Some of you have theorized that the American gossip media is once again applying pressure on the British media to figure out what the hell is going on with the Princess of Wales. We don’t need to go through the six-months-long history of shenanigans, suffice to say, some really weird sh-t is happening. I do find it notable that the two biggest “Kate won’t be seen for the rest of the year/she might never come back to the same role” pieces were published in the American media, the Daily Beast and Us Weekly respectively. Us Weekly’s cover story this week has been widely picked up by other American outlets too, all while the British media stays silent as the grave. Like, not even the Daily Mail did coverage of Us Weekly’s cover story. It’s just something to keep your eye on – the Windsors are soft-launching certain storylines in the American media, all while keeping the British media on a short leash. Meanwhile, Harper’s Bazaar ran this very odd pushback on Us Weekly’s piece:

Princess Kate’s cancer treatment and recovery will keep her away from returning to public duties for a little while longer. Kensington Palace recently provided an update on the Princess of Wales’s work status, once again reiterating that she is not expected to come back to work until her medical team advises her to do so.

“We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now,” a palace spokesperson told Us Weekly. “She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”

A source for the outlet alleged that Kate “may never come back in the role that people saw her in before,” but a royal insider tells Harper’s Bazaar that such a claim is “unfair and untrue.”

“There is no information about Kate’s ‘return’ because the focus at this moment in time is 100% on her health—to suggest she won’t return to her role is unfair and untrue,” the source explains. “Conversations of that nature are just not being had. When the time is right, she will resume her work.”

Of how Kate is currently doing, the source said she is “in good spirits,” adding, “She is focused on her health and family.”

[From Harper’s Bazaar]

“To suggest she won’t return to her role is unfair and untrue…Conversations of that nature are just not being had. When the time is right, she will resume her work.” “When the time is right” is doing the heavy lifting. Once again, I understand the “Kate is under medical advice” argument. But the messaging from the palace is schizophrenic: Kate can’t work and can’t do any public events about her health BUT we also insist that she’s out with her family regularly and running errands and stopping by the grocery store, but of course there are no photos! All they’ve done for the past four months is successfully kick the can down the road further and further.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Prince Harry’s long-running lawsuit against News Group Newspapers is still winding its way through the British courts. NGN is the British arm of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire – NGN publishes the Sun, the Times of London, the Sunday Times and it used to publish the now-shuttered News of the World. Harry has accused NGN publications of phone hacking, blagging and all kinds of criminal activity. Other celebrities have done the same, and NGN has paid out tens of millions of dollars/pounds in settlements so that these cases are never adjudicated in a courtroom. NGN has reportedly made some settlement offers/overtures to Harry, but he continues to pursue this through the courts.

Last month, a British court said that Harry could cite the names of many former and current NGN editors in his lawsuit. Among those names was Will Lewis, the current CEO of the Washington Post. Lewis moved from NGN’s British outlets to the Wall Street Journal, and from there, he was hired by Jeff Bezos to revamp WaPo. We heard last month, as Harry got a ruling on naming NGN editors, that Lewis attempted to bury the story and he was particularly prickly about the implication that he was up to his neck in criminal activity when he worked in the UK. Well, as it turns out, that Prince Harry story is one of several reasons why WaPo’s executive editor Sally Buzbee quit the Post on Sunday.

Weeks before the embattled executive editor of The Washington Post abruptly resigned on Sunday, her relationship with the company’s chief executive became increasingly tense. In mid-May, the two clashed over whether to publish an article about a British hacking scandal with some ties to The Post’s chief executive, Will Lewis, according to two people with knowledge of their interactions.

Sally Buzbee, the editor, informed Mr. Lewis that the newsroom planned to cover a judge’s scheduled ruling in a long-running British legal case brought by Prince Harry and others against some of Rupert Murdoch’s tabloids, the people said.

As part of the ruling, the judge was expected to say whether the plaintiffs could add Mr. Lewis’s name to a list of executives who they argued were involved in a plan to conceal evidence of hacking at the newspapers. Mr. Lewis told Ms. Buzbee the case involving him did not merit coverage, the people said. When Ms. Buzbee said The Post would publish an article anyway, he said her decision represented a lapse in judgment and abruptly ended the conversation.

The interaction rattled Ms. Buzbee, who then consulted with confidants outside The Post about how she should handle the situation. When the judge ruled several days later, on May 21, that Mr. Lewis could be added to the case, The Post published an article about the decision.

Mr. Lewis did not prevent the article from publishing. But the incident continued to weigh on Ms. Buzbee just as she was considering her future at the paper, according to the two people with knowledge of her decision-making process. Her eventual decision to resign has shaken one of the country’s top news organizations.

The interaction over the court ruling was not the primary reason for her resignation. Ms. Buzbee had already been mulling her future at The Post because of a plan by Mr. Lewis to reorganize the newsroom that he laid out to her in April, the people said. Mr. Lewis had offered Ms. Buzbee a job running a new division focused on social media and service journalism, according to the people. She considered that a demotion, since her job as executive editor included overseeing all parts of the news report.

Mr. Lewis declined to comment to The Post for its article about the ruling in the phone hacking case. But in numerous previous media interviews, he has strongly denied the allegations that he was involved in covering up phone hacking while he was a senior executive for Mr. Murdoch. The Post published an article in March about the lawsuit that also named Mr. Lewis.

[From The NY Times]

There’s been a lot of conversation about the pro-Trump or right-wing takeover of many mainstream American media outlets – and that’s a real thing – but it’s worth discussing the specifically British editorial takeover of so many American newspapers. All of these British hacks who cut their teeth in the glory days of British phone hacking, stalking and blackmail are all now being whitewashed by the Murdochs’ American media arm and filtered out to legitimate newspapers. Will Lewis was probably stunned that Buzbee wasn’t acting like this was an old boys’ club and he could make a backroom deal to bury the story. Which is exactly how it would have happened at The Sun or The Times or the News of the World. It’s also fascinating to watch as Prince Harry’s media lawsuits are revealing this insidious British-tabloid-mentality takeover of American media.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.

From CB: I recently reordered the New Rhythm probiotics we first mentioned a couple of years ago. I’ve been using them this whole time. They definitely seem to reduce cravings and improve my mood. When I forget to take them I notice a difference. I also want to again recommend the African net bath sponges. My skin feels so soft and clean and these dry out faster with less bacteria buildup than typical mesh poufs, sea sponges or loofahs. Here are some sales and some more things Rosie and I are looking at on Amazon.

Sales and Deals
36% off SY Compact Travel Umbrella Windproof Automatic Umbrella
49% off TOZO A1 Mini Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth
25% off Thermacell Patio Shield Mosquito Repellent E-Series
34% off Cricut Joy Machine & Digital Content Library Bundle
22% off Miss Mouth’s Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray
50% off Fullstar Vegetable Chopper – Spiralizer Vegetable Slicer
42% off Dewalt 20V Cordless Drill and Impact Driver, Power Tool Combo Kit
51% off kelamayi Upgrade Broom and Dustpan Set
26% off Dyson V8 Extra Cordless Cleaner Vacuum
47% off neabot Neakasa P1 Pro Pet Grooming Kit & Vacuum Suction
24% off rabbitgoo Dog Harness
16% off Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike/Magnetic Stationary Bike
30% off Tirtir Milk Skin Toner, 2% Niacinamide

An indoor flying insect trap that catches gnats and mosquitos

From CB: I have gnats this time of year and while it’s not a full blown infestation they’re annoying. This indoor fly trap by Safer Home works with a UV light and glue traps. It’s currently on sale for $15 and comes with 2 glue traps. This listing has over 26,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. People are surprised at how well it works. “Great product! I had a minor infestation of gnats in my kitchen last year. It is effective as well as reasonably priced. The number of gnats and small flies it has trapped has been alarming… I hardly have any flying around now and I am extremely happy.” “We had/have a problem with gnats (no matter how clean we make everything). So I got 2 of these and put them in the problem areas and let me tell you, ever since I plugged them in the problem has been clearing itself.”

A liquid plant fertilizer for healthier, lush plants

From CB: Some of my indoor plants are kind of sad and wilty. This liquid indoor plant fertilizer may be just what I need for healthier, better looking plants. It’s just $10 for 8 ounces and you only need a teaspoon for every two cups of water. This listing has over 4,700 ratings, 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it really works to revive their plants and keep them happy and healthy. “I love this product! It has made my plants happy and greener! It’s easy and clean! Great price.” “Plants are always lush and full! There no smell at all and my plants are constantly healthy looking. I’ve seen quite a bit of growth in the few months since using it.”

An interior car cleaner that works on glass too

From CB: My German Shepherd rides in my car (love this car seat cover) and I definitely need an easy way to clean the interior. Chemical Guys Total Interior Car Cleaner and Protectant can clean all the surfaces in your car including glass. It’s formulated with a UV protectant and is even safe to use on your touchscreen and leather seats. This listing has almost 39,000 ratings, 4.6 stars and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers say it makes detailing their cars a breeze, that it has a nice finish and that it smells nice too. “I used this cleaner when deep cleaning my car. I used it everywhere, from my dash to my leather seats. It worked very well. My seats were super dirty and cracked so I used this cleaner paired with a drill brush attachment and they came clean fairly easily. I wasn’t sure I would like the scent, but it was pleasant and not overwhelming.” “This stuff is awesome. It’s not glossy or shiny, but it cleans everything – floor mats, touch screen, seats, dash, etc. It’s awesome. I plan to buy more.”

Organic jojoba oil you can use on your face, hair and body

From CB: Cliganic organic jojoba oil is a fragrance free oil that has so many uses. It’s great as a hair oil, makeup remover, cuticle oil and can be mixed with lotion. You can get four ounces for just $10 and this listing has over 74,000 ratings, 4.7 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it makes their skin soft and is hydrating and light. “Okay, you must get this stuff! I bought it after seeing someone talk about it on social media. I wanted something to help moisturize my face and help with wrinkles, dry skin, etc. I love the mild smell of it, the consistency of the oil is very nice and it’s so easy to smooth onto your skin. My skin loves it…it absorbs instantly, yet gives a beautiful glow. It’s not too oily or greasy at all. “ “I love this product for my face and neck. I’ve been getting compliments on how my face seems brighter and younger. This is the only thing I’ve changed in my skincare routine. I love that it doesn’t have a scent and that it is natural. So I know what’s going on my face.”

Mascara that looks natural and full yet doesn’t clump

From Rosie: Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying out new makeup. I love the Elf blush from two weeks ago and finally got around to using the Maybelline Instant Rewind Eraser from back in March (which I love because it dab it on, blends really well, and does not feel “heavy” on my face). Next up, I bought Elf’s Lash ‘N Roll mascara. It packs a lot of punch for just $6! It separates my lashes nicely and makes them look fuller yet natural. You can get it in black, deep brown, and pitch black, and like all Elf products, it’s vegan and cruelty-free. It has a 4.3 star rating, more than 3,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. In reviews, people cannot believe the quality they’re getting at such a low price. “Love love love this mascara…My eyes are dry and tend to water at times causing me issues with mascara. I had no issues. Easy to apply, stays put and looks great. Highly recommend.” “Omg this bruch [sic] and mascara is great for combing and evening out your lashes! It separates beautifully. The mascara itself is thin, it def gives more “natural” look.” “This is by for [sic] the best mascara ever. It doesn’t clump and goes on as easy as ever. I love it and would highly recommend it over any big name brand mascara that you would be paying $25 or $30 for.”

An affordable hair treatment spray for shinier, silkier hair

From Rosie: L’Oreal Paris’ Wonder Water spray is designed to give you “silkier, shinier, healthier looking hair” using lamellar water technology that hydrates and repairs your hair in mere seconds. In fact, you just spray it on your hair 2-3 times a week after you shampoo it and leave it on for eight seconds before rinsing it out. It’s silicone- and paraben-free and safe for color-treated hair. It has a 4.4 star rating, more than 41,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People rave about how incredible their results are. “I would say that it was well worth the $9 to just try it out. [I]t cut my day-off-from-work hair routine by more than half.” “I’m absolutely delighted with how quickly this product works its magic on my hair! As a busy mom with little ones, I don’t have the luxury of time to leave a product in my hair for long. But this one delivers rapid results…The scent is lovely, but what truly wins me over is the incredibly soft and silky texture of my hair after rinsing.” “People always compliment how healthy and shiny my hair is. I noticed a difference the 1st application but the total effects were by the 3 – 5th application in one week and then after that I now use it 1 – 2 times a week.”

A easy-to-use citrus squeezer that gets out every last drop of juice

From Rosie: This citrus squeezer is listed as the #1 seller in Amazon’s “Manual Juicers” category. It works with lemons, limes, and even smaller oranges, squeezing every last drop so you get all of the juice and none of the seeds and pulp. And, it’s dishwasher safe, making it easy to keep clean. There are 8 different colors to choose from, each normally in the $17 – $20 range. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 44,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. Users love how well it works and say it’s a great purchase. “This is so nice to use for either lemons or limes. Cleans very easily and works well. Great purchase, great price” “I like to make key lime pie with freshly squeezed key limes. This kitchen gadget is great for the job. It makes quick easy juicing for the key limes. Also very easy on the hands.” “Just buy it. Lemons, limes smaller oranges! This thing is awesome. Beefy metal with a sturdy hinge. The handles are good in the hand. I use it almost everyday.”

Stylish blue light readers that you can also wear outside

From Rosie: I’ve been looking for reading glasses that I can also wear outside while reading my Kindle. These blue light blocking reading glasses have photochromic (transition) lenses so you can wear them both outside and inside. There are also stylish options for photochromic progressive multifocal lenses. Don’t need ones to wear outside? You can also select from several different pairs without the transition lenses. They have a 4.4 star rating, almost 2,400 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People love their multi use function and say they get compliments on them all the time. “I get soooo many compliments on these glasses. I have them in several colors. They are beautiful & comfortable.” “I purchased the 3X magnification and the distance is 0X which allows me to use them to see distance to drive while still being able to read the car map and gauges.” “I have had these for a year and a half. I wear them to work, to drive, to do housework, everything. They don’t make me dizzy, or give me a headache. I noticed a difference in my sleeping immediately from the blue light blocking, especially if you work on a computer all day like me.”

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Prince William joined King Charles and Queen Camilla in Portsmouth on June 5th for the pre-D-Day anniversary events. British WWII veterans came out and William, Charles and Camilla spent some brief one-on-one time with some of those men, most of whom are either close to 100 years old or past the century-mark. One of the older gentlemen decided to do some investigating while he was in Portsmouth. As soon as William leaned over to talk, the older man said: “I was going to ask you if your wife is getting any better?” William quickly answered: “Yes, she’s getting better, yeah.” Then William added: “She’d love to be here today.”

I think the Telegraph misquotes William – he didn’t say “she would’ve loved to be here today,” he said “she’d love to be here today.” A distinction without a difference really, but I find it odd that so many people are misquoting it. So, there you go, an update on Kate’s condition. Kate is present tense. Kate IS getting better. Kate WOULD love to be in Portsmouth. Things might be going t-ts up behind the scenes, but they gave William some lines and he happily recited them. I’m a little bit surprised that any of the veterans asked about Kate. Although… I always said, Kate is good with older folks. Seniors find her cute, and she’s more natural with seniors than she is with kids.

In the video, you can also see Camilla greeting a veteran with a lot of warmth, to her credit. You can also see that British paratroopers staged a recreation of “jumping on Normandy.” Hilariously, because of Brexit, French customs officers were waiting on the ground to check the Brits’ papers.

A weird Brexit consequence – the British paratroopers who landed in France to recreate D-Day for today’s anniversary had to immediately go through customs after landing. https://t.co/00iJLvReXi

— Dave Keating (@DaveKeating) June 5, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Jake Gyllenhaal covers the latest issue of the Hollywood Reporter, mostly to promote Road House (on Prime) and the upcoming Presumed Innocent miniseries (on AppleTV+). If I’m being honest, I’ll f–k with Presumed Innocent. I know Jake is canceled for a lot of people and I’m not even any kind of Jake fan, but the series looks really good and I love sexy legal dramas like that. As for this interview, it feels like Jake is always in a constant state of trying to show people that he’s not an intense, workaholic a–hole, even when all of his costars quoted in this piece are like “no, he’s very intense and the man is consumed with work.” Some highlights from THR:

He’s legally blind?? Gyllenhaal, 43, has been wearing intensive corrective lenses since he was about 6. Born with a lazy eye that naturally resolved, he’s still legally blind. “I like to think it’s advantageous. I’ve never known anything else. When I can’t see in the morning, before I put on my glasses, it’s a place where I can be with myself.”

He had fun working on ‘Road House’: “There are movies I’ve made that people have said to me, ‘Man, intense. That was great. It was tough.’ And there have been many different times where I’m like, ‘Wait, what’s it like to make a movie and be like, ‘That was just fun?’ Road House was definitely that.”

He’s obsessed with 1991’s Point Break, which he has seen hundreds of times. To him, Patrick Swayze’s and Keanu Reeves’ performances in the surf-cop action movie reflect the joyful commitment of true artists. “To deliver a line that goes into a trailer, with the right gusto and belief, and even with the absurdity of it, it’s a mastery. There’s that thing, the camera’s pushing in and I’m always like, ‘Oh wow, this is when you see Bruce Willis do the line, the thing. And now I’m doing the thing. Like, oh God.’ ” In Road House, for instance, before his character’s first time knocking out a rowdy bar customer, he asks genially, “Before we start, do you have insurance? Like, your coverage good? Do you have dental?” It’s the kind of action-comedy moment Gyllenhaal grew up watching and only now truly appreciates as craft. “It requires this ease, but focus. I’m in awe of people who can do it.”

His relationship with his sister Maggie: “I worshiped her, and she was like, ‘Go away.’ My sister has always been brilliant. What it did was present something to me that I inevitably would always be chasing. She takes a step and does something and I’m like, ‘Whoa, holy s–t. All right, I’m going to try this.’ ”

Next up is Othello: “It is learning another language. I have a bit of dyslexia, too, particularly within the articles of things — like, I’ll reverse them. Many people say, ‘But you learn so fast.’ And I’m like, ‘I drill these things.’ “

He’s been with Jeanne Cadieu since 2018. Asked when they’re going to get married, Gyllenhaal says, playfully, “I’m supposed to tell The Hollywood Reporter that? I’m not going to give you timing,” but continues, “I think we all get into that space of work, work, work, and for a long time my career took precedence, but I’m at a point in my life where I realize that family really is the only thing that matters to me.”

He declined to discuss Taylor Swift: It makes sense that Gyllenhaal is a little guarded about his personal life when you consider that the three-month relationship he had with Taylor Swift still triggers online fan screeds some 14 years later thanks to the signature breakup song “All Too Well” that the pop star wrote about him. Swift is one subject Gyllenhaal declines to discuss — in 2022, when she released a longer version of the 2012 song, he turned off his Instagram comments. “It has nothing to do with me,” he told Esquire at the time. “It’s about her relationship with her fans. It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”

[From THR]

There’s also a lot of stuff about how much Jake loves to cook and bake and how he fan-boys over certain chefs and bakers, which I believe. I bet baking really appeals to his personality. I’m not saying that in a shady way, I’m just saying “that makes sense.” I also appreciate that he declined to discuss Taylor Swift – like, he really doesn’t need to give that issue any more air, and if he breathed one word about Taylor, the Swifties would climb up his ass. Also: I love the original Point Break too, and Swayze and Reeves’ performances are really underrated. I’ve also seen that hundreds of times. Lori Petty’s best role too, she’s so sexy in that (they all are).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter.

Kim Kardashian acted on American Horror Story: Delicate, which was the most recent season. I didn’t watch it, but I did see some clips and I saw people praising her performance. Like, she played a ballbuster publicist/witch/Satanist. Well, Kim was paired with Chloe Sevigny in Variety’s Actors on Actors series ahead of the Emmy nominations. While Chloe is a true artiste and a long-time indie girl, I sort of felt like she would be fine being paired with Kim. And it was fine – Kim is completely boring in these kinds of situations but she and Chloe had a decent conversation about acting, what kinds of films they gravitate towards, etc. I’m sure Chloe has never seen one episode of the Kardashians’ reality shows, but she has a general idea of who Kim is and they’re not that far apart in ages.

I find it interesting that Kim admits that when she watched old movies, she was more focused on the style, hair and makeup more than the performances of the actresses. Of course, it comes across as incredibly superficial, but hey, she found a way to monetize those interests and then some. It IS difficult to watch certain older films and not focus on the fashion and style of it all, like old Hitchcock movies or anything with Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly.

As some who enjoyed Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, I enjoyed what Chloe had to say about her character, CZ Guest, and the research she did. Kim was more interested in the costumes, of course, but in Kim’s defense – the costumes of that series were AMAZING.

What else? Kim confesses that she’s a big fan of buying historical fashion/jewelry in auctions. She told Chloe that she “actually bought a watch of Lee Radziwill — or Jackie’s, but Lee had it. I would always probably just take a moment and be like, ‘This is so f–king cool to have her pieces!’” Chloe asks her about the American Crime Story series about OJ Simpson and Kim praised the authenticity of the scripts and the costumes and sets. Chloe and Kim also talked about he Menendez bros (Chloe is playing Kitty Menendez) and Kim sort of knew the Menendez family.

Oh, Kim got Chloe to talk about the 1990s and being a style icon. When Chloe talked about Boys Don’t Cry, Kim’s question was: what did you wear to the Oscars? LOL. Chloe talked about that year, saying: “I wore Alber Elbaz for Yves Saint Laurent. And I went with my boyfriend at the time, Harmony Korine, and I lost. Angelina Jolie won for ‘Girl, Interrupted,’ which was not a supporting part, I would say. Not that I’m bitter! But it was a very competitive category that year. Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Toni Collette and me — it was just great actresses. My desire was to be more of a character actress, which I’m hoping people recognize in me more now than maybe they had in the past. But maybe a leading lady; I wouldn’t refuse.” Oh, Chloe is still mad about Angelina winning that year!

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Cover & IG courtesy of Variety.

Tom Hardy returns in the trailer for Venom: The Last Dance. I can’t believe Chiwetel Ejiofor is in this! He deserves a better career. [Socialite Life]
Jodie Turner Smith’s no-pants promotion. [LaineyGossip]
Outlander and the American Revolution. Jamie Fraser threw the first tea bag in Boston! (I’m just kidding, although that would be hilarious.) [Just Jared]
Is anyone still watching Mayor of Kingstown? [Pajiba]
Nicola Coughlan looks amazing! [Go Fug Yourself]
Adam Lambert is working with new producers. [OMG Blog]
Emma D’Arcy has such cool style. [RCFA]
Birds are attacking right-wing media figures. [Seriously OMG]
Kalani Faagata gave birth to a baby girl. [Starcasm]
Sabrina Carpenter’s come-up has been so dramatic, right? [Hollywood Life]
Is Chucky (the doll/horror lead) really a gay icon? [Buzzfeed]

Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is getting married this week, on the 7th. Prince William is reportedly the only royal who will attend the wedding, which has caused about six months’ worth of headlines. Hugh did invite the Sussexes but they declined (and Hugh hasn’t said a word against them), and Hugh also invited King Charles, but reportedly the king and queen are not going to the wedding either. The Princess of Wales is obviously skipping it too, given no one has heard from her in months. For months, there’s been all of this outsized focus on the royal guests, which must be so upsetting to Hugh, who genuinely seems to fly under the radar and not want any kind of attention. Thankfully, the Telegraph did sort of a lovely piece about Hugh and his bride Olivia Henson and their post-wedding plans. Keep in mind, Hugh is one of the richest men in the UK, with a vast real estate portfolio. Apparently, he’s planning to move to his country home and start a family.

The Duke of Westminster has plans to settle down into the farming life of a country gentleman after his wedding, according to friends. Next week Hugh Grosvenor, the seventh Duke, will wed duchess-to-be Olivia Henson in Chester Cathedral, Cheshire, with the Prince of Wales as an usher. Following the nuptials, Chester is where the couple “want to lay down the foundations of their future”, and where the Duke will nurture his love of “nature, sustainability and farming,” a source close to them has said.

Friends of the Duke, 33, have described him as having “a genuine love of the land” that is fitting for one of the UK’s largest landowners who studied countryside management at university. He is also president of the Country Trust, a charity that encourages children from disadvantaged backgrounds to connect with “the land that sustains us all” through visits to farms across the country, including the Duke’s Grosvenor Farms on his Eaton Estate in Cheshire.

Jill Attenborough, CEO of the Country Trust, said: “He’s really aware of his responsibility as the next generation of farmers and landowners and he gently, certainly not in a sort of pushy way, tries to draw in his network as well of ‘next gen’ to talk about whether they might also welcome children into their farms and estates and showcase what they’re doing for a more sustainable future.”

The Duke also currently has an ongoing project to create the largest continuous area of wildflowers in the country using local Cheshire wildflower seed and is passionate about timber production and developing his “cutting-edge” dairy farm. The site of the farm, the family’s sprawling 11,000-acre Eaton Estate, will also play an important role in hosting the 400 wedding guests after a service at Chester Cathedral next Friday. The guests, who have all been issued a strict no gifts instruction, will descend upon the picturesque county town for the main event followed by a more intimate gathering the next day for family and close friends.

Chester will be decorated with 100,000 flowers paid for by the Duke to mark the occasion, and they will be planted in displays across the cathedral city throughout the summer. The wedding flowers, it is understood, will be donated to local charities and organisations following the ceremony in keeping with a theme of sustainability and locally sourced food throughout.

The couple have recently embarked on a few public charitable visits to highlight their support of their future home town, with Miss Henson insisting on one of them that the couple want to “put down roots” in the north-west county town where they will be wed.

“It’s obviously a place where we will live,” she said. “We’ll be building our lives together and we’re slowly transitioning to move up from London and be much more permanent here and really putting roots down.” The bride-to-be added that it had been “an easy decision” for the couple to make. However, a friend of the couple has caveated that the parameters of his role as chair of the Grosvenor Group, which manages more than 300 acres of Mayfair and Belgravia, means that they will “still be in London regularly”.

[From The Telegraph]

I really hope photo agencies are allowed to get wedding photos and some pics of the decorations. It sounds like they’re doing a “village wedding” and then everyone will move to Eaton Estate for the reception, which we probably will not see at all. As for Hugh and Olivia’s plans to spend more time in the country… it reminds me of what they used to say about Prince William, circa 2014-2017. That was when William and Kate moved to Norfolk and William was acting like a “Turnip Toff” with no royal responsibilities. Hugh is actually living William’s dream life.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red & Richard Eden’s IG.

Three things irrevocably changed the American population during the pandemic. One, over 1.1 million people died, leaving gaping holes in families and communities. Two, people’s lives were ripped apart by long covid and the longterm effects of covid infections, which we still don’t completely understand. We basically have a not-insignificant part of the population still dealing with health issues years after their covid infections. Three, we learned that millions of people living in America are absolute morons who hate and don’t understand science, vaccines and public health. Evangeline Lilly showed her ass during the pandemic and it’s never been the same for her since. In the early days of the pandemic, she arrogantly declared that quarantines are bullsh-t and “freedom” is more important than any public health measure. Then she went to that bonkers anti-vaxx rally and came out in support of “bodily sovereignty” against vaccine mandates. She did and said all of that while under contract with Marvel. Well, I guess her contract is up and she understands that she’s done irreversible harm to her career, because Evangeline is quitting the biz.

Evangeline Lilly announced on Instagram that she has stepped away from Hollywood for the foreseeable future and “might return one day.” Lilly, best known for playing Kate Austen in ABC’s drama series “Lost,” re-shared a video recorded in 2006 in which she expressed her desire to be a “retired actress” by the next decade.

“Ten years from now, where would I like to be? I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world but ideally 10 years from now I’d like to be a retired actress and have a family,” Lilly said in the video. “I’d like to be writing and influencing people’s lives in humanitarian ways.”

In her caption to the video posted June 3, 2024, Lily writes: “I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings. Stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment. I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong.”

[From Variety]

Pre-pandemic, Evangeline was known as a granola-hippie type who eschewed the fame machine of Hollywood for the most part. Like, she never really capitalized on all of the buzz she got from Lost, and that genuinely was her choice back then. This current move is not completely her choice though – Marvel was not happy that several of their stars were such idiots during the pandemic. Evangeline wasn’t a big enough star for her career to weather her own stupidity. Sidenote: I don’t think she really had the talent for career longevity either, but whatever.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William had an event today in Portsmouth ahead of D-Day (tomorrow). Much of the Allied’s Operation Overlord was launched from Portsmouth, and so this was a nice 80th anniversary commemoration on home soil before Charles, Camilla and William travel to Normandy tomorrow for the larger D-Day anniversary events. All three will be on Omaha Beach for the major commemoration event, although William will also spend time with the Canadian delegation. Last-minute update: apparently, Charles is going to skip the Omaha Beach event but he will go to Normandy, he’ll just spend time with the British veterans, but he will not spend time with Pres. Biden, President Macron or the other world leaders gathering on Omaha Beach.

For today’s event, William arrived separately and ahead of his father and stepmother. They were seated together for some of the event, although it also looks like Rishi Sunak took the king’s seat for part of the presentation. The photos of William cozying up to the prime minister… probably something which should have been avoided in an election cycle, right? I mean, the Windsors made a big deal about how they’re apolitical, then William-the-Tory-Stooge is just fully seated with Sunak and David Cameron.

Is there some reason why Camilla chose pink for this event? It’s not a bad look – and I’m glad she didn’t wear one of her zippered housedresses – but it feels like she could have gone more patriotic or themed? I can’t believe I’m requesting more theme-dressing and flag cosplay, but we haven’t seen Kate in so long. If Kate had attended, she would have literally worn the Union Jack.

Incidentally, this is how the French First Lady greeted the WWII veterans who returned to Normandy:

Welcome to France, heroes. pic.twitter.com/q6HFecv9xX

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 4, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.