Queen Elizabeth’s Health Triggers Anxiety Levels in London

The long-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II’s health after she missed mass on Christmas Day for the first time in six decades has fuelled enough fire over the next course of events in Buckingham Palace. The palace, however, said the queen had a “heavy cold” and preferred to stay indoors, though she would participate in other ceremonies.

Queen Elizabeth II is longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom surpassing the earlier record created by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who took over India’s Queen in 1857, heralding the long British rule in the country. She is the only monarch who has visited over 115 countries so far.

Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, at the age of 25 years and now she is 90. While other media outlets rubbished the reports in some quarters of the British media, the BBC said it was merely "undue concern”.

The queen has four children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. The ledest Prince Charles is the heir to the throne even if the Queen relinquishes her throne or dies.

TN Cabinet Seeks Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa, Bronze Statue in Parliament

Jayalalithaa

The Tamil Nadu cabinet on Saturday decided to recommend J. Jayalalithaa’s name for India’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Bharat Ratna’ and installation of her life-size bronze statue in Parliament complex.

“A resolution was adopted in the Cabinet to recommend to the Centre to award Bharat Ratna to honourable Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa,” said an official statement after the cabinet meeting today. It said a memorial building will be built for both MG Ramachandran (MGR) and J. Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile, opposition to her aide Sasikala Natarajan’s continuation in the Veda Nilayam residence of Poes Garden in Chennai is emerging from different quarters though the party, AIADMK, has kept silence on the issue of Jayalalithaa’s properties amounting to about Rs.113 crore,  including movable assets of Rs. 41.63 crore and immovable assets of Rs. 72.09 crore.

The question over Sasikala inheriting the property has sent out mixed reaction. She came into Jayalalithaa’s life as an aide and caretaker in 1991 when she was about 34 years. Since then, all that one knew about her was that she was a close associate and caregiver.

Except for her brief expulsions twice, she had been with Jayalalithaa both at home, in election campaigns, tours, temple visits and vacations, including the jail term in Bangalore over Disproportionate Assets case. The AIADMK party cadre and leaders knew that Jayalalithaa had always kept Sashikala in high esteem as her sister in the last 35 years.

She was expelled from the house twice but it did not last for more than 100 days. Sasikala had even abandoned her husband and son to be with Jayalalithaa, a fact that the party may consider to keep her the de facto heir to Jayalalithaa.