Queen’s advisers reject MPs demand to open Buckingham Palace more often

October 16th, 2009 LONDON - A self-portrait by Queen Victoria is to go on public display for the first time. The sketch, which is to be exhibited next year, reveals how one of history's more misunderstood monarchs really saw herself.

October 12th, 2009 LONDON - Buckingham Palace is to swing to the hefty rhythms of Bollywood music and dance Tuesday in what promises to be a boisterous celebration in anticipation of a coming visit by President Pratibha Patil. British Asian dance group Nutkhut is to stage its massive dance, Bollywood Steps, inside Buckingham Palace Tuesday in a reception in advance of Patils Oct 24-27 visit - a first for the 172-year-old royal residence.

September 27th, 2009 LONDON - A high-profile Russian political family is all set to give stiff competition to the Queen's Buckingham Palace, as they plan British capital's second biggest residential building at a cost of about 100 million pounds. The Witanhurst, a dilapidated mansion in Highgate, north London, was purchased for 50 million pounds by a British Virgin Islands-based company.

September 13th, 2009 LONDON - A letter retrieved from the Royal Archives at Windsor Palace reveals Britain's late Queen Mother Elizabeth was left trembling with fear after a Nazi bomb landed on Buckingham Palace.he wrote: "My knees trembled a little bit for a minute or two after the explosions." Referring to her husband, King George VI, she went on: "We both feel quite well today, tho' just a bit tired." The letter was written to her mother-in-law Queen Mary, and will feature in her official biography next week. The insight into the Queen Mum, who died aged 101 in 2002, is fascinating because little is known of her personal views.

July 6th, 2009 LONDON - Following the global slow down and economic crisis, the Queen is determined to switch from the LPG-fuelled black cab to an environmentally friendly car service, to save money. The Queen's staff at the Buckingham Palace has signed up with Toyota's 'Green Tomato Cars' to cut costs, after they found out about the car from Prince Charles's London office, which switched to its cheaper carbon-efficient Toyota Prius fleet, the Daily Express reports.

June 14th, 2009 LONDON - Queen Elizabeth II and Michelle Obama have struck a firm friendship since they first met at the G20 summit in London in April, according to sources. The Queen, in what was suggested to be a sign of close bonding, allegedly let the US First Lady and her daughters to have a rare guided tour of Buckingham Palace during their visit to the capital last week.

May 27th, 2009 LONDON - Buckingham Palace officials are very angry with French President Nicolas Sarkozy because he has not invited the Queen as a guest at next week's D-Day 65th anniversary. Organisers have revealed that the French President is focused on the "main event" of hosting his US counterpart Barack Obama.

May 21st, 2009 LONDON - The Mayor of London Thursday accused the anti-migrant British National Party (BNP) of seeking to whip up a 'political stunt' after its leader was reported headed for the British Queen's garden party. Richard Barnbrook, a BNP member of the London Assembly, said he will take along his leader Nick Griffin as his guest to the Queen's garden party at Buckingham Palace July 21 - an annual event to which all London Assembly members are invited alongside other select members of the public.

May 17th, 2009 LONDON - As the astounding disclosure in Britain's parliamentary expenses scam continues to roll out names, Queen Elizabeth has expressed her "dismay" privately. "Her Majesty has made clear her displeasure at what she has learnt.

May 13th, 2009 LONDON - Prince William had to apologise after a 109-year-old woman wrote to the Queen to complain that Her Majesty wore the same yellow dress in all five royal birthday cards sent to congratulate her. Catherine Masters' letter compelled William to promise that his grandmother would wear a new outfit for the next card.

May 5th, 2009 LONDON - Just a few days after the sex scandal on the Queen's front lawn came to light, a second one has been reported involving the Senior Under Butler of the Monarch. Robert Wilson, who held the job title Senior Under Butler to the Silver and Gilt Pantry, was discovered ogling at gay porn on his laptop, just minutes after he served Her Majesty and Prince Philip their afternoon tea at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

April 22nd, 2009 LONDON - A former Royal cop has claimed that police officers stationed at Buckingham Palace spent their night shifts running gambling syndicates, selling hard-core pornography and posed for pictures on the Queen's throne. A jury has heard the extraordinary account of how Royal protection officers slept off hangovers in private palace rooms, smuggled "uninvited and unvetted" guests into Royal garden parties and allowed business associates to park their cars at Buckingham Palace.

April 8th, 2009 LONDON - Katie Price a.ka. Jordan has claimed that she was invited to lunch at Buckingham Palace but declined the offer because she was in America.

March 12th, 2009 LONDON - Using thermal imaging technology, a team of energy surveyors has determined that the Buckingham Palace tops the list of the "dirty dozen" league of London's most environmentally damaging buildings. According to a report in the Telegraph, the team labeled the palace "shocking and appalling", the biggest "central heating radiator" in the Capital and gave it a score of 0 out of 10.

December 22nd, 2008 LONDON - A former butler to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was sentenced by a court in Manchester city Monday to at least six years in prison for child abuse. Paul Kidd was found guilty of abusing underaged boys and possessing more than 18,000 images of child pornography.