Glastonbury opens its gates for 2025
The gates to Glastonbury Festival have opened for the 2025 celebration of performing arts and music. Organiser Emily Eavis and her father, co-founder Sir Michael Eavis, could be seen counting down and cheering as the festival officially opened while a brass band played. Campers arriving at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, can expect a mixed bag of sunshine and rain throughout the week, 'with sunny spells and scattered showers expected throughout the day' on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
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News.com.au
41 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Prince William offered up in cash-for-access scandal: report
IN LONDON Prince William has been embroiled at the centre of a 'cash-for-royal-access' scandal, forcing him to cut ties with a donor to his charities. Filipina-Swiss millionaire Minerva Mondejar Steiner, 45, whose art gallery was an official sponsor of the Prince of Wales' annual charity polo event, reportedly offered wealthy individuals a private meeting with him in exchange for £20,000 (A$42,000). Mondejar Steiner was a guest of the prince's exclusive Royal Charity Polo Cup in Windsor, which sees affluent donors mingle with each other and watch the future king play polo. According to the UK's Sunday Times, she sent a 'strictly private and confidential' invitation to a select group, who were told that by donating to her foundation, they may attend the polo event or join her for a meeting with William. 'Patron contributions: £6,000 — admission for one patron. £20,000 — includes full access plus a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine,' an email invitation, exposed by the Times, read. At another point, it stated: 'As a patron of the Mondejar Foundation, you are invited to support their philanthropic work through a charitable donation, in return for which you will be welcomed to this prestigious occasion.' Kensington Palace responded to the story, saying that William did not 'condone' Ms Mondejar Steiner's behaviour and thanking the publication for exposing it. The Palace also revealed it had asked the club to cut ties with its former sponsor. The charity event is known to be discreet, with details and pictures surrounding William's involvement typically only released after it's been held. It's not been confirmed whether the Princess of Wales will be present at this year's match. She was forced to sit out the 2024 event as she was undergoing cancer treatment, but was front and centre in 2023, where she was pictured beaming as she presented William with a trophy. Over the years, the charity polo initiative has raised more than £10 million (A$20 million) for a variety of causes.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Tennis fans sizzle as heatwave hits Wimbledon
Tennis devotees armed themselves with hats, sun cream, mini-fans and a sense of humour for the first day of Wimbledon Monday, as the tournament provisionally recorded its hottest ever opener. "If we sweat, we sweat -- we know each other well," laughed Cathy Butcher, 73, arriving with her daughter Helen. The retiree said she had a "dodgy hip and my daughter is heavily pregnant" but that they would just focus on keeping cool and enjoying the day. "We're hoping for a cool breeze" and some "great tennis", added her 31-year old daughter. Meteorologists said a provisional 29.7 degrees Celsius (85.4 Fahrenheit) was recorded at nearby Kew Gardens in southwest London. The previous record for a Wimbledon opening day was set on June 25, 2001 when the mercury tipped 29.3C. Parts of the UK are currently in the grip of a second heatwave in a month, according to weather experts, with temperatures expected to climb further to 34C in London and southeast England Monday. London start-up boss Sean Tipper said he'd made sure to come prepared after failing to heed warnings before. "Wimbledon when it's really hot is quite sweaty," he told AFP on a family day out with his wife, mother and aunt. The 31-year-old said they'd brought hats and sun glasses plus "a mini-fan and good hope". "Last time we were very hot so this time we've got rosé (wine) in a cooler so we can do a better job," he joked. As temperatures began to rise, tournament officials said they were "strongly" advising people without tickets not to travel to the grounds and join the queue. "In both the queue and the grounds there may be periods where shade is not available," a statement said. - Cooling scarves - The hottest June day ever recorded in the UK was 35.6C on June 28, 1976. But Wimbledon is more used to making headlines for the rain than the heat. Tournament chief executive Sally Bolton said they were "absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it's sunny and not wet like it was last year". For Chilean tennis fan Maria Verdugo, 40, there are pros and cons to enjoying tennis in different weather conditions. "On balance, though, I prefer the sun, it's more exciting," she said, clutching a glass of Pimms with plenty of ice. "It's really sad when it rains because everything looks really dark and you have to take shelter," she said. Under a heat rule to protect players' health, officials will be taking heat stress monitor readings 30 minutes before the start of play and then at 1400 (1300 GMT) and 1700. The rule allows a 10-minute break to be taken at certain points in a match when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1C. Protocols are also in place to look after ball-boys and ball-girls on court who have access to cooling scarves. Some visitors admitted they were already beginning to wilt. "I need a long cold drink, preferably with gin in it, at least then I'd forget how uncomfortable I am," said youth worker Mel Megson as she took shelter under some shrubbery. "Some rain would be good -- you'd find me dancing in it," she added.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Prince Harry and Meghan ‘at heart' of King's funeral plans: report
IN LONDON Despite a very well-publicised and years-long rift, it's been revealed that King Charles has factored Prince Harry, Meghan, and their two children into 'the heart' of his funeral plans. The UK's Telegraph reports that the Montecito-based family will be central to proceedings surrounding the monarch's death, which, per tradition, are always planned out years in advance and with input from the 'royal household, police, the military, and the Church'. It's no reflection of the King's health and there is no suggestion that his reign will not continue for years to come. However, when the time comes, the publication claims that the King is 'adamant' that Harry 'take his rightful place at the heart of his funeral plans'. Many elements of the plan will likely follow those laid out following the late Queen Elizabeth's death in September 2022, including the royal procession through the streets of central London, which is expected to feature the Duke of Sussex walking side-by-side with Prince William – who will at that time have ascended the throne. While the King lies in state in Westminster Hall, as his mother did, both Harry and Meghan will also be invited to take part in the family vigil. Their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, are set to be offered inclusion at their grandfather's funeral service and also the committal at St George's Chapel in Windsor afterwards, according to the Telegraph. While plenty of the arrangements are set to remain traditional, it's understood the King has tweaked elements of proceedings to reflect his interests, including environmentalism, with sustainable options used wherever available. The latest development comes just days after The Mail on Sunday reported that Harry plans to send an email inviting the King and other senior royals to attend the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. It would be followed by a formal invitation at a later date. 'Harry has agreed that Invictus should extend an invitation to his family,' a source told the MoS. 'Invictus hopes the Royal Family will come along to support the wounded veterans taking part. Harry is hopeful his father will set aside their differences to attend the Invictus Games and support veterans. 'The Royals have always been hugely supportive of Invictus and proud of what Harry has achieved in that arena. This is one olive branch from him which might be reciprocated.' If accepted, it would mean Harry could be pictured with his estranged family for the first time since 2022 and would mark a significant turning point in the ongoing feud, which was sparked before Harry and Meghan sensationally quit royal duties and moved to the US. In his explosive BBC interview last month, Harry made it clear he was hoping to reconcile with his estranged family after exchanging public barbs in recent years. 'There's no point in continuing to fight any more,' he told the broadcaster. 'Life is precious … Forgiveness is 100 per cent a possibility because I would like to get my father and brother back.'
