royal family

There was some unusual royal news in Britain yesterday, as a 600-year-old skeleton was found to be the remains of King Richard III. The University of Leicester led the project to find the lost bones and eventually narrowed them down to the most royal of settings- a nearby car park.

Richard III became king of England in 1483, but his reign was tumultuous and short-lived, and he was killed in battle just two years later in 1485. The skeleton shows the extent of the injuries that killed him, with 10 in total found, including eight injuries to the skull. On top of that, the spine has also been found to be badly curved, confirming reports from Tudor historians that Richard had a severely hunched back.

On the Trail of Richard's Body

For a team of historians, scientists and archaeologists this marks the successful end to the search for Richard's body that's been going on for years. They started armed simply with the knowledge that he had been buried underneath the church of Greyfriars in the centre of Leicester. After being demolished in the 16th century, the exact location of the church had been forgotten, but the team was able to gradually narrow it down to a probable area.

ForeignStudents writer Erik gives his opinion on two of last week's hot topics- Kate Middleton's pregnancy and the a controversial front cover of the New York Post. 

Kate Middleton and the Royal Family

Although the British sovereign does not use their power like previously in history, the monarchy still deserves respect. In the past many competent kings and queens helped Britain to become the strongest country in the world, which it really was until the second half of the 20th century.

Today, the goodwill towards the Royal Family lives off the achievements of their predecessors and their power now is merely ceremonial. However, they must still be careful in their private lives, because every single step is followed by the public.

Still, the royal family is a popular subject for the media, which is constantly lurking for gossip and scandals. I think that Kate's pregnancy will top the headlines for several weeks, or even months. On the one hand it reflects that people are interested in the condition of the Duchess, but on the other hand, she and her husband are only human and deserve privacy. Not to mention that the couple significantly contribute to the integrity of the monarchy and do not deserve too much rumour. Let the Prince continue in his career as a helicopter pilot and do not disturb the mother-to-be.

The Royal family have announced that the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton is pregnant. After marrying Prince William in a huge national celebration in April 2011, speculation has been rife as to when their first child would be announced.

A spokesman for St James's Palace said she is currently in hospital due to severe morning sickness and is expected to stay for at least a few days, but that the royal family are delighted about the pregnancy. 

Details are vague at the moment, though expect to hear much, much more about baby, who is likely to one day become the King or Queen of England. He or she will be third in line to the throne.

The statement from the palace revealed:

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby."

"The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

It also downplayed the fact that the expecting mother is in hospital, explaining:

"As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter."

Britain has just finished three days of parties, pageants, parades and concerts all in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. To mark Elizabeth II being on the throne for 60 years, the country was given a four-day weekend with millions joining in with the festivities, despite some typically wet British weather.

Sunday: Boat Pageant and Street Parties

It all started on Sunday with a ‘flotilla' of 1,000 boats making their way through London on the River Thames. The Queen was joined by close family members on a specially made Royal Barge. Surrounding it was one of the biggest gatherings of boats from around the world the Thames has ever seen. More than a million people flocked to the banks of the river to catch a glimpse of the unique site. Although prime spots filled up hours before the procession began, revellers were happy to simply join in with the party atmosphere.

If you're in Britain, chances are that you've heard that the Queen is celebrating 60 years on the throne this weekend. As part of the massive four-day weekend Diamond Jubilee celebrations there are loads of events going on. Here we pick out some of the best for you to get involved in.