Princess Michael of Kent 'had cornea transplant'...after she was spotted sporting eye-patches during the summer season

Published: 16:11 EST, 5 September 2015 | Updated: 04:09 EST, 6 September 2015

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Princess Michael of Kent had a cornea transplant

She showed impressive British stiff upper lip during the summer season by sporting eye-patches that colour-co-ordinated with her outfits.

Now we can reveal the reason Princess Michael of Kent, 70, chose the 'accessory' – she has had a cornea transplant.

'She told me that she had an eye operation under local anaesthetic,' one source close to the Czech-born Princess revealed.

'We were at a party and she started demonstrating what had been done, pulling her eyelid back. It looked gruesome. She was saying she had a cornea transplant and they had to stitch her eye from the inside.'

A cornea transplant is also referred to as keratoplasty or a corneal graft. It can be used to improve sight, relieve pain and treat severe infection or damage.

'She said it was healing well,' the friend added. When the Princess first appeared in her patch, Palace officials said only that she would be wearing it for a month 'after surgery'.

Princess Michael's spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

If you always carry a bag in the same hand, it could affect the way you walk.

The body adapts to the weight, location and method of carrying a bag, in order to maintain balance, and that can have an effect on gait, according to new research.

The researchers, who studied 34 women and their bag-carrying habits, including measuring their gait, also say that the weight of a bag should not be more than ten per cent of bodyweight.

'When the weight of a bag is heavy, bag-carrying habits had significant effects on gaits,' say the researchers from Kangwon National University, South Korea.

'People who carry bags should avoid the habit of carrying them on only one side.'

Looking to improve your golf score? Then drink a cup of coffee before heading out.

A report in American journal Medicine And Science In Sports And Exercise followed 12 proficient male golfers, with a handicap ranging from three to 18, as they played an 18-hole round of golf on two consecutive days.

On each day of golf, the participants were told to avoid any other sources of caffeine. On arrival they provided a urine sample and were fitted with a device to monitor their vital signs throughout the day.

For each round of golf, the players in the caffeine group had an average score of almost 77 strokes compared to more than 79 for the placebo group

The players took a caffeine supplement of 155 milligrams – roughly equivalent to one cup of coffee – or a placebo. After the first nine holes they were given another dose.

For each round of golf, the players in the caffeine group had an average score of almost 77 strokes compared to more than 79 for the placebo group.

Men in the caffeine group also reported more energy and less fatigue.

Soups are the new smoothies – or so British 'raw' soup company Soupology wants us to believe. Last week it launched its new Soup Shot range combining savoury ingredients that are made to be consumed chilled. Naturally low in sugar and high in fibre – as they're blended, not juiced – the range includes Spinach, Mango, Lime & Baobab; Beetroot & Mint; and Cucumber, Avocado and Kale. They're said to be rather moreish – once you get over the oddness of sipping a savoury drink.

Being a teenage headbanger increases the likelihood of growing up to be happy adult, according to new research.

A study published in the journal International Society For Self And Identity found that teens who listened to heavy metal in their youth turned out to be happier and better-adjusted as adults.

Researchers at Humboldt State University, California, believe that support among the tight-knit community and subculture of metal fans was beneficial. The study looked at 154 metal fans in the 1980s, a peer group of 80 who listened to other genres and 153 current college students in California. The participants answered questions about their youth and about current levels of happiness and success.