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Tag: Royal Family

  • Kate Middleton and Prince William Take Children on Snowy Getaway

    Kate Middleton and Prince William, along with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, traveled to the French Alps this past weekend for a few days away in a snowy setting. While there they posed for some new family portraits.

    A spokesperson for Kensington Palace tells the media of the royal family, “This was the first time either of the children had played in the snow.”

    The spokesperson also confirmed that Kate Middleton and Prince William wanted to share their new photos with the public.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to share new photographs of their family,” the spokesperson said. “The images show Their Royal Highnesses enjoying a short skiing holiday with their children in the French Alps.”

    “This was their first holiday as a family of four and the first time either of the children had played in the snow. It was very special and fun short holiday for the family, and they are grateful that John Stillwell [The PA photographer] was able to capture the moment so well,” the spokesperson concluded.

    Prince William and Kate Middleton typically travel to Mustique each year for their family getaway, joined by members of Kate’s family. This year they opted for the cold, snowy weather instead, and it looks like everyone believes it was an excellent choice.

  • Anmer Hall, Country Home Of William And Kate, Granted No-Fly Zone Status

    Anmer Hall, the 10-bedroom country estate of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, is now a little more private for the young royal family.

    Anmer Hall is now a no-fly zone.

    The measures to make Anmer Hall a no-fly zone were prompted by a number of intrusions into the couple’s privacy over the years.

    With drone technology becoming a more accessible tool for paparazzi, the couple felt the move to be necessary for their protection.

    The biggest offense of all has been the photographers’ ever-increasing frenzy to capture pictures of Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Anmer Hall, Kensington Palace and even local playgrounds and beaches.

    In a “letter from Kensington Palace“, Communications Secretary Jason Knauf insisted that photographers have “on multiple occasions used long range lenses to capture images of The Duchess playing with Prince George in a number of private parks, monitored the movements of Prince George and his nanny around London parks and monitored the movements of other household staff and photographed the children of private individuals visiting The Duke and Duchess’s home.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l02iSuKMsno

    He also said photographers have “pursued cars leaving family homes, used other children to draw Prince George into view around playgrounds, been found hiding on private property in fields and woodland locations around The Duke and Duchess’s home in Norfolk, obscured themselves in sand dunes on a rural beach to take photos of Prince George playing with his grandmother and placed locations near the Middleton family home in Berkshire under steady surveillance.”

    Well, after reading that, one certainly can’t blame the royal couple for petitioning for a no-fly zone over Anmer Hall.

    What do you think? Has British paparazzi gone too far in trying to capture pictures of the royal family at Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall?

  • Prince Charles Urges Constituents To Reconnect With Farming

    To celebrate his 66th birthday, Prince Charles wrote a foreword for Country Life magazine, in which he described his worries on the future of the countryside and urged people to value it or risk losing it.

    “People in the UK are now four or more generations removed from anyone who actually worked on the land – and it frequently shows in their attitudes,” wrote Prince Charles. “The rich, natural tapestry that is the countryside we value so highly does not just happen by itself. But that delicately woven tapestry is facing unprecedented challenges.”

    Last year, Prince Charles reportedly guest-edited for the magazine as a way of celebrating his 65th birthday. The monarch turns 66 on Friday, November 14. “We are delighted that the prince agreed to mark his 66th birthday by writing a powerful leader on the importance of preserving the countryside and its way of life,” said Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life.

    Post by Charles,Prince of Wales.
    “The prince has a deep understanding and connection with every aspect of people working and living in rural Britain, from highlighting the hardship facing hill farmers who, last year, earned on average £8,000 to the 60,000 new entrants needed in the UK farming sector to secure its future, to the importance of preserving village schools, pubs and shops at the heart of country communities,” added Hedges. Unlike his more conservative mother, Prince Charles has been outspoken on topics such as the environment, being the owner of the successful organic farm Duchy Home Farm. He runs several organic groups besides the Countryside Fund, which gives support to farmers and tackles issues such as rural isolation and the decline of communities. Prince Charles in his piece emphasized the importance of the farmer “as food producer, at the front and centre of the picture.” “It would not only be a folly to lose agricultural land, it would be equally foolish to use it in ways that are not environmentally sustainable in the long term,” wrote Prince Charles.

  • Queen Elizabeth Responds To Child’s Postcard

    A young girl was vacationing with her family when she decided to send Queen Elizabeth a postcard.

    While the girl was hoping she would receive a reply, she wasn’t sure if she would get one. Luckily, the nice Queen found the time to reply to the child’s postcard, making her day.

    Maia Reid said that she has been anxiously awaiting a reply from the Queen and was worried that her letter would never come.

    Her two brothers, who were also traveling with the family, also sent postcards to members of the royal family and received replies.

    Maia explained, “I was in Italy and I wrote a postcard to the Queen. When I was at home Alex got a letter first and then Finlay got one. I was waiting for my letter and I thought it wouldn’t come. And then one day I came home from school and there was a letter so I opened it and it was from the Queen. I was very happy because I waited for ages for it to come. I feel very special.”

    The reply letter was written by the Queen’s Lady-in-Waiting, who said the Queen was pleased to hear she had a nice holiday in Italy.

    Maia’s brothers had written their postcards to Prince George and received replies from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as a souvenir photograph of Catherine, William and George.

    Nice to see that the royal family is willing to take time out of their busy day to reply to their young admirers and fans, even if they didn’t actually write the replies themselves.

    Do you think the replies will prompt other children to write letters and postcards to the royal family and other government leaders?

  • Prince William Will Take Over Malta Trip For Wife Kate Middleton

    Prince William and Kate Middleton have been dealing with pregnancy sickness since it was announced that they are expecting a sibling for Prince George.

    The Duchess of Cambridge has been feeling unwell, suffering from extreme morning sickness (Hyperemesis Gravidarum) that has forced her to stay in to recuperate at the home of her parents in Bucklebury, about 55 miles west of London.

    People.com reports that the Queen had given her all the time she needed to decide if she would be able to travel. The Duchess was asked by the Queen to go to Malta, on her behalf, to join the celebrations marking the island’s 50th anniversary of independence.

    After consulting with her doctors, Prince William and Kate were initially set to make decision on whether to travel on Wednesday. The date was then pushed back to Thursday, but now it turns out that Prince William will take over for his sick wife. The report said that the Duchess was very keen on going to Malta but was advised by her doctors to stay home.

    The royal family was said to be very excited when Prince William and Princess Kate confirmed that they are expecting their second child, which was announced by Clarence House on Sept. 8 via Twitter.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child” — Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) September 8.

    Prince Charles apparently hopes the new baby will be a girl. “It’s wonderful to be a grandfather again. I’m looking forward to it – but I hope it will be a girl this time,” said Prince Charles, as reported by Independent.

    Reportedly,  Prince Harry wants the baby to be a girl as well, but for different reasons. “I can’t wait to see my brother suffer more,” he said. “I would love to see him try and cope with [a girl].”

  • Prince Harry and Camilla Thurlow Do St. Tropez

    Prince Harry and his new girlfriend Camilla Thurlow are reportedly enjoying a romantic getaway in St. Tropez. The two have holed up at a friend’s villa and are staying away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi as best they can.

    “They’ve been talking until late into the night and having one of those magical times that you have when you first fall in love and want to find out everything you can about the other person,” E! reports. “Harry’s had no interest whatsoever in going out and just wants to focus on Camilla without any distractions.”

    Prince Harry and Camilla Thurlow have only been a couple for about six weeks, so it definitely appears as though things are heating up quickly. A royal insider claims she has some of the same qualities as Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.

    “Camilla’s the full package—she’s got beauty and brains,” the source said. “But Harry loves how she’s devoted her life to charity—she’s fully committed to helping other people and he sees a lot of his mother Diana’s goodness in her.”

    Harry, it seems, “sees Camilla as much more than a fling,” according to this source. “This was supposed to be Harry’s last summer of fun before he turned 30 and got serious and settled down,” they added. “The second he decided he’d spend July and August partying and being young, carefree and single while he still could be he was introduced to Camilla by his cousin Princess Beatrice and his crazy party plans went out of the window and all of a sudden he’s acting like a contented married man. It’s a great sign—it shows how mature he is now and that he realizes when he finds happiness to not let go of it and to nurture it.”

    Part of the reason behind Prince Harry and Camilla Thurlow’s vacation was to enjoy an early birthday celebration for the prince, who turns thirty in just a few weeks.

    “This trip’s partly to celebrate Harry’s 30th birthday which is just weeks away,” another source explains. Prince William’s younger brother will celebrate his milestone birthday on September 15th. “It’s also because he deserves some time off work to relax and recharge his batteries.”

    It wasn’t all that long ago that Prince Harry was romantically involved with Cressida Bonas. Their on-again, off-again romance spanned many months. It was rumored during their relationship that the royal family didn’t find her to be suitable for Harry.

    The fun in the sun is about to come to an end for Prince Harry and Camilla Thurlow, as he is expected back in the U.K. some time this coming week. It will be interesting to learn if the Harry and Camilla sightings begin in earnest once the two are back in the real world.

  • Camilla Thurlow: Prince Harry Takes New Girlfriend On Vacation

    Part of dating a prince is being treated like a princess and Prince Harry definitely knows how to treat a lady. He has a new girlfriend, Camilla Thurlow, and he has wasted no time impressing her with the royal treatment.

    This week Harry and Camilla traveled to St. Tropez where they stayed in a friend’s luxury villa and rarely left the premises.

    According to a source close to the couple, “They’ve been talking until late into the night and having one of those magical times that you have when you first fall in love and want to find out everything you can about the other person.”

    “Harry’s had no interest whatsoever in going out and just wants to focus on Camilla without any distractions,” the source told E! News.

    Camilla is a charity worker and Harry was attracted to her generosity and good looks. The couple has been dating for a little over six weeks and they have been spending a lot of time together.

    “Camilla’s the full package—she’s got beauty and brains,” the royal insider dishes. “But Harry loves how she’s devoted her life to charity—she’s fully committed to helping other people and he sees a lot of his mother Diana’s goodness in her.”

    “Harry sees Camilla as much more than a fling,” the source continued. “This was supposed to be Harry’s last summer of fun before he turned 30 and got serious and settled down. The second he decided he’d spend July and August partying and being young, carefree and single while he still could be he was introduced to Camilla by his cousin Princess Beatrice and his crazy party plans went out of the window and all of a sudden he’s acting like a contented married man. It’s a great sign—it shows how mature he is now and that he realizes when he finds happiness to not let go of it and to nurture it.”

    Camilla is smitten with the prince as well and has allegedly told friends that he’s “sweet, sensitive and so romantic.”

    The couple is due to return back from their trip this week, but will probably continue to spend as much time together as possible.

  • Princess Diana Exposé to be Published by Former Aide

    July 29 marked the 33rd anniversary of Princess Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles. Although the couple’s marriage would eventually crumble following the revelation of Charles’s affair with Camilla Bowles-Parker, the royal duo is perhaps one of the most famous couples of all time. And, despite his past actions, it is still quite apparent that Prince Charles never lost his love for Princess Diana, as exhibited by his latest fury concerning the upcoming release of an exposé by the Queen’s former Press Secretary, Dickie Arbiter.

    Arbiter joined the staff of the Royal Palace in 1988 and was a member until 2000. During his twelve years of service, Arbiter was privy to all the intimate and confidential details of the royal family. Arbiter became Prince Charles’s confidant while he was struggling with his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, and was close enough with the Queen that the two even did the dishes together at one point in time. It was this close relationship with the Queen which gave Arbiter access to such secret information such as the Queen’s opinions on other Prime Ministers and world leaders throughout her reign.

    Royal Palace sources have commented on the publishing of the book, stating:

    Charles is furious. This man was a trusted friend…He is raking over the breakdown of the marriage and the Prince has been asking aides Why do we have to go through this all again? It is just a case of a man who he thought was a friend and who could be trusted cashing in on the misery of that time. It is disloyal… Arbiter has been told that he does not have official permission to write this book and a legal team has reviewed all his old contracts in a bid to try and find a way to stop it.

    While Palace sources state Arbiter is legally bound to not publish the book due to the Official Secrets Act he signed upon becoming an employee of the Royal Palace, Arbiter and his legal team believe that the publishing of On Duty With the Queen does not violate any contractual obligations Arbiter may have: “It is an autobiography – it is about my life. There aren’t any revelations… I left a note at the palace telling them I was doing it. I am not breaching anything.”

    On Duty With the Queen certainly promises to be insightful and entertaining due to Arbiter’s position within the Royal Family, but Prince Charles and the Queen cannot help feeling betrayed, especially due to comments once made by Arbiter himself: “Everyone who writes a book is just cashing in. Frankly there is nothing more to write on Diana.”

    With the publishing of his book, Arbiter can join the leagues of hypocrites everywhere, as he expects to cash-in a cool £250,000 for his memoirs. On Duty With the Queen is set to be released on October 1, 2014.

    Image via Twitter

  • Prince Harry Contacts Ex-Girlfriend Caroline Flack; Cressida Bonas Moves On

    Prince Harry ended his relationship with Cressida Bonas this year. Recently, reports said that the prince is back in touch with his ex-girlfriend, TV presenter Caroline Flack.

    A source said that they are back in contact. “Harry likes to keep in touch with his old girlfriends and he knows Caroline is fun and discreet. In fact, someone mentioned his name the other day and Caroline got flustered and went bright red,” the source continued. Another source denied that the prince and Flack are back together.

    Prince Harry ended his relationship with Flack in 2009. Flack is now with music manager Jack Street, so it’s likely that the ex-couple are just friends.

    Prince Harry has been busy with his many duties. Just recently, he appeared with his brother Prince William at a Google Hangout live from Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Young Leaders event. The two royals took time to take a group selfie with entrepreneur Jamal Edwards.

    Meanwhile, Bonas is reportedly cutting her ties with the prince and is planning to move to the U.S. in order to pursue an acting career. Bonas just had her acting debut on stage at an event at the Hay Festival. After her performance, she reportedly got several offers for roles in the U.S.

    There are also reports that Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, are trying to get Bonas and Prince Harry back together. Sources say that Kate Middleton is helping Bonas as her split with Prince Harry reminded her of her split with Prince William in 2007.

    Despite the report, it seems that Bonas is set on following her dreams of becoming an actress, without Prince Harry by her side.

    Bonas has already landed her first movie role in Harvey Weinstein’s Tulip Fever where she plays a society girl.

    Image via YouTube (1),(2)

  • Madame Tussauds Gives Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge A Makeover

    Two years after being added to Madame Tussauds, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been given a makeover.

    When the wax figures of Prince William and Kate Middleton were first unveiled, the figures donned the outfits the couple wore when they were engaged. Now, the engagement outfits have been exchanged for evening wear.

    The Duchess’ wax figure is now dressed in a full-length turquoise-colored silk jersey gown from Issa London. In her left hand is a beige clutch bag from LK Bennett. Right by her side is the Duke wearing a double-breasted dinner suit from Gieves and Hawkes.

    The wax figures of the Duke and Duchess are displayed in the royal zone of Madame Tussauds, along with other members of The Royal Family including Prince Harry, the Prince of Wales, and the Queen.

    The Duke and Dutchess get a makeover

    Madame Tussauds marketing manager Matthew Clarkson said that the process of changing the attire takes a couple of months. “Their in-house stylist team look through a lot of research material and choose a suitable dress,” he said.

    In addition, Madame Tussauds has also been working with The Royal Family to get their opinion on the revamp. “I am sure they will be thrilled to see the results,” Clarkson said.

    Clarkson also said that The Royal Family, particularly the Duke and Duchess, are very popular among their visitors. After two years of being on display, the museum thought that it was time for a makeover.

    The Duke and Dutchess before the makeover

    Each wax figure costs £150,000 to make and about four months to finish. The museum also said that a new wax figure of Prince Harry will be arriving in September to join The Royal Family. As for Prince George, they said that he won’t be joining their display soon. “The current princes were made in their 20’s so we would wait until Prince George is a little older, and work with him on that,” Clarkson said.

    Image via YouTube

  • Angelina Jolie Named an Honorary Dame by Queen

    Angelia Jolie can add a royal title to her resume. The Oscar-winning Hollywood star has just been named an honorary dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her humanitarian work combating sexual violence in war zones.

    Jolie spent most of last week in London as the co-chair of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. After giving the keynote speech on raising awareness of sexual violence, Jolie was named an honorary dame. (Because Angelina is not British born, she won’t be able to use the “dame” title before her name, however.)

    Other U.S. honorary knights include Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, and Ronald Reagan. Jolie was among a hundred others who also received recognition by the queen for their service this week, most being soldiers and civil servants.

    Being knighted as a dame isn’t all Angelina has to celebrate; her latest film, Maleficent, just crossed the $500 million threshold and was named her highest-grossing film of all time. Her previous best film was Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which took $478 million in 2005. Domestically, Maleficent took in $186 million, and a whopping $335 internationally, making the film a global phenomenon, despite reviews criticizing the weak storyline and plot. These numbers prove the power that the Disney brand holds over a dedicated global fan base.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Kate Middleton Effect’ Boosts U.K. Clothing Sales

    The “Kate Middleton Effect” (or “Kate Effect” for short) is an oft used term by the media to describe the effect that Kate Middleton has on the world around her, most specifically the fashion industry. While the term may have seemed a bit hyperbolic at first, recently revealed data shows that the “Kate Effect” is more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

    The “Kate Effect” truly began on a quaint day in April 2011 when she married current Prince of England and Duke of Cambridge, William. Since that day, women across the world have been clamoring to get their hands on the latest fashion worn by the newly minted Princess of England and Duchess of Cambridge.

    Early speculation pegged the “Kate Effect” as a multi-billion dollar boon to the economy of the United Kingdom, with many news outlets reporting that the “Kate Effect” had boosted the U.K. economy by $1 billion, with other estimates going as high as $2 billion.

    After a recent financial report released by British maternity clothing line Seraphine, however, that contribution of the “Kate Effect” is no longer speculation.

    Profits for Seraphine quadrupled this past year after the Princess decided to release the first photographs of her newborn child while wearing one of the company’s fuchsia dresses.

    For 2013, Seraphine posted a £1.1m profit before taxes, up from a £0.25m profit in 2012. Seraphine also saw a 60 percent increase in turnover.

    Chelsey Oliver, the creative director of Seraphine, contributed the majority of the gain to the Princess, stating, “We were the only specialist maternity retailers that were seen to be dressing her during her pregnancy, which put us on the map. The fuchsia Jolene dress was the really big cherry on the cake but we benefited from the overall message about who we were to the Duchess of Cambridge.”

    Oliver went on to explain that the main reason Kate had such influence on Seraphine sales was due to her down-to-earth appeal: “She was wearing a maternity brand post pregnancy and she was saying to the world, ‘I’m a real woman, I’m not jumping back into tiny fitted clothes’. On top of her looking great, her message was such a good one.”

    While the “Kate Effect” has certainly spurred business in the United Kingdom, it has also had an adverse effect toward certain high-end businesses. In 2012, Kate Middleton knock-off products cost jewelers nearly $10 million.

    Image via YouTube

  • Princess Cristina Arrives At Court To Testify

    Any time a royal family is involved in a court case, people become concerned. After all, leaders are suppose to set examples and follow the same laws they create or support. Spanish Princess Cristina caused a lot of debate when she took the stand today to testify in her husband Inaki Urdangarin’s court case.

    Inaki and Cristina have both been accused of using company funds for their own personal expenses, including parties and leisure trips. Both Inaki and Princess Cristina face preliminary charges and Cristina’s appearance in court is the first time a member of the Spanish royal family has had to testify in court since the monarchy was restored in 1975.

    Cristina arrived to court in a Ford C-Max hatchback, which dropped her off as close to the entrance as possible. Crowds of protestors and media waited outside and Cristina did not seem to be nervous or upset about the court case. She did not talk to the media but did turn at the entrance door to tell everyone “Buenos Dias” (“good morning”).

    According to the court, the princess and her husband were not only using company money to fund their parties and travel expenses, but also for household expenses. They also failed to report the expenses on the couple’s income tax returns. If the court finds that these expenses totaled more than 120,000 euros ($163,630) the crime could become punishable by prison time.

    The case has caused a lot of trouble for the royal family and they are anxious to put it all behind them and move on. The image of the royal family has not been a good one since 2012, when the princess’s father went on an expensive hunting trip while his country was in the middle of financial chaos during Europe’s debt crisis.

    What do you think of the Spanish royal family?

    Image via YouTube.

  • Prince William to Study at Cambridge University in 2014

    Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is returning to school. Kensington Palace made the announcement on Monday.

    According to the official press release, William will begin a 10-week program in agricultural management in early January. The course is described as an “executive education [program] of seminars, lectures and meetings” and is organized by the Cambridge Program for Sustainability Leadership.

    According to the press release, the course was “designed to help provide The Duke with an understanding of contemporary issues affecting agricultural business and rural communities in the United Kingdom.”

    The course could very well be Prince William’s first step in learning to manage the vast wealth and resources of the Duchy of Cornwall, which he will inherit from his father, Prince Charles when he becomes king.

    The Duchy of Cornwall consists of 53,154 hectacres of land in 24 counties. That’s over 130,000 acres. Nearly half the land is in Devon, with other holdings in counties such as Cornwall, Dorset, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Somerset, and Wales.

    The land held by the Duchy ranges from agricultural to residential to commercial properties. In addition, the Duchy has a portfolio of financial investments.

    According to the Duchy’s annual report, it had income of 19.1 million pounds – roughly $31.5 million – for the year ending March 31, 2013.

    Income from the Duchy currently funds the public, private, and charitable activities of Prince Charles and his family.

    Prince William has a bit of spare time to dedicate to learning to manage the sizable estate he’ll one day inherit after having stepped down from his career in the Armed Forces in September.

    The press release assures the British public that the Duke and his bride, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, will continue to support the Queen and the royal family through official engagements both at home and abroad.

    It also promises that William is carefully considering just how he’ll serve the public, and that an announcement will be made “in due course.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kate Middleton Asks For Discount At Antiques Store

    Recently, the royal couple (Kate Middleton and Prince William) made news with the birth of their child, but that does not mean that they have to stay in Buckingham Palace all the time–they can be out in public and act like the rest of the population.

    According to The Herald Sun, the Duchess of Cambridge visited The Old Stables Shop, a Norfolk antiques store, and asked for a discount on the items that she had gathered. Middleton visited the store while she was pregnant with future Prince George.

    The store owner, Carolyn Combe, told British magazine Tatler “Such thin legs in her wellies. She was looking at various things and asked for a discount.” Carolyn’s husband later exclaimed, “If I may say so, William looked like every man who’s forced to go shopping with his wife, which is bored bloody stiff and didn’t get out of the car.” (Source: The Epoch Times)

    So, did the Duchess of Cambridge get her discount? According to The Herald Sun, Carolyn Combe accepted her request for a discount, and later stated, “She’s got a big house to do up. But I love her for asking.” This a great way to preserve and spend the royal budget wisely.

    [Image source: Twitter (PrincessKateFTW)]

  • Britain’s Prince Andrew Accepts Police Apology After Confrontation

    On Sunday, Britain’s Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, accepted an apology from police officers for a rather embarrassing incident that took place late Wednesday afternoon.

    Prince Andrew was stopped in the gardens of Buckingham Palace by two Metropolitan Police officers who didn’t recognize him and asked to see identification.

    A few sources reported that the Prince was held at gun point. According to the London Metropolitan Police, however, no guns were drawn.

    Prince Andrew responded by generously accepting the police apology:
    “I am grateful for their apology and look forward to a safe walk in the garden in the future.”

    While some viewed the latter part of his statement as a royal's attempt at humor, it rankled others including British journalist and television personality Piers Morgan:

    Others saw the incident as an opportunity to poke a little fun at the royal family:

    The Associated Press took to Twitter to point out that the popular Prince Harry would never have suffered such embarrassment:

    The Queen was not in residence at Buckingham Palace at the time. She and Prince Phillip have been at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland since the beginning of August.

    Security may have been heightened at Buckingham Palace after an incident earlier in the week in which police arrested two trespassers who allegedly had plans to burglarize the premises.

    photo credit

  • Princess Diana: Biopic Star Naomi Watts Takes Heat

    The biopic is simply titled Diana and it premiered Thursday to controversy that probably ought to have been expected. The star portraying the iconic princess of Wales is Naomi Watts, and Watts seems to be catching most of the lightening. Diana’s death is still very raw and her life, or rumors about it, beforehand drew paparazzi and controversy like few others.

    The film about Diana, whose death in Paris in 1997 is being reinvestigated by British officials as of mid-August, is based on the book Diana: Her Last Love, by Kate Snell. The book and subsequent film suggest that Diana started dating Dodi Fayed—pursued by the press along with Diana when the car they were in slammed into a pillar in a Seine-side tunnel, killing both—in order to make Hasnat Khan jealous.

    Who is Hasnat Khan you say? He is the London-based Pakistani surgeon who is rumored to be Diana’s true love and one she nicknamed, “Mr. Wonderful.” Khan says he does not intend to see the film and pans it as, “completely wrong.” He has remained silent on the topic of a relationship with the princess.

    Watts, a British-Australian actress known for roles in King Kong, Mulholland Drive and recently The Impossible, admits that she was taking a risk by accepting the role. She hopes Diana’s sons with Prince Charles, William and Harry, “will feel that we have done it in a respectful and sensitive way… we try to honor the depiction of her character in the best possible way.”

    During a BBC radio interview, with presenter Simon Mayo, Watts stormed out when a question offended her. Watts is getting extra scrutiny for her resemblance to the “People’s Princess,” or lack thereof according to critics, getting flack for wearing a prosthetic nose for the movie. You be the judge…

    (image)

    The royal family apparently gave some help in terms of film locations but otherwise has ignored the movie. Scenes were filmed in Kensington Gardens, a favorite jogging locale for Diana, but a family spokesman says the Gardens are not under their jurisdiction.

    Watts confesses to channeling Diana during filming, saying she was regularly asking her permission to continue: “I felt like I was spending a lot of time with her. There was one particular moment when I felt her permission was granted.”

    Here are a few reviews from the British critics off Rotten Tomatoes:

    (image)

    [Images from Official Diana Movie Facebook.]

  • Queen Elizabeth Celebrates 60th Anniversary

    Queen Elizabeth has two big milestones to celebrate this year, as this month marks her Royal Majesty’s 60th anniversary on the throne and Prince William and Kate Middleton welcome their baby.

    Elizabeth’s coronation took place in June of 1953, when she took the seat her father vacated. Last year, England celebrated with a Diamond Jubilee that included a concert at the palace, a derby, and a thousand boats which were part of a pageant on the River Thames. She’ll get another big party in July, which is around the time Will and Kate will become new parents.

  • Kate Middleton Gives Her First Speech as a Princess

    The beautiful Kate Middleton presented her first speech as a member of the Royal Family at the opening of the East Anglia Children’s Hospice at the Treehouse center. The center is located in Ipswich, just outside of London.

    The always fashionable Kate wore a electric blue Reiss belted dress and black heels. She was aglow as she told the crowd, “”I feel hugely honored to be here to see this wonderful center. I am only sorry that William can’t be here today, he would love it here.”

    (image)

    It turns out that Kate had borrowed her mother’s dress for the occasion. The following YouTube video shows her mother sporting the garb in 2010.

    Perhaps she wanted her mother close to her as she read her very first public adress. According to People, Kate confessed to one guest, “I find doing speeches nerve wrecking.”

    Kate supposedly wrote the three minute speech on her own and delivered it without a hitch. Her address focused on the power of teamwork and its ability to achieve great things.

    The princess was very impressed by the facility and said that it is, “Far from being a clinical depressing place for sick children, it [is] a home. Most importantly, it [is] a family home, a happy place of stability, support and care. It [is] a place of fun.”

  • Google Picked For Royal Wedding Site Hosting Duties

    Months ahead of the actual wedding date, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton has generated all sorts of media attention and page views, with people all over the world taking an interest.  And now Google’s right in the midst of it, as the search giant’s been picked to host the official Royal Wedding website.

    The site’s live at www.officialroyalwedding2011.org, and at the bottom of every page, you’ll find the brief message, "Powered by Google App Engine, implemented by Accenture."  Google explained on the Europe Developer Blog that this "allows developers easily to build and host their web applications on Google’s own computing infrastructure.  It’s a great way to run apps quickly, more securely, and at scale, which makes it ideal for such an important national occasion."

    Then other interesting tech references on the Royal Wedding homepage include an embedded YouTube video, a link to a Facebook Page, and Twitter and Flickr streams (lower down than this screenshot shows).

    Anyway, it’s hard to imagine a higher honor for Google in relation to this event.  After all, every update pertaining to the wedding is now in the company’s virtual hands, and the Royal Wedding site promises that it’s the first place some highly sought-after information (including facts about Kate Middleton’s wedding dress) will be released.

    A post on the site also indicated, "Subject to further planning work, the website may feature a live web stream broadcast of the wedding itself."  Traffic levels for such an occasion seem almost unimaginable.

    We’re sure a whole lot of organizations in the UK and around the globe will now give more thought to using Google App Engine.

  • British Royal Family Launches Flickr Account

    The British Royal Family has launched a photo account on Flickr.

    The British Monarchy Flickr accounts features up to date images of royal engagements and archive photographs from the Royal Photograph Collection.

    In addition to contemporary images of The Queen and Members of the Royal Family at work, the Flickr account features historic photographs from current Royal Collection exhibitions at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and on loan to museums and galleries around the UK. They include masterpieces of early British photography collected by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

     

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    The Flickr launch follows the launch of the new Royal website and the British Monarchy Twitter account in 2009 and the Royal Channel on YouTube in 2007.

    Highlights of the Flickr account include:

    A "Latest news and diary" gallery showing the latest photographs from royal engagements.
    – Collections from The Queen’s recent visit to Canada and New York, and Holyrood Week.
    – A "Queen and Commonwealth" section, which includes pictures of Royal visits to Commonwealth realms and related engagements.

    At launch there are over 600 photographs, and this number will increase as the Flickr account is updated with photos from Royal engagements and events.