In Spare, Prince Harry described how, in 2018, he and Meghan were newly married and expecting their first child (Archie), and how they had outgrown the tiny Nottingham Cottage. They had been offered several “grand” properties, but Harry didn’t want those. So QEII offered the Sussexes Frogmore Cottage, which was then a dilapidated shack in dire need of a full renovation. The reno was done quickly, at exorbitant cost (reportedly around $3.1 million), which should tell you a lot about the state of Frogmore Cottage. After they moved to America, Harry then “paid back” the cost of Frogmore’s renovation in full. Frogmore is just one of dozens of cottages, homes, castles, forts and palaces on the Royal Windsor estate, meaning it’s a royal property, so that money simply went back into whatever estate fund. Back in 2018-19, Harry was only given something like a two-year lease on the property. He reportedly renewed the lease on Frogmore even after the Sussexes moved to America, and when they visited the UK in recent years, they stayed at Frogmore. Well, funny story. King Charles is “evicting” them.

King Charles is evicting Prince Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage — and has offered it to Prince Andrew. The Sussexes are now drawing up plans to ship their remaining belongings to the US. The move, which follows damning allegations from Harry and Meghan about the royals, throws into doubt their chances of a coronation invite in May.

Disgraced Andrew was offered the keys to the five-bed Windsor home last week. King Charles began the process of chucking Harry and Meghan out of Frogmore Cottage days after his son’s controversial memoir Spare was released. Buckingham Palace issued an eviction notice to the US-based couple as the world reeled from the extraordinary attacks Harry launched against the Royal Family.

The disgraced Duke of York, who faces being booted out of his Royal Lodge mansion, was last week offered the smaller Frogmore Cottage, and is said to be “resisting”. But Harry and Meghan are believed to have no choice but to quit the Windsor property, a gift from the late Queen, which would leave them without a UK home. They are now drawing up plans to remove their belongings from the five-bed house and ship everything to Montecito, California.

The move also throws into doubt the couple’s chances of getting an invite to the Coronation of Charles and Queen Consort Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

An insider said: “This eviction surely spells the end of Harry and Meghan’s time in the UK. Andrew is resisting the idea of moving into Frogmore Cottage after he was offered it last week. But it shows Harry and Meghan are powerless to stop the eviction.”

[From The Sun]

“This surely spells the end of Harry and Meghan’s time in the UK.” They literally moved to America three years ago. “A gift from the late Queen,” a gift in which they paid for in full despite the face that they were given a short-term lease on a royal property. “It shows Harry and Meghan are powerless to stop the eviction…” You mean King Charles is so petty and punitive that he would illegally break his son’s lease on a tiny cottage on the Royal Windsor estate just as a show of his limp, flaccid power? Sure.

Anyway, when the Sussexes came to the UK last year for the Jubbly, I theorized that they took a private plane home because they were moving most of their stuff out of Frogmore anyway. I also assume that when Princess Beatrice and Jack Brooksbank were staying at Frogmore, they probably moved some of Harry and Meghan’s things into storage and/or brought their belongings to California when they visited. This idea that poor Harry and Meghan will have to scramble to move their things out after being “evicted” and “left homeless” is just Charles throwing red meat at the British papers. I suspect William is also behind this – after all, I’m pretty sure he fancies Royal Lodge for himself and he always has.

PS… I’m covering Scobie’s latest report separately, please don’t threadjack.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Netflix and Misan Harriman/The Sussexes.

OMG, new Sussex content!! I love that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to be seen this week. Harry and Meghan were in Los Angeles last night, and they went out to dinner at San Vicente Bungalows, a private club/restaurant frequented by A-listers. Like, Justin Bieber and his wife frequent San Vicente Bungalows. Meghan wore leather pants and a beige jacket and Harry looked happy in a sportcoat. You can see the exclusive pics at Page Six here (I’m including Page Six’s tweet below).

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell ‘Spare’ released https://t.co/LSzeWUL8lo pic.twitter.com/AfMYFSTU6b

— Page Six (@PageSix) March 1, 2023

Meanwhile, the Late Show released a previously unaired clip from Stephen Colbert’s interview with Prince Harry. This was Harry taking “the Colbert Questionnaire,” which is basically Colbert’s version of the Proust Questionnaire. Some notable answers from Harry….Best sandwich: “Cheese and ham toastie with Dijon mustard on top.” One thing he should throw out: “ripped boxer shorts.” Scariest animal: “To me, snakes.” Apples or oranges? “Oranges.” What does he think happens when we die? “I think we become animals.” He’d like to come back as an elephant. Favorite action movie? “Gladiator.” Window or aisle? “Cockpit.” Favorite smell? “My wife.” Most used app on his phone? “BetterUp.” Cats or dogs? “Dogs.” Describe the rest of your life in five words? “Freedom. Happiness. Clarity. Space. Love.”

Screencaps courtesy of The Late Show/CBS.

Zendaya will reportedly make $1 million per episode for Euphoria Season 3. Which sounds pretty fair? They should pay all of those actors more as well. [Dlisted]
A rundown on the completely psychotic Selena Gomez-Hailey Bieber stan-war on TikTok. You guys, please stop this. [Starcasm]
Kylie Minogue will perform at Sydney’s Pride parade. [OMG Blog]
This new meme format of tamed/shamed genitals is so weird/funny. [Jezebel]
King-of-Hollywood Tom Cruise sings “Hukuna Matata.” [LaineyGossip]
Ray Romano directed a movie and it actually looks really good? [Pajiba]
Austin Butler wore Gucci to the SAGs. [RCFA]
Evan Rachel Wood has receipts. [JustJared]
James Marsden led the blue-suit brigade at the SAGs. [GFY]
This is why Aubrey Plaza had a thunder-face at the SAGs. [Buzzfeed]
Ah yes, the woke debt ceiling. [Towleroad]
Jessica Biel & Jennifer Lawrence stepped out at W’s party this weekend. [Egotastic]

Gotta love the fact that when Prince William and Kate do events together, the bulk of the photos are just glamour shots of Kate’s wig of doom. So it was today, when the Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to South Wales ahead of St. David’s Day, a Welsh holiday celebrated on March 1st. To celebrate, Kate slapped on a wig and wore a new ensemble: a black-and-white skirt by Zara, a bespoke McQueen coat, Gianvito Rossi boots and a black Mulberry purse. She topped it off with earrings by Heavenly London. I’m shocked she didn’t theme-dress, or maybe she did and I’m just not getting it. I actually kind of like some of these pieces, but not all together?

Kate Middleton and Prince William are gearing up for their first St. David’s Day as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The royal couple visited South Wales on Tuesday ahead of the country’s national day on Wednesday: the feast day for St. David, Wales’ patron saint. Their first stop of the day was to the Brynawel Rehabilitation Centre, where the Prince and Princess of Wales saw a special initiative that will help create an outdoor space for growing vegetables and encourage better mental health in those struggling with the effects of drug and alcohol addiction. Their Royal Foundation is supporting social enterprise Life at No. 27 to help the organization scale up its plan for therapy gardens that aid well-being.

The new garden will include a collection of allotments for people to have their own space to learn and grow their own produce. It will sit alongside a communal sensory and herbal garden, a mud kitchen and an interactive learning space.

Amanda Berry, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Foundation, said in a statement, “Their Royal Highnesses are passionate about creating a lasting impact in the communities they visit, playing an instrumental role in bringing together local stakeholders to amplify the work of organizations and ensure support reaches those who need it most.”

She added the couple “continue to prioritize our society’s mental health and spending time in nature is known to have a range of benefits, including reducing depression and anxiety.”

[From People]

Looking through the photos we have at our photo agencies, there are no photos of William. It’s like photographers don’t even care. I suspect Welsh people don’t care either. I doubt either of them have learned the language either. “Still learning” for these two 40-somethings.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

There are a number of similar-sounding stories in the Times of London, the Daily Mail and the Daily Beast, all about the most pressing issue in the UK: whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend King Charles’s coronation. That’s what all of the palace briefings have been about for months, this single-minded, one-sided hysteria over the fact that no one knows if the Sussexes will come if and when they’re invited. Congrats to Charles, he finally gets the job he’s been waiting for his entire life and he’s being overshadowed by his charismatic son and daughter-in-law. Charles must love that! Still, Charles’s people are the ones briefing the media, alongside Prince William’s people. There’s still a minor briefing war happening as William continues to believe that “telling people he’s incandescent with rage” is the right way to deal with every issue. So, here’s an excerpt from the Times, which sounds a lot like a Daily Mail piece:

It has been clear since December that the royal family does not feel it has anything to apologise for [with regards to Harry]. A source close to the royal family told The Times: “I don’t think that there is any sense that an apology is owed.”

The source said that the duke and duchess would receive an invitation to the coronation, although none have been sent out yet. “But I don’t think it will be wrapped in an apologetic bow. It will be, ‘Here is an invitation. Let us know if you are coming.’ ”

As one source said recently: “They aren’t going to apologise because they don’t recognise Harry’s version of events.” However a “well-placed source” has now claimed that Harry wants an apology from Charles and William before he will attend.

The Times’s source said the coronation would not be a catalyst for further conversations aimed at ending the rift between Harry and his family. “They are entirely separate things in the eyes of the family.”

However, the King remains willing to talk to his younger son. “I’m sure that his father would be more than happy to sit down and have a conversation with him about everything that has happened. But it would not be a one-way street. He would be happy to talk and listen and understand. He has always tried to understand his son, even if he might not agree with him.”

Members of the royal household believe that Harry will attend the coronation, even if Meghan does not.“She will use the excuse of looking after Archie and Lilibet, and Archie’s birthday. But no-one really knows,” one said. The coronation is being held on their son Archie’s fourth birthday.

[From The Times]

That last part is what I wanted to discuss – the palace is openly briefing the British media about the Sussexes’ attendance, and they have been for months. The Sussexes haven’t confirmed anything because, as Omid Scobie wrote in his latest column, they haven’t even gotten an invitation. So we have the palace openly and preemptively pouring scorn on Meghan for “using the excuse” of… looking after her children. Almost as if a literal king chose his big fancy hat day specifically on his grandson’s birthday as a way to make Meghan choose? They might want to invest in a neon sign to hang over Big Ben: “MEGHAN IS NOT WELCOME.” Again, this is exactly like the Jubbly last year – they were all trying so hard to convince Meghan not to come, that she would be unwelcome, and then when the Sussexes only made a couple of brief appearances, the lopsided discourse was “how dare they not come to every single Jubbly event, where is Meghan!!!”

And again, none of these people can admit that Harry isn’t at their beck and call, that he won’t bury the hatchet and show up to be snubbed and sneered at just because they demand it. It’s driving them crazy.

Photos courtesy of Netflix.

For months, the coronation plans have been focused on King Charles’s need to throw himself a big clowning party and whether the Sussexes will turn up. But in recent days, a new storyline has emerged: the significance of the queen consort’s title and her children and grandchildren from her first marriage being included in the coronation. Camilla has two adult children, Laura and Tom Parker Bowles, and she has teenage grandchildren. Camilla wants her granddaughters to act as members of the aristocracy and hold some special Chubbly canopy during the coronation ceremony. As in, Camilla wants to ensure that her children and grandchildren have significant roles and a significant place within the coronation, all while Charles and Camilla are both making a huge deal about how the Sussexes will be punished and excluded from having roles in the same ceremony. Well, the royal rota has gotten their marching orders and they’re now busying themselves with the task at hand: fussing over the importance of highlighting the homewrecker queen’s family to the exclusion of everyone else. From Camilla Tominey’s latest piece in the Telegraph:

Queen Side Chick: At times, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex have seemed like a latter day reflection of the Brothers Grimm folk stories – struggling to adjust to the arrival of their father’s second wife following the death of their beloved mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Indeed, Harry’s autobiography Spare, which was highly critical of the Queen Consort, did little to alter perceptions of tensions at the heart of the monarchy over the woman Diana famously described as the “third person” in her marriage to Charles.

Camilla’s equal billing: Yet there is a changing of the guard under way in the Royal family which looks set to finally propel Camilla to the top of the House of Windsor hierarchy after two decades spent as her husband’s “plus one”. As she prepares to be crowned alongside the King on May 6, the 75-year-old divorcee is set to be given equal billing at the biggest royal event in 70 years.

A new era of equality: News that the grandmother of five’s own family is to play a part in the ceremony at Westminster Abbey speaks to a new era of equality behind palace walls, with the King having insisted that Camilla be placed on an almost equivalent footing to his own. It is not only a reflection of Charles III’s sense of devotion to the woman he describes as the “love of my life” but also designed to reflect a sense of the Royal family’s “realness” back to the public.

Ah, the Sussexes made the Windsors seem ‘real’: Yet while the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ popularity has nosedived in the UK since they first started washing the family linen on Oprah Winfrey’s primetime laundrette, in the wake of “Megxit” the public appears to find the Royals even more relatable. Yes – William and Kate’s reputations took a bit of a kicking with tales of hormonal disagreements and fights over dog bowls. But one unintended consequence of Harry’s memoir has been to make his nearest and dearest appear, as the late Queen once put it, as “like all the best families” with its “share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of disagreements”.

Roles for Camilla’s grandchildren & Prince George: A significant role is also being planned for Prince George, nine, not only as the King’s oldest grandchild but second in line to the throne. As one source told The Sunday Times: “It sends a nice signal and is quite a bold move. It is another example of the King and Queen Consort being unafraid to shake things up a bit to reflect the realities of modern life, of which a blended family is a central element.”

Montecito feathers: Yet what might this mean for frosty royal relations with Harry and Meghan? With the couple set to be invited to the long bank holiday weekend of celebrations, but with no word yet on whether they will actually attend, the move to include some grandchildren but not others is likely to ruffle feathers in Montecito. Harry already felt forced out by the late Queen and his father seemingly prioritising public appearances with William and George to his own immediate family. What he is likely to make of the Parker Bowles clan being front and centre is anyone’s guess (although he is said to get on well with his stepsiblings Tom and Laura, who were both invited to the royal wedding in 2018).

[From The Telegraph]

“Fights over dog bowls” are you f–king kidding me??? I’m always blown away by the level of projection allowed in British reporting. The Windsors do something awful, a royal reporter says “I bet Harry is mad about that,” and it immediately becomes part of the straight reporting, that there are “ruffled feathers” in Montecito. Now, I don’t think this ruffles feathers as much as it’s just another reason why Harry and Meghan will (hopefully) decide to opt out completely. My dream scenario is that Harry and Meghan don’t say anything either way until the very last moment – which would probably be mid-April – and then they announce that they’re not coming, they wish Charles well and they’re donating to some British charity as a way to highlight Charles’s excess.

As for Camilla getting everything she wants… from what I’ve seen in recent days, none of this is going down well in the UK or anywhere else. I think that’s why Tominey and the other reporters have been tasked with hyping up the “blended, modern family” angle. Except that the only blended, modern families acceptable to these people are the all-white ones, and no amount of embiggening is going to save this horsey mess.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

In 2015, Jon Hamm’s life fell apart. An old criminal investigation and prosecution from his college days came to light, and it turns out he was the ringleader of violent fraternity hazing assaults when he was in Texas. That all came to light in 2015. Then Mad Men ended, then Hamm went into rehab, and then he and Jennifer Westfeldt were done after eighteen years together, longer than most marriages and what was (in essence) a common-law marriage. In recent years, Hamm has been with Anna Osceola, who is 34. Hamm is 51. Now they’re engaged:

Jon Hamm and Anna Osceola are engaged! The Confess, Fletch costars are set to wed after two years of dating, PEOPLE confirms. The pair first reportedly met on the set of the AMC series Mad Men in 2015, before being spotted together on several occasions and romantically linked in 2020. Hamm’s rep has not commented.

Osceola, 34, appeared in the series’ final episode, where she had a small role playing the receptionist at Esalen, a spiritual California retreat that Hamm’s character (Don Draper) attended. At the time, Hamm, 51, was in a long-term relationship with Jennifer Westfeldt. The couple split months later after 18 years together.

Hamm and Osceola, who both keep off social media, were photographed together once in 2017; romance rumors took off in 2020 when they were seen out multiple times. Since then, they’ve been spotted stepping out for meals, playing tennis and enjoying a day at the beach. They also took a vacation to Italy together in September 2021.

[From People]

How are we calling this “two years of dating” when they’ve likely been together since 2017? The math isn’t mathing. As for this engagement… one of the biggest mysteries (for me) of Hamm’s relationship with Westfeldt was why they never married and which one of them was reticent. We heard different things over the years, that Hamm was up for it and she wasn’t, or vice versa. I don’t know. After nearly two decades in a long-time partnership, it must be hard to watch your ex propose to his next serious girlfriend. Sigh… in any case, congrats to Hamm and Anna Osceola.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Cate Blanchett reworked a years-old Louis Vuitton dress for the Producers Guild Awards. It looked… great, right?? [RCFA]
Andrew Garfield’s SAG presentation to Sally Field was so warm & lovely. [Just Jared]
I don’t have an issue with Pink being shady about Christina Aguilera, nor do I have an issue with the backlash against shady Pink. [Dlisted]
Rihanna will perform at the Oscars! [LaineyGossip]
Review of Cocaine Bear. [Pajiba]
I like Tessa Thompson’s style but I agree, this hasn’t been her best. [Go Fug Yourself]
Party Down is back! [Seriously OMG]
Trendspotting: “Yeehaw TikTok.” [Jezebel]
Dua Lipa wore a bodysuit in Milan. [Egotastic]
I love Cardi B’s community service selfies. [Buzzfeed]
Review/summary of last night’s episode of The Last of Us. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Madonna’s brother Anthony Ciccone has passed away. [Towleroad]

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Embed from Getty Images

Zendaya is just too beautiful for words. Props to her stylist, Law Roach, the best in the business. Roach is putting together these stunning looks for Zendaya and turning her into the most important person on every red carpet. At the SAG Awards, Zendaya wore this mind-blowing Valentino gown, paired with millions of dollars worth of Bulgari JEWELS. That necklace! The rings, the bracelets! Zendaya also changed right away once she was inside the venue so I kind of wonder if the jewels were snatched back two seconds after the red carpet?

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Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Angela Bassett wore this bright yellow Giambattista Valli gown. I enjoy Angela style and she’s having a great time, knowing that she “did the thing,” even if she’s not winning the big awards. I still think there’s a big chance that she wins the Oscar, don’t you?

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Jessica Chastain in Zuhair Murad. Eh. There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s beautifully tailored and I like the color. But it looks costume-y on her?

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Jenny Slate in Zuhair Murad. I saw people raving about this but I dislike it.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

In January, Prince Harry made his terms perfectly clear in several interviews to promote Spare. His terms for any reconciliation with his family included a sit-down meeting and an apology to both Harry and Meghan for how they’ve been treated. That’s it. Those are Harry’s terms, plainly and directly said. Since then, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have been openly briefing against Harry and freaking out over every little thing about Harry’s possible attendance at the coronation. Keep in mind, according to Omid Scobie’s sources, the Sussexes still haven’t received an invitation, and I personally don’t believe that King Charles has called his younger son either. Basically, the Windsors are throwing daily tantrums about Harry’s attendance and spinning these bonkers conspiracies and scenarios, all while they refuse to actually INVITE Harry. Well, Becky English at the Daily Mail got another “exclusive” and wouldn’t you know, they’ve turned “Harry wants an apology” into another screed about William’s incandescent rage and Charles being a dogsh-t father. Only this is supposed to be critical of… Harry.

No Apologies: King Charles and the Prince of Wales have no intention of giving Prince Harry the apology he is demanding from them if he is to attend the Coronation. Neither Charles nor William is said to be in any mood to pander to Harry’s demands following his latest attacks on the Royal Family. Some sources sympathetic to the royals’ predicament have described the situation as a ‘toxic stalemate’. ‘There is still a huge amount of ill will boiling over in the family,’ one said.

Open invitation: As the Mail reported last year, Harry, 38, has long had an ‘open’ invitation to all family events as a member of the Royal Family, despite having quit official duties. That olive branch is still there, although it has been stretched to the limit by his and wife Meghan’s repeated attacks on the family via their Netflix documentary series, Harry’s memoir and numerous critical television and print interviews.

Derisive towards Omid Scobie: One journalist with close links to the Sussexes, Omid Scobie, claimed this week that ‘no-one knows their plans right now – the couple has yet to be invited and can’t make a decision, nor any form of itinerary, until that happens’. But those with knowledge of the Coronation’s planning have greeted this claim with snorts of derision, and describe it as ‘the Sussexes’ classic get-out clause… As if a piece of gold-embossed card would change everything,’ one said. ‘The problem goes far, far deeper than that.’

A source literally repeats what Harry said on-camera: One well-placed source says Harry has made it clear that he wants a private ‘apology’ of some sort from both Charles and William before he will attend. There is no mention of Meghan, but as their son, Archie, celebrates his fourth birthday on the same day, there is an assumption by many that she is unlikely to go to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation anyway. The idea of an apology is something Harry has raised publicly, when he told ITV’s Tom Bradby in an interview that ‘the ball is in their court’.

No conversations: The Mail has been told that King Charles, 74, is at least prepared to speak to Harry – ‘he’s his son, he loves him’, a friend declared. But William, 40, is said to be emphatically ‘not in the mood for any kind of conversation’. And Harry’s private insistence that he and his wife are owed an apology before any rapprochement can begin has become a major sticking point for both the King and his elder son. ‘What are the family meant to apologise for?’ one insider asked. ‘As the late Queen said, recollections may vary.’

William remains incandescent: Another source said it was likely there would be conversations between the two camps in the coming weeks over arrangements for May. But they warned: ‘I don’t think His Majesty is minded to apologise for anything at present. Quite the opposite. There is still a huge amount of ill will boiling over in the family. Conversations could still happen in the next few weeks [over the Sussexes’ attendance], I am sure, but they will be waiting a very long time for an apology. There’s a great deal of hurt [at Harry’s actions].’ Another family friend added: ‘I hear that William has no intention whatsoever of apologising and remains incandescent, especially around the way his wife, the Princess of Wales, has been treated.’

William won’t even look at Harry: ‘The relationship isn’t even rock bottom now, it’s non-existent,’ the source said. ‘And I just don’t see, if Harry were to come to the Coronation, how William could even bring himself to look his brother in the face.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I get the impression that Charles and William have just been sitting and stewing about Harry’s early-January interviews for seven weeks now, and they’re constantly getting mad about Harry’s words all over again every single day. Like, I know Harry’s directness made them uncomfortable, I know Harry’s insistence that the Windsors mistreated him and Meghan has made everyone incandescent with rage, but this just reads like Charles and William are struggling and failing to regain power, control and the upper hand. Is it really that simple? It might be – they’re two weak men trying to convince everyone (mostly themselves) that they still have control of the narrative, that Harry will do whatever they say, that Harry is dying to reconcile by any means necessary, etc. Pathetic. William absolutely sits around all day, every day, screaming into a pillow and punching walls because Harry said “they should apologize to me and my wife.”

This passage makes zero sense: “But those with knowledge of the Coronation’s planning have greeted this claim with snorts of derision, and describe it as ‘the Sussexes’ classic get-out clause… As if a piece of gold-embossed card would change everything,’ one said. ‘The problem goes far, far deeper than that.’” The Chubbly planners – who have not sent an invitation to the Sussexes yet – are derisively snorting at Omid Scobie for saying that the Sussexes haven’t received their invitations yet and they won’t make their decision until they receive them. It’s not so much the Sussexes’ “get out clause” as the Sussexes… not making up their minds until they’re actually invited? These people are so f–king stupid.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.