Inside the Haunted Hallways of Kensington Palace

Hannah Betts on the Kings Staircase in Kensington Palace, London, whilst on a ghost hunting tour. Photo: Clara Molden 


Halloween, that time of the year when we remember the dead, and I am sitting in Queen Victoria’s private apartments at Kensington Palace, considering the means by which she endeavoured to remain in contact with her beloved Albert after his death in 1861.

Here is the crystal locket in which she kept a lock of his infant hair, there, one of the 40 or so marble busts she placed constantly about her.

Not displayed are the plaster casts of his ear and hand that she kept with her in bed, so that his was still the ear she could whisper into last thing at night, the hand she could reach for first thing in the morning. (She was buried with the hand 40 years later.)

Kensington Palace’s short series of eerie nocturnal tours presents the perfect opportunity for such reflections: a site redolent of 300 years of love and loss, proving that wealth and privilege are no protectors from pain.

Ghost hunters will be in their element, no less royal lovers.  Click link for full post from The Telegraph.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Attend Festival of Remembrance for First Time

Caption: The Royal couple will attend the festival, adding to the growing number of their royal duties 

William and Kate will join the Queen, Prince Philip and other senior members of the Royal Family at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday November 7 for the British Legion's traditional televised service.

The following day, Remembrance Sunday, the couple will join other relatives at the Cenotaph, where Kate will watch from the Foreign Office balcony as William lays a wreath to mark the sacrifice of Britain's War dead.

William, 33, will take the veterans' salute on Horse Guards Parade after the wreath-laying ceremony which this year will also be attended by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Maxima in honour of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of their country from Nazi tyranny.

Click link for full post from EXPRESS.

Prince Harry Meets with President & Mrs Obama to Promote the Invictus Games Next Year in the USA

Caption: Prince Harry with Michelle Obama. The royal also met injured servicemen and the US President 


AS warm-up acts go, they don’t much come bigger.

US First Lady Michelle Obama gave Prince Harry a big hug and got women in the audience at a military base whooping after introducing him [yesterday].

“Come on ladies, Prince Harry is here. Don’t act like you don’t care,” she said, prompting wild whooping from the female military personnel and relatives at Fort Belvoir base in Virginia.

After that sort of warm-up act, the Prince, who met wounded servicemen and women undergoing rehabilitation at the base, wooed the crowd with an impassioned speech in which he explained how his experiences in Afghanistan had changed the direction of his life and persuaded him to dedicate it to helping wounded veterans live fulfilled lives.

“I am in no doubt that my two deployments to Afghanistan changed the direction of my life,” he told them.  Click link for full post from EXPRESS.

Defending Kate Middleton

Caption: Too heavy? How callously they zoom in on her immaculate smokey eye make-up lest her kohl be too heavy

From The Daily Mail:

Every time she leaves her home, computer keyboards across the globe tap in unison, critically dissecting her 33-year-old woman’s body

No human being, I would suggest, can stand the level of attention that Kate receives.

Since her two pregnancies, Kate has, there’s no denying, become thinner still. But, rather than criticising her, surely we should all try to understand.

Let’s not forget the dreadfully acute morning sickness she suffered for months on end. And imagine having just given birth after a ghastly pregnancy and then having to step out on to the steps of the hospital and be photographed by the world’s media.

Such is the life of a modern royal. People’s appetite for fairytale-gilded princesses seems insatiable. 

Poor Kate. The pretty young woman from the Home Counties who had the good luck, or misfortune, to fall in love with a Prince.

How does she cope with being the subject of such relentless commentary?

Nothing could possibly have prepared her for the unending pressure of becoming a senior member of The Firm, the sheer weight of responsibility of being a future king’s consort, of raising the next generation of monarchs.

Who among us could — or would want to — walk in her shoes, be they the sparkliest of Jimmy Choos? And yet the ‘haters’ keep on hating.

Not many women could glide onto the red carpet, effortlessly stealing the limelight from a coterie of exquisite Bond girls.

Particularly not if they were a harried mother-of-two with a high-profile job who gave birth only six months ago — and having to cope with the unbelievable pressures of her role as well as the global adulation that goes with it.

But on Monday, the Duchess of Cambridge did just that at the world premiere of the new James Bond film, Spectre.

As polished and poised as ever, Kate was a vision in diaphanous ice-blue chiffon.

Click link for full post from The Daily Mail.

Kate Attends 100 Women in Hedge Funds Black Tie Dinner

Caption: Kate put on the glitz at the Victoria & Albert Mueum in London 

Twenty four hours after wowing the crowds at a Bond movie premiere, Kate put on the glitz again at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds black tie dinner at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

It was a stylish affair: before she arrived a string quartet welcomed guests inside the main entrance of the museum in South Kensington.

The 33-year-old Duchess is a patron of 100 Women in Hedge Funds' Philanthropic Initiatives and tonight's gala dinner and earlier reception was in aid of another of her charities, The Art Room, which uses art therapy to build the confidence of vulnerable children experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

She became patron of The Art Room in 2012.  Click link for full post from EXPRESS.

Daring Kate! Duchess Wears Spectacular Gown to Premiere of 007 Bond Film, Spectre

Caption: With a host of Bond Girls to compete with, the Duchess of Cambridge turned on the glitz at the world premiere of the new 007 film Spectre tonight 

Caption: Kate appeared to leave her underwear at home as she flashed a hint of her lower back in the elegant gown.

With a host of Bond Girls to compete with, the Duchess of Cambridge turned on the glitz at the world premiere of the new 007 film Spectre tonight.

Appearing to go braless, Kate dazzled in a bespoke diaphanous pale blue full-length gown by her go-to evening wear designer, Jenny Packham.

The elegant dress featured a crossover chiffon front and modest V-neck while the delicate draping at the back of the gown flashed a hint of Kate's lower back.

Meanwhile, an intricate beaded band around the waist helped highlight Kate's slender frame.

Click link for full post from The Daily Mail.

Prince Harry Attends Service at St. Paul's Cathedral to Honor Veterans

Caption: Harry meets former bomb-disposal personnel at St.Pauls (Getty). 


Prince Harry has met families of bomb disposal experts killed in action, at a service marking the 75th anniversary of armed forces' explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units.

The prince, who did two tours in Afghanistan with the British Army, also crouched down to chat and share jokes with two sappers who lost their legs in the conflict.

The service at St Paul's Cathedral in London paid tribute to those who served as bomb disposal experts over the decades, here and abroad, from those who worked on Luftwaffe bombs in the Blitz to those who served in Northern Ireland and more recent conflicts like Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

It included poignant addresses from Ian Kirkpatrick, whose son Corporal Jamie Kirkpatrick was killed in Afghanistan, and from the musician and television presenter Jools Holland, who is honorary colonel of Cpl Kirkpatrick's unit, 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment, as well as serving personnel.

Click link for full post from The Telegraph.

Kate Vows to Ban Prince George From Riding Motorcycles!

Caption: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Dundee Rep Theatre Photo: Getty 

The Duchess of Cambridge has vowed to ban Prince George from riding motorbikes when he is older because Prince William's machines fill her with "horror".

The Duchess told well-wishers in Dundee that she hates it when the Duke of Cambridge rides his own motorbikes because she thinks they are too dangerous.

The royal couple were visiting the Scottish city in support of a festival which is challenging preconceived ideas about mental health.  Click link for full post from The Telegraph.

William and Kate Visit Dundee, Scotland

Caption: Resplendent in a bespoke blue coat by Scottish designer, Christopher Kane, and Aquatalia suede knee length boots from Russell & Bromley, the mother-of-two looked resplendent 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet children as they visit the original Royal Research Ship Discovery at Discovery Point

Resplendent in a bespoke blue coat by Scottish designer, Christopher Kane, and Aquatalia suede knee length boots from Russell & Bromley, the mother-of-two joined Prince William to highlight mental health issues affecting young people on their first official visit to Dundee on Friday.


Whilst chatting to wellwishers who greeted the couple upon their arrival, Kate said she will vow to keep two-year-old Prince George off a motorbike when he grows up.

According to The Telegraph, Kate said she's vowed to ban her firstborn from riding motorbikes when he is older because Prince William's motorbikes fill her with horror and she hates it when he rides the 'dangerous' machines.

Click link for full post from The Daily Mail.

Kate's Spectacular Tiara Worn at the State Banquet

Caption: Lotus Flower of Papyrus tiara 

The EXPRESS looks at the history of royals wearing the tiara.

Tuesday's state banquet for the Chinese President was only the third time that the Duchess of Cambridge has worn a tiara in public and on the last two occasions she has opted for the Lotus Flower.


In doing so she has revived a tiara that was once a favourite of Princess Margaret.

The piece was produced by royal jewellers Garrard & Co in 1923 at the request of the Queen Mother using the diamonds and pearls from a wedding gift.

It became known as the Lotus Flower because of its fan design.

Click link for full post from EXPRESS.

Prince William and Kate Host Chinese President Xi Jinping and His Wife at Event at Lancaster House

Caption: Madame Peng, a well-known singer in China, applauds after watching actors performing at the event at Lancaster House 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by kung fu star Jackie Chan as they met Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife at an event to mark the second day of their state visit to Britain. 

Stealing the show in a plum-coloured lace dress, Kate looked relaxed as she greeted First Lady Peng Liyuan, a style icon in her own right, outside Lancaster House, in London, where the group attended the showcase highlighting the creative and technological collaborations between their nations.

The best of British was put on display at the event, including an outlandish hat by leading British milliner Philip Treacy, a Dalek and Tardis from Doctor Who, and James Bond's Aston Martin.

The guests were also treated to a live performance by some of the cast from the hit BBC show Poldark. Click link for full post from The Daily Mail.