Lesson 4: I always knew I'd make a great princess

Hello All,

  Sorry I've been a little MIA lately. I forgot that this trip is actually "study" abroad, and I got a rude awakening with my first term paper.

    Anyway, London continues to be fabulous. Last week, my roommates and I went to Kensington Palace. It's often referred to as the Enchanted Palace - and rightfully so. The palace was like a fairytale land. Our quest was to find the seven princesses of the royal family who were hidden throughout the palace. Each room had a title such as "The Princess of Sorrow" or "The Dancing Princesses." The stories behind the princesses were amazing and so scandalous. Here are a few of my favorites:

Princess Mary: Princess Mary was the Princess of Sorrow. She was called this because she supposedly couldn't have a male child to be the next heir to the throne. However, she finally conceived a child and gave birth to a son. However, rumor has it that the son was not actually Mary's. Supposedly, a nurse swiped the male baby for the princess' female born child while pretending to replace a bed-pan. The rumor spread like wild-fire and everyone believed it. Upon her death the villagers cried and stored their tears in glass bottles to forever commemorate the loss. So, there were glass bottles decorated all over the room. There was also a giant bed, which was supposedly the same bed the queen died in. There was also a dress designed by the same man who designed the majority of Princess Diana's dresses.

Princess Catherine: Princess Catherine was in need of a prince to take over the throne from her father. Her father picked out each of her suitors, and she denied them all. Finally, Princess Catherine found her own lover and ran away to him. The village loved her for her confidence and bravery, despite her father's anger. However, her marriage was short-lived as she died at age 23 while bearing her son - the next heir.

    On another note, the British are not as fond as Princess Diana as Americans. Surprising, I know! While they do still love her and consider her to be the most beautiful and charitable princess, they acknowledge her as a princess with flaws. They don't try to hide her affairs, and some believe that she used the media to her advantage. Apparently, Princess Margaret did just as much charity work as Princess Diana, but did not receive as much recognition.

  I got the majority of the inside scoop from the guides who worked in the palace. They have all been to the Queen's private apartments, and many of them know the royals personally - some even knew Princess Diana!

   I also got to see one of Diana's dresses and Princess Margaret's tiara, which she apparently wore everywhere - even in the tub. Anyway, the castle was beautiful and everyone seemed excited to welcome Princess Kate. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the palace, but here are a few pictures from the garden:

   In addition to brushing up on my princess etiquette at Kensington Palace, I also saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace - which is not as big as I anticipated. I was also disappointed to see the guards in gray jackets instead of the stereotypical red ones. Apparently, the guards only wear the red coats in the summer. It was still neat to see them march in though.

      Well friends, I'm taking a break from London Town, and I'm taking a week-end trip to Scotland! I'll be there Friday through Sunday, and we're taking a guided tour! Maybe we'll even see the Loch Ness Monster...stay tuned :)