Long may she rain! Slimline Kate Middleton gets into shape as she braves the elements for last engagement ahead of big day

By Daily Mail Reporter


Her royal dryness: Kate Middleton braves the rain on a trip to Darwen, Lancashire today


Like any bride wanting to look her best, Kate Middleton appears to have shed a few pounds ahead of her big day.

Looking more slimline than ever, the future Royal was joined by Prince William on their last official engagement together before the royal wedding, braving the rain to attend the opening of a school in Darwen, Lancashire.

Kate, holding her own oversized black umbrella, opted for a subtle but notable sartorial transformation.

Joining the ranks of predecessors including Diana and Jackie O, she wore a smart navy blue fitted jacket, matching skirt and high heels - a look that cements her status as style queen.


Gone is the floaty, A-line silhouette she has come to favour and its place a streamlined shape suit.

Her hair was styled half up half down amid recent speculation that this could be the look she chooses on her wedding day.

Miss Middleton has yet to invest in the see-through umbrellas used by the Queen, which allow her to be easily seen.

Getting in shape: Kate has lost weight as last-minute nerves kick in ahead of the big day and is certainly thinner than she was back in 2005


Instead Kate carried a very large black one, lifting it higher up so she could be seen by the crowds outside the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy.

The Queen's distinctive Fulton birdcage design umbrellas feature a coloured rim which the company produces in exclusive colours for her so she can match them exactly to her outfit.

Union and St George Cross flags flew outside many shops and pubs in the east Lancashire town of Darwen to greet the couple.

William and Kate arrived at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy on the first leg of their day-long visit to the area as hundreds of well-wishers lined outside in the heavy rain


William and Kate arrived at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy on the first leg of their day-long visit to the area as hundreds of well-wishers lined outside in the heavy rain.

They are expected to be met by crowds of thousands on their second and final engagement at nearby Witton Country Park in Blackburn.

William will officially open the academy where he will also launch an award scheme and later observe a sports display in the park with his fiancee

At the academy in the heart of the town, the couple were welcomed by the Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Sheila Williams, the chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Graham Burgess, and Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry.

They were then greeted by the principal of the independent non-fee-paying school, Brendan Loughran, and its sponsor Rod Aldridge, former executive chairman of Capita.

William will officially open the academy where he will also launch an award scheme and later observe a sports display in the park with his fiancee


A tour of the academy followed to highlight its focus on entrepreneurial skills which are embedded in its curriculum.

William will launch the SkillForce Prince's Award and give a short address on the scheme and the work of the academy to students, parents, governors and staff.

SkillForce is an education charity which has William as its patron and from summer 2012 it will present the new honour to teenagers who show significant character or make a major contribution to their community.

Hair apparent: Kate's hair was styled half up half down amid recent speculation that this could be the look she chooses on her wedding day


More than 100 accredited newspaper, TV and radio journalists were covering the academy visit including representatives from the United States, Australia, France, Germany and Norway.

Later, William and Miss Middleton will visit Witton Country Park as part of the Prince's role as patron of the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge.

The initiative aims to protect permanently 2,012 outdoor recreational spaces across the UK and demonstrate the importance of green spaces for sport.

The couple will meet local civic dignitaries, view sports activities on the athletics field and see youngsters taking part in a football skills session.

Anticipation: Crowds line up outside Darwen Community Academy ahead of the couple's visit


Miss Middleton will also be invited to start a 100 metres race and meet a group of athletes and coaches.

The couple will also see some young people participating in disabled cycling activities.

Recently the pair have met well-wishers in Anglesey in Wales, visited their former university St Andrews in Scotland and flown to Belfast in Northern Ireland.

The Prince, 28, who is based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, in his role as a full-time RAF Search and Rescue Pilot, and Miss Middleton, 29, will marry on April 29.

Their wedding day will be an official public holiday across the UK.

Little princesses: Two young fans hold Union Jacks of the Royal couple


source:dailymail

Nearly 1,000 staff will be used by the BBC to cover William and Kate's wedding

By Paul Revoir


The big day: The BBC are expected to be dedicating up to 1,000 members of staff to cover the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William


The BBC is to dedicate the best part of a thousand staff to covering the Royal Wedding, it has emerged.

The corporation's bill for broadcasting the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton will run into excess of a £1million, with a sizeable chunk of that going on the army of staff it will be using.

Once again it will dwarf the numbers of workers being used by rivals ITV and Sky News who will have a fraction of the staff on the day.


In total there is expected to be 850 BBC workers covering the event, many in London along the route, but also some getting reaction from other locations in the UK. This includes staff for TV, radio and online.

The BBC has defended the numbers claiming that as host broadcaster it will be responsible for beaming images out around the globe and that the wedding is likely to be the most viewed event of the century.

There will be 550 BBC workers covering the actual event, following the route and the ceremony, with Huw Edwards as the corporation's main presenter.

There is expected to be a further 300 news staff who will be providing separate reports from around Britain.

This includes staff from BBC Breakfast, the Today programme and Radio 5 Live.

Commentators: DJ Fearne Cotton and The One Show host Alex Jones will be covering the Royal Wedding


This compares with 437 staff the BBC sent to the 2008 Olympics in BeiJing and the 295 sent to last year's football World Cup in South Africa.

As well as Edwards, Fiona Bruce and Sophie Raworth will be at the heart of the BBC's coverage, which will also see Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton and One Show presenter Alex Jones given presenting roles.

The wedding is expected to be watched by a global audience of two billion.

A BBC spokesman said: 'The Royal Wedding is likely to be the most watched event of the century so far and the BBC is proud to be the host broadcaster.

'Final numbers have yet to be confirmed, but we expect to have 550 people working on the day to bring high quality and distinctive coverage of this special event to a wide audience at home and abroad across TV, Radio and Online.

'In addition BBC News will provide separate reports across the UK and numbers for this are yet to be finalised.'

The venue: Hundreds of BBC staff will be covering the wedding route up to Westminster Abbey


source:dailymail

The Prince of Perspiration: I'm far too pasty, says William in 35C Australian heat

By Katie Nicholl


The heat is clearly getting to Prince William as sweat pours from his brow during his tour of Queensland


With his mind very much on his impending wedding, Prince William could perhaps be excused for occasionally feeling a little warm under the collar.

But on a tour of Queensland, Australia, yesterday his normal healthy glow turned to a Royal flush as he struggled to cope in 95F heat.

Visibly wilting with sweat pouring from his forehead, the Prince managed to hold on to his sense of humour and quipped: ‘I’m from England. I’m far too pasty. I need some sunshine.’


The Prince, on a five-day tour of Australia and New Zealand, has been dubbed ‘the Prince of Hearts’ in the north-east of Queensland, which in February was devastated by some of the worst cyclones and flooding in Australia’s history.

He struggled to cope with the heat during a walkabout in Cairns, but told admirers: ‘It’s much nicer down here. The weather at home is dreadful.’

He has wowed the Australians by dressing casually for most of the trip in lightweight trousers and an open- necked pale blue shirt, and insisting on being addressed by his first name.

Unlike his father, who often travels with an extensive team of aides, William has only a small entourage.

An aide said: ‘William likes to keep things simple. He doesn’t want to wear a suit unless he has to and he likes to keep things relaxed. That’s his own way and how he likes things.’

Jim Nicholson, 68, president of the Cardwell Lions community group, said: ‘He’s a really normal, casual chap. He calls you by your first name just like his mother used to do. Diana would have been the proudest woman in the world if she’d been here today.’

Martin Taylor, 40, officer in charge of the Queensland Ambulance service, said: ‘He’s a leader, you can tell by his stature. We chatted about the recovery stage and he was very understanding.’

Earlier he spoke to people who lost their homes and livelihoods and chatted with the emergency services as he visited the ravaged towns of Cardwell and Tully.

His second port of call was to the Royal Flying Doctor service in Cairns. Then his whistlestop tour took him on to a reception with volunteers from the Red Cross and the emergency services who helped during the disaster.

William has wowed the Australians by dressing casually for most of the trip in lightweight trousers and an open- necked pale blue shirt, and insisting on being addressed by his first name

The Prince is warmly received in the flood ravaged town of Cardwell and chatted with residents who lost their homes and livelihoods


Prince William sparked excitement earlier in the day when he mentioned returning to the country for his honeymoon.

He made the comment on a visit to Cairns' cruise ship terminal during what some people have dubbed his 'disaster tour'.

After visiting Christchurch, New Zealand, the prince arrived in Queensland, Australia, today where he visited people affected by Cyclone Yasi.

He went to the coastal towns of Cardwell and Tully, before meeting excited locals at the cruise ship terminal, where he sparked hysteria.

William, who is to marry fiancee Kate Middleton on April 29, met Briton Tania Moore, 39, who moved to the area 10 years ago from Winchester.

She said: 'He asked me what I'd be up to today and I said, 'Oh I've been up to the Great Barrier Reef with my kids. It's just stunning - you should go there. Will you get to see it?.'

He reaches out to shake hands with Jane Machin, five, as he leaves the community hall in the town of Cardwell. The youngster had written a sign reading 'Welcome William Our Shining Prince'

Proud Jane shows off the sign she made to welcome the town's royal visitor


Ms Moore, who met the prince with her son Alex, seven, and five-year-old daughter Jessica, said he replied: 'No I wanted too, but I won't have time.'

'Then he was asking about the visibility under water, what type of fish we saw on the reef,' she said.

'This man will be king one day and there he was asking about my day at the beach.

'I asked him when he was going to come back and he said, 'well we might have to come back for our honeymoon!' Everyone started shrieking and applauding.'

The Prince promised wellwishers he would return, and told them: ‘I love scuba-diving. I have always wanted to dive the Barrier Reef. I will have to come back and maybe honeymoon in Cairns. You are all invited to the wedding. I expect to see you all there. I want to see lots of Aussie flags outside the Abbey.

‘I’ve missed all the preparations in the past week.’

Despite flagging in the heat, the Prince told The Mail on Sunday he was coping well.

He said: ‘I’m doing really well and feeling great. Not too much jet-lag, thank goodness.’

Yesterday’s visit was 28 years to the day since Prince Charles and Diana visited Australia with William as a nine-month-old baby.


Source:dailymail