LONDON // Their most resilient friends plan to carry on celebrating at Prince Harry's "survivor's breakfast". But today, Prince William and his princess, Catherine, will be enjoying their first breakfast together as a married couple.
An Abu Dhabi man is hoping their menu will feature a couple of packets of his limited-edition "his and her" cereal: Special Kate's and Wills' Royal O's.
Usamah Chaudhary, 25, the founder of the London-based Royal Breakfast Company, was raised in Dubai, where his father practised as an eye surgeon at Zayed Military Hospital.
His Special Kate's come "Approved by Grandma" and promise to get you "Closer to Royalty with every Bite!" Wills' Royal O's aim to "Put a Monarch in your Morning!" His company has produced 1,000 packets, with each pair numbered.
"Number 1 is at Clarence House as a wedding gift to William and Kate and some of the proceeds of the sales are going to IntoUniversity and Beatbullying - two of the charities chosen by William and Kate as part of the Charitable Gift Fund they set up when they got engaged," Mr Chaudhary said.
Certainly, it was seen as the sort of tongue-in-cheek gift that would appeal to the couple's well-known sense of fun.
Mr Chaudhary, a Cambridge graduate, was at Camp Royale on Clapham Common yesterday, selling sample boxes of his cereal to the thousands who headed for this patch of South London to spend a chill night, or three, under canvas, and view the wedding on a giant screen.
They were part of the estimated one million people who flooded London yesterday to witness Britain's royal wedding, police confirmed. There were more than 5,500 street parties.
Philip and Alexandra Broadhead, both 27, an estate agent and junior doctor from Bournemouth, travelled more than140km from the south coast to Camp Royale with their 22-month-old son, Felix. For Mr Broadhead the experience was worth the trip, and a few nights of discomfort.
"Our family are having a huge garden party in Bournemouth, but we thought it would be nice for Felix to be able to tell his children that he had been in London for the royal wedding. We thought it would be wonderful to be part of it," he said.
But battling to erect a tent in the brisk winds that whipped up on the eve of the wedding was not everybody's idea of a good time. For those who wanted to get involved without getting back to nature - or what passes for it on the common - there was the more glamorous "Glamping Zone", which offered canvas overhead, and goose-feather pillows and mattresses where it mattered.
One glamper had flown first class from New Zealand, landing at Heathrow on Thursday evening, according to the zone coordinator. From there she took a helicopter to a nearby helipad, where a Range Rover waited to whisk her to Camp Royale. It was hard not to think that, with that much money to spend - the Glamp Zone accommodation alone cost £3,500 (Dh21,000) - a suite in a five-star hotel might be a more tempting prospect than a tent in Clapham.
There had been fears that Camp Royale would go the way of Glastonbury Festival two years ago. Then, torrential rain combined with thousands of people tramping over Somerset farmland turned the site into a vast mud bath.
But, after a blustery start yesterday, the sun shone and thousands of Londoners ventured onto the common to swell the numbers of the campers who had stuck it out overnight.
There were little girls dressed as princesses, tots swamped in oversized royal wedding T-shirts, groups of friends happy to have the day off, girls wearing headpieces and party dresses, guys sporting boutonnieres and couples, young and old. All eyes were turned on the big screen and most anticipated event of the year.
The first glimpse of Kate's dress was cheered. The first utterance of "I will" was met with a roar of approval. Flags were flown, the chorus sung of the couple's choice of hymn, Jerusalem, and all rose for the national anthem.
One London lawyer, Finella Fogarty, 33, was there with her mother, Fran, and naval officer fiancé Roger. She said: "I remember my uncle taking me to Diana and Charles's wedding. I was only little and he lifted me up on his shoulders.
"We went to Hyde Park for Diana's funeral. Perhaps it sounds a bit odd but I remember it was a sunny day and the atmosphere was very calm, almost magical.
"On an occasion like today's you just want to be at the heart of it - part of the atmosphere."
Theirs was a sentiment shared by many campers, each of whom paid £75 for three nights. In fact, many were looking forward to the carnival atmosphere and celebrations after the wedding almost as much as the ceremony itself.
After the balcony kiss, broadcast commentary gave way to dance music pumped out over huge speakers erected on the common. If it was a party these royal fans were hoping for, they certainly weren't disappointed.
lcollins@thenational.ae
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity