Sally Bedell Smith writes for TIME magazine:

Few remember now, but the regally wrinkled Queen Elizabeth II was once called the World’s Sweetheart. Trained for her role from birth by her parents and various tutors, she walked onto the world stage at age 25 fully equipped to do honor to her post. Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, entered the spotlight without a lifetime of preparation, but she seems open to learning how to play her part.

During Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne–the longest reign in the 1,000-year history of the British monarchy, save for Queen Victoria’s–she has evolved from ingenue to wise grandmother …

From this week’s issue of TIME, on newsstands January 6th. [Read more]

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.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Queen Elizabeth II has returned home from her historic visit to Ireland.

Her Majesty’s speech during her visit moved many, but her mere presence was what spoke the loudest. No British monarch has visited the shores of the Emerald Isle in 100 years. The last British sovereign to set foot on Irish soil was the Queen’s grandfather, King George V, who visited Ireland in 1911 with his consort, Queen Mary.

It is fitting, then, that the Queen should be the next monarch to visit the Republic of Éire. King George and Queen Mary had a profound effect on a young Elizabeth. Though no one knew it at the time, the training Princess Elizabeth received from her august grandparents would stand her in good stead as queen.

Dressed in green and smiling brightly, the Queen shook hands with Irish President Mary McAleese. President McAleese did not curtsy, which in my view is appropriate. To do so would have resulted in a tricky political issue at such an historic moment.

The Queen visited the Garden of Remembrance, the memorial garden in Dublin dedicated to the memory of “all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom”, where she laid a wreath; she toured the Guinness Storehouse; the National Stud at Kildare (of course!); and met with traders at the English Market in Cork.

The Queen also acknowledged the “sad and regrettable” mistakes of Britain’s relationship with Ireland during her state dinner in Dublin. Below, an excerpt of her speech:

‘A hUachtarain agus a chairde (President and friends).

Madam President, Prince Philip and I are delighted to be here, and to experience at first hand Ireland’s world-famous hospitality.

Together we have much to celebrate: the ties between our people, the shared values, and the economic, business and cultural links that make us so much more than just neighbours, that make us firm friends and equal partners.

….

The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load.

There are other stories written daily across these islands which do not find their voice in solemn pages of history books, or newspaper headlines, but which are at the heart of our shared narrative. Many British families have members who live in this country, as many Irish families have close relatives in the United Kingdom.

These families share the two islands; they have visited each other and have come home to each other over the years. They are the ordinary people who yearned for the peace and understanding we now have between our two nations and between the communities within those two nations; a living testament to how much in common we have.

These ties of family, friendship and affection are our most precious resource. They are the lifeblood of the partnership across these islands, a golden thread that runs through all our joint successes so far, and all we will go on to achieve.

They are a reminder that we have much to do together to build a future for all our grandchildren: the kind of future our grandparents could only dream of.

So we celebrate together the widespread spirit of goodwill and deep mutual understanding that has served to make the relationship more harmonious, close as good neighbours should always be.

Good luck in Ireland today, President Obama. You have a tough act to follow.

____
Historic Visit – An Irish View

Highlights of Queen Elizabeth II’s State visit to Ireland – RTÉ.ie

The Irish Independent’s Photo Gallery

Poll shows how Queen was taken to Irish hearts

Mutual respect between two states has soared to new high

The week that Anglophobia died

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

William’s great-grandparents, Prince Albert and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon (26th April 1923)

William’s grandparents, Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, RN (20th November 1947):
Click Here To

William’s parents, HRH The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer (29th July, 1981):

Engagement clips for William and Kate:

Archives of the Princely Palace of Monaco

Star-studded events are always fun and glamorous, but they’re even more fun when they are for a good cause.

Montblanc, known for their sophisticated, high quality writing instruments, has teamed up with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA to benefit the arts. The annual Montblanc Cocktail Event, traditionally held the night before the Oscars, christened the exciting charity partnership with the PGF-USA. It was co-hosted with The Weinstein Company at Soho House in West Hollywood.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the recognition of emerging talent in the realm of theatre, dance, and film by awarding grants in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships through the Princess Grace Awards program.

Though Grace Kelly stepped out of the world of acting to become Monaco’s princess, she remained devoted to the arts. The Foundation reflects this devotion and lifelong commitment to helping emerging artists realize their potential.

Montblanc is particularly proud to be teamed with the Foundation this year, as 2011 marks the 60th anniversary of Grace’s silver screen debut. As part of the celebration, Montblanc has designed a unique collection paying tribute to Princess Grace to be launched internationally on September 8, 2011 in Monte Carlo.

Montblanc is reinforcing its commitment to supporting young people around the world through providing access to education to help them to fulfill their potential. In 2009, Montblanc raised over 4 million USD for UNICEF through its global “Signature for Good” initiative to fight illiteracy. The following year, Montblanc announced its support of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus to coincide with the 70th Anniversary of John Lennon’s birth. This program has encouraged young people all across the US to benefit from access to music education and recording sessions.

So cheers to a great new partnership! I wish both Montblanc and the Princess Grace Foundation success in their endeavors.

* For more about Montblanc: http://www.montblanc.com
* For more about the Princess Grace Foundation: http://www.pgfusa.org

Image via Wikipedia

I loved The King’s Speech. It is a movie that shows the softer, human side of the monarchy. Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter do an outstanding job in their respective roles as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, an opinion reinforced by the numerous Oscar nods and BAFTA nominations.  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has also given her personal seal of approval after a private screening of the film.

The King’s Speech brings King George VI back to life again. He died so young (age 52) that generations of people grew up not knowing much about him. Now he returns to us in a glimpse of his world as “Bertie”, a simple man who transforms from a nervous prince into a noble king.

We all remember Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She waved graciously from underneath her wonderfully colorful hats, continually amazing us that she could still wear heels, even into her nineties. The Queen seemed infinite, the very embodiment of monarchy itself – continuity, elegance, and stability.

Elizabeth was also known for her steely resolve as Duchess of York and as a wartime queen. Bertie’s pain is evident as he struggles for words in both public and private life, and as the second son of a king, he is forced to constantly go against his grain and make speech after speech. Elizabeth is determined to help her husband overcome his impediment and shine a favorable light on the monarchy, and sets about finding a speech therapist.

The brilliant Geoffrey Rush shines as that therapist, an unconventional Australian named Lionel Logue. He was a boon to the shy Bertie. Both Elizabeth and Logue stood by him as he transitioned from Duke of York to King George VI and helped contain the worst of his anxieties in public speaking.

The Critics

It is a wonderfully told, historically accurate story. Some critics, like Christopher Hitchens, think otherwise. Hitchens has written a review of the movie in Slate.com to express his irritation.

Hitchens’ main point of contention seems to be that the film is glossing over facts such as the German appeasement and Winston Churchill’s initial support of Edward VIII. Hitchens is not incorrect, but The King’s Speech is not the movie in which to broach these topics.  Had this been a biographical movie on the entire life and reign of King George VI, then the absence of such facts would indeed be a major oversight. In the meantime, The King’s Speech is just that: it’s about the King’s speech.

Other historic events and facts can be dealt with in a bio-pic, for which we will probably not have long to wait. With successes like The Queen, The Young Victoria, and now The King’s Speech, royal life is a hot topic and is thankfully being presented in a responsible, serious manner.

God Save The King, and God Save The Queen!

Can you name William and Kate’s favorite London nightclub?

Do you run a blog that reports every detail of the royal wedding planning?

Did you grow up with a Princess Diana-obsessed mother?

Do you dream of marrying into the royal family?

If so, you may fit the bill for a major American cable network, currently seeking the country’s most obsessed royal wedding fans. We’re looking for outrageous, outgoing characters who can’t get enough Wills and Kate! Candidates must be American and willing to travel. To apply, please email royalweddingcasting@gmail.com and a producer will send you an application.

The Telegraph

Henry Dimbleby My menu for William and Kate’s wedding

Benedict Brogan A wedding made in heaven for David Cameron

Cristina Odone Royal wedding: Prince William was right to wait

Harry Mount Kate Middleton makes for perfect wife material

The Daily Mail:

Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged and will marry in 2011

The Royal romance that captivated a nation: How Wills and Kate kept us guessing for eight long years

Is this the new People’s Princess? How confident Kate Middleton compares to ‘Shy Di’

The Guardian:

Will and Kate: are you heartbroken? (poll)

In pictures: Kate Middleton and Prince William

Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement today after weeks of speculation