When Madonna and Britney arrived in Cannes last week for the NRJ Awards, the material mom sought out the beleaguered singer for a tete-a-tete.
I'm told she gave Britney a sisterly but stern lecture about her behaviour, including her quickie marriage and how to take better care of herself.
Did Madonna get through to the pop star? Hard to say. 'The lights on but no one's home,' says a source who was there. 'Such a sweet thing but so lost.'
Madonna's concern isn't new. During a rehearsal for their MTV performance last August, Madonna scolded Spears for smoking. 'I like the way it makes my voice sound,' said Spears. 'Do you think you'll like cancer?' Madonna replied.
Maybe papa don't preach - but pop stars do.

You can now download the video montage of Madonna's career that was shown at the NRJ Music Awards before she was presented with her Lifetime Achievement Award. You find the video file in the Downloads section.
Please note however that the voiceover is in French!

In the new issue of US magazine People (09 February issue) there is an advert for the 46th Grammy Awards.

The advert features Madonna and states that she is among the nominees and performers at the show - whether she will be performing is unknown at the moment.
The awards take place on Sunday 08 February in Los Angeles.

This magazine also features a full-page article on Madonna's appearance at the NRJ Music awards.

People are still seeing Madonna around Houston - yesterday Madonna was spotted in downtown area early this morning.
US TV program Entertainment Tonight are saying that a very special guest will be performing at the half time show. The rumours in Houston is that it's either Madonna or Justin Timberlake.

Liberal singer Madonna is considering lending her support to right-wing British political party the Conservatives, by attending its annual winter ball in London on Tuesday 03 February.
The Material Girl and husband Guy Ritchie are expected to go to the Grosvenor House Hotel as guests of Guy's dad John and step-mother Shireen, who is the chairperson of the exclusive Kensington And Chelsea Conservative Association.
It's thought the celebrity couple are keen to align themselves with the opposition party after becoming annoyed with a Labour government ruling that ruled land on their £9 million Ashcombe House Eatate near Salisbury in Wiltshire, will be open to ramblers.
The 45-year-old singer hopes to quash the decision that their land falls under British Right To Roam laws.
An insider says, 'There are several very high profile people tipped to come to the ball, Madonna being just one.'
'It would be fantastic if she showed and we would be delighted to see her. She's a natural Conservative - an independent, hard-working self-starter.'
'And she's developed an interest in country affairs since she met and married Guy and they moved to Wiltshire.'
'It would undoubtedly be a sensational celebrity coup for the Conservatives, and one in the eye for Labour if Madonna lends her support to the event.'

Here are two pictures of Madonna leaving The Chepstow, a London pub last week after lunching with pal Stella McCartney - and NOT pictures of her leaving Kate Moss' 30th Birthday party as previously reported in the foreign press (Madonna missed the party due to it clashing with her Italian holiday).
The friends arrived at the pub seperately, with Stella strolling in the front door in an all-white outfit, and Madonna, dressed all in black, slipped in unnoticed through a side door.
The friends spent a couple of hours at the pub, and as they left they were spotted laughing and joking before leaving in Madonna's chauffeur-driven BMW.

   

Pregnant actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been scared off giving birth in a British hospital, thanks to her famous pal Madonna.
The stunning Sylvia star - who is expecting her first child with rocker husband Chris Martin - is now shunning the prospect of entering a London hospital on the special day after Madonna reportedly relayed terrifying stories of medical blunders to her. And the Material Girl hitmaker, who caused outrage when she labeled British hospitals 'old and Victorian' while pregnant with son Rocco, evidently had an influential effect on Gwyneth - the screen beauty's now decided to give birth at her mother Blythe's Hollywood home.
A source tells Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, 'Madonna told her all these horror stories about how bad the English hospitals are. So now she has decided to give birth in Los Angeles. She has always wanted a home birth so she didn't think it would make much difference where she had it. But Madonna, who had lots of complications with son Rocco, told her that if something went wrong America would be the best place to be.'

Madonna proved she's a down-to-earth superstar by going for a tradtional English pub lunch with her fashion designer pal Stella McCartney.
The Material Girl has revelled in all things British since moving to London following her marriage to English film director Guy Ritchie, and the 45-year-old pop queen, dressed in a black trench coat, sunglasses and a trilby hat, chose a common London pub to meet up with McCartney this week.
The pair dined at The Chepstow in Notting Hill, as they caught up on the gossip from Madonna's recent holiday with Ritchie in Italy, whilst McCartney chatted to the singer about model Kate Moss' recent raucous London party to celebrate her 30th birthday.

News reports are coming in from Texas that Madonna was spotted in Houston this morning at a Starbucks in the Galleria area. This area is where celebrities stay for the Superbowl which takes place on Sunday 01 February.
It was reported last night on the local news that the Galleria Mall remained opened from 9pm-12am just for Madonna.
J-Lo, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have also been spotted.
A very popular radio station interviewed witnesses who saw Madonna. She arrived in a black limo wearing a hat and a tracksuit and no make-up. When word spread out that she was there....her limo sped away. She was wearing no makeup at the time. The Starbucks she visited had to close for a while due to the amount of fans that beseiged the shop.

This week VH1 Madonna Rising has been added to the Downloads Section.
This 38 minute program has Rupert Everett taking Madonna back to the New York Madonna knew when she first moved there.
You can visit the Downloads Section here.

Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie are to be taken to court by an actor who claims the couple stole the idea for their 2002 film Swept Away.
Vincent D'Onofrio says he pitched the idea to the pair in 1997 - but they cut him out of the credits. The couple say he has no proof of a contract.
The legal action was started in October 2002, but a court date has now been set for Los Angeles on 4 May.
Swept Away, a remake of a 1975 Italian comedy, flopped on release in 2002.
The movie starred Madonna as a wealthy woman stranded on a desert island with a sailor, and was mauled by critics.
D'Onofrio is seeking $10m (&#pound;5.5m). Last year, Madonna and Ritchie asked a judge in Los Angeles to throw out the case after one of D'Onofrio's lawyer failed to turn up for a court date.
Describing himself as a singer, songwriter, director and actor, D'Onofrio is not the actor of the same name who appeared in TV drama Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
Swept Away took five Golden Raspberries - the unofficial awards for bad films - in 2003. They included worst picture, worst actress and worst director.
The picture's poor reception in the US meant it did not even get a cinema release in the UK.

UK viewers can get a chance to watch Madonna's guest appearance on Will And Grace tomorrow (28 January) at 9pm on satelite/digital channel Living TV.

80 pictures have been uploaded to the Galleries - you can view these latest uploads here.

You can now download Madonna's NRJ Music Awards acceptance speech.

Visit Madonnalicious' Downloads section to download the file.

Madonna has been criticised by officials of her new-found Kabbalah faith for allowing upmarket shooting parties to be held at her 1,100-acre estate.
Shoots at the estate in Wiltshire, owned by the material girl and her film director husband Guy Ritchie will cost £10,000 a day and earn them £500,000.
Yesterday, Ian Broadmore, 45, who runs the Kabbalah School at Hellingly in East Sussex, said: 'Three hundred years ago, it was quite acceptable for people to shoot and hunt for food but there is a world of difference between that and shooting birds for fun. The birds are part of creation, created by God, and as such, are part of God.'
At Ashcombe House Estate, each shooting party will be limited to eight guests, with breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea at a local hotel included in the price.
Madonna and Ritchie paid £9 million for Ashcombe Estate and the six-bedroomed Georgian manor house in 2001. Ritchie a crack shot, and Madonna were determined to buy the property and signed the deal within weeks.
Encouraged by her husband, Madonna took private shooting lessons with top gunsmiths Holland and Holland (who charge £500 a day) and invested in an entire new 'country-set' wardrobe.
Worried locals, who feared all shooting on the estate might be abandoned and up to 50 local people might lose their part-time jobs, are delighted. One said: 'It would be a big loss to the area if they stopped shooting at Ashcombe.'
Yesterday, Madonna's estate manager Willie Cole said: 'Mr and Mrs Ritchie bought Ashcombe as a working country estate and will to continue to run it as such. Two gamekeepers are employed and, this year, we are selling 40 days shooting on the estate. All the shooting we have is fully booked and we have a waiting list.'
Asked about the Ashcombe shoots, Madonna's spokeswoman Barbara Sharon said: 'We never comment about her personal life.'

Madonna so liked Klexius Kolby's bloody special effects make-up for the kabuki-themed video clip from her 'Drowned World' tour, that she hung a framed video still in the hallway of her home in England.

Madonna made a brief appearance at a French music awards show this weekend, accepting a career award from Britney Spears and thanking France's fans for two decades of support.
Madonna, wearing a demure green polka-dot dress, didn't perform at NRJ radio station's awards ceremony Saturday, but she still got a standing ovation. The pop divas didn't exchange kisses, unlike at the MTV Video Music Awards in August — which prompted inevitable cracks from French presenters later in the show.
'My ambition may be American, and I may have married a Brit, but my heart belongs to France,' Madonna told Spears and the crowd.

Madonna has just been presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at the NRJ Music Awards. The award was presented by Britney Spears.

Here are the first pictures of Madonna arriving on the red carpet for the NRJ Awards in Cannes, France tonight. Madonna is up for three awards.

The next childrens book Yakov and the Seven Thieves from Madonna is now available for pre-order at amazon.com
'Sometimes, upright deeds come from crooked criminals....Yakov, a kindly cobbler desperate to find a cure for his dying son, seeks advice from the wise old man at the edge of the village. This sage enlists the help of seven thieves, who humorously prove that miracles can occur if we renounce our wicked ways and embrace good behavior.'

Politically incorrect Fab!, a Southern California publication, which is based in Los Angeles have put Madonna on the front cover to promote the singer's support of Wesley Clark for President.

The magazine is a free publication, so Californian fans may want to grab a copy while they still can.

For more information visit www.gayfab.com

American Idol judge Simon Cowell chose to criticise pop icon Madonna's looks and age because of the infamous stage kiss she shared with Britney Spears.
Earlier this week, Music hitmaker Madonna fell victim to Cowell's notorious sharp tongue, when he dubbed her a 'housewife' and said she 'used to be good-looking'.
And now Cowell says his comments were sparked by the much-hyped lip-lock between Madonna and Spears, explaining, 'I was misquoted - I misquoted myself. The point I was trying to make was it was all to do with the kiss.'
'I was making the point that when I used to like Madonna she was very cool because the thing she used to do to shock you was sort of good shock.'
'(The kiss) was bad shock. In fact, it was pathetic because it was just so fake and premeditated. And it was rather like the equivalent of your mum dancing at a wedding.'
'If it was done kinda naturally, that's cool. But it was just so horribly premeditated and she's cooler than that.'

Madonna doesn’t hate Simon Cowell.
The acerbic 'American Idol' host shocked fans of the singer last week when he said, 'Madonna used to be good looking. [Now] she’s a housewife.'
'I’ll have to quote from a philosopher whose name I don’t know, ‘You should only hate people you love. The rest of them are not worth the energy,’' Madonna’s spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg told The Scoop. 'Frankly,' she added, 'I think Madonna is the sexiest housewife I’ve ever seen.'

Internet news provider Yahoo! is now suggesting that Madonna may perform at the NRJ Awards.

Madonna, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Dido and Seal are among artists expected to perform in this Riviera city next Saturday for France's annual NRJ music awards.
The awards are held as the international music industry descends on Cannes for the annual MIDEM trade jamboree, the music world's premier trade show, and will be broadcast live both on France's TF1 television and on NRJ radio network.
The pop music station's awards are based on a public vote, with around 50 artists competing for 15 awards, among them also Robbie Williams, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake as well as French-language artists Florent Pagny, Kyo, Pascal Obispo and Helene Segara.
NRJ is a popular commercial FM radio network whose name, when pronounced in French, makes the word 'energy'.

US DJ and remixer Johnny Rocks is putting the finishing touches to two remixes of Mother And Father which are due out January/February 2004.
The two remixes are Johnny Rocks (World Anthem Remix) 9:30 and Johnny Rocks (World Anthem Radio Edit) 3:35

Whether this means there will be a single release of Mother And Father is unknown at the moment.

80 pictures have been uploaded to the Galleries - you can view these latest uploads here.

WB France has confirmed that Madonna will be attending the NRJ Awards in Cannes on Saturday 24 January.
The show will be broadcast in France on NRJ and TF1 at 8.50pm.
Madonna is nominated in three categories, Best International Album, Best International Female and Best Website (madonna.com)
For more information please visit www.nrj.fr

The Chicago Sun-Times hears that Madonna is taking husband Guy Ritchie and daughter, Lourdes, on a trekking trip to Rajasthan, India.
The family isn't roughing it though, instead staying in enormous luxury tents, the size of a Swiss chalet, complete with pristine loos and chefs.

It's every homeowner's worse fear - that nightmare neighbours will move in next door. But very few can afford the dramatic action taken by Labour Minister Lord Sainsbury and his wife.
When the couple learned that pop superstar Madonna wanted to buy the £3 million London townhouse adjoining their family home, their solution was simple - they bought it themselves.
Lady Sainsbury was so horrified by the prospect of photographers and fans camping outside her front door in upmarket Holland Park, West London, that she told her husband to snap up the property instead.
A source said: 'When Lord and Lady Sainsbury heard that Madonna was interested in the house they were terrified. They had visions of being beseiged night and day.'
'Lady Sainsbury in particular was very concerned about the impact of paparazzi hanging around the street outside. They place a very high value on their privacy and were obviously prepared to pay a high price to maintain it.'
Lord and Lady Sainsbury - who have three grown up daughters - were alerted to Madonna's plans last year. The singer and her film director husband Guy Ritchie were considering uprooting their family from their current home in the West End to the three-story home in Holland Park.

'Law & Order: SVU' star Richard Belzer - who's also a stand-up comic, gimlet-eyed political observer and dazzling conspiracy theorist - tells me he's struck a deal with Madonna's production company, Maverick Films, to make a $5 million-plus satire of American popular culture.
'It will be a savage, hysterically funny sendup of American pop culture, covering everything from fast food to gay and straight politics to music to television movie trailers to Americans' addiction to the Internet,' said Belzer, who plays Detective Munch on the hit NBC series.
'It will be a long and dark look at how we got to be the way we are - our mindless celebrity worship and penchant for turning everything into show business. The premise is that we will be an equal-opportunity eviscerator.'
Should gossip columnists worry about being eviscerated?
'No, because everything is gossip,' Belzer said. 'History is gossip. Headlines in The New York Times are gossip.'
Of course, you can't lampoon pop culture without spotlighting Madonna, who has refused to leave the scene for more than two decades.
So Belzer, who plans to have a finished screenplay later this year, hopes to persuade Madge to play herself in the movie.
'I think she's a very good actress,' he said (and, no doubt, a generous and visionary producer).

The Madonnalicious Gallery is now back online with over 5,700 pictures - you can view them here.

Pop superstar Madonna has given pal Gwyneth Paltrow plenty to keep herself busy with as she waits to give birth - a basket-load of pregnancy books.
The 45-year-old Music singer, who has two children of her own, has also been giving fellow London resident Paltrow and her husband Chris Martin bundles of advice for when the baby arrives in the summer.
A source says, 'The close pals have become even closer since Gwynnie announced she was pregnant.'

Here is Madonna yesterday in St.John's Wood, London.

The car that Madonna used during the filming of the BMW commerical short film Star is for sale on internet auction site www.ebay.com
For a starting bid of $50,200 you too can have the car Madonna sat in to film the commercial!

This M5 was used by BMW in the filming of 'Star' from its original internet film series of 'The Hire'. The film starred Madonna as a diva given the ride of her life.
This particular car was used for hero shots, not the wrenching stunts in the film! The car was then used as a promotion for the 'Ultimate Drive' for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Reasearch Foundation and was signed by Madonna on the dashboard trim above the glovebox.
The car also came with the rear seat cushion that Madonna sat on wrapped in plastic with another cushion installed in the car.

For more information visit the Ebay auction here.

Madonna, Guy and the children were spotted at a performance of the family musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang starring Jason Donovan at the London Palladium in the West End Of London.

Louie Noir is on the quest towards finding Madonna. The local talent company will soon be holding auditions for the main role in the lavish production of Fever - The Madonna Story, which will be staged later on this year. Other roles are also being sought, such as Madonna's parents, friends and her many lovers.
The script is now in its final stages and the plot centres on the life and times of Madonna; from the loss of her mother from cancer, to her escape to New York in search of fame and fortune and her all encompassing ambition towards conquering the world.

For information about auditions please visit www.di-ve.com for the full story.

Dutch TV program RTL Boulevard reported last week that Madonna had showed an interest in buying an Amsterdam penthouse apartment.
It was rumoured that Madonna was in Amsterdam last Friday, taking a look at the apartment in question and checking out the neighbourhood area.
She apparently bought two apartments next to each other, one for herself and one beside it for security.
RTL Boulevard also showed pictures from the real estate company's website of the interior of the apartment.

In the Evening Standard's annual look at the wealthiest people in London, Madonna and Guy have been placed at the 55th richest in the capital with a joint worth of £230 million. Here is what the report had to say:

The English Roses is about as far as removed from Sex as is possible to get. The first is Madonna's recent children's book, the second is a Madonna book of a decade ago, but it is a mite more raunchy.
With the deflection of David Beckham and wife to Madrid, Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie are now the top celebrity couple in Britain. But the material girl - despite now being a mother of two - still finds time to shock, hence her French-kissing of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the recent MTV awards.
Last year she would have earned £15 million, including around £10 million for an ad campaign for Gap. She also produced the film Agent Cody Banks at a cost of $26 million, which grossed twice that.
Her single, Die Another Day, which was used as the theme to the latest Bond film, gave Madonna her 44th Top 40 Hit, the most for a female artist, while in Britain it made her the first woman singer to register 50 Top 10 hits.
She has been making this sort of money for years. From 1986 to 1993, her total earnings were around £125 million, according to Forbes annual surveys of the highest paid entertainers.
Hubby Guy Ritchie is now working on a ganster movie, Revolver, in L.A, trying to recapture the success of his first two major films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
The couple have a choice of properties, including a £7 million Mayfair home, a £8 million Beverley Hills mansion and a 1,200 acre Wiltshire estate.

In celebration of the release of the Nobody Knows Me publication, we thought it a good opportunity for Iconers to show their creativity!
For the opportunity to win a coveted prize, Iconers should create a collage of all Madonna images that they feel best represent our lady’s years as an Icon.
That collage should be emailed by January 31st to icon@moov-u.com. The collages must be in JPG format at 300 dpi resolution and the size should be a least 1500 X 1500 pixels. (Collages that don’t meet these parameters can't be taken as a valid entry.) Also, for the best presentation, you definitely want to use good to great quality photos for creating the collages.
We will select five finalists to post on the site at the beginning of February and fans will vote for the one they like best.
Now, in case you are still 'on the fence' about participating, you won’t be after you hear about the prize. In a word, it’s fabulous, stupendous, sensational and outstanding (alright, that’s four words). And—if you win—this prize will require you to buy a safe, an alarm system and a moat with alligators so you can feel your new treasure is safe. The three entries receiving the most votes will receive a copy of Nobody Knows Me autographed by Madonna herself. Plus, all five finalists will have their collages featured in an upcoming issue of Icon.

Non-ICON members can still enter if they follow these rules:
All non-members may enter by mailing a 3" x 5" postcard containing the individual Contest name, which must be exact, your name, home address and telephone number or e-mail address and date of birth (plus diskette or CD-ROM containing the entry) to Madonna Collage Contest! c/o Musictoday, P.O. Box 1873 Charlottesville, VA 22903. On the postcard please include your entry.

Madonna spoke via live satelite to The Kabbalah Centre's Spirituality For Kids event in Tel Aviv, Israel yesterday. Here is the transcript of her message:

'Over that last few years I’ve watched so many children blossom and grow through this program including my own daughter and I can honestly say that it made a huge difference in her life as well as ours.
On behalf of the Kabbalah center and the Spirituality For Kids foundations around the world I would like to say....
Thank you for coming and have a great time!'

The January 2004 issue of Oprah Winfrey's O magazine features an interview with Madonna.
The queen of personal transformation opens up about her new life—she may sound tame, but Madonna has the power to shock.
The Madonna who sits with me at my Harpo office says she is a woman transformed. She seems so different than when I interviewed her five years ago. Really.
Oprah's offical website has the tape recording of Madonna being interviewed by Oprah for the magazine online here.

Here is a better quality picture of Madonna and Guy celebrating the New Year in Rome.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Since Madonna's letter showing support for Democratic nominee Wesley Clark was released yesterday, the story has made the political headlines.

From Contact Music:
Superstar Madonna has thrown her weight behind American Presidential hopeful Wes Clark with an impassioned letter on her website.
The Material Girl, who is now mostly based in Britain following her marriage to film director Guy Ritchie, calls for the support of Democrat retired army general because she fears for the future of her two children, Rocco and Lourdes.
She writes, 'I am writing to you because the future I wish for my children is at risk.'
'I'm supporting Wes Clark because, in him, I see the qualifications, character and vision that we so desperately need.'

From Associated Press:
The Material Girl hopes people pay attention to her latest offstage act: endorsing Wesley Clark for president.
Madonna, who announced her support for the retired general before Christmas, posted a letter Wednesday on her eponymous Web site urging others to follow her.
'I am writing to you because the future I wish for my children is at risk,' said the mother of two, who criticized the current White House occupant. 'I'm supporting Wes Clark because in him I see the qualifications, character and vision that we so desperately need.'
Madonna, who now calls London home, pledges to do all she can to help Clark's campaign and includes a Web link for people to contribute to the Democratic candidate. She also will hold fund-raiser at her Los Angeles residence sometime in the future, said Clark spokesman Bill Buck.
This isn't the first time Madonna has shown her distaste for the Bush administration. Last spring, during the Iraq war, she withdrew a violent, anti-war video that included a scene in which a grenade is thrown in the direction of a President Bush lookalike.

From the New York Daily News:
She spends most of her time in London nowadays, but that isn't stopping Madonna from marshaling her fans in support of Wesley Clark's campaign for President.
The Material Mom, who announced she was backing the former NATO commander last month, talked up her candidate in a letter on her Web site yesterday.
'I've never aligned myself with a presidential candidate during the primary season,' she says on www.Madonna.com. 'But this time, the stakes are too high....I've looked at all the Democratic candidates. I respect them all for their dedication and patriotism. But I'm supporting Wes Clark because in him I see the qualifications, character and vision that we so desperately need.
'Our greatest risk is not terrorism and it's not Iraq or the 'Axis of Evil,' ' she goes on. 'Our greatest risk is a lack of leadership.'
Clark spokesman Bill Buck told us: 'We're pleased to have such a big name superstar supporting our four-star.'
The retired general certainly seems to have fallen under her spell of Her Madgesty.
Speaking at the Florida Democratic Party's convention last month, he said that helping the less fortunate is a 'common principle' of 'every faith that I've ever studied, whether it's Catholicism, Protestantism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism [or] Kabbalism.'
Buck confirmed that Clark's 'study' of the mystical teachings of the Kabbala grew out of the 'getting to know you' conversations he had with Madonna during a dinner in November.
Is Clark worried that the woman who bared her S&M fantasies in her photo book 'Sex' might bring a little too much sizzle to his campaign?
'We've attracted people from across the spectrum,' said Buck. 'We're happy to include Madonna in that mix.'
Madonna's salute to Clark left some in Democratic front-runner Howard Dean's camp slightly bereft. 'I'm kind of upset,' said Dean spokesman Eric Schmeltzer. 'I guess I'll have to put away my bustier and fishnets.'

When pop star Madonna married film director Guy Ritchie in 2000, people swooned over her diamond-encrusted tiara. Now you have a chance to buy it.
For the first time in Malaysia, the Edwardian tiara made world famous by Madonna in 2000 when she wore it on her wedding will be exhibited at 'A Time to Treasure All Things Beautiful' at the Pearl Room, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur.
When Madonna first spotted it at Asprey & Garrard in London, the tiara had no specific name as it was originally made in 1910 for a noble English family. The undisputed reigning queen of pop fell in love with it and decided it was a fitting ornament for her crowning glory. Since that day when she appeared glittering with it, the world has dubbed it the Madonna Tiara.
The star attraction consists of 765 old-cut diamonds weighing 78 carats plus two larger diamonds at 2.5 carats. The scrolls form seven floral garlands connected by swinging festoons and set in platinum. During the Edwardian period (the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910), tiaras were essential for formal balls.
After two world wars that decimated swathes of Europe’s aristocracy, many tiaras were melted down and the stones sold or re-assembled. This exquisite survivor is in perfect condition.
'Even in the heyday of royal galas, tiaras were not worn at all parties, so the Madonna Tiara has a little surprise – it can be turned into a necklace,' says John Glajz of Mondial.
'The swag pieces at the top can be dismantled so it becomes a necklace.'

Note: At press time, organisers say only the Madonna Tiara will be on display at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur. The Madonna Tiara, priced at RM1mil, (approximately $263,157 USD or £144,647 GBP) is on sale until this Sunday.
Run by Mondial and The Hourglass, the exhibition is open to the public. The Malaysian purchaser of the tiara can choose his or her favourite charity as 30% (RM300,000) will be donated to the charity.

I've never done this before. But life is about taking risks is it not?
I know that people seem to pay attention to everything I do. Big or Small. Ridiculous or Sublime. So I am hoping they pay attention to this:
I am supporting General Wesley Clark for President.
Not only as a 'celebrity' but as an American citizen and as a mother. I want my children to grow up with the same opportunities that I had – to know and understand what's going on in the world and to travel that world safely and with pride.
Now I'm asking you to join me.
I am writing to you because the future I wish for my children is at risk.
Our greatest risk is not terrorism and it's not Iraq or the 'Axis of Evil.' Our greatest risk is a lack of leadership, a lack of honesty and a complete lack of consciousness.
Unfortunately our current government cannot see the big picture. They think too small. They suffer from the 'what's in it for me?' syndrome.
The simple truth is that the current administration has squandered incredible opportunities to bring the world together, to promote peace in regions that have only known war, to encourage health in places that are ravaged with disease, to make us more secure by living up to our principles at home and abroad. The simple truth is that the policies of our current administration do not reflect what is great about America.
Thankfully, there is now a candidate running for President who is committed to ensuring that our country lives up to its promise and its people. He is a decorated soldier and a respected diplomatic leader, who has already given 34 years to his country. He is smart and he is good. He has worked hard to get where he is and he is a national hero.
A perfect example of the American Dream.
I've never aligned myself with a presidential candidate during the primary season. But this time, the stakes are too high, we have too much to lose and there is so much work to be done.
I'm supporting General Wesley Clark in 2004 and have committed to do all that I can to help his campaign in the coming months. I ask you to visit his website today to learn about his candidacy, his vision for our nation and the many way you can get involved.
I've looked at all the Democratic candidates. I respect them all for their dedication and patriotism. But I'm supporting Wes Clark because in him I see the qualifications, character and vision that we so desperately need.
We are a country with incredible promise. As Americans we enjoy opportunities like no other. Unfortunately we take these opportunities for granted. You may not agree with everything I say or do, but whether you're rich or poor, young or old, black or white, gay or straight, I know you share my concern and recognize the need for change.
Even if you've never been involved with politics before, please consider joining with me. If you can give, give generously. If you can volunteer time, get involved now. And if you can vote, this time…make sure you do.
Wesley Clark has asked for my support and now I'm asking for yours.

Madonna

PS: Please spread this message to everyone you know.

The January/February 2004 issue of UK magazine Kindred Spirit features an interview with Rabbi Yehuda Berg who discusses Madonna's involvement with Kabbalah.

The Kabbalah Centre sponsors Spirituality for Kids Ceremony in Israel on January 8, 2004, featuring a special live broadcast from Madonna via satellite from Europe.

The Kabbalah Centre, the largest international organization devoted to teaching the wisdom of Kabbalah, is sponsoring an opening ceremony for Spirituality for Kids, featuring a live broadcast from Madonna this Thursday, January 8, 2004, at Chavat Ronit', Kibutz Shfaim, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The event celebrates the beginning of a new initiative designed to provide children with practice tools to experience life as a great adventure of opportunities and challenges, without the obstacles. The program will be attended by parents and children, political leaders, educators, members of diplomatic corps, business representatives and artists, including Madonna, via satellite from Europe.

To read the full article, click here.

Gwyneth Paltrow is not sure whether she and Martin will raise their child in the United States or his native England, saying only, 'I would love to have one home base, somewhere in the country in the middle of a lot of land - I'm not sure which country.'
But one of her best pals weighs in on the subject.
Madonna, who lives in London, reveals that she and Paltrow 'have this fantasy that I'm going to end up living in the countryside of England with her, and we're going to ride our bikes to visit each other.'

My music biz spies also tell me Madonna is planning a series of outdoor dates and a first gig in Scotland will be a priority.
She has never played in Scotland but record company buzz is she'll go BIG in 2004 with a series of outdoor UK shows, possibly including Murrayfield or Hampden.

UK viewers please note - Madonna's guest appearance on the The Late Show With David Letterman is being repeated tonight at 1.10am on ITV2.

As you can see Madonnalicious is now back in business. The site is now hosted on a dedicated server so hopefully none of the previous webhosting problems will return.

All parts of the site should be working - except the gallery which I am still updating.

A big thankyou also to MADONNAinter.net who hosted the news page for awhile.

A big thank you to everyone who voted for Madonnalicious in the People's Choice Award for Best Website in the 2003 Interactive Music Awards.

This site was the Top Madonna Site and was came in at number 23 out of 500 music websites - which isn't bad at all! You can view the top 500 list here.

Madonna has a Roman spring to her step as she and hubby Guy Ritchie stroll arm in arm through the Eternal City during a holiday getaway.
The touristy twosome were spotted on the Spanish Steps and walking in the Piazza del Campidoglio.

Thanks to www.madonnasworld.com for the scan.

Madonna's bid to stop ramblers walking near her £9m mansion will go to a public inquiry.
And the pop diva will be allowed to give evidence herself.
A planning spokesman confirmed the inquiry will take place early this year. 'But a date has not yet been set,' he added.
Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have been obsessed with privacy since buying the mansion in Wiltshire.
They have already closed a footpath right next to the house.

Madonna.com have published another rare photograph to promote the new book Nobody Knows Me which can be ordered online from madonna.com.

The picture is from the In Style magazine session by Regan Cameron.