British Royals

Posts Tagged charity

William & Kate Attend War Horse Premiere on the Eve of her 30th Birthday

Jan 11

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | 1 Comment

William & Kate at the War Horse premiere. Photo by Reuters

It is the first official engagement for the Cambridges for 2012.  And it was the Kate’s last night in her 20s, too.  So what did she do?  She joined her husband to their first film premiere as a married couple — War Horse by director Steven Spielberg.

Royal-watchers might recall the couple watching the award-winning play on a date night back in December 2009.  Now turned into a film, the star-studded premiere was a fundraiser for The Foundation of Prince William & Prince Harry.  Hundreds of military personnel were also invited to the event. Ironically, it started pouring moments before William & Kate walked the red carpet, prompting them to share single transparent umbrella under the rain.  The Duchess once again wowed in black lace by Alice Temperley.

After the movie, there was a private reception at Buckingham Palace with William, Kate, cast members and other notables.  The price for mingling with royalty? £10,000 — for charity and the princes’ foundation, of course.

The next day, director Steven Spielberg said in an interview with BBC that Kate teared up during the movie (his wife had to pass her some Kleenex).  It tells a story of a boy and his deep love for his horse Joey (who by the way, also walked the red carpet during the premiere) set against the backdrop of World War I.  No word on William’s reaction on the heart-tugging film.

The Duchess of Cambridge celebrated her milestone 30th birthday privately.  It was reportedly a low-key dinner with William, family and close friends in the grounds of Kensington Palace near their London cottage.  None of those Pippa-and-Harry planned karaoke party stories turned out to be true.

From CBS about Kate’s year + interview with Victoria Aribiter:


The Duchess of Cambridge turns 30. Photo: Getty Images

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Duchess of Cambridge Announces Patronages

Jan 6

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | 2 Comments

As anticipated, the Duchess of Cambridge announced her first patronages as a member of the Royal Family.  She will work with FOUR very lucky charities and on top of that volunteer for the scouts during her private time in Anglesey.    Kate has been researching her options since September 2011 and has been spotted visiting these orgazinations during the fall.

My thoughts on the choices? — Very fitting and very well thought out.  They seem to fit her interests (the arts, children & the outdoors) and complement William’s work nicely.  Very promising start!



Here are the lucky selected ones:

Action on Addiction

 

The Art Room

 

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices

  • What they do: EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. They provide care and support wherever the family wishes – in families’ own homes, in hospital or at one of their hospices

 

National Portrait Gallery

  • About the NPG: Founded in 1856, the aim of the National Portrait Gallery is “to promote through the medium of portraits the appreciation and understanding of the men and women who have made and are making British history and culture, and … to promote the appreciation and understanding of portraiture in all media.”

 

On top of these four charities, Kate has volunteered her private time for the Scouts, and will be working with the younger group – cub and beaver scouts – during her private time in North Wales and other areas when situations permi

Scouts

  • About Scouts: The Scout Association provides adventurous activities and personal development opportunities for 400,000 young people aged 6-25. Internationally, they have over 28 million young people enjoying the benefits of Scouting  across 216 countries. Personal development means promoting the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual well-being of the individual, helping them achieve their full potential.
  • Announcement of Kate’s involvement:Meet the Scouts’ latest volunteer!
  • Website: http://www.scouts.org.uk
  • Accounts: UK Scouts

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Prince William Shows Off his Dance Moves at Centrepoint

Dec 22

Posted by britishroyals in Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | 2 Comments



Photo by Harriet Armstrong, Centrepoint

Photos by AP/Getty Images (left) & Geoff Pugh (right)

Need proof why William will make a good king?  It’s right in his dance (and his ability to reach out to people of all classes)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought Christmas cheers to Centrepoint, a charity shelter for homeless youths.  William has been patron since 2005, taking over from his late mum.  In 2009, he deepened his understanding by sleeping rough on the streets of London for a night.  This year, he took Kate to visit the charity for the first time.

During the 2-hour visit William invented the ‘swag dance’ which involves brushing imaginary dust off your shoulders to signal you have trendy clothes. He was asking Vanessa Boateng, 18, about his wedding suit. The teenager, a trainee nursery nurse who moved to the Foyer after family problems, said: “William asked us what we thought about what he wore to his wedding. He said, was his suit dapper? “I said: ‘No, your swag was on point.’ He repeated my words and said ‘swag’, then he started doing this dance.” Later during a reception for many of the Foyer’s 80 residents the royal called Miss Boateng over.  William and Vanessa performed the dance to screams and cheers.

Kate made her own impact on another teen.  While William & Kate joined a group decorating biscuits, Kate made a heart shape cookie from icing and covered it with sprinkles. She presented it to Tasha Barbi, who was celebrating her 18th birthday, saying: “This is for your birthday – a birthday cookie.” Miss Barbi, a travel and tourism student, said: “Catherine made me this birthday cookie – it’s beautiful. I’m going to cherish it – it really means a lot to me. I’m never eating it”


Photo: Getty Images

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Exclusive Pictures: From Centrepoint (must see)
Picture Sets: Getty Images (outside) | Getty Images (inside)
Large Pictures: My Royals

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Charles, Camilla, William & Kate Attend Gary Barlow Charity Concert

Dec 7

Posted by britishroyals in Prince Charles & Camilla, Prince William, Prince William & Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge | 1 Comment


Pictures by Arthur Edwards (left) & Reuters (right)

Take That’s Gary Barlow performed a pop concert in aid of  The Prince’s Charities & The Foundation of Prince William & Prince Harry — and two pairs of royals came out to show their support. The gigs are raising funds so that the Trust can invest £2.5million in helping five areas that were hit the hardest during the August riots in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Prince Charles, Camilla, William & Kate (the first time all four appeared together publicly) were guests of honour for the charity concert in Royal Albert Hall last night.  They met with Gary Barlow before the show started, and spoke with performers after.

The singer told William: “I hope you enjoy tonight and I hope it’s not too loud.” William replied joking: “The louder the better, the louder the better.”

The Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning in a short black and tan dress costing just £69.99 from Zara.


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Pictures: Zimbio | Getty Images | Rex Features

 

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Busy Week for the Royals: Remembrance Sunday, Appearances, Deployments, Breakups & Fines

Nov 15

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

Last week was busy for the royals in terms of appearances and news, which culminated in a moving ceremony at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

Remembrance Sunday


Her Majesty leads the nation in commemorating the war dead. Pictures by Reuters


The Foreign Office balcony with the Duchess of Cornwall,
the Duchess of Cambridge, & the Countess of Wessex
Photo by Getty Images


Video Coverage in its entirety: (3 parts)



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Pictures: Getty Images | Zimbio

William & Kate Appearances

In between this month’s appearance in Copenhagen with the Danish royals for Unicef and Remembrance Sunday, we saw the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge in 2 events: (1) a black tie gala for the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal, and (2) a meeting with The Prince’s Charities.

National Memorial Arboretum Appeal

Kate wears a grecian gown for the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal dinner

William & Kate attended a black-tie reception in aid of the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal at St James’s Palace. The Duke launched the appeal, which aims to raise £12 million to develop the Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, into a world-renowned centre for remembrance

The Prince’s Charities Forum

The following day, the Cambridges attended The Prince’s Charities Forum at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly. It is the first time Kate has attended the forum.  It gathers every 2 years.

Prince William to be Posted in the Falklands

We knew it was coming next year, and now it’s confirmed.  The Ministry of Defence announced that the Duke of Cambridge will complete a routine deployment as a RAF search and rescue co-pilot in the Falklands for 6 weeks on February to March 2012.   This will help him obtain his goal of captaincy by next year.  (Article)

The announcement as ruffled feathers in Argentina ahead of next year’s 30th anniversary of the war over the Falklands. (Article)

Kate will not be able to join him for this posting.  However the newlyweds are slated to spend Christmas with the royals at Sandringham (another first for Kate) and celebrate her 30th birthday on January 9.  William will also be back in time for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in June 2012.

Pippa Middleton & Alex Loudon Broke Up

Pippa & Alex kissing after the Boodles Boxing Ball last October

It’s true.  Kate’s little sister is back on the market!  Pippa has reportedly split from financier boyfriend of one & a half years Alex after weeks of blazing rows, including a recent public one during a friend’s wedding. (Original article from The Sun)

The papers are having a field day playing the who-dumped-who game.  Most say it’s a matter of quiet Alex not being able to handle Pippa’s sudden fame after she’s thrown into the international spotlight following her sister’s wedding.  The Daily Mail even wrote a rather snarky article saying Alex’s very discreet parents thought Pippa “sweet” but “not wife material” (I take this article with a grain of salt, as those really in the know would never talk to the press).  On top of that, there are rumblings of a 3rd party in the relationship (Pippa’s side). (Article)

Either way, Pippa is said to be finding comfort from Will & Kate.  She joined Will, Kate and her parents at Birkhall last weekend, where Kate was said to have been practicing her hunting skills in preparation for Sandringham.  And last weekend, word has it that Pippa joined old pal (ex-boyfriend) George Percy on a shooting party in Northumberland.

What’s next from this frenzy? Without a doubt more Pippa-Harry nonsense…

Mike Tindall Sacked from England Rugby Team & Fined £25k for “Serious Misconduct”

It’s a devastating end to the new royal’s career.  Mike Tindall, who married Zara Phillips in July, has been embroiled in a controversy over the World Cup last September when he was seen flirting & kissing a girl in a bar.  Later reports say the blonde was an ex-girlfriend, and that Mike had gone on to a second bar with the same girl.  Zara flew to NZ a few  days later, and all seemed forgiven

However, after a Rugby Football Union investigation of the said night, Mike was slapped with a heavy fine and kicked out of Elite Player Squad.  This will very likely mean the end of his career.  Mike is said to be trying to appeal the fine.

Article: Telegraph

For video summaries of the latest news from last week, here are reports from US morning shows:

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