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Wow, time really does fly. We can’t quite believe it but David and Victoria Beckham are celebrating their not-so-little girl Harper’s 13th birthday.

The newly-turned teen is the youngest of the power couple’s four children, having been born on July 10, 2011.

Given that she’s totally doted on by not only her mum and dad but also by her three older brothers Brooklyn,

Romeo and Cruz, it’s gone rather unnoticed that Harper has turned into a little woman before everyone’s eyes.

Paying tribute to his baby girl, David shared a montage of photos and videos from the past 13 years.

Some of the precious moments captured include snuggles with her brothers, walking the runway with her mum after a fashion show, and making her dad proud by scoring a goal.

The former footballer wrote: ‘Happy 13th Birthday to my beautiful little girl. Daddy is so proud of you, you have grown up to be a kind, generous and a beautiful young lady with the most amazing heart and the most amazing smile that we all love so so much.’

‘Always be the beautiful person that you are,’ David added, before sweetly concluding: ‘Harper Seven you’re my world.’

Sharing the same montage, Victoria wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to my best friend. You are sweet and kind and your smile warms our hearts every day. You really are our everything Harper Seven and we are so proud of the happy, beautiful, talented young lady you are becoming. We love you so so much. Kisses.’

Victoria later shared a gas video of a much younger Harper having a boogie in the back car to September by Earth, Wind & Fire- we can’t blame her, what a banger!

Posh Spice wrote: ‘Yep… She gets it from her mummy!!! We love you Harper Seven!! Never stop smiling or DANCING!!! You are my world xxxxx Kisses mummy xxxxx.’

Romeo and Cruz, who take their big brother duties ever so seriously, have also paid tribute to their baby sister on her 13th birthday.

Cruz shared a sweet video and snap of himself and Harper from back in the day, wishing her a happy birthday and calling her a ‘special human’.

Meanwhile Romeo shared the sweetest snaps with his little sister, writing: ‘Happy 13th birthday Harps can’t believe you’re a teenager. Love you so much xx.’

Loose Women star Sunetra Sarker has previously opened up about her struggles with her appearance and accepting her heritage, recalling how she ‘wished she was white’ growing up.

Sunetra Sarker, known for her roles on ‘Brookside’ and ‘Casualty’, as well as being a panellist on Loose Women, has become an inspiration to many. Despite her success, the actress has opened up about her struggles with self-acceptance, revealing that there was a time when she used to ‘wish she was white’.

Born in Liverpool to an Indian family, Sunetra confessed in 2019: “Looking back, I regret not embracing my heritage more as a young girl. I didn’t want to be Indian, I wanted to blend in with everyone else and be as white as possible.” She went on to say: “But I wish I’d thought, ‘Wow, I’m the only brown girl in this classroom,’ because now everything I resented I see as a bonus,” reports OK!.

The actress also shared her discomfort with certain acting roles, particularly one where she was cast in a curry advert. Sunetra recounted: “The worst acting job I’ve ever had was for a cook-in curry sauce.”

The star admitted she used to ‘wish she was white’ at school ( 
Image:
David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Sunetra has a close bond with her family and is now proud of her roots ( 
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Instagram)
“The premise was an Indian family making a short-cut curry who are all Scousers. In make-up, the guy who was going to be playing the dad was a white guy and they were putting brown make-up on him. Surely they could have found an Indian man? There’s something really wrong with that.”

In her personal life, Sunetra parted ways with her husband Nick Corfield in September 2014 after a decade of marriage. They share a son, Noah, who is 23 years old, and got married back in August 2003.

Four years on, she exchanged vows with her partner Scott Carey in two ceremonies: one traditionally British and the other Indian, marking a day filled with laughter, friendship and living life on their own terms.

The couple have previously revealed that they live separately in their ‘modern’ marriage. “My husband and I have a modern relationship. We live separately, so it’s like teenagers going out with each other again,” Sunetra has shared.

“Scott has a base in Kent and I have a home in Bristol. Half the week our children (Scott’s kids Sam, 17, and Poppy, 14, and her son Noah, 13) are with their other parents and half the week they’re with us, and we take it in turns when it comes to what house we’re staying at.”

She further added: “It’s a lot of travel and juggling, but this means nobody is deprived of seeing anyone and that’s crucial. And it makes us miss each other too, which is lovely.”

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi wore a walking boot on his injured right ankle,

and watched Inter Miami regain first place in the MLS Eastern Conference with a 3-1 victory against Toronto FC on Wednesday night.

Messi sat alongside his wife and children during the match at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium. He was ruled out of the Toronto match,

and won’t play in Inter Miami’s next match Saturday against Chicago as he continues to recover from his Copa America ankle injury.

Messi has a ligament injury, Inter Miami announced on Tuesday, after a full evaluation on the two-time Copa America and World Cup champion.

He will be evaluated on a weekly basis, Inter Miami coach Tatar Martino said after the match.

“The club’s medical report is out and the information is that regarding the times, it will surely be evaluated week by week,” Martino said of Messi.

“We are going to see just how his recovery is without taking any kind of risk.”

Messi suffered the injury during Argentina’s 1-0 win in the Copa America final on Sunday against Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Messi did not travel with his Argentine teammates back to Argentina to celebrate the Copa America title, staying home to begin his recovery.

A timeline for Messi’s return to injury is indefinite. Inter Miami said Messi’s future availability “will be determined by periodic assessments and the progress of his recovery.”

Highlights: Federico Redondo, Diego Gomez score for Miami

Federico Redondo scored the first two goals of his MLS career in the 53rd and 59th minutes, and Diego Gomez scored in the 43rd minute to fuel Inter Miami’s 3-1 win.

Derrick Etienne Jr. scored in the 80th minute for Toronto, while Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez entered in the 61st minute after his third-place finish with Uruguay during Copa America.

Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender and striker Robert Taylor each played in their 100th match for the franchise in the victory.

Inter Miami retook the lead in the MLS Eastern Conference with 50 points following the win, thanks a 1-0 loss by FC Cincinnati (48 points) to the Chicago Fire.

NEW DELHI: In a revelation from the newly released book “The House of Beckham” by celebrity biographer Tom Bower,

it is alleged that Meghan Markle, during her engagement to Prince Harry, requested free clothes and handbags from Victoria Beckham.

However, this request was reportedly vetoed by Buckingham Palace as it was against their rules.

The book, now available in the UK and set to release in the US on June 25, details the fallout between Meghan Markle and the Beckhams,

which began when Markle suspected that Victoria Beckham had leaked personal advice to the press, a New York Post report said.

Markle, once close enough to the Beckhams to stay at their Beverly Hills home, lost trust in Victoria after a story was published in The Sun.

The article reported that Victoria had given Markle makeup advice, which led Markle to believe that Victoria had leaked the information.

The situation escalated when Prince Harry was ordered to confront David Beckham about the perceived leak. Victoria Beckham denied the allegation, blaming a beautician instead. This incident, combined with Markle’s perceived envy of the Beckhams’ wealth and luxuries, such as private jets and yachts, strained their relationship further.

The tension reached a peak when Markle allegedly snubbed the Beckhams at her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Although the Beckhams attended the wedding, they were not invited to a dinner that included celebrities like George Clooney, which reportedly left Victoria feeling insulted.

Despite the strained relations, Markle continued to support Victoria Beckham’s fashion line, wearing items from her collection on multiple occasions. However, the relationship between the Sussexes and the Beckhams appears to remain tense, as Harry and Meghan were reportedly not invited to the wedding of Brooklyn Beckham, Victoria and David’s son, in 2022.

Last week was Beckham week, although I’m not sure it actually was.

Not really. Tom Bower’s hatchet job on David and Victoria Beckham had been promised for ages, and I know that many journalists were looking forward to it.

After his successfully skewering of the likes of Mohamed Al-Fayed, Conrad Black, Robert Maxwell, Simon Cowell, Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Richard Branson,

I’m sure his publishers were expecting something equally salacious from The House of Beckham, but I’m not sure that has come to pass.

You can tell when a book is about to blow up when you start to see ads for the newspaper serialisations,

although the first I saw of Bower’s book was a couple of copies plonked on the desk of our Literary Editor Robbie Smith last week.

I had been asked by Bower to contribute to the book last year (I declined), so I flicked through the index to see if I was mentioned.

When I edited GQ I dealt a lot with the Beckhams and always found them relatively cooperative, which is why Bower had wanted to talk to me. At GQ we went out of our way to celebrate David Beckham whenever we could, and during my tenure he had more covers than anyone else (seven — even more than Kylie). It was good for him, and it was good for us. However, according to Bower, I was always too sycophantic towards him — “coming to the rescue”, apparently — whenever he needed some positive PR. Maybe I was, but it worked. For both of us.

I don’t think I come out of the book particularly badly, although I’m sure I would have been treated differently if I had spoken to Bower. I had no intention of helping him, as I have no desire to dump on the Beckhams. As it is, my relationship with David is painted as somewhat co-dependent.

I haven’t read the book, and probably never will (I think we ran most of the good bits in the Standard last week), but I think the crux of this story is all about public appetite. I’m not naïve enough not to know that the Beckhams are surrounded by a big, fat phalanx of extremely sharp-elbowed legal representatives, and yes of course there will also be many people who won’t speak to journalists like Bower because it might compromise their ongoing relationships with the Golden Couple. And yet regardless of what anyone might think about the Beckham brand, their marriage or the profile of their children, enough people seem to like them.

I first met the Beckhams in the summer of 1997, when the publicist Alan Edwards was steering them around London, introducing the new couple to the media. Victoria was already freshly minted as a bright pop star, talkative and sassy and full of life. Her boyfriend was the opposite: shy, tongue-tied and obviously embarrassed at having to explain his new relationship to curious journalists like me.

Five years later, all hint of bashfulness had evaporated, as I watched him cover himself in body oil in a mocked-up gym in Manchester for a magazine cover story with the photographer David LaChapelle. Beckham was almost naked; his fingernails were painted black, a fake leopardskin shawl was wrapped around his neck and his Dolce & Gabbana trunks were looking decidedly snug.

By 2007, the narrative arc had sunk into deep suspicion as the media began to bite, criticising his imminent move to LA Galaxy and accusing him of grandstanding. But as I wrote at the time, “It’s all very well saying David and Victoria are overreaching in their attempts to ingratiate themselves with their rapidly expanding consumer base, but heed two things: One, they’re extremely good at it, and whether you think it’s just blatant self-promotion, this has always been part of the celebrity DNA. Two, people like them.”

Broadly speaking, that remains true. There may indeed come a point in the future when we want to devour the Beckhams like sacrificial lambs or vilify them for having the audacity to grow like poppies — I’ve lost count of the number of editors who have told me they’re sitting on damaging material, patiently waiting until the public mood changes — but that time doesn’t seem to be now.

Though he could probably save the Peaky Blinders wardrobe department a few quid by bringing his own gear,

David Beckham will not, as rumoured, be appearing the in the next series of the BBC crime drama.

Fans of the show started to get rather excited at the prospect of Becks stepping back into 1930s Birmingham gangland,

after the ex-Manchester United star posted a series of pictures from the show’s set on his Instagram page.

However, the BBC has confirmed to the Manchester Evening News that he was only visiting the set, and has not joined the cast.

The series has been shooting scenes in Stockport this week, with the town’s historic Plaza doubling up for Birmingham’s Bingley Hall.

Hunger Games star Sam Claflin recently joined the cast, and will be playing fascist politician Oswald Moseley in the series, who hosts a rally at the hall.

The properties around the Plaza have reportedly all been transformed into 1930s shops and groceries for the shoot.

Series five of the show, in which Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby will be advancing further into his career in politics, will most likely air this summer, though no date is yet confirmed.

Anna Taylor-Joy will also be joining the cast for the new series, as will Brian Gleeson and Neil Maskell.

OPINION: Sarah, Duchess of York travelled to Manchester to visit the Corrie cobbles as she became patron of a breast cancer charity – and I went along to meet her

Sarah Ferguson is one of those rarest of people. She is someone who has constantly overcome adversity, been dealt hands of bad luck and spent more than 35 years under the intense, gruelling media spotlight… but she is still standing tall and is readily determined to do good.

As I met the Duchess in Manchester on Wednesday, 9 October – to see her become became patron of the empowering charity Prevent Breast Cancer – her devotion to helping others was absolutely clear. And having interviewed her before and come away with equally warm memories, I can guarantee that what you see is what you get… 100 per cent authenticity.

Fergie was invited to the set by Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Metcalfe ( 
Image:
PA)

I watched in awe as she chatted, laughed and exchanged heart-wrenching details of her own battle with breast cancer with patients and nurses. The reality is she doesn’t have to continue to use her public profile for the benefit of others, but she does – and does so expertly.

Having been approached by Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor backstage at Loose Women, the Duchess’ reaction to providing the final push of help to secure the future of the National Breast Imaging Academy was guttural: “I have to help”, she recalled as she spoke to me, OK!’s royal reporter, on the day.

“I’m coming to Manchester,” she told Sally. “We’ll get to work and help you raise the last £600,000. Every little bit helps and that’s why everyone doing all this work here is so important. 57,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and I am very proud, and excited, to be part of the National Breast Imaging Academy.”

Fergie chats to Lisa Thomas and Kate Schofield who work at the Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital ( 
Image:
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The Duchess’ energy and enthusiasm are the first things you notice about her. She’s sharp, she’s witty and thoroughly impressive as she remembers every single person’s name, makes jokes at the drop of a hat and will happily turn her hand to anything… including transforming into a northern landlady pulling a pint of bitter at the Rovers Return, after she travelled to the Coronation Street set.

Having told her I bought along some Jelly Babies (a treat she confessed to having a taste for on her Tea Talks podcast with Sarah Thomson), she had everyone in stitches, myself included, as she jumped out of her car like a Jack in the Box in front of Coronation Street executives and asked for a sweet.

There’s no falseness or hiding behind statements because as she has said herself on so many occasions, kindness is the key to everything. And that’s absolutely how she lives her life, as well as a life standard that she has past on to her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Sarah, Duchess of York, pours a pint while on a visit to the set of Coronation Street in Manchester ( 
Image:
PA Wire/PA Images)

It’s not just me who witnessed this on the day as I spoke to other charity ambassadors and staff members who spoke about the Duchess’ relatability, her electric sense of humour and were left amazed when she started tidying up after everyone, taking used teacups to the kitchen, before heading off to the next stop.

The visits to Prevent Breast Cancer and Coronation Street came ahead of her landmark 65th birthday on 15 October. Reflecting on how she said that her brush with cancer prompted her to start “fighting for Sarah” and focus on “putting Sarah first”, the Duchess told me how her way of thinking has shifted.

“My mindset going forward is to not be self-full but to be self-love. If you don’t keep your boundaries for yourself, who is going to do it for you? If you don’t keep your authentic truth, who is going to do it for you? We need to have more self-love and have the boundaries to take a moment to ourselves.”

Journalist and Loose Women panellist Janet Street-Porter gave her social media followers an update on her health after she underwent hip surgery last week

Janet Street-Porter has provided a health update after she stepped back from her Loose Women duties.

The presenter, 77, revealed last week she was leaving the show temporarily to undergo surgery. Now, she has given an update while in rehab following her hip operation.

Sharing a clip from her hospital bed, a smiling Janet reassured fans the surgery had been a success. Taking to Instagram, the journalist uploaded an image of her undergoing her new exercise regime. The snap showed Janet and a nurse smiling as she started her rehabilitation journey.

Wearing a jumper with a smiling face, Janet captioned the upload: “Day 6 and I’ve joined the call button wearing community! Trying to obey Annie’s orders and put feet in right order.” She ended by joking: “Computer scrabble is easier…”

Janet posted hours after surgery ( 
Image:
therealjanetstreetporter)

She has since offered an update ( 
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therealjanetstreetporter)

Loose Women co-panellist Charlene White was among Janet’s followers leaving her a comment. She wrote: “Look at that smile,” with a red love heart emoji. Another fan gave Janet advice following their own experience. They commented: “Glad you’re getting physio . I remember I was sent home on the third day and never saw a physio after that . Make the most of the physios Janet.”

Another said: “Lovely to see you back on your feet keep up the good work Janet xx,” while a third wrote: “It’s great to see your progress Janet . I wish you a continued recovery.”

The update comes days after Janet had shared another smiling selfie of herself hours after having surgery. She had previously admitted she was feeling nervous ahead of the operation, but was in good spirits following the surgery.

She captioned the initial post-surgery snap: “Three hours after hip replacement masses, of strong pain relief, resulting in the huge smile of relief! Then the drugs wore off…but I’m walking with a trolley HOORAY XX.”

Meghan Markle made one move on Princess Eugenie’s wedding day that allegedly did not please the princess.

Meghan Markle made a huge announcement on Princess Eugenie’s wedding (Image: Getty)

Meghan Markle made one move which allegedly upset Princess Eugenie on her special day.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were expecting their first child, Prince Archie, on Monday October 15, but they told royals three days before, on Friday October 12 – Princess Eugenie’s wedding day.

The joyous news caused a media storm at the time but according to a book, it did not “go down well” with the Princess of York, who felt the couple could have waited until after the wedding to make the announcement to the Firm.

Harry wrote about the day in his memoir, Spare, saying: “Euge was getting married, to Jack, and we were deliriously happy for her, and for ourselves, selfishly, since Jack was one of our favourite people.”

“Meg and I were supposed to head off on our first official foreign tour as a married couple, but we delayed the departure several days, so we could be at the wedding.

 

Also, the various gatherings connected to the wedding would give us a chance to pull aside family members one by one and tell them our good news.”

He added: “After the drinks reception, in St George’s Hall, Meg and I pulled Willy aside. We were in a big room, suits of armour on the walls. Strange room, strange moment. We whispered the news, and Willy smiled and said we must tell Kate.

“She was across the room, talking to Pippa. I said we could do it later, but he insisted. So we went and told Kate and she also gave a big smile and hearty congratulations. They both reacted exactly as I’d hoped.”

The duke also wrote about telling his father, explaining: “He was delighted to learn that he was going to be a grandfather for a fourth time, his wide smile warmed me.”

But according to Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, it wasn’t all so rosy for Eugenie.

The Sussexes announced their first pregnancy in 2018 (Image: Getty)

The book said: “It did not go down particularly well with Eugenie, who, a source said, told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news.”

However, the book did stress that Harry and Eugenie have always had a close bond.

The authors claimed: “Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry. They were also the closest of friends. Out of all the Queen’s grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections.

“Like Harry, Eugenie is loyal, honest, and great fun. The two had many nights out together in London.”

 

The Princess of Wales visited Southport with her husband Prince William yesterday in her first community royal engagement of the year since her cancer diagnosis.

Princess Kate visited Southport yesterday with Prince William (Image: Danny Lawson – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Princess Kate stepped out on a royal community engagement with Prince William yesterday in Southport for the first time since her cancer diagnosis.

The couple, who met with emergency responders and the families of the three young girls who were stabbed to death at a dance class earlier this year, were in the town for a few hours.

While many were pleased to see the princess, 42, feeling well enough to return to a public duty, many royal fans were also quick to notice the absence of Kate’s engagement ring.

Instead, the Princess of Wales was wearing a new collection of jewellery on her wedding finger, which fans were quick to pick up on.

According to GB News, the mother-of-three opted instead for a thin golden ring along with what is believed to be a new “eternity band”.

The princess was not wearing her usual engagement ring (Image: Danny Lawson – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Tobias Kormind, the co-founder and MD of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online diamond jeweller, told GB News that the new ring could symbolise William and Kate’s love.

He said: “Kate’s new ring may be a symbol of hope for new beginnings, with an emotional tie to the past.

“Eternity rings represent everlasting love, and this style of ring echoed the sentiment of the moving video, where Kate was seen spending time with those closest to her.”

The new jewellery choice on Thursday comes just over a month since the release of a video by The Princess of Wales confirming the end of her chemotherapy treatment.

In the moving video, the princess spoke about the important things in life such as “loving” and “being loved”.

Kate also confirmed a gradual return to public duties, with the visit to Southport being her first community engagement since last year, despite appearing at public events such as Trooping the Colour.

The princess paired her new jewellery collection with a very autumnal outfit including a chocolate brown coat dress.