Meghan Markle's Fourth of July tradition involves cupcakes
The Duchess of Sussex shared on Instagram that their two children, Archie and Lilibet, now participate in this annual Independence Day tradition.
The couple has recently become more open about their private family life, sharing glimpses into their daily routines.
This includes a Father's Day video montage of Prince Harry with their children, showing candid moments.
They also shared previously unseen footage of themselves dancing to induce labor before their daughter Lilibet's birth, and photos for their seventh wedding anniversary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Holiday from hell nearly ruined my marriage – I was drinking at 9am to get through it, it made me question everything
WHEN Tess Stimson and her husband Erik were invited to join a couple in a luxury villa in Portugal this autumn, their answer was a no-brainer. A resounding no. 5 5 While few of us would pass up the chance for a luxury holiday, Tess and Erik have been stung by the couples holiday, and it's put them off for life. Here writer Tess reveals why, when it comes to travelling, a foursome is not so awesome… A few years ago we went on holiday with another couple — and it wrecked the friendship, and very nearly destroyed our marriage. We'd met Tony* and Fiona* through our kids' school about five years earlier. Their little girl, Ellie*, then 7, was good friends with our daughter Lily, 10. Together with our two sons, Henry, 18, and Matt, 15, our families had already gone away for weekends together, which had been great fun, so when Fiona suggested a joint summer holiday, it seemed like a no-brainer. So she found a large cottage on the rugged coast of Maine, in America, with room for us all. You could see the sea from every window, and there were canoes and bicycles and beaches to explore. But from the day we arrived, it started to go wrong. Fiona and Tony had always squabbled, but suddenly they were arguing nonstop. Tony couldn't sit still for five minutes, while Fiona wanted to chill out on the patio with a glass of wine. Our boys had the room next door to them, and after two nights listening to them quarrel well into the small hours of the morning, decided they were going to sleep in hammocks outside. Top five things about the Wild Rose Holiday Park in Cumbria Tony kept complaining about Fiona's lack of affection, and even announced one morning at breakfast he 'expected' sex every day when they were on holiday — in front of the children! Things went from bad to worse. When it was Fiona's turn to go shopping, she went to the local fishing port and splashed out on eight huge lobsters, which she put on his credit card. In retaliation, Tony blew the rest of their budget with expensive wine. In an effort to get things back on track, Fiona and I took the girls off for a spa day while the boys went mountain biking. The whole time, all she did was complain about Tony. They'd been married 20 years, and she brought up every gripe. I was sympathetic — Tony had a wandering eye — but it did kill the holiday mood. When it rained, we couldn't play board games, because Tony and Fiona kept making it personal, and it descended into a fight every time. Even a game of rounders ended in a row, with Tony throwing the bat into the sea. 5 5 A week in, I came down to breakfast at 9am to find Fiona waiting for me — with a huge glass of wine in her hand. 'Take this,' she said. 'You're going to need it.' She and Tony had had an almighty row the night before, and he'd stormed off, taking the car. He didn't come back until late that afternoon, and refused to say where he'd been, though he reeked of booze. By this stage, the tension in the house had spilled over to the kids, who were all squabbling, too. The four of us adults were drinking far too much just to get through the day, and starting every morning with a hangover, which didn't improve anyone's mood. Erik wanted to give up and go home early, but Fiona begged me to stay, and out of misplaced loyalty, I agreed. But what with all the stress and alcohol, Erik and I were now at each other's throats, too. Fiona latched onto every minor disagreement between us, blowing it out of all proportion. She kept talking about how we should both leave our husbands and start over. Persistent Communication Breakdowns Constant misunderstandings, arguments, or a complete lack of meaningful conversation can signal deep-seated issues. Emotional Distance Feeling like roommates rather than partners, with a noticeable lack of intimacy or emotional connection. Frequent Criticism and Contempt Regularly criticising each other and showing contempt, such as sarcasm, eye-rolling, or mocking, can erode the relationship's foundation. Unresolved Conflicts Recurrent arguments about the same issues without any resolution can indicate deeper incompatibilities. Loss of Trust Trust is crucial in any relationship. If it's been broken and cannot be rebuilt, it may be a sign that the relationship is in trouble. Different Life Goals Significant differences in future aspirations, such as career goals, lifestyle choices, or family planning, can create insurmountable divides. Avoidance Preferring to spend time apart rather than together, whether through work, hobbies, or social activities, can indicate a desire to escape the relationship. Lack of Support Feeling unsupported, whether emotionally, financially, or practically, can lead to feelings of isolation and resentment. Financial Disagreements Constantly arguing about money, spending habits, or financial priorities can strain the relationship. Infidelity Whether physical or emotional, infidelity can be a major breach of trust and a sign of deeper issues in the relationship. Changes in Affection A noticeable decrease in affection, physical touch, or romantic gestures can indicate a loss of connection. We couldn't wait for the holiday to end. My liver was waving a white flag — I gave up alcohol for three years after the Maine trip. Unsurprisingly, Fiona and Tony split up a few months after they got home, and went through a very nasty divorce. I stayed friends with Fiona for a couple of years, but she blamed our holiday for blowing up her marriage, and the friendship eventually fizzled out. Erik and I had to do some serious soul-searching of our own after that trip. I'd always found two solid weeks with just him and the kids a bit intense. Having friends around meant we both had other adults to talk to apart from each other. We realised we'd fallen into the habit of holidaying with other people so we didn't have to spend one-on-one time together, and it took some honest conversations for us to turn things around. Vacations are second only to Christmas for putting relationships in a pressure cooker, and that trip to Maine was a real test for Erik and me. But it was the wake-up call we needed to make proper time for each other, and now we treat our holidays as a chance to give our marriage a gentle refresh. Our kids still talk about That Holiday, and we can laugh about it now. But with the greatest love and respect to all our friends — never again. 'The New House' by Tess Stimson - published by Avon. *Names have been changed 5
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bride-to-be in tears after getting the 'worst haircut of her life' from her stylist of five years just 11 days before her wedding
A bride-to-be has shared her panic after she got the 'worst haircut of [her] life' just days before she was due to walk down the aisle. Chloe, from Miami, thought she was in safe hands when she went to her hair stylist of five years to get a touch-up before her big day. However, the 24-year-old was shocked when the hairdresser 'sliced' the front of her waist-length locks leaving her with a 'jellyfish'-style do. Chloe was left in tears over her 'completely messed up' mane as her wedding was in just 11 days and she had to book multiple appointments at other hair salons to fix her stylist's mistake. Millions were outraged on the bride's behalf after she shared the botched job on social media. 'POV you get literally the worst haircut of your life 11 days before your wedding,' Chloe wrote in a TikTok clip. 'Alright guys…who made a voodoo doll? It's not funny anymore. Anyone good at extensions?' Chloe claims she asked her regular stylist for some simple light layers and to touch up her highlights. She said the hairdresser took two to four inches off her dry tresses which was more than she was expecting. After shampooing, Chloe said when she returned to the chair, her stylist took an eyebrow blade and 'sliced' a 'chunk' of hair from the front. The brazen move left her with a 'chunky' bob-length layer at the front and long flowing strands at the back. 'How could she possibly mess up the same hair she's been doing for five years?' Chloe said in a series of videos about the incident. Her video was viewed more than 48.6million times with many blasting the hairdresser for her blunder and likened her hair to a jellyfish. 'Genuinely how does this happen I have 0 training as a hairdresser and can cut my own hair better with a blindfold on,' one viewer wrote. 'My mouth literally dropped. Get an extension specialist and hand the bill to the previous salon,' a second said. 'They'd be seeing me in court,' quipped a third. 'Girl… I am giving you full permission to Karen out on the hairdresser. This is one of the only valid times. My mouth literally popped open,' someone added. Some even went as far as suspecting that the hairdresser purposefully ruined Chloe's hair. 'You cannot convince me that wasn't done purposely,' one woman said and another joked: 'Was the hairdresser an ex of his by chance?!'. 'I've been doing hair a long time I've trained a lot of hairdressers in that time as well, to do something like this is intentional. This isn't a mistake it's almost impossible to mess up this badly with any basic knowledge on haircuts,' one stylist claimed. 'I feel like hairdressers do this on purpose because they're jealous or something because this happens to people way too often,' someone replied. However, not everyone thought her new style was disastrous and some offered advice. 'If you can still clip it up in the front you could do a cute bun and tight curls but I think a timeless jellyfish haircut would flatter your face once styled,' one viewer suggested. 'I would say cut the rest and go for the rich lady from 90's look,' another recommended. 'If you cut it into a bob you are gonna look amazing,' a third chimed in. Chloe later provided an update saying she went to another salon where she was given fresh highlights, extensions at the front and a much better cut which she was ultimately happy about. 'I always heard that something goes wrong on your wedding but I did not know it was going to be my hair,' she said.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I completed Race Across The World: The Experience and it was a LOT harder than I expected - after walking 17,000 steps in 30C heat, here's why I'd never do the real thing
Like much of the nation, I've been glued to the BBC 's megahit Race Across The World, which sees pairs go head-to-head in a quest to travel through multiple countries, in a bid to win £20,000 in prize money. But given I don't have the budget, or the willpower, to complete a similar 9,000 mile trip across Asia or Canada, the opportunity to tackle the brand new experience inspired by the beloved show proved too good pass up. Joined by my two friends, and my friend's seven-year-old son, the four of us headed into London to take on Race Across The World: The Experience, which invites teams of all ages to battle it out to reach checkpoints by solving clues along the way. Like the show, you are given a in-game budget that you can use to buy 'hints' if you're struggling, and if you run low on funds, you can complete puzzles in lieu of the 'work' pairs complete on the actual show. While I am a fan of Race Across The World, I will admit I didn't know what to expect when I headed to London's Liverpool Street station on a Saturday morning to start the challenge. Given the vast scale of the show itself, I was keen to see how this would be replicated in a game that even children could enjoy. The simple answer to that question is: Modern technology, as much of the game is done through messages sent on Whatsapp. Apart from texts to guide you through, the same rules that apply on the show are in place for the game: No internet, public transport, and more importantly Google Maps, are allowed. I've worked in London nearly a decade, and the area that comprises the challenge is one I knew well, so I hoped this would work to my advantage. But it turned out I was very wrong, and found this challenge to be far tougher than I expected, and warned me I'd stand no chance doing the real thing. Kicking things off, with blister plasters and a cold drink in my bag, I met my teammates at Liverpool Street Station. After choosing a team name, you are asked to send a message to start the game, and you're directed to the first of three checkpoints, which are all based in cafes or bars, offering a nice spot to stop for a break if you need to. Luckily, your first checkpoint is close by, a coffee shop, and it's there that you are given the opening steps, with clues to direct you to various hidden landmarks across the capital. With an excited announcement to cafe workers that you're ''with the race,'' you are presented with a mystery envelope to kick things off, and with a hot drink in hand, the clock starts. As we dashed down lanes and sideroads in the 30C heat, thankful we'd applied SPF, at times it felt like all hope was lost in our quest to reach the finish line In case you want to try the race for yourself, I'll try and avoid giving away any of the key details, but I will say that the little things that help you solve the clues are very easy to miss, such as a name on a plaque, or an engraving high on a building. The route did take me to some parts of London that I'd never seen before, but it was hard to work out what the correct landmarks would be, let alone find them without a map. While we managed to avoid the gruesome jobs that real-life teams on the show have to do, we did have to do 'work' in the form of various puzzles, which can prove tricky if you're not a fan of brain-teasers. But luckily I enjoy such things, and they helped us add much-needed funds to our budget when they were dwindling due to the hints needed. Once we completed the first leg, we were lured into a false sense of security having solved the clues relatively easily, and we all gushed how we were enjoying learning little unknown facts about the city we call home. But things quickly turned as we started the second leg, sending our placement plunging down the leaderboard. Yes, there is a leaderboard too, so you can compare you performance to the other teams taking part, and we did cross paths with some of them along the way, trying to keep our progress a secret! As we dashed down lanes and sideroads in the 30C heat, thankful we'd applied SPF, at times it felt like all hope was lost in our quest to reach the finish line. One particular clue in the final leg added costly minutes to our time, and as we blew our budget on more hints, and ran towards the same spots over and over again, I wondered if we would ever finish. As we ran to the final checkpoint, it was a welcome relief when we were told we'd reached the end, and we agreed that the challenge became progressively harder as it went on. And like the show itself, you're invited to sign a book when you get to the end, offering a sense of accomplishment... even if we did come last. Regardless, the celebratory drinks we had, wine and otherwise, were well-deserved and we all agreed it was a fun way to see hidden parts of the capital, away from the typical tourist traps. If you're known for a poor sense of direction, or don't know London well, this experience could be a tricky feat. It also made me realise that I would have little hope of completing a real-life race, especially if it means completing grim jobs, or But I think we can all agree that it's a far cry from the vast journeys completed by real-life contestants, so I think with that in mind, giving it a go seems all them more appealing. Just wear comfortable shoes.
