It has been one of the most intensely guarded details of her pregnancy, but it seems the secret is out. It has been revealed that Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William’s first child is due on July 13.
While the palace has only confirmed that the duchess is due in July, a friend of the pair has revealed that everyone close to them is excitedly awaiting July 13.
“Some of Kate and William’s closest pals were at a barbecue hosted by a family friend of the royals recently,” the friend told the UK’s Mail On Sunday.
“They were all discussing the fact that Kate’s baby is due to be born on July 13. Everyone was very excited.”
Kate was forced to announce she was expecting before her 12-week scan, after she was admitted to King Edward VII hospital in December suffering severe morning sickness.
This meant that no-one outside their close group of friends knew her due date.
If she does go into labour on July 13, it will fall right in the middle of the Queen’s Coronation Festival, a four-day celebration to mark the 60 years since she was crowned monarch.
Kate and Wills will be sure to miss out on the festivities, which run from July 11-14.
If the baby is born close to its due date it will be a Cancerian, the same star sign as Princess Diana, who was born on July 1, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who was born on July 17.
Whether Kate and Wills welcome a prince or a princess, proposed changes to the rules of succession mean their first child will be third in line to the throne regardless of gender.
The palace remains tight-lipped on the specific date of the royal birth, saying in a statement: “We have only said that the duchess is due in July. Anything further would be speculation.”
Mark your diaries — the date on everybody’s mind is close to confirmed.
After six months of speculation the Duchess of Cambridge’s due date has been revealed, but there is one problem.
A close friend of the couple has revealed the royal family’s most closely guarded secret, telling the Daily Mail Kate’s official due date is July 13, putting royal watchers and media minds at ease as they respectively prepare their party plans and printing presses.
“Some of Kate and William’s closest pals were at a barbecue hosted by a family friend of the Royals recently,” the friend revealed.
“They were all discussing the fact that Kate’s baby is due to be born on July 13. Everyone was very excited.”
The issue, however, lies in the scheduling of another pre-planned royal celebration — the Queen’s coronation.
The alleged birth date falls right in the middle of the four-day coronation festival which runs from July 11 to July 14 celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s crowning.
Not only are concerns rife that the arrival of a royal baby means Kate and the little one will steal the Queen’s thunder, but the speculative birth date all but confirms Kate and husband Prince William’s absence at the festival.
A July 13 arrival would make the royal baby’s birthday closer to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall’s, easing excited speculation that the newest addition to the royal family might share a birthday with his or her grandmother, Diana — July 1.
But before you start planning honorary baby showers and royal baby birthday parties, the Palace has not confirmed the date of the little prince or princess’ arrival.
“We have only said that the Duchess is due in July,” a Palace spokesman said.
The newly single fitness gurus have become inseparable – both on and off set.
They both announced the end of long-term relationships within weeks of one another, and now insiders say old friends Michelle Bridges and Steve “The Commando” Willis are following their hearts and pursuing a relationship.
Just weeks after Michelle admitted her marriage of nine years was over, Steve called it quits on his seven-year relationship with Froso, the mother of two of his three children.
They are said to be supporting each other through the turmoil in their personal lives, and this has seen their long-held affection for one another continue to grow. The Biggest Loser stars’ managers have refused to deny the pair are now together, despite repeated invitations from Woman’s Day to do so.
“They’re fiercely protective and don’t want to be disrespectful to their former partners, but the chemistry between them is electric,” says a former contestant. “This is no way at all a shock to contestants,” adds the source, who says Commando’s children, Brianna, 14, from a previous relationship, and Ella, 5, and Jack, 19 months, “are the main reason they’re keeping quiet”.
Read more about Michelle and The Commandos new romance in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday May 13, 2013.
He won’t set a date, she flirted with a hunky co-star – and now their future looks rocky.
If reports in the US are to be believed, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s big day won’t be going ahead any time soon. While the couple have been keeping friends in suspense over the date of their nuptials, weeks of bickering and clashing egos culminated recently in a furious public meltdown at hip Hollywood restaurant Soho House – resulting in Justin storming off while Jen pointedly flirted with her reported old flame, action-movie hunk Gerard Butler.
“It was obvious things were bad between them,” says a witness who saw Jen and Justin looking daggers at each other at the A-list hangout late last month. “You could cut the tension with a knife.” But when 300 star Gerard approached the table, the mood appeared to shift.
“Jen immediately lit up. She gave him a huge hug and invited him to sit at the table,” the source tells US Star magazine. “That infuriated Justin, who pulled out his iPad mini and began messing around on it. They weren’t including him in their conversation at all.”
Eventually, Justin hit his limit and stalked off to join friends at another table. But when he eventually returned to his fiancee, events turned ugly. “He called Jen selfish and said he’d felt like a third wheel while she flirted with Gerard all night,” the witness recounts.
Read more about Jen and Justin’s broken marriage plans in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday May 13, 2013.
This Queensland fitness trainer with a sweet tooth has a love of dessert that’s a bite to behold.
While the rest of us save cheesecake and ice-cream for special occasions, Camilla Hamilton devours them for breakfast, lunch and dinner – every day! “I absolutely love anything sweet,” she says. “If it’s got the word ‘cream’ in it, I’m set!”
The 28-year-old from Brisbane says she’s always been a big eater, but she proved just how ferocious her bite really is when she first won an eating competition at Pancake Manor. The bout is one of the most prestigious on Australia’s competitive-eating calendar.
Camilla ate a whopping 15 pancakes in one hour, then bettered her own record the following year, scoffing three more. She weighs just 50kg. “People are always astounded,” she laughs. “They give me a look as if to say, ‘No way could you eat that much!’”
Camilla thinks her 176cm frame has simply adapted to her love of guilty pleasures. She eats about 3000 calories a day, 50 per cent more than the recommended average. She doesn’t like fruit or vegies and steers clear of almost anything savoury. For breakfast, Camilla will have a caramel slice. For lunch, a slice of cheesecake. Dinner is her biggest indulgence and almost always takes place at Pancake Manor.
Read more about this competitive-eater in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday May 13, 2013.
Smooth-talking Seal's has all the ladies on The Voice swooning, but he hasn't always looked so suave. Check out his amazing transformation over the years.
Smooth-talking Seal has all the ladies on The Voice swooning, but he wasn’t always so suave.
The 50-year-old singer has made some odd fashion choices on the show – including bright blue nail polish – and these pictures prove he has a long history of questionable style.
Seal shot to fame in 1991 and has sold more than 20 million records since. He married German supermodel Heidi Klum, and the couple had three children before announcing their separation in January 2012.
Which picture is your favourite?
The changing face of Seal.
A young Seal at the Brit Awards in 1991.
Seal in an eye-catching red suit at the Brit Awards in 1992.
A promotional shot from 1992.
The scars on Seal’s face were caused by Lupus, an auto-immune disease.
Performing in 1991.
Seal showing off his facial hair at a film premiere in 2003.
Seal with supermodel Tyra Banks at an awards show in 1996.
Dressed as Eve for a Halloween party in 2006.
Seal dressed for a Halloween party in 2008.
Seal with supermodel Naomi Campbell in 2003.
Seal started dating German supermodel Heidi Klum in 2004.
Singing to Heidi at the Victoria’s Secret catwalk show in 2005.
Seal and Heidi at the Emmys in 2011.
Looking suave at a Grammy bunch in 2011.
On the red carpet with Heidi in 2004.
Seal with Heidi’s daughter Leni in 2007.
Looking serious in a promotional shot in 2011.
Kissing *The Voice* co-star Delta Goodrem at the Logie Awards in April.
Kissing The Voice co-star Delta Goodrem at the Logie Awards in April.
Seal looking surprised at the launch of *The Voice* US.
Seal looking surprised at the launch of The Voice US.
Seal with *Voice Australia* judges Joel Madden and Delta Goodrem.
Seal with Voice Australia judges Joel Madden and Delta Goodrem.
TV legend Barbara Walter has been a fixture of American television for more than 60 years, and she has just announced her plans to hang up the mic next year.
TV legend Barbara Walter has been a fixture of American television for more than 50 years but today announced at 83 she is ready to retire.
She’s been known for grilling celebrities, politicians and newsmakers since breaking barriers to become the nation’s first female anchorwoman in 1976 on ABC News.
No one is safe from her signature interviewing style, which comedian Jon Stewart dubbed “the withering Walters assault” — signing up for an interview with Walters almost guarantees tears.
Here are some of her most famous interviews through the years.
TV journalist Barbara Waters has announced her retirement after half a century in broadcast journalism.
Barbara’s 1976 debut on ABC News as the nation’s first female anchorwoman.
She interviewed Prince Philip for NBC’s *The Today Show*.
She interviewed Prince Philip for NBC’s The Today Show.
The 1997 interview with Michael Jackson was revealing.
Even Oprah was brought to tears talking about her relationship with best friend Gayle King.
Terri Irwin was brought to tears in her first emotional interview after her husband’s death.
Martha Stewart’s first interview when she got out of prison went to Walters in 2003.
Barbara Walters has interviewed every US president since Nixon in 1980.
The Monica Lewinsky interview in 1999 was legendary.
She’s grilled leaders from Arafat (above).
to Castro.
With Princess Caroline of Monaco in 1985.
She was criticised for asking Katharine Hepburn “If you were a tree, what kind would you be.”
An exclusive interview with Elton John, partner David Furnish and their son Zachary.
With Elton John again after Princess Diana’s death.
George W. Bush’s 1997 interview was one of her classical political interviews.
Last week a little boy in America was suspended from school for allegedly pointing a pencil at other students and making gun noises. He is seven years old.
I remember my mum banning gun and sword toys in our house: my little brother would duly create a weapon out of sticks, or Lego pieces. He would rat-ta-tat-tat them at inanimate objects, at our dogs, his sister. Boys will be boys.
I’ve no doubt teachers are edgy in the USA after the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook late last year, but punishing a small child for playing seems over the top.
This sounds like an “only in America” story, but it’s not just gun noises that get children in trouble at school these days.
In Western Australia, a young girl received detention after hugging her friend goodbye — her school in Bunbury had banned all cuddling between children for fear of injury.
I spent part of my childhood in Cairns. Hot, sticky summers were the norm and we didn’t have to wear shoes to school. There was no air conditioning in our classrooms, and on especially oppressive days the teacher would allow us to sit in our undies — a simple attempt to keep us cool while learning.
Shoeless kids sitting in their knickers certainly wouldn’t pass muster today.
It was at that same primary school that we played bullrush (red rover/British bulldog) at lunch … rushing across the playground shrieking with equal parts fear and delight as we escaped being tagged.
That game has largely been banned too — deemed too dangerous for modern playgrounds.
It joins cartwheels and monkey bars in being excluded from the 2013 playground: playgrounds that also variously forbid soccer, handstands, and anything classified as “rough play”.
Things have changed. While I’m all for keeping our kids safe, isn’t part of growing up having scabby knees and a sense of danger?
This not a lament for the good old days, as some things has changed for the better. We now understand the strength of the Australian sun, and school kids are largely kept indoors or in the shade during the hottest parts of the day.
But with our childhood obesity levels soaring to 25 per cent, when is it ok just to let our kids play?
I don’t like guns in any form, pencils or otherwise. But for a seven-year-old to be suspended from school for play-acting with a writing implement? Please.
Children need to be allowed their innocence for a little longer, and the playground is just for that: play.
Your say: What’s changed since your days at school? Do your kids and grandkids play differently than you did?
Every year, millions of sun seekers flock to Spain, but if you’re after more than sand, happy hours and overpriced tourist fares, a pocket of the real Spain still exists in the north.
It’s an ancient region, conservative, traditional and religious — one of the few places in Western Europe where it’s hard find people who speak English.
Rugged and mountainous with breathtaking scenery and a wild and beautiful coastline, dotted with stunning towns, Northern Spain should be at the top of every traveller’s wish list. Here are some of the region’s most sparkling gems:
San Sebastian
It’s blessed with great natural beauty, long sandy beaches and an annual influx of the world’s most famous and beautiful people, but San Sebastian — or Donostia is the local tongue — is all about one thing: food.
In just a few years the Basque city has become the gastronomic capital of the world, boasting the highest concentration of Michelin stars anywhere on the globe.
But you don’t need to book months in advance and fork out a small fortune to dine like a king in San Sebastian. The city is equally famous for its “pintxos” bars, which serve bite-sized local delicacies that make Southern Spain’s tapas seem bland and flavourless.
The Old Town is studded with these old-fashioned bars, which are usually crammed with old gentlemen, drinking and chatting as only European men can. Choose one, order a drink (it has to be the local sidra, a natural apple cider carbonated by pouring from a great height) and ask for a plate. You can sample as many pintxos as you please. When your drink is finished, simply tell the barman how many plates you’ve had, pay, and move on to the next bar.
Whole days in San Sebastian can be passed very pleasantly in this manner, with a break in the afternoon for the obligatory Spanish siesta.
The overall quality of pintxos bars in San Sebastian is excellent, but make sure you try these:
Martinez, Calle 31 de agosto (try the artichoke and jamon bombes. They don’t look too appetising but they are incredible)
Atari, Calle Mayor (order the beef cheek at the bar. It is amazing)
Gandarias, Calle 31 de agosto (steak is the specialty here. Order the green pepper variety at the bar)
Txuleta, Plaza Trinidad
La Cepa, Calle 31 de agosto (order the chargrilled padron paquillos at the bar. These tiny peppers are sweet and salty but one in 10 is blow-your-head-off hot)
Ganbara, Calle San Jeronimo
A San Sebastian bartender pouring the local specialty sidra.
An array of pintxos on offer at a San Sebastian bar.
When you’re too full to eat any more, walk off your lunch with a stroll along the boardwalk of La Concha Bay. Follow the city’s famous white wrought iron fence to the opposite end of the harbour, where the stunning Combs of the Winds sculptures sit.
Designed by local artist Eduardo Chillida, the giant twisted metal forms jut out from the rocks, battered by the often stormy seas. It’s a beautiful place, well worth the walk.
Close by, you can get the funicular to an amusement park atop the hill, which offers a stunning view of the whole city.
San Sebastian’s famous Combs of the Winds.
Santiago de Compostela
For more than 1200 years, pilgrims from all over Europe have made their way to Santiago de Compostela to pay their respects to the remains of Saint James, one of the fabled 12 apostles.
Legend has it that Saint James is buried under the city and from the 9th century, millions of Catholics have walked from their homes across Europe to Santiago de Compestela.
It’s an old tradition that hasn’t died out. In 2012, more than 200,000 people walk the Way of St James, the camino, every year, and many thousands more did without registering. Summer or winter, the streets of Santiago de Compestela are dotted with weary pilgrims staggering towards the great cathedral.
Make sure you visit the beautiful church and the surrounding Old Town, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
There are lovely artisanal shops and dozens of excellent restaurants, especially along Rua do Franco, and the night life is excellent.
For shopping, head across the road to the new town, which has all the big Spanish and international stores.
The famous cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.
Cangas de Onis
In the heart of the Asturias province and at the foothills of the Picos de Europa mountain range is the stunning town of Cangas de Onis.
The main attraction is the Roman bridge, which was built in the 1200s.
This is the town to buy artisanal products: local specialties from anchovies and sidra to chocolate and sweets are for sale in an array of attractive traditional shops.
There are numerous cheap and authentic restaurants perfect for lunch and the surrounding countryside is rugged and picturesque.
The Roman bridge at Cangas de Onis.
Covadonga
Venture higher into the Picos de Europas to this incredibly holy place. The cathedral sits atop a rocky outcrop and is absolutely beautiful.
Nearby is the shrine to Pelayo, who achieved the first Christian victory over the invading Islamic Moors in 722.
Spaniards, particularly Asturians, are extremely proud of this victory, making Covadonga one of the most popular attractions for local tourism.
Visiting the shrine is like a scene from anIndiana Jonesfilm. You walk down dark stairs hewn from solid rock into the side of the mountain, emerging in a tiny stone chapel hidden by a huge natural waterfall. It’s very beautiful and peaceful.
The beautiful mountain-top cathedral at Covadonga.
Santillana del Mar
Frequently declared the most beautiful village in Spain, Santillana del Mar is all cobblestone streets and old-fashioned charm.
It offers a glimpse into the lives of small town people who have lived more or less the same way for centuries.
Make sure you have a cup of coffee in one of the old grand hotels and don’t miss great local products for sale from small vendors.
Fun fact: Locals call Santillana del Mar the town that lies three times, since it is neither a Saint (Santo), nor flat (llana) and is nowhere near the sea (Mar).
Snow-capped mountains can be seen behind the beautiful town of Santillana del Mar.
Oviedo
For a city few people have heard of (soccer fans excepted), Oviedo has three huge claims to fame. Firstly, it has been repeatedly voted the cleanest town in Europe and it’s something its citizens take extremely seriously. There is no litter in the whole city. Anywhere. Ever.
There streets are also free from the stinking piles of household rubbish bags that mar countless European cities and this is no accident. Oviedo has some of the strictest rubbish laws in the world. Bags can only be put outside homes between 8pm and 10pm. Anything left on the street outside these hours is traced to its owner, who is then fined 3000 Euros.
The second of Oviedo’s trio of bragging points is San Julian de los Prados, a pre-Romanesque church that dates back to the 9th century. The church’s interior is decorated with some of the oldest frescoes in the world, which were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998.
The third, and most religiously significant, highlight of the city is the Sudarium of Oviedo, a religious relic that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to its home in the Cathedral of San Salvador.
The Vatican claims the Sudarium is the cloth that covered the face of Jesus as he was carried from the cross to his tomb. Science is not so sure, but has conceded the item is old enough to have performed the task.
The delicate piece of tissue is only displayed three days a year, Good Friday, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross on September 14, and the feast’s conclusion on September 21. The rest of the time it is stored in darkness.
Old and new: The Guggenheim in Bilbao and the pre-Romanesque church in Oviedo.
Bilbao
When the Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation announced it would be building a Guggenheim museum in the port town of Bilbao in 1991, the world was surprised but Spaniards were shocked.
Bilbao was heavily industrialised and considered the dirtiest, ugliest town in Northern Spain. The museum changed everything, sparking a massive period of urban renewal resulting in the stylish modern town proudly on show today.
The Guggenheim museum, designed by Frank Gehry, is the gem of the town. Its striking modern architecture makes it just as much of a work of art as the priceless pieces it houses.
Walk around the outside and take it in before heading indoors. You need about two hours to explore the museum. Don’t miss the gift shop and the café on the top floor is excellent.
Afterwards, wander past the city’s famous giant dog crafted entirely from flowers and into the old town where excellent shopping can be found.
The 11-day tour, which starts from $2535 per person, includes accommodation in premium city centre hotels, daily buffet breakfasts, hotel and restaurant dinners, the service of an expert tour director and local guides and a mix of included sightseeing and free time.
You’ll be escorted in a luxury coach, which has had 12 seats removed to give the remaining 40 chairs business class-style leg room, more window space to take in the views and smaller groups. There is also a toilet onboard.
“Travelling can be stressful. We can take that stress away, taking care of all the hassles and details so all you have to do is show up and have the time of your life,” Insight Vacations CEO John Boulding says.
“Our motto is, ‘Experience the Art of Touring in Style’ and that’s what we’re all about: style. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s the best.”
Paul Forziano and Hava Samuels were married last month but their care homes say they can't live together.
When Paul Forziano and Hava Samuels began planning their wedding three years ago, they envisaged beginning married life like any other couple — together.
Instead, the newlyweds who both have mental disabilities, have found themselves embroiled in a legal battle fighting for the right to live together as a married couple after their respective care homes have deemed them ‘incapable’ of cohabitation.
Mr Forziano is classified in the mild to moderate range of intellectual functioning, and has limited reading and writing skills and cannot manage money, the Daily Mail reports.
He can, however, articulate his desire to be with his wife.
“She’s very beautiful and she helps me,” he said.
“We’re very sad when we leave each other … I want to live with my wife, because I love her.”
Ms Samuels, who has a significant expressive language disability making it difficult for people to understand her, says she fell for her husband because of his sense of humour, but their living situation brought her to tears.
“I’m not happy… we live apart,” she said.
The lawsuit, being fought in Long Island, New York, where the couple are based, sees the group home where 36-year-old Ms Samuels resides claim she does not have the ‘mental capacity’ to consent to sex.
Mr Forziano’s carers claim the 30-year-old is ‘incapable’ of living as a married person, claiming that by definition people requiring the services of a group home aren’t equipped to do so.
The couples parents’, who are also plaintiffs in the case, have been seeking a solution to the group homes’ rulings since the couple began considering marriage in 2010 after meeting during a performing arts program for mentally disabled adults.
Mother of the bride Bonnie Samuels, who never thought her daughter would be married but is overjoyed that she has found love, finds the case devastating.
“It does make me very angry,” she said.
“That people say they want the best and the most for these individuals, or want them to have the type of life that they would like to have and let them grow as much as they can, and yet they’re being told no.”
The couple tied the knot last month, and their families are still fighting for newlyweds to move into a marital home.
“It’s not something we wanted to do, it’s something we had to do,” Samuels’ mother said.
Legal professionals have said the case is venturing into unchartered territory, but it tests the Americans with Disabilities Act which says “a public entity shall make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures … to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability.”
The group home where Mr Forziano lives says it is not equipped to house couples and has no requirement to do so.
The lawsuit cites a letter from the Manorville home saying its homes “are not staffed or designed to house and supervise married couples or assist married couples with the dynamics of their relationships, sexual or otherwise”.
The couple’s parents say they have sought out other homes which might have space, but were told there was no availability even for homes that would welcome married couples.
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