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It was a photograph that captured the youth, glamour and femininity of what would come to be called the new Elizabethan age. Britain’s 27-year-old Queen had been crowned in Westminster Abbey earlier that day, June 2, 1953, and now she poses for photographs in Buckingham Palace. She is wearing the Imperial State Crown and the exquisite Coronation gown designed by Sir Norman Hartnell. The 21ft ermine-trimmed velvet Purple Robe of Estate flows from her shoulders. She is flanked by her Maids of Honour: six of the country’s most blueblooded young women, all single, beautiful and, like the Queen, wearing gowns...

It would take more than mere heart surgery to shake the indomitable spirit of Prince Philip. Hours after his life-saving operation, he was demanding to be released from hospital. ‘I feel fine’, the irascible 90-year-old told doctors who had carried out an emergency operation to treat a blocked coronary artery. ‘I don’t want to make a fuss. I just want to go home.’ An insider at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire said: ‘He is itching to get out.’ However, it was confirmed that he would remain there for at least another night. The Queen, who flew the 60 miles by helicopter...

Just hours before, she joined her husband for a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace with the Queen. But it was just the young royal set at the Sun Military Awards tonight. The Duchess of Cambridge was the belle of the ball in a strapless black velvet dress as she walked the red carpet with her husband Prince William, who looked dapper in black tie Prince Harry was two steps behind his older brother at London's Imperial War Museum, also donning a suit. Kate's black Alexander McQueen gown - the same designer as her wedding dress - had frill trim around...

Prince Harry became embroiled in a real-life crime drama when he came to the rescue of one of his best friends after he was mugged on a London street. According to police records, the Prince was on the phone to Thomas van Straubenzee at the exact moment a robber took his friend’s BlackBerry mobile. Harry heard the scuffle taking place and immediately drove to the scene with his protection officer. Fearing 28-year-old Mr van Straubenzee had been hurt, the Prince circled the streets of Battersea, South-West London, looking for him. When he could not find his friend, he drove to...

Queen Elizabeth II attended a ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey Wednesday to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, often considered the most influential book ever printed in the English language. It came about when King James I summoned a conference at Hampton Court Palace near London in 1604, hoping to thrash out differences between Church of England bishops and Puritans. Failing to make progress on other issues, Puritan leader John Reynolds proposed a new translation which emerged in 1611

Prince William and wife Catherine opened the new specialist children's cancer treatment ward, the Oak Centre for children and young people, at the Royal Mardsen hospital London. (Sept. 29/AP)

Harry and Florence reportedly dated for two months. The 26-year-old royal ended his three-month romance with Florence Brudenell-Bruce, the daughter of a wine merchant, to concentrate on his Apache helicopter training, the Daily Mail reports. "Harry enjoyed spending time with friends over the summer, but he doesn't want to be tied town in a relationship when training, so he called time with Flee," a source told the British newspaper. The source said the prince expected to return to Afghanistan after his helicopter training. Harry began dating Ms Brudenell-Bruce, known to her friends as "Flee," in June (Read more: Harry dating...

The royal family is worried about Kate Middleton's health as the Princess collapsed at the end of her North American tour and was ordered immediate bed rest. The Duchess of Cambridge, who reportedly wears a perfect size zero has sparked off concerns that her weight loss might be detrimental to her health and her ability to conceive. An earlier report in IBT quoted Doctor Chris Steele telling Britain's Daily Star that if Kate continued to lose any more weight it was "entirely medically plausible she will have extreme difficulty getting pregnant." "You only need look at the pictures from the...

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wowed crowds and made international headlines as they toured Canada and made a quick stop in the U.S. earlier this month, sources say Prince Charles is not happy with the coverage. The Sunday Mirror reports Charles is worried the media reports of his son and daughter-in-law, Will and Kate, will overshadow good work being done by other royals, such as himself. Sources close to the 62-year-old heir to the throne said he was happy the royal couple was welcomed in Canada, but he was concerned about the coverage of their stops. One source...

William and Kate wrap up their U.S. tour by paying tribute to brave Americans who serve in the military The royal couple's last event saw them attend a jobs fair at Sony Pictures Studio staged by Service Nation: Mission Serve. The body is an umbrella organisation set up by the US government which brings together different service charities to support the re-integration of servicemen and women into civvy street.

One of the few celebrity guests who refused to walk down the red carpet was singer - and legendary diva - Barbara Streisand. Astonished royal aides were told that ‘Ms Streisand’, who was sitting at the couple’s dinner table, refused to be photographed by ‘ordinary’ snappers and would only sanction personally-approved pictures taken by her own photographer, who was present at the event. When they took their seats at the main table they appeared engrossed in their own company, despite the fact Streisand and Kidman were sat opposite... Camera-shy Miss Streisand also made the first move - but had to...

Six-year-old Diamond Marshall shatters protocol and rushes into the royal arms A dream come true It was a dream come true for a little girl who has always wanted to meet a real princess. When Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, touched down at Calgary Airport yesterday, 6-year-old Diamond Marshall, her little head bald from her battle with cancer, ran up and threw herself right into into her royal idol's arms.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived for an official welcoming ceremony at Prince Edward Island today - the setting for the novel Anne of Green Gables. They arrived in a horse-drawn coach to the delight of thousands more fans who waited patiently for hours for a chance of a glance of the newly-weds. Kate was seen wearing a cream pencil dress by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen - who designed her wedding dress. She teamed the outfit with navy blue heels for a visit close to her heart - Anne of Green Gables is one of her favourite books....

Good news for those who have been craving some more Royal Wedding glitter. There’s another one this weekend.  It’s the event many thought would never happen: the marriage of Prince Albert of Monaco, the 53-year-old bachelor head of state of the tiny but rich principality on the Cote D’Azur, and Charlene Wittstock, a South African Olympic swimmer 20 years his junior.  The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco for more than 800 years, and has featured on the global glamour map ever since Hollywood arrived in the form of the last bride to marry into the family, Prince Albert’s mother Grace...

He is the prince who never grew up – a one-time playboy and son of the Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. She is a working-class South African 20 years his junior, a former Olympic swimmer and the daughter of a photocopier salesman. When Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock marry this week in a two-day populist extravaganza in the wealthy Mediterranean enclave, tens of thousands of tourists are expected to flood in to witness the ultimate "prince and commoner" wedding. The American rockers the Eagles will belt out Hotel California in a special gig for...

STATE VISITS ‘Do you still throw spears at each other?’ To Aboriginal leader William Brin, 2002. ‘You managed not to get eaten then?’ To a British student who was trekking in Papua New Guinea EUROPE ‘I would like to go to Russia very much — although the bastards murdered half my family.’ In 1967, when asked if he would like to visit the Soviet Union. SCOTLAND ‘How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?’ To a Scottish driving instructor in 1995. CHINA ‘If you stay here much longer, you will go home with...

The Queen has indicated her concern the United Kingdom will be broken up in the wake of Alex Salmond’s landslide election victory in Scotland. The monarch is understood to have expressed her anxiety about the Scottish National Party’s plan for an independence referendum during her weekly meeting with David Cameron at Buckingham Palace. Palace officials have asked Downing Street to provide a constitutional expert to advise on how the referendum will be staged and the dismantling of the UK in the event of a ‘yes’ vote. Mr Salmond, the SNP party leader, has previously moved to reassure the Royal Family...

LONDON – It was all going so well. But when the time came for President Obama to deliver his toast to Queen Elizabeth Tuesday night, the meticulously planned state dinner at Buckingham Palace turned, well, awkward. As Obama began wrapping up his remarks, he put down his notecards and picked up his glass. “Ladies and gentlemen, please stand with me and raise your glasses as I propose a toast,” the president said, as the guests stood up. “To her majesty the Queen.” At this point, the band queued up “God Save the Queen.” But Obama wasn’t quite finished yet. So...

President Obama’s lack of experience with royalty was on full display today in England as he mistakenly began a toast to the Queen of England at the wrong time, resulting in “God Save the Queen” blaring over his words and no one getting to drink what was in their cups. Awkward.“And now I propose a toast to the Queen,” President Obama began in London today, but only got as far as “To the vitality of the special relationship” before “God Save the Queen” cut him off. He kept reading the toast, however, and finally raised his glass to her. No...

Remember the laughs -- and gasps -- that greeted Princess Beatrice when she showed up for the royal wedding wearing that, well, unusual hat? Well now the young royal is getting the last laugh. Beatrice, 22, put the blush-colored "fascinator" up for auction on eBay, and it's now been snapped up by an anonymous bidder -- for $130,000! According to People, the princess is donating the cash to two charities: UNICEF and Children in Crisis, the later of which was started by Beatrice's mother Sarah Ferguson (a.k.a. "Fergie," the Duchess of York) to provide education to children in some of...

But now a new reason has emerged why the royals might be a particularly interesting subject, with the revelation that they used to dine on human flesh. Kate and Wills will hopefully not follow the cannibal traditions of their ancestors (PA) According to a new book on medicinal cannibalism, written by University of Durham academic Dr Richard Sugg, well-off and well-educated Brits used to eat human flesh, blood and bones as medicine. This practice apparently took place in other parts of Europe as well up until the end of the 18th century. While referring to the barbarity of cannibals in...

They may be lapping up a luxury Indian Ocean island honeymoon, but the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge plan to break with royal tradition and keep only a skeleton personal staff for their day-to-day lives. As Prince William and his wife Catherine near the end of their retreat on a private island in the Seychelles, news broke that the 10-night stay could be costing a whopping 450,000 ($A690,000 ). German holiday planner Farhad Vladi confirmed that he had rented a private island to the royal family. An island which typically has a $A690,000 daily tariff, Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper...

LONDON — The eye-popping hat worn by Princess Beatrice at Britain's royal wedding is to be auctioned to raise money for charity, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. The famous creation — which some said looked like antlers— will be sold on eBay with the proceeds to go to the charities UNICEF and Children in Crisis. The hat was the handiwork of Britain's leading milliner, Philip Treacy, who designed many of the ladies' hats worn at the April 29 nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The unusual design of the beige hat...

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince William of Wales. His titles will be Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. Prince William thus becomes His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge and Miss Catherine Middleton on marriage will become Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. Background: DUKEDOM: Cambridge: In 1706 George Augustus (subsequently George II) the only son of George Ludwig, Elector of Hanover (subsequently George I of Great Britain) was created with other titles Duke of Cambridge. On...

Past Royal Weddings in the United Kingdom Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 26 April 1923 Princes Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, November 20th, 1947 Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, July 31st, 1981

Church Blocks Reforms Over Royal Marriages The Church of England has blocked a Government move to scrap a centuries-old law which prevents members of the Royal family from marrying Roman Catholics, The Daily Telegraph has learnt. If the Supreme Governor of the Church of England was a Roman Catholic, they would ultimately be answerable to a separate sovereign leader, the Pope, and the Vatican. 24 Apr 2011 Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, began work towards repealing the 1701 Act of Settlement, under which heirs to the throne must renounce their claim on marrying a Roman Catholic, in order to...

LONDON - Britain's government has begun the process of reviewing the ancient, discriminatory rules of royal succession, so that if Prince William and Kate Middleton's first child is a girl she would eventually become queen. The current rule that puts boys ahead of their sisters "would strike most people as a little old-fashioned," Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Saturday. It is just two weeks until the prince and Middleton get married at London's Westminster Abbey, and Clegg said many people may agree that the rules should be changed so that if the couple's first child were a girl, she...

The Royal Collection has announced the launch of the first official ‘Royal App’ about royal weddings of the past, in the run-up to the forthcoming marriage of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton. The Royal Weddings app tells the story of seven royal weddings, from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840, to TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. Royal Collection Apps are the latest way that the Royal Household is engaging with new media and follows the successful launch of the British Monarchy’s presence on Facebook and Flickr last year,...

It’s the perfect royal wedding souvenir for someone feeling a bit flush – a Prince William and Kate Middleton loo seat. The tacky treasure is just one of thousands of pieces of memorabilia to flood the market ahead of the big day on April 29. William and Kate must have guessed their faces would end up on T-shirts, crockery, postcards and fridge magnets. Buckingham Palace even produced its own official souvenir range with the couple’s initials. But no one could have predicted the extent to which their image has been used worldwide to sell everything from sick bags to condoms.

The English street is up in arms over William's choice not to wear one. Shortwave8669 sends a question from his iPhone: Dear Dr. Helen,I see in the news that Prince William will not be wearing a wedding ring after marrying Kate Middleton. Is this decision different than a wife that does not take her husband’s last name?I see many are upset at his decision but we no longer notice what I think is a similar female choice. Why? Both decisions seem of equivalent impact.Shortwave Dear Shortwave,Apparently, many people are discussing the issue of Prince William’s wedding ring as evidenced by...

What do Barack Obama and Muammar Gaddafi have in common? If you guessed that they're both Muslims, go to the front of the Tea Party. Their real commonality is that neither got invited to Prince William's and Kate Middleton's royal wedding. I can understand Ghaddafi's exclusion - probably bad form to have a guy in your party who's killing his own people. Besides, his wardrobe would clash with anything they'd wear. Plus he's pretty busy right now defying NATO and Anderson Cooper and most likely couldn't make it anyway. But what's with the President of the United States? He's in...

MANAMA, Bahrain —Hours after the king of Bahrain declared a three-month state of emergency, doctors at a central hospital on Tuesday said two protesters had been killed and some 200 wounded and injured in clashes with riot police in the suburban village of Sitra. One man, Ahmed Farhan, 24, had dozens of shotgun pellet wounds on his back and a gaping head injury, while a second man had tire marks from having been run over by security forces, the doctors said. Grisly video from the hospital, including of Mr. Farhan, appeared online shortly after. “The signs are that this is...

The royal is off to a secret US experimental combat weapons base where he will learn how to hunt the Taliban in his attack helicopter. The 26-year-old has been selected for special training at the American Army's Yuma proving ground in Arizona, where he will be taught how to use the gunship's awesome firepower.

The House of Saud watches nervously as friends fall and the United States changes its alliances. Bruce Riedel on how money could help them—and why King Abdullah should not be underestimated. The view from the enormous marble palaces in Riyadh and Jidda is becoming grim. For the House of Saud, the winter of Arab discontent has been unsettling so far as friends fall in waves. It may get a lot worse from the royal family’s perspective. But the Saudi royals are proven survivors who have been around and in power for centuries. They know how to survive and have the...

Revelation that the guest list for Prince William’s wedding next year won’t include the Obamas has sparked a diplomatic crisis. Sources inside the US State Department confirm that President Obama is considering severing diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom, a nation once held to be our closest ally. “This is a royal snub if you ask me,” said the President’s visibly angry Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. “After all this country has done for the Brits—bailing them out in two World Wars, boosting the careers of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, adopting their language as our own—to be stabbed in the...

Oh, the humiliation. Once not so long ago one of the world's top celebrities in his own right, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle did not make the cut for invitations to the royal wedding in London next spring. On April 29 in Westminster Abbey with all the grace and pageantry sure to capture international imaginations, commoner Kate Middleton will marry Prince William, son of Princess Diana. And don't forget the horsedrawn carriage perhaps. But the current residents of the White House will not be there, according to the Daily Mail.

# American President left off the guest list as it is not a 'state occasion' # Royal couple eager to ask ordinary citizens to attend rather than VIPs # Heads of State who may attend include Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Brun Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339315/President-Obama-snubbed-sources-reveal-invited-Prince-Williams-wedding.html#ixzz18QbgHssz

US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, will not be invited to the London wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Britain's the Daily Mail reported Friday. Since Prince William is "neither the sovereign or the heir to the throne," according to a spokesman from St. James' Palace, his April 29 wedding is not classified as a "state occasion" and escapes the more formal trappings of such events -- including the high profile guest list. The royal couple reportedly wants to fill the 2,000 seats of Westminster Abbey with charity workers and citizens deserving of special recognition as opposed...

Prince William carried out his first rescue mission in his new job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, lifting an ill man from an off-shore gas rig, a royal spokesman said Tuesday. The 28-year-old, who is second in line to the throne, was scrambled into action on Saturday, co-piloting a Royal Air Force (RAF) Sea King helicopter to a gas platform in the Irish Sea. It was his first rescue job since graduating two weeks ago.

Prince Nikolaos, son of Greece's deposed King Constantine, and his bride Tatiana Blatnik leave Agios Nikolaos church after their wedding ceremony on the island of Spetses August 25, 2010

Democratic Party front group Media Matters for America has been loyally defending First Lady Michelle Obama's luxurious Spanish vacation this week even as other liberals concede the Obama administration made a politically insensitive call in signing off on the trip.Today, Media Matters attacked Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit/Pajamas Media for his critique of Michelle Obama's trip. The headline of the attack piece: Michelle Obama derangement syndrome: Instapundit posts pic of First Lady as Marie AntoinetteNot only does the headline reinforce the growing meme that Michelle Obama is acting like a rich pig, but upon opening the article one is confronted with...

On June 9th, Prince Charles delivered a stunning speech to the Center for Islamic Studies at Oxford wherein he called for a western pantheistic religious synthesis with Islam to help save the world from the impending environmental catastrophe looming on the apocalyptic horizon. Shockingly, Prince Charles strongly believes that Islam can play a critical role in bringing back ancient religious traditions that will promote a much needed check on western man’s unbridled enthusiasm for capitalism, power and money where science has been inappropriately exploited by commerce since the Industrial Revolution. Prince Charles presumes that such a course of action will...

 East W L Pct GB Home Road East Cent West Streak L10 New York Yankees 50 31 .617 -- 28-13 22-18 20-11 10-7 9-6 Won 2 6-4 Boston Red Sox 49 33 .598 1.5 29-17 20-16 18-17 10-9 8-2 Lost 1 6-4 Tampa Bay Rays 48 33 .593 2.0 20-19 28-14 19-10 11-6 11-6 Won 2 6-4 Toronto Blue Jays 41 42 .494 10.0 21-19 20-23 13-14 11-9 10-8 Lost 2 2-8 Baltimore Orioles 25 57 .305 25.5 16-25 9-32 9-27 4-6 5-13 Lost 1 5-5  Central W L Pct GB Home Road East Cent West Streak L10 Detroit...

If she takes up swimming again, she won't be able to wear her engagement ring in the pool - she'd surely sink. Prince Albert of Monaco has proposed to South African former swimmer Charlene Wittstock - giving her a ring that more than makes up for his reputation as an eternal playboy. The royal palace said in a statement that the engagement was announced today between the 52-year-old prince and 32-year-old Wittstock.

In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in...

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has been left red faced after mistakenly sending a birthday message to the Queen a week early. An official statement from the US foreign policy chief paid tribute to the "Queen’s life and legacy,” despite the fact that the Monarch does not celebrate her official birthday until next weekend. The diplomatic faux pas, sent on behalf of President Barack Obama and the American people on Friday, also celebrated the "special relationship" between the British and US governments.

Bloody cheek. It's not every day a com moner is graced with the personage of a card-carry ing, blue-blooded, bone headed duchess. But Sarah Ferguson irritably dragged her hips into the Javits Center yesterday at the crack of 8:30, and proceeded to whine, kvetch and play the victim in a British accent as impenetrable as Scotland Yard. And, judging from the crowd she attracted, which coated the convention center like a lover's saliva on Fergie's well-traveled toes, the world's greediest, tackiest and brokest royal is quickly accomplishing a feat that has eluded her back home in England, where the weary...

Sarah Ferguson put on a brave face as she ran errands in New York today, ahead of her return to the UK to account to her ex-husband for her latest gaffe. She is expected to meet with Prince Andrew this week to explain how she was caught up in a sting by an undercover reporter, offering access to the prince for £500,000. After the news broke at the weekend she took a pre-arranged flight to Los Angeles to collect an award for her charity work.

Flame-haired royal flake Sarah Ferguson, bragging that she and Prince Andrew are the "happiest divorced couple in the world," got stung on videotape shamelessly shilling access to her ex for more than $750,000. Andrew, the 50-year-old Duke of York, is Britain's special representative for international trade and investment. "Five hundred thousand pounds when you can, to me . . . open doors," Fergie says in videotape of a meeting at a ritzy London apartment, according to the British tabloid News of the World. "Then you open up all the channels, whatever you need, whatever you want . . . We...