Empress Masako of Japan wore a surprising accessory during her visit to the U.K. with Emperor Naruhito. When they were welcomed, she put on a face mask that matched her white outfit for the ride to Buckingham Palace. But there was more to it than just fashion.
Masako, 60, was all smiles without her face mask when the day officially began.
On June 25, during a horse-drawn carriage ride after the ceremonial welcome, Empress Masako wore the mask. Once they went inside Buckingham Palace for lunch and to look at some items from the Royal Collection, she took it off.
The reason for the mask? Empress Masako is allergic to horses, according to royal reporter Rebecca English from the Daily Mail.
Prince Louis, age 6, also had a funny moment with horses. During a carriage ride at Trooping the Colour in June 2023, he briefly held his nose, probably because of the horses’ smell.
Prince William greeted her and Emperor Naruhito at their hotel in London.
The Prince of Wales, 41, took on this key role alone, highlighting his position as heir to the throne, a duty his wife, Kate Middleton, has joined him for in the past.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, 42, continues to stay out of the spotlight while receiving cancer treatment. Although she appeared in public for the first time in nearly six months at Trooping the Colour on June 15, it didn’t mean she was back to work.
“She has been doing what’s right for her and recovering privately at home. She is dealing with it the best she can,” a source close to the royal family tells.
Prince William then accompanied the Emperor and Empress of Japan to Horse Guards Parade, where they greeted King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 76, at the ceremonial welcome.
Presentations were made, accompanied by a Royal Salute and the playing of the Japanese national anthem.
King Charles and Emperor Naruhito, aged 64, inspected a Guard of Honour formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, where Prince William holds the honorary colonel position. Following this, they embarked on a carriage ride along The Mall in London, adorned with both Japanese and Union Jack flags, making their way to Buckingham Palace.
State visits are pivotal diplomatic duties for the British royal family, crucial for strengthening relationships with nations worldwide. The upcoming visit from Japan was announced in late April, marking King Charles’ return to public duties amidst his ongoing cancer treatment.
If you’re not a fan of spring cleaning, these 10+ Amazon gems will do the job for you
Even those of us who don’t like cleaning can enjoy the process and admire picture-perfect results with these 11 household gems from Amazon. Dust, dirt, grime, rust, grease, and mold don’t stand a chance of survival with these powerful cleaning products and tools that act fast and are super easy to use. Buy them now and have a fuss-free start to your spring cleaning!
1. Say goodbye to dirt and grime in your toilet with this cleaning pumice stone. It scours away mineral deposits, rust, stains, and limescale from toilets, sinks, tubs, and showers. The item quickly shapes into curved or flat surfaces, thoroughly removing the dirt without damaging the surface. The usage is super simple. Wet the pumice stone in water and gently rub the stain away using back-and-forth movements until the stain disappears.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We have good water except for calcium content. Consequently we had a noticeable water ring in the most used toilet bowl. Happened to see this product on Amazon. I had my doubts it would work as any cleaner failed to have any affect at all on removing the water ring. I was pleasantly surprised how easily it removed the water ring without any scratches to the bowl and made the bowl look brand new. — Mike H.
2. This rust stain remover powder will eliminate rust stains from surfaces inside and outside of your house, thanks to its powerful formula. This heavy-duty cleaner was specially formulated to quickly and easily rinse away the toughest rust spots without scrubbing. This multi-purpose product works equally well on toilets, tubs, showers, white laundry, and exterior surfaces.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have iron in my water. It’s ruined a lot of things. It’s been hard to keep sinks, tubs and toilets white until now. I tested this on a piece of plastic out of my washing machine that turned orange. No more orange. Back to white. Great buy. — Teresa Shankle
3. Stubborn oven grease and burnt-on food don’t stand a chance of surviving when you use this oven cleaner. Its formula is safe for everyday oven cleaning. This powerful product is easy to use. Just spray it on the stain and wipe. You won’t recognize your oven once you use this wonder-working product!
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hands down the best oven cleaner ever! We’ve used this stuff to clean up heavily caked on parts of our smoker and BBQ. It works great! My wife just got through cleaning our oven and stove and was just again commenting on how good this stuff is compared to anything else we’ve ever used. This will be our go to cleaner! It’s just the best! — Richard C.
4. Amazon customers swear by this no-rinse evaporator coil cleaner. It will liquefy dirt, grease, oil, and other residues quickly and easily. The cleaner can be sprayed upside down for your ultimate convenience. Its powerful foam is completely self-rinsing and is safe to use on metals and other materials. The product leaves the area deodorized with a pleasant lemon scent, which is the cherry on top.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I could not believe how good this product works! My dryer repair guy looked at my fridge coils after finding out that I had dogs. I was shocked at the amount of dust on them. He recommended this product and it works within seconds! — heyb
5. Cleaning hard-to-reach areas will not be a problem if you have this dryer vent cleaning vacuum hose attachment by your side. It can help you remove lint that has been accumulating for many years in the dryer vents, helping your appliance work more efficiently. The tool can get into curved corners, which makes it perfect for cleaning appliances that you can’t move.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I honestly had no idea that so much lint was stuck when I removed my dryer lint screen. It was deep down in there. I figured let me give this a try. It’s not expensive so if it doesn’t work it wouldn’t be a big loss. I hooked it up to my small car vacuum which took about 2 seconds. There was so much lint that the little opening kept getting clogged. So I would pull the lint off and go in again, and repeat. Once all the big chunks were removed it finished the job. I highly recommend this. — Eileen L
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6. Put less elbow grease in cleaning your toilet tank with this powerful toilet tank cleaner. It removes hard-water deposits, rust, stains, and odor in the blink of an eye, eliminating the need for scrubbing. The product is safe for toilet tanks, bowls, and pipes. When you flush it, it leaves a pleasant citrus scent. Just look at the before and after photo collage below. It looks pretty impressive!
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ According to the instructions I was supposed to use the whole bottle but being that it was so big and that I had 2 toilets needing to be cleaned I only used half. Other than that I followed the instructions, stirring to make sure it was dissolved and then letting it sit overnight. I used a cheap (new) toilet brush from the dollar store to scrub the rust off the sides before flushing. I took these before and after photos to compare and I was pleasantly surprised. The toilet tank is from the 1960’s and I doubt it’s been cleaned within the last few decades. — Nicole
7. This carpet cleaning machine will finally remove all those stubborn stains that other products failed to remove. The appliance works perfectly well on carpets and rugs where pet messes happen, lifting dirt and dust that an ordinary vacuum cleaner may leave behind. Its compact design makes cleaning easy and convenient. This is a must-have for households with pets.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This cleaner is really lightweight and easy to use. It’s also very powerful and effective for such a budget friendly and small machine. This is perfect for area rugs. I imagine it would be less suitable for large carpeted rooms as it does need emptying and refilling frequently due to the smaller tanks. In addition, this model lacks an upholstery brush, so consider that if you are looking for something more versatile. Overall I would recommend this machine, it’s effectively cleaned and refreshed our area rugs that had gotten dingy and were holding pet odors. — Sll1977
8. Don’t miss out on this heavy-duty cleaner specially designed for cleaning brick and stone fireplaces. This safe and non-abrasive gel swiftly removes soot, creosote, ash, and all sorts of grime from your fireplace. Its concentrated formula can break through the toughest spots and works great on surfaces such as brick, stone, tile, and rock.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It works really well, and it’s great that it’s non-toxic and non-abrasive. You can literally apply it with your bare hands. You do need to scrub it in pretty well after applying. And make sure to «rinse» the brick afterwards. It’s slow work, but it pays off. — Amazon Customer
9. If your hot tub needs cleaning, this hot tub cleaner is just what you need. It quickly and effectively removes residue from dirt, sweat, grime, and bath products. One bottle is enough for up to 2 cleaning sessions. Dirty filters and poor flow can negatively affect your hot tub. This product solves this problem, making your hot tub clean in about an hour.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Our hot tub was so much grosser than I could have imagined. The amount of ick that this stuff got out of the jets was surprising. Honestly, it’s so embarrassing. I drained and cleaned the tub a few months ago but did not think to get this jet cleaner. I will not make that mistake again. The hot tub smells so clean now. I will definitely use this again next time I drain the tub. — Kaerlia
10. This electric high-pressure washer is a real hit on Amazon with more than 56,000 ratings. The appliance tackles a variety of cleaning tasks: homes, buildings, RVs, cars, trucks, boats, decks, driveways, patios, and more. It automatically shuts off the pump when the trigger is not engaged to save energy and prolong pump life. Its long spray wand guarantees extended reach for your ultimate convenience.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This power washer was easy to use and did the job well. I used it on my driveway, paver path and patio. The attachments for soap and the various angle heads snap on quickly and are conveniently stored on the unit. Some assembly is required out of the box, but it is simple and only requires a screwdriver. — Michael
11. Get rid of mold in your house with this amazing mold cleaner. Its highly effective concentrated gel formula clings to tiles, silicone sealant (around windows, sinks, and baths), shower heads, and more. The usage is pretty simple. Just apply the gel evenly on the surface you want to clean, let sit for 3-5 hours, and then rinse with water or wipe with a towel.
Promising review:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was skeptical that this product would work because I have tried a lot of different things with no luck. After one application almost all of the staining is gone! I was also shocked that this product has no smell! No harsh chemical odor at all. I have a couple spots I want to treat again to see if I can get it completely clean, but my tub looks 100% better than it did before. It’s super easy to use. I’m so happy with the results. — Kerri
In this selection of Amazon best sellers you will find even more cleaning products that will help you get rid of stains and dirt in every corner of your house.
Bright Side gets commissions for purchases made through the links in this post. Reviews may have been edited for length and clarity.
Preview photo credit Haj / Amazon, Emojipedia
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