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The Princess of Wales returned to royal duties alongside King Charles to join a poignant service they both sadly missed last year.

Kate looked eye-catching in a red Catherine Walker coat and a hat by Gina Foster in the same colour as she arrived at Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service with Prince William. They arrived just before King Charles and Queen Camilla and were joined by other royals, including Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, as well as a 2, 000-strong congregation.

The King, who is head of the Commonwealth, gives an annual address each year to the family of 56 nations, but last year pre-recorded a video message after postponing his public-facing duties for around three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Princess of Wales also couldn’t attend the service last year, a key event in the royal calendar, after also being diagnosed with cancer but was among the congregation alongside the King, Queen and Prince of Wales. Kate is still making a gradual return to public duties after confirming she is in remission.

The service at Westminster Abbey, which was also attended by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comes as the King, who is head of the Commonwealth, delivered his annual message to mark the day. He said: Leaders recently reiterated the importance of collaboration for peace and human rights, as well as for the restoration of nature both on land and in the oceans.

“As we mark Commonwealth Day together, there is no more important task than to restore the disrupted harmony of our entire planet. For the sake of our younger generations ‘ threatened future, I can only hope that the Commonwealth will continue its vital work to restore that harmony”.

Plans have been announced for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) and Victory over Japan (VJ) Days. Charles also referenced his in the message by saying: “This year, the world reflects on the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War Two. More than one and-a-half million men and women who served during the War came from across the Commonwealth to support the United Kingdom and its allies.

” On this special anniversary, we remember with particular pride and everlasting gratitude the untold sacrifice and selflessness of so many from around our Family of Nations who gave their lives in that dreadful conflict. “

After the ceremony, the King will also launch the inaugural King’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace, officially starting the countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Charles and Camilla will also be guests of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, at the annual Commonwealth Day reception on Monday evening and hear a commemorative song by Andrew Lloyd Webber to mark the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize.

Commonwealth Day on Monday is also being marked by the release of a playlist Charles has compiled following a collaboration with Apple Music for his King’s Music Room show. Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones and contemporary artists Davido and Raye are among those who make it into Charles’s top tracks from across the Commonwealth.

The much-anticipated Harry Potter TV series from Warner Bros. Discovery is set to kick off filming this summer, with Oscar-winning costume designer Holly Waddington on board.

Laura Neal, known for her work on Killing Eve, has joined the writing team, and showrunner Francesca Gardiner was recently profiled by Deadline, offering insights into her approach.

Rumours are swirling about potential casting choices for key characters in the series. Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso, Shrinking) and Mark Strong have all been mentioned as possible contenders for the roles of McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid and Dumbledore respectively.

It was reported that John Lithgow was close to finalising a deal to play Albus Dumbledore, the enigmatic and powerful headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – a claim later confirmed by Lithgow himself in an interview with Screen Rant.

Janet McTeer is reportedly in talks to take on the role of Professor Minerva McGonagal, the transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor house at Hogwarts, while Paapa Essiedu is said to be nearing a deal to portray potions professor and Slytherin house head Severus Snape.

Warner Bros. Discovery is on the lookout for fresh faces to portray Harry, Ron, and Hermione in an upcoming TV series, with an open casting notice specifying they’re seeking actors aged between 9 and 11 as of April 2025.

Daniel Radcliffe, who famously played Harry in the movie saga, was also cast at age 11, while Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were just 10 and 12 when they started. WBD has plans to potentially reel in a major force behind the cinematic magic—Framestore, the esteemed British VFX company.

Francesca Gardiner is making waves, landing the highly coveted role of showrunner. With her background as a consulting producer on ‘ Succession ‘ for its third and fourth seasons, Gardiner triumphed over Tom Moran and Kathleen Jordan for the position. Mark Mylod, renowned for his work on ‘ Succession’, will not only direct several episodes but also serve as an executive producer.

Chris Columbus, the directorial mind behind the first two Harry Potter blockbusters—’Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ‘ and ‘ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’—has given HBO’s television reboot his seal of approval, describing it as a “spectacular idea”.

On June 25, the intriguing update came through—it’s all systems go for HBO, which comes in light of WBD’s revamped high-stakes streaming game plan.

Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO &amp, Max Content, promised fans a “a faithful adaptation”. of the beloved Harry Potter series. He stated: “This new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years”, Despite early reports suggesting each season would focus on one book from the seven-part series, Bloys revealed plans for the project to span “10 consecutive years”, contradicting the one season per book theory. Furthermore, it was clarified during the announcement that the Fantastic Beasts franchise would not be incorporated into the series.

HBO confirmed that filming is set to commence in the summer of 2025 at Leavesden, with an expected air date sometime in 2026 or 2027. Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and Executive Producer Mark Mylod made a surprise appearance at the Max Showcase in London to announce this significant step in production.

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Hilaria Baldwin has revealed she feared something could happen to her family during husband Alec Baldwin’s high-profile trial.

The 41-year-old wife of the Hollywood actor, 65, admits she wrote letters to her children “in case something happened to us” at the height of the trial after previously sharing that Alec was suicidal in the wake of the Rust on-set shooting.

Alec found himself embroiled in a legal battle after he accidentally fired a prop gun on October 21, 2021, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. The unfortunate event took place during a rehearsal at a ranch in New Mexico. In 2022, Alec was charged with involuntary manslaughter, implying that he had caused a death due to negligence.

However, these charges were dismissed in 2023 when new evidence came to light. On the latest instalment of Alec and Hilaria’s reality TV show The Baldwins, the couple returned home after the case was dismissed. Speaking to the cameras, Hilaria admitted: “This is going to sound so stupid but I wrote the kids – that I left here – little letters and hid them. I told my friend where they were in case something happened to us”.

Hilaria, who shares Carmen, 11, Rafael, 9, Leonardo, 8, Romeo, 6, Eduardo, 4, María, 4 and Ilaria, 2, with Alec, previously recalled: “Carmen asked me last night, ‘ When daddy goes to New Mexico, do I say goodbye to him? Do I say goodbye to him in a special way? ‘]She was so afraid] that when Alec and I go into court that somebody is going to shoot us”.

Despite the case being dismissed last year, Alec still faced a civil lawsuit from Hutchins ‘ family. In March 2023, he and the Rust producers reached a financial settlement with the family. Alec received backlash for not verifying the safety of the gun before using it, given the importance of safety on film sets.

He maintained his innocence, asserting that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun discharged accidentally. Hilaria has now disclosed that she received ‘ heart wrenching ‘ text messages from Alec in the wake of the Rust tragedy. This revelation was made in a recent episode of their new reality show, The Baldwins, which offers viewers an insight into their family life and parenting journey with their seven children.

Hilaria shared some intense personal texts with viewers, revealing: “I found these text messages the other day, between us, you know, the day after. And you know, he said he wanted to kill himself”. She told the cameras about her husband’s struggles:

“He has survivor’s guilt. You’re involved in this thing that nobody could even possibly imagine. And so it goes back to that day. He wishes it were him. He would change places in a second. This has affected his health, and his mental health tremendously.

” The past few years, all of the sudden he started having heart problems. He’s been hospitalized multiple times. He’s fainted… everybody’s just screaming, I’m going, I’m on top, and I’m shaking him. It’s hard sometimes. But hopefully we’re in the hardest, but tail end of it. “

In their intimate docuseries ‘ The Baldwins’, which kicked off on Sunday 23rd February, Alec and Hilaria grapple with the aftermath of the tragic set accident where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins lost her life four years ago – an incident which led to Alec’s trial for involuntary manslaughter, a charge later dropped.

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Over the years, the stars of the Harry Potter film series have become household names.

That has led to the loss of some actors being felt deeply across the fandom. While the film adaptations may have launched the careers of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, it also starred some already famous faces who have died since their films were released.

Legends such as Alan Rickman and Helen McCroy are among those who have died over the years since the films were released. Some stars sadly did not get to see out the end of the series, such as 18-year-old Robert Knox who was tragically murdered.

Here, as another cast member sadly passes away, we look back and remember those who are no longer with us.

Simon Fisher-Becker

Simon Fisher-Becker starred as Hufflepuff House’s resident ghost, the Fat Friar, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. He also played a role in Doctor Who, taking on the part of blue-skinned intergalactic Crespallion black marketeer, Dorium Maldovar.

Other credits on his CV included One Foot in the Grave, The Bill, Doctors, Love Soup, Getting On and Afterlife. He died in March 2025 aged 63.

Maggie Smith

Oscar winner Maggie Smith died last year on September 27. She was 89. She portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall through the entire Harry Potter film series. Away from Harry Potter, she starred as Violet Crawley in the entire Downton Abbey series and also boasted roles in the likes of Sister Act, Hook, and The Miracle Club.

Richard Harris

The iconic British actor was cast as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first two films, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. As well as the wizarding world Richard is known for his key roles in movies such as Gladiator, Unforgiven, Camelot and The Count of Monte Cristo.

He sadly passed away on October 25 in 2002, shortly after the second film was released. He was 72 years old.

Robert Knox

Robert Knox starred in the Half-Blood Prince film. He played the part of Marcus Belby. He had also signed a contract to appear in the Deathly Hallows, part one, but sadly in May 2008, Robert was murdered outside a bar in Sidcup, London. He was only 18 years old at the time of his death.

Timothy Bateson

Timothy Bateson voiced the other and not-so-popular house elf in the Harry Potter series – Kreacher. He was born in 1926 and was famous for roles in films and TV shows from as early as the 1950s. He also starred in Labyrinth in 1986. He played the part in the Order of the Phoenix film, which ended up being his final work before he died in 2009.

Michael Gambon

Following the death of Richard Harris, Michael Gambon took on the role of Dumbledore. He played the headmaster role up until the character’s end in the Half-Blood Prince. Before he joined the Harry Potter world, Michael was known as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre.

He became famous for appearing in several Shakespearean plays including Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and Coriolanus. He passed away in September, 2023.

Derek Deadman

Derek Deadman starred as British wizard Tom who worked at The Leaky Cauldron. Included in his character’s job roles were being the landlord, innkeeper and the barman. He famously played Ringo in Never the Twain and also appeared in Jabberwocky, Time bandits and The Scarlet Pimpernel, before he died in 2014.

Elizabeth Spriggs

Elizabeth Spriggs only appeared in the first Harry Potter film. She took on the role of The Fat Lady – a living portrait and also the key to the Gryffindor common room dormitories. Characters had to state a password before she would open the door.

Other parts on Elizabeth’s CV included roles in Sense and Sensibility, Is Anybody There and Simon and the Witch. She died in 2008.

Roger Lloyd Pack

Roger Lloyd Pack played the Ministry of Magic official Barty Crouch Senior in the Goblet of Fire movie. He was most famous, however, for his roles in Only Fools and Horses, The Vicar of Dibley and Doctor Who. He passed away in 2014.

Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths played the horrible Mr Vernon Weasley, but an iconic character nonetheless. He appeared in five of the films in the series – he was not written in for Goblet of Fire and the Half-Blood Prince. Away from his parts in Harry Potter, Richard also starred in Chariots of Fire and The History Boys. He died in 2013.

Jimmy Gardner

Jimmy played the role of Ernie – the magic night bus driver. He was known for potentially one of the most famous lines from the series being spoken to him, which was “take it away Ern, it’s going to be a bumpy ride”. He appears just once in the Prisoner of Azkaban film, escorting Harry to the Leaky Cauldron.

Jimmy died in May 2010.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman had the huge role of Severus Snape in the franchise. Snape is one of the most iconic characters in Harry Potter, someone who is quite terrible but you also have a soft spot for. It isn’t until later when we find out how much depth the character has, and actually how much heartbreak he endeavoured.

Away from Potter, Rickman featured in other blockbuster movies, such as Love Actually and Sense and Sensibility Sadly, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died in 2016.

Dave Legeno

Actor Dave Legeno was cast as the scary Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf and Death Eater. The character appeared in the Half-Blood Prince on the night of Dumbledore’s death. In 2014, the star’s body was found in Death Valley, California. Dave Legeno was found to have died of heat-related health problems.

Death Valley is California’s hottest and driest National Park and is said to be extremely dangerous for hikers.

Eric Sykes

Eric Sykes played Frank Bryce, the gardener for Voldermort’s grandparents. His character is killed in the fourth movie – the Goblet of Fire – after overhearing a conversation between The Dark Lord and his snake Nagini. He was most famous for his work on the cult comedy The Goon Show, although he first began writing for radio.

Eric died in July 2012.

Terence Bayler

New Zealand actor Terence Bayler was cast as The Bloody Baron, the naughty ghost in the Philosopher’s Stone. Prior to his Potter days, he was also famous for starring in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, but passed away in 2016.

Alfred Burke

Alfred starred as Armando Dippet in the second Harry Potter film, The Chamber of Secrets. He appeared as the headmaster of Hogwarts during a flashback scene showing Dumbledore as a student. He died in 2011.

Peter Cartwright

Peter Cartwright played Elphias Doge, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. In the film, his character helped Harry get to Grimmauld Place in the fifth film. Sadly, Peter died in 2013, shortly before the final films were completed. The character was then played by David Ryall.

David Ryall

David Ryall replaced Peter Cartwright as Elphias Doge and appeared in the Deathly Hallows, part one before passing away in 2014. David also appeared as Grandad in the BBC sitcom Outnumbered.

Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy played Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. He appeared as Fudge in the Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. He had a successful career which spanned over 70 years. He was also famous for his portrayals of Winston Churchil and his appearance in All Creatures Great and Small. He died in 2017.

Hazel Douglas

Hazel Douglas played Bathilda Bagshot in the first part of the Deathly Hallows – a character who was the famous author of A History of Magic. Her character is killed and appears again as a corpse containing Voldermort’s snake. Hazel died in 2016.

John Hurt

An epochal character in the first Harry Potter, John Hurt played the wonderful Garrick Ollivander, the famous wand-maker. Ollivander had a shop in Diagon Alley but the character was captured and tortured by Lord Voldemort. John Hurt was famous for his roles in 1984, Alien and the Elephant Man. He died in 2017.

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory took on the role of Draco Malfoy’s mother Narcissa. Over the course of the series, the British-born actress ‘ character becomes warmer, and in the end you sort of have sympathy for her.

Helen is probably even more famous for playing Polly Shelby in Peaky Blinders, an iconic and powerful female lead in the TV show. She also played powerful roles for the National Theatre before she died in 2021.

Paul Ritter

Paul Ritter was an English actor and was probably most famous for playing Martin, the dad in Friday Night Dinner in the years leading up to his death. But Paul also starred in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, playing Eldred Worple, a wizard and writer. The character meets Harry at Slughorn’s Christmas Party where he tries to convince him to write an autobiography. Paul passed away from a brain tumour in 2021.

Robbie Coltrane

Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane started famously as Hogwarts groundskeeper and giant Rubeus Hagrid. He appeared in all of the franchise’s films. Hagrid and Harry had a special friendship but he was also close to Dumbledore and other Hogwarts students.

Away from Harry Potter, Robbie appeared in ITV detective drama Cracker as well as the James Bond films Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough. Robbie died in 2022.

Leslie Phillips

While Leslie Phillips didn’t appear on the screen visibly, his voice is recognisable as he played The Sorting Hat. He voiced the character in a number of the films and appeared mostly in the first film when sorting Harry and his peers into houses. The Sorting Hat’s famous line is probably triumphantly shouting “Gryffindor!” when choosing for Harry.

Leslie also played the grandpa in The Parent Trap with Lindsey Lohan but he was also known for his roles in the Carry On and Doctor Who series. He died in 2022.

Vern Troyer

American actor Vern Troyer played Griphook the Goblin in the first Harry Potter movie. He was later replaced by Warwick Davies in the films that followed. Other roles Vern was notably famous for his role included beingMini Me in Austin Powers movies. He died in 2018.

Sam Beazley

This actor played Professor Everard and appeared in the Order of the Phoenix. Everard was a past Hogwarts headmaster and showed up in the moving portraits. Sam Beazley appeared in productions of Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet in the 1930s before serving in World War II. He died in 2010 at the ripe age of 101.

A version of this article was first published on July 11, 2024.

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New Look shoppers are heaping praise on a “gorgeous” bag that could easily be mistaken for a designer version. The bag has proven popular with fans online, where it’s been dubbed a “must have”.

TheNew Look Leather-Look Tote Bag, which is priced at £29.99, looks very similar to the Rebecca Minkoff Megan Tote, which comes in at £260. This large price difference means shoppers could save around £230 by opting for the high street version.

The New Look bag is currently available in burgundy. The bag was also previously available in black, which has now sold out.

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The two bags look very similar, featuring almost identical shapes and top handles. They also have similar dog-clip hardware on the front, though the designer version’s is all black.

However, the Rebecca Minkoff bag is made with real leather, while the New Look bag is registered by The Vegan Society and is completely animal free. The designer bag is currently available in a wide variety of colours, while New Look’s is only available in burgundy right now.

The New Look product description reads: “Shaped with top handles and a practical internal zip compartment, this spacious tote bag is ideal for the office, term time and everything in between”.

The New Look bag has an overall rating of 4.5 stars online, having racked up positive reviews. Among them, one person said: “Beautiful colour and ideal size for transporting everything I need for work. Would take shopping as well. Nice soft leather look”.

A second shopper wrote: “Gorgeous colour, loads of room, looks expensive! Could have done with pockets internally though”. A third added: “Excellent item, even better in person. Soft, quality feel and great size for school folders”.

Another added: “Roomy and stylish! Colour bang on for this season. I love it! Perfect colour for this season”!

However, not all shoppers were so impressed with the bag. One person said: “Delivered on time. Nice bag for someone but not me! Much bigger than I thought. Very floppy and didnt like the ‘ loose ‘ zip bit inside”.

Alternatively, shoppers can snap up similar bags from other retailers. John Lewis stocks the Mango Cobalt Large Tote Bag for £25.99, while M&amp, S has the Faux Leather Shoulder Tote Bag, priced at £45. If you’d rather stick with a designer option, Radley has the Suffolk Road Large Ziptop Shoulder for £79, down from £159.

There appears to be tension between two Love Island stars just weeks on from them being in the All Stars final together.

The ITV2 spin-off’s second series concluded just weeks ago with Gabby Allen, 33, and Casey O’Gorman, 28, named as the winners. They had reached the final of the show, which was filmed in South Africa again, with four other couples including Catherine Agbaje, 24, and Omar Nyame, 26.

Gabby spoke about Catherine and her partner Omar – who placed fourth – whilst playing a game of Guess Who? with Casey for radio station KISS recently. Each round saw one of them given a photo of a former co-star, with the other then having to work out who it showed by asking questions.

Whilst holding a photo of Catherine, Gabby was asked by Casey: “Would you say this Islander is in a genuine couple”? She responded: “They didn’t have as much time in the villa as other people to know in there. But I also think since coming out, they’ve definitely spent the least time together as a couple from as far as I’m aware”. Gabby also suggested that Catherine had been a “mixer” among drama in the villa.

Catherine appears to have since addressed Gabby’s remark about her relationship in a video on social media that then circulated on TikTok on the weekend. Seemingly responding to the suggestion that, compared to other couples from this year’s All Stars, her and Omar spend less time together, she says: “Was I shocked when I saw what I saw? Yes, because it’s like ‘ girl, how do you even know? ‘ We don’t speak”.

She later comments: “I’ve never said that to you. I don’t talk to you, so, yeah, that’s come from only god knows where. Because I don’t sit with Omar and we do not talk about other couples, we talk about ourselves, we talk about our interests, we talk about our lives. We laugh together. We don’t like focus on other people but ourselves”.

Catherine and Gabby were both part of the original line-up on the latest series of All Stars, which launched in January. Casey entered the villa shortly afterwards and went on to begin a romance with Gabby, whilst Omar joined the show in its third week before coupling up with Catherine.

Gabby and Casey were later announced as the winners of the series, with Luca Bish and Grace Jackson named as the runners-up. Curtis Pritchard and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu placed third, whilst Catherine and Omar were fourth. Elma Pazar and Sammy Root held fifth place in the live final.

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