Harry Potter universe is getting bigger by the day
london — Harry Potter turns 20 on Monday when muggle readers in gowns and glasses from Indonesia to Uruguay will celebrate the birth of a global publishing phenomenon in 1997.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (later renamed Sorcerer’s Stone for the US market) introduced the boy wizard and a magical cast of supporting characters.
Penniless single mother J.K. Rowling finally succeeded after a series of rebuffs from publishers, and the book became the first instalment of a seven-novel series that has sold 450 million copies worldwide and spawned eight blockbuster films.
The Potter universe now encompasses theme parks in the US and Japan and a permanent exhibition at London’s Warner Bros Studios, helping to turn Rowling into a billionaire. —
london— Britain’s Prince Harry once “wanted out” of the Royal Family, but instead decided to “stay in and work out a role” for himself, according to an interview with the Mail on Sunday.
The prince, 32, caused a stir earlier this week when he said that he didn’t think any member of the royal family wanted to become monarch, and revealed doubts about his own role in the family in his latest interview.
The fifth-in-line to the throne told the newspaper that being in the Army was “the best escape I’ve ever had”, and that his experience of being “just Harry” led him to consider quitting his royal role.
“I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself,” he said. The popular royal has since become a champion of wounded soldiers, a calling that came to him during two front-line tours to Afghanistan with the army.
Earlier this week, Harry spoke out about the heartbreaking images of him following his mother’s coffin during her 1997 funeral, telling Newsweek that no “child should be asked to do that.”
He also revealed that no-one in line to the throne was looking forward to taking over from Queen Elizabeth II. “We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people,” he said.
“Is there any one of the Royal Family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.”—