14 DAY TRIAL // Prince William and Katherine Middleton, now husband and wife, have gone to great lengths to keep the destination of their honeymoon a secret, understandably, in a bid to avoid media attention. The cat may be out of the bag now – because of a slipup of the hotel chain that offered them accommodation.
The couple initially planned to leave for their honeymoon immediately after the wedding, but media attention got so intense that they eventually decided to push it back for a short while.
Even so, with their best efforts to keep all the details under wraps, some leaks did occur: for instance, the British tabs reported that they would be off to Seychelles for a honeymoon, in what was deemed the closest thing to Paradise on earth.
This was confirmed the other day, when they returned from their very special holiday.
A rep for the couple would not say where the two stayed, but it seems that Raffles Praslin Seychelles, an exclusive resort, did just that.
From the official main page of the Raffles Hotels & Resorts, one is led directly to the first hint that this is where William and Katherine spent their honeymoon: and all one has to do is choose a date, select “2” as the number of adults coming, and opt for Raffles Praslin Seychelles as destination.
After pressing the “Find” button, the third option available is “Prince William & Kate Middleton Honeymoon Package” starting at 980 Euro per night.
Whether the introduction of this package was done with the newlyweds’ consent is not known, but one has good reason to assume that a resort as exclusive and fancy as Raffles would not do this behind their back – or if they hadn’t actually been there.
Oddly enough, this is the only place where one finds this option.
The details available on the website would also seem to confirm that this is the place where William and Kate started their married life, as they match earlier media reports: they have exclusive villas, each with their own pool, bar and butler, and countless other services; the location is exotic and isolated, but also easily accessible by at least two means of transportation; and it’s just the place a royal couple would want to honeymoon.
“Spectacular granite rocks and verdant tropical landscape forms a magnificent backdrop for Raffles Praslin. The resort enjoys direct beachfront access on Anse Takamaka, with a 500-metre long stretch of soft white sand and crystalline blue sea,” reads the description on the website.
“We are not confirming, and we are not commenting, on speculation on where they may be going on their private honeymoon, we are just confirming that they have gone. The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during their honeymoon,” a spokesperson for the Royal Family said two weeks ago when inquiries into the couple’s honeymoon began.
Chances are nothing has changed since then and this bit on the resort’s official webpage is the closest thing to a confirmation we are ever going to get.
For more on the services and wonderful attractions William and Kate enjoyed on their honeymoon, see here.
*Update [May 25, 2011] - A rep for Raffles Praslin Seychelles tells us that, while one could draw the conclusion that the Royal Couple spent the honeymoon there based on the result from the search engine on the official webpage, in reality, the offer is just a “royalty-inspired package,” meant to celebrate Prince William and Kate’s decision to honeymoon in Seychelles. Nevertheless, that should not stop newlyweds from checking the place out: it’s truly Paradise on earth, no exaggeration about it.
