Are we becoming one with the royals?

Princess Anne waiting in line for a brew? Or taking the train? Whats next? The Queen will be using the stairs? Or Prince Charles will be squeezing his own toothpaste?

These actions alone prove that we are becoming one with the royals. At the end of the day we all need refreshments and to get from point A to point B. What we imbibe and how we travel to our destination isn't as important as when the royals do it. These mundane actions take on a special, magical, outerworldly glow. As if the mode of transport runs more efficiently, or the beer tastes better, or the stairs are less steep once the royals proceed forward.

Who knew that Princess Anne could get thirsty? Or that the Queen can still walk up stairs? We Canadian's aren't normally as solicitous with our own aged family members so consider Nova Scotia's concern for Her Majesty as a compliment. Yes, the Queen can walk up stairs, or downstairs, or sit or stand, or do any of the other myriad things mortals do. Did you know she even sneezes? (Spoiler alert! As do many of her family members).

We drink therefore we must be like the royals. We take the same form of transport therefore we must be like them too. At this rate,they will not have come down to us, we will have caught up to them. Ultimately, they envy and want to be like us! Otherwise, why would they make all of these person of the people moves?

Why, every day, every action you take. Right now. You, are acting like a royal. Reading? They do it too. Snacking? They get hungry as well. Watching TV? Where do you think they learn to be like us? You'd almost think we were one and the same except for the titles part.

It's a burden living an extraordinary life in ordinary circumstances. No matter how many books they may read or movies they watch, the royals can never truly appreciate our experience. Day in and day out the waking, showering, eating, working, playing and sleeping. They will never understand because we make it look effortless.

But when they try to act like us it's not a big deal.

Really, it isn't.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday March 28, 2010 - The End of Hope Episode

Royal engagements are traditionally announced at the beginning of the year. With March almost at a close and no royal engagement for Prince William and Kate Middleton. A Salute to the End of Hope for a 2010 engagement.

You can listen to the episode here.

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 167 29 March 2010

From My Royal Collection

The Royals by Caroline Latham & Jeannie Sakol

Blogs mentioned

World of Royalty Blog

Tune in to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday April 11, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America).

The topic will be: Crown Jewels

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday March 21, 2010 - Is Kate Middleton a public figure?

Kate Middleton, girlfriend of Prince William, recently won a settlement from the REX photo agency for photos taken of her that invaded her privacy. Does Kate have a right to privacy? By dating Prince William, has she become a public figure?

Listen to the episode here

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 166 22 March 2010

Snowdon: The Biography by Anne De Courcy

From My Royal Collection

The British Royal Family - Great Front Pages

Blogs mentioned

British Royal Wedding

Tune in live to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday March 28, 2010 at 9:00PM EST North America.

The topic will be: With royal engagements traditionally announced early in the year, the month of March is drawing to a close with no engagement announcement. On this episode: A salute to the end of hope for a 2010 engagement.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Review: Diana Style by Colin McDowell

I must have at least a dozen books about Diana's fashions. One dating from as early as 1985 to this one. A dearth of these books came out after the princess died in 1997 when people tried to make sense of her legacy or cash in on the timing.

In the decade or so since her death, Diana Style by Colin McDowell is one of many books commemorating her life. This one looks at Diana from a fashion perspective.Ultimately these types of book reveal nothing new, but they're still enjoyable to look at.

One thing that it most remarked about Diana was her personal appearance. Although she tried to downplay this when it came to promoting serious causes, it was an undeniable fact. She used the clothes she wore to communicate. Whether it was velvet for a visit to a school for the blind, red to convey confidence, length to respect cultural differences, or a dress with embroidered falcons to compliment the ruling house of Saudi Arabia. Her fashion choices were deliberate and flawlessly executed.

This book discusses the evolution of her style from the infamous black dress she wore to her first evening engagement prior to her marriage. To the equally infamous black revenge dress, she wore on the night that Prince Charles admitted he had committed adultery. These dresses, worn respectively in 1981 and 1994 act as bookends to her royal life. But the story does not end there, as it evolves even further to cover her fashions up to her death.

At the time of her death I believe that Diana was just coming into her own, fashion wise. Gone were the pie crust collars, veiled hats, head-to-toe outfit colors, and lacquered hair. In its place, figure flattering Versace dresses, simpler make-up and more natural looking hair. While I loved the simplicity of her later dresses, towards the end of her life, I found her face looked hard and high maintenance. Gone was the romantic, youthful freshness of her early married life. Even if some of her outfits have not stood the test of time, I still prefer the early Diana.

This book is a manual of a royal woman discovering herself and her style. It freeze frames Diana's fashions throughout her career, the good and the bad, from head to toe. While we'll never know just how Diana's fashions would have evolved, this is a good reminder of a royal style icon in the making

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday March 14, 2010 - Royal Jewels

They're shiny, they're priceless, they're an object of fascination. On this episode I discuss Royal Jewels.

Listen to the episode here

Films mentioned

Royal Journey (1951)

Canada at the Coronation

From my royal collection

All about the royal family - An illustrated guide compiled and researched by Pheobe Hichens

Blog Posts mentioned

Royal Engagements

Jewels fit for a Queen

Resources used to research this episode

The Queen's Jewels - The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II - by Leslie Field

The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes

Tiaras a History of Spendor by Geoffrey C Munn

Queens Jewels by Vincent Meylan

Tune in live to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday March 21, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America)

The topic will be: Is Kate Middleton a public figure?

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday March 7, 2010 - Royal Fashions

What do King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, King Edward VIII, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana have in common? They set fashion trends.

Find out about these leaders of royal fashion by listening to this episode

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 164 8 March 2010

Majesty Magazine January 2010 Vol 31 No 1

From my royal collection

Royal Style Wars - The trend setting fashion feud between the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York by Lesley Ebbetts

Resources used to research this episode

Diana The Fashion Princess Davina Hanmer & Tim Graham

Royalty in Vogue by Josephine Ross

The Princess of Wales Fashion Handbook by Sue James

Princess Diana's Maternity Fashion and Nursery Handbook by Sue James

A Family Album by The Duke of Windsor

Diana Style by Colin McDowell

The Windsor Style by Suzy Menkes

Tune in live to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday March 14, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America)

The topic will be: Royal Jewels

© Marilyn Braun 2010