Jane Austen wrote the ultimate fairy tales, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is living one herself. But that’s not all these two women have in common.

The famed romance author (1775-1817) and the newly-minted royal, 29, have family ties, according to findings from Ancestry.com.

The ladies are eleventh cousins, six times removed, according to the site, and they are linked through Henry Percy, the second Earl of Northumberland, who was born in 1392.

“Finding this connection between the Duchess of Cambridge and Jane Austen is very exciting since, in many ways, Catherine is the modern Jane Austen heroine: a middle-class girl marrying the future King of England,” says lead historian Anastasia Harman.

“Jane Austen may have written about happily-ever-after, but it seems Catherine has found a nonfiction hero to spend her life with – far past the epilogue.”

And the plot thickens: Percy was the second great-grandson of King Edward III, making King Edward a distant great-grandfather of Kate’s.

News of the connection comes exactly 200 years after the English novelist published her first literary masterpiece, Sense and Sensibility.

Article Source: people.com

Due to start the California leg of their North American tour on July 8, the Royal Newlyweds will head to the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club the next day for a charity match in which William will participate, Kate and 2,500 other people will watch, and the photogenic culinary artist Giada De Laurentiis will cook, the chef revealed on Friday’s Today show.

“I had no idea the Royal Couple would be attending,” De Laurentiis, 40, told Today.com. Meanwhile, in its promos, the show had teased that a member of its staff would be cooking for the Royals – prompting new co-host Ann Curry to announce twice she wouldn’t be the one standing over the stove.

“And when I finally found out it was actually kind of a bummer,” says De Laurentiis of William and Kate being the secret guests of honor. “I couldn’t tell anyone – I had to keep it hush-hush until their California itinerary was released!”

That was Wednesday. So, on Friday, De Laurentiis spilled the beans – rather, revealed her menu – which not only represents California cuisine but also pays tribute to her Italian heritage.

Among the dishes:

• A “light and colorful” pea pesto crostini, featuring pureed peas on toast, topped with half a cherry tomato
• California chopped salad with a mix of grilled lettuces, grilled corn, grilled shrimp, zucchini and crispy tortillas in a light lemon dressing
• Chicken Milanese, which features breaded chicken cutlets in a creamy tomato fennel sauce

Her girlfriends “freaked out” when she told them about her royal connection, says De Laurentiis. “They couldn’t believe I didn’t tell them [earlier]. Everyone tells you that they would have kept the secret. But they are all extremely ecstatic for me.”

Article Source: people.com

Sun hats and sunscreen at the ready, Prince William and Kate will follow the Canadian leg of their North American tour with three days of highly anticipated stops in the Golden State beginning Friday, July 8.

During their stay, the prince will play polo in the wealthy enclave of Santa Barbara, while both he and his new bride will focus “on supporting British interest in California through the prism of their own interests,” says an official spokesperson from St. James’s Palace.

These include armed forces veterans, young people at risk, the arts, and the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry and The Duchess of Cambridge.

As previewed in a general overview released Wednesday, the visit will start Friday evening with a Consular-General Reception – at his residence – on behalf of United Kingdom Trade and Investment, a government department that looks after British business interests and start-ups overseas.

Saturday, July 9, during the day, will find William atop his pony at the Santa Barbara Polo Club. The match will benefit the American Friends of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Saturday night will take them to downtown Los Angeles for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts black-tie dinner and reception at the recently renovated (after being shuttered for more than a quarter of a century) 1926 Belasco Theatre, on Hill Street.

The event is meant to spotlight “up and coming British talent,” according to St. James’s.

Sunday morning, July 10, will allow the couple some private time, while later on they will visit the Inner-City Arts School, which is described on its website as “an oasis of learning, achievement and creativity in the heart of Skid Row.”

As the day progresses, the Royals will also attend the Service Nation: Mission Serve job fair for veterans at the Sony Studios in Culver City, before they head to Los Angeles International Airport.

Article Source: people.com

A new home for the newlyweds: William and Catherine are set to move into an apartment inside Kensington Palace, which will provide them with a London base.

Up until now when in London, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been using William’s bachelor apartment at Clarence House, where he resides with Prince Harry, their father, Prince Charles, and their stepmother, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Currently, the recently married couple are based near his airbase in north Wales.

The new home – suitable for entertaining friends – is likely to be temporary, however, given the confinement of space.

With only two bedrooms, it is not deemed large enough for the both of them as they start a family and accomplish “what they’ll be expected to do” in terms of meetings and entertaining, says a royal source.

A spokesman for the couple confirms, “A number of options for longer term solutions are still being considered. The couple’s main home will continue to be their house on Anglesey, and their [administrative] Household Office will continue to be based at St. James’s Palace.”

It is likely that they will move in late June, early July – around the time of the couple’s tour of Canada and California. Before that, though, the quarters will require some work..

“It hasn’t had any refurbishment for around 15 years, and it has been vacant for a little while,” the royal source says.

William spent much of his childhood at the combined apartments eight and nine – home to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. (Those rooms are currently being used as offices.)

Insiders have told PEOPLE that the light, airy rooms and corridors made it a great place for children to grow up.

Article Source: people.com