England - Petite Haus

Angelina July 20, 2020 England

Princess Beatrice’s Royal Wedding

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For those of you who have read Petite Haus for a while, you will know that I love a good royal wedding! I was so pleasantly surprised yesterday when I saw that Princess Beatrice had wed in private but the palace had released some official images!

Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (and no, I don’t know anything about him). They had a small private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor. Less than 30 people attended – as per English guidelines for weddings given the pandemic.

The dress made by Normal Hartnell “is made from Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, trimmed with ivory Duchess satin, with organza sleeves. It is encrusted with diamanté and has a geometric checkered bodice,”, as noted in a statement from the palace. The dress was remodeled by the Queen’s dressmaker Angela Kelly and had puff sleeves added. Normall Hartnell had also designed the Queen’s wedding dress.

The Queen wore the dress to the 1962 premiere of Lawrence of Arabia.

Not only did the Queen loan her the dress, but she also loaned her the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara which the Queen herself wore on her wedding day! I would say what an usual display of affection – clearly Beatrice is her favorite grandchild! Or perhaps the Queen felt bad that Beatrice wedding got delayed like many of those this year and Beatrice didn’t get the grand fanfare that the other royal brides did.

Below is the Queen Mary Tiara. She had the tiara made from a necklace given to her by Queen Victoria in 1893 as a wedding present! You can read a little more about it here.

The tiara was worn by the Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, on her wedding day too!

I LOVED the beautiful archway of flowers which matched her wedding bouquet.

The bouquet had “trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink o’hara garden roses, pink wax flower and baby pink astilbe” per Town and Country Mag. I loved her bouquet as all the other royals brides – Meghan, Kate, and Eugenie – all chose white bouquets and Beatrice went with pink!

I do hope they release a picture of the royal wedding cake – as that is also one of my favorites.

In the picture below, I love the Queen’s face: clearly she approves!

Congratulations to the happy couple!

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Angelina October 19, 2018 England

Princess Eugenie’s Wedding

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

Princess Eugenie, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, married Mr. Jack Brooksbank this past week. I am a fan of royal weddings. I think it is because here in America we don’t have royalty. Out of all of the royal weddings we’ve watched, this is actually the only wedding where we truly have a Princess Bride. Meghan and Kate are not technically princesses, however Princess Eugenie is!

The Dress

The fabric was designed by Pilotto and De Vos. It included thistles for Scotland, shamrocks for Ireland, York roses, and ivy as the couple lives at Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace. These symbols were woven “a garland of rope like motifs, woven into a jacquard of silk, cotton and viscose blend.” The design was then translated into a jacquard weave in Italy. Her shoes were satin peep-toe heels by Charlotte Olympia, but I can’t find a picture.

The neck folds over the shoulders into a deep V in the back. Princess Eugenie specifically requested the deep cut on the back to show her scoliosis surgical scar. This is also why she went without a veil. She’s a patron for the hospital where she had her surgery. I think this is a lovely gesture and sure to inspire!

Below you can see a better glimpse of the back of the dress up close.

Cute picture of Princess Eugenie looking at her parents. I actually quite liked the Queen’s outfit below. It was a beautiful blue cashmere coat with gold buttons.

Then they came out of their church to seal it with a kiss. In royal weddings you can’t kiss in church!

The Tiara

She wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. The diamond and emerald earrings were a gift from her new husband. The tiara was made in 1919 by Boucheron and was given to the Queen in 1942. It is the first time it is seen worn in public by the royal family. You can read more about it here at the Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor.

The Bridal Party

The bridesmaids and page boys wore blue and green on white. Outfits were designed by Amaia Arrieta of Amaia Kids. The patterned blue and green sashes are the same as the Mark Bradford artwork included in the Order of Service.

The Royal Guests

Princess Beatrice was the maid of honor, but did not have to wrestle with children on the way into the church. She wore Ralph and Russo. Sarah, Duchess of York wore a dress by Emma Louise Design and a statement hat from Jess Collett Hats.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wore Alexander McQueen and earrings on loan from the Queen. If you remember, Alexander McQueen designed her wedding dress.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wore Givenchy. Givenchy had designed Meghan’s wedding dress.

The Flowers

Her bouquet was made of a sprig of myrtle (a tradition since Queen Victoria!) alongside lily of the valley, white roses, iris and ivy.

The flowers were by Rob van Helden. They reflect the rich tones of Autumn. As you can see there is a variety of roses, hydrangeas, dahlias and berries.

Liquid Amber trees lined the front entrance into the church .

It was quite windy the day of the wedding. Here the help is securing the florals.

The side entrance into the church with a beautiful Fall color palette. While Prince Harry and Meghan were married here earlier this year, the feeling was different and I think a big part is thanks to the flowers. Their wedding was held in the Spring and had a completely different feel than this beautiful Fall wedding.

The Getaway Car

This was the Aston Martin that was in 007’s Spectre!

The Cake

The 5-tier wedding cake was created by costume designer turned baker, Sophie Cabot. It was a red velvet and chocolate wedding cake. Notice the gold piping at the base, embossed with the letters E J.

surrounded by hand-painted blackberry bramble.

From this bird’s eye view, you can notice the hand-painted blackberry bramble and sugar leaves, all keeping in the theme of the rich colors of Autumn.

The Reception Dress

She wore a second dress by Zac Posen. The color is a pale rose – reminiscent of an English rose.

Details of the back of the dress.

Here’s a look at the official portraits, photographed by Alex Bramall.

Like the Royal Weddings? You can see my recap of Prince Harry & Meghan and Prince William & Kate’s weddings too. You can also see Pippa’s wedding (Kate’s sister) here too.

Sources for the article, below. Images by Getty, AP, Reuter’s and Alex Bramall.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018101263365/princess-eugenie-royal-wedding-flowers/

https://www.townandcountrymag.com

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1031350/princess-eugenie-royal-wedding-cake-sophie-cabot-reception-pictures

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Angelina June 18, 2018 England

Fairytale Towns in Europe

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Today I’ve put together a little guide of fairytale towns in Europe. I have visited all of these picturesque villages and towns and their charm has lasted in my memory.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Located in northern Bavaria, this little village is like a walk back into the Middle Ages – minus the plague! It is located on the Romantic Road in Germany. Many of the buildings age from the 1300s to the 1600s. It is surrounded by a medieval wall and is German’y best preserved medieval town! I’ll let the pictures to do the talking.

Oberammergau, Germany

This town located in the Bavarian Alps is famous for its adorable buildings with painted facades. The facades depict fairytales, religious scenes, and trompe-l’oeil. It is also known for hosting the passion play which occurs once a decade. The play was first performed in 1634 and it is the result of a vow made by the inhabitants of the village that if God spared them from the effects of the bubonic plague then sweeping the region they would perform a passion play every ten years.

The village is also famous for its woodcarving. The Bavarian State Woodcarving School is located here.

Ok, so this is not a painted building, but I had to include the chicken lace drapes!

The Cotswolds, England

This is a region in England. Cot means sheep and wolds is farm – so there are surrounding sheep farms in this area. I couldn’t choose just one town to feature, so my pictures are a collection from various towns and villages. Not only are the buildings cute, but so are the town names: Upper and Lower Slaughter, Chipping Camden, Stow-On-The-Wold, Burford, Bourton on the Water.

It is known for its rolling hills, idyllic villages with surrounding farms. Many of the houses are built of stone. This church is from the 12th century.

Like most things in Europe it seems, these little houses are from the 1500 and 1600s and still standing!

Also many cute storybook-worthy thatch roof houses here.

Colmar, France

This little village is located in the Alsace region of NE France, which sits on the border of Germany. There are both French and German influences here.

It has belonged both to France and to Germany – depending on who won which war. The timbered buildings are so beautiful.

I personally love the Alsace region of France – you can get both a fabulous croissant and a pretzel all from the same bakery!

Many of the buildings are from the 1500 and 1600s. It is sometimes called little Venice since it is located on a canal.

Honfleur, France

This little town is located on the Normandy coast of France. It sits on the Seine’s estuary. The townhouses are from the 16th-18th centuries.

It is hard to believe these old buildings are still standing and not all demolished from the war.

This adorable fishing town was actually quite rich as it made its money from the port.

It is has been a favorite of many artists including Claude Monet.

Hallstatt, Austria

This scenic town sits on Lake Hallstatt in Austria. I was there so many years ago unfortunately the pictures I shot are not up to par. Hallstatt is located in part of the Salzkammergut region in Austria – where you literally feel that the hills are alive with the Sound of Music.

The town is full of 16th century traditional houses and is Austria’s oldest village. Nearby there are the Hallstatt salt mines – you can tour them in your bunny suit and slide down salt slides! It was so fun. It is outside of Salzburg – and frankly, prettier than Salzburg! Take a boat tour and let the hills sing to you.

Honorable Mentions

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

I can’t write a fairytale town post without mentioning the ultimate fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. The inside isn’t that pretty to be honest as far as European palaces and castles go, but the outside is the one that inspired Walt Disney and I think is what most of us think of when we think of a castle!

Castle

St. Gallen, Switzerland

Ok, so there is a cute little town square here that I had to include mainly because I think this building is just the cutest thing ever. St. Gallen has the oldest library in Switzerland, built in 937. I have no pictures of it as photography wasn’t allowed. The library itself is a world heritage site. St. Gallen also has a textile museum and a beautiful rococo church.

Strasbourg, France

I was keeping this list limited to fairytale towns and Strasbourg is certainly no town – it is a major city and is actually the capital of the EU! But I had to include this picture since it is right out of a fairytale book!

I do hope you enjoyed my list of fairytale towns in Europe. Have you ever been to any of them? Also, I’ll be including some more travel posts this Summer since everyone seems to be traveling right now!

If you like my travel posts, check out my travels to Germany, France, England and Switzerland.

Also, check out my guide on what to pack in your carry-on! It is my most popular post to date.

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Angelina June 1, 2018 England

The Royal Wedding Flowers, Cake, and Dress Details

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you most likely heard the Royal wedding! Prince Harry married an American actress, Meghan Markle. I had not heard of her prior to the engagement, but she was on the show Suits. Anyway, they had a beautiful wedding at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor castle.

Today I wanted to specifically talk about the details of their flowers, cake and her dress and veil.

The Flowers

The flowers were so beautiful! They were designed by Phillipa Craddock, here is Philippa Craddock’s Instagram

The exterior flowers had roses in cream and white, stocks, stephanotis, nigella, scabious, foxgloves, astilbe, Asparagus fern, beech, birch and peonies.

I have read apparently that Meghan was unhappy with the flowers to green ratio – I personally would have preferred more flowers! More is more in my book!

Can you believe there was no floral foam! Buckets and vials full of water, all incorporated into the structure.

Inside St George’s Chapel, the foliage was picked from Windsor Great Park, including beech, birch and hornbeam branches, white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves.

I had read somewhere, of course I can’t find the source now, that some of the flowers in these arches were faux – I am wondering if some way high up are.

This is at the altar.

I read that some people felt that the church smelled too much like pollen and it was like walking into a cloud of pollen because of the flowers. However, it might not have just been the flowers… my favorite candle maker, Diptyque apparently supplied the wedding with floral candles that were burning as well. We don’t know the exact scent, but if I had to guess it could have been the Roses candle, Baies Candle, tuberose, or gardenia. If you remember, at Prince William and Kate’s wedding they had Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom candles burning.

What was in her wedding bouquet?

The bouquet had flowers that Prince Harry picked from Kensington Garden (of course, with the help from the florist). Did your heart melt?

Astilbe: Meaning ‘I will be waiting for you’ or ‘I’ll still be waiting’, symbolizing patience and dedication

Lily of the Valley: Latin name- Convallaria. Symbolises sweetness and the return of happiness. It is also the birth flower of May.

Astrantia: Symbolises strength, courage and protection.

Forget-me-nots: Diana’s favourite flower

Myrtle: A royal custom going back to the reign of Victoria, which represents love. Many royal brides carry a sprig of Myrtle in their bouquets.

Sweet peas: Meaning ‘delicate or blissful pleasure’

Apparently the flowers were donated to hospices the following day.

The Cake

The baker, Claire Ptak of Violet cakes, wanted to create a cake that “incorporates the bright flavors of spring.” The cake had tiers of lemon sponge cake which were drizzled with elderflower syrup, then topped with an Amalfi lemon curd! She used an Elderflower Swiss Meringue Buttercream, frosting it below.

It took 5 days total to bake the cake and 6 people. They started assembly at 6am at Windsor Castle the day of the wedding.

There was a second cake that the guests actually ate – served canapé style on napkins. oh dear, I would dribble that down my dress!

They used a total of 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, 20 kgs of butter, 20 kgs of flour, 20 kgs of sugar, and 10 bottles of Sandringham elderflower cordial.

Curious about what Elderflower tastes like? Me too. The little blossoms bloom in the English countryside at the end of May and early June.

“Yes, there’s that slightly herby flavor you’d get from edible flowers, but elderflower’s sweeter than you’d expect — and a little musky. It’s closer to lychee in flavor, and it has a crisp, palate-cleansing finish.

If you think about how blueberries add a sweet-tart flavor to a lemon muffin or scone, that’s exactly what elderflower’s doing in the royal couple’s cake. Only it adds a delicate floral flavor, too.” – Via Delish.com

I just loved their cake – so pretty! It seems recently people have been going for tiered cakes for weddings and I just love the cake display here too!

The Dress

I feel like the dress and veil were designed for this moment below.

Her dress exclusive double-bonded silk cady in the “pure white color”. Designed by Waight Keller for Givenchy. It is simple in aesthetic and lets the bride’s natural beauty shine through. It reminded me somewhat of what maybe Guinevere from King Arthur might have worn… going to the castle through an English garden to marry a Prince.

I was honestly a bit underwhelmed by the dress itself, but the over all look is beautiful and she looks so pretty and happy! Also who doesn’t love the tiara? Look at them, so happy.

Check out this article about how her dress is much like many other royal wedding dresses – which on review, I find to mostly be a bit underwhelming.

Let’s talk about that veil.

Her veil had the flora for each of the 53 countries of the Commonwealth embroidered onto the edge, you can see below some of the detail.

The five-meter silk tulle veil took longer to complete than the dress—almost 500 hours meticulously spent creating each flower with silk threads and organza on a flat surface before sewing it onto the veil. It was so delicate, the workers (who included a former Royal School of Needlework student) had to wash their hands every 30 minutes to keep the tulle and threads clean. – Harper’s Bazaar

A beautiful veil… I almost wish they had embroidered some of the edge of the veil along the edge of her dress since the embroidery is just so stunning. I hope this ends up in a museum some day so we can see it.

She changed into a second dress, by Stella McCartney. I preferred this dress to the other one, however preferred the other over all look better. Not that my opinion matters at all!

Here is the royal family and the official photo!

Hope you enjoyed watching the royal wedding as much as I did. You can see my recap here of Prince William and Kate’s Wedding and Kate’s sister, Pippa’s English Society wedding here.

The floral information was via the florist’s Instagram and Daily Mail here.

Cake information and many pictures from Violet Cakes London by Claire Ptak Instagram, Town and Country Mag, London Eater.

Many images are also from Getty and Reuters.

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Angelina May 17, 2018 England

Royal Wedding Party Ideas – Thursday Favorite Things

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

Are you looking forward to the royal wedding as much as I am? I remember watching Prince William and Kate’s wedding live – I woke up early for it!

This week on Thursday Favorite Things we’ve got royal wedding party ideas, a look at past weddings, and I’ve selected a few recipes from last week’s bloggers that would work great for a viewing party!!

Also, I’m including how you can watch the wedding on Saturday May 19:

on NBC- 4:30am EST you can watch the Today show or watch the wedding live on NBC.com.

on ABC – 5am EST until 10am EST.

on CBS – 4am EST.

PBS and Fox News will also being airing live.

on HBO Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon will play their characters Cord and Tish and host a show. This special, called The Royal Wedding Live with Cord and Tish!, will air on HBO starting at 7:30 a.m. EST.

If you’re new to this party, this is a weekly link party where you can link up your blog posts. It is a great way to get traffic to your blogs! Bloggers and blog readers can both enjoy the party – stop on at other’s blogs and say hello!

Last week, I shared a recap of Prince William and Kate’s wedding.

The Kittchen shared some fantastic ideas about how to host a royal wedding viewing party – including with printable bingo cards!!

Decor to Adore shared a history of royal wedding gowns. Did you know Princess Diana’s train was 25 feet long?

The Sweet Sensations shared a No Bake Biscoff Chocolate Eclair cake.

Homecoming Memories shared a recipe for lavender cookie ice cream sandwiches!

Homemade Lovely shared a strawberry smash cocktail.

Gluesticks blog shared how to make homemade croissants!

Katherine-Katherines Corner

Nina-Vintage Mamas Cottage

Marilyn-Marilyns Treats

Bev-Eclectic Red Barn

Angelina- Petite Haus

Amber- Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Theresa- Shoestring Elegance

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Angelina May 6, 2018 England

Prince William and Kate’s Royal Wedding

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding is coming up later this month (May 19 to be exact), I thought we could look back at Prince William and Kate’s wedding. The royal wedding took place 7 years ago! How time flies!

I remember I woke up early in the morning so that I may watch the wedding LIVE on tv!!

Kate and her father arrive in a vintage Rolls Royce.

One of my favorite pictures, Kate looking back at her sister.

Kate borrowed a tiara from the Queen. The Queen received the Cartier halo tiara on her 18th birthday. The delicate sparkler includes nearly 1,000 diamonds!

While most people were looking at Pippa’s derriere, they may have missed that Burton designed the bottom of the dress to resemble an opening flower. When bridesmaid Pippa Middleton lifted her sister’s train, onlookers caught a glimpse of the lace-trimmed layers of silk tulle that gave the gown its shape.

Pippa is in charge of the children.

The two princes looking dashing! Just like Cinderella’s wedding!

Kate had a 9 foot train on her dress.

Love these two pictures of the happy couple!

The couple wished to have Westminster Abbey resemble a British garden. Kate transformed the chapel bringing in trees and flowers. She also used Jo Malone Orange blossom scented candles to fill the air and hand washes of grapefruit and lime, basil and mandarin.

Beautiful picture of the two leaving the church!

The Queen, Carol (Kate’s mother) and the Duchess of Cornwall all looking beautiful.

How cute are the children?!

The newlyweds took a quick trip in the 1902 State Landau carriage along the Processional Route to Buckingham Palace while waving at the cheering crowds.

Kate’s bouquet contained lily-of-the-valley, sweet William, myrtle, hyacinth, and ivy.

Their official family portrait. Can I tell you something? In these pictures I always look for the Queen’s purse… it is *always* in the picture. It’s like everyone is waiting for her, she walks in, plops her purse down and they take the picture. Here it is hidden behind the chair leg, but often it is not. I invite you to look for it in all of her pictures now! It is always there! I wonder what’s in that magical bag?

Royal School of Needlework used a Sophie Hallette silk tulle woven with shamrock, roses and lilies for the appliqué on the bodice of the dress. The workers cut around the shapes and applied them to a machine-made net. The gown also included lace from Solstiss and the Cluny Lace Company.

This is their stunning cake! It was a traditional fruit cake (apparently that is what is served at all Royal weddings but Prince Andrew’s and also now Prince Harry will not have a traditional fruit cake).

Her shoes were by Alexander McQueen. They were ivory satin heels, hand-embroidered with additional lace by the Royal School of Needlework.

Kate switched into a second Alexander McQueen dress at the reception. The second outfit included a circle skirt with diamante detailing at the waist, topped with a shrug.

Prince William and Kate drive off in their vintage getaway car!

A fairytale wedding indeed! So fun to look at these pictures again!

Who’s looking forward to Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding?

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Angelina August 18, 2017 England

Luxe English Country Style – Friday Favorites

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

I have a crush…

on Alice’s country estate.

Not Alice from Alice in Wonderland, but looking at this pictures it does seem like a wonderland!

Alice lives in this fabulous house, Nantclwyd Hall, from the 17th century with a facade from the 1810s. This is house came from her husband’s (Tom) side. It was decorated in the 1950s by John Fowler for his Tom’s parents.

Love the tapestries and chandelier.

I see this fancy palm tree and think, my cat would love that.

Rose fabric above and below is from Colefax and Fowler in Jubilee Rose. Below is her dressing room full of designer clothes!

Below, her dressing table.

Bennison chairs and taxidermy.

Alice and her friend dressed up to go on a proper English ride (or hunt?)

Beautiful gardens, love the bird topiaries! Nothing quite like an English garden!

The walls are painted in Edward Bulmer’s Cuisse de Nymphe Emue

I must say, the only thing I don’t care for is all of the taxidermy, such as this unicorn below.

Antique Persian rug.

Bennison curtains with Colefax and Fowler wallpaper.

And here is the it-girl, Mrs. Alice.

You can follow Alice’s Instagram here.

Below are the sources and links to the full articles – I think you will all enjoy them!

Photos labeled with AD are from Architectural Digest with photography by Simon Upton.

Photos without the AD are from Vogue with photography from Jooney Woodward.

Where I Party

http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com/

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Angelina June 6, 2017 England

A Gorgeous Display of Flowers at the Chelsea Flower Show

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

In this Post – Gorgeous Flowers at the Chelsea Flower Show

source- Vogue

Every year the Royal Horticultural Society hosts the Chelsea Flower Show.

I will mainly let the flowers do the talking!

source- Vogue

source-Vogue

via
The store fronts surrounding the gardens all decorated themselves as well.

via

via Vogue

via

I love this display of allium!

via

Wedgwood had a tea salon! How awesome is that!

via @wedgwood

via

I hope you all enjoyed this tour as much as I did!

link to the Vogue article

Where I Party

http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

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Angelina May 1, 2016 England

Inside Prince William and Kate’s Kensington Palace Apartment

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

Just within the past few weeks, we got a first peek into Prince William and Kate’s Kensington Palace apartment 1A!! The reason we were able to sneak a peek into the apartment was because they were hosting the POTUS. But, let’s not focus on the faces in these pictures. Let’s look at the furniture and decor!

At immediate glance in the room, I’m noticing a muted color palette of pinks, blues, and creams. I totally love this. The oil paintings in the back of the room are marvelous, although, don’t you think the one on the left is hanging up a bit too high? The antique oils are from the Royal Collection.

Let’s see, the palace must be very dark, as there are lots of a table lamps. I spy a French bergere chair by the fireplace with a bombay chest to the right of the bergere. The octagonal ottoman in the center of the couches is interesting with a stuffed animal Bo on top brought out for the occasion. I like the fabric on the ottoman! A round single pedestal table in the back serves as the bar – no bar carts here! I see behind that what appears to be a pink silk chair… and a hidden door.

On the left in the picture below, a Chinese garden stool in blue and white sits next to the couch next to Kate. I can’t see the table, it looks like maybe a bamboo gold table behind the stool? The pillow appears to be silk with a botanical print on the front and pink on the back. I see a candle burning on modern lucite table… it reminds me of what I read about William and Kate’s wedding: they filled Westminster Abbey with Jo Malone Orange Blossom candles… wonder if that’s what is burning here!

The table next to Prince William does appear to be lucite, don’t you think? It is one way to make a palace for a future King more modern – add some plastic. No worries, an antique gold table sits behind with family pictures. Behind Obama I spy a grand piano and an antique vase. Do you notice the window seats to look over the fabulous gardens of the palace?

Also, the couch is interesting with its bullion fringe – something that does not seem to be very popular right now. I like the blue and white colors against the cream! I also like the rug. I also spy what appears to be a pair of gilt console tables in the back with family pictures.

Spring branches are displayed on the grand piano. I see a pretty oil of a landscape behind it. And another chintz pillow in red this time. And more books and family pictures.

Here you can see a closer look of the blue and white fabric on the chair Prince William is sitting on. It appears he has the same problem that my Dad always complains about with little antique chairs – he’s too big for the chair!

Alright, what can we see behind the ladies? I like the marble urn table lamps with striped yellow and white lamp shades. And yes, that is a pink silk damask chair behind Michelle. It seems the couches are the same that sit across from each other with the bullion fringe. They are quite deep, as everyone is having to lean on pillows to sit up! It seems Kate is leaning against a chenille pillow, or maybe it is velvet? I like the botanical print pillow on the left – seems English cottage to me! I also spy some Chinoiserie vases in the back. And of course, fresh flowers!

Oh, forgot to mention earlier, I LOVE the length of the drapes. They are perfect! The perfect puddle of fabric. They love to decorate with family pictures, don’t they? I see them scattered across all of the tables! I like the chest used as an end table… I use one as a coffee table currently!

Remember the pair of gilt tables between the windows, like the one you see above? It seems they were in Charles and Diana’s apartment! You can see one of them in the picture below!

Prince George stayed up past his bedtime to meet the POTUS. Isn’t he cute with his little matching sleepwear and robe? Ok, behind him what appears to be green lamps (maybe they are Jade? Opaline? Malachite? Or just painted green…). A potted fern sits in a contemporary vase on a modern looking bookcase. Lots of books and photo albums on the bookcase! If you like Prince George’s outfit, you can find out more information on where to get it from What Kate’s Kids’ Wore.

Prince George playing on his rocking horse, a gift from the Obamas. Isn’t he so cute? Pro-hosting tip: pull out the toys your guests gave your kids when they arrive.

I wish I could see the fabric on the curtains better! The fabric on the chair below is interesting – appears to be blue and white. The pillow looks like chenille, or velvet, or animal fur?? I also like they inlay table to the left of Kate. I can’t tell what type of carpet they have, it appears to be a wool carpet in beige.

One last look at the apartment as it is today. Want to see what it looked like before??

They kept the same doors and the same ceiling trim. Everything else – out!

Oh, it appears the window seats actually cover the radiators! How clever!

Previously, the *only* glimpse we had inside their apartment was this chair that Princess Charlotte was sitting on – which appears to be covered in a Chelsea Editions check.

The remodel reportedly cost $5 million and they renovated 20 rooms in the palace. They apparently have 3 reception rooms, two master bedrooms, and a guest suite. The nanny has a room by the children’s bedrooms. They have two kitchens, one for family and one for staff. They have staff bedrooms in the upstairs, a laundry room, staff break room, and luggage room. The remodel also had wifi, TV projector, and a panic room. Here’s a look at the palace…

I quite like their remodel. Often when I see pictures of the interiors of the private apartments, I think they all look very dated and sometimes quite ugly. I know it’s hard not to say – well of course it’s dated, that painting is from the 16th century! But, you can decorate with antiques and still keep the look very in the now.

Let’s see what I mean… A look back at one of the old rooms that got remodeled… wonder where the tapestry went??? Parts of the room are dated. You could totally keep the bright yellow walls and tapestry, but change out the curtains and the fabrics on the chairs, don’t you think?

Another look at different room in the Kensington Apartment the way it was… very blue! Really, the most dating thing is the blue sofa and green chair. The curtains are more fufu too.

Yes, you may say, but those pictures are OLD. *OF COURSE* the rooms look dated! Ok, fine. Here’s a picture of the Queen with the Obamas from the same visit. I spy a Sevres vase in the back, beautiful silk and silver needlepoint fire screen, a (wrinkled) Persian rug… AND an ugly tv stand from the 1990s with a tv, a dated grey chair that’s worn on the right, and then a toile print sofa on the left. Seriously, what’s with that ugly tv stand??

Anyway, I like the muted color palette of Kate and William’s apartment and think it is interesting how a modern day Prince decorates. What I love about it is that it is beautiful and rich but does not look stuffy!

UPDATE – Sunday May 1 in the afternoon

Since I posted this earlier in the morning, I read the news and HRH released some new pictures of Princess Charlotte in honor of her first birthday. Isn’t she a cutie? Anyway, these photos were taken at their other residence, Amner Hall in Norfolk.

What I notice is that the color palette seems to be the same. If I squint my eyes really hard I can pretend like I make out at a pattern of curtains in the back.

Here she sits in a wicker chair. There is a beige and cream striped couch with bolder pillows on it. The rug seems to be a wool rug of soft colors, beige, pink and green. And, back to the star of the picture, aren’t her little outfits just darling??

What do you all think about the palace renovations??

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Angelina October 21, 2015 England

The Poison Garden… Enter if You Dare!

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Have you ever heard of the poison garden? I thought I would share this spooky garden since Halloween is just around the corner. It is located within the formal gardens of Alnwick Garden which is located in Northumberland, England. Of course the garden is in England… they seem to have a garden for everything over there!

entrance to the Poison Garden, pic from Smithsonian

The formal garden was founded in 1750, but the poison garden was added in February 2005. The Duchess of Northumberland was inspired by a trip to Italy after visiting the Medici poison garden. The Medicis had their own poison garden which they grew plants used to poison their enemies!

Don’t touch the plants in the cages… the parts of the blooming yellow laburnum tree can cause somnolence, vomiting, and coma! picture from Smithsonian

The Duchess thought that this garden would be interesting to children… she said children “don’t care that aspirin comes from tree bark, but they would be interesting to know how a plant kills you”. She thought it was a way to educate children without having them realize they are being educated. I agree, I’m totally into this garden and I’m not a kid. (Although I AM a geeky nerd… with a degree in biochemistry!)

This plant produces castor oil, but did you know it also contains the deadly toxin, ricin? picture from Smithsonian

So, she started collecting poisonous plants for her garden. The requirement for the plants is that they must be poisonous and have a good story to tell.

The angel trump flower, in everyone’s backyards, right? Don’t eat the pollen… you will start hallucinating!

Since this is a poison garden, all visitors are prohibited from touching or smelling the plants! Definitely do not stop and smell the roses in this garden!

Monkshood… used to poison villages by putting the roots in the water supply!
Source: Smithsonian Mag

Let’s look at some other plants…
Wolfsbane… famous from Harry Potter. If eaten, it causes severe GI upset, but its effect on the heart causes your heart to slow down. However, it’s distinctive taste will likely keep you from eating too much!

source: the poison garden

Atropa Belladona, aka, deadly nightshade! It contains hyoscine, hyoscyamine, and atropine! Say what? If eaten, it causes dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, drowsiness, hallucinations, delirium, elevated heart rate, coma, seizures, and death! A study in 1996 found this plant has caused more serious incidents than any other plant.

source: the poison garden

Why do people die from this plant? Because of the berries! Look how plump they are! Don’t they look delicious? As a bonus, the berries taste kind of sweet too! So you keep eating them!

source: the poison garden

One of my favorites below… Foxglove! This plant’s name in Latin is Digitalis. Heard of that before? It is the plant used to make the medicine digoxin, which has saved thousands of people since it was first created. The problem with this plant though, is it will only save your life IF you need it for certain heart conditions…. otherwise it will cause slowing of the heart rate and heart attack!

Digitalis, source: the poison garden

One last look at a common plant, the laurel shrub (cherry laurel, English laurel, laurel)! The leaves contain… cyanide! Yes, it’s true! Don’t munch on these leaves or death will be on its way! The cyanide will cause your oxygen to go low and eventually headache, confusion, and coma! Don’t get these confused with bay leaves that are used for cooking… bay leaves are also a type of laurel bush!

the cherry laurel, source: the poison garden

While all of these plants are organic, do not let them term “organic” fool you! You see, even cyanide is organic! Buying organic this and organic that in the store is all a marketing ploy and an improper use of the term organic. They should really use pesticide-free or other terms.

Not all of Alnwick Garden in England contains poisonous plants, if you visit there are other pretty parts of the garden…

Sources: Poison Garden, Smithsonian Mag

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