Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall to Visit USA Next Month

It was announced this morning that The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will undertake a visit to the USA in March at the request of the British government. Charles and Camilla will visit this great nation March 17 – 20, to be exact, and make stops at our capital, Washington D.C. and Louisville, Kentucky (just under a 2 hour flight away).

It’s like, why don’t the royals just move here already? They caan’t get enough. Harry, William and Kate (+ one crumpet in the royal oven) – all in an official capacity in the last two years. Weddings, bachelor parties, c’mon guys, why are you so obsessed with us?

All jokes aside, it is wonderful to see another high ranking royal visit hit this side of the pond in such a short time span. The Oval Office hasn’t seen this much royal action probably ever – Prince William in December, his father in March.

According to the official release, the visit will heir Royal Highnesses will undertake various engagements promoting the UK’s partnership with the United States in areas such as sustainability and climate change, youth opportunities, corporate social responsibility and promoting historical and cultural links. That last one is perhaps my favorite, and the most mainstream, as the UK and US have always maintained a “special relationship” since well, we broke up a couple hundred years ago.

In particular, the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta is a highlight of not only the “special relationship” calendar year, but THR’s visit next month. The Prince of Wales will mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta during a visit to the National Archives where he will view the “Charters of Freedom” and the 1297 version of the Magna Carta, which is embodied in the American Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Magna Carta is not only a highlight on this side of the pond for 2015, but is being widely celebrated throughout Britain all year.

Looking forward to welcoming another royal duo to this side!

PS – I will not be covering the visit as I will be lounging on a beach in our furthest state – Hawaii. I know, you feel so awful for me.

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?

Prince Charles Celebrates 65th Birthday in Sri Lanka

Happy 65th Birthday to The Prince of Wales!

The first-in-line to the throne is facing a crucial test on this milestone birthday as he has just arrived in Sri Lanka to stand in for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Although he was greeted with multiple birthday cakes, the controversy surrounding the meeting is not something to celebrate. Prince Charles will meet President Mahinda Rajapaska who is at the center of a massive human rights issue in the country, which caused both Canada and India to stay home from the bi-annual meeting.

The prince and his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall, have just wrapped up a visit to India and in a rare interview with The Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner, Camilla speaks of her husband  ahead of his big day. Speaking of the monumental event surrounding her Charles’ birthday this year, she quite hilariously said, “she might hold up a sign reading ‘Happy Birthday Darling’ because he was unlikely to pause for celebrations.”

Although Prince Charles is likely feeling the pressure on what should be an enjoyable day, I have no doubts that he will have one more reason to celebrate at the end of the day as he takes on a challenge that could be a sign of a future reign to come.

Happy Birthday Prince Charles!

And Lived Happily Ever After…William and Kate Take Prince Charming Home

VIA Telegraph Live Feed

At about 7:15 p.m. London time, the world was introduced to the new version of the Cambridges – William, Catherine and unnamed baby boy. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s hospital with their newborn son, the now third-in-line to the British throne, and headed home to Kensington Palace. After emerging as a new family, William answered a few questions from the international press who have been basically holding vigil outside for weeks, they returned inside, put the baby in the carseat (who wants to do that in front of billions of people for the first time) and William drove them home. Note: The Queen was not at the Range Rover’s wheel wearing her hoodie. However, Catherine’s hair, just a day after giving birth, looked better than all of ours as she stood on the steps in a light blue dress and William in a matching blue button down shirt.

Via SIMON PERRY Twitter – @SPerryPeopleMag

After being handed his little heir from Catherine, William approached the media and charmed everyone’s pants off with the following statements:

“He has got a good pair of lungs on him“ (aka, future king screams a lot)

“He’s a big boy, quite heavy“

“He’s got her looks, thankfully.”

“WE ARE STILL WORKING ON A NAME.” Then, asked if they’ve called him George.. “WAIT AND SEE.”

“I’ll remind him of his tardiness when he’s older I know you’ve all be standing here.”

Catherine also admitted that he changed the first nappie. Well done, William!

Congrats to Paul Harrison on getting the first question to the new mum..

Catherine went into labor yesterday, delivering the baby at 4:24 p.m. (GMT), with an announcement coming four hours later that she had delivered a healthy 8lb. 6 oz. boy after an approximate 10 hours of labor.

Earlier today, Carole and Michael Middleton were the first to visit the newest addition to the family, remarking that their grandson was “absolutely beautiful.” Then, a couple of hours later, Prince Charles and Camilla visited their grandson and the ever-witty Prince of Wales threw everyone into panic mode announcing to the press that he was ““marvelous thank you – absolutely marvelous.  You wait and see, you’ll see him in a minute.”

And then a half hour later, we did. Oh, and Buzzfeed has a GIF of the baby WAVING.

Congratulations to the happy family, we can’t wait for a name!

Cambridge Family Update – Hair is done, not leaving yet

After a wee bit of morning excitement that the new family of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their infant son might be leaving the hospital rather imminently after her hairdresser entered the Lindo Wing at around 10:00 a.m. GMT, it appears we will be waiting a bit longer.

After releasing the following statement on the trio, Kensington Palace said not to expect a departure prior to 6:00 p.m. GMT or perhaps tomorrow morning.

Kensington Palace then went on to release a statement from the new parents:

While out on an official engagement in Bugthorpe, The Prince of Wales spoke again of his new grandfatherhood, saying: “I’m thrilled and very excited.” While his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall remarked on her husband’s joy: “It’s wonderful for the grandfather. He’s brilliant with children so he’ll have a wonderful time.”

So, what are your bets on a name for the little prince? George and James lead the betting polls, while Arthur is also a contender.. my three top choices!

 

“We Could Not Be Happier”

He didn’t say much, but with those five words, the world’s most famous new father ended a historic day (well, weeks) in London. In that brief statement at approximately 10:00 p.m. (GMT), The Duke of Cambridge kind of made all of our hearts melt. Although there was hope of the second-in-line to the throne stepping out to say something about the now third-in-line (sorry, Uncle H), that will wait for a later time as the new family settled in at the Lindo Wing for the night.

We may be greeting the new little Cambridge family tomorrow for the big reveal, although Victoria Arbiter predicted on CNN that we won’t see a true official photo of the heir for 2-3 weeks; he could be swaddled so tightly upon departure it would be hard to see a thing!

So, how did William’s family react to the news?

The British Monarchy alerted Twitter that the Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh were rejoicing..

 And Princes Charles and Camilla’s official website featured a proud grandfather’s reaction to his first grandchild..

Surely the Middleton clan will be next with words of excitement, but I’m left wondering.. when will we hear from Uncle Harry? More importantly, why hasn’t he rung me for a celebratory glass of Pimm’s yet?

Here’s hoping everyone gets a bit of sleep tonight (I’m looking at you royal press pack) and that we meet the future king in no time at all. For now, catch up on what we know so far.

The Duchess of Cornwall Shines in Paris

This week marked a momentous occasion for The Duchess of Cornwall – the future queen embarked on her first solo overseas tour, a two-day trip to Paris. In a year in which Prince Charles and Camilla have begun to take on more duties with his mother, (the royal couple accompanied Her Majesty to State Opening of Parliament in May) the royal world watched closely as the eight year royal stepped out on her own. The verdict? Two thumbs up.

Traveling by Eurostar, Camilla’s time in “The City of Light” included a reception, a speech – in French, a visit to fashion House Dior and a private viewing of the Mona Lisa (the Louvre is closed to the public on Tuesdays).

Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent for The Daily Mail, summed up what appear to be the feelings of most who traveled with her:

She then elaborated to me that, “Most remark on how surprisingly approachable she is. There is a warmth they don’t expect…”

Combating previously negative sentiments from both the people and the press, Camilla has begun to come into her own as of late, clearly a rock for Prince Charles and lending support to the newest member of The Firm, The Duchess of Cambridge. This tour was yet another step to solidifying her place in people’s hearts, as put by Sky News Royal Correspondent Paul Harrison, it was, “A move many would have deemed unimaginable a few years ago, Camilla mixed with the Parisian elite at a reception in front of the cameras, once territory reserved for Diana, Princess of Wales..”

In what may be one of the most on-point and interesting take on the landmark visit, CNN’s Max Foster shed light on what most people may have had in the back of their minds – the comparison to the late Princess Diana. Foster truly summarized it perfectly when he said, “We’re being given in a sense Camilla, queen-in-waiting, not just Prince Charles’s wife.”

I, for one, cannot wait to see more from The Duchess of Cornwall.

#EndWildlifeCrime

Earlier today, The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge co-hosted the #EndWildlifeCrime Conference at St James’s Palace along with the UK Department for Environment. It is no secret that Prince Charles and his eldest son are passionate fighters against poaching and crimes against this planet’s wildlife and today’s efforts marked yet another pillar in their battle. With diplomats, conservationists and representatives from both the private and public sector on hand, both royals made speeches to a room full of people who share their goals.

Prince Charles, who is deeply educated in the subject as President of WWF UK, spoke of his grave concerns that this planet’s wildlife could rapidly disappear, stating: “The destruction of animal species will diminish us all.”

Prince William, The Royal Patron of Tusk Trust, admitted that although he is not quite the expert his father is, his respect for the cause runs deep. It was evident that he shares the same fears of Prince Charles, stating that, “I sincerely hope that my generation is not the first on this planet to consider elephants, rhinos or tigers as historical creatures – in the same category as the Dodo.”

The Duke of Cambridge announced that he has tapped into the support of The Royal Foundation, tasking them with engaging the younger generation as “wildlife ambassadors.” Before sharing a brief film, he pleaded, “The example of these young people is truly heartening, and so is their plea to all of us here. Please help them.”

Here’s hoping today’s conference was a step towards righting the wrongs done to the world’s endangered wildlife. You can help support the cause through The World Wildlife Fund and Tusk Trust.

Happy Anniversary to Prince Charles & The Duchess of Cornwall!

Today marks Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwalls eight year of wedded bliss! The Prince of Wales married then Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9, 2005. From a civil ceremony to a celebration at Windsor Castle it was a beautiful spring day for the royal family.

Here’s hoping their day is filled with gifts of bronze, pottery, linen, lace and appliances – appropriate eighth wedding anniversary gifts. Perhaps a bronzed toaster oven with lace lace applique oven mits?

Happy Anniversary and a lifetime of happiness to the future king and his bride!

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?