Follow the latest news from the coronation of King Charles here
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will ride in the third carriage for the coronation of King Charles III.
The Gloucesters are a low-profile senior royal couple who are known to be among the hardest-working front-line members of the family.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is the second son of Prince Henry and Princess Alice, and a cousin to Queen Elizabeth II.
He attends national and international events in support of the head of state, and also takes part in many public duties and charity engagements each year.
The prince is the youngest of the nine grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary.
That makes him, as a first cousin once removed to King Charles, 30th in line to the British throne.
Henry, Prince Richard’s father, was the younger brother of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth’s father.
Prince Richard never expected to be Duke of Gloucester or a “working royal”.
He was what is commonly known in royal circles as a “spare”. In line with the title of Prince Harry's autobiography, British aristocratic families refer to the second son as a “spare” — a family's fortunes are secured by having an heir and a spare.
But in 1972, his elder brother, William, died in a plane crash, making him the heir when their father died two years later.
The prince, 78, and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, live at Old Stables, a cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London.
Tim Laurence
Vice Admiral Laurence, a retired Royal Navy officer who was equerry to the queen from 1986 to 1989, is the second husband of Princess Anne. They were married in 1992.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1973 as a midshipman and was promoted to lieutenant in 1977. He was made rear admiral in 2004.
He has served on several ships, including the HMS Cumberland and the HMS Montrose, and was briefly the navigating officer on the royal yacht Britannia.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4
Price, base: Dh145,000
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
