Oldest-ever Prince of Wales has much to celebrate on his birthday
Guardian (UK) Nov 14, 08 9:11 AM CST
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Prince Charles turns 60 today, heir to the British throne since the age of 3. Barring calamity, he will one day be king—though perhaps not for a long while, as his mother remains in good health and rejects the idea of abdication. Yet the oldest-ever Prince of Wales has something to celebrate, writes the Guardian : Once derided and even reviled, Charles has slowly, begrudgingly won his country's respect.
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Delivered ethnic slurs with 'tiara-strength twinkle,' says BBC author
Guardian (UK) Nov 10, 08 6:49 AM CST
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Britain's Queen Mother was a "ghastly old bigot" who once referred to some of England's closest EU allies using ethnic slurs that left a BBC newscaster appalled. "The words were delivered with the eyes on maximum tiara-strength twinkle, but I froze," said Edward Stourton, who revealed the incident in his new book, It's a PC World . "The nation's favorite grandmother was a ghastly old bigot. What she said was nasty and ugly."
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'Charmer' Kidd took 12-year-old victim to see Queen Mum
Times (UK) Oct 1, 08 3:10 PM CDT
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The Queen of England’s ex-butler pleaded guilty today to repeated dalliances with boys as young as 12, the London Times reports. Paul Kidd, 55, worked for 6 years in Buckingham Palace in the late 1970s and parlayed his role into a lucrative speaking career. His charming persona ended up in court after police followed up a complaint and uncovered 18,000 indecent images of children in his flat.
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Prince Charles will have two lavish 60th birthday bashes
Daily Mail (UK) Sep 29, 08 12:55 PM CDT
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Seemingly impervious—or oblivious—to the international economic meltdown, the royal family will throw not one but two lavish celebrations for Prince Charles’ 60th birthday in November, the Daily Mail reports. The Queen will host a state banquet at Buckingham Palace for 170 guests, and Charles' wife, Camilla, will host a five-course dinner for 75.
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Female heirs will also have the same rights as male counterparts
Guardian (UK) Sep 25, 08 4:41 AM CDT
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The British government is planning a royal shake-up of the laws governing who can become king or queen, the Guardian reports. The 300-year-old law currently in place bars Catholics or their spouses from taking the throne, and gives male heirs priority over women; both are targeted for change. Critics say the laws are firmly at odds with modern human rights.
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Compares herself to "an elephant," talks wedding frenzy
Daily Mail (UK) Sep 23, 08 10:27 AM CDT
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Four letters written by Princess Diana to her nanny could fetch $18,500 at auction later this month, reports the Daily Mail . In them, a teenage Diana confesses her insecurities—“watching me dance is like watching an elephant”—and talks of her upcoming nuptials to Prince Charles—“six months of being engaged is…definitely to be avoided. All the family in complete overdrive!”
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Royal plans to be search and rescue pilot
BBC Sep 15, 08 1:27 PM CDT
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Prince William’s next military stint will be as a search-and-rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force, the BBC reports. Having served with the army and navy, the prince learned to fly with the RAP this year and said today, "I now want to build on the experience and training I have received to serve operationally." The 26-year-old prince starts 18 months of training in January.
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Legal challenge aims to set boundaries
for 'public interest'
Daily Telegraph (UK) Aug 6, 08 6:54 PM CDT
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The Duke of Edinburgh is using a recent ruling by Britain’s High Court—one that sided against the press in the unfortunate Max Mosley Nazi sex scandal—as the basis for a legal challenge to win more privacy for the royal family, the Daily Telegraph reports. Prince Philip is taking a complaint against a paper that alleged he has prostate cancer to Britain’s Press Complaints Commission, hoping it will rule such information outside the realm of “public interest.”
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1890s bloomers with 50-inch waist auctioned for princely sum
BBC Jul 31, 08 4:14 AM CDT
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A pair of bloomers that belonged to Queen Victoria were auctioned off yesterday for $9,000, almost ten times the expected price, the BBC reports. The royal knickers, which sport a 50-inch waist and a "VR" monogram, date from the 1890s. The queen was apparently "a very big lady," noted the auctioneer. The bloomers were part of a trove of memorabilia stashed over the years by royal servant "Backstairs Billy," who died last year.
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Monarchy subsists on $80M in public money each year
ABC News Jun 30, 08 7:49 AM CDT
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Britain’s royal family is facing the effects of tough financial times, ABC News reports—but it's easier to cope when you have taxpayers to foot the monarchy's $80 million in annual expenses. While that’s just $1.30 per taxpayer, Buckingham Palace says, critics note unnecessary expenses, like a $44,000 helicopter trip to the Kentucky Derby.
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Engagement speculation hits overdrive on word of Carole Middleton's royal invite
Daily Telegraph (UK) Jun 18, 08 3:46 PM CDT
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The mother of Prince William's girlfriend is set to meet Queen Elizabeth tomorrow, the Telegraph reports, with Carole Middleton scoring an invitation to the royal box at the Ascot races. The news intensified speculation that Kate Middleton and Prince Charles' elder son could soon be engaged, seven years after meeting at university.
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Young royal scolded after night of drunken
'high jinks'
Press Association Jun 14, 08 3:24 PM CDT
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Princess Eugenie got a stern rebuke from school officials after prancing naked around her college campus last month. The Duke of York's daughter reportedly downed drinks with friends before dancing in the buff around the £23,000-a-year school. Their playful shrieks awoke senior staff. "It was nothing more than high jinks at the end of term,” a royal source told the Press Association.
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Historic liner, launched by Elizabeth II in 1967, will become floating Dubai hotel
BBC Jun 2, 08 2:42 PM CDT
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Queen Elizabeth II toured the QE2 cruise liner today ahead of its retirement in November, the BBC reports. The Queen herself launched the liner in 1967; though it's the second ship to bear the name, it's not named after the current monarch.
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Peter Phillips marries Canadian, dodges tabloids
Hello! May 19, 08 8:01 AM CDT
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Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Peter Phillips married Canadian Autumn Kelly this weekend, with the royal family smiling gamely for "official" photographers from Hello! magazine, which paid $1 million for exclusive rights to cover the nuptials. Other tabloids were not amused. “What a start to married life for Peter Phillips—cashing in on the accident of his birth and literally selling his grandmother to Hello!,” groused the Daily Mail.
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