Prince William is 26 today
Prince William is 26 today, Midsummer Day — a birthdate for Kings.
Prince William operating the periscope of a submarine
He is currently on attachment to the Royal Navy at its training college in Dartmouth, Devon.
The Prince spent 24 hours on a nuclear powered submarine earlier in the week while it took part in wargames exercises. He is next expected to join the frigate HMS Iron Duke, on duty in the North Atlantic, for five weeks.
We are told he will celebrate his birthday privately. Although not confirmed, it is widely expected that Kate Middleton will play a part in the festivities.
Royal Anecdotes wishes His Royal Highness a very happy birthday and a swift engagement to his lady love.
Happy Birthday to William!!! Now would you kindly produce a ring so there could be a double celebration. hehehe
By Trudie on June 21st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I will second that!!!
By kat on June 21st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Agreed, Trudie!
By Blondie on June 21st, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Happy b-day Wills, there is a fun funny article in the DM with pics of PW, PH, KM celebrating part of his day in a polo match, they all look really nice and informal wear. There are also getty images of this, TvS and other buddies of PW where there too.
By Me on June 21st, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Look at this story. Can you imagine the excitement it must have generated.
http://tinyurl.com/6ostab
By jackie Mccoy on June 21st, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Daily Mail article with pics: http://tinyurl.com/6n34cs
And some more from gettyimages: http://tinyurl.com/63duae
They all look happy. Happy Birthday to William!
By Ash on June 21st, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Actually, John, Midsummer’s Day is June 24th, which is the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. Since it falls during the week this year, many places are having Midsummer’s Day festivals today, June 21st, since more folks will attend on a Saturday. Happy 26th Birthday to Prince William and may every blessing be his!
By Gigi on June 21st, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Actually, Gigi, June 21 is the usual date for the summer solstice (this year it actually fell on June 20, in part because of Leap Day). I don’t doubt that June 24 is a holy and auspicious day. But John is right about Prince William’s birthday falling on midsummer’s day.
By Evelyn on June 22nd, 2008 at 12:57 am
Actually, Gigi, June 21 is the usual date for the summer solstice (this year it actually fell on June 20, in part because of Leap Day). I don’t doubt that June 24 is a holy and auspicious day. But John is right about Prince William’s birthday falling on midsummer’s day.
By Evelyn on June 22nd, 2008 at 12:57 am
The Daily Mail has a story on Peter & Autumn Phillips’ honeymoon in South Africa. Publicity photos have been released, with Peter’s approval, by an upscale safari resort. It sounds like there will be more talk about how the Phillipses are financing their lifestyle.
By Evelyn on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:47 am
Evelyn, are we sure that Summer Solstice and Midsummer’s Day are one and the same? I thought they were two different things. In America, Summer Solstice is June 20th while in Europe it is June 21st. But as I have always understood it, Midsummer’s Day is always on June 24th, the Feast of Saint John. Does anyone in our merry RA Clan know for sure?
By Gigi on June 22nd, 2008 at 3:50 am
Happy birthday to William. The express is talking up the engagement rumors between Zara & Mike?
By Belinda on June 22nd, 2008 at 7:03 am
Happy birthday, William! The pictures of William, Kate and Harry at Beaufort Polo Club trying to put up a tent are really sweet. It’s so good to see that they all get along so well. They’ll need each other as support in their lives.
By Isana on June 22nd, 2008 at 8:18 am
As I understand it the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the time when the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer which occurs at 2359 20th June. The longest day is 21st June.
Whenever it is a belated happy birthday Prince William, I just wonder what Kate’s birthday present to him is?
By Royalist on June 22nd, 2008 at 9:56 am
Gigi, in my lifetime I don’t ever recall the Feast of St John figuring in the definition of Midsummer Day — and I was baptized and brought up in the Church of England.
In fact, the day is not an official one at all, but is popularly celebrated when the Druids and the Glastonbury crowd turn up at Stonehenge at dawn to watch the midsummer sun rise over the heel stone.
It’s always been a purely pagan festival, linked to the summer solstice which is the moment the sun reaches its farthest point north on the ecliptic. As Evelyn says, this is normally June 21, but was a day early this year.
Shakespeare’s play about it says it all.
It’s interesting though that in our time Middle Eastern references are being slowly eliminated from our culture and replaced with pagan ideas. This is partly because of terrorism, but — in my view — mainly because books like The Da Vinci Code, and more reputable versions of the same narrative, are making many people view the Christian story as allegory rather than history.
People are just fed up with politics in religion and are choosing unalloyed spirituality instead.
Phew, that was a bit long. Forgive me.
By John on June 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 am
A tent, perhaps.
By John on June 22nd, 2008 at 10:04 am
In Norway we celebrate “St.John ’s(or St Hans’) Eve every year.
The name St. Hans originates from the biblical figure John, (Johannes in Norwegian). He was born June 24. However, it is the night before, St.John’s Eve, that Norwegians celebrate with bonfires and partying all night. It’s the longest night of the year. It will not be dark at all during the night at this time of the year. It can be a little bit difficult to fall asleep, I can tell you. But this night the sun will turn and gradually reducing the hours of sunlight until there will only be a very few of them around Christmas time. Then it’s dark around three in the afternoon. Strange land we live in!
In Sweden they call it Midsummer and they always celebrate it on the Saturday between the 20th and 26th of June. So this year they celebrated on the 21st (and the night before!) Sommer solstice is 21st of June.
By dagga on June 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
Some more pics from yesterday: http://tinyurl.com/6xvofw
It looks like they had a good time. Shame about the bad weather.
By Ash on June 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
Thanks for the pictures! The DM has an updated article as well. Great to see William looking happy on his birthday despite the weather. And it’s refreshing seeing him and Kate doing normal things like getting down on their knees to pitch a tent. They look a bit cozy. Wonder if Kate’s whispering to his ear or giving him a peck on the cheek…
Also, Jecca Craig was there! I’m beginning to think she and William were never involved… perhaps it’s just media invention. She, Kate and William just look too comfortable together. And where’s Chelsy?
By frands on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Thanks Royalist, dagga and John for the clarification regarding Midsummer’s Day. Also, thanks to Ash for the link to the great tent caper photos of Prince William, Prince Harry and Catherine Middleton! Having gone camping with my Eagle Scout husband and friends years ago when we were all young married couples, I well recall the hilarious challenges of pitching tents in rainy, windy weather. I also wonder where Chelsy was, but perhaps she simply does not appear in the photos.
Dagga, just as a side note, my daughter minored in Scandinavian Studies at university and speaks Norwegian.
By Gigi on June 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Must confess have not been a fan of the Daily Mail of late, with their very negative coverage of Kate “not having visible employment” for the time being, but must say the photos of Wills and Catherine looking snuggly buggly made my day! I only hope this will put an end to all the naysayers who claim they aren’t really a pair of fools in love. The photo of Kate kissing or whispering into William’s ear as he grins broadly proves to me how much they do in fact care for each other, as this kind of comfortable affection is not an easy thing to fake.
I predict and long and happy union between the two, with much love and dignified affection, which is really the only kind I care to see.
By alsgal on June 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
The Daily Mail has a snarky article, with photos, of an African Safari venue stay during the honeymoon of Peter and Autumn Phillips and there are suggestions that, in exchange for promotional photographs of the couple, Peter and Autumn may have accepted reduced rates or perhaps even stayed at the resort gratis. Do we have any verified information on this, John, do you know? The article also rehashes the wedding deal with Hello and claims that the Queen and Prince Philip were baffled by the arrangement and that Charles and Camilla are “furious” about it. (How would the Daily Mail know that, I ask myself.) Further, it quotes a Labor MP as saying that this further gaffe (I suppose he means the possible arrangment with the safari lodge) further lessens the respect which the public owes to the Royal Family. How the cited Labor MP got to that conclusion when he doesn’t know what the arrangement was, if any existed, I do not know. Further, the senior Royals can scarsely be held accountable, let alone held in disrespect, as a result of this matter, since Peter does not now nor has he ever derived income from the Civil List, nor is he a Senior Royal. Have we discussed this in a previous thread I may have overlooked, and if so, my apologies. The Daily Mail is beginning to annoy me to an extent which causes my blood pressure to elevate alarmingly. I would write a pithy letter to the editor but I am unsure if any of the DM staff can read words in excess of three syllables, and when I am angry, my prose tends to be composed of six and seven syllable words. Perhaps I shall send an epistle anyway and enclose a dictionary. Snarl.
By Gigi on June 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Good for you, Gigi, those are my thoughts exactly — except you are being rather charitable to assume they can read words in excess of three syllables — I’d have thought two was the limit!:)
By alsgal on June 22nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Gigi, I don’t know the details here, nobody but the couple and the hotel know them. But really, they’ve brought it on themselves. Once you get known as a “freeloader” — like Fergie and the Blairs — you will always be open to these charges.
Actually, in this case it doesn’t matter much if they did take a fee. He’s not an HRH and receives nothing from the Civil List. But the wedding was very different. The Queen and the Duke had given them both venues free. All they had to do was find £50,000 ($100,000) for the catering and entertainment.
When you consider that the average middle class wedding in Britain costs £30,000 ($60,000), it couldn’t have been beyond their reach to find that, one way or another. Instead they opened up the Queen’s castle and chapel and “bystanders” like Kate and Chelsy to the intrusion of celebrity photographers.
I think the Mail comment that the Queen was baffled was probably a nice euphemism for “furious”. We know the Princes were.
Ian Davidson is an anti-Royal MP. He has now been given carte blanche to attack the Royal Family because of this. Incredibly obtuse.
By John on June 22nd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
It looks like the England Rugby team got into a spot of bother over in New Zealand?
http://tinyurl.com/46lds4
By jackie Mccoy on June 22nd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Happy Birthday, William! Really enjoyed the photos of him and Kate looking so happy. Thanks everyone for the links!
By Leigh on June 22nd, 2008 at 6:21 pm
John, when is Chelsy’s degree presentation at Leeds University?
By Royalist on June 22nd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
New DM article with Chelsy and Kate
http://tinyurl.com/5acegj
By jackie Mccoy on June 22nd, 2008 at 8:19 pm
So nice to see “the girls” getting along — what a wonderful resource they will be for each other not if, but when, they both marry into the Firm.
Glorious pictures, thank you all for posting them.
By alsgal on June 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I am sorry that it did not work. It was my first time trying the tiny url connection. Will look again.
By kat on June 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Thanks for posting the link — oh is it getting hard not to “count the chickens” as my hopes are so very high for these two!
However, one thing I am wondering about is regarding the various titles the Queen might choose — might it be that “Duke of Sussex” is unlikely as it sounds so very similar to “Wessex” ? At least that would be my thinking, but one never knows how these decisions are made. “Duke and Duchess of Connaught” might annoy the Irish, although my Fightin’ Irishman Al assures me he is delighted with the idea
Wondering what some of the preferences are here amongst my fellow Anecdotians? As for myself, I think Earl and Countess of Chester sounds just grand!
By alsgal on June 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 am
My personal favorite is the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
I think, as the Heir, Prince William’s interim title should be more than that of an Earl, and Cambridge was the title given to Queen Mary’s brother during the war, to supplant the ancient German name of Teck which so inflamed the sensibilities of wartorn Britain. Of course, Sussex is one of the oldest designations in England, being the term which meant the territory ruled by the “South Saxon” population before the days of a united kingdom under the rule of one King. Sussex would be equally acceptable, as long as it was a Dukedom and not an Earldom.
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:17 am
Well thank you Kat for that link. That is something that I have been trying to tell everyone. There is a list of things that will have to happen before the engagement is announced to the public. He has to have the time to do that so it’s more likely that the focus is on him finishing up his training at the moment. They don’t seem to be in a rush, they are enjoying this romance.
By Rman on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:33 am
I’m sure William will be made a Duke as he is a direct heir behind his father. It has been said that they are trying to trim the monarchy and Edward was created an Earl as he is far down in the succession as 8th in line. I have to agree with Gigi my favorite being also Cambridge having a tie to the magnificent Queen Mary.
By Trudie on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:33 am
I, too, would venture that Prince William would receive a royal dukedom, as befits his status as a senior royal. Either Cambridge or Sussex would have the significance and history needed.
Another we’ve discussed previously that wasn’t in that linked list would be Duke of Clarence. It sounded like that also would be appropriate.
By Evelyn on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:04 am
I think February 09 will be when an engagement will be announced, there is just too much going on this year…
By jackie Mccoy on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:21 am
Kat, LiveJournal is not a reliable source of information for anything. It’s a bit like MySpace, so we don’t link to blogs and that kind of forum.
If you want to link, stay with reputable sources, or we’ll end up with the same pile of rubbish that some other sites are quoting.
Oh, and learn how to use TinyUrl.com.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:19 am
Ahem, stolen pictures of William and Kate during his birthday celebration from The Mirror.
http://tinyurl.com/5jjyp7
I feel guilty taking a peek at what’s supposed to be a private affair, but boy will those wanting a bit of intimacy get their fix!
By frands on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:21 am
Royalist, most of the university exams are over now, so graduation ceremonies should begin in July. I haven’t seen any Exeter students in grad robes yet, and it will vary in different colleges, of course.
In any case, hasn’t Chelsy only completed her first year of two? I’m sure she has another year to go.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:23 am
The Daily Mirror has a new article up (sorry I don’t know how to tiny url) with pictures of William and Kate dancing at his birthday party. They look really sweet together like they had a great time.
By Isana on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:26 am
The seven Mirror pics are HERE
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Link to some photos from Saturday and yesterday : http://tinyurl.com/58ayd7
By Ash on June 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
These pictures are great. Looks like he had a great weekend doing what he loves with those he loves. I loved the pictures of them dancing together and the pics of them under the tent. It shines the spotlight on the foolishness of all of those nasty remarks about him not wanting to be with her, etc.
To many more happy birthdays together and with good friends, William & Kate.
By Positive on June 23rd, 2008 at 11:58 am
Thanks so much, John, for the Mirror pics which are wonderful! Regarding the wedding details, the article I read yesterday seems to purport that the announcement of the engagement will be in February, with a summer wedding in Westminster Abbey rather than Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Regarding the title, I had also forgotten Clarence as a possibility, and think the Duke of Clarence would be equally as suitable as the Duke of Cambridge or the Duke of Sussex. The title the Duke of Clarence has been held by sons of Kings prior to this time, so the Queen might favor this title. I do not recall the Cambridge title being used for a Royal in the direct line of succession before, nor Sussex, but that does not remove it from the Queen’s consideration.
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Gigi, if it’s the LiveJournal.com article you’re referring to, pay no attention, it’s just more blog speculation from a MySpace type outfit.
In terms of titles for W and K post-marriage, we simply won’t know until it happens. Nobody predicted Edward would be Earl of Wessex because Wessex didn’t exist, and an Earldom was a surprise too.
One thing we do know, Kate is unlikely to be styled the Princess William.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Thank goodness for that! Might it also be a possibility that PW would be given a name with Welsh connotations — the Duke of Swansea perhaps? Just as long as it’s not the Marquess of Mumbles!
Wonderful pictures in the Mirror, and I am finding it most curious that after five years we are starting to see more “proof” of the affection many us read about (and that many of us believed, despite the naysayers) but often never saw pictures of.
I sense the Palace PR machine at work, perhaps preparing the public that these two are indeed headed for an engagement (if they aren’t already.)
Westminster Abbey, late June 2009 and I believe it will not be on a Saturday so that it may be declared a public holiday.
By alsgal on June 23rd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Dear old Wikipedia on Midsummer’s Day:
“Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on the 24th of June and the preceding evening.”
“Solstitial celebrations still centre upon 24 June, which is no longer the longest day of the year. The difference between the Julian calendar year (365.2500 days) and the tropical year (365.2422 days) moved the day associated with the actual astronomical solstice forward approximately three days every four centuries, until Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar bringing the solstice to around 21 June. “
By Aunt Pierre on June 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Whatever became of the rumors of Carole Middleton with the Queen at Ascot? Did I miss it?
By Dan on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
It seems that rumor didn’t prove true, Dan.
With Prince William becoming a full-time working royal next year, can we expect that he (and Catherine) will be arriving at Royal Ascot in a carriage at least one of the days?
By Evelyn on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I believe Her Majesty will pay homage to the 1962 Gene Chandler hit song and bestow upon Prince William the title “Duke of Earl.”
By Arthur on June 23rd, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Aunt Pierre, Wikipedia is usually prone to error. In terms of Midsummer Day, it’s always celebrated on the longest day, which is normally June 21. If the Druids are at Stonehenge, that’s when the fun begins.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Dan, if this was ever going to happen, I suspect it was cancelled after it was leaked to the Mail.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
WHO is leaking all these stories to the Daily Mail?! I think we need to get Sherlock Holmes on the case and find out which Palace courtier is living well above his means. Really, this is simply the limit. When the Queen can’t even have guests at Royal Ascot without the media interfering and intriguing, matters are entirely out of hand. Of course, one thing the media can’t prevent is that, if not before, the Queen will inevitably meet Mrs. Middleton at the earliest wedding fete, since Mrs. Middleton will be the Mother of the Bride!
Isn’t it wonderful that we are able to refer to the Royal Wedding, at long last, with such certainty? It adds an extra golden glow to the whole summer! It makes me feel like dancing in the garden in the moonlight!
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Aunt Pierre, Wikipedia is usually prone to error.
I’ve no illusion that Wikipedia is a perfect source (what is?), but I’ve found that its information often tallies with what I find in other sources.
On the Midsummer question, we may need to distinguish between the actual midsummer (aka the solstice) and the holiday known as Midsummer Day. Both the Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary define the latter as June 24 celebrated as the birth date of John the Baptist. Yes, this editor is a research nerd!
I’d never thought of any of this before, so it was fascinating to dig into. I’m a little curious about why it’s called MIDsummer anyway, when it’s also identified the beginning of summer. Shouldn’t midsummer be midway between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox? Maybe it comes from a binary view of the year as split into just summer and winter?
Always something new to learn, thank heaven.
By Aunt Pierre on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I hold to the theory that they have surely met already, at least informally. Both Carole and Kate were at the Sandhurst ceremony as Williams guests. It seems to me it would have been rude of the Queen to snub them. Wouldn’t there have been a brief chat, perhaps a toast to William, backstage somewhere?
By Dan on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Aunt Pierre, you’re right about the Oxford Dictionary. My version says the same.
But I think this is another case of where the Church imposed its own festival on top of a pagan one. Probably only a handful of High Church Anglicans acknowledge the Feast of St John now. Everyone else, even the Met Office, believed Saturday to be Midsummer Day. Indeed, the Oxford Dic. defines Midsummer as another term for summer solstice.
Certainly, in England it’s the Druids who define the day rather than the priests of the Church, just as Whitsun has become the Spring Bank Holiday. Why, I even remember going on “Whitsun Treats” in my youth. No more, I fear.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Dan, the reliable sources I’ve seen all hold that Carole didn’t meet the Queen at Sandhurst. It was purely a formal Army occasion and not one for presentations to the Queen.
It really seems she hasn’t met her, and all that talk about “pleased to meet you” etcetera was just spiteful barracking from Kate’s enemies.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
It makes me feel like dancing in the garden in the moonlight!
Gigi, I knew Eugenie would set a trend with that one.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
John, are you implying that the Duchess of Marmelade is inclined to dance naked in her moonlit garden?
By Evelyn on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:59 pm
LOL John, you are hilarious! Nevertheless, we have a garden, we have moonlight, and as long as I am careful not to tred upon the petunias or snag myself on the rose bushes, I do believe I shall dance! Since this is Texas, I shall also have to avoid treading on slithering snakes or trespassing on the personal space of the deer who visit our garden nightly for a luscious repast, but that is another story entirely.
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Do we know whether or not the Middletons have formally met Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall? I believe it’s customary for the parents of a newly engaged, or about to become engaged, couple to meet socially, before being introduced to the grandparents. I realize the Queen is not just any grandparent, but would HM meet the Middletons prior to an acknowledgment by Clarence House that a social meeting had already occurred between Prince Charles and Catherine’s parents?
By Arthur on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
HAHA Evelyn!! I assure you that I shall be properly attired at all times, even when dancing in the moonlight in the garden. Were I to do what you suggested, the entire cemetery where my dear departed are buried would upend with the large numbers of my ancestors turning in their graves in horrified disapproval!
No need to cause an earthquake at this point, since Mother Nature appears to achieve these things quite well without my assistance.
Speaking of Royal Weddings, as we nearly always are, here is good news indeed! Prince Charles-Philippe d’Orleans, Duc of Anjou and Doña Diana Alvares Pereira de Melo, Duchess of Cadaval, married at the weekend in a traditonal Catholic ceremony with full pomp and pageantry, in a 15th Century Catholic Cathedral in Portugal, in front of 400 guests! See Hello for the story and the photographs. Lovely!
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Arthur, Kate has stayed with Charles and Camilla at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate, and met them again at the Wings ceremony and the Garter occasion last week. Probably at other times too.
I’ve no confirmed knowledge of her parents ever having met anyone other that William, who has dined at their house in Berkshire and landed a Chinook helicopter there.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I should also have added that when Kate stays at Clarence House, she would certainly see a lot of them there.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:20 pm
“I’ve no confirmed knowledge of her parents ever having met anyone other that William, ”
It is almost three years ago now but I remember something being said at the time about Kate and William cooking dinner for both sets of parents the night before (or there around) their graduation from St. Andrew’s University. Of course the press could have gotten it wrong but I do remember something about a dinner.
By Ash on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Look at this from yesterday’s People (UK):
Prince William’s girlfriend Kate Middleton is meeting bosses of top international art galleries in a bid to find a proper job at last.
She plans a secret trip to Florence next month to ask experts about being a gallery or museum curator.
Kate will visit galleries including Florence’s Uffizi, which houses paintings by Da Vinci, Botticelli and Canaletto.
No other reputable media outlet has picked this up. The thought of Kate working as a Curator in Italy is pure bonkers:
1) Does Kate speak Italian? I haven’t heard so.
2) Does she want to be so far from William for the foreseeable future? No!
3) Can you just jump straight into a job as Curator of a world famous Gallery like the Uffizi? Crazy!
Dan, you’re in museums. What’s your assessment?
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I vaguely remember that too, Ash, but I wonder if it was true. Not much was made of it afterwards.
But I suppose it could have happened. If so, William was certainly signalling something to the parents.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Oh Gigi, I know what you mean about the deer. They are so brazen in my neighborhood that they don’t bother waiting until evening for a luscious repast. I arrived home around noon, on Saturday, to find two young deer, in my driveway, having eaten about 100 blossoms off my daylily plants that just bloomed Saturday morning. I was so furious that for a brief second I thought about pressing down on the accelerator, but I was afraid I might slam the car into the garage. Those deer don’t know how lucky they are that reason prevailed! On second thought, I think the deer were eyeing my impatients plants for their next meal. Perhaps I should have thrown caution to the wind!
By Arthur on June 23rd, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Yeah I don’t remember it ever been brought up again but I guess it could have been because at the time the press were really only getting their first chance to write about their relationship, no one expected them to announce an engagement any minute like they have for the last year or so. If they did something like this now the media would self-combust with excitement.
By Ash on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
I agree with you, John. For one thing, it would be hard to protect Catherine in Italy and if she doesn’t speak Italian fluently, she’ll have problems adapting to the business world there, even in a museum. Furthermore, if we think (and Heaven only knows we do) that the paparazzi are out of control here and in the UK, they are totally out of hand in Italy, the land of live-and-let-live.
Arthur, have you tried spraying Deer Out on your plants and shrubs? It can be ordered online. We have had excellent results with it, except that after the dry season hit, all bets are off. When they are hungry and thirsty and the vegetation in the canyon is burnt and dry, they will eat anything luscious and hydrated. Also, Deer Out smells pleasantly like mint, an odor deer dislike, and, if they decide to much anyway, it tastes like eggs, which deer detest. So if they throw caution to the winds and munch, they say “blehhh” and just nibble here and there, instead of devouring everything they can get their hooves on.
Best of all, the product will not harm the deer or any other animal or human. My husband was within four feet of a young buck, a doe and a spotted fawn at various times last weekend, in our garden, and he told them that they are welcome to prance about the garden but they may not munch. He reported that the deer gazed at him intently and then galloped off. We shall see what we shall see.
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Never mind the media, Ash, I might self-combust with excitement if Prince William and Catherine got their parents together and cooked dinner for them!
Two things to remember when they are planning the menu: Charles does not like chocolate nor does he like nuts, so dessert should be a concoction which does not include those culinary delights. That will severely limit our Royal Anecdotes Gala Royal Wedding Tea menu, should we decide to invite Charles, but we can always pass him the scones, Devonshire Cream, jam, and tea cakes which have no chocolate and no nuts.
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Gigi, if you are inviting non-RA guests, I should like it if you would invite Catherine’s parents.
By Evelyn on June 23rd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
No museum would hire Catherine as a curator, since she has no experience, so far as I know. Major museums expect their curators to have PhDs, publication records, and of course, museum experience. She would certainly require a graduate degree, at least at the Master’s level (I completed the coursework for my PhD, but never finished writing my dissertation; I have two Master’s degrees in art history.) Judging by what I know of her background and education, I’d say she might be intern material (that’s what I did with my bachelor’s degree) but no higher than that. Maybe the Palace should put her to work with the Royal Collection, since it may be hers someday!
While she doesn’t have the background for a museum career, I think she could do well in the commercial art gallery world. That’s all about having smarts, ambition, connections…. And good looks don’t hurt. All New York galleries have what they call a “Gallerina” who sits at the desk. They’re mainly decorative, but if they’re smart they learn the ropes and move up the ladder. She could be perfect in a job like that.
Saatchi should snap her up for the publicity factor alone. Although as soon as they show something outrageous or obscene, she’ll take the heat for it.
By Dan on June 23rd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Excellent notion, Evelyn, and after all, we don’t actually know that Mrs. and Mrs. Middleton and Charles are non-RAers, all we really know is that they have not posted comments, at least under their given names.
For all we know, the entire Royal Family may be reading RA daily or more often and perhaps the Middletons do as well! It would not surprise me if the Queen and Prince Philip check RA each morning, which would be further a further sign of their very good taste. I do believe that John and many of us have long suspected that a number of notable people among the Powers-That-Be read RA and are, in fact, influenced for the good by doing so.
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Dan, that’s what I thought.
Although she does have a degree in Art History from St. Andrews, she has no practical experience in organizing art. As for seeking advice from the Uffizi, it’s just plain crazy. The People, allegedly, is not to be believed on anything.
She also won’t be offered a post in the Royal Collection because that would place her with the servants and staff rather than a future member of the Royal Family.
As we keep saying, it’s hard to know what job she could do.
By John on June 23rd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Dan/John is there any chance that because she is connected that they would make an exception for her even if she doesn’t have the experience & be heavily “supervised” similar to what Beatrice went though even though they are completely different roles?
By Jackie Mccoy on June 23rd, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Her degree from St. Andrews (we call it a bachelor’s degree in the U.S.) isn’t advanced enough to land any kind of museum job above internship level. And why would she go to Italy?! London is bursting with museums and galleries. In my opinion it is first in line behind NYC when it comes to having a serious art scene. With her brain, looks, and media savvy, she could find something close to home if she really wanted it. If she’s going to the Uffizi, it’s as a tourist, like the rest of us.
Well, maybe not exactly like the rest of us.
By Dan on June 23rd, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Jackie, if there’s any truth to this, it would be because she has a friend in a museum or gallery willing to take her on. London would make more sense than Italy. Wasn’t she already involved with an exhibition of some kind in London?
I imagine museum jobs in Italy are public service positions; I don’t expect many foreigners sashay into town and start first thing Monday morning.
By Dan on June 23rd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
On a lark I just went to the Party Pieces website. Are we to believe that Catherine took all those pictures of the party effluvia her parents sell? If so, I can tell you that Katie Nicholl was wrong in her American TV interview, that such work is “an hour here, an hour there,” suggesting it is not serious work. Studio photography like that is tedious as hell, regardless whether it is done well or not. I once assisted a photographer shooting canned goods for a food company’s annual report. Aaack!! It can take an hour just setting up a shot. It’s a boring, thankless job, especially if her parents aren’t paying her for it! Remember, for every photograph you see, there are probably twenty that also had to be processed, PhotoShopped, and color corrected, only to be rejected.
And someone had to shoot all those party hats with kids peeking out from under them!! An hour here and an hour there of that nightmarish task would qualify you for mental health benefits.
Of course, no matter what Catherine does, people like Katie Nicholl will dismiss it as easy work for a pampered Queen-to-be, only gained because of her Royal Rolodex.
By Dan on June 23rd, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Katie Nicholls is to journalism what roadkill is to fine dining. As she does nothing more then pass along bits of unsubstaniated gossip, I’d hardly consider her to have any concept of hard work.
I have, however, hosted a few children’s birthday parties in my time and the set up alone is tedious. One can only imagine what it would be if one had to arrange the lighting and make it picture perfect. Not much fun!
Gigi, I have a better suggestion then Deer Out: venison. Shoot the boogers and you’ll have meat for weeks.
By alsgal on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
“An hour here and an hour there of that nightmarish task would qualify you for mental health benefits.” LOL Dan you are simply hilarious! I am laughing hysterically at your post which is extremely amusing and also extremely accurate. I have assisted on two photo shoots in my lifetime, in a very minor and unskilled helper capacity, and I was ready to slit my throat and leap from the top of the Texas Tower by the time we were one-tenth of the way through! Tedious and exausting doesn’t begin to describe it and we were working with trained adult models who knew the ropes. About half way through the first shoot, an 18 hour session (from set-up to clean-up), I said to the photographer “Whatever sum they are paying you, it is not enough.” He laughed and said this was one of the easiest shoots he had ever done. The endless tweaking, the constant changes in lighting, backdrops, props and poses, hair and make-up would drive anyone to drink to excess!
By Gigi on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I think there has been a spot of bother on the ship which William is going to join in a couple of days time. Some Navy having a little too much fun!
http://tinyurl.com/3k9zfb
The mirror pictures by the way were really nice, it is really heart warming to see them getting along so well!! Xmas time onwards is red alert time!!
By Jackie Mccoy on June 23rd, 2008 at 9:21 pm
The Mail Online has several photographs of William and Kate snuggling at last weekend’s polo match at Cotswolds. In one photograph, Kate is bending over to check on the canvas marquee. This photograph rivals the cleavage baring one of Princess Diana in the black, strapless Emanuel gown Diana wore on her first public engegement with Prince Charles. Kate will have to pay more attention to her neckline thanks to the telephoto camera lens.
By Arthur on June 24th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Hello has an article today about Charles and Camilla visiting the Welsh estate he purchased and renovated, using Welsh manufactured textiles and materials. They are staying there while in Wales for five days and then will rent the house out to people on holiday. There are three photographs and I am baffled because if Charles did, indeed, renovate the house, why are there shingles missing on the roof, which looks to be in pretty dilapidated state? Further, the third photograph, of Camilla and Charles, shows that Camilla’s hair stylist is not performing her duties to the high standard one would assume is requisite if one serves the wife of the heir to the throne of Great Britain. Camilla’s dark roots are clearly visible and should not be. Hmmmm…I sound quite pouty!
By Gigi on June 24th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Gigi, some of the news stories I saw included a “before” photo of the pre-renovated farmhouse. The updated version has all the exterior stone/brick painted off-white.
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Is there any new word on Harewood Park, Herefordshire, the 900-some acre estate bought by the Duchy in 2000 that it is renovating, allegedly as a future estate for William and his wife?
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Gigi, the Welsh house has been renovated by craftsmen, keeping as many of its features as possible. Maybe that’s why it looks less than grand.
Dan, Harewood House is due to be finished in 2010, so a couple of years yet.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
There is precedent for a Royal couple being given a home as a wedding present (Duke and Duchess of York come to mind). I hope we don’t have to wait until 2010, when the house is ready, for William to marry. Where would they live if he married sooner?
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Dan, Harewood House would be their Highgrove, a country residence. Clarence House is currently William’s London home, and there were rumours the couple were looking for a house in London recently.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Would either St James Palace or a suite in Buckingham Palace be possibilities? O would having a private residence in London provide Catherine with a safe place away from courtiers?
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Gigi you are right her roots are showing?!?!?!? Dan don’t even joke about 2010 I think my nerves will have passed breaking point by that time and Kate ’s name would have been dragged through the mud by the press by that point. Hopefully William will not be that stubborn.
By Jackie Mccoy on June 24th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
They could easily marry now and wait for their country home till 2010.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Indeed they could John
Do we know when he is due to start the position aboard the HMS Duke ( I think that was the name of the ship)
By Jackie Mccoy on June 24th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Kensington Palace would seem an obvious choice for them, Princess Alice and Princess Margaret being gone and Prince and Princess Michael on their way out, although returning to it for William may be bittersweet. But he can hardly stay away from every Royal site that may be in some way associated with his mother. When you think about it, that would suggest a rather limp upper lip. Surely he’s made of stronger stuff. Children inhabit family homes of the dearly departed as a matter of course. As a Royal, what choice does he have? I don’t see them setting up in a flat of their own, given security needs. They’ll have Clarence House when Charles moves up the line, but that’s not about to happen in the very near future, one hopes.
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Jackie, I think it’s fairly imminent. HMS Iron Duke is now in the North Atlantic but will patrol the Caribbean for drugs at some stage in his five week stint.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Might it be possible that William and Kate could stay in a smaller house on the Harewood estate whilst putting the finishing touches on the big house? If there is a finish date of 2010, that would almost work perfectly with a summer 2009 wedding.
It will be exciting to see who Catherine (and William, if he has any interest) will choose as her decorator — John Stefanidis does very crisp, youthful design, or perhaps they will go for that warmer, womblike look of Robert Kime, the designer who redid Highgrove.
By alsgal on June 24th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
John, I believe the HMS Iron Duke is already in the Caribbean, given the reports on the petty officer’s arrest on Barbados over the weekend. I think the Caribbean is considered the “North Atlantic,” strictly speaking, as it’s north of the equator.
I remember reading that Prince William will be joining the ship along with about 4 other new crew members. I would guess that they’ll fly to an island and then take a helicopter to the ship. We may not hear more about those travel plans until he’s safely aboard.
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Thanks, Evelyn, you are right. The photo of the house, which shows the front view, is the photo taken before the renovation. The photo in the Daily Mail shows the back view of the house but it is plain that the brick has either been sandblasted back to it’s original color or painted over. Also, the roof has been redone, which is good because who wants to stay in a house with a leaky roof?
The text in the Daily Mail article shows interior views of the house too and says that Camilla chose the color scheme and the textiles and furniture. None are to my liking, as too many of the colors and patterns clash. Oddly, the furniture looks like the kind of impermanent stuff a college student buys it at a downmarket shop and certainly isn’t “typically Welsh” in design or materials. My Great Grandparents were Welsh and their house in Wales was furnished with solid, massive pieces, dark wood, with graceful lines. Nevertheless, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow, “Everyone to their own tastes!” 
By Gigi on June 24th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Gigi, I think the color of the Welsh house before renovation is the original color, though it may have been discolored from years in the elements, and perhaps coal smoke from heating. I don’t think the after color looks natural at all. I’d guess paint was used to disguise significant restoration to the original stone, as well as to blend the whole compound– old and new construction. Personally, I would have preferred a warmer color closer to the original.
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Me too, Evelyn. It does look painted, which is hardly a “restoration” but rather a redecoration. I always thought that painting vintage brick and stone was an architectural faux pas to be avoided at all costs.
Let us hope that the Harewood House reflects the tastes of Prince William and Catherine when completed, not Camilla. I grade Camilla’s interior decorating in the Welsh house a D-, i.e. very unsatisfactory.
By Gigi on June 24th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I think the house you’re referring to will be Harewood Park, as Harewood House already has a long aristocratic history.
(And I apologize for so many “corrections” today!)
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Harewood House (some say it “hair-wood,” others say “Har-wood”) is indeed a different pile altogether, and a spectacular one, not likely to be equaled by anything built today (see it at harewood.org.) It is the home of the 7th Earl Harewood, whose father was the 6th Earl and mother was Princess Mary, the only daughter of George V and Queen Mary, making the present Earl perhaps the least known of the Queen’s first cousins (the more famous being the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, Prince Michael and Princess Alexandra.)
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
One additional note: Earl Harewood is older than the Queen and was the Peter Phillips of his day: oldest grandchild of George V and Queen Mary, but the son of a Princess. Therefore, he has no title from his Royal mother, but rather from his commoner paternal family, Earls from way back.
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Sorry, Dan, I made an unconscious slip when I said “Harewood House” as I know very well about the estate and the Harewood connection to the Royal Family. I did mean to say Harewood Park, if that is what the house is being called that is being prepared for Prince William and Catherine, as is supposed. Thanks for correcting that.
By Gigi on June 24th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Evelyn, you are priceless. Of course Barbados is in the North Atlantic. It just doesn’t seem so from the British Isles.
Keep correcting. We like accuracy here.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Harewood Park, long derelict but being revived by the Duchy, is what the estate has been called in the past. Given Prince Charles’s love of everything Ye Olde, I doubt the name will change. Whether William and his wife will want it for their home will be up to them, I guess. They’ll have no shortage of country retreats in due time. Perhaps Highgrove will go to Harry when the time comes.
Hey, there’s the proper title for him! He and his bride can be Duke and Duchess of Highgrove. T’would be more in keeping with the times than reviving some old title, like Clarence or Sussex, which would have little association for him.
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I’ve just seen pictures of the Welsh house that Charles and Camilla have prepared for themselves and I must say they are quite superb. Very authentic Welsh — my grandparents were Welsh landowners who owned the Senghenydd coal mines, so I know a little of Welsh taste.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Ha, Dan, there’s already a Duke of Gloucester so Highgrove could not be that. Earl of Highgrove, perhaps. I think Harry may well get the Dukedom of Clarence — I’d like to see it revivied. But who knows.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Me too, John. So if you are supposing that Prince Harry will be the Duke of Clarence, are you also supposing that Prince William will be Duke of Cambridge until he becomes Prince of Wales?
By Gigi on June 24th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
It was mentioned a while back, Gigi, but these things are in the lap of the gods.
By John on June 24th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
If Prince Harry were the Duke of Clarence… in the fullness of time, might his London home be Clarence House?
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I think Clarence House traditionally houses the heir to the throne, or a dowager descending the throne. The title is perhaps more appropriate for William than Harry when he marries. It wouldn’t surprise me if Harry got an Earldom, given all the Dukes still extant from the descendants of George V and Queen Mary. All those sons have sons and grandsons to carry on. The only Duke without male issue (so far!) is Andrew, Duke of York, which, as it happens, is the traditional title for the second son. Unless fate intervenes (God forbid), it’s doubtful Harry will ever get it.
By Dan on June 24th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Well, I respectfully disagree with you there, Dan. Prince Harry is a senior royal, and should be given a royal dukedom. There are still some traditional dukedoms available. If not, the Queen could create a new one.
The reason Prince Edward received an earldom is that he’ll inherit his father’s dukedom in due time. He already is doing much of the work for the Duke of Edinburough’s Awards; I expect one reason he’ll receive that title is so that his father’s charitable work can continue.
By Evelyn on June 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
the lineage is getting pretty deep here - john can you give us/me a brief tutorial on this? i understand charles being the heir to the throne is the prince of wales and that in time william will be as well..why would william need another title when he marries while he waits to become pow?
thanks
By coni on June 24th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
He doesn’t actually need it, Coni, but it has been a tradition, as far back as Edward III and maybe further, for the sons of the reigning monarch to be titled with Dukedoms. Queen Victoria did the same for her sons, and Queen Elizabeth II, who has provided the Duke of York title for her son, Prince Andrew and made known that Prince Edward, whom she made Earl of Wessex, will be given the title Duke of Edinburgh when it falls vacant. The Queen appears to wish to do the same for at least two of her grandsons, since Charles will be holding the Prince of Wales title for some years to come, as is supposed. In the reigns of the Plantagenets and Tudors, princes were given dukedoms at relatively young ages. In more recent reigns, the Princes of the Blood Royal were titled with Dukedoms when they married.
By Gigi on June 24th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Well there are three vacancies Cambridge, Connaught and Clarence that immediately comes to mind but wasn’t Prince Leopold the Duke of Albany?
By Trudie on June 25th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Albany and Sussex have been used when Royal sons stacked up four or five in the past. The current Royal Family is known for its desire to streamline things, but Evelyn is right to correct me–I had forgot for a moment that Edward’s Wessex Earldom is only a holding pattern for when Duke of Edinburgh becomes available. No doubt something of equal stature awaits Harry, Since William and he are the only children of the future King. Charles has far briefer coat-tails than most Kings, and these two boys appear to rely on each other far more deeply than many Princes past. Simply put, Prince Harry will not be the Prince Michael of the 21st century, struggling to make the market rent on his Palace apartment.
Coni, a good starting point on ducal history is to Google “dukedoms” and click on the Wikipedia entry, “Category:Dukedoms”. You’ll find the entire list there, and many of them are interesting reading. One must be skeptical about most information on Wikipedia, because no one knows where it comes from, but this string is a good one-stop-shopping introduction to the topic, and cross-reference fact-checking is usually a few more clicks away.
By Dan on June 25th, 2008 at 12:45 am
I’m copying this from a Daily Mail article by Richard Kay. It was buried under a lot of short non-royal news, not easy to find:
——-
Prince Harry saved the military medal inscribers a headache by insisting the gong he received for his Afghanistan service should ignore his royal title and carry only his name and rank.
Unlike his uncle Prince Andrew, whose Falklands War medal included his full HRH title, Harry opted for the simple “2nd Lieutenant H. Wales” on his Operational Service Medal presented by his aunt Princess Anne last month.
“With most people it is straightforward what goes on their medal - it’s their name and rank,” says my military source. “With a Royal there’s also the title to think about. It was assumed that he would be HRH Prince Harry or HRH Prince Henry of Wales.
“But he was adamant he wanted to be H. Wales with no reference to his royal background.”
——-
Hats off to Harry, for his courage and humility!
By Evelyn on June 25th, 2008 at 2:34 am
But he is royal. HRH Prince Harry is his name. Don’t really see why he should have to “hide” that to be respected…. Changing his name has not got much to do with humility, has it really. I’m sorry if the princes feel they have to do that.
By dagga on June 25th, 2008 at 6:00 am
I agree, Dagga. It’s the obsession with informality that we have today. But, in the end, you can’t be Royal and informal at the same time without having the same status as a minor celebrity.
By John on June 25th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Harry opted for the simple “2nd Lieutenant H. Wales” on his Operational Service Medal
Does anyone know why he was “H. Wales” instead of “H. Windsor”? I wonder about that whenever I read about Harry’s military career.
By Aunt Pierre on June 25th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I think it’s traditional for Royal children to take their father’s senior title for a surname. The Prince of Wales’s children, when needing a proper name (as in the armed forces) become William and Harry Wales. Recent exception is the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, about whom it was said would be styled as the child of an Earl (as opposed to her real identity as a rightful Princess, the daughter of a prince and grandchild of the sovereign), yet she is oddly styled Lady Louise Windsor instead of Lady Louise Wessex. That can be taken as further proof that the Wessex title has a brief shelf life. One day, according to the current plan, she will become Lady Louise Edinburgh (although more rightly Princess Louise Edinburgh), the daughter of HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. I don’t know what that will mean for the courtesy title of baby James Windsor, now styled Viscount Severn. Will Edward get all his father’s titles? Once he becomes a Duke, the proper courtesy title for his son would be “Earl Such-n-such.”
By Dan on June 25th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
addendum:
Should Edward get all his father’s titles one day, he would become Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich. Since Edward is not his father’s eldest son—and therefore shouldn’t get any of these titles—there isn’t much precedent to follow. It could go any way the family pleases.
By Dan on June 25th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Dan, you’re becoming our resident expert in Royal titles and heraldry. That should make you stand out in America.
Amazingly little Royal news about right now, but I’m going to try to cobble a piece together this afternoon.
By John on June 25th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Perhaps Everyone (that is, the Royal Everyone) is lying low while William is whisked off to The Front Line in the War on Drugs.
By Dan on June 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
True, William and Harry on military duties, Kate in low profile and Chelsy finishing exams. Without the young Royals the news is all about opening hospitals and Prince Charles’s business interests.
By John on June 25th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Dan, I believe Lady Louise is styled Mountbattan-Windsor. The Queen has declared that all of her non titled descendents will carry the Mountbattan-Windsor surname to distinguish them from the descendents of King George V, i.e. the Kents and Gloucestors who use the surname Windsor.
By Arthur on June 25th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Well Arthur, when Louise was born, it was stated on Edward’s “Marriage and Family” page on the Royal website that she would be styled “Lady Louise Windsor.” I see that that specification has now been taken down, and she’s just referred to as Lady Louise along with her brother Viscount Severn.
It was confusing at the time and perhaps it is being brought into order. However, the Mountbatten-Windsor surname is still vaguely structured and inconsistently applied. The Duke of York and the Princess Royal used it in their marriage registries, but it was apparently intended to be used only by descendants of the Queen who did NOT hold other royal titles. It’s unclear who that might be. Untitled descendants of the Queen will bear their father’s names and assorted titles (if any), as do William and Henry Wales, Beatrice and Eugenie York, and Peter and Zara Phillips.
In the case of Louise, as I said, her name should be Wessex, not anything else. It is interesting to note that the Countess of Wessex is commonly referred to as Sophie Wessex, yet her daughter is not Louise Wessex. In the end, I suppose they all decide for themselves.
By Dan on June 25th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I seem to think that Edward will hold the title Duke of Edinburgh but retain the title Earl of Wessex instead of Earl of Merioneth.
I think Harry probably had the medal inscribed the way it because he is very proud of his military rank and being HRH has nothing to do with his wanting to serve. It is most probable that he likes to keep the two seperate.
By Trudie on June 25th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I agree with your earlier post, Dan. If Louise was styled with her legal title, HRH Princess Louise of Wessex, there wouldn’t be any of this confusion.
By Arthur on June 25th, 2008 at 5:19 pm