Year of trials and tribulations for Britain's royals

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was a year of trials and tribulations for Britain's royals that Queen Elizabeth II called "quite bumpy" in her Christmas Day message.

Here are some of the scandals and misfortunes to have troubled Britain's 93-year-old monarch.

The ailing prince

The year began with the queen's husband Prince Philip overturning his Land Rover after crashing it into an oncoming car.


It ended with the 98-year-old undergoing hospital treatment for what Buckingham Palace described as a "pre-existing condition".

The January accident left a woman with a broken wrist and the prince "shocked and shaken", according to a witness.

The prince was forced to undergo a routine breath test — which he passed.

He blamed the accident on glare from the winter sun and was soon seen driving around the private grounds of one of the royal mansions, but later voluntarily surrendered his driving licence.

Yet time has taken its toll on the queen's companion of 72 years.

He retired from public life in 2017 and had a hip replacement operation the following year.

"Once you get to that age things don't work as well," his son Charles told a reporter on Monday.

The 'favourite son'

The queen's children and grandchildren have frequently been caught up in mischief, but few of their problems have approached the one now facing Prince Andrew — the man often referred to as the queen's "favourite son".

Andrew was dogged throughout the year by allegations that he had sex with one of the victims of US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when she was a teenager.

Andrew's attempts to clear his name in a BBC interview in November could have hardly gone worse.

The prince looked stiff and unapologetic — a performance akin to "watching a man in quicksand", according to PR consultant Mark Borkowski.

Andrew's lines of defence included a bizarre claim that he never sweated — his accuser said he perspired profusely - and that he only stayed at Epstein's home because it was the "honourable" thing to do.

"There is concern in Buckingham Palace," a royal source told The Sunday Times after the interview was aired.

The prince promised to "step back from public duties" a few days later.

The bickering grandchildren

Princess Diana's sons William and Harry found comfort in each other following their mother's death in a 1997 Paris car crash.

But the two princes found themselves dragged into a tabloid scandal involving rumours of a growing rift.

Prince Harry admitted in October that the two were "certainly on different paths".

"Inevitably stuff happens," he said in an ITV interview that was treated as a sensational revelation by some of the newspapers.

Both Harry and his American actress wife Meghan Markle spoke about their struggles living in the public eye.

Harry took legal action against two newspapers over the alleged illegal interception of voicemail messages around the same time.

Meghan filed a separate lawsuit against a paper that published excerpts of letters her estranged father had sent to her.

The Brexit mess

The bitter divisions over Britain's future that have accompanied its exit from the European Union have also given the queen some grief.

She became embroiled in the saga after she approved the suspension of parliament requested by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in August, amid accusations he was trying to stop lawmakers discussing Brexit.

The Supreme Court subsequently ruled that Johnson's request was unlawful as it stopped parliament from carrying out its duties.

The queen herself holds only symbolic power — in practice she has to follow the advice of her ministers.

But the BBC's royal correspondent Jonny Dymond called it "a hideous moment for the palace".

source: philstar.com

Vogue's Anna Wintour made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II

LONDON — Britain's monarch has met a queen of the fashion world, as Vogue editor Anna Wintour was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

Wintour was made a dame — female equivalent of a knight — for services to fashion and journalism in a Buckingham Palace ceremony on yesterday.

The U.K.-born editor arrived wearing her ever-present sunglasses, but removed them before entering the palace ballroom.



She said afterward that the queen had struggled to find a place to pin the insignia on Wintour's pink belted Chanel outfit.

Wintour said she also congratulated the queen on Prince Philip's long public service, calling him "an inspiration to us all."

The queen's husband, who is 95, announced Thursday that he will retire from public engagements in the fall.

source: philstar.com

Helen Mirren, musical ‘Fun Home’ win top Tony Awards

NEW YORK | Helen Mirren won her first Tony on Sunday for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Audience,” and the lesbian-coming of age story “Fun Home” nabbed the top acting prize for Michael Cerveris and best musical at the 69th Tony Awards.

British import “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” about a teenage math wizard with Asperger Syndrome who goes on an incredible journey, won five awards, including best play, director and actor for its star, recent Juilliard School graduate Alex Sharp.

Mirren described her win as “an incredible honor.”

With a Tony, Broadway’s highest honor, an Emmy and an Oscar, she said she would love to win a Grammy, which are for recorded material. “I have to do an audio book,” she joked.

Sharp, in his Broadway debut, surpassed Hollywood star Bradley Cooper and veteran actor Bill Nighy for the best actor accolade.

“Oh my God, oh my God. It’s so crazy,” said a surprised Sharp, who dedicated his award to young people who feel misunderstood or different.

“I feel like I won this award for my character, Christopher, and for people like Christopher,” he said backstage.

Cerveris took home best actor in a musical, his second Tony, for playing the closeted homosexual father in “Fun Home,” which also earned Tonys for best director for Sam Gold, as well as best book and best score.

“I am fortunate to be standing here. You all deserve to be,” he said to his fellow nominees. “Our show is about home and finding who you are.”

SIXTH TIME LUCKY

After six nominations, Kelli O’Hara took home her first Tony for best actress in a musical as the governess in “The King and I.”

“You would think that I would have written down something by now but I haven’t,” a jubilant O’Hara said, thanking her husband and parents.

“I going to do the worm,” she said as she began to dance.

Past winners Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming co-hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast live on CBS television and featured songs from top musicals.

The three-hour show capped a record-breaking season on Broadway in which audience numbers topped 13.1 million and ticket grosses rose to $1.36 billion.

“Skylight” won best revival of a play and “The King and I” took best revival of a musical.

Ruthie Ann Miles, who won the best featured actress in a musical Tony, consulted her cell phone on stage as she accepted the honor.

Mirren’s co-star Richard McCabe picked up the best featured actor prize in a play.

A tearful, flustered Annaleigh Ashford was named best featured actress in a play for her role as the zany ballet-dancing daughter in an eccentric American family in “You Can’t Take it With You.”

Christian Borle won his second Tony for best featured actor in a musical, for “Something Rotten!”

“This feels like an embarrassment of riches,” said Borle about his portrayal of William Shakespeare as a rock star in the bawdy parody of Broadway musicals set in 1590s Tudor England.

The Tony Awards are presented by theater industry association The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, a not-for-profit organization.

source: interaksyon.com

Britain makes Angelina Jolie an honorary dame

LONDON | Angelina Jolie has been made an honorary dame in Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday honors list released Friday, as Britain paid tribute to the Hollywood star for her efforts to combat warzone rape.

The American actress, who U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described as “a fierce and fearless advocate”, leads a list of film idols, sports stars, authors and designers recognized for their services to the United Kingdom.

Daniel Day-Lewis receives a knighthood, while his fellow Oscar-winning film star Dame Maggie Smith — the star of TV period drama “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” films — is made a companion of honor.

Jolie was given the female equivalent of a knighthood for her services to British foreign policy in her campaign to end sexual violence in conflict zones.

She co-hosted a four-day global conference in London on the issue with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, during which Kerry suggested she had played her most lasting role, “the role of fierce and fearless advocate”.

The 39-year-old actress said: “To receive an honor related to foreign policy means a great deal to me, as it is what I wish to dedicate my working life to.

“Working on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative and with survivors of rape is an honor in itself. I know that succeeding in our goals will take a lifetime, and I am dedicated to it for all of mine.”

Jolie becomes an honorary dame commander in the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, an order of chivalry for people “who render extraordinary or important non-military service in a foreign country”.

Day-Lewis, the only man to win three Oscars for best actor — “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will Be Blood” (2007) and “Lincoln” (2012) — said he was thrilled to become a knight of the realm.

“I’m entirely amazed and utterly delighted in equal measure,” he said.

The 57-year-old is known for taking his method acting very seriously, often staying in character off set and living a quiet life in the Irish countryside to prepare for roles.

Maggie Smith, 79, who won an Oscar as best actress for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969), becomes a companion of honour, an order limited to the queen and 65 other ordinary people from across the Commonwealth.

“Homeland” actor Damian Lewis was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

“I was very surprised but very happy to accept,” said the 42-year-old, who made his name in World War II series “Band of Brothers”.

“I decided to do the very un-British thing of accepting the compliment.”

BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet receives an OBE for her services to British broadcast journalism.

Author Hilary Mantel, the first woman to win the Booker Prize for fiction twice, for her historical novel “Wolf Hall” and its sequel “Bring Up the Bodies”, was made a dame.

“I’m delighted to receive this honour. It’s given for ‘services to literature,’ but I see it not so much as a reward for the past, more as encouragement for the future,” the 61-year-old said.

Fashion designer Zandra Rhodes also becomes a dame.

Nineteen-year-old cancer victim Stephen Sutton, who died on May 14 after raising more than £4.2 million ($7.1 million, 5.3 million euros) for a teenage cancer charity, was given an MBE for his efforts, backdated to the date of his death.

His mother Jane said her son was asked shortly before he died whether he would accept the MBE in recognition of his fundraising services — and thought it was “awesome”.

Honours lists are produced twice a year, at New Year and to coincide with the queen’s official birthday in June. She turned 88 in April.

Most recipients are not celebrities, but people who have given their time for charity work or helping their local communities.

source: interaksyon.com

Queen Elizabeth hospitalized for gastroenteritis

LONDON - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in hospital with gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace announced.

All the 86-year-old's engagements for this week, including a visit to Rome, have been called off, the spokesman said.

"The Queen is being assessed at King Edward VII's Hospital in London after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. As a precaution, all official engagements this week will be either postponed or cancelled," he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Britain's Prince Philip in hospital with bladder infection

LONDON - Britain's Prince Philip was hospitalized Wednesday with a repeat of the bladder infection that made him miss part of his wife Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee celebrations in June, Buckingham Palace said.

The 91-year-old was likely to spend several days in hospital after his third health scare in the space of eight months, having also suffered a blocked coronary artery over Christmas last year.

Buckingham Palace said the Duke of Edinburgh, as he is formally known, was taken by ambulance to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in northeast Scotland from Balmoral Castle about 40 miles (60 kilometres) away.

"The Duke of Edinburgh has had a recurrence of the bladder infection that he had in the summer and has been admitted to hospital for investigation and treatment," a palace spokesman said.

"His royal highness is likely to remain there for the next few days."

Buckingham Palace earlier said it was a "precautionary measure." It said he and the queen had been staying at Balmoral.

The outspoken prince had only returned to the estate on Wednesday after visiting the Isle of Wight off southern England and appeared to be in good health as he carried out several public engagements.

Michael Dunkason, who saw Philip before he left the island, said he had "steadily walked up the steps and walked briskly along the jetty.

"The duke seemed in very good spirits and gave a final wave before entering the car," he told the BBC.

Philip had also watched several events at the London Olympics in the last fortnight, including the Olympic debut of his granddaughter Zara Phillips, who eventually won a silver medal.

Philip was hospitalised with a bladder infection for five nights in June, forcing him to miss the end of the huge diamond jubilee celebrations marking his wife's 60th year on the throne.

The infection came after he and the rest of the royal family spent several hours standing on a royal barge in the pouring rain as part of a jubilee pageant on the River Thames in London.

On the night he was taken ill, hundreds of thousands of revellers chanted his name to wish him well at a star-studded jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace.

He also spent four days in hospital at Christmastime in December after undergoing a surgical procedure for a blocked coronary artery.

Greek-born Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British history, and has been a constant fixture by the queen's side throughout her reign.

He is famous for his politically-incorrect jokes, but behind the scenes is said to be a key source of support for the queen.

Born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, Philip fled politically unstable Greece with his family when he was just 18 months old.

A respected officer in Britain's Royal Navy during World War II, he had met Princess Elizabeth in 1939, but the couple did not marry until 1947.

He had to give up his titles as prince of Greece and Denmark and join the Church of England in order to marry the future queen.

He was placed in command of a ship after the wedding, but his career was cut short by the death of king George VI in 1952, which brought Elizabeth to the throne.

He once admitted the curtailment of his career was "disappointing", but said that "being married to the queen, it seemed to me that my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could".

They have four children, including heir to the throne Prince Charles. — AFP

source: gmanetwork.com

Ex-finance chief de Ocampo receives award from Queen Elizabeth II

MANILA -- Former finance secretary Roberto de Ocampo has been awarded by Queen Elizabeth II an honorary OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his efforts to promote relations between the United Kingdom and the Philippines for over four decades.

According to the UK embassy here, British Ambassador Stephen Lillie recently hosted a special dinner in de Ocampo’s honor and presented him with the medal from Her Majesty The Queen for his appointment as an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Among the guests were business leaders and high-level government officials.

The Order of the British Empire recognizes distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the civil service, and work with charitable and welfare organizations of all kinds.

“This award is not only an immeasurably precious one to me for my lifetime but a treasure for my family to have and keep and to pass on to the next generations. The fact that this is all taking place during the Queen’s Jubilee Year, the London Olympics, and the 250^th anniversary year of the first British presence in the Philippines makes the memory of this event more compellingly special to me,” said de Ocampo when he accepted the award.

Ambassador Lillie acknowledged de Ocampo as “a tireless and influential advocate for friendship, business, and cooperation between our two island nations.” He also paid tribute to de Ocampo’s “unstinting and unpaid service” as chairman of the British Alumni Association (BAA) in the Philippines, which he has led for more than 12 years.

“Under his chairmanship, the BAA has become much more than an alumni association, but a truly effective body for the promotion of bilateral friendship and understanding,” said Ambassador Lillie.

“In particular, under Bobby’s leadership, and with his very personal and hands-on involvement, the BAA has developed the annual UK-Philippines Friendship Day into an annual week-long celebration of the links between the UK and the Philippines… This has significantly raised the reputation and prestige of the UK in our host country. The Friendship Week also has a strong charitable component, involving annual fundraising and outreach to disadvantaged communities in the Philippines,” he added.

De Ocampo acknowledged that his “association with and affection for the UK” started in 1971 when he was accepted to a post-graduate program in Development Administration at the London School of Economics.

“I benefitted from being there at a time of substantial historical significance for the UK as it was in the process of transitioning from a longstanding Welfare State System towards the Margaret Thatcher era. The experience was both an exciting one and a profound influence on me,” he explained.

A former secretary of finance during the presidency of Fidel Ramos, de Ocampo is a product of both De La Salle and Ateneo Universities. He received his MBA from the University of Michigan, a post-graduate diploma from the London School of Economics and has been conferred four Doctorates (Honoris Causa) different universities in the Philippines.

source: interaksyon.com