Over the weekend, the Mail?s Becky English had a big exclusive about the year to come for the Princess of Wales. The 2025 plans for Kate have been briefed extensively for months, and by that I mean that Kensington Palace has repeatedly drilled it into royal reporters? briefings that Kate will not be ?back to work? for some time, if ever. Ingrid Seward put her own spin on those palace briefings, suggesting that Kate sees her role now as just child-rearing and preparing her kids for their future roles. There?s a sense that Kate feels some creeping terror at the thought of royal work, and there?s also a sense that Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla simply want Kate to be a background character from now on. Well, the Telegraph?s Hannah Furness also got the ?birthday briefing? about Kate. Some highlights:

Kate?s birthday plans: As she turns 43 today, her world looks mercifully different. After a birthday breakfast with her children at their Windsor home and the school run, she will probably join Prince William to walk their dog Orla as usual before a family celebration in the evening.

Plans for events in the months to come: There is no ?big reset button that?s going to be pressed? because of the turn of a new year into 2025 or a birthday, said a Palace source. But her slow return will continue. The Princess?s team at Kensington Palace is making plans for engagements, expected to include a welcome resuming of her public work on early years childhood in the not too distant future.

Staying cancer-free: Sources emphasise that the Princess?s ?unwavering commitment to duty and service? has not changed with illness, but that her own words in September are the ones to pay attention to. ?Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus,? she said then. ?Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.?

Do it right once: The idea, though no one at the palace quite expresses it this way, is to do it once and get it [right]. For the Princess to thrive in a decades-long job in the public eye, she must have the chance to fully recover now. As the months since her chemotherapy ended have passed, that has meant swimming, re-emerging at school events and children?s sports clubs, and ? as she has said so many times before ? spending time outside in nature.

William & Kate don?t want to be king and queen: The coming year will see big decisions on Prince George?s future schooling, with visits to public schools around Windsor and London already under way ready for his move in 2026, with his two younger siblings to follow. Then there has been the matter of the King?s own cancer, and what it could have meant for Prince William and Catherine as a future King and Queen who did not want the roles for many years to come.

Kate won?t travel overseas: She will not join the Prince on a short spring overseas tour, it is understood, but will aim for key public moments just as she did last year, with the addition of some ?ordinary? engagements too. The Princess will also continue with the recent pattern of using video messages and signed statements to speak directly to the public, it is said. Just as she has lost so much, it appears, she has found a new way to use her voice. ?What you?ve seen from the Princess of Wales has been her speaking directly and sharing her journey with the public,? says a source. ?I can see that trajectory continuing. Her using her voice to share her own story was extremely powerful.?

[From The Telegraph]

I?m trying to think if I?ve ever seen any other 40-something woman be so coddled and infantilized. This is the way it?s always been with Kate, even before her mysterious medical situations, and I have to imagine that the people around her treat her similarly too ? like she?s a child who has to be managed and indulged. There?s also a piece of news here, that Kate will not travel. We assumed that, but Becky English sort of left it open in her piece over the weekend, that if Kate felt ?well enough,? she would join William on a trip or tour. Now the courtiers are saying ?of course not, who would do the school run???

New birthday photo! I?ll let y?all discuss if there?s any Photoshop involved.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images and Matt Porteous for Kensington Palace.

British outlets heard that there are raging wildfires in Los Angeles County, and they decided to make it all about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Prince Harry and Meghan live in Montecito, which is part of Santa Barbara County. That?s about a hundred miles away from LA. While it?s possible that Montecito may be affected by the wildfires, let?s be clear: this is the British press trying to draw Harry and Meghan into a wider tragedy. These people do not understand that the Sussexes live some distance away from LA.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be forced to evacuate their $14 million Montecito, Calif., mansion as the Pacific Palisades wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles. A spokesperson for Southern California Edison told the Telegraph Wednesday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?s property falls inside a ?high fire risk? zone.

Power shutdowns could occur in the ritzy enclave of Santa Barbara County due to ?a Red Flag Warning and increased risk of wildfires,? the spokesperson shared, adding that ?affected customers? were being contacted in several communities, ?including Montecito.?

It is unclear whether Harry, 40, and Markle, 43, have been contacted. Their reps did not immediately respond to Page Six?s request for comment.

The couple has been residing in the 18,000-square-foot home with their two kids ? Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3 ? since they resigned from their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the West Coast. The manor boasts nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, while the sprawling property features a pool, tennis court, tea house, rose gardens, century-old olive trees, children?s cottage and a two-bedroom guesthouse.

Other celebrities living in the area could also face evacuation, including the royal couple?s neighbors Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow. Winfrey, a close friend of Harry and Markle, memorably experienced damage to her property due to mudslides caused by wildfires in 2018. Thousands of residents have already fled the Pacific Palisades as roaring fires ripped through the region Tuesday and Wednesday.

[From Page Six]

There are outages in neighboring areas and power outages could affect Montecito. Over here in the mid-Atlantic, we had an especially icy and snowy weekend, and thousands of people lost power. I got a call from my power company telling me all about it. I would imagine many Californians are getting those same automated calls from their power companies and emergency services, keeping them updated on what?s happening in LA County. But, again, let?s be clear: this is mostly about the British media trying to drag the Sussexes into the wildfire tragedy AND say that the Sussexes? Montecito mansion could burn down.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I remember when Jessica Alba and Cash Warren first got together, and feeling like the guy seemed ?off? somehow. I was suspicious because, when Alba met Cash, she seemed vulnerable. She had just gotten out of a relationship with Michael Weatherly, who was well into his 30s when she was a late-teen and early 20s. It felt like Cash was a rebound after a weird age-gap relationship, but then it got serious. So, yeah, I was anti-Cash, but then they had three children together and seemed happy, or at least they seemed settled. Well, after about twenty years together, they?re apparently calling it quits. They met in 2004, got engaged in 2007 and married in 2008. Their oldest, Honor, is 16 years old. Their youngest, Hayes, is 7 years old.

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren?s marriage hasn?t just hit a rocky patch, they?re about to call it quits with a divorce filing ? TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ? the couple recently separated, and they?re moving forward with divorce. It?s unclear what brought them to the decision to end their nearly 17-year marriage, but there have been some public signs of trouble.

Both Cash and Jessica have been out and about without their wedding rings. Most recently, she attended a pre-Golden Globes party Saturday at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood without Cash, and without her ring.

Ditto for her night out in Rome last month with film producer Andrea Iervolino ? no wedding ring on her hand as she and Andrea were beginning to work on the biopic, ?Maserati: The Brothers.?

For his part, Cash was out and about in L.A. last week with a ring-less left hand.

The last time Cash and Jessica were photographed together was at L.A.?s Crypto.com Arena back on November 10 as they sat courtside for a Lakers game. Jessica also posted a family photo from Universal Studios last week, though it?s unclear if was a current photo or a throwback.

[From TMZ]

This has actually been percolating for a while, a lot like the rumors about Jessica Simpson?s marriage to Eric Johnson. I kind of thought that we would hear something more about Simpson?s marriage before all of this. TMZ isn?t being slick about it ? they?re insinuating that Alba has left Cash for Andrea Iervolino. I?ll wait to see what?s really going on. If Cash and Jessica file for divorce, there could be a huge battle over the money. Alba built a wildly successful, billion-dollar company from the ground up, and she has a reported net worth of anywhere between $300-400 million. She built all of that during her marriage too ? will Cash want half?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

The current wildfires are being called the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles. It?s because of the population density in the affected areas, and because three major fires are raging all at once ? the Palisades fire, the Eaton fire and the Hurst fire in the San Fernando Valley. More than 4 million people are without power in Southern California. The strong Santa Ana winds are spreading the fire further and further. We hope all of our friends in LA stay safe and that firefighters find a way to put these fires out.

The strength, speed and damage of the fires have already had an immediate effect in Hollywood. Several studios have been affected, with Disney, Universal and Warner Bros shutting down their lots in Burbank and Universal City. LA premieres and screenings for Unstoppable, Better Man, Wolf Man and The Pitt have been canceled. And now the Critics Choice Awards have been postponed as well. The Critics Choice Awards were originally scheduled for this coming Sunday in Santa Monica, with Chelsea Handler hosting. They?ve been pushed to January 26th.

The Critics Choice Awards will go forward on Jan. 26.

The rescheduled event will remain at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, and will broadcast live on E! and around the world. It will also be available on Peacock the next day.

?This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,? said CCA CEO Joey Berlin.

[From Deadline]

This is fine with me and I guess everyone is assuming that the wildfires will be contained in the next week (hopefully). In case you?re keeping track at home, here are the new awards-season/winter dates to keep in mind: Oscar nominations come out on January 17, then the Critics Choice on January 26, with the Grammys scheduled for the following Sunday (February 2). The following weekend, we?ll have the DGA and PGA Awards on February 8th and the Super Bowl on February 9th. BAFTAs on February 16th, SAG Awards on February 23 and Oscars on March 2.

Oh, after I wrote this, AMPAS made some adjustments to their voting schedule. They extended the Oscar voting by several days, given how many Oscar voters live in LA. Now the Oscar noms will be announced on January 19th.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Today is the Princess of Wales?s 43rd birthday. I always find it interesting that she?s a Capricorn. The past year was pretty bonkers for Kate, and I would imagine the coming year will be significantly strange as well. As I?ve said before, the palaces have enacted a ?kick the can down the road? strategy, where nothing is promised for Kate beyond her attendance at a handful of major events. It will be interesting if we see much of her in the next three months, and then when spring comes, there will be a new briefing that she?s still resting and recuperating and focusing on her family, how dare you expect her to work once a week. Here?s People Magazine?s birthday exclusive:

Kate Middleton is putting herself first as she rings in her birthday four months after announcing that she completed chemotherapy treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. The Princess of Wales turned 43 on Jan. 9, celebrating her first birthday after a difficult year. In March 2024, Princess Kate announced that she was undergoing treatment for cancer and shared in September that she completed chemo. In a rare revelation at her Together at Christmas carol service in December, Princess Kate said, ?I didn?t know this year was going to be the year that I?ve just had.?

Looking ahead, a family friend exclusively tells PEOPLE that the Princess of Wales, described as ?a real running, skipping and jumping? type of sporty person, is wisely prioritizing her health now. ?She is looking after herself and is wise to do so. She will know when she wakes up if she is well enough or not [to do something],? the family friend says.

Adds a source, ?She has been allowed to get back in her own way. She has been able to pace it and do it her way, and that?s great.?

?Family has seen [Kate] through thick and thin this year ? There is a sense of optimism going forward,? an insider says.

Princess Kate is spending her birthday at home with Prince William and their children, who recently returned to the classroom at the Lambrook School after a holiday break.

[From People]

I was thinking this week about William?s behavior during the ?Kate is missing? months, and how he really didn?t want anyone to have any sympathy for her or worry about her health at all. He kept shrugging off people?s concerns in public and he seemed annoyed when people wanted to know about how she was doing. We still have no idea what the original ?abdominal surgery? was even about. ?She is looking after herself and is wise to do so.? I would be willing to bet that Kate did have to look after herself, and her mother had to look after her, because William couldn?t be bothered.

Oh, Kensington Palace just released a new portrait of Kate for her birthday. What a strange pic, especially her hands in halfway in her pockets? I guess to show that she?s wearing Big Blue?

To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you?ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W pic.twitter.com/VIW5v2aKlu

? The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 9, 2025

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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The countdown is on before America?s TikTok ban goes into effect. A quick refresher: Back in April 2024, Biden signed a bipartisan bill into law requiring TikTok?s Chinese parent, ByteDance, to sell the app to a US company within 270 days or risk being removed from US app stores and any ?internet hosting services? that support it. Government officials and members of Congress have been given some pretty alarming intelligence briefings about the company, which is challenging the law in front of the Supreme Court on Friday, January 10. The deadline for the sale is January 19, and if I may say, it feels like we?ve all lived 270 different lifetimes over the past nine months.

Shark Tank?s Kevin O?Leary is trying to swoop in and save the day. On Monday, he announced that he and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt are close to finalizing a deal to buy TikTok from ByteDance and therefore prevent the ban from happening. He even went on Fox News to appeal to the president-elect to help him get it across the finish line in the upcoming months.

?Shark Tank? star Kevin O?Leary on Monday said he?s nearing a deal to purchase TikTok?s U.S. business in a move that would save the popular app from being banned from the States. TikTok is set to be banned from the U.S. on Jan. 19, unless the company?s parent company, Beijing-based Bytedance, can find a buyer for its American business.

O?Leary, while making an appearance on ?The Story with Martha MacCallum? on Fox News, said he?ll need the assistance of president-elect Donald Trump to get the deal across the finish line.

?Trump will be who we have to work with to close the deal in the months ahead. So I wanted to let him know, as well as others in his cabinet, that we?re doing this, and we?re going to need their help.?

Earlier in the day, O?Leary posted on X that he was partnering with former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on his bid for TikTok. A deal for TikTok?s American business will not be cheap. Wedbush Managing Director Dan Ives told TheWrap last month a deal for TikTok ? which has 170 million monthly users in the U.S. ? would cost a record-setting $300 billion.

The TikTok ban was initially floated during Trump?s first administration, before ultimately being passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden last April. The chief concern U.S. lawmakers have with TikTok is that it doubles as a spyware app for the Chinese government; TikTok, according to Chinese law, is required to share user data with China?s communist government, if it is asked to do so.

Most Americans do not seem to be too concerned with China?s government having easy access to their data, though. Only 32% of Americans are in favor of the U.S. government banning TikTok, according to a Pew Research Center survey in September.

Despite his initial support, Trump has since changed his tune on banning TikTok, saying last year that he would like to ?save? the app. And in December, Trump reiterated he would like to keep TikTok in the U.S. He said he?d ?take a look? at saving TikTok, noting he had a ?warm spot? in his heart for it because it helped get young people to vote for him.

TikTok has been scrambling to find a legal remedy to keep its app in the U.S. as its ban date approaches. In mid-December, The U.S. Supreme Court said it would listen to arguments from TikTok on why it should block the law behind the ban. That crucial hearing is set for Friday.

[From The Wrap]

I know a lot of you disagree with the ban, but as someone who has never had a TikTok account and therefore has no dog in this fight, I think it?s crazy how little people seem to care about the Chinese government potentially having ?easy access? to their data. There?s an entire political party that thinks they need AK-47s to defend themselves against the US government because they think there are nanobytes or whatever spying on them through 5G technology. Yet, it?s totally cool for a foreign government to know their personal business? I said it back in April, and I?ll say it again: If you have Senators Liz Warren and Tom Cotton voting the same way based on intelligence briefings they?ve gotten, then there is definitely cause for concern.

All that said, I am absolutely for avoiding a ban by having a U.S. company or investor buy it. It?s even better now that it?s not Steve Mnuchin doing the acquiring! If only someone could only convince Mark Cuban to buy Twitter, lol. I think O?Leary is right to go on Fox and talk up the 47th president?s involvement in a deal happening. Tell that old man whatever he needs to hear to make it happen. I have no idea which way this ban will play out, but I strongly feel that in the end, it?s going to be up to whatever the 47th president tells his cult members to do.

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The current wildfires raging in Los Angeles are being called the most destructive in LA history. Acres and acres of land, thousands of homes and businesses, all up in flames. Celebrities haven?t gotten special treatment from the fires either. Mandy Moore, Diane Warren, Paris Hilton and many other celebrities have lost their homes (or their second homes) in the fires. I saw that Harrison Ford had a police escort to check on what was left of his home too, although I don?t know if his house burned down. Meanwhile, it looks like Ben Affleck had to flee his new home in the Palisades. Throughout 2024, there was a lot of real estate drama between Ben and Jennifer Lopez. They bought a home together but Ben decided he hated it, and he moved out in the spring. He rented a house in Brentwood close to Jennifer Garner, then he ended up purchasing a $20 million Pacific Palisades home as his new bachelor pad. According to TMZ, he was forced to evacuate and he raced to Garner?s home.

Ben Affleck was forced to evacuate the shiny new $20.5 million Pacific Palisades, Calif., mansion that he purchased just five months ago as deadly wildfires continued to scorch Los Angeles. The luxurious home, which the Oscar winner snapped up on July, 24, 2024, is situated in the evacuation area, Page Pix can confirm.

Affleck purchased the five-bedroom, six-bathroom abode after separating from his now-ex-wife Jennifer Lopez ? a downgrade from their $60 million marital home in Beverly Hills that is currently up for sale. The bachelor pad has gorgeous vaulted ceilings, separate breakfast and dining spaces and a media room, while the lush property boasts a pool, a guesthouse and horse stables.

A source previously claimed the ?Good Will Hunting? star, 52, was more than happy to leave his love nest with J.Lo, 55, after they split.

?Ben never liked the house,? the insider shared last June. ?It?s too far away from his kids.?

Affleck was photographed fleeing his residence Tuesday and driving to his ex-wife Jennifer Garner?s house in nearby Brentwood just hours after the treacherous blaze broke out. He was seen driving in a black SUV as black smoke filled the sky while en route to see the ?13 Going on 30? star, also 52, and their three kids: Violet, 19, Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 12.

Garner, who was married to Affleck from 2005 to 2018, and their children reportedly have not yet been ordered to evacuate. However, all residents in the area are on standby.

[From Page Six]

I can?t even imagine spending $20.5 million on a home and five months later, it?s probably just ash and smoke. People are lucky to be getting out with their lives, but the sheer volume of homes and businesses lost is stunning and overwhelming. I hope Garner?s house is okay. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in California too ? the destruction is devastating.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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I was yesterday years old when I learned that the Hershey Bears ? Hershey, PA?s ice hockey team ? have been holding an annual, teddy bear-centric charity drive for nigh on 25 years. The delightful event goes down like this: fans are alerted in advance which game will be the Teddy Bear Toss and come to the venue armed with large trash bags filled with stuffed animals accordingly. Upon the Bears scoring their first goal of the game, the madness ensues, with fans gleefully hurling their fuzzy friends into the rink. Really, watch the video the team posted to their Instagram and you?ll see that nobody waits for a formal invitation; as soon as the goal is made it?s raining bears. And unicorns. And dogs and cats and frogs and a menagerie of cuddly creatures. Last year?s Teddy Bear Toss made a world record with 74,599 stuffed animals collected from the rink. This year? Hershey broke its own record at last Sunday?s game with a whopping 102,343 teddies that will be donated to charity.

The Hershey Bears are getting quite a bit of mascot support!

On Sunday, Jan. 5, the ice hockey team hosted their annual Teddy Bear Toss, which saw 100,000 bears flying into the ice rink, breaking their previous world record of 74,599 last year.

In a video shared on Instagram by the Hershey, Pa. team, numerous stuffed animals were thrown over the glass to celebrate the team?s first goal against the Providence Bruins.

?The world-famous event, held during today?s game against the Providence Bruins, sees fans throw stuffed animals onto the ice following Hershey?s first goal of the game in what is a spectacle that truly must be seen,? a press release from the Hershey Bears reads.

The club added, ?Hershey forward Mike Sgarbossa scored the Teddy Bear Toss goal at 14:45 of the first period to tie the game against Providence at 1-1 and ignite the downpour.?

Piles of teddy bears were then collected on the ice rink, with many players such as right winger Pierrick Dub? and goaltender Clay Stevenson jumping on top of the stuffed animals.

The early celebration preceded the Hershey Bears? 5-1 victory at the end of the game, which was attended by a sold-out crowd of 10,514.

The Teddy Bear Toss, which has taken place for charity since 2001, has collected a total 566,450 teddy bears.

Sunday?s stuffed animals will be donated ?to over 35 local charities as part of the club?s Hershey Bears Cares program.?

The club?s numerous local and regional charities include Vista Autism Services, Schreiber Pediatric, Central PA Food Bank, Off the Streets, Gigi?s Playhouse Lancaster, Milton and Catherine Hershey Schools and Autism Society Greater Harrisburg Area.

[From People]

Who knew that the sight I deeply needed to see this week was a big, burly pro athlete launching himself with abandon into a mountain of stuffed animals. Let alone two big burly athletes doing it! It?s a life-affirming, heartwarming image. (Though a bit of a slippery slope as I quickly devolved into envy in wanting my own teddy bear mosh pit to dive into, like Daffy Duck swimming in piles of gold. Sigh?) I?m trying to wrap my head around the fact that the Teddy Bear Toss has collected a total of 566,540 stuffed animals over the 25 events they?ve held since 2001, and that 102,343 of that amount is from this year alone. I?m not the best mather, but that?s about a fifth of the total all from one game, right? At this rate, I?m envisioning the Bears being completely buried in the mounds of bears at next year?s Toss. Thank you Hershey Bears for bringing us such a charming act of charity. Man, chocolate and hundreds of thousands of teddy bears? Hershey, PA is really pulling their weight in joy output.

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Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater attended the National Board of Review Awards together (they only posed inside the event though). [Just Jared]
Elle Fanning wore Valentino to the NBR Awards. [RCFA]
Nikki Glaser nixed a lot of ribald jokes from the Golden Globes. [Socialite Life]
This piece on the Duchess of Sussex really undersells her career. [LaineyGossip]
Ariana Grande should not be allowed anywhere near Audrey Hepburn. [Pajiba]
Demi Moore is really attending every event this awards season. [Go Fug Yourself]
Xenomorph Kermit the Frog exists. [OMG Blog]
Wait, is it already Girl Scout Cookie Szn?? [Seriously OMG]
Do y?all watch Dubai Bling? [Starcasm]
More on the Girl Scout Cookie situation! [Hollywood Life]
Disturbing societal trends in 2025 ? too much AI & people are illiterate. [Buzzfeed]

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Around the Princess of Wales?s birthday, we usually get these ?state of Kate? pieces, where ?sources? embiggen her meager accomplishments and make promises to be especially keen in the year to come. One year ago, there were promises to be keen in 2024, buzz of a trip to Italy and a general tamping down of expectations beyond that. Then came Kate?s abdominal surgery, then her months-long disappearance, and you know the rest. The lesson has been learned ? no more keen promises for the year to come. Over the weekend, the Mail?s Rebecca English got a comprehensive briefing about how poor Kate will simply never go back to ?work? in the same way ? no more 90 events in a year, no more briefings about how Kate is a credible expert on the Early Years, no more expectations to see Kate more than once a month, if that. Well, do you need Ingrid Seward to lay it on thick?

It?s set to be a special week for the Princess of Wales, who turns 43 on Thursday. After spending the festive period with her family in Norfolk, her children ? Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis ? are preparing to return to school. This year?s birthday carries a deeper significance following the health challenges Kate has faced in what her husband the Prince of Wales recently described as a ?brutal? year.

The royal couple will be keen to make the most of their family time while they can before William becomes King. However, with this change on the horizon, both William and Kate will be making sure they make the transition smooth for the sake of their young family.

?Kate knows there is a looming, massive responsibility coming, but she can?t do anything about that, so she just needs to make sure that the family she?s bringing up are able to deal with it,? says Ingrid Seward, whose book My Mother and I examines the relationship between the King and his mother.

?It must have been very difficult for her to deal with her family and her illness at the same time, and she obviously realises that the children have been through a hard time too. I think the illness has made her keen to prioritise her family even more, because they are the future. Obviously, she wants to support her husband and the monarchy, but she?s going to make sure that she does it in such a way that it doesn?t take her away from the family too much.

?She is very embedded in the future now, and the things that are really important in life, like her children and her charity work, really resonate and become even more important. Being so ill teaches you to enjoy each day as it comes, so I think she has a new appreciation of What?s going on around her, and what she can do to make life better for other people as well.?

[From Hello]

Because I?ve been writing about Kate and the Keen Machine around her for so many years, I feel I?m qualified to say that Kate has always had a bizarre perspective about her future roles. When she was the Duchess of Cambridge, she always positioned herself as ?future queen? rather than ?future Princess of Wales,? almost like she expected to leap-frog over Camilla when the time came. Alongside that positioning, the consistent message from Kate was that she would only ?step up? when Queen Elizabeth died. QEII has been dead and buried for nearly two-and-a-half years and it?s been nothing but wheel-spinning and clownery. Now that she?s Princess of Wales and one gin-soaked mishap away from being queen, Kate still can?t commit to doing anything. Now it?s ?She is very embedded in the future now? ? meaning what? She sees her role as Princess of Wales and eventually queen consort as nothing more than child-rearing?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.