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The Princess of Wales is dressed in one of Kate’s most iconic recent looks, according to a brand-new waxwork that was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London.

The Princess of Wales has had a glamorous new transformation – at a world-famous tourist attraction. A brand new waxwork figure of Kate has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds London.

The attraction has featured a figure of Kate since April 2012 – a year after she married Prince William. And today, Madame Tussauds has refreshed the waxwork of the princess and recreated one of her most memorable recent looks.

The figure is styled in a sparkly pink Jenny Packham gown, silver pumps in the style of the Gianvito Rossi ‘Rania 105’ shoes and also wears a replica of the Lover’s Knot Tiara – which was worn by the figure of Diana, Princess of Wales, at the Baker Street attraction in the 1980s.

The princess’s statue is further adorned by the Royal Victorian Order blue sash, the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II and replica Greville Diamond Chandelier earrings. Madame Tussauds says the new figure has been styled in a homage to the outfit Kate wore to the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception in December 2023.

The image shows her husband, the Prince of Wales, the King, and the Queen standing next to each other. William’s waxwork has also been upgraded, with his figure getting new versions of his sash, star of the Order of the Garter, and army medals, and a new black Ede &amp, Ravenscroft tuxedo.

A new statue of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been officially landed at Madame Tussauds London, according to Steve Blackburn, senior general manager at Madame Tussauds London, to further our centuries-long collaboration with the royal family.

Our skilled studio team has created “Kate,” whose majestical body resembles that of a future queen, along with her imposing husband.

From Thursday (May 21), visitors to Madame Tussauds will have the chance to see the newcomer of the Princess of Wales and other Royal Family members.

The unveiling of the new figure comes as Kate yesterday made a return to royal garden parties by attending her first one in two years. She surprised guests by joining husband William, at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday afternoon.

William was presenting the traditional outdoor gathering on behalf of his father, the King, in a top hat and morning suit. While receiving treatment for what William called a “brutal year,” the princess, who is in remission from cancer, skipped the 2024 garden party season.

Kate was attending a yellow Emilia Wickstead dress and hat by Philip Treacy, who was not in advance as is custom for garden parties.

The couple was meeting Duchy of Cornwall tenants as well as patrons of a number of their patronages, military affiliations, and passion projects, including Homewards, Action for Children, and Ty Hafan.

Liz Hatton’s family, a aspiring photographer, passed away in November from desmoplastic small round cell tumor, one of whom.

Fans of the ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ heroes are expected to dust off their 90s clothing – and even have haircuts inspired by Liam or Noel – as they plan to spend big for the band’s much-hyped tour

Oasis fans are forecast to splash out more than £1billion watching their idols for the band’s hotly-anticipated reunion tour.

The bumper sum just tops the amount that was reckoned to be spent by Taylor Swift devotees for the star’s Eras Tour last year, largely due to Oasis playing two more UK tour dates.

Such was the rush for Oasis tickets that nearly 1.4 million people are expected to flock to the band’s 17 UK concerts, which kick off at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on July 4. The stampede led to criticism of website Ticketmaster, amid claims that gig prices had surged.

Barclays has published a ‘Wonderwallets’ report that spells out just what a boost the tour will have for the economy. Aside from the ticket itself, fans are expected to spend an average of £108 on accommodation, just over £70 on travel, and around £73 on clothes – with two thirds planning to purchase accessories or an outfit specifically for the event. Other expenses include an average of £59.70 on official merchandise, as well as £75.20 on pre-concert food and drinks, boosting sales at local hospitality venues. In total, Barclays reckons fans will shell out an average of £766.22 per person.

Nearly two-thirds of ticket-holders admit spent more than they had planned or expected, but think the experience will be worth the additional cost. A quarter even wish they had spent more on tickets, including better seats or a VIP package, to get a better experience. Some 16% of fans said they bought Oasis Live ’25 tickets as a gift, while 30% described it as a sentimental purchase, due to the significance that Oasis’ music has played in their life. Most said they were heading to their first choice of concert, with one in four wanting to bag a ticket for the band’s Heaton Park dates in Manchester, as a “quintessential experience” for any fan.

And despite many wanting to relive their band’s 90s heyday, more than half of those going have never seen Oasis before. According to the report, more than a quarter of fans will be embracing nostalgic 90s fashion trends, including baggy jeans, tracksuit jackets or trainers. A fifth plan to wear an Oasis-themed outfit or accessory – including bucket hats and parkas – and 14% are even intending to get a haircut inspired by Liam or Noel Gallagher.

One in five gig-goers claim – at least – that they will enjoy the concert ‘unplugged’, and avoid using their phones. Whether they succeed the temptation is another matter. The just over £1billion estimated total outlay just tops the £997million Barclays estimated would be spent on the UK legs of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Tom Corbett, managing director of sponsorships and media at Barclays, said: “As Britain braces for one of the most highly anticipated musical comebacks of all time, Oasis fans are putting their budgets to work to relive a golden era of Britpop. rom new outfits to food and merchandise, ticketholders are showing that when it comes to once-in-a-generation moments, they are more than willing to Roll With It.”

TV star Denise Welch has recalled the panic of learning maths at school and how its impact lasts until this day – as she backs a new drive to improve numeracy in the UK

Loose Women legend Denise Welch has spoken of her fear of maths at school – which has stayed with her until now.

The actress and TV star says: “I used to look at my school timetable – which I can see in my mind’s eye – and I would see ‘double maths’ and ‘double maths’. It used to make my palms sweat and I would be crying. Rather than thinking, I’ve got to get better at this, it instilled such a fear, which has lasted to this day. I am one of those people who struggles with maths. I have always struggled with maths, and I got left behind a long time ago.”

Denise was interviewed ahead of National Numeracy Day, on Wednesday, which aims to inspire everyone to improve their number confidence and skills. The initiative is run by the charity National Numeracy, the UK’s only charity dedicated to everyday maths.

She says she was “number-phobic” despite her dad having a degree in economics, adding he “could never understand why I found it so difficult. He would try to explain things to me, but my brain would just shut down. So, instead, he took control. Dad did my finances for as long as I can remember, balancing my accounts, paying bills, and ensuring everything was in order.”

Denise , 66, recalls a primary school teacher who, she claims, made matters worse by being strict and impatient. She recalls: “I would sit in class, heart racing, stomach in knots, trying desperately to keep up. I’m convinced he got some kind of kick out of it because he’d pick on me repeatedly. And anybody who has struggled with numbers will know – being put on the spot is definitely not the answer.

“No matter how hard I concentrated, numbers never made any sense. The more frustrated he became, the worse I felt. My anxiety grew so intense that I would shake uncontrollably before maths lessons and would vomit from sheer panic. That experience left deep scars. I never really learned how to deal with numbers properly, and as I grew older, I avoided them at all costs.

“Homework with my two sons was a particular struggle; they’d come to me with their maths questions, and I’d break out into a cold sweat, fumbling through the basics, hoping they wouldn’t catch on to my complete lack of confidence.”

She went on: “Money management has been the bane of my life. Anything to do with my tax, or with mortgages – I still do that la la la la la la la. I would love to have been shown some techniques to make life a little bit easier.”

Denise threw her weight behind the National Numeracy Challenge, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, and aims to incrementally improve people’s confidence with maths.

The need for action is also supported by consumer champion Martin Lewis, a National Numeracy Ambassador. He said: “It’s a funny thing about maths – no one ever goes around saying, ‘I’m terrible at reading, you know?!’ But over the years of talking about money on television – which often involves maths, because the two are really closely linked – the number of presenters who have said, ‘I’m terrible at numbers, I wouldn’t know,’ as if that’s perfectly acceptable, is astonishing.

“I’m not trying to shame anyone who isn’t good at maths. I’m just trying to change attitudes. I’m trying to say we should aspire to be good at maths – we shouldn’t boast about being bad at it. Of course, there are many people out there with dyscalculia or other issues that mean they’re always going to struggle with numbers. But for most people, you can improve your numeracy, and it’s crucial to do so.

“It’s one of the reasons I’ve long been proud to be an Ambassador with National Numeracy. For all of us, having a fundamental understanding of numbers and functional numeracy empowers everything we do. If you’re not good with numbers, it makes it easier for you to be ripped off. So if you have the opportunity to take the National Numeracy Challenge – to see where you’re strong with numbers and where you’re not – I’d urge you to do so.”