Meghan Markle has shared a family video and a four-word message for Prince Harry as he celebrates his 42nd birthday, showcasing snapshots of the couple and their children, Archie and Lilibet, enjoying family life

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Prince Harry is celebrating his 42nd today (September 15) and his wife Meghan Markle has issued a succinct four-word tribute. To mark the occasion, former Suits star Meghan shared a video montage of heartwarming family photographs set to the Føx and the Hound cover of the song Simply the Best.

Among the footage, Harry was pictured holding daughter Lilibet’s hand against a snowy backdrop during a skiing holiday. A further clip captured Harry riding alongside his daughter and son Archie on a red quad bike, with a black Labrador trotting along behind them on foot.

An additional clip featured a black-and-white photograph of Harry and Meghan sharing a kiss, alongside further glimpses into their family life. In the caption, Meghan, 45, offered her four-word verdict: “He’s simply the best.”

She then added: “Happy birthday, my love.” Comments on the Instagram post were disabled.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who currently sits fifth in line to the British throne, famously stepped back from royal duties alongside his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in January 2020.

The couple then relocated to the United States, where they lived for six years before returning to the UK this summer.

A letter sent on behalf of King Charles by senior Palace official the Lord Chamberlain confirmed Prince Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals and will continue to be unable to use the titles “His and Her Royal Highness”. The correspondence stated the pair remain “private citizens” following their return.

The Sussex family have recently made headlines after taking the decision to withdraw their children from their new school.

Earlier this week, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, began attending a new school here in England, but amid security concerns, the siblings will now be moving to a different one.

On Monday (September 14), a spokesperson for the couple told USA TODAY: “The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.

“The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family.”

The spokesperson further stated: “This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there.”

Prince Harry and Meghan have been together for over 10 years, having reportedly been introduced through a mutual friend on a blind date in July 2016.

Their romance was publicly confirmed in November of that year, with their engagement announced 12 months later on November 27, 2017 by King Charles III, who was at the time the Prince of Wales.

The couple were married on Saturday, May 19 2018 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and together have two children, Prince Archie Harrison and Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Without the world reducing climate-warming emissions, most of which come from burning fossil fuels for power, homes, transport and industry, to net zero, global temperatures will continue to rise with worsening impacts including extreme heatwaves, floods, drought and rising seas.

Three people have died after a news helicopter crashed into the ground as reporters covered another deadly bus crash in Los Angeles.

NewsChopper 4, which provides coverage for NBC LA and a local Telemundo channel, fell from the sky in Chatsworth.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the helicopter crashed while circling the bus accident below.

Four vehicles were damaged and police are investigating what prompted the crash.

‘From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed,’ the police said in a statement.’

NBC and Telemundo said: ‘We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening[

‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The SNP is resorting to “gimmicks” to sell the idea of Scottish independence to voters, a leading expert on the party has said.

Professor James Mitchell rubbished John Swinney’s prediction that Andy Burnham would be the last Prime Minister of the UK – and said the case for independence had not been moved forward by this week’s Cardiff summit.

And the academic, who has studied the history of Scottish nationalism for 40 years, said the meeting in Wales which brought together the leaders of the SNP, Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru was “yet another blind alley”.

Swinney used a press conference in the Welsh capital to insist he would continue pushing for an IndyRef2 by 2031 and claim the UK’s days were numbered.

He later signed a joint agreement which declared: “The political landscape across these islands is changing.”

Mitchell told the Record: “The claim Burnham will be the last UK Prime Minister will be forgotten long before it is disproved.

“John Swinney knows this, which allows him to say it. It’s easy to say something to get a headline, knowing it will soon be forgotten – just as the numerous other predictions of independence’s imminence have been.

“The SNP approach is now very clear. Lots of gimmicks, declarations and the like, but evade the weaknesses exposed in the 2014 referendum – currency, pensions, Scotland’s very challenging fiscal status, and how to attain EU membership criteria.

“Without credible answers, it is easier to indulge in posturing – but these matters are real and unavoidable.”

Mitchell described the Cardiff summit as “novel” but “lacking in substance”. And the academic at the University of Edinburgh said Swinney would be “relieved” independence was being talked about rather than the recent Pisa report which found standards in Scots schools slipping.

He added: “The fact that the leaders of three minority parties are First Minister is indeed novel but does not materially change the constitutional situation.

“While Plaid saw a significant breakthrough in Wales in May, the SNP and Sinn Fein have lost momentum.

“This is an example of the SNP’s tactic of appearing to take the constitutional debate forward any real progress.

“The agreement is yet another blind alley in the pursuit of the SNP’s aim of independence. John Swinney will at least be relieved to have the constitution talked about, even if to no effect, rather than the latest PISA results.”

The first ministers of the UK’s three devolved nations used Monday’s summit to declare that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end”. During what Swinney described as a “landmark day”, he predicted Burnham would be “the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom”.

Asked by reporters whether the summit was an “appropriate use” of their offices, the First Minister insisted he was “simply advancing the mandate that was given to me by the public”.

The SNP fell seven seats short of a majority at May’s election – the benchmark Swinney had previously suggested was needed for him to begin negotiations with the UK Government over holding another referendum.

Half of drivers now say potholes are their ‘biggest worry’

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A summer of high temperatures will lead to more potholes during winter, the RAC has warned. Many parts of the UK experienced record temperatures during a summer frequented by heatwaves and it is these periods which will create even more potholes.

The RAC points towards the negative effect which UV rays have on the bitumen used to bind road materials together. When exposed to long durations of high temperatures, this can cause asphalt to become brittle and break away when it cools.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “As UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in asphalt, it becomes harder and less flexible which leads to cracking. Then water penetrates cracks and as vehicles drive over them, the surface breaks and potholes start to appear. This is the last thing our already fragile roads needed.”

A recent Report on Motoring conducted by the RAC spoke to 2,238 drivers and found that half of drivers saw potholes as their biggest worry, up from 47 per cent last year. Some 83 per cent of drivers say they encounter a pothole on most trips they make by car, while more than half come across potholes on every trip. In addition, 58 per cent say that they have to make an effort to avoid them on every trip.

Williams added: “Potholes are often associated with cold or wet winters, but prolonged periods of hot, sunny weather also takes its toll on the roads. Intense UV exposure and heat gradually oxidise the bitumen that binds asphalt together, making surfaces more brittle and prone to cracking.

“Once cracks develop, traffic and later rainfall can quickly turn them into serious defects.:

Most of us are used to hearing about the risks of not getting enough iron. Yet having too much iron in the body can also cause serious health problems.

Iron overload occurs when it gradually accumulates in the body. Excess iron can be stored in organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas. This can scar the liver, weaken the heart so it cannot pump blood properly, and damage the body’s ability to control blood sugar, leading to diabetes.

Could changing what you eat and drink affect how much iron builds up?

In a recent scoping review, my colleagues and I examined 40 sources on food, drink and supplements. These included 38 peer-reviewed academic papers and two sources of grey literature. The findings suggest that diet could complement medical treatment by changing how much iron the body absorbs, although its usefulness depends on the cause of the overload.

Doctors describe inherited iron overload as “primary”, and overload caused by illness or treatment as “secondary”.

Hereditary haemochromatosis is the most common inherited form. It causes the body to absorb too much iron from food, and is particularly common among people of northern European ancestry. Standard treatment involves regularly removing blood, a procedure called venesection or phlebotomy.

Transfusion-related iron overload develops after repeated blood transfusions, in which a person receives donated blood. Each transfusion adds iron that the body has no active system for removing. Treatment generally uses iron chelators – medicines that attach to iron so the body can pass it out in urine or stools.

This type of overload can occur in thalassaemia, a group of inherited conditions affecting haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Some people need regular transfusions, and thalassaemia can also increase iron absorption from food (though for those receiving regular transfusions, food usually provides a much smaller share of their excess iron).

What the studies found

Tea contains polyphenols – plant substances that attach mainly to non-haem iron, the form found chiefly in plant foods and foods with added iron. This makes the iron harder for the body to absorb.

A small clinical trial involving 18 people with hereditary haemochromatosis found that black tea reduced iron absorption from a meal. Participants asked to drink tea with every meal accumulated about one-third less stored iron over the following year than those drinking water. However, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant, which means the researchers could not rule out chance.

A later “crossover” study, in which all 14 adults tried both the supplement and an inactive capsule, tested extracts of black tea, cocoa and grape juice. The supplement reduced non-haem iron absorption from one meal and drink by about 40%. But because the study measured only this immediate effect, it could not show whether the supplement slowed iron accumulation or reduced treatment needs.

Coffee also contains polyphenols and can reduce non-haem iron absorption when consumed with meals. Evidence in people with iron overload remains stronger for tea, though.

Haem iron, found in meat, poultry and fish, is absorbed more readily than non-haem iron. People with hereditary haemochromatosis may therefore be advised to moderate red meat and particularly iron-rich offal, such as liver, while continuing to eat a balanced diet.

People with iron overload are also generally advised to avoid iron supplements and multivitamins containing iron, unless a doctor has prescribed them. UK guidance advises people with haemochromatosis to avoid breakfast cereals fortified with iron.

Vitamin C increases the absorption of non-haem iron. People with hereditary haemochromatosis are usually advised to avoid vitamin C supplements, although they can still eat fruit and vegetables containing it.

The advice can differ for people with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia, a form requiring regular transfusions, because some develop vitamin C deficiency. Medical guidelines allow small prescribed doses with certain iron-removing medicines or when deficiency has been confirmed. Unsupervised supplements can increase forms of iron in the blood that damage cells.

Alcohol is a particular concern, because it and excess iron can both injure the liver. A study of 206 people with the most common inherited form of haemochromatosis found severe, permanent liver scarring in 61% of those consuming at least 60g of pure alcohol a day, compared with 7% of those consuming less.

That amount is roughly 7.5 UK units a day and should not be treated as a safe threshold. UK guidance advises people who drink regularly not to exceed 14 units a week. Those with liver damage may be advised to avoid alcohol altogether.

People with haemochromatosis are also advised to avoid raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters and clams. These can carry Vibrio bacteria found naturally in coastal waters. The resulting infection, called vibriosis, can be unusually severe in people with iron overload.

What the evidence can support so far

The evidence does not support a single “iron overload diet”. As a scoping review, our study mapped the available research but did not formally rate every source’s quality, nor combine the numerical results to calculate an overall effect.

The studies covered different conditions and approaches, usually in small groups over short periods. Many measured iron absorption or blood-test results without examining longer-term health or treatment needs. We therefore cannot say that dietary changes reliably reduce how often people need blood removed or should take iron-removing medicines.

For people with hereditary haemochromatosis, current guidance advises avoiding unprescribed iron or vitamin C supplements and limiting alcohol and frequent red-meat consumption. Tea or coffee with meals may help reduce non-haem iron absorption.

People with transfusion-related overload need individual advice that considers their treatment and whether they have low levels of any vitamins or minerals.

Anyone diagnosed with iron overload should discuss dietary changes and supplements with their doctor or a specialist dietitian. Diet can support treatment, but it cannot safely replace it.

A drug dealer threatened to blackmail a customer who owed him a £2,000 debt and threatened that men from Cardiff would put him into the back of a van and kill him. The customer was also told that if he was not found, there would be consequences for his family and children.

Dominic Price, 37, had been in contact with his victim Jonathan Mott, who had racked up a £2,000 drug debt, and an agreement had been reached for him to repay the debt. This involved him selling drugs on Price’s behalf for several months but matters came to a head after the defendant made repeated requests for the money.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Price contacted Mr Mott by telephone on February 22 and told him he needed to repay the debt in full. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

Prosecutor Abdallah Barakat said: “The defendant said he would give his name and address to people from Cardiff and those individuals would find (Mr Mott), drag him, cut him and stab him, put him into the back of a van and kill him.”

Mr Mott was told he needed to repay the money by February 23 or he would face the consequences.

The victim called the police and his voice appeared to be shaky as he was in a state of distress.

The defendant was arrested and interviewed, but he responded: “I haven’t done nothing and I have said nothing, this is a set up.”

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Mott said: “Dominic has ruined my life, the life of my parents and my children. When he made threats to me I was terrified, I was shaking and could not stop crying. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared to contact the police and make things worse but I felt there was no other way I could keep myself and my family safe.

“I feel Dominic is a predator who took advantage of me and has impacted every part of my life. Me and my family have never experienced anything like this before. My family is extremely nervous the threats are going to be carried out. My parents are still very nervous they will be targeted by Dominic or I will be hurt by them.”

The victim said he had to leave his job in a school as he was concerned about the safety of the children and he thought about making an attempt on his own life.

Mr Barakat said Price was also to be dealt with for drug possession offences after police attended his home on January 8.

The defendant locked the door and refused to open it but a search was carried out after police gained entry.

They discovered cocaine, amphetamine and bromazolam.

Price, of Clos Dyfodwg, Llantwit Fardre, later pleaded guilty to blackmail and possession of class A and C drugs.

The court heard he has 12 previous convictions, the majority of which are drug related.

In mitigation, Harry Baker said not all of the victim’s problems could be laid at the feet of his client, and referred to the victim losing his job at the school because of his involvement in drugs.

Recorder Paul Lewis KC sentenced Price to 27 months imprisonment.

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Fenland District Council has called for answers after it was revealed that ‘vital services’ could be cut from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn

A district council has invited health chiefs to face questions over fears vital services could be cut from the nearest hospital to many towns and villages.

Residents in Wisbech and parts of Fenland may have to travel to Peterborough after the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn suggested it could shut its A&E, intensive care and maternity units.

Cllr Samantha Hoy said that region already suffers from health inequalities where residents are unhealthier and die sooner than the national average. The Conservative councillor told a meeting of Fenland District Council that it is “vital” they have “good access” to healthcare – but services at North Cambs Hospital and Doddington Hospital are already facing cuts.

Cllr Hoy, of Wisbech South, said it was “unclear” what services were being cut and called for the chief executive of the relevant NHS trusts to answer questions from the council’s overview and scrutiny panel.

She said: “There’s a lack of transparency, there’s a lack of answers – but residents are telling us that they’re having appointments changed and moved to different areas. It’s not an easy journey to Peterborough in the best of times, and so we absolutely cannot lose this service. I think it is vital for so many residents.”

Cllr Maureen Davis, of Doddington and Wimblington, said: “We need to be absolutely clear – we cannot, and we must not stand by while vital health services are gradually taken away from our communities.”

The Conservative councillor said that closing more services will force residents to travel “further and further for treatment” and rural communities “should not be treated as an afterthought”.

She said: “In an emergency, every minute counts – a longer journey is not merely inconvenient, it can have life-changing or potentially fatal consequences.”

Conservative councillor Andrew Woollard said that, as chair of the overview and scrutiny panel, he would be happy to invite health chiefs to face questions, but added they have “no statutory power to insist” they come.

Summing up, Cllr Hoy said: “We’re one of the richest countries in the world, we have one of the highest tax rates in the world and NHS funding accounts for 11 per cent of GDP – which is higher than average in developed countries – and we have hospitals that are falling apart. There is something really wrong in this country and there is something really wrong with our health system.”

The council passed the motion to formally invite health chiefs to answer questions on the potential cuts to services at North Cambs Hospital, Doddington Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

They will also write to the leader of Norfolk County Council to ask what action they have taken on the matter to date.

Dear Coleen

My partner and I are both in our 50s and I moved in with her last year. We’re both divorced and have grown-up children from our marriages, which is one of the many things we have in common.

I’m finding it a challenge to live with her sons, who are 26 and 29, and still at home. Before I moved in, she told me they had plans to move out with their girlfriends and were saving up, but it’s been nearly a year and neither of them is showing any inclination to get off their bums and start their lives.

It drives me crazy because they’re both so lazy and let my partner do everything for them, but it’s difficult for me to wade in because they’re grown men. Whenever I tentatively bring up the subject of her doing too much for them and ask when they’re moving out, she gets really defensive.

Luckily, I have work to distract me and see my own kids (who are teenagers) most weekends – even they think it’s weird. I love my partner, but I’m not sure how much longer I can endure this situation.

Coleen says

I understand your frustration. Blending families is hard – I’ve been there – and it takes time and patience, however old the kids are.

Your partner is always going to defend her sons, and it probably doesn’t feel weird to her because it’s how it’s always been. I have older kids in their 20s and 30s and they’ve all moved back in with me at different points.

I think it’s become more common with the cost of living and young people being priced out of the housing market. None of that helps you but what might is a different approach.

Maybe the angle to take with your partner is she should encourage her boys to become more independent and self-sufficient, so they’re ready to move out. Try to help her see that doing everything for them isn’t going to prepare them for life.

Plus, when they do move in with their girlfriends, they need to pull their weight. They need to know how to budget, pay bills, cook meals and contribute to the household.

And, in fact, you might find that if she does stop doing everything for them, they might feel more encouraged to speed up their plans! Help her to see that it’s good to allow them to grow and do things for themselves so, when they do leave, they know what they’re doing. Good luck.

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Amanda Seyfried and husband Thomas Sadoski have split after nine years of marriage. 

Seyfried, 40, and Sadoski, 50, revealed they have been separated ‘for a while’ as they confirmed their split in a joint statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday. 

‘We have been separated for a while, and it’s proven to be the right move for us and our family unit. We’ve got each other forever—and it’s GOOD,’ they said in their statement. 

The Mamma Mia! star shares two children with the actor: daughter Nina, nine, and son Thomas, five. 

The pair were last pictured together at an event on January 9, when Sadoski joined the actress at a party celebrating her Golden Globe nomination for The Testament of Ann Lee at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Seyfried and Sadoski’s representatives for comment. 

The pair were last pictured together at an event at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on January 9 (pictured) 

Seyfried proved things were still amicable between the pair as she shared a snap of her estranged husband to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday. 

The photo saw him sitting at a table with a bearded dragon perched on his shoulder. ‘@thomassadoski is a #reptiledad,’ she wrote on the snap. 

The actress went on to share a poignant quote about living fully, forgiving others and keeping your heart open.

‘Defend you heart, do whatever it takes to keep it open despite what it has been through. Forgive, not just others, but yourself, as well,’ part of the quote read. ‘Yes yes yes,’ Seyfried wrote underneath.

She also posted a cryptic quote which read: ‘There’s really not a difficult thing unless you decide it’s a difficult thing. Otherwise, it’s just the next thing you’re figuring out.’ 

It’s unclear exactly how long the pair have been separated, but during their last public appearance in January, they appeared close as they posed for photos together. 

In January, Seyfried told Vogue that Sadoski ‘sacrifices a lot for me’ amid her busy career. 

‘He also knows that, in this moment, the opportunities I’m being afforded are insane,’ she added. 

The duo met in 2015 while starring together in the off-Broadway play The Way We Get By. 

The duo revealed they have been separated ‘for a while’ as they confirmed their split in a joint statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday; Seen in 2022

The pair said the separation has ‘proven to be the right move for us and our family unit’ in their statement, adding, ‘We’ve got each other forever—and it’s GOOD’; Pictured in 2023

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Seyfried proved things were still amicable between the pair as she shared a snap of her estranged husband to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday 

The actress followed up with a poignant quote about living life to the fullest, letting go of resentment and keeping your heart open

Seyfried previously shared that they were both in ‘bad relationships’ when they first met. 

The two crossed paths again while filming The Last Word, where they played love interests. Just months later, they were dating in real life. 

They tied the knot during a private ceremony in California back in March 2017, just days before the birth of their daughter. 

Recounting her wedding day, she told Net-A-Porter’s digital magazine PorterEdit in 2018: ‘We got married in Topanga, March last year. Just the two of us. And afterwards, I was like, “Can we just go to Cheebo?” It was awesome.’

For Seyfried, it wasn’t at all a difficult decision to eschew the glitz and glamour of an extravagant wedding – the kind embraced by so many of her contemporaries in Hollywood – as she’s used to playing dress-up so frequently in film.

‘I get married all the time,’ she said. ‘I was in a wedding dress last week! I also go to premieres where people take my picture. I just don’t care about all that stuff.’

The star, who was nine months pregnant at the time she tied the knot, had very practical reasons for wanting to get married ahead of giving birth. 

She explained: ‘I really wanted to have rings on in the hospital, you know? And what if something goes wrong, and he’s not legally my husband?’ 

The Mamma Mia! actress shares two children with Sadoski: daughter Nina, nine, and son Thomas, five

Throughout their marriage, Seyfried and Sadoski kept their family life mostly out of the spotlight, embracing a quiet life on their farm in upstate New York

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In January, Seyfried told Vogue that Sadoski ‘sacrifices a lot for me’ amid her busy career; The two seen in 2018

Seyfried, who has previously dated her Mamma Mia! co-star Dominic Cooper and actor Justin Long, also revealed that she was impressed when she first met Sadoski, because they were both in ‘bad relationships’ but he didn’t flirt with her.

She said of the timing of their first meeting: ‘We were both in bad relationships…[Thomas] never flirted, never disrespected his wife. That was another reason why I thought, later on, that I could marry him.’

And once Sadoski ended his eight-year marriage to casting director Kimberly Hope, Seyfried shared that it made things ‘healthy’ and ‘freeing’ when they started dating in early 2016.

‘It was amazing,’ she said. ‘It felt healthy and freeing and clean. We can tell the story without any guilt.’

At the time Seyfried also admitted that her husband’s age is exactly what drew her to him, telling PorterEdit: ‘I told my husband: “If you were any younger, I wouldn’t have married you.”‘

Sadoski also spoke about their wedding and his ‘love’ and ‘respect’ for Seyfried while appearing on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2017.

‘We eloped. We just took off into the country with an officiant and, just the two of us, and we did our thing,’ he said.

‘Listen, she’s the person that I love, admire, respect most in the world,’ he added.

He added that the ceremony ‘was beautiful. It was everything that it should be.’

The duo met in 2015 while starring together in the off-Broadway play The Way We Get By. They tied the knot during a private ceremony in California back in March 2017; Seen in 2015

He also said that the two wrote their own vows. ‘It was just the two of us talking to each other. Then we went out to dinner. We had a great day. It was perfect.’

Throughout their marriage, Seyfried and Sadoski kept their family life mostly out of the spotlight, embracing a quiet life on their farm in upstate New York.

Seyfried has occasionally given fans glimpses into their private life via her social media, sharing photos of their farm and animals.

The actress was recently pictured attending the premiere of her latest film, The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, solo at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13. 

The movie follows a teacher in an abusive relationship who ‘takes a job at a maximum security prison, where she falls for a charismatic inmate.’ 

She also has four upcoming projects in the works, including Octet, a musical drama directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda.