I have had the privilege of conversing with a number of the world’s great leaders. 

These conversations have not only yielded substantial information, but have been instructive on how to have a productive, enjoyable, and memorable conversation.  

Through these talks I began to see that the delivery of the conversation is as important as the content itself, and that natural curiosity in others is one of the most valuable traits a person can have. 

The good news is that this skill can be acquired.

I remember one of my first bosses, a senior corporate executive. I was incredibly frustrated because he had the habit of starting every meeting with at least 10 minutes of small talk before getting down to business. In my inexperience, I thought this was a useless waste of time. 

I finally caught the strategy. During the introductory banter, he was building bridges that he could cross when the talk became more specific and detailed — maybe even heated. He was creating mutual trust through his natural curiosity in others.

The Queen of England, clocking in as the world’s longest reigning head of state, was to me by far the best purveyor of the art of conversation. Having had the opportunity to talk with her on many occasions over several years, I was flabbergasted at how she had honed the skill to perfection.

“Jim,” she would say, “what do you think about the increasing use of computers today?" (After I had arranged for one to be given to her from the American people for her personal use.) “What’s in that drink you’re having tonight? Tell me about it …” commenting on what I had ordered when she took us to dinner at Trader Vic’s in San Francisco. 

It could be anything. Trivial or significant. It was, however, always focused on me — as if I were the important one. She never, ever talked about herself or complained about anything. The focus was always on the other person and delivered as if she were really interested in my answers. 

George and Barbara Bush had similar skills. They were expert at deflecting attention from themselves. I remember telling her she was doing a great job as First Lady — which was true. I wanted to tell her why I thought so. 

She would have nothing of it. She immediately started asking me about my daughters and how they were doing in school. In this case, I had started the conversation about her and she miraculously turned it back to me!

George Bush had these skills as well, and is famous for his prolific letter writing and verbal communicating.  Have a look at these letters and you see a person intent on showing interest in his subjects rather than himself.

Have you ever had a conversation and later realized that during the talk no one asked any questions about each other? There is a serious cost when leaders pay little attention to others. If you lack the ability to define the person, it is much harder to negotiate with him or her and conclude with a positive outcome.

Here are three ways to improve the circulation of ideas through useful conversation — and increase the likelihood of successful negotiations at the same time.

1. Recognize and accept the fact that extreme self-centeredness is crippling, and that it can result in the failure of effective communication.  

People don’t change their personalities and narcissistic tendencies all that easily. The first step though, is to recognize the price we pay for insufficient interest in others.

Lost business deals, failed governmental negotiations, poor personal relationships, and doomed marriages can be costly if we do not at least attempt a sincere level of interest in other people. 

Admitting the problem is the beginning of the solution. Becoming an outward-facing person with genuine interest in others does not happen overnight, but there are a few key skills that will help move you in the right direction.

Becoming more interested in the views of others than in your own opinions makes life more interesting at the most personal level — and more successful when the stakes are bigger.

2. Conduct thorough due diligence on the other person. 

Prepare yourself for any discussion, meeting, or negotiation by researching the background and life details of the person with whom you are meeting. If you do not do this, you may be walking in blind to a situation that could waste time for everyone because you are ignorant of what the other person is bringing to the table. 

This research is easy to conduct online. Once the meeting starts, you can deploy the information strategically to show that you took the time to learn more about the individual prior to the meeting. 

When I worked in the White House, we prepared the president with extensive briefing books about the people with whom he was meeting. We also produced videos illustrating how the other leaders walked, talked, and conducted themselves in various situations. 

This brought a high degree of texture to the person being profiled and contributed to the success of many bi-lateral meetings. 

You may not be the president, but you can utilize the same principles and access a good deal of data about the individuals in your meeting. 

3. Let the questions roll. 

When I am meeting someone for the first time, I put my curiosity to work. I usually ask them where they were born and brought up.

Do they have siblings? How long have they worked in their current capacity and how did they get into it? People are usually flattered by your asking these questions — if they are sincere. 

Ask these questions because you're genuinely interested in hearing the answers. If you are listening carefully, you can suggest a follow up, and soon you'll gain their confidence.

Most people like to talk about themselves and will not find it difficult to tell you helpful personal stories, if you ask the right way. These insights are indispensable in negotiation.

James Rosebush was a Reagan White House official and is now the CEO and founder of GrowthStrategy.us. His leadership column appears on Business Insider every Tuesday.

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This Thursday, Britain goes to the polls. It is a time of unprecedented confusion — the historic SNP surge, along with the rise of the Greens and UKIP, spells a clear end to the old two-party business. Weeks of uncertainty are likely to follow, and at least one of the party leaders is sure to lose their head.

But there is still one immovable constant in British politics.

Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952, a year before the death of Stalin. She has lived through the horrors of the Second World War, and met with Winston Churchill numerous times. She ruled through the presidencies of Truman, Nixon, JFK, Reagan and more.

Her Majesty has reigned for 63 years to date — and on September 9, 2015, she will become the longest-reigning British monarch ever.

Whoever holds the balance of power when the sun rises over Westminster on Friday morning, one thing is clear: Queen Elizabeth II will remain.

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Once the polls close tonight there will be two crucial decisions to watch for:

• Will the Conservatives' David Cameron declare himself "the winner" even if he cannot command a majority in the House of Commons? (The tories are likely to take most seats but unlikely to have control.)
• Will the Queen give a speech opening the new parliament even if one party hasn't managed to form a working government? 

In that second scenario, The Times of London is suggesting — but not actually saying — that the Queen might "take control" of the UK in the interim:

That will not actually happen, of course. The Queen isn't stupid. She's not going to do anything which makes her look political.

Rather, this is about whether Cameron has the ability to declare that he has "won" (yes) and then get the Queen to open parliament by reading a speech he will likely have written or approved (uncertain). if Cameron does pull that off, the Conservatives will look like they're a government even if they're not.

The problem for the Queen is that if she reads a speech it will look like she is siding with Cameron, and if she doesn't it will look like she is against him. The Times:

Whitehall officials feared that the decision to stay away would in itself be a political act, since the Queen would effectively be prejudging the outcome of the vote by MPs. It would also break with precedent. In January 1924, George V gave a King’s Speech shortly before the government was defeated.

Yesterday a royal source said that the plan was to go ahead with any speech recommended by the sitting prime minister. “The Queen will act on the advice of her prime minister,” the source said.

That will infuriate Ed Miliband and the Labour Party, who actually have a decent shot at putting together a governing coalition. Cameron may be hoping to usher through the Queen's speech before Miliband, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have come to terms. Here is The Guardian on that topic:

Labour is preparing to fight any attempt by David Cameron to declare victory on Friday as leader of the largest party even if he does not have enough seats to command a majority, senior party sources have indicated.

The Guardian says it will be clear by Friday whether Cameron can persuade the Queen to sit in the House of Lords and begin reading. So the race is on: Can Cameron "win," and get a new parliament seated, before Miliband can announce that he has a coalition?

It will be dramatic stuff.

(Unless of course Cameron can pull off the "conspiracy theory" coalition, in which he bands together with the SNP under the promise that the Scots get more power as long as the Conservatives can run Westminster, which would grant the tories a virtually permanent majority of seats in England and Wales.)

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Queen Elizabeth II is not like you and me.

Did you know she is immune from prosecution? That she has her own personal poet, paid in Sherry wine? Or that she holds dominion over British swans and can fire the entire Australian government?

It's true that her role as the British head of state is largely ceremonial, and the Monarch no longer holds any serious power from day to day. The historic "prerogative powers" of the Sovereign have been devolved largely to government ministers. But this still means that when the British government declares war, or regulates the civil service, or signs a treaty, it is doing so only on her authority.

And she still wields some of these prerogative powers herself — as well as numerous other unique powers, ranging from the surprising to the utterly bizarre.

Most famously, she owns all swans in the River Thames.

Technically, all unmarked swans in open water belong to the Queen, though the Crown "exercises her ownership" only "on certain stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries,"according to the official website of the Royal Family.

Today this tradition is observed during the annual "Swan Upping," in which swans in the River Thames are caught, ringed, and set free again as part of census of the swan population.

It's a highly ceremonial affair, taking place over five days. "Swan uppers" wear traditional uniforms and row upriver in six skiffs accompanied by the Queen's Swan Marker.

"The swans are also given a health check and ringed with individual identification numbers by The Queen's Swan Warden, a Professor of Ornithology at the University of Oxford's Department of Zoology," according to the Royal Family website.

The Sovereign also has dominion over all dolphins in British waters.

"Rule, Britannia, Britannia rules the waves," goes a classic British song — and this rule extends beneath the waves, too. The sovereign has dominion over a variety of aquatic animals in British waters.

The Queen still technically owns all the sturgeons, whales, and dolphins in the waters around the UK, in a rule that dates back to a statute from 1324, during the reign of King Edward II, according to Time.

According to the article: "This statute is still valid today, and sturgeons, porpoises, whales, and dolphins are recognised as 'fishes royal': when they are captured within 3 miles (about 5 km) of UK shores or wash ashore, they may be claimed on behalf of the Crown. Generally, when brought into port, a sturgeon is sold in the usual way, and the purchaser, as a gesture of loyalty, requests the honour of its being accepted by Elizabeth."

The law is still observed: In 2004, a Welsh fisherman was investigated by the police after catching a 10-foot sturgeon, the BBC reported at the time. The Scottish government also issued guidance on the law in 2007, writing that "the right to claim Royal Fish in Scotland allows the Scottish Government (on behalf of the Crown) to claim stranded whales which are too large to be drawn to land by a 'wain pulled by six oxen.'"

The Queen can drive without a licence.

Driving licenses are issued in the Queen's name, yet she is the only person in the United Kingdom who doesn't legally need a license to drive or a number plate on her cars, according to Time.

Despite not being required to have a license, the Queen is comfortable behind the wheel, having learned to drive during World War II when she operated a first-aid truck for the Women's Auxillary Territorial Service. (As a result of the Queen's training, she can also change a spark plug, Time notes).

Queen Elizabeth II isn't afraid to show off her driving skills, either. In 1998, she surprised King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (then still a prince) by driving him around in her country seat of Balmoral.

Former British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles recounted the meeting in the Sunday Times:"As instructed, the crown prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, with his interpreter in the seat behind. To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off. Women are not — yet — allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen."

Cowper-Coles continued: "His nervousness only increased as the Queen, an army driver in wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads, talking all the time. Through his interpreter, the crown prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead."

The Queen doesn't need a passport, either.

Unlike other members of the Royal family, the Queen does not require a passport, as they are issued in her name. Despite this lack of travel documents, she has been abroad many times.

She has two birthdays.

When you're the British head of state, one birthday just isn't enough. The Queen's official birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in June, though her actual birthday is on April 21.

"Official celebrations to mark a sovereign's birthday have often been held on a day other than the actual birthday, particularly when the actual birthday has not been in the summer," according to the Royal Mint.

Both birthdays are celebrated in suitable style, too. Her actual birthday "is marked publicly by gun salutes in central London at midday,"according to the official website of the British Monarchy. This includes "a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park, and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. In 2006, Her Majesty celebrated her 80th Birthday in 2006 with a walkabout in the streets outside of Windsor Castle to meet well-wishers."

For her "official" birthday celebrations, meanwhile, she "is joined by other members of the Royal Family at the spectacular Trooping the Colour parade, which moves between Buckingham Palace, The Mall, and Horseguards' Parade."

She has her own private cash machine.

Less a "power" and more a perk of the job, a private cash machine for use by the royal family is installed in the basement of Buckingham Palace. It's provided by Coutts, one of Britain's most prestigious — and exclusive — banks.

The Queen has her own personal poet.

The poet laureate is an honorary position in British society appointed by the Monarch to a poet "whose work is of national significance," according to the official website of the British Monarchy. When first the role was introduced, the appointee was paid £200 per year plus a butt of canary wine. Today the poet laureate is given a barrel of Sherry.

Carol Ann Duffy will hold the position until 2019.

She has to sign laws.

The Queen's consent is necessary to turn any bill into an actual law. Once a proposed law has passed both houses of Parliament, it makes its way to the Palace for approval, which is called "Royal Assent." The most recent British Monarch to refuse to provide Royal Assent was Queen Anne, back in 1708.

Royal Assent is different than "Queen's consent," in which the Queen must consent to any law being debated in Parliament that affects the Monarchy's interests (such as reforming the prerogative or tax laws that might affect the Duchy of Cornwall, for example). Without consent, the bill cannot be debated in Parliament.

Queen's consent is exercised only on the advice of ministers, but its existence provides the government with a tool for blocking debate on certain subjects if bills are tabled by backbench rebels or the opposition.

It has been exercised at least 39 times, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information act, including "one instance [in which] the Queen completely vetoed the Military Actions Against Iraq Bill in 1999, a private member's bill that sought to transfer the power to authorise military strikes against Iraq from the monarch to parliament,"The Guardian reported in 2013.

She can create Lords.

The Queen has the power to appoint Lords, who can then sit in Parliament, the upper house in Britain's legislative system. Like many other powers, this is exercised only "on the advice of" elected government ministers.

She doesn't have to pay tax (but she does anyway).

The Queen does not have to pay tax, but she has been voluntarily paying income tax and capital gains tax since 1992.

The Queen has the power to form governments.

The Queen previously wielded the power to dissolve Parliament and call a general election, but the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act put an end to that in 2011. Now a two-thirds vote in the commons is required to dissolve Parliament before a five-year fixed-term is up.

She does still play a part after an election, however, when she calls on the MP most able to form a government to do so.

This caused some worry ahead of this year's General Election. It once looked as if the Conservatives might not have a majority (but would be the largest party) and would try to form a government. Meanwhile, it was feasible that Labour could form a majority, despite having fewer seats, by entering into a coalition with multiple other parties.

In this situation, the Queen would have been stuck between a rock and a hard place. Every year, she opens Parliament with the Queen's speech, which lays out the government's plans. But to give David Cameron's speech would arguably be to tacitly endorse his government — while staying away would send the opposite message.

At one point, The Times was told by sources that she planned to "stay away" if Cameron failed to secure enough MPs, but the Palace later had an about-face. "Royal sources confirmed she would lead proceedings, even if there was a risk the speech would be overthrown the following week because the Tories had failed to muster enough backing from smaller parties,"The Times subsequently reported.

She has knights.

Sure, they no longer ride around on horseback wooing maidens with their tales of valour, but Britain still retains knights. Like Lords, they are appointed by the Queen — and she knights them personally.

Knighthoods are typically given to figures who have made a particular contribution to British society — whether in business, the arts, the military, or elsewhere. After Terry Pratchett was knighted, the legendary fantasy author forged himself a special sword using pieces of a meteorite.

The individuals knighted are decided by ministers, the BBC reports, "who present her with a list of nominees each year for her approval."

She is exempt from Freedom Of Information requests.

All information about the royal family is exempt from Freedom of Information requests. The exemption was made after a legal battle between The Guardian and the government to have letters from Prince Charles sent to Whitehall ministers made public. The so-called black spider memos were recently released, but the change means the same can't happen in the future.

She can ignore or overrule ministerial advice in "grave constitutional crisis."

While the overwhelming majority of the Queen's prerogative powers are devolved to her ministers, there is one exception that allows her to wield power herself. Only "in grave constitutional crisis," the Sovereign can "act contrary to or without Ministerial advice." With no precedent in modern times, it's not clear what would actually constitute this, but the possibility remains.

The Queen holds the ability to fire the entire Australian government.

As the head of state in Australia, the Queen has certain powers over the government. In 1975, for example, the Queen's representative in the country at the time, Gov. Gen. Sir John Kerr, fired the prime minister in response to a government shutdown.

"[Kerr] appointed a replacement, who immediately passed the spending bill to fund the government, Max Fisher wrote in The Washington Post. "Three hours later, Kerr dismissed the rest of Parliament. Then Australia held elections to restart from scratch. And they haven't had another shutdown since."

In addition to the UK and Australia, the Queen is also the head of state in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

All the above are Commonwealth Realms, or former British colonies. The British sovereign retains the position she holds in the United Kingdom, that of head of state. As in Britain, this is largely a ceremonial role from day to day.

She's the head of a religion.

Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England, Britain's state religion first established after King Henry VIII split away from the Catholic Church in Rome in the 16th century.

Her formal title is defender of the faith and supreme governor of the Church of England, and she also has the power to appoint Bishops and Archbishops. As with many of her other powers, however, this is exercised only on the advice of the prime minister, who himself takes advice from a Church Commission.

An interesting side effect of this is that the Sovereign must be a confirmed member of Church of England. Catholics and those of other religions may not ascend to the British throne. If Prince Charles converted to Islam, for example, he would be unable to become king after Queen Elizabeth II dies.

She gets to give away special money to the elderly.

Maundy money is a special kind of silver coin the Queen gives away to pensioners every year at a UK cathedral every Easter in a special ceremony. The number of recipients corresponds with the Sovereign's age. This year, for example, she will be 89 when Easter rolls around, so she will give maundy money away to 89 pensioners.

The coins are technically legal tender, despite coming in unconventional 3-pence and 4-pence denominations. But given the coins' rare status, they tend not to enter general circulation.

She's also immune from prosecution.

All prosecutions are carried out in the name of the Sovereign, and she is both immune from prosecution and cannot be compelled to give evidence in court.

In theory, the Sovereign "is incapable of thinking or doing wrong," legal scholar John Kirkhope told Business Insider. However, barrister Baroness Helena Kennedy QC told the BBC in 2002 that"nowadays, that immunity is questionable."

"Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under UK law, the Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law,"according to official site of the Monarchy.

If the monarch did commit a grievance offence, he or she would almost certainly be forced to abdicate. There is at least one precedent of the Courts' prosecuting the Sovereign. In the 17th Century, King Charles I was tried for treason following the English Civil War. He said "no earthly power can justly call me (who am your King) in question as a delinquent." The Court disagreed and had him executed.

The Queen has the right to be consulted, to encourage, and to warn her ministers.

Assuming no "grave constitutional crisis,"the Queen's input into the legislative process is supposed to be limited in real terms to the right"to be consulted, to encourage, and to warn" her ministers — advice delivered via meetings with the prime minister.

The Queen also has certain historic rights and privileges. John Kirkhope, a lawyer who successfully campaigned to have details of "Queen's consent" made public, provided Business Insider with a list of some of the stranger rights the Queen still holds.

• Hungerford has to present a red rose to the Sovereign in exchange for its fishing and grazing rights.
• The Duke of Atholl must pay by way of a rose whenever the Sovereign calls. This most recently happened during the reign of Queen Victoria, so it's unclear whether the rose has to be any particular colour.
• If the Sovereign passes near Kidwelly Castle in Wales, the tenant has to provide a bodyguard in full armour. This is complicated slightly by the fact the castle is a ruin.
• The Marquis of Ailesbury owns Savernake Forest and is required to produce a blast on a hunting horn should the Sovereign pass through the Forest. This last happened in 1943.
• Similarly, the owner of Dunlambert Castle in Northern Ireland has to produce a blast on an ancient bugle.

And lastly, many landowners must also pay a "quit-rent"— a kind of tax on their property paid to the Monarch. Some are pretty unusual.

• The owner of Sauchlemuir Castle must set out three glasses of port on New Year's Eve for the grandmother of James IV of Scotland. (For reference, James IV served from 1474 to 1513.)
• The owner of Fowlis must deliver — when required — a snowball in mid-summer.
• The City of Gloucester pays for its holdings of Crown Lands by providing an enormous eel pie.
• Great Yarmouth must provide a hundred herrings baked in 24 pasties to the Sheriff, who then sends them to the Lord of the Manor — who then sends them to the Sovereign.
• The Duke of Marlborough has to present a small satin flag with a Fleur de Lys on August 13, the anniversary of the Battle of Blenheim.
• The Duke of Wellington has to present a French Tricolour flag before noon on June 19 — the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth will set out the government's plans for a European Union membership referendum on Wednesday as Prime Minister David Cameron faces pressure to explain when it will be held and what changes to the EU he wants before then.

Cameron, who says he would prefer to stay inside a reformed EU but isn't "ruling anything out" if it fails to change, was re-elected on May 7 on a pledge to reshape ties with the bloc before allowing Britons to vote on whether to stay or leave.

Queen Elizabeth, 89, will detail the plans in a speech written for her by Cameron's government as she opens parliament with an annual display of pomp.

She will say the new Conservative government plans to pass a law in its first year that would allow the referendum to occur by the end of 2017.

In a gesture meant to underscore Cameron's seriousness, the law will be introduced into parliament just a day later, on Thursday, as Cameron embarks on a European tour to try to charm sometimes reluctant counterparts into backing EU reform. It will include talks with French President Francois Hollande in Paris and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

Cameron has said he would be ready to hold the referendum before 2017 if he completes the renegotiation early, something some pro-EU campaigners advocate. But he is under pressure from some Eurosceptic lawmakers who want him to ask for more and to take his time.

"I think we need a proper grown-up debate – it's the most important constitutional issue of my lifetime. It's something that we should properly take our time over," Liam Fox, a senior Conservative and a former defense secretary, told BBC radio.

Some EU politicians have complained they don't know enough, beyond what they say are broad and nebulous goals, about what it is Cameron wants to change. He says he wants to decouple Britain from the EU's aim of "ever closer union" and to be able to restrict EU migrants' access to Britain's welfare system.

Cameron is adamant that such changes would require re-opening the EU's founding treaties, something countries such as France are opposed to.

In a potential setback for the prime minister, a Franco-German paper seen by Reuters shows the two countries have agreed plans to strengthen cooperation among the 19 countries using the euro, without changing existing treaties.

The blueprint would bolster the euro zone, of which Britain is not a member, by holding more regular summits of its leaders and strengthening the Eurogroup forum of finance ministers.

Other laws the queen will outline on Wednesday include plans to replace existing human rights law, a crackdown on illegal immigration, more powers for Scotland, and a bill preventing any rise in key taxes before 2020.

(Additional reporting by William James; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Today's Queen's Speech will be the first one from a Conservative government in almost 20 years and it promises to contain a number of major policy announcements.

Queen Elizabeth II is set to give the speech at 11:30 BST (06:30 ET) to mark the official opening of Parliament.

Most of these were previewed in the party's election manifesto — including an extension of the Right-to-Buy housing policy, a tax cut for low-income workers, the replacement of the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights and a commitment to a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.

Yet with a majority government having been a highly unlikely outcome in the General Election, Prime Minister David Cameron may not have expected to be able to pass all of his pre-election promises into law. A number of media commentators have suggested that he was hoping to ditch some of the more challenging policies in coalition negotiations that now won't take place.

Nevertheless, the Queen's Speech will give us a window into the government's plans for this parliament allowing the Tory leadership to make its priorities clear as a signal to its own backbenchers as much as to the general public.

Here are the key things to look out for:

• EU referendum pledge — there is little doubt that there will be a commitment to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. What will be interesting is whether there are any hints given about when it will be held, with rumours suggesting it could come as early as next year. Also of interest will be the extent to which the government is comfortable signalling that it wants to campaign for an 'In' vote, and its attitude to likelihood of treaty renegotiations with Britain's European partners, a condition that Cameron has set for the country to remain part of the union.
• British Bill of Rights — the Conservatives have pledged to scrap the Human Rights Act in order to remove British courts from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights, which frustrated the previous government's attempts to deport fundamentalist Muslim cleric Abu Hamza from Britain and ruled that the UK's suspension of prisoners' right to vote violated the Act. However, rumours this morning from the BBC suggest the Queen's Speech will contain a commitment to consult on the proposal rather than to pass legislation following discomfort expressed by both party backbenchers and the public.
• Right to Buy extension — the right to buy scheme is the policy of allowing council tenants to purchase their houses at heavily discounted prices. The Conservatives have proposed extending this policy to around 800,000 housing association tenants, with the goal of boosting home ownership. The only hurdles to overcome here are a) the government doesn't actually own Housing Association properties and b) the promise to build a new affordable home for every one sold does not stand up to scrutiny.
• Increasing the tax free allowance for the low paid and free childcare — the government plans to announce that those working 30 hours a week on minimum wage (£6.50 an hour for those over 21) will not have to pay income tax on their earnings. Free childcare for three and four year-olds will also be extended to 30 hours a week.
  
• Devolution of powers to Scotland — the arrival of 56 Scottish National Party MPs in Westminster will be a firm reminder to the Conservatives of the Vow made during the Scottish independence referendum by all of the main party leaders to devolve further powers to Scotland. Under the recommendations of the Smith Commission, a cross-party commission set up to analyse which powers could be devolved, Holyrood could gain control of income tax rates, a proportion of the VAT raised in Scotland, air passenger duty and control of the Crown Estate.
  
• A counter-terrorism bill — the proposed new bill is expected to place major restrictions on organisations and individuals who authorities believe could pose a "threat to the functioning of democracy.” Measures are likely to include extending existing police powers to clamp down on "harmful activities" of extremists and changing the legal definition of "harmful" from "public disorder, a risk of harassment, alarm or distress" to also include activities deemed to be for the "purpose of overthrowing democracy."

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Jake Parkinson-Smith, 38, is just as famous for being friends with the Royal Family as well as being the proprietor at some of London's most famous private members clubs. 

After training at the Savoy, the famous luxury hotel, and a decade at Prince Harry's favourite London nightclub Boujis, Parkinson-Smith became a partner in the private members club Raffles in Chelsea in May last year.

Incidentally, it's the only nightclub that the Queen has visited in her lifetime. It's also a regular hangout for model Cara Delevingne and actors Henry Cavill, Eddie Redmayne, and Jamie Dornan, who are drawn there by Raffles' reputation for strict privacy.

Even the two owners of the establishment are not publicly named. 

It costs £400 ($612) in a one-off joining fee, and an annual charge of £400 ($612) to be a member. Raffles is also planning to launch other clubs in the US and Europe.

As one of UK's most exclusive nightspots, Parkinson-Smith told Business Insider on what it takes to get into the club, as well as the "science" behind running one of these establishments.

BUSINESS INSIDER: London is rife with private members clubs but what makes Raffles different to others?

JAKE PARKINSON-SMITH: Raffles is one of the oldest members clubs and has been going since 1967. It is the only club the Queen has visited. She came here in the 1970s to celebrate a cousin's (the Earl of Mountbatten’s grandson) 21st birthday party.

Unlike most clubs, which have a licence until 3 a.m. in the morning, we have a special extension which allows us to close at 5 a.m. We also have a lot of tables and have a special area called the Black Room, which is even more exclusive. It's sponsored by Dom Pérignon.

BI: So, how much does Raffles make out of these sponsorship deals?

JPS: You know nightclubs, especially the private members clubs, don't like to talk about revenue and how much we make from these deals. But I can tell you about how the relationship works.

Brands like Dom Pérignon help with marketing support and having their name on something like the Black Room means they also get a push for us selling their bottles. [According to leak receipts in the press, bottles of Dom Pérignon can go for at least £1,100 ($1,681) each]. The young waiters or waitresses are very incentivised to sell the products and the service is like no where else.

It also funds having the best DJs to visit the establishment. This is part of the science of running of a successful and exclusive nightclub.

BI: What is the "science" behind it then?

JPS:  There are five key things. You have to have outstanding music, an outstanding crowd, outstanding service, outstanding offerings that other clubs can't give, and to give the customer the best night of their life – every time they visit. If you merge this altogether, you'll get a strong following. What fascinates me is that there are a lot of operators out there that only have one or two of these in their clubs.

I run the club like a family business as I want everyone who is starting a shift to really want to be there enjoy themselves and not just think "oh no, here's work again." You pay them the right money, keep them happy, and create an environment where they're excited to come to work. I need people on top of their game every night. I need loyalty and reliability.

BI: So what rules do you have for staff and how to keep customers happy?

JPS: We have between 25-30 people working at the club every night. Everyone has to be impeccable. 

We make sure that the customer gets from the door, to the cloakroom, and is at their table being served in 2 minutes or under. If we don't hit that target, we have failed them.  You can't have people coming in to a club like this and expect to wait 45 minutes for a bottle.

We are all in constant radio contact with each other, and we are choreographed in terms of taking orders and delivering the drinks within a minute. 

BI: Being an "exclusive" private members club, you obviously have strict door rules. How do you get in? 

JPS: It's simple. You have to be well-dressed, a member (which is by invitation only, or if you get in on a weekend guest list) and willing to spend a lot of money. Tables start at a price of £1,000 ($1,529). We also never let a group of just guys in. You have to bring a girl or girls with you.

We don't let drunk people in either, even if you are a member. 

BI: As a nightclub veteran, what qualities do you need to be boss?

JPS: I look at amazing venues like Annabel's, in which my grandfather was a founding member, and it was run very much like a family business. This is what I try to do. If you make sure there is a family atmosphere amongst customers and staff, you'll all feel special, and people will want to be part of that. I like being part of that.

You also have to be a lover of people. You have to be patient and non-judgemental and of course be able to sleep at strange times. Also, despite working in a nightclub, not drinking really helps.

I gave up drinking two years ago. You can't carry on like you're a 20-year-old forever.

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The Queen will receive a 15% rise in her Sovereign Grant because of a clause in a piece of legislation that was negotiated by UK Chancellor George Osborne in 2011.

This will be under review, however, after this year's autumn statement because she is essentially making too much money.

Three years ago, the government forged a deal for Buckingham Palace that meant it would be shielded from any cuts to public funding. The deal also agreed that the monarchy would receive 15% of profits of the £9.9 billion ($15.1 billion) Crown Estate, and the amount the Queen would receive would never be less than the amount received in the previous year.

This saw a massive rise in what the Queen Elizabeth II received over the past three years. She got £40 million ($61 million) in the most recent financial year, 29% above the £31 million ($47.2 million) she received in 2012-2013.

It is also £5 million ($7.6 million) more than the Treasury had estimated the Queen to receive from the Crown Estate for the most recent financial year. This is what is prompting the review.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "A review will take place after April 2016 to ensure that the grant provides the resources needed to support the Queen's official duties."

The Crown Estate owns a portfolio of property investments, including Regent Street in London, part of the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, and Ascot racecourse in Berkshire. The Crown Estate is managed by the Treasury and Sir Alan Reid, keeper of the Privy Purse.

The cut of the profits from these investments is meant to fund the Queen and the rest of the monarchy's royal duties, such as travel, staff expenses, and maintenance of certain palaces.

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A BBC reporter accidentally tweeted that the Queen had been taken ill to hospital, even though she hadn't.

The Telegraph reports that BBC journalist Ahmen Khawaja tweeted this morning"BREAKING: Queen Elizabeth is being treated at King Edward 7th Hospital in London. Statement due shortly: @BBCWorld."

But the Queen wasn't ill. She was in hospital, but it was just a normal health check-up.

Buckingham Palace told The Telegraph that the Queen "attended her annual medical check-up at the King Edward VII's Hospital in London. This was a routine, pre-scheduled appointment, the Queen has now left hospital."

So what went wrong? Confusingly, the BBC has two different explanations for what happened.

Khawaja claimed after she deleted the tweet that her phone had been left "left unattended at home" and that the tweet was just a "silly prank." But that tweet has since been deleted.

However, the BBC issued a statement saying that it was carrying out a "technical rehearsal" for what would happen if the Queen dies, and that caused the mistaken tweet to be sent.

Guardian broadcasting correspondent John Plunkett tweeted more details of the BBC's explanation for what went wrong. He said that the BBC was carrying out a "category one obituary rehearsal," where it rehearses its procedures for the death of major public figures. They usually happen at weekends, he says, but for some reason the BBC held the rehearsal today.

We reached out to the BBC journalist for comment and will update if we hear back.

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It’s no Buckingham Palace, but it’s rather special anyway.

Even the British royal family is getting into the business of pieds-a-terre in New York. 

Queen Elizabeth II is now the proud owner of an apartment at Zeckendorf Development’s 50 United Nations Plaza.

The royal family spent $7.9 million on the three-bedroom pad.

The unit includes 3.5 bathrooms and spans roughly 3,000 square feet, according to the listing on StreetEasy.

The unit would serve perfectly as a getaway for the queen’s grandsons, or maybe even as her own getaway. Only, of course, if she decides to resign and hand the rei(g)ns to her son Charles.

Norman Foster designed the building. The starchitect was knighted by the Queen in 1990.

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On Wednesday, the world's most powerful woman welcomed the world's most famous woman with a handshake outside the German Chancellery in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who presides over the richest economy in Europe and is the central broker in the massive euro-bailout deal, is hosting Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, on a four-day state visit to Germany.

The queen's fifth visit to Deutschland includes a wreath-laying ceremony at Berlin's Neue Wache war memorial, a tour of the World War II-era Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (where Anne Frank perished and the only camp to be liberated by the British), and a lecture with students at the Technische Universität of Berlin, according to a statement from the Bundeskanzlerin.

The royal couple will stay at the Hotel Adlon near Berlin's Brandenburg gate, the same location where Michael Jackson infamously dangled his baby from a balcony, the Telegraph reports.

Meanwhile, the UK is gearing up for a major referendum on whether it will remain a member of the 28-nation EU. In a podcast released from the Bundeskanzlerin, Merkel said there is "a lot of common ground in politics" between the two nations. "I hope that the UK remains in the EU," Merkel added.

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History will be made on September 9 when the Queen becomes the longest-reigning British monarch, but the day is likely to pass with little fanfare after a privately-funded concert to mark the occasion raised just £15 in donations.

With no official celebrations taking place, the British Monarchist Society decided to take the initiative by organising the show at the 02 Arena in London, and launched a crowd-funding appeal to raise £65,000 to cover costs.

So far, however, just two people have made donations, and with the full £65,000 needed by July 22, the chances of the concert going ahead look slim.

The only other event planned to mark the occasion is a Queen-themed message which will be projected onto the Tower of London, though its main purpose is to promote a forces charity.

Buckingham Palace said it was focusing on the Queen’s 90th birthday next year as the main time for reflection on her reign, though she will carry out a low-key engagement in Scotland on September 9 so that the public will, at least, see her on the day she overtakes Queen Victoria’s record of 63 years and seven months.

The British Monarchist Society had hoped its Concert For The Queen would “show Her Majesty how much she is loved”. Acts including Elaine Paige, Rick Wakeman, Patti Boulaye and S Club 7 have been lined up, but with no backing from the Government or private sponsors, the BMS was relying on individual donors giving small amounts.

Thomas Mace-Archer-Mills, the chairman of the BMS, said: “It is unconscionable that no one person, organisation, or the government has given an thought to properly celebrating the most historic milestone in this nation’s history, let alone honouring Her Majesty for the life long service she has given the people of this world. A proper show of appreciation is only appropriate.

“This generation has never witnessed a piece of history like this. The last people to do so were the Victorians and a reign of this length is unlikely to be seen again.”

The Tower of London, which remains an official royal palace, has gained approval from the Royal Household to beam a message onto its walls from one minute past midnight on September 10, saying “For Queen and Country”, to celebrate the landmark and promote the charity Coming Home, which helps provide adapted homes for wounded service personnel.

Lord Dannatt, Constable of the Tower of London and former head of the Army, said: “This will be a genuinely historic occasion, and a record that will not be beaten in a hurry.

“The Tower is the original royal palace, it has a special place in the hearts of the British people and it seems an entirely appropriate place to mark this unique event.”

A concert will be held in the Tower on September 16th to honour the Queen and to raise money for Coming Home.

For details of the concert, email FQAC@haighousing.org.uk

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Buckingham Palace is none too happy after the Sun tabloid published a snippet from a 1933 home movie that shows Queen Elizabeth performing a Nazi salute as a child. The video is believed to have been shot in 1933 or 1934 and shows the queen mimicking a gesture made by her mother.

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The Queen has approved the UK government's decision to make a former Google and Facebook executive a joint minister across two government departments.

Baroness Joanna Shields OBE was today appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, which is responsible for immigration, security, and law and order.

In May, Shields was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the UK's Minister for Internet Safety and Security.

The government wants Shields to make the internet a safer place. She has specifically been tasked with curbing online abuse, exploitation, bullying and access to harmful content, including terrorist and extremist content. She has also been tasked with promoting safe, open access to the internet for everyone.

"Given this remit covers Home Office policy as well as Department for Culture, Media and Sport policy, the Prime Minister has decided to make Baroness Shields a joint Minister for both departments," the government said in a statement to the press.

Before getting into UK politics, Shields oversaw Google and Facebook's European business operations. She has also been CEO and chair of Tech City UK.

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II used her Christmas address Friday to highlight the triumph of good over evil after a string of attacks in 2015, and to draw attention to the plight of refugees.

She delivered her pre-recorded message at Buckingham Palace, wearing a white and silver dress and while sat at a desk with a Christmas tree in the background.

"It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services: 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it'," she said.

A total of 130 people were killed in November 13 attacks in Paris, while this year has also seen a string of mass casualty attacks in countries including Nigeria, Syria and Iraq. 

The 89-year-old monarch's message also touched on the plight of refugees by recounting the story of Jesus' birth.

"For Joseph and Mary, the circumstances of Jesus' birth -- in a stable -- were far from ideal, but worse was to come as the family was forced to flee the country," she said.

"It's no surprise that such a human story still captures our imagination and continues to inspire all of us who are Christians, the world over."

More than a million refugees and migrants reached Europe after fleeing war and poverty in 2015.

The queen also alluded to 90th birthday celebrations planned for her next year, saying: "I have been warned I may have Happy Birthday sung to me more than once or twice."

Noting another anniversary, she paid tribute to those who fought during World War II following commemorations marking 70 years since the end of the conflict this year.

For millions of British families, gathering around the television after Christmas lunch to watch the queen's speech is as much of a festive tradition as turkey, crackers and presents.

She was shown at a desk adorned with three photographs, one of which shows her grandson Prince William, wife Kate and their two children, George and Charlotte, at the seven-month-old girl's christening in July.

The other two pictures show Prince Charles and wife Camilla on their wedding day in 2005, and the queen herself and husband Prince Philip leaning on walking sticks and laughing.

The British royal family's first Christmas message was delivered in 1932 by the queen's grandfather, king George V, and was written by author Rudyard Kipling.

The queen delivered her first Christmas message in 1952 and has done so every year since, apart from in 1969, when a repeat of a documentary about the royal family was shown instead.

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Bookmakers are offering massive odds of 100/1 of the Queen publicly saying she will back the 'Leave' campaign ahead of Britain's vote on its EU membership this June.

Ladbrokes produced the odds after a story in The Sun newspaper claimed Britain's monarch is in favour of leaving the European Union, because of a "bust up" she had with former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg at a lunch in 2011. The story ran under the headline "Queen Backs Brexit."

The Sun says the Queen argued that the EU was"heading in the wrong direction" and apparently left "no doubt about her passionate feelings over Europe."

Despite The Sun's allegations, Buckingham Palace has strongly denied that the Queen is anything other than impartial when it comes to a potential Brexit. The palace, which releases statements on behalf of the Royal Family, told the BBC Queen Elizabeth II is "politically neutral" and the claims made by The Sun are "spurious" and "nonsense."

"The Queen remains politically neutral, as she has for 63 years. We would never comment on spurious, anonymously sourced claims. The referendum will be a matter for the British people," a statement from the palace said.

Members of the Royal Family are traditionally expected to remain politically neutral at all times — the Queen does not vote in general elections, and has never publicly declared allegiance to any political party.

While it's offering the odds, Ladbrokes isn't particularly confident that the Queen's alleged views are going to make much difference to the referendum campaign. Matthew Shaddick from the bookies said: "Punters are so far unmoved by this news and, unless we start to see some big bets from the Windsor area, we're keeping Remain as the favourite."

The bookmaker is currently offering odds of 1/3 that Britain will vote to stay in the EU, making it strong favourite. A vote to leave is at 9/4 right now.

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Now you can live out your royal fantasies in style: an English country estate and polo club that was once frequented by Queen Elizabeth II and owned by her grandparents has been listed for a reported $43.7 million. 

The 73,000-square-foot mansion in Hertfordshire comes with 232 acres of prime park land and a fully functioning private polo club. The listing notes that the land has no public access rights, which is unusual for an estate of this size — and ideal for anyone seeking privacy while riding horseback through the wooded property, or hunting and fishing in the extensive parkland and on the River Lea.

As for the eight-bedroom formal mansion house, which was built in the 1730s, it's been renovated and extended since the last sale in 1997. There are eight estate cottages as well, which can be rented out to offset costs for laborious estate upkeep.

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The centerpiece of Woolmers Park Estate is a classic Georgian-style mansion house, with five "reception rooms", games and cinema rooms, and eight full bedrooms. There's also a servants' quarters.

Here's a peek at the elegant kitchen and breakfast dining area. Previously owned by the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were regular visitors as children.

Source: Curbed

There's also a more formal dining room for when you want to dress it up a notch.

A 90th birthday is always cause for celebration: A nice big cake, a few dozen candles. But when Britain's longest reigning monarch, Elizabeth II, turns 90, the world takes notice (and with more than just a pastry.)

According to royal records, Queen Elizabeth II was born at 2:40 a.m. on April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London, and she’s led a pretty busy life ever since. Over her reign, she’s worked alongside international diplomats and policymakers like Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher; she trained as an auxiliary driver and mechanic in World War II; and she’s traveled to over 120 countries.

And while there are varying reports when it comes to the exact number of territories she's visited in during her tenure, rest assured that Queen Elizabeth has traveled more than any other reigning sovereign. 

So we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the life and legacy of Her Majesty than to take a look back at her life on the road, in the air, and all over the world. 

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Traveling like a queen

This pile of suitcases and bags belongs to Queen Elizabeth II and her guests as she embarks on an enriching life of travel.

1933 — London

Future Queen of England, seven-year-old Elizabeth II pulls up her sock on the street in London.

1947 — South Africa

Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret travel on the footplate of a steam engine as they travel across South Africa. Pictured on the right is F. C. Sturrock, the South African Minister of Transport.

If asked to make a list of countries that are models for criminal justice reform, many Americans might put the United States somewhere far from the top. 

After all, no country has more people in prison than the US, and 1 of every 52 American adults is on probation or parole.

Given this context it may be surprising to learn that, when looking for examples of smart criminal justice reforms, British officials have looked stateside – specifically to the historically punitive state of Texas.

Faced with an overcrowded and increasingly violent prison system, Britain has been turning to the US for solutions. Starting with a suite of prison reforms outlined by Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday, the country is looking to implement a number of reforms that have proved successful (albeit over a short period) in America. 

The catalyst for these reforms has been Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who is pushing the country’s Conservative government to bring a "reforming zeal into the dark corners of our prison system" – echoing the compassionate message of conservative reformers in America.

The overriding mission in Britain is similar to that in the US: Reducing prison populations through alternative sentencing of low-level offenders, and making prisons themselves more rehabilitation-focused. And although the problems differ in scale between the two countries, the solutions could be similar.

Britain's prison population has doubled since the 1990s – it now has more people behind bars than any country in Western Europe – and prison violence has reached a "crisis point." Even five of the six "reform prisons" identified in the Queen's speech – the laboratories for these reforms – are overcrowded.

"We don't have the mass incarceration problem Americans have," says Robert Allen, a London-based independent researcher who studies international penal systems. "Having said that, for various reasons we do look to America for various lessons."

As recently as 2007, Texas had a mass incarceration problem. The state literally ran out of room in its prisons, and legislators found themselves facing a choice between spending $2.63 billion on 17,000 more prison beds, or investing in recidivism reduction programs.

It chose the latter, ultimately spending $241 million on supervision and treatment programs for offenders, and expanding community-based sentencing options like halfway houses and "problem-solving courts"– specialized courts designed to divert low-level offenders from prison to rehabilitation programs.

Crime rates have declined in the state every year since, reaching their lowest level since 1973, and in 2011 the state closed a prison for the first time in modern history, according to Derek Cohen, a deputy director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. It has closed two more since then.

Texas' success attracted the attention of Mr. Gove, who visited the state last year to see the results for himself, learning more about the prisoner education programs and specialty courts.

"To a much smaller degree he had the same issue, he had a system in which warehousing tends to be in vogue, [not] actual rehabilitation," says Mr. Cohen, who met with Gove during the visit last year.

"We needed a novel solution to help us address this recidivism issue," he adds. "That's where we found common cause."

It appears that Gove came away particularly interested in the state’s specialty courts, and has spent this year researching how to implement them in Britain.

Britain is now preparing some pilot schemes for specialty courts later this year, according to Mr. Allen. The combination of cost-effectiveness and moral responsibility has seen criminal justice reform become as popular among the British political right as it is America's.

"[Gove] is quite religiously motivated about it I think, in common with some of the American reformers. He's much taken with this concept of redemption and the notion that prisoners should be seen as assets rather than liabilities," says Allen.

Britain has tried and failed to implement these kinds of reforms in the past, however. Five pilot drug courts were set up in the early 2000s, modeled on a successful court in Red Hook, Brooklyn, but two of the most prominent were shuttered a decade later due to "financial pressure," advocates said.

This illustrates not only the potential challenges of implementing reforms despite political support, Allen says, but also that any model from another country has to be tailored to the local context. 

US courts, for example, handle many more minor offenses than their cross-ocean counterparts. That means British specialty courts handle fewer but more complicated cases. It can be harder to find the best treatment options for an offender, and recidivism is harder to prevent. 

"We need to make sure that when we set these pilots up, this time we develop them in a way that really fits our system and our needs, rather than borrow a model that might have had a big impact in a poor part of Brooklyn," says Allen.

Craig Haney – a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz who has been studying the US prison system for four decades – says he finds it ironic that the system has now become a model for other countries. Problem-solving courts have existed in America since 1989, yet they are still rare, and their results are mixed across the country.

"They're all very positive changes, but they're all relatively recent in origin in the United States, and you would be hard-pressed to say they're widespread," he says.

Texas itself embodies a bizarre dichotomy. Alongside reform efforts that are being emulated around the world, the state has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the country, and has executed more people this year (six) than any other.

And experts say that while the US and Britain are helping each other reform, the criminal justice systems in both countries still have a long way to go. The US could learn from Britain's new prison reforms, for example, though states like Washington and Georgia are already moving in that direction.

"It's ironic that these very limited and very recent attempts in the US to reduce the prison population are already being transported elsewhere in the world," says Dr. Haney. "This shouldn't be the occasion for congratulating ourselves on having fixed the problem, because we haven't."

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