Monday evening UK news briefing: Prince Harry's tribute to 'legend of banter' grandfather Prince Philip

Your evening briefing from the Telegraph
Your evening briefing from the Telegraph
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Prince Harry has paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh as a "legend of banter" in a highly personal statement on his grandfather's death.

Describing Prince Philip as "a man of service, honour and great humour", the 36-year-old said the Duke had been "cheeky right 'til the end".

His informal tone, paying homage to the "master of the barbecue", came shortly after the Duke of Cambridge said he and the Duchess will "get on with the job" as the Duke of Edinburgh would have wished.

Prince William's statement praised Prince Philip's "century of life defined by service" and was accompanied by a touching photograph of an infant Prince George, below, sitting alongside his great-grandfather for a carriage drive.

MPs have also been paying tribute in Parliament and it emerged the Queen will resume her full workload, including next month's State Opening of Parliament, after just two weeks in mourning.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, with Prince George - Duchess of Cambridge
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, with Prince George - Duchess of Cambridge

The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral will be the first occasion that marks Prince Harry's change of status within the Royal family.

The Duke of Sussex may have to wear a suit, despite having served as an Army officer, while it is believed the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Earl of Wessex will attend the funeral in military uniform.

The funeral plans for Prince Philip will go ahead in full whatever the weather, it is understood, with no Plan B for rain or snow.

Read on for details of the preparations behind the scenes and here are the timings for Saturday.

Queues in streets as England's shops and pubs reopen

After months in the dark winter wilderness, the locked-down people of England have come out to shop, drink and be pampered. From today, pubs, bars and most other hospitality venues can reopen for outdoor table service or for takeaway services. In the early morning, crowds began to congregate outside stores - with some descending into chaos, while others formed orderly queues. Krissy Turner reveals what an Oxford Street shopping trip is like now. The pound rallied as England's economy began to reopen but some pub goers and shoppers had to contend with snow. William Sitwell was among the first to enjoy a meal at a restaurant, although it was not what he expected. Shane Watson outlines the five secret reasons we are glad the shops are back open.

It's not cricket: Wickets to become 'outs' for Hundred

Get ready for "outs" instead of wickets. In an effort to make cricket more accessible to new supporters, chiefs are ready to overhaul some of the game's historic terminology when the new Hundred format launches in July. One of the biggest changes will be that wickets will be described as "outs", while batsmen will be called batters in the men's form of the game. While no phrases will be banned, commentators will be encouraged to use new terminology when play begins on July 21.

At a glance: Coronavirus evening briefing

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

Cameron lobbying | The Government has commissioned a probe into David Cameron's attempt to lobby ministers on behalf of Greensill Capital. It comes after Mr Cameron broke his silence 30 days after the story first broke, issuing a statement in which he said there were "important lessons to be learned". Ben Wright outlines why Mr Cameron's non-apology creates more questions than answers.

Around the world: Police shooting sparks new protests

The army has been drafted in to keep the peace in Minneapolis following violent protests over the shooting of a 20-year-old black man by police. A curfew has been ordered and schoolswere shut "out of an abundance of caution" after the incident just ten miles from where George Floyd died while being arrested last year. Watch footage of the protests.

Monday interview

'We could have called it Unusual People'

 Brian and Domnhall Gleeson - Channel 4
Brian and Domnhall Gleeson - Channel 4

Their filthy and surreal sitcom is very funny – but for Brian and Domnhall Gleeson, making Frank of Ireland was just a chance to make their mum blush. The scions of Irish acting royalty tell Louis Wise about their country's odd humour

Read the full interview

Comment and analysis

Editor's choice: Features and arts

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  2. Midlife Fitness Files | 'As an obese A&E nurse, I was terrified of Covid so I lost almost six stone'

  3. What's the dress code again? | From black-tie to harem pants on the Baftas red carpet

Business and money briefing

$100bn club | Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the newest members of the elite global club for individuals with fortunes of more than $100bn (£73bn). The world's eight richest individuals have a combined wealth of more than $1 trillion. See who else is among them.

Sport briefing

The squealers | Football fans cannot come back soon enough. Not just because their return to stadia would be a significant step towards the return of normal life – but because they would drown out players falsely crying out in pain. Jason Burt highlights the five worst squealers in the Premier League, setting a terrible example to children.

Three things for tonight

And finally... for this evening's downtime

The suspects | Line of Duty spoiler alert! The BBC drama ended on the mother of all cliffhangers on Sunday. Catherine Gee assesses the likely identities of Joanne Davidson's DNA match.

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