British Royal Wedding

Wills and Kate slope off to France for a skiing getaway – Daily Mail
Kate Middleton and Prince William are on holiday again. This time, the globe-trotting pair are on a week’s skiing trip in the fashionable French resort of Courchevel, where they are staying in a ­luxury chalet with a group of pals, including Kate’s sister, Pippa…

Photo: Royalty in Courchevel! – Incidents & Accidents
See if you can spot Prince William and Kate. They were sitting right next to us on the mountain top restaurant. Kate was really tactile with William and they were messing around in a childish loving way with each other…

Prince William’s skiing holiday – Monsters & Critics
A source said: “William has booked a chalet which is out of this world. It’s not the place they usually stay, but William has decided he wants to do something different.”…

Tweet (March 16th) – RoyalReporter
A non-journo friend holidaying in Courchevel texts to say the paps are gathering outside a restaurant where William and Kate are lunching…

Kate Middleton has won the first stage of a privacy battle by securing an apology and damages from a paparazzi agency which distributed pictures of her playing tennis.

Prince William’s girlfriend was photographed during a Christmas holiday with her family. Media organisations in the UK acceded to a request from Buckingham Palace not to publish the pictures, but they appeared in the German press.

Miss Middleton instructed Harbottle & Lewis, the Queen’s solicitors, to pursue action on her behalf.

Yesterday she received £5,000 in damages for breach of privacy, plus legal costs, from the picture agency, Rex Features. A spokesman for Miss Middleton, 28, said she would donate the sum to charity.

Full story at the Telegraph…

Prince William To Get Engaged This Year? – Betting Directory
William and Katy making it official this year seems much more likely and would certainly generate the sort of good feeling across the nation that might be required after the dryness of a General Election…

Prince Harry hit by charity resignation – Daily Mail
One of the key factors in the transformation of Prince Harry from a nightclub-­loving royal-about-town to mature adult has been his passionate commitment to Sentebale…

‘Striking’ royal portrait on show – PA
A “striking” photographic portrait of Prince William taken by a former homeless man has received a public airing…

Zara Phillips rules out Toytown’s world title defence – Telegraph
Zara Phillips has confirmed she will not be defending her World Equestrian Games title with Toytown at Lexington, Kentucky, in October…

Prince of Wales pictured during Royal Marines training – Telegraph
A collection of photographs from the Royal Marines’ archive that show the Prince of Wales going through his commando training have emerged…

Kate Middleton’s dog eats birthday present from Prince William – Telegraph
It was a special present. Prince William had chosen the finest and most expensive pearl earrings for Kate Middleton’s 28th birthday. Otto, a cocker spaniel, had chewed the jewellery so much that they were unwearable…

Prince Harry must choose Duty or Charity – Daily Express
Prince Harry is again having to choose between his career and his charity work…. He would be unable to accompany his brother William to the World Cup in South Africa…

Heir loss ad ribs receding Royal Prince William – The Sun
A Cheeky T-shirt that shows Prince William in a spoof advert for hair loss treatment has become a massive hit. Aussies are snapping up the £20 top with Wills by the slogan: “Advanced Heir. Yeah! Yeah!”… (check out the Pom Pom T-Shirt!)

The 100 British celebrities who really matter – Daily Mail
So it’s time to sort the chaff from the wheat, and resolve once and for all who really counts in the world of celebrity in this country. #4 Prince William | #19 Prince Harry & #20 Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince William, is set to win a controversial claim for alleged invasion of her privacy.

She is expected to receive at least £10,000 in damages, plus substantial legal costs, after threatening to sue a photographer and two British picture agencies over photographs taken of her at Christmas. The images were not even published in Britain.

Sources close to negotiations over the dispute say that the photographic agencies have offered to meet Middleton’s demands because they cannot risk losing an expensive court battle.

Through Harbottle & Lewis, a firm of lawyers used by members of the royal family, Middleton has sought damages for invasion of privacy, legal costs, withdrawal of the images and a public apology.

The pictures were taken when Middleton was on holiday with her family, staying at a property owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Middleton had not been advised or supported in her claim by the royal family, adding: “She’s a private individual.” A spokesman for Prince William said: “We have followed the case but not been involved in it at all.”

Read full article at the Times Online…

Prince William will make his dad’s Scottish hideaway his home after he marries Kate Middleton.

The couple have already spent several romantic weekends at remote Birkhall, on the Queen’s Balmoral estate. And aides reckon Wills, 27, will pop the question there once he’s finished his helicopter training with the RAF.

A source said: “They have fallen in love with Birkhall and Prince Charles is keen for it to be handed on to them when they wed, which is highly likely next year.

Some experts believe the pair may even take the titles Duke and Duchess of Scotland – but The People understands Wills is against any more  elitist titles.

Sources say the prospect of him marrying Kate, 26, next year is “very high”. (via people.co.uk)

Photos: William & Kate hit the Pub for Valentines – Bauer-Griffin
Prince William and Kate Middleton spent their Valentine’s Day at the Pot Kiln Free house, which is one of Britain’s finest rural pubs…

World exclusive: remarkable portrait of the real William – Hello!
This week’s issue contains historic pictures of the second-in-line to the throne – confident, playful and with an unmistakable look of his mother, the late princess Diana…

Prince Andrew’s hopes for Princes William and Harry – Herald Sun (with video)
Prince Andrew hopes nephews Prince William and Prince Harry can avoid past mistakes of failed marriages among British royals…

William’s Date at Glitzy BAFTAs – Daily Express
Prince William is to mark another milestone in his official life as a royal – presenting a gong at the British film industry’s glitziest awards ­ceremony…

Kate Middleton has been working on secret plans to start a new business with her brother, James.

They want to open a posh cake shop on the King’s Road in Chelsea and Kate has been checking out the opposition and looking for the perfect location.

‘Kate has been doing some research for James and just before Christmas she went to the Love Bakery on the Kings Road, where she ordered one of every cake,’ says my source. ‘She joked she was trying out the competition, which actually, she was.’

‘James thinks there’s a market for an upmarket cake shop which also sells all the bits and bobs you need to make cakes at homes.

‘Kate’s been helping him with market research and they are hoping to make an announcement this summer – although she’s keen not to be front-of-house,’ says the source. (via Daily Mail)

She has previously celebrated her birthdays by dining in fashionable restaurants and partying until 3am – but yesterday Kate Middleton turned 28 in more sedate style, with a night in at her parents’ home.

Family and friends, including boyfriend Prince William, descended on the house in Bucklebury, Berkshire, for a low-key event, in keeping with the quieter life that Kate is now pursuing, befitting a Royal consort.

They had thought of doing something at Highgrove but they discounted that as the weather would have made it difficult.

Doing something in London was a possibility but the thing Kate wanted more than anything was to spend time with William – and the simplest way to do that is at home.

Pippa was in charge of the catering and their brother James was in charge of the cake. Kate’s mother was doing some serious pillow-fluffing the day before, preparing everything for William and his security officers to stay overnight.

Read the full story at the Daily Mail (scroll down)…

Kate Middleton celebrates her 28th birthday today.

The Daily Express reckons Kate will join Prince William – visiting the Queen for tea at Sandringham.

The couple, who have been dating on and off for seven years, are due to spend part of the weekend at the Royal Family’s Norfolk estate amid mounting speculation that they will soon announce their engagement.

Senior aides insist they will wait for the couple to approach them, although sources claim there have already been several contingency meetings regarding a royal wedding.