Prince Harry is to marry US actress Meghan Markle. The couple officially announced the news on Monday outside Kensington Palace in London, though they actually got engaged earlier in November. They hope to marry in the spring. Prince Harry, 33, is fifth in line to the British throne. Ms Markle is 36.
Prince Harry said he knew Ms Markle “was the one” he wanted to marry “the very first time we met.” He added that he was “thrilled” to be engaged. Ms Markle said she was “So very happy, thank you.”
Ms Markle’s engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry. It features two diamonds, which belonged to his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. In the centre of the ring is a diamond from Botswana.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is to retire from public engagements from the autumn of this year. The announcement was made at Buckingham Palace yesterday.
When someone said to the Duke, who is 95, “I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down, sir,” he replied, in his typically humorous way, “Well, I can’t stand up much longer!”
The decision was made by Prince Philip himself. Her Majesty the Queen has given her husband her ‘full support’ to step down. He will be 96 in June.
Today, Queen Elizabeth II became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch when she passed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. The Queen has reigned now for more than 63 years seven months.
The Queen, who is 89, spent today on official duties in Scotland. It is a normal working day for her with no special celebration. Originally though it was to have been a ‘no-fuss day’ spent at Balmoral, but after caving in to demands that she should be seen on such a momentous day, she agreed to undertake an engagement.
Today, let’s talk about the recent hoax telephone call from two Australian DJs to a London hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was staying. The prank has caused a storm of controversy around the world.
The DJs in question are Mel Greig and Michael Christian. In a call to London’s King Edward VII hospital on Tuesday 4th December they posed as the Queen and Prince Charles. They asked about how the Duchess was following her bout of morning sickness as a result of her recent pregnancy.
Category: Media / Pranks / Tragedy
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently were saddened by the “grotesque and unjustifiable invasion of privacy” by a French magazine which published topless photos of Kate. The French magazine ‘Closer’ printed the pictures of the Duchess, taken during their private holiday in France.
The Royals immediately decided to take legal action over the case. The editor of ‘Closer’ hit back saying the couple were “visible from the street” and the images are “not in the least bit shocking”. Prince William has always been absolutely determined to protect the privacy of his wife.
Category: Royal Family / Duchess of Cambridge / Photos
This year The Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne. The British Monarch will be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee at the beginning of June. Special celebrations will take place across Britain between 2-6 June.
The Queen came to the throne on 6th February 1952. Her coronation took place on the 2nd June 1953. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002. The only other Monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.
Communities around the country will be celebrating the specially extended bank holiday weekend between the 2-5 June. During this particular weekend The Queen will be at several events including the Epson Derby on Saturday 2nd June. Sunday 3rd June will see the fourth annual Big Lunch (street parties countrywide) take place. Anyone who wants to celebrate this can do so on this day.
Category: Britain / The Queen / Diamond Jubilee
Prince William and his new wife Kate are to get servants. Originally the Royal couple said they could manage without them. In fact, they made a point of pledging to spend their early years of marriage servant free. It means they won’t be cleaning the toilets or scrubbing the casserole dishes in the near future, so their ‘down to earth’ image has now gone out of the window. A source inside Buckingham Palace said, “William and Kate might have wanted to have a simple life and do everything themselves but it’s just not possible.”
Category: British Royal family / William and Kate / Servants
The wedding of the decade is rapidly approaching. The British Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton edges closer day by day. The nation and the world wait with baited breath as to what the bride will wear as she walks down the aisle of Westminster Abbey in London.
The capital is expected to be packed with day trippers eager to see the royal couple tie the knot on Friday April 29th 2011. The Prime Minister David Cameron has given the nation a day off so we can all watch the ceremony on the box. Great!
Many who can’t get to London will be watching the ceremony at home with their families in their living rooms. Others will watch the ceremony on their computers. Many will be joining their friends down the pub to watch it.
The most exciting place to see it will be in London itself as one of the thousands of spectators in the Mall. Everyone will want to get a glimpse of the royal couple as they troop past in the royal carriage on their way to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony. What a day it will be. Let’s hope we don’t get any April showers!
Category: Royal Wedding / Prince William / Kate Middleton
Prince William is to marry Kate Middleton. The couple announced their engagement on Tuesday 16th November. The prince said, “The timing is right now. We are both very, very happy and I am glad that I have done it.” He has given Kate his mother’s ring. He said, “It's very special to me.” He added “Kate's very special to me now, it was right to put the two together.”
Prince William said giving Kate his mother Diana's dazzling blue 18 carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring was “my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement”. Kate said that joining the Royal Family was a 'daunting prospect' but added, “Hopefully I'll take it in my stride and William's a great teacher so hopefully he'll be able to help me along the way”.
The couple, both 28, got engaged in October whilst on holiday in Kenya. The couple met while they were students at St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland. Miss Middleton added: “We have been going out a long time. We had spoken about our future and it just seemed the natural step for both of us.”
Category: Britain / Royal Family / Royal Engagement
Last week Queen Elizabeth II visited the United Nations in New York where she addressed the UN General Assembly for the first time since 1957. She said: “The UN had moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good.” She added, “For over six decades the United Nations has helped to shape international response to global dangers. The challenge now is to continue the security, prosperity and dignity of our fellow human beings.”
Since her original visit 53 years ago the number of member states have increased from 77 to 192. The Queen praised the UN for its work in reducing conflict, offering humanitarian assistance and tackling the effects of poverty. Her majesty warned of “new challenges such as terrorism and global warming that had emerged and had tested this organisation as much as its member states.” On climate change The Queen said: “Careful attention must be taken of the risks facing smaller, more vulnerable nations, many of them from the Commonwealth.”
Category: United Nations / New York / The Queen
