New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 1843

SOMETHING BLUE Kate didn’t leave much time between outings with this stunning Alexander McQueen ensemble! She debuted the look in New Zealand in April 2014, before donning it again in June 2014. Wills gave his suit another spin too. STILL SPARKLING Her bespoke Jenny Packham frock is special to Kate – it’s the dress she wore for her first official engagement as Duchess of Cambridge. She wore it again five years later and looked equally stunning. LILAC LOVE This Emilia Wickstead frock served Kate on tour in Germany last year and apparently had her in stitches on its most recent public outing – in London last week. She’s long been known for her fashion sense, but now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is beginning to garner a serious reputation for frugality and recycling – just like her…

As I write this, we’re getting ready to send this issue off into the world on the eve of Princess Eugenie’s big day, and I must say, I’m feeling pretty excited in anticipation. But you, our lucky and lovely readers, will now know the answers to most of the questions that are currently bubbling around in my head… What will the bride wear? Who will turn up – and what will they all wear? How many times will Andrew and Fergie upstage the bride? What will the Queen make of it all?! I can barely wait – and I look forward to bringing you all the official details, plus the insider information that comes out in the days that follow the big occasion. But I better not get ahead of myself – you’ve…

House renovations are always stressful, what with the packing and unpacking, the dust, the wires, the breakages and the nasty surprises. Multiply that by 775 rooms, 1,514 doors and 760 windows and you have a nightmare – one the Queen is facing in modernising and restoring Buckingham Palace. Fortunately, Her Majesty is made of sterner stuff than her humble subjects – even when told that she will have to leave the private apartments she has occupied since coming to the throne in 1952. According to a senior courtier, “The Queen is immensely pragmatic and she wants to stay in the palace. She said, ‘Let me know where you would like me to go.’” The scale of the essential work to the building, which dates back to 1703 and has not been updated for…

Samantha Markle, Meghan’s half-sister, has learnt the hard way that quite often, as one door closes, another is slammed in your face – in her case, literally. After not being invited to Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry, Samantha launched a tirade in which she described Meghan (37) as “cold”, accused her of fake waves and smiles, called her “the DuchASS”, while tagging her husband Prince Harry as a “wuss”. To heal the rift, Samantha (53) decided to pay a private visit to London to clear the air with Meghan. So, of course, she got her publicist, Rob Cooper, to announce it on Twitter. “Samantha Markle is coming to the UK,” he wrote. “After making numerous attempts in private to arrange a one on one meeting… Kensington Palace has refused to respond. “This DOESN’T need…

Sir Rod Stewart has finally reconciled with his eldest daughter, 55 years after he and his childhood sweetheart were forced to give her up for adoption. The legendary rocker says he’s thrilled to finally have a relationship with Sarah Streeter, who was conceived when Rod (73) and his childhood sweetheart were teenagers. “She calls me Dad, and I call her my daughter,” he tells. “We’re doing our best.” Sarah, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, only learnt her father was rock star Rod when she turned 18, and despite a few attempts to reconcile over the years, she has only recently begun to think of him as her father. “It’s taken time because he’s not just my dad, is he?” she says. “He’s a big star. So of course, that makes it difficult, especially…

First it was her “recipe” for avocado on toast that had social media up in arms. Now Nigella Lawson has reignited a debate long-fought by foodies, and Dawn French, for one, has weighed in. The actress took to Twitter after Nigella (58) innocently posted a picture of a scone with jam and cream. But it was her method – cream first, then jam – that caused outrage. Dawn (60) wrote, “Nigella, darlin girl, far be it and all that, but seriously… jam (or red goo) goes first… NO EXCEPTIONS. Please. Thank you.” It was a sentiment echoed by many Cornish residents, who are locked in an historic battle with their Devon neighbours as to the correct order. Not one to retreat, Nigella shot back, “I bow to your Cornishness and general fabulosity, and send…