Royal news
BBC won’t screen Princess Beatrice’s royal wedding because of her ‘toxic’ father, Prince Andrew
Website:
The Daily Beast
Date:
January 5, 2020
With Tom Sykes
Plus, the young royals’ Instagram rivalry, and Kate Middleton turns 38.
Wedding crasher
Pals of the Duke of York said at the time that part of the motivation for his BBC Newsnight interview was to clear the air ahead of the wedding of his daughter Princess Beatrice, so he could walk her down the aisle with his head held high.
Now, however, the BBC has confirmed it will not be showing live coverage of Beatrice’s royal wedding to Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, despite the fact it would have got the rights for free. ITV has so far declined to say whether it will televise the marriage amid speculation that any association with Beatrice’s father Prince Andrew is now so “toxic” that the event could even be held privately.
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson lobbied the BBC to show Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding live but it ended up being screened on commercial British broadcaster ITV, but ITV has also declined to say if it will cover this year’s wedding, likely to be the last royal wedding for many years.
ITV did get 3 million viewers when it covered Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank on This Morning, so maybe they will go again, but a spokesperson told The Mirror they wouldn’t be making a decision yet.
Buckingham Palace has yet to confirm the wedding date and venue but it is expected to be in late May or early June so it does not clash with Royal Ascot, and St. George’s Chapel in Windsor has been tipped for the ceremony.
Author Phil Dampier told The Mirror: “Andrew is so toxic at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s going to be a private wedding with a couple of photos released afterwards.”
May we suggest a tent in Granny’s back garden?
Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate battle for followers
The next battle line of the young royals’ rivalry is heading online: click, click, click for the battle of the Instagram accounts. At the time of writing, William and Kate’s Kensington Royal account is in the number one spot with 10.6 million followers, but Harry and Meghan’s Sussex Royal account has now hit 10 million followers.
So, expect more videos and posts celebrating sterling charitable endeavors, cute children being very cute, and general royal glamor. Prediction: Harry and Meghan will not be settling for that second place position quietly.
The Middletons’ hot holiday in St. Barts
The tabloids had a picture-tastic New Year following the toned and glamorous-looking vacation in St. Barts of the Middleton family. The sexily hirsute James Middleton was photographed running vest-less in a pair of black trunks with fiancée Alizee Thevenet. Then came a day frolicking on a boat with more pictures of James’ glistening hairy chest, and royal wedding scene-stealer Pippa Middleton in a red bikini.
There were other shots of her handsome husband James Matthews in his swimming trunks. Also photographed on the beach were Carole and Michael Middleton, Pippa and Kate’s mom and dad, again both looking fantastic in their beachwear. They were photos not only likely to induce FOMO at not being in St. Barts, but also an immediate sign-up to the nearest gym. Now, cold showers for everyone!
Play nice
US Weekly reports that, whatever feuding the adults are doing online and off, Kate wants Archie, George, Charlotte and Louis, to spend more time together in 2020. A “source” close to the duchess reportedly told the publication that the cousins will spend more time together in the New Year. Her kids “adore” Archie apparently, but “like most children, they’re easily distracted and resilient.”
We are not entirely sure what this last bit means when it comes to the children playing or hanging out together, or not playing or not hanging out together. Perhaps the source could linguistically clarify themselves when they to talk to US Weekly next time.
Royal fashion watch
Baby Archie’s divine pom-pom hat, as sighted on Meghan and Harry’s New Year video to the world, has led to its makers being over-subscribed with people keen to buy the items. For each hat purchased, Make Give Live ensures another is given to a New Zealander in need. Meghan received one on her and Harry’s tour of New Zealand in October 2018, and has ordered more hats in bigger sizes as Archie grows.
Now on Make Give Live’s homepage, under a headline “The Archie Effect!” there is a statement: “We are delighted to have received so many orders over the last few days enabling us to continue to make an impact across New Zealand. All our products are handmade by our community groups and so, any orders placed now will experience a delay in delivery. Please sign up to our newsletter below to be kept up to date with stock availability. Thank you so much for your patience and support!”
This week in royal history
Get the party hats ready for Thursday, when Kate Middleton will celebrate her 38th birthday. Kate was born on January 9, 1982, at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, and met Prince William when they were both students at St Andrew’s University in Scotland (although some have claimed they met before their uni days). Now married for nearly nine years with three children, Kate has begun taking on a more visible and vocal part of royal life. Expect her 38th year to be her most public-facing yet.
Unanswered questions
How spun out must hikers Iliya Pavlovic and Asymina Kantorowicz be? They were out for a walk in Vancouver Island’s Horth Hill Regional Park, reports local news channel CTV, when, struggling to capture a picture with a selfie stick, another couple walking not far behind them offered to take a snap. Upon realizing that the helpful passers-by were none other than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Kantorowicz says, all she could think was, “Is this actually happening?”