Denmark’s long, lazy days of summer will soon be drawing to a close, and for Crown Princess Mary, wife of one future king and mother of another, the first whiff of a sterner reality hangs in the air. At Grasten Palace, the royal family’s favourite summer residence, the Australian-born princess has recently enjoyed an idyllic […]

Exclusive extract from Listen by Kate Veitch (published by Viking/Penguin). They were plump, meaty birds, Rosemarie admitted grudgingly as she shoved in handfuls of stuffing. The rich creamy-yellow colour of the plucked skin was testament to their short but happy lives, in a generous yard with good food and plenty of it, and they would […]

They’ve been together for 20 years and now they reveal the reasons they’ve never tied the knot Survivor’s motto is ‘Outwit, Outplay, Outlast’ and for PR executive Mel Bell, 48, that’s exactly what life has been like with the man Australia loves to hate, Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson. Their long-term partnership has seen its fair share […]

Princess Mary’s brave, radiant smile hides a secret heartbreak. Desperately longing for a second child, she has reached crisis point, with the much-loved royal confiding to friends, “I need a miracle.” Mary has been desperately trying for baby number two, but despite a series of hopeful false alarms, she has failed to conceive. Those close […]

For some, turning 50 is a sobering milestone, but respected 60 Minutes journalist Liz Hayes tells The Australian Women’s Weekly she’s unfazed by it—and comfortable with who she is. Liz Hayes is so much at ease in front of the television camera you might say she was born to it. And, in many ways, you […]

An exclusive extract from Three Bags Full(Doubleday) by Leonie Swann. ‘He was healthy yesterday,’ said Maude. Her ears twitched nervously. ‘That doesn’t mean anything,’ pointed out Sir Ritchfield, the oldest ram in the flock. ‘He didn’t die of an illness. Spades are not an illness.’ The shepherd was lying in the green Irish grass beside […]

Exclusive extract from The Shifting Fog (Allen & Unwin) by Kate Morton. The week passed quickly. With so many extra people in the house I was kept busy making up rooms, carrying tea trays, laying out luncheons. This pleased me well as I was not shy of hard work — Mother had made sure of […]

**Dr Jane Goodall is touring Australia from July 12 to 24 to promote the projects of the Jane Goodall Institute, in particular her environment youth venture, Roots and Shoots. ** For additional national tour info, see www.janegoodall.org and www.rootsandshoots.org, or contact Dr Alicia Kennedy at [email protected] or 0439 094 379. Public events schedule Wednesday, July […]

Sometimes, the difference between joy and sorrow is only a slender thread. For Tracy Grimshaw, seeing Tasmanian miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb emerge from the Beaconsfield gold mine after 14 days entombed a kilometre beneath the surface was almost too much. Standing beside Australian Worker’s Union (AWU) boss Bill Shorten, she watched, mesmerised, as […]

Exclusive extract from Once upon a day (Allen & Unwin) by Lisa Tucker, the Great Read in the June issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Stephen Spaulding was very happy, and you can’t say that about most people. He hadn’t sought happiness, but he recognized it. This was his gift: to know what he had. […]