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At a poignant ceremony held to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, Prince William told the remarkable story of his great-grandmother who risked death to protect a Jewish family

Today, the Prince and Princess of Wales marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz at a poignant ceremony in London, and Prince William made sure to pay tribute to a very special member of the Royal Family. In a moving speech, the future King spoke with admiration of those “who risked their own lives to help and save others”, including his own great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Princess Alice, whose remarkable life was touched upon in the hit Netflix drama The Crown, had been living in the Athens palace of her brother-in-law, Prince George of Greece, when World War II broke out. She had returned to Greece following a period of exile. By 1941, Greece was occupied by Axis forces, and by 1942, Athens fell completely under the control of the Nazi regime following the death of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. It was at this point that the horrific attack on Jews in Greece intensified.

Princess Alice, the mother of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, saw first-hand the horrors that unfolded and was moved to action after hearing the story of a Jewish mother desperate to protect her five children.

Princess Alice was the mother of Prince Philip ( 
Image:
TV Grab)
As per Holocaust Centre North, Haimaki Cohen was a Greek member of Parliament and well-known to the Royal Family. Throughout the political turmoil of the 1910s, Haimaki continuously showed his support for Princess Alice’s father-in-law, King George I of Greece.

And when Haimaki sadly passed away, Princess Alice made it her mission to help his widow, Rachel Cohen, and their children, sheltering them in her own home.

According to The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, the four sons of the family had wanted to cross over into Egypt, where they would join the exiled Greek Government in Cairo. However, the journey would have been too dangerous for Rachel and her daughter, Tilde.

The princess put her own life at risk by sheltering Rachel and Tilde behind palace walls ( 
Image:
Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
Putting her own life at risk, Princess Alice sheltered Rachel and Tilde at the palace, where they were joined shortly afterwards by one of the sons who had been forced to return to Athens.

The family remained hidden behind the palace walls until Greece was finally liberated. During that time, German officers were suspicious about what the princess was up to, and she was even subjected to an interview by members of the Gestapo.

Staying strong, however, Princess Alice used her deafness as a weapon, pretending she couldn’t understand her interrogators’ questions until they finally let her be.

Alice was even interviewed by members of the Gestapo – but managed to trick them ( 
Image:
PA Archive/PA Images)

Prince Philip remembered his mother as ‘a person with deep religious faith’ ( Thanks to Princess Alice’s bravery, the Cohen family survived the horrors of the Holocaust, during which some 60,000 Greek Jews were slaughtered.

Prince William today said: “On this, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we also recall those who risked their own lives to help and save others. They risked death, torture and persecution to defy the aggressors. I was recently reminded of my great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who lived in Athens during the Second World War.

“This is an extract from the book Heroes of the Holocaust: ‘In the early days of German occupation, conditions deteriorated rapidly as food ran out when an estimated 300,000 people died.

William and Kate today met with Holocaust survivors ( 
Image:
Arthur Edwards The Sun)
“Conditions were particularly severe in Athens and its port, Piraeus. Alice worked tirelessly for the Red Cross, helping to organise soup kitchens, opening shelters for orphaned children, and setting up a nursing system for poor areas of the city.

“It was at this time that Princess Alice gave refuge to a Jewish widow, Rachel Cohen, and two of her five children to save them from deportation to the death camps.”

He continued: “This was an extremely risky undertaking in the close-packed streets of Athens where there was always the danger of spies and gossip. On 15 October 1943, Rachel Cohen and Tilde moved into Alice’s home. The staff were told that Mrs Cohen was the former governess to her children.

“Michel, the youngest of the four brothers, joined them about a month later. There were great risks, not least the position of the house – the front door faced the residence of the local Archbishop, which always had a German guard on duty outside.

The future king paid tribute to those ‘who risked their own lives to help and save others’ ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
“‘She was sometimes interviewed by the Gestapo and used her deafness to an advantage, pretending not to understand their questions or what they were talking about.

“‘It worked, and they soon gave up. Thanks to her, the entire Cohen family survived the war.’ It has been a great honour for Catherine and I to join you all today. Thank you.”

After the war, Princess Alice continued with her life of good work. In January 1949, she founded a nursing order of Greek Orthodox nuns – the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary. Then, in 1967, following the colonels’ coup d’etat in Greece, the princess-turned-nun moved to Buckingham Palace to be close to her son, Prince Philip in her final years. She passed away in London two years later at the age of 84.

In 1993, Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to Holocaust victims, bestowed upon the late royal the title of Righteous Among the Nations on Princess Alice. Once year later, Prince Philip travelled to the remembrance centre, where he planted a tree in honour of his mother.

Reflecting on his mother’s legacy, Philip told ceremony attendees: “I suspect that it never occurred to her that her action was in any way special. She was a person with deep religious faith, and she would have considered it a totally human action against fellow human beings in distress.”

In 2010, Princess Alice was also awarded the posthumous title of British Hero of the Holocaust.

King Charles joined world and religious leaders to hear harrowing tales from survivors returning to mourn those who perished at Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland

The King said future generations must never allow the horrors of the Holocaust to be forgotten or repeated, as he made an emotional pilgrimage to Auschwitz for the first time.

On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, Charles joined world and religious leaders to hear harrowing tales from survivors returning to mourn those who perished here in north west Poland. Six million people, mostly Jewish, were slaughtered by the Nazis, with more than a million across the Auschwitz complex.

At the entrance to arguably the most notorious site in Europe, Charles paused under the infamous iron gates bearing the motto ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ – Work Sets You Free – that have come to symbolise the terror of the Nazi regime. He appeared to hold back tears as he laid a special wreath at the notorious ‘Death Wall’ where thousands of prisoners were shot dead, biting his lip after placing a handwritten note with the words “In special remembrance”, personally signed Charles R.

The monarch lays a candle during commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland ( 
Image:
UK)
Each anniversary there are fewer and fewer survivors, but even after 80 years there are thousands of them left. Some of those who gathered, among the last witnesses of unimaginable cruelty and the worst crime in human history, proudly wore the blue and white striped pyjamas inmates were forced to wear.

Alongside other European royals including the Danish and Dutch king and queens, Charles listened intently to their testimony of survival during a two hour ceremony outside the gateway where 1.3million people arrived from 1941 until the camp was liberated by Soviet soldiers on January 27, 1945.

At the end of the service, Charles and other dignitaries walked along the railway where Dr Josef Mengele – the so-called “Angel of Death” – decided which of the new arrivals should live or died, and they placed candles at the monument. Afterwards, Charles, 76, was escorted on a private tour of the camp in complete darkness. He paused as his guide Marta Bielska told him how prisoners in the metal working labour detail deliberately reversed the letter ‘B’ as a camouflaged mark of disobedience.

Charles during a tour of the concentration camp ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
In another moment of incredible poignancy for Charles, who surprisingly is the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz, he remarked how it was “just astonishing” when shown tiny pairs of shoes in exhibition cases, stripped from children before they were murdered in the gas chambers. Items seized from murdered Jews, including baskets, suitcases, and various everyday articles including children’s clothes are held in the building as a sombre reminder of the 1.1million who were slaughtered at the Polish camp.

King Charles attends a commemoration event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz ( 
Image:
REUTERS)
On being shown a glass exhibition cabinet filled with hundreds of pairs of tiny shoes, many decomposed by the passage of time, Charles told how had read of one young victim being “just two years old”. He said: “I remember reading a story of one child, just two years old. Just astonishing.”

Marta explained that SS guards lied to prisoners with “propaganda”, saying that they would be reunited with their belongings when in fact they were sent to their deaths. Noting a name on some of the brown leather suitcases, Charles read: “Klinger Zdenka.”

Shoes at Auschwitz ( 
Image:
Victoria Jones/REX/Shutterstock)

He added: “I remember a survivor I met two or three years ago called Zdenka. I went to see her before she died. What name is that? Is it Polish?” After going on to the death wall, Charles then made a private visit to sign the visitors’ book in what was previously the laundry room at the camp.

It read: “Remembering what took place here, and those who were so cruelly murdered is a duty; a sacred duty that must be protected. Being here today, hearing the stories of those who experienced its horrors, seeing the shoes of children whose lives were taken when they’d just begun, and walking the paths upon which such cruelty was inflicted, is something that I will never forget.”

Along the sandy, uneven alleyways in the eerie quiet of Auschwitz-1, Charles approached the Death Wall close to Block 5 where he viewed the exhibits. The King breathed a huge breath as he took a moment’s reflection, dropped his head as if in prayer before pressing his lips together.

The king alongside King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
He turned to walk away but turned back twice to take in the magnitude of the terror dealt out at the sire. Earlier in the day, the King met survivors at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) in Krakow to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, where he implored the world to “challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.”

Remarking on the “sombre and indeed a sacred moment”, Charles paid tribute to victims and survivors who told their stories including Lily Ebert, who in October sadly passed away aged 100. Ebert was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, where her mother and two younger siblings were sent immediately to the gas chambers.

She survived with two other sisters and went on to write a book about her experiences with her grandson, meeting the King on several occasions. Charles said: “(She) collectively taught us to cherish our freedom, to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.”

An Auschwitz survivor is comforted as she lays a candle ( 
Image:
UK)
Amid war in the Middle East and the rise of antisemitism around the world, Charles said “In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife….there can be no more important message.” The King beamed as he was reunited with Holocaust survivor Ryszard Orowski, 84, who lost his entire family after they were deported to the ghetto in Skawina from Krakow.

Charles credited Mr Orowski for his inspiration to back the creation of the community centre following a previous visit to Poland in 2002. As barely 250,000 survivors of the Nazi horrors survive today, Charles implored the world and future generations to remember them and their stories.

A general view of the ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ gate at Auschwitz ( 
Image:
Victoria Jones/REX/Shutterstock)
He said: “As the number of Holocaust Survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders, and on those of generations yet unborn. The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.”

He added: “They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations; a world of which we can be truly proud. And this remains the sacred task of us all.”

A commentator claims Meghan Markle is struggling to improve her public image after bombshell allegations from her former staff – with one source claiming she could ‘throw staff to the wolves’ at any moment

Meghan Markle is reportedly grappling with “deep struggles” to salvage her public image in the wake of explosive claims made by former aides. The Duchess of Sussex, who had a team behind her Spotify podcast ‘Archetypes’, saw the show cancelled after just 12 episodes when Meghan and Prince Harry’s contract with the streaming service was terminated.

A source has now come forward alleging that Meghan was “really, really, really awful” to work for and described the experience as “painful”, with some staff members allegedly requiring “long-term therapy” after leaving their roles. Media guru Michael Levine weighed in on the situation, telling The Mirror US: “Meghan Markle’s deep struggle following the Vanity Fair exposé highlights the immense pressure of life in the public eye.”

He told The Mirror US: “Navigating fame requires skill and resilience, and the Sussexes’ transition from royal life to private enterprise has been fraught with challenges. The article underscores the power of narrative and the importance of managing one’s public image. Whether fair or not, such scrutiny can profoundly impact personal and professional pursuits.”

Meghan Markle and Spotify eventually parted ways
Levine also hinted that the intense scrutiny faced by Meghan could be “make or break” for her career.

This comes amid claims from a source that Meghan’s unpredictability could have significant repercussions for her staff.

An insider speaking to Vanity Fair claimed: “She’s constantly playing checkers – I’m not even going to say chess – but she’s just very aware of where everybody is on her board. And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment.”

Meghan, however, has always firmly refuted claims that she ‘bullied’ her staff, denouncing these allegations as part of a “calculated smear campaign” orchestrated against her. Loyal former staffers have rallied to her defence.

In 2023, Meghan and Harry wrapped up their Archetypes podcast, with the duo and Spotify confirming their partnership had ended. They maintained that the decision was “mutual” and emphasized they were “proud of the series we made together.”

Post-Spotify era, Meghan inked a fresh agreement with Lemonada for an intriguing yet mysterious “dynamic new podcast.”

This deal was publicly shared last February, though precise details about Meghan’s latest venture remain under wraps.

Linda Robson has completely shut down any rumours that she and Pauline Quirke are at loggerheads as she chatted about their present relationship on Wednesday’s Loose Women

Linda Robson has continued to slam rumours around her long-standing friendship with Pauline Quirke.

There was buzz around the Loose Women studio as Linda celebrated 35 years since the popular BBC One programme Birds Of A Feather first aired on screens. It was at this point, the actress recalled how she and Pauline had first been scouted.

Chatting to her fellow panelists about her big television break on Wednesday’s (October 16) episode, Linda recalled the pair racing against the clock and across town on a bus together. They made it to the studio with seconds to go and completely knocked it out of the park with their audition.

After they’d showcased their acting skills, one producer approached them saying “we’ve got a huge success on our hands here,” and the pair immediately knew their lives were about to change for the better.

Detailing the moment with fondness while also shutting down rumours that she and Pauline were ever at loggerheads, Linda explained: “Just two friends racing across town on the bus to make it and here we are all those years later, still the bestest of friends.”

Linda continues to shut down feud rumours with PaulineShe added: “I mean, who would have thought it?” There were gushes of praise as Linda received warm compliments from her co-stars, Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan and Katie Piper, who had all grown up with the much-loved programme on their screens at home.

Previously, there had been growing speculation over a possible feud between the two stars left fans heartbroken, especially after knowing Linda and Pauline’s history off-screen.

It was speculated that Pauline and Linda fellout over the Christmas special
The pair were best friends since primary school and even joined a drama club as teenagers together. Their friendship went beyond that of a normal pals, with their relationship blossoming in front of millions of viewers on the hit show Birds of a Feather throughout the 80s.

Rumours that there had been trouble in paradise between the pair started to swirl when a Christmas episode aired in 2020 but Pauline chose not to be part of the production, leaving Linda and Lesley Joseph “devastated”.

The trio shut down rumours with a social media snap ( 
Image:
ITV)At the time, Linda shared on ITV’s Loose Women that she’d been upset over Pauline’s decision but reassured fans it would not impact their friendship. She said: “I’m not going to lie and say Lesley and I weren’t disappointed. Of course we were. We were gutted and we couldn’t imagine going on without her.

“We were a trio how could it possibly work without any one of us? But at the same time as all that sadness, there was acceptance and understanding, too.”

Loose Women star Coleen Nolan wasn’t afraid to bare all as she took to the ITV daytime favourite wearing nothing but her birthday suit on the much loved programme

Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan was so “excited” about today’s show and guests on the programme that she ditched her clothes and went naked for the occasion.

Teasing what was to come on Monday’s episode (October 21), Ruth Langsford spoke to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning about what viewers could expect – including a star appearance from actress Emily Atack.

The Inbetweeners star is currently starring in Rivals on Disney +. Emily appears on the fan favourite wearing absolutely nothing. In Support of Emily, Coleen boldly went naked in the preview clip, leaving Ben in the ITV studio blushing.

Ruth kicked off announcing: “You might wonder as I said, why we are standing behind this hedge, well we are loving telly’s newest bonk-buster Rivals.”

She added: “Emily Atack is here to give us all the behind the scenes gossip and someone here is very excited.”

Coleen bares all on Loose Women
Coleen popped up with a cheeky grin, barring her naked shoulders as she asked: “Anyone for tennis Ben?” As she shot a tennis ball across the studio.

Hitting back, the Tipping Point host smacked the ball with his own tennis racket in the This Morning HQ declaring: “Never trust Coleen with balls. They can go everywhere”

Everyone burst into laughter as the Nolan’s hitmaker aired: “Don’t you know it.” Making sure Coleen didn’t suffer a red faced moment, Ben prompted: “Ladies your hedge has dropped,” as they quickly lifted it up again.

Coleen Nolan ditched all of her clothes on Loose Women ( 
Image:
ITV)
Confirming she was naked, Coleen quipped in response: “You don’t need to see these.” It isn’t Coleen’s first naked stint on-air after she’d previously taken part in Ashley Banjo’s The Real Full Monty, taking off her kit in the spirit of charity and raising awareness for Breast Cancer in support of her two sisters.

Sadly, Bernie lost her battle with the disease in 2013, but Coleen’s other sister Linda battles another day after being told earlier this year her cancer had now spread to her brain.

Back in September last year, Coleen also appeared on social media in the buff to promote her upcoming tour. She had been teasing that she had something to share with her fans and then finally revealed all – quite literally.

Coleen Nolan isn’t shy when it comes to posing in the buff ( 
Image:
ITV/Nicky Johnston/REX/Shutterstock)

On Instagram, Coleen revealed that her first solo tour was about to commence in 2024. She also shared a poster for the show that detailed several different dates across the country and showed her completely starkers as she sat back in a giant teacup emblazoned with the word ‘naked.’

She announced: “Hi everybody, so I’ve got some really exciting news to share with you all! For the first time in my life I’m going on tour with my very own show! 16 dates across the UK in 2024!”

Coleen followed up with: “Please come and join us for an evening of music, life and laughter! Tickets go on sale at 9.00am.”

The ITV star divided fans with the post but one person she could rely on to have her back was son Shane Nolan. He quickly reshared his mum’s post chiming: “Here we go then, can’t wait to support @NolanColeen on tour.”

Loose Women airs on ITV1, from 12:30pm, weekdays.

Kelsey Parker, who is expecting a baby with her boyfriend Will Lindsay, opens up emotionally on the ‘signs’ late husband Tom sends her to show he’s watching over them all

Kelsey Parker, who has exclusively she is expecting a baby with her boyfriend Will Lindsay, says her late husband Tom is constantly sending her ‘signs’ in the home they once shared – and she believes it’s him giving her ‘his blessing’. The Wanted singer, with whom Kelsey had her two children Aurelia, now five, and Bodhi, four, died of brain cancer at 33. TV star Kelsey found love again last year with tree surgeon Will, 27 – and neither of them could be happier.

And Kelsey also feels like Tom, who passed away in March 2022, 18 months after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, has been sending her signs during her pregnancy, to show he’s watching over her. “I’m very spiritual and so is Will,” she says. “Especially after he lost his dad, he believes in signs from loved ones, like me – and I’ve had so many from Tom. Will’s seen them too – he doesn’t think I’m crazy!”

Tom’s presence is evident throughout the home, including this framed picture upstairs ( 
Image:
OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)

The TV star believes Tom sent new partner Will to her ( 
Image:
OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)Recalling one incident on Christmas Day, when Will was busy building a toy with the kids, nowhere near the fireplace, she says a candle suddenly flew off it, crashing to the floor. She adds, “Tom does lights and TVs a lot, too. We’ve been in bed and at 1am and the TV comes on by itself. So many things happen.”

Revealing that she – and her new man, are both spiritual and believe in ‘signs’, she adds, “Will and I are on the same page with spirituality, I honestly think Tom must have brought Will to me. I wasn’t actively dating or on the apps, then Will appeared. I feel Tom’s presence. I do feel Tom guides me.”

Since his death, Kelsey has been open and honest about her experiences with grief and raising their children alone. On an episode of Loose Women in 2023, she admitted she had gone from being a ‘cynical’ person to someone who watches out for signs from Tom.

Tom’s mum is ‘delighted’ to have a new grandchild, says Kelsey ( 
Image:
OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)As she discussed a camping trip with the kids, she said,”‘At the campsite there’s feathers everywhere, and the kids are saying “Look, daddy’s with us.”‘

Confessing that white feathers have appeared during key moments in her life, which she believes are messages from beyond from Tom, she added, “‘When Tom died at the hospice, I went downstairs after he’d just passed away. I was on the phone to my friend and a feather dropped from the sky.’

She continued: ‘There was nothing around me, no trees, nothing – that was Tom saying, “I’m okay, Kelsey, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.”‘

Ruth Langsford has enjoyed a wild Saturday night out with showbiz pals Rylan Clark and Lizzie Cundy as she shows off her ‘saucy’ dance moves

Ruth Langsford hit the dancefloor on a wild night out with her friend Rylan Clark, as they enjoyed a party mood in London on Saturday evening.

The 64-year-old Loose Women presenter was videoed by Rylan showing off her “saucy” moves as she sang along to Montell Jordan’s hit song, ‘This Is How We Do It.’ Rylan posted the clips to his Instagram Stories as Ruth reciprocated with a video of the Radio 2 DJ shimmering his hips as she laid down some moves to Shakira’s dance classic, ‘Hips Don’t Lie’.

Both Ruth and Rylan looked like they were having one of the nights of their lives as they were joined by TV personality Lizzie Cundy, who also looked like she was having a memorable night out.

Rylan labelled Ruth Langsford a “saucy mare” on their night out ( 
Image:
Instagram)

Ruth Langsford enjoyed her night out in London ( 
Image:
Instagram)
Since her split from Eamonn Holmes last May, Ruth has lost a stone-and-a-half in weight as she enjoys a new exercise and diet regime. In a chat with Woman Magazine, personal trainer Laurel Alper observed: “Ruth looks like she’s slimmed down from a size 16 to 14. She’s probably lost about 1st 7lb – you can really see she’s lost weight across her middle, thighs and face.”

Known for being open about her weight and diet, Ruth’s recent social media posts have given followers a peek at her “healthier” approach to the year, showcasing lunches filled with boiled eggs, turkey, and salad, along with her homemade green juice routine featuring ginger, spinach, cucumber, pineapple, apple, and water. “I take this to work most days,” Ruth explained to her followers, insisting it helps her avoid processed foods..

Ruth Langsford’s pal Lizzie Cundy also joined in the fun ( 
Image:
Instagram)

Ruth Langsford enjoyed a wild time with Rylan ( 
Image:
Instagram)“[It] stops me grabbing unhealthy, processed food. Even when you make a healthy choice and buy a salad, in my experience, they’re mostly leaves! This way you get a good, decent portion salad and you get to put all the things you like in it! ENJOY!”

“[It] stops me grabbing unhealthy, processed food. Even when you make a healthy choice and buy a salad, in my experience, they’re mostly leaves! This way you get a good, decent portion salad and you get to put all the things you like in it! ENJOY!”

Loose Women star Kaye Adams has shared a photo of her daughter Bonnie, who has celebrated her 18th birthday, and has said that it is expected that her parents should be embarrassing

Kaye Adams has celebrated her daughter’s 18th birthday by sharing a photo of her look-a-like offspring.

The 62-year-old Loose Women presenter joked that it is the parent’s prerogative to embarrass their daughter, Bonnie, as she posted a gushing message. Kaye wrote alongside the photo, which shows Bonnie certainly takes after her famous mother, all the reasons why she shouldn’t post about her daughter. She then wrote a sweet message to Bonnie to counteract those reasons.

Kaye began by writing: “You might think it would be a relatively easy thing to put up a happy 18th birthday post to your darling daughter, Bonnie. It is not.” She continued by adding the “rules” that are applied to posts about her daughter.

Kaye wrote: “There are strict rules governing such things, apparently. No photos should be posted without prior approval.. No baby pictures, no ‘funny’ pictures , no photomontages. Failure to comply will result in a severe reprimand. The wording of the post is also strictly regulated. No gushiness, no embarrassing anecdotes- keep it brief. Again, there will be penalties for noncompliance.”

Kaye Adams has celebrated her daughter’s 18th birthday

Kaye Adams has celebrated her daughter’s birthday on social media despite a number of ‘restrictions’ ( 
Image:
PA)

The TV personality then ditched those rules to turn up the embarrassment on her daughter. Kaye added: “In the light of these restrictions, I will conclude this post by saying :- happy birthday pumpkin pie/lemon puff/apple strudel. Thank God, you are legal at last. Lots of love, mumsywumsy and dadsywadsy xxx ps we couldn’t have chosen a better name for you x”.

The celebration comes after Kaye opened up to her fellow panellists on Loose Women after having to “reinvent” Christmas following a couple of devastating losses.

Kaye spoke about losing both her mum and dad, revealing her first Christmas without her father felt like she was “sleep walking”. She told her co-stars: “I think you kind of have to reinvent it. Like similar to you, I’ve lost both my mum and my dad, and Christmas was always, always at their house. The first one after my dad died, we just kind of slept walked through it.”

“We went through the motions. We were kind of anaesthetised to the whole thing. You did it , because it felt like a big thing to ignore it, but like I say, we were sleep walking. But in the years since, you’ve just got to reinvent it. Because it was so much associated with them. For us, we just had to have a different thing,” Kaye emotionally added.

Linda Robson has spoken out after her Birds Of A Feather co-star Pauline Quirke’s news of her dementia diagnosis was shared by her husband earlier in the week

Linda Robson said her long-term comedy partner Pauline Quirke’s dementia diagnosis “breaks my heart”.

The Birds Of A Feather co-stars have worked together from almost the beginning of their careers decades ago. Last week, Quirke’s husband Steve Sheen said she will retire from “all professional and commercial duties” after a diagnosis in 2021. On Instagram, 66-year-old Loose Women star Robson wrote: “This will be the only time I speak on behalf of my best friend, Pauline.

“For the past three years, I’ve been in close contact with her husband, Steve, and have spent time with Pauline. It breaks my heart to see her endure such a terrible illness. Out of respect for her family and her privacy, I will not be discussing this matter further.”

Steve said in his own statement: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I announce my wife Pauline’s decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties due to her diagnosis of Dementia in 2021.” It was revealed on Loose Women last week that Linda had known about Pauline’s diagnosis for “some time”.

Linda has spoken out on Pauline’s dementia diagnosis

As the devastating announcement was released, Linda was on a Caribbean cruise. She was near the island of Grenada and was unaware the statement was to be released, according to reports. Linda’s Loose Women co-star Ruth Langsford also addressed her being away as Pauline’s health battle was discussed by the panel on Tuesday’s show.

Ruth said: “Linda Robson, obviously great friends with Pauline, is actually away at the moment, otherwise she would have joined us today to talk about her friend. And obviously she has known for some time.” Linda and Pauline have been friends since childhood, but have faced feud rumours over the years.

Pauline was nowhere to be seen in the Birds of a Feather special back in 2020, which left fans convinced that she and Linda had ended their friendship of fifty years. Her lines in the title song were removed and so were pictures of their characters Tracey and Sharon together.

In 2022, Linda told The Mirror: “People say Pauline and I have fallen out. Obviously I couldn’t see her during lockdown but I’ve seen her since. She just doesn’t want to act anymore. She’s had enough – it’s long hours. She’s concentrating on her drama academies. She’s very hands on, going to classes and all that.

Linda shared a photo of a lunch with Pauline in 2022 ( 
Image:
mirror.co.uk)
“I see Lesley [Joseph] all the time because we won Celebrity Coach Trip last year. And during the lockdowns I would leave funny things on her doorstep, like Tena Lady and hair dye! But when I was ill, both Pauline and Lesley rang me, or a member of my family, every couple of days to see how I was. They were both a big support and really there for me.”

That same year, Linda and Pauline were seen together when they met up for lunch and shared a photo in attempt to dispel any rumours of a feud. The Loose Women star explained: “We had our photo taken together and I got my daughter Roberta to upload it to my Instagram, captioning it: ‘A lovely lunch with my beautiful friends.’ It was our way of saying, ‘There you go, that’ll shut you up!’”

However, in 2023 Linda admitted that she had for a time felt ‘envious’ of Pauline after she began picking up more serious acting parts. Opening up during an episode of Loose Women, Linda confessed: “So I’ve never really been jealous of Pauline Quirke but I used to be envious of all the roles she got like dramas and everything.

“I used to think, ‘Lovely, I’m really pleased for you but I would love to do some drama role as well’. But now I am doing drama roles, so I don’t have to be envious anymore do I! But no jealousy can be a terrible thing really. I was delighted she was so successful but I just wanted a little bit of it as well and I wished I had got that.”

Loose Women star Linda Robson said she had been in ‘close contact’ with her best friend Pauline Quirke’s husband over the past three years and had spent time with the actor

Linda Robson has taken to Instagram to express her heartbreak over the dementia diagnosis of her Birds Of A Feather co-star and long-time friend, Pauline Quirke.

The pair have been working together since the early days of their careers, but are most recognised for their roles as feisty sisters in the popular sitcom that first aired on BBC in 1989.

Last week, Pauline’s husband Steve Sheen announced her retirement from “all professional and commercial duties” due to her condition, which was diagnosed in 2021. Loose Women star Robson, 66, took to Instagram to share her feelings: “This will be the only time I speak on behalf of my best friend, Pauline.

“For the past three years, I’ve been in close contact with her husband, Steve, and have spent time with Pauline. It breaks my heart to see her endure such a terrible illness. Out of respect for her family and her privacy, I will not be discussing this matter further.”

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Pauline, 65, and Linda, 66, have shared screen time in various projects including the comedy film Junket 89, and the series You Must Be Joking! during the 1970s, and Shine On Harvey Moon in the 1980s . Robson also made appearances in Quirke’s chat show Pauline’s Quirkes, which she started hosting as a teenager.

Birds of A Feather, which also featured Lesley Joseph as the flirtatious Dorien Green, had a hiatus between 1998 and 2014 before making a comeback for a full series on ITV. The show ran until 2016 and then returned for Christmas specials, including one in 2020 in which Pauline didn’t appear.