Is Kate the New Grace Kelly? Will She Rival Diana?

Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail

There has been a lot of discussion about Kate (formerly Middleton) being the new Grace Kelly or the next Diana.  She certainly has the appeal that Grace and Diana exhibited.  Kate is certainly the most photographed person in recent history.  Her face graces everything from the front of magazines and the pages of newspapers to commemorative mugs, flags, shirts etc.  I think she has the potential to be as popular as Diana was (which is really saying something!).  And the people certainly respond well to her in public appearances.

Photo source Wedzilla Blog

Kate and Grace were both commoners who married royalty and became famous in their own right as a result.  Grace was famous prior to her marriage and probably would have achieved great fame even without it.  With Kate the jury is still out on how she will fare long term.  But if the way she has handled the fame so far is any indicator of how she'll do as a royal I think we'll see a young woman who rivals both Grace and Diana with how much she is loved by the people.  Hopefully Kate's life will be longer and happier than Grace and Diana.  And on her wedding day all good wishes go to her and her new husband (who is a very lucky man!).  It will be interesting to watch her sister, Pippa in the media as she becomes the famous sister of the Prince and Princess. 

The comparisons of Grace's wedding gown and Kate's have been made.  Some lauding Kate for choosing well, some saying her dress was not modern enough.  My personal opinion is I love the romance of her gown and the lace on her skirt and train was incredible.  As fashion forward as Kate can be I think she wanted to choose a gown that would embody old fashioned values and romance and this dress did just that.  Somehow a strapless dress just wouldn't have looked as 'royal' as her choice did.  Feel free to leave your opinions on Kate's dress and how you think she compares to former royals.

Comic Books and The Royal Wedding

It was inevitable that with all the royal wedding hoopla that it would generate it's own comic book. 'Kate and William: A very Public Love Story', was launched in the UK, it follows the couple's first meeting (sigh!)at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and following the ups and downs of their relationship (tears for Kate who really worked this whole relationship well even though it was hard for her at times I'm sure!). 

The comic book is written by Rich Johnston, illustrated by comic book artist Gary Erskine and it is told from both the perspective of the groom and the bride.  You can read from the either end of the comic as well, and reach the middle.  You'll find this comic gives you fictional details from Kate and Wills wedding including their honeymoon destination and the details of Kate's dress.  (Of course if you've been reading my blog you know that Papa John's has already shown off her veil and dress and Wills' suit on their Royal Pizza!)  Never let it be said that there hasn't been a lot of crazy merchandise generated as a result of this wedding, including a wedding video by T-Mobile (I swear that was the REAL Camilla walking down the aisle! Wow she was good!)  I'm not sure if real comic book aficionados will be buying this book but I bet they sell out!

Royal Wedding Food

When Buckingham Palace throws a royal wedding reception it's not always a sit down affair. Instead, after their wedding on April 29, the by then former Kate Middleton and her new husband, Prince William will host a reception for 600 of their closest friends serving 10,000 different kinds of hot or cold canapes. While Kate and Prince William had some say in the canapes served, the queen herself oversaw most of the menu. While the planning and wedding day logistics of this boggle my mind, obviously Buckingham Palace is used to entertaining on a far grander scale!

So if you're planning a wedding and looking for an option to the usual buffet or sit down dinner, why not follow the royals and have a canape reception for hundreds of your closest friends! (hmm...do I have hundreds of close friends? Well I guess my wedding guest list will be a little shorter than theirs!) Not to mention I would not be serving 10,000 different canapes!