3 dead in Scotland train crash

STONEHAVEN - Three people died when a passenger train derailed in northeast Scotland on Wednesday, police said, in what First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described as "an extremely serious incident."

"Very sadly despite the best efforts of paramedics, we can confirm that 3 people have been pronounced dead at the scene," British Transport Police said in a statement.

The crash, close to the town of Stonehaven around 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of Aberdeen, followed severe flooding across parts of the region overnight.

Smoke could be seen rising from the scene in pictures broadcast on television news channels. 

"The emergency services are currently on site and a major incident has been declared," Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament. 

"I am afraid to say that there are early reports of serious injuries," she added, after earlier noting on Twitter it was an "extremely serious incident."

The driver is believed to be one of the fatalities, according to police, with 6 other people hospitalized, although none of their injuries are thought to be serious. 

Some 30 emergency vehicles were attending the scene of the derailment, which happened at 9:40 a.m. (08:40 GMT).

Union TSSA said the train was the 06:38 (05:38 GMT) service traveling from Aberdeen to Glasgow.

Sturgeon added that the incident happened in an area where it was difficult for emergency services to access.

HEAVY FLOODING

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I am saddened to learn of the very serious incident in Aberdeenshire and my thoughts are with all of those affected. My thanks to the emergency services at the scene." 

Thunderstorms and torrential rain battered parts of central and eastern Scotland overnight, creating hazardous traveling conditions.

Photos posted on social media by local authorities showed heavy flooding in the nearby town of Stonehaven early Wednesday.

Network Rail Scotland, the company which looks after the rail infrastructure, said it was working alongside emergency services.

"It is too early to confirm the exact nature and severity of the incident and more details will be made available once known," it said.

Moments after the emergency services had been notified of the accident, Network Rail reported there had been a landslip close by.

The local arm of Britain's National Health Service said it was setting up "major incident support" in Aberdeen for relatives and friends of anyone involved in the incident.

The BBC reported that 1 casualty was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital.

Local MP Andrew Bowie said a "major emergency service response" was underway and he had spoken to the British transport minister, Grant Shapps, about the incident.

Shapps added on Twitter that he was in touch with Network Rail and other agencies and vowed "the UK Government will provide every support."

Britain's last major rail derailment was in 2007 in Cumbria, in northwest England, when a train on the main west coast line left the tracks, killing 1 passenger and seriously injuring 30 others.

Agence France-Presse

Victory for nationalism: Johnson's win puts UK's future in doubt

BELFAST/GLASGOW -- The election result was hailed as a victory for English, Scottish and Irish nationalism - and it could spell the end of the United Kingdom.

Boris Johnson's resounding triumph will allow him to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union next month but it could spell the break-up of the union that has bound England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for centuries.

While Johnson's Conservative Party swept the opposition aside across much of England on his promise to get Brexit done, Scottish nationalists captured 48 of the 59 parliamentary seats in Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, supporters of a united Ireland won more seats than those in the province who want to remain part of the United Kingdom for the first time since the 1921 partition which divided the British north from the Irish Republic in the south.

Throughout the election campaign, Johnson said he was committed to the union and denied accusations that his Brexit deal would create an economic barrier between the British mainland and Northern Ireland.

"At this stage it does look as though this one-nation Conservative government has been given a powerful new mandate, to get Brexit done and not just to get Brexit done but to unite this country and take it forward," Johnson said on Friday after winning his own seat in west London.

But opponents said it was Johnson's appeal to English nationalism with his promise to "Get Brexit done" at the expense of the interests of Scotland and Northern Ireland which had been instrumental in his success.

Both triumphant Scottish and Irish nationalist leaders and defeated opponents saw Johnson's victory as opening the way to the disintegration of the United Kingdom.

"Tonight we have seen that it is likely that Boris Johnson is on course to get a majority and it is clearly a good night for the SNP (Scottish National Party)," said Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party who lost her own Scottish parliamentary seat to the SNP.

"Some will be celebrating the wave of nationalism that is sweeping both sides of the border."

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the result was a clear mandate for a second plebiscite on Scottish independence.

Scotland, England's political partner for 300 years, voted against secession from the United Kingdom by 55 percent to 45 percent in 2014. But Scots backed staying in the European Union in the 2016 referendum and Sturgeon argues Brexit means they should have another say on independence.

BORDER POLL

"Boris Johnson may have a mandate to take England out of the European Union. He emphatically does not have a mandate to take Scotland out of the European Union. Scotland must have a choice over our own future," Sturgeon said.

A majority in Northern Ireland also voted against leaving the European Union and anti-Brexit parties took more seats in the province for the first time. Nationalists said the result paved the way towards a vote on whether there should be a united Ireland.

"We are heading towards a border poll, I can't give you a definitive date, but we need to do the spade work now and prepare ourselves," Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said.

"We need to, in an orderly fashion, structure the conversation about a new Ireland and constitutional change. I don't think unionism should be alarmed or frightened, this is a huge opportunity for everybody who lives on this island."

One of those to lose their seat was Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party which propped up the minority Conservative government in London after the last election in 2017.

The DUP said it had ultimately been betrayed by Johnson's Brexit deal with Brussels which they said would create an economic border between Britain and Northern Ireland.

"The great irony of all of this is that for decades unionists have looked over their shoulders and decided that Irish nationalists were the great threat ... but actually it’s English nationalism," Mike Nesbitt, former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, told the BBC.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Scotland pardons gay men convicted under homophobic laws

LONDON - Gay and bisexual men in Scotland prosecuted for consensual same-sex activity will receive an automatic pardon under a law which came into effect on Tuesday aiming to correct a "historic wrong".

The law will cover anyone convicted for same-sex activity which is no longer illegal, ranging from gay sex to kissing or flirting, and those affected can apply to have their former police record 'disregarded' or wiped clean.

Hundreds of men in Scotland were living with criminal records as a result of such discriminatory former laws, estimated LGBT+ rights group Equality Network, which said the convictions had hampered careers and overshadowed men's lives.

"We know of people who were prosecuted as late as the early 1990s for things like kissing their boyfriend in the street," said director Tim Hopkins, adding that for men prosecuted in earlier decades especially it could have been "devastating".

"A conviction like this could have meant the end of your career, it could have meant losing your friends, it could have meant losing your family, all of those huge impacts," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"The pardons and the disregard can't undo all of the harm done by these discriminatory laws but they do at least give some comfort to people."

Scotland legalized same-sex activity between men in 1980, though it was not until 2001 that the age of consent was equalized between gay and heterosexual couples.

Thousands of men are thought to have been prosecuted for consensual same-sex contact over the last 150 years, said the Equality Network.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon offered a public apology to those convicted in such cases for a "historic wrong" as the draft law was first published in 2017, and it was passed unanimously by Scottish parliament the following year.

The new bill will pardon all those affected, including those that are no longer living.

However, they must apply to have their criminal records wiped, a free process that the government and campaigners say it necessary because the offences are so wide-ranging it is not possible for authorities to proactively identify them.

The bill is wider-ranging than a similar law introduced in England and Wales, which only automatically pardons those who are dead and which has also been criticized for not including all of the former offences used to target gay men.

"There is no place for homophobia, ignorance and hatred in modern Scotland," said justice secretary Humza Yousaf in a statement on the eve of the law coming into effect.

"This legislation makes good on the commitments made by the First Minister, who gave an unqualified apology for the now outdated and discriminatory laws, and for the harm they caused to many."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

George and Amal Clooney on justice mission for women and gay people

EDINBURGH - Celebrity couple George and Amal Clooney said on Thursday they wanted to use their star power to push for justice globally for women, children, LGBT+ people, religious minorities, and journalists.

The 57-year-old Hollywood actor said some countries were using courts to do "really rotten things" and it was important to "shine a light" on where this was happening.

The couple's Clooney Foundation for Justice, set up in 2016, plans to this year launch, TrialWatch, a project to monitor trials and create an index to track which countries are using courtrooms to oppress minorities and government critics.

Amal Clooney, an international human rights lawyer, said it was important to expose injustices and the countries using courts to target vulnerable people, human rights defenders, and press freedom.

"We now have the highest number of journalists in jail in the world since records began," she told a charity gala organized by the People's Postcode Lottery in Edinburgh.

The Clooneys, who married in 2014, said they were both committed to using their fame to raise awareness about human rights abuses and corruption.

Amal Clooney, 41, said her job was less glamorous than it might seem as it mainly involved piling through vast amounts of paperwork but their fame could be used to their advantage.

"It helps when we want to engage governments to act or business leaders," said the British-Lebanese lawyer.

Her actor husband also played down the glamour of fame, joking about being the father of one-year-old twins, but acknowledged that he had always been determined to use the public spotlight to do good.

"I didn't grow up wealthy," he said. "If you end up getting lucky, you should share that luck."

The Clooneys were in Scotland to collect an award from the People's Postcode Lottery for their humanitarian work.

Britain's People's Postcode Lottery is one of several charity lotteries set up in Europe since 1989 by the Netherlands-based social enterprise Novamedia.

The lottery awards cash prizes and also donates about 32 percent of sales to charity, which has totaled more than 400 million pounds ($530 million) since 2005.

The organization has given money to some of George Clooney's other charities and has also made a grant to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters.

($1 = 0.7602 pounds)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Britain votes

Ballot boxes arrive at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting center in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Thursday, after the polls closed in the British general election. Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives are set to lose their overall majority after Britain's general election, an exit poll showed on Thursday after voting closed.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Parliament backs Brexit bill as Scotland bids to break away

LONDON - Parliament gave its approval Monday for Prime Minister Theresa May to start Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, even as Scotland signaled its opposition by announcing plans for a fresh independence vote.

The House of Lords rejected a last-ditch attempt to amend a bill empowering May to begin Brexit, paving the way for it to become law as early as Tuesday.

The prime minister could then trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty at any time, starting two years of talks that will end with Britain becoming the first country to leave the bloc.

May's spokesman sought to play down speculation that she would send her notification letter to the European Council on Tuesday, when the bill is expected to receive royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II.

"We have been clear that the prime minister will trigger Article 50 by the end of March," her spokesman said ahead of the vote, heavily emphasising the word "end".

But the prospect of an imminent start to Brexit was enough to push the nationalist devolved government in Scotland into calling for a new independence referendum.

May has said Britain will leave Europe's single market in order to cut immigration, a move that the Scottish National Party (SNP) in power in Edinburgh has warned would be highly damaging to jobs and growth.

SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said since the June referendum vote for Brexit that Scotland, where a majority wanted to stay in the EU, sought a different future.

On Monday she made good on her warning, promising to give Scotland "a choice at the end of this process" by early 2019 -- before Britain leaves the EU.

The European Commission, however, quickly responded saying that Scotland would have to reapply to join the EU rather than inheriting Britain's membership.

COUNTDOWN TO BREXIT

May has the power to block the vote and said that another referendum, after Scots voted by 55 percent to reject independence in 2014, would only cause "uncertainty and division".

But Sturgeon's call pushes to centre stage one of the prime minister's biggest concerns about Brexit -- that it could lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom -- as she prepares to fire the starting gun.

The other 27 European leaders are prepared for Britain to trigger Article 50, which begins a two-year countdown to Brexit, this week.

However, speculation is growing that it may now be delayed until after a March 25 summit in Rome to mark the EU's 60th birthday -- timing that would likely be welcomed in Brussels.

Once May has notified the EU of her decision by letter, the bloc will take just 48 hours to issue its first draft proposal for the negotiations, with a follow-up meeting planned on April 6.

The actual talks are not expected to begin for months.

The bill empowering May to begin Brexit was forced on the government by a Supreme Court ruling and was held up when the House of Lords voted for amendments demanding guarantees for EU nationals' rights and a parliamentary vote on the final withdrawal deal.

Brexit minister David Davis successfully urged MPs to overturn the changes earlier Monday, saying: "We will not enter the negotiations with our hands tied."

The House of Lords then conceded, passing the bill unamended late on Monday.

'SHAME ON YOU'

The Lords amendment demanding protections for more than three million Europeans living in Britain was defeated by 335 votes to 287 by MPs -- prompting shouts of "shame on you" from protesters outside.

Around 150 people had gathered to urge MPs to back the change, including Karin Templin, a 39-year-old architect who was born in the US but is now British.

"I'm appalled at the UK government, at this stupid ridiculous game that means they won't guarantee the rights of everybody who wants to stay in their home and in their jobs. I'm disgusted," she said.

May's government says it wants to guarantee Europeans' rights to stay in Britain, but cannot until EU leaders offer similar rights to British expatriates.

The other amendment that was overturned would have given parliament the right to decide whether to accept the final Brexit deal.

May has promised lawmakers a vote on the deal but only if she accepts it -- insisting her ability to walk away will strengthen her hand in negotiations.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

A boost for the remortgage market

So June the 23rd delivered a momentous decision that few were expecting. The shock has not been the result so much as to how people have behaved subsequently: the Prime Minister has resigned, the labour shadow cabinet has thrown their toys out of the pram regarding the leadership of their party, while Nicola Sturgeon opportunistically wants to fragment the kingdom still further with, ironically, a vote for independence that will make the Scots less independent.

Ultimately however, democracy has taken its course and a vote has been taken, now it is time for everyone to pull together, regardless of political persuasion, or which way you voted.  It is time to look to the future of our great country and make it a success. This will only happen by everyone working together to make it so.  The more there is division the more that people who want to see the UK fail will start to gain a foothold.

So to the mortgage market. Mortgage rates were dropping for many weeks before the referendum and we had already seen the launch of the lowest ever fixed rate. Lenders have continued to lower interest rates, with a sub 1% rate being launched by HSBC before the referendum, and it looks like rates will not be going up any time soon.

In this respect it seems like what the politicians are forecasting and what is actually happening on the ground is pulling in separate directions and predictions are often little indication of what will actually happen.

In fact it is almost impossible to judge, partly because even the people meant to be making many of the pivotal decisions still do not know what decisions to make themselves. At the time of writing Mark Carney is unsure whether he will need to lower rates to boost spending or whether he will need to raise them as we may have an inflationary situation because the cost of oil will rise, as will other things dependent on the sterling/dollar exchange rate.

While swap rates have been falling for some time, giving banks access to cheap three and six month money, there is a chance that funds further down the line may be more expensive if UK banks find it harder to access money from the money markets. This would raise the cost of mortgages regardless of what the Bank of England does. However, there is certainly no shortage of money to be lent at the moment which is contributing to the incredibly low rates.

Either way this is arguably good news for the mortgage market right now as we may well see the number of remortgages rise. On the one hand we have the lowest mortgage rates we have ever had, on the other there is a prospect that they may rise in three to six months. Both of which mean if ever there has been a time for mortgage brokers to get in touch with their clients, now is it.

source: mortgageintroducer.com

Record-breaking Stenson lands first major at Troon

TROON, Scotland - Record-breaking Swede Henrik Stenson became the first Scandinavian male to capture a major when he won the British Open on Sunday, beating Phil Mickelson in an extraordinary final-round duel.

The world number six produced a swashbuckling eight-under-par 63 to finish 20-under on 264, three ahead of playing partner Mickelson (65).

The 40-year-old Stenson's round equalled the lowest in any major championship and his winning total was also a record for any of the 'Big Four' tournaments.

"Wow, this will take a little while to sink in," said Stenson as he held aloft the coveted Claret Jug. "I'm still trying to find my bearings here.

"I want to thank Phil for a fantastic battle. We played some great golf and I'm delighted to come out on top."

Like two prize fighters in a ring, the two men traded blow after stunning blow, reeling off birdie after birdie to turn the last day of golf's oldest major into a two-way procession.

The rest were nowhere with American JB Holmes (69) taking third spot on 278, 11 behind Mickelson as the leading pair evoked memories of the great 'Duel in the Sun' Turnberry Open of 1977 when Tom Watson edged out Jack Nicklaus in another epic head-to-head.

Steve Stricker (69) of the U.S. was in fourth place on 279, one in front of Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton of England and Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

Mickelson showed he meant business with a first-hole birdie after drilling a majestic approach to tap-in range while overnight leader Stenson took three putts.

BIRDIE BARRAGE

The Swede's response was instant and emphatic as he birdied five of the next seven holes, making a complete nonsense of gusts of up to 25mph on the windswept Ayrshire coastline.

Five-times major champion Mickelson, however, refused to be cowed and an eagle three at the fourth followed by a birdie two holes later meant he was only one behind at the turn.

The putts continued to fall at the 10th as both players birdied yet again.

The 46-year-old American, bidding to become the oldest winner of the Open in the modern era, levelled again at the 11th when his title rival three-putted for the second time.

As the wind died down and the sun made a rare appearance, Stenson delivered the coup de grace with a hat-trick of birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th giving him a two-shot advantage with two holes to play.

Mickelson's last chance came and went at the 16th when his eagle putt just missed.

Stenson, full of adrenaline on the 18th tee, hammered his tee shot 310 yards down the fairway and was mightily relieved to see it stop 12 inches short of one of Royal Troon's fiendish pot bunkers.

He safely found the green with his approach and rolled in another monster putt to complete victory and post the 29th round of 63 in major championship history.

"I knew he wasn't going to back down at any point and in a way that makes it easier," said Stenson. "I knew I had to keep on pushing, keep on giving myself birdie chances."

Mickelson, who beat Stenson into second place when he won the 2013 Open at Muirfield, was generous in his praise.

"It's disappointing to come in second but I'm happy for Henrik, he's really a great champion," said the left-hander. "We've been friends for some time.

"I've always thought he is one of the best ball-strikers in the game and that major championships are perfectly suited for him. I knew he would ultimately come through and win."

(Editing by Martyn Herman and Pritha Sarkar)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Queen urges unity after Scotland rejects independence

EDINBURGH - Scottish leader Alex Salmond said Friday he would resign after losing an independence referendum that left the United Kingdom intact, while Queen Elizabeth II called for "mutual respect" among Scots following a divisive campaign.

Despite a surge in Scottish nationalist support in the final fortnight of the campaign, the anti-independence "No" camp secured a clear margin of 55.30 percent of the vote against 44.70 percent for the separatist "Yes" side.

After a campaign that inspired other break-away movements, especially in Spain's Catalonia, and opened a Pandora's box of demands for more autonomy across the United Kingdom, turnout was 84.6 percent -- the highest ever for an election in Britain.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted" and added: "Now the debate has been settled for a generation."

US President Barack Obama said he hoped to continue his country's "strong and special relationship with all the people of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".

Salmond conceded defeat and said he would be stepping down from his post and from the leadership of his Scottish National Party (SNP) in November.

"For me as leader, my time is nearly over. But for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die," he said at a press conference in Edinburgh.

David Torrance, Salmond's biographer, told AFP: "I can only assume he's tired and...that there's not really much he can do beyond this", adding that the Scottish leader will go down as "easily one of the most significant figures of the last 20 years" in British politics.

Many "Yes" activists had watched the result in tears, although Salmond urged them to take heart from the huge number -- 1.6 million -- who backed independence.

The queen appealed for Scots on both sides to set aside their differences, saying: "Despite the range of views that have been expressed, we have in common an enduring love of Scotland.

"I have no doubt that the Scots, like others throughout the United Kingdom, are able to express strongly-held opinions before coming together again in a spirit of mutual respect," said the queen, who is currently staying in her summer residence of Balmoral in northeast Scotland.

Despite her pleas, tensions simmered in central Glasgow as horse-mounted police were forced to separate hundreds of pro-union protesters and independence supporters in George's Square.

Three people were arrested and roads around the square were closed as police dispersed the crowd, although smaller groups later amassed in other areas of the city centre, chanting "Rule Britannia" and letting off flares.

- Britain maintains credit rating -

The result reassured many in the rest of Britain worried about the possibility of an impending break-up, including investors on the financial markets who pushed the pound to a two-year high against the euro as European stock markets rallied.

In response, ratings agency Moody's confirmed Britain's credit rating at "Aa1".

A "Yes" vote would have brought to an abrupt end a union between Scotland and England stretching back to 1707.

But while the UK survived, it could soon look very different.

The British government must now deliver on promises made in the heat of the campaign to give more powers over tax, spending and welfare to the devolved government in Edinburgh.

Cameron stood by the pledge on Friday, under which "Scotland gains almost everything except for full independence", said Emily St Denny, a politics professor at Stirling University.

The prime minister also promised a shake-up of the constitutional order with more local control for other parts of the UK, heading off demands from Conservatives and the UK Independence Party (UKIP) for England to be given more powers.

"Just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare, so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues," he said.

Tony Travers, professor of politics at the London School of Economics, told AFP that Cameron's comments were pointing towards "a more federal version of Britain".

- 'Don't trust the Conservatives' -

In Edinburgh, independence supporters were sceptical about promises from the British government.

"I really, really hope it does but I doubt it. I don't trust the Conservatives at all," said Laura-Beth Salter, 30, a musician and music teacher who voted "Yes".

Salter said she thought Salmond's resignation was "a shame" but added: "It needs some young blood to keep it going".

Charlotte Darroch, one of many 16- and 17-year-olds who were allowed to vote in a British election for the first time, said the result of the vote was "just crushing, quite devastating".

But "No" supporter Louise Fleming, 21, who also lives in the Scottish capital, said she was "relieved".

"We can't expect everything to be great tomorrow but the right outcome has occurred," she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Susan Boyle Receives Honorary Degree From Scottish University

Looks like another one of Susan Boyle's dreams has come true.

The former Britain's Got Talent winner received an honorary doctorate from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland Friday in recognition for her "contribution to the creative industries," according to Scotland's Daily Record.

And while the "I Dreamed a Dream" crooner didn't sing at the ceremony, she was all smiles as the university's founding chancellor, Sir Tom Farmer, presented her with the degree.

Boyle previously studied for a certificate in caring at the university.

Congrats!

source: eonline.com

Royal kiss

source: mb.com.ph

LONDON (Reuters/AP) – Before a flawless exchange of vows, a veiled Middleton wearing a laced dress with a long train, the first “commoner” to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years, walked slowly through the 1,900-strong congregation.

As they met at the altar William, second in line to the throne, whispered to her, prompting a smile. The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams declared the couple married with the words: “I pronounce that they be man and wife together.”

Tens of thousands of people thronging the streets outside cheered when they heard the words, and again as the newlyweds left the abbey in a 1902 open-topped state landau carriage bound for Buckingham Palace, the queen’s London residence.

Huge cheering crowds strained to catch a glimpse of the beaming couple as well as the military bands in black bearskin hats and cavalrymen in shining breastplates who escorted them to the palace where they were expected to kiss on the balcony.

Middleton’s dress, the subject of fevered speculation for months in the fashion press, was a traditional ivory silk and satin outfit with a lace applique and train.

It was designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen label, named after the British designer who committed suicide.

The bride wore a tiara loaned by the queen and the diamond and sapphire engagement ring that belonged to William’s mother Princess Diana, who was divorced from Prince Charles in 1996, a year before her death in a car crash in Paris aged just 36.

Middleton, the 29-year-old whose mother’s family had coal mining roots, is a breath of fresh air for the monarchy, which has in the past been accused of being disconnected from ordinary Britons. She is seen as having the common touch.

The royals’ cool reaction to Diana’s 1997 death contrasted with an outpouring of public grief and marked a low point for the family. Some questioned whether the institution, a vestige of imperial glory, had outlived its unifying role in a modern state divided by partisan politics and regional separatism.

Sealed with a kiss

Thousands of people from around the globe were outside the abbey, many of them camping overnight for the best view of the future king and queen and fuelling the feel-good factor that has briefly lifted Britain from its economic gloom.

“People watching this at home must think we’re completely mad, but there’s just no comparison,” said 58-year-old Denise Mill from southern England. “I just had to be here.”

The crowd entered into the festive spirit on a day when threatened rain failed to materialize by wearing national flags and even fake wedding dresses and tiaras.

Hundreds of police officers, some armed, dotted the royal routes in a major security operation. Plain clothes officers mixed with the crowds who were packed behind rails.

A large gathering is expected outside Buckingham Palace to cheer on the couple as they appear on the balcony for the much-anticipated public kiss.

For some, however, the biggest royal wedding since Diana married Charles in 1981 was an event to forget, reflecting divided opinion about the monarchy.

In the economically depressed northern city of Bradford, for example, businessman Waheed Yunus said: “It’s two young people getting married. It’s as simple as that. It happens throughout the whole world every single day.

“There are much more pressing issues. There are much more important things going on in the world.”

‘Waity Katie’

About 5,500 street parties will be held across Britain, in keeping with tradition, although they will be more common in the more affluent south of England than in the poorer north.

Church bells rang out throughout the country in celebration.

The marriage between William and Middleton, dubbed “Waity Katie” for their long courtship, has cemented a recovery in the monarchy’s popularity.

A series of scandals involving senior royals, Britain’s economic problems and Diana’s death after her divorce from Prince Charles led many to question the future of the monarchy.

But Middleton’s background, William’s appeal, the ongoing adoration for his mother and a more media-savvy royal press team have helped to restore their standing with the wider public.

A Daily Mail survey showed 51 percent of people believed the wedding would strengthen the monarchy in Britain, compared with 65 percent who said the marriage between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005 would weaken it.

However, while the queen, 85, exercises limited power, and is largely a symbolic figurehead in Britain and its former colonies, critics question the privileges she and her family enjoy, particularly at a time when the economy is so weak.

The monarchy officially costs the British taxpayer around 40 million pounds ($67 million) a year, while antiroyalists put the figure at closer to 180 million pounds.

History and pomp

Bells pealed loudly and trumpets blared as 1,900 guests earlier poured into the historic abbey, coronation site for the monarchy since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066.

Queen Elizabeth, other royals, Prime Minister David Cameron, David and Victoria Beckham, the footballerpop star couple, and singer Elton John were among famous guests at the abbey.

They joined 50 heads of state as well as charity workers and war veterans who know the prince from his military training.

Middleton has been given the title Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge after the queen made her grandson William the Duke of Cambridge to mark the marriage.

William could face a long wait for the throne. His grandmother Queen Elizabeth shows little sign of slowing down at 85 and his father Charles is a fit and active 62-year-old.

2-B people watch

Some 2 billion people across the globe were believed to have tuned in as the future king and queen of England started their lives as husband and wife with the two simple words “I will.” The couple looked nervous but happy and recited their vows without stumbling before Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

A million well-wishers – as well as some protesters – flooded into the areas surrounding Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and other London landmarks. Crowds were up at dawn waving flags for television cameras under steely gray skies and cool temperatures.

Cheers erupted as huge television screens began broadcasting at Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park.

“Will, it’s not too late!” said one sign held aloft by an admirer dressed as a bride.

Middleton’s ivory wedding gown with lace applique was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, while her hair was half-up, half-down and decorated with a tiara. William wore the scarlet tunic of an Irish Guards officer, sending a strong signal of support for the armed forces and reinforcing his new image as a dedicated military man.

Against all odds, the sun came out as Middleton emerged from the Rolls-Royce in her wedding gown.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

William and Kate received their first royal wedding present from the queen on Friday: the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

There’s more: The palace statement said William was also named the Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.

Middleton will take those titles as well, becoming Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus when she says: “I will.”

Strathearn ties William and Middleton to Scotland, where the pair met and fell in love. Baron Carrickfergus is a little-used title which refers to one of the oldest towns in Northern Ireland.

All three titles were bestowed by William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to mark the prince’s marriage and were announced early Friday via Twitter, by email, and on the royal wedding’s official website.

Because Middleton was not born royalty, she will not officially become Princess Catherine – although the public may choose to call her that, or even “Princess Kate,” in defiance of protocol.

Royal watchers called the bestowal of the title Duke of Cambridge a personal mark of esteem from the queen. It refers to the history-steeped university town that is a symbol of British prestige.

The dukedom’s history stretches back to Medieval times and has for 300 years been associated with royalty.

Maid of honor Pippa Middleton wore a simple column dress and naturally styled hair, while best man Prince Harry was dressed in formal military attire. The flower girls, in cream dresses with full skirts and flowers in their hair, walked down hand-in-hand with Pippa.

The iconic abbey was airy and calm, the long aisle leading to the altar lined with maple and hornbeam trees as light streamed in through the high arched windows.

Plumage of Amazonian variety filled the cavernous abbey as some 1,900 guests filed in, the vast majority of women in hats, some a full two feet (.6 meters) across or high.

Some looked like dinner plates. One woman wore a bright red fascinator that resembled a flame licking her cheek. A BBC commentator noted there were some ``very odd choices’’ in fashion walking through the abbey door.

Most men, however, looked elegant and suave in long tails, some highlighted by formal plaid pants and vests.

Others wore military uniforms.

All the clamoring over every detail – the wedding dress, her hair, their titles, the romantic kiss on the balcony, the honeymoon – was finally being answered.

But the biggest question won’t be resolved for years: Will this royal couple live happily ever after?

Will their union endure like that of William’s grandparents – Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, now in its 64th year – or crumble in a spectacular and mortifying fashion like that of his own parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana?

Recent history augurs badly: The first marriages of three of the queen’s four children ended in divorce. But William and Kate seem to glow with happiness in each other’s company, and unlike Charles and Diana they’ve had eight years to figure out that they want to be together.

Still, the fate of their marriage depends on private matters impossible for the public to gauge, since any wedding is fundamentally about two people. Will their lives together, starting with such high hopes, be blessed by good fortune, children, good health, productive work?

Much will depend on whether 28-year-old William and 29-year-old Kate can summon the things every couple needs: patience, love, wit and wisdom.

But they face the twin burdens of fame and scrutiny. Money, power, beauty – it can all go wrong if not carefully nurtured.

These are the thorny issues upon which the fate of the monarchy rests, as the remarkable queen, now 85, inevitably ages and declines.

After the church ceremony, the royal-couple will travel from the abbey to Buckingham Palace in an opentopped carriage for two parties, one hosted by the queen for 650 guests, and an evening dinner dance for 300 close friends.

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip have promised to go away for the evening, leaving the younger royals free to party the night away – and Harry to make his best man’s speech away from his octogenarian grandparents’ ears.


Article source: mb.com.ph