During his first overseas trip of 2010, Prince William will be visiting New Zealand and Australia.

The prince begins his itinerary with a three-day visit to New Zealand where he will represent his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. William will open the country’s new Supreme Court building in Wellington.

The prince will continue on to Australia, where he will give an Australia Day address at Government House in Melbourne. William has also requested to visit the areas that were severely damaged by bushfires.

The Prince last visited the region as a baby during his parents’ royal tour. Princess Diana had been unwilling to leave her infant son in England, and insisted on bringing him. Much to the delight of the Australian media and the public, baby William entertained all with his chubby cheeks and wide blue eyes. Now the 27-year-old Prince returns, bringing fond memories of his mother and their happy family unit of the early 1980s.

“Prince William’s visit to Australia has come about at his own request, to enable him to begin to get to know the country and the Australian people,” said Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the prince’s private secretary. “[His] father and brother both have very fond memories of Australia, its people, its lifestyle and its natural beauty, and Prince William wants to experience a little of that for himself, too.’

HM The Queen in a light green satin dress topped with a sheer emerald coat. A beautiful ensemble for Elizabeth!

GPD © AP

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Prince William may jump the royal queue soon.

At least, that’s what the media thinks will happen. The Mail on Sunday has dubbed the prince “the shadow king”, poised to take over for Queen Elizabeth II and bypassing his father Charles in the line of succession.

The British broadsheet claims that they have obtained a secret treasury document, uncensored, revealing that William will be taking on more royal responsibilities in the coming year. Monies have been allotted for his travel expenses so that he can represent the Queen all over the world.

The Queen, at 83, is said to be looking for the younger members to pick up some of the royal workload. At age 27 and second-in-line to the throne, William is the forerunner to represent the House of Windsor. His blonde good looks and love life make good reading. The spirit of Diana also hangs over William, fueling the dreams of her admirers that the Princess lives on in her son.

The Queen, who has been head of the dynasty for over 50 years, is very savvy when it comes to the job of monarchy. She knows that William is very popular and his youth will be a boon to their image. When he marries, it will draw huge crowds to England and give the economy a boost. Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla could end up on the back burner.

But will the traditional Elizabeth break the rules of hereditary monarchy and officially skip a generation? Something tells me that this child of the abdication era will not do so.

Merry Christmas and warm wishes to all. I can’t believe 2010 is almost upon us already!

This season, please take a moment to donate in memory of Cheekers the cockatiel. As you may remember, Cheekers passed away quite unexpectedly this past summer. In her memory, I humbly ask for a donation that will go to my local animal shelter, c/o A Royal Rep Reader (note: the PayPal page says that the donation is for birds, but for Christmas it will be for any animal).

Or, if you prefer, you can simply go to your own local animal shelter and donate. Lots of families are having major difficulties in this economic slump, and unfortunately many animals get forgotten in the hubbub or need to be given up. Lend a helping hand if possible and give little guys the love they need this year.

Thank you!

Mandy