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..

AP

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. 

Getting Artsy with The Duchess of Cambridge

While the ball and chain away, the wife will…work? Wait, that’s not how the saying goes..

The Duchess of Cambridge was back to work for her patronages yesterday, just a week after making her first official solo engagement. Catherine spent Pancake Day visiting two schools on behalf of The Art Room. Last year, Kate Middleton spent Pancake Day with her fiance flipping pancakes in Belfast; my how things have changed!

First up – Rose Hill Primary School, where Catherine arrived to a crowd of well wishers. In fact, the crowds were so excited to see their beloved Catherine, Max Foster tweeted that between The Duchess of Cambridge and all of the teenage girls he wished he brought earplugs! Once inside, Catherine visited with a group of eight children as they worked on a poem.

The Duchess of Cambridge continued her day at Oxford Spires Academy School. While visiting The Art Room facilities there, Catherine met with both current and former students and heard of how the organization had imrpoved their lives. The Duchess of Cambridge aproned up and spent time with the children as they painted.

Both appearances left students, staff and onlookers in awe of Catherine as she earned high praise from all who interacted with her. The Art Room trustee Pat Norman was quoted as saying: “It’s very special that we have her patronage.” Perhaps Mr. Norman is alluding to Catherine’s strong connection to the arts; students and teachers alike commented on her knowledge and understanding of the program. As you will recall, The Duchess of Cambridge has a deep-rooted passion for the cause; she graduated St. Andrews University with a degree in History of Art.

For video of The Duchess of Cambridge in Oxford yesterday, please visit The Huffington Post and BBC News.

The Duchess appeared in a coat dress by Irish designer Orla Kiely. As usual, the brown, patterened frock, which looked stunning on Kate, had the Twitter universe fluttering with discussion. Personally, I could never pull the pattern off (most others I have chatted to agree), but Catherine wore it well. Can that woman do no wrong? I have yet to see her look bad. I was disappointed to see her hair down; it would have been nice to see it up as she wore it for the Skid Row day of arts in Los Angeles. I have to hand it to her though – if I had spent the day around paints and children with my hair down, I would come out with fresh highlights!

For more on Catherine’s outfit, check out What Kate Wore’s latest post and be sure to follow along on Twitter – the go-to source on Kate’s style.

 

All images via PopSugar.

Finally, after curiosity over the most guarded royal secret since Kate’s wedding dress, the name of the Cambridge puppy has been revelead – Lupo! Wait..what? Yea, that was my reaction too. Chances are if you placed your bets in Las Vegas, you lost big. Lupo is an adorable name;will be curious if we ever learn the meaning behind it!

 

Image Via People Magazine

 

Spotlight On: The Art Room

Over the next five days I will post on each of The Duchess of Cambridge’s chosen patronages; providing background on the organization and highlighting Catherine’s interests in regards to the cause. Today, let’s take a closer look at The Art Room.

What is The Art Room?

As described on its website, The Art Room is ” a charity based in Oxford aimed at 5 – 16 year olds who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.” Currently, there are five Art Rooms in both London and Oxford which provide art therapy to the cities’ youth. The purpose of art therapy is to increase children’s overall self-awareness, strengthening their self-esteem, confidence and general independence.

Who does The Art Room benefit?

As state above, The Art Room targets children ages 5 – 16 who need the opportunity to learn and expand upon their skills outside of the classroom. These children experience learning hardships in school, whether it be due to a learning disability, emotional difficulties or perhaps they have just arrived in England and need assistance adapting. The Art Room descibres the students as having an “interrupted education;” they may be disruptive in the classroom, withdrawn from lessons and activities and even bullied by their classmates. Students are admitted into the program by way of recommendation from a teacher, the school system, psychologists or social workers and even by their parents and guardians.

Why is The Art Room of Interest to Catherine?

The Duchess of Cambridge has always had a deep-routed passion for the arts. Catherine graduated from St. Andrews University with a degree in History of Art. After graduation, Catherine continued to stay involved with the arts, from painting to photography. While visiting Los Angeles in July, 2011, Catherine, along with her husband Prince William, visited Skid Row – an impoverished community in the city – and painted with the children. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Inner-City Arts, a non-profit which provides free art education to the youth of Skid Row. The visit further fueld specualtion that Catherine would soon undertake an arts program as a chosen patronage. The Art Room is the perfect combination of both her love for art and desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.

How Can I Support The Art Room?

The Art Room is always looking for financial donations to enable the continuation of the program. If you would like to donate to The Duchess of Cambridge’s chosen patronage, please visit http://www.theartroom.org.uk/8-02-donate.html. You can also learn about fundraising events here: http://www.theartroom.org.uk/8-04-fundraising.html.

If you are on Twitter, please follow the organization @TheArtRoomUK.

To see The Art Room’s official announcement of the patronage announcement, please visit: http://www.theartroom.org.uk/7-20120105-patron-announcement.html.