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Her eyes danced as BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood told viewers her latest news – and it wasn’t about the glorious weather at the Chelsea Flower Show! Holding up her left hand live on air, she offered viewers a glimpse of the ‘giant rock’ that presenter Sally Nugent had drawn attention to! ‘Can we confirm to the nation what’s happened?’ Sally teased. ‘I’m a bit concerned how you are standing up!’ Carol beamed as she replied: ‘I think you just have, Sal! Yes, I got engaged – we got engaged – when we were on holiday so it’s lovely news and we’re both thrilled.’ The presenter and author (her next book, The Hotel on the Riviera, is out in July and described as ‘sizzling’), revealed: ‘We went out for a…

Just like Magnum’s new Remix Ice Cream, pop singer Kylie Minogue (still just as popular – and as youthful-looking – as she was in the Noughties) has collaborated with South Korean dance music producer Peggy Gou to release a remix of the 2001 classic Can’t Get You Out of My Head. It’s bound to be the hit of the Summer. More than two decades after the song first filled the airwaves, the 53-year-old arrived at Cannes Summer Film Festival to tell us why she thinks the track is as popular as ever, and why her fans are still the best in the world… Kylie, your hits are instant classics. Can’t Get You Out of My Head came out in 2001 and it’s still a banger! I recorded the song and loved…

TO FIRM AND TIGHTEN… • Banana Booster Packed with vitamin A, B6, vitamin C and other nutrients, the perfect ingredients to promote skin-cell turnover and tighten pores. Mash one ripe banana and mix with ½ tsp baking soda and ½ tsp turmeric powder. Apply to cleansed skin and leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and apply moisturiser. • Papaya Plumper Rich in an enzyme called papain, which has skin-plumping and firming properties. Take 1 cup of papaya, and combine it with 1 beaten egg white and 1 tbsp of honey. Mix and apply on your face for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off using warm and then cool water, before applying your favourite serum or moisturiser. TO AGEPROOF… • Watermelon Face Mask Filled with antioxidants that slow signs of ageing. It hydrates the…

When best’s Louise met the weenie Queenie… I was lucky enough to meet this very special little Queen outside Buckingham Palace recently, where she was smiling and waving at onlookers, taking her Royal duties very seriously. I curtseyed, of course, and she shook my hand – we even jumped around excitedly together. Queen Isla had a new pair of sparkly shoes on, which I loved, and she told me she’d travelled to London on a train that day. ‘I’m going on the London Eye, too,’ ‘her majesty’ told me. I’m so pleased I have a photo to commemorate the moment. It’s safe to say she was a hit – not only with me but with the small crowd who had gathered to watch her. ‘She asked intelligent questions’ Alison Thomas,…

It used to be – when I was younger, with a thinner waistline, thicker hairline and a fatter wallet – that my dating opportunities were ridiculously plentiful. But I’m not having much luck lately. I’ve been blocked by another dating site. Who knows why, but it’s probably because someone suspects that I’m catfishing with bogus pics of me again. (I’m getting bored of being banned from sites for impersonating myself!) And while there have been fleeting moments of flirting with girls in M&S, on the Tube or in the gym, where I attempt to lift weights, they go nowhere. So, it goes part of the way to explaining why I made the fatal mistake of answering a DM on Instagram from a former disastrously highly-strung date, who was letting me…

Slate-Condensed I am 61 and in the past 18 months, I have had three urinary tract infections, with the last one more severe than the other two. It is very uncomfortable and I am getting unhappy about the need to take antibiotics so often. Why do these keep happening, and is there anything you can suggest I do to avoid them? Fiona, Portrush DR HILARY SAYS: Whilst your symptoms and their frequent recurrences are not uncommon they are nevertheless uncomfortable and inconvenient. It is estimated that around two to 10 per cent of women are affected in this way. The most important thing to establish is that a bacterial infection really is responsible and not something else. This can only be done by having a urine sample tested each time…

She’s ruled over us since the death of King George VI, her father, on 6 February 1952 – the first Sovereign to ascend the throne from abroad in 200 years. She was just 26 years old when the news broke that her father had died. Just over a year later, she was crowned at Westminster Abbey, with the Duke of Edinburgh by her side. In her Coronation Speech, she said: ‘As this day draws to its close, I know that my abiding memory of it will be, not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection. I thank you all from a full heart.’ It is an affection that has only grown with time… She ascended the throne from a tree house in…

The third largest city in Scotland after Glasgow and Edinburgh, Aberdeen is often referred to as the Granite or Silver City, thanks to its distinct local granite architecture. It all looks rather grand, actually – take for example, Marischal College, the second largest granite building in the world, and one of the most spectacular examples of Edwardian architecture in Britain. Being the Platinum Jubilee year, it’s also worth noting that just an hour’s drive away in Royal Deeside is Balmoral Castle. The Queen’s private home in Scotland, she has spent every Summer here since 1952 and is known to be especially fond of it. This year the grounds, gardens and exhibitions are open to visitors with tickets until 2 August, with some rather special events planned too, including theatre, afternoon…

With approximately 13 million women in the UK being either peri-or postmenopausal and with symptoms that can last up to 15 years, this is not a topic to be taken lightly. Least of all when suicide rates of women aged 45 to 54 – the most common age for menopause – have risen six per cent in 20 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. And now there is a severe shortage of HRT medication – used to alleviate symptoms – in the UK, forcing some to pay an excessive amount for treatments or even turn to the black market. The reason for shortages? Demand, Brexit and Covid. This month, the government started rationing certain HRT products to a three-month supply at a time – and has even appointed…

When she arrived, she brought the sunshine with her. It was the special preview day for the Chelsea Flower Show last Tuesday, and Royal watchers had been hoping against hope that Her Majesty, who had been slated to attend, would make the occasion. Doubts had been raised due to her recent bouts of ill health, described as ‘ongoing mobility problems’, and it was announced that the decision would be taken on the day, as to whether she felt well enough to make the visit. And, in the late afternoon, she did – arriving in her new carriage, a shiny white golf buggy with open sides, driven by a chauffeur in a peaked cap. ‘Adjustments have been made for the Queen’s comfort,’ said an official statement. Dressed in a pink suit…

Flicking through my photo album, I gazed longingly at my late husband, Aldo, 90. I’d lost him in December 2017, after a decade of caring for him, and now I felt like I didn’t know what do with myself or who I was anymore. Aldo and I had been married for 64 years and I’d happily given up everything to be by his side and care for him whilst he suffered from memory loss. After losing him, I felt useless and fell into a depression – not eating and just sleeping all day long. I felt like I no longer had purpose. ‘Let’s go shopping,’ my grandson, Elo, 36, suggested one day in March 2018, putting a hand on my shoulder. Elo and I had always been close. His mum,…

When my partner, Iain, now 32, and I got engaged in 2011, we agreed that we wanted to get married without breaking the bank. Iain had just graduated from university, and I was working as a learning assistant, so we didn’t have an awful lot of spare cash and we wanted to prioritise saving towards a house deposit. Between the two of us – along with some help from our parents – we eventually saved up a budget of £5,000 and I knew that in order to plan our dream day, I’d have to think outside the box! The main priority was marrying in our local church, which is where Iain and I had first met. With that booked, we found a lovely church hall just a few minutes up…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Dreading uncovering on the beach? We can lend a hand. Research shows if you cut out white food from your diet, you can boost your fat-burning powers. Experts also agree this one simple rule is the key to weight loss. 2 White foods to be avoided include white rice, potatoes, milk and anything made from white flour, such as white bread, cakes, pastries and white pasta. Instead, you can substitute carbohydrates such as bread, rice and pasta with wholemeal alternatives. 3 It’s thought that ditching the white stuff – which is often processed food that’s high in fat, sugar and salt – can help us cut calories and curb cravings. This is because it’s believed white foods, which are often simple carbohydrates, increase insulin production and…

Honey and Orange Madeleines Delicate sponges with a real orange kick – what could be better? Hands-on time: 20min, plus cooling Cooking time: About 15min Makes 12 50g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease40g runny honeyFinely grated zest and juice of1 orange1 large egg50g caster sugar100g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust75g icing sugar, sifted 1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/mark 4. Grease the holes of a 12-hole madeleine tin and dust with flour. 2 Melt the butter, honey and zest in a pan then leave to until cool but still liquid (about 10min). In a large bowl, use a handheld electric whisk to beat the egg and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume and leaves a ribbon trail on the surface…

See the world through JENNY’S FUN-TINTED LENSES … Our fabulous and funny columnist, comedian Jenny Eclair, is here to tell it like it is, in her own witty way… I think I’ve mentioned before in this column that my mother has dementia and lives in a nursing home, up on the North-West coast. Every time I visit, she is a little worse. Her 93rd birthday last week was a particularly tough gig. June wasn’t interested in her grandchildren’s video messages, she barely looked at her cards – OK, so the box of champagne truffles got a flicker of glee, but on the whole, she just wanted to do one thing: ‘Go home.’ There is nothing more piteous than hearing your mother beg to be allowed to return home. How do you…

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born, in a house on London’s Bruton Street in Mayfair, on 21 April 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. On that day, George V’s younger son Bertie and his wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons would have expected that Elizabeth would simply watch her uncle David, otherwise known as Edward VIII, ascend the throne. But perhaps the signs of her suitabilty for the role were there from the start. When Winston Churchill met the young princess at the age of two, he wrote to his wife, Clemmie, describing the toddler as ‘a character’ with ‘an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant’. A carefree child, Elizabeth loved playing with her dogs and horses, as well as her sister Margaret Rose, who…

Jenny Hanley, 74, found fame as the presenter of Magpie, the ITV children’s show that kept families glued to their screens in the Seventies. The daughter of actors Dinah Sheridan and Jimmy Hanley, Jenny’s maternal grandparents were photographers who traded as ‘Studio Lisa’ and became famous for their intimate, relaxed portraits of the Royal family, including the Queen and Princess Margaret when they were just young girls. JENNY SAYS ‘My grandparents–Jimmy and Lisa Sheridan who were known in the family as “Popski and Gay” – were refugees from the Russian Revolution. They settled in England when they were in their early 20s. My grandfather was working as a bank clerk, which he hated, but they were both passionate about photography and they set up their own studio – Studio Lisa –…

Depending on how much gardening you do, compost can end up being costly. It’s a longterm project, but creating your own can also have environmental as well as cost benefits. DO: • Check with your local council to see if you’re eligible to receive a free compost bin. • Position it in a sunny, secluded spot. Heat speeds up the composting process and a sheltered spot keeps any smells far away! • Break down items before adding them. Slice up banana peel, break down food stuffs, this speeds up the process. DON’T: • Chuck every single food item in: meat, dairy and bread. The former can carry a risk of infection, while the latter is said to attract unwanted pests. Stick to plantbased scraps where possible. • Forget about your…

It was 5.30pm on the afternoon before my youngest sister’s wedding at the venue of her dreams. We were all in the brasserie and had no doubt attracted the attention of other residents with our heated discussion. ‘It’s not as bad as it looks, really it’s not,’ I protested in a miserable effort to placate my sister Jem. ‘No, it’s worse,’ she shouted. ‘Look, it’s swelling up like a red balloon. How could you, Chloe? You’re supposed to be my maid of honour tomorrow on the biggest day of my life. Couldn’t you have stayed away from the gym just for one day?’ I stood before her like a sulky child trying to fight back tears. ‘It wasn’t my fault,’ I retaliated. ‘Someone dropped a weight on my foot.’ ‘Oh,…

ARIES 21 March – 20 April A lot of the restlessness you feel is down to being bored with routine. Others may have some doubts about the ideas you put forward, but that’s no reason to give up on them. It is time to let people see how versatile you can be. Someone is taking rules too literally. They don’t seem to have the sense to realise that sometimes guidelines can be adjusted to suit different conditions. You just aren’t in the mood for activities and situations where there are strict dos and don’ts. All this will do is aggravate you. You prefer to think for yourself, even if this means flying solo. LIBRA 24 September – 23 October You’re starting to realise that putting other people’s needs in front…

ATOMIC BLONDE Friday, E4, 9pm Calling all superwomen! Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron), a spy with MI6, is sent on a mission to Berlin just before the collapse of the Wall, to get hold of a stolen list, which has the names of some exceptional secret agents… BRIDGET JONES’S BABY Friday, Channel 5, 11pm The last of the Bridget Jones franchise. After breaking up with Mark, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) meets handsome Jack. Soon, Bridget finds out that she’s pregnant – and unsure about the identity of her baby’s father. With Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey. CRAZY RICH ASIANS Thursday, BBC Three, 9pm Rachel, a professor, starts dating an attractive man named Nick and looks forward to meeting his family. However, she is shaken up when she learns that Nick belongs to…

MAZE Find the path through the maze without breaking through walls. Start from the entrance arrow and end at the exit arrow. Dot to dot Starting at dot 1, complete the picture by joining the dots in numerical order. You can then colour the image in! Wordsearch Flowers Look for the 10 words hidden in the wordsearch puzzle. The words will run down and across. There are no words that run backwards or on a diagonal. CHILDREN FLOWERS FOUNTAIN GRASS PATH PLAYHOUSE SEESAW SLIDE TREE WILDLIFE Love kids’ puzzles? Find it! books each contain 25 things for children aged 5-7 to find in the world around them along with fascinating facts and mindbending puzzles – perfect for keeping children entertained and to minimise screen time! To order with a 30%…

‘Buckle up – this film is going to be quite a ride,’ I thought, when I managed to score an invite to the Royal premiere of the new Top Gun. Journalists rarely get excited. But 40 years on, no longer a tiny teen and with an invite to watch a film with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in my hot little hand, a film starring a man once a poster on my bedroom wall… the excitement was off the scale. Pete Mitchell was back! On the night, the office was buzzing with the frenzied excitement felt by schoolgirls at their first disco. We watched the construction of the Red Carpet from our Leicester Square offices, chatting excitedly – could Top Gun: Maverick possibly be as good as the original?…

TOP TIP From her flattering frocks and stunning evening gowns, the Queen inspired a fashion revolution during the 50s. Mix high-street pieces with vintage-inspired items from Ebay, Etsy and Amazon.…

Drops, mists, masks… the world of tanning can be complex, and while it’s tempting to use the stuff for your body above your neck, there’s a whole world of products suited to every skin type and condition to deliver your best glow yet. Here’s the lowdown. 1 TANNING DROPS Best for: all skin types The nature of their application lends this clever product to many skin types, because you mix it with your usual moisturiser to get a bespoke shade. The only caveat is ensuring your cream isn’t too rich in oils, which can distort the tan. The more drops you use, the deeper the colour. Hawaiian Tropic Hydrating Self-Tanning Drops, £14, benefits from vitamin E, while Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops, £19.95, is available from light to dark with…

Red Berry Cordial Bursting with goodness and flavour, the mix of raspberries and blackcurrants in this recipe is a combination that works brilliantly. Makes about 1 litre 400g raspberries350g blackcurrants350g sugar grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of2 lemons club soda or clear lemonade, to serve 1 Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan, along with 500ml water. Simmer for 30 minutes, then mash the ingredients to extract the flavour. Line a sieve with fine muslin. Pour the mixture through the lined sieve into another saucepan (don’t press or squash the ingredients, or the cordial will be cloudy). 2 When it has finished draining, bring the liquid to a simmer, decant into a sterilised bottle, seal and cool. To serve, add 1-2 tablespoons of the cordial to ice-filled glasses,…

So Mr Ireland – he of the dulcet Donegal tones – finally asked for a second date. It was a swelteringly hot Sunday afternoon, explaining why he turned up in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, but the black socks, white legs and trainers were a ‘No’ from me. Call me Shallow Hal, but I made up my mind in that moment: this was going nowhere. We had no ‘pixie dust’. Still, we enjoyed a pleasant enough time drinking fizzy orange and when I texted later, to say that while I would love to stay friends, I didn’t see a romantic future, he was ever charming: ‘Ahh, Bridget. The “pixie dust” is hard to find, isn’t it? Yes, another drink some time would be grand. I’ll wait to hear.’ See what…

ROYAL NAILS When it comes to choosing the best shade for a chic, elegant manicure, the Royals have it nailed. Their go-to hue is a neutral light pink that goes with everything. Her Majesty’s favourite is reported to be essie’s Ballet Slippers, a delicate light rose that gives a healthy shine to nails. It’s said to be one of Kate’s goto shades, too. Camilla is also known to favour neutral nails and is often seen wearing a light gloss in pretty pastels. Here’s how to nail the Royal look for under £10… 1 FIT FOR A QUEEN Essie Original Polish in Ballet Slippers Sheer Pink (£8, superdrug.com) Even though it’s now more than 40 years since its launch, Ballet Slippers is still one of Essie’s star polishes with legions of…

My darling Sweets, Over the past 16 years, I’ve admired your work ethic so much. You go from job to job giving a 100 per cent. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to accommodate your busy schedule. Lately, my darling, I’m starting to think that the moment has come to consider slowing down. I’ve noticed you’re always in a rush to do the next thing. You are so focused on fitting in all the work, you never have the opportunity to enjoy the moment. I find when we are out, you often want to get home – and when we’re at home, you want to go out. Sometimes it feels as if we’ve come home, before we’ve even gone out. Even at the glamorous birthday party we…

A monarch famed for her powerful, regal, dignified presence – particularly in times of crisis with her ‘Keep calm and carry on’ mentality – we are accustomed to seeing the Queen and her impeccable public face. But behind Palace walls, who is the real Elizabeth? In many ways – despite the incredible life she leads, and the huge weight of responsibility on her shoulders, Her Majesty is a normal woman, with passions she loves to indulge. She uses humour as a stress-reliever, this we know. There have been many glimpses of her sense of humour – such as the time she hilariously ‘photobombed’ two Australian hockey players at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. And there was the time, on a private shopping trip in Norfolk, a shopping assistant told Elizabeth:…

1 MOLTON BROWN Established in London over 50 years ago, Molton Brown started as a hair salon but has established itself as a producer of bath and body care with iconic scents. The brand was granted a Royal Warrant nearly 10 years ago. While we don’t know the exact products used in the Royal household, the Orange & Bergamot collection (previously known as Orange Grove) was its very first signature scent, created in 1984, and remains popular among customers today. We love the Hand Cream, £10. 2 ELIZABETH ARDEN Founded in 1910 after Miss Arden opened a Red Door salon in New York (you’ll notice the door illustration is still the logo), Elizabeth Arden has held a Royal Warrant for its cosmetics for 60 years. Rumour has it that it’s…

ARE SPIRITS TRAPPED IN LIMBO? ‘What is the afterlife like? Are spirits you communicate with “happy” there or are they trapped/in limbo?’ Vicky LEE SAYS: Thank you for your question, it is very interesting. When a person dies, or before they die, someone from the other side comes to collect them. Some rebel and don’t wish to pass over because time doesn’t matter. When they choose not to go over, they become stuck. The majority will start showing activity and then a medium steps in and crosses them over to the other side. We are taught by the spirits how to help them over. WHAT COMES NEXT? ‘In the last 21 years there have been ups and downs and even a full circle of life event for me. I’m ready…

✔ Thinning and pinching out – this involves sacrificing some plants and shoots to allow the other ones to grow better. Pinching out applies to tomatoes, specifically the side shoots that appear on upright varieties (ones that grow with a single stem, as opposed to bush). By containing this growth it produces more tomatoes. Thinning out involves gently pulling out from the soil. Do this very gently to avoid disrupting the established plants. ✔ Harvest correctly – get the technique right to prevent any damage! Gently twist and pull rhubarb and courgette at the base so it makes a clean break, while gentle crops like spinach and lettuce are happy with sharp fingernails or scissors. Sturdier plants, like squashes, benefit from a pair of secateurs. ✔ Prepare any outdoor soil…

The Queen’s Jubilee: An illustrated children’s book to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee Frances Rose £7.99 ‘Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, lived a Queen called Lizzie.’ Share the magic of the Jubilee with the smallest family members with this beautifully illustrated and sweet story. Suitable for children under five. The Queen: 70 Glorious Years Royal Collection Trust, £19.95 Pairing 70 photos of important moments from Her Majesty’s reign – from family holidays to formal photographs – with quotes from her speeches, this is a fabulous tribute to HRH. A wonderful collector’s item to mark the occasion. Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Royal Party: Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Penguin, £5.99 Everyone is joining in the Jubilee fun – even Peppa Pig. This charming story book charts Peppa’s adventures…

Most mums and daughters are close and cherish that special bond they share. And growing up, there was no doubt that I adored my mother, Barbara. She was extremely bright – could out-think me in a minute! – but I trusted her implicitly. It was only later I realised her behaviour was a little odd… She wanted to be the ultimate authority to teach me. ‘Don’t waste time at school,’ she’d tell me, while making fun of my teachers. And when I was struggling with maths, her answer was: ‘Just be bad at it. I didn’t have any siblings and wasn’t that close to my dad, but Mum could be erratic, too. When I was little, I was given a toy drum, but I broke it and as it was…

ROYAL RED If you need some lastminute Jubilee decorations – why not opt for flowers? These stunning ruby red carnations from Marks and Spencer (£25) should do just the job. WONDERFULLY WHITE Wrapped in scent, this cluster of creamy peonies will make a simple, stunning indoor Summer display, fit for a Queen. £34 from waitrose florist.com BEAUTIFUL BLUE If red roses are a tad too traditional for you, why not try a bouquet of blue ones? You’re sure to make an impression with these beauties at blossominggifts.com, at £24.99. PATRIOTIC PLAYLISTS… PATRIOTIC SONGS OF THE BRITISH ISLES, AMAZON MUSIC The Gordon Lorenz Orchestra performs covers of There’ll Always Be An England, Three Lions, Land of Hope And Glory and many more… BRITISH CLASSICS, SPOTIFY Get the best of British popstars…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT From street parties to TV shows (see our picks through the issue), celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee are being held across the land, especially from this Thursday to Sunday (2-5 June). Buckingham Palace has been the main Royal residence since 1937, ever since another queen, Victoria, first ascended the throne – and it’s where the Queen will kick off celebrations by waving from the balcony (alongside our other working Royals). So, can anywhere be better to be than London for this historical moment? And even if you miss this weekend’s celebrations, many events are set to run for most of the year, so come visit. INSIDER’S GUIDE Exhibitions, parades, concerts and teas, Royal pageantry will be at its most extravagant in London this Summer. Home to Buckingham Palace,…