The best of the designers showcased their designs on Tuesday on the ramp at the London Fashion Week, but all eyes were off the ramp on someone who was seated in the front row. Britain`s Queen Elizabeth II was a surprise guest on Tuesday at the London Fashion Week.&nbsp; 
 
It was the first time in her 65-year reign that the Queen attended the LFW. 
 
Dressed in a pale blue suit, she attended designer Richard Quinn`s show and later awarded him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. 
 
The royal family`s official Twitter account says, &quot;The Award, initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society &amp; diplomacy, will be awarded annually to an emerging British fashion designer who shows talent and originality, whilst demonstrating value to the community and/or sustainable policies.&quot;

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The Queen watched Richard Quinn&rsquo;s show from the front row <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonFashionWk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LondonFashionWk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LFW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LFW</a> before presenting him with his award. 
Each year a designer will be selected by the <a href="https://twitter.com/BFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BFC</a>, in collaboration with the Royal Household, to be recognised. <a href="https://t.co/wqQDOJAOt5">pic.twitter.com/wqQDOJAOt5</a>
&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/966004461700345857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The 91-year-old monarch sat next to Dame Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue magazine.Wintour, who is often referred to as the queen of the fashion world, apparently found it hard to keep her cool as she was seen wringing her hands and baring a tense smile.

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British Fashion Council &#39;s Rush, Queen Elizabeth II and Vogue&#39; s Wintour attend Richard Quinn &#39;s show at London Fashion Week (Reuters)
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Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II makes a speech before presenting an award at London Fashion Week (Reuters)
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Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II attends the Richard Quinn show at London Fashion Week (Reuters)
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The Queen, however, with her upbeat appearance helped relax those around her.She could be seen making conversation with Wintour and reacting to the vibrantly attired models as they paraded past her seat, reports The Telegraph.

(With agency inputs)&nbsp;

It was the first time in her 65-year reign that the Queen attended the LFW.

The best of the designers showcased their designs on Tuesday on the ramp at the London Fashion Week, but all eyes were off the ramp on someone who was seated in the front row. Britain`s Queen Elizabeth II was a surprise guest on Tuesday at the London Fashion Week. It was the first time in her 65-year reign that the Queen attended the LFW. Dressed in a pale blue suit, she attended designer Richard Quinn`s show and later awarded him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The royal family`s official Twitter account says, "The Award, initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society & diplomacy, will be awarded annually to an emerging British fashion designer who shows talent and originality, whilst demonstrating value to the community and/or sustainable policies." The Queen watched Richard Quinn’s show from the front row @LondonFashionWk #LFW before presenting him with his award. Each year a designer will be selected by the @BFC, in collaboration with the Royal Household, to be recognised. pic.twitter.com/wqQDOJAOt5 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 20, 2018 × The 91-year-old monarch sat next to Dame Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue magazine.Wintour, who is often referred to as the queen of the fashion world, apparently found it hard to keep her cool as she was seen wringing her hands and baring a tense smile. British Fashion Council 's Rush, Queen Elizabeth II and Vogue' s Wintour attend Richard Quinn 's show at London Fashion Week (Reuters) × Britain's Queen Elizabeth II makes a speech before presenting an award at London Fashion Week (Reuters) × Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attends the Richard Quinn show at London Fashion Week (Reuters) × The Queen, however, with her upbeat appearance helped relax those around her.She could be seen making conversation with Wintour and reacting to the vibrantly attired models as they paraded past her seat, reports The Telegraph. (With agency inputs)

Queen Elizabeth makes surprise appearance at the London Fashion Week

The EU pushed on Tuesday for Europe to draw up a blacklist of tax havens after the &quot;Paradise Papers&quot; revealed loopholes used by Apple and Nike as well as celebrities including Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.

While seeking to minimise taxes is not necessarily illegal, revelations from the 13.4 million leaked documents have already proved embarrassing to figures as diverse as U2 singer Bono and Queen Elizabeth II.

Apple is the latest company to become caught up in the leaks, which show how the technology giant moved tens of billions of dollars from low-tax Ireland to Britain&#39;s Channel Islands when Dublin began tightening its laws in 2015.

But Apple said shifting the funds to the island of Jersey, which is largely exempt from EU tax regulations, did not save it any money.

The leaks, which shed further light on how the global elite manages its money after the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks scandal, were center-stage at Tuesday&#39;s meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels.

The EU has struggled for more than a year to finalise a list of non-EU tax havens, with smaller, low-tax nations such as Ireland, Malta, and Luxembourg reluctant to scare companies away.

But EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who is leading the blacklist effort, said he wanted it in place by the end of the year.

&quot;It must be credible and up to the challenge,&quot; he said.

Sources said EU officials have warned about 60 countries that their tax policies may be at risk of blacklisting, demanding further information before November 18.

It is the latest international effort to clamp down on tax avoidance, increasingly seen as a moral issue, following a similar move by the OECD group of wealthy nations to compile a list of &quot;uncooperative tax havens&quot;.

Private jets, Russia ties&nbsp;

In Britain, the BBC and The Guardian reported that Hamilton avoided paying taxes on his private jet using an elaborate scheme now under investigation by tax authorities.

Documents showed that the driver received a &pound;3.3 million ($4.3 million, 3.7 million euros) tax refund in 2013 after his luxury plane was imported into the Isle of Man, a low-tax British dependency.

Hamilton&#39;s representatives could not be reached by AFP for comment.

Another report in French newspaper Le Monde said sportswear giant Nike used a Dutch loophole to reduce its tax rate in Europe to just two percent, compared with a 25 percent average for European companies.

Nike, which says it acted legally, managed to save taxes by using an offshore subsidiary, the report said.

Separately, the documents showed that US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had a 31 percent stake in shipping firm Navigator Holdings, a partnership with Russian energy giant Sibur.

That company is partially owned by Vladimir Putin&#39;s son-in-law Kirill Shamalov and by Gennady Timchenko, the Russian president&#39;s friend and business partner who is subject to US sanctions.

The cabinet member&#39;s ties to Russian entities raise questions over potential conflicts of interest, and whether they undermine sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Ross has denied any wrongdoing, telling Bloomberg News he had already been planning to sell his stake, while Russian politicians stressed that the deals were legal.

&#39;Ticking time bomb&#39;&nbsp;

Irish singer Bono, meanwhile, an ardent anti-poverty campaigner, said he was &quot;distressed&quot; by documents showing he invested in a Lithuanian shopping centre which may have broken tax rules.

Earlier reports highlighted that about &pound;10 million of the private funds of Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II was placed in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.

Her estate emphasised that her investments were &quot;fully audited and legitimate&quot;.

Europe&#39;s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said the leaks served as additional evidence that the business world needed to be more open.

&quot;We cannot... rely on leaks or investigative work, we need more transparency,&quot; she told a meeting in Lisbon that brought together technology investors and entrepreneurs.

&quot;That&#39;s why we ask that every company reveal the totality of the information concerning its presence in every country,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

The Paradise Papers documents, which are mainly from the offshore law firm Appleby, have been shared with international media via the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Appleby has denounced the release as a &quot;serious criminal act&quot; and stressed that its &quot;overriding objective&quot; is to comply with regulations around the world.

The EU pushed on Tuesday for Europe to draw up a blacklist of tax havens after the 'Paradise Papers' revealed loopholes used by Apple and Nike as well as celebrities including Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton

The EU pushed on Tuesday for Europe to draw up a blacklist of tax havens after the "Paradise Papers" revealed loopholes used by Apple and Nike as well as celebrities including Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. While seeking to minimise taxes is not necessarily illegal, revelations from the 13.4 million leaked documents have already proved embarrassing to figures as diverse as U2 singer Bono and Queen Elizabeth II. Apple is the latest company to become caught up in the leaks, which show how the technology giant moved tens of billions of dollars from low-tax Ireland to Britain's Channel Islands when Dublin began tightening its laws in 2015. But Apple said shifting the funds to the island of Jersey, which is largely exempt from EU tax regulations, did not save it any money. The leaks, which shed further light on how the global elite manages its money after the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks scandal, were center-stage at Tuesday's meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels. The EU has struggled for more than a year to finalise a list of non-EU tax havens, with smaller, low-tax nations such as Ireland, Malta, and Luxembourg reluctant to scare companies away. But EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who is leading the blacklist effort, said he wanted it in place by the end of the year. "It must be credible and up to the challenge," he said. Sources said EU officials have warned about 60 countries that their tax policies may be at risk of blacklisting, demanding further information before November 18. It is the latest international effort to clamp down on tax avoidance, increasingly seen as a moral issue, following a similar move by the OECD group of wealthy nations to compile a list of "uncooperative tax havens". Private jets, Russia ties In Britain, the BBC and The Guardian reported that Hamilton avoided paying taxes on his private jet using an elaborate scheme now under investigation by tax authorities. Documents showed that the driver received a £3.3 million ($4.3 million, 3.7 million euros) tax refund in 2013 after his luxury plane was imported into the Isle of Man, a low-tax British dependency. Hamilton's representatives could not be reached by AFP for comment. Another report in French newspaper Le Monde said sportswear giant Nike used a Dutch loophole to reduce its tax rate in Europe to just two percent, compared with a 25 percent average for European companies. Nike, which says it acted legally, managed to save taxes by using an offshore subsidiary, the report said. Separately, the documents showed that US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had a 31 percent stake in shipping firm Navigator Holdings, a partnership with Russian energy giant Sibur. That company is partially owned by Vladimir Putin's son-in-law Kirill Shamalov and by Gennady Timchenko, the Russian president's friend and business partner who is subject to US sanctions. The cabinet member's ties to Russian entities raise questions over potential conflicts of interest, and whether they undermine sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Ross has denied any wrongdoing, telling Bloomberg News he had already been planning to sell his stake, while Russian politicians stressed that the deals were legal. 'Ticking time bomb' Irish singer Bono, meanwhile, an ardent anti-poverty campaigner, said he was "distressed" by documents showing he invested in a Lithuanian shopping centre which may have broken tax rules. Earlier reports highlighted that about £10 million of the private funds of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was placed in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Her estate emphasised that her investments were "fully audited and legitimate". Europe's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said the leaks served as additional evidence that the business world needed to be more open. "We cannot... rely on leaks or investigative work, we need more transparency," she told a meeting in Lisbon that brought together technology investors and entrepreneurs. "That's why we ask that every company reveal the totality of the information concerning its presence in every country," she added. The Paradise Papers documents, which are mainly from the offshore law firm Appleby, have been shared with international media via the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Appleby has denounced the release as a "serious criminal act" and stressed that its "overriding objective" is to comply with regulations around the world.

EU pushes for tax blacklist after Paradise Papers leak

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has business ties to a shipping firm linked to Vladimir Putin&#39;s inner circle, according to a vast leak of financial documents that also revealed Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II&#39;s investments in tax havens.

It was also revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau&#39;s top fundraiser and senior advisor Stephen Bronfman, heir to the Seagram fortune, moved some $60 million to offshore tax havens with ex-senator Leo Kolber.

The findings have emerged as part of the Paradise Papers released by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which was behind the Panama Papers made public last year.

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<h5>It was also revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau&#39;s top fundraiser and senior advisor Stephen Bronfman, heir to the Seagram fortune, moved some $60 million to offshore tax havens with ex-senator Leo Kolber</h5>
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There is no suggestion that Ross, Bronfman or the queen&#39;s private estate acted illegally.

But Ross&#39;s ties to Russian entities raise questions over potential conflicts of interest, and whether they undermine Washington&#39;s sanctions on Moscow.

The revelations about Bronfman could spell trouble for Trudeau, who was elected two years ago riding on the coattails of promises to reduce economic inequality and tax avoidance.

In the case of Queen Elizabeth&#39;s private estate, critics may question whether it is appropriate for the British head of state to invest in offshore tax havens.

Putin&#39;s son-in-law&nbsp;

Ross, a billionaire investor, holds a 31 percent stake in Navigator Holdings through a complex web of offshore investments detailed in the documents examined by nearly 100 news organizations as part of an international collaboration.

The 79-year-old reduced his stake when he took public office, according to public filings.

Navigator Holdings runs a lucrative partnership with Russian energy giant Sibur, which is partially owned by Putin&#39;s son-in-law Kirill Shamalov and Gennady Timchenko, the Russian president&#39;s friend and business partner who is subject to US sanctions.

The US imposed sanctions on Russian entities and individuals following its annexation of Crimea and aggression in Ukraine.

Ross&#39;s private equity firm has been the biggest shareholder in Navigator.&nbsp;

His personal share of the firm&#39;s stake was reduced when he took office in February, but the commerce chief&#39;s investment is still valued at between $2 million to $10 million, according to his security filings and government ethics disclosure.

The New York Times reported that Ross&#39;s stake in Navigator has been held by companies in the Cayman Islands. His wealth, estimated to exceed $2 billion, is said to be tied to similar arrangements in various tax havens like the Cayman Islands.

&quot;Secretary Ross was not involved with Navigator&#39;s decision to engage in business with Sibur, a publicly traded company, which was not under sanction at the time and is not currently,&quot; said James Rockas, a Commerce Department spokesman.

&quot;Moreover, Secretary Ross has never met the Sibur shareholders referenced in this story and, until now, did not know of their relationship.&quot;

&nbsp;Controversial businesses&nbsp;

The documents also show around &pound;10 million ($13 million) of the Queen&#39;s private money was placed in funds held in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, first reported in Britain by the BBC and the Guardian newspaper.

They reported the funds reinvested the money in an array of businesses, including controversial rent-to-buy retailer BrightHouse, which has been accused of exploiting the poor, and a chain of alcohol stores that later went bankrupt.

A spokeswoman for the Duchy of Lancaster, which provides the monarch with an income and handles her investments, said: &quot;All of our investments are fully audited and legitimate.&quot;

&quot;We operate a number of investments and a few of these are with overseas funds,&quot; she added.

The spokeswoman added that one of the fund investments represents only 0.3 percent of the total value of the Duchy.

The Paradise Papers contain 13.4 million documents mainly from Appleby, an offshore law firm with offices in Bermuda and beyond.&nbsp;

The files were first obtained by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, and shared with the ICIJ and partner media outlets. 
&nbsp;

The Paradise Papers have been released by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which was also behind last year's Panama Papers

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has business ties to a shipping firm linked to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, according to a vast leak of financial documents that also revealed Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's investments in tax havens. It was also revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's top fundraiser and senior advisor Stephen Bronfman, heir to the Seagram fortune, moved some $60 million to offshore tax havens with ex-senator Leo Kolber. The findings have emerged as part of the Paradise Papers released by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which was behind the Panama Papers made public last year. It was also revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's top fundraiser and senior advisor Stephen Bronfman, heir to the Seagram fortune, moved some $60 million to offshore tax havens with ex-senator Leo Kolber × There is no suggestion that Ross, Bronfman or the queen's private estate acted illegally. But Ross's ties to Russian entities raise questions over potential conflicts of interest, and whether they undermine Washington's sanctions on Moscow. The revelations about Bronfman could spell trouble for Trudeau, who was elected two years ago riding on the coattails of promises to reduce economic inequality and tax avoidance. In the case of Queen Elizabeth's private estate, critics may question whether it is appropriate for the British head of state to invest in offshore tax havens. Putin's son-in-law Ross, a billionaire investor, holds a 31 percent stake in Navigator Holdings through a complex web of offshore investments detailed in the documents examined by nearly 100 news organizations as part of an international collaboration. The 79-year-old reduced his stake when he took public office, according to public filings. Navigator Holdings runs a lucrative partnership with Russian energy giant Sibur, which is partially owned by Putin's son-in-law Kirill Shamalov and Gennady Timchenko, the Russian president's friend and business partner who is subject to US sanctions. The US imposed sanctions on Russian entities and individuals following its annexation of Crimea and aggression in Ukraine. Ross's private equity firm has been the biggest shareholder in Navigator. His personal share of the firm's stake was reduced when he took office in February, but the commerce chief's investment is still valued at between $2 million to $10 million, according to his security filings and government ethics disclosure. The New York Times reported that Ross's stake in Navigator has been held by companies in the Cayman Islands. His wealth, estimated to exceed $2 billion, is said to be tied to similar arrangements in various tax havens like the Cayman Islands. "Secretary Ross was not involved with Navigator's decision to engage in business with Sibur, a publicly traded company, which was not under sanction at the time and is not currently," said James Rockas, a Commerce Department spokesman. "Moreover, Secretary Ross has never met the Sibur shareholders referenced in this story and, until now, did not know of their relationship." Controversial businesses The documents also show around £10 million ($13 million) of the Queen's private money was placed in funds held in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, first reported in Britain by the BBC and the Guardian newspaper. They reported the funds reinvested the money in an array of businesses, including controversial rent-to-buy retailer BrightHouse, which has been accused of exploiting the poor, and a chain of alcohol stores that later went bankrupt. A spokeswoman for the Duchy of Lancaster, which provides the monarch with an income and handles her investments, said: "All of our investments are fully audited and legitimate." "We operate a number of investments and a few of these are with overseas funds," she added. The spokeswoman added that one of the fund investments represents only 0.3 percent of the total value of the Duchy. The Paradise Papers contain 13.4 million documents mainly from Appleby, an offshore law firm with offices in Bermuda and beyond. The files were first obtained by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, and shared with the ICIJ and partner media outlets.

Paradise Papers: US commerce secretary has ties to firm linked to Putin's inner circle

Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent on Thursday to a bill empowering British Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty and begin the process of leaving the European Union.

May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain&#39;s decision to leave the bloc by the end of March, following a majority vote for Brexit in last year&#39;s referendum.

The House of Commons speaker John Bercow announced the final go-ahead in the parliamentary chamber, prompting cheers from ruling Conservative Party MPs.

The queen&#39;s signature on the bill allows May to invoke Article 50 any time from now in a process that will take a maximum of two years unless Britain and its EU partners agree to extend the deadline.

May said she will address the British parliament to inform lawmakers that she has triggered Article 50 and an initial response is expected from the European Commission within 48 hours.

Full negotiations, however, are not expected to start for several weeks or months as both sides prepare.

&quot;This will be a defining moment for our whole country as we begin to forge a new relationship with Europe and a new role for ourselves in the world,&quot; May told MPs on Tuesday.

She had been widely expected to trigger Article 50 this week but the plan appears to have been derailed by a surprise announcement by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday that she would seek a new independence referendum.

During the EU referendum campaign, Buckingham Palace denied a report in The Sun tabloid that the queen was a supporter of Brexit.

The newspaper cited an anonymous &quot;senior source&quot; who said the monarch had &quot;let rip&quot; at pro-EU politician Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011 when he was deputy prime minister.

&quot;People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the queen&#39;s views on European integration,&quot; the source was quoted as saying.

&quot;It was really something, and it went on for quite a while.

&quot;The EU is clearly something her majesty feels passionately about,&quot; the source said.

(AFP)

PM May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain's decision to leave the bloc by the end of March

Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent on Thursday to a bill empowering British Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin the process of leaving the European Union. May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain's decision to leave the bloc by the end of March, following a majority vote for Brexit in last year's referendum. The House of Commons speaker John Bercow announced the final go-ahead in the parliamentary chamber, prompting cheers from ruling Conservative Party MPs. The queen's signature on the bill allows May to invoke Article 50 any time from now in a process that will take a maximum of two years unless Britain and its EU partners agree to extend the deadline. May said she will address the British parliament to inform lawmakers that she has triggered Article 50 and an initial response is expected from the European Commission within 48 hours. Full negotiations, however, are not expected to start for several weeks or months as both sides prepare. "This will be a defining moment for our whole country as we begin to forge a new relationship with Europe and a new role for ourselves in the world," May told MPs on Tuesday. She had been widely expected to trigger Article 50 this week but the plan appears to have been derailed by a surprise announcement by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday that she would seek a new independence referendum. During the EU referendum campaign, Buckingham Palace denied a report in The Sun tabloid that the queen was a supporter of Brexit. The newspaper cited an anonymous "senior source" who said the monarch had "let rip" at pro-EU politician Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011 when he was deputy prime minister. "People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the queen's views on European integration," the source was quoted as saying. "It was really something, and it went on for quite a while. "The EU is clearly something her majesty feels passionately about," the source said. (AFP)

Queen signs law authorising May to begin Brexit

Queen Elizabeth II, the world&#39;s longest-reigning monarch, set a new record Monday as the first British sovereign to reach their sapphire jubilee, marking 65 years on the throne.

The head of state, now 90, became queen aged 25 upon the premature death of her father, king George VI, in 1952.

On Accession Day, Queen Elizabeth was at her country estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

&quot;The queen is spending the day privately at Sandringham House,&quot; a Buckingham Palace spokesman told AFP.

The monarch was working on the &quot;red boxes&quot; -- the red briefcases of official government papers -- and reflecting on her father`s passing.

On Sunday, she was seen smiling as well-wishers gave her flowers outside church.

Prime Minister Theresa May said the country would join in giving thanks for the queen&#39;s lifetime of service to Britain and the wider Commonwealth.

&quot;It is a testament to her selfless devotion to the nation that she is not marking becoming the first monarch to reign for 65 years with any special celebration but instead getting on with the job to which she has dedicated her life,&quot; she said.

&quot;She has truly been an inspiration to all of us and I am proud, on behalf of the nation, to offer our humble thanks and congratulations.&quot;Despite her reluctance to celebrate publicly, the occasion was being marked in Britain.

Gun salutes were fired at the Tower of London, in the capital`s Green Park and around the kingdom, while the bells of Westminster Abbey, where she was crowned in 1953, rang out.

Sapphire is the 65th-anniversary gemstone and a photograph was reissued of the sovereign wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery from 1850, which was given to her by her father in 1947 as a wedding gift.

&quot;She has very kind eyes with a mischievous glint,&quot; said photographer David Bailey after taking the portrait in 2014.&nbsp;

The Royal Mint marked the anniversary with specially-designed commemorative coins, ranging from a &pound;5 coin to a &pound;1,000 solid gold coin, which weighs one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) and costs &pound;50,000 to buy.

The &pound;5 ($6.25, 5.80-euro) coins feature the imperial state crown, rotated to show off the Stuart sapphire.

They also bear words from the famous quote in her 21st birthday speech to the Commonwealth back in 1947: &quot;My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.&quot;

Meanwhile, the Royal Mail issued a &pound;5 stamp in a sapphire blue colour.&quot;It`s very, very difficult to dislike her,&quot; Andrew Gimson, author of &quot;Gimson`s Kings and Queens&quot;, told AFP.

&quot;She`s never answered back, she`s always been above politics.&quot;

Elizabeth became Britain`s longest-serving monarch ever in September 2015, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother queen Victoria, a record she said was &quot;not one to which I have ever aspired&quot;.

She also became the longest-reigning living monarch in the world in October last year following the death of Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Her three big jubilees at 25, 50 and 60 years -- were the silver (1977), golden (2002) and diamond (2012) jubilees, which were celebrated with major public events.

Besides Britain, she has also been the monarch of Australia, Canada and New Zealand for 65 years.

She suffered from a heavy cold over Christmas, missing two Sunday church services, but is generally in rude health.

However, with her advancing age, Queen Elizabeth is gradually handing over more responsibilities to younger royals.

Her 34-year-old grandson Prince William, second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, is stepping down as an air ambulance pilot this year to carry out more royal duties on his grandmother&#39;s behalf.

(AFP)

On January 6, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British sovereign to reach the sapphire jubilee

Queen Elizabeth II, the world's longest-reigning monarch, set a new record Monday as the first British sovereign to reach their sapphire jubilee, marking 65 years on the throne. The head of state, now 90, became queen aged 25 upon the premature death of her father, king George VI, in 1952. On Accession Day, Queen Elizabeth was at her country estate in Norfolk, eastern England. "The queen is spending the day privately at Sandringham House," a Buckingham Palace spokesman told AFP. The monarch was working on the "red boxes" -- the red briefcases of official government papers -- and reflecting on her father`s passing. On Sunday, she was seen smiling as well-wishers gave her flowers outside church. Prime Minister Theresa May said the country would join in giving thanks for the queen's lifetime of service to Britain and the wider Commonwealth. "It is a testament to her selfless devotion to the nation that she is not marking becoming the first monarch to reign for 65 years with any special celebration but instead getting on with the job to which she has dedicated her life," she said. "She has truly been an inspiration to all of us and I am proud, on behalf of the nation, to offer our humble thanks and congratulations."Despite her reluctance to celebrate publicly, the occasion was being marked in Britain. Gun salutes were fired at the Tower of London, in the capital`s Green Park and around the kingdom, while the bells of Westminster Abbey, where she was crowned in 1953, rang out. Sapphire is the 65th-anniversary gemstone and a photograph was reissued of the sovereign wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery from 1850, which was given to her by her father in 1947 as a wedding gift. "She has very kind eyes with a mischievous glint," said photographer David Bailey after taking the portrait in 2014. The Royal Mint marked the anniversary with specially-designed commemorative coins, ranging from a £5 coin to a £1,000 solid gold coin, which weighs one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) and costs £50,000 to buy. The £5 ($6.25, 5.80-euro) coins feature the imperial state crown, rotated to show off the Stuart sapphire. They also bear words from the famous quote in her 21st birthday speech to the Commonwealth back in 1947: "My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service." Meanwhile, the Royal Mail issued a £5 stamp in a sapphire blue colour."It`s very, very difficult to dislike her," Andrew Gimson, author of "Gimson`s Kings and Queens", told AFP. "She`s never answered back, she`s always been above politics." Elizabeth became Britain`s longest-serving monarch ever in September 2015, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother queen Victoria, a record she said was "not one to which I have ever aspired". She also became the longest-reigning living monarch in the world in October last year following the death of Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej. Her three big jubilees at 25, 50 and 60 years -- were the silver (1977), golden (2002) and diamond (2012) jubilees, which were celebrated with major public events. Besides Britain, she has also been the monarch of Australia, Canada and New Zealand for 65 years. She suffered from a heavy cold over Christmas, missing two Sunday church services, but is generally in rude health. However, with her advancing age, Queen Elizabeth is gradually handing over more responsibilities to younger royals. Her 34-year-old grandson Prince William, second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, is stepping down as an air ambulance pilot this year to carry out more royal duties on his grandmother's behalf. (AFP)

Queen Elizabeth II marks 65 years on throne

Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for Queen Elizabeth II to pay nearly 370 million pounds for repairs to Buckingham Palace from her own pocket instead of resorting to taxpayer funds.

The &quot;Make Royals Pay for Palace Renovation&quot; was created on 38 Degrees campaign site and has gathered 88,389 signatures within days since the UK government announced on Friday that the British monarch&#39;s London home would undergo a 369 million-Pound essential refurbishment. The 90-year-old monarch will remain in residence during the work, which is set to begin in April next year.

The Queen&#39;s household budget was awarded a 66 per cent pay rise to pay for the 10-year refit of the palace in central London, designed to future-proof the ageing building.

&quot;There is a national housing crisis, the NHS is in crisis, austerity is forcing cuts in many frontline services. Now the Royals expect us to dig deeper to refurbish Buckingham Palace. The Crown&#39;s wealth is inestimable. This is, in a word, outrageous,&quot; says the petition addressed to the UK Chancellor.

The Queen&#39;s personal wealth is estimated at 340 million Pounds and she privately owns Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle in the UK. The petition wants the repair funds to go out from there rather than the Crown Estate revenues, which go to the UK Treasury and a percentage of which is then passed on to the Queen as a Royal Grant.

The UK&#39;s Shadow Chancellor told the BBC that a contribution from the Queen would be welcome. &quot;It&#39;s a public building, it&#39;s a public monument, it&#39;s a heritage building - so we have to invest in it to preserve it. If the Queen and the Royal Family want to consider a contribution I certainly wouldn&#39;t send the cheque back,&quot; said John McDonnell.

&quot;It does show though that when we need the money for buildings and maintenance we can afford it. So we should be building homes, we should be tackling the maintenance problems that ordinary people have got as well,&quot; he said. The Queen spends around a third of the year hosting garden parties, receptions, investitures and other events at her official home in London.

The work needed reflects the age of the building, which was first used as a royal palace by Queen Victoria and has not been decorated since 1952, the year the current Queen ascended the throne. When the work is finished in 2027, the royal grant is expected to return to its current level of 15 per cent.

(PTI)

People have signed an online petition calling for the Queen to pay nearly 370 million Pounds, instead of resorting to taxpayer funds

Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for Queen Elizabeth II to pay nearly 370 million pounds for repairs to Buckingham Palace from her own pocket instead of resorting to taxpayer funds. The "Make Royals Pay for Palace Renovation" was created on 38 Degrees campaign site and has gathered 88,389 signatures within days since the UK government announced on Friday that the British monarch's London home would undergo a 369 million-Pound essential refurbishment. The 90-year-old monarch will remain in residence during the work, which is set to begin in April next year. The Queen's household budget was awarded a 66 per cent pay rise to pay for the 10-year refit of the palace in central London, designed to future-proof the ageing building. "There is a national housing crisis, the NHS is in crisis, austerity is forcing cuts in many frontline services. Now the Royals expect us to dig deeper to refurbish Buckingham Palace. The Crown's wealth is inestimable. This is, in a word, outrageous," says the petition addressed to the UK Chancellor. The Queen's personal wealth is estimated at 340 million Pounds and she privately owns Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle in the UK. The petition wants the repair funds to go out from there rather than the Crown Estate revenues, which go to the UK Treasury and a percentage of which is then passed on to the Queen as a Royal Grant. The UK's Shadow Chancellor told the BBC that a contribution from the Queen would be welcome. "It's a public building, it's a public monument, it's a heritage building - so we have to invest in it to preserve it. If the Queen and the Royal Family want to consider a contribution I certainly wouldn't send the cheque back," said John McDonnell. "It does show though that when we need the money for buildings and maintenance we can afford it. So we should be building homes, we should be tackling the maintenance problems that ordinary people have got as well," he said. The Queen spends around a third of the year hosting garden parties, receptions, investitures and other events at her official home in London. The work needed reflects the age of the building, which was first used as a royal palace by Queen Victoria and has not been decorated since 1952, the year the current Queen ascended the throne. When the work is finished in 2027, the royal grant is expected to return to its current level of 15 per cent. (PTI)

UK public want Queen to pay for own palace repairs

Theresa May became Britain&#39;s new prime minister on Wednesday, promising to carve out a bold new future in the world as she embarks on the monumental task of leading the country out of the European Union. 
 
May, 59 assumed office after an audience with Queen Elizabeth and drove straight to her new home of 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. 
 
&quot;We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us,&quot; she said. 
 
Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted to leave the EU in a referendum last month, severely undermining European efforts to forge greater unity and creating economic uncertainty across the 28-nation bloc. 
 
May must try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country&#39;s ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a divided ruling Conservative party and a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the vote, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. 
 
Acknowledging the struggles faced by many Britons, May declared: &quot;The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. 
 
&quot;When we take the big calls we&#39;ll think not of the powerful but you, when we pass new laws we&#39;ll listen not to the mighty but to you, when it comes to taxes we&#39;ll prioritise not the wealthy but you.&quot; 
 
The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. 
 
&quot;Based on the public comments we&#39;ve seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course that&#39;s consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered,&quot; White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. 
 
An official photograph showed May curtseying to a smiling Queen Elizabeth, for whom she is the 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. 
 
She is also Britain&#39;s second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. 
 
Divorce talks 
EU leaders, keen to move forward after the shock of &#39;Brexit&#39;, want May to launch formal divorce proceedings as soon as possible to help resolve the uncertainty. 
 
But she has said the process should not be launched before the end of year, to give time for Britain to draw up its negotiating strategy. 
 
Although she favoured Britain remaining in Europe, May has repeatedly declared that &quot;Brexit means Brexit&quot; and that there can be no attempt to reverse the referendum outcome. 
 
The shock vote partly reflected discontent with EU rules on freedom of movement that have contributed to record-high immigration - an issue on which May, as interior minister for the past six years, is politically vulnerable. 
 
But EU leaders have made clear that free movement is a fundamental principle that goes hand-in-hand with access to the bloc&#39;s tariff-free single market, a stance that will hugely complicate May&#39;s task in hammering out new terms of trade. 
 
&quot;My advice to my successor, who is a brilliant negotiator, is that we should try to be as close to the European Union as we can be for the benefits of trade, cooperation and of security,&quot; Cameron told parliament in his last appearance before resigning. 
 
Appearing later in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, he delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not been an easy journey and of course we&#39;ve not got every decision right,&quot; he said, &quot;but I do believe that today our country is much stronger.&quot; 
 
In parliament, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his government&#39;s achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. 
 
Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. 
 
&#39;Our Angela Merkel&#39; 
May is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer the country through the disruptive Brexit process. Colleagues describe her as cautious, unflappable and intensely private. 
 
&quot;I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel,&quot; said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron&#39;s team which met for the last time on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;We have an incredibly tough, shrewd, determined and principled person to lead those negotiations for Britain,&quot; Hunt told Sky News television. 
 
German Chancellor Merkel will be May&#39;s most important counterpart on the continent as the process unfolds. Both women are renowned for their firmness, pragmatism and discipline. 
 
The new British leader is expected to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try to satisfy opposing camps in her party. 
 
She has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the EU which would be headed by someone who had campaigned on the Leave side. 
 
Financial markets, which had been extremely volatile since the referendum, reacted positively to news on Monday that May would become prime minister earlier than expected. 
 
Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels of the year as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concerns over the impact of the Brexit vote. 
 
Economists predicted in a Reuters poll that the Bank of England would halve its main interest rate to 0.25 percent on Thursday in a pre-emptive strike to try to ward off a recession and reassure markets. 
 
(Reuters)

She becomes the country's second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher

Theresa May became Britain's new prime minister on Wednesday, promising to carve out a bold new future in the world as she embarks on the monumental task of leading the country out of the European Union. May, 59 assumed office after an audience with Queen Elizabeth and drove straight to her new home of 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. "We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us," she said. Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted to leave the EU in a referendum last month, severely undermining European efforts to forge greater unity and creating economic uncertainty across the 28-nation bloc. May must try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country's ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a divided ruling Conservative party and a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the vote, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. Acknowledging the struggles faced by many Britons, May declared: "The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. "When we take the big calls we'll think not of the powerful but you, when we pass new laws we'll listen not to the mighty but to you, when it comes to taxes we'll prioritise not the wealthy but you." The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. "Based on the public comments we've seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course that's consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. An official photograph showed May curtseying to a smiling Queen Elizabeth, for whom she is the 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. She is also Britain's second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. Divorce talks EU leaders, keen to move forward after the shock of 'Brexit', want May to launch formal divorce proceedings as soon as possible to help resolve the uncertainty. But she has said the process should not be launched before the end of year, to give time for Britain to draw up its negotiating strategy. Although she favoured Britain remaining in Europe, May has repeatedly declared that "Brexit means Brexit" and that there can be no attempt to reverse the referendum outcome. The shock vote partly reflected discontent with EU rules on freedom of movement that have contributed to record-high immigration - an issue on which May, as interior minister for the past six years, is politically vulnerable. But EU leaders have made clear that free movement is a fundamental principle that goes hand-in-hand with access to the bloc's tariff-free single market, a stance that will hugely complicate May's task in hammering out new terms of trade. "My advice to my successor, who is a brilliant negotiator, is that we should try to be as close to the European Union as we can be for the benefits of trade, cooperation and of security," Cameron told parliament in his last appearance before resigning. Appearing later in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, he delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. "It's not been an easy journey and of course we've not got every decision right," he said, "but I do believe that today our country is much stronger." In parliament, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his government's achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. 'Our Angela Merkel' May is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer the country through the disruptive Brexit process. Colleagues describe her as cautious, unflappable and intensely private. "I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel," said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron's team which met for the last time on Tuesday. "We have an incredibly tough, shrewd, determined and principled person to lead those negotiations for Britain," Hunt told Sky News television. German Chancellor Merkel will be May's most important counterpart on the continent as the process unfolds. Both women are renowned for their firmness, pragmatism and discipline. The new British leader is expected to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try to satisfy opposing camps in her party. She has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the EU which would be headed by someone who had campaigned on the Leave side. Financial markets, which had been extremely volatile since the referendum, reacted positively to news on Monday that May would become prime minister earlier than expected. Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels of the year as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concerns over the impact of the Brexit vote. Economists predicted in a Reuters poll that the Bank of England would halve its main interest rate to 0.25 percent on Thursday in a pre-emptive strike to try to ward off a recession and reassure markets. (Reuters)

Theresa May curtsies before Queen, arises Britain's Prime Minister

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