to ask for help planning a Princess Day for DD(10)?

[PrincessProblems]

well clearly yes as I'm obviously posting for traffic!!

I need to arrange an extra special birthday treat for DD who will be 10 (cultural reasons why 10 is important on DH's side) She is a 50/50 split of pink and girly and princessy and wanting to be elegant and grown up.

I was thinking of trying to do a princess/ladylike day out/overnight for her but I'm struggling with just where to take her as i'm a total tomboy!! I was thinking maybe a historic palace/castle visit? very posh afternoon tea/lunch?

We are Bristol area but travel is easy and I have a budget of approx £1000 for this. I'm thinking London may be the best option?

I would love opinions and recommendations on places to go that would have the ladylike/princess vibe so she can feel like grown up royalty for the day/two days.

(Please can we not get sidetracked on what we are prepared to spend/spoiling children etc. 10th needs to be a 'big deal' for our family)

Thank you!!

postdated she does have a passing interest in painting/art so maybe a gallery could be an option.

I think she is far far too young for a beauty or pamper day. . I think afternoon tea or lunch and a show would be ideal.

vivienne yes, and I really dont want to encourage her to feel that 'beautifying' is necessary (although she seems to feel it is). Hopefully i can make it grown up and girly without waxing and lipstick!!

I have always been a fan of a lovely hotel, so I would suggest a day's outing in London (but pick one destination, otherwise it can get very overwhelming), followed by a fabulous sleepover!

Perhaps the Royal Mews, or the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden - it also has a fabulous costume museum, which she will enjoy if she likes the theatre - followed by a nice late lunch (plenty of options in Covent Garden, obviously).

You could then see a show, then back to your hotel - I am particularly fond of the Langham for a 'super-treat'.

If you're looking for an amazing hotel, how about Hazlitts? It's near Covent Garden so very handy (and although it looks very adult they take kids!).

I must admit I've not stayed there but it features in one of my favourite novels and is very much on the bucket list!

www.hazlittshotel.com/

I've got a Premier Plus room the Premier Inn at County Hall booked for me and DD later in the year. Nowhere near as elegant but we're doing 2 or 3 nights and as my budget is fairly limited I'm spending the money on adventures instead of accommodation .

@NewYearNewMinty

I haven't stayed at Hazlitt's, but I have stayed at one of its sister hotels, The Rookery, which is AMAZING (and has a hotel cat!).

@AffIt that looks amazing (and weirdly there's also a Clerkenwell connection with the aforementioned series of books!)

I love that they have a cat!

Ok so plan now looks like:

Train into london
Buck palace and mews
afternoon tea at rubens
mary poppins on stage
hotel for the night
breakfast out - any breakfast recommendations??
Visit to hamleys, harrods and disney store.
Sightseeing tour bus.
home on the train.

Think i will downgrade the hotel spec as lets face it, we will only be sleeping there!!

Can I streamline it a little?

Don't do Hamleys and Harrods, they are different ends of London and Hamleys is a scrum. Harrods toy store is much nicer.

Disney Store is in Covent Garden so it might be better to visit there before Mary Poppins which isn't far away in Soho.

That leaves your second day to go across to Knightsbridge where Harrods is.

Oh, I'm wrong, has the Covent Garden store closed? What a shame.

How about a sleep over at Warwick Castle? They have a princess tower and then you can stay over in a suite in one of the other towers with 4 poster beds.

Sorry, saw you have a lovely plan already!

My favourite place in London is the Tower of London. You could go and look at the Crown Jewels?

crown jewels! How could I miss that out!!

Point taken about the geography of harrods to hamleys!!

5128gap warwick castle does look an amazing package actually!

You can have afternoon tea in a carriage

www.theteaterrace.com/book-a-carriage/

My parents took me here on a trip to london once....made me feel very special...www.guestreservations.com/dukes-hotel/booking?msclkid=efa1699fb6171b3a7ca60b940168b799
If she is a chocaholic there is always tea at choccywoccydoodah in carnaby street.

Ok now i'm torn - warwick castle overnight looks amazing!! and to stay in the castle tower! She would adore that!!

Does your DD like cats?

If so, how about a visit to a Cat Cafe for a hot chocolate and cake, and a little play with the resident cats. To maintain a calm environment for the cats, children have to be at least ten years old, so it's quite grown up. There are several in London, but this one is fairly central:

javawhiskers.co.uk/

oh God Waltzing !!! You wonder! DD is cat mad! she is desperate for one but we live on a main road. she has every cat toy you could possibly imagine! had no idea this was a thing!! She would be the cat that got the cream there!!! thank yoU!

Skip the palace!

Choccywoccydoodah was amazing but sadly closed a good couple of years ago.

Aww you’re a good mum! May I ask, what culture is this? I’m curious

Disney Store is just American trash with rewritten fairy tales creating the unwholesome princess concept. Hamley’s is a scrum, but has lovely things and is British owned, unlike Harrod’s.

@Crimesean

First have an affair, and get the tabloids to publish salacious details. Then get your child's uncle arrested for sexual abuse of a minor, and make sure prior to that he's seen in public with a convicted paedophile (check your local sex offenders register, there are plenty to choose from).

Hire some burly security guards to follow DD around all day making sure no-one gets to close to her.

Plan a visit to a local school, a major charity, and a sporting event.

Well that's a different outlook!