It's been a good time to be a tourist to the UK these past few days, what with pageantry, parades, multiple gun salutes, the lighting of commemorative beacons and all manner of sights to see. The reason is, of course, the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
After 64 years, 2 months and 14 days on the throne she has become so much part of the fabric of Britain as to be virtually synonymous with it – and thus thoroughly deserved all the pomp and circumstance she duly received.
Like many of her subjects, my impression of the Queen is largely predicated on little more than images of her on TV and in the papers, with the occasional glimpse of her in person, waving from the window of some passing motorcade, just to prove she’s real, which is exactly as it should be.
In an age when the private lives of world leaders are under scrutiny as never before, Her Majesty has somehow managed to retain both her mystique and her dignity. While many of her most illustrious predecessors can be conjured up in a few visual short cuts – Henry VIII with his girth and inelegant table manners, Elizabeth I with her chalk white visage and starched ruff, Victoria with her bustle and dyspeptic countenance – Britain’s reigning monarch remains intriguingly opaque, and 60 years on we know little more about her likes and dislikes than we did back in 1953. And therein, surely, lies the secret of her constitutional longevity.
Take, for example, last Thursday evening, when in front of the gates of Windsor Castle, her eldest son and heir to the throne, 67-year-old Prince Charles, paid tribute to her in front of an adoring crowd.
“Your Majesty,” he began in sober tones, before adding mischievously, “Mummy”. Whatever she made of being referred to in such starkly intimate terms in public we will never know, for her face remained an inscrutable mask throughout his speech.
During her reign she has presided over 12 British prime ministers, innumerable economic and political crises and profound changes both in the Commonwealth and in the world at large. Only once – in the autumn of 1997 – did it seem that perhaps her position, indeed even the future of the royal family itself, might be under threat.
This was of course in the aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash, when, for a few brief days, Her Majesty appeared to have lost her touch, choosing to remain sequestered in Balmoral Castle despite a tumultuous public clamour for her to return to London and join the unfolding emotional meltdown.
But return she did, and with her a sense of calm was restored. Yet if she misjudged the moment, who can blame her? I happened to be at a reception the day after Diana’s funeral attended by the then-prime minister Tony Blair, who confessed that recent events had passed in a blur, one in which he had only his instinct to guide him. “There was no manual to consult back at 10 Downing Street” was how he put it at the time. Nor, one suspects, at Buckingham Palace.
Twenty years on and the royal family are now as popular as ever. Despite her advanced years the Queen still attends nearly 300 official functions a year, and although she prefers flat soled shoes to high heels and is rumoured to find stairs a little more challenging than she once did, there’s precious little evidence of her slowing up. There’s been the inevitable speculation as to whether she might one day abdicate in favour of her son, but it seems unlikely. Abdication is neither in her nature nor her vocabulary.
Hers may indeed be a rarefied existence – the rumour that she once asked one of her attendants why it was that everywhere she went always smelt of fresh paint may not be entirely apocryphal – but it would be a brave punter who’d bet against her celebrating her 100th birthday a mere decade from now. In which case, I wonder; will she send herself an official telegram?
Michael Simkins is an actor and writer in London
On Twitter: @michael_simkins
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Roger Federer's 2018 record
Australian Open Champion
Rotterdam Champion
Indian Wells Runner-up
Miami Second round
Stuttgart Champion
Halle Runner-up
Wimbledon Quarter-finals
Cincinnati Runner-up
US Open Fourth round
Shanghai Semi-finals
Basel Champion
Paris Masters Semi-finals
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press