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As royal fans around the world prepare to watch Trooping the Colour – one of the highlights of the royal calendar – expert Jennie Bond reveals why Prince Harry will not be among them

It is one of the rare occasions where the whole of the Royal Family is out in force standing shoulder-to-shoulder. And that is exactly what is expected to happen today when the Firm stands united to celebrate Trooping the Colour.

The event, which is the King’s official birthday celebration, is full of pomp and pageantry and includes the King leading his family out to the Buckingham Palace balcony for the exhilarating RAF flypast that includes the Red Arrows. However, in recent years, there has been no sign of the King’s estranged son, Prince Harry, or his wife, Meghan Markle, joining the event.

They last appeared on the palace balcony with the rest of the royals in 2019 – just months before they dramatically quit their royal roles. Since then their relationship with the royals has crumbled after railing against them in their Netflix series and Harry’s memoir, Spare.

Just weeks ago, Harry revealed he is no longer speaking to his father, but admitted he would like reconciliation with him and his older brother Prince William. But despite Trooping the Colour giving Harry a chance to watch his family in action, royal expert Jennie Bond says she is not sure if the Duke of Sussex will even tune in on TV.

The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “There’s no way Prince Harry will be watching the ceremony – after all, it will be the middle of the night in California. I don’t suppose he wastes much time looking at events he is no longer part of.

“But it must be strange to see his whole family on parade, doing their duty and being cheered by huge crowds while he lives such a different life so far away.

“The day is also a chance for us all to see the family unite around the King, and the balcony moment is always a highlight. Over the years, we have seen a toddler Prince Harry sticking his tongue out, Prince George looking distinctly bored, a young Princess Charlotte looking a little tearful and Savannah Phillips clapping her hand over George’s mouth to keep him quiet! It’s always a heyday for Royal watchers!

“Of course, that must make it a bit of an ordeal for the Royal Family: everyone has to be on their best behaviour. It must also require some pretty skilful horsemanship from the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and Prince Edward to keep their steeds under control for the best part of two hours.

“But they will know that there is a powerful symbolism about such senior members of the Royal family riding as escort to guard the King. And William has been quoted as saying that he really enjoys it.”

The annual event of Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the King or Queen for more than 260 years. The ceremony involves hundreds of horses and soldiers carrying out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to military music. More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together for the impressive display.

During the parade, the royals will travel from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade in a procession – either on horseback or in carriages. At Horse Guards, they then watch the military display before joining the procession back to Buckingham Palace once it is over.

After the parade, the royals then gather on the Palace balcony for a march-past and the fly-past by the RAF, which includes the Red Arrows, and will conclude the day’s celebrations.

And Jennie added: “Trooping the Colour is a dazzling spectacle. It’s held in June in the hope that the sun will be shining, the crowds will be warm and the breastplates and swords of the Household Cavalry will be sparkling. It marks the Monarch’s official birthday and is a chance to see all the pomp and pageantry that Britain excels at.

“Historically, the Colour (or flag) was trooped – or displayed – on the battlefield as a rallying point for the soldiers. Today it is not only an exercise in military precision, but also a rallying point for crowds and the TV audience to unite around the monarchy.

“I’ve been lucky enough to attend several Troopings and I defy anyone to keep their feet still as the drums thump out the beat to the military music and the horse’s hooves go thundering by. It really is a spectacle and a half.”

This tan remover has been making waves with beauty buffs as it promises easy tan removal in just 60 seconds, but does it really work? Shopping Writer Meghan has put it to the test

If there’s one thing I hate about tanning through the summer, it’s needing to remove it. Whether you’re stripping the fake tan for good or clearing the canvas for a freshened look, taking off fake tan can be a hassle, sometimes taking an age. So, when I saw this tan remover going viral on TikTok for its quick and convenient removal, I was intrigued.

The Rose & Caramel Purity Excel 60 Second Fake Tan Remover, which retails for £23.99 on Amazon, as well as at Boots and Debenhams, promises to remove fake tan in a singular minute. And it’s not an empty promise, beauty buffs on social media have been showing off how fast and stress-free this remover is. So I thought I’d take it for a spin.

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This rapid fake tan remover is said to remove all your self-tan within just 60 Seconds. The viral remover is perfect for stubborn false tan stuck to dry patches, old self-tan that’s seen better days, or faded fake tan that needs replacing, without any harsh scrubbing needed.

Set to be compatible with any brand of fake tan, tanning mousse, tanning lotion, spray tan, etc., this Rose & Caramel remover is an exfoliating body scrub that promises to not only remove fake tan in seconds but also rejuvenate your skin, deeply exfoliate, remove dead skin cells, reduce ingrowing hairs, and provide the skin with intense moisture for silky, smooth, fake tan-free skin, a perfect fresh canvas for your next sunkissed look.

Apparently, it’s that easy. You simply mask your body with the luxury body scrub over all areas that need self-tan removal and leave to soak into the skin for 60 seconds. Then you can just jump into the bath or shower and use exfoliating mitts to gently buff away your old self-tan, leaving your skin exfoliated, super soft and ready for your next application of tanning mousse.

Available in two scent options, including scent-free, the exfoliating tan remover that I opted for is formulated with a fruity mango and pomegranate scent, leaving the skin smelling and feeling fresh.

First thing to note from my experience with this tan remover, which I’ve used twice now, is that I didn’t notice any overly strong scent during or after use. This probably isn’t a huge downside for everyone, and I will admit I have a terrible sense of smell, so it could just be my nose.

I have tried removing fake tan with soap or other exfoliators, alongside my exfoliating gloves, and it’s been a real chore, which is why I was os keen to test out this 1-minute miracle worker.

Did this body scrub live up to the expectations of 60 seconds, and the tan just washes away? No. I covered all of my body that had fake tan on, prioritising dry areas where tan tends to cling, and waited over a minute before hopping in the shower. As I said, the tan didn’t immediately disappear, though I did see some colour coming off in the water. But the results still surprised me.

It only took gentle scrubbing with my exfoliating gloves while under running water, and it definitely did not take any aggressive scrubbing for the most part. I used more of the tan remover and a bit of a heavier hand on my hands, feet, elbows and knees where old tan likes to stick around, and to my shock, the tan lifted ten times easier than I’ve found with other exfoliating body scrubs.

It isn’t a miracle solution to ridding your body of old tan; you still need to exfoliate with gloves or a brush, but the process is massively reduced and doesn’t take nearly as much effort to shift stubborn old tan. I wouldn’t say it works in 60 seconds, but I had all of my tan removed in around 10 to 15 minutes while in the shower, which is significantly shorter than it’s taken in the past.

Plus, for £23.99, you get a 440ml tub, which is sure to last for months to come. I’ve barely used a third of my tub, and I’ve used this exfoliating body scrub twice. Try it for yourself and shop at Amazon, Boots, or Debenhams.

If you’re interested in knowing what tan and exfoliating mitts I was using, I’ve been swearing by this Loving Tan 2hr Express Tanning Mousse (£29.56) in the shade Medium. For removal, I used these Amazon exfoliating gloves (£5.99).

Kerry Katona is 16 years clean after being introduced to drugs by her mum as a teen – and has some well-meaning advice for Freddy Brazier after his rehab admission

Speaking exclusively to OK!, former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona – who has been drug-free for 16 years – says her own experiences and relationship with her mum have been on her mind a lot lately, because of Freddy Brazier – and she has issued the model, 20, with some stark but well-meaning warnings, given her own past experiences with drugs.

When she read about Freddy allegedly taking drugs with his gran, all these feelings and memories, she admits, came flooding back. “I know he’s admitted he has a problem with smoking. He’s an adult and can make his own choices, but with drugs, it is a very, very slippery slope. I’ve seen it happen”, she said.

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The son of Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody, Freddy hit the headlines when he revealed that he wanted to check into rehab in Spain, after reportedly falling out with his dad and big brother. Freddy, whose Big Brother star mum Jade died of cervical cancer when he was just four, was recently photographed smoking what appeared to be a cannabis joint with his maternal grandmother, Jackiey Budden – a former drug addict.

This came amid rumours he had moved in with his nan in Bermondsey, defying his dad’s legal efforts to keep them apart. But after claiming he wanted to go to rehab, he made a U-turn days later, saying he just needed a “holiday”. Freddy also said, “I want to be happy, be in a healthy relationship and have a healthy relationship with my nana and my father.

Frmer Atomic Kitten Kerry, however, thinks rehab is the right choice: “I commend him for wanting to go to rehab. You can explore your emotions and work out what’s really going on. It’ll open your eyes and be one of the best things you ever do. You’ll meet inspiring, supportive people. I understand that he just wants to be his own person, but relationships are easily broken and hard to repair – and we never know what tomorrow might bring.

“Freddy’s lovely mum Jade was taken way before her time and I’m sure that hurts. My advice would be to treasure his relationship with his dad, who adores him. Life can be tough, but drugs are never the way to deal with difficult emotions. In a split second, you’re given a choice – and that choice can f**k everything up.“

Opening up on her own complicated relationship with her mother, Sue, Kerry confessed: “I love my mum to bits – but it’s complicated. She gave me drugs when I was 14. She was my mum, so I thought it was normal. But that’s a very unhealthy co-dependency.”

Later progressing to cocaine, she recalled sadly: “It was the only friend I had, the only thing that was always there for me,” she admits. “I’ve overdosed twice on cocaine. Once at my mum’s house, then at home in Wilmslow with Mark. I fitted and was frothing at the mouth. When I came to, Mark was screaming, but I felt on another plane. I felt so loved in that experience that I tried immediately to go to that place again, and took a line of cocaine straight away.”

And she has strong advice to Freddy: “I know you love both your nan and your dad to bits. Focus on that love, and get to rehab. It’s not a magic wand, but you can start learning new ways to cope with what life throws at you. Above all, I’d like him to know that there is life beyond drugs.”

Hollyoaks actress Jorgie Porter, who has son Forest and daughter Peony, has candidly opened up on motherhood and plans to marry Oliver Piotrowski after a four year-long engagement

Soap star Jorgie Porter has revealed how she’s finding being a mum of two children under three in a candid new, exclusive chat.

Hollyoaks actress Jorgie, 37, gave birth to her second child, a baby girl called Peony, in December. She also has her first child, a son called Forest, who she welcomed in November 2022.

Jorgie shares both her children with her real estate developer fiancé Oliver Piotrowski, who also has a son Alfie, ten, from a previous relationship. Just a few months after giving birth, Jorgie has candidly opened up about how she’s finding being a mum of two children under the age of three.

When asked how she’s finding the new phase of motherhood, Jorgie tells the Mirror at the launch of the Pro Am Padel tour: “It’s hard. Nobody tells you that it’s the hardest thing in the world because you’ve got a toddler that wants all your attention and you’ve, obviously, got a little baby that’s attached to you, literally that is another level of mum-ness. It is hard. We’re in the trenches, this is the trenches we’re deep in there.“

Juggling two children is tricky for a number of reasons, but Jorgie reveals she finds her son Forest’s jealousy particularly difficult – but is making slow progress helping her eldest adjust to the new family dynamic. She explains: “Honestly, it’s great but I think there’s jealousy bits when the toddler is like, ‘you’re my mummy, get off this one, put her in the carseat’, like, ‘No Forest, we’re cuddling her’.

“It’s tricky because he can’t understand that I’m her Mummy, too. But he does know, it’s weird. It’s very hard to navigate. It’s going there, it’s brilliant. I think there’s everyday you go, ‘Oh that’s a win, that’s brilliant, we’re out together in a pram, we did it’. So it is going well.”

Jorgie has had a busy few years growing her wonderful family and juggling her career, as she plays Theresa McQueen on Hollyoaks. One thing she hasn’t got around to doing just yet is planning her wedding to Oliver.

The couple announced their engagement in December 2021 but are yet to walk down the aisle.

When asked if there are any wedding plans, Jorgie jokes about her lengthy engagement. “How long? Four years I think! I didn’t plan this,” she quips.

The soap star mum then reveals why there is yet to be wedding bells for her a Oliver. “No I’m stupid at planning, I’m a bad planner,” she confesses. “Because whenever I’ve had Hollyoaks work we never are scheduled so I never know what day it is. We even work on Saturdays. You can ask me now what day it is, I don’t know. I don’t know the day, the month, because you have to always be ready to work because they can call you up because…

“So planning for me is just… I’m waiting for the wedding to come to me I think. It’ll just come when it’s ready. Maybe a padel wedding, I’m joking!”