Happy Birthday Prince George!

Can you believe Prince George is one-year-old today? I know everyone says things like this all the time, but honestly, the ‘Great Kate Wait’ of July 2013 feels like it was yesterday. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to the news Kate had gone into labor (broken by Jesal Parshotam) and blogging before the sun came up while listening to the Circle of Life, then coming home from work (where I screamed very loudly when the birth announcement was made) to my sister decorating my room and baking for me (yes, I was that #royalbabycrazed)…and now George is walking!

Via @SPerryPeopleMag

A lot has happened in a year – least of which being my inability to keep up with this blog.. seriously, was I on something the week George was born? At least two posts a day – that’s not normal. I digress, back to the Prince of Cheeks! Although we all fell instantly in love with George, it seems as though we discover or are made light of something new on a regular basis that increases our love exponentially. Thank you, William and Kate, for sharing your beautiful son with the world. On the eve of Georgie’s birthday, the parents released the following statement:

“We would like to take this opportunity on George’s first birthday to thank everyone over the last year, wherever we have met them, both at home and overseas, for their warm and generous good wishes for George and our family.”

We’ve all been loving the “Year of George” the past couple of weeks, so instead of doing a full look back on the past year of royal cuteness, I’m taking a look at what I’d like to see happen before July 22, 2015. Some of these may or may not be realistic..

First Words – obviously this will happen this year, can I put in a request for ‘cheeks?’ How epic would that be!?

Photo with Uncle Harry – okay, we have waited long enough. Joke’s over, the world needs this.

Accompanying mom and dad on a tour of America (err, New York) – yes, very unlikely…just let me have my dream.

..but since that probably won’t happen, any tour will do. Preferably one in a convenient time zone?

Royal Play Date – Baby Mia and Prince George… we need a royal cousins photo, just like in New Zealand..minus the grabbing of toys from strangers.

A laugh – is there any cuter sound in the world than a baby laughing? No. Yes, of course he has laughed before..but we wanna hear it!

Chubbier Cheeks – enough said.

Here’s to you Prince George, thanks for making this year burst with cuteness… Happy Birthday!

Gushing over George – A Year in Quotes

A year ago, we all had our phones glued to our hands and eyes on Twitter 2/47 as we awaited the arrival of the “royal baby.” Would it be a boy or a girl? Would it look like William or Catherine? What would its name be? Well, quite a lot has changed in the past year – not only did we get our answers, but as expected, we all fell absolutely head over heels in love with HRH Prince George of Cambridge. At the center of all of that love and devotion? The royal family.

Via SIMON PERRY Twitter – @SPerryPeopleMag

It’s been a year of smiles, laughs, “oohs” and “ahhs” as we’ve watched Georgie grow up from a distance, but we’ve had some serious help from his proud parents and extended family as we seemed to learn a bit more about the young prince each time they stepped out. Although it’s nearly impossible to narrow down, let’s start the birthday celebrations on the blog with a parade of the firm’s best quotes about the third-in-line to the throne.

Harry – The “Fun” Uncle

Just days after Prince George’s birth, Uncle Harry was asked what his duties will entail – “To make sure he has a good upbringing, and keep him out of harm’s way and to make sure he has fun. The rest I’ll leave to the parents.”

Not one to let a joke slip by, on that same night he said –  “It’s fantastic to have another addition to the family. I only hope my brother knows how expensive my babysitting charges are.” 

While on his recent tour of South America, an onlooker had a chance to speak to Harry about his nephew – “He’s growing up. He is walking, and he has big, chubby cheeks. He looks like a young Winston Churchill.”

Catherine, The Proud Mum

On her son’s looks – “Like most babies, he’s got a mix of both of us.”

In Australia, remarking on their first tour as a family during a speech – “To be here together as a family has been very special.“

Prince William – The Doting Dad

Perhaps one of the first big quotes ‘heard around the world’ –  “He’s got a good pair of lungs on him that’s for sure. He’s a good boy, he’s quite heavy.”

He gets it from his mama – “He’s got her (Catherine) looks, thankfully.” Sorry William, George is the spitting image of you!

A month into fatherhood describing his son’s liveliness –  “He’s a little bit of a rascal, I’ll put it that way. He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I’m not sure, but he’s doing very well at the moment.”

While on tour in New Zealand, making a speech at the governor’s residence – “I hope that George doesn’t keep you up. He has been known to be particularly vocal at 3 a.m.”

Just recently on a visit to the the British Sub-Aqua in London – “At the moment, bath time is quite painful, but hopefully donning a snorkel mask might calm him down.”

During a visit to Coventry’s War Memorial Park last week – “I think George will be running faster than me very soon.”

Prince Charles

Following his first grandchild’s birth, Prince Charles very correctly predicted George’s nickname, saying he would be called “Georgie in no time.”

BONUS round – Aunt Pippa

“He’s amazing. He’s very a dear boy. He’s brought a lot of pleasure and fun for all us, the whole family. He’s very characterful. He’s sort of brought us all together and we love spending weekends with him. He’s very funny.”

What was your favorite quote about George from this year?

G’Day Mate! #RoyalVisitAus is Underway!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with everyone’s favorite baby prince, HRH Prince George of Cambridge, have arrived in Australia for the second leg of their official tour Down Under.

Wednesday, April 16 (or Tuesday, April 15 if you’re in New York), saw the young family depart New Zealand for Australia, where they will tour through April 25th.

Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

William, Kate and The Prince of Cheeks stepped off the plane in sunny Sydney where they were greeted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and other dignitaries. Kate was rocking my new favorite hairstyle and a stunning yellow Roksanda Ilincic dress along with her trusty L.K. Bennett nude pumps. I have to say, yellow is among my favorite colors on the duchess – I wish she would wear it more often! Apparently her husband doesn’t agree with me though, as Kate reportedly told an onlooker, “William said I look like a banana.”

The royal parents then attended a brief, private reception at the iconic Sydney Opera House before making their way outside, where they were greeted by an extremely enthusiastic city. William and Kate then set off into the sunset – literally – for Admiralty House.

The images coming out of the arrival were simply breathtaking; the final appearance of the sun combined with Kate’s dazzling yellow dress and the iconic landmarks of the city made for quite the regal welcome.

Photo via Emily Andrews, The Sun Newspaper – @byEmilyAndrews

The next week and a half will filled to the brim with special moments and events. William even remarked that his boy might pick up his first words in Australia: “I suspect George’s first word might be ‘bilby,’ only because ‘koala’ is harder to say.”

April 16 – Sydney, NSW

April 17 – Blue Mountains, NSW

April 18 – Sydney, NSW

April 19 – Brisbane, Qld

April 20 – Sydney, NSW * Easter Sunday*

April 21 – Canberra, ACT

April 22 – Uluru, NT

April 23 – Adelaide, SA

April 24 – Canberra, ACT

April 25 – Canberra, ACT

Royal Tour, Commence! The Cambridges Arrive in New Zealand

IT’S FINALLY HERE! After months of excitement (on our end) and a day+ of traveling (on their end) the royal tour of New Zealand and Australia has officially begun!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge arrived in Wellington, New Zealand at 11:45 am local time….Monday, April 7th. Yes, I’m blogging from the future. After traveling for 27-hours, taking a commercial Qantas flight from London to Sydney via Dubai, the royals took a three hour Royal Air Force New Zealand to dreary, rainy Wellington.

William, Kate and George board RAFNZ plane in Sydney for Wellington. Kate repeated her Max Mara dress while William carried her bags (black Longchamp) and George’s stuffed kangaroo.

Making their way through Sydney airport

After a slight delay of about 20 minutes due to poor weather conditions, the royal plane touched down and the royal trip emerged looking cute as ever. The Duchess of Cambridge looked very Jackie Kennedy in a red (finally called a color right!) Catherine Walker dress and Gina Foster pillbox hat, polished off with The Queen’s diamond and platinum silver fern brooch, given to Her Majesty in 1954 on a visit to the nation. The best part of her outfit, however, was a very unimpressed looking Prince George who donned a cardigan and bloomers for the arrival. William wore the same navy suit and maroon tie.

Reuters Live Stream

The group then departed for Government House, home of Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae where they received a ceremonial welcome known as a Powhiri. While mom and dad took part in the grand, traditional welcome the airport arrival was it for George’s appearances…unless you count him looking on from a window!

Via Emily Andrews, The Sun – Twitter @byEmilyAndrews

Via Emily Andrews, The Sun – Twitter @byEmilyAndrews

The family traveled with quite the entourage, including the couple’s private secretaries, three press officers, a personal assistant, a tour secretary, Kate’s hairdresser, an orderly, their advisor Sir David Manning and last but certainly not least, Prince George’s new nanny, Maria Borrollo. Talk about hitting the ground running with a new job!

After an exhausting journey, The Cambridges will have time to recoup before the madness truly begins on April 9.

The rest of the tour goes as follows: 

New Zealand

• Wellington (April 7, 9, 16)
• Blenheim (April 10)
• Auckland (April 11)
• Hamilton and Cambridge (April 12)
• Dunedin (April 13)
• Queenstown (April 13)
• Christchurch (April 14)

Australia

• Sydney (April 16, 18, 20)
• Blue Mountains (April 17)
• Brisbane (April 19)
• Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) (April 22)
• Adelaide (April 23)
• Canberra, (April 24 and 25)

For a very detailed look at the full diary, check out Royal Central.

The official hashtags for the tour are #RoyalTourNZ and #RoyalTourAus. And of course, make sure you’re following the trusty royal press pack for updates over the next three weeks.Remember, time zones are NOT our friends on this one people… and although I love the royals, I love my sleep more. So, there you have it – follow the pros!

Christmas in April

That’s exactly what it feels like right now – Christmas. Tomorrow (well, technically the day after tomorrow but for us East Coasters, it’s really tomorrow), The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Wellington, New Zealand with Prince George for a three week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Just think about the photos, videos and anecdotes that will come out of this tour. I can’t, so many activities my head is spinning.

To say the anticipation for this has been high would legitimately be the understatement of the century. More than 450 accredited media will be joining the world’s most adorable family on the historic tour. Couple that with the time difference (Sydney is 14 hours ahead of New York, Auckland is 16), and it will be next to impossible to keep up with. So here’s my fair warning, as much as I’d like to do nothing but royal watch until April 25th, that’s not happening. I will tweet as much as I can and do recap posts, but there are much better resources out there than me.

How does one keep up? With the help of this expert crew. Here is a list of some of the best royal journalists to add to your Twitter lists for the tour:

Max Foster, CNN

Paul Harrison, Sky News

Richard Palmer, Daily Express

Rebecca English, Daily Mail

Simon Perry, People Magazine

Gordon Rayner, The Telegraph

Victoria Murphy, Daily Mirror

Emily Andrews, The Sun

Robert Jobson, here there and everywhere

Arthur Edwards, if you don’t known who he is you have no business on this blog 😉

Chris Jackson, Getty Images

Mark Stewart, Photographer

James Whatling, Photographer

Like I said, there are more than 400 media on the ground tracking every smile, every time William puts his hand on the small of Kate’s back and waiting for George to roll over on a picnic blanket, but these guys are the ultimate. Don’t forget to keep up with Royal Central and WhatKateWore because you know they will be on point with every detail!

Get your sleep tonight royal watchers, with dreams of chubby cheeks and tiaras dancing in your heads.

New Details on The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Visit Down Under

Kensington Palace yesterday released new details on The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s April visit to Australia and New Zealand, as well as confirmed that Prince George will be accompanying his parents. This will be the first overseas tour for the third-in-line to the throne, who will turn nine-months-old during the trip. It is both notable and quite emotional that Prince William’s first overseas tour was also at the age of nine months to Australia and New Zealand in spring of 1983 with Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Another nod to his late mother?

Via SIMON PERRY Twitter – @SPerryPeopleMag

The three week tour will commence in New Zealand on April 7th and include 10 days of engagements; the family will then travel to Australia on April 16th for a second round of 10 day’s worth of activities, including celebrating George’s first Easter, concluding on April 25th.

This is the first visit to Australia and New Zealand for Kate and her young son, while William has visited many times – the most recent of which being in 2011 after the devastating earthquake. Prince Harry also recently visited Australia with a quick trip in October of 2013.

The young family’s extended tour will go as follows:

New Zealand

• Wellington (April 7, 9, 16)
• Blenheim (April 10)
• Auckland (April 11)
• Hamilton and Cambridge (April 12)
• Dunedin (April 13)
• Queenstown (April 13)
• Christchurch (April 14)

Australia

• Sydney (April 16, 18, 20)
• Blue Mountains (April 17)
• Brisbane (April 19)
• Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) (April 22)
• Adelaide (April 23)
• Canberra, (April 24 and 25)

Holiday celebrations in Sydney will include attending the Royal Easter Show at Sydney Olympic Park on Good Friday and a morning service at St Andrew’s Cathedral (how fitting), on Easter Sunday.

I know I speak for (mostly) everyone when I say that I cannot wait to see the new family on tour! Now if we can only keep up with the time difference…

Kate Hits Royal Milestone – 1,000 Days as The Duchess of Cambridge

Just a couple of weeks after her 32nd birthday, Kate is marking another special occasion – 1,000 days as The Duchess of Cambridge. Since marrying Prince William on April 29, 2011, the former Kate Middleton has not stolen our hearts, but has made a difference in the world and played a vital role in shaping the royal family as they are today.

Via SIMON PERRY Twitter – @SPerryPeopleMag

Aside from the addition of Kate, the firm has seen important events unfold and changes made over the past few years – The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Prince Charles’ ever-increasing role as first-in-line, Prince Harry’s second tour of duty and recent move to a military desk job, William and Kate’s departure from life in Wales, Prince William leaving the armed forces and returning to school and perhaps Kate’s most monumental accomplishment to date – welcoming Prince George into the world.

In her 1,000 days as The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate has taken on her patronages, toured Canada, The United States and Asia Pacific, christened a cruise ship, sat for her first official portrait, moved into Kensington Palace and of course, given birth to the third-in-line to the throne. Oh, and let’s not forget boosting sales for countless designers.

If that’s just her first 1,000 days, I cannot wait to see what the days ahead will bring. Congratulations to The Duchess of Cambridge on this monumental royal milestone!

Town & Country Magazine Names Prince George Among Sexiest Bachelors.. And His Uncle Too

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Town and Country today released it’s annual list of Top 50 ‘Sexiest Bachelors.’ Obviously, Prince Harry made the cut. The addition of Prince George as the bonus bachelor, however… wait, what?

(AP Photo/John Stillwell/Pool)

I mean nice move by the magazine – very ahead of the curve, as Prince George is bound to be a highly coveted man about town… once he actually becomes a man. But for now, I hope no one takes it too seriously… he’s a bit young to be chased by the ladies. In the meantime, Jimmy Kimmel might want to cast him for the next installment of ‘The Baby Bachelor..’

So, what makes the 5-month-old heir to the throne a catch? According to Town & Country, he likes being driven around in a Silver Cross pram and apparently, wearing dresses. His downfall? He’s a screamer.

George’s Uncle Harry, on the other hand, is the definition of an eligible bachelor. Although he might not be a bachelor much longer ahem, Cressida Bonas..

The 29-year-old royal likes “playing the role of royal ginger rascal,” which is one of the countless reasons we love him so much. He did have that little incident in Vegas, but charity polo matches and treks to the South Pole have totally eclipsed that.

Check out the full list here. Hint: There’s quite a few Brits, lords and royals on the list!

Prince George Gets Christened, His Cheeks Win the Day

HRH Prince George of Cambridge was christened today at The Chapel in St James’s Palace as his doting parents, seven godparents and happy family looked on. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, baptised the third-in-line to the throne with water from the River Jordan during the 35 minute ceremony. Despite the tradition and heritage of the day (which is why we love the royals so much), the little prince’s cheeks stole the show. C’mon – would you look at him? Definition of precious.

(AP Photo/John Stillwell)

The future monarch wore a replica of the 172-year-old Honiton lace and white satin gown originally made for the christening of Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841. The Queen had a replica made in 2004 to preserve the original, which was donned by several past (and future) monarchs including King George VI and Her Majesty.

It seems ruffles were the theme of the day as proud mom, The Duchess of Cambridge, wore a custom cream colored, ruffled and peplum Alexander McQueen dress paired with a white Jane Taylor fascinator. Of course she looked amazing, but I have to say, her little prince out-ruffled her today!

After the service, the picture-perfect family and their guests retreated to Clarence House for a reception hosted by Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall and served slices from the top tier of William and Kate’s wedding cake.

Godparents

Although rumored favorites Uncle Harry and Aunt Pippa were not selected as godparents to their darling nephew, both did readings during the ceremony; Harry, John 15:1-5, and Pippa, Luke 18:15-17.

So, who did make the elite cut? As Victoria Arbiter would say, they ticked all the traditional boxes – a royal, an earl, friends and a van Custem. In true William and Kate fashion, people from all aspects of their life were included.

Zara Tindall – William’s cousin, who is due to have her first child with husband Mike Tindall next year, is the only member of the royal family named.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton – J Lop for the win! He once served as private secretary to the royal couple as well as Prince Harry and is now working part-time as Principal Private Secretary and Equerry. I love this choice – he knows them well across both their public and private lives.

Emilia Jardine-Paterson – A friend who attended Marlborough College with Kate as well as a friend to William

 Oliver Baker – A friend from university must be included, it’s where they met after all!

Earl “Hugh” Grosvenor – His mother, The Duchess of Westminster, is one of William’s godparents. Did I mention he’s also 22 and on the richest men in Britain list? What are you doing still reading ladies.. get moving!

Julia Samuel – A nod to Princess Diana, Julia was a close friend of William’s late mother and works closely with the new parents with Child Bereavement U.K.; she is a founder patron and William is patron.

William van Cutsem – This clan should start charging for godparent services! The youngest van Custem brother is a longtime friend of both William and Harry; his niece was a bridesmaid for the royal wedding.

Stay tuned as the official photographs will be released tomorrow! Four generations of monarchs in one photo – that’s worth tuning in for. Obviously praying for a photo of Georgie and Uncle Harry too…

Most Adorable Looking New Family Ever? The Official Cambridge Family Photo

It has been quite the newsworthy day for the little Cambridge family. First, we catch a glimpse of Max Foster’s interview with Prince William and now we have our first official family photos.

Rex Features via AP Images

It’s like when you buy a picture frame and there is a placeholder photo of a perfect family in it.. yup, that’s the Cambridges.

Perhaps unlike any royal portrait we have seen before, the stunning image depicts William, Catherine and George in the way we have come to know them – effortless, relaxed and genuinely blissful. In a twist from tradition (not at all surprising when it comes to this charismatic couple), Catherine’s father Michael Middleton took the photos in early August in the garden of the Middleton home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Released by Kensington Palace today, the second image (not pictured here), includes the family pup, Lupo.

As William remarked to CNN earlier, he and Kate are doing it their own way, telling Max Foster, “I’m just doing it the way I know this, you know, if it’s the right way then brilliant, if it’s not, if it’s the wrong way then I’ll try to do it better , but…no I just, I’m quite…I’m reasonably headstrong about what I believe in, and what I go for..” Well William, this beautiful photo is another one for the modern monarchy books.

Glowing as ever, motherhood clearly suits The Duchess of Cambridge as she poses in a fuschia Seraphine dress – the same frock she wore in a different print for baby’s departure from Kensington Palace following his birth.

Okay, now onto the important question.. when will we see the first photos of Uncle Harry and little George?