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After Kate and William split in 2007, they threw themselves into partying like normal young singletons.

But as Kate was snapped more and more enjoying herself on nights out in London with her sister Pippa, William started to have second thoughts about his decision to end things.

So when they were both invited to a fancy dress party by a mutual friend – and Kate turned up as a nurse in fishnet tights and a short dress – a reconciliation seemed almost inevitable.

For his part though, the friend – amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen – has previously denied deliberately playing Cupid.

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Prince William pictured leaving a nightclub in London in April 2007 after splitting up with Kate

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Kate pictured out in Kensington, London in May 2007

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Sam Waley-Cohen and his future wife Annabel Ballin attending William and Kate’s wedding in 2011. They married the following year

Waley-Cohen hosted the bash at his family’s 17th-century manor house in Oxfordshire with a theme of ‘Freakin Naught’ and guests dressed accordingly – with Prince William showing up in hotpants and a policeman’s helmet.

Robert Jobson writes in his biography Catherine, The Princess of Wales, that William was perhaps regretting their break-up.

He and his future wife reportedly spent most of the evening talking – and ended it with a dance and a kiss.

Despite his party having brought the two back together, Waley-Cohen told the Mail in 2011: ‘There’s an idea that I was like Cupid with a bow and arrow.

‘People love the idea that somebody put them back together, but they put themselves together far more.’

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Sam riding winning horse Noble Yeats during the Aintree Grand National in 2022

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William and Kate at Cheltenham Festival in March 2007, just one month before they split

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The now Princess of Wales was snapped regularly going out in London with her sister Pippa during the break-up

Within weeks of the party the future Prince and Princess of Wales were on holiday together in the Seychelles.

William and Kate got engaged three years later in October 2010 and their wedding at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, was watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Waley-Cohen – who went to prep school with the prince and is a longtime friend of Kate’s – said of being a guest at the nuptials: ‘It was absolutely fantastic. It was great to see two people who are so in love. I think everyone could see that, whether they know them or not.’

Looking back, both Kate and William have said their brief time apart was for the best.

During an interview to mark their engagement in 2010, Kate said: ‘I think at the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person, you find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realised.

‘I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you’re younger. I really valued that time for me as well, although I didn’t think it at the time!’

William added: ‘We were both very young… We were both finding ourselves and being different characters.

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Sam chats with Kate at Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival in 2008

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Kate and William on the day of their graduation from St Andrews in 2005

‘It was very much trying to find our own way, and we were growing up, so it was just a bit of space and it worked out for the better.’

Waley-Cohen had a successful amateur horse racing career, retiring in 2022 after winning the Grand National at Aintree.

The jockey won with 50/1 outsider Noble Yeats and Camilla – then Duchess of Cornwall – presented him and his father Robert Waley-Cohen, who owned the horse, with the trophy.

The Waleses praised him on X/Twitter with a post that read: ‘Huge congratulations to @swaleycohen for winning the Grand National. What a way to retire!’

When asked if his win had been the result of the same magic touch that brought William and Kate back together in 2007, Waley-Cohen responded: I don’t think it has any connection to them, but as a general philosophy I think hoping for the best and living full of hope is a good way to live.’

The former jockey also founded Portman Dental Care in 2009 and has three children with his wife Annabel Ballin – Max, Scarlett and Alexander.

Since Christian Dior introduced the modern pencil skirt in 1954, it has become a staple in business attire.

Designed to enhance the feminine silhouette, it features a slim fit that accentuates the waist and hips, flaring out slightly towards the hem.

Unsurprisingly, many royal women have favoured this empowering silhouette for years, with Meghan Markle leading the way.

And Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has embraced the pencil skirt trend too. She’s opted for the slim fit look on at least two occasions.

Though the pencil skirt has evolved with various design details over the years, it remains a wardrobe essential.

For spring/summer 2024, it makes a strong comeback, appearing in styles from short and slit to full-length, crafted in textured crepe and patent leather.

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Many royal women have favoured this empowering silhouette for years, with Meghan Markle leading the way

Since marrying Prince Harry in 2018, the Duchess of Sussex has consistently favoured pencil skirts from designers such as Givenchy, Carolina Herrera and Roland Mouret.

And she has developed a particular fondness for mid-length leather skirts by BOSS.

In October 2018, Meghan visited the University of Chichester, wearing a £369 pine green version with a high waist and figure-skimming fit.

The next year, she chose a £359 ruby leather skirt by BOSS for a roundtable discussion with Prince Harry, creating a striking tonal look.

Queen Letizia of Spain had already worn the same skirt the day before, during her state visit to South Korea with King Felipe.

She styled the luxurious leather skirt with a blouse from Carolina Herrera, putting her own fashionable spin on royal protocol.

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Meghan and Letizia have both worn the ‘Selrita’ skirt by BOSS in red lambskin

And that isn’t the only BOSS pencil skirt to receive royal approval.

The belted ‘Vrima’ skirt in pale blue has been worn by Queen Letizia, Princess Sofia of Sweden and Queen Mary of Denmark, solidifying the American brand’s global appeal.

The three ladies styled it in contrasting ways, with Mary earning style points with a polka dot blouse and sky-high court shoes.

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The BOSS ‘Vrima’ skirt in pale blue has been worn by Queen Letizia, Princess Sofia of Sweden and Queen Mary of Denmark, solidifying the American brand’s global appeal

During her official visit to Washington with King Abdullah in February 2023, Queen Rania of Jordan wore a business-ready ensemble, featuring a white shirt and mid-length skirt.

The latter, by Christian Dior, made an impression with its distinctive checked print, reminiscent of tweed.

Across the Atlantic, Princess Charlene of Monaco had already showcased this design in October 2016, shortly after its runway debut.

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Queen Rania of Jordan wore a Dior pencil skirt while visiting Washington in February 2023. Across the Atlantic, Princess Charlene of Monaco had already showcased this design, shortly after its runway debut in 2016

Even Catherine, Princess of Wales, has embraced the pencil skirt trend.

In 2008, at the Order of the Garter, when she was still Prince William’s girlfriend, Kate wore a polka dot skirt suit.

This two-piece, which included a perfectly tailored knee-length skirt, was previously worn by Kate at a 2007 event in Dublin, during her well-publicised break-up with William.

She wore it again in December 2013 at South Africa House in London to sign the Nelson Mandela book of condolence.

Another pencil skirt in Kate’s collection is from Alexander McQueen.

She paired this military-inspired skirt, adorned with gold anchor-embossed buttons, with a matching blouse during a tour of Birmingham in August 2011.

She revisited this elegant look for visits to Bletchley Park in June 2014 and Portsmouth in May 2016.

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At the Order of the Garter in 2008, Kate, then Prince William’s girlfriend, opted for a polka dot skirt suit. The other pencil skirt in the Princess’s closet that we’ve seen hails from Alexander McQueen. She is seen wearing it (right) during a visit to Portsmouth in 2016

EXCLUSIVE: Buckingham Palace aides have sent out feelers for this year’s Christmas dinner which will be held in the ballroom at Sandringham House due to the sheer number expected – but the Sussexes have not been invited.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be joining the royals this Christmas (Image: Getty)

King Charles and Queen Camilla have sent out their invitations for this year’s Sandringham Christmas gathering, Express.co.uk has learned.

However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not been invited and are unlikely to travel to the UK this festive season.

According to a well-placed source, Buckingham Palace aides have sent out feelers for this year’s Christmas dinner which will be held in the ballroom at Sandringham House due to the sheer number expected.

“There will be a large number of people present at this year’s dinner,” said the source. “It was trialled in the ballroom for the first time last year and proved a big success so this year will be held in a similar fashion.

“There will be a buffet style roast served where members of the family can help themselves.

“It will include a traditional roast dinner spread with all the trimmings.”

Although Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, will not be joining the Royal Family this year, they have been extended an invite to spend the Christmas holidays with the Spencer family at Althorp.

The source adds that despite their invite to Althorp, it is unlikely that the Sussexes will head to the UK this December.

“Harry and Meghan are not going to spend Christmas with the Spencers or the Royal Family this year,” said the source. “It’s just not an option with the children at the moment due to what’s been going on with their security.”

However, although the Firm’s gathering will be minus the Sussexes, it will still be a large family affair as Queen Camilla has invited her children and grandchildren.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been ‘iced out’ by the Firm (Image: Getty)
Camilla, 77, has two children and five grandchildren of her own. Her son Tom Parker Bowles has one daughter Lola, 17, and a son, Freddy, 14, while her daughter Laura Lopes has a daughter Eliza, 16, and twins Gus and Louis, 14.

The source adds that although members of the Royal Family will congregate on the estate, not all of them will be staying there.

Prince William and Princess Kate will be staying at nearby Anmer Hall but will be in attendance for the family festivities.

Princess Beatrice is also set to appear this year and show off her baby bump – along with debuting her daughter Sienna.

According to a source, Bea, 36, will join her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, their three-year-old daughter Sienna and Bea’s eight-year-old stepson Wolfie for the celebrations.

Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment.

Brighton are closing in on a deal to sign Paraguay international midfielder Diego Gomez from Inter Miami, sources tell GIVEMESPORT.

Nothing is agreed or done, but talks well advanced.

The clubs are working on an agreement for an initial fee around $15 million (€14 million), with add-ons taking the potential total deal to just north of $18 million (€17 million).

Gomez would remain with Inter Miami until the winter, whether it’d be on a loan back clause or a deal agreed to take effect on January 1.

No deal will be totally complete soon because Gomez has departed the United States for Paris, as he will lead Paraguay at the Olympics.

The player is pushing for the move, sources say. He addressed previous reports on Wednesday after leading Miami to a win over Toronto with a goal and an assist:

“My agent is speaking to Inter Miami and Brighton & Hove Albion, I came here to make the jump to Europe,” Gomez told Deporte Total USA. “I hope it happens and whatever God wants.”

West Ham also have interest in the player, but never submitted a formal bid, sources say.

Gomez, 21, joined Miami last summer for a fee of $3 million from Libertad and was an instant boost to the group. Joining shortly after Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Gomez excelled around the trio of legends with his work rate, intelligence and quality. He’s made 28 appearances with Miami.

Though Gomez has excelled at left wing for Miami, Brighton still see him as a central midfielder, his natural position. He has seven caps with Paraguay.

The fee makes Gomez among the top 10 most expensive outbound transfers in MLS history.

David Beckham’s alleged extramarital affairs reached a tipping point when he stiffed a hard working server who told his then-squeeze about her date being a cheapskate.

A waitress handed Beckham’s personal assistant and alleged mistress Rebecca Loos –

whom he was romantically tied to while playing soccer for Real Madrid in 2004 – a note for him the day after they had eaten at the Hard Rock Cafe Madrid.

The note said she survived on tips and the athlete, who had just made $27m being transferred to Madrid, had stiffed her by leaving no money,

Tom Bower reveals in his new scandal packed book, “House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power,” which is available in the US on Tuesday.

“After reading the note, Beckham was alarmed,” Bower writes of the soccer star, who was dining with SFX sports agency employees.

“Give her this,’ he said, handing over a thick wodge of euros,” Bower claims in the book.

Seeing Beckham act so poorly was an apparent turning point for Loos, Bower writes, and shortly after she was let go by the SFX agency she decided to sell the story of her alleged affair — which the Beckhams have never acknowledged or denied.

The book also reveals other instances of apparent tightness from the Beckhams, who are worth a combined $575m, according to the 2024 UK Sunday Times Rich List.

David and Victoria once conveniently ‘forgot’ to tip the crew when they were on board Elton John’s yacht — a frugal act that earned them the nickname the “Takums” from the “Tiny Dancer” songwriter.

“Elton would later complain that the ‘Takums’ had forgotten the customary courtesy of tipping the crew. A sum of about $26,733 was expected for one week,” Bower writes.

Bower also reveals on a separate instance, a Beckham staffer once asked for $10 for a taxi — a request which allegedly annoyed the couple.

Posh Spice Victoria also once expensed potato chips during a photo shoot, Bower dishes.

David, meanwhile, had a tendency to be cheap with charity.

During another instance, David allegedly wanted to serve a cheap bottle of warm wine, German Liebfraumilch, which goes for around $3.80 a bottle during a UNICEF fundraiser, Bower writes.

And, separately, David was on a trip to Cambodia with UNICEF when he made the humanitarian organization upgrade him from his five-star hotel to a more luxurious resort and refused to contribute his personal money to help foot the bill.

A new tell-all book about the Beckhams has just laid out one of the instigating reasons that Megan Markle and Victoria Beckham have gone from besties to no longer speaking.

The tension between the two has been brewing since shortly after Markle’s marriage to Prince Harry in 2018.

Posh and her husband, David Beckham, were invited to the ceremony but not Markle and Harry’s exclusive wedding dinner, which added fuel to the feud fire.

By June 2024, sources claimed that their relationship had reached a point where it was “beyond repair,”

with Markle reportedly attempting to reach out to Beckham but being met with silence.

An upcoming celebrity tell-all book, The House of Beckham: Money, S— and Power by Tom Bower, delves into the early friction between these two high-profile women.

According to Bower, the initial strain began over a request for some free items from Beckham’s fashion line. Markle allegedly wanted “free handbags from Victoria Beckham before snubbing her,” per The Independent. Beckham provided a coat, dress, boots, and a handbag worth £6,000 for Markle to wear at the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day parade in Sandringham. Later, Markle wore custom-made pregnancy outfits and a white coat and dress designed by Beckham for a service at Westminster Abbey.

Despite efforts to leverage celebrity friendships for promotion, the results were underwhelming. The only notable success in 2019 was a £1,400 handbag showcased by Markle, which Bower credits Victoria’s Instagram promotion for over Markle’s endorsement. It’s also worth noting that other celebrities, like Melania Trump, have worn Victoria Beckham’s designs, complicating the public’s perception of the brand due to Trump’s divisive nature.

Bower also examines Meghan’s perceived hierarchy within the celebrity world, stating, “In Meghan’s celebrity world, ranking depended on wealth and fame. As a seasoned operator, Meghan deluded herself that her status in the Royal Family placed her above Victoria in the social pecking order.”

The book doesn’t just focus on Markle and the former Spice Girl — it also makes claims about the Beckhams’ relationship, describing it as “purely transactional” and suggesting they even feed negative stories about themselves to the press.

Victoria Beckham’s recent confession from a romantic getaway with husband David Beckham has sparked a buzz on social media.

On Instagram, Victoria reminisced about romantic vacation with David in Portofino, describing it as “very, very romantic.”

She wrote in caption, “Portofino in 1997 was a very, very romantic trip. I remember how excited I was there to be there with David for the first time.

The intensity of the two of us being together that 48 hours really was amazing… Kisses @DavidBeckham @VictoriaBeckhamBeauty xx”

The heartfelt caption garnered mixed reactions from fans. While some found it sweet, others expressed discomfort.

One wrote, “This h**** caption I’m uncomfortable.”

Another commented, “The caption.”

However, some praised their enduring love with one writing, “Beautiful . Look how far you both have come. A beautiful family . May you always have love.”

David and Victoria, who married in 1999 and have four children together, continue to be a beloved celebrity couple known for sharing glimpses of their personal lives on social media.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree where Romeo Beckham is concerned, as he looks just like mum Victoria in a new photo shared to his Instagram.

Sharing the sweet snap from his sunny holiday aboard what appears to be a yacht, the 21-year-old football player is focused as he plays backgammon with Victoria.

Similarly, the former Spice Girl has her game face on as she looks across the board.

Romeo captioned the shot: “Perfect weekend.”

Many fans were stunned at their dark-haired similarity and took to the comments. One said: “You look like brother and sister, beautiful family.”

The mother-son duo look to be aboard a large boat, and it could be the £16 million yacht owned by David

and Victoria with the number seven on the side, which is the number David wore when he played for England.

Romeo wore relaxed baggy denim shorts and a white t-shirt, keeping his hair back with a white and gold silk headscarf.

As usual, the fashion designer kept things effortlessly stylish in an all-black look with her long hair tied back in a topknot.

The youngest of the Beckham boys appears to be back on again with his long-term girlfriend Mia Reagan as the couple were recently spotted hand-in-hand on an outing at the Chiltern Firehouse in London.

Back in February, the pair announced their break-up via Instagram, with Romeo saying: “Mooch and I have parted ways after five years of love, we still have a lot of love and respect for each other, and still hold a strong friendship and always will.”

21-year-old model Mia shared a throwback snap to when the couple first started dating, captioning the picture: “This is Ro, we have grown up with each other since we were 16!! Love takes different forms & paths as you mature.

“We aren’t [together] romantically but we do share lots & lots of love for one another… after five years we friendzoned each other hehe,” followed by a series of red love hearts.

Victoria Beckham has hinted that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree when it comes to her daughter Harper’s love of all things beauty.

The 49-year-old, who launched her eponymous beauty line in 2019,

shared that while the 11-year-old isn’t allowed out of the house wearing make-up, ‘she’s been able to do a full face and contour for quite some time’.

Speaking to The Times, she fashion and beauty mogul said: ‘She’s good at doing it very naturally. Going to Space NK is her favourite treat after school.

If she does well in a test I’ll take her to the one down the road — it’s her favourite thing. She’s obsessed.’

Elsewhere in the interview, Beckham reiterated her own obsession with beauty when revealing: ‘David [Beckham] has never seen me without my brows.’

She quipped: ‘They’re the first thing I do: wake up, put on the brow. Mine aren’t even, either — they’re sisters, not twins.’

In 2018, Victoria shared a clip of her then six-year-old daughter sweetly applying make-up on her face. ‘So creative!! [sic],’ she captioned the video. ‘Harper wants to turn me into the emoji cat!’

Another clip showed Harper giving her father David a makeover, which included a brown nose, pink tones and glitter.

Harper is Victoria and David Beckham’s only daughter and the youngest child of four – the famous pair also share Brooklyn, 24, Romeo, 20 and Cruz, 18.

In March, Harper was photographed in a sleek black suit – a nod to her mother Victoria’s sophisticated aesthetic – as she walked hand-in-hand with her father David in Paris. The pair were in the French capital to watch Victoria’s AW23 show.

It wasn’t the the first time Harper was noted for taking after her mother in the style stakes either. The child donned a pretty flared yellow dress at the after party of her mother’s fashion line following the unveiling of her SS23 collection.

Lionel Messi only established his status as the greatest of all time over the weekend, as Argentina won another Copa America trophy.

Lionel Messi watched from the sidelines as MLS fans and soccer fans worldwide felt a tear in the eye, watching the man who the sport owes so much to crying on the sideline.

It was his final trophy won for Argentina and he bowed out in the best way possible, by winning another international honour.

After all, it’s what the little boy from Rosario, Argentina, came out of his initial retirement to achieve and he conquered the Argentinian landscape,

forever immortalised alongside the likes of Diego Maradona.

For Inter Miami fans, it was not nice to see their star player forced off the pitch through injury.

Oftentimes, it is Messi’s low centre of gravity which makes him impossible to tackle, meaning he is subject to rough-and-tough from his opponents, which was no different in the Copa America final.

Inter Miami head coach reveals major Lionel Messi injury update

But when can Inter Miami fans expect him back in MLS action? Aside from rightfully celebrating the Copa America win, Inter Miami fans also have the Lionel Messi injury concern to contend with. Thankfully, the Inter Miami head coach has provided a crucial update on the Lionel Messi injury situation.

As per Hindustan Times, Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said: “The club’s medical report is out and the information is that regarding the times, it will surely be evaluated week by week, We are going to see just how his recovery is without taking any kind of risk.”

Reading between the lines, this is good news for Inter Miami fans. If the injury was initially thought to be more severe, it would be checked in on less routinely than week by week. It is also refreshing to see that Inter Miami are not rushing Lionel Messi back into action.

Inter Miami have certainly struggled without Lionel Messi, which is to be expected. He is their best and most influential player after all, boasting many connections on and off the pitch. However, rushing him back into action was never the right course of action.

After all, Martino (and no doubt, the Inter Miami medical team) are better off easing him back into action. Messi is sadly not as young as he once was, so risking further injury for the benefit of getting him back ahead of schedule is not beneficial.

Thinking short-term, Lionel Messi will definitely not play against Chigao Fire this weekend.