A bumper year for royal news!

2010 began like any other year. Ho hum royal tours and continuous nauseating royal engagement speculation. If it wasn't Prince William and Kate Middleton's will they/won't they saga, then it was Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy's on/off relationship.

Therefore, there was no reason to believe that 2010 would be any more remarkable than previous years. Royal news tends to come in spurts.The family hadn't had a major royal wedding since 1999 and the Queen's last grandchild had been born in 2007, the same year, The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary.  Her first grandchild married a Canadian in 2008. With the exception of a few minor weddings and births, it seemed like the royal family hadn't had any real news in ages.

Then, in the summer of 2010 that changed. Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn, were expecting a baby. But this would not be just any baby but the Queen's first great-grandchild. The last reiging sovereign to welcome a great-grandchild was Queen Victoria, whose eldest, Princess Feodora Saxe-Meiningen, had been born in 1879.  Peter Phillips himself is not only the Queen's first grandchild but also the first-great grandchild of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

This year would continue to bring happy news with the long-awaited engagement of Prince William to Kate (Catherine) Middleton. And now today's engagement announcement of Zara Phillips to her long-time boyfriend Mike Tindall. With two upcoming weddings and a new baby, what better news could anyone ask for?

At this rate, 2011 promises to be a bumper year for royal watchers!

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Win a copy of Someday My Prince Will Come by Jerramy Fine

The Sunday September 5th, 2010 episode of The Royal Report featured an interview with Jerramy Fine, author of the book Someday My Prince Will Come, the True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess.

Listen to the episode to find out how you can win a copy of her book.

The Royal Report for Sunday September 5th, 2010 - An Interview With Jerramy Fine

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Review - Peter Phillips & Autumn Kelly Hello Wedding Issue

I've written several reviews for this blog but I don't believe I've ever written one about a magazine. Given the amount of interest in this issue, I've decided to do so.

I'll admit that when I saw the engagement interview that Autumn and Peter gave to Hello I was delighted with it. I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. It was an interesting interview, no earth shattering revelations with lovely photos of the couple. But I found it curious that Peter would have done an interview given the privacy he has maintained so successfully for the last 30 years.

But I was further surprised when their wedding got the Hello treatment. Although it is referred to as a Royal Wedding, I find it rather difficult to call it that. Despite being the Queen's grandson, Peter is not royal in that he has no title nor does he carry out public duties. The only royal aspect of this wedding is the location and the guest list which included senior members of the royal family.

For a member of the royal family to sell their wedding to a magazine is somewhat unprecedented. There's nothing new about the royal family stage-managing photo-ops. But this type of interview is something you would see a celebrity couple do, not royalty. Can you imagine Charles and Camilla sharing their love on the cover of Hello? or the Queen and Prince Philip opening the doors to their fabulous Scottish retreat, as they reflect on the enduring love of their 60-year marriage? Royal PR in the 21st century.

Despite all the speculation and uproar surrounding the wedding issue, it's actually fairly tasteful. No one looks uncomfortable. As if anticipating the furor Hello points this out: "Royalty did not appear displeased", and "spontaneous applause from the guests - which did not appear to ruffle the Queen in the least". It's interesting to note that once the wedding photos have been taken that senior members of the royal family, save for Sophie, are not photographed at the reception. The focus on the younger generation, specifically Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy. Photos show Kate laughing, Chelsy and Kate on the dance-floor, Sophie smiling and clapping enthusiastically, Chelsy and Harry sharing an intimate moment, and the bride laughing as she leaves the reception. This is obviously a joyous event; save for the historic location no different from the wedding reception of any young couple.

The photos during the ceremony are lovely, touching and in no way intrusive. With royal weddings reverting to private occasions, it is a privilege to be privy to this one. The special looks between the couple, the first kiss after being pronounced husband and wife, and the clear delight on Princess Anne's face, makes for a new style of royal wedding; intimate and real.

Does this herald a change for the next royal wedding? Hopefully we won't have to wait long to find out.

© Marilyn Braun 2008

The Royal Report for Sunday May 25th, 2008 - Did Peter and Autumn sell out by giving an interview to Hello Magazine?

Note: There will be no Royal Report on Sunday June 1st and Sunday June 8th, 2008. I will return with a new show on Sunday June 15th. Topic to be determined!

Upcoming Royal Report - Did Peter and Autumn sell out by doing Hello?

Join me for the next Royal Report on Sunday May 25th, 2008 - 9:00PM EST (North America)

The topic will be: Did Peter and Autumn sell-out by giving an interview to Hello magazine?

© Marilyn Braun 2008

The Royal Watcher on CBC Radio

Fulfilling a long held dream to be on the radio, I had the opportunity to be interviewed on CBC Radio One about the wedding of Peter Philips and Autumn Kelly. 12 interviews in all, coast to coast across Canada, here are two of them.

This is the very first interview: Moncton, New Brunswick

Another one: Quebec City, Quebec

© Marilyn Braun 2008

The Royal Watcher on CTV Newsnet

On Friday I had the opportunity to appear on CTV Newsnet to discuss the wedding of Peter Phillips to his Canadian fiancée Autumn Kelly.




P.S.: In case you're wondering the answer to that last crucial question. According to another CTV report, the bride, in a concession to her Canadian roots, served amongst other things, powdered sugar donuts.