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Russell Crowe unveils new look not seen in over 20 years

<p>Russell Crowe, the man of many faces – literally, his beard has its own postcode – is making headlines again. Not for his stellar performances or his knack for embodying iconic characters, but for something far more groundbreaking: he shaved.</p> <p>Yes, you read that right. Russell Crowe has gone from grizzly lumberjack chic to smooth operator in what can only be described as a follicular metamorphosis of epic proportions.</p> <p>In a tweet that shook the internet harder than a magnitude 9 earthquake, Crowe proudly announced, "The actor prepares #20. First shave since 2019".</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The actor prepares #20.<br />First shave since 2019. <a href="https://t.co/e48ctxh9GY">pic.twitter.com/e48ctxh9GY</a></p> <p>— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1759500781642780929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>Now, to put this into perspective, in 2019 we were all living in a blissful ignorance of the chaos that awaited us in the years to come. So, the fact that Russell Crowe has finally decided to bid farewell to his facial foliage is nothing short of a miracle.</p> <p>In the accompanying photo, Crowe stares into the camera with the seriousness of a man who has just discovered a rare species of moth living in his beard. His face, now liberated from the tangled web of hair, appears decades younger, causing fans to collectively question if time travel is, in fact, possible.</p> <p>But let's not forget, this isn't Crowe's first rodeo with a clean-shaven face. Even though he cites "2019" in his caption, the last time he showcased such ephemeral smoothness was back in 2012 while promoting <em>Les Miserables –</em> a time when the world was still recovering from the shock of "Gangnam Style" and debating the colour of a certain pinstriped dress. So, it's safe to say, Crowe's clean-shaven look is rarer than a blue moon on a leap year.</p> <p>Of course, fans couldn't contain their excitement. One Twitter user exclaimed, "20 years younger instantly!" Another fan, probably needing a moment to catch their breath after witnessing the transformation, simply stated, "oh THERE you are". And let's not overlook the fan who eloquently remarked, "Looks good! It’s nice to change it up and shave. You have a nice face it was hiding behind all that hair." Ah, poetry in the age of social media.</p> <p>But what prompted this seismic shift in Crowe's appearance? Well, he didn't spill the beans on which movie role necessitated the razor, but we can only imagine the possibilities. Perhaps he's playing a time-travelling barber who inadvertently alters the course of history with each stroke of his razor. Or maybe he's set to star in a reboot of <em>The Santa Clause</em> as the titular character who decides to trade in his bushy beard for a more aerodynamic look. The possibilities are as endless as the hairs on Crowe's chin once were.</p> <p>Whatever the reason, one thing's for sure: Crowe's fresh shave has left an indelible mark on the internet. And as he gears up for roles in everything from historical dramas (he’s pegged to play Hermann Göring in the film <em>Nuremberg) </em>to MMA action flicks (such as <em>The Beast In Me</em>, which traces the life of a commercial fisherman who avenges his brother's death by fighting in a cage match)<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">, we can only hope that his newfound smoothness becomes a permanent fixture.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">After all, in a world of chaos and uncertainty, sometimes all it takes is a clean shave to restore our faith in humanity.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Poker Face / Twitter (X) </em></p>

Movies

Michael Jackson’s rarely-seen son spotted in new photo

<p>Michael Jackson’s youngest son has made a rare appearance on social media, after years of keeping a low-profile. </p> <p>Bigi Jackson, 21, was spotted among a series of Instagram photos captioned “Lately”. </p> <p>The 21-year-old was seen posing with rapper Omer Bhatti, 38, along with his cousins Randy Jackson Jr., 32, Donté Jackson, Royal Jackson and Jermajesty Jackson, 23.</p> <p>The King of Pop's youngest son appeared to have cut off his usually long hair for something a little shorter, and this is one of the first times he has been spotted since his extremely rare interview with <em>Good Morning Britain </em>in 2021. </p> <p>The interview was for the annual Thriller Night charity event, which he and his siblings hosted at their late father’s former home. </p> <p>“There’s a lot of history in this house and the studio here. That’s what he was all about,” he told Good Morning Britain at the time.</p> <p>“That’s what each of us want to do — make things that people enjoy but also benefit their lives.”</p> <p>Bigi – who was born Prince Michael Jackson II and was previously called Blanket – is the younger sibling of Prince, 26, and Paris, 25, and has kept his life largely out of the public eye. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram/ Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

Princess Diana's never-before-seen backup wedding gown

<p>The designer of Princess Diana's iconic wedding gown has revealed the details of a secret second dress that has never seen the light of day. </p> <p>In an exclusive interview with <em>Hello!</em> magazine, British designer Elizabeth Emmanuel revealed that she had planned for the worst in the lead up to the royal nuptials in 1981 by creating a backup dress. </p> <p>When Princess Diana married King Charles at St Paul’s Cathedral, she wore the now iconic voluptuous custom gown with a 25-foot train and 10,000 mother-of-pearl sequin and pearl embellishments. </p> <p>However, this gown may not have been the one debuted on the red-carpet aisle if news of it leaked before the big day. </p> <p>“The spare wedding gown was made just in case the secret of the real dress ever got out,” Emmanuel proclaimed. “Fortunately, it was never used.”</p> <p>Emmanuel drew inspiration from the 20-year-old’s initial design for the “spare,” pointing to a similar V-cut neckline adorned with a ruffle trim, puffy sleeves, and massive skirt in the never-before-seen sketch. </p> <p>The substitute was “pale ivory silk taffeta with embroidered scalloped details on the hem and sleeves” and detailed with delicate pearls along a tight-fitting bodice.</p> <p>To see the stunning draft design of the spare gown, click <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/499047/princess-diana-spare-wedding-dress-unveiled-for-first-time-by-designer-exclusive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>In the lead up to the wedding, strict security measures were put in place to prevent anyone from seeing the dresses before Diana walked down the aisle. </p> <p>“We had the dress stored every night in a metal cabinet guarded by two guards, Jim and Bert,” Elizabeth noted. “So there was somebody there 24 hours a day and we put shutters on all our windows, and we put false color threads in the rubbish bins because people were going through our bins.”</p> <p>Elizabeth, now 70-years-old, lost track of the alternate gown, which the Princess of Wales never actually tried on. </p> <p>Just before what would have been the royal pair’s 42nd wedding anniversary, Elizabeth told Hello!, “I don’t know where it went. It just disappeared.” </p> <p>However, when Princess Diana tragically died, her original gown was left to both Prince William and Prince Harry, as the historic garment now rests in Kensington Palace.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Beauty & Style

Sinead O'Connor was once seen as a sacrilegious rebel, but her music and life were deeply infused with spiritual seeking

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brenna-moore-1457909">Brenna Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/fordham-university-1299">Fordham University</a></em></p> <p>When news broke July 26, 2023, that the gifted Irish singer <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66318626">Sinead O’Connor had died</a>, stories of her most famous performance circulated amid the grief and shock.</p> <p>Thirty-one years ago, after a haunting rendition of Bob Marley’s song “War,” O’Connor ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on live television. “Fight the real enemy,” she said – a reference to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-catholic-church-sex-abuse-crisis-4-essential-reads-169442">clerical sex abuse</a>. For months afterward, she was banned, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sinead-o-connor-booed-pope-bob-dylan-concert-1176338/">booed and mocked</a>, dismissed as a crazy rebel beyond the pale.</p> <p>Commemorations following her death, however, cast the protest in a very different light. Her “Saturday Night Live” performance is now seen as “invigorating,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/26/arts/music/sinead-oconnor-snl-pope.html">the New York Times’ pop critic wrote</a>, and “a call to arms for the dispossessed.”</p> <p>Attitudes toward Catholicism, sex and power are far different today than in 1992, whether in New York or O’Connor’s native Dublin. In many people’s eyes, the moral credibility of the Catholic Church around the world <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/245858/catholics-faith-clergy-shaken.aspx">has crumbled</a>, and trust in faith institutions of any sort is <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx">at an all-time low</a>. Sexual abuse, once discussed only in whispers, is now beginning to be talked about openly.</p> <p>I join the chorus of voices today who say O’Connor was decades ahead of her time. But leaving it just at that, we miss something profound about the complexity and depth of her religious imagination. Sinead O’Connor was arguably one of the most spiritually sensitive artists of our time.</p> <p>I am <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/academics/departments/theology/faculty/brenna-moore/">a scholar of Catholicism in the modern era</a> and have long been interested in those figures – the poets, artists, seekers – who wander <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/K/bo90478851.html">the margins of their religious tradition</a>. These men and women are dissatisfied with the mainstream centers of religious power but nonetheless compelled by something indelibly religious that feeds the wellsprings of their artistic imagination.</p> <p>Throughout her life, O’Connor defied religious labels, exploring multiple faiths. The exquisite freedom in her music cannot be disentangled from <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2021/09/16/sinead-oconnor-rememberings-memoir-moore-241369">that something transcendent</a> that she was always after.</p> <h2>‘Rescuing God from religion’</h2> <p>Religion is often thought about as discreet traditions: institutions that someone is either inside or outside. But on the ground, it is rarely that simple.</p> <p>The Catholic Church had a strong hold on Irish society as O’Connor was growing up – a “theocracy,” she called it <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/10/sinead-oconnor-pope-visit">in interviews</a> and <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/126006/sinead-oconnor">her memoir, “Rememberings</a>” – and for many years she <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oconnor/singer-sinead-oconnor-demands-pope-steps-down-idUSTRE5BA39Y20091211">called for more accountability</a> for the clerical abuse crisis. But she was also open in her love of other aspects of the faith, albeit often in unorthodox ways. She had a tattoo of Jesus on her chest and continued to critique the church while appearing on television with a priest’s collar.</p> <p>Ten years after her SNL performance, O'Connor took courses at a seminary in Dublin with a Catholic Dominican priest, Rev. Wilfred Harrington. Together, they read the prophets of the Hebrew Bible and the Psalms: sacred scriptures in which God’s voice comes through in darker, moodier, more human forms.</p> <p>Inspired by her teacher, she made the gorgeous album “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xncY5WP12BQ">Theology</a>,” dedicated to him. The album is a mix of some of her own songs inspired by the Hebrew Bible – like “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/wat,h?v=Kf24-rgyOeI">If You Had a Vineyard</a>,” inspired by the Book of Isaiah; and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh7s5BKphw8">Watcher of Men</a>,” which draws from the biblical story of Job – and other tracks that essentially are sung versions of her favorite Psalms.</p> <p>In <a href="https://wfuv.org/content/sinead-oconnor-words-and-music-2007">a 2007 interview</a> with Fordham University’s WFUV radio station, O'Connor said that she was hoping the album could show God to people when religion itself had blocked their access to God. It was a kind of “rescuing God from religion,” to “lift God out of religion.” Rather than preaching or writing, “music is the little way that I do that,” she said, adding, “I say that as someone who has a lot of love for religion.”</p> <h2>Reading the prophets</h2> <p>In doing so, she stood in the long line of the prophetic tradition itself.</p> <p>The great Jewish thinker <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/abraham-joshua-heschel-a-prophets-prophet/">Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s</a> book “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-prophets-abraham-j-heschel?variant=40970012721186">The Prophets</a>” begins with this sentence: “This book is about some of the most disturbing people who have ever lived.” Over and over, the Bible shows the prophets – the prophets who inspired “Theology” – mounting bracing assaults on hypocrisies and insincerities in their own religious communities, and not politely or calmly.</p> <p>To many horrified Catholics, O’Connor’s SNL appearance and her many other criticisms of the church were blasphemous – or, at best, just throwing stones from outside the church for attention. Other fans, however, saw it as prophetic condemnation. It was not just a critique of child abuse but of church officials’ professed compassion for children – sanctimonious pieties <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/26/catholic-church-ireland-child-abuse">as they covered up the abuse</a>.</p> <p>In calling this out and so much more, O’Connor was often seen as disturbing: not just the photo-of-the-pope incident, but her androgyny, her shaved head, her openness around her own struggles with mental illness. But for many admirers, as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VLy1A4En4U">the documentary “Nothing Compares</a>” makes clear, all this showed that she was free, and like the prophets of old, unashamed and unafraid to provoke.</p> <h2>Rasta to Islam</h2> <p>At the same time, O’Connor’s religious imagination was so much more than a complex relationship with Catholicism. Religion around O’Connor was eclectic and intense.</p> <p>She was deeply influenced by <a href="https://theconversation.com/reggaes-sacred-roots-and-call-to-protest-injustice-99069">Rastafarian traditions</a> of Jamaica, <a href="https://wfuv.org/content/sinead-oconnor-words-and-music-2007">which she described</a> as “an anti-religious but massively pro-God spiritual movement.” She considered Sam Cooke’s early album with the Soul Stirrers the best gospel album ever made. She counted among her spiritual heroes Muhammad Ali – and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-45987127">converted to Islam in 2018</a>, changing her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat.</p> <p>Yet O’Connor’s vision was not fragmented, as if she were constantly chasing after bits and pieces. The miracle of Sinead O’Connor is that it all coheres, somehow, in the words of an artist who refuses to lie, to hide or not say what she thinks.</p> <p>When asked about spirituality, O’Connor once said that she preferred to sing about it, not talk about it – as she does in so many songs, from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkP-0rnr_Gw">her luminous singing of the antiphon</a>, a Marian hymn sung at Easter services, to her Rasta-inspired album, “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5945-throw-down-your-arms/">Throw Down Your Arms</a>.”</p> <p>In “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haYbyQIEgQk">Something Beautiful</a>,” a track from the “Theology” album, O’Connor speaks both to God and the listener: “I wanna make/ Something beautiful/ For you and from you/ To show you/ I adore you.”</p> <p>Indeed she did. To be moved by her art is to sense a transcendence, a peek into radiance.<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/210540/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brenna-moore-1457909">Brenna Moore</a>, Professor of Theology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/fordham-university-1299">Fordham University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sinead-oconnor-was-once-seen-as-a-sacrilegious-rebel-but-her-music-and-life-were-deeply-infused-with-spiritual-seeking-210540">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

Why Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa is the best thing we've ever seen

<p>Hold onto your chocolate bars, folks, because director Paul King has done it again! After his stroke of genius in casting Hugh Grant as the dastardly villain in <em>Paddington 2</em>, King couldn't resist the temptation to work with Grant once more. This time, he enlisted the British star for a truly magical role in the upcoming Roald Dahl prequel, <em>Wonka</em> (set to release on December 15 by Warner Bros.). But brace yourselves, because Grant's appearance as an Oompa Loompa is bound to leave you in stitches.</p> <p>During the official premiere of the <em>Wonka</em> trailer in London, which was attended by lucky guests treated to a buffet overflowing with Wonka-inspired sugary delights, King took a moment to explain his decision to cast Grant as a pint-sized, green-haired Oompa Loompa. The hilarious deadpan performance in the final moments of the trailer speaks for itself!</p> <p>In delving into the backstory of Willy Wonka, played by the brilliant Timothée Chalamet, King found himself diving headfirst into Dahl's books for inspiration. When it came to the Oompa Loompas, King discovered that although Dahl didn't grant them much dialogue, their songs were packed with incredible sarcasm, judgment, and cruelty directed at the kids in the story.</p> <p>“So I was really just thinking about that character; somebody who could be a real shit, and then — ah! Hugh!” he told the London premiere crowd. “Because he’s the funniest, most sarcastic shit I’ve ever met.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dckc2RcL69s" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>As for his leading star, Chalamet, King's praise was somewhat more refined, or so he claims: “It was a very short list of people who could play Willy Wonka, and really, it was him. I really do think he’s the most incredible actor of his generation, because he’s got this incredible ability to dive very deep into his own personal emotions and convey things with the turn of an eye — he’s very, very controlled, very smart and incredibly emotionally intuitive.”</p> <p>While acknowledging the daunting task of following in the footsteps of acting legends like Johnny Depp and the original Wonka himself, Gene Wilder, King was confident that Chalamet would rise to the occasion. "I think he manages to bring that sort of mayhem and mischievousness but with a deep emotional grounding," he said, "which is really quite extraordinary.”</p> <p>So, get ready to embark on a sugar-coated adventure with Hugh Grant's hilariously sarcastic Oompa Loompa and Timothée Chalamet's awe-inspiring portrayal of Willy Wonka. It's going to be one wild, chocolate-filled ride that will leave your sides splitting and your sweet tooth satisfied.</p> <p><em>Images: Warner Bros</em></p>

Movies

Never-seen-before letter from Princess Di revealed

<p>The late Princess of Wales wanted the monarchy “to survive”, according to her former butler Paul Burrell.</p> <p>He has previously revealed an unseen letter handwritten by Diana, saying he believes she would have fully supported her ex-husband King Charles at the coronation.</p> <p>Burrell said Diana’s words were "so poignant at this time” as the British monarchy prepares to celebrate the first coronation in 70 years.</p> <p>He shared the letter in an interview with <em>OK! Magazine</em>.</p> <p>Burrell said the note was written by Diana between 1993 and 1997 after she had separated from then-Prince Charles.</p> <p>Diana often wrote notes, sending them to her friends and staff.</p> <p>In the letter to Burrell, Diana wrote, "I so want the monarchy to survive and realise the changes that will take to put 'the show' on a new and healthy track.</p> <p>"I am here to support Mama [the Queen] and to bring W + H [William and Harry] up in order to cope with the fast changing world we live in.</p> <p>"I love my boys to death and hope that the seeds I've planted will grow and bring the strength, knowledge and stability that is needed.”</p> <p>Burrell explained he shared the never-before-seen letter because he believes it revealed Diana’s true feelings about the monarchy.</p> <p>"I wanted you to see Diana's handwriting and her words because they are so poignant at this moment in time, tied into the coronation and tied into the fact she was a monarchist.</p> <p>"She loved the royal family and she wanted the royal family to survive. And also, the fact her sons William and Harry were part of this, what she called, 'The Show’.</p> <p>"She used to leave notes and letters for me all the time on my desk. She'd say, 'Whenever I have a thought and you're not there I have to write it down otherwise I'll forget.</p> <p>"She was thinking about her life and the way forward and her sons and her part in the royal family.”</p> <p>With the coronation fast approaching, Burrell said Diana would have been there if she could have and would support the King and Queen Consort Camilla.</p> <p>"I always think to myself, 'What would she do in this situation?' And she would have been at the coronation looking glorious, in her sixties, outshining everyone the way she did.</p> <p>"I don't think she would hold any animosity at all towards her ex-husband or towards her ex-husband's wife.</p> <p>"I think she would have gone on in life and achieved her own ambitions, still being royal and regal."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

Readers Respond: What is the most egregious display of wealth you've ever seen?

<p dir="ltr">We asked our readers what they thought were the most extravagant and outrageous displays of wealth that they’ve seen and honestly, we couldn’t believe some of the answers. </p> <p dir="ltr">Melanie Gibbons- My ex showing up in a BMW sports car when he owed 46k in child support and I hadn't received a cent for 2 years... his parents also showing up in their porsche 4wd and demanding I pay them petrol money to see their granddaughter because I moved 90mins away from them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Anita Thornton- Nearly fifty years ago, in my role as a teacher, I went to a School Council dinner. One mother had a copious amount of jewellery on, over the top!</p> <p dir="ltr">Richard Norman Ewing- A man and his wife arriving at a WA country airstrip in an American registered Grumman Gulfstream G650 business jet. Two pilots and two cabin attendants, all the way from the USA. (They stopped in Sydney for customs). What a way to travel.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jim Davies- A person with a huge collection of Vincent motorcycles.</p> <p dir="ltr">Moyra Rocchio- We were staying at "The Minna House. In Cairo , The day we arrived a Sheik was having a wedding reception (we were told ) what appeared to be several other wives who were dripping in gold and jewels, arrived by Limo.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bev Traveller Chad- The Crown Jewels, London Tower.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sam Siney- The Vatican… never seen anything like it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cathy Pitman- European castles</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

Never-before-seen photo from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding

<p dir="ltr">A never-before-seen photo from Prince William and Kate Middleton’ wedding has been shared by a royal superfan.</p> <p dir="ltr">The black and white photo shows the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge beaming with joy in their wedding attire as they sit side-by-side after celebrating their nuptials in 2011.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing the photograph on the royal fan account @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwgeS3sl7F/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">royalinstablog</a>, the fan said, “Never seen before image of The Prince and Princess of Wales on their wedding day. They shared this image in their 2011 Christmas card.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The post has racked up over 10,000 likes, with royal fans commenting on how memorable their royal wedding was.</p> <p dir="ltr">One person wrote, “This is darling! There are probably so many more sweet images they hold near and dear.”</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/p/ClwgeS3sl7F/?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/ClwgeS3sl7F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Royal Instablog (@royalinstablog)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Another said, “Very regal indeed. She's truly a treasure.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I remember their wedding day so well!” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prince William and Kate walked down the hallowed aisle of Westminster Abbey on April 29th 2011, where they said 'I do' in front of 2,000 guests, as the rest of the world looked on.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ceremony, performed by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, was watched by 36.7 million people worldwide as Kate Middleton, then 29, wore a £250,000 gown by Alexander McQueen.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the photo, the royals appear like any newly married couple, beaming at the camera with elation following the wedding ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">The royal fan account which shared the snap commented, “Someone who got the card is selling it on eBay for $3k.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram / Getty Images</em></p>

Relationships

Palace releases never-before-seen photo of Queen ahead of funeral

<p dir="ltr">An incredible never-before-seen photo of Queen Elizabeth II has been released.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Royal Family shared the stunning image of the late monarch ahead of the funeral on September 19.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, a new photograph has been released,” they wrote along with the portrait. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The photo was taken to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee - the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Tomorrow, millions will come together to commemorate her remarkable life.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, a new photograph has been released.</p> <p>The photo was taken to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee - the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.</p> <p>Tomorrow, millions will come together to commemorate her remarkable life. <a href="https://t.co/UyVfjVvJgw">pic.twitter.com/UyVfjVvJgw</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1571613677241114624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The British Royal Family and fans alike will farewell the Queen at Westminster Abbey with nine-year-old Prince George and his seven-year-old sister, Princess Charlotte, joining in the proceedings. </p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands of people have lined up for hours to get a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin lying in state in Westminster Hall over the past days after it was taken from Balmoral in Scotland.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen's state funeral is scheduled to start from 11am (8pm AEST) on Monday, at Westminster Abbey.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter/Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter shares never seen before footage

<p dir="ltr">Olivia Newton-John's daughter has shared a beautiful behind-the-scenes video of a duet she did with her mother.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chloe Rose Lattanzi shared the video to Instagram of her and her mum singing <em>Window In The Wall </em>at Olivia’s home studio.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 36-year-old could be seen smiling at her mother as the pair hugged, smiled and began to sing the beautiful song.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are my lighthouse mama. My safe place. My heart space. It has been my honor and continues to be my honor to be your baby and best friend,” Chloe wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are an angel on earth and everyone touched by you has been blessed. I love you forever my life giver, my teacher, my mama.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The song was released in January 2021 and at the time Olivia knew it was one that she wanted to sing with her daughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve always enjoyed singing duets more than singing on my own, and when I first heard this song, I knew immediately that I wanted to sing it with my daughter Chloe,” she previously said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lyrics and melody really resonated with me, and I hoped Chloe would feel the same way – and luckily, she did!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Chloe at the time also knew it was a song she wanted to perform with her mother when she played it for her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When my mom played the song for me I knew I wanted to record it, not only because it was with my mom but, I felt the lyrics and message might help people see things from another perspective,” Chloe said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are all part of the same human race and if we listen to each other, respect each other and love each other - for both our likenesses and our differences - we might just understand each other a lot more.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChC-Nr8j1_w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChC-Nr8j1_w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chloe Lattanzi (@chloelattanziofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The heartwarming behind-the-scenes video comes following the devastating news of Olivia’s death on Monday at her home in California.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 73-year-old fought her breast cancer diagnosis for 30 years but unfortunately succumbed to it.</p> <p dir="ltr">The news of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/honouring-dame-olivia-newton-john" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olivia’s passing was announced by her husband</a> John Easterling on Instagram via his late wife’s account, and included an appeal to continue her good works in the field of cancer research:</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Her daughter Chloe also shared a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/no-words-emotional-images-from-olivia-newton-john-s-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series of heartwarming photos</a> upon the news breaking as celebrities and fans alike offered their condolences.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family have also accepted a state funeral from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Travellers reveal the strangest things they've ever seen on a cruise

<p>Travellers have revealed the most bizarre things they’ve ever seen on a cruise on a popular internet forum.</p> <p>From stumbling upon inappropriately dressed passengers to family who wore their life jackets for the entire trip, commentators on Cruise Critic’s forum didn’t fail to deliver when answering: “What's the strangest thing you've ever seen on a cruise?”</p> <p>1. “Maybe not so strange but we were a little surprised one morning when a family came to breakfast in their PJs. Didn't bother us, after all, it's their vacation and we thought it was kinda cute.”</p> <p>2. “I ended up on a cruise with a group of Goths on a convention. They came fully equipped with their own Evil faery (the DJ). Some (heck most) of the costumes were very different. There was one guy with his teeth filed down, wore dragon wings, and contacts in the shape of snake eyes. One good thing, we never had a problem getting a chair in the sun by the pool. They had a couple of events that were open to everyone. It was my sister's first and last cruise. I guess it was too much for her!”</p> <p>3. “Getting off the ship in Tobago, observed a man leaving proudly wearing his tighty whiteys and nothing else.”</p> <p>4. “I was on my balcony watching some dolphins. I noticed my neighbour, who was also our dinner tablemate, was also leaning on the rail watching the dolphins. I started to say hello then realised that he wasn't wearing anything. I was much more embarrassed than he was. At dinner, his wife said that she told him not to go out on the balcony undressed.”</p> <p>5. “I stuffed my pair of jeans with towels, shoved them under the bed and put my shoes at the bottom, to make it look like a person was under there. Our cabin steward, his assistant, and their manager were the best we’ve ever had. It did scare them, at first, what I left them but we all got a great laugh out of it.”</p> <p>6. “A crew member was cleaning the drink station in one of the buffet dining rooms late in the evening (around 10pm). He did this by standing on top of the counter and using his shoe and a rag to wipe the counter. I definitely reported that to corporate.”</p> <p>7. “I saw a dad dipping his diaper clad kiddo in and out of the hot tub like a tea bag.”</p> <p>8. “'We saw a group of four who wore their life jackets everywhere. This went on for at least several days, possibly the entire cruise. We wondered if they slept in them as well.”</p> <p>9. “Our two-year-old granddaughters were walking around the stores in their PJs just before bed. A woman, who was slightly drunk, says, ‘I thought I was seeing double when one twin ran through another!’ We still laugh over that one.”</p> <p>What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on a cruise? Share your experience with us in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/how-i-discovered-the-10-rules-of-cruising/"><em>How I discovered the 10 rules of cruising</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/just-how-much-does-each-day-on-a-cruise-cost/"><em>Just how much does each day on a cruise cost</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/things-not-to-pack-on-a-cruise/"><em>5 things NOT to pack on a cruise</em></a></strong></span></p>

Travel Trouble

Police seen outside Will Smith’s mansion

<p dir="ltr">Police were seen outside Will Smith’s LA mansion a day after he <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-slap-heard-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slapped comedian Chris Rock</a> at the Oscars.</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith’s home in Calabasas was attended by officers on Tuesday afternoon, who confirmed the actor had called the cops himself, <a href="https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/5007092/cops-seen-will-smiths-calabasas-mega-mansion-oscars-ceremony/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The US Sun</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is alleged that a drone was seen flying over the mega-mansion but by the time police arrived it had disappeared. </p> <p dir="ltr">The police department also confirmed that no report was filed by Rock after he was assaulted by Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the Oscars, Rock joked that he was looking forward to seeing Pinkett-Smith star in a sequel to G.I. Jane - the 1997 film starring Demi Moore as a bald Navy SEAL recruit - apparently referring to Pinkett-Smith’s bald head.</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith shocked the crowd and viewers across the world when he stood up from his seat, walked up the stage and slapped Rock before sitting back down.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” Rock said as Smith walked off.</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith then yelled back, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith took to Instagram where he publicly apologised to Rock for slapping him on-stage. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote in a screenshot shared on Instagram on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”</p> <p dir="ltr">LA Police released a statement confirming no report was filed by Rock but an investigation could ensue should he decide to. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

Never-before-seen portrait of Diana goes on display

<p dir="ltr">A previously unseen portrait of Princess Diana is set to <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/unseen-portrait-of-princess-diana-revealed-for-life-through-royal-lens-exhibition/9cedcc32-1f96-4060-b855-fedad3546d0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go on display</a> for the first time at a new exhibition in her former home of Kensington Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">The photo, taken in 1988 by minimalist photographer David Bailey, reveals a different side to Diana.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b3dc988f-7fff-dc55-38d4-15c0e7f308ea"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Claudia Acott Williams, the curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said the image was one of several taken during the sitting, which was kept by Bailey while the rest were shown at the National Portrait Gallery.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cab7ZAAoRnr/?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/Cab7ZAAoRnr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Historic Royal Palaces (@historicroyalpalaces)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“For me, this is the most powerful of all the pictures in that sitting,” Ms Williams told <em>The Telegraph</em> UK.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Here, she’s retreating from the camera a bit, she looks stoic. It’s doing something very different.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The photograph is a late addition to the exhibition <em><a href="https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/life-through-a-royal-lens/#gs.rgro6r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Life Through a Royal Lens</a></em>, which features some of the most iconic images taken of the British royals.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was loaned to the exhibition by the digital Princess Diana Museum with Bailey’s agreement.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0c93fe6f-7fff-f554-4dd0-938d42e4b420"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Other never-before-seen images include one of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh laughing together during their 70th wedding anniversary photo shoot in 2017, which was considered too intimate and informal to be released as an official portrait.</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/p/CNen0VzA5I_/?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/CNen0VzA5I_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Matt Holyoak Photographer (@mattholyoak)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I think this speaks to their relationship with each other,” Ms Williams said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is them as a married couple, as husband and wife, not just monarch and consort.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s such a subtle difference from the existing photographs and yet it tells us a different story, the chemistry between these two as long into their marriage as it was.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A photo considered to be the earliest surviving image of a royal family member will also be on display, taken by William Constable in March 1842 of Prince Albert.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-60ea9130-7fff-0e62-7d58-f21e682562a1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">More intimate shots of Queen Elizabeth II and her children will be on display as well, along with photos of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis taken by the Duchess of Cambridge.</p> <p><iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkensingtonpalace%2Fposts%2F5032744336748945&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="754" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">50 photographs taken by members of the public, including one of Diana from her 1993 visit to Hinde Street Church, round out the exhibition, which opens on Friday, March 4.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-59178110-7fff-299d-c273-076fcb9e69e1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Kensington Palace</em></p>

Beauty & Style

‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel seen, while putting them in peril

<p>For billions of people across the world, life as we knew it stopped in 2020.</p> <p>Families and friends were separated. Masks mandated. Hand washing essential. Every trip outside became risky.</p> <p>As news of deaths, variants and long-term effects of COVID trickled in daily, we were forced to adjust to a new normal marked by constant anxiety and fear, which has only worsened with the recent surge in Omicron cases in Australia.</p> <p>But for a particular group of Australians, this lifestyle is all too familiar.</p> <p>As both the mother of a childhood cancer survivor and a Curtin University PhD student exploring families’ experiences of childhood cancer, I embarked on a study to understand the pandemic’s effects on kids going through cancer treatment, and their families.</p> <p>In mid-2020 I interviewed 34 parents of children with cancer across Australia about their experiences during the pandemic.</p> <p>The answer I received was a resounding: “welcome to our world”. The pandemic lifestyle we are all adjusting to is the life families of children with cancer have already been living.</p> <p>The parents in our study, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jpepsy/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jpepsy/jsab125/6448612?login=true">published in December</a> with a team of Curtin University researchers, painted a picture of both benefits and devastating costs.</p> <h2>Even a cold can lead to hospitalisation</h2> <p>Every year, almost <a href="https://www.ccia.org.au/about-childhood-cancer">1,000 Australian kids</a> are diagnosed with cancer.</p> <p>With advances in treatment, survival rates have increased and <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/health/cancer-incidence-and-survival">84% of children</a> now survive to five years after diagnosis. But this comes at the cost of long, gruelling and complex treatments involving a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.</p> <p>Chemotherapy leaves children profoundly vulnerable to infection. Even a simple cold can leave a child in hospital struggling for their life.</p> <p>For the families in this study, wearing masks, washing hands, isolating and missing social events was already a way of life during treatment. Some even placed hand sanitiser outside their front door.</p> <p> </p> <h2>COVID silver linings</h2> <p>For this reason, many of the parents welcomed the increased infection control which came with COVID.</p> <p>“When COVID happened, [people] started taking care […] social distancing, wiping everything, covering their mouths,” said one father. Another added: “it’s actually positively impacted us […] she wasn’t getting colds and flus she’d normally get”.</p> <p>Previous research has found parents of children with cancer often struggle trying to care for siblings and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pbc.28345">keep up an income</a> while being in hospital with the child with cancer. The shift to online work and school helped reduce some of this burden.</p> <p>“One of the good things is that COVID allows me to work remotely […] it’s a big weight off my shoulders […] allows for income to keep coming in,” commented one dad, adding “if it had happened in 2019 it would have been a different approach.”</p> <p>For both the child with cancer, and their siblings, it’s a lonely road. These kids are forced to miss out on having a normal childhood, missing birthday parties, school and time spent with friends. This is an isolating experience, leaving kids feeling like the “odd one out”, and leaving parents feeling profoundly guilty for the impact on their children.</p> <p>But parents in our study noticed a silver lining to COVID: their kids no longer felt like the only one missing out. “Either way she didn’t miss out on anything, because everybody missed out,” said one parent.</p> <h2>A lonely road</h2> <p>Despite some silver linings of COVID for the families in our study, they also told a story of devastating isolation and fear.</p> <p>Because of restrictions which allowed only one parent with a child in hospital, several of the parents in our study recalled being alone when they were told of their child’s diagnosis.</p> <blockquote> <p>“The very first moment we discovered their diagnosis, I was sitting alone, and my husband was in the ED waiting room. I then stayed with my child and it meant we were left to process this news solo and not together […] the last thing I wanted was to sit with my own thoughts.”</p> </blockquote> <p>As treatment progressed, hospital visitor restrictions kept families apart for months: “I couldn’t see my partner for three months […] five minutes at the door of the hospital […] a little kiss and good night, that was horrible.”</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441416/original/file-20220118-19-wbxuud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Mother cuddling child with cancer in hospital bed" /> <span class="caption">COVID restrictions have made for a lonely pandemic for many parents of kids with cancer.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <p>One mother described the gruelling experience as restrictions kept friends and family from visiting hospital: “For the whole year I was on my own […] it was the loneliest year”.</p> <p>Travel restrictions also meant overseas parents and relatives couldn’t visit to provide support. One parent said: “we definitely felt like we were in the trenches, just the three of us”.</p> <p>Even though our study was conducted before the recent wave of Omicron cases, it can still teach us some valuable lessons going forward.</p> <p>Despite the hardships of COVID, the virus has allowed us to develop new ways of connecting online, and increased flexibility for those unable to be there in person.</p> <p>As we renegotiate what life with COVID looks like, we can use these lessons to protect and support the most vulnerable among us.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175143/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jenny-davies-1307737">Jenny Davies</a>, PhD researcher, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></span></p> <p>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/welcome-to-our-world-families-of-children-with-cancer-say-the-pandemic-has-helped-them-feel-seen-while-putting-them-in-peril-175143">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

Never-before-seen photos emerge in Ghislaine Maxwell abuse trial

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse and sexual assault, which may be triggering to some readers.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has come under scrutiny in court, as she faces charges including sex trafficking of minors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Maxwell has been on trial over accusations of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse four underage girls, to which she has pleaded guily to.</p> <p dir="ltr">As the trial reaches its seventh day of proceedings, three of the four women have testified against the 59-year-old former girlfriend of Epstein.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has consistently denied playing a role in the series of sexual assaults Epstein has been accused and charged for, with her legal team echoing her claims.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Maxwell’s lawyers have said her accusers’ memories have been corrupted over time, with lawyer Bobbi C. Sternheim telling the court that she is being treated as “a scapegoat for a man who behaved badly”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846239/epstein1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dc2969dfb3f14dd2afa3906c3ea118a3" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image:<span> </span></em><em>US District Attorney’s Office</em></p> <p dir="ltr">However, a document presented before the court on Tuesday has provided a conflicting view of the relationship between them.</p> <p dir="ltr">An FBI digital forensic examiner shared details of the document, which was created by a user called ‘GMax’ on a computer seized by the agency from Epstein’s New York mansion in 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">The author of the document wasn’t revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Jeffrey and Ghislaine have been together as a couple for the last 11 years,” the document read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They are, contrary to what people think, rarely apart, I almost always see them together.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Jeffrey and Ghislaine share many mutual interests and they have a lot of fun together,” it continued, adding that “they compliment each other really well”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On top of being partner’s (sic) they are also best of friends.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Never-before-seen photos were also presented to the court, with some showing Ms Maxwell massaging Epstein’s feet. Others showed the pair embracing and kissing in various locations that were often exotic.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846238/epstein2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c3d5ec6d295b450caa3382b4fac41820" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image:<span> </span></em><em>US District Attorney’s Office</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The images were also seized during the 2019 raid.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prosecutors are expected to call a fourth woman to testify against Ms Maxwell, before wrapping up their case two weeks ahead of schedule.</p> <p dir="ltr">They allege Ms Maxwell played a part in procuring girls and young women for Epstein, the multimillionaire financier who had ties to billionaire Leslie Wexner, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew.</p> <p dir="ltr">No allegations of trafficking have been made against Mr Trump or Mr Wexner.</p> <p dir="ltr">Virginia Giuffre, another woman alleging she was trafficked and abused by Epstein and Ms Maxwell, has alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew when she was 17.</p> <p dir="ltr">She is not expected to appear in Ms Maxwell’s trial.</p> <p dir="ltr">The first two women to testify, known by the pseudonyms Jane and Kate, testified that they had been aspiring entertainers when they were approached by Maxwell, who told them Epstein could help them advance their careers.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846237/epstein3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/95c492519b3b47bf83424ce9b107fb7a" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image:<span> </span></em><em>US District Attorney’s Office</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Jane said she was first abused by Epstein during the mid-1990s when she was 14, and that Ms Maxwell trained her in how to sexually satisfy Epstein.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also testified that Epstein personally drove her to meet Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.</p> <p dir="ltr">David Rodgers, one of Epstein’s pilots, also testified, telling the court he had seen Jane on at least four flights.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’s flown with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and other people as well,” Mr Rodgers said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second woman to testify, Kate, said she was first abused when she was 17 and was lured into giving Epstein sexual massages.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday, a woman identified as Carolyn testified that she was a minor when she began having sex with Epstein. She also said Ms Maxwell touched her once while she was preparing to massage Epstein.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was fully nude and [Maxwell] came in and she felt my boobs and my hips and my buttocks and said that … I had a great body for Mr Epstein and his friends,” Carolyn told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">While under cross-examination by Ms Maxwell’s lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca, she was asked whether there was an “incentive for you to stick to your story” after she reached a $USD 3.25 million settlement with a fund to compensate Epstein’s victims, mentioning Ms Maxwell in her claim.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Money will not ever fix what that woman has done to me,” Carolyn said, sobbing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

News

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS DRESS? Distraught bride launches worldwide hunt

<p>A woman has launched a search for her long-lost wedding dress, 17 years after she wore it on her big day.</p> <p><span>Ohio woman Susan Stephenson was spring cleaning her home when she noticed her wedding dress box was unsealed. </span></p> <p><span>When she opened it, she felt "shock, disbelief, and then sadness" as she discovered the dress in the box wasn't hers. </span></p> <p><span>As she told Fox14, she has started looking for her original gown, as she hopes to find her dress and return the dress in her position to its original owner. </span></p> <p><span>"I've had someone else's dress for 17 years," she adds.</span></p> <p><span>She contacted the local business responsible for boxing up her dress, but too much time had passed since her wedding. </span></p> <p><span>Susan was married in 2004 and the business didn't keep records before 2016. </span></p> <p><span>When she was unable to get any help from the business, Susan took to Facebook to see if the social media world can help her. </span></p> <p><span>Susan included photos of the dress in her possession, and explained the complicated situation in the caption. </span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsusan.stephenson.1000469%2Fposts%2F586360805836508&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="676" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></p> <p><span>In the caption, she describes the dress she's looking for and said she would "love to have the sentimental dress back", and said, "St Anthony saint of lost things and St Jude saint of lost causes help a gal out please."</span></p> <p><span>So far Susan hasn't had any responses to her post, but is hopeful it is just a matter of time until she finds the other bride.</span></p> <p><span>"Her dress is strapless, very form-fitting, all the way to the ankles, a small train. It's entirely made up of lace and beading," Susan describes on Fox14.</span></p> <p><span>In her post, Susan assured the owner of the dress that it is in perfect condition, and she hopes to return it to where it belongs.</span></p> <p><span>"We've taken really good care of it. And with regard to my dress, I just hope someone treated it with the same respect."</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook / Shutterstock</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Never-before-seen Van Gogh drawing goes on display

<p>A newly discovered Vincent Van Gogh drawing has made its debut in in Amsterdam.</p> <p>The Van Gogh Museum revealed that the never-before-seen piece was drawn in 1882, marking the early days of the famous artist's extraordinary career.</p> <p>The artwork had been sitting in a Dutch family's private collection for over 100 years, and was loaned to the Amsterdam Museum for viewing for the first time.</p> <p>The unique piece will be visible to the public until January 2nd 2022, before returning to the private collection.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">🎉We have discovered a new work by Vincent van Gogh! Study for ‘Worn Out’ from 1882 is added to Van Gogh's oeuvre. What do you think of this study? On display in the museum from tomorrow on. Find out more: <a href="https://t.co/LyjgpLkRtv">https://t.co/LyjgpLkRtv</a> <a href="https://t.co/86fu9XRbeY">pic.twitter.com/86fu9XRbeY</a></p> — Van Gogh Museum (@vangoghmuseum) <a href="https://twitter.com/vangoghmuseum/status/1438498921169391623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>The drawing depicts an exhausted old man and has been titled <em>Study for Worn Out</em>.</p> <p>Signed <em>“</em><em>Vincent”</em>, the drawing shows an elderly labourer dressed in boots, trousers and a waistcoat bending over with his head in his hands.</p> <p>Teio Meedendorp, a senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, told the BBC that it was "absolutely impossible" to predict how much the piece was worth.</p> <p>The artwork seems to be an earlier version of a more well-known Van Gogh piece titled <em>Worn Out</em>, which has been on display at the museum for many years.</p> <p>This first draft of an artwork gives researchers an exclusive insight into Van Gogh's working process as an early artist.</p> <p>As expected, the team at The Van Gogh Museum, were “delighted with this discovery” and felt like they had contributed to their specialty.</p> <p>The owner of the artwork, who wishes to remain anonymous, was conversing with the museum about the likelihood of the piece being attributed to Vincent Van Gogh.</p> <p>Teio Meedendorp stated, "In stylistic terms, it fits perfectly with the many figures we know from Van Goghs time in the Hague and the connect with <em>Worn Out</em> is obvious”.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

Mystery shrouds royal family after Kate Middleton not seen for weeks

<p><span>A mystery is beginning to seriously worry royal fans.</span><br /><br /><span>The Duchess of Cambridge has not been seen in person or on social media for 60 days, sparking questions on her whereabouts.</span><br /><br /><span>The last time the royal was seen in public was on July 11.</span><br /><br /><span>She joined her husband Prince William and son Prince George at Wembley Stadium for the Euro 2020 football final.</span><br /><br /><span>She had been at Wimbledon for the men’s singles tennis final, earlier that day.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843842/kate.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8823951f87d5453ca8f1b3991a26ff34" /><br /><br /><span>Royal watchers have not seen Duchess Kate on social media either.</span><br /><br /><span>The most recent image of Kate was on the Duke and Duchess’ official Instagram account, and it was posted on August 6.</span><br /><br /><span>However, the photograph showing the royal with a Holocaust survivor, is believed to have been taken in January last year.</span><br /><br /><span>Thankfully, it is not the first time Kate has disappeared from the public eye.</span><br /><br /><span>In 2020, the royal spent some time away from social media and chose to surround herself with friends and family.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSOgKeCNjIU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSOgKeCNjIU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The longest time the Duchess has not been seen is 41 days.</span><br /><br /><span>The mystery follows almost a fortnight after reports claimed Prince William and Kate Middleton were “seriously considering” moving out of Kensington Palace.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple are believed to be thinking about relocating to Windsor to be closer to the Queen.</span></p>

Beauty & Style

Blast from the past! Queen shares never-before-seen pictures

<p>Queen Elizabeth has released a series of rare photographs to mark World Photography Day.</p> <p>The Royal Family shared three images, as they capture "a few moments where the Queen has been pictured behind the lens”.</p> <p>The first photograph shows Her Majesty teaching her two eldest, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, how to use a camera during their annual stay at Balmoral in 1952.</p> <p>The sweet image was followed by another showing the Monarch squinting behind a yellow camera and snapping photos during a visit to the South Sea islands of Tuvalu in 1982.</p> <p>It’s a memory that is sure to have been bittersweet for the Queen as she is sat alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.</p> <p>The third photograph was captured of the Queen during her 1977 Australian tour, posing with the same camera in Lindsay Park Stud.</p> <p>The post follows behind Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William taking to social media to celebrate World Photography Day.</p> <p>The couple recognised a few of Britain's youngest and most hopeful photographers.</p> <p>"Photography has an amazing ability to create a lasting record of what we have all experienced & are experiencing,” the pair wrote in an official statement to Twitter.</p> <p>"That's why this #WorldPhotographyDay we wanted to celebrate the youth of the #HoldStill2020 photography project and share images from the youngest finalists".</p> <p>The #HoldStill2020 project is an initiative made by the couple during lockdown.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked the public to take images they believed reflected the pandemic.</p> <p>Over 31,000 entries were submitted to the project by hopeful photographers, with just 100 selected by five judges.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Photography has an amazing ability to create a lasting record of what we have all experienced & are experiencing. <br /><br />That’s why this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldPhotographyDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldPhotographyDay</a> we wanted to celebrate the youth of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoldStill2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HoldStill2020</a> photography project and share images from the youngest finalists. <a href="https://t.co/MIyBJJqFlr">pic.twitter.com/MIyBJJqFlr</a></p> — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1428308671432470533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>A few images from young finalists were shared on social media: "there is so much talent, creativity, and curiosity displayed in each and every one of these pictures".</p> <p>Duchess Kate released a book of some of the images titled Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020.</p> <p>The royal mother kicked off the book with her own words, writing: "when we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in decades to come, we will think of the challenges we all faced – the loved ones we lost, the extended isolation from our families and friends and the strain placed on our key workers."</p> <p>"But we will also remember the positives: the incredible acts of kindness, the helpers and heroes who emerged from all walks of life, and how together we adapted to a new normal.</p> <p>"Through Hold Still, I wanted to use the power of photography to create a lasting record of what we were all experiencing – to capture individuals' stories and document significant moments for families and communities as we lived through the pandemic."</p>

Beauty & Style

Never-before-seen footage of Prince George will warm your heart

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A sweet family moment between Prince William, Duchess Kate and Prince George is going viral on social media, thanks to royal fans who can't get enough of the video.</p> <p>As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Euro2020 final with Prince George in tow, the seven-year-old was clearly upset when his team lost in front of his very eyes.</p> <p>He needed some support from his father, some that Prince William was all too happy to give, with a comforting touch on the shoulder.</p> <p>Duchess Kate also comforts an upset Prince George by taking his hand and giving him a hug.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPRy5HgsZp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPRy5HgsZp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Daniel Ingram (@danielingramkch)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The footage was shared by an England fan, Daniel Ingram, saying that he was "so fortunate" to capture the moment.</p> <p>Despite the disappointing outcome of the match and seeing an upset Prince George, royal fans were thrilled at the royal's appearance at the match.</p> <p>The Cambridge children have rarely been seen out in public over the last 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Cambridges' started doing royal engagements virtually instead of in public.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Princess Charlotte, 6 and Prince Louis, 3, didn't attend the match and the only glimpses of the younger Cambridges that fans have seen are in portraits and videos.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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Russell Crowe unveils new look not seen in over 20 years

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Princess Diana's never-before-seen backup wedding gown

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Olivia Newton-John’s daughter shares never seen before footage

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Police seen outside Will Smith’s mansion

Never-before-seen portrait of Diana goes on display

‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel seen, while putting them in peril

Never-before-seen photos emerge in Ghislaine Maxwell abuse trial

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS DRESS? Distraught bride launches worldwide hunt

Never-before-seen Van Gogh drawing goes on display

Mystery shrouds royal family after Kate Middleton not seen for weeks

Blast from the past! Queen shares never-before-seen pictures

Never-before-seen footage of Prince George will warm your heart

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Russell Crowe unveils new look not seen in over 20 years

Michael Jackson’s rarely-seen son spotted in new photo

Princess Diana's never-before-seen backup wedding gown

Sinead O'Connor was once seen as a sacrilegious rebel, but her music and life were deeply infused with spiritual seeking

Why Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa is the best thing we've ever seen

Never-seen-before letter from Princess Di revealed

Readers Respond: What is the most egregious display of wealth you've ever seen?

Never-before-seen photo from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding

Palace releases never-before-seen photo of Queen ahead of funeral

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter shares never seen before footage

Travellers reveal the strangest things they've ever seen on a cruise

Police seen outside Will Smith’s mansion

Never-before-seen portrait of Diana goes on display

‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel seen, while putting them in peril

Never-before-seen photos emerge in Ghislaine Maxwell abuse trial

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS DRESS? Distraught bride launches worldwide hunt

Never-before-seen Van Gogh drawing goes on display

Mystery shrouds royal family after Kate Middleton not seen for weeks

Blast from the past! Queen shares never-before-seen pictures

Never-before-seen footage of Prince George will warm your heart

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