Admired worldwide for her poise and style, the Princess of Wales occasionally experiences minor hand injuries.

At 44, Kate frequently appears with a bandage on one or more fingers, as she did during her latest visit to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

The mother of three joined other senior royals in a reception celebrating the life and legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 100th birthday.

On this occasion, Kate, elegantly attired in a lavender coat dress, was noticed sporting a plaster on her thumb.

Although the cause of her latest injury is unknown, Kate has previously mentioned that playtime with her children—Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, who celebrates his eighth birthday today—has led to her needing a plaster.

It’s far from the first time the royal has been seen sporting one. Kate’s otherwise impeccable image is often marred by the unsightly skin-coloured tape wrapped around one of her fingers or thumbs.

During a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital’s Maternity Unit on October 5, 2022, the princess was pictured with a plaster on her thumb. She was seen with a similar look in Bradford in 2020.

The princess also wore a plaster on her thumb when attending the Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 3, 2022, in London.

The Princess of Wales was spotted with a plaster on her thumb on Tuesday’s reception at Buckingham Palace

In May 2019, Kate wore a small plaster on the right thumb at the Chelsea Flower Show, co-ordinating seamlessly with her camel-coloured culottes and cream shirt. 

Then, in November 2019, a small circular patch on the middle finger of her right hand was seen at three events over four days.

On Christmas Day in 2016, once again, a plaster covered the end of one thumb on the same hand as her famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring.

Then there was the time in November of the same year when she sported a larger rectangular patch on the back of her left hand.

There was much speculation at the time over whether a certain feline was to blame; namely, the star of A Street Cat Named Bob, whom Kate had met at a film premiere the night before.

Kate is also a keen gardener, so she could very easily be a bit accident-prone when pruning. Her injury in 2023 was said to have happened after playing with her three children on the trampoline at their home in Windsor.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said the hurt finger was ‘a small injury, nothing serious’, adding they were not broken.

She was pictured leaving the exclusive Bouji nightclub in London as long ago as 2008 with a plaster on her right thumb.

Kate, together with other members of the Royal Family, attended the event on what would have been the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday

It would appear that the Princess of Wales (pictured in 2023) is prone to the odd injured hand – as she regularly seems to have a plaster wrapped around one or two fingers

Kate visiting the Royal Surrey County Hospital’s Maternity Unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital on October 5, 2022 in Guildford, England

It comes after royal fans named a new ‘Fab Four’ after the Prince and Princess of Wales’s easy friendship with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh was on full display during the late Queen’s centenary celebrations. 

King Charles led the full delegation of senior royals at a Buckingham Palace reception honouring Queen Elizabeth II’s life and legacy on what would have been her 100th birthday.

While everyone from Princess Anne to Princess Alexandra joined the celebrations, notable absences included the King’s younger son, Prince Harry, who stayed back in California amid his estrangement from the Royal Family.

When Harry, 41, and wife, Meghan Markle, 44, quit The Firm, it was also the final chapter in the ‘Fab Four’ era as the Sussexes and Waleses were jointly known.

Six years later, fans suggested Harry and Meghan have finally been replaced by Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie after photos and videos from yesterday’s reception showcased their strong bond with William and Kate.

One snap showed the future King struggling to contain his laughter during a chat with Sophie, known for her sense of humour, while Kate and Edward appeared deep in conversation.

They stood together while singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to six centenarians, who were all celebrating their 100th birthdays, as fans on X declared they were the ‘real Fab Four’.

And they were front and centre in the royal portrait that represented King Charles’s ‘slimmed down’ monarchy after the scandal surrounding his disgraced younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as well as Megxit.

PITTSBURGH — From the moment Makai Lemon arrived at USC, he was accustomed to showcasing his skills in front of NFL scouts. The wide receiver quickly captured their attention, becoming a standout presence on the field.

Over the past two seasons, Lemon’s performance only heightened that interest. He amassed an impressive 131 receptions, 1,920 yards, and 14 touchdowns, demonstrating an uncanny ability to catch nearly everything thrown his way.

Even when tightly guarded, Lemon managed to outmaneuver defenders to secure the ball, showcasing his exceptional talent.

His remarkable skills have solidified him as a likely top-15 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, with teams like the Chiefs, Saints, and Rams showing significant interest.

For this Southern California native and former Los Alamitos standout, the journey has been humbling. Now in Pittsburgh, he eagerly awaits the moment when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce his name during Thursday’s first round, savoring every aspect of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I’m just definitely cherishing every moment and just taking it all in,” Lemon said. “It’s definitely a blessing to be here and what I’ve got going for myself.”

Unbeknownst to Lemon, though, a very important set of eyes was watching him from a very different vantage point during his time with the Trojans. They belonged to Rams general manager Les Snead, who took in plenty of USC games more as a father than as an NFL executive, thanks to his son and daughter, both of whom attend USC.

It was in that role that Snead got a chance to sit back and watch USC play, just like any other fan or father with a vested interest in the outcome. Only for the lines between proud dad and NFL general manager to continually get blurred, the more Lemon kept popping into his scope.

That became a pretty routine occurrence, especially last season when Lemon earned the Biletnikoff Award as the best wide receiver in college football and first-team All-America honors. The more Snead watched as a fan, the more he recognized a prospect who could one day make his mark in the NFL

“When you saw the ball go up and it was heading toward Lemon’s hands, you always felt like he’d bring it down,” Snead said this week, when asked about USC’s star receiver.

Lo and behold, the Rams hold the 13th pick overall in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft, which just so happens to be the sweet spot when Lemon might be selected. Not only that, but the club also needs a wide receiver, both as a short-term addition to its dynamic duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and potentially as the long-range Robin to Nacua’s Batman.

Hence, the smile from Lemon on Wednesday that stretched all the way from Pittsburgh to Manhattan Beach when hearing about the kick Snead got out of watching him sparkle over the last few years at USC.

“It definitely means a lot, coming from somebody like him,” Lemon said.

Lemon was among the 14 draft prospects on hand at a youth football clinic the NFL put on in Pittsburgh as part of draft week. On the eve of the life-changing moment he’s about to experience, he was soaking everything in, trying to stay as even-keeled as possible.

That is easier said than done, as the anticipation of where he’s going to spend the next chapter of his life rises to a peak level. In a matter of hours, everything he’s worked for, everything he’s dreamed about, everything he’s ever imagined about his lifelong football dreams is about to come true.

He’s doing his best to fight off thinking about all the scenarios. But every so often, the whole thing gets the best of him.

“Before I go to sleep, maybe,” he said, smiling. “But I really try not to think about it too much.”

That said, the possibility of playing for the Rams has clearly piqued his interest. Not taking anything away from anyone else, the Chiefs included at No. 9, but the thought of staying home and playing alongside Nacua and Adams is pretty enticing.

And yes, in his imagination, he’s already tried on a Rams uniform and done a test run in Sean McVay’s offense. The view was pretty good, too.

“I feel like it’d be a perfect fit, definitely,” Lemon said. “Just adding my play style, adding what I can do to the team.”

It also wouldn’t hurt to soak in everything about life in the NFL from a couple of made men like Nacua and Adams, either.

“Just learning from them guys,” Lemon said.  “They’ve had so much production and been in the league and seen so much and done so much. So, to be alongside them would mean a lot.”

It’s only a matter of time at this point. The Rams make a lot of sense, obviously, but so do a bunch of wide receiver rooms across the NFL. Lemon said whatever team that drafts him is getting a special talent with a hard-nosed mindset.

“They’re bringing in a dog, you know?” he said. “Someone that also wants to win. Someone that’s gonna lead by example, that’s gonna do anything that the program needs me to do. At my best and at a high level.”

A recent study has raised concerns over the increasing prevalence of a particular type of bowel cancer among younger individuals.

While the incidence of this cancer in older adults has decreased, thanks to effective screening and heightened awareness, cases among the younger population have been climbing steadily each year.

Experts now point to rectal cancer as a primary factor in this upward trend.

This disease is a subtype of colorectal cancer that occurs in the rectum, the final segment of the large intestine, located just before the anus.

According to estimates from the American Cancer Society, diagnoses of bowel cancer in adults under 50 have surged by approximately 3% annually over the past 20 years. Today, nearly half of those diagnosed are under the age of 65.

Separate research has also found colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in Americans under 50.

Using more than 20 years of CDC death records, researchers in New York found deaths from rectal cancer in people under 45 are rising up to three times faster than colon cancer in the same age groups.

Even more worrying, rectal cancer death rates are expected to keep climbing for at least another decade if current trends continue.

James Van Der Beek  died earlier this year at age 48 from colorectal cancer 

The findings, due to be presented at next month’s Digestive Disease Week conference, follow another recent report that named rectal cancer as the biggest driver of the early–onset bowel cancer epidemic.

In an announcement highlighting the worrying data entitled ‘Rectal cancer is striking earlier and killing faster’, the authors wrote: ‘Rectal cancer deaths among older millennials are accelerating, with growth in mortality far outpacing colon cancer.’

Mythili Menon Pathiyil, lead study author and a gastroenterology fellow at SUNY Upstate Medical University in New York said: ‘Colorectal cancer is no longer considered predominantly a disease of older adults.

‘Rectal cancer, especially, is becoming a growing problem in younger individuals, and we need to act early to reverse this trend.’ 

Experts said the results may support new screening approaches focused on the lower bowel and urged younger adults not to ignore warning signs such as bleeding, abdominal pain or changes in bowel habits.

Bowel cancer symptoms can also be caused by other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, which can lead to them being ignored or shrugged off until the disease has progressed further.

With bowel cancer, early detection is vital – if spotted early, around nine in ten patients survive at least five years, but once the cancer has spread, survival drops to just 10 per cent. 

Previously speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Jack Ogden a GP at The Lagom Clinic in Bristol, listed several subtle symptoms that are often overlooked or mistaken for a different ailment or condition.

Among them was iron deficiency, which can occur due to internal bleeding, losing weight without changing your diet or exercise habits, and experiencing bloating and abdominal pain after eating. 

He also said that bowel habit changes – such as constipation and diarrhoea – should never be ignored. 

Another red flag is suddenly noticing narrower stools with no clear cause. 

‘Pencil–thin stools can be an indicator that a tumour is obstructing the colon causing it to squeeze stool into a thinner shape,’ Dr Ogden said. 

Worryingly, blood in the stool isn’t always immediately detectable.

The blood can be dark or hidden and only detectable via stool tests, Dr Ogden said.

If stools are dark red or black it can be a sign bleeding is taking place higher up in the bowel due to cancer.

In contrast, bright red blood is most commonly caused by haemorrhoids, also known as piles.

Anyone experiencing any of these symptoms, or a combination of them, for three weeks or more is advised to speak to their doctor, regardless of their age.

Bowel cancer is responsible for around 17,700 deaths in Britain every year and is the second–most common cause of cancer death across the nation.

The most recent statistics published by Cancer Research UK also revealed that rates of overall cancer diagnoses in 25 to 49–year–olds in Britain had increased by 24 per cent.

And across the US, bowel cancer cases in under–50s have been rising steadily, overturning the long–held belief that it is mainly an illness of old age.

The latest American Cancer Society figures show three in four younger patients are diagnosed only after the disease has already spread locally or to distant parts of the body – making treatment harder.

When caught early and still confined to the bowel, five–year survival rates are about 91 per cent. That falls to 74 per cent once it has spread nearby, and just 13 per cent once it has spread to distant organs.

Experts are still trying to pin down why rectal cancer is rising so sharply in younger adults. But growing evidence points to modern diets high in fat and low in fibre.

Low–fibre diets can slow digestion, meaning waste sits in the lower bowel for longer and potentially gives harmful bacteria and cancer–linked chemicals more time to damage cells.

Processed meats and environmental pollutants such as pesticides may also play a role by increasing exposure to substances that end up in the stool.

For the latest study, researchers analysed US death records from 1999 to 2023 covering adults aged 20 to 44 using the CDC WONDER database.

They then examined how death rates changed by age, sex, ethnicity and region, before using machine learning to predict trends through to 2035 if current patterns continue.

The full results have yet to be published, but early findings suggest bowel cancer death rates are rising overall – with rectal cancer deaths climbing between two and three times faster than colon cancer across every demographic studied.

The sharpest warning came for adults aged 35 to 44, where deaths from rectal cancer were projected to keep rising all the way to 2035. Colon cancer deaths in the same age group were increasing more slowly.

‘Our study shows that rectal cancer is driving much of the increase in colorectal cancers, and it’s most likely to worsen over time if we don’t change what we are doing right now,’ Pathiyil said.

Researchers also found Hispanic adults and people living in Western states saw the steepest rise in rectal cancer deaths.

Experts are not yet sure why, but CDC data shows Hispanic adults are less likely to undergo routine screening tests such as colonoscopies than white Americans. Language barriers and reduced access to care may also delay diagnosis and treatment.

Pathiyil said the findings could push doctors to consider earlier bowel cancer screening and greater use of sigmoidoscopy – a test that specifically checks the rectum and lower colon – in younger adults.

‘It’s less about just changing guidelines overnight and more about changing how we think about it, recognizing that colorectal cancer in young adults is no longer rare, and it needs earlier attention,’ she said.

PITTSBURGH — As the NFL draft looms on the horizon, we’re witnessing the predictable drama of prospects rising and falling in the rankings.

Every draft brings its fair share of unexpected developments, and this year is proving to be no exception.

Here are three athletes who might hear their names announced much sooner than initially anticipated:

Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame running back

It’s almost amusing to label someone considered the draft’s top talent as a “riser” at this point. Yet, such is the reality in today’s game when it comes to running backs.

In an era driven by analytics, teams have become hesitant to select running backs within the top 10, much less the top three. This isn’t a slight against Love, who stands out as a formidable force both in rushing and receiving; it’s simply the current state of affairs.

Simply put, the positional value just isn’t there anymore, compared with years ago when it was standard practice to draft a running back within the first three picks.

Love might buck that recent trend, though, with his Superman capabilities just too enticing in a draft that isn’t deep at quarterback and isn’t expected to produce an elite, can’t-miss player at edge rusher, cornerback or wide receiver.

It’s why the link between Love and the Cardinals, who pick third in the first round, seems to get stronger by the day. If not them, the Titans at No. 4 and the Giants at No. 5 are also considered strong possibilities. That is a far cry from a couple of months ago, when Love was projected to get selected at the bottom of the top 10, if not lower.

Dillon Thieneman, Oregon safety

This one has been brewing for a little while, with the splash Thieneman made with an epic athletic performance at the NFL scouting combine catching everyone’s eyes and forcing them to go back to watch the game film.

In his case, the tape doesn’t lie.  

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Thieneman produced high-level numbers at two different schools while starting for three straight years. Between his two seasons at Purdue and his one year at Oregon, he racked up 302 tackles and showed ball-hawking abilities with eight interceptions in his career.

Once the stopwatch and tape measure came into play, it was a done deal. You can’t fake the 4.37-second 40 or a 41-inch vertical leap Thieneman put on display at the combine. The stunning athletic ability, coupled with the high-level production, means Thieneman continues to shoot up the draft board and now could be selected within the top 12 picks.

Monroe Freeling, Georgia tackle

Based on the eyeball test, Freeling is a no-doubter, standing at 6-foot-7, weighing 315 pounds and putting a solid season together last year at left tackle for the Bulldogs.

But he falls under the recommended level of experience that NFL teams typically adhere to when it comes to the draft. Freeling spent just one season as the Bulldogs’ everyday left tackle, and he has just 13 career starts

If there is anything that gives talent evaluators anxiety heading into the draft, it’s medical records and time on task. The more games someone plays, the more uncertainty is removed from the evaluation. The fewer games played, the bigger the risk becomes.

What changed the calculus for Freeling, and why he is pushing up the draft board, is the real-time improvement he made throughout the season. And the fact that he is a mountain of a man who moves like a ballet dancer.

He just kept getting better from a technical, fluidity and play-level standpoint, which gives teams hope that he will continue to get better at the next level. And, well, there just aren’t humans as big as he is that move as well as he does.

He isn’t the best tackle available in the first round. But three years from now, he has a chance to be the best tackle from this entire draft. Maybe by a country mile.

It’s why more and more teams are coming around to taking him far higher than they may have imagined a few months ago. Don’t be surprised if Freeling’s name gets called in the upper half of the first round.