The Commentary and Musings of a Writer, Journalist and British Monarchy Expert
The Duchess of Cambridge has decided to pursue a new hobby: she plans to learn to fly like her husband.
“Both William and Harry are qualified instructors…” says the Telegraph.
The Duke, however, will be too busy attending to his RAF duties to teach Kate to handle a plane.
Instead, Prince Harry has offered to step in and show Kate the ropes!
“Prince Harry has offered to train his sister-in-law for a fixed wing aircraft license,” says the Telegraph.
It was recently announced that the Duchess of Cambridge’s beautiful McQueen wedding gown by Sarah Burton will go on display at Buckingham Palace:
“The Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, will go on display at Buckingham Palace during the annual Summer Opening (23 July – 3 October 2011). The Duchess chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Her Royal Highness worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress,” says the Royal Collection.
Other items will also be on display from Kate’s special day:
“The Duchess’s wedding shoes, hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen, of ivory duchesse satin and lace embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework, will also form part of the display, as will the diamond earrings worn by The Duchess on her wedding day,” says the Royal Collection.
The palace will even display the royal wedding cake:
“To complement the wedding dress display, The Duke and Duchess’s wedding cake created by Leicestershire-based cake designer Fiona Cairns will be shown in the State Dining Room. The multi-tiered traditional fruit cake was hand-made using British ingredients and decorated with sugar flowers,” says the Royal Collection.
Despite Will and Kate’s determination to live a normal, “low key” life after their wedding, they’ve decided they need some help, and are advertising for servants: a butler, housekeeper, valet and dresser, reports the Mirror.
“Notices have now gone up at Buckingham Palace asking staff to apply for jobs…” says the publication. And, the Duke and Duchess hope to hire before they leave on their first overseas trip to Canada on June 30.
“The whole place is buzzing with excitement,” a source told the Mirror of Buckingham Palace.
“Lots of people will want these prestigious jobs. The royals always like to promote existing staff rather than bring in people from outside. This is a golden opportunity for someone to be in at the beginning of William and Kate’s working and domestic lives.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will live in Kensington Palace when they are in London, palace officials announced last weekend. And, more details are coming to light about both the palace apartment and the timing of the move.
If reports ring true, Will and Kate plan to move from Clarence House and into their temporary Kensington Palace haven fairly soon:
“They will move in at some point in June or July. A number of options for longer term solutions are still being considered,” says a St. James’s palace spokesman.
Sources say they will live in a “modest” suite of rooms, compared to their neighbors, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who occupy a five-bedroom, five-reception room apartment.
Other neighbors of the royal couple will include the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
The apartment for Will and Kate is undergoing some slight changes before their arrival:
“…a ‘minimal’ programme of refurbishment has been undertaken in recent weeks to make it more comfortable but that original fixtures, such as in the kitchen, have not been changed,” says the Mail.
“It is not yet clear how much this works programme will cost the public purse, but sources insisted it was ‘modest’.”
And, no, as second in line to the throne Wills won’t have to pay rent!
