A cottage on Queen Elizabeth's Balmoral Estate in Scotland has been fitted with extra security and new £20,000 ($26,000) lift as reports suggest the British monarch is planning to spend more time there.
The queen and her husband Prince Philip would stay for a week at the start of their summer break at the private Craigowan Lodge, a seven-bedroom guesthouse about a mile from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.
The cottage has been fitted with a £20,000 lift, a new security gate, and a state-of-the-art intercom system, while more CCTV cameras are being installed, according to British newspaper reports.
The queen, 95, has been in poor health in recent months and has significantly reduced her public appearances. In October, she spent the night in hospital on doctor's advice resulting in the cancellation of an official trip to Northern Ireland.
Residents on Royal Deeside said they were delighted by the rumours that Queen Elizabeth, who was widowed last year, may spend more time there.
“Folk will be happy,” said James Anderson, chairman of Ballater and Crathie Community Council.
“We don’t see much of her when she is on the estate, but it generates a lot of income for the village and for the area when she’s here because of the amount of staff and the business it brings. It is a good thing.
“It is a very relaxing area, and she likes it up here.”
Local councillor Geva Blackett said she had not heard anything about any alterations at Craigowan Lodge, but she said people will be delighted if Queen Elizabeth visits more often.
“We always welcome the queen here, she is part of the community,” she said. “We would love her to be here more if that’s what she wants to do.
“You see her around, and when there wasn’t Covid you would see her in church. She is very much part of the community and we love her. She is a very familiar figure and much loved.”
A spokesman said Buckingham Palace will not comment on rumours.
This week, the queen was pictured without a walking stick at her engagements.
She met Guyanese poet Grace Nichols at Windsor Castle in Berkshire to present her with the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.
Queen Elizabeth, who reached her platinum jubilee last month, faced a bout of Covid in recent weeks and also spent more than three months from October under doctors’ orders to conduct only light duties.
In recent months, she has been seen using a walking stick, and, commenting about her mobility issues, she told two senior military officers during a Windsor Castle reception: “Well, as you can see, I can’t move.”
With the queen due to celebrate her 96th birthday in April, maintaining her comfort is a consideration and it is understood she has been pacing herself, although she was keen to do what work she could while she had Covid.
Balmoral, one of the royals’ favourite places, holds many memories for the queen.
It is her private home, handed down through generations after being bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert, her husband, in 1852.
Philip loved the outdoor life that was synonymous with their annual break, which stretched from the end of July into October.
Princess Eugenie, the Queen’s granddaughter, described Balmoral as the most beautiful place on earth.
“Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time,” she said.
“It’s a lovely base for granny and grandpa, for us to come and see them up there; where you just have room to breathe and run.”
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Sweihan – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Shamakh, Fernando Jara (jockey), Jean-Claude Picout (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Shamkha – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Daad, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
6pm: Shakbout City – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Ghayyar, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Gold Silver, Sandro Paiva, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Masdar City – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Khalifa City – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Ranchero, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
