Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba (: సత్య సాయిబాబా) born as Sathyanarayana Raju (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) was a major Indian guru, spiritual figure and educator. He is described by his devotees as an avatar, godman, spiritual teacher and miracle worker. The apparent materialising of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches by Baba has been a source of both fame and controversy – skeptics consider these simple conjuring tricks, while devotees consider them evidence of divinity.Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be the reincarnation of the spiritual guru, Sai Baba of Shirdi, whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs.

Sathya Sai Baba and his organisations support a variety of free educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable works in India and abroad. The number of active Sathya Sai Baba adherents was estimated in 1999 to be around 6 million, although followers' estimations are far higher. Since there are no formal ties of membership, the actual figure may never be known. The Sathya Sai Organisation reports that there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries worldwide. In India itself, Sai Baba draws followers from predominantly upper-middle-class, urban sections of society who have the "most wealth, education and exposure to Western ideas." He was a cultural icon in India and drew an audience with presidents and prime ministers from India and beyond who have become his devotees; in 2002, he claimed to have followers in 178 countries.

Sathyanarayana Raju was born to Eswaramma and Peddavenkama Raju Ratnakaram in the village of Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India. His birth, which his mother Eswaramma asserted was by miraculous conception, was also said to be heralded by miracles. As a child, he was described as "unusually intelligent" and charitable. He was exceptionally talented in drama, music, dance and writing, and was an avid composer of poems and plays.He was said to be capable of materialising objects such as food and sweets out of thin air.

On 8 March 1940, while living with his elder brother Seshama Raju in Uravakonda, Sathya was apparently stung by a scorpion. He lost consciousness for several hours.Within the next few days there was a noticeable change in Sathya's behavior. There were "symptoms of laughing and weeping, eloquence and silence." "He began to sing Sanskrit verses, a language of which he had no prior knowledge." Doctors believed his behavior to be hysteria. His parents brought Sathya home to Puttaparthi. Concerned, they took him to many priests, "doctors" and exorcists.

On 29 June 1968, Sathya Sai Baba made his first and only trip overseas, to Uganda. During a discourse in Nairobi, Sathya Sai Baba stated, "I have come to light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster. I have not come on behalf of any exclusive religion. I have not come on a mission of publicity for a sect or creed or cause, nor have I come to collect followers for a doctrine. I have no plan to attract disciples or devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love." In 1968, he established Dharmakshetra or Sathyam Mandir in Mumbai.

In 1973, he established Shivam Mandir in Hyderabad. On 19 January 1981, in Chennai he inaugurated the Sundaram Mandir. In March 1995 he started the water project to provide drinking water to 1.2 million people in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region in Anantapur. In 2001 Sathya Sai Baba established another free Super Speciality hospital in Bangalore to benefit the poor. In April 1999 he inaugurated the Ananda Nilayam Mandir in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

After 2005 Sathya Sai Baba used a wheelchair and his failing health forced him to make fewer public appearances. In 2006 he suffered a fractured hip when a student standing on an iron stool slipped and both the boy and stool fell on Sathya Sai Baba. After that, he gave darshan from a car or his porte chair.

Sathya Sai Baba was admitted to a hospital at Prashantigram at Puttaparthi on 28 March 2011 following respiration-related problems.After many days of hospitalisation, during which his condition progressively deteriorated, he died on 24 April at 7:40 IST. His funeral is scheduled to be held 27 April. Many of his devotees, some of whom had held vigil outside the hospital for many days, gathered around the hospital causing police to be concerned about a breakdown in law and order. Police resorted to lathicharging the huge crowds. More police were expected to be deployed for his funeral.

Sathya Sai Baba said that his followers do not need to give up their original religion,saying "my objective is the establishment of sanatana dharma, which believes in one God as propitiated by the founders of all religions. So none (sic)has to give up his religion or deity."

Internationally, Sathya Sai Baba devotees gather daily or weekly on Sundays and/or Thursdays to sing group devotional songs, prayer, spiritual meditation, service to the community (Seva), and to participate in "Education in Human Values" (SSEHV) known as "Bal Vikas" (Blossoming of the Child), that can also be described as Sai Sunday School.

Puttaparthi, where Sathya Sai Baba was born and lived, was originally a small remote South Indian village in Andhra Pradesh. Now there is an extensive university complex, a speciality hospital, Chaitanya Jyoti (a world-religions museum that has won several international awards for design), a Planetarium, a railway station, a hill-view stadium, an administrative building, an airport, an indoor sports stadium and more. High ranking Indian politicians, like the former President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Andhra Pradesh former Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah and Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa have been official guests at the ashram in Puttaparthi.[61][62] On Sathya Sai Baba's 80th birthday celebration, it was reported that well over a million people attended, including 13,000 delegates from India and 180 other countries.

Devotees say they have observed Sathya Sai Baba manifesting vibuti (holy ash), and sometimes food and "small objects" such as rings, necklaces and watches. In some books, magazines, filmed interviews and articles, Sathya Sai Baba's followers report miracles of various kinds that they attribute to him. The first ever record of Baba's miracles by a foreigner was made by Howard Murphet in his book, Sai Baba – Man Of Miracles. Devotees have said that objects have appeared spontaneously in connection with pictures and altars of Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Baba's devotees believe that he relieves his devotees by transferring their pain to himself.

Internationally, devotees report that vibuti, kumkum, turmeric powder, holy water, Shiva lingas, statues of deities (brass and gold), sugar candy, fruits, herbs, amrita (a fragrant, nectar-like honey), gems, colored string, writings in ash and various other substances spontaneously manifest and materialize on the walls, furniture, pictures and altars of Sathya Sai Baba.

he Vancouver Sun in 2001 reported that Sathya Sai Baba told his adherents not to browse the Internet due to allegations rapidly circulating on various Internet websites and in a few newspapers. In a 2000 public discourse, Sathya Sai Baba said, "These teachings (the Vedas) are highly sacred. Today people are ready to believe all that they see on television and internet but do not repose their faith in the Vedic declarations. Internet is like a waste paper basket. Follow the 'innernet,' not the internet.

In an article for The Pioneer on March 31, 2009, Sandhya Jain states that neither Sathya Sai Baba, nor any organizations associated with him, have been charged or convicted with sexual abuse or any other crime in a court of law. Alaya Rahm filed a lawsuit against the Sathya Sai Baba Society in the Superior Court of California on January 6, 2005, but withdrew his lawsuit on April 7, 2006 after indications that his challenge lacked merit. The case was dismissed 'with prejudice', meaning it cannot be filed for the same claims again. The Pioneer also noted that no offers of monetary settlement were paid to Alaya Rahm.

Devotee Bill Aitken was quoted by The Week as saying that Sathya Sai Baba's reputation has not been harmed by the negative stories published about the guru. He said that the more detractors rail against Sathya Sai Baba, the more new devotees went to see him.[

The Times Of India on 26 December 2000 said that Sathya Sai Baba "lashed out at his detractors in a rare display of anger" while referring to criticism published in a magazine. The Times quoted him as saying, "Jesus Christ underwent many hardships, and was put to the cross because of jealousy. Many around him could not bear the good work he did and the large number of followers he gathered. One of his disciples, Judas, betrayed him. In those days there was one Judas, but today there are thousands. Just as that Judas was tempted to betray Jesus, the Judases of today, too, are bought out to lie. Jealousy was the motive behind the allegations levelled at him".

Sathya Sai Baba publicly responded to the allegations on 25 December 2000: "Some people out of their mean-mindedness are trying to tarnish the image of Sai Baba. I am not after name and fame. So, I do not lose anything by their false allegations. My glory will go on increasing day by day. It will never diminish even a bit if they were to publicize their false allegations in the whole world in bold letters. Some devotees seem to be perturbed over these false statements. They are not true devotees at all. Having known the mighty power of Sai, why should they be afraid of the 'cawing of crows'? One should not get carried away by all that is written on walls, said in political meetings or the vulgar tales carried by the print media.

Tourists in London follow royal couple's footsteps

LONDON — Changing of the Guards ceremony takes place behind them at Buckingham Palace, two American girls debate what Kate Middleton will look like at her wedding in five days' time.

Excited about the dress. She will have something big", predicts Amanda Hijazin, 13, wearing a lacy top and with braces on her teeth.

Palace in central London, the main balcony of which is where the couple where Kate and Prince William will greet the crowd on Friday, Amanda sighs: "It is so historical".

"I am not going to be here, but to know that they will be there, it is very nice", she adds.

"The girls are fanatical about the prince!", says Rebecca Adams, a teacher of English who is looking after the young Californians on their visit to the British capital.

Wedding of William's parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, on television in 1981 when she herself was at high school.

"A generation later, they will do the same thing," she says about her students.

Crowds of hundreds of people around 50 deep were gathered to watch the ceremony in bright sunshine, far more than usual.

Hotly-awaited royal wedding is expected to more than double the number of visitors to London with an extra 600,000 tourists from home and abroad expected to flock to London for the service.

Tourists were also out in force outside Westminster Abbey where the royal couple will tie the knot on Friday but they were not allowed inside because services were underway for Easter.

"We wanted to see the church where they're going to get married but it's shut!" says Silvia Bosisio, an Italian woman who like many others had taken advantage of the long weekend to visit London.

Slade family from San Francisco, in the United States.

"We booked this trip to London in October so it is such a happy coincidence that it's the same time as the wedding," says Randy Slade, who is here with his wife and granddaughter.

"We'll be watching. I think it will be an overwhelming occasion. We are huge fans of the royal family. I think the queen is lovely, she is such a consistent presence in changing times."

His granddaughter Megan, an 18-year-old student, adds: "Kate is awfully pretty. I just want to see her dress.

Gache family from Saint Etienne in southeastern France are disappointed to be in London for the run-up to the wedding.

"It's rammed. There are so many people," said Fabienne Gache, the mother.

"We'll watch the wedding on television to see what the palace looks like -- because today you can't see anything!" joked her son Clovis, aged eight, as he tried to see past the crowd.

Royal wedding guest list includes friends, family

Going to be quite the case that all human life will be there, but the guest list for the royal wedding at Westminster Abbey, released by St James's Palace, contains an eclectic mix of friends, family, sports stars, personalities and the odd unsavoury dictator or two.

Martin Fidler, the butcher of Bucklebury, and several others from the Middletons' Berkshire village are going. King Mswati III of Swaziland, a ruler noted for his life of luxury and practice of polygamy in a poor, backward country will be in the pews. Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain, where at least 30 people have been killed in recent demonstrations, put out a statement on Sunday saying that with "deep regret" he had to decline the invitation, complaining that media reports about his attendance "clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain". The invitation had been criticised by human rights groups.

1,900 guests invited to the abbey service had been largely chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton. A statement said: "Decisions on invitations were made by the couple jointly. They worked with members of their own household and the Queen's and Prince of Wales's households to draw up the final list." More than 1,000 of those who received the gold-embossed invitation from the Queen in February are counted as family or friends. Of those, 650 will go on to a lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace and 300 family and close friends will stay for dinner in the evening, hosted by Prince Charles.

200 members of the government, parliamentary representatives and representatives of the diplomatic service will also be present. There will be 60 governors-general and prime ministers – including Australia's Julia Gillard, an avowed republican – 30 members of the defence services and 80 representatives from William's favoured charities "including some individuals who are not in senior positions, who the prince has known for some time.

Religious representatives will be present: not just the archbishop of Canterbury and bishop of London, who will be officiating at the service, but also, among others, Malcolm Deboo, president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, Natubhai Shahi, president of the Jain Academy, the Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, acting head monk of London's Buddhist Vihara and Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who preached a pugnacious Easter sermon condemning society.

Middleton's former headmaster at Marlborough College and William's Eton housemaster have received invitations.

Tom Bradby, ITN's political editor, Ben Fogle, David and Victoria Beckham, Guy Ritchie, director of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Joss Stone, who sang at the 10th anniversary memorial concert for Diana, Galen and Hilary Weston and – inevitably – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, described as a friend of Prince Charles.

India touch in Will-Kate wedding

Royal wedding of Prince Williams and Kate Middleton this Friday in London will have an Indian touch. The royal guests attending the wedding are to be gifted with exotic made-in-India scarves as mementos.

Ludhiana-based exporter, has been commissioned to manufacture these scarves under the brand Borden, a popular online and offline fashion brand in the UK and the US. Vineet Sood, managing director of Centex Exports said, “These are super fine cashmere wool stoles with the Union Jack and animal print. These are printed on both sides and available in four varieties.

Company got to be the chosen one, Sood said, “The brand Boden was short-listed by the royals to supply the stoles. The brand tried out different manufacturers globally, but chose us against stiff competition from suppliers in China and Korea. This is due to our skill and experience of working with different luxury labels.

Royal wedding has meant for Centex an order for 4,000 limited edition scarves. Some of them will be gifted to royal guests while others would be put up for online sale at 45-50 pounds apiece.

Indian brands are vying to be part of India broadcast of the royal wedding. L’Oreal India and GE India have already got on board BBC Entertainment as presenting and associate sponsors, respectively, for a series of documentaries leading up to the wedding. The broadcaster will be telecasting live and uninterrupted (advertisement free) coverage of the actual wedding.

Media planners, the sponsors have to shell out anything between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. The price of a 10-second spot has gone up to Rs 11,000-15,000 from the normal Rs 1,600-1,800. “We are expecting a TVR of 2-3 in six metros while across India the figure might be around 1-2. Advertisers are all out to encash thr opportunity,” said Sejal Shah, president of India Media Exchange, the central media-buying unit for Starcom MediaVest and ZenithOptimedia.

Royal wedding: a love match that was meant

Hottest couple on the planet. They’re young, good-looking and in love. When they marry at Westminster Abbey on Friday an estimated two billion people worldwide will watch the royal wedding ceremony. She was born on January 9 1982 (a Capricorn) at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, the daughter of Carole and Michael Middleton, and christened Catherine Elizabeth at St Andrew’s Church

Prince William was born five months later on June 21 (a Gemini) at St Margaret’s Hospital in London, the first son of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace.

While “Baby Wales”, as his mother called him, was growing up in Kensington Palace with his younger brother, Harry, and attending Wetherby School, Kate was thriving. She lived in a semi-detached house in the village of Bradfield, and attended Bradfield Church of England Primary School.

Living in Jordan the family returned to Bradfield, then moved to Bucklebury when Kate was five. William’s early childhood was also a happy one. At Highgrove he enjoyed hunting, shooting and fishing with his father; with his mother and Harry he had marvellous adventures.

Kate Middleton left Downe House, a private school, in 1995 because she was bullied. Her parents sent her to Marlborough College. From then on she blossomed. Liked for her sense of fun, reliability and loyalty, she excelled at sports; her flair for acting won her the lead part in school plays.

Royal wedding irks anti-monarchists

EU anti-monarchists will descend on London for the April 29 British Royal Wedding to use the event to gather momentum for their anti-monarchy campaign.

Campaigners from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain as well as the British anti-monarchy group Republic are hoping to use Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day at Westminster Abbey as the perfect chance to push their vision of a monarchy-free Europe.

Republic, which is Britain's main republican campaign group, believes that most British view royalty as an anachronism in the 21st century.

Swedish Republican Association, which is sending three representatives to London, said the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling in June last year caused support for the Nordic country's royals to plummet significantly.

“A royal event makes people reflect on the institution of monarchy, and in Sweden many arrived at the conclusion that this is an outdated and rather bizarre phenomenon,” said the group's Helena Tolvhed.

Membership of the Swedish anti-monarchy group rose from about 3,500 to 7,500 in 2010 after the royal wedding, she added.

After the Swedish wedding, anti-monarchist groups from seven countries formed the Alliance of European Republican Movements to share ideas and nurture organizations just starting out.

British campaigners also denounced the British Broadcasting Corporations (BBC) for its pro-royal coverage approach in the run-up to the wedding, according to reports.

Prime minister,xBlair, Brown not invited to royal wedding

Next week's royal wedding descended into a slightly farcical political row on Sunday after it emerged that neither Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown, former Labour Prime Ministers and among Britain's most high-profile political figures, has been invited while their Tory predecessors, Margaret Thatcher and John Major, figure prominently on the guest list that includes more than 200 politicians and diplomats.

If to rub salt into the wound, media reports gleefully stressed that even a local butcher and a pub owner from the bride's home village had received invitations.

1,900-strong congregation at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29 to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton wed would be the barman from the Middleton family's favourite holiday island resort of Mustique, The Sunday Telegraph noted.

In a front-page splash under the heading “Royal wedding: no place for Blair and Brown,” the paper quoted furious Labour MPs as describing the decision to leave out Mr. Blair and Mr. Brown as a “snub.

Blairs and the Browns were not sufficiently deferential towards the royal family? they asked pointing out that Cherie Blair famously refused to “curtsy” to the Queen. Relations between her husband and the Palace deteriorated amid accusations that he tried to “hijack” Queen Mother's funeral in 2002. Mr. Brown was pointedly stiff during his meetings with the members of the royal family.

Official explanation was that they were not invited because, unlike Sir John and Lady Thatcher, they were not Knights of the Garter, Britain's highest order of chivalry conferred by the Queen. Besides, it was not a state occasion but a private wedding and it was for the couple to decide who to invite.

Former prime ministers for a personal reason, there's no reason to do so. It is a private wedding and the couple are entitled to invite whoever they want to it. Prince William is not the Prince of Wales or the King, and he hasn't got that link to prime ministers in the way that the Queen does,” an official spokesman said.

Bahrain crown prince to miss royal wedding

Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa had previously confirmed his attendance, fuelling criticism of the couple for inviting royals from Bahrain and other countries where protests have been crushed in recent weeks.

Prince said he had delayed sending his regrets, hoping for the situation in Bahrain to improve before the wedding in London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, which will be attended by royals from around 40 countries.

Statement from his office in Manama, the crown prince said British media had "misrepresented" his stance and "clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain".

Media reports had speculated that Crown Prince Salman would withdraw to avoid embarrassment after a bloody crackdown on mainly Shiite Muslim protesters in Sunni-ruled Bahrain left at least 24 people dead.

St James's Palace, William's official residence, confirmed the decision.

"We were informed today that he will not be attending the wedding," a spokesman said, declining to give any details about the reasons for the crown prince's withdrawal.

List of confirmed guests released by the palace on Saturday includes celebrities such as footballer David Beckham and his fashion designer wife Victoria, musician Elton John and Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Australian Olympian Ian Thorpe are also on the guest list.

British anti-monarchy campaign group Republic hit out at inclusion of royals from not only Bahrain but also Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brunei, Qatar, Swaziland, Lesotho, Bhutan and Kuwait.

Android Apps for the Royal Wedding

Mobile apps, for Android smartphones and tablets, being touted as indispensable for keeping track of and connected with The Wedding, set for Friday, April 29, at Westminster Abbey in London (and which will be streamed live on YouTube).

Royal Wedding Countdown, by EJC Labs. Free. Press the Royal Coat of Arms, hear a trumpet fanfare, and see the time left before The Wedding, down to the seconds. Either the trumpet fanfare is by some genius like Wynton Marsalis (here performing Hayden's Trumpet Concerto in E flat Major) or users are totally wowed by the app's calligraphic text, because 17 reviews give it a 4-plus rating.

W&K Royal Wedding Countdown, from Darkstar, a company that specializes in Android "live wallpapers" which, when touched, set off clouds of floating sparkles for example. (They also do games like "one of the best casual bubble popping game for all ages.") Price is $0.99. This app, too, is a live wallpaper that shows a Wedding countdown, complete with interactive sparkles, and background images that change every 15 seconds. No chance of boredom with this baby.

The Royal Wedding Album, from an outfit called The Royal Wedding Album. It's free. Intriguing premise: In a sense, this app invites downloaders to focus on their participation in and enjoyment of The Wedding, instead of The Wedding itself. Download the app, register yourself on the website, and then on April 29, you can start uploading your own photos of yourself, family and friends in London or anywhere on The Day, contributing to an online record of the entire world in a royal frenzy.

The Royal Wedding, from ITN, the U.K.-based news and multimedia content company. It's free. Like most media companies exploiting (excuse us: "covering") The Wedding, ITN's app seems to be about 1) merchandising, 2) repurposing existing news and video content and 3) merchandising. The main ITN website already has an extensive section devoted to The Wedding. Two recent videos suggest the genius of the company's approach: "Boys choir practice for Royal Wedding" and "Soldiers prepare for wedding." Next: "Groundskeepers prepare for wedding" and "Westminster Abbey silver polishers practice for Wedding" and "London plumbers ready backup plan for back-ups." Don't miss the "Classy Kate Middleton doll [an instant classic contradiction-in-terms] -- get yours NOW!" -- the 16-inch-high doll in her wedding dress (apparently an artist's conception since the real thing hasn't been unveiled yet)

Royal Wedding Insider, from BBC Worldwide. Free. It doesn't get much more "official" than this. The app promises "insider access" to breaking BBC news, exclusive video, wedding tips from Brides magazine, etc. But it's not clear if this "insider" info is any different from what you'd get . It does offer a blog with "daily updates" on all wedding activities. The opulent, picture heavy screens are somewhat marred by prominent promotions for BBC America's TV premiere of "The Tudors." Those were royals who knew how to be royal: warring, wenching, conspiring, betraying and beheading.

Kate Middleton

Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton (born 9 January 1982) is the fiancée of Prince William of Wales. Their wedding is to take place on 29 April 2011. Middleton grew up in Chapel Row at Bucklebury, Berkshire, and after attending Marlborough College, studied at the University of St Andrews, where she met Prince William in 2001. They started a relationship, which was marred by excessive media scrutiny, leading them to break it off for several months in 2007.

They continued to be friends and later in 2007 they reunited. Since then, Middleton has attended many high-profile royal events. She has been admired for her fashion sense and has been placed on numerous "best dressed" lists. Once their relationship became public, Middleton received widespread media attention and there was much speculation that they would eventually marry.

Middleton was born at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.:32 She is the eldest of three children born to Carole Elizabeth (née Goldsmith), a flight attendant, and Michael Francis Middleton, who also worked as a flight attendant prior to becoming a flight dispatcher for British Airways. Her parents married on 21 June 1980 at the Parish Church of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and in 1987 founded Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells party supplies and decorations.

In November 2006, Middleton accepted a position as an accessory buyer with the clothing chain Jigsaw.[20] In September 2007, it was reported[citation needed] that Middleton was planning to give up her job as an accessory buyer to become a professional photographer. It was announced[citation needed] that she intended to take private classes with photographer Mario Testino, who had taken several well-known photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons. Middleton and Testino apparently were introduced by Prince William. Testino later denied that Middleton was going to be working for him.

Middleton has been featured in several best-dressed lists and was selected by The Daily Telegraph as the "Most Promising Newcomer" in its 2006 list of style winners and losers. Tatler placed her at number 8 on its yearly listing of the top ten style icons in 2007. She was featured in People magazine's 2007 and 2010 best-dressed lists. Middleton was named as one of Richard Blackwell's ten "Fabulous Fashion Independents" of 2007. In June 2008, Style.com selected Middleton as its monthly beauty icon. In July 2008, Middleton was included in Vanity Fair's international best-dressed list. In February 2011, Middleton was named the Top Fashion Buzzword of the 2011 season by the Global Language Monitor.

Prince William and Kate Middleton became engaged in October 2010 in Kenya, East Africa, during a 10-day trip to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to celebrate William's passing his RAF helicopter search and rescue course. Clarence House announced the engagement on 16 November 2010. The couple are to marry in Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, with the day declared a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.

Middleton will be the first queen-in-waiting for more than 350 years to not be a member of the English nobility. As such, while she may inherit or acquire various titles bestowed on William and his family, she has no titles of her own. Similarly, William currently holds no titles other than the style of "Royal Highness", as a British prince; the wife of a son or grandson of the Sovereign is entitled to the same style. Thus, upon marriage she will take the title of "Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales",also taking her husband's name.

Middleton was formally introduced to public life on 24 February 2011, two months before the wedding, when she and William attended a lifeboat naming ceremony in Trearddur, North Wales. On 16 February 2011, Clarence House announced that Middleton's and William's first royal tour of Canada would take place in July 2011.

A Lifetime TV movie entitled William and Kate aired in the U.S. on 18 April 2011. Middleton is played by Camilla Luddington and William by Nico Evers-Swindell.

British Royal Family

British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with official national terms for the family. Members of the royal family belong to, either by birth or marriage, the House of Windsor, since 1917, when George V changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This decision was primarily taken because Britain and her Empire were at war with Germany and given the British Royal Family's strong German ancestry, it was felt that its public image could be improved by choosing a more British house name. It is interesting to note that the name of the aircraft which bombed London and south-east England at this time were Gotha bombers. The new name chosen, Windsor, had absolutely no connection other than as the name of the castle which was and continues to be a royal residence.

Although in the United Kingdom there is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member of the Royal Family, and different lists will include different people, those carrying the style Her or His Majesty (HM), or Her or His Royal Highness (HRH) are always considered members, which usually results in the application of the term to the monarch, the consort of the monarch, the widowed consorts of previous monarchs, the children of the monarch and previous monarchs, the male-line grandchildren of the monarch and previous monarchs, and the spouses and the widows of a monarch's and previous monarch's sons and male-line grandsons.

VAdm Tim Laurence (The Princess Royal's second and current husband)

Mr & Mrs Peter Phillips (The Princess Royal's son by Mark Phillips, and his wife, to whom the Queen's first great-grandchild, a daughter was born on 29 December 2010, named Savannah)

Miss Zara Phillips, MBE (The Princess Royal's daughter by Mark Phillips) & Mike Tindall, her fiancé

The following persons are descendants (or widows) of the younger children of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, and King George V:

The Earl of Harewood (grandson and first grandchild of George V through his daughter Mary, Princess Royal), his second wife, and his children, and grandchildren, as well as the children and grandchildren of his now deceased brother, Gerald Lascelles.

The Duke of Fife (female-line great-grandson of Edward VII) and his children and grandchildren

The Lady Saltoun (widow of Alexander Ramsay of Mar, a female-line grandson of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the third son of Queen Victoria), and her children and grandchildren

The Marquess of Milford Haven, grandson of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, and great-grandson of HGDH Princess Victoria, eldest daughter of HRH The Princess Alice The Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 2nd daughter of HM Queen Victoria, and his family

The Countess Mountbatten of Burma (elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, youngest son of HGDH Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine) and her family

The Earl of Harewood is a female-line first cousin of the Queen. The Duke of Fife, the Marquess of Milford Haven, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and the Lady Saltoun, and their respective families, as well as Lord Harewood's descendants, are so distant from the reigning Sovereign that they are relatives of, rather than members of, the Royal Family.

None of these persons receive any money from the State or undertake official engagements on behalf of the Queen. However, the Queen does invite them to private family functions and to participate in official royal occasions, such as the Trooping the Colour, the Golden Jubilee celebrations, and ceremonial or state funerals.

There are three living former spouses of members of the British Royal Family:

Sarah, Duchess of York (the former wife of The Duke of York),

Captain Mark Phillips (the first husband of The Princess Royal), and

Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (the former husband of Princess Margaret).

Recently deceased members of the Royal Family include:

HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother (widow of King George VI and mother of The Queen)

HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (sister of The Queen)

HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and mother to the present Duke of Gloucester)

The Prince of Wales' first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in 1997. They had divorced in 1996. She lost the HRH title but was allowed the style "Princess of Wales" and remained a member of the Royal Family to reflect the fact she was the mother of the second and third in line to the throne, Princes William and Harry.

Members of the Royal Family participate in hundreds of public engagements yearly throughout the whole of the entire United Kingdom, as formally recorded in the Court Circular, to honour, encourage and learn about the achievements or endeavours of individuals, institutions and enterprises in a variety of areas of life. As representatives of the Queen, they often also join the nation in commemorating historical events, holidays, celebratory and tragic occurrences, and may also sponsor or participate in numerous charitable, cultural and social activities. Their travels abroad on behalf of the UK (called State Visits when the sovereign officially meets with other heads of state) draw public attention to amicable relations within and between the Commonwealth and other nations, to British goods and trade, and to Britain as a historical, vacation, and tourist destination. Their presence, activities and traditional roles constitute the apex of a modern "royal court," and provide a distinctly British and historical pageantry to ceremonies (e.g. Trooping the Colour) and flavour to public events (e.g. Garden Parties, Ascot). Throughout their lives they draw enormous media coverage in the form of photographic, written and televised commentary on their activities, family relationships, rites of passage, personalities, attire, behaviour, and public roles. Senior members of the royal family often drive themselves instead of having a driver.

Royal Peculiar

Royal Peculiar (or Royal Peculier) is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than under a bishop. The concept dates from Anglo-Saxon times, when a church could ally itself with the monarch and therefore not be subject to the bishop of the area. Later it reflected the relationship between the Norman and Plantagenet kings and the English church. Unlike many of the ecclesiastical foundations of the medieval period the royal peculiars were not abolished in the English Reformation effected under the Tudors.

The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster commonly known as Westminster Abbey, and containing Henry VII's chapel which is the chapel of the Order of the Bath.

St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, the chapel of the Order of the Garter.

Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor (in the grounds of the Royal Lodge)

The chapels associated with the Chapel Royal, which refers not to a building but to an establishment in the Royal Household; a body of priests and singers to explicitly serve the spiritual needs of the sovereign

The Chapel Royal, St James's Palace

The Queen's Chapel, St James's Palace

The Chapel Royal, Hampton Court

The Chapel of St John the Evangelist in the Tower of London

The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London

Palace of Westminster

Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the heart of the London borough of the City of Westminster, close to the historic Westminster Abbey and the government buildings of Whitehall and Downing Street. The name may refer to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval building complex most of which was destroyed in 1834, and its replacement New Palace that stands today; it has retained its original style and status as a royal residence for ceremonial purposes.

The Palace of Westminster site was strategically important during the Middle Ages, as it was located on the banks of the River Thames. Known in medieval times as Thorney Island, the site may have been first-used for a royal residence by Canute the Great during his reign from 1016 to 1035. St Edward the Confessor, the penultimate Saxon monarch of England, built a royal palace on Thorney Island just west of the City of London at about the same time as he built Westminster Abbey (1045–50). Thorney Island and the surrounding area soon became known as Westminster (a contraction of the words West Minster). Neither the buildings used by the Saxons nor those used by William I survive. The oldest existing part of the Palace (Westminster Hall) dates from the reign of William I's successor, King William II.

On 16 October 1834, a fire broke out in the Palace after an overheated stove used to destroy the Exchequer's stockpile of tally sticks set fire to the House of Lords Chamber. In the resulting conflagration both Houses of Parliament were destroyed, along with most of the other buildings in the palace complex. Westminster Hall was saved thanks to heroic fire-fighting efforts and a change in the direction of the wind. The Jewel Tower, the Undercroft Chapel and the Cloisters and Chapter House of St. Stephen's were the only other parts of the Palace to survive.

Sir Charles Barry's collaborative design for the Palace of Westminster uses the Perpendicular Gothic style, which was popular during the 15th century and returned during the Gothic revival of the 19th century. Barry was a classical architect, but he was aided by the Gothic architect Augustus Pugin. Westminster Hall, which was built in the 11th century and survived the fire of 1834, was incorporated in Barry's design. Pugin was displeased with the result of the work, especially with the symmetrical layout designed by Barry; he famously remarked, "All Grecian, sir; Tudor details on a classic body"

The Palace of Westminster contains over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) of passageways, which are spread over four floors. The ground floor is occupied by offices, dining rooms and bars; the first floor (known as the principal floor) houses the main rooms of the Palace, including the debating chambers, the lobbies and the libraries. The top-two floors are used as committee rooms and offices.

Westminster Abbey

Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, England (UK), located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. The abbey is a Royal Peculiar and briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546 to 1556.

Westminster Abbey is a collegiate church governed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, as established by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1560, which created it as the Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster and a Royal Peculiar under the personal jurisdiction of the Sovereign. The members of the Chapter are the Dean and four residentiary Canons, assisted by the Receiver General and Chapter Clerk. One of the Canons is also Rector of St Margaret's Church, Westminster, and often holds also the post of Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Henry III rebuilt the Abbey in honour of the Royal Saint Edward the Confessor whose relics were placed in a shrine in the sanctuary and now lie in a burial vault beneath the 1268 Cosmati mosaic pavement, in front of the High Altar. Henry III himself was interred nearby in a superb chest tomb with effigial monument, as were many of the Plantagenet kings of England, their wives and other relatives. Subsequently, most Kings and Queens of England were buried here, although Henry VIII and Charles I are buried in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, as are most monarchs and royals after George II (Queen Victoria and some other members of the Royal Family are buried at Frogmore to the east of Windsor Castle).

These include: William Blake, Robert Burns, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Charles Dickens, John Dryden, George Eliot, T. S. Eliot, Thomas Gray, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Samuel Johnson, John Keats, the Brontë sisters, Rudyard Kipling, John Masefield, John Milton, Laurence Olivier, Alexander Pope, Nicholas Rowe, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Jane Austen, Thomas Shadwell, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Dylan Thomas and William Wordsworth.

Westminster School and Westminster Abbey Choir School are also in the precincts of the Abbey. It was natural for the learned and literate monks to be entrusted with education, and Benedictine monks were required by the Pope to maintain a charity school in 1179.

Westminster Abbey has a long tradition as venue for royal weddings although there were no royal weddings for more than five centuries between 1382 (Richard II to Anne of Bohemia) and 1919. There were only two weddings by reigning monarchs (Henry I and Richard II).

11 November 1100: King Henry I of England was married to Matilda of Scotland

9 April 1269: Edmund of Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, son of King Henry III was married to Lady Aveline de Forz

30 April 1290: Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I was married to the 7th Earl of Gloucester

8 July 1290: Margaret of England, daughter of King Edward I was married to John II, son of Duke of Brabant

20 January 1382: King Richard II of England was married to Anne of Bohemia

27 February 1919: Princess Patricia of Connaught was married to Commander Alexander Ramsay

28 February 1922: The Princess Mary, daughter of King George V was married to Viscount Lascelles

26 April 1923: The Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), second son of King George V was married to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later to become The Queen Mother).

29 November 1934: The Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V was married to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark

20 November 1947: The Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), elder daughter of King George VI was married to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN (later Duke of Edinburgh).

6 May 1960: The Princess Margaret, second daughter of King George VI was married to Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon)

24 April 1963: Princess Alexandra of Kent was married to Angus Ogilvy

14 November 1973: The Princess Anne, only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II was married to Captain Mark Phillips

23 July 1986: The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, second son of Queen Elizabeth II, was married to Miss Sarah Ferguson.

The next royal wedding is planned to be on 29 April 2011 between Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.

Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton

Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton is scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. William, who is second in the line of succession to Queen Elizabeth II, first met Middleton in 2001, while he and Middleton were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their engagement, on 20 October 2010, was announced on 16 November 2010. After the wedding, the couple intend to continue residing on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, where Prince William is based as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.

Clarence House announced on 16 November 2010 that Prince William, elder son of the Prince of Wales, was to marry Kate Middleton, William's long-time girlfriend, "in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London".They were engaged in October 2010 while on a private holiday in Kenya; William gave Middleton the same engagement ring that his father had given to William's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales—an 18-carat white gold ring with a 12-carat oval sapphire and 14 round diamonds. It was announced at approximately the same time that, after their marriage, the couple will live on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where Prince William is based with the Royal Air Force.

The Prince of Wales said he was "thrilled ... they have been practising long enough", and Queen Elizabeth II said she was "absolutely delighted" for the couple, giving her formal consent to the marriage, as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772, in her British privy council on the morning of the engagement. Congratulations also came in from the Queen's prime ministers, including Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard, who has moderate republican leanings. Further, Pete Broadbent, suffragan Bishop of Willesden, who has known republican views, published his reaction to the wedding announcement on Facebook. He later acknowledged that his words were "offensive" and subsequently apologised, but his superior, Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, instructed him to withdraw from public ministry "until further notice".

Following the announcement the couple gave an exclusive interview to ITV News political editor Tom Bradby and hosted a photocall at St. James's Palace. On 12 December 2010, Buckingham Palace issued the official engagement photographs; these were taken on 25 November, in the state apartments at St. James's Palace, by photographer Mario Testino.

Prince William is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As such, he is second, behind his father, in the line of succession to the throne in 16 independent states known as the Commonwealth realms. William was educated at Ludgrove School, Eton College, and the University of St Andrews, after which he was commissioned from Sandhurst in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry. He later transferred to the Air Force and went on to become a full time pilot with the Search and Rescue Force.

On 23 November 2010, Clarence House announced the date for the wedding as 29 April 2011 and the venue as Westminster Abbey, a Royal Peculiar founded in AD 960. Although the abbey has been the traditional location for coronations since 1066, it has only recently been the church of choice for royal weddings; prior to 1918, most royal weddings took place in the royal chapels such as the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace and St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The abbey, which has a usual seating capacity of 2000,[39] has been the venue for recent royal weddings, including those of Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) to Prince Philip (1947), Princess Margaret to Anthony Armstrong-Jones (1960), Princess Anne to Mark Phillips (1973), and Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson (1986).

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From 8.15 am, the main congregation, Governors-General, Prime Ministers of realm countries and the Diplomatic Corps will all arrive at the Abbey. Prince William and Harry are then due to arrive by 10.15 am. Further arrivals in turn will then consist of foreign royals, followed by the Middleton family, and lastly the Prince's family (The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall). As is tradition, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will be the last members of the royal family to leave Buckingham Palace, arriving at the Abbey for 10.45 am. The bridal party will then leave the Goring Hotel in time for the service to begin at 11 am. The service is to finish at 12.15 pm, after which the newly married couple will travel to Buckingham Palace in a procession consisting of other royal family members, the parents of both the groom and bride, the best man, and the bridesmaids. At 1.25 pm, the couple will appear at the Buckingham Palace Balcony to watch the fly past consisting of Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight followed by two Typhoons and two Tornado.

The route of the bride and groom goes between Buckingham Palace and the Westminster Abbey, by The Mall, passing Clarence House, by Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, the south side of Parliament Square, and Broad Sanctuary.

St James's Palace announced on 5 January that the ceremony is to start at 11:00 and that Middleton will arrive at the abbey by car rather than by carriage (the latter is the traditional transport for royal brides.) The planned route is along The Mall, through the Horse Guards Parade, and down Whitehall to the abbey. After the ceremony, the bridal couple will return along the same route by carriage to a reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales is to host a private dinner that evening.

In a break with royal tradition, the groom is to have a best man—his brother, Prince Harry—rather than a supporter, while the bride has chosen her sister, Pippa, as maid of honour. The couple will have four bridesmaids—Lady Louise Windsor, the seven-year old daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex; Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the eight-year old daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley; Grace van Cutsem, the three-year old daughter of the couple's friend Hugh van Cutsem; and Eliza Lopes, the three-year old granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall. Two page boys are also to participate: William Lowther-Pinkerton, the ten-year old son of William's private secretary, and Tom Pettifer, the eight-year old son of William and Harry's former nanny, "Tiggy" Pettifer.

The Queen will host a lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace. The reception will start after the arrival carriage with the married couple. It will be a private gathering for guests drawn from the congregation who will represent the couple’s official and private lives. During the Reception, the couple will give an appearance on the Buckingham Palace Balcony. The East front of the palace contains this well-known balcony on which the Royal Family traditionally congregate to greet crowds outside. Guests will be served with canapés at the Reception.

In the evening, The Prince of Wales will give a private dinner, followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace for the couple and their close friends and family.

On 16 and 17 February, three sets of guest lists were sent out in the name of the Queen. As William is not the heir apparent, protocol has dictated that many guests (or their successors in office) who were invited to the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 need not be invited to William's wedding. More than half of the guests will be family and friends of the couple, though there will be a significant number of Commonwealth leaders (including the governors-general who represent the Queen in Commonwealth realms other than the UK, prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms, and heads of government of other Commonwealth countries), members of religious organisations, the diplomatic corps, several military officials, members of the British Royal Household, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities and others with whom William has worked on official business. Although St James's Palace declined to publish the names of those invited, a breakdown of guests was published by category−the list made no mention of foreign heads of state, though it was announced that about 40 members of foreign royal families had been invited.

The wedding cake will have a strong British floral theme, using elements of the Joseph Lambeth technique. It will be a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake decorated with cream and white icing. The Lambeth technique is based on a style of decorating that was popular in England where chefs and decorators would use a lot of intricate piping to create 3-D scrollwork, leaves, flowers, and other decoration. The method is still popular today and is frequently used by wedding cake designers and decorators to create ornate wedding cakes.

The wedding will be widely broadcast on television, internet and radio. It has been estimated that the coverage will be watched by two billion people worldwide. All four major news programs in the US will expand double and triple their length to allow for full live coverage.

Middleton will have a wedding ring, which will be made from Welsh gold. Since 1923, it has been a tradition in the royal family to use Welsh gold for the wedding ring of the bride.This ring will be made from a small amount of gold that has been kept in the royal vaults since it was presented to Queen Elizabeth II. It was mined from the Clogau Gold Mine in the Welsh mountains, not far from Anglesey, where the couple live. The Clogau Gold Mine has been closed since the previous century.

There is only one case of the oldest surviving son of the Prince of Wales marrying before his father succeeded to the throne: the future George V who married Mary of Teck in 1893. He had already been created Duke of York a year earlier, shortly after the death of his older brother brought him directly in line of succession to the throne.

In recent years, several royal princes who did not already have a title were given one upon marriage, including Prince Andrew, who was created Duke of York when he married in 1986. In a break with precedent[59] Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex; at the same time it was announced that he will be given the title Duke of Edinburgh when that title, currently held by his father, reverts to the Crown.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have personally approved an official range of china (including handmade plates, cups and pill boxes) to be made for the Royal Collection and sold as souvenirs from December 2010. The items are decorated with the intertwined initials of the couple, under the prince's coronet, and include the wording "To celebrate the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton 29 April 2011." The Lord Chamberlain's office approved a longer list of memorabilia, including official mugs, plates, biscuit tins and porcelain pill pots. The document also clarified the use of William's coat of arms and pictures of the couple on such memorabilia.

The royal wedding has been subject to threats of violence and disruption. In February, security agencies, including MI5, identified dissident Irish republican terror groups, such as the The Soldiers of Ireland (Óglaigh na hÉireann), as possible threats. The London police announced in March that they were considering tough measures to prevent disorder amid fear that anarchists will target the event following the protests against government budget cuts earlier in the year. In April, Anjem Choudary, formerly leader of the banned group Islam4UK, warned that a terror attack at the wedding was "highly likely". The group Muslims Against Crusades announced plans for a "forceful demonstration" at the wedding, calling the Royal Family "enemies to Allah and his messenger.

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