It is not often that we a Supa Swap get to see a royal wedding but this year we had the opportunity to follow two. After the lavish wedding of Wills and Kate (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) we have now had the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock.

Charlene who was 33 years old, was rumoured to have been having second thoughts but last Friday the ceremony went ahead. She is a previous Olympic swimmer and the couple met in 2001 while she was taking part in an event in Monaco.

The two were married in in civil ceremony but this was followed by a Catholic ceremony in the Palace court yard.

The guest list for the event was as lavish as the event itself. Guests included the Bond actor Roger Moore, Karl Lagerfield, Giorgio Armani and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Music for the ceremony was composed by French composer Jean Michel Jarre and the event was caped by an extravagant fire work display.

We all wish them the best for the future.

We have written about one of our favorite royals here at Supa Swap and I am pleased to include another blog about the Prince Harry.

As the restrictions on the news of his activities in Afghanistan were restricted, we followed the rest of the press and reported on the Soldier Price and what he had been up to.

Increased Popularity

Harry’s service in the armed forces with the ordinary rank and file has really endeared him to the nation, changing him from one of the most unpopular to one of the most respected member of the counties first family.

Recently it has been reported that Harry has the opportunity to return to the front line but this time as a helicopter pilot.

Some have, and still do comment that having such a high profile target in the field of conflict could cause great risk to the man and women serving around Harry, but we certainly feel at Supa Swap that the message that his willingness to put himself at risk with his fellow soldiers makes for a much stronger message.

The Service

The Procession

Day Off

Following our article about Price William and the speculation that he is about to marry, we at SupaSwap are very pleased to learn that the official announcement has now been made by Clarence House; Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry next year.

The couple who are both 28 became engaged while on holiday in Kenya last month. The Wedding is set to take place in Spring or Summer of 2011 in London and further details will be announced in due course.

It also seems that William is quite an old fashioned guy, asking Kate´s father´s permission for her hand but it is not known if he went down on one knee to do the deed itself.

Sounds like a good excuse for a party and lets face it, the country needs something positive like this at the moment.

Harry is the “spare” to his brother Prince William, heir to the throne of England. Once known as the “The Happy Prince” for always smiling, lately Prince Harry seems to have taken the place in the tabloids formerly occupied by his deceased mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Poor Harry was eight when his parents separated, and 12 when his mother was killed in a “mysterious car crash in Paris.

There have been many shames and scandals within the fortresses of Buckingham Palace and the Royal residencies, however Harry seems to be a repeat offender. I say “good on him”; it has been a long time since the Royal family members were seen as squeaky-clean role models. Harry is a modern Royal and fair play to him he is honest and upfront about it!

At 17, Harry admitted to his father that he had indulged in underage drinking binges and had experimented with marijuana. He and his father toured a drug treatment facility to see up close the dangers of drug use.

Ordinarily cause for expulsion from Eton school, administrators shelved their “zero tolerance” policy due to Harry’s parentage. Just imagine a Royal being expelled, what a front pager! Criminal charges for the marijuana use were considered by the police but not brought up. As if they would have Prince Harry!

Harry is the total opposite of the “normal” Windsor Family gene pull. The young prince is by no means academically gifted, graduating Eton with poor grades. During his gap year he truly followed in his mother’s philanthropic footsteps and traveled the globe helping out in 3^rd World countries, and of course his beloved charities.

Since then, Harry has stirred up some serious media attention. A scuffle with a member of the paparazzi in 2004 caused the Palace a massive headache. Later that year, during a stay at the Davey Ranch in Argentina, Prince Harry went ‘absent without leave’ after having a skin full of alcohol, causing dramatic but unfounded rumors that he had been kidnapped. Bless, most of us fancy little stroll after a few Sherries!

In more recent news, Harry´s reputation has taken a decidedly upward turn and his work with charities and his career in the army has given him some very positive press.

Harry was devastated after being pulled from Afghanistan after foreign press sources released information of his presence in the high profile war zone.

The chief of the general staff, Sir Richard Dannatt expressed his sadness in regards to the press leak.

“Now that the story is in the public domain, the chief of defense staff and I will take advice from the operational commanders about whether his deployment can continue.”

Gordon Brown praised Harry as “an exemplary soldier”, adding: “The whole of Britain will be proud of the outstanding service he is giving.”

In recent news Prince Harry opened a field of remembrance for those lost in the conflict in Afghanistan. The Prince placed a cross in memory of 26-year-old Jonathan Woodgate of the Household Cavalry, the prince’s former regiment, in the Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance in Swindon, England.

Harry, who spent 10 weeks in Afghanistan in 2007 on a tour of duty with the army, led the commemorations to the 343 servicemen and women who have died in the country since 2001.

However over remembrance weekend it has been stated that harry could be returning to Afghanistan, but this time as an Apache helicopter pilot. The head of the armed forces stated that there was no reason why Harry could not be deployed as long as he passed his exams.

We all, at Supa Swap, wish Harry all the best. He certainly is one of our favourite royals.

After a nine-year relationship, yes you heard me correctly, nine long years, it seems as if Prince William, second in line to the throne, has finally popped the question. After a huge amount of press speculation and a paparazzi snap of Kate Middleton sporting a glam engagement ring, it seem it’s definitely on the cards.

Increasing the gossip further, The Royal Mint has made preparations to begin production of a commemorative coin to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Apart from a brief separation in 2007, the young lovers have been pretty solid throughout their relationship. From a public perspective, I think we need “a good old knees up” and Royal wedding to perk us up in these dull and depressing times.

Recession, prominent threat of war and benefit scandal have really brought the nation to it’s knees recently, so it’s about time we all cheered up and focused on the positives in life.

I really do fear that the press are going to have a hard time getting the dirt on this squeaky clean couple. In June, they were spotted in a mini-market in a small town in North Wales, buying two frozen pepperoni pizzas, a bag of frozen oven chips, some lettuce and a carton of orange juice. That’s about as exciting as it’s got lately.

I think in my heart of hearts I feel a bit sorry for Kate Middleton. She is pretty much a member of the Royal Family already, however without the obvious perks of the job. She is told what to wear, not to say the wrong thing, not to make friends with new people, not to get drunk and not to behave in an unseemly manner.

Prince William’s romantic life hasn’t always been so blissful. His relationship has come under strain over the last weeks following an exclusive interview by David Williams. The interview took place as Prince William and his brother Harry visited their charities in Botswana. It became increasingly obvious that William had regrets that he couldn’t put his military training to good use on the front line in Afghanistan.

The 28 year old, who recently became a qualified RAF helicopter pilot understood but did not agree with the reason, which have restricted his chance of serving.

It’s a shame that he cant fight for his country, but obviously understandable following the recent foreign press leak as to Prince Harry’s presence in Afghanistan.

“I still have hope and faith and real determination to go out there.” Prince William added.

We all wish them the best from Supa Swap