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Bookmakers receive flurry of bets on name of the royal baby


Bookmakers in Britain have taken a flurry of bets on the name of Duchess Catherine's second child.
The 33-year-old royal is expected to give birth in mid-to-late April and bookmakers have slashed the odds on the baby being named Alice, following a surge of wagers on the name.
Cormac Dowling, novelties and politics trader for Betfair, said: "Elizabeth had been the clear favourite until an unexpected rush of support for Alice over the last 24 hours and we've been forced to slash the price from 8/1 to 3/1."
Although the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have not revealed the sex of their baby, bookmakers have taken significantly more money on the newborn being a girl.
This comes shortly after the Duchess revealed when she is due to give birth during a recent charity engagement.
Earlier this month, she visited Brookhill Children's Centre in Woolwich, south east London, where she met mothers who use the centre and volunteers who work for the organisation, including Christie Osbourne.
Christie recalled: "I told her she is beautiful and that she's got a tiny little bump. I asked when her baby is due and she said mid-to-end of April."

Prince Charles to visit Cumbria


Britain's Prince Charles is to visit Cumbria next week in his capacity as patron of the The Prince's Countryside Fund and The Campaign for Wool.
The 66-year-old royal - who recently toured the US alongside his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall - is to visit the Rheged Centre near Penrith, where he will meet farmers and businesses benefiting from the work of his two charities, while he is also set to view the Herdwick sheep photographic exhibition, 'A Portrait of Lakeland', by Ian Lawson.
What's more, the prince will visit the Westmorland Agricultural Society in Kendal, where he will meet locals, as well as representatives from a number of local initiatives, like Broadband for the Rural North, the News & Star reports.
Meanwhile, it was recently announced that the prince is to attend a premiere of Sir Hubert Parry's previously unplayed works.
The royal is a self-confessed fan of the influential musician and will be among the attendees when the event is staged in May.
Speaking during a BBC documentary about his music, Prince Charles once said: "It gives you tingles up the spine and tears in your eyes."

Birth of royal baby to be marked by new coin


The birth of the second child of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge will be marked by the release of a new £5 coin.
The 33-year-old royal, who is heavily pregnant with her second baby, is expected to give birth in mid-to-late April and it's been announced a commemorative piece will be launched shortly after the tot is born.
Crossing the palms of babies with silver is a way of wishing them luck and follows on from the birth of Prince George in July 2013, when The Royal Mint produced 10,000 solid silver crown-sized £5 coins, which cost £80 each.
Additionally, some 2,013 22 carat gold sovereigns were produced, each of which were priced at £800 each.
The coins featuring the newborn's namesake St George were sold out within days.
What's more, those babies born on the same day as Prince George were given their own lucky silver coin.
The special coin was delivered in a pink or blue pouch depending on the sex of the baby.
The decision to release the special coin has been approved by Queen Elizabeth and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

Prince Harry to visit New Zealand in May


Britain's Prince Harry will make his first visit to New Zealand on May 9.
The 30-year-old royal, who recently announced his plan to quit the Armed Forces, will head to the country following a four-week secondment with the Australian Defence Force.
Specific details of the visit are still being worked out, with dates and regions to be visited set to be revealed closer to the time of his trip.
Earlier this month, the prince said he is currently "considering the options for the future", after leaving the army.
In a statement, Kensington Palace said: "Before leaving operational service, Prince Harry will spend four weeks in April and May seconded to the Australian Defence Force where he will be attached to various units to gain an appreciation of the Australian army's domestic operating environment and capabilities."
In recent days, it has been speculated that Prince Harry will looked to relocate to Australia, where he spent time working as a jackaroo at a cattle station in Queensland in 2003.
A friend said: "I wouldn't be surprised if Harry spent longer in Australia. He'll be living and mixing with Australians, working with the Australian Defence Force and will get a good look at life out there.
"If he can find a function out there, perhaps some kind of charity military tie-up, that would work. He's discussed it with friends and colleagues and they say he'll like it there."

Queen to be removed as Head of State of Barbados?


Britain's Queen Elizabeth could be removed as the Head of State of Barbados.
The Caribbean island came under British control from from 1627 up until independence in 1966, but has remained a constitutional monarchy since then.
However, Freundel Stuart - the country's prime minister - has revealed a plan that would see the Queen replaced by a ceremonial President in time for the 50th anniversary of independence next year.
Meanwhile, George Pilgrim, the general secretary of the Democratic Labour Party, has said the idea will be put to parliament, but that the government doesn't anticipate there being any serious opposition.
He said: "This will move the country through to the next major step in the process of nationhood.
"(The Prime Minister) said he found it awkward in the year 2015 to have to stand up and pledge allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen."
However, he added that Barbados will retain its links with the British crown because of its membership of the Commonwealth.
The official British Monarchy website says: "The Queen's relationship to Barbados is unique.
"In all her duties, she speaks and acts as Queen of Barbados, and not as Queen of the United Kingdom."

Prince Andrew wishes Princess Eugenie a happy birthday


Britain's Prince Andrew sang happy birthday to Princess Eugenie using his iPad.
The royal marked his daughter's 25th birthday by pulling out a tablet device during the middle of a Palace function to ring Eugenie in New York and sang in unison with his 400-strong audience in the State Apartments at St James's Palace.
Talking to his audience, the prince said: "We are going to do something new this evening.
"The lady in the middle is my youngest daughter and it's her 25th birthday today."
The faces of the princess, as well as her sister, Princess Beatrice, and mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, smiled and waved back at the crowd.
He told her: "You will notice that we have somebody here to play (gesturing to the trumpeter)."
Then, he turned to the lance corporal and said: "If you will lead us in Happy Birthday please..."
Eugenie thanked her father for the gesture, but the Duchess of York was less forthcoming with praise.
She joked: "We think you all need to go for choir practice."
However, the prince was happy with his efforts, saying: "Having been told this was a bad idea, it worked."

Cressida Bonas to star in London production


Cressida Bonas - the ex-girlfriend of Britain's Prince Harry - is to star in a three-night theatre production.
The 26-year-old actress will play the female lead Cecily Cardew in 'The Importance Of Being Earnest' at the London Oratory.
The show is being put on by Band of Others, a London-based theatre group which is raising money for the Action on Addiction charity.
Cressida's acting career has gathered pace over the last few months, as she has been cast in 'Tulip Fever', which also stars Dame Judi Dench, Christoph Waltz and Cara Delevingne.
However, earlier this month, Cressida confessed she is "paralysingly" shy.
The actress finds it hard to understand why she's short of confidence in her daily life when she's able to perform in front of large crowds.
She said: "I don't really understand it; in real life I'm often so shy - paralysingly so, but when I'm performing, it's totally different. I feel free."
Cressida dated Prince Harry for two years, and the pair were rumoured to have reunited last year, when they were seen attending a London cinema together.
However, Cressida has since thrown herself into her acting, while the prince recently announced plans to quit the Armed Forces.

Prince Harry’s AIDS charity set for award


The charitable work of Britain's Prince Harry is to be recognised at the Life Ball event in May.
The 30-year-old royal, who recently announced his decision to quit the army, set up his Sentebale charity with the help of Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and is set to receive the 2015 Swarovski Crystal Of Hope Award after the organisation built the Mamohato Children's Centre, which supports vulnerable children through healthcare and education.
Life Ball founder Gery Keszler says the charity is a worthy winner of the award, telling the Daily Mail newspaper: "We always select programmes to receive this award that are relatively unsung heroes, doing interesting, innovative and important work but not yet well-known.
"This award not only donates substantial funds, but also brings an international spotlight to the work. I will be visiting the programme in April, which helps children living with HIV/AIDS educationally, emotionally and physically - it is really exceptional and we are proud to be working with them."
Life Ball takes place in May and is the biggest charity event in Europe supporting people with HIV/AIDS.
Keszler explained: "Life Ball was born out of the energy and environment prevalent across the world in the late 80's and early 90's - particularly in the fashion industry - that saw AIDS as a daily issue profoundly effecting our friends and colleagues who were dying, but that no one understood or was willing to talk about.
"There was this undercurrent of urgency to do something: to help, to get involved and make some noise.
"My main goal with the first Life Ball was to bring a spotlight to the disease, the fundraising aspect was a secondary consideration."

Prince Charles to attend premiere of Sir Hubert Parry’s unplayed works


Britain's Prince Charles is to attend a premiere of Sir Hubert Parry's previously unplayed works.
The royal is a self-confessed fan of Parry, who is recognised as one of the country's most influential musicians, and will be among those in attendance when the event takes place in May.
Speaking during a BBC documentary about Parry's music, Prince Charles once said: "It gives you tingles up the spine and tears in your eyes."
The acclaimed musician's setting of the anthem 'I Was Glad' has been heard at the coronations of every monarch since Edward VII, while it was also performed at the wedding of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.
Adrian Partington, who chose the two pieces at the premiere on May 19, told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "The pieces are beautifully well-written for his age and show a talented young composer, but they are not exceptional. I think he was writing stuff for his chums to perform at Eton and Oxford and he did it in a hurry.
"They were probably only performed informally around the piano and I suspect he just forgot about them, which is why they have been gathering dust for all these years."

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