Catherine Middleton, HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, wears McQueen

Ooooooooooooooooh!!!! Kate Middleton did choose McQueen (Sarah Burton for McQueen). There are lace sleeves, a flattering V-neck, a longish-train (but not super-long). Kate, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge (YAY!!!), is wearing the “Cambridge Knot” Tiara. Wait… People Mag says the tiara is the Cartier ‘halo’ tiara, which belongs to the Queen. Maybe it’s both? I don’t know.

Okay, I’ll eat my words. I didn’t think Kate would be fashion-forward enough to wear Burton for McQueen, but she did. Of course, this looks nothing like traditional McQueen. The dress looks quite a bit like Grace Kelly’s famous long-sleeved lace-bodice wedding gown.

I appreciate the simplicity of Kate’s gown, the austerity of her veil. She doesn’t really look like a future queen to me, but she does look very pretty. Oh, and her hair is mostly down, but I think part of it is held back by the tiara…? Very nice.

More about the gown, from People:

The dress is composed of French Chantilly lace and English Cluny lace throughout the bodice, skirt and underskirt. The skirt, made of ivory and white satin gazar, was designed to emulate an opening flower: padded at the hips, it flowed out to the floor. The back of the dress was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops.

Kate wore her brunette locks in cascading curls. She topped the look with a ivory silk tulle veil, which was trimmed with hand-embroidered flowers. It was held in place by a Cartier ‘halo’ tiara, lent to Kate by the Queen. She also wore diamond drop earrings by Robinson Pelham, a gift from her parents. Her handmade shoes, also McQueen, were composed of ivory duchesse satin and lace.

Oh, yeah. THE MAKEUP IS HIDEOUS. HRH The Duchess of Eyeliner, Raccoon McWaity. I HAD to say it.

I LOVE Pippa’s maid of honor gown. That would make a beautiful wedding gown.

Prince William & Catherine are officially married (video, photos & The Kiss)

We’re now waiting for the kiss. According to the royal program, The Kiss should be happening around 8:25 EST. God, this has already been a long morning, right? Anyway, while we’re waiting for The Kiss - which will probably be timed perfectly with a flyover from some military planes - let’s discuss the general vibe we got from the wedding and everything. You can see the kiss on MSNBC live feed here:

UPDATE: Here’s the first kiss, for those who missed it!

I was increasingly impressed with how poised and NOT anxious Kate (Catherine, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge) was. She bordered on… extremely confident, I thought. Meanwhile, I got the feeling that William was a little bit of wreck. He seemed very nervous at times. I got the impression that Kate was super-coached, she knew all of her marks, she had practiced a lot, and she wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to mess up at all. My biggest complaint about Kate was that her makeup was hideous - she really, really should not have done it herself. My biggest complaint about William was that he really should have… I don’t know, been more together. He looked anxious, and he seemed… unprofessional when he and his brother were cracking jokes.

Stuff I liked: I liked that the vows were quick and simple. I liked how Pippa behaved… very courteous to her sister, respectful of the gown. I thought the father of the bride performed his duties beautifully, and I enjoyed seeing Carole Middleton looking subdued and emotional. I thought the wedding managed to have a very intimate feel, which is what they were going for.

So… who wants to read body language? I think Kate’s body language says “I got this, bitches!” And she did get it, all of it, and she has every right to tell me and everyone else to suck it.

Here’s video of the vows:

UPDATE: Here are some high and low-quality kiss photos. My favorite part is the little girl who is TOTALLY OVER THIS JUNK. Go ahead and feel free to “caption” the little girl’s thoughts.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Kate Middleton debuts her second McQueen wedding frock: cute or meh?

You thought it was done, didn’t you? Ha! It’s not over. It shall never be over. We shall change the name of the site to DuchessOfCrumpetsBitchy, and we shall only cover Catherine Middleton, Forever. Or maybe this is all just the sleep deprivation talking…?

Anyway, these are some new photos - the pics of Catherine in a new white dress, her second Sarah Burton for McQueen gown of the day. This is what Kate wore (is currently wearing?) for the evening wedding festivities. I like everything from the waist up. The bust of the dress is beautiful and structured, and I adore the fuzzy cardigan. The skirt, however… eh. I mean, it’s not my taste. It looks cute on her. Look how itty-bitty her waist is. The Duchess of Diets!

I kind of adore Camilla’s blue frock. I would totally wear that. I love the color and it looks really comfortable.

You know what? I have no idea what Prince Charles is explaining to William, AND I DON’T WANT TO KNOW.

And here are some cute photos from earlier today, when Kate and Will left Buckingham Palace in a snazzy Aston Martin. Double-Oh-Royal-Wedding-Dong.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

The Royal Wedding Open Post: When Baldy Met Glossy

Good morning! (Or good evening, depending on where you are.) This is our official open post for The Wedding of the Century! Everything should get going in a short time, and please be nice to us (please!) as we cover every last single little detail for the wedding.

Oh, here’s something: William and Kate are being made into His and Her Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. William is also getting the titles Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. AWESOME.

UPDATES: Most of the guests are there, including a HATLESS Sam Cameron, Posh Beckham, etc. The Princes just arrived! William is wearing dashing red, Harry is wearing black. Both are wearing their military uniforms.

Both CB and I will be live-blogging and commenting, and here’s a live feed of the events:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This will have the wedding at in an hour:

Kate Middleton & Prince William are finally, officially engaged after nine years

I got up early this morning (because I am hungover, ugh), and I was shocked at the Today Show’s first story: the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton! This wasn’t supposed to happen until next year or the year after! Oh, well. It’s all official and everything - William officially proposed to Kate in October while they were in Kenya (on one of their eight annual holidays), and the idea is that they will have the wedding next Spring or Summer (nail it down Kate!) some time. Waity Katie waits no more! After nine long years, she’s going to be a bride, her only goal, ever. Here’s the official statement:

The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.

The wedding will take place in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.

Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya. Prince William has informed The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton’s father.

Following the marriage, the couple will live in north Wales, where Prince William will continue to serve with the Royal Air Force.

[From People]

People Magazine also has a quote from an “old friend” who claims: “Everyone is absolutely delighted. He has never had eyes for any other woman since Kate came on the scene. She is going to make a wonderful wife, a wonderful princess.” Yeah, he’s never had eyes for anyone else except all of those women that he went off with after dumping Kate multiple times from 2002-2007 (here for Vanity Fair‘s article on the history of their breakups). Granted, 2007-2010 has been a lot more stable for the couple, but enough with the whitewash.

Okay, so I have to eat sh-t for some things, and I have to take credit for some things. Here’s a convenient list:

*I honestly didn’t think the engagement would happen right now. I really did think that William would make Kate wait for another couple of years. My bad.

* I told you Katie Nicholl at The Mail knew what she was talking about. That bitch has sources in the Middleton family. My suspects: Carole Middleton (Kate’s mom) or Kate herself.

*I will take credit for knowing that Kate’s parents appearance at Balmoral just a few weeks ago was significant, and a good sign for their relationship.

*I really, really wanted Will to dump Kate after she was content to be his doormat, beck-and-call girl for nine long years. I thought it would provide a valuable life lesson to young women all over the world: do not spend that much time waiting around for a ring, and doing nothing else. Get a job, do some charity work, make the dude wait around for you once in a while. Instead, little girls are now getting an entirely different life lesson: if you wait long enough and do nothing but run to your man every time he calls, and take him back after he screws around on you repeatedly, then you too can win the big prize of a ring. Ugh.

That being said, congratulations to the happy couple. I’m really looking forward to the engagement interview - I’ve never heard Kate’s voice before.

Here’s the Today Show’s video for the engagement announcement:

Photos courtesy of Bauer-Griffin.

Floral Displays in the Abbey and Buckingham Palace

The Couple have taken a close interest in the designs, which follows a theme that pays tribute to the Language of Flowers

Prince William and Miss Middleton have chosen London-based floral designer Shane Connolly to create the floral displays for their wedding on April 29th. Mr. Connolly has directed a team of florists, including Westminster Abbey's and Buckingham Palace's florists, and florists individually chosen by the Couple, to create the floral displays at the Abbey and for Buckingham Palace.

Mr. Connolly was chosen by the Couple owing to his reputation for producing elegant and unique displays, and for his creative approach which focuses on using seasonal, natural and organic flowers. Mr. Connolly is also well known for his sustainable approach to floristry, which incorporates as much as possible the use of growing, rather than cut, plants and trees.

The Couple have taken a close interest in the designs, which follows a theme that pays tribute to the Language of Flowers.

The floral displays in Westminster Abbey feature a variety of seasonal growing and cut British flowers and trees sourced from Royal Estates and other growers around the country. The flowers and plants include blossoms, azaleas, rhododendron, euphorbias, beech, wisteria and lilac.

The floral displays in the Abbey will include eight 20 feet-high trees: six English Field Maple and two Hornbeam. All the trees will be growing in planters, which have also been designed by Mr. Connolly and which were made by craftsmen at Highgrove, The Prince of Wales's Residence in Gloucestershire.

After the wedding, the flowers and plants will be left in position in Westminster Abbey for the public to view until Friday 6th May 2011. Following this, many of the trees will be taken to Highgrove Gardens, where they will be planted. The Couple's intention is that many of the cut plants and flowers and all the growing plants will be donated to charities or re-planted.

Notes to editors

• The trees, plants and flowers are being sourced from the Saville Gardens and Valley Gardens in Windsor Great Park, Sandringham Estate and other English growers.

• Shane Connolly
  
  Shane Connolly was born and raised in Northern Ireland. He has a lifelong passion for gardening and plants. After reading Psychology at university, he had a complete career change and trained under London's leading floral designers. He set up his business in 1989. Mr. Connolly has worked on a number of events for The Prince of Wales's Household. He was asked by The Duchess of Cornwall to design her bouquet and all the flowers for her marriage to The Prince of Wales in 2005. The company was awarded a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales in 2006. Shane has written three books. For more information visit www.shaneconnolly.co.uk.

• Highgrove Garden
  
  The Prince of Wales has over the last 30 years transformed the grounds of his country residence Highgrove into inspired and innovative gardens. The Prince's strict adherence to organic and sustainable methods has helped create gardens which are both magical and intriguing while being environmentally sound, encouraging both plants and wildlife to thrive. Thirty thousand visitors tour the gardens every year. All the proceeds from the garden tours are donated to the Prince's Charities Foundation. For more information about the Highgrove Gardens visit www.highgrovegardens.com.

• National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS)
  
  Six members of NAFAS will also be helping Shane Connolly and his team to decorate Westminster Abbey. NAFAS members have arranged the flowers for special occasions at Westminster Abbey for many years. For more information visit www.nafas.org.uk.

Mrs Middleton's dress

Mrs. Carole Middleton is wearing a sky blue wool crepe coatdress with matching satin piping and passementerie at the waist and cuff over a sky blue silk shantung ‘Sydney’ day dress with short pleated sleeves and pleated pockets.  The dress and coatdress are by Catherine Walker.  Mrs. Middleton’s hat is by Berkshire-based Jane Corbett.

Titles announced for Prince William and Catherine Middleton

The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince William of Wales. His titles will be Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince William of Wales. His titles will be Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.

Prince William thus becomes His Royal Highness The Duke of  Cambridge and Miss Catherine Middleton on marriage will become Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

Background:

DUKEDOM: Cambridge:

In 1706 George Augustus (subsequently George II) the only son of George Ludwig, Elector of Hanover (subsequently George I of Great Britain) was created with other titles Duke of Cambridge.   On the accession of his father to the throne in 1714 he also became Duke of Cornwall and was created Prince of Wales.   On his own accession to the throne in 1727 the Dukedom of Cambridge merged with The Crown and ceased.  

Cambridge was previously a Royal Dukedom and four sons of James, Duke of York (afterwards James II) who died in infancy were all created Duke of Cambridge.   As an Earldom Cambridge was a medieval Royal title.   Edward IV was Duke of York and Earl of Cambridge till proclaimed King of England in 1461 when his titles merged with The Crown.   

His father and grandfather both Richard Plantagenet were both Earls of Cambridge and the latter was also Duke of York.   Edmund of Langley, 5^th son of Edward III and great-grandfather of Edward IV, was created Earl of Cambridge in 1362 and Duke of York in 1385.  

The Dukedom of Cambridge created in 1801 became extinct on the death of the 2^nd Duke of Cambridge in 1904.   Cambridge existed as a Marquessate from 1917 when it was conferred on Queen Mary’s brother till 1981 when the 2^nd Marquess died and the title became extinct.

EARLDOM: Strathearn

Strathearn has had Royal connections since Robert Stewart, High Steward of Scotland, was created Earl of Strathearn in 1357.   In 1371 he succeeded his Uncle as King of Scotland becoming Robert II and the Earldom merged with The Crown Robert II created his 5^th son David, Earl of Strathearn in 1371. Subsequently in 1427 the 6^th son of Robert II was created Earl of Strathearn.  

In 1766 George III’s younger brother Prince Henry Frederick was created Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn.   He died without issue in 1790 and in 1799 Queen Victoria’s father was created Duke of Kent and Strathearn.   These Dukedoms became extinct on his death in 1820.  Finally, Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, 3^rd son of Queen Victoria was created Duke of Connaught and Strathearn in 1874.  He died in 1942 and was succeeded by his grandson who died the following year 1943 since when Strathearn as a title has been extinct.

BARONY: Carrickfergus:

An Irish Viscountcy of Chichester of Carrickfergus now held by the Marquess of Donegall was created in 1625  but Carrickfergus alone only existed as a title between 1841 and 1883.   The 3^rd Marquess of Donegall was created Baron Ennishowen and Carrickfergus, of Ennishowen, co: Donegal and Carrickfergus, co: Antrim.   He died in 1883 being succeeded by his brother and the Barony became extinct. 

Carrickfergus is County Antrim’s oldest town.  The word means Rock of Fergus andas an urban settlement it predates Belfast. It is on the north shore of Belfast Lough and is the site of  Carrickfergus Castle which dates from circa 1180 and is one of the best preserved Castles in Ireland.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave Buckingham Palace in an Aston Martin

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave Buckingham Palace for Clarence House.

The Duke is driving an Aston Martin DB6. The convertible Aston Martin Volante DB6 MKII in Seychelles blue is owned by his father HRH The Prince of Wales. The Prince has owned the car since 1969.

In June 2008, at the specific request of The Prince of Wales, who is keen that his cars should be run on sustainable fuel, the Aston Martin was converted to run on E85 bioethanol, made from English wine wastage.

OMG, David beckham mistakenly wore a medal of honor at the Royal Wedding

Stupid mistake. David beckham mistakenly wore a medal of honor at the Royal Wedding. Beckham and Victoria is one of the many guests who were invited by the British royal to attend the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Church of Westminster Abbey, London.

For this show Beckham wearing a Ralph Lauren jacket and hat design that was designed by Philip Treacy.

Beckham's appearance at a glance looks perfect but, if carefully considered there was one mistake contained in clothing worn by a former retainer of the Three Lions are.

Medals OBE (Order of the British Empire) which should be pinned on the left side, precisely mounted on the right side of the jacket is used. As a result Beckham became the target scene photojournalist who roamed in the event.

Royal wedding video, Prince William and Catherine Middleton's Royal Marriage

There was so much to love today as Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married in Westminster Abbey as an audience of hundreds of millions worldwide looked on. Prince William and Catherine Middleton's Royal Marriage

congrats to both. Well, she is a capricorn born the year of the rooster and she totally controls the castle. She is going to change everything and he will follow since he is a gemini who can not make his mind on anything. she will want a large family and in many ways will care about the poor just like princess diane. Capricorn and geminis are good for eachother so they will be fine. It was a great show and thanks to them for showing it to the world. Brings lots of to london. Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Royal wedding video: highlights of the ceremony of the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton

Photos collection of ROYAL WEDDING

Photos collection of ROYAL WEDDING
This is the biggest wedding of the century 29 April 2011, the wedding Prince William and Kate Middleton was greeted by a British citizen.After the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Prince William and Kate Middleton finally appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. On the balcony of that, William kissed her twice, and the roar greeted thousands of British citizens who witnessed directly.
The following is a collection of photographs :