Duchess of Cambridge Dish: Best Dressed List Kate Gets SAS Training and Flies Budget

Kate Mania is in full effect so it's not surprising that the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge has found a place on Vanity Fair's 2011 Best Dressed List--her first time doing so as a royal. VF says that Catherine (who made her first list appearance in 2008)has "captivated the world with her signature mix of high and low fashion," thereby earning her spot.  Others named include Carla Bruni and Charlene of Monaco, the Obamas on the couple list, and Mario D'Urso, Alejandro Santo Domingo, Colin Firth, Jenson Button and Stavros Niarchos. We'd wager that Kate will make it to the Hall of Fame quite soon.

And while Kate can do glamour with the best of them--always with her trademark simple elegance--she can also rough it. If flying budget airlines qualifies as roughing it (we'd say so.) In a case of royals being just like the rest of us, William, Kate and Harry all saved their pennies getting to and from Zara's Scottish wedding. William and Kate went through normal security and everything when boarding a Flybe jet in Edinburgh, destined for Manchester. According to the Daily Mail, Prince Harry flew EasyJet both ways "checking in his green army-issue bag for £10."

Perhaps worried about all of KMidd's "normal girl" activities like grocery shopping and flying commercial, the royals have seen to it that the Duchess got some intensive anti-kidnapping training from the SAS. Sure, Kate always travels with a bodyguard but her new found visibility means that she needs to be prepared were the unthinkable to happen.

The Daily Mail reports that "the course, described as 'very tough,' teaches survival skills including how to react when attacked and how to build a relationship in the event of a hostage situation." According to a source, "'The VIP kidnap protection training teaches how to cope both mentally and physically. The mental element involves reacting to unusual situations, such as when there was a stranger in the Queen's bedroom--and she just started talking to him...It also teaches how to become more aware of anything 'unusual' in routine situations, driving under pressure and coded messages."

While we hope that no member of the royal family--or anyone for that matter--has to use such training it sounds like some great James Bond-ish fun to us. Coded messages? Sign us up!


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