...For December 2003

• Queen Attends Service
  
  The Queen is leading the Royal Family in worship at a Christmas Day service in Sandringham. It is her first public appearance since undergoing surgery on her knee and face. She arrived for the service at St Mary Magdalene Church in a car with the Countess of Wessex. Wearing a bandage on her left knee, she walked up seven steps and along a path to the church using a walking stick. Two weeks ago, the Queen underwent a successful operation to remove cartilage from her knee and skin lesions from her face. The latter procedure left her with two stitches above her left eye and a black mark below.
  
  Joining the Queen at the service is the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales with Prince William, and Prince Harry, the Duke of York with his daughters Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie, the Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal with her children Peter Phillips, Zara Phillips, and husband Timothy Laurence. In a few hours' time, the Queen's traditional Christmas Day speech will be braodcast to the nation and Commonwealth. On Tuesday, one of the Queen's corgis, Pharos, had to be put down after being attacked by an English bull terrier belonging to Princess Anne. The terrier attacked the smaller dog's legs after arriving with the Princess Royal at Sandringham on Monday. Many in the crowd of around 500 people who gathered to watch the Royal Family arrive were keen to observe the Queen following the controversy.
  
  Sally Bowser, 50, from Boston, Lincolnshire, said: "I think everybody will feel sad for her but she carries on looking gracious when her little heart must be broken."

• 'Rings' Fan Prince William Stuns Small Cinema
  
  Young British royal Prince William stunned people at a small village movie house when he turned up to watch the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Surprized staff witnessed William, 21, and ten friends arrive at the Hollywood Cinema in East Deresham, Norfolk, Eastern England - not far from Sandringham, which is where he is spending Christmas.advertisement (story continues below) During the interval of the epic fantasy movie, William bought ice-cream from starstruck employee Sharan Jackson.
  
  Ivan Daniels, cinema manager, says, "A large group of very well dressed, very well-heeled, 18 to 24-year-olds arrived. One of them had a baseball cap pulled down virtually over his face. I didn't think any more of it at that time. Then one of my female staff said, 'Did you notice that tall young man? I'm sure it was Prince William.' It wasn't until the film started and the lights went down that Prince William took his baseball cap off."
  
  A spokesperson for the Prince says, "We never confirm what Prince William does in his spare time."
  
  
• William's 'ordinary' cinema trip
  
  The Prince kept a low profile at the cinema Prince William made a surprise visit to a Norfolk cinema on Saturday - to watch the latest Lord of the Rings film. The prince took a group of friends to the Hollywood Cinema in Dereham to see the trilogy's final part, The Return of the King. He wore a baseball cap and kept such a low profile that few people recognised him.
  
  Trevor Wicks, the owner of the 147-seater cinema, said Prince William had come with a party of 11.
  
  "What's great is the ordinariness of it," he said.
  
  "He could have gone anywhere. He could have gone to a West End premiere, but instead he came to a local cinema."
  
  The Prince is spending Christmas on the Queen's Sandringham estate, which is just a few miles from Dereham.

• Prince Harry waves farewell to the sunshine life
  
  Wearing white boardshorts and accompanied by some bikini-clad friends, Prince Harry enjoys the Australian sun and surf before returning to Britain for Christmas. The 19-year-old was seen frolicking in the waves at the Queensland beach resort of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast before onlookers realised who he was. "He went down for a swim about midday with three bodyguards and a couple of local girls," one told the Australian media. "He went in the water a couple of times with his mates. He even body-surfed a few waves.
  
  "It was only when he put on those reflective sunglasses he's worn everywhere that we noticed who it was."
  
  The Prince was recognized at the same time as his brother was being photographed in the freezing cold of St Andrews buying magazines and sweets at a newsagents in the Scottish seaside town. Prince Harry has spent six weeks working as a jackaroo on a cattle station near Roma, in western Queensland, as part of his gap year. He is believed to have been staying at a beachside house owned by the Hill family, who run the Tooloombilla station where he has been working. His female companions are understood to be students and close friends of the family.
• BEACH BUM HARRY
  
  He frolics in surf with bikini girls
  
  By Jane Kerr, Royal Reporter
  
  PRINCE Harry let it all hang out as he frolicked in the surf with a bunch of pals. First the 19-year-old royal got a close-up of one of his girl companions' assets as she dived under the waves. Then he almost ended up showing a bit too much of his own. He had to hastily hitch up his shorts as they slid down when he emerged from the ocean. Fun-loving Harry hit the beach at the Australian resort of Noosa in Queensland. He was celebrating with friends - including a number of girls in bikinis - after finishing a six-week stint as a jackeroo on an outback ranch. And he clearly enjoyed his cooling dip.
  
  One onlooker said: "He had a great time larking with his mates and even tried a bit of body-surfing."
  
  Harry - on a gap break before starting university - is due home in time for Christmas.

• Harry as a sandboy!
  
  FUN-loving Prince Harry shows how to do the Royal wave — as he frolics in the ocean on an Australian beach. Harry, 19, stripped off to play in the water with two pals at Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The Prince looked completely at ease in the raging sea. No surprise there — Royals have been keeping the surfs under control for centuries.
  
  
• Prince William browses through the magazine rack in the Good News newsagents, in St Andrews, during his third year at university.
  
  Prince William has marked the end of the first term of his third year at St Andrews University with a photocall in the town.
  
  By Laura Elston, Deputy Court Correspondent, PA News in Scotland
  
  With a pint of milk, two chocolate bars and a packet of crisps on his shopping list, Prince William showed that even Britain's most famous undergraduate resorts to a staple student diet of sweets and snacks when writing end-of-term essays. In a rare glimpse of his daily university life, the 21-year-old Royal took part in a photocall out and about in the windswept coastal town of St Andrews. Between attending lectures and writing his essay, William popped into a local newsagent he uses from time to time before showing off his golf technique at a nearby driving range. It is the first time William has taken part in official snapshots involving the local community since starting university. The shoot formed part of a deal by Clarence House in which they agreed to provide information on the Prince once a term in return for his privacy as he continues his education. Now more than halfway through a four-year degree at Scotland's oldest university, William admitted that his workload had intensified, but revealed he was glad he had switched courses from history of art to geography.
  
  “It's going very well. It's my third year and it's a bit more work. I'm glad I changed to geography. I did four years of history of art so this is something different. I'm studying all sorts of human and physical environments and really enjoying it, but I'm looking forward to my Christmas holidays.”
  
  He achieved a B for history of art at A-Level, but trumped this with an A for geography. William has yet to tackle his Christmas present shopping, but revealed he was going to buy brother Harry something extra special.
  
  “I'm still finding them. Last minute is what I do,” he said.
  
  He declined to reveal what was on his own Christmas wish-list.
  
  He said about his brother: “I am looking forward to seeing him again as he's coming back from Australia for Christmas.
  
  “I'm going to buy him something extra special because he's been away for three months.”
  
  Admitting he was somewhat envious of Harry for watching the England team triumph in the Rugby World Cup in Sydney, William revealed: “I wish I'd gone.” But he described meeting the champions at a Buckingham Palace reception last week as “very, very special”.
  
  “They deserve every bit of praise they get,” the rugby fan said enthusiastically.
  
  After attending his lectures, William strolled down the town's North Street towards the Good News store on a dull and drizzly afternoon. He walked casually along with his left hand in his pocket and right hand clutching a bright blue envelope - with passing locals taking virtually no notice of him. Braving the chilly December air without a coat, William, who wore a navy V-neck jumper over a crisp light blue and white checked shirt, and a pair of blue worn-in jeans and battered brown loafers, ducked quickly into the shop. Inside, he stocked up on student essentials for his friends, grabbing a green-top pint of milk in a plastic carton from the fridge, a packet of Walkers sea salt & cracked black pepper Sensation crisps, a bag of Maltesers and a Milky Bar. He also picked up a spiral-bound notebook, waving it playfully at the cameras. Browsing through the magazine rack for several minutes, the Prince, who owns a Yamaha 600 trials bike, searched for a publication on motorbikes, but had to settle, after making a somewhat hurried choice, for The Economist and country magazine The Field. He also looked for a music magazine before resorting to a puzzle book. The shop sells a wide selection of cigars including the Royal-sounding Balmoral Robustos for £9.50 - but William did not indulge and was not tempted either by the £1.25 bottles of beer. He made his way towards the till his arms laden with goods, his purchases almost spilling out onto the counter.
  
  Asked by shop assistant Jennifer Murray if he needed a carrier bag, he replied politely: “Yes I'd love one please. Can I get some stamps as well, please?” As Mrs Murray rang through the stash of items, William joked: “I'm stocking up for winter.”
  
  He was handed six Christmas edition first-class stamps showing a star shaped icicle and of course bearing his grandmother's head and shoulders in the top right hand corner. His paid his £11.22 bill with money from his own pocket including a Scottish £10 note. The shop remained open during William's brief visit, with other customers milling around - more interested in their own affairs. Outside, he attached a stamp to the envelope he was carrying - which contained a letter he was posting for a friend - and dropped it into the nearby post box before going on his way. The newsagent is close to St Salvator's Hall, known as Sally's, where William used to live and near the university department buildings. Mrs Murray, 46, who has worked in the shop for several years, said William came in from time to time but she had always missed out on serving him before.
  
  “He is a bit smarter than a lot of the students. You can spot most of them a mile off but if you saw him you wouldn't think he was a student.”
  
  She admitted she thought he was handsome, adding she hoped she would serve him again. But Mrs Murray revealed that the young Prince does not cause too much disturbance around St Andrews.
  
  “People here think he's quite down to earth. Two or three people in the shop didn't even notice he was in here,” she said.
  
  “They came up to the counter and said they had only just realised who it was.”
  
  Later, Prince William proved himself the king of clubs as he sent ball after ball into the distance at a golf driving range. In the fading light, laughing and joking, he warned bystanders to keep out of the way as he practised his powerful swing, stretching out his arms and saying it could go “anywhere between here and here”. A schoolboy encounter with a golf club appears to have done little to put William off the sport. He needed surgery and 24 stitches for a depressed fractured skull in 1991 when he was he accidentally hit over the head with a club by a friend at Ludgrove prep school in Berkshire. At the time, the nine-year-old Prince, who now sports a thin scar on his forehead, was said to have decided to end his golf classes. But more than a decade later in St Andrews, where golf has been played since 1400, William showed he had not given it up for good at the Golf Practice Centre, near the world-famous Old Course. After hitting the ball with a five iron, the Prince stared out from his bay across the range, seriously scrutinising his form. Fellow player Bob Gallacher, 72, from Cupar, who watched from a nearby partition, praised the Prince's performance.
  
  “I could only see over the top of the screen but he looked good. He had a nice full flowing swing. I was pretty impressed.”
  
  William, wearing a zipped-up navy blue fleece, does not have a handicap as he tends to practise on ranges, rather than playing full rounds. After placing the ball on a tee, he stood with his feet a hips-width apart, gripping the club and flexing his knees into position. Two thick gold metal bands from Africa could be seen around his right wrist - one is from time he spent there during his gap year and the other from when he returned this year. Concentrating hard, he consistently hit the golf balls around 150 yards.
  
  Remaining modest about his technique, he said as he picked up a driver: “This is where my talents really, really die.”
  
  He added, referring to keen golfer The Duke of York: “As you can see I haven't exactly learnt from my uncle.”
  
  William, who is often known for his shy nature, appeared relaxed in front of the cameras, chatting away and smiling. On his last go, he performed a running hit, standing 4ft back from the ball before moving in to strike it with a seven iron.
  
  “Tiger Woods eat your heart out,” William laughed, clearly pleased with his efforts.
  
  Leaving the range after carrying a wire basket of the remaining balls back to reception, he joked: “I have paid if anyone asks.” He handed over his money at the start despite being offered the session for free.
  
  
• KING OF CLUBS
  
  Wills shows off his golfing skill
  
  By Jane Kerr, Royal Reporter
  
  PRINCE William proudly shows off his golfing skills as he jokes: "Tiger Woods, eat your heart out."
  
  The 21-year-old royal got into the swing during a break from his university studies at St Andrews in Scotland. And he cheekily proclaimed himself King of Clubs as he tee-ed off at a public driving range near the famous golfing town's Old Course. But eventually he burst out laughing and admitted that accuracy wasn't his strong point - unlike legendary golf ace Tiger. He warned bystanders to keep out of the way while he demonstrated his powerful swing. Stretching his arms wide, he told them the ball "could go anywhere...between here and here".
  
  Wills still bears the scars of one of his first attempts at taking up the sport. He needed surgery and 24 stitches for a depressed fracture in 1991 when he was accidentally hit over the head with a club by a friend at Ludgrove prep school in Berkshire. At the time the prince - who still has a thin scar on his forehead - was said to have decided to end his golf classes. But more than a decade later in St Andrews - where golf has been played since 1400AD - he showed he had not been totally put off.
  
  Fellow player Bob Gallacher, 72, from Cupar, praised the prince's performance. "He looked good," he said. "He had a nice full, flowing swing with the five iron. I was pretty impressed."
  
  Wills - wearing a navy blue fleece - does not have a handicap. He tends to practise on ranges, rather than playing full rounds. But he consistently managed to hit the ball at least 150 yards. Later he confessed he is not a great all-rounder. Picking up a driver, he said: "This is where my talents really, really die." Then, in a reference to keen golfer Prince Andrew, he added: "As you can see I haven't exactly learned from my uncle."
  
  For his parting shot, Wills performed a running hit - standing four feet back from the ball before moving in to strike it with a seven iron. Still in high spirits and clearly pleased with his efforts, he carried a wire basket of the remaining balls back to reception. He quipped: "I have paid, if anyone asks." Wills had been offered the session for free, but insisted on handing over the money just like anyone else. In fact the young prince seems determined to keep his student life as normal and down-to-earth as possible. During a rare photo shoot agreed as part of a privacy deal with the Press, he was also pictured visiting a local newsagent to stock up on "essentials". His shopping list included a pint of milk, a packet of Walkers salt and pepper Sensation chips, a bag of Maltesers and a Milky bar. He also needed stamps - the ones with granny's head on them. The only clue to his upper-crust background was his choice of magazines - The Economist and country magazine The Field. As he browsed through the rack Wills - who owns a Yamaha 600 trials bike - revealed he had really been looking for a publication on motorbikes. He also wanted a music magazine, but ended up settling for a puzzle book.
  
  As shop assistant Jennifer Murray rang up his £11.22 bill - which he paid for with a Scottish £10 note and some change - the prince joked: "I'm stocking up for winter."
  
  Now more than halfway through his four-year degree course at Scotland's oldest university, Wills says he is enjoying life as a student and is glad he has switched courses from history of art to geography.
  
  But he admitted: "I'm really looking forward to my Christmas holidays."
  
  He also revealed he envied younger brother Harry for being in Sydney to watch England's rugby heroes beat Australia in the World Cup final.
  
  "I just wish I could have been there," he sighed.

• Harry's a surf star – just like dad!
  
  MARK ALEXANDER
  
  SUN, sand, beautiful girls and a prince – it was a moment that seemed strangely familiar. On a visit to Australia in 1979, then-bachelor Prince Charles sent the world's media into a frenzy when he wore a kiss from a local beach beauty. Perth model Jane Priest planted a smooch on the youthful Prince as he frolicked in the surf at WA's Cottesloe Beach. The kiss rocketed Miss Priest to fame and delivered Prince Charles a popularity boost. Last week his son Harry, 19, took to the surf on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Once again the girls were in a spin.
  
  Prince Harry has spent the past few nights at a luxury beachside hideaway, just 50m from the southern end of Sunshine Beach. The house is believed to be owned by the Hill family who run the Tooloombilla property, near Injune in western Queensland, where Harry has been working as a stockhand. On Friday, Harry stripped down to white boardshorts and went for a swim, basking in a perfect Queensland summer's day. He was accompanied by bodyguards and a few friends, including three bikini-clad girls. The girls are believed to be private-school students from Brisbane and close friends of the young members of the Hill family.
  
  "He went down for a swim about midday with three bodyguards and a couple of local girls," confirmed one beachgoer.
  
  "He went in the water a couple of times and was mucking around with his mates. He even bodysurfed a few waves."
  
  A woman named Jan said: "He's been enjoying himself with a group of young friends. Our friends' daughter has been hanging out with them and they are all friends of the family he's staying with."
  
  Many Sunshine Beach locals were unaware there was a royal in their midst.
  
  "Is he? I'd love to meet him," said restaurant worker Emily O'Halloran.
  
  However, most preferred to leave him to enjoy his stay. "Not interested," a surf lifesaver said when asked if he had seen the Prince, before confirming colleagues had seen him the day before. "We'd rather just let him do his own thing." Fellow Brit Danielle Clarke, 18, also in Australia for a year between school and uni, said Prince Harry deserved to enjoy himself. "He's worked hard at school and should be able to let his hair down and have some fun," she said. Harry spent yesterday morning holed up in the Sunshine Beach house which is hidden by thick growth. Police guarding the Prince said he was staying put all day but shortly after noon he sped away in a four-wheel-drive accompanied by his security staff. It is believed he was headed for Noosa and is strongly rumoured to be making an appearance today at the Australian PGA at nearby Coolum. Prince Harry will return to the United Kingdom in just over a week to spend Christmas with his family.
  
  
• Prince Harry: From cow pants to swimsuit BRISBANE: At the start of Australia's sweltering summer, Britain's Prince Harry has taken a break from his job as a cowboy on a cattle ranch to wash off the Outback dust at one of the nation's premier beach resort areas.
  
  A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace in London said Saturday that the 19-year old prince had decided to act on ‘multiple recommendations’ and visit the Sunshine Coast in northeast Australia's Queensland state. Harry, an accomplished horseman, has been working for the past six weeks as a cowboy -- known in Australia as a jackaroo -- at a ranch near the Outback town of Roma, about 800 km north of Sydney. According to the Sunshine Coast Daily , Prince Harry and his entourage have rented a group of beach-side houses, and the prince has been seen in the swank coastal resort town of Noosa.
  
  "He has really nice skin and he's quite tall," said Jenny Mason, who works at a Noosa gasoline station, adding that she found the prince was much better-looking in person than in pictures.
• Prince Harry lies low at his hideaway
  
  Palace rejects talk of Royal PGA visit
  
  BONNY Prince Harry was not spotted on the Coast yesterday but rumours of his whereabouts were rife. With the Royal entourage on high paparazzi-alert, security around his beachside hideaway remained tight. Sunshine Coast Daily staff , on the beach in the hope of a discreet photo , were approached and watched by a series of cleancut, vigilant types from 6am. Queensland Police Service's Security Intelligence Branch officers, dressed as holidaymakers, kept a vigil on the street and checked the interiors of parked cars. Photographers were reported on Noosa's Main beach where some believed they might snap the Prince frolicking in the waves with bikini-clad surfer girls or downing a foamy latte at a streetside eatery with his mates. Characters connected to the promotion of the PGA Golf Championships underway at Coolum Hyatt Resort kept hinting the Prince was expected at the tournament.
  
  ''He's in the clubhouse now. He'll be here for Greg Norman's tee off at 12. 10pm. He's definitely moved to the Hyatt to stay.''
  
  All rumours remain unconfirmed. A reliable source said a Royal minder had enquired several days ago into security arrangements available at the PGA for VIPs, fuelling speculation the Prince will visit the prestigious event. However, event, hotel and security ground staff yesterday seemed genuinely unaware of the Prince's planned visit. Journalists from the major national dailies at the PGA to specifically report on the golf were yesterday also on Harry watch after Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday the Prince was on the Coast. However, a Palace official told the Daily that Prince Harry was not going to the golf. Buckingham Palace has not confirmed whether Harry will attend the Australian PGA golf tournament from Dec. 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency hotel in the Sunshine Coast town of Coolum. The prince, third in line to the British throne, has spent several months in Australia during his ‘gap year’ between completing school and heading to military college.
  
  
• WILLS' PAL NABBED BY THE FAMILY HE ROBBED
  
  Addict jailed for Christmas
  
  By Bart Dickson
  
  A HEROIN addict who befriended Prince William was held captive by a family who caught him robbing their house. Kevin Mullen's crime spree ended when police were called to arrest him in the wee small hours. The 23-year-old spent three months with Prince William on a charity trip to Chile in 2000 as he tried to beat his heroin habit. But despite promises to reform and the birth of his daughter Courtney in 2001, Mullen has been a regular offender ever since. Now he will spend Christmas behind bars after he was jailed for 20 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
  
  Last night a police insider told how officers rushed to a semi- detached house in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, to find a distressed Mullen being held captive by the homeowners.
  
  He said: ''When the officers arrived, they found Mullen crying and beggingto be let go. He is well known to the police round here and not because of his brush with royalty. The family had a pretty scary experience at the hands of this lad. The owners of the house heard someone down the stairs and the mum and dad went to investigate. They found Mullen in the middle of robbing them, but they managed to grab him. Their son came to their aid and all of them held on to him until the police arrived around 10 minutes later. When the arresting officers arrived, Mullen looked in a pretty bad way and was smelling quite badly.''
  
  Mullen was caught tryingto steal money, watches, a dollar bill, a mobile phone and a personal CD player. Three years ago, the addict turned to the Raleigh International charity for help as he fought to give up his habit. He was selected for a trip to the Chilean outpost of Coihaique after raising the £2650 cost of his expedition while on a rehab programme. The charity agreed to send him there to help him break out of his cycle of drugs and crime.
  
  It was only at the airport that he discovered he was to share his mission with Prince William. Mullen later claimed that William had been whooping it up with girls in a dingy South American bar. He also revealed that the 18-year-old prince was offered marijuana and turned it down in Chile. Yesterday, Mullen was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to two charges of stealing from addresses in Bothwell in September. He was also ordered to complete eight months of an earlier sentence he had been released from early.

• Look who's here! HARRY'S here.
  
  And the young Prince was turning heads across the Coast yesterday. He and his entourage, who hit the surf yesterday, have rented a cluster of beachside residences. Noosa Heads Shell Service Station's Jenny Mason was wondering whether the well-dressed young man browsing through the Woman's Day ? featuring a picture of Harry's elder brother, Prince William ? was going to buy or keep reading.
  
  ''I said, 'You right there mate?''' the console operator said of Harry's lightning visit.
  
  ''He said, 'No, no we're just waiting while we get some petrol'. There were two big bulky guys with them and they had two four- wheel drives. They were all Poms, except for this kid about his age, who looked like a surfie.'' The 19-year-old Prince was dressed in a dark green polo shirt and, Jenny said, is better looking in real life than in the women's mags. I didn't think he was that good looking until then. He has really nice skin and he's quite tall,'' she said.
  
  A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman confirmed Prince Harry was on the Sunshine Coast. Prince Harry was on the Coast for a break from jackarooing in western Queensland. She said the Prince had come to the area following "multiple recommendations".
  
  ''He's just enjoying the beaches and having a holiday after working at Roma for the past six weeks,'' she said.
  
  Earlier yesterday, Harry visited the Big Kart track at Landsborough. He reportedly went on the Bungy Bullet ride and drove a kart around the tourist attraction's circuit. A visit to Prince Harry's Coast beachside residence by the Sunshine Coast Daily prompted a rapid response from Security Intelligence Branch officers. They had been watching from another property across the street. A security van, bristling with up to 10 cameras, monitors everyone approaching the location.
  
  After a call from Buckingham Palace, the Daily agreed to keep the address secret to help the Prince enjoy his holiday. The Daily revealed on Tuesday that Prince Harry would be on the Coast. It remained unconfirmed yesterday whether he would join the spectator throng watching the Australian PGA at the Hyatt Regency Coolum. Prince Harry has had a great holiday in Australia, watching England win the World Cup Rugby final and helping the Young England polo team win a Test against Australia.

• Ruck House
  
  PARADE OF HEROES Royals party at palace with players..and dogs join the fun THRILLED QUEEN CELEBRATES VICTORY
  
  By Jane Kerr Royal Reporter
  
  THE Queen found herself in fits of laughter yesterday during a jovial royal reception for England's Rugby World Cup winners. She couldn't keep a straight face as she chatted to the stars at the Buckingham Palace party after the team's historic victory parade through London. Drop kick hero Jonny Wilkinson and his girlfriend Diana Stewart were among those who put a smile on the monarch's face But he wasn't the only one to raise a giggle during the event - as the Queen's dogs turned royal intruder and ended up in an official photograph of her and the squad. One tubby dorgi, called Berry, wandered into the frame, took a sniff of captain Martin Johnson's shoes and then refused to budge.
  
  Even calls from Prince William to move fell on deaf ears and the pet stood his ground. Berry had been strolling around the room with some of the Queen's other eight dogs and decided to stay and lap up the limelight. But, as usual, the 31 members of the squad along with coach Clive Woodward kept their cool and managed a grin and cheer as the snapshot was taken. It was the most comical moment in a reception that was full of laughter and smiles and added to the light-hearted atmosphere in the palace.
  
  The Queen even joked with the players as she was shown the Webb Ellis trophy. The team was standing in a semi-circle in their grey suits when Johnson and Woodward stepped forward with the cup for Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh.
  
  She told them: "I'm surprised it's all in one piece. You've been carrying it around for several days." Then she added: "It's wonderful that you won."
  
  The Queen's children and grandchildren couldn't resist joining the party. William even skipped university lectures for the day to meet the players. Other royals who waited on the sidelines before being introduced to the squad were the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Kent and Zara Phillips - who has recently been romantically linked with England player Mike Tindall. When the sportsmen lined up for the team picture in the sensational blue drawing room, they easily dwarfed the 5ft 4ins Queen. At 6ft 7ins, Johnson towered above her as he sat to her right with the trophy perched on his knee. Woodward, looking equally as imposing, and Wilkinson were seated to her left.
  
  William could barely stop grinning himself. As the Queen was introduced to the squad by Woodward and shook hands with each man, the young prince followed eagerly behind, accompanied by the team captain. Later he posed for a snapshot alongside his grandmother and Woodward, holding on to one of the handles of the World Cup as Johnson grabbed the other. Afterwards the captain said the Queen had quizzed him about the tension surrounding their win against Australia.
  
  He added: "She just said 'congratulations and well done'. She commented on how nerve-racking the game was."
  
  And Wilkinson told how William declared he had been fascinated by the physical demands of the game. He said: "He was asking me about my feet because of the amount of kicking I've been doing. I've met him on quite a few occasions. He's so easy to get on with." There was more laughter when Zara Phillips's name was unexpectedly announced as a guest at the palace party. A cheer went up as team-mates ribbed Tindall about newspaper reports he had been seeing the daughter of Princess Anne - which he exclusively denied in the Mirror yesterday. Later, Zara chatted to the guests on one side of the room as Tindall enjoyed afternoon tea on the other. Players sipped Indian tea and ate cream scones and honey sponge cake while they mingled with members of the royal family in the picture gallery. Delighted Johnson later described the trip to the palace and told how the squad were delighted to have been asked along.
  
  He said: "It's just a massive thrill and a great honour to be invited here and to meet the Queen, Prince William, the Princess Royal, Edward and the Duke of Kent." Asked whether the Queen was now an honorary member of his team, Johnson said: "She was in the front. She was in position."
  
  And he spoke of his joy at the 750,000 fans who earlier lined the streets of London to salute the team's achievements Down Under.
  
  He said: "It was absolutely amazing. It's a day that will never be repeated for all of us. It was fantastic to see the crowds in Central London. It's such an honour and a privilege."
  
  He even had a special word for Berry the stubborn dorgi - a dachshund-corgi cross.
  
  Johnson said: "It will be a unique picture with the dog running around."
  
  
• Go in front row, Ma'am
  
  Top dogs ... England rugby squad joined by Queen and one of her pets at Buckingham Palace
  
  By DUNCAN LARCOMBE
  
  THE Queen was dwarfed by England’s worldbeaters yesterday as she joined them in a team photo — and was made an honorary member of the squad.
  
  Skipper Martin Johnson joked after the historic snap at Buckingham Palace: “It will be a unique picture — with the corgis running around.”
  
  Her Majesty, who is just 5ft 4ins tall, revealed that England’s nail-biting World Cup victory over the Aussies in Sydney had left her on the edge of her seat. Johnson — a hulking 6ft 6ins — grinned afterwards: “She commented on how nerve-racking the game was.”
  
  Asked if she was now an honorary member of the team, he said: “She was in the front. She was in position.”
  
  The 30-strong squad and coach Clive Woodward went to the Palace after bringing London to a standstill with their victory parade — but had to sip TEA at a non-alcoholic reception. Drop goal hero Jonny Wilkinson was accompanied by girlfriend Diana Stewart, 24. He said of the Queen: “She said the final was a long old game and caused some serious stress.”
  
  The fly half paid tribute to Her Majesty’s knowledge of the sport, saying: “She’s obviously very, very clued up about it.”
  
  Wilko, 24, also chatted to Prince William, 21 — whose brother Harry, 19, helped cheer England to victory Down Under. Wills took time out from university to attend the reception. A royal spokesman said: “He loves rugby and was keen to be involved in this.”
  
  Also mingling with players in the Palace’s picture gallery was Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Duke of Kent. The Queen’s grand-daughter Zara Phillips — who went to a ball on Saturday with England hero Mike Tindall — turned up too. The entire squad cheered when it was announced she would be there. Zara chatted to guests on one side of the room as 15st Tindall took afternoon tea on the other. Around 350 Palace staff had gathered to cheer and clap when the rugby heroes arrived in the marble hall. The coveted Webb Ellis trophy took pride of place on the picture gallery’s central pedestal as the players and their partners were given Indian tea, cream scones and honey sponge cake. Skipper Johnson and coach Woodward gave the Queen a closer look at the cup in the Palace’s music room. Wills stood behind his grandmother as she admired the prize.
  
  She joked to Johnson: “I’m surprised it’s all in one piece — you’ve been carrying it around for days.”
  
  Johnson said later: “It’s a massive thrill and a great honour to be invited here and meet the Queen, Prince William, the Princess Royal, Edward and the Duke of Kent.”
  
  The photo of the Queen with the players was taken in the Blue Drawing Room. Johnson towered above Her Majesty as he sat with the trophy perched on his knee. Several corgis and dorgis — a dachshund-corgi cross — padded around in front of the players’ feet. One insisted on being in the picture — and the squad cheered as the snap was taken.

• Prince Harry tees up Coast
  
  PRINCE Harry could be the biggest celebrity drawcard at the Jack Newton Celebrity golf Classic. The avid sports fan and third in line to the throne was believed to be heading to the Coast in time for the celebrity event , and the Aust-ralian PGA.
  
  Sources said Prince Harry's Coast sea change could last more than a week, following in the footsteps of his father Prince Charles and grandmother, the Queen.
  
  A logical base would be Novotel Twin Waters Resort, the site of the Celebrity Classic and where Queen Elizabeth II stayed during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting last year. Resort general manager Paul Stevens said he could neither confirm nor deny whether the Prince would grace Twin Waters. For security reasons, Prince Harry's itinerary is a closely-guarded secret. Details of his movements have been even harder to come by since a media frenzy earlier in his Australian tour. The Queensland Police Service said it would not comment on whether it would be involved in protecting the Prince during his visit. They said comment was inappro-priate.
  
  The Prince is expected to arrive in the Coast over the next few days, in time for the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic which would run until December 10 at Twin Waters and the PGA, at Coolum from December 11 to 14. Visiting the Coast will give him a chance to enjoy some surfing, just like his father, Prince Charles, did in 1974.
  
  
• Princes To Meet Burrell Over Xmas
  
  Former royal butler Paul Burrell has reportedly set a date over Christmas to meet Princes William and Harry.The Daily Express says Mr Burrell will use to meeting to explain why he wrote the controversial book "A Royal Duty". The book reveals intimate secrets of Princess Diana's life. The meeting is reportedly being organised at the request of the Princes, who are said to be devastated by the contents of Burrell's book. Prince William previously responded to the book by accusing Burrell of a "cold and overt betrayal".
  
  "I am definitely going to see them," Burrell said. "My solicitor, Andrew Shaw, is arranging everything."
  
  "I am looking forward to meeting both William and Harry on a one-to-one basis," he said.
  
  "We have much to talk about. I want to explain to them why I wrote the book. I also want to outline to them what I did not write about and my reasons for keeping silent on those matters."
  
  A date is being arranged for a three-week period over the festive season, the only time when all the parties will be in the country at the same time. Prince Harry is returning from Australia, where he has been working on a cattle ranch, to join the annual royal Christmas gathering at Balmoral. Prince William will also be on a break from his studies at St Andrews University. Burrell will be in England taking a break from a world-wide tour to promote his book. In his book, Burrell revealed how the Princess feared for her life and spoke of plot to tamper with the brakes of her car.

• Charles takes a leaf out of Diana's book
  
  Christopher Morgan
  
  THE Prince of Wales has commissioned Mario Testino, the fashion photographer, to picture him and his sons for his personal Christmas card this year. Testino's fame owes much to his photographs of the late Diana, Princess of Wales that were published two months before she died in 1997. This year's card will provide a reminder of Diana because it shows Charles with Princes William and Harry smiling and relaxing in the doorway of the newly restored tree house at Highgrove, their Gloucestershire home.
  
  Diana often played with her two sons at the house, built in a holly tree. Testino has proved adept at drawing Charles out of his habitual shyness. The prince was delighted with a picture of him feeding a chicken in the Highgrove garden. Charles's Christmas cards have become increasingly informal in recent years. His preference for sending out a family portrait rather than traditional scenes of Father Christmas or snow-covered landscapes is one being taken up by growing numbers of Britons. Computer technology enables photographs to be scanned and reproduced cheaply on large numbers of cards, invitations, calendars, mugs and other knick-knacks. The market for personalised Christmas cards is estimated to be worth £34m this year and is growing rapidly. Geordie Greig, editor of the society magazine Tatler — who is sending out a card adorned with six pictures of his family — said the practice was a useful way of keeping friends and family updated.
  
  "It's amazing what pleasure it gives people," said Greig. "It's something people do when they have children, they want to show them around as they are growing and changing so quickly."
  
  The Queen has been sending out pictures of herself and her family on cards since the beginning of her reign. Charles started copying the habit in the 1980s.
  
  The Thatchers were accused of "self-aggrandisement" and trying to imitate royalty when they sent out cards of themselves. In 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton became the first presidential couple to take up the practice. Their daughter Chelsea was not included in the family portrait because the Clintons wanted to protect her privacy.
  
  The Blairs, by contrast, have not let their complaints about media intrusion stop them circulating smiling pictures of family life at Downing Street on the front of their cards each year.
  
  One of the most startling Christmas cards sent out so far this year is from Michael Winner, the film director and author of the column Winner's Dinners in The Sunday Times. It shows him dressed as a fairy godmother, complete with wings and a magic wand. The picture is taken from one of his television advertisements. Charles and Diana raised the profile of personalised Christmas cards during their marriage. Their card was widely scrutinised every year for clues about the state of their relationship.
  
  In 1986 the young princes and their parents were shown in a happy, informal pose. The last card of the whole family together was sent in 1991 but, in the same year, Diana surprised the royal household and sparked tabloid speculation by sending out her own personal card to a number of close friends. This was taken as a portent of the couple's separation the following year. Personally signed cards from the couple can now fetch as much as £900. However, most royal cards are written by an auto-signature machine — one of those from Charles is unlikely to fetch much more than £200. Profits from selling the new Testino photograph to the media, by contrast, are expected to raise more than £100,000 for charity.

• HARRY XMAS PAPA!
  
  THIS heartwarming photo is the Christmas card Prince Charles and his sons will send to friends and family. The relaxed and beaming royals were snapped in William and Harry's childhood playhouse at their home in Highgrove, Gloucs.
  
  Harry, 18, throws his arms around Charles - who's even wearing a trendy friendship bracelet - while approving Wills, 21, looks on. It shows the family bond is as strong as ever, despite butler Paul Burrell's revelations and Harry's flirtation with pot and underage booze. The picture was taken by society snapper Mario Testino, who hit the big time with a series of iconic shots of Princess Diana.
  
  A Clarence House spokesman said: "Their Christmas cards are always informal. They had an awful lot of fun."
  
  
• 'NAN'S GIVING YOU A PARTY'
  
  Prince Harry was sent a text message by the Queen telling him she was throwing a party for the England rugby team, as he celebrated with the champions in Sydney. While her grandson downed drinks with the world champions, the Queen proved she's no technophobe by texting him. England centre Mike Tindall told the anecdote while on Sky Sports' Soccer AM, also paying tribute to 19-year-old Harry's drinking prowess.
  
  He said: "Harry just said, 'My nan's sent me a text saying she's going to throw you a party when you get back."
  
  Tindall, 25, admitted that he had the prince had "gone toe to toe" drinking in the party thrown in Sydney immediately after England beat Australia 20-17 in the final.
  
  He told the programme: "He did the country proud."
  
  The England team will meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Monday before travelling to meet Tony Blair in Downing Street.

• Prince Speaks of the Difficulties of Lone Parenting
  
  By Rachel Williams, PA News
  
  The Prince of Wales joined in a poignant discussion on the difficulties of lone parenting today, when he was asked how his sons would cope without him. The Prince of Wales initially faltered when he was asked the question by a 14-year-old schoolgirl, saying she would have to ask Princes William and Harry themselves. But eventually he said he thought two parents were probably better than one as they could provide more discipline.
  
  The young princes lost their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when she was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997. During a discussion on whether boys without fathers were more likely to get into trouble, Kacey Pigott, a pupil at Haggerston School in Hackney, east London, asked the Prince: "How do you think your sons would cope if you weren't there?"
  
  He answered: "One likes to think you have some effect but it's quite important probably to have both (parents)."
  
  He said it was not until you were an adult that you appreciated the difficulties of parenting, adding: "Then it suddenly hits you that it can be quite useful to have someone who can be there occasionally to provide a little bit of extra discipline."
  
  The Prince also listened intently as another pupil said that experiencing family problems or tragedies could make learning at school difficult.
  
  Charles was visiting the all-girls school to find out about the work of the xl club, a Prince's Trust scheme to help students at risk of exclusion or truancy, or those with self confidence problems. He met Year 10 students to talk about the work they had been doing improving their personal and team skills, problem solving and citizenship. He also listened to a presentation on an enterprise set up by a group of students working within the scheme. Charles left the school to the screams of 900 pupils, who gathered in the playground and jostled excitedly for the chance to shake his hand. The school, in one of the most deprived areas of the city, is a far cry from Gordonstoun, the exclusive Scottish public school where the Prince was educated, and Eton, where his two sons were schooled. But the pupils who met him said they had been impressed.
  
  "I thought he was going to be posh and come here using lots of big words, but he was normal," Kacey said. "It seemed like he understood what we were talking about."
  
  She said she had not thought about the fact that Princes William and Harry had lost their mother when she asked Charles the question. The girls said the Prince had asked them what music they liked and said they were impressed when he told them he knew about reggae. The xl club at Haggerston was set up in 2002 and currently has two groups. Ofsted inspectors have praised the scheme as a very effective alternative curriculum.
• School porter's royal thank you
  
  By Matthew Gorman
  
  A MAN who helped protect princes William and Harry at Eton College has been awarded the Royal Victorian Medal by The Queen. Head porter, Ivor Reeves, who has worked at the college for 22 years, said the award came completely out of the blue and he has no idea who put his name forward for it.
  
  He said: "I was quite shocked. I didn't know anything about it. One day the letter came through the letter box saying The Queen awards you the RVM."
  
  Mr Reeves, 71, had been intending to retire when he was asked to become part of the security team while princes William and Harry were at school. It was for this work in helping to guard them that he will visit Buckingham Palace on Friday (Dec 5) to receive his award from either The Queen or the Prince of Wales. "It was tremendous working for the princes. They are both great boys and over the years I got to know them quite well," he said. Mr Reeves is part of a small family dynasty working at the school. His wife Marjorie, 71, joined the school at the same he did and still works as a Lower Chapel Verger. They are being closely followed by two of their six grandchildren from their daughter and two sons. Carl is working as a groundsman and Ben is a painter and decorator in the school's buildings department.
  
  The Reeves have always had very strong ties to the area and over 52 years of marriage have always lived in either Eton or Eton Wick, apart from a stint down in Devon. "We bought a shop down there but came back after 12 months because we missed the area so much." Now he can look forward to being joined for the big day by his wife and daughter, Kathleen, and her husband, John Rolands. But the pro said he was not at all nervous about meeting The Queen or Prince Charles, having met them several times before when they visited the school.

• Gordon Brown overtakes Blair as 'UK's most powerful man'
  
  Gordon Brown has overtaken Tony Blair as Britain's most powerful man, according to GQ magazine. The Chancellor of the Exchequer tops GQ's annual Power List, while the Prime Minister is relegated to second place. Two years ago the magazine put Brown at number one, and now he is back in prime position after the war with Iraq dented Blair's popularity.
  
  The magazine has compiled a list of the top 100 movers and shakers in Britain. MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove is third and Home Secretary David Blunkett fourth, followed by Rupert Murdoch. Michael Howard has made it into the poll at number seven, just beating David Beckham.
  
  Prince William is at number 14 as "the world's most eligible bachelor", 27 places ahead of his father.
  
  New entries on this year's list include Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (26), inquiry chairman Lord Hutton (29), Hugh Grant (46), Sven Goran-Eriksson (47), Coldplay's Chris Martin (70) and Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell (93).
  
  
• Burrell's hope for royal meeting
  
  Paul Burrell said he had not been in contact with the princes for six years. The former royal butler Paul Burrell has said he hopes to meet Princes William and Harry before Christmas. Giving a public talk about his controversial book, A Royal Duty, in Wrexham, he said he would never have written about Princess Diana if he had received a single telephone call from either of her sons, and he wanted to explain himself to them.
  
  The princes have been critical of the book and accuse Mr Burrell of betraying their mother. But he said he did not understand why they felt like this, adding that he had let the reader "peep inside the doorway, but I haven't let you into the room."
  
  Paul Burrell, who runs a flower shop in Holt, north Wales, gave his only UK public talk about his book at Wrexham Library on Monday evening. The book includes intimate letters sent to Princess Diana while Mr Burrell was her butler. He said that if you had witnessed history, you had a responsibility to write about it. He added that he hoped to tell Princes William and Harry what he had left out of the bestseller when he met them. Mr Burrell said he was dissapointed the princes did nothing to help him when he was wrongly accused of stealing some of Princess Diana's possessions. Paul Burrell said Princess Diana is "smiling down on him" He has not had any contact with them for six years and all his letters have been returned. Mr Burrell insisted he had "personally thought" about every page he had written.
  
  "I wrote it and thought of it as a loving tribute to the Princess and nothing else," he said.
  
  " I haven't shared intimate secrets, they'll go with me to the grave."
  
  The former royal butler is currently on a world book tour, but said it was important for him to give the talk in Wrexham, which he described as his "own backyard". With his wife Maria and son Alexander sitting in the audience of 150 people, he talked about his life as footman to the Queen and later as Princess Diana's butler. He said he does not know what the future holds but it is a "very interesting time". He added that he had received "tremendous support" from the Princess's friends, and he believed that Diana was "smiling down" on him.