By Rachel Elbaum on The Windsor Knot

  • Let them eat cake! Royal wedding fan pays $820 for piece of history

    Centrepoint via cgi.ebay.co.uk

    This four-tier square fruit cake was created by the Welsh National Culinary Team and donated to charity in honor of the royal wedding.

    Hoping to own a little piece of royal wedding memorabilia, one U.K. woman hit eBay and bid on a souvenir she never thought she would win, a wedding cake created in honor of the royal wedding. Little did she know that she would end up paying £500, or about $820, for the confection.

    “It’s too beautiful to eat,” Alexandra Sharpe told the News and Star newspaper. “It was a complete shock to actually get the cake. I went over my budget. It’s wonderful to have a piece of history like this.”


    The four-tier square fruit cake with ivory icing was made by the Welsh National Culinary Team and is decorated with the monograms of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with the Welsh dragon and a harp.

    "It took about 300 hours to create and we estimate that it’s worth about £3,500 ($5,770),” Graham Tinsley, manager of the Welsh National Culinary Team, told the Windsor Knot. “When the royal couple got engaged, we wrote to the prince asking if we could do something for the occasion and the palace suggested that we make a cake to be donated to charity."

    The money raised by the auction will be given to Centrepoint, an organization supported by Prince William, which helps young homeless people turn their lives around.

    This isn’t Sharpe’s first foray into the world of royal cakes. She already owns a piece of Princess Anne’s wedding cake. And she's not the only one with an appetite for decades-old cake – pieces of Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding cake pop up every now and again at auction. In 2008, a slice from one of their 27 cakes was sold at auction by a former royal servant, who had kept it wrapped in clingfilm in an attic for the past 27 years.

    Related: Slice of Diana's wedding cake sells for $1,830

  • Prince William and Kate honeymoon in secret locale

    The British press is reporting that Prince William and his new wife, Catherine, are honeymooning in the Seychelles, the sun-soaked islands where they plotted out their future in 2007. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

    And they’re off! Prince William and Kate have departed on their honeymoon, 10 days after their wedding, palace officials confirmed Tuesday. But the location of their romantic getaway remains a mystery.

    While William's office declined to say where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have traveled and for how long, the British media has widely reported that the two are headed to the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean. The Daily Mail newspaper, which claims to know the location of the retreat, reports that the world's hottest couple will spend their getaway on a pricey – and very private – island resort, complete with personal butlers and chefs.

    On Monday, the newlyweds were spotted leaving their rented house in Anglesey, Wales, with loads of luggage.

    Despite the global interest in their every move, William and Kate have requested that their privacy be respected during their honeymoon, palace officials said.


    After their April 29 wedding, the pair defied expectations and returned to Wales instead of departing immediately on their honeymoon. But the two were anything but bored while waiting to leave on their big getaway. Kate was spotted grocery shopping at the up-market supermarket Waitrose, sparking a tabloid frenzy, while William, a helicopter search and rescue pilot, rescued a hiker who suffered a heart attack.

    The palace says the prince has taken two weeks leave from his duties, but would not specify how much of that time will be spent on his honeymoon. The two are due to depart in June to Canada on their first official tour as man and wife. The trip will also include a short stop in California, which will be Kate's first visit to the U.S.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Related: Watch out Hollywood: Royal couple to hit up California


  • Kate plays happy homemaker as Will returns to work

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    Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, walk together on the grounds on Buckingham Palace as they head off for a short weekend away a day after their wedding.

    So much for an extended break. Just four days after the wedding watched around the world, Prince William and his new bride returned to their home in Anglesey, Wales, the location of the prince’s Royal Air Force base.

    While Will has his work as a search and rescue pilot keeping him busy, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, will fill her time as a “forces wife,” or housewife, as reported in the British press on Tuesday.

    “Kate will be spending time privately,” a Clarence House spokesman told the Windsor Knot, unwilling to reveal any more details.

    Dubbed “The Disappearing Duchess” by the Daily Mail newspaper, Kate will reportedly appear at official engagements only on the arm of her new husband and will put off choosing her own patronages and making solo appearances for some time. Until recently, Kate was working at her family’s party supplies website, Party Pieces, but she left in January to plan her wedding.

    Despite their desire to keep close to home the first few years of marriage, the couple’s world-wide popularity is an asset the royal family and the queen can’t ignore. The duke and duchess are expected to capitalize on all the goodwill next year and head out on a “world tour” or sorts to help ease the queen's workload during her diamond jubilee celebrations, according to the Sun newspaper.

    Meanwhile, royals watchers are still taking bets as to the location of the happy couple’s honeymoon. The British press seems convinced that the pair will jet off in the next few weeks or so to an island destination in the Indian Ocean, but Will and Kate are notoriously good at keeping their private lives private so stay tuned.

    Related: Prince William to return to work before honeymoon abroad

    Kate quits her job to focus on planning wedding

     

  • Royal wedding's hidden star? Pippa Middleton

    Paul Rogers / AFP - Getty Images

    Kate's sister Pippa Middleton, arriving at the royal wedding, has become a celebrity in her own right.

    Three days after the royal wedding it’s not the bride and groom that are on the minds of royal wedding watchers everywhere – it’s Pippa Middleton, Kate’s sister and maid of honor.

    Philippa, or Pippa as she is known, has captured the attention and admiration of men and women from around the world after appearing at Westminster Abbey in a figure-hugging ivory dress. After Will and Kate – now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – left Buckingham Palace for their weekend mini-moon, the British tabloids turned their attention to Kate’s younger sister, labeling her the world’s most eligible woman, and proclaiming “Pippa goes global.” One newspaper even had a how-to guide on getting a bum like Pippa’s.

    Ian Gavan / Getty Images

    Pippa Middleton departs the Goring Hotel in London on Saturday after the wedding of her sister to Prince William.

    Several Facebook groups admiring her, um, “assets,” sprouted up within hours of the wedding, including the “Pippa Middleton **s Appreciation Society” with nearly 140,000 likes, and the “Pippa Middleton is single - Prince Harry likes this” with more than 91,000 likes. In the days since the wedding, her name has also lit up Twitter, with boys admiring her derriere and girls expressing their hopes of looking like her.  

    Pippa, who works at her family’s company Party Pieces as well as at the event planning firm Table Talk, has long been on the London social scene – in 2008, Tatler magazine named her the nation’s most eligible singleton and the papers have long chronicled her comings and goings on the party circuit.

    But after her world-wide coming out party at the royal wedding, and as the sister to the Duchess of Cambridge, Pippa's star has risen to a new level. And with Kate now tucked securely away inside the royal palaces and unlikely to head out on any unannounced London shopping sprees, Pippa will probably keep her place at the top of the tabloids.

    But sorry boys, it looks like Pippa may be off the market. She's in a relationship with banker and former cricket player Alex Loudon, and the couple is rumored to soon be announcing their engagement.

    Pippa Middleton, Kate's maid of honor, arrives at Westminster Abbey with a bevy of young bridesmaids and page boys. 

    NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports on the post-royal wedding festivities and talks about the postponed honeymoon and the buzz surrounding maid of honor Pippa Middleton.

  • Dashing Prince William dons red Irish Guard uniform

    Gero Breloer / AP

    Britain's Prince William waves as he arrives with his brother Prince Harry at the West Door of Westminster Abbey for his wedding.

    Prince William cut a dashing figure on his wedding day in a scarlet tunic of the Irish Guard. Seen for the first time through the windows of a maroon Bentley, the prince completed his outfit with white gloves, blue sash and a forage cap.


    He arrived with his best man Prince Harry, who wore a dark Blues and Royals officer's uniform, to wildly cheering crowds. The two removed their caps as they entered the abbey.

    The prince’s choice of uniform surprised royal watchers who had largely expected him to wear a navy blue air force uniform. It also reinforces William’s preferred image as a dedicated military man and distancing him from past characterizations as a club-hopping party boy. William’s father, Prince Charles wore his Royal Navy dress uniform. Charles has been an admiral in the Royal Navy since 2006.

    Looking dashing in morning clothes, Prince William and his best man, brother Prince Harry, arrive at Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the century.

  • Beckhams, Elton John among many celebrities crowding into abbey

    Soccer superstar David Beckham and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, make their way into London's famed Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

     

    Celebrities, sports stars and royalty crowded into Westminster Abbey hours before the start of the royal wedding.

    First spotted was Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry’s South African on-again, off-again girlfriend, wearing a short green satin dress created by designer Alberta Ferretti.


    Then came Soccer star David Beckham and his Spice Girl wife Victoria who appeared in a navy blue dress of her own design, a matching hat by celebrated milliner Philip Treacy, and a pair of customized Christian Louboutin shoes.

    TODAY

    Elton John and partner David Furnish arrive at Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

    Beckham wore his hair slicked back and sported an Order of the British Empire lapel pin given to him by the queen in 2003 for his services to football.

    Elton John - wearing a yellow vest and hot pink tie - arrived to loud cheers from the crowd with partner David Furnish.

    Ornate hats and facilitators – some bordering on the extreme – rose above the rows of guests in the abbey.

    Rowan Atkinson, also known as Mr. Bean, and former British Prime Minister John Major also took their seats.

  • New image of royal couple released in official program

    The official program for the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton has been released. TODAY's Ann Curry reports from Westminster Abbey.

    Photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton are always in high demand.  So it was with excitement that the media greeted a newly-released photo taken by celebrity photographer Mario Testino, who also worked with the pair in their now famous engagement shoot.

    The black and white close up features William and Kate dressed in identical white shirts with big smiles on their faces. It was included in the official, 25-page wedding program, which began with a heartfelt message from the William and Kate.


    "We are both so delighted that you are able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be one of the happiest days of our lives," they wrote. "The affection shown to us by so many people during our engagement has been incredibly moving, and has touched us both deeply."

    In addition to the couple’s signed personal message, the program includes the full order of the service, with the music and hymns chosen by William and Kate, the procession and the couple’s vows.

    The publication of the program has also put to rest once and for all the debate on whether Kate will say “obey” in her vows. William’s mother Diana did not include "obey" in her vows to Prince Charles, although Queen Elizabeth, Sarah Ferguson and Sophie Rhys-Jones, who married Prince Edward in 1999, did include the controversial word.

    Related: Kate arrives at abbey for final rehearsal http://on.today.com/llQLMb
    Will Kate 'obey' William in her wedding vows? http://bit.ly/gp9lfs

     

     

  • Kate quits her job to focus on planning wedding

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    Britain's Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton pose for photographers after announcing their engagement in November.

    Planning a wedding is a full-time job -- even more so when it's a royal ceremony expected to be viewed by billions around the world. So it's understandable that Kate Middleton formally gave up her job with her parents' party supply company, Party Pieces, on Friday, to devote her full attention to the nuptials now only 13 weeks away, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper.

    "We have always said that she will be starting to wind down her responsibilities in the family business as the wedding draws closer," a spokesman for the royals told the Windsor Knot. "It is not like she suddenly quit. Kate is now concentrating on preparing to become a member of the royal family."

    Kate has worked with her family as a project manager, photographer and website designer since leaving her job at fashion retailer Jigsaw, where she was employed from 2006 to 2007. She currently lives with Prince William in Anglesey, Wales, near the RAF base where he is stationed as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, and where the two plan to remain after they tie the knot.

    "After the wedding Kate will entertain royal engagements first and foremost with Prince William," said the spokesman. "With time, she will likely take on patronages of charities close to her heart."

    Kate and William are said to be intimately involved in planning every detail of the April 29 wedding. And while the main details of the big day have become public knowledge, Kate and Wills are keeping their lips tightly sealed when it comes to the tidbits that the public really want to know, like the wedding dress designer and the location of the honeymoon.

    The wedding ring designer may be one detail that Kate will decide on in the next few weeks. Goldcrest Jewellers in Dorset told BBC News that they received a letter from the prince's office confirming that they are in the running to design the royal rings. Several months ago, the firm offered their services to the royal family.

    Here’s a quick roundup of some of the details we do know:

    • The wedding will take place at 11 a.m. on April 29 at Westminster Abbey.
    • Kate will travel to the Abbey by car, and will likely spend her last night as a commoner at the Goring Hotel, the Daily News reported.
    • The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will marry Prince William and Middleton, and the Dean of Westminster will conduct the service.
    • Queen Elizabeth will hold a large reception after the ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Later in the evening, Prince Charles will host a more intimate party for friends and family at the palace.

    Related content: Will and Kate: No gifts, please

  • Even guests may watch vows on TV

    Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images

    Prince William and Kate Middleton will wed at Westminster Abbey on April 29.

    It looks like the uninvited won’t be the only ones watching the royal wedding on television. At least half the of the likely 2,200 guests at Westminster Abbey will need to watch the wedding on monitors set up around the building. 

    The issue: About halfway between the front and back of the hall stands a wall, blocking the view for anyone not in the front. And while the guest list remains under wraps, there can be little doubt as to who will occupy the better seats in the house. (Hint: It likely won’t be the few members of the British public who are likely to be invited.)

    About 750 million people around the world watched the wedding of Charles and Diana.  Some estimates predict that several billion people may watch William and Kate tie the knot.

  • Kate Middleton steps out for friend's wedding on birthday weekend

    Kate Middleton and Prince William put aside thoughts of their own nuptials Saturday and attended their first wedding together since going public with their engagement.

    Prince William served as an usher at the North Yorkshire wedding of Harry Aubrey-Fletcher to Sarah Louise Stourton, which was also attended by Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice. Kate left the wedding with her future brother-in-law Harry and boarded a double-decker wedding bus, while Prince William drove himself to the reception party.

    "Hello, hello," said Prince William, jumping onto the sidewalk amid camera flashes after the ceremony. "It's not my wedding yet."

    The princess-to-be celebrated her 29th birthday on Sunday - her last as a commoner. She is quickly becoming a fashion icon and her outfit on Saturday certainly turned more than a few heads.  Middleton, who is not often seen in public, appeared at the wedding wearing a black knee-length jacket held together by a diamond pin, with a sheer black top underneath. A mauve clutch matched her inches-high heels, and a black pill box hat topped off the outfit.

    In honor of Kate's birthday, take a look back at how she went from awkward teenager to gorgeous fashionista: Slideshow: Kate Middleton's transformation

    In 2002, Middleton walked the runway at a University of St. Andrews charity fashion show with ribbons and tight ringlets. (Getty Images via InStyle.com)

     

  • Will Charles become king sooner than expected?

    Prince Charles may become King Charles sooner than expected, according to Christopher Andersen, author of the new book “William and Kate.”

    “The very same sources that told me this wedding was going to happen are telling me that for the first time the queen is considering stepping aside,” Andersen told TODAY’s Matt Lauer. “The men in gray, as Diana called them, the people who run the palace, have wanted the queen to step up to this. Everyone assumed that she would stay there until she died, but she can’t because the monarchy wouldn’t survive.”

    Queen Elizabeth is already three years older than Victoria was when she died. If the queen lives as long as her mother, who passed away at 101, Prince Charles will be almost 80 years old when he takes over.

    “In my opinion [the veracity of this information] is a 10,” said Andersen. “They have to deal with it and they are dealing with it for the first time.”

    William and Kate's engagement has propelled the young couple’s popularity in Britain. Recent polls have shown that the majority of people would like to see William and his future bride as next in line to the throne rather than his father, Prince Charles. For more, watch the video:

     

    The official royal china commemorating the wedding of Prince William and Kate goes on sale. Also, "William and Kate" author speaks with TODAY's Matt Lauer about the happy couple and the possibility of the queen stepping down.

  • Royal couple make first public appearance since engagement

    Matt Dunham / AP

    Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton arrive at a charity gala on Saturday.

    Prince William and fiance Kate Middleton braved the cold on Saturday night and attended a cancer charity fundraiser in Norfolk. The event marked the first time the pair appeared together in public since the announcement of their engagement in November.

    Kate wore an elegant black-and-white dress cut just above the knee to the "Christmas Spectacular," and even risked towering high heels despite the icy weather. The event raised money for a children's cancer unit at a Cambridge hospital.