The Royal Tour 2010 - The Queen's Jewels

One of the noticeable things about the Queen's appearance is her ubiquitous pearl button earrings, her multi-strand pearl necklace and her brooches. Brooches may have long gone out of fashion as an everyday fashion staple, but not so with the Queen, who has worn several different brooches during her tour of Canada.

During a reception in Halifax, The Queen wears what appears to be a newer brooch from her collection. Paying a compliment to Canada, the gold brooch is a branch with red enamel maple-leafs and at the bottom of the branch is a small pearl. A lovely piece, almost shaped like a corsage, she would wear it again later on in the tour during a visit to the Research in Motion Blackberry factory in Waterloo, Ontario. 

Fittingly enough for Canada Day the Queen wore her Maple Leaf brooch - the national symbol of Canada. The large diamond-encrusted maple leaf brooch, was originally presented to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother when she first visited Canada in 1939. The gift of a maple leaf brooch follows a long-standing tradition. In 1901, the future Queen Mary, visited Canada on a seven-month-long tour where she was given an enamel maple leaf spray. In 1923, Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother received as a wedding gift a gold maple leaf brooch set with diamonds.

Not as easily visible in this photo the Queen wears the Duchess of Cambridge's Pendant brooch for her private meeting with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. A baroque pearl in a diamond-set Mount hangs from a diamond pendant below a large round pearl framed by fourteen brilliant-cut diamonds. The brooch, originally belonged to Queen Mary's grandmother, Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, who was painted wearing it as early as 1877. This brooch was one of Queen Mary's favorites and the present Queen inherited it in 1953.

In this photo, taken in Winnipeg, the Queen wears the Williamson diamond brooch, made for The Queen by Cartier in 1952, as a setting for the world's largest 54.5-carat pink diamond she had been given as a wedding gift in 1947 by John T, Williamson. The diamond had been discovered in Dr Williamson's mine in Tanganyika in the month before the royal wedding. In 1948 it was cut into a 23.6-carat brilliant in London and later set into this daffodil flower brooch - rumored to be one of the Queen's favorite flowers.  

In this photo, taken just outside of St James Cathedral in Toronto the Queen appears to be wearing the Jubilee brooch.  Originally given to Queen Victoria from  'The Ladies and Gentlemen of Her Majesty's Household in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. It is a festoon design of diamonds with a pearl centre. It had a pearl drop hanging from a looped chain of diamond collets but this appears to have been removed. Queen Victoria left the brooch to the Crown in 1901. It was frequently worn by the present Queen's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who had an affinity for diamonds and particularly pearls.

In this photo, the Queen wears Queen Mary's 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' tiara. She received this as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1947 and it has been referred to affectionately as 'Granny's tiara.'

She is wearing Queen Victoria's Collet Necklace and the King George VI diamond Chandelier Earrings. Ending in three drops, these earrings show every known modern cut of diamond. Like her tiara, she received these as a wedding gift in 1947. In this photo she is most definitely wearing the Jubilee brooch, this time with the pearl drop pendant attached.

In this photo, taken during her brief visit to New York City, she wears her Aquamarine and diamond Cartier clips. Combining baguette, oval and round stones, these clips were given to the Queen in 1944 as an eighteenth birthday present by her parents. They can be worn as a single brooch or as two separate matching clips, as she wears them in the photo.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

All photos via PicApp

The Royal Tour - Day Nine

Ahh, all good things must come to an end, on this, the last day of her visit to Canada.

She had attended a state dinner the night before at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Looking lovely as always, she brought out the tiara and priceless jewels. But it was not the jewels that people noted but the gown she was wearing: a long white lace gown adorned with sequins and pearls around the neckline and a glittering maple leaf appliquéd to the shoulder. Yet another fashion tribute to Canada. (Oh, stop Your Majesty, you're making us blush!)

Looking sprightly despite the heat and late-evening, the Queen was ready for the 21-gun salute at Ontario's Legislature, afterwards unveiling the last plaque of her visit: commemorating the 150th anniversary of the dedication of Queen's Park by her great-grandfather, before he was crowned King Edward VII.

She then headed to Pearson International Airport for a badge ceremony with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean before departing on an Airbus bound for New York City.

Given her age, there is some discussion regarding whether this will be her last visit to Canada. I like to think that it isn't. During her 2005 visit I had the same thoughts and yet she visited us again and she is reportedly scheduled to return in 2012 to mark her Diamond Jubilee.

Let's hope that's true!

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour of Canada - Day Eight

Admit it. When we visit countries on vacations or for business, or for royal tours, we like taking souvenirs back with us and not declaring them. In this case, the Queen and Prince Philip toured the Research in Motion factory in Waterloo where Blackberrys are made. She was presented with one of her own, with no bells and whistles other than an image of children holding out flowers.

Will she declare it? I can see it now:

Hapless customs agent: Do you have anything to declare?

The Queen's minions: (Nervous but trying to sound casual) No, nothing other than a St James Cathedral tea towel..

Hapless customs agent: Wait a moment, didn't the Queen receive a Blackberry...Why yes she did! Here's the photographic proof!

Hapless minion sighs and begins filling out the paperwork.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Image via PicApp

The Royal Tour of Canada - Day Seven

And on the seventh day she....went to church and the race course...

What would God think?

When the Queen and Prince Philip attended mass at St. James Cathedral in Toronto the pews were filled to capacity. Seems that everyone had found religion for one day. An 'security breach' occured in what was otherwise a fairly unremarkable visit when a woman broke free of the waiting crowd, and approached the Queen with a black plastic bag in her hand. The woman handed the Queen the bag and was ushered away. The contents of this 'security breach'?

A commemorative St. James Cathedral tea towel.

Maybe the woman should have used something less suspicious looking, like a white plastic bag, or an environmentally friendly reusable grocery bag. I can only imagine how this 'breach' would have been labelled had it been a small child approaching the Queen.

No such security issues occured later on in the day when the couple attended the 151st running of The Queen's Plate. The last time she had attended was in 1997. With an estimated 25,000 people in attendance, security was extremely tight. Good luck trying to get anywhere near her, even if you are a small child with an innocuous grocery bag.

But the event was not without incident. As the Queen presented the winning trophy to the Queen's Plate winner Big Red Mike, the owner of the horse, Dom Romeo, placed his arm on the Queen's back. Oh, the horror! This is not the first time the Queen has been physically touched by a Canadian. During a previous visit in 2002 when Canadian cyclist Louis Garneau inadvertently broke royal protocol by placing his arm around Her Majesty as his wife took a picture.

I'm wagering a guess that the Queen doesn't mind these 'incidents' and afer 84 years has learnt to take them in stride, especially when it comes from a Canadian.

Considering that she's visited Canada more often than any other Commonwealth country, why else would she keep coming back?

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour of Canada 2010 - Day Six

On Day Six of the tour, the Queen and Prince Philip visited the province of Manitoba before returning to Toronto later on in the evening.

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport welcomed its first passengers; Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh. When the Queen and Prince Philip deplaned at Bridge 7, they became the first official passengers to the airport, arriving in the new terminal, currently still under construction. 

Later on in the afternoon the Queen unveiled a statue of herself created by the late Leo Mol, Manitoba’s most famous artist and sculptor. Mol created the statue of The Queen for her visit to Manitoba in 1970. It stood in the courtyard of the Manitoba Centennial Centre, but was recently relocated to the garden of Government House.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh planted a shrub in the Government House garden, renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens. This shrub, the Amber Jubilee Ninebark, was specially created in honour of The Queen’s upcoming Diamond Jubilee.

Accompanied by various dignitaries, en route to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights - the first national museum created in over 40 years - The Queen and Prince Philip crossed the striking Esplanade Riel (pedestrial bridge) to arrive at The Forks, where The Queen dedicated the cornerstone for the new museum.

For this historic dedication, The Queen used a stone from Runnymede – the site of the 1215 signing of the Magna Carta. Once officially opened in 2012, this national museum will be a national centre of learning, where Canadians and people from around the world can engage in discussion and commit to taking action against hate and oppression.

Afterwards the couple attended the Manitoba Homecoming Canadian Concert for Human Rights at The Forks, where the Queen delivered a speech.

The concert featured performances by various Manitoban performers, including Aboriginal drummers, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, as well as Manitoba born singer Chantal Kreviazuk.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Monday July 5, 2010 - A look back at The Queen's Royal Tours of Canada

In honor of The Queen and Prince Philip's 22nd visit to Canada, a look back at their royal visits and the long association royalty has had with Canada.

You can listen to the episode here

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Special Collectors Edition - The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth II Celebrating Her Majesty's Royal Visit to Canada

From My Royal Collection

Royal Canada: a History of Royal Visits to Canada Since 1786

Resources used to research this episode

Macleans Magazine Commemorative Edition Royal Visit 2010 - July 5, 2010

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family in Canada (Golden Jubilee

Canada's Queen: Elizabeth II: A Celebration of Her Majestys Friendship with the People of Canada

The Royal Tour: A Souvenir Album

Royal Canada: a History of Royal Visits to Canada Since 1786

 The Royal Report is on hiatus for the next two weeks and will return on Sunday July 25th, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America)

Topic to be determined

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday July 4, 2010 POSTPONED

The Royal Report for Sunday July 4th, 2010 has been POSTPONED to Monday July 5, 2010 at 9:00PM EST

The topic will be: In honor of the Queen and Prince Philip's visit to Canada, a look back at their tours of Canada.


© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour of Canada - Day Four and Five

Aside from the Vancouver Olympics, where is the best place to put your Canadian pride on display? In our nation's capital on the 143rd birthday of Canada! To top it all off we had the Queen of Canada to celebrate right along with us!

The Queen arrived in an open, horse-drawn landau, patriotically dressed in a red chiffon dress with a diamond maple leaf brooch, and a white hat with red flower. Ladies from the Royal family have been known to provide a compliment to the host country through their fashions and Her Majesty did not disappoint. As a matter of fact she could easily have blended in with the 100,000 flag-waving, revellers dressed in similar colors. I'll bet she doesn't have to worry about that very often.

To signal her arrival The Queen's Personal Canadian Flag was flown from the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill as she took the salute, inspected a Guard of Honor and watched a 21-gun salute, a fly-past and a march-past.

During her speech, which she made in both English and French she praised Canada's 'warmth and enthusiasm" and made reference to the Vancouver Olympics and the gold-medal win for Canada's hockey team.

On day five of the tour, which was meant to be her day-off, The Queen met privately with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff at Rideau Hall. Mr Ignatieff had this to say after his meeting with her “I have to be discreet. She’s the Queen. I can’t share what she said other than to say she has a magnificent sense of humour and sense of the absurd,” he said.

Oh, if only to have been a fly on the wall...

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour of Canada 2010 - Day Three

Day Three of the Queen and Prince Philip's royal tour marked their arrival in our nations capital - Ottawa, Ontario.

It must have seemed like a regular day at the office, what with all of the plaques, windows and statues she unveiled. The first unveiling took place during a visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature where she unveiled a plaque dedicating The Queen's Lantern. This glass addition replaces the original tower of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, built in 1910 to house this natural history museum, a 100 year-old building, designated a national historic site. The Lantern is dedicated to The Queen and her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, after whom the building was named.

After a short walkabout the couple arrived at the National Arts Centre to unveil a life-sized bronze statue of the late-jazz- legend Oscar Peterson, who played for the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh during the 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations in Toronto.

Her visit to Rideau Hall marks the second tree-planting of the tour. Rideau Hall is the official residence of the Governor General of Canada and the tree that the Queen planted, her fifth at Rideau Hall, is one of 120 trees planted by members of the Royal Family, heads of state and other dignitaries. A bronze plaque at the base of each tree indicates the name and title of the person who planted it and the species and date.

The last unveiling takes after her audience with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She unveils the design for the Diamond Jubilee Window for the Senate of Canada, the upper chamber of the Parliament of Canada.  The Window will commemorate Her Majesty’s 60 years of service as Queen, to be celebrated in 2012, and that of Queen Victoria’s, celebrated in 1897.

The Queen also unveiled a design for a carving of The Queen for the Senate Foyer. This image of The Queen will be installed alongside the other five of Canada’s sovereigns (Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI) who have reigned since Confederation.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Not a monarchist, just semi-fascinated at the moment

The Queen and Prince Philip are in Canada for their 22nd royal tour.

(Insert stifled yawn here)

Considering that I'm covering the visit for this blog (and will continue to do so), I just can't rouse myself to feel any true excitement for the tour.

Having an 84 year old woman and her 89 year old husband displaying impressive energy and stamina when it comes to shaking multiple hands and unveiling plaques, just doesn't do it for me. It's something I noticed when Charles and Camilla visited last November. It was the same lack of excitement. Where was the glamour? The youth factor? At minimum, couldn't someone have fallen off a horse?

While it may be nice to have the Queen amongst us if only to compare her likeness to our currency, I have to ask what the point of these visits are? But then again, I had to ask what the point of the recent G20 visits were, an event that could have easily been accomplished by video teleconference equipment (yes, we have the technology!), wasted a billion dollars and led to a small group of anarchists overshadowing peaceful demonstrators with legitimate issues. Unlike the G20 world leaders, who we barely saw, the Queen does not hide behind partitions and cement barriers. We are not strongly encouraged to stay away, leaving the downtown core a ghost town. We are encouraged to come to see a woman who is the last of her kind, to celebrate her visit and to see the Queen of Canada who, as the most well-travelled monarch in history, and has seen and met more of of her subjects than any of her predecessors. While she may not enthusiastically wade into the crowds like the younger generation of royals, shaking all hands proffered, she is here, in the flesh, and visible.

When I look back on her previous visits, the first one in 1951 as Princess Elizabeth, the photos show an excitement to be marvelled at for the wrong reasons. Not to be viewed as the natural consequence of a deferential age but as a questionable response to a young woman far removed from our reality. It was inevitable that those types of reactions would reduce for subsequent royal visits. In the 1970s, when she brought her children, it increased the excitement factor. The photos from Charles and Diana's various visits show the same type of excitement and enthusiasm that was briefly repeated on Andrew and Fergie's 1987 tour, but has not been seen since then. Other royals may come and go, but it's just not the same.

With Charles and Camilla's recent tour, I chalked the lack of enthusiasm up to having the opening act instead of the star of the show perform. I had honestly thought that the Camilla curiosity factor would have increased the interest in the tour; it didn't. The lackluster response for their tour seemed to be an omen for this visit. Except in this case we have the star of the show in attendance. If the people from the 1950s were capable of viewing photos from this tour, they would marvel at our cynicism and in some cases our lack of respect.

At the risk of sounding like a monarchist - which I'm not - I'm glad she's here. I may not appreciate her visits until she's gone and that's a shame. In the future, other royals may come and go, but it just won't be the same.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour of Canada 2010 - Day Two

Continuing their stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, The Queen and Prince Philip visit coincided with the Celebrations marking the Canadian Naval Centenial - 100 years of proud service by the Royal Canadian Navy. The Queen also has a personal interest in the Royal Canadian Navy. She is patron of The Navy League of Canada, The Royal Canadian Naval Association and The Royal Canadian Naval Benevolent Fund.

The Duke of Edinburgh presented a certificate from the World Ship Trust to Canada's most famous and most decorated warship, HMCS Haida. HMCS Haida, a Tribal class warship built in England in 1941 it was Commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in 1943. The certificate represents the prestigious International Maritime Heritage Award – bestowed on ships considered important to maritime history and heritage and honoring the legacy of those who served in HMCS Haida.

In the afternoon The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Canada’s largest centre for ocean research. After this visit they board the naval frigate HMSC St John's for the International Fleet Review. This naval pageant featured about 22 foreign ships, each saluting the Queen as she passed by in the HMSC St. John's.

Later on in the day, The Duke of Edinburgh attended a reception with the the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment The Duke of Edinburgh meeting members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment at Government House. The Duke of Edinburgh acts as Colonel-in-Chief of many units, including the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment. This long-serving regiment is the only regular force infantry battalion stationed in Atlantic Canada.

In the evening the couple attended a Celebration of Nova Scotia at the Cunard Centre, overlooking the Halifax port.  The evening celebrates Nova Scotians who have made significant contributions to their communities, province and country. These include recipients of the province’s highest honour – the Order of Nova Scotia – as well as the unsung heroes, who work quietly to make their communities better. During the event they were treated to performances by Nova Scotia musicians, dancers and singers. As well a performance by DRUM! a group of artists from Canada's Aboriginal, Black, Celtic and Acadian communities.
© Marilyn Braun 2010

All images via PicApp

The Royal Tour of Canada 2010 - Day One

The Queen and Prince Philip have arrived in Canada to begin their 22nd Canadian Royal Tour!

Arriving on a rainy day in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Queen carried a clear umbrella; a deliberate choice to allow people to view her despite the weather conditions. The couple are welcomed  by officials, including the Hon Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and the Queen's personal flag is raised to signify the presence of the Queen of Canada.

Their visit starts with an official welcome ceremony to Canada and Nova Scotia, in the Garrison grounds at the foot of the Halifax Citadel Hill, a national symbol of Halifax's role as a major naval station in the British empire and in Canada's development from colony to nation. In attendance at this welcome ceremony is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, The Governor General Michaëlle Jean, and other prominent Canadian's and dignitaries. After the Prime Minister's speech, the Queen addressed the crowd:

"My mother once said that this country feels like a home away from home for the Queen. I'm delighted to be back among you all. Canadians have by their own endeavours built a society that is widely admired across the world," she said. "I am very proud of this country. Thank you for your welcome. It is very good to be home."

The Queen and Prince Philip paid a visit to a Mi'kmaq festival, and unveiled a plaque, rededicating Government House, the restored residence of Nova Scotia's lieutenant-governor — the oldest official residence in Canada, which had undergone a three-year renovation. 

The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Her Honour the Honourable Mayann E. Francis, presented The Queen with the ceremonial Royal Key, made of gilt-sterling silver and engraved with The Queen’s Royal Cypher. This presentation of the key, to be returned at the end of the tour, begins a new tradition at Government House. The Royal Key will also be presented to future Lieutenant Governors and important visitors who stay at Government House.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

All images via PicApp

The Royal Report for Sunday June 27, 2010 - Princes William and Harry, two brothers, two different destinies

In a recent joint trip to South Africa, Prince William and Prince Harry revealed their hopes and dreams for the future. Amongst Harry's: to be a ‘professional surfer’, ‘wildlife photographer’ and to live in Africa. William said that his ambition was to be 'happy, lucky, strong, caring, and a ‘successful pilot’. With their respective roles as future king and spare, which one of them has a greater chance of seeing their dreams become a reality?

Listen to the episode here

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada No 178 28 June 2010

Blogs mentioned

British Royal Wedding

From My Royal Collection

Tiaras - A History of Splendour by Geoffrey C. Munn

Tune in to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday July 4, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America).

The topic will be: In honor of the Queen and Prince Philip's 24th royal tour of Canada, a look back at their royal visits to Canada.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Swedish Royal Wedding Report

Unlike other royal weddings, the Swedish royal wedding coverage had the distinction that I didn't have a clue what the commentators were saying. Given that I'm in Canada and I have a link to watch the event online, I'm not complaining!

Despite this, you could arguably say that royal weddings have the distinction of being universal events and this one is no exception. From the Swedish public lining the streets, some imaginatively painting their faces in blue and yellow to the distinguished and royal guests in evening dress, to the stirring music, this event transcends the language barrier by the pagentry of it. And incidently was the first royal wedding since 2008, when Denmark's Prince Joachim wed Marie Cavallier of France.

Arriving by a Rolls-Royce, the Princess entered the Stockholm cathedral on the arm of her father the King, with her attendants leading the way. The pages wore sailor suits, a Bernadotte tradition.The bridesmaids wore  full-length pearl white dresses in silk organza with short sleeves and roll collars. On their feet white ballet slippers. The King and the Princess walked to the half-way point in the cathedral where the groom awaited to lead her to the altar. The groom, clearly emotional at the sight of his bride, bowed to the king and the couple briefly kissed before proceeding to the altar where the ceremony would begin.

Wearing her mother's wedding veil and the traditional cameo tiara, the bride and groom were emotional as they exchanged vows and rings. The brides dress, designed by Pär Engsheden was simple and unadorned. It is made of cream-coloured duchess silk satin, with short sleeves and a turned-out collar, which follows the rounded neckline. The dress has a v-shaped back with covered buttons. The sash at the waist is buttoned up at the back. The train is edged with a border, fastened at the waist, and has the same shape as the veil. The train is almost five metres long (about 16 feet). Her shoes matched the material of her dress and her bouquet consisted of lily of the valley, rose, phalaenopsis orchid, peony, clematis, cosmos, wax flower, sweet pea, dicentra formosa, Mårbacka pelargonium, Amazon lily, gardenia, azalea, bleeding heart and the traditional myrtle from Sofiero. All the flowers were white, and the bouquet was tied into a free teardrop shape.

During the ceremony the couple looked visibly moved. After the ceremony, the Crown Princess and the new Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland stood at the entrance to the cathedral, sharing a kiss, both relieved that the ceremony is completed as they awaited the arrival of the Parade Barouche from the Royal Mews to begin their cortège. It is the same barouche that was used by The King and Queen at their wedding exactly 34 years ago to the day.

The horse-drawn cortège travelled through the streets of Stockholm to the Royal Barge Vasaorden, rowed by eighteen cadets from the Naval College, taking them through Stockholm Bay, thronging with Swedish and foreign warships, flying their flags high and saluting the Crown Princess Couple with a 21-gun salute. After their arrival at Logården the couple enjoyed a choral tribute at the foot of Lejonbacken, before beginning their wedding banquet in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace in Stockholdm Sweden's finest ceremonial hall.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

All photos via PicApp website

Prince William and Prince Harry vs the vuvuzelas

During the England vs Algeria FIFA World Cup match in South Africa, the following conversation takes place through the buzzing of the ubiquitious blowing of vuvuzelas:

Spectator One: Did you hear that William and Harry are here today?

Spectator Two: (stops blowing his vuvuzela) WHAT?

Spectator One: WILLIAM AND HARRY ARE AT THE MATCH TODAY

Spectator Two: WHO?

Spectator One: PRINCES WILLIAM AND HARRY ARE HERE TODAY

Spectator Two: ARE YOU SURE? I DON'T SEE THEM

Spectator One: THEY'RE THE ONES NOT BLOWING VUVUZELAS



© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Report for Sunday June 20th, 2010 - A Celebration of Prince William and Kate MIddleton's Love

On this episode: : Prince William once stated that he wouldn't consider getting married until he was at least 28. Given that he is turning 28 on June 21st, speculation will no doubt intensify about his relationship with Kate Middleton. On this episode, a celebration of Prince William and Kate Middleton's love.

You can listen to the episode here

Publications mentioned

OK Magazine - June 21, 2010 - Kate and William - The next big royal wedding

Hello! Canada Weekly No 176 14 June 2010

Hello! Canada Weekly No 177 21 June 2010

From My Royal Collection

The Face of Monarchy - British royalty portrayed - by Richard Ormond

Tune in to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday June 27, 2010 - 9:00PM EST (North America).

The topic will be: Prince William and Prince Harry - Two brothers, two different destinies.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Unfortunately Kate Middleton isn't pregnant

At least according to Star magazine she is. Yet people have come out of the woodwork, emphatically denying these reports. I, for one am thoroughly disappointed.

Mainly because it would have made the royal family far more interesting. Injected some much needed controversy. Forget the two or three days of Fergie-gate 2010, an illegitimate child would have enough mileage for the next nine months. We could blog about her motivations for getting pregnant, whether the baby is actually William's, fire up discussion boards discussing whether he will make an honest woman of her, how this will affect the line of succession, and all of the royals and courtiers who are 'incandescent with rage' and 'knashing their teeth'.

Illegitimate children are nothing new to the royal family. History is littered with them. However, in the last 100 years we've had advancements in birth control, and the rabid media interest as back-up protection. If they wanted to take the heat off of an engagement announcement, this would have been the perfect way to do it aside from breaking-up or converting to Catholicism.

Did I mention that I'm extremely disappointed?

I am wistful thinking of the possibilities. Yes, once everyone got over the initial shock of it all, we would follow the pregnancy minutely. How she would cope as a single-mother should William drop the ball, what she would be wearing, where she would have the baby, boy or girl, names, titles, official photos, genealogists would pour over the history of royal bastards. Not to mention all of the show topics it would inspire. An example - On the next Royal Report: Now that Kate is knocked-up, will she go for natural or c-section?

Alas, it looks like I'll have to wait until they're married to speculate on all of this. How boring is that? It just won't be the same. Royal history is littered with legitimate children. Case in point: aside from the Queen, what have any of them ever done? William and Kate's illegitimate baby could live under the spectre of it for the rest of his/her life because we'd be here to remind them, the psychological difficulties of living under the burden of it all, if William doesn't marry Kate, how he/she will feel about being robbed of their birthright....

*Sigh* 

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Swedish Royal Wedding fever

Commemorative china? Check.

Official stamps? Check

Monograms unveiled? Check

Royal Barge Vasaorden on standby? Check

Only two more sleeps to go until the Swedish royal wedding and I'm about as passibly excited as I never thought I would be for a non-British royal wedding. Despite this, on Saturday June 19th I will allow myself to live vicariously through news reports about Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden's marriage to Daniel Westling. That extraordinarily photogenic couple who beat Prince William and Kate Middleton to the altar. Damn their non-receding hairlines, glorious bone-structure and progressive succession laws.

Members of various royal families and illustrious public figures will converge on Stockholm ready to take part in history; the first royal wedding of a female heir to the Swedish throne. Pint-sized future monarchs: HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, HRH Princess Ingrid-Alexandra of Norway and HRH Prince Christian of Denmark will be amongst the young attendants on hand to upstage the bride and groom. Royal wedding traditions will be upheld, the bride will look stunning and it is certain to be a memorable occasion for royal watchers.

The ceremony is set to begin at 3:30PM in Stockholm (about 9:30AM in Canada) and I will attempt to simultaneously cover it both on this blog and as a guest writer at The Royal Representative.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Prince William supports the Republican movement

Photo: Rex features

Male Royal Consorts

I rarely blog about non-British royals but in honor of the upcoming marriage of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Daniel Westling, I thought it would be appropriate to give a brief history of male royal consorts. Their destiny is to walk two paces behind, living in the shadow of their reigning wives. The future Prince Daniel is in good company.

Prince Albert, Prince Consort

Arguably the most famous Prince Consort in history, he his the only consort of a Queen Regnant to hold the title. He was a first cousin of Queen Victoria. They married in February 1840 and he was a devoted hisband until his death in 1861. Victoria mourned him for the rest of her life, imortalizing him in countless statues and landmarks.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Currently the longest serving royal consort in history. The husband of

Queen Elizabeth II, he was born in 1921 on a dining room table in Villa Mon Repos on the Greek island of Corfu. He was known as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark until his engagement to Princess Elizabeth in 1947. He became a naturalized British subject in the same year, giving up his royal titles to become plain Ltn. Philip Mountbatten. Upon his marriage he became HRH Duke of Edinburgh and in 1957 he was given the title Prince of the United Kingdom. In 2007, The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary - the first for any British monarch in history.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands

The late consort of Queen Beatrix was a controversial choice for the Crown Princess. He was German and a former Hitler Youth Member. 60,000 Dutch signed a petition against the marriage and the Jewish community boycotted the celebration. They were married on March 10, 1966. On the day of the ceremony there were several attempts at sabotage, Dutch TV crews had an important cable cut. Protestors lined the route with smoke bombs. He gradually won over the Dutch public and was a popular member of the royal family when he died in 2002.

Prince Henrik of Denmark

The consort of Queen Margarethe II of Denmark. Henri Marie Jean André de

Laborde de Monpezat was born in 1934. He married the heir presumptive to the Danish throne, Crown Princess Margarethe, in 1967. Prior to his marriage he was a French diplomat. Raised as a Catholic he converted to Protestantism. At the time of his marriage his name was 'Danicised' to Prince Henrik.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The things Prince William and Prince Harry do for England

Think being royal is a glamorous job? Fabulous wealth, jewels, palaces, and minions catering to your every need?

Throw in an 8-ft python and that golden page in the history books doesn't seem so appealing anymore, does it?

Kate, take note.

The Royal Report for Sunday June 13th, 2010 has been postponed

Tonight's episode of The Royal Report for Sunday June 13th, 2010 has been postponed

The Royal Report for Sunday June 6, 2010 - The Blogs Royal

Who are the ubiquitous royal additions to any style icon list? Is Kate Middleton wearing a wedding dress in Star magazine? How has the royal blogsphere changed in the last few years?

Find out on this episode

Publications mentioned

Royal Report

Star Magazine (June 2010) - William & Kate's $40 Million Wedding of the Century

Hello! Canada Weekly No 175 7 June 2010

Hello! Canada - Celebrating 100 years of Style icons

From My Royal Collection

Royalty in Vogue by Josephine Ross

Link to Sarah Ferguson's interview with Oprah Winfrey

Sarah Ferguson Speaks Out about the headline-making undercover video

The Blogs Royal featured on this episode

Royalty with Ella Kay

Princess Palace

Sophia's Royalty

The Royal Universe

Royalty in the News

British Royals

The Cross of Laeken

Lux-arrazzi

Tune in to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday June 13, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America).

The topic will be: William and Kate Middleton - A Celebration of their love

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Engagement?

According to a recent blog post by Tina Brown, today was supposed to be the day that William and Kate finally announced their engagement to the world. Right now I'm picturing Prince William kicking back and relaxing while the media goes into overdrive and people like me blog about it. Maybe Prince William is reading the papers and going online, texting Kate to see who can locate the silliest headline first.

As I write this post it is currently 6:47PM in London. I don't know about over there but that's quitting time in North America. The time that people go home to their families and have dinner. However, the day is not over in the UK and there's still time to spare. So we wait until 11:59PM and a last minute reprieve to put us out of our misery.Yes, William's people are just waiting to spring the news on all of us when we least suspect it. Here in Canada it could be cause for a celebration for more reason than one - a Friday, an engagement announcement and warm sunny weather! Boo Yeah!

While we wait, reporters twitter about Tina Brown's credibility. People bought her revelation hook, line-and-sinker and that's when the dissection started: other reporters jealously questioned her sources and thoroughly checked William's and the Queen's diaries for available time to make the announcement. Some wondered if she'd made the prediction to increase traffic to her site. Then there were fears, what if she might actually be  *gasp* right! Well, according to one reporter: 'Tina Brown's reputation is riding on her prediction."  Today, self-satisfied and commenting: "it was never going to happen today."  Like the Duchess of York, is Tina Brown throwing herself at the mercy of friends and  'leaving anguished messages' on their answering machines too?

While it's true that the changes of an engagement announcement on Friday are unlikely, it isn't 12:00AM in the UK just yet.

To quote Prince William, we just have to ''wait and see".

© Marilyn Braun 2010