Smart casting puts TV Emmy winner in royal role (AP)

By MIKE CIDONI LENNOX, AP Entertainment Writer Mike Cidoni Lennox, Ap Entertainment Writer – Fri Aug 26, 8:32 pm ET

BEVERLY HILLS, California – "Designing Women" creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason once wrote that actress Jean Smart's character on the 1980s sitcom had "legs that stretched out for five or six miles, and one of those laughs that made you feel like riding around in a convertible."

Some 25 years later, Smart's girl-next-door looks, legs and laugh are intact, making her casting of Prince Charles's matronly second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, all the more surprising, except to Smart herself.

"The thing is, I started out in the theater, so I always did all kinds of parts — all different ages, all kinds of parts," Smart explained recently, while promoting the TV movie "William & Catherine: A Royal Romance," which debuts Saturday night on the Hallmark Channel. "And, actually, Camilla was adorable when they were younger."

Smart said she hopes the movie, which follows William and Catherine from introduction to proposal, sheds a new, positive light on Bowles, "the true love of Charles's life," according to Smart. Bowles was widely maligned by the public and press, especially in the aftermath of Princess Diana's untimely death in 1997.

"Yes, there are a couple of moments where she has a nice, self-deprecating sense of humor about herself and the fact it's taken a gaggle of stylists to kind of put her together and everything, and it's kind of nice," Smart said. "I really liked the way she was portrayed in the script, and a very sympathetic, likable character, and I thought she ... deserved that."

Smart, born in Seattle, Washington, probably always will be best known as Charlene Olivia Frazier Stillfield, the naive but huge-hearted office manager at Atlanta's Sugarbaker design firm, on the first five seasons (1986-91) of the sitcom "Designing Women."

"Oh, yeah, it was a great job," Smart recalled. "And we had a blast. And we're all still friends. And we're devastated by losing Dixie."

Co-star Dixie Carter died in April 2010 after complications from endometrial cancer. She was just 70.

"Oh, she was something else," Smart noted, with a wistful smile. "And we all (the "Designing Women" leads) went to the funeral in Tennessee, her little hometown in Tennessee. Annie (Potts) and I flew down together. We met Delta (Burke)," Smart then pursed her lips and looked away, unable to continue for a few seconds, but then noting that Carter's husband, actor Hal Holbrook, was "doing pretty well, considering they were inseparable."

Since leaving "Designing Women," Smart has enjoyed numerous TV-career highs: two Emmy Awards for guest appearances on "Frasier" (2000, 2001), a major role on the drama "24" in 2006, the year it won the Emmy for drama series, and another of her own Emmys for playing Christina Applegate's self-centered mother in the sitcom "Samantha Who?" (2008).

Smart was killed off in the first-season finale of "Hawaii Five-0" last spring, but admitted flying into Honolulu for her occasional role as Hawaii's governor was no tropical vacation. She said she would arrive, be up at 4 a.m. to work, and hurry to be back on a plane to Los Angeles to be with her recently adopted toddler, Bonnie. (Smart is married to actor Richard Gilliland, and they also have an adult son, Connor.)

That said, she loved the series' hunk factor, supplied by stars Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan and Daniel Dae Kim. "All three of them!" she exclaimed. "I mean Daniel, Daniel Dae Kim. I have this friend. She's this darling, very southern, very Christian, married to a cute doctor, but she said (Smart breaks into a Southern accent), `Oh, my God! If I met him, I think I'd just have to lick him. He was wearing those too-tight pants and that bulletproof vest. Oh, my God! You worked with him. I'm going to have to lick you the next time I see you,'" she recounted, laughing.

On the horizon for Smart: possibly another play for the 2001 Tony nominee for the comedy "The Man Who Came to Dinner," and a small role in a Meryl Streep film .

"I never was an ingenue," Smart said. "So thank God. If I was, I mean, I can't imagine how depressing that would be right around now. So, in many ways I do feel as if in the last several years I've sort of been in my prime in terms of work and things.

"So, it's fun," Smart continued. "But I do feel fortunate, because I know there's just not much out there at all for women __ (Smart whispers) __ my age."

Smart turns 60 on Sept. 9.

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Online:

w ww.hallmarkchannel.com

w ww.topthat.net/JeanSmart

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UK watches year's second, low key, royal wedding (AP)

EDINBURGH, Scotland – Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Phillips married England rugby star Mike Tindall on Saturday — but Britain's second royal wedding of the year was largely a low-key affair, with only a hint of the glamor and excitement of Prince William's showstopping nuptials.

Phillips, 30, who is 13th in line to the throne but does not use a royal title, and Tindall, 32, were greeted by hundreds of flag-waving well-wishers and the sound of traditional bagpipes as they left their wedding service at Edinburgh's Canongate Kirk following a private ceremony.

The often publicity shy bride wore a traditional ivory silk gown and a full-length flowing veil, but posed only briefly for onlookers — and gave her husband a fleeting, modest kiss — as they left the 17th century church for a reception at the queen's Scottish residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Unlike William and Kate Middleton's spectacular ceremony in April, the wedding service led by Rev. Neil Gardner was not broadcast on television and crowds gathered in the Scottish city were warned by police there would be little for them to see.

Members of the public packed along Edinburgh's Royal Mile, the city's famed cobbled boulevard, cheered loudly for William and Middleton, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they arrived to join the congregation, traveling in a sleek black sedan with Prince Harry.

Middleton, wearing a biscuit colored coat, dress and large angled hat won a warm reception as she offered a wave, as did the queen and Duke of Edinburgh who arrived shortly before the bride.

While the details of Middleton's wedding gown were a closely guarded secret, Phillips — more commonly seen in jeans or sportswear — made an expected choice in choosing Stewart Parvin, a British designer favored by the queen. She also wore a Greek Key tiara lent to her by mother Princess Anne, and Jimmy Choo shoes.

Parvin also designed the queen's apricot wool coat and silk dress.

Peta Hunt, fashion director of You & Your Wedding magazine said the ivory gown hinted at the bride's quirky personality.

"Who else could go to a wedding and have their dress done by the same person who does their granny's? It allowed her to move with ease and grace, but had an element of fun and flirtiness," Hunt said.

The occasion was far removed from April's international spectacle at Westminster Abbey, but neatly reflected the couple's unflashy style. Tindall had even proposed in a modest setting, as he and Phillips curled up on a sofa at home watching a movie.

Before the ceremony, royal officials confirmed that Phillips will keep her maiden name rather than be known as Mrs. Tindall, largely because of her sporting career.

Phillips is known better for her sporting achievements than her royal heritage, as a world class equestrian who is likely to compete in the 2012 Olympics. Tindall — who Phillips met in 2003 in Australia during England's triumphant Rugby World Cup campaign — is a leading rugby player who has captained his country.

The ceremony was the first royal wedding held in Scotland since 1992, when Princess Anne — the mother of the bride — married her second husband, Timothy Laurence. Anne's elder child, Peter Phillips, married his Canadian partner Autumn Kelly in 2008.

Even the prospect of a brief glimpse of the royal family was enough to entice hundreds to Edinburgh for Saturday's wedding, including a few dozen stalwarts who camped overnight to win a front row view.

Waving a Canadian flag, Margaret Kittle, 76, said she had traveled from Ontario, Canada, and staked out a spot on Friday night. "I flew over last Saturday and have been here since last night. I started following the royals after I saw George VI and the Queen back home in Canada when I was 4 years old," she said.

Helen Sutherland, a 65-year-old from Muir of-Ord in the Scottish Highlands, was wrapped in a warm blanket as she waited for a glimpse of Britain's newest royal couple. "It got chilly through the night, but we want to see the bride and her dress. They seem to be a very happy couple," she said.

Phillips and Tindall hosted a glitzy cocktail party late Friday for relatives and guests aboard the former royal yacht Britannia, which they had hired for the occasion. The famous ship, once used by the queen to tour the world, was decommissioned in 1997.

But the party was a rare moment of public glamor for the couple, who are known for putting their devotion to sports ahead of their celebrity. The couple's honeymoon has been postponed because both are due to feature in major events next week — the bride in horse trials, and the groom in England's rugby international against Wales.

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David Stringer in London contributed to this report.

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Yacht party on eve of Britain's second royal wedding (AFP)

EDINBURGH (AFP) – Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter Zara Phillips and her fiance Mike Tindall threw a party on a yacht Friday on the eve of their wedding, with Prince William and wife Catherine among the guests.

Phillips and England rugby star Tindall hosted drinks on the Royal Yacht Britannia after a wedding rehearsal for Saturday's service in Edinburgh, which they ended with a brief kiss outside the church to the delight of well-wishers.

Among guests arriving at the party was Catherine, wearing a mid-length green dress, who headed up the red-carpeted steps followed by husband William, second in line to the throne, wearing a blue suit and red tie.

They are attending the wedding just three months after their own marriage on April 29, which drew worldwide attention.

Prince Harry, William's younger brother, was last to arrive at the yacht, bouncing up the steps two at a time and entering the party to a huge cheer.

Phillips, wearing a white one-shoulder dress with a blue print design, and Tindall mingled with guests on the outside decking area of the ship during the two-hour party, as a live band played and waiters served champagne and canapes.

The older generation of Britain's royal family was absent, with no sign of the queen, her husband Prince Philip or William's father Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

The yacht, permanently moored in Edinburgh's port of Leith, served the royal family for 44 years, carrying them on 968 official voyages all around the world before it was decommissioned in 1997.

Phillips' parents, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, honeymooned on the ship, cruising the Caribbean in 1973.

The queen adored the yacht and wept in public for the first time when it was retired.

Before the party, former eventing world champion Phillips and rugby World Cup winner Tindall arrived at Edinburgh's 17th century Canongate Kirk in a chauffeur-driven Jaguar for one last run-through of the service.

The couple, both dressed in jeans, spent about 50 minutes inside, along with the Reverend Neil Gardner, who will conduct the ceremony, and Tindall's best man Iain Balshaw, his former Bath and England colleague.

At William and Catherine's wedding, more than a million people lined the streets of London and an estimated two billion more watched on television.

Phillips' wedding, a much more intimate affair, is not being televised but filming equipment was seen being moved into the church.

Canongate Kirk holds up to 400 people and is about 400 metres away from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch's official residence in Scotland, where the reception will be held.

The last royal wedding in Scotland was that of Anne and her second husband Timothy Laurence.

They married in 1992 at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, the queen's private estate in Scotland.

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William and Catherine return home after royal tour (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) – Prince William and his new wife Catherine arrived back in Britain on Monday after a 12-day north American tour during which they were greeted as rock stars, a palace spokeswoman said.

"They have landed in London, that was this morning," a spokeswoman for St James's Palace, the royal couple's official residence in London, told AFP.

William and Catherine were feted from Canada's far north to the Californian sun of the US west coast as they made their first official overseas trip since marrying in Westminster Abbey on April 29.

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Greens and glitter for royal couple; Skid Row next (AP)

By NOAKI SCHWARTZ and DERRIK LANG, Associated Press Noaki Schwartz And Derrik Lang, Associated Press – 1 hr 25 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Hollywood royalty mingled with the real thing as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent a sun-splashed day on the polo fields of Santa Barbara County followed by a diamond-studded night amid movie glitterati at the midpoint of their tour of California.

Prince William wowed the crowd with four goals at his charity polo match then he and the former Kate Middleton headed by helicopter to downtown Los Angeles for a black-tie film industry event that drew Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Jack Black and Jennifer Lopez, among many others.

On Sunday, the royal pair will go from the ritzy to the gritty — the royal couple will watch a dance at a nonprofit academy in the Skid Row area of downtown.

"There's so much compassion in both of them," said Los Angeles resident and royal-watcher Christian Kang. "I know they're going to Skid Row, and I think that's very good to see from someone in his position."

They're also slated to attend a job fair for U.S. servicemen and women transitioning to civilian life.

Saturday night's soiree at the restored 1920s-era Belasco Theatre in downtown Los Angeles was organized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, of which William is president, to promote up-and-coming British talent in the industry.

The duchess wore a flowing lilac dress with white waistband by Alexander McQueen. Fans cheered as they strode a red carpet and the couple responded by walking over and shaking a few hands.

"Before I start, I'd just like to thank Colin Firth for my opening line: I have a voice," William quipped in brief remarks to the star-studded audience, referring to Firth's role as King George VI in the acclaimed film "The King's Speech."

The guests included executives of major studios and entertainment companies along with such luminaries as James Gandolfini, Don Cheadle, Blake Lively and Kristin Chenoweth.

Earlier, up the coast at Carpinteria near Santa Barbara, William's four goals led his team to a win in the overall polo match at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.

"My father, the Prince of Wales, and my brother, Harry, were as green as that grass outside when I told them I'd be here today," William told a reception where guests sipped champagne and whiskey. "Catherine and I have had a busy few days — so the prospect of being able to let loose this afternoon is wonderful for me."

After William's win, the crowd rushed onto the field despite an announcer's pleas for them to return their seats, and finally security used a line of rope to push them back. And a fight nearly erupted between a photographer and an aggressive spectator jostling for a look at the couple.

After decorum was restored Middleton, presented each competitor a blue Tiffany & Co. box with a white ribbon, and a big silver trophy to her husband's team, and gave William a kiss on each cheek when egged on by the crowd.

William wore a white shirt and trousers with a blue blazer while his wife sported a silver and marble-gray hand-painted silk dress by British designer Jenny Packham.

The cheap seats cost $400, while anyone paying $4,000 for a VIP ticket got a chance to hobnob with William and his bride.

Carolyn Sesvold flew in from Chicago to attend the match, buying a brown-and-white polka-dotted dress, hat and gloves inspired by the outfit Julia Roberts wore to the polo match in the movie "Pretty Woman."

Sesvold, a royals fan, also came to watch a family friend who paid about $50,000 to play against William in the polo game. Those playing on the same team as the duke paid twice that, she said.

Cheryl Reyes, who works in an office in Orange County, bought her $400 ticket as soon as she heard the royal couple would be coming to Santa Barbara. Standing across the field nibbling on a sandwich and drinking a flute of juice, she worried about whether she'd be able to see the duchess.

"I wanted to see Princess Catherine," she said. "There's just something magical about being a commoner and ending with a prince. She's the one I want to see."

Both Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, regularly play polo during the summer months. Their love for the sport comes from their father, Prince Charles, who played polo for 40 years before stopping in 2005. Prince Charles broke his right arm during a fall from his horse during a 1990 match, among several polo-related injuries.

Actress Rosario Dawson complimented Kate's fashion sense, calling her style effortless and elegant.

"I think Catherine seems very in her body," Dawson said. "She seems very clear about who she is. She doesn't dress too old, she doesn't dress too young."

The duke and duchess arrived in California on Friday after a nine-day trip to Canada, their first foreign excursion since getting married in April.

Actor Billy Zane said he was pleased that they visited Southern California after their wedding. "It's nice to be able to host them here," he said. "I'm thrilled they showed up so soon."

William and Kate's arrival in California has been a lower-key affair compared to the largely rapturous welcomes they received as they crisscrossed Canada, though small crowds of royal watchers waving British and American flags congregated outside the British consul general's home in Hancock Park and elsewhere.

Though Prince William has been to America before, it is Kate's first trip to the U.S. William's late mother, Princess Diana, who would have turned 50 this month, charmed Americans when she visited in the 1980s.

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Schwartz reported from Carpinteria, Calif.; AP writers Thomas Watkins and John Antczak contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

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Follow Thomas Watkins at http://www.twitter.com/thomaswatkins

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Royal couple promote British talent in Hollywood (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Prince William and his new wife Catherine used their star power to promote British acting talent, at a glittering dinner with Hollywood A-listers on the last night of a 12-day north American tour.

Preparing to fly home Sunday after visiting Canada and California -- their first overseas trip since marrying in April -- the future British king paid tribute to the "magic" of Anglo-American creative dynamism.

William, president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), urged guests including Tom Hanks and Nicole Kidman to give a chance to 42 up-and-coming "Brits to watch" invited to mingle with the Hollywood stars.

"Please give them the opportunities you have always extended to some of the brightest and best that Britain has to offer. When American and British creative talent gets together, magic happens," he said Saturday night.

"Let?s continue the winning formula," added William, who with his wife received a Beatles-like reception in Canada last week, and who are hugely popular with Americans fascinated by the British royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given the full red carpet treatment in Los Angeles -- and generated more excitement than A listers including Tom Hanks and Nicole Kidman attending the star-studded event.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the Belasco Theater in downtown LA, cheering as the usual celebrities arrived for the red carpet entry -- but screaming the place down when William and Catherine arrived.

"They're not just actors, their position is so much greater," said LA local Sarah Pijuan, 28, after meeting the couple who for the first time here stopped to talk to fans -- a contact with the public which they had lots of in Canada.

Earlier in the day they had wowed the crowds at a charity polo match in Santa Barbara, an hour north of Los Angeles up the Pacific coast -- especially after the prince's team won the afternoon's tournament.

Tickets for the one-off event went for $400 dollars -- $4,000 for the privilege of lunching with the royal couple before the on-field action.

The 29-year-old future king drew whoops of approval when he took the field under a blazing West Coast sun at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, as Catherine watched admiringly from the stands.

"They're great role models for young people, they're elegant and great ambassadors for their country," said Santa Barbara resident Victoria Hines, 65, dressed up for the exclusive event an hour north of Los Angeles.

Catherine's clothes have also impressed -- she reportedly brought 40 outfits for the 12-day trip. On Saturday she wore a silver and marble grey dress by Jenny Packham to the polo, and a full-length light blue number in the evening.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- as they have been since marrying in London in April -- arrived in Los Angeles on Friday for the weekend trip following a nine-day tour of Canada.

Officially, the Californian mini-tour will aim to "contribute to deepening and strengthening the multi-layered links between the United States and the United Kingdom," according to a British official briefing.

Unofficially, all eyes have been on who they meet -- after David Beckham and British writer-broadcaster Stephen Fry on Friday, Saturday's celebrity crop included Jennifer Lopez, Barbara Streisand and Jack Black.

On Sunday, they visit "Skid Row" in downtown to visit the Inner-City Arts school, a non-profit academy that provides free classes in visual and performing arts to children from poor neighborhoods.

Later Sunday they attend a job fair for military veterans at Sony Studios in Culver City, before leaving Los Angeles to return to the United Kingdom after their succesful north American trip.

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British royal couple arrive in US (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Prince William and his new bride Catherine arrived in Los Angeles on Friday for a weekend of Hollywood glamour and Californian sun, after a nine-day tour of Canada.

The heir to the British crown is also due to play polo up the Pacific coast in Santa Barbara, and visit an inner-city project in downtown Los Angeles during the three-day stay, Catherine's first ever trip to the United States.

The couple were greeted by California Governor Jerry Brown and other dignitaries after flying in on a gray Canadian Air Force plane direct from Calgary, where they had capped their Canadian tour at the world-famous Stampede.

Their first engagement was at the Beverly Hilton hotel, a conference supporting UK trade and investment, followed by a reception at the British consul-general's residence, where they will stay during the trip.

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Hollywood glamour and sun for British royal couple (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Britain's Prince William will be the star of the show at a charity polo match Saturday, on the second day of a weekend trip to California with his new wife Catherine.

The royal couple, in the western US state for three days after a nine-day tour of Canada, will also use their star power to promote British actors and filmmakers in Hollywood.

After arriving in Los Angeles from Calgary on Friday, they spent the night at the residence the British consul-general in Los Angeles, who also hosted a reception for them on their first evening in town.

On Saturday they will travel an hour up the Pacific coast to the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, for a charity match in aid of the American Friends of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

The 29-year-old prince, second in line to the British throne after his father Prince Charles, will demonstrate his horsemanship while Catherine will present the prize to the winning players.

Tickets for the one-off event have been fetching thousands of dollars, and spectators will certainly hope to get their money's worth, whether or not William wins -- or takes a tumble.

But the prince, who follows in his father's and grandfather's footsteps in playing polo, may have to watch out for a more aggressive American approach to a sport perceived as an upper class in Britain.

"There's huge differences," said Ebe Sievwright, a player and coach with the California Polo Club who is also a British-born actor who says he has played with William.

"Polo in England is very Argentine influenced, and in America there is a great history of cowboys and riding from their own history out in the Wild West," he told CNN.

"It will be interesting for William out in Santa Barbara to play in a game where it's really flowing like a pinball game," he added.

Whatever the outcome on the polo field, the couple will have to pick themselves up Saturday evening for a black-tie dinner hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in downtown Los Angeles.

William is BAFTA's president, and the aim of the event will be to give up-and-coming British actors a chance to meet Hollywood movers and shakers.

Officially, the Californian mini-tour will aim to "contribute to deepening and strengthening the multi-layered links between the United States and the United Kingdom," according to a British official briefing.

Unofficially, all eyes are on who they will meet during the barely 48-hour stay in California.

Britain is well represented here, and there has been much speculation that they could squeeze in meetings with David and Victoria Beckham -- guests at their April wedding -- or Elton John, a close friend of William's mother Diana.

On Sunday, they will visit "Skid Row" in downtown to visit the Inner-City Arts school, a nonprofit academy that provides free classes in visual and performing arts to children from poor neighborhoods.

Later Sunday they will attend a job fair for military veterans at Sony Studios in Culver City, before leaving Los Angeles to return to the United Kingdom after their 12-day north American trip.

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Monaco royal newlyweds throw lavish S.Africa party (AFP)

UMHLANGA, South Africa (AFP) – Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco threw a swank party Thursday for members of the International Olympic Committee and assorted glitterati at a five-star hotel in South Africa.

The newlyweds, who are in Charlene's home country for a meeting of the IOC, held a dinner reception for nearly 500 guests at the Oyster Box, a seaside luxury hotel in the Indian Ocean resort town of Umhlanga.

The couple made a brief appearance on the red carpet in front of the hotel, obliging the crowd of photographers, journalists and several dozen royal-watchers with a quick kiss on the lips.

They spent about a minute posing for the cameras -- Albert dressed in a black suit and red tie, Charlene in a black sleeveless gown with a diamond-shaped pattern that appeared inspired by African design -- then headed back inside to the invitation-only event.

"We're just so thrilled," said Joanne Hayes, public relations chief for the hotel.

The Oyster Box has spent weeks preparing for the event, which follows on the couple's wedding at the weekend in Albert's tiny Mediterranean principality.

Guests arrived to drumming and dancing by a group of young Zulu men dressed in traditional animal-skin garb, and were also serenaded by a local choir.

Dressed mostly in evening gowns and suits, they queued on the red carpet to pass through a security checkpoint at the entrance to the hotel, which was decked out in the red and white of the Monaco flag.

Hayes said the menu would include a dish created in Charlene's honour.

"We've created a special dish called Oysters Charlene. It's created by our executive chef, Kevin Joseph," she told AFP.

"Basically it's oysters baked with creamed spinach, curried lentils and asparagus."

The guest list, which ran to nearly 500 people, included IOC President Jacques Rogge, South African Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss and an assortment of business magnates, local notables and heavy hitters in the sporting world.

South African President Jacob Zuma, who had lunch with the couple Wednesday, had planned to attend but was detained on other business in the northern province of Limpopo, his office said.

Two of Zuma's four wives did however show up for the party, which began at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT).

The newlyweds' South African tour has been part honeymoon and part business trip.

Albert, a member of the IOC, took part in Wednesday's election of the 2018 Winter Olympics host city, which saw Pyeongchang, South Korea beat out Munich, Germany and Annecy, France.

On Friday, Charlene will be welcomed by South African anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu at his HIV foundation in Cape Town.

She will be a co-patron of a collective of 10 charities known as The Giving Organisation Trust, carrying out her first duties as patron with visits to two charities that focus on children and HIV-AIDS and a project working to preserve the region's unique fynbos vegetation in the winelands.

The focus of the trust's charities range from children to health and animal protection.

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With royal visit, celeb shooters under scrutiny (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY and GREG RISLING, Associated Press Anthony Mccartney And Greg Risling, Associated Press – Wed Jul 6, 8:34 am ET

LOS ANGELES – More than a dozen years after Princess Diana's death on a Paris highway sparked an international backlash against the photographers who chased her, her son's visit to the paparazzi hotbed of Southern California has officials on high alert.

Prince William and bride Kate will arrive Friday in a state that in the years since Diana's death has passed three laws intended to curb paparazzi abuses. The most recent change, inspired in part by Jennifer Aniston's experiences, raises the penalties for aggressive driving by paparazzi from mere infractions to misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

The newlyweds are two of the world's hottest celebrities right now and law enforcement officials who have hoped for a situation to test the new laws think they may get one when the perfect storm of British and Los Angeles celebrity photographers jockey for shots of the royal couple.

"We want to make sure everybody has a safe trip," Los Angeles police Sgt. Mitzi Fierro said. She said that would extend to residents and the public, not just the heavily-guarded royal couple.

Beginning Friday morning, police plan to close the street of the British consul-general's home in Hancock Park, where the couple will stay on their weekend visit. Officers have already obtained "No Trespass" letters from neighbors, which will be used to arrest anyone who enters the adjoining properties to try to get pictures or glimpses of the couple.

"If anybody is behaving inappropriately," Fierro said, "we're going to take whatever legal police action we can to enforce the laws."

That includes a trio of anti-paparazzi state laws that are ostensibly unused and have done little to thin the ranks of those who track celebrities' every move.

Photo agencies expect shots of the newlyweds in LA to sell for anywhere from $25 to $1,000. "Every move they make, everything she does, there will be 10,000 images," Bauer-Griffin photo agency co-owner Frank Griffin said of the upcoming trip.

"This will be a pretty good test of where we're at," said Mark Geragos, a celebrity attorney who has helped clients deal with aggressive shooters over the years.

For the LA equivalent of royalty — movie, television and increasingly, reality TV stars — daily paparazzi interactions fuel their stardom. Yet clashes sometimes occur between photographers and celebrities, such as Russell Brand and Mike Tyson, who were arrested after airport scuffles.

Many are surprised that seven months after the law against aggressive driving went into effect, no one has been charged.

Matt Schonbrun, a deputy Los Angeles city attorney, said he expected to see plenty of cases after the law was passed in January. But reports from celebrities of misconduct haven't come in, and a 911 call documenting a dangerous pursuit is necessary, he said.

Private security firms hired by celebrities even offer to put video cameras in their cars to capture what happens when they are pursued by paparazzi.

"These incidents are happening every day. It's really scary and coming to a critical mass," Schonbrun said. "We need a test case and we want the first ones to be egregious. Once that call is made we can get the ball rolling."

Schonbrun said the main challenge for law enforcement is to prove there was intent to make an image for commercial gain. "We need to establish that the picture is going to be sold and it's an undertaking on our part to follow the money trail," he said.

Kain Guercci, director of operations at Talon Executive Services, an Orange County company that provides security for corporate executives and celebrities, said the lure of a big paycheck makes some paparazzi fearless.

"If I'm getting a picture that will pay between $1,000 and $5,000 and I'm going to get a misdemeanor on my record, it just doesn't compute," Guercci said.

The sponsor of the driving bill, Congresswoman Karen Bass, D-Calif., pushed for the stiffer penalties while in the state assembly, in part because of hearing stories from Jennifer Aniston about being hounded. In one instance, the actress told Bass she had been surrounded by photographers on Pacific Coast Highway and unable to drive away.

Two other laws — which allow celebrities to receive hefty civil judgments if a photograph is taken where they have an expectation of privacy — have been on the books for longer and have gone similarly unused.

Aniston did use one of the laws, which was enacted after an incident involving Arnold Schwarzenegger, to sue a man who photographed her topless at her home without permission in 2005. The case settled before trial, but it appears to be the only time a celebrity has used the civil invasion of privacy provision against a photographer.

Although many stars are passionate about cracking down on aggressive shutterbugs, they are less inclined to be called as a possible witness if a case is brought to trial, Schonbrun said.

In public places, some LA-area police agencies are employing more mundane rules against the paparazzi.

Los Angeles police Cmdr. Kevin McCarthy recalled an instance where he sent officers to the school one of Britney Spears' children was attending. Every time she came to pick the boy up, pandemonium broke out and numerous residents called police.

"These guys were parked on side streets, they just came out of nowhere, double parking in the street, getting as many shots as they could," McCarthy said.

Lt. Tony Lee of the Beverly Hills Police Department said his department in recent years has frequently given traffic citations to aggressive photographers. However, the department hasn't seen a case yet that rises to a level where the new law could be applied.

The LAPD also ran a couple of traffic operations, where motorcycle officers would saturate the route being driven by a celebrity, then pull people over for traffic violations. But such operations did little to deter paparazzi looking for the big-money shot, said McCarthy.

Giles Harrison, a celebrity photographer and owner of London Entertainment Group, said he's witnessed the extra enforcement efforts, including on the beaches of Malibu, where paparazzi are being cited for shooting without a commercial license.

Harrison jokes that he's the "world's most infamous pap" — a reference to a 1998 incident involving Schwarzenegger that partially prompted California's initial effort to reign in the paparazzi. He and another photographer were convicted of misdemeanor false imprisonment and sentenced to jail for boxing in Schwarzenegger and his family as they sat in their Hummer.

Citing the incident and the death of Princess Diana, the California Legislature passed its first anti-paparazzi measure a year later. It created hefty civil penalties available to stars whose privacy was invaded and was used by Aniston in her lawsuit.

Years later during his tenure as governor, Schwarzenegger signed an update that makes outlets that publish illegally-obtained images liable for damages, but that version has never been used.

Their legality remains in question and many First Amendment attorneys doubt they would withstand judicial scrutiny if applied.

Harrison said anti-paparazzi laws are unnecessary, that there are plenty of regulations on the books to protect both stars and private citizens. He blamed many of the incidents of bad behavior on untrained shooters who crossed the line.

And for now, it seems, stars are relying on those already established laws, and the occasional assist from police, to keep from being photographed.

Lee, the Beverly Hills police lieutenant, said some stars who aren't familiar with his city have actually come to the police station asking to be escorted out of town.

"It doesn't happen often," Lee explained, "but if we feel there is a safety risk for them, then we will do what we can to ensure their safety.

___

AP writer Thomas Watkins contributed to this story.

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Lavish luxury for Monaco's royal newlyweds in S.Africa (AFP)

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) – It's a venue fit for a prince and princess: a five-star hotel famous for sweeping views of the Indian Ocean and a presidential suite that lists for 50,000 rand ($7,400, 5,100 euros) a night.

The Oyster Box, one of South Africa's most lavish hotels, will host a reception for Prince Albert II of Monaco and his new bride, Charlene Wittstock, as they visit the eastern port city of Durban this week.

The royal newlyweds, who are in town for a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) -- of which Albert is a member -- will be throwing a party at the seaside hotel for 400 guests on Thursday night.

The hotel, which opened in 1947, is famous as one of Africa's most opulent destinations.

It has hosted princes William and Harry, supermodel Naomi Campbell and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, among other notables and celebrities.

Located in the resort town of Umhlanga, just north of Durban, it prides itself on its "colonial charm", a historic lighthouse and oyster beds just offshore that supply the hotel's renowned Oyster Bar.

Joanne Hayes, chief of public relations for the hotel, said it's an obvious choice for an event like the royal reception.

"We're thrilled. It's a great honour. But as far as we're concerned, when you see the Oyster Box, there is no other choice really," she told AFP.

The Oyster Box was built in 1869 and originally served as a navigationa beacon before being converted to a hotel.

It recently underwent a two-year renovation, reopening in 2009. The new owners, the Red Carnation luxury hotel group, sought to blend new furnishings and technology with the original decor of the 1940s and 50s, when the old hotel was in its heyday.

Today the hotel has 86 "individually appointed" rooms and suites, including eight garden villas that each have their own plunge pool.

The crown jewel is the 450-square-metre (4,840-square-foot) presidential suite -- a two-level room served by private lift, with a private swimming pool, private study and marble his-and-hers bathrooms.

South African media have reported that the couple are staying in the suite, but the hotel is tightlipped about its guests.

The Oyster Box boasts six restaurants overseen by executive chef Kevin Joseph, who trained at Michelin-starred establishments in London.

It also has an all-white ballroom adorned with crystal Venetian chandeliers, an infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean and a 24-seat movie theater that can be booked for private screenings with dinner and popcorn.

The royal reception is expected to spill into the various venues of the hotel, which will be reserved exclusively for invitees that night.

The hotel is keeping details of the function under wraps, but Joseph says he is planning a menu that is "seasonal, with a South African touch".

Police and security are expected to set up a cordon around the property.

"This is a private function," said general manager Wayne Coetzer.

"We will do all we can to ensure that the couple and their guests are able to enjoy the renowned Oyster Box hospitality to the fullest."

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Monaco royal newlyweds arrive in S.Africa (AFP)

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) – Newlyweds Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco arrived in her home country South Africa Tuesday after their weekend wedding, according to the hotel where they are hosting a reception.

The couple are in the eastern port city of Durban for the annual session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and are planning a lavish dinner reception for 400 guests Thursday night at a hotel in the nearby resort town of Umhlanga.

The five-star Oyster Box Hotel said the princess had dropped by shortly after arriving to go over plans for the party.

"She arrived today, to discuss arrangements for Thursday's reception," General Manager Wayne Coetzer, told AFP.

"Obviously we are delighted, it is wonderful for Umhlanga and of course the Oyster Box."

South African media have reported that the couple are staying in the hotel's lavish presidential suite, but the Oyster Box declined to confirm if they are guests.

"The whereabouts of our guests and who is staying at the hotel is private information which we do not divulge," spokeswoman Joanne Hayes said.

Both Albert and Charlene are former Olympians -- he a bobsleigh racer for Monaco, she a backstroke swimmer for South Africa.

Charlene, 33, trained in Durban ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The couple moved their wedding up by six days to be able to attend the IOC meeting, where the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics will be decided on Wednesday.

Albert, the 53-year-old son of late Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been a member of the IOC since 1985.

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Monaco royal wedding: live report (AFP)

1617 GMT: "Compared to yesterday's tense ceremony, the Princess seems a little more relaxed," says AFP's Dave Clark.

"But journalists here and -- judging by Twitter responses -- many viewers out there are a little disappointed by the lack of obvious chemistry.

"He did wink at here earlier, and they shared a chat after the vows, but now they seem to be blanking each other.

"Let's hope it's just the solemnity of the moment -- it is after all a religious and political ceremony as well as the wedding of two lovers.

"We might see a kiss later. After all, as part of the ceremony Albert was asked if he "renounces Satan and all evil desires". He said: "I do". Which is reassuring."

And on that note, we're wrapping up this live report. Thanks for reading, and visit our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/AFP, for video coverage of the celebrations.

1605 GMT: Communion begins, to strains of Saint-Saens' Symphony Number Three (Poco Adagio).

1603 GMT: Meanwhile, some dark clouds are gathering outside above the Rock of Monaco. Luckily the reception's inside the city's famous casino.

1556 GMT: And there's a final kiss on the lips.

1554 GMT: Back to the service itself. The Archbishop has read the Lord's Prayer, and is blessing the couple.

1548 GMT: And here's some details on the rings: They're 18 carat white gold and platinum, made by the House of Cartier.

1547 GMT: Later on, Princess Charlene is to change into another Armani dress that sounds like a less-formal version of the one she's wearing now -- off-white silk chiffon with a broad neckline and embroidered four-tier train.

The South African princess may be taking her cue from Kate Middleton -- who changed into a simplified version of her Alexander McQueen wedding gown after her marriage to Britain's Prince William in April.

1544 GMT: As this is a Catholic ceremony, the couple will both be taking Holy Communion. The bread and wine are being blessed.

1543 GMT: The soprano Renee Fleming is singing extracts from Mozart's Solemn Vespers.

1542 GMT: Alexandra Hanover reads the Universal Prayers.

1538 GMT: And in a nod to the bride's birthplace, a traditional South African song strikes up, wishing good fortune to the new couple.

1537 GMT: Albert winks at his bride, and seals the deal with a rather awkward kiss.

1536 GMT: Alexandra of Hanover brings the rings.

1535 GMT: The couple are asked to take each other as husband and wife, and both say yes, no doubt to the immense relief of palace officials.

1534 GMT: The witnesses are called... and now it's time for the couple to exchange vows.

1533 GMT: The couple renounce Satan and proclaim their Christian faith.

1532 GMT: Charlene smiles when the Archbishop refers to fidelity and forgiveness, AFP's Laure Brumont can't help noting.

Senior officials in Monaco now privately admit is the "truth" of the rumour that Albert faces a paternity test following a claim by at least one former lover.

There had been claims -- denied by the palace -- that Charlene had threatened to call off the wedding, days before, when she heard about this.

1527 GMT: "It is the god of love that has allowed the meeting of Albert and Charlene," the Archbishop says.

1525 GMT: Later on, Princess Charlene is to change into another Armani dress for the reception -- off-white silk chiffon with a broad neckline and embroidered four-tier train.

It sounds like a less formal version of the one she's wearing now -- in this respect, the South African princess may be taking a leaf out of Kate Middleton's book. Middleton, who married, Britain's Prince William in April,

1523 GMT: The bride looks calm as she listens to the service, kneeling at the altar with Albert.

1520 GMT: Reading in French, the Archbishop begins the marriage service.

1518 GMT: The first reading, the First Letter of St John, is by Charlotte Casiraghi, second daughter of Albert's sister Princess Caroline.

1515 GMT: Charlene's seven young bridesmaids (not six, according to our earlier post), are wearing embroidered taffeta bodices and red and cream striped taffeta skirts with velvet ribbons.

Their outfits are topped off with wide-brimmed straw hats lined with silk and embroidered in cream mimosa, and each has a black velvet choker decorated with a Provencal gold cross donated by the groom.

1513 GMT: We've got some more details on the dress, which has been confirmed as a Giorgio Armani creation -- no surprises there...

Studded in crystal and pearl, it took 2,500 hours to prepare, according to the palace. The embroidery alone took 700 hours, and "kilometres" of platinum-coated thread were sewn into 130 metres of off-white silk.

Charlene's broad swimming champion's shoulders also had to bear the weight of 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops and 30,000 "stones in gold shades", the palace announced.

The stones and crystals were arranged in floral patterns and the ensemble was topped off with a long train and subtly embroidered off-white veil made from 20 metres of silk tulle, itself requiring 100 hours of labour.

Albert is wearing the cream summer uniform of Monaco's palace guards, its sleeves embrodered with oak and olive leaves and the front fastened with monogrammed golden buttons.

His chest is emblazoned with medals representing the Order of Saint Charles, the Order of Grimaldi and France's Legion of Honour. His rigid fabric cap is topped off with a rosette representing the Crown of Monaco.

1505 GMT: And the service has begun -- with cries of "Gloria!" from the choir.

1504 GMT: Following her are six bridesmaids, representing the six districts of Monaco.

1503 GMT: Composed and smiling, with her her swept stylishly back, she's now at the altar with Prince Albert.

1501 GMT: Princess Charlene has arrived and is slowly making her way through the chapel on the arm of her father. The sleeveless dress, in ivory, has a long train.

1500 GMT: There's applause as Albert comes down the stairs.

1459 GMT: "We're told that many of Charlene's fellow South Africans have decided to watch the rugby today instead of the wedding, says Dave Clark.

"But there certainly seem to be a lot of them tweeting about it -- so maybe they're not all as tough and sporty as they like to seem, and they're secretly at home enjoying the dresses and the hats?"

1458 GMT: Sarkozy, wearing a black suit without tails, gets a round of applause from the crowd of French tourists watching nearby on big screens.

1456 GMT: France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived, without his pregnant wife Carla Bruni. The cameras have all focused on His Excellency Monsignor Bernard Barsi, Archbishop for Monaco. It looks like the ceremony's about to begin.

1454 GMT: Albert II of Belgium and his wife Queen Paola have arrived, followed by Queen Silvia of Sweden.

1450 GMT: We've had a flood of royal arrivals now: from Monaco, Pierre, Charlotte, Andrea, and Alexandra, all children of Princess Caroline. Following close behind are the Moroccan princesses, Mary, the Crown Princess of Denmark, and Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Representing Queen Elizabeth II of England is her grandson Prince Edward and his wife Sophie. Edward is wearing a Royal Navy uniform -- "Presumably an honorary one," notes Dave Clark, "as he didn't stay long in the forces before leaving to go into television production."

1443 GMT: The bride's family have arrived.

1442 GMT: "We must be getting closer to the wedding itself -- Albert's sisters Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie and their kids have just arrived, to warm applause from the 3,800 of their fellow Monegasques in the outer courtyard," says AFP's Dave Clark.

"The royals do seem to be genuinely appreciated in Monaco, which is so small -- only 7,800 nationals and 35,000 foreign residents -- that you meet many people who know them personally, or went to school with them.

"Then again, as subjects of a state with no taxes to speak of and a policy of prioritising locals for jobs, why wouldn't they like the bosses?"

1440 GMT: Some more well-bred guests arriving: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, and the Count of Paris. Farah Diba, Empress of Iran before the country's 1979 Islamic revolution, is also here.

1438 GMT: A correction -- it's the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra that's striking up with Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata No 35.

1436 GMT: British supermodel Naomi Campbell has arrived in a green off-the-shoulder number.

"I've just learned that some consider it unlucky to wear green at a wedding," says Dave Clark, "but then Naomi is not afraid of causing a fuss.

"Monaco television claims that she turned down an invite to Kate Moss's wedding to come to Monaco. No idea if that's true, but it must have been a tough call if it is.

"The Monte Carlo symphony orchestra has started a sound check. They sound ready.

"It really is very sunny and hot out there. There are protective cloths shading the courtyard where the wedding is taking place, but it must be hot inside some of those outfits."

1434 GMT: Bringing a touch of European aristocracy to the red carpet is Emanuele Filiberto, the Duke of Savoy, and his actress wife Clotilde Courau, who is in red. Emanuele Filiberto is the grandson of Umberto II, the last king of Italy.

1430 GMT: "Many of the guests arriving are instantly recognisable celebrities, but all seem to have to produce their invitation as the arrive at the palace gate," reports Dave Clark.

"Bernadette Chirac has just arrived, escported by elegantly dressed and tough-looking body guards, but not her elderly husband. The former first lady still seems popular with the crowds, who cheer her, and she waves briefly and mouths "bonjour" to onlookers.

"Not many guests have brought their kids, but French style icon Ines de la Fressange did, and is taking pictures of them in the courtyard.

"Another young family just arrived, with three excited but slightly awed looking young girls with pretty dresses. No idea who they were, but I bet they won't forget the day they met the princesses," says Clark. Who adds, uncertainly: "Unless they were princesses."

1427 GMT: World motorsports chief Jean Todt has arrived with his wife, the actress Michelle Yeoh. Along with Roger Moore, Yeoh brings a touch of James Bond glamour to the festivities -- she co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies".

1419 GMT: More details of those latest arrivals from my colleague Dave Clark.

"The guests are pouring in thick and fast now, ferried in from the presitigious Hotel de Paris, near the Casino, and other luxury addresses.

"Lots of sportsmen, models and fashion designers. Former James Bond actor Roger Moore is a Monaco resident and big crowd favourite. Big cheers for Karl Lagerfeld, a good friend of Charlene's, who has shot many of her most famous photo portraits.

"Prince Emmanuel de Svoie and wife French actress Clothilde Coureau are en route.

"Giorgio Armani is tanned a dark teak colour, arriving on the arm of an extraordinary tall woman in sweeping elegant dress. Pre-wedding rumours have been unanimous that Charlene's dress will be Armani, but the details are still firmly under wraps."

1417 GMT: An impressive trio of fashion giants has arrived: Italy's Roberto Cavalli, Germany's Karl Lagerfeld, and Italy's Giorgio Armani.

French model Ines de la Fressange, looking very elegant in black, has also arrived with her two daughters.

1413 GMT: Joining the list of sports stars on the list -- both bride and groom have represented their countries at the Olympics -- is former Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase, one of the top players of the 1970s.

1410 GMT: Hot on his heels is Michel Roger, Monaco's Minister of State.

1409 GMT: Monaco's mayor, Georges Marsan, has arrived to great applause.

1408 GMT: And we've had the first casualty of the day. Attempting to make a graceful exit from her car, a guest promptly topples over on her high heels.

1405 GMT: With the sun beating down on the crowd, hats are de rigeur. There's a few shouts for water to be handed out, too.

1402 GMT: A few members of the press appear to have forgotten they're here to work. "Some journalists are having their pictures taken in front of the palace by their colleagues," says an AFP correspondent.

1359 GMT: Upon arrival, the VIP guests step onto a red carpet, embroidered in white, and are promptly saluted by the Prince's uniformed guards.

1358 GMT: French electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, in an open-necked shirt, has arrived to great applause after last night's spectacular light and sound show over the city.

1349 GMT: The weather's looking good: "Warm, with a few light clouds," says my colleague Laure Brumont at the palace.

1345 GMT: "Celebrities have begun to arrive at the palace for the religious ceremony, ferried to the red carpet in a fleet of 200 BMW 7 Series cars," AFP's Dave Clark adds.

"No global stars yet, but we have seen French tennis star of yesteryear Henri Leconte and television quiz show hostess Victoria Silvstedt."

1343 GMT: "A few hundred tourists are scattered along the route between the Rock of Monaco (a 141-metre, or 459-foot tall monolith on the principality's coast) and the chapel, trying to get the best seats," says my colleague at the scene.

"But attendance is very sparse at the moment."

1339 GMT: So what can we expect during Saturday's celebrations?

One thing's for sure, there'll be plenty of glitz, glamour and big names at the wedding feast, which will be held later at Monaco's famous casino.

The most senior guest will be France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose pregnant wife Carla Bruni is holidaying at her family's nearby villa.

Britain's royals will be meanwhile be represented by Elizabeth II's son Prince Edward.

Armani-clad Princess Charlene and her new husband plan to cross the city state in an open topped Lexus hybrid, a gesture to the prince's green credentials amid otherwise extravagant scenes of champagne quaffing and fireworks.

Indeed, whatever carbon is offset by the couple's choice of vehicle, will itself be more than compensated for by the 200-strong fleet of BMX 7 Series saloons that will ferry the guests to the ceremony.

Several more European and African kings and princes will be there, along with supermodels such as Naomi Campbell and several sporting friends of Albert and Charlene, who have both represented their countries at the Olympics.

1330 GMT: Welcome to AFP's live coverage of the wedding of Monaco's Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock, which has seen hundreds of world leaders, fellow royals and stars of sport and fashion descend upon the tiny Mediterranean realm.

Here's a quick round-up of the celebrations so far:

- Saturday marks day two of the nuptials, after yesterday's civil ceremony in the palace throne room. It's set to be marked with a spectacular open-air religious ceremony in front of 800 guests and 3,500 subjects in the palace courtyard.

- Organisers hope the spectacle will overshadow what senior Monaco officials now privately admit is the "truth" of the rumour that Albert faces a paternity test following a claim by at least one former lover.

- There had been reports in the run-up to the wedding that the new Princess Charlene, a South African former Olympic swimmer, threatened to leave when she learned her prince's latest secret.

- Albert is, at 53, two decades older than his bride. He has two children from previous relationships, but even if a third or a fourth is confirmed he will still not have an official heir until his wife bears him one.

- Charlene appeared tense but poised at Friday's civil marriage ceremony in the throne room, but relaxed slightly at a buffet reception for Monaco's people, where she posed for pictures and hugged babies.

- Later, she and the prince joined an estimated 80,000 people -- double the normal population of the state -- at the waterfront for a spectacular sound and light show by veteran French electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.

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Calif. governor, first lady to meet royal couple (AP)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Jerry Brown and first lady Anne Gust Brown plan to greet Prince William and his wife, Kate, when they arrive in Los Angeles next week — marking the second time Brown has hosted British royalty as governor.

Brown's office on Friday released his itinerary during the official visit to California by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and plans show the governor and other officials will greet the couple during their first official overseas tour when they arrive at Los Angeles International Airport on July 8.

"The governor and Anne are delighted that they've chosen California as their single stop in the United States," said the governor's spokeswoman Elizabeth Ashford. "The governor will talk about the strength of the relationship with California: tourism, trade and environmentalism, and there's some possibility they'll talk about corgis."

The Browns have a 7-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi named Sutter, known as California's first dog. The breed is a small herding dog and has been a favorite of the prince's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The queen has bred corgis for years.

When Brown was California's governor the first time in 1977, he hosted Prince Charles, picking him up from the Sacramento Executive Airport in his blue 1974 Plymouth sedan. During that visit, the governor's staff served cold roast beef and California cheeses picked up from a local deli.

Brown met Prince Charles again in 2005 in Oakland when he was the city's mayor, and later that year at a funeral in England.

Prince William and Kate began their North American visit in Canada this week. In California, they are scheduled to attend a reception the evening they arrive that will be hosted by the British consul general, Dame Barbara Hay.

The royal couple is scheduled the next day to attend a charity polo match in Santa Barbara, followed by a black-tie dinner to introduce British film talent to Hollywood executives.

They wrap up their three-day tour Sunday with a visit to an inner-city arts program and a job fair for American servicemen transitioning to civilian life.

The United Kingdom is the state's top overseas tourism market, according to the California Travel and Tourism Commission. Last year 671,000 UK travelers visited the state generating $670 million in economic activity.

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Brits to take part in royal gala announced (AP)

LONDON – The names of 42 young Britons chosen to meet with Hollywood executives at a Los Angeles gala to be hosted by Prince William and the former Kate Middleton have been announced.

Included are actors Tom Hughes and Harry Lloyd, actresses Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Talulah Riley and the writer Jack Thorne.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts said Friday that most of the people invited are not complete beginners and have already begun to show promise in their fields.

The July 9 event at the Belasco Theater is a centerpiece of the royal couple's brief visit to southern California after their eight-day tour of Canada.

It will bring young British film talent including directors and writers into contact with Hollywood decision makers.

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Monaco royal wedding party begins despite rumours (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – The Mediterranean principality of Monaco on Thursday began three days of royal wedding festivities marked by glamour and romance but also, thanks to last minute rumours, suspense and intrigue.

Californian rockers The Eagles were tuning up to mark the start of the party with a late night concert on the eve of Prince Albert II's Friday civil wedding to statuesque South African swimming champ Charlene Wittstock.

After a 40 minute ceremony, Charlene will become Princess of Monaco at the moment Philippe Narmino, Monaco's senior legal official and president of the state council, pronounces the couple man and wife.

On Saturday, the royal union will be solemnised by a very public Catholic religious ceremony, which the palace hopes will put paid once and for all to rumours that the bride has cold feet.

Star guests at the religious ceremony will include France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, several European, Middle Eastern and African kings and princes, and several leading sportsmen and women.

From the world of fashion Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Naomi Campbell will rub stylishly attired shoulders with former James Bond actor Roger Moore.

It will be the biggest day in Monaco since Albert's father Rainier III married Hollywood actress Grace Kelly in 1956, but preparations have been clouded by claims that Charlene attempted to call it off.

Press reports suggested she had learned of some secret from Albert's private life and decided to head home to South Africa, only to be intercepted by royal aides as she approached Nice airport and persuaded to stay.

The royal house and family friends dismissed the claim.

"These rumours have no other goal than to severely damage the reputation of the monarch and thereby that of Miss Wittstock and severely undermine this happy event," said the palace, which is banking on a wedding tourist boom.

Wittstock's father Mike also weighed in, insisting his daughter had been heading to Paris to do some pre-wedding shopping, and not fleeing home.

Albert, 53, has children with two other women but has yet to produce an heir, a matter of some concern to Monaco constitutionalists, who fear instability should the throne revert to his sister Caroline.

For nine centuries Monaco has been run by the Grimaldi family, the crown passing through the male line. In 2002, fearing Albert would die without an heir, Monaco changed its constitution to allow a princess to inherit.

In the absence of any heir, Monaco would become a French protectorate.

Until Tuesday, all appeared to be going to plan. Charlene's blonde locks, high cheekbones and impressively broad shoulders have graced the covers of magazines and celebrity guests are converging on the Mediterranean enclave.

The wedding was never going to compete for column inches with Britain's marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but the Monaco brand was looking forward to receiving a rejuvenating shot in the arm.

Palace advisor and television royal wedding commentator Stephane Bern also tried to dismiss the rumours, but not without adding to the speculation by citing rumours of another love child.

"A woman could easily pretend that she's pregnant by a prince," he told Le Parisien. "You can't do a DNA test to check three days before a wedding!"

The Monaco royal clan has an unlucky matrimonial history.

Albert's mother, US film star Grace Kelly -- turned Princess Grace on her marriage to Rainier III -- died in a car crash in 1982. Her daughter Caroline lost her second husband Stephano Casiraghi in a 1990 motorboat accident.

The other royal sister, Princess Stephanie, has also been unlucky in love, in the words of Wednesday's edition of Le Parisien "marrying almost as often as she falls in love" and finding herself betrayed by her bodyguard lover.

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Rumours cloud build-up to Monaco royal wedding (AFP)

MONACO (AFP) – The flags are out, the fireworks are primed and the dress is under wraps, but it took an ugly rumour of a threatened split to catapult the Monaco royal wedding onto the front pages Wednesday.

Prince Albert II is due to marry statuesque South African swimming champion Charlene Wittstock on Friday in a festival of princely pomp, hoping to save his realm by finally providing it with a legitimate heir.

Reports that Wittstock might be getting cold feet sent shockwaves through the principality, despite fierce denials from the palace and family friends.

"I just spoke to her assistant and whatever the story is, it's not true. I called her and asked if everything is okay, and they said everything is fine," said Ryk Neethling, a fellow South African Olympic swimmer.

"These rumours have no other goal than to severely damage the reputation of the monarch and thereby that of Miss Wittstock and severely undermine this happy event," said the palace, which is banking on a wedding tourist boom.

Albert, 53, has had children with two other women but if he cannot produce a legitimate heir the Grimaldi clan will be forced to cede Monaco to France and lose a territory they have held since 1297.

All appeared to be going to plan. Charlene's blonde locks, high cheekbones and impressively broad shoulders have graced the covers of magazines and celebrity guests are converging on the Mediterranean enclave.

The wedding was never going to compete with Britain's marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton -- now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- and the Monaco brand was looking due for a rejuvenating shot in the arm.

But the celebrity press gives, and the press takes away. On Tuesday, reports surfaced of a royal falling out. Charlene, it was said, had learned a dark secret about her stocky, balding partner and flown the coop.

The 33-year-old was reported by L'Express magazine's website and a slew of blogs and Twitter postings to have sought a one-way ticket home to South Africa, only to be intercepted in Nice and returned to her gilded cage.

"Albert and Charlene, a marriage in danger," screamed the headline, above a breathless description of the alleged race to the airport laced with heavy but vague insinuations about the nature of the secret:

"Charlene Wittstock had learned a few hours earlier that the private life of the man she was about to marry, who publicly acknowledged in 2005 a child from an adulterous relationship, was not as exemplary as she had imagined."

An outraged palace firmly denied the tale, the royal couple made a sudden inspection visit to the wedding site to be photographed arm-in-arm and their lawyer announced that he intended to sue for defamation.

The couple's media advisor and the commentator on the wedding for French state television, Stephane Bern, also attempted to deny the rumour, but not without adding to the speculation by citing rumours of another love child.

"A woman could easily pretend that she's pregnant by a prince," he told Le Parisien. "You can't do a DNA test to check three days before a wedding!"

The world's press was abuzz on Wednesday with the story -- and, as some cynics noted, also with advance publicity for the event -- and lawyer Thierry Lacoste had suddenly abandoned his threat of legal action.

Lacoste said he had dropped the case when L'Express agreed to withdraw the article, but it was nevertheless still available on the site, unchanged apart from a brief footnote to acknowledge the princely denial.

L'Express told AFP it had not received any writ and stood by the article.

Meanwhile, other media had joined in dropping hints about the supposed secret, and raking over the details of the prince's previous liaisons -- including his siring of illegitimate children with at least two women.

The Monaco royal clan has an unlucky matrimonial history.

Albert's mother, US film star Grace Kelly -- turned Princess Grace on her marriage to Rainier III -- died in a car crash in 1982. Her daughter Caroline lost her second husband Stephano Casiraghi in a 1990 motorboat accident.

The other royal sister, Princess Stephanie, has also been unlucky in love, in the words of Wednesday's edition of Le Parisien "marrying almost as often as she falls in love" and finding herself betrayed by her bodyguard lover.

The clan's latest experiment in matrimony will begin with a civil ceremony on Friday, followed by a concert by electropop veteran Jean-Michel Jarre, then on Saturday by a Catholic religious ceremony and grand ball.

Assuming the bride hasn't already fled.

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UK royal wedding fund raises 1 million pounds (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – More than one million pounds ($1.62 million) has been contributed to a gift fund set up by Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton ahead of their wedding, the couple's office said on Wednesday.

The Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund was set up to allow well-wishers to donate money to the couple's 26 chosen charities instead of sending a wedding gift. About half was donated by members of the public and wedding guests, and a quarter paid directly to the charities concerned.

The remaining quarter came from revenues raised via a television interview with the couple, sales of the Royal Wedding Album and sales of the Mario Testino photograph printed in the wedding brochure.

The 26 charities to benefit were chosen because they were "close to their hearts and reflect the experiences, passions and values of their lives so far," the fund's website said at the time of its launch.

The fund focuses on five causes: Changing Lives through Arts and Sport; Children Fulfilling Their Potential; Help and Care at Home; Support for Service Personnel and Their Families and Conservation for Future Generations.

Some of the charities are based in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which Prince William's office said reflected the close ties he had established during past trips.

William and Kate, who married in a glittering ceremony on April 29th, are due to fly to Canada at the end of the month in their first official tour abroad. They will then travel to Los Angeles.

The funds will be distributed by the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

(Writing by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Royal newlyweds take "small" entourage to North America (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal newlyweds the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will take an entourage of seven people on their upcoming visit to North America, palace officials said on Wednesday.

The team, which British media described as unusually small, will not include a separate dresser for Kate Middleton, who married Prince William in a glittering royal ceremony on April 29 and has since become a top fashion icon.

The Duchess will also do without a lady-in-waiting, an official female companion, although she will be accompanied by her hairdresser James Pryce.

The couple flies out to Canada on June 30, in the Duchess' first official overseas trip as a member of the monarchy.

Toward the end of the trip, William and Catherine will attend a special "BAFTA Brits to Watch" event in Los Angeles on July 9 designed to promote up-and-coming talent in film, television and video gaming.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White and Phil Noble; Editing by Steve Addison)

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British royal visit to boost California tourism (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Britain's Prince William and his new bride Catherine are due in California next month, for a trip the cash-strapped US state hopes will give a royal boost to its tourist industry.

While travel chiefs hope to showcase the Golden State's attractions for visitors, speculation is intense over exactly where the newlyweds will go and who they will see during the July 8-10 trip.

Meeting Hollywood stars, enjoying the beach at Malibu, dinner with Elton John or the Beckhams -- who may have some fresh baby tips for them -- nothing can be ruled out for the three-day trip, due after a seven-city tour of Canada.

"No matter where they venture in California, the royal visit will create a global postcard for the Golden State this summer," said Caroline Beteta, head of the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

"Certainly at a time when international travel is leading the rebound in the industry, it's a pivotal time for California to be on the world stage with a such a highly-publicized visit by the royal newlyweds," she told AFP.

The couple have already narrowed down the options, saying last week they plan to visit "Los Angeles and surrounding areas" on the trip, the first to the United States by Catherine, who married the man second in line to the British throne April 29.

That will have disappointed some of California's top tourism spots further north, including Yosemite and Redwood national parks, San Francisco or Death Valley on the other side of the Sierra Nevada.

But it still leaves open a swathe of possibilities centered on LA, home to an enormous British community as well as the center of the US movie industry, and playground to its Tinseltown stars.

"Their lives have already been made into a movie, so a stay in Hollywood seems natural," said celebrity bible People magazine, referring to a television film released to coincide with their wedding.

A meeting with David and Victoria Beckham -- guests at the wedding who live with their children in a Beverly Hills mansion -- is seen as among the most likely stops.

In theory, they could even catch the British soccer megastar in action when his team LA Galaxy plays on July 9 -- although that could be torpedoed by the birth of the Beckhams' fourth baby, due in July: who knows, the royal couple could be among the first to welcome the newborn.

Elton John, a close friend of William's mother Princess Diana, also has a place here, although he too has a baby to look after since he and partner David Furnish announced Zachary's birth by a surrogate mother in December.

Then again, they might prefer to hang out in Santa Monica, home to a huge British population who have long flocked to the sea-front community and its lively pier, end of the world-famous Route 66.

"We are very excited to have the royals coming to California, and would very much welcome a visit from them," said Lisa Powers, manager of Ye Olde King's Head pub, steps from the pier and beach.

"A lot of our customers are anticipating that they will show up for a pint of British beer and some fish and chips -- we would of course welcome them with open arms."

It will not be the first British royal trip to California: William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1983, stopping in LA, San Diego, Palm Springs and San Francisco.

Princess Diana was a hit when she came in the 1980s, while father Prince Charles and his second wife Camilla visited the San Francisco Bay area in 2005.

The trip comes as California, the most populous US state whose economy would make it the eighth largest economy in the world if it were a country, struggles to recover from the global recession.

But tourism chiefs say the travel sector is leading the recovery.

"Travel no doubt took a hit in 2009 when the global economy took a major downturn and people were forced to make tough spending choices. The good news now is that travel is on the rebound," said Beteta.

"Leisure travel from all of California's top international markets, with the exception of Japan, are forecasted to experience growth into 2015," she added.

And she said: "California is already a premier travel destination for visitors worldwide. The royal visit will not only cement that status but spur new demand for people to come and visit California."

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