Kate Middleton's See-Through Dress Fetches $125,000 at Auction (ContributorNetwork)

A see-through dress modeled by future princess Kate Middleton at a 2002 student fashion show sold for an eye-popping $125,000 at an auction in London Thursday.

According to CNN, the black and gold silk mini dress went to a private buyer whose agent would only identify him as "Nick from Jersey." (Jersey is an island in the English Channel located between England and France.)

"It's an iconic piece and he is very happy with the purchase," said the agent. "It's a great addition to his collection."

Reportedly, Prince William was in attendance at the above-noted annual University of St. Andrews Don't Walk fashion show when Middleton traipsed down the catwalk in the dress and, according to reports, it was this moment that sparked the romance between the handsome young prince and comely princess-to-be.

Middleton and Prince William are scheduled to be married at Westminster Abbey on the Feast of St. Catherine on Friday, April 29. The wedding, which will be televised by the BBC, will be broadcast throughout the world.

Throughout the years, a number of other "iconic" pieces of clothing and accessories have sold for considerable amounts of money at auctions. Below is a list of some of the more notable items.

Michael Jackson's Gleaming White Glove

In 2009, the rhinestone-encrusted white golf glove Michael Jackson wore in 1983 when he debuted his moonwalk dance on Motown's 25th anniversary TV special sold for $350,000. It was purchased by Hoffman Ma of Hong Kong on behalf of Macau's Ponte16 Resort Hotel.

Elvis' Jumpsuit

Elvis Presley's white peacock jumpsuit fetched a whopping $300,000 at an auction held by online auctioneer and collectibles company Gotta Have It! in 2008. The high-collared, blue and gold jumpsuit was Elvis' favorite performance costume.

Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday Mr. President Dress"

This dress is truly iconic. On May 19, 1962, Monroe rocked this sheer, tight-fitting, jewel-encrusted dress while singing a smokey, breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy The dress was purchased in 1999 by the above-noted collectible firm Gotta Have It! for a stratospheric $1,267,500. Company president Robert Schargen considered it a steal at that price.

Sources:

CNN - Kate Middleton's see-through dress sells for $125,000

aforadio.com - 10 Most Expensive Auction Items

Huffington Post - Elvis' Jumpsuit Sells For Record $300,000

MSNBC - Michael Jackson glove sells for $350,000

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Camilla Luddington to Play Kate Middleton in Lifetime Movie; Who is she? (ContributorNetwork)

Earlier this month, actress Camilla Luddington was chosen to play Prince William's fiancée, Kate Middleton, in the Lifetime original made-for-TV movie William and Kate. The physical similarities between the two are obvious: both women have long, dark hair, roundish faces and stunning smiles. Both women also grew up in Berkshire, according to the UK Daily Mail newspaper.

Who is Camilla Luddington? Actress to Portray Kate Middleton in Lifetime Movie

But aside from her physical appearance and where she spent her younger years, little is known of Luddington, 29. Luddington certainly wasn't the actor most experts expected to be selected for the part, as women with more established careers such as Emily Blunt, Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley all were mentioned as possible leading ladies in the William and Kate movie.

What Else Has Camilla Luddington Been In?

And though her resume is not quite as long as Blunt's, Portman's or Knightley's, the relatively unknown actress has played parts in Days of Our Lives, CSI and the upcoming Hallmark movie, Accidentally in Love. Luddington was educated at Oxford University, according to The Telegraph, a newspaper published daily in the UK.

In William and Kate, Luddington will play the role of Middleton opposite another relatively unknown actor, New Zealand-native Nico Evers-Swindell. Evers-Swindell has been on NCIS: Los Angeles, Guiding Light and Law and Order. Chariots of Fire actor Ben Cross has been cast to play the part of Prince Charles. Frank Konigberg has been hired to direct the movie.

Lifetime Movie about Prince William and Kate Middleton: William and Kate

The movie, which will detail the 9-year courtship and on-again-off-again relationship of Prince William and Middleton during their years at the University of St. Andrews and beyond, has already begun shooting. The movie will be completed and air shortly before Prince William and Middleton's wedding on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

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Packages Offered to Celebrate the Royal Wedding (ContributorNetwork)

Royal wedding watchers are getting increasingly excited about the upcoming nuptials between Prince William and Kate Middleton which will take place on April 29 at Westminster Abbey. But as we are now only fewer than 100 days before this grand event is scheduled to take place, if you are thinking about crossing the pond to try and catch a glimpse of the royal couple, you better get booking. Airfare and hotel rates continue to rise as more and more fans of the couple from across the globe decide that they just have to be in London to witness the event. So if you are someone who is thinking about going or have already decided that you need to be there, here is a sampling of some royal wedding packages that are being offered.

British Airways is offering a royal wedding package that encompasses the whole weekend of April 27 through May 1. The package starts at $820 and includes airfare and accommodations at your choice of four hotels. The hotels included in the package are the Pembury Hotel, The Royal National Hotel, the Holiday Inn London Regents Park and the Grange Holborn.

The Hilton London Tower Bridge Hotel is also offering a "Royal Wedding Package." The package includes a three-night stay during the weekend of the royal wedding, breakfast every morning and a cream and tea reception in your room. There will also be a Gala dinner on April 30 at the Larder Restaurant.

One Aldwych, a hotel located in Convent Garden in London is also getting in on the celebrations as well. The package consists of a one night stay at the hotel which includes breakfast for two, a champagne toast, a wedding gift, champagne and treats to watch the royal procession and dinner at their restaurant Axis. The package is $768.

And if you can't seem to make it across the pond, The Trump International Hotel in New York is going to be celebrating the wedding of The Prince. The price for a couple is $1,425 but will be well worth it for those serious royal watchers. It includes a one night stay at the hotel with a private showing on huge monitors all while eating breakfast at Jean Georges. Guests who book this package will also receive a piece of the Royal Wedding china as well.

So there are multiple packages that you can choose from if you're planning on traveling to London (and even if you can't) to try and catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton, on their royal wedding procession. But no matter which one you choose, you're sure to have a great time.

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Royal Wedding to Be Broadcast in 2-D Only (ContributorNetwork)

The royal wedding stands to be a massive event. Those who don't get to see the royal wedding live, or see the procession live, will be huddled around their televisions on April 29. Fans of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and other onlookers across the world, likely can't ask for anything more. However, Rupert Murdoch tried to give TV viewers one more thrill, with plans to broadcast the royal wedding in 3-D. Yet the family nixed that idea, leaving Prince William and Kate to get married in plain old 2-D.

3-D televisions are scarce and very expensive. But Murdoch's BSkyB network has just debuted a new 3-D channel and wanted to broadcast William and Kate's nuptials on it. But according to Time, the royals rejected the idea, since there was no room for 3-D cameras in Westminster Abbey.

This means the royal wedding will not have the same visual spectacle as Avatar, Tron and Toy Story 3 after all. Yet if Murdoch had gotten his way, it would have been the next great showcase for 3D television. It has already taken over the movie industry, and now TV could be the next to fall before long.

Murdoch's Fox helped start the 3-D movie revolution with Avatar, which inspired other studios to put pretty much everything in 3-D. However, ever since Avatar, people have been less fond of paying more money for the giant glasses. So since the movement may have jumped the shark in Hollywood, they may need to focus more on television.

Seeing the royal wedding in 3-D might have had some appeal to desperate viewers. They could have gotten up close to Prince William and Kate without having to stand with millions in a massive crowd. It also could have made them feel like they were in Westminster Abbey -- since the average citizen likely can't get in on April 29.

These nuptials are already massive enough in 2-D, but that wasn't enough for Murdoch. Ratings are going to be massive for this event, so networks will need an extra edge to stand out. Therefore, 3-D became an option for BSkyB, but it didn't pan out.

No matter what, the royal wedding will be the Avatar of nuptials, regardless of the dimensions. For now, big television events won't require giant 3-D glasses -- although those who use them will still be paying sky high prices for them.

Beforehand, 3-D was just ideal for special effects extravaganzas, horror films, or animated movies. Now there's even a desire to see people get married in another dimension -- but it won't be fulfilled quite yet.

View the original article here

Royal Wedding to Be Broadcast in 2-D Only (ContributorNetwork)

The royal wedding stands to be a massive event. Those who don't get to see the royal wedding live, or see the procession live, will be huddled around their televisions on April 29. Fans of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and other onlookers across the world, likely can't ask for anything more. However, Rupert Murdoch tried to give TV viewers one more thrill, with plans to broadcast the royal wedding in 3-D. Yet the family nixed that idea, leaving Prince William and Kate to get married in plain old 2-D.

3-D televisions are scarce and very expensive. But Murdoch's BSkyB network has just debuted a new 3-D channel and wanted to broadcast William and Kate's nuptials on it. But according to Time, the royals rejected the idea, since there was no room for 3-D cameras in Westminster Abbey.

This means the royal wedding will not have the same visual spectacle as Avatar, Tron and Toy Story 3 after all. Yet if Murdoch had gotten his way, it would have been the next great showcase for 3D television. It has already taken over the movie industry, and now TV could be the next to fall before long.

Murdoch's Fox helped start the 3-D movie revolution with Avatar, which inspired other studios to put pretty much everything in 3-D. However, ever since Avatar, people have been less fond of paying more money for the giant glasses. So since the movement may have jumped the shark in Hollywood, they may need to focus more on television.

Seeing the royal wedding in 3-D might have had some appeal to desperate viewers. They could have gotten up close to Prince William and Kate without having to stand with millions in a massive crowd. It also could have made them feel like they were in Westminster Abbey -- since the average citizen likely can't get in on April 29.

These nuptials are already massive enough in 2-D, but that wasn't enough for Murdoch. Ratings are going to be massive for this event, so networks will need an extra edge to stand out. Therefore, 3-D became an option for BSkyB, but it didn't pan out.

No matter what, the royal wedding will be the Avatar of nuptials, regardless of the dimensions. For now, big television events won't require giant 3-D glasses -- although those who use them will still be paying sky high prices for them.

Beforehand, 3-D was just ideal for special effects extravaganzas, horror films, or animated movies. Now there's even a desire to see people get married in another dimension -- but it won't be fulfilled quite yet.

View the original article here