I know Blake Shelton isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I adore reading his interviews these days. Blake is so happy to be settled down and married to Gwen Stefani. After the way Gwen and Blake’s respective ex-spouses treated them, it’s so lovely that they found each other and they make each other so happy. Blake seems especially awestruck that he found a wife who loves the more traditional family life, cooking and party-planning and decorating. Well, Blake is still giving interviews ahead of his New Year’s Eve special, and he spoke to People Magazine about how much he and Gwen love to decorate for the holidays.

The holidays aren’t just a season at Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s home — it’s an all-encompassing state of mind. “I think we’re the biggest celebrators of holidays of any of my friends and family members. We really go for it,” he told PEOPLE. “Gwen and I love to pull up to the house and see over-the-top Christmas decorations or walk into the house during Thanksgiving and see all the pumpkins.”

The country singer, 47, often feels “nostalgic” around the holidays.

“Gwen is the perfect person for me to be with because that is one of her passions. So we really lean into the holidays literally as much as we possibly can without just going broke doing it. We love it that much,” he said.

One thing Shelton doesn’t do: hang Christmas lights on the outside of the house. Stefani, 54, doesn’t either.

“That’s one of those things where it’s like, I’ve made my point. I’ve got some money. I’m not going to break my own neck to get up there. I’m going to hire some guy who’s way better at it than I am,” he joked.

While Shelton helps with the decor, he acknowledges that his wife (and hired help) does the brunt of it.

“Gwen’s got the little town set up in the house, the fake snow everywhere. I just love all of that stuff, the gingerbread houses. We really go over the top with it,” he said. “I’ll sit there and stare at that stuff all day long.”

However, Shelton and Stefani love to cook together, with their holiday spreads home-cooked every year. For the 2023 season, the couple enjoyed a Funyon-coated turkey for Thanksgiving, while Christmas was celebrated with an Italian feast they made themselves.

[From People]

Wow, obviously I knew that Gwen is Italian-American but I guess I didn’t realize that she does an “Italian feast” for Christmas. I wonder if it’s the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes? Anyway, I enjoy how “domesticated” Blake seems with Gwen, but not just that – in a world where men fall all over themselves to mock or denigrate their wives and partners (especially over the holidays), Blake is like: no, I’m really into all of this, I f–king love your gingerbread houses, let’s start planning how we’ll decorate the house for Valentine’s Day, babe. It’s positive masculinity and he’s also telling his country bros: you too can get lost in the magic of holidays!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Travis Barker bought Mercedes G-Wagons for Landon & Alabama Barker for Christmas. He dropped $150K per SUV. Alabama also got a Birkin bag from her dad because it was also her birthday! People are complaining but… eh, it’s fine. [Hollywood Life]
I love these “demotivational” posters. [OMG Blog]
2023: a great year for weird cinema. [Pajiba]
Shows which were canceled but they ended on crazy cliffhangers. Life needs to be on this list – while it wasn’t a huge cliffhanger, I still wonder what happened to those characters. Damian Lewis & Sarah Shahi need to fight for this to happen! [Buzzfeed]
Tom Hanks still spends time with Chet Haze. [JustJared]
The worst runway accessories of 2023. [GFY]
Derek & Jill Dillard are back in the Duggar fold? [Starcasm]
Barry Keoghan explains why he agreed to Saltburn’s final scene. [Socialite Life]
Imagine getting into the Guiness Book of World Records for this. [Seriously OMG]
The best looks of 2023. [RCFA]

Embiggening Season is upon us, IYKYK. The Princess of Wales turns 42 on January 9th, and People Magazine is getting the embiggening ball rolling with their cover story this week, all about how Kate has unique strengths and how she’s a huge asset to the monarchy. Yeah, we’ll see. I mean, I actually do think she’s an asset to the monarchy, but it doesn’t follow that Kate will be treated as such. If anything, the more she’s seen as “good for the monarchy,” the more jealous Charles, Camilla and William become and the more they want to diminish her and push her out. So that’s where we are. What’s interesting about this particular story is that Kate wants to be seen as super-close with King Charles. Hm.

Kate enjoyed the Diplomatic Reception in December: “She hugely enjoyed that evening and looked really at home,” a royal source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “She knows the important role the family plays in building relationships globally on behalf of the U.K.” Adds the insider: “It is clear that she and the King are quite close — in some respects closer to him than William.”

The keen peacemaker: Noting Prince William and Prince Harry’s “fractious relationship” with their father, the insider says, “It’s only been recently that William has been closer [to Charles] — and Kate has acted as the honest broker in that.”

Kate guides her dumb husband: Of her role alongside her husband, a former staffer says, “She provides William with “directional setting. She guides the family and guides him.” Adds royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith: “They are pursuing the initiatives that are important to them. They are not pushing to supplant the King and Camilla—they are an incredible enhancement.”

Serious Kate: “She takes things seriously — and thank goodness for that,” says a source close to the royal household. Adds Simon Lewis, former Buckingham Palace communications chief and cohost of the BBC podcast When It Hits the Fan, “She’s very much seen as a player at the center of team Windsor.”

[From People]

“It is clear that she and the King are quite close — in some respects closer to him than William.” LOL. Kitty has gotten so bold. Back in May, she was blatantly feuding with Charles over her visit to the Chelsea Flower Show on Media Day, where she bused in children of color and stole the king’s thunder (his first flower show as king!). The palace punished her for weeks about that. As Omid Scobie’s Endgame made perfectly clear, there is no love lost between Charles and William and their respective offices – any times there’s a f–k up, the other office gleefully goes on a briefing spree. Kate always wants the “peacemaker” credit, when really she’s been revealed to be a sh-t stirring drama queen behind the scenes.

Note by CB: Get the top 8 stories about the Waleses stealing King Charles’s thunder when you sign up for our mailing list! I only send one email a day on weekdays.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

I sort of ignored this for a few days, but better late than never. As part of the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas event, Kate organized a special tea party/arts thing with kids and parents, and some clips of the tea party made into the televised Together at Christmas event. These photos were released by the palace or ITV, I guess. Kate wore a £1,350 Miu Miu cardigan for the party, but it was a repeat – she wore this exact same cardigan for a Together at Christmas photoshoot in 2021. That didn’t stop people from complaining about the cost though – the Mirror even did an article about how “fans” were disappointed that she wore something so expensive. Wait until they find out about the cost of all of those bespoke coatdresses she never wears nowadays.

Speaking of Kate with kids, People Magazine ran this exclusive as part of their big cover story this week:

As future queen, Kate Middleton’s power is rooted in her family — and her crucial role in shaping the next generation of royals. When it comes to raising the future of the monarchy, Princess Kate and Prince William are trying to bring up their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, in as normal an environment as possible given their extraordinary life.

That means watching George play soccer on his school team and catching Charlotte’s field hockey games as they happily chat with other parents on the sidelines, insiders tell PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

In Norfolk, where they retreat to their country home, Anmer Hall, they attend birthday parties with their kids — and Kate has surprised locals by remembering all the neighboring kids’ names.

“She is very good at setting boundaries, which helps keep everything running smoothly. But the family is the priority, always,” a friend tells PEOPLE.

[From People]

Kate is being praised for… remembering children’s names? Granted, it’s a gift I don’t have – I constantly forget people’s names, although I have a better memory for the names of cats and dogs. But this seems like we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for “reasons why Kate is amazing.” She knows the names of children she sees all the time.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Here are more photos of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in Sandringham on Christmas Day. They were both allowed to walk with the royal family to and from the church on Christmas morning. This was the first time Sarah had been included on the Christmas walk in 32 years. She said afterwards that she felt “grateful” to be included. The British papers are full of stories about Fergie’s triumphant comeback after 30-plus years. There are lots of mentions of Prince Harry, because there’s a concerted effort to force the comparison between the Yorks and the Sussexes.

She was part of the Sandringham festivities last year but was kept out of sight. Her elevation to the church-going group was a clear statement that she was back in the fold of the extended family. She is not going to suddenly start taking on royal duties, but her presence in front of the cameras on Christmas Day was something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago, when Prince Philip was alive. He was regarded as her most implacable opponent within the family. A touch ironic then that last year she, Andrew and their daughters had the use of Wood Farm, the home on the estate where Philip spent time after he retired from public life.

“We are enjoying each other’s company and feeling grateful today,” she wrote on Instagram on Christmas Day, beneath an old picture of her with her daughters. “I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Happy Christmas to anyone who celebrates and season’s greetings to all.”

The King, whose broken relationship with his younger son, Harry, and daughter-in-law Meghan, has been further eroded by their insistence on telling their “truth” in unsparing detail, may simply have decided that he has little time for prolonging old feuds.

Andrew is a profound embarrassment to the family, but central to his unusual relationship with his ex-wife is that she is unwaveringly loyal to him. They still live under the same roof and are seemingly devoted to each other. Her most scandalous days occurred before some involved in this year’s Sandringham Christmas were born, or had married into the family. Perhaps the King, with so many other pressing concerns, thought it absurd that the mother of two of his nieces should not be there.

There has been speculation that the Queen has had a role in the warming towards the duchess. After all, Camilla knows a thing or two about rehabilitating a public image.

Compassion almost certainly also played a part in the decision to give Fergie the call-up. Earlier this year, after a routine mammogram, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Afterwards she told a podcast that she had named her “perky” new breast. “I’m just coming to terms with my new best friend Derek, on my left,” she said. “He’s very important because he saved my life.”

The Yorks will be bracing themselves for a fresh development in the Epstein affair in the new year, after a judge in the US ruled that documents in a civil case naming Epstein’s associates will be unsealed.

Any attempt by Andrew to rehabilitate his reputation is likely to be a very long game indeed. But he seems likely to have his ex-wife with him in the enterprise. Could her appearance on Christmas Day indicate the beginnings of a royal strategy, desperate though it might be? She was once persona non grata, but it is not inconceivable that some in the Firm see this mother, grandmother and ex-wife as an antidote to relieve some of the toxicity around the Duke of York.

And perhaps there is a signal too to members of the family in California that reconciliations can be achieved, even if they sometimes take three decades.

[From The Times]

“And perhaps there is a signal too to members of the family in California that reconciliations can be achieved, even if they sometimes take three decades.” The Sussexes left and, despite the British media’s fantasies to the contrary, they are not begging and pleading to come back. Harry does want some form of reconciliation, but it will have to come on his terms. As for Fergie… yeah, I don’t know what’s going on there. It probably was about the Epstein “client list.”

Also: the Ephraim Hardcastle column in the Daily Mail reports that QEII gave her permission for Fergie to be buried at the Royal Windsor estate. QEII “sanctioned a St George’s Chapel Windsor funeral for Fergie followed by internment at the Royal Family burial ground at Frogmore.” This was done because Fergie is the mother of “princesses of the blood royal.” Still, Fergie will not be anywhere near the royal crypt where QEII and Prince Philip are interred.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

What are the most rewatchable movies of 2023? Barbie is definitely up there, I just rewatched it this week! [Pajiba]
Bryan Tanaka confirms his split from Mariah Carey. [Seriously OMG]
Review of George Clooney’s The Boys on the Boat. [LaineyGossip]
Margot Robbie’s style before her Chanel contract. [Go Fug Yourself]
Wham’s “Last Christmas” finally reached #1 on the UK charts. [OMG Blog]
The history of kissing under the mistletoe. [Jezebel]
Rest in peace, Lee Sun-kyun. [Just Jared]
Who was the best-dressed man of 2023? [RCFA]
People don’t talk about Danny Kaye’s rizz enough these days. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Patrick Schwarzenegger is engaged. [Hollywood Life]
Great home products. [Buzzfeed]

If you’re a regular Jeopardy watcher, you’ve noticed by now that this fall’s season has been one tournament flowing into the next without any episodes featuring new contestants. This was the show’s workaround to the WGA strike: tournaments somehow allowed them to use previously written but unaired categories. For those of you growing weary of the endless tournaments, I regret to inform you that they’re likely to continue until April 2024. Again, the delay is due to the writers being on strike from May to October. Writers matter! Mayim Bialik walked away from hosting duties to strike in solidarity with the writers, leaving co-host and former champion Ken Jennings to man all episodes himself. As discussed here last week, Bialik and the show just officially confirmed her permanent departure. Jeopardy executive producers claimed “continuity for viewers” was behind their decision to stick with Jennings as the sole host, but new reporting from Matthew Belloni at Puck News suggests that Bialik’s actions during the strike may have been the driving force:

Bialik striking in solidarity upset Sony executives: “Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show.” Mayim hadn’t been on-screen since last May, walking out of all things Jeopardy! when the WGA went on strike, later citing solidarity for her union. The report continued: “Sony TV executive Suzanne Prete and [Jeopardy!] executive producer Michael Davies were furious when Bialik said in May that she would step away from the final week of filming last season in solidarity with the show’s striking writers. “After all, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are well-oiled machines, requiring precise timing to make the show’s five-episodes-a-day schedule.”

But Sony had other reasons, too: First, Bialik’s reception on set was less than favorable, and second, Sony had adjusted shooting schedules last season to accommodate her since-canceled Fox sitcom Call Me Cat. “Bialik wasn’t loved on set,” Puck News claimed, but did not specify further. “And Sony had switched up shooting that [previous] season to accommodate her sitcom.”

Egads! These hosting salaries: According to Puck News, the Big Bang Theory alum was pulling in an annual salary of $4 million. Bialik’s compensation was allegedly set to increase by $1 million each year that she remained with the franchise. Puck News also noted that Ken is also making $4 million a year, although that number is expected to increase now. The late Alex Trebek reportedly made $10M a year as host.

[From The Sun]

Meanwhile, Jennings was giving some interviews to hype new episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy, and The Hollywood Reporter squeezed in a question to him about Bialik’s firing. His answer was very diplomatic, if somewhat milquetoast:

“It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I’m gonna miss her. I can’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it.

But on my end, I’m just a fan of Jeopardy! and I’m always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job as a non-broadcaster.

It’s kind of a weird thing to try to bring back an ex-contestant to host, and I’ve obviously been learning as I go. But I loved growing up with Jeopardy! where Alex was the host of that show for almost 38 years, and people just kind of felt like he was part of their family, and it’s impossible to fill those shoes. But it’s such an honor and hopefully I look forward to 37 more years of doing it, when I’ll be a very, very old man.”

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

So Jennings says a sentence or two about Bialik, but then deftly pivots to broad comments on hosting in general. The show’s PR team must love him! Honestly, I feel like no one comes out of this story looking good. Jennings mainly dodges the question, the least offensive action here. But then again Sony stuck with him in the first place because he worked through the strikes. Bialik did the noble thing by showing solidarity with the writers, but I’m not surprised, either, that Sony was fed up with continually having to reschedule her filming dates. Still, I think Sony earns the most stink of all because the main headline is that they fired Bialik for standing by striking workers. And all these people are being paid millions of dollars a year.

Here’s the kicker for me: the current tournament airing right now is “Second Chance,” wherein previous contestants who didn’t win get… a second chance. Something Sony producers declined to extend to Bialik. I’ll take Potentially Hypocritical Actions for $400, please!

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Photos credit: Avalon.red, Cover Images and via Instagram/Jeopardy

Over the holidays, I finally watched several of the big Oscar-bait films of 2023. I watched Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Anatomy of a Fall, Asteroid City, The Holdovers and I started (but did not finish) Saltburn. I think these films represent some of the biggest performances of the year and some of the most likely Oscar nominees – like, some of the Best Actor nomination locks are: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Leo DiCaprio (Killers). There are many arguing that Bradley Cooper is a lock for a nomination for Maestro, but given the sh-tty reviews and everyone rolling their eyes at B-Coop’s try-hardness, I wouldn’t even call Maestro a lock for ANY nominations. The other possible best-actor nominees will likely include Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers), Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, but doubtful), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) or Colman Domingo (Rustin).

This whole time, I’ve sort of considered Cillian Murphy the one to beat in the Best Actor race. The film hinged on his performance, he was genuinely brilliant in it, he’s been around forever and done great work consistently, and Oppenheimer was one of the biggest films of the year. Like, of course the Oscar is Cillian’s to lose, right? Well, the New York Times’ critic and awards-season specialist Kyle Buchanan had a different thought:

I think Best Actor is Giamatti’s for the taking https://t.co/cTySTN45ok

— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) December 25, 2023

After seeing The Holdovers… I’m not sure I agree, but it’s an interesting thought. Giamatti is wonderful in the film, The Holdovers is one of Alexander Payne’s best, and Giamatti is a truly beloved American actor, churning out great performances consistently in film and television. If Oscar voters think that they’re giving Giamatti an Oscar for his career, I could see him challenging Cillian’s chances. What’s even funnier about this Murphy vs. Giamatti head-to-head is that I’m not sure either man cares that much. My thought was “well, it will come down to who wages the better Oscar campaign,” but let’s be real – Cillian will have to be dragged kicking and screaming to those Oscar-voter screenings and the man isn’t a glad-hander or an ass-kisser. Giamatti might be more into it – he already seems to be doing the Oscar-voter screenings and glad-handing, just in a quiet way. Anyway, it’s interesting. The Best Actor race might be super-competitive this year.

Oh, and Giamatti was on the SAG-AFTRA picket line too. That will matter to a lot of pro-union Oscar voters.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, ‘The Holdovers’ posters courtesy of Focus Features.

People have been fighting about Prince Edward and Sophie’s titles for years. Even when QEII was still alive, Prince Charles made it clear that he had no desire to “give” them the Edinburgh ducal titles they were promised by QEII and Prince Philip. There was also a big discussion about whether Sophie and Edward’s two children should have prince/princess titles, as Louise and James would have been entitled to as grandchildren of the monarch. At the end of the day, Charles “gave” Sophie and Edward the Edinburgh titles (for Edward’s birthday this year) and that was supposed to be the end of that. Sophie was finally a duchess and Charles belatedly fulfilled his mother’s wishes. Now the Edinburghs apparently want more? Richard Eden wrote this nonsense in his pre-Christmas newsletter with the Mail:

Edward and Sophie are the unsung heroes of the Royal Family – but it is an insult that their titles as Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are not hereditary. That’s the view of Richard Eden, who believes King Charles should give them an immediate upgrade so they can pass the dukedom down the generations – a move which might also encourage their son James to join ‘The Firm’ when the time is right.

‘It is sometimes easy to forget that the Royal Family is much more than just our monarch. And I would like to highlight two of my unsung royal heroes of the year: Prince Edward and Sophie,’ writes Eden in the latest edition of his Palace Confidential newsletter.

‘With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex having quit royal duties, or “forced” to quit, as Prince Harry preposterously claimed in the High Court, and Prince Andrew no longer a “working royal”, Edward and Sophie have become even more vital to “The Firm”. They have worked as hard as ever this year, carrying out engagements around the country and overseas with little fanfare.’

‘While Harry and Meghan have used their royal titles for personal gain, helping them make a fortune in the United States of America, Edward and Sophie have continued the tradition of quiet public service embodied by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. They have deliberately chosen often difficult, unfashionable causes to highlight, such as in Sophie’s case, helping women who have been victims of sexual violence. Edward will meet hundreds, if not thousands, of young people who have achieved Gold in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, of which he is patron.’

‘King Charles recognised the couple’s contribution to the success of the Monarchy by announcing on Edward’s 59th birthday in March that he would succeed their father as Duke of Edinburgh. This was something that our late Queen and Prince Philip had publicly made clear should happen at the time of Edward’s wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. It was, however, a shame that the King turned the Dukedom of Edinburgh into a life peerage rather than the hereditary title it had previously been. In my opinion, this was an insult.’

‘What better way to celebrate Edward and Sophie’s importance than by upgrading the title to a hereditary one? Perhaps that would be a good way to encourage their son, James, the Earl of Wessex, to join The Firm when the time comes? He could join his sister, Lady Louise Windsor, in providing vital support to their cousin Prince William.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Is this Sophie’s new thing? I always felt like she was the one behind the push for the Edinburgh titles, and now the non-hereditary titles are not even good enough for her. It could be that this isn’t even Sophie calling up Eden – it’s quite likely that this is Eden realizing how boring the left-behind Windsors are and how the whole thing is about to fall apart in a hurry unless younger royals (like James and Louise) are allowed to “support” King Charles and eventually King William. The thing is, Charles and William don’t want the support. Sophie has buttered up William and Kate, for sure, but neither Charles nor William want a “Prince James” or “Princess Louise” hanging around. Which is also the reason why Charles and William forced the Sussexes out, btw.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Every year, I forget about the annual early-January keenery for the Princess of Wales’s birthday. When Kate turned 40 in 2022, we got wall-to-wall sugar for a solid month, just story after story about how Kate is the most perfect, most humble, most special person to ever marry into the royal family. Well, we are heading into Kate’s 42nd birthday keenery and I wonder how big the palace will go for this one. Judging from People Magazine’s cover story this week, it feels like this birthday will be used for some image-maintenance around Kate being (accidentally) named as one of the royal racists. Some highlights:

Kate ignored all of the royal-racist stories in November & December: “It is why a lot of people who have worked with her think she is such an asset to the royal family, because she has this amazing professionalism,” royal author Valentine Low tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

Kate is tough, despite appearances: Like other royal consorts in history, Kate has a toughness behind the scenes as she supports her husband and future king William. “She has this public image of being nice and smiley and, dare I say, innocuous,” royal author Valentine Low tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “But she is actually strong-minded, strong-willed and prepared to fight for what she wants and what she thinks is right.”

Kate’s insistence on “recollections may vary” in the palace’s statement: “She thought it was very important this did not go unchallenged,” Low says. “Kate thinks strategically. She is going to be queen one day and has the longterm interests of the monarchy and royal family at heart.” Adds royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, “She showed real strength and determination to make things clear that there was perhaps a different truth.”

No reconciliation: After several years of family strain, claims and allegations from Harry and Meghan are in the rearview mirror for William and Kate—and there is no sign of reconciliation between the two couples. “She’s moved on and William has too,” a friend of Kate’s tells PEOPLE. “She’s very focused on what matters going forward, They aren’t looking back.”

Influential & keen: As her 42nd birthday approaches on Jan. 9, Kate can assess her first full calendar year as the Princess of Wales. And while she may not be monarch, she has replaced Queen Elizabeth, who died at age 96 in 2022, as the best-known female member of the royal family—and one who wields an increasing amount of influence. “She’s very much seen as a player at the center of team Windsor,” says Simon Lewis, former Buckingham Palace and co-host of the BBC podcast When It Hits the Fan.

She keeps calm & carries on: “She has close friends and family around her and a good relationship with her father-in-law [King Charles],” says an insider, “that equip her going forward.”

[From People]

Here’s the thing, I actually believe that Kate is “stronger” than she might seem. While I’ve made my feelings clear on Kate for years, increasingly I have a lot of hate-respect for her ability to navigate this ridiculous system and come out “ahead.” She’s a survivor too, and she’s had to do terrible things to survive. Of course, it helps that she’s married to the heir and that the palace didn’t launch a full hate campaign against her like they did with Meghan. She’s been protected, coddled and infantilized for decades, which she’s used to her advantage up to a point. The problem with all of this is that Kate’s goal was seemingly to survive short-term and not thrive or plan for the future. She’s been incredibly complacent. Instead of being “a player at the center of Team Windsor,” within the family, she’s been politically neutered, shuffled off to Adelaide Cottage and largely ignored.

Also: “she has replaced Queen Elizabeth, who died at age 96 in 2022, as the best-known female member of the royal family.” There’s currently a whole-ass queen consort but I guess People Mag doesn’t want to think about Camilla.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover courtesy of People.