Author: Mr Bang

Danny Jones was crowned King Of The Jungle, beating Coleen Rooney in Sunday night’s nail-biting final of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

 

The McFly star, 38, broke down in tears as he met wife Georgia, whom he shares son Cooper, six, with, on the bridge with open arms in an emotional reunion after three weeks.

 

Although over the moon for campmate Danny, Coleen said she was ‘gutted’ after she shortly-missed out on becoming Queen Of The Jungle.

Before Ant and Dec revealed the winner, after receiving an incredible 10 million votes, it was clear Coleen wanted to win and have all the glory in the Rooney household.

Asked what it would mean to her if she won, Coleen said: ‘My boys have been proud of their dad for so long, it’s my turn now.’

After his win, Danny said: ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I gave my all in there and it is a lovely feeling to be liked. I appreciate it so much.’

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Danny Jones, 38, was crowned King Of The Jungle, beating Coleen Rooney in Sunday night’s nail-biting final of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

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Danny was overcome with emotion as Ant and Dec revealed he was the winner of this year’s I’m A Celeb

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The McFly star broke down in tears as he met wife Georgia on the bridge with open arms in an emotional reunion after three weeks

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Although over the moon for campmate Danny, Coleen said she was ‘gutted’ after she shortly-missed out on becoming Queen Of The Jungle

Ant and Dec announced earlier in the episode third placed star Reverend Richard Coles was the tenth celebrity to be evicted.

While in the Jungle, Danny charmed the nation with his charm and no doubt had the backing of staunch McFly fans after he opened up about his struggles with anxiety.

Prior to his win, Danny said: ‘It was way harder. I hope it comes across on TV but it is really hard. You’re tired, lethargic and hungry.

‘I’ve been my true self and shown what only my closest nearest and dearests’ sees.

‘I’ve learnt how valuable time is with loved ones. I always prioritise my job so much but I think I need to come out of it and practise that, time is precious.’

‘It has been almost like therapy’, Danny added.

‘What this jungle does is give you perspective on your life. I’ve learned something personally, I am coming out this jungle with something I have learnt something about myself.

‘Voting for just me is quite nice. The band has always been voted for but it is something really nice just voting for me just being my self.’

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After his win, Danny said: ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I gave my all in there and it is a lovely feeling to be liked. I appreciate it so much’

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Danny couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he celebrated his victory

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He shared a huge hug with wife Georgia, who met him at the end of the bridge

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Danny said: ‘I’ve been my true self and shown what only my closest nearest and dearest’s sees. I’ve learnt how valuable time is with loved ones. I always prioritise my job so much but I think I need to come out of it and practise that, time is precious’

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‘It has been almost like therapy’, Danny added

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While in the Jungle, Danny charmed the nation with his charm and no doubt had the backing of staunch McFly fans after he opened up about his struggles with anxiety

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Danny posed with hosts Ant and Dec after his incredible win

After 21 days in the Australian jungle living off a diet of rice and beans, the Coleen had an emotional reunion with her youngest sons Kit, eight, and Cass, six, as they greeted her off the bridge.

Speaking about her experience, runner-up Coleen said: ‘I took on a role of being mum in there, keeping myself busy. It was hard, not keeping myself busy. I got bored so much in there, I never get bored because I don’t have time.

‘It game me time to think about me, my strength and weaknesses. One morning I had a bit of a wobble but I kept thinking, no they want me to carry on.

‘I’ve learnt that I can be patient. There has been times in there where no one has annoyed me but I’ve wanted to step in and do it. So I think I am going to be a bit more patient when I get out.

‘It is okay if things don’t get done. That is the biggest thing I have taken out of here.’

‘One thing we’ve loved hearing is a glimpse of life with the Rooneys, Dec said.

Coleen added: ‘Just being down to earth, I couldn’t have wished for someone better to be in the final with.

‘As a group, we were all open and could relate to each other in different ways and they made me feel comfortable. And when I feel comfortable, I’ll open up.’View gallery

 

The whole cast of I’m A Celebrity, minus Tulisa, watched Danny be crowned King Of The Jungle

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Before Ant and Dec revealed the winner after receiving an incredible 10 million votes, it was clear Coleen wanted all the glory in the Rooney household

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Asked what it would mean to her if she won, Coleen said: ‘My boys have been proud of their dad for so long, it’s my turn now’

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Speaking about her experience, runner-up Coleen said: ‘I took on a role of being mum in there, keeping myself busy. It was hard, not keeping myself busy. I got bored so much in there, I never get bored because I don’t have time’

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‘It game me time to think about me, my strength and weaknesses. One morning I had a bit of a wobble but I kept thinking, no they want me to carry on’

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After 21 days in the Australian jungle living off a diet of rice and beans, the Coleen had an emotional reunion with her youngest sons Kit, eight, and Cass, six, as they greeted her off the bridge

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Poking fun at Coleen’s detective skills, Ant and Dec praised the star for how quick she is for finding things out – following her infamous Wagatha Christie case with Rebekah Vardy

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Coleen joked: ‘I am good at sniffing things out but yeah I can just weigh people up as well. I could see Dean, Maura’s acting was quite dramatic at time so I was thinking no surely not’

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ITV bosses were no doubt overjoyed with Coleen’s stint in the Jungle, which she is believed to have been paid £1.5million for, as she addressed her sensational Wagatha Christie trial

 

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Coleen set up an ingenious trap on Instagram five years ago to catch Rebekah (pictured), who was leaking stories about her family to the tabloids

Poking fun at Coleen’s detective skills, Ant and Dec praised the star for how quick she is for finding things out – following her infamous Wagatha Christie case with Rebekah Vardy.

Coleen joked: ‘I am good at sniffing things out but yeah I can just weigh people up as well. I could see Dean, Maura’s acting was quite dramatic at time so I was thinking no surely not.’

She added: ‘The boys have been proud of their dad for long, so to be proud of their mum, it’s my turn now.’

ITV bosses were no doubt overjoyed with Coleen’s stint in the Jungle, which she is believed to have been paid £1.5million for, as she addressed her sensational Wagatha Christie trial.

Coleen went into the jungle to show the ‘real me’ to the public and relaunch her television career with ITV bosses eyeing her up for roles such as a panellist on Loose Women.

But the proud scouser told the Mail On Sunday before heading into the jungle she simply wanted to be known as ‘Coleen from Liverpool’ and to shake her Wagatha Christie moniker.

Coleen publicly outed the wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, as a social media ‘mole’ by explaining: ‘It’s… Rebekah Vardy,’ on her Instagram account.

Reflecting on his jungle journey, Richard, 62, said: ‘It is not what you think it is going to be. I thought there would be luxury spas off camera. It was much harder than I thought it would be.

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Ant and Dec announced earlier in the episode third placed star Reverend Richard Coles was the tenth celebrity to be evicted

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Reflecting on his jungle journey, Richard said: ‘It is not what you think it is going to be. I thought there would be luxury spas off camera. It was much harder than I thought it would be. The best thing was everybody else, we had such a nice time’

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Richard, who was greeted off the bridge by his brother, Will, said he was rooting for Coleen to become Queen Of The Jungle

‘The best thing was everybody else, we had such a nice time. Everybody seemed to decide from the off that we was going to make it as much fun as we could.

‘My last memory will be sheer joy of being with other people, testing your limits and waking up in the Jungle every morning.’

Speaking about his close relationship with GK Barry, Richard said: ‘She sees the world like I see the world. I felt I had known her all my life.

‘I like a bromance but it is usually with a bro. But that was great, it really helped me through the tougher times.’

The Church of England priest was a late arrival on this year’s I’m A Celeb and was initially one of the bookies’ favourites to leave the show in the first and second rounds of vote-offs.

Finding fame with the eighties pop group, The Communards, the Northhampton-born vicar is said to be worth £3.9million.

After losing his husband, David Oldham, to a battle with liver disease just days before Christmas in 2019, Reverend Coles has found love again with the actor, Dickie Cant.

Richard, who was greeted off the bridge by his brother, Will, said he is rooting for Coleen to become Queen Of The Jungle.

 

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Coleen, 38, left I’m A Celeb fans in stitches as she revealed husband Wayne’s major faux pas in front of the Beckhams during Sunday night’s finale episode

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As they enjoyed their last day in camp, Coleen shared that Wayne once washed his hands in cold soup at David Beckham ‘s World Cup dinner party in 2006 after thinking it was a finger bowl (pictured at the party)

fans were in hysterics as she gave the nation a cheeky story about Wayne’s awkward mishap

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Wayne and David pictured at the 2004 UEFA Euros

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Coleen and Victoria Beckham pictured at David’s World Cup party

Earlier in the episode, Coleen left I’m A Celeb fans in stitches as she revealed husband Wayne’s major faux pas in front of the Beckhams.

During the final episode, viewers will decide if they wish to crown Coleen, Danny Jones or Reverend Richard Coles King or Queen Of The Jungle.

As they enjoyed their last day in camp, Coleen, 38, shared that Wayne, 39, once washed his hands in cold soup at David Beckham’s World Cup dinner party in 2006 after thinking it was a finger bowl.

Throughout the series, fans have loved listening to Coleen as she opens up about Wayne and her family life.

And once again, fans were in hysterics as she gave the nation a cheeky story about Wayne’s awkward mishap.

Viewers wrote on X: ‘Omg, lolz Coleen, your husband will kill you. #imacelebrity2024 #imacelebrity #ImACeleb’,

‘I’ll miss Coleen casually dropping stories like that! #ImACeleb #coldsoup’,

‘Will never stop thinking about Coleen at a fancy dinner realising Wayne was washing his hands in a bowl of cold soup thinking it was a little dish of water. Incredible scenes #ImACeleb’.

Coleen Rooney’s mum Colette has opened up about her TV reunion with her daughter and her two grandsons Kit, eight, and Cass, six, who visited her in the jungle

Coleen asked her mum if she was coming across as boring (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Coleen Rooney’s mum, Colette, has shared her heart-wrenching reunion with her daughter on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. The touching moment when Coleen met her two boys, Kit, eight, and Cass, six, aired on Friday 6 December. “As I held her, one of the things she said to me was ‘mum, have I been boring?’” Colette revealed. “It broke my heart hearing that but I told her, ‘no, you’ve been yourself and that’s all that matters.’”

In a candid chat with the Mirror, Colette praised her daughter’s humble attitude. “She is obviously thinking about what people are thinking, but she needn’t worry,” she says. “If she went in shouting and being loud, that wouldn’t be her. We’ve seen the true Coleen.”

Coleen was reunited with her mum and two of her sons on Friday (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
After a long separation, Colette was keen to find out how Coleen was coping in the jungle during her camp visit, reports the Mirror. However, she quickly realised just how challenging the experience had been for her daughter. “She said that she didn’t want me to go, and I said ‘come home now, come home.’” Colette explains.

“But then she calmed down, and I asked her: ‘how is it?’ She said that she had a headache for the first few days because she was getting no sugar, and must have been detoxing, but then she said how hard it had been.”

Coleen was able to show her family the I’m A Celeb camp (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

As viewers witnessed, the arrival of her boys significantly boosted Coleen’s spirits. And in the minutes before seeing their mum, they were practically bubbling over with excitement. “They keep asking: ‘Is she here, really?’ They kept thinking she was going to jump out from behind a bush any minute,” Colette shares. “We kept saying to them ‘five more minutes and you’ll see your mum again’. They just couldn’t wait. It was so lovely.”

When the long-awaited reunion occurred, it was deeply moving for Colette. “I heard almost a squeal of a cry from her, and my heart just lifted when I saw her,” she recalls fondly. “It was wonderful seeing the boys in her arms, and they were so excited.”

She also told of how eagerly the children took to exploring their mum’s temporary home: “They really wanted to see the dunny and the beds, and were asking endless questions,” Colette chuckles, remembering their sheer curiosity. “They were obsessed. Coming away was hard but we told them it won’t be long before you see your mum again, and they accepted that, although Cass got quite emotional at the end.”

Coleen and Danny were the final two

Viewers of I’m A Celebrity have voted Danny Jones from McFly as the King of the Jungle. He has won I’m A Celebrity 2024.

Over 10 million people voted to crown Danny King after it came down to him and Coleen Rooney. Coleen was gracious in defeat and said she was just happy to have shared the journey with everyone.

Danny was in tears as he was crowned King and Sam Thompson was there to hand over the crown.

Fans were utterly thrilled for Danny, declaring him a worthy winner.

“No one has ever deserved the win more than Danny, not afraid to show his emotions and have opened up a whole new outlook on men having feelings. Big love always,” said one on X.

Another agreed: “Danny so deserved that crown. Himself and Barry were showing that men’s mental health is to never be shamed/ignored and I reckon it’s helped a lot of people.”

“I said from the start and stuck with it, supported him consistently and couldn’t be prouder that Danny Jones is the king of the jungle and won tonight’s I’m A Celeb. He has been such a worthy winner and a pleasure to watch for three weeks,” said a third.

Danny Jones beamed as he was crowned I’m a Celebrity winner (Credit: ITV)

Coleen and Danny on I’m A Celebrity 2024

Danny and Coleen were interviewed before the winner was announced. Danny revealed how much harder it had been than he thought – even though former king of the jungle bandmate Dougie Poynter had warned him.

Coleen explained “everyone was their genuine selves” and that made them the closest campmates ever. She also added: “It was very emotional in there.”

Meanwhile, Danny apologised for his emotions and said he didn’t expect to be like that, but it had “been like therapy”. He also said: “What this jungle does is give you perspective on your life.”

Danny added “it would be incredible” to be voted King of the Jungle.

Coleen also said she had “learned that she can be patient” and that “it’s okay to think about yourself”.

Rev Richard has finished in third placed on I’m A Celebrity (Credit: ITV)

Third placed contestant

Earlier in the evening Reverend Richard Coles finished in third place. Richard did not seem disappointed by the result – however some fans were.

“Third place? What a scam!” said one on social media. Another added: “Who the [bleep] has been voting for Coleen. Richard has been robbed.”

“Gutted for Richard Coles,” agreed one more.

Coleen, Danny, Richard after finishing their final trial (Credit: ITV)

What else happened in I’m A Celebrity tonight?

The final three had to take part in the final Bushtucker trial The Towers of Terror. Instead of doing a trial each to win starters, main course and desserts for their final feast, they had to work together across two trials.

In the first trial, all three of them were placed in position in the first tower, lying on their backs with Coleen in the top section, Danny in the middle and Richard at the bottom. They then had to guide the stars one by one down to one another to the very bottom of the tower, into the yellow win zone. And of course, they weren’t alone, as they were joined by snakes.

They successfully completed the first part of the trial before heading to the final stage. They had 10 minutes and were again tiered on different levels they had to get stars down to Danny at the bottom to finish a puzzle. This time they were joined by fish guts, spiders and cockroaches.

The celebs cheered as they won all the stars and were going to get their final feast.

The food

Each one of them got to pick their favourite meal, with Danny choosing mozzarella sticks and sweet chilli sauce, a buttermilk chicken burger and chips and fresh cream profiteroles with warm Nutella sauce. He also had a cold glass of beer for his drink.

Coleen had a starter of bruschetta, Spaghetti Bolognese with flaky parmesan cheese and garlic bread for her main course, and also went for fresh cream profiteroles with warm Nutella sauce for dessert. She had a glass of French pale Provence rose for her drink.

Richard went for a starter of king prawn cocktail with salad, followed by cottage pie with peas, carrots and gravy for his main course and fruit cake for dessert. He had Chablis Grand Cru for his drink.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had initially wanted to be ‘half-in, half-out’ members of the royal family – but their suggestion was shut down by the late Queen

Meghan Markle always wanted to become a “superstar” and would never have been happy living the “quiet” life of a lesser royal family member, an expert has claimed. Prince Harry and his wife had originally wanted to be “half-in, half-out” members of the Royal Family, which would allow them to support the late Queen but also be allowed to work and earn independent salaries.

But Her Majesty shut down this suggestion, prompting the couple to leave the UK and settle in the US on a permanent basis. At the time, some of the Sussex fans questioned the decision, comparing Harry and Meghan’s situation to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who have normal jobs but also appear at royal events. But royal commentator Jane Barr has said the former actress would never have been happy living a more low-key lifestyle like the two sisters.

Writing in the From Berkshire to Buckingham newsletter, Barr suggested: “She [Meghan] would not have been happy with the ultimately quiet or truly independent/non-royal lives that William and Harry’s cousins actually live. “Looking back to Megxit, Harry was not just the grandson of the Queen, the same relationship all his cousins had to the sovereign, he was the son of the future King.

“William and Harry were — from birth — preeminent royals, while their cousins, although celebrated, surely, began as secondary royals and only continued to fade as the years went by. Harry seems so bitter about being the spare, but he has always been quite senior to his cousins, and treated accordingly.”

It comes after a documentary from German network ZDF accused Harry and Meghan of hypocrisy given their luxurious lifestyle in the US. The Lost Prince, made by award-winning filmmaker Ulrike Grunewald, contrasts the couple’s high-profile visits to impoverished nations with Meghan’s penchant for costly designer outfits – and also accuses the couple of capitalising on their former royal roles to fund their lifestyle.

The Mirror’s Russell Myers told the show: “If you’re going to places like Nigeria, like Colombia, which have huge socio-economic problems, some of the world’s poorest communities in these countries, and you’re turning up wearing tens of thousands of pounds worth of designer clothes – it really doesn’t send the right message.” Elsewhere in the documentary, former soldier Ben McBean, who once shared a flight home from Afghanistan with Prince Harry, criticised the royal for his revelations about his family in his explosive memoir ‘Spare’ and the Sussexes’ Netflix show.

McBean, who tragically lost his left arm and had his right leg amputated above the knee following a landmine blast in Afghanistan in 2008, didn’t mince his words when he appeared on the documentary , according to the Daily Mail.

The veteran soldier expressed: “I just thought, with him kind of whinging about his family and he was saying something about his brother pushing him over or something like that, I was just like, “Mate, just leave it out” You and your brother had a little fisticuffs…but family’s family, you know.”

According to Omid Scobie’s book, Endgame, the Duke wanted Buckingham Palace to wait to announce the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death as he wanted to be with the family

Prince Harry “begged” the Royal Family to hold off announcing important news to the world, an author has claimed.

According to Omid Scobie’s book, Endgame, Prince Harry wanted Buckingham Palace to wait to announce the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death, as he wanted to be with the Royal Family at the time the news was released.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death was officially broadcast to the world at 6:30pm on September 8 2022, just before Prince Harry was able to arrive in Aberdeen and make his way to Balmoral. However, in his book, Omid claims the statement was due to be released earlier but Prince Harry had begged the release to be delayed.

Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, along with their wives, visited Windsor Castle to see floral tributes left for the late Queen ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
The Prince’s plane was forced to circle the airport before landing due to stormy weather, reports the Express. The extract reads: “When Harry’s plane finally touched tarmac twenty minutes later, he received a text from Meghan urging him to call ASAP followed by a breaking news alert via the BBC News app with the announcement of the Queen’s death.”

The Palace did agree to wait for Harry to arrive, but eventually they decided to announce the news without him. A spokesperson for the King said in a statement: “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed.” The newspaper also quoted a source saying that the King was “adamant” that all members of ‘the Firm’ had to be informed of the monarch’s death before the palace broke the news.

Members of the Royal Family had rushed to Aberdeenshire on the day if The Queen’s death, to be by her side at Balmoral. The Duke of Sussex was scheduled to appear at a charity award ceremony in London on September 8, but had to cancel his plans to rush to his grandmother’s bedside.

Just days after her death, Prince Harry and his brother Prince William along with their wives, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, were reunited to view floral tributes which has been left outside Windsor Castle. The was the first time that all four members of the family appeared in public together, since the Queen’s thanksgiving in June 2022, as part of her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

Prince Harry and Prince William were last seen together at a memorial service for their mother’s brother-in-law, Lord Robert Fellowes, back in August 2023. Harry has also visited the UK to see his father, King Charles, in February of this year and again for the Invictus Games, an international sporting event held for wounded and ill members of the armed forces veterans, in May.

According to author Omid Scobie, the Duke of Sussex begged his family to delay sharing some crucial news – but they went ahead and made the announcement in his absence

Prince Harry pleaded with his family to hold off on making a hugely important announcement, according to Endgame author Omid Scobie.

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was officially announced at 6.30pm on September 8, 2022, just before Harry was able to touch down in Aberdeen and make his way towards Balmoral.

In his book, Scobie claimed that Buckingham Palace had planned to release a statement earlier, but that Harry “begged” them to hold off, as stormy weather meant his plane had to circle the airport before it could land and he wanted to be with them at the time. However, a decision was made to make the announcement without him.

“When Harry’s plane finally touched tarmac 20 minutes later, he received a text from Meghan urging him to call ASAP followed by a breaking news alert via the BBC News app with the announcement of the Queen’s death,” the extract reads.

A spokesperson for the King later confirmed: “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed.”

Harry wrote in detail about the Queen’s death in his tell-all book Spare, and shared his anger that his father Charles forbid wife Meghan from travelling with him to Scotland: “He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want… her. He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn’t having it.”

Harry said he retorted firmly to his father’s comments about Meghan, saying: “Don’t ever speak about my wife that way…He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming, Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t. Then that’s all you needed to say.”

Indeed, Prince William travelled to Balmoral with his uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and Duchess Sophie. Princess Kate made the difficult decision to stay at home with the couple’s three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. The royal youngsters had their first day at their new school, Lambrook, on September 8, and Kate thought it was important for her to be there to support them.

The Queen peacefully passed away at 15.10pm on September 8 2022. Of her family members, only Charles, Camilla and Princess Anne were able to see her before she died; by chance the siblings were already in Scotland for prior engagements.

William, Andrew, Edward and Sophie landed at 3.50pm, 40 minutes after her death. And with the new Prince of Wales at the wheel, they drove to Balmoral, arriving at 5.06pm. Harry, meanwhile, left Luton airport onboard a private jet at about 5.30pm. He was still in the air when the announcement of the queen’s death was made at 6.30pm.

Writing about the moment he found out his grandmother had passed away, Harry wrote: “When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: ‘Call me when you get this.’ I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King.” He further stated that when he did finally make it to Balmoral, his aunt Princess Anne led him upstairs to “Granny’s bedroom” so he could pay his respects.

Prince William is set to meet President Elect Donald Trump and First Lady Jill Biden for meetings in Paris as the Notre Dame Cathedral gets ready to reopen to worshippers

As the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris gets ready to reopen its doors after a devastating blaze, Prince William will be meeting with US First Lady Dr Jill Biden and President Elect Donald Trump.

They will be among the world leaders, dignitaries and worshippers gathering to mark the reopening following the restoration of the 861-year-old landmark. The cathedral was almost destroyed when a fire broke out in 2019, and over the course of five years, the structure that took almost two centuries to build was restored.

A reopening celebration is being held this evening under the Gothic arches, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich with around 1,500 guests expected to attend. It comes as the Prince of Wales has begun to take on an increased role as a global statesman over the last two years, with royal sources saying “this is a further example of The Prince stepping up onto the world stage to represent the United Kingdom.”

Notre Dame has been lit up at night ahead of its reopening ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The Prince of Wales will travel to Paris tomorrow to attend the ceremony marking the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. His Royal Highness is travelling at the request of His Majesty’s Government on behalf of the United Kingdom.”

Prince William last met the current First Lady of the United States when she attended His Majesty’s Coronation in 2023, and last rubbed shoulders with President Elect Trump at his state visit to the UK in 2019, during his last presidency. Ahead of the gathering of world leaders, a huge security operation involving surface-to-air missiles and SAS-style anti-terrorist units was spotted in Paris.

Paris police prefect Laurence Nunez explained that “increased security [is] essential because of the very high level of terrorist threat”. Noting multiple attacks by Islamist groups over the last decade, Mr Nunez said there will be “6,000 police and gendarmes mobilised to secure the events”. Officers will include members of the elite GIGN, the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, who will provide everything from rooftop snipers to helicopter-borne rapid intervention teams.

But for worshippers, all eyes will be on the spectacular restoration of Our Lady of Paris. Notre Dame’s rector, Reverand Olivier Ribadeau Dumas explained the cathedral is “more than just a French monument” and a beloved treasure of the world’s cultural heritage.

“The cathedral is a magnificent symbol of unity,” the rector said. “A sign of hope, because what seemed impossible has become possible.”

Saturday’s events will blend solemn religious tradition with cultural grandeur, starting with Ulrich symbolically reopening Notre Dame’s grand wooden doors. Tapping them three times with a staff crafted from charred wood salvaged from the cathedral’s fire-ravaged roof, he will declare the cathedral open for worship once more.

EXCLUSIVE Kate Middleton and Prince William still enjoy romantic dates together to keep their spark alive – often heading off for long weekends away without the kids

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been leaning on one another after a difficult few years for the Royal Family, and clearly have strong foundations. But after over 20 years together and 3 children, how do the royal couple keep the romance alive? The married couple have previously shared how they would converse over romantic homecooked dinners in the early days of their relationship, but now enjoy ailing holidays, roast dinners and long weekends at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. Just over 20 years ago, their romance came to light when pictures emerged of a handsome young prince cosying up to a beautiful brunette on a T-bar ski lift.

The chemistry between the pair was unmistakable – a whispered conversation, gloved hands touching – and both of them wearing what could be described as matching outfits. Here was evidence that William had finally got his girl – which, incidentally was the headline on a tabloid newspaper that enraged the Palace. Up until that point, Kate and William, both students at the University of St Andrews, had managed to keep their romance under wraps, even though they were living in a cottage together in the middle of nowhere.

The couple have been together since 2001 and still have fun with one another trying new things ( 
Image:
PA)

Now their two-year romance was out in the open, and the nation fell in love with William’s refreshing choice of girl-next-door. There was a frenzy to discover more about the former Marlborough College pupil who had captured the prince’s heart, with Middleton and Goldsmith family trees unearthed and much made of her mother Carole’s former job as an air hostess.

But what was it that first attracted the heir to the throne to Kate? Rather shy and aloof when he first started studies at St Andrews, he began to come out of his shell once he started to mingle with Kate’s circle of public school pals. They started off as friends, before becoming boyfriend and girlfriend after moving into a shared house at 13a Hope Street.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told OK! exclusively, “William was really very starry-eyed about Kate and they brought out the best in each other in many ways. William is quite shy and can be reserved around new people. He’s very cautious, and in that way they are quite similar characters. Their relationship blossomed on spaghetti bolognese and rain-swept beaches.”

They have gushed over one another in the past, with Kate sharing how her husband ‘looks after’ her ( 
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Dave Benett/Getty Images for Audi UK)
Kate offered more than just her fun, down-to-earth personality and good looks, however. Once William got to know them, the Middleton clan provided something that perhaps William had never experienced up until that point: a sense of family stability and comfort far removed from the grandeur of royal palaces.

Royal expert Hugo Vickers says, “We’ve always been told that Prince William found the Middleton household very convenient, in the sense that he felt it had a sort of a normality that his own upbringing hadn’t particularly had.”

Duncan adds, “It’s easy to underestimate the role the Middletons have played in William’s life. Yes, he fell in love with Kate at university, but frankly he fell in love with the Middleton family as well. They were the family he has never had – the mum, dad and three kids spending time together and going on family holidays. It was a new world he’d not experienced before.

“The biggest proof of the influence they’ve had on William is that he and Kate are following the Middleton model as they bring up their three children, sending them to the same school and keeping them all close together.”

The royal couple often take long weekend breaks away, escaping from the pressures of royal life ( 
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That love of normality has been evident throughout their relationship – who can forget Kate wheeling a trolley into a Waitrose supermarket near the couple’s house in Anglesey, just days after her 2011 wedding to William?

It’s this ability to keep a life entirely for themselves alongside their public duties that has been the bedrock of their marriage. During their younger years, there were occasional photos of them out partying and clubbing together, like any couple in their 20s enjoying London life. But as they got older, their private social life moved behind closed doors – much
as it had been during their time at St Andrews.

Hugo says, “They’ve always been good at keeping their private life away from the public gaze, just as they did in Anglesey. Now, of course they have help at home in Windsor but they don’t have many staff. I think they’ve always tried to keep it informal so that they are all together as a family.”

Their four-bedroom home – with sofas covered with cushions and framed family photos – was originally described as “quaintly elegant” when it was built in 1831, and with its large garden it is the ideal place to raise their three children and entertain local friends. As Duncan says, “By royal standards, Adelaide Cottage is incredibly modest. They could be living in any number of places that would be 10 times bigger and 10 times grander, with 10 times the staff, but that just doesn’t seem to be how they’re wired. There is a humility to both of them.”

They also enjoy skiing, being spotted together for the first time ever during a ski trip to KlostersDuring term time, other parents at their children’s school, Lambrook, are very familiar with the sight of either Kate or William dropping off their three children, Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte, and attending events on the school’s extensive 52-acre site in Berkshire.

It’s this family togetherness that makes them so strong. Duncan says, “One thing that has struck me over the years is how much they changed after their engagement and marriage. From William’s point of view as heir to the throne, things did get very serious. Now they’ve replaced that carefreeness they had in their youth with a family bond with their kids. They live their lives through their children when they’re not on official duty. And that’s probably one of the secrets of their success – not trying to relive their youth. They just absolutely love being Mum and Dad to three kids.”

Ahead of the school summer holidays, it was Prince William who was taking the strain of the daily school runs while Kate recovered from her chemotherapy treatment. In her announcement that she had cancer, Kate movingly spoke of her husband, saying, “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance.”

But these days, they take most pride in doing things as a family – embracing the roles of mum and dad ( 
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This echoed what Kate said when the pair got engaged in 2010. At the time, she revealed, “You know, over the years William has looked after me, he’s treated me very well – as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and through the bad times.”

But perhaps what has held them together more than anything else is their fantastic sense of humour. In public, we don’t always see that side of the couple – bar the odd knowing side glance – but in private, it’s very different.

William has said of their relationship, “Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we’re down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she’s got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.”

We’re sure he’ll be doing his utmost to keep a smile on his wife’s face right now.

The King and Queen have released their informal-looking Christmas card for this year as Camilla’s son spoke out about the difficult two years his mother has had

A photograph of the King and Queen in the Buckingham Palace garden has been chosen for the royal couple’s Christmas card this year.

The touching image shows the couple standing side by side on what appears to be a bright and sunny day in the palace garden and was taken by photographer Millie Pilkington in April 2024. The Queen can be seen wearing a blue wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare and private jewellery, while the King – hand in pocket – is wearing a grey suit and blue tie.

A simple message is attached to the cards, which reads: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.” The card is more informal than years past, including the one chosen in 2023

The more informal Christmas card is a contrast to last year ( 
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Last year’s picture was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand and showed the royal couple in the Throne Room at the Palace following the coronation. Charles was seen wearing the Imperial State Crown and Camilla was wearing Queen Mary’s Crown.

The King was also pictured wearing a Coronation tunic and the robe of estate. Christmas images used to decorate official festive cards are regularly released by senior members of the royal family, with the cards sent to friends, family and colleagues.

It comes after the Queen’s son, Tom Parker-Bowles, has revealed the “hell of a two years” endured by his mother and the King, marked by significant health challenges. The Palace announced King Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, and Camilla has been recovering from a bout of pneumonia since returning from a royal tour of Australia and Samoa.

Last year’s picture, taken by photographer Hugo Burnand ( 
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The 49-year-old food writer and critic told the Daily Telegraph he was planning to spend his first Christmas at Sandringham later this month after their difficult year. “My mum said ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time’,” he said.

“It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it.”

Despite the chest infection temporarily ruling her out of royal duties, Mr Parker Bowles described his mother as a resilient woman. “She went back to work before she should have done but she’s fine. She’s tough. She hates that she missed Remembrance Sunday. That’s a big day for her,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE: As the Princess of Wales and her father-in-law King Charles recover from cancer treatment at the same time, we look at the incredible bond that they share

There is nothing like a shared experience to bring two people even closer together. Without a doubt, King Charles and the Princess of Wales will have found strength in each other as they confront their own respective health battles.

That bond has never been more in evidence than at Trooping the Colour in mid-June. In a break with protocol, King Charles arranged for his “darling daughter-in-law” to stand next to him as the family gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to the crowds. Their closeness was clear to see as Kate whispered something to Charles, making him laugh before the National Anthem was played.

Charles and Kate’s closeness is very obvious ( 
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Last year, Charles stood next to his son William, the Prince of Wales. The change of order was viewed as a mark of respect for Kate and an acknowledgment that she had chosen his official birthday to return to the public eye.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold exclusively told OK!, “It is changing protocol to show the King and Kate united with each other and going through similar battles, so I would say this is down to the King’s preference. The balcony [line-up] is orchestrated, so I have a feeling the King said to Kate, ‘You stand next to me.’”

The timing of the pair’s illnesses has been eerily similar. In January, both Kate and Charles were treated in the same hospital, the London Clinic, at the same time and were able to offer reassurance to one another in the early stages of their treatment. Then, the announcement of their cancer diagnoses came just a month apart, Charles’ in February and Kate’s in March.

After Kate’s public video message on 22 March, in which she revealed her diagnosis to the world, the King released a statement saying that he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did”. It added that the King was in “the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law” and that both he and Queen Camilla “continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time”.

It was a remarkable public expression of their private fondness, with royal expert Hugo Vickers telling us he would not be surprised if there hadn’t been “a lot of plodding along the hospital corridor to see each other”.

Kate and Charles have been leaning on each other amid their respective cancer diagnoses ( 
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Kate’s closeness to Charles has long been recognised in the royal family, and she has even been overheard calling him “Grandpa”. The strength of that relationship is due to the fact that in the early stages of William and Kate’s relationship, Charles made a special effort to bring his son’s girlfriend into the family fold.

The princess has described her father-in-law as being “very, very welcoming, very friendly”. In 2004, she was invited to Charles’ 56th birthday party at Highgrove. There were also invitations to several family ski trips to Klosters – where Kate and William were first pictured together – and in 2008, the fact Kate was included on another ski trip showed that she was truly back in the fold after her brief split from William.

Royal expert and author Duncan Larcombe says, “Charles and Camilla adore Kate, and I think they have from the very beginning. One of the very early signs of that was the fact that William got permission for Kate to come on Charles’ ski trip with the family in 2004 and 2005. Charles wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t approve of her then.

Charles said at William and Kate’s wedding that the family were “lucky to have her” ( 
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“That was the start of this bond between Charles and Kate. He’ll be absolutely over the moon with how she’s grown into the role, how she’s made it her own and how the public have warmed to her.”

In her book Kate: The Future Queen, royal author and biographer Katie Nicholl writes, “William’s father was very fond of Kate and already saw her as a future daughter-in-law.”

Charles backed this up in practical ways, too, allowing Kate to use his lawyers Harbottle & Lewis when she was besieged by paparazzi in the London years. He also offered up his house, Highgrove, as a bolthole for the young couple so they could spend time together privately – perhaps mindful of how much scrutiny the late Diana, Princess of Wales, had come under in the early stages of their relationship.

In Katie’s book, a senior member of Charles’ household is quoted as saying, “Charles was like any other father: he was very kind and hospitable towards Kate from the beginning. He was delighted William had found such a lovely girlfriend, and she was made to feel at home.”

Unlike Diana, the young Kate took to country pursuits like deer stalking and shooting immediately. In 2007, Kate and Charles were pictured, without William, in what appeared to be a lesson in the art of the sport.

Kate and Camilla have lots in common ( 
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GC Images)It came as no surprise then when Charles said at William and Kate’s wedding that the royal family were “lucky to have her”. When his son became Prince of Wales in September 2022, his father specifically name-checked Kate in his speech, saying, “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers, author of A Royal Life, a biography of HRH The Duke of Kent, echoed Charles’ words, telling OK!, “Charles has always appeared to be very, very fond of Kate – and he should be, as they are very lucky to have her. Theirs is a good relationship.”

The camera never lies, and numerous pictures of Kate and her father-in-law reveal the bond between them. At Charles’ coronation, Kate was seen to kiss him on the cheek, and after the funeral of his father Prince Philip, she put her arm around his shoulders outside St George’s Chapel.

Kate and Charles’ close bond was on display at the King’s Coronation
Naturally, Charles has also been keen to ensure his “beloved” daughter-in-law is close to the other women in his life, especially Queen Camilla. The two have something unique in common – both are married to a monarch or a future monarch. That shared understanding of their roles has helped them form a bond.

Ahead of William and Kate’s wedding, Camilla gifted her a beautiful gold bracelet with two “Cs” on a charm – and in the run-up to the Westminster Abbey nuptials, the pair were seen lunching together with Pippa Middleton and Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes. The quartet were overheard discussing final preparations for the nuptials, where Camilla’s granddaughter Eliza was a flower girl. More recently, Kate was given the honour of taking photographs of Camilla to mark her 75th birthday.

In public, Camilla has described Kate as “a lovely girl”, and royal expert Penny Junor has said, “They are two very normal people. Camilla is so easy to get on with, so un-stuck-up, and Kate is young and friendly.”

It’s no wonder then that the King has made such public and heartfelt declarations of support for his daughter-in-law. He knows that, in part, the future of the monarchy rests on her shoulders. Her appearance next to him on the balcony of Buckingham Palace is proof that he will do everything he can to support her through the challenges she’s faced and continues to face this year.