Author: quyen3

Prince Harry is spending Christmas an ocean away from his royal relatives, but he’ll no doubt be reflecting on time shared with his beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duke of Sussex has previously spoken fondly of a gift he chose for the late Queen that amused her no end, so much so that she displayed it ‘proudly’ at one of her favourite Royal residences. And it wasn’t the jewel-encrusted treasure you might be imagining.

Although you’d expect a royal Christmas, typically held at the imposing 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, to be a very grand affair, it’s understood The Firm likes a bit of silliness mixed into the season.

When it comes to presents, the family has imposed a strict ban on anything too lavish – it must be difficult to buy for those who admittedly don’t want for much in terms of material possessions. Instead, they prefer to shop around for daft gag gifts or share heartfelt homemade items.

It seems that Harry, 40, excelled in this particular area, with his well-known cheeky sense of humour making Her Majesty’s day even merrier…

The gag gift is said to hang ‘proudly in Balmoral’ ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
The hilarious gift in question was a singing fish. The late Queen apparently loved it so much that it still hangs “proudly in Balmoral” – per Finding Freedom, a book about Harry and Meghan released in 2020. The singing fish even made it into a scene in The Crown on Netflix, however, they depicted that Prince Andrew gave her the much-enjoyed gift.

Another gag gift that Prince Harry reportedly gave his grandmother was a “Ain’t life a b***h” shower cap. Princess Anne is said to have once given her brother Charles a leather toilet seat cover, and Kate apparently given Harry a ‘grow your own girlfriend’ kit back in his single days.

The Royal family prefer silly gifts at Christmastime ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
The royals join Charles at Sandringham on Christmas Eve – which is when they exchange their gifts too, per the German tradition as a nod to the family’s heritage. During the late Queen’s reign, royals arrived in order of seniority, with those lower down the line of succession arriving first.

They are said to all place their gifts for one another on a table before they’re exchanged, and then they go on to enjoy what Ingrid Seward of Majesty Magazine has called “lethal martinis”. The penchant for gag gifts shows that a sense of humour is crucial to enjoying Christmas with the Royal Family, which in many other respects still retains a very formal atmosphere. Reportedly, no television is allowed except the King’s Christmas message and none of the royals are allowed to depart for bed until the monarch has done so.

Since leaving the UK for sunny California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Christmasses look quite different. Last year, US Weekly reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent Christmas in their star-studded hometown of Montecito, with children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, and Meghan’s mum Daria Ragland.

Opening up in a recent interview with Marie Claire, Meghan offered an insight into what their new Christmasses look like following their breakaway from royal life.

The royal family gathers at Sandringham each year to celebrate Christmas – but it may not be as regal as everyone thinks.

Members of the Firm join King Charles at his estate in Norfolk, and this year was no different, keeping up the tradition of his late mother, Elizabeth II. Prince William revealed earlier this month at an event for families of the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment at Picton Barracks in Wiltshire that 45 royals would be in attendance at Sandringham this year.

But despite the massive guest list, the residence is one of the smallest and least grand, making it a tight squeeze for the King and Queen Camilla to host their guests. The estate reportedly sleeps around 16 to 18 people comfortably, meaning some guests have to make do with shared rooms and ‘fish finger’ style beds.

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Catherine, Prince George of Wales react upon arrival to attend the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
One solution when they run out of beds is to turn the staff quarters into guest rooms, according to an expert. Royal commentator Rebecca English told MailOnline: “In previous years I’ve been told that they’ve actually had to kick staff out of their quarters. And Edward and Sophie were put in some of the staff quarters because they had nowhere else to stay.”

She added, “It sounds more glamorous than it is.” The expert went on to explain that the royals are able to fit so many beds into one room by using old-fashioned “fish finger beds” that come with “creaky bedsprings.”

It is not known how many bedrooms Sandringham house boasts as it is a private residence, however it is believed to be around 30. Guests traditionally arrive in order of seniority on Christmas Eve, with junior royals first.

December 25 begins with breakfast before the royals walk 330ft to attend the 11am Christmas service at the estate’s St Mary Magdalene Church, famously greeting the crowds as they leave. Back at the main house, the family enjoys pre-lunch drinks – Veuve Cliquot champagne being a popular choice – before sitting down for Christmas Dinner at 1pm.

A general view of the front of Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
There is no starter, with guests going straight to the main meal of turkey – traditionally ordered from nearby Scoles of Dersingham – with mashed and roast potatoes, stuffing, sprouts, carrots and parsnips, with cranberry and bread sauce. A flaming Christmas pudding, doused in brandy and decorated with holly, is then served with brandy butter and brandy sauce before a cheese course with port.

Earlier this month, Prince William revealed that he was “no way” ready for Christmas this year, but expressed his excitement for long dog walks with his family over the festive period. He said he was also looking forward to spending time with his family members “all in one room”.

On Wednesday, the Princess of Wales sparkled in green as she walked to church in Sandringham, clutching Prince Louis’ hand. King Charles led the Royal Family to church for their traditional Christmas Day service with Queen Camilla by his side.

They were followed by Prince William and Kate, who wore a forest green coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and a matching hat along with a green tartan scarf. Louis held his mum’s hand and looked grown up in a suit and overcoat with a green tie.

Also in the walking party was Princess Anne, Edward and Sophie the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Mike and Zara Tindall and their children, as well as a pregnant Princess Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and his son Wolfie.

The Queen welcomed Meghan Markle with open arms, and initially believed she would be a ‘breath of fresh air’, according to insiders. Harry and Meghan started dating in 2016, with the former Suits star going on to meet the late monarch at Royal Lodge in October that same year, some 12 months before the couple got engaged.

Furthermore, the Queen broke with tradition to invite Meghan to Sandringham at Christmas prior to her wedding to Harry. Neither Princess Kate nor Duchess Sophie were asked to attend until after their own nuptials. A courtier later told royal reporter Richard Eden that “the Queen believed that Meghan – a divorced, mixed-race American actress – would be a breath of fresh air and a great asset to the Monarchy.

“The Queen fast-tracked her entry into the Royal Family, inviting Meghan to join her at a service to mark Commonwealth Day – her first official engagement with the Queen – two months before the wedding. It was another clear indication that Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as a part of the family without delay.” However, the Queen is said to have started to have concerns about Meghan’s behaviour and attitude the closer it got to the couple’s wedding in 2018, according to the expert.

The late monarch was said to be surprised after Meghan rejected her suggestion that Duchess Sophie guide her on marrying into the Royal Family and was also “taken aback” at her choice of a bridal gown, as well as her attitude towards the tiara.

“She had offered Meghan access to her collection of tiaras and, during what Harry later described as an ‘extraordinary morning’, allowed her to try them on in front of her, her devoted dresser Angela Kelly and a royal jewellery expert in her private dressing room,” Eden wrote. “Something later went badly wrong, however, when Meghan tried to arrange a fitting with Kelly, who, it seems, did not like the manner in which she was being treated by the bride and groom.”

Harry later denied in his memoir Spare that he had angrily told Kelly, “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.” He did, however, admit they had been exasperated by the dresser, who “fixed me with a look that made me shiver”. It is further claimed that royal staff formed the opinion that the Duchess “may not have wanted to make a success of her life in Britain” when she started working as a royal and appeared to be “actively seeking reasons to be unhappy or resentful”.

Since quitting the Royal family, Meghan and Harry have attacked The Firm on a number of occasions, including in their infamous Oprah interview, Harry’s memoir, Spare, and their tell-all Netflix series. Meghan raises eyebrows in the latter when she appeared to mock the deep curtsy she had performed in front of the Queen at their first meeting. Mr Eden continued: “How sad that the Queen’s genuine efforts to welcome Meghan during her final years, when she was in failing health, were thrown back in her face.”

From their walk to the Christmas Day service at Sandringham to the King’s speech, Christmas for the Royal Family is steeped in tradition. However, this year King Charles opted to do things a little differently by recording this year’s Christmas message from Fitzrovia Chapel in London rather than at Buckingham Palace.

With the change in backdrop, viewers noticed another change to the annual message – it featured no photos on display in the background. Over the years, messages from the monarch have often led to conversations about the specific photos on display, including whether there are any pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

King Charles’ Christmas broadcast broke tradition by being filmed in a different location ( 
Image:
Jordan Peck|Getty Images)

Kate looked stunning as she attended the annual carol concert in church ( 
Image:
PA)
However, the monarch avoided this scrutiny this year by filming in the neutral backdrop of the Fitzrovia Chapel, which only featured a Christmas treat in the background. Speaking exclusively to OK!, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond explained that while this was a “convenient” choice, this isn’t the first time that zero photos have been on display.

“I think the choice of the chapel was specifically to relate the King’s message to his gratitude for all that the health service does. But obviously it was convenient that it avoided analysis of any photos in the background,” she said. “However neither of his two previous Christmas messages have featured any photos either. So I don’t think anything can be made of this.”

Having stepped back as senior royals in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent nearly five years living in Montecito, California where they are doting parents to their children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three. Since then the couple have also been busy carving out their own paths by championing causes close to their hearts and working on projects including the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions.

Due to this, Jennie believes that Prince Harry and Meghan wouldn’t have been “surprised” not to feature at the royals’ festive gathering at Sandringham. “Harry and Meghan have chosen a life separate from the rest of the royal family, and as time goes by, I think Harry becomes more and more set on making a happy, settled life in California with his wife and children,” she explained.

“It may be that he and the King exchanged some form of message at Christmas time, we simply don’t know and it is right that it should remain private. So I don’t think they would have been in the least surprised that they didn’t feature in any way in the celebrations at Sandringham.”

Christmas shopping for a princess certainly sounds like a daunting task – particularly one as fashionable as Princess Kate – and it even took Prince William a while to get used to it.

There’s no doubt the couple will have exchanged thoughtful gifts this year at their annual get-together at Sandringham, but back in the early days of their courtship, William was far less confident in his gift-giving abilities. And one blunder left his now-wife seriously perplexed, so much so that she vowed to “never let him forget it”.

William, 42, revealed the unusual present during an appearance on former England striker Peter Crouch’s podcast on BBC Radio Five Live. In a discussion about presents, Crouch confessed to buying his model wife Abbey Clancy a raincoat three years running for her birthday.

And William admitted: “I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once – she’s never let me forget that. That was early on in the courtship that was – I think that sealed the deal. It didn’t go well. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

It’s well known that the royals prefer not to lavish each other with expensive, ostentatious gifts at Christmas time – instead preferring to give light-hearted joke presents. Due to the fact they descend from Germanic roots, they also adopt traditions the rest of us in the UK might not recognise – like exchanging goodies on Christmas Eve rather than the big day.

It’s thought that on Christmas Eve, each member of the family creeps downstairs during the afternoon to lay out their gifts, eagerly awaiting 6 pm when the unwrapping begins. Before the exchange starts, each person’s gifts are cornered off in a specific pile before they’re opened.

For decades, the unwrapping was always overseen by the late Prince Philip, who would give the go-ahead for someone to tear into their presents. Some of the more memorable gifts exchanged over the years have included a bath hat given to the late Queen by her grandson Prince Harry that read: ‘Ain’t life a b*tch’. Meanwhile, Kate made a witty quip to her brother-in-law Harry one Christmas when she handed him a ‘grow-your-own-girlfriend kit’ – after he’d made headlines with a string of high-profile romances.

Kate has described Christmas as being one of her ‘favourite’ times of year ( 
Image:
PA)
This festive season will likely hold special significance for the family as they gather together after what has been a very difficult year. King Charles III is still undergoing treatment for cancer, while Princess Kate announced back in September that she had finished her preventative chemotherapy.

In a poignant letter addressed to guests of her annual Christmas concert, Kate, 42, wrote: “Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. It is a time for celebration and joy, but it also gives us the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all.

“It is when we stop and take ourselves away from the pressures of daily life that we find the space to live our lives with an open heart, with love, kindness and forgiveness – so much of what the Christmas spirit is all about. The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others. It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.”

She continued: “Above all else, it encourages us to turn to love, not fear. The love we show ourselves and the love we show others. Love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that is forgiving and love that brings joy and hope.

“It is this love which is the greatest gift we can receive. Not just at Christmas but every day of our lives. Love something we can offer one another. Gentle words or a receptive car, an arm around an exhausted the light that can shine bright, even in our darkest times.”

Christmas is a busy time for many of us, with meals to plan, presents to buy and wrap, and decorations to put up. The holiday can be exhausting. So spare a thought for Andy Park, who has celebrated Christmas every single day for the past 31 years.

Andy, known internationally as “Mr Christmas” for his devotion to the festive season, has become such a holiday icon that even presidents and royals know his name. He exclusively told the Daily Express that Queen Camilla had proudly declared that she knew him after the subject of “Mr Christmas” came up at a royal reception.

He explains that Donald Trump is the next celebrity that he wants to invite to Christmas dinner. “He’d be funny, he’d have some amazing ideas,” Andy says.

Joey Essex is just one of Andy’s many celebrity guests (Image: Andy Park)

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Word of Andy’s incredible exploits has apprently reached the ears of America’s next president. “I’m in touch with Camilla Parker-Bowles,” Andy claims. “She’s very local to me now.

“She often talks about me, and she did say that it was mentioned, when Donald Trump met [the late Queen Elizabeth II]. They were talking about me, and [Camilla] put her hand up and said ‘I know the guy!’”

Andy cooks a full Christmas diner every day, and toasts the season with a bottle of Champagne. He explains that he finances his unique lifestyle by working as an electrician: “I work on domestic appliances, refurbish them and sell them on.”

The moment before the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed into the ground has been caught on camera. The tragic jet crash killed 38 people as the aircraft erupted into a ball of flames.

The plane was carrying 67 passengers and five crew members before crashing near Aktau in Western Kazakhstan. The flight departed from Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, as it attempted to make its way to Grozny in Russia.

Known as the Embraer 190, the plane was instructed to reroute due to the official reason of “fog”.

The plane then made an emergency landing around three kilometres from Aktau, an oil and gas hub on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, as a distress signal was sent out.

Heart-wrenching footage has emerged of a passenger onboard sending his wife a video moments before the plane crashed.

Meanwhile, footage showed the pilot saying the following just moments before the crash: “I can’t execute, control is lost.”

The clip also shows the other distressed people on the flight as oxygen masks drop from the ceiling. Life jackets issued by the aircraft have also been captured around the passengers necks as they brace themselves for what is yet to come.

It is understood that 29 people are reported to have miraculously survived the crash. They were found in the rear section of the aircraft, with the front being badly destroyed by fire.

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Footage of the crash showed the plane making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball.

Injured passengers were later seen stumbling out of the wreckage as others were dragged out of the only intact part of the plane.

38 people were killed in the plane crash. (Image: Getty)

People were heard screaming and speaking to loved ones (Image: X/yo2thok)

“They are receiving all the necessary medical care in hospitals in the region,” said the Ministry of Health. “23 ambulance teams were mobilised to the scene of the incident.”

Authorities in Kazakhstan have said a government commission had been set up to investigate what had happened. Officials had reportedly been ordered to fly to the site as well, to ensure that the families of the dead and injured were getting the help they needed.

Taylor Swift was not present to witness her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s historic performance during the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day but she still showed her support for his record-breaking achievement.

With less than 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a 12-yard pass to an unguarded Kelce in the endzone, marking the tight end’s 77th touchdown catch – surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez’s record for the most in Chiefs franchise history.

After the Chiefs’ decisive 29-10 win, Kelce ended the day with eight catches from 11 targets for 84 yards, bringing his season total to 97 receptions. According to OptaStats, he is the first player in NFL history to have seven consecutive seasons with at least 90 catches.

Following the game, Swift took to social media to subtly congratulate Kelce on his impressive performance.

Despite not travelling to Acrisure Stadium – unsurprising given she has only attended Chiefs home games during the 2024-25 campaign – Swift ‘liked’ three separate posts from the Chiefs, NFL and ‘New Heights’ social media teams that all celebrated Kelce’s touchdown achievement.

Following his record-breaking performance, Kelce spoke to Netflix’s Stacey Dales, saying: “It’s everything to me. Tony’s been a mentor to me, he’s been there right there for me [with] any questions I’ve ever had.

“I feel like I’m still trying to fill that guy’s shoes. He’s such an unbelievable competitor and I’ve got so much love for him. It’s an honour to be in conversations with him.”

Travis Kelce made history during Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (Image: Getty Images)

Mahomes also praised Kelce, stating: “I was extremely excited, I’ve been trying to get him a touchdown for the last few weeks and I wanted to do it at Arrowhead [Stadium]. He’s done so much for this organization, on and off the field. For him to have the career that he’s had is special.

“I know at the end of the day he wants to win the ring more than anything, but it’s awesome that he can have that accomplishment.”

The result of Wednesday’s game was a welcome one for Kelce and the Chiefs, who were upset 20-14 by the Las Vegas Raiders last Christmas Day. Swift attended that game at Arrowhead Stadium with her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, and her brother, Austin Swift.

Despite the defeat being hard for Kelce to take, his Christmas was quickly improved when Austin dressed up as Santa to distribute gifts at home.

Kelce expressed immense appreciation for Austin Swift’s dedication to gift-giving on the ‘New Heights’ podcast last December, saying: “It was a full commit. He killed it.

“He actually made me feel like a child because his gift to me was straight out of the bag. [He] handed me a VHS of my favourite football movie of all time … Little Giants.

“It ended well with good Christmas cheer and great people. That’s always going to save Christmas no matter if you lose to the Raiders or not.”

Last night’s Gavin and Stacey Christmas Day special had viewers in tears, delivering what many are calling the “perfect ending” to the beloved BBC comedy.

The much-awaited finale had fans perched on the edge of their seats, with the return of the show after a five-year hiatus. The question on everyone’s lips was whether Smithy (James Corden) would accept Nessa Jenkins’ (Ruth Jones) marriage proposal.

Despite the 2019 special leaving audiences hanging, it was soon revealed in the latest episode that Smithy had turned down Nessa’s proposal, opting instead to get engaged to Sonia (Laura Aikman). However, as wedding preparations unfolded, it became apparent that Smithy and Nessa, who share a child, still harboured deep feelings for each other.

The wedding day brought high drama, with Gavin Shipman (Matthew Horne) stepping in to halt Smithy’s nuptials, convincing him he shouldn’t marry Sonia.

In a heart-stopping turn of events, Smithy ended up marrying Nessa, much to the delight of fans who were ecstatic about the couple’s surprise reunion.

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, was abuzz with reactions from the audience, with one elated fan exclaiming: “This ending is perfect,” reports Devon Live.

One fan was besotted, proclaiming: “Gavin and Stacey may actually be the best show on television. not a single blunder in the whole show, good from start to finish, perfect finale. this is the most emotional I have ever felt.”

Another viewer praised the series conclusion, stating: “The perfect ending. Stories tied off perfectly. Characters where they should be. Plenty of humour. Overflowing with heart. And a handful of iconic lines and scenes.”

Adding to the praise, another said: “For an hour and half the whole of Britain went on that journey. Shock, drama, tears and a happy ending. A staple of British heritage.”

Another commented: “I literally just bawled my eyes out at that. the fact we’ll never have another episode of this beautiful, beautiful show saddens me, but my God, what a show it’s been. The best eve.”

Call The Midwife fans were stunned during the Christmas special to see The Traitors star Maddy Smedley take on a starring role in the long running BBC period drama. Maddy was one of the original cast in the very first series back in 2022.

They took to X to express their surprise at seeing the series one contestant in Poplar. “Not Maddy from The Traitors being in Call the Midwife’s Christmas Special #CallTheMidwife,” one exclaimed.

“OMG Maddy from #TheTraitors is actually acting in the #CallTheMidwife Christmas special,” another added. A third was so excited to spot her they posted in al capitals: “MADDY FROM THE TRAITORS ADDING ‘EVICTED WOMAN’ TO HER RESUME! #CallTheMidwife.”

“There she is there’s Maddy @MadelynSmedley #CallTheMidwife,” a fourth chimed in.

Meanwhile others couldn’t believe their eyes and questioned if it was indeed her. “Is that Maddy from Traitors? #callthemidwife,” one enquired. “Was that Maddy in #callthemidwife,” another asked.

For her part Maddy admitted she was feeling the nerves ahead of her debut on the show. “Here we go …gone all nervoussss #callthemidwife,” she posted on X.

Maddy was working as a receptionist when she appeared on the Traitors but decided to pursue her acting dreams following her time on the show.

She quit her job and has had roles in Hollyoaks and the sitcom Big Boys as well as this latest part.

She took on the role of a heavily pregnant woman named Dilys whose family found themselves evicted just before Christmas.

Within minutes of the show opening an elderly woman had been found dead at home. There were also escaped prisoners hiding out in Poplar which raised safety concerns for the residents.

And highly contageous influenza and the Hong Kong flu were spreading throughout the area causing issues for the residents and medical staff.