Harry & Cressida + The Prince's Lesotho Trip

Hello readers, and if you've been following for a while my deepest apologies for the lack of posting recently. Unfortunately, I can't always dedicate as much time as I would like to blogging, but I do so enjoy writing The Royal Digest and reading your comments!

It didn't take me long to decide which royal I would choose to write about tonight. Prince Harry has been making headlines for a host of reasons lately, most notably the 28-year-old prince was photographed hugging new flame Cressida Bonas while they were skiing in Verbier, Switzerland with the Yorks (Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and their mother Sarah).

Hello!

Their hug came a day after Harry surprised onlookers at a restaurant by kissing Cressida while she was sitting on his lap. One diner said:

'It was clear they couldn't keep their hands off each other. One minute they were sat at the table with Andrew, Fergie and their daughters, the next they were acting like teenagers in a darkened cinema. They were very affectionate with each other. Cressida was wearing a little black dress.'

A skiing trip to Klosters in 2004 confirmed William and Kate were a couple and Harry is sending the same message by publicly hugging Cressida. It's very much becoming the royal way to announce a romance. :)

The Sun

The prince purchased a pair of Manitobah Mukluks Snow Boots as a treat for Cressida. He decided on a grey leather and fur pair by the Canadian retail brand  which retail for £300 at Shoe Me. The assistant said: "He came in a little before closing time, he was very nice."

I do love a royal romance and following the Vegas pictures and Harry's recent Afghanistan interview, I think some stability and romance is exactly what he needs (yes, yes I know it's early days...). From what I've seen of Cressida she seems lovely and she and Harry make a great looking couple. We'll be getting to know Cressida better in a post specifically about her shortly. :)

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Prince Harry has travelled to Lesotho to learn about his charity Sentebale's latest projects. Harry founded Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help vulnerable children, the forgotten victims of poverty and Lesotho's HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Sentebale

Harry has been thoroughly enjoying his trip and turned a cookery class into a comedy show by wearing a rather fetching pink apron and offering his produce to the press. He showed off his culinary talents cooking fat cakes - Lesotho doughnuts - when he joined pupils in a home economics class at a deaf centre in Lesotho.

PrinceHenryofWales.org

Royal correspondent Richard Palmer reveals the cakes were very nice indeed!

Richard Palmer Twitter

A number of pupils taught Harry how to sign a welcome message written on the classroom blackboard - "We love Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso". The prince was also taught the words for sister, mother and father and was corrected by a pupil who pulled and pushed his fingers, then gave him the task of writing the words on the board as she signed them. At one point a seven-year-old who was sitting at the back of the class began to cry because he could not see the royals, and he was brought up to sit on Prince Seesio's knee, a very cute moment that made me smile. :)

PrinceHenryofWales.org

Prince Harry talks with a young girl, Tebello Sechocha, during his visit to the St. Bernadette School for the visually impaired. In Lesotho disability is very sadly seen as a stigma by some parents. I hope this visit will shed some light on this and help to change attitudes.

PrinceHenryofWales.org

Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso took part in a kneeling dance with children. You can watch a great video at The Telegraph.

PrinceHenryofWales.org

Harry is simply enchanting with children, something he inherited from his late mother, Princess Diana.

PrinceHenryofWales.org

Later in the evening, Prince Harry attended a fundraising gala dinner in Johannesburg where he told fellow guests that he hoped his mother would be "looking down from heaven to give her blessing to what he was hoping to achieve with his charity, Sentebale." Sentebale means "forget me not" in the local dialect of Sesotho.

I have no doubt Diana is immensely proud of Harry and his achievements with Sentebale.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall on the Tube & Charles's Boarding School Hell

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have been very busy with an array of engagements, most notably their trip on the tube to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the London tube.

British Monarchy Flickr

The royal couple caught the Metropolitan line at Farrington Station to King's Cross (with many Harry Potter 'Platform 9 3/4 jokes following from reporters on the scene :))

Paul Harrison Twitter

It is the first time Charles has been on the tube in over 33 years, the last time he ended up driving the train. The prince swiped his very own oyster card at the station.

Paul Harrison Twitter

The royals rode on a brand new, air-conditioned train which Camilla described as 'very nice, very smart'. It's not everyday the royals take the tube, it was a fun visit and Charles and Camilla appeared to thoroughly enjoy it.

British Monarchy Flickr

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A series of letters from the Queen Mother supporting Prince Charles's opinion that being sent to school in Gordonstoun, Scotland was a terribly poor decision have come to light. Charles has described the boarding school in Moray as "a prison sentence", "like colditz with kilts" and was incredibly unhappy at the school.

Wikipedia

The Queen Mother wrote to the Queen in 1960, when Charles was 12:

"I suppose he will be taking his entrance exam for Eton soon. I do hope he passes because it might be the ideal school for one of his character and temperament. All your friends' sons are at Eton, and it is so important to be able to grow up with people you will be with in later life. And so nice and important when boys are growing up that you and Philip can see him during school days and keep in touch with what is happening. He would be terribly cut off and lonely in the north."

Unfortunately, the Queen and Prince Philip elected not to take the advice given. Prince Philip was in charge of family affairs and having considered Gordonstoun the home he never had, the decision was made. As a child Charles was sensitive and this decision proved to be extraordinarily difficult for the young prince. His contemporary, best-selling novelist William Boyd, said it was like "penal servitude" and Charles "utterly detested it." Another contemporary. the late Daily Mail correspondent Ross Benson, recalled "he was bullied, he was crushingly lonely for most of his time there. The wonder is that he survived with his sanity intact."

More from the Daily Mail story:

"Upon arrival he found himself cold-shouldered by fellow pupils in the house, Windmill Lodge, because the housemaster had warned any antagonistic behaviour towards the heir to the throne would result in immediate expulsion. As a result, recalled a fellow housemate, he was picked upon at once 'maliciously, cruelly and without respite."

A distraught Charles wrote to his mother, "I hardly get any sleep in the house because I snore and I get hit on the head all the time. It's absolute hell." Charles was viciously mocked over his ears and despite his desperate pleas his parents refused to intervene. The Queen Mother was proved right but she never knew of her grandson's anguish at Groundstoun.

Daily Mail

One couldn't help but feel enormous sympathy for Charles upon learning of this. It certainly goes to prove the life of a royal is not always a lucky one.

Queen Beatrix Abdicates & Why Queen Elizabeth II Won't Be Doing The Same

As you may have all heard Holland's Queen Beatrix announced she is abdicating in favour of her heir apparent Prince Willem-Alexander. In a short televised speech the Dutch Queen said it was time to place the nation "in the hands of a new generation". Queen Beatrix turns 75 in a few days and is already the country's oldest monarch. Both her mother, Queen Juliana and grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina also abdicated.

Koninkliijkhuis

The full speech is available here.

"As you all know, in a few days I hope to celebrate my 75th birthday. I am thankful that I have been Granted the opportunity to do so in good health. At the end of this year marks the 200th anniversary of  the foundation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an occasion That Ushered in a new era in our history. The Fact That these two special events coincide led me to decide to relinquish the throne this year. It seems to me to be an 'appropriate time to take this step, All which I have been considering for some time.

 I have always Regarded it as an exceptional privilege to have been able to dedicate a large part of my life to the service of our country and to have been able to discharge the duties of the monarchy as I was called to do. For many years Prince Claus was a great support to me in this task.

 Throughout this time I have derived great satisfaction from fulfilling Such a role. It is inspiring to feel close to people, to sympathise with them in times of sorrow and to share in times of joy and national pride. That has also been my experience in the Caribbean parts of our Kingdom, where I have always Encountered great warmth and hospitality. So I am not abdicating Because my duties are becoming too burden-some, but because I am Convinced That it's time for the responsibility for our country to pass to a new generation. On 30 April this year, with the Utmost confidence, I shall hand over the duties of the monarchy to my son, the Prince of Orange. He and Princess Máxima are fully prepared for Their future role. They will serve our country with dedication, faithfully uphold the Constitution and use their many talents to discharge the duties of the monarchy in Their Own distinctive way.

 I feel fortified by the knowledge That making way for my successor does not mean that I am taking my leave of you all. I hope still to have plenty of opportunities to meet many of you. I am deeply grateful to you for the trust you have placed in me That Throughout the many rewarding years I have had the privilege of being your Queen."

For those of us from the UK, abdicating seems almost unheard of but it's not at all uncommon for the Dutch monarchy who do not see the role of king or queen as one for life. No doubt a tremendous amount of consideration went into this decision. The family experienced a terrible tragedy last year when Queen Beatrix's middle son, Prince Johan Friso, was buried in an avalanche while skiing, and he is still in a coma. The Queen is expected to move to Drakensteyn Castle at the end of April and will return to her previous title of Princess.

Beatrix pictured outside Drakensteyn Castle which she acquired and renovated in 1959.

Holland.com

Willem-Aleander will become the first king since Willem III, who reigned until his death in 1890. Willem-Alexander is relatively young at 45 and is a trained pilot. His wife, the beautiful Maxima is an Argentinian and worked as an investment banker. Her father was an agricultural minister.

Koninkliijkhuis

The couple work very well together and bring years of experience and vitality to the role. I anticipate they will do a terrific job. Below we see the couple with their children.

Koninkliijkhuis

Meanwhile, various reports claim Prince Charles is 'interested' by Queen Beatrix's abdication. The Prince of Wales is just ten years younger than Beatrix and has previously said he feels he is running out of time. Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 87th birthday in April, but isn't slowing down with more engagements than ever scheduled for this year, not to mention her coronation festival this summer. Will the Queen possibly follow Beatrix's lead? Not a chance. I have no doubt HM will serve until her death and I think Charles will be waiting for quite a while before he ascends to the throne.

Charlotte Casiraghi Gucci Campaign + Monaco Circus Festival

Today's we're taking a look at all the latest news from Monaco beginning with a look at Charlotte Casiraghi's  third campaign for Gucci's Forever Now.

Gucci

The 26-year-old is pictured holding a foulard featuring the flora pattern which was created for her grandmother Grace Kelly in 1966. Gucci's flora pattern has enchanted women, royal or otherwise, ever since. This spring, the intricate pattern takes on new life in the latest "forever now" campaign. Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott the evocative images demonstrate the beauty of a timeless icon.

Gucci

The beautiful Grace wearing her Gucci flora scarf.

Gucci Parfums

Gucci's creative director, Frida Giannini, who began reusing the heritage pattern in 2005 said:

"Today, Flora has become a symbol of the Gucci woman's effortless fusion of tradition and contemporary poise. The print holds special meaning to me. I first discovered the scarf when my mother and grandmother would wear theirs during my childhood in the seventies."

Ms Giannini and Charlotte Casiraghi have formed a strong bond in recent years over their love of horses. Charlotte said she "admires Frida's talents as a designer and she has really managed to reinvent the codes of Gucci by giving them a modern twist and a timeless elegance."

Gucci

You can watch a video from the campaign on the Gucci Facebook Page. What do you think of Charlotte's campaign?

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In Monaco the 37th International Circus Festival has been underway. The festival was created by Prince Rainier III and preserving the tradition is a passion of Princess Stephanie's who served on her first jury when she was just nine years old. Stephanie is president of the festival and oversees the entire operation from the selection of the acts to the costuming and music.

Palais Princier de Monaco

Following in her father's footsteps, Stephanie ensures each festival is the absolute best it can be.

Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at the festival in 1974.

Monte Carlo Festival

Stephanie's daughter Pauline attends festival events with her mother and appears to share her mother's passion for the event. We rarely see Princesses Stephanie and Caroline these days and the festival is a rare occasion where we get to see most of the family relaxing.

Monte Carlo Circus Festival

Princess Charlene wore a black sequined jacket with a black dress for the evening gala. A very classy demure look. What do you all think of her shorter hair?

Palais Princier de Monaco

More photos of the royal family from the festival.

Monte Carlo Circus Festival

Prince's Harry's Candid Interview Following Afghanistan Departure

Prince Harry's twenty week tour of duty in Afghanistan ended yesterday. The 28-year-old Apache helicopter co-pilot flew to a base in the Mediterranean for decompression before flying home. Aside from the wonderful news Harry has ended his second, and reportedly final, tour of duty safely, the Prince has been making headlines due to a series of interviews he gave during his deployment to Camp Bastion which have only been reported after a media embargo was lifted following his departure.

The interviews were extraordinarily candid by royal standards and covered a range of topics beginning with Harry revealing he killed Taliban fighters saying his role was to "take a life to save a life". As a crew member in charge of the aircraft's weapons system, he had his finger on the trigger of cannons and missiles. He described the job as co-pilot gunner as "a joy, because I'm one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think that I'm probably quite useful".

Sky's Paul Harrison Twitter

More from the Telegraph Story:

"The Prince, known as Captain Wales shrugged off a question about whether or not he had killed enemy fighters saying "Yeah, so lots of people have. The Squadron's been out here. Everyone's fired a certain amount. Take a life to save a life, that's what we revolve around, I suppose. If there's people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we'll take them out of the game, I suppose'.

He insisted killing enemy fighters was not what motivated him to become an attack helicopter pilot and revealed he would rather be out "with the lads on patrol base". Harry described life in the army as "as normal as it's going to get" and was hailed by his colleagues and superiors for being on top of his game during the incredibly dangerous tour.

Prince Harry was given no special treatment during his tour though he mentioned soldiers "gawped" at him seeing Prince Harry and not Captain Wales.

Sky's Paul Harrison Twitter

Prince Harry gave the media a tour of Camp Bastion wearing a Santa hat and showed them his sleeping quarters.

Sky's Paul Harrison Twitter

For the first time Prince Harry spoke about "letting himself down" last year following the release of naked photos of the prince in Las Vegas:

"At the end of the day I probably let myself down, I let my family down and other people down, but I was in a private area and there should have been a certain amount of privacy that one should expect."

The prince continued to reveal his true feelings about the media calling them "an unstoppable force" and his delight at becoming an uncle:

"I never wanted you guys to be out here but there was an agreement made to invite you out on a deal that you, the media, didn't speculate before my deployment. That's the only reason you guys are out here.

Obviously I'm thrilled for both of them, it's about time and can't wait to be an uncle. I think it's very unfair they were forced to publicise it when they were, but that's just the media for you. I'm literally very, very happy, but I just hope she and him, but mainly Catherine, gets the necessary protection to allow her, as a mother-to-be, to enjoy the privacy that comes with it."

Harry said William is jealous of him and would love to be out there flying and admitted he doesn't understand why he can't although sometimes he envies him being able to go home to his wife and dog. As for Harry's own love life he remained tight lipped saying he's unlikely to settle down any time soon.

James Edgar PA Twitter

Harry's interview is available to watch at Sky News and ITN Source.

Sky's Paul Harrison Twitter

Harry's strong words about the media have been described as a 'scathing attack' and the interview has attracted a mixed response.

Royal Writer Phil Dampier Twitter

Daily Express royal reporter Richard Palmer shared this:

Richard Palmer Twitter

What did you think of the interview? It is a well-known fact William and Harry detest the media and from watching the interview it appears to be worsening as time goes on. One would argue the royals need the media in their roles to promote awareness for charities, but can a happy medium be reached? It will be interesting to see whether relations improve or continue to remain quite frosty between the Princes and the press. As for Harry, I'm glad he's finally home and as Royal Correspondent Robert Jobson said earlier today "Harry's war is over".

Sky's Paul Harrison Twitter

Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie's Great Britain Mini Tour

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie drove through Berlin in a Mini yesterday as they launched the Great Campaign, promoting Britain in Germany. The Princesses are following in their father's footsteps by working as Trade Ambassadors for the UK. It had been reported the York sisters were planning careers away from the monarchy due to the Queen and Prince Charles's wish to have a slimmed down monarchy (Beatrice is currently on leave from her job with a London venture capital firm). However, this is considered Beatrice and Eugenie's first major engagement, in their own right and has sparked rumours they plan to become full-time royals.

British Monarchy Flickr

22-year-old Princess Eugenie took to the wheel with the car emblazoned with the Union Flag and drove the short distance to the British Embassy. During the short and very public drive Eugenie ran a red light, I suspect there won't be a fine though.

Richard Palmer Twitter

Next the sisters visited the Berlin British School in the German capital. During the visit a young student questioned Beatrice about the unforgettable Philip Treacy hat she wore the royal wedding in 2011. She revealed she had not seen the creation before the wedding and admitted it was very difficult to wear.

The British Monarchy

A spokeswoman for the school said: "They were friendly, very natural with the children, and seemed happy to answer questions."

The British Monarchy Flickr

Beatrice and Eugenie viewed online retailer Zalando's website during a visit to the British company's offices. Zalando has already set up in London's Tech City and the Princesses were eager to learn more about the e-commerce site.

The British Monarchy Flickr

Speaking of fashion, didn't they both look incredibly chic? They have both undergone quite the style transformation over the last couple of years and yesterday they both supported British fashion. Princess Beatrice wore a Burberry coat with a green Johnathan Saunders Fall 2012 dress. 

Red Carpet Fashion Awards

The Sigrid Silk and Wool-Blend Dress is currently available at Net-A-Porter. The fit and flare mélange silk is a striking piece and looks particularly stylish when teamed with a belt as Beatrice has done. The Princess completed the look with a pair of Kurt Geiger shoes.

Net-A-Porter

Princess Eugenie opted for a cream Mulberry coat dress over an Alice & Olivia navy dress and L.K. Bennett shoes.

GRAZIA

The princesses finished their day with a visit to the British Ambassador's Residence in Berlin.

The British Monarchy Flickr