July 30th

I don't mind if Prince weds again, says Diana's brother (Electronic Telegraph)
By Richard Eden

LORD Spencer marked the 20th anniversary of the wedding of Diana, Princess of Wales by saying he would have no objection if the Prince of Wales were to marry Camilla Parker Bowles.
The brother of the late Princess also said that his fears for the future of Princes William and Harry after their mother was killed in a car crash in 1997 had proved unfounded.
Lord Spencer, 37, said he no longer saw the Prince of Wales but had "nothing against him".
When asked whether he would be irritated if the Prince were to marry Mrs Parker Bowles, he replied: "I have always thought it was none of my business at all what he did in his private life."
The Prince of Wales, 50, hinted for the first time that he might marry Mrs Parker Bowles, 54, in an interview earlier this month.
He said: "Who knows what the good Lord has planned?" Previously, he had always indicated that he had no plans to remarry.
In Lord Spencer's speech at his sister's funeral he made a commitment to Princes William and Harry, saying their "blood family" would do all they could to enable them "to sing openly as you [Diana] planned".
In the interview with Gyles Brandreth, broadcast on the London radio station LBC last night, he said: "I hope I have done everything I could for them.
"My concerns at the time never actually came to the fore because the two boys have their heads screwed on very well. I think it's all been fine and they are incredibly well-balanced."
The Princess, who would have been 40 on July 1, was described as "indestructible" by her brother, who said she she was often on his mind.
He said: "It's very difficult to get out of that knack which you have developed over 30-odd years of thinking, 'I must tell Diana that' or 'she will find this really funny'.
"Then you get a sort of sickening thud when you think, 'Oh well, obviously, I can't ever do that'. But the spark is still there."
He praised her "unique" qualities and recalled how "incredibly beautiful" she was at her wedding, but questioned whether her popularity would have continued as she grew older.
He said: "If she had lived into her 50s and 60s how could she have maintained her popularity in our lookist and ageist society?
"She combined extraordinary glamour - the epitome of 20th-century celebrity - with a humanitarian bent. I don't know any other beautiful humanitarians and I think it's a market she had to herself."
The Prince of Wales spent his wedding anniversary watching an international polo match, along with his son, Prince Harry, 16.
The pair appeared to enjoy watching England beat Brazil 8-7 at Cowdray Park, West Sussex, in glorious sunshine. Prince Harry, in the company of friends, was photographed sitting next to Amelia Delangi, 19.
The Prince of Wales, dressed in a white suit and hat, arrived by helicopter. His son, wearing sunglasses, had arrived about 20 minutes earlier.
Father and son sat separately while Prince Harry's blonde friend busily chatted on her Union Jack mobile phone before the start of the match.
Both were attending the world's biggest one-day polo event, which was helping to raise money for charity. The organisers, Hurlingham Polo Association, said the event had attracted a crowd of 10,000.
In 1991, the Prince and Princess of Wales spent their 10th wedding anniversary apart amid growing rumours of marital difficulties.
The pair were divorced in August 1996.
~*~

Duke of York leaves Navy to be trade ambassador(Electronic Telegraph)
By Richard Eden

THE Duke of York retires from the Royal Navy today after 22 years to become a roving ambassador for British industry.
In Royal Naval tradition he will be "dined out" of the service at a dinner on the aircraft carrier Ark Royal off Newcastle upon Tyne.
Prince Andrew has decided to leave the military at the age of 41 after a career in which he flew combat missions as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands War and was later made a commanding officer.
In October he will begin his new role as a special representative of British Trade International, the Government's umbrella body promoting exports and inward investment.
He will continue the work of the Duke of Kent, who has stepped down. The role is unpaid, but all travel expenses are covered. The prince will also carry out official royal engagements at home and abroad.
He joined the Navy in 1979 and saw active service as a sub-lieutenant in the British naval task force that sailed to the South Atlantic in 1982 to regain the Falkland Islands from Argentina.
He flew as a so-called Exocet decoy to protect warships from missile attack. Throughout the war he flew on various combat missions and helped in casualty evacuation, transport, and search and air rescue.
In January 1997, he started work at the Ministry of Defence in London as a staff officer in the Directorate of Naval Operations. In April 1999, he was promoted commander in the London-based Diplomacy Section of the Naval Staff, responsible for international relations for the Navy.
The luncheon will be hosted by Captain David Snelson, commanding officer of the newly refitted aircraft carrier, Ark Royal. Also present will be the head of the Fleet Air Arm, Rear Admiral Scott Lidbetter, and the head of the Naval Air Command, Commodore Christopher Clayton.
Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh, First Sea Lord, praised the prince's naval career. "We have very much enjoyed having the Duke of York with us," he said.
"He has had a distinguished career in the Navy, having seen active service in the Falklands and worked in a wide variety of appointments at sea and ashore.
"He has made a huge contribution to our service and we wish him every success with the important work he is now taking on."
~*~

Blonde puts polo in the shade for Harry(UK Times)
BY DOMINIC KENNEDY

THE Prince of Wales spent what would have been the 20th anniversary of his wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales, at the world’s biggest international polo match yesterday.
He agreed to present the prizes as England played Brazil for the 1911 Coronation Cup at a charity event organised by Hurlingham Polo Association.
He arrived by helicopter at Cowdray Park near Midhurst in West Sussex, wearing a lightweight suit and Panama hat. Prince Harry, wearing wrap-around shades, was already among the 10,000 spectators, at the centre of a group of young people. He was engaged in some cheerful tomfoolery while, by his side, a blonde girl looked bored. She fanned herself with the polo programme and occasionally spoke into a mobile phone emblazoned with a Union Jack.
The Prince of Wales was for nearly 20 years a player for England’s second team on Hurlingham’s traditional International Day, and he won the Silver Jubilee Cup many times. He met Camilla Parker Bowles at a polo match in 1973, and retired from competitive polo exactly 20 years later.
The match was played on the hottest weekend of the year; the soaring temperatures gave the tourist industry a much needed boost. Resorts struggled to cope with the crowds as 200,000 sun-seekers descended on Brighton beach.
Forecasters said temperatures had reached 32.5C (91F), beating the 32C (90F) recorded during Wimbledon. Holidaymakers who had not booked ahead faced disappointment in many coastal resorts over the weekend as hoteliers put out “No Vacancies” signs. The heatwave has given a boost for rural businesses hit by the effects of foot-and-mouth.
Motorists were advised to delay their return journeys until this morning after tailbacks of up to 30 miles were recorded on the M5 near Bristol. The heatwave is set to continue, but temperatures will cool later in the week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July News
News Archive