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How Princess Diana's 'Worst Time' With the Royals Is Shaping Prince William's Future Reign

How Princess Diana's 'Worst Time' With the Royals Is Shaping Prince William's Future Reign

Yahoo2 days ago
It's no secret that Princess Diana's time at the palace was a rocky one, but her rough experience may be shaping how her eldest son, Prince William, reigns in the future.
One of the most challenging places for the Princess of Wales to visit was always Balmoral Castle in Scotland. It was the then-Prince Charles' favorite place, but it was nothing more than a stuffy home to Diana, according to her former butler, Paul Burrell.
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'Diana tried to please Charles, so her times at Balmoral were to please him,' he told Marie Claire. 'She wanted to fit in, she wanted to be loved, she wanted to be accepted, and that was all part of that acceptance. '
Diana was a 'modern woman,' but the Balmoral summers were part of the royal's 'archaic world.' The family loved hunting, schedules that ran like clockwork, and formal dinners that were part of a 'suffocating' atmosphere for her. That's why Burrell believes William is a 'catalyst for change,' ushering in a new generation of royals.
'He's already planning it now,' Burrell claimed. 'When I see him on the TV, I see his mind working and thinking, 'Oh, when I'm king, this is not going to happen.'' Describing him as the 'people's [future] king,' the former palace staffer believes that the 'pomp and pageantry and excess will not happen' under his reign.
In November 2024, William ruffled feathers with an interview with The Times. He mentioned that his time on the throne will be punctuated by putting 'a smaller r in the royal.' It had anti-monarchists complaining about William's work ethic, but the Prince of Wales was undeterred.
Look no further than the royal blueprint he laid out in November 2023 when he told reporters during his Singapore tour that he will take on less patronages in the future.
'You have to remain focused, if you spread yourself too thin, you just can't manage it and you won't deliver the impact or the change that you really want to happen,' he told the print media, via Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor of The Sunday Times on X.
With King Charles III's illness looming in the background, it's possible that William's reign will begin much sooner than initially planned. The modernized monarchy might be just around the corner with a touch of Princess Diana's legacy at play.Best of SheKnows
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Ozzy Osbourne dies at age 76: Family says legendary Black Sabbath singer was 'surrounded by love'
Ozzy Osbourne dies at age 76: Family says legendary Black Sabbath singer was 'surrounded by love'

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Ozzy Osbourne dies at age 76: Family says legendary Black Sabbath singer was 'surrounded by love'

Osbourne, who lived with Parkinson's disease, had recently performed a farewell show in the U.K. Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has died, according to multiple reports. 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,' his family said in a statement to the press, signed by wife Sharon Osbourne and their children Kelly, Jack, Aimee, as well as his son Louis from his prior marriage to Thelma Riley. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.' The Black Sabbath rocker lived with Parkinson's disease. Earlier this month Osbourne played what was dubbed his 'final bow' from a throne at Villa Park in the U.K. Born John Michael Osbourne, the English musician rose to fame as the so-called Prince of Darkness with his heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, which he co-founded in 1968. The band released popular hits like 'Paranoid,' 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs.' After his 1979 departure from the band due to substance abuse issues, Osbourne launched a successful solo career beginning with 1980's Blizzard of Ozz, which featured his hit track 'Crazy Train.' Osbourne became widely known for his wild onstage persona, including infamously biting the head off a bat during a 1982 concert. (He later got a rabies shot.) He went on to release 13 studio albums and was inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in 2006, with Black Sabbath, and again in 2024 as a solo artist. Outside of music, Osbourne also had an influence on pop culture: He became a part of the first reality TV show family thanks to his hit MTV show, The Osbournes, which documented the chaotic, often hilarious home life he shared with wife Sharon and their children, Kelly and Jack. The show also illuminated darker sides of his personal life, however, as it revealed his struggles with substance abuse and health issues. The show ran for four seasons, from 2002 to 2005. Osbourne announced he had been previously diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive nervous system disorder, in January 2020, a condition he later told the Los Angeles Times he had lived with since 2003. 'I'm not dying from Parkinson's. I've been working with it most of my life,' the singer told the newspaper. 'I've cheated death so many times. If tomorrow you read 'Ozzy Osbourne never woke up this morning,' you wouldn't go, 'Oh, my God!' You'd go, 'Well, it finally caught up with him.'' In addition to Parkinson's, the musician also suffered other health issues, such as a severe staph infection in 2018 and multiple spinal surgeries following a fall that aggravated an old injury. In May, Osbourne told the Guardian about his condition: 'You wake up the next morning and find that something else has gone wrong. You begin to think this is never going to end.' Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, who was among the special guests at Osbourne and Black Sabbath's star-studded final show on July 5, posted a photo, presumably taken backstage, of himself with Osbourne and fellow guitarists Slash and Jeff Beck. Sharon Osbourne, who's been married to Ozzy Osbourne for over 40 years, told Billboard the idea for "Back to the Beginning," the all-day benefit concert held in Birmingham, England, on July 5, was hers. The event was billed as Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final show ever. 'It was my idea,' she said, 'because [Ozzy's] one regret was he didn't get the chance to say thank you to his fans before he finished his world tour. We were in the middle of his [2018 No More Tours 2] world tour, his retirement tour; we'd only done about nine months of the tour and he got sick.' The benefit marked the first time in 20 years that the original bandmates had come together to perform. An accompanying concert film, Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow, containing footage from the show, is also reportedly scheduled for release in early 2026. Osbourne felt compelled to perform on stage a final time, in spite of his declining health. Sharon told Billboard, 'He kept saying, 'It's my one regret' and 'I want a chance to really say thank you.' And this is what we thought would be the best way to do it. It's a celebration of Ozzy and Sabbath and the music. ' Public Enemy rapper and fellow reality TV star Flavor Flav said he was heartbroken over Osbourne's death. Ozzy Osbourne has been the frontman for Black Sabbath, one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands, since its formation in 1968. Osbourne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — first with Black Sabbath in 2006, and again as a solo artist in 2024. Here's a look back photos from his storied music career. In an Instagram post, Elton John remembered Osbourne as a "trailblazer," a "true legend," a "rock god" and "one of the funniest people I've ever met." Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready thanked Osbourne for his music, which he described as "terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time." Following the news of Osbourne's passing, his band, Black Sabbath, posted on the group's official Instagram account. Alongside the caption "Ozzy Forever," the band shared a photo of Osbourne from his farewell show on July 5. On X, the heavy metal band Pantera thanked Osbourne for his influence. The music channel, which carried the reality TV show The Osbournes, posted a tribute on X. The family released the following statement announcing the singer's death. It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis Solve the daily Crossword

Ozzy Osbourne's life in pictures
Ozzy Osbourne's life in pictures

CNN

time17 minutes ago

  • CNN

Ozzy Osbourne's life in pictures

Legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne, the former Black Sabbath frontman who later became a reality TV star, has died at the age of 76. His death comes just weeks after he performed with Black Sabbath in his hometown of Birmingham, England. It was the band's first performance in two decades, and it was billed as Osbourne's 'final bow.' Osbourne is often referred to as the Godfather of Heavy Metal, although he preferred the nickname the Prince of Darkness, which he used on social media. Known for his outrageous antics on stage, including biting the head off a bat, Osbourne was respected by the rock establishment and reviled by the religious right. Throughout his career, he struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. 'Looking back, I should have died a thousand times but never did,' he said in the 2011 documentary 'God Bless Ozzy Osbourne.'

Ozzy Osbourne dies two weeks after final Black Sabbath reunion concert
Ozzy Osbourne dies two weeks after final Black Sabbath reunion concert

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Ozzy Osbourne dies two weeks after final Black Sabbath reunion concert

Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne died just over two weeks after the band were reunited barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years ago. The heavy metal singer – who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 – was reunited with fellow original Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Terence 'Geezer' Butler and Bill Ward on stage for a final performance on July 6. Just over two weeks later Osbourne's family announced his death at the age of 76. — Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 21, 2025 The heavy metal band were the last to appear on stage as part of a star-studded line-up for the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park, Birmingham, not far from the Crown pub where they played their first gig in 1968. At the start of his solo performance, Osbourne entered the stage by rising on a large black throne through a trap door, wearing his signature black attire and thick eye make-up. He started the set by saying: 'Let me hear you. Are you ready? Let the madness begin!' Later, he told the crowd: 'It's so good to be on this f****** stage. You have no idea. I f****** love you all. Let me see your hands in the air. You are the best, each and every one of you. God bless you all.' In an emotional moment, he added: 'I don't know what to say, man, I've been laid up for, like, six years. You have no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart. 'You're all f****** special. Let's go crazy, come on.' The rocker sang five songs in his own set, with fans waving torches from their phones during Mama, I'm Coming Home. He finished his performance with Crazy Train, before confetti rained over a packed Villa Park. After a short break, he re-entered the stage to join the rest of Black Sabbath for the first time in 20 years. The band performed some of their greatest hits, ending with a rendition of Paranoid. Fans chanted 'Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy' as the rock great thanked and blew kisses to those in attendance, before departing in an emotional ending to cap an illustrious career on stage. In one of the messages displayed before his performance, Sir Elton John told Osbourne: 'You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time. 'You are the king, you are the legend. You've been through so much crap in the last few years – I hope this is the best day of your life so far.' Personal videos from dozens of fans were also broadcast at the event, in which they credited Osbourne and Black Sabbath for inventing heavy metal and thanked them for their generational influence on music.

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