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Showing posts from May, 2018

The "Lone Mujahid," Who Threatened Prince George, Pleads Guilty

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LONDON — In a surprising courtroom reversal, Husnain Rashid, a self-described jihadist accused of encouraging a terrorist attack on the school of 4-year-old Prince George, the third in line to the British throne, changed his plea on Thursday and admitted a series of terrorism offenses that could bring life imprisonment. The case fused two conflicting themes in the nation’s public life: its enduring preoccupation with the royal family — witnessed most recently in the marriage this month of Prince Harry and the American actress Meghan Markle — and the struggle to avert terrorism a year after a suicide bombing in Manchester followed by attacks on bridges over the River Thames in London. According to court testimony, Mr. Rashid used an online messaging service in October to publish a photograph of Prince George’s school in London, with silhouettes of jihadists superimposed on it. He also gave details of the school’s address and a warning that, “Even the royal family will not be left alo

Meghan Markle"s dad ate jelly and a fruit salad as he watched the lavish royal wedding alone

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle"s royal wedding was nothing if not the real-life equivalent of a modern day fairytale, but the bride"s father lived out a shockingly different reality as the newlyweds celebrated their love until the early hours of the morning. According to The Sun , Thomas Markle Sr. watched his daughter"s big day alone while eating jelly at a $32-a-night Airbnb property in Mexico. Obsessed with the royals? Like our Facebook page Now To Love Royals for the latest news on your favourite royal family members! Read this next "Tom watched the wedding by himself. He thought the ceremony was beautiful but I am sure forever he will regret not being there," Loris Davis, who lives in the same gated community in Mexico as the Duchess of Sussex"s father, revealed to the publication. "I"d bought him some Jell-O and a fruit salad which he ate while he watched it." Thomas with a newborn Meghan. Lori went on to back up reports that it wa

Even Prince George and Princess Charlotte Enjoy a Good Staycation

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Prince George and Princess Charlotte had a very busy May. Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images The spotlight has been on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the past few months, with all the anticipation leading up to the royal wedding and the surplus of drama that accompanied it. But let’s not forget about two very important pieces of that big day , also known as Prince George and Princess Charlotte . The little royals participated in the celebrations as pageboy and bridesmaid, respectively, at the nuptials of their uncle and his retired actress wife . Prince George, per usual, was the star, as his markedly grumpy face was documented by many a photographer and meme account, while Princess Charlotte apparently behaved like her truest royal self, making silly faces but also ordering around her fellow bridesmaids. The real stars of the wedding. ANDREW MATTHEWS/AFP/Getty Images With all that excitement, the two surely deserve a little rest and relaxation during their half term (it’s a week o

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return $12 million in wedding gifts

PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are set to return ‘£7 million’ ($12 million) in free gifts they were sent for the royal wedding. To celebrate the royal couple’s special day, Kensington Palace received gifts from various companies. But there are strict rules surrounding what the couple can be sent and many companies gave them presents to promote their wares and get their publicity. Essentially, plenty of people could be looking to exploit the royals and profit from it. But royal officials are having none of it, with clear guidelines on what free gifts can and can’t be received. The Express reports one such company is swimwear brand Bags of Love, who sold swimsuits with the royal couple’s faces on them leading up to the royal wedding. Harry and Meghan requested fans and wellwishers give to charity instead of giving gifts. It appears that hasn’t always been the case, as the Daily Star estimates that the free gifts Harry and Meghan are sending back are worth £7 million ($12 million).. The

Chilling picture of Prince George ISIS terror plotter used to encourage attacks on royal

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THIS is the chilling picture a wannabe jihadi used to urge his followers to attack Prince George at his school. Husnain Rashid, 32, also encouraged bombings at football matches through messaging site Telegram and was accused of asking followers to inject ice cream with poison, The Sun reports. Camera Icon An image circulated by alleged IS terrorist Husnain Rashid to encourage jihadis to attack Prince George at school. Picture: Supplied The third in line to the throne can be seen smiling at the camera alongside a silhouette of a jihadi fighter with the message: “Even the royal family will not be left alone” in the haunting photo. The teacher at a British mosque also included the address of the four-year-old’s school, St Thomas’s Battersea in South West London. He was on trial at Woolwich Crown Court but today dramatically changed his plea and admitted three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and one of encouraging terrorism. Rashid was also accused of urging

Leave the Markles alone. The need for gossip shouldn"t lead to snobby trashing

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It’s not easy turning a wedding, the heartwarming tale of two lovers wanting to live happily ever after, into something that makes everyone involved feel absolutely terrible. But we seem to have managed it, with days to spare. Meghan Markle’s elderly father is now said to be considering pulling out of the royal wedding , following embarrassment over the publication of some hammy staged photos of him supposedly being measured for his suit. Thomas Markle, who is 73 and recovering from a heart attack, may not now be walking her down the aisle – and no, this isn’t the time for arguing that it’s sexist for men to “give” their daughters away anyway; it’s her wedding, not yours, and she should have been able to involve her family in whatever way she chooses. But more important, it absolutely isn’t the time for journalists to observe self-righteously that Thomas Markle invaded his own privacy, and that he only has himself to blame for reportedly colluding with paparazzi to stage those photos –

TMZ: the celebrity gossip site that crashed the royal wedding

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TMZ originally stood for Thirty-Mile Zone, a swath of Los Angeles covering the entertainment industry, but now the abbreviation means something else and is prompting howls 5,000 miles away in Buckingham Palace. TMZ.com took its name from the cartographic reference, but the news website is in the business of getting global clicks through scoops on celebrities, athletes, tycoons – and royalty. Its clout was on neon-flashing display this week with a series of exclusives about whether Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, would attend her marriage to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on Saturday. Six royal weddings in one to mark Harry and Meghan"s big day - video The will-he-won’t-he saga (conclusion: he won’t ) gripped readers, upended the British royal family’s choreographed preparations and sent other media outlets scrambling to follow up TMZ’s daily updates. The House of Windsor and the hounds of Fleet Street, humbled by an operation based at a former post office distribution

Meghan Markle"s anxious phone calls to dad after operation

SICK Thomas Markle has been ordered not to drive by worried daughter Meghan, a close friend has revealed. The royal bride has made a series of anxious phone calls to her dad checking on his progress as he recovers from the heart surgery which meant he missed the wedding. The Sun can also reveal that Harry rang Thomas, 73, to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage; how Thomas ate jelly and fruit salad alone while watching the ceremony on telly and that it was Meghan’s idea for Prince Charles to walk her down the aisle. Mum-of-one Lori Davis, 38, who lives in the same gated community as Thomas, said: “He’s spoken to Prince Harry on many occasions and he has spoken to Harry and Meghan since the wedding. “They’re worried about him and have told him not to drive as he recovers from his heart operation.” She also said Thomas ate jelly alone while watching the ceremony at a £23-a-night ($40) Airbnb in Mexico. Speaking with his permission she said: “Tom watched the wedding by himself. He tho

Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle"s children won"t be princes or princesses

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Time to brush up on your royal knowledge. One thing particularly interesting about the British royal family are the rules and traditions surrounding royal titles . When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed on May 19, The Queen gifted them with a Dukedom, with Prince Harry’s titles being The Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. This means Prince Harry is styled as His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, and Markle is styled as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. This made us wonder, what will their children be called? According to royal tradition, should the Duke and Duchess choose to have children, they actually won’t be princes and princesses like Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children . That’s because of a 1917 Letters Patent issued by King George V, which states the following: “…the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in al

Meghan Markle"s mum Doria Ragland is reportedly "miserable" just days after the Royal Wedding

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The royal wedding is over, which means Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have officially started their lives together. However, Meghan"s mother, Doria Ragland , isn"t exactly living in royal bliss. Radar Online reported that Doria is "miserable" after the palace made her sign a document ordering her to stay silent on all things surrounding Meghan"s new life. "Doria can"t eat, speak, or otherwise open her mouth about Meghan unless she clears it with the Royal family," the source said. "They"ve silenced her and made her sign a non-disclosure agreement." Obsessed with the royals? Like our Facebook page Now To Love Royals for the latest news on your favourite royal family members! Read this next This arrangement reportedly won"t even allow Doria to speak to her close friends back home who couldn"t wait to hear all about the nuptials. "Her friends are asking how the wedding was, how the food was, asking how happy Meghan

Royal Ascot call for James McDonald

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Jockey James McDonald (Image: Steven Cargill/Racingfotos.com) The demand for James McDonald has been significant since he made his return to the saddle a fortnight ago and those wanting to secure his services aren"t confined to Australia. News emerged from England on Wednesday that McDonald has been booked to partner Equilateral in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot for trainer Charlie Hills and McDonald himself was even surprised. "I only got the phone call last night from Charlie asking whether I would be interested, it has all happened a bit quick and is a nice surprise but it is hard to pass up an opportunity like this," McDonald said. The 26-year-old New Zealander is no stranger to English racing and spent the bulk of the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2016 riding for Godolphin and others, including Hills, who is a big supporter. "I"ve ridden at Royal Ascot three times before, the first was 2013, then 2015 and 2016 and I"ve had a number of plac

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are apparently returning $12 million worth of wedding gifts

PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are set to return £7 million ($A12 million) worth of gifts they were sent for the royal wedding. To celebrate the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s special day, Kensington Palace received gifts from various companies. But there are strict rules surrounding what the couple can be sent and many companies gave them presents to promote their wares and get their publicity. Essentially, plenty of people could be looking to exploit the royals and profit from it. But palace officials are having none of it, with clear guidelines on what gifts can and can’t be kept. If they break the rules, they’re being posted right back to sender. One such company is swimwear brand Bags of Love, according to The Express . Harry and Meghan requested fans and wellwishers give to charity instead of giving gifts. It appears that hasn’t always been the case, as the Daily Star estimates that the free gifts Harry and Meghan are sending back are worth £7 million ($A12 million). The same ar

Serena Williams denies playing beer pong at royal wedding reception

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Leave the Markles alone. The need for gossip shouldn"t lead to snobby trashing

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It’s not easy turning a wedding, the heartwarming tale of two lovers wanting to live happily ever after, into something that makes everyone involved feel absolutely terrible. But we seem to have managed it, with days to spare. Meghan Markle’s elderly father is now said to be considering pulling out of the royal wedding , following embarrassment over the publication of some hammy staged photos of him supposedly being measured for his suit. Thomas Markle, who is 73 and recovering from a heart attack, may not now be walking her down the aisle – and no, this isn’t the time for arguing that it’s sexist for men to “give” their daughters away anyway; it’s her wedding, not yours, and she should have been able to involve her family in whatever way she chooses. But more important, it absolutely isn’t the time for journalists to observe self-righteously that Thomas Markle invaded his own privacy, and that he only has himself to blame for reportedly colluding with paparazzi to stage those photos –

TMZ: the celebrity gossip site that crashed the royal wedding

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TMZ originally stood for Thirty-Mile Zone, a swath of Los Angeles covering the entertainment industry, but now the abbreviation means something else and is prompting howls 5,000 miles away in Buckingham Palace. TMZ.com took its name from the cartographic reference, but the news website is in the business of getting global clicks through scoops on celebrities, athletes, tycoons – and royalty. Its clout was on neon-flashing display this week with a series of exclusives about whether Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, would attend her marriage to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on Saturday. Six royal weddings in one to mark Harry and Meghan"s big day - video The will-he-won’t-he saga (conclusion: he won’t ) gripped readers, upended the British royal family’s choreographed preparations and sent other media outlets scrambling to follow up TMZ’s daily updates. The House of Windsor and the hounds of Fleet Street, humbled by an operation based at a former post office distribution

The one rule Meghan Markle will find hardest to follow

WHEN Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, the nuptials marked the end of her working life as an actor. But emerging from St George’s Chapel as the newly minted Duchess of Sussex, Meghan has also had to give up another major part of her identity — her voice. Since the 17th century, royal protocol dictates the British monarchy is forbidden from expressing political opinion, meaning members of the royal family cannot vote or be seen to be favouring one political cause over another. It’s so strictly followed that Queen Elizabeth was accused of being in breach after saying people should “think very carefully about the future” before the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Forget wearing pantyhose or curtsying, this is the rule Meghan — a Noam Chomsky devotee and anti-Brexit protester — will struggle the most to follow. University of Paris British history professor Ophelie Simeon told France 24 that no member of the royal family, including Meghan, can voice their political opinions publicl

Meghan & Harry"s Marriage Has Already Broken More Traditions Than Kate & William"s

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By now, you know that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan aren’t exactly a traditional royal couple. They’ve gone about their romance and their nuptials in their own way with little regard for royal tradition. From Meghan walking the aisle by herself to Harry donning a wedding ring, Meghan and Harry’s marriage is breaking more traditions than any other royal marriage in the history books. So, here is a comprehensive list of all the ways in which Meghan and Harry’s marriage has already broken royal tradition: The Bridal Procession Just days before the wedding, Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, found himself indisposed due to a serious heart condition. And this left Meghan without someone to walk her down the aisle. What many people don’t know is that Meghan planned all along to walk at least part of the way down the aisle all by herself. The plan, according to CNN , was for Meghan to let the world know she could stand on her own. And she definitely did just that! Traditionally, brides at roy

Serena Williams debunks royal wedding rumour and reveals what she loved most about the day

TENNIS champ Serena Williams has opened up about the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, revealing her favourite part of the event. Speaking to the Associated Press after her win at the French Open, Williams laughed off reports that she’d been involved in a game of ‘beer pong’ at the wedding’s private evening reception at Frogmore House. She said those rumours were “not even remotely true,” adding: “I don’t even drink beer”. While she said she and her husband Alexis Ohanian had a “big laugh” about those beer pong rumours, Williams was clear about the most profound pleasure she had taken from the event. “It was really exciting to see so much African-American culture in the wedding and I was really happy that Meghan wanted to incorporate that into it,” she said. “It was just a whole cultural shift and change. It was seeing how far African-Americans have come. “I thought it was an incredibly inspiring and beautiful and really motivating thing. I was so proud of her and so hap

Royal baby pictures: Watch Prince Louis grow

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None Another Cambridge cutie to coo over! Prince Louis of Cambridge, third child of Prince William and Duchess Kate, arrived April 23, 2018, at the same London hospital where his father and older brother and sister, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were born, at St. Mary"s Hospital in Paddington. Prince Louis Arthur Charles (names of some of his ancestors, including grandfather Prince Charles) is fifth in line to the British throne. ANDY RAIN, EPA-EFE

Queen"s secret signals at meeting with new Australian High Commissioner George Brandis

IT WAS supposed to be all about a meeting between the new Australian High Commissioner to the UK and Queen Elizabeth II — but somehow, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have inadvertently stolen focus. In official pictures released of George Brandis’ visit to Buckingham Palace’s Audience Room this week, eagle-eyed fans spotted a previously unseen image of the royal newlyweds decorating a table in the background. In fact, the image is full of fascinating details. For instance, just look at the chair. According to The Australian’s Jacquelin Magnay the seemingly innocuous position of the sovereign"s trademark Launer handbag speaks volumes. The bag is placed on a chair, a signal to her staff that the Queen is happy to have a prolonged natter with the High Commissioner. If her bag were to be on the floor, it would signal an immediate intervention to staff to end the conversation forthwith. On the table, and she would be giving Mr Brandis a mere five minutes of her precious time. Moving

The Knights of Royal England put on spectacular show

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MORE than 1,000 people headed along to a medieval castle to learn about the life and times and watch a jousting display team in action. The Knights of Royal England took over Hedingham Castle and ran a host of special events for visitors. While the jousting displays formed the centre piece, visitors were also able to watch maypole dancing and falconry displays involving birds of prey. Those wishing to get involved with the activities were able to try their hand at archery, while there was also a variety of stalls set up in the castle grounds offering crafts and refreshments. Jesters were on hand to provide a comical element to the proceedings. A sword fighting demonstration General manager Simon Orr said: “It was terrific, we had two very good days. “Monday was particularly busy, we had something like 1,500 people turn up which is great considering the weather forecast. “The Knights of Royal England put on a fantastic show like they always do and were really impressive. Th