THE Duke of York has lodged an official complaint over a newspaper article
which linked him to an alleged drug dealer.
The Duke has protested to the Press Complaints Commission about the story
on the front page of last week's Mail on Sunday. Buckingham Palace sources
said it was filled with "grotesque inaccuracies".
Headlined "Andrew friend: I have any drug you want," the article went on to
describe how an alleged drug dealer spent an hour drinking with the Prince at
a hotel in Los Angeles during an official visit to America.
The Palace was said to be furious at the implication that the Duke was
associated with drugs. The newspaper also carried photographs of the Duke
surrounded by women dressed in leather without explaining that he was at a
Hallowe'en party.
A spokesman for the Duke said: "We have a lodged a complaint under the
inaccuracy clause." He added that legal action might also be taken.
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Prince Harry chips bone in kickabout(Electronic Telegraph)
By Robert Hardman
PRINCE HARRY has had a minor operation after chipping a bone in his
thumb while playing football at Eton, St James's Palace confirmed yesterday.
With his left arm in a sling, the 16-year-old Prince is back at school following
Thursday's operation under local anaesthetic. He was injured last week during
a "kickabout" with friends.
A Palace spokesman said: "Someone landed on him and Harry hurt his
thumb. At first it was thought to be bruising so it was bandaged and cold
packs put on it." Later, however, the Prince had a precautionary X-ray that
revealed a chipped bone and collateral ligament damage to his left hand.
The Prince of Wales visited his son shortly after the operation. Prince Harry's
academic work will not be affected since he is right-handed but there will be
no more football for a while. The spokesman added: "He is in good spirits but
frustrated that he cannot play any sport."
Prince William fractured a finger during an Eton rugby match in 1998. Prince
Harry is not the only royal to be wearing a sling. His 100-year-old
grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, is recovering after
breaking her collar bone in a fall at Clarence House a week ago.
St James's Palace has also confirmed that the Prince of Wales will represent
the Queen at the funeral of Queen Ingrid, the Danish Queen Mother. The
service will take place on Tuesday, the Prince's 52nd birthday.
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Royal service to celebrate 2000(Electronic Telegraph)
By Robert Hardman
HAVING started the year in the secular mayhem of the Dome, the Queen has
underlined the religious significance of the Millennium by inviting the
Archbishop of Canterbury to preach at Sandringham in a special Christmas
Eve service.
It will be attended by the Royal Family and broadcast to the nation live on
BBC1. The morning service, which will be held at the Church of St Mary
Magdalene, is a reflection of the Queen's belief that the true millennium
celebrations belong to Christmas 2000 as much as to New Year's Eve 1999.
Last year, in a private discussion, the Queen and the Archbishop, Dr George
Carey, agreed that the change of century should not obscure the Christian
significance of the actual 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ.
A Lambeth Palace spokesman last night said: "The Archbishop is delighted to
have been invited to Sandringham by the Queen. Although this takes the form
of parish worship, he is pleased that this will be available to the widest
possible audience."
It will be the first time that Dr Carey has preached from the Sandringham
pulpit. The service will be led by Canon George Hall, rector of Sandringham,
and the congregation will include most members of the Royal Family, estate
workers and Sandringham residents. John Kirby, the BBC producer said:
"This will be such a special broadcast, quite unique."
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Duke of York files press complaint(UK Times)
BY ANDREW PIERCE
THE Duke of York has made a personal complaint to the press
watchdog over a newspaper report that he believes implied he
consorted with drug dealers.
The Press Complaints Commission confirmed yesterday that the
Duke had lodged a protest over a front-page article and
double-page spread in last week’s Mail on Sunday.
The newspaper reported that the Duke was a friend of Brett
Livingstone Strong, an artist who had offered to supply drugs to
one of its reporters. Only 24 hours earlier, according to the
newspaper, the same man had spent 3½ hours drinking with the
Duke in an exclusive hotel in Los Angeles.
A palace source said: “The problem with the story was that the
Duke met this man for one hour. He happened to be a guest in the
same hotel. He was merely in the same room at the same time.
The newspaper was told that and told it emphatically.”
The Duke is also considering legal action.
Peter Wright, Editor of The Mail On Sunday, said last night: “We
have not yet received a formal complaint from the Palace. We will
respond accordingly if and when we do so.”
~*~
Queen goes back to Tesco for
Christmas(UK Times)
BY ALAN HAMILTON
FOR the second year running, the People’s Queen has chosen
Tesco to supply her traditional gift to her staff of Christmas
puddings.
After being told that the supermarket offering she sent to
household servants and estate staff were the best they had tasted,
she has ordered more than 1,400 puddings and has specified that
they should be delivered discreetly to at least seven royal
addresses. The Queen, who has a reputation for thrift, is believed
once again to have negotiated a significant discount on the bill of
almost £11,000.
The choice of the 2lb, £7.79 Tesco pudding is another blow to the
former Royal Warrant holder Harrods, until last year the supplier
of puddings. Fortnum and Mason and Waitrose, which hold
warrants as royal grocers, have also missed out again.