In his first address to the nation, King Charles III made a surprising amount of news and almost all of it was about his sons. Charles notably announced that William and Kate would be getting the Prince of Wales/Princess of Wales titles, which means that George, Charlotte and Louis are all now “of Wales” rather than “of Cambridge” or “of Cornwall.” Prince George of Wales, etc. Wales will be what they use as surnames (i.e. George Wales) for school and what have you. Interestingly, King Charles III did not use any titles in reference to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He said: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”

That one sentence launched a thousand thinkpieces about what’s really going on and what Harry said to his father and what Charles wants, etc. My interpretation: Harry has made it clear that regardless of what happens next, he and Meghan consider Montecito their home. I also think Charles probably prefers that, but I also believe that Charles knows that there can’t be this constant transatlantic beef between them. Other people had different theories about what the new king meant. Like this guy.

The King, 73, spoke of both of his children in the address, saying he wished to “express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas”. The Sussexes’ decision to step back as senior royals and move to the US caused a rift in the Firm – but a royal expert says Charles’ comments showed he was trying to heal old wounds.

Royal expert Nigel Cawthorne said the words showed he wanted the couple back “in the fold”.

He told The Sun: “That was rather interesting. [King Charles] is obviously trying to paper over the cracks there and try and draw them back into the fold. And when you think about it, Harry and Meghan may be getting a Netflix contract in the US, but they’ve played their trump card of being royal. In 20 or 30 years times how will they make their money? If they come back that’s a job for life. It was an olive branch. I think he wants them back in the fold. Because he won’t be able to visit them and his grandchildren in California without palaver.”

[From The Sun]

Literally no one considers the idea that Harry and Meghan are creating generational wealth with their business deals and contracts? It’s not like “whoops, we used up $120 million in a couple of years, we better beg the king to take us back!” Besides, as I said, I don’t even think Charles wants them back, nor do the Sussexes want to go back. Charles just wants to stop the bleeding, he wants the Montecito royals to not be his biggest liability. The problem is, he’s still treating them like complete sh-t and even if they never spoke again, they would still be a huge liability.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar, WENN.

When Prince William invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to go on a brief walkabout outside of Windsor Castle on September 10th, it was a big deal. It was such a big deal that both William and King Charles III wanted credit for it – Charles’s people were briefing the media that he “ordered” William to call Harry and invite him. Meanwhile, William’s people were briefing the media that William alone decided to make the call. For a brief moment, it made William seem diplomatic and conciliatory. It was all for show, of course. It was just a performance for an hour. Nothing substantial changed, but at least we knew that William and Harry could be in the same space briefly without killing each other. Well, Katie Nicholl has some thoughts about that walkabout, what didn’t come next and what it all means.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death was “a missed opportunity” for brothers Prince William and Prince Harry to make peace, says a royal expert.

“I think it’s very sad [that] in the days Harry was here, there was an opportunity given they were just a couple of hundred yards away from each other for a meeting or dinner or gathering of some sort where they could actually just try to thrash things out,” “The New Royals” author Katie Nicholl exclusively tells Page Six.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in the UK for 11 days after the Queen passed away on Sept. 8 at age 96. During that time, the couple stayed at Frogmore Cottage, not far from Adelaide Cottage where the Prince and Princess of Wales are located.

Nicholl notes that although William “extended the olive branch” by inviting his estranged brother and sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, to join him and wife Kate Middleton on a walkabout outside Windsor Castle, it was not the ice-breaker royal watchers were hoping for.

“When you look closely back on it there’s no real warmth there,” Nicholl opines. “There’s no real coming together, it’s very clear the ‘Fab Four’ are not fab anymore, they were going through the motions. I’ve had it on very good sources that there was no meeting done privately and so yes [there was] a missed opportunity but reflective of how intensely both brothers feel about things.”

Nicholl explains that a détente appears dim as both brothers are digging in their heels.

“William can be very stubborn and hold a grudge,” she says. “Harry is emotional and hotheaded and they’re both very passionate and there’s a lack of understanding on both parts and resentment on both parts and anger on both parts, that hasn’t been able to be placated and worked through.”

[From Page Six]

I actually appreciate the fact that Nicholl says “there’s no real warmth there.” Too many people were like “wow, relations are thawing, maybe something will happen now!” I actually thought William put on a good performance of someone trying to make nice. Harry also made an effort. Meghan seemed terrified that at any moment, William was going to scream at her. And Kate just seemed over it and contemptuous of the whole stunt. Once again, I go back to what Omid Scobie wrote about them just before QEII’s death – Harry wants accountability, William wants an apology. I think it’s more like Harry wants justice and William wants capitulation.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Again: all of the crap the Duke and Duchess of Sussex went through for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral just solidified the fact that they were right to leave and that they don’t owe anyone anything. They would not even allow Prince Harry to salute his fallen commander-in-chief. They told Harry that his wife isn’t family and that she was unwelcome at Balmoral. They made a point of publicly disinviting the Sussexes from a pre-funeral reception. Harry and Meghan got treated terribly and the whole world saw it. So please excuse me if I do not believe for one moment that suddenly Harry & Meghan want to go easier on Charles and the rest of the family. If anything, QEII’s death represents the cut of the last tie to Salt Island and now the Sussexes can burn it all down. Still, Page Six’s “industry sources” insist that the Sussexes are going to cancel or edit their future projects?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making a dramatic u-turn on their upcoming projects in the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s death, multiple sources told Page Six.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been working on a docuseries as part of their multi-million dollar Netflix deal for more than a year. Netflix chiefs — who have not even officially announced the Sussex project yet — had hoped to air the docuseries in December after the fifth season of “The Crown”on Nov. 9. Now, we’re told the couple want to make more edits to the hotly anticipated show, which would potentially push back its release till later in 2023.

Harry’s memoir, originally scheduled for release from Penguin Random House in November, has already been pushed back until sometime next year.

Many royal experts have said that Harry’s father, King Charles, will hold off giving the title of prince and princess to the Sussex children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, until the couple’s various media projects are out.

While the Sussexes were part of the usual editing process on both the show and the book well before the monarch’s death, sources said the couple is keen to take out or downplay much of what they have said about King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and his wife Kate, the new Princess of Wales.

One Hollywood industry source told us: “A lot of conversations are happening. I hear that Harry and Meghan want the series to be held until next year, they want to stall. I wonder if the show could even be dead in the water at this point, do Harry and Meghan just want to shelve this thing?”

One highly-placed Netflix insider revealed: “Netflix has been keen to have the show ready to stream for December. There’s a lot of pressure on (Netflix CEO) Ted Sarandos who has the relationship with Harry and Meghan, to get this show finished.”

[From Page Six]

This reminds me of the British papers desperately trying to make “Harry and Meghan’s popularity is waning in America” into a thing just before QEII’s death. The exact same people are trying to make “Harry and Meghan are desperate to edit all of their sh-t talking” happen. And again, why would the Sussexes feel that way, especially after the funeral-shambles? My prediction – and I’m talking out of my ass, same as these “sources” – is that Harry’s memoir will come out as planned and on schedule. My prediction is that whatever the Sussexes had cooking at Netflix will probably come out on schedule and with some updates.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

From CB: I got the NYX eyebrow gel we featured a couple of weeks ago and it works great! The brush is bigger than the previous brand I was using and it works very well to keep my eyebrows in place all day. I also reordered my favorite serum of all time, the Cos de Baha niacinamide. That stuff is the bomb. Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at on Amazon.

An affordable pencil eyeliner that lasts like a liquid
From CB: I wanted to make a transition from liquid eyeliner, which I’ve worn forever, to pencil liner. I got this NYX liner and loved the results. It’s so easy to apply and is long lasting. NYX Epic Wear Liner Stick comes in 21 colors, all under $9. Plus there’s a coupon on some colors. This liner has over 5,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and a B on Fakespot. People call it their favorite eyeliner and say it lasts forever. “I love the rich color and smooth glide pencil and it literally will last all day and night with no touch ups.” “One of the best eyeliners in my opinion and I have tried a lot! It’s dark ,and smooth and looks so good!”

Full coverage foundation for a flawless look

From CB: I use and like L’oreal True Match foundation but I’d like to try another brand and this foundation by Phoera came up. It has 10 different shades and comes one for $10 or 2 for $15. This has almost 16,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. Reviewers say that it’s as good as more expensive high end brands. “Love this flawless look. It is perfection in a bottle. It can stand up to the heat and humidity of the south!” “I can’t say enough good things about this foundation. The coverage is complete without looking heavy. It feels light & I use very little to get the look I want & need. The quality absolutely meets & beats that of the higher priced foundations I’ve purchased in major department stores.”

Cloth napkins to impress your guests and make dinner time fancy

From CB: Honestly I’ve never owned cloth napkins and I usually just use paper towels. Sometimes I buy the seasonal napkins but I always end up with unused Christmas or Halloween napkins. These 17 x 17 polyester cloth napkins come in 14 different colors and in packs of 12, 24 or 288 if you’re throwing a big party. They have over 4,000 ratings and 4.5 stars which ReviewMeta confirms. People love how affordable they are and say they clean up easily and don’t require ironing. “These napkins have gone through multiple parties and they’ve always washed so well!” “Machine washable. No ironing. Fabulous size. Great absorbency. We use them everyday.”

A fast portable air compressor with so many uses

From Hecate: This air compressor was designed for tire inflation and works at 35 L per minute. But it has multiple nozzles so you can use it for most household needs. Like air mattress and that will help with family visiting over the holidays. And you can charge it with your car charger so you can keep one there for emergencies. They’re normally $45 but this week, you get a tire gauge, the compressor, the inflating tube, the charger and five nozzles for $33. It also comes in four different colors. It has over 52,000 reviews with 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. People seem to like the peace of mind this provides, “Fiancé and I went out of town with my family on our way home mg fiancé and I was following my mom back to home and her tire light came on luckily we had this in the car and was able to air up her tire and get going again.” And, what’s really important, it’s super easy to use, “Easy to use and the power cord is nice and long so that you can reach your tires. Retains my 35 PSI tire pressure setting so I just connect it up and turn it on, and it inflates to 35 PSI on the dot.”

Cute mushroom night lights for ambience

From Hecate: I have to be careful about looking at product posts late at night because I want to buy everything. Like these adorable mushroom plug-in floor lights I saw on Buzzfeed. I don’t even think I need them but I want them so they are going in all my bathrooms. They would also go in my kids rooms if I had little kids. You plug these guys directly into the wall so they can be floor lights, night lights or make Hecate happy at her desk lights. They have seven color changes for added fairy-experience. There are three options, you can choose mushrooms, mushrooms with lotus leaves or mushrooms and lotus plants. And they are only between $5 – $8 depending on design and whether you want a one pack or two pack. And they’re energy saving so you can feel good about your little colorful mushroom forest. 747 customers gave these guys 4.5 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. Customers say they aren’t overpowering, “They do have a light sensor that brightens as it gets darker, but at full strength are really not that bright.” so they’re perfect for guest bathrooms or guideways. And this just sounds like the start of a fairy tale, “ highly recommend theses nightlights for anyone looking for a cute way to light up a dark area just enough to see where you’re going. (If I had a bigger house, I’d definitely buy more!)”

A spooky drying mat to decorate your kitchen

From Hecate: I realize not everyone is as nuts about Halloween as I am but maybe this will appeal to you. I keep a drying mat by my sink most of the time so I try to keep it in theme with whatever dish towels I’m using. I have a couple Christmas ones but no Halloween ones… until now. Like these black and white bat print drying mat for the spooky season. It’s a nice basic design so it blends in with whatever you’re going for with your Halloween look. And black and white goes with everything. They come in two sizes, the 16”x18” is running low so grab it while you can. But they also have a larger size for even more bats! There are lots of designs if you want to just get pumpkins for fall or a jump start on your Thanksgiving or holiday decorating too. It’s machine washable, quick-drying microfiber with a nonslip cotton mat. The mats are $15-$18 depending on size. They have over 750 reviews with ReviewMeta giving them 4.5 stars. Reviewers were pleased at how well it gripped, “I love the pattern and the soft feel of the fabric, with a nice grippy surface on the bottom.” And they said it’s really absorbent, “the mat does it job in drying and absorbing.” The photos show it being used as a hot pad too. It could be a center table decor too, that holds soup tureens and platters. If you need something fancier, I kind of love this Haunted Mansion-inspired one.

A great deal on bestselling body wash for the whole family

From Hecate: This is a great deal – 34 ounces of Dove Deep Moisturizing Body wash for under $10 a pump. We have three people who use our shower upstairs, one of whom is a teenager. We go through body wash like nobody’s business. So I tend to look for the cheapest buy I can get, But the last time the teen got the wash and they got this soap stuff that has completely dried out my skin. So I need something like this to try to put some moisture back into it. Plus it’s sulfate free and a 98% biodegradable formula in a 100% recyclable bottle. I can attest to how good this works, but it also has over 11,000 reviews on Amazon with 4.8 stars and a B on Fakespot. This person said they were allergic to all products but did not have an issue with this, “Skin seems a little softer – if there is a scent, it cannot be much – and not irritation to my skin either.” And many customers talk about it benign a unisex formula and scent, “Both my wife and I use Dove body wash in our showers. The pump bottles of body wash are great for cleaning and moisturizer.” I agree, the pump saves time in the shower for sure.

Thanks for reading and commenting on our affiliate post! If you make any purchases through these links we get a small percentage and appreciate it.

Once again, I hate that I know so much backstory on Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson. Let’s start with some somewhat recent history. In December 2020/January 2021, with the pandemic raging, Tristan was screwing around on Khloe Kardashian with multiple women, some of whom were talking about it openly. In January-April 2021, Tristan was (again!) screwing around with various women quite openly. He was sleeping with Sydney Chase, and when she spoke about their hookups, Khloe contacted her to try to get her to stop talking. During that time period, Tristan also impregnated Maralee Nichols, who would give birth to Tristan’s child in December 2021. Then in June 2021, Khloe and Tristan were still “together” when he cheated on her at some kind of party, and Khloe then made a big deal about how they broke up. No one bought it, for good reason – they were still together, and by November, they arranged for the surrogacy for True’s sibling.

Now we have to overlay this story on top of that ^ timeline. While all of this illicit boning was happening, Tristan apparently proposed to Khloe – ?? – and she said no, but she also said yes. In the latest episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians, Khloe and Kim discuss how Tristan proposed in December 2020 but Khloe turned him down. But then Buzzfeed’s sources say that actually, Tristan proposed in February 2021 and he and Khloe were “engaged” when she found out about Maralee Nichols.

BuzzFeed News can now exclusively reveal that Khloé accepted a proposal from Tristan in February 2021 — just one month before he impregnated Maralee — and they were still engaged at the time his paternity scandal broke.

In the most recent episode of The Kardashians, the subject of Tristan proposing came up during a conversation between Kim and Khloé. This was filmed between January and February of this year — roughly a month after their final breakup following the news he’d fathered a child outside of their relationship. During the chat, Kim says the breakup wasn’t necessarily such a bad thing, hinting that Khloé perhaps always knew that Tristan would end up humiliating her.

“I mean, the fact that he proposed and you never told us…” Kim casually says to Khloé. In her confessional Kim gives more details, explaining that Tristan had called her the year before to say he was planning to propose on Valentine’s Day. However, after hearing nothing from Khloé on the big day, she followed up with Tristan who told her he’d actually popped the question two months prior. “I was like ‘Hey, I never heard anything from Khloé … did you propose?!’” Kim recalls of their conversation. “And he was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I did in December.’”

Khloé goes on to explain that she declined the proposal and kept the whole thing completely underwraps because she didn’t feel comfortable with the state of the relationship, or telling her family news that she wasn’t “proud” of or “excited” about.

“I said, ‘I need to make sure that this is a totally different relationship, because I wanna be proud to say I’m engaged to anyone!’” she says. “And that’s why I said, ‘You know, I’m not comfortable accepting this right now, because I’m not excited to tell my family.’”

Kim’s comments initially suggested that Tristan had proposed in December 2020. However, sources with knowledge of the situation have told BuzzFeed News that he actually proposed to Khloé for the first time in December 2019 when they weren’t officially together. While Khloé turned him down at the time, they revisited the subject of an engagement in February 2021, and this time she accepted the proposal. The couple never announced the news officially, but the insider added that they remained engaged until Tristan’s paternity scandal broke 10 months later.

[From Buzzfeed]

We’ve been getting some weird comments about “poor Khloe” and “he lied to her and love-bombed her” and “her mother sucks, that’s why Khloe is so damaged.” Like, Khloe is a grown-ass woman with money, access and agency. She’s chosen all of this. She’s choosing to present herself this way too, like she’s a victim of evil Tristan, with whom she’s desperate to reunite. She’s also not some naif, constantly in a state of shock whenever she learns about some new side-chick. She was literally contacting Tristan’s side chicks to threaten them or hush them up. She also lies constantly about what she knew and when and how they “broke up” except really they were engaged. Anyway, I believe that she was stupid and delusional enough to get engaged to him.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid, Instagram.

The British markets do not like Liz Truss, her government or her financial proposals. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the British currency was in freefall and everything in the British economy seems to be tanking. On Wednesday, the Bank of England began emergency procedures to stabilize the British economy by buying 65 billion pounds worth of bonds. This is on top of the looming energy crisis in the UK and Europe and what seems like a somewhat localized – but still catastrophic – post-Brexit recession in Salt Island. When the new Princess of Wales heard about all of that, she reportedly said “gosh” and “can you test the recession by testing it?” No, what she actually said was deemed “a rare foray into politics.” Because she acknowledged the obvious, that British people are struggling.

The Princess of Wales made a rare foray into politics as she spoke of the need for food banks as millions of families struggle with the cost-of-living crisis. Kate made the comments about the importance of community services during a discussion with volunteers and members of the congregation at St Thomas Church in Swansea – her first visit to Wales since inheriting her new title.

Over the last two years the church has been transformed into a community hub, which includes a food bank, facilities for homeless people, and a not-for-profit café and community training kitchen. The site is also home to the Swansea Baby Basics baby bank, a volunteer-led project that distributes essentials to vulnerable mothers and their newborn babies across the city.

During the visit with husband William, Kate said: ‘With the cost of living crisis, there are a lot of desperate people out there.’

The royal said that the food bank was a ‘lifeline to so many people’ particularly after the pandemic and amid the soaring cost of living.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Given the number of visits and conversations that take place during these, we are unable to verify specific comments that are reported upon.’

Chatting with a group of elderly worshippers, she added: ‘What’s so wonderful about this place is that there is such a good mixture of young and old. It’s extraordinary. You have 90-year-olds as well as youngsters. It’s a real family organisation. We need places like this to bring people together, places where people can come and engage. It’s what we need post Covid and with the cost of living crisis. Lots of people are too scared to come an engage so it’s wonderful that you go out to see them too.’

[From The Daily Mail]

The Mail’s headline was “Princess Kate wades into politics.” Imagine if the Duchess of Sussex had mentioned something about the “cost of living crisis” though – the Mail’s banner headline would have been “Woke American Lectures Welsh About Recession Then Returns to Her 74-Bathroomed, $92 million Montecito Mansion!” Because it’s Kate, none of the coverage even dares to mention the fact that this woman already has FOUR homes and she will soon move into Windsor Castle, which has over 1,000 rooms. She was literally wearing a new coat too! And she’s been dripping in QEII’s pearls and diamonds from the very second QEII died. At some point, hopefully very soon, people will start to question this very gross arrangement.

Now, all that being said, I don’t even believe Kate said that sh-t. She never speaks like that at events or during walkabouts. Usually she’s just talking about her kids or how she wants another baby. These quotes feel planted by KP to make her seem “in touch” with the peasantry briefly before she literally took a private helicopter back to her castle.

Another thing… they visited a baby bank and yet again, Kate brought nothing. No baby clothes, no diapers, no baby slippers, nothing. “With the cost of living crisis, royals can’t just give things away to peasants!”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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Katie Couric is a controversial figure, but she has done amazing work for health. She turned the tragedy of her first husband’s death from colon cancer into raising awareness about a subject that used to never get any mention due to the nature of the exams. Now people are having their colonoscopies filmed to support early detection. It looks like Katie’s going to do the same work with breast cancer. Unfortunately, this time it will be her own story. Katie revealed yesterday that she had been diagnosed with the disease. She said after putting off her mammogram for six months, they found an olive-sized tumor that came back cancerous. Now that it’s removed and she’s almost finished with radiation, Katie is making a plea to her followers to get checked regularly and to push for additional screenings if they think there is any reason for it.

Katie Couric revealed in a personal essay on Wednesday that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The legendary journalist and author, whose first husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998, opened up about her health while urging her female followers to get their mammograms — something she said she had to be reminded of during a visit to her gynecologist.

“Please get your annual mammogram,” wrote Couric, 65. “I was six months late this time. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had put it off longer. But just as importantly, please find out if you need additional screening.”

She explained in her essay that she learned she had cancer after her mammogram — and a breast sonogram she routinely undergoes to detect abnormalities that sometimes can’t be seen through her dense breast tissue — spotted something her doctor wanted to look at further.

A biopsy came back as showing cancer in her breast.

“I felt sick and the room started to spin,” the former Today anchor wrote of the moment she learned of her diagnosis. “I was in the middle of an open office, so I walked to a corner and spoke quietly, my mouth unable to keep up with the questions swirling in my head. ‘What does this mean? Will I need a mastectomy? Will I need chemo? What will the next weeks, months, even years look like?’ ”

She also considered her family’s history of cancer (he father had prostate cancer and her mother, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), which led her to think, “Why would I be spared? My reaction went from ‘Why me?’ to ‘Why not me?’ ”

Couric had a lumpectomy on July 14, doctors removing a tumor she wrote was “2.5 centimeters, roughly the size of an olive.”

Pathology results came back as showing that her cancer was stage 1A. She also learned that the likelihood of the cancer returning was “considered low enough to forgo chemotherapy.”

The former talk show host — whose husband John Molner had “a tumor the size of a coconut on his liver” surgically removed prior to their 2014 wedding — started radiation on Sept. 7, with her final round occurring just this past Tuesday.

[From People]

The article goes on to say that Katie will cover every aspect of breast cancer throughout the month of October, from the latest technology and diagnostic tools and tests to treatments and prevention strategies. She’ll also talk to other people who’ve battled the disease. It’s a great use of her platform and I hope it keeps the discussion on breast cancer moving forward. Katie touched on this in her essay, and we can never stop beating this drum, but screenings have to be made available to everyone. My insurance covers my annual mammograms and some additional screenings, but I pay through the nose for my insurance, so they get you one way or the other. I have friends, though, who don’t even get a full mammogram covered. One frequently skips hers as a result. That’s dangerous and yet, I would probably make the same choices she does if I was in her shoes. We have to do better for all women’s health in this country. Katie spoke of insurance companies reimbursing patients for breast ultrasounds, I’m talking about covering it in the first place so no one has to save up just to be seen.

I hope Katie’s at the end of her cancer story and I’m glad she got to forgo chemotherapy. I know not everyone is so lucky. If breast cancer has touched your life, I’m sorry. I know that’s not much but know we’re here if you want to share your story with us.

Photo credit: Instagram, Cover Images and Avalon Red

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Diane Kruger wore Self Portrait to Norman Reedus’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. I’m actually surprised he agreed to all of that! Also: that’s his son Mingus. [RCFA]
Paris Hilton closed the Versace show in Milan. [Go Fug Yourself]
It’s okay to love Brendan Fraser and want the world for him and also to have qualms about The Whale and fatsuits. [Pajiba]
Degenerate Prince Andrew looked sad on a horse. [LaineyGossip]
Michelle Branch made new music, on top of her chaotic personal life. [OMG Blog]
Mike Rinder’s book dishes a lot of dirt on Tom Cruise. [Dlisted]
An American is suing Malta over their abortion ban. [Jezebel]
Don’t Worry Darling was probably always doomed to fail. [Gawker]
Christian Bale & Rami Malek did a special screening of Amsterdam. [Just Jared]
Virginia students staged a walkout to protest Gov. Youngkin’s anti-trans policies. [Buzzfeed]
Netflix’s Jeffrey Dahmer series is problematic from start to finish. [Towleroad]
Candice Swanepoel poses in a furry bikini. [Egotastic]

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The mood between the Duchess of Sussex and the wider Windsor klan was set as Queen Elizabeth II took a turn for the worse on what would be her final day. Charles called Harry and berated him, telling him that Meghan was not family and Meghan was not welcome at Balmoral. Then two days later, Meghan was “included” in a walkabout outside Windsor Castle and William and Kate barely looked at her or engaged with her at all. That kept happening – Meghan would be included in the procession and the funeral, but the Windsors all made a point of being seen to “freeze her out.” Apparently, that was exactly what happened behind the scenes too – sources say that Meghan and Kate didn’t exchange words at all.

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton did not exchange a word in the ten days preceding the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth, reports claimed Wednesday, and Harry’s truce with his brother will collapse if Harry presses ahead with plans to publish a memoir.

Sources told respected royal correspondent Russell Myers of the Daily Mirror that despite careful attempts to portray a united front, including a public walkabout by Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate at Windsor Castle, there would be no reconciliation until all Harry’s “cards are on the table,” and the book is either published or scrapped.

A source described as a “royal insider” told Myers, “The family continue to be in mourning and are now finally being allowed to grieve for the queen away from the gaze of millions. However, any talk of a truce between the Prince (William) and the Duke (Harry) would only be temporary. There is still a serious amount of distrust in the air and there hasn’t been any cause for that to change.”

Referring to Harry’s memoir, the release date of which is unknown, but which may now be delayed from its originally scheduled publication date of “late 2022,” the source added, “The feeling is very much that there is little point in pursuing a repair in relations until all the cards are on the table.”

Myers added that sources said Kate and Meghan were “not known” to have exchanged words throughout the whole period that the Sussexes were in the U.K. Relations between the two tanked after Meghan accused Kate of making her cry at a bridesmaid fitting ahead of her wedding, but said that press reports subsequently twisted the incident to say it was Meghan who had made Kate cry, and that the palace refused to back her up.

[From The Daily Beast]

Hint: the relations between Meghan and Kate didn’t “tank” after the Oprah interview. Kate had already gone berserk on Meghan just before the Sussex wedding, Kate had already made Meghan cry, Kate and her dreadful mother had already launched a smear campaign about Meghan and on and on. Despite all of that, Meghan is perfectly capable of being professional, kind and even conciliatory towards the family. She just didn’t get the chance because they were so busy being icy a–holes. They just f–king hate her.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

In 2019, Sweden’s King Carl Gustav announced that his grandchildren by his two younger children, Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Madeleine, would no longer have royal styling. Carl Philip’s sons are still technically princes, but are not the Swedish equivalent of “your royal highness.” Layered into that announcement was that only Crown Princess Victoria and her children would be expected to work for the Swedish crown, and that Carl Philip and Madeleine’s children would not work for the crown and they can do whatever they want with their lives. Well, now Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has made a very similar declaration, stripping the royal titles from four of her grandchildren.

The Danish royal house just got a lot smaller. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has decided to strip four of her grandchildren of their prince and princess titles, the royal palace announced on Wednesday. The children of Prince Joachim, her second son, will be known instead by His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat starting on January 1, 2023.

All four grandchildren — Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10 — maintain their places in the order of succession.

“With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves,” the palace said in the statement.

The decision does not pertain to the four children of Crown Prince Frederik, who is heir to the throne, with his wife, Crown Princess Mary.

Unlike their cousins, Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will both continue to be part of the royal house.

The Danish palace also noted that “the Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.” Similarly, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf announced in October 2019 that the children of Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill as well as Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia would no longer official members of the royal house. They retained their titles of prince or princess, but the titles became personal and any future spouses or children will not have a right to them.

[From People]

People are obviously going to compare this to what’s happening now with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children’s titles. The thing is, I think everyone would probably accept it for the Windsors if King Charles actually stripped *everyone* of their HRH “royal style.” As in, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are no longer HRHs. Take the royal styling away from Anne, Edward and Andrew too (since technically Andrew still has his). Take away the HRHs from everyone but William and his children, the very direct line of succession, and say that no one other than the Waleses has to work for the crown. But instead of that, we’re getting King Charles and his henchmen being highly selective about not only royal styling, but titles too. Instead of making a similarly bold decision, Charles comes across as petty, vindictive, selective and racist, because he seems to only be concerned with the royal titles and styles of his mixed-race grandchildren.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.