Category Entertainment News

Prince Harry is said to be confident of winning back his automatic police protection in the UK after a review – and it could lead to a huge move by the Sussexes

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Prince Harry has been locked in a bitter battle over his security arrangements in the UK for years – but all could be about to change. After losing his legal case to have his automatic police protection while in the UK reinstated, in a major U-turn, the Home Office is said to have now ordered a full threat assessment for the first time since 2020.

The outcome of the review is expected this month, with sources close to the Duke of Sussex said to be ‘confident’ it could be restored. Throughout his battle, Harry argued that his security situation in the UK made it “impossible” for him to safely bring his wife, Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, back to his home country.

READ MORE: Kate Middleton leaves fans stunned after ‘humble’ moment with William on surprise visitREAD MORE: Should Prince Harry have taxpayer-funded security while in the UK? Take our poll and have your say

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He also said the situation had driven a wedge between him and his father the King, with Harry also previously claiming the pair weren’t on speaking terms. The King has only seen his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, a handful of times, with the pair being brought up with their parents in California. Meghan has also not visited the UK since 2022, when the late Queen died.

If Harry does win his automatic security back, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes Harry could be quick to bring his children over to visit his home country – but there could be a stumbling block. She told the Mirror: “Harry says the security issue has been the biggest obstacle in any reconciliation with his family, and the primary reason that he has not brought his family to see their grandfather and experience their heritage.

“So, if that obstacle is removed, it seems reasonable to presume that he will bring Archie and Lilibet over here. And I think most people would be glad to see our old King reunited with the son he called his “darling boy“ and with the grandchildren he barely knows. But I’m less convinced that the public is ready for Meghan Part Two. She’s clearly happy at home in California and I can’t see why she would want to come to the UK and face possible hostility. So, perhaps in future we will see more of Harry and possibly the children.”

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If Harry does see a favourable outcome from his review, it has been speculated he could spend more and more time in the UK – and could potentially even help out the ever small band of working royals with some royal engagements on behalf of the King.

But Jennie isn’t so sure, and explained: “I don’t think that he will be taking on any royal duties here. The decision was made that you cannot be half in and half out. Personally, I think that was pretty harsh, however it is the way things are. And I think it would be a smack in the face to William, who has remained so completely loyal to his father and his duty, to allow Harry back as a working royal, even a part-time one.”

Last night it was reported that Harry – who has spent only a few minutes alone with his dad since stepping back as a working royal in 2020 – is said to be offering him a special role at the Invictus Games when it returns to the UK next year.

It means the father and son could appear on stage together at the opening ceremony at the NEC in Birmingham next June, marking a significant thawing in their relationship after years of near-silence.

At present, Harry must inform the Metropolitan Police a month before travelling to the UK, who look at his security needs on a case-by-case basis. But his lawyers have previously argued this has put his life “at stake”.

In October, it emerged that a ‘known’ stalker of Harry came within yards of him during his visit to the UK last September. They were reportedly found hiding in the toilets of a swanky London hotel just minutes before he was due to arrive for an event.

And Jennie added: “I think this decision, which looks pretty imminent, is a vindication for Harry. He has stamped his feet, complained to the government, taken matters to the High Court and publicly denounced its decision to deny his plea as a ‘good old-fashioned establishment stitch -up’.

“But I think it would be the correct decision to restore his security. As he has consistently argued, nothing has changed about the threat level he faces. He is still the King’s son, still fifth in line to the throne and, most pertinently, still a former army officer who served and killed in Afghanistan. He and his family are obvious targets.”

When the Duke of Sussex released his memoir three years ago today, he revealed that he left major details out over fears his estranged brother, Prince William, would never forgive him if certain claims were put to print

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When Prince Harry published his memoir Spare, which was released three years ago today, shockwaves were sent through the Royal Family, as he made dozens of claims against senior members of the Firm.

From details about a physical altercation between Harry and Prince William at Kensington Palace to a tense showdown at Prince Philip’s funeral, and tension between the brothers and their wives, Kate and Meghan, Harry took aim at the entire family, seemingly not holding anything back. Despite this, the Duke of Sussex later revealed that he has purposefully left out a string of major family secrets from the damning book.

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Within days of his autobiography being released to the public, Harry said he avoided mentioning certain anecdotes about his father and brother, as he feared they would never forgive him if he revealed them.

He said the original manuscript for his book was twice the length of the final draft and many details about interactions between him, Charles and William were edited out as there were things he didn’t want the world to know.

Harry admitted he had 50 Zoom calls with his ghost-writer and at times struggled to decide which details to include and which ones to leave out of his memoir.

Harry told The Telegraph : “It could have been two books, put it that way. And the hard bit was taking things out.” The Duke added: “There are some things that have happened, especially between me and my brother, and to some extent between me and my father, that I just don’t want the world to know. Because I don’t think they would ever forgive me.”

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At the time of Spare’s release, a royal expert claimed that Harry’s decision to “air their dirty laundry in public” has irreparably damaged the notion of the Firm being the beacon of a family monarchy.

Historian and royal expert Dr Ed Owens said the allegations in Spare had majorly dented the royals’ image of being the “best of British family life”, as he told the Mirror’s Pod Save The King podcast.

He said: “The story is a slightly tragic one as it has damaged this idea of a family monarchy. This idea that this is a united group who embody, if you like, the best of British family life.

“Originally King Charles III’s reign was going to be based around him being supported by his two trusty lieutenants – William and Harry. But when that went so disastrously wrong in early 2020 because of Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave Britain, it really put paid to that vision of the family monarchy.

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“And then of course we’ve had the Sussexes airing their dirty laundry in public for the best part of three years – and again it has done much damage to that narrative of happy family life.”

Harry’s memoir came after the Sussexes spoke to Oprah in their now infamous 2021 tell-all interview, and their Netflix docuseries in 2022, both of which levelled a series of allegations against members of the Royal Family.

Despite it being 10 years since David Bowie died, the Starman singer’s presence and influence is often still felt today. From music, to fashion and film – and there’s are some big reasons for that

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It’s officially been ten years since we lost the musical genius that is David Bowie today (January 10), with the icon dying age 69 from liver cancer. However, despite the Starman singer no longer being around, his presence and influence is often still felt today. From music, to fashion and film, David Bowie – whose real name was David Robert Jones – is still hugely influential to many thanks to his futuristics ideas and concepts.

However, rather than being a relic of the past, Bowie still feels like he’s ahead of his time. This is because his understanding of the future was never about gadgets or trends – it was about permission, and that ages differently than sound or fashion.

Here are a few reasons why this feeling persists, even ten years on:

1. He viewed identity as an experiment, not a final product

Bowie lived as if one’s self were something to be continually developed and refined. Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, Berlin-era Bowie – none of these were “eras” in the traditional sense.

They were experiments. In today’s world, defined by fluid identities, avatars, handles, and reinvention, this mindset feels remarkably relevant.

2. Bowie emotionally foresaw the internet age, not technically

Long before the advent of social media, Bowie understood fragmentation: personas, masks, performance, the gap between the private and public self. He grasped what it feels like to live life mediated through images and signals.

That’s why his work resonates more now than when it was first created.

3. He didn’t pursue relevance – he engineered obsolescence

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While most artists strive to stay current, Bowie deliberately left versions of himself behind. This is rare, and it aligns with the rapid pace at which culture moves today.

He was practicing cultural agility before the term even existed.

4. Bowie was a pioneer in breaking down barriers

Bowie didn’t see genre, gender, race, or the divide between high art and pop as limitations, but rather as suggestions. He normalised hybridity long before it became a trend of our current era.

Even when we think we’ve caught up with him, he still seems ahead.

5. His final work transformed death into an artistic concept

Blackstar wasn’t a call for mourning; it was an invitation to interpret. The idea of turning death into a conceptual act feels contemporary in an era where legacy, archives, and digital afterlives are as significant as physical presence.

6. He was driven by curiosity, not nostalgia

The Duke of Sussex has spoken in depth about his role as ‘spare’ – and when he confronted Prince William about his sad fears for the future, he apparently got shut down

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Prince Harry has made much of the fact he is the younger brother to the heir – tellingly, he named his explosive tell-all memoir Spare in a nod to his position in the royal family. And his personal struggles with the role saw him reach out to Prince William to express his concerns for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Harry recalled the moment in an interview with the Telegraph to promote his book. Describing himself as “someone who likes to fix things”, he said: “If I see wrongdoing and a pattern of behaviour that is harming people, I will do everything I can to try and change it.” And, he claimed, that extended to the other ‘spares’ in the family. “As I know full well, within my family, if it’s not us [pointing to himself] it’s going to be someone else.”

But in response, William is said to have “made it very clear” to Harry that his children are not the Duke’s “responsibility”. Harry said: “And though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me.”

READ MORE: ‘I saw Prince William share two words with Kate Middleton after she got nervous’READ MORE: Inside Kate Middleton’s secret ‘pressure’ over George and mistake she wants to avoidREAD MORE: Kate Middleton’s true feelings on Prince Harry laid bare in new update from close pal

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In his memoir, Harry described his “spare” role as “the shadow, the support, the Plan B”. “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy,” he wrote. He further claimed it was a term used within his family, even by his parents and the Queen, without judgment but as a fact of his life.

He wrote that his father King Charles referred to his younger son as such on the day of his birth, telling his then-wife Princess Diana: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare — my work is done.”

Whereas Harry was the only ‘spare’ to older brother William’s ‘heir’, technically both Charlotte and Louis fall under the category thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.

Prior to that, Charlotte – though older than Louis – would have been leapfrogged by him in the order of succession because he is a male. But thanks to the intervention, she remains third in line to the throne, directly behind George and ahead of Louis, regardless of her gender.

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However, royal experts think it’s unlikely that Charlotte and Louis will suffer the same fate as their uncle. Former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, Ailsa Anderson, said in a Channel 5 documentary that George, Charlotte, and Louis are being raised as equals. “This is the key to unpacking and shifting expectations of our heirs and spares,” she added. “The kids have more freedom and choices than their father.”

Princess Kate and Prince William are said to be especially aware that they don’t want Charlotte and Louis to live in their older brother’s shadow. Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “He (George) is the future King but the way things are going Charlotte and Louis may have major roles in the future. Certainly the royal family will need them as they are getting thin on the ground.

Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts has been forced to cancel her final week playing Persephone in West End musical Hadestown as she needs to undergo a small surgical procedure

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Expectant Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts has announced she’s stepping back from her West End production after being told she requires surgery. The performer, who shared the joyful news on Christmas Day that she and her fiancé are awaiting their first baby in 2026, has informed supporters that medical advice means she cannot finish her final week portraying Persephone in ‘Hadestown’.

She’s scheduled for a ‘small surgical procedure’ and has assured fans ‘everything is ok’ whilst breaking the news. Taking to social media, Nicola expressed: “I’m so sad and disappointed to have to share this news with you all.

“Today I have learnt that I have to undergo a small surgical procedure and have been informed by my doctor that as a result I will be unable to complete my final week of Hadestown shows. Everything is ok.”

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She went on: “I am heartbroken I won’t get to share the stage with my incredible cast who I love dearly and perform for the passionate Hadestown audiences I’ve had the privilege to get to know over these last 5 months,” reports Birmingham Live.

“I have adored playing the role of Persephone, it has been a dream come true and I’m so upset not to be able to fulfil my final week and to leave the show without a proper goodbye.

“I’m so sorry to anyone who had organised trips and booked tickets for my last week. This is completely out of my control and really I have to follow my doctor’s instructions. Sending love to everyone, thank you for your continued support and understanding.”

Nicola’s supporters were quick to flood her with messages of support and well-wishes for a swift recovery. One fan commented: “Sending you all the love in the world, nothing matters more than your health.

“Look after yourself! It has been an absolute pleasure watching you and I am forever proud of you.”

Another follower expressed: “I’m so gutted for you, but your health is the most important thing. You’ve been the most incredible Persephone and I’m so proud of you. Sending so much love.”

A third supporter remarked: “This is so sad but so understandable at the same time. You need to look after yourself and your little one they come first. You did an amazing job as Persephone! sending lots of love your way xx.”

The actress had previously announced on Christmas Day that she was already five months along in her pregnancy. She revealed that both she and her partner, footballer Mitch Hahn, “can’t wait” to welcome their bundle of joy in the spring.

In a series of snaps posted to Instagram, Roberts, 40, was pictured tenderly holding her growing bump whilst standing beside a festive Christmas tree. “Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families,” she captioned the post.

She went on to explain that the couple had been “keeping a secret” prior to announcing their joyful news.

Davina McCall has revealed why she has an eyeball on her ring after she tied the knot with Michael Douglas in an intimate ceremony last month

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Davina McCall has opened up on her wedding day and explained the reason behind her ring. The band includes a prosthetic version of her husband Michael Douglas’ eyeball.

The judge on The Masked Singer and the hairdresser tied the knot last month. And both of the loved-up pair now have a model of their other half’s eyeball staring back at them on their ring finger.

Speaking to Geoff Lloyd on Virgin Radio UK, Davina, 57, revealed it is a message of comfort to wear the ring. She said: “What’s so nice for me is if I’m at work or I’m not with Michael and I catch sight of the ring, I feel like he’s with me.”

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And Michael, 52, revealed his thoughts too and how the unique band came about. “They are actually made by a prosthetic eye company,” he said. “They make eyes for people who need an eye and then they get put into rings.”

Opening up on their special day, the couple revealed just how intimate the occasion was. Michael revealed they had “cried a lot” at the ceremony, in which only 11 people were in attendance. The sentimental occasion came shortly after they got engaged in Ibiza.

And Michael admitted it felt “therapeutic” with the pair exchanging vows just a month after Davina had been diagnoses with breast cancer. She had surgery to remove the lump that was discovered in November and went on to start preventative treatment.

She confessed she was still a “bit sore”following the care. In 2024, she also had a benign brain tumour removed.

The latest comments come a week after Davina mentioned her new husband Michael and praised him for being a huge support through her health ordeals. In a New Year message, she said: “I just wanted to say a Happy New Year to everybody and also to say thank you because obviously it’s been quite a big year and I have shared quite a lot of it on here.

“Sometimes I think social media can be quite a painful place but I’ve found a lot of very kind support on here this year so I just wanted to say thank you very much for that.”

She then went on to share details of her Begin Again podcast which will broadcast a Reset Month feature in January. “It’s basically for all of us who want to kick 2026’s a*** and do good this year and be good and be proud of ourselves so I’m trying to gift you everything that will help you do that,” she shared.

The TV icon went on: “I’m just sending you all a big New Year’s hug and so is my husband Michael,” putting the emphasis on the word. ‘husband’ as she beamed into the camera.

Her comments were met with delight by her followers. Many rushed to support her and Michael and wish them the very best for 2026.

One user penned: “You are a very very inspirational person Davina I hope you know that very special and loved wishing you much love and light for 2026 xxx”