Meghan Markle is encouraging her fans to be “thoughtful” during this time of the year as King Charles prepares to address his cancer journey to the world.

Hours before His Majesty’s historic TV appearance on Friday, December 10, the Duchess of Sussex took to her As Ever Instagram page to promote her brand’s Holiday Collection, which was released in October. In a video titled “Thoughtful gifting with As Ever,” the 44-year-old actress is seen lighting candles, packing gifts, and putting them under the Christmas tree or stuffing them in stockings.

“Gifts so good, Santa might keep them for himself,” she captioned the promotional video. “Shop the Holiday Collection today to stuff your stocking in time for Christmas,” she further urged her followers.

Meghan’s message came just three hours before the 77-year-old monarch is set to share a personal message about his cancer journey. Recorded in November at Clarence House, the King’s address is part of Stand Up To Cancer 2025, a joint campaign between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about early cancer detection and raise money to help cancer patients and fund cancer research.

The King’s address will air at 8 pm.

Royal family has seemingly avoided reunion with Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Princess Beatrice’s daughter Athena’s Christening.

The Princess of York reportedly invited members of the royal family to celebrate the tradition.

However, the royals appeared less excited to meet Andrew and Fergie, who broke the cover and attended the event to give their blessings to their granddaughter.

The royals’ reception towards Andrew and Fergie was noticeably muted as no senior royals were seen joining them amid media scrutiny.

Undoubtedly, the event – which is Andrew’s first royal family event since his princely title was stripped – maked emotional breakthrough for Andrew and Fergie.

It ended their isolation and set the stage for more joyful family moments ahead, just in time for a festive Christmas reunion with King Charles and the royals.

Along with their parents, Beatrice invited some of her royal friends at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace on Friday, Decemeber 12.

Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark and Beatrice’s friend, celebrity nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, were also sent the invitation to join Beatrice and her family.

Beatrice and Eugenie’s parents, who were allowed to attend the Duchess of Kent’s Requiem Mass service in September, were not invited to Princess Kate’s last week’s “Together at Christmas” Carol Service.

The royal sister were also missed the event, but released a statement to support the future queen and her event.

Friday’s outing is Andrew and Fergie’s first event with members of the royal family since the King stripped his younger brother of his princely title and honours amid renewed scrutiny around the extent of the former couple’s links to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

Athena, 10 months, is Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s second child together. The baby was born prematurely in January.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for what he called a “warm welcome and positive gesture” after she publicly greeted him on his visit to Punjab.

Responding to a post on X by Maryam, Bilawal wrote: “Thank you, Madam Chief Minister, for the warm welcome and positive gesture.” 

In her message, Maryam had said: “I extend a warm welcome to @BBhuttoZardari on his visit to Punjab. Punjab is your home, and you will always find a place of respect here.”

“Thank you for your gracious remarks. You have my heartfelt good wishes and prayers,” she added.

In October, Maryam had asserted that her government had neither complained nor sought help from anyone for assisting flood-affected citizens, saying that Punjab would handle the crisis through its own resources. 

“I did not stretch my hands before anyone. I have protected the self-respect of Punjab’s people,” she said, in an apparent reference to Bilawal’s appeal to the Centre to seek international assistance for flood victims.

Earlier in September, the PPP chief had criticised the “delay” in initiating this process, calling it “beyond comprehension” and pointing out that such appeals were standard practice for disasters of this scale internationally. 

He noted that similar steps had been taken for the last floods when he was foreign minister, as well as for the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake.

The two key allies were subsequently engaged in a searing war of words that began over flood compensation through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). 

The verbal bickering later subsided after the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) scrambled a delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who met President Asif Ali Zardari in Nawabshah.