Visiting Royal Britain – Summer at the Palaces

I know this may seem like my most obvious “Visiting Royal Britain” post yet, but as our favorite family prepares to head off on summer holiday, why don’t we all think about visiting their homes while they are away? No, not in a creepy, stalker, stealing the crown jewels type of way. BUT, there are two homes in particular that will see notable royal action in the next couple of months…

Buckingham Palace Summer Opening

Keep Calm and Harry On

Chances are, if you’ve ever been to London, this is the first place you headed. Whether the royal standard is flying, indicating that The Queen is in residence, or the Union Jack, you most likely haven’t been inside. No, that’s reserved for small windows throughout the year when The Queen is away for an extended period of time. The annual summer opening will be July 26 – August 31, September 1 – 28. This year will see a special exhibit, Royal Childhood; aptly opening just days after Prince George turns one. Spanning more than 250 years of objects from the Royal Collection, Royal Archives and personal effects from the Royal Family, this is not to be missed!

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive at this Scottish residence next week for Holyrood week. On June 30, the palace will transform to a colorful parade ground and The Queen, accompanied by her husband, will attend the ceremony of the keys, officially marking the opening of the special week. The week will include several engagements from the royal couple throughout Scotland – mainly in Edinburgh, however a visit to Glasgow will also take place. Most notably, the Order of the Thistle will be on July 3, a prominent date on the royal calendar. While new members were appointed in November on St Andrew’s Day, the pomp and pageantry of investiture will happen next week.

Obviously, you are not welcome inside when Her Majesty is hanging her hat, however you can visit The Palace of Holyroodhouse from April – October and November – March, with the exception of June 24 – July 5 and July 20 – 23 this year.

 Have a royal summer!

Happy Birthday Prince Philip!

There will be no birthday cake and gin o’clock for Prince Philip this year as he spends his 92nd birthday in the hospital. The Duke, who was admitted to the London Clinic last Thursday, underwent exploratory abdominal surgery on Friday and is said to be “progressing satisfactorily.”

The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to spend a fortnight in the hospital, causing him to miss key engagements in the annual royal diary, including his wife’s birthday celebration, Trooping the Colour, this Saturday.

Although Philip himself may not be celebrating this year, birthday rituals continue outside the hospital walls including the 62-gun salute from the Tower of London and a 41-gun salute in Green Park. As per tradition, the British flag flew high above government buildings nationwide.

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted birthday wishes to Queen Elizabeth II’s consort as the rest of the nation continues to keep Prince Philip in their prayers as he recovers.

Richard Palmer, Royal Correspondent for the Daily Express, speculates visits from members of the family may occur today as they stayed away over the weekend allowing Prince Philip to recover from his operation.

Sending the happiest of birthday wishes to The Duke of Edinburgh and continuing to send well wishes for his recovery!

News Update: Prince Philip Admitted to Hospital

The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to the hospital today after missing a gala reception for the Royal National Institute of Blind People at St James’s Palace on Monday evening. Prince Philip attended the coronation service at Westminster Abbey the following day and was driven to the London Clinic via car after today’s garden party.

Buckingham Palace says:

“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to the London Clinic for an exploratory operation following abdominal investigations. He is expected to stay in hospital for up to two weeks.”

According to the BBC’s Peter Hunt, Prince Philip has been having “abdominal investigations”  unannounced at the London Clinic for the past week. HRH is scheduled to undergo an operation tomorrow while his wife, Queen Elizabeth II will go ahead with a planned visit to the BBC.

The 91-year-old duke, who turns 92-years-old this coming Monday, fell ill this time last year with a bladder infection. That hospital stay caused him to miss some of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. As he is scheduled to stay in the hospital for up to two weeks, it appears he will miss the annual Trooping the Colour next Saturday, June 15 and the Order of the Garter Service on June 17. Royal Ascot, another gold star in the royal diary and taking place June 18 – 22, will also fall during his recovery period.

Sending well wishes across the pond to one of my all time favorites. Thoughts and prayers are with The Duke of Edinburgh as well as Her Majesty.

Stay tuned for updates..

The 60th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation

“Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendour that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God’s Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen.”

Sixty years ago today, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her coronation and promised to serve the people of The Commonwealth in hear Coronation Day broadcast; I don’t even think she could have imagined the future that would unfold over the next six decades.

I am sure some of you are quite confused reading this, wondering “Didn’t we celebrate sixty years of The Queen last summer?” Wrong. And right. Although Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952  after the passing of her father, King George VI, she was not crowned until June 2, 1953.

Thus, eighteen months after she succeeded her father, Queen Elizabeth II took part in the historical, six part coronation service (Recognition, Oath, Anointing, Investiture, Homage at Communion) at Westminster Abbey. As the first coronation ceremony to be televised, an audience of 27 million in the UK and 85 million in the United States heard The Abbey bells ring out in jubilation as the crowds cheered “God Save The Queen!”

The Queen began her anniversary celebrations at the Epsom Derby yesterday alongside her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh and several members of her family including The Duke of York and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. This Tuesday, June 4th, Her Majesty will continue the celebration with a service of celebration at Westminster Abbey and it appears all of The Firm will be in attendance. Yes, that includes Prince Harry, who will also unveil a plaque outside The Abbey commemorating the royal wedding of his brother, Prince William and the then Kate Middleton.

So enjoy your street parties and picnics, Great Britain! Have a sausage roll and gin and tonic for me, my sickness and I will be celebrating by watching ‘The Queen’ on DVD and eating crumpets.

Throwback Thursday: Mind the Gap!

Throwing it back across the decades this week in celebration of the London Underground’s 150th anniversary. To mark the momentous occasion, Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Baker Street station yesterday as some of the best dressed passengers in the Tube’s history.

AP

Her Majesty was looking well at her first major public engagement since her hospital stay for gastroenteritis, weaering a lovely tweed Karl Ludwig coat, although I do wish she was in a brighter hue- may have added some color to her cheeks! I am beyond obsessed with Kate’s Malene Birger coat – I do love a royal in some sparkle!

PA

This was not The Queen and Prince Philips’ first venture below the bustling streets of London – the royal couple have hopped on the Tube before, including the Victoria line in 1966 and Heathrow Airport in 1977.

The Victoria Line, 1966 – via The British Monarchy

Heathrow Airport, 1977 – via The British Monarchy

Kate confessed to frequenting the public transport system B.D. – before duchess, although this is the first time she took to the tube with this adorable accessory..

AP

A baby never forgets its first ride on the Tube! Okay, maybe they do..

Happy 150th Anniversary to the London Underground!

 

Christmas Gifts for the Royals

Christmas is right around the corner – have you picked out a gift for your favorite royal? If not, no worries! I’ve compiled a list of the perfect presents to give the royal family this year. In keeping with the Sandringham tradition of gifting smaller items, all of these can be purchased rather cheaply.

Queen Elizabeth II

Who can forget Her Majesty’s infamous ride in a Range Rover through Balmoral wearing a hood? Now, instead of a dainty silk scarf, she can really ride dirty through the estate.

Prince Phillip

The Duke of Edinburgh is without a doubt the comedian of the family, and he must be quite proud to be married to the best Bond girl ever. One can only imagine the side commentary during the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

Prince Charles

Word on the street is that DJ Charlie W is hoping his music career really takes off in 2013 after his smashing performance in Toronto this summer. If he wants to spin on the ones and twos with the best of the best, he’s got to rep his country on his DJ equipment like the one and only DJ Pauly D..

The Duchess of Cornwall

Camilla is never the type to shy away from a fun fascinator, she’s had some really…interesting headgear through the years. Now, she doesn’t need to wait to enjoy gin o’clock until she gets home, she can do so during parades, races, church services or charitable engagements with the flask fascinator!

Prince William

If you’ve been following the media blitz surrounding Kate’s acute morning sickness, you would know that her Hyperemesis Gravidarum diagnosis obviously means she’s having twins. Way to go, Wills.

The Duchess of Cambridge

Everyone is expecting Kate to be the most fashionable pregnant woman the world has ever seen, which only means one thing – she needs to borrow Joey Tribiani’s Thanksgiving pants. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you must watch it.

You should also get her this card to go with the pants..

Prince Harry

You might want to stay away from purchasing Captain Wales a ticket to Vegas to welcome him home from Afghanistan the same way he left, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have some fun with him. These crown jewels boxers from gin-oclock.com are just what he needs – they will keep him covered up yet still good for a few laughs.

Okay, clearly this is a joke list of gifts. If you can’t have fun with the royals at Christmas, when can you, eh?

A Very Royal Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Americans! Eek, that phrase makes me sounds like a politician. Moving along… although the British don’t celebrate turkey day, who says we can’t give thanks for all that is royal and right in this world? In no particular order, here are ten royal happenings to be thankful for..

1. The return of The Duchess of Cambridge’s white McQueen coat at the Order of the Garter service.
2. Celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne, complete with Diamond Jubilee flotillas, concerts and worldwide tours. Giving us countless opportunities to gawk at our favorite family members. Which leads me to number three..
3. Prince Harry’s tan linen suit.
4. Prince Philip’s good health after a year of unfortunate hospital visits.
5. The royal legal team who quickly put the kibosh on the leaked Kate photos. Not cool French tabloids. Not. Cool.
6. The introduction of new ties into Prince William’s wardrobe. Soooo over that maroon one, Wills. We probably have your wife to thank for this one.
7. Prince Philip’s sense of humor, which never fails to shine through despite rainy flotillas, hospital stays and scandals.
8. Lupo. C’mon..who isn’t thankful for an adorable puppy with his very own Twitter account?
9. Prince William’s safe return from the Falkland Islands.
10. The overall fabulousness of Sophie, Countess of Wessex. The woman does not get nearly enough credit, so I’m giving her some now.

What royal moments are you thankful for this year? Have I missed any of your favorites? In between scarfing down turkey and potatoes, leave some comments!

Happy Thanksgiving!

BOOM! Britain. Nailed It.

I don’t even know where to begin with the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. I am not kidding when I say there is little I wouldn’t have done to be in that stadium tonight.

That being said, the London 2012 Opening Ceremony was the second time in the past two months the UK has completely blown me away. The ceremony truly focused on the athletes, as it very well should have been. They have worked so hard for so long and deserve every moment of spotlight that has been thrust upon them.

My Team USA French beret is tipped off to you, Danny Boyle. Based on my Facebook and Twitter feeds, the majority of Americans were nowhere near as impressed as I was and that’s a little sad. I would like to think something like the Olympics would open more people’s eyes to the cultures across the globe, and London 2012 did a top notch job of showcasing the essence of Britain’s culture and history. Sorry, but that’s exactly what the Opening Ceremony is about in any Olympics, in any country, every single time – it’s the athletes, the host nation and the world coming together. Any good host city would do exactly what London did. Regardless of your thoughts on the historic segments, the finale.. the fireworks, the music.. that had to have gotten to you. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion and that just happens to be mine. So in all seriousness, no offense to all of you who hated it.

The moment I was most looking forward to certainly did not disappoint – The Queen, the corgis and the ultimate man of mystery. Daniel Craig “escorting” Her Majesty into the Opening Ceremony was amazing – Queen Elizabeth II is the best Bond girl there ever was. If any of you needed any more convincing that Queen Elizabeth II is the most bad ass 80-something around, dressed in diamonds and feathers, hanging out with Bond should have taken care of that. Maybe they enjoyed some shaken, not stirred, gin Martinis afterwards.

Although there was not much royal coverage after the opening segment, I’m totally okay with that – the night was about the athletes! Harry did look totally swoon worthy in his Union Jack themed suit and tie ensemble, Kate looked stunning in her ice blue Christopher Kane dress and William was wearing his usual navy suit and maroon tie (no surprises there at all). Aw, William and Harry..twinsies!

As far as the remainder of the Opening Ceremony goes – Team USA and Team GB’s entrances warmed my heart as much as Prince Harry’s beautiful face tends to do. The reaction that overtook the stadium as the host nation paraded in was a special moment and of course, watching Team USA march in, made in China berets and all, brought a tiny tear to my eye. Yes, I did just admit that and I’m totally okay with it.

And then…there was the torch. Um, that arrival was utterly insane. HELLO DAVID BECKHAM. David Beckham in a suit, on a speed boat, surrounded by fire.. holy hotness. I still believe he should have had a much bigger role in these Olympics, specifically as a member of the Team GB soccer squad..but I’ll take Becks where I can get him.

Oh, and it goes without saying that the torch procession, cauldron lighting and Sir Paul McCartney were all INCREDIBLE. McCartney, Hey Jude.. C’MON!

I don’t think there is much left to say other than..JOB WELL DONE LONDON! You have once again proved that you know how to throw one heck of a ceremony.

Now that London has done an excellent job opening the London 2012 Summer Olympics, my attention turn to Team USA. For as much as I go one about my love for Britain, America is home. Bring back that hardware Team USA!

As Matt Lauer said, Does WOW even suffice? Thanks for a great night, London! GO USA!

All images courtesy of London 2012 and personal screen grabs. 

Can’t Keep Up With The Queen..

I am 60 years younger than The Queen and I cannot seem to keep up with her! Her Majesty is always on the go and I can’t even seem to keep my blogging capabilities up up to date.

As you all know by now, it has been a busy few days for the royals, from pomp and pageantry to polo, the family was zooming around England like their pants were on fire, (and part of me wishes Harry’s were..okay, I’m kidding, but seriously..).

Trooping the Colour

It all started on Saturday with the Trooping the Colour to celebrate Her Majesty’s official birthday. I always love this day and I know many of you feel the same. Hats, carriage rides, balcony appearance, horse guards, a gun salute and a flypast – all in honor of The Queen – what’s not to love? Oh wait, Kate’s Erdem dress. Sorry, just had to.

AFP/Getty

This is truly the first time I’ve been disappointed in Kate’s outfit, and I’m not the only one to say so! As much as we all love you Kate, it was not a dress for a 30-year-old, gorgeous royal. The Queen, however, was shining in the yellow Angela Kelly she wore to William and Catherine’s wedding last year.

Press Association

Thankfully, we were blessed with my classic favorite shots of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. Her facial expressions when he is in those hats is always priceless. Could they be any more adorable?

Garter Day

In one of the most important dates on the calendar, the Order of the Garter Service took place at Windsor Castle on Monday. Dressed in the traditional black robes, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh took part in the procession to St George’s Chapel, as well as The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge, The Duke of York and The Earl of Wessex.

Press Association

The royal ladies looked on as the men processed to the chapel; Camilla, Kate and Sophie all looked lovely in pale colors. Prayers and tweets were answered as Kate repeated the white McQueen coat from last year’s Trooping the Colour. I was excited. Twitter was excited. We all LOVE that coat, Kate! Sophie looked fabulous as always – she is certainly a favorite of mine.

Press Association

Press Association

Polo 

Oh and in between, William and Harry hit the polo field – twice. In white pants. Oh yea, and Lupo was there too. That’s pretty much all you need to know.

Happy 91st Birthday Prince Philip!

Happy Birthday Prince Philip!

Queen Elizabeth II’s other half turns 91 today, after spending most of the past week in the hospital. In true Duke of Edinburgh fashion, he left the hospital just in time for his birthday, looking sprightly and dapper as ever in a suit, waving and smiling to the waiting cameras. The Duke is said to be spending this special day in relaxing with family.

AFP/Getty Images

Just one week ago, the then 90-year-old royal was enjoying the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant alongside his family and from the looks of it, cracking a few jokes with his grandsons. Prince Philip – you are by far one of my favorite people around, and I know I speak for everyone when I say how happy I am you have recovered in time for your birthday. Here’s to many more years of smiles and good humor. Hopefully we see you in Nottingham this Wednesday!