Philip Mistakes Blanchett for Cable Tech

In an amusing recent gossip tidbit, it appears that Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, didn't recognize Cate Blanchett when he met her recently. Blanchett is well-known for having played the first Queen Elizabeth in two movies.

Blanchet explained to the Prince that she worked in film, at which point he reportedly asked for advice with his DVD player, saying, "There's a cord sticking out of the back of the machine. Might you tell me where it goes?"

Blanchett then explained that she was an actress, not a technician.

Prince Philip's social gaffes are widely known and often repeated.

Peter to Marry in Scotland, Lose Place in Succession

According to reports, the Queen of England's eldest grandson is going to marry at a small church near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Mark Phillips, has been engaged to Canadian Autumn Kelly since the summer.

Kelly is a Roman Catholic, and the current rules of succession (Act of Settlement of 1701) say that no one who is Catholic or marries a Catholic can become king or queen. Phillips is currently 11th in line to the throne and unlikely to ever become king, regardless of who he marries.

The date for the wedding isn't set yet, but rumor has it that the best man will be Prince William.

Princess Beatrice Causes Scene in Men's Restroom

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Princess Beatrice caused a bit of a scene at a recent party in New York. Her American boyfriend, Dave Clark, works for Virgin, and the two were at the launch party for Virgin Galactic to celebrate the launch of Virgin's tourist spaceship.

All the Virgin employees were wearing glittery makeup to look like Ziggy Stardust. Clark wanted to remove the makeup because, according to reports, "he felt a bit daft with the face paint on." But Beatrice wanted him to leave the makeup on, and followed him into the men's restroom.

As the story goes, once there, she started a screaming argument with Clark. A man who was in the restroom at the time, along with several others, said, "I was pretty terrified, and so was her boyfriend. She won in the end and he trudged out with his tail between his legs — glitter still all over his face."

I guess we know who wears the pants in that relationship...and who wears the makeup.

Wills Feeling Stifled, Gets Kate Lessons

Prince William has reportedly used his influence to get a new job for girlfriend Kate Middleton. Miss Middleton, who has had one part-time job in fashion and no experience as a professional photographer, will have a series of photography lessons with the iconic Mario Testino, a renowned photographer who has often been featured in magazines like Vogue.

Testino was a favorite of the late Princess Diana, and was apparently approached around the time of her memorial service last summer. According to one report, Middleton visited Testino's Manhattan studio in November, and plans to return in March for her lessons.

With Middleton engaged in a hobby, she will free up a lot of Prince William's time. According to a friend quoted in The Sun, "Now Kate is focused on something it will be far easier for William to throw himself into his military and royal duties."

I guess that's one way to get your unemployed girlfriend out of your hair.

More Prince Albert Marriage Rumors

Rumors that lifelong bachelor playboy Prince Albert is set to wed soon are intensifying. The ruler of Monaco, 49, has been dating former Olympic athlete Charlene Wittstock of South Africa for about two years now.

Albert has reportedly stated that if he ever did marry, "the woman of my life will have to resemble my mother" which Wittstock does. She's been seen with him at a number of high-profile events, including last week's Circus Festival in Monte Carlo. Before dating Wittstock, the prince generally attended such events alone or with family only.

More telling is a recent tidbit in the London Telegraph newspaper saying that the prince has given orders that all palace staff are to become fluent in English, which is what 29-year-old Wittstock speaks. Meanwhile, she is apparently taking French lessons.

Prince William Flies Solo

Today, RAF Flying Officer William Wales, known to most people as Prince William, flew a small plane solo for the first time.

Prince William is in training with the Royal Air Force at Cranwell in Lincolnshire. This is only his second week of an accelerated 4-month training program.

In a London Times story, he was quoted as saying, "God knows how somebody trusted me with an aircraft and my own life. It was an amazing feeling, I couldn’t believe it. Once I’d taken off, it was fine. You just remember your checks and do all the things you’ve got to do and fly the circuit. Then I was watching the runway getting closer and thinking, 'Please, please don’t mess this up.' "

The prince's flight was in a small propellor plane. His training will eventually move on to larger planes.

Middleton to Get 24-hour Security

Reports in UK newspapers suggest that Kate Middleton is due to start getting round-the-clock bodyguards, courtesy of British taxpayers. Some call this the strongest sign yet that her status is changing and that an engagement may be imminent.

QEII meets Wii

According to a report in UK magazine The People, Kate Middleton got Prince William a Wii for Christmas. But he's having to share it with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Apparently the Queen shows signs of becoming a devoted gamer.

Security for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie: $1 Million a Year

UK newspaper The Telegraph and The Sunday Mail in Australia are reporting a controversy over the high costs associated with security for Princess Beatrice, 19, and Princess Eugenie, 17.

Bodyguards for just one of the princesses costs about £250,000 annually (about $500,000). According to one security source quoted by the Telegraph, a great part of this expense is due to travel and hotel bills. And no wonder: Princess Beatrice, who is on her 'gap year' between secondary school and university, has recently traveled to Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and Belgium. This is when she's not partying with Kate Moss and the rest of the Primrose Hill set in London, apparently.

The sisters, whose parents are Prince Andrew (the Duke of York) and Sarah Ferguson, are reportedly considered by Scotland Yard to be a low security risk. They are fifth and sixth in the line of succession.

Drinking Drought for Prince William

In preparation for his eventual role as the head of the armed forces for Britain, Prince William will be making the rounds of all the military branches. His time with the army is about to come to an end, and next up is a 4-month stint with the Royal Air Force.

But the 25-year-old prince may find the RAF a bit more restrictive. As he'll be undergoing flight training, he'll have to adhere to the rules of that program, which include drinking no more than two beers a day, and not drinking past 8 p.m.

And his attachment to an air force base in Lincolnshire (in the north of England) will put a damper on trips to London nightclubs.

The prince will also be missing girlfriend Kate Middleton's 26th birthday bash as it falls in the middle of his first week with the RAF.