Latest news with #RoyalFamily
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bust of Sheffield's 'last little mester' Stan Shaw unveiled
A bust of a craftsman described as a "Sheffield cutlery legend" and the last of the city's "little mesters" has been unveiled at his former Stan Shaw spent almost 80 years hand-crafting blades for customers, including members of the Royal Family and famous rockstars, before his death aged 94 in bronze likeness, created by Sheffield artist Chris Denham, has been mounted on a plinth at Kelham Island Museum, where Mr Shaw worked from 2009 until his retirement in Shaw's son Kevan said: "He was just our dad when he was alive, but after his death, we suddenly realised how well-thought-of and important he was to Sheffield." The "little mesters" were a network of self-employed and specialised metalworkers in the city who rose to fame during the Victorian Shaw became an apprentice when he was 14 years old and spent the rest of his working life forging, grinding and finishing Elizabeth II and members of Elvis Presley's band were among those who received Denham, also a friend of Mr Shaw and his family, created a clay sculpture of the craftsman's head, which was scanned using laser technology to produce two accurate metallic other, which was made from stainless steel, is already on display at Cutlers' Hall in son called it a "true likeness" down to "the cracks on his face from 90 years of work and age"."We are so grateful to everyone involved in making this happen," he Museums chief executive Kim Streets said: "We're delighted to welcome this celebration of Stan and his legacy to the museum."Stan was a true master of his craft and it's wonderful to see him and his remarkable career recognised here, where he is remembered so fondly." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Sweet moment King Charles kisses Sarah Ferguson's hand at Ascot as royals step out in force on day 4 at racecourse
KING Charles was seen kissing Sarah Ferguson's hand in a touching moment at Royal Ascot today. The monarch was seen greeting the Duchess of York, along with daughter Eugenie on day four at the racecourse this afternoon. 3 3 Earlier in the day, Zara Tindall and Princess Eugenie were seen sharing a warm embrace. King Charles was later seen talking to the family during day four of the races. Sarah and Eugenie were also present earlier in the week. It comes after the King suffered a streak of bad horseracing luck on day one of the event. The family horse, Reaching High, suffered a 'stinker' in the closing stages under jockey Ryan Moore. Meanwhile, his horse, Rainbows Edge, was smashed into a 7-2 favourite for the Kensington Palace Stakes. The horse won last year's competition and has only lost four races. Earlier this week, Princess Kate pulled out of the event in a last minute decision as she adjusts to her royal duties. Despite having been listed on the carriage procession with Prince William, the palace revealed that she had sadly dropped out of the event just minutes later. Prince William was seen enjoying the races with his fellow royals as the day wore on - drinking pints to cool off on the gloriously sunny day. Sources say Kate is still adjusting to her royal duties after undergoing cancer treatment last year. Since announcing her cancer was in remission in January, she has been seen at royal events like Trooping the Colour and Order of the Garter.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Royal fans all say same thing about Carole Middleton's sweet moment with Charles
On day two of Royal Ascot, Charles and Carole were seen laughing and enjoying the day together in the royal suite, leaving fans delighted to catch a glimpse into their unique bond As Royal Ascot continues, the royal family and their closest inner circles have made appearances at the Berkshire racecourse, marvelling in the spectacle of the horse races and the social event of the season. While many key royal figures have been seen both in the royal procession and the royal suite each day since Ascot began earlier this week, fans were delighted to see Carole Middleton - Princess Kate 's mother - taking part in the day on Wednesday, despite the fact that Kate dropped out from attending in the final hour. Although Kate wasn't at the event, that didn't stop Carole from mingling with the royal family and having a jolly time at the races, as she was spotted having a laugh with King Charles and giving her son-in-law Prince William a hug. While Carole and the wider Middleton family are often invited to major royal events, such as King Charles' coronation in 2023, it is rare to see them in a fun social setting having a laugh together. Since Charles and Carole were spotted chatting and laughing in the royal suite, dozens of royal fans have all remarked on their relationship, and how lovely it is that they seem to have such a close bond. One fan wrote on X: "It's lovely to see them together," while another person added: "Love that they have a lovely warm relationship.' A third royal fan commented: 'So nice to see. Good that they all get along so well." Someone else wrote: 'I love that when they're together, they're just in-laws. He's the King, but he's also her daughter's father-in-law and they share grandkids.' Prince William was also seen during the day giving a hug to his mother-in-law, seemingly confirming that the pair have always shared a close relationship, with William becoming as much part of the Middleton family as Kate has become part of the Royal Family. Carole Middleton still attended the second day of Royal Ascot, despite the fact that her daughter Kate pulled out of the event, less than two hours before she was due to appear in the royal procession alongside Prince William. Kate's sudden absence surprised many people, given the fact that her name had already been printed in the day two programme and shared by the Royal Ascot social media accounts. However, the Palace soon clarified that Kate's non-attendance at the event was the result of a "miscommunication". A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: "We notified Ascot that Her Royal Highness would not be attending. Unfortunately an inaccurate version of the carriage list was issued in error after that notification. The correct list was then circulated." The Prince and Princess of Wales are not expected to attend any further days of the festival. It is understood that the reason behind Kate's absence stems from her trying to find the right balance as she fully returns to public-facing engagements, just months after she announced her cancer was in remission.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Is Netflix actually pulling the strings of Meghan's business As Ever? The subtle clue she let slip
When Meghan Markle first stepped into the world of the Royal Family, she liked to portray herself as a UN ambassador and do-gooder environmentalist. But for the past few months, the Duchess of Sussex has been reinventing herself yet again.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Royal's special bond with luxury hideaway Birkhall beloved by King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth
His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, traditionally spent Yuletide at Sandringham, remaining on the Norfolk estate until February to mark the death of her father, King George VI, who died on February 6, 1952. But King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this year, chose to spend Hogmanay at Birkhall, their favourite Royal residence. It was at the Scottish lodge, set on the Balmoral Estate, that the couple was infamously snapped in 1990 after the then Prince of Wales injured his back during a polo match – Princess Diana was down in London with William and Harry. It was where Prince Charles proposed to Camilla Parker Bowles: The couple announced their engagement on February 10, 2005, after Charles got down on one knee. 'I'm just coming down to Earth,' Camilla said. It was there that the couple spent their honeymoon, after getting married in Windsor on April 9, 2005, and it was there that the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this year after their four-day state visit to Italy. But King Charles III is not the only Royal to have a special bond with Birkhall: His parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also honeymooned there. And the Scottish Lodge isn't just a luxurious love nest: It has been at the centre of some of the most explosive moments in Royal history. Now the Channel 5 documentary Birkhall: A Private Royal Residence, which airs tomorrow (Saturday), reveals the story of the King and Queen's favourite Royal residence. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Editor in Chief of Majesty magazine, told the programme: 'Charles loves it there, Birkhall is definitely his favourite home.' Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond added: 'I think it's one of his favourite places to be with Camilla, curled up on a settee - well probably she curls up, he probably doesn't curl up - with a glass of whisky by a log fire.' Birkhall sits deep within the Balmoral estate, just six miles from the Firm's beloved Balmoral Castle. It's an 18th-century stone farmhouse set in the shadow of the mountain Lochnagar. With just three floors, it is small for a royal palace – more 'beloved family home' than 'regal royal residence'. But it's been a place for the Royals to escape to for decades. Built in 1715 by Captain Charles Gordon of Abergeldie and his wife Rachel, the secluded house in the Highlands was discovered by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, in 1848 when he took the lease on the Balmoral estate. He thought Birkhall would make the perfect country retreat for his eldest son, Bertie, the future King Edward VII but he stayed there only once finding it too small and pokey. Historian and broadcaster Wesley Kerr said: 'It's a sweet idea that it was for the Prince of Wales, but it was never going to be good enough for him.' On the other hand, Victoria and Albert loved the house and turned it into the equivalent of a Victorian Airbnb for their friends and family. However, it was not until the 1930s that the Scottish Highlands became the Royal's favoured holiday destination – George VI and the Queen Mother, then Duke and Duchess of York, chose Birkhall for their annual summer vacation. Both Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret loved the house, which the future Queen described as 'the nicest place in the world' and would cycle into the local village of Ballater to buy sweets. The two sisters, then aged 13 and nine, spent the first four months of World War II at Birkhall, after being evacuated under Operation Pied Piper. When George VI died in 1952, the Queen Mother retreated to Birkhall until Sir Winston Churchill drove over to Birkhall for a private visit and persuaded her to resume public life. 'That meeting is very significant,' adds Kerr, 'and actually we got another 50 years of public service out of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.' The Queen Mum immediately drew up plans to renovate the house, installing a new wing with four new bedrooms and bathrooms, and French windows opening up onto the gardens. She even cheekily put eight carriage and grandfather clocks in the dining room, to wind up guests as they all chimed at different times. 'This apparently used to send her guests crazy because you just get into a conversation,' said Bond. 'Then ding, ding, ding, ding, all over the place. But I think she thoroughly enjoyed her guests' discomfort.' Her sense of humour was also displayed when the architects, led by Arthur Penn, forgot to put a lavatory on the downstairs floor: She held an official opening of the water closet, which was fitted subsequently under the stairs. 'The room was filled with flowers and the Queen Mother pulled the chain,' said Kerr. 'And she said: 'I declare this room Arthur's seat.' 'Arthur's Seat, of course, is a mountain in Scotland, but Arthur Penn had come up with the design.' By the mid-1950s, Birkhall was one of the main stops on the Queen Mother's annual Scottish tour. She embraced country living with gusto and was a keen fly fisher into her eighties. She loved the card game Racing Demon – as long as she won. When the Duke of Atholl demanded a recount, he was never invited again. 'He decided I'm really going to go for this,' explained Seward. 'When it seemed that the Queen mother had won and he knew that he'd won, he demanded a recount. 'Then she lost, and she never invited him back again.' 'Then she lost, and she never invited him back again.' One of the Queen Mother's favourite guests was her grandson, Prince Charles, who was the only person allowed to sleep in George VI's bedroom. 'She taught him about the finer things of life,' said Seward, 'opera, music, painting, drawing. Once he even dreamt that he ran away from Gordonstoun to join Granny. 'At Birkhall, King George's bedroom was on the ground floor, and it was kept as he left it. 'The only person who was ever allowed to sleep in there was Prince Charles. And that was a special honour given to him by his grandmother.' When Charles married Princess Diana, Birkhall became a favourite holiday haunt for Princes William and Harry. But it soon became a place she associated with Camilla. In 1990, nine years into his marriage, he recuperated at Birkhall after he was forced to cancel his engagements after injuring his back in a polo accident. But, instead of inviting his wife and sons to be with him, he chose Camilla. 'He was photographed leaving Birkhall with Camilla,' said Princess Diana's Royal Protection Officer Ken Wharf. 'That was the scandal.' After the Queen Mother died at Royal Lodge, Windsor, on March 30, 2002, Charles inherited Birkhall. It soon became a special place for him and Camilla. 'I think when they land at Birkhall, it's a case of really? Phew! Here we are' added Bond. 'We're going to enjoy one another's company. 'We're going to walk, and we're going to sit, and we're going to read like and have a little drink, and we're going to just be together. And I think it is one of their very favourite places to be.'
