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William and Harry saddened by death of childhood nanny

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William and Harry saddened by sudden death of childhood nanny

Prince William and Prince Harry are today grieving the loss of their beloved childhood nanny Olga Powell.

The 82-year-old died suddenly yesterday after suffering a heart attack and collapsing on the doorstep of her home, the UK’s Daily Mirror reports.

A spokesman for the princes said they are distraught over the news.

“The princes have been informed and are very saddened to hear the news,” the spokesman said.

The princes had a strong bond with their nanny, who cared for them for 15 years at Kensington Palace and was there for them during their parents’ highly publicised divorce and at the time of their mother’s death.

As the princes grew older, Olga continued to be a very important person in their lives. Harry invited her to his 21st birthday party and she attended William’s wedding last year.

She was also at Harry’s confirmation at Eton College in 2000 and William’s Passing Out Parade at Sandhurst in 2006.

Olga always kept a watchful eye over the princes and just last week wrote to Prince Harry in Afghanistan, where he is currently based, warning him to stay safe as she feared for his life.

In an interview last year just before the royal wedding, Olga revealed the princes were just “like my grandsons”.

“I have a very normal relationship with them. Their upbringing was very normal and their parents wanted them to have as ordinary a childhood as they could,” she said.

“If they saw a muddy puddle they wanted to jump in it and if there was something to climb, they wanted to climb it.”

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Get your credit card under control

Credit card debt weighing you down? Get on top of it once and for all with these five simple steps.
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Get your credit card under control in five steps

AUSSIES currently owe a whopping $37 billion on credit cards, with an average debt of $4800 per card holder. According to the Federal Government’s Money Smart website, the average card holder is paying around $800 in interest per year if their interest rate is between 15 and 20 percent.

1. Consolidate multiple cards

If you have several maxed-out cards, consider rolling all of the debt onto one low interest card to save on interest. Many lenders offer attractive interest rates for a certain period if you transfer the balance of all your cards onto one new card. Just make sure you check what interest rate will apply once the balance transfer period comes to an end.

2. Try to pay at least double the minimum repayment

Once you have consolidated your cards, remember you still need to make more than the minimum payments to make any inroads. For example, if you paid only the minimum monthly payment of $102 on a debt of $5,000 with an interest rate of 18.5 percent, it would cost you a total of $18,530 over 35 years and five months. However if you upped your monthly repayments to $247, you’d pay just $5,929 over two years — that’s a saving of $12,601 and 33 years and five months!

3. Use your credit card sparingly

While you are trying to pay off your debt, only use your credit card if you really need to. A new pair of shoes might make you feel good in the short-term, but imagine how happy you’ll feel once you’ve paid off your cards once and for all. Stay focused on your financial goal and, if necessary, leave your credit card at home, so you’re not tempted to make impulse buys.

4. Be careful with store cards

Some department stores offer their own credit cards, but be aware they can have much higher interest rates than regular credit cards. Also be cautious when signing up for a store card as part of an interest-free deal.

5. Consider a debit card

If you like the convenience of a card for shopping or paying bills, but don’t want the temptation of a credit card, try switching to a debit card. To be able to buy something with a debit card, you must have money in your account. Using a debit card helps you avoid running up debts you will only have to pay back later.

Dianne Charman is an AMP financial planner and mother of two.

Dianne Charman is an Authorised Representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd, ABN 89 051 208 327, AFS Licence No. 232706. Any advice given is general only and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, before acting on any advice, you should consult a financial planner to consider how appropriate the advice is to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

To find your nearest AMP financial planner visit www.amp.com.au/findaplanner.

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Summer wardrobe essentials

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It’s FINALLY here! Spring has sprung and summer is well and truley on it’s way, so it’s time to add some pops of colour, prints and starppy sandals to your wardrobe.

Laura Yeomans from ShopStyle.com.au talks us through the essential pieces to add to your wardrobwe this summer and tells you how to wear them.

All the pieces in this gallery are availabel from ShopStyle.com.au.

Summer essentials

It’s FINALLY here! Spring has sprung and summer is well and truly on its way, so it’s time to add some pops of colour, prints and strappy sandals to your wardrobe.

Laura Yeomans from ShopStyle.com.au talks us through the essential pieces to add to your wardrobe this summer and suggests the best ways to wear them.

All the pieces in this gallery are available from ShopStyle.com.au.

Pretty florals

Prints are big this season! Floral designs are particularly popular as we head into the warmer months, so pick yourself up a pretty floral number and feel feminine.

TRY: Stitches Pond Slide Drape Dress, RRP: $169.

Click here for stockists.

Mix it up

Show your wild side with these snake skin heels. The neutral tones throughout make them easier to match than you think.

TRY: Country Road Natasha Snake Heel. RRP: $99.

Click here for stockists.

One-piece wonder

The one piece is in! Don’t be worried about showing off your curves in this conservative number. The pretty white frill attracts all the right attention!

TRY: Birdsnest Baku Frill Maillot. RRP: $154.95.

Click here for stockists.

Coloured and printed pants

Capri pants are classic and comfortable, so liven them up with a bit of colour or a pattern.

TRY: Sportscraft Eva Capri Pants. RRP: $149.95.

Click here for stockists.

Neon

Don’t be scared to add a little bit of neon to your outfit this summer. Try a cool lemon yellow – it adds a fresh feel and looks good with basic wardrobe staples.

TRY: Urge Florida Yellow Fluro. RRP: $99.95.

Click here for stockists.

Glam it up

The summer season brings with it the party season, so having the perfect party dress is a must. This one combines two current trends lace and peplum.

TRY: Dorothy Perkins Black lace peplum dress. RRP: $58.64.

Click here for stockists.

Add a bit of sparkle

Embellished design is huge this season. We love the embellished droplets on this tank top.

TRY: Gorman Droplet beaded tank. RRP: $249.

Click here for stockists.

Peplum

The peplum trend is certainly one to watch this season and there are lots of bright coloured options to choose from. Keep in mind that different tops have the peplum frill in different places, so don’t give up if you can’t find one that suits you.

Keep looking for the perfect peplum length for your body type. And if tops don’t cut it, try a peplum dress; the frill often sits lower on the hip.

TRY: House of Fraser Therapy Peplum top. RRP: $43.17.

Click here for stockists.

Spice up your work wear

Add a neon tote to your business outfit this summer. Not only will you look classy but be right on trend.

TRY: Steven by Steve Madden ‘France’ Calfskin Leather Tote. RRP: $188.41, now $123.61.

Click here for stockists.

Block colours

With all of the patterns and prints going on, it’s a good idea to add a colour block to break it up a bit. You can still keep it bright and apricot or white are good options.

TRY: Finders Keepers ring me up apricot blazer. RRP: $154.

Click here for stockists.

Trend with a twist

Find a summer dress that offers the best of both worlds! The best would be to find one that is right on the pattern trend and can be worn day or night with the right accessories.

TRY: Living Doll Peacock Dress. RRP: $89.95.

Click here for stockists.

Summer shorts

Laura says shorts are going to be BIG this season and the good news is there is a style out there to suit everyone from tight and fitted to free-flowing.

TRY: TopShop Smudge shorts. RRP: $46.30.

Click here for stockists.

Simple, yet essentail

Nude sandals are a summer wardrobe staple. They go with practically everything so invest in a comfortable pair.

TRY: Styletread Pretty Woman Nude. RRP: $139.95.

Click here for stockists.

Work wear

Add a bit of sparkle to your work wardrobe with this gold pencil skirt. This skirt is quite bright, so team it up with a simple top and shoes.

TRY: Reiss Gold pleat pencil skirt. RRP: $199.83.

Click here for stockists.

Hit the beach

Make sure you have your beach essentials in check, including a stylish hat, sunscreen and a colourful beach bag to carry it all in.

TRY: J. Crew Panama hat. RRP $78.40.

The Iconic Condura Beach Bag. RRP $16.95.

Click here for stockists.

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Great read: The Orchardist

A first-time author serves up a beautifully unpredictable novel dealing with how love can conquer even the darkest past.
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The Orchardist

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin, W&N fiction, $29.99.

There’s something entrancing about this unpredictable story, set in the American West at the turn of the 20th century, which can’t help but capture your heart.

First of all, it’s the landscape — rugged, wild nature at its most punishing, but also at times at its most rewarding, making a pact with those who choose to work with it and respect it.

Yet more than the attractions of a natural world impeccably drawn, Amanda Coplin’s characters pull you in and won’t let you go.

Protagonist Talmadge, who lost his mother young and with his sister nurtured a scrappy orchard into abundant acres of apples and apricots, hits a life-defining rocky patch when his sister disappears into the surrounding forest one day.

What may have happened to his sibling soul-mate dominates Talmadge’s character and when two feral petrified pregnant teenage girls cross his path, Talmadge’s inate response is to try to save them.

Through his own investigation, he discovers the unspeakably cruel and shocking back story to the girls’ situation and without further thought determines to disrupt his ordered, solitary world and create a place where they can learn to trust him and grow in peace.

However, the dangers of their past do inevitably and dramatically come knocking and tragedy hits this unconventional new family, leaving Talmadge with a baby girl and her now deeply traumatised mother to raise.

The fragile but oh so deeply felt bond between this surrogate daughter, her mother and the empathetic older man makes up the central tension of the novel.

It is a lyrical and beautifully written book dealing with big emotional issues which, I suspect, author Amanda Coplin didn’t quite know how to conclude, but which stays playing on your mind long after the final page.

About the author: Amanda Coplin

Thirty-one-year-old author Amanda Coplin was born and raised in Washington State where, she says, “the orchard landscape and my family were the most important things in my life”.

She can’t remember at what age she decided to be a writer, saying only that she “always wanted to write”.

The manuscript for this debut novel caused a fierce auction in the US, which Amanda says “felt — and still feels — unbelievable”.

Amanda says she was “visited by a vision of the book’s three characters and wanted to explore the tension between them”.

She currently lives in Oregon with partner Ted Salk and is still waiting for a vision to inspire her next project.

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Sonia Kruger: I’m struggling with IVF at 47

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Sonia Kruger: I'm having IVF at 47

Sonia Kruger. Photography by Grant Matthews. Styling by Judith Cook.

At 47, Sonia Kruger knows that her chances of falling pregnant are very slim, but that hasn’t stopped her from trying.

The Big Brother presenter has always wanted children, but didn’t find the right man until she met her current partner Craig three years ago.

They have been trying to conceive ever since, first naturally, and then through IVF. So far they have been unsuccessful, but Sonia still cherishes a hope that motherhood might still happen for her.

Related: I had a baby at 50 – without IVF

“It’s been a struggle,” she tells the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. “We did conceive naturally several times and I miscarried on a couple of occasions.

“We tried IVF and it wasn’t successful. The doctors were very clear with me too, that for women over the age of 45, which was the age we attempted IVF, the success rate is zero.

“You still believe it can happen, and you see stories, and you think maybe that can happen for us, but the odds are definitely very slim.”

Despite all the advances in assisted reproduction, conception is not easy for women over the age of 45.

As one of Australia’s leading IVF clinic reports, in nearly 20 years of operation, they have never achieved a live birth for a woman of 45 or more using her own eggs.

Sonia says she has come to terms with the fact that she might never have a baby of her own. She doesn’t want anyone’s pity, but hopes that speaking out about her fertility struggle will help others going through the same thing in silence.

“I think for a lot of women my age, who perhaps didn’t find the right person until later in life, you can want children as much as you like but it doesn’t mean it is going to happen,” she says.

“I do have a lot of children my life. My brother has a three-year-old. My friends have babies. I think there are far worse things that can happen to a person.

Related: Why I donate my eggs

“The reason I have never spoken about it before is I don’t want people to think, ‘Boo hoo, poor me’. There are plenty of people out there in the same situation. It is more about understanding, and perhaps encouraging people to be understanding of women in this age bracket who have struggled and are still struggling.”

Read more of this story in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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Aussie swimmers ‘cheered when Magnussen lost’

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Aussie swimmers 'cheered when Magnussen lost'

James Magnussen at the 2012 London Olympics.

James Magnussen was devastated when the 100m men’s freestyle Olympic gold medal was snatched away by his American rival Nathan Adrian, but some of his Australian teammates were so thrilled they stood up and cheered.

That such a thing could happen at an Olympic Games and to an Australian swimming team is almost incomprehensible, but a special investigation published in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly reveals the shocking extent of Magnussen’s unpopularity.

In pictures: Leisel Jones’ amazing career

“I have heard this from a half a dozen swimmers since they came back from London,” says a swimming insider who spoke to The Weekly on condition of anonymity. “When Magnusson didn’t win, members of the team cheered and were happy.”

The Weekly spent three weeks delving into the issues behind the team’s performance in London, with its single gold the worst performance in the Olympic pool in two decades.

Most inside the sport would talk only on the condition their names weren’t used, fearing they’d be ostracised for voicing their concerns about a sport they clearly love.

Poke behind the mammoth advertising billboards, the bewildering array of marketing contracts and the bonhomie of welcome home parades, and what you find is a sport at war with itself.

“Not too many years ago, there was an aura around the Australian swim team,” says one observer. “When the team walked onto the pool deck, other countries would stop and stare and stand in awe. Now, there is no sense of team. The culture that was once the glue that held everyone together has long gone and it seems there are rules for some and rules for others.”

Much criticism focuses on James Magnussen not attending an important team briefing in the days before the competition began.

“There may be a very good reason for why he didn’t attend the team meeting,” says one Games veteran who spoke to many present swimmers. “But the truth is that James didn’t attend some of meetings that Olympic officials thought he should.

“It created a perception among other members of the team that he was being treated differently to everyone else, that if it’s good enough for him, then why isn’t it good enough for me?

“That sort of thing creates disunity no matter who it is and that can make a huge difference to morale and team psychology. In a culture that relies on the team as the central unit, the lone wolf idea doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. And James Magnussen was conspicuous by his absence.”

In pictures: Our golden Paralympic heroes

And his swagger didn’t help. “Magnussen’s brash overconfidence, it rubbed a lot of the swimmers the wrong way,” says another former official.

Read more of this story in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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Charlotte Dawson: I gave up my baby for my husband

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Charlotte Dawson: I gave up my baby for my husband

Charlotte Dawson. Photography by Peter Brew-Bevan. Styling by Nell Simpson.

Charlotte Dawson has revealed she aborted her child with swimmer Scott Miller because he didn’t want any distractions in the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics.

The TV presenter opened up about the termination of her pregnancy in her new book, Air Kiss And Tell, which is exclusively extracted in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Related: Sonia Kruger: I’m struggling with IVF at 47

Charlotte says she was thrilled when she realised she was pregnant, but her husband Scott was not so happy.

“I could sense some hesitation in Scott,” she says. “My due date would clash with the 2000 Olympic Games and this was very concerning.

“Everything Scott had done was leading up to this moment and nothing could stand in his way, so it was decided that we would terminate the child and try again later. Who needed a developing foetus when a gold medal was on offer, eh?”

On the day of the termination, Charlotte says she was in “total turmoil”. Her husband accompanied her to the clinic, but “couldn’t cope with the atmosphere” so left her alone.

After the procedure, Charlotte went home and tried to behave as though nothing had happened, but says something had changed forever.

“I felt a shift,” she says. “Maybe it was hormonal, but I felt the early tinges of what I can now identify as my first experience with depression.”

Related: Megan Gale – My new love

The extract also recounts how Charlotte felt when she found out her husband had starred in an alleged sex tape, her battle with mental illness and internet trolls.

Read more of this story in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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What if these women were running the country?

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What if these women were running the country?

Julie Bishop, Ann Peacock and Kerryn Phelps have been nominated by our readers as Women of Influence

Each year The Weekly pays tribute to our most impressive women, as nominated by our readers. At the top of their field, these powerful and admired Australian women share their words of wisdom, fascinating insights and secrets for success in the October issue of the magazine.

Here three of our Women of Influence tell us what they would change if they were given the nation’s top job.

Related: Our advice for Julia Gillard

Julie Bishop – Deputy leader of the federal opposition

As the first female deputy of the Liberal Party, Julie is an influential figure on the federal Opposition’s frontbench, but what be the first thing she’d change if she was running the country?

“I would introduce a national education scheme based on providing scholarships for Australian students to undertake part of their studies at an educational institution in our region.

“The experience would not only enrich the lives of the students, but our nation would reap long-term benefits from a deeper engagement with the countries through young Australians gaining a better understanding and appreciation of different cultures, politics and interests in our region.”

Dr Kerryn Phelps – GP and The Weekly’s medical practitioner

Since being appointed the first female president of the Australian Medical Association, Kerryn has been a tireless campaigner for better medical care, and is just as determined in her activism in the fight for same-sex marriage. If she was in charge of the country, Kerryn admits she’d have a huge agenda.

“I would start by changing the Marriage act to completely eliminate the last piece of discriminatory federal legislation.

“Change the tax laws to make domestic assistance for working families a tax-deductible expense.

“Stop the bickering between the states and commonwealth over healthcare funding,

“And start a publicly funded children’s dental health scheme.”

Ann Peacock – General manager, public relations, Crown Limited

With a contact book that has the city covered and a speed dial to most of Melbourne’s powerbrokers, the PR executive and daughter of Andrew Peacock and Lady Susan Renouf is one of the most powerful women in Victoria. But how would Ann Peacock wield her power if she was running the country?

“I am horrified at the number of people in Australia living below the poverty line. The idea that families go without would be the top of my list to address.

“Offering greater access to healthcare, education and industry-specific training is so important to put people back in control of their own future.”

Read more of this story in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

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Pink: I’m a breastfeeding militant

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Pink: I'm a breastfeeding militant

Pink and her baby Willow, 15 months.

If you’re one of those people who shoots dirty looks at women who breastfeed in public, stay away from rocker Pink.

The singer is in Sydney for a month and won’t tolerate any criticism of her decision to breastfeed baby Willow, 15 months, in restaurants, cafes or anywhere else she chooses.

Related: Bottle feeding ‘like AIDS’, expectant mothers told

“I will start fights in restaurants,” Pink told British talk show host Alan Carr last week.

“I will fight. Hold my baby,” she said, laughing.

When Carr asked if Pink considers herself “one of those militant breastfeeder women” the star replied “You bet!” saying she sometimes goes out of her way to try to provoke a reaction from passers-by.

“I do. I do on purpose,” she said. “I think breastfeeding is healthy and natural and it’s a comfort to my baby.”

But while she is a staunch advocate of breastfeeding, Pink admits it forced her to change certain things about herself — the biggest being her famous nipple rings.

“I had to take them out because it was like a sprinkler,” she said.

Related: Should military mums be allowed to breastfeed in uniform?

She has also had to change her party-hard lifestyle, restricting her alcohol consumption and getting more sleep.

“Babies don’t respect hangovers,” she said. “No matter what time we go to bed, she wakes up at 5am. So I party from maybe like 9pm to 10pm. And I party hard for that one hour. I get it all in.”

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Trampolines too dangerous to use, health experts say

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Trampolines too dangerous to use, health experts say

US health experts are calling for a ban on backyard trampolines because they are too dangerous and cause an excessive number of injuries.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that netting and other safety equipment does not reduce injury.

In 2009 there were almost 98,000 trampoline-related injuries in the US which resulted in 3,100 hospitalisations.

“Paediatricians need to actively discourage recreational trampoline use,” says Dr Michele LaBotz, co-author of an updated policy statement on the use of trampolines in the US.

“Families need to know that many injuries occur on the mat itself, and current data does not appear to demonstrate that netting or padding significantly decrease the risk of injury.”

Kate Fraser from Australia’s Kidsafe playground advisory unit told Woman’s Day that banning trampolines may be taking things a little too far.

“It would be a sad day for Australia if the backyard trampoline was banned, however, we recognise that some injuries do occur,” Kate said.

The US report found that children under the age of five were most at risk of serious hurt, with 48 per cent of injuries in this age group involving fractured or dislocated bones. Other common complaints included sprains, strains and contusions. According to the AAP, these injuries still occurred despite parental supervision.

It was also found that 75 per cent of trampoline injuries occur when more than one person is jumping on the mat at the same time.

“The recommendations from this organisation appear to focus on the risk of injury, rather than the benefits of using a trampoline,” Kate Fraser says.

“Trampolines do come with some risks, and knowledge of these risks requires parents and carers to be mindful of the set-up of the trampoline in their backyard. We all want our kids to grow up to be happy, healthy adults and equipment such as trampolines offers many more benefits than risks of injury.”

These benefits include coordination development, physical fitness, core strength development and body schema awareness.

“Children love to trampoline because it is so much fun – many adults also love to trampoline for the same reasons,” Kate says.

“However, the benefits are not just physical, as children learn to take turns, act as a ‘spotter’ for the ‘jumper’, or play ball games with the ‘jumper’ from ground level.”

Here are Kate’s tips for safe trampoline use:

  • Full-sized trampolines are not recommended for children under six, however there are a lot of different sized trampolines on the market that are suitable. It is important to consider the overall size of the mat, the bounce and the height of the trampoline.

  • When purchasing a trampoline, ensure that it complies with the Australian Standard. Look for the Standards ticks or product marking that demonstrates this compliance.

  • Avoid setting up on hard surfaces and ensure that the trampoline is stable.

  • No pets on the trampoline!

  • Maintain pads, nets and springs, and follow any specific manufacturer’s instructions.

  • Parents should actively supervise kids on the trampoline

  • If your child shows a keen interest in trampolining, consider enrolling them in a class. It is a terrific way to develop interests/hobbies and engage in ongoing regular physical activity .

For further information on safe trampoline use visit: www.kidsafe.com.au

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