General News for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 1: January 2013-December 2014

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Skippyboo

George isn't going to Uluru. He is staying at Canberra at the Govt House. The hotel is NZ is because they have 2 days of engagements on the South Island and instead of flying back and forth from Wellington, they are spending the night. The DM story is misleading because the NZ Government got a hugely discounted rate and the hotel isn't that big. So when the DM headline is 6500 a night room and they rented out the whole hotel it is mean spirited by the DM. The hotel only has 10 villas and suites so the tour party and RPOs would have filled most of it

Try this story out instead about a dying little girl, a princess dress and a upcoming royal visit.

Four-year-old Mia Murchison tries on her 'princess dress' which she will wear to meet 'real princess' the Duchess of Cambridge on visit to Sydney children's hospice in April | Mail Online

Now that is the type of story I love to read! Thanks for posting this Skippyboo!

[Sun Lion]

Originally Posted by Skippyboo

George isn't going to Uluru. He is staying at Canberra at the Govt House. The hotel is NZ is because they have 2 days of engagements on the South Island and instead of flying back and forth from Wellington, they are spending the night. The DM story is misleading because the NZ Government got a hugely discounted rate and the hotel isn't that big. So when the DM headline is 6500 a night room and they rented out the whole hotel it is mean spirited by the DM. The hotel only has 10 villas and suites so the tour party and RPOs would have filled most of it

Try this story out instead about a dying little girl, a princess dress and a upcoming royal visit.

Four-year-old Mia Murchison tries on her 'princess dress' which she will wear to meet 'real princess' the Duchess of Cambridge on visit to Sydney children's hospice in April | Mail Online

The resort has been recognized now that photos have been published Skippyboo.

The Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown on the South Island.

The Duke and Duchess are expected to stay there after the wine-tasting and Shotover whitewater rafting.

(Correction to a previous comment some pages back - I thought W and C were to do the jet boat on the Shotover River, but it is white-water rafting.)

The "Owners Cottage" is available on a regular basis - as a two or a four bedroom rental. It can accommodate up to eight guests.

There are some nice photos on their website - and the floorplan.

Sun Lion.

P.S. The Duke and Duchess are listed as departing the Opera House, in Sydney, via the Man O' War Steps - for their trip across the Harbour to Admiralty House.

This is where a small group of us in the general public were able to get a good view of the Danish Crown Prince Couple last October.




Correction again - just saw another report that says the Duke and Duchess are going to do the "Shotover Jet".

This is a jet boat ride - and makes more sense that the "white-water rafting" also reported - especially on that river.

(Any NZ posters able to clarify?)

I think it will be a jet boat ride - easier and less time consuming - and no falling in the water in front of the photographers!

[Sun Lion]

Originally Posted by Roslyn

So are they staying at Uluru on the night of the 22nd? If so, I hope they're not going to leave George alone in a tent for even a few moments.

Yes Roslyn, as noted by Skippyboo, little PG is not expected to travel to the outback - despite the front page headline in yesterday's "Australian" about George and the red centre.

It was quite a long article and the Aboriginal ladies - who it seems are going to meet W and C - said they hoped they would bring the "little fella" with them, as they would like to give him a "hug" - and this would mean they had met four generations of the Royal Family.

A Tour official was quoted as saying it wasn't likely that PG would attend Uluru - and was even quoted as expecting the little Prince might be "grumpy" with the rest of the travelling he would be undertaking .

Cheers, Sun Lion.

[Sun Lion]

Originally Posted by Dman

I'm guessing that Their Royal Highnesses are back from their fun vacation.

Reports the Duke and Duchess were seen in Berkshire yesterday now Dman.

Sun Lion.

[Sun Lion]

Are more details about the Royal Tour coming out, or did I just miss a lot last week?

It's been reported that both the Duke and the Duchess will act as coaches to the players - when they attend the rugby match in New Zealand.

And they will meet the All Blacks team as well.

And the next day - in a public park in Christchurch - both W and C will "participate" in an event about the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

Sun Lion.

[Sun Lion]

More details must have been released.

Wellington is to have a "walk" by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge through the city centre - on April 16th.

There is also a walk through the town centre, when they are in Cambridge in New Zealand.

And the couple are to cross Auckland Harbour in an amphibious vehicle.

Sun Lion.

[Sun Lion]

As well as the Royal Oak at the National Aboretum, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are scheduled to plant a Lone Pine - from a seed from Gallipoli - in the Memorial Garden at the War Memorial in Canberra, and earlier, another tree in the Memorial Garden at Amberley RAAF Base when they are in Queensland.

Sun Lion.

P.S. Maybe that is why the Aboretum tree planting is to be next to the playground - W and C are to have children around them for that.

PP.S. When at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra - the Duke and Duchess will get to meet some of the people who's portraits are hanging there.

PPP.S. William is to give speeches at the Opera House Sydney, and at Parliament House Canberra, and unveil a portrait of Her Majesty while in New Zealand.

[Sun Lion]

"This is not going to go down very well" -

After the Maldives, news is coming out about the doubling of the expenditure on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Kensington Palace apartment.

Also reports that W and C had hopes of their country home being ready for the coming summer, and that they spent a night away from PG there in January, to see how things are going.

Sun Lion.

[Skippyboo]

The tax payer money was spent on the building removing the asbestos, redoing the wiring and hot water and fixing the roof. All the interior and decorating was paid privately. Some times with an very old building you don't know how bad it is until you open it up which could explain the extra cost.

I don't know why the mirror article had the SE Asian tour as part of their article about KP spending.

The state owns these palaces but doesn't want to pay for their upkeep.

[Marty91charmed]

Does anyone know at what time the ceremony in Aldershot tommorow start? And if it will be broadcast online?

[royalistbert]

Asbestos is health and safety risk. It has to be done. It's that time of year again. The Queen has a pay rise stories will be coming again.

[gerry]

Originally Posted by Sun Lion

The resort has been recognized now that photos have been published Skippyboo.

The Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown on the South Island.

The Duke and Duchess are expected to stay there after the wine-tasting and Shotover whitewater rafting.

(Correction to a previous comment some pages back - I thought W and C were to do the jet boat on the Shotover River, but it is white-water rafting.)

The "Owners Cottage" is available on a regular basis - as a two or a four bedroom rental. It can accommodate up to eight guests.

There are some nice photos on their website - and the floorplan.

Sun Lion.

P.S. The Duke and Duchess are listed as departing the Opera House, in Sydney, via the Man O' War Steps - for their trip across the Harbour to Admiralty House.

This is where a small group of us in the general public were able to get a good view of the Danish Crown Prince Couple last October.




Correction again - just saw another report that says the Duke and Duchess are going to do the "Shotover Jet".

This is a jet boat ride - and makes more sense that the "white-water rafting" also reported - especially on that river.

(Any NZ posters able to clarify?)

I think it will be a jet boat ride - easier and less time consuming - and no falling in the water in front of the photographers!

Thanks for the tips, I was able to view the Matakauri lodge photos that are indeed stunning! Lucky Cambridges, only hope they have time to enjoy the place!

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Skippyboo

The tax payer money was spent on the building removing the asbestos, redoing the wiring and hot water and fixing the roof. All the interior and decorating was paid privately. Some times with an very old building you don't know how bad it is until you open it up which could explain the extra cost.

I don't know why the mirror article had the SE Asian tour as part of their article about KP spending.

The state owns these palaces but doesn't want to pay for their upkeep.

I agree. Asbestos was a primary ingredient in old insulation material and once disturbed it can be a real health concern. No other choice than to remove it and that can be very costly.

[cepe]

From the Sunday Times - results of poll about leaving George behind.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were right to leave their baby son at home when they flew to the Maldives, a poll shows.

Start
William and Kate spent a week in a five-star resort in the Indian Ocean, leaving the seven-month-old Prince George in the care of Kate’s parents. Their decision attracted some criticism.

However, a YouGov poll for The Sunday Times showed a majority (57%) felt the couple were right to leave their son in Britain, while 23% said it was wrong. Of the 1,946 respondents, women were more supportive than men, with 59% of women in favour of leaving the baby at home with grandparents compared with 54% of men. (End)

[GracieGiraffe]

Originally Posted by TLLK

I agree. Asbestos was a primary ingredient in old insulation material and once disturbed it can be a real health concern. No other choice than to remove it and that can be very costly.

I still see the costly repairs (which are about to double, apparently) as a BENEFIT to the couple, who do not have to pay for structural work on their abodes.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by GracieGiraffe

I still see the costly repairs (which are about to double, apparently) as a BENEFIT to the couple, who do not have to pay for structural work on their abodes.

I do too. For me, when reading that someone lives in a palace, it would bring to mind living in luxurious surroundings with every modern convenience known to man at hand. What I've come to realize although the residences are palatial, they're definitely not state of the art residences. They have been around for a very long time and although rich in history, like everything else in this world, they're susceptible to decay and fall apart. I'm beginning to see why some aristocratic families refer to their estates as "piles".

We have to realize though too that the repair work being done is not only solely for William and Kate but to also preserve and keep safe KP so it is there for future use for generations to come. To me, its more like preserving a historical landmark rather than fancying up a residence for a family.

[Polly]

I agree with Osipi.

First, Her Majesty paid for all the work on the Duke and Duchess' new home at KP. The money was allocated from the new Sovereign Grant which included repairs to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Victoria and Albert Mausoleum.

The work on Apartment 1A, last refurbished when Princess Margaret married in 1960, included £600,000 on the complete replacement of plumbing and boilers, re-wiring and asbestos removal. A further £400,000 has been spent on replacing much of the badly damaged slate, tiles and lead roof. Whether anyone lives there or not, the external repairs, at least, were indeed essential and had been urgent for some time. After nearly 60 years that's hardly surprising.

The actual age of these buildings adds to the cost of refurbishment and repair. On a much more pedestrian level, I live in a very old house and repairs always cost a great deal more than they normally would, as the integrity of the structure must always be considered - indeed, it's paramount. This involves specialist architects and experienced, specialist tradespeople, all of whom are exceptionally costly. In the case of the royal residencies, it might be noted that in the financial report for the year 2012-13 there was a reduction in real terms of £3.2m, with Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, advising that 'the Royal Household has continued to reduce its expenditure funded by the taxpayer in successive years since 2008-9, achieving a real terms reduction of 24 per cent over the past five years."

These buildings form an integral part of the nation's heritage. If Britain wishes to maintain its historical past then preservation of its magnificent buildings will always be necessary, and costly. Great palaces throughout the world in which no one actually lives cost the public even more to conserve, and this despite heavy entry charges to actually see them. We also note that the Queen does not allocate public monies to those estates which she personally owns, Balmoral and Sandringham.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by GracieGiraffe

I still see the costly repairs (which are about to double, apparently) as a BENEFIT to the couple, who do not have to pay for structural work on their abodes.

Kate and William can enjoy a safer and more comfortable home, but so will future residents as well.

If the UK becomes a republic than the future occupants will be forever grateful too.

[royalistbert]

Well if regular maintences was carried out such huge bills would not happen. Just read the Daily Mail article. This was hidden at the bottom of the article.

The cost, met by taxpayers but described by palace sources as ‘fair’, it is understood to be more than £100,000. A source said the apartment was being ‘kept in trust for the nation’.
]

[Sun Lion]

Here are a couple of my photos of Brisbane's South Bank - I was there a few weeks ago

I've just read a report that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will take a walk through this area.

W and C will travel in a Royal Motorcade from Amberley RAAF Base, and onto a Reception at the Brisbane Convention Centre, which is just behind part of this.

This wonderful flower-covered walking path winds along the river for blocks, and there are masses of restaurants covering many different nationalities' cuisines on the streets along side this.

The swimming area is free, and has been there for many years.

A quick walk across one of the footbridges takes you straight into the Brisbane CBD - or you can jump on the free ferry to cross.

Sun Lion.