Blog Archives
A new princess
Congratulations to Prince William and Princess Kate on the birth of their beautiful baby daughter! And welcome to the world to the still-to-be-named new royal princess!
A quick 60-second recap of this monumental day!
Bookies are already betting that her name will be Alice or Charlotte… I’m guessing it will be more traditional like Elizabeth, perhaps with Diana as one of her middle names. Only time will tell! What do you think?
The official royal christening photo, “Family Guy” style
Have you seen this? “Family Guy” has spoofed the official christening photo of Prince George! (And Stewie has taken the place of our young prince…)
Issa London collection at Banana Republic
Don’t miss the Issa London collection now at Banana Republic. Its line of wrap dresses is very Princess of Cambridge in style and includes an affordable version of Ms. Middleton’s royal blue engagement dress from 2010. Sweet!
Royal Baby Name Generator
At last! It’s happening! Best of luck to Kate and Will!
And while we wait, try this Royal Baby Name Generator! I’m getting Agnes Frances Angela Louise for a girl or Edmund Alfred Philip Michael for a boy.
How about you? š
100 most powerful women in the U.K.
If you’ve wondered who are the real movers and shakers in the U.K., look no further than the BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Power List.
Topping the list is the Queen, with other notables including J.K. Rowling, Adele and Victoria Beckham (AKA Posh Spice). Kate Middleton is noticeably absent from the top 100, which has created a bit of controversy since she is nothing if not influential.
Take a look at the list! What do you think?
Allison Williams as Kate Middleton
Oh, to be Allison Williams. Not only does she have stunning good looks (even with an eyepatch), a college degree from Yale University, a dad as awesome as Brian Williams, a hot brother, a very nice singing voice and a prime role as Marnie in the hottest HBO show “Girls.” But on top of all of that, she also bears a striking resemblance to Kate Middleton.
If you didn’t catch her on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” this week, check out her skit as Kate Middleton (with Jimmy as Prince William).
Celebrations
Today, there’s much to celebrate as the world’s oldest underground transportation network, the London Underground, celebrates 150 years today on the same day that the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton turns 31.
When I studied abroad in the U.K., one of my flatmates had an anthology of poetry that had been posted on the London Underground (where the advertisements usually ran). The book,Ā Poems on the Underground (Fifth Edition), became one of my favorites to just dip into now and again, and ranged from Percy Shelley to Maya Angelou, Brits and non-Brits as well as some anonymous authors.
I eventually bought my own copy Ā that year and have been revisiting those old poems this week. I found one which might be appropriate for today’s celebrations. Let’s raise a glass and have a read! Cheers.
A Birthday
My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a watered shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.
Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.
– Christina Rossetti (1830-94)
Ripped from the headlines …
Take notes! This is appropriate acceptance award attire when you are presented with a Celebrity Mum of the Year award by a man in a fox suit representing Foxy Bingo.
The humor gods have been busy the past 24 hours. The proof is in the news headlines:
Exhibit B: Mother finally allows five-year-old son to have haircut after playground bullying
Exhibit C: ‘Batman’ keeps watchful eye on southern Slovak town
Exhibit D: The first unflattering, awkward and comical photo of the Duchess of Cambridge
And lastly …
Exhibit E: Everest is in the UK! Survey reveals Britons’ shocking lack of knowledge on their own country
(Yes, I know it’s funny to laugh at Americans’ lack of geography, but according to this study, 20 percent of Britons don’t know which countries comprise the United Kingdom and these weren’t pageant competitors.)
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Tasteful Royal Wedding memorabilia
I love shopping on Etsy. I recently discovered HouseThatLarsBuilt that does some delightful (and tasteful!) royal wedding memorabilia, including dinner plates, mugs and this sweet processional map.
The year of Kate
Photo credit: Reuters/Kieran Doherty
Have you heard?
Experts (who exactly are these “experts” I do wonder…) have already predicted that “Kate” (as in Middleton) will be a big buzzword in 2012.
I guess that’s not too surprising considering she is the Duchess of Cambridge and that the future king of England will be theoretically springing from her loins and all … not to mention the fact that she has the greatest hair ever (it’s gotta be extensions, right?!) and a razor-sharp eye for purchasing clothing on a budget that still looks like a million pounds (That’s a talent, y’all … and yes, I did just use y’all for added emphasis.)
* Breathe *
Here’s the predicted buzzword list for 2012, as reported by the Daily Mail. You’re welcome, America.
1. Kate: There are seven billion humans on the planet but sometimes it seems that itās all about Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge
2. Olympiad: The Greeks measured time by the four-year interval between the Games, held in London next year
3. Middle Kingdom: There is little indication that Chinaās continuing economic surge will fade from the global media spotlight ā or abate
4. Bakātun: A cycle of 144,000 days in the Maya āLong Countā Calendar This bakātun ends on December 21, 2012, also being called the Mayan Apocalypse
5. Solar max: The peak 11-year sunspot cycle
6. The Election: No Obama-mania this time around, more of an Obama-ennui for the November 6 elections
7. Deficit: Looks like deficit-spending will plague Western democracies for at least the next decade
8. Rogue nukes: Iran and North Korea will be the focus of attention here
9. CERN: Neutrons travelling faster than light? The ‘God Particle’? The world ending in a mini-black hole? All these somehow revolve around CERN (The European Center for Nuclear Research)
10. Global Warming: The earth has been warming since New York was covered under a mountain of ice; what makes 2012 any different?
11. Near-Earth Asteroid: Yet another year, another asteroid, another near-miss.
12. Europe: United, breaking apart, saving the Euro, abandoning the Euro, with the UK again as an āinterested onlookerā
Source: Global Language Monitor
BRITRISH.COM 