The royal wedding is a month away, and the British news is heating up with items about the Prince William's secret stag and the classified recipe for one of two wedding cakes. Just in case you don't have a chance to read it all, CTV.ca will be posting a royal recap every week up until the big day.
Prince Harry hosts a private stag
With a reputation of being the feisty royal, Prince Harry might have been expected to host a raucous stag for his brother. On the contrary, Harry hosted a quiet weekend for 20 of William's closest friends at the estate of a friend, east of London. No details have been disclosed to the press. The Telegraph reports that earlier plans for a weekend of water sports on the River Exe on the coast of Devon and a party at the local pub, the Turf Locks, were leaked to the press and scrapped after reporters were seen flocking to the area. Prince Harry departs this week to the North Pole on a month-long charity expedition, returning just before the wedding.
Wedding Cake(s)
William and Kate have chosen Fiona Cairns of Leicestershire as their pastry chef. The BBC reports that Kate has asked for a traditional multi-tiered, multi-themed fruit cake with cream and white frosting and edible flowers; such as an English rose, Scottish thistle, a Welsh daffodil and an Irish shamrock. Ms. Cairns, excited to be the choice of the future princess, said Kate "has guided us right from the beginning and has quite strong ideas. She knew very much what she wanted and she brought us mood boards and told us what influences she would like us to use on the cake." A chocolate biscuit cake made by Paul Courtney of McVities, has also been requested by Prince William. The recipe for the second cake is a secret royal recipe given to the popular biscuit company by the Palace. Both chefs have been sworn to secrecy on the exact details of their creations.
Vows
William and Kate have already chosen the vows they'll recite, but will keep the words confidential until their wedding day. However, the Daily Mail is reporting today that Kate may choose to dispense with the antiquated version that says she should "obey" her new husband. The precedent to omit the word had been set by Diana in her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles, but then used again by Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew as well as by Sophie Rhys Jones and Prince Edward. Believe it or not, there are bets being taken on this issue. British bookmakers, William Hill, indicate it's an 8/11 odds that Kate will pledge to obey.
Downing Street party
There will be no shortage of street parties to celebrate William and Kate and now even the British prime minister and his wife are in on the festivities. According to the Daily Mail, David and Samantha Cameron have applied for a license to host a Downing Street party, which they will attend after the Westminster Abbey wedding ceremony and Buckingham Palace lunch reception hosted by the Queen. Applications for the street parties close tomorrow and many restrictions apply, including expensive insurance requirements. Two thousand applications have been processed so far and as many as 2 million people will hit the streets for various parties on April 29.
Wedding crashers
Katy Perry and her British comedian hubby, Russell Brand have not been invited to the Royal wedding but they've been telling tabloids that they plan to crash the event. Brand, who hails from Essex in south-east England, has plans to show up dressed at Queen Elizabeth. The couple doesn't seem the least bit daunted that security will be tight. Perhaps they'll be invited, along with Victoria and David Beckham to Elton John's exclusive William and Kate dinner party, planned to coincide with a break in the singer's touring schedule. The party is to thank the engaged couple for the invitation to their wedding.
