Happy Royalversary!

Happy Second Anniversary William and Catherine!

Now, hit play and let’s celebrate The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

Last year I asked my Twitter followers to share their wishes for William & Kate’s second year of marriage; not surprisingly, most of those tweets involved a royal scone in the oven.  At the end of the year, our wish for them came true! Side note: completely forgot I dubbed the future royal baby a “scone,” so from now on that’s what I’m going with.

I also encouraged my readers to share the traditional first anniversary gift of paper with the royal couple and since money is the most important form of paper (kidding..kind of), I challenged everyone to donate to the couple’s patronages.

Sadly, the year of money is over, but if you would like to continue dishing out dough, head on over to the newly launched Royal Fundraiser to raise funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in honor of the royal scone in the oven. @RoyalFundraiser was started by @WhatKateWore, @HRHDuchessKate, @BritishRoyals, @KatePippaStyle and @APP_Editor to gather the royal watching community to help out one of Kate’s patronages. In fact, the mum-to-be will celebrate her wedding anniversary by visiting Naomi House in support of Children’s Hospice Week.

A continued lifetime of happiness to one of the world’s most adorable couples!

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..

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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. 

A Landmark Day for The Duchess of Cambridge

Today was the day we had all been waiting for! No, Catherine is not pregnant – she gave her first public speech! With her husband far away in the Falkland Islands, the former Kate Middleton visited The Treehouse at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in Ipswich. Catherine, a Royal Patron of EACH, visited and formally opened the new $4.8 million hospice for Essex and Suffolk. You can learn more about this new facility and the momentous occasion here.

After greeting a crowd of well-wishers (yes, Catherine seems to have throngs of excited fans wherever she goes), HRH made her way inside to give her first official speech as a royal. The three-minute speech was delivered beautifully, although Kate admitted later that she finds “doing speeches nerve-wracking.” She may have faltered slightly, but it was an absolute job well done by the freshly minted Duchess of Cambridge. My favorite part of the speech? The fact that she wrote it herself! This truly speaks to Catherine’s character and dedication to the cause; it was evident throughout that she truly meant every word and it was coming from the bottom of her heart. A lighthearted moment came when the newlywed brought up her husband, The Duke of Cambridge, saying: “I’m only sorry that William can’t be here today. He would love it here.” I know I am not alone when I say that Prince William must be lighting up the Falklands with pride for his wife!

You can watch Catherine’s full speech here, courtesy of Hello! Magazine.

Once the speech was out of the way, Catherine had time to focus on the children whom she called “inspirational.” On a tour of the grounds, HRH met with staff and visited the sensory and music rooms – part of what makes EACH so welcoming and unique. As Kate said in her speech, the pre-conceived notion of what a children’s hospice would be like was quickly squashed when she visited the Milton facility, remarking that it was “Far from being a clinical, depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, support and care. It was a place of fun.” Kate had a chance to interact with some of these children and their families, including a three-year-old dying boy, granting his parents’ wish of a photo to memorialize the occasion. She also had a touching moment in a music class with a young girl by the name of Bethany Woods.

Although it was by no means the most important part of the day, we must address the fashion! As I was getting ready for work, debating what I would wear today, a rather comical Twitter debate ensued as to the exact color of Kate’s recycled Reiss dress. Was it purple? Blue? Indigo? Electric Blue? Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner with electric blue! Also up for discussion was whether Kate borrowed the dress from her mom Carole, as she had previously bee photographed in the frock. The palace later confirmed that it was the other way around – the dress was Kate’s, mom just went shopping in her closet. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly Kate wardrobe watchers are able to identify pieces from her collection! After scouring the label’s site for a solid description, Rebecca English was able to find out the dress, called Trina, was from the 2008 Autumn Winter collection.

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For a wonderful recap on the day’s events, visit CNN for Max Foster’s full report, live from Ipswich.

If you are not already doing so, please follow East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices on Twitter. If you would like to make a gift in honor of The Treehouse opening, please visit the official donation page.

What did you think of Catherine’s first speech? What about the recycled Reiss dress? Leave some comments!

Sources: CNN, Daily Mail, Hello! Magazine, Max Foster ,Rebecca English, Richard Palmer

Spotlight On: East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices

What is East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices?

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices supports children who are battling life-threatening conditions, as well as their families, throughout  Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. EACH will provide whatever the families may need, either at home or in one of their three facilities. Family members can take advantage of the organization’s familial support groups and bereavement support; youth facing these conditions can partake in music therapy and specialized care.

Why is East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices of Interest to Catherine?

From the beginning, Catherine has set out to make a difference in the lives of people of all ages. Most specifically, The Duchess of Cambridge has a strong interest in the youth population – no matter what their struggles, she wants to contribute to their well-being. EACH gives Catherine the platform to not only bring a smile to the faces of struggling youth, but to their parents, sibling and extended family, bridging her desire to help the people as a whole.

How Can I Help?

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices is a charity that runs on donations from the public. EACH is thrilled to have The Duchess of Cambridge as its Royal Patron as her involvement can only fuel the public’s knowledge of the cause and desire to contribute. This year, the organization will need to raise £4.8 million in public donations to fully operate. Donations can be made in all shapes in sizes through various internal programs; each hospice center has a fundraising committee for the local community to be involved in, donations can be made in memory of a loved one, there are drives within the schools and over the holidays and so much more. Please visit http://www.each.org.uk/how-to-help to chose the donation method that is right for you.

If you are Twitter, please follow the charitable organiztion at @EACH_hospices.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ official announcement regarding its newest Royal Patron can be found here.