Duchess Kate ‘more than ready to spend some time just being a wife & mother’

We are in the final week(s) of Duchess Kate’s pregnancy. At this point, I think I’m going along with the royal conspiracy theory that Kate’s real due date is sooner rather than later, and that she might give birth within the next week, possibly. Which is just as well, because I’m kind of at my limit with the royal pregnancy gossip. Sure, it’s fun for a while but really – Kate’s pregnancy has been pretty bland overall, and she’s barely made any public appearances for the past nine months. She averages something like one or two appearance a month. So here’s a weird/funny story which is meant to sound sweet but actually makes Kate sound like a cartoon character. “A baby goes where?!”

The final countdown has begun for the royal baby! Due July 11, Kate Middleton is “really enjoying her final weeks of pregnancy,” a source close to the Duchess of Cambridge, 31, recently told Us Weekly. Indeed, as Prince William’s wife of two years hunkers down to await the birth — she made her last official engagement last week — she’s still marveling at the wonder of it all.

“Kate finds pregnancy fascinating,” the source says. “She still says, ‘I can’t believe it’ when you talk about a baby being inside her.'”

The father-to-be is just as transfixed, the source adds. “”They’re both so excited and have so many questions.” Like most first-time parents, “they want to know what the baby will look like and who it will take after.”

Middleton plans to give birth naturally at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital, and until that happy, much-anticipated day, she “wants to be near William in the final weeks,” another insider says. “It’s important to her.”

Currently ensconced at the couple’s home near William’s Royal Air Force post in Anglesy, Wales, there’s even an emergency plan in case should she go into labor early, with a helicopter set to fly her to London.

“It’s very exciting,” says a palace aide.

[From Us Weekly]

Kate just took an “emergency” helicopter ride to London earlier this week. I think the emergency was that she wanted to go shopping. Maybe she had a hair appointment. Kate’s been shopping a lot lately of course. Star Magazine also has a story about Kate “preparing for baby” by shopping and shopping and shopping some more. Let’s see if there’s anything interesting… she was enchanted by a large, pink sofa at Kingcome Sofas in London. She also spent time shopping for blue drapes. Kate has been “saying no to splashy events and travel plans” to “spend low-key evenings at home while devoting her days to prenatal yoga sessions, relaxing with loved ones and furnishing her nursery.” Sources say she’s focused on getting everything done at the Kensington Palace apartment.” This is best/funniest quote: “Kate loves her royal life, but she’s more than ready to spend some time just being a wife and mother.” Um, easy, royal propagandists. Also: Kate’s staying at her mom’s house for like two months after she gives birth, so it’s not so much about being a “wife” I guess.

Star also says that Carole Middleton is so baby-crazy that she’s installing a new kitchen and nursery in the new Middleton estate, because Kate and newborn baby are going to be staying there for the first six weeks (at least). Sources also say that Kate has been incredibly emotional during her pregnancy and “she’s had to fight off several panic attacks… she’s terrified about giving birth and all the uncertainties that come with being a new mom.”

As for the Kensington apartment, which has been under renovation for more than a year, newly-released data suggests that the total renovation/refurbishment of that one apartment (it’s like a mansion within a castle) has cost the British taxpayers £1,000,000. And I bet that’s before they even calculate how much Kate is spending on decorations. There’s also new information about Will & Kate’s “epic Asian tour” which lasted all of 10 days. That trip cost the taxpayers £370,000. Let me ask you something, British people: do you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth out of William and Kate?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

206 Responses to “Duchess Kate ‘more than ready to spend some time just being a wife & mother’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Suze says:

    Not from the UK, but my take is that outside of the queen not one of these royals is “worth” the price. Not even that scamp Harry.

    • LadyMTL says:

      My BF is a Brit and many people in the UK don’t think they’re worth the money. Mind you, it’s not like a million pounds is a lot of cash per person – the population in England alone is something like 54 million – so I think it’s more of an ideological issue.

    • phaksi says:

      Im not British, but I am a royaloonie so Id be devastated if the RF were abolished

    • bluhare says:

      That scamp Harry is priceless, Suze!

      • boredbrit says:

        I’m British and Harry is hands down the best part of the Royal Family. The Queens been hogging the throne for donkeys years and I neither like her or dislike her. There, I said it.

    • m says:

      My hubby is also British and we lived there before we had our kids and moved to Canada.

      Each British person pays about 53p (less than one dollar US) a year to support the royal family (down from 69p in 2010). But the family is actually a bargain as they generate an estimated PROFIT of £192.4 million a year in tourist revenue.

      Also, don’t forget that the million pounds does not go into their pockets. It is for the structural renovation, asbestos removal and a new roof on Kensington Palace. So that money goes to the contractors doing the work, so at least it is going into job creation and the pockets of hardworking british subjects.

      • K says:

        That figure isn’t honest on the RF’s part. The most expensive bills to the country of the RF are travel and security, neither of which are included in the nominal cost per citizen. They cost about 4 times the official figure, and nor does every man, woman or child pay tax, so that’s also misleading.

        They actually cost around £3.50 per taxpayer, per year. That could run a decent major hospital. And the tourism figure isn’t accurate either, because Paris opens its palaces to their tourists, and without a RF, we could do the same. Calculating visitors to things like the Tower of London as interested in existing royals isn’t realistic, and if Buckingham Palace were open all year round it could make us a lot more money.

        The bill for Kensington Palace isn’t purely for the fabric of the building. It includes heating and hot water systems, electricals etc. And while we’d pay for those no matter what, absolutely, we would also get to benefit in some way from the use of the building. As it is, we’re paying for a couple of millionaires to live in a luxurious state property, renovated to the highest of standards, rent free.

        I’m not saying there aren’t some advantages to a head-of-state without any political ties, either. I’m just saying the money argument is a weak one.

      • bluhare says:

        Really good post, K.

      • Sachi says:

        m – That only sounds like a bargain on paper and broken down per person, but as a fellow Canadian, I assume you are aware that Canadians pay more for the Queen than the British do?

        On the last report, Canadians pay $1.53 per person to the $1.32 that the British pay. Multiply that amount to the taxpaying population of Canada and you’re looking at roughly $40 million a year.

        Why do we need to pay such a large amount for the Queen? We’re not benefiting from the Queen’s position when it comes to tourism. We’re paying for the Queen out of tradition and sentimentality.

        We already have a Gov. General who acts on behalf of the Queen and who receives a separate salary.

        Why can’t we just send the Queen flowers and a Thinking of You card? $40 million a year is a ton of money and who even knows where all of that goes.

        On the other hand, here in the UK a report just came out today that Prince Charles took a train trip to Alnwick that cost almost $55,000. And guess who paid for it?

        The taxpayers.

        They’re bleeding us more than they let on. I don’t trust this claim that it’s a bargain to support them.

  2. JulieM says:

    It’s difficult to even get my head around this article. She loves royal life- what’s not to love when you don’t have to lift a finger. More time being a wife and mother- what else does she have to do. Sure, there will be a frenzy when the baby is born. But will it change the public’s attitude towards her? Time will tell. What a worthless creature.

    • MavenTheFirst says:

      Yeah, like she loved being a ‘wife’ in Anglesey. Still making those fabulous basic meals for her rescue hero, I’m sure. :rolls eyes:

    • Jocelyn says:

      Like Kaiser mentioned Kate will be staying with her mother so she probably was talking about the wife thing afterwards. I’m not sure it’s so eaasy for Kate JulieM. She must realize some people are not big fans of her (hate her) and that would hurt but I do agree she does not have to lift a finger especially now because of her pregnancy and after her child is born.

      • JulieM says:

        Jocelyn, you know she really could have turned things around after the wedding if she had shown any interest in digging in and earning her keep. She was not an innocent 19 year old. She was an adult with a uni degree and an supportive family. She’s lazy and unfortunately, that is her reputation now. More interested in shopping than her charities.

        And I, for one, don’t hate her. I just do not respect her.

      • Jocelyn says:

        @Julie-Sometimes I wonder why she never picked out a few charities or tried to.

    • nicegirl says:

      to Julie, wow, really, “worthless”? I beg to differ. I actually cannot recall her being convicted of any horrific crimes against animals, children, the environment, humanity in general . . . or even accused. She seems like a human being doing her thing . . .

      • dishy says:

        The feminists who think it’s “worthless” to be a stay at home mom and wife don’t realize they are picking up where the men left off by perpetuating that misogynistic attitude toward women. True feminists pull together and are supportive of ALL women, not just the women who have the same set of ideals that they do.

      • FLORC says:

        Dishy
        The position Kate took was not one where she even gets to stay home and raise her child. The nannies are for that. It’s not a role to cook for her husband and play house. The chefs and staff are for that. It’s a position of influence and she doesn’t harness that power and doesn’t do much else.
        And this is a gossip site. We’re all snippy at those written about no matter the gender.

      • JulieM says:

        Wow, so not being arrested is your definition of being purposeful and worthy. Just wow. Guess I should be a Duchess.

        What is she worth? And I’m talking to the public good; not her family. What has she done except shop and cling to Willy for dear life? As FLORC said, she has public duties. Exactly what does she seem dedicated to?

      • bluhare says:

        JulieM: I’ve got it. She’s dedicated to looking nice. And, unlike some, I think she does a pretty good job at it.

        Everyone Else (as if you give a crap about my opinion!): I was a huge Kate fan when she got married and it was reading things posted here that got me reassessing that opinion. She had one of the best opportunities I can think of to really make a difference, in the perception of the royal family and in the charities she chooses to support. A generation later I can still remember a couple of Diana’s charities — Centerpoint, the Royal Ballet, the landmine initiative. I have a hard time coming up with Kate’s charities, all six of them. EACH, I remember that because of the acronym.

        She’s about ready to perform the only requirement of her job 2 years later. That’s all fine and good, but what else has she done to justify her position? Not much, and this is a woman who was supposed to be the most prepared royal bride in history and was raring to go with arguably one of the most visible platforms on the planet. She could have done us all proud, ladies, and she lied when she said she would and didn’t.

        So I don’t hate her, quite the reverse actually. But I’m very disappointed in her performance so far.

      • linlin says:

        @dishy: She’s not a stay-at-home-wife and mother. They had a staff from the very beginning. What she is, is a lady who lunches, a woman who doesn’t have a job and still has a staff to take care of most of the housework and looking after the children. Before that she was for years without a job too (apart from short part-time jobs who soon were left because she always had to take off for holidays and parties with Willian) although she wasn’t a wife or mother than (and didn’t have a household to take care). That’s what people have problems with.

  3. original almond says:

    All that shopping and travelling must have thoroughly exhausted her.

  4. anonincali says:

    I think that those helicopter ride photos were just released this week but were from May. I might be wrong though the daily mail article was a little fuzzy.

    • Justme says:

      Yes the helicopter ride was from May. The first report on the DM site stated May, but they left it out in the revisions. More drama that way. The pictures clearly show her at an earlier phase of pregnancy then the latest pictures show.

      • FLORC says:

        Was that the ride they took with Lupo? I read 2 spins on that heli ride. 1 was William always by Kate’s side and making sure she’s fine for the travel. The other one was how they looked miserable together and Took separate cars without saying goodbye once they left the helicopter. Like, very awkward and unpleasant. I don’t see why both wouldn’t be true.

  5. anonincali says:

    And I’m not defending her at all. I think that her and her part-time hubby have no desire to give more than they receive…I just don’t think the helicopter ride was recent.

    • Anna says:

      I dont think they give even CLOSE to what they receive. Like, even fraction-close. Let alone ‘more.’

  6. DanaG says:

    Why is the refurb costing so much? It was Princess Margarets old apartment I know died over 10 years ago but how rundown could the place be? Diana did her first engagement about 6 weeks after giving birth so I’m wondering if Kate will do the same? There was a time when we wouldn’t have seen Kate at all while pregnant like the Queen it was considered in bad taste how times have changed. LOL I guess this means Kate won’t get her Summer holiday this year. LOL

    • HH says:

      Hey Dana – Apparently Asbestos was found in the apartment which costs a lot to remove.

      • Flower says:

        They knew the asbestos was there and had started removing it in Nov 2011, it all had to be removed before any work could begin, so this is just an excuse to account for a blow out in costs. The real problem was the interiors, apparently Kate insisted that the wood panelling be taken out of 12 rooms and the walls re-plastered because she didn’t like it. Princess Margaret had the panelling installed in the ’60s.

      • bluhare says:

        Flower: So that’s it? Kate wanted cosmetic changes and that’s what blew up the bill? Why am I not surprised.

      • UsedToBeLulu says:

        How does anyone even know that she insisted on having wood paneling removed from 12 rooms? Sounds like a fantasy someone dreamed up.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Kate’s decisions are documented through statements and sometimes in reports to explain why she’s spending so much money. It’s also how we know she spent a lot of money on scented candles for her “cottage” and exactly what kind of candles they were. It was also stated she refused Diana’s old apartment because it was too small. She wanted the apartment that had a 3rd floor and was occupied by a charity that was evicted for her.
        It’s not hard to find this stuff. It’s all backed up by the palace pr or palace approved journalist.

      • bluhare says:

        A the Telegraph article is still online which indicated that they were initially denied that apt because the charity was in there with a lease, I believe. So they had to be evicted and paid off for Kate and William to get it.

      • LAK says:

        Information about the royals is really easy to find and verify.

        For an entity that is supposed to have tight security, they have very many unplugged holes with regards what is known about them.

        From their own spin PR articles, to loose lipped servants and attendants to their insistence on mingling with the peasants, and biographers and researchers granted access to them. Add camera phones to that equation…..

    • m says:

      Diana actually made her first appearance 2 weeks after Harry when she attended an event at Saint Pauls. Most people say that she was pregnant in these shots but she had actually just given birth. She was wearing a flowy blue dress with black polka dots and a black belt. Somehow I doubt we will see Kate at all until she looses all of the weight and thats another reason why I think she’s going to be staying with her mother, so she can watch the baby while Kate is in the gym all day. How much do you want to bet that she will be at her wedding weight when we see her next?

      • Bridget says:

        And look at how well that went for Diana! She might not be the best example, just considering how much the role of being POW pretty much crushed her.

      • JulieM says:

        Bridget- It wasn’t being Princess of Wales that crushed her. It was her unloving, unsupportive, cheating husband.

  7. LindyLou says:

    I just noticed she is wearing the same earrings in almost every picture. You’d think she would change it up a bit..umm…look who I’m talking about – the “sausage curl” princess! Ha!

    • HH says:

      Ha! She’s not the one to look at for exciting style. Although that is the one thing I like about her. She has a style and sticks to it. Her style is consistent and she’s always had her matronly-looking moments.

    • ozmom says:

      Trying to respond to LindyLou but can’t. LL, big deal if she wears the same earrings often. Would you prefer that she shops for jewelry often so you have another reason to dislike her?

  8. Ag says:

    Mooches. Cut them off, Brits!

    And, ehm, what HAS she been doing besides being a wife? Not much.

  9. JL says:

    If I had her job, constant scrutiny and paps I’d want some time off too. Imagine pregnant and NOT being able to go out in something comfortable.

    Royal life has really got to suck actually. She spends too much money…change up the earrings! Her clothes are expensive, OMG she “recycled” something.

    I just spent $1000 USD on new chairs for my dining room – anyone want to comment on that? Probably not, I made the money – I spend the money and that’s that.

    They couldn’t pay me enough to have that girls job.

    What looks easy isn’t always so easy.

    • Suze says:

      She’s not a girl she’s a 31 year old woman.

      You are right. In your case, you earn your money. You can spend it as you want.

      In the royals case, they receive a lot – money, places to live, lots of adulation. So in return they owe the public something. The question is – are they giving value for what they receive?

      In my view, only the queen is, definitely, and Princess and the Duke of Edinburgh, probably. Prince Charles, possibly. Prince Harry, he’s working toward it. Kate and William have a long way to go to earn their keep.

      And as for the idea that she is under “constant scrutiny” – I don’t know. How often do you see Kate? Lots of royal life is lived very much out of the public eye. You see the public events and the occasional pap photos and you think they are in the public eye more frequently than they actually are.

    • MavenTheFirst says:

      Of course you made the money for your chairs! What’s Dolittle’s reason for her luxe spending? She hasn’t laboured like you.

    • ozmom says:

      Right on, JL!

    • Lauren says:

      You’re right – it’s your money. But even with that, I don’t get your point. $1000 for dining room chairs is pretty inexpensive and certainly not something to be ashamed of. I spent around $1500 recently getting one of the most inexpensive but not crappy lines I could fine. In either case, either $1000 or $1500 would pay for maybe an inch of a royal chair. And they have lots of chairs.

  10. HH says:

    Ready to spend more time being a wife and mother?! She doesn’t do enough work to actually be tired of it.

  11. TheyPromisedMeBeer says:

    If she’s spending six weeks with her mom after she gives birth, then it might be hard for her to spend time being a wife. I don’t see William voluntarily hanging out at the Middleton Compound changing diapers. *snicker*

    So much for “totally normal, modern royal wife”.

  12. LAK says:

    …. As opposed to what?

    • HH says:

      My thoughts exactly, LAK! Even if there hasn’t been a public backlash in regards to her lack of engagements that doesn’t mean people actually consider her to be hardworking. The Palace PR marchine is working over time here.

  13. FLORC says:

    This all sounds like they’re working extra hard to cram the “Wife” bit down out throats because she will be living with her parents for some time after she gives birth. Will William be living at the Midds too? I seriously doubt it. She’s a 31 year old woman, but she appears to have the mentality of a child who clings to her mother to take care of everything.

    I wonder how far out it will be before we hear about baby’s first vacation?

    And i’m not british, but have been bending the ears of my brit friends. They all agreed that not many really care about the RF they’re growing increasingly agitated at the image of entitlement Kate and her family has brought to light. And the waste of money was compared to a trip Fergie took to New York and bought Waaay too much just for the sake of buying it. I think this is the same as Kate buying decorations and furniture for all the nurseries for all the homes she’ll never live in. And then the baby will get older need new furniture for their rooms. All of their rooms.

    • dena says:

      If I were running her PR campaign, I would have had her do a lot of charity work around issues with mothers/children, healthy moms and healthy tots, orphans/adopted children, and/or dad’s raising children alone. With any of those she would have been more credibility playing the “mom card.” Here, she just looks dodgy and work shy–like always.

      All women don’t have to be ambitious with their eye towards a career outside the home. She has never struck me as being overly ambitious that way or too confident being on her own or away from her mother. We have been through all of this. She’s just a 31-year old “highly educated” layabout.

      I will be so happy when she has the baby, so we can all move on to something new.

      • Jocelyn says:

        Dena I agree with everything you said! Except the last sentence. Everything will be worse when the baby comes along.

      • FLORC says:

        Dena
        When she was a few moths along she was speaking with a charity about parents’ overcoming addictions or i think that’s the one anyways. Any who, a woman there told the papers what she talk about with them. It was all about her. No questions for them. Just them asking her how she’s feeling being pregnant and not her asking them how the experience was for them.
        I mention this because she has a very hard time showing interest in other people. So getting her out there for more charities is just another opportunity to showcase a vacant look.

    • TG says:

      She is similar to Kim Kartrashian in that neither of them can do anything with out their mommy’s telling them what to do and ordering and arranging everything for them. What man would approve of their wife moving in with mommy after baby? Ick I just have no tolerance or understanding of adults who can’t handle life without mommy and daddy.

      • dishy says:

        Interesting because a generation or so ago families lived together. If they didn’t, it wasn’t unusual at all for one of the grandmothers to come to the new parents home and stay for the first couple of months. This was NORMAL, expected, and had nothing to do with clinging to the apron strings.

      • LAK says:

        Dishy – pretty sure a generation ago everyone, irrespective of ideology, was expected to stand on their own feet no matter their material circumstances. Grandmothers helping out was a necessity of circumstance as opposed to inability of mother to make any decision.

        Also, culturally, grandmothers staying at new mother’s home FOR MONTHS as you put it, isn’t a British thing. Never has been.

        For women of Kate/Kim’s socio-economic group, Nannies were appointed and possibly installed as soon as baby was born, if not weeks before, and stayed to raise the kid until it could be shipped off to boarding school.

  14. phaksi says:

    You were right Kaiser. The baby is the perfect excuse for her to stay home and be a layabout. Poor baby, he or she will grow up to find that Willy and Waity have ruined the RF and his/her birthright

  15. Jules says:

    Talk about the ultimate Welfare Queens.

  16. ghoulish_moose says:

    The budget for the royal family has gone up this year too! It was on the bbc news the other day that the taxpayers are having to pay an extra £900,000 ($1.3million).

    I know it’s not a lot per person, but it’s the principal of the thing. There are people really struggling out there with the job market being so bad and the cost of living being more expensive these days. And yet we have to pay more money so these glorified benefit cheats can live in the lap of luxury, go on multiple holidays a year and swan about in designer clothes and live in palaces with their every need catered for. And for what? And no bullshit about them bringing tourism into the country. They contribute nothing.

    Why should I have to pay towards Kate Middleton’s new luxury nursery when the most I could afford for my new baby girl’s bedroom was to give it a lick of paint and put up some colourful paper bunting. It makes me furious. They couldn’t give two shits about us. They’re egotistical, lazy, awful people who see nothing at all wrong with having so much while some people in their country have so little.

    • FLORC says:

      Ghoulish_moose

      Your voice is the one easily forgotten when a photo op comes out! You’re situation is all too common and falls flat to those believing their own hype. For the RF to just maintain and not need that 1.3 million extra could be seen as a gesture that they do understand, but it seems like insult to injury to bump it up.

    • bluhare says:

      Help me, but I’m going to defend Kate here. I understand she and William (read Prince Charles) are paying for the furnishings. The taxpayer everything else.

      • LAK says:

        I don’t understand why William never seems to dip into his own pocket.

        Every which way you look, somebody else is paying for him. Including his own wife and her parents.

      • FLORC says:

        Bluhare
        I just can’t get behind Will and Charles paying for all of this out of their private funds. For what LAK said and how Charles is the go to guy for covering all of Kate’s expenses. And having him pay for things covers them from admitting all the help they have.
        The numbers aren’t adding up in my head.

      • Sachi says:

        LAK – William is a jerk. But royals are also used to getting a lot of freebies.

        They never spend their own money if they can help it. They just rely on wealthy friends or ask the government for more money.

        Haakon and Mette-Marit of Norway asked Parliament this year to give them more money to spend because they need another nanny for their kids and more money for their clothing budget. Mette-Marit loves her Valentino couture and Pucci even though she barely does 80 events per year and spends more time being on holiday than Kate.

        The Danish Royal family is notorious for relying on rich friends to score expensive holidays. Their trips to places like Verbier are always paid for by “friends”.

        When Princess Mary of Denmark wants to visit Australia (not even an official visit representing Denmark but just a holiday), someone else has to pay for everything. The Australian government has to cough up taxpayers’ money for her security and all the other accommodations/events she will attend in Oz are paid for by the Australian government. Seriously, this woman always makes a circus of her visits to Australia and always has to have a red carpet rolled out everywhere she goes. And she’s not even an Australian citizen anymore!

        It’s really quite sickening just how excessive and greedy most royals tend to be.

    • Georgina says:

      I’m not trying to be insensitive, so please excuse me if this comes across that way. I have never understood the attitude of being angry when people have more than you–money, homes, cars, whatever. There will always be someone more or less fortunate than you are. I see you’re “furious” over what you could afford for your new baby girl’s nursery (and a very sincere congrats, btw) while Kate has more at her fingertips. There are always going to be haves and haves not, and I’m not saying that’s at all fair, but instead of complaining, be grateful that you have a roof over your head and a nursery to give your daughter. Someone less fortunate than you could think of you as a “have” and wonder why you get to have the things you do while they’re sleeping in an alley somewhere.

      • bluhare says:

        Georgina, for Brits it’s because they pay for Kate and William’s living quarters out of their taxes. And they are over budget on this rehab they’re doing, and this particular poster is paying her share of it. I think I would be a bit upset to read the numbers William and Kate are spending when most people are having to, if not cut back, spend carefully.

      • Carolin says:

        I think this anger about the royals’ waste of money is not so much motivated out of envy than a sense of injustice – if part of my taxes was spent on financing grand houses and lavish lifestyles instead of schools, welfare and reducing my country’s debts…I think I would be mighty pissed off. To see them catching helicopter rides just like other people take the bus…that’s like a slap in the face, I should think. At least that’s the gist I get of my friends in Britain – I am German and happy that we have no royalty to pay for (they had to resign after WWI).

      • bluhare says:

        Carolin: Didn’t they just move to Britain? 😀

      • Carolin says:

        @bluhare

        Afraid not – the “head” of the Hohenzollern clan is living in Berlin: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Friedrich_Prinz_von_Preu%C3%9Fen (Sorry, link in German) Besides, all titles were abolished back then as well.

      • bluhare says:

        Interesting, Carolin! I always thought the current royal family was German royal. I looked them up and they were from a line of dukes. I stand corrected (and surprised; I thought I knew more than I actually do!). My German is nowhere good enough to read your page. I did try though, and only got the gist.

  17. Georgina says:

    I think there’s more to Kate’s life than shopping and getting her hair done. I imagine as a commoner preparing to one day be queen consort, she has endless lessons and tutors behind closed doors. Publicly, she doesn’t do much, but I can’t imagine that Queen Elizabeth is too bothered by it, or else something would have changed by now. Besides, Kate is clearly uncomfortable at the few appearances she has made. I think it’s possible that she’s being eased slowly (very slowly) into making public appearances and giving speeches.

    • LAK says:

      This excuse was acceptable around the wedding at the height of palace propaganda, and when no one but longtime royal watchers knew anything about Kate and the general public was still willing to give her a chance.

      When the royal reporters are calling her out for being work-shy, lazy and doing nothing but shop, you know it isn’t just public perception of her.

      They are in a better position to know since they work more closely with the palace than regular reporters and are duty bound to spin in the Palace’s favour.

    • Suze says:

      Endless lessons? In what? She’s been married two years – she could be degreed in royalty by now.

      She didn’t have to learn another language or another culture, since she was born in the country where she will be queen. (Unlike some of the European princesses)

      She didn’t have to master any technical or analytic skills since she isn’t writing a dissertation on any of her charities. She has to be the “face” of the charity, easy enough to do.

      She didn’t have to learn how to talk with the press since she doesn’t give interviews and she doesn’t issue her own press releases, write the royal blog or maintain the royal presence in social media.

      All she does is appear in public three or four times a month dressed appropriately and smiling. She makes four or five speeches a year. She sends out the occasional thank you note.That’s hardly heavy lifting. She should be sufficiently trained in that by now to be competent.

      • FLORC says:

        Suze
        You got 1 thing wrong here. She did take lessons on how to speak more posh. You can tell it’s quite hard to maintain a false accent while trying to read off a speech prepared by her speech writers.

        And I doubt she’ll be sending out any more personal notes with all the simple errors she put in the Wimbledon note. It’s best to leave that to the professionals.

    • MinnFinn says:

      Georgina,

      I think there are 3 things behind the low number of Kate’s public appearances. 1. William wants to do as few of them as possible and she is his lemming. 2. The Queen is OK with it. 3. The Queen doesn’t want Kate to become really well liked right now because the Cambridge marriage hasn’t stood the test of time. Should the marriage end, Kate could parlay popularity into a more lucrative divorce settlement. The BRF learned their lesson with Diana.

      If Kate & William look like they will go the distance the Queen must be thinking their reputation can be salvaged. Charles and Camilla are an example of that kind of reputation repair in that it looks to me like their approval ratings have gone up.

      • hannah says:

        4. William is NOT the heir . He’s the heir to the heir . Right now he’s playing second banana to his father no matter how much people want to shove Charles into a corner

      • molly says:

        Camilla will never be accepted as Queen, all she can get as regards title is King’s Consort and that will only be by PROTOCOL
        NOT BY PUBLIC VOTE !!

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Molly
        I like Camilla.. I think both Charles and her were foolish and selfish to have affairs the way they did, but they truly do love each other. And she worked for her charities while people threatened her life and threw trash at her. Also, Harry loves her and William is find as well. So, the old wicked troll that broke up Diana’s marriage story should be laid to rest. Did we treat Diana that way after she slept around on Charles with Married men?

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        @MinnFinn, I think your analysis is very sensible. I’ve often wondered if the Queen didn’t try to give Kate and William a few years to have some time together and be newlyweds before a lifetime of handshaking and chit chat 6 days a week begins. I’ve read that the happiest time in her life was when she and her husband were first married, before her father died, and her royal duties were fairly light. I’m not saying it was good PR, just maybe that’s why she’s ok with it for now. Ok, I’ll just go hide under the bed now, because I know what happens to people who sound as if they are even thinking about defending Kate on here. And I know their jobs are easy, especially considering their compensation, but I watched a documentary once about a day in the life of the Queen and all those teas and dinners, while for worthy causes, just seemed so mind numbingly boring.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        GoodNamesAllTaken
        May I just say those who defend Kate within reason are not treated poorly. Often there are folks that only scream her critics are jealous and ugly while she is beautiful inside and out. It’s ridiculous. the back and forth is timid compared to other threads here.
        The Queen did not give them 2 years of newlywed bliss like she had. This is history rewritten. The press assumed this because the Queen was so find of her time in those years. Kate and Will had many years of living together and in the engagement interview was stating she was fully prepared and would hit the ground running.
        Kate held on to William for dear life after years of just being awful to her. She did nothing in this time to prepare for a possible future and his wife and future Consort and the only job she held was tailored to her leaving at a moments notice for William.

        I personally Welcome a fact based debate on this subject. It’s quite interesting and rich in culture and history. Don’t fear speaking your mind. Although some go off the deep end as long as y
        u’re not yelling how we love to hate on Kate you’ll e safe.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        @Kitten Mittens, thank you for your kind reply. I agree that people on this site, in general, have rational criticisms of the way Kate has handled her role. I also see from your reply that perhaps I romanticized the whole first two years together aspect. I only object to the opinions that are based on “Kate thinks this” or “wants that” when we really have no way of knowing unless she has commented on it, as she apparently did about hitting the ground running. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond. I’ll come out now.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        GoodNamesAllTaken

        The Kate Thinks This and Wants That bit. I’ve seen links posted all the time to back up those claims. Links to palace PR approved articles. I think some of the ladies here just get tired of posting them and repeating themselves to death. Like the whole Hemline debacle. They posted all the proper links on why it was inappropriate for her to dress that way while meeting diplomats, but all defenders ignored the dress code bit and talked like she wasn’t at a diplomatic function and shouldn’t look like a grandma. Can you see how that would get frustrating?

        Tempers run hot and personal opinions and feelings come into play when they’re irrelevant. And Kate’s PR team is working all the time to put out some news about her. Sometimes they’ll fumble and struggle so they put out details on how busy she is renovating her future home. They have to tell us something and the details come out that way. The Daily Mail often has that kind of news. Fluff.

        And when the critics here are wrong it’s admitted. When a defender is ganged up on the critics will come to their aid. That’s what i’ve noticed. No need to hide here.

      • bluhare says:

        KittenMittens: Speaking of Kate’s PR and all, there’s an article up on the Daily Mail right now about how she and William have had a word with Pippa and told her to cool it.

        I sort of believe that; Pippa’s been getting a lot of publicity lately. Although I don’t think Kate would feel that way; she/they may have been told to tell her. Either way, I have no clue.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Bluhare
        I’ve been noticing the DM has really taken a different tone lately with the Middleton articles. They’re getting a lashing ever since Carole’s dog rescue planted story came out. The comments turned extremely negative with the thought of the Middleton’s hired PR team and now this.
        Personally, I thought Pippa had Will’s consent to sue over pippatips and that’s why she was/is or rumored to be using the royal lawyers. Or was that just a threat?

        There’s a lot going on here. I don’t really know what to make of it yet, but I can see Will not liking how this is reflecting on him. We all take issue with our in laws from time to time. Especially if they use our names and position as freely as the Middletons do.

      • LAK says:

        bluhare – my tin hat conspiracy about Pippa’s visibility relates this to the Mary/Ann Boleyn conspiracy if we believe the tudor gossip….or was that a very well written fictional book with a terrible film adaptation??

        Mary [Kate] has been sequested away to have the baby, and Anne [Pippa] is keeping Henry 8[public]’s mind on Kate [or the Middleton name]:)

    • Georgina says:

      And guys, I’m not saying she isn’t lazy. She may very well be a layabout who does nothing but shop. All I’m saying is that none of us here knows what goes on behind palace doors. It’s clear she’s had lessons on how to carry herself, how to perform at royal functions, how to speak in a more “posh” accent, and more. I’d imagine for someone transitioning to royalty from commoner (no matter if her parents do have some money), there’s also endless lessons in royal protocol to boot. Let’s face it, for as much as she’s well-known, Kate is not calling the shots here. She’s got her husband, her father-in-law, and her husband’s grandmother dictating a lot of her public life.

      • phaksi says:

        But she is still not doing well with the royal protocol (skirt flying up, curtsying at the wrong times, terrible speeches). How long will it be before the princess lessons take?

      • Suze says:

        No, we don’t know what goes on behind palace doors, so we judge the royals by what we see of them publicly. That’s why their public engagements are so important to their survival. That’s why – no matter how much behind the scenes training is going on – the duchess needs to appear in public regularly.

        That’s how they provide bang for the buck.

      • Georgina says:

        I’ve said–and so have others–that she doesn’t decide her public engagements, so if she’s not doing enough of them, the blame for that rests with whoever is making those choices. Furthermore, I know she’s made mistakes along the way with the appearances she has made. I, however, don’t expect perfection. She hasn’t had a lifetime of training for this gig, and she’s human. Mistakes are going to happen. I’m just a normal girl, my parents aren’t super wealthy or aristocratic. I’ve been to nice schools and I’m educated, but even then, if I were to be dropped into Kate’s situation where every facial expression, outfit, accessory, and Starbucks order were globally scrutinized, I’d make a ton of mistakes. I’d probably need to be pumped full of Xanax to get through public appearances. God, I remember people on one site cackling and crowing over the way she says “art,” for goodness’ sake! Perhaps she’s not some soulless shopping machine who only wants to holiday, is all I’m saying.

      • Suze says:

        I don’t think she’s soulless, I think she’s terrified. And probably a bit too timid to take on the things she needs to.

        I don’t think her husband’s agenda of pissing off the press is helping her much.

        I actually don’t snark too much on the shopping issue. Diana was a shopping maniac all her life: she managed to mitigate it by pushing her other, better qualities, but I bet she could have outshopped Kate any day of the week.

        What gets my dander up a bit is when people state that Kate’s working hard behind the scenes, because, come ON. If that were the case, something would have leaked by now – some hint of her secret projects would have made it out to the media.

        I also take issue with the idea that she’s just a sweet young girl caught in a hard, hard situation. She’s not – she’s a grownup who has a lot of potential and a lot of opportunities. I want to see her use them.

        And the whole crazy comparison to Kim Kardashian, which comes up all the time on this site. I read this all the time: at least Kate doesn’t do the things Kim does! Well, that’s a pathetic defense. If you’re going to defend Kate, compare her to someone admirable! Talk about the things she does do instead of saying, well, look, at least she’s not a reality star.

      • bluhare says:

        Georgina, I disagree with you on the part re Kate not having a choice in how many engagements she does. She does indeed have a choice. In fact, we were all told when she married William that she was going to “hit the ground running”. She hasn’t. And the engagements seem bump up when she gets bad PR about the lack thereof. I don’t think any of her charities would refuse any offer she put in to help them.

      • FLORC says:

        It’s been stated so many times officially that Kate makes her own schedule. And also why when she works a few engagements within a weeks time randomly that someone told her to get her butt out there and cover her end.

    • Masque says:

      She and William were off and on for 7-8 years and she was absolutely commited to snaring him. She should have been more than prepared to do the job.

      • the original bellaluna says:

        That’s what I think, as well! It’s not like it was with Diana, where she was this precious young kindergarten teacher thrown into the boiling pot from the get-go; Kate well knew what she was in for (okay, maybe not on EVERY level, but still), she wanted it, pursued it, and should have well-spent some of those years preparing for it.

  18. Birdix says:

    I understand the complaints (although can you imagine the derision if they outfitted the new apartment in ikea?). It has to be a strange feeling though, to be having your baby and also know that the entire world will be so invested in your baby. In good ways and bad… it’s such a lack of control–can she protect this baby from the world? It is a fear many mothers have, but so heightened in this case…

    • FLORC says:

      Birdix
      Do you think she really knows what people think of her, her future baby and what’s expected of both? I can’t imagine she thinks like that or she wouldn’t be so deaf to the complaints about barely working and always shopping. And the baby will have a staff of its own. People specialized in taking care of infants and raising children. The child will be sheltered 100%.
      I would think the stranger feeling would be to have a baby and not raise it how you like, but to hand it off to nannies and the ship it off to school.

      And I love ikea! They actually have really amazing safety standards on baby cribs and furniture.

    • phaksi says:

      If someone didnt tell her that the baby belongs to the crown, not her or the Middletons, she really was never prepared to be a consort

    • Olli says:

      We live in a world with twitter, facebook and co. Every child at the school of “Kate´s bump” will have a smartphone. This child will never live free or normal. Every little thing will be in the internet after one hour.I´m sure the other “no thanks”-girlfriends of William have thought about this future. Has Kate?

      It´s not “her” baby, it belongs to Britain.
      I´m not sure if Kate ever thought about this. William dumped her for other girls, he had affairs. And Kate? She was a true “Waity”. She´s the backup doormat. I bet she never thought about the real life of a Consort and the future of her children.

      • bettyrose says:

        It´s not “her” baby, it belongs to Britain.

        This statement gives me chills. I mean, in some sense all parents are raising future tax payers, so all children are a contribution to their country’s future, but actually being a possession of the RF . . . *shudder*

      • LAK says:

        bettyrose – what’s even more chilling is that all children/grandchildren [and i guess by extension great-grandchildren since that is unprecedented], are under the legal guardianship of the monarch.

        Kate may want to have her child spend lots of time with her Middleton family, but legally, she can’t make decisions about the child.

        The only good news about all this is that HM has always stayed away from her family set ups and has never exercised her legal rights fully, so Diana and Fergie were allowed to play at joint custody agreements which are worthless when juxtaposed against royal rights. Diana was rightly justified in her paranoia on this point.

      • bluhare says:

        LAK: It really is chilling to see it spelt out in words. The only thing I’d say is given that, Diana wasn’t really paranoid was she? But that’s just a semantic argument for semantic argument’s sake. 🙂

      • LAK says:

        B – In this instance no, but she did have tin hat moments about other things.

        Sigh. Diana was so complex that a black or white view of her is impossible. I think she’ll keep biographers happy for centuries to come.

  19. Reece says:

    Call an ophthalmologist! I just sprung my eyes from the rolling.

  20. roxy750 says:

    I swear she has been pregnant for 2 years!!!!

  21. tabasco says:

    Duchess Lazy-Ass McBorington here is about 5,000 steps backwards for “feminism”

  22. ann valor says:

    I really don’t get the Kate Hate. She and William paid for the decor and furnishings themselves. The palace updates are pretty standard, and considering it’s a national monument and historic site – not to mention a PALACE – maintenance and updates are going to be expensive. Even with the increased pay to royals, it costs at most a few pounds per tax payer, so it’s not like they’re driving the citizenry into the ground. And since when is marveling at pregnancy childish? They’re two regular ass human beings who are in love and want a family. Kate married william because she loves him. All arguments for her being some kind of social climber have been debunked by the fact that she’s not tweeting her wedding nails or pretending to have a baby several weeks early to prepare for her multi-million dollar endorsement deal with a weight loss company, or seeking every opportunity to be in the spotlight. Most of her royal duties are performed privately; the sum of her duties is not attending a few ceremonies every year, it includes weekly participation in her charities, etc. She clearly values her privacy, enjoys taking her dog to the park, and she shops about as much as any other pregnant woman who is “nesting.” You don’t even have to be a fan of her to see that she’s a sensible, level-headed woman.

    • Mac says:

      Couldn’t agree more. She is about to have a kid. What first time mother isn’t excited to just spend time getting to know their new baby and to just be a mom and wife. That is why so many women here in Canada take as long a maternity leave as possible.

    • anonincali says:

      I agree with you Ann. I mean, I get that there are legitimate complaints to her work ethic especially when you consider other working and involved royal families worldwide…the persona that she gives off is of someone only doing the minimum. I do believe that there are things happening in the background that the public is unaware of, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if we see a very long maternity leave, followed by another baby announcement right after. I just dont think she will be that active for a few years.
      Lastly, it is fairly common for mothers to spend several weeks with their when the first baby arrives. So this makes perfect sense to me.

    • Ktx says:

      I agree with you for the most part. The one thing that bugs me, from a feminist perspective, is that she spent years waiting for William to propose, and all that time she wasn’t working, just waiting, waiting. But I’m not British, so I’m not upset that my taxes were going towards paying the royal family. If I were British, I could see myself being annoyed. I don’t really understand why other Americans get so upset over her. She’s not the paradigm of feminism, nor is she an example of a strong work ethic, but I think she’s pretty harmless, if somewhat boring.

      • hannah says:

        And that’s something that I always find annoying . They got married when they were ready for it . Were they supposed to get married right out of university in their early 20ies?

      • ann valor says:

        Ktx – the “wait” concept has irked me more than anything. She wasn’t sitting around twiddling her thumbs and pining, she completed her degree and was happily living her life. I cannot imagine any scenario where getting married right out of college – ESPECIALLY given the high-profile nature od the relationship – would have been anything but disastrous for both of them. Hence William’s desire to take a break. They’re sensible adults, and Kate doesn’t have any agenda except to live her life in a way that makes her happiest. If only all females were so empowered…

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Ann
        Kate finished her degree only a couple of years after meeting William. She did not pursue a grad or a job for her degree. She didn’t even research charities or get involved with any.

        Of course you shouldn’t get married out of college unless you really want to. William broke up with Kate several times and publicly bashed her and her families name. When they were together he cheated frequently. Why she stayed with a man like that leads me to think she wasn’t happy, but rather lacked respect.

        If her agenda is to be happy not working and only shopping more power to her! Really. But to do that with public funds and not fulfill your duties is shameful. She should have married privately if she wanted that.

    • Suze says:

      Most of her royal duties are performed privately;i …

      What would these be? I’m genuinely curious – what private duties does Kate have? I always thought the main focus of the royal family was to be the public face of Britain. Also, are these private duties also performed by the other royals in addition to their public duties? If so, why can they manage both?

      They’re two regular ass human beings…

      No, they are not. They are at the very top of the 1% and they live a life that if very different from regular ass human beings. Plus, there are expectations of them that are very different from the regular ass among us.

      She clearly values her privacy,

      Then she married into the wrong family.

      I don’t hate Kate. I like how she dresses, she’s attractive and seems pleasant. She looks like she is working hard to integrate into the royal family when I see her in public.

      At the same time, I’m realistic about her. She seems nervous and uncomfortable in her role, still. People always say she’s harmless – that’s the best you can muster about the future queen?

      • bluhare says:

        Totally agree, Suze.

        Kate is “paid” as a member of the royal family; to represent the family and to be wife to a future King and mother to a future monarch. Other than conceiving said monarch, most of her duties should NOT be behind closed doors. No other royal uses this excuse as to why they aren’t seen at more engagements, and I can’t remember any royal mother to be with so many articles about her future maternity leave. And I’m not so sure about harmless either, to be fair. But that’s a long ranty post I don’t have time for right now!!

      • Suze says:

        Other than conceiving said monarch, most of her duties should NOT be behind closed doors.

        LOL Bluhare! You’re right, Kate and Wills should be glad that they aren’t living in the twelth century when even that would be public.

      • bluhare says:

        Sort of makes a person wish we still hung the bedsheets out for everyone to see, eh? (Not!)

    • Angelic 20 says:

      And you are at these meetings that she attends day to day basis? Or is it your active imagination? Oh the normal, down to e earth couple will be living in a57 rooms mansion paid by tax prayers. Yeah so down to earth

      I am a british tax payer who is paying for her mansion and she is being paid to do PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS not secret invisible work for this money which she is not doing. She is a lazy, spoiled woman who is leeching off tax prayers while not giving anything in return. I think you have to be really thick to not see that.

    • LAK says:

      What i hate about the ‘national monument’ argument is its frequent use for government expenditure on items where the public isn’t consulted and simply expected to dig deeper in their own pockets to fund it.

      The public building they are repairing benefits them directly, not the public. The public still has to pay to enter it. It’s not a free museum.

      • bluhare says:

        LAK, so if admission revenues are not being used for this refurb, what are they used for? Just general upkeep?

      • LAK says:

        B – The Palace upkeep and maintenance is supposed to be covered by the Sovereign grant, so it’s an assumption that the admission fees go towards the same pot.

      • bluhare says:

        Interesting. So there’s no real accounting for admission fees then.

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      @ann valor-
      You must be new around here.

      …let me know if you need a place to hide….

      • Another K says:

        She can huddle with me. I generally post and duck.

      • bluhare says:

        Another K: We aren’t that bad are we?

      • Another K says:

        Bluhare, Well . . . . there are some days here on the ol Kate thread when everyone needs to just take a chill pill. Me included, probably. 🙂

      • bluhare says:

        Another K: I know what you mean, although I do think the tone on these threads tends to be much nicer than the old Twihard stuff, for example. Those threads were brutal.

        But everyone can get their back up from time to time. I try not to, and as much as I tell Mr. bluhare how perfect I am, I concede that sometimes I’m not either.

    • FLORC says:

      Oh Ann
      I’m a critic of people that don’t pull their weight in the world. I believe she’s a terrible role model to young girls. Her position is one of social responsibility and there’s no getting around that. If
      she wanted a private life she should have married someone else. And before the white washing happened it was well documented William had no respect for Kate which is probably why he was so terrible to her and she just hanging around until he took her back. And please don’t disregard my argument because you think I personally hate this person or am jealous. People aren’t
      making that argument against critics of KK or LL and this is more fact based.
      You have every right to like her, but stick to the facts and not the PR spin.

    • molly says:

      SHE HASN’T GOT A JOB SO HOW HAS SHE PAID ?

    • Rabbit says:

      “it costs at most a few pounds per tax payer” – err, yes that’s my problem with W & K (and a lot of the royal family)

      As a clinician working in the NHS I end up having to send sick children home when they should be in hospital because there are no beds. There are not enough beds because the money isn’t being spent on the health service.

      A few more pounds per tax payer given to the NHS would go a long way to solve this problem.

      They way I see it is Kate and William are taking money which would be much better spent on a million different things.

      What’s worse, is that they don’t even give much back. Shocking. Sad and pathetic.

  23. mslewis says:

    With all the complaints about the royals on this site one would think 100% of the people in Britain want to get rid of them. Well, I don’t think that’s the case. They royals seem to be very popular and the general public seem to be very excited about the coming birth. If that is not the case then why don’t they just get rid of the royals, never remodel any of the palaces and just let every building connected with the royals fall into ruin? I mean, that would save a bundle of money, right?

    Seriously, all these stories are coming from gossip rags. I just don’t understand how people can believe them. Kensington Palace has not been renovated for over 50 years. There was asbestos in it and the roof was falling down. The building belongs to the government. Are they not suppose to keep it at leave livable. Also, other people besides royals live there.

    • LAK says:

      KP has undergone a major renovation at public expense in the 00s.

      Part of the renovation included the same apartment that WK are renovating. again. at tax payer expense. again.

      • FLORC says:

        LAK
        That’s interesting. So they renovated KP, but not the future home of W&K. was that because it was occupied by that charity? I would think asbestos removal would be a top priority if any kicking up of dust was to happen.

      • LAK says:

        FLORC – the Palace was renovated including the future home of WK. The lease for the apartment was sold (or rented) to a charity who were to use it as offices and also open parts of it for public viewings to get their money’s worth out of it.

        Rumour has it that WK were shown all the available apartments, but decided to have this one instead, so HM had to buy it back from the charity, including the costs of their renovation and is now renovating it to WK’s preference.

        Given the substantial renovation the Palace had in the 00s, I can’t believe they didn’t spot the asbestos,but I suppose it didn’t matter since the apartment wasn’t going to be used as a residence anymore.

      • Suze says:

        I wonder if KP will still be open to the public once Kate and Wills and baby are installed there. Not to mention that scamp Harry.

        I mean, that’s a lot of mainline royals in one place where the public traipses through.

        Although I guess it’s sort of the same thing as Buckingham palace, the public areas are separate.

      • bluhare says:

        Suze, I have this visual of you and me hiding in the bushes at KP looking for a glimpse of That Scamp Harry!

  24. user00005 says:

    I will never get the fascination with this family and these individuals in particular. They just don’t cut it. The only reason why people find those princes ‘attractive’ is because of their title which should mean so little nowadays. The royal family of Monaco look far more glamorous and live relatively discreet lives. I mean, they are the offspring of Grace Kelly for heaven’s sake.
    I had seen Princess Charlotte many times in New York and she was so low-key and unassuming. And that girl is truly beautiful and doesn’t seem to take her redundant title all that seriously. The only reason why I would not call Kate a bona fide ‘trophy wife’ is because her husband is not some 30 years older than her. Needless to say, she married ‘up’, doesn’t work and is very dull and submissive in every way imaginable. Lady Di had character, star quality, cool/outrageous friends, and a sense of responsibility. She knew she was blessed in many ways and wanted to give back and did it with style and poise. This girl is just a housewife to an extremely unattractive-looking man and his weird-ass family.
    How inspiring…

    • dena says:

      User00005:

      You said: Needless to say, she married ‘up’, doesn’t work

      But I think it does and here is why: I think the goal and the plan was for the Middleton girls to “marry up.” Kate could have continued on as “trophy wife” if she had married privately but she didn’t. I don’t think “they” planned for the public portion of her life. When she bagged Willy, she and the family were thinking materialistically and not necessarily about the trade-offs. So . . . I think the marrying-up bit still defines and colors their worldview. The Middletons haven’t made the transition yet from wanting craven wealth and position in society to the notion of being obliged to others for that.

      I don’t know if I made that clear, but I hope you get what I mean.

  25. nikkie says:

    I don’t understand the venom regarding Kate spending time after the birth of her child with her parents.
    She wants to be somewhere where she us completely comfortable, where help will (hopefully) be in the form of her family and i can’t fault her for that. 6 weeks is a bit much, but once she gets into the swing of things, i doubt she’ll stay there that long.
    She’s not doing much different from many first time moms in the world.

    • Suze says:

      Most of the venom is directed toward other aspects of Kate’s life, not the fact that she wants to hang with her family after the birth. I agree, that’s pretty normal, and I would do the same thing. Maybe not for six weeks, but for a while.

    • Angelic 20 says:

      She can make her mother come tokp and stay there. I have no problem in Kate spending time with her mother after the birth but her living at her mother’s home will cost us tax payers millions in security for this 6 Weeks stay which can be easily avoided if she stay at kp and her mother be with her everyday there and stay at her London apartment. But again Kate and William only knows how to be extravagant on tax payers expense and do not give a crap about others

    • FLORC says:

      Nikkie
      I have to agree with Suze. I would be terrified too and want my mom close by. The stories though of how Kate is so eager to be a wife and mother… They go against facts. She’s been known to quite often spend nights alone at her parents home without William and plans on continuing that after the baby is born. So the Wife bit is a stretch.
      Most of the venom is to the PR machine dressing up her image that we can see is false. Or building her up only to have her actions fall flat.

    • bluhare says:

      nikkie, don’t you think it says a lot that Kate is not comfortable in her own home that she wants to go to her mother’s rather than have her mother come to her?

      Again, no ill will about wanting to be around family because of new mother nerves. But I think there’s something else afoot and I think it’s all about her mother.

      My tinfoil hat is fitting nicely now, thank you.

    • LAK says:

      The problem with her spending those 6wks at her parents home is security bill.

      A former royal bodyguard has estimated it as running into millions because whether or not she’s already living at her parents, the presence of the baby will upgrade security to red alert for the entire visit.

      His primary points are these:
      – the local police force, with immediate backup from all neighbouring police forces will have to be on high alert, fully staffed and fully manned for the entire visit.

      -Kate and the baby will at all times take top priority to any other crimes happening in the village and surrounding areas.

      – an exclusion zone will have to be set up for the visit. This seems sensible enough, try telling that to the villagers who suddenly won’t be able to go about their daily lives without bother to get round the exclusion zone.

      -not to mention all the media trying to get near the baby which is another need for the exclusion zone.

      His recommendation? She’s better off taking her mother with her to one of the already secured royal estates eg Balmoral which won’t cost anymore than it already does.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        LAK
        Isn’t part of this to help the Middleton’s acquire a fancy new kitchen and update a section of the house for the security of the child? This all seems so wasteful to the public funds and manipulative of the Middletons.

      • Suze says:

        LOL why don’t they just all take refuge in the newly renovated KP? Or Antrim or whatever that country estate is?

        This is something I don’t really understand. Unless Carole doesn’t want to be too far from her business, which I kinda do get.

        Still, it seems to be a big upheaval for everyone.

      • LAK says:

        Kitten Mittens – Given everything we know about the Middletons now, i wouldn’t put it past them.

    • molly says:

      We all know wherever WAITY KATY lives, she won’t be changing any nappies or getting up during the night, that job will belong to one of the numerous nannies in her house – get real !!

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Molly
        I think the point here is to have the future King/Queen to grow up loving the Middletons and being raised as they choose so that their place in Royalty is safe. In the event of a divorce the child will still want to be close to the Middletons. That’s how I see this move.

      • bluhare says:

        Kitten Mittens: I totally agree. It’s so Carole can stay in control of things. On the one hand I get it. The royals can be a bit heavy handed and don’t appear to care about cutting people out. On the other hand, the Middletons are coming perilously close to overplaying their hand.

      • Bridget says:

        Middletons already overplayed their hand. A while ago. But they’re still trying to get Pippa that title, right?

      • bluhare says:

        Oh, not sure it’s Pippa who’s seriously angling for the title. She can marry one. I think it’s Carole who wants to be a Duchess or Countess badly and the only way for her to get one is to have the monarch give it to her and her husband.

        There was an article (probably in the Daily Mail) a few months ago about how the baby will be the first direct heir with commoner grandparents. I mean, how declasse can you get? It makes one shudder just to think.

    • Chutzpah says:

      For the love of God! she’s a Royal now with all the positives ( many) and negatives ( few) that go with it.

      Suck it up and stop running off to your Mother, and I don’t know ANYONE that moved in with their mum for several weeks after childbirth – their mum visited them maybe and stayed for a week but that’s it – shes married its weird.

  26. The Original Mia says:

    Isn’t that basically what she does already? She barely works and when she does it’s 90 mins. Does this means she’ll do even less than what she already does? Is that possible?

  27. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    I don’t think a royal family is worth it (even ones that I like, like Crown Princess Victoria).

    I’ve always hear two arguments: (1) it helps tourism, and (2) it relieves the head of government of having to kiss babies.

    I’m an American, so I know I’m automatically biased against anyone having a “right” to a position by mere virtue of their birth, but still, here’s my take on it:

    (1) At the height of William and Kate wedding fever, Buckingham Palace had a record-breaking 600,000 visitors. Versailles has about 6,000,000 visitors every year. So it’s not the royal family per se that attracts tourists, it’s the trappings of royalty, like palaces and gardens. But all the palaces have already been built, and there would be public outcry if any new ones were planned. So while it benefits tourism that there was a royal family in the PAST, I don’t think having a royal family NOW helps British tourism. The palaces would still be there, and that’s the real attraction (see the Versailles example above).

    (2) The U.S. president spends time shmoozing with the public because he is elected by the people. Even if the USA had a separate head of state, the President will continue to do his “public relations” crap to impress voters. THAT’S why the British PM doesn’t bother. It’s not just because the queen does head of state duties for him, it’s because he is not elected by the people.

    Just my two cents, as an American.

    Also, yeah, what everyone else said above. William and Kate are two lazy, self-entitled, intellectual simpletons. I blame William the most because Kate is obviously his doormat. If he told her to work, she would. But he can’t do that because he doesn’t want to work himself.

    • Suze says:

      You are so so right about this.

    • FLORC says:

      Mrs. K
      Holy hell!
      My jaw fell to the floor reading this. So well put and no nonsense.

    • Bridget says:

      Its definitely about the trappings of royalty, but there are a ton of castles in Europe, and I’llposit that the British Royal Family helps tourism in that they are the embodiment of that castle culture. There are lots of castles and lots of crowns, and yet London remains one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

  28. HoustonGrl says:

    What’s the point of a palace if you don’t have royalty? Just sayin’

    Oh and Kate is taking a break from taking a break from taking a break. We get it, palace “insiders.”

  29. Janet says:

    If anyone is interested, there is a poll on the Guardian UK website (Comments section) asking whether people support public money being used to refurbish Kensington Palace. The majority do not support it.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/uk-edition

  30. Tammy says:

    Until I started reading this site, I never knew anyone took issue with William and Kate’s lifestyle. Why do people even care? Maybe I am missing something but I could care less she shops a lot, doesn’t work, etc. While I envy her, I don’t hate her. I would love to be able to not work and shop but I wasn’t born rich or a royal, nor have I married one or married anyone rich (not yet!) or hit the lottery. So I have to work. It doesn’t mean I am going to criticize someone for not working. And I barely give money or time to charity, so I have no right to criticize anyone on that subject.

    • Ktx says:

      That’s what I’m trying to figure out Tammy. In all honesty, I do not understand why Americans have a problem with her. The British, sure, since they’re paying for her to enjoy her lifestyle….but I do not understand why Americans are so critical of her.

    • ANGELIC 20 says:

      i don’t get whether you are just playing dumb or didn’t read anything written here. People complain because tax payers are paying for their life style, houses and shopping trips and that’s why they also complain because they don’t work in return. We are paying them very high salary for a job that they refuse to do and we don’t even have the power to fire them and hire someone else who will do the job. Do you get it now or is it still not clear to you?

      • dena says:

        Kate is now a public figure. As a public figure, her lifestyle is under scrutiny. That’s a position that she has been running for since her days in college. Those of us who criticize her (Americans and/or otherwise) have a problem with that. She is a 31 year old women. That means that she has been living for 3 decades + 1 year. She’s not an untried girl (or she shouldn’t be). She is also college educated. Some of Kate’s defenders, I think, overlook those things.

        In addition, I think people who say that she is first and foremost a wife and soon to be mother are missing the point of the type of public role she plays. She walks a fine line (they all do) between being “public property” and being private individuals. Hence, her long, lazy days of hanging out with mom and shopping are viewed through a different prism. (I honestly question whether “it’s right” for her and the baby to hang out in her parents’ home after she has the baby? As a married women, as a grown woman, I wouldn’t stay with my mom after having a baby unless there were complications and it would simply be easier for me to stay there for the additional care. Woman have been having babies since he beginning of time. Carole can stay with K/W in one of their homes and not the other way around.) Also, who is going to make all of the “press” announcements about “Mom and baby are fine”? Carole, Michael, James, or Pippa. Perhaps the Pipster will write about it in Vanity Fair).

        Finally, Kate (when she was a private citizen) didn’t help herself when she was waiting on Big Bald Willy. Even if women of her “class” don’t work, with her eye on her future prospects, she should have at least done some BS (or perhaps even meaningful) charity work. She “needs” the public’s goodwill and not’s just William’s love and the support of her family. (Oooh. How sweet. Eyeroll.)

        For all of the Kate defenders, put her in a room with most of the other “royal” women and/or “heads” of state–women with whom she would potentially share a platform with–how would she stack up? As incredibly out of her league. Can anyone say Faberge egg?

      • Poink517 says:

        Dena is right. She is a public figure, the citizens of Britain fund her lifestyle, so SHE WORKS FOR THEM. She is, in a way, publicly ‘owned’ by them. I can understand how maddening it is to see her being so lazy in her position. Anyone in a real employment situation would have been fired by now.

    • Kitten Mittens says:

      Tammy
      This is not just on Celebitchy. It’s on a lot of sites. You’re missing a few key points. Mostly that she spends constantly while not giving back. If you don’t pay taxes for her lifestyle then it doesn’t really hurt you like it hurts those that do.
      Many of us do give our time and money to charity and we are not paid all expenses to do so. She is covered financially for clothes, travel, housing, etc.. And still can only muster 2 or 3 hours of work a month. Some people choose to defend her, but ultimately are ignoring facts or rewriting history for her benefit.

    • Suze says:

      Why do people care about Kim Kardashian’s lifestyle? Jennifer Aniston’s? The Brange?

      We love to snark and gossip. It’s what the site is all about.

      • Ktx says:

        Point taken, Suze. That does make sense to me. I guess the Kate posts are what I read most, so I’m not always aware of the snark directed to other “celebrities.” I guess sometimes I think it crosses a line into nastiness. I’m not directing that towards anyone in particular, but it does concern me when I read especially vitriolic comments, on this site and others. I do enjoy the intelligent comments- both positive and critical, though, so that’s why this is my favorite site. 🙂

      • Suze says:

        Ktx, and I see your point.

        I’ve mentioned this before: I actually am a Jennifer Aniston fan. On this site, I typically stay away from Aniston threads because I feel they are really slanted negatively toward her, and I get defensive.

        So I understand what you’re saying. If you’re a casual observer of royalty, a Kate fan, or a William fan, these royal threads would be hard to read.

        Lots of us royaloonies read a bunch of royal sites and the conversation sort of flows from site to site. I keep coming to Celebitchy because I agree – there are a lot of smart people here!

      • bluhare says:

        Oh no, Suze. Really? Aniston? 🙂

        Ktx: I don’t spend much time on other threads either because I don’t care about the real housewives, LeAnn Rimes, and most of that other stuff. I do think that even though some of us here don’t have positive opinions of William and Kate, there’s a lot more balance than you get at most other sites. Most of which I have given up posting on as I’m really sick of being called a jellus h8r drinking haterade. And that’s pretty much all they’ve got.

      • Suze says:

        LOl Bluhare! We all have our blind spots – mine is JA!

      • bluhare says:

        It’s OK, Suze. We can bond over our mutual Harry the Scamp love.

      • Another K says:

        LAK, it may surprise you but I think this Sykes guy is spot on. Thanks for the link.

  31. Another K says:

    The sources for this story are Star Magazine and US Weekly. I think that about says it all.

    • Shari says:

      Now come on you can’t compare kate to Aniston because the tax people don’t pay for her housing, travel , ect.ect. Now I really like kate in tell I saw her dress blow up and showed her ass cheeks and then the nude photos because her is a girl that my granddaughter is looking up to and wont’s to be one day she has dolls like her… See when she married prince William she knew she was going to be a public figure and she should take her role very seriously because young girls are wonting to be like her but she don’t ya I know she was on vacation but she was necked on a porch facing the road she will one day be queen so she as a lady that agreed to be in that position should be a lady and act like a lady because come on like they thought that the med wasn’t going to be there in this time and day!!!!! Plus it was facing a open public road now what makes me angry is now I worried that one day my 13 year old granddaughter is going to put her name in the Internet and walla there are those photos because that’s all I did today is put her name in and there was her was her nude ass !!!!! Now is that the princess we won’t are kids to look up to?

      • Another K says:

        I think you may have posted in the wrong place. I don’t know anything about Jennifer Aniston.

  32. Zombie Shortcake says:

    That’s an interesting take on her living with her parents: Being a Mom is going to be the most work she’s ever done in her life, so she probably won’t know what to do without their help 24/7. She’s been dependent on them her whole life and she will continue to do so because she doesn’t even know how to function without them.

  33. Flower says:

    “a source close to the Duchess of Cambridge, 31, recently told Us Weekly”.
    I’m sure US weekly has a hot line to Willy-Waity’s private life(eye roll), if they are going to make up a story at least they should get the verifiable facts straight. To begin with Kate hasn’t been in Angelsey for over a month, she’s been in London and at her mothers and the emergency plane is for William not Kate, just in case he is on duty (snort)when she goes into labour.

  34. Careelittle says:

    The Middleton’s are always leaking to the press. Her Uncle Gary, Carole’s brother talks to the media and Carole and CO. relay a ton of info the Gary. Also one recent report about Kate in one of the British papers said directly that came from one of the Middleton’s, so the Middleton’s DO talk to the press ,plenty. This family has never been discreet, if anything they have had a pr person relaying things to the press for years, especially the Daily Mail which seems to be their mouthpiece. Never has a private family been so aggressively promoted as the Middletons.

  35. lisa2 says:

    I remember people were wondering who would get the most media attention during their pregnancy. Well it looks like KIM won that battle. I was sure that the interest in Kate would be well what it was. She has never been really interesting outside of being the future Queen. One would think that would do it. but I honestly don’t know anyone that talks about her ever.

    She and Kim had opposite pregnancies. Kim was everywhere and people were saying Kim should stay home. Kate has barely been seen and the talk is she needs to do more. They are both reported to be going home to Mom when the baby comes. Wow so they turn out to be alike in some ways.

    I don’t post much on Kate/Will. I just find her very average. And maybe that is what the royals need; someone very average.

    • molly says:

      quite agree, she is VERY AVERAGE, she will never be like Diana, she doesn’t possess an ounce of charisma and I think there is a possibility she will end up like her late mother-in-law – DIVORCED because her husband is a chip off the old block of Charles – boring and not really interested in anything, definitely not King material. She married the wrong Prince, at least she looks happy when Harry is around and he would definitely be a people’s King – unlike Charles or William – watch this space !!!!!

  36. molly says:

    Kitten Mittens

    Charles and Camilla were both single when they first met, why didn’t they get engaged and then married ????????? It would have saved a lot of heartache if they had ???????

    At least Diana didn’t tell a married man she loved him the night before she got married unlike her husband telling Camilla. She had affairs AFTER her the breakdown of her marriage not from day 1.

    Camilla will never be accepted. William and Harry may have forgiven but they will never forget EVER.

    • Kitten Mittens says:

      Molly
      As I understand it Camilla wanted to marry Charles, but Charles was not ready to settle down and be married. So, Camilla went off and married someone else and had a family. Charles did the same with a naive, 19 year old Diana. They still however loved each other and though were quite selfish in their actions were deeply in love and that is very obvious to this day.

      No, Diana to the best of my knowledge did not do that, but she was the other woman and brought heartbreak to at least 1 wife. Diana did sleep with men during the course of her marriage to Charles. It doesn’t matter if he stepped out first. It’s still immoral. Diana was also openly using men for their money and connections post divorce.. And Diana was unsure about marrying Charles, but received no support to pull out of the wedding from her family or friends. Quite sad, but with all of this there’s no free pass on disrupting another woman’s marriage.

      I doubt you know how William and Harry actually feel about Camilla. Your comments aren’t attacks based on merit, but based on emotion. Harry and William have never spoken a bad word about Camilla and are always there to support her and welcome her into their family. This sounds like you’re taking is too personally.

      • bluhare says:

        You’re right about Diana, Kitten Mittens. Once her marriage was dead, she had affairs with two married men that hit headlines — the rugby player whose marriage collapsed because of their affair, and the married art dealer who she bombarded with phone calls after he ended it.

        I think she was one of the most charismatic women of the 20th century, but she certainly had her faults.

      • molly says:

        That’s all for show, do you honestly think they would say in public that they tolerate Camilla to please “square peg daddy”, don’t think so !!!!

        Charles knows he has to carry that conscious for the rest of his hidious life with Camilla.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Ok Molly
        Clearly you believe you have personal access to the private thoughts of William and Harry and that’s a bit disturbing.
        You have a lot of anger in your posts so you’re either a troll or you should take off your tin foil hat. Harry and William have accepted Camilla into their family. You don’t have to accept her. You’re not part of their family. I have to say on this matter.
        That’s al

      • CC says:

        Apologies in advance for my long rant.

        “Charles dithered so Camilla married another” is revisionist nonsense. The unmarried Camilla Shand was never regarded as “wife material” by ANYONE in the RF, INCLUDING Prince Charles, because of her well-known past (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-459315/The-night-Camilla-lost-virginity–changed-history-royals.html).

        It was clear from the beginning that Camilla was only going to be one of Charles’ many “safe” married mistresses before and during his marriage to Diana. Other mistresses during his marriage to Diana included Lady Dale Tryon a.k.a. Kanga (see the TV documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26oQjwgS6kE), and Mrs. Janet Jenkins (she later auctioned the love letters Charles wrote her. More explosively, she claims her son Jason, born a couple of months before Prince Harry, is his).

        The problem with Camilla was that she enjoyed upstaging Diana in her own home at Highgrove by playing hostess at Charles’ house parties(unlike Edward VII’s mistresses who were never allowed to disrespect Alexandra’s position as wife). She also used Charles for expensive material freebies (e.g. the Keppel ruby & diamond tiara Charles bought for her in 1989, even before his legal separation from Diana. Read: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-432480/Camillas-rubies-Saudi-prince-peculiar-protocol.html). She also interfered in Diana’s family plans (Diana wanted many children, Camilla ensured Charles was done with her after “the heir & the spare” were born). When Morton’s book on Diana came out (where the Charles-Camilla affair was laid out), Charles’ friends (e.g. Nicholas Soames) attacked Diana on TV saying Diana was mentally ill and Camilla was only a confidante.

        But the straw that broke the camel’s back was Charles’ own admission in a TV interview that Camilla was a mistress. No British royal ever publicly outed his mistress before. Camilla’s previously indifferent husband now had to divorce her on grounds of adultery to save face, and Charles was named as the correspondent in the divorce proceedings. The Royal PR machine thus had to spin that Camilla was his “one true love” so that his sleazy nature could be covered up (Keep in mind that Andrew Parker-Bowles was Charles’ fellow army officer, which made the affair even more tawdry).

        The TV series Winner Takes All describes it perfectly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8wGZTXwq4k). Camilla is where she is today because she set out to undermine the Wales’ marriage from the beginning, and she also put down all her other rivals (real and imagined) ruthlessly. Charles is fine with it because she’ll never outshine him (he disliked Diana from the start of the marriage for her popularity with the public, as if it was Di’s “fault” that people liked her better!) and apparently she’s very good in bed. It also helped the Royal PR machine that Diana is dead (so she can’t defend herself from more “mentally ill” accusations) and Camilla can no longer bear children.

    • LAK says:

      Harry has come out in print in strong support of Camilla and both boys have said they see that Camilla makes their father happy and so they are at peace with her. The rest is public projection……

  37. Vesper says:

    Kate’s lifestyle has remained the same since she finished university. No career, no interest in hobbies or educating herself in ANYTHING, and no real efforts at volunteer work. She doesn’t even seem to be interested in cultivating female friendships. In all these years, she has done almost nothing, but hang out at home or with her family, go shopping and keep William company at social/public events. While she has done a very limited number of public/volunteer appearances they only started after she got married and she always manages to look bored while doing them.

    She will NEVER change. She will remain a bland, lazy superficial girl who has no ambition or substance, so unlike Diana who actually wanted to make a difference. Kate’s only ambition is being a wife and mother. And that is fine, for the average person, but she is a royal and living off the taxpayers. She needs to contribute something to the public, beyond a few token appearances.

    • JulieM says:

      Yup, Vesper. That about sums it up. Well said.

    • molly says:

      Totally agree Kate is lazy and any excuse. By the way who is Kitten Mitten. Sounds a caty one !! how old is she 21 ???????

      Probably doesn’t know anything about the royalty only what she reads.

      For your information I was at the queen’s coronation, can she beat that ????

      • bluhare says:

        I don’t know who Kitten Mitten is, but I love her posting name and I enjoy her posts. As you were at the queen’s coronation, perhaps you can enlighten us all. Seeing as everyone else just knows what they read.

      • Kitten Mittens says:

        Molly
        I do read quite a bit, but cross check topics to make sure I have my details correct. I like to think I know a lot about a lot. I hold a doctorate in physical therapy and volunteer with the wounded warrior project. I personally know FLORC and she referred me to this great site.
        I am newish to this royal family info, but got hooked after a few Diana bios. I was not at the coronation. Did you have a good time there? I bet it was lovely. However, I fail to see how you being at the coronation makes you more knowledgeable on this topic. I’ve been many places and witnessed many things, but it doesn’t make me more qualified than others who weren’t there. And knowledge is passed on through writings so that argument is weak.

        Bluhare
        I enjoy your posts as well:) You’re level headed and open minded.

  38. Jaded says:

    Kate is and will likely always be over her head trying to be a ‘royal’. She doesn’t have the smarts, charisma, energy, desire to take on responsibility or confidence it takes to be in this position. She may very well be a sweet young lady and hung in for years to win the William trophy, but is certainly happily led around by the nose by her husband and the royal family, and seems to be a bit of a ‘mummy’s girl’ when it comes to her closeness to her own family.

    She’s a bland, malleable personality compared to Diana and will never be the right kind of lightening rod to give the royal family the spark and credibility for doing a great job for the people that it needs to succeed in the 21st century.

  39. India says:

    I do not feel that we are getting our moneys worth from these people at all. We are in a terrible recession with most of us barely making it or not making it at all and these people are stupidly flaunting all of their wealth and power in our faces. If the BRF had an ounce of sense they would be very circumspect in their behavior. It is just not right how they behave. William’s and Kate’s lack of duty is very apparent. It is very obvious that they would rather be else where when they are attempting to do their very limited public duties. Kate is just so fake. And the fact that her obnoxious climbing family is always front and center does not help this situation at all. They had better change their ways before it is too late.