Marie Agathe Odile Cavallier was born in Paris on Februrary 6, 1976. The princess lived in a modest house there until the age of ten with her parents, Françoise and Alain, and her half-brothers Benjamin and Gregory.

The princess had a happy, close relationship with her family growing up. It was difficult, Marie admits, when her parents decided to divorce. Describing herself as a good student, Marie says that when her parents divorced her grades suffered accordingly. She adored her father and was sad for many years, rebelling against her mother and stepfather.

After the divorce, Marie was sent to the Collège Alpin Beau Soleil boarding school in Switzerland. After leaving Beau Soleil, she attended Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts for two years. After a visit to New York City with a friend, Marie “fell in love” with her surroundings and decided to finish her schooling there at Marymount Manhattan College. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree.

After working in advertising as well as the IT field, Marie took a position with her stepfather’s business, the financial consulting company REInvest in Geneva. She says she learned a lot working alongside him and was his office manager until she became engaged to Prince Joachim.

Marie met Prince Joachim during a shooting party at a friend’s house in Denmark. At that time the prince was going through his divorce with Princess Alexandra (now Countess of Fredriksborg). Marie says that they enjoyed each others’ company, but then went back to their lives – she to Geneva, Joachim to royal duties as the son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Marie first came to public attention when she was photographed on a private holiday in France with Joachim in August 2005. She was seen again celebrating the New Year in 2007 with Prince Joachim, his former wife Alexandra, their two sons Princes Nikolai and Felix, and a group of close friends.

Marie joined the royal family for Easter at Marselisborg Palace later that year. She met Queen Margrethe for the first time, and the media erupted with stories about a possible engagement between Marie and Joachim. She had already been traveling back and forth from Geneva to Denmark with her little dog, Apple, by her side. People began speculating that Miss Marie Cavallier was ‘the one’.

On October 3, 2007, it was officially announced that Marie Cavallier was engaged to Prince Joachim. They held a press conference to introduce Marie to the public, and she displayed her diamond, ruby, and sapphire engagement ring for all to see. Joachim had it designed to look like the French flag, honoring his fiancee’s homeland.

The Royal Court announced that the wedding would be held on May 24, 2008. Marie and Joachim selected Møgeltønder Church for the wedding.

Like her father-in-law Prince Henrik, Marie was a French citizen and a member of the Roman Catholic Church prior to her marriage. To become a fully-fledged member of the Danish royal family, Marie became a Danish citizen and a member of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church.

Marie has not lost all French connections, however: shortly before the wedding, the title “Count of Monpezat” was conferred by the Queen on both of her sons, Joachim and older brother Frederik. The title was made hereditary for their male-line descendants, both male and female, for Prince Henrik’s Laborde de Monpezat family roots.

http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Temaer/Oevrige_temaer/2008/Bryllup/20080523155236.htm

She was a beautiful young princess in love with a much older war hero. It was the love story of the century turned into a doomed affair.

Princess Margaret’s decision not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend, a divorcee, has always been thought to have been made under pressure from the Court and senior figures within the Church of England. The Queen herself had bowed to the pressure as a young new monarch, causing a rift between her and her sister.

Now, a letter written by Princess Margaret to then-Prime Minister Anthony Eden has been unearthed, changing the history of events entirely.

Christopher Warwick, the princess’ official biographer and close friend, said the letter was “a very remarkable and significant historical document which puts a completely different complexion on the accepted version of events”.

It was a confident Princess Margaret who wrote, very much in control of her destiny, questioning whether or not she loved Townsend as much as she thought.

“At the end of October or early November I very much hope to be in a position to tell you and the other Commonwealth Prime Ministers what I intend to do,” she stated.

The Queen, said Margaret, knew that she was writing to Prime Minister Eden but told him to keep the letter confidential since everything was still “so uncertain”.

Margaret was not as helpless or pressured as was once believed.

“What is certain as a result of this letter,” continued Mr. Warwick, “is that she knew the Government was paving the way for the marriage if she wanted it and it proves that she was so much more involved in the process than she ever let on.”

The Telegraph

Out and about in London

Westminster Abbey and Parliament

The Tower of London

On to our bus clambered our travel rep, a sloppily dressed young English woman. She had one of those jaunty names, Niki or Jen, or something like that. She seized the in-bus microphone and blew into it so that it made a loud noise. ‘Hi, guys,’ she said. Eurrrrgh. Guys.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1225885/QUENTIN-LETTS-Its-time-rise-revolt-dumbed-Britain.html#ixzz0WBiUdYQu

Hart, along with fellow panelists on the popular show “Have I Got News For You” were talking about the latest gaffe by Prince Philip. At a dinner held in honor of Pratibha Patil’s state visit to Britain, many of the Indian president’s countrymen were in attendance. Philip greeted Indian businessman Atul Patel and said, “There’s a lot of your family here tonight!”

Miss Hart deadpanned: “There is no place for racism in the modern world and the sooner that Greek twit and his Kraut wife realize it, the better.”

Now the BBC is said to be in a “race row”. Again, apparently. I think people just need to relax.

Guy Fawkes’ Night is upon us once again. We will have a happy group of about 4 this time around to celebrate!

As always, I will draw the caricatures of people to be burnt, a.k.a. “the Guys”. We’ll have a nice dessert to celebrate, and then that will be that.

Too bad Massachusetts doesn’t allow fireworks. If you are able to, set one off for us! :) Happy Bonfire Night!

My Thoughts:

Princess Beatrice – Posed in a similar manner and has the large eyes, but Victoria did not have the large jaw and teeth.

The Queen – She does look similar to her grandmother, but the person Elizabeth really favors is her aunt Mary, the Princess Royal (at left, below).

Princess Eugenie – I’m not sure who she looks like, but it isn’t the Queen Mother.

Prince Edward – He looks just like his mother, The Queen. It is actually Prince Charles who most resembles their grandfather King George VI. If you see a photo of the king smiling or laughing, you’ll instantly see Charles’ face. I think that’s where he got his ears, too.

Prince William – He is certainly a combination of both Charles and Diana but with a stronger genetic tendency towards his father’s side of the family (note William’s mouth and The Queen’s mouth at the same age).

Lady Louise – Now she really does resemble a little Elizabeth. This tow-haired tyke is also the clone of her father, Prince Edward, at that age.

Princess Anne – She is definitely a Windsor, but also resembles her father, Prince Philip.

Lord Freddie Windsor – He does resemble Prince Louis Frederick, but only because they both share the same heavy-lidded eyes like Beatrice and Victoria. Otherwise, Freddie is the twin of his mother, Marie-Christine, Princess Michael of Kent.

Prince Michael of Kent – He does look a lot like King George V, but is more similar to his father, the late Prince George, Duke of Kent. Prince Michael’s daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, is his blonde, beardless clone.

Marina Mowatt – The niece of Prince Michael is similar to forebear Alexandra of Denmark, but definitely takes after her great-grandfather, King George V.

Prince Harry – The oft-debated parentage of this lad should be put to rest. His small, closely set eyes are those of Prince Charles. His petite mouth is inherited from mother Diana, the former Princess of Wales.

Princess Maxima shows off her wild side with a chic cheetah print hat.