The Queen has arrived at Wimbledon to watch Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina face off against Russian-born Elena Rybakina in the tournament’s quarter-final.

Her Majesty was joined by an array of celebrities in the Royal Box including actors Keira Knightley, David Suchet, Richard E Grant and ABBA guitarist Björn Ulvaeys.

Other dignitaries included The Archbishop of Canterbury, Fergal Sharkey, the former punk frontman turned environmental campaigner, and Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England.

The Queen, wearing a cream linen giraffe dress by designer Anna Valentine, was seen shaking hands with ball boys and ball girls as she passed through the gates of SW19.

She later met former British tennis players Jamie Delgado and Laura Robson before taking her seat in the Royal Box.
The long shadow of Russia’s war with Ukraine was cast over Centre Court on Wednesday afternoon as Svitolina, 29, faced off against Rybakina, the world number four.

Only two days before, Svitolina had called for the All England Club to ban Russian players from competing after she broke down on court over the bombing of a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

Rybakina, 25, from Moscow, had represented Russia before switching to Kazakhstan in 2018 when she was offered funding and training by the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF) to support her career.

Svitolina, who has worn a specially approved black ribbon on her chest during her tournament run in solidarity with those killed in Ukraine, said earlier she would shake her opponent’s hand after the match, saying: “She changed her nationality, so it means she doesn’t want to represent her original country, so it works,” she said.

The late Queen had been an infrequent visitor to Wimbledon, making only four visits during her 70-year-long rule.
First in 1957, then 1962, 1977 and finally in 2010 when she watched Andy Murray triumph over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

Royal biographer Brian Hoey, explaining the infrequent number of visits in his book Royalty Revealed: A Majestic Miscellany, wrote: “Tennis is not on the list of royal favourite sports.”

The Duchess of Gloucester has been earmarked as a likely candidate to present the Wimbledon trophies this weekend if the Princess of Wales is unavailable, as she continues her recovery from cancer treatment.

Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club said they would give the Princess “as much flexibility as possible” in determining whether she is able to fulfil her ceremonial duties as Club Patron on finals weekend, including leaving a decision until the morning of the women’s final on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, has sailed through to the semi-finals after his opponent, “honorary Brit” Alex De Minaur crashed out of the tournament with a hip injury.

Only an hour and half before they were to meet on Centre Court, Australia’s De Minaur, the world number nine, announced his withdrawal at a press conference.

A despondent De Minaur said it would have been “disrespectful” not to face Djokovic while not “100 per cent” ready.
De Minaur disclosed he had felt a “loud crack” while sliding to win a match point against France’s Arthur Fils on Tuesday.

He said: “It is devastating, no way to beat around the bush, you know… I haven’t really been able to enjoy what I have achieved this week, I knew as soon as I felt that ‘pop’ I knew something bad had happened.”

Asked when he might return to the court, he replied: “If I’m completely honest, I don’t know, they haven’t been able to tell me a definite recovery plan because this is such a unique injury, it is based on pain a little, right now it can be anywhere from three to six weeks it just depends on how quickly my body heals.”

De Minaur, 25, is seen as much a representative for the UK, as he is for Australia, over his romance with Katie Boulter, the British No1.

Boulter, 27, was knocked out this year by rival British player Harriet Dart, 27, in the second round of the tournament.
 

Two children have died amid an infectious bug outbreak at a primary school. 

The pair, believed to be five and six years old, were pupils at Millstead Primary School in the Everton area of Liverpool.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) North West has been working with Liverpool City council and partners following a number of cases of giardiasis linked to the school.

Giardiasis, an infection of the digestive system, is caused by tiny parasites known as giardia lamblia. The infection can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps, flatulence and bloating, but is generally not a serious risk to health and can be treated easily with antibiotics.

Emma Savage, a consultant in health protection for Cheshire and Merseyside health protection team, said: “UKHSA is aware of the sad deaths of two children who attend Millstead Primary School, and our thoughts are with the family, friends and school community.

“The deaths are unlikely to be due to giardia. Giardia usually causes a self-limiting gastrointestinal illness, which can spread easily in households and school settings. Investigations are ongoing, and we have provided information and advice to the school and parents. Public health measures have been put in place to help prevent further cases.”

Pupils ‘filled their classes with joy’

The cause of the deaths is not yet known, a UKHSA spokesman told The Telegraph. Merseyside Police said it was not investigating the deaths.

Millstead Primary School said its community was “devastated” by the deaths, and that the two pupils had “filled their classes with joy”.

Michelle Beard, the head teacher, said: “We have sent our sincerest condolences to both of their families. Both children filled their classes with joy during their time with us, and they will forever be in our hearts. 

“We are working closely with our families, staff and pupils to support them as we come to terms with this terribly sad news.”

Giardiasis can be spread by direct contact with infected people or animals, or from swallowing contaminated water, food or drinks. Any parents concerned that they or their child are displaying symptoms are urged to contact health specialists.

The Liverpool Echo first reported on the suspected giardia outbreak at Millstead last month, with public health measures put in place to try to tackle the number of infections linked to the school, which caters for children with special educational needs.

The Echo said it understood that the school closed for a week as it attempted to stop the growth in infections.

Millstead Primary School declined to comment when contacted by The Telegraph.

When the public is invited in to see the view from the Buckingham Palace balcony for the first time next week, they will walk in the footsteps of the Royal family.

Perhaps unexpectedly, those footsteps will take them past hundreds of gold dragons from floor to ceiling, a Buddha statue that blows incense through its mouth and all the way up to arguably the most famous net curtains in the world.

Inside the Centre Room at the palace, opened up at the request of the King, a first cohort of visitors will be allowed to peer out at where crowds gather for jubilees, royal weddings and birthdays.

There is just one thing missing from a true royal outing: the television in the corner, watched by the King and his family on major national occasions so they can take in the full view down The Mall.

The television has been hidden away for the tour, but visitors will be able to see for themselves why it is needed: the Queen Victoria Memorial directly in front of the balcony blocks the view of crowds ahead.

Instead, tourists will – for the first time – see exactly what kings and queens have seen for generations, from the distinctive interior decorations of the East Wing to the Changing of the Guard below.

There are no ropes, no cordons and no glass protecting the centuries-old artefacts, most of which were collected and commissioned by George IV for Brighton Pavilion before being moved en masse to Buckingham Palace in 1850 after the new wing was built.

Some 6,000 visitors will walk through the East Wing this summer, in a trial opening of the private rooms of the palace which have been conserved and refurbished as part of a wider £369 million, 10-year project.

The King was the driving force behind the opening and was given his own tour to sign off on what visitors would see.

It begins in the Yellow Drawing Room, previously used as a meeting room for palace staff and where Elizabeth II recorded her Christmas address to the nation in 2004, moving through the 240ft-long “Principal Corridor” to the Centre Room.

Visitors will not be allowed to stand on the balcony, which is lower than it appears from afar and has wire cables and lighting on its floor.

Those who look closely as they walk will see dozens of hidden details which have never been visible before, even in rarely-released photographs of the rooms.

At knee height, there are table legs carved to look like Chinese men. 

Under a large portrait by Thomas Gainsborough sits a Buddha figure, revealed to be an incense burner which blows smoke from its mouth.

If ticket-holders crouch down, they may spot the figure of a nodding statue of a man under one of the tables.

The style is known as “Chinoiserie”, commissioned to emulate the art and design of China and Japan at a time when it was little known in the West.

Most items were acquired by George IV for Brighton Pavillion, which was sold off in 1850 by Queen Victoria to finance the 1847-9 construction of the East Wing to accommodate her growing family.

The opulent decor was moved to London via 143 shipments on artillery carts, where it transformed the bare walls and corridors of the new wing to a colourful home where images of birds, flowers, butterflies and fish mix with large traditional royal portraits and chandeliers.

Just as Victoria and Albert’s children may have counted the hundreds of gold dragons perched on ceilings, fireplaces, vases and curtain poles, so the new generation of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis can do the same 175 years on.

Some of the rooms will be familiar to the public via photographs: this week, the West Indies cricket team was hosted in one of the reception rooms, and the late Queen posed for portraits in the Yellow Drawing Room due to its exceptional natural light.

Large decorative pagodas can be found in the corners, with thick curtain poles carved to look like palm trees overhead and flower patterned carpets below.

Where there were once candles, there are now electric versions which have been rewired in a project which has seen every floorboard taken up and 3,500 works of art removed for conservation.

Just a handful of changes have been made over the years, with Queen Mary putting in wallpaper and bringing silk hangings out of storage, but the “vast majority” is unchanged since Prince Albert oversaw original plans.

Yellow sofas have now been moved back into the drawing room to allow members of the Royal family to use it comfortably for receptions and audiences.

Among the conservation work carried out has been the glass chandelier, shaped to resemble a lotus flower, in the Centre Room, along with the 18th-century hand-painted Chinese wallpaper in the Yellow Drawing Room which was removed and cleaned.

Following analysis of historic paint pigments, the walls of the Principal Corridor have been returned to their original green colour scheme.

Tickets for this year’s tours sold out within hours, although if successful it is thought the East Wing could be made a permanent part of the Buckingham Palace tour along with a Summer Opening that gives entry to 19 state rooms each year.

This year, the tours will finish in the palace ballroom, where a recent portrait of the King by Jonathan Yeo is on temporary display.

Sir Keir Starmer will use his first two international summits to “strengthen” ties to the EU.

The Prime Minister said he would use the 75th anniversary gathering of Nato states in Washington to tell European leaders he wants closer ties with Brussels.

Sir Keir will then seek to further improve relations with EU countries at a conference at Blenheim Palace next week, which was originally organised by Rishi Sunak. 

The Prime Minister has brought David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, and John Healey, the Defence Secretary, with him to the Nato meeting as expected.  He has also taken the unusual step of inviting Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Europe minister. 

Asked why Mr Thomas-Symonds was attending, the Prime Minister said: “Look, this is straightforward. Because of the timing of the election, which was much discussed for other reasons, it has provided a really important window of opportunity for me and my team because we’ve got the Nato summit within a week of the election.

“So we get the opportunity to strengthen our relations with various of the Nato leaders and others obviously that are there, including EU leaders. Now that is a follow-up, if you like, on some of the phone calls that I’ve already had with international leaders that I’ve been doing since the King invited me to form a Government.”

Sir Keir said he would hammer home the message at the Blenheim Palace of the European Political Community (EPC). 

“We’ve got the EPC coming up at the tail end of next week, so that’s why I wanted Nick and David and John and me. I want to make sure we take full advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

“These are meetings that would probably take months and months and months for us to fit in as a team if we were not taking advantage of this summit for the purposes of those relations and the EPC.

“The central purpose is obviously all about Nato, but it is a very important opportunity to strengthen those relations. We built [the relations] in opposition with Nato allies, so I’ve spoken to a lot of Nato allies when I was leader of the opposition.

“I’ve taken the opportunity to speak to them on the phone very early on in this Government, and I want Nick here, David here and John here to double down on that.”

During the general election campaign, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, said she wanted to seek closer alignment with EU rules. She referenced chemicals and veterinary sector rules, better touring rights for UK artists and greater mutual recognition of qualifications for financial services workers.

Sir Keir also said he wanted to improve Britain’s defence and security relations with the EU.

A knifeman stabbed a fellow passenger on a London bus after the victim asked him to take his feet off the seats.

The victim, who was in his 50s, was attacked on a 64 bus in Croydon, south London. Detectives have issued a picture of a suspect they want to speak about the incident.

The attack took place at around 3am on June 4 after the suspect boarded and put his feet up on the seats. The victim confronted him and was then stabbed several times in the leg during a brief struggle.

The injured man managed to get to a hospital, where police were called. The suspect left the bus at East Croydon railway station.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Detectives investigating a stabbing aboard a bus in Croydon have released an image of a man they want to identify and speak with.

“Anyone who can name the man pictured should report online, dial 101 or post on X @‌MetCC quoting 923/4JUN24.”