Reuters / Mick Tsikas
Britain’s Prince William meets residents at Kerang, 300km (187 miles) north of Melbourne, March 21, 2011.
Elspeth Lodge Mar 24, 2011 – 1:57 PM ET
I take thee, William Pinkerton-Smith
Prince William has further endeared himself to New Zealand — a country he visited last week — by allegedly sitting in economy class (avec security team, however) on an Air New Zealand flight from from Auckland to the earthquake-stricken city of Christchurch, reports the Telegraph. Predictably, the airline isn’t talking. Our favourite part of the story? William’s alleged alias: Mr. Pinkerton-Smith.
Kiwis, for their part, were already won over. An earlier New Zealand Herald editorial raved:
“The day has long gone when a royal visitor can win affection in this corner of the realm simply by coming here, though even that was becoming a rare gesture until Prince William came of age. In him we have met a future king who knows when he should be here and, even more important, seems comfortable when he is here.”
Chris Jackson / WPA Pool / Getty Images
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.
The public hearts Prince Charles (or possibly hearts Prince William so much they’re trying to spare him)
For the first time in six years, polls show that the public would like the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, to become king before William. Of respondents, 45% said they would prefer Charles against 37% in support of William. “Experts have speculated that the reason behind the change is that the public want to allow Prince William to enjoy his life as a newlywed before assuming a more responsible role,” the Telegraph reported Wednesday. No word who the remaining 18% supported (no one? Harry?).
Ian Gavan / Getty Images
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Camilla hearts Kate Middleton
The 63-year-old Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles, spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time about her relationship with her soon-to-be step-daughter-in-law Kate Middleton, reports the Express, the Daily Mail and People.
“Kate’s a lovely girl. We’re very lucky. I’m very much looking forward to the wedding,” she said at a a visit to a floral design school in London. “One of my granddaughters is a bridesmaid,” she told students at the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers as she tried her hand at flower arranging. “She’s only three and it will be quite nerve-wracking for a little one. But she will enjoy it.”
Camilla has been acting as a mentor towards Kate and they have become close, reports say.The two have been seen out twice in public, just recently, once to have lunch and discuss the wedding.
Recent reports are in contrast to a strange article that appeared Wednesday in the U.K.’s Independent, which claims, with little in the way of evidence, that while the royal family might look gloriously happy in the wake of Kate and William’s engagement, actually, Camilla and Zara Phillips are harbouring resentment and jealousy of Kate’s new-found celebrity.
National Post
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