Did they make your wedding guest list?

Probably not.

Hash and Chan Shingadia

A few lucky residents of Berkshire will be rubbing elbows with the likes of David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John, other royals and dignitaries at the upcoming Royal wedding.

In keeping with their promise of making this a “people’s wedding”, William and Kate have invited ordinary citizens from Kate’s home village to Westminster Abbey for the big day.

So who scored a spot on the coveted invite list of 1,900 attendees (that even the Obamas couldn’t make)?

The first lucky guest to report an invitation received was John Hale, the owner of the Old Boot Inn, a pub that Wills and Kate frequent when visiting Berkshire.

Chan and Hash Shingadia, the owners of the Peaches Spar; a convenience store in Bucklebury also received an invitation in the mail.

Mrs. Shingadia, 42, described how Kate and William stop by the shop to buy Haribo candy and mint Vienetta ice cream – Wills’ favorite – when they stay at Kate’s parent’s home.

She said, “They were here three weeks ago. Kate showed us her ring and she seems very happy with William. We’ve really got to know Kate. She is really caring. She is like a human being, not a celebrity, and she is always a good customer.”  

Her husband added, “William came in a short while back when they were going to a friend’s wedding in Gloucester. He asked how I was getting on and about my family, and I asked how his grandma was doing.”

Fidler, the "Metric Martyr"

Another lucky attendee – the local butcher!

Fidler, who is known as the “metric martyr” due to sticking to imperial measurements, told the Daily Mail, “We’re really looking forward to the day. We’ve known Kate’s mother Carole for years, before she met Kate’s father Mike.”

We hear that the local postman, Ryan Naylor, is also invited. When interviewed, he remained coy only confirming, “I deliver to the Middleton family. Kate’s a friendly, natural, lovely girl.”

Wow, we are blown away! Way to keep it real, Wills and Kate. You’ve just made these people’s lives.

Now, where is our invite? Still waiting!

Bust out your old lunch box thermos and fill that sucker up with some bubbly because today UKate is heading out behind the middle school for the ultimate game of paper fortune teller.

In this corner: Charlene W.

Kate will be going up against fellow commoner-turn-princess-to-be, Charlene Wittstock, who will marry Albert II of Monaco this summer.

As the girls go from regular to royal, the world will be watching to see if they come close to filling the shoes of their stylish would-be mother-in-laws, Princess Diana and Princess Grace of Monaco.

UKate is here to help you decide who is poised to influence the fashion world most with the following princess-to-be face-off. Let’s see how they stack up!

Kate Middleton, 29

The Bucklebury, Berkshire beauty is tall and lean with lustrous chestnut locks and fresh, glowy skin. A sometime Party Pieces project planner, she has already begun to make her mark on the fashion world. (Remember the blue Issa dress that launched a thousand knockoffs?) Kate is the quintessential English rose with her classic British clothing choices – tweed, flat boots, wrap dresses, structured jackets, demure jewelry and whimsical hats and fascinators.

Charlene Wittstock, 32

The former Olympic swimmer is tall, svelt and toned with an athletic build. The sporty South African had a rocky start into the society spotlight in 2006 at Monaco’s Red Cross Ball, wearing a green muslin dress borrowed from a friend and red fingernails that she had painted herself. Her style has become more sophisticated in recent years since Giorgio Armani took her under his wing in 2008. Armani dresses her for events and she’s turning out to be quite the old-Hollywood style stunner.

Favorite Labels

Kate: Issa, Alice Temperley, Collette Dinnigan, Diane von Furstenberg, Katherine Hooker, Reiss, Whistles, Kew and BCBG Max Azria

Charlene: Dior, Armani, Armani Privé, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors

And in this corner: Kate!

Beauty Regimen

Kate: Her coif is maintained at Richard Ward in Sloane Square — a favorite of local celebs and socialites. Her makeup is clean and fresh with dewy skin and nicely shaped brows. She works out daily to stay fit.

Charlene: She’s big on chignons, but mostly suffers from sporty girl hair – stringy and with a permanent just-taken-out-of-a-ponytail slickness. Makeup is minimal other than the occasional smoky eye. Skin seems slightly damaged – we’re guessing from years of sun and chlorine.

Potential Wedding Gown

Kate: A state secret! Rumors are currently pointing to London-based bridal designer Phillipa Lepley.

Charlene: Armani let it slip in January that he would be designing Charlene’s dress for the wedding.

The Ring

Kate: Formerly the engagement ring of Princess Diana, this Garrard 18-carat oval Ceylon sapphire is surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds and is set in 18-carat white gold.

Charlene: A three-carat pear-shaped diamond embellished with round diamond brilliants and set in a unique gray gold, created by Italian jeweler Repossi.

The House

Kate: An isolated cottage on the Welsh Island of Anglesey – sans servants

Charlene: Monaco’s 12th-century prince’s palace

The Prince

Wills

Kate: Prince William of Wales, 28, is second in the line of succession, behind Prince Charles, to the thrones of 16 independent states, including the United Kingdom. He currently flies a rescue helicopter for the RAF and looks smokin’ hot in uniform. Wills’ hairline has seen better days and his list of exes is rather lengthy, but he has zero baby-mommas and seems to be loyal, down-to-Earth and fit.

Have we mentioned the uniform?

Charlene: Albert II, 52, is the head of the House of Grimaldi, an ancient noble family and the current ruler of the Principality of Monaco. His parents were Rainier III of Monaco and the stunning Princess Grace of Monaco. He comes with a solid playboy rep, two children born out of wedlock to different baby-mommas, a scullet that just won’t quit and the physique? Less than stellar.

Their Futures:

Kate: It is the queen’s wish that the couple avoid the spotlight for their first two years as a married couple. But we’re guessing Kate will be putting her creative talents to use right away. Maybe launch her own line of dresses? Put her planning talents to use for charity? There has been speculation around her filling the role of charity patron as well. We know the sky’s the limit for our Kate!  Oh yeah, we should probably throw something in there about an heir. She’ll have to pencil it in.

Albert II

Charlene: She needs to study up on her French and work on becoming more comfortable in designer clothing. She attempted to return to swimming in 2008, but a shoulder injury has kept her from competing. She recently commented that her swimming days are behind her, enabling her to concentrate on her future role as Princess of Monaco. Ditto on the heir and a spare – none of Albert’s love children are eligible for succession according to the laws of Monaco.

Hmm … we don’t remember paper fortune needing a flap for Judge Judy appearances. That Prince Albert is a real game-changer!

Your turn, readers! Drop us a comment on what you think is in store for Kate and Charlene.

Readers, we are down to 61 days until the Royal Wedding - and have a feeling we are going to have a lot to report about Kate in the coming weeks!

Thanks to all of our readers for continuing to show us the love! And welcome to all of our new readers; we look forward experiencing the ride with you! 

Below is this week’s ”Weekly Roundup” on all news Kate; and what a fun week it has been. Kate had her “coming out” party with three public sightings with William this week. And of course, she handled the engagements all flawlessly; with amazing grace, charm and fashion sense!

Below are a few of our favorite UKate posts from this week as well as other exciting news on Kate, the wedding, fashion and other Anglophile flourishes! Happy Weekend!

Kate Dazzles at First Official Engagement! UKate

Thousands Flock to St. Andrews for a View of William and Kate! UKate

William, Kate and Harry Visit New Zealand House to Pay Their Respects to Earthquake Victims.  Celebrity-Gossip

The Royal Invitations are Out! The Beckhams are In, Sarah Ferguson is Out, the Old Boot Inn’s Pub Owner is IN…Nice Touch Wills and Kate! The National Ledger

Kate Continues to Show Her “Real” Side by Recycling an Old Coat for the Wales Appearance! Hello! Magazine

Wills Set to Hit the High-Seas with Mates for His Stag Party! UKate

“Let Them Eat Fruitcake” at the Royal Wedding? People

Philip Treacy Enlisted to Create Royal Wedding Headgear! UKate

Issa London Doesn’t Disappoint at London Fashion Week! UKate

A Look at the North Wales Town Wills and Kate Call Home (For Now). People

Wills and Kate Visit St. Andrews

Today, William and Kate made their second official appearance in as many days; visiting their alma mater in St. Andrews, Scotland. The romantical university town is where the two first began their fairy tale love affair ten years ago.

The couple first visited the university, where 600 guests gathered to mark William’s role as patron of the university’s 600^th anniversary appeal; which hopes to raise $160 million for the school over the next three years.

Speaking to the delighted crowd, William noted, “This is a very special moment for Catherine and me. It feels like coming home.” They then toured the Art History lecture hall and walked past the residence halls where they both lived as freshman.

In closing, the university announced a wedding gift to the couple; a $100,000 scholarship in their honor. Sir Menzies Campbell, the chancellor of St. Andrews telling them the college is always proud of its former students; but noting, “We take particular pride in both of you.”

At the end of the ceremony, they were greeted by 3,000 well-wishers along the streets of the campus.

For the engagement Kate paired her lipstick red tailored suit – matching the famous formal gowns of the students – with tall suede boots and a black belt, gloves and clutch. Très chic!

Her second flawless performance has taken the fashion world by storm. Even Project Runway’s Tim Gunn is taking note and feeling the Kate love.

This morning on Good Morning America, he discussed her, “sleek and sophisticated fashion sense” – including the amazing fascinator she wore to yesterday’s lifeboat dedication. You can view his interview here.

ABC also has video of their homecoming to St. Andrews. Check it out!

Leave it to Kate to send fashion buzzing over her accessories!

UKate first reported to you this morning that Kate paired an amazing fascinator in her hair with the gorgeous fitted coat at the lifeboat dedication that she and William attended in Angesley, North Wales today.

We’ve now learned that the headpiece she wore today was made especially for her by Vivien Sheriff Millinery, a small company based in Wiltshire that makes all of their hats by hand.

People reports that the design team was elated to see Kate wearing the piece today: “We saw it on the Internet and we were extremely happy,” says Maddie O’Mahony. “She has quite a few of our pieces and luckily she wore one of ours today.”

O’Mahoney added, “It’s a shame that it was a bit windswept, but she does look really, really beautiful,” says O’Mahony. “She’s a really good dresser. She looks lovely!”

The fascinator was a small beret-style made with brown velvet and trimmed with pheasant feathers to match the brown of her coat. It was topped off with a cameo and buttons from military uniforms. One of the button badges was from a Welsh uniform. (You really don’t miss a beat do you, Kate?)

She is just First-Class all the way. We can’t wait to see what fascinators she has up her sleeve for the coming weeks!

William and Kate were in fine form today as they made their first official engagement since announcing their wedding.

The happy couple arrived to a cheering crowd at Trearddur Bay in Angesley, North Wales, to attend the dedication of the new Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat.

Kate christens the lifeboat,"Hereford Endeavour"

In a touching introduction, William said, “It gives me huge pleasure to be introducing to this relationship, here and now, someone who is not only about to join the Family, but is also about to become an ‘Anglesonian.’ ”

After listening to William’s speech applauding the work of the RNLI crew, she poured a bottle of bubbly; christening the “Hereford Endeavour”.  (Wonder if the champagne was of the Royal variety?)

If Kate has been receiving coaching in her duties as a princess-in-waiting, it certainly showed.

First meeting with dignitaries, she then won over the Union flag-waving crowd of 500; accepting cards and gifts with a smile. She also seemed very approachable, shaking hands and providing autographs to the excited attendees.

The cherry on top was when Kate sang along with the Welsh national anthem flawlessly! (Take note, Christina Aguilera.)

Next stop for the couple?

They will travel back to the University of St. Andrews (where they met and fell in love), to celebrate the school’s 600-year anniversary.

We can’t wait to see you back in your old stomping grounds, Kate!

Barring the appearance of roving merskanks, Wills’ stag party is sure to be more nautical than naughty.

It was reported today that Wills’ last night of freedom will be a tame day of watercraft fun and pints poured dockside.

Hijinks on the high seas will ensue

Best man Prince Harry is organizing the extreme sports bachelor party comprising of 20 lucky lads and costing about £100 per person.

During the day, the boys will live it up on high-speed boats and water skis. Come sundown, the pirates of posh will cool their sunburns with an evening pub-crawl between bars and restaurants only accessible by boat.

With the weekend unfolding off the coast, handlers hope that the prince and his friends will be free from prying eyes and lenses.

The water activities company, which has not been named, is based on the South Coast and will provide a range of equipment, from wake boards to surfboards. Even traditional cruising boats will be on-hand should the lads wish to float about placidly, and talk about their feelings.

However, alcohol will be banned while the boys are on the water. They’ll have to wait until the evening to dip into the drink.

Meanwhile, Kate’s hen do is still mostly a mystery, though her lady friends were recently seen together, perhaps hatching a plan.

Nico Evers-Swindell and Camilla Luddington in Lifetime's "William & Kate"

First Lifetime announced their production of a movie about the Royal couple titled William and Kate, premiering on April 18.  Then TLC upped the ante by announcing an entire week of Royal programming beginning Sunday, April 19.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the Hallmark Channel is also planning to cash in on the Royal wedding fever; going into production soon of an original film titled William & Kate: A Royal Love Story.

Linda Yellen, who was the executive producer of the 1982 CBS TV movie The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana, has written and will produce the biopic.According Barbara Fisher, Senior VP of Original Programming for Hallmark: “The love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton, which will culminate April 29, 2011, in the biggest royal wedding since Charles and Diana, chronicles the pair as young students at St. Andrews, William’s Army training at Sandhurst Military Academy, their break-up, reunification, engagement and planning of royal nuptials, and advice from William’s grandmother, the Queen. While biographical, the film is a love story with an inside look at the nuances of a modern monarchy.”

Although Hallmark has not released the casting for the film, they have said it will premiere at 9pm on August 13 – plan on recreated scenes of the wedding!

We’re interested to see who Hallmark casts as William and Kate in this movie. From the on-set scenes we’ve seen from the Lifetime film, the actor they chose for William (Nico Evers-Swindell) seems to resemble Prince Harry more!

Readers, any thoughts of who will be cast for the Hallmark movie roles?

With all of the speculation as to who will design Kate’s wedding dress, we can’t help but reflect on the dress Princess Diana chose for her own wedding.

Almost 30 years to the day, it is still one of the most recognized and iconic wedding dresses ever to be worn. Sure, the look doesn’t transition well to today’s wedding fashion (we’re sure Kate won’t be sporting the Cinderella look); but remember, this was 1981 and the dress was the epitome of fabulous.

Readers, if you’re anything like us, it was Princess Di and her wedding that sparked our love of England and all things-Windsor. When she stepped out of that glass coach to walk down the aisle to meet Prince Charles, we knew we were witnessing something – and someone – special.

And now, you can view the dress for yourself!

Diana, A Celebration is a traveling exhibition from her ancestral home in the English county of Northhamptonshire that displays 150 of her famous mementos, home videos of Diana as a child and many of her famous outfits – including her amazing wedding dress.

The dress, in all its glory – puffy sleeves with copious yards of hand-sewn lace and taffeta, is displayed with the 25-foot train laid out in full. No detail was spared – a parasol that was made to match the dress (in case of rain) is also displayed in a glass case nearby.

Dress on Display

The exhibition just wrapped up a successful run in Grand Rapids, Michigan where it drew more than 50,000. It its way to Kansas City, Missouri where it will be held at Union Station from March 4 thru June 12, 2011 (straight through William and Kate’s wedding).

On the way to Kansas City, the dress itself made a stop to New York City on NBC’s Today Show; where it was presented as it is shown in the exhibition.

This seems like such an amazing exhibition! While we didn’t have Kansas City on our holiday radar, we may have to make a quick stop to see these amazing mementos. More information on the exhibit can be found at the Diana, A Celebration website.

Heading to Great Britain for a holiday?

Be sure to add Bucklebury, Berkshire to your list of stops.

While London is a no-brainer; Bucklebury is probably somewhere you’ve never considered visiting – until now. This past weekend, the first official coach tour of Berkshire landmarks associated with Kate Middleton hit the road.

Mortons, an excursion company, is capitalizing on both Kate and the Royal Wedding fever by offering £10 ($16) tours of what they are describing as, “Kate Middleton Country.”

For those of you who don’t know, Bucklebury is where it all began. Kate was raised in the village, where her parents, Carole and Michael still reside.

To call the village small would be an understatement; as it boasts a population of only 2,066 residents. So don’t expect a bustling city full of restaurants and a fabulous nightlife.

What will you find on the tour?

Key stops along the route include a glimpse of the houses where Kate grew up, the schools – St. Andrew’s (not to be confused with the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where she met William) and Marlborough College – where she was educated and the church in which she was christened. There’s also a stop at the Old Boot Inn, the local pub that Kate and William have been known to take in a pint or two.

The Old Boot Inn

Not everyone in Bucklebury is super-stoked about the increased attention, however.

Wynne Frankum, chair of Bucklebury Parish Council, told the BBC, “This is her home. Her family have been in the village and the parish all her life. We are privately proud. People have been very protective of Kate for a long time and we respect her privacy.” He did say, however, that the tours would be good for local businesses.

Mr. Frankum, get used to it. We don’t see these tours ending anytime soon!

If Bucklebury seems a little too boring for your taste – no worries! You can still get your fill of Kate with Mortons’ London Royal Wedding tour, which promises to “rejoice in the spectacle, pageantry and celebration.”