As you can see from this Today Show clip from this morning, the British press is in a tizzy again because there are new, more substantial rumors about Prince William and Kate Middleton. For the past week, the British papers have been reporting on Queen Elizabeth frail appearance at the opening of Parliament, and many claim that the Queen wants to start giving more of her royal duties to Prince Charles his oldest son, Prince William.
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Basically, they’re saying it’s time for Prince William to stop playing around in the military (considering he’s never going to serve in a war zone, like his brother Harry) and actually settle down and begin to start working full-time for the family. This, of course, would mean that William would have some time in schedule to actually marry his girlfriend of some-odd seven years, Kate Middleton. Sources claim that the palace is already talking about “when” Kate and William marry, not “if”. A source tells the Mail: “Nothing is set in stone but 2012 is the date that is now being talked about.” Add to that the news that William pushed back a royal trip so he could spend time with Kate on her birthday, and we’ve got some hot royal stories:
Prince William has made sure his first official overseas visit is carefully scheduled so he doesn’t miss girlfriend Kate Middleton’s birthday. He has put his foot down over the January tour of New Zealand after missing her last two birthdays.
The Prince has insisted he will not set off until after Kate’s big day on January 9, when she turns 28. William is now due to fly to New Zealand on January 17 for the official visit. He will then go on to Australia two days later for an unofficial trip to Sydney and Melbourne, funded by the Queen.
‘William is really thrilled that he will be here to celebrate,’ said a source. ‘Kate is delighted too, especially as he missed her last birthday because he was at RAF Cranwell and the one before that because he was at Sandhurst.’
My source adds: ‘It was William who suggested the trip. He hasn’t been Down Under since he was nine months old.’
The Queen is insisting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations are kept low-key – despite courtiers’ hopes for a string of national and international visits. It follows concerns that the 83-year-old Monarch appeared ‘frail’ when she delivered her speech at the State Opening of Parliament last week.
I understand that Her Majesty wants Prince Charles and Camilla and Princes William and Harry to take over many of the duties to mark her 60 years on the throne in 2012. Buckingham Palace aides had expected that the Diamond Jubilee, which will fall in the same year as the London Olympics, would be as grand as the 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations.
On that occasion the Queen carried out an extensive tour of the UK, Canada, Australia and the Caribbean. But courtiers have been told to come up with a revised itinerary with less overseas travel and just a handful of events nationwide for the Queen.
‘There has been a clash of opinion at the Palace between the Queen and her courtiers,’ says a Royal source. ‘They had hoped the Queen would travel around the country to see her subjects, but she is not prepared to undertake an itinerary like last time.’
Palace aides insist she and Prince Philip, 88, are in robust health, but that the Queen wants her children and grandsons to help her out in 2012.
‘The idea is that Charles and Camilla, and William and Harry will travel around the country on her behalf,’ the source added. ‘The Queen wants a low-key Diamond Jubilee largely because Britain has just been through a recession.’
Last week I revealed that 2012 is one of a number of dates being looked at for a Royal wedding for Prince William and Kate Middleton. Queen Victoria is the only other British monarch to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee. She reigned for 63 years and seven months.
A Palace spokesman said: ‘We’re not speculating on plans for the Diamond Jubilee at this stage, but it is entirely untrue to suggest that the Queen has requested not to travel overseas in 2012 or, indeed, to reduce her UK programme.’
[From The Daily Mail]
I feel for the Queen, I really do. It must suck to worry about your son (and his Duchess wife) taking the reigns of the family business, when all anyone really cares about if whether your grandson will actually make an honest woman out of his girlfriend of seven years. Call me crazy, though, because I’m actually believing some of this report – I think William has come to the decision that he can’t keep leading Kate on, and he’s decided to marry her. Poor Kate, too. I mean, she knew what she was doing and all, but I bet she thought he’d get around to marrying her years ago.
Saturday November 21 2009. Prince William leaves Raffles Nightclub in London after spending the evening with friends. Credit: Pacific Coast News. Kate Middleton in a cab with her friend after they partied at the Orchid Nightclub on November 20, 2009. Credit: WENN.
WTF has happened to William? He is morphing into his father more and more each day, which is not good.
I was amused by your reigns (reins) pun!
As he has been going out with her for years actually 2010 would be a good time to tie the knot – do it early fall and drag more tourists into London 🙂
Who cares? There’s nothing “Royal” about the Windsors. Kate’s an idiot if she signs up for this. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and we know what Wills’ father is like. Wish the UK would just ditch this money drain family. They spend so much time trying to prove they’re “average” in their assinine behavior so that it’s excused and do eff all except spend money otherwise. Wish Di were still alive.
Charles is an ass.
Diana, imho, tho absolutely photogenic and stylish, was an emotional wreck who played the press like a violin.
Love the way the Queen handles her public duties. She was ravishing as a young woman. Gotten a little bulldoggish looking later in life.
Hope William can create a meaningful life for himself.
I sure wouldn’t want to marry into that family.
Is anybody available to overthrow the House of Windsor already? Any disgruntled Plantagenet descendants?
Frail? Pffft, the Queen’s got another 20 years in her.
Damn Kate and William are OLD, 28? Damn
Well Tess, You’d probably be an emotional wreck too if the Queen and her son lied to you to rope you into a loveless marriage just to use your body for children and then throw you away like you were trash. I think Diana was really in love with Charles when she married him, only to find out shortly thereafter it was all a scam. And then having a snake like Camilla constantly inserting herself and injecting her poison.
Charles and Camilla were made for each tho. They are two of the most heinous people I’ve ever seen. Just too bad Diana had to get caught up in it.
Trash with money.
Kate will be the next Camilla. William has to marry a virgin, by their ridiculous laws. So he’ll find some young unsuspecting gooey eyed girl, for himself, pump out a few heirs, then end up continuing an affair with Kate.
She better hurry and nail this boy down if she wants him to have any hair in family photos. The woman that marries the younger brother is the one that will have the headaches. Number 2 in line is a PLAYA!!
Dianne, I don’t disagree with you at all.
However, I do think she went into the relationship with some major emotional baggage of her own and would have probably have sabotaged it all by herself, sooner or later. As she did with most of her relationships.
Her childhood was wacky, even by the standards of upper class Brits and she carried the emotional scars.
it won’t happen, she’s too boring even for a princess
After watching Wills from the baby bump till now, my only thought for both boys is a long and happy life.
I agree with Firestarter… on about everything… 🙂 BUT, he does look old… for being so young. He looked like his mom for the longest time, but now you can see Charles in there… poor guy.
Harry looks more and more like the stable guy Di hooked up with.
YeaRight! that’s not so. Find me the specific law that says virgins can’t get married, even royal virgins – do you think Camilla didn’t have sex more than once or twice with her first husband? Or the uggo Prince before and after his marriage? Hardly a virgin. I think the only rule there is now is that the Queen gives her approval and since she’s certainly met with Kate many times, I’m pretty sure she has it.
I like Kate. Wills is looking old because his hair is losing the battle with his forehead. He does sort of look like Prince Edward.
Green is Good: nah, the Tudors killed off all the Plantaganets. There might be some Stuarts floating around somewhere, I can’t remember what happened to them after the 1700s, but that was only a crappy branch.
Well, whatever happens we know the Queen will NEVER abdicate in favor of Charles, she will die with her crown firmly fixed to her head. She has had a horror of abdication ever since Eddie VIII scarpered with Mrs. Simpson and left her father holding the septer. I think Kate knows exactly what she is doing and whether or not “Wills” loves her, she has his total confidence and trust and that is something hard to come by in that world. I think they will marry and they need to get with it cause the biological clock is ticking!
They’d better hurry. Wills’ looks have got an expiration date apparently.
I agree with Dianne. I really hate what they did to Diana. Whether she was emotionally troubled before or not, she was used and abused and couldn’t handle it all. And good on her if she had the stable boy’s child. I would too.
Last time I checked, any potential royal bride is still expected to be Protestant, a virgin, and have a royal or aristocratic background. I realize that sounds very archaic, but hey, these people invented such.
Behold, good people of the UK, your future queen. Anyone who believes Kate will suddenly discover a work ethic after sitting on her bum and doing nothing since graduating from university will, I’m afraid, be very disappointed. I used to think William would marry someone else and keep Kate for his mistress. No more. He’ll marry Kate and take another mistress. And don’t complain, Kate. This is exactly what you are signing up for. Diana couldn’t handle the deception; Kate had better. Actually, I don’t think anyone else even wants the job. What Firestarter said.
Kathie, I actually think the Queen will abdicate. With Edward VIII, it was completely different, because George VI shouldn’t have come to the throne, he grew up as the “spare”, and thus wasn’t prepared. Charles has been groomed for the throne from birth, and I reckon the Queen will gradually being giving him more and more responsibility.
That’s 2 years away, good luck keeping the public’s interest.
Kate is boring
I think that Will WILL NOT marry Kate… He doesn’t love her… and she’s agly…
rumours are normally true,marriage now imminent – give it 10 years kids then divorce ,how can a guy repect a girl who puts it about in a relationship interlude.
And her mother !!! jeans chewing gum and a trolley the women could be cast for Eastenders and not look out of place.
I don’t really get it. Have an elder girl? Will’s fave is blonde, isn’t it? As they’re celeb couple.. I heard he do s’thing with a girl like Paris Hilton in junior high school, they didn’t make it? Come on, don’t be envy, Let the royal got the best girl. Mm, Kate isn’t bad girl but she’s rather fat and boyish like. Ya think Lady Diana is not a bit fat too? I thought Queen Elizsabeth is very strict. I like it. For clean line. It doesn’t necessary to pick like lower girl to entertain us. How would you think we gonna follow? We are asking for the best.
@YeaRight! You write: “William has to marry a virgin, by their ridiculous laws.” You’re being absurd! Uninformed. Or both. There is no such law. Please do everyone a favor and educate yourself before you comment on something about which you clearly know nothing.