Reunited with his love in paradise, the prince popped plenty of corks – if not the question!
As the world awaits with bated breath news that Prince Harry is engaged, the young royal whisked his girlfriend off for a romantic trip to Spain.
But despite the stunning Mediterranean backdrop providing the perfect place for a proposal, Harry, 29, instead treated the socialite to a long weekend of fun and frolicking.
The couple met up at a millionaire’s private home in Sotogrande after Harry ditched royal protocol and flew from London to Malaga with EasyJet, whose flights cost a paltry $54.
And when he and Cressida, 24, were reunited “they spent the whole first day with their arms around each other” according to one witness. But they weren’t alone. Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank were there, as were Cressida’s long-time pals Julian Rufus Isaacs and Michael Walker.
For the full story about Harry and Cressida’s romance, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, September 16 2013.
A “rainy day” decision has brought these proud parents untold joy.
Giddy with excitement, Peter and Barbara Dixon sat at a Sydney coffee shop willing their mobile phone to ring.
Like most couples waiting for the results of a pregnancy test, they were experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions. But unlike other would-be parents, they were also battling mammoth odds by trying to conceive a baby using sperm more than 23 years old.
“I had cancer when I was 27,” explains Peter, now 51. “I had to have radiation and in those days they would just bombard the whole body – from neck to knees for 31 days – which had the possibility of leaving me infertile.”
So on doctor’s advice, Peter supplied samples to a university before undergoing treatment. The radiation beat the cancer and, as predicted, left Peter infertile. But, healthy again, he moved on with life, not giving too much thought to his “rainy day” samples.
Read Peter and Barbara’s full story in this week’s issue of Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, September 16 2013.
Eight weeks since he was introduced to the world making a spectacular and very public entrance, Prince George has finally met his great-grandfather.
The future king was whisked to the Queen’s holiday home Balmoral in Scotland in a private jet to meet 92-year-old Prince Philip.
Having been off duty recovering from abdominal surgery earlier this year, the Queen’s husband has been convalescing in the royals’ country residences and had not yet had a chance to meet his great-grandson.
Prince Philip was the last senior royal not to have met the third-in-line to the throne, until he flew in a private jet, accompanied by parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge of course, to Scotland yesterday afternoon.
Grandparents Prince Charles and Camilla are also staying nearby at Birkhall.
Royal insiders are anticipating that George’s first visit to Balmoral may provide a unique family photo opportunity, the Daily Mail reports.
It would be the first time in more than a century three generations of heirs would be captured in a family portrait including Prince Charles, 64, Prince William, 31, and baby Prince George.
It is unknown how long Cambridge family will spend in Balmoral.
Since the arrival of the newest member of the family in July the young royals have spent most of their time at Kate’s parents’ family home in Berkshire, before finishing up their stay in Wales where they have spent the past three years.
Kate shortly after the birth of George, and last week.
A few short weeks ago, a little baby was delivered to a Princess. He was named George, and his mother proudly stepped out of the hospital with a round belly as she cradled her son in her arms.
Mothers around the world rejoiced — she had a baby bump! she was normal! — and the Princess took her baby home.
Fast forward seven weeks and the same Princess stepped onto a red carpet, in a glittering floor-length gown, straight out of an haute couture fairy tale.
She looked a million bucks: glossy mane, towering Jimmy Choos, and absolutely no baby weight.
And just like that the Princess became a Princess again, separated from us mere mortals by more than just a posh title.
The Duchess of Cambridge is not the only famous mother who is shedding her baby weight fast.
Kim Kardashian was pictured for one of the first times last week since the birth of her baby daughter, North, with a cinched-in belt and tight pants. Apparently traumatised over the ribbing she received for putting on weight while pregnant, the normally publicity-hungry star has been keeping a very low profile.
Meanwhile, back in reality, I went to visit a friend who has a four-week-old son. She looked tired as she answered the door, and smelt vaguely of baby vomit.
Her baby boy is terribly cute, but she is struggling with breastfeeding, the lack of sleep and the complete shock a baby entering your life creates.
Her baby belly is still there, as is the extra weight she put on all over her body.
But despite the extra weight she doesn’t look “bad” … she just looks like a normal new mum, tired but elated, heavier but happier.
She confessed she felt “fat”, and said the endless diets and exercise programs aimed at new mothers made her feel inadequate for still carrying extra weight.
It’s a sad reality when the first few weeks of your baby’s life are consumed with thoughts about how to look like your old self again.
And the truth is, you won’t ever look the same.
Maybe your breasts will be forever larger, engorged by the process of breastfeeding. Or maybe they’ll shrink away to nothing: a reminder of your prepubescent self.
Your hips might be wider, your stomach left scarred by stretchmarks. Almost certainly, the bags under your eyes will be darker, as you adjust to your screaming bundle of joy.
As well, you will have “that” friend who, like the Duchess, will seemingly pop back into shape overnight, without a fitness regime or diet in sight.
The real issue is not whether you struggle to lose your baby weight or not, it’s that it is an issue at all. Women should not be made to feel bad about carrying extra weight post-partum. If it becomes a health issue, that’s different, but pregnancy pounds occur for a reason.
Yep, the Duchess looked a million bucks on that red carpet last week, but us mere mortals can’t compare our lifestyles to hers. Plus, designer frock or not, she still has a baby that screams through the night.
In the bubbling stockpot of testosterone that is professional cooking, she has risen to the top, becoming one of just six women worldwide to be awarded three Michelin stars.
It’s an extraordinary achievement but Elena Arzak never for a moment thought her gender would hold her back because the women in her family have been running a successful restaurant since 1897.
What is now Arzak, San Sebastian’s three Michelin-starred foodie paradise, started as a small family restaurant serving simple, local fare.
Enter Elena’s grandmother Francisca and her sister Serafina. These bustling, efficient ladies took over the kitchen and within a few years, the restaurant was famous across Spain.
Francisca passed the reins on to Elena’s parents Juan Mari and Maite, who gave the eatery its current name and completed its transformation into a world class establishment.
Elena started working at Arzak in the school holidays when she was 11 and knew instantly that her future lay in the kitchen.
“From the time I was a child I felt that magic,” she says. “When I’d come to the restaurant’s kitchen in summer I felt that I’d found my place. It gets into your blood and it has run in my family’s veins for four generations.”
Elena is now joint head chef alongside her father and was voted the World’s Best Female Chef in 2012.
While she never felt her gender held her back, Elena is determined to ensure other women get the opportunity to cook at the top level. Eighty per cent of the staff at Arzak is women and six of the nine senior chefs are women.
“Professionally, I have never had to question my gender,” she says. “But there’s no doubt that there are many things that still have to change. Kitchens like so many other things are a reflection of society.
“I have always defended the role of women in the kitchen. It’s a question of time now. There are many women students at the Basque Culinary Center and little by little they will take on positions of responsibility. In Arzak, for example, there are more women than men.
“My advice to young female chefs is the same I would give to anyone: You have to fight for your goals and dreams.”
This year, Elena has pursued a new dream of her own, opening a new restaurant in London, the family’s first foray outside Spain.
In March, she opened Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, a sleek establishment serving modern Basque cuisine in London’s five-star Halkin hotel.
Taking over the space vacated by David Thompson’s Michelin-starred Nahm in December 2012, Ametsa with Arzak Instruction was one of London’s most eagerly-anticipated restaurant launches of 2013.
The focal point of the dining room is the wave-like ceiling, crafted from 7000 suspended glass tubes filled with different spices.
The dining room at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction.
The food is exquisitely prepared, a mix of traditional Basque flavours and contemporary techniques and a playful sense of humour.
The pigeon is served with “shot”, spheres of balsamic reduction and colourful potato while the “moon rocks” dessert — chocolate-coated pebbles of freeze-dried orange and Cointreau on grey “sand” of powdered sesame seeds — was positively Blumenthal-esque.
Pigeon with shot at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction
Moon rocks at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction.
Time will tell whether Ametsa becomes as big a hit as Arzak, but it was a meal I won’t forget in a hurry!
Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is open for lunch Tuesday to Friday from 12pm to 2pm and Saturday, 12.30pm to 2pm. Dinner is served Monday to Sunday from 6.30pm to 10pm. For more information, or to make a reservation, visit the Ametsa with Arzak Instruction website .
Where to stay:
A room at The Halkin by COMO.
Metropolitan by Como
One of London’s most fashionable addresses and home to another top-class restaurant, Nobu, popular with celebrities the world over. With its stunning park views and signature spa, Shambhala Urban Escape, this luxury five-star hotel is a must-visit when in London. For more information visit www.creativeholidays.com.au or call 1300 301 711.
Prince William during a shift as a RAF Search and Rescue pilot on Anglesey.
The house the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called home for the first two years of their marriage is back on the rental market.
William and Kate moved out of the four-bedroom Anglesey farmhouse last week as William’s three-year tour of duty as a RAF search and rescue pilot came to an end.
The owners have now put the property back up for rent and expect to be inundated with offers to move in.
William and Kate paid £750 a month to rent the house but the owners are expected to charge the new tenants substantially more.
The house, which was chosen by the royals because of its privacy and seclusion, comes with access to a private beach and stunning views of Snowdonia.
William, Kate and baby George have now relocated to London to await the completion of renovations to their new family home, Kensington Palace’s 21-room Apartment 1A.
In one of his final public appearances in Anglesey, William thanked the island’s people for being so welcoming and friendly.
“I know that I speak for Catherine when I say that I have never in my life known somewhere as beautiful and as welcoming as Anglesey,” he said.
“I know that both of us will miss it terribly when my search and rescue tour of duty comes to an end and we have to move elsewhere.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my wife and me so welcome when we arrived here, as you do thousands of visitors each year.”
William also said he planned to return to the island for holidays with Prince George and any other children the couple have.
“Catherine and I look forward to returning again and again over the coming years with our family,” William said.
Just six weeks after divorcing Nigella Lawson, Charles Saatchi has been seen wining and dining TV stylist Trinny Woodall at the same restaurant he was photographed "choking" Nigella.
Just six weeks after divorcing Nigella Lawson, Charles Saatchi has been seen wining and dining TV stylist Trinny Woodall at the same restaurant he was photographed “choking” Nigella.
Charles, 70, and What Not To Wear presenter Trinny, 49, have met at the Mayfair eatery twice this week, sitting in the same outdoor terrace where Charles was photographed putting his hand around Nigella’s neck three months ago.
He seemed oblivious to the negative connotations the place now holds, sipping his wine and smoking as he chatted to Trinny.
The dates were reportedly set up by Charles’ friends, who are trying to boost his confidence after his 10-year-old marriage to Nigella ended in divorce in July
“Charles used to be a real man about town and they want him to get back to his old ways,” a friend told the UK’s Sunday Mirror newspaper.
“He can be terribly charming and charismatic but his confidence has taken such a bashing from the fall-out over the divorce.”
Trinny’s own 10-year marriage ended in 2008 and she split from her subsequent boyfriend, Italian Stefano Bonfiglio, last Christmas.
Social media is awash with speculation Shane Warne and Liz Hurley have called off their engagement.
The rumours come after weeks of Twitter silence between the pair who previously seemed unable to go a few hours without tweeting their love for one another.
Hurley was not among the dozens of people who took to Twitter to wish Warne a happy 44th birthday last Friday, and she did not accompany him on his current visit to Australia, instead staying in the UK.
“The obvious thing is they haven’t been tweeting for three weeks,” entertainment reporter Peter Ford told Sunrise.
“This was really a relationship that was born in the Twitterverse and they played it out very publicly so if they suddenly stop tweeting each other and communicating in that fashion people think ‘What’s going on?'”
“Elizabeth was due to arrive in Melbourne over a week ago and she hasn’t turned up. I have a funny feeling that like Ross and Rachel in Friends they may be on a break.”
Adding further fuel to the split speculation are the cryptic messages both Warne and Hurley have posted in the past few weeks.
On September 6, Hurley posted, “The more I know of man, the more I love my dog,” alongside a photo of her and her dog Raja in bed.
Two days later, Warne posted the equally suggestive: “Something to think about. It’s not what happens in your life, it’s how you react to what life throw at you, in both the good and bad times.”
Something to think about, it’s not what happens in your life, it’s how you react to what life throws at u, in both the good & bad times ! 😃
Neither Warne nor Hurley have commented on the split rumours.
Our favourite rogue royal Prince Harry turns 29 today and in true playboy fashion, he is expected to mark the milestone in style.
It’s Harry’s last year as a twenty-something but no official bash has been planned. Instead, he will mark the occasion privately with a carefully-chosen selection of discreet friends.
Given that Harry once partied so hard he ended up playing naked strip billiards with a woman he’d only just met, we can only imagine what he’ll get up to this weekend.
These pictures trace his transformation from tiny tot to Prince Charming.
Prince Harry in 1987 and 2010.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana leaving hospital with the newly born Harry in 1985.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana present Harry and William to crowds in Italy in 1985.
Prince William and Prince Harry in their playroom in London’s Kensington Palace in 1985.
Young William and Harry playing together at Kensington Palace in 1985.
The family in Italy in 1986.
Diana plays with William and Harry at Highgrove in 1986.
Princess Diana carries Prince Harry on her shoulders at Highgrove in 1987.
Harry waves to photographers as he arrives for his first day at nursery school in 1987.
William and Harry attend their first official event at Kensington Palace in 1989.
Harry on a skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, in 1994.
Diana with her boy in the 1990s.
Harry and William march behind their mother’s coffin at her funeral in 1997
Harry shows off his new braces at Sandringham Estate in 1999.
William and Harry at a polo game at Cirencester in Gloucestershire in 2002.
The princes at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2002.
The boys’ nanny was very proud of the young men they grew in to. 2003.
Harry at a polo day at Cirencester Park Polo Club in 2006.
Harry with Kanye West and P Diddy after the Concert for Diana in 2007.
Harry and his former girlfriend Chelsy Davy leaving a church service in Windsor in 2008.
Harry with children during a visit to Lesotho, Africa, in 2008.
Prince Harry in his uniform at RAF Shawbury in 2009.
Harry walking with members of an anti-landmine charity in Mozambique in 2010.
Harry in uniform at an armed forces remembrance events in 2010.
Harry’s tour of the Caribbean won him legions of fans last year.
Harry lived up to his party prince reputation in Belize, downing several cocktails.
Harry couldn’t wait to show off his dance moves in Belize.
Harry looking dapper in beige linen in Nassau.
Harry leaves a Bahamas church service in his military best.
Harry with Usain Bolt.
Harry completed his second tour of Afghanistan this year.
Prince Harry also had a successful tour in the US in May.
Harry in the US.
Harry is currently dating socialite Cressida Bonas, pictured with Princess Eugenie.
Nicole Kidman is reportedly pressing charges against the paparazzo who knocked her to the ground as she left a fashion show in New York yesterday.
Nicole had just left the Calvin Klein show and was heading back to the Carlyle Hotel when freelance photographer Carl Wu bowled her over on his bike.
TMZ reports the paparazzo was speeding down the footpath and attempted to brake when he saw Nicole, but couldn’t stop in time and knocked her over.
Onlookers rushed to help Nicole back onto her feet. Footage appears to show Nicole was in pain after the incident and she was later treated for minor injuries to her ankle.
Witnesses have reported she was furious about the accident and is planning to press charges against Wu, who was also knocked to ground.
Wu has had run-ins with other celebrities including Lady Gaga. He was arrested and charged with riding on the footpath but was released shortly afterwards.
Nicole has also clashed with the paparazzi before, taking Sydney photographer Jamie Fawcett to court over a listening device she alleged he planted outside her Sydney home in 2005.
