Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Queen Elizabeth II has canceled her planned appearance at the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, accepting doctors’ advice to rest just days after spending the night in a hospital for tests. The 95-yearold monarch announced Tuesday that she has “regretfully” decided that she will not travel to Glasgow to attend the reception Monday — a move that will dash the hopes of Britain’s Conservative government, which is anxious to show the importance of the session to the fate of the planet. The climate conference runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 and her attendance was meant to kick it off in style and splendor. “Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message,” Buckingham Palace said. The news came after the sovereign held virtual audiences Tuesday at Windsor Castle — the first since revelations that her doctors ordered her to rest last week. She was driven to London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital on Oct. 20 for “preliminary investigations.” She returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime the next day and has been taking on light duties since. The queen underwent the medical tests after she canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had “reluctantly” accepted advice to rest for a few days. The matter was not related to covid-19. The queen’s husband, Prince Philip, died in April at 99. Elizabeth has enjoyed robust health throughout her life, becoming Britain’s longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch. She is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — next year.
■ Lori Loughlin is shedding her prison jumpsuit for some holiday cheer in a forthcoming Christmas series, her first acting gig since she served time for her role in the college admissions scandal. The sneak peek of GAC Family network’s “When Hope Calls Christmas,” which dropped over the weekend, sees the 57-year-old actress reprising her role as Abigail Stanton from Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart,” according to “Good Morning America.” The GAC series is its spinoff and Loughlin is currently only credited for the “A Country Christmas” episode, airing Dec. 18. The “Full House” alumna’s onscreen role is the first to follow her two-month prison stint last year. She and husband Mossimo Giannulli each pleaded guilty to participating in the scandal, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, which saw high-paying parents getting their children admitted to elite universities under false pretenses. Loughlin admitted to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, while fashion designer Giannulli, 58, spent nearly five months in prison on similar charges.