But back to our Brits: By now you’ve all seen the “Royal Wedding” Barbie dolls, created by the one and only Mattel. How do they fare, on a scale of “possible likeness” to “macabre misrepresentation”? See for yourself:

Photo courtesy of Mattel

When I first saw these images I thought, “Hmm, not bad!” Especially when you think about those garish Arklu brand dolls that came out just before the wedding. (Please note they are selling on Ebay and elsewhere for $100!) Remember these?

Photo courtesy Arklu

So, yes, give me Barbie-and-Ken-shaped-faces as opposed to the above cardboard-box-likeness monstrosities!

I have not decided yet if I will invest in a Royal Wedding Barbie; however, thanks to my coworker Lindsay, I will soon be the fortunate and proud owner of a dress pattern for breathtaking Alexander McQueen gown in which Catherine Middleton became The Duchess of Cambridge.

Photo courtesy Butterick's

When Lindsay showed me the photos I gasped at the precision of the dress; I don’t sew, but you bet your Royal Wedding hat that I’d try make this, if I could. It is the most faithful recreation of the real thing that I have seen. Butterick’s also sells the pattern for Pippa’s maid-of-honor dress; I am buying that, too. What do you think of the patterns? I can’t wait to post pictures when they arrive!

Turning our attention back to Her Majesty’s Jubilee, some photos were released a few weeks ago in honor of the occasion; however, these weren’t commemorative photos from the Palace, but images from a photographer for whom the new Queen and her family posed in early 1952. Although it has yet to be confirmed by the Palace (if it ever will be), these seem to be the first official portraits of The Queen after she ascended the throne.

Perhaps I sound redundant, but it really is a striking, gorgeous, glorious photo–she looks so young, so determined! There are also images of Prince Charles and Princess Anne as children, which capture an innocence that hasn’t been seen since.

Well, I think that scrapes the surface of the items I’ve been waiting to discuss; next up: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and how I really think she’s fabulous!

HRH paid a visit to one of the most desperate schools in the area, Rose Hill Primary School, where she met with pupils and helped them with their art project, which was inspired by Edward Lear’s poem “The Owl and the Pussycat.” The visit was coordinated with The Art Room, a charity of which HRH became patron in early January. The program focuses on education and therapy for children through artwork. It looks like everyone had a good time:

The students made an apron for the Duchess to wear during her visit, which was embroidered with “Miss Catherine.” Judging from the response of the crowds and the students, I think HRH has really found her niche and she is doing great things for British society and morale. She is scheduled to visit another Oxford school that also uses The Art Room’s programs later today.

While at Rose Hill Primary she revealed the name of her and Prince William’s newest member of the family, their cocker spaniel puppy: Lupo. A spokesperson said there was no significance to the name, which means “wolf” in Latin, but that the couple liked it. She also revealed the puppy’s name to a youngster at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital last week, but she made him promise not to tell anyone else.

In less meaningful news, the Duchess wore a lovely patterned dress by Irish designer Orla Kiely. She paired the outfit with brown booties we saw on her almost exactly a year ago, at the February 24, 2011 christening of a lifeboat in Anglesey, her first official engagement as Prince William’s fiancée.

But didn’t she look lovely, as always?

Courtesy The Daily Mail

Sources describe the coat as “burgundy,” which is good, because otherwise I might have told HRH that she couldn’t mix brown and black! I’m sure she’d never do that, so I believe them when they say this is burgundy.

Next: On March 1st The Duchess of Cambridge will join HM The Queen and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at the reopening of the Piccadilly Fortnum & Mason shop. The Queen will unveil a plaque and all three Royal ladies will have tea at Fortnum & Mason. On March 8th HRH will join The Queen and HRH Prince Philip in Leicester, which will launch the Diamond Jubilee Tour. As both of these events take place while Prince William is on duty in the Falklands, I think it is lovely that the Duchess is joining her in-laws on official engagements. She really has been embraced by the whole family!

Update: The wool coat she’s wearing, by British fashion house Hobbs, has sold out, just hours after she was pictured wearing it. And who says the monarchy doesn’t do anything for the British economy?!!?

Courtesy People.com

Props to People.com for getting shots with identical angles of the head and matching lipstick. Obviously, it is the essence of Diana that is most important, but Watts has the hair, the smile, and the eyes that mimic the late Princess of Wales (though she is matchless). If the movie has to be made, I suppose this could be as good as it gets.

My concern is I don’t think the movie is even necessary. The opening scene of The Queen, which depicted that horrible Parisian night, was enough for me; there’s no need to give us her post-divorce days, the final weeks on Mohamed Al Fayed’s yacht, The Jonikal, or the most publicized car crash in history. I don’t know if I’d bother to boycott a movie that hasn’t even started filming, but hasn’t the world earned enough money from the late Princess of Wales as it is? As the most photographed and commercialized woman in the world, even after her death, I think we should just let Diana rest.

Courtesy Daily Mail

The bracelet she is wearing is the same that she had on at the Sun Military Awards in December; her dress is reportedly high street chain Jesire.

I was confused about why the tabloids were touting this–attending the private viewing of an exhibition of the late Lucian Freud’s portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, of which she is now patron–as her FIRST SOLO ENGAGEMENT, when she hosted the charity event at last minute for Prince Charles late last year; however, that event was private and this is public.

You go, girl! I can’t wait to see more photos tomorrow.

The Palace also released two official Diamond Jubilee photographs through the official Diamond Jubilee Web site. The portrait shows Her Majesty alongside the Victoria Memorial (a nod to her equally resilient predecessor) at nightfall. With permission of the Royal Household, I give you Her Majesty The Queen:

What a gorgeous portrait!

Today’s Telegraph overflows with commentaries and articles commemorating the occasion, including a very apt message for anti-monarchists, which you should read, if you are so inclined. Who would be the best elected head of state for The  United Kingdom? The Queen, of course!

And finally, the second official Diamond Jubilee portrait includes her stalwart and supportive consort, His Royal Highness Prince Philip:

God Save The Queen! Congratulations on sixty years, your Majesty!

On February 6, 1952, the Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and heiress presumptive to Britain’s throne, learned that her father, King George VI, had died. She was in a treehouse in Kenya at the time, about to start a Commonwealth tour with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. She returned to London immediately and was proclaimed Queen.

Only one other British monarch has achieved sixty years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Elizabeth II is eight years older than Queen Victoria was at her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, but our Queen is much more agile and infinitely more visible and active than her ancestor.

Elizabeth II has also been compared to her 16th-century namesake, Elizabeth I. Our Queen was named after mother and not her formidable, flame-haired predecessor, and has apparently wished to distance herself from the woman who gave her name to an era; however, this article from The Telegraph is a beautiful piece about a “Gloriana for Our Times.” Like her predecessor, Elizabeth II commands respect for her country and has given Britain a mostly-peaceful reign; unlike Elizabeth I, our Queen is not a despot but a constitutional monarch; she is undoubtedly great and glorious.

On the eve of her sixtieth Jubilee I say, long live Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II!

From Google, courtesy Cecil Beaton Estate

The biggest news of the day is that multiple sources, beginning with the British tabloid The Sun, are reporting that Philippa Middleton and George Percy, heir to the Duke of Northumberland, have rekindled their romance. Pippa and Percy reputedly dated when they were both students at Edinburgh University. You might recall that Pippa and some friends joined Percy in Madrid in the summer of 2011, prompting reports that she’d split with her current boyfriend, Alex Loudon (they didn’t break up until late last year, though). It seems that old flames die hard for the Middleton sisters (which means we have something in common!).

Philippa Middleton and George Percy in Spain, 2011, courtesy People.com

George Percy’s father is the 12th Duke of Northumberland, which actually makes George “Earl Percy.” His family owns Alnwick Castle (pronounced “Anick”) in Yorkshire, where the castle stood in for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter franchise.  It was the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland (Percy’s father and mother) who hosted The Queen last year when she visited Alnwick, where my friends Lucy and Rachel have family. The Duchess of Northumberland can be viewed in some of the photos that Lucy and Rachel took that day. But more about the Percys later.

The United Kingdom, along with most of Europe, entered a deep freeze at the end of this week. The cold didn’t stop The Queen from planting an oak tree at the Sandringham Estate today, along with HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. Evidently some six million trees will be planted this year in honor of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which I think is a lovely way to commemorate sixty years on the throne!

Finally, our Duchess of Cambridge made a private visit to her charity, Action on Addiction, last night. She met with clients of the charity in preparation for her more public event next week. I’m really looking forward to seeing her out and about on her own!

Well, we will get a chance to see the Duchess in action next week when HRH visits the National Portrait Gallery (of which she is now patron) for a viewing of the exhibit on the late Lucian Freud. On Valentine’s Day the Duchess will travel to Liverpool to visit an alcohol-free bar affiliated with one of her other charities, Action on Addiction. These six weeks are a time for the Duchess to shine as the newest member of the working Royal Family, and to further her work with her chosen charities. I’m sure the tabloids will devote articles to what she wears to these events, and obviously I will take note of that, too; however, most important will be HRH bringing attention to great, charitable causes.

Speaking of Lucian Freud, have you ever seen his portrait of The Queen?

Courtesy Google/Lucian Freud Estate

The portrait caused a furor when it was released, with some people comparing it to the Joker of Batman fame; however, this is Freud’s style and it showcases Her Majesty’s serious dedication to her position. She is wearing the George IV tiara, which also features on the UK postage stamps. Perhaps this is one of the portraits that the Duchess will view while she is at the Portrait Gallery next week!

To give you an idea of where this all took place (and, you know, if you wanted to follow William down the South American coast):

Courtesy of Google

Of course, media outlets are also concerned about what The Duchess of Cambridge will do while her husband is away for two months.

… And obviously this merits a headliner talking about the couple’s new Cocker Spaniel puppy. While I think this is fun and interesting news, I don’t necessarily think it merits the front page of the Telegraph. Am I right?

More seriously, The Duchess will also launch her career as a working Royal while William is in the Falklands. She has only had one solo engagement so far, as she stepped in for the Prince of Wales when he was called to Saudi Arabia for a funeral in late 2011. I am very excited to see more of The Duchess on her own, and I hope this will be a great experience for her.