[Bhutan] 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to marry 20-year-old commoner Jetsun Pema in October

And there will be another royal wedding this year! 31-year-old King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, will be getting married in October as it was announced today, as he opened his country's parliament.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, King Jigme Khesar "revealed his intention to marry 20-year-old student Jetsun Pema during an address to parliament".

Jetsun, a very beautiful young girl yet a commoner, was born in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, on June 4th, 1990.

He "is an Oxford-educated (now) bachelor crowned in the remote Himalayan country in 2008".

As a King, he has also been helping "usher in democracy in the Buddhist nation". He declared as he announced his decision that "as king, it is now time for me to marry. After much thought I have decided that the wedding shall be later this year"

According to Hello Magazine, he also added that "people might think that my queen should be highly educated, beautiful and best of the best". He said with a huge smile on his face. "Jetsun Pema is a kind-hearted girl who is very supportive and whom I can trust. I don't know what my people will say about her, but I find her complete with all the qualities a woman needs to have."

The couple are set to wed in October. I am sure it will be colourful and lavish! Congratulations to the young couple!

Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary 7th wedding anniversary is today!

Yes, time flies! they got married on May 14th, 2004.

Do you know how they met? to have the answer, press one.

For their engagement interview, press two.

To see their kiss on the balcony, press three.

For Frederik's speech at the wedding, press four.

To see pictures of them and their four children today (Christian, Isabella, Vincent & Josephine), press five.

King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Sophia of Greece and Denmark (now Queen Sofia) have been married for 49 years today!

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have now been married for 49 years. Let's take a quick look at how it went half a century ago.

The engagement

The royal couple got engaged on December 12, 1961, having met on a yacht. In the photo above, of the official engagement, from left to right: Princess Irene of Greece, Prince Constantine of Greece, Queen Frederika of Greece, Don Juan Bourbon y Battenberg, Princess Sophia, Juan Carlos of Spain, King Paul I of Greece, Dona Maria de las Mercedes de Bourbon y Orleans, Countess of Barcelona.


Some background
Juan Carlos and Sophia are both Queen Victoria's descendants and therefore related several times. Juan Carlos is a grandson of Queen Victoria-Eugenia of Spain, born a Princess of Battenberg. Victoria-Eugenia was the only daughter of Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice of Great Britain. Beatrice was Queen Victoria's youngest child. Victoria-Eugenia of Battenberg had the distinct honor of being a favorite of Empress Eugenie of the French, Napoleon III's widow. The closeness between the family of Queen Victoria and her friend Empress Eugenie's led to Beatrice naming her daughter in honor of the two older ladies. Some have also rumored that this friendship between Beatrice and Eugenie was the result of the English princess' love for Eugenie's unfortunate son, the Prince Imperial who died in Africa during the Zulu Wars in 1879.

Sophia is a descendant of Queen Victoria through both her parents. King Paul I of the Hellenes was the youngest son of King Constantine I and Queen Sophie, born a Princess of Prussia. Sophie was the third daughter of Kaiser Friedrich III and Kaiserin Victoria, who was Queen Victoria's eldest child. Sophia's mother, Frederica of Hanover, was the only daughter of Duke Ernst-August of Brunswick and Princess Victoria-Luise of Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm II's only daughter. Wilhelm II and Queen Sophie of Greece were siblings, both being children of Kaiser Friedrich III and Kaiserin Victoria. Duke Ernst-August was closely related to the English royal family, as the head of the old Hanoverian royal family. Ernst-August was the grandson of King George V of Hanover, only son of King Ernst-August of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland. Ernst-August was the younger brother of Edward, Duke of Kent, Queen Victoria's father

The wedding ceremony

The prince and princess were married at two church ceremonies. The first ceremony took place at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Denis, Athens, Greece. Accompanied by her father and brother Constantine, Sophia arrived at the church in a majestic golden royal coach pulled by six horses.

The emotion of the day finally got to the bride by the time she reached the altar. Tears fell down her cheeks, and a concerned Juan Carlos offered her his handkerchief and held her arm to comfort her. By the way, 42 years after, Felipe did the exact same with Letizia.

After the couple were pronounced husband and wife, mass was celebrated. The strains of Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Perosi’s Magnificat filled the church. Accompanied by Handel’s Alleluia, Juan Carlos and Sophia left the church to be greeted by rapturous crowds.

After the one-hour Catholic ceremony, the couple then traveled in a carriage drawn by six white horses to a second ceremony at the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of the Virgin Mary.

The bride’s dress

The bride wore a silver-white lamé gown encrusted with Brussels lace and antique brocade, by Greek designer Jean Dessés.

The bride’s veil

The veil was 15-feet long, and had been used 25 years earlier at the wedding of the bride’s parents, Princess Federica of Hanover and Prince Pavlos of Greece.

The bride’s tiara

Sophia’s elegant imperial-style tiara, made of platinum and diamonds, was given to her by her mother Queen Frederica.

Since the tiara was made it has been connected with dynastic weddings. Kaiser Wilhelm II gave it to his daughter Princess Victoria of Prussia when she married the Crown Prince of Hannover, Ernesto Augusto.

Victoria’s daughter Queen Frederica of Greece was herself given the tiara by her mother when she married the then Prince Pavlos of Greece.

Queen Sofía of Spain loaned the tiara to her daughter-in-law Princess Letizia on her marriage to Sofía’s son Felipe and she has been using it ever since.

The flowers

The bride carried a small bouquet of lily of the valley. The Orthodox Cathedral was decorated with 35,000 roses, Sophia’s favorite flower; red and yellow carnations, the colors of Spain, filled the Roman Catholic Church.

The bride and groom’s attendants

The bride was attended by Princess Irene of Greece (the bride’s sister), Infanta Pilar of Spain (the groom’s sister), Princess Irene of the Netherlands, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Princesses Beneditke and Anne Marie of Denmark—the latter Danish princess would eventually become the bride’s sister-in-law, Princess Anne of France, and Princess Tatiana Radziwill. Prince Michael of Greece, the Duke of Aosta, and Infante Alfonso de Orleans acted on behalf of the groom.

The wedding banquet

Once the Orthodox ceremony finished, the newlyweds returned to the Greek royal palace. After a brief royal civil ceremony, a fantastic banquet for more than one thousand guests was held in honor of Juan Carlos and Sophia.

The guest list

The wedding saw the biggest gathering of royals in Europe since before 1914. Over 150 members of Europe’s royal families were invited, including representatives from the royal houses of Greece, Spain, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Hanover, Portugal, France, Monaco, Luxembourg, Parma, Württemberg, and Romania.

Thousands of Spaniards traveled from Spain to Greece to witness the wedding of their future King and Queen. Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sophia hosted a large garden party at the Hellenic Tennis Club to acknowledge their Spanish guests’ support and enthusiasm for the union.

The honeymoon

After the wedding banquet, the couple left for the royal retreat on the island of Corfu, starting a four month honeymoon and also spent time in New York.


Nowadays
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia are still married *sigh of relief*, have two daughters and a son, Elena, Cristina and Felipe. Infanta Elena married Jaime de Marichalar in 1995 and have two children. They divorced in 2010. Infanta Cristina married Iñaki Urdangarin in 1999 and have four children. They now live in Washington. Don Felipe married Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano in 2004. They now have two children.

sources for this article 1, 2 and 3

The Prince of Prussia's wedding - Prince Georg Friedrich to marry Princess Sophie von Isenberg

There is this awesome Royal-Blogging community on Twitter (and now on Facebook) that I am glad to be a part of. And this week, as we were (are?) still in Royal Wedding Fever, we were asking each other what was still to come, weddings-wise. 

First, Prince Albert II of Monaco's wedding to Charlene Wittstock at the beginning of July. We are waiting for something lavish, lavish, lavish. He is THE sovereign.

Then Zara Anne Phillips is getting married to Mike Tindall at the end of the same month. 

Comes August, and a non-reigning house - the House of Hohenzollern - will be celebrating a new union. According to das Bild.De, this week, "invitations go for the marriage of the great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia (34), and his fiancée Princess Sophie von Isenburg (33) were sent out". 

"About 1,500 invitations were sent to German and international Noble and Royal Families" said Michael Blankart, director of the general representation of the formerly ruling Prussian royal family, on Monday. 

The couple will tie the knot on August 27th in Potsdam in the Church of Peace in Sanssouci.

But who is Georg Friedrich? As I have never spoken about him previously here on RO, here is his biography, according to Preussen.de, the House of Hohenzollern official website: George Frederick Ferdinand Prince of Prussia was born on the 10th of June in 1976 in Bremen/Germany. In the year before the wedding of his parents, Prince Louis Ferdinand jr. (1944-1977) and Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen (* 1950) had caused large media attention. Tragically, his father died shortly after Prince George Frederick’s first birthday from severe injuries he had suffered in a military training exercise. His widow gave birth to a girl, Princess Cornelie-Cécile, six months later. Therefore Prince Louis Ferdinand sen. (1907-1994) designated his grandson Prince George Frederick to become his heir.

Both mother and grandfather made every effort to ensure him a carefree childhood. Prince George Frederick started school in Fischerhude near Bremen where his parents had taken residence, and attended grammar school in Bremen and Oldenburg. Then he finished at Glenalmond College near Aberdeen/Scotland where he passed his A-levels. It was during his stay in Scotland when his grandfather Prince Louis Ferdinand sen. passed away and he succeeded as head of the House of Hohenzollern.

After two years of military service in the mountain troops in Mittenwald/Bavaria he started to study business economics at the universitiy of Freiberg/Saxony. During his university career he took various internships in software enterprises in Germany and abroad. One of them was a six month stay in Quito/Ecuador which left many impressions and enforced his particular affection for South America and the Spanish language. Since 2009 he works for a company specialized on marketing of academic innovation.

He considers the preservation of the memory of the Prussian history and the continuation of his family’s traditions not only as a duty but a very personal matter. Furthermore he committed himself to the cause of German-American friendship and succeeded his grandfather as honorary member of an association dedicated to this aim and co-founded by the latter. He also presides over the Princess Kira of Prussia-Foundation, which was founded by his grandmother in 1952 in order to offer free holidays to socially disadvantaged children at Hohenzollern Castle every year since then.

[Denmark] [VIDEO] The engagement of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson (2003)

Denmark's most famous author, Hans Christian Andersen, could not have thought up a more bizarre setting or its riveting ensuing chapters: that Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik, a Navy Seal frogman, finds and kisses his princess, a Sydney real estate agent, amid the smoky informality of a crowded pub.
The famous playboy crown prince sat alongside his cousin, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, his brother, Prince Joachim, and Princess Martha of Norway at the Slip Inn as the country was celebrating the spectacle of the Olympic Games opening ceremony. The conversation turned to that first day's competition after Ian Thorpe had smashed a world record.
Joining the discussion were a couple of flirtatious Australian women, who started debating whether hairy or hairless was sexier. One was Beatrice Tarnawski, whose sister was a friend of the nephew of the king of Spain. Ms Tarnawski happened to invite her friend Andrew Miles and his flatmate along for a beer and pizza on that first night of the Games.
The flatmate was Mary Donaldson, a vivacious brown- eyed former law student from Tasmania who had spent the past seven years living in Sydney's eastern suburbs.It was Ms Tarnawski who got the discussion going, and at one point all the women in the group were rubbing their common hands over the very princely torsos to compare which was the more sensual.

"All the girls around the table were discussing what is best, the man with a hairy chest or a man without hair, and the princes were wearing open shirts," said Ms Tarnawski.

"We were allowed to touch Prince Frederik and Prince Nikolaos. I liked Prince Frederik best because he was so smooth. Prince Nikolaos had a lot of hair and that really wasn't my type."

Ms Donaldson, too, liked the hairless Crown Prince Frederik and they partied on into the night. But it was the common interests of the prince and Ms Donaldson, particularly horses and a sense of sporting adventure, that drew them together.

More than two years on, Ms Donaldson has quit her job, moved to Denmark and leased a $7000-a-month apartment next to the magnificent Palace of Amalienborg. Recently she started a job with Microsoft in Copenhagen, is taking lessons in the Danish language".

source of the article

On 24 September 2003 the Danish court announced that Queen Margrethe II intended to give her consent to the marriage at the State Council meeting scheduled for 8 October 2003 and the couple became officially engaged on the same day. They married in May 2004 and now have four children together.

[The Netherlands] [VIDEO] The controversial engagement of Princess Beatrix and Claus van Amsberg (1965)

The announcement in July 1965 of the engagement of Princess Beatrix, heir to the throne, to a German diplomat, Claus von Amsberg stirred great controversy in the Netherlands. The future husband of the future Queen had been a member of the Nazi Wehrmacht and the Hitler Youth movement. Many angry Dutch citizens demonstrated in the streets, and held rallies and marches against the "traitorous" affair. While this time upset citizens did not call for Queen Juliana's abdication because the true object of their wrath, Princess Beatrix, would then be Queen, they did start to question the value of having a monarchy at all. After attempting to have the marriage cancelled, Queen Juliana acquiesced and the marriage took place in 1966 under a continued storm of protest and an almost certain attitude pervaded the country that Princess Beatrix might be the last member of the House of Orange to ever reign in the Netherlands.

In the video, we can see Queen Juliana speaking, in presence of her husband, Consort Prince Bernhard and the newly engaged couple. And no, young Beatrix never changed her hairstyle ever since. A photo-call followed and we get to see her three sisters, Princess Irene, Princess Margriet and Princess Christina.

[The Netherlands] [VIDEO] The emotional engagement of Prince Willem-Alexander to Maxima Zorreguieta (2001)

Máxima Zorreguieta met the heir to the Dutch throne, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, in April 1999 in Sevilla, Spain, during the Seville Spring Fair, also known as the "Feria de Abril de Sevilla." This is an important annual event, to which many people from other countries come and dress in typical Spanish Andalusian costume. In an interview, they stated that he introduced himself only as "Alexander," so that she did not know he was a prince. She thought he was joking when he told her he was a Prince. They agreed to meet in New York, where Máxima was working for Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, two weeks later. Their relationship apparently began in New York, but the Princess did not meet the Prince's parents, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, for some time.

The couple announced their engagement on March 30th, 2001 after receiving approval from the Dutch parliament (necessary by law for the Prince of Orange to remain heir to the throne). Princess Máxima addressed the nation in fluent Dutch during the directly televised broadcast on the occasion of the engagement. We can hereby see her speaking, after Queen Beatrix and Consort Prince Claus von Amsberg (who was quite ill at the time) addressed the nation.

Princess Máxima and Prince Willem-Alexander were married on February 2nd, 2002 in a civil ceremony in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam which was then followed by a religious ceremony at the Nieuwe Kerk. They have three daughters, Catharina-Amalia, Alexia and Ariane as of today.

[United-Kingdom] Queen gives formal consent for her grandson's union with 'trusty' Kate

The historic document signed by the Queen to give her approval to her grandson's marriage has been unveiled.

Personally signed by the monarch, the elaborate document proclaims her consent to the union of "Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, K.G. and Our Trusty and Well-beloved Catherine Elizabeth Middleton".

The Prince had to ask his grandmother's permission in line with a law dating back to the 18th century.

Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, all descendants of George II must obtain the sovereign's agreement before they wed, otherwise the marriage is invalid.

Known as the 'Instrument of Consent', the document features elaborate artwork representing the groom and bride-to-be.

There is a gold cipher of their entwined initials, beneath the prince's coronet.

A white lily represents St Catherine of Siena, whose feast day falls on April 29 and with whom Kate shares her name. Beneath it is a Welsh leek surrounded by William's 'label', a symbol comprising three prongs which denotes his status as second in line to the throne. The tiny red escallop - or sea-shell - comes from the Spencer family arms. Also represented is a red dragon - the heraldic symbol of Wales, the UK's floral emblems - the rose, thistle and shamrock - and the Garter belt.

The Instrument of Consent will be presented to the royal newlyweds following their marriage as a keepsake.

source

Official ceremonial timings for Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, minute by minute

The following timings have been confirmed for the Wedding Day:

• Between 8.15am and 9.45am: The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.
• From 9.50am: Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries,the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.
• 10.10am The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.15am.
• 10.20am Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
• 10.20am Mrs. Michael (Carole) Middleton and Mr. James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.27am.
• 10.25am Members of the Royal Family (except those listed below) leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.30am.
• 10.35am The following Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.40am:

- The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
- The Duke of York
- Princess Eugenie of York
- Princess Beatrice of York
- The Earl and Countess of Wessex

• 10.38am The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.42am.
• 10.40am The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.45am.
• 10.48am The Bridesmaids and Pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 10.55am.
• 10.51am The Bride, accompanied by Mr. Michael Middleton, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.
• 11.00am The Marriage Service begins. The Marriage Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route.
• 12.15pm The Carriage Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom with a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen’s Procession with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.
• 12.30pm The Bride’s Carriage Procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.
• 12.40pm Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Buckingham Palace.
• From 12.40pm: Other guests for the Reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.
• 1.25pm The Queen and the Bride and Bridegroom, together with their Families, appear on the Balcony.
• 1.30pm Fly Past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Notes

Miss Catherine Middleton, accompanied by her immediate family, will spend the night before the Wedding at the Goring Hotel. This was the Middleton family’s personal choice.

All arrivals at Westminster Abbey are at the Great West Door unless otherwise indicated.

All routes to and from Westminster Abbey are as already announced: The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Square (south side), Broad Sanctuary. The additional route from the Goring Hotel to The Mall is yet to be confirmed.

The Wedding Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route. This is in addition to the screens already announced at Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square. More information for members of the public wishing to watch the Wedding Service in central London is available at www.direct.gov.uk/royalwedding

[United-Kingdom] Photos from Prince William and Kate Middleton's last public engagement before wedding

To check out the video of this event and my comments, click here.

Kate Middleton and Prince William were caught in a torrential downpour this week as they arrived in Lancashire on their last public engagement before their wedding.

But not even the inclement British weather could dampen the sunny mood of the crowds who waited to greet them.

There were cheers as the couple arrived, with Kate sheltering under an umbrella. Some members of the crowd even waved flags bearing pictures of the royal sweethearts.

She's been experimenting lately with her look, stepping out in vibrant red and the super chic Burberry trench, which sold out on the firm's website in a day.

But Kate was back in her tried and tested hue this week, stepping out in navy blue.

The future Princess looked elegant in a simple jacket and skirt as the couple arrived to open the Community Darwen Aldridge Academy.

What stood out was her hair. Usually tumbling down her back in gentle waves, this time it was partly pinned back, drawing attention to her cheekbones and a pair of delicate gold earrings.

While they're in town, the couple will also launch the SkillForce Prince's Award.

The prize will honour teenagers who "show significant character or make major contribution to the community".

Tens of thousands of well-wishers were expected to gather at Witton Park to welcome the couple, but the weather cut the numbers down significantly.

There William will sign a deed to protect the park and perhaps even have a kick-around when he meets a group taking part in a football skills training programme involving Blackburn Rovers.

source

Stephanie of Monaco: Charlene [Wittstock] will make a 'dream' sister-in-law

What a year it is for royal weddings. Not only will 2011 mark the nuptials between William and Kate and Zara and Mike, but also the highly-anticipated marriage of Prince Albert of Monaco and his long-term love Charlene Wittstock.

And one lady particularly thrilled by Albert's long-awaited union is his youngest sibling Princess Stephanie, who this week declared her affection for his striking bride-to-be.

Speaking to Le Parisien newspaper, Stephanie said she and Charlene enjoy "very very good relations", touchingly adding: "I couldn’t dream of a better sister-in-law".

Asked whether she is involved in the upcoming wedding, taking place at the beginning of July, the twice-divorced princess replied: "Well, no, but that's OK."

Albert and Charlene, 32, are "taking care of it all", Stephanie, 45, added. "I am planning on enjoying this great moment of happiness for my country, my brother and for all the Monegasque people.

"I am very happy for them. Like all little sisters, I want to see my brother happy. It’s a demonstration of their love and happiness that I'm seeing, which has been theirs for a little while now."

After a change in date, 52-year-old Albert – the only son of Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier III - and Charlene are set to wed on July 2nd during a civil ceremony, followed by a religious service the following day.

The former South African swimming champion and her prince announced their engagement in June after a four-year courtship.

from Hellomagazine.com

[United-Kingdom] "No gifts please!": Kate & William want charity donations

What do you get the couple who seemingly have everything? That may have been the dilemma faced by invitees to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.

Not any more, however. The bride-and-groom to be have apparently decided to dispense with the traditional wedding list – and are instead asking guests to donate to charity.

The couple will accept presents from close friends and family, but are asking all other guests to make a private donation to a cause.

The final details are yet to be decided, but the organisations that will benefit could include one of the 23 charities of which William is patron.

These include homeless charity Centrepoint, The Child Bereavement Charity and the Tusk Trust. They could also include the Starlight children's charity with which Kate is associated.

from Hellomagazine.com

[United-Kingdom] Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall tipped to marry in Scotland

A white-walled parish church on Edinburgh's Royal Mile could be the setting for a royal wedding.

Canongate Kirk is being tipped as the likely venue for Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall's nuptials after the bride-to-be reportedly made enquiries about getting married there on Saturday July 30.

And it has emerged that the church's minister, Reverend Neil Gardner, has asked another couple to move their own wedding to avoid a clash.

Cherith Harrison and Gregg Walter have apparently relocated their big day to Greyfriars Kirk, and the father of the bride has been quoted as saying they were "quite happy" to step aside for Zara and her groom.

The parish church for the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Castle, Canongate Kirk was founded in 1688 and completed in 1691 at the behest of King James VII of Scotland.

The interior features pews and fittings unusually painted in baby blue while the white walls are lined with the flags of local regiments.

A spokesperson for Zara, 29, has insisted nothing has been finalised, and Reverend Gardner said he was unable to comment, but he did add: "I'm sure there will be an announcement."

Princess Anne's daughter is said to be "desperate" to wed in Scotland in the summer. The royal family has strong ties with the country and with Canongate Kirk in particular.

The Queen worships there when she stays at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – the monarch's official residence in Scotland and a probable setting for Zara and Mike's reception (pictured below).

And Princess Anne famously tied the knot with second husband Commander Timothy Laurence in a private ceremony at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, in 1992. Should Zara marry in Scotland, it will be the first royal wedding there since her mother's.

Rugby star Mike, 32, and Zara announced their engagement in December – five weeks after her cousin Prince William confirmed his plans to wed.

The happy couple have been dating for seven years having met in 2003 during the Rugby World Cup.

from Hellomagazine.com

[United-Kingdom] Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall: the engagement ring & photos

Just weeks after Prince William presented his bride-to-be Kate Middleton to the world, another royal couple were delighted to share their happy news.

On Tuesday Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall made their first public appearance since announcing their engagement – and they couldn't have looked more delighted.

In their typically understated style, the couple were casually dressed as they posed in the snowy gardens of their Gloucestershire home. Zara beamed as she showed off the gorgeous diamond band that sealed their love.

Rather than choosing a family heirloom, as William did, Mike decided to design his own ring for his royal bride-to-be. The beautiful piece of jewellery features a single solitaire diamond in the centre. It sits on tens of pave set diamonds on a split shank or band made of platinum. Experts said it was impossible to tell how much the ring was worth without knowing the quality of the diamonds or the jeweller.

Zara said that it came as a complete surprise when Mike asked her to marry him on Monday at their home.

She said: "I was really shocked when Mike proposed but I am very happy", while he added: "I am delighted that Zara has agreed to marry me. We are both very excited about the next stage in our lives together."

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh also spoke of their "delight" at the happy news.

On the subject as to whether Mike had asked Captain Phillips for Zara's hand in marriage, a spokesman said it was a "private matter". But seeing as Mike has admitted to being a "traditional bloke" in past interviews, it's highly likely he asked permission.

There's still no word on where or when the couple will tie the knot, but it seems likely they will do it next year, meaning there'll be two British royal weddings in 2011.

Possible venues include St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle – where Zara's brother Peter Phillips married Autumn Kelly. And the Queen is expected to offer a venue for the reception, such as Frogmore.

from Hellomagazine.com

No slick long blow-dried hair, no Issa dress, no suit for the groom, no special room. They did the photo shoot in the snow, sticking to their style of life and I can only appreciate and respect them for that!

[United-Kingdom] Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall are engaged

Prince William is not the only British royal with a wedding to plan. It has been announced that his cousin Zara Phillips is engaged to her long-term boyfriend Mike Tindall.

"The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Zara Phillips to Mr Mike Tindall," a notice read on the British Monarchy Twitter page.

And a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman has confirmed the happy news, revealing that Mike proposed to Zara on Monday night at the couple's Gloucestershire home.

The Queen and Prince Philip are said to be "delighted". The 29-year-old equestrian and her rugby player love have been dating for around seven years since first meeting during England's Rugby World Cup winning campaign in 2003. Speaking to HELLO! last year, Mike, 32, confirmed that long-term commitment was on the cards, saying: "I don’t think it's about whether we will get married but when."

"There's no doubt that I love Zara but it has to be the right time… And yes it probably will be a white wedding, although sometimes I can see the attraction of sneaking away without telling anyone."

The couple have yet to set a date for their wedding, but are unlikely to pick one too close to April 29, which has been chosen by William and Kate.

from Hellomagazine.com

"The revenge of the commoners" from Montreal Gazette - really nice article about princes and their brides

In Hans Christian Andersen's The Princess and the Pea, the prince has a little problem. He searches far and wide for a real princess to wed, but can't find one who meets his royal expectations. Which are, admittedly, very vague, except that he wants a real princess. The genuine article. One dark and stormy night, a drenched young woman arrives at the doorstep of the palace claiming to be a real princess. The queen — like astute prospective mothers-in-law everywhere — takes this opportunity to test the credentials of her potential replacement. She puts the young woman in a bed of 20 mattresses and 20 feather comforters, under which there is a single pea.

The next morning the young woman complains that she has been bruised by something in the bed. Everyone rejoices. The young woman's hypersensitivity proves — to the prince and his discerning mother, at least — that this girl is royal marriage material.

Andersen's little story, a relatively minor contribution to the fairy-tale canon, was first published in 1835. The story doesn't tell us anything else about what it takes to make a real princess besides a propensity to gripe about palace hospitality. Is she beautiful, is she kind, is she smart as a whip with the kind of diplomatic skills and good judgment it takes to be a good royal consort? All Andersen tells us about princesses is that they are not like the rest of us.

The prince marries his real princess, the pea is placed in a museum for posterity, and Andersen doesn't even bother to let us know if the royal couple lived happily ever after.

Fast forward 175 years, and princesses are more like commoners and far less like that elusive real princess. And observers are delighted.

Want to read more of this article, click here.

Royal Wedding will see Britain enjoy a three-day week - and lots of partying

Prince William and Kate Middleton announced they would marry in Westminster Abbey on Friday, April 29, in a ceremony the couple said they wanted to share with the nation.

Their wedding day would be a bank holiday, Downing Street said. With Easter the weekend before and the May bank holiday on the Monday after, workers will be buoyed by consecutive four-day weekends.

It means those who want to get away from all the hoopla can take an 11-day holiday and use only three days of their annual leave. Elaine Wichall, 65, a retired receptionist, from Kent, said: ‘I think we Brits deserve it after all the bad news we’ve had recently.’

April 29 was one of the favourite dates amid the flurry of speculation

after the couple announced last week they were to be married.

Ministers caught the mood by telling councils they wanted it to be easy for people to organise street parties Instead of confusing guidelines on food licences, road closures and insurance – councils are being urged to ask organisers to complete one simple form.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles said: ‘Royal wedding street parties are a great British tradition.’

Publicans’ groups called for a loosening of licensing laws to ‘help deliver the down-to-earth celeb ration and feelgood factor the royal family has said it wants’.

Businesses grudgingly backed the extra day off but pointed out it would cost them £6billion. ‘The royal wedding is a day for national celeb ration and, under these unique circum stances, a one-off additional bank holiday is appropriate,’ the CBI said.

from Metro.co.uk

Prince Albert's fiancée Charlene Wittstock attends Monaco National Day service and celebrations

A little over 50 years ago a glamorous blonde arrived at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monte Carlo to marry Prince Rainier, thus becoming a princess of Monaco. That bride was Grace Kelly. This week, another ice-cool blonde, Charlene Wittstock was on the steps of the 19th-century cathedral, attending Monaco's National Day, with Princess Grace's son in what almost seemed like a dress rehearsal for their lavish nuptials set for next July. Dipping a low curtsy before Monaco's Archbishop, Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer, who represented her native South Africa, seemed to have mastered her future role as Prince Albert's consort perfectly. From her elegant headgear and nip-waisted suit to her court shoes, the 32–year-old looked very much the part of the princess-to-be. Inside the cathedral, she took her place alongside her future sisters-in-law, Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, in a pew decorated with flowers in the principality's colours - red and white. Caroline's husband Ernst of Hanover was not present – his absence appearing to confirm speculation that the couple's marriage has broken down. Despite her own marital difficulties, the princess has shown herself to be delighted at her brother's happiness and seemed at ease with Charlene's inclusion for the first time on such a key occasion. Also brightening her day was the fact that her children, Charlotte, Alexandra, Pierre and Andrea, joined the senior royals on the balcony of the palace to greet wellwishers. Although the House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco since 1297, the November 19 holiday celebrates the date when the state's sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861.

from Hellomagazine.com