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The biggest celebrity weddings of 2011

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We celebrate the biggest celebrity weddings of 2011!

Prince William marries Kate Middleton

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding stopped the world on April 29, 2011 when billions of people world-wide tuned in to watch commoner Kate Middleton become Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Kate Moss marries Jamie Hince

Kate Moss tied the knot with rock musician Jamie Hince at St. Peter’s church in the UK.

The style icon wore a vintage-style cream bias-cut dress with gold leaf embroidery and rhinestones, detailed floral hairpiece and a special pair of shoes designed by Manolo Blahnik which included a blue insole as Kate’s ‘something blue’.

Zara Phillips marries Mike Tindall

In what has been dubbed the second royal wedding of the year, Zara Phillips married English Rugby captain Mike Tindall in a traditional 45 minute ceremony.

The bride, who is said to be the Queen’s favourite grandchild, wore a full-length ivory silk gown with silk tulle detail designed by the Queen’s favourite couturier Stewart Parvin.

Kelsy Grammer marries Kayte Walsh

Actor Kelsey Grammer married 29-year-old Kayte Walsh in an afternoon ceremony at the Longacre Theater where they say they first fell in love.

The Duchess of Alba marries Alfonso Diez

The famously flamboyant 85-year-old Duchess of Alba Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart married 60-year-old Alfonso Diez in a small ceremony before taking to the streets to dance.

Wearing a pale pink dress, the billionaire was welcomed by well-wishers on the streets who donned fancy dress and wigs in an attempt to copy her quirky style.

Daniel Craig marries Rachel Weisz

James Bond actor Daniel Craig, married actress Rachel Weisz in a small secret ceremony in New York.

The ceremony was attended by just four people including Daniel’s 18-year-old daughter and Rachel’s four-year-old son, plus two family friends who acted as witnesses.

Kim Kardashian marries Kris Humphries

Kim Kardashian marries Kris Humphries

In what has been dubbed “Hollywood’s royal wedding” reality star Kim Kardashian married basket baller Kris Humphries in an elaborate ceremony which is estimated to have cost $10 million.

But the pair has already filed for divorce after just 72 days of marriage.

Leann Rimes marries Eddie Cibrian

Leann Rimes and actor Eddie Cibrian were married under a tree at sunset at a private estate.

The intimate ceremony, which took place in front of just 40 guests, was a surprise to invited friends and family who thought they were attending an engagement party.

Lily Allen marries Sam Cooper

Lily Allen married Sam Cooper in the English countryside at St. James the Great Church followed by an “English cricket and afternoon tea” themed reception.

Lily wore a vintage inspired gown with long lace sleeves and a fishtail skirt by French designer Delphine Manivet.

Michael Bublé marries Luisana Lopilato

Michael Bublé and Luisana Lopilato celebrated their wedding three times! The first was at a civil ceremony in Buenos Aires where the bride wore purple. The second was at a religious ceremony and reception in Argentina where 300 guests gathered to celebrate at the Villa Maria Paz private mansion.

The third was in Vancouver at the Pan Pacific Hotel where they celebrated with 500 of their friends and family. It seems that the pair love a good party!

Prince Albert II of Monaco marries Charlene Wittstock

Prince Albert II of Monaco married 33-year-old South African Charlene Wittstock in a civil ceremony on July 1, followed by a religious ceremony on July 2.

The couple, who wed in front of European royalty and a number of celebrity guests, are reportedly off to a rocky start.

Sir Paul McCartney marries Nancy Shevell

Sir Paul McCartney, wed his girlfriend of four years Nancy Shevell in true rock’n’roll style at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London.

Paul, who met Nancy in the Hamptons, proposed with a $650,000 engagement ring.

Nick Lechay marries Vanessa Milano

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo married in a small “island chic” wedding ceremony which aired in a two-hour TV special on TLC.

The pair, who had been engaged since 2010, sent airline tickets to their 35 guests as their wedding invitations to join them on Necker Island, owned by Sir Richard Branson.

Robin Williams marries Susan Schneider

The pair married at Meadowood Resort in a non-denominational ceremony held outdoors followed by a formal reception with family and friends.

They followed their big day with a honeymoon in Paris.

Reese Witherspoon marries Jim Toth

Reese Witherspoon and talent agent Jim Toth tied the knot in a private ceremony at her ranch called The Libbey Ranch in Ojai, California.

Reese wore a pale pink gown for the ceremony and changed into a short white cocktail dress for the reception.

Shania Twain marries Frédéric Thiébaud

Shania Twain married Swiss business executive, Frédéric Thiébaud in a private ceremony on New Year’s day on the island of Puerto Rico.

She wore a white gown with a black sash and a full veil.

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Queensland couple’s incredible flood relief effort

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Queensland couple's incredible flood relief effort

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When Queensland was devastated by deadly floods, the Lockyer Valley community banded together. Woman’s Day talks to the pair behind the relief effort Derek and Chris Pingel who are being honoured for their efforts and are still helping their community find its feet.

Derek Pingel still remembers the day his home town of 50 years was destroyed by an eight metre wall of water.

“My wife was at home and we were isolated but did not experience any damages. I was in Townsville I was stranded up there and she was stranded at home,” he said.

Although the pair was physically okay, they knew many others in their community, who they “knew very well”, were not.

“I was concerned for the community especially,” Derek said. “We knew the people who were killed and affected by the floods.

“It was devastating to see the properties that I had grown up around all my life destroyed by an eight metre wall of water in a short amount of time.”

Being an active member in the community Derek decided to call the council mayor to see if he could help in any way.

“When I got back to my house I said I would call the mayor and I would offer some assistance, but Chris said for once don’t try to be in charge,” he laughs.

“So I said okay, but the mayor called both of us in and when they said they desperately needed someone to coordinate the relief we both said yes straight away.”

The pair, who have been married for 33 years, took on the mammoth task of running the volunteer and relief effort of getting the town of Lockyear Valley with its 20,000 residents back on its feet. They suddenly found themselves in charge of 600 volunteers, five large storage facilities filled with donated equipment that needed to be sorted through, and two distribution centres.

Their incredible effort has earned them a nomination as finalists for the community spirit national medal, as part of the Pride of Australia People’s Choice National Medal 2011.

The pair’s first task was to established a needs assessment program which allowed them to determine the needs of each individual.

“It was very intense when we started as we had to sort it all out, know what we had and know what people needed,” Derek said.

“We had to put our business and our lives on hold, but you do it, you do it to help your mates in need.”

The huge task not only took a toll on the pair physically, with Derek and Chris working from 6am to 1am every day, the emotional toll was also extraordinary.

“We saw the enormity of the task before us and saw there was no point being emotional. We had to detach ourselves from the emotional situation,” Derek said.

“Our task was to make life better for the people affected in the community and help them start their lives again immediately.”

To date, Derek and Chris along with 600 volunteers, who also worked tirelessly throughout the relief effort, have helped 1100 families and are still helping.

From five storage facilities and two distribution centres they have worked their way down to one distribution centre which continues to hold items for about 80 families from the area who are still trying to find a permanent home.

Derek believes the district has done fairly well to recover from such a disaster.

“The incredible generosity of individuals, clubs, organisations and business has been outstanding,” he said.

And he has great praise for his wife Chris.

“She is one of a kind; I would be lost without her. We have been in business together for 33 years. She works equally as hard as I do and she is a tremendous organiser,” he said.

“People often ask us why are you still doing this and I say ‘if we don’t, who will?'”

“It’s a great feeling to help others.”

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Kris Jenner: I could have saved Nicole Brown Simpson

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Kris Jenner: I could have saved Nicole Brown Simpson

Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian’s mum and the woman behind the Kardashian empire, is releasing a memoir called Kris Jenner … and All Things Kardashian, but the book isn’t just about the big money earning family.

Kris is also revealing the details of her friend Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of football star-turned actor OJ Simpson, Radar online reports. Nicole, was found brutally stabbed to death at her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994. Her friend Ron Goldman was also murdered.

Now, Kris says she believes she could have saved her friend, revealing Nicole tried to contact her on the morning of the day before her death.

“Nicole called her early on June 12th,” Kris wrote. “Nicole said, “Can you get over here…? I need to talk to you. It’s really important’.”

Kris, who was caught up with her children, asked if she could put it off until the next day.

“‘That’s okay, can you meet me tomorrow for lunch? I really have to talk to you about something really, really important’,” Nicole told Kris. “It would be the last time I would ever speak to Nicole.”

Kris discovered her friend had been killed the following morning. “I instinctively knew that in some way OJ had something to do with her death,” she writes.

“I truly couldn’t believe she had been so betrayed by the person who she had once loved most. That OJ would be so destructive and selfish and jealous that he would do that to her was just mind-blowing to me. All these thoughts were running through my mind: This can’t be true.”

A mutual friend later told Kris that a friend then revealed to Kris that: “Nicole had been beaten up by OJ and she had been keeping this physical proof in the form of photographs and, it would turn out, other evidence, in which she had documented 17 years of abuse. Nicole really wanted someone close to her to know what was going on, so that somebody — namely me — could be a witness.”

Kris then realised that Nicole was reaching out to her. In her book she recalls screaming: “‘Oh my God! It’s too late! It’s too late!’…The realisation that she had wanted to confide in me hit me so hard. … And I had let her down.”

Kris Jenner… and All Things Kardashian goes on sale November 1.

Your say: Would you buy Kris Jenner’s memoir ?

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Warnie’s wags at war: Liz and Simone’s race to the alter

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Warnie's wags at war: Liz and Simone's race to the alter

Liz Hurley and Shane Warne may be planning an all-out wedding, but it seems his ex-wife and her beau might just beat them down the aisle!

As Shane Warne and Liz Hurley celebrated their engagement together in Melbourne last week, the cricket great’s ex-wife, Simone Callahan, and her buff boyfriend, Toby Roberts, fled the spotlight for a romantic break far from all the fuss. Simone, 41, has never been really comfortable on the red carpet, preferring to spend her time playing mum to Brooke, 14, Jackson, 12, and Summer, 10, while her love affair with fashion executive Toby quietly blossomed. Friends say if the two do end up tying the knot, it would likely be an intimate affair, rather than the star-studded celebrations Liz and Shane are planning on two continents.

“Simone adores Toby and he adores her,” confirms one friend. “I know they have said they’re taking things slowly, but they may well end up beating Liz and Shane down the aisle, because they really are head-over-heels. It’s been lovely to watch their relationship grow.” Last month, Simone told Woman’s Day that she and Toby, 37, were happy to take their relationship one step at a time and were in no rush to move in together let alone marry – but also confirmed they were “absolutely in love”.

“She is really uncomfortable with all the attention, so don’t be surprised if she and Toby elope and we all find out about it later,” explains the friend. “It certainly won’t be a big event, because that is just not their style.” In sharp contrast, Liz, 46, and Shane, 42, have shared their love with the world almost from the moment they were first spotted together – when they were caught kissing in a lift at a London hotel last December. Liz flew into Australia last week with her son Damian, 9, to join the cricketer.

Later, they celebrated with Shane’s friends in Melbourne, with Liz proudly showing off her $100,000 diamond and sapphire engagement ring. “For me, in my life at the moment, I’m in a really good place,” Shane says. “My number-one priority is my children and that’s the most important thing – and my new family, too – Elizabeth and her son Damian, and vice versa. I’m in a great space personally… and probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Read more and see the pictures of Shane’s daughter welcoming Liz to melbourne in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale October 31, 2011.

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Kim Kardashian dash down under: Show me the money!

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Kim Kardashian dash down under: Show me the money!

Kim Kardashian’s visit to Australia this week is set to earn her close to $1 million. But with her family feuding and her marriage in serious strife, many are wondering – is it really worth it?

Stepping off a private jet, dressed in a figure-hugging designer dress, new diamond earrings hanging from her ears and a handbag worth thousands dangling from her wrist, American reality TV star Kim Kardashian looks every inch the woman who has “made it”. She flies first class, stays in luxury hotel suites, dines on the finest cuisine – and it doesn’t cost her a cent. For her recent 31st birthday celebrations in Las Vegas, Kim was paid hundreds of thousands just to turn up at Marquee nightclub, sip champagne, eat cake and party with fans.

She was there for barely an hour, but the party cost a staggering amount to stage. As well as her huge appearance fee, there were bottles of vintage champers, designer canapes and an $1800 birthday cake – all in aid of a girl who found fame on a reality TV series. Just a week before, the model-turned-marketing opportunity had flown halfway across the world to the United Arab Emirates to ride a few camels and launch the Millions of Milkshakes bar at The Dubai Mall. Again, it was first class all the way. “Kim only flies first class or by private jet, and her mum, and any other Kardashian family members who travel with her, must also fly first class,” one of Kim’s business associates says.

“She tends to demand ‘1A’ seating, meaning she wants to be right at the front of the plane with her family immediately behind, so that ‘normal’ people are as far away as possible.” In Dubai, rested from their luxury travel, it was down to business, with Kim and her manager, mum Kris Jenner, heading from one publicity opportunity to the next – all designed for maximum exposure. There was some spruiking at cosmetics store Sephora, photos atop camels at luxury hotel Atlantis – where her suite reportedly cost $25,000 a night – and an exclusive evening to host at At.mosphere restaurant, in the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.

All in all, Kim’s appearances, promotions and products netted her close to $1 million in just a few weeks. The gravy train keeps rolling along. This week, Kim and her younger sister Khloe launch their range of handbags at David Jones in Sydney before Kim jets to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s Emirates Stakes Day, as a guest of Swisse vitamins. Rumour has it she’ll be paid hundreds of thousands for her brief appearance at Swisse’s marquee. Awaiting her at her five-star hotel, rumoured to be Crown, where a celebrity-friendly suite can cost tens of thousands of dollars a night, will be a selection of couture gowns from Melbourne designer team J’Aton, dresses from Arthur Galan and hats from milliner Kerrie Stanley. Yet friends say Kim’s lavish lifestyle and insatiable desire to make money is costing her far more than she realises.

Read more about Kim Kardashian’s lavish lifestyle in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale October 31, 2011.

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Kate and Mary’s secret royal pact

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Kate and mary's secret royal pact

The royal “sisters” unite for a worthy cause, reports Sebastian van der Zwan.

They’re two brunette beauties who grew up as commoners, fell in love with handsome princes and blended seamlessly into royal life following their respective fairytale weddings. The comparisons don’t stop there either. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, have both been hailed style icons, share a keen love of sports and are passionate about helping children in need.

It’s no surprise they’ve been compared to sisters. There’s talk that Kate has taken Mary on as a royal role model, following in her remarkable footsteps to become the beloved future queen of a historic dynasty. Insiders reveal that Kate regularly turns to the Australian-born princess for advice in coping with royal life, calling her up for a chat whenever she needs a sympathetic ear. Their latest conversation, however, was about something much more important than palace protocol.

Kate phoned Mary to ask how she could help with a disaster that’s put the lives of more than 13 million people at risk – the famine devastating East Africa. After an intense discussion and fraught deliberations on timing, the pair decided to take their special bond public, teaming up to shine the global spotlight on this escalating crisis. Both have enlisted their husbands in their heartfelt cause, too. Kate and Prince William are this week making a mercy dash to Mary’s adopted home of Copenhagen, where they will work alongside Mary and Prince Frederik packing food and medical needs for East Africa at UNICEF’s emergency supply centre.

William and Kate, both 29, are “deeply moved” and “very troubled” by the crisis, a spokesman for St James’s Palace reveals, as Africa is “a part of the world they know well and which is very dear to them”. William’s passion for Africa was fostered by his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who tirelessly campaigned for AIDS awareness and the removal of land mines. And it was in Kenya that the prince finally proposed to Kate after nine years of on-off romance.

Read more about Kate and Mary coming together in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale October 31, 2011.

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The Queen’s fond farewell

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The Queen's fond farewell

Our veteran royal reporter JUDY WADE joined Her Majesty on what is likely to be her last visit Down Under.

She came, she saw, she conquered our hearts once more…Showing no signs of jetlag after a 22-hour flight, the Queen yet againproved her royal resilience on her 16th visit to our shores. Wearing a broad smile as she bustled between engagements, appearing genuinely thrilled to meet her Aussie subjects, Her Majesty delighted the crowds who turned out to cheer in Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

“This wasn’t a foreign trip for her – it was a homecoming,” says royal biographer Robert Hardman. “She is Queen of Australia, after all, and she has so many fond memories. She felt very much like she was on home soil.” At 85, the Queen is far from frail, yet the question the country is asking remains: is this her last hurrah Down Under? Though Buckingham Palace is denying reports this has been a “final farewell tour”, Woman’s Day has learned exclusively that it is almost certain she and Prince Philip, 90, will never return.

Instead, next year, her heir, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will make an official visit to represent the monarch in the year of her Diamond Jubilee. A source close to Clarence House reveals it’s thought the time is right to introduce Camilla to Australia, and plans for a tour are already underway.

But even if she never makes it back to our shores, the Queen is certain to still feel the love that Australians hold for her. At the prime minister’s reception, 23-year-old surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, upon meeting the monarch, gushed, “Welcome to Australia, Your Majesty. I just want to tell you I adore you.”

Read more about the Queen’s final visit to Australia in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale October 31, 2011.

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We’re Australia’s own modern family

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We're Australia's own modern family

Families come in all shapes and sizes…as gay partners Brett and Tony prove. They’ve just become dads to four bouncing baby boys!

It’s a pure “pinch me, is this really happening?” moment. Two sets of twins – all boys – sleeping soundly, are being lovingly held by their totally besotted dads. Suddenly, the drowsy silence is shattered by a cacophony of squawks and lung-busting wails. It’s feed time for these precious little boys who, only five weeks ago, were born in New Delhi, India, via two surrogates.

“This is truly everything we hoped for,” says proud dad Tony, who is remarkably calm for a first-time father – as is his partner Brett, a primary school teacher. “We’ve been really surprised with how relaxed we are,” says social worker Tony, 39. “It’s been a huge learning experience for us. Up until the boys were born, I’d never changed a nappy, never fed a baby, nothing. We’ve had lots of support from family and friends, though, and that makes a huge difference.”

Since bringing the boys home to Bendigo in Victoria, Tony and Brett have hit the ground running. While many first-time parents struggle with the dramatic life changes a new baby brings, these big-hearted dads are dealing with those challenges times four! “We get stressed sometimes, when we might be feeding one and the others start screaming and get really wound up and there’s not a lot you can do,” says Brett, 40. “We are quickly learning to do more than two things at once – putting the dummy in one, trying to comfort another, playing with one, trying to get the other one off to sleep.”

Tony nods in agreement. “I’m not the sort of person who can sit down for long,” he laughs. “We’ve got bottles to fill, clothes to wash, food to prepare, feeds every four hours, coffee and tea to make for all the people coming over to lend a hand and offer support. All my friends say I’m hyper and I can’t relax… well, with four babies to look after, that’s probably a good thing.”Brett and Tony have been a couple for 12 years. They were best friends in high school, came out in their mid-20s, and fell in love in their late 20s. Both yearned for fatherhood, and they decided to pursue surrogacy to fulfil their dream.

Read more about Brett and Tony’s incredible family and about their surrogacy journey in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale October 31, 2011.

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Queen dazzles in diamonds and aquamarines

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Queen Elizabeth dazzles in diamonds and aquamarines

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrive at their banquet.

Queen Elizabeth looked every bit the monarch tonight, dusting off one of her most impressive crowns for a banquet in Perth.

The 85-year-old monarch donned an impressive diamond and aquamarine crown to attend the Queen’s Banquet to celebrate the start of the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

In pictures: Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Australia

Elizabeth paired the large crown with an equally impressive necklace, bracelet and matching earrings, all studded with huge aquamarines and hundreds of diamonds.

Her white brocade coat was also embellished with large blue precious stones, with the overall results being completely dazzling.

Prince Philip also attended the event, and looked smart in a formal suit but all eyes were on the queen and her crown jewels.

It is the first time Her Majesty has worn a crown or statement jewellery on this visit.

The necklace, earrings and bracelet were presented to the queen in 1953 as a coronation gift from the Brazilian people.

Her Majesty ordered royal jeweller Garrard to craft a tiara to match the other jewels. The crown was completed in 1957, and redesigned to its current form in 1971.

In pictures: Previous royal visits to Australia

The banquet is the royal couple’s last evening engagement of their Australian tour. Tomorrow morning they will attend the Great Aussie BBQ before flying back to the UK at midday.

This has been the couple’s 16th tour of Australia and they have been extremely well-received, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers turning out to welcome them in Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

Your say: What has been your favourite royal outfit of this Australia tour?

Video: Queen Elizabeth conquers Perth

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Seven things you didn’t know about the Queen

These will definitely surprise you
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Seven things you definitely didn't know about Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth has been Australia’s head of state for over 60 years, but how much do you really know about our beloved monarch? Here are some bizarre facts even the most devoted royalists probably don’t know.

1. She owns several jaguars (the animals, not the car):

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth has received many unusual gifts including a variety of live animals. The more unusual creatures have been placed in the care of London Zoo, and include jaguars and sloths from Brazil and two black beavers from Canada. She has also received gifts of pineapples, eggs, a box of snail shells, a grove of maple trees and 7kg of prawns.

2. She was sending emails before most of us even knew what a computer was:

The queen sent her first email from an army base in 1976, several years before computers were common in homes and decades before the internet became publicly accessible.

3. The queen and Prince Philip are cousins:

Queen Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh are distantly related. They have the same great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria, making them third cousins.

4. A letter she wrote was sent to the moon, and is still there today

Queen Elizabeth sent a message on congratulations to Apollo 11 astronauts to commemorate the first moon landing in 1969. The message was converted into micro-film and deposited on the moon in a metal container.

5. She has owned more than 30 corgis, and even created a new breed — the ‘dorgi’

Elizabeth received her first corgi, Susan, as a gift on her 18th birthday in 1944. This dog started a lifelong love affair between the queen and the breed. She has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, and most of these have been direct descendents of Susan. She currently has four corgis, Linnet, Monty, Holly and Willow. The queen has also introduced a new breed of dog, the ‘dorgi’, a cross between a corgi and a dachshund. She currently has three dorgis, Cider, Candy and Vulcan.

6. She loves soap operas:

The queen is a big soap opera fan and has visited the set of several popular UK shows, including Coronation Street, East Enders and Emmerdale.

7. She is a gold-selling recording artist

EMI produced a CD called ‘Party at the Palace in 2002, which went on to sell 100,000 in the first week, making the queen the first and only member of the royal family to be awarded a ‘gold disc’ by the recording industry.

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