Dame Helen Mirren and Kylie Minogue are among eight women honoured with their own Barbie likenesses ahead of International Women’s Day.
Actress Dame Helen, the 78-year-old star of The Queen, Elizabeth I, Gosford Park, Calendar Girls, the TV series Prime Suspect and the narrator of the Barbie movie, has been chosen as a UK Barbie role model by the toy’s maker Mattel.
She said she was “absolutely blown away” by the news.
“It’s a very special thing and something I can add to my list of my favourite achievements – becoming a Dame of the British Empire, having an Oscar, having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and having my own Barbie,” she said.
The one-of-a-kind doll recreates the outfit Dame Helen wore at Cannes last year: a cornflower blue gown by Del Core, and jewellery by Bulgari, along with blue hair and a fan.
Image: Dame Helen Mirren at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes.
Pic: PA
The doll is also clutching a miniature Oscar statue, in recognition of Dame Helen’s 2007 Academy Awards best actress win for The Queen.
“I love that the Barbie doll is wearing one of my favourite-ever red carpet looks,” Dame Helen said.
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“It was the first time I’d ever had blue hair and it felt so exciting.
“I like to embrace theatrical fashion and the joy that having fun with fashion can bring, and I think that this joy should be ageless.”
To mark Barbie’s 65th anniversary year, Mirren is among eight women recognised for shaping the future through their inspiring stories, each one recognised with a doll made in their likeness.
The other women are Australian singer Kylie Minogue; Canadian singer Shania Twain; German comedian and activist Enissa Amani; Mexican director, producer and screenwriter Lila Aviles; American artist, activist, author and producer Viola Davis; Japanese model Nicole Fujita; and content creator from the Tatuyo Amazonas indigenous community, Maira Gomez.
Krista Berger, senior vice president and global head of Barbie and Dolls, said: “Barbie’s story has never been just about her.
“It’s about the countless young girls she’s inspired, and the millions of stories she helped them imagine along the way.”
Previous Barbie role model dolls have included likenesses of British Olympic skateboard medallist Sky Brown, COVID vaccine developer Professor Sarah Gilbert, sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, boxer Nicola Adams, tennis player Naomi Osaka and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
Rachael Maskell – the independent MP for York Central – told Sky News that 88% of her constituents don’t want the duke “to carry a title bearing the name of our city”.
“My legislation would be able to be applied to anybody in the future as well, so we wouldn’t have this situation ever having to occur again,” Ms Maskell added.
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5:30
‘We don’t want him bearing our city’s name’
Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has also warned new legislation must be put forward without “any excuses and any further delay”.
The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “The public knows this is the right thing to do – and even more importantly, the victims at the heart of the Epstein scandal know that it’s the right thing to do.
“Those implicated in the Epstein scandal have been able to escape justice because they have hidden behind their power and privilege.”
Yesterday, the prime minister’s official spokesman said the question of legislation was “a matter for the palace in the first instance” – and Downing Street “supports the judgment of the King” regarding what should happen to Prince Andrew’s titles.
Image: Prince Andrew during the Garter Ceremony Procession in Windsor. Pic: PA
Accuser’s memoir published today
Pressure has been growing on Andrew amid continued reports of his relationship with Epstein, with the royal “vigorously denying” the allegations against him.
Amy Wallace, who co-authored Nobody’s Girl, said Ms Giuffre would have regarded Andrew relinquishing his titles as a “victory”.
She told BBC Newsnight: “Virginia wanted all the men who she’d been trafficked to against her will to be held to account and this is just one of the men but … even though he continues to deny it, his life is being eroded because of his past behaviour as it should be.”
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Meanwhile, Ms Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law have urged the Independent Office for Police Conduct to review the Met’s decision not to continue its investigations into the allegations she made against Prince Andrew.
Sky and Amanda Roberts told Channel 4 News that Ms Giuffre had been “gaslit” by detectives – as well as British and American authorities – in what amounted to a “kick in the stomach” for her.
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In other developments, questions have been raised about whether Andrew should have the right to continue living at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Details of the financial arrangements surrounding his 30-bedroom mansion have come to light.
A copy of the leasehold agreement obtained by the PA news agency shows he signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003 at a cost of £1m.
Since then, he has paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year, a term used to describe a small payment that makes a contract legally binding.
What started as a WhatsApp group for dozens of grieving families has ended up gathering enough momentum to reach Westminster.
Warning: This article contains content you may find distressing.
The parents and relatives of loved ones who have taken their own life following domestic abuse are angry, at a loss, but up for a fight.
Sharon Holland is among those furious at how difficult it is to hold a potential perpetrator accountable for their loved ones’ deaths.
Image: Sharon Holland (L), whose daughter Chloe died by suicide
Her daughter, Chloe, died by suicide in 2023 after being in a controlling relationship.
Chloe, 23, suffered months of torment at the hands of her former partner. At the time of his conviction, police said Chloe was a victim of a “horrific campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour”.
Two years on, Ms Holland has shared experiences and developed bonds with families who have been through the same trauma.
But charges and convictions for those potentially responsible are rare. That’s despite figures from the Domestic Homicide Project, funded by the Home Office and led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, showing more domestic abuse victims take their own lives in England and Wales than are killed by their partner.
There were 1,012 domestic abuse-related deaths in England and Wales between 2020 and 2024, of which 354 were suspected suicides compared to 332 homicides.
Image: Sharon Holland said her group ‘don’t want this happening to someone else’
Families at ‘breaking point’
Ms Holland’s group are now calling for “justice for all victims of domestic abuse-related suicides” by bringing their campaign to Westminster today.
Asked if this is a movement born out of families being at breaking point, Ms Holland said: “Absolutely.
“All of us mums or sisters all feel the same, that we don’t want this happening to someone else. It’s being dragged out for years and during that time the mums are becoming more and more ill, their health is going downhill, they’re stressed out all the time, on alert, and they just can’t get anywhere with it.
“There’s so many warnings with the police or with the NHS with various agencies that this could not end well for their daughters, and unfortunately it takes the person to die, and then we find out what the failings are.”
Families who believe there has been foul play, or know the abuse their loved ones suffered at the hands of an intimate partner contributed to them taking their own lives, say it’s difficult to be taken seriously.
“The majority of them have been fighting for five years,” Ms Holland said. “They’ve been waiting for the police to get back to them or waiting for the CPS to charge.
“One lady has just waited five years, only to finally hear back from the CPS only to find out they’re not going to charge.
“So that poor woman’s health has gone downhill, fighting for her daughter, who she suspects was a staged suicide and got nowhere.”
Image: Pragna Patel said famillies ‘are entirely on their own’
‘Heartbreaking’ for families
Families are often fending for themselves, according to Pragna Patel, co-founder of Project Resist, a charity that supports people affected by domestic abuse and violence.
She said families “are having to navigate the system entirely on their own as they try to find out the circumstances in which their loved ones took their lives and to find out how and why this happened”.
“It’s really heartbreaking to see these families knocking at the doors of the police, knocking at the door of coroners, saying: ‘We know these deaths are suspicious, we know there is a history of coercive and controlling behaviour and domestic abuse behind these deaths, and we want you to investigate.’
“On the whole, families are met with a culture of indifference, apathy and ignorance. They’re just not getting the attention they need.”
‘We must do more,’ says minister
Ms Holland and a host of other families will gather in parliament later to meet safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
Ahead of the meeting, Ms Phillips told Sky News: “Every death linked to domestic abuse is a tragedy. We must do more to prevent them, and I will be meeting Project Resist to discuss how we can hold perpetrators to account more effectively.
“We are funding the Domestic Homicide Project to capture information on domestic abuse related deaths, including suicides, from all 43 police forces in England and Wales to improve our understanding of this issue.
“But more needs to be done. Our upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy will set out our plans to strengthen our response to all domestic abuse related deaths.”
Image: Jess Phillips
Sky News understands there are a number of active cases being pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Part of prosecutors’ assessment of a case includes developing an understanding of the relationship history between the victim and a potential suspect and trying to understand the victim’s state of mind before their death.
But they are relying on evidence and witness statements that need to be taken in a timely manner.
They say they are raising awareness through tailored training about the links between domestic abuse and suicide, so officers are better equipped to exercise “professional curiosity”.
Ahead of the campaign’s launch, a spokesperson for the CPS said: “Domestic abuse is a heinous crime and our prosecutors are actively advised to consider murder and manslaughter charges in suicide cases where there is a known context of domestic abuse or other controlling or coercive behaviour.
“We have previously charged a number of defendants for causing the death of a partner they abused, including in proceedings which are currently active.
“We are also working with police and other stakeholders to ensure these kinds of offences are well-understood – so that we can bring perpetrators to justice for the full extent of their crimes.”
‘You cannot move forward’
Families so far have had to rely on the inquest to scrutinise the circumstances of their loved one’s death.
Chloe died two years ago and hers is yet to happen.
Ms Holland: “The way all this drags out, you cannot sit down, move forward and just grieve. You’re constantly on high alert, fighting everyone, and just hoping that it’ll be over soon.”
A delay for answers and further delay for grief.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
A prominent expert in recovering stolen works of art has told Sky News it was “a matter of time” before the Louvre was targeted – and UK museums could be next.
Christopher Marinello says gangs have been emboldened to strike because “law enforcement has been driven into the ground”.
And while headlines have focused on thieves making off with priceless jewellery from an iconic French institution, he warns this problem isn’t confined to Paris.
He said: “There are gangs operating all over Europe and not enough is being done to stop them … this was only a matter of time, they’ve been hitting small museums.
“If they can hit the Louvre successfully, they can hit anything. Do you know how many museums there are in the UK?”
Image: Christopher Marinello investigates art theft the police aren’t pursuing
At the start of October, at the St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales, it took just four minutes for audacious thieves to swipe irreplaceable Bronze Age jewellery.
He says gangs are targeting gold “just to melt it down” and diamonds for their value – “with no regard for the integrity of the artworks and the cultural heritage that they are destroying”.
A spokesperson for the museum has said: “We sympathise deeply with our friends at the Louvre … it emphasises the increased risk to organisations like ours … this highlights the dilemma we face between having items on display for people to enjoy and learn from – or keeping them locked away.”
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2:36
Louvre: How ‘heist of the century’ unfolded
Mr Marinello, who investigates art crimes that the police aren’t pursuing, says institutions and stately homes urgently need to wake up to what’s happening.
“They need to start building vaults for these objects because otherwise they’re going to be taken and melted down and used to buy Lamborghinis or drugs,” he warned.
“If the smaller museums can’t afford it, perhaps they’re going to have to consolidate collections to museums that can handle it.”
Image: Empress Eugenie’s tiara was among the jewellery stolen. Pic: Louvre
‘You can’t trust anyone’
Mr Marinello went on to warn that gangs are becoming “more brazen” – with the Louvre targeted despite the security measures it had in place.
“The system is not working … the penalties are not strong enough … police are frustrated, prosecutors say the same thing because there’s nowhere to put these people.”
The art recovery expert says he’s concerned how funding cutbacks are making our museums more vulnerable to those who recognise that the obvious rewards outweigh the risks.
Image: The Louvre is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris
“These museums are designed to preserve and protect our cultural heritage, and they need to be properly funded to do that job,” he added. “They need to be able to stay one step ahead of the criminals.”
“This is not the 1950s any more, you can’t trust anyone. These items are so valuable, and gold is at an all-time high.
“[Thieves] don’t care if an item belonged to Napoleon III, it means nothing to them. All they care about is quick cash.”