Author: quyen

Princess Diana’s favourite stylist breaks his 27-year silence… and for the first time reveals her hair-raising secrets (including a very strange use for knicker elastic)

It was a mistake Princess Diana would only make once. The year was 1984 and the woman known as ‘Shy Di’ had blossomed into the Royal Family’s superstar. For the State Opening of Parliament, Diana and her trusted hairdresser Richard Dalton decided to experiment, weaving her trademark short hair up into an elaborate bun or ‘chignon’ around her Spencer family tiara.

It was one of the few times the late Queen was reportedly ‘furious’ at her daughter-in-law.

Mr Dalton says: ‘Diana’s glamorous new hairdo made all the front pages the next day, totally eclipsing the solemnity of the occasion. The Princess learned her lesson that day and vowed her hair would never again be the centre of attention and distract people away from the work of the royals.

‘From that point on, I only ever cut her hair a quarter of an inch at most. Her style was simple and flattering. Because it was short I could have her ready in 15 minutes.’

Mr Dalton, who was Diana’s personal hairdresser for a decade at the peak of her fame, has never spoken of his role with the Princess – until now.

For decades, he loyally kept Diana’s secrets, including her pain over her marriage breakdown and her heartbreak at scurrilous rumours that Prince Harry was not really Charles’s son.

He has finally been persuaded to tell his story in a new book, It’s All About The Hair: My Decade With Diana, written by Renae Plant, one of the world’s leading Diana memorabilia collectors.

Mr Dalton, 76, says: ‘I have never spoken publicly but Diana has been gone for 27 years and I was part of history.’

Wistfully recalling her ‘many sides’, Mr Dalton says: ‘She was hilariously funny, impossibly glamorous and even more beautiful in real life than her pictures show. I want to share my stories to preserve her legacy.’

And what stories they are.

From tying on tiaras with knicker elastic to washing the hair of the most famous woman on the planet over his kitchen sink, to watching the Princess hurl a hated portrait off the back of the Royal Yacht Britannia, Mr Dalton witnessed the private side of a global – and often tormented – icon.

There were days she would be

‘in pieces’, confiding in her hairdresser that ‘my bloody husband has disappeared again’ as Charles rekindled his affair with Camilla.

It was then that he would become her part-time therapist, boosting her confidence and reassuring one of the most beautiful women in the world that she would, one day, find true love again.

‘Diana was madly in love with her husband. I saw her day in and day out. The love she had for Charles was genuine. If only Camilla had stayed away after the marriage, things could have been so different.’

When Diana was at home in Kensington Palace, Mr Dalton would style her hair most mornings at 8am. He accompanied her on every royal tour from 1983 to 1991 and helped create some of her most iconic looks, including styles they nicknamed ‘Dynasty Di’, ‘The Elvis’ and ‘The Vera Lynn’.

When Diana suffered sunburn on her neck at a gala in Australia, in 1985 and could not stand to have Queen Mary’s emerald necklace touching her skin, Mr Dalton whipped out the knicker elastic he kept in his ‘tool kit’ – alongside his scissors and hairspray.

‘I tied one end of the elastic to the emerald necklace and draped it across Diana’s forehead. I attached it in the back to fit comfortably without falling off and styled her hair around it. Diana absolutely loved it.’

The knicker elastic came to the rescue again when Diana developed a headache from wearing the Lover’s Knot Tiara, traditionally worn by the Princess of Wales (as Diana then was) and now a favourite of Princess Catherine’s.

‘We were in New Zealand at a state dinner. She took the tiara off and handed it to me, saying: ‘I can’t wear it, it’s killing me.’

‘I rushed to my room, pulled out the knicker elastic and put the tiara on my head and adjusted it. I ran back down and put it back on her and quickly arranged her hair to hide the elastic. She never complained about it hurting again.

‘I often wonder if the knicker elastic is still there when Princess Catherine wears it?’

Scots-born Mr Dalton first met his future boss when he was manager of the salon of Fenwick of Bond Street, one of London’s poshest department stores.

The then 17-year-old Lady Diana Spencer would come in with her older sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane, who were working at nearby Vogue magazine.

But it was not until after her 1981 wedding, after Diana’s hair stylist Kevin Shanley sold his story to the tabloids, that Diana approached him and said: ‘Will you be my full-time hairdresser?’

Mr Dalton, who owned a salon in Claridge’s, agreed to sell up to devote his time to the Princess.

Although she was one of the most recognisable women in the world, she was also surprisingly down-to-earth and loved to visit his small mews home in South Kensington.

‘The car would stop right at the entrance of the mews. Diana would open the door, run up the metal staircase and I would shampoo her hair over the kitchen sink – nothing grand.

‘I always joke I could have sold that stainless-steel sink for a fortune today.

‘People ask me if I kept a lock of her hair. I never did. It didn’t occur to me. I only have one photograph of us together and that was one someone happened to get as we exited a plane. It was a different era. There were no cell phones.’

Mr Dalton says those close to Diana called themselves ‘The A Team’, where ‘loyalty and discretion were everything’.

‘I did her hair in the first-class loo when we flew commercial. We flew on Concorde several times. Charles would pilot the royal flight, which Diana jokingly called ‘Albatross Airways’.’

Ever environmentally conscious, Charles banned all aerosols from Kensington Palace, Mr Dalton recalls, which proved an issue given that he ‘went through can after can of hairspray to keep Diana’s hair in place’.

He says: ‘I was asked what hairspray I used and I said: ‘Non-aerosol pump-action.’ Diana thought it was hilarious. Charles never found out the truth.’

As the Princess’s star rose, and interest in every aspect of her life deepened, she found a trusted confidant in Mr Dalton. ‘Every woman confides in her hairdresser and she was no different,’ he says.

 ‘Being the keeper of such big secrets sometimes made me feel sick with stress. My job was to listen, help her feel beautiful and confident and bring a little of the real world into her world.

‘She loved the TV show Dynasty and would make me watch it if she couldn’t because of work commitments. The next morning she’d say: ‘Tell me everything!’

With rapt attention, the Princess would listen to his digest, a packet of Opal Fruits in hand – her favourite, alongside ‘Nestle white chocolate with crunchy bits in’.

Mr Dalton heard Charles scream in anger at his wife twice. The first time was when Diana, egged on by Sarah Ferguson, dressed as a policewoman and sneaked into a nightclub for Prince Andrew’s stag do.

‘Charles was not amused. The next morning he was screaming at her, really shouting. She was crying and he was yelling, ‘You are the Princess of Wales, you do not do things like that!’

‘The only other time was when she danced on stage at the Royal Opera House with Wayne Sleep as a surprise for Charles’s birthday.

‘She danced to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel and the crowd went wild. But Charles was furious.’

Mr Dalton gave Harry and William their first haircuts at Kensington Palace. ‘The boys loved it because when they had their hair cut it meant extra telly time. William came in while I was giving Diana a perm once. He wrinkled up his nose and said it smelled of ‘Biggies big jobs’. Diana and I rolled on the floor laughing.’

For Diana, being a mother was her ‘greatest joy’. ‘She was devastated when there were awful rumours saying Harry might not be Charles’s son.’

But, as Mr Dalton says, Diana hadn’t met James Hewitt – the supposed father of Harry – until after her youngest son was born.

‘I cut the hair of her sisters and her brother Charles,’ Mr Dalton adds pointedly. ‘The red hair came from the Spencer family.’

What would Diana think of the rift between Harry and the Royal Family now?

He pauses.

‘I don’t think she would ever have let it get this far. Diana respected the institution of the monarchy. She may have had her issues with certain members of the family but she always respected the Firm.

‘She would never have allowed relations to deteriorate as badly as they have. Nor would she have tolerated anyone denigrating or besmirching the Royal Family.

‘I will leave it at that.’

Mr Dalton, still fiercely loyal, is scathing about those he believes did not have Diana’s best interests at heart. He accuses Sarah Ferguson of ‘using’ Diana to get close to Prince Andrew, saying ‘once she had that ring on her finger, Diana never heard from her again’.

And Charles’s former valet Michael Fawcett is described as ‘more royal than the royals’.

‘One day Charles came in wearing a rather bright tie and he asked me what I thought.

‘I said, ‘Sir, it’s very striking.’

‘Diana said: ‘Oh shut up Richard, he looks like Michael Fawcett.’

‘Charles didn’t miss a beat and replied: ‘Don’t be silly, darling, I don’t have my shoes hand-made.’

It is the laughter Mr Dalton mostly remembers from his years at Diana’s side. ‘She had a wicked sense of humour. She was always laughing.’

Richard parted ways amicably with Diana in 1991 when he moved to America, where he now lives in Laguna Beach, California.

Ironically, he once styled Meghan Markle’s hair when she was a briefcase girl on the TV show Deal Or No Deal and recalls she was ‘rather aloof’.

When Diana died, Mr Dalton was invited to her funeral and was seated in the family section behind her sisters. ‘I felt numb. She had so much left to do.’

His all-time favourite hairdo was in 1988 during a tour of Thailand.

‘I rushed around the Imperial Hotel in Bangkok, pinching orchids from the floral arrangements to use as accessories in Diana’s hair to match her dress.

‘She looked absolutely amazing that night. That is how I will always remember her.’

Richard’s favourite iconic looks

1. The Elvis

British Fashion Awards, October 17, 1989

‘The high collar on this Catherine Walker dress demanded that Diana’s hair be lifted off her shoulders. Wearing her hair up gave Diana a more structured look.’

2. Dynasty Di

September 1984

‘Diana loved big hair – and so did I. We used gallons of hairspray and heated rollers to give her that 80s Dynasty look after her favourite TV show. When she gave birth to Prince Harry, I was in Spain. I told her to put hot rollers in but she kept them in too long. ‘I had big, big hair,’ she told me.’

3. The Vera Lynn

November 1984

‘Diana had tried to grow her hair out a little more than usual and I was inspired to do a 1940s-style ‘victory roll’, turning her hair under. The next day, Charles came into the dressing room and said: ‘How are you, Vera Lynn?’ ‘Oh, shut up,’ Diana replied.’

Day Diana chucked her portrait into the ocean

On a trip to Saudi Arabia, Mr Dalton recalls, a sheikh had given Diana an oil painting of her in a black chador, a Muslim robe in which only her face and right hand were visible.

‘We got back on [the Royal Yacht] Britannia and were sailing out through the Persian Gulf and Diana started screaming: ‘Give me that thing!’

‘She took it to the bathroom, rolled it up in a towel and then she and I went to the back of the boat and she threw it into the ocean.

‘I said: ‘Your Royal Highness, what happens if it washes ashore? Do you want a fatwa out on you?’

‘We burst out laughing.’

Who is Renae Plant?

Author Renae Plant is the world’s most prolific Diana memorabilia collector and owns more than 2,700 items that once belonged to the Princess, including her iconic ‘black sheep’ jumper, which is on display at The Princess Diana Museum, an interactive, online, 3D museum.

Renae, whose passion for Diana began after she met the Princess twice as a child, said writing Mr Dalton’s book has been ‘a labour of love’.

‘It is important to preserve his stories as part of Diana’s legacy, just as we are preserving her gowns, shoes and bags.’

Renae is looking for investors for a bricks and mortar museum to house her vast collection. The book features QR codes that connect readers to exhibits within the online collection.

To buy the book visit: www.theprincessandtheplatypus.org

 

In a no-holds-barred interview, Meghan Markle’s half-sister Samantha claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s marriage was ‘doomed from the start’

Samantha Markle has had her say on the Sussexes marriage again (Image: Samantha Markle has long been a critic of the Duke and Duchess)

Meghan Markle’s half-sister Samantha has claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding was “doomed from the beginning,” claiming that the Prince will soon return to the UK alone. Speaking to former GB News presenter Dan Wootton, Samantha expressed her belief that her sister’s marriage will soon be over.

“I kind of think this was doomed from the beginning,” she said. “As Prince William reportedly told Harry ‘Haste makes waste. Get to know her better, don’t jump into this.’ But hindsight is 20-20.

“I think [Harry] is probably wanting to say to his brother ‘Oh my God, you were so b**** right – I can’t believe this.’

“And it unfolded the way people predicted, in the way Prince William seemingly thought it would, and that’s sad…”

Samantha says her sister’s marriage was ‘doomed from the beginning’ (Image: Getty)

Samantha adds that in her opinion the Royal Family would struggle to accept a returning Harry: “How do you feel that love again where the trust has been so trashed? To have real love – with family, friends or relationships, by God you have to have trust.”

She says that there would always be a concern if he did return to the Royal fold, that he was simply trying to monetise his family connections. Samantha said: “Will he be wearing a wire? The Royals are always going to have that big question mark.”

She adds that she has a suspicion that Netflix executives were promoting the alleged plans for Harry to return to the UK, and suggested that the King should demand to see written evidence of the Netflix contract being cancelled.

Samantha claims that William warned Harry against rushing into marriage (Image: Getty)

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Samantha railed against Prince Harry personally, claiming: “There was a time in an interview when he said ‘I was never happy in Great Britain anyway, I didn’t really like it there’…how do the people of Great Britain feel about that?

“He sat there and let his wife mock [the late] Queen Elizabeth as she was dying, that was disgusting.”

She says that Harry will need “years of counselling” to remove him from the “fantasy world’ he had been living in.

 

Meghan Markle has said it’s many years since she last had any contact with Samantha (Image: Getty)

Will he be wearing a wire? The Royals are always going to have that big question mark

Samantha, who was at one point banned from X [formerly Twitter] after posts appeared on her account that called her sister’s pregnancy into question, has long been an outspoken critic of the Duke and Duchess. Her lawyer said at the time: “Ms. Markle’s email and other accounts have been hacked on several occasions, and it is very likely that those statements were made by third parties to defame our client.”

In November 2016, Samantha publicly called her half-sister “shallow” and alleged her behaviour was “certainly not befitting of a Royal Family member.

Samantha believes that Harry is ‘unhappy’ in the US, and will soon return home alone (Image: Getty)

There’s certainly little love lost between Thomas Markle’s two daughters.

In her notorious 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan rejected Samantha completely, saying: “I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings. I would have loved to have had siblings.

“The last time I saw [Samantha] must have been at least 18 or 19 years ago, and before that—10 years before that.”

A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been contacted for comment.

Queen Camilla writes to author who once called Meghan Markle ‘phoney’ and ‘unmaternal’

The author was part of a huge controversy when she heavily criticised the Duchess of Sussex in a video where she read to her son Archie in 2020.

Queen Camilla and Meghan Markle at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral (Image: Getty)

Queen Camilla has penned a personal letter to bestselling American author Emily Giffin, who has previously made controversial comments about Meghan Markle.

Giffin, known for her 2005 novel ‘Something Borrowed’, revealed on social media that she received the letter from Camilla in July, following their meeting at a literary event earlier this year.

Giffin had faced widespread backlash in 2020 after she criticised Meghan Markle in a series of Instagram posts.

In response to a video of Meghan reading to her son, Archie, on his first birthday, Giffin labelled the Duchess of Sussex as “unmaternal” and “phoney”.

These comments sparked outrage, leading Giffin to issue an apology, to which Meghan Markle never replied publicly.

Despite Giffin’s controversial past, Queen Camilla expressed her pleasure in meeting the author during the Queen’s Reading Room literary festival at Hampton Court Palace earlier this summer.

In the letter, shared by Giffin on Instagram, Camilla wrote that she “much looked forward to reading [Giffin’s new novel] in the peace and quiet of Scotland,” and added, “It was a great pleasure to meet you”, hoping their paths would cross again soon.

The Queen’s correspondence with Giffin has raised eyebrows, as it is unclear whether Camilla was aware of Giffin’s previous remarks about Meghan Markle when she wrote the letter.

When the intial backlash broke, Giffin posted on her social media: “To be clear, I absolutely loved that a biracial, American woman was marrying into the Royal Family.

“It seemed a wonderful, happy thing for everyone. I celebrated their wedding by hosting a gathering here at my home and posting many, many photos. Further, I was appalled by any signs of racism against her.”

Prince Harry’s recent trip to the UK fuelled speculations he wants to reconcile with his family and return to the royal fold.

Prince Harry is no longer a working royal (Image: Getty)

A royal expert believes there is one major obstacle preventing Prince Harry from ever returning to royal duties.

In an article for the Express, Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams discussed what could happen if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle re-entered the royal fold.

This is due to “persistent rumours” that Harry wants to return to Britain more often, see his old friends and, most importantly, reconcile with his family.

His sudden and unexpected appearance at his uncle Lord Fellowes’s Memorial Service has fuelled this speculation. He and Prince William were at the back of the church during the service, it has been claimed, and attendees said they were not seen exchanging a single word.

Mr Fitzwilliams said that there is one key thing stopping the Sussexes from making Britain the Sussexes’ home once again, saying that they had one main pull to stay away.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Image: Getty)

He wrote: “The main problem with any comeback, if it hypothetically could be arranged, is obviously Meghan. Her home is in California.

“She is detested in Britain where she currently has a negative rating of 37 percent according to a YouGov poll in August. She seeks prestige and global reach and is absolutely ruthless about getting it.”

The commentator added that, despite her consistent support of issues like racial and gender inequality and online abuse, there was a question of whether or not the royals could trust her.

He said Meghan may also have issues with finding staff, “given her reputation, which she denies, of being impossible to work for”.

He added: “The monarchy must have dignity and avoid being part of the celebrity culture we are so obsessed with. It is, of course, pivotal that the brothers, in time, reconcile.”

EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Queen Camilla Gives Rare Update on King Charles’ Health amid His Cancer Treatment

While visiting a cancer center, the Queen briefly spoke about her husband seven months after his diagnosis became public

Queen Camilla at the Dyson Cancer Centre at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust on Sept. 3, 2024 in Bath, England. Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty

Queen Camilla shared an upbeat update about how King Charles is doing as he continues treatment for cancer.

On Sept. 3, the Queen, 77, offered a rare comment on her husband’s health during her visit to open the new state-of-the-art Dyson Cancer Center at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England. The Royal United Hospital provides cancer care to over 500,000 people in South West England, and Suzy Moon of the Macmillan Partnership asked the Queen about how King Charles was feeling during her stop at the Macmillan Wellbeing Hub.

“He is doing very well,” Queen Camilla said, according to the Mirror.

The Macmillan Wellbeing hub is a non-clinical space designed to provide practical and emotional support to patients, families and carers.

Elsewhere during the visit, the royal met patients and clinical staff in the Medlock Unit and William Budd inpatient ward.Q Queen Camilla may have referenced her husband again during a conversation with Paul Holdway, 55, a nurse and patient receiving a stem cell treatment for blood cancer. According to the Mirror, the Queen asked Holdway how he was feeling, to which he replied, “I am feeling very tired.” To this, the Queen cheekily responded, “Men won’t admit it.”

The Mirror reported that the remark was delivered “with a touch of humor.”

Queen Camilla sometimes shares brief words about her husband’s health as he continues cancer treatment, often with wit and warmth. During the second annual Queen’s Reading Room Literary Festival at Hampton Court Palace on June 8, she told author Lee Child that the King is “doing fine except he won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told,” The Sun reported.

In February, Buckingham Palace announced that the sovereign was diagnosed with cancer  following his treatment for a benign enlarged prostate in January. A spokesman clarified he does not have prostate cancer.

After a three-month period of postponing public-facing duties on doctor’s advice (but continuing to work behind the scenes), the King, 75, resumed forward-facing work on April 30 with a visit to a cancer center in London alongside Queen Camilla. While site of the visit, the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre, has not been directly involved in the monarch’s medical care, highlighting the importance of early detection was one of the reasons King Charles went public with his cancer diagnosis.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously said this decision was made “in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

When the monarch’s return to work was announced in late April, the palace described the King’s treatment as ongoing and shared a positive sentiment from his doctors.

“His Majesty’s treatment program will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that The King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties. Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.

The palace didn’t disclose when his treatment might be completed.

“It is too early to say, but His Majesty’s medical team are very encouraged by the progress made so far and remain positive about the King’s continued recovery,” the spokesperson said.

The King proceeded to pack in a busy summer schedule, from traveling to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and appearing at Trooping the Colour in June, attending the State Opening of Parliament in July and kicking off a traditional summer stay at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in August where Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family were expected to gather. (The Princess of Wales, 42, is also undergoing treatment for cancer and has been out of the limelight for much of the summer.)

King Charles’ most recent engagement was a stop on Aug. 31 at the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen’s 200th Flower Show in Aberdeen, Scotland, not far from Balmoral. Looking ahead, he and the Queen have a major trip on the calendar this fall with plans to visit Australia and Samoa in what will be the first tour to Commonwealth countries of his royal reign.

Meghan Markle Is Often Compared To Grace Kelly — Main Similarities & Differences Between The Two

Meghan Markle’s story can seem like a fairytale at times — a famous actress meets a prince and they marry and start a family. Best known for her role as Rachel Zane in “Suits,” in which she appeared for seven seasons out of the show’s total nine, Markle also had a wide-ranging career outside of acting, which included everything from fashion to calligraphy and even being a lifestyle influencer. After it was confirmed she and Prince Harry were engaged, Markle announced her retirement from acting in order to focus on being a full-time member of the royal family.

 

 

But while her story is certainly a fairytale romance of our generation, Markle is not the first woman to lead such a life. Back in the 1950s American actress, Grace Kelly had a very similar story. Considered one of Hollywood’s greats, Kelly had an incredibly short career for a film star, working for only six years. However, she was very prolific during that time, appearing in over a dozen movies and winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe.

After dominating Hollywood in her short acting career, Kelly met Prince Rainier III of Monaco while at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955. Swept off her feet by the charming prince, Kelly chose love instead of her career, quitting Hollywood and becoming Princess of Monaco. Together she and Rainier had three children — Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Princess Stéphanie.

While Markle has only been a royal family member for a few years, the similarities between her and Kelly are clear. Let’s take a look at how the two are similar as well as different.

Winning The Hearts Of Real-Life Princes

Besides sharing the fact that both Meghan Markle and Grace Kelly were famous American actresses who met real-life princes, both of their relationships also started as whirlwind romances that developed quickly.

Considered one of Hollywood’s greats, Kelly had an incredibly short career for a film star, working for only six years. Notable films during her time as an actress include “Mogambo,” which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, and “The Country Girl” which won her an Oscar, also for Best Supporting Actress. Other iconic roles include three Alfred Hitchcock films — “Dial M For Murder,” “Rear Window” and “To Catch a Thief” with Cary Grant. She even portrayed Princess Alexandra in the film “The Swan.”

While attending the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, Kelly was asked by fellow Hollywood actress Olivia de Havilland if she would be open to meeting Prince Rainier III, a friend of de Havilland’s French husband Pierre Galante. Kelly confirmed she would, provided her film studio, MGM, approved of the meeting during a work trip. After a series of mishaps, Kelly met the prince in his palace in Monaco and the rest as they say is history. De Havilland told People many years later:

“I guessed things had gone wonderfully well by Grace’s manner upon returning from her presentation to Rainier. … She was in a state of enchantment.”

Famously, Markle was also set up with her prince on a blind date. After being introduced by a mutual friend, the couple opened up about how their first meeting went during their engagement interview. When asked at what point he knew Markle was the one, Prince Harry replied:

Kelly’s acting career was famously short, but in that time she’d already managed to make a huge impression on Hollywood, as well as win an Oscar for “The Country Girl.” Some might say that she’d already reached the top of her career in that short time, so perhaps it was easier for her to say goodbye to the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, which she did once she married Rainier in April 1956.

What’s more, not only did Kelly leave the film industry in Hollywood, she also left America, as she relocated to Rainier’s home of Monaco, which is situated on the French Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea. There, the royal couple had their three children.

While Markle had never even been nominated for an Oscar, she had built herself a solid career in Hollywood, most notably her role on “Suits,” as well as a number of Hallmark movies. After becoming engaged to Harry, Markle left her acting career to become a full-time working royal. However, she makes it clear that she didn’t give anything up but instead made a change.

Just like Kelly, Markle also became a mother soon after marrying her prince, with Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor born in May 2019 and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor born in June 2021.

One difference between Kelly and Markle is that the latter didn’t stay a working royal for long, with her and Harry announcing their desire to step away from their roles in early 2020. However, their situations were different, with Rainier ascending the throne, while Harry was only in the line of succession and not expected to become king.

Humanitarian, Charitable And Fashion Icons

Another similarity between the two former actresses is their dedication to humanitarian causes. Kelly was an advocate of children’s rights and even served as the president of the Red Cross in Monaco.

On top of being humanitarian icons, Kelly and Markle are also well known for their impeccable sense of style. Kelly was a fashion icon from her acting days, as she always appeared perfectly dressed in gorgeous gowns. She continued her love of fashion by donning local Monaco designers when she was a princess.

Meanwhile, Markle started a charity organization with Harry named Archewell Foundation, while her charitable work has been evident even before she became a royal. According to its official website, the non-profit foundation was created with the core purpose of uplifting and uniting communities all around the world, locally and globally, “one act of compassion at a time.”

Also well known for her fashionable outfits, Markle has even dabbled in fashion design and used her former blog The Tig to show off her great taste. Ever since becoming a royal, Markle’s outfits have set trends themselves, as she always looks stunning.

Similarly, Kelly has also been remembered as a fashion icon known for her stunning elegance. According to Express, both Kelly and Markle have been recognized as trendsetters because of their poignant sense of style.

Now based in Montecito, California, Markle differs from Kelly in that she moved back to the United States after a few years abroad, but otherwise, the two are more alike than they’re different.

Meghan Markle’s former co-star claimed there was a ‘foul’ stench at Sussexes wedding

Rick Hoffman – who appeared alongside the Duchess of Sussex – said he smelled a foul odour whilst he was a guest at her and Prince Harry’s wedding in May 2018.

Rick Hoffman at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018 (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Meghan Markle’s former Suits co-star has revealed there was a ‘foul’ stench at the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry’s wedding at Windsor Castle almost six years ago.

 

53-year-old actor Rick Hoffman has opened up on his viral expression after he was caught on camera with what he described as an ‘awful face’ reports the Mirror. 

The American star – who starred alongside Meghan Markle as Louis Litt on Suits – claimed he smelt something ‘really terrible and foul’ whilst at the royal wedding, covering his face to block out the odour.

He made the admission whilst appearing on the ‘Chicks in the Office’ podcast on Wednesday, explaining the reason why his face seemed ‘goofy’.

His expression went viral online shortly after the ceremony.

Opening up on what happened, he said on the podcast: “As time goes on, I’m starting to smell something really terrible and foul, and I’m very sensitive when it comes to that so I start to try to do this. Because I have a coconut vanilla moisturizer, and I like to try to cut it. How can I help getting away from this goofy face?”

Harry and Meghan kiss on their wedding day (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Prior to detecting the awful smell, the star was sat next to Sarah Rafferty – who also appeared in Suits as Donna – and claimed he likes to ‘mess around’ with her and was doing ‘something ridiculous’ before she told him to ‘cut it out’

He added that after smelling the ‘foul’ scene, he returned to his Suits castmates and asked them if they could smell it too – but they could not.

He said: “I don’t want them to think it’s me because I’m so particular when it comes to hygiene. So I’m like, ‘Do you guys smell that?’ And they’re like, ‘No.’ So now I’m, like, literally by myself and I’m just going, ‘Mother…’ And that’s what they got [on camera].”

He then added that Meghan was aware he was ‘so sensitive’ to hygiene as he added: “Guess who knew that the most in the cast that I had an issue with other people’s hygiene? Meghan! Always knew and would always laugh about how I was so sensitive.”

The late Queen was not a fan of Meghan’s Givenchy gown which she said was “too white” (Image: OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images)

 

His comments came after the Suits cast reunited for a new Super Bowl commercial which aired on screens last week. 

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Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, and Sarah Rafferty were seen in the advert for e.lf. Cosmetics but Meghan did not make an appearance.

The ad was directed by Zach Woods and saw the Suits legal team appear in Judge Judy’s courtroom.

Rick spoke about meeting the 81-year-old icon as he admitted feeling a little starstruck. He said: “I made a fool of myself. I literally became starstruck just because for years, I grew up watching her. And then ultimately, I was like, ‘I have to ask her to make a video for my mum’.”

It comes as it was confirmed that Meghan will not be starring in the new planned spin-off show of Suits.

Aaron Korsh, who created the hit legal drama, has scripted a brand new show about employees at a Hollywood law firm.

One character, Erica, seemed to have been created just for Meghan, but it seems the Duchess of Sussex is not ready to make her big acting return just yet.

 

Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt in Suits (Image: NBCUniversal)

Sources have claimed Meghan shut down the idea of acting in the project, but she did suggest being involved behind the scenes with her production company Archewell.

However, it is thought her idea was rejected by NBC. “Meghan was clear that she didn’t want to be involved as an actor.

But Archewell was trying to wiggle its way in as a production company on the spin-off. NBC has killed that idea,” a source told the Daily Mail.

However, other sources told the publication that Archewell would never have been involved in a reboot.

Online post, media misleadingly claim Nigeria’s first lady criticised Meghan’s choice of clothes

I asked 50 men over the age of 40 what they think of Meghan Markle & her behavior in Nigeria

They all said the same thing

“She’s a low class, uneducated actress who married a prince and thinks she can preach to others how to live their lives” pic.twitter.com/Q2dY0O3gWG

— MeghansMole©️ (@MeghansMole) May 11, 2024

 

 

The visit of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle to Nigeria in May elicited a flurry of media attention. It also sparked disinformation when a YouTuber suggested that a video showed Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu berating the Duchess of Sussex for dressing indecently during her trip to the West African country.

But the claim, which made international headlines, is misleading: Tinubu’s comments were aimed at young Nigerian women in her televised speech. The first lady’s office told AFP Fact Check she had not criticised “Meghan’s dressing”. The TV station that filmed the speech and whose footage was shown in the YouTuber’s post, also denied that Tinubu had reprimanded Markle.

“Meghan Markle managed to create an international incident! We warned her about the clothes,” reads a post shared on X on May 25, 2024.

A screenshot of the misleading claim, taken on May 29, 2024
It features a 1’14” clip of Nigerian First Lady Oluremi Tinubu speaking at an event.

It also contains two photos: one shows Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, wearing a patterned halter-neck gown. In the other, she is seen in a dress with spaghetti straps, holding Prince Harry’s hand as they walk together.

 

The caption includes disparaging hashtags directed at Markle.

The post has received nearly 3,000 likes and more than 350 reshares.

It was shared by Nancy Sidley-Sussex, one half of a US online duo called the Sidley Twins who run a YouTube channel discussing “pop culture” and “Royal gossip” (archived here). Their feed, which boasts more than 50,000 subscribers, features numerous clips critical of Markle.

News outlets around the world, including British media, picked up Sidley-Sussex’s X post.

UK tabloid The Sun ran a story with the headline “Meghan Markle is blasted by Nigeria’s First Lady over her ‘nakedness’ during ‘faux royal visit’ to the country” (archived here). Other examples can be found here, here, here and here.

The claim surfaced after Markle and Prince Harry visited Nigeria in May to promote his Invictus Games (archived here).

 

During the trip, Meghan spoke at an event for women in leadership with Nigerian-born World Trade Organization director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. 

The Duchess discussed her Nigerian heritage – referring to the West African nation as “my country” – and being a role model for women.

“I think, being African-American, part of it is not really knowing so much about your genealogy, background, where you came from specifically,” Meghan told the audience on May 10, 2024 (archived here).

“It was exciting…to discover more and what that (having Nigerian heritage) really means.”

A few days later, Nigeria’s first lady held an address celebrating her husband Bola Tinubu’s first year in office and discussed the importance of “good morals” and “cultural values” (archived here).

However, the claim that she criticised Meghan’s choice of clothing is misleading.

‘Meghan’s Nigerian Heritage’

In her speech, seen in the clip shared by Sidley-Sussex, Tinubu reprimanded young Nigerian women for dressing indecently, accusing them of mimicking “film stars from America” who “don’t know where they came from” (archived here).

She then said that Markle had visited Nigeria “looking for Africa” to understand her identity and where she came from.

 

The first lady did not comment on the Duchess’s attire. Tinubu’s office also said her comments had been taken out of context.

“She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here,” the office said in an email to AFP Fact Check.

“At no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing.”

Arise News, whose clip was used in the misleading post, also rejected the claim.

The footage shows Tinubu commenting that Markle “came looking for her roots,” the broadcaster told AFP Fact Check.

Prince Harry and Meghan quit the royal frontline in 2020. They now live in California and have been largely estranged from the family following an acrimonious split (archived here).

Duchess Sophie’s savage response when asked if she’d step in for Meghan Markle

Dubbed the royals’ ‘secret weapon’, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is said to have acted as peacemaker between the Windsors, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, gave a savage response when asked if she and Prince Edward would step up in the wake of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew stepping back from royal duties, one commentator has claimed. Recognised by some commentators as a key member of the Royal Family with a reputation as being hardworking, Sophie is reported to have issued the eight word response: “What did people think we were doing beforehand?”

The blunt response was first revealed in royal author Katie Nicholl’s 2022 book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown.

Ms Nicholl remarked the Duchess of Edinburgh receives less media attention than the Duchess of Sussex because she blazes a more ordinary trail.

The approach appears to have paid dividends for Sophie, 59, who joined the Royal Family in June 1999 when she married the late Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, Prince Edward, who recently announced he would be taking a short break from royal duties.

A full-time, working member of the Windsor family, Sophie is patron of more than 70 charities and organisations, championing women’s equality, agriculture, British sport and disabled people, according to Buckingham Palace.

Dubbed the Windsors’ “secret weapon”, an unnamed royal aide has previously said of Sophie: “Since she became a working member of the family she has worked tirelessly for each and every cause she is passionately involved in.”

Before joining the royals, Sophie worked in the public relations industry. She worked for the PR firm Maclaurin Communication and Media before setting up her own company, R-J H, with business partner Murray Harkin in 1996.

On her engagement to Prince Edward, the then Sophie Rhys-Jones made it clear she wanted to continue her career after she tied the knot.

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Sophie went on to become a member of the late Queen’s inner circle, further burnishing her reputation as Elizabeth II’s favourite daughter-in-law, ahead of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah Ferguson, whose marriages to King Charles and Prince Andrew ended in divorce.

The Duchess of Edinburgh once called Her Late Majesty Elizabeth II “mama” in a speech, hinting at her closeness to the late Queen.

After Sophie and Edward’s wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, the couple went on to have two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.

Her career outside the Royal Family ended in 2001 when she described the late Queen as an “old dear” in an interview with a reporter disguised as a sheikh who she viewed as a potential client.

Sophie has admitted the transition from a working woman to a working royal wasn’t plain sailing, commenting: “I had to take a really big step back and go, OK, they want you to be the icing on the cake, the person to come in to thank their volunteers and funders, not necessarily to tell them how to run their communications plan.”

The Duchess of Edinburgh has been tipped for a greater role under King Charles’s reign, due to her growing popularity. She ranks seventh in YouGov’s latest poll on the most popular royals, behind Elizabeth II, Prince William, Princess Anne, Princess Kate, Zara Phillips and King Charles.

Meghan Markle reacts to The King’ decision to strip her Royal title

Meghan Markle warns King Charles, Prince William against royal title stripping

Meghan Markle has sent a message to King Charles and Prince William to not make a fool out of themselves by stripping her and Prince Harry’s royal titles.

A source close to the Duchess of Sussex has revealed what she thinks of reports about the monarch and Prince of Wales having discussions about removing her and Harry’s titles.

For the unversed, royal expert and author Tom Quinn has claimed Charles and William have been having lengthy discussions about doing something about the Sussexes’ titles.

However, the expert noted that “the last thing they want is to give the renegades something else to complain about.”

“William and his father know that even without their royal titles Meghan and Harry would carry on traveling the world as if they were royals and most people in the world will still welcome them.”

Issuing a warning to Charles and William, the insider said that Meghan is confident that the title stripping would only backfire on the royals.

 

“Charles and William are right to worry that stripping the rogue couple of titles would only result in them with egg on their face,” Meghan’s alleged mouth-piece said, as per Radar Online.

“To many people, who have no idea of royal protocol or even care, Harry and Meghan will always be ‘prince’ or ‘duke and duchess’ no matter what the king does,” the tipster continued.

“So stripping the titles would be a waste of time — and make Charles and William look like petty sore losers.”