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He has long been fascinated by Islam and the culture of the Middle East. Now it has emerged that the Prince of Wales is having lessons in Arabic. The Prince told guests at a reception in Qatar today that the language 'goes in one ear and out the other'. But an aide revealed that he is so keen to learn it that he has been having private tuition for more than six months. Being able to read Arabic would enable the Prince, who is passionate about encouraging dialogue between different religions, to read the Koran in its original form. It...

The Queen will tomorrow back an historic pledge to promote gay rights and ‘gender equality’ in one of the most controversial acts of her reign. In a live television broadcast, she will sign a new charter designed to stamp out discrimination against homosexual people and promote the ‘empowerment’ of women – a key part of a new drive to boost human rights and living standards across the Commonwealth. snip The charter, dubbed a ‘21st Century Commonwealth Magna Carta’ declares: ‘We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.’...

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was hospitalized Sunday over an apparent stomach infection that has ailed her for days, a rare instance of ill health sidelining the long-reigning monarch. Elizabeth will have to cancel a visit to Rome and other engagements as she recovers, and outside experts said she may have to be rehydrated intravenously. Buckingham Palace said the 86-year-old queen had experienced symptoms of gastroenteritis and was being examined at London’s King Edward VII Hospital. … Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and is Britain’s second-longest-serving monarch, beaten only by Queen Victoria in terms of the number of years spent on...

A facial reconstruction based on the skull of Richard III has revealed how the English king may have looked. The king's skeleton was found under a car park in Leicester during an archaeological dig. The reconstructed face has a slightly arched nose and prominent chin, similar to features shown in portraits of Richard III painted after his death. Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill said seeing it was "almost like being face to face with a real person". The development comes after archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed the skeleton found last year was the 15th Century king's, with DNA...

King Juan Carlos's daughter likely to be formally named as a suspect in multimillion-euro scandal ahead of possible indictment As a financial scandal engulfs the royal family and politicians begin to call for his abdication, Spain's King Juan Carlos faces one of the worst weeks in his 37-year reign, with prosecutors set to ask a judge to formally name his daughter Princess Cristina as a suspect in a multimillion-euro fraud and money-laundering case. The request, which would be a preliminary step to a possible indictment, is poised to be made next week and will be based on the testimony of...

The skeleton showing curvature of the spine (scoliosis) consistent with historical accounts © University of LeicesterThe mortal remains of England's warrior king Richard III have been found, bringing to a close a mystery that has puzzled scholars for centuries. Analytical tests on a skeleton found under a Leicester car park have confirmed the last resting place of the final king in the Plantagenet line.The announcement comes after months of feverish speculation. In September 2012, the University of Leicester announced that its detective work combing ancient texts had led its team to conclude that the King was buried at Greyfriars Monastery...

He wore the English crown, but he ended up defeated, humiliated and reviled. Now things are looking up for King Richard III. Scientists announced Monday that they had found the monarch's 500-year-old remains under a parking lot in the city of Leicester -- a discovery Richard's fans say will inspire new research into his maligned history. University of Leicester researchers say tests on a battle-scarred skeleton unearthed last year prove "beyond reasonable doubt" that it is the king, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and whose remains have been missing for centuries. "Richard III, the last...

LEICESTER, England (AP) - He wore the English crown, but he ended up defeated, humiliated and reviled. Now things are looking up for King Richard III. Scientists announced Monday that they had found the monarch's 528-year-old remains under a parking lot in the city of Leicester - a discovery that will move him from a pauper's grave to a royal tomb and that fans say could potentially restore the reputation of a much-maligned king.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is to make a televised announcement, amid speculation in local media that she will abdicate the throne. … Unconfirmed Dutch reports say she will announce her abdication in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander. …

The Prince, 28, has made it clear in interviews that he would love to get the chance of a third tour of duty, but his Apache squadron is not due to return before the scheduled pull-out of combat troops at the end of 2014. It is almost inconceivable that the Prince would be allowed to return as a foot soldier, his preferred option, meaning that unless the Nato withdrawal deadline overruns, he will not be going back to Helmand. The Prince is currently enjoying a month-long break from his Army duties following the end of his 20-week posting to Camp...

Compare and contrast one Prince Harry with another. This week, our own Captain Wales, in the PlayStation language of modern warfare, spoke of the ugly, deadly reality of service in Afghanistan. "Take a life to save a life, that's what we revolve around. If there's people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we'll take them out of the game." As a soldier, what mattered most was the safety of his mates. "I'm not here on a free pass … Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that...

Prince Harry's remarks that his job as a co-pilot in an Apache attack helicopter required him to "take a life to save a life" may have disconcerted some squeamish westerners. But it was Captain Wales's somewhat blasé attitude to fighting the hardline rebels that has most riled the Taliban. An indignant Taliban spokesman said the young prince was a coward who ran away from fighting the mujahideen, or "holy warriors", as the militants like to call themselves. "I don't believe that he participated in the fighting," said Zabiullah Mujahid. "Maybe he has seen the mujahideen in a movie, but that's...

Prince Harry on his controversial Las Vegas trip There is only one rule as far as the soldier prince is concerned: Work hard, play hard. In one of the most candid admissions of his interview, Harry remarks that concerned Prince Charles frequently attempts to remind him of what is required of the third in line to the throne. Harry confesses he ‘let himself and his family down’ after being photographed cavorting naked in Las Vegas last year, but, unsurprisingly given his comments, is largely unrepentant. The 28-year-old royal concedes he should have acted in a more ‘princely’ manner but says...

Ask yourself this question: How weird would it be if you changed your hair and it was on the news? No, seriously. Pull back from everything you know about celebrity and pretend it's about you. You change your hair. You decide, "Hey, you know what? It's been long for a while; what if I went a little shorter?" And so you go a little shorter. And then it is on the news. That's what happened to Michelle Obama when new photographic evidence emerged that proved — no paperwork needed, no investigative journalism, no shoe-leather reporting — that she has bangs....

Search for infamous monarch’s remains is the latest in the rush to dig up the dead and famousFor centuries, William Shakespeare seemed to have the last word. His Richard III glowered and leered from the stage, a monster in human form and a character so repugnant "that dogs bark at me as I halt by them." In Shakespeare's famous play, the hunchbacked king claws his way to the throne and methodically murders most of his immediate family—his wife, older brother, and two young nephews—until he suffers defeat and death on the battlefield at the hands of a young Tudor hero,...

In a sad and shocking twist, the nurse who works at the hospital where Kate Middleton was treated and who was reportedly duped by an Australian radio show has been found dead, and is suspected of killing herself. The Daily Mail reports that the nurse was found unconscious at an address near the hospital, King Edward VII Hospital in Paddington, London. She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. One source told the Mail that she appeared to have killed herself. In a statement from the hospital, the nurse has been named as Jacintha Saldanha. She was described as...

THE nurse who took a prank call from two Australian DJs asking about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has been found dead this morning. Tragic Jacintha Saldanha, 46, is believed to have committed suicide as police are not treating the death as suspicious. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were said to be “deeply saddened" by the death of Jacintha, described by the hospital as an "excellent nurse" who was "well respected and popular" with colleagues. DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian made the prank call from Down Under, impersonating Prince Charles and the Queen to get information about Kate's...

Pregnant Kate Middleton could very well be carrying twins, medical experts have commented - because the duchess is suffering from acute morning sickness. Duchess Kate is currently being treated in hospital for the ailment, otherwise known as hyperemesis gravidarum – a condition which is more commonly associated with women who are carrying twins. Now rumours are rife that the royal, who is married to Prince William, could be carrying not just one baby, but two. But if Kate is indeed carrying twins we won’t know for a good few weeks yet. In fact the duchess isn’t even at the 12-week...

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton are expecting their first child, the palace announced today. "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," the palace said in a statement today. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news." The duchess was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital today in central London with hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute morning sickness which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients, the...

In a series of remarkably candid comments, Prince Charles hinted that he feared his legacy as king would be cut short. During a visit to Dumfries House, the stately home in East Ayrshire which the Prince helped save for the nation, he joked about his reputation for pursuing projects with notorious vigour but made a poignant reference to his mortality. He said: “Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest! Yes of course I am.” He added: “I’ll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I’m not careful.” The comments, which were recorded for a film on...