British Royals

It’s CANADA for Prince William & Kate Middleton’s First Official Overseas Tour

Jan 31

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Princess Catherine | 9 Comments

Canadians rejoice!  Duncan Larcombe of the Sun reports that the new golden couple will kick-start life as a royal Mr and Mrs with a landmark official tour of Canada.

The future King and his bride will make the two-week visit in July, starting on the country’s east coast and ending in British Columbia in the west.

Aides are agonising over details of the trip because they know the couple – and particularly Kate – will be under the microscope. William is understood to be personally overseeing the programme to ensure it does not overwhelm his new wife, who has agreed to do at least one solo engagement.

One source said Canada was a natural choice as the couple’s first destination. The Queen is Head of State and the Royal Family enjoys popularity across the country. The visit will also reflect Canada’s importance within the Commonwealth and the work of its military. Throughout their married life William and Kate will be expected to make regular overseas visits as representatives of the British Monarchy.

One source said: “It is being viewed as a major tour and the first chance people will have to judge if William has chosen his wife wisely.”

Article: The Sun

Now we wait for the official announcement…

William & Kate to Honeymoon on the Isles of Scilly?

Two national Sunday newspapers have speculated that the soon-to-be Royal newlyweds William and Kate are planning to spend their honeymoon on the Isles of Scilly.

The Isles of Scilly do hold special memories for Prince William. Back in 1989 he holidayed there with his parents and Prince Harry. Originally it was thought the couple would honeymoon in Kenya, where the Prince proposed to his long-term girlfriend.

Quite conveniently, too, as the Duchy of Cornwall has several cottages in the Isles of Scilly at the couple’s disposal.

Article: BBC
Website: Duchy of Cornwall

Happy Birthday to the mother of the world’s famous bride!
 Carole Middleton turns 56 today. (Tribute article from Hello!)

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Chelsy Davy Back in Focus

Jan 30

Posted by britishroyals in Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Catherine | No Comments

Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy has somewhat disappeared from the public eye since they “split” and she moved back to Africa.  Recently, though, she’s had a string of public appearances in South Africa.  First, a New Year party.  Next, a swimming pool party hosted by 2Oceansvibe.  Lately, she’s been spotted jogging and hanging out with friends at the VIP box of the J&B Met horse racing event.  Now royal correspondents are predicting she’ll be Harry’s date for William & Kate’s wedding and we’re heading for a reconciliation.

Chelsy with friends at a horse racing event, South Africa

It was revealed that Chelsy Davy is expected to return to the UK in time for the Royal Wedding in April. And it looks like she is wasting no time ensuring she looks her very best for her reunion with ex-boyfriend Prince Harry while working up a sweat during a beach front run in Cape Town. She is currently on a gap year after completing her post-graduate law studies and has spent the last 6 months travelling around Africa and plans to visit Australia next.

“Chelsy has had a great six months out but she only intended to have a year off from her legal training and then she plans to move back to London, where she has a flat in Belgravia. She still has a job offer at lawyers Allen & Overy and plans to start there in September” a chum tells Katie Nicholl. “If she’s back in the UK the chances are she will be back with Harry.”

Meanwhile, a mole reports that Chelsy has been spending most of her time with her friend and former flatmate Alayne Moseley. “There’s talk that they are together,” said another source. “But if anything Alayne is a stop-gap. Chelsy’s real love is Harry, who’s desperately missed her while she’s been travelling. We have never ruled out a reconciliation.”

Articles: Daily Mail | Katie Nicholl
Pictures (Belga): Chelsy with friends, J&B Met horse racing event


The latest on the Royal Wedding: an interview with Katie Nicholl

William & Kate News

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Will the Queen Head Down Under in October instead of William & Kate?

Jan 29

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Prince William, Princess Catherine, Princess Diana | 1 Comment

No signs of slowing down

Her Majesty will visit Australia in October, bumping any plans for newlyweds Prince William and Kate Middleton to tour Down Under this year.

While a spokeswoman for Governor-General Quentin Bryce yesterday said “she couldn’t give any information at all, about the trip”, UK newspaper The Daily Mail reported that the monarch, who turns 85in April, plans to fly to Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Privately there has been talk of dove-tailing Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first official foreign tour as a married couple with the conference. However, sources say the Queen is hopeful of making the trip and have expressed concern that William and Kate’s presence there could overshadow the monarch’s vital work.

The Queen will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 90 this year.

Articles: Daily Mail | Daily Telegraph AU

Farewell to Diana’s Favourite Designer

Well-wishers gathered at a private memorial service for the couturier Catherine Walker at St Luke’s Church in Chelsea, south-west London. Walker, 65, was a favourite of Diana, Princess of Wales, providing her with many of her most famous outfits. The designer fought a long battle with cancer before dying at a hospital near her Sussex home last September.

Actress Joely Richardson joined stars from the fashion world to pay tribute. Others attending the service included Lady Gabriella Windsor, designers Bruce Oldfield and Jasper Conran, actress Susan Hampshire and Harper’s Bazaar editor Lucy Yeomans.

Walker first worked with Diana three months after her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. The Princess was buried in a black dress designed by Walker that she had bought in the weeks leading up to her death.

Articles: Daily Mail | The Express

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Should the Royals Have Real Jobs?

Jan 27

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Prince Charles & Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine | 2 Comments

Prince William is a Search and Rescue helicopter pilot

An interesting article from BBC’s royal correspondent Peter Hunt. To work in the real world or not – it’s a question that has troubled members of the British Royal Family for decades. This article examines the pros and cons of royals keeping their careers.

Back in 1948, someone suggested Prince Philip should spend a month working as a coal miner. The tentative plan was rejected as a “stunt” which would “play to the gallery”. In the 1950s, Philip, an alpha male, struggled initially with the lack of a defined role. “Constitutionally”, he once remarked, “I don’t exist”.

Two decades later, his son, Prince Charles was similarly vexed. He sought a purpose, as he awaited his destiny. His desire to spend three days working in a factory was yet another of those ideas which never took flight from the royal drawing board.

The problem is possibly more acute for those marrying into the Windsors. The price of privilege is an abandonment of some of what they’d previously held dear. When Sophie Wessex joined the Firm she thought she could continue working in public relations. But the Countess had reckoned without the intervention of the News of the World’s infamous “fake sheikh”. He secretly recorded her at work. She made less than flattering comments about Tony Blair and William Hague and, as a result, eventually, she abandoned her PR firm.

So, Kate Middleton has the recent royal past as a guide. The days of criticism calling her Waity Katie – for waiting for William instead of pursuing a career – are behind her. Kate has been working in her family’s business until recently quitting to prepare for royal life. She will now have to decide what will replace her work, post-wedding. She also knows she has to produce an heir – ideally, at least two.

Article: BBC

Lifetime Prepares for William & Kate: The Movie

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal engagement has just received the Lifetime seal of approval.

The network has announced plans to make a movie about the traditional story of the royal prince falling for the beautiful commoner. It will hit the channel before the royal wedding on April 29.

The movie will deal with how “the friendship between Prince William, second in line to the throne of the British monarchy, and future princess Kate Middleton, the stunning daughter of upper middle-class commoners, blossomed into a romantic love affair, charming the world with their recent engagement and eagerly awaited Royal Wedding.

Nico Evers-Swindell will play Prince William, Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire) has been cast as his father, Prince Charles.

Article: The Hollywood Reporter

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Kate Middleton Leaves Party Pieces, Prepares for Royal Life

Jan 26

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Prince William, Princess Catherine | 5 Comments

Mrs Windsor-to-be Kate Middleton has left her job at her family’s online party supplies firm to prepare for her royal wedding to Prince William. The future princess quit as Party Pieces‘ project manager.  She also worked as a website designer and photographer for the Party Pieces website.  As the person in charge of marketing, Kate was responsible for projects such as putting together the Christmas catalogue, arranging photo shoots and attending trade fairs.

Royal aides confirmed she stepped down on Friday, saying,  “She has handed over her work to colleagues and is now preparing for her future life.”

According to one friend, Kate has taken on the role of wedding planner with “gusto and energy”. Quoted in Hello! magazine, she said: “Catherine is a naturally creative individual and has spent her professional life in the creative industries having worked at Jigsaw, then as a website designer, photographer, marketer and events organiser. Skills she has built up in her working life translate naturally to organising a wedding… It is a steep learning curve and at the same time she is learning a lot about the royal family and what the future holds.“

Kate is said to be at the helm when it comes to organising the wedding, spending hours with William at their rented farmhouse in Anglesey making plans.

“They’ve worked really hard, doing it their way, and they’re nearly there,” a member of the royal household Hello! magazine. “They know exactly what they want. In the end it will be a traditional Anglican wedding. Don’t, for example, expect a rock band to be performing inside the Abbey.”

The couple are said to have already made most of the key decisions – Kate has chosen her all-important dress designer – but are determined to keep some details under wraps, including the bride’s gown, the rings and the words of the vows.

“They don’t want the world to be sick of their wedding before they become husband and wife,” the insider added.

Kate is once again this week’s cover of Hello! Magazine (pictured left).

Articles: Daily Mail |  Hello! Magazine
Link of Interest: Party Pieces

Wedding Save the Dates Sent. They haven’t received the gold embossed invitations yet, but save the date notices have been sent to European royal families.  Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, the ex-King Michael of Romania, and ex-King Constantine of Greece have received faxes and are coming to the wedding.  Articles: Express | People

Prince Philip: the Duke You Don’t Know

A new exhibition features a remarkable collection of war diaries, paintings, even jewellery – all created by the same man. In his 90th year, is it finally time to meet the real Prince Philip?  The man who has walked just a few steps behind the Queen for the best part of 60 years will nevertheless be the centre of attention when Prince Philip: Celebrating Ninety Years opens at the Windsor Castle Drawings Gallery next month.

It is typical of the Duke of Edinburgh that he did not want a book, catalogue, or ‘any such nonsense’ to accompany a new exhibition marking his 90th birthday this year. “We tried to persuade him,” says Theresa-Mary Morton, the head of exhibitions at the Royal Collection. “After all, it is an exhibition celebrating his many achievements, but he was adamant. He simply didn’t want the fuss.”

Article: The Telegraph

Long Live Wills & Kate

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