Coulson under pressure over hacking row

2010-09-06T06:20:13Z

Pressure mounted on Prime Minister David Cameron's media chief Monday over allegations he knew about illegal phone hacking by reporters when he was editor of a tabloid newspaper. The use of hacking on the News of the World, which Andy Coulson edited from 2003 to 2007, was under renewed scrutiny after a story in the

Blair memoir lifts lid on Iraq, alcohol and royals

2010-09-01T22:31:00Z

Tony Blair does not regret the Iraq war despite the "nightmare" it unleashed, but feels "desperately sorry" for those who died, the former prime minister said in memoirs published on Wednesday. "A Journey", Blair's account of his decade in Downing Street from 1997 to 2007, also includes an unprecedented attack on...

Australian support for republic flags: poll

2010-08-29T00:15:22Z

Support for Australia becoming a republic has slumped to a 16-year-low, according to the results of a poll released Sunday which found that one-in-three people never want to break ties with Britain. Asked whether Australia should become a republic, 48 percent of the 1,400 polled said they wanted to keep things as they are for now -- with Britain's

Al Fayed says he torched Harrods royal warrants

2010-08-21T22:15:22Z

Mohamed Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, said Sunday he had the plush London emporium's royal warrants taken down and burned. The Egyptian tycoon, in a letter to The Sunday Telegraph, called the endorsements a "curse" on the luxury department store. A royal warrant allows a supplier to...

Lease on island owned by Tonga king goes up for sale

2010-08-18T23:15:46Z

The lease on a tropical island owned by the king of Tonga has been put on the market in a receivership sale. Although the king -- George Tupou V -- has issued a proclamation that Nukunamo Island cannot be mortgaged or used as security "for any purpose whatsoever", the receivers believe they can sell the 99-year lease. The lease on the island was held by a first cousin of the To...

Australian PM backs republic after queen's death

2010-08-17T02:15:58Z

Australia should become a republic when Queen Elizabeth II dies or abdicates, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday, unexpectedly reviving an emotional debate just days ahead of national polls. Gillard, whose centre-left Labor Party is in a ti...

Pacific villagers await their god: Britain's Prince Philip

2010-08-14T23:15:16Z

Sitting in an ancient banyan tree in his remote village in Vanuatu, tribesman Sikor Natuan cradles a faded portrait of Britain's Prince Philip against his naked and tattooed chest. Natuan, who just weeks before danced and feasted to mark the royal's 89th birthday, is already preparing for next year's celebrations -- and he is ...

Britain's Princess Anne turns 60

2010-08-13T04:45:09Z

Britain's Princess Anne _ the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II _ turns 60

Britain's Princess Anne is turning 60 and says she has no intention of slowing down. The avid horse rider who represented her country at the 1976 Olympics, Anne is still heavily involved in s...

Sweden's crown princess accused of corruption: report

2010-08-09T11:15:46Z

At least three formal complaints have been filed against Swedish Crown Princess Victoria for corruption linked to honeymoon gifts she and her husband Prince Daniel accepted after their June 19 wedding, media reported Monday. "Complaints have been filed and I will hear the case next week," Sweden's top anti-corruption prosecutor Gunnar Stetler told the Expressen daily, adding that he ha...

Indebted Duchess of York avoiding bankruptcy

2010-08-08T06:45:10Z

Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson 'doing all she can' to avoid bankruptcy

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, says she is doing everything she can to avoid declaring bankruptcy over business debts. The former wife of Prince Andrew said in a statement Sunday that she has paid off all her personal debts. The statement was issued in a response to a fron...

Duchess of York 'owes £5 mln and faces bankruptcy'

2010-08-08T04:15:24Z

The Duchess of York?s debts have risen to almost £5 million, causing alarm in the Royal family, which now fears her best option is bankruptcy, the Sunday Telegraph reported, without naming its sources. Last month the Duchess, Sarah Ferguson, was forced to lay off 11 full-time and part-time staff but still her debts, with interest payments, are growing by the day , it said. 81249938&bid=informcom" />

Danish Crown Princess Mary expecting twins: royal court

2010-08-06T11:15:43Z

Danish Crown Princess Mary is pregnant with twins, the royal court announced Friday, adding that she should give birth in January to her third and fourth child with Crown Prince Frederik. "Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have the great pleasure to announce that the Crown Princess is expecting twins," the royal...

Castle burglary on Swedish royal grounds

2010-08-06T02:30:07Z

Thieves break into Chinese Pavilion near king's residence on Swedish royal grounds

Swedish police says a gang of thieves have broken into the Chinese Pavilion, a UNESCO world heritage site located near the royal family's residence at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm. Police spokeswoman Diana Sundin says the burglars staged Friday's burglary in just six minutes, getting a...

Man arrested over Royal Lodge break-in

2010-08-05T09:16:05Z

A man was arrested on Thursday after intruders were spotted in the grounds of the Duke of York's home in Windsor earlier this week. Three people drove into the grounds of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park in the early hours of Monday morning, police said. "At approximately 5.05am on Monday 2 August, three people enter...

Summer UK palace exhibition shows Queen's year

2010-08-03T17:31:57Z

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - An exhibition running until October aims to provide visitors to Buckingham Palace with a rare insight into the Queen's many and varied day jobs. Marking the annual Summer opening of the palace's 19 state rooms to the public, "The Queen's Year" focuses on the 84-year-old sovereign's hectic calendar. It includes 10 hats she has worn to...

Prince Charles urges 'sustainability revolution'

2010-07-31T11:15:15Z

Prince Charles on Saturday urged Britain to tackle "possibly the greatest challenge humanity has faced" by creating a more sustainable future. The heir to the throne, 61, wrote in The Daily Telegraph newspaper that too often people saw "becoming more sustainable" as a threat to their quality of life...

Britain's Prince Charles urges 'sustainability revolution'

2010-07-31T10:15:30Z

Palace opens up year in the life of the Queen

2010-07-27T01:15:33Z

Buckingham Palace will show off rarely-seen royal treasures illustrating a year in the life of the Queen when her official residence throws open its doors to the public on Tuesday. The royal palace is highlighting the 84-year-old monarch's annual duties in its exhibition "The Queen's Year", open during the two months when the sovereign is away. "It's really designed to provide an insight into the Queen's life, all the thi...

Royal family posts pictures online

2010-07-24T17:15:09Z

The royal family has opened an account on photo-sharing website Flickr, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday, in their latest attempt to move with the times. The free-to-access site will initially contain more than 600 photographs of Queen Elizabeth II on formal engagements, pictures from palace collections...

Britain's royals post family pictures online

2010-07-24T16:15:25Z

The British royal family has opened an account on photo-sharing website Flickr, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday, in their latest attempt to move with the times. The free-to-access site will initially contain more than 600 photographs of Queen Elizabeth II on formal engagements, pictures from palace col...

British royals expand online presence with Flickr

2010-07-24T16:15:09Z

After Twitter, YouTube, British royals expand online presence with Flickr photo-share account

These aren't your average family snapshots. Queen Elizabeth II is joining other proud parents starting Monday in showing off and sharing her pho...

Elite Canadian officer's murder hearing postponed

2010-07-22T07:45:21Z

Murder case against Canadian ex-commander who flew Queen Elizabeth II postponed until Aug. 26

A preliminary hearing in the murder case against a former Canadian military commander who once flew Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries around the country has been postponed until next month. Col. Russell Williams was the commander of

Cheltenham Gold Cup stolen from winner's house

2010-07-14T08:45:21Z

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - One of the most famous jump racing trophies in the world, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, has been stolen from a house in central England, police said on Wednesday. The simple but elegant 10oz gold bowl, valued at 60,000 pounds ($90,000), is minted each year and awarded to the ...

Japan's Imperial couple tuned in to World Cup

2010-07-09T09:16:30Z

Japan's surprise advance to the World Cup knockout stage has turned Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko into football fans who even woke before dawn to watch live TV coverage. The news emerged on Friday when the royal couple received Japan's coach Queen Elizabeth II is set to become a great-grandmother for the first time at the age of 84 after Buckingham Palace announced Friday that the Canadian wife of her grandson is pregnant. Peter Phillips, son of the queen's daughter Princess Anne and 11th in line to the throne, and his wife Autumn are...

Queen Elizabeth set to become great-grandmother

2010-07-09T04:00:17Z

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to become great-grandmother for 1st time

Buckingham Palace says Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, are expecting their first child in December, a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II's...

Queen to become great-grandmother

2010-07-09T03:16:01Z

The Queen is set to become a great-grandmother for the first time at the age of 84 after Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that the Canadian wife of her grandson is pregnant. Peter Phillips, son of the queen's daughter Princess Anne and 11th in line to the throne, and his wife Autumn are expecting a child in December, officials said. "The queen and Duke of

Queen Elizabeth II to become great-grandmother

2010-07-09T03:15:26Z

Queen Elizabeth II is set to become a great-grandmother for the first time at the age of 84 after Buckingham Palace announced Friday that the Canadian wife of her grandson is pregnant. Peter Phillips, son of the queen's daughter Princess Anne and 11th in line to the throne, and his wife Autumn are...

Law professor named next governor general of Canada

2010-07-08T09:15:36Z

Legal scholar David Johnston will be Canada's next governor general after Michaelle Jean's term as acting head of state and commander in chief ends in the fall, the prime minister announced Thursday. Johnston, 69, will be installed as Queen Elizabeth II's repr...

Queen Elizabeth II to visit NYC for 5 hours

2010-07-06T03:30:11Z

Queen Elizabeth II's NYC visit includes stop at ground zero, UN speeches to appeal for peace

The schedule for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to New York City includes a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks and addresses to the United Nations. The queen will spend five hours in th...

NYC anglophiles aflutter ahead of queen's visit

2010-07-05T15:00:06Z

NYC anglophiles aflutter ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's first visit in 34 years

The biggest clue that New Yorkers were going a little royalty-crazy was when someone stopped Tony Packwood on a city bus after hearing his British accent to ask him if he was here to see the queen. "Why wo...

Cost of the queen: less than $1 per person a year

2010-07-05T12:15:18Z

Queen cost UK taxpayers less than $1 each last year, but royal coffers face further squeeze

Like millions of her subjects, Queen Elizabeth II is going to have to make do and mend — cutting spending and putting off palace repairs as royal finances are squeezed by Britain's budget crisis. Accounts published Monday by Britain's taxpayers £38.2 million in the last financial year, according to accounts released by Buckingham Palace Monday. The figure, which represents 62 pence per person, was released with Britain facing deep public spending cuts as the coalition government bids to cut the country's record budget deficit. Officials insisted that the ro...

Britain's queen making first visit to Ground Zero

2010-07-04T08:00:12Z

Queen Elizabeth II visiting Ground Zero, addressing UN for first time in half a century

Queen Elizabeth II will visit Ground Zero for the first time and make her first address to the U.N. General Assembly in over half a century when she arrives i...

Travel Trip Tokyo On A Budget

2010-08-23T10:30:25Z

This July 5, 2010 photo shows the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. Round out your tour of old Tokyo with a visit to the Imperial Palace in the city center. The royal family no longer lives here, but it's still a great way to see the way Japanese royalty lived in the old days. (AP Photo/Dan Strumpf)

Australia Monarchy

2010-08-17T02:30:10Z

In this July 6, 2010, file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks at the United Nations Headquarters. Australia should drop its ties to the British monarchy after the reign of Queen Elizabeth II ends, the prime minister said Tuesday...

Japan War Anniversary

2010-08-15T02:45:07Z

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko bow deeply in front of a huge bank of chrysanthemums to offer prayers for the war dead at Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010, marking the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Save the Children Fund, left, as she speaks to the assembly during the World Economic Forum (WEF) , while Claude Smadja, managing director of the WEF, center, and Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II talks with Captain Michael Hepburn, after boarding the yacht 'Hebridean Princess' in Stornoway, Scotland, Friday July 23, 2010, with other members of the Royal family, at the start of a holiday sailing around the

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