Posted in PEOPLE, Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, get Kate Middleton's look, Kate Middleton, Kate Middleton's clothes, pictures of Will and Kate, pictures of William and Kate, pictures of William and Kate in Canada, Prince William and Kate, Will and Kate, William and Kate in Canada on July 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Landing in Ottawa, Canada, Prince William and Catherine begin the Royal Tour of 2011, their first tour as husband and wife.
Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are in Canada today, the first leg of the Royal Tour 2011 of North America. For more, click here.
For more about the British Royal Family on this blog, Lisa’s History Room, click here.
Posted in British Royal Family/Nobles, PEOPLE, Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Diana, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Newsweek cover of Princess Diana, pictures of Kate Middleton, pictures of Princess Diana, Priincess Diana's 50th birthday, Princess Diana, the Daily Beast, William and Kate on July 1, 2011| 4 Comments »
This week's current Newsweek cover featuring a fantasy image of what Princess Diana, had she lived, might have looked like at age 50. The image has sparked tremendous backlash.
The Daily Beast has provided a photo gallery of Princess Diana over the years. Had she lived, she would have turned 50 today, July 1, 2011: “Princess Diana’s 50th Birthday.”
Newsweek’s Tina Brown has written a really strange futuristic look at what Diana might have been like at 50: “Diana at 50.”
For other posts on Diana on this blog, Lisa’s History Room, click here.
Posted in British Royal Family/Nobles, PEOPLE, Queen Victoria & Prince Albert, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, The Romanovs of Russia, Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Germany, Mathilda Kschessinska, Nicholas and Alexandra, princess alix of hesse, Queen Victoria, Romanovs, royal wedding, Russian Empire, Russian Revolution, Russian royal family, the romanovs, Tsar, Tsar Alexander III, Tsar Nicholas, tsarevitch, Tsarina, Tsarina Marie Feodorovna, Wedding of NIcholas and Alexandra on May 30, 2011| 10 Comments »
They first met at the 1884 wedding of his uncle to her sister. She called him Nicky; he called her “Alix” or “Sunny.” Although Alix was only 12, she knew at that moment that Nicky was “The One.” It was on this occasion she carved their names on the window of the Peterhof Palace.
Alix of Hesse as a young girl ca. 1878
After the wedding, Alix bid her sister and Nicky goodbye, returning to the Darmstadt Palace in Germany which was her home. Alix was a royal princess.
Alix of Hesse ca. 1888
Young Nicholas II of Russia, before he ascended the throne in 1894
Five more years would pass before Princess Alix would return to Russia and see Nicky again. During that visit, the two fell even more deeply in love. Nicky was determined to make Alix his bride.
But Nicky’s parents wouldn’t hear of Nicky marrying a German princess. They hated Germans as did almost every Russian. But Nicky’s parents weren’t just any Russians. Nicky’s parents were the Romanov rulers of Russia: Tsar Alexander III and Tsarina Marie Feodorovna . They were the Royal Emperor and Empress. Nicky – Nicholas Alexandrovich- being their oldest son – was the Tsarevitch – the heir to the Russian throne.
Alix returned to Germany.
Princess Alix of Hesse, seated, prepares for her first ball. 1889.
More years passed. Love letters written in English flew back and forth between the lovesick pair.
Meanwhile, Nicky carried on a torrid and scandalous three-year affair with the famous Russian ballerina, Mathilda Kschessinska.
Mathilde Kschessinska (1872-1971)
Nevertheless, Nicky’s heart still belonged to Alix. He wrote in his diary:
It is my dream to one day marry Alix H. I have loved her for a long time, but more deeply and strongly since 1889 when she spent six weeks in Petersburg. For a long time, I have resisted my feeling that my dearest dream will come true.”
Nicky’s parents continued to wage a fierce campaign to find Nicky a suitable bride. The Tsar hoped to land a bigger catch for his son than Princess Alix (even though she was his godchild!), parading a series of royal princesses in front of his son. But Nicky stood firmly against each proposed match, declaring flat out to his folks that he’d become a monk rather than marry anyone ugly and boring when he could have the tall and lovely blue-eyed beauty Princess Alix as his wife and royal consort.
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom comforts her German granddaughters, the Princesses of Hesse; left to right, Victoria, Ella, and, the youngest, Alix. Their mother, Princess Alice, had just died. Alice was Victoria's second daughter.
Meanwhile, alone in Germany, Alix was equally resolute to marry Nicky, doing her own bit in turning down royal suitors. She even stood up to her domineering grandmother, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, when the Queen tried to marry her off to her grandson, the Duke of Clarence. Alix declined to marry the Duke stating to “Granny” that she did not love him. Victoria – notorious for her royal matchmaking – surprisingly
“was proud of Alix for standing up to her, something many people, including her own son, the Prince of Wales did not do.”
For five years, Tsar Alexander III had stood firmly against his son’s wishes. But, in 1894, he became ill and relented, the couple announcing their engagement in April of 1894.
1894 official engagement photo of Princess Alix of Hesse (later Alexandra Feodorovna) and Tsarevitch Nicholas (later Tsar) of Russia
Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt and by Rhine & Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, London, 1894
Alix, as a requirement for the engagement, converted from Lutheranism to the Russian Orthodox religion and took the Russian name “Alexandra Feodorovna” to strengthen her appeal to the Russian people. Nicholas and Alexandra planned a spring 1895 wedding.
But their plans were thrown in disarray by Alexander’s sudden death in November and Nicholas’s subsequent ascension to the throne as His Imperial Majesty, Tsar Nicholas II. Nicholas insisted that the wedding date be moved forward, as he wanted Alix by his side to help him rule. They married a swift three weeks later. He was 26. Alix, now called Empress Alexandra,was 22.
Wedding of Russian Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918) and Grand Princess Alexandra Fedorovna (1872-1918) by Laurits Tuxen, 1895
Posted in British Royal Family/Nobles, PEOPLE, Princess Diana, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, tagged "Unlawful Killing", biographies of political wives, biographies of royalty, biographies of women, British Royal Family/Nobles, Cannes Film Festival, Diana death conspiracy, Dodi Al Fayed, Mohamed Al Fayed, pictures of Dodi and Diana, Princess Diana, Princess Diana death photo, the royal wedding on May 12, 2011| 25 Comments »
Dodi Al Fayed looks over Princess Diana’s shoulder just minutes before the two of them will die in a Paris tunnel.
Keith Allen, the director of the controversial film, “Unlawful Killing,” is interviewed today by the UK Daily Mail regarding his decision to include in the “documentary” a previously unseen and graphic black and white photo of Princess Diana as she lay dying August 31, 1997. The photo was probably sold by one of the paparazzi in the Paris tunnel with her at the time of her fatal car crash. (1)
“Unlawful Killing” debuts tomorrow at the Cannes Film Festival. Allen defends his tasteless use of the disturbing photo of the much beloved princess on the heels of the Royal Wedding:
The photo is not used in the film for the purpose of shock. It is included as evidence, because it shows clearly that, although Diana had been injured in the crash, she was alert and very much alive. I repeat: it is not a picture of a dying woman.
As medical evidence presented at the inquest confirmed, if Diana had been taken promptly to hospital by Dr Jean-Marc Martino, she could well have survived.
Instead, due to a series of delays that have never been properly explained, it took one hour and 43 minutes to get her to a hospital just a couple of miles away, by which time her life was ebbing away.
We briefly use one photograph as part of a sequence which asks: why was she not taken to hospital more quickly? What took place within Dr Martino’s ambulance (inside which she remained for well over an hour)? Why is Dr Martino’s evidence greatly at variance with the known facts? And why did no official inquiry ever interview (or even name) most of other people in the ambulance?
Surely, if the inquest and police enquiries were as ‘thorough’ and ‘open’ as the voices of authority insist, that is the very least they would have done?
My film is not about a conspiracy before the crash, but about a conspiracy after the crash, culminating in a six-month inquest which (it is my contention) sought to bury the truth, rather than reveal it. I don’t know whether I’ll convince you or not, but I hope you’ll reserve judgement until you have seen it for yourselves.
Admittedly, that’s difficult at the moment, because the film cannot be shown in the UK (mainly because the questions it asks about the conduct of the coroner and police chiefs could lead to us all being imprisoned under contempt of court laws). But it will soon be showing widely throughout the world, so many of you will be able to see it elsewhere.” (2)
Allen admits that “Unlawful Killing” is backed by Mohamed Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods Department Store in London. Al Fayed is the father of Dodi Fayed, Diana’s lover, who also died in the Paris crash.
Summer 1997: Dodi Al Fayed and Princess Diana
Mohamed Al Fayed is convinced that Dodi and Diana were murdered by a collaboration between the British spy agency M16 and Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip.
Mohamed Al Fayed has pursued his elaborate conspiracy theory for over a decade, memorably presenting it at an official British inquest into the deaths of Dodi and Diana. (3) However, on April 7, 2008, the jury released an official statement that sharply dismissed Al Fayed’s claim:
Diana and Dodi were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of chauffeur Henri Paul and the paparazzi. Though the official verdict implicated the pursuing vehicles, the jury also named the intoxication of the driver and the victims’ decisions to not wear seat-belts as contributing factors to their deaths. Additionally, the Mercedes had been travelling at over twice the legal speed limit of that particular section of road and had long since left the paparazzi vehicles far behind by the time the accident occurred.” (4)
Princess Diana (1961-1997). Mohamed Al Fayed created many myths about his son Dodi and Princess Diana’s romance, particularly that they were getting ready to announce their wedding plans. He even went so far as to claim that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death. The British inquest into Diana’s death concluded that she was not pregnant at the end.
(1) The Daily Mail
(2) The Daily Mail
(4) Wiki
Readers: Check out “Diana’s Death Photos Leaked, Part 1 “ “The Shrine at Harrods,” and other posts on the British Royal Family on this blog.
Posted in PEOPLE, Princess Diana, tagged "Unlawful Killing", biographies of political wives, biographies of royalty, biographies of women, crash photos of Princess Diana, death of Princess Diana, death photos of Princess Diana, Dodi Al Fayed, Mohamed Al Fayed, Princess Diana on May 12, 2011| 16 Comments »
Newspapers chronicle the August 31, 1997 Paris car crash that killed Princess Diana.
“A shocking paparazzi photo of a dying Princess Diana could be shown for the first time on Friday in a documentary at the Cannes Film Festival.
The 90-minute documentary about her fatal car accident, called “Unlawful Killing,” includes a graphic, black-and-white close-up of the princess taken moments after the Mercedes she was riding in crashed in a Paris underpass.
One of the movie’s financial backers is former Harrods department store owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died in the car with Diana.
British media report that he didn’t know the image of Diana’s face would be included in the movie and plans to stop it from being shown.”
This photo released in 2008 shows Princess Diana in the backseat of the Mercedes roaring away from the Paris Ritz before the fatal accident. Diana glances back at the pursuing paparrazzi. Dodi Al Fayed sits next to her. In front of Al Fayed is the driver, Henri Paul. Seated also upfront is Al Fayed's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones (The Daily Mail)
For details and photos of the 1997 crash, click here.
Now Read: Princess Diana: Death Photo Leaked, Part 2
Readers: I have written many posts on Princess Diana and the British Royal Family. For more background on Diana’s death, please read, “The Shrine at Harrod’s.” For other posts on the British Royal Family, click here.
Posted in PEOPLE, Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, tagged biographies of royalty, biographies of women, British Royal Family/Nobles, fashion, philip treacy hats, pictures of the royal wedding hats, the royal wedding, the royal wedding hats on May 5, 2011| 6 Comments »
In its coverage of the fashion displayed by guests at the British Royal Wedding of William and Catherine, The New York Times wrote that the outfits of the guests “were generally tasteful and royal-friendly. A few things stuck out. The exotic costumes of foreign dignitaries, seeming throwbacks to imperial times. The hats worn by the ladies, which resembled, variously
overturned buckets, flowerpots, lampshades, fezzes, salad plates, tea cozies, flying saucers, abstract artworks or, in one case, a pile of feathers. There were also a number of fascinators, decorative shapes with flowers or feathers, that are stuck in one’s hair but are not hats.”
It now appears that 36 of the wild headpieces worn at the royal wedding can be traced to a single eccentric Irish milliner, Philip Treacy, referred to by the UK’s The Daily Mail as the man “responsible for all this fashion roadkill.”
In this 1999 photo, milliner Philip Treacy poses with the late hat fancier Isabella Blow
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Royal Wedding in their much-ridiculed hats by Philip Treacy. Beatrice's hat was described in the Daily Mail as "beige pretzel-like" and Eugenie's as a "catastrophic confection...with a rose the color of dried blood."
For more pictures of royal wedding hats on this blog, click here.
Princess Beatrice wore this Treacy creation to another wedding. A swarm of butterflies seems to be attacking her head.
At another fancy occasion, Princess Eugenie wears a feather headpiece designed by Philip Treacy
Victoria Beckham wore one of Philip Treacy's creations to her husband David's O.B.E. ceremony. Note that Mrs. Beckham is showing her teeth, something rarely seen in her photos.
David and Victoria Beckham arrive at Westminster Abbey for the royal wedding. Victoria is wearing one of Treacy's hats, perched precariously on the front of her head. Though almost seven months pregnant with their fourth child, she opts for fashion footwear, wearing sky-high Christian Louboutin heels. David proudly wears his O.B.E. - but on the wrong lapel!
Once inside the Abbey, you can see that David Beckham has switched his O.B.E. medal from his right lapel to the left one - the correct one. Someone must have mentioned the faux pas and he made the swap. He's chatting up a Beefeater, rather nervously, I think!
While we are on the subject of propriety, let me mention that several people have remarked that Kate Middleton chose to wear a wedding gown with sleeves so that she didn’t bare her arms in the Abbey, which is firmly against the dress code.
Royal Wedding: William and Catherine are shown in the Abbey with best man Prince Harry of Wales and maid-of-honor Pippa Middleton.
There is no specific dress code for the Abbey. For services we ask that you dress in a respectful manner, although we are aware that some people are on holiday – bear in mind that during the winter months it can become quite cold inside.
Besides, if Abbey rules require covered arms, then how was Pippa Middleton exempt?
Newsweek magazine clarified the matter. Royal protocol requires that the arms of a royal bride must be covered.
Prince William wore the scarlet coat of an Irish Guards mounted officer, the uniform of his senior honorary army appointment. He wore gold sword slings, but no sword. Although unconfirmed, my sources report that no weapons are allowed in the Abbey.
Back to the mad hatter and more of his crazy, over-the-top designs for The Rich and Famous:
American Actress Sarah Jessica Parker wears a Philip Treacy design. Saloon girl? More unpleasant things have been said about this hat like, "What do you get when you cross a small cowpat with a pair of yellow butterflies, a sickly green rose and a clump of brown chicken feathers?" (the Daily Mail)
British model Jade Parfit allows another Philip Treacy odd creation to rest on her right ear.
That's Lady Gaga in the wreath by Treacy with Beyonce.
Jodie Kidd wears a Treacy saucer hat with pheasant feather antennae.
In this 2005 photo, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, newly-minted as the Duchess of Cornwall, are just married. She wears a Philip Treacy "wheatsheaf halo" hat for which Prince Charles later awarded him an honorary O.B.E. Camilla is so chummy with Treacy that she sent Treacy's dog a Christmas card every year until the dog's death. At the dog's funeral, Grace Jones sang and Kate Moss sent flowers. (the Daily Mail)
On this site, read, “Kate Rocks the Fascinator.”
For more pictures of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) in hats, click here.
For more posts on the British Royal Family and the Royal Wedding, click here.
Posted in PEOPLE, Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Kate's wedding dress, London, photos of Princess Diana in the Aston Martin, photos of royal wedding, Prince Charles' Aston Martin, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, RAF helicopter, royal wedding, William and Kate on April 30, 2011| 2 Comments »
William and Kate drive Prince Charles' Aston Martin through the streets of London on their wedding day, thrilling the crowds.
Following a post-nuptials luncheon buffet for 650 guests given by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, Prince William took his new bride Kate out for a spin in his father’s vintage Aston Martin. The crowd in the street was taken by surprise to see the royal couple, the newly-christened Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, appear on the streets so spontaneously, and sent up mighty cheers, applause, and laughter as the 41-year-old blue sportscar rolled by. William and Kate waved and smiled as they passed the wildly exuberant crowds lining the curbs, waving British flags.
On the front of the car was a large red letter “L” which stands for “learners permit” bordered by 4 red hearts. Red, white, and blue ribbons and bows decorated the front bonnet. White bows and colored party balloons -two bearing the initials C and W and others shaped like hearts and stars – fluttered gaily from the rear bumper. The novelty license plate proclaimed JU5T WED.
Prince William is distracted from his driving as an RAF helicopter salutes him overhead. Note the special license plate for his wedding day.
The royal car is said to have been specially decorated by that fun-loving prankster Prince Harry.
Best man Prince Harry waves to the crowd as he makes the journey by carriage procession to Buckingham Palace following the Royal Wedding of his brother, Prince William, to the lovely Miss Catherine Middleton.
A Range Rover followed close behind the snazzy convertible. Overhead a yellow Sea King Search and Rescue helicopter with the B Flight 22 Squadron did a flyby to honor the Prince on his wedding day. Prince William is an RAF Search and Rescue helicopter pilot with the same squadron based in Anglesey, Wales.
RAF colleagues of Prince William did a flyby over Buckingham Palace on his wedding day.
The couple, who had just that morning exchanged televised wedding vows at Westminster Abbey before a worldwide audience of millions, were on their way up the Mall, 500 yards away, to Clarence House, where they would change their clothes for the night’s festivities.
William had already changed clothes once. He had worn a red Irish Guards tunic as he tied the knot but, for the drive down the Mall, had swapped the tunic for an Irish Guards frock coat. In the open auto, Kate still wore the Alexander McQueen wedding dress…
Prince William and the former Miss Kate Middleton, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pose joyously for their official wedding pictures in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. April 29, 2011
“a glorious sweep of ivory and white silk gazar with hand-embroidered English and French Chantilly lace and 58 organza-covered buttons snaking up the back. It had a discreet v-neck, long lace sleeves and a train that measured nearly nine feet long. Middleton’s slender waistline was emphasized by the gown’s narrow bodice and slight padding at the hips—a nod to Victorian style.”
As for that spiffy sportscar….
Queen Elizabeth had given the Seychelles blue Aston Martin Volante DB6 MKII to her son Prince Charles in 1969 as a 21st birthday gift. The Prince of Wales -who is environmentally sensitive – converted it to run on sustainable fuel in 2008. It now uses E85 bioethanol, made from English wine wastage. The car is said to be roughly valued at £350,000.
Below is an old photo of Prince Charles taking his wife at the time, Princess Diana, William’s late mother, for a spin in the same Aston Martin convertible.
In this undated photo, Prince Charles and Princess Diana are seen driving away in the Prince's blue Aston Martin.
Readers: For more on the British Royal Family and the Royal Wedding, click here.
Posted in Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mum, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Buckingham Palace, official photos of the royal wedding, photos of Kate Middleton, photos of Pippa Middleton, photos of the British Royal family, photos of the Queen, princess catherine, Princess Diana, royal titles, royal wedding, the Queen, William and Kate on April 30, 2011| 6 Comments »
Newlyweds William and Kate pose in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace with his family on our left, her family, the Middletons on our right, and members of the wedding party. On Kate's right include at far right, Kate's sister Philippa, brother James, mother Carole, and father Michael. To the far left of the picture is William's stepmother, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, father, Charles, Prince of Wales, brother Prince Harry, and grandparents, seated, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.
On April 29, 2011 at 8 a.m., the day Prince William of Wales married Kate Middleton, officials at Buckingham Palace announced that, in accordance with royal tradition and on recognition of the day by Queen Elizabeth, William was created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. The Queen gave Kate a new princess title: Her Royal Highness Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus.
Even though Kate now has an official princess title, she will not and cannot be called Princess Catherine. Why not? Unlike the majority of royal brides, and in contrast to most previous consorts-in-waiting for over 350 years, Catherine does not come from a royal or aristocratic background and therefore has no title of her own. Some of the royals — Princess Margaret, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, for example — can use the designation because they were born into blue blood clan.
May 6, 1985: Princess Diana holds baby Prince Harry, Prince Charles holds toddler Prince William.
Princess Diana was a blue blood when she married William’s father, Prince Charles. She was never officially declared “Princess Diana.” She styled herself in this fashion, much as the Queen’s mother became “Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother” when he daughter assumed the throne.
None of this is set in stone, however, as the Queen could make Kate a “Princess of the United Kingdom,” which would then entitle her to be called Princess Catherine.
Could we then call her Princess Kate?
Readers, for more on the British royal wedding and family, click here.
Posted in Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, the royal wedding, the royal wedding cake, William and Kate on April 29, 2011| 1 Comment »
The eight-tiered wedding cake, decorated in cream, white icing and 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers, was a stunning centerpiece to the Buckingham Palace 650-guest reception hosted by William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. The cake is made up of 17 individual fruit cakes decorated in elegant scroll work and piping. It took renowned cake decorator Fiona Cairns five weeks to design the royal wedding cake.
Readers: For more on the British royal family and the royal wedding of William and Kate, click here.
Posted in Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, fascinator hats, royal wedding hats, the royal wedding, William and Kate on April 29, 2011| 4 Comments »
High fashion was the order of the day for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton today, April 29, 2011. As is their custom, British women were dressed up and wearing some outlandish hats.
The royal Princesses of York, Eugenie (l.) and Beatrice, wore fascinators to match their dress colors. Their mother, Sarah Ferguson "Fergie" was not invited to the royal wedding of William and Kate.
British socialite Tara Parker Tomkinson wore a stunning cobalt blue outfit with hat, gloves, and dress made of the same fabric. According to the Daily Mail, the outfit is not the only new thing Ms. Parker Tomkinson got for the special occasion. Years of drug abuse necessitated some plastic surgery on her nose.
Readers, click here to read Part II: “The Royal Wedding: The Mad Hatter.”
Readers: For more pictures of royal wedding hats on another source, click here.
Readers: For more on the British royal family and the royal wedding of Kate and William, click here.
Posted in Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II, tagged biographies of royalty, Buckingham Palace, Cartier halo tiara, Kate's tiara, Kate's wedding dress, Middleton coat of arms, Queen Elizabeth II, royal wedding, the Queen, William and Kate on April 29, 2011| 3 Comments »
The Royal Wedding: Britain's Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travel to Buckingham Palace in the 1902 State Landau, along the Procession Route, after their wedding in Westminster Abbey in London, April 29, 2011. Kate is wearing the Queen's Cartier "halo" tiara, on loan for the occasion.
Every bride wears something borrowed and, for Kate Middleton, that special something belongs to the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, who became Kate’s grandmother upon marriage. On loan for her royal wedding, the newly ennobled Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, anchored her veil with the demure diamond sparkler.
Royal Wedding: Kate Middleton's veil was of silk ivory tulle with hand-embroidered lace flowers.
The 1936 tiara, which was purchased by King George VI for the Queen Mother, was presented to the Queen on her 18th birthday, Buckingham Palace confirmed with the Daily Mail.
Royal Wedding: Kate Middleton dazzles with her smile and diamond sparklers.
Other sparklers, besides her beautiful smile, were Kate’s earrings:
With her hair swept behind her ears, Middleton wore leaf-shaped diamond earrings by Robinson Pelham, which were made to match her tiara. They also featured a diamond set drop and pavé set diamond suspended in the center.The earrings were a gift from her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
Pelham’s design for the earrings was inspired by the Middleton family’s new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves.
In advance of her marriage to Prince William of Great Britain, Catherine "Kate" Middleton and family were granted a new coat of arms.
The three acorns represent Mr. and Mrs. Middleton’s three children (Catherine, Philippa and James). Acorns were chosen because the area in which the children were brought up – West Berkshire, England – is surrounded by oak trees, a symbol of both England and strength.
The gold chevron at the center of the design represents Kate’s mother, Carole, whose maiden name is Goldsmith. The two thinner chevrons flanking the gold chevron represent hills and mountains, symbolizing the family’s love for the great outdoors. The colours blue and red are the principal colours from the flag of the United Kingdom.
Approved by the Queen, Miss Middleton’s personal Coat of Arms has been presented in the form of a ‘lozenge’ and is shown suspended from a ribbon, which indicates that Kate, at the time, was an unmarried daughter.
Readers: For more posts on the British Royal Family, click here.
Posted in Barack and Michelle Obama, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Kennedys, the, PEOPLE, POLITICS & GOV'T, Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, RELIGION, Ronald Reagan (& Nancy), ROYALTY/NOBILITY, tagged Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, biographies of politicians, Frank Sinatra, George H. Bush, George W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Hillary Clinton, Jackie Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy, John McCain, Laura Bush, Lyndon Johnson, Michelle Obama, pictures of Kennedy assassination, pictures of Reagan assassination attempt, Pope John Paul II, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, richard nixon, Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin, Secret Service agent Clint Hill, the White House, U.S. Presidents, U.S. Secret Service code names on February 9, 2011| 11 Comments »
The U.S. Secret Service provided security for Pope Benedict XVI at the Papal Mass in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 2008. Although the agents have no official uniform and can be seen wearing anything from tuxedos to blue jeans, they are often identified by their dark sunglasses, listening devices, and lapel pins bearing the agency's gold star logo.
The United States Secret Service uses code names to refer to the President of the United States, his family, other officials, and places. Originally, these code names were designed to protect sensitive communications, back in the day before restricted communications were routinely encrypted. Nowadays, there is no need to keep these names secret. Nevertheless, The Secret Service who guards the First Family and other U.S. officials continues to use the code names for clarity, brevity, and tradition. (1)
The U.S. Secret Service Star Logo. The U.S. Secret Service protects the President and First Family, other officials of the U.S. government, and visiting dignitaries.
General Code Names
President of the United States: POTUS
First Lady of the United States: FLOTUS
Vice President of the United States: VPOTUS
The Obamas
Barack: Renegade
Michelle: Renaissance
Malia: Radiance
Sasha: Rosebud
The Bushes
George W.: Tumbler
Laura: Tempo
Barbara: Turquoise
Jenna: Twinkle
The Clintons
Bill: Eagle
Hillary: Evergreen
Chelsea: Energy
The Bushes
George H.: Timberwolf
Barbara: Tranquility
The Carters
Jimmy: Deacon
Rosalynn: Dancer
Amy: Dynamo
Secret Service agents respond to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. President Reagan took a bullet in the abdomen but made a full recovery.
The Reagans
Ronald: Rawhide
Nancy: Rainbow
The Fords
Gerald: Passkey
Betty: Pinafore
The Nixons
Richard: Searchlight
Pat: Starlight
The Johnsons
Lyndon: Volunteer
Lady Bird: Victoria
Lynda Bird: Velvet
Luci Baines: Venus
A motorcade carries President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy through the streets of Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Texas Governor John Connally and wife Nellie ride in front of the Kennedys.
Agent Hill got in the back seat with Mrs. Kennedy and the president and shielded them with his body on the way to Parkland Hospital.
The Kennedys
John F.: Lancer
Jackie: Lace
Caroline: Lyric
John Jr.: Lark
Other Individuals
Queen Elizabeth II: Kittyhawk, Redfern
Prince Charles: Unicorn
Frank Sinatra: Napoleon
Pope John Paul II: Halo
Sarah Palin: Denali
John McCain: Phoenix
Places
The White House: Castle
The Capitol: Punchbowl
(1) Source: Wiki “Secret Service Codename”
Posted in PEOPLE, POLITICS & GOV'T, Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Diana, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, tagged Billy Joel, biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, John Travolta, pictures of Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Princess Diana and the Reagans., Princess Diana at the White House, Princess Diana dances at Covent Garden, Princess Diana dances with John Travolta, Princess Diana dancing, Ronald Reagan and "Princess David" remark, Uptown Girl and Princess Diana, Wayne Sleep on January 11, 2011| 10 Comments »
May 6 1985: Princess Diana, Prince Charles and their sons Harry and William on board royal yacht Britannia in Venice.
It’s 1985. Prince Charles and Princess Diana have been married close to five years. He’s 37; she’s 24. They have two young and healthy sons. Charles and Di have everything. They are rich and famous and, by all rights, should be happy. They seem happy in most photos. But they are not. Their marriage is in trouble but it will be another 11 years before it crashes for good.
Princess Diana arrives at the Royal Opera House, London. Dec. 1985
It’s December – Christmastime – and the two of them are out on the town together in London. It’s a special night. They are seated at the Royal Box at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. It’s a VIP evening for “Friends of Covent Garden,” composed of skits and entertainment for special patrons. Silly things happen at this event – dancers sing, singers dance, and, occasionally, a celebrity might turn up on stage unexpectedly and wow the audience. Just the previous year, matter of fact, Charles and Di had done that very thing. They had performed a skit together – as Romeo and Juliet – and the Prince had sung an ad jingle, “Just One Cornetto.”
Back to December 1985. The show is drawing to a close. Imagine Charles’s surprise when, just two numbers before the end of the show, Diana slips from the Royal Box and, minutes later, emerges on stage. She is going to perform! She wears a slinky white dress and begins dancing seductively to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl.”
Princess Diana and Wayne Sleep dance to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" at Covent Garden, December 1985.
Uptown Girl
She’s been living in her uptown world
I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy
I bet her mama never told her why
Diana – at 5’10” – towers over her dance partner, Wayne Sleep. At 5’2″, Sleep is the shortest dancer ever admitted into the Royal Ballet School. He recalled his pas de deux with the princess that night:
The Prince nearly fell out of his chair, especially when [Diana] did the kicks over my head….I was worried she’d fall apart under the spotlight, but she totally carried it off. Not many people could handle being under such scrutiny in front of an insiderly audience on that huge Covent Garden stage. She showed natural star quality.” (1)
Everyone – except Charles – is thrilled by Diana’s performance. She receives a standing ovation and eight curtain calls. At a reception afterwards, Sleep recalled that Charles was aloof, making it embarrassingly clear that he disapproved of Diana’s performance (or was he just plain jealous because he wasn’t asked to participate?). Diana had rehearsed for weeks in secret and was performing just to please Charles. Again, her efforts fall short. Of course, we know now why she couldn’t please him. He didn’t need her. He had Camilla.
Where did Diana get the personal courage to perform a seductive dance in front of 2,600 people? Well, thank Nancy Reagan for giving Di the opportunity to shine at something she was good at. Just a month before, Diana had danced with John Travolta (at Nancy’s request) at a gala White House dinner given by the Reagans, dazzling Washington and the world with her youthful beauty, dancing grace, and sex appeal.
John Travolta and Princess Diana dance in the East Room of the White House, November 1986. Standing up to welcome Prince Charles and Princess Diana, President Reagan, in after-dinner remarks, flubbed the princess's name. Standing up in welcome, the president offered a toast to Prince Charles and "his lovely lady, Princess David."
By the time she returned to London, everyone was abuzz with Diana’s splashy American visit:
The Princess of Wales had become a walking monument – British opinion polls said she was the country’s greatest tourist attraction….One national survey calculated that from 1983-1985, she had generated $66.6 million in revenue from magazines, books, and tourists.” (2)
“Shy Di looking up through the eyelashes” had gone off to America but Confident Di had returned in her place. She made Buckingham Palace nervous – and with good reason. It could no longer control her.
(1) Brown, Tina. The Diana Chronicles. New York: Doubleday, 2007.
(2) Kelley, Kitty. The Royals. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1997.
Readers: For more on Princess Diana and the British Royal Family, click here.
Posted in Andy Warhol, ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, FASHION, & DESIGN, Marilyn Monroe, PEOPLE, Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Diana, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, STAGE & SCREEN, tagged Andy Warhol, biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Kate Middleton, Marilyn Monroe, pictures of Kate Middleton, pictures of Marilyn Monroe, pictures of Princess Diana, Princess Diana, Tatler magazine on January 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Next month, Kate Middleton makes the cover of the UK magazine “Tatler. ” This February 2011 issue is a royal special, commemorating the engagement of Ms. Middleton to Prince William.
The cover montage of four brilliantly-colored photos of Ms. Middleton are reminiscent of American pop artist Andy Warhol‘s 1962 silkscreen prints of movie star Marilyn Monroe.
Warhol began experimenting with making mass-produced images of famous people in August 1962 when Marilyn Monroe committed suicide. This method became Warhol’s signature style and made him very rich and famous.
This 1962 silkscreen print by Andy Warhol shows the repetitive image of Marilyn Monroe in bright shades of canary yellow, aqua blue, and shocking pink. These tiny prints are still worth millions of dollars.
Princess Diana (1961-1997) was often featured on the cover of "Tatler." This is from 1990.
Readers: For more on Kate Middleton and Princess Diana on this blog, click here.
Readers: For more on Marilyn Monroe on this blog, click here.
Posted in Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William & Catherine, Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, tagged biographies of royalty, British Royal Family/Nobles, Kate Middleton, London, Prince Charles, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II, royal wedding, Westminster Abbey on January 5, 2011| 4 Comments »
Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement at Clarence House, London, on November 16, 2010. They are both 28.
“Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have made more decisions on their upcoming wedding,” Clarence House said in a statement, which was first released in a series of messages on Twitter.
The royal wedding will take place on Friday, April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey.
Kate Middleton will travel by car to the 11 a.m. service passing through some of Britain’s most historic sites – Pall Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, and Parliament Square. The ceremony will be conducted by the Rev. John Hall and the couple will be married by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
Once the pair are husband and wife, they will travel along the same route that Middleton arrived in, but this time, in a horse-drawn carriage. Prince William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, will host a gathering at Buckingham Palace for guests. Afterward, William’s father, Prince Charles, will organize a private dinner for friends and family.
Source: Google News
Readers, for more on this blog about the royal wedding and the British Royal Family, click here.
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