LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will celebrate 60 years on the throne next month along with huge crowds expected for a pop concert at Buckingham Palace, a grand procession through the streets of London and a 1,000-strong flotilla along the River Thames.

The Diamond Jubilee comes just over a year after the royal wedding of Prince William, the queen’s grandson, to Kate Middleton, a spectacular display of pomp and pageantry which has boosted the monarchy’s popularity at home and abroad.

While international media attention has focused on the young Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since their marriage, in early June it is the queen who will be in the limelight as she becomes only the second British monarch to mark the milestone.

Queen Victoria also made it to 60 years in 1897, although the vast British Empire she reigned over at that time has all but vanished and royalty has become a largely symbolic institution with few real powers.

The queen has less than four years to go to become the longest serving British monarch, but she trails Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the longest-serving living head of state.

Despite her age, courtiers and many commentators believe that 86-year-old Elizabeth remains an important figurehead in Britain and beyond, a symbol of stability and service that has taken on added weight during straitened economic times.

A poll published in Britain’s Guardian newspaper on Friday showed public support for the queen was at a record high in spite of harsh economic times and growing cyncism towards politicians following a number of high-profile scandals.

LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron gave the job of ruling on a multi-billion dollar takeover by News Corp to a minister he knew supported the deal, an inquiry heard on Thursday, reigniting accusations he was in hock to Rupert Murdoch.

Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary who was handed the task of deciding whether to support Murdoch’s $12 billion bid for BSkyB, had previously sent a memo to Cameron detailing his view that the takeover would be good for Britain.

Critics say Cameron was far too close to figures at Murdoch’s British newspaper arm News International and assiduously courted them in his drive to become Prime Minister.

He has since been embarrassed by a series of revelations shedding light on the close ties, including the details of weekend gatherings with Murdoch family members and executives at their respective country homes.

However, the suggestion of impropriety over the BSkyB deal, which required the government to take an independent, quasi-judicial stance, could be even more damaging and piles more pressure on an already embattled Hunt.

“The Prime Minister should never have given him the job,” said Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the opposition Labour party. “It is clear that Jeremy Hunt was not the impartial arbiter he was required to be, and he should already have resigned.”

The takeover has become a key issue in the long-running controversy in Britain over whether Murdoch and his newspaper executives have undue influence over government, in part because the tabloids can be used to make or break a political career.

LONDON (Reuters) – New York’s police chief said on Wednesday he was impressed with security planning for this summer’s London Olympics, rejecting suggestions that U.S. officials were concerned about arrangements for the games which start next month.

Commissioner Raymond Kelly said London’s police and security planning was far more comprehensive and organised than had been the case for the Atlanta games in 1996 in which he was personally involved in a federal government role.

“It seems they really have a handle on just about any contingency that might take place,” Kelly told Reuters in London during a trip to meet Olympic security chiefs, senior London police and officials at Britain’s MI5 domestic security agency.

“We’ve been universally very much impressed with everything we’ve seen. As far as I can see they have done an excellent job preparing all of their forces.”

Last November, the United States denied that there had been a diplomatic row over the Olympic security planning, following a newspaper claim that 1,000 agents including some 500 from the FBI, would be sent to protect U.S. athletes and officials.

Chris Allison, Britain’s national Olympic security coordinator, said the claim was rubbish and that the reported FBI contingent had been grossly exaggerated.

“I think the FBI role is a supportive one. I don’t think they’re here with specific concerns,” Kelly said, dismissing the idea that the London police needed their assistance.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) – New York’s police chief said on Wednesday he was impressed with security planning for this summer’s London Olympics, rejecting suggestions that U.S. officials were concerned about arrangements for the games which start next month.

Commissioner Raymond Kelly said London’s police and security planning was far more comprehensive and organised than had been the case for the Atlanta games in 1996 in which he was personally involved in a federal government role.

“It seems they really have a handle on just about any contingency that might take place,” Kelly told Reuters in London during a trip to meet Olympic security chiefs, senior London police and officials at Britain’s MI5 domestic security agency.

“We’ve been universally very much impressed with everything we’ve seen. As far as I can see they have done an excellent job preparing all of their forces.”

Last November, the United States denied that there had been a diplomatic row over the Olympic security planning, following a newspaper claim that 1,000 agents including some 500 from the FBI, would be sent to protect U.S. athletes and officials.

Chris Allison, Britain’s national Olympic security coordinator, said the claim was rubbish and that the reported FBI contingent had been grossly exaggerated.

“I think the FBI role is a supportive one. I don’t think they’re here with specific concerns,” Kelly said, dismissing the idea that the London police needed their assistance.

LONDON (Reuters) – MP Tom Watson, an outspoken critic of Rupert Murdoch who played a prominent role in exposing phone hacking at his British newspaper business, said on Tuesday politicians had been scared of being targeted by the media mogul’s tabloids.

Watson, a member of the opposition Labour Party, said ministers and members of Parliament (MPs) had been unwilling to take on Murdoch’s News International because of its “mystique” and the threat of “ridicule and humiliation.”

“I think they closed their minds to the potential for a major scandal at one of their key outlets for their message,” Watson told a public inquiry into media ethics headed by senior Judge Brian Leveson.

“I think the personal relations between politicians and the people at the company were fibrous and close so they couldn’t divorce their objective thinking. And I think they were frightened,” he added.

Watson was speaking shortly before MPs agreed to refer three former Murdoch executives to a parliamentary watchdog over allegations they misled a legislators’ inquiry into phone hacking.

MPs on the Standards and Privileges Committee will consider whether to sanction ex-News International chief Les Hinton, the now defunct News of the World’s former top lawyer Tom Crone and the tabloid’s last editor Colin Myler.

An all-party committee investigating phone hacking, which concluded this month that Rupert Murdoch was not fit to run a major international company, said the former executives had given it misleading evidence, a claim all three deny.

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) – British lawmaker Tom Watson, an outspoken critic of Rupert Murdoch who played a prominent role in exposing phone hacking at his British newspaper business, said on Tuesday politicians had been scared of being targeted by the media mogul’s tabloids.

Watson, a member of the opposition Labour Party, said ministers and members of Parliament (MPs) had been unwilling to take on Murdoch’s News International because of its “mystique” and the threat of “ridicule and humiliation.”

“I think they closed their minds to the potential for a major scandal at one of their key outlets for their message,” Watson told a public inquiry into media ethics headed by senior Judge Brian Leveson.

“I think the personal relations between politicians and the people at the company were fibrous and close so they couldn’t divorce their objective thinking. And I think they were frightened,” he added.

Watson was speaking shortly before MPs agreed to refer three former Murdoch executives to a parliamentary watchdog over allegations they misled a legislators’ inquiry into phone hacking.

MPs on the Standards and Privileges Committee will consider whether to sanction ex-News International chief Les Hinton, the now defunct News of the World’s former top lawyer Tom Crone and the tabloid’s last editor Colin Myler.

An all-party committee investigating phone hacking, which concluded this month that Rupert Murdoch was not fit to run a major international company, said the former executives had given it misleading evidence, a claim all three deny.

LONDON (Reuters) – Fifteen years ago, the death of Princess Diana left Britain’s royal family looking shattered, outdated and even in danger of extinction, tarred by embarrassing scandals, wrecked marriages, and a monarchy that seemed hopelessly out of touch.

Now, millions are set to flock to London next month to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne, with gushing newspapers running photos of the royals on front pages almost daily and barely a whiff of discontent in the air.

Sports stars are happy to be pictured with them, while pop singer and reality TV judge Cheryl Cole, a darling of the British media and rarely out of the limelight, even dreams of marrying Elizabeth’s grandson, Prince Harry.

Far from being a stuffy relic of the past, the royal family, it seems, are now “cool”.

“They’re in vogue, they’re the flavour of the month,” said Mark Borkowski, one of Britain’s leading public relations experts, describing the image turnaround as amazing.

“But make no mistake. To get to this point has taken a huge amount of clever husbandry.”

The most obvious demonstration of the enduring royal pulling power and global appeal was last April’s wedding of Prince William, son of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, to Kate Middleton.

LONDON (Reuters) – Rebekah Brooks, a close confidante of Rupert Murdoch, was charged on Tuesday with interfering with a police investigation into a phone-hacking scandal that has rocked the tycoon’s media empire and sent shockwaves through the British political establishment.

Brooks was charged with concealing material from detectives, conspiring to remove boxes of archive records from Murdoch’s London headquarters, and hiding documents, computers and other electronic equipment from the police.

The news is a personal blow for Murdoch and also embarrassing for British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was close friends with Brooks and her husband and sent her messages of support when the alleged offences took place.

“I have concluded … there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction,” said Alison Levitt, Principal Legal Advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“All these matters relate to the ongoing police investigation into allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers,” Levitt said.

Also charged were Brooks’s racehorse trainer husband Charlie Brooks, her secretary and other staff including her driver and security officials from News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch’s News Corp media empire.

The maximum sentence for perverting the course of justice is theoretically a life prison term.

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) – Rebekah Brooks, a close confidante of Rupert Murdoch, was charged on Tuesday with interfering with a police investigation into a phone-hacking scandal that has rocked the tycoon’s media empire and sent shockwaves through the British political establishment.

Brooks was charged with concealing material from detectives, conspiring to remove boxes of archive records from Murdoch’s London headquarters, and hiding documents, computers and other electronic equipment from the police.

The news is a personal blow for Murdoch and also embarrassing for British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was close friends with Brooks and her husband and sent her messages of support when the alleged offences took place.

“I have concluded … there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction,” said Alison Levitt, Principal Legal Advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“All these matters relate to the ongoing police investigation into allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers,” Levitt said.

Also charged were Brooks’s racehorse trainer husband Charlie Brooks, her secretary and other staff including her driver and security officials from News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch’s News Corp media empire.

The maximum sentence for perverting the course of justice is theoretically a life prison term.

LONDON (Reuters) – Rebekah Brooks, a former top lieutenant in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, will learn on Tuesday whether she will be charged as part of a phone-hacking scandal at one of his British newspapers.

Police launched an investigation in January last year into allegations that journalists at the News of the World tabloid regularly hacked the voicemails of phones of people from celebrities and politicians to victims of crime.

More than 40 people, including Brooks and Prime Minister David Cameron’s former media chief, have since been arrested by detectives investigating whether staff hacked into computers and made payments to public officials, including the police, to get exclusive stories.

Last month, police handed prosecutors four files of evidence against 11 suspects to see if charges should be brought against them over possible offences including perverting the course of justice and interception of communications.

Brooks, former chief executive of News International, News Corp’s British newspaper arm, and an ex-editor of the News of the World, will learn tomorrow if she will be charged.

Her husband Charlie, a race horse owner and columnist, and five other non-journalists will also learn their fate. If charged, they will be the first to face criminal prosecutions over a scandal which has rocked the British establishment.

It would not only be potentially damaging to Murdoch’s News Corp empire but also embarrassing for Cameron, who is close friends of Brooks and her husband, with whom he went to one of the most elite British schools.