HELLO! magazine 1757

‘You needed to be on the ball… that made her special to photograph’ They followed her throughout their careers and she became a firm fixture in their lives. Here, ten top royal photographers pay tribute to Her Majesty as they pick their two favourite pictures of her and tell us the stories behind the images. Whether at work or at leisure, at home or overseas, these lovely shots illustrate our late monarch’s dedication to duty, her ability to rise to any occasion — and her precious gift of laughter JOHN STILLWELL Inspecting the guard of honour outside Canadian Parliament, 2010 “I love the colours in this picture – the reds, the green roofs of the parliament in Ottawa behind and the blue sky. I had to kneel down to get that angle. The Queen looks…

They are five women who have shared some jaw-dropping life experiences: shooting to worldwide stardom, storming the charts, selling millions of records and touring the world. So it was only natural that when Melanie Chisholm – aka Melanie C – came to putting her life story into words, she would want the approval of her fellow Spice Girls. “The girls have been so supportive. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when everyone had read it and came back with positive comments,” Melanie exclusively tells HELLO! of her bandmates, Melanie “Mel B” Brown, Victoria Beckham, Geri Horner (née Halliwell) and Emma Bunton. “It was a big step for me to have the seal of approval from the people my story affected the most. I was very conscious of not telling other people’s…

As a proud dog dad, James Middleton treats all of his cherished pets like royalty, but when his golden retriever Mabel gave birth over the summer, he knew that his newest puppy needed an especially regal title. “In light of recent events, I wanted a name that is a touching tribute to the late Queen,” James, the younger brother of the Princess of Wales, tells HELLO! in our exclusive interview. He decided on Bertie – the name by which the Queen’s father George VI was known among family and friends – in the hope that it will stand the young pup in good stead as he embarks on an exciting adventure: becoming a guide dog. James has chosen to give Bertie to Guide Dogs so that he can eventually become a loyal companion…

Fifteen nervous celebrities topping up their fake tans and slipping into sequinned costumes can mean only one thing: this year’s Strictly Come Dancing is finally on our TV screens. The nation’s favourite dance series is under way after the excited stars revealed their professional dancer pairings in last Friday’s launch show and then made their fab-u-lous dancing debuts on the first live show the following night. But while this series has only just begun, the glittering cast of 2022 say they already feel like winners. “We already feel close – the WhatsApp group is popping off with selfies and voice messages,” said singer Fleur East, who was thrilled to be paired with new professional dancer Vito Coppola. Comedian Ellie Taylor was also feeling positively triumphant with last year’s finalist Johannes Radebe. “My wish-list was Johannes,…

A dancer since the age of seven and a three-time British Latin American champion and ten-time US Latin American champion, Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas knows something about enduring success. So what does she put the BBC show’s enormous and long-lived popularity down to? “I think people keep tuning in because it’s a family affair,” she says. Ahead of the 20th series – which launched on Friday with celebrities including singers Fleur East and Matt Goss, TV presenter Helen Skelton, actor Will Mellor and sports stars Ellie Simmonds and Tony Adams – the former ballroom champion added: “It’s something to look forward to on those cold winter nights where the family can sit together, with some nice food and drinks, talk about the people they love, and debate. “It’s a bit…

She’s hoping to sprinkle some magic over the famous ballroom and has already been tipped as one of this year’s favourites – however, that hasn’t stopped Strictly Come Dancing’s Helen Skelton from taking time out from training to help with something else quite magical. The presenter on Countryfile, BBC Radio 5 Live and Channel 5’s On the Farm visited Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire as it was transformed into a spectacular enchanted manor for two weeks to welcome 240 families with children living with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. The Walt Disney Company teamed up with charities Make-A-Wish UK and The Kentown Wizard Foundation to create three-day immersive Disney Wish experiences for the children and their families, repeating the success of last year’s first event held in the UK, when overseas holiday dreams…