Hello Duchess Kate watchers,
We were undoubtedly very lucky last week with three appearances from the Duchess. For now her next scheduled engagement is a reception for the Tusk Trust on December 5 (I'm sure something else will turn up before that) Clarence House have a habit of announcing William and Kate's engagements last minute. While there are no new photos today there are a number of interesting little stories I would like to share with you. Do all of you remember it is exactly one year since William and Kate announced their engagement. If you would like to see the photos and the engagement interview as a reminder of the joyous announcement click here.
A new series of portraits featuring William and Kate has been unveiled by Brazilian pop artist Romeo Britto. Britto has captured the likes of Lady GaGa and Michael Jackson 'in colour burst images of cubism'. The royal couple is painted in rainbow colours with matching red hearts. It's a wonderful take on the engagement shot.
So, How did Romeo feel about capturing the worlds most famous royals? In an interview with the Huffington Post he said
"I think one thing about today's artist's or artist like myself, particularly Andy Warhol that did many portraits, is that it's the freest style of creating a piece of art. Before, in other forms of classical art, such as old masters, the portrait would be a bit more contrived. Kate Middleton and Prince William are among the figure I've most enjoyed painting and Michael Jackson was a challenging study".
I also have to include Romeo's stunning interpretation of Princess Diana, The love heart tiara is a lovely touch.
You can view the entire Royal collection here and own your very own piece of Duchess Kate pop art from anywhere to two to thirty two thousand pounds. :) The exhibition takes place at the Imitate Modern Gallery on December 7th.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I wonder what William, Harry, Kate and Pippa would think of these lookalikes. In the spoof by photographer Alison Jackson, Pippa is seen leaving Harry's bedroom while William and Kate pull off some rather strange dance moves.
What do you all think of these lookalikes? I think the girl imitating Pippa looks quite like her (Speaking of Pippa, I will do a length post on her in the Middletons page very soon) but there are very little similarities between the Duchess and her lookalike. I wonder if the royals really danced like that at the reception? :)
As you know the renovations the Cambridge's are making in Kensington Palace have been making the headlines however, it seems an entirely different move is on the cards. Royal insiders say William could possibly transfer to RAF lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland when his three year contract in Anglesey is completed in 2013. The move would also give William to command his own helicopter. The couple met in St Andrew University in Scotland and loved their time there. For now this is just a rumour but if William stays in the RAF instead of becoming a full time royal it's a definite possibility.
The scenic Lossiemouth, quite similar to Anglesey.
The famous 'Dukan Diet' reportedly used by Kate her mother Carole Middleton has been labelled as 'ineffective' by a leading health group. A number of experts from the British Dietetic Association named the Dukan diet the worst celebrity weight loss plan to follow because it had absolutely no solid science behind it. The diet itself is rather complicated and involves four phases, the first of which is a protein only approach. The BDA said
"The diet is so confusing, very rigid, full of very French foods that most Brits would run a mile from like Rabbit and Offal, and even Dr Dukan himself warns of the associated problems like lack of energy, constipation and bad breath".
Eating so much protein can put a strain on the kidneys. This could be problematic for those with underlying kidney problems. Others diets which made the list of the worst celebrity food plans are the raw food diet and the blood group diet. As someone who tried some rather unorthodox diets I know for a fact exercising and eating healthily is the only diet that works. Yes these plans promise immediate weight loss but it is neither sustainable nor healthy. It is quite saddening to see so many women succumbing to the pressures placed upon us by the media and society in general. I do hope Duchess Kate is no longer on the Dukan. She has been looking healthier lately and I expect this is down to a healthy diet!
Singer Jennifer Lopez has also used the Dukan diet.
On a lighter note, It has been a year for royal weddings. First Duchess Kate then Prince Charlene married Prince Albert of Monaco in Armani. For fans of the tv series Gossip Girl, one of the best loved characters (widely considered television royalty) 'Blair Waldorf' is set to get married in the popular show. InStyle are holding a poll asking which of the dresses is your favourite. All three look absolutely beautiful. I'm going to be a little bit biased and say Kate's :) It is genuinely my favourite though, I fell in love with the dress the second I saw it. If you would like to vote in the poll click here.
Duchess Kate's curls always look divine. According to the Daily Mail the secret to natural, healthy looking curls is the Digital Perm. The perm, discovered in Japan is now being used by top stylists to introduce wave and body to the hair. Unlike old fashion perms the digital one does not harm hair instead it claims to leave it shiny. Hair is rolled up in rods, then each roller is connected to a machine which digitally controls heat and helps to set the curl. The perm lasts for four months. Have any of you tried it? :)
Digital perm specialist Chritstian E. Toth brought the technique over from Japan.
Finally for today, I was having a quick look through Twitter and saw Daily Express royal reporter, Richard Palmer was asked what he thought of Kate. He described Kate as very attractive, likeable, competitive in a fun way and posher than portrayed. A lovely, honest summary of Kate!
Sources (Daily Mail, Royal Reporter Via Twitter, InStyle, Mirror.co.uk, huffington post)
