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Prince Philip's final phone call to King Charles revealed

Prince Philip was known for his quick wit and sense of humour, and now his family have shared their favourite moments with him in the BBC documentary Prince Philip: The Family Remembers. In the documentary, King Charles revealed the cheeky remarks the Duke made in their final phone call just hours before his passing on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99. Charles recalled discussing the Duke's upcoming 100th birthday celebrations and having to raise his voice so his father could hear him better, saying: “We’re talking about your birthday! And whether there’s going to be a reception!” The Duke quipped: “Well, I’ve got to be alive for it, haven’t I?” King Charles fondly shared what he said to his father's cheeky remark, “I told him ‘I knew you’d say that!'”. In another part of the documentary, the monarch recalled the benefits of having young parents. “He was marvellous at arranging silly games. I mean, the fun of having obviously young parents was… there were lots of chasing around and mad things," he said. Prince William also shared some of his fond memories with his late grandfather, recalling the pranks they used to pull together, and one of them being squirting mustard all over the ceiling - much to the Queen’s annoyance. “He used to take the lid off [the tube] and put it in your hands … and then he’d squish your hands together to fire the mustard onto the ceiling," William said. “He used to get in a lot of trouble from my grandmother,” he added. William’s cousins, Princess Anne’s children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, also remembered the same prank. “He gets you to hold it in your hands and I can’t remember exactly what he says — but he ends up slamming your hands together… it goes all over the ceiling,” Zara said. Her brother Peter added: “I actually think the marks are still there.” Image: Canadian Press/ Shutterstock Editorial

Family & Pets

Queen Elizabeth's final diary entry revealed

The final dairy entry of Queen Elizabeth, written in the days before her death, has been revealed for the first time. Featuring in Robert Hardman’s biography on King Charles, Charles III: New King, New Court, the final entry in Her Majesty's personal diary delves into the last days of her life. During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth kept a private diary to record key events: a tradition she upheld until her final days. The passage, which was penned on September 6th, was made at Balmoral just two days before she died at age 96. She wrote that her private secretary, Edward Young, had visited her, and shared some highlights about swearing in new Privy Council members. “It transpires that she was still writing it at Balmoral two days before her death,” Hardman wrote. “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.” The Queen’s final engagement was asking Liz Truss to form a government after the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to The Telegraph UK, 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”. Image credits: Shutterstock

Caring

Never-before-seen party photo of Kate Middleton surfaces

A previously unseen photo of Kate Middleton has been posted to social media by one of her old university friends. Laura Warshaur - who was in the same halls as the royal - shared the photo to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9lQ1A0P2QQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> and reminisced their "lovely" college years together at St Andrews. She captioned the photo: “Sending love to Kate Middleton, the future Queen of England and my university dormmate! “This was us at a Hope Street flat party. I have the loveliest college memories with Kate. “She is the kindest, most caring, down-to-earth, genuine person, and it’s incredible to see her shining so brightly and inspiring the world with her compassion and courage.” The Princess of Wales was snapped wearing a cream turtleneck jumper with minimal makeup and her natural curls flowing. The picture taken at a flat party on Hope Street, was also where the Prince and Princess of Wales lived in their second year, according to The Sun. In the photo the Princess and Laura smiled for the camera as they held up brownie bites. Laura shared the photo on her Instagram a while back to show support for the Princess of Wales as she continued her cancer treatment. The image caught the attention of royal fans this week, who took to comments to share their delight. “Neither of you has changed much, so gorgeous. So happy to see her out and about again with that big smile,” commented one user. “How sweet your tribute to her back when she was diagnosed. And how beautiful you both are in this picture," added another. “No way, most unexpected duo EVER," commented a third. Laura, who has since lost touch with the royal couple, previously revealed that all their friends rooted for the royal couple and believed that they would end up together. Image: Instagram

Beauty & Style

New details about Queen Elizabeth's final hours revealed

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. In his book, Charles III: New King, New Court, 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. Hardman wrote that the Queen felt "buzzy" at the event, but her health quickly took a turn for the worst. “She was quite buzzy over pre-dinner drinks,” one guest at the party told Hardman. “But then she said she was going upstairs to have dinner alone.” 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. 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. But just moments before the meeting was set to get underway, the Queen reportedly made the difficult decision to cancel entirely on “medical advice”. 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. 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. 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. Prince Harry shared in his own memoir Spare that he learned of his grandmother’s death by reading it in a BBC breaking news alert, moments after his own flight landed. The Queen died at 3:10pm on September 8th 2022, after more than 70 years on the throne. Image credits: Shutterstock

Caring

Hugh Grant finally reveals his children's names

Hugh Grant has revealed the names of his two youngest daughters for the first time in a candid interview moment. The English actor and father-of-five has never announced the names of two of his children or the gender of his youngest offspring. Now, during an interview with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, the 64-year-old finally shared that his youngest child was a girl and shared her name with viewers. During a conversation about his own unusual middle name, Mungo, he said, "I was in a bit of a panic with my wife on the day we named [our daughter]." Sharing the hilarious inspiration behind the name, he said, "We thought it might be nice for her when she was older if she could say in bars that her middle name is Danger. So, her name is Lulu Danger Grant. Austin Powers, you know?" Hugh, who also has a son named John Mungo, went on to reveal that his youngest isn't the only child in the family with a fun name. He went on to say that he and his wife Anna were stressed when naming their first daughter, and decided to ask their son for advice. "We asked her elder brother when she was on the way, 'there's a new baby coming along, what shall we call her?'", Hugh explained. "And he said 'Kevin', because that was his favourite Minion." "And we did think about calling her Kevin, but then we said, 'you'd better think of something else', and he said 'Blue', because that was his favourite colour." The announcement was out of character for Hugh, who despite being a huge Hollywood name, tends to keep his personal life out of the spotlight. Image credits: YouTube

Family & Pets

Breathtaking winners of the 2024 Panoramic Photo Awards

The finalists of the 2024 Epson International Pano Awards have been revealed, with the talented photographers capturing the wonders of nature in all its glory. The annual contest is the world's largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography. With over 4,500 entries from more than one thousand professional and amateur photographers across 95 countries worldwide, all of them have captured the beauty of our planet. But the overall winner is Kelvin Yuen, from Hong Kong, who captured "astounding" photographs from China to Patagonia, with a drone shot of a lightning strike above China's Guilin karst formations landing him the title of 2024 Open Photographer of the Year. "On the day I took this photo, I woke up at 3am and was supposed to hike up for the sunrise. However, a heavy thunderstorm struck out of nowhere, so I decided to shoot it" he said of his winning shot, pictured above. David Evans, competition curator has praised all the entries from the 15th year of the Pano Awards. "The quality of entries is astounding, and I am endlessly fascinated by the spectacular windows to the world presented by highly talented photographers far and wide," he said. A few other photos that caught the attention of the judges include dolphins playing in Western Australia, a sunrise over Japan's Mount Fuji, and Norway's Northern Lights. Take a look at some of this year's best entries below. Images: The 15th Epson International Pano Awards

International Travel

World’s longest treasure hunt ends as Golden Owl finally unearthed in France

After more than three decades of mystery and intrigue, the world’s longest-running treasure hunt has come to a thrilling conclusion with the discovery of the elusive Golden Owl. Valued at approximately $240,000, the treasure had captivated the imaginations of thousands since it was first buried in France in the early 1990s. The hunt began with the publication of the now-famous book, On the Trail of the Golden Owl, written by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” and illustrated by artist Michel Becker. The 1993 book challenged readers to solve a series of intricate riddles and clues, which, when deciphered, would reveal the owl’s secret location. Despite years of painstaking attempts to crack the mystery, the Golden Owl remained hidden for decades, surviving even its creator. Hauser passed away in 2009, leaving the prize still buried. Michel Becker, who took over the management of the hunt, delivered the long-awaited news on October 3 via an online announcement that sparked a frenzy among treasure hunters: “A potential winning solution is currently being verified.” Two hours later, he confirmed: “Don’t go digging! We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night.” The treasure hunt’s <a href="https://goldenowlhunt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official website was also updated with the announcement</a>, bringing an end to a search that has been both thrilling and, for some, overwhelming. The obsession and madness behind the search For over 30 years, the Golden Owl hunt transcended being just a hobby for many treasure hunters and became an all-consuming obsession. While some enjoyed it as a leisurely pursuit, others were driven to extreme lengths – financially, emotionally and mentally. The search for the owl has been linked to personal crises, including financial ruin and broken marriages. At least one individual reportedly ended up in an asylum due to their fixation on solving the hunt’s riddles. The toll wasn’t limited to individuals. Searchers caused considerable disruption across France, digging unauthorised holes in public and private lands. In one eastern French village, the local mayor was forced to plead with hunters to stop digging around its chapel, while in other cases, searchers brought power tools to banks and even considered destroying structures in the hopes of unearthing the treasure. The Golden Owl’s elusive clues On the Trail of the Golden Owl contained a complex series of 11 riddles, each paired with a painting by Becker. The riddles, combined with maps, colours and hidden details, challenged readers to work out the owl’s hidden location. Before his death, Hauser revealed three crucial elements to solving the puzzle: The use of maps: Hunters needed to work with maps to narrow down the search area and use a specific map to pinpoint the final zone. A “mega trick”: This was the key to using the sequence of riddles to locate the final area where the owl was hidden. A final hidden riddle: Once in the final zone, hunters had to uncover one last riddle to lead them to the exact spot of the treasure. Joyous celebration among treasure hunters The treasure-hunting community was overjoyed when the news broke, with many expressing their disbelief and excitement. “Finally – liberated!” exclaimed one fan on the hunt’s Discord forum. Another added, “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.” As of now, the exact location of the owl’s discovery and the identity of the finder remain undisclosed. However, Becker hinted at the complexity involved in concluding this monumental hunt. “Tons of emotions to manage for all those who are responsible for managing the end of this episode and complex logistics to put in place,” he said in a statement on October 6. For now, the Golden Owl, a treasure that has held a generation of sleuths in its grasp, has been unearthed. Yet, the fascination with its story will undoubtedly linger for years to come. Images/Illustrations: Michel Becker

International Travel

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

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. Johnson reflected on his relationship with the former monarch in his upcoming memoir, Unleashed, detailing his final meeting with the Queen at Balmoral Castle just days before she died. In the book, he explained that the Queen had been battling bone cancer and was worried about the deterioration of her condition. “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 <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13901877/BORIS-JOHNSON-meeting-Queen-inspirational-words-wisdom.html">Daily Mail</a>. 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.” “She seemed pale and more stooped, and she had dark bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections,” Johnson wrote. 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.” Queen Elizabeth died just two days after their final meeting. 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. 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, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. 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.” However, the Queen’s official cause of death was listed as “old age” and the palace has never disclosed any other medical records. Image credits: Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/UPI/Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Final message from doomed Titan sub revealed

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, a chance to explore the Atlantic depths and visit the wreck of the Titanic. But last year, a dive by OceanGate's Titan submersible went horribly wrong when the vessel imploded as it neared the sea floor, killing all five people onboard. Now, the US Coast Guard has revealed the final words communicated by the crew, on the first day of what will be a two week hearing examining why the disaster occured. A visual animation of the Titan journey before it imploded was revealed, and one image showed the final words from the crew to those on the support ship Polar Prince. "All good here," they said. The audio became more spotty as the vessel descended, with the Polar Prince asking if they could see the Titanic on their on-board display. The Titan was reportedly still able to send one message an hour-and-a-half into it's journey saying they “dropped two wts” before they were pinged for a final time at a depth of 3,346m. There was no communication between the Titan and the Polar Prince that indicated any trouble or emergency on board the sub. It was only when there was no response to their repeated attempts of communication when they realised that the worst had happened. US authorities said a “catastrophic implosion” occurred, killing all on board instantly. On board the Titan were British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, OceanGate’s CEO Stockton Rush and French deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The US Coast Guard also revealed the first image of the Titan sub after it imploded, which showed the vessel's tail cone eerily resting on the ocean floor. Four days after the Titan vanished, the vessel's wreckage was found about 500 metres from the bow of the Titanic, and a few months later, divers found human remains among debris. It was also revealed that OceanGate was plagued with equipment problems years before the disaster, and they even fired an engineering director who would not approve a deep sea expedition, according to a testimony at the hearing. Investigators said in 2018 the vessel was struck by lightning which left “significant blow to the structure” and caused it to fail a test by a wide margin. Less than two weeks before the ill-fated voyage, the Titan was tested and found "partially sunk". According to the testimony, Rush, the OceanGate CEO onboard the sub, had "no desire" to gain certification or meet regulatory standards for the vessel. Two dozen witnesses will testify before the board over the next two weeks. Images: OceanGate Expeditions

Travel Trouble

Heartbreaking final message as world's oldest woman passes away

Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest woman, has died aged 117. The centurion, who has lived through two world wars and a global pandemic, passed away “peacefully and without pain”, according to her family members who announced her tragic passing on X, formerly Twitter. “Maria Branyas has left us. “She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain. “We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness.” In a heartbreaking final message shared to X on Tuesday, Morera shared that she felt "weak" and that the "time is near". “The time is near. Don’t cry, I don’t like tears. And above all, don’t suffer for me," she wrote. “Wherever I go, I will be happy.” Morera became the world's oldest living person after French nun Lucile Randon passed away aged 118 in January last year. Before her death, Morera agreed to undergo scientific testing by researchers who collected samples of her saliva, blood and urine, in hopes to gain insight into the secrets to a long life. They will compare them with those of her 80-year-old daughter and hope that by studying her genes they may develop drugs which could combat diseases associated with ageing. Morera is survived by her two daughters, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Images: news.com.au/ Guinness Book of Records

Caring

Matthew Perry’s chilling final words revealed

Matthew Perry's chilling final words to his assistant on the day of his death has been made public for the first time, not long after five people were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/five-people-arrested-over-matthew-perry-s-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in connection to his death. New details about the star's final weeks alive have been released in relation to the plea deal taken by Perry’s former live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 59. The former Friends star told his assistant to “shoot me up with a big one,” before he was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles mansion. According to court documents, Perry was injected with a shot of ketamine at around 8.30am, and was administered the second dose while watching a movie at 12.45pm. About 40 minutes later, he asked his assistant to prepare the jacuzzi and shoot him up with the third, and final “big one”, of the day. “Defendant left the residence to run errands... after returning to the residence, defendant found [Mr Perry] face down in the jacuzzi and deceased,” the court documents reportedly said. The newly released police documents also said that Perry had been found unconscious at his home twice before his tragic death in October. Around two weeks before his death it was reported that the doctor accused of supplying the ketamine, Dr Salvador Plascencia, injected him "with a large dose of ketamine", that caused a "significant spike" to his systolic blood pressure and caused his body to "freeze up such that he could not talk or move". Dr Plascencia allegedly told Iwamasa "Let's not do that again" following the scare and later allegedly described Perry as "too far gone and spiralling in his addiction". Despite this the doctor allegedly ordered 10 vials of ketamine for Perry four days before his death, and allegedly contacted Perry's assistant to offer the up for sale. Three other people have been arrested alongside Iwamasa and Dr Plascencia, including Eric Fleming, Dr. Mark Chavez and the so-called “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles”, Jasveen Sangha. According to Page Six, Iwamasa, Fleming and Chavez all agreed to a deal that saw them plead guilty – while Sangha and Plasencia have pleaded not guilty. Image: Doug Krantz/BFA.com/ Shutterstock editorial

Legal

Amateur photographer captures once-in-a-lifetime photo

An Aussie photographer has captured her favourite photo "of all time", with thousands on social media praising her lucky timing. Chloe Sirach, who decided to try her hand at amateur photography, traversed down the cliffs near Lennox Head point, 20 kilometres south from Byron Bay, to "get some practice in and have a bit of fun" towards the end of June. However, what started as a relaxed day of "clicking the shutter" of her camera has now catapulted her work after she captured a large whale breaching the waves behind surfers at sunrise. "I lined up my shot with the surfers in the foreground... I then managed to capture the moment that everyone is now seeing all over their social media feeds," Sirach told <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/lucky-timing-sees-aussie-photographer-capture-favourite-picture-of-all-time-005429099.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News</a>. "I was ecstatic and knew I'd gotten the shot." She explained she was absolutely delighted with the image and believes the picture "truly encapsulates the beauty of the area that I live in." Australia's east coast waters are notorious for humpback whales, who travel thousands of kilometres up and down the from antarctic waters, where they feed during the summer, to warmer waters where they breed during winter. The northern migration occurs between early May and August, before mothers and calves will begin their southern migration around late September and October. Image credits: Instagram

Domestic Travel

Sinéad O'Connor's cause of death finally revealed

One year after the tragic <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/sin-ad-o-connor-passes-away-at-just-56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing of iconic singer Sinead O'Connor</a> at just 56 years of age, the cause of her death has finally been officially revealed. According to the Irish Independent, O'Connor succumbed to complications from obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. The Grammy Award-winning artist, known for her powerful voice and poignant lyrics, died from an "exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma, together with a low-grade lower respiratory tract infection", as stated on her death certificate. This information was made public after the certificate was registered by her former husband, John Reynolds, in London on July 24. Julian Morris, the senior coroner for Inner South London, certified the cause of death following a thorough post-mortem examination. The news has brought a sombre clarity to the tragic loss of O'Connor, whose music touched the hearts of many worldwide. Sinead O'Connor, born in Dublin, was celebrated for her distinctive voice and fearless approach to music and social issues. Her legacy continues to inspire fans and musicians alike. O'Connor also courageously shared her battle with mental illness, revealing that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2017, she posted a poignant video on Facebook while staying in a New Jersey motel, expressing that she was holding on for the sake of others and admitting her own struggles. In 2022, she faced immense heartache when her teenage son, Shane, died by suicide. O'Connor's emotional response on Twitter at the time – that there was "no point living without him" – led to her hospitalisation. Image: Instagram

Caring

Prince Harry finally speaks out on "rift" with royal family

Prince Harry has finally opened up on his "rift" with the royal family for the first time, in an interview for the ITV documentary, Tabloids on Trial. The Duke of Sussex revealed that his decision to launch multiple legal battles against a string of tabloid newspapers was central to his rift with the royal family. He said that his determination to fight the publications ruined his relationship with them. “That’s certainly a central piece to it,” he said. “But, you know, that’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press. “I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we, you know, did it as a family," he continued. “I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you are in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. “But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons. I think everything that’s played out has shown people what the truth of the matter is. “For me, the mission continues, but it has, it has, yes. It’s caused, yeah, as you say, part of a rift.” In December, London's High court ruled that he had been the victim of phone-hacking and other unlawful acts by journalists, with the knowledge of their editors at Mirror Group Newspapers. Harry said that the publications under MGN had targeted him for 15 years. He was awarded £140,600 ($267,400), and called the judge's ruling in his favour a "monumental victory". Image: ITV

Family & Pets

Our obsession with taking photos is changing how we remember the past

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/giuliana-mazzoni-175429">Giuliana Mazzoni</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hull-1191">University of Hull</a> I recently visited the <a href="http://hermitage--www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/?lng=sv">Hermitage</a> in St Petersburg, Russia – one of the best art museums in the world. I was expecting to serenely experience its masterpieces, but my view was blocked by a wall of smart phones taking pictures of the paintings. And where I could find a bit of empty space, there were people taking selfies to create lasting memories of their visit. For many people, taking hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures is now a crucial part of going on holiday – documenting every last detail and posting it on social media. But how does that affect our actual memories of the past – and how we view ourselves? As an expert on memory, I was curious. Unfortunately, psychological research on the topic is so far scant. But we do know a few things. We use smart phones and new technologies <a href="http://studie-life.de/en/life-reports/smart-payments;%20https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tim_Fawns/publication/275331048_Blended_Memory_the_Changing_Balance_of_Technologically-mediated_Semantic_and_Episodic_Memory/links/56962c6d08ae820ff07594ee.pdf">as memory repositories</a>. This is nothing new – humans have always used external devices as an aid when acquiring knowledge and remembering. Writing certainly serves this function. Historical records are collective external memories. Testimonies of migrations, settlement or battles help entire nations trace a lineage, a past and an identity. In the life of an individual, written diaries serve a similar function. <h2>Memory effects</h2> Nowadays we tend to commit very little to memory – we entrust a huge amount to the cloud. Not only is it almost unheard of to recite poems, even the most personal events are generally recorded on our cellphones. Rather than remembering what we ate at someone’s wedding, we scroll back to look at all the images we took of the food. This has serious consequences. Taking photos of an event rather than being immersed in it has been shown to lead to <a href="https://theconversation.com/memory-loss-isnt-just-an-old-persons-problem-heres-how-young-people-can-stay-mentally-fit-102352">poorer recall of the actual event</a> – we get distracted in the process. Relying on photos to remember has a similar effect. Memory needs to be exercised on a regular basis in order to function well. There are many studies documenting the importance of memory retrieval practice – <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.738.2035&rep=rep1&type=pdf">for example in university students</a>. Memory is and will remain essential for learning. There is indeed some evidence showing that committing almost all knowledge and memories to the cloud <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/691462">might hinder the ability to remember</a>. However, there is a silver lining. Even if some studies claim that all this makes us more stupid, what happens is actually shifting skills from purely being able to remember to being able to manage the way we remember more efficiently. This is called metacognition, and it is an overarching skill that is also essential for students – for example when planning what and how to study. There is also substantial and reliable evidence that external memories, selfies included, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23957379">can help</a> individuals with memory impairments. But while photos can in some instances help people to remember, the quality of the memories may be limited. We may remember what something looked like more clearly, but this could be at the expense of other types of information. One study showed that while photos could help people remember what they saw during some event, they <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797617694868">reduced their memory of what was said</a>. <h2>Identity distortions?</h2> There are some rather profound risks when it comes to personal memory. Our identity is a product of our life experiences, which can be easily accessed through our memories of the past. So, does constant photographic documentation of life experiences alter how we see ourselves? There is no substantial empirical evidence on this yet, but I would speculate that it does. Too many images are likely to make us remember the past in a fixed way – blocking other memories. While it is <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-your-first-memory-and-did-it-ever-really-happen-95953">not uncommon for early childhood memories</a> to be based on photos rather than the actual events, these are not always true memories. Another issue is the fact that research has uncovered <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216302503;%20http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/history-of-the-selfie.html">a lack of spontaneity in selfies</a> and many other photos. They are planned, the poses are not natural and at times the image of the person is distorted. They also reflect a narcissistic tendency which shapes the face in unnatural mimics – artificial big smiles, sensual pouts, funny faces or offensive gestures. Importantly, selfies and many other photos are also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318447/">public displays</a> of specific attitudes, intentions and stances. In other words, they do not really reflect who we are, they reflect what we want to show to others about ourselves at the moment. If we rely heavily on photos when remembering our past, we may create a distorted self identity based on the image we wanted to promote to others. That said, our natural memory isn’t actually perfectly accurate. Research shows that we often <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-real-you-is-a-myth-we-constantly-create-false-memories-to-achieve-the-identity-we-want-103253">create false memories about the past</a>. We do this in order to maintain the identity that we want to have over time – and avoid conflicting narratives about who we are. So if you have always been rather soft and kind – but through some significant life experience decide you are tough – you may dig up memories of being aggressive in the past or even completely make them up. Having multiple daily memory reports on the phone of how we were in the past might therefore render our memory less malleable and less adaptable to the changes brought about by life – making our identity more stable and fixed. But this can create problems if our present identity becomes different from our fixed, past one. That is an uncomfortable experience and exactly what the “normal” functioning of memory is aimed to avoid – it is malleable so that we can have a non-contradictory narrative about ourselves. We want to think of ourselves as having a certain unchanging “core”. If we feel unable to change how we see ourselves over time, this could seriously affect our sense of agency and mental health. So our obsession with taking photos may be causing both memory loss and uncomfortable identity discrepancies. It is interesting to think about how technology changes the way we behave and function. As long as we are aware of the risks, we can probably mitigate harmful effects. The possibility that actually sends shivers to my spine is that we lose all those precious pictures because of some widespread malfunctioning of our smart phones. So the next time you’re at a museum, do take a moment to look up and experience it all. Just in case those photos go missing.<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/109285/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/giuliana-mazzoni-175429">Giuliana Mazzoni</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-hull-1191">University of Hull</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/our-obsession-with-taking-photos-is-changing-how-we-remember-the-past-109285">original article</a>.

Mind

Julian Assange's wife shares first family photos since his release

Julian Assange's wife has shared the first photo of the family enjoying their lives together, since the WikiLeaks founder was declared a free man after 14 years of legal battles. The 52-year-old returned to Australian soil in June after more than a decade fighting extradition to the United States on espionage charges after publishing confidential US documents in 2010. In the weeks after his release, Stella Assange, whom he married in 2022 while imprisoned in London, shared a photo on social media of herself with her husband and their two children, Gabriel, 7, and Max, 5. The picture, simply captioned “Family photo! #AssangeFree”, showed them smiling on a beach. <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/C9uSrR7NG4w/?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/C9uSrR7NG4w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Stella Assange (@stellaassange)</a> </div> </blockquote> Supporters flooded the comments to express their joy at the moment, with one top comment saying, “The photo we were all waiting for!!!!” Another supporter wrote, “The photo I was hoping to see for years,” while another declared, “That’s exactly what we have been fighting for.” “So good to see Julian in the great outdoors!!” shared someone else. On his return home to Australia to start life as a free man last month, Ms Assange said her husband needed time to recuperate. “I ask you please to give us space, to give us privacy, to find our place, to let our family be a family,” she said at the time. Image credits: Instagram

Legal

Richard Simmons' final message for fans

Former staff of the late fitness guru Richard Simmons have shared what would be his last message to fans. The legendary fitness instructor <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/jane-fonda-s-heartfelt-tribute-to-richard-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a> just one day after celebrating his 76th birthday. In a message posted to Simmons' X (formerly Twitter) account from "Richard's staff," it was stated that Simmons often planned his social media posts ahead of time. "Richard worked very hard on his posts for you," the message from Simmons' staff began. "He had many ideas and would work ahead… going back to each one making changes until he had it just like he wanted before posting," the message continued. "As you know, on the weekends, he would just share a photo with a caption. He always chose his photos and wrote his captions for the upcoming weekend by Friday." "So we have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you'd want to see it." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Here is the post Richard had planned for you for Sunday July 14, 2024. 3/3 “Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard” <a href="https://t.co/aatT3LkrsT">pic.twitter.com/aatT3LkrsT</a> — Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWeightSaint/status/1814768145137279282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2024</a></blockquote> According to his staff, the message that Simmons intended to share with his followers on July 14th 2024, just one day after his death, read: "Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard." According to <a title="People" href="https://people.com/richard-simmons-staff-share-a-final-post-and-last-photo-before-death-8681177" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People, </a>Simmons was buried on July 19th in Los Angeles. "Our beloved Dicky was laid to rest this morning surrounded by only family and closest friends," Simmons' brother Lenny Simmons told the outlet in a statement via Simmons' longtime publicist Tom Estey. "We pray for your continued love and support during this very difficult time." Image credits: Peter Foley/EPA/Shutterstock

Caring

Princess Beatrice's husband shares previously unseen wedding photo

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have celebrated their fourth anniversary by sharing a previously unseen photo from their wedding. The couple tied the knot in July 2020 with a private ceremony at All Saints Chapel inside the grounds of Royal Lodge, due to social distancing rules at the time. On Wednesday, Mozzi took to Instagram to share a sweet photo of the newlyweds taken on the grounds of Windsor Great Park. "Happy 4th wedding anniversary my love,” he wrote in the caption. "Every day is so special with you. I love you so much." Beatrice's wedding was largely made up of the couple's parents and siblings, and capped at 20 family members due to COVID-19 social distancing rules at the time. Her wedding was also the last royal wedding attended by both the late Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. <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/C9iK_fru8wQ/?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/C9iK_fru8wQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Edo Mapelli Mozzi (@edomapellimozzi)</a> </div> </blockquote> In 2021, the couple welcomed their daughter Sienna Mapelli Mozzi. Royal fans took to the comments to celebrate the couple's anniversary. "So happy to see a new wedding photo! Bea looked absolutely gorgeous. Happy anniversary!" wrote one fan. "Such a beautiful dress, how very lucky you were to be gifted it by a truly special lady," another added, referring to the upcycled dress Beatrice wore, that was handed down to her by Queen Elizabeth. "The most fairytale wedding! Happy anniversary," wrote a third. Images: Instagram

Relationships

Shannen Doherty's powerful final act before passing

Shannen Doherty agreed to settle her divorce with ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko just one day before her death. According to court documents obtained by Page Six on Monday, the former 90210 star agreed to waive spousal support and to a "default or uncontested dissolution" of their marriage, indicating that the former couple settled their split outside of court. While Doherty signed the agreement on Friday, July 12, her ex-husband signed it on Saturday July 13 - the day the actress lost her nine-year-long battle with <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/force-of-nature-tributes-flow-for-shannen-doherty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breast cancer</a>. “It is the mutual wish and desire of the parties to effect a full, complete, and final settlement of all their respective property interests, future and present, by this Judgement, and … completely resolve any and all issues relating to division of property, reimbursement claims and/or credits, spousal support, and attorneys’ fees and costs,” the documents reportedly state. Not long after Doherty passed away, her friend Tara Furiani called out Iswarienko for his lack of "humanity" during his and Doherty's bitter divorce battle which began in April 2023. She claimed that he was "dragging his feet” so he wouldn’t have to pay her. “Life is so hard … life is extra hard with cancer and without the support you thought you’d have,” Furiani shared. “If you have the opportunity to be a decent person, take it. You have no idea what people are dealing with and going through.” Iswarienko's lawyer has previously rejected all claims that Iswarienko was delaying the divorce alleging that he wanted to finalise it in September 2023 with a settlement deal, which she denied because he “skirted around” how much he earned in the early aughts of their marriage. The former couple married in 2011, before the actress filed for divorce last year in light of his infidelity. Images: SplashNews.com/ Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Buckingham Palace finally reveals what's behind the iconic balcony

One of the royal family’s most photographed moments is when they walk onto the famed balcony at Buckingham Palace, and now you can see what goes on behind the curtains. Buckingham Palace is opening its East Wing to the public for the first time, after a five year renovation. Caroline de Guitaut, Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art, told 7NEWS: “Everybody knows the facade of Buckingham Palace, with the members of the family on the balcony appearing over the centuries, but I think a lot of people probably think, ‘Gosh what’s behind, what’s through the curtains’.” The East Wing features a corridor that leads to the iconic balcony and is adorned with thousands of artworks and artefacts. During the renovation, more than 3000 pieces of art were taken out, restored, and returned, including the lavish wallpaper, which took about three months to remove and put back on. “It was painstakingly taken off the walls. It took about three months, then cleaned and they put it back up,” Nicola Turner Inman, Curator of Decorative Art at the Royal Collection Trust, told 7NEWS. The East Wing will open from next week, and royal fans will finally get to see the main corridor that stretches out across the entire length of the residence. “I’m hoping they are surprised and amazed by the variety of pieces that they see from the royal collection here,” de Guitaut told the outlet. The King's latest portrait will also be a part of the tour. “I think the King is very pleased to see the rooms back looking as resplendent as they do,” de Guitaut said. Tickets for the East Wing are reportedly sold out for this summer, but more tickets will be made available next year, so no royal fan will miss out. Images: 7NEWS

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Buckingham Palace finally reveals what's behind the iconic balcony