Someone sure can put the curt in curtsy!
We already revealed that Queen Elizabeth II wasn't exactly ecstatic with the news that Prince William had failed to properly consult her before going public with their latest round of wedding details (and gave Wills a bit of an earful as a result), but guess what?
It didn't end there. So what else got Her Majesty to briefly break from decorum and give her grandson some free, if unsolicited, advice? Keep reading for more exclusive dish…
According to royal reporter Yvonne Yorke, the decision for Kate Middleton to arrive to Westminster Abbey by—gasp!—car and not, as is traditional, horse-drawn carriage, was the just one of the issues that arose.
Per Yorke, it was not long after the Queen brought up the question of transport that she also implored the king-to-be to be a little more discerning with his decision-making process, asking him, "At what point do you stop being trendy and start being realistic?"
So what caused that question?
While one can't know for sure, it certainly seems as if the tension caused by the high-profile wedding planning—specifically, the parts of it that were done without requiring or seeking her approval—had simply bubbled over.
And while Kate's carriage-free entrance into the Abbey may have been the detail that was called out, it doesn't appear to be the only aspect of the couple's nuptial plans that have put a strain on some royal nerves.
When Prince William first brought up the idea of a breakfast buffet at Buckingham Palace to his grandmother, the Queen said simply that she would consider the idea. As we now know, that was apparently good enough for the prince, as he later announced the reception news via Twitter.
But that's not the worst part—at least not to Her Majesty. It's the idea of a buffet.
How terribly pedestrian. And—how's this for irony?—realistic.
Another point of issue between the royals is the later reception that will take place after the vow swap at Buckingham Palace. Hundreds of guests are expected to make their way to the Queen's home for a night of dinner and dancing hosted by Prince Charles, and this, per Yorke, also failed to get the go-ahead from the lady in residence.
The problem here, per Yorke, is that Buckingham Palace has only one kitchen which it uses for its most formal of occasions, which may pose logistical issues.
The breakfast, you see, is tentatively scheduled to end around 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon, and then there comes the clearing of dishes, the resetting of places, the cooking of multicourse meals and the arrival of hundreds of guests for the evening festivities, all within a matter of hours. It's the same reason why, in the past, dinner receptions have typically been held at nearby hotels.
What is clear is that neither William, Kate nor Charles meant to intentionally disrupt the flow of the day (or, by god, cause any amount of vexing to the Queen), but as none of them has the amount of experience in organizing such a massive do as Her Majesty, they may soon have to step aside.
The organization of Charles' 2005 wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles, for example, reportedly became so disorganized that the Queen stepped in at the last minute. To ensure that a similar level of franticness doesn't strike festivities this time around, the Queen has instructed one person from William's team at Clarence House—his official London residence and the organization responsible for all official information on the Prince and his wedding—be sent over to Buckingham Palace.
In other words, it looks like it will be the Queen, and not the future princess, who will be running the show.
"I'm not sure what William's reaction would be," Yorke said of the new power balance. "When your Queen is speaking to you, you listen."
Welcome to the royal family, Kate.
(Originally published on Jan. 7, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. PT)