Kate Middleton's inner circle

Credit: Daily Mail

My thoughts on the suicide of Kate Middleton’s nurse

Photo credit: Zap2it

In a tragic and shocking turn of events, a nurse who transferred a prank call from two Australian DJs about Kate Middleton killed herself, according to the Daily Mail.

The body of Jacintha Saldanha, a mother of two, was discovered today near King Edward VII hospital, where Kate had been treated for her severe morning sickness. Jacintha was on switchboard duty early Wednesday morning when Australian DJ Mel Greig, impersonating Queen Elizabeth II, called the hospital asking to speak to Kate. According to a hospital statement, Jacintha had not been reprimanded for her unintentional mistake, but instead had been receiving support from the hospital.

Through an official statement, Kate and William expressed their deep sadness at the news. Chief Executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Dr. Peter Carter, said “it is deeply saddening that a simple human error due to a cruel hoax could lead to the death of a dedicated and caring member of the nursing profession.”

I have several thoughts, which I would kindly like to share with you:
1. Suicide is never the answer. No matter the situation in which one finds themselves, suicide is a permanent answer to a temporary problem.  No patient, no matter how important they were, was worth taking her own life over. A life has been prematurely cut down, and the manner of her death makes her family’s grieving process that much more intense.

Anyone who is suicidal can receive immediate help by logging onto Suicide.org or by calling 1-800-SUICIDE (in the United States). Suicide is preventable, and if you are feeling suicidal, you must get help. So please visit Suicide.org or call 1-800-SUICIDE immediately.

2. I wonder what else was going on in Jacintha’s life that caused her to make that drastic decision. Was she depressed, for example? Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide.

3. Everybody’s actions have consequences, both intentional and unintentional. When Mel Greig and Michael Christian picked up the phone in Sydney to place their prank, they could not have imagined the dire consequences their actions would have.

4. Although the hospital officially supported Jacintha, was she experiencing intense backlash and fallout behind the scenes?

5. The media's obsession with and aggressiveness towards Kate and William has really gone into overdrive since her pregnancy was announced, all in an effort to increase ratings, boost newspaper circulations, and website clicks. To quote royal blogger Marilyn Braun:

"In the months to come we will get medical reports, we will hear about Kate's stylish maternity fashions, the effect of the pregnancy on her physical appearance will be used to predict the sex. Is she carrying high or low? Will she have a home birth? Cesarean? Natural childbirth? Will William be present at the birth or will duty call him away? Will she breastfeed? (Cue the disapproving experts if she doesn't) How will she decorate the nursery? Will she suffer from postnatal depression? Not to mention the speculation about royal baby's future name and title. Mark my words, every angle of this pregnancy will be wrung for all it is worth." 

May Jacintha's soul rest in peace.

What do you think? Please leave a response in the comment section below.

Credit: Daily Mail

Kate Middleton's morning sickness: A Daily Mail cartoon

'Surprise, surprise, Kate, darling. A welcome home breakfast - champagne, porridge, bacon and eggs, kippers...'

Source: Daily Mail (December 7, 2012)

Royal blind item? "Which couple made a hasty retreat to the restroom within minutes of meeting?"

Photo credit: Gawker.com

This item concerns a famous woman who used to be a bit of a player but is now married to a less famous but notorious man. She's keen to stress the romantic nature of their marriage but the truth is that their relationship is based on a shared need for money and a strong physical connection. Those on the ground whisper that within minutes of their first meeting the randy lovestruck pair made a hasty retreat to the invalid loos (that would be the handicapped restrooms for our American friends). Not quite what she told her world-renowned family...

Source: The Morton Report

My best guess
Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

Video pick: "Princess Diana: Behind the Panorama interview"

Photo credit: BBC

On November 20, 1995, the BBC aired a secretly recorded interview with Princess Diana during its Panorama programme, in which she openly and unabashedly discussed her despair over her loveless marriage, her insecurities, her hopes for the future, and her dreams with interviewer Martin Bashir. The British Establishment was totally caught by surprise, Prince William was deeply upset, Diana later regretted doing it, and a chain of events began that ended with her death eighteen months later.

Today's video pick, "Princess Diana: Behind the Panorama Interview," takes a look at how this dramatic piece of television history came to be. You can watch the documentary below:


Watch Princess Diana - Behind the Panorama Interview in Educational & How-To  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Video pick: "The Prince Charles generation"

To commemorate Prince Charles' 64th birthday, "The Prince Charles Generation" has been chosen as today's video pick. According to the YouTube video description, "the story of Charles' life is known to everyone, but this documentary gives voice to the ordinary men of his generation, men whose stories are not often heard. "

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Royal blind item? "Which nice young lady dreads silly pictures emerging?"

Photo credit: Gawker.com

Nice girl. Adored by her parents. Liked by all who know her. Well connected. Has a handsome young beau in tow. But a couple of years ago she let her hair down at a private party and was photographed trying to tongue kiss another girl.

It was just a lark but a silly pal put some pictures that our young lady would rather forget on an open profile on Facebook. The pal was told to take them down - but not before some snooping journalists had found and copied them. So far no paper or magazine has published them but the girl in question dreads them appearing. So does her family who don’t want more bad publicity.

Source: The Morton Report

My best guess
Pippa Middleton

Royal flashback: Charles and Diana at the 1985 Melbourne Cup

Princess Diana and Prince Charles at the 1985 Melbourne Cup with Australian businessman John Elliott (left).

Prince Charles' and Camilla Parker-Bowles' appearance at this year's Melbourne Cup during their Australian tour has invoked memories of a prior royal visit to the Cup. According to TV NZ:

"The last time Prince Charles was at the Melbourne Cup 27 years ago, so the story goes, he left his wife by herself so he could join the boys at the bar.

And one chivalrous trainer thought it was unbecoming of the Prince of Wales to leave Princess Diana on her own.

John Meagher had just collected the loving cup from Prince Charles and joined the dignitaries upstairs in the VRC committee room after What A Nuisance had saluted in the 1985 race, but rather than join the blokes at the bar, the Queensland trainer played the proper gentleman when he spotted the lonely Princess of Wales.

'Charles went up to the committee room with the men to the bar, he was surrounded by all the committee men,' Meagher says.

'Diana was on her own with her lady in waiting, standing at a table about 20 feet away from the men. All alone.

'So I just went over to her and knew I had to do the right thing, so approached the lady in waiting and asked to be introduced. I had a good long talk to Diana for about 20 minutes.

'She was very friendly and very relaxed.'

The pair shared some champagne and small talk, while the tensions between Charles and Diana soon became apparent."

Reading between the lines, three things immediately stand out: (1) the intense and severe isolation that Diana was already experiencing from her husband and his circle of staff and friends; (2) the beginning of Charles and Diana drifting into two separate courts; and (3) how the public facade (per the above photo) convincingly hid the devastating truth of a royal marriage coming apart at the seams.

Jimmy Savile and the British Royals: More than meets the eye?

The late Jimmy Savile was an eccentric British entertainer and television host who was most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. His public status enabled him to form friendships with many of Britain's great and good, including the British Royal Family.

After he died last year, child molestation allegations were made against him by dozens of alleged victims. In light of this, one now has to look at his royal connections more cynically. Doing so uncovers some disturbing information, which British conspiracy theorist David Icke explores both here and in this recent radio interview:

Below is an interview in which Savile describes bringing a young girl to meet Prince Philip.

To be fair, being friends with Savile does not necessarily mean that the royals have the same predilections, especially if they did not know what he was up to behind closed doors. However, at the end of the day, the public (especially royal fangirls/fanboys) needs to look beyond the royal family's public facade and keep an open mind to the possibility that the royals might be engaged in some unsettling things. This also applies to other royal families, of course.

What do you think? Is the British Royal Family an innocent party in all this, or is there something more sinister and dark going on? Let us know in the comments below!

From the Royal Archives: The secret of Princess Diana's charm

Royal blind item? Young, famous, and randy

Photo credit: Gawker.com

He is known for being wayward, that is nothing new. But what is surprising is just how randy this young man is. But what is even more intriguing about this character is how obvious he is about his sexual tendencies– this is despite living his life in the glare of the media spotlight.

You see, one girl is not enough to quell his insatiable sexual desires– these days, two seems to do the trick. Not that a ménage à trois amongst the famous is that shocking…. but offering two girls $10,000 on the spot at a party, kind of is…

Source: Celebzter.com

My best guess
Prince Harry

EDITOR'S NOTE: What outcome do you expect when you have someone with no self-control, whose every whim and fancy is catered to, combined with loche, self-entitled friends whose moral compasses are (most likely) malfunctioning?

Royal blind item: Which royal love child story did Princess Diana believe?

Photo credit: Gawker.com

Royal blind item: Which royal love child story did Princess Diana believe?
The existence of royal love children is an interesting subject. Although history is littered with examples, only two children fathered by living royals have been officially acknowledged in recent times: Prince Albert of Monaco has admitted that he is the father of Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and Alexandre Coste.

King Albert II of Belgium is reputed to be the father of artist Delphine Boel, although this has not been confirmed. The late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (father of Queen Beatrix) had two illegitimate daughters, Alicia von Bielefeld and Alexia Grinda-Lejeune, recognised after his death, although rumours persist of more children outside marriage. Some also believe the Duchess of Cornwall, formerly Camilla Parker-Bowles, is descended from Edward VII through his mistress, Alice Keppel.

Then there are some disputed claimants. Robert Brown, an accountant from Jersey, came forward to say he was Princess Margaret’s secret son with Group Captain Peter Townsend, but failed to convince a judge. Attempts to prove that Prince Philip fathered two children, Max and Louise Boisot, with his childhood pal, Helene Cordet, have come to nothing.

At one stage, there were several putative offspring of the late Duke of Windsor popping up in the UK press. Fanny Cradock, a wild-eyed television cook, even wrote a novel called The Windsor Secret in which Wallis Simpson gave birth to the Duke’s son. To this day, nobody has produced reliable evidence that he ever had any children.

However, the Duke of Windsor apparently did believe that Michael Canfield, the first husband of Jackie Onassis’s sister, Lee Radziwill, was the secret son of his younger brother, the Duke of Kent, who was killed in 1942. What a film the mysterious Mr. Canfield’s life story would make! The bisexual Duke may also have been the father of Raine Spencer, Princess Diana’s stepmother — at least that’s what Raine’s mother, novelist Barbara Cartland, once told respected writer Michael Thornton.

So what about modern royals? Whispers that Diana’s father might have been the late Sir James Goldsmith have been discounted, but there are two recurring rumours concerning secret paternity that I still wonder about and neither concerns Prince Harry, who is definitely the son of Prince Charles and looks more like him and the Queen every day. Diana believed one of the tales about current royal love children to be true — and she knew the secrets of all the world’s royal families. Diana told a friend, who told someone else, who told someone else …who told me.

Source: The Morton Report

My best guess
Prince Andrew, the rumored son of Henry Porchester, 7th Earl of Carnarvon (Queen Elizabeth II's racing manager)

Video Pick: "Charles and Diana: Unhappily ever after"

Starring Roger Rees and Catherine Oxenberg as the ill-fated Prince and Princess of Wales, "Charles and Diana" offers a compelling and dramatic insight into their marriage breakdown. As with most reenactments, fiction doesn't always match up to reality. For example, Diana's first speech (in Wales) is shown as a daytime affair, when in reality it was an evening event. Also, major characters such as James Hewitt are noticeably absent. These are minor hiccups in an otherwise brilliant portrayal of two royal figures who, in the end, desperately longed to be free to find someone to love and someone to love them, to paraphrase Oxenberg's character.

My intense dream about Princess Diana

I had an interesting dream about Princess Diana yesterday morning. We were sitting in a restaurant enjoying ourselves. However, the atmosphere was ruined by Prince Charles' absence. I put my arms around her and said "It's too bad Daddy (Prince Charles) can't be here." Diana shushed me, agitated by the presence of an eavesdropper at the next table.


 I got up and went to a cooler/fridge to get the both of us something to drink. I barely had time to ask her whether she wanted apple juice or orange juice, when the eavesdropper quietly confronted her. He told her that he was a reporter, and demanded that she give him the information he needed to write a story about her.

Seeing her obvious and palpable distress, I grabbed a pair of black pliers and held them at his throat, shouting at him and making a scene so that he could get thrown out of the restaurant. It was then that I woke up.

Diana, Charles, and Camilla: Love at first sight

Photo credit: Love at First Sight

Prince Charles, so the story goes, chose Lady Diana Spencer to be his wife because of her valuable qualities:  she was a young, pretty, virginal, and sweet tempered Protestant from one of Great Britain's most aristocratic families. However, did their subconscious attraction to each other's facial features and facial proportions help seal the deal?

This is the intriguing angle examined in Love at First Sight, by British portrait painter Suzi Malin. The book was sparked while painting a posthumous portrait of the Princess of Wales, when Malin noticed similar facial features between Charles and Diana. What followed was five years of research. According to the book, there are three types of visual attraction. In the case of Charles and Diana, their attraction was one of the most famous cases of  harmonism. They had similar facial proportions; although their features were different, the spacing between their features were the same.

Malin also states that "when brothers have similar facial proportions and each takes a harmonist partner their wives might well look alike." This may help to explain the striking resemblance between Diana and Sophie, Countess of Essex.

Malin argues that harmonists "like the way the other looks and feel comfortable with them, but because they fall in love with the outside appearance, if the inner beauty doesn't match up, the relationship starts to feel hollow. Such pairings have a high casualty rate." Little wonder, then, that Charles' and Diana's celebrated marriage fell apart in such an appalling manner.

Photo credit: Taman Kanak-Kanak Sanggawinaya Blog

Malin asserts that Camilla Parker-Bowles' resemblance to Charles' nanny Mabel Anderson is more than a coincidence. This is an example of another type of visual attraction, called prima copulism, where one romantic partner "is drawn to the other as they are subconsciously reminded of their first love - their mother or father." The first love can also be a nanny if she was an important figure in that person's life.
At the end of the day, we can't help who we're attracted to, and it seems that royals are no different.





Sources: (1) "Face facts about falling in love", Sunday Sun, February 8, 2004; (2) "Suzi Malin", New London News newsletter, September 2007.

Diana: The coolest princess

In an earlier blog post, I highlighted an International Business Times article that tried to explain why Prince Harry was the coolest royal. Well, no wonder he is so cool...in the September 1990 edition of Royalty magazine:

In my opinion, this emphasizes the point that Diana has influenced her children's values, traits, and mannerisms in so many ways. I hope that Harry continues to infuse Diana's compassion, informality, and courage into his own public life.

Royal blind item: The pendulum prince

Photo credit: Gawker.com

Royal blind item: The pendulum prince
The Royal Husband was already a man of a certain reputation when his naïve bride married him. She wanted to believe the romantic best about a man she adored, and so ignored the society rumours that swirled in more than one country. Although he is still attractive to ladies, some in high places whisper that he is gay, which is unlikely to be 100% true, and he is certainly the father of all his children. Others are convinced that he is a ‘pendulum prince’ — i.e. one who swings both ways, a label attached to more than one royal man.

It wouldn’t matter too much if the Royal Wife had known and accepted his inclinations at the time of their marriage, but apparently she didn’t and the truth came as a great shock. In dynastic style, she put the family line first and buried herself in work.

While the Royal Wife was busy, busy, busy with cutting ribbons and pastimes of her own, the Royal Husband found plenty of me time, down time, and private time with some close friends, prudently away from the attentions of paparazzi. There were a number of crises, but the Royal Wife insisted putting on a public front.

When it came to the children, the Royal Husband was overly strict. The Royal Wife looked the other way, just as she did over his other activities. The result was that the children were emotionally damaged by such harsh discipline. One had rebellious episodes, and although is technically ‘settled’, some fear that situation might not hold forever. Another has had relationship difficulties that have attracted speculative gossip. At the moment, the Royal Wife lets the Royal Husband pretty much do exactly as he likes.

This is not the British Royal Family, although Queen Elizabeth knows all about the Royal Husband; all royal families know each other and most know each other’s secrets. The late Princess Diana also knew about this Royal Husband, but not through marrying Charles and joining the House of Windsor. And that is actually the biggest clue of all.

Source: Margaret Holder, The Morton Report

My best guesses
Royal Husband: Prince (now King) Juan Carlos I of Spain
Royal Wife: Princess (now Queen) Sofia

Four rehashed Royal blind items

Photo credit: Gawker.com

1. Blind Vice: Special Royal Scandal Edition! (first published April 2011)
As fabulous as our Royal Name Generator may be, let's face it: We debauched Americans at the Awful Truth were dressing up salacious celebs with our Blind Vice Superstars (and lesser Vice mortals) ages ago. And not to rain on William and Kate's happy day, but we simply cannot leave out the Vice-lovin' Brits!

The very shady HRH the Duke of Schlongsbury is like millionth in line to the British throne, but, babes, the law-breaking stud is legally entitled to rule the country, should it come to that. Which is why members of Parliament are super nervous.

Hmmm. What's the handsome duke's crime?

You know how often Queen Elizabeth II purses her lips or changes hats? Triple that figure and you've got the number of times Duke Schlongsbury beds underage girls.

And the very good-looking heir pays these women, on top of it—adding even more law-breaking badassness to his royal résumé!

Queen Liz knows all about it. So, too, do most of the country's elite, who are positively dead-set on gossiping about these things, but rarely doing anything about it.

Only this time, certain members of Parliament feel they're legally bound to try and stop the throne-line naughtiness. And the duke, who's quite used to getting whatever his horny heart desires, is royally pissed.

Hey, not nearly as peeved as Schlongbury's line-up of lovelies! Not only does he pay them extravagantly, he's got the biggest set of family jewels in all of England!

And we're not talking diamonds.

AND IT AIN'T: Viscount Linley (Princess Margaret's son), Peter Phillips (Princess Anne's son) or Prince Michael (Princess Michael of Kent's husband).

Source: Ted Casablanca's "The Awful Truth"

2. Blind Vice: No Taming This Royally Horny Slut! (first published July 2011)
There's something about living a fairy-tale life that just dares you to screw it up—or so one would think watching Lord Tripp Unzipped and all his dalliances. Despite having many high-profile affairs, Tripp has never seemed able to find the right looker to settle down with, that is, until he met the gorgeous Lady Unzipped.

And my, how the world ate it up, watching Lord and his pretty partner in marriage settle down—with lots and lots of future poshly positioned heirs to look forward to.

Right?

No. Quite wrong, in fact. The only thing that's really a stunner here is that Tripp's spouse went along with the matrimonial plan—even though this now incredibly rich partner (like many an Unzipped-friendly source) knows full well that not only does Lord U fool around, he's not exactly picky about who he gets into bed with, male or female.

And anybody who's anybody within this royal set is taking bets on (a) how long it'll be before Unzipped eventually chooses a less than discreet conquest romance, (b) when that will get out to the press and (c) just when (not if, but, when) is Lady Unzipped going to run screaming to anybody—and any publisher—who will listen about what a damn cheating, sloppy schmuck this Unzipped dude really is.

Impressive title be damned.

It Ain't: Elton John, Prince Edward, Sean Connery


Source: Ted Casablanca's "The Awful Truth"

3. New York Post's Page Six gossip column (first published January 2012)
What member of a foreign royal family was caught inhaling disco dust in a nightclub bathroom during a recent sporting event?

Source: New York Post

4. New York Post's Page Six gossip column (first published January 2008)
WHICH gorgeous daughter of a foreign-born billionaire had a fling last year with Prince William? While their families don't get along, and she could never marry the future King of England, the hookup between their clans was not unprecedented.

Source: New York Post

Glamorous Princess Diana: The dresses and gowns (Youtube video)

Youtube user KellyWurx has uploaded a fascinating compilation of Princess Diana at elegant dinners, glittering premieres, and other dazzling high society events:

The clips are from the period 1996-1997. Two things stand out in particular: (1) the ever constant presence of the media ("Ma'am! Ma'am! Ma'am!"); and (2) the real story going on behind Diana's movie star smile, regal bearing, and well groomed appearance. She was trying to forge a new life for herself and her children as a divorced princess, in a turbulent environment where her husband's allies were trying their best to frustrate her every move. The concerns and welfare of the man on the street was still a priority for Diana. Her PR war against her ex-husband was still in full swing, and she was she was fighting off unfavorable stories in the press about her. She was also searching for the family life that had long been lacking.

International Business Times: "Why Prince Harry is the most fun and coolest amongst the Royals"

The International Business Times has published an article and accompanying slideshow that explains why nobody "can beat Prince Harry for being the coolest Royal." Basically, according to GQ Magazine's associate editor (Robert Johnston), it comes down to Harry's swagger and action-packed life.


I just have one thing to say: damn right, skippy!


What do you think? Do you believe that Harry is the most fun and coolest amongst the royals? Why or why not?

In her own words: Princess Diana on comforting the sick and dying

Princess Diana comforts a young cancer patient during her 1996 trip to Pakistan. Source: Getty Images.

"I had always wanted to hug people in hospital beds. A visit to an AIDS hospice in 1991, with Mrs. Bush, was a stepping stone for me. This particular man, who was so ill, started crying when I sat on his bed, and he held my hand, and I thought 'Diana, do it, just do it,' and I gave him an enormous hug. It was just so touching because he clung to me and he cried. I thought, 'Wonderful!'
On the other side of the room, a very young man, who I can only describe as beautiful, lying in his bed, told me he was going to die about Christmas. His friend, a man sitting in a chair by his bed, was crying his eyes out. 'Why not me?' he said. I put my hand out to him and said: 'It’s not supposed to be easy, all this. Isn’t it extraordinary, wherever I go, it’s always those like you, sitting in a chair, who have to go through such hell, whereas those who accept they are going to die are calm?'

He said: 'I didn’t know that happened.' And I said: 'Well, it does; you’re not the only one. It’s wonderful that you’re actually by his bed. You’ll learn so much from watching your friend.'
He was crying and clung on to my hand, and I felt so comfortable in there. I just hated being taken away.

When I go into the Palace for a garden party or summit meeting dinner, I am a very different person. I conform to what’s expected of me; but when I come to the hospice, I know when I turn my light off at night, I did my best."

-Source: "How does Princess Diana do?," Pink for October anticancer blog

"I remember when I used to sit on hospital beds and hold people's hands, people used to be sort of shocked because they said they'd never seen this before, and to me it was quite a normal thing to do. And when I saw the reassurance that an action like that gave, I did it everywhere, and will always do that."

-Source: Diana's 1995 Panorama interview

From the Royal Archives: "Happily? Or just ever after? After six years Charles and Di's fairytale marriage loses its glow"

Photo credit: People magazine

People magazine published an article on June 8, 1987 about Prince Charles' and Princess Diana's deteriorating marriage, viewable here. This article was one of several that went against the myth of a fairytale love match, but instead provided an accurate insight into Charles' and Diana's dying marriage. Keep in mind, this was several years before Andrew Morton exposed the sham the marriage had become in his 1992 biography about the Princess.

To set this article in context, there was intense speculation by the British public into the growing distance between the couple, fueled by the media. Buckingham Palace's press office strenuously denied that the Wales' marriage was coming undone at the seams. Charles and Diana did their best to cover up their marital difficulties and put on a public display of unity, such as their 1985 joint TV interview. As Diana later stated during her Panorama interview, "albeit what was going on in private, we were a good team." However, body language doesn't lie, and the British public was becoming increasingly disturbed by what it was seeing.

Separation and divorce is a tragedy for all parties concerned, but even more so when the white hot glare of the press is added to the mix. Emotional, spiritual, and mental wounds were created that never fully healed. The royal family was ripped apart, and the reverberations were felt long after the divorce papers were signed. For example, Prince William had a nagging fear of having his heart broken; Princess Diana (allegedly) loved Charles to the end and never wanted to be divorced from him.

After a disastrous joint tour of South Korea in November 1992, Charles and Diana separated a month later. They were divorced in August 1996, and Diana died in a tragic car accident the following August.

Condolences to Prince Harry's friends Davina and Astrid Harbord

The father of two of Prince Harry's close friends has committed suicide, sending the young prince reeling. According to the Daily Mail, Charles Harbord, the father of Davina and Astrid Harbord, took his own life last week due to depression and financial difficulties.

I would like to extend my condolences to you, Davina and Astrid. I pray that the Lord will comfort and heal you and your family at this difficult time.

Four reasons why Prince Harry shouldn't follow India Hicks' advice

Prince Harry is being encouraged to be wild and promiscuous by his father's goddaughter. In a recent interview with Now Magazine UK, designer (and distant Windsor relative) India Hicks states that Harry should play the field and sow his wild oats before he marries.

However, I believe this is bad advice for the following reasons:

1. Fornication is a sin against our own bodies, one that we are told to unequivocally flee from (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
2. Promiscuous people have bad reputations. Amongst England's set, Harry's (alleged) promiscuity has earned him a bad rap.
3. This is just a propagation of the old (well, not so-old) misogynistic beliefs that : (a) royal men should sow their wild oats before marrying, and conversely (b) royal brides must remain virgins until marriage. Using this logic, how is Harry supposed to find a suitable wife if he's slept with women all over the place?
4. Harry's partying elicits a negative reaction by some people towards the British monarchy (and the associated taxpayer costs), undoing the Queen's efforts to restore the British royal family's prestige and reputation.

If India's advice sounds familiar, you are not mistaken: her grandfather, Lord Mountbatten (Prince Charles' "honorary grandfather"), also told Charles to have as many affairs as possible, then marry a virgin. Well, we all know how that turned out...

How to marry Prince Harry

Over the past week, this blog received several traffic hits from the Google search keyword "how to marry Prince Harry." I found this interesting, and decided to briefly list how one goes about marrying Prince Harry:


1. Run in the same social circles as Harry. This makes it more likely for you and Harry to cross paths, and provides a more conducive environment for a meaningful romantic connection. The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Prince William (among other royals) met their future spouses either directly, through mutual friends, or other social contacts.


2. Once the romance blossoms, you must conquer tricky Royal rituals, a prying Press, and other obstacles. The most important thing, however, is to be discreet.


3. Harry eventually proposes to you.


4. You get married! Congratulations! However, the hardest part of being with Harry still lies ahead for you. However, possessing certain qualities will make the path easier to travel.

Prince Charles: The Kissing Prince

Hand-kissing is a dying art form. However, based on these photos, Prince Charles is doing his best to keep the chivalrous social gesture alive and well.

Charles kisses Diana’s hand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day.

Charles smooches Diana’s hand as they pose for the press during their honeymoon at Balmoral Castle. According to several sources, the photo session almost didn’t happen: Charles and Diana had a blazing argument right before, and Diana initially refused to take part.

Charles and Diana are affectionate as they watch the 1982 Braemar Games in Scotland.

Charles welcomes Carla Bruni to the U.K. during a 2008 state visit by then French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Prince Charles greets Princess Letizia at the start of a 2011 royal trip to Spain (top), and at a banquet dinner during the visit (bottom).

Prince Charles greets Crown Princess Mary of Denmark during a royal tour of Denmark.

Prince Charles and the Queen

Princess Charlene of Monaco: A royal prisoner

Monaco's Princess Charlene is stressed by her failure to give Prince Albert a legitimate heir and an escape route out their marriage, according to the Daily Mail. The article, citing a report in France's Voici magazine, alleges that Charlene was persuaded to marry Albert after an agreement was reached: once she gave birth to a legitimate heir (and stayed in the marriage for an acceptable length of time), she would be free to divorce him. However, her attempts to get pregnant have failed so far, making her depressed and more desperate than ever to escape her sham marriage.

If this is indeed true, it is a shocking and tragic outcome for all involved. In the 21st century, love and respect should be the most important considerations in any marriage (royal or not), not dynastic intentions. The implosion of Charles' and Diana's marriage made this abundantly clear. Are the public limelight and a luxurious lifestyle (complete with a king's ransom in jewels) worth happiness, contentment, and peace of mind? A thousand times, no!

Charlene, my advice to you is to leave now before it gets any worse. Stop being a victim. Stop enabling a dysfunctional system where women are seen as nothing else than breeding machines who must stoically look the other way when their husbands cheat. Life is too short to be living with a choice that you regret everyday. When you were coaxed into returning to Monaco, you went against your instincts. Don't do it again. We all know that Albert is a cad who will never change his stripes. Leaving now will not make you stupid or a failure. Quite the opposite, in fact. We will applaud you for finally standing up for yourself and saying "enough is enough."

But until that day, Charlene my dear, stay strong. Surround yourself with a support network focused on your well-being and your best interests. Pray for guidance as you chart a course in unknown waters. Above all else, listen to the voice inside you and stay true to yourself. You've already made an terrible mistake by marrying a man who doesn't love you. Don't stay and compound the tragedy.

Why Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend should've taken my advice

According to a recent Daily Mail article, Prince Harry's ended his romance with singer Mollie King because of her indiscretion. Who can blame him? Mollie's loose lips counteracted all the measures she and Harry took to keep their relationship under wraps and out of the public glare.

Her indiscretions also had disturbing implications. To whom would she (and her bandmates/friends) leak info to next? Would she continue to milk the attendant publicity for all it was worth? Harry was presumably also motivated by seeing first-hand how Press leaks fueled his parents' PR war in the late 1980s and the 1990s ("the War of the Waleses"). If nothing else, it shows that Harry is thinking with both his head and heart, and takes his romantic life quite seriously.

In an earlier blog post, I outlined the traits Prince Harry's future wife would need in order to be successful in her public role (this list is also applicable to his girlfriends and romantic partners). At the top of that list was discretion. If Mollie had read that blog post (or received sensible advice), she wouldn't find herself on the outside looking in, like other imprudent royal girlfriends e.g. Lady Sarah Spencer.

So, future girlfriends of Prince Harry, please take note: if you want a fighting chance at capturing Harry's heart, please keep your lips shut. Otherwise, get to steppin', and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Lamb & Lion Ministries: "Diana: The Tragic Princess"

Dennis Pollock, an author at Lamb & Lion Ministries, has published a thought-provoking and sobering article about Princess Diana, her struggles and unhappiness, and the ultimate destiny that people all over the world face.

The link to the article is below:
http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_social20.php

Video Pick: "Royal Servants"

Today's video pick is "Royal Servants," an intriguing documentary that examines the relationship between the British Royal Family and its servants. One of those interviewed is Ryan Parry, a reporter who went undercover as a royal servant.

Part 1

Part 2

H.R.H. Diana, Princess of Wales: A voice from eternity

Photo credit: Mario Testino

Last week I stumbled across Sara Mitchell's book Voices From Eternity, in which five deceased celebrities talk candidly about life after death. One of those channeled was H.R.H. Diana, Princess of Wales, who spoke about her life and death, her love for her children, offered some advice to humanity, and revealed what she's been up to on the Other Side. Providing an unorthodox and intriguing insight into a life that has been studied and analyzed in minute detail, the book offered the following tidbits:

The Accident

• Diana and Dodi WERE engaged. They were planning a good and happy life together.
• The car they were riding in was being driven at high speed by an intoxicated Henri Paul, trying to escape the paparazzi, when it lost control after hitting another car. It was an accident; neither Prince Charles nor the Queen had any hand in it.
• During that last ride, Diana was scared and terrified, and had asked Dodi to tell Henri to be careful.
• She knew she was going to die before the crash happened; she saw her life flash before her eyes.
• Her death was drawn-out and tortuous: "I knew I couldn't come back to life, and I couldn't die completely.....It was so miserable. I was so unhappy." (p. 16).
• After she died, Diana was in a confused, lonely state. She remained connected to the Earth; she roamed around the crash site (and Paris in general), watched her sons at Balmoral Castle, Fergie, and saw her brother and his family. Spirit guides eventually helped Princess Diana transition over to the Other Side.
• At Balmoral, Prince Charles tried his best to comfort his sons. Although, according to Diana, he no longer loved and cared for her, he didn't want Princes William and Harry to lose their mother. On the other hand, the Queen "is really quite ruthless and cold and was pleased that I was gone and out of the way" (pp. 21-22).
• Prince William was very close to Diana, and instinctively knew that his mother had died. Although he was shaken and felt shattered, he felt a responsibility to take care of Harry, and to be brave and to carry on.

Life on the Other Side

• Diana is "studying, contemplating, thinking, living and serious a lot of the time in my contemplation of things I need to study and learn" (p. 28).

Advice to Mankind

• God is always with us and loves us very much, and provides comfort and advice, if only we would be quiet and listen to Him. In His Eyes, we are all royalty.
• Love "is the glue that holds everything together".

Diana's Message to William and Harry

• Diana is very much alive.
• She loves William and Harry so very much, and they will all be reunited one day.
• Although her time with her sons was short, Diana was able to teach them how to do their jobs.
• The boys must love each other and use their royal statuses to make the world a better place.
• She is always with them in their hearts and memories. She visits them and talks to them in their dreams. When they miss her, they must pray, and Diana will hear their prayers.
• William and Harry must place their trust in God.

Wherever she is, I hope that Diana is with Jesus, who "sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24), the Perfect Man who will never abandon, betray, or disappoint her.

Prince Charles and Camilla: My weird dream

I had an interesting dream last night about Prince Charles and Camilla. It started with me and Camilla in the back of a car, being driven to a rectory/church. She was wearing purple, and was upset, although I didn't quite know why. When we arrived, Camilla started crying inconsolably.
She walked down one path to the rectory/church; I took another path. I kept on looking for her and calling out her name. I was fiercely protective of her.

Next thing I knew, I was seated in the audience at a talk show. William and Harry were also in the audience somewhere. During the show, it was revealed that Charles had been cheating on Camilla with one of her closest confidants. There were videos and photos of him and his mistress cuddling, hugging, and playing footsie. I thought how ironic it was that Charles was cheating on Camilla with another woman, just as he had cheated on Diana with Camilla.

Then, when I looked down, I realized I was naked, and slouched forward as much as possible to hide my nakedness...

*End of dream*