British Royals

Prince Harry on Walking with the Wounded

Jan 14

Posted by britishroyals in Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Catherine, Princess Diana, Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall | 2 Comments

Four wounded soldiers are part of a charity team that will walk 250 miles to the North Pole in April dragging heavy sleds in -50°C temperatures. Here, the charity’s patron, Prince Harry, who hopes to join them for some of the walk, explains why he is lending his support to the £2millon fund-raising trek.  His message:

I am so proud to be patron of Walking With The Wounded. This extraordinary expedition will raise awareness of the debt that this country owes to those it sends off to fight – only for them to return wounded and scarred, physically and emotionally. The debt extends beyond immediate medical care and short-term rehabilitation.”

These men and women have given so much. We must recognise their sacrifice, be thankful and, so far as we can ever, repay them for it.

What the Walking With The Wounded North Pole Team is undertaking is an enormous adventure of the most challenging order. I’m delighted their training has been going well so far and that they feel prepared for the task ahead. The funds that Walking With The Wounded will – I hope – raise, with the public’s support, will make a life-changing difference to injured servicemen and women from our Armed Forces, re-training and re-skilling them for their own challenging futures.

I wish the team the very best of luck. This polar adventure will exemplify the tenacity and remarkable courage of those who serve in uniform.

Read the rest: The Sun

Princess Diana’s Niece Charged after Row with Driver in McDonald’s Queue

Lady Amelia Spencer

Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Amelia Spencer, has been charged with common assault after a violent row at a McDonald’s in Cape Town. The 18-year-old and a male companion were driving home from a birthday party when the incident happened. She and a friend were accused of attacking another driver in the queue, who allegedly ended up in hospital with concussion.

Today Lady Spencer’s father, Earl Spencer, said that she had been assaulted first and was forced to kick out in self-defence. He said: “It is upsetting that a man who assaulted my daughter should try to press charges against her when she had merely reacted in self-defence. She is today pressing charges against him for assault.”

Amelia is said to have leapt out and become involved in a row with taxi passenger Ricci Cinti. A male friend of the heiress was then alleged to have joined in and the 27-year-old machinist — who was on crutches from a football injury — claimed he was knocked to the ground.

Article: London Evening Standard

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Queen Elizabeth: 60 Pictures for 60 Years

Jan 13

Posted by britishroyals in HM The Queen & Duke, Prince Charles & Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine | No Comments

"Lightness of Being" in 3-D, one of the 60 images on display

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year is being celebrated by the National Portrait Gallery with 60 images spanning her reign.

Landmark paintings such as the gallery’s life-size commission from Pietro Annigoni in 1969, Lucian Freud’s “warts and all” portrait from 2000-2001 and the Justin Mortimer picture where her head floats away from her body against a vibrant yellow background, are all included. A new 3-D artwork is to be commissioned from Chris Levine -following his 2004 hologram the Lightness of Being – and there will be unofficial portraits by Gilbert and George, Andy Warhol and Gerhard Richter.

There are also photographs capturing the Queen on formal and informal occasions. Sandy Nairne, director of the gallery, said: “The Queen is the most portrayed person in British history, reflecting her long reign and also the respect and affection which is felt towards her.”

The Queen: Art and Image, will open in London on May 17 next year and run to October 21. There will be an admission charge.

Articles: Daily Mail | London Evening Standard

Prince Charles with an Australian in Perth, 1977

Cheeky Prince Charles and his Eye for the Ladies

He’s a happily married 62-year-old heir to the throne. But amidst recent claims of him flirting with a model years ago, Prince Charles is the subject of a playful article from the Daily Mail. It shows a collection of pictures of the Prince and his eye for the ladies.

Article: Daily Mail

A Royal Title for Kate

Another article discussing Kate Middleton’s official name once she marries Prince William.  Not the most accurate (it should be Catherine, Duchess of ???), but explains a few things.  I personally think the Queen will confer a dukedom on William, making them Duke and Duchess of ???).  But of course the press will informally call her Princess Catherine or Princess Kate.

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Prince Harry Set for North Pole Expedition

Jan 12

Posted by britishroyals in Prince Charles & Camilla, Prince Harry | 1 Comment

Prince Harry is in intensive training to take part in a gruelling 200-mile trek across Arctic pack ice to the North Pole with four disabled soldiers.

Harry hopes to spend up to a week with the expedition which has a target of raising £2 million for the Walking With The Wounded charity.  As patron, he is said to be “keen as mustard” about joining the men. The journey is scheduled to start at the end of March and end between April 20 and 24, days before the wedding of Prince William.

The soldiers, who were all injured in Afghanistan, launched their expedition today in Trafalgar Square. They are Guy Disney, who has lost his right leg below the knee, Martin Hewitt, whose right arm was paralysed by a bullet, Jaco Van Gass, who lost his left arm and suffered severe wounds to his left leg and Steve Young, who suffered a broken back.

Harry plans to fly to the Arctic to join the group for part of the walk after completing his helicopter training. A final decision on his involvement will be taken at the end of March when he nears completion of the training.

Article: London Evening Standard | BBC News (with Video)


Prince Charles Asked Model for “Private Show”

Tasha de Vasconcelos claims Prince Charles flirtations

Sounds like someone wants her 2 minutes of fame… or trying to sell her book… but take it for what it’s worth…

Prince Charles flirted with an exotic supermodel before asking her to perform a ‘private catwalk show’ for him, she has claimed.

In an autobiography to be published this week, 42-year-old Mozambique-born Tasha de Vasconcelos alleges that the Prince propositioned her under the nose of Camilla Parker Bowles at an exclusive party.

She said they began with a ‘clumsy’ chat-up line and ‘seductive smile’ from the heir to the throne in 1999, but soon accelerated. He approached her again at a soiree in Syon House, the Duke of Northumberland’s West London home.

In claims that seem far-fetched, and language reminiscent of a Mills and Boon novel, Miss de Vasconcelos claims: ‘During the evening, I saw his eyes glance over my necklace, which lit up my face, and to the more intimate attractions of the curves beneath my Versace dress.

“You are magnificent,” he dared to utter. “Would you ever consider a private catwalk show… just for me?”’

Article: Daily Mail

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Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall Looking at a July 30 Wedding in Scotland

Jan 11

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Princess Catherine, Zara Phillips & Mike Tindall | No Comments

Mike Tindall & Zara Phillips

There is a strong likelihood that Zara Phillips will wed Mike Tindall on July 30 – just three months after Prince William marries Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey – following the disclosure that another couple who had been due to marry at the church that day had agreed to rearrange their wedding plans.  Likely venue: a church on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

A spokeswoman for Miss Phillips, the 29-year-old daughter of Princess Anne, insisted nothing had been finalised, but Edinburgh couple Cherith Harrison and Gregg Walter, both 27, are understood to have switched their ceremony to Greyfriars Kirk following negotiations with Canongate Kirk minister the Rev Neil Gardner. Zara was said to be ‘desperate’ to get married in Scotland in the summer.

The Canongate Kirk is the parish church for the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the Palace – the Queen’s official residence in Scotland – would be favourite to stage the wedding reception.

A royal wedding in Edinburgh would be expected to attract large crowds of well-wishers to the capital and swell tourist numbers.

Articles: Daily Mail | The Express

Royal Wedding Strike for Tube and BA Workers (Update)

It had been reported that Union militants are cynically targeting the Royal Wedding for strikes which could wreck the day for a million well-wishers. London Underground drivers are threatening to walk out, bringing havoc to the capital on a day of national celebration. And British Airways cabin crew could also stop work for a nine-day period which includes Easter weekend and the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29.

So much was the commotion that London Mayor Boris Johnson released a Youtube video saying he’s “amazed” at the absurdity of it. He also launched a Twitter war, encouraging people to bombard the website of a London Tube union.

But alas, latest developments say these plans are premature.  Both unions have played down the news.

“There’s no likelihood of a strike at the Royal Wedding by British Airways cabin crew,” said soon-to-be Unite leader Len McCluskey.

“The question of possible industrial action on the day of the Royal Wedding has not even been discussed by the union’s executive,” read a statement from Aslef.

It’s a Go for Tea Towels! Souvenir and Tours updates…

A change of heart by the Royal Household has cleared the way for an official tea towel to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The news comes after Buckingham Palace last month outlined what was acceptable as Royal Wedding memorabilia and what would be regarded as unsuitable. Tea towels were, at that time, banned.

The Royal Household said it was still following the Lord Chamberlain’s original guidelines preventing either a picture of Catherine and William or the prince’s royal coat of arms from appearing on any textile products. As a result, the official tea towel, which is expected to cost £8, will be a plain white linen teacloth featuring the intertwined initials of William and Catherine and the prince’s coronet. Article: Daily Mail

Travel and Tours:  We have heard of the £15 guided tour of William and Kate’s romantic London.  Now it seems more travel agencies are cashing in by providing imaginative tours.  A royal packaged tour offered in Germany is quickly selling out.  And the latest yet?  A tour through “Kate Middleton Country“, featuring her hometown of Bucklebury, Berkshire.

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Hands Off the Kate Middleton Brand!

Jan 10

Posted by britishroyals in Charles Davy, Chelsy Davy, HM The Queen & Duke, Prince William, Princess Catherine | No Comments

Exploit the royal bride-to-be’s name to sell dresses and you’ll be sued, stores are warned.

She is said to have the Midas touch when it comes to fashion – with everything she wears benefiting from a huge boost in sales and rafts of copycat designs. But using the ‘Kate Middleton brand’ to sell replica dresses could lead to retailers being sued for tens of thousands of pounds, royal aides and industry experts have warned.

A ban on suggesting that any member of the Royal Family has endorsed a product is now understood to extend to Kate, even ahead of her formal inclusion as a royal with her wedding to Prince William on April 29. There are no written rules, but courtiers said firms would be warned that they risk falling foul of trademark and copyright law if they use her full name on merchandise.

A royal aide explains: “(It is) highly unlikely that we would have any objectionif a company wanted to call a dress “the Kate dress”.  “Kate” isn’t specific to Catherine Middleton. It may, however, be a different scenario if it was called the “Catherine/Kate Middleton” dress as that impacts… on personal copyright. Or indeed if a company was suggesting a dress was officially endorsed by Catherine.”

Article: Daily Mail

Mail reaches Kate even without address.. thanks to postman

Local postman Ryan Naylor, who delivers to princess-to-be Kate Middleton and her family in Bucklebury, Berkshire, has been hauling a “steady stream” of mail up the private drive to their home ever since the Nov. 16 engagement announcement.

“The post they’ve had is absolutely incredible, from all over the world,” he tells People Magazine. “There are lots of well-wishers, sending cards and presents.”

And sometimes, the address is perfectly straightforward. Try ‘Kate Middleton, Bucklebury’. “Absolutely right,” chuckles Naylor. “And some of it’s just addressed to Kate Middleton, England, but it still gets here surprisingly. There was one this morning to ‘Mike and Carole Middleton, Parents of Catherine Middleton, Bucklebury, Berkshire,” he says as he jumps into his red van and heads out again on his rounds. “I joked with them about it. I said, Look! It still gets through. What a good postman you’ve got!”

Article: People Magazine

Kate’s Birthday update: It seems that Kate spent her 29th birthday quietly with William, and not with her family in Berkshire as previously speculated.  William and Kate attended a wedding in Yorkshire the day before.  They are said to have stayed the night there, met with friends on Kate’s birthday morning, and drove off somewhere after.

Charles Davy Mugabe link controversy update: Charles Davy, Prince Harry’s ex Chelsy’s dad, has been criticized by publication Zim Diaspora over “undercover reports” allegedly linking him to tyrant Robert Mugabe.  Mr. Davy wrote a long, angry letter back in his defense.  Zim Diaspora published his response in red in this article.

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