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Prince William and More Royals Send Well Wishes to Boris Johnson

The royal family is coming together to support Boris Johnson.

Shortly after news broke that the British Prime Minister had tested positive for Coronavirus, Prince William and other royals expressed their well wishes online.

“Our thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family, who like so many in the UK and around the world are affected by Coronavirus,” Prince William stated on Twitter through Kensington Palace’s account. “We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time. W.”

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have also sent Boris a message wishing him a “speedy recovery.”

E! News can also confirm Queen Elizabeth II sent her well wishes to the British Prime Minister and his family. “Earlier today, The Queen sent a message to Carrie Symonds and to the Johnson family,” the Royal Family confirmed on Twitter. “Her Majesty said they were in her thoughts and that she wished the Prime Minister a full and speedy recovery.”

According to CNN, Boris’ spokesperson said the Prime Minister is stable and he “remains in good spirits.” He has not required invasive or non-invasive ventilation and does not have pneumonia. His spokesperson added that Boris is receiving “standard oxygen treatment” after he was transferred to intensive care with Coronavirus.

YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Similar to the United States, the United Kingdom has suffered with the Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the severity resulted in the Queen giving a rare televised address to the people of the UK over the weekend.

“Across the Commonwealth and around the world, we have seen heart-warming stories of people coming together to help others, be it through delivering food parcels and medicines, checking on neighbors, or converting businesses to help the relief effort,” she shared. “And though self-isolating may at times be hard, many people of all faiths, and of none, are discovering that it presents an opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect, in prayer or meditation.”

The Queen added, “I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones. Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it.” 

On Tuesday morning, the Queen also paid tribute to health care workers on World Health Day.

“In testing times, we often observe that the best of the human spirit comes to the fore; the dedication to service of countless nurses, midwives and other health workers, in the these most challenging of circumstances, is an example to us all,” she wrote. “My family and I send our enduring appreciation and good wishes.”

Watch NBC News Special Report: Coronavirus Pandemic Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on NBC, MSNBC and NBC News NOW. For the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic and for tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit The Center for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov.

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Lady GaGa Explains Why She Abruptly Ended Her Video Chat With Jimmy Fallon

The ‘Poker Face’ hitmaker had the most awkward phone call with the TV host during a recent episode of ‘The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon’ as she asked Jimmy to push back their interview.

AceShowbiz –Lady GaGa is really sorry for awkwardly hanging up on Jimmy Fallon during a live video chat. Days after making headlines for abruptly ending a video call with the host of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon“, the “Stupid Love” singer made a return to the show and offered an explanation for her questionable act.

During the Monday, April 6 episode of the “The Tonight Show: Home Edition”, the 34-year-old singer/songwriter claimed that she wasn’t “quiet ready yet.” She gushed, “I’m so sorry … I really appreciate you being so nice about it, and thank you. I love you, I love your viewers, and everyone at home watching. I just wish everybody well.”

Upon hearing her apology, Fallon kindly answered, “We love you all too and it turned out to be really kind of a fun bit for us and got a lot of people talking and a lot of people excited about what we’re about to discuss tonight.”

During the chat, the “Poker Face” hitmaker also discussed about her belief in “kindness currency” and “financial currency” during the coronavirus crisis. Noting both held an equal importance, she said, “I think there’s a lot of people that are at home right now that are wondering how they can help, and they feel like they can’t, and they don’t know how to. And one of the ways that you can is to be kind.”

Calling the COVID-19 a “catastrophe”, the “Bad Romance” songstress stressed that “kindness is the most important thing.” She added, “We must be compassionate to each other … While you’re being kind and making sure that you know what you have and what you don’t, [it’s important] that you take those moments to have gratitude.”

As for her delayed “very big” news, GaGa shared that she would release a TV special called “One World: Together At Home” in partnership with Global Citizen. Fallon himself would be the host of the huge event alongside fellow late night TV hosts, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.

“I mean, come on all three of you agreed to join forces for a good cause. I’m so happy [that] NBC, CBS and ABC, everybody’s working together,” the Oscar-winning singer said. “We’ll have artists. We will have lots of different people, we’ll have athletes. We’re also going to have Sesame Street. We’re going to have amazing hosts and actors and the truth is that we’re also going to do a lot of other things that are going to be different and exciting and this is what I really want to do with the show.”

GaGa made the shortest “Tonight Show” interview back on April 1. The “Born This Way” hitmaker appeared to be distracted and busy talking to her assistants when Fallon called her and asked her to share an “announcement you’re going to say tonight on our show.” To his request, she responded, “I can’t Jimmy. I, uh, can’t talk right now. I’m sorry. It’s just a really, really weird time.”

Still, Fallon tried to persuade GaGa by reminding her that “there’s something very big you’re working on that’s going to help people right now.” The “Shallow” singer, however, insisted she “can’t tell you everything right now because I’m still ironing out the details and I have a lot of phone calls to make,” puzzling the TV host.

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EastEnders' new £87m set continues construction as it nears completion

Is this ESSENTIAL construction work? EastEnders’ brand new £87m set continues to be built as it nears first stages of completion amid the COVID-19 crisis… with just the Queen Vic left to finish

  • The revamped Albert Square is being built to replicate EastEnders’ old set, which is based just feet away
  • Work on the site continues despite the current COVID-19 pandemic that sees most of the UK in lockdown
  • Those classes as essential key workers are still expected to attend their jobs
  • Construction sites have not been asked to close, so work can continue ‘if it is done safely’ according to the UK government’s website
  • The Elstree set will feature all of Albert Square’s staples, including the Queen Vic pub and the Walford East station – with the project originally intended for completion in August 2018
  • In October 2017 the plan was revised, with the BBC saying the set will cost £86.7 million and not be fully completed until 2023; MPs have criticised the sizable cost of the project recently

The brand new EastEnders set is nearly complete – and was buzzing with activity on Tuesday as work continues amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Construction sites have not been asked to close, so work can continue ‘if it is done safely’ according to the UK government’s website – with social-distancing measures in place and strict rules regarding personal and food hygiene.

Yet the project may not, to some, be classed as ‘essential’ – as the majority of the UK has been asked to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.

Getting there: The brand new EastEnders set is nearly complete – and was buzzing with activity on Tuesday as work continues on amid the COVID-19 outbreak

Lone site workers were spotted in protective gear as they busily went about their tasks, keeping a fair distance from one another.

The £87m Borehamwood set is taking shape, despite the few construction staff on site.

The famous Queen Vic pub is now one of the only major structures left to be finished.

The new Albert Square is being erected next to the old one – which would ordinarily be busy with cast and crew shooting EastEnders.

Reduced staff? A lone contruction worker is pictured on set as the UK continues to enforce lockdown rules for non-key workers 

Big changes: The brand new set features all of Albert Square’s staples, as well as a brand new version of the Queen Vic pub, a block of flats and a railway line

Challenging: According to The Telegraph last year, ongoing maintenance issues on the old set hampered the show’s filming schedule and presented health and safety concerns

But this was deserted on Tuesday, as production has been halted due to the UK’s lockdown.

The BBC was accused of ‘complacency’ over the astonishing £87 million bill for its new EastEnders set at the end of last month.

The project, nicknamed E20 after the soap’s fictitious postcode, is already £27million over budget and is not expected to be fully completed until May 2023, nearly five years late.

MPs said BBC bosses ‘badly’ managed the construction and that they made ‘a serious error’ by failing to consider what project management skills they needed.

Open for business: Construction sites have not been asked to close, so work can continue ‘if it is done safely’ according to the UK government’s website

Rules: Social-distancing measures are in place, as are strict rules regarding personal and food hygiene

Essential? The project may not, to some, be classed as ‘essential’ – as the majority of the UK has been asked to stay at home unless absolutely necessary

Cut-backs? Lone site workers were spotted in protective gear as they busily went about their tasks, keeping a fair distance from one another

Controversial: The new and improved Walford has not come without its detractors, however, as The Sun previously reported that neighbors were left disgruntled by the loud noises of builders working on the set

Scary: Construction for the brand new set also continues as filming for all of the UK’s biggest soaps has been thrown into doubt amid the coronavirus outbreak

The public accounts committee said they secured a contract poorly, drastically increasing costs.

The committee also found that contract negotiations took six months longer than planned, partly because of discussions about what bricks to use for the set. Meanwhile, the corporation spent £50,000 on samples.

MPs added that they were ‘disappointed by the BBC’s complacency in managing this project, particularly in its early stages’.

And they said the BBC ‘underestimated the scale and complexity of the project, including how it would age the new sets so that they either exactly replicate what viewers are used to, or look realistic where there are new locations’.

Investment: The updated set will allow the crew to film in HD as bosses feared filming above standard definition on the current set would allow viewers to notice that the fronts of the some buildings were made of plaster and plywood

Still a long wait: In 2013 the BBC said the new set would cost £59.7 million to be completed in August 2018. In October 2017 this was revised, with the broadcaster saying the set will cost £86.7 million and not be fully completed until 2023

The set consists of a ‘front lot’ – a brickwork replica of the current set – and a ‘back lot’, which will provide extra locations to ‘better reflect modern East End London’.

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We strongly reject the notion that there has been any complacency in managing this project.

‘Like any building work of this scale, there have been challenges along the way including construction market issues beyond our control and working on a brownfield site.’

The extended sound stage sees a new railway line and block of flats in place, replicating the soap’s original set up.

EastEnders’ brand new set was first announced four years ago when it was also revealed that the show’s old 1984 set was in poor condition.

Quiet: The £87m Borehamwood set is taking shape, despite the few construction staff on site

Accusations: The BBC was accused of ‘complacency’ over the astonishing £87 million bill for its new EastEnders set at the end of last month

Complacent? The project, nicknamed E20 after the soap’s fictitious postcode, is already £27million over budget and is not expected to be fully completed until May 2023, nearly five years late

As well as an extension of the famous Albert Square, EastEnders’ new set will feature a brand new block of flats to house all manner of colourful characters.

It is being perfectly built to replicate the old set, which had been in use since the soap first began. 

According to The Telegraph last year, ongoing maintenance issues on the old set hampered the show’s filming schedule and presented health and safety concerns.

The updated set will allow the crew to film the programme in HD as bosses feared filming above standard definition on the current set would allow viewers to notice that the fronts of the Queen Vic and its surrounding buildings are made of plaster and plywood.

Hitting out: MPs said BBC bosses ‘badly’ managed the construction and that they made ‘a serious error’ by failing to consider what project management skills they needed

Criticism: MPs added that they were ‘disappointed by the BBC’s complacency in managing this project, particularly in its early stages’

The HD set’s buildings are made entirely out of brick, however the crew are working diligently to ensure they appear identical on camera to the buildings that viewers are familiar with. 

The new and improved Walford has not come without its detractors, however, as The Sun previously reported that neighbours were left disgruntled by the loud noises of builders working on the set.

The BBC said in response: ‘We are extremely mindful of the neighbouring properties and have ensured residents are regularly updated. We keep all out-of-hours work to an absolute minimum.’

In 2013 the BBC said the new set would cost £59.7 million to be completed in August 2018.

However in October 2017 this was revised, with the broadcaster saying the set will cost £86.7 million and not be fully completed until 2023.

Hard at work: The new set – which is based mere feet away from the old studio – has been in the works for several years at the soap’s studio in Elstree

The BBC said in a statement: ‘The set of EastEnders was built in 1984 and only intended for use for two years. Over 30 years later, the show remains one of the BBC’s flagship programmes and yet is filming from a set that is no longer fit for purpose.

‘The new set will be suitable for HD filming for the first time and extend Walford to better reflect modern East End London.’

Construction for the set also continues as filming for all of the UK’s biggest soaps has been thrown into doubt amid the coronavirus outbreak.

On Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted the members of the public avoid any social contact, and those who are particularly vulnerable ordered to remain at home for at least 12 weeks. 

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Are Dean and Caelynn Married? Ashley I. and Jared Dish on Their Rings

Did they or didn’t they? Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon dished details on Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert’s decision to wear rings amid marriage speculation exclusively on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast.

“They honestly won’t tell us for real, which is really funny, but completely true, [but we think] that they had like some commitment ceremony in Europe,” Iaconetti, 32, explains on the podcast, which releases new episodes every Tuesday. “It’s not a legal marriage, but they’re, like, committed long term.”

Haibon, 31, agrees, noting that Unglert, 28, is “putting so much effort” into his relationship with Miller-Keyes, 24.

“Dean had the reputation of being the F boy and not wanting to be in a committed relationship. And maybe some of that was a little bit true, which Dean has expressed many, many times,” the Rhode Island native explains. “He cares about Caelynn so much. And I think the ring is symbolic … Saying, ‘Hey, you know, I know I have a pass, but I’m here for you. I want to be with you. And that’s why I’m wearing the ring because I want to show you that. I only want to be with you. I don’t even want I don’t want to just say I want to show you.’”

Unglert and Miller-Keyes met while filming season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise. While he left Mexico before the series wrapped, he returned to ask the pageant queen for another chance.

“Normally when you leave Paradise, like, these Bachelor in Paradise couples, they start out the strongest when they’re leaving paradise and then it sort of like disintegrates. But with them we’ve seen it only strengthen over time,” Iaconetti notes.

“I think Dean is sometimes his own worst enemy and [this time] he hasn’t self-sabotaged,” Haibon tells Us. “And I think that’s a very, very good thing, obviously.”

While Unglert previously declared that he had no interest in legally getting married, the Bachelor in Paradise season 2 couple thinks he will change his mind down the line.

“He definitely said that she has made him reconsider the whole institution of marriage,” the “Almost Famous” podcast host tells Us. “Because before her he, like, had crossed that off the to do list. But now he’s like, ‘Oh, OK, I’m maybe into the idea again. … That means a lot.”

Haibon concludes, “I could totally see Dean, you know, four or five years from now getting married.”

For more from Haibon and Iaconetti, listen to the new episode of Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast.

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Jennifer Love Hewitt dyed her hair pink during the quarantine: love it or hate it?

The smile of a girl who just did at home hot pink highlights because what else can I do right now! Thanks @limecrimemakeup these hair conditioners are easy and so fun! @nikkilee901 don’t be mad lol. I really miss you! Hey @911onfox new look for Maddie?!

As we’ve discussed in various posts and this week’s Gossip with Celebitchy podcast, so many people are feeling itchy about their hair in quarantine. My story is that I planned to get a haircut in late February but I kept on putting it off, and then all of the hair salons closed because of the pandemic and so now my hair is full of split ends and it’s all puffy and long and I also need to dye it. My grey is really coming in!! I have hair dye at home, but I guess I’m just waiting to see how long I can go before I really can’t stand it anymore. Plus, I kind of want to try dyeing my hair and then cutting it myself all in one go, just for maximum WTFery. That way if I screw it all up, I’ll just be like “whoops, guess I’ll have to stay in isolation for another month!”

Anyway, I enjoy talking about all of the crazy Quarantine Hair energies people have! Hecate dyed her hair blue, which is amazing!! I could never! Meanwhile, Jennifer Love Hewitt dyed her hair hot pink. And… I don’t really like it, but I’m glad she did something different. Maybe blue would have looked better on her? I don’t know. JLH also appeared on The Talk and she chatted about homeschooling and more:

Lord, can we all agree that most of these link-ups were not built for multiple people trying to talk all at once? Especially on television? There’s nothing wrong with a one-on-one situation, you know? Anyway, Jennifer Love dyed her hair pink and I think she should have done it blue.

Photos courtesy of IG and The Talk.

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Sister Wives Reveal: How are They Handling Social Distancing?

How is this for some rich irony:

Over the course of the last several Sister Wives episodes, Kody Brown and his spouses have been arguing about whether they'll one day live under the same large roof in a new Arizona mansion.

And, hey, maybe they will.

Right now, however? In the wake of the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak and resulting shelter-at-home orders across the country?

Kody and his spouses can't even see each other, let alone live together.

So, what are the reality stars up to these days? How are they spending their time during this historic and frightening outbreak?

Courtesy of the cast talking to Us Weekly, we actually have some answers. Scroll down to read them…

1.A New Normal

2.It's Better for Some Than Others

3.Is Kody in Contact with His Wives?

4.No News, For Now, Is Good News… Right?

5.How Have Lives Changed?

6.Christine? What Have You Been Up To?

7.Is Kody Learning As Well?

8.And Janelle?

9.And Meri?

10.On My Own

11.And Robyn?

12.What About All the Marital Strife?

13.How Will This Get Resolved?

Wait! There’s more! Just click “Next” below:

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Naomi Campbell Plays Dress Up Using Elizabeth Taylor’s Clothes During COVID-19 Lockdown

Claiming to be enjoying her time in self-isolation, the fashion icon spills she mostly lounges around the house in ‘T-shirts, sweats, Adidas, and workout clothes.’

AceShowbiz –Naomi Campbell is making the most of her lockdown by modelling the items she bought from an Elizabeth Taylor auction.

The fashion icon admits she’s not really dressing up in self-isolation – and she’s mostly lounging around the house in “T-shirts, sweats, Adidas, and workout clothes”, but at night she conjures up her favourite style queen.

“I wear kaftans,” Naomi tells InStyle. “I’ve got some really great ones. I’ve got some I bought from Elizabeth Taylor’s auctions, so I have some of hers. I’ve got one from the Middle East. I’ve got some beautiful ones from Africa.”

“I may dress up for something here and there… but I’m just chilled. I’m not counting days.”

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Should Cate Blanchett be cast as Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor?

In 2011, Madonna directed the box-office bomb W.E., a loosely historical (not really) look at the lives of Wallis Simpson and abdicated King Edward VIII, aka the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Madonna got some of it right – the superficial stuff about Wallis’s clothes and jewelry, and she also cast the film correctly – Andrea Riseborough looks so much like Wallis, and James D’Arcy had that milky-posh look of Edward. Still, the film was not good and it’s not any kind of real history of the couple or their politics (which tended towards fascistic). I would be completely on board for a real, authentic historical drama about Wallis and Edward and their marriage and all of that. And we might get it, at some point. With Cate Blanchett as Wallis?! I could see that too.

With Meghan having moved back to Los Angeles, Hollywood is preparing to dramatise the story of another U.S. divorcee who lured her husband away from the Royal Family. Author Anna Pasternak has sold the film rights to her biography of Wallis Simpson, The American Duchess, to Tinseltown production company The Gotham Group. Cate Blanchett is to be approached about playing the Duchess of Windsor.

‘It’s rather thrilling as they made me a really generous offer,’ says Anna, the great-niece of Doctor Zhivago author Boris Pasternak. ‘Personally, I think Damian Lewis would be wonderful as Wallis’s husband.’

The Duke of Windsor caused the 1936 abdication crisis when he gave up the throne to marry Wallis.

‘Now Meghan has moved back to Hollywood, never has it been timelier to consider the fate of the original American duchess,’ Pasternak says. ‘As both could attest, life has always been difficult for women marrying into the Royal Family.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Wallis was a million times more scandalous (and problematic) than Meghan ever was. Wallis was banging other dudes while she was “seeing” Edward, and one of her lovers was a Nazi! Maybe that was a smear on Wallis after the fact, but there is evidence that she was (pre-war) lovers with a Nazi official named Joachim von Ribbentrop in London, and that she passed along information to help the Nazis. All Meghan ever did was eat some avocados and exist as a biracial woman.

Anyway, this post is truly some vintage tea mixed with a dreamcasting situation. Plus I just like looking at Wallis’s lowkey wedding gown! I think Cate Blanchett is a good choice for Wallis (as was Andrea, frankly). I don’t really think Damian Lewis would be the best choice for Edward though? Damian is too sexy to play Edward. They need someone more *pinched* and posh. Tobias Menzies, maybe? Remember The King’s Speech, where Colin Firth brilliantly played King George VI? Firth wasn’t the first choice for that role – originally, they wanted Paul Bettany. Bettany would be a good Edward too.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.

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Duffy finally feels 'safe’ after cutting off hair and moving 5 times

Warning: this article contains details experience of sexual assault.

Duffy shared details behind her horrific rape ordeal, which resulted in her cutting off her hair and moving house five times out of fear of her attacker.

In a lengthy 3,000-word essay, titled The 5th House, uploaded to her website on Sunday night, the singer said she was drugged on her birthday and submitted to four weeks of assault, having been flown to another country.

In the aftermath, Duffy withdrew from life and explained she didn’t tell her family or friends as she’d ‘become estranged from all’. At one stage, Duffy said her hair became so tangled she cut it off.

The 35-year-old wrote: ‘I would not see someone, a physical soul, for sometimes weeks and weeks and weeks at a time, remaining alone.

‘I would take off my pyjamas and throw them in the fire and put on another set. My hair would get so knotted from not brushing it, as I grieved, I cut it all off.’

Explaining to readers why she decided to speak after keeping the horrendous experience to herself for so long, Duffy wrote how she’d ‘fled’, moving several times out of fear – and now she finally feels safe.

‘It took so long for me to speak because after I was raped and held captive, I fled,’ she detailed.

‘I moved five times in the immediate three years after, never feeling safe from the rapist, I was on the run for so long.’

She added: ‘I found somewhere to live, the 5th house, it was not as confined as the other houses, where I grieved silently, in townhouses or apartments.

‘This place I would spend solitary years to find the stability to recover, I had stopped running and relocating. I felt he could not find me in the 5th house, I felt safe. I feel safe now.’

Duffy revealed someone had threatened to reveal her story, which forced her to tell police about the ordeal.

She wrote of the times she’d opened up to authorities about the assault, which forced her to retreat from the spotlight and not release music: ‘Once someone threatened to “out” my story and I had to tell a female police officer what information the person held about me, and why the blackmail was so frightening.

‘The second incident was when three men tried to enter my house as intruders, I told the second female officer about the rape then also.

‘The identity of the rapist should be only handled by the police, and that is between me and them.’

Last month Duffy shared an Instagram message in which she told fans what had happened to her, explaining why she’d not been seen for a lengthy period.

After sharing a song with Jo Whiley to be played on BBC Radio 2, the Warwick Avenue singer said this week she ‘owes it to herself’ to release a body of work once again.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reveal Name of New Foundation, Say It'll Launch When the "Time Is Right"

Attention those of you wondering what Meghan and Harry are gonna be up to now that they’re chilling out in Los Angeles and are no longer working royals. The couple are gearing up to launch a a brand new foundation called…*nerdy royal drumroll, plz*…Archewell!

The Telegraph broke news of Meghan and Harry’s new foundation, and as a result the couple released a statement (obtained by People) saying, “Like you, our focus is on supporting efforts to tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic, but faced with this information coming to light, we felt compelled to share the story of how this came to be.”

According to The Telegraph, Archewell will be a charitable nonprofit with volunteering services, a “wide-ranging website,” podcasts, and potentially even films and books. Congrats to Meghan and Harry on their new venture!


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