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Harry Styles caused a little bit of an escandalo last week when he showed up at a U2 concert in Las Vegas (the sphere looks SO COOL) with girlfriend Taylor Russell showing off a new buzzed haircut. Because we live in an era of parasocial relationships and people that will absolutely lose their minds if they can’t make their opinions known on the Internet, some of his fans freaked out. It was… well, let’s just say I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the story because who cares about a grown man’s haircut? It’s hair. Hair grows back. Harry’s mom, Anne Twist, agrees with me. After the outrage peaked on Friday, Twist did what many moms of famous people do when they need defending: She lectured fans via Instagram.

Not everyone loves that Harry Styles got a buzz cut — but his mom is defending it. Fans have been divided since news broke last week about the pop star’s hairstyle, leading his mother to address the uproar Friday on social media.

“When you consider that H has a legacy of kindness and inclusion, has always made every effort to make everyone feel seen and appreciated for exactly who they are … there’s an irony in the negativity he’s been shown for having a haircut,” Anne Twist wrote on Instagram, referring to Styles.

“Sorry,” the mother continued, “but I don’t get it.”

Twist’s comments were accompanied by an image showing a melodramatic headline about Styles’ haircut — apparently from the New York Post — and a humorous rewrite that satirized its over-the-top language.

“Let’s uncrap that,” Twist’s image reads, changing the original headline to “Breaking news: It’s hair! It’s his! Also it will grow back. If he wants.”

Styles recently sported the buzz cut at a U2 concert in Las Vegas — a show he reportedly attended with actor Taylor Russell, who is rumored to be his girlfriend. The surprising hairstyle sent fans into a tailspin, leading to an avalanche of social media posts.

“U2 really just continues to give us things we don’t need, that album that got push onto our phones and now the debuting of a bald Harry Styles,” wrote one user on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Styles, a three-time Grammy winner, largely dominated pop culture headlines in 2022 due to a reported romance with Olivia Wilde, amid her difficult split from actor Jason Sudeikis. And while Styles’ new haircut is similarly controversial, many fans continue to have his back.

“Man built an empire, spreads love, tolerance, creativity and kindness, and still some of you are limiting yourselves to commenting on his hair,” one Instagram user wrote. “Ask yourselves how you would feel.”

“Nobody has the right to comment on his appearance he is still a human being with feelings,” wrote another, adding that “he is still OUR Harry with curly hair or not. Imagine being him right now seeing all these vile comments. ITS NOT NICE.”

[From HuffPo]

Anne was spitting truths, though. It’s just hair, FFS. It grows back and for someone with short hair like Harry, I’m sure it will grow fairly quickly, too. Do I think it looks great!? No, I love those luscious curls too! But I’m all for people making their own choices, even if they’re unfortunate ones. As I’ve mentioned before, I get an itch to cut my hair above my shoulders every so often but then immediately regret it and remember why I grow it out every time. But, it always grows out, so the stakes are low. I’m also amused by the fans who are all, “Let the man have whatever haircut he wants, looks don’t matter” while still calling him “OUR” Harry. I’m sure he’s grateful for their permission and possession.

Harry Styles debuted a new look while checking out U2’s Las Vegas Sphere concert with his boo, Taylor Russell.

See it here: https://t.co/lTHW4K2lmC

— TMZ (@TMZ) November 13, 2023

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For five years now, the Spanish tax authorities have been on Shakira’s ass. They’ve opened up several investigations, charged her with tax fraud in several jurisdictions, made public statements about Shakira, and it all had the feel of a targeted campaign. Especially after Shakira gave a sort of epic interview last year, where she explained, in detail, why her relationship with Gerard Pique fell apart and why she has every confidence in her accountants at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She talked a lot about how she was sick and tired of being the latest celebrity targeted by the Spanish tax authorities and she promised to fight back with her extensive record-keeping. But she moved to Miami and she’s basically like “nah, I don’t want to deal with this sh-t anymore,” so she made some kind of plea deal.

After having maintained her innocence for nearly five years, pop star Shakira struck a last-minute deal on the opening day of her tax fraud trial in Barcelona to avoid the risk of going to prison.

Shakira told the presiding magistrate, José Manuel del Amo, on Monday that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgment of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The trial, which was expected to include more than 100 witnesses over several weeks, was instead called off after just eight minutes.

Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and to pay a fine of 7.3 million euros ($8 million) in addition to the previously unpaid taxes and interest. She will pay another fine of 432,000 euros ($472,000) in exchange for having her prison sentence waived.

However, she now has it on her legal record that she was found guilty of tax fraud, which could affect another pending tax case.

The fraud allegations had hinged on where Shakira, now 46, lived during 2012-14. Prosecutors in Barcelona alleged the Colombian singer spent more than half of that period in Spain and therefore should have paid taxes on her worldwide income there even though her official residence was still in the Bahamas. Tax rates are much lower in the Bahamas than in Spain.

Shakira said in a statement provided by her public relations firm that she had wanted to fight on but put her family, career and peace of mind first.

“I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight,” she said. “I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career.”

[From The Associated Press]

I’m kind of bummed that she didn’t fight, which is what she promised to do. She made the Spanish tax authorities sound corrupt and desperate and she made it sound like she would fight the good fight. But I also understand why she would just feel like putting an end to her Spain chapter. She lived in Spain for years to support Pique and all he did was cheat on her and treat her like garbage. She wanted a new life and a new chapter. I mean, I wouldn’t want to give up $24 million for a situation I found so dodgy, but maybe this speaks to what kind of extensive wealth Shakira really has.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, aka Meadow Soprano, is now 42 years old and has two sons with her husband Cutter Dykstra, Beau, 10, and Jack, five. After originally presenting symptoms in 2000, Sigler was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2001, when she was just 20 years old. Jamie-Lynn first revealed her diagnosis in 2016, sharing that she’d been careful to hide her condition from her coworkers for 15 years. In fact, Jamie-Lynn was so nervous about making her MS public that she was too scared to look at her phone after the news dropped. Those fears were quickly alleviated when the reaction was one of overwhelming support. That was a watershed moment for Jamie-Lynn that led to self-acceptance and unlocked her superpower: vulnerability.

On the morning of Jan. 20, 2016, Jamie-Lynn Sigler was a nervous wreck. She had just married her fiancé of almost three years, baseball player Cutter Dykstra, and was awaiting the new issue of PEOPLE, in which they had shared exclusive photos and details of their big day.

But she was also revealing an even bigger secret. For almost 15 years the Sopranos alum had been quietly dealing with the debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative autoimmune disease that damages the central nervous system.

When the issue hit newsstands, Sigler was afraid to look at her phone but quickly discovered an overwhelming outpouring of positive support.

“It was a big moment for me, because it was the beginning of this journey of self-reflection and self-acceptance,” she says. “I grew up with this idea that people are only going to be attracted to you when you’re perfect, and it’s quite the opposite. MS gave me my superpower, which is vulnerability, because the more raw and real and open I am — and this has forced me to be that — the more beautiful connections are.”

While she has trouble walking for long periods of time and cannot run, “I can still accomplish the things that I want to do, whether it be at work or at home,” she says.

[From People]

That is such a wonderful attitude, and sign of maturity. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone, but I think when we’re younger, we tend to have this naïve worldview about standards, expectations, and what constitutes “perfection.” We put a lot of pressure on ourselves as a result. When we’re kids, we care about pleasing our parents. As we get older and into our teenage years, we want our friends to like us. As young adults, we might stop caring so much about what others think about us, but we still may privately compare ourselves to our peers in terms of looks, career, relationships, fashion, etc.

When my older son was born, I suddenly felt like I had to stifle parts of my personality because I was a loud-mouthed NY native who was still fairly new to living in the South. I didn’t want to embarrass him or have other moms think I was weird. It took me years to work out that honestly, we’re all a little bit weird in our own ways, lol. I’m happier just being myself and there’s no set rules on what people are or aren’t attracted to. There really is something to be said about that moment when you accept yourself for all of your strengths, flaws, and vulnerabilities. It’s very empowering. I’m really glad that Jamie-Lynn is in a good place now and wish her all of the best in the years to come.

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Photos via Instagram and credit: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon

Charles Melton put on 40 lbs for his role in May-December. [Pajiba]
Tristan Thompson explains why he cheats. [The Root]
Jenna Ortega is back to filming Beetlejuice 2. [LaineyGossip]
Kim Kardashian debuted new hair (or a new wig) at the GQ event. [Go Fug Yourself]
Rihanna went to the F1 race i Las Vegas. [Just Jared]
Margot Robbie is seasonally inappropriate in Bottega Veneta. [RCFA]
Wal-Mart has a second Mean Girls commercial. [OMG Blog]
More pics from the May-December premiere. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Barry Manilow covered “All I Want for Christmas.” [Seriously OMG]
Sofia Vergara talks about her difficult year. [Hollywood Life]
Some male models for your Monday perusal. [Socialite Life]
Do you know the names of all of the emojis? [Buzzfeed]

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I remember when, months after Prince William married Kate, they went to California and attended some red carpet event. Americans were surprised that Will and Kate didn’t actually stand and pose for photos on the carpet – instead, they walked at a snail’s pace through the carpet so that all of the photos were “in motion,” because only gauche peasants actually pose for photos. Will and Kate generally still follow that “rule” of never wanting to look like they’re posing when they go to the BAFTAs or a premiere, although they have started standing still and posing at Earthshot Prize red carpets. All of which to say, the Telegraph biddies are clutching their pearls over the fact that the Duchess of Sussex posed on the carpet at Variety’s Power of Women event on Thursday.

Blink and you might have missed it. The slightly twisted torso, the glance just beyond the shoulder, the pause, and that smile. This was the Duchess of Sussex on the red carpet at Variety’s Power of Women event in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. She attended solo, posing for the bank of photographers at the step-and-repeat (an industry term for the part of the red carpet where celebrities pose for photographers in front of host and sponsor logos).

This moment speaks volumes about the differences between Meghan’s life today, and the life she left behind as a working royal; taking the time to ensure that the photographers get a variety of angles which show both the woman and the dress (a taupe, off-the-shoulder design by New York-based label Proenza Schouler) in the best possible way.

For a royal to do the same would come off as a little inappropriate. They wear beautiful clothes too, of course, and attend red carpet events we’ve seen the Princess of Wales at the Baftas, last year’s Earthshot Prize Awards and the Top Gun: Maverick premiere – but royals don’t behave like other famous people, says etiquette expert Myka Meier. Even on the red carpet, “[royals] are always slightly on the move,” she says. “Sometimes at the more glamorous events, they know what they’re there for – to promote it. So I do see them stop and give that time. But it’s rare. It’s usually in passing, a stop, nod, a wave and off they go.”

In taking her time on the step-and-repeat, Meghan showed us that she no longer sees herself as royal. “This was a full-on red carpet [moment]. Meghan’s re-debut, if you will,” says Meier. “I think she looks confident; I think she looks really happy. She looks like she wants to be there. And the over-the-shoulder pose was a major differentiator from her royal pose days. She’s back to her celebrity red-carpet days.”

“When you’re a working royal, there’s a level of modesty,” Meier explains. “They’re representing a brand, and [Meghan] had to stay on brand; even if she wanted to wear red lipstick and red nails, and do 10 over-the-shoulders, she couldn’t. Now she has freedom and flexibility to be more playful on the red carpet.”

Meier says this turn on the red carpet appeared to be second nature to Meghan: “I think she felt right at home [on the Variety red carpet]. She’s in her comfort zone – and when we look back, we can see how hard she must have been trying to maintain [respect to the monarchy] and follow the rules. In Hollywood, on the red carpet, there are very few rules. And I think we’re going to start seeing more and more of Meghan than ever before.”

[From The Telegraph]

“When you’re a working royal, there’s a level of modesty” – Kate spent her first five years as a duchess flashing everyone on multiple continents, but sure. The “no posing” thing is supposed to be the Windsors differentiating themselves from mere celebrities, when really, it’s a distinction without a difference. If anything, the Windsors look awkward as hell on red carpets while Meghan looks natural and effervescent no matter what she does. Besides, the royals will happily go commercial when it suits them – Harry and William always posed in front of Land Rover promo for their polo matches. Kate will happily gawp in front of whatever you’ve got.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid, Cover Images, Variety’s IG.

Over the summer, People Magazine had a mostly sympathetic cover story about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I say “mostly sympathetic” because at that time, the British media had done approximately 35,000 articles about how the Sussexes were going broke and no one in Hollywood liked them and remember, Spotify’s Bill Simmons called them “f–king grifters.” People’s cover story was basically like: everything hasn’t been rosy, but they’re still finding their footing and they’re proud of what they’ve built so far. They still have their Netflix contract and Netflix executives seem to like them and believe in them.

They’ve accomplished so much in the past four years: moving to America and buying a home; Harry’s work with BetterUp, Harry’s bestselling memoir, Meghan’s one hit podcast, a massively successful Netflix docuseries; a successful AppleTV docuseries on mental health; a successful children’s book, giving birth to a baby girl; organizing two post-pandemic Invictus Games; building Archewell’s charitable and business arms from the ground up; investing in a small California-based latte company and on and on. Still, “sources” told Omid Scobie that things haven’t quite gone to plan for the Sussexes:

As Prince William and Kate Middleton have moved further into their roles as future king and queen, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved into an uncertain future.

“When I spoke to people in their orbit, they admit that it hadn’t quite gone to plan,” author Omid Scobie, whose new book Endgame is out Nov. 28, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “They really need to establish what their purpose is.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have experienced growing pains finding a path to success in their next chapter. In January 2020, Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, announced their intention to “step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent” before moving to Meghan’s home state of California months later.

In April 2020, they launched their nonprofit, Archewell. The Archewell Foundation website went live that October within the larger Archewell organization, which currently includes the business verticals Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio.

As Harry and Meghan forge a new life in the United States, William and Kate remain focused on their destiny ahead in the U.K. The last time the two couples appeared together — after Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022 — “it showed that all four are capable of switching it on and doing what’s right in the moment,” says Scobie, who has covered the royal family for more than a decade. Later, he says, “The first question I had to sources was, ‘Do you think that this will lead to something else?’ ” The answer: “a firm no.”

[From People]

I think it’s fair to say that “things hadn’t gone quite to plan” but I assume Endgame will cover why that was – they had the rug pulled out from under them at some point after the Sandringham Summit deal, when Charles withdrew their funding and security as a way to “bring them to heel.” That’s the whole reason why they started over from scratch – out of necessity, not because they had their whole independence mapped out ahead of time. As for “They really need to establish what their purpose is” – eh. They’ve been establishing it all along. That being said, I think this year sort of marks the transition to where they’ll have more separation in their projects. Harry will focus more on charity work and Invictus while Meghan is focused more on their business.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

Kensington Palace announced this weekend that the Princess of Wales would host her third annual Christmas piano recital. They released a new-to-us photo, although this was taken during the preparations for last year’s Christmas concert. The first “Together at Christmas” carol concert happened in 2021, with Kate prerecording a very cheesy “piano recital” performance and no one even believed she was actually playing. Then, last year’s concert was used as the Windsors’ unhinged dig at the Duchess of Sussex, because she said in the Netflix docuseries that she was told to never wear the same color as the other royals or wear a color that stood out, so Kate got all of the women to wear burgundy. It was asinine. What will this year’s event bring?

The Princess of Wales will take part in a Christmas carol concert to “say a big thank-you” to early years workers around the country, Kensington Palace has said. She is returning to Westminster Abbey for the service, now in its third year, which is being held to celebrate “the golden opportunity” of new birth this year.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “We are really looking forward to returning to Westminster Abbey again this year, this time to say a big thank-you to the incredible individuals who support families up and down the country every single day.”

The service, in conjunction with her work on the early years, will be attended with practitioners, midwives, nursery teachers and community volunteers, as well as members of the Royal family.

“Midwives, health visitors, baby bank volunteers, and all others in the early years workforce play a vital role in shaping the society of tomorrow,” the spokesman added.

Last year’s service, which came just three months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, was dedicated to “all those who are sadly no longer with us”.

It is understood that this year’s concert at the Abbey will showcase the hope of new life and why it is important to build supportive and nurturing environments and relationships around children and the adults in their lives. It is expected that traditional and modern elements will be combined to “encompass people of all faiths and none”.

The palace spokesman said: “It’s set to be a wonderful way to end the year for the Princess, who launched her ‘Shaping Us’ campaign in January.” The pre-recorded service, to be held on Dec 8, is broadcast on Christmas Eve on ITV.

[From The Telegraph]

I burst out laughing at “which is being held to celebrate ‘the golden opportunity’ of new birth this year.” Kensington Palace is trying so hard to make everything “golden” these days, repeatedly mentioning “the golden thread” of William and Kate’s “work,” and now the “golden opportunity” of… a new year. Kate will use the golden opportunity of a golden Christmas carol show to show off her golden-highlight discount wig and all of her jewelry will be golden. I seriously wonder what unhinged thing Kate has in store this year. She’s planning something.

Some of my favorites from Kate’s previous Together At Christmas appearances and promotion:

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

Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton are so Sussex-coded, right? A good-looking redheaded man falls for a beautiful Black woman and his fanbase has a meltdown. The ginger & the beautiful woman defy the odds, and stay together and have a baby. So that’s where we are now. Tom and Zawe walked the carpet of the Evening Standard Film Awards last night. She wore a glittery blue dress with a cape, which is also Meghan-coded! Tom wore velvet, because that man loves velvet. They coordinated their ensembles and they look so happy. The one criticism I have about her dress is that the sequined “cape” effect isn’t done properly and it’s giving her linebacker shoulders.

In the fall of 2022, Zawe and Tom welcomed their first child. It took months for a confirmation that they had a boy, and we still don’t know the kid’s name? I bet it’s something traditional, perhaps even old-fashioned British. They got engaged, officially, when Zawe was pregnant, reportedly in March 2022. We haven’t heard anything about them having a lowkey wedding, although I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they had gotten married by now and simply not told many people. Zawe is wearing her engagement ring in these photos but I can’t tell if she’s wearing any kind of wedding band.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

Note that I accidentally named this #162 because I forgot to add the podcast tag to the last post! We will have two episodes named #162 I guess.

Introduction: Minutes 0 to 4:45
We were off for three weeks due to my health. I watched the docuseries The Billionaire, the Butler and the Boyfriend on Netflix, about L’oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. She reminds Chandra of the late great Duchess of Alba. You can listen below!

Royals: Minutes 4:45 to 19:30
The Earthshot Awards and the Kenyan Tour were flops. King Charles had his 75th birthday on November 14th. Courtiers told Roya Nikkhah at the Times that Charles invited Harry to his 75th birthday party but Harry “snubbed” the invite. This was an obvious move by the palace to deflect from the mediocre Kenyan tour. A day later, the Archewell spokesperson went on the record to say Harry had not been invited and so there was no “snub.”

Charles supposedly wanted Harry to call him for his birthday. Both Harry and Meghan called and talked to him along with sending a little happy birthday video with their kids. It definitely sounded like the palace briefed the media but then they did what they always do and claimed Harry and Meghan were the source.

Kate gave a speech about early childhood as part of a symposium. They previewed it in The Telegraph and made it sound so groundbreaking. However it was super generic and basic like everything she does. I remember the Shaping Us claymation video they did earlier this year.

Omid Scobie’s Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival is out on November 28th. His last book, Finding Freedom, came out in August, 2020 and that was an international bestseller. We’ve been covering the excerpts from the book which were published in People Magazine. Harry’s family snubbed him after the Queen died and worked to exclude Meghan. We heard some of this before but not the extent of it. The press claimed that Charles told Harry about the Queen dying but as Harry explained in Spare, he found out from the press as he was on a plane when it happened.

Scobie also wrote that William sees Harry as a defector and that he thinks Harry and Meghan blindsided their family by going public with their issues. William also thinks that Harry is brainwashed by therapists and that he’s California and self-important.

Harry still has warmth for Charles though and that came through in Spare. Chandra thinks Camilla would rather they didn’t talk.

The Daily Mirror claimed that Scobie timed his book excerpt release to overshadow Kate’s big girl speech. They royals are panicking about the book.

The first half of The Crown season six is out now. We wonder how Peter Morgan will show Will and Kate’s love story and if he’ll just go with the official version.

Comments of the week: Minutes 19:30 to end
Chandra’s comment of the week is from Berkeleyfarm on the post where William calls Harry Californian and self important.

My comment of the week is from Jane on the post with Travis Kelce’s old tweets.

Thanks for listening bitches!

Photos credit: Horst Ossinger/picture-alliance/Cover Images, Bruno Mouron/Netflix, Avalon.red, Cover Images, Backgrid and via Instagram

Over the weekend, Roya Nikkhah at the Times published one of the most unhinged lies ever, from the same publication which brought us “the Duchess of Sussex bullied Kensington Palace staffers, we promise!” Nikkhah’s “sources” – which she claimed were “friends of the Sussexes” – said that Prince Harry and Meghan wanted an invitation to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the Windsors, but an invitation had not been forthcoming because the Windsors couldn’t trust the Sussexes not to “leak” things. You know, like the palace briefed Roya about Harry “snubbing” a birthday party invite, only Harry went on the record to call it a lie. This whole psychodrama of the past week – the birthday phone call leaks, the stuff about the Sussexes wanting a Christmas invite – has been palace-driven. All of these stories are coming from inside Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, period, the end. Well, now the Daily Mail has an update, because of course they do. The Sussexes can’t be invited because then William and Kate won’t go to Sandringham!

Harry and Meghan may have said they’d accept a Christmas invitation to Sandringham, but it is unlikely they would be welcomed with open arms, insiders claimed last night. Following reports the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are keen to build bridges and would ‘not decline’ an offer to join His Majesty for the festive season, sources said the sudden ‘love-bombing’ from Montecito was ‘bizarre’.

And yesterday a claim in the Sunday Times by ‘friends of the Sussexes’ that they want to ‘change the state of play’ and would ‘readily accept’ an invitation prompted one source to tell the Mail: ‘It seems as if they are really doubling down on their reconciliation strategy.

‘It’s so bizarre to have behaved so badly, demanded an apology and an admission of ‘guilt’ — to no avail, I might add — from the family and now suggest they’ll just waltz back in and allow bygones to be bygones if only someone would be good enough invite them.’

The insider pointed out the couple had invitations from both Queen Elizabeth and King Charles to join the family at Balmoral in the summer, but had chosen not to visit since 2018. They added: ‘Which begs the question, why now? Is it something to do with the fact that some of their commercial deals, such as Spotify, have fallen around their ears and they have been subject to ridicule in the U.S. in shows such as South Park and Family Guy? Could it be that they have realised moaning about how awful being a member of the Royal Family is, isn’t such a great strategy after all?’

The source noted that any invitation may not go down well with other senior royals, including the Prince of Wales, whose relationship with his younger brother is now non-existent. There was much chatter in royal circles yesterday as to whether the Waleses would even be present if Harry and Meghan were invited, suddenly finding Christmas with the Middleton family looking all the more appealing.

Another royal insider suggested to the Mail they thought the king would be more likely to invite Harry and Meghan to visit him in Scotland over the New Year, when the Waleses would be at Anmer Hall, their Norfolk country home. ‘It would certainly have the advantage of killing two birds with one stone; extending an olive branch to one son without causing difficulty to the other,’ they said.

‘Christmas plans are normally nailed down by now as Sandringham isn’t a particularly big place and there’s not a lot of room for the entire extended family,’ another source cautioned. ‘It would be surprising for the Sussexes not to have received an invitation by now if there was going to be one. New Year in Scotland would be more likely. But as with anything to do with Harry and Meghan, let’s face it, anything can happen.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I’m starting to formulate a theory about how this storyline happened. My guess is that William is, as ever, incandescent with rage, this time about his father’s obvious pleasure that the Sussexes got in touch on his birthday. Perhaps Charles pulled William aside at his birthday party and let William know that the Sussexes would get a real invitation to spend New Year’s in Scotland or something like that. William then rage-briefed Roya (one of his favorites, and author of the infamous “The Other Brother” profile) about how the Sussexes were desperate for a Christmas invite, only to then go to the Mail and threaten to avoid Sandringham for Christmas. What’s funny about that is that Will and Kate have no other options now – they can’t spend Christmas in Bucklebury with Kate’s grifter family. Carole and Michael are in hiding, they’re broke, they’re millions in debt, and most importantly, William doesn’t want to be seen with them.

So, yeah, while the birthday-phone call stuff seemed to come straight from Buckingham Palace, this Christmas-invite storyline has a distant Peg energy. William is desperate to believe that the Sussexes want to visit because their California lives are struggling. The Sussexes are not struggling.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.