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?

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.

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.

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.

(Social) location, location, location: The importance of being in Prince Harry's social circle

The Daily Mail's website has an intriguing article about Prince Harry and his "golden circle of...closest friends," who have been described as "Britain's most privileged clique." In the article is the following chart which shows how whom is socially connected to whom:

The article masterfully illustrates what I've been thinking for a while now: social ties and socioeconomic class are important factors that (rightly or wrongly) determines who Prince Harry dates, and who he may eventually marry.

 It makes a lot of sense, right? Within his social circle, Harry feels relaxed and able to be himself; they have similar backgrounds and worldviews. They hang out at the same social venues and have similar experiences. More importantly, most people end up marrying partners from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. This is especially true amongst the Royals, who have historically valued social status and rank in marriage partners.

For all those women who hope to date and/or marry Harry, what does this mean? Statistically speaking, the average everyday woman-on-the-street has a slim chance of dating him, as opposed to the girls who run in the same social circles as him. Although Harry has dated ordinary girls-next-door, these have usually been one night stands and casual hookups, not substantial relationships.

So how can the girls-next-door equal the playing field? Stay tuned and find out in an upcoming blog post!

What do you think? Leave comments and questions below!

The Australian: "Prince Harry looks to uncertain future"

I want to share an interesting article about Prince Harry I stumbled across in The Australian. The piece, by Kate Mansey, does an excellent job analyzing Harry's strengths and making historical comparisons. The link is below:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/prince-harry-looks-to-uncertain-future/story-fnb64oi6-1226296349536

What do you think? Leave your questions and comments below.

The traits needed by Prince Harry's future bride

In an earlier post, I discussed the daunting obstacles that would face Prince Harry's future wife (assuming, of course, that he gets married). A logical question might then be "what qualities would she need in order to succeed?" In no order of importance, those traits are:

(1) Discretion. The golden rule of life within the royal family, whether upstairs or downstairs, is discretion: "never complain, never explain." Indiscretion is the kiss of death for any royal relationship, as many paramours have found to their surprise.

Trust is linked to discretion; lose the Royal Family's trust, and it's all but impossible to regain.

(2) Being grounded. The adjustment to life as Prince Harry's (hypothetical) wife would be difficult and confusing. As Princess Diana aptly put it:

One minute I was nobody, the next minute I was Princess of Wales, mother, media toy, member of this family and it was just too much for one person to handle.

A woman who is self confident, has adequate levels of self esteem, a relatively stable background, and a good support network would stand a better chance of dealing with the far-reaching changes inherent in marriage to Harry.

(3) Adaptability. In both her public and private life, Harry's wife would face new experiences. Among other things, she would eat unfamiliar cuisine, press the flesh with total strangers, and have her life scheduled in excruciating minutiae. And not everything in life goes according to plan. This is the case even in the Royal Family. Tour schedules might be adjusted. Transport vehicles may break down or be deemed unsuitable. Being adaptable would definitely make life easier for her.

(4) Having a sense of humor. Being able to see the absurdity and humor in situations would be an effective coping mechanism. Laughter is indeed the best medicine.

(5) Assertiveness. As a member of the Royal Family, Prince Harry's wife would be building relationships with numerous parties, balancing a meaningful public role with a fulfilling private life, maintaining her own style, and trying to avoid exploitation and manipulation by those with ulterior motives. Being assertive would help her stay true to herself and what she believes in.


(6) Perseverance. Being new to the game, Prince Harry's wife would make mistakes. Whether she sinks or swims would depend on her ability to hang in there and learn from her errors.

(7) Empathy. Being empathetic would help Prince Harry's wife be more down-to-earth, more compassionate, more approachable, more likely to touch people and relate to them, and more likeable. That's always a good thing, no?


What do you think? Leave comments and questions below.

Reblog: A Fangirl’s Guide: Prince Harry’s Caribbean Tour

Courtesy of the lovely Kiki over at Dirty Royal Confessions:

The daunting walk down the aisle for Prince Harry's future bride

On his Diamond Jubilee Tour Prince Harry has collected legions of female fans, such as Miss Bahamas Anastagia Pierre, who has expressed a desire to marry him. 

The lucky lady who finds herself engaged - and eventually married - to Harry will marry not just a person, but an institution and a way of life. Besides the changes and adjustments that marriage normally brings, joining the British Royal Family presents several unique challenges she will have to overcome:

(1) Press intrusion: This is the most daunting aspect of Royal life. Although the British monarchy needs the media to remain relevant, the constant press attention is claustrophobic and obsessive. Everything Harry's wife says, does, and wears will be front page news. She will always be photographed and videotaped. Staff will leak stories, and media pundits will take snipes at her. In the words of Princess Diana:

I had a very bad time with the press - they literally haunted and hunted me.

(2) Family traditions and rituals: The British Royal Family has quirky traditions and practices which are landmines for the uninitiated. Safely navigating them will require a quick ability to learn and adaptability.

(3) Meddling courtiers: Each member of the royal family has their own retinue of staff. As in any bureaucracy, employees try to influence the royals' actions and decision-making, and try to increase their power by playing royals off each other. In short, Harry's wife will have to wonder if her staff have her best interests at heart instead of their own.

(4) Public role: Harry's wife will likely be expected to be a dutiful, quiet, "ladylike" clothes horse who carries out the charitable and social duties expected of her. She will not be allowed to tackle controversial issues, and she will have to reconcile social norms of what a princess looks like with her actual body size and attributes. She will inevitably find herself compared to Prince William's wife and Princess Diana. She will have to fight to carve a unique public role for herself

(5) Elitism: British society is very class-based. If Prince Harry's wife comes from a lower socioeconomic class than him, it will attract unfavorable commentary from those, both among Harry's family/friends and the wider UK public, who will see her as a gold digger and social climber.

What do you think? Please leave comments and questions below.