Day 3 of Prince William’s unofficial visit Down Under was very very busy! He was greeted by a crowd of admirers (and a very lucky girl, who gave him a kiss on the cheek!) then met the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretserhad, at the Government House in Melbourne.

One of the most significant segments of the day was his visit to areas in Melbourne that were affected by bush fires last year. Among these areas were Flowerdale and Kinglake West. Prince William talked to residents in a temporary village in Flowerdale. Among the prefabricated houses, he enjoyed a barbecue …read more

Prince William’s second day in Australia was as busy (or even busier!) as the first. On Wednesday (Australian time), he continued his stay in Sydney, meeting more members of the government and the community.

Prince William took part in a live firing exercise with the Australian Army’s 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment at the Holsworthy army base. The visit with members of the military was William’s idea.
After the visit with the military, Prince William turned his attention to the crowds gathered at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Hundreds of people went out to see the young prince, who is on his second …read more

Prince William wrapped up his trip to New Zealand on Tuesday, and flew to Australia for an unofficial tour. He was welcomed to Sydney by Australia’s Governor General Quentin Bryce, with whom he had lunch. He also met Australian singer Delta Goodrem, cricket player Michael Clarke and Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham during lunch at Admiralty House.

Another welcome ceremony waited for Prince William at the Redfern Community Centre. There, an Aboriginal elder performed a traditional smoking ceremony (a cleansing ritual involving setting fire to fresh leaves and allowing the smoke to waft over the participants). Later, Prince William met members of …read more

Prince William’s second day in New Zealand was spent mostly in Wellington, the country’s Creative Capital City.
His first stop was at the National War Memorial which honors the men and women who had given their lives in the course of duty. He inspected the guard during a ceremony and then laid a rose on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. He was accompanied by Prime Minister John Key.

Prince William then proceeded to Wellington to open the building of the Supreme Court. Upon his arrival, he was greeted in the traditional Maori way: The ‘hongi’ is performed by pressing one’s nose …read more

Royal fever has come to the lands down under with the visit of Prince William to New Zealand. Prince William arrived in Auckland on January 17, 2010 and promptly began a round of engagements in his first official overseas trip on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

On his first day, Prince William visited Eden Park, which is undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Auckland’s Mayor John Banks and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key joined him at the Park. The prince got a chance to demonstrate his rugby skills during a pickup game with  members …read more

I was finally able to see this movie for myself! Since it’s limited release on Christmas Day, I’ve waited for ‘The Young Victoria’ to come to my town. I’ve read many of the glowing reviews and psyched myself up for a movie-going treat. And I wasn’t disappointed!

You’ve probably seen the stills, the preview videos and the reviews. But nothing compares to seeing the movie on the big screen. All those gorgeous details to enjoy! The subtlety of the acting, the emotion and, of course, the warmth of a great love story.
For ‘The Young Victoria’ is a love story at its …read more

Over the Christmas break, photos emerged of Kate Middleton playing tennis with her family. Did you see the images when they were posted elsewhere online? I did, and remembered the paparazzi ban that Queen Elizabeth issued in November (The British royal family will take legal action against photographers taking photos of the family in “private” situations).
When I saw Kate’s tennis photos, I wondered how the ban would play in her situation. While she and Prince William have been together for years, she is not officially part of the royal family, not until they get engaged, anyway. But with the current …read more

Prince William showed today just how busy and varied a working royal’s schedule can be. Over the course of a few hours, the prince visited a school, a hospital and a military base.

Prince William’s first engagement of the day was at the St Barnabas Hospice. He was accompanied by his aunt, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, during the visit which allowed time for chats with both patients and staff.
In the afternoon, Prince William opened the Life Skills Centre of Eresby School. The school, located in the town of Spilsby, provides training and educational opportunities to students with learning difficulties.
Prince William once more …read more

118 years ago
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, and eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, died of pneumonia on January 14, 1892. He was 28 and was about to be married to Princess Mary of Teck at the time of his death.
117 years ago
On January 10, 1893, Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania (right) married his distant cousin Princess Marie of Edinburgh in Sigmaringen, Germany. The couple had six children. Prince Ferdinand became King of Romania in 1914, reigning until his death in 1927.
38 years ago
After the death of her father King Frederik IX, Queen Margrethe …read more

In December last year, Queen Elizabeth went to Oxford University to reopen the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. The British Monarchy’s channel on Youtube released this video of the visit. It shows her arrival, and welcome by a crowd of flag-waving students. We also see a small part of the activities inside, including the unveiling of a flag to mark her visit.

The little girl who presented the Queen with a posy gave a wonderful little curtsey! Very cute!