It’s Been How Long Since We Saw The Sledge??!!?? Plus A New Documentary about Kate, William & George, and a New Giveaway

Hello, and happy spring. We are back with several very brief tidbits and a fun giveaway.

Quick – when was the last time we saw Kate wearing her trusty Sledge pumps?

It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Duchess sporting the once-ubiquitous footwear from LK Bennett. It’s one of those things that you don’t notice until the absence is pointed out via some other mechanism: in this case I realized the shoes hadn’t been worn publicly for quite some time while working on our upcoming post about distinctions between Kate’s maternity wardrobe with this pregnancy and her previous pregnancy. But just how long has it been since she Kate has been seen wearing the Sledge? A month or two? Six months? Seven months? Longer? That means it’s time for a WKW pop quiz: let us know how long you think it has been with a vote in our utterly whimsical poll. (Now, now, now, no checking previous posts, that wouldn’t be sporting!) And leave a comment if so inclined, sharing if you also noticed the shoes being off the footwear radar, I’m guessing quite a few readers were coming to the same realization I merely stumbled upon.

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 Next, word of a new royal documentary airing tonight on the Reelz network. The program is titled “William, Kate & George: A New Royal Family.” Here’s a snippet about the show from the official news release:

… highlights the major experiences of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge including the birth of George as third-in-line to the throne, the global frenzy surrounding his introduction to the world and the family’s first official tour together when they visited Australia and New Zealand.

The doc is from Imagicians, a production company well versed in royal programming, with more than 50 royal-related programs produced in the last several years. This broadcast features our pal Victoria Murphy, The Daily Mirror’s royal correspondent. More about the program:

Offering fresh insight, exclusive footage and in-depth commentary from some of Britain’s leading royal experts including royal journalist Victoria Murphy, “Kate the Future Queen” author Kate Nicholl, royal commentator Richard Kay and Princess Diana’s former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, “William, Kate & George: A New Royal Family” unveils the inner-workings of the palace, examines Kate’s first official duties since becoming a fully-fledged royal and reveals the Queen’s delight at taking Kate under her wing to prepare her for life in the public eye.

For those unfamiliar with the network (as I was), it airs on the following channels:

• DISH Network: channel 299
• DirecTV: channel 238
• AT&T U-verse: channels 799 & 1799 (HD)
• Comcast: channel 176

That Comcast channel may only be for my area, I would check Comcast’s channel assignments in your region if interested in watching. That same caveat holds true for Time-Warner cable and other content providers. Should you miss the show this evening it is being rebroadcast at the following times:

• Thursday, April 9 at 11pm ET/ 8pm PT
• Saturday, April 11 at 1pm ET/ 10am PT
• Sunday, April 12 at 3pm ET/ 12pm PT and again at 2am ET/ 11pm PT

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Our final item involves a new book from our friends Jessica and Heather, aka “The Fug Girls.” Many readers are familiar with the oh-so-popular duo, renowned for their witty and sometimes-snarky fashion critiques. Not only do they cover celebrity fashion, they also write frequently about royal style. This recent TIME piece showcases some of their thoughts on a century of royal weddings, with insight like the following that references a notable bride, see if you can fill in the blank without reading the story:

“And so, we feel comfortable noting that while _________ gown is deeply appropriate for her third wedding, her headdress looks like she stuck a dinner plate in her bun.”

Some of my favorite Fug columns cover styles worn for figure skating competition. Having spent many (manymanymany) hours in a skating rink growing up, this is of particular appeal.

But to cover the topic, or book, at hand: Jessica and Heather’s new novel, The Royal We, was published yesterday.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

The Royal We is loosely based on Kate and William’s courtship and marriage. When first hearing about the storyline I wondered how successfully this could be pulled off without seeming like a complete rehash of the 2011 wedding and all leading up to it; having finished more than 75% of the book, I can comfortably say this is not an issue. The novel is full of inside info, little snippets that keep the plot fresh while also affording a peek into some of the goings-on associated with such a high-profile romance. More from the publisher:

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it’s Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain’s future king. And when Bex can’t resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

The book has been a delightful read, with some brilliant behind-the-scenes descriptions, biting dialogue, and even a few poignant passages. More on the Rebecca Porter character from Entertainment Weekly:

…an American by birth who’s a bit of a Cool Girl: She loves baseball and junk food! She’s not looking for a serious relationship! She goes by Bex! Like Middleton, Bex comes from a wealthy but déclassé family—her father invented a sofa/fridge combo called the Coucherator.

More importantly, their characters are lively and quippy enough to register as people instead of tabloid-inspired cutouts—especially Prince Freddie, the roguish Spare to Nick’s Heir.

You can buy the book online at Amazon, the Kindle version is $11.43 and the hardcover is $19.95. At Barnes and Noble the Nook version is $12.99 and the hardcover is $19.64.  For a list of independent bookstores near you that are selling the book, click here. There are a number of signings, readings and other events where you can meet Jessica and Heather in person, click here for a complete list.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

We have one signed copy of the book to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment saying where you would most love to be when reading the book: in first class flying to London for the summer? On the beach for spring break? Under a hairdryer at the Richard Ward Salon? Let your imagination run wild and share your preferred perfect spot for settling in with a good book. We’ll close entries Sunday at midnight and announce a winner next Monday or Tuesday.