A royal return! Princess Mary is spotted eating lunch and shopping in Melbourne with childhood best friend - as royal fans scramble over her surprise visit Down Under
Crown Princess Mary has been spotted dining and shopping in Melbourne
The surprise visit has left royal fans shocked, as she prepares to see family
On Wednesday she visited Brighton's The Pantry before strolling down Church St
Plenty of remarks were made about her 'glowing' skin and Chanel ballet flats
The royal was with her long-time best friend Amber Petty, who was a bridesmaid
Have you seen Mary? Send your pictures to matilda.rudd@mailonline.com
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has been spotted in a cafe and filling up petrol beside her Australian best friend Amber Petty in Melbourne in what appears to be a surprise return Down Under to see her family.
On Wednesday Brighton's The Pantry was graced by the 50-year-old royal's presence as she dined on a light lunch before traipsing down the suburb's main shopping district for some retail therapy.
Wearing Chanel ballet flats, a white blouse and high waisted white denim trousers she looked angelic according to onlookers, reports The Herald Sun, pausing to browse in HOSS, Carla Zampatti, Saba and Morrisson.
One fan who was in Scanlan Theodore at the time the royal strode in said she walked out with a new designer suit.
With only a small security detail and her bridesmaid Petty by her side the surprise visit went unnoticed by plenty of royal fans.
On Thursday the friends reunited again, this time in Elwood, where they were seen behind the wheel of a red hatchback filling up the car with petrol
With no security and just her bridesmaid Petty (pictured) by her side the surprise visit went unnoticed by plenty of royal fans
Princess Mary was on the phone while her best friend Amber Petty drove them around
On Thursday the friends reunited again, this time in Elwood, where they were seen behind the wheel of a red hatchback filling up the car with petrol.
It is understood by the publication that Princess Mary will fly on to Tasmania, where she was born and raised, to see family before heading back to Denmark.
She was last seen publicly at a media competition in Denmark on March 22, just over a week before her Melbourne jaunt.
Her last known visit to Australia was in 2017 on another private family holiday.
Petty, who has remained close to the royal, saw the beginning of her friend's fairytale romance with Prince Frederik.
On March 22 the royal attended a media competition event with Mary Fonden
Petty, who has remained close to the royal, saw the beginning of her friend's fairytale romance with Prince Frederik. Pictured in 2008 (right and left)
Amber Petty (in bright pink) was a bridesmaid at Princess Mary's nuptials in 2004
In an interview Stellar Magazine in 2021 Petty revealed the Crown Prince and his wife were just like any other couple, but the 'surreal' experience of seeing her best friend fall in love with a prince changed the friendship.
Petty tells the magazine: 'For a long time, one of my coping mechanisms with the surreal side of where that friendship went was simply to just anchor it down to the basic human elements of what it was, and is, which is actually just a story of two people falling in love and choosing to do life together.'
In her book This Is Not A Love Song Petty discusses attending Princess Mary's wedding but warns that she is scant on details.
'I have tried to honour the reader by sharing some insights, real moments that I love, while also being mindful to honour the private us, and the private her,' she says.
The Australian advertising executive, who remains close to Princess Mary, saw the beginning of her friend's fairytale romance with Frederik, 52, which she details in her new book, This Is Not A Love Song. Mary and Frederik are pictured in 2002
Petty tells the magazine: 'For a long time, one of my coping mechanisms with the surreal side of where that friendship went was simply to just anchor it down to the basic human elements of what it was, and is, which is actually just a story of two people falling in love and choosing to do life together.' Pictured in 2004
Petty confirms that Mary has read the book, but 'wouldn't want to say on record how she feels, but I will say she understands the purpose of the book and all relevant details to the overarching theme'.
She goes on to call Mary her 'soulmate' and despite the women living in different countries - with Petty based in Australia - they remain close.
'Distance has always been hard, and not knowing when you'll see and hug the people you love again is perhaps harder than ever,' Petty tells Stellar.
Love: Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary was 'just' Mary, a marketing manager at an advertisement company, when she met Crown Prince Frederik in a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The couple's engagement was made official in October 2003
Romantic: On May 14, 2004, Mary married her Prince in a lavish ceremony attended by royals - and media - from across the globe in Copenhagen Cathedral in the Danish capital
'But I've learnt that we just need to be patient and grateful that we are still alive and healthy, and future memories are still there to be had.'
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary was 'just' Mary, a marketing manager at an advertisement company, when she met Crown Prince Frederik in a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Mary, a daughter of two Scottish immigrants, has previously said she 'never dreamed of becoming a princess, I wanted to be a veterinarian,' and did not know who the man who introduced himself as 'Fred' was at first.
Sweet: Mary, a daughter of two Scottish immigrants, has previously said she 'never dreamed of becoming a princess, I wanted to be a veterinarian,' and did not know who the man who introduced himself as 'Fred' was at first. Pictured in 2019
The couple embarked upon a long distance relationship, something which in the pre-smartphone app era was confined to emails, phone calls and letters.
Despite being spotted together several times in both Denmark and Australia, and Mary moving to Europe in 2001, it was not until April 2003 that Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged their relationship.
The couple's engagement was made official with, what else, a press conference in Copenhagen in October 2003.
On May 14, 2004, Mary married her Prince in a lavish ceremony attended by royals - and media - from across the globe in Copenhagen Cathedral in the Danish capital.
It was described as the ultimate happy fairytale ending with the prince marrying the beautiful commoner, and the guestlist included the Kings and Queens of Sweden, Norway, Spain, Belgium and The Netherlands as Prince Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
The Crown Prince couple are parents to Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Will Smith has for decades been one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
"He was called Mr Summer," said April Reign, creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
"He had the string of Men in Black movies and Independence Day and others where they were tentpole films that ruled the entire three-month period."
Speaking to the ABC, Ms Reign said she noticed an almost immediate shift in how people in certain communities were quick to flip the narrative after Smith hit comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards.
Rock had made a joke directed at Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia.
Jada Pinkett Smith has documented online her struggles with alopecia.(Reuters: Eric Gaillard)
Referencing a tweet by Reverend Martin Luther King Jnr's daughter, activist and lawyer Dr Bernice King, Ms Reign said "respectability politics" is at play.
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"Will Smith has done everything by the book his entire career," Ms Reign said.
"When he was a rapper, there were never any curse words in his rap songs, unlike many others."
April Reign says it only took 60 seconds for Will Smith to tarnish the previous 20 years in the eyes of some.(Twitter)
She said he had been very intentional about the roles he had chosen and lived a very public life with his family.
"And then there is this one minute of his life, that was literally 60 seconds, that was very public.
"And all of a sudden, people are calling him violent, people are calling him an abuser, as if the previous 20 years have been washed away."
Smith will survive this controversy
Assistant professor of Hip Hop at the University of Virginia, A.D. Carson, said the scenario was being used to confirm biases held by some people and to push a false narrative.
"You see a lot of people making comments about what it means that a black man assaulted another black man, after a black man made jokes at the expense of the disability of a black woman," Dr Carson said.
"In the way that the stories are being presented – it's violence among black people at the Oscars, which were just accused of being so white very recently, and now that they have diversified, it's like airing black folks' business in front of not just white America, but in front of the world."
Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke at Jada Pinkett Smith's expense.(AFP: Robyn Beck)
He said Will Smith and Chris Rock were erroneously being held up by some as avatars for black manhood.
"There may be lots of folks who have all kinds of really negative thoughts and opinions about black people, about rappers about entertainers, about black men, and they don't care at all about Will Smith, or Chris Rock, but those people will use this in order to confirm their thoughts."
He doesn't think Smith's reputation will suffer.
"The fact that this can be the kind of thing that will consume people to the point where they'll be like 'will this ruin his career?,' but at the same time there are folks who are seriously entertaining Donald Trump running for president again… it's kind of a wonky, weird bizarro world that we're living in.
"I'm not sure what will happen, but I just don't believe that it will be the kind of thing that will ruin Will Smith's career."
Dr A.D. Carson believes Will Smith's reputation should ultimately remain intact.(Rich Tarbell)
Actor Whoopi Goldberg, who is a member of the Academy board of governors, said on The View the incident won't be overlooked.
"We're not going to take that Oscar from him," she said.
"There will be consequences, I'm sure."
Ms Reign believes that ultimately Smith, who has his own production company, will be fine.
"Every single studio will say yes to Will Smith, and that says more I think about studios turning a blind eye to controversy when there is an actor that they want to work with.
She cited actor Kevin Spacey, producer Harvey Weinstein and director Woody Allen as case studies.
"All those studios knew that there were issues with those men, but they made films with them anyway, because money, unfortunately, drives every single industry, including the entertainment industry."
An historic Oscars ceremony sidelined by sensationalism
On January 15, 2015, Ms Reign sent out her first #OscarsSoWhite tweet, in response to all 20 acting nominations for that year's Academy Awards being given to white actors.
The hashtag quickly went viral, spearheading a sustained social justice campaign.
When in 2016 the Academy again exclusively nominated white actors for awards, the hashtag was revived.
Ms Reign said the controversy between Smith and Rock has diverted attention from what was an historic Oscars ceremony this year – the first Academy Awards that had an all-black producing team.
Ariana DeBose made history when she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.(Reuters: Eric Gaillard)
"As the creator of Oscars So White, I'm always looking at the progress or lack thereof that is made during the award season," she said.
"And very few people are talking about the fact that Ariana DeBose was the first openly queer woman and one of the few women of colour to ever win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
"Very few people are talking about the fact that Troy Kotsur is the first deaf man to win an acting Oscar for CODA.
"Jane Campion – it is the first time that the Best Director Oscar has gone to films directed by women in back-to-back years, this time with Jane Campion, last year in 2021 with Chloe Zhao for Nomadland.
New Zealander Jane Campion won the Best Director Oscar for Power of the Dog.(AP/Invision: Chris Pizzello)
"Will Smith won the award for best actor.
"He's only the fifth black man in history in over 95 years to win that award."
She said Pinkett Smith's recent Instagram post shows she's attempting to move on, and so should the public.
"I understand this is what gets the clicks and the headlines and all the rest of it, but at least also mention what an historic night this was for people from different marginalised communities, as you're talking about the sensationalism of the slap."
Taylor Hawkins and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.Credit:Getty
“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother,” the statement said.
“We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned. Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together.”
Frontier Touring this morning announced all tickets for the band’s Australian shows in November and December would be fully refunded.
“Tickets purchased by credit or debit card will be automatically refunded in full to the card originally used for purchase and patrons do not need to take any action,” Frontier said. “Patrons should allow approximately 30 working days for the refund to appear in their account.”
Hawkins, 50, died while the band was on tour in South America. The group played shows in Mexico and Argentina soon after their March 4 show in Geelong, and was scheduled to play in Bogata, Colombia, the same night Hawkins died.
The band was scheduled to play at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday as well as dates across the US, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and the UK.
with AP
Martin Boulton is a music writer and editor at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Among all the furore over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, it shouldn’t be lost that what should have been a crowning moment of glory for Venus and Serena Williams was completely ruined.
After Rock made a tone-deaf joke at the expense of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who lives with alopecia, Smith went up on stage and slapped the comedian hard across the face before shouting: “Leave my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth.”
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The 53-year-old later claimed the Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena, in the film King Richard.
Smith gave a tearful acceptance speech in which he attempted to give a half-apology and clumsily likened his actions to the behaviour of Richard.
“Art imitates life,” he said. “I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”
On Tuesday, Smith unreservedly apologised for the slap, acknowledging his behaviour was “unacceptable and inexcusable”.
“I would like to apologise to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family,” he said.
“I deeply regret that my behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.”
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)Source: AFP
“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Richard Williams said, via his son Chavoita LeSane, to NBC News.
“But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defence.”
But many were angry the gloss was taken off what should have been a celebration of the Williams family and the careers of tennis’ most famous siblings.
Tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg tweeted:“I just feel awful, foremost, for the Williams family, who put so much into making this movie the best it could be, and didn’t do anything to deserve how this night imploded.”
Former NFL star and Fox Sports host Shannon Sharpe was absolutely furious Smith didn’t keep his cool and overshadowed the success of King Richard.
“Now you take the moment away from Venus and Serena, their dad, the story about their family,” Sharpe said on his talk show Undisputed.
“You stole that moment from them. Why? Because he (Rock) made a joke?
What should have been a special moment for Serena Williams was ruined. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)Source: AFPFans were furious Smith ruined Serena and Venus Williams’ special night. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“For him to do that, considering some of the things she had said at her round table about an entanglement — he ain’t slapped that guy! That’s the guy you should be mad about!”
New York Times tennis writer Christopher Clarey wrote:“The table was set for a moment of family triumph but then — as so often with the Williamses and through no fault of their own — things got complicated.
“An evening that should have affirmed their against-great-odds rise to stardom instead became about Smith slapping the comedian Chris Rock onstage.
“Sunday night would have been a time to revel in the length of their journey, the depth of their achievements and Richard’s legacy. Instead, it turned into a night for Serena to cover her eyes.”
A clip she shared on social media featured several seconds of the tennis legend at the awards ceremony in stunned silence, mouth open, not saying anything. In the second video, she said: “I just sat down, because I was like, I gotta put that drink down.”
Despite the whispers you've heard to the contrary, Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet are very much not back together.
The Aquaman actor, 42, has firmly hosed down rumours of a reconciliation with wife Bonet, 54, during an interview at the Oscars. The actors announced their separation in January, having been together for 16 years and married for four of them.
In recent weeks there's been speculation the couple had reunited and halted their divorce proceedings, but when a red carpet reporter raised the topic on Sunday, Momoa clarified this wasn't the case. (Watch the exchange above.)
Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa, pictured at the 2019 Oscars, were together for 16 years before splitting. (Getty)
Momoa and Bonet confirmed their split in a joint statement shared on their Instagram accounts, the news met with widespread shock from fans.
In the message, the couple said they had "free[d] each other" but remained great friends for the sake of their children: daughter Lola, 14, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 13.
"We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times … A revolution is unfolding ~and our family is of no exception … feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring," the note read.
Momoa remains close with stepdaughter Zoe Kravitz, Bonet's daughter from her previous marriage to Lenny Kravitz. (2020 NBCUniversal Media, LLC via)
"And so~ We share our Family news~ That we are parting ways in marriage. We share this not because we think it's newsworthy ~ But so that~ as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty.
"The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived. We free each other ~to be who we are learning to become … Our devotion unwavering to this sacred life & our Children Teaching our Children What's possible ~ Living the Prayer May Love Prevail J & L."
The Hollywood couple met at a jazz club in 2005, introduced by mutual friends, and married in 2017.
When an institution like the Academy Awards — however declining it may be — is overshadowed by a moment of chaos and confusion, celebrities and common folk become one.
Here's what went down in the room when the moment happened, and how Hollywood has reacted since.
What was the reaction in the room?
Actress Lupita Nyong'o was seated behind Will Smith, which meant her entire reaction to the moment was captured on camera as it played out.
Like other members of the audience, she appeared stunned at Smith's outburst once he returned to his seat.
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As Smith begins yelling at Rock to "keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth," her expression grows more serious.
Beyonce and her husband, Jay-Z, were also photographed at some point during the moment. Jay-Z looked worried while Beyonce was seen sharing a glance with someone out of view.
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At the Vanity Fair Oscars viewing party, celebrities — including Taika Waititi and Sarah Paulson —crowded around a phone, but it's unclear if the group was replaying that moment.
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Nicole Kidman was also captured looking shocked during the ceremony, but it remains unclear if she was reacting to the slap.
Nicole Kidman was just as shocked as the rest of Hollywood when the ceremony took an unexpected turn. (AFP: Robyn Beck)
Following the incident, Chris Rock is seen shaking his head in disbelief as he walks off stage.
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During the commercial break, Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry are seen talking with Will Smith.
The actors motion to Smith to brush off the moment, before a representative of Smith appears to comfort Smith and give him a hug.
Smith is then seen wiping his eyes before retuning to his seat, next to his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
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What has Hollywood said?
In a tweet, the Academy Awards said it "does not condone violence of any form," but it is unclear if Will Smith will face any repercussions from the incident.
On Twitter, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's son, Jaden,wrote "and that's how we do it", while 50 Cent tweeted "LOL".
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Comedian Kathy Griffin said the incident showed "a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian".
"Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters."
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British comedian London Hughes echoed a similar sentiment online, writing: "Lol so public assault is the answer to an insensitive joke in 2022??! Good to know. I'll be doing my next Netflix special over Zoom."
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Actress Sophia Bush said "assault is never the answer" but brought up the fact that this is not the first time Chris Rock has made a joke at Jada's expense at the Oscars.
"Tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone's auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather," she tweeted.
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Actor Colman Domingo told Variety: "I thought, he's from West Philly, just like I'm from West Philly. We're very passionate people."
"I just think in the moment, his passion probably got the best of him," he said.
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During his acceptance speech for winning Best Actor for King Richard, Smith said: "I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees."
"This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award. It's not about winning an award for me. It's about being able to shine a light on all of the people," he said.
Smith ended his speech by saying, "I hope the Academy invites me back."
On stage, P Diddy said: "Will and Chris, we're going to solve this like family at the gold party, but right now we're moving on with love."
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The after-parties provided a much needed vibe shift
However intense things got during the ceremony, Will Smith still attended after parties to celebrate winning his first Academy Award.
He was seen taking selfies with his award and getting down to his own hits on the dance floor.
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Without naming either Smith or Rock, LA Police said in a statement they were aware of an incident at the Oscars, but "the individual involved has declined to file a police report."
So maybe the pair took P Diddy's advice and worked things out.
Dave Grohl has made an emotional arrival back on American soil with his Foo Fighters bandmates after the shock death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The frontman was visibly shaken as he shared hugs with the group and friends after arriving at Los Angeles airport from Colombia.
The Foo Fighters were on tour in the South American nation when Hawkins died.
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Grohl, 53, appeared heartbroken as he hugged a man believed to be his manager John Silva.
The former Nirvana drummer was joined by bandmates Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee, as well as jazz singer Samantha Sidley.
An emotional Dave Grohl hugs bandmates at LA airport. Credit: Backgrid/Backgrid
They landed on a private plane before they were photographed grieving the tragic loss.
In his memoir The Storyteller, Grohl referred to Hawkins as his “best friend and partner in crime”, someone who brightened up rooms with a bubbly presence and a constant “toothy grin”.
An autopsy found that Hawkins’ heart weighed double that of an average man his age, with the 50-year-old suffering a “cardiovascular collapse” after binging on a cocktail of drugs including heroin, marijuana and opioids.
Forensic experts said Hawkins’ heart weighed “at least 600g” during an examination after his shock death at a luxury hotel in Bogota on Friday.
Most men have a heart that weighs between 280g and 340g.
Colombia’s Attorney-General’s office revealed that an initial autopsy found 10 different drugs in Hawkins’ system.
Colombian journalist Luis Carlos Velez, the Bogota-based director of radio station FM, said on Monday that a police officer saw “cocaine-like” powder in Hawkins’ room at the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina.
Concerns about the drummer’s health first arose on Friday night when he complained of chest pains prior to the Foo Fighters performance at the Estereo Picnic Festival.
Foo Fighters, with Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl on the left. Credit: Supplied/TheWest
Hawkins, a father-of-three, had a heroin overdose in London in 2001 that left him in a coma for about a week.
In an interview last year, he said: “Everyone has their own path and I took it too far.
“I was partying in London one night and I mistakenly did something and it changed everything.
“I believed the bulls**t myth of live hard and fast, die young.
“I’m not here to preach about not doing drugs because I loved doing drugs.
“But I just got out of control for a while and it almost got me.”
The Academy Awards are done and dusted for another year but that doesn't mean we are finished with the red carpet, just yet.
It's time to jump straight onto the Vanity Fair Oscar After Party red carpet. And, good news: it's not to be missed.
From Chrissy Teigen and Sophie Turner to Mindy Kaling, Sienna Miller and Rita Ora, these are the most stylish moments on the (blue) carpet you need to see.
Could the fashion be better than the Oscars red carpet? We'll let you be the judge...
Paramount+ has announced that its just launched “Halo” TV series, based on the iconic Xbox gaming franchise, unsurprisingly had the streamer’s biggest series premiere to date.
According to reps for the service, the first-day launch topped the previous mark established by Yellowstone prequel “1883” in December. No numbers were provided as such though and Nielsen’s streaming rankings won’t be published for a week.
One complication is that the”1883″ series premiere also aired on the linear Paramount Network behind an episode of “Yellowstone” with that airing drawing 4.9 million viewers. “Halo” on the other hand is only available via the Paramount+ service.
The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, debuted March 24th and was originally developed at Showtime before migrating to Paramount+ a year ago.
