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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:

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.










Will the Princess of Wales make a surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour on June 15th? That’s the big discussion, and Kensington Palace is allowing the speculation to percolate right now. My guess is that KP is fine with the speculation because it presupposes that Kate is well enough to make the decision for herself, and I’m pretty doubtful that’s the reality (which KP is so desperate to hide). But as I said, that’s just my guess/theory. I could be wrong, and I would feel nothing but relief if Kate is well enough to appear, however briefly, at Trooping. Well, royal historian/expert Tessa Dunlop has some thoughts about all of the Trooping buzz, including her guess that Kate might actually appear. The larger discussion, for Dunlop, is that people need to stop using the Sussexes as a deflection and actually focus on the left-behind Windsors.

Royal historian and expert Dr Tessa Dunlop told the Mirror: “Whether [Kate] will make a balcony appearance on the big day on June 15 remains the great unknown. My hunch is she will give us a wave, but if she doesn’t (entirely her prerogative) questions about Harry and Meghan are bound to surface. These are futile, even in 2022 the Sussexes were out of the picture, glimpsed briefly at a window and not invited on the balcony.”

“This year that balcony cast will have even slimmer pickings if the Princess of Wales stays away. In which case might it be time to review the role of non-working royals? All those cousins Eugenie, Beatrice, and Zara who have long behaved with hallmark loyalty would surely relish the prospect of standing shoulder to shoulder with their King. After all, isn’t that what families are for?”

Tessa noted that this year’s Trooping the Colour will demonstrate how much has altered for the Royal Family – even within just one year. She said: “2024 is not royal service as usual. And nor should it be. Our most glamorous royal player, like her father-in-law and King, has cancer and health must come first. But let’s not pretend Kate won’t be missed at Trooping the Colour. The King’s official birthday parade ties us back through time to centuries of pomp and ceremony. No one does that better than the Princess of Wales who in the last decade has owned the stage as Britain’s most eye-catching stateswoman.”

“The last Trooping the Colour I attended was that bittersweet summer of 2022, the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Too frail for Horse Guards Parade, Her Majesty popped out on the balcony. It was the climax to a great day which saw Charles, then Prince of Wales, on horseback and a Disney moment when, in a pop of colour, Princess Catherine fluttered by in a horse-drawn carriage. The crowd gasped. This was British royalty at its best.”

“Much can change in two short years. The new King will be present for his birthday parade, but won’t review the troops on horseback. There are limits when undergoing cancer treatment at age 75. Likewise for the Princess of Wales, things look very different in 2024. She has climbed the ranks, and with her new honorary role as Colonel of the Irish Guards ordinarily, she would have taken the salute. But these are not ordinary times. Kate won’t attend the Colonel’s Review (Trooping’s rehearsal on 8 June).”

While Tessa considers Kate as “British royalty at its best”, she believes her decision on whether or not to attend will inevitably spark “pointless” questions about Harry and Meghan, who are now “out of the picture”.

[From The Daily Mirror]

“My hunch is she will give us a wave, but if she doesn’t (entirely her prerogative) questions about Harry and Meghan are bound to surface.” Almost as if the palace and the rota has a prepared script, to always deflect to “the Sussexes should come back so that we don’t have to investigate what’s really going on with Kate.” That is exactly what will happen if and when Kate misses Trooping. What’s also bizarre is that in all of the speculation, no one is saying anything about the Wales kids? For the past two years, all three Wales kids have been on the balcony. The kids were on the balcony for Trooping pre-pandemic too. There’s been little mention or preparation for what happens if Prince William turns up solo, with no kids and no Kate.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.







It’s been a full five weeks since we last paid any attention to Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes. When we last left off, T.J. confessed to having some big separation anxiety whenever he isn’t around Amy, even if she’s just using the restroom. Somewhere, Tori Spelling is very jealous of Amy. Those two lovebirds were also talking about their conflicted feelings over what their next steps were. Should they move in together? Should they get married or just remain lifelong partners and lovaaahs? Well, their podcast is still going strong and yes, they’re still talking about themselves. This time, though, they revisited a topic near and dear to their hearts: how difficult it was for them to get caught having an affair and lose their jobs. We’re talking “rock bottom,” people. Rock. Bottom.

Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes had to reach their lowest to become the people they are today. In an episode of their Amy & T.J. podcast released on June 2, the former GMA 3: What You Need to Know co-hosts opened up about previously hitting “rock bottom.” The two were referring to the moment when they exited the ABC series after news of their romance became public. At the time, Robach had not confirmed her separation from her actor husband Andrew Shue, nor Holmes with his attorney wife Marilee Fiebig.

While gushing over guest Rachel Platten’s candlelight concert the night before, Robach shared how her song “Fight Song” had gotten her through some of life’s toughest times.

“We know a little bit about walking through some darkness and coming through the other side and when the worst has happened,” she said. “And I’ve thought I’ve hit rock bottom before and I actually hit rock bottom.”

Robach confessed that she likes to listen to Platten’s music “having just gone through the journey we went through.” At the time of her and Holmes’ exit from GMA, which came shortly after her own journey with breast cancer, Robach said “Fight Song” had become “my anthem.”

Now, the mom of two shared that the singer’s new track “Mercy” may be her new go-to. Robach said that Platten’s “zero f—s” attitude has really resonated with her own journey.

“Like when you get to a place and it’s hard earned, when you can give zero f—s, sometimes that’s when you’re at your best,” she continued, while Holmes said that the process of letting go has been “weird” but “freeing.”

He explained that the experience was necessary to find “where I’m supposed to be,” though the road was hard and arduous.

“It sucks,” he confessed. “It sucks even more than you think.”

[From People]

“We know a little bit about walking through some darkness and coming through the other side and when the worst has happened.” I am begging these two to get some self-awareness. Getting caught cheating on your spouses, doing some revisionist history to play with the timeline of your respective separations, and then playing victim as you deal with the consequences of your actions is a little bit different than having something terrible happen *to* you. You know who probably went through some real dark times? Their kids, especially T.J.’s young daughter. Their spouses are the ones who really went through it in order to come out better on the other side. I’m not trying to negate how they feel because I am sure that it was really hard to lose their jobs and have to start all over, but they need to have a little bit more perspective here. At some point, they have to recognize that they brought all of this on themselves. Good on them for letting go, though. That’s pretty cool and healthy, I guess.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images


Photos credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Over the weekend, I saw that the Times of London’s royal editor Roya Nikkhah was still insisting that the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, had not invited Prince Harry to his wedding. Kensington Palace spoon-fed Roya that version last December, and she’s still claiming it, even after every other publication and royal reporter has quietly acknowledged that Hugh DID invite the Sussexes to his wedding and the Sussexes declined. Speaking of, the Times’ Kate Mansey did yet another story which acknowledged just that, because they’re still desperately trying to wring as much melodrama from this as possible:

[Grosvenor] is one of only a few friends who has remained close to both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex despite the brothers’ increasingly bitter public feud. The duke’s godfather is the King and, in turn, he is godfather to William and Harry’s eldest sons, Prince George and Prince Archie. But with William and Harry barely able to sit in the same cathedral without the rage being visible, the royal rift has threatened to overshadow the Westminster wedding. So, which of them to invite?

It is understood that a civilised understanding was reached between the duke and Harry over the phone. It’s a long way to come from California, after all. Harry was invited but then agreed to stay away. The duke’s diplomacy then cleared the way for William to perform the role of usher during Friday’s ceremony — a job that would have been beyond awkward if he was obliged to show Harry to his pew, even though he might enjoy telling him where to go. The Princess of Wales, meanwhile, will stay away as she continues her recovery after revealing this year that she is undergoing chemotherapy.

[From The Times]

“If he was obliged to show Harry to his pew, even though he might enjoy telling him where to go…” Ha, it’s so funny to joke around about an abusive psycho telling his brother to go to hell. Hilarity! Again, this directly contradicts The Times’ reporting from six months ago, which came via a very obvious Kensington Palace briefing. Prince William has centered himself in the Duke of Westminster’s wedding for months and it’s one of the tackiest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Anyway, in case you need it underlined, People Magazine ran a confirmation of the “Hugh invited Harry to the wedding, actually” version:

Prince Harry was invited to Britain’s wedding of the year, but both parties recognized the challenges of his attendance. PEOPLE confirms that the Duke of Sussex, 39, was invited to the upcoming wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, to Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral in northern England on June 7. However, there was an acknowledgment on both sides that it would be difficult for Harry to attend. Meanwhile, Prince William is expected to serve as an usher at what is regarded as the society wedding of the year.

It was an “understanding between the two friends,” a source describes the conversation between the two dukes. An insider close to the bride and groom tells PEOPLE that Harry and the Duke of Westminster mutually made the agreement.

The decision certainly avoided the inevitable clamor had estranged brothers Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry both attended the nuptials, eliminating the possibility of the big day being overshadowed for the couple.

Transatlantic travel to the U.K. is fraught for Harry due to security challenges in his home country. His official support was removed after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal roles and relocated to her home state of California in 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can also no longer use Frogmore Cottage, their former home in Windsor Great Park, as a base during stays in the U.K.

Moreover, Prince Harry’s RSVP removes any difficulty of being shown to his seat by his brother, who will welcome guests and help them find their place in the church’s pews on Friday.

The Duke of Sussex sends “his love and support and admiration for the couple” for their wedding day, the source tells PEOPLE.

[From People]

Something similar was briefed from Montecito or the Grosvenors’ people last December, as a subtle contradiction of William’s very obvious briefing – that Harry and Hugh had spoken on the phone, that Harry declined the invitation but that Hugh and Harry are still fine. Yet I guarantee that throughout this week, there will still be royalists insisting that “Hugh snubbed the Sussexes and they’re mad about it” and “Meghan would kill to be at the society wedding of the year!” The amount of copium these people need to get through the day is astounding.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Instar and Backgrid.







The photos in this post are from 2018 and 2019, the only two times the Duchess of Sussex was invited to participate in the whole Trooping the Colour rigmarole. Trooping is the monarch’s annual birthday parade, only it’s not scheduled for a king or queen’s actual birthday. Instead, a date is chosen – usually a Saturday in early or mid-June – and in the olden days, QEII expected her whole family to turn up for the parade and the balcony wave. She included all of her kids and grandkids, random cousins and second-cousins and all of the married-in spouses. All of that changed when Prince Harry married Meghan.

Even before the Sussexit, there were conversations among Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace courtiers about what to do to minimize Meghan, to show the world that a Black woman was not allowed full access to all of the Windsors’ white spaces. The Sussexit actually made it easier for for the courtiers to declare that Meghan would never again be “allowed” on the balcony. Post-Sussexit, the balcony issue has only come up one time – in 2022, when QEII invited the Sussexes to her Platinum Jubbly. The Windsors were so focused on snubbing the Sussexes and ensuring that they wouldn’t be allowed on the balcony, that’s year’s Trooping balcony seemed notably sad and bare.

It’s only gotten worse from there – last year’s Trooping was a mess, and don’t forget that Prince William stole his dad’s Trooping thunder by giving a big interview that same weekend. This year’s Trooping balcony will be even emptier than last year’s, as it’s looking like the Princess of Wales and her children probably won’t be around. So, how best to deflect from the six-months-long Where Is Kate conversation? I know, leak to People Magazine that the Sussexes are NOT invited to Trooping!

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be missing from Trooping the Colour later this month.

PEOPLE confirms the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been invited to this year’s annual celebration of the British monarch’s birthday in London, scheduled for June 15. They were also not invited to the event last year, which marked the first time Trooping the Colour took place during the reign of King Charles, Harry’s father.

Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, have been living in California since stepping back as working members of the royal family in 2020.

[From People]

This sounds obvious enough – of course the Sussexes were not invited and of course they wouldn’t even go if they were invited. They’re not popping over to England for every dumb event, especially when Harry’s dogsh-t father is doing the most to smear him over everything. Here’s my question though – who actually gave this to People? Did the palace courtiers release this as a “snub” to the Sussexes (and a deflection from Kate’s absence), or is this another version of Harry’s “my father is too busy to see me” statement? Like, is Charles going to throw another tantrum, this one about the Sussexes confirming that they weren’t invited to Trooping?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instar and Cover Images.










Last week, on her 18th birthday, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt filed to change her legal name to Shiloh Jolie. She apparently hired a lawyer on her own accord and paid for the legal fees herself, without her mother’s input or assistance. An insider just told Us Weekly that Shiloh’s choice to remove “Pitt” from her surname is “connected to the abuse history. That’s part of it.” I would imagine that Brad Pitt’s reaction to Shiloh’s name change reinforced her desire for a name change too – Brad’s team ran to People Magazine and announced that Brad is “aware and upset” about Shiloh’s filing, and then the Pitt insider said: “He’s never felt more joy than when she was born. He always wanted a daughter.” Brad was already a father to a daughter before Shiloh was born: he and Angelina had adopted Zahara the year before. Well, Entertainment Tonight gave Pitt’s team a chance to make a different statement and this is what Team Pitt chose:

Last week, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s daughter, Shiloh, filed a request to drop her famous father’s last name from her own. Now, the Oscar-winning actor, 60, is apparently having a hard time dealing with the emotional turbulence within his family.

A source tells ET, “Brad has always loved being a father and loves his children.”

“This situation is upsetting to him,” the source adds, “and he recognizes that things have been difficult for him and the whole family.”

On May 27, the day she turned 18, Shiloh filed a request with the court to allow her to drop her father’s surname from her own hyphenated surname, a source familiar with the matter told ET. The source added that the teen is requesting a new legal name, hoping to go by simply, “Shiloh Jolie,” as opposed to “Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.”

“Brad has made a tremendous effort to grow and learn from all of his experiences,” the source tells ET. “He would love to find a way to continue to do this, repair things with his kids, and for everyone to get to a better place.”

Shiloh is not the only one of Brad’s kids who has seemingly decided to stop using their father’s last name. Her younger sister, Vivienne, recently co-produced the Broadway production of The Outsiders, alongside her famous mom, and was credited as “Vivienne Jolie.” Additionally, Zahara recently joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and during an introduction ceremony event, she introduced herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie.”

[From ET]

As always, beware of the passive voice. “He recognizes that things have been difficult for him and the whole family.” HE is the one causing all of the “difficulty.” He terrorized Angelina and the children on that plane in 2016. He repeatedly assaulted Angelina in the air and on the ground. He strangled one of his kids and struck another. Sidenote: this isn’t the first time I’ve posited this theory, but I honestly believe Pitt was blackout drunk on the plane and he truly doesn’t remember his violence. It’s not an excuse, but it would explain why his story has changed so many times and how he’s never understood why there was no coming back from it. Beyond that, his abuse of the kids and Angelina has extended past the 2016 plane terror. His team can talk until they’re blue in the face about how “Brad has made a tremendous effort to grow and learn” but the kids have shown for years that they’ve seen him without his mask and they want nothing to do with him.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.








The Princess of Wales has been “sighted” repeatedly over the past week by people who have never heard or seen a camera or a smartphone. She reportedly even popped into a fancy grocery store in Norfolk just long enough for Prince William to buy some chocolate, but not long enough for any bystander to see her or take a photo or video. On the same day last week, royal insiders insisted to multiple American publications that Kate has been out and about, running errands and spending time outdoors with her family. Personally, it felt like all of that was in reaction to a curious exclusive in the Daily Beast the previous week, in which “royal sources” fully admitted that Kate probably would not be seen publicly for the whole year. Well, after last week’s insistent briefings of Kate’s errand-running, Us Weekly’s cover story this week is all about how… Kate probably will never come back to the “royal role” in the same way. Some highlights:

They’re still insisting that Kate is on the road to recovery. During recent weeks, she’s been spotted running errands with family members and by herself. “Kate’s feeling strong enough to be very involved with the kids,” an insider exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “She’s been an active parent.” Adds a second source: “Kate’s recovery is going well. She’s not able to see many people because she is susceptible to getting sick and they don’t want her compromised, but she’s up and about.”

A return to royal work? Still, questions about her return to royal duty remain in the air, with the latest reports claiming she won’t resume work until the fall or even next year. “We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now,” said the Palace, adding, “She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”

A different kind of role: According to the second source, Kate’s team is “reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back,” noting, “She may never come back in the role that people saw her in before.”

The “lucky break” of the general election: The reprieve is a welcome one for the couple. “The announcement that the royals won’t be able to work as much has been unexpected, but it will allow Kate and William to spend more time together,” says the second source. “They’ve been reconnecting and are closer than ever.”

The Waleses are spending time at Anmer Hall: “They’re spending a lot of time as a family there,” the second source says. George, Charlotte and Louis will soon be off school for half term, “and they have lots of fun things” in the works, says the first source. When she’s not on mom duty, Kate’s been keeping busy cooking and baking. Adds the second source: “It’s one of her [favorite] activities.”

The Middletons are a constant presence: Their inner circle is small and tight. Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton, and her sister, Pippa, “are a constant presence,” says the second source. (Kate was spotted driving with her mother in early March.) “The Middletons have always been very close,” adds royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams. “The royal family has to be terribly careful about [who they let in], but Kate knows who to trust.”

Fitzwilliams on whether KP will release another video: Fitzwilliams believes that the public will likely be updated on her return date if she remains sidelined into the fall. “I hope [by then we] would have heard when it is appropriate from Kensington Palace because lessons should’ve been learned from what happened earlier,” he explains of the conspiracy theories that arose in the lead-up to Kate’s video message. “If you’re not told at all, and months pass, there’s clearly speculation, and that could happen again. So I’m sure that it will be handled differently.”

Kate must consider how much she wants to take on once she’s fully recovered. “Her role may look very different,” says the second source. “She’s looking at what it will shape into.”

[From Us Weekly]

“If you’re not told at all, and months pass, there’s clearly speculation, and that could happen again.” It’s already happening again. The past two weeks have felt like we’re right back to where we were in early March, with ridiculous “sightings” of Kate and crazy claims about when and where she might turn up. The public has not had a credible sighting of Kate in public since CHRISTMAS. And all of the palace briefings about “she’ll be out until autumn” and “actually she might never come back” have not inspired a lot of confidence. It feels likes the seasoned pros of Buckingham Palace took over in mid-March and currently, Kensington Palace’s clowns are trying to wrest the narrative back. All of which to say… it’s concerning.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, screencaps courtesy of KP/BBC and cover courtesy of Us Weekly.








Big news, guys. For the first time in nearly 40 years, Pepsi has been dethroned as America’s second favorite soda. (Yes, I said second, no one can beat Old King Coca-Cola.) Dr Pepper, first concocted in 1885 making it the oldest of the top three, has officially seized silver with a very slight but still notable margin. Dr Pepper and Pepsi technically tie with the rate of 8.3% of the US soda market, while Coca-Cola leaves everyone in the dust (recycling bin?) claiming 19.2%. Many congratulations on your 139-years-in-the-making victory, Doctor.

Dr Pepper is officially the second favorite soda in the country!

According to new analytics data provided by Beverage Digest, Dr Pepper surpassed longstanding runner-up Pepsi to become the second most popular soda in the U.S. in 2023 behind top favorite Coke.

Dr Pepper secured the second-most favorite by a slight margin over Pepsi, which previously held the position since 1985, per CNN. Both drinks, however, tied with a soda market rate of 8.3%.

This wasn’t enough though to beat Coke — which holds steady at the top position with 19.2% of the soda market captured in the country last year. Other brands owned by Coca-Cola rounded out the top five, with Sprite in fourth position at 8.1% and Diet Coke in fifth at 7.8%.

Dr Pepper was founded in Waco, Texas, a year before Coca-Cola was created in 1885 and Pepsi in 1893. The brand’s increasing popularity is due to its many flavors, investments in strategic marketing and distribution efforts, Digest reported.

Editor of Digest Duane Stanford told CNN following the results, “Dr Pepper has been gaining, [Pepsi] has been declining, and they’re meeting in the middle.”

Dr Pepper’s new entry in the top two favorite sodas comes after the release of the brand’s range’s 24th flavor, Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut, in May.

The limited-time flavor, available in regular and zero sugar versions, has “layers of tropical coconut flavor and a delicious, creamy finish” and is the “only coconut-cream-flavored dark soda on the market,” per a press release.

In an exclusive first look and taste of the new summer-inspired drink, PEOPLE noted a distinct tropical scent upon opening the regular and zero sugar cans, providing a nice balance of the coconut flavor, which is reminiscent of a virgin pina colada, with the taste of the beloved soda.

[From People]

Don’t mind me, I’m just cleaning up after barfing over the mere mention of Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut. Just because some flavors can be put together, doesn’t mean they should be! I’m pretty sure I would rather suffer through a sip of 7-Eleven’s hot dog seltzer (which was an April Fool’s gag, after all) than a creamy coconut soda. Blech. That’s it, I can’t talk about it anymore or I’m gonna hurl again.

I am not a Dr Pepper imbiber myself (Coca-Cola, on the rocks), but I have encountered a smattering of Dr Pepper enthusiasts, and they are the most fervent beverage fans I have ever seen. In our office we have a soda bin in the fridge marked “For Clients Only.” Us worker bees mutually and silently understood this to mean “For Staff Only.” Leaning heavily on the Coke products (regular, diet, zero) along with some Canada Dry ginger ales, a couple months ago I noticed the addition of Diet Dr Pepper. This came at the request of two of my coworkers who very diligently ensure that they split the wares evenly and restock in a timely fashion. Naturally I consulted these colleagues for comments on this breaking news. Coworker 1 said “Those 23 just do it!” referring to the drink’s signature 23 flavor blend. Coworker 2 claimed it was the best of all the diet sodas, then really raised the stakes by saying, “There aren’t many things in life that I really love…” but Diet Dr Pepper was one of them. To my utter disappointment, and despite my best efforts at teeing each of them up, neither responded with, “Because it makes the world taste better.”

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