A Christmas Treat- Catherine Playing Piano At Carol Service

 The Duchess of Cambridge organised a carol service, Together At Christmas which was held in Westminster Abbey recently. The concert was broadcast on ITV Christmas Eve.

In the congregation were those who had contributed to the community during the COVID pandemic and those whose stories the Duchess had come across during her charitable work. 

Members of the Middleton family, Prince William, Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo,  Princess Eugenie, Sophie Countess of Wessex and Mike and Zara Tindall were in attendance.

Catherine helped with decorating trees from the Queens' Windsor Great Park. The Carol service is a way to bring cheer to those bereaved, lonely or isolated over the past 20 months and holding an uplifting event in these bleak times.

Let's hope Together At Christmas becomes an annual event! Merry Christmas to this blog's valued readers and loved ones.

Click below to watch in YouTube:

https://youtu.be/yw95R0Vl4_c   or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyvN6Nr3Avg

Cambridge Christmas Card 2021

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released their 2021 Christmas card photo via the @KensingtonRoyal Twitter site.

The snap, taken by photographer Matt Porteous features the family in Jordan on their half term holiday in October. The Duchess spent time living in Jordan during her childhood so it must have been lovely to introduce her own children to the country. 

Michael, Catherine & Pippa Middleton

Half Term Holiday Abroad For Cambridge Kids

 

 Just as other youngsters around the UK start their half term break, Princes George and Louis and
Princess Charlotte were seen at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 preparing for a trip with their parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The family along with nanny Maria were pictured unloading their black Audi and heading into the Windsor Suite where VIPs and Royalty are hosted at Heathrow. 

Judging by the summery dresses on the ladies and George's shorts it is almost certain their destination will be somewhere sunny. 

Hopefully they will have a peaceful and relaxing break wherever they are headed. 

 

Cambridge Family Attends Middleton Wedding In France

 

The Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton married Alizee Thevenet in her native France on 11th September.

James and Alizee had attempted to marry on two occasions previously but COVID lockdowns and restrictions had thwarted their plans. Third time lucky, the couple was joined by close family in Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Cote d'Azur where Alizee's late father owned a home. 

Catherine, William, George, Charlotte and Louis joined the low key family event. Michael & Carole Middleton along with James and Catherine's sister Pippa, her husband James Matthews and children Arthur & Grace were all present. 

The ceremony was conducted in the town hall and a reception later held near the beach at Cafe Leoube. Alizee borrowed Carole Middleton's own wedding dress for the day. The bride, a financial analyst, met James in 2018 and the couple bought an English country home last year.

 

Back To School For George, Charlotte And Louis

Norfolk Beaches

 As the summer holidays draw to a close the Cambridge household will be ticking off a back to school to-do list familiar to most other families in the UK.

There has been little news from the family over the holiday period but we do know they travelled to the Isles of Scilly for the second year in a row. The Cambridges also ventured to the Queen's Scottish residence,  Balmoral Castle to join Her Majesty who is facing her first summer alone without the Duke of Edinburgh. 

Balmoral was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852 and it is here that Victoria also spent much time in her widowhood following the early death of Albert.

Little known is the fact that the Queen Mother bequeathed her Balmoral home Tam-Na-Ghar to Prince William upon her death. Although the family will most likely stay in "the big house" with Her Majesty, Catherine & William have used Tam-Na-Ghar on and off over the years.

William and Catherine have been teaching George, Charlotte & Louis how to sail off the Norfolk coast near their home, Anmer Hall. Both the Duke and Duchess are accomplished sailors and no doubt wanted to share their enthusiasm with the youngsters. A healthy outdoor activity for energetic children!

Almost certainly Catherine's parents will have hosted the family at their home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. William has always loved spending time with his in-laws who have a very low key, normal family life. The Duchess's sister Pippa and her two children Arthur & Grace along with James Middleton would have been enjoying the chance to catch up after COVID lockdown separations.

Prince George celebrated his 8th birthday in July and it is at this age that boarding school becomes an option. William himself left for Ludgrove Prep School in Berkshire and has many fond memories. However, George and Charlotte attend Thomas's Battersea which caters for children up to 13 and at this stage there have been no announcements that George will be moving on to a boarding school.

There have been numerous rumours of Catherine & William looking at schools for the children in the Berkshire area. Also suggested is that the family will be moving from Kensington Palace to a home in Windsor. Reasoning is that:

• Anmer is a little too far from London for regular weekends in the country,
• Catherine's family live close to Windsor
• London is still close enough for engagements
  
• William sees it as important to be close to his grandmother The Queen who is basing herself at Windsor Castle since the start of the pandemic and more recently the death of her husband
• if prep boarding schools or even Eton at a later stage were chosen, then the children would be in easy reach of their parents for sports events, performances and the like.

Parenting is full of decisions and compromises and being royal is no different it seems! One thing we do know is that as the Queen ages and slows down it will fall on the remaining full time royals to shoulder extra duties and patronages. 

Let's hope this week we are treated to new photos of George and Charlotte starting a new school year and Louis' second term at Willcock's Nursery School.

Balmoral Castle

Tam-Na-Ghar

Bucklebury Manor, Home Of Middletons

Thomas's Battersea

 

Charlotte and Butterfly In Gorgeous Photo

 A beautiful new photo of Princess Charlotte taken by The Duchess of Cambridge. The family are taking part in the the Big Butterfly Count in the UK.

Flashback: Prince William At 8

 

As we enjoy the new portrait of Prince George to mark his 8th birthday, he is a look back at Prince William of Wales in June 1990, also at the age of eight.

Prince George of Cambridge

 

Prince William of Wales

 

Happy 8th Birthday Prince George

July 22nd marks Prince George of Cambridge's 8th birthday. The little prince is the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and is 3rd in line to the throne behind Prince Charles and Prince William.

George attended nursery at Westacre Montesorri school in Norfolk near the family home Anmer Hall. He then started Reception class at Thomas's Battersea in London at the age of 4. 

George loves helicopters, aeroplanes and tractors and he is also a dinosaur fan. Football appears to be his favourite sport at the moment and recently attended two Euros Football games at Wembley with his parents.

School has finished for the summer break and COVID restrictions eased so no doubt George will have a party with his Middleton grandparents and aunt Pippa, uncle James and Pippa's children Arthur and Grace. 

 Family friends and godparents will surely see the Cambridges over the coming weeks-probably the first chance for such gatherings since the COVID outbreak in March 2020.

Happy Birthday to you Prince George!!

 

Prince George Excited At Euros Final

 Prince George attended the Euros Football final between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Dressed up in a suit and tie, George appeared the most animated we have seen him in public to date. 

George, who will turn 8 on the 22nd of this month, will no doubt have had lots to tell his jealous classmates the next day!

Normally the prince is very reserved and serious in public but when the English Football team are involved he lets his hair down and gets involved in the atmosphere. 

Here are some super sweet pics of George with his parents experiencing the highs and lows of the game.

 

Unfortunately England lost the match but the young prince handled the disappointment well.

60th Birthday Of The Late Diana, Princess of Wales

 

  July 1st marks what would have been the late Diana, Princess of Wales' 60th birthday. A statue will be unveiled of the princess in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace today by her sons Princes William and Harry of Wales. It is in this garden that Diana often came during her years living at the Palace between 1982 -1997.

The guest list for the unveiling has been pared back due to COVID restrictions and so it is expected that only her sons, immediate family and the artist himself will be present. 

The statue arrived just a few days ago and is covered by a large protective box. It was commissioned by the two princes back in 2017 and today will be a time of sorrow as the boys remember their mum.

I myself was a huge fan of the princess, who was born Hon. Diana Spencer later Lady Diana Spencer when her father inherited the Earldom. I was lucky enough to remember all the significant moments in her public life being played out in newspapers, magazines and television. Can vividly recall footage of Diana leaving Clarence House on her way to St Paul's Cathedral for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981and also leaving St Mary's Hospital with their newborn baby sons in 1982 and 1984.

I was also lucky to see her several times in Australia in 1983 and 1985 as well as on a few occasions in London in 1992. Probably my closest encounter was in Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport when the Prince & Princess of Wales arrived for the 1985 tour of the state of Victoria for it's 150 year celebration. 

After disembarking the aircraft and meeting dignatories, the princess walked over to the crowds who waited for hours on the tarmac to see her. I was wearing a replica of her "sheep jumper". Diana walked to me, pointed at my jumper and said "ah you have a jumper just like mine!" shook my hand and kept moving, 

My memories of that moment? Diana was tall, beautifully groomed, slim and I recall her perfume and happy voice. She was at once ladylike, warm and endearing. I will remember it forever. A photo of me in my jumper with the princess appeared in the Woman's Day magazine and my mum got a copy of the photo framed for Christmas.

Where was I when she died? We all remember that I think. I was in Sydney's northern beaches and only did it sink in when my mobile kept ringing. I signed a Book of Condolence in Perth's Government House where I almost fainted waiting in the queue. I couldn't watch the funeral as I don't think I could have borne the grief. 

I along with millions the world over will pause today and silently wish Diana "happy birthday". I look forward to the day we can leave Australia for a holiday and can visit the statue in person.

 Diana, just before I met her in 1985