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Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Times
Billionaire to list £250m Chelsea manor as ‘UK's gone to hell'
One billionaire's frustration can be another's opportunity. After the Norwegian-born shipping baron John Fredriksen quit London, he declared 'Britain has gone to hell', but his departure has created the chance for someone to snap up his home. They'll just need to have at least £250 million to spare to buy one of the capital's most intriguing and desirable residences. Rather than merely shutter the Old Rectory, the 300-year-old Georgian manor, or hand it to one of his two daughters, Fredriksen, 81, is eyeing a sale. Local residents say the mogul has already let go of more than a dozen domestic staff and arranged for discreet viewings. A listing on RightMove is unlikely. Homes of this grandeur are usually sold in confidential 'off-market' deals, which are brokered by a select band of specialist agents. Tucked away on the oldest street in Chelsea, southwest London, the Old Rectory boasts its own ballroom and a garden of nearly two acres, one of the biggest belonging to a private house in central London. The Duke of Wellington is said to have drawn up his plans for the Battle of Waterloo on the Old Rectory's lawns because his brother, Gerald Valerian Wellesley, a rector, lived in the property for 27 years. Charles Kingsley, the Victorian writer who wrote The Water-Babies, is another former resident. Secluded behind high brick walls, the property is barely visible from the street, offering the secrecy the very wealthy often crave. A renovation during the 1990s added two wings, leaving the property with ten suites and about 30,000 square feet of living space. A spokesman for Fredriksen declined to comment on whether the Old Rectory was for sale or how many domestic staff had been let go earlier this year. John Waters, a director of the independent buying agency Robert Bailey Property, said: 'Many of the wealthy owners we have seen leave the UK recently have not in fact chosen to sell their London homes — instead deciding to rent overseas in the hope that the UK tax system will in the future become less unfavourable. 'Often they are very sad to be leaving, but they feel they have little choice due to the end of non-dom status and the prospect of all their global assets being subject to UK inheritance tax.' • Why the super-rich are leaving Britain For centuries, the non-dom regime allowed wealthy people, who were domiciled overseas for tax purposes, to only pay UK tax on income earned here, until it was scrapped by the chancellor in April. Fredriksen bought the Old Rectory from the Greek businessman, Theodore Angelopoulos, for £37 million in 2001, making his debut on The Sunday Times Rich List two years later with an estimated wealth of £475 million. He appeared at No 9 in this year's Rich List with wealth estimated at £13.7 billion. • The Sunday Times Rich List 2025 Born in Norway to a welder and his wife, Fredriksen started his oil trading career in his twenties. In the 1970s he began assembling a vast tanker fleet, profiting handsomely by transporting oil at high risk amid the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s. As well as shipping, his financial interests include oil drilling, salmon farming and commercial property. Fredriksen's wife, Inger, died in 2006 from cancer. The couple's twin daughters, Cecilie and Kathrine, 41, have spent much of their lives in London. The Old Rectory has been Fredriksen's main home since 2001. It was the high taxes of his homeland that inspired Fredriksen to leave Norway for the UK, and later renounce his Norwegian citizenship. He is now a Cypriot national. At an event in Oslo last month, he was asked about his views on the UK. 'It's starting to remind me more and more of Norway,' the billionaire told the business newspaper E24. 'Britain has gone to hell, like Norway … I try to avoid Norway as much as I can.' He added that the 'the entire western world is on its way down', describing Donald Trump's trade policy as 'completely hopeless'. 'People should get up and work even more, and go to the office instead of having a home office,' he said. • Non-dom changes have 'lost the Treasury £400m in stamp duty' The closure of his office in Sloane Square, near the Old Rectory, earlier this year, and his decision to spend much of his time in the United Arab Emirates suggests he will not feature in future editions of the Rich List. Rob McGibbon, the editor of the online local newspaper The Chelsea Citizen, described the Old Rectory as a 'prized jewel' that 'comes with excellent bragging rights'. He said: 'My hope is that the next owners are a family who will actually live in the house full-time and are people who care about the Chelsea community. Too many homes in our area are lived in for a few weeks a year. They're just places to park money. Please, don't let this amazing house go to another billionaire who uses it like a luxury hotel. Make it a permanent home.' Would-be buyers will find themselves pitted against a wily negotiator, one who previously thwarted another billionaire with local connections. In 2004 Roman Abramovich, the former Chelsea FC owner who invested heavily in property in the area, offered Fredriksen £100 million for the Old Rectory. The Russian's unsolicited bid was turned down.
Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Times
Billionaire sells £250m Chelsea manor as ‘Britain has gone to hell'
One billionaire's frustration can be another's opportunity. After the Norwegian-born shipping baron John Fredriksen quit London, he declared 'Britain has gone to hell', but his departure has created the chance for someone to snap up his home. They'll just need to have at least £250 million to spare to buy one of the capital's most intriguing and desirable residences. Rather than merely shutter the Old Rectory, the 300-year-old Georgian manor, or hand it to one of his two daughters, Fredriksen, 81, is eyeing a sale. Local residents say the mogul has already let go of more than a dozen domestic staff and arranged for discreet viewings. A listing on RightMove is unlikely. Homes of this grandeur are usually sold in confidential 'off-market' deals, which are brokered by a select band of specialist agents. Tucked away on the oldest street in Chelsea, southwest London, the Old Rectory boasts its own ballroom and a garden of nearly two acres, one of the biggest belonging to a private house in central London. The Duke of Wellington is said to have drawn up his plans for the Battle of Waterloo on the Old Rectory's lawns because his brother, Gerald Valerian Wellesley, a rector, lived in the property for 27 years. Charles Kingsley, the Victorian writer who wrote The Water-Babies, is another former resident. Secluded behind high brick walls, the property is barely visible from the street, offering the secrecy the very wealthy often crave. A renovation during the 1990s added two wings, leaving the property with ten suites and about 30,000 square feet of living space. A spokesman for Fredriksen declined to comment on whether the Old Rectory was for sale or how many domestic staff had been let go earlier this year. John Waters, a director of the independent buying agency Robert Bailey Property, said: 'Many of the wealthy owners we have seen leave the UK recently have not in fact chosen to sell their London homes — instead deciding to rent overseas in the hope that the UK tax system will in the future become less unfavourable. 'Often they are very sad to be leaving, but they feel they have little choice due to the end of non-dom status and the prospect of all their global assets being subject to UK inheritance tax.' • Why the super-rich are leaving Britain For centuries, the non-dom regime allowed wealthy people, who were domiciled overseas for tax purposes, to only pay UK tax on income earned here, until it was scrapped by the chancellor in April. Fredriksen bought the Old Rectory from the Greek businessman, Theodore Angelopoulos, for £37 million in 2001, making his debut on The Sunday Times Rich List two years later with an estimated wealth of £475 million. He appeared at No 9 in this year's Rich List with wealth estimated at £13.7 billion. • The Sunday Times Rich List 2025 Born in Norway to a welder and his wife, Fredriksen started his oil trading career in his twenties. In the 1970s he began assembling a vast tanker fleet, profiting handsomely by transporting oil at high risk amid the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s. As well as shipping, his financial interests include oil drilling, salmon farming and commercial property. Fredriksen's wife, Inger, died in 2006 from cancer. The couple's twin daughters, Cecilie and Kathrine, 41, have spent much of their lives in London. The Old Rectory has been Fredriksen's main home since 2001. It was the high taxes of his homeland that inspired Fredriksen to leave Norway for the UK, and later renounce his Norwegian citizenship. He is now a Cypriot national. At an event in Oslo last month, he was asked about his views on the UK. 'It's starting to remind me more and more of Norway,' the billionaire told the business newspaper E24. 'Britain has gone to hell, like Norway … I try to avoid Norway as much as I can.' He added that the 'the entire western world is on its way down', describing Donald Trump's trade policy as 'completely hopeless'. 'People should get up and work even more, and go to the office instead of having a home office,' he said. • Non-dom changes have 'lost the Treasury £400m in stamp duty' The closure of his office in Sloane Square, near the Old Rectory, earlier this year, and his decision to spend much of his time in the United Arab Emirates suggests he will not feature in future editions of the Rich List. Rob McGibbon, the editor of the online local newspaper The Chelsea Citizen, described the Old Rectory as a 'prized jewel' that 'comes with excellent bragging rights'. He said: 'My hope is that the next owners are a family who will actually live in the house full-time and are people who care about the Chelsea community. Too many homes in our area are lived in for a few weeks a year. They're just places to park money. Please, don't let this amazing house go to another billionaire who uses it like a luxury hotel. Make it a permanent home.' Would-be buyers will find themselves pitted against a wily negotiator, one who previously thwarted another billionaire with local connections. In 2004 Roman Abramovich, the former Chelsea FC owner who invested heavily in property in the area, offered Fredriksen £100 million for the Old Rectory. The Russian's unsolicited bid was turned down.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Names and titles
Generally at first mention use the person's name in full. Then use Mr, Mrs, Miss (or Lord, Lady, Sir, Dame etc). If a woman uses her husband's surname, use Mrs, unless it is publicly known that they prefer Ms. Otherwise, use Ms unless they have a known preference to use Miss or Mrs. Once someone is dead and the funeral has taken place, he or she is referred to by forename and surname at the first mention, or a title if he or she had one, then just by his or her surname in subsequent mentions. Therefore, we say Margaret Thatcher (not Baroness) and Winston Churchill (not Sir) – although historical figures such as the Duke of Wellington are the exception to this rule. It would be overly fussy to use Arthur Wellesley throughout a piece. Be careful with ranks of dead military leaders – Montgomery was not a field marshal at the time of El Alamein. These rules apply strictly to news copy. Features have their own more informal style, though publishers should use their discretion and judgment. Common sense is the best guide. Sport do not use honorifics for players and performers do not have them in arts pieces. Show sensitivity in references to murder victims, leaving them with their honorifics during an investigation and any subsequent court case. Children under the age of 18 are referred to by their forenames and surnames at first mention and by their forenames later. Minors convicted of a crime are, in cases where the courts permit them to be named, referred to only by their surname. Defendants in criminal court cases, other than those already serving prison sentences or who have entered a plea of guilty, are to be referred to with their honorific Mr, Mrs, Ms or Miss: the website and newspaper should share the court's presumption of innocence. On conviction they lose the honorific, although if cleared on appeal they reclaim it. If more than one person with the same surname is in court, use forenames throughout to distinguish them. Sportsmen and women, actors and entertainers do not get Mr/Mrs honorifics in news articles. The exception to this is knighthoods/damehoods. E.g. at second mention Tim Henman would be 'Henman' and Sir Andy Murray would be 'Sir Andy'; Johnny Depp would be 'Depp' and Sir Paul McCartney would be 'Sir Paul' etc. We extend the Mr/Mrs rule to all foreigners: Mr Macron, Mrs Merkel. Knights and peers keep their titles at first mention and thereafter. Doctors, academics, Service personnel, police and fire officers and the clergy keep their titles at first mention, after which the normal rules apply. Doctors are Dr Smith and professors are Prof Smith, at first mention and throughout. Always use the definite article, eg: Mary Smith, the head of communications at Defra. Notorious figures such as Vladimir Putin do not take an honorific. The name comes first, the description second. 'Donald Trump, the US president, said …' Police Senior ranks (Inspector and above): use Mr/Mrs/Miss at second mention. Pc and Sgt are used at all abbreviations: Det Con, Det Sgt, Insp, Det Insp, Ch Insp, Det Ch Insp, Supt, Det Supt, Ch Supt, Det Ch Supt, Dept Asst Commissioner, Asst Chief Constable, Dept Chief Constable. Commander, Commissioner and Chief Constable are written in full. Ecclesiastical titles By convention, the names of bishops and archbishops always follow the title of their office: the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey. Then Dr Carey or the Archbishop. Not all high ecclesiastics have doctorates, but Dr should be used when it is correct. Accepted Anglican usages include: The Bishop of Someshire, the Rt Rev John Smith (later the bishop or Bishop Smith). The Bishop-Suffragan of Sometown, the Rt Rev John Smith (later the bishop or Bishop Smith). The Very Rev John Smith, Dean of Sometown (later the dean or Dr or Mr Smith). The Ven John Smith, Archdeacon of Sometown (Dr or Mr) The Rev John Smith, vicar of St Mary's, Sometown (Mr Smith) The Rev John Smith, rector of Someville (Mr Smith). Never refer to the Rev Smith, or Rev John Smith without the definite article. At first mention always use his first name or, at least, the initials. Canons, prebendaries, deans and archdeacons are sometimes given emeritus rank on retirement and retain their titles. Otherwise they revert to 'the Rev'. The terms 'rector' and 'vicar' are not interchangeable but have different significance according to the parish concerned. In the Anglican Church, only certain high Anglicans choose to be known as 'Father' or to be referred to as a 'priest'. Roman Catholic styles are flexible except that Dr is never used for bishops and archbishops. Mgr (for monsignor) is correct. Cardinal-Archbishop is seldom used in Britain. These styles are accepted: Cardinal Smith, Archbishop of Westminster. The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Smith. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Sometown, the Rt Rev John Smith (later the bishop or Bishop Smith). We should not automatically refer later to bishops as Mgr Smith. Being a monsignor does not imply one is a bishop, nor being a bishop imply that one is a monsignor. Monsignor refers to an honorific status granted by the Pope: i.e. Mgr John Smith, Roman Catholic parish priest of St Peter's, Sometown (later Mgr Smith). Do not use 'Roman Catholic Cardinal Smith' (the use of 'cardinal' establishes that he is Roman Catholic). Formally, bishops are the Rt Rev and archbishops the Most Rev and these styles may be used. In Ireland all bishops are the Most Rev. The Rev John Smith, Roman Catholic parish priest of St Peter's, Sometown, or Father John Smith, Roman Catholic parish priest (later Father or Fr Smith). The Pope and Pope Leo XIV are both acceptable ways to refer to the current pontiff. For earlier popes, use Pope John XXIII or Pope Francis etc. Moderator: he is the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, not Moderator of the Church of Scotland. Royalty (British) The term 'a Royal' and 'the Royals' is tabloid and is to be avoided in news articles. Use instead 'a member of the Royal family' and 'the Royal family'. This rule can be relaxed in more informal pieces and newsletters. Our general approach to royal titles is one of formality - we are not a tabloid publication. That said, we must be alive to SEO and the fact that people tend to search for Harry and Meghan rather than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In headlines We can use Prince Harry, Meghan, Prince William, 'William and Kate', King Charles, Queen Camilla in headlines - it does not have to be their full title and is useful for search. Not Kate in news stories though, and be sure to add the person's full title (Prince of Wales etc) in the standfirst. Do not use Meghan Markle in a headline (OK in a URL/SEO headline) and never say Kate Middleton. Be alive to tone: a serious story such as 'Princess of Wales in remission from cancer' should not have a chatty headline. Titles In news stories, members of the Royal family should be referred to by their full title at first mention, e.g. the Duke of York. However, the more we use a search term (Prince Andrew) in copy, the better for SEO. It also means we won't have to rely on keywords so much in the headline. So, whereas traditional Telegraph style decreed that we should refer to members of the Royal family only by their titles (the Duke of York, thereafter the Duke), we are now free to use names at subsequent mentions. If copy starts getting confusing with multiple Dukes/Duchesses or Princes/Princesses, use Prince William, Prince Harry etc to tell them apart. The King and Queen, however, should buck this trend and ought to be referred to by their titles at all times. For example, we might write a headline saying Queen celebrates at Royal Ascot ('Queen Camilla' in the SEO headline) with the standfirst Camilla's horse comes in at 25-1, but we should then use 'the Queen' in copy. Queen consorts are generally referred to by name only after they die, e.g. Queen Mary or Queen Alexandra. Don't write out King Charles III. First names can be used in features, lighter comment pieces or royal newsletters. Be alive to the writer's tone of voice. The King and Queen are His Majesty and Her Majesty, other senior members of the Royal family are His/Her Royal Highness. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost the use of their HRH styles when they stopped being working royals in 2020. Queen Elizabeth II is now Elizabeth II, subsequently 'the late Queen' or 'Queen Elizabeth' if needed for variety. The Queen Mother ceased to be 'Queen Mother' on her death, she should be referred to at first mention as 'the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother' and subsequently as 'Queen Elizabeth' (or 'the late Queen Mother' if there is a risk of confusion with Elizabeth II). The late Duke of Edinburgh is now referred to as Prince Phillip. Diana, Princess of Wales at first mention in news stories, then the Princess. Princess Diana or Diana is acceptable in headlines and features copy. Royalty (non-British) At first mention: the King of Spain; the Queen of Denmark; Prince Ernst of Hanover; Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg; the Grand Duke of Luxembourg etc. Subsequently: the King, Queen, Prince, Princess and Grand Duke, with initial caps. For abdicated foreign monarchs, follow the style of Juan Carlos I of Spain then King Juan Carlos. Nobility, peerage and titles Titles of nobility are, in descending order: duke, marquess (not marquis except for foreign titles and a few ancient Scottish titles), earl, viscount and baron. Give the formal title except for barons at first mention (Marquess of Bath, the Earl of Snowdon) but then use Lord Bath, Lord Snowdon. Dukes are always the Duke of Someshire and do not become Lord Someshire. Barons, except in the announcement of new baronies, are always Lord Someshire. For peers, use Lord Surname or Lord Surname of Someshire. Baronesses, however, are described as Baroness Surname of Someshire at first mention and then Lady Someshire subsequently. This distinguishes life peeresses from the handful of hereditary baronies that descend through the female as well as through the male line, and whose holders (when female) are always described as 'Lady Surname'. Some peers have a territorial designation as part of their name. When it is not part of their name, the territorial designation should not be given except when a new title is being reported. Peers are obliged to include a territorial designation in their title when there is another peerage with an identical name. Thus when Chris Patten was ennobled he had to become Lord Patten of Barnes, as his contemporary John Patten had already become Lord Patten. It is important to give the full title in reports to avoid confusion. Lord Patten has the territorial designation 'of Wincanton' but it is not part of his title, and nor, as the first Patten peerage to be created, is he obliged to use it. Lord Patten of Barnes, as the second creation with that name, is. For second mention Chris Patten may be called Lord Patten, unless there is a danger of confusing him with his namesake in the same story. The wife of a marquess is a marchioness, of an earl a countess, of a viscount a viscountess. Use Lady at second and subsequent mentions. But the wife of a baron is always Lady at first and subsequent mentions. Some women other than life peeresses hold hereditary or life peerages in their own right. Their husbands do not take their rank nor a title (eg. The Countess of Someshire and her husband John Smith). Eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls take by courtesy the father's second title, assuming there is one. The Duke of Bedford's son is the Marquess of Tavistock. Lord Tavistock's elder son, if he has one, can use the third title of the Duke, and he therefore is Lord Howland. These people are not peers - a designation that suggests they hold a peerage itself - even in headlines. Younger sons of dukes and marquesses use their forenames after the courtesy title 'Lord' and before the family surname, which is not usually the same as the peerage title itself (a younger son of the Duke of Bedford, for example, might be Lord John Russell). At subsequent references he is 'Lord John', never 'Lord Russell'. The use of Hon before the names of other children of peers (the Hon John Smith) is now normally restricted to formal social circumstances. Avoid in all copy. The designation 'Lady' is used with a forename by the daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls, before the family style is Lady Mary Russell and then Lady Mary, never, in such cases, Lady Russell. The wives of younger sons of dukes and marquesses use 'Lady' with their husbands' forenames, as in Lady John Russell. At second mention, she is Lady John, never Lady Russell. Wives of baronets and knights are styled, for example, Lady Smith (Sir William and Lady Smith). When the name is a common one and no other form of identification is convenient, the form Lady (William) Smith is available, but the brackets must be used. There should be an application of common sense here: it would be ridiculous in a fashion feature to refer to Lady Beckham. Knight's widows may be identified as Lady (Mary) Smith. The widow of a baronet whose son, the present baronet, is married is Mary, Lady Smith. Should the wife of a baronet or knight be the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl then she will still use her rank and be Lady Mary Smith rather than Lady Smith. The term dowager is correct for the earliest surviving widow of a peer, but it is widely disliked because of pejorative connotations. The form Mary Viscountess Someshire (later Lady Someshire) is generally used for widowed or divorced women. The daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls retain the title 'Lady' on marriage to a commoner – Lady Mary Someshire becomes Lady Mary Smith, wife of John Smith. Never refer to Lady Mary Someshire unless she is the daughter of an duke, marquess or earl. Foreign barons, counts and marquises do not become Lord Someshire. Royal Victorian Order is an order of knighthood awarded by the British monarch for personal service to the crown. The order has five grades: Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight/Dame Commander (KCVO/DCVO), Commander (CVO), Lieutenant (LVO), and Member (MVO). Knighthoods: The ranks of Knight Grand Cross and Knight Commander are considered knighthoods and carry the title 'Sir' for men and 'Dame' for women. Commander rank: The rank of Commander (CVO) does not confer knighthood and therefore does not carry the title 'Sir' or 'Dame'. Celebrity knights and dames (Mick Jagger, Judi Dench) should always take their titles in news and feature articles. In sport, use Sir Andy Murray, Sir Mo Farah, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill etc for those not still active, for those who are, just go plain Lewis Hamilton, Ben Ainslie. Foreign names and jobs Imam The leader of prayers in a mosque, also the title of various Muslim leaders. Islam does not have a priesthood, so refer to clerics not priests. 'Clergy' is acceptable. Arabic names Widely differing customs and pronunciations in Arabic-speaking countries make it impossible to lay down rigid rules for transliteration into English. Follow established style or usage when it exists (Gaddafi) or any known preference of the person concerned. When in doubt, repeat the whole name rather than guess at the proper form for use at second mention. The definite article al (which can appear as el, ul, an, ud or in many other forms) should be dropped at second mention or when used with a title - but only when it stands alone or is hyphenated (eg. Abdul al-Sufi becomes Mr Sufi). The terms ibn or bin – meaning son – should be dropped at second reference (eg. Abdul bin Rashid becomes Mr Rashid). But the word abu – father of – should be retained (eg. Abdul Moheen Abu Maizer becomes Mr Abu Maizer). In some cases, the second name serves to identify merely the family or clan to which a person belongs. The first name identifies that person more precisely. It is for this reason that Saddam Hussein is referred to as Saddam, not Hussein, and when alive was not Mr Hussein. Titles of rulers – King, Prince, Sheikh, Sultan – should be followed only by the personal name (often the first in a long sequence) and the name of the country. The title Emir is sometimes translated as Prince, but usage varies from one country to another. Hadji is a title used by men who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. It should not be preceded by Mr. Asian names The rule for Chinese and Korean names is that the surname comes first and the given name second (e.g. Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping), but some anglicised Chinese use their surname last, sometimes with initials only, as in the shipowner C.H. Tung. Chinese mainland given names are one word only, as in (Deng) Xiaoping. Hong Kong Chinese and Korean given names are hyphenated, as in (Roh) Tae-woo. South East Asian Chinese given names are two words as in (Lee) Kuan Yew. Taiwanese are usually hyphenated. In Thai and Malay, the given name comes first followed by a surname or patronymic, but the given name is used after first mention as in Mahathir Mohamad (his father was Mohamad something). Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotians and Burmese also use this system, but sometimes in reverse order. (Aung San Suu Kyi's father was Aung San. She is Suu Kyi on second mention.) Indonesians, more often than not, have only one name, as in Suharto. Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi names are usually in the normal order (given name, then surname), but many South Indians use an initial only instead of a first name (this is because the first name is a patronymic, often about 30 letters long). A few Indians have only one name. Foreign appointments All foreign office holders should have their job titles in lower case: Donald Trump, the president Melania Trump, the first lady Donald Trump could be either the president or Mr Trump at second mention. In quotations, President Trump is acceptable (but capitalised, as it is used as an honourific). Representative John Smith of Maine. Senator John Smith (Republican, Maine) only in stories with many American political references. Never Congressman John Smith. Cap up institutions but not bodies that are sub-sets of institutions: Senator Smith, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee. Premier is used after names only for heads of government of Australian states and Canadian provinces (John Smith, premier of Queensland) and Communist countries in which job descriptions extend to titles such as 'first deputy premier'. We use the Pinyin system of romanising Chinese words, characterised by its use of x, zh, q etc. at the beginning of syllables. Taiwanese names continue to take the system used by the Nationalist government: we do not turn Chiang Kai-shek into Jiang Jieshi, etc.
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Pearson confident talented filly Duchess Of Kent can stay too
There is more to Duchess Of Kent than the brilliance she has shown in her recent winning hat-trick. The 3yr-old made it three from three this time in when speeding up the Ascot Park passing lane to win the Diamond Creek Farm & SBSR Silk Road Final yesterday. Speed has been the key ingredient in Duchess Of Kent's hat-trick of victories, with the filly settling handy in each before zipping home to score for driver Brent Barclay. As fast as she is, trainer Lauren Pearson thinks there is more to Duchess Of Kent's game. "I think she'd stay — I think she'll follow pace all the time, but she has got that speed as well, which is a major help." Putting three wins to her name has helped Duchess Of Kent add to the already impressive record of her dam, Galleons Honour. The outstanding producer has a 100% record at stud and has produced a string of smart types including Duke Of Wellington and Duke Of Cornwall. Each has been bred by the late Lester Smith, whose estate races Duchess Of Kent. Smith had a lifelong passion for harness racing and enjoyed excellent success in the sport, most recently with Pearson and Barclay. "This one ended up being Lester's favourite horse after he sold Duke Of Cornwall, because she was a keeper," Pearson said. Her victory in Sunday's Silk Road Series final has now earned Duchess Of Kent the opportunity to take on better fillies in her age bracket at Addington. "She's paid up for the Nevele R Fillies Series, so we will have a smack at that," Pearson said. "She can have a week or so off now while we go on holiday." "We will get her up to Bob Butt — Bob doesn't know it yet but we are going to ask whether he can take her and keep her up there for two Nevele R heats and find out if she's good enough." Though the Duchess Of Kent's campaign could not have gone any better, behind the scenes there have been plenty of challenges. "We've had a lot of ups and downs with it, but hopefully we're on top of them now. "They put her first campaign down to soreness, so we turned her out and then an abscess burst out, so we're hoping it was that. "We got her back and then we had a tie-up issue again after the first workout, but we seem to be on top of it at the moment." After reining home Duchess Of Kent with a pinpoint steer, Barclay notched a late double with Haley Jaccka taking out a hectic running of the final race for trainer Brett Gray.
Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
King hopes to mark 200th anniversary of Royal Ascot procession with winner
Who would have thought it? Something that started exactly two centuries ago, three months before that first steam train puffed laboriously from Stockton to Darlington, is now one of the most instantly recognisable events on the planet. The royal procession remains the key to Royal Ascot. Of course the racing is fantastic. The opening card alone is one of the best that will be run anywhere in the world this year and there are four more days to follow. Of course, many memories, some pretty blurred, will be more of fashion and frolic and failed fancies than actual running on the track. But what beats the lot is the Royal Procession. Its official purpose remains the same as it was in 1825 — to show the monarch to his people. Back then a diarist called Thomas Creevey wrote: 'Contrary to his former practice, the King drove up the course to his stand, in the presence of everybody — himself in the first coach and four, the Duke of Wellington sitting by his side. The whole thing looked very splendid; in short, quite as it should be.' That may still be true today, but for British horse racing, the royal procession does something even more important. It ensures one world-accepted week of primacy for a game battling hard for its place in the life of the nation. Two centuries back, racing was still the sport that everybody knew. In 1825, the 'Iron Duke' was a fortnight on from having a massive punt on the Derby winner Middleton, as well as a decade in from landing an even bigger winner at Waterloo. Unhappily, and I believe unfairly, today's politicians have steered clear in recent years, although Sir Keir and Lady Starmer did come to last year's St Leger. They should know that if they came to Ascot they would certainly receive a much more cordial royal greeting than future prime minister Robert Peel was accorded in 1829. 'He gave a bad reception to all the friends of the government who went into his stand,' a Mrs Arbuthnot recalled of the king, 'and said to Mr Peel he should have as soon expected to see a pig in church as him at a race.' One hundred years later, racing was long established as what, in an impassioned 1870 letter to the disapproving Queen Victoria, her son, the future Edward VII, described as 'the great national sport of this century'. In 1925, racing probably had its peak moment, since when other sports, increased mobility, television and wider gambling have reduced it to not even feature among the nine separate spots starting with football and cricket listed across the top of the BBC website. But the royal procession still gleams as strongly as it did when the artist Alfred Munnings was commissioned in 1925 and enthused over 'a long, glittering line of moving scarlet and gold'. The year may have changed and, at a lapse, one or two of the party may risk sunglasses nowadays, but otherwise the picture on Tuesday afternoon will be exactly the same. 'How shall I write of the beautiful movement of the two leading grey steeds as they came along,' waxed Sir Alfred. 'The outriders wore silk hats with gold bands and cockades, scarlet coats with gold braiding, white leathers and boots with flesh-coloured tops.' The spectacle may be world beating, but the other parts have to match. They certainly do as the ultimate dress-up day, even if to the point where Ascot's marketing drive across the capital has featured silk-dressed beauties and top-hatted escorts in full stride under the slogan 'Free The Ascot You' — with scarcely a horse in sight. For if any of these one-time racegoers are to be converted to race fans there has to be some hook to help them see that the game becomes more interesting the more you look. Every race is the equivalent of one of those Agatha Christie novels — all the guests in the dining room, we know their potential weapon, but which one does the deed? Think it out, back your fancy, and it will only take a couple of minutes, not 200 pages, to find out. There are seven mysteries to be solved on Tuesday and never forget that even the most fluent of theorists gets it wrong at least seven times out of ten. The very first race, the Queen Anne Stakes, named after the overweight Queen who started the whole thing in 1711, has a top American horse, Carl Spackler, trying to knock this off en route to a new career in Australia. The second race features 21 colts only three or four months in from their second birthday, 20 of which have already won a race and 12 of whom remain undefeated. The third has 23 runners, including last year's winner, Asfoora, again making the 13,359-mile journey from her native Victoria. The fourth race features a once-in-a-century clash of the winners of the English, French and Irish 2,000 Guineas. We could go on, but it's the fifth contest that could take the ticket. For no two races this century have meant more for the royal connection than Estimate's victory for the late Queen in the Ascot Gold Cup in 2013 and Desert Hero's success for her son in the King George V Stakes ten years later. The first, because it was the greatest of all the Queen's moments in the sport she so loved. The second, because in its amazing last-gasp excitement, it sealed what had seemed an uncertain knot between the new king and his mother's game. • Rob Wright's racing tips Now in this fifth race, the Ascot Stakes, it is Estimate's son, Reaching High, who must step up to do his duty. What's more, if he wins, he will be the first Irish-trained horse to carry the scarlet and gold silks at Royal Ascot as he is handled by the Closutton maestro Willie Mullins, a former carriage guest in the royal procession, and will be ridden, as Estimate was, by Ryan Moore. The great jockey will have a fancied mount in practically every race at the meeting, but no winner would mean so much. And it would give one more tick to the Royal Procession.
