Never-before-seen photograph of Wills and Kate shows their excitement at engagement

By Lydia Warren


Relaxed and looking forward to their big day, the Mario Testino portrait of Prince William and Kate Middleton, as she was then


With wide smiles, they can barely conceal the excitement of their newly-announced engagement.

In this never-before-seen photograph, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appear close and relaxed – thrilled by thoughts of their impending big day.

The photograph, taken by Mario Testino, graces the July cover of Vanity Fair.


It includes further portraits by Testino, such as the iconic picture of Princess Diana in 1997.

The Peruvian photographer took William and Kate’s engagement pictures at St James’ Palace last November.

Though William, Prince Harry and the Prince of Wales have all turned to Testino for pictures to commemorate milestones, the celebrated fashion photographer had never before captured Miss Middleton.

But speaking the Mail On Sunday's Katie Nicholl for the accompany interview in U.S. Vogue, he said he already felt ‘very confident’ she would be an ‘easy sitter’ because of her natural grace.

And last week, speaking at a gala in his honour in New York, the 56-year-old said he understood why he was chosen to take the photographs.

Testino, a close friend of Diana’s, said: ‘I guess it was a way for them to keep William’s mother in the whole process of it.’

Despite the pressure of the shoot, Testino said the Duchess ‘looked fabulous’ and that the couple exuded ‘sheer happiness’.

He added: ‘They are a young couple in love.’

Portraits: Mario Testino (left) took Prince William and the then Kate Milddleton's official engagement picture (right) in 2010


The edition will lift the lid on the couple’s house-hunting and who does the chores around their Anglesey home.

It describes the pair’s giggles as they watched their nuptials back on television, and recounts the moment Michael Middleton realised the relationship was serious – when Prince William arrived at his Berkshire home by helicopter.

It also recalls the rather surprising requests the pair had for their honeymoon suite – including Philadelphia cream cheese and Brussel sprouts.

The July issue of Vanity Fair will be on news-stands on June 3, ahead of the newly-weds’ trip to Canada and California in July.



source:dailymail

It's back to work: Days after two billion watched his wedding, Prince William returns to the day job

By Daily Mail Reporter


Prince William returning to his RAF Valley in Anglesey today, days after his wedding was watched by two billion around the world


A few days ago his every move was watched by an estimated two billion people.

But today it was back to more familiar territory as Prince William returned to work at his RAF base in Anglesey.

Wearing sunglasses he was behind the steering wheel of an Audi seen arriving at the Air and Sea Rescue HQ.

Wearing sunglasses, Prince William drove into the Air and Sea Rescue HQ at RAF Valley


It was thought Prince William and his bride would honeymoon this week until it emerged that the new Duke of Cambridge had to return to work.

Despite his status as second in line to the throne he, like his colleagues, had to apply for leave like his colleagues.

He was given a week off for the wedding but was told that he would have to split any further holiday requests – hence the delayed departure date.

The Mail revealed this week that the couple are due to fly out by private jet in mid-May before being taken by helicopter from the mainland to a tropical retreat.

Two Scotland Yard protection officers checked the destination a fortnight ago to ensure it would give the couple the privacy they crave.

As her son-in-law returned to work, Carole Middleton and daughter Pippa were seen arriving back at their Berkshire home

Prince William had to delay his honeymoon as he was ordered to split his leave requests with colleagues


The Mail is not publishing details of the location, and it is understood that not even Kate is aware of the exact destination.

The Prince is not the only wedding guest who returned to their everyday life just days after the global event of the Royal Wedding.

Five days ago the Queen was the proud grandmother overseeing a wedding watched by two billion people.

But after the bank holiday it was back to the daily routine for the monarch yesterday as she visited Newmarket, Cambridge.


Refreshed: Five days after the wedding the Queen met children at Newmarket Day Centre


source:dailymail

The royal couple kissed twice!

courtesy of: www.bbc.co.uk

Prince William and Kate Middleton have kissed twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding service in Westminster Abbey.

They were cheered by 500,000 well-wishers who gathered outside the palace, as RAF planes flew past in honour of the new royal couple.

Police estimate a million people lined the procession route from the abbey to the palace.

The bride will now be Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince William drove his new bride back to Clarence House, following a buffet reception at Buckingham Palace, in Prince Charles's classic blue Aston Martin, decked in ribbons and balloons with "Just Wed" on the number plate.

They are expected to return to the palace for evening celebrations later.

The church service, watched by 1,900 guests, ran smoothly but the prince did struggle to place the wedding ring on the duchess's finger.

Following a long tradition, the ring has been fashioned from Welsh gold given to Prince William by the Queen.

After the couple said their vows, in which she did not promise to obey William, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, declared: "I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

They spent a private moment together with their families, as they signed the marriage register.

Prince William has been given the title of the Duke of Cambridge by the Queen, and Miss Middleton has become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge on their marriage.

The duchess, who managed to keep her wedding dress a secret, is wearing an ivory and lace gown by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. The prince is wearing the red tunic of an Irish Guards colonel - his most senior honorary appointment.

Kate Middleton isn't a virgin?

courtesy of: http://omg.yahoo.com

Heh. We knew that -- and the Palace thinks it's OK, too. While Princess Diana and previous royal brides had to publicly confirm their virginity, The Queen and Co. are relaxing the expectation for the thoroughly modern Middleton.

It's been three long decades since the fuss over Princess Diana's V-card: the family desired a "pure" wife for Charles, rather than someone whom he'd already dated (see: Camilla Shand, now his current partner. Diana, 19 and innocent, was the chosen one.

"Charles may well have wanted to marry Camilla, but she was not seen as an appropriate choice because she was known to have had several boyfriends by that time," writes Greg Katz of The Associated Press.

Some historians and commentators believe this was a major factor in Charles' fateful decision to marry Diana rather than Camilla, setting in motion a tragic chain of events that culminated with Diana's 1997 death in a car crash."

Oof. Meanwhile, Prince William and Middleton have been together for eight years; the 29-year-old brunette first caught his eye wearing a see-through dress in a college fashion show. Sexy, modern times.

The bigger issue regarding the Royal Wedding might be the monarchy's prudishness about prenup. That's a whole 'nother can of worms.

Kate Middleton Naked?

Story courtesy of: http://ph.news.yahoo.com

Kate Middleton is so stressed out about her wedding she is having a recurring nightmare of being naked in front of all her guests.

The 29-year-old brunette will marry Prince William at London's Westminster Abbey on Friday (29.04.11) and although Kate can't wait to tie the knot she is anxious about appearing in front of 1,900 guests and a worldwide audience of at least two billion.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Kate has the last-minute jitters and just wants the day to arrive. It's hardly surprising considering the stage she is going to be on - with the eyes of the world on her.

"But her nerves have manifested in an interesting way. A recurring dream she hadn't had for years has raised its head again.

"She finds herself in front of the congregation and then becomes suddenly aware she is completely naked. There is a deathly silence - and everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Prince Philip is starting at her.

"Kate has joked the worst bit is she can't work out which parts to cover."

Meanwhile, after spending last weekend together at the home of Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton in Bucklebury, Berkshire, South East England, a nervous William and Kate will now spend their last days as singletons apart.

While Kate will remain at home before travelling to London to stay in the Goring Hotel with her family on Thursday (28.04.11), William has returned to Clarence House in London to spend time with his father Prince Charles and best man and brother Prince Harry before his big day.

A friend told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Of course they are nervous and they have been using recent time to take stock and talk each other through the day. They are very much in love and can't wait to be married."

(C) BANG Media International

Courtesy of: Youtube.com

Prince William first met Kate Middleton wearing a See-Through Dress!

Courtesy of: Associated Press

When Kate Middleton walks down the aisle on April 29th, the dress she wears is sure to turn heads. But it was another dress she wore that made headlines recently.

At a charity fashion show in 2002 at St. Andrew's University, where she and Prince William first met, Kate took to the catwalk in a knitted see-through dress. The garment, designed by fellow student Charlotte Todd, was auctioned off in London last March for $125,890.

Perhaps it wasn't the dress, but the story behind it that made the bidder so determined to own it.

Todd had initially intended the barely-there slip to be worn as a skirt, but Kate decided to wear it as a dress that revealed her fabulous physique. Prince William, who reportedly paid $317 for a front row seat at the show, fell in love.

The two started dating shortly thereafter. "I'd like to call myself a royal matchmaker," Todd told the Associated Press.


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Originally published by:  AllMediaNY's Jasmine Enberg.