Prince William received an $11-million helicopter from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for his 32nd birthday today.
William, heir to the throne behind his father Prince Charles, received a 2008 Agusta A109S Grand helicopter from the British monarch. Local media identified the helicopter model.
The new helicopter will help William and his wife, Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, zip between home and official engagements, and be used to ferry other members of the Royal Family around, the Daily Mirror reports.
It says the helicopter costs will be covered by the sovereign grant, which is a sum of money the government gives to the Royal Family to help support the Queen’s official duties.
A retired British Army officer who ran a game reserve where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were guests has been killed in a botched robbery at his home in Kenya.
Lieutenant Colonel David Parkinson, 58, and his wife Sonja were attacked after a gang of five robbers, armed with machetes and a gun, broke into their house in the Lolldaiga Hills, a wildlife farm, in the early hours of Sunday.
During the confrontation, Lt Col Parkinson’s hand was cut off and he was fatally wounded, police said.
Local police chief Marius Tum said the intruders entered the couple’s bedroom by breaking a glass door using a large stone.
They ordered the couple to hand over money and guns.
“One of the gang members was armed with a pistol, another with a machete while the rest had crude weapons. While one of them was terrorising Mr Parkinson the others tied his wife’s hands with ropes,” Mr Tum said.
However, Mrs Parkinson who had sustained a cut on her back managed to untie herself and escaped to a strong room where she hid herself until the robbers fled.
On returning to the main house she found the body of her husband on the floor, police said.
Mr Tum said a post-mortem examination would be carried out to determine the cause of Lt Col Parkinson’s death.
On Sunday afternoon, a suspect from a nearby village was arrested after police mounted a major manhunt using sniffer dogs.
Lt Col Parkinson, who had a distinguished career in the Army for 30 years, worked as the manager of the Lolldaiga ranch in Laikipia East district since 2008.
Before that he was a director of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya where Prince William spent his gap year helping with various conservation projects before taking up his place at St Andrews University.
The Foreign Office confirmed the death of Lt Col Parkinson.
“We are aware of his death and we stand ready to provide consular assistance to his family at this sad time,” a spokesman said. – Sky News
Mugabe visiting the Queen: Not boosting the British economy…
Kate Middleton and Prince William are expecting their first child within days, and U.K. and global media outlets are gearing up for what is expected to be the biggest royals story of the year.
The royal birth will directly boost U.K. retail sales by around $367 million (£243 million), according to an estimate by the Centre for Retail Research in Nottingham, England. The figure covers all of July and August.
Festivities-related expenses will lead the way with an estimated $131 million (£87 million) in additional business thanks to the royal baby, according to the research. That includes increased spending on alcohol ($94 million, or £62 million), with the group predicting three million bottles of champagne and sparkling wine will be opened across the country, mostly in informal celebrations, to celebrate the baby.
“We expect plenty of people, not necessarily fervent royalists, to welcome the happy event in a demonstrative way,” the center said in a report.
Souvenirs and toys tied to the baby could bring in $121 million (£80 million), a figure that includes items sold overseas, it estimated.
And spending on royals- and royal baby-related books, DVDs and media could reach $115 million (£76 million), according to the Centre for Retail Research.
Beyond sales within the U.K., sales abroad of souvenirs, toys, books and DVD/media could also add to the economic impact to the tune of $56 million (£37 million), according to the center. That estimate includes overseas sales by U.K. online retailers.
“There is considerable interest in this event across the world, but particularly in North America, parts of Europe and Australia and New Zealand,” the center’s report said. “The Cambridges are seen as a “good news” story and surprisingly normal.
Bookies and betters are also looking to make money off the royal baby.
Bookmaker William Hill says the royal baby betting market might see $150,000 spent on various bets – from the gender and name of the baby to its hair color.
But that would be a minimal sum compared to the hundreds of millions of pounds placed on Britain’s annual Grand National horse race.
“Since the announcement that the Duchess was pregnant, there has been considerable interest in her changing shape, the sex of the baby, what new things she is wearing, as well as the baby products that are being acquired,” according to the report from the Centre for Retail Research.
It projects that in the months after the baby is born money spent on strollers could rise by 13 percent, or $50 million (£33 million) “as new parents “trade up” to more exclusive baby carriages following a trend that is expected to be set by the royals.”
Said the center: “The lucky manufacturer can expect a similar boost in sales to that achieved by iCandy Peach when Victoria Beckham adopted one for her daughter Harper.”
Observers have already spoken of the “Kate Effect” in such areas as fashion as items that Middleton wears tend to see a sales boost.
Similar gains are also expected to be made by the manufacturers of the royal baby’s clothes, crib and other products associated with the baby and its parents, according to the center. – The Hollywood Reporter
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