William & Kate Begin Royal Tour of North America

The Royals are coming! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, less formally known as Will and Kate, will be touching down in North America on Thursday.

The couple will arrive in Ottawa, where they will pay respects to fallen Canadian soldiers at the National War Memorial.

They will then head to Rideau Hall in Ottowa for their official welcome to Canada. Open to the public, the event will include a speech from the Governor General, Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness, Prince William.

According to the tour briefing, those in attendance will be: "veterans, volunteers, community organizers, and people who, in their personal or professional lives, work to improve the lives of their fellow citizens."

Will and Kate will then meet with 120 Canadian youth at a "Celebration of Youth Reception".

The couple was seen at London's Heathrow Airport this morning boarding a plane provided by the Royal Canadian Air Force. They should reach North America by this afternoon.

Kate looked as regal and diplomatic as ever, wearing a monochromatic navy blue dress and form-fitting blazer. When she gets to Los Angeles, I'm sure we can expect a little more fun in her outfits, maybe even some color!

William and Kate will visit Montreal, Quebec and Calgary before heading to Los Angeles and a brief stay in Santa Barbara.

Prince William and Kate Middleton Honor Irish Guards on Armed Forces Day

Continuing with their royal duties, Prince William and Kate Middleton took time to pay tribute to servicemen and women Saturday on Britain's Armed Forces Day.

So, what were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge up to...and what did they wear?

While the royal duo was originally scheduled to spend only 30 minutes with the guardsmen during William's first event as Colonel-in-Chief of the Irish Guards, William and Kate reportedly honored soldiers and their families for an hour, and presented Afghanistan campaign medals to members of the Irish Guards, according to People.

William, who is the honorary colonel of the unit, also presented the Elizabeth Cross to families of three fallen servicemen in a private ceremony.

"I am proud to be your colonel," William told the guardsmen. "I am humbled by the thought of the sacrifices that you and your families have made and the losses that you suffered, all in the service of our country."

Naturally, Kate and William honored the guardsmen in style, with Kate donning a simple fascinator paired with a chic navy blue coat dress and matching heel.

William & Kate's Wedding Fund Raises $1.7 Million for Charity

The public didn't just open their hearts to Prince William and Kate Middleton this spring. They opened their wallets – to the tune of $1.7 million raised for charity by the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund.

William and Kate set up the fund so that anyone who wished to send them a wedding gift could instead donate to the couple's chosen charities. In the end, the fund took in a grand total of £1,058,367 – or $1,706,828 – according to Buckingham Palace.

The funds included direct donations, as well as revenue raised from wedding-related projects. The latter included a donation by Decca Records from sales of the official Royal Wedding Album, and a donation made by Mario Testino's office from sales of the photograph of the couple printed in the official wedding brochure.

The 26 charities that will benefit from the fund were grouped into particular areas: Changing Lives through Arts and Sport; Children Fulfilling Their Potential; Help and Care at Home; Support for Service Personnel and Their Families; and Conservation for Future Generations.

The funds will be distributed among the charities by the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's Glamorous Night Out

Prince William and Kate Middleton made an absolutely elegant entrance to the 10th Annual ARK Gala Dinner at Kensington Palace in London on Thursday, June 9th.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, stepped onto the purple carpet for the Absolute Return to Kids event wearing a gorgeous Jenny Packham dress in a lovely shade of shimmering, pearlescent barely-there blush pink embellished with Swarovski crystals and sheer shoulder details.

The organization and annual gala is founded by Arpad Busson and he was thrilled to have the young royals at the event, which was also sponsoring Prince William and Prince Harry‘s foundation.

William and Kate “bridge the generations,” said Busson. “We need to get young philanthropists involved with us. They could not have been a better choice.”

At the couple’s table, they were seated with Tom Ford, Colin Firth, Liz Hurley, Jemima Khan, Prince Pavlos of Greece, Princess Marie-Chantal and Countess von Bismarck.

William, 28, spoke to the gathered crowd and said that with his brother Harry, he and Catherine want to make a difference.
 
“Harry and I find ourselves in a position to be able to help. I really believe that individuals can make a serious difference – whether it’s through wealth, through position, or some other advantage,” he said. “Catherine and I hope to use our philanthropy as a long-term catalyst for meaningful change.”
More Pictures of Kate's Lovely Dress.

Prince William & Kate Middleton: Vanity Fair July 2011 Cover

With all the media attention surrounding them, it's unsurprising that Prince William and Kate Middleton have landed the glossy cover of Vanity Fair. The July cover bares a photo of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which is one that we've never seen before.

It was taken by Mario Testino during their official engagement portrait session, and it shows the couple all-smiles and relaxed. Inside the magazine there are further portraits by Testino, including an iconic image of Princess Diana from 1997. One worth hanging onto as a keepsake perhaps.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's North America Tour Schedule

Off the heels of their romantic honeymoon, Prince William and Kate Middleton are trading in the Seychelles for a setting that's a little less tropical -- Canada. The pair announced an 11-day trip next month to North American during which they'll even attend a cattle stampede in Calgary, according to People.

The royal couple will participate in "the diversity [and] vibrancy of Canada, its geography and people," a St. James' Palace source told People.

The trip will mark the couple's first post-wedding royal tour, an important part of maintaining their world presence as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the potential future king and queen of England. Plus Middleton is interested in learning more about her family's history -- her grandfather was stationed as a bomber pilot in Canada during World War II.

Although their American pit-stops have yet to be revealed, it has been announced that William and Middleton will travel from Montreal to Quebec to Calgary during the Canadian leg of their trip before flying to Los Angeles on July 8. But the pair won't get caught up in the La-La Land celebrity world.

"The couple view this as a working visit, not as an opportunity for them to meet celebrities," the palace source continued.

We hope that all work and no play won't make for a dull royal couple. At least the pair won't be bogged down by a royal fleet of security guards -- Prince William and Middleton plan on keeping "their entourage to a minimum." But with a rumored 40 different outfit changes throughout the tour, we have a feeling Middleton will need more than a few extra men to carry her bags.

Royal Couple 'William and Kate' To Grace Cover Of Vanity Fair

Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton will grace the cover of America’s Vanity Fair magazine.

The newlyweds will appear in a never-before-seen photo shot by famed lensman Mario Testino on the cover of the mag’s July issue, according to a US report. It comes 14 years after William’s late mother Princess Diana starred in a series of Testino portraits for the publication.

He shot their engagement last year.

But one frame was saved that will be used on the cover.

It will hit US newsstands next week.

Testino said he joked around to get the pair to relax for the pics. He said: 'I perform for people, I make them laugh, I make a fool of myself.'

The royal couple are set to visit Los Angeles in July.

Royal biographer predicts Kate Middleton will be pregnant in months

Kate Middleton will be pregnant in a matter of months, according to the prediction of Royal biographer Andrew Morton.

The journalist and author, who penned a biography of Princess Diana called Diana: Her True Story, thinks that Prince William and Kate - now officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – will waste no time in starting a family.

Speaking to No.1 magazine, Morton said: “I’m pretty confident that, according to Royal tradition, she’ll be pregnant within the next few months. Every reigning monacrch for the last 200 years has had a child within a year-and-a-half; Diana was pregnant within three months."

The biographer also took a guess at the sex of the couple's first child, continuing: “I expect her to have a girl because helicopter pilots traditionally have girls and I expect the baby’s name to have Diana in it.”

However Mr Morton’s predictions could end up being far off the mark; after all, Kate and Wills shunned tradition by dating for eight years before getting engaged – much longer than normal Royal courtships.

They also lived together for many years before marrying and have decided to return to their rented cottage in Wales to start married life, rather than moving into one of the luxurious Royal residences.

The couple are also thought to be planning to spend at least two more yeas in Anglesey, while William continues in his job as a search and rescue pilot with the RAF, so baby plans might be off the radar for a while yet.

Glowing William and Kate Welcome the Obamas to the U.K.

Kate Middleton assumed her first royal duty this morning, just days after arriving home from her honeymoon in the Seychelles, when she joined her Prince hubby to welcome President Obama and First Lady Michelle to the UK.

The Obamas were first greeted by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip before heading inside Buckingham Palace to hang with the Duke and Duchess.

Inside, America’s royal couple chatted with the UK’s royal couple about Will and Kate’s upcoming visit to California in July. Michelle and Katherine were overheard talking about the royal wedding and fashion. Love it!

In a rare honor, the President and First Lady were then given a 41-gun salute by Scots Guards in red jackets, who also played the Star-Spangled Banner.

Oddly enough, William and Kate were not included in the lunch and are not set to take seats at the grand State Banquet on Tuesday night. The Queen is really pushing this whole ‘you’re a duchess, not a Princess thing’.

About 200 royals and other dignitaries, including the Obamas are expected for dinner. The Pres and First Lady will spend two days at Buckingham Palace before heading out to other parts of Europe.

Kate Middleton ‘can’t get pregnant’?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will not be able to raise a family of their own… That is, of course, if you blindly believe in headlines.

Queen of England wants an iPad

It seems Prince William and Kate Middleton getting married is not enough, as the Queen has allegedly asked for an iPad.

According to The Sun newspaper, seeing Prince William and Prince Harry using one was enough to spark interest in Apple's tablet. A royal insider claims, 'The Queen hadn’t seen anything like the iPad before. She was very impressed.'

At 85, you wouldn't expect someone of that generation to be particularly tech-savvy, but the Queen has been known to use her gadgets, including a mobile phone her son, the Duke of York, bought as a present a decade ago.

Obviously not content with old technology, the Queen was given a BlackBerry Bold by manufacturer itself. We doubt her BBM pin number is given out to many people.

Her Majestly also allegedly bought a silver iPod Touch in 2007, so it would seem an allegiance with Apple has already been formed.

Perhaps the Queen uses Know Your Mobile for all her app news? We would love to think so. It's obvious our Royal Wedding invite got lost in the post.
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William and Kate adopt baby penguin

Newlyweds Prince William and Kate Middleton have already made a new addition to their family by adopting a baby penguin.

Given as a wedding present, the little Humbolt penguin called Acorn lives at Chester Zoo in England.

The animal will remain with the other penguins but staff at Chester Zoo are hoping the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are now officially known, will come and visit him.

'Hopefully the happy couple will come and see little Acorn playing in his pool very soon,' a zoo spokesman told Us Magazine. 'It's a real honour to be able to boast Prince William and Kate as penguin adopters.”