Mandy’s Royalty | Anglotopia

Royal Round Up 8-31-10: New Zealand’s Cullen Wants To End Monarchy; A Happy Ferguson Marriage; Charles Takes Going Green Even Further

August 31, 2010 By Mandy Littlefield Leave a Comment

End the monarchy in New Zealand?

Michael Cullen, New Zealand’s former deputy Prime Minister, is speaking out against the Royal Family.

He brands Prince Charles as “strange” and Prince Philip as “insensitive and prejudiced” in his call to end the monarchy in New Zealand.

The idea of a republic has been discussed in the past, notably under former Prime Minister Helen Clark. Neighboring Australia has also debated the merits of a republic, holding a referendum in 1999. Though the Aussie referendum delivered a resounding ‘no’ to a republic, the issue has continued to be a point of contention in the area.

Cullen believes that Queen Elizabeth II should remain as monarch of New Zealand, but insists that the country should end the monarchy upon her death.

More…

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Fergie’s little sister marries

Sarah Ferguson was all smiles as she stepped out to celebrate her half-sister’s wedding last Saturday.

Alice Ferguson married Nick Stileman on her family’s Hampshire farm. The bride is amusingly referred to in the press as the only Ferguson to be wooed by a banker.

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The Lancaster room of Clarence House in London, 1949. The house was built in 1825-27 by John Nash for the Duke of Clarence, later King William IV. The decor was paid for by the County of Lancaster, and the painting is by Patrick Nasmyth. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Prince of Wales wins right to install solar panels on Clarence House

Ever the eco-friendly Prince, Charles decided to install solar panels on his London residence to make it “carbon negative”. His Royal Highness submitted a planning application to Westminster City Council which they have just approved.

The solar panels are a part of Prince Charles’ larger scheme to wholly convert to a green lifestyle. He has installed energy-efficient boilers, converted his Jaguar and Land Rover to run on biodiesel – derived from used cooking oil – and his Aston Martin even runs on fuel made from wine!

A spokesman for Clarence House said that the Prince was very happy that his planning application went through “[...] as next month Clarence House Gardens will be hosting the Start Garden Party to make a difference’, which will showcase various measures people could take to live a more sustainable lifestyle.”

“Princess Pushy” becomes “Princess Penny-Pincher”

“Opinions expressed are his own” - Thank the British Empire for terrorism in South Asia

Filed Under: Mandy's Royalty

Royal Round Up 8-24-10: Australia’s Hung Parliament; Queen’s Age Arouses Curiosity; Hewitt Flat For Sale

August 24, 2010 By Mandy Littlefield Leave a Comment

Australian Elections Too Close To Call

Like its British cousin, Australia faces a hung parliament after the outcome of its elections.

The contenders vying for the top spot are current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her opponent, Liberal leader Tony Abbott. They must now court three Independent MPs who will tip the balance and form a government. If things cannot be resolved, the Queen’s Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, will have to formally intercede.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 22: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks to the media during a press conference at Treasury Place on August 22, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. Australia faces its first hung parliament since World War 2. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Gillard has been courting controversy of late by saying that the Queen should be the last monarch of Australia. Ms. Gillard, who was born in Wales and emigrated to Australia with her parents at a child, acknowledged that many Australians had “deep affection” for the Queen, but said that once she dies or abdicates, Australia should become a Republic.

“What I would like to see as prime minister is that we work our way through to an agreement on a model for the republic,” she said during an election campaign stop in Queensland.

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The Queen’s Age Interests Readers

The world’s most famous 84-year-old has the search engines buzzing about her age.

Her Majesty the Queen has garnered the most internet searches regarding her age than any other high-profile public person, according to the search site “Ask Jeeves”.

The Queen turned 84 this past April and has far surpassed Queen Victoria as Britain’s oldest monarch.

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The Cad Loses Cash

The world’s biggest cad has failed to find a buyer for his flat in Chelsea.

James Hewitt, a former British household cavalry officer who romanced the late Princess of Wales, has tried in vain to sell the flat where they had multiple trysts.

Diana admitted in her famous Panorama interview that she had committed adultery with Hewitt in the mid-1980s. Hewitt tried to cash in on his ties to Diana and tried to sell sixty of her personal letters to him for £10 million.

Hewitt was branded a cad for trying to sell the letters. To earn money, he even appeared in reality television shows. Hewitt even turned up on an episode of “Top Gear”, but neither Jeremy Clarkson nor Richard Hammond claimed to recognize him. Regardless, they slapped his time up on the scoreboard, but under the name “The Well-Spoken Man”.

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New TV Talent Search – At The Palace

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: Prince Harry gives a speech at the Friends of the Forces Awards at the Liberal Club on July 13, 2010 in London, England. The Prince presented the first award at the event which recognises people from across the UK who make an outstanding contribution to service personnel and their families. (Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

DJ and producer Goldie is set to host a new talent show to find musicians. Among the honored guests to support the series is none other than Prince Harry. The show’s finale will take place at Buckingham Palace.

Entitled “Goldie’s Band: By Royal Appointment” for BBC2, the DJ has expressed his excitement at giving British youth a chance to show their talents to the nation. Goldie himself was a finalist in BBC2′s Maestro series, in which he took on the challenge of learning to become a conductor.

Filed Under: Mandy's Royalty Tagged With: australia republic, James Hewitt, prince harry, The Queen

Royal Round Up 8-17-10: Princess Anne Turns 60; Bonnie Prince Charles Honors Robert Burns; Mountbatten Heirs In Distress

August 18, 2010 By Mandy Littlefield Leave a Comment

Charles Narrates Famous Scottish Poems

Prince Charles, a passionate admirer of Scotland, has recorded his favorite Robert Burns poems for the BBC Scotland Audio Project. The Prince lent his voice to ‘My Luve is Like a A Red Red Rose’ and ‘My Heart’s In The Highlands’.

Charles’ love of Scotland was greatly influenced by his Scottish grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth. Charles also grew up among Scottish nannies to whom he was very close.

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Happy Birthday to The Princess Royal!

LONDON - JUNE 05: Princess Ann, Princess Royal inspects Chelsea Pensioners during the 'Founders Day Parade' at Chelsea Royal Hospital, on June 5, 2008 in London, England. The Royal Hospital Chelsea, a home for British army Veterans, is home to approximately 330 former soldiers, known as Chelsea Pensioners and was founded in 1682 by King Charles II. Many of the Chelsea Pensioners will take part in the annual Founders day Parade and will be inspected by Princess Anne, Princess Royal. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Prince Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, celebrated her 60th birthday on August 15th. The British media feted Anne as the hardest working royal, aside from the Queen and Prince Philip, and praised her no-nonsense attitude in raising her children.

Her Royal Highness has always been one of the most down-to-earth royals. But while she is very much the Queen’s daughter in duty and thrift, Anne is the female version of Prince Philip when it comes to telling people what she thinks.

The princess famously told the media to “naff off” when they pressed too close. Then, during an attempted abduction in the Mall in which a crazed gunman tried to pull her from her limo, Anne held her door shut and yelled “What good will this do?”. He ordered her to come with him, saying he was going to get £3 million for her ransom. “Not bloody likely,” she retorted.

Anne was created The Princess Royal by the Queen in 1987 in recognition for her work. Anne has worked extensively for her Save The Children charity in Africa and established a Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which helps those who care for family members with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

Best wishes to the Princess upon the occasion of her 60th birthday. May she have many more happy and successful years!

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Lord Brabourne Flies The Coop

Lord Brabourne, the grandson of the late Lord Mountbatten, unexpectedly left his Broadlands estate in Hampshire several weeks ago. His wife Penelope announced to their staff that he had gone to the Bahamas and would not be returning.

No one knows exactly what caused Norton Knatchbull, the Duke of Edinburgh’s cousin, to leave his family home and his wife for a new life in the Bahamas. Lady Brabourne remains tight-lipped and refuses to comment on the situation.

The Brabournes have suffered many difficult times over the years. Lord Brabourne lost several family members in 1979 when the IRA detonated a bomb that they rigged to Mountbatten’s fishing boat. They got their intended target – Mountbatten – but also took the lives of his grandson Nicholas, the Dowager Lady Brabourne, and crew member Paul Maxwell in the blast.

Brabourne’s younger brother Timothy, Nicholas’ twin, and their parents survived but with lasting injuries.

Refusing to let the IRA ruin their lives further, Brabourne carried on with his wedding to Penelope Eastwood. They had three children together: Nicholas, named for his uncle; Alexandra; and Leonora. Tragically, Leonora died in 1991 at the age of 5 from leukemia. She is buried in the grounds of the family’s Broadlands estate.

Their son Nicholas, now 28, is heir to the £100 million estate and is in line to become the next Earl Mountbatten. However, he has a severe drug problem. Video of a gaunt and sick Nicholas taking heroin was posted on the website of a tabloid newspaper, causing an uproar in the media and begging the question of how the godson of the Prince of Wales and a great-grandson of Lord Mountbatten could’ve fallen so far from grace.

With the pressures of his tragic family life, perhaps Lord Brabourne has decided he needs to take time to sort things out. Hopefully he will return to Broadlands soon, and to his family who needs him.

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Harrod’s To Regain Royal Patronage

The new owners of Harrod’s are eager to have the British royal family patronize the iconic shop once again.

The Qatari royal family, who bought the London store from the infamous Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, are going to remove the memorial statues depicting the late Princess of Wales and her partner, Fayed’s son Dodi.

Entitled “Innocent Victims”, the memorial was erected by Al Fayed as a jab at the British Royal Family, particularly Prince Philip. Al Fayed has publicly blamed the Duke of Edinburgh in the past for the fatal car crash that took the life of his son and the princess. With such an accusation, it is little wonder that the royals are no longer patrons.

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Filed Under: Mandy's Royalty Tagged With: Harrod, Lord Brabourne, Lord Mountbatten, Princess Anne

Royal Round Up 08-10-10: Fergie’s Debts Cleared; Royal Holidays; Near-Miss Robbery

August 10, 2010 By Mandy Littlefield Leave a Comment

A Date With Debt: Fergie’s Money Woes May Be Over

Sarah Ferguson can breathe a sigh of relief – her five MILLION pounds worth of debt has been cleared.

According to the Telegraph, a spokesman for the Duchess of York said that her financial issues were “being managed” and she will not have to file for bankruptcy. Her personal debts have been cleared.

Sarah’s ex husband, Prince Andrew, was reported to have taken control of her chaotic finances after the “Cash for Royal Favors” scandal broke in May.

HUNTINGDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 25: Prince Andrew, Duke of York visits Meridian Audio during a tour of successful British Export businesses on May 25, 2010 in Huntingdon, England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/Getty Images for Meridian)

In an undercover video set up by British tabloid News of the World, the Duchess was seen stumbling her way through a deal in which she offered access – “open doors,” as she said – to Prince Andrew for more than US $700,000. Prince Andrew, along with the Queen, were said to be “deeply concerned” and took control of Sarah’s debts to keep her from any further risky and desperate decisions.

Trying to cover her tracks, Sarah ran immediately to talk-show host Oprah Winfrey to explain herself. In the bizarre interview, the former royal spoke of herself in the third person and said that she was just trying to get the money for “a friend”. She did admit to being “substantially” in debt, however.

The Duchess explained that it was a “lapse in judgement”, leading people to wonder just how broke she was even though she was seen living the high life with chauffeurs and an extensive staff.

Will this be the last we hear of financially unsavvy Fergie? Stay tuned…

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Charles Supports Scottish Heritage

Prince Charles, in his capacity as the Duke of Rothesay, recently visited the Castlehill Heritage Centre in Caithness, Scotland.

The Duke of Rothesay was visiting Scotland to observe the results of the regeneration of the 17th-century dairy into a community center that promotes the area’s traditional craftmaking.

The Prince’s Regeneration Trust helped to support the project, where crafts such as peat cutting, rope making, as well as spinning and weaving, are featured. Charles is looking to rejuvenate the remaining old buildings within the area.

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Duke of York Robbed – Nearly

Considering the strain placed on Prince Andrew by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, you might think a brief holiday would be welcome.

The Duke of York, after spending family time with his daughters, parents, and siblings in Scotland, briefly headed for the Mediterranean with friends. Understandably, Sarah took a separate holiday with friends in Spain. Their absence from their home in Windsor Great Park, however, meant that there was an absence of police protection on the property.

Thieves took the opportunity to try and rob the empty house, brazenly ramming the gate and driving up to Royal Lodge. They didn’t get far before they realized they were caught on security cameras. They fled empty-handed.

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Family Ties: Royal Cousins Horsing Around

Filed Under: Mandy's Royalty Tagged With: Prince Charles, Sarah Ferguson, The Duke of York

Royal Round Up 8-3-10: Holiday treat for royal nanny; Zara’s Olympic dreams; Luxembourg Prince comes to Florida

August 3, 2010 By Mandy Littlefield Leave a Comment

Nanny Anderson Joins Royals on Holiday

The former nanny to all four of the Queen’s children was invited to cruise the Scottish isles with the Royal Family.

The 83-year-old Mabel Anderson, a year younger than the Queen, spent time among her former charges and their own children. The cruise aboard the Hebridean Princess was a private occasion to celebrate the birthdays of the Princess Royal, soon to be 60 this month, and Prince Andrew, who celebrated his 50th birthday earlier this year.

It was a special invitation to reward Anderson’s loyalty, a far cry from the situation surrounding Her Majesty’s own nanny. Marion Crawford dared to break royal silence and penned a book detailing the young lives of Elizabeth and her little sister, Princess Margaret. Loving though it was, Queen Elizabeth and King George VI were livid that one of their household could betray confidence. Crawfie, as the nanny was known, was banished from court life forever.

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Luxembourg Prince Comes to Florida

Prince Louis, the third son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, is coming stateside.

Louis will be studying Aeronautics and Aeronautical Management at the Florida Institute of Technology.

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I’m An Athlete First, says Zara Phillips

Zara Phillips, the daughter of Princess Anne, has trained for many years to be a horsewoman of Olympian quality.

She has achieved her aim in skill, but officially competing on an Olympic team is a goal still unmet.

Phillips was forced to abandon her spot on Britain’s Olympic team two years ago when her horse was injured. She missed her chance again in the 2004 Olympics when the horse was injured again.

In the interim, the 29-year-old Royal has been designing equestrian wear for the brand Musto. Phillips is dismayed at the description of “model” or “royal”. She prefers simply “athlete”.

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Prince Charles Steps It Up In the Recycling Stakes

The Prince of Wales is further promoting sustainability and recycling by having his curtains made into carrier bags, says the Telegraph.

The Prince will be holding a 12-day garden party called “A Garden Party To Make A Difference” within the grounds of Clarence House, Lancaster House and Marlborough House, where the public will be able to visit and sew their own bags from curtains straight out of Clarence House.

Strange? The Prince describes it thus:

“We have a fantastic team of talented curators who are helping us create an event which will, I hope, be both fun and informative. This festival is just one way in which [we] can help to demonstrate how we can all make a difference, however big or small the steps we take.”

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