Britain

Netflix Docuseries: Inside Victoria Beckham’s Journey from Spice Girl to Fashion Mogul

Ex-Spice Girl turned designer Victoria Beckham describes herself as someone who "desperately wanted to be liked" in a new three-part documentary about her life. In the Netflix series due to launch on Thursday, the 51-year-old once known as "Posh Spice" recounts her battle to reinvent herself as a fashion designer after the British girl band ...

UK Author Jilly Cooper, Bestselling Queen of Romantic Fiction, Dies Aged 88

Jilly Cooper, who has died aged 88, was the best-selling British writer whose racy novels were famously filled with sex, snobbery and fun. With suggestive titles such as Tackle!, Mount! and Score!, Cooper's books were publishing sensations, selling 11 million copies in the UK alone. Her agent Felicity Blunt said Monday that "she will ...

Irish Singer CMAT Postpones UK Tour Due to Health Issues

Breakout Irish singer CMAT cancelled her upcoming UK tour dates to treat an infected wisdom tooth, days after British pop singer Lola Young halted gigs having collapsed on stage. "I am devastated to say that due to an infected wisdom tooth I need to reschedule all of my upcoming dates of the October UK tour," CMAT, whose real name is Ciara ...

Love and Loss Lead the Way on the 2025 Booker Prize Shortlist

Three authors writing about love and loss have made the Booker Prize shortlist for the first time, among the six chosen as contenders for this year's prestigious award. The works explore "the ties that bind families together, and the moments of crisis that can pull them apart," the prize organizers said late Tuesday. The shortlist ...

France Confirms Loan of Bayeux Tapestry to British Museum Amid Conservation Concerns

French President Emmanuel Macron's office stressed Monday that the planned loan of the nearly 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry to Britain next year was a surmountable challenge following expert outcry over the diplomatic gesture. Several heritage advisors have argued that the extremely fragile 11th-century masterpiece depicting the Norman conquest ...

Calais Exhibits Possible Remains of Lady Emma Hamilton, Legendary Lover of Horatio Nelson

Remains that could belong to Lady Emma Hamilton, the legendary lover of British naval hero Horatio Nelson who defeated French forces at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, went on display at a French church on Friday after a year-long investigation. It is not 100 percent certain that the remains are those of Lady Hamilton, who died in poverty in the ...

London Fashion Week Kicks Off with Bold Plans to Boost British Creativity

London Fashion Week, which is under new leadership after 16 years, opens Thursday with hopes of reinvigorating its runway schedule and easing the financial woes of its young designers. "This season marks... the beginning of a new era for British fashion," said Laura Weir, former creative director of luxury department store Selfridges, who ...

'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' — A Farewell Fit for Royalty

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale marks the end of an era for one of Britain’s most iconic series. Directed by Simon Curtis and written by series creator Julian Fellowes, this third and final film revisits the beloved Crawley family and their loyal staff, taking audiences back to the stunning Highclere Castle one last time. Set in the 1930s, the ...

Ed Sheeran’s 'Play' Album Arrives Friday as Tour Launches in Paris

British popstar Ed Sheeran, who recently revealed an upcoming United States tour, will release his latest album Play on Friday. Play is the 34-year-old singer-songwriter's eighth studio album and follows more than a decade of stunning global success and smash hits like Shape of You and Perfect. He released his last album, Autumn Variations, in ...

The Spectator and Beyond: Bowie’s Unseen Projects at the V&A Museum

David Bowie was working on an "18th century" themed musical at the time of his death, which will feature in a new London center dedicated to the seminal British artist, the BBC reported Friday. The V&A museum will open the free-to-access home for Bowie's vast archive in Stratford, east London, on September 13. One exhibit will be notes from a ...

‘Downton Abbey’ Stars Tread Red Carpet for Finale

The stars of Downton Abbey walked the red carpet in London Wednesday for one last time as the hugely successful English country house saga finally comes to an end. Many of the original cast, including Hugh Bonneville, a pregnant Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan, turned out for the world premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale in ...