Hey, royal-watchers: where is Cressida Bonas these days? Right? Cressida and Prince Harry got together last year… I want to say around July or August. Cressida is well-born, well-connected, wealthy, young and blonde. Oh, and beautiful. And Prince Harry was reportedly very smitten, and she even seemed to “wait” for him to return from Afghanistan, and once he returned, they took up where they left off. But lately, it feels like Cressida and Harry have grown apart!

It was just a month or so ago when there were reports that Harry was ready to “get serious” about his life and he was really looking to settle down, and he thought Cressida might be his girl. But Cressida was all “oh, no, you’re moving too fast, I don’t want to get married.” And then there were reports that Duchess Kate was trying to shut down Cressida and Harry because Kate has her agenda – an agenda along the lines of “no one can pull focus from The Sausage Curls and the Duchess Beav.” And now Star is reporting that Harry and Cressida are pretty much over:

Prince Harry turned on the charm during his recent tour of the US, but one lady who isn’t feeling the love is his girlfriend, Cressida Bonas! Since rekindling their romance following his return from Afghanistan in January, Harry has been distancing himself from Cressida in recent months.

Friends close to the socialite say that, despite their once hot-and-heavy union, Cressida now feels like a “second-class citizen” with Harry.

“The phone only rings when Harry wants something,” says an insider. The final straw came after Harry promised Cressida they would go on vacation together but changed his mind at the last minute and went to the US.

“The romance has died… Cressida feels let down.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

If Cressida is going to play the victim in this breakup (IF it’s a breakup), then I’m not buying it. I think she was trying to play hard to get, combined with a genuine reticence to the idea of marrying into the royal family. Which is fine, but don’t act all hurt and damaged when Harry drops you when he realizes that you’re not interested in a future with him. How is it that only Chelsy Davy knows how to play Harry like a damn violin? She’s like the only girl he’s ever met who can manipulate him and have him begging for it. Slow clap for Chelsy. Chica knows what she’s doing.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Here are some photos of Prince Harry at the annual Chelsea Flower Show, where he had his first-ever charity garden opening. Harry organized his garden for Sentebale, his Lesotho charity which helps fund HIV/AIDS treatments. So many members of his family came out to support him! Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla were there. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip were there too, as well as Prince Andrew and his daughters (although I don’t have photos of Andrew and the girls).

There were charmingly affectionate scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show today, as Prince Harry warmly greeted his family with kisses as they attended the opening of his charity garden. It was something of a family jolly for the royals at today’s VIP opening, and aside from the glorious displays of blooms, it was a chance to offer a show of support to the unexpected garden designer – Prince Harry.

The 28-year-old helicopter pilot was at Chelsea for the first time with his charity Sentebale, which hopes its African-inspired garden will highlight its work aids orphans in the impoverished kingdom of Lesotho. It is the first time that Sentebale has undertaken such a project and the prince has been closely involved in its creation – even examining designs emailed to him by designer Jinny Blom while stationed on the frontline in Afghanistan.

First up was Uncle Andrew and his daughter, Princess Beatrice, who said afterwards: ‘I think it is beautiful and loved the story behind it.’ Next was Uncle Edward – who had to be torn away from the strimmer display, according to Harry – with his father and step-mother hot on his heels.

Charles looked proud as punch at his son’s efforts and told him: ‘This is the great garden is it, after all that effort? I was wondering if it didn’t exist.’

Harry couldn’t resist jesting with his father: ‘If there is anything here which might catch your eye we could probably come to a deal. You can’t have it, but we can come to a deal.’

‘A deal?! ‘ said Charles with mock outrage.

The Prince of Wales then joked that the large round stone that is one of the main features of the garden could be a dance floor. It was only then that Harry noticed his grandfather, Prince Philip, waiting to come in.

‘Looking they’re even queuing,’ he joked. When Charles failed to notice the other VIP guest, Harry ribbed him: ‘Err, pa, meet your father!’, prompting Charles to look up with an exclamation of surprise.

‘You were meant to be looking at strimmers and tractors, Grandpa, I didn’t know you were coming. Fantastic!’ said Harry. ‘Hopefully you like it. You’ve been coming here for years and your opinion is highly regarded.’

The prince even teased Philip that a circular stone centrepiece to his garden span round with flashing lights rather like a nightclub podium.

‘Really?’ Philip enquired earnestly.

‘No, Grandpa, they wouldn’t let us,’ Harry joked.

Last to arrive was the Queen who delighted at her grandson’s efforts but apparently told Harry to send a few plants to his father’s Stumpery at Highgrove as he ‘needed a bit of greenery’.

When the Queen stood with her grandson on the stone circle, which is decorated with hearts and crowns, he told her: “Pa thought it was going to spin round – but sadly it doesn’t.’

Sentebale was set up by Harry in 2006 following a gap year visit to the tiny – and hugely impoverished – African kingdom of Lesotho. He was so moved by the experience that he vowed to spend the rest of his life helping the youngest victims of the country’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. In a country of just 1.8 million people, 23 per cent of adults are HIV positive and their life expectancy has plummeted to just 41 – leaving almost a generation orphaned.

The name Sentebale was chosen as it means ‘forget me not’ in the language of Lesotho, a tribute to both Harry’s mother and that of the children themselves. The charity hopes that by showing at Chelsea it will raise its profile and fundraising activities. The garden’s creator, Jinny Blom, said she had been inspired by the landscape of Lesotho itself as well as Harry’s experience of losing his mother Diana, Princess of Wales A pattern of hearts and crowns has been engraved on a circular terrace in the garden, acting as a memorial to the late princess.

[From The Mail]

Did anyone else get a little choked up about the Princess Diana stuff? Just me? I love the way Harry remembers his mother – it feels like his memories, his living memories of her are of the impact she made on the world, what she represented to people in a larger sense. It’s odd that Prince William doesn’t seem to remember Diana in the same way – to William, his mother seems to be merely a cautionary tale of how not to behave, or as a prop to be used to get his own way.

Also: is anyone surprised that Harry greets his stepmother with such affection? I do love that he kisses his dad though.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Do you think Prince William ever wishes he was living in the olden days when crown princes could summon a witch to the castle to cast a special spell to make “the spare” lose his hair? William never looks more balding than when he’s standing next to Prince Harry and full head of ginger hair. For the record, I think Harry is developing a little bald spot too, so maybe William did summon a witch and have a “balding spell” cast.

Anyway, these are new photos of Harry and William yesterday opening up the “Help For Heroes Tidworth House Recovery Centre”. I’m assuming this center is something like what Americans think of as “Walter Reed” – it’s a center for wounded warriors and their families to spend the necessary time to recover from their war injuries. This is one of Prince Harry’s big issues – Harry has been working with charities and organizations working with and for wounded warriors for years now. This is Harry’s wheelhouse, so I wonder if he minds that William came along…? Harry was probably just excited to spend some time with his brother. Several of the wounded warriors asked after Duchess Kate, and they asked how William was preparing for fatherhood. William said he was “very much so” looking forward to it and “All the mothers have been looking at me, ‘just you wait, just you wait. Long sleepless nights.’”

Speaking of Kate, where was she? She made so many appearances in April and then she just kind of stopped cold. Duchess of Diva theorized that Kate was trying to make it look like she was working hard around her two-year anniversary, considering many people claimed that the Queen had given Kate and William a “two-year holiday” before becoming full-time working royals. Although we don’t know for sure if the Queen ever said or did that. What I do know is that Kate has been spotted shopping a lot this month, and that she made an appearance at friend’s wedding a few weekends ago, wearing that same polka-dotted dress. And wouldn’t you know, a gust of wind came by and Kate flashed her duchess beav because of course she did. So how does Kate spend her time? She’s learning how to cook!

If it’s true that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, Prince William is about to fall in love with Kate Middleton all over again. A source tells Us Weekly that the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, 31, has been taking cooking classes from the couple’s new housekeeper, Antonella Fresolone.

Fresolone, the insider says, worked for 13 years at Buckingham Palace, where she was well-known for her “delicious” Italian cooking. (Among her specialties? Homemade pasta and freshly baked bread.) The Duke and his wife hired her three weeks ago, during which time she has been teaching mom-to-be Middleton how to make “a number of new dishes” in the small kitchen at Nottingham Cottage.

The expectant royal has been indulging her domestic side more and more in recent weeks, as her July due date grows ever closer. Earlier this month, she was spotted shopping for decor for the home she shares with Prince William. And on Saturday, she and her husband spent a “lazy weekend” together in London. (The Duke took a train up from Anglesey, Wales, to be with his wife before his royal engagements this week, which include a conference on illegal wildlife trade and the XXXVII Ordinary Union of European Football Associations Congress.)

The royal couple recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary. Following a trip to the Harry Potter and Batman exhibits at Warner Bros. Studios, they enjoyed a romantic dinner in London.

[From Us Weekly]

In the first months of their marriage, the royal propagandists often claimed that Kate was already an amazing cook and that William loved her food. Of course, I’ve always assumed that they probably had a part-time or full-time cook/housekeeper in Wales, so God knows how much Kate has really been cooking all along. Also: how different is a “lazy weekend” from a “normal weekend” with Will and Kate?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Yesterday, Prince Harry was in Connecticut for a charity polo match which raised money for his Sentebale Foundation. Harry got to hang out with Nacho Figueras, Stephanie Seymour, Gayle King and Olivia Palermo. He got a kiss from Karolina Kurkova at the end because his team won, of course. I know this is completely dumb of me, but what’s the purpose of leg warmers for horses? Obviously, I know nothing about horses or polo, but why are the horses accessorized? Anyway, Harry’s horse is beautiful.

Prince Harry’s charity polo match in Greenwich, Conn., was the closest the legendary party prince came to Champagne and models during his stint in the States. A crowd of 400 was short on celebs, but filled with catwalkers past and present including Stephanie Seymour, Karolina Kurkova, Jessica Stam and Hana Soukupová. Despite female fans clamoring to get to His Highness, Harry kept his mind on the match.

“He was quite strapping,” swooned one female guest at the match and a luncheon where he appeared. “You can feel his physicality! All the big bankers, real-estate titans and masters-of-the-universe got just as weak-kneed and unctuous as their female partners around him. Harry was so gracious and patient with everyone.”

Spotted at the match were Owen Wilson, Gayle King and socialites Olivia Palermo and Amanda Hearst.

The night before, Harry drew admiring glances at a Friends of the Royal Foundation Four Seasons Restaurant reception from ladies including Miss USA Nana Meriwether. But the royal hung close with new pals Will.i.am and Yankee Mark Teixeira. The Black Eyed Peas singer sat at Harry’s table of 12. Teixeira had played baseball in Harlem with Harry Tuesday afternoon.

As the prince left the event, a small group of women lined up, but we’re told he instead stopped to take a photo with a WWII veteran in a wheelchair. UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who stayed briefly, and Beau Biden were also there. Guests dined on heirloom tomato and mozzarella salads, filet mignon and pink cotton candy. We’re told security was so tight, all guests — even Police Commissioner Ray Kelly — had to present ID before walking into the dinner.

[From Page Six]

Cotton candy? Good God. If Prince Harry is coming for dinner, do you really want to serve him COTTON CANDY?! Thankfully, at the polo match dinner, the food sounded so much better – they got to eat “mini lobster rolls and crabcakes, followed by filet of beef with a spring vegetable salad or gnocchi with corn, mushrooms and English peas. Dessert was vanilla creme brule and mixed berry trifle.” Much better than cotton candy.

After the polo game, Harry made a little speech thanking Americans for his warm reception throughout the week, saying: “This is the last day of my tour around the United States. Thank you for a wonderful week. I have witnessed the extraordinary generosity of the people of this great nation.” God, I SO wish he would date an American girl. He doesn’t have to marry her, but I just think it would be cool if he dated an American just once. Somebody send Kate Upton to him.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Finally! I was running out of excuses for why we didn’t have access to any Prince Harry-in-America photos. Harry was all over the East Coast yesterday, touring the Seaside Boardwalk in New Jersey with Gov. Chris Christie, then going to New York with David Cameron for a visit to Milk Studio (the goal: to promote tourism to England), and then Harry went solo to Harlem to play baseball with some kids.

I think my favorite photos are the ones with Harry in Harlem, just because he looks so cute in that crisp white shirt and because I feel like Harry had no idea what he was doing with that baseball bat. Oh, and those pics are my favorite because the WENN photographer got a TON of Harry-butt shots for no particular reason. I’m including one of Harry “assuming the position” so to speak.

Let’s see, what else? So far, the Good Ship Ginger has been sailing free from catastrophe. No “strip billiards,” no random hookups (thus far), and Harry has been keeping a constant schedule. Gov. Christie – who had been publicly teasing Harry in the press – gave Harry a personalized fleece to get him to cover up. When Harry toured the damage on the Jersey coast, he was astonished by the state of damage which still exists more than six months later. Harry seems to have been very well-received by Jersey residents, and here’s a lovely photo of Harry greeting a little Jersey princess. Here are some videos:

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

It just occurred to me as I’m writing these two stories back-to-back that Kate Upton is just Prince Harry’s type. Leggy, big boobs, blonde. Someone should really introduce Harry and Kate. He would be ALL OVER THAT. Anyway, Prince Harry is in America! Huzzah! He arrived in Washington yesterday (he flew in on a commercial flight!) and his first day was a flurry of activity. First he went to Capitol Hill and met with Sen. John McCain, where the senator showed Harry around a HALO Trust photo exhibit in one of the senate buildings. All of the young female Congressional staffers came over to gawk at him.

Harry then followed that up with a trip to the White House and a “tea party” reception hosted by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. He met with military families, mostly military wives and children. After that, he went to a dinner at the British Embassy, and this morning he’s stopping by Arlington to lay flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then he’s going to Walter Reed to visit wounded warriors! In the coming days he’ll visit Colorado, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut for an assortment of royal, military and charitable events.

Unfortunately, we don’t have ANY photos at out photo agencies, so I’m using some photos from last month and I’m including some videos.

Here’s Harry with Sen. McCain:

Harry with FLOTUS (Mobama wore Prabal Gurung, it’s a repeat).

Photos courtesy of WENN.

For a while now, I’ve been letting the gender-guessing shenanigans for the royal baby just fall to the way-side. We’ll know what Duchess Kate and Prince William are having soon enough, and I’m actually looking forward to all of it – finding out the sex, finding out the name, finding out if Kate is actually back to living with her parents now and whether she plans to take the baby to her parents’ house for the first few months. We’ll know soon.

But! The UK tabloids are obsessed and it seems like everyone has Royal Baby Fever, so there has been endless reporting on potential baby names and endless speculation about the sex of the baby. A week ago, it was widely reported that Kate had gotten a BLUE stroller, which… obviously, blue = boy? And now there are reports that Harry is telling friends that Kate is definitely pregnant with a boy:

Prince Harry has been telling friends that Kate and William are expecting a boy, it was reported today. He is so happy about becoming an uncle he couldn’t keep the secret of the baby’s sex to himself.

The bookies are offering odds of 1/3 favourite on the Duchess of Cambridge having a girl and 5/2 for a boy, even though couple have made no official announcement about the baby due in mid-July.

But those odds may change after a source close to the Prince said: ‘Harry has been telling everyone Wills and Kate are having a boy and how thrilled he is at the prospect of having a little nephew. He said the whole family were excited about it. Apparently Kate has always wanted a boy. They’re really working hard on baby names now and think they have it sorted.’

Princess Eugenie, Prince William’s cousin, has also been telling friends the baby is a boy, according to another royal insider quoted by the Sunday People.

The source said: ‘They won’t reveal anything to ­anyone – not even Harry. Of course, Harry’s been making up crazy suggestions and winding them up too. The close inner circle all know that it’s a boy and they’re busily buying gifts with a boy theme. There will be an awful lot if blue in their house.’

Although the couple have kept mum about the baby’s name, Kate, 31, has accidentally dropped a couple of hints about the sex of the child in recent months. In March she appeared to suggest a girl was on the way when she given a teddy by a well-wisher during a walkabout in Grimsby.

She said: ‘I will take that for my d..’ – and then stopped herself. A nearby listener said: ‘You were going to say daughter, weren’t you? Kate replied: ‘No, we don’t know.’

A few days later Kate appeared to drop another clue as she revealed she had bought a Bugaboo pram in light blue which could indicate the newborn would be a boy. The pram’s colour came to light when Kate chatted to a group of Army wives at a reception on St Patrick’s Day.

Then Prince Harry was seen holding a blue teddy bear as he walked to Kensington Palace, the home he shares with Kate and William in London. But there was a simple explanation: The bear had been given to him by a little girl while he toured Nottingham. She asked him to give it to Kate’s baby and he delivered it in person.

But another insider added: “Even though there’s a lot of gossip doing the rounds, there’s no way anyone can confirm it at the moment.’

The paper claims that no decision has been made where Kate will have the baby, but the choice has been narrowed down to two hospitals.

Princess Diana Prince had William and Harry at St Mary’s hospital in Paddington, West London, while there is speculation that the child could be born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital – the birthplace of Kate and her sister Pippa.

[From The Mail]

Re: Kate saying “I’ll give this to my d” – I still think she was going to say “dog”. Anyway, sources claim that Kate wants a son and William was keen on a daughter. Personally, I’m kind of hoping it is a boy just because I think both William and Kate would do better with a son for their first child. And I just feel like there will be less drama (at first) with a boy. Plus, I just was not looking forward to William demanding that his baby girl should have the first name “Diana”. Even my Diana-loonie mother thought that was a bad idea.

So… at this point, I guess I kind of believe that they’re having a boy. What should they name him? These are the names that will be in the mix for first and middle names: George, Arthur, Phillip, Charles, Edward, Albert, Michael (for Kate’s dad), and maybe even Henry (Harry’s real name). Maybe John, which is by far my favorite of all of the royal name choices for a boy. How about John Charles Henry? John Phillip Charles? John Michael Charles? George Michael [Bluth]?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Back in July of last year, Prince Harry started going out with a then 23-year-old blue-blooded heiress named Cressida Bonas. Their relationship is still happening, although I think it was put on “hold” during his Vegas romp and subsequent deployment to Afghanistan. Still, they are together now and the current round of reporting seems to indicate that Harry is really into her but she’s not looking to join the royal family. Which I still don’t believe, but sure.

So what happens when Harry turns to his sister-in-law for advice about Cressida? Well, Duchess Kate has her own agenda, that’s what happens. You see, Cressida’s half-sister is Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, one of the (many) women William dated during one of the (many) breakups he and Kate had. It’s said that William was really “taken” with Isabella and that he even wanted to marry her, but she turned him down. And ever since, Kate has always been especially watchful of any association William has with Isabella and her family. So if Harry married Isabella’s sister? OH NO, thought Kate. That must not happen! So Kate is trying to shut it down:

Prince Harry’s love of a good party is no big secret. But watching his older brother, William, settle so happily into married life has made such an impression on Harry – who’s been dating blonde dance student Cressida Bonas since last summer –may be walking down the aisle himself in the not-too-distant future.

“He’s head over heels for Cressida,” explains a royal source. “He’s determined to make her his princess.”

But not everyone is jumping for joy. While Harry’s aunt Sarah Ferguson is “pushing him to propose as soon as possible,” his sister-in-law Kate Middleton is skeptical of Cressida, 24.

“Kate’s very close to Harry and wants to protect him. She thinks Cressida might be leading him on.”

The thought of life in “the royal fishbowl” does scare Cressida – a British socialite who used to work as a bartender in Australia. The source says, “Her half-sister Isabella turned down William for the same reason.”

That William had an unrequited crush on Isabella is well-known in the couple’s inner circle – and may be contributing to Kate’s less than supportive stance.

“Kate feels William will always have a soft spot for Isabella,” says another insider. Now Kate’s disapproval is distancing her from Harry – and she’s torn.

“She misses hanging out with him. She loves when he asks for her advice… she just wants to make sure Harry knows what he’s doing.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

What is the general thought on whether Harry ever got around to proposing to Chelsy Davy? I think he probably did propose to her (but maybe not with a ring) and that they talked about the possibility of getting married, and she wasn’t into it. So if Harry wants to propose to Cressida, my guess is that he will, with or without encouragement from Kate. And if and when he does, I hope Cressida says yes, if only to see Kate’s face.

A few more Duchess Kate stories – the Enquirer has a weird/dumb one about how William loves to rub cocoa butter on Kate’s pregnant body every night. But I don’t buy it, just because I doubt they’re even spending the night together in the same place all that often. And here’s an even weirder story that’s been making the rounds this week – apparently, the Middleton family inspired universal jealousy amongst the mothers of Kate’s classmates. Because the Middletons had the best name-tape, the best tennis rackets, and the best picnics. It’s a total piece of Middleton-organized fluff, but it makes me think that our friend over at Duchess or Diva is dead-on about the Middletons hiring a PR firm to handle their business these days.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Here are photos of Duchess Kate, Prince Harry and Prince William at the “inauguration” of the new Warner Brothers Studio in London. For whatever reason, this event brought out the worst in almost all of Duchess Kate’s bad habits. She wore a short dress that she was constantly adjusting and fooling with so it didn’t blow up and show her knickers, which is bad enough but especially peasant-y when you’re pregnant, right? When she wasn’t adjusting her dress, she was touching her hair. And in between hair-touching and skirt adjusting, she was looking adoringly at Harry (not William). It’s weird because she really has gotten better at doing solo appearances, right? But when she’s around the royal family, her little quirks/self-comforting mannerisms come out.

Anyway, Kate’s polka-dotted dress is by Topshop and it only costs £38. She paired it with a Ralph Lauren jacket which I’m sure is much more expensive. I don’t hate the mix of high-end and low-end at all. I don’t even mind the polka dots – this would have been really cute if only the dress were just a few inches longer. Just to her knees! Then it would have been appropriate and lovely. She wore her hair down, of course, which is okay for a day event. I think she’s weaning herself off of sausage curls too – she’s still curling her hair, but she’s brushing out the curls so that she achieves a more “wavy/bedhead” look. It’s pretty. My hair does that naturally when it’s humid.

While at the newly opened studio, Harry, William and Kate took a tour that included seeing Batman and Harry Potter paraphernalia and lots of other stuff. The Mail says that William and Harry were most interested in the “tumbler” from Batman – otherwise known as the Batmobile. You can read more about the event and see more photos here.

Photos courtesy of Lia Toby/WENN.com.

Can I share one of my latest peeves? I have a love/hate relationship with the Daily Mail – I get so many leads from The Mail, but their coverage can be… infuriating. The latest thing to irritate me about the Mail is when they inappropriately compare other royal figures to Duchess Kate. A few months ago, they made a ridiculous comparison when they claimed Queen Rania of Jordan was “pulling a Kate” – as if. As if Kate is even half the royal figure, the compassionate humanitarian and inspirational figure as Queen Rania. And now the Mail is doing it again with the headline “Keeping Up With Kate” for this Prince Harry story. For real? Harry is not “copying” Kate. For all of his faults, Harry has spent YEARS doing admirable charity work while Kate… has not.

Anyway, these are pics of Harry opening up the new headquarters for Headway, a charity devoted to supporting people with brain injuries. Princess Diana supported the charity years ago, and I would imagine that Headway has many new charges these days given the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Harry also visited the Russell Youth Club and the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies. You can read more here.

Harry did a costume change mid-way through his appearances. He wore a suit upon his arrival at Headway and then changed into a pair of jeans and a really great fleece. I think he looks sexier in the fleece, right? And Harry is always awesome when he gets to interact with children!!

Photos courtesy of WENN.