Andrew Milligan / Pool via Reuters

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton wave during a visit to St. Andrews University in Fife, Scotland on February 25, 2011. The couple made their second official visit together since announcing their engagement in November, to St. Andrews University to launch its 600th anniversary celebrations.

David Cheskin / Pool via AFP - Getty Images

Prince William's fiancee Kate Middleton greets members of the public during a visit to the University of St Andrews in Scotland on February 25, 2011. During the visit they viewed the surviving Papal Bull (the university's founding document), unveiled a plaque, and met a selection of the University's current staff and students to mark the start of the Anniversary. Prince William and Kate Middleton attended the university as students from 2001 to 2005 and began their romance there.

Carl de Souza / AFP - Getty Images

Kate Middleton is surrounded by media and security as she meets the public during a visit to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland on February 25, 2011.

I imagine its good to practice and get used to doing public appearances ahead of their big day. Full story on their visit. More on the royals from the Windsor Knot blog.

GRACE LIANG / Reuters

A child dressed in a traditional Chinese costume stands in front of lanterns at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Beijing Thursday.

BEIJING – As the Year of the Rabbit hops in, there could be new forces at work for Britain’s royal wedding.
 
For China’s top fortune teller, Chen Shuaifu, April 29 isn’t exactly an auspicious day for the gathering of the rabbit, the rooster and the dog. But if the “right steps” are taken, the royal wedding day could still be a good beginning for Kate Middleton and Prince William.
 
“Prince William should avoid wearing red, while Kate must wear white, gold and black,” said Chen.
 
While it’s tempting to dismiss the words of Chen, a soft-spoken former defense reporter and editor, he is the chairman of the China National Feng-shui Association, which has some 38,000 members across China.
 
Feng-shui, which stands for wind and water, is the ancient art that studies the forces and elements of nature to divine the future, attract good fortune and deter bad luck. It has survived in China for more than 1,000 years and has seen a revival in recent years.
 
“I am a descendant of Chen Tuan, the greatest feng-shui master of the Song Dynasty,” Chen said during a recent interview with NBC News, referring to a philosopher who lived in the 10th century.  
 
Reconciling the zodiacs
While both Kate and William were born in 1982 in the Western calendar, the Chinese lunar calendar says Kate was born in the Year of the Rooster, while Prince William was born in the Year of the Dog.
 
Their zodiacs are “quite compatible,” according to Chen. “But they will be married in the Year of the Rabbit, which is good for people born in the Year of the Dog, but bad for people in the Year of the Rooster,” he warned.
 
“Kate was born on a freezing winter day, so she must be an extreme and stubborn lady,” said Chen.

Zhu Tong / NBC News

Chen Shuaifu at work in Beijing.

“Prince William was born in the fiery month of June, so he also has an extreme temperament, with a quick reflex and is excellent in academic studies.”
 
“To reconcile their horoscopes, Prince Williams must not wear red clothes and should often go swimming, while Kate must wear white, gold and black,” he firmly suggested.
 
“And golden utensils must be used, because gold can contain the water (necessary for good feng-shui). Water was born from gold, and black also belongs to water,” he added. 
 
‘Soak the ring in wine’
Chinese feng-shui believes that human fate can be altered through proper actions. “If I predict that someone driving north will encounter a disaster, I will tell him to head south instead,” Chen explained.
 
One case in point is the royal engagement ring that belonged to Princess Diana. “She led a miserable life, the unlucky energy in the ring will be too much, and the living should not wear the ring worn by the dead,” he said.
 
“But there are two solutions,” Chen suggested. “One is to soak the ring in wine for six or seven hours, and another is to soak it in salt, to cleanse away the tragedies.”

Chen admitted that he could only provide limited guidance and that a deeper understanding of the forces that could affect the royal wedding and the married life of Prince William and Kate would require “a quiet environment” and “three or four hours” of work in their presence.
 
Besides, after the wedding, “70 percent” of the couple’s fate will be decided by Prince William, according to Chen. “As a prince, he will have important influence on world affairs. So I suggest he contribute a lot more to society and have a positive attitude, to repel bad luck and any threat to their marriage.”
 
Is Feng-shui credible?
Chen is aware of the skepticism held by many toward feng-shui. “I can only say one sentence: Everything will depend on human efforts and a positive attitude can change everything.”
 
He pointed out that more and more people are seeking out the counsel of feng-shui masters, including government and corporate officials. He ticked off a few examples of his own.

“I have been invited by Foxconn to help deal with the frequency of workers’ suicide deaths in their factories in south China ... I determined the wedding day for famous actor Tang Zhenye for his seventh marriage … And later, he had twin daughters.”

He also suggested that feng-shui is at work all the time, in ways many might miss.
 
“In Beijing, there is the Bird’s Nest in the Olympic park, the Bird’s Egg for the National Grand Theater, the Bird’s Beak of the Millennium Altar, the Bird’s Legs of the new CCTV Tower, and the Bird’s Wings of the Beijing Capital Airport,” he said, suggesting a grand feng-shui design of a bird to attract good fortune.

The bird can fly and is an apt symbol for rising Beijing, rising China, he explained.

"Who designed it all? I can't tell you, it's state secret," he said.

Zhu Tong contributed to this report.   

For all the latest on the royal wedding, click on the Windsor Knot, msnbc.com's blog dedicated to the countdown to the big day.

NBC News

Jessica Hay (right) with friend and former schoolmate Kate Middleton.

By Jessica Hay

The future queen of England may have been known in the tabloids as “Waity Katie,” but for the people who know her, she’s best described as “Matey Katie,” for the simple reason that she is just that – a very good mate. I know that as she helped me many a time with my math homework, and she can do a great rendition of “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston before bedtime.

With Catherine, what you see is what you get: She is her own person, speaks her mind, and is as beautiful inside as she is outside.

She comes from a very normal and close family, so even though her world will completely change when she marries William, she has the kind of down-to-earth attitude that will carry her through with ease.

Wills and Catherine are polar opposites in terms of where they come from, but there is no mistaking their closeness. They are a normal couple. They laugh nonstop, and that is their secret. Catherine always says, “Why be serious when life is so short?”

The other day, a journalist wrote in a tabloid that Kate should have gone for more of a glitzy look in her recently released engagement photos. But Catherine doesn’t need the most expensive designers: She is an individual, she likes what she likes, and no matter how expensive or inexpensive the outfit, she will wear it with pride and look gorgeous – even in sweatpants and a T-shirt. God, how I envy her!

There has been a lot of speculation about who will design the wedding dress. Kate has a close relationship with Issa, who has styled some fantastic outfits for her, including the famous blue dress that she wore for the engagement announcement. There has also been talk of Kate turning to Bruce Oldfield, another very talented designer.

All I can say is that whoever she chooses will create a dress that reflects her personality, which is understated and naturally beautiful. Gone are the puffy shoulder pads and meringue wedding dresses that we have seen in the past. The dress, the couple, and indeed the whole occasion, will portray a new era and a new age, which will take the royal family forward and make it more accessible for the public.

Jessica Hay is an NBC News contributor and friend of Kate Middleton.