Spain royals to reveal budget after corruption case

2011-12-12T08:00:27Z

MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish royal family will disclose details of its annual spending budget for the first time, a spokesman said Monday, following a corruption probe linked to the king's son-in-law.

Inaki Urdangarin, the husband of King Juan Carlos and Queen

Canada readies for queen's diamond jubilee

2011-12-06T21:30:26Z

Canada announced Tuesday CAN$7.5 million (US$7.36 million) for grassroots celebrations across the country for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee next year.

"The only other time Canada celebrated the diamond jubilee of a reigning sovereign was for Queen Victoria in 1897," said Heritage Ministe...

Albanian crown prince Leka dies aged 72

2011-11-30T12:30:35Z

Albania's pretender to the throne, crown prince Leka Zogu, the son of self-proclaimed king Zog I, died Wednesday in a Tirana hospital aged 72, a spokeswoman for the royal family told AFP.

He was admitted to hospital last week in a very serious condition with heart and lung trouble and fell into a coma shortly after, doctor Mentor Petrela said.

Albania declared a day of mourning on Saturd...

Anti-royal graffiti on walls of eastern Saudi

2011-11-25T17:30:30Z

Slogans against the royal family have been daubed on walls in the Shiite heartland of eastern Saudi Arabia, the scene of deadly clashes with security forces, an AFP photographer said Friday.

The Al-Saud ruling family must be "held responsible for the blood of the martyrs", "Down with Mohammed bin Fahd" bin Abdul Aziz, the governor of the kingdom's Eastern Provinc...

Saturday performance of ÔO' a royal treat

2011-11-23T02:31:01Z

You really never know when, where or how you'll encounter a newsmaker in Las Vegas. Example: A week ago Saturday, I was in the men's room at MGM Grand Garden Arena during the Manny Pacquiao-Juan ...

Swaziland king's 12th wife 'kicked out of palace'

2011-11-20T09:30:19Z

Swaziland's king Mswati III's 12th wife, who was last year caught in bed with the justice minister, said on Sunday she has been kicked out of the palace after pepper-spraying a security guard.

Nothando Dube, also known by the royal name inkhosikati LaDube, was ordered to "immediately leave the palace' by royal governor Timothy Mthethwa and other members of the royal family, according to reports.

LaDub...

William's Falklands deployment 'provocative'

2011-11-11T14:30:44Z

Argentina complained Friday that Prince William's six-week mission as a rescue pilot in the Falkland Islands, the object of a 1982 British-Argentine war, is "a provocative act."

William, second in the royal line of succession, is due to be deployed in the disputed archipelago, known as the Mal...

Singapore tycoon, Malaysian royalty in major venture

2011-11-10T18:30:50Z

A Singaporean billionaire on Thursday signed a deal with a Malaysian royal family to develop prime waterfront property in southern Malaysia's Johor state, a company statement said.

Peter Lim, who made his fortune in stockbroking and commodities, teamed up with the Johor royal family to develop a medical hub and marina city comprising hotels, apartments and entertainment facilities...

Prince Charles meets Tanzanian president

2011-11-07T15:30:22Z

Britain's Prince Charles on Monday toured Tanzania on the second day of a visit to the east African nation, including holding talks with President Jakaya Kikwete.

The prince, accompanied by his wife, the Australia took centre stage for Queen Elizabeth II Thursday on the Perth leg of her successful 10-day antipodean tour, with kangaroo stew and Aussie Rules football on the agenda.

The monarch, 85, has been greeted by adoring crowds in Canberra, Melb...

Victoria's secret: Late queen's bloomers bust record

2011-11-03T09:00:23Z

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Queen Victoria's underwear sold for record prices, but a four-poster bed in which actress Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her eighth honeymoon failed to set bidders at an Edinburgh a...

Rain fails to deter crowds for queen in Australia

2011-10-25T06:30:29Z

Hundreds of Australians braved the rain for a glimpse of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II Tuesday as she visited the national war memorial in tribute to fallen soldiers and met with veterans.

A crowd of about 1,000 people turned out in dreary weather to see the 85-year-old monarch, cheering loudly as she stepped from her car wearing a cappuccino-coloured coat ...

Princess Anne in visit to Sierra Leone

2011-10-24T15:30:31Z

Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma on Monday welcomed Princess Anne of the United Kingdom, who is on a three-day visit to the west African nation with her husband.

At a ceremony at State House, Koroma recalled "the close link between Britain and Sierra Leone", adding the former colonial power had re...

Man charged with exposing himself as Queen tours

2011-10-24T11:30:19Z

A young Australian man has been charged with exposing himself and being a public nuisance as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passed by, police said Monday.

Tens of thousands of people turned out to see the visiting monarch as she toured the Queensland capital, her first visit since the state was...

Queen met by cheering church crowds in Canberra

2011-10-22T19:30:19Z

Hundreds of well-wishers hailed Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at a historic Canberra church on Sunday where she attended an intimate service ahead of a lunch with famous Australians.

Decked out in their Sunday best and brandishing flags and flowers, an enthusiastic crowd cheered and clapped as the monarch arri...

Queen arrives in Australia for 10-day tour

2011-10-19T10:30:36Z

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was greeted by hundreds of flag-waving schoolchildren and a 21-gun salute as she began her 16th and possibly last visit to her realm Down Under on Wednesday.

The queen, who will open a Commonwealth leaders meeting in Perth later this month, touched down at 0640 GMT in Queen Elizabeth II was greeted by hundreds of flag-waving schoolchildren and a 21-gun salute as she began her 16th and possibly last visit to her realm Down Under on Wednesday.

The queen, who will open a Commonwealth leaders meeting in Perth later this month, touched down at 0640 GMT in Canberra, where she and husband Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Australia on Wednesday for her 16th visit to the former penal colony on what will perhaps be the 85-year-old monarch's last tour Down Under.

The queen, who will open a Commonwealth leaders meeting in Perth, is due to touch down at 0700 GMT in

Nostalgia at Queen's 'farewell' Australia tour

2011-10-17T15:30:39Z

Australians prepare to welcome Britain's Queen Elizabeth II for her 16th tour Down Under this week, with the possibility of it being her last sparking renewed interest in the 85-year-old monarch.

Despite Australia's reputation as an egalitarian, irreverent and youthful nation, and its fitful starts towards ...

Repatriation town receives royal honour

2011-10-16T16:30:26Z

Wootton Bassett, the town which became a focal point for honouring soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, was Sunday officially renamed with the prefix "Royal" in recognition of its efforts.

Thousands lined the streets of the town in Wiltshire

Bhutan's Dragon King crowns a bride

2011-10-13T03:30:16Z

Bhutan's hugely popular king married a 21-year-old student on Thursday in a colourful ceremony showcasing the rich Buddhist culture of one of the world's most remote and insular countries.

Amid clouds of incense and chanting monks, the 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck crowned his queen at the end of a series of rituals in the 17th-century fortified monastery chosen for the occasion.

After a brief purifi...

Royal wedding dress delivers bumper year for palace

2011-10-04T20:30:27Z

The dress worn by the former Kate Middleton when she married Prince William fueled a surge in regal tourism with 600,000 flocking to see the gown on display at Buckingham Palace, it emerged Tuesday.

Hordes of enthusiasts queued for hours to see the Australia welcomed next month's visit by Queen Elizabeth II to an area affected by this year's huge floods, with Queensland Premier Anna Bligh saying it will boost those hit by the disaster.

The October 19-29 tour by the Queen and her husband Prince Philip...

Bhutan gets royal wedding fever

2011-09-07T02:31:53Z

The royal dress weavers are at work and excitement is building in Bhutan ahead of next month's royal wedding that will see the young king of the Himalayan nation wed in a fairy-tale ceremony.

The Oxford-educated mountain-biking fanatic Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 31, who was crowned in 2008 at the start of democracy in the Buddhist-majority country, is set to marry student Jetsun Pema,...

British ex-PM Blair releases memoirs in Chinese

2011-08-30T13:31:15Z

Former British prime minister Tony Blair on Tuesday launched the Chinese edition of "A Journey", the memoirs in which he recounts his decade in power, state media reported.

During the launch party, Blair praised the "unprecedented progress" achieved by China over the past thirty years, the official Xinhua ne...

Denmark's Princess Marie pregnant

2011-08-24T11:30:22Z

Danish Prince Joachim and his French-born wife, Princess Marie, are expecting their second child, the royal court announced on Wednesday.

"Their royal highnesses Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have the pleasure of announcing that Princess Marie is pregnant," the royal court said in a statement.

"The birth is expected to take place at the national Rigshospitalet hospital at the end of January 2012," it added.

The child will be the couple's second, following two-year-o...

Norway marks attacks with remembrance ceremony

2011-08-21T04:00:03Z

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway holds a national ceremony of remembrance on Sunday for the 77 victims of the worst attacks on the country since World War Two, as it tries to move forward and return to something like normality.

Anti-immigration zealot Anders Behring Breivik has admitted to last month's bo...

Prince William and Catherine visit riot-hit Birmingham

2011-08-19T14:00:30Z

Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine on Friday visited the Birmingham neighbourhood where three men were killed during the riots which rocked England last week.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met the parents of the three me...

India temple treasure brings riches, challenges

2011-08-18T23:30:08Z

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (Reuters) - A stream of bare-chested religious devotees step gingerly through metal detectors at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in southern India as armed commandos with AK-47s guard perhaps one of the world's greatest treasures to surface in recent ...

Swedish heir to throne expecting first child

2011-08-17T08:30:15Z

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Crown Princess Victoria, the heir to the Swedish throne, is expecting her first child, the royal court said on Wednesday.

"The birth is expected to take place in March 2012," the Swedish court said in a press release.

The court gave no further information.

Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel, a former gym ...

Norway's A-ha reunites to hail victims of July 22 attacks

2011-08-10T14:30:43Z

Norwegian pop group A-ha said Wednesday it would reunite to perform on August 21, a national day of mourning for the 77 people killed in last month's twin attacks in Oslo and on the nearby island of Utoeya.

"On 22 July, we, like everyone else in Norway and the rest of the world, were shaken to the soul by these actions of cruelty and violent prov...

UK store plans cut-price Pippa Middleton dress

2011-08-04T15:30:34Z

A copy of Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid dress at her sister Kate's wedding to Prince William is to go on sale in Britain, at about a 100th of the cost of the original, a store said Thursday.

Middleton, 27, almost stole the show on her elder sister's big day in April, wowing a global tel...

Police arrest "key figure" in News Corp hacking probe

2011-08-02T06:30:11Z

LONDON (Reuters) - British police arrested a former senior figure at Rupert Murdoch's News International group on Tuesday as part of their probe into phone hacking at the News of the World tabloid, media reports said.

Police said a 71-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of corruption and conspiring to intercept ...

Tech firm says News International deleted emails

2011-08-01T10:00:08Z

LONDON (Reuters) - A technology firm has told British legislators it was aware of the deletion of hundreds of thousands of emails at the request of News Corp unit News International between April 2010 and last month, parliamentarian Keith Vaz said on Monday.

The revelation came in a letter by the firm, HCL, to the

UK queen's granddaughter Zara weds in Scotland

2011-07-30T09:30:12Z

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter Zara Phillips married fellow athlete Mike Tindall on Saturday in a private ...

Crowds gather for Britain's second royal wedding

2011-07-30T08:30:12Z

The second British royal wedding of the year takes place on Saturday, as Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter Zara Phillips and England rugby star Mike Tindall tie the knot in Edinburgh.

But the marriage...

Yacht party on eve of second royal wedding

2011-07-29T21:30:15Z

Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter Zara Phillips and her fiance Mike Tindall threw a party on a yacht Friday on the eve of their wedding, with Prince William and wife Catherine among the guests.

Phillips and

Yacht party on eve of Britain's second royal wedding

2011-07-29T21:30:13Z

Phillips and

Prince Harry set to become comic book hero

2011-07-28T16:30:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry can add comic book character to his list of accolades as a new comic based on his life is set to be released in August, publisher Monaco's Prince Albert II and his new wife filed a suit Monday against a French magazine they claim spread false rumours of discord ahead of their wedding this month, their lawyer said.

Summons were filed against L'Express magazine at a court in Nanterre, west of Paris, for invasion ...

Queen spooked by Catherine's wedding dress display

2011-07-22T14:30:53Z

Queen Elizabeth II has reportedly described as "creepy" a new exhibition featuring the wedding dress worn by the former Kate Middleton when she married Prince William in April.

The Alexander McQueen dress

Monaco royals to sue over break-up rumours: premier

2011-07-22T14:30:38Z

Monaco's government head Michel Roger railed Friday against "false" rumours of discord between Prince Albert II and his wife, and said the couple will sue a French magazine for spreading them.

"It is very distressing," Roger, whose official title is minister of state, told journalists of the gossip th...

Prince Andrew step down as trade envoy

2011-07-21T21:30:06Z

Prince Andrew is to step down as Britain's roving trade ambassador, Buckingham Palace said, four months after his links to a sex offender prompted calls for him to quit.

The 51-year-old Duke of York is to leave his unpaid job as the government's special representative for international trade and inves...

Catherine's wedding dress goes on display in London

2011-07-21T20:30:25Z

It was the best kept secret of the royal wedding, but now the Alexander McQueen dress worn by the former Kate Middleton when she married Prince William is being put on public display for all to admire.

Catherine's ivory and white satin-gazar dress, designed by Sarah Burton

UK police arrest man in phone hacking probe

2011-07-15T08:30:17Z

LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Thursday they had arrested another suspect as part of their investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World newspaper, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

The 60-year-old man was held at an address in the...

State government renounces Indian temple treasure

2011-07-14T13:30:43Z

The government of a southern Indian state asked Thursday that recently discovered treasure in a local temple worth up to $20 billion should remain with its religious custodians.

Lawyers acting for Kerala state told the Supreme Court that the sacks of gold coins, precious stones and jewellery should stay at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the city of Easter holiday.

Group sales increased 3.2 percent in the 13 weeks to July 2, compared with the equivalent period of last year, M&S said in a statement.

Sales at its stores in Britain rallied by 1....

British retailer M&S posts rising first-quarter sales

2011-07-13T07:30:25Z

British retailer Marks & Spencer said on Wednesday that sales climbed in the first quarter of its financial year, as the group was lifted by the royal wedding and the Easter holiday.

Group sales increased 3.2 percent in the 13 weeks to July 2, compared with the equivalent period of last year, M&S said in a statement.

Sales at its stores in Britain ralli...

Police 'sold royal details to News of World'

2011-07-11T12:30:47Z

Rupert Murdoch's now defunct News of the World tabloid allegedly paid British royal protection officers for details about Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family, reports said Monday.

An internal inquiry at News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch's empire, found emails that included requests by a reporter for money to pay ...

News Corp tabloid bought royal contacts from police: BBC

2011-07-11T08:00:12Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The News of the World newspaper bought contact details about the royal family from a policeman, the BBC reported Monday, deepening the scandal engulfing the News Corp media empire.

BBC business editor Robert ...

Former royals renounce Indian temple treasure

2011-07-08T07:30:33Z

The head of a former Indian royal family on Friday renounced any personal claim to billions of dollars' worth of ancient treasure discovered in a Hindu temple in the kingdom his ancestors once ruled.

"The royal family is not claiming anything. No part belongs to the family," said K.K. Venugopal, a lawyer representing the descendants of the erstwhile rulers of the Travancore princely state in the southern state of Kerala.

<...

Saudi crown prince has surgery in US: consulate

2011-07-06T14:30:37Z

Saudi Arabia's ailing Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz has undergone an operation in a New York hospital, an official at the kingdom's consulate in the US metropolis told AFP on Wednesday.

"He is in New York. He has been operated on," said the official, who declined to be named discussing private matters of the royal fam...

Charles and Camilla honour tsunami victims

2011-07-06T12:30:17Z

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall paid tribute on Wednesday to the British victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami, at the opening of a new memorial.

Charles laid a wreath at the Natural History Museum memorial in London, for the 155 Britons who died in the Indian Oc...

AT 67, MARY WILSON STILL HAS SUPREME TALENT

2011-07-06T02:30:26Z

Mary Wilson is no background singer. Not today.That was not always the case, of course. Wilson was a founding member of the Supremes, where during the band's peak she was a backing singer for Diana Ross. She, Ross and Florence Ballard formed the band out of

Investigators turn to final vault at treasure temple

2011-07-05T07:00:35Z

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (Reuters) - Investigators plan to pry open the final vault hidden deep under a centuries-old Indian Hindu temple as police guarded round the clock the shrine where billions of dollars worth of treasure has been discovered.

Over the last week a s...

Cost of funding Queen falls by £1.8 mn: accounts

2011-07-04T12:30:31Z

The cost to the taxpayer of funding Queen Elizabeth II fell by £1.8 million in the past year, her accounts showed Monday.

The queen's official expenditure for 2010-11 was £32.1 million, according to the accounts covering the tax year, which ended in April.

The figure represents a reduction of 5.3 percent on an amount of £33.9 million the previous year, and were calculated using a new formula th...

Investigators turn to final vault at Indian treasure temple

2011-07-04T05:00:15Z

Over the last week a s...

Monaco royal couple host brunch before S.Africa trip

2011-07-03T10:30:14Z

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, the world's newest royal couple, hosted guests for a private marriage brunch on Sunday a day after their church wedding, the royal family said.

The brunch in the private gardens of the tiny principality's royal palace was prepared by French chef Al...

Quieter royal tour heads for mixed Quebec reception

2011-07-02T14:30:12Z

OTTAWA (Reuters) - A visit to Canada by Britain's Prince William and Kate took on a quieter note on Saturday as the newlyweds prepared to head for Quebec and a poli...

Royal couple marks Canada Day with fireworks

2011-07-02T03:30:11Z

Princess Catherine and Prince William celebrated Canada Day with fireworks on the couple's first official international outing as jubilant Canadians thronged to catch a glimpse of the British royalty.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in the afternoon in a glossy black state...

Princess Beatrice celebrates graduation with tennis trip

2011-07-01T20:30:32Z

Princess Beatrice, whose eccentric hat made headlines at the royal wedding, celebrated her graduation Friday by spending the day at the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Beatrice, fifth in line to the throne, earned a 2:1, the second-highest grade, in her history and history of ideas degree at London's Britain's Princess Beatrice, whose eccentric hat made headlines at the royal wedding, celebrated her graduation Friday by spending the day at the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Beatrice, fifth in line to the throne, earned a 2:1, the second-highest grade, in her history and history of ideas d...

Royal couple marks Canada Day on debut tour

2011-07-01T17:30:22Z

Princess Catherine and Prince William celebrated Canada Day among a huge crowd Friday on the couple's first official international outing as jubilant Canadians thronged to catch a glimpse of British royalty.

The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge arrived in a glossy black state landau to join nearly one third of the capital city's population of ...

William, Kate to surf popularity on Canadian tour

2011-06-30T11:30:12Z

OTTAWA (Reuters) - White cowboy hats, an emergency helicopter landing and a flight over the fictional home of Anne of Green Gables await Prince William and his new bride Kate in Canada on their first official trip oversea...

Even Queen faces funding squeeze in austerity Britain

2011-06-30T11:00:17Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth became the latest Briton to face a funding squeeze on Thursday when the government proposed changes to how it pays for royal trips and engagements.

The Conservative-led government, which is imposing cost cuts and tax rises on more humble Britons, plans to finance the royal fami...

Even the Queen faces funding squeeze in austerity Britain

2011-06-30T10:30:27Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth became the latest Briton to face a funding squeeze on Thursday when the government proposed changes to how it pays for royal trips and engagements.

The Conservative-led government, which is imposing cost cuts and tax rises on more humble Britons, plans to finance the royal fami...

'Everything fine' ahead of Monaco wedding

2011-06-29T09:30:45Z

South African Olympic swimmer Ryk Neethling told local media Wednesday that "everything is fine" ahead of Charlene Wittstock's marriage to Monaco's Prince Albert II, despite rumours ...

Prince Charles' public funding rises: figures

2011-06-28T13:30:41Z

Britain's Prince Charles saw his taxpayer funding increase by nearly 18 percent in the past year as his subjects were tightening their belts due to harsh austerity measures, figures showed Tuesday.

The heir to the throne's income from the government rose 17.9 percent from £1.66 million ($2.66 million, 1.86 million euros) in 2009-10 to £1.96 million in th...

Kate Middleton related to author Jane Austen

2011-06-27T22:00:06Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prince William's bride Kate Middleton is a distant relation of British novelist Jane Austen, genealogy website Ancestry.com<...

Royals Quebec visit attracts protests

2011-06-26T10:30:17Z

Hardline separatists plan to protest Prince William and Kate Middleton's visit to Quebec next month, saying the future British monarch symbolizes Canadian federalism and Anglo-Saxon dominance.

The separatist Quebecois Network of Resistance (RRQ) plans to organize a rally at noon on Sunday, July 3 at the...

Police arrest woman in News of the World phone hack probe

2011-06-23T02:00:11Z

LONDON (Reuters) - London police said on Thursday they had arrested a woman as part of their investigation into a phone-hacking scandal at a top-selling newspaper belonging to Rupert Murdoch's New Corp group.

The 39-year-old woman was arrested shortly befor...

William and Kate in £1 million charity wedding gift

2011-06-22T14:30:49Z

A fund set up by Prince William and Catherine to receive donations instead of wedding gifts has raised more than £1 million for charity, palace officials said on Wednesday.

The money will go to 26 charities personally chosen by the royal couple, who married with great fanfare at Westminster Abbey in London on ...

UK royal wedding fund raises 1 million pounds

2011-06-22T11:30:10Z

LONDON (Reuters) - More than one million pounds ($1.62 million) has been contributed to a gift fund set up by Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton ahead of their wedding, the couple's office said on Wednesday.

Reuters Life!) - More than one million pounds ($1.62 million) has been contributed to a gift fund set up by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ahead of their wedding, the couple's office said on Wednesday.

The Royal Wedd...

Queen, Prince Philip in rare visit to PM

2011-06-21T15:30:50Z

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip paid a rare visit Tuesday to Prime Minister David Cameron's official residence for a lunch to celebrate the prince's 90th birthday.

The red carpet was rolled out at Number 10 Downing Street

Fun in store for William and Catherine on Canada tour

2011-06-21T15:30:40Z

Britain's Prince William and his new wife Catherine will indulge their fun-loving side when they visit Canada, their first official overseas tour since getting married, royal officials said Tuesday.

From donning aprons in a cookery workshop to taking part in a boat race, the packed tour is billed by royal officials as a hands-on affair.

Their energetic nin...

Prince Philip praised at 90th birthday service

2011-06-12T16:30:35Z

The royal family gathered Sunday for a service of thanksgiving marking the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip.

More than 750 guests, including senior royals, his Mountbatten family relatives, foreign royalty, past and present staff and friends from the world of sailing, polo and carriage driving turned out to celebrate his milestone....

Britain's Prince Philip praised at 90th birthday service

2011-06-12T16:30:25Z

Britain's royal family gathered Sunday for a service of thanksgiving marking the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip.

More than 750 guests, including senior royals, his Mountbatten family relatives, foreign royalty, past and present staff and friends from the world of sailing...

William in first Trooping parade

2011-06-11T12:30:13Z

Prince William and his wife Catherine took part in the pomp and pageantry on Saturday as Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her official birthday.

William wore his wedding uniform -- this time complete with a bearskin hat for the traditional Trooping the Colour military parade in central London.

Dressed in the scarlet tunic ...

Prince Philip marks 90th birthday with new title

2011-06-10T15:30:22Z

Britain's Prince Philip received a new royal title from his wife Queen Elizabeth II as a gift on his 90th birthday Friday, as the outspoken consort said he would finally scale back his workload.

The queen made him Lord High Admiral -- the titular head of the Britain's Prince Philip, the plain-speaking husband of Queen Elizabeth II, said he was "winding down" his royal workload as he marked his 90th birthday on Friday with a typical lack of fuss.

The gruff patriarch, the longest-serving consort in British history, spent his birthday at work, hosting a ch...

Britain's Prince Philip celebrates 90th birthday

2011-06-10T06:30:35Z

Prince Philip, the husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, turns 90 on Friday but will keep the celebrations at a minimum in keeping with the no-nonsense style that has defined a life behind the throne.

The gruff patriarch, the longest-serving consort in British history, will spend his birthday at ...

Prince Philip celebrates 90th birthday

2011-06-09T19:30:37Z

The gruff patriarch, the longest-serving consort in British history, will spend his birthday at ...

Prince Philip soldiers on as he turns 90

2011-06-08T20:30:24Z

Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, turns 90 on Friday but will mark the occasion with little fanfare, in keeping with his famously no-nonsense style.

The longest-serving consort in British history would have been forgiven a day off to celebrate, but the gruff patriarch did not want a fuss and will spend the day at work, hosting a reception and...

Queen's Derby favourite declared, Fallon in court

2011-06-02T15:30:28Z

Carlton House, owned by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, was declared Thursday for the Derby on Saturday but whether former champion jockey Kieran Fallon makes the Epsom classic hinges on a judge's ruling.

The 46-year-old Irishman's right to ride in the Derby was the subject of a sensational late legal...

Swazi teachers demand king assets freeze

2011-06-01T15:30:15Z

About 3,000 Swazi teachers marched to the South African and US embassies here Wednesday to appeal for an international asset freeze against King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch.

"We appeal to you to identify and freeze assets owned by the ruling elite and investe...

Thailand charges US citizen with insulting royals

2011-05-27T07:00:22Z

A US citizen has been charged in Thailand with insulting the monarchy after he posted material deemed offensive on his blog and put a link to a banned book, authorities said Friday.

Thai-born Lerpong Wichaikhammat, 54, was arrested on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand and is...

Politics replaces pomp on Obama's Britain visit

2011-05-25T01:30:11Z

US President Barack Obama will Wednesday swap royal ceremony for the diplomatic intricacies of navigating the turmoil sown by the Arab Spring, on the final day of his state visit to Britain.

Obama, who was feted on Tuesday by Britain's royal family, will hold talks with Prime Minister David Cameron...

Obamas get royal welcome at Buckingham Palace

2011-05-24T08:30:19Z

LONDON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama received a royal 41-gun salute at Buckingham Palace Tuesday to begin a two-day state visit aimed at ensuring the United States and

Princess's "toilet seat" hat sells for $131,000

2011-05-23T10:00:13Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The much-mocked hat worn by Princess Beatrice to Britain's royal wedding last month -- widely described as looking like a toilet seat -- sold for 81,100 pounds ($131,000) on Princess Beatrice at last month's royal wedding has been sold for the princely sum of £81,100 on internet auction site eBay.

Proceeds from the sale of the hat, designed by Irish milliner Philip Treacy, will be split between two charities: the

Princess Beatrice's wacky wedding hat sells for £81,100

2011-05-22T17:30:36Z

The flamboyant hat worn by Princess Beatrice at last month's royal wedding was Sunday sold for the princely sum of £81,100 on internet auction site eBay.

Proceeds from the sale of the hat, designed by Irish milliner Philip Treacy, will be split between two charities: the ...

Bomb in N.Ireland city raises tensions

2011-05-21T18:30:16Z

A bomb exploded at a bank in Northern Ireland Saturday but caused no injuries, one day after Britain's Queen Elizabeth II ended an historic trip across the border in the Irish Republic.

The blast in a shopping district of Londonderry a...

Queen wraps up Ireland visit hailed as a success

2011-05-20T18:30:25Z

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Friday wrapped up her landmark four-day state visit to Ireland, which analysts said had exceeded expectations and put Anglo-Irish relations on a new footing.

The sovereign flew home after one of the most significant and groundbreaking visits of her near 60-year reign in which she...

Warm weather, royal wedding boost retail sales

2011-05-19T06:30:26Z

Retail sales in Britain grew by a larger-than-expected 1.1 percent in April from the level in March, as warm weather and the royal wedding boosted trade, official data showed on Thursday.

Analysts had forecast a rise of 0.7 percent in April, according to a poll by Dow Jones Newswires.

Retail sales meanwhile jumped by 2.8 percent in...

Queen ducks the Guinness but duke 'definitely tempted'

2011-05-18T16:30:33Z

Queen Elizabeth declined the chance to sup the perfect pint of Guinness but her husband Prince Philip seemed sorely tempted during a visit to the Irish cultural icon's home brewery on Wednesday.

The royal couple were given a tour of the Guinness Storehouse in Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as they react as their car is attacked by angry protesters in London. British police released a video Tuesday Jan. 4, 2011 of ...

Britain Royal Christmas

2010-12-25T08:01:28Z

A young boy runs past Sophie, countess of Wessex, right, to give Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left, a flower as she leaves after attending the British royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service in Sandringham, England, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Du...

Britain Commemorative Coin

2010-12-23T19:01:33Z

This undated combination photo released Thursday Dec. 23, 2010 by the Royal Mint shows both sides of a commemorative £5 Alderney coin to mark Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement. Britain's Prince William, grandson to Queen Elizabeth II, is set to marry Kate Middleton in April 2...

Japan Emperor Birthday

2010-12-22T20:31:49Z

In this photo taken on Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 and released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko admire autumn leaves during their stroll at Fukiage Garden in the Imperial Palace...

Britain Zara Phillips

2010-12-21T14:31:35Z

Zara Phillips, right, and her fiance Mike Tindall, after announcing their engagement, In Gloucestershire, England, Tuesday Dec. 21, 2010. Prince William and

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