A beauty queen was crushed to death by her own car while she was unloading her belongings outside her university accommodation.

Eleisha Skinner, 21, who was crowned Miss Faversham in 2022, was studying at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe when the tragedy unfolded.

She was moving her belongings from her car when it rolled backwards and pinned her against the wall of the university accommodation building. 

Her family said Eleisha was able to dial 999 while trapped and the emergency services were there within minutes. 

However, despite desperate efforts by her housemates and medical staff, she died in hospital days later on January 8.

It has been confirmed that the Buckinghamshire New University student will be posthumously awarded a BSc with honours in social work.

The 21-year-old was hugely popular in her hometown, and on Friday her family and scores of well-wishers gathered for a celebration of her life at St Mary of Charity Church. 

More than 200 people turned out to pay their respects at the funeral of the ‘beautiful, kind and selfless’ former carnival queen.

Her coffin was carried by horse and carriage past her old school, The Abbey, before making its way along East Street and up to the church.

It was a traditional ceremony, though mourners were invited to wear pink ties as a nod to Eleisha’s favourite colour.

The funeral heard tributes from her family, best friends and former teachers.

Reading on behalf of the Skinners, Rev Corcoran reflected on her love for Christmas, fashion and her family.

‘Stunning, confident and always beautifully herself,’ he said. 

‘Eleisha was the kind of person who made the world greater, just by being in it. Her impact was immense.

‘We will carry with us always our beautiful Eleisha, forever loved.’

Her older brother Kian reminisced about the last time the siblings spent one-on-one time together and their special bond, which went back to their childhoods.

‘I stand here today as a proud brother, who witnessed Eleisha develop into a brilliant woman,’ he said.

‘There will never be a person who can replace my little sister. God bless her, I will always love you, little sis.’

Eleisha’s grandfather, George, said: ‘We had the privilege of knowing you as a child, watching you grow up, supporting you, celebrating who you’ve become, and loving you unconditionally.

‘Eleisha cared fiercely, fiercely about the people she loved, family matters, friends matter, and love matters.

‘We will always be there for your mum and dad. Family was everything to you, and you mean everything to us.

‘Full of energy and mischief and joy. A presence that made everything brighter.’

Mother Clare Skinner has expressed her gratitude ‘for all the support, kind words and donations from people that knew and did not know Eleisha’.

A GoFundMe has been launched in Eleisha’s name for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance team, which the family say was ‘fantastic’. 

The helicopter emergency medical service paramedic attended in a critical care car and escorted her to the hospital.

In a tribute published after her death, her heartbroken parents, Nigel and Clare Skinner, said: ‘We are utterly devastated by the sudden loss of our precious girl. 

‘Writing these words feels unimaginable, yet we want the world to know who she truly was: a kind, selfless, passionate young woman who always put others before herself.

‘Nothing was ever too much for Eleisha. She had a heart of gold and a smile that could light up any room.’

A star pupil with a passion for learning, Eleisha thrived at school in Faversham, attending St Mary’s Primary School and later The Abbey.

She flourished academically and socially and was always eager to get involved – whether organising the school prom or fundraising for the Faversham Fire Brigade.

Despite her outgoing nature, her family were surprised when she decided to put herself forward for Miss Faversham in 2022.

Demonstrating her beauty both inside and out, Eleisha was crowned and went on to represent the town at events across the county.

She embraced the role with pride, raising money for local charities and Faversham Carnival Club, and loved attending dances and events where she formed lifelong friendships. 

She was later voted Miss Congeniality by the courts at the Miss Kent Dinner, which her family described as a ‘true reflection of her kind spirit’.

‘Eleisha was so proud of her court, and they placed at many events. The carnival community became like a second family to us,’ they said.

‘Her love for her town and her genuine personality shone through,’ said the Skinners.

An inquest into her death was opened this week at Beaconsfield Coroners Court and heard how the parked car had pushed her up against the university accommodation building.

A full inquest into Eleisha’s death will be held at the same venue on June 23.

By KATELYN CARALLE, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 15:13 EST, 6 February 2026 | Updated: 01:26 EST, 7 February 2026

When is the best time to visit Skipton, ‘Gateway to the Dales’ and England’s newly crowned epicentre of national happiness?

Perhaps on a bright summer’s day, with the narrow boats gleaming on the Leeds and Liverpool canal and otters bobbing.

Or on Sheep Day, in June, when the roads are closed, the town is ovine crazy and a chap called Julian Kaye makes a special Sheeptown gin – ‘We use water from the canal and chuck in a few botanicals’.

Or perhaps during the big Christmas lights switch on and Santa Run, when around a sixth of the town’s 15,500 population dress up in full Father Christmas outfits and run through the cobbled streets.

But instead, I visit on a cold, grey, wet week in February. Café windows are dripping with condensation and the market stalls – selling everything from cauliflowers to scones the size of your head and dog beds – are battened down against the drizzle. Flat caps are pulled down, hard. 

But George the fishmonger, who has been up since 1am and is now serving from his van, is roaring cheery greetings.

‘Good morning, Brian! Ow are you? Morning, Mary! Ow’s your mum? This is Rebecca, her parents are the local undertakers!’ he says, waving around a pink langoustine.

‘I’ve been doing this for 38 years, so I know ‘em all and they’re all lovely, lovely people. The very best. Of course they’re happy. They live here!’ 

And through the drizzle, he tells me how much he loves his job, how he used to work with his wife, until she fell one New Year’s Eve and broke her shoulder and now he works with his son-in-law Nikky – and that while they bicker gently, it’s better than it was working with his wife.

He tells me how 80 per cent of his fish comes from the Shetlands, via his cousin, who also supplies Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City football squad, because Pep doesn’t like farmed fish.

Donald Ripley, nearly 92 and out buying teacakes to share with his ‘darling wife Kathleen’, is equally perky. 

‘What’s good about Skipton? Everything! I’ve lived here all my life. Never wanted to live anywhere else – why would I?’ he says.

‘It’s the people. It’s always the people – though, like anywhere, you always get one or two baddies. And sometimes you get free beer at the Working Men’s Club, so that’s quite a bonus. So yes, I’m happy.’

So is Julian Kaye, of Sheeptown gin fame, who runs the brilliant Wright Wine and Whisky Co.

Julian tells me how he was one of the original sponsors of the Calendar Girls, members of the nearby Rylstone Women’s Institute group who, in 1999, famously stripped naked for charity with carefully placed spider plants and buns, and were later immortalised in a film starring Helen Mirren, Julie Walters and Celia Imrie. 

‘Ros, who ran a dress shop from what is now our whisky room, was Miss November!’ he says.

And Jem Darling, 22, who works in the Black Horse pub on the High Street, tells me they’ve been flat out today with a funeral.

‘Never seen so many people go through so much food. They were really going for it. Very jolly crowd. They had a great time.’

Gosh. It feels a bit like a parallel universe. 

And it is easy to see why the recent survey by property website Rightmove saw the pretty town of Skipton in North Yorkshire pipping the London boroughs of Richmond-upon-Thames and Camden, as well as Woodbridge in Suffolk and nearby arch happiness rivals, Harrogate.

‘We’ve come second to Harrogate before,’ says Joe Langley, of Hardisty estate agents. ‘But they’re different – flashier, more obvious money. There are a lot of full pockets here, but we don’t walk about in Gucci loafers.

‘This is proper Yorkshire, so you’ll always find someone to stand with and talk.’ 

Which is important, because the glory was not just for happiness and access to nature and green spaces – revealed this week in another survey as the key things families look for – but also the friendliness of the residents and access to essential services, such as schools and transport.

Skipton boasts a few rather less essential things, too.

These include the 900-year-old castle off the High Street, one of the best preserved medieval castles in the country. 

For centuries it was the seat of the Clifford family but since the 1950s has been home to the Fattorini family – Italian jewellers who, I am told proudly by at least five locals, made the original FA Cup trophy.

And there’s the teeny but exquisite museum – which was shortlisted in a national museum contest alongside the National Portrait Gallery and the Young V&A – which has a priceless Shakespeare first folio on display that was discovered in a backroom cupboard under a sink only a few years ago.

As Jenny in Kutters hair salon puts it: ‘Nowhere’s perfect, is it? But there’s a lot to go at here. And at least people are friendly.’

She’s right. Stand in the street looking lost and people will come running to help.

Pop into one of the town’s 50-odd (yes, really) pubs and restaurants on your own, and you’ll be surrounded by friendly faces in minutes, sharing stories about how world famous pie makers Stanforth’s lost their crown to rivals Farmhouse Fare (apparently there was a fallout when the business was sold and the seller took the recipe with him).

Or how tickets for the annual ferret race extravaganza (next Wednesday evening, in nearby Appletreewick) sell out in one minute flat – ‘It’s like Glastonbury!’ – and that some furry runners are perked with a little tot of whisky.

And, in Donald’s case, about the shocking thing that’s happened to teacakes these days.

‘They used to be twice the size. They’re going to be scones before we know it!’ he cries.

But most of all today, everyone’s discussing happiness. What it means. Why it matters.

‘You don’t have to be jumping about saying, I’m happy, I’m happy, clapping your hands,’ says Debbie Brooksbank behind the bar in the Boat House. ‘It’s about being content.’

‘It’s not about having money or cars or stuff,’ says Peter Lockwood, of boat hire company Pennine Cruisers. ‘Not for us.’

The town’s lovely mayor, Councillor Winston Feather, puts it differently: ‘I’m not always the happiest person, but I’m so, so grateful to live here.’

And there’s a lot to be grateful for.

Skipton has good schools – two grammars and an academy that has recently been turned around – sports teams, a lovely leisure centre, walking groups, book groups, bridge clubs, a market four days a week, an actual bank and post office (albeit in a branch of Subway), theatre and a cinema, where I’m told several times that the premiere of Calendar Girls took place the day before the one in Leicester Square.

Crime figures are also relatively low – a good thing given the police station is open for only four hours a day and officers have to schlep over from Harrogate. There aren’t even holding cells here any more.

So, every once in a while, the head honcho of North Yorkshire Police (who lives in Skipton), puts on his full regalia – ‘stars and stripes and everything’ – and walks through town. 

Just to show a police presence . . . on his day off. But before we think we’re in an episode of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small which, naturally, was filmed nearby (‘Our good friend Andy the vet is the consultant hand that goes up the cow’s backside’ says Julian), it is important to remember that of course not everyone here is happy.

How could they be? There are always people having a bad time thanks to illness, grief, depression, poverty and loneliness.

Certainly, Jodie a hairdresser with pink-rinsed hair, seems to loathe it. ‘It’s not a happy place,’ she insists, crossly. 

‘My customers are always moaning – about everything from the world to the weather to the fact we have put our prices up from five pounds a cut to six – after five years!’

And Claire, 54, points out, quite rightly, that behind ‘all that bloody happiness’, the local food bank is in hot demand.

Another woman who doesn’t want to be named, whispers about a stabbing and even a murder, ‘only a few years back’. 

Also, while Skipton Building Society head office employs 900 people and there are good transport links to Leeds and Bradford, access to decent jobs is not as good as it could be, house prices are much higher than in any of the surrounding villages and so the young struggle a bit.

‘There’s a dark side to Skipton, like there is everywhere,’ says Debbie in the Boat House Bar. ‘A lot of youths smashing about in the bus station. I think there was even a glassing. They’re bored. No youth clubs. Not enough for them to do, like anywhere else.’

So I head to the bus station where today, happily, no one is smashing it up, and get chatting to Charlie who is 16 and studying business and waiting for a bus with his mates.

‘It’s all right here, I s’pose. There’s cafés and a cinema and somewhere to play football,’ he says. ‘But it’s quite boring. It can’t be the happiest place, surely? There’s got to be happier places than this!’

Okay, so, given a magic wand, what would he do? ‘Make the weather better,’ he says, without hesitation. ‘Or move to Monaco. Which sounds much nicer.’

Matt, meanwhile, who works in Bek’s Electrical shop and has lived here since his missus threw him out of their home in Castle Hill, is not a huge fan.

‘I wouldn’t die if I didn’t live here. My customers are a merry bunch, but prices are always rising. People keep going on about how bloody happy it is – but it’s all about visitors.’

Those visitors arrive by the coachload from spring onwards. But of course, they also bring their wallets, which is a good thing because there are a few empty shops dotted around.

And in the beautiful Holy Trinity Church, perched at the top of the High Street and dating back to the 12th century, the heating hasn’t worked for three years and the congregation have been cuddled up with hot water bottles and blankets.

Even the famous narrowboats have had a time of it, what with all the canals drying up. 

But now the hire companies have ditched holiday rentals and switched to day trips, with shiny boats called Bill and Ben, Jack and Jill and Wallace And Gromit.

‘It’s the end of an era,’ says Peter Lockwood. ‘But you’ve just got to get on with it, ‘aven’t you.’ 

Happily, the endless pubs, microbreweries and clubs are thriving – two more opened just this week.

Just don’t call it Little Ibiza, as some newspapers did last year when reports of the great nightlife here hit the Press.

‘We didn’t love that – that wasn’t really our thing,’ says Gerry, 54, eating a (Farmhouse Fare) pie on the bridge with her dog. 

‘We’re more about the chat here, really. We love to chat, about anything.’

Indeed. In the Castle Inn, Alison, 62, tells me that half the town is haunted – including my lovely hotel, The Woolly Sheep Inn. 

She insists there are secret tunnels, big enough for horses, running under the High Street and that she was at school with one of the Yorkshire Ripper’s early victims, who was three years older than her. 

‘Ooh, it was terrible. We weren’t allowed to walk around the town at all.’

Skipton is an extraordinary place. Not perfect, of course not. But it is warm, straightforward and so, so friendly – partly because people actually look at you rather than at their mobile phones as they walk about.

But the highlight is surely Skipton Sound Bar, a live music venue near the bus station with a special oldies afternoon on Wednesdays which, by 2.15pm, is rammed and booming with Northern Soul music.

‘You have to get here by two to get a seat,’ shouts Doreen, 84, looking gorgeous in a sparkly top and with a perfect blow dry.

‘My friend Joan’s coming on the bus from Ilkley Road and we usually stay till about nine and then go to a speakeasy round the corner afterwards, then a taxi home just to be safe!

‘Come and dance,’ she cries, and as she boogies off to groove with her pal Justine, it is impossible not to join in.

So, finally, what advice would they give to perk up the rest of us?

For Doreen, it’s: ‘Life’s too short to moan about the weather. Mind your own business, get out and enjoy yourself, have some fun.’

George the fishmonger says: ‘Just be content with what you’ve got. If you’ve got £100, don’t spend £110.’

But I think my favourite comes from Julian, who puts it like this: ‘I always say to my kids, “Your word’s your word and be nice”. If everyone lived by that, there wouldn’t be so much strife in the world, would there? Just be nice, it don’t take much.’

Former PM David Cameron has won a six-year battle for a swimming pool after neighbours accused him of creating a ‘tacky Benidorm’ resort in his garden.

The Tory politician, now a member of the House of Lords, first submitted plans back in 2020 so he could take a dip in the garden of his sprawling Cotswolds home.

Lord Cameron withdrew the original scheme after neighbours feared the posh village could be turned into a holiday resort ‘like Benidorm’, but revived the bid in December last year.

Despite one neighbour again complaining of the potential for ‘rowdy’ pool parties, planners approved the scheme yesterday.

Council officials said they considered the neighbour’s concerns but could not ‘assume unreasonable behaviour’ under planning laws.

Lord and Lady Cameron are part of what was once known as the ‘Chipping Norton set’, featuring the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, Elisabeth Murdoch, and Rebekah Brooks, who all live in or around the town.

They originally bought the detached family home in 2001 for £788,000. According to Rightmove, the home is currently worth up to £1.8million.

Locals feared the addition of a pool to his cottage in the Oxfordshire village, could mean more extravagant parties being hosted there.

Planning official Emile Baldauf-Clark said in the decision notice: ‘One third party objection comment has been received, raising concerns that the proposed swimming pool is unnecessary in a quiet rural village and would lead to unacceptable noise and disturbance from potential pool parties, impacting neighbours’ ability to enjoy their gardens peacefully.

‘The objector also expresses a general concern regarding neighbourliness and the potential for increased disruption arising from the development.’

But Ms Baldauf-Clark said the amended scheme was acceptable and added: ‘While the introduction of a swimming pool may lead to a marginal increase in activity within the garden, the pool is positioned a substantial distance from neighbouring dwellings and is contained within a large semi-rural/residential plot.

‘Given this level of separation, the presence of established landscaping, and the domestic nature of the proposal, any additional noise is expected to be low level, infrequent and typical of an established residential use. It would not be at a level that would materially harm the quiet enjoyment of neighbouring properties.

‘The concerns raised regarding potential noise from gatherings have been considered, however the planning system cannot assume unreasonable behaviour.

‘The proposal does not introduce an intensity of use that would be expected to cause demonstrable harm to residential amenity.’

Cameron’s new pool will measure 13.7 x 4 metres with a depth of 1.6 metres. The application also included two extensions to the home that were also passed.

In a previous complaint over Cameron’s pool plans to West Oxfordshire District Council back in 2020, one neighbour said: ‘As a local I feel I must object to this plan.

‘Swimming pools are totally out of keeping with the local area.

‘This plan will cause noise from machinery to heat and filter the pool, light pollution, and most importantly, noise pollution from rowdy pool parties going on into the night.

‘Why can’t people just enjoy the character and charm of the Cotswolds without trying to turn their gardens into some kind of tacky Benidorm resort?’

But in a design and access statement to support the latest plan, Cameron’s representatives wrote: ‘Reflecting on the 2020 proposal, the design and siting has been carefully considered so that the pool is part and parcel of the house and its gardens, thereby not encroaching into the wider landscape.

‘The swimming pool is a minimalist and functional design. It will have a small stone surround but otherwise the surrounding lawn will remain unchanged. 

‘The nature of a swimming pool is that it is embedded into the ground; therefore, there will be no physical or appreciable presence of the swimming pool from outside of the property curtilage.

‘The only minor visible change will be the provision of a small retaining wall and steps which would be wholly in keeping with the existing retaining wall closer to the dwelling.

‘Beyond the immediate surrounds of the pool, the garden is enclosed/screened by tree belts and existing hedgerows.

‘The premise behind the proposals is simply that the applicants wish to enhance the enjoyment of the dwelling of their home, undertaking the works in a sensitive and minimalist manner. 

‘The intention is to provide a provide a swimming pool whilst respecting the local area and character and also their neighbours’ privacy and amenity

‘For the reasons set out above we consider that the proposed extension and swimming pool have been carefully considered and designed to respect the constraints of the site.

‘They would provide owners of the property with the additional space and facilities they require whilst preserving the historic value of the site and not harming the National Landscape or amenity of neighbours.’

The council approved applications for a 1.5 storey extension and a single storey side extension.

Many fathers in their 40s take to setting up a sanctuary, or ‘man cave’, in the house – and it seems that royalty is no different, as yesterday Prince Harry offered an insight into his personal office nook.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Meghan Markle shared a clip of herself gifting her husband one of her As Ever chocolate bars before Valentine’s Day – and offered fans a glimpse of his custom set-up.

A beaming Prince Harry sat at a desk with a laptop balanced on a stack of books, while behind him sat a framed image of two pandas, a model helicopter and a partially-concealed poster where just the word ‘Papa’ was visible.

There was also huge, ornate candles, various pieces of artwork and a diffuser – while military badges, framed and protected in glass, featured prominently.

And at Harry’s feet was a very helpful office worker – the couple’s beagle, Mia, who was lounging around on a dog bed.

Read on to explore the selection of customised decorations and trinkets on show in the Duke’s personal hub…

1. Painting of two pandas

Amid the helicopter and badges, eagle-eyed onlookers may have spotted an image of two pandas surrounded by a dark oval frame on Harry’s white cabinet.

While it is perhaps hard to decipher the specific meaning behind the panda painting, it may hold links to Harry’s appearance on the popular US talk show Jimmy Fallon in September 2024.

The episode of the Tonight Show saw the prince walk through a ‘haunted maze’ with the host as part of his Halloween experience.

At one stage, the prince screamed and swore when he mistook a woman with white makeup and black rings around her eyes for a panda.

The woman, equipped with a knife, said ‘hello’ to the Duke before revealing he was actually staring at a reflection of her as she ran around the corner attempting to thrust the knife towards him.

In response, Prince Harry let out a mighty scream and swore, before Fallon chimed in and mocked him, saying: ‘You’re afraid of pandas,’ to which the Duke replied, ‘No! I’m not, I’m not.’

Perhaps the panda portrait was a humorous gift from Fallon to remind his royal guest of that terrifying moment or, rather, Meghan’s lighthearted way of poking fun at her skittish husband.

2. Model helicopter

It’s no secret that the prince is a firm fan of flying, with Harry first awarded his helicopter wings in 2010 before later going on to serve in the Army as an Apache helicopter pilot.

During his 2012 tour of Afghanistan, Harry helped provide helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces operating throughout Helmand province.

It therefore seems fitting that his man cave also features a mini helicopter replica.

The Prince previously described how his military career ‘saved him’ after the death of Princess Diana, by helping him ‘turn his pain into purpose’.

During an interview with US host Anderson Cooper in early 2024, Harry said he was a ‘really good candidate for the military’ because he was a ‘young man in his 20s’ who was ‘suffering from shock’.

He continued: ‘But then I was in the front seat of an Apache shooting it, flying it, monitoring four radios simultaneously, and being there to save and help anybody that was on the ground with a radio screaming, “We need support, we need air support.” That was my calling. I felt healing from that weirdly.’

3. Ergonomic office chair and footstool

As Harry joyfully received his chocolate gift from Meghan, the prince appeared to be sat in a grey ergonomic office chair fit with a footstool for extra comfort.

The sophisticated chair, which also features arm rests on both sides, will likely have been a deliberate choice by the prince to help mitigate any chance of back pain, particularly given his previous history of injury.

In May 2015, Harry suffered from a back injury after he fell from his horse during a polo game which required urgent treatment on the pitch.

While Harry was determined to continue playing, he was later seen holding his lower back in agony and stretching in a bid to ease the pain following the injury.

The prince, who is an avid fan of polo, has also been pictured falling of a horse on numerous other occasions, leaving many royal fans worried that he may suffer long-term damage to his back.

4. ‘Papa’ poster

Like many proud fathers, Prince Harry’s love for his children was also made clear in his décor choices- with a heartwarming print with the word ‘PAPA’ on the front spotted on the partially concealed display in the background.

It’s possible the father-of-two may have been gifted the sweet print by his wife, on behalf of their children Prince Archie, six, or Princess Lilibet, four – and clearly highlights their close bond as a family.

Before the birth of his first child in May 2019, Harry had long spoken publicly about his desire to be a father and how becoming a ‘fun’ uncle to his brother, Prince William’s children had made him yearn for a family of his own.

When Harry was asked what he loves most about fatherhood during an interview in 2022, his heartwarming response was clear.

‘All of it’, he told NBC’s Hoda Kotb.

Beaming, the Duke added: ‘I love it. I love every part of it. I’ve always wanted to be a dad,’ he said. ‘I’ve always wanted to have my own kids and now I have got two little people who I’m responsible for.’

5. Miscellaneous artwork

Against the more personalised pieces, a number of miscellaneous displays of artwork can also be seen on proud display in Harry’s ‘man cave’ – including a blue image with a golden frame and a red floral card.

It’s no secret that the prince is an avid fan of artwork, having famously gifted Meghan with a romantic painting titled Everybody Needs Somebody To Love by British artist Van Donna in 2016.

The extravagant piece, estimated to cost in the thousands, is made up of a black stencil image of a boy and a girl and was purchased by the prince at London’s Walton Fine Arts Gallery.

According to reports by People, the prince had told a local collector that he was looking for a gift for an ‘important person’.

6. Harry’s military badges

On proud display on the prince’s large cabinet are a collection of Ukrainian Armed Forces unit badges and chevrons – a fond tribute to his support for the war-torn nation in their fight against Russia.

The badges were a special gift to the prince from members of Team Ukraine during the Invictus Games in Vancouver in February 2025.

The multitude of badges on display include the Marine Corps, Air Assault Forces, the third Assault Brigade, the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, the National Police Assault Brigade, alongside several others.

A Ukrainian National Guard ‘Rubizh’ Brigade badge was also visible in the background of Meghan’s video which holds particular poignance for the prince.

During the February 2025 Invictus Games, the prince wore the patch of the Ukrainian National Guard’s 4th ‘Rubizh’ Brigade on his jacket – a clear signal of his solidarity with the country.

The prince has previously been incredibly vocal about his support for the war-torn nation and in September declared that he would do ‘everything possible’ to help Ukrainian soldiers and injured service personnel during a surprise trip to Kyiv.

7. White furniture

Keeping to the theme of their airy, cosy Montecito home, the Duke of Sussex looks to have kept on theme with white storage drawers in the background of his little nook – featuring a granite-style shelf to display the miscellaneous framed memorabilia. 

8. Dark brown desk

To contrast the all-white and cream furnishings, the Prince opted for a dark brown, wooden desk – which stands out in the otherwise lightened space.

9. Mia the beagle

While the prince may have been hard at work in his man cave, he was certainly not alone – his beloved rescue beagle Mamma Mia was curled up underneath his desk.

Harry and Meghan rescued 10-year-old Mia from an animal testing centre in Virginia in 2022, with the adorable pooch an integral member of the Sussexes family – even appearing as part of their 2024 festive greetings card.

And in a rather cute twist, Mia was spotted in the video fast asleep in the same wooden dog bed which belonged to Harry and Meghan’s former beagle, Guy, who sadly died in early 2025.

Meghan adopted Guy when she was living in Toronto and working as an actress. She brought him to the UK when she married Harry in 2018.

The sweet pup was spotted chewing on a dog biscuit in the rustic bed which now lives in Harry’s man cave during a trailer for the Duchess’s Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, in January 2025.

10. His wife’s chocolate

The centrepiece of the clip, of course, was Meghan’s As Ever chocolate.

The Duke of Sussex had a grin ear-to-ear as his wife sauntered over with a box of the treats, which she first released last year. 

In the video, Meghan approached Harry and handed over the chocolate – to which the Prince said ‘Oh’ before turning his response into an ‘Oooh’ and picking out a bar.

A beaming Harry looked at the camera – holding up the bar – and said ‘yes please’ before proceeding to hand back the box. 

He then said ‘love you’, with a cheeky smile still on his face.

The bars of chocolate – which sold out within minutes following their initial release – use Meghan’s ‘signature ingredients’ from her As Ever brand such as raspberry spread and flower sprinkles, to ‘spark a little sweet nostalgia’.

Festive flavours on offer include dark chocolate with raspberry spread and sea salt, white chocolate topped with flower sprinkles and hemp hearts and milk chocolate with shortbread cookies and bee pollen.

For the project, Meghan linked up with renowned chocolatier Jonathan Grahm of Compartés to create ‘the most coveted set of the season’ – marketing at $12 a pop.

11. Candles

As Meghan panned away from her husband, she showed more décor on Harry’s desk – which included two huge candles, in equally sizeable candle-holders which appear to be made of wood. 

One was darker in tone while a second, made of bleached wood, was also shown in the video. 

His wife Meghan also sells candles in her As Ever range – so it’s no surprise they’re a welcome addition around the house.

12. Diffuser

Adding to the candles, a diffuser also sat on Prince Harry’s desk.

The scented reeds were placed inside a dark grey, artisanal holder which complemented the dark shade of Harry’s desk, in contrast to the all-white furniture around. 

By KARLEIGH SMITH and CAMERON CARPENTER, DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA

Published: 21:24 EST, 5 February 2026 | Updated: 00:13 EST, 6 February 2026

Brooklyn Beckham displayed his covered up tattoo tribute to his father Sir David during an outing in Los Angeles with his wife Nicola Peltz on Wednesday.

Last month the estranged son of Sir David, 50, and Victoria, 51, released a scathing statement where he publicly said he did not wish to reconcile with his family.

Brooklyn, 26, has now delivered another crushing blow to his father by altering his tattoo tribute to him.

The hot sauce owner’s large anchor tattoo that he has inked onto his upper right arm once carried the words ‘dad’ through it.

Directly underneath is the message ‘Love you Bust’ – Sir David’s endearing nickname for his first born.

However, on his outing with Nicola, Brooklyn’s tattoo had been altered with the original ‘dad’ altered to nondescript shapes and a star.

His dad’s nickname text is also faded and less prominent.

It also appears that Brooklyn has begun to remove his tattoo tributes to his siblings Romeo and Cruz, after having them added to his fingers in 2020.

During the outing, a thick line could be seen where Romeo’s name used to be on Brooklyn’s ring finger.

Brooklyn cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt and blue jeans as he held hands with his wife who was dressed in jeans and a cream crop top. 

Just a day previous, Sir David’s ‘Buster’ neck tattoo he had done in 2015 to honour his son was visible during his visit to Doha.

Last year, Brooklyn had his ‘mama’s boy’ chest tattoo tribute for his Spice Girl mother Victoria covered up.

Nicola’s billionaire father Nelson spoke about the family drama when he did a Q and A at WSJD’s Invest Live in West Palm Beach event on Tuesday. ⁠

Nelson said: ‘My daughter and the Beckhams are a whole other story and that’s not for coverage here today. But I’ll tell you my daughter is great, my son-in-law Brooklyn is great and I look forward to them having a long, happy marriage together.’

Nelson was also asked if he gave the couple advice in how to navigate a difficult situation. He replied: ‘I do. Sometimes they give me advice.’ 

Nicola’s father’s wealth eclipses that of his co-parents-in-law, with the businessman boasting a net worth of $1.6billion, in comparison to the Beckhams’ $680million. 

The Beckhams have maintained a stoic silence since Brooklyn released a damning statement in which he outlined his reasons for cutting ties with his family. 

Brooklyn’s parents and his siblings Romeo, 23, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14, instead put on their own show of unity at Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris. 

As the Beckham family were in France, Brooklyn and Nicola splashed out on dinner and wine at Meghan and Harry’s favourite California hotel.

The young couple were pictured kissing at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito. 

San Ysidro Ranch is just around the corner from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have also spent nights there.

There was a bottle of red open on the table and Brooklyn shared some pictures from the wine cellar, including one of the world’s finest, and most expensive dessert wines, worth £17,000 a bottle.

It is not known if the Peltz Beckhams bought the 1831 Château d’Yquem or the 1811 vintage next to it, which last sold at auction in 2012 for around £75,000.

Although if reports of Nicola’s £1million-a-month allowance from her billionaire father are to be believed, they could no doubt afford both.

Whatever they drank, the couple put on a show of unity – and romance – with a set of Instagram photos of their stay at San Ysidro, which can cost up to $2,595 a night.

In his statement, Brooklyn went as far as to say he has been ‘controlled by a family that values public promotion above all else’ and that since being with his wife Nicola, he has found ‘peace and relief’ after battling crippling anxiety.

He wrote: ‘I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private.

‘Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.

‘I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.

‘For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family.

‘The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.

‘Recently, I have seen with my own eyes the lengths that they’ll go through to place countless lies in the media, mostly at the expense of innocent people, to preserve their own facade. But I believe the truth always comes out.’

He continued: ‘My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn’t stopped.

‘My mum cancelled making Nicola’s dress in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress.

‘Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future children. 

‘They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated.

‘My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since.’

While his parents are said to be ‘devastated’ by his comments, a source close to them said they would ‘welcome Brooklyn back into the fold’ should he wish to reconcile in the future. 

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 09:13 EST, 5 February 2026 | Updated: 09:48 EST, 5 February 2026

Newly single Millie Mackintosh broke cover on Thursday following her split from husband of seven years Hugo Taylor. 

The former Made In Chelsea stars, who share daughters Sienna, five, and Aurelia, four, confirmed their separation in January following what has been described as a ‘difficult’ start to the year. 

Venturing out in London, Millie, 36, looked downcast and concealed her wedding ring finger, after taking it off in previous days. 

She stepped out of her home alone minutes before Hugo left with one of their children this morning. 

Millie sheltered from the rain with an umbrella as she headed out in a white padded jacket, black leggings and Nike trainers. 

It’s understood that the couple have shared a series of discussions about their future. It’s also been claimed that Hugo has struggled with the star’s admissions about her sexuality. 

Millie’s outing comes two days after the couple quietly separated following a difficult start to the year.

She has recently shared a number of cryptic Instagram posts focusing on herself and explaining how she was prioritising her boundaries. 

The star also headed to India last week on a solo wellness retreat designed to ‘heal’ the nervous system. 

At the beginning of the year Millie hopped on the ‘What are you leaving behind in 2025?’ trend. 

Among a selection of snaps of herself she penned she would be leaving behind ‘relationships that cost me’ and ‘over-explaining my boundaries’. 

In now what appears to be a cryptic message she also added ‘not trusting my intuition,’ ‘guilt for choosing myself’ and ‘letting fear hold me back’ to her list. She concluded that 2026 would be the year of ‘calm, clarity and self-trust’. 

In another pointed post she wished her followers a happy new year as she gushed that she was ready to be ‘my own cheerleader’. 

In a lengthy caption she penned: ‘Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, I wanted to share some of the intentions I’m hoping to bring into 2026:

‘*Protecting my nervous system like it matters (because it does). *Saying no sooner. Saying yes more slowly. *Choosing consistency over intensity. *Building more of a connection with my audience . *Trusting myself without asking for permission. *Listening to my body, not overriding it.

Sadly, it seems like Millie and Hugo have been battling problems as a couple for a while. 

The TV star revealed Hugo threatened to divorce her three years ago during her battle with alcohol after a public row at a wedding.

While appearing on This Morning to promote her book – Bad Drunk – in January 2025 she spoke about the moment she decided to quit drinking.

She said: ‘It was making me really unhappy, it was really affecting my life, affecting my relationships, especially with my husband.’

Host Ben Shephard read out a quote Millie had previously made about an argument she and Hugo had at a friend’s wedding: ‘If you don’t stop drinking it’s going to end our marriage.’ 

Millie added: ‘It had got to the point where I had taken it too far and I’d really humiliated him. I was so embarrassed, and it was a couple of days after that when I got to the point where I said “enough is enough,” and that was two and a half years ago.’ 

She also admitted she used to ‘drunkenly snog girls’ at the height of her battle with alcohol. 

Having made the decision to go sober in 2022, Milie is said to have found being fully open ‘a lot to deal with,’ and insiders are now claiming that realising her sexuality led to a widening ‘gap’ in her marriage. 

They added to The Sun: ‘Part of her is always wondering if she missed out on a relationship with a woman and what that could have been like.’ 

Last year, in an interview on her pal Caggie Dunlop’s Saturn Returns Podcast Millie spoke openly about her drinking problems before going sober in 2022, and has since released a book about her struggles, titled Bad Drunk.

The TV personality revealed that during her teenage years, she struggled to express her attraction to women, and would only find the courage to ‘kiss’ them when she was drunk.

She went onto admit that she had developed ‘intimacy issues’ with women after being bullied at an all-girls’ school, and would upset her male partners by brazenly kissing girls when she was drinking.

Millie said: ‘As a teen when I would drink, I would make out with women, but that’s not something I felt confident to do when I was sober…

‘I had crushes on girls at school and I just didn’t have the awareness to go “I like girls as well”. I’d just have crushes and get all weird about them. I remember having sleepovers and going “I wonder if they’re going to kiss me”.’ 

Millie added that a lot of her struggles have been unpacked in therapy, telling Caggie: ‘I’ve explored a lot of my relationship to women, I was bullied so I definitely have intimacy issues with women, but there’s this attraction as well.’

She continued: ‘Obviously I’m married to a man, it’s not something that affects our relationship at all now, but looking back and realising that was one of the reasons I drank in a destructive way, because there was a part of myself I didn’t understand and I didn’t know how to express it and I felt scared to express it.

‘Every time I would drink I would just keep doing it, even if I was in a relationship.’

Sharing the moment she opened up to husband Hugo Taylor about her sexuality, she revealed that he was incredibly supportive. 

Sources close to the pair say they remain committed to co-parenting their young children, who continue to be their priority, and to maintaining a loving family life.

Millie and Hugo, who met as teenagers and first dated during E4’s Made In Chelsea, had been married since June 2018.

A source revealed: ‘Millie and Hugo are currently going through a separation and have sadly decided to split. 

‘They have known each other for many years, and in recent weeks, have had serious conversations about their future, ultimately deciding it’s better for them both to part ways. Their main priority remains their children and family life, and separating is not something they ever hoped would happen.

‘At present, they are considering what living apart might look like and how they plan to navigate co-parenting their young children. It’s been an incredibly difficult start to the year, and one they hope to continue managing in private.’ 

Millie first met Hugo as a teenager, and they began dating when she was 21, rising to fame together on the E4 reality series.

In 2013, the heiress married rapper Professor Green, 42, but the couple divorced in 2016, the same year she rekindled her relationship with Hugo.

The pair tied the knot two years later and welcomed their first daughter, Sienna, in 2020, followed by Aurelia in 2021.

In recent years, Millie has been open with her fans about her past struggles with alcohol, which led her to become teetotal and write the book Bad Drunk, as well as her journey in overcoming severe anxiety. 

Millie has spoken candidly about how she began binge drinking at a young age while at boarding school, using alcohol to cope with being away from home, bullying and her own insecurities.

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I love John Lewis. You love John Lewis. We all love John Lewis. It’s a national institution which we take so much for granted that we’d only truly miss it if it was gone.

It’s also a bellwether. When everything is right with John Lewis, everything is right with the world.

It’s not, of course, but for a certain type of woman – possibly midlife, possibly a parent, definitely time-pressed – a trip to John Lewis can make life feel more manageable.

The stores are calm and ordered, the customer service is unparalleled and the returns policy is generous and clear. You don’t go to John Lewis for surprises: you have enough of those already. You go for solutions, be they for your family, your kitchen, your garden or your wardrobe.

Every retailer purports to offer ‘wardrobe solutions’, that holy grail of fashion that ensures you can stumble out of bed, reach into your closet and pluck out a deftly chosen outfit that makes you look instantly better.

On the high street, competition has never been fiercer – not least from arch rival Marks & Spencer, whose womenswear has been enjoying rave reviews in recent seasons

Much as we all love John Lewis, in the battle to win over our wardrobes, it has its work cut out.

So there’s a lot riding on the store’s new Spring/Summer collection that was unveiled on Wednesday. 

As for which weapons the 162-year-old retailer is deploying in its bid for British wardrobe space this spring, the answer is is ‘optimism and colour pops’, according to its design director Queralt Ferrer, gesturing at what she calls ‘an army of mannequins’ wearing sprightly spring hues.

‘I’m not a colour person, as you can see,’ Ferrer tells me, who at the launch is mainly wearing black. ‘But you gravitate to colour, especially in summer. We’ve had so many neutral seasons that having this kind of optimism – beautiful colours like red, dusty yellows and pink – brings a little bit of joy into your wardrobe.’

My eye is first drawn to a smart satin jacket, £350, in the same colour of green as Kiera Knightly’s famous slip dress from the 2007 film Atonement. 

Emerald green has proved to be a perennially popular dress colour ever since, and this is its outerwear equivalent. It’s a clever idea, and comes with matching trousers, £195.

Both are by Amanda Wakeley, one of 14 new labels joining the retailer’s existing 100-strong womenswear brands on offer for spring. A favourite of the Princess of Wales, Wakeley is no slouch at providing elegant wardrobe solutions, and should prove a popular draw.

Of the other 13 other new brands, it’s unlikely that core customers will have heard of many including Martin Margiela’s cult label MM6; the sleek Australian label St Agni; and Mother, the premium denim brand worn by Taylor Swift, Reese Witherspoon and the Duchess of Sussex. But this doesn’t matter: what matters is whether they buy.

I’m interested to know the criteria John Lewis uses when making its selection. Is their customer price-sensitive? At what price do they balk? They also stock Barbour, Ralph Lauren and Maxmara, all of which come with fairly hefty price tags, yet Ferrer says they consistently sell well.

‘We bring in brands that we think our customer will relate to,’ says Ferrer, who was M&S’s womenswear design director between 2013 and 2018, then Massimo Dutti, before joining John Lewis in 2022. ‘But we also want to stretch her a little bit.

The market is saturated with options – what becomes increasingly important is the curation. The hope is that she’ll come in for brands she knows and recognises, but will also discover something new.’

One brand customers will certainly have heard of is Topshop, the beleaguered but well-loved label that ruled British women’s wardrobes throughout the late eighties to the mid 2000s. After going bust in 2021, it was bought by e-tailer Asos, where it has languished online ever since. Not any more. Thanks to John Lewis, Topshop will now be available to buy in all 36 of its stores nationwide.

Which is good news for older or more timid customers who like to try before they buy, a particularly useful factor when it comes to the minefield that is buying jeans.

Denim was always one of Topshops’s strengths, and standouts for spring include its well-loved, much-missed Joni and Jamie jeans, as well as a black faux leather jacket, £80.

Amid the 650 womenswear, menswear and childrenswear brands that make up the retailer’s offer for spring, its in-house labels, John Lewis and And/Or, can get a little overlooked. 

While rival M&S started selling third-party brands such as Joules, Nobody’s Child and Hobbs in 2021, its own brand very much still dominates the shop floor. This is far less the case at John Lewis – which, on the evidence of the new spring collection, is a shame.

Ferrer describes John Lewis’ eponymous brand as ‘casual but sophisticated’, explaining that the design team focused on offering customers a capsule wardrobe of elevated basics. 

The clothes look good, but significantly, they also feel good: a pale pink leather jacket, £299, is pleasingly buttery for the price; a white linen shirt, £109, is reassuringly opaque (never a given with linen), and a pair of wide-leg jeans, £79, feel endearingly comfy.

The design team sources as much fabric as possible from Europe (leather is sourced from Turkey), while most of the manufacturing takes place in Portugal, Spain or France.

At the preview, some of the mannequins are sporting Chanel handbags, like plastic Anna Wintours. These are courtesy of a partnership with pre-loved fashion retailer Sign of the Times, which since 2024 has offered John Lewis customers the chance to pick up a classic Chanel quilt bag alongside their three-pack of knickers – for around half the price of a new one. 

Also on offer are pre-loved totes from Gucci, Mulberry and Louis Vuitton. You can see the appeal for skittish customers who might feel too intimidated to buy a second-hand designer handbag on less trusted platforms. At John Lewis, they know they won’t be duped into buying one that’s overpriced or fake.

Beyond selling competitively priced leather, denim and tailoring (three categories that are doing particularly well, apparently), what John Lewis is really selling is trust.

In an oversaturated retail landscape where women can buy whatever they want whenever they want it, John Lewis’s famous ‘never knowingly undersold’ slogan has never felt more important. Trust is hard to earn, and even harder to keep.

While some items in the new spring collection may prove too expensive or challenging (some of the barrel-leg trousers are a bit too barrel-legged for comfort), no retailer can be all things to all people.

What it can be, however, is a trusted source of well-priced, responsibly-manufactured clothes, by brands both familiar and new. The secret sauce lies in the edit.

That every John Lewis store also offers a personal styling service (for which demand at grew by eight per cent last year) also helps its customers select the best edit to suit their busy lives.

‘The biggest compliment a customer could pay us would be that they got what they wanted, and that they love wearing it,’ says Ferrer. ‘We want them to be confident about wearing what they buy from us, and we want them to come back because they trust us. Trust is so important.’

Loyal customers are the dream. With losses across John Lewis and Waitrose nearly tripling in the first half of 2025 to £88m, fans will be hoping that in 2026, John Lewis is starts delivering again on the fashion front. And this collection is certainly a good star.