The sovereign risk of the day was high: both the Bardi and the Peruzzi houses were felled when England's King Edward III defaulted.

ECONOMIST: Millennium issue: Banking

And The Sun newspaper said travellers had set up camp on the Queen's lawn at Windsor Castle, claiming their relatives had got permission from King Edward III to pitch tents in the royal grounds.

BBC: Last Updated: Friday April 01 2005 13:11 GMT