Royal family

The Stafford London's Royal Wedding Viewing Party

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events

Don't have an invitation to the Royal Wedding this April, but still want to celebrate along with Prince William and Kate? The five-star Stafford London by Kempinski hotel is staging a Royal Wedding viewing party on April 29 which might be the next best thing. Located just steps from Buckingham Palace, and rumored to be frequented by the Royal Family themselves, the luxe hotel will be celebrating the momentous occasion with a party in its outdoor courtyard complete with a viewing screen broadcasting the momentous event, accompanied by classic British cocktails and cuisine. Tickets for the Royal Wedding viewing party are £85 per person and include all food and beverage. Reservations are required – to purchase a ticket call the hotel directly at +44 20 7493 0111 or email rsvp.london@.kempinski.com.

Gallery: The Stafford London by Kempinski

Tags: British Royalty, Buckingham Palace, Kate Middleton, London, luxury hotels, party, Prince William, Prince William and Kate, royal family, Royal Wedding, royalty, Stafford Hotel, Stafford London by Kempinski, UK, William and Kate

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Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Wealth

William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed

1,900 people just received their invitations (above) to the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29. The heavy card bearing the engraved gold insignia of the Queen of England was delivered to various VIPs from kings to charity leaders, close family and university friends, old schoolmates and prime ministers around the world, People reports. The edges of the card, which is about 10 in. by 6 in., are beveled and then gilded. The simple wording reads that the Lord Chamberlain has been "commanded by the Queen" to invite the holder to the ceremony. Guests are asked to wear military uniform, a morning coat or a "lounge" (business) suit. 600 of the 1,900 invitees have also been invited by the Queen to a reception immediately following the ceremony, and 300 of those are also invited to a dinner hosted by William's father, Prince Charles, later that evening at Buckingham Palace.

Tags: British royalty, Buckingham Palace, Kate Middleton, London, Prince Charles, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Wedding, royalty, UK, wedding

The Classicist: Is the Royal Warrant Losing Its Lustre?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Classicist, Wealth

A recent decision by two venerable British brands to drop the Royal Warrants from their packaging has occasioned some hand-wringing in the UK over whether the much-coveted distinction has lost its lustre. The Classicist calls it a tempest in a Royal Doulton teacup; read on to find out why. Only three royals are entitled to grant warrants – the Queen of England, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales – to firms who supply their royal requisites for at least five years, though most warrant holders have ties to Britain's royal family dating back several decades or more. Of course, Prince William will one day be granting his own.

Holders of the Royal Warrant include many of our favorite luxury brands – Asprey, Aston Martin, Bentley, Barbour, Burberry, Fortnum & Mason, Gieves & Hawkes, Holland & Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, Laphroaig, Lock & Co., Swaine Adeney Brigg, Smythson, Tanqueray and Turnbull & Asser – along with a host of lesser names, such as After Eight mints and Jacob's Cream Crackers. It is the latter two that have now decided to do without their warrants – though no insult is intended to the royal family, as it was when former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed burned his last year. That coupled with the results of a new survey showing that only 13% of respondents thought that warrants make any difference have called their usefulness into question, the London Guardian reports.

However, "It's hard to say that interest in royal warrants is conclusively on the wane," Vicky Bullen, chief executive of Coley Porter Bell, tells the paper, "because there is no existing data with which to make a comparison. However, consumers' apparent indifference to the royal warrants has surprised us. We can only surmise there could be a number of factors at play." Said factors, Bullen says, include "that we live in a less deferential society in which the royal family enjoys less prestige and political support." That of course is not exactly new, though the upcoming Royal Wedding may give them a boost. [cont'd]

Gallery: Holders of the Royal Warrant

Tags: Asprey, Aston Martin, Barbour, Bentley, British royalty, Burberry, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Holland Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, luxury brands, Mohamed al Fayed, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Warrant, Royal Wedding, royalty, Smythson, Swaine Adeney Brigg, Tanqueray, UK

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Prince William and Kate Middleton Swear to Live Without Servants

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Soon-to-be-married couple Prince William and Kate Middleton say they do not plan to employ any servants in their royal household. Although William's father Prince Charles employs an army of 150 retainers, William and his new wife will not have so much as a single Jeeves to fetch their tea, the London Telegraph reports. The future King and Queen of England have been doing their own shopping, cooking and even cleaning at the rented cottage they occupy on weekends, the paper notes, and plan to continue in that vein once vows have been exchanged.

The only staff they can't dispense with are the bodyguards detailed to provide security for the heir to the throne. The couple apparently believe that sharing their home with servants would ruin the intimacy of their relationship. "It's very much their instinct to manage on their own," a senior royal source tells the paper. "They want to do their duty and make sure they are a real asset to the country but they are private individuals who want to get on with their lives." Of course all that will have to change when the couple move in to Buckingham Palace.

Tags: aristocrats, British royalty, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince William, royal family, royalty, UK, wealth

Qatari Royals' $2 Million Supercar Clamped Outside Harrods

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Back in May we reported that luxe landmark London department store Harrods had been sold to Qatar's royal family for more about $2.2 billion. The other day the super-rich royals arrived to check out their new acquisition in a fleet of exotic supercars, all painted the family's signature shade of turquoise. However, while inside the posh retail palace the London police slapped clamps on the illegally parked rides. Spotted by London's Daily Mail with the unsightly locks on their wheels was a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, valued at about $550,000 (above left) and a bespoke specification Koenigsegg CCXR (above right), one of only six in the world, worth about $2 million. To get the vehicles unlocked the scofflaw sheikhs had to pay a release fee of £70 plus a fine of between £40 - £120 and complete a set of paperwork for each car.

[via LuxuryInsider]

Tags: department store, Harrods, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, London, Qatar, royal family, royalty, supercar, UAE

Dubai Ruler's Fortune Plummets $7.5 Billion, Named Forbes' Biggest Royal Loser

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Shed a tear for Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who has been named Forbes' biggest royal loser after his fortune plummeted by $7.5 billion this year – a drop of over 60% in net worth and even worse than the $6 billion he lost last year in the wake of the emirate's financial implosion. Al-Maktoum now has only $4.5 billion in the bank, down from $18 billion two years ago – a loss of $13.5 billion in total. Others on the magazine's list of the world's richest royals fared better – top of the heap is King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand whose $30 billion fortune remains unchanged, followed by the Sultan of Brunei at $20 billion (also unchanged), and King Abdullah bin Abul Aziz of Saudi Arabia whose net worth rose to $18 billion thanks to shrewd financial planning. In case you're wondering about the Queen of England, she's way down on the list with a paltry $450 million. Collectively the group's fortune is down 9%, or $10 billion this year, to $99 billion – a whopping $32 billion below their 2008 total. Time to tax those subjects.

Tags: billionaire, Dubai, Forbes, Queen of England, royal family, royalty, Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Sultan of Brunei, Thailand, UAE, wealth

The Classicist: The $800,000 Rifle Fit for a King

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, The Classicist

Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, constructs the world's most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. The production of VO rifles is limited to a small number of examples each year. The company holds a royal appointment to H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and has recently found great success with ultra-exclusive rifles made for the Middle Eastern market. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi's Royal Family is another VO enthusiast.

In addition to completely bespoke orders, VO makes several limited edition collections and special editions. The foremost of these is the one-of-a-kind H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque Rifle, designed as "a tribute to the most magnificent building we have ever seen" in Abu Dhabi and to the man who created it, priced at $825,000. This masterpiece includes a grip cap with engraving, gold inlays and 36 multicolored diamonds mimicking the design of the mosque's amazing chandelier (see the gallery).

The Royal Collection United Arab Emirates Edition (above), is designed to be nothing short of the world's most exclusive rifles and limited to only 100 pieces. Specific models have been dedicated to members of Abu Dhabi's Royal Family and bear their engraved portraits, and are priced at $525,000. Other collections include the Big Five, designed as a tribute to five big game animals (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, elephant) and Ernest Hemingway, "the passionate hunter who brought safari hunt to the public attention," nicknamed the "Big Papa," limited to six pieces at $375,000 each; the Viking Collection, inspired by Viking mythology and featuring engravings of Norse gods and 24-carat gold inlay at $275,000 apiece; and the Royal TD Collection, initially created for H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte of Sweden, at $125,000 each.

Gallery: VO Vapen Guns

All VO rifles are based on their patented takedown system, allowing the owner to use several different calibers on the same rifle. In addition to precious engraving and inlaying, the stocks are made of the finest European walnut root, hand-selected by Olsson. When the humidity is at the correct level, the roots are washed and the bark is shaved off, then the roots are cut into planks on a homemade saw. Throughout the next three years, the planks must be stored in different facilities where the moisture is gradually drawn out of them.

The moisture is checked and when it has the right balance, the plank is cut into one or several stock blocks. Clients can also choose their own walnut root plank and have it tailor made to their own measurements. Next comes the oil treatment of the stock, which takes about five weeks. The result is a silky finish that gives life and depth to the natural beauty of the walnut root. VO reminds us however that, "No matter how beautiful a rifle is, at the end of the day it will always be judged by accuracy. And one thing we can assure you – you can not blame your VO rifle if you do not hit the target."

Tags: Abu Dhabi, AbuDhabi, Guns, Hunting, Rifles, Royal Family, RoyalFamily, Royalty, Shotgun, Sporting, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, UnitedArabEmirates, VO, VO guns, VO Vapen, VoGuns, VoVapen

The Classicist: The Henley Royal Regatta

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Earlier this month we reported on the Royal Ascot races, one of the highlights of the English social season. This week ushers in another classic British sporting event-cum-society pageant, the Henley Royal Regatta. The five-day Regatta, held on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, takes place over the first weekend of every July and runs from Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th this year.

International crews compete in various races at the Regatta, which has been held every year since 1839 except during the two World Wars, the main event being the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, became the Regatta's first Royal Patron in 1851, a tradition carried on by the reigning monarch ever since, though unlike Royal Ascot they don't always deign to attend.

Even more so than at Ascot, Henley provides an opportunity for aristocrats from the sporting and social sets to dress in that distinctively British style which has inspired so many fashion designers over the decades. The commercialization of Henley, unlike Ascot, Wimbledon and cricket at Lord's, has been slower to take hold, and as Godfrey Smith writes in The English Season, it is something of "an Edwardian time warp."

Gallery: Henley Royal Regatta

Tags: British Royalty, British style, BritishRoyalty, BritishStyle, England, English society, EnglishSociety, Henley, Henley Royal Regatta, HenleyRoyalRegatta, Pimms, Regattas, Rowing, Royal Ascot, Royal Family, RoyalAscot, RoyalFamily, Sporting events, SportingEvents, Thames

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New Dress Code, Same Classic Style at Royal Ascot Races

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Sports, Men's Style

Since it was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, the annual Royal Ascot races have become the highlight of the English social season. Ostensibly a five-day sporting event, it's also evolved into something of an immense fashion show, marked by the arrival of the Royal Family in ceremonial horse-drawn carriages every day. It has become the style for ladies to sport increasingly outrageous hats, and lately the traditional rules about "formal day dress" in the coveted Royal Enclosure have been rather loosely interpreted, much to the Queen's dismay.

This year officials have cracked down, declaring that "Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and/or miniskirts are considered unsuitable," while "Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and color." Those not in compliance will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure. Gentlemen have always been required to wear full morning dress with top hats. Lest all the pageantry detract from the business at hand, it's worth noting that prize money at this year's event, which runs through Saturday, has reached an unprecedented $7.8 million.

Gallery: Royal Ascot Races

The Queen arrives in her ceremonial carriage.

Tags: Aristocrats, Ascot, British fashion, British royalty, British style, BritishFashion, BritishRoyalty, BritishStyle, England, Equestrian, Horse racing, Horseracing, Queen of England, QueenOfEngland, Royal Ascot, Royal family, RoyalAscot, RoyalFamily, Society

The Classicist: From the Queen to McQueen

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style, The Classicist

The history of the illustrious London luxury goods maker known today as Swaine Adeney Brigg goes back over 250 years. They've been supplying various items to Britain's Royal Family for 200 of them, and as those monarchs tend to be a traditional lot, the firm has basically remained unchanged in all that time. However, even this storied, not to say stodgy, company has decided it's time to freshen things up a bit. They recently brought in Alexander McQueen's former accessories chief Dominic Laurelli as design director to give SAB a much needed facelift.

Laurelli's first creation is the new St. James luggage collection. Laurelli tells us he drew on the understated elegance of 1920s luxury travel and the great Coco Chanel for inspiration, and says the St. James line is intended to be "synonymous with both traditional English leather goods and contemporary, modern style" (two words seldom heard around SAB). The collection is made from a durable anthracite tweed-like fabric with a water resistant backing and bridle leather detailing.

Gallery: Swaine Adeney Brigg