-down reception at the place Princess Beatrice knows all too well.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple are expecting their first child together in November.</span><br /><br /><span>The royal baby will follow after their step-sibling Christopher, who is Mapelli Mozzi’s son from a previous relationship.</span></p>

Relationships

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One year already! Edoardo's touching message for Princess Beatrice

<p><span>Princess Beatrice's husband has penned a sweet tribute to his wife on their first wedding anniversary.</span><br /><br /><span>Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi took to Instagram to share a rare selfie with his wife, alongside a loving message about the expecting mother.</span><br /><br /><span>"I can't believe it has been 1 year," he wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>"Every second of every day since has been so full of joy, happiness, laughter and love.</span><br /><br /><span>"You are the kindest, loveliest and most beautiful person in the world. Thank you my darling for every second."</span><br /><br /><span>Beatrice and Edo married in a secret ceremony on July 17, 2020.</span><br /><br /><span>Sadly, they had no choice but to have a small and intimate event as their original May 29 wedding date was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRbfr1mh9Hv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRbfr1mh9Hv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Edo Mapelli Mozzi (@edomapellimozzi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The couple tied the knot at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor,</span><br /><br /><span>The nuptials were reportedly organised in just two weeks after restrictions eased for the first time last year.</span><br /><br /><span>Around 20 guests attended the intimate affair in accordance with government guidelines.</span><br /><br /><span>Some of the most notable guests included Beatrice’s parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, along with her grandparents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.</span><br /><br /><span>Buckingham Palace then announced the couple's pregnancy in May in a short statement saying, "The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news".</span><br /><br /><span>Princess Beatrice, who is expecting a child with Edoardo, officially debuted her baby bump last week at Wimbledon.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842540/daily-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d15c714134604756a18f333b2ebe2589" /><br /><br /><span>Beatrice is due to give birth during the UK autumn according to the Palace.</span><br /><br /><span>The newborn will be the fourth baby born in the British Royal Family this year, and will become Her Majesty's 12th great-grandchild.</span><br /><br /><span>The soon-to-be bub will be the second grandchild for the Duke and Duchess of York.</span><br /><br /><span>Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, welcomed a son, August, in February this year.</span><br /><br /><span>Edoardo also has a five-year-old son, Wolfie, from a previous relationship.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

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Princess Beatrice’s baby bump debut!

<p><span>Princess Beatrice has publicly debuted her baby bump to the world at Wimbledon on day 10 of the tennis championships in London.</span><br /><br /><span>The royal was seen alongside her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, as they sat in the royal box at centre court for the first time out and about since their pregnancy was announced.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple were joined by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as they sat to watch Ash Barty get through to her first Wimbledon final and defeat Germany's Angelique Kerber in the women's singles semi-final.</span><br /><br /><span>The 32-year-old was glowing and vibrant in a polka dot design by Self-Portrait.</span><br /><br /><span>Beatrice and Edo will celebrate one year of marriage on July 17.</span><br /><br /><span>The pair tied the knot in a private ceremony at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor.</span><br /><br /><span>Buckingham Palace announced their pregnancy in May, saying, "The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news".</span><br /><br /><span>Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's eldest daughter is due to give birth sometime between September and November, according to the Palace.</span><br /><br /><span>The York Bub will be the second grandchild for the Duke and Duchess of York, after Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their son, August, in February this year.</span><br /><br /><span>The baby will also be a younger sibling to Edo's five-year-old son, Wolfie, from a previous relationship.</span></p>

Beauty & Style

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Baby news for Princess Beatrice

<p><span>Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, are expecting their first child together.</span><br /><br /><span>Buckingham Palace confirmed the exciting news, announcing: “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in autumn this year.</span><br /><br /><span>“The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.”</span><br /><br /><span>Beatrice is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841329/princess-beatrice-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8588a96caa1c41de9fe41764acb04563" /><br /><br /><span>She married Mr Mapelli Mozzi in a low-key ceremony in July of 2020 at Windsor’s Royal Lodge.</span><br /><br /><span>The nuptials were only attended by a small handful of close family, that included the Queen, Prince Philip, her sister Princess Eugenie and her parents.</span><br /><br /><span>Beatrice adorned a vintage Norman Hartnell gown borrowed from her grandmother, along with Queen Mary’s Fringe tiara.</span><br /><br /><span>The same tiara was also worn by the Queen at her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple’s child will be 10th in line to the throne and the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild.</span><br /><br /><span>Beatrice began dating Mr Mapelli Mozzi after her</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B23wOreghd7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B23wOreghd7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Edo Mapelli Mozzi (@edomapellimozzi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>sister’s wedding.</span><br /><br /><span>Mozzi is a multi-millionaire property developer who shares a son with his former partner, Chinese-American architect Dara Huang.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple announced their engagement in September 2019.</span><br /><br /><span>“You will never be alone my love, my heart is your home. Hand in hand, today, tomorrow and forever,” Mr Mapelli Mozzi wrote in a heartfelt post on Instagram at the time.</span><br /><br /><span>The pair said in a statement they were “both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together”.</span><br /><br /><span>“We share so many similar interests and values, and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness,” they said.</span></p>

News

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The surprise attendees of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo’s secret wedding

<p><span>The world was left shocked when it was revealed Princess Beatrice had said “I do” in a secret wedding.</span><br /><br /><span>Details have been scarce, but what is known about the pair’s nuptials is that they conducted a private ceremony surrounded by only 20 other guests after they were forced to postpone their original May wedding.</span><br /><br /><span>Among those 20 guests was Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and other members of Beatrice and Edoardo’s family.</span><br /><br /><span>However the other 18 guests who were chosen to attend the top secret nuptials was kept tightly under wraps.</span><br /><br /><span>Buckingham Palace released a statement around 24 hours after their secret nuptials, confirming that the ceremony only included the pair's "close family".</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837030/beatrice-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8e8f2da68b634326aa3e985a5e994050" /><br /><br /><span>According to <em>Hello</em>! <em>Magazine</em> however, Edo's young niece and nephew, Coco and Freddie were two very lucky attendees.</span><br /><br /><span>According to the report, the young children joined their cousin Wolfie, who is the four-year-old son of Edo, in taking up a rather important role in the wedding.</span><br /><br /><span>Wolfie took on the ultimate job of best man, while Coco and Freddie played bridesmaid and pageboy alongside their cousin.</span><br /><br /><span><em>HELLO</em>! also confirmed Duchess Catherine, Prince William and their three children George, Charlotte and Louis were not present at the nuptials.</span><br /><br /><span>On Sunday, Kate and Wills added to Beatrice and Edo's long list of well-wishers.</span><br /><br /><span>The pair posted an official image from Bea's wedding to their Instagram account with a congratulatory message.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837031/beatrice-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/705e959c4d704f42985ee80913acfa1e" /><br /><br /><span>"Congratulations to HRH Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi who were married in a small private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor on Friday!" The pair wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>Princess Eugenie was also one of the lucky few to attend the ceremony and shared her own congratulations to her elder sister and new brother-in-law.</span><br /><br /><span>"Couldn't Bea happier (get it) 🐝... ," she wrote in a jovial pun on her sister's name.</span><br /><br /><span>"What a complete joy and privilege to watch you, my beautiful big sister, walk down the aisle to dear Edo. I am so proud of you and I'm so excited to support you in the next chapter of your life. We are going to have so much fun together. ⁣</span><br /><br /><span>"Happy wedding day to you both xxxx," she finished.</span></p>

Beauty & Style

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Princess Beatrice and Edoardo release royal wedding photos

<p>Thanks to the worldwide pandemic Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were forced to have an intimate royal wedding, rather than the grandeur many are used to. </p> <p>But despite the short guest list, the photographs from the day are nothing short of spectacular.</p> <p>A day after tying the knot, the couple shared two wedding photos with the world and another two on Sunday. Taken by photographer Benjamin Wheeler, the pictures show Beatrice glowing with joy.</p> <p>Taking to Instagram, Mapelli Mozzi posted the highly anticipated photos along with a poem dedicated to his wife, but it was quickly deleted. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi has shared a three more photographs from his wedding to Princess <a href="https://twitter.com/yorkiebea?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@yorkiebea</a>, alongside a poem by E. E. Cummings dedicated to his new wife. <a href="https://t.co/KcU60YzfcB">pic.twitter.com/KcU60YzfcB</a></p> — Omid Scobie (@scobie) <a href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1284827854170198021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Scobie re-shared the snaps on Twitter and said, "Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi has shared three more photographs from his wedding to Princess @yorkiebea, alongside a poem by E. E. Cummings dedicated to his new wife."</p> <p>A press release previously revealed that the couple’s mothers read “Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare and “[I carry your heart with me (I carry it in)]” by E.E. Cummings at the wedding. </p> <p>Beatrice opted for a beautiful wedding dress from her grandmother’s closet and also borrowed a dazzling tiara from Queen Elizabeth. </p>

Beauty & Style

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Not your typical royal wedding! How Princess Beatrice is making her special day unique

<p>Princess Beatrice is due to tie the knot with property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday, May 29th.</p> <p>While the pair have been happily planning away for their big day since announcing their engagement in September of 2019 after dating for over year, Beatrice and Edoardo’s news have surely been a joyful distraction for the royal family amid Megxit and Prince Andrew’s sexual allegations.</p> <p>The couple are determined to set themselves apart of from their royal cousins and are opting to make minor changes to their big day so it is perfect for them.</p> <p>For starters Princess Beatrice and her fiancé are not broadcasting their nuptials, unlike Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank and their cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.</p> <p>While the answer as to why they are choosing to remain private with their big day, it is understood Princess Beatrice has always been the reserved sister in comparison to her younger sibling, Princess Eugenie.</p> <p>Interestingly enough, the couple are setting their sights on a more intimate and personal wedding by holding their ceremony at Chapel Royal in just 150 guests.</p> <p>This differs majorly to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who said “I do” in front of 800 guests, while Prince William and Duchess Kate tied the knot with 2,000 guests looking on at Westminster Abbey.</p> <p>There will also be no carriage procession for Princess Beatrice and Edoardo. While many royal newlyweds have travelled the distance between their ceremony to their reception by carriage, the couple are choosing to do so by car.</p> <p>Other decisions including whether Prince Andrew will do a speech or if Prince Harry and Meghan will attend their cousin’s wedding still remain unclear.</p> <p>However one thing is for sure – this royal wedding will be unlike any other royal watchers have seen in decades.</p>

Relationships

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Princess Beatrice to receive new title after getting hitched – but it won’t be coming from the Queen

<p>In a little over two months, Princess Beatrice will walk down the aisle to marry Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.</p> <p>However, it turns out the gift of marriage will not be the only thing she receives on her wedding day, but a new fancy title as well.</p> <p>Edoardo is the son of Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Shale from the Italian royal House of Savoy.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B24FHMPHpcQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B24FHMPHpcQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by R O Y A L L Y . Y O U R S (@royally.yours)</a> on Sep 26, 2019 at 6:33am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>With his ex-wife, Chines-American architect Dara Huang, they have a two-year-old son Christopher “Woolfie” Woolf.</p> <p>According to the Princess Beatrice’s future father-in-law, the royal will receive a countess title when she marries, and their children will also be entitled to noble titles.</p> <p>“Edoardo is the only male descendent taking the family into the next generation,” Alessandro told<span> </span>The Daily Mail. </p> <p>“He is a count — his wife will be a countess automatically and any of their children will be counts or nobile donna.”</p> <p>Alessandro also went on to say the couple are “very suited to each other”, just a few weeks after Princess Beatrice and Edoardo revealed last month that they would wed at the Chapel Royal on May 29th – a venue that only sets 150 guests.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9KC0oQneDM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9KC0oQneDM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Stepsister (@theroyalstepsister)</a> on Feb 29, 2020 at 8:08am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The royal and her fiancé had been friends for many years before they begun dating. The 36-year-old and his soon-to-be bride made their first public appearance at a National Portrait Gallery gala in March 2019.</p>

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Never been done before: Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi reveal odd choice for best man

<p>Princess Beatrice and her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have made royal history after revealing their unlikely choice for best man in their upcoming wedding.</p> <p>It has been confirmed that it will be Edoardo’s three-year-old son Christopher, whom he shares with ex-partner Dara Huang, who will take on the massive role as best man for his dad’s wedding to Princess Beatrice.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B23ycotot3y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B23ycotot3y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Beatrice and Eugenie (@beatriceandeugenie.ofyork)</a> on Sep 26, 2019 at 3:50am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>A spokesperson for the couple first confirmed the news to the <em>Daily Mail</em>, citing that the couple wanted the three-year-old to know how important he was to his stepmother.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B23zE1yn7Ky/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B23zE1yn7Ky/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by •Cambridge•Sussex•York• (@aboutcambridgesussexandyork)</a> on Sep 26, 2019 at 3:56am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The Palace has also confirmed the exciting nuptials will take place on May 29, at The Chapel Royal in St James’s Place, London.</p> <p>Edo and Beatrice got engaged in September 2019 after the property developer proposed while they were holidaying in Italy.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvsUhHjhJAK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvsUhHjhJAK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dara Huang (@dara_huang)</a> on Mar 31, 2019 at 5:17pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The pair spoke about their exciting news in a statement, saying: "We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can't wait to actually be married.</p> <p>"We share so many similar interests and values, and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness."</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's engagement pictures. </p>

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Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi share royal wedding gift registry

<p>Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have shared their royal wedding gift list.</p> <p>Last week, it was announced that the Princess of York and her property developer partner fiancé are set to tie the knot on May 29 at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace before a reception at Buckingham Palace.</p> <p>Now the couple has also released their wedding gift request. In place of presents, they are asking guests and well-wishers to “find out more” about the work of two philanthropic organisations: Big Change and Cricket Builds Hope.</p> <p>Big Change is a youth charity co-founded by Princess Beatrice, which supports educational and community projects for young people in the UK. The Queen’s granddaughter set up the charity with five friends in 2012.</p> <p>The charity’s CEO Essie North said in a statement that the charity is “honoured” by the couple’s gesture.</p> <p>“As a founder and Trustee of the charity, Beatrice shares an ambitious vision to change how we support all young people to thrive, with the humility to learn from the pioneers leading this change on the ground,” North said.</p> <p>“To date we’ve supported 30 projects helping more than 700,000 young people. We hope that the increased awareness she has brought to Big Change will help us support more brilliant projects making a real difference to young people from all walks of life, but especially those who are the most vulnerable.”</p> <p>Cricket Builds Hope is a charity that uses cricket to promote reconciliation and drive social change in Rwanda. The organisation was co-founded by Mozzi and his stepbrother Alby Shale based on the vision of their father Christopher Shale.</p> <p>The pair’s request is in line with previous royal weddings in recent years. Prince William and Duchess Kate encouraged well-wishers to donate to a fund of 26 charities for their 2011 nuptials, and raised more than US$1 million. Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan also asked guests to make donations in their name to <a href="https://www.vogue.com.au/brides/news/this-is-what-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-will-have-on-their-wedding-gift-registry/news-story/82a4f26e84c80c6fa22a87c574bb0c5a">seven handpicked organisations</a> for their 2018 wedding.</p> <p>Prince Charles and Princess Diana received <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/royal-wedding-registries">more than 6,000 wedding gifts</a> in 1981.</p>

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Why Princess Beatrice will not get her dream destination wedding

<p>After months of rumours regarding where Princess Beatrice and her fiancé would wed, it is reported the royal is opting for her wedding to be held in the UK so her grandmother, the Queen, can attend.</p> <p>The 31-year-old Princess will say her vows to her multi-millionaire property developer fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on May 29.</p> <p>It was rumoured for many months that Princess Beatrice wanted to marry in Italy in a star-studded wedding, but pair have since seemed to cancel their plans to marry abroad and instead stay near both their grandparent.</p> <p>The Queen is adamant to attend her granddaughter’s wedding, but due to royal regulations, she is not able to take long haul flights any longer.</p> <p>Prince Philip’s health is also a concern for the royal family, as he spent four days in hospital.</p> <p>Prince Andrew has since stepped down from his royal duties after the televised interview with BBC's Emily Maitlis.</p> <p>It is believed “the Queen has given permission” for the wedding and it is rumoured to be taking place at the Chapel Royal in St James’ Palace on May 29.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see Princess Beatrice and Edoardo after announcing their engagement.</p>

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Kiwis warned of deadly mozzie disease

<p>Kiwis travelling to Bali have been issued a warning after a deadly mosquito-born brain disease is spreading throughout the popular tourist destination.</p> <p>The health ministry of Indonesia says that an increased amount of Japanese encephalitis cases has been brought to light as of recently.</p> <p>The disease, which is considered to be life-threatening, can cause blindness, weakness and movement disorders.</p> <p>If the viral brain infection is contracted, the symptoms include fever, headache, neck stiffness, tremors, paralysis and convulsions, especially amongst younger children.</p> <p>The disease can also send those affected into a coma or ultimately death, and those who are lucky enough to survive the deadly disease are usually left with neurological impairments that last throughout the course of their life.</p> <p>According to The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC), the disease is currently spreading throughout Asia with countries such as India, Pakistan and Japan reporting an increased amount of cases.</p> <p>With 30-50,000 cases reported per year, the ECDPC says that number has been seeing a decline due to vaccinations and an improvement in agriculture.</p> <p>While the disease is most likely to occur from mosquitos, it can also be transmitted through birds, bats, cows and pigs.</p> <p>The ministry is currently monitoring the disease in Bali, North Sulawesi and Manado but so far, Bali is the worst affected area.</p> <p>“To intervene with (the spread of) this disease, we have been introducing vaccinations in Bali with pretty good results. We are intervening with immunisation,” said Vensya Sitohang, the Ministry of Health Director of Surveillance and Quarantine to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/australians-warned-about-travelling-to-bali-amid-spike-in-japanese-encephalitis-cases/news-story/e255ca32f524bcbdae9d1ee1f7e3a429" target="_blank"><em>news.com.au</em></a>.</p> <p>Children who are aged between nine months old to 15 years are eligible for vaccination as they are considered to be the most at risk when it comes to contracting the infection.</p> <p>According to the ministry, 979,953 people have been vaccinated so far.</p> <p>“The hope is that it prevents it early, so no physical disability is reached,” said Ms Sitohang.</p> <p>Signs and symptoms occur within five-15 days after being bitten by the infected insect.</p> <p>Those who are travelling to Bali or Asia are advised to remain covered up and regularly apply mosquito repellent to avoid getting bitten.</p> <p>“A Japanese encephalitis vaccine is available for people aged 12 months and older and is recommended for travellers spending extended one month or more in rural areas of high-risk countries for JE,” the NSW Health website reads.</p> <p>Contact your GP for further information on the vaccine. </p>

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