Kate Middleton’s wedding secrets: fruitcake, hats & snotty palace insiders

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People Magazine dearly wants to be Royal Wedding Headquarters. The problem is that Kate Middleton and Prince William aren’t releasing a lot of interesting information about the wedding. We still don’t have a confirmation about Kate’s dress, and I swear to God, last night my mother and I just had a heated conversation about how we were worried about Waity Kate’s taste level for bridalwear. Chances are pretty good that Kate is going with British designer Bruce Oldfield, whose wedding dresses are overwhelmingly boring. We also found out this week that Kate has chosen a hat designer for her bridal party. The hat designer is Philip Treacy, and he might be making some kind of gaudy headpiece for Kate too:

Famed hat maker Philip Treacy, whose fans include Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga and Middleton’s future in-law Camilla Parker Bowles, confirms to PEOPLE that he is making wedding hats for “some members of the royal family and attendees.”

And a new report connects Treacy – and his fantastic creations – to the bride herself.

“Kate recently met Treacy after the Duchess of Cornwall (Parker Bowles) recommended his designs for the senior members of the wedding party, including mother-of-the-bride Carole,” writes royal watcher Katie Nicholl in the U.K.’s Mail on Sunday.

The royal connection is legit: Treacy designed Parker Bowles’s dramatic feathered fascinator when she married Prince Charles in April 2005.

According to the Mail on Sunday report, Middleton will don a veil for the wedding ceremony, but is “keen on wearing something fabulous” for the evening reception.

The bride is indeed expected to change out of her wedding gown and into a different dress for the dinner dance being hosted by Prince Charles where she’ll have Prince William on her arm. Now the world will be watching to see what’s on her head.

[From People]

Jesus, I hope Kate doesn’t wear some tacky hat to her wedding. Diana wore the Spencer tiara for the wedding, and somebody designed the veil around that. Now, I think Kate would be criticized if she borrowed royal jewels for her bridal headpiece, but I have a big fear that she’s going to decide to do something horrible.

Anyway, People Magazine has some additional details about the wedding too:

The guest list has been finalized and the invitations are out. Now, as new details emerge about the April 29 nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton, this much is certain: The bride and groom are determined to do things their way. Case in point: Kate plans to arrive at Westminster Abbey via car, not carriage.

“Catherine opted for a slightly lower-key arrival,” a palace source tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “She felt she would be arriving as Miss Middleton and leaving as HRH whatever, so that was the thinking behind it.”

But fairy-tale fans, take heart: The public will still get their princess-in-a-carriage moment when William, 28, and Kate, 29, leave the abbey.

As for the parties, Queen Elizabeth will kick things off with a post-ceremony wedding breakfast of champagne and canapés for 600. At 7 p.m. Prince Charles will host a dinner dance for which Kate – and some 300 guests – will change into evening gowns.

As the date draws closer, the betrothed couple are working to ensure that not everything is revealed ahead of time.

Says a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman: “Prince William and Catherine are keen that some things be a surprise for that day, for their friends and family and those watching around the world.”

[From People]

“Leaving as HRH whatever…” Ha! Snotty palace sources. It’s up in the air as to what Kate’s title will be exactly – sources claim that William is pushing for the Queen to make Kate a full princess in her own right, meaning their titles would be HRH Prince William of Wales and HRH Princess Catherine. If she’s not made a princess on her own, she would simply be HRH Princess William of Wales. There’s also the possibility that William would get his own title, like he would become a duke or viscount of something, and Kate would get to be the appropriate consort title, like HRH Catherine, The Duchess of Biscuits or whatever. Sigh… why is there not already a Duke and Duchess of Biscuits? Lord and Lady Crumpets?

One last thing, regarding the wedding cake: fruitcake. Seriously. Ugh.

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People cover courtesy of CoverAwards, additional pics by WENN.

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55 Responses to “Kate Middleton’s wedding secrets: fruitcake, hats & snotty palace insiders”

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  1. Quest says:

    I want her to wear a sexy, revealing little number for the wedding…(give William something to look forward to while on Honeymoon…LOL) – wouldn’t that be a lump of sugar for the Queen’s cup-of-tea.

  2. brin says:

    Fruitcake? Maybe that will be their title…Lord & Lady Fruitcake!
    Sure hope this wedding isn’t a royal mess.

  3. Franny says:

    I want to be a princess! 🙁

  4. Ari says:

    That pic with the brother makes me think they might be boning.

  5. Rita says:

    Mr. Gaddafi, things could always be worse. Imagine being caught in the middle of this:

    “last night my mother and I just had a heated conversation about how we were worried about Waity Kate’s taste level for bridalwear.”

  6. voodoobetty says:

    this article is really insulting to British traditions which you obviously know nothing about. Fruitcake is very traditional for weddings. Your mockery of British titles is incredibly rude.

  7. Genevieve says:

    She wouldn’t risk cheating when she has the supposed heir to the throne. Also, she is looking sickly thin! Wedding stress must be getting to her…but I’d be on a diet too if my wedding were to be an internationally televised event 0.0

  8. flourpot says:

    That black outfit is a step in the right direction. I mean, it’s horrible – it doesn’t match at all and the purse is horrid but it’s tight. And tight is a good step in the right direction for an interesting princess. hehe.

  9. guesty says:

    this sounds beyond tacky. & fruitcake as wedding cake? omg.

  10. e says:

    This wedding gets grosser by the day.

  11. Rebecca says:

    Rita, thank you that totally made my afternoon

  12. trollydolly says:

    Guys, fruitcake is the norm. The top tier is usually saved for the christening of the first born. That’s tradition for you.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Longtime reader, first time posting. Just wanted to say that the choice of cake flavor follows an old tradition of English wedding fruitcake. Victorian at least, probably older. It tastes pretty good, like spice cake with fruit and nuts.

  14. gloaming says:

    I couldn’t give a feck about some unemployed woman marrying a soldier from a welfare family.

    The important thing here is that we all get a day off work!

  15. brin says:

    Guess lack of humor is also a British tradition.

  16. Rita says:

    @annonymous #13

    Thanks for your comment. I love reading such informative stuff from people who know such things. Please post more often.

  17. daisydoodle says:

    Fruitcake for the wedding cake is very traditional in England, that being said, I still haven’t received my invite, bitch!

  18. texasmom says:

    Yeah, fruitcake is also normal in Canada, is it not? It isn’t the super-dark, hard holiday fruitcake, it’s a lighter thing. Really yummy!

  19. Quest says:

    Fruitcakes are very traditional here for weddings as well along with christmas but are usually soaked with rum (not complaining). Apart from the cake itself a similar cake is placed in boxes to distribute to each guest on the wedding day.

  20. garvels says:

    Why wear a gaudy hat when you can wear a diamond tiara??? Doesn’t the role of princess guarantee the girl some sort of tiara?

  21. hellen says:

    OMG, that horrible black outfit and that heinous brown vinyl-looking bag! And is she wearing BOOTS with that get-up? Good Lord.

  22. gloaming says:

    With the inclusion of fruitcake – Sarah Ferguson’s presence will be felt after all………….

  23. photo jojo says:

    I have no idea why but… that girl just irks the crap out of me. The look on her face seems always so smug.

  24. Johnny Depp's Girl says:

    Ugh, fruit cake and awful hats..

    Sounds like a blast, if you ask me.

    Now where’s the liquor?

  25. elizabeth says:

    re: fruitcake

    My parents are british and were likely favoring fruitcake for my sister’s wedding years ago – but she said she wouldn’t attend unless the cake was chocolate! It was indeed chocolate layer cake.

  26. Chrissy says:

    Why would she be criticized for wearing royal jewels on her wedding? I think a tiara would be perfect. Marrying a Prince? Wouldn’t a tiara be standard?

  27. Newbie says:

    My girlfriends are obsessed with this royal wedding thing. i can’t wait for it to be over, personally.

  28. kathy says:

    I’m still pissed off that the Obamas weren’t invited. What a bunch of bulls..t! I definitely won’t watch this circus.

  29. Snappyfish says:

    Where to start?
    First, Diana was gifted a diamond & pearl tiara from The Queen prior to her walk down the aisle of St. Paul’s. Diana opted to wear a replica of the Spencer Tiara. (the original is no longer in exsistence) this was a major faux pas. When The Queen gifts you a tiara prior to your wedding you wear it!! It is the Tiara that Diana wore in many of the official photographs.

    Second, fruitcake is a British tradition & it is lovely. It is not the rum soaked holiday doorstop that most are familiar

    Third, as far as milliners go, she has the best in the biz & it is a nod to her future “mother in law” figure

    Fourth, my guess is The Queen will either gift her with a tiara or let her borrow for her big day. My personal choice would be the Oriental Circlet which was a fav of the Queen Mother.

    Finally, Catherine will do beautifully. This is a lovely young woman who do a fine job as princess. Clearly, her prince thinks so.

    I think it lovely that they know each other as I am just a little tired of dysfunctional royal marriages. I fully expect this marriage to last & that her wedding dress be wonderful. Let’s face it, if you know fashion (or don’t) Diana’s dress was horrific. Romanticize it however you wish, but even Diana said as much

  30. mins15 says:

    She looks like a stick figure in that last photo.

  31. John Wayne Lives says:

    I’m kinda, “meh” about them. Nice couple though. But the velvet and lace in the bottom, hideous imho. But I’m sure the wedding will be lovely.

  32. Poppy says:

    Re Obama, No heads of state other than Commonwealth leaders were invited, and they are only getting the invite because William will one day be their ‘King’. It was announced at almost the same time as the engagement that only people who William and Kate know or have direct links with will receive an invite. It also solves the problem of dealing with all the ridiculous security Obama has to drag around with him, compound that x100 for other heads of state and you see the logic of leaving him/them off the list.

    Re the cake. Fruit cake heavily soaked with liquor is the only cake that will last 30 years without growing mold, no one is going to eat it they will save their portions to be sold on ebay in a decade or auctioned off at Christies in 50 years.

  33. Lee says:

    The fruit cake doesn’t bother me….the fact that Kate is wearing his late mother’s ring does.

  34. JulieM says:

    What an insult it would be to give Katie the title of Princess in her own right. She wasn’t born to it and she hasn’t done one thing to earn it. I would think Princess Anne, who was not only born to it but has devoted a lifetime to service, might have something to say about that. Unless William gets a Dukedom, she, by custom, should be titled Princess William. Diana was Princess of Wales but never officially given the title of Princess Diana. That just something the press and public made up.

  35. Kimble says:

    @ Brin: I don’t think we Brits lack humour just that people are making snide comments about our culture from a position of ignorance! Fruitcake is absolutely a tradition …

    I could make all sorts of comments about smashing cake into each other’s faces being a classy tradition but I won’t!
    Oh heck, I just did …

  36. kazoo says:

    oh so we have the british to thank for the god awful creation that is fruitcake. good to know.

    i have never in my life seen a person actually *consume* a piece of fruitcake. i’ve seen many of the cakes given away, but never eaten. i hope there’s pictures of them shoving the cake into each other’s mouths. although that’s probably such a commoner thing to do, so unlikely to happen.

  37. bluhare says:

    I have had fruitcake on both sides of the Atlantic, and those of you in the US should set aside your fruitcake horror and try a piece of British fruitcake. American fruitcake is awful, just awful. Can’t stand it. But I’ll have a piece of English fruitcake any day of the week.

    Wedding cake is normally iced with hard icing and I think usually has a layer of marzipan. I remember as a child loving to eat the icing off the wedding cake!

    What I don’t like (being raised on fruitcake) is pumpkin pie. GROSS.

  38. Lynda says:

    I can’t WAIT to see the hats. I always find them so humorous and just odd.

  39. Zelda says:

    @texasmom
    It is. Or it used to be. I still remember weddings as a girl where the guest gift was a piece of fruitcake wrapped in lace or netting with a card on it. It’s headed out of fashion now, but fruitcake at a wedding will always sound normal to me.

    I hadn’t realised that was Canadian/British. I’d thought it was traditionally western.

    And if anyone smashes cake into my mouth at my wedding, I consider that grounds for annulment.

  40. Zelda says:

    @kathy:
    ? Why SHOULD the Obamas be invited, exactly? You act like it’s some personal slight to you, also, which is….weird.

  41. Emily says:

    @Poppy, it’s not just the Commonwealth leaders. About 40 crowned heads of state have been invited too, like the King of Thailand. But I don’t think any non-royal, non-Commonwealth leaders were invited.

  42. Rosie says:

    First time poster, long-time lurker!

    Word is that the Queen intends to make William Duke of Clarence, which would make Kate the Duchess of Clarence.

    Interesting note: the last Duke of Clarence was widely speculated to be Jack the Ripper. So at least that is one reputation that Kate doesn’t need to worry about living up to! 😉

  43. Lizzie says:

    LOL love American ignorance, re customs of other countries. And to worry that the wedding will be tacky??? So hilarious that Americans would worry about that, America being the pinnacle of tackiness!
    Not to mention the giggles at the King Of the World, Obama was not invited… good one Will!
    P.S, Diana was Diana, Princess of Wales. She was not Princess Diana.

  44. melangie says:

    Philip Treacy? Didn’t he do GaGa’s bedazzled lobster hat? I’d love to see Kate rockin a hampster hat at her ceremony.

  45. tess says:

    what’s UP with the CATHERINE? we know her as kate. it’s obviously the name she prefers, let her keep it, palace people!

  46. Junkie says:

    Horrible outfit, thin looking woman i think im getting fed up with this lot, get the wedding over and done with as for Camilla freaking mother in law i hate her

  47. Fue McCormick says:

    Oh … of course her dress will be overwhelmingly boring because she is overwhelmingly boring. And what really pisses me off is that the day after the wedding she will be proclaimed the most beautiful bride … EVER … just like that horse Chelsea Clinton … Oy …

  48. Junkie says:

    Why is she leaning so much to Camilla Parker HOwles?????????????????

  49. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    I’d like to see her wear the scroll tiara that Princess Margaret occasionally wore. I think it’s very pretty and not over-done.

    I’d also like to see her put back the weight she recently lost. Her thin frame does not look healthy on her (as in that thinness doesn’t look natural on her). I’m sure she’s under pressure to be thin because physical beauty is the main standard by which the world judges (unfairly) princesses by, but I wouldn’t want her to develop full-blown eating disorder like Diana. That’s just sad.

  50. Maud says:

    I read somewhere that Kate had been invited to Buckingham Palace to choose a wedding tiara, which is a gift from the Queen.

    I served red velvet cake at my British wedding, and half the guests wouldn’t eat it or ate it but didn’t like it. It was my only nod to my American roots and it was not well received.

  51. Lia says:

    Maybe she would have preferred a ring of her own, but William gave his mother’s ring to her and out of deference to his feelings, she accepted it. Also, as far as the “Princess” title goes, Princess Anne asked the Queen to NOT award any titles to her children because she has a disdain for titles. I don’t think she’ll give a hoot one way or the other if Kate is named a princess. I don’t understand the nastiness being slung at her.

  52. JulieM says:

    Lia: True, Princess Anne did not accept titles for her children and probably did them a favor, as they both seem well adjusted and happy. Why, then, did she accept the title of Princess Royal from HM if she didn’t care for titles? As the Queen’s only daughter, she would be the only one eligible for it. If she had so much disdain, could she have refused?

  53. Cleo says:

    I love fruitcake! I wonder what the original Egyptian ones were like. MMmm, fruitcake.

  54. kathy says:

    @Poppy..thank you for an intelligent answer to the Obama un-invite…that makes better sense than the other sarcastic answers

  55. Trashaddict says:

    It’s nice there are international posters on this site, I’m having fun learning about English traditions, etc. Still trying to figure out the whole title thing with regard to “Princess of what”. That girl has teeny tiny hips. I’m making odds if any royal offspring are born it will be by c-section.