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…