British Royals

Archive for Prince William

A Day at the Races

Jun 5

Posted by britishroyals in Chelsy Davy, HM The Queen & Duke, Pippa & James Middleton, Prince Harry, Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, The Duchess of Cambridge | 6 Comments

The Royal Family came out in full force to support the Queen’s horse Carlton House at the Epsom Derby yesterday.  Her Majesty has never won the Derby before, and yesterday, despite Carlton House having top betting odds, it was the 10th time unlucky for the Queen.  The horse lost a shoe during the race and finished 3rd.  Bummer!

Top: the trio arrive to cheers; the Queen is not amused with the derby loss
Bottom: Harry leads the royal cheerleaders; picture perfect Princess Catherine

Despite the loss, it was a triumph for the royals, who showed a relaxed and united front.  Best of all was the surprise attendance of so many of them!  Prince Andrew, his daughters Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie arrived at the same time with the Queen and Prince Philip.  Then more than an hour later, the crowd cheered wildly as the coveted trio — William, Kate & Harry — joined them.  Everyone was in good spirits.  The ladies looked beautiful; the men dapper in top hats.  And Princess Catherine, once again, proving an absolute thoroughbred!  To know what Kate wore to the races, follow this site.

Also present (but not in the royal box, of course) was Carole Middleton.  Kate’s family is invested in another horse, Sohraab, who competed (and also lost) in an earlier race.

Got to love this family!  So I got a little carried away with the pictures…

And the newlyweds…

Articles: Daily Mail | News of the World
More Pictures: Getty Images | Rex Features | Zimbio | Belga | MyRoyals

William & Kate

Trooping the Colour rehearsal.  The morning of the Derby, Prince William participated in the Colonel’s Review — a rehearsal for next week’s Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade.  He’s dressed in complete guardsman’s attire — red suit, bearskin hat and all.  Quite a sight for tourists, as hundreds of soldiers were there for the rehearsal.  ( Article | Pictures )

Kensington Palace as London base.  The new Duke & Duchess of Cambridge are moving into a “small” apartment in Kensington Palace (Diana’s former home) temporarily as their London base.  They’ll eventually want a bigger place for the long term.  Their main residence remains their cottage in Anglesey. ( Article )

Pippa Middleton

Fit for a triathlon. While sis and mum were at the Derby, sporty Pippa ran and finished the GE Blenheim triathlon.  She was joined by two male friends, who did the swimming & cycling part.  ( Article & Pictures )

Still with Alex Loudon. According to the Telegraph, rumours that Pippa has split with her boyfriend are just “unsubstantiated gossip” and “inaccurate.” ( Article )

A few articles concerning Pippa this weekend: Pip-pip Hooray (this one actually makes sense)! |  The rise & rise of her Royal Hotness | The Pipparettes — about Pippa’s friends

Chelsy & Harry

Chelsy Davy in Ibiza

Chelsy in Ibiza. We’ve heard that Prince Harry’s on-off girlfriend is on a European road trip with friends while Harry trains as an Apache pilot.  Well, the paps have finally spotted Chelsy — in Ibiza — having lunch with friends.  Red sundress, brown bag, sunglasses, cigarette and all.  ( Pictures: Popsugar | Celebrity-Gossip ).

Off Again? Moreover, several reports claim the on-off couple are, once again, off.  According to Katie Nicholl, Chelsy has been “wild” in Ibiza, and telling people she’s “young, free and single”

The Yorks

Princess Eugenie has orthopaedic surgery at 12.  She underwent an 8-hour operation to correct severe scoliosis.  ( Article )

Saving Sarah Ferguson from herself, Oprah style. A preview & behind the scenes article on  Fergie’s upcoming reality series, “Finding Sarah,” which airs June 12. ( Article )

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Prince William & Princess Catherine’s North American Tour (Details)

Jun 1

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | 4 Comments

It will be HUGE, warn Canadian officials.  Indeed, Prince William & Princess Catherine’s first official overseas tour — to Canada and California — from June 30 to July 10 has the media in a craze.  When the Queen visited last year, 18 journalists from the UK accompanied her.  At present, 85 have registered to cover William  & Kate, and the numbers are still bound to rise.

“This royal visit will be on a size and scale like nothing Canada has seen perhaps since the visit that happened in 1986 for the opening of Expo 86 in Vancouver, when Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited,” Heritage Minister James Moore says. “Canada Day on the Hill going to be massive. The media inquiries are through the roof.”

The dates and cities to be visited were released on Monday.  What we know so far:

CANADA

June 30 to July 2: the National Capital Region (Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec)
July 2: Montréal, Quebec, on July 2;
July 3: Québec City, Quebec
July 3 to July 4: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
July 4: Summerside, Prince Edward Island
July 4 to July 6: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
July 6 to July 8: Calgary, Alberta

William & Kate are expected to kick off Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa on July 1, and end in Calgary in time for the Calgary Stampede, the world’s largest rodeo.

While other details haven’t been revealed, a Canadian news site has let slip that the tour will focus on the Forces, with several visits related to the military.  Plenty of youth focus, too.  Mentioned were:  visits with young chefs… a youth theather… a science fair… For Princess Catherine,  a meetup with an actor from Anne of Green Gables in P.E.I., said to be a childhood favorite… a visit to the Canadian airfield in Calgary where her late grandfather Peter Middleton was stationed (he died last November shortly before their engagement was announced)… rowing in a dragonboat race.  Also included: William to witness a search-and-rescue operation, and the pair meeting Canadian Rangers in the Northwest Territories. Note: I am blogging by memory of what I have read, as the article with details is no longer searchable online.

CALIFORNIA

July 8 to July 10: Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Rumour has it that the furthest away from LA they’ll reach is an hour and a half drive away. The Palace is keen to dispel talk that the visit will focus on meeting Hollywood stars, although they are naturally bound to meet a few celebrities.

The theme of the 2011 Royal Tour is
Moving Forward Together’ from Past Accomplishments to Current Service to Future Achievements”
Finer details on the itinerary will be released in mid-June.

Related Articles & Websites:

Gearing up for their big overseas tour, William & Kate are on the cover of Vanity Fair, in stands June 2.  The picture was taken by Mario Testino during the time of their engagement.  The little seen picture can also be seen inside their official Royal Wedding CD.

First Official Public Function

Not counting the private meeting with the Obamas, the new Duke & Duchess of Cambridge’s first public function is a gala dinner in aide of the children’s charity Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) on June 9.

The royal couple are attending the £10,000-a-head dinner on behalf of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. They will attend a reception with 900 other guests at Kensington Palace before sitting down to a private dinner. Prince William will also deliver a speech.

It will be a long weekend of public appearances for the royals — with Trooping the Colour, the Duke’s 90th birthday celebration, polo and the Garter Ceremony on the following days.



Future official appearances for William & Kate:

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The Obamas Visit the UK

May 24

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Prince Charles & Camilla, Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | 6 Comments

DAY 1:

It’s a right royal welcome as US President Barack Obama begins state visit to Great Britain.  He and his wife Michelle arrived in the Presidential limousine known as The Beast, which pulled into the front of Buckingham Palace just before noon. They are greeted by the Queen and Prince Philip ahead of a state banquet this evening and a meeting with David Cameron.

 

The Obamas with Her Majesty & the Duke of Edinburgh

 

After the meeting of the heads of state, the Obamas spent about 20 minutes speaking with Prince William and his new wife Princess Catherine, who have just returned from their Seychelles honeymoon. Kate wore a £175 “Shola” dress from high street chain Reiss. And as of this writing, Reiss’ website has crashed.

 

The Obamas met newlyweds William & Kate - Duke & Duchess of Cambridge

 

Then it was off to the Buckingham Palace Gardens for 41-gun salute, a trip to Westminster Abbey, and a meeting with the Prime Minister. Tonight, a state dinner is to be held at Buckingham Palace. President Obama and his family will stay 2 nights at Buckingham Palace’s Belgian suite — the same room where William & Kate stayed on their wedding night.

After a long day of public appearances, President Obama and his wife Michelle were treated to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen. The star-studded banquet saw 171 guests arrive, including actors Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey and Tim Burton and politicians David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Boris Johnson.

The State Banquet, including Obama’s speech


Articles: Daily Mail | Daily Mail (state banquet) | Telegraph | BBC (with video) | The Independent | Sky News
Pictures: Obamas with: The Queen & Prince Philip | Prince Charles & Camilla | William & Kate
Pictures: Day 1 in Pictures

President Obama continues with more political activities today.  As a royal site, I shall continue to cover relevant “royally-related” agenda of the state visit.

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The Monarchy’s Finest Month

May 22

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Prince Andrew, Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, Princess Beatrice, Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of Cambridge | No Comments

 


Photos: Crowds from the Royal Wedding; The Queen gets a standing ovation in Ireland

Nothing sums up the triumph that was the last 30 days as well this Express article: The Monarchy’s Finest Month.   True, after years of struggling with what was a faltering public image, the Monarchy packed up a bravura double punch, starting with Prince William’s glorious wedding to university sweetheart Kate Middleton on April 29, and ending with Her Majesty’s historic state visit to the Republic of Ireland on May 17-20.  In the last 30 days, the Royal Family has won global acclaim.

The Queen is surely pleased in what would have been one of the best months of her reign.  A PR triumph, and media popularity for all the right reasons.  Long may it continue…

William & Kate:

Prince William & Princess Catherine are back from their Seychelles honeymoon. The royal couple is back in the UK after a very successful private honeymoon.  “They left happy and clearly content with their stay,” said the head of the Seychelles tourism board, Alain St Ange, who saw the couple leave Friday. St. James’s Palace said the couple “thoroughly enjoyed their time together, and they are grateful to the Seychelles government for their assistance in making the honeymoon such a memorable and special 10 days.”

Now that they’re back, details are starting to emerge about their honeymoon.  The Mirror reports that the couple enjoyed diving with sharks, watching fish and turtles, torch-lit beach dinners, and an excursion to nearby islands.  On their departure, they were presented with a “love nut” – a rare giant aphrodisiac fruit – and a painting.  Source: The Mirror

Although they’ve largely succeeded in maintaining their privacy, someone managed to stumble upon their private little island… the accidental invaders were, of course, sent away.

Royal Wedding & beyond:

California official tour:

Her Majesty & Prince Philip

The Yorks

Pippa Middleton

 

 

 

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Ireland Prepares for Queen’s Historic Visit

May 16

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Pippa & James Middleton, Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | No Comments

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make a historical visit to Ireland

The streets are closed;  police are sweeping the area; the media pack has already arrived… Tomorrow will be a historic day.

The Queen’s four-day visit to Ireland will be first by a British monarch since George V almost 100 years ago. Her visit has been hailed as an “extraordinary moment” in the history between the two countries as unprecedented steps were taken to ensure all runs smoothly. Demonstrations are expected and the government has instituted a huge security operation, targeted dissident republicans and borrowed water cannon from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Naturally, security measures are very, very tight.

Articles: The Guardian | Daily Mail

Prince William & Princess Catherine News:

Behind the scenes at the Royal Wedding. Lovely insider accounts on what went on behind the scenes at the Royal Wedding — from reporters, to Kate’s hairdresser to the royal harpist.

Speculations on Princess Catherine’s future patronages. Over the weekend, people have been reporting 2 potential patronages for the in-demand new princess. One of them is Starlight, a charity that grants terminally ill children wishes. Kate and her family has already been supporting Starlight’s party programme over the years through their business Party Pieces. Another is Wimbledon, which is sorely in need of some glamour. As everyone knows, Kate is a keen tennis player and competed while in school.

No frills Princess Catherine says she doesn’t need a lady-in-waiting. Breaking royal tradition and continuing with her no-fuss tendencies, Kate will try NOT having a lady-in-waiting on her first overseas tour to Canada & California. She and William only plan on bringing an entourage of up to 10 people (the Queen brings 30).

Why William struggled fitting the ring on Kate’s finger. Kate apparently ordered the ring a size too small for fear of it slipping off

Prince William was a real party prince. Tales from childhood parties with a prince

Excerpt from William & Catherine: Their Story.  The latest book written by Andrew Morton, famous for exposing Diana’s unhappiness in a biography.  His new book delves into William & Kate’s relationship – its beginnings, highs and lows, and concludes with their wedding on April 29.

Video: Lady Gaga dedicates song for Will & Kate. The singer rewrote the words to Orange Coloured Sky, made famous by Nat King Cole, and said the track was for “sweet Miss Middleton and Prince William.”

Other News:

Pippa & George Percy. Photo by Bauer Griffin

  • Pippa Middleton in Madrid. The focus on Pippa Middleton, now nicknamed P-Middy (how silly is that?!) or the “Royal Hotness” by the press, continues as she’s followed on a trip to Madrid with university flat mate (some say ex-boyfriend) George Percy – son of the Duke of Northumberland – and some friends. She’s been photographed at the airport, shopping, rowing, in a restaurant, outside a nightclub… Seriously, the press needs to leave her alone!

Daily Mail: Article 1 | Article 2
Pictures: At the airport | Boat Ride | Shopping & clubbing

 

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