Manchester: A message from Her Majesty The Queen

Her Majesty meets Evie Mills, aged 14, from Harrogate, and dad, Craig at the hospital in Manchester.

The Queen told victims in Manchester Children's Hospital the attacker was 'very wicked to target' the concert on Monday.

A message from Her Majesty The Queen to the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

23rd May 2017

The whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert.

I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured.

I want to thank all the members of the emergency services, who have responded with such professionalism and care.

And I would like to express my admiration for the way the people of Manchester have responded, with humanity and compassion, to this act of barbarity.

ELIZABETH R.

Queen Elizabeth will unveil the Iraq Afghanistan Memorial

Prince Harry during his tour in Afghanistan

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will attend a Service of Dedication on Horse Guards Parade before formally unveiling the new Iraq Afghanistan Memorial on Victoria Embankment Gardens, London, on Thursday, 9th March.

The Iraq Afghanistan Memorial Memorial honours all UK Service personnel and civilians who took part in conflicts in the Gulf region, Iraq and Afghanistan between 1990 and 2015.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will also attend the Service of Dedication, together with 2,500 invited guests.

Guests at the Service of Dedication will include current Service personnel, veterans, representatives of departments and bodies including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the National Health Service, and representatives of various charities and aid organisations.

Following the Service of Dedication, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel to Victoria Embankment Gardens, where Her Majesty will unveil the Iraq Afghanistan Memorial in the presence of the Memorial Trustees, together with individuals who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.

Members of the Royal Family, led by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, will then attend a reception on Horse Guards Parade for those who attended the Service of Dedication.

Camilla and The Night Manager

The Daily Telegraph reported the first meeting of HRH Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and Tom Hiddleston who won fame in the BBC's great thriller success The Night Manager, which was on air in March in the UK, on Foxtel in Australia and is presently shown in the USA.

The Duchess didn't mind Tom Hiddleston's arm on her shoulder.

Obviously the Duchess watched the five-part mini series as this dialogue proves:

"After [BBC Radio 2 host Chris] Evans greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, he introduced the Duchess to Hiddleston, saying: 'Your Royal Highness, The Night Manager.'

"The Duchess said: 'Hello Night Manager, how are you? Sunday nights just aren't the same without you.'

"'Well I can only apologise unreservedly for that,' said Hiddleston

"'But you might come back again?' the Duchess asked hopefully.

"'Well you never know,' he replied. 'We will have to ask John Le Carré [the writer].'

"'Well it was brilliant, the Duchess said. 'Everyone sat gripped.'"

Once again Her Royal Highness showed her good taste.

Yehudi Menuhin believed in constitutional Monarchy

The Right Honourable The Lord Menuhin OM KBE

Yehudi Menuhin, one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, was an American-born violinist and conductor, who spent most of his performing career in Britain, where he became a monarchist. He received a knighthood in 1985 and in 1993  Sir Yehudi was bestowed a life peerage by the Queen as The Right Honourable The Lord Menuhin OM KBE. He was born 100 years ago on 22nd April 1916 and died on 12th March 1999.

In its 1975 summer edition The Monarchist - Journal of the Monarchist League published the following letter to the editor by Yehudi Menuhin:

Sir,

Thank you for sending me a copy of The Monarchist. Having read it, though, I would like to take this opportunity to point out a fundamental weakness in your proposition.

Constitutional monarchy is the genius of the British nation whose people understand what your philosophy has failed to realise, viz., that the very heart of the system is ineluctably welded to democracy. It is palpably obvious that the highest position in the land is utterly without power, and by this very token our responsibility for the weaker, courtesy for principle, and pride in the sharing of power between all citizens, from Palace to Pub, upheld.

I believe that constitutional monarchy is the best defence of democracy.

Yours sincerely,

Yehudi Menuhin,
London N6

Anzac Day 2016 London

Ticket applications for the Cenotaph wreath laying ceremony, and the Westminster Abbey service will close at 5:00pm on Tuesday, 12th April (UK time).

Applications for tickets opened on 25th February. You will need to provide details of ID (passport or driver’s license) for all applicants, so please ensure you have this information handy when you apply. To apply for tickets, please click on this link.
 
Monday, 25th April 2016

5.00am: Dawn Service, Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner

The main service will take place in front of the Royal Artillery Memorial on Hyde Park Corner. The service lasts approximately 45 minutes and is a non-ticketed event open to the public.

In 2016, the only entry point for the public will be at the Green Park/south-east corner. Access to the site will be from 3.30am onwards. There will be a search regime in place, so please do not bring large bags with you. We recommend you arrive early in order to secure the best viewpoint.

9.30am: Gallipoli Association Service, St Paul's Cathedral

A short service and wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Gallipoli Memorial in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral at 9.15 am for 9.30am on Monday 25 April. Wreaths will be laid by a representative of Her Britannic Majesty's Government, by senior representatives of the Royal Navy and the Army, and of the High Commissions of Australia and New Zealand, and other high-ranking officials from France and Turkey. Tickets are not required for this event.

Please note this service is not organised by the High Commission, but by the Gallipoli Association – enquires can be made to: events@gallipoli-association.org

11.00am: Wreath Laying Ceremony and Parade, The Cenotaph, Whitehall

Following a march onto Whitehall, a requiem is read, and at 11.00am the High Commissioners for New Zealand and Australia lay the first wreaths. They are followed by representatives of other countries, as well as representatives from various service and ex-service organisations. Arrival by 10.30am is recommended. This service will conclude at approx 11.20am, allowing time for the short walk to Westminster Abbey for the Commemorative Service.

If you are Service, ex-Service Personnel, or a relative interested in marching in the Parade, please click on this link (external link) to apply for tickets.

If you wish to observe the service, you will be able to watch from the east (Richmond House) side of Whitehall without a ticket.

12.00 noon: Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving, Westminster Abbey

On completion of the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Cenotaph, there is a Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving to mark Anzac Day at Westminster Abbey at 12.00 noon. Guests need to be seated at the Abbey by 11.45 am. The service is approximately one hour.

Complimentary tickets are required to attend this service. They may be requested from the High Commissions of New Zealand or Australia and are allocated on a ‘first in, first served basis’.

ANZAC100 Commemorative Coin.

Last year Her Majesty's representative in New Zealand, Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, presented the Commemorative Coin at an official launch at Government House in Wellington.

Britain and Australia reject republicanism

Three quarters of people asked in a recent opinion poll believe that the newborn Prince George of Cambridge will one day accede to the throne to which he is third in line, the ComRes survey for The Sunday Telegraph found.

Just 9 per cent of those questioned think that he will not become king because Britain will have become a republic - whereas a poll in 2011 found that a quarter of people expected a republic to emerge within 50 years.

Even among 18 to 24-year-olds, the age group most likely to hold republican views, today’s poll shows a solid 69 per cent believe that Prince George will one day become king.

The poll suggests that the majority of the country sees no benefit in republicanism, with some two thirds of those polled (66 per cent) thinking that Britain is better off as a monarchy.

Only 17 per cent wanted a republic instead.

As a coincidence Rupert Murdoch's newspaper The Australian published an article two days before the UK poll became public stating that Modern Monarchy depresses republicans.

[Australian Republican Movement (ARM) national director David Morris], "the man charged with leading the push for Australia to become a republic admits he's 'very depressed'.

"The ARM national director insists most people want Australia to become a republic when the current Queen's reign ends.

"In the early 1990s some 70 per cent of Australians wanted a republic while 30 per cent were monarchists.

"But since the failed 1999 referendum, support for a republic has dropped to about 40 per cent.

"'This week the media has taken a lot more interest in talking about Australian nationhood at a time of a UK event and yet when we try and talk about Australia (and a republic) the media has no interest,' Morris says.

"'It's very depressing.'"

Even in The Age's editorial Hooray! A new Royal. May he never be our king despite its vitriolic tone, depression shines through:

"Here, republican sentiment has largely been dormant since the 1999 referendum, absent a convincing champion to drive the quest anew. But the arguments for Australia to sever ties to the monarchy have only become more compelling as Asia has boomed."

Why the Asian economic boom should have anything to day with Australia's form of state is The Age's secret. As an independent nation Australia said No in a fair and free referendum in 1999, something most Asian nation never experienced. With its rejection of republicanism Australia could become a model for the emerging countries in Asia.

Greek King still on a mission for Greece

HM King Constantine II of the Hellenes has no official function in Greece anymore, however, he is still actively working for his home country.

This became obvious in a new documentary Our Queen that was broadcast last Sunday on ITV. The excellent two-hour documentary about the Queen in her Jubilee year received praise from the critics and can be watched on YouTube or in the embedded video below.

Twelve minutes ten seconds into the programme Prime Minister David Cameron appears for his weekly meeting with the Queen. The comment goes on like this:

Every Wednesday at 6 pm the sovereign receives her prime minister.

Prime Minister : There’s a lot going on this week. There’s the Euro zone crisis, the Greek elections, French elections ...

Queen Elizabeth: We were talking about the Euro zone problem. The King did ring me. He is very worried about it.

Greek republicans may not like it, but via the British Monarch the Greek King raised the issue with one of the important leaders in the EU.

On The Greek Royal Familiy's website is another indicator for the King's concern:

His Majesty King Constantine’s message on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the Liberation of the city of Ioannina 4 March 2013

Asked by journalists about Greece's social and economic crisis, HM King Constantine, stressed, that the politicians and our society can lead our country to better days, only when they act in accord, in unity.

We cannot afford further friction amongst politicians nor our society to be divided.

Citizens and the State must be in concord.

"When the people suffer, we all suffer", HM King Constantine concluded.

Diamond Jubilee song biggest selling single of 2012

Gary Barlow and the Commonwealth Band have taken the top spot in the UK charts this week, with 'Sing.' The track was written and recorded for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and was accompanied by a BBC documentary showing Barlow travelling the continents on the hunt for musicians to perform on the track.
 
'Sing' sold 142,000 following the concert on 3rd June 2012 and claims this week's No.1 single spot, with Gary Barlow also claiming a No.1 album with his commemorative record of the same name. All proceeds of the album go to the charities endorsed by the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee.
 
At a special meeting at Windsor Castle Andrew Lloyd Webber (r.) and Gary Barlow officially presented Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a special anthem they have jointly composed in honour of her Diamond Jubilee.
 

 
 

Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

On the Occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Reign

To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

I write to offer my warmest congratulations to Your Majesty on the happy occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of your reign. During the past sixty years you have offered to your subjects and to the whole world an inspiring example of dedication to duty and a commitment to maintaining the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, in keeping with a noble vision of the role of a Christian monarch.

I retain warm memories of the gracious welcome accorded to me by Your Majesty at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh at the beginning of my Apostolic Visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010, and I renew my thanks for the hospitality that I received throughout those four days. Your personal commitment to cooperation and mutual respect between the followers of different religious traditions has contributed in no small measure to improving ecumenical and interreligious relations throughout your realms.

Commending Your Majesty and all the Royal Family to the protection of Almighty God, I renew my heartfelt good wishes on this joyful occasion and I assure you of my prayers for your continuing health and prosperity.

From the Vatican, 23 May 2012

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI


MESSAGGIO DEL SANTO PADRE BENDEDETTO XVI

A SUA MAESTÀ ELISABETTA II, REGINA DEL REGNO UNITO,

IN OCCASIONE DEL GIUBILEO DI DIAMANTE DEL SUO REGNO

A Sua Maestà
la Regina Elisabetta II

Scrivo per formularle, Maestà, le mie più cordiali congratulazioni nella lieta occasione del giubileo di diamante del suo regno. Negli ultimi sessant’anni lei ha offerto ai suoi sudditi e al mondo intero un esempio ispirante di dedizione al dovere e d’impegno a sostenere i principi di libertà, giustizia e democrazia, conformemente a una nobile visione del ruolo di un monarca cristiano.

Conservo cordiali ricordi della cortese accoglienza che lei, Maestà, mi ha riservato a Holyroodhouse a Edimburgo, all’inizio della mia visita Apostolica nel Regno Unito nel settembre 2010, e rinnovo i miei ringraziamenti per l’ospitalità che ho ricevuto in tutti e quattro quei giorni. Il suo impegno personale a favore della cooperazione e del mutuo rispetto tra i seguaci delle diverse tradizioni religiose ha contribuito in non poca misura a migliorare le relazioni ecumeniche e interreligiose nei suoi regni.

Affidando Sua Maestà e l’intera Famiglia Reale alla protezione di Dio Onnipotente, rinnovo i miei cordiali buoni auspici in questa gioiosa occasione e l’assicuro delle mie preghiere per la sua buona salute e prosperità.

Dal Vaticano, 23 maggio 2012

Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee address

The Queen's address to both Houses of Parliament, 20th March 2012

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,

I am most grateful for your Loyal Addresses and the generous words of the Lord Speaker and Mr. Speaker.

This great institution has been at the heart of the country and the lives of our people throughout its history. As Parliamentarians, you share with your forebears a fundamental role in the laws and decisions of your own age. Parliament has survived as an unshakeable cornerstone of our constitution and our way of life.

History links monarchs and Parliament, a connecting thread from one period to the next. So, in an era when the regular, worthy rhythm of life is less eye-catching than doing something extraordinary, I am reassured that I am merely the second Sovereign to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.

As today, it was my privilege to address you during my Silver and Golden Jubilees. Many of you were present ten years ago and some of you will recall the occasion in 1977. Since my Accession, I have been a regular visitor to the Palace of Westminster and, at the last count, have had the pleasurable duty of treating with twelve Prime Ministers.

Over such a period, one can observe that the experience of venerable old age can be a mighty guide but not a prerequisite for success in public office. I am therefore very pleased to be addressing many younger Parliamentarians and also those bringing such a wide range of background and experience to your vital, national work.

During these years as your Queen, the support of my family has, across the generations, been beyond measure. Prince Philip is, I believe, well-known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide. He and I are very proud and grateful that The Prince of Wales and other members of our family are travelling on my behalf in this Diamond Jubilee year to visit all the Commonwealth Realms and a number of other Commonwealth countries.

These overseas tours are a reminder of our close affinity with the Commonwealth, encompassing about one-third of the world’s population. My own association with the Commonwealth has taught me that the most important contact between nations is usually contact between its peoples. An organisation dedicated to certain values, the Commonwealth has flourished and grown by successfully promoting and protecting that contact.

At home, Prince Philip and I will be visiting towns and cities up and down the land. It is my sincere hope that the Diamond Jubilee will be an opportunity for people to come together in a spirit of neighbourliness and celebration of their own communities.

We also hope to celebrate the professional and voluntary service given by millions of people across the country who are working for the public good. They are a source of vital support to the welfare and wellbeing of others, often unseen or overlooked.

And as we reflect upon public service, let us again be mindful of the remarkable sacrifice and courage of our Armed Forces. Much may indeed have changed these past sixty years but the valour of those who risk their lives for the defence and freedom of us all remains undimmed.

The happy relationship I have enjoyed with Parliament has extended well beyond the more than three and a half thousand Bills I have signed into law. I am therefore very touched by the magnificent gift before me, generously subscribed by many of you. Should this beautiful window cause just a little extra colour to shine down upon this ancient place, I should gladly settle for that.

We are reminded here of our past, of the continuity of our national story and the virtues of resilience, ingenuity and tolerance which created it. I have been privileged to witness some of that history and, with the support of my family, rededicate myself to the service of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.

This was the monarch's sixth address to both Houses of Parliament. She gave similar speeches in celebration of her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Silver Jubilee 25 years earlier in 1977.

The Speakers of both houses lauded the Queen's dedication to her subjects. Introducing the Queen ahead of her address to Parliament to mark her Diamond Jubilee, the House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, praised the monarch for "sixty years of stability. Sixty years of security. Sixty years of certainty. Sixty years of sacrifice. Sixty years of service."

The Lord Speaker, Baroness Frances D'Souza of Wychwood in the County of Oxfordshire, who is also President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, stressed the Monarch's dedication the the Commonwealth.

Lord Speaker addresses Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Most Gracious Sovereign,

We, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, are assembled here today to celebrate sixty years of Your reign. We record with warmth and affection our appreciation of Your dedicated service to Your people, and Your unequalled sense of public duty over the years - service and duty to which You have only recently, and so movingly, re-dedicated Yourself.

We celebrate too Your stewardship of Your high office. You have personified continuity and stability while ensuring that Your role has evolved imperceptibly, with the result that the Monarchy is as integral a part of our national life today as it was 60 years ago.

We rejoice in this Jubilee and we give thanks for all that it represents.

At the same time, we record our gratitude for the support which You have received throughout Your reign from His Royal Highness Prince Philip, for in this year of jubilee we celebrate his service too.

This is one of the first of many celebrations to be held up and down the land. In the coming months You and the Duke will travel widely throughout the Kingdom. But today You have come to Parliament, the constitutional heart of the nation, and granted us the privilege of being the first of Your people formally to honour Your Jubilee. And where better to begin the celebrations than here, in the splendour of Westminster Hall - a hall of kings and queens for almost a millennium.

While this Hall has seen many historic events, few are permanently commemorated. So we look forward with great anticipation to the unveiling of the stained glass window which members of both Houses have commissioned in honour of this day. When placed in the window above the great doors, Your Coat of Arms and Royal Cypher will bathe the Hall in colour and be seen daily by members and staff as they walk through to their offices—and by the many thousands of visitors we receive here weekly, from both home and abroad.

For we must remember that Your Jubilee will be celebrated with joy in Your other realms and territories, and throughout the rest of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth as we know it today is of course one of the great achievements of Your reign and under Your leadership continues to flourish, with a membership of 54 countries. It is still growing. It is a tremendous force for good in the world and we are aware of its special personal significance to You.

Many of us present here today take an active part in the work of the United Kingdom Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. We work to share our experiences, to learn from one another, and to promote democracy. But our efforts are as nothing compared with those of Your Majesty in the service of Your beloved Commonwealth. Over the years You have visited all but two Commonwealth countries—some, many times—and attended all Heads of Government meetings since 1997. We look on with admiration and pride at the triumphs of some of Your recent tours and it is significant that members of the Royal Family are representing You this year at the Jubilee celebrations being held in all those lands in which You are Head of State.

Your Majesty, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled give thanks for this Your Diamond Jubilee. We look forward to the years to come and we pray that You and Your realms may enjoy the peace, plenty and prosperity that have so distinguished Your reign.

During the event a Diamond Jubilee window - a gift from the members of both Houses - was unveiled to mark the monarch's 60-year reign. It will be installed above the North Door of Westminster Hall later this year.

Republicanism does not gain ground

There's little comfort for the republic group in the UK, despite Graham Smith's efforts to claim progress for his cause (there as well as in Australia, therefore he is a welcome writer for the Australian republican publications). In The New Statesman Sunder Katwala wrote on 7th February 2012:

The uncomfortable truth for republicans is that public attitudes to the monarchy have barely shifted.

What is most striking is just how little difference all of that made to public attitudes. There is very limited evidence for the "changing public attitude" which Smith says the media is ignoring. Robert Worcester of pollster MORI has more persuasively identified attitudes to the Monarchy as "the most stable measure of public opinion that exists in this country", remaining remarkably consistent at just under one in five across recent decades.

Support for a republic was 18 per cent in 1969. It was also 18 per cent in 1993, 19 per cent in 2002, 18 per cent again in 2007 and 18 per cent again in 2011. During the turbulent period of 1993-2002, MORI found support for remaining a monarchy remained within the narrow range of 69 per cent to 74 per cent in favour. The Jubilee polls are very likely to find very similar levels of support.

British Future state of the nation polling found a broad appetite for the Jubilee celebrations, with 68 per cent believing that the Jubilee will boost the British national mood, while 7 per cent say it will have a negative impact and 23 per cent say it will make no difference. It is an attitude held by 69 per cent in England and 70 per cent in Wales, and by a majority (55 per cent) in Scotland too.

Perhaps, as Graham Smith claims, "any residual affection" will end with the Queen but it sounds like wishful thinking. The end of a reign and the accession of a new Monarch is as likely to be powerful a moment when the Monarchy is as secure as ever.

Republicans make no effort to understand the Monarchist majority
Republicanism remains, of course, an entirely legitimate democratic project, but its advocates must admit that they are a democratic minority, with a sustained democratic majority for a constitutional monarchy, and has made little apparent effort to understand why most people are not persuaded or to respect the views of those who disagree, tending to portray most people as unthinking drones who have been duped by the propaganda. The challenge for republicans is that, while most people understand the arguments for and against, a majority remain unpersuaded that there would be any significant gain, while many would feel a deep sense of loss at the removal of this living link to British history in order to tidy up the constitution and make the country just a little bit more like everywhere else.

The Huhne affair follow-up

As written yesterday by the RadicalRoyalist, the discussion on a possible new Royal Yacht Britannia has a political background, on which The Age wasted not one syllable.

The Daily Telegraph published a follow-up today: Chris Huhne: all the malice of Machiavelli - but sadly none of his skill:

The staff at No 10 were wreathed in smiles as they read yesterday’s papers. Chris Huhne’s attempt to smear the Tories had backfired. The Lib Dem Energy Secretary was named as the person who had leaked a letter from Michael Gove calling for a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Huhne had hoped to show that the Conservatives were wasting taxpayers’ money – but was instead, joyously, exposed as being helplessly out of the loop. Gove, in earlier missives that he hadn’t sent to Huhne, stressed that private donations should pay for the yacht.

Hee hee hee: the hateful Huhne was left with egg on his face.

The Queen bestows a rare honour on Wootton Bassett

The war in Afghanistan may be controversial, especially when one keeps in mind that the wish of the Afghan delegates of the Loya Jirga to restore the Monarchy was ignored by the Western powers, but the soldiers who fight, are injured or, sadly, die there deserve everyone's respect. Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire, UK, has gained fame as its residents stood quietly showing respect for fallen servicemen as their bodies passed through the town.

The BBC reported two days ago:

Wootton Bassett has been officially renamed with the prefix "Royal" in a ceremony in the Wiltshire town.

Thousands of people gathered for the ceremony, during which the Princess Royal presented the Letters Patent on behalf of the Queen.

The move recognises the role the town played during the repatriation of UK military personnel killed in war.

The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, at the commemoration event in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Speaking at the ceremony Princess Anne paid tribute to the residents and said the community had come together in a most extraordinary way.

"I am privileged to be allowed to add my thanks to those of Her Majesty the Queen and the whole country for the example you set in responding with dignity and respect to the losses that this country, operational responsibilities have forced upon us," she said.

The Princess Royal and the Mayor of Royal Wootton Bassett, Councillor Paul Heaphy, unveil the Letters Patent at the commemoration event marking the town's new 'Royal' title, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, 16th October 2011.

Earlier the Princess was received by the Lord Lieutenant, John Bush, before touring an exhibition in the town's library and watching a parade through the town's High Street.

The decision to rename it Royal Wootton Bassett was taken by the Queen following a petition from the prime minister.

The last town to be given royal status was Tunbridge Wells in Kent, in 1909.

The first repatriation service took place in Wootton Bassett in April 2007 when the bodies of military personnel began arriving at the nearby RAF base at Lyneham.

Since then thousands of people have turned out to pay their respects to servicemen killed in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The last cortege passed through the town in August, after which RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire became the landing site for planes returning from conflict zones.

Jubilee Woods for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

With HRH The Princess Royal as Patron, the Jubilee Woods project is set to create hundreds of new woods, transforming our landscape in a generation and making a real and meaningful difference for many years to come.

Together, communities, schools, companies and landowners will plant a total of 6 million trees, creating hundreds of Jubilee Woods and copses.

What's more, 60 very special Diamond Woods of at least 60 acres will also be planted – each representing a year of Her Majesty's reign.

We hope friends, neighbours and families will come together to plant thousands of individual trees in their gardens or backyards, too – each taking the chance to mark this moment in history in a way that will stay with them forever.

The Woodland Trust can offer landowners help and advice every step of the way.

A living, breathing legacy and the ultimate tribute to Her Majesty, each Diamond Wood will support our best-loved birds and wildlife and feature in a beautiful commemorative booklet, which the Woodland Trust will present to The Queen at the completion of the project.
Sites should ideally be around 60 acres and planting will commence from autumn 2011 until the close of 2012.

Unfortunately this project appeals to British landowners only, however, the idea is fascinating and should be adopted in Australia. This continents needs more trees.

The Queen goes green

As The Daily Telegraph reported The Queen has taken delivery of two giant hydroelectric turbines that will help meet the Royal Family’s attempts to power Windsor Castle using economic sustainable energy.

The 40-tonne Archimedes’ screws were put in place by crane at Romney Weir on the River Thames, just a few miles from her favourite royal residence.

Since August 2008 a hydro power station supplies electricity to Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visit London's riot communities

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall met families whose homes were burnt down, and those from the emergency services who were on the frontline of the London riots on 17th August. They broke off from their holiday in Scotland to show solidarity with urban communities scarred by the violence, arson and looting.


Speaking of the unease still gripping many neighbourhoods, Prince Charles said it was time to deal with the "real causes" rather than the "symptoms" of England's worst civil unrest in decades


On a visit to Tottenham Green Leisure Centre in Tottenham, North London, where an emergency relief effort is under way, Their Royal Highnesses also chatted to volunteers who have been helping those affected get their lives back on track.


During the visit, Their Royal Highnesses met children at the Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, where the Salvation Army is also helping to sort through items donated to the centre.


In Hackney Prince Charles met youth ambassadors and volunteers at a centre for The Prince's Trust, the charity he founded in 1976 to help turn around the lives of disadvantaged youngsters. Volunteers from Youth United, an organisation established by The Prince to bring together a number of youth groups including The Scouts Association, Boys Brigade and The Prince’s Trust among others, took to the streets today to help clean up the mess caused as a result of the riots.

"Young people join gangs because it is a cry for help," the heir to the throne said. "There are not enough extra-curricular activities and young people are lacking opportunity. A lot of people are dealing with the symptoms and not looking at the real causes. You can now go out there and motivate others and set an example for young people and show them there is another way. You are the army we have to mobilise."


The Prince has been committed to helping young people for many years, and in 1976 established The Prince's Trust to help change young lives. The Prince's Trust announced it will be providing a £2.5 million investment to communities that have been hardest hit by the riots including Manchester, Birmingham and the London communities of Hackney, Tottenham and Croydon.


In Lambeth, The Prince and The Duchess met those from support services who had been at the frontline of the riots, including police, ambulance and fire services from other boroughs.

Early warnings fom The Prince's Trust
Earlier this year, The Prince’s Trust has warned the UK is developing a "youth underclass". A survey for the Prince's Trust of more than 2,300 people aged 16-24 published on 18th May suggested those from deprived backgrounds were three times more likely to say they will "end up on benefits".

The Prince's Trust blamed an "aspiration gap" between rich and poor. The research revealed what the trust described as the tragedy of young people from poor homes who feel they have no future.

A quarter of those from deprived backgrounds believed they would achieve few or none of their life goals, with a similar proportion expecting to end up on benefits for at least part of their life.

Some 23% from this group thought they were destined for a dead-end job compared to 6% of those from affluent families.

Video

News of the World

Rupert Murdoch’s media empire may be stirred, but is not shaken – yet. Last week’s events in the UK has implications on three continents, where his tentacles have got hold of the media.

Peter Oborne, Chief Political Commentator of The Daily Telegraph, wrote a scathing analysis on Mr. Murdoch’s influence on Britsh politicans Phone hacking: David Cameron is not out of the sewer yet

"For more than three decades the most powerful man in Britain has not been a politician; it has been the brilliant but ruthless US-based media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, who burst on to the scene with the purchase of the News of the World in an audacious takeover bid in 1968. Within barely a decade he had built up a controlling interest in British newspapers.

"But he did not just control our media. He dominated British public life. Politicians – including prime ministers – treated him with deference and fear. Time and again the Murdoch press – using techniques of which we have only just become aware – destroyed political careers. Murdoch also claims to determine the results of general elections.

"Rupert Murdoch’s empire has been a spider at the heart of an intricate web that has poisoned British public life.

"Murdoch used his power to immense effect, undermining and attacking our greatest public institutions – above all the monarchy and the judiciary. His employees believed they were above the law and could act with impunity".

Queen Elizabeth holds talks with Sultan Qaboos on boosting Britain-Oman ties

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II met Sultan Qaboos during a visit to Muscat marking the 40th anniversary of his rule, on her second and final leg of a Gulf tour.

Dressed in light pink with a white bag, gloves and shoes, the 84-year-old monarch who arrived from a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, to the Sultan’s Al Alam Palace.

Omani artillery fired a 21-gun salute to the Queen upon her arrival at the palace, Oman’s official ONA news agency reported.

The Sultan, the Queen and Prince Philip discussed “the historical relations binding the two friendly countries (and) aspects of the existing close co-operation between the two sides in all fields,” it said.

The visit “is an opportunity to celebrate our thriving relationship” with Oman “which has been transformed since Her Majesty last visited in 1979 ... and to look forward to even stronger ties,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement posted on the embassy’s website.

More photos on Queen Elizabeth's visit to the Sultanate of Oman at Noblesse et Royautés.

On 6th and 7th March 2011 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will pay a visit to Oman on the invitation of Sultan Qaboos. The Dutch Queen will be accompanied by Crown Prince Willem Alexander and his wife, Princess Maxima.

Australia's future King paid tribute to 250 British and Australian WWI soldiers


The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall today paid tribute to the last of the 250 British and Australian soldiers who were laid to rest with full military honours in Fromelles, France, after their bodies were found in mass graves in 2008.


The Prince of Wales walked behind the coffin of an unidentified soldier which was carried through the village on a First World War military wagon pulled by horses from the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery.


The unnamed soldier was just one out of more than 1,500 Britons and 5,000 Australians whose bodies were dumped in one of four mass graves by German soldiers.


His Royal Highness was joined by the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, in the walking procession to the Commonwealth cemetery specially created to give the 250 men their last resting place.


The Duchess of Cornwall was also present in the audience, while The Prince made a speech to honour the fallen soldiers.

The speech by HRH The Prince of Wales at the Dedication of the Fromelles cemetery, France
19th July 2010:

Governor General, Monsieur le ministre, Families of those killed in action here in Fromelles, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a great privilege for my wife and myself to be here today to bear witness to this important and moving ceremony, as we lay to rest the last of the "Unnamed Warriors" whose remains were so recently discovered only metres away. In laying this last hero to rest, we honour them all.

Standing here, I cannot help but be taken back to that terrible day in July 1916; to a world made familiar and accessible to us and our children by the truly outstanding work of organizations like the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and Imperial War Museum in London. Ninety-four years ago in Fromelles there were no buildings, or even trees or hedges, to define and punctuate the landscape we see today – such was the intensity and ferocity of the conflict. There were not even any local people - they had all been displaced. The vast and heavily defended German position stretched out two kilometres to our North West.

In the trenches beyond the German front line and No-Mans Land, the man we have reinterred today was billeted with his brothers-in-arms – his “cobbers” - from the 5th Australian Division and the British soldiers of the 61st (South Midland) Division. I can only begin to imagine his emotions as he made the journey to the Western Front: perhaps the initial excitement of waiting for orders, the sickening anxiety preparing for battle and, as the attack began in earnest, a mix of sheer adrenaline and heart-stopping apprehension. But, somehow, he and his friends mustered the incredible courage to climb over the parapet into a hail of machinegun fire and into a field strewn with mud, barbed wire and the dead. We will never know what impact that apocalyptic scene had on them. Leon Gellert captures all this with such poignancy in his poem “Before Action,” when he says “I wondered if my packing-straps were tight, And wondered why I wondered… Sound went wild… and order came… I ran into the night, wondering why I smiled.”


The next day the full horror of what had taken place was revealed. More than 5,500 Australian soldiers and 1,500 British soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. Under orders, German soldiers moved the body of this man and his cobbers to Pheasant Wood where they were buried.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am profoundly humbled by the outstanding bravery of these men who fought so valiantly in the indescribable mud and carnage, many thousands of miles from their families and from their homes. Today we honour and commemorate these young soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might live in peace and so that our children and grandchildren might learn the lessons from both devastating world conflicts.

We dedicate this cemetery in grateful memory of all those in the Land Forces of the Commonwealth who died in the cause of freedom, particularly those who fought and died during the Battle of Fromelles and the 250 soldiers whom we remember especially today.

May we ever be mindful of them and their comrades in arms of all Services and be guided by their example of loyalty, service and selflessness.

Emotion et recueillement à Fromelles
La foule était silencieuse, encore sous l'émotion de ces lettres de soldats qui venaient d'être lues, quand le prince Charles a pénétré, hier à 12 h 40, dans le nouveau cimetière de Fromelles, au son des tambours et des fifres.