Tuesday 30 April 2013

The Aga Khan’s eldest son is engaged to American Model

His Highness Aga Khan IV, 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims has announced his eldest son’s engagement. Prince Rahim Aga Khan is engaged to marry Ms Kendra Spears. The wedding will be an Islamic ceremony and a date is to be announced.

The Dutch Abdication and Investiture

Today marks the abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the Investiture of her son King Willem-Alexander below is the outline of today’s events.

10:00 local time (08:00 GMT) - Queen Beatrix to sign the act of abdication at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam

10:30 - (08:30 GMT) the former queen, now Princess Beatrix, and the new King Willem-Alexander will appear on the palace balcony, with new Queen Maxima

14:00 - (12:00 GMT) King Willem-Alexander to be sworn in at the Nieuwe Kerk

19:30 - (17:30 GMT) performance of The Song for the King followed by a water pageant

Monday 29 April 2013

New Deputy Lieutenants of the County of South Yorkshire

David Moody, Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire commissioned the following to become Deputy Lieutenants of the County of South Yorkshire.
Mrs Hilary Massarella MBE
Robert Dyson Esq QPM

Saturday 27 April 2013

New Vice Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone

Robert Scott OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone has appointed Mr Patrick Killen OBE JP DL Vice Lord Lieutenant of the County of Tyrone.

Canada Honours Prince Philip

His Excellency The Rt Hon. David Johnston CC CMM COM CD FRSC(hon) FRCPSC(hon) Governor General of Canada has appointed Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh an Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) and a Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM) for his lifelong service to the Canadian people.

Thursday 25 April 2013

Succession to the Crown Act 2013

The Succession to the Crown Bill has now become law in the United Kingdom and is henceforth known as the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. The Act will not come into force until all of the other commonwealth realms pass legislation in their own Parliaments. For more information on this act here is a link to my post about it Succession to the Crown Bill

This Act symbols a new era for the British Monarchy an era which is full of equality and great change. But it sets a precedent for republicans within the Commonwealth realms to demand for more legislation to change the Monarchy limiting the royal prerogatives and finally putting an institution that has stood for more than a thousand years to the Guillotine. I don’t disagree with this act I believe in equality between men and women but as a royalist I am concerned for the future of the monarchy if the government can change a scared institution to how it suits them without consulting the people what next a British republic! That will give our future elected representatives unlimited power leaving us at their mercy. A monarchy safeguards the people it represents from the will of unscrupulous elected officials.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

New Member of the United Kingdom Privy Council

Her Majesty the Queen approved the following person member of Her Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.
The Rt Hon. The Lord Spicer

Tuesday 23 April 2013

New Member of the Order of the Garter

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Air Chief Marshal The Rt Hon. The Lord Stirrup GCB AFC ADC a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG).

The Order of the Garter is the highest honour in the UK and is personally awarded by the Sovereign. Appointments to the Order are announced on St George’s Day and appointees are invested into the Order on Garter Day which will be the 17th June 2013.

Sunday 21 April 2013

The Sunday Times Rich List 2013

Today the Sunday Times rich list was released. I have made one of my own that lists all the Royalty, Princes and Princess, Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, Barons and Baronesses, Dames, Knights and Ladys within the Sunday Times rich list for 2013.

  1. The Duke of Westminster £7800m
  2. Sir Philip and Lady Green £3880m
  3. Earl Cadogan and Family £3675m
  4. Sir Richard Branson and Family £3514m
  5. Sir Anthony Bamford and Family £3150m
  6. Sir James Dyson and Family £3000m
  7. Sir Henry Keswick and Family £2375m
  8. Baroness Howard de Walden and Family £2364m
  9. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay £2350m
  10. Lord Paul and Family £2000m
  11. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and Family £1700m
  12. Viscount Portman and Family £1385m
  13. Lord Ashcroft £1200m
  14. Lord Grantchester and Family £1200m
  15. Sir Ian Wood and Family £1200m
  16. Lord Kirkham and Family £1150m
  17. Sir Terry Matthews £1122m
  18. Sir Charles Dunstone £1080m
  19. Sir Anwar Pervez and Family £1030m
  20. Sir Ken Morrison and Family £1005m
  21. Douglas and Dame Mary Perkins and Family £870m
  22. Lord Ballyedmond £860m
  23. Lord Sugar £860m
  24. The Earl of Iveagh and the Guinness Family £850m
  25. Sir Cameron Mackintosh £825m
  26. Lord Laidlaw £770m
  27. Lord Vestey and Family £750m
  28. Sir Brian Souter and Ann Gloag £730m
  29. The Duke of Devonshire £720m
  30. Viscount Rothermere and Family £720m
  31. The Hon. Nat Rothschild £700m
  32. Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £680m
  33. The Duke of Bedford £630m
  34. Sir Donald Gordon and Family £620m
  35. Lord Lloyd-Webber £620m
  36. Lord Sainsbury of Turville £590m
  37. Sir David McMurtry £586m
  38. Sir Peter Rigby £550m
  39. The Duke of Sutherland £525m
  40. Sir Arnold Clark and Family £508m
  41. Prince Jonathan and Princess Gesine Doria Pamphilj £500m
  42. Sir David Samworth and Family £490m
  43. Lord Rothschild £470m
  44. Sir Evelyn and Lady Rothschild £467m
  45. Sir Douglas Myers £448m
  46. Lord Edmiston £440m
  47. Rear-Admiral Sir Donald Gosling £430m
  48. Lord Alliance and Family £400m
  49. Viscount Cowdray and the Pearson Family £400m
  50. Sir Michael Smurfit and Family £398m
  51. Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones £375m
  52. The Hon. Charlotte Townshend £375m
  53. Sir John and Peter Beckwith £350m
  54. Sir Tony and Lady O’Reilly £346m
  55. Sir John Zochonis and Family £330m
  56. The Duke of Northumberland 325m
  57. Sir Martyn Arbib and Family £320m
  58. Her Majesty the Queen £320m
  59. Sir Paul Ruddock £300m
  60. The MacAlpine Family £295m
  61. Zac and Lady Annabel Goldsmith and Family £280m
  62. Sir Paul and Lady Smith £280m
  63. The Marquess of Salisbury £275m
  64. Sir Bernard Schreier and Family £265m
  65. Lord Heseltine and Family £264m
  66. Sir Rocco Forte and Olga Polizzi and Family £250m
  67. Sir Peter Ogden £250m
  68. Lord Lliffe and Family £245m
  69. Sir Elton John £240m
  70. Sir Michael Bibby and Family £238m
  71. Sir Stanley and Peter Thomas £230m
  72. Sir Ronnie Cohen and Sharon Harel £220m
  73. Sir Martin Sorrell £210m
  74. Lord Bagri and Hon. Apurv Bagri £200m
  75. Lord Glendonbrook £200m
  76. Sir Mick Jagger £200m
  77. The Marquess of Bath £180m
  78. The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry and Family £180m
  79. The Astor Family £175m
  80. Dame Margaret and Helen Barbour and Family £175m
  81. Sir Colin Giltrap £169m
  82. Sir Euan Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe Bt and Family £160m
  83. Sir Keith Mills £160m
  84. Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland Bt £160m
  85. Sir Angus Grossart £158m
  86. Sir William Haughey £155m
  87. Sir Peter Michael £155m
  88. Sir Peter Vardy £155m
  89. Sir Chris Evans £150m
  90. Lord Foster of Thames Bank £150m
  91. Lord Harris of Peckham £150m
  92. Sir Robert Ogden £150m
  93. Sir Richard Sutton £150m
  94. Sir Tim Rice £149m
  95. Sir Tom Jones £145m
  96. Sir John Ritblat £140m
  97. Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare £135m
  98. The Duke of Beaufort £135m
  99. Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith £135m
  100. Lord Saatchi and Charles Saatchi £135m
  101. Sir Tom Farmer £132m
  102. Lord Fink £130m
  103. Sir Jack Hayward £130m
  104. The Earl of Pembroke £130m
  105. Sir Ray Tindle £130m
  106. Sir Richard George £125m
  107. The Duke of Rutland £125m
  108. Sir Jonathan Ive £120m
  109. Sir Martin Laing £120m
  110. The Earl of Stockton and the Macmillan Family £120m
  111. Earl Spencer £115m
  112. Sir Frank Williams £115m
  113. Sir Rod Aldridge £110m
  114. Sir William Benyon £110m
  115. The Marquess of Bute £110m
  116. The Duke of Marlborough £110m
  117. Sir George Meyrick £110m
  118. The Duke of Roxburghe £105m
  119. The Marquess of Northampton £103m
  120. Viscount Hambleden £100m
  121. Sir John Madejski £100m
  122. The Duke of Richmond and Gordon £100m
  123. Sir Simon Robertson £100m
  124. Sir John Mactaggart £99m
  125. Lord Deighton £95m
  126. Sir David Garrard £95m
  127. Lord Alli £90m
  128. The Earl of Halifax £90m
  129. The Marquess of Milford Haven £90m
  130. Sir Fraser and Gordon Morrison £90m
  131. The Earl of Rosebery £90m
  132. Lord Tanlaw £85m
  133. The Earl of Yarborough £84m
  134. Sir Michael Marshall £82m
  135. Sir Sean Connery £80m
  136. Sir Terence Conran £80m
  137. The Earl of Leicester £80m
  138. Sir Michael Heller £77m
  139. Lord Daresbury and the Greenall Family £75m
  140. Lord Drayson £75m
  141. Lord Noon £75m
  142. Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise £75m
  143. Lord Rana £72m
  144. The Earl of Inchcape £65m
  145. Lord Mostyn and Family £48m
  146. Sir Billy Hastings £40m
  147. Lord and Lady Kilclooney £40m
  148. The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry £28m

Thursday 18 April 2013

New First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy

Admiral Sir George Zambellas KCB DSC has been appointed First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty the Queen in succession to Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE ADC.

New Communications Secretary to the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall

Ms Sally Osman has been appointed Communications Secretary to the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s Household. Ms Osman is currently Director of Corporate Communications for Sony’s European division. Ms Osman assumes her appointment in June this year.

Friday 12 April 2013

New Member of the United Kingdom Privy Council

Her Majesty the Queen approved the following person member of Her Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.
The Hon. Lord Hodge

Thursday 11 April 2013

Queen Appoints New Honorary Dental Surgeon

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Colonel W.C. Black her Honorary Dental Surgeon (QHDS). Colonel Black has previously served in the Royal Army Dental Corps.

LVO for Queen’s Watch Keeper

Robert Andrew Ball MVO has been appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) for his service as Senior Horological Conservator for the Royal Household.

New Clerk of Lieutenancy for East Sussex

Peter Field, Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex has commissioned Ms Penelope Thompson CBE Clerk to the lieutenancy of East Sussex.

Monday 8 April 2013

Baroness Thatcher LG OM PC FRS (1925-2013)

Baroness Thatcher first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has passed away aged 87 following a stroke. Lady Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts in Grantham, Lincolnshire on the 13th October 1925 to Alfred Roberts and Beatrice Ethel Roberts nee Stephenson.

Miss Roberts attended Huntingtower Road Primary School followed by Kesteven and Grantham Girls School where she was head girl. Upon leaving school she went to Somerville College, Oxford to study Chemistry. In 1947 she graduated with second class honours degree.

In 1946 Miss Roberts became President of the Oxford University Conservative Association. Miss Roberts then went on to work as research chemist for Bx Plastics and J Lyons and Co in the 1950’s.

Miss Roberts stood as the Conservative Candidate for Dartford in the 1950 and 1951 general elections but fail to gain the seat on both occasions. In December 1951 she married Dennis Thatcher. Mrs Thatcher then embarked on a change of career studying to join the bar and become a barrister qualifying in 1953. Mrs Thatcher became a mother of twins on the 15th August 1953 a daughter named Carol and a son named Mark. 

Mrs Thatcher stood as the Conservative Candidate in the 1955 Orpington by-election but fail to win the seat. In 1959 she stood as the Conservative Candidate for Finchley and won. In October 1961 Mrs Thatcher was appointed Parliamentary Undersecretary at the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.


Following the Conservative Party losing the 1964 General Election she became Shadow spokeswoman for Housing and Land then become Shadow spokeswoman for the Treasury in 1966. Mrs Thatcher then become Shadow spokeswoman for Fuel then Shadow spokeswoman for Transport. Mrs Thatcher last appointment in opposition was Shadow spokeswoman for Education.


In 1970 General Election the Conservative Party won and Mrs Thatcher was appointed Secretary of State for Education and Science. Mrs Thatcher made cuts to the Education budget resulting in the abolishment of free school milk for schoolchildren aged Seven to Eleven. The Labour Party and the Press dubbed her Margaret Thatcher milk snatcher.


In 1974 the Conservative Party lost the February and October General Elections Mrs Thatcher challenged Edward Heath the Party’s leader in a leadership contest wining the first ballot Edward Heath subsequently resigned. Mrs Thatcher went on to beat William Whitelaw in the second ballot becoming Leader of the Conservative Party on the 11th February 1975.


Following the Winter of Discontent in the late 1970’s the Conservative party with Mrs Thatcher at the helm won the 1979 General Election defeating the Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan. On the 4th May 1979 Mrs Thatcher became Britain’s first female Prime Minister in her speech on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street her said “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope”. Mrs Thatcher went on to win the 1983 General Election and the 1987 General Election. Mrs Thatcher had to deal with some of the most important social and political events in the UK’s history during her premiership. The Following are just some she had to face.

1980 - The Iranian Embassy Siege

1981 - The Brixton Riots

1981 - The Irish Hunger Strike by Irish Republican Prisoners

1981 - UK goes into Recession

2nd April 1982 - The Falkland and South Georgia Islands are invaded by Argentina Mrs Thatcher sent a naval task force down to the Falkland’s and following two months of fighting and 258 British Serviceman dying Argentina surrendered on the 14th June 1982.

1984-1985 The Miners’ Strike. The National Union of Mineworkers call a strike in protest of pit closures the Strike ended in 1985 and the closures went ahead.

12 October 1984 - The Brighton Hotel Bombing the Provisional Irish Republican Army attempted to assassinate Mrs Thatcher killing 5 people and injuring 31 Mrs Thatcher escaped unharmed.

1984 - Signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration ensuring the safe handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China.

1985 - Signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement a significant step in the Irish Peace process.

1986 - Secured a Large annual rebate from the European Union to the UK.

1989 - Abolished the Greater London Council and six other Municipal county Councils in England.

1989 - Defeated a leadership Challenge by Sir Anthony Meyer 3rd Bt.

1990 - Introduction of the Community Charge Commonly known as the Poll Tax.

1990 - Poll Tax Riots.

1990 - Michael Heseltine challenges Mrs Thatcher for the Leadership of the Conservative Party Mrs Thatcher wins the first ballot.

22 November 1990 following several members of the cabinet declaring they would not support her Mrs Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister.

Following Mrs Thatcher’s resignation her Mr Denis Thatcher MBE TD was created a baronet making him Sir Denis Thatcher MBE TD 1st Bt of Scotney in the County of Kent. Mrs Thatcher was then styled Lady Thatcher. Lady Thatcher was awarded the Order of Merit (OM) for her service as Prime Minister.

Lady Thatcher retired as MP of Finchley in 1992. In Lady Thatcher appointed to the House of Lords as a Life Peer under the Title Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven in the County of Lincolnshire. In 1995 Baroness Thatcher was appointed Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter (LG).

In her later years Baroness Thatcher suffered increasing poor heath including several mini strokes. She was unable to attend the Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 due to ill health and showed increased frailty in her recent public appearances.

Today Baroness Thatcher’s spokesman Lord Bell announced she passed away peacefully following a stroke.

It has been announced that Baroness Thatcher will receive a Ceremonial funeral with military honours at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Saturday 6 April 2013

LVO for Royal Protector

Mr Richard Frederick Griffin MVO was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) for his service to Royal Protection.

Wednesday 3 April 2013

New Private Secretary to Prince Henry of Wales

HRH Prince Henry of Wales has appointed Mr Edward Lane Fox Private Secretary to the Household of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Mr Lane Fox is a Former Captain in the Blues and Royals.

New Member of the United Kingdom Privy Council

Her Majesty the Queen approved the following person member of Her Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.
The Hon. Lord Bracadale QC