THE Guest List

UK: The official guest list for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has now been released. I did blog a preliminary list but for those who'd like the full works, here's a breakdown per country:

From Spain: HM Queen Sofia and TRH The Prince and Princess of the Asturias

From Belgium: TRH The Duke and Duchess of Brabant

From Denmark: HM Queen Margrethe II

From the Hellenes: TM King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal.


From the Netherlands: TRH Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima

From Norway: TM King Harald V and Queen Sonja

From Bulgaria: TM King Simeon II and Queen Margarita

From Luxembourg: TRH Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Therese

From Monaco: HSH Prince Albert II and Miss Charlene Wittstock

From Romania: HM King Michael I and HRH Crown Princess Margarita

From Sweden: HRH Crown Princess Victoria and HRH The Duke of Västergötland
 From Yugoslavia: TRH Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine and Princess Elizabeth.

Wedding Guest List: Confirmations

UK: We're just a week away from the big day and finally, we have some confirmation of guests to be expected at the Abbey. To anyone expecting a similar turn out to the one we saw in Sweden last year, you'll be disappointed but do remember that William isn't in the same position as Crown Princess Victoria, or even Crown Prince Frederick in Denmark. The guestlist therefore reflects his rank as second in line to the throne.

From Spain, Queen Sofia and Crown Prince Felipe will attend. Queen Margrethe will represented Denmark but we're not sure if she'll be accompanied by Prince Henrik or not. Naturally, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes will be there as Constantine is William's godfather. Also in the exile group will be the King and Queen of Bulgaria, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia and King Michael of Romania. His Majesty will be accompanied by Crown Princess Margarita and not Queen Anne. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Marie Therese are expected from Luxembourg, whilst Prince Albert and his fiance Charlene Wittstock have also confirmed their presence.

From Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are coming whilst King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway were among the first to confirm. Other guests will include the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Aga Khan, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, the King of Bhutan and the Sultan of Brunei. The King and Queen of Malaysia will be at the Abbey and from the Netherlands, we're being treated to Prince Friso and Princess Mabel. Also present will be the Kings of Tonga and Swaziland.

The Name of the Game

UK: There's much speculation about what William and Kate will be known as after their wedding so let the Dame make things a bit clearer. Assuming that William isn't given any other royal title other than 'Prince William of Wales', Kate will become Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales. Why William? Because Kate isn't of royal blood and isn't entitled to be known by her own name, much the same as Princess Michael of Kent. If Her Majesty decides to make William a Duke on the day of his wedding, Kate would be known after marriage as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Wherever. At no point will she be Princess Catherine unless Her Majesty creates her a Princess of the United Kingdom. This is extremely rare and the Queen only created her husband a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957, ten years after their marriage. As to the Dukedoms on offer, there are several vacant ones and the rumour mill suggests that Cambridge has been selected - but then the rumour mill has also suggested that William has declined a Dukedom. Simple, isn't it?

Grand Ducal Couple to visit Norway

Luxembourg: Their Royal Highnesses The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg are to make a state visit to Norway it has been announced. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Therese are to visit King Harald and Queen Sonja from the 30th May to the 1st June. The Grand Ducal couple will be welcomed in the usual official way before laying a wreath at the National Monument in Oslo. There'll be a state banquet in the evening and the rest of the visit will be spent visiting Norwegian-Luxembourg cultural centres with the added celebration of a new exhibition which features work by Johan Caspar de Cicignon who designed Trondheim Cathedral. De Cicignon was born in Luxembourg and Trondheim is now the place of worship for the Norwegian Royal Family.  This is the first state visit since Grand Duke Henri was hospitalised with heart problems in February of this year. The Grand Duke underwent an angioplasty and recovered at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg.

Tiara Talk

UK: There's alot of speculation about the tiara Kate will wear on her wedding day. So I thought I'd put together a little gallery of the likely and least likely candidates. And on the day, those of you who haven't collapsed in a drunken heap can see whether you guessed right or not.

Now, there are a couple tiaras we can most definitely rule out and therefore don't even make the shortlist. The Grand Duchess Vladimir's Tiara is the tiara most associated with Her Majesty The Queen. It has interchangable drop settings in oriental pearls and emeralds but can also be worn with empty loops. But this is very much "Family Hold Back" and Kate will certainly not be in this particular creation on the 29th, simply because the tiara brides are married in becomes their signature headgear. The King George IV Diadem is also out because it's reserved for Queens only. No jokes about Elton John please. So now onto the potentials:

1. The Delhi Durbar Tiara - Unlikely

The Delhi Durbar is a whopper of a piece. Not to everyone's taste, it originally belonged to Queen Mary who topped it with emeralds and wore it to the Durbar of her husband King George V in India, 1911. It isn't a favourite with the family and wasn't seen until the Norwegian State Visit to Britain in 2005, when it was worn by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. As much as I adore Camilla, it didn't really suit her and perhaps it's appeal has been lost in the midst of time. It's far too pageant style for a bride and so I think we can say that the Delhi Durbar is an unlikely choice.

2. The Rundell Tiara - Possible

The Rundell Tiara was made for Princess Alexandra of Denmark on the occasion of her marriage to the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). It was part of a parure (set) which was dipped into by various Queens who have worn the earrings, the necklace and the bracelet but never the tiara. For a tiara that has no chance of a comparison shot (well, not one from this generation anyway), the Rundell may be a good choice for Kate and it also has special wedding provenance. I like it and suggest it as my first possible. Having said that, the marriage of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra wasn't without controversy and the links to a certain Mrs Keppell are probably best left in the past.

3. The Girl's of Great Britain Tiara - Favourite

This is my favourite to make an appearance on the big day, just as it was a favourite way back in 1981 when the press were sure Lady Diana Spencer would appear in it until she produced a family heirloom. With the Middletons being...well...middle class, it's unlikely that they'll have a suitable bauble in the vault and so the Girl's of Great Britain tiara could have it's day. It's still worn by the Queen regularly and was given to Queen Mary for her wedding by a special committee organised by Lady Greville. It's a very bridal piece and would be perfect for Kate.

4. The Burmese Ruby Tiara - Unlikely

Sadly, my favourite tiara in the Royal Collection would be a very unlikely choice. It's big, it has colonial overtones and it's red. Though it's still worn by Her Majesty, it's not a very 'wedding' piece and the old saying about being married in red would still hold true even with the finest rubies. It's a fairly recent invention and was made in 1973 from rubies given to Her Majesty for her coronation from the people of Burma. They were stashed away for almost 25 years until the Queen sent them to Garrards to be transformed into this rose-motif tiara. The Queen loves it and so do I.

5. The Honeycomb Boucheron Tiara - Possible

This tiara is a firm favourite and has such legendary royal connections that it'd be a welcome sight at the nuptials. The tiara was inherited by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother from Lady Greville (methinks the lady wanted friends) and became the signature piece for Her Majesty over many years. Nowadays it's the favourite of the Duchess of Cornwall and if it's her future mother-in-law rather than grandmother-in-law who provides the tiara for the big day, we may well see this. It is however, rather big and needs a lady of a certain age to carry it. It's a possibility.

6. The King George III Fringe Tiara - Possible

Another possibility is the George III Fringe Tiara. Worn by Queen Victoria, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the present Queen, it's obviously a favourite with the Windsor ladies and has been worn at previous weddings. Queen Elizabeth II wore it when she married Philip Mountbatten in 1947 and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal wore it at her wedding to Mark Phillips in 1973. It hasn't been seen since that time and it might be a surprise sight on the 29th.

7. The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara - Unlikely

Famously the piece most associated with Diana and therefore very unlikely. The Royal Family are trying to prevent linking Kate with Diana to avoid the same level of press attack and this would be an unwise choice. Diana didn't wear it to her wedding and as the Spencer Tiara is definitely out, this would be a very unlikely choice despite it's links to Queen Mary who designed it herself in 1914.

8. The Teck Crescent Tiara - Possible

This is a small, understated tiara for the Princess who doesn't want to be too flashy on her big day. When it started life in the possession of Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck (the original People's Princess and mother to Queen Mary), the tiara was taller because Mary Adelaide was shorter. Since that time, it has been whittled down to a simple row of crescents and though worn by the late Queen Mother occasionally, it hasn't been seen in over 20 years.

9. The Strathmore Rose Tiara - Possible

Again, strong links to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. It was given to her by her parents on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Albert, Duke of York in 1923 and has undergone slight renovation to make it more modern. The Queen Mother wore it rarely in later life and it has disappeared into the vaults but the connections to the Queen Mother might see it resurface on the wedding day and the rose motif does give it bridal overtones.

10. The Russian Kokosnik Tiara - Favourite

Another favourite and this time, it's a whopper. It was made for Queen Alexandra who boasted very successful siblings, one of whom was Empress of Russia. Being taken with the style of headgear worn at the Imperial Court, Alexandra returned to England and commissioned this tiara which is hugely popular with the Queen and worn to all kinds of events. Fringe tiaras are popular with Royal Brides; Princess Anne wore a fringe at her first wedding, Princess Alexandra of Kent wore one at her wedding and Queen Elizabeth II wore one at her wedding. This is a little "in your face" as fringe tiaras go but it would be a pleasant sight on Kate's noggin on the 29th.

So there we have it. The choices, the possibilities. But of course, we won't know until the 29th!

Righting the Wrong Rumours

Last night I attended a special concert at the Royal Albert Hall, the theme being "Music for a Royal Wedding". I think it's fair to say that patriotism is running high in Britain at the moment and the gusto with which we sang "Jerusalem" almost caused a few accidents but we got through it and a lovely night was had by all.

Now, there's alot of ridiculous news stories coming about in the tabloid press which have raised a few eyebrows. Let me state here and now that this is what we call "filler news". It doesn't have to be true because the journalist can simply say "a source" and it's printable, neither does it have to have anything but a very loose link to the Royal Wedding. Fleet Street simply can't wait till the 29th and so we're going to see more and more of this tittle tattle filling the newspapers.

The first of such stories is "the dress" article which varies in each retelling. The headline misleads you to think that Kate has made her choice public but you then find it's a not-so educated guess by Judy Finnegan. Let me save you alot of time and false excitement - you won't see the dress till the 29th. Fact. Similarly, the tiara that Kate will wear will be a closely kept secret until the day comes. Of course we can speculate with previous examples to form a sort of tote but I beg of you, do not email me with "I know, I know!" stories. As much as I love my readers, only a small handful of people know and they aint telling the Daily Mail.

And finally, this rather pathetic attack at the Prince of Wales suggesting that he doesn't wish to host a dinner for his extended family (members of Foreign Royal Houses) is bunkum. Such details will have been worked out last year before the engagement was even announced. His Royal Highness will have his diary set in stone for the next six months at least and stories like this do little else but prove that when there's no news, the press will invent some. And it'll usually be at Charles' expense.

So, my advice is - read this blog. I don't pass on anything that's not correct and I certainly do not invent news simply because there isn't any. Indeed, if a day does pass without a William and Kate story I'm rather glad because it means I can get into my garden and admire the gladioli. Anon.

Royal Birthday: Queen Margrethe II

Denmark: It's a very happy birthday to Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark today! 'Daisy' as she is affectionately known turns 71 today and tradition dictates that the Queen appears on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen to give a very strange but lovely form of royal wave - nine hurrahs in honour of her birthday. She has been Queen of Denmark since 1972 and is Denmark's second female monarch in history. As well as being one of the best loved Queens in Europe, Margrethe is also a talented artist and designer and isn't shy of making her views known which can sometimes cause a bit of a storm. But for this fourth-generation Dane, there's a special place in my heart for Queen Margrethe. Happy birthday Ma'am and here's to many more!