Prince William and Kate to Stay in Hancock Park
on Trip to California
Prince William and his bride Catherine will head to Hancock Park on their first day in Los Angles this week. No one knows for sure the exact house they are staying in, but the royal couple announced as part of the official itinerary that they will be visiting the U.K. Consul-General’s house in Hancock Park for a reception. As a long-time resident of Los Angeles, I can tell you this is one of the most beautiful, and expensive, areas of town.
We know that William and Kate will stay in the Hancock Park area because … continue reading this article here or here
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More from Mary A.Reed on Prince William and Kate:
“Prince William and Kate are Coming to Los Angeles”
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8200969/prince_william_and_kate_are_coming.html?cat=9
“Kate May Have No Last Name When She Marries Prince William”
Commentary by Mary 
With the impending nuptials of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, there is certainly no shortage of entertainment choices highlighting the couple and the big day. Just because you can dramatize something in the TV movie format, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. In truth, there is nothing all that unusual about the courtship of William and Kate–aside from the fact that he’s royalty. If this slight and superficial film did not purport to tell the fictionalized trials and tribulations of this notorious twosome, and was in fact purely made up about random individuals, there would be very few people proclaiming that this is must-see entertainment. There is just a lack of inherent drama. Those expecting an in-depth peek at the royal family and new insight into the principles will have to look elsewhere. Mind you, this Lifetime presentation is palatable, if completely unremarkable, and may be of interest to those on William and Kate overload–but it’s just too slight to stand on its own without the hoopla.
Newcomers play Kate and William with some familiar faces lending support. I suppose the actors are appealing enough–everything is just so gently likable. I attribute most, if not all, of the film’s shortcomings on the screenplay. The actors do their best with what they’re given, but very little of it rings true. Their rowdy bunch of college buddies are fun, if somewhat interchangeable (don’t ask me anyone’s name). However, amidst all the drinking and allusions to wildness, no one ever appears even tipsy. William is humanized in cliched comedic moments including bungled attempts at cooking and a laundry mishap. Isn’t it charming and funny? Royals are people too! And romantic moments come straight out of a Hollywood playbook– singing karaoke to make an apology, swimming the channel to proclaim true love (to requisite applause, no less). There isn’t a genuine moment here or any real perspective on the characters.
The first two-thirds of the picture have almost no drama whatsoever. When William openly declares his relationship status, Kate is thrust into tabloid news limelight. And he tells her it will only get worse. What happens next? The two share an idyllic senior year of college shacked up in a cottage in front of a roaring fire. Oh, the humanity. Later, Kate must confront the paparazzi briefly and deal with a separation from her Prince Charming. Of course, the response (courtesy of Kate’s mother) is to make him jealous to grab his attention. Another advance for the feminist movement. There is actually one nice scene in the last ten minutes as Charles and William discuss Diana and it seems the only moment that has genuine emotion.
I won’t say “William and Kate” is bad (and certainly not by Lifetime movie standards!). It can pleasantly pass the time and is eager to please all of the romantics out there. Just don’t expect any sense of reality. Glossy and superficial, this royal romance is mildly entertaining but not particularly memorable. KGHarris, 4/11.