OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry went to Africa to “get away” from the news of his mother’s passing.
The 32-year-old royal was just 12 when his mother Princess Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in 1997, and he has now opened up about how his father Prince Charles whisked him and his brother Prince William away to Africa “straight after” the news of her death.
He said: “I first came [to Africa] in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags – we were going to Africa to get away from it all. My brother and I were brought up outdoors. We appreciate nature and everything about it.”
And the royal – who is in a relationship with actress Meghan Markle – admits his early visit to the continent has meant he has grown attached to the area, and “wishes” he could spend more time there.
He added: “This is where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world. I wish I could spend more time in Africa.”
Prince Harry says he feels an “intense sense” of relaxation and normality when in Africa, and appreciates being able to go unnoticed.
Speaking in the latest issue of Town & Country magazine – which features photographs of the royal during a visit to Africa last year to work with African Parks on relocating 500 elephants – he said: “I have this intense sense of complete relaxation and normality here. To not get recognised, to lose myself in the bush with what I would call the most down-to-earth people on the planet, people [dedicated to conservation] with no ulterior motives, no agendas, who would sacrifice everything for the betterment of nature… I talk to them about their jobs, about what they do. And I learn so much.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry is reportedly “truly in love” with his girlfriend Meghan Markle.
The 32-year-old royal and his actress girlfriend have been dating for around seven months and recently enjoyed a romantic holiday to the small Norwegian village of Tromvik, and sources close to the couple say the Prince is already falling head over heels for the ‘Suits’ actress.
A source said: “Harry is truly in love. They’re very serious.”
And the insider also claims that despite having not been together for very long, wedding bells could be on the horizon.
They added to E! News: “Those close to Harry and Meghan wouldn’t be surprised if there will be an engagement announcement sometime this year.”
It’s not the first time there have been engagement rumours about the pair either, as a source previously told the publication the royal is “serious” about his new beau.
They said at the time: “Harry is more serious [about Meghan] then he ever has been about a woman before.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s already thinking about engagement just because that’s where his head goes.”
Friends of the couple say the relationship is moving at “lightning speed”, and the pair “speak all the time”.
Another source previously claimed: “This relationship has moved at lightning speed and they are mad about each other.
“They speak all the time when they’re apart and count down the days until they see each other again.
“Friends have even talked about them getting married this year. It does seem very soon, but both of them have talked about it and are ready to settle down.
“Harry is determined to do everything possible to make this work.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Duchess of Cambridge has admitted “parenting is tough” as she visited the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families on Wednesday (11.01.17).
The 35-year-old Duchess – who shares three-year-old Prince George and 20-month-old Princess Charlotte with her husband Prince William – praised the efforts of mothers who are battling depression or difficult upbringings during a visit to the specialised unit which supports families who are at risk of their children being taken into care.
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, the Duchess met with and paid tribute to the women who had completed the centre’s intensive treatment programme.
She said: “Parenting is tough, [especially with] the experiences you’ve all witnessed.
“I find it extraordinary how you’ve managed actually, so really well done.”
The specialised unit typically deals with parents who have lived through an abusive childhood themselves – through neglect or physical violence – or are dealing with a health issue like depression.
The Duchess spent time chatting to a 19-year-old mother, named as Amber, and her 18-month-old son Le’Juan.
Amber said of the centre afterwards: “I think people need to know exactly how mental health affects people and that there are places exactly like this unit, that do really intense treatment and not just somewhere you can attend once a week.
“I’ve only been here four months but already I’m noticing differences in myself especially on the anxiety side.
“Now I’m able to recognise when I’m going into an anxiety attack when before I was oblivious to it.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence have been given a tour of the London Boat Show.
The 66-year-old royal and her retired Naval officer husband were spotted at the annual boating event at the capital’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre in Greenwich on Wednesday (11.01.17), as they were given a tour by show officials.
The boat show – which kicked off on January 6 and will run until Sunday (15.01.17) – is known for showcasing some of the world’s finest and priciest vessels.
Princess Anne – who already owns a £500,000 bespoke Rustler 44 yacht which was designed according to her specifications in 2012 – was seen admiring the expensive boats, before meeting with members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) who hold a stand at the event every year.
The royal was seen chatting to the members of the charity – whose main aim is to save lives at sea – whilst watching them give a demonstration on how to use pieces of their life saving kit.
It is unknown whether Princess Anne has any interest in purchasing a new yacht to match the one she currently has moored in Scotland.
The visit to the boat show comes just days after the royal was spotted in Shrewsbury, where she opened the Battlefield Energy Recovery Facility which uses recycling to make heat and power.
She said at the time: “It is always a pleasure to see energy units like this being built but also how important it is the county and the local community understand the advantages of working together to get a really good result.
“I know it has been open for a little while but it underlines the real advantages because you have had time to notice them and that is very good to hear.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Ed Sheeran’s shirt was “covered in blood” after Princess Beatrice accidentally cut his face with a sword.
The 28-year-old royal reportedly struck the ‘Castle on the Hill’ hitmaker as she was pretending to ‘knight’ fellow musician James Blunt at a party at the Royal Lodge in Windsor in November, and the flame haired singer has now said he wasn’t aware of the extent of his injury until he noticed people staring at him.
Speaking on UK radio station Absolute Radio, the ‘Thinking Out Loud’ singer said: “I got hit in the face and I was like, all right, OK, and then started carrying on and then I looked down at my shirt and it was just completely covered in blood.
“And everyone was kind of gaping open-mouthed at me. What have I got a nosebleed or something? What’s happened?”
The news comes after he previously avoided the subject when speaking on BBC Radio 1 last week, as he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to talk about it.
He said: “Yeah… there’s… I don’t know if I can talk about that, you know.”
Asked by host Scott Mills if he’d already talked about about it, Ed then replied: “Not fully, no. I have mentioned the cut.”
And Princess Beatrice isn’t the only royal the ‘Shape of You’ musician wants to hang out with, as he recently said he’d “have a lot of fun” with Prince Harry.
Asked to name candidates for an imaginary squad, Ed said: “Harry Windsor, because I don’t really know him that well but I think I’d have a lot of fun with him.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William spoke about the death of his mother Princess Diana when he visited a bereavement centre run by Child Bereavement UK on Wednesday (11.01.17)
The 34-year-old royal is a patron of the charity – which aims to help families struggling with the loss of a child, or to help children facing their own bereavements – and spoke candidly about his mother’s passing when he paid a visit to their centre in Stratford, East London.
Princess Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in 1997, and the future King 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 (Prince Harry) was 12. So we lost our mummy when we were young as well.”
And the Duke of Cambridge – who has three-year-old Prince George and 18-month-old Princess Charlotte with his wife the Duchess of Cambridge – also highlighted it was “very important” for the young girl to talk to her mother about her feelings.
He added: “Do you speak about your daddy? It’s very important to talk about it, very, very important.”
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Aoife’s mother Marie found the experience “very emotional”, and said she was now encouraging her children to discuss their problems.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it when he started to talk about his mother. It was very emotional and I was willing myself not to start to cry. I almost did.
“I am telling my children that if they take anything away from this day, it is what he said about how important it is to talk. Kids do not forget that. Sometimes it hurts but we can remember the happy things too. It is so important to talk.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — ‘The Crown’ director Stephen Daldry hopes the British royal family do not watch the Netflix show.
The programme explores the private lives of the royal family and because of some of the X-rated scenes on the show, Stephen hopes that none of the royals follow ‘The Crown’.
He told The Sun newspaper: “I sincerely hope they don’t watch it and nor should they.
“I think enough people in the palace have watched it to reassure the family that were not doing a hack job, and that we are deeply respectful, but we are exploring issues of the family and their relationships both with internally to that family and their relationship to the government of the day.
“So there will be issues that are controversial for the family and it’s why I think they don’t should watch it. It is an imagined history – as well researched as it is, it is our interpretation of those events. It’s not a documentary.”
Stephen also admitted that working with Netflix probably afforded him more freedom than he may otherwise have enjoyed if he was employed by a more traditional broadcaster.
‘The Crown’ has cost more than £100 million to make, but has received widespread critical acclaim since it was first broadcast.
Meanwhile, Stephen revealed that the popular show is set for an overhaul after two seasons on TV screens.
He explained: “Well after two seasons, that’s it. I’m gone. They’re getting rid of all of us.
“I don’t how they’re planning on doing it, but they’re such an incredible bunch of directors and producers that it’s gonna be different and exciting. It’ll be original. I can’t wait to see where it goes.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Ed Sheeran thinks he could have “a lot of fun” with Prince Harry.
The chart-topping star has revealed he would like to include the British royal in his own Taylor Swift-inspired squad, even though he does not know Harry especially well.
Asked to name candidates for his own squad, the ‘Thinking Out Loud’ hitmaker told the KISS ‘Breakfast Show’: “Harry Windsor, because I don’t really know him that well but I think I’d have a lot of fun with him.”
Thereafter, Ed named some less well known celebrities, including the musician Big Narstie and British reality TV star Joey Essex.
The singer-songwriter said: “Big Narstie I’d say and James Blunt. I’ve had the best nights out I’ve ever had with James. And I reckon someone like Joey Essex would be quite fun.”
Ed recently suffered a cut to his face when he was hanging out with Harry’s cousin Princess Beatrice, and the singer opened up about the issue.
He recalled: “James Blunt would like me to tell everyone that it was him and he was trying to reclaim his pop career by killing me.
“I got hit in the face and I was like: ‘Alright, OK’ and then started carrying on and then I looked down at my shirt and it was just completely covered in blood.”
Ed also admitted that the incident left people around him in a state of shock.
The pop star said: “Everyone was kind of gaping open mouthed at me. ‘What have I got a nosebleed or something? What’s happened?'”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry’s romantic getaway with Meghan Markle has increased interest in holidays in Norway.
The 32-year-old royal and the brunette beauty recently travelled to the little-known village of Tromvik for a winter vacation, and according to Google Trends, their break has coincided with a spike in interest in vacations to the Scandinavian country.
Indeed, data has shown that web searches for Tromvik Lodge – the luxury apartment where the Prince stayed – and its surrounds have surged by more than 200 percent.
What’s more, interest in the currency exchange rate has risen by 300 percent, underlining the influence of the British royal and the ‘Suits’ actress.
Earlier this week, a local revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan, 35, were “very discreet” during their romantic getaway.
Despite being among the most recognisable couples in the world, the duo managed to keep a low profile, according to Tromvik local Julie Lilanda.
She said: “They were very discreet.”
Meanwhile, another local, Stig Jakobsen, explained why it is the perfect location for a romantic vacation.
He said: “It’s a very picturesque spot with a panoramic view of the ocean.
“At this time of year the bay is literally full of whales – a ridiculous amount of whales, because they come in to eat the herring, which swim into the fjords near there.
“It is very popular with winter tourists because of the Northern Lights and the whales, of which we have an enormous amount. You can basically go in boats to within 10 feet of a huge whale. So it is quite spectacular.”
The British royal has been dating Meghan since May last year, but has remained tight-lipped about their burgeoning relationship.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Anne officially opened the Battlefield Energy Recovery Facility in Shrewsbury on Tuesday (10.01.17).
The 66-year-old royal paid a special visit to the site, which uses recycling to make heat and power, and took a genuine interest in the innovative methods used to create energy.
She said: “It is always a pleasure to see energy units like this being built but also how important it is the county and the local community understand the advantages of working together to get a really good result.
“I know it has been open for a little while but it underlines the real advantages because you have had time to notice them and that is very good to hear.”
Princess Anne also said she hopes that the plant in Shrewsbury will encourage others to follow suit.
She told the Shropshire Star newspaper: “I hope you will be able to have the opportunity to encourage others to follow in your footsteps.
“Many congratulations to everybody because it has very much been a joint operation and that will stand you in good stead for the future.”
Local Councillor Mal Price initially disapproved of plans to build the facility, but has now admitted the decision has been vindicated.
He also observed that the royal was noticeably interested and well read on the energy issue.
He explained: “I think it shows she was aware of the background and what had gone on and the recycling figures we have now got.
“We have landfill at less than four per cent. I think she recognised we have an excellent facility here which is powering 10,000 properties locally.
“She seemed to be very knowledgeable about the issue.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince William visited a London hostel run by the homeless charity Centrepoint on Tuesday (10.01.17).
The 34-year-old royal is a long-time patron of Centrepoint, and the homeless charity in central London served as the site for his first official engagement of 2017, having received criticism last year for not attending more such events.
Prince William is very familiar with the charity, having toured the site and met its staff numerous times since 2005, and on this occasion, he found the time to play games and have fun with some of the city’s homeless population.
At one point, Prince William participated in a game of ‘Who am I?’, which saw him wearing a blue Post-It note on his forehead with the name ‘David Beckham’ written on the paper.
The ambition behind the game is to ask a series of questions and then guess the identity of the name on your forehead.
However, it appeared as though the future King struggled to identify the retired sports star, despite being an enthusiastic follower of soccer.
Prince William’s visit to Centrepoint came shortly after he’d celebrated his wife’s 35th birthday at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, East Anglia.
The duo spent the day with their two children – three-year-old Prince George and 18-month-old Princess Charlotte – at their family home.
The celebration came as the Duchess of Cambridge was hailed as a near-perfect royal by Hugo Vickers, author of biographies of the Queen Mother and the Duchess of Windsor.
He recently said: “It’s only natural that if you’re in the third generation, you’re going to play a supportive role. She’s obviously a very important person, but you don’t want to compete.
“The Queen Mother was the same when she was Duchess of York. There was Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra as well for a time, so she was rather a mousy figure for the first 13 years after she married Prince Bertie. Catherine hasn’t put a foot wrong. She does her duties well, such as her involvement with the National Portrait Gallery and new role at Wimbledon.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — A couple from Ayr in Scotland celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a letter from the Queen and a greeting from Prince Charles.
Christine and George Milne spent their landmark day at the Ayrshire Hospice – where they both volunteer – and having received a letter of congratulations from the monarch earlier in the morning, they later got to greet her son.
George said: “It was a wonderful day.
“I was telling Prince Charles this wasn’t the first we’d heard from royalty today as we received a letter from his mum, the Queen, that very morning!”
Christine, 83, said having the opportunity to meet the future King served to make the day even more memorable than it would otherwise have been.
She told the Daily Record newspaper: “Meeting the Prince was fantastic – what a gentleman he was. It was definitely a day I will never forget.”
The couple first met when they were both university students and feel that the Hospice is the perfect place for them to have spent their wedding anniversary.
Christine said: “Marriage has been a wonderful journey with my best friend by my side. The years just fly by and sometimes it feels like yesterday when we first met.
“George was studying at Aberdeen University at the time, so when he got in touch I was pleasantly surprised.
“I am so thankful to have him in my life. You can say we’ve been taking care of each other ever since we met.
“We have a lot of love to give and we’ve loved working at the Hospice over the years. The staff and volunteers are amazing people and I couldn’t think of a better place to spend our special day.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Princess Eugenie and her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank have jetted off to Verbier, Switzerland, to visit her mother Sarah Ferguson.
The 26-year-old royal and her partner have been spotted chatting to holidaymakers at the plush resort, where the Duchess of York lives in a £13m seven-bed chalet.
Eugenie took a break from her job as an associate director at a modern art gallery to visit her mother, but still found the time to warmly greet onlookers in Switzerland, according to the Daily Mail.
Verbier is an especially significant location for Eugenie and Jack, because it is where they first met in 2010 during a skiing holiday.
Princess Eugenie’s trip comes shortly after she and her sister, 28-year-old Princess Beatrice, were praised by their mother for being “incredible” and “humble”.
The Duchess of York admitted she is very proud of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – whose father is her ex-husband Prince Andrew – and said she is especially delighted that they recently joined her in becoming patrons of the Teenage Cancer Trust.
She said: “The Duke and I couldn’t be more proud of this moment.
“Their actions show their commitment and dedication to their grandmother and their country.
“It’s so great to see them shining and I’m very, very proud.
“I think they’re the most humble people I know in my life and the Duke and I are lucky as parents to have these incredible, humble children.”
Beatrice, for her part, revealed she was pleased to follow in the Duchess’ footsteps and “do this as a family”.
She shared: “It’s about supporting young people and making sure we recognise that teenagers have to go through so much – and then you add cancer on top of that.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Duchess of Cambridge “hasn’t put a foot wrong” since she became a royal.
The 35-year-old Duchess married Prince William in 2011 and has been hailed by Hugo Vickers, author of biographies of the Queen Mother and the Duchess of Windsor, as having played her role perfectly until now.
He explained: “It’s only natural that if you’re in the third generation, you’re going to play a supportive role. She’s obviously a very important person, but you don’t want to compete.
“The Queen Mother was the same when she was Duchess of York. There was Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra as well for a time, so she was rather a mousy figure for the first 13 years after she married Prince Bertie. Catherine hasn’t put a foot wrong. She does her duties well, such as her involvement with the National Portrait Gallery and new role at Wimbledon.”
The Duchess – who shares three-year-old Prince George and 20-month-old Princess Charlotte with her husband – has also been hailed as a devoted mother to her children.
Hugo told the National Post: “One thing I’ve been told about both Middleton sisters at Marlborough is that when they took anything on, they put their hearts and souls into it. Catherine’s a supportive wife, a good daughter-in-law and a devoted mother.”
The Duchess celebrated her 35th birthday on Monday (09.01.17) with her family at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, East Anglia.
The royal was joined by her husband Prince William, 34, and their two children at their country mansion for some low-key birthday celebrations.
The Duchess’ parents and Charlotte’s godmother, Sophie Carter, were also reported to have attended the bash.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Meghan Markle indulged in drinking games the day before she tied the knot with her ex-husband.
The 35-year-old actress married movie producer Trevor Engleson in 2011 at Ocho Rios, Jamaica, after seven years of dating – and Meghan made sure she enjoyed herself the day before her wedding, drinking cocktails and playing games with her friends.
The ‘Suits’ star had a four-day wedding bash at a plush Jamaican hotel, with Meghan drinking and indulging on a beach barbecue.
The duo tied the knot on the third day of their bash, with the ceremony lasting just 15 minutes.
One guest told The Sun newspaper: “The ceremony was over very quickly – in about 15 minutes. Then everyone hit the dance floor. It seemed they all just wanted to party.”
However, Meghan and Trevor subsequently divorced in August 2013, citing irreconcilable differences, and the actress has been dating Prince Harry since mid-2016.
Recently, it was reported Harry and Meghan have promised to see each other at least once a month.
The 32-year-old royal and Meghan have had to make a secret deal to spend as much face-to-face time together as possible, despite their busy working schedules.
The pair are said to FaceTime each other regularly, but Harry “can’t bear” to be away from his girlfriend.
A source previously said: “They can’t bear to be apart. Harry counts down the days until he’s next seeing Meghan and she’s just as keen.
“Harry’s on cloud nine. He is determined to do everything he can to make this relationship work.”
The British royal has also made a good impression on Meghan’s father Thomas Markle Senior, according to her brother Thomas Junior.
He said: “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.
“She’s very much in love and she’s obviously happy because if she wasn’t happy, she wouldn’t be there.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “very discreet” during their recent romantic getaway.
The 32-year-old royal and his new girlfriend travelled to the tiny Norwegian town of Tromvik for their first overseas vacation and despite being among the most recognisable couples in the world, the duo managed to keep a low profile.
Tromvik local Julie Lilanda told PEOPLE: “They were very discreet.”
The couple are reported to have stayed in the luxury Tromvik Lodge, which costs $374 per night.
The Lodge boasts an outdoor Jacuzzi and offers incredible views of the surrounding area.
Local Stig Jakobsen explained that it is the perfect location for a romantic getaway.
He said: “It’s a very picturesque spot with a panoramic view of the ocean.
“At this time of year the bay is literally full of whales – a ridiculous amount of whales, because they come in to eat the herring, which swim into the fjords near there.
“It is very popular with winter tourists because of the Northern Lights and the whales, of which we have an enormous amount. You can basically go in boats to within 10 feet of a huge whale. So it is quite spectacular.”
Meanwhile, Harry recently met Meghan’s father and the pair are said to have got on well.
The British royal has been dating the actress since May last year and it has now been revealed that her dad Thomas has been introduced to Harry.
Meghan’s brother Thomas Markle Junior recently said: “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.”

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