Viscount Severn Will Wear Replica Christening Gown On Saturday

On Tuesday, the Press Secretary to the Queen released the date and place for Viscount Severn’s christening. He will be christened on Saturday at Windsor. James will be the first to wear a replica, commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II, of the 1841 Honiton lace christening gown created for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, The Princess Royal (Victoria). The original christening gown has been preserved and it will no longer be used for royal christenings.

The Royalist article, Palace Announces Christening Date For Sophie's Baby James, can be read here.

The Buckingham Palace press release, Announcement of Arrangements for the Christening of Viscount Severn, can be read here.

April Fool Fun from The Editor of The Royalist Joanne Leyland

Listed in “On This Day April 1st” Joanne makes the following announcement, “Joanne Leyland of The Royalist website announced her engagement to H.R.H. Prince William of Wales, prompting thousands of new visitors to flood the site and catapulting her to fame and fortune as she revelled in her 'World Exclusive' story. Between us, though, she's a Fool who spends far too much time in front of her computer...”

Now, let’s not click on the link all at once to wish her congratulations; it might cause a catastrophic crisis for her website and crash it! Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone!

Incidentally, Joanne, the joke was perfect timing for a rainy day.

Viscount Severn’s Medical Emergency Diagnosis

After the initial fright for the Earl and Countess of Wessex about their son’s health on Thursday, it is being reported that Viscount Severn suffered from a “minor allergic reaction.” Whilst the Countess of Wessex remained at the Great Ormond Street hospital during James’s treatment, Prince Edward soldiered on with his engagements because as a friend disclosed, “he really didn't want to let anyone down.”

The Royalist article, "Minor Allergic Reaction" Hospitalises Baby James, can be read here.

The Daily Mail article, Edward and Sophie's son ready to leave hospital after allergy scare, can be read here.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex Leave Hospital with Viscount Severn

The Earl and Countess of Wessex left Frimley Park Hospital today with their son, Viscount Severn. The countess gave birth to the viscount on December 17th.

The Royalist article, Edward & Sophie Introduce Viscount Severn To The World, can be read here.

A short clip from BBC News with the Earl and Countess of Wessex leaving the hospital with Viscount Severn can be viewed here.

Photo: Associated Press

Countess of Wessex Gives Birth to a Boy

At the beginning of the month, I relayed the news story that the Countess of Wessex was planning a Christmas day birth. Then, yesterday, some news reports said that Sophie was scheduled for a caesarean section on Friday. After all that speculation, the countess gave birth at 4:20pm today to a 6lb 2oz boy at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. When Prince Edward answered questions from reporters, he expressed his relief that his son’s birth was not as traumatic as Louise’s birth.

A short clip from the BBC News with elated Prince Edward fielding questions from the media can be viewed here.

The Royalist article, BREAKING NEWS: It's A Boy For Sophie,
can be read here.

The Buckingham Palace press release, The Countess of Wessex Gives Birth to a Baby Boy, can be read here.

Photo: Buckingham Palace Press Office

Recommended Reading: The Royalist

For the past two years, the editor of The Royalist, Joanne Leyland, has been entertaining royal watchers with her tantalizing news stories, superb photos and exclusive video clips. She embarked on her amazing adventure with her first caption Camilla Prepares to Enter 'Dianaland' on September 30, 2005.

Congratulations, Joanne, for another year of brilliant articles!

Book Review: A Dress For Diana

Last August, Laura Burley, an administrator for The Royalist wrote a poignant review of the book A Dress for Diana by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel. Ms. Burley recommended the book highly and said, "I can honestly say it's one of the most beautiful Diana books in my collection. If you are interested in the Princess — or fashion, as this is more than just another royal book — then this is one publication you should consider buying. This is the ultimate book on the 1981 Royal Wedding as everything any of us could ever wish to know about Diana's dress is contained within its pages."

It is an exquisite publication and one of the books that I do own in my vast royal collection.

Jordan Landmark Declared a New Wonder

*UPDATE for The Royalist article Queen Rania Hails the Beauty of Petra (01/25/07) *

Petra has been declared a winner in the NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD competition. Before the announcement on July 7th from Lisbon, Portugal, Queen Rania of Jordan expressed her gratitude for the dedicated efforts by the Jordanian people to vote for the ‘red rose city’ and said, “whether Petra wins or not it will remain a winner and will always have a special status in our hearts.”

Another Royal Perspective

Besides writing the occasional article for Joanne Leyland’s remarkable website The Royalist, I have created this blog to update some of my published articles and share my perspective on royalty.