Prince William, Kate Middleton to Stay in No Paparazzi Area in LA
The buzz in Los Angeles is thick with rumors about who will get to rub shoulders with Prince William and the former Kate Middleton. The rumors are also flying in tinsel town about where the royal newlyweds will stay during their U.S. trip from Friday to Sunday.
The couple will spend the night at the residence of Dame Barbara Hay, who is the British Consul-General, in Los Angeles during their three-day visit.
Hay said she will host Brit Week’s annual VIP reception at her Hancock Park house Friday evening and it is rumored that celebrities and who’s who in L.A. politics are vying for an invite.
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She said there is a purpose for the royal couple’s visit to the United States and that they take charity work and British relations "very seriously."
“Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will visit California from Friday 8 July to Sunday 10 July in a trip that will continue to deepen and strengthen the multi-layered links between the United States and the United Kingdom,” she said in a statement.
Americans will no doubt be on the watch for what Kate is wearing as she has extensive wardrobe changes daily.
Canadian newspapers have dubbed the royal couple’s visit as “Kate-Mania” with huge headlines marking their every move.
One news article describes Kate as a true “fashionista.”
“Kate chose to go with an elegant lace dress on July 3, created by the French-born fashionista. It was a symbolic choice, considering the couple is spending the day in French-speaking Montreal,” said the report.
“Kate Middleton accessorized her dress with nude L.K. Bennet heels and a beige print handbag worn recently to Wimbledon and on the first day of her Royal Canadian Tour.”
Royal biographer Andrew Morton, of The Morton Report, said in an interview that the couple has very few friends in Hollywood.
"He has never been to Hollywood before, and Catherine has never been to America," he said.
However, a number of media reports say the royal couple does have a few close friends in tinsel town including Los Angeles-based British couple David and Victoria Beckham, U.K. soul singer Joss Stone, Owain Yeoman, who is the Welsh co-star of The Mentalist, and pop icon Elton John.
Another friend pending their arrival is Guy Ritchie, who is Madonna's ex-husband. It has been reported that he has strong enough family ties to Kate that he, too, scored a wedding invite.
The filmmaker's name surfaced again in connection to the bride and her new groom via a British tab report that said NFL owner Steve Tisch, who executive-produced two of Ritchie's films, would be helping host the small but swanky Hollywood reception for the royals on Friday night at Hay's residence.
Hay's home is a massive Mediterranean-style house measuring some 7,247 square feet with seven bedrooms and bathrooms.
It is located in historic Hancock Park and designed by the renowned Los Angeles architect, Wallace Neff in 1928. It has been the home of successive British Consuls-General since the British Government purchased it in 1957.
The newlyweds have legally secured paparazzi-free zones in certain areas they're planning to visit, according to police reports.
Since Princess Diana's death, Los Angeles has passed three laws intended to curb paparazzi abuses.
The LA Times reports that 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 LA Police Department has received no-trespassing contracts from the residents of seven homes surrounding the Hancock Park residence on June Street, where the couple is spending at least one night.
“Our primary concern is to protect the rights and privacy of the residents as well as the safety of the royal couple upon their visit here to the United States,” said LAPD spokeswoman Mitz Fierro in a statement.
“If they trespass on property where we have a signed trespass letter, they will be arrested immediately.”
Police documents confirm that if someone, especially the paparazzi, enters property where the LAPD has a signed trespass letter, he or she "will be arrested immediately," said Fierro.
The LA Times reports that William and Catherine's requested police measures means British royalty is going a step further than Hollywood royalty has in the past.
According to Hay, the couple will arrive in Los Angeles late Friday and be met by the British Ambassador at the airport.
They will attend a business event in support of U.K. Trade and Investment, which is a group that brings together British and American technologists and Venture capitalists to find new avenues for investment and creating jobs in the United States and the U.K.
“That evening is the reception and they will meet California’s political, business, and philanthropy leaders at a reception at the British Consul-General’s residence,” Hay said in a statement.
On Saturday, the Duke and Duchess will attend the centenary event of the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, which is a charity event held in support of the American Friends of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The tickets are going for about $4,000, and celebrities are competing for a chance to “hang out” with the future King and Queen of England.
Nearly $4.4 million has been raised so far for Will's charitable foundation, which is called The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. The foundation focuses on youth, the environment and armed forces.
“Our father and our mother instilled in us, from the word go, that with these great privileges goes an absolute responsibility to give back,” Prince William says on his website.
The Duke will play in the polo match, and The Duchess will present the prize to the winning team.
That evening, the couple will attend a red-carpet event in support of the British Academy for Film and Television Arts, of which The Duke is President, at the Belasco Theatre.
On Sunday following a private engagement in support of Tusk USA, the American branch of Tusk Trust, of which the Duke is Patron, the couple will visit Inner-City Arts.
Inner-City Arts is an organization that uses visual arts and performance to give inner city children an oasis of calm, fun, and learning. The center is located in the heart of Skid Row.
“In their final event of their trip, the Duke and Duchess will then attend a job fair for U.S. servicemen and women transitioning to civilian life. The event is organized by Service Nation: Mission Serve,” Hay said.
The Duke and Duchess will end their Royal Tour on Sunday evening and return to the United Kingdom on Monday morning.
