Prince William Seeking Hair Help

An English hair-regrowth clinic says Prince William has sent around an aide to ask about Propecia, a medicine that promotes hair regrowth in balding men.

The young prince's thinning thatch has been recorded in numerous photos, but a spokesperson insists that no such enquiry has been made.

Prince William To Work In Media

A recent article in the UK newspaper The Guardian suggests that once Prince William has finished his tour of working in all the British armed forces, he may take a series of civilian jobs, including one in the news media industry. The "work experience" placements would be of short duration, and designed to give Prince William a better understanding of how the country works, and what the lives of commoners are like.

This particular choice of job placement is controversial considering the hounding of the prince's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, by the media. William's father, Prince Charles, has also publicly maligned the media, and both Princes William and Harry have been targets of press scrutiny for years.

Other job placements being considered reportedly include a sports-related job, work in the Foreign Ministry, or a job in law or the church.

Perhaps they can make a reality TV show about William's journey through various "common" jobs. They can call it "The Simple Life" ...oh wait, that's already taken.

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.

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.

First Move In, Then Redecorate

My report from last week that Kate Middleton has moved into Clarence House is now followed by news that she's redecorating. According to several sources, Kate finds the current decor of Wills' apartments in the royal residence he shares with his brother and father to be "old-fashioned."

A source in the household staff has been reported as saying, "Kate is walking around with all the confidence of a princess-in-waiting. Some of the staff have called her the Lady of the House. She is making everyone aware of who wears the trousers in her relationship."

Or maybe she's just bored and shouldn't have quit her job so soon?

Wills Buys Kate Fake Diamonds

According to several British media outlets, Prince William's Christmas gift to Kate Middleton is a pair of white gold earrings set with...cubic zirconia.

Still eagerly waiting for a ring, Kate? If it appears, best get it appraised first.

No Shooting, Just Carrying Dead Animals Around, Please

Back on December 2nd, I reported that Kate Middleton was planning to attend a shooting party at Sandringham with beau Prince William and his father, Prince Charles. According to the report, Miss Middleton wasn't planning on doing any shooting.

Well, any illusions I may have harbored about her newfound animal rights conscience were put to rest this week, when Kate accompanied Wills on a hunting trip in Windsor Great Park and carried around the dead birds he shot down.

Doesn't he have someone on his staff he can pay for such bloody work?

Wills and Kate Living Together?

MSN Australia has reported that Kate Middleton has moved into Clarence House, Prince William's official residence in London.

The MSN report is based on a story in the Sun, a UK tabloid. "Royal observers" are, according to the report, calling it "the strongest indication yet of an impending royal engagement."

But then again, "royal observers" can be called upon to say that about any news story involving the pair, who have been back together six months since their brief breakup in the summer.

Chelsy and Harry consider make-up

After breaking up a month ago, 22-year old Zimbabwean blonde bombshell Chelsy Davy and England's 23-year old Prince Harry are apparently getting back together.

Several sources report that Chelsy and Harry are going on a vacation at an undisclosed resort in Africa to decide whether to get back together for good. The resort is where the two spent a happy holiday together at the start of their relationship more than three years ago. Looks like Harry is taking a page out of big brother William's book--Wills did the same when he got back together with Kate Middleton.

According to The Daily Mail, a friend close to the couple said, "it really is make-or-break time and this holiday is a good chance for them to talk things over...Harry is under no illusions, though, about how close he has come to losing her."

As of now, though, Chelsy is planning to leave England and return to her apartment in Cape Town, South Africa.

Princess Bea shacking up?

Reports suggest that 19-year-old Princess Beatrice, daughter of English Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, may soon be living with 25-year-old American boyfriend Dave Clark in a trendy London neighborhood.

Rather than house-hunting in the posh if rather staid Chelsea area of London, the princess and her beau are said to be looking in Primrose Hill, an equally posh but trendier locale. While Chelsea got a rep for being edgy back in the 60's, Primrose Hill is where most young celebrity Londoners live now.

And apparently the princess has pals there--a wild crowd that includes Kate Moss and British actresses Sadie Frost and Davinia Taylor. Taylor and Moss are best known for their reported cocaine problems; both have done stints in rehab.

Kate Kisses-off Killing

Kate Middleton has been invited to attend a pheasant-shooting party at Sandringham. She's accepted the invite from Prince Charles, but has apparently said she won't be doing any shooting.

Back in October, Middleton came under fire from animals rights groups for joining Prince Charles in a stag hunt at Balmoral. After photos of her holding a rifle (and crawling around in camo gear) were published, The League Against Cruel Sports said it was "her induction into a family with an appalling track record on blood sports."

According to a royal source quoted in the Sunday Mirror, "Kate was deeply upset by the criticism she received after the Balmoral incident and there is no way she is going to risk a repeat slip-up."

I'm sure the animal-rights groups will be touched by her new-found conscience.

Prince and Pal Plan Playtime

England's Prince William is reportedly planning a post-Christmas romantic getaway with girlfriend Kate Middleton. The pair, who are still sporting tans from their last (reportedly $40,000) vacation to a resort in the Seychelles, are apparently booking the entire island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean.

The two visited the island together soon after they met. The trip is being looked at as a sign that an engagement is imminent. Other details, however, suggest this may not be the case.

The couple will once again spend Christmas with their respective families, and only jet off together afterward. The prince still has two years left before he finishes his stint in the military, and three years left before reaching the age at which he has repeatedly said is the youngest he'll marry--28.

This is most likely just another romantic getaway.

Kate Middleton Quits Job

What do you call a girl whose only job is to be at her lover's beck and call? Why, a beck-and-call girl, of course. (It's only shortened to call girl if the man pays the woman to do so. If you're a savvy prince, you pick a girl with millionaire parents so that they can support her while she does nothing but tend to your every desire.)

In apparent anticipation of her future role as an indolent princess, Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton reportedly quit her job last week as an accessories buyer for a fashion chain.