Table of contents for Issue 709 in Grazia

1 PEARLY QUEEN TAKE A MODERN spin on an old classic and opt for freshwater pearls. £250, Anni Lu (brownsfashion.com) 2 BEAT THE BLUES LAYER BOLD blue with sporty accessories. Dress, £125, jumper, £69, bag, £79, Arket (arket.com) 3 HOWDY PARTNERS BE RODEO READY in these embroidered cowboy boots. £180, Uterqüe (uterque.com) 4 SWEET THING THE LINGERING sweet orange flower will make you fall hard and fast for All Saints Sunset Riot EDP, £49 for 100ml. 5 KNIT HIT THIS COZY ALPINE knit is perfect for country weekends. £350, Sea (net-a-porter.com) 6 SKIN WIN WITH ANTIOXIDANT pomegranate and watermelon, The Ritual of Yalda Glow Of Life Body Cream, £18.50, leaves limbs feeling super-soft. EDITED BY FENELLA WEBB AND EMMA STODDART. PHOTOS: GIANANDREA TRAINA. ALL SAINTS: ALLSAINTS.COM. HUDA: CULTBEAUTY.CO.UK.RITUALS: RITUALS.COM. SOMETIMES…

PHOTOS: ED MILES, SHUTTERSTOCK, INSTAGRAM/KYLIEJENNER ARE YOU ready for Woke Christmas? For a FESTIVE period defined by the moral code of our age: political correctness on shouty steroids, enforced by whoever on Twitter is most sure they’re right, and anyone who isn’t with them is against them? I am – but only by accident. Apparently, the woke-iest thing a gal can do this Christmas is not wrap gifts. Which, I don’t! In Woke Christmas world, non-wrapped presents = good, because although you’re denied the chance to see joyful surprise light up your rellies’ little faces as they rip paper off whatever delicieuse tokenette you’ve bestowed upon them[1] , you’re also avoiding paper waste. In my world, non-wrapped presents = a faintly shamefaced consequence of me being generally lazy and incompetent.…

LIKE GRACE, I went backpacking by myself as a 22-year-old study-abroad student in Australia. It was three years ago when I packed my Lowe Alpine rucksack and headed up the East Coast. Even though I’d never even had a meal in a restaurant on my own, this felt like an opportunity to prove to myself I was capable of holding my own hand as I embarked on a two-week solo trip. The penultimate stop was a two-night stay on Fraser Island, a popular backpacker destination off the coast of Queensland. Thrown together in a group with seven other backpackers, we headed there along with a couple of tour guides. The guides warned us of the main dangers – sharks, snakes, spiders, jellyfish and dingoes – but I never considered the…

Julia Roberts is the kind of movie star who looks like she was made for the red carpet (the vintage Valentino gown she wore to collect her Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich in 2001 is particularly memorable). Right now, however, it’s her past screen appearances that have got us particularly excited. With fashion’s insatiable appetite for nostalgia – particularly of the ’90s and noughties variety – Julia’s defining big screen moments feel like, well, fashion moments too. Take her breakout role, as ‘hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold’ Vivian in Pretty Woman; the brown-and-white polka-dot dress she wears to the polo feels very Alessandra Rich. Then there’s Mystic Pizza’s cocktail dress which, thanks to its oversized bow, is very S/S ’19. Notting Hill, meanwhile, will have you searching for a beret and tailored black…

Stumped for festive fashion inspo? May we suggest you cast your eye over Dame Joan Collins’ Instagram account (@joancollinsdbe). Immediately. The bona fide legend has been serving up her favourite festive looks on her feed, from sparkly trousers to brocade jackets to Kurt Geiger boots (Joan is the face of the shoe brand’s Christmas campaign). Unsurprisingly, Joan favours ‘full throttle glamour’ for the festive season (although she admits that on the 25th ‘the traditional tacky Christmas sweater is my choice’). ‘Leave understated elegance to the rest of the year,’ she says. ‘You can never have enough sparkles and sequins during the holiday period, so the [more] glitter, the better. Big, chunky jewellery is best. If you think it’s too much, you haven’t gone far enough.’ While Joan admits there’s ‘nothing…

CHRISTMAS DAY 2017, it’s gone 11am, I’m still in my pyjamas holding my breastfeeding one-year-old son Magnus with one hand and trying to turn off my mobile with the other. My phone is jingling like a reindeer stampede as friends send over pictures of their perfect Christmases: trees twinkling above parcel mountains; kids dressed as elves, puddings and angels. Meanwhile, at our house there are unwrapped presents under the kitchen table. I didn’t get a tree (my boy is a climber). He does at least have his penguin jumper on but there’s little chance of me actually capturing a picture of him. Did I plan it this way? If, by planning, you mean avoiding ‘doing’ Christmas because just the thought of it filled me with the terror most folk reserve…

IT’S BEEN A SURREAL YEAR for Irina Petrova: first, her best friend of 27 years, Yulia Skripal, was the victim of an assassination attempt that became one of the biggest global news stories of 2018. Then, she had to adjust to news that Yulia had made a miraculous recovery – yet she might still never get to speak to her again. ‘I’ve phoned and emailed Yulia many times this year,’ says Irina. ‘I email saying, “How can I help you? I’m here for you. It doesn’t matter where you are, I’m always here for you.” But she won’t reply because she has had to disappear.’ On 4 March, Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury after being poisoned by the chemical…

IT’S HARD TO find much that is positive to say about the atmosphere of 2018 Britain, as far as identity is concerned. Competing visions of who we are, what we stand for and who gets to be included have rarely been more antagonistic. But in May – remember May? – there was an interlude of glorious sunshine, a ray of light interrupting the clouds, a moment of symbolism that touched many people deeply. The fact that I was among them – standing in the grounds of Windsor Castle, commenting on a royal wedding and what it means – was itself evidence of the fact that, this year, the royal family changed. Growing up, I was little interested in the royals. As a mixed-race girl of English, Jewish-German and Ghanaian heritage,…

Happy birthday NHS We celebrated one of our most cherished institutions as it turned 70. The NHS may be derided as often as it’s admired, but as we were reminded of its monumental achievements in medicine, there was a moment of collective pride. Indonesian earthquake 1,944 people died in an earthquake and tsunami. The quake, measuring 7.5 magnitude, triggered a volcanic eruption in Java. Today, 5,000 people are still missing. Trump travels to the UK The POTUS’s visit avoided all the usual Presidential haunts, such as Downing Street. Perhaps he wished to dodge the protestors and the Trump baby balloon flying over Westminster.…

On Michael Wolff, author of Fire And Fury: Inside The Trump White House … ‘So much Fake News is being reported. They don’t even try to get it right, or correct it when they are wrong. They promote the Fake Book of a mentally deranged author, who knowingly writes false information. The Mainstream Media is crazed that WE won the election!’ On the US Embassy moving buildings in London… ‘Reason I cancelled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon – NO!’ On the migrant…

When Seann Walsh was pictured kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner Katya Jones on the front page of a Sunday newspaper, it seemed like the show’s infamous curse had struck once again. But the story moved from tabloid gossip to a major national talking point when his (now ex-) girlfriend, actress Rebecca Humphries, published a powerful open letter declaring she would not be a victim. She wrote that she had previously raised concerns with Seann about his behaviour with Katya, but he’d responded by calling her ‘a psycho/nuts/mental. As he had done countless times throughout our relationship when I’ve questioned his inappropriate, hurtful behaviour’. The letter went viral and sparked a nationwide debate about gaslighting, with charity Women’s Aid saying the comedian’s comments ‘can be a pattern of psychological abuse’…

Jennifer Lawrence was set up with Cooke Maroney through a mutual friend in May. Cooke, 33, is a director at Gladstone 64, an Upper East Side art gallery (his clients include Lena Dunham’s dad) and is apparently a regular on the art party scene. The couple have been spotted attending an ice hockey game and on holiday in Rome. After splitting from fiancé Joshua Sasse in February 2017, Kylie Minogue met GQ’s creative director, Paul Solomons. The pair, who were introduced by a mutual friend, made their relationship Instagram official in July. ‘It’s going great; it’s fabulous,’ Kylie said. ‘Just when you think, “Will it ever happen?” it came and surprised me.’ Princess Beatrice started dating Italian businessman Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi not long after sister Eugenie tied the knot. According…

Michelle Obama’s book Our favourite First Lady Michelle Obama published her hotly anticipated memoir, Becoming – and it became the best-selling book of the year. Matthew Hedges comes home After spending seven months in a UAE prison, having been sentenced to life for spying, the British academic was finally freed amid an international outcry. The Holly effect Not only was Holly Willoughby unveiled as M&S’s latest brand ambassador, with the retailer reporting two sell-out collections for ‘Holly’s must-haves’, but she also proved a hit as Ant McPartlin’s stand-in, as co-host of I’m A  Celebrity... with the show’s ratings soaring to their highest. Harry Redknapp was eventually crowned King of the Jungle. Migrant caravan at US border More than 7,000 migrants, fleeing poverty, violence and persecution, arrived at the US/Mexico border…

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/CARE4ART VIEW POINT Kitzbühel, Austria This Alpine ski town not far from Innsbruck is considered one of the loveliest in Europe, known for its authentic Tyrolean atmosphere and 16th-century city walls. Inside, it’s all cobbled streets and brightly-coloured buildings housing chi-chi boutiques, cosy cafés and lively restaurants; beyond are the jagged peaks of the snow-covered Wilder Kaiser Mountains – and some fabulous skiing.…

Having read ‘I felt burnt out, rubbish at my job and was worried I was going to be struck off ’ (26 Nov) about the mental health problems afflicting junior doctors, it really hit home about the poignant issue of who is caring for the carers? Ensuring the wellbeing of our (junior) doctors should be at the fore of the NHS’s concerns, not an afterthought. Raising awareness and creating support groups is a great start, but only manages the issue; to make sustainable impact and change it’s imperative we look at the cause and come together to make that change. Fleur…

★ Don’t get Insta-envy of other people’s Christmases: there’s probably a pile of washing up and a boring uncle monologuing about broadband prices just out of shot. ★ Keep things in perspective: if you burn the turkey, who cares? The only people you’re ruining Christmas for are obliged to love you anyway. ★ New Year’s resolutions aren’t set in stone: if you break yours on 2 January, don’t beat yourself up. It just means it was never meant to be. ★ Most importantly, if you can, give generously to those less fortunate than you. Our charity appeal is about the huge number of people in Britain spending this Christmas in poverty (see page 44).…

‘FEMINIST PRINCESS’ ‘ROYAL RULE-BREAKER’ ‘DUCHESS DIFFICULT’ ‘BREATH OF FRESH AIR’ TO SAY IT’S been an eventful year for the Duchess of Sussex is an understatement. After the royal wedding, there was her first overseas tour to Australia and New Zealand in October alongside Prince Harry. A month earlier, she’d launched her debut charity initiative Together, a cookbook released to raise funds for victims of the Grenfell tragedy. And who can forget the couple’s pregnancy announcement? So it came as no surprise that last week Meghan was shortlisted for Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’, just after being crowned the most Googled woman of 2018. In the 12 months that has seen Meghan become a fully-fledged royal, she’s been described as a royal rule-breaker, a game-changer, a feminist princess, a revolutionary…

SURE, YOU HAVEN’T even got through your Christmas shopping yet, but the sales have officially started. And yet, sales shopping is far from straightforward. In fact, after several balls-ups, I swerved them entirely for a few years, terrified that I’d be left hiding (from both the world and myself ) yet another expensive mistake. But really, who hasn’t been there? Buoyed up with your Christmas spends, all those brands you’ve coveted misty-eyed from afar are suddenly within reach and, before you know it, a lime-green sweater is moulting all over your armchair. The secret truth is that no one is immune to the words ‘Balenciaga half off ’, even those of us who have turned shopping into a living. However, this season, it’s time to conquer the discounts, and buy…

IF YOUR FESTIVE celebrations mean making the pilgrimage to your parents’ house – you might even be reading this en route, sandwiched next to a man who’s been drinking ‘festive’ lager since 10am – you’re not alone. We travelled 5.6 billion miles last year to visit our families at Christmas, according to Onepoll.com (and here’s betting most of us then spent a few nights on a lumpy put-you-up bed in the box-room that’s now ‘mum’s gym’). And yet, one of the greatest traditions of the season is revisiting the local pub – aka the one you threw up in after your A-level results. Here are the people you’re definitely going to run into there... THE NOW REALLY RICH ONE The son of your parents’ neighbours-but-one, he’s been in Dubai for…

IF 2017 WAS THE YEAR women found their words, 2018 was when they turned to action. The Hollywood actresses who last October made allegations against Harvey Weinstein emboldened women in every profession to expose the sexual abuse – major and minor, decades ago and yesterday – they had endured in silence. But what next? On 1 January, the new Time’s Up movement answered that question. ‘The clock has run out on sexual assault, harassment, and inequality in the workplace,’ it pledged. ‘It’s time to do something about it.’ Clad in sombre black at the Golden Globes, stars including Meryl Streep, Emma Stone and Laura Dern brought feminist campaigners and trade union activists along as their dates. Time’s Up raised millions in funding, recruited lawyers, and resolved to fight abusers in…

Ant’s crash TV’s Ant McPartlin crashed his car while intoxicated and was fined a record £86,000. Lessons for Labour Ill-judged remarks from Ken Livingstone led to an inquiry, protests and accusations that Jeremy Corbyn was siding with anti-Semites. Amber Rudd quit The Home Secretary at the centre of the Windrush scandal resigned – but was back in the Cabinet by November. Unliking Facebook Shares in the site plummeted after the data breach of 87 million people. Prince Louis was born The Cambridges third child arrived on 23 April. Beyachella Beyoncé became the first black female artist to headline Coachella.…

SHE’S JUST LIKE US! The internet went into meltdown when Meghan closed a car door with her own hand while on her first solo royal engagement. Cue lots of hand-wringing about protocol and etiquette. And those saying she’s still just like us (sort of). FAMILY DRAMAS Dad Thomas staged paparazzi photos, gave interviews and didn’t walk her down the aisle. Half-sister Samantha openly criticised her, then showed up at Kensington Palace wearing a mask of the duchess’s face. Throughout it all, Meghan remained silent. A ROYAL FIRST Meghan’s first ‘date’ with HM was a PR hit. The Queen even cracked a smile, so she can’t have been bothered that Meghan had apparently inadvertently ‘disrespected’ her by not wearing a hat. LOVE MATCH Prompting much speculation about how they get on,…

The Irish Referendum There was historic reform as the country voted overwhelmingly to repeal its anti-abortion laws. The 8th amendment had meant a near total ban on abortion. Trump meets Kim Jong-un After comparing nuclear arsenals, and exchanging some memorable salutations, including ‘Little rocket man’ and ‘dotard’, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief as the leaders ended their war of words to get down to some real diplomacy at the Singapore Summit. The historic meeting resulted in pledges on both sides for peace, security and a move towards denuclearisation. Jacinda Ardern gives birth New Zealand’s PM became only the second world leader to give birth while in office. Ardern made history again a few weeks later when she gave a speech at the UN with baby Neve in…

2018 was the joint hottest summer on record (with 1976). Here were the sweltering consequences… 723% rise in barbecue sales £74M how much more we spent on ice cream than usual 42°C the peak temperature on London Underground’s Central Line £287M what the UK spent on booze during World Cup quarter-final week 30°C the maximum legal workplace temperature, as proposed by two MPs 16-18°C the recommended bedroom temperature. We kept cool by putting sheets and socks in the fridge before bed 2100% rise in sales of air-cooling items such as fans PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK 112% increase in sun cream sales…

17 JANUARY IN PARIS À DEUX Victoria and David kicked off 2018 with a loved-up snap of their romantic meal in the French capital. They were in town to support Kim Jones’s final collection at Louis Vuitton. ‘Kisses from Paris,’ wrote Victoria. 17 APRIL VICTORIA’S BIRTHDAY Victoria celebrated in LA, surrounded by her family with a parade of gushing posts (she was thrilled to have ‘all six of us together!’). She had a fruit birthday cake for breakfast (‘they know me so well’), while Romeo dubbed her ‘the best mum in the world’. David posted: ‘Happy birthday to this young lady… amazing mummy.’ 19 MAY THE ROYAL WEDDING Just a month later, many wondered if things were less than rosy behind closed doors when Victoria and David arrived at the…

Synagogue shooting In the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in US history, 11 people were shot dead at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The mass shooting has followed an increase in anti-Semitic incidents across the US in the past year and a resurgent far right which many believe has gained momentum since Trump has been in office. Serena’s Ramos rage Back on court after the birth of her daughter, Serena Williams was penalised by umpire Carlos Ramos for receiving signals from her coach during a match. She accused him of being a ‘liar’ and a ‘thief ’, and, after he deducted points, claimed sexism and unfair treatment, eclipsing Naomi Osaka’s first major title win. The Khashoggi mystery Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of Saudi Arabia, disappeared…

1 BEST-IN-SHOW MASCARA CHANEL LE VOLUME RÉVOLUTION MASCARA, £28 Revolution by name, revolution by nature. Yes, that perfectly coned tip, which makes getting to every last millimetre of lashes a total doddle, is the first in the world to be created by 3D printing. Expect a fan of jet-black, fluttery lashes with zero smudges or clumps. We worship at the altar. HANNAH COATES, BEAUTY EDITOR 2 SAVVIEST SKIN TECH ELIZABETH ARDEN RETINOL CERAMIDE CAPSULES, £72 These little pods of skin-renewing goodness cut the faff out of retinol – a notoriously feisty ingredient that can send sensitive skin a little haywire. Not only does one convenient capsule deliver the ideal concentration (alongside a cocktail of do-gooders), but it also keeps the ingredients optimally fresh – for all the brightening, tightening, tone-evening…

HOTOS: LUMEN, GETTY, BACKGRID, SHUTTERSTOCK 1 NEW IN SEXY SANTA There’s a new one every year, have you noticed? 2018’s is Paul Orchard, a 58-year-old Liverpudlian, and one of the few men who can pull off braces-and-a-bare-chest. 2. UP HOLLY JOHNSON Of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, because The Power Of Love just is the best Christmas song. We will protect you from the hooded claw, keep the vampire from your door… 3. NEW IN EMILY BLUNT’S MARY POPPINS We’ve literally never seen a better manifestation of perfectly pretty. (Apparently, the film’s terribly good too.) 4 NEW IN PHARRELL IN A CHRISTMAS JUMPER It’s from 2014. We uncovered it after googling the search term ‘hot men in Christmas jumpers’. (A girl’s gotta have a hobby, yeah?) 5. NON-MOVER DESTINY’S CHILD 2001…

It was the kind of fantasy fashion coup that would make Anna Wintour (or at least her Devil Wears Prada alter ego) spit with envy. When the Duchess of Sussex emerged on stage at the Fashion Awards to present Clare Waight Keller, the designer behind her Givenchy wedding gown, with her British Designer of the Year Award, it wasn’t just the jaded fashion audience that were gobsmacked. As Clare said backstage, it was ‘a complete and genuine surprise’. ‘I mean, honestly, I really did not know if she was even coming tonight at all,’ said the designer. ‘I was fitting her for the dress last week,’ she revealed of the duchess’s one-shoulder, bump-hugging, black velvet column, ‘And she said, “Oh, I’m going to this thing next…

JULIA ROBERTS IS now the latest ’90s mega-star to be enjoying a surprise revival. Receiving rapturous acclaim for her performances in Oscar-bait drama Ben Is Back and Amazon’s edgy TV thriller Homecoming, America’s Sweetheart is being reborn this awards season. But Grazia understands that the shift in Julia’s image has an intriguing provenance. Contrary to the seemingly effortless transformation, Hollywood insiders say that, with the help of secret advisers – including niece Emma Roberts and close friend Ellen DeGeneres – the Pretty Woman star has been actively working to reframe the public perception of her during the last year. ‘Julia has always been frustrated with being known as a Hollywood diva, along with all the negative attention about her personal life,’ said the insider. ‘This next chapter of her career…

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK IN THE WEEK Margot Robbie received a Screen Actors Guild nomination, the star made a surprise confession; she still suffers from imposter syndrome. ‘The week leading up to playing any character, I have a huge crisis of faith,’ she said. ‘I convince myself I’m a terrible actor and I’ll never pull it off. I always think: “I’m not even any good at this.”’ This is the same woman who received widespread acclaim for The Wolf Of Wall Street and I, Tonya (for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress), and is now starring alongside Saoirse Ronan in the highly-anticipated Mary, Queen Of Scots. Speaking at a Screen Actors Guild event last week in the US, she added that her husband Tom Ackerley, with whom she runs…

The Beast from the East We were buffeted by icy arctic blasts as freezing temperatures and snow hit the UK with some of the lowest recorded temperatures for a decade. Chaos descended with school closures, travel disruption and weather warnings galore as Britain ground to a standstill. 100 years of women’s suffrage More than 100,000 joined rallies across the UK to mark the centenary on 6 February of a law that allowed some women to vote for the first time. Events and exhibitions ran throughout the year and there was a collective mood of celebration as women came together. A sobering reminder of progress post #MeToo. Thawing relations at the Winter Olympics North and South Korea were united under one flag in a historic moment at the Winter Olympics in…

A is for APOCALYPSE-PROOF DRESSING When 2018’s crazy (and crazier) socio-political climate encouraged the rise of ready-for-anything dressing – think balaclavas, protective gloves and hi-vis jackets. B is for BLACKOUT Post-#MeToo, the red carpet has become an arena for activism. Nowhere was this demonstrated as clearly as at the Golden Globes, where the female guests engaged in a powerful and poignant gesture of solidarity: an all-black dress code. C is for CARBS Favourite cameo of the year? The chips in Harry Styles’ Gucci campaign. Molly Goddard set her A/W ’18 show in an industrial kitchen, the Missoni family released a cookbook and Marc Jacobs got engaged in a Chipotle. D is for DAD TRAINERS If you weren’t wearing ugly trainers this year, then where were you? E is for É…

In January we almost exploded when the most likeable woman in pop, Adele, dressed up as the most likeable woman in country music, Dolly Parton. Her caption: ‘A hero of my life. I’ll always love you.’ Same, Adele. Breaking the net with 13 million likes was Justin Bieber announcing his engagement to Hailey Baldwin. They’ve since married, as evidenced by the fact she’s changed her handle to @haileybieber. Everything happens on the ’gram. Cementing their position as the best-loved couple on Instagram, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend channelled Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for Halloween. They didn’t even go out; they just did it for the ’gram. Giving us all 45th birthday goals, Kate Beckinsale, her daughter and ex Michael Sheen got together for a friendly session of goat yoga.…

EVEN FOR THOSE of us for whom football is something that happens to other people, 2018 was the year we all engaged at some small level with the World Cup. The reason: English football’s charming and mild-mannered manager, Mr Gareth Southgate; he of the waistcoats, family man and kindness thing. There were two seminal moments in our Southgate love. The first occurred immediately after England’s unexpected victory against Colombia. While his team celebrated its triumph, Southgate consoled an opposition player who was sobbing over a missed penalty. The second took place a few nights later, when his team marked its quarter-final victory over Sweden not with riotous carousing, but by sitting down to break bread with their wives and children. Saint Gareth enthused: ‘We are going to keep that tradition…

The marriages… PRINCESS EUGENIE AND JACK BROOKSBANK Eugenie’s and Jack’s nuptials – aka the ‘other’ royal wedding – took place in October with an A-list guest list (Kate Moss, Robbie Williams and Naomi Campbell) to rival Harry and Meghan’s, a series of show-stopping outfits (Cara Delevingne’s three-piece suit and top hat) and an unforgettable entrance from Fergie, who smiled and pointed at the crowd as she was welcomed back into the royal fold. GWYNETH PALTROW AND BRAD FALCHUK Gwyneth married her producer fiancé Brad at an intimate Hamptons wedding in September. There was live music – Robert Downey Jr did a breakdance – and personalised Goop gifts for the 75 guests. Ex-husband Chris Martin, however, was a notable absence. HAILEY BALDWIN AND JUSTIN BIEBER Hollywood lovebirds Hailey and Justin tied…

MARCH: The Saudi Crown Prince’s state visit was criticised amid accusations he funded extremism in the UK. JULY: May faced criticism for inviting Trump to the UK, but the public broadly agreed she was right to pursue a UK/US trade deal. AUGUST: During a visit to South Africa, the PM put on a rather awkward dancing display as she met some schoolchildren. SEPTEMBER: May spoke out against Conservative MPs opposed to her Brexit plan, as well as those plotting to force her to stand down. OCTOBER: After jiving on stage to ABBA’s Dancing Queen, the PM hit back at critics, as well as making light of the last disastrous conference speech. NOVEMBER: Although a draft deal between UK/EU negotiators was backed, May soon faced a backlash from MPs, and several…

CHEESY NACHOS BOWL Serves: 2 INGREDIENTS 6 wholewheat tortilla wraps Vegetable oil Sea salt For the refried beans: 1 x 400g tin of black beans 1 tbsp oil 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce Juice of 1 lime A small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped For the salsa: 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 2 scallions, finely sliced 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 100g tomato purée Juice of ½ a lime 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp maple syrup/other liquid sweetener 1 tsp sea salt ½ tsp chilli powder To serve: 1 red onion, sliced thinly I ripe avocado, sliced 1 red chilli, sliced 200g cheese of your choice A small bunch of fresh…

ENJOY THE VIEW I pounced on my copy of Grazia as usual and the first thing I read was Grazia View. What a wonderfully refreshing opinion: let’s all take a step back and still enjoy Christmas and all its great joys, but also remember that we should try to be content with what we have. It seemed so pertinent at this time of year. After all, at crucial moments we think of family and friends, not what we got for various Christmases. Ruth THE BOTTOM LINE I feel really passionately about plus-size clothes, being a 6ft tall, size 22-24 woman. Underwear shopping is awful as I can never find pretty, matching lingerie. So I read How Lingerie Got Inclusive (10 Dec) with interest. And although it’s great that so many…