Prince William, Kate Middleton deliver their rendition of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
Prince William and Kate Middleton have channelled their inner poets, delivering a heartfelt message to COVID-19 frontline workers.
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Prince William and Kate Middleton have delivered their own version of the famous ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas poem in a touching tribute to key COVID-19 workers.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to social media to share their twist on the classic in a post titled “A Christmas Surprise for Key Workers”.
“This year has been extraordinary for many reason, but through the hardship some of the most incredible people have emerged,” the royals captioned the video that showed they had helped organise for presents to be given to key workers at the London Palladium last week.
“This Christmas we want to say THANK YOU to all our key workers and their families for all they have done, and for the sacrifices they have made to keep us safe.”
As the recite the poem over the video, the footage showed that children were asked what they would like for Christmas before a show at the theatre at London’s West End.
While watching the production, workers from the famous British toy store Hamleys found what they wanted and wrapped up all of the requests to be handed out after the show — much to the delight of the children.
The royals’ version of the Christmas classic starts: ‘Twas two weeks before Christmas and all through the land, key workers kept working to help give us a hand.
“The nurses, the doctors, at the heart of the fight, joined teachers, shop workers, volunteers in their plight.
“And the country was grateful for all they had done, and wanted to thank them and bring them some fun.”
They conclude by saying: “The moral of the story, true now more than ever, remarkable things happen if we all work together.”
HARRY, MEGHAN’S LATEST HOLLYWOOD MOVE
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Spotify to host and produce their own podcasts.
They have followed the lead of the Obamas by signing up with both Netflix and Spotify after setting up Archewell Audio and signing an exclusive multi-year deal with the platform.
The pair said in a statement that their podcasts will focus on content “that uplifts and entertains audiences around the world.”
They will release a holiday special that will feature “stories of hope and compassion from inspirational guests in celebration of the new year” in partnership with Spotify’s Gimlet studio.
“What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction,” the California-based couple said
“With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.”
Spotify Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer, Dawn Ostroff — who had already signed up Michelle Obama for the service which has 320 million users around the world — said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may live in California but the power of their voices rests in their status as citizens of the world.”
“That they are embracing the extraordinary capacity of podcasts on Spotify while also seeking to elevate under-represented voices is a testament to their appreciation for the potential of audio storytelling,” she added.
She said that Spotify users will be able to listen directly to the Duke and Duchess as well as from “other creators that they will be elevating via our global platform.”
The first complete series from Archewell Audio and Spotify is expected next year.
The Sussexes have said they aim to be financially independent from the royal family and have already signed a mega production deal with Netflix, as former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle did back in 2018.
On Monday, Markle announced she had started investing in businesses — with her first investment in women-led coffee business Clevr.
She then gifted a package of the lattes to neighbour and friend Oprah Winfrey, who then promoted the coffee to her 19.2 million Instagram followers.
MEGHAN’S SURPRISE TV SPOT AND FIRST BUSINESS INVESTMENT
Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance on CNN’s annual Heroes TV special Sunday to pay homage to the people who’ve made a difference in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duchess of Sussex thanked the “individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met” in the past year, which she described as being “universally challenging for everyone.”
The 39-year-old added: “They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation.”
Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, announced earlier this year that they were abandoning their roles as “senior” royals and relocated to California while the deadly bug was spreading across the globe.
The couple has been volunteering with several charities in the Los Angeles area. In April, they delivered meals to city residents through Project Angel Food, a program to feed the chronically ill, CNN reported.
They recently distributed supplies to needy students with Baby2Baby and the Duke of Sussex was spotted volunteering with the Walker Family Events Foundation, which supports veterans and their families, according to the network.
“In the face of this devastating reality, we … saw the power of the human spirit and the remarkable ways that communities respond in challenging times,” the Duchess said on CNN.
“We saw the good in people, in our neighbours and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbours went hungry,” she continued.
“We saw communities standing up and taking action. When kids’ lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbours make sure that those children received the nutrition they need. And when those who are immunocompromised or most vulnerable couldn’t leave their homes, we as a community showed up to deliver the food they needed to their doorsteps,” Markle said.
“We know the value of food — as nourishment, as a life source — and in moments of crisis, the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much-needed hug, especially in the absence of human contact due to the social distancing we’re all experiencing. These moments reminded so many that they’re cared for,” she added.
It comes as Oprah Winfrey gave a gushing endorsement of a luxury instant latte that Meghan Markle gave her as a “Christmas gift” — hours before Markle announced she’s an investor in the brand.
In an Instagram video Oprah revealed an enormous gift basket of drinks from California based Clevr, a “woman-led, mission-driven wellness company.”
Markle and husband Prince Harry have been friends with Oprah and Gayle King for years, and the couple live close to the media mogul in their Montecito, California, mansion.
In the clip, Oprah demonstrates how to make one of the company’s oat milk and turmeric drinks. She captioned it: “On the first day of Christmas my neighbour ‘M’ sent to me… A basket of deliciousness!” She added, not so subtly, “Yes that M” — alongside a crown emoji.
REASON MEGHAN MADE MISCARRIAGE PUBLIC
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the decision to share their miscarriage story in a bid to help others going through “the same thing in silence.”
“They kept their miscarriage private for months because it was very painful and not anything that they knew if they would ever want to share,” a source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE.
“They both seemed shocked at how painful it was. Meghan was ready to share now because so many women go through the same thing in silence.”
Despite the tragedy, the source says the couple are “doing well” and “are in good health.”
They added the California-based “took the time off just to focus on family” and spend time with Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, “which always makes Meghan happy.”
Meantime, Prince Harry has described the COVID-19 pandemic as ecological retribution, urging people to consider it a wake-up call.
“Somebody said to me at the beginning of the pandemic, it’s almost as though Mother Nature has sent us to our rooms for bad behaviour to really take a moment and think about what we’ve done,” he told a streaming network, Waterbear.
“At the end of the day, nature is our life source.”
The Duke of Sussex also said humanity had been taking earth’s natural resources for granted.
“[The pandemic has] certainly reminded me about how interconnected we all are, not just as people but through nature,” he said. “We take so much from her and we rarely give a lot back.”
The New York Post reported that Prince Harry spoke in poetically meteorological terms about his climate change beliefs.
“Every single raindrop that falls from the sky relieves the parched ground,” he declared. “What if every single one of us was a raindrop, and if every single one of us cared?”
The Prince, who recently purchased a $A19 million Los Angeles mansion with wife Meghan Markle and 19-month-old son Archie, also confessed his initial reticence to have children, asking “what’s the point?” while climate change continues.
“The moment you become a father, everything really does change because then you start to realise, well, what is the point in bringing a new person into this world when they get to your age and it’s on fire?” he said.
“We can’t steal their future, that’s not the job we’re here for.”
Meanwhile, the royal family are reportedly “frustrated” by a storyline in the Netflix series The Crown which suggests they “abandoned” the Queen’s disabled cousins, a relative of Princess Margaret has said.
David Bowes-Lyon, 73, has hit out at The Crown’s portrayal of how the royals treated Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon branding it “fiction pretending to be fact”.
In series four of The Crown, Princess Margaret – played by Helena Bonham Carter – discovers to her shock that her two cousins are locked away in an institution due to their learning disabilities.
The drama suggests Princess Margaret didn’t know about her cousins’ existence and that the Queen believed they died young, The Sun reports.
Finding out about the cousins after a trip to a therapist, the show follows Princess Margaret as she unravels her cousins’ fate.
The Crown then depicts the Princess flying into a rage at the Queen Mother when she discovers their plight.
Yelling at the Queen Mother, she says: “Locked up and neglected. They’re your nieces — daughters of your favourite brother.
“It’s wicked and it’s cold-hearted and it’s cruel and it’s entirely in keeping with the ruthlessness which I myself have experienced in this family.”
But now David Bowes-Lyon, whose father was a first cousin of the Queen Mother once removed, has challenged the drama’s portrayal of events.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Bowes-Lyon said the royal family were “frustrated” at the way the drama has chosen to depict the cousins’ plight.
He said: “I’m probably the only member of the family who could publicly say anything about this.
“I wouldn’t say there is upset in the family, but I think people are frustrated and would like the record put straight.”
Mr Bowes Lyon said he had spoken to Princess Margaret about Nerissa and Katherine a number of times.
He added: “She knew who they were in every respect, as you would any cousin.
“She knew exactly who they were and what had happened. It is completely wrong to say they were forgotten and certified as lunatics.”
Nerissa was born in 1919 and younger sister Katherine in 1926, both daughters of minor aristocrat John Bowes-Lyon, the brother of Elizabeth, later the Queen Mum.
The siblings were born with severe developmental disabilities and neither ever learnt to talk.
They were moved to Royal Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives in Redhill, Surrey, after their learning difficulties became apparent.
And there they stayed for most of their lives, until Nerissa’s death aged 66 in 1986 and Katherine’s aged 87 six years ago.
But Mr Bowes-Lyon said the sisters weren’t “abandoned” at the institute and that Nerissa and Katherine were visited “frequently”.
He also said the sisters had dementia and could not recognise people.
Mr Bowes-Lyon told The Telegraph both his cousin, Lady Elizabeth Shakerley – who died a few weeks ago – and his father Maj Gen James Bowes-Lyon confirmed to him that the sisters were visited.
His remarks come amid growing pressure on The Crown to tell viewers it is a work of fiction, not historical fact.
Helena Bonham Carter – who plays Princess Margaret in the series – has said the show has a “duty” to tell viewers the series is fiction.
Ms Bonham Carter said The Crown had a “moral responsibility” to make sure fans know it’s not entirely factual.
The star insisted there must be a separation “between our version” and the “real version”.
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