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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Globe, May 3

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Prince William and Prince Harry: Showdown at Prince Philip's Funeral

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Alec Baldwin, Kathy Ireland, Conan O'Brien grabs lunch in West Hollywood

Page 3: Meg Ryan, Heather Graham, Jon Voight steps out in Beverly Hills

Page 4: Kris Jenner says her role as momager of the Kardashian clan is like being a fireman because she has to put out so many heated squabbles -- satisfying daughters Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner takes skill and Kourtney is often so fed up she fires her three or four times a day, but Kris believes she's done a good job, saying she's totally dedicated to her brood and spends oodles of time and energy going the extra mile for them

* Jailed Ghislaine Maxwell is raising a stink over federal lawmen's claims she's a prison piggy, saying the institution's busted sewer pipes, not her toilet habits, are responsible for the overwhelming stench in her cell -- lawyers for sex perv Jeffrey Epstein's accused madam and sex trafficker leveled the charge to flush out prosecutors' claims the socialite's cage stinks like a hog's pen because she doesn't flush her toilet -- her lawyer Bobbi Sternheim insists there was a pervasive stench of sewage in Ms. Maxwell's unit, necessitating guards to flush pipes by pouring water down open drains in an effort to trap and disperse gaseous emissions and at times the stench in Ms. Maxwell's isolation cell has been overwhelming due to overflowing of toilets in the cell block above -- as for Ghislaine flushing, she does it often, at the guards' bidding even, though she doesn't use the commode in her cell due to lack of privacy

Page 5: Kelly Clarkson's tacky tales of pooping in trash cans and other crude antics are grossing out her alarmed pals, who fear divorce stress is pushing the talk queen over the edge and while Kelly has loved to shock people, her cringeworthy behavior has gotten worse since filing for divorce from music manager Brandon Blackstock, father of her daughter River and son Remington -- now Kelly has many fearing she's finally flipped after recently telling talk show guest Clint Black on-air she destroyed a poor trash can by pooping in it during a quick backstage concert break and she's constantly making potty jokes and seems to get a rise out of shocking people and even by Kelly's standards, this was a step too far and people are urging her to scale back on the belching, farting and gross anecdotes because they're a turnoff and make her look trashy and her grueling workload and prickly divorce has manifested in this gross behavior where she can't seem to hold her tongue and blurts out whatever she's thinking without consideration for other people -- other stars like Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are thinking twice before inviting her to social events and for talk show rivals like Ellen DeGeneres and Drew Barrymore, it's a dream seeing her push the boundaries of taste and Kelly doesn't have a filter and as long as she's got an audience she's just going to keep on doing it

Page 6: Macaulay Culkin is the daddy of a brand-new baby girl named Dakota, who is named after Macaulay's sister who died at 29 in a 2008 car crash, and she was delivered by Macaulay's lover actress Brenda Song

Page 7: Angelina Jolie has become a stressed-out single mom trying to care for her brood of six during the pandemic lockdown, and the strain is is showing on the 98-pound actress, but the 45-year-old, who shuns hiring a full-time nanny, still wants sole custody of her underage kids Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, and is fighting tooth and nail with ex-husband Brad Pitt to get it; their oldest Maddox Jolie-Pitt is now 19 and considered independent although the university student frequently lives with his mother -- caring for the gang puts a big drain on Angelina's bank account and her custody war with Brad is costing a pretty penny -- Jolie and her children spend most of their time bunkered in a massive 7,500-square-foot Los Feliz mansion that boasts a huge library lined with resource books but the kids need to be separated so they can concentrate on their individual Zoom classes and someone is always hungry or needing help and at the end of the school day, when they are bored, they end up looking for Mom to find them something to do while she is trying to work on her own projects, and like most siblings, the kids fight or argue, and that can test any parent's nerves and Angie is with the kids pretty much 24/7 and it's taking a toll -- there is a glimmer of hope as schools are close to reopening and once the five youngest are back in school for several hours a day it will give Angelina the breaks she needs and hopefully she can hang tight until then

Page 8: Cover Story -- Prince William and Prince Harry bury Prince Philip, but not the ax -- despite their public displays of grief, bitter brothers William and Harry erupted in a raging royal screaming match behind the scenes of their grandfather's Prince Philip's funeral and Princess Diana's sons lashed out, accusing each other of ugly betrayals and destroying the royal family and the princes blamed each other's wives for igniting the family feud and their showdown was explosive and they're refusing to forgive or make peace and any hope Philip's death will end this feud is pie in the sky -- Harry and William were forced to reunite to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's passing and comfort their grandmother Queen Elizabeth, but that doesn't mean they're kissing and making up; far from it because Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have caused so much damage with their TV interview, it will take a lifetime to heal this rift -- sparks began flying almost immediately after Harry landed back in his homeland. He went straight to his former marital home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor to quarantine under COVID rules while William and his wife Duchess Kate Middleton and their three children were holed up at their country home Anmer House in Norfolk, about 100 miles away, but that didn't stop the once-inseparable brothers exploding in fury at each other during a video call finalizing funeral arrangements -- William and Harry knew they'd have to walk together behind the cortege to honor their grandfather, but that was where their reunion ended and while their grieving grandmother and royal relatives mourned the loss of the family patriarch, William and Harry's pent-up anger and frustrations exploded as, on the same side of the Atlantic for the first time in over a year, William blasted Harry and Meghan for bad-mouthing his wife Kate and selfishly trying to destroy the monarchy and he reamed Harry for not visiting their grandfather in his final days and using the funeral as a publicity stunt while Harry retaliated by accusing his brother of throwing him and Meghan under the bus and vowed never to talk to him again -- instead of an expected joint public statement praising their beloved grandfather, they issued separate tributes, which underlined their split as in their statement, William and Kate reminisced about Philip taking their children for horse-drawn carriage rides and they vowed to support the queen in the years ahead and that was a dig at Harry and Meghan, who can't help the queen due to their self-imposed exile to California and it was also a shot because Harry's son Archie has spent no time with his royal relatives since his birth almost two years ago -- Philip's death has only intensified this horrific feud and this war is far from over, and may never be

Page 10: Prince Philip went to his grave regretting he couldn't stop Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle from ripping the royal family in a bombshell TV interview -- The Duke of Edinburgh called the explosive tell-all madness and he had some sympathy for Harry and Meghan's desire to do their own thing, but he thought they were wrong and he hated Harry and Meghan's preoccupation with their own problems and their willingness to talk about them in public; one of his rules was give interviews but don't talk about yourself -- Philip loved Harry and thought him a good man, but he did not believe they were doing the right thing for the country or themselves when they quit royal duties and Philip died worrying the explosive interview permanently damaged the monarchy and he deeply regretted he wasn't able to prevent the scandal

* Outraged Prince Philip shunned his son Prince Andrew's ex-wife Duchess Sarah Ferguson for the last 19 years of his life after she was caught cheating in raunchy photos that went public -- Philip considered Fergie beyond the pale and refused to have anything to do with her and when Sarah was staying at Balmoral Castle with her daughters, her ex-father-in-law would run from a room she'd entered and Fergie said it was ridiculous because as soon as she came through one door, he'd be falling over the corgis to get out of the other and she added it was very funny, except, of course, it wasn't -- the only time they appeared together in public was at Prince Harry's 2018 wedding, 26 years after Fergie was photographed lounging topless while her then lover John Bryan sucked on her toes on the French Riviera; she and Andrew were separated at the time

Page 11: Marie Osmond is getting the last laugh on rival Sharon Osbourne after the big-mouthed Brit, who chased off Marie from The Talk, was booted from the chat show in a racism scandal -- while Marie doesn't wish ill on anyone, she certainly isn't feeling any sympathy for Sharon's plight -- in public, Marie has never said a harsh word about Sharon, and never blamed her co-star with pushing her off The Talk, but behind the scenes, Sharon made mild-mannered Marie's life hell, which chased her away and Marie still cringes from the whole experience of working with the brash former reality diva, more than seven months after leaving the show and Marie doesn't want to stoke the fire, but it's kind of satisfying in a way that Sharon's finally being exposed for what she is: a snippy, smug phony

* Chaka Khan was the first celeb booted on Season 21 of Dancing with the Stars in 2015, and it's no wonder because she was a lousy partner, claims pro hoofer Keo Motsepe -- Keo slammed the singer for demanding they only rehearse around midnight, because that's when the night owl was used to going to the record studio and laying down tracks -- Keo accepted the challenge but now calls Chaka his worst partner ever

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Jane Lynch eats lunch in West Hollywood (picture), Khloe Kardashian is getting called out for her attempt to erase a bathing suit snap that revealed some very real body dimples and famous for posting airbrushed and filtered photos depicting her as flawless she went berserk over the unedited pic summoning legal eagles to get the image scrubbed off the internet but she drew colossal backlash, Sutton Stracke of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills got promoted to series regular and impressed producers by making ousted castmate Teddi Mellencamp cry by branding her boring, fired New York Housewife Dorinda Medley has lost 14 pounds, Lil Nas X's limited-edition designer Satan Shoes which commanded $1,018 when they hit the market are now deader than a doornail after legal pressure from Nike

Page 13: Dean Cain sports a Superman-style logo on his hoodie as he bums around Malibu (picture), Annabella Sciorra shoots an episode of Blue Bloods in NYC (picture), co-anchor T.J. Holmes shows his tongue on the Good Morning America set (picture), Olympic champ Lindsey Vonn admits skiing was a slippery slope when she started mingling with the beautiful people of Hollywood

Page 14: Brooklyn Decker proves she going gray at just 34 and she's kinda digging it, Kathryn Dennis trying to prove she's comfortable in the natural skin she's in shared pics from her first-ever bikini photo shoot and actually points out imperfections

* Fashion Verdict -- Zoe Saldana 6/10, Kelsea Ballerini 3/10, Jessica Madsen 7/10, Joy Bauer 2/10

Page 17: Eddie Cibrian is incredibly proud of wife LeAnn Rimes for baring the truth about her battle with psoriasis in a naked photo -- Eddie applauds how LeAnn let it all hang out for a photo shoot to show solidarity with other people with the scaly skin disease who are ashamed and want to hide it -- LeAnn has described the horrors of hiding her painful, crusty rashes, saying onstage she'd wear two pairs of pantyhose or jeans, even in 95-degree heat and underneath her shirt, her whole stomach would be covered in thick scales that would hurt and bleed, and the pandemic worsened her condition because stress is a common trigger for psoriasis, and with so much uncertainty happening, her flare-ups came right back

Page 19: 10 Things You Don't Know About Catherine O'Hara

* Sylvester Stallone may have gone his final round as boxing great Rocky Balboa as his reps reveal the actor has thrown in the towel and won't reprise his iconic role in the upcoming Creed III -- in the Creed spinoffs, retired fighter Rocky trained Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the son of his onetime rival

* Dr. Dre hit back against the abuse claims of estranged wife Nicole Young, slamming her allegations as appalling in recently filed court documents in their ugly $1 billion divorce -- in the docs, Dre charges Nicole hurled the accusations only after realizing their prenup may prevent her from getting half his money, but Nicole insists the rapper forced her to ink the agreement, a charge he also denies

Page 23: Caitlyn Jenner is refining her image ahead of her run for governor in California by reducing her massive breasts to look more conservative -- she wants to downgrade her E cups to a more respectable C cup because she's been worried for a while they are way too big within the context of her body and draw unflattering stares and running for the California governor's office is serious and she wants people to listen and look at her face, not her boobs and the truth is, the implants have been weighing her down and giving her back pain too, so this makes sense in more ways than one -- Caitlyn will be slowly abandoning other cosmetic procedures and she would like to wean herself off filters and Botox too, but that'll be a gradual process that she'll do as time goes by and the big thing here is that she wants to look more natural and relatable for voters

* Nearly half of America is ready to vote Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson into the White House -- 46 percent of voters are ready to rock and roll with the 49-year-old former WWE wrestler as their prez -- in his new sitcom Young Rock, Dwayne plays himself as a future candidate for the Oval Office, but in real life he has admitted he is seriously considering a run for the top job

Page 24: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now facing two separate investigations into sexual harassment charges made by at least eight female staffers, is accused of cheating on longtime love Sandra Lee -- there's obviously a reason Sandra moved to California; she literally could not have moved farther away from Andrew; she's on the edge of the Pacific

Page 30: Grace Kelly died nearly flat broke -- the Hollywood starlet gave up millions to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco, and when she died at the age of 52, her only assets were a cottage in Ireland, owned by her grandfather, and $10,000 -- in 1956, she married into Monaco's royal family after coughing up a $2 million dowry, which is about $20 million today, and walking away from a glittering career -- according to a new documentary, her Hollywood earnings have disappeared as during her film career, Grace's total earnings could have reached $1.5 million, earnings that appear to be entirely missing from her will, but thanks to Grace, Monaco's royal family has cashed in big-time as her son Prince Albert II has an estimated net worth of $i billion and his wife Charlene Wittstock is rumored to be worth $150 million -- most people think of Grace Kelly's story as a fairy tale, going from Hollywood and suddenly being whisked off to a lot of wealth, but what is so poignant is that she had to pay to become a princess

* LeVar Burton may soon be helming a new enterprise: Jeopardy! -- nearly 200,000 people have signed an online petition supporting LeVar to replace the game show's late host Alex Trebek and LeVar supports the idea himself

Page 32: Kirstie Alley had two husbands and once claimed she was crazy about John Travolta, but for decades she secretly carried a torch for a married man: Patrick Swayze -- Kirstie described Patrick as the one that got away and truly believes they would have been together until his 2009 death at age 57 if things worked out differently and she says her love for Patrick began on the set of the 1985 miniseries North and South where she thought he was the most handsome, sexy, kind person she'd ever met, and each day on the set, she began to fall more and more in love but at the time they were married to other people: Patrick had his wife Lisa Niemi and Kirstie was married to Hardy Boys actor Parker Stevenson, her second husband -- Kirstie and Patrick shared a deep emotional affair and confessed their love, but never actually cheated on their spouses and Kirstie said they had an affair of the heart -- Patrick and Kirstie played lovers on the series and you can see the chemistry and at least once a year Kirstie watches the series and reminisces about the time she spent with him -- she says she cried for months after his death and she and his wife Lisa eventually became friends and even today, Kirstie wonders what would have happened if she and Patrick had not been married to other people

Page 36: Sally Struthers reveals she quit Save the Children charity after she was nearly murdered by a gang of bloodthirsty rebels during a trip to visit African orphans -- Sally was a roving ambassador for the charity for 35 years until a terrifying incident in Uganda where she was filming ads with a boy, who'd come from a remote village, when suddenly a roving band of guerrilla warfare guys came out of the bushes and asked the boy where he was from and he named his village, which was far away, and they decided they had kidnapped him, and they were going to shoot all of them and Sally was terrified and figured she was a goner, but a priest with her group told her to slowly walk off while never turning her back on the terrorists and as she walked, he convinced the gunmen to let them alone and at that point, Sally, who had a daughter Samantha from her six-year marriage to shrink William C. Radar thought she's been on so many little airplanes that could have crashed and in so many horrible situations and she's got a child, a real-life child of her own, and she can't do it anymore

* Usher is being accused of stiffing Las Vegas strippers by tipping them with fake money with his moniker and mug on the bills -- the flap exploded with a Twitter post slamming the singer for handing out Usherbucks in $100, $20 and $1 bills at the club Sapphire Las Vegas but club honcho George M. Wilson denies the charge, saying Usher, who stars at Caesars Palace stating in July, was a true gentleman and great guest and he and his crew converted thousands of real dollars to tip the girls dancing on the stage and left a generous tip for staff and apparently someone in his team left some Usher dollars on the floor to promote his Vegas residency and that is where it seems the confusion came in

Page 40: Val Kilmer is shooting for more than a career comeback after bouncing back from throat cancer; he is also looking for love -- Val admits he doesn't sound like he used to following a tracheotomy, but he insists he feels a lot better than he sounds but his voice is a raspy, grating sound, and he's forced to eat through a feeding tube, but he feels that shouldn't matter with the right woman -- the actor, who is slated to appear in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, is pumped up about working again, but it's dawned on him that he's missing one other thing, love, and the single star feels more energy now than ever before and there are things he'd like to do with a partner, like travel more -- Val regrets some of the things he did in the past and he was difficult and selfish, but his whole cancer ordeal has made him a better man and more open and giving but it's been a long, long time since he had a girlfriend, let alone even kissed a woman, but with the support and encouragement of his kids and friends, he's ready to put himself out there

* Fans are saying Christopher Meloni has one of the most remarkable rears on TV after a photo surfaced showcasing his awe-inspiring ass-ets -- a shot of the Law & Order: Organized Crime star in skintight jeans sparked a Twitter-storm where fans of his fanny let loose about his sculpted caboose

Page 44: Straight Talk -- Holly Madison is blabbing about her eight years as Hugh Hefner's No. 1 squeeze in the Playboy Mansion, and, if he were still alive, the king of skin mags would hate that he pretty much comes off as a dirty old lech

Page 45: Paula Abdul was a nervous wreck during her American Idol comeback, but she was not so jittery she couldn't brand her former co-judge Simon Cowell an STD -- special guest Randy Jackson and Simon previously teamed with Paula in the 2000s to make the talent show the biggest hit on TV, and Paula temporarily resumed her role after Luke Bryan tested positive for COVID-19, but when Randy told Paula seeing her on set seems like old times, she blurted "We're just missing the STD," and the remark caught host Ryan Seacrest off-guard as he held a computer device linking Paula and Randy, who was not physically present and Ryan exclaimed, "The what?!" and at that point Paula joked she meant it was an abbreviation for Super Talented, Debonair not sexually transmitted disease -- Paula also referred to Simon, who's only three years her senior, as a grandfather and while Paula seemed in the swing of things, joining the current Idol panel of Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, she was reportedly a bundle of nerves backstage before her comeback show and it was like she'd never done it before, and her pals couldn't believe it; they told her she had more experiencing judging than anyone out there

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osugna · 3 years

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*Spoilers Alert*

The scintillating Netflix drama, improving with age, delivers another 10 entertaining episodes of personal history that are equal parts political, poignant and juicy.

Season 3 of The Crown marks a changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Oscar-winner Olivia Colman ascends the throne. Prince Phillip is shifting from sullen resentment to grumpy middle age. Succeeding Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter lustily pops the cork on the tragic, flamboyant Princess Margaret.

The premier of the third season, “Olding”, tells the story about rumours that the new prime Minster, Harold Wilson, has ties with the KGB. At the same time, the death of Winston Churchill sustains this premier, which surprisingly offers a seamless transition into the new season. Also, a series of shot of Olivia Coleman’s Queen Elizabeth II brings to mind the previous seasons, and her body language is reminiscent of Claire Foy’s character. She is managed to look like both the Queen in real life and the same character in the previous seasons.

Colman is more restrained than Foy, but no less spectacular. She’s like a haiku poet, wringing meaning from least gesture, able to summon heartbreak or dry humor from the same clipped “Thenk you.“

Her Elizabeth has conquered her emotions, at great cost in the name of duty — and now here come the expressive ‘60s and ‘70s, in which she and her family are suddenly seen as the faces of stuffy hauteur. She took a job she didn’t want, killed a part of herself to to do it, and now finds that self-injury held against her. Colman’s queen can be cold, as when her heir, Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), more in tune with the emotive times, insists that he be allowed to have a public “voice”. Her answer falls like the executioner’s ax: “No one wants to hear it.”

The Crown has a strong sense of episodic structure, most episodes link the history stories to the personal struggles of those in the Windsor family. In the standout episode, “Aberfan” hinges in no small part on the question of Elizabeth’s perceived vulnerability, or lack thereof without giving anything away, the final scene is a symphony of restraint, made possible by the formidable talents of Colman.

The 1969 moon landing precipitates a midlife crisis for Philip, the episode proves considerably more interesting than almost all previous “Philip is dissatisfied” stories by the simple expedience of making him question why that might be.

An early episode dispatches Margaret — a jet-setter who craves the spotlight — on a diplomatic mission to charm the boorish new American president, Lyndon B. Johnson. Helena Bonham Carter spreads the charm on as thickly as clotted cream, though never so thickly that we lose sight of the tormented person beneath. Her scenes with Colman are, each and every one, season highlights. Margarets gets considerably more time with Elizabeth than do Elizabeth’s children. In the season finale, the bittersweet resolution is deeply affecting, which makes it the best episode so far.

The costuming, art direction, and production design are as fine as ever, the direction and cinematography often slightly more adventurous — “Cri de Couer”, for example, includes a beautiful, distressing sequence of a giddy Margaret swimming safely in a pool, but shot insect a way that she’s literally struggling to keep her head about water. The new score composer creates a sonic landscape that’s more textured and atonal, emphasising the changes in the show, rather than underplays them, and the result is oddly thrilling.

With the release of “The Crown,” Netflix issues a potent reminder that it, too, is worth your money. Those other streaming services have good things, but none of them have “The Crown.”

#the crown #season 3 #olivia colman #Helena Bonham Carter #tobias menzies #series #4.5/5

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gstqaobc · 4 years

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CBC NEWS The Royal Fascinator Feb. 7, 2020 Hello, royal watchers and all those intrigued by what’s going on inside the House of Windsor. This is your biweekly dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox. Janet Davison Janet Davison Royal Expert

Who will step up for Meghan and Harry?

(Lefteris Pitarakis/The Associated Press)

It was a striking image that day in June of 2012 — just six people on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, sending a signal widely interpreted to foreshadow a slimmed-down future for the House of Windsor.

It was the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee marking her 60 years as monarch, and joining her on the balcony were her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles; his wife, Camilla; Charles’s two sons, Princes William and Harry; and William’s wife, Kate. (The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, was in hospital at the time and it would be four years before Harry met his wife, Meghan.)

Charles has long been thought to favour a core group of senior family members to carry the House of Windsor forward in the next reign.

But Harry and Meghan’s departure from the upper echelons of the family leaves a big hole in that plan.

"I think [Charles] envisaged having Harry as part of that,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said via email.

Seward said that along with William and Kate, Charles saw his sister, Princess Anne, and his brother, Prince Edward, as part of the plan.

Harry’s departure “really blows a hole into Charles’s well-thought-out plan for a slimmed-down monarchy based on the core family,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith

told Vanity Fair

Even though Harry is now down to sixth in the line of succession, he would still have been expected to carry out more senior duties for several years because numbers three, four and five in the succession (William and Kate’s young children, George, Charlotte and Louis) are up to two decades away from being active royals.

“So Charles and William have been counting on Harry to be, in effect, third in line to the throne and that’s all out the window, too,” said Bedell Smith.

Harry and Meghan have been staying out of sight for the past couple of weeks and are thought to be on Vancouver Island, where they were over Christmas before making their seismic departure announcement.

In the meantime in the U.K., it’s been royal business as usual for everyone from the Queen on down. Elizabeth was out and about twice this week —

and reminisced about her father and his corgis

— as her regular winter stay at her Sandringham estate, north of London, draws to a close.

Charles and Camilla were at a reception for the British Asian Trust and other engagements. William, who has a new role as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Kate were at the British version of the Oscars and did a day trip to Wales.

Observers have been trying to figure out whether there’s any evidence of Harry and Meghan’s departure affecting what other senior members of the family are doing.

But in many ways, that seems to be a stretch — at least for now.

“As official engagements are usually fixed some months in advance and Harry and Meghan’s official departure is not until the spring, I don’t think we have yet seen much direct evidence,” Seward said.

“The crux will come on family occasions and none are scheduled in the immediate future. The future of Harry’s military appointments is obviously under consideration and will be announced as soon as it is decided.”

Still, it all leaves many open questions about how other members of the family may step up their roles. One person seen by many as likely to gain more prominence is Edward’s wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

“I think Sophie will take on a lot more royal duties and patronages,” said Seward.

And then there are Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, who has stepped down from public duties in the wake of fallout from his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a disastrous BBC interview related to that.

“I am not sure about Beatrice and Eugenie,” Seward said. “Before all this happened, I know Andrew was keen for them both to have royal roles, but Charles was not.”

Another spring wedding

One thing that is sure for Beatrice — she has a confirmed wedding date and venue. Buckingham Palace said this morning she and fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will marry May 29 at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in central London. The Queen will host a reception just up the road, in the gardens behind Buckingham Palace. After a flurry of royal weddings in Windsor over the past couple of years, this promises to be a lower-profile, smaller and more intimate affair — perhaps not surprising given the controversy surrounding Beatrice’s father, Andrew. St. James’s Palace does, however, have a rich royal history. Other weddings that have taken place there include that of Queen Victoria in 1840. It’s also been the scene of several christenings, including Beatrice herself in December 1988, and more recently Prince George in 2013 and Prince Louis in 2018. Andrew and the FBI — what's going on? Prince Andrew was the focus of more attention recently after the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York told a news conference held outside Epstein’s former mansion that Andrew had given “zero co-operation” to the inquiry into the convicted sex offender.Immediately after that, sources close to Andrew were reported as saying he was angry and “bewildered” by the claims he had been unco-operative, and that he hadn’t received any request to speak to the FBI.A lawyer for a victim of Epstein also urged Andrew to co-operate with the FBI.Seward said until an approach is made by the FBI through official channels, “nothing will happen.”“This doesn’t lessen the potential wrong, but he can’t answer anything until his lawyers are contacted, and then they don’t have to answer straight away,” Seward said. “I think he will help the investigation, but has probably been advised to wait until such time as all the necessary evidence as to where he was and what he was doing has been gathered.”Andrew has said he did not see or suspect any sex crimes during the time he spent with Epstein. He has also denied any inappropriate relations with a woman who has said she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002. Andrew has said he has no recollection of meeting her..

Royal angst — beyond the House of WindsorOther royal families have also seen their share of controversy and high-profile headlines in the last little while.The public prosecutor in Luxembourg has launched a probe after reports of physical violence toward staff who work for the tiny European country’s royal family.It was only the latest headline there, coming about a week after Grand Duke Henri issued a statement to defend his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, against allegations of a “hostile working environment” at the palace.“Why attack a woman? A woman who speaks up for other women? A woman who is not even being given the right to defend herself?” Henri said in his statement.Next door, in Belgium, former King Albert II admitted he fathered a child during an extramarital affair half a century ago.The acknowledgement came after a court-ordered DNA test found that the 85-year-old, who abdicated in 2013, is Delphine Boël’s biological father.Boël had been engaged in a longstanding court fight to prove that she is his biological daughter.

Royally quotable

"Yet in 2020, and not for the first time in the last few years, we find ourselves talking again about the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector and in the awards process – [a lack of diversity] simply cannot be right in this day and age."

— Prince William

speaks during the British Academy Film Awards

Fans of the Netflix drama The Crown will have to content themselves with just five seasons, rather than the six everyone had been expecting. Creator Peter Morgan had said he’d planned on six seasons of the show focusing on Queen Elizabeth’s reign, but the other day he nixed that idea and said five seems like the “perfect time and place to stop.” The way the series is going, that should take viewers up to around the year 2000. Given some of the higher-profile royal controversies of late, perhaps it’s understandable why Morgan is content to stop at that point. “I think there’s concerns the closer you get to the present day, in terms of how much dramatic licence can you ethically take about events that are unfolding,” said Toronto-based royal historian and author Carolyn Harris. “And also, the show would become more controversial if it was speaking about events that are in many ways still unfolding at this time, and imagining conversations behind palace doors.” Season 5 will see another actor take on the role of Elizabeth. Imelda Staunton, who’d long been rumoured for the part, will follow Claire Foy (seasons 1 and 2) and Olivia Colman (seasons 3 and 4).

Royal reads

1. A century before Harry and Meghan, an Italian noble family

sought refuge in B.C. — and stayed

. [CBC]

2. The RCMP and U.K. security officials are

discussing how best to protect Harry and Meghan

while they are in Canada, and who will ultimately pay for their security. [CBC]

3. Harry

lost a press complaint

he filed against a newspaper over a story it published about photos of African wildlife he has posted on Instagram. [BBC]

4. To mark the 200th anniversary of King George III’s death, his

massive collection of military maps

has been made available online, offering insight into global conflicts from the 16th to 18th centuries. Also going back in time,

a vest worn by Charles I at his execution

is going on display. [The Guardian, BBC]

Cheers!

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GOOD MORNING ALL, I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THE MOST RECENT NEWSLETTER. I HAVENT HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT YET BECAUSE I WANTED TO GETBIT OUT TO THOSE WHO DONT HAVE IT OR KNOW ABOUT IT. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺🇳🇿 💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻PG🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

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rooneywritesbest · 5 years

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All It Takes Is One Bad Day

Have you ever really wondered who is the joker? I mean actually who he really is, or what made him into the clown prince of crime. Join me on a trip descending into the psychological observation of the deep dive of the subconscious of the comic-book villain. The only origin we have recorded of the Joker is in the novel “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore. Moore paints and illustrates a period piece of the underbelly of Gotham City. The timeline is a little fuzzy. However, the artwork of Brian Bolland and the tone and direction of writing from Moore brings the graphic novel to life.

The clown was just a normal person trying to get by, struggling to pay bills, and living in a run-down apartment. Interesting enough, he was never given a name in the novel. Joker had a wife pregnant with his child. The emotion was painted on the panels, and he was terrified internally. So to alleviate the pain dragging down his well being. He soon made a choice that would affect his life by turning to the mob. The man was tasked with being the fall guy, he was also given a new code name or alias “Red Hood”.

Then you know the history that follows. Batman chases him and Joker falls into the vat of acid at ace chemicals. The chemical bath changes his mind and personality. Peeling away back at the persona that was once present. Now all that is left of the poor tortured soul. Being plagued by society is a man with pale white skin and the affinity to bring laughter in horrific fashion. The question to bring forth into context. Does he truly have any sliver of memory before undergoing his cosmetic change?

The answer is a tricky one to understand the mindset of the Joker, you have to understand the other incarnations of the character. In the animated series where the clown is brought to life by Mark Hamil. He seduces the mind of Dr. Harleen Quinzel. He makes us a fabricated backstory of him and his father going to the circus. However, he also brings to the forefront that he grew up in an abusive household. The new foreground truth is quickly dismissed as false facts. When Batman tells Harley that Joker has a million stories. Just furthering exploring the identity crisis hiding beneath the pale skin of a clown clad in a purple tuxedo with a top hat to match.

In addition to the critically acclaimed BTAS. The Arkham-verse from rocksteady stands on its own feet. However, being told time and time again that it’s a separate canon from the cartoon. Many would coin it as a continuation of the animated series due to the inclusion of the original remaining cast voicing the iconic roles that put them on the map. Kevin Conroy as the caped crusader, and Hamil as the Joker even bringing back the talented Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn. In the darker, grittier version of Gotham City. Being a world that is woven together by the seeds of Arkham spanning a timeline of Arkham origins all the way to the night the batman died on Arkham Knight. The games touch on certain Joker heavy moments and thematic events leading the clown down the path to where he’s meant to be. While also committing roles of unspeakable action such as showcasing the events of Killing Joke and crippling batgirl or referencing the comic “the death in the family leading to the execution of Jason Todd. It just goes to show that the Joker is just a person who wants to see the world burn. A great point made by buddy Joe is that “The Joker represents many things and it is the filmmaker/comic writer's responsibility to depict the character in a way that never idolizes what he stands for”.(Joseph Torres).

It boils down to the justification that every incarnation or vision of the Joker is different in almost every aspect. It could change from the tone or sense of realistic nature or being a social commentary brought to the light in the comics being allegory’s into the mind of the writer stepping into the shoes of the Clown Prince Of Crime.

However, a name would complete the tragedy and give something the audience to sympathize with. Something that the Todd Philips darker realistic take of the Joker actually does. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. A man drove to insanity by the corrupt and evil society around him. The film is a blend of color tones and wonderfully crafted shots that incorporate no CGI. Weighing down the background and giving it a fake or faux sense of the movie.

Witnessing The joker trailer. I found it seems intriguing in many ways. I love the laugh. Phoenix is terrifying, um the just stunning visuals with an interesting concept two trailers in and still no idea or concept or even major spoilers have been shown. The only sense of context I can piece together is that it’s a period piece like the killing joke. Also, the mention of social commentary on those affected and plagued by mental illness could be brought to the forefront. The director Todd Philips has a really neat quote that follows “I don’t believe that in the real world if you fell into a vat of acid you would turn white and have a smile and your hair would be green. So you start backward-engineering these things and it becomes really interesting”(Todd Philips). The acting is phenomenal and oscar level. Another thing I like about this film is that Phoenix feels like a combination of major versions of the character. For example, his laugh has hints and moments of Mark Hamil. Or the color scheme of his outfit feels reminiscent of Cesar Romero from Batman 66, and the outfit along with the makeup pays homage to Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight. Also, the story is taking elements from the killing joke.

Just one gripe, how can you make a joker movie work without his moral juxtaposition of the dark knight. The Joker needs Batman to thrive it’s like Heath ledger said: “anarchy needs order.” Essentially meaning Batman needs Joker and vice versa. We will see how Phoenix does when the film opens up worldwide Oct 4th.

In conclusion, The Joker is the most important villain in all of the literature. Just something about him resonates with the reader and fans alike. Every version of the character will be different because it just depends on the vision and direction of the narrative. Which is the director or writer’s job to cement themselves into the mindset of The Clown Prince of Crime or better known as the Joker? Thus explaining the perfect reason why the Joker’s real name should never be revealed.

Due to the role of human psychology. How anybody could be Spider-Man and wear the mask. Well anyone could be the Joker cause all it takes is one bad day to descend into the madness that awaits.

#batman #joker #DC comics #joaquin phoenix #joker movie #DC Universe #dceu #dcau #arkhamverse #arkham #batman arkham series #arkham city #assault on arkham #harley quinn #robert deniro #the killing joke

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theresabookforthat · 6 years

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Saturday Reads: Steampunk!

Are you steamy this summer Saturday? As a popular literary genre and aesthetic, Steampunk can generally be defined as a story set in either Victorian England or America’s Wild West wherein modern technologies are re-imagined. For instance, “Dr. Who” has Steampunk elements with its time-travel plots. As for the genre’s origin story, K.W. Jeter wrote to Locus magazine in 1987: “Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like ‘steam-punks’, perhaps.”

FEATURED TITLES:

INFERNAL DEVICES by K. W. JeterThe classic Steampunk novel from the creator of the term itself. When George Dower’s father died, he left George his watchmaker’s shop – and more. But George has little talent for watches and other infernal devices. When someone tries to steal an old device from the premises, George finds himself embroiled in a mystery of time travel, music and sexual intrigue.

THE CLOCKWORK DYNASTY by Daniel H. Wilson

A Kirkus Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2017

A Popsugar Best Book of the Year

When June Stefanov, a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology, uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she finds herself in the middle of a hidden war that has raged for centuries. In the depths of the Kremlin in 1725, the tsar’s loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister possessed with uncanny power and destined to fight an ancient battle.

CLOCKWORK FAIRY TALES: A COLLECTION OF STEAMPUNK FABLES edited by Stephen L. Antczak, James C. Bassett

All-original, never-before-published steampunk stories inspired by traditional fairy and folk tales. Combining the timeless fairy tales that we all learned as children with the out-of-time technological wizardry that is steampunk, this collection of stories blends the old and new in ways sure to engage every fantasy reader.

DEAD IRON: THE AGE OF STEAM by Devon Monk

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy, carrying the guilt of his brother’s death. Then Cedar is offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers—and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this earth.

THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE by William Gibson

A 20th-anniversary edition of the seminal novel that helped to bring about the current fascination with steampunk fiction. It’s 1855: The Industrial Revolution is in full and inexorable swing, powered by steam-driven cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine, and the computer age arrives a century ahead of its time. And three extraordinary characters race toward a rendezvous with history—and the future.

ANNO DRACULA by Kim Newman

It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel follows vampire Geneviève Dieudonné and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders. “Glorious” – Neil Gaiman

PERDIDO STREET STATION by China Miéville

A magnificent fantasy rife with scientific splendor, magical intrigue, and wonderfully realized characters, told in a storytelling style in which Charles Dickens meets Neal Stephenson, Perdido Street Station offers an eerie, voluptuously crafted world that will plumb the depths of every reader’s imagination.

THE ANUBIS GATES by Tim Powers

Take a dazzling journey through time with Tim Power’s classic, Philip K. Dick Award-winning tale… Brendan Doyle, a specialist in the work of the early-nineteenth century poet William Ashbless, reluctantly accepts an invitation from a millionaire to act as a guide to time-travelling tourists. But while attending a lecture given by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1810, he becomes marooned in Regency London, where dark and dangerous forces know about the gates in time.

FOR YOUNGER READERS

THE KIDNAP PLOT (The Extraordinary Journeys of Clockwork Charlie) by Dave Butler

The first installment in an action-adventure series about a boy on a rescue mission: “Reminiscent of both Pinocchio and The Great Mouse Detective, this novel is tailor-made for young readers who love adventure narratives and steampunk fiction.”—Kirkus Reviews

THE SECRETS OF SOLACE by Jaleigh Johnson

Lina Winterbock lives in the mountain strongholds of Solace. She’s an apprentice to the archivists and should be spending her days with books, but the Iron War has changed everything—it’s too chaotic to study. The strongholds are now a refuge, so instead of learning about how to preserve the objects that mysteriously fall from the sky, she whiles away her time exploring the hidden tunnels and passages of her home.And in one of the forgotten chambers, Lina discovers a secret. Hidden deep in a cavern is a half-buried airship like nothing she has ever seen before.

THE INVENTOR’S SECRET by Andrea Cremer

A new steampunk series from Andrea Cremer, the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade novels. In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

STEAMPUNK CITY: AN ALPHABETICAL JOURNEY by Manuel Sumberac

Take an alphabetical journey through a rich and colorful steampunk world in this lavishly illustrated volume that invites readers to linger over every intricate detail. Though it began as a sub-genre of science fiction, steampunk has quickly crossed cultural categories to become a popular theme in fashion, design, film, music, and even food and drink

For more on these and related titles, visit the collection: Steampunk

#steampunk #theresabookforthat #penuginrandomhouse #saturdayreads #doctor who

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dweemeister · 6 years

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Braveheart (1995)

The summer of 1995 provided moviegoing audiences with a third Die Hard movie, Casper, batnipples, Disney’s problematic Pocahontas, Apollo 13, Waterworld, and one of the most understanding children’s films of all time in Babe. That is a busy summer to say the least. Amid that clutter, one of the most successful movies of that period could not possibly have been made now, let alone find the audience it did twenty-three years ago. Released by Paramount in North America and 20th Century Fox internationally, that film is Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, a thirteenth-century war epic about Scottish knight William Wallace (played by Gibson) taking arms against King Edward I of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. Braveheart was Gibson’s second directorial work after more than a decade as a figurehead for 1980s Australian cinema and presence in the Lethal Weapon series. This is a visually striking, technically accomplished film rife with homophobia, misogyny, and historical howlers that continues to sharply polarize viewers about its cinematic merits. Through the fires of these controversies, the extremely violent Braveheart has bludgeoned its way to becoming an iconic fixture of 1990s Hollywood.

It is 1280 in Scotland. As a child, William Wallace survives King Edward “Longshanks” (Patrick McGoohan) invasion of Scotland. Following Scottish defeat, Wallace is taken on a European journey by his uncle Argyle (Brian Cox). Years later, Wallace (Gibson as an adult; James Robinson as a child) will return to his village and marry childhood friend Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack as an adult; Mhari Calvey as a child). But Longshanks has granted his English nobles in Scotland right of the first night, and Wallace’s successful attempt to save Murron from rape eventually ends in her execution. Enraged, Wallace – assisted by his fellow villagers – massacres the English forces sent to his hometown and drives the remaining English military from Scotland. Longshanks will not take military defeat without response, ordering Prince Edward (Peter Hanly) to quash the rebellion. War and royal intrigue breaks out, leading to Edward’s wife, Isabella of France (Sophie Marceau), being sent to negotiate with Wallace and the two falling for each other far too quickly.

With that plot in mind, viewers should understand that the only historically accurate aspects of Braveheart are the names of the historical figures involved and place names – really, that’s it. The Scots wear kilts, despite the fact kilts would not be invented for another several hundred years. If one wants to understand the First Scottish War for Independence and the history surrounding this era, read a book instead. Screenwriter Randall Wallace admitted that his script was based less on history than on the epic poem The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, written by Blind Harry in the fifteenth century.

In its medieval swordplay, Braveheart has more to do with Spartacus (1960) than anything in a 1930s-40s 20th Century Fox or Warner Bros. swashbuckler. The film’s enormous battle scenes – shot in Ireland with over 1,500 members of the Irish Army Reserve participating on both sides of this cinematic conflict – are excellent collaborations in deploying men on foot and horseback smashing into each other on a grassy plain with a frantic camera attempting to make sense of the scrum. The use of 200-pound mechanical horses running on nitrogen cylinders even fooled an animal welfare organization that decided to investigate the film because of the effect’s realism. When not indulging in ill-advised slow-motion, these battles, perhaps too frequently placed into the film to the point they becoming fatiguing, are spectacular in their choreography. The collaborative effort between Gibson, cinematographer John Toll (1994′s Legends of the Fall, 1998′s The Thin Red Line), editor Steven Rosenblum (1989′s Glory, Legends of the Fall) and second unit crew members contributes to a blood-soaked, crashing symphony of mangled limbs and human brutality that no other film depicting medieval warfare has since equaled – especially the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which is horrifying in its impact despite the absence of the crucial, eponymous bridge. Many films since Braveheart portraying contemporary war likewise pale in comparison.

Braveheart would be a disastrous film without John Toll’s cinematography, whether in action sequences or peaceful moments. The use of natural lighting and the on-location shooting in Ireland and Scotland appeals to Toll’s strengths for exterior shots, lending Braveheart a near-mythical angle amid large landscape shots blessed with eerie cloud covers and looming, verdant mountains. Toll makes Scotland a place of dreams – especially in the blue of twilight when the sun’s reds have retreated westward, welcoming the cool and comfort of the evening. This suits the film, as Gibson is not filming a historical drama. No computerized flourishes or too many swooping helicopter-aided vistas pry the viewer from the film. Toll’s camera for these landscapes and shots of the village (reportedly built by the production crew to Toll’s specifications) remain still or are gently heightened or lowered by crane shots. Close-ups are mercifully spare, reserved almost entirely for violent scenes.

The word “freedom” is tossed around with such promiscuity and depthlessness that Braveheart’s 178 minutes cannot be justified. Wallace’s screenplay touches lightly on the era’s politics, Wallace’s love life, and the ideas why Scotland should be independent from England. Political philosophy this is not. Look elsewhere for films of military leaders with a wracked conscience, psychologically impacted by the slaughter they have initiated. Instead, we are presented with anachronistic dialogue like this:

WILLIAM WALLACE: Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse.

Sure, dude. If possible, maybe that commander might have a future as a contortionist.

Braveheart presents William Wallace as a man on a revenge-fueled mission who will consider all possible means to liberate his people – he has an irreverent sense of humor that makes given scenes a tonal mishmash. Wallace’s romantic interludes with Murron and Isabella? Gibson, McCormack, and Marceau, respectively, are all unconvincing – despite an enormous assist from Toll in these passionate scenes.

Casual homophobia is directed toward Prince Edward (later King Edward II), the son of Edward Longshanks (Edward I; who was a bellicose monarch, but becomes a cartoonish archetype in this film). Prince Edward is depicted as effeminate and gay, and his lover Philip (Stephen Billington) is killed by defenestration. The film further compounds this depiction by associating the Prince’s homosexuality to his ineffectual character – Longshanks constantly chastises his son’s lack of masculinity and Princess Isabella also disapproves of her husband for those qualities. This is not to say homophobia did not exist in the late thirteenth century, but that Gibson and Wallace are doubling down on the Prince, making him a punchline puppet of a leader because of who he is. Aggressive masculinity and sexual expressions inundate the battle scenes, too – swinging swords should be interpreted as one might think.

Women have almost zero agency in Braveheart, as they are depicted as sexual vessels to remain pure and chaste while the men fraternize and fornicate all they wish. Wallace’s campaign of violence begins not because the English lords have invoked right of the first night (prima noctis) for other women, but because prima noctis has been invoked for Murron (whose sexual faithfulness is idealized after her death in a pair of visions Wallace – who, by sleeping with Isabella, does not return that same faith – has). One of the few topics that women speak of throughout the film is sexual interest/satisfaction or lack thereof – Isabella’s only purpose in the film is to bang Wallace so that she can deliver an inflammatory piece of news to Longshanks on his deathbed.

Other than Toll, another craftsperson showcases their mastery in this film. That master is composer James Horner (Glory, 1997′s Titanic). 1995 proved to be a career year for Horner, having composed the scores for Apollo 13, Balto, and Casper. His second-best score of the year behind Apollo 13, Braveheart’s score is mostly devoid of the wanking masculinity described above, combining cultural elements that might seem inappropriate for a film about Scottish warriors – given the use of Japanese woodwinds in Legends of the Fall (a generational epic drama about a Montana ranching family), Horner’s instrumental appropriation knows no bounds, for good and ill. Along with the requisite bagpipes (rather than the Great Highland bagpipes that are generally associated to be “bagpipes”, Horner utilizes Uilleann pipes – Irish in origin, Uilleann pipes are softer and considered to produce a less harsh sound than Great Highland Bagpipes), this heavily orchestral score also benefits from a boys’ choir reminiscent of Casper, Horner’s affinity for Irish music, and quena (an Andean flute) for “The Secret Wedding”.

Three major motifs exist in Horner’s score: for Wallace, Murron, and Isabella. Wallace’s motif is first in the main title through the Uilleann pipes and will be the most-repeated theme in the film, fragmented up by percussion in the battle scenes, and often accompanied by strings in melodic unison (most heroically at 6:05 in “Freedom/The Execution Bannockburn”). Murron’s motif assumes melodramatic, (and very quickly afterwards) tragic connotations upon its most memorable appearance on quena in “The Secret Wedding”, chorally reprised at 3:10 in the “End Credits”. Dominating the final third of the film is Isabella’s motif, best outlined in “For the Love of a Princess” by the entire orchestra, and containing echoes of “The Ludlows” from Legends of the Fall. Credit the London Symphony Orchestra for providing a gorgeous recording, even if Horner’s score to Braveheart is not the most musically interesting effort of his career.

Producers Bruce Davey (Gibson’s longtime producer) and Alan Ladd, Jr. (son of legendary Paramount contracted actor Alan Ladd) navigated numerous obstacles at 20th Century Fox and Paramount to complete the film. This enormous, nearly three-hour production of a time period unfamiliar to North American moviegoers could not be produced at this scope today. A 2018 Braveheart would require even more major studios from various nations to finance the project, as epic films have all but disappeared from the multiplex because of their forbidding costs and lack of action star/superhero connections. Gibson’s ambition is staggering here. Yet Braveheart is let down by Gibson’s hypermasculinity and homophobia – reflective of his troublesome political dimensions.

The film’s cultural importance when it was released is unquestionable, but it remains to be seen how time will treat Gibson’s directorial breakout work. By being released in the mid-1990s, it is among the last Hollywood epic films largely untouched by excessive CGI – the effects are gruesome because they are practical. Though the characterizations are simplistic, Braveheart is an effective character piece for many, if not for this writer. Caught between the praises of fanboys of a certain demographic and those who loathe Gibson and/or Braveheart, I can neither adulate nor dismiss this movie outright. Bring on the insults on my manhood, but say it with a Scottish accent, would you kindly?

My rating: 6.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

#Braveheart #Mel Gibson #Sophie Marceau #Angus Macfadyen #Patrick McGoohan #Catherine McCormack #Brendan Gleeson #Peter Hanly #James Robinson #Mhairi Calvey #Andrew Weir #Randall Wallace #John Toll #Steven Rosenbaum #James Horner #Alan Ladd Jr.#Bruce Davey #TCM #My Movie Odyssey

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sartle-blog · 6 years

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Art History Meets Fashion at the 2018 Met Gala

Art history, but make it fashion.

Is the Met better known for its art collection or for its luxurious annual gala? Yesterday our favorite (and not-so-favorite) celebrities appeared at the 2018 Met Gala for “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” The theme was one of the event’s most controversial yet, and a large number of people didn’t dress accordingly (why anybody would willingly not follow a Met Gala theme is beyond me) while others showed up in outfits featuring bedazzled crosses and halos. A few others went above and beyond to incorporate art into their outfits. Here are some of our favorite parallels to art history in this year’s Met Gala costumes.

In the most obvious nod to art history, pop singer Ariana Grande displayed the “back wall of the Sistine Chapel” in her gown designed by Vera Wang.

The Last Judgment, Michelangelo, 1536-1541

It doesn't get much more Roman Catholic than this! The painting that graces Ariana Grande's dress also graces the back wall of the Sistine Chapel, a building at the very heart of Roman Catholicism. The chapel is part of the apostolic palace, AKA the Pope's very own house, and is used for ceremonies such as the Papal Conclave, when a new pope is selected. Michelangelo completed this wall in 1541, some time after he finished the ceiling, and it depicts the final judgment of man in a tumultuous swirl of motion and rippling muscles. The placement of this scene on the East Wall rather than the West wall, where such scenes were typically painted to remind visitors of the coming judgment as they left, was an interesting choice; the only person who went in and out of the door on the East side in the right corner was the pope, which placed the pope's entrance directly inside Hell! (Did Michelangelo have some beef with the pope, or what?) And speaking of interesting placement, check out where Jesus is on Ariana Grande's dress! Not where you usually find Jesus, to say the least. (Though maybe one could say he is directly over her heart, which makes it a little better.)

As always, Rihanna stole the show with her expensive pope get-up by John Galliano. Her papal tiara looks incredibly similar to one on this mosaic of Pope Clement VIII by Jacopo Ligozzi.

Rihanna's filet-shaped hat is a super-glam version of the Mitre, a type of papal hat worn since at least the tenth century after a long evolution from the Roman camelaucum. There are several kinds of mitre, each worn on designated occasions and differing from each other in level of ornamentation, from the heavily ornamented mitre pretiosa to the mitre simplex, the most plain. Rihanna's hat is a little more pretiosa than simplex. The only people officially allowed to wear mitres are Popes, cardinals, and bishops. Ri-Ri over here probably didn't get a special dispensation from the Pope to wear that headgear, but since she was one of the overseers of the entire Met Gala this year we'll let it slide.

Triumph of Religion, John Singer Sargent, 1916

A number of the outfits were heavily inspired by a popular type of Marian imagery called “Our Lady of Sorrows,” which is a religious devotion including specific prayers and meditations relating to seven episodes from the Virgin's life that caused her great sorrow. The standard depiction of Our Lady of Sorrows includes a golden halo or crown, prominent tears, and seven swords piercing her heart.

Lana del Ray in Gucci

Lily Collins in Givenchy Haute Couture

SZA in Versace

(we know who really inspired the resurgence of the halo crown though)

Halo crowns weren’t the only type of headwear at the Met Gala, but they certainly did make a splash. The halo, depicted as a disc or small circular nimbus, was used in Classical Rome in the depiction of certain gods and emperors, and while early Christians tried to resist incorporating the halo into their imagery because of its Pagan origins, the Halo was too powerful an attribute to make disappear. I mean, what else could be so effective at representing holiness than this symbolic use of light? By the sixth century CE, the halo was standard in depictions of all the most important saints and angels, and even Jesus. While Michelangelo eschewed halos for his more earthly looking saints, the halo made a big comeback during the Counter Reformation, during which time the Church was using art to reinforce its own majesty and glory.

Consider these art-inspired headpieces for your next music festival outfit.

Rita Ora in Prada and Lorraine Schwartz

Ghent Altarpiece, Jan Van Eyck, 1432

Janelle Monae in Jennifer Fisher

Madonna Enthroned, Giotto, 1306

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Ralph Lauren and Anita Ko

Madonna of the Candelabra, Raphael, 1513

Kate Bosworth in Oscar de la Renta and Tacori

Mary with the Child and Singing Angels, Sandro Botticelli, 1477

With her golden hair parted chastely down the center of her head and covered with a transparent, fringed veil, Bosworth looks the very image of a Botticelli Madonna. While Mary is typically shown in a blue mantle over a red garment, Botticelli also liked to show off his skills by painting transparent silk. Her head covering is representative of her virginity, which according to Catholic dogma, she retained her entire life, despite her marriage to Joseph. The virginity question aside, Kate Bosworth shares the Madonna's beauty and regal bearing.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Dolce & Gabbana and Jennifer Fisher

The Adoration of the Magi, Giovanni di Paolo, 1460

Sarah Jessica Parker seems to live by the motto “Go Big or Go Home.” The ornate quality of her headdress is reminiscent of many late gothic reliquaries, which were often covered in gilding, encrusted with jewels, and decorated with little figures, including Nativity scenes. The red heart that tops her church of a hat may also be a reference to the Sacred Heart, a common symbol in Catholic devotion that refers to Christ’s divine love of mankind as the reason for his sacrifice.

If crowns aren’t your thing, don’t worry- the Met Gala’s got you (mostly) covered when it comes to clothes. These outfits were not only dazzling but also took inspiration from major period artists! What more could you want?

Lena Waithe in Carolina Herrera

The Annunciation, Jan Van Eyck, 1436

The rainbow is a powerful symbol in Christian art, denoting God's promise to never again wipe out all of humankind in a devastating flood. The insanely gorgeous rainbow wings Van Eyck gives the Angel Gabriel in this Annunciation scene may refer to that promise of old while also enforcing the idea of a new covenant God would create with man in the birth, death, and resurrection of His son. Since then, the rainbow flag has been adopted as a symbol of Gay Pride, reflecting the diversity of the LGBTQ community. And who said you can’t have pride and be religious at the same time? Certainly not the Bible.

Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton

Mariana, John Everett Millais, 1851, Tate Britain

Millais isn’t exactly Catholic art, but the stained glass windows in his painting sure are. The painting depicts Mariana from Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," a play that takes place in Catholic Italy and grapples with Roman Catholic themes such as chastity, piety, corruption, lust, hypocrisy, and repentance. Mariana waited patiently and chastely for her ex-fiance Angelo after he dumped her when she lost her dowry in a shipwreck, only to take part in a crazy bed-swapping trick to lure Angelo into marrying her. Whether or not Mariana is a good Catholic role model is debatable, but that dress is clearly inspired.

Jasmine Sanders in H&M

Shrine of the Virgin, anonymous, 1300, Metropolitan Museum of Art

If this dress wasn’t inspired by this piece, there’s still an uncanny resemblance between the two--the slit in the dress is in the exact same spot as the opening for the shrine. The volume of the dress and its golden color also reflect the Marian imagery found on many shrines, including this one from Medieval Germany that was gilded on wood and opens to reveal a mystical image of the Trinity. What mystical treasures this dress conceals are for Jasmine to hide or reveal as she pleases.

Misha Nonoo

Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, Sofonisba Anguissola, 1599

We can only hope this dress isn’t as uncomfortable as it looks--for both of them. You have to give her credit for going the Renaissance Noble route, celebrating the fancy Patrons who would have commissioned all the fabulous art. Sofonisba Anguissola was a rare female artist who actually worked at the Spanish Court in the reign of Philip II, during Catholic Spain's fight for dominion over the Low Countries. Anguissola was able to render her royal sitters and their fabulous clothing and jewelry delicately and soberly. Misha Nonoo, denizen of the London Fashion world and matchmaker to Prince Harry and Megan Markle, takes that classic little-black-number-and-white-ruff Spanish court look, and gives it a contemporary, more subtle edge. The Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia probably wouldn't have been able to get away with a sheer midriff, but it's a perfect update for 2018.

Christian Combs in Dolce & Gabbana

Portrait of Jacob Boncompagni, Scipione Pulzone, 1574

If you’re ever wondering what P. Diddy is up to these days, he’s apparently taking his son to the Met Gala. Young Christian "King" Combs is no stranger to the catwalk, and he can pull off pretty much anything. That gold embroidery on black, studded jewels, and velvet crown hearken to the most fancy armor seen in 16th century portraits, making Combs look positively kingly. Such armor, while great for getting your picture painted in, would have been far too costly to wear out and about or, God forbid, in combat. "This is just my fancy dress armor," Jacob Boncompagni would have said. "I only bust it out for things like the Met Gala."

Zendaya in Atelier Versace and Tiffany & Co. jewelry

Jeanne d’Arc, Albert Lynch, 1903

Roman Catholic attire can't be summed up by silly hats, robes, and jewels alone. There's also a little something called "crusader chic," and it is full-on medieval. While Joan of Arc was no crusader, she is now one of nine secondary patron saints of France due to the prominent role she played in the Hundred Years' War. When just a girl, the peasant Joan received visions of various saints telling her to support Charles VII and help free France from English rule. She attended the military campaigns wearing protective armor, but after several French victories, she was captured by a Burgundian faction working for the English and burned at the stake. Now canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as a martyred saint, Joan of Arc continues to inspire, as can be seen in Zendaya's surprisingly sultry, but very heavy-looking chain mail outfit. Somebody just give her a sword already!

Katy Perry in Versace

Angel, Abbott Handerson Thayer, 1887, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Katy Perry looks ready to take flight any minute now. And that's because she did the right thing and went all out for her gala outfit! Despite the fact that the word "angel" comes from the Greek word for Messenger, and there is no standard description of their appearance in the Bible, Thayer's painting largely sums up the popular conception of angels: virginal, dressed in flowing white robes, and with wings, of course! There's no halo here, however, and that may be because the model for this was actually Thayer's own 11-year-old daughter, and he was trying to depict her as the personification of spiritual beauty, not specifically an angel, despite the painting's title. Thayer himself thought art was "a no-man’s land of immortal beauty where every step leads to God." And that's pretty much the same plane where traditional Roman Catholicism places Angels, majestic beings close to God.

Emilia Clarke in Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda

The Triumph of Galatea (detail), Raphael, 1514

The Mother of Dragons always slays, no matter what she's wearing. With its elaborate, curvilinear gold embroidery and frolicking putti, this dress looks like it came straight out of the Rococo. While Putti were originally found on Classical Pagan sarcophagi, the motif was revived during the Renaissance in Italy, where it was utilized in paintings of classical myth, and was adopted into Christian Iconography. What was once a little cupid underwent a conversion experience into an angel (along the lines of a cherub). In the Rococo, Putti also became symbols of leisure and playfulness, which is why Putti often scream of wealth and excess. Dolce and Gabana clearly know that, like leopard print, putti are most tasteful in small doses.

Stella Maxwell in Moschino and David Yurman

“Tenderness” icon of the Mother of God, 1521

Wow. Where do we even begin talking about this beautiful dress? This mosaic-styled gown features various images of Mary that you’ll only be able to find in churches and on prayer candles. Indeed most, but not all, appear to be inspired by Byzantine icons of the Madonna. While most strongly associated with the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, such radiant and opulent images could be found in pre-Renaissance (and therefore Catholic) art in Western Europe as well. Images like this were meant to be venerated as conduits to saint Mary herself, who could then intercede for you. "Our Lady of Tenderness" is one such icon that was depicted, either with the Christ child in her arms, or with her hands over her chest in that heart-felt position.

Migos in Versace

There’s too many references in these matching sequin outfits to count! One jacket is covered in solely Christian images while the other two primarily feature classical Greek and Roman artworks. We were able to spot the Venus de Milo, The Victorious Youth, and several variations of Madonna and Child currently exhibited by the Met (shown below).

Madonna and Child, Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1290

Madonna and Child, Berlinghiero, 1230

Madonna and Child, Giovanni Bellini, 1480

Salma Hayek in custom Altuzarra

Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man, Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1617, Mauritshuis

The branch of parrots and white horse trotting in the background scream this classic Brueghel/Rubens collab, even if Adam and Eve are nowhere in sight. The Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man that took place therein are central to Roman Catholic dogma, so this makes a fabulous choice of subject for the evening. Jan Brueghel the Elder and Rubens were both Catholic and their artwork shows the influence of the Counter-Reformation, during which the celebration and cataloging of natural phenomena (such as flora and fauna) was used as a way to understand the divine revelation of God. Nature was how God revealed himself to man, so observing it carefully was good for one's spiritual health. But don't forget, this is the 17th century. Don't get too scientific now--stay outta here with your gravity and Capernican Heliocentrism. You can keep that nice, zoological dress, though.

With so many options for themes, ranging from Roman Catholic dogma, to Bible stories, to priestly vestments, to works in museums and churches, and the patrons who commissioned them, this sure has been a fruitful year for fashion creations. Kudos to all those designers out there getting really funky with it, sacrilege be damned.

Today’s lesson: if you’re heading to a museum to look at art, the best outfit to wear is art itself. Let us know what your favorite Met Gala looks were this year!

By Alannah Clark and Jeannette Sturman

#met gala 2018 #met gala #metropolitan museum of art #art history #fashion #italian renaissance #catholicism #religion #blasphemy #rihanna #high fashion #virgin mary #art news #michelangelo #raphael #jesus #history of art #haute couture

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ive-always-been-a-pirate · 7 years

Text

The Other Prince + A CS Modern Royalty AU [Chapter 4]

Modern Royalty AU: HRH Prince Killian has grown up in the shadow of the crown while enduring tragedy and the burdens of being the spare to the heir. With a desire to escape his past, he agrees to play host to the visiting general's daughter in exchange for an eventual life outside royal bounds. Moving on is never that easy though and he quickly learns that being the 'other' prince is even more difficult when you find yourself falling for the girl everyone wants your brother to marry.

Catch Up On Previous Chapters: One, Two, Three Also on FF.net and AO3.

Word Count: 5,549

Okay, here's the next Emma chapter. I'm sorry it ended up taking so long to post - life got really crazy for about a week and this took longer to finish than planned. A little more backstory here and the next chapter will be the one we've been waiting for :) thanks for being patient with me. The reviews and flails are all so wonderful and they make my day! As always, all rights, characters, and my soul belong to OUAT.

"So you still don't believe me?"

Emma nearly laughed at her father's quickly drawn conclusion as he flopped down in the seat across from her. Peeking up from the recent issue of Time magazine she'd borrowed from her mother's bag, she found the analyzing eyes of the man who'd just asked her something of a question.

"I never said that," she replied with a sly smirk. "Just trying to process your new level of popularity. I guess I didn't realize how much things have changed since I've been gone."

His gaze was understanding and the tiniest bit concerned, almost as if he needed to hear that she was okay with this little venture. She'd assured him she was a few times over the past couple of days and even if it wasn't totally honest, Emma knew it was the right thing to do. Normalcy was the next step in her father's recovery process and if being in regular communication with a few members of the royal family fell into their now typical realm of "business as usual"….well, she would just have to learn to deal with that.

"It's not that different, Em," he started with a raised eyebrow. "I used to tell you all the time about how I was in the active ranks with the Queen's son years ago. We were quite good friends even back then."

"Yeah, but you also used to say you'd help slay the imaginary dragon under my bed," she replied, matching his expression. "You can't blame me for questioning what sounds like the stuff of embellished fairytales, Dad."

He chuckled at that, his humored smile a sight she continually hoped to witness over the past few months. His face had been full of alternating agony and frustration since the injury, but as he'd started to heal, those details had shifted into a look of longing - one reserved for a sailor who was certainly missing the sea. It was that view of her father she was happy to be rid of for now and hopefully one day altogether.

So far, her morning observations were making her quite optimistic about that possibility.

They'd only boarded the train leaving platform eight at Leeds Station about twenty minutes earlier and despite having about another two hours to go, Emma couldn't think of a recent time she'd seen him look this alert or prepared. His determined, courageous spirit seemed to rush back as he'd shuffled their tickets between his somewhat nervous hands before moving between the sliding doors in search of their seats. Her mother had taken over that endeavor rather fast and Emma had rolled her eyes when he'd teased her with their usual warning about minding the gap as she stepped on board behind them. Being steered toward first class was a bit surreal and she tried to act casual while she'd navigated a path between an assortment of suited businessmen in the same direction her parents had gone. Arriving in a quiet cabinet of dark blue plush covered seats - two on one side and a single on the other - was an experience unlike the past railway trips she'd endured, but after a moment, Emma reminded herself that this new reality was built on one crucial fact.

They were now part of the royal approved upper class and as snobby as it sounded, maybe it was okay to see just how the other and much more privileged half lived. Just for a little bit, she told herself. After all, the coffee on the cart moving up and down the aisle seemed like a step up.

"I guess it does seem a bit fiction worthy to be friends with an actual modern day prince," her father acknowledged with a brief smirk, the lift of his mouth falling as fast as it had risen. "It's a shame though that even the heir to the throne hasn't been handed one of those happy endings you read about in kids' books - and I'm sadly not just referring to when his wife…."

The sound of his reminiscing voice trailing off prompted Emma to look out the window for a beat, her eyes searching the expanses of green grass drifting by as the train moved. He didn't have to finish the thought for Emma to know what tragic event he was referencing - the sudden and all too heartbreaking death of Princess Katherine which had shaken the world nearly fifteen years earlier. It was a dark time for the Royal family that Emma didn't know much about, but she'd seen the same aftermath as most everyone else - hundreds of mourners lining the gates of Kensington Palace with flowers and sympathy, never ending news articles and magazine covers displaying the unbelievably beautiful face of the fallen princess, and one solemn march of her husband and young sons as they followed her funeral procession toward Westminster Abbey on a dim rainy afternoon.

The loss hadn't been hers, but Emma had felt the heavy grief pushed upon the world that day and it wasn't a memory she wished to relive.

"Well," her father said after a moment, his eyes calm yet sad as he tried to will away the sad thought. "I guess I can just say that I knew Brennan back before his days became so difficult to endure."

Emma's head swirled with several questions that she hoped to clarify, but one stood out among the lot of them - one that wouldn't require explanation if they weren't discussing a man who was part of a long, traditional lineage.

"Wait - Brennan?"

"Oh, yeah - though I guess the more proper title would be Prince Brennan, or Charles William Philip Brennan of Wales if I were to be totally accurate," her father explained, his expression slightly amused. "He'd probably kill me for addressing him by his extraordinarily long name though. He's preferred only the fourth part as long as I've known him, which he's always reminded me of right after insisting I drop the formalities in regards to who he is specifically."

Emma felt her eyes widen again as the connection between her military driven father and the regal class continued to unfold. An actual first name basis, she realized while continuing the process of accepting an elevated social status. Well, fourth name - but it was kind of the same thing in this case.

"Hell of a sailor though aside from being next in line to the crown," he continued, running a hand over his recently shaved face. "It's a shame his health has taken such a toll on his ties to the Navy."

Emma narrowed her eyes a bit in confusion, her mind trying to deduce just what he might be about to divulge. She'd heard gossip here and there about a few health issues the eldest prince had been battling for the past decade at least. It had all stemmed from an illness that struck just after his wife's tragic death if Emma was recalling correctly and she wasted no time in asking for clarification with a wondering tilt of her head.

"I think his steady decline started around Christmas that year - almost three months after Katherine's passing," her father said after a few prolonged and achingly silent moments. "He had a rather mild heart attack, likely brought on by stress in my opinion but also due to an underlying condition several doctors have been trying to decipher for years now. It wasn't quite as severe as the one that followed a few years later. I have to say it's an unfortunate type of ironic to see a man who's so silently passionate about life fall victim to a failing heart."

Since the second her father had taken the seat across from her own, Emma had been wondering just what sort of endgame was in store for this conversation and more so for the destiny driven man being discussed. Hearing the words that wrapped that answer in a cloak of tragedy wasn't terribly shocking given the rocky road the heir apparent had traveled health wise, but they still met her ears with a painful and quite perilous sound.

The elder prince meant to one day take the throne had a broken heart - both figuratively and oh so literally.

"So he's going to….I mean, what about….like a-" Emma tried, stammering as she adjusted her inquiry. "-transplant or something? Is that a possibility with his condition?"

"It was once I suppose - well, twice actually," her father recounted. "But an illness like his isn't always so easily remedied. They've tried for the surgery on two separate occasions, but it just hasn't panned out."

"Oh," Emma said softly. "Why?"

"It's quite a long story, Em - maybe too long for a train ride from the country to the boroughs," he told her distractedly, the sudden halt of his history lesson making her even more curious. "But I guess one thing I can say for sure is that not all stories end with happily ever after - even when you're a prince."

Emma felt the mood shift as he stared out the window for a moment, his eyes distant with a recollection she hoped to eventually learn more about. She couldn't help but feel guilty as she watched him - a lot had evolved while she'd been away in the states and while the camaraderie he now shared with the well known royal was something she knew little about, it was obvious how affected he was by his ailing friend's plight.

"I appreciate you coming with us, Em," he said suddenly with a grateful smile. "I know you don't particularly love London and visiting the city is always a bit chaotic, especially on weekends."

"It's no big deal, Dad," she assured him with a returned smirk. "You're sure you're up to this though, right?"

"As much as I just love being cooped up in a house with two women who won't stop asking me if I'm okay, I think a breath of fresh yet slightly smoggy air will be a nice change," he teased, nodding toward the single seat across the aisle where her mother was sound asleep. "For all of us."

They seemed to share a mutual sense of relief at the view of her mother so unstressed as a nap overtook her. Emma had become familiar with the woman's troubled sleep habits since the accident as it was a struggle they shared, both of them alternating their bouts of worried insomnia while keeping watch over her healing father.

"Yeah, I've never seen her give into a seat swap so easily with me," Emma agreed, noticing how her father's expression filled with honest admiration as he watched his wife slumber. "Maybe a few days away will be just what the doctor ordered."

She couldn't help but giggle at the dramatically exasperated eye roll he offered in return, her ironic little play on words obviously just as cheesy as it sounded. The way resting didn't seem to vex the woman she'd been enduring this with at the moment made Emma believe that maybe they were on their way back to normal - even though this rather prestigious trip was anything but typical.

"Her idea doesn't seem like a terrible one actually," he decided while shifting back against the deep navy blue headrest. "You wouldn't mind allowing an old man to get a bit of shuteye, right?"

"You're not that old, Dad," she said in return with a teasing grin. "But go ahead - you're probably going to need it if you're going to sit through a bunch of boring meetings today."

"Hey, they aren't that boring," he replied with a wink. "Should only be about two hours to King's Cross and there will be a driver there to fetch us when we arrive."

Emma found herself still a bit flabbergasted by the formal amenities they were about to experience as she nodded and told him to get some rest. She honestly hoped he'd do so for what was left of the ride and while her simple wish stemmed from a never ending concern for his fragile health, a sudden desire to discover more about the family her father had just painted a vague picture of was something she was anxious to heed to. Knowing just the place to begin, she reached carefully for the magazine she'd recently set aside. It seemed like some odd piece of fate that the publication was advertising an article with a Modern Young Royals title - one about a familiar second heir and the less well known spare.

Her eyes followed the red letters on the cover to the table of contents, her fingers then navigating to the near middle of the pages. The short story wasn't long, but it slowly filled in the answers for a few questions floating around in her mind.

They were brothers of course, a fact she'd always known but one that suddenly fascinated her. Emma realized after a quick mathematical effort that the pictures printed alongside the words must have been a bit outdated - the photographs displayed two young soldiers who she now knew were retired military and sneaking up on thirty with a three year age difference. Well, at least the younger of the pair wasn't past that milestone yet. The article continued to chronicle the boys' adult lives - Liam and Killian of Wales, she'd read at the start - including their charity work and the eldest one's low key thirty first birthday retreat in Scotland. They seemed close and she wondered briefly if that conclusion was accurate. The relationship they'd developed had to be a bit tense with what certainly defined a whole new sense of sibling rivalry.

She sifted through the information printed in dark text as the green hills outside the window passed by, the train progressing along right on schedule and steadily enough to keep both of her parents peacefully asleep. The article didn't offer up as much new insight as she'd been hoping for and Emma sighed heavily as she toyed with the corner of the page.

Her eyes soon caught easily enough on the older brother's uniform, the crisp lines of the attire cut in deep blue and white just like her own father's. Though the picture was old and taken about four years earlier toward the end of his active duty, the pride and courageous qualities of the firstborn prince didn't seem like ones that would wear off anytime soon. The royal man had been mentioned in a few conversations throughout her life, especially once he joined the Royal Navy and eventually worked his way up to Captain - though as a man of a regal bloodline, his power obviously stretched beyond that title. His smile was genuine in the image displayed before her and it awakened an odd need to know deep within her soul - but the particular intrigue was suddenly not focused on Liam.

Her eyes scanned sideways unexpectedly with steady movement until her sight landed upon the younger prince. It took only a few seconds of staring down at the soldier dressed in the more sensible war-fit camouflage for realization to fill her head. While her previous knowledge on the older brother wasn't extensive, the truth regarding Prince Killian and exactly who he was was unbelievably unclear.

Sure, he was the other brother - the spare to the heir if dictated by cliche - but beyond that, she knew nothing about him.

Checking on her parents once more, Emma slowly reached into the black tote she typically slung over her shoulder on trips like this. Her hand bumped against the smooth cover belonging to her old copy of Anne of Green Gables - the book she was planning on rereading for the hundredth time - before she found the device she'd packed alongside that timeless tale. She pressed the power button quickly, making herself a little more comfortable in the cushioned seat as she waited for the iPad screen to brighten.

Almost sixty percent left, she noted silently. That battery life was plenty for an hour or so of research.

Emma let her fingers hover over the search bar as she pondered what to type. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for or just how much there was to learn about the younger prince, but the conflicted blue of his eyes in the single picture she'd just seen made it appear that there was more to him than what could be written in a two page spread. There was a mystery surrounding this guy - one who was only two years older than she was - and she needed to learn just how deep those serenely still waters ran. Opting to type simply his name with the formal title included, Emma hit the search key and waited in slight annoyance for the train's Wi-Fi signal to load the page.

"Holy hell…."

The barely expletive comment passed her lips in a sudden whisper, her teeth holding her tongue as she read the results with wide eyes. There was instantly a wealth of interesting information crowding her screen, everything from his recent departure from the military to his upcoming charity event regarding his work with wounded soldiers. The headlines were tempting as she scrolled through them and her impression of the second born royal began to slowly form, an opinion that was slightly honorable and dignified as she noted everything from his recent trip to a local zoo alongside a pack of private school first graders all the way down to his upcoming plans for an African elephant conservation trip. She didn't mean to so quickly gather a sense of intrigue toward the man affectionately deemed 'the people's prince', but there was no disputing the positive way he represented the Royal family - well, at least not until she clicked onto the second page.

Whoa, Emma thought with narrowed eyes. It didn't take long for text including terms like 'past rugby brawls at Eton' and 'the Las Vegas ladykiller' to put a pause on her impressed demeanor - or for those titles to be the ones she chose to elaborate upon.

She wasn't sure just how much of it was true as the publications ranged from trashy tabloids to online pop culture sites. Many of the reports were dated back a few years, possibly documented before his stint as a courageous helicopter pilot. There were plenty of them though and it was almost too easy to stereotype him as a playboy of sorts who'd taken part in numerous acts filed under that cliche of sex, drugs, and - as a fight at a past music festival in Dublin indicated - even a little rock and roll. As her touch swiped through dozen of stories, the facts began to prod her into a state of shocked surprise.

Prince Killian certainly wasn't as charming as his handsome smile and dapper suits suggested. He was almost some kind of a bad boy - and Emma's mind spun at the possibility of regality actually looking rebellious in the form of a dark haired, wild spirited royal.

The minutes ticked on, winding down the duration of their journey as Emma kept trudging through the tales her search had led to. There was no shortage of questionable stories and she shook her head as she navigated them - a short piece about his party habits and the various women he'd been spotted with. Her confusion mounted as she came across a piece speculating the reason for the prince's unexplained departure from Eton college a year earlier than was planned. The dramatically printed conclusion that he'd been kicked out didn't seem totally off base now that her exploration had shed some light on the enigma that was this younger prince - and that light wasn't of a bright sort as the publications piled up.

Another Weekend Bender for Prince Killian!

Supermodels Galore As The British Prince Hits The California Beaches!

The Prince's Untamed Temper Rises At London Pub!

Cheating, Failing, and Wild Nights Out: The Real Reason HRH Prince Killian Left Eton Early!

It felt strangely scandalous to be reading such outlandish reporting on someone whose name was proceeded by the label 'His Royal Highness', but each line of text seemed to normalize and expose him just a bit more. Emma knew she shouldn't care so much about someone she didn't even know. Just because they were visiting the palace didn't mean she'd ever even meet the man who was so suddenly mysterious and she had to thank god for that since there was no way she could look him in the eye after what she'd read - or what she'd now seen in some very interesting photographs following a few of the articles.

Sure, he was handsome enough - that probably wasn't really a secret to any woman in the world. Emma had admitted that to herself a few times over the year, typically when he graced the cover of whatever magazine she'd end up perusing while waiting in the grocery store checkout line. Everything from his dark, messy hair to his stormy eyes seemed to define what it meant to be attractive, but once he'd added a well trimmed beard and a seductive smirk - well, that upped the stakes a little more.

The pictures she found herself currently studying were changing the game even further in her mind though and it was becoming one where the rules were very few - almost as sparse as the clothing he was wearing in some of them.

There were a few from a bachelor's party he'd attended years earlier at the Bellagio in stateside Sin City where a late night strip poker game led to a drenched prince, his slightly grown out hair and defined chest falling victim to some poolside splashing. Just a several scrolls below that distracting photo opt was a blurry snapshot where a man who might be the prince she was contemplating appeared to be celebrating a friend's birthday party in nothing but his own birthday suit, only a well placed palm tree censoring the sight. There were also a couple pictures of him clad in a collared leather jacket with a drink in hand, intoxication scribbled all over his face as he moved from bar to bar throughout downtown London. In most of them, he was in company with the same small posse of two or three guys and also often followed by a pack of smitten women that constantly varied. Emma tried to ignored the way her face burned with what definitely was not jealousy, but perhaps….annoyance?

This guy was supposed to be the chivalrous face of the royal family, but as her research droned on, it was hard to see him as anything but a careless and perhaps hopeless womanizer.

Emma gave in to each outrageous link, her mind beginning to settle on the fact that this esteemed guy was bad news when her eyes unexpectedly found a string words that made her heart sink. She'd been silently afraid of finding articles like this one and her breath stuttered as she debated clicking on the blue title.

A Second Son's Struggle: How Prince Killian Found Peace After His Mother's Death.

Oh, she thought with pause and a small gasp. The suggestion of this royal man possessing yet another layer was painfully irresistible and Emma swallowed hard as she prepared to possibly change her mind again. She was almost certain she was headed down that perplexing path - well, right up until the sound of an cabin announcement signaled their arrival in the capital city a few minutes ahead of schedule. Her father's movement in the seat next to hers prompted Emma to hit the lock screen button and quickly stow away the device in the bag she'd retrieved it from.

"See that-" her father yawned wide, his eyes a well rested light blue. "-wasn't too long at all, right?"

"Uh, nope - no, it wasn't," Emma replied as she took a deep breath. "I guess I kinda have missed riding the train."

"Now, that's the spirit," he smirked, his line of sight focusing to analyze her. "Anything happen while I was out?"

Emma felt her cheeks grow warm as she thought back on the covert work she'd been undertaking while her family dozed. She couldn't pinpoint why she suddenly cared enough to explore further so she definitely couldn't explain her wonderings to the man who sat in high standings with the leaders of their current country and many others. Not now, Emma decided without words - and maybe not ever.

"Nothing to report," she answered, feeling instantly regretful for her ironic phrasing. "Well, other than the fact that you snore and that mom is still able to sleep through it."

"She's always found a way to put up with me I suppose," he winked, looking over at his tired wife as the train began to slow. "I guess we should wake her. All set?"

"Ummm, yeah," Emma nodded with a final glance out the window just as they passed beneath the arched entry toward the various platforms. "Guess we better get going, Admiral."

The charismatic grin he offered in return was enough to quiet her shaky breath as she rose from the cushy seat. Hearing the sounds of other passengers shifting and her mother's happy sigh as she awoke seemed to make it all that much more real. It really didn't matter if she was ready or not. They were actually headed for Buckingham Palace - and she could only hope her recent intel wasn't about to make that visit even more awkward.

"Oh, right over there," her mother pointed as they traversed the concrete walkway toward the ticketing area. "I think that's him."

Emma barely caught the signaling tone of her mother's voice, her eyes well beyond distracted as she observed the architectural beauty that was London's recently renovated station. From the moment they stepped off the train, she'd been been entranced by the building - the open plaza design, the sound of the echoing overhead departure and arrival announcements, and the steel structure of the towering roof. She'd been silently wondering just how her mother was able to sound so chipper right after waking up as she studied the white metal grid that weaved an enclosure above them. She quickly realized it was more than just a way to keep the city's sporadic rain from beating down on the throes of commuters and while she hadn't come to appreciate much about urban transportation, the sight definitely put a hold on her complaining as they exited through two of the various glass doors.

The sun was mild and a slight breeze hung in the air as Emma rubbed the smooth fabric of her striped sweater. The temperature wasn't much different than the one they'd just left, but as her eyes scanned the busy street lined with taxis and pedestrians, she noted that London was going to be quite the change from their peaceful stay in Leeds. Squinting as the bright light brought her back to an aware state, Emma tightened her hold on her shoulder bag as she peered in the direction her mother was gesturing.

"Yeah, must be," her father answered, his taunting wit returning in full. "I guess that sign reading 'Nolan Family' in big bold letters is a dead giveaway."

Emma laughed softly as he received an unamused glare from her mother. It was a reaction that would have typically come in the form of an unabashed elbow to his side or a slap on his chest, but what they'd endured the past few months didn't really accommodate such acts. The expression on his wife's face seemed to get the job done anyway and he abruptly pressed a kiss to her head as he led them toward a man holding a clipboard and paper with their last name in welcoming black text.

"You must be Marco," her father said kindly, holding out a hand for the man to shake. "Bren-...I mean, Prince Brennan gave me your name, but I must admit he didn't say much beyond that."

"That I am," the man smiled as he accepted the handshake before glancing over to Emma and her mother. "Which must make this Nolan family."

"All but our son," her mother commented with a grateful grin. "He attends Eton, but we'll be meeting up with him while we're here. Oh, heavens, I'm sorry - I'm Mary Margaret, David's wife."

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Nolan - Marco Geppetto, palace chauffeur," the man nodded with a slight bow. "I'm glad we're finally meeting as I've heard nothing but wonderful things about your family for years now."

His eyes were deep brown and the way they crinkled at the corners was so cheerful - a fact that quickly put Emma at ease. His face was slightly tanned while partially covered by a white beard he kept neatly trimmed. He wore a tweed flat cap that hid what hair he still appeared to have and his face was wrinkled with a numbers of years she couldn't quite pinpoint. His attire was a little more casual than expected from a man who drove royalty around for a living, but Emma decided quickly that the tan sweater vest paired with a brown tie and slacks was very fitting for the old man who seemed very much like an ally.

"So I suppose that makes you Emma," he started, raising an eyebrow in question. "Columbia grad student and the only daughter, right?"

"Oh - well, former Columbia student actually, but yes," Emma answered, trying to ignore the blow to her ego he certainly hadn't meant to offer. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Ge-"

"No, no, Marco will be just fine," he chuckled, moving the few steps to hold open the door of a jet black Range Rover for them. "Unless my driving isn't up to par, in which case, you're welcome to label me with whatever curse word you deem necessary."

Emma felt herself perk up slightly as he handed her a type of banter that might lead to a good humored friendship between them. As she clicked her seatbelt, she didn't fail to realize that such a development might not be possible. It was highly likely that this man was one of many when it came to drivers contracted to the Royals. This could very well be the only and last time she saw him, a thought that made her spirit fall when she noticed how instantly he'd also ignited a casual conversation with her father.

They chatted up a storm as they traveled, a mixture of explanations and easy laughter that could have provided her with hope of a pleasant trip had she allowed it. Keeping her eyes trained on the passing scenery, she tried to tune out the talking resonating from the front of the obviously quite new SUV.

It didn't matter that the beautifully built station and this man's cheerful demeanor had welcomed them so unexpectedly to the central hub of England. Her father was there to do a job and nothing could completely change the fact that they - well, she - didn't belong in London.

"So if I recall properly, your meeting at the Ministry of Defence is in about an hour, sir-" he started, glancing toward her father as they waited at a roundabout. "-and then the prince mentioned that some shopping might be in order?"

"Shopping-" Emma started, her eyes moving back and forth between her parents. "-for what?"

A slow, suspicious silence filled the car as her father glanced back at them from the passenger seat. Emma shifted slightly against the sleek leather as her eyebrow lifted expectantly. They were up to something, she realized as her parents exchanged sneaky expressions. Each glance seemed to accuse the other of dropping the ball on this one, but as usual, her mother with some well practiced peacekeeping prevailed.

"I just thought maybe while your father is busy, we could go look for-" her mother said, clearing her throat as she tried to act casual. "-a new dress."

"A….dress? Why do I need a new dress?"

Marco cracked a small smile as he turned onto a busy road, the vague parts of a confused picture finally sorting themselves out for him. Her father was fidgeting distractedly with the cuffs of his dress shirt, a little tick he often gave way to in uncomfortable situations and one that seemed to speak volumes given their current circumstances. Emma's mind drifted back to the last time she'd seen him toy with his sleeve so nervously and it took only a moment to recall that he'd done this exact same thing the morning he'd asked her to attend the Cambridge gala in his place - an ask that even he knew was a lofty one. Emma was in the middle of remembering just how humorously nervous he'd looked and how hard she'd tried to act irritated when suddenly, it all started to make sense.

She needed a dress for a royal event - and god, they were truly going to owe her for this.

Tagging some lovely people: @optomisticgirl (thank you for the beta assistance, my friend), @themmaswan, @xpumpkindumplingx, @spartanguard, @harryandthecambridges, @eala-captian, @allietumbles, @kmomof4, @laschatzi, @galadriel26, @timeless-love-story, @lifeinahole27, @kat2609, @msres, @all0of0the0usernames, @captainswanismyendgame, @lovelycssefan, @hooksheroicheart, @irishcaptainodonoghue, @gonzothegreat90, @cat-sophia, @rebelcxptain, @prairiepirate, @yesplskillianjones, @jennjenn615, @xhookswenchx, @heomomka, @fckyesroyals, @lenfazreads, @cherrywolf713, @lucasxdorothy, @hollyethecurious, @fairytalesandtimetravel, @lillyanjones, @pirateherokillian, @shipsxahoy, @phiralovesloki, @jscoutfinch

*If there’s anyone who’d like a tag in future chapters, just let me know :)

#cs ff #cs au ff #cs modern au #cs royal au #prince!killian #cs fic update #killian jones #emma swan #captain swan #the other prince

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kylewritesaboutthings · 4 years

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Riot Fest 2016 - Day 3

Let me take a moment to tell you about the Law of Standard Deviation. In short, it states that 99.7% of all occurrences of an event or action will take place within 3 deviations of the mean (or 0 deviations). This is the principal behind that bell curve that your teachers always talked about. Everyone pretty much does the same except for the burnout who tanked the exam because they spent 7 hours geeked up on adderall looking up conspiracy theories over the “real Paul McCartney” and the kid who had the Casio watch with all the buttons on it that you could totally use to cheat but you know he never did. The extreme highs and lows are rare, but a possibility.

Why did I just give you a math lesson on basic averages? Because sometimes you wake up from a three day bender of punk rock, malort, pizza, Old Style, more malort, various other illegal substances, and more malort and feel absolutely incredible. Sometimes you wake up on the .3% of mornings where no matter what you did to yourself the night before, your body has rallied like an Olympic athlete and repaired itself in the four hours you’ve slept since your last drink. Aided by a stomach full of tacos from the night before, I woke up on Sunday morning feeling like a golden fucking god.

I could not say the same for my Riot Fest companions Rachel and Steph. As both were hurting, I took the Uber ride of triumph, the opposite of the walk of shame, to move my car from its post of abandonment outside of Quenchers Saloon from the previous night (where I guess I loaded out hot sauce gear while blacked out, came to trying to sing Fall Out Boy karaoke, and flashed back into consciousness as I woke up at the bar counter of an all-night taco spot). My driver was as surprised as I was about how chipper I was at such an ungodly early time of morning, asking me if I’ve been to “The Riot Fests” over the weekend. An interesting and often unnoticed trend about the baby boomer generation; they will add ‘The’ and ‘s’ to anything of youth culture. I first noticed this when, despite how much I talked about it, my dad always referred to Tony Hawk Pro Skater as “The Tony Hawks”. As in “you’re always on The Tony Hawks, have you even studying?” The answer to that was no, because I never studied due to the fact that I am a smartass-know-it-all. But I digress…

My partners in crime aka two legs of the traveling tripod were hurting and this needed to be rectified. They’ve put in so much work helping Soothsayer Hot Sauce get where it is today and the best thank you I can think of is delivery coffee and breakfast sandwiches when hungover. A quick stop through to Dunkin Donuts later and we were in business. The brace-faced teenager burned our everything bagels, but that’s alright. The previous evening we had smoked cigarettes like we were sponsored by Philip Morris so it’s not like our taste buds were working at 100% anyway. What really matters is eggs and friendship…eggs being the most versatile and delicious food stuff to ever happen. When people say “oh, I could totally go vegan if it wasn’t for (insert non-meat animal product here)” it is usually cheese. But I’ve tried some amazing vegan cheeses thanks to my pals in Typesetter and I could live with that reality. But I could never live without eggs.

After dropping off food to Steph, I made my way home to my very hungover girlfriend for budget breakfast in bed. It is at this point I wish I could tell you that we all instantly rallied and started the final trek to Douglas Park, but that would be a lie. The reality is that we basked in the air conditioning and watched Netflix until the very last possible second needed to leave in time to catch Thursday shake off the cobwebs and remind everyone how fucking depressing it is to grow up in New Jersey. Yeah, I know. We missed The Bronx, The Falcon, and Andrew WK. Sometimes you just want to start the day lying in bed with the only person you really want to be around while you laugh at cheesy cop shows, ya know? But I had a literary responsibility and some back assed semblance of journalistic integrity that would make Joseph Pulitzer vomit in his mouth just a little bit, so we dragged ourselves off of the memory foam mattress and got our shit in gear.

Making it just in time to see Thursday take the stage, I thanked our dark lord and master for my uncanny sense of timing that allows me to be late, but not too late, to everything I do. That and the fact that once again the security guard didn’t find the chillum in my shoe. Before I got too much time to reminisce on that (or pack a bowl), they kicked right into “For the Workforce, Drowning”, the lead track on 2003’s “War All the Time”. I know that many argue that “Full Collapse” is Thursday’s crowning achievement, but I would argue that they are fucking wrong. Of the emotionally driven music to come out of the early aughts, War All the Time is one of the most powerful. They portray the pain, confusion, and anxiety of that place and time in such a way to make it beautiful. Their four year hiatus hasn’t hindered them one bit, Thursday is still an impressively powerful live band. Driven by the gap-toothed smile of Geoff Rickly, they tore through a hits-only 40 minute setlist that made all of our former scene kid hearts smile. Wishing that I still had at least one of my white, Hot Topic pyramid belts, they barreled through “Jet Black New Year” while trailing into the chorus of Prince’s “1999”. To close their set Rickly bid the crowd adieu, saying “you might recognize this next song from your local bar’s emo night” as the opening notes to “Understanding in a Car Crash”. The irony being that Mr. Rickly would be hosting the emo night at local standby Beauty Bar later that evening.

One of the best things about festivals like Riot Fest, is the opportunity for back to back sets from some genre heavyweights that otherwise wouldn’t be sharing the stage together (or the opposite, where you get “WHAT IN THE ACTUALLY FUCK” moments like Me First and the Gimme Gimmies playing a set on the Rise Stage just before Death Grips). If you would have told me two years ago that I would be hanging around waiting for Underoath to play after seeing a set from Thursday I would have said you were crazy. Both bands, defunct for the last number of years, have recently gotten back together for some high profile reunion events. Thursday giving it another go at this year’s Wrecking Ball fest in Atlanta, while Underoath spent the winter/spring touring a dual album anniversary set for 2004’s “They’re Only Chasing Safety” and 2006’s “Define the Great Line”.

As a former Myspace era scene kid (see: black swoop, white pyramid belt, Norma Jean shirt) this was a dream come true. I had already driven up to Grand Rapids earlier in the year to see the reunion/album tour and was excited to see what they had to offer for a non-linear set. Kicking off with “Breathing in a New Mentality”, the opening track from 2008’s “Lost in the Sound of Separation”, Underoath showed both the fans and the curious alike that they still have it. One of the central aspects of their reunion was the return of drummer/singer Aaron Gillespie, who hadn’t played with the band since 2010. If you are unfamiliar with Underoath, you’d recognize them as the band that really started the ‘clean/whiney singer trading vocals with a second, screaming vocalist’. Love it or hate it, they made it popular and arguably did it the best (and god damn if keyboardist Chris Dudley doesn’t look fucking adorable while he’s trying to look like he’s really contributing to the song).

My lovely girlfriend, who indulged me through two albums worth of scream goodness earlier in the year, wanted to check out English songwriter/pipsqueak Jake Bugg…so I hung up my low v-neck and retired my neon Supra’s a little early and left Underoath to wrap up as we went to find a nice, shady hill spot at the Rock Stage. Only having heard Bugg a few days prior, I was intrigued to see what this 22 year old had to offer. Playing a garage rocky, folky, blues forward style this kid has somehow amassed almost 100 million listens on his top 5 Spotify songs…most of which came on an album he released when he was 22. As the theme today was ‘general chill’, it seemed like a good way to close out the last of the daylight, and that it certainly was. Surrounded by a backing band, Bugg played a solid 45 minute set while mixing his faster/slower songs. I was impressed, at 22 I would be lucky if I could be on a stage that size for 5 minutes without throwing up…let alone entertain a couple thousand people for the better part of an hour.

At this point in the evening, the things I had to give a shit about were pretty much over. Ever curious about large scale spectacles/general bullshit, we wandered over to see the first part of Death Grips set. Admittedly, I haven’t spent much time on what is one of the more polarizing bands around. I know they leaked their own album ahead of the release date to piss of their label, I know they have an album cover that is just a big ole boner with the title written on it, and I know they notoriously just don’t show up for performances. But those I know who love them, LOVE THEM…so I wanted to see what it was all about. We made it all of about 2 minutes before trading looks of “what the fuck is this shit?” and fleeing as far away as possible. Death Grips have been added to the list of things that I just don’t get. They were by far the loudest set all weekend, abrasively so. And with the stage lights set so dim that you couldn’t really see anyone on stage, so the only thing one had to focus on was the pooling of blood in your ear canal.

As I could give a fuck about Rob Zombie playing just about anything that isn’t “Dragula” repeated for 60 straight minutes, this seems like as good of time as any to circle back and talk about what Riot Fest did right and wrong this year. The biggest check in the plus column for the crew responsible for punk rocks biggest carnival would be their adjustments to the layout at this year’s installment. While last year’s location details were filled with stress and uncertainty, having to move from Humboldt to Douglas Park and then facing last second threats from St. Anthony Hospital, they were able to work on solid ground this year and damn if they didn’t do it right.

Issues with sound bleeding from stage to stage were all of non-existent from what I could tell and in terms of maneuverability; it was incredibly easy to get from one act to the next. Having one main gate made finding your way in very easy, with all will call/VIP/press check in’s occurring right in one spot. You would think that shuffling thousands of people through one gate would cause a huge backup and bottleneck? Not the case, entry was quick and easy on all three days. Compared to what I experienced at Shaky Knees in Atlanta, Riot Fest has set a standard for urban music festivals. They did a fantastic job providing a wide variety of vendors, both food and otherwise, while placing them in three central locations (food stand, food truck, retail vendors) for easy access. Unlike the rambling views of near blackout drunk Kyle, I would say that there were plenty of available port-a-potties and I never had to wait very long to relieve myself in the stuffy blue box we all know and love.

I’m really happy to see this year go so well for the Riot crew, as they’ve worked really hard to make this festival what it is. As someone who has seen all the phases of the fest, from the mutli-venue city hopping weekend, to the Congress Theater takeover, to the Humboldt Park introduction…they have come a long way. The rains held out, for the first time in three years, and they didn’t have to stare down a $100,000 repair bill. They booked the biggest/most surprising reunion in punk history (more on that shortly) while filling out the rest of a very solid lineup with new and old favorites. In the era of major festivals, I’m glad they’ve done what they can to give punk rock their say. My only complaint: more water stations. While September in Chicago is not known to be a sweltering month, having one water station (and a small one at that) for thousands of attendees is a poor showing, if not a dangerous one given the amount of alcohol consumed onsite…both legally purchased and snuck in like some kind of boozy joey for alcoholic kangaroos.

Now that that’s out of the way, a brief review of the reunited Misfits: they played well. Seriously, that’s about all I have to say. They had a rad set for a band who hasn’t been a band for the entire time I’ve been on this planet. Danzig only freaked out once, calling out his stage tech for microphone placement, and sounded out of breath in between every song…the kind of out of breath that you get from eating too many McDouble’s, not the kind you get from running a marathon. But they did well, everyone had a great time, and I got to hear “Where Eagles Dare” from the comfort of the back of the crowd before we made our traffic beating, early exit home.

All in all: 10/10, would do again, thx fr th mmrs, tip your bartender, ect.

The end.

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fashionorpassionforwomen · 6 years

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FASHION, diana, princess, styleShe’s More Than Style Icon: Princess Diana Creating a style is a whole pack. She has become an icon, not only with her clothes and accesories , but also with her sophistication, simplicity, modesty, nobleness, elegance, helpfulness and sensibility. Even after death, we still know the icon princess Diana. FOREVER a fashion icon, Princess Diana’s sense of flair is as relevant today as it was when she first stepped out in her famous outfits. Diana – Princess of fashion: How she created a timeless and elegant style? Princess Diana, also known as Diana Spencer, came from a noble family and was always in close contact with the royal family due to her family. Princess Diana (as she was known) was the consort of Charles, Prince of Wales. What seemed to millions like a fairy tale marriage turned to public scandal and then divorce, with much of the public adopting her as “The People’s Princess.” She was the mother of Prince William, currently in line for the throne after his father, Diane’s former husband, and of Prince Harry. She was also known for her charity work and her fashion image. Lady Diana Frances Spencer was also known as Lady Diana and Lady Di. She lived from July 1, 1961 to August 31, 1997. Her proper title during marriage was Diana, Princess of Wales, rather than Princess Diana, though the latter is how so much of the world knows her. Her Life Story She was born in Sandringham, one of the queen’s private properties on July 1, 1961, and spent his childhood years there. Diana’s father is said to have worked for the royal family for a time. Her mother, had left them as a child, so Diana had an introvert childhood. Her brother, the Earl Spencer, reminisced that she was ‘incredibly brave,’ even as a young girl. As a child, Diana read her aunt’s fairy tale books and was completely immersed in her life and never sent anybody into her private life, so she decided to hide herself for marriage because she was sure that she would marry someone important. In school, the future princess failed all her O -levels- twice. However, Diana had a sense that she was destined for something important. “I knew that something profound was coming my way,” she said in the documentary “I was just treading water, waiting for it” Diana, in her own words… Diana’s parents divorced in 1969. Her mother ran away with a wealthy heir, and her father gained custody of the children. He later married Raine Legge, whose mother was Barbara Cartland, a romance novelist. Diana was the third of four children. Her sister Lady Sarah Spencer married Neil McCorquodale; before she married, Sarah and Prince Charles dated. Diana’s sister Lady Jane married Robert Fellowes, an assistant secretary to Queen Elizabeth II. Their brother, Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer, was a godson of Queen Elizabeth II. She renewed her contacts with the royal family, and her friendship with Charles grew in 1980. On February 24, 1981, their engagement was announced, and on July 29, 1981, they were married in St. Paul’s Cathedral in a globally televised ceremony watched by an audience numbering in the hundreds of millions. Their first child, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, was born on June 21, 1982, and their second, Prince Henry (“Harry”) Charles Albert David, on September 15, 1984. Marital difficulties led to a separation between Diana and Charles in 1992, though they continued to carry out their royal duties and jointly participate in raising their two children. They divorced on August 28, 1996, with Diana receiving a substantial settlement. Diana’s unprecedented popularity as a member of the royal family, both in Britain and throughout the world, attracted considerable attention from the press, and she became one of the most-photographed women in the world. Although she used that celebrity to great effect in promoting her charitable work, the media (in particular the aggressive freelance photographers known as paparazzi) were often intrusive. It was while attempting to evade journalists that Diana was killed, along with her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul, in an automobile accident in a tunnel under the streets of Paris in 1997. Though the photographers were initially blamed for causing the accident, a French judge in 1999 cleared them of any wrongdoing, instead faulting Paul, who was found to have had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit at the time of the crash and to have taken prescription drugs incompatible with alcohol. In 2006 a Scotland Yard inquiry into the incident also concluded that the driver was at fault. In April 2008, however, a British inquest jury ruled both the driver and the paparazzi guilty of unlawful killing through grossly negligent driving, though it found no evidence of a conspiracy to kill Diana or Fayed, an accusation long made by Fayed’s father. Her death and funeral produced unprecedented expressions of public mourning, testifying to her enormous hold on the British national psyche. The image of Prince William, then age 15, and Prince Harry, then age 12, walking solemnly with their father behind Diana’s casket in her funeral cortege became iconic. People’s Princess… After the divorce, Diana maintained her high public profile and continued many of the activities she had earlier undertaken on behalf of charities, supporting causes as diverse as the arts, children’s issues, and AIDS patients. She also was involved in efforts to ban land mines. To ensure that William and Harry had “an understanding of people’s emotions, their insecurities, people’s distress, and their hopes and dreams,” Diana brought her sons with her to hospitals, homeless shelters, and orphanages. To acquaint them with the world outside of royal privilege, she took them to fast food restaurants and on public transportation. Her compassion, personal warmth, humility, and accessibility earned her the sobriquet “the People’s Princess”… Princess Diana captured the world’s attention as a royal trendsetter, but during her time in the public eye, she also became a prominent philanthropic force. Diana worked tirelessly on behalf of charities around the world, using her fame to raise awareness of a number of important humanitarian issues. Twenty years after her death, here’s why Diana will always be remembered as the “People’s Princess.” She Changed The Face Of The British Monarchy Through her charity work, Diana highlighted how royalty, which had previously been known for its stuffiness, could be in touch with the public. In her interview with BBC’s Panorama in 1995, she said, “I would like a monarchy that has more contact with its people.” This statement became something of a personal mission for the Princess. Diana was at some point patron of over 100 charities. During her many visits to hospitals, schools and fundraising galas, she became known for spending hours talking to people and listening to their stories. Although she found the media’s intrusion into her personal life “intolerable,” Diana found a way to use this to bring attention to the people and the causes that needed it most. She Made Regular Visits To Homeless Centers Despite relinquishing most of her charitable causes after her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996, Diana became patron of Centrepoint in 1992 and remained in the role until her death in 1997. Both William and Harry were taken by the Princess to see the help offered at the charity’s shelters and, at the age of 23, William followed in his mother’s footsteps when he became patron. Speaking at the time, he told The Telegraph: “My mother introduced that sort of area to me a long time ago. It was a real eye-opener and I am very glad she did. It has been something I have held close to me for a long time.” She Reached Out To Children Diana displayed a great affinity for young people and became a champion for some the most vulnerable. As patron of The Royal Marsden Hospital, known for treating childhood cancers, and Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children, she was often pictured comforting children and made a personal connection with many. Speaking about her work with the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, she said: “I make the trips at least three times a week, and spend up to four hours at a time with patients holding their hands and talking to them. Some of them will live and some will die, but they all need to be loved while they are here. I try to be there for them.” How Princess Diana Became A Fashion Icon? Although we’re well aware of all the goodness and compassion Diana, Princess of Wales, spread throughout the world, her personal style was the first thing that dazzled (and in some cases, scandalized) the public. From her early days as a young, shy assistant teacher to her public and glamorous life as a royal, Diana’s style left an indelible mark on the world of fashion. Glittering gowns, elegant suits and bold mini dresses worn by the late Princess Diana are on show at Kensington Palace, marking the 20th anniversary of her death. The exhibition charts her evolving style. In 1997 the influential fashion photographer Mario Testino shot a series of seminal images of Princess Diana wearing Gianni Versace for Vanity Fair magazine. These photographs have come to define the look and glamour of a woman who became an important fashion icon of the twentieth century. In the early twenty-first century, media interest in her image remained undiminished. From that moment the princess became an international figure, photographed and documented wherever she went, and she became a global fashion icon. Diana loved clothes; they were a personal passion but also a requirement of her new public life. As one of the most important members of the British royal family, her wardrobe requirements were fixed in a world that required ball gowns and matching hats, shoes, and handbags, items that were not typical of mainstream fashion for young women in the early 1980s. It is not surprising then that in the early years of her marriage she was steered toward established British fashion designers, including Murray Arbeid, Belville Sassoon, and Gini Fratini, whose traditions of classic tailoring for day and romantic evening wear dated back fifty years. Diana was, however, determined to stamp a modern and youthful personal style on this public and formal persona, and, more than any other British designer, Catherine Walker helped her to develop an elegant, tailored look that became her own. In the two decades since her death, Princess Diana has joined the ranks of the best-dressed women in history, maintaining her status not only as the royal family’s first ever global celebrity but also, the ultimate fashion icon. She rubbed elbows with the glitterati of the style and music worlds, including her close friend Gianni Versace, who would go on to dress her for many of her most upscale appearances (and who was tragically killed less than two months before her). And although she took more fashion risks later in her life, once she was out of the clutches of the royal family, she demonstrated a keen understanding of style from her earliest pictures. From prim British Lady to glamorous international figure, Princess Diana’s aesthetic sensibilities cemented her as a modern style icon. Photo:1971- Even as a young girl, Diana demonstrated a keen understanding of fashion. This photo, taken in 1971 at the age of 10, shows that Diana was on top of the emerging trends of the decade, including floppy hats, which would become the style hallmark of the prairie look. Photo:1981: On her honeymoon with Prince Charles in Scotland, Diana began to take otherwise staid British fashion staples like tweed into new territory, in a looser silhouette that was indicative of the 1980s. Photo:1982: Just two months shy of giving birth to her first son, Prince William, here Diana shows she’s started to adopt the aesthetic of the decade: a wide-shouldered, deconstructed coat and a frilly blouse that would become the enduring look of the 1980s business woman. Photo:1985: By the middle of the decade, Diana had settled into her public life and started to experiment with the styles of the time. Dresses like this gold-and-silver one by designer Bruce Oldfield garnered her the nickname “Dynasty Di.” Photo:1987: Compared to her glitzier looks of the mid-80s, this dress proved Princess Diana was a style chameleon who could walk the line between elegant and risque. She famously wore this same dress two years earlier for an official event at the White House where she danced with John Travolta. Photo:1989: Although designer Catherine Walker said the silhouette of this bolero was inspired by Elizabethan ruffs, the press declared this Diana’s “Elvis dress.” Photo:1992: Pictured here attending a wedding with a young Prince Harry, Diana proves that matching clothing and accessories can look very chic. Photo:1994: Diana’s off-duty style was as on-trend as her formal looks. She was sporty and classic — a look often mirrored by her daughter-in-law Kate Middleton. Photo:1994_2: By now, Diana was separated from Charles and out from under the clutches of the royal family. Her style began to take a riskier and sexier route. Photo:1995: For a concert in Italy, Diana wore a slinky white mini dress designed by her friend, Gianni Versace. Photo:1996: Diana attends the Met Costume Institute Gala in a lingerie-inspired design from John Galliano’s premiere collection for Christian Dior. Photo:1997: By the time she was officially divorced from Prince Charles, Diana embraced the quintessential body-con look of the 1990s, favouring short, form-fitted dresses with a lower neckline. The post She’s More Than Style Icon: Princess Diana appeared first on Fashion or Passion.

https://www.fashionorpassion.com/shes-more-than-style-icon-princess-diana/

#IFTTT #WordPress FASHION #diana #princess #style

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tabloidtoc · 4 years

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National Enquirer, October 12

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Queen Elizabeth’s 73-year sham marriage to Prince Philip collapses

Page 2: Kanye West is in top-secret talks to launch his own TV network and is crowing it will be bigger than the Kardashians -- he wants it to reflect his lofty vision of what the world should be and to provide a spiritual awakening for the masses but he doesn’t realize there aren’t a lot of people who want to spend hours a day listening to him rant about how the world would be a better place if he was in charge -- meanwhile Kim Kardashian is at the end of her rope again

Page 3: Furious Angelina Jolie is tearing into Brad Pitt’s new girlfriend Nicole Poturalski blasting her as a scheming psycho and as a borderline stalker who is dating Brad just to get famous and it’s going to end in disaster for the whole family not just him so she’s already told Brad to keep Nicole away from their kids and she’s looking to make this part of their ongoing legal case

Page 4: Newly single Kelly Clarkson has enlisted fellow country star Maren Morris to help her find a new man -- Maren advised Kelly to use her talk show to connect with men she admires but Kelly may have taken her advice a little too literally when she had her crush Keanu Reeves on the show and was drooling all over him though she knows it’s probably wishful thinking

Page 5: Ellen DeGeneres kicked off her new season by publicly apologizing for allegations of misconduct on her talk show but body language experts blasted her remarks as tone deaf and missing the mark totally

Page 6: Jimmy Fallon’s wife Nancy Juvonen is furious over the time he spends nurturing his bond with close pal Kathie Lee Gifford -- Jimmy loves to reminisce about the old days at NBC with the former Today yakker especially during today’s challenging times and he worships her and he’s the only late-night host who treats Kathie Lee like an A-lister but Nancy can’t stand Kathie Lee’s constant self-obsessed talk and considers her a squeaky third wheel

Page 7: Cher keeps trying to turn back time with plastic surgery but the results have been disastrous and although she insists her most recent work is a facelift her kisser is frozen and packed with Botox and fillers and lip injections -- she also appears to have had a nose job and a face and neck lift to achieve a smooth jawline and neck and the results have left Cher barely able to move her face and even made it difficult for her to speak let alone sing, disgraced chef Paula Deen had emergency eye surgery this summer in a desperate bid to save her sight -- Paula had been suffering from declining vision for months and was shocked when doctors told her the cornea was dying and going under the knife was necessary to save her sight

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Tiger Woods took a brief break during practice, Leighton Meester caught some waves in Malibu, Kristen Taekman in a New York Jets bikini, Dolph Lundgren doffed his mask after leaving a lunch date in Beverly Hills, Dominic Cooper took his electric bike for a spin in London

Page 11: Cash-strapped Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott are back in couples therapy and on the verge of filing for bankruptcy -- they’re in counseling for the same old stuff which is their constant fighting and spending money and work that isn’t happening -- the parents of five were hit with tax liens totaling nearly $1 million and were also sued by American Express over an unpaid credit card bill of almost $90,000 which Tori asked her mother Candy Spelling who is worth about $600 million to pay but Candy refused and after Candy revealed her plans to leave her fortune to animal charities Tori and Dean may file for bankruptcy because they both love to spend, Bravo bigwigs are hoping hotel heiress Kathy Hilton will fill the vacancy left by Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and producers are trying to keep ratings high by getting veteran Kyle Richards to recruit sister and former castmate Kim Richards and half sister Kathy -- Kathy is said to be high on producers’ wish list because of her wit and humor and is also considered old-school Beverly Hills and show brass want her to bring a certain glamour and sophistication to the show

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Demi Lovato at a NYC screening party (picture), when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve in Times Square Anderson Cooper won’t be there because he would rather be at home with his baby boy, The Bachelor has cut all ties with Colton Underwood after his ex Cassie Randolph got a temporary restraining order against him, Teresa Giudice plans to move to NYC after listing her New Jersey mansion but she still wants to keep her job on The Real Housewives of New Jersey and to get around that Teresa hopes to pretend she’s moved into her brother Joe Gorga’s home in Jersey

Page 13: John Legend revealed couples therapy helps strengthen his marriage to Chrissy Teigen and said they keep their romance going strong by communicating and being considerate and listening, Jackie Stallone was more than just Sylvester Stallone’s mom -- she was also one of the world top astrologers and psychics who predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall and Kanye West’s presidential run

Page 14: Crime -- convicted Melrose Place killer Amy Locane is in lockup again for a fatal 2010 drunk-driving smashup that took one life and nearly took another after a New Jersey Superior Court Judge said she got off too easy by serving two years behind bars and sentenced Amy to eight more years in state prison

Page 15: The gruesome house of horrors where Drew Carey’s ex-fiancee Amie Harwick brutally met her untimely end is on the market for $1.5 million and her family can’t wait to get rid of it, Shannen Doherty is in pretty good spirits amid her ongoing battle with stage 4 breast cancer according to her former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Jason Priestley

Page 16: Cover Story -- After decades of turning a blind eye to her husband’s cheating Queen Elizabeth’s 72-year marriage has shockingly collapsed and Prince Philip is now banished to a remote cottage far away from the monarch -- despite royal courtiers painting a rosy picture of the couple quarantining together at Windsor Castle since March the truth is their marriage has been a sham for decades and they’ve been living separate lives for over 50 years and all this forced togetherness was simply too much for them -- Philip has been cheating on Elizabeth since before they were married and has several love children; he has rumored to have had flings with actress Helene Cordet and Daphne du Maurier and Pat Kirkwood and Jane Russell and Merle Oberon and Zsa Zsa Gabor and Princess Alexandria and Sacha Duchess of Abercorn and most recently Lady Penny Romsey -- there will be no divorce and they will just quietly continue their separate lives to the end of their days but the queen never wants to see Philip again

Page 18: Larry King’s estranged wife Shawn Southwick is demanding $33,000 a month in spousal support because she claims she gave up her music and TV career to marry the frail talk show host and then raise their sons Chance and Cannon, Hollywood Hookups -- Halle Berry and Van Hunt dating, 90 Day Fiance stars Ashley Martson and Jay Smith split for good, Justin Duggar dating Claire Spivey

Page 19: Tom Cruise is set to shoot the first major movie in outer space and he’s headed to the International Space Station in October 2021 with director Doug Liman -- the two and possibly one additional actor will hitch a ride aboard Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to film the unnamed project, the IV needle allegedly used to administer the fatal dose of propofol to Michael Jackson on June 25 of 2009 is up for auction by the estate of the late singer’s father Joe and the chilling item used by Michael’s physician Dr. Conrad Murray is reportedly still stained with Michael’s blood -- it was submitted to the auction by Michael’s cousin Marsha Stewart who says she took it from Michael’s bedroom days after he died, Sharon Stone has pressed her lips on a long list of Hollywood hunks but picked Robert De Niro as far and away the best kisser but rated her other leading men as kind of like meh

Page 20: Stars Playing Stars -- how they did it -- Muhammad Ali and Will Smith, Frida Kahlo and Salma Hayek, Ray Charles and Jamie Foxx

Page 21: Marilyn Monroe and Michelle Williams, Queen Elizabeth and Helen Mirren, Billie Holiday and Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Cate Blanchett

Page 22: An adopted son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen has charged it was his mother not his father who was the monster in the family -- Moses Farrow says Woody did not molest adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992 and that he can no longer stay silent as Woody continues to be condemned for a crime he did not commit

Page 26: Less than nine months after Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash a vicious feud has ripped the family apart -- the row erupted between his widow Vanessa Bryant and her mother Sofia Laine after Sofia went on TV to publicly accuse her daughter of tossing her out of the family home -- Vanessa feels she’s already given her mom so much and then she heard through the grapevine that Sofia complained she should have more -- it does seem cold that Vanessa would take such action against her mother but she’s ready to take on anyone using her husband and child’s deaths as a selfish cash grab and that includes Sofia

Page 27: Danny Masterson’s rape trial is looming and the Church of Scientology is doing everything in its power to back the scandal-scarred actor -- the church’s leaders have assigned their top lawyers to aid Danny who is a prominent member of the religion and the lawyers are scouring every law on the books to get the case thrown out or get him acquitted -- the church has previously been accused of trying to get the other side’s defenses dismissed or judges thrown off cases and using all manner of tactics to delay due process

Page 28: American Life -- Bighearted ex-billionaire Chuck Feeney has spent 38 years giving away nearly all of his vast fortune and the generous do-gooder said he wouldn’t have had it any other way

Page 29: Famed stoner Willie Nelson can’t stop sampling his own marijuana products and now friends fear the 87-year-old music legend is smoking himself to death -- Willie’s a believer in the powers of cannabis and promotes it passionately but years of smoking has done a number on his lungs and he can barely breathe at times, Julia Duffy has been keeping close a tragic heartache for more than a year -- her only son Danny Lacy committed suicide at age 29 after years of suffering from mental health issues

Page 34: Comic Kathy Griffin has seen her popularity plummet in recent years and it’s played a role in her plans to sell her sprawling Bel Air estate -- Kathy has burned a lot of bridges and concerts and TV appearances have dried up because of her many industry conflicts so she’s trying to unload her massive manor with wine cellar and movie theater and eight bedrooms for $16 million -- she didn’t want to sell it but the cost and size have become too much for her to handle

Page 36: Health Watch

Page 38: CIA bigwigs once hired a psychic to determine if there was life on Mars -- the misguided mission was said to be part of Project Stargate which was launched in 1978 and somehow cost an astronomical $20 million after the CIA hired a man who claimed he could see the surface of the planet in his mind -- the unnamed man claimed he could see huge pyramids and an obelisk structure and road networks on the Red Planet as well as living creatures, John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman shocked the parole board when he admitted he deserved the death penalty even as he begged for his freedom at his last hearing -- his murderous motive was seeking self-glory -- the board denied his parole saying they found his statement infamy brings you glory disturbing

Page 42: Red Carpet -- London Fashion Week

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Luke Bryan and his dog Choc

Page 47: Odd List -- doctors remove granny’s football-sized tumor

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leominster1941 · 6 years

Text

1869 article in the Spectator. Leominster at War and much more.

Gryffyth, the Welsh Prince, and iElfgar, or Algar, the insurgent

http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/10th-july-1869/12/gryffyth-the-welsh-prince-and-ielfgar-or-algar-the

Saxon earl, in their raid into Herefordshire, of which we have already spoken, took and fortified Leominster ; but abandoned it on the approach of Earl Harold, who is said to have strengthened the defences and placed a garrison in it. According to the tradi- tion of the place, a castle or palace was here built by Merwald, on a hill half a mile from the town, afterwards called Comfort Castle (perhaps the mount to the eastward overlooking Hay Lane), where, in the time of Leland (Henry VIII.), there were some remains of ditches, Scc., and whither the people of Leominster came once a year to "sport and play." At the time of the formation of Domesday Survey, at any rate, Leominster was a place of con- siderable importance.

The manor, we learn from this document, had been assigned by the Confessor to his Queen, Editha, and it was governed by eight prsepositi, eight bedelli, and eight radchenistri or free tenants, and contained 238 villani, 74 bordarii, and 82 male and female slaves. The manor then belonged to the King, and great part of the customary rent was paid as composition for salt fish and eels. Here was also a wood, six miles in length and three broad ; but it had begun to be disforested, and cleared for tillage. In the reign of William Rufus the fortifications of the town were strengthened and enlarged to resist the incursions of the Welsh.

Henry I. in 1125 gave the manor, with all its appurtenances, then valued at £666 19s. 8d. annually, to the abbey which he had founded at Reading, and cottsequently the religious house, the Priory at Leominster, became a cell of Benedictines subordinate to Reading. From a record of the time of Henry IV., it seems that this cell had then no less than thirty-one servants, and at the Dissolution of the Monasteries "its revenues were greater than those of any cell in the kingdom."

The remains of the Priory now form part of the union workhouse. From the time of the grant to Reading Abbey, the town of Leominster was governed by an upper and under bailiff, appointed by the abbots, or by the priors of Leominster, and these officers were assisted by a common council of the principal burgesses. Henry II. granted the town its first annual fair in 1170. In the reign of John, William de Braose, lord of Breck- mock, who had several times been sheriff of the county, and was possessed of many of the border castles, being in arms against the King, seized Weobley Castle, and then marched against Leominster, which at first resisted, but in a few weeks had to surrender.

De Braose is said to have plundered and burnt the town, and the priory and church, and ill-treated the inhabitants ; previous to this time, it is said that the buildings of the town were situated more on the western bank of the Lugg than they are at present. De Braose had afterwards to fly abroad, and his wife and eldest son were starved to death by the King in Windsor Castle. Edward I. granted the town of Leominster two additional fairs, and from the 23rd of his reign it returned two representatives to the Home of Commons, till its recent semi- disfranchisement. The Earl of March was confined by Owen Glen- dower at Leominster, in a dungeon, according to tradition, at the top of Church Street ; he also is accused of plundering the church and levying a heavy contribution on the monks. After the battle of Shrewsbury, the town and its neighbourhood became the scene of some remarkable military manoeuvres between Glendower and Prince Harry of Monmouth. Glendower abandoned Leominster, and entrenched his army on a hill, about two miles to the south. Prince Henry, after reconnoitring this position, took up a post of observation on a neighbouring eminence, waiting till want of pro- visions should compel his able adversary to descend from his stronghold. Glendower at last, after feeling the strength of the enemy by skirmishing parties, finding the Prince too strong for him, endeavoured to withdraw without a general engagement ; but the future hero of Agincourt had divined his purpose, and pressing upon him in close pursuit, caused a panic among the Welsh, who broke up and dispersed in every direction. The garrison of Leominster formed part of the forces of Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, when he was defeated by the Earl of March, in the Wars of the Roses. On the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the manor of Lsominster was resumed by the Crown. "The town," writes Leland, in that reign, "is meetly large, and hath good buildings of timber.

The town, by reason of their principal wool, use great cirapings of cloth, and thereby it flourished. Since, of later years, it chanced that the cities of Hereford and Worcester complained of the frequency of people that came to Lemster, in prejudice of both their markets in the shire town, and also in hindering their draping ; whereupon the Saturday market was removed from Lemster, and a market on Friday was hereby assigned to it ; since that time the town of Lemster hath decayed." The wool of the district "enjoyed great repute in the sixteenth century," and is celebrated by the poet Drayton. On the death of Edward VI., about 13,000 men assembled near the town in the interest of Queen Jane and Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, and though their numbers diminished with the increasing strength of Queen Mary's party, those who remained entrenched themselves on an eminence about a mile west of the town. Here they were attacked by the inhabitants, assisted by a force from Hereford under Philip Hobby, Richard Wallwayn, and Francis Throckmorton, and completely defeated and dispersed. Queen Mary, in reward for this service, besides promoting the leaders, granted the borough its first regular charter of incorpora- tion (1554), with other valuable and extensive privileges. In the reign of James I., the manor of Leominster was granted to his favourite, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham of that family, on a yearly rent of £,305 us. 5d. towards (it is presumed) the jointure of the Queen, Anne of Denmark, in whom Leominster had been vested. During the civil wars of Charles I. we find the town noticed as "a very malignant [Royalist] place, but of great con- sequence, and very rich." In April, 1643, it was taken by Six- William Waller for the Parliament, the inhabitants disarmed, and a garrison placed there.

A battery of cannon was also erected near the church to overawe the inhabitants. The manor passed into the possession of Harry Marten, the celebrated member of the Long Parliament ; but, on the Restoration, came back to the second Duke of Buckingham. He, it is well known, ran through all his property, and the manor and borough of Leominster passed to Major Wildman (celebrated in the time of CromwelPs Protecto- rate), to whom the Duke owed £14,000. -The Major sold them in 1672 to Lord Coningsby, Chief Justice of Ireland, and from him they passed, through an heiress, to the Capels, Earls of Essex. _Mr. Colt, M.P. for the borough in the reign of Charles II., incurred in 1678 a fine of 1100,000, and was im- prisoned till the arrival of William III. for his advocacy of "the Protestant succession," but was twice elected for the borough during his confinement. A new charter of incorporation was granted in the reign of Charles II. The spacious church of Leominster, which has been recently restored by Scott, con- tains portions of every style of architecture, "and is united on the

side to a more ancient church of plain yet good Norman. Thechurch is of great breadth, nearly equal to its length."

Leominster was " formerly one of the principal seats of the glove manufacture, but latterly the business has been on the decline.. Hatsare now made and coarse woollens, but the latter only to a small extent. Tanning is extensively carried on, but the present. reliance of the town is on its retail trade with the adjacent coun- try. Coal is brought from Shropshire partly by canal, partly by railway, from the Clce hills." The land of the borough and out- skirts is chiefly in the hands of the residents, some of it in very small portions. A free grammar-school, founded and endowed by Queen Mary, is said to have become in modern times a mere- private school, except that the corporation pays the master an annual -stipend of 120. The population of Leominster was, in 1861, 5,658, a considerable increase from that of 1851, which was 5,214 ; and the town is growing also in its assessed wealth.

Among the celebrated natives of Monmouthshire we ought, perhaps, to mention the chronicler Jeffery, or Geoffrey-ap-Arthur, better known as Geoffrey of Monmouth, if, as is supposed, that town was his birthplace. He lived in the reigns of Henry I., Stephen, and Henry II.; was Archdeacon of Monmouth, then. Bishop of St. Asaph (in 1152) ; and, being obliged to abandon his- see in consequence of the Welsh troubles, was appointed by Henry II. Abbot of Abingdon, in which monastery he died. What amount of real facts lies at the bottom of his romantic history of Britain it is not easy to say ; his chief value is as an antiquarian topographer. Enough of the buildings of the old Roman Britain seem to have remained down to his time to inflame- his vivid Celtic imagination ; and on these and his classical reminiscences he built up a wild and incredible narrative of the glories of the age of King Arthur and the mystic princes. who preceded him in the so-called imperial throne of Britain, to which the poets of the middle ages are under far greater- obligations than the historical students of the present day. The other name connected with Monmouth is King Henry V. Walter Cantilupe, Bishop of Worcester in the reign of Henry III., deserves notice as a member of a Monmouthshire family for his patriotic boldness in encouraging the Barons in their resist- ance to the misgovernment of King Henry, incurring sentence of excommunication from the Pope for promising them a heavenly reward for their devotion to the cause of liberty. Perhaps- Monmouthshire may also boast of being the birthplace of Richard de Clare, the celebrated Earl Stronybow, the conqueror of Ireland ; it certainly contained the castle which was then the seat of his

family. William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke in the reign of Henry VI., and his brother, Sir Richard Herbert, both distin- guished soldiers of the old paladin class, were natives of this county. Henry Plantagenet, first Duke of Lancaster, surnamed Wryneek, and known as the good Duke of Lancaster, was born in Monmouth Castle. He was father-in-law to John of Gaunt. But the most remarkable native of Monmouthshire was Sir John Old- castle, Baron of Cobham, the scholar friend of Henry of Monmouth, whom Henry gave up to the vengeance of the Romish Church. He was born at Old Castle, in this county. As an early companion of Prince Henry he is involved with him in the stories of youthful debauchery to which we are indebted for Shakespeare's Prince Hal and Sir John Falstaff, but in all probability the charge is as unfounded in the one case as in the other. The Lollardism or Puritanism of Sir John Oldcastle in the latter part of his life, with which his name is associated in the modern mind, makes his identification with the Falstaff of our dramatic reading a curiously puzzling phenomenon.

Passing over the doubtful claim to Cardinal Adam de Easton, in the latter part of the fourteenth century, the following names may be assigned to Herefordshire as the place of their birth :- Adam de Orleton, Bishop of Hereford, Worcester, and Winchester, who was born at Hereford, labours under the imputation of having incited the murder of Edward II. by the Delphic line, " Eduardum Regem occidere nolite tinaere bonum eat," which gives opposite advice according to the different pointing. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's favourite, was born in Nether- wood, in this county, November 10, 1567, as was also Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. Richard Hackluyt, the collector and publisher of accounts of voyages of discovery in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, was a Herefordshire man. So was John Gwillim, the celebrated author of the Display of Heraldry in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I., who was born at Hereford. So were Eleanor Gwynne (" Nell Gwynne "), in a humble dwelling in Pipe Lane, and David Garrick the actor, at the Angel Inn in Widemarsh Street. Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, the celebrated minister of Queen Anne, though born in London, was one of a leading Herefordshire family. His father, Colonel, afterwards Sir Everard Harley, and his grandfather, Sir Robert Harley, were conspicuous members of the Presbyterian party in the Long Parlia- ment, and the leaders of the Parliamentarians in this county. John Kyrie, the benevolent "Man of Ross," immortalized by Pope, who died in 1724, aged 81, though born at Whitehouse, in Dymock parish, Gloucestershire, was not only connected with Herefordshire by residence, but by extraction, the Kyrles belonging properly to that county.

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