A Very Happy Easter
A very happy Easter break to all readers of Royal Anecdotes and our many commenters.
As food seems to be a major consideration with our commenting community, I thought you might like a virtual Easter egg. Don’t scoff it all at once. It doesn’t exist.
I’ll be off till Tuesday — unless a major Royal story breaks, when I’ll rise from holiday torpor to cover it here.
See you then.
Thank you, John and a very happy and blessed Easter to you and to all our friends on Royal Anecdotes! It is amusing how much we seem to focus on food lately, and I fear I am the culprit who started that with my references to English tea. Nevertheless, we must indulge in feasting so we have the strength to post!
That is my story, anyway, and I am sticking to it! 
By Gigi on April 6th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Very good point, Gigi — strength is all!
And I hope you have an excellent and peaceful Easter.
By John on April 6th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Enjoy your holiday John. But….I must post the latest TIMES rumour that William and Kate are secretly engaged, so maybe there is something going on behind the scenes. Here is the quote:
April 6, 2007 The TIMES
“There is a rumour bouncing around London PR circles that Prince William and Kate Middleton have a secret wedding planned for next year, and that Middleton is wearing an “engagement necklace†rather than a ring.”
The Times-People by Hugo Rifkind
By mandy on April 6th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Thanks for posting that, Mandy. I was told by my friend who lives in England that. only quite lately, people have seen Kate Middleton wearing a necklace that is rumored to be the gift of Prince William, as a pledge of their betrothal. It is a bit unusual, but I know that in Scotland and Ireland in the 1700s and even into the 1800s, betrothal brooches were sometimes given instead of rings, so why not a betrothal necklace? Has anyone else from our merry group heard about this necklace?
By Gigi on April 6th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Mandy, we suggested that here some months ago. William also had a “pretend” engagement with Jecca Craig, though that didn’t last. This time it seems more solid, but who knows.
Next year is beginning to look more realistic as I think Easter is the last moment when they could announce a summer wedding, and nobody would recommend an English winter one.
It’s interesting that even the impeccably informed Richard Kay got the date wrong — he thought it would be announced in February.
By John on April 7th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
As for the necklace, if you want to keep an engagement secret, you wouldn’t wear a giant rock on the wedding finger.
By John on April 7th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
This is not a surprise to me because of their hints at the seriousness of their relationship: she has remained a constant in his life and they are usually together whenever they have the chance when his military obligations don’t interfere; she has not pursued the beginning of a true career away from those, i.e. Jigsaw, who will truly protect her privacy; she has gradually made appearances at William’s side and at an important event in his life, Sandhurst tour where she sat in the chapel beside Prince Charles, Sandhurst passing out. I am waiting to see if she will attend the Princess Diana concert, sitting beside William and/or with his family. This will be another indicator.
Despite much misguided celebration by a vocal few, I believe this relationship is stronger than ever. I still don’t believe William and Kate will marry for AT THE LEAST 2 MORE YEARS, but after this year they are getting into the point of no return territory. (I also think one of those rings she wears on her middle finger was given to her by William back in college. She always wears that ring.)
By Positive on April 7th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I would be grateful if someone who has seen the necklace could provide a description of it.
John, if a photo of the necklace could be posted, that would be very nice.
By Gigi on April 9th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I would also be grateful if anyone who has seen John will post and let us know where he is!
Has our fearless leader returned from being on holiday or has he deserted us entirely? 
This may indeed be evidence of the dangers of the decadence of too much Dundee cake. 
By Gigi on April 11th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Gigi, I am here, but we’re switching our office to new Windows Vista computers and ending up offline most of the time. It’s a real pain.
I need Dundee cake.
By John on April 11th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Oh good, we can blame this on Bill Gates! Will someone in the UK please deliver a large slice of Balmoral Dundee cake to John ASAP? On second thought, take him the entire tin.
This, I assure you, is an errand of mercy.
By Gigi on April 11th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Hahaha, oh Gigi, you are the best one here. : )
By Lauren on April 12th, 2007 at 4:25 am
It’s all over, John.
Wills and Kate split
By Christine G on April 14th, 2007 at 5:27 am
John where are you???? …. better go read the press, headlines are saying there was a break-up.
By mandy on April 14th, 2007 at 6:37 am
It’s now in BBC news coverage.
By mandy on April 14th, 2007 at 6:56 am
I predicted this and i was banned.Good old Wills have dropped her like a rocket,when she finished serving her cause/And Ch and he are having the nerve to blae the breakup on the army.Didnt Charles blamed his break up from Camilla on the Navy?As i said,he didnt had the guts to go throu it.He wants to play around,to party vacate.He isnt mature or serious/Day by day,as time passes he walks the exact steps of his father.
By shake on April 14th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Game over, Kate. What a pity.
By Lilyfromfrance on April 14th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Yes, I’ve been watching BBC News24 where they’re giving this top billing. I’ve put up a piece on this so I won’t write any more here.
This is going to have enormous repercussions for the Royal Family, especially if Kate is feeling badly let down. Could she prove another “woman scorned”, like Diana did? We shall see.
By John on April 14th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Good grief!
This business of living in a time zone that is 6 hours behind the UK is getting to be downright depressing! 
These huge stories seem to break when I am fast asleep in bed.
By Gigi on April 14th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Best place to be, Gigi.
By John on April 14th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Well “Shake” you weren’t the only one who never saw it going the distance. I just never saw this college romance lasting until marriage. I never ever thought they would marry. I don’t think they will get back together either.
By mandy on April 14th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Very true, John. Now I am so irritated about the break-up of the Prince and Kate that I may have to go back to bed to recover!
By Gigi on April 14th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
I have relented.
A cup of hot tea has braced me, and I am off with my husband to dinner and the opera. If “The Barber of Seville” can’t lift my spirits, I fear I am done for. 
By Gigi on April 14th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I think Tosca may be more appropriate right now, Gigi.
By John on April 14th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
It would, indeed, be more appropriate, but we must go see the opera that is being performed.
Right now, I can’t help feeling that the most appropriate opera to be viewed would be “The Student Prince!” 
By Gigi on April 15th, 2007 at 3:49 am
Or “The Merry Widow”.
By John on April 15th, 2007 at 11:08 am
By Gigi on April 16th, 2007 at 12:01 am