Cheers!
Mandy

Mandy

The fun starts next week! Hope to see you here…

Mandy :)

This DVD contains over two hours of official BBC coverage of the April 29th wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It is also on sale – as of May 24th – through the BBC’s online shop.

To enter, submit your name and email address via the contact form or here in the comments section. I will have a raffle drawing to determine the winner (US residents only). Drawing on 6-10-2011.

This unauthorized tribute is a very charming documentary about the royal couple’s relationship. Prince William is hailed as the British Royal Family’s “golden boy” marrying the lovely young English rose, Kate Middleton.

The documentary looks back on William’s young life, but most of the focus is placed on his university era when he met Kate, up to the present time.

Fun, brotherly jabs are exchanged between William and Harry; Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty, discusses the background of William and Kate’s public relationship; and naturally there is old footage of William’s mother, a baby-faced Diana Spencer, walking briskly down the street with photographers swarming around her. Seeing Kate in much the same position today makes you realize that the paparazzi will never truly give any of the royals privacy, despite Diana’s death.

The sincere hope is expressed that William and Kate’s engagement and wedding will bring new life into the British monarchy. As the documentary comes to a close, the major weddings of our time are seen with the serious intonation by the narrator: “The success of William and Kate’s marriage is crucial to the future stability of the modern monarchy”. It’s a concern not without reason – the marriages of William’s parents, great-aunt Margaret, uncle Andrew, and aunt Anne ended badly. Thankfully uncle Edward’s marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones has flourished, and Anne and Charles seem to have found success in their second marriages. Andrew still seems somewhat undecided over ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, whose scandals have landed him in many an awkward position (amusingly, Sarah’s name is misspelled “Furguson”).

It is concluded that the monarchy will mostly likely be in very safe hands with the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton – now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It is a happy ending to an upbeat and fun DVD. Please enjoy this documentary, which you can purchase at Amazon.com: A Royal Romance: William & Kate

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Mandy’s British Royalty: What inspired you to go?

Marilyn Braun: Originally I hadn’t intended to go to London but I was speaking with a journalist about people who do go to the wedding and why they do so. As I was answering I realized that I wanted to be one of those people too!

MBR: Where did you stay? Would you recommend it?

MB: I stayed at a hotel not far from Buckingham Palace – probably 15 minute walk. I would recommend it mainly for its location. It was close to the Victoria train and underground station. So if I needed to get anywhere I could just go to the terminal without having to get lost finding it!

MBR: Tell us about the night before. What were the crowds like?

MB: There were a lot of people, people who had been camped out to get a prime position, but everyone was very happy and smiling. Just a celebratory mood all around.

MBR: What were the crowds like where you were standing on the Mall?

MB: Once they were pronounced man and wife I went out to go to Buckingham Palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of them on the balcony. However, I couldn’t get near because there were just too many people! Definitely not a place to be if you’re claustrophobic.

MBR: Did you see William and Kate in the flesh?

MB: On the day of the wedding, later on in the evening, I was in the Mall when the police started to partition people off the roadway, to keep it clear for the royals to go from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace. So I was behind one of the gates, waiting for them to drive by. There were several cars that sped by. One was followed by a Range Rover so I presume that was the one with William and Kate in it. So that’s about as close as I got to ‘seeing’ them in the flesh. A bit disappointing that they didn’t slow down. Guess they’d had enough of being on public display earlier and just wanted to relax at their party.
MBR: What souvenirs did you bring back?

MB: I didn’t have a lot of room in my backpack but I did manage to buy some books, a commemorative mug, wedding programmes and a few of the British newspapers from the day. Thankfully my luggage was small otherwise I would have gone completely wild with all of the royal items available!

MBR: What did your family think of your trip?

MB: My husband was very supportive of me going. After the engagement was announced he would ask me whether I was going and I always said no. When other people would find out about my interest in the royal family they too would ask me if I was going. Again, I always said no. My husband wasn’t surprised by my decision to go, he completely understood it. Some of his relatives didn’t quite understand why I would go if I wasn’t invited to the wedding. But his opinion is what counted most.

MBR: Did anyone recognize you?

MB: No! Should they have? LOL! ;)

I say “our” because it is going to involve all of you fashionable royal watchers. If you love a particular royal’s outfit (men included), show us how you found your own version of their look!

I constructed an outfit based on Princess Marie of Denmark. When she and her husband, Prince Joachim, visited Hong Kong last November, I instantly fell in love with her delicate gray ensemble. Image of Marie from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)

While it isn’t exact, it reminded me of Marie’s simple elegance. I love the gray and pink, and with a quick trip to Kohl’s and JCPenney, I had a royal-ready outfit.

Worthington® Trousers (light gray): JC Penney

ELLE™ Lace-Trim Camisole (Evening Sand): Kohl’s

ELLE™ Scalloped Cardigan (Polished Slate): Kohl’s

Candie’s Yunnis Peep Toe Platform High Heels (Blush): Kohl’s

Who is your fashion inspiration? Send me a photo of your royal-inspired outfit to post here at The Royal Rep!

Up Next: Princess Maxima’s Photoshoot