OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William, Prince Harry and their significant others attended the annual Kensington Palace workers’ Christmas party this week.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle, headed to the upstairs ballroom at Beach Blanket Babylon in Notting Hill, west London, for the bash.
A source told Mail Online the Palace forked out an estimated £110 a head for the 60-guest event, but party-goers were said to have had to bring their own alcohol after the restaurant’s licence was reportedly recently revoked.
One of the restaurant’s staff members is said to have told the publication the licence recently expired and they were in the process of applying for another.
Kensington Palace workers were able to choose from five main courses on the menu after consuming one of mushroom soup, avocado vignette or salmon for starters.
For dessert, revellers were able to have either chocolate cake, cheesecake or the traditional Christmas pudding.
On a weekday evening prior to the festive period, the ballroom is available for around £6,500, including food and soft drinks.
According to a source, Harry and Meghan left the event before William and Catherine.
It wasn’t the first time Harry and William had headed out for the evening this week.
On Tuesday night (12.12.17), the siblings attended the London premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’.
The pair both make cameo appearances in the much-anticipated new sci-fi movie and showed their support for its release by walking alongside Stormtroopers at the spectacle.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William, Duchess Catherine and Prince Harry attended a Grenfell Tower memorial on Thursday (14.12.17).
The royals were joined by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at St Paul’s Cathedral for a service to remember the 71 victims of the tragic tower block fire in London in June.
A tweet on the official Kensington Palace Twitter account read: “This morning, TRH joined members of the community from all faiths for the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service.
“The service at St Paul’s Cathedral remembered those who died, and gave thanks for the people who helped those affected by the tragedy.”
Singer Adele, and actress Carey Mulligan and her musician husband Marcus Mumford, also attended the memorial.
More than 1,500 people were in attendance, a number of which were survivors or relatives of victims, volunteers and first responders.
On Tuesday (12.12.17), Catherine – who is expecting her and William’s third child – gave out presents to babies and kids caught up in the devastating fire.
She handed out gifts to little ones attending the Magic Mums group – run by the Rugby Portobello Trust, which helps to distribute much-needed donations to families who lost everything in the blaze – as she stopped by its community centre in London.
The Duchess of Cambridge – who has four-year-old son George and two-year-old daughter Charlotte with William – said: “It’s amazing for all of you to have this support, particularly at such a difficult, such a tragic time.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to marry Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Justin Welby is yet to confirm whether he has been asked to conduct the service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, for the couple’s nuptials next May, but the Church of England leader is thought to have held talks about the royal wedding.
Sources told the Daily Mail newspaper that Justin found Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, to be “delightful” and “totally committed” to each other during the discussions.
Just this week Justin refused to confirm whether he would be taking the service but hasn’t ruled it out.
He said: “I think that’s up to them.”
The 61-year-old bishop also admitted the pair are “inspirational” to many.
Speaking on the BBC’s ‘Today’ programme yesterday (14.12.17), he said: “I am very, very sure after conversations that this is no tick-box exercise, ‘We ought to get married in a church.’
“There is a profound sense of commitment, of seriousness, both about faith and their lives together, which is quite inspirational.
“It’s important because people look at it and see a model of how two people commit their lives to one another before God in the presence of millions of people.
“It’s always a beautiful moment – every wedding is profoundly beautiful. Even when you drop the rings it’s still a very moving wedding.”
Harry and Meghan’s engagement was announced in November after 18 months together.
Meghan was previously married to TV producer Trevor Engelson and is of a Jewish faith.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Six of Queen Elizabeth’s swans have been stabbed and beheaded.
The majestic birds, which are protected under the monarch’s royal prerogative, were found mutilated in Birchmere Park, Thamesmead, south-east London, last month.
The RSPCA are investigating the shocking murders and have setup 24-hour patrols, with the help of the locals, around the area to help catch the catch the violent killers.
Park rangers have refused to give the dates of when the bodies of the swans – including a Canada Goose – were found, but the RSCPA was made aware of the deaths on December 6 – although they think the incident took place two weeks prior.
Nick Wheelhouse, RSPCA inspector, told the BBC: “It’s really concerning because the birds seem to have been stabbed and then beheaded, with their bodies left beside the water. While it’s a serious animal welfare concern it’s also really upsetting for any of the park users who make the grisly find.”
Paul West, who is part of the local swan protection patrols, added: “This is an act of wanton cruelty and evil. It is beyond belief.
“We keep in the shadows and use torches only when we need to. So we try to keep a low profile in the attempt that we catch them in the act.”
The Metropolitan Police are helping the RSPCA with the investigation as under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, anyone prosecuted for deliberately trying to injure, kill or take a wild bird can face up to six months in prison and a £5,000 fine.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Queen Elizabeth reportedly gives her staff the same Christmas gift every year.
The 91-year-old monarch used to dish out puddings from Harrods or Fortnum & Mason – which holds a warrant as the royal grocers – at this time of year, but she’s decided to scale down her extravagant spending in recent years and now gives her 500-odd staff members a Tesco’s Finest Matured Christmas Pudding each.
And, according to the Express.co.uk, those who have worked for the royal family for a considerable amount of time are also given vouchers to go with their desserts.
The family also refuse to splash the cash when it comes to one another and, instead, prefer to give each other funny presents, which they open on December 24.
Darren McGrady – who used to be the chef for the Queen and Princess Diana – told HELLO! Online recently: “It was the same meal every year. They’re actually really boring with festivities! They didn’t do hams or anything – just traditional turkey. We did three turkeys for the Queen and her family in the royal dining room, one for the children’s nursery and then more for the 100 or so staff, so everyone had Christmas lunch. Not long after, they’d go in for afternoon tea. It was always chocolate yule log, which was a twist on the chocolate birthday cake. We’d make one big Christmas cake for the Queen and the royal family and then another smaller one for the nursery. It was always fruit cake – royal icing, marzipan and traditional fruit cake.”
This year, Prince Harry’s partner Meghan Markle will join the royals – the first time a fiancee has had Christmas lunch with Her Majesty without being married.
The couple – who have been dating since mid-2016 – announced their engagement a few weeks ago after Harry, 33, proposed to Meghan during a “cosy night” in.
Recalling the romantic moment in November, Meghan said: “It was a cosy night, we were roasting chicken … and it was an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee … Yes! As a matter of fact, I could barely let [Harry] finish proposing.”
Prince Harry added: “She didn’t even let me finish. She said ‘Can I say yes’. Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger. I was like ‘ Can I give you the ring?’ It was a really nice moment. Just the two of us.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Duchess of Cambridge dished out presents to babies and children caught up in the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington on Tuesday (12.12.17).
The 35-year-old royal – who is expecting her third child with her husband Prince William – adopted the role of Father Christmas earlier this week when she handed out gifts to littles ones attending the Magic Mums group – run by the Rugby Portobello Trust – as she stopped by its community centre in London.
The duchess then praised the trust – which helps to distribute much-needed donated funds to families who lost everything in the fire back in June – as she called into a music therapy workshop and spoke to the youngsters taking part.
According to the Daily Mail’s Femail, she told them: “It’s amazing for all of you to have this support, particularly at such a difficult, such a tragic time.”
Catherine – who has four-year-old son George and two-year-old daughter Charlotte with William – spent an hour at the community centre, during which time she met with families who had lost loved ones in the inferno, and presented a letter penned by herself, her husband and Prince Harry to the community who clubbed together.
The letter, which was framed, said: “Every member of your team – from cooks to youth workers, fundraisers to teachers and army of volunteers – has dedicated themselves to supporting the community. We know how crucial your efforts have been at a time of overwhelming grief and sadness.”
The Rugby Portobello Trust has spent the last six months helping the community recover from the blaze, which claimed the lives of 71 people – including a baby – and left hundreds homeless, and they’re pleased their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Leone Buncombe, from Kensington, who works on the centre’s new homes team, said: “It’s really just nice to have that appreciation. Obviously we’ve been working hard because it’s just the right thing to do. ‘We’re part of the community so we’re making sure that we’re staying and helping those that need the support.
“She was reiterating the face that, from everyone she spoke to, the concept that she really got across from everyone was about family.
“When people walk through the doors, regardless of their situation, it’s about making sure they feel they are part of something. And however we can help them.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Meghan Markle will spend Christmas with Queen Elizabeth.
The former ‘Suits’ actress has just announced that she’s engaged to the 91-year-old monarch’s grandson Prince Harry and, although her parents are based over in the US, she’s agreed to celebrate the festive season with the royal family at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
The couple will also enjoy the festivities with Harry’s brother Prince William, his wife Duchess Catherine and their two children; George, four, and Charlotte, two.
The 36-year-old star and her new flame-haired fiancé are expected to attend the traditional morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25.
The brunette beauty will probably be among the select few of the royal family to speak with the public before and after the service and receive bouquets of flowers.
The Royals will then return to Sandringham House for a lavish Christmas lunch before watching the Queen give her famous speech to the nation in the afternoon.
But there will be no exchanging of gifts that day as the family swap presents on Christmas Eve (24.12.17) – keeping in with German tradition.
Meghan will become the first royal fiancée to spend Christmas with Queen Elizabeth as it is said that usually the royal family only accept married couples to join them for Christmas but are making an exception this year for Prince Harry and his partner.
The pair will then jet back to the States to spend New Year’s with Meghan’s family.
The couple – who have been dating since mid-2016 – announced their engagement a few weeks ago after Harry, 33, proposed to Meghan during a “cosy night” in.
Recalling the romantic moment in November, Meghan said: “It was a cosy night, we were roasting chicken … and it was an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee … Yes! As a matter of fact, I could barely let [Harry] finish proposing.”
Prince Harry added: “She didn’t even let me finish. She said ‘Can I say yes’. Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger. I was like ‘ Can I give you the ring?’ It was a really nice moment. Just the two of us.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will start planning their wedding over the festive season.
The royal couple – who got engaged at the beginning of last month – will officially become husband and wife at Windsor Chapel in Windsor, Berkshire, in May next year and, although they still have a little while to go before they need to start thinking about their big day, they have decided to use their downtime over Christmas to discuss their romantic ceremony.
A source told Closer magazine: “Meghan’s easing herself into royal engagements and knows how much work she has ahead of hoer and how hectic the next few months are going to be … She’s looking forward to taking some time off over Christmas and spending some quality time with Harry at home before her busy schedule of wedding prep.”
The pair – who got together in mid-2016 – will celebrate Christmas Day (25.12.17) at Sandringham with 33-year-old Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth and his other relatives.
An inside explained: “Meghan’s spent so much time apart form Harry since they got together and she said that last Christmas was miserable without him. She loves the idea of being with him and his family this year. She’s getting gifts for everyone, including his nephew George and niece Charlotte, who she wants to spoil rotten.”
But the 36-year-old actress will no doubt feel some degree of homesickness as her parents – who are based over in the US – aren’t able to jet across the pond to see her over Christmas.
The source said: “Meghan’s family are unlikely to make it for Christmas Day, so there’s an element of sadness for Meghan that she’s missing out on all her home traditions and suffering a pang of homesickness. The day will be a taster of how life will be as part of the royal family – and that will be playing on her mind a lot.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton is to write a book about Meghan Markle.
The ‘Suits’ actress will marry Diana’s youngest son, Prince Harry, in May and Andrew has revealed he is now turning his attention to the brunette beauty.
He wrote on Twitter: “Excited to be writing #MeghanMarkle’s story. She has bags of charisma. A royal star who will have tremendous impact on royal family and wider world. (sic)”
According to Andrew, the new book will take “a comprehensive, unparalleled look at her life prior to the royal engagement”, while he also confirmed he’s been a fan of Meghan for years.
He explained: “Confident, groomed, and camera-ready, she is a dramatic contrast to the blushing, coy royal brides of recent history.
“The warmth and affection Meghan and Harry displayed during their engagement interview is light years away from the stilted ‘whatever love means’ conversation with Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.”
Meanwhile, Prince William and Harry recently selected Ian Rank-Broadley to sculpt a memorial dedicated to their late mother.
The royals have enlisted the Queen’s coin artist to work on a sculpture as a “fitting and lasting tribute” to the late Princess’ life.
They said in a statement: “We have been touched by the kind words and memories so many people have shared about our mother over these past few months.
“It is clear the significance of her work is still felt by many in the UK and across the world, even twenty years after her death. Ian is an extremely gifted sculptor and we know that he will create a fitting and lasting tribute to our mother.
“We look forward to unveiling the statue, which will allow all those who visit Kensington Palace to remember and celebrate her life and legacy.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Meghan Markle’s former Toronto rental home is up for sale.
The former ‘Suits’ actress is poised to marry Prince Harry in May and ahead of their much-discussed wedding, her former abode has been put up for sale for $1.395 million, according to the Toronto Star newspaper.
Meghan, 36, rented the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home while she stayed in the city to film ‘Suits’.
But having recently quit the series to relocate to the UK to be with Prince Harry, the property is now available to rent, with Meghan’s high profile sure to spike interest in the home.
Meghan and Prince Harry have been dating since mid-2016 and it was recently reported that the British royal has pledged to quit smoking for Meghan, who is a non-smoker.
A source said: “Harry has promised no smoking at all at home. It’s not nice for Meghan as a non-smoker. So there’s no more hanging out of the window for a quick puff. Harry has quit for Meghan.”
Meanwhile, Meghan previously revealed that the flame-haired royal proposed to her following a “cosy night” in early November.
Recalling the romantic moment, Meghan said: “It was a cosy night, we were roasting chicken … and it was an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee … Yes! As a matter of fact, I could barely let [Harry] finish proposing.”
Prince Harry added: “She didn’t even let me finish. She said ‘Can I say yes’. Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger. I was like ‘ Can I give you the ring?’ It was a really nice moment. Just the two of us.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William and Duchess Catherine broke with Royal tradition during their recent appearance on ‘Blue Peter.
The duo put on an unusually affectionate display during their time on the popular BBC show, with the Duchess seen touching her husband’s knee as they chatted with the presenters.
Their appearance has even been compared to the recent behaviour of Prince Harry’s wife-to-be Meghan Markle, who staged a loved-up interview with the royal after announcing their engagement.
Prince William and the Duchess – who have Prince George, four, Princess Charlotte, two, and are expecting their third child – appeared on the show to collect their Gold Blue Peter badges.
The duo were given the accolade for their work with mental health and how mental health issues affect children, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth, who was given a badge back in 2002.
Prince William said: “That’s very touching. Thank you very, very much. Wow, that’s amazing … We have won a badge!”
Before adding about their work with mental health: “We’ve still got a long way to go yet but we are getting there. A shift is happening and we will hopefully crack a problem that should have been cracked a long time ago.”
The Duchess also admitted to being honoured to have been handed one of the coveted badges.
She said: “It’s hugely special. Mental health has been a learning process for us too … We want to get everyone talking about it so it hasn’t got that stigma it’s had.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Meghan Markle was the top search term on Google in the UK in 2017.
The former ‘Suits’ actress is poised to marry Prince Harry in May, having dated the British royal since mid-2016, and Google’s list of search terms has underlined the public’s interest in the American star.
Meghan topped the Google UK top trending searches of last year ahead of iPhone 8 and Hurricane Irma.
And Meghan was listed at number five in Google’s global top trending searches of 2017, one place behind American TV journalist Matt Lauer, who has been accused of sexual harassment by a number of women.
Other celebrities to have made the top ten of Google’s global top trending searches include Tom Petty and Chester Bennington, both of whom died earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Meghan recently revealed her life was changed after she was told she was not thin enough.
The brunette beauty battled self-confidence issues when she was younger and credits a casting director called April Webster for helping her cope with her low self-esteem.
She shared: “I was in my early 20s, still figuring so much out, and trying to find my value in an industry that judges you on everything that you’re not versus everything that you are. Not thin enough, not pretty enough, not ethnic enough, while also being too thin, too ethnic, too pretty the very next day.
“It felt unapologetically impossible, and I spent my evenings eating my feelings with grilled cheese sandwiches and cheap wine. There was a casting director named April Webster who has basically casted everything of note from TV to film for close to two decades (think ‘Lost’ and ‘Mission Impossible’). I had never met her before, and at my very first audition for her, she stopped me mid-scene and said so simply, ‘You need to know that you’re enough.'”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princes William and Harry attended the London premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ on Tuesday night (12.12.17).
The duo both make cameo appearances in the much-anticipated new sci-fi movie and showed their support for its release by walking alongside Stormtroopers at the bash.
John Boyega, who plays the part of Finn in the money-spinning film series, has previously discussed the cameo appearances of the princes in the new movie.
But his co-star Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron, remained tight-lipped when he was asked about their role at the premiere.
He told Sky News: “That’s exciting right? Let’s see if it’s true.”
Elsewhere, Domhnall Gleeson, who returns as General Hux in the new movie, revealed he couldn’t give away all of the details before ‘The Last Jedi’ had been released.
He shared: “I’m still not allowed to talk about the ending – I don’t know what I’m allowed to talk about.
“This is worse than before, much worse because we can only say a little bit, that’s so much harder than saying nothing.”
By contrast, John previously confessed that sharing a scene with the royal brothers “wrapped in Stormtroopers costumes” made for a “strange contrast of a weird family”.
He explained: “It was a great experience.”
Prior to that, John said he decided to reveal the details of their appearance in the film because he couldn’t remain tight-lipped any longer.
John admitted: “I’ve had enough with those secrets. They came on set. They were there. I’m sick of hiding it. It think it was leaked, anyway.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William and Duchess Catherine have been handed a Gold Blue Peter badge.
The royal couple – who have Prince George, four, Princess Charlotte, two, and are expecting their third child – were given the accolade for their work with mental health and how mental health issues affect children, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth, who was given a badge back in 2002.
Prince William said: “That’s very touching. Thank you very, very much. Wow, that’s amazing … We have won a badge!”
Before adding about their work with mental health: “We’ve still got a long way to go yet but we are getting there. A shift is happening and we will hopefully crack a problem that should have been cracked a long time ago.”
He also joked that he would be “comparing” his badge with his grandmother’s.
Duchess Catherine told the show’s presenters: “It’s hugely special. Mental health has been a learning process for us too … We want to get everyone talking about it so it hasn’t got that stigma it’s had.”
Blue Peter editor Ewan Vinnicombe said: “It was a real honour to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the Blue Peter studios in our 60th year. It was lovely to show them how much we value our audience getting involved with the show through letters, Fan Club comments on the website and the fantastic artwork they send to us every week. His Royal Highness was particularly impressed with a drawing of his grandmother wearing a tiara that one of the children had sent in.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Philip celebrated his Danish roots with a new portrait released on Monday (11.12.17).
The 96-year-old royal was painted by artist Ralph Heimans in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle, wearing the sash of the Order of the Elephant, which is the highest-ranking honour Denmark can offer.
Heimans said: “I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to paint Prince Philip and hope the portrait does justice to his unique character. Aesthetically, the natural light and heritage backdrop of the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle provided a compelling mood. I hope people enjoy the work as much as I enjoyed producing it. I hope the portrait does justice to his unique character.”
Prince Philip was born a Prince of Denmark and a Prince of Greece but he became a British subject in the 1940s. His grandfather was a Prince of Denmark whilst his great grandfather served as King Christian IX of Denmark in the 1800s.
The painting will be displayed at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark next year as part of an exhibition of Heimans’ work. It will then be moved to the UK in the latter months of 2018.
Prince Philip decided this year to retire from public engagements.
The official announcement at the time read: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision. Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements. Although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Queen Elizabeth is reportedly “concerned” about the change in her security.
Scotland Yard has drastically changed the way they allocate guards for the royal family and instead of having the same people time and time again, they use a rota system to look after all their high profile people including the royals and the British Prime Minister, for example.
A source told the London Evening Standard newspaper: “Her Majesty is not the only one who has expressed concerns. A number of senior officers are not happy either.
“Personal protection is all about building a relationship with the principal. How on earth is that supposed to happen if the officers are rotated every five minutes with new faces?”
However, Ken Wharfe, ex-personal protection officer to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is unsure it will work how it is hoped it will.
He said: “The security will be less effective. Understanding the behaviours of the person you are charged with protecting is crucial. Understanding the machinations of the royal household is very important too. If you are from a pool, one minute looking after a Cabinet minister and the next a member of the royal family, how are you able to build up that rapport with the principal? It doesn’t make sense. No wonder Her Majesty has privately expressed her disquiet.”
And now a source has claimed that these changes are due to money issue.
They said: “No matter what anyone says, money is the issue here. Once the allowances were scrapped in the merger and everyone put on overtime this was bound to happen. The bill has gone through the roof and now to stop officers putting in large overtime bills they are rotated far more often. For the first time it seems Scotland Yard is putting a price on protecting the royal family. In the past this was not even a consideration – security came first.”

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