The royals are always impeccably dressed on Christmas day. This year, Kate Middleton stepped out in a grey Catherine Walker coat with a green fascinator, matching Princess Charlotte’s double breasted coat.
It was the first time that Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined their parents on the walk to St Mary Magdalene Church, on the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, for Christmas morning church service, and so the decision to wear matching colours was a sweet mother and daughter nod.
However, it seems the Duchess of Cambridge has one regret when it comes to what she decided to wear.
Credit: Stephen Pond / Stringer / Getty
Royal fan Rachel Anvil and her mum, Karen, spoke to Kate on the day and revealed that she was a little too toasty.
Karen told Metro: ‘Kate was talking to my daughter about clothes and how she was feeling too hot. She said, “I really shouldn’t have worn this.”
‘I’m there talking to Charlotte about dolls, and my daughter’s talking about fashion with Kate. It wasn’t fake; it was a genuine discussion. It was about a minute, but it was tailored to my daughter, it was like speaking to a friend. They are totally different with the public [than the press].’
Talking about Charlotte, she also added: ‘She was a beautiful, lovely princess. She’s just so much fun. She’s definitely got a little cheeky side.’
Jessie J has shared a heartfelt post about healing following her split from Channing Tatum.
The pair started dating in October 2018, but according to reports they decided to go their separate ways in November.
A source told Us Weekly: ‘Channing and Jessie broke up about a month ago. They are still really close and still good friends.’
People added: ‘There wasn’t any drama. They just decided to part ways.’
Now, Jessie has decided to open up in a touching Instagram post.
She wrote: ‘Go somewhere where your world feels and looks small. Gain perspective. Lay in the sea. Walk to the top of a mountain. Drive to view point in a park. Look up at the stars. This isn’t to make you feel like your problems or sadness or the feelings you feel are not valid but to know you are NEVER Alone.
‘Billions of people around the world. Are just trying to smile and mean it. Are actively working out who they are. Are missing someone they have lost. Are feeling worthless. YOU ARE LOVED. We are all trying to love and accept the stories in our lives that make us desperately want to fast forward or rewind time.
‘When all we have is the now. The very moment. With the puzzle pieces of life sometimes put together in the wrong places. They can hurt until tended to. Don’t let past or current trauma define who you are. You can walk away from it. Take the time to put those puzzle pieces in the right place.’
She continued: ‘Tend to YOU. Be vulnerable. Be there for YOU. Be there for people around you and lift each other up. Break the cycle. Be open. Talk. Be there for yourself. Recognise the patterns of behaviour you have that can cause some of the hurt. Look inwards. Look outwards. Walk away from parts of yourself and people or situations that trigger parts of you that are unhealthy. Be honest.
‘Sending LOVE to anyone who feels alone. We need you around. You are stronger than you know, and are capable of finding your happy time again. Talk to someone who can give you professional advice. Honour your pain to be heard by the right ears. It’s your TIME, so take your TIME.’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent the holidays a little differently this year. The couple took a break from royal duties in November, and reportedly spent Thanksgiving in the US with their son, baby Archie Harrison, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
They also missed the usual royal Christmas at Sandringham, instead flying to Canada with a spokesperson saying: ‘As has been reported, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private time in Canada. The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to them both. Whilst this emails confirms the country they are taking their family time in, for security reasons we will not be releasing any further details and request that their privacy is respected.
‘The Duke of Sussex has been a frequent visitor to Canada over many years, and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of the Royal Family. They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son.’
So where will Harry and Meghan be spending New Years Eve?
According to the Mirror, the couple will be staying at a $13.14 million waterfront mansion to see in the new year.
The paper claims that the house has a number of swish extras including a pizza oven in its kitchen, a games room, a two-story living room, and a wine-tasting room. Fancy.
One local business owner told the tabloid: ‘It’s an incredible property, and one of the most prestigious around here. I wasn’t surprised when I found out Harry and Meghan are staying there. It’s certainly fit for royalty.’
We may be post-ghosting, but now there's a whole new set of dating trends to navigate. From 'being Kanye'd' and zoning in on the zodiac, to 'yellow carding' dates by calling out BS, Olivia Foster reveals how the landscape is shifting
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We all know the stats: there’s currently more single people in the world than ever before. That means more people dating, more people logging on to apps, and more people trying to find love in the 21st century.
While 2019 bought us dogfishing (using someone else’s pup in your pictures to make you look cute) and orbiting (where an ex lurks around your Insta story views, but never actually talks to you), 2020 has it’s own set of game-changing trends to watch out for. Here’s how the dating landscape is shaping up…
Being Kanye’d
They’ve talked about their school, their friends, their art degree and spent 45 minutes reliving that time they went backpacking in Thailand and took mushrooms. But, as you nurse your third glass of wine, you realise they don’t seem to know anything about you. Why? Because you’ve been Kanye’d. According to research by Plenty of Fish, 45 per cent of us have endured a one-sided date – the kind where you could probably write up their CV from memory, but they’re not 100 per cent on your surname. Pay close attention to whether or not they’re truly interested in you, because if they’re only talking about themselves there’s only one question worth asking: ‘Can we get the bill?’
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Star-lost lovers
‘See the thing is, it’s because I’m a Virgo,’ a man once said to me while trying to excuse the fact that he’d cancelled on two of our dates at short notice. Research suggests 58 per cent of millennials believe in astrology – and, yes, that does explain all of the mercury in retrograde memes you’ve seen – but how does this translate in the dating world? Well, with apps like Bumble now allowing you to filter your matches by star sign, it looks like we’re going to have to add, ‘It’s because you’re an Aries,’ to the list of possible rejections you’ll face.
Digi-date detoxes
From Jenga speed-dating (yes, really), to chatting up that person you fancy in the gym, 84 per cent of people still say they’d prefer to meet people IRL than via a dating app. In 2020, we predict more daters will choose to tone down their tech in a bid to experience their own illusive ‘meet cute.’ The main problem? We’re all going to have to learn how to talk to people without our phones…
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Self-partnering
We can thank Emma Watson for this one, but 2020 will be the year more women become happy with their single status. Thankfully, we’re already working hard to remove the stigma surrounding thosesans partner: research shows that single women without children are now the happiest subsection of society and a new survey by Mintel has revealed that 61 per cent of single women are happy to be flying solo. We can only hope that, over the next year, that number continues to grow.
Yellow carding
Have you ever experienced bad-dating etiquette and wish you’d said something? You’re not alone. In fact, 27 per cent of daters claim to have called someone out on their terrible Tinder form and, providing you do it in an adult, responsible way, this is one dating trend we’re absolutely championing in 2020. Because, ultimately, if more people talked about how bad dating habits affected them, we might be able to adopt better ones.
Can you believe that Titanic is 21 years old? Since it hit cinemas back in 1998, we’ve been obsessed with every last detail – from the costumes, to Rose’s impeccable hair, to the never-ending debate about whether Jack would have fit on the floating door (ahem, he would – Kate Winslet even admitted that Rose could have saved him after all).
And we’re even more interested in what happened behind the scenes. Did you know that this A-list actor almost played Jack? And that Celine Dion’s Titanic song almost didn’t make it into the final cut? Can you even imagine the film without Leonardo DiCaprio and My Heart Will Go On?
Well, there’s another iconic piece of the Titanic puzzle that almost didn’t happen.
Think of some of your fave quotes – the most memorable moments of the entire film. Does ‘I’m the king of the world!’ bubble up in your memory? Of course it does. Jack and Fabrizio enjoying happier times. Sob.
But Leo was apparently reluctant to say it, according to director James Cameron.
Speaking on BBC Radio 1, James said: ‘The point is, it [the line] was made up on the spot. Made up on the spot and I was in a crane basket.
‘And we were losing the light, and we had tried this and tried that, and we’d tried this line and that line, and nothing was really working.
‘And I was literally coming up snake eyes, and I was like, “I’ve got one for you, just say I’m the king of the world. And just spread your arms out wide and just be in the moment, and just love it and celebrate the moment.”
‘And he [Leo] goes, “What?!” I’m getting this over the walkie talkie. Just say, “I’m the king of the world, and you have to sell it.”‘
When Leo questioned James once again, he was told to ‘just f**king sell it!’.
And sell it he did, as it’s now one of the film’s most famous moments.
Next they’ll be telling us that ‘draw me like one of your French girls’ almost didn’t happen.
What do the royals get up to when they’re not jetting around the world on official business, or getting dressed up for swanky dinners? We know that Prince William and Kate Middleton enjoy settling down to an episode of Game of Thrones, and that Prince Philip has mastered the art of coaxing black truffles from British soil. And the little royals are busy with their own hobbies, too – Prince George is a keen ballet dancer.
But the Queen doesn’t approve of all their pastimes. According to royal sources, Elizabeth II is less than impressed with Prince William’s favourite hobby.
The Duke of Cambridge has spoken about his love for motorbikes. He famously drove around London the night before his wedding in 2011, and told the Express: ‘I don’t know what it is about bikes, but I’ve always had a passion for motorbikes ever since I was very small. I used to do a lot of go-karting when I was younger and then after that I went on to quadbikes and eventually motorbikes.
‘It does help being anonymous with my motorcycle helmet on because it does enable me to relax. But I just enjoy everything about motorbikes and the camaraderie that comes with it.’
The Queen doesn’t quite share the sentiment, however, with royal photographer James Whitaker claiming that the idea of it ‘frightens the life’ out of her.
He said: ‘I think it frightens the life out of people at Buckingham Palace and almost certainly, the Queen too. It is a strange thing.
‘His mother was constantly fleeing from the paparazzi, who were on motorbikes. Now her son is using a motorbike for the same sort of reasons.’
Last year, William revealed he was ‘toning down’ his biking now that he has a family.
When he visited the Isle of Man TT Race in 2018, he said: ‘I’m a father of three, I have to tone it down.
‘I miss the big trips, for me biking was always about being with everybody else.’
So don’t expect to see him zipping down The Mall anytime soon.
Friends may have wrapped fifteen years ago (yes, it really has been that long), but the world is still obsessed. We’ve watched every episode approximately ten times and it still never gets old.
But one thing that every Friends fan has longed to do is pop on down to Central Perk with their pals, right? Order a coffee, relax on the sofa and hope that it’s Gunther’s shift?
Well what if we told you that there’s actually a Friends cafe in London which could make all your dreams come true?
If you’ve always wanted to brunch and watch Friends at the same time, Friends House Cafe in North London is the place to be.
Credit: Friends House Cafe
Think your very own Central Perk with a side of poached eggs and a glass of bubbles. The dream.
The cafe plays episodes of the hit sitcom back to back, and there are also some rather tempting deals on at the moment, too.
Friends House Cafe is offering 50% off afternoon tea and Prosecco for two until 31st January, Monday to Sunday 12pm until 4pm, meaning you can enjoy fresh sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and gam and a glass of fizz for just £19.
And if you’re more for brunch, that’s also half price – for £14, the menu includes a full English, to eggs Benedict and chicken wraps with a mimosa to wash it all down.
Meghan Markle is one of the most famous people in the world. Her joint Instagram account with husband, Prince Harry, has almost 10 million followers and while she uses the social media platform for official royal updates, super fans have been sourcing throwback snaps of the Duchess of Sussex and sharing them online.
Instagram account, 90sanxiety, unearthed a photo of the Duchess with friends at Millennium Biltmore High School’s 1996 Christmas dance and it is everything.
There’s a whole lot of lip liner, velvet and corsages making it the ultimate throwback.
Meghan ran a successful lifestyle blog, The Tig, before meeting Harry. However, since marrying into the royal family the former actress deleted all traces of her online presence, so when throwbacks like these surface fans absolutely love it.
‘So 90s!’ one person commented.
‘I would buy this girl group’s CD,’ another added.
From designer gaming and sipping dirty pickle martini to ‘normcore wellness’ and visiting virtual spas, a top futurist predicts how our 2020 is shaping up
Arctic Bath
Words by Kerry Parnell
According to one futurist, 2020 promises to be a year of contradictions. Lucie Greene, founder of research company Light Years, says the next 12 months are all about duality, with consumers wanting luxury – as long as it’s seen to be virtuous.
‘The tension for 2020 will be between this major trend we’ve seen towards travel and “experiences over stuff”, and awareness that experiential culture is also damaging the environment,’ she says. The biggest trend she predicts is the dawn of female-focused tech – from fashion gaming to health innovations. ‘Pretty much every aspect of the way we interact with the internet has been architected by a male-dominated lens.’ Here are Greene’s top picks:
The rise of the female internet
Gaming is going mainstream and swapping gender. ‘Women make up more than 50 per cent of gamers but have been woefully underserved until now,’ says Greene. But that’s set to change thanks to a swathe of online launches, including Drest by Porter magazines’s former editor-in-chief Lucy Yeomans, which has been dubbed fashion’s Farmville. At the same time, female founders of tech companies are reinventing online spaces for women – cue new social network The Cru, which joins established players like Bumble.
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Peak wellness
When the quest for self-improvement starts to make you stressed, you know it’s not working. Next year, Greene predicts we’ll reach peak wellness, rejecting extreme Goop-style regimes for something she’s calling ‘normcore wellness’. While we will continue to invest in physical and mental health, ‘the more militant trends in this space are starting to be viewed as a new way for women to punish themselves, rather than ways to achieve zen,’ she says.
Haeckels Seaweed & Sea Buckthorn Body Cleanser, £34, sirgordonbennett.com
Virtuous holidays
While ‘woke’ tourism is on the rise, with people turning to trains over planes and seeking to reduce their environmental impact, it hasn’t dampened the desire for luxury one-off experiences. ‘Next-level immersion hotels’ or breaks in ecological locations are the hot new thing. Arctic Bath is a new floating hotel opening in Sweden that sits on the frozen Lule River; North Pole Igloos offers extreme glamping across the arctic glacier; while Awakening Sanctuary in Mexico is the first hotel in the world dedicated to happiness, with guest villas designed like birdcages.
Arctic Bath
Lab-grown dairy
First we had the Impossible Burger, now it’s time for bio-milk. US start-up Perfect Day, creates milk proteins without the aid of a cow and says its products contain the same nutritional benefits as real milk, while using 98 per cent less water and 65 per cent less energy. Similarly, Real Vegan Cheese is developing lab-gown whey to produce the ultimate animal-free cheese board.
Virtual spas and restaurants
As the real world continues to merge with the virtual one, even spas and restaurants are swapping the high street for cyberspace. BreatheVR by Neon uses a virtual-reality headset to guide you through breathing exercises as you ‘walk’ through beautiful meadows, while Dazed Beauty recently opened its ownDazed Digital Spa, delivering meditation podcasts, yoga classes and interactive colour therapy. Online-only restaurants are getting in on the act, too. Ghost Burger is the latest digital eatery in New York, while former Uber head Travis Kalanick is behind CloudKitchens – a start-up of ghost restaurants. ‘The traditional rules for bringing a product to market are changing,’ says Greene.
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Wellness booze
If you fancy a drink without the hangover, how about an electrolyte margarita? Venues like Sketch are now blending fermented headache-free formulas, and the dirty pickle martini is proving popular. There’s also a wellness beer movement to taste test – athletes should check out Boulevard’s Easy Sport brew, which is packed with magnesium and potassium.
Luxury ‘shopspitality’
‘Would you like a cruise with that dress, madam?’ It’s not enough to have a shopping platform anymore; now you’ve got to offer an experience to keep your customers loyal. Case in point: Matchesfashion.com joined forces with hip Italian hotel chain Pellicano this summer to turn a luxury yacht into a store. Meanwhile, Ruinart opened a pop-up hotel in London this year, and Moët & Chandon launched its Château de Saran in Champagne for special customers. Coming in 2020 is LVMH’s luxurious Cheval Blanc in Paris, followed by a second hotel in London.
matchesfashion.com X Pellicano Hotels by Shaun James Cox
Return of the office
Finally, there’s good news for anyone who works in an open-plan workspace – 2020 will see the return of the office. Ikea’s research lab, Space10, has designed its new workplace around privacy and, according to The New York Times, secret and hidden rooms are the new office must-haves after a Harvard study found open-plan offices actually decreased productivity. Greene adds, ‘Aside from [open-plan] turning out to be unpopular, the bigger picture is that over-stimulation and constant communication are detracting from actual work.’
Meghan and Harry’s decision to spend Christmas in the States, far away from the royal family has increased speculation that Meghan and Kate don't get on. But why does being related mean they must be friends?
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Words by Michelle Davies
The last time the duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex were pictured at the same event was at the Remembrance Day service in Whitehall in November – where the fact they were standing on separate balconies was immediately seized upon as further proof they can’t bear to be in each other’s company. The actual explanation for their separation was, unsurprisingly, far more technical and pedestrian: Royal protocol demands family members stand in order of precedence, so while Kate, wife to a future King, was with the Queen and Prince Charles’s wife Camilla, Meghan was positioned with the other lower-ranking royals.
But even if it was true and they didn’t want to stand together, what does it matter? Where does it say in the constitution that sisters-in-law must be best friends and why, as a nation, are we so obsessed with wanting Kate and Meghan to like each other?
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Family doesn’t equal friendship
Whether you marry into the same family, like Kate and Meghan did, or if either of you is the sibling of the other woman’s partner, anyone who has a sister-in-law knows what a fraught and peculiar relationship it can be. You have no shared history and chances are very little in common. The triggers that spark other friendships – university, working in the same profession, a shared hobby – don’t exist here, yet people assume you will get on regardless and if you don’t there must be something wrong.
‘“Sisters” is a very loaded term – it carries an expectation,’ said Dr Terri Apter, psychologist and author of What Do You Want From Me? Learning To Get Along With In-Laws. ‘There’s a moral heft for sisters-in-law to be caring, the kinship keepers. If you’re not a good sister, there’s an implication that maybe you’re a bad woman.’
Diana and Fergie’s legacy
Two royal sisters-in-law who did manage to forge a close relationship were Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson and Diana, Princess of Wales. Brought together by their marriages to Andrew and Charles and thrust into a spotlight neither was prepared for, they clung to each other like barnacles. ‘Diana was my best friend and the funniest person I knew,’ said Fergie in a 2018 interview. ‘She had such timing and wit. It was a total joy to be with her because we just laughed and enjoyed life so much.’
Fergie and Diana together at the Guard’s Polo Club, Windsor, June 1983 (Getty Images)
However, Sarah and Diana didn’t just share the same sense of humour, they also came from similar aristocratic backgrounds (Diana’s father was the 8th Earl Spencer – the family can trace their ancestry back to the 15th century – and Fergie’s dad is Major Ronald Ferguson – a descendent of King Charles II through one of his illegitimate children) and both women were actually fourth cousins whose mothers went to school together, meaning they knew each other as teens. All Kate and Meghan had in common ground prior to becoming royal brides is that they were, well, women.
Different squad goals
The bottom line is, Kate and Meghan are simply too unalike to be best friends – and you only have to look at their close friends to know that. Meghan, perhaps befitting her LA upbringing, is drawn to women whose super-charged endeavours empower others, such as clothing designer Misha Nonoo, with whom she collaborated putting together her Smart Works clothing collection to help unemployed women dress with confidence for job interviews. Another best friend is Jessica Mulroney, a Toronto-based stylist she met while acting on Suits.
Meghan and Jessica attend the Equinox Yorkville Dinner in Toronto, 2015 (Getty Images)
Kate’s squad, meanwhile, goes about life under the radar – it includes ex-Marlborough classmates Emilia Jardine-Paterson, an interior designer whose credits include renovating the Kensington Palace apartment where Kate and William live and Amner Hall, their Norfolk home, and Trini Foyle, once an assistant to Jeremy Hunt MP.
Kate and William attend a church service with Emilia Jardine-Paterson and friends in January 2019 (Getty Images)
Challenging times
Their polar opposite friendships doesn’t mean one sister-in-law is better than the other, however, or more successful, or more popular – it merely demonstrates the differences they have that mean their friendship might never go any deeper than a cup of tea and a catch-up at a family event. To continually pit them against each other is unsisterly – and something both women hate, according to an insider who spoke to People on the subject last November. ‘What’s challenging is when they are pitted against each other,’ said the source. ‘That’s been challenging to both of them; Meghan has her life, Kate has hers.’
The Sussexes spent the holidays with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and released their adorable Christmas card of their family-of-three, much to the public’s delight. (You can still buy Meghan’s high street jumper from the card, by the way.)
However, during their break on Vancouver Island, Meghan and Harry were reportedly turned away from a local restaurant – but it’s not for the reason you think.
Bev Koffel, who owns seafood restaurant Deep Cove Chalet with her husband Pierre, told the Vancouver Sun that she had seen the royals around during the festive period.
‘Horth Hill’s become a very popular place now. And they jog around, so they’ve been seen,’ she said. ‘It’s kind of exciting. I hope everything goes fine for them. They’re breaking away from tradition and I just wish them all the best.’
So proud to have taken the Christmas photo for one of my best friends and her family. Here’s the original that was sent out. pic.twitter.com/75aGNPR88X
She then revealed that the reason her husband turned down the royals’ request was because of all of the security involved with hosting the pair. However, she hopes that they’ll try to return in future (who wouldn’t?!)
‘Let them have their peace and quiet. For us to be so lucky to have them in the area, how lucky is that? I wish them all the privacy they can possibly get. They deserve it.’
We hope Harry and Meghan are having a lovely time away from the spotlight.
Just before the big day, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex delighted fans with their annual Christmas card, featuring their adorable son taking centre stage.
So proud to have taken the Christmas photo for one of my best friends and her family. Here’s the original that was sent out. pic.twitter.com/75aGNPR88X
Shot by Meghan’s friend, actress and musician Janina Gavankar, the card showed a close-up of the seven-month-old with his parents smiling and laughing in the background, and it’s almost too cute to handle.
Well, we have some great news if you’re a fan of Meghan’s knitwear choice – the classic roll-neck jumper seen in the card is still available to buy, and it’s by high street brand All Saints, according to Hello!.
Although the grey style is no longer available, it’s still available in two classic shades, toffee brown and paprika red. What’s more, the cashmere jumper has been reduced from £168 down to £93.60 in the sale. Hurrah!
Her reports that Royal expert Omid Scobie, also Royal Editor at Large for Harper’s Bazaar, revealed that 2020 is set to be a big year for the Cambridge family – and we can expect some news from them over the festive break.
‘Next year is going to be busy for the Cambridges,’ he said on The HeirPod podcast. ‘Expect royal announcements over the holidays, which I think is a slight break away from tradition.
‘There was a briefing at Kensington Palace just this week where they gave us a number of new announcements that will be coming out over the holiday period.’
Scobie added that he thought it was a ‘smart’ decision to make announcements during this period, as it’s a much quieter time of year.
‘We will be hearing about a new initiative from Prince William and some other news as well,’ he continued.
‘Next year is a big one for Kate. She is going to be really focused on her early years development. That is something she has been involved in for a long time now.
‘It has all been bitty for anyone who follows this. Apparently 2020 is a year when it is all tied together. So, yes, a busy year for them.’
How exciting! Keep your eyes peeled for more announcements as we get them.
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Merry Christmas! This photograph of The Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was taken by The Duchess of Cambridge in Norfolk earlier this year. We wish all our followers a very happy and relaxing Christmas Day 