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Prince Charles supports Christians in the Middle East


Britain's Prince Charles has voiced his support for Christians currently living in the Middle East.
Political unrest is rife across the region at present and Charles has expressed sympathy for those whose lives have been affected by the ongoing troubles.
He said: "Their suffering is symptomatic of a very real crisis which threatens the very existence of Christianity in the land of its birth.
"In fact according to Aid to the Church in Need, which is a truly remarkable organisation, Christianity is on course to disappear from Iraq within five years unless emergency help is provided on a greatly increased scale at an international level."
Charles said something must be done to ensure the "cultural heritage of Christianity" in the region is maintained.
He explained: "This affects us all, consequently the greatest challenge we face is how to ensure the spiritual and cultural heritage of Christianity in the Middle East is preserved for future generations."
There are thought to be around 250,000 Christians still living in Iraq, although around 100,000 of these have been displaced due to a combination of fighting and the threat posed by terrorist groups.

Prince Charles to visit flood victims


Britain's Prince Charles is to visit flood-hit Cumbria on Monday (21.12.15).
The 67-year-old royal will tour parts of the region to see for himself how communities are coping with the aftermath of Storm Desmond, which devastated thousands of homes and businesses.
A Clarence House spokeswoman said: "The visit will recognise the efforts of those who helped in the relief operation as well as showing the progress of repair work as local communities prepare for Christmas and look ahead to the new year."
Charles will speak to a number of families in the area to see how they've contended with the recent problems, while he will also meet members of the emergency services who have been offering assistance to people in need of support.
Earlier this month, Charles made an undisclosed donation to the Cumbria Community Foundation, which helps those people affected by the floods.
Meanwhile, his Prince's Countryside Fund has also released £40,000 from its emergency fund and launched a public appeal, which has raised an additional £20,000 in aid of the flooding victims.
The recent floods means a large number of families are going to have to spend Christmas away from their homes.

Prince George to start at nursery school in new year


Britain's Prince George is to start at nursery school in the new year.
The office of his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, has confirmed that the two-year-old royal will attend the Westacre Montessori School Nursery near his parents' country mansion in Norfolk, East England.
In a statement, the nursery said: "We are looking forward to welcoming George to our nursery where he will get the same special experience as all of our children."
It's been confirmed Prince George will attend his first day at nursery before the end of next month.
By contrast, Prince William attended Mrs Mynors nursery school in London and his wife went to a nursery school in Jordan, where her father was working at the time.
Meanwhile, Prince William admitted recently that he fears his son's enthusiasm for Christmas will restrict his sleep over the festive period.
Asked what he'll be doing to mark the big day, the prince said: "Well, if I get any sleep on Christmas Eve it'll be good, because George will be bouncing around like a rabbit. I think George will be extremely bouncy this year because he's suddenly worked out what Christmas is all about."

Duchess of Cambridge becomes patron of the RAF Air Cadets


Britain's Duchess of Cambridge has become the patron of the RAF Air Cadets.
The 33-year-old royal has taken on the role from the Duke of Edinburgh, who has relinquished his role as Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief, thereby ending his 63-year association with the Air Training Corps.
Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, Commandant of the Air Cadets, said: "We are absolutely thrilled that Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge has agreed to be our patron.
"Her links to the RAF family are already well-established and her desire to support youth development is well-recognised around the world.
"We hope that by acting as our Honorary Air Commandant she can see at first hand the amazing work of our adult volunteers who deliver a truly world-class cadet experience to many thousands of young people."
It is the first time the Duchess has taken over a patronage role from another royal, while it is also her first royal role with an official link to the armed forces.
In her new job, the Duchess represents an organisation of 42,000 air cadets aged from 12 to 19, as well as 15,000 adult volunteers across the UK and abroad.

Royal wedding cake put up for sale


A cake from the wedding of Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana has gone up for auction in Los Angeles.
The 34-year-old fruit cake has been perfectly preserved since the memorable royal event thanks to the high level of alcohol in it and is, in fact, still edible.
However, it's eye-watering value - which is thought to be in the thousands - is based on the fact that it is still intact.
A note accompanying the presentation box reads: "With best wishes from Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince & Princess of Wales."
Sam Heller, from the auction house responsible for selling the cake, said: "The wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles captured the attention of the world on television and through many newspapers and magazines.
"And even today, people just can not get enough of the late Princess.
"Alcohol has preserved the cake making it still edible, although collectors would rather it remain intact.
"Collectors are willing to pay a premium to own a piece of history from the most famous wedding of the 20th century."
Prince Charles and Princess Diana married at St Paul's Cathedral in London in July 1981.

Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall publish their annual Christmas card


Britain's Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have printed their annual Christmas card.
With less than 10 days to go until Christmas, the royal duo have released their festive-themed card, in which they can be seen cuddling up to one another while on holiday in Scotland.
The image was taken in the summer and was never actually intended for public release, but the couple loved it so much they ultimately decided it was the best possible photograph to use for their card.
The card also features the Prince of Wales' feathers emblem and the Duchess' cipher, while on the inside, there are the words, "Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year".
Meanwhile, it emerged earlier this week that Prince Charles has been given access to secret government documents over the last 20 years.
However, a spokesperson for the Cabinet has since rubbished criticism of the move, insisting it's important the future king is kept informed on important matters.
He said: "It has been established practice for many years that the sovereign and the heir to the throne receive the minutes of cabinet meetings.
"It is important that the head of state and her heir are properly briefed."

Prince Charles to attend progressive synagogue


Britain's Prince Charles is to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Britain's oldest progressive synagogue today (17.12.15).
The 67-year-old royal is set to attend the West London Synagogue, where he will be greeted by senior figures to discuss the institution's good work since its creation and to celebrate its latest landmark.
Shul chair Jill Todd has seen the West London Synagogue develop a membership of more than 2,700 people, and has said she's thankful for such a "public declaration of confidence in our work".
Speaking to JewishNews.co.uk, she added: "This synagogue has played a leading role in the great Reform movement of British Judaism: educating women as well as men, feeding and supporting the hungry and oppressed, recognising gender equality and working with other communities and faiths to accept our differences and achieve harmony."
Prince Charles' visit comes in the same week it emerged he has been receiving Cabinet documents for more than two decades.
The revelation has led to outrage in some quarters, with the campaign group Republic writing to Prime Minster David Cameron to voice its disapproval of the situation.

Duchess of Cambridge attends Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas lunch


Britain's Duchess of Cambridge was among the invited guests to Queen Elizabeth's annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace yesterday (16.12.15).
The 33-year-old royal, who married Prince William in 2011, attended the event with her two-year-old son Prince George and her brother-in-law Prince Harry.
Prince William, meanwhile, was noticeably absent from the Christmas lunch as he was attending the memorial service for John Pelly, the father of close friend Guy Pelly at St Michaels Church in Wiltshire.
Earlier this month, however, the Prince admitted to having mixed feelings about Christmas this time around, as he fears his son's excitement might stop him from getting any sleep.
The prince - who also has a seven-month-old daughter, named Charlotte - previously joked: "If I get any sleep on Christmas Eve it'll be good, because George will be bouncing around like a rabbit. I think George will be extremely bouncy this year because he's suddenly worked out what Christmas is all about.
"So that will be two children, one who suddenly appreciates Christmas, which could be quite challenging. But I'm looking forward to it."
As for his plan for the big day, he shared: "We'll go to church as a family on Christmas Day, as we always do. Then we'll watch George try to tackle his presents as he tries to unwrap them.
"It's a very different experience at Christmas, having a family of your own. It'd be nice if we got a white Christmas because we haven't had one in many years."

Politician defends royals in row over Cabinet papers


A senior politician thinks the public would support the decision to give the royal family access to Cabinet documents.
Earlier this week, it emerged Prince Charles and his son, Prince William, have both been granted access to top-secret government records, but Bernard Jenkin - who chairs the cross-party public administration and constitutional affairs committee that scrutinises the Cabinet Office - has defended the decision.
He said the "vast majority" of people would agree the heir to the throne should have access to the papers.
He said, too, that it is "outrageous" to describe Prince Charles as a lobbyist.
Mr Jenkin said: "This is really a debate about the Prince of Wales' conduct, not what papers he sees."
By contrast, Graham Smith, the chief executive of the campaign group Republic, has lambasted the decision.
He said recently: "The disclosure of Cabinet papers to Prince Charles is quite extraordinary and completely unacceptable, not only because they would contain highly classified information but because it gives him considerable advantage in pressing his own agenda when lobbying ministers."
Mr Smith added: "Charles is essentially a minister not attending cabinet."

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