British Royals news: November 2002 - May 2004

[Dennism]

BBC

Boozing, womanising, flash with his money - it is no surprise that King Henry VIII was a footballer.

The proof that the Tudor monarch played the beautiful game has been discovered by an academic at Southampton University.

Textile expert Maria Hayward has found what could be the first ever specific reference to football boots.

The pair of boots, costing four shillings, were in an inventory of Henry VIII's clothes when he died.

As part of a wardrobe that would have made Footballers' Wives look understated, Henry VIII possessed a pair of specially made boots for playing football.

'Royal of the Rovers'

In a list of 17,000 pieces of clothing and possessions owned by the king, Dr Hayward found that the royal cordwainer had made shoes for playing football.

As they were more expensive than the type of shoes that the king wore for other sports, such as jousting, Dr Hayward says that they might well have been heavier and used stronger leather.

Although it's not likely that the king's boots had studs and a fancy design from a commercial sponsor - it is possible that there was a European connection, as Spanish leather was considered of premium quality at the time.

Dr Hayward says that the way the football boots have been specified among the king's possessions is "really unusual" and suggests that there must been something particularly noteworthy about them.

The shoes have not survived - and it is impossible to be certain - but these could have been among the first purpose-made football boots.

King when you're winning

The football-friendly king, with his jewellery, palaces, personalised carriages and dark side of domestic violence, was also something of a shoe enthusiast - ordering 20 or 30 pairs at a time.

The amount he spent on shoes would also have merited a nod from the Sex and the City generation - as the cost of a single pair of football boots was not far short of what the head of his wardrobe might have earned in a week.

Dr Hayward, who works at the Textile Conservation Centre at Winchester School of Art, says that relatively little research has been carried out on what male royals wore - and that there has been much more study of the clothes of Elizabeth I.

Whatever the Tudor boots looked like, they would have needed to be very robust, because football at the time was a no-holds-barred brawl, with few rules and frequent casualties.

What makes the discovery that Henry VIII had his own football boots even more intriguing is that the burly royal with the glamorous wives had himself banned the game in 1548, on the grounds that they incited riots.

[A.C.C.]

From Yahoo- Feb. 19, 2004

The Queen had good reason to smile on Wednesday, after the arrival
of some charming new additions to the Royal household. Puppies Holly
and Willow were born to one of her beloved pet Corgis. The newcomers
will no doubt help Her Majesty get over the loss of Pharos, a
favourite corgi recently killed by one of Princess Anne's bull
terriers.

The youngsters' appearance coincides with another new arrival, a new
£1.5-million royal train which will be used to transport members of
the family - and presumably their pooches - around the realm. The
Queen's Messenger, which was unveiled on Wednesday, is expected to
serve the family for the next 30 years.

The wine-coloured locomotive, which bears the Queen's crest and can
reach speeds of 125mph, will replace two smaller models currently in
use. One of the two redundant engines, which are called Prince Henry
and Prince William, will find a new home at the National Railway
Museum in York. The less fortunate of the two "Princes" will be
scrapped.

"We're not sure which one, but the other is likely to be melted
down," revealed a spokesman for owners EWS Rail. "They're reaching
the end of their operational life."

[Dennism]

BBC

Vetting for jobs working with the Royal Family is expected to be stepped up following a reporter's infiltration of Buckingham Palace.

The Independent Security Commission was asked to investigate after the incident.

Its report is thought to recommend "positive vetting" for royal jobs with every aspect of an applicant's life is looked into.

MI5 could take a lead role in checking people's backgrounds.

The Security Service also do this for sensitive jobs in Downing Street, the Ministry of Defence and elsewhere.

The commission was headed by senior judge Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss and is now being examined by the Home Office.

The prime minister ordered the investigation after Daily Mirror journalist Ryan Parry was able to get a job as a footman and work for two months with only cursory efforts to check his background.

Mr Parry had worked close to the Royal Family and had access to royal sites in the run-up to a visit by President George W Bush, with security supposedly stepped up.

Concerns had been raised earlier in the year by comedian Aaron Barschak's gatecrashing of Prince William's party at Windsor Castle.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the actual physical protection of the royals - enhanced in the current climate of fear over possible terrorist attacks - was unlikely to see major changes.

[Dennism]

BBC


A man has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer in a public area of Windsor Castle, said Scotland Yard.

A woman in her 30s was also arrested on suspicion of deception on Monday after 1600 BST.

No members of the Royal Family were at the castle and police say the incident did not represent a security breach.

The man, who is also in his 30s, and the woman are being questioned at a London police station.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "At this stage it is not believed that security was breached but we are reviewing all the circumstances of the arrest.

"No members of the Royal Family were in residence at the time."

Security adviser informed

BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said it was believed the man, posing as a plains clothes officer, entered the public area of Windsor Castle.

An overhaul of royal security was ordered last year after stand-up comedian Aaron Barschak gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party at the castle.

He set off seven alarms and was visible on CCTV cameras but was not stopped by police.

Earlier this month the Buckingham Palace announced the appointment of a new director of security, Brigadier Jeffrey Cook, to oversee the co-ordination and royal protection and vetting of staff.

As to the latest incident, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "It is a police matter.

"However, our security adviser, Brigadier Jeffrey Cook, has been informed."

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "It beggars belief that within a year, we have a third major breach of palace security, which comes almost immediately after the appointment of Brigadier Jeffrey Cook as head of royal security and after an extensive and expensive security review.

"The home secretary must take responsibility for this and must now recognise that the case for a separate minister for homeland security in unarguable.

"If David Blunkett cannot protect our head of state, how can he be expected to provide protection for the whole of the British public against terrorism threats."

Scotland Yard refused to comment on reports the man had passed through a security check at the castle by using the name of a senior detective currently heading a high profile investigation.

[Chanel]

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