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"Thoughtful and sensitive": The Crown's plan to recreate Diana's death

<p><em>The Crown</em> have announced that they will be covering the death of Princess Diana in the upcoming season of the show, saying they will be handling the recreation "carefully". </p> <p>The Netflix drama based on the story of the royal family will be returning later this year for season six, which is expected to be the final season of the show. </p> <p>The final season of <em>The Crown</em> is set to take place between the years of 1997 to the early 2000s, including a delicate recreation of the death of the late Princess of Wales. </p> <p>Producer of the show Suzanne Mackie spoke of the upcoming season at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, saying it took a long and careful conversation to reach the decision to cover Diana's death on the show. </p> <p>She said, "The show might be big and noisy, but we're not. We're thoughtful people and we're sensitive people."</p> <p>"And so there was a very, very careful, long, long, long conversation about how we do it – and I hope, you know, the audience will judge it in the end, but I think it's been delicately, thoughtfully recreated."</p> <p>Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki will be returning as Diana after her portrayal of the late Princess in season five. </p> <p>Mackie said Debicki was an "extraordinary actress" who treated the subject carefully.</p> <p>"She was so thoughtful, considerate and loved Diana," Mackie said.</p> <p>"So there was a huge amount of respect from us all. I hope that's evident when you see it."</p> <p>Season six of the show is also set to include the early days of Prince William and Kate Middleton's love story, beginning when they met while at St Andrew's University in Scotland in 2001. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

TV

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Billy Crystal recreates iconic Harry look

<p>Get ready for a trip down memory lane as Billy Crystal has recreated his iconic sweater moment from <em>When Harry Met Sally</em> to celebrate his 75th birthday.</p> <p>Crystal shared a picture in the timeless knitted pullover on Twitter, sparking nostalgia and pure joy among his fans.</p> <p>In the tribute tweet, Crystal is crouching down in white sneakers, jeans and a preppy cream cable-knit pullover; although not exactly the same style seen in the iconic rom-com, it certainly got the nostalgia flowing.</p> <p>“Thank you all…,” he captioned the snaps, in tribute to his character from the 1989 film, Harry Burns.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you all.. <a href="https://t.co/EySEYTBJMc">pic.twitter.com/EySEYTBJMc</a></p> <p>— Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyCrystal/status/1635673188519796737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The post even caught the attention of the official Merriam-Webster Dictionary Twitter account, they tweeted, “Icon | noun | a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sweater.”</p> <p>Actor Richard Lewis joined in, writing, “Finally, you’re my age. You’re a blessed artist. I’m proud to have started our comedic journey together.”</p> <p>Devoted fans shared their own takes on the sweater, with various people wearing cable knits and cosplaying as Harry Burns.</p> <p>The star shared some of his favourite recreations with his 738,000 followers on Twitter.</p> <p>Norah Ephron, the writer of the classic 80s film, has long inspired fashion in her films, with many people embracing “Nora Ephron fall” in 2022.</p> <p>Dressing as an Ephron-approved character calls for linen shirts, tweed blazers, sneakers, and of course, cosy knits.</p> <p>Three decades after the icon movie’s release, Crystal still has Ephron dressing down to a tee.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Relationships

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Danish royals recreate iconic Diana Taj Mahal photos

<p>Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik have marked the beginning of their India tour with some stunning images that throwback to the late Princess Diana. </p> <p>The royals began their tour on Sunday, and opted for the Taj Mahal in Agra as their starting point. Specifically, the same bench upon which Princess Diana had posed for photos in 1992. </p> <p>Perched together on the bench, smiling in the sunshine, Mary and Frederik made for quite the happy pair. A far cry from the solo Diana when her image was captured there. </p> <p>The Danish couple are not the first to have paid tribute at the site, known to many as ‘Princess Di’s Chair’, with the British Royals having posed in previous years too. Most notably, the Duke and Duchess of Wales made their way there in 2016. And in 2008, Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria visited the world heritage site, as well as the famous bench. </p> <p>Mary and Frederik appeared to enjoy their day exploring, with the Danish Royal Family’s Instagram account even sharing some photos taken by the princess. </p> <p>Despite the sightseeing, the main focus of their trip - their first overseas one of the year - is on India’s “green transition”, and strengthening the relationship between their countries. </p> <p>They’re set to visit New Delhi and Chennai next, and to lay a wreath at the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi 70 years on from his assassination, with a gala dinner to follow. </p> <p>Mary’s duties as a patron of the Maternity Foundation will see her visit a hospital, and the couple will enjoy a personal tour of the Presidential Palace and garden from India’s President Droupadi Murmu. Chennai will have them for the third and final day of their visit.  </p> <p>Whether or not the couple will share any more of their own pictures from the trip remains to be seen, but fans of the family have been delighted with Mary’s selection so far, taking to Instagram to thank the royals, and to wish them well on the rest of their journey. </p> <p>“How beautiful - thank you for taking us,” wrote one. </p> <p>“Beautiful pictures,” said one, with many similar comments scattered throughout as they added, “brings back lovely memories of my own visit there.”</p> <p>“Fantastic! I’d love to see more of HKH Kronprinsesse Mary’s photos,” chimed one. </p> <p>“Beautiful, brings back memories of my visits to India, such an incredible country. I hope that Her Majesty the Queen is recovering well, she is always in our thoughts and prayers,” wrote another, referencing the back surgery that Queen Margarethe II had the previous week. </p> <p>Maragarethe has taken a break from her duties, with the palace confirming that she’s in good condition and “stable under the circumstances.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty, Instagram</em></p>

International Travel

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The Crown sparks backlash over plans to recreate Diana’s final moments

<p dir="ltr">Royal drama <em>The Crown</em> has drawn criticism after announcing plans to recreate Princess Diana’s final moments in Paris, with crew members fearing “a line has been crossed”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The show, which stars Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, is facing increasing upset over its plotlines and claims of insensitivity in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.</p> <p dir="ltr">Scenes suggesting that Prince Philip had an affair with a female friend are also causing strife for the producers.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, <em>The Sun </em>reports that scenes focusing on Diana’s ill-fated Paris trip in 1997 and the days and hours before the fatal car crash in the Alma tunnel are being worked on, with a source from the show telling the outlet that some crew members are starting to push back on the show’s ideas.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To be going back to Paris and turning Diana’s final days and hours into a drama feels very uncomfortable,” the source said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Finally, some of the crew members are pushing back on the ideas being tabled.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The show always tried to present a fictional version of royal history with as much sensitivity as possible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But lately, as things get closer to the present day, it feels harder to strike that balance.</p> <p dir="ltr">“With some of those moments still so fresh and upsetting, it feels as though a line is being crossed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some production staff are now starting to speak up about their feelings.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesman for Netflix told the outlet that the “exact moment of the crash impact” won’t be recreated or shown.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, sources close to Prince William said they expect him to be angered by the show’s reproduction of his mother’s final days for entertainment purposes</p> <p dir="ltr">New scenes alleging then-Prince Charles went against his late mother, suggesting she was too old and out of touch, are also facing criticism - but a <em>Crown </em>spokesman defended the controversial scenes as “fictional dramatisation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7fad5096-7fff-e3ea-5cc4-4edb21d477b4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @thecrownnetflix (Instagram)</em></p>

TV

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LEGO recreates Van Gogh’s iconic Starry Night

<p dir="ltr">Art enthusiasts are now one step closer to owning a genuine Vincent Van Gogh artwork (which generally go for over $20 million at auction), with the next best thing soon to be available. </p> <p dir="ltr">Teaming up with New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), LEGO is set to release an official The Starry Night set, which lets customers replicate the Dutch artist’s famous 1889 artwork.  </p> <p dir="ltr">The artistic concept was initially pitched by Hong Kong-based PhD candidate Truman Cheng on the LEGO Ideas platform, which garnered considerable online attention. </p> <p dir="ltr">One year later, it's hitting the shelves. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What makes The Starry Night so irresistible is the expressive brushwork and vibrant colours used throughout, which tell the story of humanity’s everlasting dream for better things,” explains Federico Begher, Head of Global Marketing at LEGO. </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/tv/CdqQkqhMdWl/?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/tv/CdqQkqhMdWl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by LEGO (@lego)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Truman’s design was a masterpiece in itself – showing how many different LEGO elements and techniques could be used to replicate van Gogh’s iconic painting.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a good brain tease to come up with tricks and techniques to capture the look of the original painting,” adds Truman Cheng. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The brushwork goes into many directions in the moon and the swirling cloud, so there was some creative use of bracket and clip elements involved.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Starry Night was originally painted by Van Gogh in 1889, and was inspired by the view from Vincent van Gogh’s window at the Monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole Asylum in Saint-Rémy, France.</p> <p dir="ltr">The LEGO Starry Night set will be exclusively available to purchase for both LEGO VIP and MoMA members starting from May 25th, while the global release is scheduled a little later on June 1st. The price? $260.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: LEGO</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-91017a6a-7fff-b6f2-3dc2-fb7393ae3f19"></span></p>

Art

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Banksy the dog recreates paintings of his namesake

<p dir="ltr">A rescue dog named after the elusive street artist Banksy has recreated his famous works to raise $1,000 for charity. </p><p dir="ltr">Seven works were created by Banksy the dog, who uses his nose and paws to recreate the iconic pieces. </p><p dir="ltr">The money raised is going to the Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, which Banksy has called home since August 2021. </p><p dir="ltr">Spokeswoman Gina Jones said, "We're absolutely thrilled. The money will make a big difference to the lives of vulnerable animals in our care."</p><p dir="ltr">As well as helping to raise money for the rescue centre, Banksy’s art has been part of an appeal to find his forever home.</p><p dir="ltr">The seven artworks were auctioned off on the centre’s Facebook page, with the dog’s recreation of <em>Good Panda</em> drawing in the biggest bid of $230.</p><p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/banksy-dog-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Bristol Animal Rescue Centre</em></p><p dir="ltr">Ms Jones said that even though Banksy the dog’s works have been auctioned off, he just keeps painting. </p><p dir="ltr">"He just keeps going and going, he loves spreading the paint around," she said.</p><p dir="ltr">"I think he secretly really enjoys the attention," she said. </p><p dir="ltr">"When we had some cameras in, he's like 'yes, you may film me'. He's really come out of his shell."</p><p dir="ltr">Staff at the rescue centre said that with all the attention his art is getting, they hope he will be able to find a new home after being at the centre for an “unusually long amount of time”.</p><p dir="ltr">"We've had a few expressions of interests and we are still going through the adoption process with everybody," Ms Jones said. </p><p dir="ltr">"Obviously we do check for everyone who applies that it is a suitable home for him... and we are really hopefully we will find somebody great and get him that forever home."</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Bristol Animal Rescue Centre</em></p>

Art

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Aussie TV icon Bluey's home recreated in real-life

<p dir="ltr">The home of the popular titular character in children’s show <em>Bluey </em>has been brought to life in Brisbane - and one lucky family has the chance to experience it for themselves in a one-off experience.</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Bluey</em>, created by Joe Brumm and created entirely in Brisbane, has become a global sensation, distributed in over 60 countries by the BBC.</p><p dir="ltr">The Heeler family home was recreated in real-life by Airbnb and BBC Studios and was “entirely customised to bring the cartoon experience to life”.</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Bluey </em>fans are sure to recognise some of the home’s quirky details from the show, including a red letterbox, standout bay window and bone-shaped chimney.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZsnV6ooEBT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="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="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="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="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;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"> </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"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="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"><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/tv/CZsnV6ooEBT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bluey (@officialblueytv)</a></p></div></blockquote><p dir="ltr">“Inside, the interior has been re-imagined with a breezy mid-century aesthetic coupled with playful pops of colour,” Airbnb said <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/bluey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a statement</a> on its website.</p><p dir="ltr">“The girls’ playroom with its signature rainbow canopy, kiwi rug and numerous toys - including Bluey’s beloved Chattermax toy and magic xylophone - is the ultimate setting for creative play and make believe.”</p><p dir="ltr">The kids’ bedroom, modelled after Bluey and Bingo’s room, has two single beds, colourful hanging lanterns, cloud cushions, a handcrafted watermelon rug and a custom stained-glass window.</p><p dir="ltr">As for the master bedroom, it mirrors Bandit and Chilli’s plant-filled retreat seen on the show, with a queen-sized bed, rattan furnishings and neutral colours.</p><p dir="ltr">“The backyard is a verdant oasis for family games - like Horsey Ride and Keepy Uppy - with a BBQ, kiddie-sized trampoline, Grannies’ car, custom toadstool seats and bespoke dog garden gnomes. Yummy snacks can be found in the fridge, including Bandit’s famous duck cake,” the statement said.</p><p dir="ltr">For the family lucky enough to <a href="http://airbnb.com/bluey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay the weekend</a>, they will also get to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Ludo studios where <em>Bluey </em>is created, a Chinese takeaway feast in the backyard, an afternoon decorating the famed duck cake, and a puppet making craft session with the Bob Bilby character from the show.</p><p dir="ltr">To top it all off, the two-night stay for two adults and two kids will only cost $20, plus taxes and fees.</p><p dir="ltr">“We’re delighted to add Bluey, Bingo, Chilli and Bandit to our growing community of Airbnb hosts,” <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/bluey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Susan Wheeldon, the country manager of Airbnb Australia and New Zealand.</p><p dir="ltr">“And while we have some incredible homes on Airbnb, there will be nothing quite like waking up in the Heeler house and getting to live and breathe in Bluey’s magical world for one wondrous weekend.”</p><p dir="ltr">But those who miss out on the stay or who live overseas can still experience the home, by booking a coveted spot in an <a href="http://airbnb.com/blueyexperience" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Online Experience</a> hosted from the house by one of the <em>Bluey </em>composers, Jazz d’Arcy, and children’s choreographer, Cherie Lange.</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Hannah Puechmarin (AirBnb)</em></p>

Real Estate

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Loving husband recreates historic monument for his wife

<p dir="ltr">A devoted husband has built a huge gift for his wife in an unusual form: a replica of the Taj Mahal.</p> <p dir="ltr">Anand Prakash Chouksey<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2021/11/30/devoted-husband-builds-mini-replica-of-taj-mahal-for-wife/" target="_blank">recreated</a><span> </span>the famous palace for his wife, Manjusha, in a scaled-down version that cost about 20 million rupees ($NZD 390,000) to complete.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Chouksey brought in artisans and sculptors from across the country to construct the huge present, and his wife had only one request for what should be included.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She wanted a good meditation room. It is in the best location inside [the] house. Since it is a dome-styled house, it is ideal for meditation and peaceful relaxation,” Chouksey told Reuters.</p> <p dir="ltr">With her request in mind, Mr Chouksey told his engineers to “put a special focus on the meditation room”.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the miniature version of the hugely popular tourist attraction comes with more than just a meditation room, boasting four bedrooms, a library, and an intricately carved white domed roof.</p> <p dir="ltr">To construct it, the Chouksey family visited it in Agra, India - where it was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as an act of love and a mausoleum for his own wife - and used photos from the internet to scale down the measurements.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We wanted to make an exact miniature version of the Taj Mahal, perfectly to scale, to the centimetre,” Mr Chouksey’s son, Kabir, said. “So, we had to build and demolish and rebuild the walls multiple times to bring it to perfection. We had to rebuild some arches three to four times because there was some difference, sometimes the difference was so tiny that it’s negligible to the eye. But we thought that since we are building something good then there should not be any missed opportunity or any regret.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the grandiose gift, Mr Chouksey says his wife generally approves of him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She is happy with me in every situation, all ups and downs,” he said. “She always supports me irrespective of my gift.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The miniature Taj Mahal is open to visitors during school hours.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Artificial intelligence recreates destroyed paintings

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new interactive hub founded by </span><a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/gustav-klimt/m03869?hl=en"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Google Arts &amp; Culture</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is showcasing an exclusive Gustav Klimt exhibition that offers insight into Klimt’s </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">biography, artistic inspiration and legacy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As part of the initiative, Google has digitally recreated three iconic Klimt works that were previously lost to a fire in 1899. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By utilising artificial intelligence, technology has colourised the black and white photographs of the artworks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The three paintings, titled </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Medicine</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Philosophy</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jurisprudence</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, collectively form the “Faculty Paintings,” which were commissioned by the University of Vienna. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Officials at the university originally deemed the works “pornographic” and “perverse” upon their unveiling, before ultimately being sold to a private buyer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The paintings were lost in a fire during the final days of World War II in 1945, and only survived in a series of photographs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI researchers and Klimt scholars were supported by those at Google to bring colour to these enigmatic paintings and give them a second opportunity in the spotlight. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After much back and forth to make the recreation as accurate as possible, the AI-coloured images provide what might be the closest we will ever get to seeing a complete image of those lost paintings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement from Franz Smola, curator at the Belvedere museum, he said “The result for me was surprising because we were able to colour it even in the places where we had no knowledge, with machine learning we have good assumptions that Klimt used certain colours.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The use of this revolutionary technology shows hope for the future of famous painting recreations that would have otherwise been lost forever.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Google Arts &amp; Culture</span></em></p>

Art

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Dolly Parton recreates Playboy cover for husband’s birthday

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dolly Parton is celebrating her husband’s birthday with a recreation of one of her most iconic images.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 75-year-old shared a clip to her social media pages showing the country singer once again donning the black Playboy Bunny suit and ears as a birthday treat for her husband, Carl Dean.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Today is July 20th, it’s my husband Carl’s birthday and you’re probably wondering why I’m dressed like this … well it’s for my husband’s birthday,” she said in the video.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRkGwC3pd84/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRkGwC3pd84/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Remember some time back I said I was gonna pose on Playboy magazine when I’m 75? Well, I’m 75 and they don’t have a magazine anymore … but my husband always loved the original cover of Playboy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was trying to think of something to do to make him happy,” she added. “He still thinks I’m a hot chick after 57 years and I’m not gonna try to talk him out of that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The star explained that she did “a little photoshoot in this little outfit” and recreated her infamous 1978 cover, before comparing her appearance then and now.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In the first one, I was kind of a little butterball in that one. Well, I’m a string cheese now,” she joked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But he’ll probably be thinking I’m cream cheese, I hope.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video ends with Parton singing Happy Birthday to her husband while still in the bunny suit.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parton first said she wanted to do a second Playboy cover in 2020 when asked about her retirement plans by </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">60 Minutes</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well, I don’t plan to retire. I just turned 74,” she answered. “I plan to be on the cover of Playboy magazine again.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“See, I did Playboy magazine years ago. I thought it’d be such a hoot if they’ll go for it, I don’t know if they will,” she added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The songstress is still making music too, with her new single “Sent From Above” dropping on July 27.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Dolly Parton / Instagram</span></em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Di, Kate and Meghan's royal plus-size fashion recreation

<p>A plus size blogger has recreated previously worn outfits by members of the Royal Family in a bid to “supersize” the stylish looks into wearable moments for everyday women. </p> <p>Kate Sturino, 36, has shared her inspired outfits to her Instagram page with over 400 thousand followers to prove you don’t have to be slim and trim to dress like royalty!</p> <p>Katie became inspired to recreate looks worn by the Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex to show how plus sized women can be stylish without breaking the bank or their confidence. </p> <p>The blogger even goes the extra mile and gets her friend Ryan Dziadul, a male plus size blogger, to stand in as her royal hubby.</p> <p>However, she has made it clear she is not trying to outdo anyone, and stated “It’s not about who wore it better, style has no size!”</p> <p>Unfortunately, Ms Sturino is no stranger to controversy or criticism, and recently took to social media to speak about the disparaging comments she received for taking on outfits worn by Duchess Meghan. </p> <p>“My #SuperSizeTheLook shots with Meghan Markle got picked up and the comments are brutal...they do not hurt my feelings, but they are scary!” she said in a post. </p> <p>“It’s scary that a woman who is almost the average size in this country would be regarded with such shock! </p> <p>“Also, they don’t stop at my body, they are equal opportunity women haters who take shots at MM as well!”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the plus size blogger take on royal outfits.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Iconic or imposter? Model transforms to recreate Princess Diana’s most famous looks

<div class="c-message__content c-message__content--feature_sonic_inputs" data-qa="message_content"><span class="c-message__body" data-qa="message-text">Before the world-famous Kardashians or social media influencers creating trends and selling lifestyles simply by looking good - there was Princess Diana.</span></div> <p>The late royal, who passed away in 1997, was renowned not just for her brutal marriage breakdown with Prince Charles but for her incredible fashion sense. </p> <p>From the iconic “revenge dress” to the 90’s athleisure that she effortlessly finessed - Princess Di lead trends and fashion revolutions that are still deeply admired today. </p> <p>Now, model Hailey Bieber, wife of singer Justin Bieber, has gone viral for her ultimate sartorial tribute to the royal in a new editorial for<span> </span>Vogue<span> </span>Paris. </p> <p>The shoot, photographed by Gregory Harris, and styled by Virginie Benarroch, aimed to channel the the royal’s casual elegance by posing her most iconic shots. </p> <p>Bieber recreated the the princess; famous blazered look - a baseball cap, blazer, sweatshirt and light washed jeans tucked into brown cowboy boots. </p> <p>The ensemble made headlines around the world after it was photographed at a polo match in Windsor in 1988. </p> <p>The 22-year-old model showed off the gorgeous images on her instagram account, and praised the late Princess for inspiring her own wardrobe. </p> <p>"[All] credit and inspo to the amazingly beautiful and iconically stylish Princess Diana who I’ve looked to for style inspiration for as long as I can remember," she wrote in her caption. "Thank you for leaving behind such an iconic fashion and style legacy."</p> <p>The reaction to Bieber’s shoot has been mixed, with some labelling it as “tasteless.”</p> <p>“This feels in wildly poor taste considering all of the Diana shots were taken by paparazzi,” one user wrote. </p> <p>“Go a different route if you want to pay tribute.”</p> <p>“Nobody compares to Princess Diana and there’s that,” another added. </p> <p>Another person wrote they thought it was a “strange” idea. </p> <p>“Brave of her to do this photoshoot. I have no problem with Hailey, but I don’t see why anyone would think this is a good idea - they have nothing in common.”</p> <p>However, others took to social media to praise Hailey’s tribute. </p> <p>“I think she looks cute and it's a great way to remember Diana!” one user commented. </p> <p>“Strong princess vibes here,” one comment read. </p> <p>Another added: “This shoot is everything! She looks incredible.”</p> <p>Princess Di pass</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Hailey Bieber’s tribute shots to Princess Diana.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Grandkids recreate their grandparent’s photos

<p>Although the world has changed in many different ways over the decades, there are still ways that grandchildren can be reminded of the life and legacy of their grandparents.</p> <p>To honour their grandparent’s journeys, a group of grandchildren have recreated photos from their past and submitted them to <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/recreating-grandparent-photos/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bored Panda.</span></strong></em></a></p> <p>While some visited the same sights and others wore identical outfits, it is powerful to see the changes and similarities throughout the generations.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the incredible now-and-then photos.</p> <p>Have your or someone in your family ever recreated an old photo? If so, share it with us in the comments below. </p>

Retirement Life

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A man and his cat recreate famous movie scenes

<p>A man has become an online sensation after he decided to recreate famous movie scenes with his cat.</p> <p>The idea started when Sarah and David from the UK started taking photos to use during trivia night.</p> <p>The photos were a hit and, so they decided to put the photos on Instagram, asking followers to guess what movies were being referenced.</p> <p>According to Sarah, the couple’s two cats, Willow and Tara, are very affectionate and are patient in the shoots when they are given treats.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the hilarious photos.</p> <p>Which movie do you think they should recreate next? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Movies

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Man hilariously recreates over-the-top fashion looks with household items

<p>Fashion is a fickle thing. Trends come and go so fast that most of us only catch on when they’re going out of style! And when we look to the runways of Paris, London and Milan, it’s easy to wonder, what on earth is going through the minds of today’s designers?</p> <p>Thankfully, we’re not the only ones wondering what happened to the world of fashion. Tom Lenk, an American actor best known for his role in <em>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</em>, has won himself legions of fans on Instagram for his hilarious recreations of bizarre runway outfits using whatever he can find around the house.</p> <p>Scroll through the galleryabove to see some of his funniest creations!</p> <p><em>Image credit: Tom Lenk/Instagram.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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10 families adorably recreate childhood photos

<p>There’s nothing quite like getting the family photo album out and reminiscing on the good times. The fashion, the hair… it’s always fun to see how much everyone has changed. It’s probably how the current trend of adult kids recreating their childhood photos began. After all, what better way to see how different everyone looks than with a side-by-side comparison?</p> <p>In the gallery above, we’ve collected some of the funniest, sweetest and most touching photo recreations we could find. Maybe they’ll encourage you to do the same!</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, have you ever recreated an old photo?</p>

Family & Pets

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Watch live as people recreate the Beatles’ Abbey Road cover

<p>In 1969, at the height of their popularity, The Beatles shot the album cover for their 11th studio album. The concept was simple – the fab four crossing Abbey Road. Little did they know, this image would not only become the most iconic image associated with the band, but one of the most iconic in history.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36656/in-text-image_498x245.jpg" alt="In -text Image"/></p> <p>Since the album’s release almost 50 years ago, thousands of Beatles fans from around the world have made the pilgrimage to the zebra crossing, following in the footsteps of their idols and trying to recreate that iconic photograph – much to the chagrin of London drivers.</p> <p>It’s become such a tourism hotspot that Abbey Road Studios have set up a web cam, monitoring the crossing (which is now Grade II listed, meaning it can’t be altered, moved or demolished without permission from the UK government) for all to see.</p> <p><a href="https://www.abbeyroad.com/Crossing" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Click here</span></strong></a> to watch the live cam for yourself, and scroll through the gallery above to see some of the funniest (and most bizarre) images the web cam has recorded, including four Beatles lookalikes, four brides, and even a man in a yellow submarine.</p>

Music

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Couple recreates wedding photos for 40th anniversary

<p>In honour of their 40-year wedding anniversary, this couple decided to recreate the photos from their big day.</p> <p>According to their son, who posted the photos, upon meeting his mother, his father, “was smooth. They met in a bar called ‘The Lower Level’ and his first words to her were, ‘You wanna Boogie?’ If that isn’t the start to a great love story, I don’t know what is.” </p> <p>Four decades later, the happily married couple still fits into their hand-made wedding attire, which they donned for the replicated photos.</p> <p><strong> 1975:</strong><img width="499" height="450" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7500/40-year-wedding-anniversary-photos-recreate-1_499x450.jpg" alt="40-year -wedding -anniversary -photos -recreate -1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>2015:</strong></p> <p><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7501/40-year-wedding-anniversary-photos-recreate-2_500x375.jpg" alt="40-year -wedding -anniversary -photos -recreate -2" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="500" height="480" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7502/40-year-wedding-anniversary-photos-recreate-3_500x480.jpg" alt="40-year -wedding -anniversary -photos -recreate -3" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7503/40-year-wedding-anniversary-photos-recreate-4_500x375.jpg" alt="40-year -wedding -anniversary -photos -recreate -4" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/07/strangers-donate-bike-to-senior-woman/">Strangers band together to replace 79-year-old woman’s stolen bike</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/07/seniors-laugh-cafe/">This cafe is dedicated to laughing</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/07/rescued-elephant-celebrates-freedom/">Terribly thin elephant rescued and enjoying freedom</a></span></em></strong></p>

News

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10 iconic album covers recreated with kittens

<p>What would make great album covers even better? Cats, of course! At least that’s what musician and artist Alfra Martini believes. “I was just thinking David Bowie as a kitten… I must see David Bowie as a kitten,” she <a href="https://humorinamerica.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/the-sound-and-the-furry-an-interview-with-alfra-martini-creator-of-the-kitten-covers/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">recalls</span></strong></a>. “Could I do it? Did I have the photoshopping skills? I abandoned my “work task”, crawled out of bed, and started up the desktop. The rest is mainly just technical.”</p> <p>The results are absolutely, adorably funny. From Blondie to Queen, take a look at some of the best cat-ified album covers in the gallery above.</p> <p>Image credit: <a href="http://thekittencovers.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Kitten Covers</span></strong></a></p>

Music

Over 60

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