British Royals

Up-to-date news, info and analysis on the British Royal Family

Posts Tagged kate

At Last! Some Ski Pictures of William & Kate

Mar 24

Posted by britishroyals in Carole & Mike Middleton, Kate Middleton*, Pippa & James Middleton, Prince William | 3 Comments

Update: more pictures

Bauer-Griffin Online has exclusive pictures of Prince William & girlfriend Kate Middleton’s ski trip in Courchevel in the French Alps.  There were seen skiing, on chairlifts, playing chase on snowmobiles and having meals on restaurants.  Pancakes on the first day.  Some champagne and mulled wine on the 2nd.

Bauer-Griffin Online’s Exclusive Pictures
Hello! Magazine’s page scans and article highlights

Due to popular demand, Catharina has posted another picture of Kate and William’s behind in her blog.  Thanks for the heads up, Cat!

The week-long holiday is over and the couple is presumably back in the UK.  Prince William in particular flew home on Sunday.  For more sightings and articles about his ski holiday, follow the previous entry below…

Prince William & Kate Middleton have been spotted by bloggers and fellow vacationers. Click here for twitter accounts.  After the tweets confirmed their presence, photographers have started gathering in Courchevel in hopes to get snaps.  But pictures are scarce.  According to royal reporter Richard Palmer in his tweet, he’s “not sure anyone’s buying.  Too expensive and where’s the interest?“  Well I’m pretty sure there’s A LOT of interest, which is why they’re expensive.  More likely, in light of Kate’s recent privacy suit victory over Rex Features, photographic agencies are simply too scared to buy.  Whatever people say, the Royals’ increased demand for privacy – starting with the Queen’s plea for a paparazzi ban in Sandringham last year- works!  We’ll see if we get more pictures over time.  As for now…

Coy Kate Covers her Face; William Jokingly Calls Kate’s Father “Dad”

There had been lots of kissing, hand holding and hugging in the snow. But sitting on a ski lift with a laughing group of friends, Kate Middleton suddenly went all shy. She hid her face in her hands as they set off for another day on the slopes at Courchevel in France.

Prince William & Kate, who are holidaying with Kate’s parents Mike and Carole, have been enjoying family get-togethers in the resort’s restaurants.

Ski instructor Meret Visser, who ate at a nearby table, said: “Prince William and Kate looked like a honeymoon couple. He held her hand under the table, stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.”

‘William was clearly very close to Kate’s father. Every time he spoke to him, William replied, “Yes, Dad”.  “Everyone in their group was laughing at this  -  it was clearly jokey. But William did look like part of the family.’

Yesterday the couple – both in red ski pants – raced down the slopes and had lunch al fresco, sitting on the snow at 9,000 ft with a group of friends, which includes Kate’s sister Pippa.

Articles with Pictures: Daily Mail | The Sun

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Hello! Magazine on Prince William & Kate Middleton’s Ski Holiday

Mar 23

Posted by britishroyals in Carole & Mike Middleton, Kate Middleton*, Pippa & James Middleton, Prince William | 1 Comment

**Updated with article highlights** Prince William and Kate Middleton made the cover of the current issue of Hello! Magazine.  Here are page scans of their exclusive on William & Kate’s ski holiday in Courchevel, France.  Article highlights below.









There’s nothing significantly new in this exclusive. They used ski instructor’s Meret Visser’s quote along with loved-up stories from previous articles. It was written by Judy Wade with additional reporting form Thomas Whitaker.

Article highlights:

  • Their group hired a luxury 5-bedroom chalet which can be rented between 11,000-17,000 euros/week. It comes complete with a resident chef, steam room, roaring log fire, and plasma TV room.
  • “They both clearly love their skiing and hit the slopes everyday”
  • “The Prince is a very competent skier, but Kate is even better than he is.” He did very well to keep up with her
  • They rented their ski gear
  • A trusted member of their circle said there has been no talk of an engagement this year – which is not surprising
  • William is cramming an 8-month course into 6 months. He’s allowed this holiday week off before starting the final stage of training
  • Kate is still with Party Pieces. “Kate is not hiding away, she goes out in London a lot, leading a normal life, using public transport often, but she just hasn’t been spotted. While it’s true she doesn’t like the paparazzi, she hasn’t been trying to avoid them. She is simply going about her business like a normal 28-year-old.” She and William have remained low key, meeting regularly.

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Prince William May Put Off Royal Duties to Continue Flying

Mar 23

Posted by britishroyals in Kate Middleton*, Prince William | No Comments

Prince William may postpone becoming a full-time royal and spend much of the next decade in the military – partly to avoid accusations of shortchanging taxpayers of £400,000.

William is acutely aware that if he leaves the RAF in 2012 after his planned three-year tour of duty as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, he will have only repaid about half the £800,000 cost of training him. Until now William’s advisers have expected him leave the RAF after just one tour of duty and revert to an earlier plan to start full-time royal duties like his father Prince Charles.

“It is too early to know what Prince William’s plans are after he has served a tour of duty with the search-and-rescue force,” a St James’s Palace spokesman said. “Many options will be open to him at the end of his tour.”

The new thinking at St James’s and MoD HQ will raise speculation about whether a prolonged career in the military will delay wedding plans for William and Kate Middleton, his girlfriend of seven years.  Friends, however, believe that although Kate enjoys partying in London, the couple will relish life as an Armed Forces couple living initially in the country near RAF search-and-rescue airfields and later perhaps near other bases. Such a lifestyle, with only a small number of official royal engagements in her first few years, would allow Kate a gentle introduction to life as a future Queen.

Article: The Express

Prince William Flies Home from Ski Holiday Despite Strike

Prince William flew home with a Jet2 plane

After a week-long ski holiday with girlfriend Kate Middleton and her family (previous articles, Hello! Mag scans), Prince William jetted home on Sunday using strike-hit British Airways – enraging union firebrands hell-bent on grounding him.

Wills  joined tens of thousands who defiantly boarded jets – some of the flights using specially- chartered planes. The Prince and 200 passengers flew home from Switzerland on an aircraft supplied by Jet2 – complete with cabin crew to replace those on strike.  He enjoyed a fuss-free 3-hour flight to London’s Heathrow.

The Unite union was left desperate for a propaganda coup to bolster its three-day walkout by cabin crew, which started on Saturday and continues today. Its biggest hope was to strand Wills in Geneva after his ski holiday with girlfriend Kate Middleton, 28.

A source said of the Prince’s flight: “It’s a major kick in the teeth for the unions. They would have loved to have embarrassed BA by leaving William struggling.”

Article: The Sun

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Kate Middleton Off on Ski Holiday with Family… AND Prince William!

Mar 15

Posted by britishroyals in Kate Middleton*, Prince William | 1 Comment

Kate Middleton during one of their annual ski trips

Kate Middleton during one of their annual ski trips

**CONFIRMED: Prince William is there!**

Catharina Skyllberg was in the same restaurant with the couple and their group.  Her blog has a picture!  Check it out!  It also has a description on how tactile and cute they are toward each other.  And don’t forget her tweets on the right!  Thanks for the heads up, Cat!

Courchevel Snow tweets: “Prince william has been spotted up in Courchevel 1850 by Adam and Suz, two of the chalet hosts in ELAN! Big time.”

Richard Palmer of The Express also confirms it.


Contrary to what was previously reported (see below), the picture and tweets above confirms that William and Kate are indeed on their annual ski holiday — and acting very much like a couple!

Kate Middleton is reportedly heading off for their annual ski holiday in the Alps with her parents Carole and Mike. They’ll be enjoying a plush £8,000 ski break in a French ski resort in the Three Valleys. I wonder if this has anything to do with the £8,000 ski trip Carole won at auction at last year’s Starlight charity event… or is the reporter just connecting the dots?

Prince William won’t be joining the Middletons for the fun. The 27-year-old prince, training to be an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, is said to be too busy to make the trip.

This article also claims that Kate went to Mustique last month. This is the first time it’s been reported.

Article: News of the World

Other Wills & Kate Weekend Tidbits…

Despite there being no announcement of an engagement yet, royal florist Simon Lycett speaks about the flowers he wants to decorate the cathedral for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

“I think they are relatively traditional,” he says. “For his father, we had 30,000 Narcissus daffodils, so if it was the spring months it would be lovely to do the same. Certainly, it would be British flowers; lots and lots would be gorgeous, like roses, delphinium and sweetpeas.”

Article: The Telegraph

Oli Baker, who lived in a farmhouse with William and Kate during their last two years at the University of St Andrews, is returning to the Scottish town to marry fiancee Mel Nicholson in May.

“The save-the-date cards went out a week ago and we’re planning a big reunion at St Andrews,” one excited guest said. “Oli and Mel are hoping William and Kate will be coming. Kate shared her London home with Mel and they are good friends.

Article: Daily Mail (scroll down)

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Kate’s Dog Eats Expensive Earrings from William?

Mar 12

Posted by britishroyals in Kate Middleton*, Prince William | 3 Comments

**Updated below with some truth**

This story is highly amusing… and one wonders how Katie Nicholl “knows” such private details.

When Prince William bought Kate Middleton a pair of pearl earrings for her 28th birthday, he carefully tracked down the finest and most expensive pair he could find. But now he may be wishing he had not gone to so much trouble – after the precious antiques were eaten by Kate’s dog.

Otto, her beloved black cocker spaniel, chewed up the jewellery so badly that they were rendered unwearable.  The pup went into her room, ate the pearls, and Kate had to wait for him to poop them out.  William’s response? He laughed it off and said he’d get her another pair.

Article: Daily Mail

Now, 2 days later, the story has revolved.  One source claims the earrings were worth $28,000USD.  And a few sources claim the story is totally false. Why am I not surprised?

First, Richard Palmer, royal correspondent for The Express, tweets: “Kate Middleton doesn’t have a dog apparently so is puzzled by claims it ate a pearl earring from Prince William.”  Then, Tabloid Watch claims Clarence House had denied the story to him.  Ok, we all know the Middletons have a gorgeous golden retriever.  We’ve seen pictures of Kate and James with the dog.  We’ve heard stories of Kate walking the dog. We are yet to see a cocker black spaniel.  Whether or not Otto even exists is anyone’s guess.  Also, I doubt Clarence House would confirm or deny anything about the story.

The only credible update?  – St. James Place’s spokeswoman’s response to a German Press Agency: “Kate Middleton is a private individual. We don’t comment on private individuals.”





Otto Does Not Even Belong to the Middletons **Update**

Finally, some light on this subject…

Christian Hepburne Scott informs The Telegraph that Otto has a cast-iron alibi for not eating Prince William’s earrnings: he was in Yorkshire at the time of the alleged offence.

“Otto and his sister Ella were two of eight pups I had,” says the family friend, who was the pooches’ breeder and “sort of monthly nurse”. “I gave Ella, at eight weeks, to the Middletons. Otto went to a friend of Kate’s brother, James, in the North. I have no concrete knowledge that even Ella ate these earrings.”

Article: The Telegraph

A summary of this crazy story has been published by the Guardian. Kate’s lawyer, Gerrard Tyrell, of the firm Harbottle & Lewis, has confirmed that the story is not true. “We have been searching in vain for the dog,” he joked.

The Daily Mail issued the following statement: “We put the story to the Clarence House press office before publication and they didn’t give us any indication it was untrue. We have since been told there were inaccuracies in the story and as a courtesy we have removed it from out website.”

Article: The Guardian

Case closed!  Bottomline is: Katie Nicholl should quit being a royal reporter and start writing fiction.

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Kate Middleton Wins Apology & Damages from Rex Features

Mar 11

Posted by britishroyals in Kate Middleton* | No Comments

Kate Middleton, Prince William’s girlfriend, has prevailed in her complaint of breach of privacy over her family’s Christmas holiday in Cornwall. Photographic agency Rex Features has publicly apologised and agreed to pay damages, amounting to approximately £10,000 plus substantial legal costs.  This has been previously reported here.

Rex Features’ statement as posted on their website:

“Although at the time Rex Features did not know that an infringement of privacy had occurred, we now accept that this was the case and that by distributing the photographs we were a party to that invasion of privacy. Accordingly we have agreed to pay compensation to Ms Middleton and have undertaken not to syndicate any further private photographs of her. We apologise to Ms Middleton for what has taken place.”

Harbottle & Lewis said that Middleton would be donating the money to charity.

Article: The Guardian

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