Meghan Markle’s dad has opened up about his estranged relationship with Meghan Markle and insisted he is not looking for sympathy. He famously fell out with the Sussexes in 2018
Thomas Markle says he does not want the family feud to define his life
Meghan Markle’s dad says he does not want his feud with his daughter to define his life as he insists he “doesn’t want pity”.
Thomas Markle – who turns 80 next month – has opened up about his estrangement from the Sussexes, confessing that he is not expecting to receive any birthday wishes from the couple. The retired Hollywood lighting director also described how he felt “vulnerable” when the drama started with Harry and Meghan and slammed the duo for accusing the Royal Family of racism, which he said was “far worse” than his own ‘mistakes”.
Thomas famously fell out with his daughter following his paparazzi scandal and absence from her wedding in 2018. The duo have not had contact over the last six years and Thomas has never met his grandchildren 5-year-old Prince Archie and three-year-old Princess Lilibet, nor Prince Harry.
Thomas has not spoken to Meghan for six years (
Image:
Netflix)
Speaking to Daily Mail, Thomas compared his own misdemeanours to that of his daughter and son-in-law. He said: “When you look at what Harry and Meghan have done since, like accusing the Royal Family of racism, it’s far worse than anything I’ve done. I don’t want pity and I don’t want this episode to define my life. I don’t want to be a footnote in history.”
Thomas described how he has “had a good life and I am proud of what I’ve accomplished”, adding that “everything has been overshadowed by what has happened in the last six years.”
Meghan previously said in an interview that she “grieves” for the father she “lost”
Despite not wanting sympathy, Thomas went on to describe how he was “vulnerable” when all the drama began with Harry and Meghan. He famously missed giving Meghan away at her wedding after he suffered two heart attacks prior to the nuptials, meaning that Charles ended up walking her down the aisle in his place.
He said: “When the drama started with Meghan and Harry I was already well into my 70s and, while I did not realise it at the time, I was vulnerable.”
Meghan previously opened up about her broken relationship with her dad during her bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. “I grieve a lot,” she said. She added: “I mean, I’ve lost my father.”
Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston have weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after Graham Norton confessed people “don’t care”
Amanda Holden has claimed the British public “don’t care” about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Heart FM Breakfast show host weighed in after Graham Norton claimed people just want the Sussexes to “live their lives” in Montecito, California. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, 61-year-old chat show legend Graham questioned if the average Brit is really bothered about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reports the Express.
He pointed out that they had “defied” the seemingly flawless Prince William and Kate Middleton. In a previously aired 2023 interview, Graham expressed his doubts about public interest, saying: “Do regular people care that much? I don’t think they do. I think they just think let them live their lives.”
On today’s Heart Breakfast, Amanda Holden brought up Graham’s past comments and agreed with him, stating: “I think you’re right. I think the press makes so much of it but none of us really care.”
Prince Harry and Meghan quit royal life in 2020(
Image: Getty Images)
Her co-host Jamie Theakston chimed in with agreement, remarking: “I think we don’t care that much.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously stepped back from Royal duties in 2020, moving their family from Frogmore Cottage to the US.
Since their departure, they’ve been embroiled in controversy through various personal endeavours, including Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare and their revealing Netflix documentary series Harry and Meghan.
Meghan has also ventured into business with her new brand, American Riviera Orchard, eagerly anticipating the launch of its potential hit product – a rose wine. Meghan is set to join the ranks of celebrities like Kylie Minogue, Brad Pitt, and Sarah Jessica Parker who have launched their own alcoholic beverages.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been forced to speak out to set the record straight after their charity Archewell was temporarily forced to suspend all fundraising
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “were almost hysterical” when they found out about the drama surrounding their Archewell charity, according to one royal expert.
The non-profit organisation had been forced to suspend all fundraising and spending over claims it had failed to submit its annual report and registration fees. However, an investigation has found Archewell was never out of compliance and all files and required payment were sent and delivered to the Attorney General’s Office via tracked mail and received on time. The charity’s new status has been updated to “current”.
News of the drama broke when the couple were in Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games. Royal author Tom Quinn has suggested Meghan and Harry would have panicked when the scandal was made public.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in Nigeria when the news broke(
Image: Getty Images for The Archewell Foundation)
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Tom said: “According to friends of the couple, Harry and Meghan were almost hysterical when they were told their charity Archewell had been banned from charitable activities for failing to pay their registration fee.
“The couple insist it was just a simple mistake and that the cheque is in the post, but however you dress it up, it looks like incompetence.” He added: “Harry and Meghan are highly sensitive about any criticism of their charitable work, especially since over the past few years at least five senior Archewell staff have resigned. One former staffer said that Meghan was a delightful person but difficult to work for unless she is allowed full control over everything: ‘She does not share power!’”
The initial scathing letter from California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, said the charity had allowed official registration fees to lapse since the beginning of May. It said the charity was then considered “not in good standing” and was restricted from undertaking activities requiring registration.
They’ve since responded to the claims(
Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A source close to Archewell previously spoke to The Mirror about the Archewell drama and insisted the fees were never late. The source claimed: “For whatever reason, it has not been cashed. As soon as the foundation learnt of the problem, they immediately issued another cheque. Harry and Meghan’s team hope this will quickly resolve the issue within the next week.”
A representative for AWF later told The Mirror: “We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that The Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing. Due payments were made promptly and in accordance with the IRS’s processes and procedures. Furthermore, all necessary paperwork had been filed by the Foundation without error or wrongdoing.”
In a statement to The LA Times, the California attorney general’s press office said: “After being in touch with our Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the organisation is current and in good standing.” Speaking in a press conference, California governor Gavin Newsom defended Archewell, stating: “I just want folks to know, not only are they in compliance, it was a technical paperwork issue that was wildly over-hyped.”
Prince Harry reluctant to bring Archie and Lilibet to the UK amid his ongoing legal battle
Prince Harry harbors concerns about bringing his children, Archie and Lilibet, to the UK amid his ongoing legal battle against the Home Office.
While conversing at the latest episode of The Royal Record Podcast, GB News’s Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker and the Digital Editor Svar Nanan-Sen spoke about the recent developments in the Royal Family.
Cameron said that due to this lack of publicly sponsored safety, Harry, 39, is reluctant to bring his children, Princess Lilibet, 3, and Prince Archie, 5, to the UK.
He added, “Prince Harry still has an ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over their decisions to change the level of his police protection when he stood back as a working member of the Royal Family, and he’s been granted permission to appeal the decision.”
Svar said, “You can see how passionately Harry feels about that and how important of an issue it is to him.
He continued, “He suffered a couple of court defeats now and he’s still fighting his way, plus he’s got another appeal coming up.
“It is clearly something that they’re very concerned about. And I also don’t think Harry would be doing this if he didn’t envisage coming to the UK more regularly, both himself and his family. He clearly sees it as an important thing to be able to bring over his family,” Svan noted
Cameron responded, “Well, that’s the crux of it because Harry’s case is he does not feel safe.”
The correspondent stated, “He doesn’t feel his family is safe when they’re in the UK because they do not have police protection officers with the Metropolitan Police with him.”
He also said, “So perhaps that is the main reason why Prince Harry isn’t bringing Meghan and Archie and Lilibet over to the UK because he can’t guarantee, he would say he can’t guarantee their safety.”
Drafts of Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, and messages with the book’s ghostwriter seem to have been “destroyed,” a judge said
CARL COURT//GETTY IMAGES
Prince Harry’s tabloid lawsuit keeps getting messier.
In the latest turn of events, the Duke of Sussex was ordered to explain how potential evidence related to the suit against The Sun, News Group Newspapers (NGN) has gone missing—specifically drafts of his 2023 memoir, Spare, and messages with the book’s ghostwriter, J.R. Moehringer.
Justice Fancourt said he’s seen “troubling evidence that a large number of potentially relevant documents and confidential messages between the Duke and the ghostwriter of Spare were destroyed sometime between 2021 and 2023, well after this claim was underway,” per The Telegraph.
KARWAI TANG//GETTY IMAGES
The judge said the lack of documentation was “rather remarkable” and gave him “cause for concern,” the outlet reported.
The judge has since asked that Harry show a witness statement explaining “what happened to the messages between himself and his ghostwriter and whether any attempts were made to retrieve them.”
The Latest on the Sussexes
Harry’s attorney David Sherborne accused NGN of a “transparent, old-fashioned fishing expedition,” and claimed Harry has provided all the evidence he’s been asked for, including having his California home physically searched and allowing inquiries to be made to the “Royal Household” about relevant documents, according to court papers obtained by People.
The royal is suing NGN over claims of invasions of privacy by their journalists and investigators between 1994 and 2016.
Harry has also been embroiled in some other legal battles as of late. The prince filed four lawsuits against newspaper publishers in the U.K. over allegations of phone hacking and other acts, and he recently lost his legal bid to have his police security in the U.K. covered by the government (after it was reduced following his decision to step down as a senior royal).
Meghan Markle has delivered some great feminist quotes, pictured in April 2022. (Getty Images)
Meghan Markle is celebrating her 42nd birthday, and if it’s anything like recent years, any celebration for the occasion seems likely to be low-key.
After stepping back from her role as a senior royal in 2020, alongside her husband Prince Harry, and moving to the US, the Duchess of Sussex has kept a considerably lower profile.
But just because she isn’t in the spotlight as much, doesn’t mean the mum-of-two is going to stay silent on the subjects that really matter to her.
From her powerful speech on the importance of gender equality at a UN Women summit in 2015, to discussing the significance of women’s suffrage while on a royal tour of New Zealand in 2018, the royal has long been a vocal advocate for women’s issues.
So what better way to mark her birthday than to take a look back at some of Markle’s most powerful quotes on feminism and women’s rights from over the years?
On women’s sexuality being used against them
Last year saw Meghan try her hand at podcasting with the release of the first series of Archetypes, which aimed to unpick labels attached to women and to try and dismantle the negative connotations attached to many of them.
The series was filled with Meghan’s feminist opinions, and expertise and insights from campaigners, researchers and even from high profile figures like Mariah Carey and Serena William’s who discussed the labels they felt had held them back.
Although keeping a relatively low-profile since leaving royal life behind, Meghan still speaks up about the causes that matter most to her. (Getty Images)
In one episode, Meghan discussed the ways that women’s sexual history is regularly used against them, whilst men are praised for the same behaviour.
“I give the example of, you know, for a woman especially versus a man, a man — if he is a player or out having fun or whatever he’s doing — it’s often celebrated, even heralded.”
Meghan noted that it’s not as simple for women: “for a woman, I don’t care if she’s is perhaps the most successful woman in finance in her mid-50s, I promise you someone will still go, ‘yeah but she was such a s**t in college.’”
“I don’t understand what it is about the stigma surrounding women and their sexuality, the exploration of their sexuality that is so much more vilified than for a man,” she also said.
On men being feminists too
In 2022, the US Supreme court ended constitutional protections for abortion that have been in place for nearly 50 years by deciding to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade ruling.
In response to the decision, the Duchess of Sussex and feminist icon Gloria Steinem shared their thoughts on the US Supreme Court’s controversial ruling in a joint interview for Vogue.
When asked what she would say to men who support reproductive rights, Markle told journalist Jessica Yellin that men “need to be vocal in this moment and beyond because these are decisions that affect relationships, families and communities at large”.
“They may target women, but the consequences impact all of us,” she continued. “My husband and I talked about that a lot over the past few days.
“He’s a feminist too.
“I know that for so many women right now, there is a sentiment of despair,” she added. “But again, we have to band together and not wallow. We have to do the work.”
The Duchess of Sussex often speaks out about women’s rights, pictured in May 2018. (Getty Images)
On needing female activists
July 2020: In a speech at Girl Up, a UN conference aimed at young female activists, she said: “This is a humanity that desperately needs you. To push it, to push us, forcefully in a more inclusive, more just, and more empathetic direction.
“To not only frame the debate, but be in charge of the debate – on racial justice, gender, climate change, mental health and wellbeing, on civic engagement, on public service, on so much more. That’s the work you’re already out there doing.”
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On empowering young male feminists
March 2020: During a surprise school visit ahead of International Women’s Day Markle called on teenage boys to “value and appreciate” the women in their lives, urging them to “set the example for some men who are not seeing it that same way”.
“I just encourage and empower each of you to really stand in your truth, to stand for what is right, to continue to respect each other, for you young men to continue to value and appreciate the women in your lives and also set the example for some men who are not seeing it that same way.”
On why feminism is about fairness
October 2018: In a speech made in New Zealand shortly after they were married, she said: “Women’s suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness.
“Women’s suffrage is not simply about the right to vote for women, but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of all people, including those members of society who have been marginalised whether for reasons of race, gender, ethnicity or orientation, to be able to participate in the choices for their future and their community.”
Markle uses her platform to raise issues around women’s rights, pictured in September 2019. (Getty Images)
On women supporting each other
September 2019: In a speech at the launch of her Smart Works capsule collection, Markle said: “As women, it is 100% our responsibility, I think, to support and uplift each other, to champion each other as we aim to succeed, to not set each other up for failure but instead to really be there rallying around each other and say I want to help you.”
Read more: Meghan Markle’s six most significant royal moments in 600 days
Markle says her husband Prince Harry is a feminist, pictured in October 2019. (Getty Images)
On why men should show vulnerability
March 2019: In a panel debate after she was given her commonwealth role, which marked International Women’s Day in 2019, she said: “I’ve said for a long time, you can be feminine and a feminist.
“You can be masculine and a feminist, and I think in terms of masculinity you understand that your strength includes knowing your vulnerability.”
She later said: “Your confidence comes in knowing that a woman by your side, not behind you, is actually something you shouldn’t be threatened about but, opposed to that, you should feel really empowered in having that additional support. That this is really about us working together.
“That’s what gender equality means for me, and having men part of that conversation saying there’s nothing threatening about a woman coming up to the same level. It’s our safety in numbers. This is our power and our strength as a team. And that’s gender neutral, if you really think about it. So I hope that men are part of the conversation. My husband certainly is.”
When she played Rachel Zane, Markle took a stand against all the towel scenes she had to do. (Getty Images)
On period shame and education
March 2017: In an article for Time magazine she wrote: “As a female in India, the challenge of survival begins at birth, first overcoming female feticide, then being victim to malnourishment, potentially abuse, and lack of access to proper sanitation facilities. Why, if she is able to overcome all of these challenges and finally get to school, should her education and potential to succeed, be sacrificed because of shame surrounding her period?”
“To break the cycle of poverty, and to achieve economic growth and sustainability in developing countries, young women need access to education. When we empower girls hungry for education, we cultivate women who are emboldened to effect change within their communities and globally.”
The Loose Women audience and panel were left stunned as Jane McDonald made a cheeky confession about her upcoming series during her return to the ITV show on Tuesday
Loose Women legend Jane McDonald returned to the ITV show on Tuesday to discuss her new series and the TV personality wasted no time in making a cheeky x-rated confession.
Speaking about her new Channel 5 series Lost in Japan, Jane revealed: “I did some sumo wrestling, I did ninja and they don’t tell me anything until [filming]. I didn’t know I had to strip off naked to get into a spa, I would have sorted myself out if you know what I mean.”
The Loose Women audience erupted alongside host Jane Moore and panellists Denise Welch, Linda Robson and Brenda Edwards over Jane’s revelation as she continued: “Usually I’m covered-up. I did feel sorry for John, the cameraman.”
ITV viewers were thrilled to see her back on the Loose Women panel as one fan tweeted: “What’s not to like about Jane McDonald. She’s so natural & genuine. Love her #Janemcdonald #loosewomen.”
Jane opened up on her new series in Japan(
Image: ITV)
Another wrote: “@TheJaneMcDonald It was grand to see you back on @loosewomen today, Jane. I really miss you being on the panel. That brilliant Yorkshire humour always used to give me a giggle & – being a Donny lad myself – always appealed to my Yorkshire sense of humour. Tha’s a grand lass.”
“Love Jane McDonald. A legend, an icon. #LooseWomen,” a third added and someone else shared: “How brilliant to see @TheJaneMcDonald back in the panel today, wouldn’t it be great to see her back more often….”
Elsewhere on Loose Women, Jane opened up on whether she would date again following the death of her beloved fiancé Eddie Rothe, who died of lung cancer in March 2021.
“I was very blessed to have a great relationship and I don’t feel as if my life needs a man to complete it. I’m not saying I’m never gonna date again, I think that would be lovely. But, I don’t feel as if I need someone in my life to make it complete,” she told the panel.
Jane went on to share that she feels a “sense of freedom” at no longer sharing her home with a male companion. “I don’t have to put the light out at a certain time, I can read in bed till four o’clock in the morning. I don’t think I can through dating again.”
Appearing on the Loose Women panel on Friday, Dame Kelly revealed that she was at a red carpet event when the news broke of the Queen’s death broke before she erupted into floods of tears
Dame Kelly Holmes has recalled the moment she discovered that Queen Elizabeth had passed away this day last year.
Appearing on the Loose Women panel on Friday, Dame Kelly revealed that she was at a red carpet event when the news broke of the Queen’s death. Having heard ‘whispers’ that her Majesty was unwell, Kelly was completely shocked when she was finally told that the Queen ‘was gone’.
The athlete, 53, said that by the time she made it to the end of the red carpet, she was in floods of tears after breaking down over the sad news. Elsewhere, during the Loose Women panel chat about where they all were when they discovered the news, Kaye Adams revealed that she was out to dinner with fellow Loose lady, Nadia Sawalha.
Dame Kelly Holmes broke down on red carpet after hearing of Queen Elizabeth’s death(
Image: ITV)
Kaye explained that she and Nadia were sitting in a busy London restaurant surrounded by people who had not yet heard the news, and as the laughter and conversation continued among others, they felt ‘helpless’. Nadia even felt the urge to stand up and make a speech in a bid to try and let everyone know that the Queen had passed.
On September 8, 2022, the world came to a stand-still when it was announced that the Queen had died at the age of 96. Her reign of over 70 years is the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female head of state in history.
Following her death at Balmoral, King Charles – formerly known as Prince Charles – took over the reign amid much family turmoil including his warring sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
The King paid an emotional tribute to his mother on the eve of the first anniversary of her passing, while thanking people across the globe for their support after he took over her role as sovereign. King Charles also reaffirmed his pledge to devote his life to service as King.
The poignant statement from the King read: “In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”
The King has remained at Balmoral in Scotland, where the Queen died, to spend time “quietly reflecting” on his loss, as well as his first 12 months as sovereign and “looking forward to the future”.
Coleen Nolan has spoken about Linda’s ongoing battle after her cancer spread to her brain, she explained that she constantly looks at her sibling in ‘awe’
Coleen Nolan has praised her older sister Linda for continuing to put on a brave face, despite her intense rounds of chemotherapy.
Linda, 64, is currently battling incurable cancer which was in her hip and has since spread to her liver and brain but is remaining positive as she moves forward. The star has previously battled breast cancer as well as cancer of the liver. However, despite previously being given the all-clear, Linda recently shared a devastating health update.
The singer and presenter revealed that although she’s rang the all-clear bell in the past, she won’t be doing it again as she continues to live with the disease. But while she continues to have brutal treatment, the Irish-born stars aid her condition is now a “way of her life”. But after recent scans, medical staff revealed to Linda that her cancer was not growing anymore.
Praising her older sister, Coleen, 58, told the Mirror: “Certainly in public [there’s a smile on her face], obviously there are nights she goes to bed and I only found this out recently but there are nights she goes I think the night times because she’s totally on her own.
Linda Nolan is currently battling incurable cancer(
Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
Coleen praised her older sibling, saying she is an ‘absolute warrior’(
Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“You know, in your bedroom and your brain, you just overthink and I think there are the times when she has her cry and he’s scared you know, but the rest of the time. She is an absolute warrior. I look at her in awe, she treats chemo like she’s going to Tesco and it keeps coming back and battering her and she keeps on smiling and she still keeps getting out of bed and she bloody hates it.”
The Loose Women presenter went on to add: “She hates it, she hates being bald. I think that for her that’s the most dramatic thing. She’s lost her hair, this is the fourth time and she’s lost it again and then she gets embarrassed and she goes ‘That’s really of vain of me’ and I’m like ‘It’s not’.” Coleen herself was recently diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on her shoulder and melanoma on her face. Initially, the 58-year-old had noticed a “tiny” bit of inflamed skin on her shoulder which she believed was eczema.
However, a trip to a dermatologist over a completely separate matter confirmed she had basal cell carcinoma on her shoulder. This was later treated with chemotherapy cream for a six-week period. However, her melanoma could have become more serious, she explained.
She told us: “As soon as I showed him he went ‘That’s basal cell carcinoma you need to come back in’ and I went ‘I thought you were going to tell me it was eczema, and he was like ‘You need to get undressed’ and he checked all of it and then I asked him about dry patches on my face and he said ‘They’re melanoma’ but the shocking and surprising thing is that it’s all from childhood.
“He said everything I’ve got from childhood. That one [on her shoulder] has been treated the carcinoma and touch work that’s gone and then these two [on her nose] have yet to be treated but it’s nothing major. What he said about this is if they don’t treat them then later on in life, that will become a dangerous kind of skin cancer. So I do have to get them treated. And I’m going to go on and have an all-over body. I’m going to go and see another specialist who’s been recommended to me, who literally checks every single piece of skin you’ve got because I want to know because I know you know from being in a family that you’re surrounded by cancer and I do the full monty which is about awareness. I know that catching these things in time is the most effective as scary as it is.
Discussing sharing her diagnosis live on Loose Women, she said: “To me, it’s all a bit dramatic. And like it is nothing really. I’ve got a sister whose cancer has gone to her brain. So I just felt a bit embarrassed. Initially, I was like, oh, it’s all got a bit too much. But obviously, it’s there and it’s always an important subject. But yeah, I mean, it’s it’s nothing compared to what my sister is going through.”
The star recently her Naked Tour and jokes that she may consider getting naked on stage. Speaking about getting on the road, she said: “I’m so excited and terrified all at once. It’s something I’ve never done before, hence why I’ve called it Naked because I think Naked also suggests apart from the very obvious, it also suggests feeling very vulnerable. And I do feel very vulnerable but I’m also at a stage now where I’ve always said that singing and performing is really the greatest love of my life is what I’ve done since the age of two. But I’ve never had that but I’ve always been surrounded by family.”
Football legend David Beckham and Loose Women stars were among the celebs paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II one year on from her death aged 96
David Beckham and Loose Women stars are among the celebs who have paid tribute to the Queen on the first anniversary since her death.
Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral aged 96 on September 8 last year. She passed away peacefully after reigning for 70 years, having come onto the throne in 1952 and witnessing the country change immeasurably. To mark the first anniversary, many celebs have been paying tribute to the monarch alongside King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Former footballer David Beckham took to his Instagram Stories to share a selection of tributes to the late Queen. He re-shared a picture from the official royal family account of Queen Elizabeth II with the caption: “In loving and everlasting memory. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 21st April 1926 – 8th September 2022.” He also posted King Charles’ moving audio message paying tribute to his adored mother.
David Beckham shared tributes on his social media
Kelly Holmes recalled ‘fond’ memories whilst on Loose Women(
Image: Getty Images)
In his speech, the King said: “In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us. I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”
Last year, David paid his own respects to the Queen by waiting 13 hours in a queue to see her lie in state at Westminster Hall. Other celebrities paid their respects one year on. Loose Women stars marked the anniversary whilst on air as they spoke to royal biographer Hugo Vickers about her life. Dame Kelly Holmes shared her own “fond” memories of the Queen, having met her at an Olympic and Paralympic athletes reception in 2004.
She recalled her death: “I just broke down in floods of tears, Linda came over and hugged me. I have such fond memories of meeting the Queen.” Co-star Kaye Adams added: “It was as if London had stood still, it was incredibly sad, but also we have to remember, it was a life incredibly well-lived.” Jane Moore said: “I was on holiday when I heard in Ibiza, with a lot of journalists. Never have we more not wanted to be there because it was such an event.”
Former This Morning star Fern Britton also shared her own tribute as she wrote: “Sorely missed,” alongside a love heart emoji. Prince Harry also marked the occasion last night as he attended the WellChild Awards in London. In a moving speech, he said: “I’ll try not to get choked up this evening. As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away.
“As you also know, she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her. And that’s why I know that exactly one year on she’s looking down on us on all of us tonight, happy we’re together and continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.” The Prince was also spotted visiting Windsor Castle, Elizabeth II’s final resting place on Friday morning in a surprise visit.
