Archive for June, 2012

Lady Gaga is shown in this handout photo during a May tour stop in Bangkok. (Photo: Yoshika Horita/LADY GAGA TOUR/AFP PHOTO)

A new Lady Gaga song entitled Princess Die is stirring some controversy.

Some say the song’s lyrics — which includes the line, “I wish that I wish could cope / But I took pills and left a note” and “I’ll be a princess die and die with you” — is about suicide.

Others point out one verse is clearly about the late Diana, Princess of Wales:

I wish that I would go, in my rich boyfriend’s limo,
Right after he proposed, with a 16-karat stone wrapped in rose gold,
With the paparazzi all swarming round,
In my Louis Vuitton white button down,
Oh, it’s not that deep,
So bob your head for another dead blonde,
Whose real prince is in heaven,
She just wants to sleep.

During a performance in Australia on June 27, Lady Gaga told the crowd it was the first time she’d ever performed the song, which “may or may not be” on her next album.

“This song is a little bit sad,” she said during a preamble.

“It’s about some of the most deep and personal thoughts I’ve ever had,” she said, before announcing the song title, and spelling out die.

There is no doubt in my mind this song is partially about Princess Diana. Does Gaga think they’re similar to each other? Both were/are hounded by the paparazzi (Gaga has sung about these pesky photogs before). Diana, of course, followed so closely many have blamed the paps for her 1997 death.

Watch the video then tell me what you think.

The Duchess of Cambridge looks amazing in fancy gowns, but she also seems at ease in jeans and a sweater. It's been reported she'll sleep on the streets for the night to bring awareness to the plight of homeless youths. (Photo: David Parker/REUTERS)

She may be known for her fashion and beautiful hair, but Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is ready to throw that all away to become homeless for a night.

Working with the charity Centrepoint, of which her husband is a patron, Kate will take the streets with British TV star and charity ambassador Lisa Maxwell.

Prince William has slept on the streets for a night to also raise awareness of the plight of homeless youth.

“She asked me about sleeping out, so I said: ‘Next time I do it, you’re doing it with me. No excuses, he’s done it.’ She said: ‘You’re on,’” Maxwell told the Daily Mirror.

Governor General David Johnston unveiled a painting of the Queen at Rideau Hall on Thursday. (Photo: Chris Roussakis/QMI Agency)

Canadians recognized the Queen’s dedication to serving her people is “rare and precious,” Governor General David Johnston says.

“Here in Canada, this ideal of service, of giving oneself over to a greater cause, lies at the core of the country we love. By representing all Canadians and striving to unite us in common cause, Her Majesty appeals to the best in Canadians,” he said in a speech Thursday, unveiling a new painting in Rideau Hall.

“That is why The Queen, who is the human face of the Canadian Crown and thus the guarantor of our rights and freedoms, inspires our loyalty.”

Johnston recalled travelling to London for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and said he was struck by the “incredible outpouring of affection” for the Queen.

“People were lined up along the river bank 15 deep, not necessarily to catch a glimpse of the Queen, but to support and thank her for such unfaltering devotion and enduring commitment.”

The new painting, by Phil Richards, is in the ballroom and is the third official portrait of the Queen. It was presented to her in England during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, then brought back to Canada.

The painting has many small details including:

- there are six direct light sources in the painting—one for each decade of the Queen’s reign.

- you can see a portrait of a young Queen Victoria through an archway behind the Queen.

- the desk the Queen rests her left hand on was a gift to Rideau Hall from the Duke of Connaught

- the Queen wears two Canadian medals – her insignia as Sovereign of the Order of Canada, and the Order of Military Merit

- there are corgis hidden in the painting as well

The clock tower that is part of the Parliament buildings in London, England, is getting renamed Elizabeth Tower to honour the Queen. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Big Ben’s home is getting a new name — Elizabeth Tower.

Reuters reports the British Parliament made the decision to rename the iconic clock tower to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“The House of Commons (parliament) commission welcomed the proposal to rename the clock tower Elizabeth Tower in recognition of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and will arrange for this decision to be implemented in an appropriate manner in due course,” a House of Commons spokesman said.

But here’s the question: Will anyone actually call it Elizabeth Tower?

Technically, Big Ben is the nickname for the 13,760 kg bell inside the tower, not the actual tower itself (although people tend to think they’re one in the same).

What do you think?

Prince William feeds a five year-old black rhino called Zawadi during a visits to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Lympne, southern England, on June 6. (Photo: Chris Jackson/REUTERS)

Today, Prince William turns the big 3-0!

So to celebrate, let’s look at 30 interesting facts about our future king:

1. He was born at 9:03 p.m. on June 21, 1982. He weighed 7lb 1 1/2oz.

2. His full name is Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor.

3. He almost dropped out of university. He ended up switching his major from art history to geography.

4. He has a love for Africa.

5. He enjoys going to the movies, or seeing friends at the pub (his wild partying days out at the clubs until the wee hours of the morning appear to be behind him).

6. He enjoys playing soccer and is a runner. He also enjoys swimming, rugby, and skiing.

7. He worked on a dairy farm during his “gap” year — the year between high school and university.

8. In the military, he is known as Flight Lieutenant William Wales.

9. Some recent books have claimed Kate Middleton wasn’t Prince William’s first love, and that he proposed to Jecca Craig, the daughter of a Kenyan wildlife reserve owner. He proposed to Kate in Kenya in 2010.

10. When he was 13, he had a major crush on supermodel Cindy Crawford. His mom invited her to tea.

11. He was known as his royal naughtiness because he often misbehaved as a child. There is a photo of him sticking out his tongue and a flower girl during Prince Andrew’s 1986 wedding.

12. On June 3, 1991, he was rushed to the hospital after he was accidentally hit in the head with a golf club by a friend. He had to undergo surgery and suffered a depressed fracture of the skill. He now has a scar on his forehead.

13. Forget being king – he wanted to become a police officer when he was a child.

14. On his wedding day, he drove his father’s prized Aston Martin away from Buckingham Palace. It was later revealed he drove the whole way with the handbrake on.

15. Perhaps he’ll have some to celebrate his 30th birthday – his favourite dessert is chocolate biscuit cake.

16. He is distantly related to his wife – they have a common ancestor in Sir Thomas Leighton.

17. His childhood nickname was Wombat.

18. He was reportedly the first royal baby to wear disposable diapers.

19. He’s left-handed.

20. On his wedding day, he didn’t just become the Duke of Cambridge. The other official titles given to him by the Queen were The Earl of Strathearn and The Baron of Carrickfergus.

21. He was 15 when his mother died in Aug. 1997.

22. He is a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force. It was reported two days after officially announcing his engagement to Kate, he saved the life of a man suffering chest pains and stuck in the mountains. On May 29, he qualified as an operational search and rescue captain.

23. In an interview after his engagement was announced, he admitted he was a terrible cook.

24. He was named after his father’s cousin, Prince William of Gloucester. That Prince William died in a plane crash in Aug. 1972 during an amateur race.

25. He once taught children in southern Chile as part of the U.K.-based Raleigh International program.

26. While at university, his friends referred to him as Steve so any journalists overhearing conversations wouldn’t know who they were talking about.

27. He rides a motorcycle – a Ducati 1198 S Corse.

28. He is a descendant of William the Conqueror.

29. His university degree is in geography.

30. He’s most often spotted drinking a beer when out with friends, but there were media reports he enjoys a drink called crack baby, which is a shot made with fresh passion fruit mixed with vodka and champagne.

The Duchess of Cambridge holding her purse in front of her is not a sure sign she's pregnant. That's just where Kate tends to hold her purse. She's seen here at Nottingham Station for a Jubilee visit on Wednesday. (Photo: Tony Clark/Craig Harris/WENN.com)

They’re baaack!

Pregnancy rumours, that is. They’re creeping into tweets, and on to the covers of tabloid magazines declaring Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is expecting.

Sigh

I’ve addressed this on the blog before, but it seems there’s been a resurgence in the rumours since the main Diamond Jubilee celebrations earlier this month.

Yesterday, as I stood in line at the store to buy milk, InTouch magazine announced the couple’s happy news. Except, it’s not real.

Another article tweeted today noted Prince William and Duchess Kate “have a plan in place” to announce their baby when they become pregnant. Most people who commented were writing congratulatory messages – not realizing that Kate is not pregnant.

Here’s the thing – many of these magazines and online articles use photos of Kate touching her stomach as “proof” she’s with child. But that’s just what Kate does – she touches her stomach. She needs to stop doing it, but I get the impression it’s something she does more from nerves than from the early flutterings of a baby.

So, what will happen when and if Kate becomes pregnant? Here’s a basic idea:

1. Kate will take a pregnancy test and share the happy news with her husband. They might tell immediate family right away. She’ll go see the doctor.

2. Royal officials will wait three months – when the highest risk of a miscarriage has passed – to announce the pregnancy. They will announce it. Prince Charles and Diana announced it when she was pregnant with both William and Harry. There will be no difference here – Will and Kate will announce their pregnancy when they are ready.

3. Kate will continue to partake in royal outings, but you may see her schedule cut back.

Do not fret. You are not going to miss the news.

And the chances a U.S. tabloid magazine is the first to report she’s “in the family way” is pretty darn slim. They’re just trying to sell magazines — which is their job — but after several months of false reports and front pages declaring Kate is pregnant, I’d think readers would stop paying attention.

“Royal firstborns may get all the glory, but second-borns enjoy more freedom … Only when Harry is a lot older will he realize how lucky he is not to have been the eldest. My second child will never have quite the same sort of pressure that poor William must face all his life.” – Diana

Diana holds Prince William in this June 1982 official photo. (Photo: File photo)

Within days of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations coming to a close, I saw that headline that we’ve avoided for a few weeks: Kate is pregnant.

The Duchess of Cambridge is not pregnant (this particular article said she gushed about the news while her best friend, Victoria Beckham, stood beside her – insert eye roll here).

But it got me thinking about previous pregnancies, and in a search, I found an old birth announcement on People magazine’s website for Prince Harry.

“Prince Henry arrived a week before expected. Just as the mist was gathering on the emerald lawns of Windsor Castle at 6:30 a.m. on September 15, Diana and Charles, accompanied by their bodyguard, made the 30-minute car journey from their royal apartment to St. Mary’s,” the article reads.

The article also gives a glimpse of how the world viewed Diana and Prince Charles at the time.

“Since the beginning of her storybook romance with Charles, Diana has come to represent an ideal of her generation. In just three years she has grown from a shy teenager into a self-possessed, confident young woman capable of upstaging even the Queen. Her imperfections only serve to humanize her. The girl known for dropping out of dance class when the steps got too difficult still cannot stop biting her nails, which remain unpolished and chewed down to the quick. But that is the only sign of Diana’s inner tension,” the article reads.

We now know, of course, that things were much, much different behind closed doors.

In another article from November 1981, Diana is declared the Pregnant Princess. It said if the baby is a boy, the most likely names would be George, Edward, Philip, and Louis (no William on that list). For a girl, it would likely be Frances or Elizabeth.

“Inevitably, bookmakers began taking odds—10-11 on a boy, evens on a girl, and 50-1 on twins, who run in the mother-to-be’s family,” that People magazine article reads.

Both are interesting reads I’d highly recommend.

As for the tabloids declaring Kate is pregnant, well, I’ll wait for official word from Buckingham Palace before I get too excited.

Zara Phillips carries the Olympic Flame at the end of day 5 at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, England. (Photo: Supplied by WENN.com)

Zara Phillips, the Queen’s granddaughter, has been nominated to Team GB for the summer Olympics.

The announcement was made Monday. She would ride High Kingdom in her Olympic debut, the release from the British Equestrian Federation said. The nominations must now be reviewed and ratified by the British Olympic Association before the athletes are selected for Team GB.

In the release, Phillips, 31, said she’s excited about being part of Team GB.

“It’s awesome to be given this opportunity, I’m really excited and can’t wait to kick on and get him there.

“High Kingdom is a pretty cool, very relaxed kind of guy,” she said. “He’s pretty pony-like, a nippy little jumper and easy to manoeuvre so hopefully it will suit him well in Greenwich. High Kingdom is owned by Trevor Hemmings who’s been one of my earliest supporters – he’s owned a lot of my horses and has been so supportive, I couldn’t do it without him.”

A formal announcement of the eventing team is expected later this week.

Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne needs to be celebrated by Canadians with a national holiday (and day off) in June. She's seen here on June 6 after visiting Prince Philip in the hospital. He has since been released. (Photo: Neil Hall/REUTERS)

As we come off celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, I feel like it’s time to start talking about what we can do to mark this amazing occasion in the future.

The only other Queen to mark 60 years on the throne — Queen Victoria — is honoured here in Canada with a day off in May (known to most as the May 2-4). It’s her birthday, and it was celebrated while she was our monarch. But for Canadians who often feel overworked, the day off and the unofficial start to summer, is always welcome.

Queen Elizabeth deserves no less.

I propose Canada should mark the Queen’s 60 years with a day off. As she celebrated the big occasion on the first weekend in June – with Brits getting the Monday AND Tuesday off – that’s what Canada should do next year, on the 60th anniversary of her coronation (she became Queen a year earlier when her father died).

Canadians would appreciate a day off in June – the only summer month where we don’t have one – and no doubt, we’d be singing “Cheers!” to the Queen for years to come around campfires, at BBQs, or just sitting in front of the television for an extra day.

We could dub it the June 6-0 (2-4 for beers, 6-0 for a 60 of Canadian whiskey and, of course, 60 years on the throne).

I don’t think this needs to wait until Queen Elizabeth surpasses Queen Victoria’s 63 years on the throne (and I have no doubt our current Queen will do this). We should get on this now, so we can celebrate next summer.

This weekend, the Queen will mark 60 years on the throne.

She is expected to attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday, and a massive concert is planning for Monday evening.

Monday update: The Duke of Edinburgh has been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after developing a bladder infection, royal officials said via Twitter Monday. He will be missing Monday night’s concert.

“Prince Philip will remain in hospital under observation for a few days,” a press release said.

“He is, understandably, disappointed about missing this evening’s Diamond Jubilee Concert and tomorrow’s engagements.”

See photo gallery