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Coronation Street’s Lou Michaelis turned nasty on Monday after setting up Maria Connor just days ago, but it seems she has a new target after blackmailing someone

It seems Maria Connor isn’t Lou Michaelis’ real target on Coronation Street.

The character was injured during a showdown with Maria last week, only for her to set her up and claim she attacked her after a tussle. Maria had not meant to hurt Lou and was trying to confront her after catching her going to steal from Shona Platt.

Lou was injured and got all the sympathy, even from Maria’s husband Gary Windass. Gary went to the hospital with Lou and comforted her before telling Maria to apologise.

As other residents confronted Maria about what had happened she was soon arrested over the apparent attack. Lou was accused of making the call, while some fans thought it might have been Gary.

On Monday we found out the real culprit as Maria wasted no time in confronting scheming Lou, who denied being the one who told the police. But she left Maria shocked with the identity of the person who really called the police, with it being her son Brody.

It seems Maria Connor isn’t Lou Michaelis’ real target (Image: ITV)

After this Lou went to visit Gary claiming she wanted to make peace. She soon won him over with her claim that she’d given a statement that backed Maria’s claims it was an accident, with Gary thanking her.

As he offered her a drink the pair got talking as Lou got emotional over recent goings on. At one point though things looked a little cosy as there was a moment between them, with Lou also grabbing his hand.

But all became clear when Lou was seen watching as Gary entered his passcode into his phone. When he stepped away she quickly took his phone and sent a text message from the device to her own phone.

Gary had no idea, while we were not shown what the message said. After that Lou praised Gary before leaning in to kiss him leaving him stunned.

As he pulled back and called her out, he told Lou to leave. But it’s then that Lou’s plan was revealed as she began to blackmail him over the kiss.

Coronation Street’s Lou Michaelis turned nasty on Monday after setting up Maria Connor just days ago(Image: ITV)

He said Maria wouldn’t believe her over him, but Lou was certain she had Gary where she wanted him. She told Gary she’d keep quiet about the kiss as long as “he did what she said”.

So what did Lou message herself from Gary’s phone, and will it incriminate him? Either way it seems Lou has been targeting Gary all along, not Maria, and now we know why.

What exactly she is after and what her demands will be remain to be seen. But given Lou’s recent antics and the fact she’s married to villain Mick Michaelis, who had a violent fight with Gary just weeks ago, it’s not likely going to end well for him.

But might we see a sad split if Maria doesn’t believe Gary, with her already having accused him of fancying her?

As Katie Price speaks about her ex Peter Andre and his wife Emily MacDonagh, a source says the Mysterious Girl singer wants her to leave the ‘past in the past’

A source says Peter has moved on and wants Katie to do the same(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Katie Price is facing a furious online backlash after talking about her ex-husband Peter Andre and his wife of 10 years, Emily MacDonagh – with a source telling the Mirror that her comments have also gone down badly with Peter himself. The former glamour model, 47, spilled the beans about what she thinks of her 52-year-old ex, and his “proper lady” wife Emily, 35, prompting a flurry of accusations that she is “jealous” and calls for her to “leave them alone”.

While reminiscing about their marriage last week, Katie revealed that her and Peter’s kids – particularly Princess – can’t comprehend that they were once a couple because she and Emily are “just so different”.

Peter and Katie married in 2005 and split fours years later(Image: Getty Images North America)

“I said to her, ‘I was with your dad for six years – trust me, we had a laugh, banter together. We did,” Katie told comedian Katherine Ryan on her podcast, adding, “She can’t believe that whenever he went everywhere or me, we were together with the kids – we’d go as a family. She’s like, ‘Emily doesn’t do all that,’ for Pete.”

Her remarks about Emily led to a stream of comments on social media, saying that she is envious of Peter’s new life, with one listener noting, “Price is just jealous because Pete and Emily are happy and love their family. She has never let it go and moved on.” Someone else told her to “get a grip and leave them alone”.

Others were more sympathetic, however, with one commenting, “The one who got away. Quite possibly the love of her life.”

Fans accused Katie of being jealous of Peter’s life with Emily(Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

Amid the backlash, a source told us that Pete isn’t happy about being dragged into what he considers to be “ancient history” and is desperate for it to stop. “Peter moved on a long time ago and is fed up of her talking about him because it was such a long time ago that they split,” said the source. “It has a knock-on effect on his family, especially Emily. He knew their marriage was over when they split up 16 years ago and he just wants her to leave it in the past too. He’s very happy with his life.”

Katie and Peter’s firstborn, Junior, is legally an adult at 20 and Princess turns 18 on 29 June. Katie, who recently launched an AI version of her younger alter ego Jordan, said last month she’d been speaking to Princess ahead of her milestone birthday about following in her footsteps and joining OnlyFans or creating an AI avatar.

“But when I ask her – she’s 18 next month – she’s all busy doing her skincare and stuff like that,” Katie said. “She’s in the industry and doing her own thing.”

Katie’s alter-ego Jordan is back – in AI form(Image: MUST CREDIT OhChat! )

Another source told us the OnlyFans suggestion couldn’t be further from Princess’ plans career-wise. “Princess has her own career and identity and is doing really well doing her own thing,” said the source. “Brands are desperate to work with her and she’s even had to turn work down she’s so in demand. She’s definitely not going to do OnlyFans.

“Peter is just happy for his children – who are both almost adults – to have the freedom to choose their own career path.”

This isn’t the first time that Katie, who is currently dating Married At First Sight UK series eight star, JJ Slater, has discussed her marriage to Peter and their break-up publicly. Just last month, Katie, who is also mum to Harvey, 23, Jett, 11, and Bunny, 10, said the decision to divorce “wasn’t mutual at all” and that Peter’s suspicions about her having an affair became too much for the relationship to bear.

Princess turns 18 later this month(Image: Getty Images)

Psychologist Dr Lalitaa Suglani said it is understandable that, as someone who has lived most of her life in the public eye, Katie uses interviews to express her emotions, but says it’s potentially doing more harm than good. “Continually revisiting unresolved issues in public can sometimes reopen emotional wounds rather than help them heal,” she told the Mirror. “Each time it’s shared, the story is reignited, which can prevent emotional distance from forming.”

Dr Lalitaa also said it’s natural for a person to want closure when a relationship ends, but the likelihood of Katie getting a “satisfying, tied-up ending with Peter” sounds remote. “So the focus has to shift from external resolution to internal acceptance,” Dr Lalitaa explained.

“That means acknowledging what happened, processing the emotions that still linger and then deciding to move forward, regardless of whether the other person participates in that process. Closure is about you, not them. It’s about reclaiming power over your story and choosing not to let the past dictate your present.”

The actress appeared on Loose Women last week where she opened up about an unusual career path that she has always wanted to do

Joanna shared an unexpected career aspiration on Loose Women last week(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Famed for playing Stacey in the hit show Gavin and Stacey, and appearing as ‘Just Judy’, the charming body double in Love Actually alongside Martin Freeman, Welsh actress Joanna Page shared an unexpected career aspiration on ITV’s Loose Women.

Gracing the panel that included Christine Lampard, Janet Street-Porter, Jane Moore, and Grace Keeling (GK Barry), Joanna revealed her unusual dream job.

During the interview, Grace probed Joanna about a rumoured new career path: “I’m really intrigued about what I’ve heard, and it’s the new career move. Something to do with a sex therapist?”

Joanna replied: “I’ve always wanted to become a sex therapist.”

She confided her interest in becoming a relationship counsellor to the panel, sharing her passion for engaging with people’s stories and offering counsel, saying: “I’ve always wanted to train as a relationship counsellor, because I’m interested in chatting to people and their relationships and, you know, listening to their problems and what’s happened and how I can talk to them about it”, reports Wales Online.

The actress found fame on Gavin & Stacey playing lovable Stacey(Image: PA)

With a glimmer of humour, Joanna added: “I imagine, though, that you guys are probably going to ruin this next career move of mine. I want this to happen, it would be iconic. Yeah, I’d love to do that.”

Joanna also recounted humorous anecdotes to the Loose Women panel, one of which involved her giving advice to a delivery driver — an encounter her husband James found less than amusing.

The actress recounted: “I’ve been in the house and I’ve had, you know, like delivery drivers coming round and they’ve dropped off a delivery and then James is going, ‘oh my gosh, it’s 20 minutes later, where is she?’ and I’ve been in the back of the van talking to the driver.”

During her appearance, Janet quipped: “Doing it for nothing?”

Joanna added: “He’s just been like, ‘well I don’t know what to do with my relationship, with my girlfriend. What do you think?’ and James caught me in the back. He was like ‘are you alright?’ and I said ‘yeah I’ll be out in a minute. I’m just talking to him about his relationship with his girlfriend and what he should do.’”

Janet playfully teased Joanna, saying: “Before you train as a counsellor, I can see you’d be very good if they can get a word in edgeways,” prompting a burst of laughter.

Promoting her new book titled Lush!, which navigates through “From Swansea to Stacey and Everything in Between”, Joanna revealed it will hit shelves at the end of September.

Joanna was promoting her new book titled ‘Lush!’ on the panel show(Image: Ian West/PA Wire)

She shared: “I hand them over at 5pm to James and then I’ll get in the car and I’ll drive down to this local car park of this pub, which is changing hands, so there’s nobody there.

“I park in the car park until 1am and I write and then I get scared so I drive to another car park which is slightly closer to home. I sit there until 3am and then I drive home, park outside the front of the house. I don’t go in because Boe will sense me and I sit there until 5am. I then go back into the house and sleep for two hours, get up at 7am and get them ready for school.”

She lightheartedly admitted that a steady stream of coffee was all that kept her going before sharing that penning the book felt like a therapeutic look back at her life and acknowledging her desire for more roles in acting.

The Princess of Wales joined the rest of the Royal Family and watched the annual Garter Day procession at Windsor Castle after being forced to miss the event last year due to her cancer treatment

The Princess of Wales made a huge return to the royals’ annual Garter Day event after missing last years due to her cancer treatment. Kate dazzled in a recycled white Self Portrait dress and hat by Sean Barrett as she proudly watched Prince William, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla, take part in one of the the most colourful events of the royal calendar.

It sees royals and others donning the grand velvet robes and plumed hats for a procession from the castle to St George’s Chapel for a private service before they return in horse-drawn carriages. Kate giggled with Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, as she watched the procession pass through the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Kate smiles as she watches the procession pass by (
Image:
Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

The King, resplendent in the traditional velvet robes and plumed hat of the Order of the Garter, smiled as he presided over the elaborate display of pomp and pageantry in the blazing sunshine. The Queen, also dressed in the order’s full regalia, walked alongside him as the procession snaked its way down the hill from the castle’s quadrangle to St George’s Chapel.

Ahead of them, walked William, who chatted to his uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, but failed to catch his wife’s eye. The Princess Royal was just ahead of them. Meanwhile, the Duke of Kent, 89, travelled by car accompanied by an equerry.

Kate and Sophie had emerged from the Galilee Porch entrance to the chapel at least ten minutes before the procession started, chatting and laughing together under a canopy. As the elderly Military Knights of Windsor, who led the procession, appeared into view and made their way slowly past them, the two women appeared tickled by something, laughing together.

Kate and Sophie watch on as William and Edward pass by in their Garter robes (
Image:
PA)
When William came into view further up the hill, he appeared to keep glancing towards his wife but she was too busy chatting to the Duchess. Hundreds of onlookers, many trying to shelter from the heat with straw hats and parasols, cheered as the party slowly made its way through the grounds. Many had brought camping chairs and picnics, while others purchased ice creams.

After the private service finished, the royals were taken in carriages back to Windsor Castle, with the King and Queen leading the way followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain, with knights chosen by the sovereign in recognition of their outstanding public service and achievement. Last year, the Duchess of Gloucester was invested, having been made a Royal Lady Companion.

Kate shares a joke with Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh (
Image:
Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
Air Chief Marshal the Lord Peach, a retired RAF officer who chairs Nato’s military committee, Lord Kakkar, a professor of surgery, and Lord Lloyd-Webber, the composer, were also invested and installed as Knights.

Other Knights include former prime ministers Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair and Baroness Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, the first female chancellor of the Order.

One royal missing from today’s procession was Prince Andrew, who despite being a member of the order, has not taken part in the public procession for the last four years.

However, he was seen earlier today dressed in a shirt and tie driving to Windsor Castle for the event, where he was believed to have taken part in the event’s annual lunch and investiture, which takes place behind closed doors.

Kate giggles with Sophie and another specator (
Image:
PA)

Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Since the 2022 Garter Day, the last one observed by the late Queen, he has not taken part in the public procession wearing the Garter robes and plumed hat.

The Order of the Garter is limited to 24 Knights or Ladies Companion, in addition to the King and the Prince of Wales and several “supernumerary members”, including some foreign monarchs such as the King of Spain and the King of the Netherlands.

Recipients of the honour are chosen because they have held public office, contributed to national life or served the sovereign personally.

King Charles and Queen Camilla in their Garter robes today (
Image:
PA)

The appointment of Knights and Ladies of the Garter is in the King’s gift and is made without consulting ministers. After the service, the royals take part in a traditional carriage procession back up the hill to Windsor Castle.

The ceremony heralds a busy period for the royals, with the King and Queen expected at Royal Ascot in the coming days, and early next month they will host a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Princess Diana’s former personal trainer, who worked with the royal for the last six years of her life, has opened up about their relationship – and why she used to beg the Princess not to tell her secrets

Princess Diana’s personal trainer used to beg her not to reveal her secrets(Image: Press Association)

Diana’s former personal trainer used to plead with her not to share her secrets – for a heartbreaking reason.

Jenni Rivett, 65, worked with Princess Diana during what was likely the most tumultuous period of the royal’s life, as her marriage publicly broke down.

Diana and King Charles – then Prince of Wales – were engulfed in a PR battle often dubbed the ‘War of the Waleses’ as they tried to get their side of things across to the public during their acrimonious separation.

The personal trainer was a first-hand witness to Diana’s life during this difficult period, as she worked with her for six years between 1991 and 1997 – right up until the royal’s untimely and tragic death, with the pair booked in to continue their workout sessions after Diana was due to return.

The personal trainer worked with Diana during the breakdown of her marriage(Image: Getty Images)

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997 while holidaying with her then boyfriend Dodi Fayed. Her driver was drunk and crashed the vehicle while trying to get away from paparazzi who were chasing the car. All but one passenger died in the accident.

Jenni and Diana were due to have some training sessions just days later – but they never came. The South African trainer received the heartbreaking news that her long-time client had died through a pal – and it’s taken her nearly three decades to feel like she can discuss Diana and the wonderful memories they shared.

Diana always wore the same Virgin Atlantic jumper to the gym to make photos less valuable(Image: Getty Images)

The pair shared a close relationship, Jenni told the Mail Online, but on occasion, she would plead with Diana not to tell her private details of her life, for a seriously devastating reason.

“Sometimes Diana would tell me things so personal I would ask her: ‘Please don’t say any more because if it ends up in the papers tomorrow, you will think it was me.’

“I would give her the very best advice I could, yet I’d pinch myself – here I am, consultant to the Royal Family! But saying that, I knew my place. I never brought up subjects myself, I never overstepped the line, and I think she appreciated that,” Jenni said.

She also revealed that Diana never wanted to end up on the path she ended up walking and that all that had really mattered to the Princess was her husband and sons – Prince William and Prince Harry, who were “everything to her”.

“Diana loved her boys; they were everything to her. She would have been devastated at what is going on between them today,” the personal trainer added.

Jenni first got the call that the most famous woman in the world wanted to work through her from Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, and she admitted that she was more than a bit intimidated when she heard the news.

Working three hours a week with Diana to get her fitness to the best it could be, she watched the Princess transform through her heartbreak, and step into a new, confident chapter.

In tribute to Prince Harry on Father’s Day, Meghan Markle shared a video of heartwarming family moments over the years – but there’s a strong message hidden in the montage according to an expert

Meghan Markle has shared never-before-seen footage of her children to mark Father’s Day – and one expert believes it points to a new strategy for the Sussexes.

The Duchess of Sussex shared an incredibly personal video montage of Prince Harry with their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The compilation featured various photos and videos of the Duke of Sussex with his kids over the years, marking a notable shift from the couple’s previous stance of keeping their children’s faces completely out of the public eye.

The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram shortly before midnight UK time to share the video, which was set to the song Have It All by Jason Mraz. Meghan added the caption: “The best. Happy Father’s Day to our favorite guy”, as heartwarming montage was played out of Harry with Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.

Special intimate moments are shown including footage of Archie and Lilibet as babies, while other clips showed Harry running around outside with them, dancing in the kitchen, at the beach, and during various other family days out.

The clip comes just days after Meghan shared another personal video of her twerking while in labour. Reacting to the new video, body language expert Judi James has revealed a striking contrast between Meghan’s Father’s Day post and Princess Kate’s – and says there’s a hidden message for Archie and Lilibet.

 

Heartwarming moments were captured of Harry and his two children for the video (Image: instagram.com/meghan)

“The basic display tone of this video, that is a narrative of clips of Harry being a father, is very different to the one the UK royals tend to use for their Father’s Day poses,” Judi told the Mirror.

She explained: “With William and his children, Kate is very present, holding the camera. The children and often William tend to look into the camera to signal firstly inclusion of Kate but secondly their sense of having a public role too.

“Meghan’s films suggest she is admiring her husband from a distance here. The sense of strong love is present, but it’s also a reflective presence as though she’s wanting to show how Harry reacts naturally with their children, almost when ‘nobody is watching’. It’s the kind of event many mothers experience when they look out of the window to watch their husband playing with the children and reflect on how good a father they are.”

Harry dancing around in the kitchen with Archie(Image: instagram.com/meghan)

Judi continued: “This is a whole cinematic-looking narrative, too. Unlike the rather basic filming of her pregnancy twerking, this is glossy and idealistic, using lighting and filming techniques to make it look like movie class. It often feels like you’re watching the opening credits of a show like Succession where they mock up historic-looking home movies to bring the family up to the present day.

“There’s the technicolour technique at the start and end, which is similar to the Enid Blyton style colouring they once used on their Xmas cards. There’s soft focus for the babies, then a more Vogue-style lighting and filming as Harry walks with his kids as they get older.”

Sharing her thoughts on how the father-of-two is represented amid his ongoing public feud with his family, the expert shared: “Harry is shown being a tender, tactile and often playful dad who is very involved in teaching his children as they grow.

The body language expert said the Father’s Day video showed Harry being ‘tender and tactile'(Image: instagram.com/meghan)

And one theme which runs throughout the clip could be seen as a message to the royals as Harry’s fight for protection and security for his children while visiting the UK rumbles on. “There is also a very strong message of freedom for the children and Harry here, too,” Judi notes. “There is a lot of running and walking away from the camera to continue to reject a more public profile but it’s the recurring theme of the bare feet too.”

Judi added: “With both Harry and his children walking in bare feet, the symbolic reference is to a free life but also to a wealthy one, as walking barefoot on public streets and parks tends to be a dangerous pastime. On your own estate, though, it’s clearly just fine.”

The Father’s Day post is part of a growing trend of Meghan sharing more intimate moments from their family life on social media. Just last week, she posted a video of the family’s fun-filled day at Disneyland to celebrate Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday.

It comes as Harry and Meghan recently gave their PR team the boot, making huge changes to how they run their internal communications. They have now hired Method Communications, who claim they are “disruptors” who “challenge the status quo”.

In a big chake-up, Olivia Attwood has said yes to presenting on This Morning and confirmed the huge career move on the show as Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley said she’ll be ‘brilliant’

A very ecstatic Olivia Attwood today announced she’s joining the This Morning line-up following her recent success on Loose Women. A guest on the programme today, Olivia said: “I have some news, it’s very exiting. I’ll be joining you guys on the hosting team.”

The former Love Island star turned documentary said: “I’m very excited to be joining you guys, a huge honour. I’ve grown up watching this show and being part of the daytime team on Loose Women has been the best experience and this just feels like a very natural progression.”

Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley said she’ll be ‘brilliant’ after announcing the new and she then got some practice in, but needed her soon-to-be colleagues help in finding the correct camera as she addressed the viewers.

Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley have a new presenter to work with (
Image:
ITV Screengrab)
Olivia will return to This Morning in the summer where she will be hosting episodes of the show while usual presenters Ben and Cat take their long summer break.

The 34-year-old, who joined ITV’s Loose Women panel two years ago, appeared on This Morning on Monday to discuss her latest series of her documentary Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection.

The news drew mixed reaction on social media. One wasn’t happy with the decision and said on X: “That’s another step downhill for this show! I wonder who else will be hosting over the summer?”

Another was pleased, writing: “Yes queen hope you get full time on this morning!” as a third person said about the reality TV star: “It’s great that olivia attwood will be a presenter on this morning, she’ll be fantastic #ThisMorning.”

Olivia has been a hit with Loose Women viewers (
Image:
ITV)
Olivia appeared on the third season of Love Island in 2017, where she placed third with boyfriend Chris Hughes. They dated until 2018, when they called it a day. Olivia went on to appear on series five of Celebs Go Dating, and also joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex for 16 episodes. In 2022 it was announced she would be taking part in ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity, but she left the show after less than 24 hours due to medical reasons.

Football hunk Bradley Dack has been married to former Islander Olivia since 2023. In a heartfelt message to Olivia on her birthday last month, he wrote: “From how it is now to where it started and everything in between. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful wife.

“So proud of the person you have become and continue to be.. You’ve been there through it all and always had my back, so I’m always grateful to have you on my team cause I couldn’t ask for anyone better to do life with. I hope you have a special day and then we can really celebrate tomorrow.”

To mark Father’s Day, Meghan Markle has taken to Instagram to share a heartfelt message branding Harry ‘the best’ in a video showing a combination of sweet family clips with Archie and Lilibet

Meghan Markle has shared never-before-seen footage of Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with a heartfelt message to mark Father’s Day.

Shortly before midnight Meghan shared the video on Instagram showing Harry alongside Archie and Lilibet, set to the song Have It All by Jason Mraz with the caption: “The best. Happy Father’s Day to our favorite guy.” The compilation showed photos and videos of Harry laughing, dancing and spending quality time with his children through the years. The video hints at a sea change in the way the couple reveal insights into their every day life, having recently made changes to their communication team.

Harry shares a laugh as he reads a bedtime story (
Image:
meghan/Instagram)

For the first time they have revealed what Harry is like as a dad – teaching his child to ride a bike, making the kids howl with laughter, reading a bedtime story. The video also shows snippets of the children’s faces, a change from recent photos shared by Meghan, and ends with a shot of Harry holding Lilibet underneath a banner saying: “Happy Fathers Day”.

But despite the post honouring Harry, Meghan did not mention her own father Thomas Markle. She has not spoken to him since a family fallout over seven years ago at the time of her wedding.

In addtion, there was no public Father’s Day message from Harry to his father King Charles. The Sussexes have since been at the centre of tensions with other royals, with the duke becoming estranged from his father, the King, and his brother, Prince William.

Prince Harry dotes on his children (
Image:
meghan/Instagram)
In a recent interview, Harry said he “would love a reconciliation” with his family, claiming Charles will not speak to him and expressing concern that he does not know “how much longer my father has”.

The new Father’s Day post comes as Meghan has been sharing more and more of her life at home with Harry and their two children on social media. Just last week, she shared an intimate video of the family celebrating Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday at Disneyland.

The post on Instagram showed the family enjoying rides at the California attraction, drawing comparisons with Harry’s childhood trip to Florida’s Walt Disney World with Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1993.

Harry dances around with a baby Prince Archie (
Image:
instagram.com/meghan)

The montage also featured a clip of Archie, six, and Lili meeting Disney princess Elsa, from the film Frozen. Meghan wears a Minnie Mouse hat in some of the snaps featured in the video, while another image shows a two-tier Little Mermaid-themed birthday cake for Lili.

It came just days after posted a video of herself twerking in a bid to bring on labour while pregnant with Lilibet. In the clip, a heavily pregnant Meghan is shown dancing in a hospital room to the Starrkeisha song Baby Momma, alongside the Duke of Sussex. She posted on her Instagram to celebrate Lili’s fourth birthday last week, writing: “Four years ago today, this also happened.

“Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work – there was only one thing left to do!” The candid video, which runs for more than a minute, also features Harry, who is seen dancing in and out of the frame.

Harry clearly adores being a Dad (
Image:
meghan/Instagram)

He is beckoned in by Meghan as the pair dance together, with the duke appearing at the end with the hood of his grey hoodie up as he continues his dance moves.

Meghan is wearing a black maternity dress and cradles her large bump as she dances, as well as lifting her skirt above her knees, raising her hands in the air and wiggling low with her hands on her hips and legs. The release of the footage is one of the more unusual ways a member of the royal family has marked a royal birthday.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously told the Mirror: “I suppose Meghan is showing the children more on Instagram because she knows there is a public appetite for photos of them. But she’s being very coy about allowing us to see what they really look like.

“That’s fair enough, if she wants to protect their privacy – though you could certainly argue that there’s a very fine line between using them to publicise her Instagram account and her determination to keep their family life private.

Meghan captured unseen moments (
Image:
meghan/Instagram)
“With both children at school, she and Harry will obviously have a bit more time to pursue their various activities. Meghan seems to be ramping up her projects more and more, but I think they will both continue to put their family first – just like William and Catherine. And there’s nothing wrong with that if you are lucky enough to be able to do so.”

However, Harry was not the only royal father to receive a Father’s Day appreciation post. William’s children earlier wished him a happy Father’s Day in a social media post declaring: “We love you!” Two new photographs of William and his three children, George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven, were released on Sunday.

The first picture shows the prince and his children posing for a family picture in a garden, while in the second picture, William and the youngsters are shown wrestling playfully in the grass, with the two boys holding their father down and Charlotte laughing. In their post, the three children wrote: “Happy Father’s Day, Papa (before and after!) “We love you!”

The message was signed “G, C & L” followed by a sparkly heart emoji. Kensington Palace said the photographs were taken by professional photographer Josh Shinner in Norfolk earlier this year.

‘I love how he looks at you,’ said one person

Former Loose Women star Carol McGiffin had fans piling the compliments high after she posed in a bikini while on holiday with her husband.

Presenter Carol, 65, and Mark Cassidy, 43, have been married since 2018. The pair struck up a romance in 2008 and have gone from strength to strength since.

And this week, Carol – who left Loose Women in 2023 – gave fans a look at her lush holiday away with Mark.

The TV star recently enjoyed a lavish getaway (Credit: ITV)

Carol McGiffin and husband enjoy trip away

Taking to her Instagram on Sunday (June 15) Carol uploaded several snaps from her holiday to St Tropez.

In one photo, the lovebirds posed by the pool with Carol rocking an animal print bikini that showcased her ageless figure.

She teamed the beach-ready look with a pair of dark shades while she beamed to the camera alongside her hubby.

The pair also enjoyed an al fresco lunch, and in another photo, Carol soaked up the sun in a bright orange swimsuit.

Carol McGiffin leaves fans swooning

Carol captioned the post: “Exactly this time last year we were here in Saint Tropez doing a shoot for OK! Magazine. Cut to now and it’s just our phone cameras for this trip.

“And while not exactly magazine material, we don’t care because we absolutely love it here, especially this hotel and will never not.”

The pair got married in 2018 (Credit: SplashNews.com)

‘Absolutely gorgeous’

Carol’s fans soon rushed to the comments section to swoon over the TV star.

One person said: “Carol you look absolutely stunning.” Someone else gushed: “Look at your figure, you gorgeous thing you!”

A third smitten fan chimed in: “I love how Mark looks at you…you are both soooo loved up.. beautiful couple.”

Echoing their thoughts, another follower wrote: “Absolutely gorgeous. Stunning honey.”

Carol and husband Mark

Mark and Carol first met when Mark was 26 and Carol was 48.

They met at a Loose Women wrap party back in 2008. They were dating for 10 years before secretly getting married in February 2018.

Carol has previously opened up about being in a relationship with someone 22 years her junior.

“I am with a younger man and it is quite difficult when you see yourself ageing so much quicker than he is,” she said. “I’ve got to try and keep it the way it is, rather than let it go downhill too quickly.”

Looks like they were pulling faces!

At Trooping the Colour on June 14, Prince Louis had an adorable interaction with Duchess Sophie that charmed royal watchers.

Trooping the Colour delivered plenty of memorable moments. But one of the sweetest came courtesy of Prince Louis, seven, and the Duchess of Edinburgh – his great-aunt.

Prince Louis was his usual mischievous self – mimicking his grandfather King Charles, being gently corrected by his eldest brother George and soaking up every moment of the royal spotlight.

But one heartwarming moment stole the spotlight behind the scenes, as captured in a candid photo shared online.
Prince Louis enjoyed Trooping the Colour by the looks of it! (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Prince Louis and Duchess Sophie at Trooping the Colour

In the shot, Sophie, 60, is seen leaning toward a gleeful Louis, while he gazes up at her with his mouth wide open in sheer delight.

Though his sister Princess Charlotte’s presence partially obscures Sophie’s face, royal fans have suggested that Louis’ expression indicates that the two may have been pulling funny faces at one another.

The photo was taken inside the Major-General’s Office.

One royal fan shared the photo on X, captioning it: “Prince Louis with the Duchess of Edinburgh in the Major General’s office.”

Social media quickly lit up with reactions.

It is so nice to have a big family that love and enjoy each other.

One fan exclaimed: “I love how close the Edinburghs and Waleses are.”

“That is family!!” Another gushed.

A third fan noted: “What a shame we can’t see her face. I bet she’s pulling one at Louis in return!”

“It is so nice to have a big family that love and enjoy each other,” one fan commented.

“Auntie Sophie is a great great auntie,” another echoed.

Fans noted that this interaction suggests a strong level of trust and closeness within the extended royal family.
Duchess Sophie was seen sharing a sweet moment with young Prince Louis (Credit: Cover Images)

Duchess Sophie’ bond with her family

While her children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex,  were notably absent from this year’s parade, Sophie’s presence at Louis’ side underlined her ever-growing bond with the Wales family.

This rapport was further highlighted during a joint engagement with Prince William in Cornwall earlier this month.

The pair visited a local food and farming event where they sampled food and alcohol.

Sophie, who serves as Vice President of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association and patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations, arrived to cheering crowds.

Whilst sampling local gin, the Prince of Wales caught Sophie going in for another taste and teasingly warned the vendors: “You’ve got to watch her!”

Turning to his aunt with a grin, he joked: “You’re not allowed to finish it.”

“He’s learnt from the best,” Sophie quipped back.

Sophie’s closeness to the Wales family was also apparent during Kate Middleton’s recent cancer battle.

Within royal circles, she has been described as a supportive “rock” to William and Catherine.

Since 2022, Sophie and her family have lived just a short distance from each other – the Edinburghs at Bagshot Park and the Waleses at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park.

That proximity seems to have allowed them to grow closer.