Kate Middleton and Prince William dropped their son, Prince George, at Eton College this week, and one subtle gesture the Princess of Wales made has captured fans’ attention

Advertisement

Kate Middleton displayed a subtle gesture as she accompanied her eldest son, Prince George, to begin at Eton College this week, revealing much about her character.

The 13-year-old son of Princess Catherine and Prince William commenced his first term at the prestigious all-boys boarding school on Tuesday (8th September). He was accompanied by his parents as he received a welcome from Head Master Simon Henderson and Provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge.

George’s enrolment at the esteemed establishment sees him following in the footsteps of his father, the Prince of Wales, and his uncle, Prince Harry, who both attended the institution during their younger years. While it was undoubtedly an emotional moment for George’s parents to say goodbye to him, there was one understated gesture made by the Princess of Wales that sparked discussion online.

Footage of Kate, William, and George arriving at Eton College was posted on X on Tuesday, and observers were swift to spot one detail about the clip that they suggest demonstrated Kate’s true nature.

In the footage, as the trio approached Henderson and Coleridge, Kate could be seen deliberately slowing her pace to ensure that George greeted the school heads first, with fans describing the action as evidence of her “impeccable decorum”.

Advertisement

One fan who shared the footage wrote: “The way Catherine steps back while William and George greet first.”

Commenters on the post lavished praise on Princess Kate, suggesting she was well aware the occasion was entirely about her son, and had therefore “selflessly” stepped back to allow him to take centre stage and greet the school’s senior staff without her involvement.

One person said: “Her manners and decorum are impeccable.”

Another added: “Masterclass in grace and poise.”

A third posted: “I am amazed at the consistently classy way William and his family act. Catherine even holds her umbrella perfectly – made me laugh. The ‘boys’ go without one. Catherine must be in a puddle of emotions- this is a big transition.”

Others remarked that the understated gesture was evidence of her being a “good mum”, while numerous commenters noted the occasion was likely an emotional one for Kate, given that Eton College is a boarding school, meaning George will be departing the family home to reside there.

Some also noted that Kate has consistently demonstrated an instinct for allowing her children their moment in the limelight, pointing to an occasion during the summer when she permitted her daughter, 11-year-old Princess Charlotte, to walk ahead of her at Wimbledon.

During Tuesday’s visit to Eton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, who also share eight-year-old Prince Louis, first arrived at School Yard, the Berkshire institution’s historic quadrangle, overlooked by Lupton’s Tower, a Tudor landmark, with a statue of King Henry VI, who founded Eton in 1440, standing at its centre.

The family then made their way through a doorway into one of the oldest sections of Eton, where Kate was spotted placing her hand gently on her son’s back in a tender and maternal gesture.

Eton College is a highly prestigious institution, with an exceptionally competitive admissions process that requires prospective pupils to sit rigorous assessments before being accepted.

George will follow in the footsteps of a host of notable alumni, including his father and uncle, actors Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Eddie Redmayne, numerous prime ministers including Lord David Cameron, authors George Orwell and Ian Fleming, and explorer Bear Grylls.

Her daughter said she had ‘so much left to live for’

A “bubbly” mum from Cambridgeshire died suddenly at her home. Gemma Connor, aged 40, from Peterborough, died at her home on October 12, 2024.

An inquest into Gemma’s death held last week heard Gemma, a mental health practitioner, had a history of health conditions including acute pancreatitis and fatty liver condition. The mum had also been prescribed several medications.

The death of the 40-year-old came as a shock to her family. Jasmine Connor, Gemma’s daughter, said her mum’s heart “just stopped overnight and she couldn’t be resuscitated”.

Alongside Jasmine, Gemma left behind her son, Callum. Jasmine, who lives in Nottingham, previously told the Nottingham Post: “She was amazing. She was bubbly and had so many friends. She lit up every room. She had so many people who cared about her and so much left to live for.”

The hearing heard that on October 11, 2024, the 40-year-old went to bed at her home in Peterborough at about 11.30pm. Around 30-minutes later, her partner woke up to find Gemma unresponsive with shallow breathing before calling 999.

He was advised to begin CPR and the emergency services rushed to the scene. Paramedics performed medical treatment on Gemma and she was deemed in cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead at 2.02am on October 12.

A toxicology report revealed prescribed medication in her system, including morphine. The level of morphine was at a high, possibly toxic level, the hearing heard.

Coroner Jones was unable to confirm the level as toxic as this depends on the individual’s tolerance. Gemma’s cause of death was confirmed as respiratory failure due to morphine toxicity with contributing conditions of chronic pancreatitis and liver disease.

A woman from south Wales has died after being run over by a taxi in Liverpool. Her family have remembered her as a “beautiful, caring, funny and loving young lady who was following her dreams and her chosen career in a city she loved.”

Isobel Reyland, 26, died in a crash on Aigburth Road on Wednesday September 2. Emergency services were called to the scene of a crash in the city shortly before 5.40pm. The crash involved a white Toyota Voxy private hire taxi and a pedestrian.

Ms Reyland was taken to hospital for treatment but sadly died from her injuries shortly afterwards.

Her family have issued the following tribute: “Izzy was a loving and deeply loved daughter, sister, aunty, granddaughter, niece, cousin and sister-in-law who was tragically taken from us far too soon and will be missed beyond words, always.

“She was a beautiful, caring, funny and loving young lady who was following her dreams and her chosen career in a city she loved and living her life to the fullest.

“We are totally devastated and utterly heartbroken as a family at the loss of our darling Izzy.

“Izzy – you will always be with us and our deepest love for you is everlasting.”

A Merseyside Police spokesperson said the driver of the taxi, a 41-year-old man, stopped at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving while under the influence of drugs. He has been released under investigation.

Anyone with information on the incident can contact Merseyside Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0151 777 5747 quoting incident reference 26000720150.

The iPhone 18 Pro is more of the same (but pricier than ever)

Unlike previous Apple launches, the standard iPhone 18 model is due to be revealed at a later date. Reports indicate that it will release early next year.

The Wednesday showcase instead focused on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. Aside from the price, the only difference between the two versions is size: the Pro has a 6.3-inch screen, while the Pro Max has a 6.9-inch display.

Both phones have a smaller and less intrusive “Dynamic Island” selfie camera cutout at the top of the screen compared to older models. And like the iPhone Duo, they are powered by Apple’s latest A20 Pro chip, which should be up to 40 per cent faster than the previous iPhone 17 Pro.

The biggest change is with the camera system. The main camera now features a “variable aperture”, which allows you to manually adjust the amount of light passing through the lens, much like a regular camera. This means you should get better nighttime images with extra detail and more control.

Apple says that the 18 Pro Max has the longest-lasting battery life of any iPhone to date, thanks to a new internal heat management system, revamped battery design and efficiencies with the new A20 Pro chip. Battery life is quoted at 36 hours for the 18 Pro when playing video, and 45 hours for the 18 Pro Max. It also charges faster, providing 50 per cent charge after just 15 minutes plugged in.

Elsewhere, the colour-matched aluminium and back glass comes in two new colour choices: burgundy and blue, alongside black and silver.

Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are more expensive than last year’s models. The 18 Pro costs £1,199 (a £100 increase), while the 18 Pro Max starts at £1,299. Rival smartphone firm Samsung raised the price of its Galaxy S26 Ultra by £30 earlier this year.

This change aligns with Apple recently raising prices of the iPad and MacBook by up to £300. At the time, CEO Tim Cook said that the price increases were due to the soaring costs of memory chips, which are in high demand thanks to the AI data centre boom.

New AirPods and Apple Watches

Apple also revealed new AirPods headphones. Called the AirPods 5, these headphones come with active noise-cancelling technology, which the company says has been improved by 50 per cent compared to the previous AirPods 4.

AirPods 5 now automatically adjust between noise-cancelling and transparency modes, depending on where you are, and support Apple Intelligence features, such as asking for restaurants nearby. Live translation is also supported.

Apple says the AirPods 5 are more durable than ever and now offer four hours of listening with noise cancellation switched on.

The AirPods 5 start at £129. A slightly more expensive model, which comes with a wireless charging case, an additional hour of battery life and on-device touch controls, costs £149.

Andrew and Tristan Tate have lost their bid to be released from a Florida jail as they fight potential extradition to the UK to face charges of rape and trafficking.

A federal judge in Miami denied them bail, saying the dual US-UK citizens’ wealth and frequent international travel “constitute quintessential flight risks”.

The brothers have been held in US custody since their July arrest, after the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unveiled new charges against them. The UK has until 16 September to submit a full extradition request.

They will “continue to defend themselves against the allegations” and “engage with the appropriate legal processes in each jurisdiction”, their lawyers said.

The two are facing a total of 59 charges in the UK, including rape and counts relating to sex trafficking and indecent images of a child.

CPS originally brought 21 charges, but added 38 more in July for alleged actions spanning between 2010 and 2017.

US authorities took the men into custody in July after the UK announced the new charges.

Last weekend, Romanian prosecutors officially indicted the polarising social media influencers with a range of trafficking and sex offences.

The former kickboxers had primarily been based in Romania since 2017, drawing a large audience – primarily young men – through controversial messages about women and images of a luxury lifestyle. Self-proclaimed “misogynist” Andrew Tate first rose to fame after a 2016 appearance on the British version of reality TV show Big Brother.

The brothers also faced sex-trafficking charges in Romania in 2022, and were under a travel ban until they were allowed to come to the US in 2025.

Several prominent US politicians, including Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, objected to the Tate brothers’ arrival in the US.

The brothers have denied all charges and allegations.

Coronation Street’s Jodie Ramsey discovered that Bethany and Kit had slept together on Wednesday night’s episode and now fans are wondering what the mysterious character will do next

Coronation Street’s Jodie Ramsey discovered that Bethany and Kit had slept together on Wednesday night’s episode. The cafe waitress, played by Olivia Frances-Brown, turned up as the long-lost sister of Shona Platt during the programme’s crossover with Emmerdale.

Since then, the mysterious character has managed to get herself intertwined in just about everyone’s problems and caused trouble in one way or another but viewers are none the wiser as to what her game is.

As ever, a lot is going on in the Platt family, and with Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) in prison having been charged with murder, her daughter Bethany recently had a one-night stand with DC Kit Green.

The police officer almost became Bethany’s stepdad until Sarah broke things off with him while she was behind bars. However, Kit is still very much part of the family unit having agreed to take care of Sarah’s son Harry whilst she is imprisoned.

Bethany was trying to brush their one night stand off as a ” a moment of madness”, as Kit lamented: “It should never have happened at all! You know, of all the women I could have slept with. Leave it, eh?”

Unbeknownst to them both, Jodie, whose sister is Bethany’s aunt, was listening to their conversation and looked delighted to make such a discovery.

It wasn’t until the very end of the episode, however, that Jodie poured a glass of wine, pulled her phone from her pocket and played the conversation back on her phone, having recorded every word.

Reacting to the twist, one fan wrote on X: “Wow so Jodie recorded the convo! she’s so wicked,” and another said: “Hate and love Jodie, she makes me mad at times! just shows the actress is doing a good job when they make you mad.”

A third wrote: “Jodie is seriously twisted,” and fourth said: “So someone overhears Kit and Bethany talking about sleeping together AND OF COURSE IT’S F****** JODIE!!! OF COURSE IT IS.”

Actress Lucy Fallon, who plays Bethany Platt, recently spoke of the ramifications that will come with her decision to sleep with the man who was almost her stepdad.

She said: “I think it was definitely a major mistake and she is feeling incredibly guilty. That guilt is going to weigh on her for quite a while.

“”There has been a lot going on recently. Bethany has been holding everything together for everyone and trying to look after Harry, while Kit has his own separate issues.

“They were in the flat together and one thing led to another. It clearly causes many problems between them moving forward. For both of them, it was a massive mistake.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITV X.

* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads

Emergency services, including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, were called to an incident in St Nicholas Street at around 4.15pm.

Cllr Di Keal, Mayor of Norton-on-Derwent said she had seen what had happened.

RECOMMENDED READING:

She said: “I witnessed the incident in St Nicholas Street this afternoon and spoke to 999.
“Contrary to local rumours, the gentleman was hurt in an accident with a power tool and it was clear he was seriously injured and in severe pain.
“He was helped by another neighbour, a nurse, who managed his injuries while we waited for the emergency services to arrive.
“He was taken to hospital in Hull in a road ambulance.
“The air ambulance also attended as it was initially unclear how serious his injuries were.”

The air ambulance left around 5.05pm.

Stacey Sharples, 31, from Farnworth, was originally sentenced to four years and six months in prison.

But this was raised to seven years after the Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Sharples made the false allegations against men she had met online between 2013 and 2020.

Ellie Reeves KC MP, the Attorney General, said: “Stacey Sharples lied, repeatedly and deliberately, causing significant harm to ten victims and wasting hundreds of hours of police time that should have gone towards supporting genuine victims.

“Rare cases like this must not discourage genuine victims from coming forward.

“Every report of rape is rightly taken seriously and treated with the care it deserves.

Stacy Sharples (Image: GMP)

“Anyone who seeks to exploit or undermine genuine acts of violence against women and girls must be held to account.

“I thank the police for their diligence in uncovering the truth, and my thoughts remain with the victims who were falsely accused.”

Her repeated and sustained false claims led to eight separate police investigations and resulted in most of the accused men being arrested and detained in custody.

The investigations took months to resolve and are estimated to have consumed more than 550 hours of police time.

Victims described the serious impact the allegations had on their lives, including loss of employment and relationships.

Several also reported lasting damage to their mental health and said they were now unable to form new relationships.

Sharples was originally sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on March 11, 2026, after being convicted of 10 counts of perverting the course of justice.

Her sentence was increased by the Court of Appeal on September 9, 2026.

“It’s terrible for Israel and for Israel’s future, it’s not what Judaism teaches and it’s deeply wrong”, he added.

Supported by other Rabbis in the liberal and progressive UK Jewish communities, Rabbi Wittenberg believes that it is possible to support Israel, be concerned for the safety of British Jews, and that it is right for the UK government to take action to protect Israelis and Palestinians.

However, he also said he was “extremely sad that it’s come to this” and that he shared the “concerns of the Jewish community leadership that people will use this for antisemitism and for demonising Israel even further”.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who represents the Orthodox community, previously said the sanctions marked a “truly dark day” and placed British Jews at greater risk of attacks.

In Golders Green – where ambulances run by a Jewish medical charity were set on fire and two visibly Jewish men were stabbed in what police called a terror attack earlier this year – there was concern the government’s actions against Israel would increase attacks against British Jews.

“It’s so tricky because, in principle, I agree with opposing these new settlements,” Michael Cohen, who works for a Jewish charity, told the BBC.

But he added: “The timing of it, I think, was completely… just self interest for the Labour Party, signalling before a by-election, before the party conference.”

He said the practical impact of the move would be “almost zero”.

One woman, who runs a jewellery shop that was was twice cordoned off due to incidents in Golders Green, was very critical of the sanctions and said she would “make it my mission” to continue to buy Israeli goods whenever she could.

“We have to [support] our own because no one else is going to”, Deborah Miller told the BBC.

At the end of the week, Jewish congregations will celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

Police are already increasing security around Jewish areas to protect communities who have faced multiple attacks this year and are fearful of more.

The number of antisemitic incidents recorded across the UK since the start of the year is up by a fifth compared to last year, figures show.

The Community Security Trust (CST), an organisation that provides security support to the Jewish community, recorded 1,926 incidents of anti-Jewish hate across the UK in the first six months of 2026.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales, external, estimates that only 44% of hate crime incidents between April 2022 and March 2025 came to the attention of the police.