Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Phillip Current Events
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Start of with her activities in the beginning of Jan.
Queen strips Hamed of MBE honour
Former world boxing champion "Prince" Naseem Hamed has been stripped of his MBE honour on the orders of
Queen Elizabeth II.
The 32-year-old was a member of the most excellent order of the British Empire (MBE) but the chivalry honour has been revoked following his 15-month prison sentence for dangerous driving.
His former trainer Brendan Ingle told BBC radio that it would be a "terrible blow" to the former featherweight.
"He will be very upset. It is really sad the way things have turned out. He was a fantastic champion," Ingle said .
Hamed was sent to jail in May 2006 after he caused a 90 miles per hour head-on crash in May 2004 which left driver Andrew Burgin seriously injured. The fighter then left the scene. He served 16 weeks of his sentence.
"When you see the young chap Burgin and you see the mess his life is in physically, all my feelings go out to the Burgins," Ingle said.
"The lad's still smashed up and he's still in pain."
Notice of the award's withdrawal was given in The London Gazette, an official newspaper of the crown.
It read: "The Queen has directed that the appointment of Naseem Hamed to be a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 31 December 1998, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order."
The Cabinet Office does not comment on individual cases but said withdrawal of an honour was "extremely rare".
"Forfeiture will be considered if evidence comes to light that someone has done something which shows they shouldn't have received an honour," a spokeswoman for the government department said.
One-time world featherweight champion Hamed lost only one of his 37 professional contests but has been out of boxing since 2002.
Born to Yemeni parents in Sheffield, he made his professional debut in 1992 and remained unbeaten until April 2001, when he lost on a unanimous points decision to Mexico's Marco Antonio Barrera.
He captured the World Boxing Organisation world featherweight title in September 1995.
The self-styled "prince" was famed for his leopard-print trunks and supreme self-belief as well as spectacular entrances to the ring. -
Queen Elizabeth May Withdraw Royal Warrant From Burberry
Britain's Queen Elizabeth may withdraw her Royal Warrant from fashion label Burberry. The royal's decision was made after joining a campaign to stop the closure of one of its factories in Wales.
The queen has joined son Prince Charles in expressing her concern about the planned closure, which will result in the loss of 300 jobs.
A source told Britain's Daily Express newspaper, "Burberry carries the Royal Warrants - which celebrate great British firms - of both the Queen and Prince Charles. It's possible if this plant closure continues to be controversial the company could jeopardize that."
The queen was sent a letter written by the workers of the Rhondda Valley's Burberry factory appealing for her help against the proposed plans.
She replied saying she had read the letter and passed on their concerns to the Department of Trade and Industry.
Union official Mervyn Burnett said, "If it piles pressure on Burberry then we are quite pleased. We welcome any contribution toward the campaign, whether it is from the queen, or whoever."
Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd, who models as an international face for Burberry, and Welsh opera star Byrn Terfel are also campaigning to save the Treorchy factory from closure.
If Burberry loses its Royal Warrant it could well affect its respected status.
A spokesman for Prince Charles said, "Royal Warrants are normally granted for five years but they can be granted for less. They are reviewed at regular intervals." -
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Sunday Church Service in Sandringham, UK on January 7, 2007
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Prince Phillip receives British Horse Socities Honours
Prince Phillip has been inducted into the British Horse Society (BHS) Hall of Fame. In a ceremony at the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Barracks in London, Prince Phillip, a former president of the FEI who has represented Britain at several driving European and World Championships and devised the rules for the Pony Club Mounted Games, received the award for his contribution to the equestrian world.
Olympic silver medallist Mary King, Liz Edgar who won the Queen Elizabeth II Gold Cup a record 5 times and Ted Edgar were also inducted into the hall of fame along with show jumper Wilf White who died in 1995 and two great horses Ryan's Son and Colton Maelstrom.
BHS Chairman Patrick Print said: "Prince Philip, Mary, Wilf, Liz and Ted have all made remarkable contributions to equestrianism and deserve to be honoured. Ryan's Son was a fantastic horse and a great personality and Colton Maelstrom a brilliant pony who brought a great thrill to riders and spectators alike."
The BHS Hall of Fame was the brainchild of BHS president Noel Edmunds and was launched last year. "The equestrian fraternity has its fair share of heroes and heroines, all of whom are well known within the sport. But we haven't been very successful in putting them on a pedestal and proclaiming their achievements to the wider world," said Mr Edmunds at the time.
The Hall is available for everyone to see on the web and includes pictures and biographies. Visit the Hall of Fame
A dozen "founder" members were initially selected for the Hall of Fame, with half a dozen new members to be added to the hall three times a year. The most recent laureates were selected by a panel chaired by BHS chairman Patrick Print FBHS and which comprised Horse & Hound Editor Lucy Higginson, former BHS Chairman Michael Clayton, BSJA Chairman Michael Mac, Para-Dressage star and Olympic gold medalist Lee Pearson and eventer Ginny Elliot. Nominations by members of the public were also considered. -
The Italian fashion designer Miuccia Prada has expressed her admiration for Queen's Elizabeth dress sense and Vivienne Westwood is also thought to draw inspiration from the 80-year-old monarch.
While some foreign fashionistas declare her a fuddy-duddy, many observers feel she cuts a fine figure on the world stage.
Her clean lines and formal elegance mean she can carry off both pastels and more daring colours. -
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend church service at Hillington Parish Church, Norfolk, Britain - 21 Jan 2007
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Queen's visit to the King Edward VII High School in King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK on January 24, 2007
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Amsterdam - Queen Elizabeth will arrive in the Netherlands Monday for a low-key visit to mark the 400th anniversary of Amsterdam's English Reformed Church, the oldest English-speaking congregation outside the United Kingdom.
"It is a private visit with some official engagements," the British embassy said.
In the morning, Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip will be met by Dutch Queen Beatrix when they land at Rotterdam airport.
The monarch will then have a quick visit to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations's highest court based in The Hague. There will be no speeches as the British queen just wants to meet the people, according to the ICJ which is now presided over by British judge Rosalyn Higgins.
The highlight of the visit will be a special service, attended by the two queens, at the English Reformed Church, a 16th century chapel in central Amsterdam's beguinage donated to the English Protestant community by the city in 1607. -
Freddie and Thierry sweeten things up at Buckingham Palace.
You don't need to be a football fan to get excited about meeting Calvin Klein model and Arsenal ace Freddie Ljungberg. And Queen Elizabeth certainly seemed to be enjoying herself when she welcomed the chisel-jawed athlete and several of his Arsenal team-mates to her London home on Thursday.
Sipping tea in Buckingham Palace made for a rather different experience to the rough and tumble of premiership football, but the reception was a sweet encounter for the hunky star, who was snapped daintily helping himself to sugar.
Team captain Thierry Henry, who is well-known for his "va-va-voom" ads for automobile company Renault, was also on hand. "It was a major honour to come here and be able to meet the Queen and have a look around," said the 29-year-old. "When I go home, IÂ’m going to say to my little girl that IÂ’ve been to Buckingham Palace."
The French striker, who took charge of introducing the monarch to the rest of the squad, confessed they were all overjoyed when she congratulated them on beating Bolton on Wednesday. "The Queen congratulated us on the win and that was amazing," he revealed. "I mean, the lads inside were over the moon. Even not being an Englishman, what a privilege to see the Queen and come here. It was just a bit too much."
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Queen Elizabeth coming to Louisville on Derby weekend
The list of celebrities in town during the 133rd Kentucky Derby got a royal addition today when the U.S. Secret Service confirmed it is preparing for a visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
Paul Johnson, special agent in charge of the agencyÂ’s Louisville field office, said he couldnÂ’t confirm details of the planned trip, but he acknowledged that the timing would coincide with the Kentucky Derby and that Churchill Downs would be a logical stop.
“Right now all we’ve been informed of is that we should expect a visit from the Queen the first weekend in May,” Johnson said in an interview this morning. “We’re kind of filling in the blanks with some assumptions.”
The British government already has announced that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit the United States in early May to mark the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown, Va.
Queen Elizabeth II has made at least four previous trips to Kentucky, but she has never attended the Run for the Roses. Past visits have included stops at LaneÂ’s End Farm, which is owned by William S. Farish, the former Ambassador to Great Britain.
A news report about a trip to Kentucky in 1989, for example, said the Queen visited Farish while looking at thoroughbred horses for possible breeding to some of the broodmares she kept in the state at the time.
Farish is a former board chairman of Churchill Downs Inc. He couldnÂ’t be reached for immediate comment.
Other high-powered political figures have surfaced at the Derby in previous years, and earlier this week the Republic of Latvia announced that the countryÂ’s president would attend the May 5 race. The last British royal to attend the Derby, according to Churchill Downs, was Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister, who was here in 1974.
Tricia Barnstable Brown, who co-hosts a celebrity party with her twin sister Priscilla on Derby Eve, said a visit from a member of the British royal family would be “absolutely marvelous” for the racing industry and the city.
“It will create a buzz around the track,” she said. “It just confirms that the first Saturday in May, Louisville Kentucky is the center of the universe.”
John Asher, a spokesman for Churchill Downs, said the company did not have details about the Queen’s schedule or visit. “As for the Derby, it would be a wonderful and historic visit,” he said. “But we’re awaiting word as much as anybody is.”
Patricia Lee, a spokeswoman for the British consulate general in Chicago, said the government typically doesnÂ’t announce personal side trips that are made before or after an official state visit. Lee said a trip to Louisville for the Derby would most likely be classified as personal.
Johnson said the Secret Service is creating a plan for the upcoming trip, and will work with Louisville Metro Police, the Kentucky State Police and “a number of other federal agencies” to provide security. -
u r in singapore now!... NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH ALLOWED! -
British monarch HM Queen Elizabeth II receives the Ambassador of Sudan, Mr Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig, who presented his Letter of Credence at Buckingham Palace, London, 20/02/2007
