The Royal Court

The world’s oldest conjoined twins have died – what we know about this rare condition

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 19, 2024
Twin, Brain, Gene, MRI, Growth, Surgeon, Magnetic resonance, Conjoined twins, The Royal Court, Ageing, Abdomen, Hospital, Female, History, Child, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Death, Pregnancy, Life, Royal, Magnetic resonance imaging, Thalamus, Skull, Liver, Medical imaging

The world’s oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, recently died, aged 62.

Key Points: 
  • The world’s oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, recently died, aged 62.
  • Conjoined twins are incredibly rare, accounting for about one or two in every 100,000 births.
  • Because conjoined twins are so rare, it is difficult to know exactly how they come about.

Types of conjoined twins

  • There are 15 recognised types of conjoined twins, based on the various places their bodies fuse.
  • Conjoined twins are usually picked up on routine ultrasound scans performed during pregnancy.
  • Conjoined twins who are diagnosed by imaging are typically delivered by caesarean section.

Separating twins

  • One of the longest operations to separate conjoined twins, who were fused at the cranium, took more than 100 hours.
  • The earliest recorded attempt at surgical separation of conjoined twins dates back to AD945 in Armenia where conjoined brothers lived until middle age before one of them died.
  • Separating conjoined twins requires a significant amount of planning before surgery can begin, including, of course, lots of imaging such as ultrasound, CT and MRI.
  • Twins who share vital organs – or whose organs are fused – have a lower chance of a successful separation.


Adam Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

WisdomTree Says Graham Tuckwell and His Nominees are Wrong for WisdomTree – Just Look at the Facts

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 12, 2023
Consulting, Banking, Professional Services, Finance, NOT, The Royal Court, Island, Plaintiff, Sale, ETF, Tonia, ANY, Our Boarding House, ETF Securities, Letter, NYSE, Royal Court, Holding company, Security (finance), Financial adviser, WisdomTree Investments, Shareholder

We urge you to “WITHHOLD” on all three of ETFS Capital’s nominees and to NOT sign ANY proxy card or voting instruction form sent to you by ETFS Capital.

Key Points: 
  • We urge you to “WITHHOLD” on all three of ETFS Capital’s nominees and to NOT sign ANY proxy card or voting instruction form sent to you by ETFS Capital.
  • We have reviewed many candidates – including Mr. Tuckwell – and have always been open-minded in considering those who would be suitable for the Board.
  • Mr. Tuckwell’s conflicts of interest and documented track record of mistreating stockholders disqualify him from serving on the WisdomTree Board.
  • In this letter, we explain why Graham Tuckwell and the ETFS Capital slate are not the right directors for all WisdomTree stockholders.

Eastern Imperial Palace Afternoon Tea Ceremony to be held in the U.S. for the first time

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Honey, Song dynasty, Partnership, Beijing International Studies University, Life, Culture, Teaching, Meal, The Royal Court, RSVP, Capsule, Nature, Immersion, Knowledge, Conference, Tea, Wen

This exclusive event has been designed by Wen Zhenyu, the sole inheritor of the Chinese Royal Palace Afternoon Tea Ceremony and a unique generational honey refining process.

Key Points: 
  • This exclusive event has been designed by Wen Zhenyu, the sole inheritor of the Chinese Royal Palace Afternoon Tea Ceremony and a unique generational honey refining process.
  • His family line, which has served in the royal palace for generations, infused honey, extracted using an exclusive process, in the afternoon tea served to the royals.
  • And since the Qing Dynasty royal family habitually partook in afternoon tea, it became a cultural icon that persisted for centuries.
  • To bring the culture of his family's Eastern imperial palace afternoon tea onto the world stage, Wen began to incorporate his knowledge into the afternoon tea served in French restaurants in 2008.