British Royal Wedding

Royal Courtiers have apparently been briefed to begin preparations for a Royal Wedding in 2012. Britain’s Mail on Sunday newspaper reports…

A wedding is now being openly talked about at Buckingham Palace and early-stage talks are under way to dovetail William and Kate’s wedding with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Significantly, it is the year when Prince William turns 30, the age he famously said he was likely to get married.

According to a source, the Queen, who has insisted that her jubilee celebrations are kept separate from the London Olympics in the summer of 2012, has privately said she would be delighted if William and Kate’s wedding were to coincide with her diamond celebrations.

Nothing is set in stone but 2012 is the date that is now being talked about,’ one royal insider told The Mail on Sunday. ‘Whether William and Kate get married in 2012 or the year before, it will be the Queen who will throw them the most wonderful party and the line of thinking at the moment is that 2012 could be the perfect date. It would be the opportune time to put Britain and the Royal Family on the world stage.’

Tweeted by Sir Joshua Reynolds (I am reborne in Modern times, at the age of TWOHUNDREDANDEIGHTYSIXYEARSONLY! )

Honorary ranger Prince William – Monsters & Critics
Britain’s Princes William and Harry have been made honorary Canadian Rangers by the country’s prime minister. A Palace spokesman said: “Prince William and Prince Harry are very grateful to be made honorary Canadian Rangers, whom they admire enormously.”…

What awaits the Windsors once Elizabeth goes on her way? – Globe & Mail
Recently, Princes Charles (Chuck, as he’s called in my house) and his missus, the Duchess of Something-or-Other, came to Canada for a visit and look-see. What did it all mean?…

We pooh-pooh but Canadians relish their royals – lfpress.com
Criticism of the monarchy is mostly based on a lack of knowledge. We simply don’t teach our children the fundamentals of parliamentary democracy and the role of the constitutional monarch…

Hands up if you can spot a certain resemblance between Kate Middleton and her royal boyfriend’s mother.

Catherine, as she prefers to be called nowadays, spread a shapely hand across her face as she walked past waiting photo­graphers at Heathrow airport yesterday.

She had just returned from Birkhall, the Prince of Wales’s Scottish residence, where she had spent a romantic couple of days with Prince William but ­whether it was a sad parting or a happy return had to remain a mystery as she chose to screen herself in true Princess Diana style.

“They (William and Kate) have been told to keep their profiles low,” said one source last night. “It’s a brave move; there’s a risk that it might seem a bit precious but whether keeping out of the spotlight will endear her to the general public or not remains to be seen.”

Read entire story at Sunday Express | View photos at CelebMad.com

Prince Harry’s girlfriend Chelsy Davy has been left in the cold by Prince William’s love Kate Middleton, claim her furious friends.

Chelsy, 24, has been amazed at the warm welcome she’s received from Harry’s pals and relatives since the couple rekindled their romance.

But friends revealed she has barely exchanged a word with her royal “high-and-mightiness” Kate since her return. They believe ambitious Kate, 27, is distancing herself from party girl Chelsy as she carves out her own royal future.

Read the entire story at the Daily Star…

The voice on the phone was polite and well-mannered. It was also one of the least demanding bookings for a restaurant table – no special requests for an out-of-the-way corner, just a table for two at 8pm.

But when the couple, who had booked under the name of Goldsmith, arrived at Gilmour’s in Chelsea, staff were taken aback. For the guests were Prince William and Kate Middleton and their table was in the middle of the busy restaurant in full view of other diners.

William and Kate, however, took their seats without demur while the Prince’s bodyguards, for whom no table had been reserved, sat at the bar.

‘They seemed just like any other young couple out on a date holding hands and leaning across the table to whisper to each other,’ says a fellow diner. ‘One might have expected them to want to sit somewhere more discreet. In fact, they had the most visible spot in the place. But, perhaps because they were so ordinary, no one paid them a blind bit of notice.’

Read the entire story at the Daily Mail… | Related Story: Mr & Mrs Smith

The Daily Mail’s Richard Kay reports on Kate Middleton’s preparations for the Starlight fundraiser held last weekend…

Just hours before the weekend’s event at the Saatchi Gallery, Kate strode into the nearby Chelsea salon of hairdresser Richard Ward – sans make-up and sans fuss.

‘She sat down to wait like any other customer, leafing through the magazines,’ says a fellow client. ‘There was no VIP room treatment or diva demands.

‘She had her hair cut, washed and blow-dried, and asked only for a glass of water. She was in and out in just over an hour. Even in jeans and no make-up she looked fabulous.’

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been dining at a restaurant where the food is served in complete darkness – so says The Sun …

The lovebirds have become huge fans of the wacky London eaterie, a source close to them revealed yesterday.

Diners at Dans Le Noir? in Clerkenwell are told their tastebuds are heightened when they can’t see.

But the insider said: “William can take Kate along and know no one will see him. He’s actually very shy. He feels uncomfortable when people stare.”

There was no special treatment for Prince William and Kate Middleton when they flew home from Marseilles to Gatwick in economy with their two plain-clothes protection officers after enjoying the sunshine in the South of France.

‘They were very sweet and very normal,’ says my source. ‘They were casually dressed and boarded the plane with the rest of the passengers. They were very smiley to anyone who recognised them and spent most of the flight chatting away. At one point William leaned over and gave Kate a cuddle.’

Kate is hosting a table at London’s Saatchi Gallery tonight at an auction to raise money for the charity Starlight, which grants wishes for terminally ill children. ‘She has invited her whole family and William,’ I’m told. ‘And her parents will host a party for 20 children as one of the prizes.’ (via Daily Mail)

Photos of William, Kate and other guests at the Starlight dinner – 1 | 2| 3 | 4

Prince William will keep his sweetheart Kate Middleton waiting for a wedding until June 2012 – when he turns 30.

Royal-watchers had expected the couple, who have been dating on and off for eight years, to tie the knot next summer.

But Prince Charles’ 27-year-old son has told Kate he wants to focus on his RAF duties before they wed. The postponement was revealed by close pal and singer Jules Knight, whose classical music boyband Blake are set to perform at the wedding.

Jules – a university friend of the couple – said: “They’ve decided not to marry just yet. William wants to wait until he is 30 and Kate is fine with that.” Jules added: “She’s mentioned Blake might be able to perform at the wedding, which would be brilliant for us.”

A pal said: “He is very careerminded and wants to get as high up as he can in the force. Kate knows he loves her and wants to marry her but also understands what it means to be the girlfriend of the future king.” (via People.co.uk)

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been spotted out in public on a rare date together.

Kate, wearing a stunning figure-hugging dress, joked with photographers as she came out of the exclusive Locanda-Ottoemezzo Italian restaurant in Kensington, London, with Wills. As they left the posh eaterie on Friday night – where dinner for two costs £200 – William laughed at Kate’s attempts to shield her eyes from flashbulbs.

‘They both seemed in a really good mood and looked like they were having a great night out” said one observer.

The couple later partied at Kitts nightclub until the early hours.

“They don’t enjoy the long breaks but they make the most of all the time they get together” said one friend. (via Daily Star)

Many thanks to dagsi for supplying links to scans of the articles!