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Queen Elizabeth's final diary entry revealed

<p>The final dairy entry of Queen Elizabeth, written in the days before her death, has been revealed for the first time. </p> <p>Featuring in Robert Hardman’s biography on King Charles, <em>Charles III: New King, New Court</em>, the final entry in Her Majesty's personal diary delves into the last days of her life. </p> <p>During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth kept a private diary to record key events: a tradition she upheld until her final days.</p> <p>The passage, which was penned on September 6th, was made at Balmoral just two days before she died at age 96. </p> <p>She wrote that her private secretary, Edward Young, had visited her, and shared some highlights about swearing in new Privy Council members.</p> <p>“It transpires that she was still writing it at Balmoral two days before her death,” Hardman wrote. </p> <p>“Her last entry was as factual and practical as ever. It could have been describing another normal working day starting in the usual way — ‘Edward came to see me’ — as she noted the arrangements which her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, had made for the swearing-in of the new ministers of the Truss administration.”</p> <p>The Queen’s final engagement was asking Liz Truss to form a government after the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.</p> <p>According to <em>The Telegraph UK</em>, Queen Elizabeth's diary-writing habit is one she passed on to King Charles, with a senior courtier revealing that Charles “doesn’t write great narrative diaries like she used to,” but he does “scribble down his recollections and reflections”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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New details about Queen Elizabeth's final hours revealed

<p>The final hours of Queen Elizabeth's life have been shared in a tell-all new book about the royals, detailing how Her Majesty was forced to pull out of an important meeting before she died. </p> <p>In his book, <em>Charles III: New King, New Court</em>, author Robert Hardman shared that the day before her death, Queen Elizabeth had met the departing British prime minister, Boris Johnson, and his replacement, Liz Truss, at Balmoral and attended a drinks party that same evening. </p> <p>Hardman wrote that the Queen felt "buzzy" at the event, but her health quickly took a turn for the worst. </p> <p>“She was quite buzzy over pre-dinner drinks,” one guest at the party told Hardman. </p> <p>“But then she said she was going upstairs to have dinner alone.”</p> <p>The monarch then spent the next day in bed, but reportedly arranged with the Privy Council to dial in via video link for an important meeting. </p> <p>As her health deteriorated throughout the day, that was changed to allow for her to call from her bedroom in an audio-only capacity, according to Hardman.</p> <p>But just moments before the meeting was set to get underway, the Queen reportedly made the difficult decision to cancel entirely on “medical advice”.</p> <p>It was that evening that then-Prince Charles was advised by Princess Anne and his private secretary to make his way urgently to his mother’s bedside, with fears that the end was near.</p> <p>Hardman writes that the following day, Charles was told his mother had died over the phone, having briefly left her bedside to have a moment to himself outside.</p> <p>Sadly, most of the royal family didn't make it to Balmoral in time to see the Queen before she passed, with Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie all landing 40 minutes later.</p> <p>Prince Harry shared in his own memoir <em>Spare</em> that he learned of his grandmother’s death by reading it in a BBC breaking news alert, moments after his own flight landed.</p> <p>The Queen died at 3:10pm on September 8th 2022, after more than 70 years on the throne.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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"Psycho": Biographer reveals truth about Queen Elizabeth's corgis

<p>The late Queen Elizabeth's love for her corgis was well known throughout her reign, but a new book suggests the pups weren't as sweet as they seemed. </p> <p>The late monarch was a fan of corgis and dorgis – a mix breed between a corgi and dachshund, and she bred them from a young age, owning a total of 83 over 14 generations. </p> <p>In his new biography, <em>A Voyage Around the Queen</em>, Journalist Craig Brown has revealed that the Queen's dogs were actually "psycho" and known for their unpredictable temperament. </p> <p>While it was a common trait for their breed, Brown claims that the lineage bred by the Queen was particularly nightmarish, especially her first Corgi, Dookie. </p> <p>"Dookie did not restrict his aggression to humans: he would happily attack the dining room chairs at Royal Lodge, the family home in Windsor Great Park," he shared.</p> <p>He claimed that Dookie even once bit a politician who came to visit. According to Brown, the corgi's disposition for violence was passed down from generation to generation, even recalling what the Queen's first dorgi, Honey, was like. </p> <p>"In 1984, Piper, the great-great-great-grand dorgi of Honey sank his teeth in several victims, including the Queen Mother and Prince Edward," explained Brown.</p> <p>The journalist added that Piper was then handed over to Princess Anne, who allegedly has a "soft spot for nippers and biters."</p> <p>The late Queen did eventually figure out how to keep the violence at bay, although the method itself is a little strange. </p> <p>"Coincidentally, the way to scare off a belligerent corgi is the same as for a belligerent human being: a blast from the bagpipes," Brown wrote.</p> <p>"Happily, the Queen always kept a set of bagpipes at hand."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ thequeenscorgis</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Why Lisa Marie Presley kept son's body at home for two months after his death

<p>Lisa Marie Presley was so heartbroken by the loss of her only son, Benjamin Keough, at just 27-years-old in 2020, that she kept his body in her home for two months after his death. </p> <p>The star revealed this in her memoir <em>From Here to the Great Unknown</em>, which was finished by her daughter Riley Keough after the 54-year-old’s death in January 2023, according to <em>Page Six</em>. </p> <p>In the book, Lisa Marie opened up about the extent of her grief, saying that she had to force herself to "fight" to stay alive for her remaining children, and one of the ways she coped was not saying goodbye to Benjamin right away. </p> <p>“My house has a separate casitas bedroom and I kept Ben Ben in there for two months. There is no law in the state of California that you have to bury someone immediately,” Lisa Marie wrote. </p> <p>“I found a very empathetic funeral homeowner. I told her that having my dad in the house after he died was incredibly helpful because I could go and spend time with him and talk to him. She said, ‘We’ll bring Ben Ben to you.’”</p> <p>The room was kept at around 12 degrees celsius to preserve his body, and the star continued saying that she felt “fortunate that there was a way that I could still parent him, delay it a bit longer so that I could become okay with laying him to rest.”</p> <p>Another reason why she decided to keep his body was because she wasn't sure whether to bury him in Hawaii or at Graceland,  the Memphis estate where Elvis died and is buried.</p> <p>At one point, Riley and Lisa Marie decided to honour Benjamin by getting matching tattoos of his name, which was inscribed in the same place where Benjamin had his tattoos.</p> <p>Riley recalled the odd moment Lisa Marie brought in the tattoo artist into her home. </p> <p>“Lisa Marie Presley had just asked this poor man to look at the body of her dead son, which happened to be right next to us in the casitas. I’ve had an extremely absurd life, but this moment is in the top five," Riley wrote in the memoir. </p> <p>Lisa Marie acknowledged that it was odd, and soon after the tattoo day, they "got the vibe" that Benjamin wanted to be laid to rest. </p> <p>“Even my mum said that she could feel him talking to her, saying ‘This is insane, Mum, what are you doing? What the f**k!”</p> <p>The family held a funeral for Benjamin in Malibu, and he was buried at Graceland alongside Elvis, and now Lisa Marie as well. </p> <p><em>Image: Copetti/Photofab/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

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Fresh claims about Queen Elizabeth's health in her final days

<p>Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shared a sad claim about Queen Elizabeth and her secret health battle that she was going through before her death in 2022. </p> <p>Johnson reflected on his relationship with the former monarch in his upcoming memoir, <em>Unleashed</em>, detailing his final meeting with the Queen at Balmoral Castle just days before she died.</p> <p>In the book, he explained that the Queen had been battling bone cancer and was worried about the deterioration of her condition.</p> <p>“I had known for a year or more that she had a form of bone cancer, and her doctors were worried that at any time she could enter a sharp decline,” Johnson wrote in an excerpt obtained by the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13901877/BORIS-JOHNSON-meeting-Queen-inspirational-words-wisdom.html">Daily Mail</a></em>.</p> <p>Before their meeting, Johnson claimed the Queen’s private secretary, Edward Young, warned him that her health had “gone down quite a bit over the summer.”</p> <p>“She seemed pale and more stooped, and she had dark ­bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections,” Johnson wrote.</p> <p>He continued, “But her mind – as Edward had also said – was completely ­unimpaired by her illness, and from time to time in our ­conversation she still flashed that great white smile in its sudden mood-lifting beauty.”</p> <p>Queen Elizabeth died just two days after their final meeting. </p> <p>According to Johnson, the Queen “had known all ­summer that she was going, but was determined to hang on and do her last duty” by overseeing the “peaceful and orderly transition” of power from him to his successor Liz Truss.</p> <p>Johnson isn’t the first person to have claimed the late monarch was diagnosed with cancer during her final years, as royal author Gyles Brandreth wrote about rumours Her Majesty had a rare form of myeloma, a bone marrow cancer, in his book, <em>Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait</em>.</p> <p>He explained that the diagnosis “would explain her tiredness and weight loss and those ‘mobility issues’ we were often told about during the last year or so of her life.”</p> <p>However, the Queen’s official cause of death was listed as “old age” and the palace has never disclosed any other medical records.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/UPI/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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"Laughably bad": New sculpture of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip divides opinion

<p>A newly unveiled bronze sculpture of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has received somewhat mixed reviews from the public, with many criticising the piece for looking "nothing like" them. </p> <p>The artwork was unveiled at Antrim Castle Gardens in Northern Ireland on Friday, and was commissioned by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, which said the piece  “captures Her Majesty in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service”.</p> <p>It also depicts two of her famous corgis at her feet and her husband, Philip standing behind her with his hands behind his back. </p> <p>While the local council told CNN that the bronze statue of the Queen "has been warmly received by most who have seen it in person," many have ridiculed the statue for looking nothing like them. </p> <p>One user wrote on X that it was "laughably bad", adding: "It doesn't even look an iota like her, does it? Am I blind, or is that just nothing like the Queen? Surely they pay a fortune for these commissioned pieces - is there no requirement that there actually be a likeness?"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">It doesn't even look an iota like her, does it? Am I blind, or is that just nothing like the Queen? Surely they pay a fortune for these commissioned pieces - is there no requirement that there actually be a likeness?</p> <p>Why is everything so shit, now?</p> <p>— Dr Dani Sulikowski (@DrDaniS) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrDaniS/status/1832347891433927015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>Another user on X wrote: “It is awful...It looks nothing like the Queen or the Prince.. Terrible..Dreadful..Melt it down and start again”. </p> <p>One person commented on the council's announcement of the artwork that while it was "beautiful" the statue didn't "look like our late queen or represent how she always dressed".</p> <p>"Even the corgi is confused," another user wrote.</p> <p>“Would you know this was the late Queen if I didn't tell you?" another wrote on X. </p> <p>Following the wave of criticism, the council acknowledged that at "art can sometimes spark diverse opinions" but said that it "was particularly pleased with how the (Elizabeth) sculpture complements its surroundings, standing adjacent to the statue of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and accompanied by two lovingly crafted corgis."</p> <p><em>Images: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council</em></p>

Art

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Shocking moment Queen Mary is struck by electric scooter

<p>Concerns over the safety of the Danish royal family have been raised after a video surfaced showing Queen Mary being struck by a scooter during a visit to Greenland last month.</p> <p>The footage, released by Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet, depicts the incident in which Queen Mary, wife of King Frederik X, is seen greeting fans before being struck. Onlookers quickly surrounded the scene in shock.</p> <p>The 52-year-old monarch, who has four children, was visibly distressed as she fell but managed to maintain her composure after getting back on her feet. Her security team promptly intervened, halting the scooter's movement. The driver, an elderly man, appeared more shaken than the Queen and stated that he "did not know what happened", explaining that he had intended to extend his arm towards the Queen but accidentally accelerated instead.</p> <p>This incident has prompted widespread debate over the adequacy of security measures for the Danish monarchy. Royal expert Kenth G. Madsen, in an interview with FEMAIL, called for enhanced security protocols during public appearances by royalty and political figures. Madsen cited a recent incident involving Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who was assaulted by a drunk man in Copenhagen.</p> <p>"Threat assessments must be updated regularly to reflect the current security situation," Madsen said. He called for increased surveillance, a larger security presence, the establishment of safe zones around public events, and improved crisis response plans. He also stressed the importance of clear communication between security units.</p> <p>Ekstra Bladet's royal commentator, Kim Bach, criticised Denmark's national security and intelligence service, PET, for allowing a vehicle to get so close to the Queen. "It's strange that they are not more vigilant, just because they are in Greenland," Bach remarked, highlighting the perceived laxity in security measures.</p> <p>Queen Mary was reportedly shaken by the incident, which occurred near her youngest children, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. King Frederik was also in the vicinity, greeting fans when the accident happened. The palace confirmed that Queen Mary was not injured and continued with her scheduled events.</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/reel/C9LUBJWIGqD/?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/reel/C9LUBJWIGqD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 (@denmarksqueenmary)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Eyewitnesses described the shock of the crowd following the incident. One spectator told <em>The Australian</em>, "I could see how much it hurt her; her eyes watered immediately. It must hurt to be hit at that speed."</p> <p>While both police and palace security concluded that the incident was an innocent mistake, fans and observers have expressed concerns about the Queen's safety. Comments on social media questioned why a motorised scooter – even a mobility one such as this – was allowed so close to the monarch.</p> <p>The incident has sparked a debate about the balance between the royals' accessibility to the public and the need for more robust security measures. Fans and commentators alike have called for a reassessment of the security protocols surrounding the Danish royal family, particularly during public engagements.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Famous Queen Elizabeth lookalike dies at age 96

<p>Jeanette Charles, a famous lookalike of Queen Elizabeth, has passed away. </p> <p>Charles died at her care home in Great Baddow, Essex on June 6th at the age of 96: the same age the late Queen was when she passed away. </p> <p>The news was confirmed by her daughter Carol Christophi in a statement to UK media.</p> <p>"Mum was a real character and a force of nature. She had an amazing life," Christophi said. "She was always respectful of the queen and adored the royal family."</p> <p>Charles first stepped into the spotlight in the 1970s and became known for her iconic portrayals of Queen Elizabeth in famous film and television roles.</p> <p>The lookalike played the queen in an episode of <em>Saturday Night Live</em> in 1977 before landing one of her most recognisable appearances in the <em>National Lampoon</em> franchise.</p> <p>She played Queen Elizabeth in <em>National Lampoon's European Vacation</em> in 1985, before against stepping into the role of the monarch for a scene in <em>The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad!</em> in 1988.</p> <p>Charles continued to double for the Queen onscreen into the early noughties with another notable performance in the 2002 film Austin Powers in <em>Goldmember</em>, before she retired from acting in 2004. </p> <p>"Ever since I can remember I have been told I looked like the young Princess Elizabeth and this carried on as we both grew up," she once <a title="said in an interview" href="https://www.sodor-island.com/sts-interview-jeannette-charles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in an interview</a>.</p> <p>Writing for <em><a title="The Guardian" href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/27/experience-lookalike-for-50-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a></em> in 2022, Charles recalled the first time she was recognised as the Queen from someone aside her agent.</p> <p>"On a trip to Greenwich when I was 11 or 12, a photographer asked if he could use me in some shots, saying, 'She looks like Princess Elizabeth'," he star wrote.</p> <p>"Later, I'd draw crowds, especially abroad, and sometimes had to run away."</p> <p>"I don't think anyone else had earned a living by resembling someone famous before – now there's a whole industry," she wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock / New Line Cinema </em></p>

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Fergie reveals the advice she received from Queen Elizabeth before she died

<p dir="ltr">Sarah Ferguson has revealed the heartfelt advice she received from Queen Elizabeth before she died.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an interview with <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/555582/sarah-ferguson-feeling-better-than-ever-exclusive-interview/"><em>Hello</em>!</a> magazine, the Duchess of York has opened up about her battle with cancer, and how a piece of advice she received from the late Queen helped her through her health journey. </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking about how her outlook on life has changed after her diagnosis, Fergie reflected on what her ex-mother-in-law said to her before she passed away. </p> <p dir="ltr">"One of the only people who saw me properly was the Queen [the late Elizabeth II]," she told the publication. "And before she died, she said: 'Sarah, being yourself is enough'."</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of York still carries that advice with her to this day, explaining that she's raised her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to be honest in who they are.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fergie has previously opened up about her relationship with the late Queen, sharing how her words of wisdom have impacted her for years. </p> <p dir="ltr">In September 2023, she shared that the last thing the Queen ever said to her was to “just be yourself”. </p> <p dir="ltr">"And she saw it. She just got so annoyed when I wasn't being myself," she explained on an episode of the podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah. "And that's probably when I got into all the pickles. But now I am myself, and I'm just so lucky to be able to be myself."</p> <p dir="ltr">Earlier that same year, the Duchess reflected on the calming presence of the Queen, telling <em><a href="https://people.com/sarah-ferguson-reveals-queen-elizabeth-last-words-before-death-7964451">People</a></em> magazine that Queen Elizabeth was "so brilliant at putting you at ease," adding, "She had the most incredible faith of any single person I've ever met."</p> <p dir="ltr">"She just knew what to do," Fergie continued. "She knew how to make people feel good. She never took it onboard as about her."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Queen Mary’s wedding dressmaker reveals process behind iconic gown

<p dir="ltr">The Danish designer and dressmaker who designed Queen Mary’s wedding gown has recalled the “rather terrifying” process of making the iconic dress.</p> <p dir="ltr">Birgit Hallstein created the custom gown for the Aussie-born royal for her to marry Prince Frederik in 2004, as the designer recalled having to adhere to an unusual royal tradition when creating the dress. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hallstein said that she put the finishing touches on the dress on the wedding day: a decision that was mentioned to her by Mary's new mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hallstein admits the old tradition, which involves doing the final loops and stitches the morning of the wedding, also helped her process in the long run. </p> <p dir="ltr">"[It] was a thing I did because it's a tradition in some families, but honestly I don't remember if Queen Margrethe would have mentioned such a thing," Hallstein told <em><a href="https://style.nine.com.au/latest/queen-mary-of-denmark-20th-wedding-anniversary-wedding-dressmaker-birgit-hallstein-interview/9f0c57eb-2d7b-44fd-ae0b-487d1b3592a5">9Honey</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Maybe, because she knows a lot of those things... I am sure we talked about it, but anyway it was practical to gather the dress on the day because it's big."</p> <p dir="ltr">The process for Hallstein began in November 2003, as she admitted it was the most important garment she had ever worked on.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was rather terrifying," she admitted with a laugh.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's a bit like an exam, just a really big one, because if you fail everyone will see."</p> <p dir="ltr">Hallstein worked in a dedicated space at Amalienborg Palace to deliver the gown as well as the outfits worn by the bridesmaids, page boys and flower girls.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The sewing took hundreds of hours, starting in January 2004 and ending right before the wedding," she recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">There was also the added pressure of adhering to royal traditions and protocols around the use of the antique veil and the lace attachment to the petticoat, which was from Queen Margrethe's private collection.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There are rules to follow, [you're] not allowed to cut in it and only skilled repairs [are allowed]," Hallstein said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I had to hide around two or three metres of the antique lace in between layers of organza inside the dress to make sure it was not damaged by high heels, chairs, cars and carriages during the day."</p> <p dir="ltr">In a social media post to mark 20 years since the world got their first look at the classic gown, the dressmaker explained to fans that "the wedding gown consists of three parts".</p> <p dir="ltr">“There's a big tulle petticoat, edged with almost 60 yards of Chantilly lace, on this a big light blue silk bow were placed, to make sure the first born would be a son," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Hounsfield-Klein-Zabulon/ABACA/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Why Mary Poppins has received a new rating 60 years on

<p dir="ltr">Almost 60 years after <em>Mary Poppins</em> was first released, the classic film has been given a new rating by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). </p> <p dir="ltr">The BBFC, which regulates films and video content in the country, changed the rating of the 1964 Disney musical last week from U (Universal) to PG (Parental Guidance) because it features a racial slur once used by white Europeans to refer to the native peoples of southern Africa.</p> <p dir="ltr">"<em>Mary Poppins</em> (1964) includes two uses of the discriminatory term 'hottentots'," a BBFC spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.</p> <p dir="ltr">"While <em>Mary Poppins</em> has a historical context, the use of discriminatory language is not condemned, and ultimately exceeds our guidelines for acceptable language at U."</p> <p dir="ltr">The approaching 60th anniversary of the film is what prompted the BBFC to reexamine the film, as it is set to return to UK cinemas in celebration of the milestone. </p> <p dir="ltr">Even as <em>Mary Poppins</em> remains a treasured part of UK culture, the film has long been criticised for the use of blackface. It's partly in this context that the discriminatory language referenced by BBFC appears in the film.</p> <p dir="ltr">In one scene, the eccentric Admiral Boom asks one of the Banks children if he is going on an adventure to "defeat hottentots." </p> <p dir="ltr">Later in the film, as Admiral Boom sees chimney sweeps with soot-blackened faces dancing in the distance, he shouts, "We're being attacked by hottentots!" and orders a cannon to be fired in their direction.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Hottentot" is a derogatory term used by European settlers to refer to Khoikhoi peoples of South Africa and Namibia, according to the Oxford Dictionary reference.</p> <p dir="ltr">Per the new film rating, children of any age can still watch without an adult present, but parents should consider whether the content might upset younger or more sensitive children, a BBFC spokesperson said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Disney</em></p>

Movies

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Queen Elizabeth’s secret “anger” at Lilibet’s name

<p dir="ltr">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to name their daughter Lilibet allegedly greatly “angered” the late Queen Elizabeth, according to an explosive new book. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the new biography <em>Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story</em>, by veteran royal journalist Robert Hardman, a source close to the royal family shared the secret anger about the Sussexes using Her Majesty’s childhood nickname for their child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The affectionate moniker was used frequently during the late Queen’s childhood, after it emerged from her own mispronunciation of her name as a child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The nickname was used only by her late parents, her sister Princess Margaret, husband Prince Philip, and closest inner circle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan Markle gave birth to her daughter in June 2021, naming her Lilibet Diana, in tribute to both the Queen and to Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to the explosive new book, a senior palace source described the late monarch as being “as angry as I’d ever seen her” when the couple said in a statement she’d approved the use of the name for their second child. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of the new claims, the Daily Mail’s royal editor Rebecca English added that aides told her at the time that the Queen had felt her name had been “taken”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“‘I don’t own the palaces, I don’t own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they’ve taken that,” they reportedly told her.</p> <p dir="ltr">English added that she’d been told the Queen was “taken aback” when Harry informed her of his intention with the name, but “didn’t feel, given the circumstances, she could say no”, describing it as “being pushed into an impossible corner.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The claims of the Queen’s disappointment first began to swirl shortly after Lilibet’s birth, but a law firm representing Harry and Meghan quickly fired off a statement to news organisations, suggesting the claim was false and defamatory.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” the message read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the days after Lilibet’s birth, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying that the Queen and other senior royals were “delighted with the news.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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All of the incredible royal jewels Queen Mary just inherited

<p>In a weekend filled with regal splendour and historic significance, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark not only <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/king-charles-message-to-mary-as-she-becomes-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ascended to the esteemed title of Queen</a> but also found herself adorned with the resplendent Danish Crown Jewels.</p> <p>The symbolic transfer of these extraordinary treasures, formerly belonging to Queen Margrethe, marks a momentous chapter in the Danish monarchy, and for Mary, it's a journey into the rich history of royal glamour.</p> <p>The Danish Crown Jewels, a collection with a lineage spanning centuries, tell a story of devotion, legacy and timeless elegance. Initiated by Queen Sophie Magdalene in the 1700s, each subsequent queen has contributed to and enhanced the collection, resulting in four dazzling "parures", or sets, each a testament to the enduring craftsmanship and artistry of Danish royalty.</p> <p><strong>The Emerald Set: A Gift of Love Across Generations</strong></p> <p>At the heart of the collection is the Emerald Set, a masterpiece featuring diadem, necklace, brooch and earrings adorned with emeralds and brilliant-cut diamonds. Originally gifted to Queen Sophie Magdalene in 1723 by King Christian VI, the set exudes a captivating blend of history and sophistication. As Queen Margrethe has demonstrated in the past, the pieces can be worn together or detached for a versatile, regal allure.</p> <p><strong>Pearl Ruby Set: A Timeless Elegance in Red and White</strong></p> <p>The Pearl Ruby Set, with its origins in the late 1600s, boasts a pearl necklace from Queen Charlotte Amalie, complemented by a matching pearl, ruby and diamond brooch and earrings. The ensemble, enhanced by Queen Caroline Amalie in the 1840s, mirrors the colours of the Danish flag. The set's adaptability, such as the pendant attachment to the pearl necklace, reflects a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation.</p> <p><strong>Brilliant Set: Diamonds that Sparkle with History</strong></p> <p>The Brilliant Set, featuring a brilliant-cut diamond necklace, floral bouquet brooch and earrings dating back to 1840, was the choice of Queen Margrethe for her son Frederik's wedding. This set, rich in symbolism, is a dazzling testament to the enduring sparkle of Danish royalty. Paired with the Floral Aigrette tiara, it adds a touch of timeless grace to any royal occasion.</p> <p><strong>Rose Cut Set: A Delicate Affair with Rose-Cut Diamonds</strong></p> <p>The Rose Cut Set, with necklaces and brooches fashioned from rose-cut diamonds, whispers tales of Princess Charlotte Amalie from centuries past. Worn sparingly by Queen Margrethe, it holds a unique place in the collection, and its rare appearances evoke a sense of antiquity and refinement.</p> <p>For Queen Mary, this accession to the Danish Crown Jewels is not just a privilege but a responsibility to carry forward the legacy of elegance and grace. These jewels, worn by every Queen of Denmark since the 1700s, are not merely adornments; they are a connection to the nation's history and a symbol of continuity.</p> <p>Reserved for special occasions, such as state visits and the New Year Reception, the Danish Crown Jewels will now find a new muse in Queen Mary. Ensconced within the walls of Rosenborg Castle when not in use, these jewels remain a source of pride for Denmark, a tangible link to its regal past.</p> <p>As Queen Mary steps into this new chapter of her royal journey, the Danish Crown Jewels will undoubtedly witness many more moments of joy, solemnity and regal radiance, reflecting the enduring spirit of a nation intertwined with its royal heritage.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Newly revealed diary entry shows Queen Elizabeth's final moments

<p>A previously unseen diary entry from Queen Elizabeth's private secretary has revealed the final moments of the late monarch's life. </p> <p>Sir Edward Young dutifully recorded every moment of the Queen's life, including Her Majesty's last moments at Balmoral surrounded by her family. </p> <p>“Very peaceful,” he wrote. “In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.”</p> <p>The private diary entry was lodged in the Royal Archives and has not been made public until now.</p> <p>Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of 96 on September 8th 2022 at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland, as she was surrounded by the royal family.</p> <p> </p> <p>Others who were by the Queen’s bedside included the Queen’s senior dresser and trusted confidante, Angela Kelly, along with the Rev Kenneth MacKenzie, a minister, who read to her from the Bible.</p> <p>The diary entry comes from a new book <em>Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story</em>, written by royal expert Robert Hardman, who shared other details from the Queen's final moments.</p> <p>The book notes that after King Charles sat by his mother's bedside for hours before her death, he went out to forage mushrooms to clear his head.</p> <p>It was when he was returning to Balmoral Castle that he was informed his mother has died.  </p> <p>After her death, a footman brought a locked red box of paperwork found by her deathbed.</p> <p>In it, were two sealed letters: one to her son and heir, Charles, and the other, addressed to Young.</p> <p>The box also contained her final royal order: her choice of candidates for the prestigious Order of Merit for ‘exceptionally meritorious service’ across the Commonwealth.</p> <p>Hardman writes in the new book, “Even on her deathbed, there had been work to do. And she had done it.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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King Charles' message to Mary as she becomes Queen

<p>In a moment that felt like a page torn from a fairytale, Aussie-born Mary Donaldson has officially ascended to become the Queen of Denmark, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the nation.</p> <p>Almost two decades after being named Crown Princess, Queen Mary's journey to the throne reached its pinnacle on a joyous day at Copenhagen’s Christiansborg Castle.</p> <p>The atmosphere was electric as tens of thousands of people gathered to witness the historic occasion. From the balcony, Queen Mary, alongside her husband King Frederik X, waved to the cheering crowd, radiating happiness and a sense of unity. The ceremony, which saw the former queen Margrethe II gracefully abdicate, unfolded with grace and dignity.</p> <p>The roar of the crowd echoed through the air when Queen Mary took centre stage, symbolising the beginning of a reign that promises to be marked by warmth, wisdom and dedication. With a radiant smile and hand-in-hand with King Frederik, Queen Mary kissed her husband, captivating the hearts of onlookers and setting the tone for a reign filled with love and unity.</p> <p>The transition from Margrethe II to King Frederik X was a low-key affair, marked by the signing of official documents and a symbolic passing of the torch. The outgoing queen, after gracefully giving her seat to her son, left the room, leaving behind a legacy of over five decades of devoted service to Denmark.</p> <p>In the wake of this historic moment, messages of support and congratulations poured in from fellow royals, with King Charles and Queen Camilla among the first to extend their best wishes.</p> <p>“My wife joins me in writing to convey our very best wishes on the day of your accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Charles wrote. “I look forward to working with you on ensuring that the enduring bond between our countries, and our families, remains strong, and to working together with you on issues which matter so much for our countries and the wider world.”</p> <p>King Harald V of Norway predicted that Queen Mary and King Frederik X would usher Denmark into a "new era" with warmth, wisdom and dedication. The close friendship between royal families was highlighted, underlining the importance of unity and support in the challenges that lie ahead.</p> <p>Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf conveyed his warm thanks to the outgoing Queen Margrethe for years of good cooperation and offered Queen Mary his heartfelt wishes for success in her new role. The friendship between the nations, he noted, remains warm and constant, a sentiment echoed by many around the world.</p> <p>As Queen Mary ascends to the throne, this marks an incredible milestone in a fairytale story that has captivated millions for over two decades. With her grace, charm and dedication, Queen Mary is poised to lead Denmark into a bright and promising future, continuing the legacy of a monarchy that remains woven into the fabric of the nation's history.</p> <p>The world eagerly anticipates the reign of Queen Mary, a symbol of love, unity and a modern fairytale come true.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Vale ‘sister suffragette’: how Glynis Johns became a pop-culture icon in the story of votes for women

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-stevenson-196768">Ana Stevenson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-helwig-1500979">Lindsay Helwig</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Glynis Johns, most famous for her role as the suffragette mother Mrs Winifred Banks in Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964), passed away last week at the age of 100.</p> <p>A fourth-generation performer who made her <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-17-ca-126-story.html">stage debut</a> in London when she was only three weeks old, Johns inherited her Welsh father’s love of acting. She appeared with him in The Halfway House (1944) and The Sundowners (1960) and argued for the establishment of a Welsh National Theatre <a href="https://twitter.com/huwthomas/status/791367871242862592">as early as 1971</a>.</p> <p>Johns’s career spanned eight decades in Hollywood, Broadway and the British stage and screen. As Palm Springs’s Desert Sun <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&amp;d=DS19630426.2.50">reported</a> in 1962, her “husky voice and big blue eyes” were her hallmarks. But it was her portrayal of Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins which would make her a pop culture icon.</p> <h2>A childhood inspiration</h2> <p>Feminist activists and scholars often describe the Mrs Banks character as a childhood inspiration.</p> <p>As feminist communications scholar Amanda Firestone <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Resist_and_Persist/s5HiDwAAQBAJ">reflects</a> on the film: "I especially loved […] Mrs Banks (Glynis Johns), who marches around the family home, putting Votes for Women sashes onto the housekeeper, cook, and the (departing) nanny. Of course, as a kid, I had no idea that the people and events embedded in the song’s lyrics were actual parts of history, but I did find a kind of joy in a vague notion of women’s empowerment."</p> <p>Set in 1910, the symbolism associated with Mrs Banks references the history of the British suffragettes. Johns’ musical showstopper, Sister Suffragette, directly refers to <a href="https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/the-pankhursts-politics-protest-and-passion/">Emmeline Pankhurst</a>, who founded the militant Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903. In 1906 British newspapers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859007003239">coined</a> the moniker “suffragette” to mock the union.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K0SDECwO54E?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>This ambivalence continued into the 1960s. Historian Laura E. Nym Mayhall <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316653">argues</a> that American concern over the impact of women’s public roles on their domestic responsibilities influenced the film’s depiction of Mrs Banks, especially her movement from a public suffragette back into an involved mother at the film’s end.</p> <p>For Mayhall, the figure of the suffragette emerges in popular culture as “a symbol of modernity”: a harbinger of democracy and political progress whose characterisation would elide ongoing struggles such as the civil rights movement.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">This 1909 Dunston Weiler Lithograph Co. anti-suffrage postcard offers resonances of Mrs Banks and her household staff in Mary Poppins.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://thesuffragepostcardproject.omeka.net/items/show/44">Catherine H. Palczewski Postcard Archive/The Suffrage Postcard Project</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>While some see the character of the suffragette mother as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Mary_Poppins/BLujEAAAQBAJ">supporting</a> women’s votes during the 1910s and women’s liberation during the 1960s, other readings of the film suggest a more satirical representation of the suffrage movement. Some historians even find <a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/02705346-6923118">resonances</a> of anti-suffrage propaganda in Mrs Banks, including in her usage of her Votes for Women sash as the tail of a kite in the film’s final scene.</p> <p>Looking back at film reviews offers insight into how audiences received this character – and, by extension, Johns as an actor. American studies scholar Lori Kenschaft <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Girls_Boys_Books_Toys.html?id=Or13vhnA_W4C">suggests</a> that film critics who saw Mrs Banks as a “nutty suffragette mother” reiterated popular stereotypes about suffragettes and feminists being “mentally unbalanced”.</p> <p>Such stereotypes may have been reinforced by the film’s depiction of motherhood and the nuclear family. Involved parenting emerged as the bedrock of the 1960s nuclear family, an idea both supported and actively promoted by Walt Disney in both his films and his theme parks, as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Children_Childhood_and_Musical_Theater/XHrRDwAAQBAJ">argued</a> by American musicologist William A. Everett.</p> <p>As Mrs Banks, Johns embodied the transition from the distant, uninvolved parenting of the British middle-class in the earlier 20th century to the involved mother who facilitated the stable nuclear family. As women’s studies scholar Anne McLeer <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316893">argues</a>, Mary Poppins, through Johns’ portrayal of Mrs Banks, demonstrated the liberated woman of the 1960s could be contained within the nuclear family: the bedrock for a Western capitalist economy.</p> <h2>A long career</h2> <p>Beyond Mary Poppins, her most prominent role was in Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical A Little Night Music (1973).</p> <p>Johns originated the character of ageing actress Desiree Armfeldt, becoming the first to sing Send in the Clowns. As she <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-17-ca-126-story.html">reflected</a> of the classic in 1991: "It’s still part of me. And when you’ve got a song like Send in the Clowns, it’s timeless."</p> <p>Sondheim composed this song with Johns’s famously husky voice in mind. Yet some were less enamoured with her performance. One 1973 theatre critic <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3850619">described</a> Johns as “a now somewhat overage tomboy, kittenish and raspy-voiced, precise and amusing in her delivery of lines but utterly, utterly unseductive.”</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OAl-EawVobY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>A veteran of stage and screen, Johns appeared in more than 60 films and 30 plays. In 1998, she was honoured with a Disney Legends Award for her role as Mrs Banks. Johns also received critical acclaim throughout her career, including a Laurel Award for Mary Poppins and a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for A Little Night Music.</p> <p>Regardless of how incongruous her status as a “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-05/glynis-johns-mary-poppins-send-in-the-clowns/103287036">Disney feminist icon</a>” may be, Johns’s extraordinary influence upon the 20th century’s cultural memory is a remarkable legacy. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/220766/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-stevenson-196768"><em>Ana Stevenson</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-helwig-1500979">Lindsay Helwig</a>, Lecturer in Pathways, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Disney</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/vale-sister-suffragette-how-glynis-johns-became-a-pop-culture-icon-in-the-story-of-votes-for-women-220766">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Dick Van Dyke channels iconic character ahead of 98th birthday

<p>Dick Van Dyke's still got it. </p> <p>The TV and film legend was captured reenacting the iconic chimney sweep dance from the 1964 film <em>Mary Poppins, </em>just days before his 98th birthday. </p> <p>A behind-the-scenes clip of the<em> </em>actor filming his upcoming TV special <em>Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic</em>, was shared on Instagram by Christina Karlin with the caption: “Celebrating this legend today.”</p> <p>The actor looked dapper in a suit, as he playfully performed a jazz square from the iconic film, using a cane for balance. </p> <p>Just last month US network <em>CBS </em>announced that they would be releasing a two-hour show celebrating Van Dyke’s upcoming birthday in a special way by taking a look back at his career spanning over seven decades. </p> <p>The special “will travel back in time to the iconic set of The Dick Van Dyke Show and feature dazzling music and dance spectacles, heartfelt performances, special guests and a magical holiday number,” a press release from the network read. </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/reel/C0owRS6LePe/?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/reel/C0owRS6LePe/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dick Van Dyke's 98th Birthday (@dvdturns98)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>It will also feature archival footage and songs from the Grammy winner's career, including iconic films like <em>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</em>, <em>Mary Poppins</em> and <em>Bye Bye Birdie</em>.</p> <p>Following the announcement of TV special, Van Dyke said it was an honour to film the show with CBS, who have worked with him since 1955. </p> <p>“I’ve been with the CBS family for almost 70 years, and I couldn’t be prouder," Van Dyke said at the time. </p> <p>“I’m incredibly honoured that CBS will be throwing a 98th birthday special for me,” he added. “Can’t wait to be part of the show!”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Getty</em></p>

TV

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Queen Camilla pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth with a historic first

<p>Queen Camilla has honoured her late mother-in-law with a special tribute at a royal engagement in London. </p> <p>King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a reception at Mansion House in London on Wednesday evening, where the monarch called for unity amid increasing tensions over the conflict in Israel.</p> <p>At the event, Queen Camilla donned Queen Elizabeth's favourite tiara for the first time in a subtle display of respect for the late monarch. </p> <p>Camilla chose the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara for the event, which was worn by Queen Elizabeth regularly throughout her historic 70-year reign.</p> <p>The diamond headpiece was first seen on Elizabeth II in the first official photographs of the new monarch, taken on February 26th 1952, just 20 days after her accession to the throne.</p> <p>It was later worn during Her late Majesty's first visit to Australia in 1954, and became her most worn headpiece throughout her time as Queen. </p> <p>Queen Camilla paired the tiara with two other of the late Queen's beloved pieces of jewellery, the South African diamond necklace and bracelet.</p> <p>The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara originally belonged to Queen Mary, who received it as a gift in 1893. </p> <p>It then came into Elizabeth II's collection in 1947 when Queen Mary gave it to her granddaughter as a wedding present.</p> <p>At the royal event, King Charles gave a speech as he called for peace in Israel and Palestine, referring to himself "as King and as a father and a grandfather" as he appealed for calm.</p> <p>He said, "I have often described the United Kingdom as a 'community of communities'; an island nation in which our shared values are the force which holds us together, reminding us that there is far, far more that unites us than divides us. Yet we are living in something of a watershed age."</p> <p>"Do we pause, instinctively and unerringly, before speaking or acting to ensure we are affording equal weight to both sides of the balance? Our society would be a kinder and gentler place for it."</p> <p>"Such understanding, both at home and overseas, is never more vital than at times of international turmoil and heart-breaking loss of life."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Olympic hero "fighting for her life" in intensive care

<p>xx<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">In the world of gymnastics, few names shine as brightly as that of Mary Lou Retton. The Olympic gold medallist and legendary American gymnast has long been celebrated for her incredible contributions to the sport, etching her legacy into the annals of history. But now, a dark cloud of concern hovers over this American icon, as she battles a rare and relentless adversary: a severe form of pneumonia.</span></p> <p>The shocking news has shaken the hearts of fans and sports enthusiasts worldwide, as the daughter of the 55-year-old Retton shared the news that she is "fighting for her life" in an intensive care unit, unable to breathe on her own for over a week now.</p> <p>McKenna Kelley, Retton's daughter, recently set up a <a href="https://www.spotfund.com/story/a2e0582c-e62f-4e5b-a586-18349014f761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraising account</a> to share her mother's grave situation and the urgency of her need for support. The emotional plea disclosed that Mary Lou Retton was uninsured, leaving the burden of her healthcare costs in the hands of her loved ones and well-wishers.</p> <p>In an emotionally charged post on the fundraising platform, Kelley wrote: "My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life."</p> <p>While respecting her mother's privacy, Kelley refrained from divulging further details about the nature of the pneumonia that has gripped Retton's life, instead requesting the one thing we can all offer – our prayers.</p> <p>Mary Lou Retton's remarkable gymnastics career needs no introduction. She etched her name into the annals of history during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, securing her place as one of the greatest gymnasts in history.</p> <p>At those Summer Games, Retton achieved an astonishing feat by winning five medals, including a groundbreaking gold in the individual all-around competition, a first for any American woman. Her achievements garnered her the title of Sportsperson of the Year by <em>Sports Illustrated</em> in 1984, a testament to her indomitable spirit and unparalleled dedication to her craft.</p> <p>At the time of writing, the fundraising account dedicated to supporting Mary Lou Retton had received an overwhelming outpouring of love and support. With more than 2,000 donors and counting, the campaign has already raised over $US300,000, surpassing its original goal of $US50,000.</p> <p>The outpouring of generosity underscores the enduring impact and admiration that Mary Lou Retton has left in the hearts of many.</p> <p>Beyond the gymnasium, Retton's influence extended into the world of entertainment, appearing in movies and TV shows, including a memorable stint on <em>Baywatch</em> in 1993 and the film Naked<em> Gun 33 ¹/₃: The Final Insult</em> in 1994. She also served on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during President George W. Bush's administration, underscoring her enduring commitment to promoting physical health and well-being.</p> <p>In recognition of her remarkable contributions to the world of gymnastics, Mary Lou Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and became the first woman to be honored by the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. Her legacy extended to the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in 1992, and in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, a street and park bear her name, a lasting tribute to her enduring impact.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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King Charles shares unseen photo of his mother on anniversary of her passing

<p>King Charles has paid tribute to his late mother on the one year anniversary of her death, sharing a profound statement and a previously unseen photo.</p> <p>Queen Elizabeth died on September 8th 2022 in Balmoral Castle at the age of 96, prompting weeks of mourning and various ceremonies both in England and around the world. </p> <p>On the one year anniversary of her passing, King Charles shared an official portrait of the late monarch, taken in 1968 when she was 42 years old. </p> <p>The portrait, which had not been seen by the public before, was accompanied by an emotional statement by the King. </p> <p>He wrote, "In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.</p> <p>I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during… <a href="https://t.co/NfM6LDWTA0">pic.twitter.com/NfM6LDWTA0</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1699917957462212919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>He also used the post to acknowledge the public's acceptance of Queen Camilla over the last 12 months.</p> <p>"I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all."</p> <p>The post welcomed hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, as people recalled where they were when they heard the news of the Queen's passing. </p> <p>Many shared their favourite stories of Queen Elizabeth, and praised Charles for following in his late mother's footsteps with his work as King over the last year, saying she would be proud of her son. </p> <p>Prince Harry has also spoken publicly on the anniversary of his grandmother's death, addressing the audience at the WellChild Awards in London. </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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw5rFMGrvTZ/?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/reel/Cw5rFMGrvTZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by HELLO! Magazine (@hellomag)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The Duke of Sussex recalled how he had to pull out of attending the 2022 award ceremony to be by his grandmother's bedside, and shared that he felt Queen Elizabeth was with them in spirit. </p> <p>He said, “As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away."</p> <p>"As you also probably know, she would have been the first person to insist I still come to be with you all instead of going to her, and that’s precisely why I know, exactly one year on, she is looking down on all of us tonight – happy we are together – continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Twitter (X)</em></p>

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