Geri Halliwell has been spotted giving a kiss to King Charles at a royal event.
The former Spice Girl attended the Commonwealth Day celebrations with husband Christian Horner, with whom she lives in a £9.2m mansion just over the Oxfordshire border near Banbury.
In a throwback to her days with the girl group, Ms Halliwell planted a kiss on Charles’s cheek after she gave a passionate speech about female empowerment and hailed the Commonwealth as a “family of equals”.
She spoke at the annual Westminster Abbey service celebrating the Commonwealth.
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This was attended by Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, senior Government figures and a 1,800-strong congregation.
In her “reflection”, Ms Halliwell highlighted how International Women’s Day fell on Sunday, one day ahead of Commonwealth Day events, and told invited guests: “As a young girl, it was creativity and education that gave me courage and confidence.
“Words allowed me to imagine a bigger world. Stories gave me courage, and courage changes everything.
“When we educate a girl, we’re not ticking a box, we’re investing in leadership, in stability, in possibility.
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“And we know this to be true – when a woman succeeds, communities thrive. When communities thrive, nations grow stronger.”
She famously left red lipstick on Charles’ cheek when the Spice Girls met the then Prince of Wales at a Prince’s Trust event in 1997, and over the years she has kissed him when they have met.
There was also a kiss and a hug from Ms Halliwell for Queen Camilla, when the royal couple met some of those performing at the service afterwards.
Ms Halliwell, an ambassador for the Royal Commonwealth Society, which held the service, and the King’s Trust, said in her speech: “The Commonwealth at its best is a family of equals, different, yes, but connected by shared values and a shared responsibility.
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“It reminds us that standing together, standing together is not a weakness, it’s a strength. It is how we turn our hope into action.”
Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Oti Mabuse echoed Ms Halliwell’s words in her reflection when she said: “At its best, the Commonwealth is a collaboration of people.
“People who may look different, we may speak different languages, we may practise different traditions, and yet we are united by shared values – dignity, respect, opportunity and hope.
“So today, I invite all of us to reflect: Who are we becoming as a Commonwealth? Are we opening doors wide enough for the next generation to walk through?
“Are we truly, truly listening to the voices of the young ones? Are we turning our diversity into strength? Are we turning hope into action?”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
