What a shock it was to hear on Wednesday that both the Princess of Wales and the King were undergoing serious medical treatment.
As we found out, Kate has already undergone abdominal surgery, which required a hospital stay of up to two weeks, and Charles will soon undergo a “procedure” for an enlarged prostate.
Still, not half as shocking as it must have been for Prince Harry, who reportedly knew nothing about the condition of Kate or even his father until he read media releases.
Buckingham Palace is said to have made every effort to inform all senior members of the royal family, including Harry.
But the public announcement about Charles came at 3:25 p.m., which is 7:25 a.m. in California.
Prince Harry reportedly knew nothing about the condition of Kate or even his father until he saw media releases
As we found out, Kate has already undergone abdominal surgery, which required a hospital stay of up to two weeks, and Charles will soon undergo a “procedure” for an enlarged prostate
William is pictured driving away from the hospital where Kate is staying yesterday
Maybe Harry woke up and saw a news broadcast before the news from the palace. How isolated he must have felt. No time for a call from dad to tell his son not to worry.
Not a word from William to explain what was going on with the sister-in-law he was once so close to.
Since the news broke, the Sussexes have remained silent, not even issuing a public message of support for the royal or Kate.
Maybe they did this privately. I hope so, although I fear it is unlikely given the extremely strained relations between the Prince and Princess of Montecito and the Royal Family. But this is certainly the moment for all sides to make amends.
It must be distressing for Harry to be so far away, so out of touch. All too soon after the death of his beloved grandmother, the Queen, he was again struck by a stark reminder of the human frailty in his own family.
While promoting his memoir Spare in January last year, Harry was asked by US broadcaster Anderson Cooper whether he had spoken to or texted William yet. He said: “At the moment, no. . . I look forward to us finding peace.”
How this testy prince, who withdrew his libel action against The Mail on Sunday yesterday, must now regret his lofty demands that the royals apologize to him.
I was Harry's harshest critic for the despicable way he treated his family. And yet I can't help but feel sorry for him now.
Harry is not a cruel man. He's kind, compassionate and loving like his mother Diana – and I can't believe he's anything but distraught over his father and his Kate.
Good news for men with pants problems, as putting a Viagra tablet in a flower vase has been proven to prevent them from wilting for two weeks, while others wilt within a few days. Saves the guys the embarrassment at the pharmacy. You can now say: “Not for me, I need them to stiffen the woman's gladioli.”
Fifty? Kate is still a wild child
What's not to love about Kate Moss' £100,000 50th birthday party?
She took over the Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant Laurent and celebrated with daughter Lila, best friends from decades ago, her boyfriend Nikolai von Bismarck, 37, and her friends from the fashion world.
What's not to love about Kate Moss' £100,000 50th birthday party?
Huge admiration for having a hot and much younger lover, pictured together, looking as fabulous as ever and, even after becoming a wellness guru, practicing abstinence only when she wants to and during her Party happily, chain smoke.
My kind of girl.
Steel giant Tata will close the blast furnaces at its plant in Port Talbot, south Wales – with the expected loss of 2,500 jobs – and replace them with environmentally friendly electric furnaces that will take years to build. Yes, we all want a greener world, but at what cost to life? As the closure of the coal mines in the 1980s proved: when you close a mine, you destroy a community.
Tell the tooth
The British Dental Association blames Tory NHS cuts for leaving more than 100,000 children in five years with teeth so rotten they required hospital surgery.
The only culprit for this is the parents who give them junk food and sugary drinks. Children are entering primary school without ever owning a toothbrush – let alone learning how to use one, a report shows.
Kudos to ITV for having the courage to produce what at first appears to be a dreary drama about postmasters with the not-so-catchy title “Mr. Bates vs. the Post.” Their instincts were totally fine as more than 10 million viewers tuned in for the finale. And more than that, the drama ultimately led to action to counter this terrible injustice.
Marie defies the bra
Posing in an extremely skimpy pink thong and bra, ageless former supermodel Marie Helvin defiantly asks, “Who says a woman in her 70s can't model lingerie?” To which most women over 40, after having a few kids, would reply, “Me !”
Marie attributes her ageless figure to her decision not to have children and remain single.
Marie attributes her ageless figure to her decision not to have children and remain single
But I bet that mere mortal mothers her age, surrounded by children, grandchildren and a messy husband, wouldn't trade places with her for a nanosecond.
Well, then maybe they would. . . just for a few minutes.
Why did Meghan and Harry adopt the Queen's nickname Lilibet for their daughter? Why didn't she take care of her own family? I suspect that Princess Doria of Sussex, honoring her mother, or Princess Doris of Sussex, honoring her paternal grandmother, are not wearing the royal ring.
Train sets have not reached buffers
Sad news for toy train enthusiasts such as Rod Stewart and Pete Waterman, as last year's National Model Railway Exhibition in Birmingham is declared the last – because the enthusiasts are so old.
Not true! My nephew Pete recently dug up the train set his father left him and cleaned it up for his three-year-old son, Michael. He is in awe of the Flying Scotsman and the mallard, which have been restored and are still flying.
Ex-footballers who complain about the rise of female football pundits will splash their beer after learning top-notch presenter Laura Woods is a millionaire. Woods earned £250,000 from TalkSport, but her earnings had already increased by £600,000 before her move to TNT Sports last year. Enough to make an old misogynist cry.
Westminster Wars
- After introducing the highest tax rise in living memory, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is now promising tax cuts for everyone ahead of the election. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises the same. Do you think we're idiots? Whoever wins will receive the same note that former finance minister Liam Byrne left the coalition government: “Dear Prime Minister, I'm afraid there is no money.” Kind regards and good luck.'
- Any chance of passing the Rwanda Bill means it must pass the House of Lords, where it was tabled this week to cries of “Shame!” Why should pompous, unelected peers who have never experienced a hotel full of immigrants next to their magnificent homes decide the extent of migration in the UK? Get rid of them all!
It's heartening to learn why comedian Sandi Toksvig quit The Great British Bake Off because “my brain was wasting away watching meringues go dry.”
The show always has divided opinions. Millions love it, but others, like me, don't. I'd rather swim naked to Alaska than make a baked one.
It's heartening to learn the real reason comedian Sandi Toksvig quit The Great British Bake Off because it “wasted my brain watching meringues go dry”.
Even in these difficult times, it is shocking news that we are tempted to have simple funerals without a short service. Some packages simply drop a loved one's ashes at your home to host a “celebration of life” party using a £1,500 note. Crikey, do you call this a celebration? I set aside twice as much – just for drinks.
Perhaps the reason Oppenheimer's apocalyptic film takes all the awards ahead of the relentlessly cheerful Barbie is that it delves not into a rose-colored world, but into a dark one that we are beginning to fear – with the possibility of a third world war if everyone actually has nuclear weapons.