This luxury advent calendar from one of Kate Middleton’s go-to jewellery brands is the chicest alternative to the classic chocolate countdown this Christmas
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Kate Middleton-loved jewellery brand launches luxe 12-day advent calendar (Image: Astrid & Miyu )
The Christmas countdown is officially on, and hundreds of brands are slowly but surely dropping their 2025 advent calendars. Long gone are the days of just having a simple chocolate calendar; now you can get calendars for everything from beauty and jewellery to coffee and cocktails.
And the latest brand to drop their advent calendar offerings (and one of the best we’ve seen) is Astrid & Miyu. With celebrity and royal fans ranging from the Princess of Wales herself to Holly Willoughby and Rochelle Humes, Astrid & Miyu has cemented itself as one of the it jewellery brands to get your hands on. The best part is that the pieces are stylish and high-quality while remaining affordable.
The brand has launched three different options: the 12 Day Advent Calendar in Gold or Silver (£345); the 24 Day Advent Calendar in Gold or Silver (£695); and the priciest of the three, the Solid Gold Advent Calendar (£1,350).
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Of course, these are definitely pricier than your standard calendars, but with the 12 Day version offering up amazing pieces of jewellery worth over £700, we think it’s a pretty good deal.
What’s inside the Astrid & Miyu 12 Day Advent Calendar?
Black Pear Charm Huggies
Black Cluster Titanium Piercing Stud
Crystal Cluster Pendant Necklace
Crystal Set Hoops
Crystal Duo Studs
Crystal Cluster Bracelet
Crystal Set Hoop 6.5mm
Pavé Illusion Hoops
Black Crystal Graduated Huggies
Navette Drop Studs
Black Pavé Ear Cuff
A&M Coin and Voucher (worth £150
Perfect for anyone who loves classic, minimalist jewellery with a touch of sparkle, it’s a chic alternative to the usual chocolate countdown and makes the ideal present for any fashion lovers in your life.
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After more jewellery advent calendars? The Sif Jakobs Essenza Advent Calendar, £268 is a great option for the lead up to Christmas. Instead of traditional 12 or 24 day calendars, this has four days designed to be opened up every Sunday towards Christmas Day.
An expert has pinpointed the sad moment that Princess Kate seemingly decided ‘self-preservation mode’ was the way to go amid the Waleses’ ongoing feud with Prince Harry and Meghan
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Kate went into ‘self preservation mode’ amid feud, expert claims(Image: PA)
Prince Harry may finally be making progress in healing his relationship with his dad King Charles, but the same can’t be said when it comes to his estranged brother Prince William or sister-in-law, Princess Kate.
Since stepping back as working royals, Harry and Meghan have been extremely candid about their grievances towards the rest of the Royal Family, but according to Harry’s memoir Spare, relations started breaking down between the Sussexes and Waleses long before the couple took the plunge and moved to California.
The duke was once much closer to Kate and William, but as it stands, it doesn’t seem like making up is in the cards. The couples have only crossed paths on a couple of occasions since the Sussexes’ bombshell royal exit.
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And now body language expert Judi James has pinpointed one particular moment in these few occasions when it seemed like Kate quickly chose to go into “self-preservation mode” rather than engage with the ongoing feud.
It occurred shortly after the late Queen’s death, when Harry, William, Kate, and Meghan all went to meet well-wishers in Windsor, and view tributes left to the late monarch.
Formerly dubbed the ‘Fab Four’, the two couples arrived in the same car, but Kate quickly walked by herself, rather than engaging in a group dynamic, the expert pointed out to the Daily Mail.
It was the first time the two couples had reunited so publicly since relations had broken down, and given the loss of the beloved Queen, it was a high-profile moment, so it was “no surprise” Kate decided to do what worked for her, the expert said.
“Kate appeared to use spatial behaviour and distancing to make her own point about group dynamics and a lack of desire to turn an homage to a dearly-loved Queen into a soap-style drama.”
Judi continued, “her body language suggested a very focused future Queen wanting to pay her respects to a late Queen with the kind of decisive firmness and resolve that Elizabeth II was famous for.”
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Royal author Omid Scobie also explored the moment in his book Endgame, in which he revealed that Meghan had been, according to sources, “extremely nervous” about interacting with the public, and that during the drive to the walkabout, the two couples had barely spoken in the car, simply “muddled through light small talk” given the ongoing tension between them.
Meanwhile, sources close to Kate told royal author Robert Jobson that due to the soured relationship between the Waleses and the Sussexes, the future Queen found the walkabout, “one of the hardest things she ever had to do”.
As Michelle Keegan’s series Ten Pound Poms is axed, a source reveals what the actress might have in store for her and Mark Wright – and baby Palma
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The news could lead to fresh opportunities for actress Michelle(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Following the news that the Michelle Keegan-led BBC series Ten Pound Poms has been axed after just two series, what might be seen as a blow for the actress could actually represent a “fresh start”, a source tells new. Sadly, it was confirmed last week that the popular period drama, set in Australia in the 1950s, which first hit our screens in 2023, would not be renewed for a third season.
But a source claims exclusively to OK! that, though disappointed, former Corrie star Michelle will be making the most of having more time off – and not having to fly to the other side of the world for long periods – as it means more quality time with husband Mark and their daughter Palma.
“With Michelle, her career is everything. She loves her family and absolutely loves being a mother, but that doesn’t mean she’s not gutted that Ten Pound Poms has been cancelled,” the source claims. “Despite that, she’s definitely found more balance since having Palma, and Mark is always so supportive, so she isn’t complaining.”
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Michelle and her husband of 10 years, former TOWIE star Mark, became parents for the first time in March. “Together we have a new love to share… Our little girl,” the couple wrote to announce Palma’s birth.
Before having their baby girl, Michelle spent months away at a time to film Ten Pound Poms, which is both set and filmed in Australia.
And while Mark and Michelle, both 38, who share a sprawling family home in Essex, did make as much effort as possible to see one another between filming, Mark previously admitted it “was hard” being so far from his other half.
He remarked in 2023, “You have to learn that you’ve been together for a long time and not seen each other in weeks, so it’s exciting at first, but then it goes back to being a 10-year relationship. The longer you go, the more pressure there is because the longer it’s been.”
Mark added, “I had dinner with Piers Morgan in LA and I told him it was hard. He said, ‘I had this with my wife and we have a three-week rule, so don’t let it go past three weeks.’ And with Australia, it’s a lot of flying.”
However, bar any far-flung new TV projects for Michelle, it seems there won’t be any more long-haul flights, as the BBC confirmed the end of Ten Pound Poms, in which Michelle plays nurse Kate Thorne.
A statement read, “It’s been a joy to bring the story of the Ten Pound Poms to life for BBC viewers and we are really grateful to Danny Brocklehurst, Eleven and all the cast and crew who have worked on the series.” The disappointing news comes months after Michelle admitted she would “be up for it” if the BBC asked her to film a third season.
“I love this show and I feel very lucky to be a part of it. If the audience takes with this season, and there’s hunger there for another season, fingers crossed the BBC will want another one. I’d definitely be up for it,” she said in March, admitting at the time that there would be a slight delay in filming because of her pregnancy and Palma’s birth.
However, with the decision now made for her – and her Sky comedy drama Brassic also wrapping after seven series this year, our source maintains that this is the perfect opportunity for Michelle to settle in and enjoy some well-deserved rest with her family.
“This could actually be a fresh start for Michelle and Mark as they’re really used to being so busy and always spending time apart, so it’s a real opportunity to bond,” they explain.
Since rising to fame in Coronation Street at just 20, Michelle’s career has gone from strength to strength. With roles in dramas such as Our Girl, Brassic and Netflix hit Fool Me Once, her star has continued to rise.
But everyone needs a break, and after announcing her pregnancy at the beginning of the year, Michelle admitted that she was relishing the thought of a rare summer off. “I’m going to take a good chunk of time off to enjoy being a mum. I’m never normally at home in the summer, I’ve always been away working, so I can’t wait.”
And it would seem the Wrights are already making the most of it, with family get-togethers and several picture-postcard family holidays to Spain this year.
Looking back on a recent trip to favourite destination Palma, Mallorca – the place their daughter is named after – Mark gushed on his Heart radio show that the family have loved the quality time together. “Palma went to Palma for the first time, we took a picture in front of the Palma sign. It was a beautiful week. I ate and drank a bit, too.”
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And long may the fun times continue, says our source. “They will never get these early days with Palma back, so it’s about savouring the time together and putting everything else on the back burner.”
Diane Keaton died in LA on October 11, at the age of 79.
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Diane Keaton in 2022(Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Diane Keaton fans were heartbroken to hear the award-winning American actress had died following a sudden period of declining health.
Tributes to the LA-born star have been flooding in, with co-stars from across her extensive career remembering her greatest moments.
She was known for her leading film roles and for her distinctive fashion style, and worked closely with Woody Allen, acting in eight of his films.
Although best known for playing Kay Adams in The Godfather, she made her film debut in Lovers and Other Strangers.
The romantic comedy was adapted from the 1968 Broadway play and it starred Sylvester Stallone as an extra.
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The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and it was one of the top box-office performers of 1970.
In fact, it established fellow actor Richard S. Castellano as a star, and he and Diane Keaton would go on to be cast in The Godfather.
Keaton’s other notable films include Sleeper, Love and Death and Manhattan – all collaborations with Woody Allen.
Allen even credited Keaton as his muse during his early film career.
In the late 70s, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Allen’s romantic comedy-drama Annie Hall, which would be one of her most iconic roles.
Annie Hall was in fact loosely on Keaton, with “Annie” being a nickname of hers, and “Hall” being her original surname.
After establishing herself as a world-class actress, she went on to star in the 1996 comedy The First Wives Club.
The film was a major success and developed a cult following among middle-aged women, garnering positive reviews.
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She had a resurgence in the early 00s, with the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give.
The Philippines has accused China of “deliberately” ramming a Philippine government vessel and causing minor damage near an island in a disputed area of the South China Sea.
China, however, blamed the Philippines for the collision on Sunday, claiming the Philippine vessel had “dangerously approached” its ship.
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Confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels occur frequently in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety.
A United Nations-backed tribunal, however, has ruled China’s claims have no legal basis.
The Philippine coastguard, in a statement, said a Chinese coastguard ship “fired its water cannon” at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a vessel belonging to Manila’s fisheries bureau, at 9:15am (01:15 GMT) on Sunday.
Minutes later, the same vessel “deliberately rammed” the stern of the Philippine fisheries bureau vessel, causing “minor” damage to the boat. No crew members were injured, it said.
The incident took place near Thitu Island, it said, part of the Spratly Islands, where Beijing has sought to assert its sovereignty claims for years, it added.
Thitu Island, known in China as Zhongye Island and in the Philippines as Pag-asa, is the largest of nine islands, islets and reefs inhabited by Philippine forces in the Spratly Islands and also has a fishing community.
The Philippine coastguard spokesman, Commodore Jay Tarriela, in a post on X, described the latest “aggressive action” by China as “bullying”.
One of the videos posted by Tarriela showed the Chinese vessel briefly colliding with the Filipino vessel, which then made a sharp manoeuvre.
The Filipino-manned ship is seen moving away from the Chinese coastguard ship.
Another video also showed the Chinese vessel firing a water cannon in the direction of the Philippine fisheries vessel.
Philippine coastguard chief Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said the latest incident “only strengthens” the resolve of Manila “to not surrender a square inch of our territory to any foreign power”.
China dismissed the claims in a statement.
Chinese coastguard spokesman Liu Dejun said the incident occurred when the Philippine ship “ignored repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side, and dangerously approached” the other ship.
“Full responsibility lies with the Philippine side,” Liu said in an online statement.
