Google’s ‘top trends’ of 2018: Meghan and Roxanne Pallett get Brits searching

The top trending people in the UK in 2018 have been announced.

The Duchess of Sussex and actress Roxanne Pallett were the “top trending” people in the UK in 2018, Google has announced.

The technology company’s Year In Search project compared the UK public’s search habits this year to that in 2017 and compiled lists of the people and subjects that saw the biggest relative increases in interest.

While Meghan’s name was top of the chart for individuals, “royal wedding” – a search that spiked during her wedding to Prince Harry – was also the top trending news event in the country.

Ms Pallett made headlines in September after claiming fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant Ryan Thomas had hurt her by punching her, in an exchange which many viewers defended as play fighting.

After quitting the show, she said she felt she was “the most hated girl in Britain”.

The top trending search query overall in the UK was the World Cup, in a year in which the England football team reached the semi-finals of the tournament.

The film Black Panther and video game Fortnite also made the top 10 queries, having both enjoyed runaway success in 2018.

Fans in Hyde Park, London, react as England lose after extra time in the FIFA World Cup semi final match between Croatia and England.

Singer Demi Lovato was third on the list of people after reportedly suffering an overdose in the summer, while TV presenter Ant McPartlin came in fourth after a year which saw him divorce his wife, enter rehab for drug addiction and gain a conviction for drink driving.

Other notable entries in this year’s diverse list include GDPR, the new European data protection legislation introduced in May, and reality star Khloe Kardashian, who gave birth to her first child in April.

Here are some of the top 10s from Google’s Year In Search:

UK top trending Google queries

1. World Cup (held this summer, won by France)

2. Meghan Markle (actress married Prince Harry to become Duchess of Sussex)

3. Royal wedding (star-studded ceremony held in Windsor)

4. Black Panther (record-breaking action film released)

5. Roxanne Pallett (embroiled in Celebrity Big Brother ‘punch’ row)

6. Fortnite (video game which became hugely popular in 2018)

7. Demi Lovato (entered rehab after she reportedly suffered overdose)

8. Ant McPartlin (took break from presenting after drug problems)

9. A Star Is Born (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper film)

10. Khloe Kardashian (reality star gave birth to her first child)

UK top trending people

1. Meghan Markle (actress married Prince Harry to become Duchess of Sussex)

FILE - In this May 19, 2018, file photo, Meghan Markle leaves with Prince Harry after their wedding ceremony, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England. With two blockbuster British royal weddings this year and an enduring fascination with the Brits, American brides craving a regal look with personal twists can find plenty of inspiration. (Gareth Fuller/pool photo via AP, File)

2. Roxanne Pallett (embroiled in Celebrity Big Brother ‘punch’ row)

3. Demi Lovato (entered rehab after she reportedly suffered overdose)

4. Ant McPartlin (took break from presenting after drug problems)

5. Khloe Kardashian (reality star gave birth to her first child)

6. Alexis Sanchez (footballer signed for Manchester United from Arsenal in January)

7. Sir Alex Ferguson (underwent emergency brain operation in May)

8. Logan Paul (YouTube star criticised over video featuring dead body)

9. Sylvester Stallone (announced he was quitting the role of Rocky Balboa)

10. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (footballer signed for Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund)

UK top trending news events

1. Royal wedding (star-studded ceremony held in Windsor)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding ceremony in Windsor, England, near London, on May 19, 2018. (Ben Birchhall/pool photo via AP)

2. Royal baby (Prince Louis was born in April and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in October they would be having a baby)

3. GDPR (new European laws on data security introduced in May)

4. Jeremy Thorpe (police revisited 1970s scandal, shortly after BBC series aired)

5. Spice Girls (reunited for stadium tour without Victoria Beckham)

6. Carillion (Construction firm went in to liquidation in January)

7. Australian flu (Brits concerned over strain of illness that spread in January)

8. Hurricane Florence (US storm caused devastation and death in August and September)

9. Stormy Daniels (former porn actress who claimed affair with Donald Trump pulled out late on from Celebrity Big Brother appearance)

10. iPhone XR (new Apple product announced in September)

UK top trending sporting events

1. The World Cup

2. Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury

3. Grand National

4. Wimbledon

5. Winter Olympics

6. Ryder Cup

7. Commonwealth Games

8. Super Bowl

9. Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker

10. Cheltenham Festival

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.

Four years after Harry and his American wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, decamped to a villa in Southern California, a travel company he controls filed paperwork this week informing British authorities that he has moved and is now “usually resident” in the United States.

The formal acknowledgment underscores the prince’s increasing estrangement from Britain, after he and Meghan walked away from royal duties to pursue lucrative media deals in America. Since then, Harry has repeatedly criticized the royal family, including allegations of unconscious racism that were included in a Netflix series and the prince’s autobiography, “Spare.”

The paperwork was filed by Travalyst Ltd, a company at least 75% owned by Harry and which was founded in 2020 to “to promote global awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism.” The documentation was received Monday by Companies House, the government agency that oversees the incorporation of U.K. companies.

The filing further separates Harry from his role as one of the king’s counselors of state — members of the royal family who can be deputized to carry out the duties of the monarch if he is unwell or out of the country.

While Harry formally remains a counselor of state, the crown informed Parliament in 2022 that “in practice” only working members of the royal family would be called upon to fill in for the monarch.

Although Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have put down roots in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, where they are raising their young son and daughter, Harry is also facing scrutiny about his U.S. residency.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has questioned the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to grant Harry a U.S. visa following admissions of drug use that were included in “Spare.”

The foundation, which has asked a judge to force the department to release Harry’s immigration file, argues that the prince either lied on his visa application or was given special treatment because a history of drug use would normally disqualify an applicant from being granted a visa.

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed his is now a U.S. resident. Four years after Harry and his American wife, Meghan, decamped to a villa on the Southern California coast, a travel company he controls filed paperwork informing British authorities that he has moved and is now “usually resident” in the United States. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)