Free Republic

Since ascending to the throne in 1952, the monarch has seen 13 prime ministers serve Britain and lived through another 13 US presidents. She's now 92. At some point — not for many years yet, we hope — Queen Elizabeth II's reign will come to an end. But what happens then? For at least 12 days — between her passing, the funeral and beyond — Britain will grind to a halt. The stock markets and banks are likely to close. But to focus on the financial disruption doesn't begin to describe the sheer magnitude of the queen's death. It will...

He was one of the nation’s most notorious monarchs in life, and Richard III is still creating controversy more than 500 years after his death. Genetic analysis of a skeleton discovered beneath a car park in Leicester three years ago has confirmed it did indeed belong to the last Plantagenet king. Much more intriguingly, it held a secret that could shake the foundations of the Tudor dynasty. The genetic discovery even raises a question mark over the current Queen’s royal heritage. DNA analysis revealed that one of Richard III’s male relatives was cuckolded - leading to his wife giving birth...

Secret papers show extent of senior royals' veto over bills Court order reveals how approval of Queen and Prince Charles is sought on range of billsRobert Booth The Guardian, Monday 14 January 2013 The Queen was asked for consent on a range of bills, including those affecting her estates. There is growing concern in parliament at a lack of transparency over the royals’ role in lawmaking. Photograph: Sergeant Dan Harmer [...] The internal Whitehall pamphlet [...] shows ministers and civil servants are obliged to consult the Queen and Prince Charles in greater detail and over more areas of legislation than...

The Queen will not attend the wedding of Charles and Camilla, the couple have announced.She will, however, attend the church blessing after the civil ceremony. The couple are due to get married at the Guildhall in Windsor. More Follows...