HELLO! magazine Vol 1306. 09 Dec 2013

‘William was blushing like a schoolboy afterwards. The reaction was amazing and he loved that. He has the biggest heart and an extraordinary passion for disadvantaged young people’ Gala chair Danielle Alexandra When a future King joined the queen of Nashville and a king of rock for a karaoke session, the result was a supergroup the likes of which has never been seen before – particularly in the sedate surroundings of a royal residence. This rock’n’royal performance was the climax of the Winter Whites Gala charity event, which almost blew the roof off Kensington Palace and clearly signalled how life is being injected back into the new London home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William was the host of the star-studded evening, which has raised £1.6million and…

After letting her hair down with the Duke of Cambridge at his Kensington Palace home last week, it looks like Taylor Swift might soon be able to return the favour and invite the royal couple to her very own London mansion for a karaoke rematch. In an exclusive interview with hello! prior to the Winter Whites Gala, Taylor admits she’s “tossing around the idea” of buying a palace for herself here. “I love London and try to go at least every couple of months,” says the singer. She even told guests at the evening’s white-tie reception of her property plans. “I feel like I’m going to be here more and more now. We have the RED Tour coming up next February. We’re going to be playing five shows at the…

‘I’m very proud of Angie… and my grandchildren are just terrific’ Jon Voight It may have been Thanksgiving in her native country but Angelina Jolie was on the other side of the world carrying out directing duties in Sydney for her latest film Unbroken – and taking some quality time with her adorable five-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The trio strolled hand in hand down a Sydney street, Vivienne wearing a simple white top and black trousers and Knox complementing his mother’s outfit in an allblack ensemble. At one point Vivienne donned shades, making her look like a miniature version of Mum. Earlier, they had visited a toy shop and Vivienne had emerged clutching a doll. They were also seen cuddling and laughing during a meal in Grandfather’s Moustache, a…

Glittering Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow blended in perfectly with her festive surroundings when she co-hosted a fundraising dinner with designer Matthew Williamson at London’s Aqua Shard for the charity Kids Company. The Iron Man 3 actress wore a sumptuous floorlength gown with embellished blue-and-gold flowers, designed by Matthew, to help unveil the Christmas tree that the designer had decorated with a little help from his famous friends. As she posed in the restaurant, on the 31st floor of new London landmark The Shard, it was hard to distinguish between her dress and the dazzling baubles designed by creative types including Gwyneth herself, Sienna Miller, Mary J Blige, Zaha Hadid, Tom Dixon and Marc Quinn. The tree decorations are being auctioned to raise money for Kids Company, which provides emotional, practical…

They are at the top of the tree in their respective fields. So it was no surprise that supermodel Eva Herzigova and fashion boss Stefano Gabbana teamed up to unveil the Claridge’s Christmas tree at the glittering annual event in London. Eva looked in festive mood in a red spotty dress as the tree, festooned with decorations designed by Stefano and his partner Domenico Dolce, lit up the star-studded bash, which attracted a host of big names including Joan Collins, Pixie Lott and David Gandy. The Claridge’s Christmas tree has long been a festive landmark and this year’s 20ft-high version, decorated with 30 hand-crafted Sicilian puppets and 450 Italian baubles hand-painted with images of the sun and almond blossom, certainly didn’t disappoint. “It represents traditional Sicilian elements drawn from the…

The racy antics of her characters have captivated millions of readers, but best-selling novelist Jackie Collins was on her best behaviour when she was honoured by the Queen last week. The 76-year-old was presented with an OBE at Buckingham Palace, having flown in for the ceremony from her California home. Smartly dressed in monochrome jacket and trousers, the author smiled proudly as the Queen pinned the medal to her lapel. She said afterwards: “My first book was The World is Full of Married Men – banned all over the world. The Queen said, ‘It’s quite something to write books,’ and I said, ‘Yes, especially for a school drop-out.’” She added: “Coming here is a huge adventure. I’m British through and through and to meet the Queen and come to the…