The Royal Report for Sunday July 26th, 2009 - Are photos of Kate Middleton an invasion of privacy?

The Sun recently published some photos of Kate Middleton and Prince William kissing. Are these photos an invasion of privacy or a necessary evil for bloggers?

You can listen to the episode here

Photos discussed in this episode

The Sun - Photos of William and Kate

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 137 27 July 2009

Sites mentioned

Mary, Queen of Scots contest

World of Royalty Blog

British Royal Wedding

Party Pieces

Links mentioned

Press Complaints Commission - Kate Middleton

Press Complaints Commission - Kate Middleton Resolution

Tune in to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday August 2, 2009 9:00PM EST

The topic will be: On August 6th, 2009 The Royal Report will be 2 years old! A look back at 2 years of magical, informative, educational and hilarious reports.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal & The Clueless - Episode 16

On the last episode of The Royal and The Clueless, Kate Middleton vowed to make better use of her time. Recently recorded speaking in public for the first time, Kate decides to work on her enunciation with her co-worker Enrique.

Kate: Do you think I sounded okay on that YouTube video?

Enrique: Darling, you did a great job. I can hear you thanking small children for posies in that voice. But there's still work to do. Let's begin: "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain.."

Kate: The rine in spine sties minely in the pline

Enrique: It's 'the *rain* in *Spain* stays *mainly* in the *plain*.

Kate: Didn't ah sy that?

Enrique: (sighs) Kate, you speak as well as you roller-skate. Now I want you to say it fifty times until you get it.

3 days later

Kate: The rine in spine sties minely in the pline..

Enrique slaps the palm of his hand to his forehead in frustration.

Enrique: No, no, no..the *rain* in *Spain*...

2 Weeks Later

Kate: The rine in..

Enrique (with exaggerated calm): Kate, you must work on this. A lady speaks properly. If you work hard you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, and money to buy lots of chocolates. We shall take you to Buckingham Palace, beautifully dressed. If the Queen finds out you're not a lady, you will be taken to the Tower of London, where your head will be cut off as a warning to other wannabe royal girlfriends. But if you are not found out you shall have a golden page in the history books. Now let's try it again. 'The..

Kate: Rain in...

Enrique: By George I think she's got it! Where does it rain?

Kate (sings): On the plain..on the plain!

Enrique winces at her singing.

Enrique: And where is that plain?

Kate: (sings) In Spain, in Spain

Enrique: I think you've got it. But seriously, stop singing.

Can Enrique get Kate to stop singing? Will she learn how to speak better than she roller-skates? Tune in to the next episode of The Royal & The Clueless.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Transportation

The Queen is the most travelled monarch in British history and she has the distinction of having taken every concievable mode transportation - horseback, carriage, train, plane, helicopter, car and bicycle. She's also ridden on an elephant, been transported on a barge and even taken public transportation.

Let's revisit some of the modes of transportation:

Royal Train - In Victorian times there were few options for royal travel but this changed in 1840 when the Great Western Railway Company built a splendid railway carriage for Queen Victoria and her family. It was also used by the Dowager Queen Adelaide, widow of William IV. It was not until 1842 that Queen Victoria could be persuaded to ride it. The first Royal train journey took place on June 13, 1842 transported Queen Victoria from Slough to Paddington. The trip took 25 minutes and her journals record the experience as 'delightful'. Thus began the history of royal rail travel. Since then, successive monarchs have used the train.

Royal Flight - While today flying is commonplace as a mode of transporation, the Royal Air Force wasn't formed until 1918. King George V never flew, even as a passenger. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) was the first member of the royal family to fly. In 1936 he became the first monarch to do so. The first member of the royal family to become a qualified pilot was Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) in 1919. Many members of the royal family have learnt to fly. While Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother took the controls of a Comet in 1952, the first female member to earn a private pilots licence is Sarah, Duchess of York in 1987. The present Queen first flew in 1945 with her parents to Northern Ireland. Since that point there are strict rules on members of the royal family flying together in the same plane or helicopter. To prevent disaster from striking twice, the Queen and Prince Charles do not fly together. Nor do Prince Charles and Prince William. Prince Philip was the first member of the royal family to fly the Concorde in 1972. The Queen flew in it five years later and the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother celebrated her 85th birthday in the cockpit of the Concorde.

Royal Carriage - The Royal Mews has over 100 carriages, the oldest being the Gold State Coach used by King George III in 1762. Another famous coach is the Glass coach, used to transport royal brides to their weddings. Royal Carriages are a symbol of pagentry, being used for ceremonial occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Color and Coronations. Queen Victoria is said to have been very fond of taking daily open carriage rides regardless of the weather.

Royal Cars - Albert Edward, Prince of Wales was the first member of the royal family to own a car. He had his first drive in a "horseless carriage" - a Daimler - in 1896. In 1898, while some were still branding the new invention “dirty” and “evil”, he drove a vehicle for the first time on public roads. He bought his first car – again, a Daimler – in 1900. In 1905, by then Edward VII, he bought no fewer than seven Daimlers in a single year. The develoment of the motor car owes much to his enthusiasm for this mode of transport. Depending on the member of the royal family, it is quite possibly the most frequently used form of transportation. For most of her engagements the Queen uses a State car.

Royal Yacht -In the early to mid part of the 20th century, cross Atlantic royal travel was by ship. As Princess Elizabeth, the Queen arrived at her first overseas visit via HMS Vanguard in 1947. The royal family has a long tradition of sailing for sport and strong ties with the yacht racing community. While the Queen has christened many a ship, the one most closely associated with her is the Royal Yacht Britannia. Launched in 1953 it was designed to be a venue for official entertaining and receptions as well as a residence for Royal tours. During its 44 years of service it went on 696 overseas visits before being decommissioned in 1997.

Riding - While not as efficient a mode of travel to carry out royal engagements, riding is arguably the oldest form of royal transport. Since there has been a royal family there have been horses. Horses have been ridden into battle and to play polo, the sport of kings. Like carriages, they are used for ceremonial occasions. They are also used for competition and for pleasure. Most members of the royal family ride, most notably Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. She is an accomplished rider, having competed in the Montreal Olympics.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Question: Does the Queen wear wigs?

I say QE II has worn wigs in public for many decades. Have you talked about this in your blog? My sister says she wears expensive wigs . Michael Fagan said he saw her wigs on her makeup table. Can you verify this? I would appreciate your
insight. I say she wears wigs and does so as a convenience.

In all of the books I've read about her, I don't think I've ever heard about her wearing wigs. I'm going to have to say no, I don't think that the Queen wears wigs. Yes, when Michael Fagan broke into the Queen's bedroom in 1982 there were reports that he had seen a wig. The Sun, a tabloid newspaper, reportedly paid his wife, Christine for the rights to her story. Amongst the tantalizing revelations, the Queen wore a shortie nightgown and had the figure of a 16 year old. Viewing photos of her circa 1982, can you picture her owning either?

The Queen has had the same hairstyle, with some slight variations, for the last eighty years. Towards the end of the 1940's, when it was almost to her shoulders, was the longest length she wore it. In the 1950's she had the petalled pin-curl style, fashionable at the time. In the 1960's it resembled a football helmet circa 1938 and she has more or less stuck with this particular look since then.

Unlike her late sister, Princess Margaret, the Queen has never experimented with her looks. She's never worn elaborate updos or changed the color and she seems blessed with hair that hasn't thinned as she has gotten older. When it started to go gray in the late 1980's she stopped dying it altogether. Like her mother and grandmother, the Queen has had the same ubiqitious style - handy for keeping the look of stamps and currency consistent. The only instance of false hair I can find is that her grandmother, Queen Mary, as a young woman, wore an artificial fringe attached to the front hairline called a 'bang'.

She has used the same hairstylist, Ian Carmichael, for the last 11 years. If she wears wigs then only her hairdresser knows for sure.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Michael Jackson vs Diana - Who will win the funeral stakes?

Since Michael Jackson died almost 2 weeks ago there have been comparisons to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in terms of how shocked the world was when they died. I have to say that Diana's death was far more shocking than Michael Jackson's. He had looked ill and fragile for some time and Diana was bursting with vitality, ready to write the next chapter in her post-royal life. Like Diana, Jackson's death was premature and like Diana, he will be raised to an iconic status. In time we will only remember the good about both of them.

The next comparison to Diana is her funeral. Watched by a billion people it effectly brought most of the world to a stand-still for the week leading up to it. The British royals know how to throw a funeral, on par with the American talent for throwing presidential elections. Diana's funeral was a class act from start to the last glimpse as the hearse drove through the gates of Althorp.

Both funerals could have been private events but each family realized that each of them touched peoples lives. Neither did anything quietly in life, therefore why should it be any different in death? While Diana may have sold more books and newspapers, Michael Jackson is selling more CDs and DVDs. Diana may be frozen in time as a beautiful princess, but Jackson will always be a brilliant entertainer having influenced many of todays top performers.

It will be tough to gauge the response to the memorial service planned at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The service will be broadcast like Diana's funeral, to a world wide audience. But unlike Diana in 1997 we now have Twitter and Facebook to add the element of participation for those unlucky enough to not have won tickets to the event. Billed as the hottest ticket in town, the royals must be shaking their heads at the absence of dignity. Diana may not have been royal, but she was given a send off that set the bar high for the demise of any future public figure. So who will win in the world-wide funeral stakes?

It depends on your tastes.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Romance Report for Sunday July 5th, 2009

On the July edition of The Royal Romance Report, can Michael Jackson top Diana in the funeral stakes? Should Andrew and Fergie get back together?

You can listen to the episode here.

Publications mentioned

People Magazine – The Talent and Tragedy of Michael Jackson 1958 – 2009

My Story by Sarah, Duchess of York

Blogs mentioned

British Royal Wedding

The Royal Report will be on hiatus for the next 2 weeks. The show will return on Sunday July 26th, 2009 - topic to be determined. Please feel free to check out my show archives in the interim.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Report for Sunday June 28th, 2009 - Should Prince William be sent to the front lines?

On this episode I discussed the royal tradition of military service. That's right! Prince William isn't just being young and reckless!

You can listen to the episode here

Note: The Royal Report is available for download on iTunes!

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada No 134 Summer 2009

Websites mentioned

The Prince of Wales' Military Career

Wikipedia - Line of Succession to the British Throne

Tune in LIVE via web cam to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday July 5th, 2009 9:00PM EST

The topic will be: The Royal Romance Report - July edition

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Question: Title of Queen

Would Camilla attain the title if Charles ascends to the throne? Would Diana have attained this title if she were still Charles wife? Who would ascend to the throne following Charles death?

At the time of their wedding in 2005 there was a lot of controversy over what Camilla's title would be upon her marriage to Charles. Legally she is entitled to be called Princess of Wales but because the title is so associated with Diana, decided to take the title Duchess of Cornwall instead. When Charles becomes king the official line is that she will be known as H.R.H. The Princess Consort. Legally she would be Queen but Camilla reportedly does not want the title of Queen. This move might also be to placate members of the public who would be against her being known as Queen Camilla.

Had Diana lived, and still been married to Charles, she would have become Queen Diana in due course.

Next in line to the throne following Charles' death would be his elder son Prince William. Should something happen to William then the next in line would become monarch - Prince Harry.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Report for Sunday June 21, 2009 - Royal Romances

On this episode I discussed Royal Romances and the sorted details I've been able to source of the Internet and my royal book collection. Also on this episode - how people wooed way back when and the finer points of mailing a letter.

You can listen to the episode here

Note: The Royal Report is available for download on iTunes!

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada weekly No 133 22 June 2009

Award Schemes mentioned

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Tune in LIVE via web cam to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday June 28th, 2009 9:00PM EST

The topic will be: Should Prince William be sent to the front lines?

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Romance Report for Sunday June 14th, 2009

On this episode - What does Prince Harry think of his sweet nickname? Can the royal family handle two topless women in their midst? Can the Queen and Prince Philip's love stand the test of time? Are William and Kate engaged?

Find out by listening to this episode!

Note: The Royal Report is available for download on iTunes!

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada weekly No. 132 15 June 2009

Blogs mentioned

Excuses excuses

Websites mentioned

Internet Movie Database

Tune in LIVE via webcam to the next episode of The Royal Reporton Sunday June 21st, 2009 9:00PM EST

The topic will be: Royal Romances

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Residence Trivia

Did you know.....

One of the Queen's favorite homes is Windsor Castle - which is the largest occupied castle in the world.

The Queen does not own Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.

Balmoral Castle and the Sandringham Estate are the personal property of The Queen.

In 1848, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought the lease on the property that Balmoral Castle stands on, without ever having seen the property. They eventually purchased the land in 1852.

The original castle on the land was inadequate for their needs, so Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their growing brood, had another castle built (Balmoral Castle as it is today), while they resided in the old residence.

The foundation stone for Balmoral Castle was laid by Queen Victoria on 28th September 1853. Before the foundation stone was placed in position Queen Victoria signed a parchment recording the date. This parchment, together with an example of each of the current coins of the realm, were placed in a bottle, which was inserted into a cavity below the site prepared for the stone.

Balmoral Castle was completed in 1856 and the old building was then demolished. This building is commemorated by a stone which marks the position of the front door of the demolished castle. about 100 yards from the path. is located on the front lawn at a point opposite the tower and about 100 yards from the path.

Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of British Sovereigns since 1837.

Sandringham was the site of the first Royal Christmas broadcast to the Empire in 1932.

Both King George V and King George VI loved Sandringham. They died there in 1936 and 1952 respectively.

When King George V was Prince of Wales, he devised ST - Sandringham time. He had a passion for shooting and to make the most of winter daylight hours clocks all over the estate were advanced by half an hour. It was later abolished by King Edward VIII in 1936.

With the exception of King Edward VIII, all of King George V's children were born at York Cottage on the Sandringham estate

Diana, Princess of Wales was born at Park House on the Sandringham estate

King Olav of Norway was born at Sandringham


© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Report for Sunday June 7, 2009 - Can Prince William and Prince Harry carry on their mother's work?

Since their mother, Princess Diana died, both of her sons have vowed to continue her work. Can they live up to her legacy?

You can listen to the episode here

Note: The Royal Report is now available on iTunes!

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada No 131 8 June 2009

The Serpent and the Moon by Princess Michael of Kent

Websites mentioned

World of Royalty

Princess Michael of Kent

Prince of Wales

Causes mentioned

Centrepoint

Sentebale

Royal Marsden Hospital

The Diana Memorial Fund

Tune in LIVE via webcam to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday June 14th, 2009 9:00PM EST.

The topic will be: The Royal Romance Report - June edition

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Survivor Balmoral - Day 35

Trapped in their home for 39 days with no servants to wait on them, no private secretaries as go between, the royals must communicate directly with each other and make their own beds. Through a series of challenges, each contestant will prove that they are the real Royal Survivor.

On the last episode of Survivor Balmoral, Paul Burrell, the only one who knew how to cook and entertain royally, unexpectedly left the tribe. Chaos ensued as the tribe members, hungrily eyed each other. On this episode the remaining members of tribe Saxe Coburg Gotha sit satiated around the campfire. The Queen approaches the group and they all stand up.

The Queen: Have you seen the corgi's?

The other tribe members look around innocently. Edward stops knawing on a bone. Charles dabs his mouth with a napkin.

Edward: Mummy, would you like a rib?

The Queen: Where's Andrew and Anne?

Charles: I guess they just couldn't handle it. Survival of the fittest Mummy.

Anne enters carrying some more firewood

Anne: Must I do all of the work around here?

The Queen: Well, if you see Andrew please let him know that I was looking for him. I need some help with my Wii.

Meanwhile, during the dessert making challenge, Prince William is trying to plan a small birthday party for his grandfather, Prince Philip who will be 88 soon. He is currently in the carpenters shed and looks for some supplies to make a birthday cake. He finds some sawdust and what appears to be a stale bag of marshmallows and fashions a crude mound. Proud of himself he heads towards the door, which he has cleverly wedged open with an open crate containing a box of cake mix, a carton of eggs, bottled water and two cake pans. Prince Philip and the Queen wait to taste-test. William puts the cake down infront of them. The Queen looks at it warily.

Prince William (Proudly): I made it myself!

Prince Philip: It's...very interesting...what does it have in it?

Prince William: Marshmallows!

The Queen (whispering to Philip): We don't have any marshmallows.

In another part of the castle Prince Charles and Princess Anne are busy with the IKEA challenge. They must put together a rectangular plastic coffee table with 4 screw-in legs. Charles reads the instructions.

Charles: (Amazed) It says you don't need any tools for this.

Anne: That sounds too easy. Why would they give us something that easy? Are they trying to trick us?

Both look apprehensively at the 5 pieces.

Charles (looks around desperately) Help!!

Later on, at tribal council, the Queen gathers the remaining members of the tribe. She looks around and mentally does a headcount.

The Queen: Has anyone seen Andrew?

Charles and Edward look nervously at each other. Just then, the missing corgi appears.

The Queen (delighted): Oh there's my lost corgi!

On the next episode of Survivor Balmoral, the Queen searches for Prince Andrew while the remaining tribe members help put the coffee table together.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Royal Review - Royal Weddings by Friederike Haedecke and Julia Melchior

While there are many books on royal weddings, Royal Weddings by Friederike Haedecke and Julia Melchior is different. Looking at the cover with the famous photo of Diana on her wedding day, you could be forgiven for thinking of this as just another book focusing on British royal weddings. But such a nod and cover photo is necessary, if only because Diana is the most globally recognizable. Aside from Princess Grace of Monaco, the other brides may be completely foreign to those outside of their respective countries. But the cover is also somewhat misleading. Those expecting a book about Diana or other British royal brides are in for a surprise. This is no ordinary book on the subject.

Of the fourteen weddings, this book starts off with the most controversial one: Prince Haakon of Norway to Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby. For those who are not familiar with this story, prior to her wedding Mette-Marit was a single mother with an illegitimate child. Not your typical Cinderella. Despite the schmaltzy chapter title: Victory of Love, their relationship and wedding is covered in a way it would be for any other royal wedding. The couples are presented as real people in remarkable settings, sharing their special day with the rest of the world.

This book is beautiful, with full page color photos. The couples and their weddings are presented as real people, in remarkable settings, sharing their special day. There are some interesting bits of trivia: Princess Mary of Denmark's bridal bouquet was placed on her mother's grave in Scotland. Queen Silvia of Sweden's handkerchief was attached to her wrist with a rubber band. Not to mention the 44 pound wedding dress of Soraya Esfandiary, second wife of the Shah of Iran.

The weddings are grouped together, Scandinavian (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Greek, Spanish, Monaco, British and Dutch. Those of Japan, Iran and Brunei stand out and make interesting inclusions if only to see how royal weddings are celebrated outside of European traditions. While the focus is very much on the current royal couples, there are some weddings from previous generations such as Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, Princess Sophia of Greece and Don Juan Carlos of Spain, Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip. The oldest wedding is that of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert but the inclusion of Charles and Diana is somewhat predictable. However it's the weddings we only get a glimpse of that could have been very interesting additions, such the current King and Queen of Norway or even Queen Margarethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark.

Were it not for this book the details of these weddings, such as the wedding dress designer, locations of ceremony, guests, royal traditions, would otherwise be lost to the sands of time. Now the information is compiled in one place. The book is well researched but mentioning that Queen Victoria was 5'8" is questionable when most sources list her at 5 feet. Otherwise the book is a treat for the eyes and for those who love the ultimate in royal pageantry.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Report for Sunday May 24, 2009 - Should Kate Middleton wait?

On this episode I discussed a potential job opportunity for Kate, whether Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie should use protection, how to get Kate-haters out of your basement and the pros and cons of Kate waiting for a proposal vs cutting her losses and running.

You can listen to the episode here

The Royal Report is now available for download on iTunes

Publications discussed

Hello! Canada No 130 June 1 2009

There will be no show next week. Tune in LIVE via webcam to the next episode of The Royal Report on June 7th, 2009 9:00PM ESt. Topic yet to be determined!

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Romance Report for Sunday May 17, 2009

On this edition of The Royal Romance Report I discussed what the recent photos of William and Kate at the polo match really mean, the Royal Family Crop Circle cover-up, and how YOU can help William and Kate get married.

You can listen to the episode here

Note: The Royal Report is available for download on iTunes!

Publications mentioned

Vanity Fair - June 2009 Article: Fortune's Children by Bob Colacello

Kate: Kate Middleton - Princess in Waiting by Claudia Joseph

Blogs and Websites mentioned

British Royal Wedding

World of Royalty

Tune in LIVE via webcam to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday May 24th, 2009 9:00PM EST.

The topic will be: Should Kate Middleton wait?

© Marilyn Braun 2009

When you care enough to send second best

The Queen was obviously busy.

Prince Charles was going head to head with architects.

What's a royal to do when a 109 year old woman complains about her birthday card?

Send Prince William instead.

The second in line to the throne made a surprise visit to one of his grandmother's subjects to personally apologize for a Hallmark faux pas. Born in 1899, Catherine Masters has seen it all. Obviously nothing gets past her. Including the fact that the Queen has worn an identical yellow dress in all five birthday cards she has sent to Mrs Masters. Prince William laid on the charm for 40 minutes and thrilled Mrs Masters, who will obviously remember the visit for the rest of her lifetime.

Now your Majesty, about that yellow dress...

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal Report for Sunday May 10th, 2009 - Even More Royal Blogs!!

On this episode I discussed several royal blogs that you should definately add to your Google reader!

You can listen to the episode here

(Note: The Royal Report is now available for download on iTunes!)

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 128 11 May 2009

Websites mentioned

World of Royalty

Blogs mentioned

British Royal Wedding

Royal Romance

Mad Hattery!

Enchanted by Josephine

Royal Travel Blog

Royal Musings

The Norwegian Royals Report

Tune in LIVE via webcam to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday May 17th, 2009 9:00PM EST.

The topic will be: The Royal Romance Report - May edition

© Marilyn Braun 2009

The Royal and The Clueless - Episode 15

On this episode of The Royal and The Clueless, Kate sits at her desk at work. She has just finished listening to her favorite podcast - The Royal Report. Kate thoughtfully ponders the topic of the recent show - Why are people so fascinated by Kate Middleton? She starts searching on the Internet for the answer when Enrique, still smouldering, comes up behind her.

Enrique: What are you doing?

Kate: Marilyn did a great episode this week called Why are we so fascinated by Kate Middleton? And I started thinking. Why are people so fascinated with me? So I'm just looking for some answers. I want to understand it better.

Enrique: What have you found so far?

Kate: Well there's this blog which is discussing the topic intelligently. But now I've found this forum...

Enrique: Wow, do those forum* members have lives?

Kate: *Sigh* I don't know. I don't understand. They've never met me yet they hate me so much...

Enrique: Hmmm...What does it say there?

Kate: It says they want me dead.

Enrique: They can't possibly be serious?

Kate: It must be a figure of speech.

Enrique: No, I don't think so. They must not know the definition of the word dead.

He grabs a dictionary and starts to read

Enrique: 'Having lost life, no longer alive..no longer in existence'

Kate: Do you think they're jealous?

Enrique: They say they aren't but obviously they doth protest too much. I guess they don't know the definition of that word either?

Enrique flips to the definition of jealous.

Enrique: 'Having to do with or arising from feelings of envy, apprehension, or bitterness'. It looks like they really enjoy bashing you..page after page..entire threads devoted to bashing you..

Kate: I guess I'm not the only one without a job

Enrique: Ain't that the TRUTH!

On the next episode of The Royal and The Clueless, Kate decides to make better use of her time.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

* Any similarity to any particular forum threads is purely a coincidence.

The Royal Report for Sunday May 3rd, 2009 - Why are we so fascinated with Kate Middleton?

On this episode I asked the question - Why are we so interested in Kate Middleton? I also discussed the merits of personal hygiene for men, and a recent dream I had about William and Kate's relationship.

You can listen to the episode here

( Note: The Royal Report is now available for direct download on iTunes!!)

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada Weekly No 127 4 May, 2009

The Queen Observed - Edited by Trevor Grove

The Country Life Book of the Royal Family by Godfrey Talbot

William's Princess: The Love Story that will change the Royal Family Forever by Robert Jobson

Websites mentioned

World of Royalty

Tune in LIVE via webcam to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday May 10, 2009 9:00PM EST.

The topic will be: Even More Royal Blogs!!!!

© Marilyn Braun 2009