After all the alcohic hype, it's refreshing to see some public recognition of the real cause and significance of the celebration, even if it does come from the heart of Darkest Britain. I think that the event would be capped for them by the arrival of some African missionaries...:)

Royal insiders said [the Queen] had regarded her visit to Southwark Cathedral, where she began a vigil of prayer for the new millennium, to be as significant as the dome ceremony. Earlier, she visited a Crisis at Christmas shelter nearby.

Friends of the Queen Mother said she toasted the new year quietly at Sandringham...joined by Princess Margaret. She is known by her close circle to have been dismayed by the overselling of the millennium. One friend said: "She does not like outpourings of public emotion and feared that the country was preparing for something similar to the hype of Princess Diana's funeral in 1997."

The Prince of Wales also retreated home to his country seat of Highgrove in Gloucestershire. He had never concealed his irritation with new Labour's grand millennium project. At a Sandringham house party nearly two years ago, Charles grimaced at the very mention of the Greenwich dome, which is not to his architectural taste.

Earlier on Friday Charles had visited Edinburgh, where he attended a service at St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile.

After a quick chat to Gilleasbuig Macmillan, the minister, he went inside the cathedral for the service, which lasted half an hour, before emerging to wish revellers a happy new year.

Today he is travelling to Cardiff to attend a national service of thanksgiving at a Baptist church. Later he attends a special Songs of Praise at the city's new Millennium Stadium, which will be screened today on BBC1. One of his aides said the prince would be relieved to discover that nearly all the hymns chosen were traditional.

Princess Anne will attend the millennium church service at St Giles' today. The Duke of York is thought to be going to Belfast today for a similar event there. He chose to spend the midnight hour on the meridian line in Greenwich, after a dinner and concert at the National Maritime Museum.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were at Guildford Cathedral on New Year's Eve. Today they will attend a service at Winchester Cathedral.

[ENDS]

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), January 02, 2000

Answers

"...We hold these truths to be self evident: that All men are created equal and that they were endowed by their creator (not a monarch) with certain IN-alienable (per the original draft, meaning we could not alienate ourselves from these rights even if we wanted to. We were born with them, they were not bestowed upon us by some decadent, benevolent "aristocracy") Among these (there may be OTHERS, but AMONG these...) are the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Whitley, you send in some great articles, but post your choice bits on the Imperial Lion and Unicorn of Perfidious Albion to the usenet's alt.politics.uk, perhaps they would enjoy them more... This may be the international waters of cyberspace, but the domain is American.

-- Give Me Liberty (damnyankee@home.com), January 02, 2000.

One of the London Sunday editions is questioning why the Queen did not sing along with the words to Auld Lang Syne and showed such an obvious consternation at having to physically "make contact" with PM Blair during hand holding in the dome. As we all know, HRM is above all this touchy-feely Oprah style public embracing. Better point to ponder: we can holiday in Balmoral, wear kilts posing for Murdoch- owned, slut-filled ragpapers and steal the title of "Lordship of the Isles" from the proud Clan of MacDonald, and yet we do not know the prose set to music by the great Scottish Laureate, Robert Burns. From the ancient Scots Gaelic tongue? For shame Liz!

-- William Wallace (braveheart@highlands.com), January 02, 2000.

'Give Me Liberty (damnyankee@home.com)"

Based upon the Jingoistic puffery in your comments, I can only marvel at your choice of such an hypocritical 'handle' :).

I see that your concept of 'liberty' for others is what you determine it to be, an concept totally inimicable to true Americanism.

Perhaps you should refresh your memory and re-read the Bill of Rights before you start behaving like a mini-George III yourself :)

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), January 02, 2000.

Thank you, John Whitley.

I believe we should acknowledge our foregoings and our relatedness. We must not forget that, while our forebears (we U.S. citizens')from England are the ones we rebelled against, they are also the ones who gave us our ideas on liberty and freedom. (This is not to denigrate the contributions from residents of other countries.)

I am thankful for what has gone before. God is good!

-- Connie Iversen (hive@gte.net), January 03, 2000.