All posts by Alexandra

Charlene Wittstock’s Family Spent Christmas in Monaco. Plus More Wedding Information Released

The future Princess of Monaco has been all smiles since the announcement of her engagement to her longtime boyfriend, Prince Albert of Monaco.   And, this week she is even happier.

According to the German magazine, Bild, Miss Wittstock’s family flew in from South Africa to spend Christmas with their daughter and fiancé in the tiny Principality.  Besides her parents attendance, Miss Wittstock’s two brothers, Gareth (who actually moved to Monaco sometime ago) and Sean, were there to celebrated the holidays with their sister.  How long the Wittstock family will be in Monaco is unknown at this time, but I sure hope they have fun.

Meanwhile, more information about the upcoming Princely wedding has been released.   According to the Palais Princier de Monaco:

  1. The wedding will be shot in 3D (why, I have no idea.)
  2. The wedding will be Eco-Friendly éco-compatible including the cars and/or buses that will be used to transport guests.
  3. Revenue, from the networks who bought the rights to air the Princely wedding, will be donated to various foundations in Monaco.
  4. There will be a gala performance at the Monaco Opera.
  5. Lots of booze during the wedding as well pre-wedding gala events.
  6. Fireworks over Monaco (having a fireworks show isn’t exactly Eco-Friendly.  Sounds to me like the Palais Princier de Monaco PR team are freaking confused when it comes down to Environmental issues and crap.  I mean, get it right, people.  Is it or is it not a Eco-Friendly wedding because if it is don’t have a damn fireworks show!)

The magazine, Point de Vue, reports that Miss Wittstock will place her bridal bouquet at the Sainte Dévote church and the state banquet, during pre-wedding events, will be held at the Musée Océanographique.

So there you have it!  You are, once again, up-to-date with information regarding the upcoming Monaco Princely wedding.

Source: www.bild.de  Photos courtesy of DPA via Bild.de andREUTERS/Issei Kato

Catherine Middleton Spends Christmas With her Family in Berkshire, England Sans Prince William

While the members of the British royal family (minus Prince William who had to work) spent their holiday together at the Queen’s modest pad, Sandringham, Miss Catherine Middleton spent the holidays with her family at their home in Berkshire.

The paparazzi once again photographed the future Queen of England as she drove home with her family from somewhere… I don’t know where, but they went somewhere in lovely old England.

Miss Middleton was all smiles, of course, during the quick drive into her parents home (she must have received amazing presents this year thus the mega watt smile.)

Meanwhile, Catherine’s fiance (who seemed to have lost even more hair since the Mario Testino shoot last month :snicker:) was “…on call with his search-and-rescue squadron at RAF Valley on Anglesey” according to the Daily Mail.

 

Photos courtesy of Zimbio by PacificCoastNews.com and www.dailymail.co.uk by Viewfinder Pictures-Chester.

HM Queen Elizabeth II Official Christmas Speech

The Royal Channel, the official You Tube site for the British Monarchy, released HM Queen Elizabeth II’s annual Christmas speech.  Enjoy!  🙂

 

Source: The Royal Channel via You Tube

Christmas Speeches From HM Queen Elizabeth II and HM King Albert II of Belgium

This evening a photo was released of HM Queen Elizabeth II giving her annual Christmas speech to the people of the Commonwealth, “…from the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace.”

Meanwhile, HM King Albert the II of Belgium delivered his Christmas Eve speech from the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium.

 

Photos courtesy of Daylife.com by REUTERS/Thierry Roge and  REUTERS/John Stillwell

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg: A Christmas Message

 

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg gives a Christmas Eve speech to the citizens of the beautiful country of Luxembourg.  You may watch the video of his speech in Luxembourgish (with a dash of French here and there) at:

http://tele.rtl.lu/waatleeft/replay/v/20101224/15/31217/

Or, if you can read French you may read his message via the official website for the Grand Ducal House of Luxembourg at:

http://www.monarchie.lu/fr/Presse/Discours/2010/12/Discours_Noel_FR/index.html

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Source: www.monarchie.lu and tele.rtl.lu

HSH Prince Albert and Miss Charlene Wittstock: Ceremony Update

I have absolutely no idea why this is considered “new” information (everyone has known about this for some time), but the American magazine, People, finally decided to announce that the Princely religious wedding in Monaco will happen outdoors.

Uh. Duh.

Any way, for those who don’t know HSH Prince Albert of Monaco changed the wedding date a couple of times.  Then when the date was set he decided to change the religious service venue to the courtyard of the Palais Princier de Monaco.  There will be giant TV screens so Monégasques (and perhaps tourists) may watch the wedding.  The guest list will not be released perhaps at least days until the actual two day event.

People magazine is also reporting that Miss Charlene Wittstock is “… considering  [the House of] Christian Dior or Giorgio Armani.” to design her wedding gown.  My guess, between the two, Miss Wittstock will ask Mr. Armani to design her gown.  Though she may shock us all and decide to wear a gown designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

 

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Daylife.com by REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch and Francois Durand/Getty Images.

Royal Debate: Whose Wedding Will Be More Epic?

Yes, that oh-so-important question is heavily debated in the royal watching community these days… it’s almost like watching CNN’s old show, Crossfire.   People bitching and yelling as to whom will be the more stunning bride and other inane issues. Any way, now the magazines are in on the discussion.

Gala Magazine recently featured Miss Catherine Middleton and Miss Charlene Wittstock on their cover; inside there is commentary as to whom will have a more memorable as well as beautiful wedding.  It seems that the writer has already made up his/her mind:  Miss Catherine Middleton will dominate when it comes to the Battle of the Royal Weddings (actually, Monaco is a Principality so the wedding will be Princely not Royal.)

In the December issue of Elle France, there is also an editorial dedicated to Charlene and Catherine.  The whole side-by-side comparison is seriously lame, but hey this type of debate sells magazines, and again… whatever.

I don’t know.  The discussion as to whom will be the more memorable bride and/or which wedding will be more beautiful is rather silly, in my opinion.  I’m just hoping someone will screw up — hence tripping down the aisle, or forgetting their soon-to-be husbands name, or crying like a baby.  You get the picture.  LOL.

Frankly, neither women are that extraordinary.  No, I don’t mean aesthetically; rather both women wasted their lives following their boyfriends all over hell and gone in the hopes of a marriage proposal.  And they got it.

Neither Charlene or Catherine made the most of their education (or lack thereof in Charlene’s case) or lives as strong independent women.  Frankly, I find that quite sad.  It’s incredibly unfortunate that neither Charlene nor Catherine had a career and/or worked hard prior to their soon-to-be structured lives as Princesses.  It’s too bad they didn’t follow in the intelligent footsteps of say Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands or Crown Princess Masako of Japan, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, or even Princess Letizia of Asturias.  Instead, in my opinion, Catherine and Charlene were weak women… at the beck and call of their then boyfriends now fiances.

Pathetic.

Okay, enough of my rant.  Sorry.

Right.  So there you have it:  Two major upcoming weddings.  One Royal.  One Princely.  Both will be memorable as well as beautiful in their own unique way.

 

Photo scans courtesy of Bystander from Royal Dish.com.  Yes, she gave me permission to use these four scans in my post… so there.   🙂