Welcome to your New Year's Day special edition of The Daily Lowdown. In this episode, we're taking a look back at some of the biggest headlines that you might have missed over the festive period…
King Charles kept up royal tradition on Christmas Day when he gave his second speech to the nation as monarch. The King filmed his annual message at Buckingham Palace and shared his praise for the selfless army of volunteers serving communities across the country. Elsewhere in his address, the King extended his praise to those who volunteered at this year's Coronation, before emphasising the importance of protecting each other amid the tragic conflict around the world. The king then went on to thank his family members who have been helping out various communities throughout the year. The speech ended with footage of Charles's final coronation day appearance on the palace balcony.
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But before the King addressed the nation on television, the royal family stepped out in Sandringham for their annual walk to St Mary Magdalene Church for a Christmas morning service. The King and Queen Camilla led the procession which featured various members of the royal family including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three Children, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence. There were many brilliant highlights from the traditional walk, including Zara and Mike's daughter Mia Tindall holding hands with her younger cousin, Prince Louis. The two cousins looked super cute as they walked hand-in-hand with their family. Another adorable moment we loved seeing was former rugby player Mike, who is the husband of Prince William's cousin Zara, affectionately wrapping an arm around Prince George, clearly demonstrating the close bond they all have. we bet their Christmas was full of laughter and joy.
© Joe Giddens - PA ImagesMeanwhile, in the world of entertainment, Beyonce's family would have no doubt had quite the shock when it was reported that the Knowles' former home in Texas, caught fire in the early hours of Christmas Day. The property is located in the third ward neighbourhood of Houston, and the current residents thankfully managed to evacuate without assistance and no injuries were reported. Authorities arrived on the scene at around 2 am and managed to save the house from burning down. Beyonce lived in the house with her parents, Tina and Mathew Knowles, until the superstar was five years old. The singer even paid a visit to their former home during Beyonce's Renaissance tour back in September when the star performed in her home town.
If you were too busy listening to Wham! on repeat then you might have missed that The Killer's surprise dropped a new song on The Big Day. The band, led by frontman Brandon Flowers, released the track, which does not yet have a name, on their social media with Brandon telling fans that Santa had a new song in his bag. Earlier in the month, The Killers' latest album Rebel Diamonds hit the number-one spot on the UK Albums Chart. The band are hitting the road in June 2024.
© InstagramAnd we're sending a huge congratulations to Oti Mabuse because the former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer and her husband Marius welcomed their first child together over the Christmas period. The couple, who have been married since 2014, posted a gorgeous photo of them gazing lovingly at their newborn on social media, although the pair did not reveal the name or gender of their new bundle of joy. We bet they loved nothing more than spending Christmas as a family of three!
