Red Carpet | Keep Calm and Harry On

Hello Royal Watchers! Apologies for the lack of updates this week, I was quite sick for a few days – blogging is a little difficult when you can’t stay awake! Now that I am on the mend and caught up on all of my regal news, thought it would be a good idea to compile all of the week’s headlines in one post. This is a simple post to get back in the swing of things and share the week’s news. I was hoping to do more in-depth posts on major stories, however that was just not possible this week. I promise to be back with clever posts soon and continue to work on taking this site to the next level.

There was not shortage of headlines this week; from controversy to accolades, royal news was all over the map:

The Duchess of Cambridge

As always, Catherine was a daily fixture in the news this week- from a milestone birthday to show-stopping fashion moments, she has held our attention..

US Weekly: Inside Kate Middleton’s Intimate 30th Birthday Party – Monday, January 9 marked Kate’s 30th birthday and of course, the rumor mill was churning as to how she celebrated and what gifts she received. The truth is we may never know the exact details of her first birthday as a royal, but it is always fun to guess!*
Marie Claire: Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress Up for Design of the Year – It was announced this week that the McQueen gown that left the world speechless on April 29, 2011 is up for the Design Museum’s Design of the Year Award, 2012. The Sarah Burton creation is up against the McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the 2012 Olympic Torch, to name a few.
The Huffington Post: Kate Middleton ‘Boosts UK Economy By £1bn’: Shoppers Copy Duchess Of Cambridge’s Style – Women yearning to be more like the fashionista Duchess, or “Copy Kates” as they have been dubbed, have reportedly boosted the British economy with more than £1billion spent to be just like her.
Hello! Magazine: Our readers vote dazzling Duchess the most elegant woman of 2011 – Hello! Magazine readers have voted the always classy Duchess of Cambridge as the most elegant woman of 2011 – is anyone really surprised?

* More on Catherine’s Birthday: Happy 30th Birthday to The Duchess of Cambridge, A Birthday Present to Kate

The War Horse Premiere

BBC: War Horse premiere attended by duke and duchess – Prince William and Catherine attended the Jan. 8 London premiere of ‘War Horse’ on behalf of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. Despite the rain, the duo dazzled the red carpet; William in a sharp tux, and Kate in a lace Alice Temperley gown. *
PrinceofWales.gov: A Speech by HRH The Duke of Cambridge at the War Horse UK premiere

* More on The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the ‘War Horse’ Premiere: William & Catherine Attend ‘War Horse’ Premiere, Jan. 8th

Royal Gifts – 2011

PrinceofWales.gov: List of Gifts Given to TRH The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Official Overseas Tours During 2011 – Perhaps one of the most talked about royal headlines of the week, a list of items gifted to the royal couples on official overseas visits from the past year was released by the palace.
PrinceofWales.gov: List of gifts given to TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall during overseas tours in 2011 – A complete list of gifts TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall received in 2011 – from an electricity monitor to books.
PrinceofWales.gov: List of gifts given to TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during overseas tours in 2011 – A full list of items gifted to the newlyweds in their first months of marriage, including many presents you wouldn’t suspect – from a sleeping bag to an iPad.

Diamond Jubilee

London Evening Standard: Fit for a Queen: first sight of barge to lead Diamond Jubilee river pageant – An 88 foot rowbarge will be gifted to The Queen after it leads the family in the June 3rd Queen’s Diamond Jubilee pageant down the Thames River. The gift will become the first state barge in the monarch’s possession in nearly a century
Travel with Val: Upper East Side British Candy Store Looks Forward to a Jubilee Year – This is not a story that has made major royal headlines, in fact, unless you are from the New York City area you may not have heard of it. It is not a necessarily a news making story, but for us Americans it is something to look forward to in 2012. For those of us who can’t make the hop across the pond, this NYC British candy store – The London Candy Company – will be all decked out and serving the most extensive selection of British candies this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Miscellaneous Royal Happenings

Architectural Digest: Prince Charles Unveils Dumfries House – Architectural Digest takes an exclusive look inside Dumfries House, the historic country house HRH Prince Charles lead in restoration and redecoration
CNN: Duchess of York faces charges over Turkey children’s home film – This is a headline sure not to disappear from the news quickly, as it was announced this week The Duchess of York is facing charges over secretly filming children at an orphanage in Turkey.
Google+: Clarence House – Clarence House joined social networking site Google + this week.
Gadling: The British Museum has great lineup for 2012 – Another lesser known story that caught my travel news hungry eye this week – a fascinating list of a stunning lineup for The British Museum in 2012.

Catherine, along with her husband William, spent the last night of her 20s walking the red carpet and taking in a film. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the London premiere of ‘War Horse’ on behalf of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry tonight. As the event benefited the Princes’ organization, 600 active and former soldiers, along their families, were invited to partake in the event, held in London’s Leicester Square. Some of the special attendees even serve alongside William, a RAF search and rescue pilot.

The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry is working with the charity Mind Trust to help veterans readjust to civilian life. Mind Trust works to help veterans who are struggling with poor mental health, addiction and breakdown due to hardships experience during time of war, as well as helping them deal with new financial pressures.

War Horse, directed by the award winning Steven Spielberg, is the tale of friendship between a man and a horse during the First World War. The film, set in rural England and Europe, premiered in the United States two weeks ago to stunning reviews and a slew of award nominations. ‘War Horse’ begins as Albert, a young horse trainer, is separated from the beloved horse Joey as Joey is sent off to war. The story follows Albert’s journey without Joey by his side, as Joey travels through World War I, touching the lives of all he comes across.

Everyone’s favorite part of a star-studded Hollywood event is the red carpet, and with the world’s favorite royal couple in attendance, the excitement only grew. Heads turned, jaws dropped and cameras flashed as the young couple stepped onto the carpet. In the days leading up to this evening, guesses, and even bets, rolled in as to what the fashionable Duchess of Cambridge would wear to the black-tie affair. Never to disappoint the press and her “Mini-Middletons,” Kate donned a stunning Alice Temperley creation. The cream dress with black lace overlay was a classic choice for The Duchess, while her husband complemented her look in a black tuxedo. The couple’s signature accessory for the premiere? A clear umbrella; rain struck the red carpet moments before their arrival. Joey the horse was also in attendance – no royals were pooped on in the making of this premiere.