On February 17, the Duchess of Cambridge will join the Queen in hosting a star-studded bash at Buckingham Palace. The reception will celebrate the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts (RADA) and will include such guests as Dame Helen Mirren, Benedict Cumberpatch, Cate Blanchett, and Sir David Attenborough. The Queen is patron of RADA. [HELLO!]
The Queen hosted her annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace today. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in attendance with conflicting reports as to whether or not Prince George joined the festivities. The most notable absence from the gathering was Prince Harry who is on his way back to the UK after his South Pole trek.
[Daily Mail] [People]
For the first time since her wedding, the Duchess of Cambridge donned a tiara at tonight’s Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace. Senior royals including the Queen and Prince Charles were on hand along with the Cambridges to greet representatives from 172 foreign missions currently accredited to the Court of St. James’s in London.
The Queen loaned the tiara to the Duchess for the state occasion; the Papyrus Tiara was once owned by the Queen Mother and most recently by the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.
Too bad no official photos were released from the event but rumors are that the Duchess is wearing one of her favorite brands, Alexander McQueen.
The Queen Mother wearing the tiara in 1930
Princess Margaret wearing the tiara to state dinner
Sophie Countess of Wessex welcomed Doctor Who stars from the past and present at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular show. We’ve seen an increase in royal duties for the Countess; however, having been a fan of Doctor Who since she was a child, I doubt that this felt much like work.
Photo courtesy of Rex
Photo courtesy of Rex
Photo courtesy of Rex
Photo courtesy of Rex
Photo courtesy of Rex
[Hello!]
Per BBC royal correspondent, Peter Hunt, the Queen pulled out of today’s investiture ceremony at the last minute due to “minor discomfort” in her ankle. In her place, Prince William knighted 67-year-old comedian and actor, Tony Robinson. Apparently Sir Robinson got the future monarch to agree to a cameo in Blackadder if it ever were brought back for a new season. From the BBC:
“I said to him ‘would you be prepared to be in it?’ He said ‘yes’ like a shot,” Sir Tony said.
“I managed to do a bit of casting while he was awarding my knighthood. I think that is probably a first,” he added.
Photo courtesy of the BBC
Prince William’s christening (1982)
August 4, 1982: Prince William was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. It was on this day that Prince William’s impressive godparents were revealed: the former King Constantine of Greece, Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, the Duchess of Westminster, Lady Susan Hussey, Lord Romsey, and Sir Laurens van der Post. Prince William had to share the spotlight with his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, as his baptism was also on her 82nd birthday. Princess Margaret stirred up some family drama when she would not interrupt her trip to Italy to attend the event stating, “The christening of your nephew’s child isn’t the most important occasion of the year.” Her husband, Lord Snowden, stayed behind and took the official portraits marking the occasion.
Rex Features
About a week before the Duchess of Cambridge was due to give birth, Buckingham Palace announced that Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall were expecting their first child! Phillips, the 14th in line to throne, is a competitive equestrian and will take a leave from her sporting career for the remainder of her pregnancy. Phillips and Tindall were married in July 2011 in Edinburgh.
The child will be the third grandchild for Princess Anne; Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn Kelly, have two children- Savannah (b. 2010) and Isla (b. 2012). The child will be the Queen’s fourth great-grandchild.
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