Category: Новини

Princes William and Harry paid tribute Monday to their grandfather, Prince Philip, remembering his wit, sense of duty and barbecue skills.
The brothers, who are at the center of a royal family rift, issued separate statements about Philip, who died last week at 99.
William, who is second in line to the throne, pledged “to get on with the job” of serving Queen Elizabeth II as he and his brother became the latest family members to honor Philip’s service to the nation and the monarch.
“My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation,” William said in a statement. “Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.”
Prince Harry, who stepped away from royal duties last year and now lives in California, has arrived in the U.K. to attend Philip’s funeral service Saturday at Windsor Castle. His wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is pregnant and was advised by her doctor not to make the long  journey.
Harry’s office also issued a statement Monday, describing Philip as a man who was “authentically himself.”
“He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke,” Harry said. “But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ’til the end.”
William and his wife released a picture of Philip sitting in a carriage with his great-grandson, Prince George, their oldest child. Philip has the reins.”My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation.”A message from The Duke of Cambridge following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh: https://t.co/lVCSPrG7uGpic.twitter.com/atiB8djxPO— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 12, 2021Philip’s royal ceremonial funeral at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle will be a slimmed-down service due the COVID-19 pandemic and will be closed to the public.
Philip, the queen’s husband of 73 years who was also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, took part in planning his own funeral and its focus on family was in accordance with his wishes.  
As preparations for the service continue, tributes to Philip are pouring in. In the House of Commons, which was recalled early from its Easter recess because of the prince’s death, lawmakers offered their condolences.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Philip “shaped and protected the monarchy through all the vicissitudes” of the past seven decades.  
“He gives us all a model of selflessness and of putting others before ourselves,” Johnson said. “He made this country a better place.”
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Britons switched off their televisions Friday in record numbers, apparently frustrated with the blanket coverage of the death of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth and the longest serving royal consort in British history. The BBC, the country’s taxpayer-funded public broadcaster, was flooded with so many complaints that it set up a dedicated complaints form on its website, where viewers recorded their irritation with the postponement of their favorite shows, including the soap drama “EastEnders,” “Gardeners’ World,” and the final episode of a popular TV cooking competition.“There’s only so much of the BBC being unctuous about royalty that a chap can bear,” best-selling historian Tom Holland tweeted. The noted author of books on ancient Roman and Greek history was not alone in his irritation of pre-recorded tributes to Philip and documentaries on the royal family.  Former BBC presenter Simon McCoy queried the scale of the coverage, tweeting, “I know this is a huge event. But surely the public deserves a choice of programming.”Former government minister Chris Mullin called the “North Korea-style” coverage a “big mistake.”  The BBC said its decision to simulcast across multiple channels for 24 hours was taken to mark Philip’s “life of extraordinary public service.” The prince, a former naval officer who served with distinction in World War II, is widely credited with having helped to modernize and guide the royal household. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 11 MB480p | 15 MB540p | 21 MB720p | 42 MB1080p | 86 MBOriginal | 94 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioBut the British public switched off — particularly notable as the country last week was gripped by poor weather and largely under a pandemic lockdown. Audience figures have shocked television executives, with all broadcasters, in addition to the BBC, recording plummeting ratings.  BBC Two saw a 64% drop in its audience compared to the previous Friday. BBC One’s viewership fell by 6% from the previous week, and ITV, the main commercial terrestrial competitor, suffered a 60% drop in its normal audience for a Friday. Commentators noted that 40 years ago, the televised wedding of Prince Charles and then-Lady Diana Spencer attracted 30 million British viewers, while a much-vaunted BBC documentary last Friday on Philip’s life, presented by popular journalist Andrew Marr, managed to attract just 2 million viewers.  UK Broadcaster Defends Plan to Air Princess Diana Recordings

        A British television channel on Monday defended its decision to broadcast recordings of Princess Diana candidly discussing her personal life, after some royal watchers called it a betrayal of the late princess' privacy.

Channel 4 said the video tapes, made in the early 1990s, are an “important historical source” and place Diana “front and center” in her own story as Britain marks 20 years since her death.
 
The channel said that although the recordings were made in private, “the subjects covered are…
At midday Friday, as Buckingham Palace released the news that Philip had died peacefully in his sleep at Windsor Castle, BBC television networks halted programming and faded the screens to black with the caption, “News Report,” before announcing the prince’s death. Moments before, the royal household followed tradition and posted the news outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, where hundreds quickly began laying floral tributes to the prince. Philip had a preexisting heart condition and had undergone heart surgery at a London hospital a few weeks ago. Opinion is divided on why there was a great television switch-off. Some observers suggest it is a sign of decreasing public affection for the royal family, which has been buffeted by scandals in recent years. Others suggest a generational divide, with older Britons identifying with a prince who came of age after World War I and saw military service in World War II. Some commentators and politicians blamed the excess media coverage. Others say the reporting was cloying, a claim rejected by former Conservative government minister Alastair Burt, who said he thought the BBC, in particular, had managed to get the pitch of its coverage perfect.  “The BBC has caught the mood well, and its public has responded,” Burt wrote Monday for the online magazine The Article.  He praised the BBC for collecting from ordinary Britons stories and anecdotes about Philip, who died two months short of his 100th birthday. World Leaders Offer Tributes to Britain’s Prince PhilipCharismatic consort to Queen Elizabeth left a deep impression on many of those he met “The response from so many members of the public has also left me somewhat awed,” Burt said. “Occasionally, those who have had the privilege to represent the British people — in my case for 33 years — can still be surprised by them. The anecdotes and memories of chance encounters with Prince Philip have been, by turns, humorous, poignant and sometimes damn moving,” he said. It created “a touching mosaic of today’s United Kingdom,” he added.Nonetheless, the plummeting audiences suggest that many Britons found the “mosaic” less than compelling. One social media user noted, “Wall to wall coverage on every single channel is annoying and unnecessary. There is other important news. And some people might appreciate some other TV. I’d bet Prince Philip would not have approved of such a fuss!” Prince Charles Pays Tribute to ‘My Dear Papa,’ Prince Philip, for Devoted Service Says the 99-year-old would have been amazed at touching reaction around the world to his deathPhilip was noted as a stoical and rather irascible character who preferred a no-nonsense approach to most things. A hatred of fuss, according to royal commentators, prompted him to reject the idea of marking his departure with a grand state funeral — a rite of passage he is due. In keeping with his wishes, he will have a simple royal ceremonial funeral on Saturday, which will be reduced in ceremony and attendees because of coronavirus restrictions.
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Hideki Matsuyama won the 85th Masters in dramatic fashion Sunday, holding off Xander Schauffele to become the first Japanese man to capture a major golf title.Carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, Matsuyama calmly grinded out clutch pars and struck for crucial birdies in a pressure-packed march at Augusta National, hanging on over the final holes for a historic one-stroke victory.Matsuyama took the green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy, a top prize of $2.07 million (1.74 million euros) and a place for the ages in Japanese sports history.”I’m really happy,” he said through a translator. “Hopefully I’ll be a pioneer in this and many other Japanese will follow. I’m happy to open the floodgate and many more will follow me.”After seeing his seven-stroke lead with seven holes remaining shaved to two shots with three to go, Matsuyama watched Schauffele’s ball end up in the water off the 16th tee on the way to a triple-bogey disaster.”I felt like I gave him a little bit of a run and made a little bit of excitement for the tournament until I met a watery grave there,” Schauffele said. “I’ll be able to sleep tonight. It might be hard but I’ll be OK.”Matsuyama settled for a bogey but closed with par at 17 and a bogey at 18 to fire a one-over-par 73 and finish 72 holes on 10-under 278.”My nerves really didn’t start on the second nine,” Matsuyama said. “It was from the start today to the very last putt.”American Will Zalatoris was second in his Masters debut on 279 after a closing 70 with U.S. three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and American Schauffele sharing third on 281.”It was a fun week,” Zalatoris said. “I know I can play with the best players in the world.”Matsuyama became only the second Asian man to win a major title after South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun at the 2009 PGA Championship.No prior Japanese player had finished better than fourth at the Masters.Japan’s two previous major golf titles belonged to women, Chako Higuchi from the 1977 LPGA Championship and Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women’s British Open. 
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U.S. recession drama “Nomadland,” about a community of van dwellers, was the big winner at Britain’s BAFTA awards on Sunday, scooping best film and prizes for its Chinese-born director Chloe Zhao and leading actress Frances McDormand.The British Academy of Film and Television Arts ceremony was held virtually over two nights, with nominees joining in by video, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.However, film stars Hugh Grant and Priyanka Chopra Jonas appeared in person at London’s Royal Albert Hall while Renee Zellweger and Anna Kendrick joined from a Los Angeles studio to present the awards.”Nomadland,” which has already picked up prizes this awards season, stars 63-year-old McDormand as a widow, who in the wake of the U.S. economic recession, turns her van into a mobile home and sets out on the road, taking on seasonal jobs along the way.”We would like to dedicate this award to the nomadic community who so generously welcomed us into their lives,” Zhao, who won the director category, said in her acceptance speech.”Thank you for showing us that aging is a beautiful part of life, a journey that we should all cherish and celebrate. How we treat our elders says a lot about who we are as a society and we need to do better.””Nomadland” also won for cinematography.Outstanding British film went to #MeToo revenge movie “Promising Young Woman,” which also won original screenplay.The academy also paid tribute to Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, who died on Friday, at age 99. Philip was named BAFTA’s first president in 1959. His grandson Prince William is BAFTA’s current president.Following an outcry last year when BAFTA presented an all-white acting contenders list, more than half of this year’s 24 nominees were actors of color.Film veteran Anthony Hopkins won the leading actor category for portraying a man with dementia in “The Father.””I’m at a time in my life where I never expected to get this,” the 83-year-old told reporters of the award, adding his age had made making the movie “easy.”Youn Yuh-jung won supporting actress for “Minari,” in which she plays a grandmother who travels from South Korea to the United States to look after her grandchildren.The 73-year-old, who has won a Screen Actors Guild award and has been nominated for an Oscar for her performance, drew laughs in her acceptance speech when she jokingly said it was particularly meaningful to be recognized by “British people, known as very snobbish people.”Daniel Kaluuya, who has swept this awards season for his portrayal of late Black Panther activist Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” won supporting actor.”Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi” director Ang Lee received the BAFTA Fellowship, the academy’s top honor, for his contribution to film.
 
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A Hollywood fantasy turned into reality Saturday when Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win Britain’s grueling Grand National horse race, breaking one of the biggest gender barriers in sports. Blackmore, a 31-year-old Irishwoman, rode Minella Times to victory at odds of 11-1 in the 173rd edition of the famous steeplechase at Aintree in Liverpool, northwest England “I don’t feel male or female right now. I don’t even feel human,” Blackmore said. “This is just unbelievable.” Blackmore is the 20th female jockey to compete in a race that has been a mud-splattered British sporting institution since 1839. Women have been allowed to enter the National as jockeys since 1975. “I never even imagined I’d get a ride in this race, never mind get my hands on the trophy,” Blackmore said. In the 1944 Hollywood movie “National Velvet,” a 12-year-old girl, Velvet Brown — played by a young Elizabeth Taylor — won the Grand National on The Pie, a gelding she won in a raffle and decided to train for the world’s biggest horse race. In the story, Brown was later disqualified on a technicality, having dismounted before reaching the enclosure. Even though Aintree was without racegoers because of the coronavirus pandemic, cheers rang out as Blackmore made her way off the course — still aboard Minella Times — and into the winner’s enclosure. She looked as if she couldn’t believe what she had done. “For all the girls who watched ‘National Velvet’!” tweeted Hayley Turner, a former female jockey. “Thank you Rachael Blackmore, we’re so lucky to have you.” Blackmore, the daughter of a dairy farmer and a schoolteacher, grew up on a farm and rode ponies. She didn’t have a classic racing upbringing, which makes her ascent in the sport all the more inspirational. A professional jockey since 2015, she rode the second most winners in Irish jump racing in 2018-19, the same season she won her first races at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival. She was already the face of British and Irish horse racing before arriving at Aintree, having become the first woman to finish as the leading jockey at Cheltenham three weeks ago. Now she’s won the biggest race of them all, one that even non-horse racing enthusiasts turn on to watch and one that first captured Blackmore’s imagination. Indeed, her first memory of horse racing is going over to a friend’s house and taking part in a sweepstake for the National. A beaming Blackmore had special words for her parents, who “took me around the country riding ponies when I was younger.” “I can’t believe I am Rachael Blackmore. I still feel like that little kid — I just can’t believe I am me,” she said. “I hope it does help anyone who wants to be a jockey. I never thought this would be possible for me. I didn’t dream of making a career as a jockey because I never thought it could happen.” The previous best performance by a female jockey in the National was Katie Walsh’s third-place finish on Seabass in 2012. Minella Times went out as the fourth favorite of the 40 horses in a race run over 4 1/4 miles (6.4 kilometers) and features 30 big and often brutal fences. Minella Times was always near the front of the field, and Blackmore timed the horse’s run for glory to perfection, easing past long-time leader Jett with around three fences to jump. The famous, draining run to the line — about 500 meters from the last fence — was a procession as Minella Times won by 6 1/2 lengths. “He was just incredible and jumped beautifully,” Blackmore said. “I tried to wait as long as I could. When I jumped the last and asked him for a bit, he was there.” One of the other two female jockeys in the race, Bryony Frost, was taken to the hospital after being unseated from her horse, Yala Enki. The Long Mile was destroyed after suffering an injury while running between two of the fences. It was the second equine fatality since safety changes to the race were introduced in 2013.
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