Back in the day, the Daily Mail ran a popular annual series in which they added up the cost of the Princess of Wales’s clothing, shoes, purses and jewelry. Even though Kate has never worked that much at all, her annual wardrobe tallies skyrocketed every year… when she was the Duchess of Cambridge. Then when QEII died and Prince William became the Prince of Wales and got access to the Duchy of Cornwall funds, Kate rarely gets to buy or wear new clothes. The one exception was last year’s coronation, in which Kate blew £32,000 on that terrible headpiece. Obviously, Kate has barely been seen this year, so I doubt we’ll even get an accounting on Kate’s 2024 wardrobe. But the Mail still wanted to yell about something, so they are once again pretending that the Duchess of Sussex is still being funded by the Windsors or the taxpayers somehow. Five years later, they’re still upset about Meghan’s clothes and jewelry, even though Meghan spends her own money buying her clothes (and investing in various companies). So here we go, Meghan spent “a staggering £102,989” on clothes and jewelry this year. Gasp.

Over the past year, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, made a total of 56 public appearances across the world. For each of these outings – from ‘quasi royal tours’ and private lunches, to gala dinners and polo matches – the Duchess of Sussex stepped out in meticulously put-together outfits – wearing a mix of time-honoured as well as brand new pieces from her ever-expanding wardrobe.

This year, Meghan, 43, was spotted in never-before-seen clothing and jewellery items totalling a staggering £102,989 – an increase of nearly £20,000 from her 2023 total of £86,612.

While a working member of the Royal Family, the cost of Meghan’s clothes for work engagements was covered by then-Prince Charles through the budget he gave the couple from the Duchy of Cornwall. However, since the couple became financially independent, it is not clear who is picking up the bill for Meghan’s clothes, whether she pays full price or receives discounts from designers.

This year, the Duchess debuted two new Logan Hollowell diamond necklace – estimated to be worth over £35,000 in total – as well as new pieces from Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz that stole the show during her visit to the South American nation earlier this year.

Meanwhile, she rewore her trusty Cartier Love Bracelet as well as Princess Diana’s Cartier Tank Francaise wristwatch multiple times, with Meghan paying subtle tribute to the late Princess of Wales with her sartorial choices.

[From The Daily Mail]

The Mail does this every year: “since the couple became financially independent, it is not clear who is picking up the bill for Meghan’s clothes, whether she pays full price or receives discounts from designers.” Who the f–k do you think pays for Meghan’s clothes? Meghan the millionaire, who has friendships and associations with various designers and stores. She probably does get discounts and tons of free stuff, and good for her. Anyway, she wore some good looks this year, even if she’s still in love with that ghastly shade of beige.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid, Cover Images.

Over the weekend, Justin Baldoni’s team began to fight back against Blake Lively and her team. Just days before Christmas, Blake filed a suit against Baldoni, claiming that he sexually harassed her while they filmed It Ends With Us. Not only that, Blake’s team made some bombshell allegations about Baldoni waging a social manipulation campaign to destroy her reputation online. Blake’s story is backed up by her access to emails and texts between Baldoni’s publicist and crisis manager. Baldoni’s team went to the Daily Mail (yikes) to preview what’s next for him in this battle – they said that Baldoni would countersue Blake and that (basically) Blake is just mad that her attempted smear campaign against Baldoni failed and boomeranged back onto her over the summer. After the Mail published that exclusive, People Magazine got their own exclusive from Baldoni’s team:

Justin Baldoni’s lawyer says that the actor’s impending lawsuit against Blake Lively will not only bring forth the “truth” — but also expose “those who believe themselves untouchable.”

“This is not a response or countersuit — it’s a deliberate pursuit of truth,” attorney Bryan Freedman exclusively tells PEOPLE of Baldoni’s forthcoming lawsuit, which follows Lively’s explosive complaint accusing Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us and a subsequent retaliatory smear campaign.

Freedman, a veteran Hollywood lawyer, also says that Baldoni’s filing will “expose” falsities in Lively’s complaint — specifically a series of private text messages that allegedly show Baldoni texting and emailing with PR executive Jennifer Abel and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan as they planned what Lively, 37, alleges was a smear campaign orchestrated to “destroy” her reputation.

“This lawsuit will uncover and expose the false and destructive narrative that was intentionally engineered by a trusted media publication who relied upon nefarious sources and neglected a thorough fact checking process to confirm the validity of these texts,” Freedman tells PEOPLE. “There is an insurmountable collection of authentic evidence, including timelines and communications, which have not been doctored or spliced without context, unlike the altered [New York Times] story that ran on Saturday, December 21st 2024,” he continues in the written statement.

The article Freedman is referring to — titled “ ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” — broke the news of Lively’s complaint the day after she filed it in California.

“In over three decades of legal practice, I’ve never witnessed such unethical behavior, fueled by those who abuse their power and manipulate the truth,” Freedman adds. “This isn’t an isolated case; it’s a recurring pattern in Hollywood and the mainstream media where careers and reputations are destroyed to maintain control. Legacy media has long weaponized their platforms to distort the truth, exploit vulnerabilities, and destroy lives without accountability,” the attorney continues. “These lawsuits will confront this system head-on, ensuring that no individual or entity, no matter how influential, can continue perpetuating this cycle of fear and destruction.”

“The truth will not only come to light — it will dismantle the illusions propped up by those who believe themselves untouchable,” Freedman concludes.

A representative for Lively did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Dec. 29.

[From People]

For what it’s worth, I think it’s odd and notable that there’s so much focus on the “social manipulation” part of Blake’s claim and not the sexual harassment part. Blake’s case against Baldoni for sexual harassment and inappropriate/toxic behavior seems to be more cut and dry, and from what I’ve seen, she has some documentation to back it up, including lots of high-level meetings with the studio. The social manipulation part of her claim is a lot trickier than her side wants to admit. As someone who reads “legacy media” and gossip outlets like Page Six on a daily basis, I remember the curious, anti-Baldoni stories “planted” in various outlets ahead of IEWU’s release. Now, does Baldoni actually have evidence that Blake’s team was trying to hurt him over the summer, or is it all insinuation? I don’t know.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

It’s been a minute since Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were together in New York, but that’s where they were over the weekend. On Friday night, they were seen out on a double date with Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley – they went to BondST for dinner, and People Mag carried those photos exclusively. On Saturday, Travis and Taylor went to dinner at Chez Margaux, a members-only “supper club” and nightclub in the Meatpacking District. Taylor is a member of several of those private clubs in New York!

I saw people complaining about Taylor’s ensemble from Saturday night, but I sort of like it? Her coat is Simkhai Ganni, and she carried a Stella McCartney bag. She also wore Louboutins, the red soles of which “matched” Travis’s hideous ensemble. This is how so many celebrity couples look these days – it’s giving Justin and Hailey Bieber, right? The guy looks like he’s coming from the gym or like he slept in his clothes, all while the woman looks like she spent two hours in hair and makeup. It was rainy all weekend across the Eastern seaboard, I’m surprised Taylor’s hair didn’t get frizzy (mine certainly did).

Meanwhile, Page Six recently claimed that Taylor plans on spending more time in Kansas City and Nashville now that the Eras Tour has wrapped. Page Six’s “insider” claims this will be “Taylor’s domestic era” where she’s more focused on Travis and her relationship. We’ll see – I think Travis enjoys being in New York, and lord knows how much longer he’ll play football.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

There are few things funnier than a “royal expert” Britsplaining Americans and American customs to a British audience. I’ll never forget the royal experts fumbling to explain the importance of the Fourth of July to a British audience, not to mention their convoluted explanations for Thanksgiving. Well, Prince Harry and Meghan just spent their fifth Christmas in a row in Montecito (in 2019, they spent the holiday in Canada). They have not spent Christmas in the UK since 2018. The royal experts are at a loss to explain why Harry and Meghan are not desperate to follow German-Christmas rules whilst sleeping on lumpy cots in the servants’ quarters of Sandringham. So royal expert Ingrid Seward was called upon to Britsplain the oh-so-American Christmas customs Harry and Meghan might follow. Some highlights:

Sandringham is the golden ticket!! At a recent solo outing, Meghan touched on what Christmas would look like for the Sussexes, saying they would have a great meal and play games before hinting they would have a singalong with a guitar. And royal biographer Ingrid Seward says this couldn’t be more different for Harry who used to view Christmas at Sandringham as the “golden ticket”. She told the Mirror: “The present opening on Christmas Eve with his extended family and then church and traditional Christmas lunch the next day. Then the Boxing Day pheasant shoot and in between loads of party games and drinking.”

A happy-holidays tradition: “Since his marriage to Meghan in 2018, Harry has only had Christmas at Sandringham once in December the same year. Instead, he has embraced the traditions of the ‘happy holidays’ favoured by his adopted country. The only relative he has in California is his mother-in-law, Doria and according to Meghan, she will be have been with them at their Montecito home. They will have picked a tree from the rows upon rows of Christmas pines in one of the local stores. Their house will be decorated, and the yard (garden) strung with festive lights. The wealthy residents of Montecito hire interior designers to decorate their houses and trees to perfection.”

Meghan would never hire anyone to decorate for the holidays: “It would not look good if Meghan who publicises herself as the all-American homemaker was to hire someone to adorn their house and decorate their tree. She will have done it herself and made the gingerbread house as is traditional in America.”

Why King Charles didn’t invite the Sussexes: Ingrid added: “Back at Sandringham it will have been the traditional Christmas UK style that Harry knows so well. King Charles would have loved the opportunity to see his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, but he knew inviting Harry and Meghan would have been awkward for the rest of the family. So, there was no official invitation.

The Sussexes were invited to Althorp though: “Harry and Meghan were invited for Christmas at Althorp with thrice-married Uncle Charles, now Earl Spencer, but have decided to stay in California. Meghan says it’s important for her that Archie and Lilibet can have ‘connective memories’ of Thanksgiving and Christmas at home and enjoy the traditions like putting out ‘carrots for the reindeer.’

[From The Daily Mirror]

C-Word is killing me: “It would not look good if Meghan who publicises herself as the all-American homemaker was to hire someone to adorn their house and decorate their tree.” Decorating the tree is one of the best moments of the holidays, why would Meghan and Harry outsource that? And does Seward imagine that the Windsors decorate their own trees? Please, of course not. Now, considering the size of the Sussexes’ enormous Montecito property, I bet they do hire professionals to put lights on their mansion and in their yard. Anyway, I’m sure the Sussexes had a lovely Christmas full of their new family traditions and I bet Meghan cooked and baked a lot throughout the week. Look at me, I can do the same thing as Seward: it is believed that Harry, following gauche American peasant traditions, played dress up as someone called ‘Santa Claus’ and gave ‘gifts’ to his children. It is understood that the Sussexes’ marriage is on its last leg because Meghan was seen kissing Santa underneath the mistletoe.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Netflix.

President Jimmy Carter passed away at his home in Georgia on Sunday. He lived to 100 years old, the oldest any former president has ever lived. His beloved wife Rosalynn Carter passed away in November 2023, and President Carter basically held on throughout this year so he could cast his vote for Kamala Harris. Now that Carter has passed away within weeks of the inauguration, that means all federal buildings will be flying their flags at half-mast when that ugly orange man is sworn in. Which is fitting. It’s also fitting that President Carter adiosed out of the sh-tshow that will be 2025 and the second Donald Trump administration.

Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Ga., after deciding nearly two years ago to forgo further medical care following a series of medical crises, according to two people close to the family and The Carter Center, the nonprofit he and his wife founded.

At 100, he was the longest-lived president in American history and became known as much for his post-presidential diplomacy and charitable works as for his single, economically turbulent term in office.

Tributes poured in on Sunday from his White House successors, including President Biden, who said in a statement that “America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.” President-elect Donald J. Trump said in a statement that Mr. Carter “did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Mr. Carter, a peanut farmer and former Naval officer who served aboard submarines and studied nuclear physics, was elected governor of Georgia as a Democrat in 1970. With a promise never to lie to the American public, Mr. Carter positioned himself as the reformist antidote to an era of deep political mistrust after Watergate and the Vietnam War and won the presidency in 1976.

He presided over four tumultuous years plagued by long gas lines, high inflation and the Iran hostage crisis. But he also signed a strategic arms limitation agreement with the Soviet Union and helped forge the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. Mr. Carter cemented his legacy with a deeper engagement in public affairs than any other former president of modern times and was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.

Chip Carter, the former president’s son, said in a statement his father was a hero to “everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.” He added, “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”

[From The NY Times]

He was a very spiritual man, a mensch among men, a humanitarian and a blessed peacemaker. I’m not sure what I believe at this point, but I hope he’s reunited with Rosalynn and that he watches over all of us.

When I look at Jimmy Carter, I see a man not only for our times, but for all times. A man who embodied the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away.

And while we may never see his likes again, we would all do well to try to be a little more like Jimmy Carter. pic.twitter.com/I0xDM05xmH

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 30, 2024

Over six decades, Jill and I had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend.

But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. pic.twitter.com/irknhZ6CJY

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2024

I kept changing my mind which Jimmy Carter cartoon i should go with. Here’s all three. pic.twitter.com/SxYD0YmCdZ

— mike luckovich (@mluckovichajc) December 29, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Khloe Kardashian has had a relatively quiet year. She’s still part of her family’s reality show and she’s still doing various businesses, but overall, she hasn’t been making much news in 2024. She’s just raising her kids and enjoying being single. 2025 is going to be bigger for Khloe though. She’s launching her new perfume, XO Khloe, and a new podcast. She’s a pod-gal. This is why she agreed to a Bustle cover interview, to take stock of her life now that she’s 40 years old. Some highlights from Bustle:

She doesn’t want to just get paid for wearing anything: “When I first started in this industry, people would be like, ‘Here’s X amount of money if you wear this sweater.’ And I was like, ‘You get paid to wear a sweater?!’ It was such a foreign concept to me and I was so excited. But I don’t just want to promote something that I really don’t stand behind. I could be doing cash grabs all day long if I didn’t have a conscience. I could be on OnlyFans, I could be doing crazy things — but that’s not my thing.”

Turning 40 this year: “When you’re young, you think 40 is so old, and now I’m like, “Wait — I feel so good!” I am in the best shape of my life. I’m doing new career stuff. I’ve only been 40 for about six months, but it’s the absolute best. You don’t give a sh*t about some of the stuff you once did. Intentionally, at 39, I tried to close a lot of chapters. I called it shedding — shedding this decade of my 30s and this energy I wanted to leave behind. There are so many new things that I’m doing in my first year of 40 that I know for a fact my 40s and on are going to be f*cking incredible.

Her new podcast: “The podcast is about my curiosities — all the things I wonder about — but overall I want people to get a positive message. It’s not going to be salacious. I am not going to be gossiping about other people. It’s more the things that I’m into. I love talking about religion or grief or the afterlife or healing and trauma, dating, relationships. It’s all over the place. I’ve recorded two episodes so far — one with Jay Shetty, so it’s so funny you said that — and I recorded one with Scott Disick, my brother-in-law.

Her weight-loss journey: “It is a journey and it is a constant struggle, at least for me….looking back, when I was bigger, I thought I was the hottest thing in the world. I had so much more confidence the bigger I was, which is what’s crazy. And then the more in shape I am, the more insecure I can get because I’m so hard on myself. It’s a vicious cycle that you don’t get out of. But when I started losing weight, I got the same thing. I was fat-shamed every day when I was bigger, and then when I lost weight, people were like, How dare you, you are so insecure, you’re following society. And I’m like, “OK, you guys are so confusing!” I realized you’ll never make everyone happy. I have to do what’s best for me.

A therapist disclosed information about her to a tabloid: “My weight loss journey started because I was getting a divorce. I remember I was going to therapy and the next thing I knew, something private I told my therapist was on a tabloid. And I knew that my therapist disclosed this information to a tabloid because there’s no way this could have gotten out there. So I stopped going to therapy and started going to the gym. I needed a release, but I did not trust anybody else anymore. And the place that I felt the safest was the gym.”

Ten years of workouts: “My body started changing. I loved the way I felt. I loved testing myself and challenging myself. And I’ve been doing it for 10-plus years now, and I love it. Over the past three years, people are like, “You must have gotten surgery because you just lost weight.” I’m like, “It’s been a 10-year journey! What are you talking about?” But even if people get surgery or [get on] the Ozempic craze, I’m like, “Who cares!” As long as people feel good about themselves, who am I to judge? I think it’s ridiculous, the judgment on that. I’m just mad [Ozempic] wasn’t around 10 years ago.

Now she goes to Kim’s therapist: “I do go to therapy now. I started when I was 39. She’s really lovely and I really like her. It’s actually Kim’s therapist. Kim was really adamant. I was like, “I’ll do this for you.” I dragged my feet, and then I was like, “Wow, OK, this is good. I needed this.” And my therapist was like, “I think you should come three days a week.” [Laughs.] She was like, “You really need to be here.” It all worked out.

She’s been single for three years: “Dating has not been a focus for me, and I’ve been single for about three years and love it. I really, really do. But I’m not single and dating. I’m just single. I have such power and strength in that. I’m not lonely. There would be a difference if I was single and lonely: “I really need my partner.” I am single and thriving. I feel like I’m working on myself so much and am getting to such a good place that I just don’t want something to disrupt it. Also, I don’t know if it’s just me, but dating today is very scary. I’m not going to meet someone on social media. I’m not checking my DMs. I’m not!…It’s awful anywhere. I just can’t imagine I would bring a man that I’m dating around my kids. So then where do I go to date you? I’m not going to a restaurant where there’s paparazzi and everyone’s going to say we’re getting married next week. I’m not going to your home because what if you kill me? You’re not coming to my home — I have kids! And I’m not going to a hotel — that’s presumptuous. So I’m like, “What do you do?”

[From Bustle]

I honestly like what she says about being single? It reminds me of what a lot of women have been trying to tell men these days: men should worry that many women simply prefer being on their own rather than trying to deal with men these days. Men think they can bully and threaten women and call women “childless cat ladies,” but women are increasingly like “wow, the childless cat lady lifestyle is so much better than dealing with men.” I also agree with what she says about weight loss and how people responded to her weight loss. The one thing I’ll say is that while I do think she works out a lot, I think she and Kim are also getting surgery (lipo) and butt lifts and all of that.

Photos courtesy of Khloe’s IG and Bustle.

For the better part of fifteen years, Daniel Craig really only gave interviews to promote James Bond. He was a good Bond, although I thought Craig was poorly served by the writers and directors during his tenure as 007. But Bond took a lot out of him, and so Daniel Craig sort of became known as a permanent grump, always wishing he had one foot out the door of the franchise. Now that he’s three years past his last Bond film, he’s getting the best reviews of his life in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. He’ll probably get an Oscar nomination for it. And so we’re getting a different version of Daniel Craig – more grown up, wiser, less of a grump. He recently chatted with the Times about sex scenes, 007 and more. Since it was a British paper, there was A LOT about Bond. Some highlights:

His advice to himself as a young man was “Don’t get bitter.” “And look. I can be jealous. To this day I think, ‘Oh, why has he got that part?’ But you have to own failure because you can’t control what other people think. You just have to hope and get on with it because, clearly, I could not have planned for my life. This just happened — and it is still happening? F***ing amazing!’”

‘Queer’ has a lot of messy sex: “Yes, because sex is messy…There are terrible sex scenes and I’ve probably been in a few. So it was important not to be coy.”

‘Queer’ has nothing to do with James Bond: “I couldn’t have done this while doing Bond.” Why not? “It would look reactionary, like I was showing my range. Early on with Bond I thought I had to do other work, but I didn’t. I was becoming a star, whatever that means, and people wanted me in their films. Incredible. Most actors are out of work for large chunks so you take your job offers — but they left me empty. Then, bottom line, I got paid. I was so exhausted at the end of a Bond it would take me six months to recover emotionally. I always had the attitude that life must come first and, when work came first for a while, it strung me out.”

He’s 56 years old with a 6-year-old daughter Grace: “I live a busy life and so does my wife. We have children. I think how work will impact my life. [Craig has a grown-up daughter from a previous relationship, while Weisz has a teenage son with the director Darren Aronofsky.]”

Whether Bond producers controlled his image: “No, but the last thing I’d want is to screw with the brand. That’s shooting yourself in the foot. Again, people would ask, ‘What conversation are you trying to raise?’ I don’t have the energy.”

Whether he cares about his replacement as 007: “But of course I care! I keep saying I don’t, because people ask me all the time and I’m an ornery, grumpy old man, so I say I don’t give a sh-t. But I care about it deeply — deeply. I care what the franchise does, because I love Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G Wilson, the producers]. But it’s not my decision or problem. I wish them luck.”

Art is important: “I know what people think of actors — ‘Oh, silly people.’ Yet I’m proud of what I do and it’s important that people do what I do.” In what way? “Because it is being eroded,” he says. He mentions Dahomey, this year’s documentary about art returned from France to Benin. “It makes you think what our culture means and, without it, we are nothing. Any government that takes funding away from our cultural life is stripping us, so if I play a very small part in creating some culture, then I’m incredibly proud. Look, I grew up with subsidised theatre. Some was brilliant, some was sh-t. But it flooded money into this country and enriched it. Also, my family didn’t have any money. My mother was a teacher. It was pitiful the wage she was on. I don’t look at my upbringing as harsh — just normal. But I went to drama school on a full ride. That doesn’t exist any more. Who can afford to go to drama school now?”

Male vulnerability: “Male vulnerability is really interesting because, as tough as men appear to be, they’re all vulnerable. We all hide – from our kids, spouses, colleagues. The armour of masculinity is there for a reason and what is that reason? I’m always exploring it.”

Whether he cares if he gets his first Oscar nomination: “Of course! Don’t be stupid, I’d be over the moon to get a nomination.” This is refreshing — few admit that awards matter. “Well, it’s scary. Awards go the way of the wind, but I cannot say, ‘I don’t give a sh-t!’ Still, years ago I learnt how arbitrary this is. It was soul-destroying, rejection after rejection. Because you think, ‘Can I act?’ But there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s a coin toss in many ways, so you have to let it go. And it’s all gravy for me now.”

[From The Times]

The thing about drama school is interesting – I remember this was a larger conversation more than a decade ago, when British people started wondering where all of the working-class actors had gone and why every British actor under the age of 35 was a posh private-school graduate. Are there really no more drama school scholarships for working class actors?? As for all of the Bond talk… three years and the producers still haven’t found the new Bond. They won’t ask for Daniel’s blessing, but sure, he does care who takes over. Anyway, I hope he and Rachel Weisz are happy. Sexiest couple, ISTG.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Happy 29th birthday to Capricorn king Timothee Chalamet. [Hollywood Life]
Jay-Z’s accuser will remain unidentified publicly. [JustJared]
Young Ralph Fiennes! [GFY]
Matt Gaetz’s insane texts. [Jezebel]
A rave review of Babygirl. [Pajiba]
Men are awful, part eleventy billion. [Buzzfeed]
Amanda Bynes made a rare public appearance. [Socialite Life]
Jeopardy had a “cinematic vampires” category. [Seriously OMG]
Jared Leto was cast as Skeletor?? [OMG Blog]

As I looked through the “royal Christmas” photos of the Windsors’ walk to church, I was slightly surprised to see the Snowdons and Chattos included. The current Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, went to Sandringham for Christmas, as did Samuel Chatto, the 28-year-old grandson of the late Princess Margaret. While King Charles is reportedly close to his first cousins (David Armstrong-Jones and Sarah Chatto), I didn’t realize that he was close enough to their children to extend invitations to Sandringham. Not only that, but Samuel Chatto was “allowed” to bring his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to royal Christmas as well. It’s the first time a girlfriend/partner has been included since… Meghan Markle in 2017.

The Duchess of Sussex was missing from Sandringham, but there was one member of the Royal Family who benefited from a tradition that was broken for the American former actress. Princess Margaret’s grandson Samuel Chatto was allowed to invite his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to stay at the Norfolk retreat.

She was able to do so after King Charles followed the example of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who permitted Meghan Markle to join the festive gathering in 2017, five months before she exchanged vows with Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Meghan was the first person to be allowed to spend Christmas at Sandringham before marrying into the Royal Family.

Kate Middleton, for example, had to wait until after she became the Duchess of Cambridge and Sophie Rhys-Jones did not stay before she married Prince Edward and received the Countess of Wessex title.

‘This is a clear sign that there will be a royal wedding in the new year,’ remarks an excited observer of the Windsors.

I disclosed in 2021 that Sam, 28, had started going out with Eleanor, who’s an artist and also 28.
Not only had Edinburgh University graduate Sam struck up a romance with the London-based painter, but he had also become her muse. Eleanor told me at the time: ‘We are a couple.’

Inspired by her new love, the arts professor’s daughter had started depicting Sam in her work. Eton-educated ceramicist Sam comes from an arty family himself: his mother, the King’s cousin Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, often submits her artworks for the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition, and his father is the actor-turned-artist Daniel Chatto.

[From The Daily Mail]

It’s interesting that the extended Armstrong-Jones clan is so artsy! Tony Armstrong-Jones, the first Earl of Snowdon, was a famous and talented photographer. Princess Margaret was very musical too, and she had the dramatic flair of an actress. Their children got involved in the art world, and their children are artsy too. That being said, Samuel’s younger brother Arthur is in the Royal Marines. Maybe he paints or sculpts though, you never know. As for a potential engagement in the new year… it’s likely, given the girlfriend’s inclusion at Sandringham. The Windsors need those kinds of events too, family weddings and youth.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

On Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales looked like she was feeding on the attention she got by being center stage on the church walk. Kate apparently lingered with the crowd, shaking hands and taking photos and accepting gifts. Prince William left her behind, taking the kids ahead and waiting a distance away. Kate was the last royal left on the “walkabout.” I’m of two minds about that – one, it’s telling that William and the kids weren’t also greeting people at the same time and the visual of William and the kids leaving her behind is pretty interesting. On the other side, it’s a sort of royal fan-service and more people in that family should chat longer with their fans. And the people who come out to see the Windsors on Christmas Day really are the biggest die-hard royalists out there. People Magazine had an exclusive with comments from some of the people who met Kate:

Her presence on Christmas Day, alongside Prince William and their children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — was both comforting and uplifting as she warmly interacted with well-wishers, receiving hugs, handshakes and heartfelt Christmas wishes. Kate’s connection with the public was palpable, as she engaged with each person. There was a clear sense of joy and relief in her demeanor — her face lighting up as she smiled and chatted with the crowd.

“I think I’ve lost my family!” she quipped at one point to the crowd as she realized that she was the last royal family member left on the walkabout. William and their children were several yards away, waiting for Kate to finish so they could return to Sandringham for their Christmas lunch. It was a moment that harkened back to Kate’s signature style — always happy to linger with the people who come out to see her, even when it means she’s the last to leave.

One of the many who benefitted from Kate’s personal touch on Christmas was Louis Beauchamp, a teacher from Paris who had traveled to Sandringham specifically to see Kate. Beauchamp had met Kate for the first time in May 2023 ahead of the King’s coronation, when she and Prince William visited a pub for a walkabout.

“I had an unforgettable interaction with Catherine,” Beauchamp tells PEOPLE. “She told me she was trying to get her kids to speak more French and urged me to keep up the hard work with my students. Unfortunately, when she announced she was suffering from cancer, I knew we would not be seeing her in public for a very long time,” he continues. “Sandringham was the best opportunity for me. So, I booked a trip and went there to show I was still there to support her and always will.”

Beauchamp, who teaches English in France and has been inspired by the princess’s Early Years work, had a special gift for Kate — a scarf he had made for in Morocco, along with a heartfelt letter about the “positive impact she has had on my life over the years,” he says. When he handed it to her, Kate thanked him for his kindness.

“She thanked me very much and said it was wonderful and so kind of me to have come again,” he shares. “She was as genuine and close to people as I remembered. She seemed so happy to be with us again. You could tell she was truly touched.”

Another well-wisher, 73-year-old Karen Maclean, who has endured cancer for over 20 years, shared a heartfelt exchange with both Kate and King Charles.

“We just had a little talk about cancer,” she told Sky News, noting the warm connection she shared with the Princess of Wales. Kate gave Maclean a hug as she learned the woman had traveled all the way from North Lincolnshire for the occasion. She noted that both Kate and King Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, appeared “very well actually, considering what they’re going through.” As for her embrace from the princess, she added, “What a privilege.”

[From People]

I honestly can’t imagine doing this much to see any royal. It’s very much a dedicated fanbase, like Taylor Swift’s Swifties or Beyonce’s Beyhive. Kate is their “queen” and they’ll book their trip from France to Norfolk on Christmas Day just for a glimpse of Kate. Anyway, Kate’s appearance and demeanor in Sandringham this year sort of made me believe that the Windsors are actively benching her, as opposed to “Kate doesn’t WANT to do anything, so she isn’t.” Kate probably wanted to go to those tiara-events but she was told to stay home. She was probably also told she could only go to Wimbledon for one day. And Buckingham Palace probably didn’t know anything about that fakakta “cancer-free” video before it dropped.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.