LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Charles was to give a royal seal of
approval on Friday to Britain's longest-running television soap opera as it
celebrates its 40th birthday.
The heir to the throne will meet the cast of Coronation Street outside
Britain's most famous pub -- The Rover's Return -- the cornerstone of
the gritty working-class drama.
He will be the second royal to walk down the show's famous cobbled streets. The Queen paid a
visit in 1983 to open a new "Corrie" set for the television serial.
The Prince's visit on Friday is set to coincide with a special hour-long live episode to mark four decades of the
show which has gripped audiences from all round the world.
Among the stars of the show he will meet will be Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, the last surviving member
of the original cast.
Roache, who appeared in the first show back on December 9, 1960, has since clocked up 2,500 episodes.
As well as watching the stars prepare for Friday's special show, the Prince will meet its creator, Tony Warren,
and unveil a plaque marking the soap's anniversary.
But it is not clear whether he will be watching the live episode himself.
"I am not aware if he's a fan of the programme or not," his spokesman said.
Coronation Street, set in a fictitious district of Manchester, has made its stars household names in Britain and
beyond.
Twenty-five countries -- from Bulgaria to Nigeria, Estonia to Thailand -- have taken the show.
Liz Dawn, who plays Vera Duckworth, one of the soap's best-loved characters, received a bunch of flowers
from Prince Charles for her 60th birthday, a message from the Pope and a card from Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"I love it so much I don't know what I'd do if I left Corrie," Dawn confessed. "I mean many a time I have wanted
to leave but I couldn't cope."
As many as 20 million viewers are expected to tune in to Friday's live special. Storylines for the show, which will
start in black and white to echo the first episode, have been kept under wraps but it will include a cameo
appearance from Noddy Holder, lead singer of rock band Slade.
~*~
Fergie barred from royal Christmas(Yahoo: Reuters)
LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Philip has barred his former
daughter-in-law the Duchess of York from celebrating Christmas
with the royal family, the Daily Express reported.
Fergie, as she is popularly known from her maiden name Sarah
Ferguson, has been largely shunned by the royal family for
several years but there has been speculation for some time about
a reconciliation and a possible remarriage to Prince Andrew.
Philip, however, refuses to forgive her for embarrassing the royal family so she has been
barred from this year's royal church service and lunch at Sandringham, said the Express.
Instead, Fergie would spend Christmas alone at a farm nearby while her daughters
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie stay most of the day with the royals, the paper said.
The extrovert redhead has had a rocky relationship with the royal family since her
marriage to Andrew in 1986.
She challenged the stereotype of a sedate royal wife with her fun-loving antics and made enemies at Buckingham
Palace by refusing to let protocol get in the way of a good time.
The couple separated in 1992, five months before photos of her cavorting topless with her financial adviser
Johnny Bryan were splashed in the papers.
When her marriage to Andrew broke down, the duchess complained that her husband and the royal family had
not given her enough support during the years since their wedding, although she admitted she deserved most of
the blame.