The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have returned to their London home for the final hours of Kate’s pregnancy.
It was originally believed that the royal couple would spend this week at the Middleton family home in Berkshire, but they returned to Kensington Palace over the weekend in order to be closer to St Mary’s Hospital, where Kate plans to give birth.
William is believed to be on vacation from the RAF until the birth, after which he will be on paternity leave.
Kate won’t be short of helping hands, with mum Carole Middleton understood to be moving into Kensington Palace to help out until the new royal parents hire a part-time nanny.
“From what you see of Kate she’ll want her mother’s help more than anyone’s at first,” former royal bodyguard Ken Wharfe told the Sunday Mirror.
“She won’t be forced to use nannies. But Carole won’t be encouraged to stay with her for long.
“After that Kate will probably use the royal nanny more and as the child grows up they will have two nannies, one main one and one relief nanny, like William and Harry had.”
The royal office says they will release a statement when Kate has entered the hospital.
As Bindi Irwin prepares to turn 15 this week, the young wildlife lover has revealed she’s ready to put singing and dancing to one side to focus on debating some of the world’s most pressing issues.
As Bindi Irwin prepares to turn 15 this week, the teenage star has shown she’s ready to dig her heels in to some serious world issues, advocating the use of contraceptives for girls as young as 11.
The daughter of the late Croc Hunter, Steve Irwin, is keen to turn her attentions to the global issue of family planning to curb over-population of the planet, and devote her time to advocating better access to birth control in poorer countries.
In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Mail, Bindi revealed her distress at the plight of young girls in Third World countries who are having more children than they can feed, and proposed the use of contraceptive implants that could help girls as young as 11.
”Girls as young as me or even younger are having kids and that doesn’t seem right to me,” she said.
”There’s such a thing as seven-year-implants, so if you had a girl that was 11 years old and gave her the seven-year implant she wouldn’t be able to have kids until she was 18.
”So things like that maybe, might be able to contribute to solving the problem.
”I think there’s lots of ways to look at it and family planning is so important and I feel bad for those who don’t have access to it and it’s certainly something that’s close to my heart and something I think we need to start thinking about.”
The teenager, who celebrates her birthday on July 26th, told the newspaper that as she gets older she hopes to continue the work of her late father, and focus on the world’s conservation and building awareness that he devoted much of his life to.
”He was my living, breathing super hero and I want to make sure everything that he worked so hard for continues on forever and that’s what’s most important for me,” she said.
Bindi Irwin was raised on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the home of her dad’s Australia Zoo wildlife park. She will be celebrating her 15th birthday at a special Nim’s Island party at the zoo, with free entry for all children.
Women the world over may be pleased to learn of '90s supermodel Christy Turlington's triumphant return to lingerie modelling at the age of 44 – proving age really is nothing but a number.
’90s supermodel Christy Turlington has made a triumphant return to lingerie modelling at the age of 44 – proving age really is nothing but a number.
Looking just as sensational as she did at the start of her career, California born supermodel Christy has turned up the heat in Calvin Klein’s latest ad campaign to promote its new women’s underwear range – a whole 25 years on from her first modelling assignment for the designer.
In a series of tasteful black and white shots taken by photographer Mario Sorrenti, Christy can be seen flaunting her trim and toned 5ft 10 inch frame, and standing testament to the long-term benefits of jivamukti yoga, a vigorous hatha form of yoga, to which she credits her glowing looks and healthy shape.
The mother of two also believes in the benefits of working out. “Running is a lot like meditation. You get a sense of seeing your life and putting some order to it,” she told Runner’s World last year.
Christy also regularly takes part in marathons. “Health is your greatest wealth, so experiencing a marathon and seeing what you’re capable of is really special,” she told the magazine.
Calvin Klein’s decision to feature 44-year-old Christy as the face of their underwear comes as a welcome move for the designer, and the fashion and beauty industry as a whole – which has come under increasing attack in recent years for favouring younger ambassadors over models in their 40s.
Could it even signal a new direction for the industry? Christy’s new campaign follows close on the heels of a stunning shoot featuring Danish beauty and fellow ‘90s supermodel Helena Christensen, also 44, who recently stripped off as part of a raunchy shoot for FutureClaw magazine.
I am writing to thank you for such a wonderful production of Disney On Ice: Princesses and Heroes. I took my 4 year old, along with six of her closest friends and their mothers and it truly was a splendid day out.
From the moment the lights dimmed – the audience hushed – and whoosh! – we were swept away on a magical adventure led by a sweet little Tinkerbell on ice skates.
Seriously – I love a good kid’s show – and this one had it all: singing princesses, dancing princes, fire-breathing dragons and a giant, evil octopus.
A few thousand of us had trudged out to Sydney Olympic Park for the day of magic: little girls were dressed head to toe in their shiny polyester princess gear, topped off with their gaudy sparkly crowns and Rapunzel hair extensions.
The tickets weren’t cheap, but the show was highly produced; the actors well-trained and true performers. We loved it, and didn’t want it to end.
And then… the merchandise.
Most children’s performers have a stall or two outside their venues selling their music or DVDs. Maybe a few stuffed toys and a t-shirt thrown in for good measure. I get it, they’re a commercial enterprise and are there not just to entertain, but to make a profit.
But…Disney. You should be ashamed.
From the Princess themed fairy-floss (with obligatory crown), to the $22 program, to those irritating flashing light spinning wands (which fairytale do they feature in again?)… It was major sensory overload.
And there wasn’t just one stall, or two. That, I could have coped with. No, instead from the moment you set foot in the Arena it was wall-to-wall merch.
I’m no concert tightass. I had coughed up for the ticket, my daughter had her official Disney Princess dress on, with matching Barbie, and I was willing to pay for the overpriced program because I know she’ll read it again and again.
It was the cup of ice that made me angry, Disney. You know the ones: shaved ice, flavoured with cordial in a plastic cup. Total cost to make: maybe 20 cents? The cup had a picture of a princess on it (you can buy those in supermarkets in packs of 3 for $3). So let’s make it total cost $1.20.
Disney: you tried to sell this tiny cup of ice to me for $15. Come on. $15 for sweetened ice in an ugly mug, with a dysfunctional straw.
I said ‘no’ to the repeated requests for said mug of ice, and my daughter lost it. It had been a long day, an early start and a thrilling show. She didn’t get that a cup of ice wasn’t worth ten times its value. She didn’t get that Disney was trying to rip me off.
Next time, my friends and I agreed, we would pack a small themed toy in a homemade showbag to present after the concert. It will save us money, and the angst of negotiating with headstrong toddlers.
In the meantime, Disney, maybe you can try being a little less greedy. We love your shows, your films, your toys. But not at their highly inflated prices. Your blatant money grabbing marred a beautiful day out, and that’s a shame.
The world is watching St Mary’s Lindo Wing where the highly anticipated birth of the royal baby is now underway waiting on the next bit of news about the arrival of the heir to the throne.
Royal watchers are glued to televisions and tweets and the world’s media remain focused on the hospital’s entrance trying to guess what might happen next with the royal birth, but even the third-in-line’s grandfather to be says he knows “absolutely nothing” about what is going on behind the walls of the wing where the Duchess of Cambridge and her husband Prince William arrived in the early hours of the morning.
Prince Charles was questioned about news of the baby as he arrived at the National Railway Museum in York via royal carriage, and told Sky News he knew “absolutely nothing at the moment”.
A wellwisher suggested the royal baby might arrive in the next few hours.
“Yet, it may well be,” Prince Charles said.
The Palace announced the couple had made their way to the hospital in an announcement at around 7:30 on Monday morning when the Duchess was “in the early stages of labour”, but naturally, they were scooped by a tweet from a royal photographer stationed at the Lindo who spotted Kate entering the wing by a side entrance.
Members of the press, wellwishers from the public, and a great number of security personnel flocked to the Paddington hospital where the crowd is growing awaiting news and hoping to catch a glimpse of a royal aide who will pass on a paper notice of the birth from the Lindo’s front steps to be transported to Buckingham Palace where details of the royal birth will be made public on a bulletin visible from the palace gates.
Prime Minister David Cameron and the Archbishop of Canterbury have been among those sending their best wishes to the couple since news of royal baby’s imminent arrival broke.
Press outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's hospital in Paddington, London.
After three weeks of limbo at the Lindo, it’s now madness at St Mary’s where press, wellwishers, and security staff have scrambled to be on the scene at the site where the Duchess of Cambridge is delivering the third in line to the throne.
There was a mad rush to the Paddington hospital in London following news that Kate and William had arrived and Kensington Palace confirmed the Duchess was in the early stages of labour.
The couple arrived at the hospital at around 5:30am from Kensington Palace after Kate had gone into labour naturally.
Snappers stationed at the hospital are reported to have spotted a Range Rover escorting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to one of the side entrances of the exclusive private wing where the royal baby is being delivered.
The Weekly arrived on the scene early this morning joining the growing crowd shortly following confirmation from the palace that the “great Kate wait” was over after they released a brief statement at around 7:30am.
As photographers man their ladders that have been in place opposite the wing’s entrance since the beginning of the month, loyal royal watchers camping at the hospital are staying in place and tourists have made the trip to soak up the atmosphere.
Stuart and Catherine Griffiths from Sydney made their second trip to the Lindo Wing from their nearby hotel to witness the historical moment.
“We came down the other day and there are a lot more people now, we had to come down when we heard the news,” Stuart tells The Weekly.
“It’s great to tell people back home to tell them we’re in London with the royal baby,” added Catherine.
“We were here for the Ashes so that was a disappointing result, it will be good to round off our stay with a bit of good news.”
American tourists Nichelle Adams from Dallas and Lovie Adams from Oklahoma changed their plans to witness the moment.
“This is history,” Lovie tells The Weekly.
“We were on our way to the museum and turned around when we heard the news.”
While some scrambled to make the trip to the hospital today, some have been waiting in place for more almost two weeks.
Royal watcher Terry Hutt has been sleeping on a bench in front of the Lindo Wing for twelve nights now and jumped from his “bed” around the time the Duchess arrived.
“I just knew,” he says.
“When I heard the thunder storms, I thought it was God up there letting us all know.”
John Loughrey, “Diana superfan”, joined Terry and the press pack seven days ago and he says he’s been to every royal event since 1981.
“This is my biggest ever,” the 58-year-old royalist says.
“I haven’t stopped spinning since I found out she was expecting. Once I know that the baby is healthy, and Catherine is healthy, I’ll be so happy. I know it will all be okay because Diana will be shining down on them too.”
There is also an increased security presence surrounding the private wing where the third-in-line to the throne is making its entrance into the world, with pregnant women entering the Wing being searched and police and hospital staff are controlling crowds and traffic.
Staff at the Starbucks coffee shop, just behind the press pen, are working flat out.
Crowds outside the hospital are expected to grow throughout the day and up until the heir’s arrival has been announced.
The Palace has confirmed that Prince William is by his wife’s side and the pair are accompanied by their official private press seceretary and two other press officers.
There has been no sign of any other members of the royal family entering the hospital, nor indications of their intentions to do so.
Grandparents Charles and Camilla are in Yorkshire and Uncle Harry is on duty at RAF Wattisham. The Queen is in Windsor and has no public engagements today, but has not announced any intention to visit the hospital.
The public are expected to first here of the birth via a public notice that will be driven to Buckingham Palace and displayed on an easel inside the palace gates — the very same one that was used to announce Prince William’s birth 31 years ago.
The announcement is not expected to include the baby’s name, which may not be known for days.
Many women dream about finding a man who is reliable, secure and , if they’re a little older, well preserved. Experimental Sydney musician Jodi Rose now has a ‘husband’ who ticks all of these boxes…
This month, with tongue firmly in cheek, Jodi wed the 600-year-old Pont du Diable, or “Devil’s Bridge”, in Ceret, southern France.
Jodi, 42, has always been fascinated by bridges. So much so, she has travelled the world for the past decade making experimental music by recording the vibrations from their cables.
But now that she’s finally found ‘the one’, she couldn’t be happier…
Read more about the womna who married a bridge and see all of the pictures in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, July 22 2013.
Nicole Kidman never thought her daughter Isabella would quit Scientology. But happily for Nic, she seems to have done just that!
Woman’s Day understands 20-year-old Bella has left her Scientologist fiance and fled to Europe to get distance from the church’s LA base.
Raised by her devout Scientologist dad Tom Cruise, Bella has until now been seen as a rock-solid believer, even cutting off contact with her mum after her parents divorced in 2001. But the Bella we saw last week at a hip London party was a changed young woman, rocking a racy dress and looking super svelte.
“I hardly recognised her – she’d lost weight and looked stunning,” a party guest said.
“Now she lives in Europe, that’s why she’s so happy – she’s away from all her problems,” a close friend of Bella tells us exclusively…
Read more about Bella and Nicole and see all of the pictures in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, July 22 2013.
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