Here comes the bride..

The hunt for a bride for Prince William has begun! The top contender at the moment seems to be his present girlfriend, Kate Middleton. They seem so happy and so young and so in love and depending on which report you read they plan on getting married. Despite all of the speculation, one must note that William is only 23 years old; merely a pup, and he no doubt would like to 'sow his wild oats'. So, I'm sure we will see a bevy of lovely ladies photographed in close proximity to him, whether he wants them in the frame or not. We will never know the true status of the relationship as royal prince's are not usually photographed touching their girlfriend, so the first we are likely to know about an engagement is when it's announced.

When the time comes for him to choose a wife to bear his children, she will probably be from the upper classes, wealthy, aristocratic and well bred. The options for marrying in his status level are limited. Unlike the good old interbred days, royalty no longer seems to marry royalty. Today people would gasp in horror if he took off with his cousin, Lady Gabriella Windsor, gorgeous as she is. So should things not work out with Kate, I have compiled a list of potential candidates. In no particular order:

Britney Spears - just thought I'd throw her in there since they supposedly emailed each other. Unfortunately, now that she's married, she out of the running. Of course if she happens to be divorced by the time William seriously considers settling down, she may once again be a consideration. Princess Britney does have a nice Barbie doll ring to it.

Christina Aguilera - her version of God Save the Queen would blow the corgis right out of the room

Mary Kate or Ashley Oslen - Maybe they could sub for each other when they're ill. When Prince William does walkabouts he would have one for each side of the street.

Hillary Duff - Didn't she recently play a princess in a movie? What better preparation than that? A modern day Grace Kelly with her own clothing line.

Princess Theodora of Greece - not a bad looking girl and already familiar with the ins and outs of royalty.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden - Beautiful girl, maybe too beautiful. They would be so dazzling together we wouldn't know whom to look at.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden - the royal power couple of the century.

Charlotte Casiraghi - daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco. Beautiful but Catholic. Maybe she would consider converting to the Church of England for him.

Princess Leia - He might even get his own action figure.

Chelsy Davy - Prince Harry's girlfriend. The royals do have a precedent of a bride marrying the brother when her fiancé unexpectedly dies.

For versatility, this list can also be used should something unfortunate happen to Prince William. Just change out Chelsy Davy's name with Kate Middleton's.

© Marilyn Braun 2005

The Makeover of Camilla

Seeing recent photos of Camilla, I have to say I'm speechless. Once again, the transformation of Camilla is striking; she looks lovelier the more I see of her. For her birthday she was granted her own coat of arms. Search online and you will even find Camilla impersonators; the ultimate compliment. You know you've made it when you have an impersonator. The unflattering photos, clothes, and the rotweiler comments are now history.

We are no longer throwing bread rolls at her; we are breaking bread with her.

But regardless of how she looks, the fact remains is that the royal family needed Camilla. Would we really be paying attention to Charles' engagements if it weren't for her? Instead of being threatened by the attention on his wife, maybe Charles now realizes her value. President John F. Kennedy realized and even acknowledged it: "I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris, and I have enjoyed it". *Sigh* if only Charles had taken this attitude during his marriage to Diana. Had there been no Camilla, the stamps and souvenirs for Charles' coronation would have looked slightly off. Do we really want a commemorative mug with Charles' mug on it? At the time of his mother's coronation, she had the advantage of youth to hold her own on the china. If the handsome Prince Philip appeared with her it was even better. Charles doesn't have that, if he ever did. Camilla, like Diana, generates an interest, a "what is she going to wear" curiosity. Still finding her legs as the newest recruit, Camilla has a down to earth quality that people seem to like and appreciate.

The makeover of Camilla did not happen overnight. From 1999, when she made her first public appearance with the Prince of Wales to the present, it occurred gradually, under the radar, while people were distracted by the comparisons to Diana. It was complete by the time their engagement was announced. Now she is being complimented and lauded for her fashion sense and naturalness. Camilla positively glowed with happiness and I admit that until the wedding, that was the most beautiful I'd ever seen her.

It really is too bad that it took so long for people to notice. Seeing photos of Camilla in her debutante phase she was a very pleasant looking young woman; not particularly remarkable but attractive in her own way. Now as the wife of the heir to the throne, she is regarded differently. She did not have the benefit, like Diana did, of having youth on her side or the lack of a 'past', a Cinderella story in real life. But before she became a princess, Diana herself could not have been considered to be classically beautiful. She was attractive in a dewy, youthful kind of way, but there was no indication of just how glamorous she would become. In his bachelor days Prince Charles seemed to have a preference for gorgeous blondes and Diana simply didn't fill that mould when she appeared on the scene as a gauche 19 year old. The media helped make her beautiful before we and even she believed it.

Renowned for her beauty, her glamour and royal wife or not, Diana would have fought off the inevitable aging process with all of the botox ammunition at her disposal. According to her brother, turning 40 would have been traumatic for her. She too would have made her 40's and beyond look great, but at the cost of high maintenance. Now Camilla, stepping on to the world stage in her fifties, has the advantage. No retrospective of youthful photos to live up to. She doesn't need to hide her wrinkles; she's earned them. Broken in, so to speak, she appeals to the mature demographic of women once relegated to ads for Geritol, Freedom 55, and anti-wrinkle serum. She isn't a threat and she makes being (almost) 60 look great. One has to wonder though, if Diana were still alive, would we be saying all of this good stuff? Clarence House regards Camilla as a trump card with the potential to fill the Queen Mother's vacant pumps. Probably a relief to Camilla, and already half way there age wise.

We do have double standards for women - in our youth we are prized for our looks but once we get older we are not prized for our experience. This article isn't meant to go into those details but I think that's particularly true in Camilla's case. People wonder what Charles could possibly see in Camilla, how he could have traded Diana in for an 'older model'. In our own cases would we be able to stand up to such minute scrutiny? I'm sure we're far less kind to ourselves when we look in the mirror. Once again, she could appeal to the women out there comfortable in their own skin; Princess Everywoman. But makeover or not, eventually we will see the formal airbrushed photo of her wearing the tiara, priceless jewels and full evening gown. It's only a matter of time.

© Marilyn Braun 2005

Royal Christenings

The purpose of a royal christening serves, much like the christenings everywhere, as an introduction of the child to the Church. In the case of an heir to the throne, the religious significance is, perhaps greater than usual as the British Monarch, is the head of the Church of England.

Like royal weddings, a royal christening is a joyous event, symbolizing the continuity of the monarchy. In 1982, Prince William was christened on his great-grandmother's 82nd birthday. Reminicent of an 1894 image of Queen Victoria, her son, her grandson and her great-grandson, the direct succession unquestionably secured, something which had never happened before. From that point, the image of four generations has occured with the births of Queen Alexandra's great-grandson, George Lascelles in 1923, the birth of Queen Mary's great-grandson, Prince Charles in 1948, and Queen Elizabeth's great-grandson, Prince William in 1982. If the Queen lives to see the birth of Prince William's child, she will be the first sovereign to see the direct succession secured into the fourth generation since Queen Victoria.

There are some traditions associated with royal christenings:

Christening Robe

Possibly the most well known image of a royal christening is the infant in the robe. Made for the christening of Queen Victoria's first child, Vicky - the Princess Royal in 1841, it is an heirloom that has been worn by generations of royal babies. In 1894 the robe was given by Queen Victoria to the Duchess of York (later Queen Mary), all of whose children were christened in it. In the next generation it was worn by the children of King George VI, of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and of Prince George, Duke of Kent. The children of The Queen and of Princess Margaret were christened in it, and it has subsequently been used for the christenings of all The Queens grandchildren and other Royal babies, including the grand children of Princess Margaret. This robe is made of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, and like her wedding dress, chosen by the Queen to boost the lagging lace making trade, something that was very much appreciated at the time. As the robe is now 165 years old, it has become fragile, with the movement of various energetic babies. After each christening it is washed gently, wrapped in tissue paper, and placed in storage until the next event.

Usually, royal infants are christened within a few months of their birth, when the robe is more likely to fit. In 1990 Princess Eugenie, at 9 months old, wore the robe and the pictures show her to be very uncomfortable in it.

Venue

Royal Christenings have tended to take place away from the public eye as a private ceremony; no heads of state or other public dignitaries are invited. Princess Eugenie of York, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was the first royal baby to have a public christening. This occured during morning service at St. Mary Magalene, Sandringham, in December 1990. This church was also the setting for the christening of her great-grandfather, King George VI in 1896.

Unlike royal weddings, the venue for christenings doesn't seem to follow any tradition or pattern, however in recent years the tendency has been towards Windsor, either in the private chapel or St. George's chapel. The most recent one was for Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Several christenings have taken place at Windsor, including Edward VII, George V, Prince Harry and the Earl of Wessex himself.

Buckingham Palace has been the birthplace of many members of the royal family, and it has also been the setting of several christenings, mainly taking place in the Music room. The Queen's three eldest children were christened there, as was Prince Willliam. The Queen and Princess Margaret were christened in the private chapel, however this was destroyed during WW2. The Throne Room has also been used, namely for Queen Victoria's eldest child, the Princess Royal in 1841.

The Chapel Royal, at St. James' Palace is another popular setting, to name a few of the babies christened there: Lord Frederick Windsor in 1979, his sister Lady Gabriella Windsor in 1981, and Princess Beatrice of York in 1988.

Font and water from the River Jordan

The font used for a royal christening is the silver-gilt lily font, brought from Windsor for the occasion. This was designed by Prince Albert, for the christening of the Princess Royal, Queen Victoria's first born child. The child is christened with Holy water, from the River Jordan, a tradition that dates back to the Crusades.

Christian Names

Unlike most babies, the christening names bestowed on a royal baby tend to be longer and more numerous, culled from family tradition, flattery, and ancestors through the centuries. Queen Alexandra had 6 (Alexandra, Caroline, Marie, Charlotte, Louise, Julia), The Duke of Windsor had 7 (Edward, Albert, Christian, George, Andrew, Patrick, David), the last four paying tribute to the patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. His mother Queen Mary had 8 (Victoria, Mary, Augusta, Louise, Olga, Pauline, Claudine, Agnes). Now the amount of names given tends to be around 3 or 4. In Queen Victoria's time, she expected all of her descendants to bear either Victoria or Albert amongst their christian names. This 'tradition' ended with the birth of the present Queen, she was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. A possible tempt of fate as these are also the names of three Queens.

Godparents

The list of godparents tends be more substantial as well as more illustrious, with royal and aristocratic choices. In the past the usual practice was to honor members of the family, however this has had it's drawbacks. Prince Charles had six godparents, three of whom were so old that they were unlikely to be of any value as mentors or sources of guidance. Today godparents for royal children tend to be contemporaries of the parents.

The Queen and Prince Charles have acted as godparents to numerous children. The Queen has over twenty godchildren, amongst them Charles Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince Charles is godfather to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall's son, Tom Parker Bowles. Her former husband Andrew Parker Bowles is a godfather to Princess Anne's daughter Zara. The late Queen Mother was a godmother to Andrew Parker Bowles himself. It is interesting to note that when Diana, Princess of Wales was christened in 1961, out of the four Spencer children, she is the only one to have no royal godparents.

© Marilyn Braun 2005