On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial. The event was also attended by President Macron and France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron, and Camilla made a horse’s ass out of herself with Madame Macron. Charles made a speech and then he and Camilla had lunch with some WWII veterans, and then left Normandy before the big commemoration on Omaha Beach. They left Prince William to represent them at the big ceremony. This was a last-minute adjustment in plans, and William has been trying to get mileage out of it every since. He briefed the Mail about how he was a big-boy international statesman and CNN dutifully reported that Charles’s absence will help prepare people for “King William’s reign.” William just couldn’t help going overboard and rushing around to all of his favorite reporters to brag about how he did this one thing (sitting on a stage with actual world leaders). Of course Roya Nikkhah at the Times got a special briefing too. Some highlights:
Charles used to be anxious about his idiot son interacting with world leaders: Once upon a time, not so long ago, the sight of his son rubbing shoulders with more world leaders than the monarch would have induced a wave of anxiety. For years, those close to the King and his heir experienced the sensitivities as William and Kate’s profile sometimes overshadowed that of Charles and Camilla.
William is hesitant about overshadowing his dad?? William’s friends observe that the prince, who regularly beats his father in polls charting the royal family’s popularity, has always been conscious of not “queering his father’s pitch”. But something has changed.
Charles & William’s relationship these days: A friend of the King says that in recent years Charles’s tendency to consult William on tricky family issues involving the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has helped to ease the anxieties of the past and boost their personal and working relationships. “If there was ever a green-eyed monster or a sense of rivalry between the two, that is a chapter of the past,” the friend said. “The King sees his son as a useful ally on family matters and increasingly in discharging the duties of nation and state. When you are monarch, you’re not counting the column inches. You’re thinking about performing your role for your country, not just as King Charles but as ‘the family’.”
William is really drawing attention to all of his medals: Pinned to his suit were medals and decorations, including his Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals, and Coronation medal. But it was his striped Army Air Corps tie that carried a subtle but significant message, a nod to the military role handed from father to son last month, when William took over from Charles as the colonel-in-chief of the AAC, which trained Prince Harry as an Apache helicopter pilot.
Harry’s absence: To many royal watchers, Harry’s absence from D-Day events last week — where, had he still been a working royal, he would surely have played a significant role — only highlights the importance of the strengthening bond between Charles and William.
William’s support: A source close to William said: “He very much wants to support his father. That isn’t something new, but of course with everything the King is going through with his treatment, he will continue to support him as much as he can.”
A big-boy international statesman: The global platform that events in Normandy provided was also a diplomatic boost for William, 41, who travelled to France with his new private secretary, the former diplomat Ian Patrick. The prince, whose annual environmental prize is held in different locations overseas, continues to want to burnish his credentials as an international statesman. This year’s Earthshot event will be in Cape Town in November. “It is important for him, both for his current role and his future role as head of state,” an aide said.
Charles’s heavy lifting: The King left Normandy on Friday before the main international event to pace himself as he recovers from cancer. A friend of his observed: “The King did the heavy lifting in the morning, his heir was there to honour veterans later in his absence. Those decisions are very carefully made, they’re not done without consideration about the optics.”
William is really showing his hand with all of the talk about the medals – it’s clear that both Nikkhah and Becky English got a memo to draw attention to the fact that William wore his coronation medal (unlike Harry!) and that William made a point of reminding people that he’s now patron of Harry’s old Army Air Corps. Nikkhah and English both got the same briefing about William’s keenness to be seen as an international statesman too.
What I find fascinating about this story though is how it’s positioned like it’s coming from Charles’s people, when really, this is ALL William’s PR/comms. This is William telling people that he’s more popular than his father and his father is fine with William’s enormous popularity (lmao) and that Charles recognizes how important it is for William to be an international statesman, and how Charles loves him more than Harry! William is as obvious as he is stupid. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have this entire system in place solely devoted to flattering and embiggening dull, dumb William.
Charles, the Earl Spencer, is headed for his third divorce. The Earl Spencer has not had a lot of luck in love, nor does he sound like he’s an engaged father to his brood of six kids. While I also love that the Earl Spencer has shown a lot of support for Prince Harry and Meghan, make no mistake, his personal life is MESSY. Some background: he was married to his first wife Victoria Lockwood from 1989 through 1997. His second marriage was to Caroline Freud, from 2001-2009. He met his third wife Karen Gordon in 2010 and they were married in 2011. So this was his longest marriage. According to the Mail, the marriage fell apart as he wrote his memoir, in which he wrote about being savagely abused at boarding school and how that abuse has larger repercussions for him to this day.
Charles Spencer and his third wife are divorcing, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The Earl’s relationship with the Countess of Spencer broke down amid the strain of writing his harrowing memoir detailing the physical and sexual abuse he suffered at boarding school, it is understood.
The couple announced their pending divorce to staff at Althorp, the Spencer family estate in Northamptonshire, in March.
‘It is immensely sad,’ Earl Spencer told the MoS last night. ‘I just want to devote myself to all my children, and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future.’
Earl Spencer and Karen Gordon, a Canadian philanthropist, married in June 2011 within the grounds of Althorp, where the Earl’s older sister Princess Diana is buried. The couple had met the previous year on a blind date at a restaurant in Los Angeles.
Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2020, the Earl said: ‘Karen and I both appreciate what the other does and look after what we have. Neither of us has found happiness like this before.’
His wife was notable by her absence at events held at Althorp and Spencer House in London in mid-March to launch the Earl’s book, A Very Private School. Charles Spencer told the MoS that the five years of work on his memoir has deeply affected him and led to him undergoing residential treatment for trauma late last year. He is understood to have been particularly traumatised by his discovery of his 1976 schoolboy diary, in which the assistant matron, who he alleges sexually abused him, had written a long-forgotten message. The diary was discovered on the high shelf of a room at Althorp that was being refurbished after he completed the main body of his book.
I buy that writing the memoir changed him and I’m glad he’s in therapy now. I also buy that it changed his marriage and there’s work he needs to do on himself, separate from his now-estranged wife. It doesn’t sound like there’s some affair or marriage scandal happening here, although we are talking about the British aristocracy, so who knows. Anyway, I hope the Earl is okay and I hope Karen is too.
Introduction: Minutes to 6:15
I loved the Fall Guy and am on the second season of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire. Chandra enjoyed Challengers. You can listen below!
Royals: Minutes 6:15 to 21:30
We’ve talked for years about this common narrative from the British Press where they’ll come up with something the Sussexes need to attend and cover it endlessly. They’ve done this with Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding since the invitations went out in December. Roya Nikkhah, a journalist who regularly gets exclusives from William, reported in The Times that Harry and Meghan weren’t invited, which was not true. Then we heard that Harry was invited, but he declined. Chandra thinks that story was pushback from Hugh and Harry to William’s narrative. They tried to spin it like Harry declined because William is going to be an usher and Harry is jealous or something. People magazine reported that Harry and Hugh talked on the phone and realized that it would be best if Harry didn’t come.
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We haven’t seen Kate since Christmas apart from her video announcement. We’ve heard Kate is not likely to be at Trooping the Colour on June 15th. She’s also not expected to attend any events around the state visit from the Emperor and Empress of Japan on June 25th to 27th. William was asked about Kate this week by a WWII veteran during events ahead of D-Day. William said she’s getting better.
Just last week People and US claimed that Kate was seen out running errands including making a trip to a chocolate shop with William. This is very bizarre messaging. It seems like Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace are not on the same page. Much of the narrative is to protect William.
Kate is covering US Magazine, and the article is getting a lot of attention because of the quote that “she may never come back in the role that people saw her in before.” Richard Eden in the Daily Mail said a couple of weeks ago that Kate might not be seen until autumn and then Tom Sykes in the Daily Beast reported from sources that she won’t be back until next year. It feels like a different narrative keeps taking over and being taken back.
Shiloh Jolie: Minutes 21:30 to 26:15
Shiloh Jolie, who is now 18, filed to have Pitt officially dropped as her last legal name. She hired her own lawyer and filed the paperwork herself. We’ve previously heard that Vivienne, who turns 16 next month, is only using Jolie as her last name, and that Zahara is only using Jolie as her last name in college. Brad Pitt and his children have been estranged for years since he abused and terrorized them on an airplane in 2016.
A source told People that Brad Pitt is “aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name. He’s never felt more joy than when she was born. He always wanted a daughter.” Brad and Angelina already had daughter Zahara for a year when Shiloh was born. All of Brad’s statements to outlets about this have been self-centered and lack any remorse or responsibility. We hope the public sees him for who he is soon.
Comments of the Week: Minutes 26:15 to end
Chandra’s comment of the week is from Miranda on the post about Trump getting convicted finally.
My comment of the week is from Jennifer on the post about Jennifer Lopez canceling her tour.
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Last year, the Princess of Wales was given an honorary military patronage, becoming the colonel-in-chief of the Irish Guards. She took over the position from her husband Prince William. It was part of the patronage reshuffling that came after QEII’s death – William had to take on an honorary position with the Welsh Guards (as Prince of Wales), which meant he could no longer be colonel-in-chief of the Irish Guards. They did the handover ceremony on St. Patrick’s Day 2023, and I’m including some of those photos in this post. Since she became colonel-in-chief of the Irish Guards, Kate has only done one event with them. She skipped their St. Patrick’s Day parade this year (as did her husband) and she skipped the Irish Guards’ Trooping the Colour “Colonel’s Review” rehearsal on Saturday, June 8th. Kensington Palace announced that Kate would skip a few weeks ago. Well, apparently Kate sent the Irish Guards a letter, which was read out to them on Saturday:
Kate Middleton has shared her apologies for missing from a major rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, King Charles’ birthday parade, as she continues to stay out of the spotlight amid her cancer diagnosis.
The Irish Guards shared a letter from the Princess of Wales, 42, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, June 8, where she wrote of “how proud I am of the entire regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping of the Colour.”
“I appreciate everyone trooping this year has been practicing for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immactulate,” Princess Kate added in the letter.
She continued, “Being your colonel remains a great honor and I am very sorry that I’m unable to take the salute at this year’s Colonel’s Review. Please pass my apologies to the whole Regiment, however I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon. Please send my very best wishes and good luck to all involved.”
The Princess of Wales concluded the letter by writing, “Quis Separabit” and signing off as “Colonel Catherine.”
Yeah… I don’t believe she had much to do with this letter. I’m no handwriting analyst, but from what we’ve seen of Kate’s cursive penmanship, it’s not that distinctive and it would be pretty easy to forge. Once again, we’re supposed to believe two things simultaneously: that Kate is recovered enough to run errands with her family and pop into Norfolk grocery stores so that William can pick up chocolate AND we’re supposed to believe that she’s so unwell and in such dire need of recovery time that she could not send a video of support to the Irish Guards? Send a photo? Send a voice memo?? Like, Kensington Palace’s refusal to give a credible proof of life is so damn creepy. Also, since I’m sure other people will mention it, KP has a history of forging signatures. They did it with Harry in 2020. I also feel strongly that “Kate’s apology” for the Mother’s Day frankenphoto was forged (it was just a tweet). There’s such a huge credibility issue for Kensington Palace at this point, I just have a hard time taking any of this as face value.
The Irish Guards were deeply touched to receive a letter from our Colonel, Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales this morning.
We continue to wish Her Royal Highness well in her recovery and send Her our very best wishes.
Quis Separabit@KensingtonRoyal @ArmyInLondon pic.twitter.com/y95rbmaeOS
— Irish Guards (@irish_guards) June 8, 2024
Here’s a pic of Kate’s handwriting last year (she wrote this on a box sent to Ukrainian refugees).
As forewarned to us one year ago by the man himself, Pat Sajak has now retired from Wheel of Fortune with the closing of season 41. Although the show began in 1975, Pat’s tenure as host didn’t start until 1981, but he and Vanna White instantly became synonymous with the WoF brand. Over the years there were learning moments, dramatic moments, funny moments, and a beauty college’s worth of hairdos. As part of his sign off during his final episode that aired last Friday (I refuse to make a pun on it being his last spin, because I’m a Literal Lucy and he never actually spun the wheel on the show), Pat thanked the legions of viewers for tuning in, and waxed on the show’s bigger cultural impact:
Pat Sajak has officially given his final spin on Wheel of Fortune.
The longtime game show host’s last episode is set to air on Friday, June 7, as he begins his anticipated retirement.
During the episode, Sajak, 77, delivers a heartfelt speech to thank viewers for their support during his 40 years of hosting the classic.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” he begins. “I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all watching out there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade.”
Sajak adds that he proudly fulfilled the duty to make the half-hour show “a safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing I hope, just a game.”
He points out that over time, “it became more than that,” and evolved into a place where “kids learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together along with friends and neighbors, and entire generations.”
“What an honor to play even a small part in all of that,” says Sajak. “Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
Sajak, who began hosting Wheel of Fortune in 1981, first announced retirement in June 2023. He wrote via X (formerly Twitter), “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”
Weeks later, Ryan Seacrest was confirmed as his replacement. Sajak’s long-time co-host Vanna White will continue through the 2025-2026 season.
“I don’t know how to put into words what these past 40 years have meant to me but I’m going to try,” White said in a tribute video to Sajak, released on Thursday, June 6. “8000 episodes went by like that. When I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable and so confident, Pat. You made me who I am, you really did.”
“As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by,” she added later in the video. “You’re like a brother to me and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.”
“A safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing I hope, just a game.” Those are some carefully, curiously chosen words from Pat, no? On the surface they’re all good sentiments: Wheel of Fortune was a place for people of all ages and ideologies to have fun watching a game show. But to brag about “no social issues” just seems weird to me. Not that I think the show needed a soapbox, and that’s kind of the point: what is the purpose in calling attention to it at all? Likewise with “no politics.” A prime-time game show is obviously not the place to drop commentary denying climate change or complaining about LGBTQ rights. That kind of talk is for off-air hours.
Vanna White’s full video tribute was emotional and from the heart. Ryan Seacrest also congratulated Pat for setting “the standard for hosts everywhere.” Though he closed his comments with the somewhat corporate-sounding, “Best wishes for all your future endeavors!” I cannot wait to see what the chemistry will be between Vanna and Ryan. And given Ryan’s uber-frugality, I’m also waiting to see if he reclassifies Y as a vowel so contestants have to start purchasing them. I think about these things.
photos are screenshots from YouTube and credit Getty and via Instagram
Here are more photos from the Duke of Westminster’s Friday wedding. Hugh Grosvenor married Olivia Henson in Chester, England. This was supposed to be the social event of the year, the wedding of one of the richest and most eligible men in the country. And the whole thing just looked… rather budget, right? I’ll be nice – Hugh and Olivia seemed genuinely happy and I’m sure the bride loved her dress. But this satin was a poor choice for a modern wedding dress, especially since Olivia knew she was being photographed by the national and international media! It looks like a cheap knockoff wedding gown you would find in a flea market. The blue clunky shoes were not working either.
So, let’s talk about the cardboard or plywood or whatever it was. Olivia and Hugh were married at Chester Cathedral and it looks like the Grosvenors or the church decided to be especially accommodating to Olivia’s dress, so some kind of barely elevated “runway” was put down outside of the cathedral. Some suggested it was done so that Olivia’s dress and veil wouldn’t snag on anything. But… it genuinely looked as if the church threw down some cardboard sheets outside for a woman marrying a billionaire! Did no one think this through? Did no one ask “hey, that elevated platform isn’t beige, right? It doesn’t look like cheap plywood, right?” These are the same people (not Hugh, I’m talking about the class of people) who looked down their noses at Meghan Markle for being hyper-organized about her wedding planning. Meghan’s wedding photos were gorgeous – Olivia and Hugh looked like they were standing on discarded pizza boxes. There’s already been talk about how the platform was for wheelchair access… but that makes no sense given the layout of the entrance? Even if there’s a legitimate argument to be made about accessibility, once again, there were ways to make a temporary platform which didn’t look like raw plywood.
What else? Climate activists turned up at the wedding too. The Just Stop Oil activists “sprayed powder paint from orange fire extinguishers into the air from the crowds of wellwishers outside” of the church when Hugh and Olivia exited. Police quickly diffused the situation and the activists were booed by the crowd.
The wedding reception was held at Hugh’s 11,000-acre home Eaton Hall and there was a “no phones” policy in place. According to Hello Mag’s sources, the food was good, “the burrata was exceptional,” and there was a bicycle with a little ice cream freezer, where any guest could pick up an ice cream treat at any time. They had a full orchestra and a huge fireworks display. It sounds like they put all of the money into the reception and not the actual wedding ceremony.
Here are more photos of Prince William on Friday, attending Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding to Olivia Henson. All of William’s leaking and briefing about Hugh’s wedding, and all he got was a shuttle ride, a position as an usher and no date. I wonder if Hugh even specified that William could not bring a plus-one. After the wedding service, William was seen hanging out with long-time friends like Rosie van Cutsem and that dark-haired guy, who is probably Rosie’s husband William van Cutsem.
William obviously didn’t come to the wedding with Kate, and it looks like he didn’t bring Prince George either. There were no photos of George, although there was some pre-wedding buzz that George would be one of the page boys, especially given that Hugh is George’s godfather. People Mag says George wasn’t there, likely because it was a school day. Apparently, someone in the crowd shouted “best wishes to Kate” as William exited the cathedral. He apparently “gave a nod and waved” in response. It’s bizarre that he seems so grumpy whenever anyone reminds him that his wife is supposed to be ill.
I posted the TikTok, below, on my Twitter because I think this lady raised an interesting point: where were the Middletons? All of the wisteria-sistering, all of that social climbing, and none of the Middletons were invited to the social event of the season? I have the feeling that Carole Middleton’s social climbing/hustler days are over, now that she’s been so thoroughly exposed as a rampant fraud. But what about Pippa and Terribly Moderately Wealthy James Matthews? What about James Middleton? Why weren’t they invited?
It’s one thing to say Kate Middleton is sick and can’t attend the wedding of the Duke of Westminister, but isn’t Pippa Middleton a society girl now. Why were the Middletons not invited to Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding? pic.twitter.com/SrjLlQ8o4G
— Carmen’s Granddaughter (@CarmenGranddau1) June 7, 2024
It’s so funny that Prince William made this huge, six-month-long deal over his appearance at Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding to Olivia Henson, and meanwhile… Princess Eugenie just popped in and out without having to brief the British media about it for months. Eugenie seemingly went solo to the Duke of Westminster’s wedding on Friday. I don’t know why Jack Brooksbank didn’t go, but I suspect he’s probably still working in some capacity in Portugal, maybe? Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi were not there either. So it was just Eugenie representing the Yorks at the wedding of the year.
According to the Telegraph, Eugenie’s dress is from Joseph and she wore an Emily-London hat. She carried an Anya Hindmarch bag. The Telegraph also says that she attended the wedding with her friend and former Vogue editor Violet Henderson-Vestey. Like… I don’t know what to say about Eugenie’s dress, honestly. I actually think the pleated skirt is kind of snazzy, but the dress on the whole is not great. That being said, I looked through many of the wedding-guest fashion photos, and I would argue that Eugenie was one of the best-dressed women there. Take your pick: either toffs don’t know how to dress for a summer wedding, or everyone takes the “it’s the bride’s day, wedding guests should look awful compared to the bride” rule very seriously.
For the hell of it, I’m also including pics of Lady Edwina Grosvenor (one of the groom’s sisters) and her husband Dan Snow, plus Hugh’s mother Natalia (the now-former Duchess of Westminster). Natalia in hot pink at her son’s wedding?? Lady Edwina is in that sad shade of dusty rose. Hm.
Welp, I was halfway expecting this, even if I also had hope that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez would spend the summer working on their marriage. Over the past week, there’s been a lot of talk about the Beverly Hills mansion they bought after house-hunting for the better part of two years. Reportedly, Ben moved out of the mansion a couple of months ago and he’s currently renting a house in Brentwood, close to Jen Garner’s home. There’s been talk that J.Lo and Ben are putting the Beverly Hills mansion on the market, and that the sale of that home indicates that the marriage cannot be saved. TMZ is now saying that outright: the house is being put on the market and divorce is “imminent.”
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are clearly heading down the path of divorce, because TMZ has learned they are quietly trying to sell the home they bought after they married.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, J Lo and Ben are using realtor Santiago Arana from The Agency to sell the home they bought a little over a year ago to this day. TMZ broke the story, the then-newlyweds snagged the enormous Beverly Hills mansion for just over $60 million.
They were on the hunt for the home for nearly 2 years, looking at more than 80 properties before settling on the mansion.
As we reported, their marriage is in deep trouble. Ben has already moved out of the house and moved into a rental in Brentwood. Our sources say J Lo is already looking for a new house.
We’re told Arana has been showing the house for around 2 weeks, which aligns with the clear signs of trouble between Ben and Jen. So far, no buyers.
We’re told they’re asking “around $65 million” for the house. With a broker’s commission and a new tax on super-expensive properties, along with significant money they plunked down in improvements, this would mean they would take a loss of millions of dollars.
There’s a side-story happening along with the divorce rumors and real estate drama: speculation over J.Lo’s finances in particular, with some gossip that she’s broke-ass or close to it. I doubt it – while I think she’s taken some financial losses in the past year – and self-financing This Is Me… Now: A Love Story was a huge mistake – I also think she’s okay financially. She’s hustled for decades, she has a lot of revenue streams. If she sells this Beverly Hills home at a loss, I doubt it’s a huge thing. But I do question why it suddenly feels so urgent for Ben and Jen to sell this house, because I actually do believe that they’re trying to work on their sh-t. Was this some kind of ultimatum from Ben? “We can try to work it out but we have to sell this crazy money-pit mansion?” Sigh… I’m really not ready for them to divorce, you guys.
White Collar is definitely coming back & Matt Bomer is attached! They’re promising to honor Willie Garson’s character too. [Socialite Life]
Jennifer Lopez is possibly selling that enormous mansion she bought with Ben Affleck? Lainey’s worried that we’ll get a Friday-night divorce announcement? [LaineyGossip]
Quinta Brunson comforted Jennifer Aniston. [Buzzfeed]
It doesn’t sound like Lorde & Charli XCX have beef, it sounds like Charli is both jealous of and in love with Lorde (and Lorde is cool with both). [Pajiba]
Alicia Keys’ denim ensemble is hilarious. [Go Fug Yourself]
Lady Gaga really has been around for 17 years?? [OMG Blog]
Rihanna wore a “I’m Retired” t-shirt. Y’all will never get R9. [Just Jared]
I wish Austin Butler would grow out & maintain a real goatee. [RCFA]
Palm Royale got a second season. [Seriously OMG]
I’m always going to root for the Virgos. [Starcasm]