The Queen dodged a sword that came within a hair of her face after a regally dressed man made a careless turn in front of the nearly 87-year-old monarch.

The event happened at the funeral for Margaret Thatcher at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The man responsible was Alderman Roger Gifford, the Lord Mayor of London. He had the sword at his side and the queen behind him, and swung his body around to greet the royal couple and lead them to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

When Gifford turned quickly, the queen had to dodge the sword at his side before it could slice her.

The sword itself has a special meaning. It’s the official Mourning Sword, and hasn’t been brought out since the funeral for Winston Churchill.

Queen Elizabeth, whose birthday is on Sunday, almost didn’t get to see 87.

Thatcher’s funeral otherwise went out without incident. Though protests were expected, there was no civil unrest despite there being street celebrations by Thatcher’s enemies after her death was initially reported.

“There were dissenters, of course, but this was one day when the jeers were massively overwhelmed by the cheers,” the Daily Mail noted. “In a quite remarkable tribute to the woman many describe as our greatest peacetime prime minister, they threw flowers, applauded.”

The event drew more than 100,000 spectators as the funeral procession made its way to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Included in that were close to 2,000 dignitaries and 4,000 police officers to keep order.

Security was tight, however, with 4,000 cops making sure any demonstrations against Margaret Thatcher never got out of hand.

Thatcher, the only woman to have ever led the British government, died at age 87 from a stroke. Her funeral nearly claimed the UK’s other famous female leader.

But not everyone was so grim when the Queen dodged the sword. The Duke of Edinburgh was seen shooting a quick grin to his wife as he watched the incident unfold.

Queen Dodges Sword At Ceremonial Event, Narrowly Avoids Being Sliced is a post from: The Inquisitr

Can you spot the soldier who is losing their cool in the Queen’s presence? Pretty Ironic.

Please Go Away, Grandma, I Am Trying To Work is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Queen’s first 3D Christmas message was recorded on Friday at Buckingham Palace, marking the first time a royal has been filmed with the technology

The Queen of England is not one to shy away from using the latest technology for the message, though her grandson, Prince William, declined to use the technology during his wedding to Kate Middleton last year, reports The Daily Mail.

Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas message is a tradition that dates back to her grandfather, George V, who delivered a radio broadcast written by Rudyard Kipling in 1932.

Elizabeth began in 1952 with her first Christmas radio message, then moved on to TV with a live speech in 1957. The 3D Royal debut also follows the Queen of England’s performance with Daniel Craig in a James Bond sequence that was recorded specially for the London Olympics this past summer.

Along with appearing in 3D for the first time, Queen Elizabeth’s other forays into emerging technology have been when a royal YouTube channel was set up in 2007 and the Queen was given her own Twitter account in 2009.

The Independent notes that the Queen’s 3D message will be focused on the Diamond Jubilee, as well as the Olympics. Viewers of the message will need to have special 3D glasses, a 3D TV, and a 3D box in order to view the speech in its filmed format. It will be made available to BBC and ITV.

Despite this being the first time the Queen has given her Christmas message in 3D, it is not the first time she has been rendered in the technology. Artist Chris Levine made a holographic portrait of the Queen of England, which has been projected onto buildings like Kensington Palace and Mont Orgueil Castle.

Check out the Queen of England’s Christmas message from last year here.

Queen’s 3D Christmas Message Will Be A First is a post from: The Inquisitr

Prince Charles has been waiting a very long time to become the next King of England, and the Prince spoke of his impatience during his 64th birthday celebration at the Dumfries House.

Joking with his guests Prince Charles proclaimed:

“Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest! Yes, of course I am.”

Prince Charles then quipped:

“I’ll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I’m not careful.”

The Prince recently surpassed his great-great grandfather Edward VII as the longest-waiting heir in his nation’s history.

Queen Elizabeth has served England as its queen for 60 years. The Queen’s mother lived to be 101 years old, and Queen Elizabeth appears to be in excellent health at 86.

At this point, if Queen Elizabeth lives as long as her mother or even longer, Princes William and Harry will be well into their 30s or 40s before their great grandmother’s reign comes to an end.

PEOPLE is quick to point out that this is the first time Prince Charles has quipped about ascending the British throne.

Prince Charles did make a similar but not directed comment in 1992. In attending father-in-law Earl Spencer’s funeral, he noted:

“You are fortunate enough to have succeeded to the title when still young.”

Queen Elizabeth is a well beloved figure not only in England but around much of the world. While Prince Charles is no doubt excited at the prospect of becoming England’s next king, he will also have some very large shoes to fill when he takes over the position in the future.

Prince Charles Is ‘Impatient’ To Become King is a post from: The Inquisitr

Don’t worry, everyone, Kate Middleton would have voted for Obama too. The Duchess and her royal husband allegedly sent the re-elected president and his wife a congratulatory note.HollyScoop seemed very concerned that, while a host of celebrities immediately tweeted their thoughts regarding the President’s reinstatement, no one had heard a peep from the royal lovebirds across the sea.

Thank goodness we didn’t have to wait long.

Apparently, Kate Middleton went above and beyond the casual tweet and sent Barack and Michelle a note.

“The Duke and Duchess have sent a personal note of congratulations to Barack Obama on his US re-election,” a Palace source told US Weekly.

Will and Kate aren’t alone in their approval. Apparently, the whole royal family was excited about Obama’s win. “Her Majesty is pleased with the election result,” a Palace insider says of 86-ear-old Queen Elizabeth.

Michelle Obama recently spend time with the royals in London before the Olympic Games, and both Barack and Michelle have met the Queen on several occasions. The Palace source adds that “[The Queen] gets on well with Mr. Obama and his wife.”

Allegedly, the royal’s choice for Obama was suspected back in July when Mitt Romney reportedly criticized Great Britain’s “lack of organization” for the London Games.

Romney allegedly stated regarding the Olympics, “The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials — that obviously is not something which is encouraging.”

So now we can all breath easy, knowing that, not only did Obama get the majority of the electoral a popular votes, he got Kate Middleton’s, too.

Kate Middleton Approves Obama Win: Thank Goodness, Now We Can All Breath Easy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Queen Elizabeth wears a hoodie while sitting behind the wheel of a Range Rover in a photo that shows a different side to the royal icon.

The picture, which was published in the latest issue of Us Weekly, reportedly was taken after a grouse hunting session over the weekend. In the picture, the Queen wears the hoodie over her head and close to her eyes as she peers over the steering wheel of her Range Rover.

It’s a pleasant change for the Royal Family that, for the past week or so, has some even more scandalous pictures to deal with. A series of photographs of Prince Harry at a wild bachelor party in Las Vegas shook the family, leading to criticism of Harry and even a break-up with his model girlfriend.

The Queen reportedly met up with her grandson Harry and his father, Prince Charles, after the Las Vegas pictures were released. Not all of the family has been as supportive as Prince Charles and the Queen, Us Weekly reported. His brother William decided to remain at his home in Angelsey, Wales with his wife Kate Middleton rather than attend the emergency family summit.

Before Harry’s scandal broke, it was the Queen who was getting most of the headlines in the Royal Family, The Huffington Post noted. She made quite a splash at the Olympics, whether it was parachuting in from an airplane with James Bond (although not really) or watching the athletes enter the Opening Ceremonies with an unimpressed look.

Now it appears that the suddenly hip Queen wears hoodies instead of her trademark large floppy hats, but The Huffington Post may have another explanation. The picture, which can be seen here, might actually be a scarf pinned down to hear head with bobby pins, the report suggested.

Queen Wears Hoodie While Sitting In Range Rover In Bizarre Photo is a post from: The Inquisitr

is reporting that Britain’s Prince Philip, the 91-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was admitted to a hospital in Scotland Wednesday after a recurrence of a bladder infection that he picked up earlier in the year.

“The Duke of Edinburgh has had a recurrence of the bladder infection that he had earlier in the summer and has been admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

“The prince is likely to remain there for the next few days.”

Philip’s recent trip to the infirmary is the third time he has been hospitalized in less than a year.

Prior to the bladder infection, which Prince Philip contracted in early June during events marking his wife’s 60-year reign, he suffered a blocked coronary artery and spent four nights in a hospital over the Christmas holiday last year.

ABC News notes that the Prince was also hospitalized for a chest infection in 2008 but recovered quickly. Officials revealed in 2007 that he had been suffering from a heart condition since 1992.

Philip’s next scheduled public appearance is alongside the queen as she opens the London 2012 Paralympic Games on August 29.

In addition to the upcoming Paralympic Games, Prince Philip and his wife are also gearing up to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this coming November.

They met in 1939 when the Queen was just 13 years old (and reportedly smitten with Philip); the couple married eight years later in 1947.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have four children — Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward — and eight grandchildren.

UK’s Prince Philip, 91, Hospitalized As A ‘Precautionary Measure’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter, became the first member of the Royal family to win an Olympic medal today as the Great Britain Olympic team claimed a silver medal during the show jumping portion of the equestrian events at the 2012 London Olympics.

Phillips gave a “disappointing” performance at Greenwich Park but her teammates Tina Cook, Mary King and William Fox-Pitt were able to keep Team GB on the podium.

Yahoo reports that Zara Phillips and her horse High Kingdom hit one of the obstacles on the course and were docked 7-points. Her teammate Tina Cook, however, gave a nearly flawless performance and secured the silver medal for the British Olympic Team.

Cook said:

“To be honest [I was] just trying to focus on jumping a clear round… The team has done so well and it was so close, we could have got silver or nothing, and that would have been awful. Gold would have been brilliant, silver is fantastic.”

According to the Telegraph, Phillips is only the second member of the royal family to compete in the Olympics. Her mother, the Princess Royal, competed in 1976 but failed to win a medal. Her father, Captain Mark Phillips, won a gold medal at the 1972 Olympics but it was before he married into the royal family.

And as a member of the royal family, Zara Phillips had a lot of high-profile fans in the stands. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton and Prince William), Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla), Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were all in the crowd.

Zara Phillips Becomes First Royal Family Member To Win An Olympic Medal is a post from: The Inquisitr

The opening ceremonies of the Olympics have rang in the start of the games in a most creative and unique way.

Danny Boyle, the Oscar winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Trainspotting”, was put to the ultimate challenge this year. According to Newser, Boyle knew that this task was going to be a daunting one. Beijing’s money-no-object Olympic ceremony of 2008 was incredible and the most costly in Olympic history. This did not deter Boyle. “Beijing is something that, in a way, was great to follow,” Boyle stated. “You can’t get bigger than Beijing, you know? So that, in a way, kind of liberated us. We thought, ‘Great, OK, good, we’ll try and do something different.’”

And “different” is an understatement…

The opening ceremonies kicked off this year with fighter jets streaming red, white, and blue smoke as they raced over the stadium. Then the opening ceremonies turned into a living jukebox of sorts playing an ever changing mix of rock and pop anthems paying homage to Britain. Such music ranged from The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. A stream of movie images also played a part in taking the audience on a grand voyage through everything British.

One of the highlights of the $42 million dollar show was how Boyle used “movie magic” to trick the entire audience into thinking that Britain’s beloved 86-year old Queen Elizabeth II had parachuted down into the stadium with none other than…James Bond. This being the first time that Queen Elizabeth II has acted on film. “The queen made herself more accessible than ever before,” Boyle said.

The most unique of Boyle’s ideas, however, had to be the actual lighting of the ceremonial Olympic cauldron. He chose seven teenage athletes for this tremendous honor. Together, these athletes touched their torches to trumpet-like tubes that spread outward into a ring of fire. The flames then rose upward to join together into one beautiful cauldron.

After the cauldron was lit, a magnificent display of fireworks erupted to fill the night sky. Paul McCartney then closed the ceremony with a “Hey Jude” performance in which he got the whole crowd to sing along.

This show would have been a truly wonderful show to see in person.

The Olympics Kick Off With A Bang is a post from: The Inquisitr

Angers, France – A petition by the French city of Angers, located in the Loire Valley west of Paris, is demanding that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth turn over the British Crown Jewels as compensation for what it is calling a “state crime” that took place 513 years ago and ended the reign of the Plantagenet bloodline.

Angers was once the capital of the Anjou province and home to the House of the Plantagenets, a royal bloodline that produced such famous monarchs as Richard the Lionheart and Henry V.

What is the “state crime” city officials are stating happened that would warrant the Queen of England’s Crown Jewels? The beheading of Edward Plantaganet, Earl of Warwick, on November 28, 1499, reports The Globe and Mail.

Edward Plantagenet was the nephew of King Richard III and his cousin, Edward of Middleham, was the royal heir. After his father was executed for treason and his cousin died of natural causes, the Earl of Warwick became the last legitimate male of the line, naming him heir to the throne at 10 years old. That designation was revoked upon the death of his aunt, Queen Anne.

Tudor Henry VII took the throne after slaying King Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and imprisoned the Earl of Warwick in the Tower of London. In 1499, in an attempt to rid himself of any rivals for the throne, Henry VII had the last Plantagenet beheaded, thus ending the royal bloodline.

The petition by city officials, signed by hundreds of Angevins and sympathizers from around the world, believes it is entitled to compensation and asks for the Crown Jewels:

“Today, the legacy of Plantagenet must return to his heirs and the Crown Jewels of England should be transferred to the Angevins….

As compensation for the dispossession of the rights of the Angevin dynasty and the political assassination of its last direct descendant, the signatories of this petition demand that the United Kingdom defer to the Angevins, moral heirs of the Plantagenets, the entirety of the Crown Jewels of England… The Jewels, after their release, shall be deposited in the Saint-Aubin in Angers to be seen and kept by the population.”

The petition will be sent to Queen Elizabeth in September, though a spokesman for the council admits the petition had “little chance of success” but wanted to highlight the “crime” against the Angevin monarch.

French Demanding British Crown Jewels As Payment For 1499 Crime is a post from: The Inquisitr

Big Ben is about to get a new name. The famous clock tower in England will be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

A House of Commons spokesman said:

“The House of Commons (parliament) commission welcomed the proposal to rename the clock tower Elizabeth Tower in recognition of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and will arrange for this decision to be implemented in an appropriate manner in due course.”

Queen Elizabeth became just the second monarch in English history to celebrate 60 years on the throne. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was marked by four days of celebration in England and the country will now honor the Queen by renaming Big Ben.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“I think it is a fitting tribute to the Queen and the service she has given to our country in this jubilee year.”

Tobias Ellwood, who introduced the proposal to rename Big Ben, said:

“Commemorating an iconic landmark as famous as Parliament is indeed a truly exceptional tribute and I am grateful that the majority of MPs believe the Queen deserves such an outstanding accolade…. Of all the forty-one monarchs who have reigned over England and the United Kingdom since William the Conqueror, only Her Majesty and Queen Victoria have reached this Diamond Jubilee land mark.”

The 316-foot clock tower, now more than 150-years-old, is formally known as The Clock Tower. Most people, however, know the clock by its nickname Big Ben.

Here’s a video about Big Ben’s 15oth anniversary.

Big Ben To Be Renamed Elizabeth Tower In Honor Of Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a post from: The Inquisitr

Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, has just been nominated to join the United Kingdom’s Olympic Equestrian Team.

Phillips, 31, said:

“It’s awesome to be given this opportunity. I am really excited and can’t wait to kick on and get him there.”

Phillips earned a spot on the Olympic team in both 2004 and 2008 but her horse, Toytown, suffered an injury before the big event on both occasions. This year Phillips is riding High Kingdom, who helped her claim third at Bramham last weekend.

Phillips said:

“I’m really excited. High Kingdom is a pretty cool, very relaxed kind of guy. I was really happy with him at Bramham as he had obviously grown up and is improving all the time… He’s pretty pony-like, a nippy little jumper and easy to maneuver, so hopefully it will suit him well in Greenwich.”

The Associated Press reports that Zara Phillips parents, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, were both Olympian Equestrians. Princess Anne competed in Montreal in 1976 at the Montreal Games and her father helped Great Britain win a gold medal at Munich in 1972. Phillips also won a silver medal 16-years later in Seoul.

The BBC reports that Phillips will join Kristina Cook (horse Miners Frolic), William Fox-Pitt (horse Lionheart), Georgina “Piggy” French (horse Jakata) and Mary King (horse Imperial Cavalier) on the UK Olympic team.

Zara Phillips has just been named to the Olympic team but she’s already been a part of the Olympic celebration in the UK. Last month Phillips and her horse carried the Olympic torch around the Cheltenham racecourse.

Zara Phillips, Queen’s Granddaughter, Nominated For UK Olympic Team is a post from: The Inquisitr

While Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, her husband, Prince Philip, is resting in the hospital.

Philip, who will turn 91 on Saturday, was taken to the King Edward VII Hospital in London today with a bladder infection. The Associated Press reports that Philip was taken to the hospital as a precaution and will remain under observation for the next few days.

The royal household said in a statement:

“The Duke of Edinburgh was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in London this afternoon, from Windsor Castle, as a precautionary measure after developing a bladder infection, which is being assessed and treated… Prince Philip will remain in hospital under observation for a few days. He is, understandably, disappointed about missing this evening’s Diamond Jubilee concert and tomorrow’s engagements.”

Business Week reports that the Prince will miss tonight’s concert outside of Buckingham Palace, as well as a service tomorrow at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Philip will miss a few parties celebrating the Queen’s 60th year on the throne, but the Prince did get to witness some of the festivities. Philip was at the Queen’s side yesterday on the Thames river during a record setting boat parade.

This is the second time in the last six months that Prince Philip has found himself in the hospital. Last December Philip spent four days in the hospital after having a procedure to clear an artery.

Prince Philip To Miss Queen’s Jubilee With Bladder Infection is a post from: The Inquisitr

When Prince William and Kate Middleton were preparing to wed the couple was handed a list with 777 names on it and according to Prince William in an ITV1 documentary, “not one person I knew or Catherine knew” were on that list.

William says he took the list to his grandmother to ask her for advice and her response was simple:

“Get rid of it. Start from your friends and then we’ll add those we need to in due course. It’s your day.”

That single response shows the complete control the Queen mother still holds over her handlers when it comes to personal matters.

Prince Williams tells the Telegraph that his relationship with Queen Elizabeth has strengthened as he has gotten older because he has begun to better understand her role and his place in the Royal Family. According to Prince William:

“I think being a small boy it’s very daunting seeing the Queen around and not really quite knowing what to talk about or what to ask her.”

While he had admiration and a better understanding of his grandmother Prince William admits there is one thing he doesn’t understand, the royal corgis:

“They’re barking all the time … I don’t know how she copes with it.”

Then again having people around you all the time can not always be bad, according to one report Queen Elizabeth has a person who’s job it is to break in new shoes for her so they do not hurt her royal feet when she begins wearing her new shoes.

Prince William: Queen Had Me Rip Up Wedding List, Start From Scratch is a post from: The Inquisitr

Manchester, England – We have got to hand it to England’s Queen Elizabeth, when it comes to surprising us she manages to do a pretty good job. There was that time she pointed and laughed at a streaker at Epsom races in Surrey and now she has managed to pull herself away from a busy schedule to randomly show up at a wedding.

John and Frances Canning were preparing to wed in Manchester, England when on a whim they sent a wedding invitation to England’s highest member of the royal family.

Next thing the couple knew they received a call saying the Queen would stop by their most special of ceremonies. As the couple describes it they had to remember who they were in the presence of and the groom bowed as his bride gave a curtsey to the monarch.

The Queen then took a moment to congratulate the couple on their happy day.

Frances Canning told CNN affiliate ITN:

“Basically it was a wedding gift for us.”

The queen’s husband Prince Philip was also able to wish the couple a happy day.

The couple found out that the queen would attend their wedding and needless to say even after the fact they appeared quite stunned while speaking in an interview that was captured on video:

The Queen spent the rest of her day visiting Central Manchester University Hopsitals and a new BBC complex.

Queen Elizabeth will be spotted in various spots around the country this spring as she celebrates 60 years on the throw, an extended celebration known as her Diamond Jubilee.

Are you surprised to learn that Queen Elizabeth managed to take time out of her always busy schedule to stop by a single wedding and offer her congratulations to the happy couple?

Queen Elizabeth Stuns Couple By Accepting Wedding Invitation is a post from: The Inquisitr

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, was airlifted today to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital to have heart surgery for a blocked coronary artery. Philip, 90, will stay in the hospital for a “short period” for observation.

British royal officials did not say if Philip had suffered a heart attack.

According to Time Magazine, Philip was taken from the queen’s estate in rural Norfolk to the Papworth Hospital in Cambridge after suffering chest pains. The Duke had a small surgery to treat a blocked artery.

The Palace said in a statement:

“Following tests at Papworth Cardiothoracic Hospital in Cambridge this evening the Duke of Edinburgh was found to have a blocked coronary artery which caused his chest pains. This was treated successfully by the minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting. Prince Philip will remain in hospital under observation for a short period.”

According to the Telegraph, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II were planning on celebrating their first Christmas with Kate Middleton, the new Duchess of Cambridge.

Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary to the Queen, said:

“He has had these chest pains before and I don’t think it’s anything untoward, but given his age they are being safe rather than sorry. I am sure we are going to see him on Christmas Day and he can look forward to accompanying the Queen in the new year.”

Philip has enjoyed good health throughout his life. The Telegraph reports that Philip attended more than 400 events a year up until his 70s. On his 90th birthday, he announced that he would officially be cutting back on his royal duties.

Prince Philip Airlifted to Hospital, Has Heart Surgery is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is Kate Middleton pregnant? The royal baby rumors have been swirling for weeks and it looks like we may finally have confirmation. According to In Touch Magazine, Kate Middleton is definitely pregnant.

It’s been nearly 7 months since the royal wedding between Middleton and Prince William, and according to an inside royal source, the pressure has been on for Middleton to have a baby.

The royal source told In Touch:

“Since before they even got married, it’s been made clear to William and Kate that having children should be their number-one priority.”

The magazine is reporting that Middleton is currently 6-weeks pregnant.

In Touch doesn’t reveal the name of the source, but they say that it was the same person who correctly revealed other royal secrets, like the location of the royal honeymoon the queen’s wedding gift to Kate.

According to the source, Kate and William are building three nurseries. One in Nottingham Cottage, where Kate and William have been staying, one at their home in Wales and one at Kensington Palace. The source also claims to know possible baby names. The source said:

“They want something traditional. Edward, Philip and Michael are likely choices for a boy, or Alice or Rose for a girl.”

England recently changed its royal lineage rules so that the first born child of the prince doesn’t have to be a boy to inherit the throne. Prince William, apparently, is hoping for a girl.

Do you think that Kate Middleton is pregnant?

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