• Duchess expecting second child (fromThe Guardian)

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  • The Buckingham Palace guardsman stopping to pick something up as he patrols the grounds.
    The Buckingham Palace guardsman stopping to pick something up as he patrols the grounds. Photograph: YouTube

    A Grenadier Guardsman who appeared to entertain tourists by pirouetting and performing silly walks while keeping guard outside Buckingham Palace is being investigated by the army.

    The unidentified soldier was filmed while on duty outside the Queen's official London residence and the footage uploaded to YouTube.

    Guarding royal palaces is a prestigious ceremonial duty usually carried out by the five regiments of Foot Guards and occasionally by militaryunits from countries where the Queen is head of state, such as Canada.

    The soldier is seen in the clip, posted last month, walking outside the palace from his sentry box to a wall a short distance away. As he marches up and down he stoops to pick something up, then on another patrol stops mid-stride with his foot in the air for a few seconds.

    On another occasion the Guardsman performs a jaunty walk and later varies his speed and is also seen pirouetting three times before stopping outside his sentry box. It is not known if the Queen or any other member of the royal family were at the palace at the time.

    Many of the comments below the video clip criticise the unknown soldier but one person defends him, saying: "Have a day off you lot. This is one of the most boring jobs in the British army and he is injecting a little artistic licence into it for the crowds."

    An army spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the video. Anyone who is found to fall short of the army's high standards can expect to face appropriate action."

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  • As Manchester United ban iPads from Old Trafford, what else should go?

    Manchester United have told fans to leave their ‘large electronic devices’ at home. What other objects should be prohibited and what is the strangest thing you have seen in a stadium?

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  •   1953, Jamaica                                                                                                                    1957, North Carolina 

    Life with Elizabeth II : photos of the QueenLife with Elizabeth II : photos of the QueenLife with Elizabeth II : photos of the Queen

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Prince Charles

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    1960

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Life with Elizabeth II : photos of the QueenEthiopia, 1965

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  •  (video AP)

    (CNN) -- Look out Lannisters ... Windsor is coming.

    Queen Elizabeth came face to face with royalty of a very different kind when she met the cunning Cersei -- otherwise known as actress Lena Headey -- on a visit to the "Game of Thrones" set in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

    The monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, were touring Belfast when they called in at the sound stage where the hit show -- famed for its violent scenes and frequent nudity -- is filmed.

    "Game of Thrones" showrunner David Benioff and writer and producer Daniel Weiss guided the royal party around the Paint Hall studio in the city's Titanic Quarter.

    During the visit, the Queen met the show's prop and costume makers and set designers, as well as actors Kit Harrington (Jon Snow), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Conleth Hill (Lord Varys) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark).

    \'Game of Thrones\': Who\'s who in Westeros'Game of Thrones': Who's who in Westerosr?

    The Queen was spotted looking with interest at the Iron Throne, supposedly forged from the swords of defeated warriors -- but chose not to sit down and put her feet up.

    Instead, she was offered a small model of the saga's famous seat as a souvenir.

    It is not clear if Queen Elizabeth or any of the royal family are fans of the award-winning HBO show, which is screened around the world.

    "Game of Thrones" has been filmed in Northern Ireland since 2009, contributing millions of dollars to the local economy during the past five years, providing thousands of jobs, and encouraging tourism to a region once bitterly divided by sectarian violence.

    Season four of the critically-acclaimed fantasy drama recentlyconcluded in typically gory fashion; fifth and sixth seasons are planned.

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  • Queen visits Parisian flower market named Marche aux Fleurs - Reine Elizabeth II in her honour

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  • Pentecost

    The name Pentecost comes from a Greek word which means 'fiftieth'.

    Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the followers of Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus had told them to wait until the Spirit came to them. Ten days after ascension, 50 days after the resurrection, the Spirit came.

    (Ascension Day marks the last appearance of Jesus to the disciples after his resurrection at Easter.)

    The festival is often called Pentecost because when the disciples received the Holy Spirit and began to go out and preach about Jesus it was the Jewish festival of Pentecost.

    Pentecost is recognised as the birth of the Christian Church. The Apostle Peter preached a sermon which resulted in 3,000 people becoming believers.

    Whit Sunday

    Whit Sunday is a favourite day for baptism. It is thought that because people are often baptised dressed in white, Whit Sunday was probably originally known as 'White Sunday'.

    Whisuntide is the week following with Whitsunday, which is always the seventh sunday after Easter Sunday.

     

    Customs and Traditions

    Whit Walks

    Christians in some towns and cities have traditionally taken part in Whit Walks. Whitsun was the time for walks and processions. The traditional "Procession of Witness" has long been celebrated throughout the North West.

    Bread and Cheese Throwing

    In Gloucestershire, Whit Sunday is called 'Bread and Cheese Day' because of a very strange custom.

    In St Braivels, Gloucestershire, following evensong on Whit Monday, basketfuls of bread and cheese are thrown from a wall near the old castle, to be scrambled for in a lane below. The locals of St Braivels have been hurling bread and cheese since the 13th century, when the custom began probably as a payment for the villagers' right to cut timber from a nearby wood.

    Cheese Rolling

    The first Sunday or Monday in May is a unique opportunity to witness the ancient custom of cheese rolling.

    Gloucester cheese Rolling. Randwick, Gloucestershire, England:
    After rolling three double Gloucester cheeses around the church, one is cut up and shared amongst bystanders and the other two are rolled down a steep hill.

    Stilton Cheese Rolling. Stilton, Cambridgeshire:
    Teams of four, in bizarre costumes, roll stilton cheese along a 50-yard course. They must not kick or throw the cheeses. The prize is a whole Stilton Cheese, which weighs about 16 pounds, and bottles of port—the traditional accompaniment.

    Edam Cheese Rolling. Ide Hill, Kent:
    Women chase a thrown edam cheese down the sloping village green during the annual Whit Monday Fair

    Cheese rolling also takes place in other areas around England.

    Whitsun Ales (village festivals)

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  • From Audi and Adidas to Porsche and Yves Saint Laurent, here's a quick and easy guide to how you should be saying corporate brand names.
     
     
    Nike store front Manchester city centre UK
    The Nike (that's Ni-key) store in Manchester. Photograph: Alamy
     
     

    Nike rhymes with "bike", doesn't it? Well, no, actually it rhymes with "spiky". Nike chairman Philip Knight has confirmed the correct way to pronounce the brand's name, after two men sent him a letter asking him to circle either "Ni-ke" or "Ni-key" and answer what they called "one of life's big unanswered questions".

    To celebrate, here's a definitive guide to the pronunciation (not pro-noun-ciation!) of some other commonly mispronounced brand names.

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