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Rhyl Journal
36 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Official gifts to royal family include Rolls-Royce from King of Bahrain
Buckingham Palace has released records listing the official gifts received by members of the royal family from 2020 to 2023. The lists outline the official gifts presented to Queen Elizabeth II, the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. The gifts – which range from a set of toiletries, to bottles of alcohol and pairs of cufflinks – came from heads of state, their patronages and other organisations with which they have a relationship, plus also when out at official engagements. In May 2023, the King received a Coronation gift in the form of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II motor car from the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Also in May, Charles received a feather crown, two beaded chest pieces and two carved staffs from Amazonian Indigenous leaders Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai and Atossa Soltani. A month earlier, the King received two gold Blue Peter badges, one each for himself and Camilla, from Blue Peter presenters during a 'Pre-Eurovision' visit to Liverpool. As a Coronation gift, the then-president of the United States, Joe Biden, and then-first lady, Dr Jill Biden, gave Charles a leather folder containing printed letters between Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower inviting him to the United Kingdom, with a photograph of the visit. In 2023, Charles also received a tea set from Smythson of Bond Street and a cutlery set from the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, Teodoro Lopez Locsin Jr. Meanwhile, in 2021 the late Queen received a set of gifts connected to one of the nation's favourite television programmes. During a visit to the Coronation Street set in Greater Manchester, the Queen received a cobble from the original set in a presentation case, two gin glasses with Manchester skyline silhouette design and a selection of themed gifts including a book entitled 60 Years Of Coronation Street and a bottle of Coronation Street gin. She also received gifts from President Biden and the First Lady – an engraved specially commissioned Tiffany sterling silver box and a floral brooch – during tea at Windsor Castle. In 2022, the year of her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen received a Cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope Francis as part of The Queen's Green Canopy initiative. Back in 2020, the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge each received a toiletries set from the president of Ireland Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins during an official visit to the Republic of Ireland. During that trip, they also each received GAA club jerseys as well as a bottle of whiskey and two whiskey tumblers. In 2022, the couple, by now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales, received snorkelling gear during a royal tour of the Caribbean. They each received a snorkel set, a wetsuit, a pair of diving fins and a swimming cap. William and Kate were accused of harking back to colonial days during the visit to Jamaica after the pair shook hands with crowds behind a wire mesh fence and rode in the back of a Land Rover, just like the Queen did 60 years ago. Demonstrators accused them of benefiting from the 'blood, tears and sweat' of slaves, while in the Bahamas they were urged to acknowledge the British economy was 'built on the backs' of past Bahamians and to pay reparations. Meanwhile, William and Kate's children also received gifts with a record of a soft toy camel received by William in Dubai in 2022 on behalf of Prince Louis. Official gifts can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals do not pay tax on them. They can eat any food they are given and perishable official gifts with a value less than £150 can be given to charity or staff. Gifts cannot be sold or exchanged and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust for successors and the nation. The rules on official presents were tightened following the Peat Inquiry in 2003 into the sale of royal gifts and the running of St James's Palace. Charles' then-most trusted aide, his former valet Michael Fawcett, faced allegations of selling unwanted royal gifts and pocketing a percentage of the proceeds, but was cleared by an internal inquiry of any financial misconduct. The Peat Inquiry, headed by Charles's then-private secretary Sir Michael Peat, found Mr Fawcett did 'infringe internal rules relating to gifts from suppliers', but could not be severely criticised because the rules were not enforced and he made no secret of such gifts. Yet the report painted a picture of Mr Fawcett as an alleged bully who enjoyed lavish perks and privileges and accepted valuable gifts from outsiders.


Scotsman
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Benson Boone announces five date UK tour for Autumn 2025
The Grammy-nominated superstar isn't resting on his laurels as he announces a widespread European tour. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Benson Boone has announced five UK tour dates as part of his 2025 American Heart European tour. The Grammy-nominated performer is set to play two dates in London, alongside shows in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Here's where you can catch the pop supernova in action and when you can get tickets to his tour dates. Grammy-nominated global pop sensation Benson Boone is set to captivate audiences worldwide with the announcement of his American Heart UK tour this autumn. Boone continues to build on a monumental 2025, marked by a string of high-profile appearances and releases. He recently delivered an electrifying performance of Mystical Magical at the American Music Awards and is scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 4, followed by his debut at Governor's Ball on June 6. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Benson Boone is bringing his high-octane live shows to the United Kingdom this year for five nights only. | David Roemer This year's successes follow Boone's ground-breaking 2024, which saw his 5x-Platinum hit Beautiful Things become the world's most-streamed song, earning the IFPI Global Single Award. The chart-conquering track has amassed over 4 billion total streams and set a new record on YouTube's US Music Video Chart. His impactful performances at the Grammy Awards (where he was nominated for Best New Artist), Coachella (with special guest Brian May of Queen), and Saturday Night Live have solidified his status as a global phenomenon. With a record-breaking year of touring ahead, including his instantly sold-out North American arena shows and previous appearances supporting Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, Benson Boone is undoubtedly a force in contemporary pop – and one you won't want to miss when he tours the United Kingdom Where is Benson Boone performing on his UK tour in 2025? The Grammy-nominated singer is set to perform at the following venues on the following dates: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad When can I get tickets to see Benson Boone on his 2025 UK Tour? Pre-sale tickets Those with access to album pre-sales, O2 Priority or venue pre-sales will have the first pick of tickets, when they go on sale from June 3 2025 at 10am BST, while promoter pre-sales such as Metropolis Music will go on pre-sale on June 4 2025 at 10am BST. General ticket sales General ticket sales will then commence from June 5 2025 from 10am through Ticketmaster.


India Gazette
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
Actor Yogendra Tiku appeals for slashing movie theatre ticket prices
By Palash Srivastava New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): Veteran actor Yogendra Tiku, known for his suppporting roles in movies like 'Neerja', 'Fan', Queen' and 'Dabangg 2' has urged the government to reduce the theatre ticket prices so that more cinemagoers can watch in theatres. Actor Yogendra Tiku will be next seen in the film 'His Story of Itihaas' which features the battle of a Physics teacher against the inaccuracies present in the history textbooks. On the sidelines of preview of the film in the national capital on Tuesday, veteran actor Tiku shared his views on the ongoing debate between OTT and theatrical films releases in India. The actor believes that theatres are responsible for the film business in India but OTT has helped in producing more opportunities for the younger generation of actors. Speaking to ANI, the actor said, 'Certainly if there is a film business, then it is because of theatres. There is no doubt about it. OTT has its own charm. The biggest advantage of that is that there are a lot of artists who don't get a place because there is a set trend of the film industry that this should be like this, this face should be like this, this should be like this, this much following should be there. There are a lot of things set there which are not on OTT. So many people, many children get a chance to work on OTT.' The actor urged the Indian government to reduce tickets prices and make other facilities 'affordable' in the theatres so that the general audience can visit the film theatres in large numbers. 'I would say that these film theatres, they should not die. The public should come. But, the tickets have become so expensive, so the government should also do something. The food items, they should also do something. So, it should be so affordable that a normal person can come with his family and watch. Otherwise, slowly the film industry will end, the theatres will end, then it will become difficult,' said Tiku. The 'Neerja' actor also predicts that Bollywood would be going through a big change soon which will consists of good stories, script, talent and music. He also criticised the trend of producing 'remix' versions of songs in Bollywood. 'I feel that very soon, a change will come in Bollywood. This is what I feel, my personal feeling. A very good change is going to come, where they will again start focussing on good stories, good script, good talent, and good music. Because, music is also getting lost, slowly. Every other day, a new remix comes. Every other day, something happens. So, I don't want that either. I feel that a change will come very soon in Bollywood,' said Yogendra Tiku. Actress Akanksha Pandey, who is set to debut in the lead role in the film shared her affinity for taking challenges and reading books to distract herself from social media. On being asked about her inspiration for choosing such a challenging script for her debut movie, the actress said, 'I think, challenging topics excite me. And, I couldn't get a more challenging topic. So, I think, when I heard about this, I felt, that there are very few people who are ready to do this.' The actress also shared her love for books. 'Whenever I feel that there is a lot of social media, because of, like, we are actors, we have to use it. So, I take the support of books, and I get detoxed.' The director of 'His Story of Itihaas', Manpreet Singh Dhami, shared his views on the standards of Hollywood and Bollywood films. He believes that India has a potential to outscore Hollywood if the directors receives support from the film industry. The director said, 'To be honest, Hollywood is not that special anymore. I think their stories have been stale. Very few movies come from there. You see, and it's mathematical. We have a diverse culture, matematically, a lot of amount of stories can emerge from here. It is just that a system of support is created for a good movie then it will happen. You see, our movies, I am not saying because I am an Indian, will be better than Hollywood. And some movies like Malayalam and South Asian movies. Good movies It's not like that. It's just that there is no support. Sometimes, a good director is left behind without support. I was just lucky that I had the courage to do it. But there is no shortage of talent. And Hollywood is not that good anymore. Yes, they were a benchmark at one point of time. I don't think so anymore.' 'His Story of Itihaas' has released in the theatres today. Directed by Manpreet Singh Dhami, the film stars Subodh Bhave, Akanksha Pandey and Yogendra Tiku in the lead roles. The trailer of the film highlights cinematic inquiry into how deeply textbooks and taught narratives influence generations. The story follows Namit, a mild-mannered physics teacher whose life takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon blatant inaccuracies and ideological biases in his young daughter's history textbook. What begins as a concerned father's frustration soon transforms into an obsession with truth, sending him on a risky journey through India's bureaucratic maze, academic gatekeeping, and political interference, according to a press note shared by the makers. (ANI)


Time of India
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Actor Yogendra Tiku urges reduction in movie theatre ticket prices
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Veteran actor Yogendra Tiku , known for his suppporting roles in movies like 'Neerja', 'Fan', Queen' and 'Dabangg 2' has urged the government to reduce the theatre ticket prices so that more cinemagoers can watch in theatres. Actor Yogendra Tiku will be next seen in the film 'His Story of Itihaas' which features the battle of a Physics teacher against the inaccuracies present in the history textbooks. On the sidelines of preview of the film in the national capital on Tuesday, veteran actor Tiku shared his views on the ongoing debate between OTT and theatrical films releases in India. The actor believes that theatres are responsible for the film business in India but OTT has helped in producing more opportunities for the younger generation of actors. Speaking to ANI, the actor said, "Certainly if there is a film business, then it is because of theatres. There is no doubt about it. OTT has its own charm. The biggest advantage of that is that there are a lot of artists who don't get a place because there is a set trend of the film industry that this should be like this, this face should be like this, this should be like this, this much following should be there. There are a lot of things set there which are not on OTT. So many people, many children get a chance to work on OTT." The actor urged the Indian government to reduce tickets prices and make other facilities "affordable" in the theatres so that the general audience can visit the film theatres in large numbers. "I would say that these film theatres, they should not die. The public should come. But, the tickets have become so expensive, so the government should also do something. The food items, they should also do something. So, it should be so affordable that a normal person can come with his family and watch. Otherwise, slowly the film industry will end, the theatres will end, then it will become difficult," said Tiku. The 'Neerja' actor also predicts that Bollywood would be going through a big change soon which will consists of good stories, script, talent and music. He also criticised the trend of producing "remix" versions of songs in Bollywood. "I feel that very soon, a change will come in Bollywood. This is what I feel, my personal feeling. A very good change is going to come, where they will again start focussing on good stories, good script, good talent, and good music. Because, music is also getting lost, slowly. Every other day, a new remix comes. Every other day, something happens. So, I don't want that either. I feel that a change will come very soon in Bollywood," said Yogendra Tiku. Actress Akanksha Pandey, who is set to debut in the lead role in the film shared her affinity for taking challenges and reading books to distract herself from social media. On being asked about her inspiration for choosing such a challenging script for her debut movie, the actress said, "I think, challenging topics excite me. And, I couldn't get a more challenging topic. So, I think, when I heard about this, I felt, that there are very few people who are ready to do this." The actress also shared her love for books. "Whenever I feel that there is a lot of social media, because of, like, we are actors, we have to use it. So, I take the support of books, and I get detoxed." The director of "His Story of Itihaas", Manpreet Singh Dhami, shared his views on the standards of Hollywood and Bollywood films. He believes that India has a potential to outscore Hollywood if the directors receives support from the film industry. The director said, "To be honest, Hollywood is not that special anymore. I think their stories have been stale. Very few movies come from there. You see, and it's mathematical. We have a diverse culture, matematically, a lot of amount of stories can emerge from here. It is just that a system of support is created for a good movie then it will happen. You see, our movies, I am not saying because I am an Indian, will be better than Hollywood. And some movies like Malayalam and South Asian movies. Good movies It's not like that. It's just that there is no support. Sometimes, a good director is left behind without support. I was just lucky that I had the courage to do it. But there is no shortage of talent. And Hollywood is not that good anymore. Yes, they were a benchmark at one point of time. I don't think so anymore." "His Story of Itihaas" has released in the theatres today. Directed by Manpreet Singh Dhami, the film stars Subodh Bhave, Akanksha Pandey and Yogendra Tiku in the lead roles. The trailer of the film highlights cinematic inquiry into how deeply textbooks and taught narratives influence generations. The story follows Namit, a mild-mannered physics teacher whose life takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon blatant inaccuracies and ideological biases in his young daughter's history textbook. What begins as a concerned father's frustration soon transforms into an obsession with truth, sending him on a risky journey through India's bureaucratic maze, academic gatekeeping, and political interference, according to a press note shared by the makers. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .


Mint
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Actor Yogendra Tiku appeals for slashing movie theatre ticket prices
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): Veteran actor Yogendra Tiku, known for his suppporting roles in movies like 'Neerja', 'Fan', Queen' and 'Dabangg 2' has urged the government to reduce the theatre ticket prices so that more cinemagoers can watch in theatres. Actor Yogendra Tiku will be next seen in the film 'His Story of Itihaas' which features the battle of a Physics teacher against the inaccuracies present in the history textbooks. On the sidelines of preview of the film in the national capital on Tuesday, veteran actor Tiku shared his views on the ongoing debate between OTT and theatrical films releases in India. The actor believes that theatres are responsible for the film business in India but OTT has helped in producing more opportunities for the younger generation of actors. Speaking to ANI, the actor said, "Certainly if there is a film business, then it is because of theatres. There is no doubt about it. OTT has its own charm. The biggest advantage of that is that there are a lot of artists who don't get a place because there is a set trend of the film industry that this should be like this, this face should be like this, this should be like this, this much following should be there. There are a lot of things set there which are not on OTT. So many people, many children get a chance to work on OTT." The actor urged the Indian government to reduce tickets prices and make other facilities "affordable" in the theatres so that the general audience can visit the film theatres in large numbers. "I would say that these film theatres, they should not die. The public should come. But, the tickets have become so expensive, so the government should also do something. The food items, they should also do something. So, it should be so affordable that a normal person can come with his family and watch. Otherwise, slowly the film industry will end, the theatres will end, then it will become difficult," said Tiku. The 'Neerja' actor also predicts that Bollywood would be going through a big change soon which will consists of good stories, script, talent and music. He also criticised the trend of producing "remix" versions of songs in Bollywood. "I feel that very soon, a change will come in Bollywood. This is what I feel, my personal feeling. A very good change is going to come, where they will again start focussing on good stories, good script, good talent, and good music. Because, music is also getting lost, slowly. Every other day, a new remix comes. Every other day, something happens. So, I don't want that either. I feel that a change will come very soon in Bollywood," said Yogendra Tiku. Actress Akanksha Pandey, who is set to debut in the lead role in the film shared her affinity for taking challenges and reading books to distract herself from social media. On being asked about her inspiration for choosing such a challenging script for her debut movie, the actress said, "I think, challenging topics excite me. And, I couldn't get a more challenging topic. So, I think, when I heard about this, I felt, that there are very few people who are ready to do this." The actress also shared her love for books. "Whenever I feel that there is a lot of social media, because of, like, we are actors, we have to use it. So, I take the support of books, and I get detoxed." The director of "His Story of Itihaas", Manpreet Singh Dhami, shared his views on the standards of Hollywood and Bollywood films. He believes that India has a potential to outscore Hollywood if the directors receives support from the film industry. The director said, "To be honest, Hollywood is not that special anymore. I think their stories have been stale. Very few movies come from there. You see, and it's mathematical. We have a diverse culture, matematically, a lot of amount of stories can emerge from here. It is just that a system of support is created for a good movie then it will happen. You see, our movies, I am not saying because I am an Indian, will be better than Hollywood. And some movies like Malayalam and South Asian movies. Good movies It's not like that. It's just that there is no support. Sometimes, a good director is left behind without support. I was just lucky that I had the courage to do it. But there is no shortage of talent. And Hollywood is not that good anymore. Yes, they were a benchmark at one point of time. I don't think so anymore." "His Story of Itihaas" has released in the theatres today. Directed by Manpreet Singh Dhami, the film stars Subodh Bhave, Akanksha Pandey and Yogendra Tiku in the lead roles. The trailer of the film highlights cinematic inquiry into how deeply textbooks and taught narratives influence generations. The story follows Namit, a mild-mannered physics teacher whose life takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon blatant inaccuracies and ideological biases in his young daughter's history textbook. What begins as a concerned father's frustration soon transforms into an obsession with truth, sending him on a risky journey through India's bureaucratic maze, academic gatekeeping, and political interference, according to a press note shared by the makers. (ANI)