Prince Harry and His Beard Finally Get to Starting Line of South Pole Trek

WWTW via Getty Images

And they're off! Almost!

Prince Harry, looking more rugged than ever now that his beard has grown in a bit, was finally able to make it yesterday to the official starting point of his 208-mile trek across the South Pole after he and his 12 teammates were delayed by a blizzard.

The royal and the former military servicemen he's making the journey with had been snowed in at Novo base camp in Antarctica and arrived at the start line, about 87 degrees south of Novo, a week behind schedule.

But at least it has given Harry more time to grow a natural face-warmer before he's, er, faced with even harsher elements, including minus-50-degree (Celcius) temperatures and 70- to 90-kilometer-an-hour winds.

The 29-year-old redhead's scruffiness made quite a splash at base camp among the reporters documenting his adventure, as did his joke on Monday to Sky News that older brother Prince William is jealous of him, because he's off on an adventure and Will is at home with a crying baby.

Harry said that his teammates, all of them former members of the military who lost a limb while on active duty in Afghanistan, "absolutely loved" going to Buckingham Palace to meet his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

BBC

"Every single person who takes part in this challenge is extraordinary," he said of his fellow South Pole Allied Challenge trekkers, who are raising money for other injured servicemen and women. "The fact these guys have made it to this point is extraordinary and I count myself incredibly lucky to be part of it."

The teams are expected to push off this weekend—weather permitting, of course.

Read More

Kate Middleton Showcases Tiny Waist in Belted Red Coat, Shows Support for 2013 Poppy Day With Prince William

CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images

It's been less than four months since Prince George was born, but it sure looks like Kate Middleton's got her pre-pregnancy bod back!

On Thursday, Nov. 7, the duchess and Prince William greeted staff and volunteers at London's Poppy Day charity appeal. Kate, 31, wowed in a long, suitably red L.K. Bennett coat which was belted at the waist, drawing attention to her tiny waist and super slim figure.

The goal of this Poppy Day charity initiative is to raise 1 million pounds ($1.69 million) in a single day for the Royal British Legion, which provides monetary support for Armed forces members and their families.  It comes just before Remembrance Day, (Sunday, Nov. 10) when the British honor their fallen soldiers.

To help bring in donations for Poppy Day and draw interest in the cause, Kate and William also took a ride along the 1960s Routemaster bus with TV personality Barbara Windsor and volunteers. They even met with commuters outside of a London tube station.

Prince Harry was participating in Poppy Day, too. Along with Prince Philip, he attended a ceremony outside of Westminster Abbey in honor of those who lost their lives in military service.

Props to the royals for supporting such a good cause!

Duchess of Cambridge shows off her tiny waist in a belted coat. See her take a rare trip on public transportation.

Read More

Prince William Greets South Korean President at Korean War Memorial Ceremony—See the Pic!

WPA Pool-Richard Pohle/Getty Images

Prince William is really reppin' the royals these days!

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the future king of the United Kingdom greeted South Korean president Park Geun-hye at a ground-breaking ceremony revealinged the design for the Korean War memorial in London. While William met informally with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during their 2011 State visit to London, his meeting with South Korea's first female president marked his first official time performing State duties typically handled by Queen Elizabeth II.

The Korean War, which spanned the years of 1950 to 1953, was between what we now know as South Korea, backed by the United Nations, United States, and Britain, and North Korea, which was then supported by the Commonwealth of China. Per London's Express, 85,000 British servicemen fought in support of South Korea and over 1,000 died

"This memorial will remind future generations of the remarkable fruits of British friendship which will forever be etched in the hearts of the Korean people," President Geun-hye told the paper.

William, said it was "an honor to be here," adding, "It's the least I could do. It's been a good opportunity for me to catch up and learn a bit more about the war."

A British veteran of the war, 82-year-old Tommy Clough, spoke with the papers about his interactions with the 31-year-old prince. "When he found out I was a prisoner of war, he asked about the conditions in the camp and about the climate," he said. "It means a great deal to have the future king of England here."

The actual memorial isn't expected to be completed until summer 2014, but just breaking the ground alone meant a lot to many. "It means everything to have this," one veteran said. "So many people don't know about the war. It came too soon after the end of World War Two and the country had had enough of war."

Makes sense. Later in the evening Queen Elizabeth II did take back her royal role. She, Prince Philip and Prince Andrew hosted President Geun-hye at a Buckingham Palace banquet.

Those royals sure keep busy!

Read More

Prince George's Christening Portraits Revealed—See the Royal Family in the Official Photos!

JASON BELL /CAMERA PRESS/ REDUX

The official portraits from Prince George's christening are here!

And yes, they are as elegant and delightful as you would expect from the stylish royals.

Just one day after the royal christening, Kensington Palace released four formal photographs, taken by Jason Bell in the Morning Room at Clarence House on Wednesday, Oct. 23, according to a statement from the palace.

The first photograph features the entire family: Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton holding her son on her lap and Prince William seated, while Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton, James Middleton, and Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton are standing.

JASON BELL /CAMERA PRESS/ REDUX

The second photograph features four generations of royals: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince William, who holds Prince George. This is the first photograph of the Queen, and the next three kings, pictured together.

JASON BELL /CAMERA PRESS/ REDUX

The third photograph is Prince George with his proud parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince George appears active and vibrant, with his little mouth open and his arms raised.

So precious!

JASON BELL /CAMERA PRESS/ REDUX

The fourth photograph is very similar to the first portrait, however the Middleton family is not present. Everyone is looking at the camera, except for the Queen, who is adoringly gazing at her great-grandson. Prince George is looking straight ahead, not making eye contact with his great-grandmother!

Prince George is wearing the handmade royal christening robe, made by Angela Kelly, dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Morning Room, where the photo session took place, is steeped in rich tradition, which dates back hundreds of years. It was originally the Breakfast Room in John Nash's original design for the Duke of Clarence in 1825-1827.

The sofa, on which the group is seated, dates from about 1773 and is part of "a suite of gilt-wood seat furniture by Thomas Chippendale."

Plenty of artwork and other portraits decorate the ornate room, including a bronze bust of a young Queen Elizabeth II and a matching bust of her sister, Princess Margaret on a visible cabinet. An oil portrait of the young queen and her sister hangs above the same cabinet.

If you look closely in some of the images, you can see two photographs: one features Prince Charles and Prince Harry in Zulu Village, South Africa, in 1997 and another shows Prince Harry as a toddler. 

It was a small affair at the christening, only 23 guests were present. In addition to the royal family and the Middleton family, George's seven godparents and the six spouses among them and William's former nanny turned George's part-time nanny, Jessie Webb, marked the celebration.

"It has been a tremendously joyful occasion for everyone involved," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said in a statement issued after the 35-minute ceremony.

After the ceremony, it was back to Clarence House for tea and the top tier of Will and Kate's wedding cake. It's a British tradition for couples to freeze the top of their cake and then serve it at their firstborn child's baptism.

The royal wedding cake was an eight-tiered spiced fruitcake (they're not just for Christmas in the U.K.!), made by pastry chef Fiona Cairns.

What do you think of the official christening portraits? Tell us in the comments!

Read More

Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George Arrive at Royal Christening—See the Pics!

John Stillwell - WPA Pool /Getty Images

The big day has arrived! After Prince George's godparents and relatives entered the Chapel Royal in St. James' Palace on Wednesday, Oct. 23, Prince William and Kate Middleton gave the first glimpse of their 3-month-old son since his first official portraits were unveiled in late August. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will preside over the intimate service.

Prince George was dressed in a handmade replica of the royal christening robe, made by Angela Kelly, dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II.

Kate's parents, Michael and Carole, arrived with her siblings, Pippa and James. William's younger brother, Prince Harry, came with his grandmother, as well as Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

John Stillwell/PA Wire/Press Association via AP Images

Hours earlier, the palace announced that seven people will share the responsibility of being George's godparents: Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl "Hugh" Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, Zara Tindall and William van Cutsem.

Get a glimpse of the adorable 3-month-old baby and proud parents Prince William and Kate Middleton as they enter St. James Palace.

The royal baby will be baptized in the Lily Font using water from the River Jordan. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert commissioned the silver font for the birth of their first child, Victoria, Princess Royal, in 1840. It has been used at every royal christening since 1841.

George's parents already bucked tradition by hosting the event in St. James' Palace as opposed to Buckingham Palace. "William and Kate are going to do things differently, and actually, their families are respectful of that," a royal source previously told E! News. "This won't be a case of a big rift. Christenings are not state occasions. They're private affairs and can be as big or intimate as the parents desire."

John Stillwell - WPA Pool /Getty Images

Following the 45-minute service, Prince George's paternal grandparents will host a private tea in Clarence House. Guests will be served slices of christening cake, which is a tier taken from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding cake.

Read More

See Prince William and Kate Middleton's Christening Pics Ahead of Tomorrow's Prince George Celebration

Anwar Hussein/WireImage

What better way to celebrate tomorrow's royal christening of Prince George than by taking a look back at Prince William and Kate Middleton's own christening pics?!

Ahead of tomorrow's celebration, let's compare the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's throwback baby photos.

In Will's adorable christening shot taken at Buckingham Palace in 1982 (Will was born Jun. 21, 1982), proud parents Princess Diana and Prince Charles look lovingly at their bundle of joy, who's wearing a long elaborate cream-colored gown. Charles sports a suit while Diana is dressed colorfully in a pink and white floral-print dress, pink hat and necklace.

MAVRIXONLINE.COM

Now for Kate's cute baby pic. In the shot, taken on Jun. 20, 1982 (one day before Will was born!), mom Carole Middleton holds baby Kate in her arms while Middleton stands close and flashes a giant smile while looking at their daughter. Michael sports dark suit similar to Charles while his wife wears a colorful dress, much like Diana's christening attire.

As for Kate's christening gown, hers appears to be whiter in color and a tad less elaborate than Will's.

As you already know, Will and Kate's royal baby boy Prince George will be christened tomorrow in a very intimate and private ceremony in Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace in London. George's uncle and aunt Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton will be in attendance.

Read More

Prince Philip Meets Prince George for First Time During Royal Baby's First Holiday

AP Photo/PA, Dominic Lipinski

Time to meet great-grandpa!

Prince Philip reportedly held his seven-week-old great-grandson Prince Georgefor the first time Sunday. The 92-year-old great-grandfather was the only senior royal who had not been introduced to Prince William and Kate Middleton's bundle of joy as he has been recovering from exploratory abdominal surgery.

According to U.K. Mirror, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed at Aberdeen airport yesterday afternoon with their son before they were taken by car to Balmoral Castle, where the family met with an elated Prince Philip at the Queen's residence on Royal Deeside.

The family trip marked the first holiday for William and Kate since their son's arrival on July 22.

"This was an incredible moment for Philip," a royal source told the Mirror. "He has been desperate to meet his great grandson and having the family together is really special for him."

The new parents have been both been busy since the birth of their son.

Last week, Middleton looked radiant in a dazzling metallic Jenny Packham gown at her first red carpet appearance since giving birth, and she made her first post-baby public appearance at the Ring O'Fire ultra-marathon in Anglesey in late August.

William most recently revealed that, after seven years of military service, he will be leaving the Royal Air Force to focus on his royal duties and charity work.

John Stillwell/WPA-Pool/Getty Images

And the palace also announced that the royal couple and their son—who have been living atMichael and Carole Middleton's Bucklebury Manor—"are expected to move into their official residence at Kensington Palace within the next few weeks."

"This has been a very busy time for the Duke and Duchess," the Mirror source continued. "They have always been determined to introduce George to Philip as soon as possible, but there just hasn't been the time until now."

"This will be a very special holiday for them all," the insider added.

An iconic photograph featuring Queen Elizabeth II, son Prince Charles, grandson Prince William and Prince George is also expected to be taken at the family meet and greet.

The picture is said to be first time three direct heirs to the throne will be in the same photo in more than a century.

"Everyone has been waiting for this photo to be taken and of course the Duke of Edinburgh has been looking forward to seeing his great grandson," the royal source told the Mirror.

Can't wait to see the special moment!

Read More