In this week's edition of Royal Wedding Recap: Twitter tribute, Kate's a doll, Spanish honeymoon invite, Will and Kate's London home and the Royal title.
George Michael's musical tribute
Popular 1980s singer George Michael plans to honour William and Kate by recording a song for the couple. The choice was culled from suggestions on Twitter but Michael will only reveal that it's a "70s song written by a genius, beginning with the word ‘you'." George Michael, who is not invited to the wedding, revealed that as a boy, Prince William once asked him to sing at a Kensington Palace Christmas party. Michael declined because he said he is too shy to sing for small groups. The specially recorded song will be posted on George Michael's Twitter page by the end of this week.
Kate's a doll
Readers of Elle UK were treated to a sneak peek at the new Limited Edition Princess Catherine Engagement Doll, made by British toy shop Hamley's. The doll, which is a pretty good likeness, is wearing the royal blue Issa dress that Kate famously wore for her engagement announcement, as well as Beatrix Ong shoes. She dons a gold clutch and a pink fascinator – a favourite accessory of the future princess. The item, which sells for £34.95, is sure to sell fast, as there are only 10,000 on the market. Proceeds from the sales of the unique piece of wedding memorabilia will go to Help for Heroes, a British charity which aids military veterans.
Spain anyone?
Speculation about where William and Kate will spend their honeymoon is being fuelled by The Sun report that a formal invitation was sent to the couple by the mayor of Benidorm, a Spanish coastal resort town known for its gorgeous beaches. Benidorm is a popular vacation destination for Brits and is also the subject of an award-winning ITV series that depicts a group of holiday-goers trying to get the most out of their all-inclusive vacation dollars. The British tabloid said Mayor Agustin Navarro Alvada wrote an impassioned letter extolling the virtues of his town and guaranteeing ‘security, tranquility and quality," but so far there is no confirmation of the honeymoon destination. Other possibilities include the Caribbean and South Africa.
Bunking with the in-laws
Although William and Kate will live primarily in Anglesey, Wales, to be close to William's RAF post, they will naturally want to be close to the action in London as well. According to The Telegraph, that home will – at least temporarily - be a suite of rooms in Clarence House, a royal residence that houses Prince Charles, his wife Camilla and Prince Harry. After a time they will likely move to a more permanent home, either at Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace or St. James Palace.
Duke and Duchess or Prince and Princess?
There is much protocol around the royal title, which is one of the Queen's gifts to the couple on their wedding day. In anticipation of this, The Telegraph gave readers a lesson in royal title etiquette saying that since Kate is not a princess by birth, tradition has it that she should be known as HRH Princess William of Wales. As confusing as it is, upon marrying, royal men can be given more than one new title. For instance, when Prince Andrew married, he became the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, though he is most often referred to as either Prince Andrew or the Duke of York. To simplify things, Prince William could ask to keep his current and only title and Kate could then become Princess Catherine of Wales. However, if William does accept a dukedom, possible titles suggested include the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, Cambridge, Connaught or Sussex. Other options include Kendal, Avondale, Strathearn and Teviotdale. Stay tuned.
