WARSAW (Reuters) - The Duke of York presented Poland on Monday with a model of the Nazi
coding machine Enigma in a symbolic gesture recognising Poland's role in helping to break the top-
secret system.
Prince Andrew told Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek that the Enigma military encoding system
would not have been broken by the Allies without Poland's contribution.
Poland has long demanded credit for its three pre-war mathematicians who first broke the Enigma
code in 1933, long before the more famous British signals breakers got to work.
Poland passed the code and two Enigma machines to Britain and France in 1939 before the German invasion of Poland that
started the war. The intelligence coup helped the Allies intercept secret Nazi military messages, giving them a major advantage
in the six-year conflict.
"It was a remarkable gift," Prince Andrew said after handing over the Enigma device, which looks like a typewriter, to Buzek
on behalf of the government.
The prince said Enigma would not have been broken without the talents of the Polish mathematicians, Polish media reported.
The breaking of the code largely contributed to the Allies' victory, he added.
Western powers had hitherto neglected Poland's role in deciphering Enigma, the military coding system which the Nazis used
to direct ships, submarines and armies on all fronts of the war.
The issue resurfaced earlier this year with the formation of a British-Polish Joint Historical Commission in charge of clearing up
fallacies and misconceptions about the two countries' war-time roles.
Buzek asked Britain on Monday to change the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on Enigma to credit Poles for their role in
breaking the system.
"His Royal Highness is interested in the problem and I believe that thanks to his support the entry will be changed," Buzek told
reporters after the ceremony.
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Earl Spencer condemns Diana book by ex-private secretary(Yahoo: Ananova)
Earl Spencer has condemned a forthcoming book about his sister, the late Diana, Princess of Wales,
written by her former private secretary.
He accused author Patrick Jephson of "not thinking of anything except his bank balance" by deciding
to publish the book.
The Queen and the Prince of Wales have "reluctantly" ruled out legal action but said in a joint
statement that they "deeply deplore" Jephson's decision.
Speaking on CNN to interviewer Larry King, Earl Spencer said: "I fully agree with that statement.
"By definition he was a private secretary and he is not exactly acting very honourably in that role or as a man.
"It is deeply regrettable. The main problem in Britain is the effect it will have on William and Harry.
"He is not thinking of anything except his bank balance."
Mr Jephson has described the book, due to be serialised by a British Sunday newspaper and published in the United States,
as a "truthful and balanced account" intended to protect Diana's memory.
In the interview to promote his own book - The Spencers: A Personal History of an English Family - Earl Spencer also urged
Mohammed Al Fayed to stop peddling "conspiracy theories" about the Princess's death.
He said: "I have always felt sorry for Mr Fayed for obviously sharing in the tragedy by losing his son. But it would be much
less painful for the rest of us in our family if he could just bury all his conspiracy theories and let all of us move on."
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Prince Edward receives Bette Davis Achievement Award(Yahoo: Ananova)
Prince Edward said he first thought it was a joke when he learned he'd be presented the Bette Davis
Special Achievement Award.
"When I first heard about this particular award, I checked my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1
because I thought somebody was having a little practical joke," he said at Boston University, where he
was honoured for his work as a television producer.
Edward, 36, founded Ardent Productions in 1993 and is executive producer for most of its programming, which includes
documentaries, drama and sport.
Ardent has presented a TV series about his great-uncle Edward VIII, who gave up the throne to marry American Wallis
Simpson, and a drama series, Annie's Bar, about lawmakers in the House of Commons.
The Bette Davis Foundation is a non-profit organisation formed to provide college and university scholarships to drama and art
students.
The award was created by Davis' son, Michael Merrill, to honor excellence in the entertainment industry. Monday's award
was presented by Dame Diana Rigg.
"It was a tremendous surprise, and it's a great honour to be here," said the Prince.