Queen’s Diamond Jubilee sees the UK’s longest public record unrolled
There weren't that many names on Workington's petition for Queen Victoria's great bash. But organisers glued together enough sheets of paper to find a place in historyThe recent system of e-petitions to Parliament has led to some mighty long lists of n...
Jubilee reading, fit for a queen
Elizabeth II's reading habits are largely a mystery – what would you recommend as a diamond jubilee page-turner for Her Maj?Have you ever seen a photograph of the Queen carrying a book? Me neither. It's quite possible that the Queen has a dog-eared p...
On her majesty’s silver service: expats dust off tuxedos for BritWeek in LA
Britons famous, once famous and perhaps to be famous again are beating the drum for the UK in Hollywood this weekFor once, there was no shame in being on the B-list: they came from all corners of Hollywood – peaks of fame, foothills of recognition an...
Gracious quiz
Quiz: It's 60 years since Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne. Have you paid due respect to Her Maj's appearances in literature?
Queen Elizabeth II by Sarah Bradford
Authors are star-struck by the royal razzmatazzOne of the sharpest moments in TV satire was David Frost's send-up of a BBC "royal broadcast". In the final episode of That Was The Week That Was, Frost adopted the stately tones of a Dimbleby an...
Jo Shapcott wins Queen’s gold medal for poetry
Costa prize-winning poet follows illustrious predecessors including WH Auden and John BetjemanThe poet Jo Shapcott, who began the year by winning the Costa book of the year award for her collection Of Mutability, has ended 2011 by being named the lates...
Bidisha’s thought for the day: Queens
A true queen is not sentimentally loved, but ardently respected and mortally fearedI like my queens ruthless and their subjects headless. Our own queen, Elizabeth II, has just announced a stately roster of UK appearances to celebrate her diamond jubile...
The digested read
Macmillan, £25The diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II will make millions of people reflective. It will also offer thousands of opportunists the chance to cash in by recycling every dreary detail of our Sovereign's reign, which is why I am getting in...
The Earl of Harewood obituary
Grandson of George V whose work with English National Opera helped transform British attitudesGeorge Lascelles, the seventh Earl of Harewood, who has died aged 88, was unusual for a member of the royal family in deserving a substantial obituary on acco...
Thanks for coming to Ireland – but we still need a bailout | Colm Toibin
When Colm Toíbín was a boy, his father took him to see John F Kennedy during his visit to Ireland. This week, he met the Queen in Dublin, and next he will watch President Obama fly in. Visiting celebrities are great, but the Irish economy is still a ...
Royal wedding: Knit your own corgi
The Queen has loved corgis since receiving one for her 18th birthday. They'll surely be putting in an appearance at the wedding of the year – but can you emulate this famously hardworking breed and produce a knitted version to match?Extracted from Fi...
Our attachment to the Queen is perhaps greater than we yet realise | Ian Jack