Showing posts with label kensington palace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kensington palace. Show all posts

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Prince Louis


Prince Louis will celebrate his 1st birthday on April 23rd which also happens to be St George's Day.

The young prince has only been seen a few times publicly- outside the Lindo Wing hours after birth, and his baptism in July.

Other than that, we have had to rely on Kensington Palace to release images so we can see his progress. Hopefully this year Louis will join his siblings on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast after the Trooping the Colour. He may also make an appearance at a polo match in the summer to cheer in his dad, Prince William.

Here are some of the cute images we have of little Louis.















Thursday, April 4, 2019

New Instagram Site For Sussexes


Baby Harry and brother William
Plenty of changes are being put in place for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ahead of their baby arriving.

The couple will be moving into their newly renovated home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor any day now from Kensington Palace. Their official household is being separated from that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, based in Kensington Palace.

Meghan and Harry will now share staff with other royals at Buckingham Palace under the umbrella of the Queen. It is expected that an apartment will be made available to them for times when they will need to be in London.

No longer will the Sussexes share the @kensingtonroyal twitter and instagram sites with Catherine and William. 

The Cambridges will keep the existing social media sites and Harry and Meghan will use the newly created @sussexroyal





Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Flashback: Harry As A Baby


The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to welcome their first child over the coming weeks. We thought a look back at Prince Henry ( Harry) Charles Albert David of Wales as a baby would be fun. 

Harry was born on 14th September, 1984 at the Lindo Windo of St. Mary's Hospital Paddington. 

The young prince was Baptised just before Christmas at St. George's Chapel, WIndsor. Footage from the celebrations afterwards was included in the Queen's Christmas Day broadcast. 

Harry's younger years were spent in Apartments 8 & 9, Kensington Palace and weekends at Highgrove House, Tetbury, Gloucestershire.








Monday, March 18, 2019

Cambridge And Sussex Households


William 1983
Prince William of Wales, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry of Wales, Duke of Sussex grew up primarily in Apartments 8 & 9 in Kensington Palace and Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.

After their parents divorced, Prince Charles's London residence became St James's Palace and later, after the Queen Mother died, Clarence House on The Mall.


In 2011, Prince William and new wife Catherine moved into Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace. Later, after Prince George's birth in 2013, Apartment 1A became the Cambridge's home where they are raising their three young children.

Wales brothers 1985
Prince Harry moved into Nottingham Cottage when his brother vacated it and Kensington Palace also houses the official offices for the Cambridges and Sussexes. This has been a secure, convenient and convivial arrangement for the royal brothers, however this will now change.

Late last year, it was announced that Prince Harry and wife Meghan will move to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park. The property has been converted from five apartments for Estate workers to a comfortable family home for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their new baby, due in the next few weeks.

Last week Buckingham Palace confirmed that the newly formed Household of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be located in the Queen's official London residence. Harry's father the Prince of Wales along with the Queen will assist with the establishment and staffing. This is much the same arrangement for the Queen's sons the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and daughter the Princess Royal and husband Sir Timothy Laurance. Most likely apartments will be allocated to the Sussexes for their London engagements. 

Prince William and wife Catherine will continue to have their household offices in Kensington Palace as they prepare for the time when William is heir to the throne and thus Prince of Wales. 

Diana's sitting room 1985
William in Palace walled garden
The future of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is unknown. Perhaps it will soon be time to split the Foundation to allow the couples their own areas of charitable interest.

Cambridge's Apartment
Cambridge's Apartment

George 2016
I hope you enjoyed a peek inside the Wales and Cambridge apartments at Kensington Palace over the years!


Baby Sussex
As previously stated, Harry and Meghan's first baby is due to arrive in the coming weeks. There has been no official advice as to where Meghan will give birth- London's Lindo Wing, Frimley Park Hospital near Windsor where the Countess of Wessex had Lady Louise and Viscount Severn or perhaps the Portland Hospital in London where Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were born. 

In public, Prince Harry has become a much more serious character since his engagement to Meghan and information flow is quite controlled. So we wait and see whether we welcome a new Lord or Lady Sussex, their birthplace and names. 

 
Blog author outside Kensington Palace 2017




Thursday, February 28, 2019

Half Term Went Swimmingly For George And Charlotte!


Cambridge Family At Amner Hall
The Cambridge family returned to London on Sunday, marking the end of half term holidays for George and Charlotte.

The family spent the half term at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. The prince and princess would have had fun exploring the Sandringham Estate - perhaps using Anmer Hall's tennis courts or riding ponies.

Baby brother Prince Louis in now 10 months old and the Duchess recently told a member of the public that the Louis is a very fast crawler. No doubt he enjoyed the company of his siblings. 

Catherine took the older two children to a luxury Norfolk hotel complex on the Tuesday to use the swimming pool. According to the Daily Mail:

Wearing a maroon swimsuit, she tried to blend in amongst relaxing couples but onlookers quickly spotted the family during their half-hour splash about. 


Kate, 37, apparently organised swimming races for the children and afterwards they practised little dives off the side. The royal trio then all went into the sauna and steam room. 
Arriving Back At Kensington Palace
One onlooker told the Mail: ‘Kate looked stunning. She had full make up one while she was in the pool. And she had drop pearl earrings and her engagement ring. ‘Her hair up in a butterfly type hair clip and looked extremely elegant.’ 

The royal fan said that both George and Charlotte were impeccably behaved. ‘The children were very well behaved and both were practising their diving from the side,’ they said. 
‘Kate was organising little races for them and they did it around four or five times. She said "ready, steady go" and did a downward chopping action in the water to indicate the start of the race.’ 

Apparently George, naturally, won all the races. They said: ‘He was swimming front like a dog paddle style and jumping in from a squatting position the side. 
'Charlotte was doing sitting dives. She was squatting on the side with her arms up in dive position, she kept saying "Look mummy I’m diving in". 

‘Kate was very encouraging. At one point George went under and Kate had to grab him, he became a bit tearful and clung to her but then he soon went off again.’ 
Neither the little prince and princess had arm bands on and were ‘super confidant’ in the water. 
Both William and Kate are good swimmers themselves and are clearly keen to pass on confidence in the water to their children. 
‘Both the children swam unaided and were super confident,’ the source said. ‘They went under the quite forceful jets in the water. Kate politely asked us if it was ok for them to switch it on. 
‘They were doing little jumps off the side into her arms. Kate did not move from their sides. George did ask to go outside to use the hot tub but she said "No". 

‘When the children tried to jump in the water , Kate frequently indicated "No" and shook her finger and then she pointed out the no diving signs to both children who then seemed appeased. 
‘They went into the steam room and sauna for a four or five minutes each. ‘From my experience, both are usually out of bounds to children under 14.’

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Baby Sussex


The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have certainly had a busy time since becoming engaged in November 2017.

Meghan moved to London from Toronto where she was an actress on the television series Suits. The couple has been living in Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace but will move to Frogmore Cottage, Windsor in March before the birth of their first baby. 

Since their wedding at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle last May, the couple has quickly established Meghan as a "working Royal" and introduced her to royal engagements which she frequently now does solo.

The day after arriving in Australia for a tour in October, Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting a baby in the northern Spring. The tour took in Australia which was hosting Harry's Invictus Games, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. 

On a few occasions the tour program was altered for Meghan to have rest days as pregnancy fatigue and jet lag took their toll. Other than that, the couple won over fans and Meghan was able to do a crash course in royal engagements. 


The Duke and Duchess have been renting a home in the Cotswolds for the past year. The property has not been identified and is quite inaccessible, ensuring privacy away from the press and public. 

It was assumed that a larger home would be found for the Sussexes in Kensington Palace where Harry grew up in Apartments 8 & 9. Brother William and the Cambridges are in Apartment 1A. However, it was recently announced that the Queen had gifted the couple Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. 

Frogmore Cottage was split into five apartments but rapid building works are turning it into a large home for the new family. The tax payer will cover the cost of the renovation and restoration but the Duke and Duchess will pay for the furnishings themselves. 

Little is known about where Meghan plans to have her baby. Frimley Park Hospital is close to Windsor and is where Sophie, Countess of Wessex had her and Prince Edward's two children Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.

However, it has been revealed that staff at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington have been asked not to take leave in April. The Lindo Wing is where William, Harry, Zara and Peter Phillips, and the children of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were born. More recently, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte entered the world here.

New homes and renovations, a new country in which to live, marriage, baby on the way and a whole new career and way of doing things under the gaze of the media and public. It certainly been a whirlwind for the new Duchess of Sussex.


Baby Harry
Frogmore Cottage



Monday, December 31, 2018

2018 Highlights From Kensington Palace


Kensington Palace's Twitter site has a "2018 look back" package highlighting a very busy year. 

A new Royal baby next year and the possibility of Princess Charlotte starting school in September. Another year to look forward to.



Saturday, December 15, 2018

2018 Cambridge Christmas Card



Kensington Palace has released the photo of the Cambridge family which will feature in their Christmas card this year.

The photo taken by Matt Porteous was taken at their home Anmer Hall in Norfolk, possibly during George and Charlotte's mid term break.


Cambridge Christmas Card 2018


Kensington Palace has released the photo of the Cambridge family which will
feature in their Christmas card this year.

The photo taken by Matt Porteous was taken at their home Anmer Hall in Norfolk. 

























Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Christmas At Kensington


Now that December has arrived and officially Winter has begun, "it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas"!

Kensington Palace has special movie nights near the Orangery and Historic Royal Palaces has posted some lovely Christmas-y photos on their website. 

Prince George and Princess Charlotte are learning Christmas carols at school and nursery and am pretty sure craft and art time will have a Santa theme. 

Where the Cambridge family will spend Christmas is still unknown- either at their Anmer Hall home on the Sandringham Estate where the royal family will gather or at the Middleton home in Berkshire. 

As well as little Prince Louis who was born in April, the Middletons have another new grandchild this year. Catherine's sister Pippa gave birth to a boy named Arthur in mid October. 


Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Louis Is 6 Months Old !!

Happy 6 months Prince Louis!

A busy day to the Cambridges. Catherine, William and Louis flew from Anmer Hall in Norfolk in preparation for last night's State Banquet in honour of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

As it is half term break, Charlotte and George most likely stayed in Norfolk. Photos and video of the royal trio disembarking from the royal helicopter at Kensington Palace are available on the internet. 

 The Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning at the Banquet and wore the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II as well as the Lover's Knot tiara. 



 





 

Monday, October 15, 2018

Harry and Meghan Announce Baby On The Way!!


Royal Ascot 2018 - Day 1The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Sydney this morning at the start of their Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga tour. 

To add to the excitement, Kensington Palace has just announced that Harry and Meghan are expecting their first baby next spring.

The couple who were married just five months ago were last seen at Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding on Friday.

We look forward to recording the life of this new little royal over the coming years.




Saturday, July 21, 2018

Happy Birthday Prince George


Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born on July 22nd, 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. George is the first child and eldest son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and upon his birth became third in line to the British throne after grandfather Prince Charles and dad Prince William.

George was several days overdue prompting media and well-wishers to dub the lead up as the "Great Kate Wait". On the hottest day of the summer, George arrived and he left hospital the following day with his dad William and mum Catherine. 

George's early weeks were spent at Catherine's parents' home Bucklebury Manor in Berkshire. Grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton offered their daughter seclusion and much needed hands on support. The Cambridge home at this time was Nottingham Cottage (now home to Prince Harry), Kensington Palace. It is quite small and the family's new home,  Apartment 1A was still being renovated.

The couple was determined to eschew a nanny and intent on being hands on parents. After a few months it became clear that help would be needed if the Duke and Duchess were to undertake their royal duties and also William's role as RAF Search and Rescue pilot in Wales. William and Harry's childhood nanny Jessie Webb was enlisted to help the couple on a part time basis. 

By February the following year, a full-time nanny Maria-Teresa Turrion Borrallo was hired and has been with the family ever since. Maria has been a huge support as the family has grown and the Cambridge's royal roles have evolved

At the age of 2 1/2 George commenced nursery school in Norfolk, near the family home Anmer Hall. Anmer became their main base from the time Charlotte was born until last July when the family returned to London.

George started formal school at Thomas's Battersea in September and has now completed his reception year. The prince has loved all forms of transport since he was little and in particular helicopters which he sees quite often coming and going from royal homes. 

George has joined his parents on royal tours to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Poland and Germany.

 Happy Birthday Prince George! 







 





Thursday, June 7, 2018

Kensington Palace Mailroom!


Kensington Palace uploaded a photo of it's very full mailroom to Twitter. It seems that 36,000 pieces of mail have arrived in the last month from well-wishers. 

Prince Louis' birth, Charlotte's 3rd birthday, William and Catherine's 7th wedding anniversary and Harry and Meghan's marriage have all occurred in the space of less than a month and cards and drawing from all over the globe have been sent to the Cambridge and Sussex households. 






Friday, May 18, 2018

Prince Of Wales To Walk Meghan Down The Aisle


Breaking News

Harry aged 12 months
Kensington Palace has just confirmed that Prince Harry of Wales' father, the Prince of Wales will accompany Ms Markle down the aisle to the wedding.

Ms Markle earlier confirmed via media release that her father would not be attending the wedding. Prince Charles is taking the role instead.







Wedding Rehearsal


Thursday saw the major royals converge on Windsor Castle to rehearse for Prince Harry's wedding.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with their eldest children Prince George and Princess Charlotte took part in the run through for tomorrow's marriage of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. 

George and Charlotte will be among the pageboys and bridesmaids for the wedding. Photos of Catherine leaving Kensington Palace were the first public images of the Duchess since giving birth to Prince Louis on 23rd April. 

Prince William will be best man for Harry and Catherine will be busy helping with the children just as she did at her sister Pippa's wedding twelve months ago (see photo below). 

No doubt little Louis will be at Windsor Castle on the big day, being cared for by nanny Maria Borrallo or grandmother Carole Middleton. Catherine will be close by for feeding or cuddles for their first major separation since birth.