(LONDON) — David Beckham joined the miles-long queue Friday to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
The soccer legend joined the hundred of thousands of people waiting in line for hours to pay respects to the monarch, who is currently lying in state at Westminster Hall ahead of her state funeral on Monday.
“I grew up in a household of royalists and I was brought up that way,” Beckham told ITV News from the queue. “If my grandparents would have been here today I know that they would have wanted to be here, so I am here on their behalf and on behalf of my family.”
The former Manchester United star is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, with whom he shares four children, sons Brooklyn, 23; Romeo, 20; and Cruz, 17; as well as daughter Harper, 11.
“It’s a sad day, but it’s a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she left,” he said of the queen, adding that “Her Majesty meant so much in so many different ways.”
Beckham said he was “lucky to have a few moments” with the queen throughout his life and career, noting that the “most special moment” for him was receiving his Officer of the Order of the British Empire distinction, or OBE, which was bestowed on him by Elizabeth herself in 2003.
Elizabeth died Sept. 8 at age 96 and is the longest-reigning British monarch, having held the throne for 70 years.
The late queen’s eldest son King Charles III has since inherited the throne.
(LONDON) — The death of Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for seven decades, has brought about a moment of transition for the British monarchy. And that also applies to the monarchy’s finances.
King Charles III, her son, ascended to the throne but likely will not be officially crowned for months. Currency in Britain and Commonwealth countries worldwide still features Elizabeth, and it remains unclear when Charles will appear on money.
For now, the royal family joins Britain in a national mourning period until Sept. 19, the day her funeral takes place.
Questions have already surfaced, however, about the inheritance of Elizabeth’s personal wealth, which totals in the hundreds of millions of dollars; as well as the fate of the British monarchy’s fortune, which stands in the tens of billions, according to Fortune.
The succession marks a transition period for the royal family’s assets, which include a vast set of valuable properties across Britain. Those assets yield annual profit to the British government and the royal family, but some Britons have questioned whether the financial arrangement ultimately benefits Britain, especially as it faces economic difficulty amid sky-high inflation.
Further interest focuses on the outlook for the powerful brand affiliated with the royal family, which draws tourists to Britain from around the world and appears on merchandise emblazoned with the royal coat of arms.
Here’s what you need to know about the British monarchy’s finances:
What was Elizabeth’s net worth and what happens to it now?
The net worth of Elizabeth — not including the wealth of the monarchy as a whole — stands in the hundreds of millions but the exact figure remains shrouded in mystery, since the House of Windsor does not release information on her total assets.
Fortune estimates Elizabeth’s net worth at $500 million. While expert David McClure, in his 2020 book The Queen’s True Worth, pegged her assets at $468 million.
Elizabeth derived her personal wealth from expensive goods like jewelry and art, as well as investment holdings and real estate. Her portfolio of privately held real estate included Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in England.
Charles is expected to inherit much of Queen Elizabeth’s personal wealth, though some of her fortune is tied up with monarchy holdings and could follow a more complicated path of inheritance.
How much wealth does the royal family have and where does it come from?
The wealth of the royal family, also known as “The Firm,” stands at an estimated $28 billion, according to Fortune.
The largest source of wealth for the royal family is the Crown Estate — a large portfolio of assets valued at $19.2 billion, according to a report from the Crown Estate. The Crown Estate includes more than 191,000 acres of rural land, including the famed Windsor Castle; as well as retail and leisure businesses and high-end London properties.
The royal family owns the Crown Estate in name only, however, since it falls under the control of the British government. The government, in turn, provides 25% of the profit the Crown Estate generates to the royal family from the national treasury in what’s called the “Sovereign Grant,” which essentially amounts to a subsidy from taxpayers. Last year, the grant totaled $99.4 million, a financial report from the Crown Estate showed.
Another major source of wealth for the royal family is The Duchy of Cornwall, a vast property valued at $1.2 billion. The estate, established in 1337 and made up of land across Britain, traditionally gets passed down to the heir to the throne upon succession, so it will transfer from Charles to his eldest son, William.
The Duchy of Lancaster, another centuries-old estate, is valued at $942.05 million. The profits from this estate go to the reigning monarch.
Additional wealth associated with the royal family centers on its brand, which generates $2.03 billion in economic activity for Britain each year by drawing global tourists, enhancing the value of merchandise emblazoned with a Royal Warrant or a Coat of Arms and adding to the appeal of television shows about the monarchy, according to a 2017 examination conducted by public relations research firm BrandFinance.
Does the British royal family pay taxes?
The British royal family pays some taxes but avoids others levied on wealthy families in Britain.
For instance, Charles will not pay inheritance taxes on the hundreds of millions in assets he will likely receive from Elizabeth. However, for others in Britain, any inheritance valued over $380,000 is slapped with a 40% tax.
Similarly, the royal family does not have a legal obligation to pay the country’s capital gains tax or income tax, according to a “Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation” published by the government in 2013.
Charles, however, has voluntarily paid a 45% income tax on money he has taken in from the Duchy of Cornwall.
Other taxes paid by the royal family include capital gains and income taxes incurred by Elizabeth and Charles from their personal wealth. For decades, the two most powerful figures in the royal family have also paid such taxes on income from royal assets when those were not used in an official capacity.
Some members of the British public question whether the royal family should be allowed to forgo some taxes. The frustration, they argue, is particularly pronounced at a time of economic difficulty for the United Kingdom, when inflation stands at an elevated rate of 9.9%.
“It’s hard to justify that, especially when so many people are struggling,” a resident of Britain told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Wednesday.
Even though he’s in the midst of his Rock N Roll Cowboy Tour, Jason Aldean is making time for family: He recently posted a sweet snapshot of his youngest daughter, Navy, captioning the image “Daddy’s girl.”
In the photo, 3-year-old Navy — who Jason shares with wife Brittany Aldean — is relaxing on her dad’s lap with his arms around her. The snap shows the tattoo Jason got of her name on his forearm.
Both Jason and Brittany frequently share pictures of their family life together, giving fans a peek into home life with Navy and her big brother, 4-year-old Memphis.
Memphis recently joined his dad onstage in Maine and “even gave the fans ‘The Salute’ at the end of the show,” the proud dad posted on social media at the time.
Jason is also dad to two teenage daughters, Keeley and Kendyl, who he shares with his first wife, Jessica Ussery.
Steely Dan‘s first seven studio albums, released from 1972 through 1980 on ABC and MCA Records, will be reissued on vinyl as part of a yearlong campaign, set to kick off this November.
The initiative is being overseen by founding Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen and will feature the release of the albums on 180-gram vinyl, limited-edition premium Ultra High-Quality Vinyl mastered at 45 rpm and on the Super Audio CD format aka SACD.
The reissue campaign begins November 4 with the rerelease of the band’s 1972 debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, which featured hits “Do It Again” and “Reelin’ In the Years,” as well as the enduring gem “Dirty Work.” The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified Platinum.
The other six reissues — 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, 1974’s Pretzel Logic, 1975’s Katy Lied, 1976’s The Royal Scam, 1977’s Aja and 1980’s Gaucho — will be released periodically throughout 2022 and 2023.
All of the albums are being meticulously remastered, most of them from the original analog tapes.
The Ultra High-Quality Vinyl versions are pressed on 200-gram vinyl and will be packaged in a box that includes a booklet explaining the creation of the superior-quality disc, along with a certificate of inspection.
You can preorder the Can’t Buy a Thrill reissue now.
Wolfgang Van Halen has announced a deluxe version of his band Mammoth WVH‘s self-titled debut album.
The expanded collection is due out November 11 and includes three bonus tracks: “Talk & Walk,” which was previously exclusive to the Japanese version of the album, and the previously unreleased songs “As Long As You’re Not You” and “Goodbye.”
The original Mammoth WVH was released in June 2021. It includes the singles “Don’t Back Down,” “Epiphany” and “Distance,” Wolf’s tribute song to his late father, the iconic Eddie Van Halen.
Mammoth WVH is heading to Europe with Alter Bridge in November, followed by a U.S. tour with Myles Kennedy and company that’ll launch January 2023. Before that, Wolf will perform at the Los Angeles Taylor Hawkins tribute concert on September 27; he played Foo Fighters‘ London tribute show earlier this month.
The next era of Paramore is officially about to begin.
Hayley Williams and company have announced a new single called “This Is Why,” which will premiere on September 28. You can presave it now.
“This Is Why” is the first fresh offering from Paramore in five years. The group’s most recent album is 2017’s After Laughter, which spawned the single “Hard Times.”
The single announcement comes after Paramore launched a mysterious calendar on their website earlier this week. Initially, Friday’s date, September 16, was left blank but now reads, “presave t.i.w.”
The next marked date on the calendar is Monday, September 19, which promises Paramore will “start spreading the news.”
Meanwhile, Paramore is set to launch a U.S. tour in October, marking the band’s first live dates since 2018.
Charlie Puth‘s new album CHARLIE is coming out October 7, and he’s now announced he’ll be bringing his new songs live to fans this fall.
Charlie’s One Night Only tour gets underway in Red Bank in his home state of New Jersey on October 23 and wraps up in Los Angeles on November 9. Tickets go on sale to the general public on September 23 at 10 a.m. local time.
A presale is available to fans who have Old Navy, Gap, Athleta or Banana Republic store credit cards: That starts September 19 at 10 a.m. local time. Visit charlieputh.com/tour to access the presale.
Charlie has also released a new track from CHARLIE today: “I Don’t Think That I Like Her,” featuring Travis Barker on drums. It follows the previously released tracks “Left and Right,” “Light Switch,” “That’s Hilarious” and “Smells Like Me.”
(WASHINGTON) — After trying for weeks to hammer out a compromise to codify gay and interracial marriage, Senate negotiators announced Thursday they will delay a vote on their legislation until after the November election while expressing confidence it will eventually pass.
“Through bipartisan collaboration, we’ve crafted commonsense language that respects religious liberty and Americans’ diverse beliefs, while upholding our view that marriage embodies the highest ideals of love, devotion, and family. We’ve asked Leader Schumer for additional time and we appreciate he has agreed. We are confident that when our legislation comes to the Senate floor for a vote, we will have the bipartisan support to pass the bill,” the group said in a statement.
“It takes a lot of the political sting out of it to say this is not about the midterm election,” said GOP negotiator Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio whose own son came out as gay several years ago.
“This is about getting a result that helps a million families across America who are concerned about what might happen,” Portman added.
When asked if she was disappointed in the delay, lead GOP sponsor Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told ABC, “No. I think we’re in very good shape, very good shape, and I think this bill is going to pass.”
“I think we managed to thread the needle on the religious liberty concerns,” added Collins, referencing a primary concern of would-be GOP supporters.
Supporters had hoped to kick off consideration of their bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, as early as Thursday, but the GOP concerns — including a last-minute issue with potentially jeopardizing the tax exempt status of churches and non-profit schools with policies perceived as anti-gay — mounted as negotiators tried to find the requisite 10 GOP Republican votes to get by a filibuster by others in their conference.
“We have just put together language that is finalized. That has tremendous, I think, respect for the input that we’ve received on religious freedom. But the fact of the matter is it’s only about 18 hours old –– less than that, and we think that it’s fair for the members who are interested, who have worked with us, to give them an opportunity to do that,” said Sen Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who helped rally GOP support.
“And, you know, there have been some that said the timing of the vote was political. This is clearly, I think, a situation where we want to make our members feel comfortable with it. And I’m confident that we’ll ultimately pass it,” said Tillis.
“I think that’s a wise decision,” GOP Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri told reporters of the pushed-back vote, adding, “It will get more votes.”
When asked why it was wise, Blunt, a respected, longtime member of the “whip” teams in both chambers of Congress who corral votes and is retiring at year’s end, said, “I think if you do it after the election, it’s clearly not something that you’re doing just for political purpose. And I think people will think about it more thoughtfully because of that, and a handful of them likely to decide to be somewhere after the election that they wouldn’t have been with a vote that was purely – at least likely – a political ploy.”
Sen Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a devout Mormon who has worked with negotiators on religious liberty concerns said those had been addressed, but he praised the delay, regardless.
“It’s, in my opinion, an indication they want to see something become law, not just a message, which is good news,” said Romney.
Negotiators worked throughout Thursday with the primary Democratic sponsors, Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema, buttonholing Republicans as they passed in the chamber earlier for an unrelated vote, showing them bill text.
Sinema joking that her silver-spiked tennis shoes were for getting members going and coming in the chamber.
Portman could be seen going through the group’s latest bill changes line by line with Blunt.
Not everyone was happy with the delay, though.
“If there are Republicans who don’t want to vote on that before the election, I assume it is because they are in the wrong side of history,” said a visibly irritated Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. “Equal marriage has been a part of who we are as a nation. We’ve lived with it for years now. And protecting it by statute is something every single senator and every single member of Congress should be willing to vote for. And if they’re not, they need to go on the record and say so.”
The Respect for Marriage Act passed the House in mid-July with a surprising 47 Republicans voting for it.
That measure is expected to be amended in the Senate, forcing it back to the House for reconsideration. That could prove awkward in a lame duck session if Republicans retake that chamber in the midterms. Speaker Pelosi and her team would be shepherding that bill back through before the GOP takes control in January.
Taylor Swift has been teasing the different colored vinyl versions of her upcoming album Midnights, all of which come with different artwork on the back covers. Now, she’s revealing that if you get all four of the versions, you’ll get a special surprise.
“All right, I’ve been wanting to show you this for a while,” Taylor says in a new Instagram post while rocking ’70s-inspired makeup, hair and clothes. The room is wood-paneled, which also evokes the ’70s.
“So, we have four different covers for the Midnights album. And if you turn them over you there is obviously a back cover to each one of them, they’re each different,” she explains.
Cut to a shot of a wall where all four covers are hanging together to make a large square. The back of each cover has several numbers on it printed on a curve. Together, they form an entire circle of numbers from 12 to 11.
“What I wanted to show you is that if you put all the back covers together, she’s a clock,” Taylor explains. She then repeats, “It’s a clock! It’s a clock! It makes a clock! It can help you tell time.”
She then goes and hugs the wall, saying, “Oh my God, it looks so amazing!”
Conveniently, Taylor is also selling the hands of the clock and shelves to mount the album jackets on, which will make the clock, y’know, work.
Midnights comes out October 21. It’s available in Jade Green, Blood Moon, Mahogany and Moonstone Blue colored vinyl editions. Apparently, the clock trick works with the CD versions of the album as well.
The Emmy-winning series M*A*S*H debuted on CBS 50 years ago this Saturday. It first aired September 17, 1972.
Based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, written by former Army surgeon Richard Hooker, M*A*S*H was an adaptation of the 1970 big-screen film of the same name. Though set in the Korean War, M*A*S*H was also an anti-Vietnam War allegory, following the doctors and nurses of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital 4077.
The show starred Alan Alda as surgeon Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, Larry Linville as Maj. Frank Burns, Loretta Swit as head nurse, Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan and Jamie Farr as Cpl. Max Klinger, and it lasted on TV four times as long as the war in which it was set.
“Everybody on this show, all the writers and all the producers and directors and the actors were first class,” Farr told ABC Audio by phone. “They were just the top drawer.”
“They were the greatest bunch of people you could ever possibly work with. And we’re all honored to be a part of that series.”
M*A*S*H* earned 14 Emmy Awards in its 11-season run. TV executive and unofficial M*A*S*H* historian Dan Harrison explains the show broke the mold for television to come.
“It had … really form-busting episodes like ‘The Interview,’ which was shot in black and white and was done as a newsreel. There was an episode called ‘Lifetime,’ where it was done in real time trying to get an arterial graft done in 20 minutes …”
The result is “a show that feels a little bit more contemporary than today in 2022 than other shows that were produced 50 years ago,” Harrison says.
When M*A*S*H* ended on February 28, 1983, it broke the mold again, Harrison explains, when 105 million people tuned in. “While there are some Super Bowls due to population growth that have had more than 105 million viewers … that 60.2 rating is like Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak. It’s never going to be broken … by any show.”
