PEP GUARDIOLA has been urged to get ruthless – and radically overhaul his ageing Manchester City squad.
The reigning Premier League champions are in the midst of a horror run heading into the festive period.
Guardiola‘s men have lost ground in the title race and are currently 9 points behind leaders Liverpool.
City have won just once in their last 11 games ahead of a tough trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Pep signed on the dotted line last month, committing to two more years at the Etihad.
And Spanish football expert Guillem Balague claims Guardiola is desperate to “recover the essence of the team.”
First-team regulars Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Ederson and Kyle Walker could all be at risk of being moved on in a dramatic overhaul.
Per the Daily Record, Balague said: “Quite clearly Pep Guardiola is going to use the last two years of his contract – which will probably be the last two of his career as a club manager – to prepare a new Manchester City.
“I have got a very clear idea that they will want to get rid of five or six regular starters for Manchester City and bring in five or six new starters.
“Half of the team. It is a new era. The end of this one and a new era starting.“
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Guardiola’s City have won the last four Prem titles but have never endured such a torrid run of form under the Spaniard.
Balague continued: “The cycle is over but remember that only a month-and-a-half ago they had not lost a game and were top of the table.
“But [an upcoming overhaul] in my eyes is what is happening. That is what they are going to do next.”
City threw away a goal advantage in last week’s Manchester derby, leaving Pep to declare both he and the team have “not been good enough.”
Guardiola, who did not emerge from the dressing room for 30 minutes after the game, said: “I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough.
“I’m not doing well – it’s as simple as that.
“I need to talk to them about the way we have to play and press and build-up and I’m not good enough.
“I’m the manager and I don’t find the solution. In a big club, when you lose eight in 11 something wrong is happening.
“It’s my job. My job is not just to win games or lift trophies. I’m incredibly well-paid for that reason.
“We want to play better, create chances. But at the moment it’s not possible. There is no defence for eight defeats in 11.”
FINN AZAZ was shown the way to the top by Phil Foden.
And the Middlesbrough midfielder hopes to join Manchester City’s England superstar in the Premier League next year by completing an EFL hat-trick of promotions.
Azaz, 24, went up from League Two with Cheltenham in 2021 and then League One in 2023 at Plymouth — who Boro visit today.
And he can keep his biennial promotion streak going by helping Middlesbrough into the Prem.
During his stint at Cheltenham he played against Foden in the 2020-21 FA Cup — and the Robins gave Pep Guardiola’s stars a fright, leading through an Alfie May goal until the 81st minute.
But late strikes from Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres spared City’s blushes.
Azaz admits that match taught him a lesson. He said: “I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League but that day showed me the gap I had to bridge if I was ever going to make it.
“I did well and realised that although these are guys you’re watching every week on TV, they’re just normal people when playing them.
“But it was an eye-opener. Foden was wearing moulds and the pitch was terrible that day. Yet he showed incredible balance.
“I never get cramps — but that day I did! All that taught me I must do a lot better if I want to reach that level. That was my first season playing men’s football and to win League Two was special.
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“I grew so much as a person and the manager Michael Duff showed so much trust to play me.”
Azaz — who did not play a competitive game for Aston Villa in three years there — was on loan at Argyle 12 months ago, where he scored 15 goals and made 15 assists in 67 games.
And he has had a fantastic 2024 since deciding to join Michael Carrick’s Boro in January for £2million.
Not only has he been a key cog for the Teessiders — reflected by him winning the Sky Bet Championship player of the month for November — but he has broken into the Republic of Ireland team too.
He said: “I find it hard to reflect on a year while you’re still in the moment.
“I came here to help get this team promoted but we weren’t able to do that last season — so that’s the target come May. That’s all I’m thinking about.
“And with the Republic of Ireland, the goal is to reach the 2026 World Cup. So everything is a work in progress.”
He says his game has kicked on since moving to the Riverside, with 14 goal contributions this season (six goals, eight assists) — only Norwich’s Borja Sainz has more (15 goals, two assists) in the Championship.
Plus he is one of only two players with five goals and five assists in the division, along with Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer. His assist tally is the most in the division.
And he credits Carrick as a huge influence.
The former Manchester United, West Ham, Tottenham and England ace has slowly got Boro moving in the right direction since taking over two years ago — and holds an impressive 50 per cent win record.
Azaz explained: “The manager is detailed and the tempo of the sessions is unreal. You must be on it all the time.
“He has made sure everyone knows their job and what is expected of them in training. There is a lot of trust from players to management.
“The boss demands high standards but he’s also calm in his approach. The way he explains things I really like.
“Every manager I’ve worked with has been different but from an experience point of view from playing, he’s far and away the best.”
Azaz believes the team spirit at the Riverside has been particularly impressive, with a strong bond among his team-mates.
He added: “We’re always doing stuff together. We have a pool table, two table tennis tables and darts at the training ground.
“You will still see some of the players shooting pool at 4pm. Most changing rooms I’ve been involved in want to get off but here people stay.
“Dan Barlaser is a good pool player — but I’ve got his number. I’m decent, I take my time and it frustrates the opponent.”
Azaz has an interesting family background — son of an Israeli mother and an Irish father.
He enjoys visiting Israel and said: “I love doing all the cultural stuff. I’ve been to Jerusalem and gone to the desert.
“But Tel Aviv is my favourite. It’s such a vibrant city. The beaches are unreal.”
Azaz has already made a New Year’s resolution: “To be present in 2025.”
He could well be so — in the Premier League.
ARRIVING home after an afternoon at the beauty salon, Heather Hopkins did a twirl for her partner, Joe Gibbs.
“Notice anything different?” she asked, while a bemused Joe gave her the once-over.
“Erm, your nails are a different colour?” he ventured.
Nodding, Heather, now 30, didn’t mention the Botox and filler she’d just been injected with on the sly.
A secret tweaker, she’d been indulging in injectables for the past four years – and her partner had absolutely no idea.
“I was spending £1.3k a year on Botox and filler and Joe was none the wiser,” says Heather, a charity fundraiser from Port Talbot, South Wales.
“Joe always complimented me on my ‘natural’ good looks, never suspecting that my secret Saturday jabs were the reason behind my high cheekbones and unlined face.
“But as far as I’m concerned, injectables are an essential part of my self-care and none of his business!
“It’s about self-confidence, not vanity, and I plan on ageing on my own terms – not nature’s.”
Like Heather, more and more women are now committing ‘cosmetic infidelity’. According to EuroNews, around 900k Botox jabs are currently carried out in the UK each year, although it’s not clear how many are done in secret without their partners knowing.
Some secret tweakers say they are not bothered by the little white lie, and like Heather don’t feel the need to justify their self-care routine.
Others feel that societal pressure to look naturally ‘wrinkle-free’ means they have to keep their injections and surgeries to themselves.
“You go on Instagram, and everyone looks fabulous,” says Heather.
“There is so much pressure to look like your ‘Insta-self’ that some of my mates refuse to tell their best pals how much Botox and filler they have. Even celebrities won’t come clean about their procedures.”
Heather started having Botox and fillers aged 25, in 2015.
“It might sound young but I had an uneven jawline which had bothered me since I was teen.
“I decided at 25 I was old enough and had enough research was right for me to start, as I didn’t want to wait until any wrinkles had developed.
“I believe subtle prevention is better than cure.
“I’d seen the results of regular jabs on people, and realised if I had ‘little and often’ treatments, I’d get great results,” she says.
“I’d broken my nose at 12, which shattered my self-confidence, and had a £4K nose job at 18, followed by a revision two years later after a car accident for £2K. They showed me that cosmetic surgery – if done correctly – can change the way you feel about yourself.
Around the same time Heather met Joe, now 31, a golfing pro and coach, after he slid into her DMs. For the next four years, she kept her tweakments on the down-low, pretending she was just off for a manicure or wax any time she went to the beauticians.
In early 2019 Heather had more revision work on her nose to make it thinner, costing £4K. “Joe and I hadn’t moved in together at that stage,” she says, explaining how she was able to recover at home.
And it was at this point she told Joe about the surgery.
“I felt I should because there was bruising,” she says. “He said I didn’t need it but would always support me.”
The same year, she had composite veneers added to her top teeth costing £3K – but she didn’t tell Joe.
“A good smile is important to me and despite trying different whitening strips, I’d never managed to get a brilliant white smile,” she says.
My tweakments aren’t radical alterations, it’s just maintenance to help me make the best of myself
Heather Hopkins
“I was thrilled with the results.
“I finally told Joe and my pals because people were asking me why they looked so white.
“At the same time we moved in together. So I fessed up about my Botox and filler as well.
“I came home with a little bit of swelling from filler and told Joe what it was. He was blasé but baffled. He thought my looks were natural and said I didn’t need any extra work. He thought makeup would do the trick.
“He couldn’t see any difference. I just smiled and nodded as that was the response I was hoping for.
“My tweakments aren’t radical alterations, it’s just maintenance to help me make the best of myself.
“But he said it was a waste of money spending thousands on something like that. By that point, I’d spent more than £20k on nose jobs, Botox, fillers and dental work.
“But you can’t put a price on good self-esteem and body confidence.
“When I told him about breaking my nose so young and being bullied, he totally understood and supported my decisions.
Botox: Four times a year – £800
FIller: Two times a year – £500
Nose job one: £4k
Nose job two: £2k
Nose job three: £2k
Nose job four: £2k
Composite veneers on teeth: £3k
TOTAL: £25.4k
“Now when I come home from a Botox or filler session, he just shakes his head.
“He reckons it’s not worth the money I spend because he can’t see any difference, but I do. As for the cost, it’s my money. I earn it and I save up for my treatments.
“Joe is golf-obsessed. He loves his clothes and spends money on his own version of looking good.
“I don’t mind how much he spends though. I just support self-care choice.
Some couples overshare, but in my opinion it’s better to preserve some mystery
Heather Hopkins
“I had a fourth nose job revision in 2020 costing £2k,” she says.
“Joe supported me while I recovered, He said I looked amazing before the fourth surgery. He’s baffled about why I think I need extra work done.
“Like many men Joe used to think tweakments would make you look like a monster. I’ve shown sensible tweakments don’t. Joe’s still convinced I don’t need any work.”
Although her tweakments are no longer secret, Heather firmly believes there are some things your partner definitely doesn’t need to know.
“Some couples overshare, but in my opinion it’s better to preserve some mystery,” she says.
“I could bore my man senseless with a blow-by-blow analysis of what concealer is better or where to have Botox but I reckon he’d run from the room screaming. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to what information to give them!”
Joe says: “I can’t notice the difference – Heather is gorgeous either way.
“Women and their beauty regime is a minefield. Just as long as she doesn’t go near my golf clubs.”
If you’re off to the Lincolnshire coast with the kids, you’ll be pleased to hear that you’ll have a whole host of family-friendly attractions at your fingertips.
Of course, if the weather plays ball then there’s nothing quite like a day at the beach, with buckets and spades to hand.
When you book a £9.50 Holiday, you also have the added bonus of fun family events and activities included on-site, from indoor pools to evening entertainment.
But if you do fancy venturing out, there’s tons for your whole brood to do.
From bottle-feeding calves at a kid-friendly farm to discovering the history of the Magna Carta, Lincolnshire is home to a wide range of attractions the whole family will enjoy.
We asked Sun readers and local experts for their favourite family attractions in Lincolnshire, and have suggested some of our own and highly-rated options.
Here’s your handy guide to follow…
Budding naturalists will love exploring some of Lincolnshire’s wildlife attractions.
Sun reader Linda McDonnell, 71, from Lincoln, recommends the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre, saying: “It’s very interesting – and there is more than seals to see.
“You also have other animals like parrots (Australian cockatiels), lemurs and reptiles.”
Another option for wildlife lovers is Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, suggested by Sarah Al-Aidi, General Manager at Southview Holiday Park.
Sarah said: “It isn’t as well known as some other family attractions like Fantasy Island.
“They have interesting animals like Bengal tigers and white lions. You can make it a whole day out and it’s great for the whole family.”
The park’s family-friendly touches include a children’s play area and kids will love the “snax shack” where you can buy treats for the parrots and meerkats (£2) and feed them.
Full immersion in nature doesn’t have to cost a penny – particularly if you head to Hubbard’s Hills, which is free to visit.
Sarah Al-Aidi said: “Woodhall Spa is a former spa town with a really beautiful place called Hubbard’s Hills.
“It’s a real beauty spot with great picnic areas, dog walking trails and nature walks.”
Families can while away the day splashing in rivers or spending time in the cafe, which has a play area for kids.
There are also plenty of hills for kids to burn off their energy by climbing and playing.
Tip: although the park is free to visit, all-day parking costs £1.
No trip to the Lincolnshire seaside would be complete without a visit to Fantasy Island in Skegness.
The park has thrilling rides for the whole family, from white-knuckle roller coasters to dodgems, water flumes and carousels.
There’s also ten-pin bowling and crazy golf to help keep your whole brood entertained all day.
Don’t miss the market – Europe’s largest seven-day market with over 320 stalls selling everything from discounted pushchairs to soft toys.
Tip: for the best value, buy a ride-all-day wristband (from £14.50), which includes access to adventure golf, or use an “iCard” to pay per ride.
Less than an hour’s drive from the coast, Rand Farm Park is ideal for a day out with the family.
Kids will love meeting the animals – which range from Jersey cows, donkeys and horses to a pair of Swiss rams named “Ed Shearan” and “Justin Biebaaa”.
Animal activities include bottle-feeding the calves, watching a milking demonstration, tractor rides and handling small animals like rabbits.
There are indoor and outdoor play areas, including a climbing wall and a soft play with an under-fours sensory area.
Family tickets cost £28 (two adults and two children). The park even offers school holiday childcare for kids aged between four and 12, including meals (half-day sessions cost £31, full day from £41).
For older kids with a thirst for history, the highly-rated Lincoln Castle is a great option.
Youngsters will love the summer jousting events and a “Medieval Wall Walk” where you can explore towers and dungeons steeped in history.
Look out for the graffiti scratched into the walls by desperate prisoners, or imagine you’re Henry VIII as you roam the walls – he visited the castle with Catherine Howard in 1541.
At Christmas, the wall is illuminated with lights, with fairground rides and food stalls to enjoy.
There’s also the historic Magna Carta to see in real life – the castle contains one of only four surviving original copies of this famous document.
Tip: the Magna Carta is taken for maintenance every year – so it’s a good idea to call to check before your visit to avoid disappointment.
KIM Kardashian has got into the festive spirit and poured her curves into a red leather dress – recreating her iconic shot in Paper Magazine.
Fashion mogul Kim, who is stylishly rocking a broken foot, wowed followers with her assortment of Christmas-themed pictures.
The 44-year-old star looked festive-fit in a skintight red halter neck curve-hugging floor-length dress, edged with silver rings and a rope-style front.
The Skims founder can be seen posing in the stunning photos shared on social media as she partied with family and friends in the Sherman Oaks area.
The reality TV star recreated her iconic backside-balancing Champagne pose in front of the tinselled booth area.
In one of the pictures, she can be seen cheekily bending over and displaying her infamous behind while a drink was placed on it.
She seemed to take inspiration from her famous Paper Magazine cover in 2014, which saw her balancing a glass on her bum while champagne was poured into it.
The mother-of-four looked in good spirits as she posed for the snaps, showing off a full cleavage and posing in a variety of sultry poses.
The fashion-forward star accessorised the striking look with a clear open-toed slip-on heel – while her broken foot remained in a medical boot.
She complemented the bold show-stopping dress with neutral make-up and a silver cross necklace.
Her long dark hair was tousled into place in a relaxed, shaggy style with peekaboo bangs and long white nails.
The American Horror Stories star was joined by mother Kris, 69, and sister Khloe, 40.
The star revealed she’d broken her foot earlier this month, but it hasn’t slowed her down.
Kim shared the news with fans, telling them: “FML. Broke my foot for the holidays.”
The billionaire businesswoman hasn’t revealed how she managed to injure herself, but she has been in a boot and using crutches since December 3.
The reality star’s fans were left begging her to “stay home” as she attended the opening of her SKIMS flagship store in New York City recently.
Her decision to wear heels instead of more comfortable footwear raised eyebrows online.
Kim – who has graced the cover of American Vogue three times – has previously discussed the unnerving lengths to which she would go to remain looking youthful.
In a 2022 interview, she revealed: “I would probably eat s*** if someone told me, ‘If you eat this bowl of poop every single day, you’ll look younger’.”
She previously admitted: “I really genuinely care about looking good.
“I probably care more than 90 per cent of the people on this planet. It’s not easy when you’re a mum and you’re exhausted at the end of the day or you’re in school, and I’m all of the above. I do my beauty treatments usually late at night.
“After everyone’s in bed, I’m doing laser treatments.”
IF you’re hosting this holiday season, you can add a festive touch to your bathroom.
Dollar Tree shoppers can now pick up a budget-friendly Christmas-themed towel.
The Christmas House Holiday Microfiber Kitchen Towels are available for just $1.25 each.
Dollar Tree shoppers can choose from two patterns.
One version features a red truck parked outside a barn in a snowy setting.
It includes the phrase “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” in cursive.
For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, there is also a winter style available.
It features a white snowflake on a red background with the words “Winter wishes” in cursive.
Each towel measures 12.5-inches by 6.2-inches.
The festive hand towels have received an average rating of 4.4 stars out of five.
Dollar Tree shoppers shared their thoughts on the product in the review section.
“They were a great addition to your Christmas stock. Glad I could order these online,” wrote one buyer.
“All very neat and well packed, all very beautiful and super quality,” said another customer.
“I really like the pattern on these towels,” commented a third Dollar Tree fan.
Another person shared the DIY project they had planned for the hand towels.
Despite the name of the store, Dollar Tree recently added items that cost more than $1 to its inventory.
Most items at the store cost no more than $1.25, but items in the Dollar Tree Plus section cost up to $5.
Dollar Tree introduced Plus aisles to 100 locations in 2019 as part of an effort to diversify its products.
By 2022, Dollar Tree had added the items to over 1,500 locations.
“We believe testing additional price points above $1 for Dollar Tree products will enable us over time to expand our assortments, introduce new products and meet more of our customers’ everyday needs,” president and CEO Michael Witynski said in a statement.
“Our brand promise is that customers get great value for what they spend at Dollar Tree. We will continue to be fiercely protective of that promise, regardless of the price point.”
“I had seen on Pinterest towels sewn together to make a pillow case and I thought it was perfect,” said another shopper.
“A snowflake and red and white snowman is my theme this year.”
“I LOVE my snowflake towels. They’re very soft and durable. I wish they would make washcloth ones too,” said another person.
One buyer described the products as “Christmas towels that look fabulous and soft, love them.”
“NICE! Wash and dry great. Super soft quality for $1.25!” wrote another customer.
Plus, a new beauty brand hit Dollar Tree shelves and fans are scooping up all the products.
Shoppers are also obsessed over Dollar Tree’s $1.25 Kylie lip kit dupe.
VLADIMIR Putin will attack Europe in the next wave of invasion and seize territory if he wins the bloody Ukraine war, a top human rights chief has warned.
Nobel Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk told The Sun that the world order has begun to collapse and Europe is only safe until Kyiv continues to fight against Russian aggression.
One of the biggest features of Putin’s rule in Russia has been his expansionist attitude towards Europe.
And it’s feared the megalomaniac dictator may not stop at Ukraine and could attack European countries, which could draw the West into a direct war and plunge the world into a crisis.
Military experts and diplomatic leaders have previously warned Putin could quickly launch a Hitler-style land grab and attack the Baltics region.
Oleksandra Matviichuk, who won 2022 the Nobel Peace Prize as the head of the Center for Civil Liberties, said Europe needs to get “real security guarantees” to prevent a potential attack from Russia.
She told The Sun: “People in the European Union are safe only because the Ukrainians continue to fight and resistance against the Russian aggression.
“Empires want to expand and Russia is no different. There are a lot of talks about possible peace agreements because of Donald Trump.
“But we know for sure that Russia doesn’t want peace. Russia wants to achieve its geopolitical goal.
“So we need to get real security guarantees, which will deter Russia from the next wave of invasion.”
The human rights defence revealed how the Russians have begun to envision a future where they attack and capture other independent nations.
She added: “I interviewed hundreds of people who survived Russian captivity. They were told by Russians, ‘First, we occupy Ukraine and then together with we go to conquer other countries and enlist Ukrainians in the Russian army.'”
Matviichuk thinks that it is time for the West to take responsibility for the Ukraine war and to act more.
She said: “The world order as we know is collapsing before our eyes.
“UN bodies like the Security Council have failed and can’t protect people against the libertarians and the wars.
“So in times of crisis, when the international system is not working, the individual leadership, individual courage, individual responsibility matter, and it’s time to take it.”
General David Petraeus, who served nearly four decades in the US military, previously told The Sun that Ukraine’s allies in the West must do more to help win the war against Putin.
The Retired four-star US general added that Putin “won’t be satisfied to stop with Ukraine”.
He said: “The Ukraine war could expand in the region if Putin succeeds in Ukraine.
“He wouldn’t be satisfied to stop with Ukraine. Moldova clearly would be next.
“After that, it might be Lithuania or one of the other Baltic states.
“He’s been very clear and I think it’s also clear in hindsight that we should listen to this individual. He tells us what he believes.”
To defeat Vlad, the West must do “everything humanly possible” to help Ukraine, Petraeus urged.
Keir Giles, Russia expert at Chatham House, said he is convinced Putin will not stop at Ukraine and will threaten to attack the West in the next five years.
Mr Keir, who has authored Who Will Defend Europe, said: “It is striking that the assessments of Putin’s next moves that we hear from defence ministers, chiefs of defence, and intelligence chiefs across Europe and the US all say Putin will look to attack the West.
“If the situation in Ukraine is resolved or becomes more stable, whether it’s through Russian victory or potentially even a ceasefire, then Putin’s next target is one of the NATO countries and the timescales that have been put on that range between one and 5 years.
“Putin’s future is war with NATO, for which, of course, he’s spent his entire time in office preparing.”
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics previously told the Sun how Putin will not stop at Ukraine and has set his sights on three targets to rebuild the Russian empire.
He said the “first targets” of Putin’s mission to rebuild the Soviet empire would be to conquer Moldova and the Caucasus and Central Asia regions.
This sweeping Hitler-style land grab could include countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan – all of which are sustained targets of Russian influence.
The security order of Europe will be threatened for “years if not decades to come,” Rinkevics warned.
He previously told The Sun that Putin’s war against Ukraine – and potentially Europe in the next few years – marks his attempt to “revive Russian imperialism”.
Matviichuk has been documenting international war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
When the large-scale war started in Ukraine, Matviichuk and her team united their efforts with dozens of organizations from different regions.
So far, she has documented more than 80,000 episodes of Russian war crimes.
Matviichuk said: “I prefer to see Putin in the Hague. Because when authoritarian regimes collapse, the leaders who see themselves as untouchable can appear under the court.
“Dictators, when they have the power with all this repressive state machine, they look powerful. But when they appeared under the court, they looked miserable.
“And I think that we deserve to see the real face of Putin when he faces the criminal accountability.”
Oleksandra Viacheslavivna Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil society leader based in Kyiv.
She heads the non-profit organization Centre for Civil Liberties and is a campaigner for democratic reforms in her country and the OSCE region.
The activities of the Center for Civil Liberties are aimed at protecting human rights and establishing democracy in Ukraine and the OSCE region.
The organisation is developing legislative changes, exercises public oversight over law enforcement agencies and judiciary, conducts educational activities for young people and implements international solidarity programs.
After the beginning of new armed aggression in February 2022, Matviichuk together with other partners created the ‘Tribunal for Putin’ initiative to document international crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in all regions of Ukraine which became the targets of attacks of the Russian Federation.
Center for Civil Liberties, which Matviichuk is head of, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
MEGHAN Markle “annoyed” the late Queen on her wedding day by breaking royal protocol, it is claimed.
The monarch – who died in September 2022 – allegedly disapproved of the Duchess of Sussex, 43, opting to wear a veil at her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.
Writing in his book, Revenge, royal author Tom Bower said: “The Queen also questioned why Meghan needed a veil for the wedding, given it was to be her second marriage.”
The late Queen was also allegedly taken aback at divorcee Meghan’s choice of a white bridal gown.
The Duchess was previously married to Hollywood film producer Trevor Engelson between 2011 and 2013.
In contrast, Queen Camilla, who had previously been married to Andrew Parker Bowles, stuck to tradition and didn’t wear one for her wedding to Charles in 2005.
Meghan’s 16ft-long veil was trimmed with lace depicting flora from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries for the service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Her £100,000 dress was designed by Clare Waight-Keller, then of Givenchy.
The fashion designer said she wanted to make something “timeless” but also “convey modernity”.
She said: “In contrast, the delicate floral beauty of the veil was a vision Meghan and I shared, a special gesture embracing the commonwealth flora, ascending the circumference of the silk tulle.”
The gown and veil took 50 people 3,900 hours to complete.
The veil was held in place by Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara, made in 1932 and lent to the Duchess by the late Queen.
Describing the dress, Meghan previously said: “I had a very clear vision of what I wanted for the day and what I wanted the dress to look like.
“So what was amazing in working with Clare [Waight Keller] is that sometimes you’ll find designers try to push you in a different direction.
“But she just completely respected what I wanted to see for the day, and she wanted to bring that to life for me.”
Lady Elizabeth Anson, a close confidant of the Queen’s, told royal author Ingrid Seward that she made only one remark to her about Meghan and Harry’s wedding, which was that the bride’s Givenchy wedding gown was “too white”.
She wrote in her February 2024 book My Mother and I: “In the monarch’s view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal.”
Ms Seward also claims Prince Phillip was “one of the few wary” of Meghan and thought it was “uncanny” how much she reminded him of the socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Ms Simpson opted not to wear white when she married King Edward in 1937.
The Queen was also said to have felt regret that Meghan hadn’t made up with her estranged father Thomas Markle prior to the wedding.
At short notice, it was decided Charles would walk her down the aisle.
Royal author Katie Nicholl, in her book The New Royals, said the monarch had concerns grandson Harry had never even met Thomas.
Ms Nicholl said the Queen made a point to speak to Harry and Meghan about the situation with the latter’s father.
“She thought the whole thing could have been better handled,” she wrote.
