PRINCE WILLIAM'S PLANS FOR THE ROYAL BABY

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INSIDE US WEEKLY
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The US Weekly Cover




The cover story of the new issue of Us Weekly (on national stands Friday) is all about how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will raise a royal baby. The story features lessons from Diana, hiring a “bump” guard, how to teach a tot diplomacy, family reactions, the peculiar situation of who will be heir if it’s twins, and much more!



What can Kate Middleton learn from the late princess, Diana? Diana kept her boys grounded. She made sure that William and Harry knew how privileged they were by visiting homeless individuals. Diana was a hands-on mom. She took the boys to school herself and scheduled her day so she was there when they got home. She showed them the royal ropes. To prepare William for the throne, Diana gave him a full briefing every day. As far as royal customs go, Kate and William do not plan to follow every standard rule. Most royal parents hire full-time teams to care for a newborn, but William and Kate plan to handle the bulk on the childrearing by only hiring a part-time nanny. Still, the heir will be expected to know proper etiquette early on – just like his or her daddy. William already knew the proper wave by the age of 3. By the age of 5, he’d shaken hands with 180 dignitaries. One tradition the couple DOES plan to follow? The baby’s nearest and dearest will dig in to the top tier from Kate and William’s 2011 wedding cake at the baptismal bash. “It’s a tradition that William wanted to keep,” explains a source. “The cake is currently in a freezer awaiting the big day!”



And what does uncle-to-be Harry have to say? He’s happy! Harry sent his well wishes from Afghanistan, where he is serving a four-month tour. “He’s been able to get on the phone once, and he’s been texting both William and Kate a lot,” says a source of the British Army Air Corps captain, 28, who will become fourth in line for the throne after the birth. But if Kate delivers twins, who will be the heir? Kate and William’s firstborn will take the thrown – even if it’s a girl – thanks to 2011 succession reforms. “If Kate delivers by caesarian section, it would technically be up to the obstetrician,” a royal aide tells Us. It comes down to which baby comes first. The pair also have twins in their lineage: Princess Diana’s brother, Charles, has twin girls, and multiples run in Kate’s family. The chances are so high they will welcome the first twin heirs since 1430, in fact, that U.K. bookmakers have slashed the odds from 50-1 to 10-1!



Also in the new issue of Us is a feature on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’, Brandi Glanville and why she doesn’t trust her sons with “bonus mom” LeAnn Rimes. Though Glanville and Rimes (wed to Eddie Cibrian, 39, since 2011) reached a reluctant détente earlier this year, the peace was shortlived. Glanville, 40, says Rimes’ increasingly irresponsible behavior has her fearing for the safety of her boys. “She loves them, but she is endangering them,” Glanville tells Us. She says the country star, 30, who went to rehab in August for anxiety and depression, “has a severe eating disorder.” Furthermore, Glanville alleges that son Mason once ate one of Rimes’ laxatives! (A rep for Rimes calls Glanville’s claims “inaccuracies and half-truths.”)



 Coming next week will be Us Weekly’s year-end special bookazine featuring the biggest celebrity stories of 2012 – from Hollywood’s biggest weddings and exciting baby announcements to the most shocking splits and scandals to the best star style moments.



BETHENNY’S CRISIS: “UNHAPPY” WITH JASON


Bethenny Frankel


The couple have been fighting – and spending time apart



Bethenny Frankel certainly butted heads with husband Jason Hoppy on the third season of Bravo’s Bethenny Ever After. But sources tell Hot Stuff the reality is now worse. “Things have gotten even more strained in recent months,” says a pal. “They’re fighting a lot.” The arguments have become so heated, they’re increasingly spending time apart. The fledgling talk-show host, 42, took a girls’ getaway in late November, while businessman Hoppy, 41, went golfing the day of Skinnygirl’s Christmas party December 7. One ongoing conflict: differing career ambitions. Says a source, “She’s very focused, but he’s just not driven.” Is a separation next? “Bethenny’s unhappy,” adds an insider, “but she really wants to make it work.”





JESSICA SIMPSON: HER COMFORT FOOD FEAST


Jessica Simpson




Jessica Simpson knows how to make the most of a cheat day. The Weight Watchers spokeswoman — expecting baby No. 2 — went all-out at a December 2 birthday lunch for BFF CaCee Cobb, 35. “Jessica ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with onion rings,” a fellow diner at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills tells Hot Stuff. As her friends toasted Cobb with cocktails, the mom to Maxwell, 7 months — who has yet to confirm her pregnancy — waved off her usual white sangria. “Guess what?” she told her server, with a smile. “I’m drinking ginger ale!” In anticipation of the baby’s arrival, Simpson, 32, and fiancé Eric Johnson, 33, are in nesting mode: A source says they just made an offer on a house in LA’s luxe Hidden Hills!






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