Happy Anniversary William and Catherine!

I know everyone is saying this today, but wow..can you believe it has been a year?! It feels like yesterday I was up at 3:00 am, crying my eyes out. Yes, I cried – don’t tell me you didn’t too! And then I went to work with puffy eyes; I may have been a little late that day (don’t worry, i was given the ok to watch the kiss before heading in).

Today, William and Catherine, now known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, celebrate their first year of marriage..after nearly a decade of dating. I don’t think anyone ever had any doubts that they would coast through their first year, happier than ever. To honor the special day, I am taking a “Will & Kate” approach to this blog post – simple. Word around town is that the young royal couple will be keeping it low key and carefree today – very true to form. I am sure many bloggers/royal watchers will be commemorating the day with lists of favorite moments and such, so I would like to share with you my top William and Catherine moment from their first year of wedded bliss..

AP

The above picture, taken after the dragon boat races Dalvay-by-the-Sea on Prince Edward Island, completely captures the essence of William and Catherine’s relationship – and the reason why we all adore them. During their first royal tour together just a few months into their marriage, the competitive lovebirds showed their skills in a friendly race, followed by this absolutely adorable moment. This photo embodies the playfulness, compassion, adoration and total love these two have for each other. I also think it displays what a seemingly normal couple they are; a trait that royal fans everywhere admire and can relate to. Sure, she wears tiaras, he will one day be a king and they save the save the world in their spare time..but deep down they are just a regular, married couple – right?

Anniversary Gifts…

The customary first wedding anniversary gift is paper, so why not give William and Kate the best kind of paper…MONEY! As most of you know, in lieu of wedding gifts the philanthropic duo asked guests to donate to The Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund, which raised approximately $1.7 million for 26 charitable organizations that are special to The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

As I did for Catherine’s 30th birthday this past January, I encourage those who would like to give the couple who has everything an anniversary gift, to donate to one of their many chosen charities, including:

Tusk Trust, Centre Point UK, The Art Room, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, Action on Addiction,  The National Portrait Gallery and The Scout Association. To learn about other causes close to the couple’s hearts you can visit The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Best Wishes from the Fans..

Two nights before the big day I had an idea.. wouldn’t it be nice to have William and Catherine supporters share their hopes for their favorite couple? Yes, the chances of Will and Kate actually seeing these thoughts are one in a million, but is always nice to put good vibes out into the universe and dream that they come true. So, I posed the following question to my royal Twitter family – “What is your wish for Will & Kate during their second year of marriage?“

@jennkamienski – a happy marriage like mine

@thecambridges – Happy Anniversary, Will and Kate. May the second year (and many those to come) bring just as much love, warmth and success as the first.

@RoyallyKate – Happy one year anniversary, Will and Kate! You’ve all brightened the lives and opened the hearts of many this past year. I wish you so many more years to come, and endless and indefatigable amounts of love and support to come your way in the future. Here’s to a successful year for a beautiful couple! We love you!

@FabulousKate13 – I wish them another enchanting, amazing, and successful year. May the years to come only bring them happiness and joy. Xx

@Kates_Wardrobe – 4 Kate : an outfit by unexpected designer Ford, Westwood, Saab

@RoyalKateDebate – Congratulation Will and Kate on a wonderful first year of marriage. Your love for each other has captured the world’s imagination. Thank you for sharing your day with us. My wish is that you continue to have the strength in your relationship that you have shown in the past 10 years.

@HRH_KLynch – I wish happiness for the both bc will deserves it. And healthy babies!

@allthingsregal – Hmmmm… dare I say a baby willkat?

@nina_lux – Besides happiness, more time together, a bb and world domination? Not much

@ARightRoyalBlog – Wish people would stop clicking on pap shots of them.

@Royaljournalist – Hoping for twinsc called prince George and princess Victoria.

@MPHenriksen – Wills stays in the military. They have a baby or at least Kate is preggers by the end of yr two.

@HuffPostStyle – Kate to take more fashion risks!

 @Kimmi1287 – I’m thinking the one with the real love and respect not for money and tv

@RoyallyObsessed – BBBBAAAAABBBBBIIIIEEEESSSSS

@shan_harrison – I wish for William and Kate to have another year of wedded bliss… And to get another puppy

My wish for William & Catherine’s second year of marriage – that the guiding hand doesn’t fade away and they continue to look as happy as they do in the above photo. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind a royal bun in the oven (would that be considered a scone 😉 ?!). And for Kate to add some bright colors to her wardrobe. And Will should find some new suits. But mostly, keep doing what you’re doing young, beloved royals! xoxo

Happy Anniversary William and Catherine! Thanks for being so fabulous and sharing your love story with the world. 

Royal Wrap-Up

Hello royal friends! I know I have been delinquent in my blogging duties lately – I blame my recent vacation to Hawai`i. Now that I’m back, let’s catch up on the events of the past few days!

Queen Elizabeth II Celebrates Her 86th Birthday – Saturday, April 21

Credit - The British Monarchy

This past Saturday, Her Majesty turned 86-years-old with the help of a 21-gun salute from the Royal Navy. The annual salute took place at Portsmouth Harbor on the south coast of England. Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday will be honored again on June 16 with a special celebration at Buckingham Palace. 

The London Marathon 

On Sunday, April 22, 37,5000 took to the streets for the 32nd annual London Marathon. Despite “beating” the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, in a friendly race in Jamaica last month, Prince Harry was there to show his support. The 27-year-old prince awarded medals to the participants, but of course it would not be a Harry appearance without a little fun and games; Harry teased the crowds that William and Kate would run in the 2013 marathon. Erase that penciled in date off your calendars, Mini Middletons, The Palace confirmed Harry was up to his usual tricks and the comment was purely a joke. Hey, they still have a year to change their minds.. 

Prince Harry to Return to the United States

It was announced on Monday morning that in two weeks time, Prince Harry will make a very welcome return to the United States on May 7. Harry will be honored by the Atlantic Council at a dinner in Washington D.C., receiving the council’s “Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership.” The award is in recognition of the charitable work by he and his older brother, Prince William, for wounded servicemen on the road to returning to civilian life. I would like to add that the nation’s capital is only 3 hours from me, so, if anyone has any connections at the Atlantic Council, I am currently accepting applications for my new best friend.

 

Finally, I would like to share the best thing Huffington Post Style has ever created – a year in the life of Prince Harry. Swoon away… The Huffington Post, Style.

The article even resulted in a http://twitter.com/#!/HuffPostStyle/status/194851229027930112 from your very favorite blogger..me!

 

Sources/Photo Credit: The British Monarchy, Getty Images, The Daily Mail, The Huffington Post

Harry the Hippo

Last week, The Daily Mail broke the most adorable Harry story – a baby hippo in South Africa has been named after the equally cute prince! Harry the hippo was born March 22, 2012 at The Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa. Unfortunately, for the 11 pound pygmy hippo, his parents rejected him and he has been left in the care of the sanctuary staff. Fortunately for the staff, Harry is proving to be quite the bundle of joy, even cozying up to his caregivers. Since royal news has been slow lately, why not have some fun with this story? I present to you – “Similarities Between Harry the Hippo and Harry the Prince.”

1. Ladies’ Man

Miller & Maclean

Getty

How does the saying go – you’ve got to kiss a lot of hippos to find your prince? Above, Harry the hippo is seen licking his full-time caregiver, Toni Inggs, while Prince Harry gives a quick peck to Brazilian model Fernanda Motta. It is no secret that the 27-year-old British Royal has a way with women (case in point, the girl writing this blog post..), and his miniature friend has gone out and snagged himself a female caretaker. Touché little hippo.

2. The Royal Treatment

Miller and Maclean

Daily Mail

After his mother and father, Hilda and Herbert, could not fend for their offspring, Toni Inggs took over as the endangered hippo’s ‘mom.’ Young Harry has to be fed every three hours; the staff at the sanctuary has embraced him, caring for him around the clock. Born into royalty, Prince Harry grew up surrounded by people to care for him, including his nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke.

 3. Traumatic Childhood Experiences

Miller and Maclean

As mentioned above, after 210 days of pregnancy, Harry’s hippo mother rejected her son, leaving him without a mother. In 1997, Prince Harry tragically suffered through the untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, after she was killed in a Paris car crash. In the past 15 years, Prince Harry has gone on to make his mother proud, even establishing a charity in her honor. The sanctuary staff knew just what they were doing in naming the baby hippo Harry, giving him a strong name will only help throughout his life. 

4. Africa

Miller and Maclean

People Magazine

Other than their admiration for Prince Harry, one of the reasons the team at Cango Wildlife Ranch bestowed the regal name upon the hippo was Harry’s love for Africa. During his gap year from school, the budding royal spent time on the continent and established his charity, Sentebale.

Harry the Hippo and Prince Harry..two of a kind. Now I think it’s time for the dashing prince to visit South Africa and meet his mate! What a photo opp that would be.. 

Sources: The Daily Mail, MSNBC, The Telegraph, People Magazine