Another Generation of Girls Will Dream of Marrying a Prince and Want This Ring

I clearly remember waking at 4 in the morning Eastern Time to watch the royal wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. I joined the many little girls dreaming of finding her prince, being dressed in a fairy tale gown, and marrying in grand style. I even bought a replica of Diana's spectacular sapphire and diamond engagement ring, when I was old enough to afford it.

Today, as William and Kate posed for reporters, photographers, and retold the story of their engagement--just as his parents did before--Kate showed-off that very same sapphire and diamond ring that Diana wore in 1981.

According to the BBC:

William has given Kate his mother's ring. He said:

"It's very special to me. As Kate's very special to me now, it was right to put the two together."

Speaking as they stood arm-in-arm before photographers, Prince William said giving Kate his mother Diana's distinctive sapphire and diamond engagement ring was "my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement".

The couple will marry in the year that would have been William's parents' 30th anniversary.

Tripping

I just did one of the most irresponsible things I've done since I stopped "experimenting" with drugs in college. Despite being unemployed and having no idea whatsoever what I will do next with my life, I took a trip to England.
Although it's something I've long wanted to do, if I gave myself any time to really think about taking an expensive trip while I'm living on savings, I doubt I would find it a very good idea. So, at the height of my doubts, I went online and bought the non-refundable tickets.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved everything British. My best friend's mom is British and she helped to strengthen that love and curiosity. I will never forget getting up with her family at 5 AM to watch the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. I've been filled to the gills with tea for the past 35 years and I'm finally ready to see where it all comes from!!! (Well, okay, the tea doesn't come from there - I meant the custom!)
I was, for many years before her death, a huge fan of Princess Diana. Her shortcomings and faults only made me respect her more over the years. My love of reading led me to a love of Jane Austen in my 20's. Shakespeare has always sparked my imagination and romantic side. But few things have captured my imagination the way Michael Hirst's movies about Elizabeth I and his series "The Tudors" have. These have led me to my unending curiosity about Anne Boleyn. I have now read every reputable biography on Anne, the other wives of Henry VIII and his children. After all this reading and viewing, the only logical next step was to GO TO ENGLAND!

For me, it was primarily a Tudor tour of England. Although the focus of my trip started with Hever, Anne's family castle, my itinerary began in London - specifically to visit the Tower on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn's execution, May 19th. There are currently a ton of exhibitions celebrating Henry's accession to the throne 500 years ago and I bought a pass to all the Historic Royal Palaces. Five days in the city, then it's on to Kent to pay my respects at the Boleyn's ancestral home and home of Henry's 4th wife, Anne of Cleves.

In order to really experience England, I think it's important to get out of London and see the countryside. What better way than to stay at a manor house in the English countryside?! Thanks to my lack of job and shortage of cash, I will be staying at a cheap hotel in London and a B&B in Kent. What better way to start my new Tudors blog than to chronicle my dream-trip to England?

Finding Kensington

By Friday, May 22 I was starting to feel a real time pinch. There were still so many things to see and do in London but I had only one more day to do them. On Saturday I would have to catch a train and find my way to Kent and my second leg of my journey in the English countryside.
I knew I would have to hit two places on Friday, but which two? The two would have to be close together because my feet and ankles would just not be able to handle too much walking. As much as I wanted to see Buckingham Palace and Windsor, I decided they would have to be the casualties of my exhaustion and lack of time. Windsor was just too far away from the center of town and Queen Elizabeth is currently in residence, which would reduce greatly what I could see inside the palaces. Since they were in the same vicinity, I chose to close my stay in London with visits to Kensington Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

I took the tube to Notting Hill and walked around for a long time looking for Kensington Palace. I found the gardens easily enough, but couldn't seem to find my way to the actual Palace. I searched for easily an hour but I would not give up! I'd purchased a pass to all the Historic Royal Palaces online before I left the States, and I'd be damned if I didn't use it as much as possible!!! I backtracked to these huge arches I'd passed a few blocks before the park and walked through. Turns out this street was much like "Embassy Row." Huge, gorgeous mansions stretched along the beautifully landscaped street with little plaques claiming them for their respective countries. At the end of the street, the main entrance to the home of the late Princess Diana, Kensington Palace. Finally!

There is an ongoing exhibit of some of Princess Diana's dresses and details of where and when she wore them. The dresses were in cases and the light kept extremely low so as not to speed the deterioration of the fabrics.

Sadly, that was really the only acknowledgement inside the palace of this being Diana's residence.
The rest of the exhibits referenced mostly the reigns of William & Mary and Queen Victoria. On the flight over, I'd watched a new movie starring Emily Blunt called "The Young Victoria." This prepared me perfectly for what I was seeing when I arrived in her apartments: the bedroom, exactly the way it was, when Victoria was awakened and told she was queen. It was attached, of course, to the rooms of her mother - the Duchess of Kent - who kept her young daughter under her thumb.

Outside, the gardens were just starting to bloom and the day was a mix of sun and clouds. This made for an interesting backdrop for couple of photos of the iconic Victoria statue - taken within a few minutes of each other. An ominous moment:

And moments after:

Although I found the path in the garden dedicated to Princess Diana, I didn't find the memorial fountain because I couldn't continue to walk through the park. I'm fascinated by the fact that the Tudor Rose is so often used in association with Diana. Although I have seen numerous charts connecting her lineage to royal houses like the Stuarts, I have not seen a connection to the tudor Dynasty.

And like so many of the palaces and castles, the ponds and lakes were filled with ducks and swans and the parks full of deer. After The Tudors' season two finale, swans will never look the same to me again. The symbolism and connection to the monarchy will stick in my mind forever.