The garden opened on the eve of Diana's birthday
A memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, has
opened in London, but without the presence of
any member of the Royal Family.
The memorial walk and playground was opened
by Chancellor Gordon Brown and Royal Parks
Minister Alan Howarth.
Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, also attended
with his children. He said he was not upset by
the Royal Family's decision not to attend.
"People came who
wanted to come and it
was a happy occasion.
One of my sisters did
not want to come
because she thought
she would be overcome
by the emotion of it all
- it's very difficult," he
said.
They joined Diana's
close friend Rosa
Monckton and her five-year-old daughter
Domenica Lawson, the late princess's godchild,
to open the playground in Kensington Gardens.
Domenica, who suffers from Down's Syndrome,
untied a ribbon to declare it open.
With the help of her mother, she said: "I open
this garden for godmother Diana."
No 'snub'
Ms Monckton said Diana had taken her duties
as godmother very seriously and had attended
Domenica's early therapy sessions.
"She fought for her as she fought for all
children with disabilities. I know how proud she
would have been that it is her god-daughter
who is opening the memorial garden today,"
she said.
A member of the Diana, Princess of Wales
Memorial Committee described the decision of
the Royal Family not to attend as "sad".
But Buckingham Palace
said their absence was
not a snub to Diana's
memory.
St James's Palace said
the Prince of Wales will
be in Dorchester
attending a number of
"public and private
engagements".
"He has long-standing
commitments and he is always careful not to
let people down."
Prince William and Prince Harry were asked if
they wanted to attend the opening but
declined, a spokeswoman said.
She added: "That was a very private and
personal decision they made for themselves."
The Queen would be in Scotland from Thursday
for Royal Week, the Palace said.
Totem poles
The Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Walk is
marked by 89 plaques charting the seven-mile
route through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park,
Green Park and St James's Park.
The £1.3m walk features fountains and
memorials as well as improved landscaping and
restored ornamental gates.
The £1.7m playground,
close to Diana's former
home at Kensington
Palace, is based on a
Peter Pan theme
because J.M. Barrie,
creator of the classic
children's story, funded
a playground on the
site in 1906.
It has six play areas,
including a sculpted
water feature called
the Mermaid's Fountain, the Wigwam Camp
with totem poles and tepees, and a Movement
and Musical Garden.
Mr Brown said the playground was for the
people Diana cared about most - children,
including children with disabilities.
He said: "We decided that there should not
only be the Diana, Princess of Wales nursing
teams, caring for sick children across the
country, and a special memorial award for
young people, to encourage community service
and excellence, but also a walkway and
specially-designed memorial playground."
The development followed more than 10,000
suggestions from members of the public about
the way Diana's life should be marked.
~*~
Royals 'show the way on spending'(Electronic telegraph)
NEWS that the Queen is to accept a freeze on money she receives from the
Government was confirmed yesterday. It was raised in the Commons by Ian
Bruce (C, Dorset S) after a report in The Telegraph.
The Chancellor and the Royal Household have agreed that the funding of the
Royal Family, through the Civil List, should be set at £7.9 million a year until
2011, the same amount it has been since 1991. Mr Bruce told MPs during
Business Questions that the Government could learn a lesson from the Royal
Family, which had managed to cut its costs enormously.
He said: "Perhaps it would be useful if anyone from the Royal Household
could put a feed into the Government on how one can cut costs these days,
particularly as the Prime Minister, in setting up his presidential office, seems to
be increasing expenditure time and time again."
Margaret Beckett, Leader of the House, said the deal with the Royal
Household was a result of sound management of the economy. "You should
know that the costs of central government have indeed reduced in real terms
since this Government was elected."
On the controversial remarks made recently by Mo Mowlam, the Cabinet
Office Minister, that the Royal Family should move out of palaces and into
more modern buildings, Mrs Beckett said she did not see the possibility of a
debate on the future of the Monarchy.
Gordon Prentice (Lab, Pendle) suggested a debate so that there could be a
calmer and more reflective perspective on the furore. He said: "There is a
hysterical reaction to comments from Mo Mowlam about the use of Royal
Palaces. I just wondered, given that this is supposed to be a no-go area for
elected politicians . . . if there could be a debate."
~*~
Charles, Camilla dismay the Queen - paper(Yahoo: Reuters)
LONDON (Reuters) - The Queen is dismayed that the relationship between
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles may pose a long-term threat to the
monarchy, the Daily Express reports.
The queen did not believe it was inevitable that Charles and his long-term lover
would marry, the tabloid said, citing unidentified people close to the monarch
for its information.
The story on Friday contradicted recent reports suggesting a thaw in previously icy relations between
the queen and Camilla, who was widely blamed for the break-up of Charles's marriage to the late Princess Diana.
The Express said the Queen believed Camilla was exerting too much influence over her son and heir-to-the-throne.
She felt Charles was "weak" and had become blinded by his love for Camilla.
"It is wrong to say that the queen has in any way sanctioned their relationship or has given her blessing to a future marriage
between the prince and Mrs Parker Bowles," one member of the Queen's inner circle was quoted as saying.
The Queen was also said to be concerned about the effect the affair would have on the Church of England, which would be
headed by Charles when he became king. Both Charles and Camilla are divorcees.
And Queen Elizabeth was unhappy that she had been increasingly sidelined in the upbringing of Charles's elder son Prince
William so she could not pass on her wealth of experience, the Express said.
Charles and Camilla's relationship has become more public recently.
She has been at the prince's side at high-profile functions, raising questions about whether they would marry one day.
Just weeks ago the queen held a much publicised meeting with Camilla at Charles's rural Highgrove home in western England --
a move that seemed to signal her approval for the relationship.
A recent Mori survey for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper found that 70 percent of Britons did not want Camilla to become
queen when Charles took the throne.
The gradual promotion of Camilla into the limelight has been carefully orchestrated by Charles and his aides because of the
popularity of Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997.
~*~
School's out for William(Electronic Telegraph)
ETON broke up for summer yesterday, bringing Prince William's schooldays
to an end. The school has proved a haven for him in recent turbulent years.
Lord Wakeham, chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, says there is
broad agreement that Prince William's privacy should continue to be
respected, but he is unlikely to enjoy again the seclusion that Eton has
afforded him.
He has chosen to take a gap year before studying for a degree in history of
art. He is expected to spend much of the year travelling in Australia. He is
awaiting the results of his A-levels, which he completed last week. Edinburgh
and St Andrews are believed to be his top choices of university.
~*~
£7m profit for Duchy of Cornwall(electronic Telegraph)
THE Duchy of Cornwall, the estate that provides the Prince of Wales's
income, made a profit of almost £7 million last year - an increase of eight per
cent. According to accounts published yesterday, after tax the prince was
likely to receive more than £4.5 million, of which about £3 million was thought
to go on official expenses.
The Duchy's net surplus for the year to March 31, was £6,932,000
compared with £6,421,000 the previous year. The money is used to provide
an income for the prince. Neither he nor his sons receive an allowance from
the Civil List.
The Duchy is tax-exempt, but the prince voluntarily pays income tax -
currently at 40 per cent - on his income from the 126,000 acres. Including its
property assets, the total capital value of the Duchy increased over the year
from £280 million to £308 million.
~*~
First woman on royal guard duty(Electronic Telegraph)
A WOMAN will appear outside St James's Palace on royal guard duty
tomorrow for the first time in the history of the Household Division. L/Cpl
Jodi Breen, 23, who will carry out the Queen's Guard alongside 149 male
colleagues from the Australian armed forces, is the first woman to take part in
the ceremonial duties.
She was invited as part of the Australian Federation Guard, which was
formed this year for duties connected with the centenary of the creation of the
Commonwealth of Australia and the Olympic Games.
L/Cpl Breen, who joined the Australian army six years ago, said: "I feel it's a
huge responsibility, although I'm very proud." She will also guard Buckingham
Palace and the Tower of London until July 20.