OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has urged military personnel to “talk about” their mental health.
The 32-year-old royal – who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan before leaving the Army – visited a Veterans’ Mental Health conference in central London on Thursday (16.03.17) where he told over 200 audience members that mental health issues are “not a life sentence” and should be discussed so those affected can get help.
He said: “It is incredibly difficult to talk about mental health in the armed forces. It is still a very difficult conversation.
“As a military person, once you put that uniform on during your training, you are taught to be invincible and not to let anybody down.
“However, a lot of individuals prefer turning to alcohol rather than a friend.”
Prince Harry made the visit to the conference on behalf of mental health awareness campaign Heads Together, which he spearheads with the help of his brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
The conference was made up of participants including former military personnel like himself, academics, and representatives from organisations such as the National Health Service (NHS) and the Ministry of Defence.
It isn’t the first time Prince Harry has been vocal about the mental health of army veterans, as he previously said it was “really important” to make sure former soldiers regain their mental health as well as their physical health when they leave the forces.
He said: “Getting back your mental as well as your physical fitness is a really important thing. One of the biggest struggles is accepting that there is a problem in the first place. Rather than operating at fifty or sixty per cent you can operate at eighty or ninety percent and be a better person.”
Meanwhile, Harry also highlighted the importance of soldiers “reintegrating into society” when he visited the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project in Epping Forest on Wednesday (15.03.17).
He said: “We have to remember that when you leave the force you have to somehow integrate yourself in society. You need to appreciate you’re not invincible.
“We could do better to prepare people for that. You’ve been looked after by the army for so many years, and you have got to somehow reintegrate yourself in society.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Diana was “open and authentic” according to her friend Julia Samuel.
The late royal had her life tragically cut short in 1997 when she was involved in a fatal car crash in Paris at the age of 36, and her close friend and grief psychologist Julia has now said the worldwide mourning of the blonde beauty came as “everybody felt they knew her”.
Julia said: “There was something about her openness and authenticity — everybody felt they knew her, and they felt they had a version of her inside themselves.”
The 57-year-old psychotherapist is the founding patron of bereavement charity Child Bereavement UK, and has also opened up about the “misunderstanding and ignorance” surrounding grief.
She told People magazine: “There is so much misunderstanding and ignorance around grief, and that generates fear — so that when people are bereaved, they don’t know what to expect and how to support themselves.
“Pain is the agent of change. The thing that you don’t want to feel is actually what you have to find a way of supporting. It’s through allowing yourself to feel the pain that you heal, because it forces you to realise that this person has died, that your reality is altered.”
Julia’s work comes as Princess Diana’s eldest son, 34-year-old Prince William, recently visited a centre run by the charity – which aims to help families struggling with the loss of a child, or to help children facing their own bereavements – to speak candidly about his own mother’s passing.
Prince William, who is the older brother of Prince Harry, was filmed comforting a nine-year-old girl – who had recently lost her father – by explaining that he “lost [his] mummy when [he] was very young too.”
Speaking to the girl, who was named as Aoife, Prince William said: “Do you know what happened to me? You know I lost my mummy when I was very young too. I was 15 and my brother was 12. So we lost our mummy when we were young as well.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has highlighted the importance of helping former soldiers to “reintegrate into society.”
The 32-year-old royal – who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan before leaving the Army – visited Epping Forest on Wednesday (15.03.17) where he met with tree surgeons working to maintain the ancient oak trees.
Whilst on his visit, he met Sam Hobbs, a former Paratrooper who now works as a forest keeper, studying countryside and wildlife management thanks to the work carried out by veteran charity Help for Heroes.
After two tours in Afghanistan with the Parachute regiment, Sam suffered a nerve injury while on exercise in the Falklands in 2012 and had his left leg amputated below the knee.
Speaking about the transition from the forces to civilian life, Prince Harry told Sam: “We have to remember that when you leave the force you have to somehow integrate yourself in society. You need to appreciate you’re not invincible.
“We could do better to prepare people for that. You’ve been looked after by the army for so many years, and you have got to somehow reintegrate yourself in society.”
Sam, 26, then told Prince Harry he hopes to join the next Invictus Games – the sporting event set up by the royal for wounded, sick, or injured armed service personnel – as he’s already perfected an impressive 13 second 100m sprint on a prosthetic leg, and also plays wheelchair basketball.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has previously been very vocal about the importance of mental health in former service men and women.
He said: “Getting back your mental as well as your physical fitness is a really important thing. One of the biggest struggles is accepting that there is a problem in the first place.
“Getting back your mental health, mental wellbeing, your mental fitness is a really important thing. Rather than operating at fifty or sixty per cent you can operate at eighty or ninety percent and be a better person.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Photos of Princess Diana from her final years are set to be displayed in an exhibition in Althorp, Northamptonshire.
The late royal – who was the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, whom she shared with her ex-husband Prince Charles – had her life tragically cut short in 1997 when she was involved in a fatal car crash in Paris, at just 36 years old.
Now, to mark 20 years since her passing, her brother Earl Spencer is staging the exhibition of photos from Diana’s Vanity Fair photoshoot – which took place the same year as her death – as a “fitting tribute” to his “beautiful, fabulous sister”.
The collection will be hosted at the Althorp estate in the Stables exhibition rooms in Northamptonshire, where Diana grew up, and will be available to view between May 1 until October 8, during house open days.
In a statement posted on the Althorp estate website, photographer Mario Testino said: “It’s a real privilege to have been given the opportunity to photograph someone like Princess Diana, and to have the images become symbolic of her kindness and beauty. I’m very happy to see them at Earl Spencer’s home, which brings her back to her family estate.”
Whilst Earl Spencer added: “I have always felt that Mario Testino captured the essence of Diana, quite brilliantly. These wonderful images made a huge impact on me when I saw them first, and revisiting them now, twenty years later, seems a fitting tribute to my beautiful, fabulous, sister.”
The photos were previously shown at Kensington Palace in 2005, and a selection of the original photographs form part of a permanent exhibition at MATE – Museo Mario Testino in Lima, Peru.
The upcoming exhibition in Althorp will be the first time in over 12 years that the entire collection will be on display together.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Meghan Markle is reportedly set to meet Queen Elizabeth on Mother’s Day (26.03.17).
The 35-year-old actress is currently in a relationship with the monarch’s grandson Prince Harry, and the flame haired royal is reportedly planning on taking his girlfriend to meet the Queen for the annual celebration of motherhood.
Prince Harry – who’s mother Princess Diana passed away in 1997 after being fatally wounded in a car crash in Paris – has already introduced the ‘Suits’ actress to his father Prince Charles, and sources say the next step is getting the mark of approval from the 90-year-old monarch.
The source told the Daily Star newspaper: “Meghan is headed to meet the Queen on Mother’s Day. She’s already been given the green light from Prince Charles, the next step is the Prince’s grandmother.”
And it isn’t just Prince Harry’s family that the couple – who have been dating since May last year – need to impress, as the 32-year-old royal was previously tasked with meeting Meghan’s father Thomas.
Meghan’s brother, Thomas Markle Jr., explained recently: “‘My dad knew about [the relationship] from the start.
“He first met Prince Harry about six months ago out in Toronto. He goes once every couple of months – [Meghan and Thomas Markle Senior] are very close and they stay in close contact.
“He’s pretty happy about Harry and he’s extremely proud of her. They have an amazing relationship, they’re very close and they always have been.”
Meanwhile, it was recently reported Prince Harry is planning on fashioning his late mother’s tiara into an engagement ring to propose to the American actress.
A source claimed: Diana’s jewellery collection was left in trust for the boys and Meghan apparently loves emeralds. For Harry, like Wills before him, using his mother’s gems means the two loves of his life will forever be linked.
“After Diana died, the boys both chose a keepsake from Kensington Palace when they moved to Charles’ rooms in St James’s Palace. Prince William picked his mum’s Cartier watch, and Harry picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
“But they had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana’s ring – and of course that was William and Kate. Harry wants the same sentiment when he proposes to Meghan, so he is working with the jewellers to design something incredible.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has helped plant a tree with schoolchildren during a visit to Epping Forest.
The 32-year-old royal made a trip to the forest, which is located in north east London and Essex, in order to learn more about ancient woodland’s historic heritage, as well as the work being done by the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) project.
The QCC is a conservation initiative that is working with Epping Forest in an attempt to reinstate cattle grazing across 1,500 acres of woodland, by using satellite collars on the animals as well as fenceless technology to allow them to roam free.
QCC was launched by Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth two years ago in an appeal to the 52 Commonwealth nations to contribute areas of indigenous forest to be preserved.
During his visit to the forest, Prince Harry met with several schoolchildren from Walker Primary School, where he helped teach them about the importance of the outdoors.
He told the children: “[It is] brilliant to run around outside, especially in the mud. When I was at school I never got to do any of this stuff.”
Whilst the prince got to work planting a tree at the site, he also admitted he probably wasn’t the best person when it comes to gardening, as the flowers at his home had bloomed “too early”.
Kate Masters, the heritage school officer, said of Harry’s lack of green fingers: “He said his own daffodils had come out a bit too early so wouldn’t last. He wasn’t happy about that.”
Prince Harry was also briefed on wood pasture management and met arborist teams involved with ancient tree conservation work during his visit to Epping Forest, as well as helping the schoolchildren with educational conservation activities such as pond dipping.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William will travel to France with Prince Charles and Prince Harry next month to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The 34-year-old royal is set to join his younger brother Harry and their father Charles at the commemorations being held at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial on the site of the battle near Lille in Northern France, on April 9.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place over four days in 1917 during the First World War, and resulted in around 3,500 Canadian soldiers losing their lives, whilst another 10,000 were left wounded. The battle is regarded as Canada’s most notable military victory and a symbol of the birth of the country’s national pride.
Canada’s victory at Vimy Ridge marked the start of a vital strategic breakthrough for the allied forces, as British and French soldiers had previously failed to take control of the ridge from German forces who seized control in 1914.
French soldiers attempted an attack on the ridge in 1915, but failed after suffering a staggering 150,000 casualties.
Prince Charles, 68, will attend the ceremony with his two sons on behalf of his mother Queen Elizabeth, who is also the Queen of Canada.
She last visited the site in 2007 for the 90th anniversary of the battle, where she praised the “courage and achievement” of the Canadian soldiers for their “stunning victory” over German forces.
Meanwhile, Prince William’s attendance at the event will come as he recently snubbed celebrations of Commonwealth Day (13.03.17) in favour of a skiing holiday with his friends in Verbier, Switzerland.
Queen Elizabeth held the ceremony at Buckingham Palace, which was also attended by Prince Harry, 32, Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Duchess Camilla, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry has been reunited with the Gurkha who guarded him during his first tour of Afghanistan.
The 32-year-old royal met with Major Chancre Bahadur Pun during a medal giving ceremony in Buckingham Palace on Tuesday (14.03.17), which honoured the soldiers for their work in bringing peace to Kabul.
Major Pun showed Prince Harry a number of photos of his time in Afghanistan, where the pair worked closely together in 2008 when Harry served in Helmand Province.
One photograph showed the Prince at the home of Major Pun, who is said to have taught the royal how to properly eat goat curry without the aid of cutlery.
The pair were reunited at the ceremony – led by Prince Harry’s father Prince Charles, the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles – which saw 150 Gurkha soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles presented with operational service medals.
Speaking to the soldiers, Harry said: “Your forefathers would be most proud of you here today, continuing to demonstrate the traditions and achievements that together ensure the worldwide reputation of the Gurkhas as the best soldiers.”
Whilst Prince Charles, 68, said: “I recall my first visit to the 2nd Goorkhas in Hong Kong in 1979 where, among other memorable moments, I was initiated into the deadly art of eating snake for the first, and only, time in my life.
“I see, as I look around, that there are a number who witnessed that event who are here today.”
Prince Charles and Prince Harry also used the medal giving ceremony as an opportunity to present awards in particular to Lieutenant Michael Barney, 25, from Grantham, and Acting Colour Sergeant Raj Rai, 34, from Nepal, in recognition of their efforts to the regiment over the last year.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William showed off his dance moves in a Verbier nightclub.
The 34-year-old royal has been enjoying a skiing holiday with his friends in the popular Swiss ski resort, and was filmed busting out his old school dance moves inside the Farinet nightclub.
A video filmed by an onlooker and obtained by TMZ.com shows the Prince dancing in a less than impressive ‘dad dancing’ style to the hit song ‘I Got 5 On It’ by American hip hop duo Luniz, before he was then seen grooving to some electronic dance music (EDM).
Prince William was also pictured chatting to the club’s DJ, in a photo posted on social media by London based band Cardboard Foxes.
On their Facebook page, the photo – which they uploaded on Tuesday (14.03.17) – was captioned: “In the club with #princewilliam on Sunday night – in #verbier#switzerland – great night & great music! (sic)”
It is believed that Prince William returned to England on Tuesday, rejoining his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and their two children Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, 22 months, whom he had not taken on his ski trip.
Prince William’s ski trip came the day before his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, held a ceremony in support of Commonwealth Day (13.03.17), which William was noticeably absent from.
William’s younger brother Prince Harry, 32, was in attendance at the event, as was their father Prince Charles.
Also at the ceremony were Prince Philip, Duchess Camilla, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
The event marked the start of the Commonwealth Games baton relay, which sees the ceremonial baton travel 140,000 miles over 388 days, visiting each of the 52 Commonwealth nations before arriving in Australia’s Gold Coast in time for the start of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Charles and Prince Harry have honoured Gurkha soldiers at Buckingham Palace.
The 68-year-old royal and his youngest son presented operational medals to the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles on Tuesday (14.03.17) during a ceremony which included traditional Nepalese song, held at the royal London residence.
Charles, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, and 32-year-old Harry – who was made an honorary Gurkha after serving with the regiment during his time in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2008 – met with around 150 of the soldiers who were deployed to Kabul last year as part of Operation Toral, the UK’s mission to advise on security issues and help Afghanistan take control of its own affairs.
Speaking to the soldiers, Prince Charles said: “I know that your eight-month tour in Kabul was arduous and dangerous but that you performed to the very highest standards of professionalism in true Gurkha spirit.”
Whilst Prince Harry added: “Your forefathers would be most proud of you here today, continuing to demonstrate the traditions and achievements that together ensure the worldwide reputation of the Gurkhas as the best soldiers.”
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Murray, who is the commanding officer who officiated at the medal presentation ceremony, said the opportunity for a soldier to meet royalty such as Prince Charles and Prince Harry was a “once-in-a-lifetime moment”.
He said: “For the young Gurkha to be in Buckingham Palace in front of His Royal Highness is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Today will live long in the memory for these soldiers and their families, their stories from this wonderful experience will reach the hills of Nepal and reaffirm the position of the Royal Family in the hearts of the people from that part of the world.”
Prince Charles and Prince Harry also used the medal giving ceremony as an opportunity to present awards in particular to Lieutenant Michael Barney, 25, from Grantham, and Acting Colour Sergeant Raj Rai, 34, from Nepal, in recognition of their efforts to the regiment over the last year.

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OHMYGOSSIP — A $225,000 tiara from Princess Diana’s family has been sold.
The expensive diamond tiara belonged to the great aunt of the late royal – who passed away in 1997 after being fatally wounded in a car crash in Paris – and was sold at a well-known art fair in Holland last week.
People magazine reports the tiara was set with over 800 diamonds, and was originally meant as a wedding gift for Lady Delia Spencer from her father Charles, the sixth Earl Spencer, when she married the Honourable Sir Sidney Peel in 1914.
The tiara has an estimated weight of 48 carats, and was designed in a way which means it can be worn in a variety of different ways. As well as being a headpiece, the central three sections can transform into a choker necklace, leaving the remaining two sections to form a matching bracelet.
Guy Barton of the high-end jewellery company Hancocks London told the publication: “The tiara is a wonderful example of superb craftsmanship with a unique provenance.”
The tiara was reportedly bought within just hours after it was first shown at TEFAF, an art fair which claims to be the “champion the finest quality art from across the ages by creating a community of the world’s top art dealers and experts to inspire lovers and buyers of art everywhere.”
Meanwhile another tiara, worn by Diana herself, is reportedly being used by her youngest son Prince Harry, 32, in order to make an engagement ring for his girlfriend Meghan Markle.
A source said: “Diana’s jewellery collection was left in trust for the boys and Meghan apparently loves emeralds. For Harry, like Wills before him, using his mother’s gems means the two loves of his life will forever be linked.
“After Diana died, the boys both chose a keepsake from Kensington Palace when they moved to Charles’ rooms in St James’s Palace. Prince William picked his mum’s Cartier watch, and Harry picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
“But they had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana’s ring – and of course that was William and Kate. Harry wants the same sentiment when he proposes to Meghan, so he is working with the jewellers to design something incredible.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Paul Burrell believes Princess Diana knew he was attracted to men.
The 58-year-old former butler to the late royal – who passed away in 1997 after being fatally wounded in a car crash in Paris – is set to marry his male lover Graham Cooper, and says that despite never telling his “best friend” Diana about his sexuality, he says her “good judge of character” meant she probably already knew.
Asked if Princess Diana knew he was gay, Paul said: “I never had that conversation with her. “I was her best friend. I was a great adviser on what to wear and when to wear it. I did great flower arrangements … it didn’t have to be said.
“I think Diana was a very good judge of character too, the Queen wouldn’t have chosen me to stand beside her for eleven years, and Diana wouldn’t have chosen me for ten years if I wasn’t the right person.”
And Paul – who divorced his ex-wife Maria last year after spending a decade separated from each other – says he even believes Queen Elizabeth might have known about his sexuality.
He added to UK television show ‘This Morning’: “I think she might’ve [my sexuality], I think the Queen is a very astute women and she knows her staff inside out.”
The news comes after Paul – who shares sons Nick, 24, and Alex, 27, with his ex-wife – revealed it was Queen Elizabeth herself who told him he should get married in 1994 when he met Maria.
He said: “Her Majesty took me aside and said, ‘Paul, the institution of marriage is a wonderful thing – have you thought of getting married?’ I said, ‘Well, your Majesty, I have, yes’. She replied ‘Well there are some lovely girls around the Palace. I’m sure you can find one suitable’.
“Some time later I was in Her Majesty’s bedroom and Prince Philip’s maid came in to help me. She helped me pull over a cover and smiled at me and I thought, ‘How sweet, she’s lovely’. That was Maria. We went to Balmoral, very much a party place and somewhere to begin relationships. We got to know each other better and realised we had a great deal in common. I took a picture of her as she was leaving to go back to London. That’s the moment I thought, ‘Yes, she’s the one I’m going to marry’.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William has been enjoying a skiing holiday in Switzerland.
The 34-year-old royal was spotted with close friends as he took to the slopes in Verbier, Switzerland, on Sunday (12.03.17).
Prince William’s wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and their two children Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, 22 months, were noticeably missing from the trip, and it believed they stayed at home whilst William spent some quality time with his friends.
In pictures obtained by People magazine, Prince William can be seen riding a ski lift with three of his friends, as well as being photographed enjoying lunch with a large group of pals.
Prince William’s ski trip came the day before his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, held a ceremony in support of Commonwealth Day (13.03.17), which William was noticeably absent from.
William’s younger brother Prince Harry, 32, was in attendance at the event, as was their father Prince Charles.
Also at the ceremony were Prince Philip, Duchess Camilla, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
The event marked the start of the Commonwealth Games baton relay, which sees the ceremonial baton travel 140,000 miles over 388 days, visiting each of the 52 Commonwealth nations before arriving in Australia’s Gold Coast in time for the start of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Queen also celebrated the annual day by promoting “respect and understanding” between the Commonwealth nations, in a message written in the ceremony’s order of service.
The message read: “The cornerstones on which peace is founded are, quite simply, respect and understanding for one another. Working together we build peace by defending the dignity of every individual and community.
“By upholding justice and the rule of law and by striving for societies that are fair and offer opportunities for all, we overcome division and find reconciliation, so that the benefits of progress and prosperity may be multiplied and shared.
“As members of the Commonwealth family, we can find much to be thankful for in the inheritances we have received from those who came before us. Through consensus and co-operation, great things have been achieved.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Diana helped to bury her best friend’s stillborn baby.
Rosa Monckton has revealed that the late royal – who was fatally wounded in a car crash in Paris in 1997 – offered her help after the successful businesswoman and her newspaper editor husband Dominic Lawson’s baby was unfortunately stillborn 23 years ago.
The story was originally told by Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell in his 2006 book ‘The Way We Were’, but until now Rosa had kept silent on the claims and the story remained unconfirmed.
During an appearance on Australian Channel 7’s ‘Sunday Night Show’, Rosa was asked if it was Diana who suggested burying her baby at Kensington Palace, to which the former Asprey & Garrard CEO said yes.
She said: “Yes, yes it was. It was an extraordinary thing to do.”
Rosa revealed Paul then asked how they would “get through security” to the gardens, but the Princess – who is the mother of Prince William, 34, and Prince Harry, 32, whom she shared with ex-husband Prince Charles – already had an ingenious solution.
Rosa continued: “She said, ‘I’m going to tell the chief inspector that we’re going to bury a pet in the garden. Only you, I and Rosa will know it’s a baby’.”
The businesswoman says the trio had a “very, very moving ceremony” in the memory of her lost baby, and Diana then gave her a key to the gardens so she could visit whenever she wanted.
Rosa revealed she still has the key to this day.
The act of kindness is just one of many moving acts carried out by the late royal, who has often been dubbed as a humanitarian who was “passionate” about her work helping others.
Previously, Sandra Horley, the chief executive of domestic violence charity Refuge, said of the Princess: “I first met Princess Diana in 1992. I had written to her asking for help, because our [women’s] refuge in Chiswick was in dire financial straits. She responded by making a personal donation and a series of private visits.
“I was struck by Diana’s passion. She was never one for formalities – she would much rather be sitting with the women we supported, chatting to them. If a child in the refuge was screaming, she would pick them up and comfort them.
“First and foremost, she was a wonderful mother.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Queen Elizabeth has set the Commonwealth Games baton on its journey around the world.
The 90-year-old royal watched as the baton was carried its first few hundred metres by a succession of Olympic stars, including heptathlete Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, and cycling champion Victoria Pendleton.
The monarch’s baton is now well on its journey to Australia’s Gold Coast – where the 2018 Commonwealth Games are being held – and is set to make a stop at all 52 of the Commonwealth nations during its 388-day relay which covers more than 140,000 miles.
Inside the baton is a message written by the Queen, which is to be read out during the opening ceremony of the Games in April next year.
During the baton-giving ceremony – which was held on Commonwealth Day (13.03.17) – Australian musician Cody Simpson, who grew up on the Gold Coast, performed a rendition of the unofficial anthem ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ and dubbed the experience as “surreal”.
He said on stage: “This is definitely a first for me and one of the more surreal moments of my life thus far, I can say, and it’s a pleasure to be representing the Gold Coast, representing Australia – the Commonwealth Games uniting people through sport and through music today.
“The (Gold) Coast hasn’t ever had this kind of major sporting event before. Sydney and Melbourne have, obviously, in the past. I think it’s going to really shed light on what a beautiful stretch of coastline it is.”
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth marked the occasion by promoting “respect and understanding” between the Commonwealth nations, in a message written in the ceremony’s order of service.
The message read: “The cornerstones on which peace is founded are, quite simply, respect and understanding for one another. Working together we build peace by defending the dignity of every individual and community.
“By upholding justice and the rule of law and by striving for societies that are fair and offer opportunities for all, we overcome division and find reconciliation, so that the benefits of progress and prosperity may be multiplied and shared.
“As members of the Commonwealth family, we can find much to be thankful for in the inheritances we have received from those who came before us. Through consensus and co-operation, great things have been achieved.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell says Queen Elizabeth gave him “marital advice”.
The 58-year-old former – who was described by the late princess as her “rock” because of their close relationship – may have divorced his wife Maria last year after 32 years of marriage, but he has now admitted it was the 90-year-old monarch who suggested he tie the knot in the first place.
He said: “Her Majesty took me aside and said, ‘Paul, the institution of marriage is a wonderful thing – have you thought of getting married?’ I said, ‘Well, your Majesty, I have, yes’. She replied ‘Well there are some lovely girls around the Palace. I’m sure you can find one suitable’.
“Some time later I was in Her Majesty’s bedroom and Prince Philip’s maid came in to help me. She helped me pull over a cover and smiled at me and I thought, ‘How sweet, she’s lovely’. That was Maria. We went to Balmoral, very much a party place and somewhere to begin relationships. We got to know each other better and realised we had a great deal in common. I took a picture of her as she was leaving to go back to London. That’s the moment I thought, ‘Yes, she’s the one I’m going to marry’.”
And Paul admits when he told the Queen of his intention to marry Maria, she was “absolutely delighted” for him.
He added to the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “She said, ‘I’m absolutely delighted, so thrilled for you Paul. You won’t regret getting married. Marriage is a wonderful, wonderful thing and when you have children you will realise it is the foundation of life’. So there we have it… the Queen giving me marital advice. Giving me a serious talk, the chance to go forward.”
Meanwhile, it was recently revealed Paul is to tie the knot for the second time, with his male lover Graham Cooper.
A spokesperson for Paul said: “I can confirm their forthcoming marriage.”

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