Author: bang1

Kelly Brook revealed that she once walked out of an Emma Bunton concert after just half an hour and revealed the unexpected reason behind her decision

Kelly Brook left her Loose Women co-stars completely gobsmacked after admitting she walked out of Emma Bunton’s Christmas show.

On Monday’s episode of the hit ITV daytime show, Kelly joined Charlene White, Brenda Edwards and Judi Love in the studio, where the conversation quickly turned to a jaw-dropping revelation. Kicking things off by discussing the recent phenomenon of theatre-goers leaving productions midway through to avoid ‘spoilers’ before the film adaptation is released. With Wicked receiving ten Oscar nominations, it seems some fans are ditching the West End show to keep the big-screen experience fresh.

But as the debate raged on, Kelly dropped a bombshell of her own. “I do have a confession…” she admitted, before dropping her Emma Bunton-shaped secret. “I love going to the theatre, I’ve seen so many West End shows, musicals, all sorts… But I do need to apologise to Emma Bunton – she invited me to her Christmas show at the Royal Albert Hall.”

Attempting to justify her actions, Kelly explained: “I had a puppy that was six months old, and about half an hour into the show… I got immense anxiety that this little puppy was going to absolutely wreck my house. Eat everything! I just said to my husband, ‘I’m not enjoying the show.’ It was nothing to do with Emma – Emma is fantastic…”

Kelly Brook and Emma Bunton have been friends for years ( 
Image:
Twitter)

Judi, clearly in disbelief, asked: “Your mind was somewhere else?” To which Kelly nodded. “My mind was somewhere else. I just could not relax.” Charlene pressed for more details. “So, you lasted like three songs?”

Kelly, appearing embarrassed, admitted she and her husband made a sneaky exit. “I said, ‘Let’s just pretend we’re going to the bar…’ and we slipped out and left the show. We went home. The puppy was fine. It was all in my head! And now, any time I’ve got a dog, I cannot see a show.”

Adding insult to injury, Judi demanded to know where Kelly had been sitting. When she revealed she had front-row seats, the panel absolutely lost it. Charlene, still in shock, urged her to make amends. “Do you want to apologise to Emma again?”

Kelly apologised to Emma for leaving her show ( 
Image:
ITV)
Turning directly to the camera, Kelly made her plea: “Emma, I would love to come back to your show again if you would kindly invite me. I know, I know, it was terrible! But the puppy was six months old!”

Elsewhere on the show, emotions ran high as the panel shared personal heartbreaks in a deeply emotional discussion about grief and how to talk to children about death.

Charlene broke down in tears as she opened up about losing her best friend, while Judi became visibly emotional speaking about her late mum. Kelly also welled up as she reflected on the loss of her father.

This Morning’s Ruth Langsford has been allowing herself very generous dividends from her holding company as friends say her ‘sass is back’ after Eamonn Holmes split

Ruth Langsford appears to be enjoying her life as a single woman, if her finances are any indication.

The This Morning star and her ex Eamonn Holmes, 65, announced their shock split in May, and Eamonn has quickly moved on with new girlfriend Katie Alexander, 42. The couple shares a son, and after 14 years of marriage Ruth, 64, is readjusting to living solo

Ruth is the sole director of company Hey Ho Ltd, which she set up in 2013 and is bolstered by money from her multiple jobs, such as Loose Women appearances and Tesco ads. According documents, Ruth took out almost £1 million from the firm last year, and £2.3 million in 2023.

It’s reported that according to accounts for the company, from May 2023 to the end of May 2024, Ruth took £770,000 of liquid cash from Hey Ho Ltd, and also spent over £12,000 on “furniture,” suggesting she may have done a bit of spring cleaning and rejuvenation of her home after splitting from Eamonn.

Ruth reportedly took out almost a million cash from her company last year ( 
Image:
ITV

Despite the big spending and huge cash paydays, however, there’s plenty more in the pot, with cash and assets reportedly valuing over £3 million, according to The Sun.

Sources close to Ruth have suggested that she’s making the most of being a single woman after the initial struggle, and is using her time to enjoy being with friends. “Ruth’s sass is definitely back. She’s ready for exciting new adventures and a new man – if and when it’s on her terms – but for now, she’s not overly fussed about jumping into anyone’s bed but her own,” an insider said back in December. Girls’ nights out and piña coladas are filling the void. Her friends are like her armour and they give great advice.”

“Eamonn is just angry and jealous – he’s brought this all on himself but Ruth is keeping dignified,” they added to Closer.

The star split from Eamonn Holmes in May 2024, and is living it large after the initial struggle ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Ruth has opened up about her wish to travel more and feeling ‘liberation’ in her new life ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Ruth gave an interview of her own this month after keeping fairly private about her split, and added that she’s up for doing more things for herself and with her loved ones, particularly travel.

Eamonn has enjoyed a holiday with his new partner Katie, and Ruth made it clear that she’s not one to be left behind – and doesn’t need a partner in order to have a good time.

The star said that she’s planning some trips overseas, including considering a visit to Thailand to see her best friend from school. Another option may be to go on a girls trip abroad to celebrate turning 65.

Overall, she summarised being able to be free in her choices, saying: “As for the future, there is a certain feeling of liberation but I’m definitely not planning my next 10 years in finite detail!”

A royal expert has claimed that when it comes to finding a new school for Prince George, there is one major factor that will be a crucial consideration for Prince William and Princess Kate

Prince George will soon be due to move up to secondary school, and there is one major factor that will be crucial to the decision made by Prince William and Princess Kate, a royal expert has claimed.

There has been much speculation about where the future King will be enrolled for his secondary education after he leaves Lambrook School – which only caters to pupils up to the age of 13. Both his sister, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, attend the same school, which is close to the Wales family residence of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park.

Princess Kate was reported to have visited two elite London day schools in December: University College School, in Hampstead, and the nearby Highgate School. If the purpose of her visit was to scout out possible future schools for George, 11, then the option of a day school would be a deviation from what both William and Kate experienced themselves.

Kate is reported to have visited University College School in Hampstead in December ( 
Image:
PA)
William attended the prestigious Eton College in Windsor, alongside his younger brother Prince Harry, whilst Kate boarded at Marlborough College after some tumultuous years at Downe House where she was reportedly bullied as a day girl.

One royal expert – Editor in Chief of Majesty magazine, Ingrid Seward – has claimed that there will be one major issue that will likely be a deciding for Kate and William when it comes time to enrol George in his next school.

Speaking to Fabulous magazine, the expert explained that security costs will be something the Prince and Princess of Wales keep in mind as they make their final choice.

“I think he will probably go to a co-ed where all three of them can be educated together, because also that cuts hugely down the security bill,” the expert said.

Marlborough College – a co-ed boarding school – is said to be a frontrunner ( 
Image:
Western Daily Press)
“I think Kate and William are very conscious of how much it costs the taxpayer to guard them – guard not being the exact word – but to kind of give them the security which they absolutely have to have.

“To have three different schools in three different parts of the country, I think would be very difficult.”

The expert also said that in her view, the coeducational boarding school Marlborough College, which Kate and her siblings attended, is likely the couple’s top choice. Fees at Marlborough currently come in at an eye-watering £19,714.20 each term – £59.142.60 a year.

The expert added, “He’s had a lot of formality in his young life, and I think they would probably want him to be certainly co-ed, I would think, and just somewhere where he’s free.”

Other front runners for George’s secondary school are reported to be Oundle School in Northamptonshire and St. Edward’s School in North Oxford – also known as ‘Teddie’s’.

Do you have a story to tell? Email: [email protected]

Prince Harry is currently embroiled in a legal battle over his security arrangements when in the UK – and one expert believes the fight and one pal’s comments about it give a glimpse into his future plans

Prince Harry may have set up home in California with Meghan Markle – but speculation persists about his future and spending time in the UK.

While Meghan and their children have not visited Harry’s homeland in almost three years, the Duke of Sussex has made several fleeting visits for charity appearances and family events, including the memorial of his late uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. Harry has said he cannot bring his wife and children to the UK as it does not deem it safe as they are no longer entitled to automatic police protection when in the country – and the Duke is currently embroiled in a legal battle to get this reinstated.

Harry and Meghan with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet ( 
Image:
ARCHWELL)

Recently, a pal of Harry’s told Hello magazine that when it comes to the case, Harry’s goal is ‘simple’ adding: “He wants to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the UK so his children can know his home country and so he can help his patronages and their important work.”

And speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, royal correspondent Bronte Coy says the cryptic comment gives a glimpse into Harry’s future plans in the UK. She explained: “A lot of things have changed in the past five years and it’s entirely possible that, with some reflection, there’s a big part of him wondering if there’s a way to bring the UK back into his life.”

She added: “When they left, they left in such a passionate blaze of glory – they were so disheartened and bruised by the situation they’d had back here.

Harry has a frosty bond with his father King Charles ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
“With all these things, once the dust settles and the emotion gets taken out of it a bit, the reality is he loves his home country – he talked about it in his memoir. After a few years, he probably just very much misses it. After a few years, he probably just very much misses it.”

It was previously reported the security issue has caused a deepening of his estrangement from his father the King, with a source telling PEOPLE: “Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father.” However, the publication points out that a palace source has explained Harry’s security situation is not in the hands of the King.

Harry took legal action over the February 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) which ruled he would no longer be given the “same degree” of publicly-funded protection when in the country. Ravec’s decision came as a result of a change in the duke’s ‘status’ after he stopped being a “full-time working member of the royal family “, a judge was told.

During a hearing at the High Court, it was told that Harry believes his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet cannot “feel at home” in the UK if it is “not possible to keep them safe” there. At a previous hearing in the case, in a written statement, Harry said: “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020. The UK is my home.

“The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home, as much as where they live at the moment in the United States. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”

The Duke of York has been told his 30-room Royal Lodge home is in “desperate” need of repair and is in grave danger of “irrevocable decay” if he does not carry out maintenance work

Prince Andrew is facing a £1million bill for urgent repairs after an inspection on his crumbling mansion.

The disgraced Duke of York has been told his 30-room Royal Lodge home is in “desperate” need of repair and is in grave danger of “irrevocable decay”. Royal sources have revealed how Andrew, 64, had entered talks with representatives of the Crown Estate, although discussions are now described as being “deadlocked”.

Our exclusive pictures show the residence in a dire state, with large cracks in the masonry, peeling plaster and discoloured paint around the main house and staff quarters. Andrew is understood to have given assurances he would be able to meet the financial obligations needed for essential repairs.

Prince Andrew’s decaying Royal Lodge mansion is owned by the Crown Estate ( 
Image:
N.C)
As recently as 2019, the house had been painted and showed no signs of dilapidation. But in just over five years, the 19th century Grade II listed property, estimated to be worth around £30million, has fallen into immense disrepair, with increasing levels of damp and mould both inside and outside the buildings.

The flat roof to the main structure is in danger of complete collapse having been neglected for 20 years, leading to huge damp problems to both the exterior and inside the property. Reputable building firms in the area estimate the works will cost £600,000 to address the damp, fill huge cracks to the exterior and re-render the outside.

Scaffolding alone to the huge mansion would be needed for a year, estimated by local firm BCD Scaffolding to cost £200,000. Andrew, 64, could also be hit with further costs upwards of at least £250,000 to the inside of the property which is said by sources to be “full of damp”.

Royal Lodge before it fell into disrepair ( 
Image:
Roland Hoskins/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)
The Duke spent £7.5million in renovations 20 years ago when he moved in and agreed to meet all future costs of the upkeep. But with his finances shrouded in mystery, huge questions remain over his ability to meet the financial obligations.

A royal source said: “The house is in a dire state and is in desperate need of repair. The Duke has been told in no uncertain terms that extensive and urgent repairs are needed to ensure the long term viability of the property before it falls into irrevocable decay.”

Designed by John Nash, one of the foremost British architects of the Georgian and Regency eras, with later additions by architect Jeffry Wyatt and tucked away from public view inside the royal park, the lodge has been a royal residence since 1662.

Inspections were carried out on the property over the last two summers, leading to experts suggesting urgent works were needed on the roof, damp proofing and plaster repair around the entire mansion.

The Royal Lodge roof requires urgent repairs due to severe damp ( 
Image:
N.C)

Crumbling paintwork surrounds the exterior of Royal Lodge ( 
Image:
N.C)Andrew agreed to spend £200,000 on a new roof, granting him a stay of execution from the King who pleaded with his brother to move out or pay for the repairs of up to £2million, including agreed upkeep on adjoining properties and the grounds.

But the Duke is locked in a stalemate as his finances took a hit after he was forced to step back from public duties in 2019 following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview which exposed his association with the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew’s 75 year lease on the property began in August 2003, in the year following the death of its previous occupant, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Duke approached the Crown Estate about acquiring the lease, which was then considered to be financially preferable to using it as a “grace and favour” residence for the Royal Family.

Properties near Royal Lodge show similar signs or disrepair ( 
Image:
N.C)
After the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles told his brother he would no longer supplement his lifestyle and suggested he downsize his lavish home, being offered Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s more modest four bedroom Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate.

But the pampered prince rejected the offer and refused to leave Royal Lodge, which he still shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, despite divorcing 27 years ago.

The Mirror previously revealed how Andrew friends he has a “cast iron lease”, due to end in 2078, which he intends to fulfill despite the intense mystery surrounding his finances. Sources close to the King suggest the monarch has “grown incredibly weary” with his brother’s petulant behaviour after being offered the opportunity to downsize.

Another building near Royal Lodge show similar states of disrepair ( 
Image:
N.C)
Our source continued: “Unfortunately relations are considered to be strained and what was once a promising channel of communication is now deadlocked. Despite this, the Crown Estate is committed to working with the Duke to find the best possible solution so this beautiful residence is not neglected even further.”

Since then his attempts at plotting a way back into the royal fold have been extinguished by the King and Prince William, who are said to be aligned that the Duke should have no role in public life.

His personal finances have also been left in a state after the King decided to stop paying for Andrew’s security or provide him a personal allowance. Together, these costs are understood to amount to several million pounds a year.

In 2022, he paid a £12million settlement to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre to halt a US civil trial after she said he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17, which he vehemently denies.

The prince sold a luxury Swiss chalet for £17million, co-owned with Fergie, but was understood to have considerable debts on the property. Buckingham Palace said they do not comment on the Duke’s affairs.

Emails appearing to show contact between Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein have emerged where the royal is believed to have told the paedophile to ‘keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon’

Prince Andrew was still emailing his paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein two months after he claimed to have broken off contact, according to court papers.

The newly disclosed documents led to fresh calls from Epstein’s victims for Andrew to be quizzed by the FBI. The Duke of York insisted he severed ties with Epstein in December 2010 after a now-infamous meeting in New York’s Central Park. But an email exchange from February 2011 appears to contradict this.

It shows Andrew, 64, saying to the financier: “Keep in close touch, and we’ll play some more soon!!!!” One woman who was abused by Epstein when she was a teenager told the Mirror: “Another example of powerful men apparently thinking they can lie and get away with it.

Prince Andrew claimed to have cut contact with Epstein in 2010 ( 
Image:
PA)

Jeffrey Epstein took his own life in 2019 ( 
Image:
ABACA/PA Images)
“For years, your prince has insisted that he cut ties with Epstein in 2010, but these emails seem to prove that was a fabrication. It’s time for him to stop hiding and finally answer questions under oath.”

US lawyer Spencer Kuvin, who represents several of Epstein’s victims, said: “Andrew continues to be an embarrassment to his family.” The email was uncovered in a filing by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, which is defending an appeal by former Barclays boss Jes Staley. In 2023, the American, 68, was fined and banned from management positions for misleading regulators about his ties to Epstein.

In Andrew’s notorious 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, he categorically denied having any contact with Epstein after their December 2010 meeting. He told Emily Maitlis: “By mutual agreement, during that walk in the park, we decided that we would part company, and I left, I think it was the next day. And to this day, I never had any contact with him from that day forward.”

Other files released in separate proceedings yesterday revealed Andrew’s private secretary admitted to an alleged Chinese spy that the interview had been a “disaster.” Dominic Hampshire told Yang Tengbo, a Chinese businessman now banned from the UK over espionage concerns: “We have dealt with the ­aftermath of an ill-advised and unsuccessful interview.”

Epstein was found dead in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. One of the financier’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, accused Andrew of sleeping with her on three occasions. The Duke vehemently denied her allegations, later agreeing to pay his accuser a reported £12million in an out-of-court settlement. He was contacted for comment.

King Charles III is starring in an Amazon Prime documentary about the planet – and filming has reportedly started already

It has been revealed that King Charles will appear in a one-off documentary that will air on Amazon Prime Video.

Filming for King Charles’s feature-length Amazon special reportedly began earlier this month at Dumfries House, which is a beautiful estate situated on 2,000 acres of land in Scotland.

King Charles is starring in an upcoming documentary ( 
Image:
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A Palace source told The Times: “The King is greatly looking forward to seeing how the Harmony concept can be communicated to a new and international audience, using some of the best creative talents in TV.”

They added: “It’s astonishing, really, what has been put into practice since publication of the original book 15 years ago, and how many of those pioneering ideas have been adopted in differing ways.

“This is a chance to ‘show, not tell’ how they can transform people, places, and ultimately the planet. I think many will be genuinely amazed at the scale, scope and vision of it all, for which Dumfries House continues to be the ‘living laboratory’.”

The Palace has also been contacted by The Mirror for comment.

According to reports, several platforms were consulted before Amazon was given the final seal of approval. The film is set to be broadcast towards the end of 2025 or at the start of next year.

It’s a big move for the palace, which has previously collaborated with the BBC and ITV on documentaries featuring members of the royal family.

Meghan Markle’s new show drops in March
The news of the documentary comes weeks after his daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, confirmed she was launching a cooking show on Amazon’s rival, Netflix. Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, have a multimillion-dollar deal with the streaming giant.

In 2022, they made a six-part docuseries called Harry & Meghan, which documented their lives in California after they stepped down as senior members of the royal family.

The documentary addresses Harry’s family and the scrutiny the couple faced from the global media when Meghan married into the family.

In one scene, the Duke of Sussex says: “There can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who fits the mould, as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.”

Meghan and Harry reside in the US ( 
Image:
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images))He was talking about how he first met Meghan and their instant chemistry. Harry added: “The difference between making decisions with your head, or your heart. My mum certainly made most of her decisions, if not all of them from her heart. And I am my mother’s son.”

The documentary was met with a mixed response from viewers, but it has not deterred Meghan from making another show for the streamer.

Her upcoming series, named With love, Meghan, is due to be released in March. It was meant to be released earlier this year, but it was pushed back following the dreadful wildfires in California.

The Princess Royal is beloved for her no-nonsense approach to her role and work – and she previously opened up about why royal life is so different for other members of the family

Princess Anne is widely loved for her low-key approach, with her numerous official engagements often flying under the radar due to her preference for minimal media fuss.

Reflecting on her decades of service in a candid interview for her 70th birthday in 2020, Princess Anne shared insights into the evolving nature of royal life, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by today’s younger royals like the Princess of Wales.

In the documentary ‘Anne: The Princess Royal at 70’, which aired to commemorate her milestone birthday, she empathised with the newer generation of working royals, acknowledging the intensified scrutiny they face, exacerbated by the relentless pace of social media.

Princess Anne opened up about her experiences ( 
Image:
PA)
She commented on the stark contrast between her early days and the current climate, saying, “The pressure that is applied to the younger members of the family, it’s always worse. That’s what the media is interested in. That’s hard sometimes to deal with. But there was no social media in my day, and it’s probably made it more difficult.”

Princess Anne also mused on the impact of digital communication, noting its limitations compared to personal interactions: “With online technology… being in touch is one thing but it’s not quite the same. The ability to meet people, that’s what makes the difference. I know what Twitter is, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near it if you paid me frankly. But that’s a slightly different issue.”

Other notable figures also appeared in the documentary, paying tribute to the Princess’ tireless commitment to her role. Lord Sebastian Coe recalled a particularly amusing incident, saying: “The Princess Royal was on the big committee, and her contribution was seismic, and it was always to the point; she doesn’t always suffer fools gladly, and she doesn’t speak for the sake of speaking.

“I do remember after a rather long-winded interjection by one of the committee members she had actually forgotten to turn her microphone off and she did manage to utter the immortal words ‘I think this person is probably the most stupid person in world sport’.”

“This echoed absolutely around the room and she never flinched, it was as though it had never happened and we just moved on but it is probably one of my favourite moments.”

Princess Anne attended a special episode of a podcast ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Kensington Pala)

Princess Anne later teamed up with the Prince and Princess of Wales for a special episode of Mike Tindall’s The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast. Among the many special moments and sweet revelations, viewers witnessed a funny moment where the Princess and Kate both teamed up to poke fun at Prince William’s rugby skills.

He told the group: “I played at school. I loved it, and…” At this point Kate interrupts, looks her husband directly in the face and playfully asks: “Did you? Did you?” The group then fell about laughing with one co-host crying out to Kate: “You said you weren’t competitive!”

At this point, Anne interjects, saying, “That was just the question; never mind the answer!” To which William adds diplomatically that he is trying to be polite so will hold back on what he really wants to say about Kate.

When King Harald of Norway first met his wife Sonja, their love story was totally ‘forbidden’ and for nearly a decade, their romance threatened to destroy the monarchy itself

King Harald of Norway has been married to his wife Queen Sonja for an impressive 57 years – but when the couple first met, their romance was completely “forbidden”.

For nine years, their relationship was a point of serious controversy, so much so that some opponents of the couple claimed it posed an existential threat to the Norwegian monarchy itself. A new series is due to be released on Amazon Prime called Harald and Sonja, depicting the ‘scorned romance’ between the now-King and Queen, both 87, that nearly brought the Norwegian monarchy to its knees.

The series will be released on Valentine’s Day – which is a fitting date for a binge-watch for any romance fans, because as time would tell, nothing would keep these two star-crossed lovers apart. Harald, then Crown Prince of Norway, was supposed to marry someone from the same kind of high rank he had been born into, but when he met ‘commoner’ Sonja by chance at a dinner party, it was nothing less than “love at first sight”.

When they met in their early twenties, the pair were dining as guests of friend Johan Stenerse’s. The encounter in 1959 set them on a path that was not going to be easy, with Harald’s father, King Olav, fiercely opposing Sonja as a suitable match for his son, who was training at the Norwegian Military Academy at the time.

Sonja and Harald first met in 1959 ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)

Sonja’s father was a clothing merchant, and this was quickly deemed not to be an appropriate background for the partner of the Crown Prince – but no amount of opposition was going to put Harald off. When she met the Crown Prince, Sonja was studying English, French, and Art History at the University of Oslo, but the accomplished young woman already had a multitude of qualifications to her name, including attending a prestigious finishing school in Switzerland and a degree in dressmaking.

When King Olav found out that his son was dating Sonja, he insisted that they stop their budding romance and that Harald stop talking to Sonja altogether. However, within five years, rumours of the relationship became public, with reports appearing in the Norwegian media that they were an item.

The House of Glücksburg was so concerned about the reports that it even issued a statement saying there was no way the Crown Prince would ever marry a commoner. Over the years, the intense pressure the young couple was under due to all the opposition they faced caused them to reportedly break up several times, but they always found their way back together.

One major opponent was said to be none other than the Norwegian Prime Minister, Einar Gerhardsen, who believed Sonja’s background could even bring about a constitutional crisis of sorts.

The couple have now been married for 57 years ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
However, in 1965, Harald put his foot down, playing a hand that even King Olav couldn’t counter. He told his father that if he was not allowed to marry the woman he loved, he would refuse to marry altogether, which would mean the entire line of succession would have been put into jeopardy, and would have caused huge amounts of uncertainty to the monarchy itself.

This brave ultimatum was a key to the couple’s success – although it still took King Olav three more years to give the couple permission to marry – and Harald has reportedly said that patience was key to finally marrying the woman he loved, “We just kept waiting and hoping they’d all finally back down,” he explained to People magazine.

In 1968, the pair finally tied the knot, nearly a decade after they fell in love – and Olav had warmed up to the match so much he even walked Sonja down the aisle at the Oslo Cathedral, in front of hundreds of guests. Producers of the new drama for Prime have said the couple’s love story is like “something out of a fairy tale”.

The couple say it was ‘love at first sight’ ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)“Society took time to accept the new Crown Prince and Princess, but love would win in the end,” the producers said, adding: “Harald and Sonja has all the ingredients to become a major international viewer favorite for anyone who likes unique and genuine love stories”.

The new show follows in the footsteps of The Crown, which followed a dramatised version of the House of Windsor across decades and was a major hit for streaming giant Netflix.

Do you have a story to tell? Email: [email protected]

A thirsty builder once unknowingly asked the Queen for “a proper cup of tea” and “none of that nonsense I had last time”, according to a former member of the Palace staff

Working for the King and the Royal Family certainly has its perks. You can marvel at the likes of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or any other of the royal residences around the country. However, there is one person who was clearly not so impressed by the surroundings he found himself in while working there.

The brilliant story was revealed during the Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Palaces, in which Queen Elizabeth II went entirely unnoticed by a builder as he made an unusual request. Royal upholsterer Kevin Andrews, recalled the story in the documentary, explaining: “[A] builder was dismantling a desk so he could not see who was making the offer when the lady’s voice asked him if he would like a cup of tea.”

A builder was on a job in Buckingham Palace when the tea incident occurred ( 
Image:
LightRocket via Getty Images)

The builder was completely unaware it was the Queen asking the question, and replied very casually. He reportedly answered back: “Yeah. In a mug. Two sugars. Builders’ tea. I don’t want any of that nonsense I had the last time I was here, all that fine china and all that saucer stuff.”

Andrews then remembered that the Queen came back with the tea and told the builder that it was on the table before saying he “looked up [he] saw the Queen leaving the room”.

The late monarch’s former butler Grant Harrold has given many insights into his time working for the Royal Family. He often addresses British etiquette and shares an insight into the late Queen’s personal habits – including exactly how she would take her tea.

Speaking about the late monarch’s preferred brands, Grant revealed: “I am sure the Queen enjoys her Assam or her Earl Grey the traditional way, made with tea leaves in a teapot and poured into a fine bone china teacup. She will also use a strainer. It is also a myth that members of royalty use their pinky when drinking, I have never seen that happen once.”

The late Queen undoubtedly found the incident amusing
Throughout the 70 years Queen Elizabeth II spent on the throne, she gained a reputation not only for her dedication to duty, but for her wicked sense of humour. Whether it was how she chose to cut a cake with a sword instead of a knife or her witty remark to a couple of American tourists who did not recognise her, the late Queen was renowned for her love of a joke.

And while the monarch was well-known for pulling her own fair share of pranks, she thoroughly enjoyed being told a good joke – especially when they had a naughty punchline. One such occasion saw her laughing away at an especially cheeky and rude joke so her aides stepped in and tried to stop her from listening to it!

An excellent story from a royal insider surfaced about the time Sir Donald Gosling told an incredibly crude joke about horses and how she reacted when an aide tried to stop her from hearing it.

A courtier recalled: “HM would relish seeing Don because she would know he always had a fresh supply of jokes, but his sense of humour was pretty salty.”

The insider recalled the funny moment during a naval ceremony when Mr Gosling was seated one place away from The Queen, with Labour Defence Secretary Fred Mulley in between them.

He said: “Don was in full flow telling her his latest joke – involving a horse trainer giving Viagra to a runner in the 2.30 at Newton Abbott. The Minister put up his hand and stopped Don, obviously thinking the Queen shouldn’t be exposed to such ribaldry.

“HM was furious – and berated poor Mulley for ruining the joke. She made Don tell the whole joke all over again, and shrieked with laughter at the punchline, which was about the horse winning against stiff competition, or something like that.”