Royal baby fever is upon us. Even though the initial reports of Duchess Kate’s due date have her expecting sometime next week or the week after, some royal watchers claim that she could give birth as early as this week. She could be giving birth right now! Or tomorrow! Or the Fourth of July! Princess Diana’s birthday (July 1st) has come and gone, so at least we don’t have to worry about that association. Maybe the baby wants to wait. Just like mom! Anyway, as Great Britain (and the world!) prepares for the new royal baby, we’re getting some added info/gossip:
Kate Middleton is due to give birth on July 11 — but should her baby arrive early, the palace has a plan in place, multiple sources revealed in the June 24 issue of Us Weekly.
“Catherine really wants to be near [Prince William] in the final weeks,” an insider said of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, who’s been dividing her time between her home in Anglesey, Wales, and Nottingham Cottage in London. “It’s important to her.”
Should Middleton go into labor early, a helicopter will fly her 70 minutes away to London’s St. Mary’s Hospital. Once checked in, she hopes to give birth naturally, according to a source.
However, should she run into delivery complications, an insider says “she will have a C-section.”
The royal baby’s birth will be announced via a bulletin on an easel behind the gates of Buckingham Palace announcing, “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a child.” According to a palace aide, “There will be gun salutes, flag flying and bell pealing. It’s very exciting.”
Not as thrilling, though, as the first glimpse of the royal newborn. When the first-time parents leave the hospital, the aide promises that the 31-year-old royals “will pose with the baby for pictures.”
After a brief separation — William will resume his Royal Air Force duties in Wales following a two-week paternity leave, while Middleton and their baby will shuttle between London and her parents’ place in Berkshire — the brood will move to Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A in September, where a fully decorated nursery awaits.
I’m not throwing any shade on Kate for having a contingency plan in case she needs a C-section. She’s a small, narrow-hipped woman, and that baby isn’t going to come sliding out, you know? If a C-section happens, it happens. But I will throw shade on this: “Catherine really wants to be near [Prince William] in the final weeks. It’s important to her.” So important that she’s been staying off-and-on with her parents for months now. So important that she took a helicopter ride to London for a hair appointment a few days ago. Incidentally, the weirdness of Kate taking a helicopter ride to London for a hair appointment is being overshadowed by the fact that Kate didn’t go to the same hair guy, Richard Ward, that she’s been seeing for years. Like, is that the real drama? That she’s changing hair stylists?! She must want the baby to see her for the first time with sausage curls. That should become the meme, y’all. Somebody Photoshop Kate’s sausage curls onto a random baby.
Us Weekly also reports that the paparazzi have already begun to camp out outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in London, which is where Kate will give birth. Us Weekly also says that “a bay of parking spaces outside the hospital has been closed off with signs saying it’s reserved for an ‘event’ spanning July 1 to July 31.” Yeah. I think it’s happening sooner rather than later.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
She looks great. No swollen ankles, no puffy face. Must really piss off Kardashian.
Omg, imagine how PO’d Kim will be after holding North West hostage all this time to build up suspense, if the royal baby comes along sooner than predicted, and then eclipses Kim’s planned debut of her baby. Headline: “Total Eclipse of the North West!”
OMG. You are so funny!
Agreed! I hope the baby comes the same day as Kris’ show premiers! Or that Kate and William exit the hospital for the promised photo op on the same day North West makes her glamorous Vogue photo shoot arrival. How dumb would Kim and Kanye look holding that baby hostage when Kate and Will just casually stroll out of the hospital and allow PEASANTS to take photos Lol!?!
I just realized……..Kim is hiding that baby to compete. Well she’s in for a rude awakening. She might as well trot that baby out today, get her attention and then have a seat
or she is hiding it until it has the standard kardashian nose job and botox
LOL I actually think Kim is holding out so she can try and eclipse the Royal baby. But nothing eclipses a future King or Queen. Not sure I believe she is anywhere but London or with her parents with William working she wouldn’t see him much anyway and he can go down to her on the weekend. The press have already started lining up in front of the hospital so it is looking a lot sooner then later. She wouldn’t be first Royal taken by helicopter to the hospital in labour one of the Swedish Princess was as well.
Kim Kardashian has bigger ego problems than I thought. She’ll have a seriously epic drop in self worth when she realizes that no one, and I mean no one, will eclipse this royal baby.
Bluhare
Call me crazy, but I actually think Kim is more consumed right now of landing her own baby pic deal/losing the baby weight/keep her prince attracted to her to car about this.
For all Kim’s terrible wardrobe issues and horrible, HORRIBLE mother I can’t hate her as much as others because the money she has is not supplied through taxes… In fact I will let a lot slide if a person if financially responsible for themselves and does not rely on tax supplements to survive when perfectly capable of working.
I’ve said it a million times. I judge others on what they give in direct relation to what they take. Since Kim gives nothing and takes nothing she’s fine to live as she pleases. If Kaiser or celebitchy choose to cover her it’s because people care enough to know more about her and that is her source of income.
Sorry, but I had to rant there. It’s frustrating that i’m called a hater with a personal vendetta for Kate when everyone wishes Kim and her baby physical harm and should be applauded for doing so.
That report reads like a jampacked ramble of different snippets cut and paste from so many other reports already floating around.
Paps/media are already lining up, but last night, the middletons’ personal pap posted ‘ Royal Berkshire Hospital’ to his twitter account. He has been correct with every hint he has ever dropped, so methinks that’s where it’ll go down.
Thanks, LAK! I’d forgotten they have their own pap for leaks.
LAK, does this mean Kate’s breaking with protocol and will surprise the Palace with a birth in Berkshire rather than London?
If they blind side the press with a hospital switch the media will be Royally aggravated . The British media can be as vicious as a pack of hyenas when they are thwarted, I think it would be a bad mistake resulting in the end of William and Kate’s press honeymoon.
How the press/palace react, if they don’t already know about switch or possibility of switch, will depend on how the Middletons present it.
They got away with announcing the pregnancy on their terms, the pap dropped hints of a surprise announcement for the exact date that the pregnancy announcement was made. The hints came on several days in November.
He later dropped hints on estimated due date which lo behold is here.
He has dropped hints on Kate’s minimum official length of stay with her mother after the birth (4mths, not 6wks) so we’ll see when exactly she leaves and reasons given.
And now he has flat out posted the hospital.
I never understand why they leak so directly to him. He must have some serious stuff on them because picture exclusives are one thing, but insider information is another.
On a different note, have you guys noticed that he is stalking Cressida lately? He is the only one getting picture exclusives of her….from the train station to Glastonbury to her graduation show to her walking with her sister Isabella!!!!
@LAK – Yes, I’ve noticed that too! Cressida looked more than displeased that a pap was there. Clearly, it was unexpected, but someone dropped a hint. Supposedly Harry and Cress rode a train back with quite a few of the wedding guests, but somehow only those two were papped (at least from the articles I’ve seen). All of this just begs the question, WHAT does he have on the Mids? From how much time Will spends with them , I’m beginning to think there is dirt on him as well.
I noticed that too! I found it interesting that the Middletons pap man was the one to get the photos of Harry and Cress. I also wondered what took so long for pictures of Cress in everyday life to come out. I think deal was made with the press to protect Cress and Tanna is just now saying eff it.
Cress is an interesting nickname. Fluffy to look at, tart to taste.
Ha!….. Harry and Cressida = Mustard and Cress.
It was my understanding that William’s position in Anglesey was being downsized and outsourced and would no longer exist by the start of this month (July). I don’t really think Kate is spending much time in Wales, she hasn’t been seen there in months and months. Additionally, neither Will nor Kate will be living there, not even part time, as there are no plans to bring the baby there.
Kate is at home with her mother in Berkshire. Maybe occasionally in London, but her primary location is at the Middleton Manor with Mummy.
And it’s extraordinarily wasteful and bizarre that she needed a helicopter to bring her to London for a hair appointment. From Berkshire to London is a short and easy car ride. About 1 hours time. Easily managed, especially with security guards who can double as drivers.
Isn’t that something Thinker?
Will will never willingly leave that place. Leaving means there’s no excuse left for him to not take on more royal duties. He was never putting these kinds of hours in recent history. My guess is also he does not want to be near his wife. There’s no love there. Only a burden.
I can’t understand how William got time off just for random goofing off with friends, but he isn’t getting time off when Kate will go into labor probably any minute?
I can’t wait for this baby to be out. I wonder if Kate really will go through attention withdrawal like many are predicting in atleast 4 months time.
Seriously? He does not want to be near his wife? How did she get pregnant? You ppl are so jealous!
Ever heard of “Lie back and think of England”? You don’t have to be full of lust to conceive an heir to the throne. That’s usually reserved for the mistress.
If we were to do a poll of people who comment on these threads, I think the vast majority, and maybe even some people who love Kate, would say they don’t want her life for love nor money. So that jellus h8r argument doesn’t cut much mustard over here. Nice try, though.
Get a grip bluhare. This isnt the 1600s. Look at the Olympic pics of them. That isnt a guy who doesnt want to be around his wife. And the poll on this site wouldnt count for shit since it’s mostly prigs on here hating away. The conspiracy theories on the Middletons are so far fetched too.
Maggie
Bluhare is correct. The jealous hater argument is full of holes. The only time you see Will and Kate together is maybe during an appearance or a vacation. Even on vacation Will doesn’t crack a smile. Do you know where he gets the biggest grins? While on vacation without Kate. He’s been a serial cheater and knows he gets away with it. He’s demonstrated no love for her when making fun of her and her family at length. This is all very well documented.
Kate got pregnant because it was his duty and her job. If you want to believe they’re in love go ahead. There’s just little evidence to actually support that.
My grip’s fine, Maggie. I also saw those Olympics photos. I also saw the Olympics video. You know, the one where it showed they held that pose for less than a second and looked SO comfortable with each other.
Prigs hating away is such a great visual, Maggie. I don’t know how you tolerate it long enough to post your comments, I really don’t.
They seem to have that type of lopsixed relationship where person is much more infatuated and in love with the other. That’s a tough spot to be in.
Being at home with Moma Carole could actually be a ploy to pull Big Willy back into the nest and at the side of his wife and child. After all, part of the fascination with Kate was/is probably hsr strong family structure–or what seems to ne a strong family structure. I personally would not want to stay six weeks with my mom (she’s an okay woman) or any other relative (for that matter) for such a long length of time. I would want the baby to be around the things I lovingly bought and picked out and I would want to set up my own little nest and cocooning with the baby–in my home.
Dena
You and many others would very much accept help from your mother during those first weeks post birth with your first baby, but this is a whole new level for these reasons…
Kate has no nest… Her homes are undergoing extensive renovations. Sure they could have a home of their own at this point, but don’t for various reasons.
Kate has never really left her parents home. She has never learned to be without her mother’s guidance. This isn’t such a bad thing, but her mother’s guidance includes financial support. There isn’t one quality of Kate that can exist without dependency imo. Prove me wrong people!
Kate was already spending much time at her parents home after she conceived and William went straight off to join his friends for many “hunting” trips. Rumors of what actually happens on those trips rival vegas bachelor parties.
Kate being at her mother’s home is benefitting Carole a lot! She gets upgrades that are now being confirmed. Upgraded kitchen, windows, doors, and grounds perimeters are being done at the tax payers expense for the safety of the newborn while Kate stays at her mothers. Would it be cheaper and safer for Carole to just move into the palace? Yes, but they wouldn’t get the freebies then.
And where will William be during this time? Not with the Middletons…
100%,FLORC. 100%, bluhare.
I agree with you re lopsided attention, Dina. Most of the photos where they do show affection show her hanging on him, with little or no response on his part.
I know they’re royal and have to keep the stiff upper lip thing in public but since the Canada tour there really hasn’t been much observable affection between them. It makes me sad, really. I really did think they were in love when they first got married.
And now when they’re having a baby, which people might think would actually give them chance to bond over the baby and make their own family, shes not even going to be “home”. She’s going to be with her mother. It’s good she’s got a support system, but 6 weeks to four months after the baby’s born at her mother’s house? I think that’s a bit weird, even factoring in the baby belonging to the crown thing.
Just to clarify while rereading my response to Dena
I agree on many parts with you. I was just pointing out that circumstances surrounding Kate’s pregnancy and even just Kate herself can not really be relatable to the average person because of those listed reasons. We don’t have that relationship of dependency, odd marriage, and we can stand on our own if our parents passed away and our husband left us. Also, we have jobs that we’ve earned through education.
There are many criticisms of the Cambridges that I can get behind: lazy, spoiled, workshy etc… But to suggest that these two people are not enormously fond of and attracted to one another is bordering on the ridiculous. You cannot fake the high level of physical chemistry that I have consistently seen on display between the two of them. Yes, Kate seems like she may be a bit vapid, the sausage curls are irritating, the pinky rings on her family are terribly gauche, and sometimes her skirts seem a bit short. Not to mention the “leeching off the taxpayer” issue. I am an American, and a pinko commie liberal to boot, so there’s no love lost between myself and these royal peacocks. But those kids are mad about each other, folks, and all these strained protestations to the opposite undercut the generally high level of royal gossip found on this site.
Ayre, I think I see some affection, but that’s about it.
From what I read, Kate has been in Angesley most of the time when William is “on duty” and they are in London when he isn’t. He is “on two/off two” from what I understand. Also, I seriously doubt Kate took a helicopter to get her hair done. I think the outcry would have been loud enough to have been heard in the States and I don’t remember hearing anything. (Not that there is anything wrong with taking a helicopter, as long as she pays for it.)
Also, Williams’s duties are up in September and that is what it has always been. I think the private company takes over in July.
Even before Kate’s pregnancy, she has been in London doing a lot of shopping several times a week, every week. The latest shopping trip was last week. Kate was picking out carpets and fabrics for their Kensington Palace apartments. Very few news sites report on her shopping trips because she and her family have an exclusive deal with Ikon pictures, the only photo agency that knows exactly where Kate would be. Photos of Kate shopping are published on the internet every week. Sightings of Kate around London are often reported by random Twitter users.
She and William haven’t stayed in Wales in a long time.
As for the helicopter use, why should it be a doubt? She had no problem using the helicopter to go to William’s polo match last year. She went by car to attend a kids’ camp first, and then after only an hour at the camp, she hopped into a helicopter so she could see William play. And she did it just because she could.
She’s not paying for any of these helicopter rides. The taxpayers always foot the bill.
Nobody would make a big deal out of royals’ travel expenses in the States. You’re not paying for them so your media wouldn’t care. Even some UK media choose to ignore the expensive bills Kate and co. rack up every year.
Seriously, did she really take a helicopter to go to the hair salon? If she’s in London all the time, she wouldn’t need one, right?
Mslewis- Not a full week has gone by this year that Kate hasn’t been spotted shopping in London or Berkshire. Whenever Kate has a solo outing its always explained that William is in Wales, and Kate is representing them both. If she’s spending any time in Wales at all (which I doubt) it’s extremely minimal and canto be considered “living there.”
When the private company takes over, William’s position ceases to exist. He was given the option of continuing on with the private company but he declined. If he’s staying with the military until September, he will have to be reassigned elsewhere. He will NOT be at the base in Anglesey.
Regarding the uproar in the states.. We’ll never get it. Yes, we don’t pay for them, but the media here is always trying to paint Kate as some kind of Diana only more prepared. We know better and that’s why our media sucks.
Sachi
I heard a theory that since Kate really is at her parents all the time she takes a car to the helicopter and then the helicopter to where she needs to go. No one that takes a photo of her is anywhere near William. The lupo, Kate, Will photo though they were. And they looked annoyed with eachother.
Re: Kate’s helicopter use: she takes helicopters all the time. To most of her engagements and frequently between her homes. Pics are occasionally posted on twitter of her landing somewhere…..
Re: William’s work schedule: FLORC is right. It’s curious that during his past 3yr placement, he could work as little as he liked and often did with no consequences for him. Now he has a legit reason to be away and his bosses won’t let him? To extent that he might miss the birth? With added detail that a helicopter may be on standby get him to the hospital on time???!!!!
All dates for what William is supposed to be doing tend to slip.It’s always been the way for him. It was announced he would be finished by now. Given the frequent updates full of excuses and slippage, it won’t surprise at all if he is still there at christmas!!
I wish their team would stop making these pronouncements. It makes them look like unprofessional idjits when their charges don’t follow through and it doesn’t encourage public goodwill.
FLORC – that would explain Kate shopping for antiques and going to most stores near her parents’ house in Berkshire for several weeks now.
Using the helicopter to get around is just so wasteful.
And I don’t think for one second that she pays for any of her travel expenses. Remember the article about one of her helicopter rides costing more than $40,000 for only a few hours in one day? I doubt Kate would be taking the helicopter as often as she does if she has to pay a single cent for it. Just points out how greedy and insensitive she really is.
I was such a Diana-phile. It bothers me to this day to see that ring on Kate’s hand.
Why? William gave it to her. Would it be better to just have it sitting in a drawer? Or, maybe have it broken up and made into earrings? I was a Diana nut too but I have no problem with Kate wearing her ring. I think it was a lovely gesture on William’s part.
I agree with you, but I think we are lonely duo out here. My only quibble is “lovely gesture”. Well thought out gesture perhaps. But then I’m cynical.
Personally, I am very superstitious about jewellery. Makes no sense, but there it is.
My jewellery superstition is such that I would shudder if anyone presented with jewellery from doomed figures or events eg Marie Antoinette (the spencers have some of her jewels) or the romanovs (need I say more).
The Queen has apparently requested that her rings be buried with her. Diana’s ring should have been buried with her or kept in a vault for at least another generation.
It’s from a disastrous, failed marriage. I still shudder when I see it.
Understand your point, LAK; I’ve got things that give me the heeby jeebies too, but in this case it’s just a ring that was owned by his mother. The fact that she’s an historical figure is not the issue. She was his mother.
Besides, maybe he wanted to send a message about how he felt. 😀
I think it was a lovely gesture to propose with is mother’s ring because my husband proposed to me with my mother’s ring. Also, I would have shot him if he spent thousands on a piece of jewelry while we were saving for a house. And my parents remained together and in love until my father passed. So not too much bad mojo there.
Will tends to remind the public often that Diana was his mother and only for selfish purposes. Then I learned the ring was Harry’s and Harry didn’t actually know Kate that well at all given the 8 or 9 years she dated his brother and even made fun of her and how clingy she was to William. All this taken into account it seems like not such a thoughtful gesture. That’s just my 2 cents on this.
B – It’s not the historical aspect that makes me shudder, it’s what they represent and the negative energy of the jewels.
I would also say no to Wallis’s jewels even though i think they are fabulous and dazzling.
I understand completely why William would want to give Kate something belonging to his mother. That’s always a nice gesture no matter who you are. However, for me, that particular ring is a symbol of negative energy from a spectacularly disastrous marriage.
LAK
The Wallis jewels are stunning and always in style. Talk about jewel p0rn!
If having to choose between Diana’s and Wallis’s there’s no contest. One had a collection out of hardship, but love. The other had a collection (Spencer jewels excluded) on position and a hole of sadness trying to be filled with designer items. But as you already know I am extremely biased in this topic.
And as a woman that wears very little jewelry day to day mostly because my job requires many gloves and hand washing, I do enjoy my diamonds, sapphires, any rubies for special occasions
: )
I’d wear Wallis Simpson’s stuff. Well, the pieces I like anyway. Same with Liz Taylor’s things and anyone else.
They are inanimate objects and the only karma you put on them is your own. That’s my theory anway.
I probably wouldn’t wear something that was haunted or something like that though.
The marriage was disastrous in many ways, but it did allow for the birth of William and Harry, and so, as they say, it was not a total loss.
And why do I think that if William had bought her a new, big ring, there would have been an outcry over all the money he spent on it!? He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
That said, I don’t really like the ring on Kate. It wears her.
Cool
That is very much not true.
I really appreciate Kate’s lack of shoes outside her basic staples and here and there repeat outfits. I do defend her in these areas. Diana’s ring is such a symbol of a doomed relationship and William has never invoked his mother’s memory to honor it, but rather use it as an excuse. Harry does the opposite.
They do get it right at times and they are indeed praised. If this was a damned if you do/don’t scenario they would receive praise under any circumstance. It’s very simply a case of a glorified pair of welfare recipients that can decide when their allowance can be raised. And family members are allowed to cash in as well on the backs of the poor for hair appointments and cosmetic renovations. Not good.
I’m with Lac and Florc on this. Not only was the tray of rings offered to Diana a bargain basement selection (relatively speaking) but its reappearance gave me the heebie-jeebies, my first thoughts were ‘ring of doom’ and ‘she’ll be sorrrrrry’.
I’m with you on the shoes, FLORC. I almost always buy shoes in neutral shades because I like good shoes and I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to matching bags and shoes. So neutrals always work and then they don’t take over the outfit. There’s exceptions to every rule, though.
Bluhare
I did really like Kate’s Jimmy Choo’s (i think) early post wedding. So sparkly and pretty for the gown she wore.
With that said I am a boat shoe comfy kinda girl. I walked straight out of an LLBean catalog. Nothing, but comfy cardigans:)
I do like her style for the most part, but I drew the line at those coats made into dresses. That was just awful.
So, generally I won’t hate Kate for how she dresses and the shoes I’m such a matchy person too. Evening wear is where the exceptions come into play.
Other than I’m not an LL Bean kind of girl (think: early slob or apparently late Puritan) we’d do very well. I agree with everything you said.
Don’t be silly! The size of one’s hips has nothing to do with whether birth will be easy or difficult.
It’s the inside measurement of the birth canal that
matters.
Thank you. What a ridiculous thing to think.
Thank you. Somebody knows very little about birthing babies!!! My mother was 5 feet tall and weighed 96 pounds. She gave birth to 13 babies and they were all at least 8 pounds. Size has nothing to do with it.
Wow, mslewis, your mother was a trooper!
Thank you! I was going to say. As a labor and delivery nurse, I learned you cannot tell the size of the pelvic canal by looking at a woman. Just because she is slim hipped doesn’t mean she can’t easily deliver! In fact, slim patients usually have the easiest vaginal deliveries.
I think this narrow hip business is being floated around to preempt a C-Section. There are just too many vanity driven reasons people want them. And don’t start saying to leaves a scar and the recovery sucks. Kate will have the best of the best and the procedure has advanced so much a scar is barely visible if at all anymore for those with money. And Kate will recover fine with all the help she’ll have. They’re just laying the ground work as an excuse.
Having worked in my hospitals maternity ward it’s almost shocking how many women get elective c-sections. Their reasons for doing so are without medical need. To make sure the baby’s skull was not deformed in the birth canal was the worst imo.
Have you never heard of the age old joke about child bearing hips meaning wide hips??? this is the same joke, but told about narrow hips. It’s not meant to be taken literally or scientifically.
This is an old joke, told often, i can’t believe how seriously you guys are taking it.
Actually, given how widespread it is worldwide, i am sure it’s tied into some sort of old wives tale.
LAK
The birthing hips trait has its roots. The idea is that a woman’s body has less adjusting to do to make room for a baby. And with more room meant the baby could just slip right out! In various midwife diaries and memoirs they stated in many ways how the woman that had wide hips for her 2nd child had an easier time in child birth. Of course, we know better, but there were many circumstances where a wider hipped woman had an easier time and easier labor way back in the day before modern medicine.
Also, why women with wider hips are seen as more fertile on a subconscious level with men.
And from personal experience i’ve seen narrow hipped women have a longer, more difficult labor, as opposed to a wider hipped woman. With all the variable it really comes down to case by case, but this term isn’t out of nowhere and has it’s place with exceptions to the rule.
Okay. This is where the royals really get me down…they bore me.
Forget for a moment the whole entitled work-shy lazy issue that surrounds some of them like a cotton candy cloud.
What really irks me now is how unimaginatively boring they are and, as their country’s product, how drably marketed. “Duchess K will take a chopper to get sausage curls, will be in that hospital room and – wait for it!! – we are even blocking parking spots! Woooohooo!” Seriously, they get a big fat royal F for pomp and spectacle.
I want this: until the Baby arrives, the men who have dated the Duchess will be under a tent outside the hospital, crooning lullabies to create a proper mood. They will be joined by Nadal, Ewan MacGregor, Sting. The roads shall be covered in silken bags stuffed with pound notes, to muffle the sounds of the city and later provide cash for pints of celebration to the commoners. A moat shall be dug and filled with swans, while in a moving touch, the Duchess’s favorite pony shall be housed in freshly built stables to be nearby. A lottery will be drawn by Prince Ginger and the citizen closest to date, time and weight and length of the royal Baby shall be deemed an honorary Man or Lady of the Crib Chamber for one year, with free lodging and a trip with the Middletons. All fountains will be filled with Champagne in the month of July and no woman shall be allowed to have sausage curls too, or she shall be beheaded via a stuffed lifesized effigy of warning on the Kensington High Street. All other women must refrain from pushing when it announced that the Baby is coming, so that it will not have to share its birthday with any British commoner (fines will range from 2x hospital fees to the baby being raised as an indentured Duchy bakery worker). By order of HRH the Queen, the Baby and mother shall be read soothing tales by Helen Mirran and Colin Firth until further notice. The gender of the Baby shall be announced by bathing the Wheel in pink or blue light at night, while in the day the royal guards will emerge dressed head to toe in pink or blue uniforms, which they shall wear throughout summer while handing out small organic chocolate cigars. A special Baby Bonfire shall take place on the first Saturday after the Baby arrives with free music, food and drink and a Dance of the Baby by the fountain, starring role by Cressida. All children will be taken to and from the first day of school by pony as well, as organized by Harry and Bea and Eugenie. Finally, Pippa will be required to conduct her daily business while wearing a fake baby bump for the delight of the tourists, while Carol will receive the new formal title of Granny Commoner of the Miners and a ring bearing the image of a miner heroically pulling the newborn out of the Duchess.
See – way more fun. Boring, boring royals.
— Mirren! could not correct it on my iPad
That’s good, Liberty. Bonfire of the Baby! ROFL.
This is perfect!
Wanted to share this disturbing piece of information with the rest of the royal observers on here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/royal-family-granted-new-right-of-secrecy-2179148.html
Essentially, the government is modifying the Freedom of Information Act to protect the royal family’s profligate spending from public oversight. It’s disturbing, and should bother any taxpayer who works hard, pays their dues, and discovers their taxes go towards funding the helicopters that chauffeur Kate Middleton to hair appointments. If anything, the royal family’s expenses need more oversight, not less.
Seems like they’re going to hide a lot more than spending with this.
Still shake my head when I read/hear people still think the RF is harmless.
This article is from 2011. They were already exempt from the FOI act, but the caveats inserted into it made absolutely sure that it couldn’t be reversed.
The only reason we found out about their recent veto’ed bills was because it almost reached court, and they couldn’t shut than down without more coming out.
Interesting. I just read an article with the hopper ride from a month ago. How the chopper ride was paid for by a “friend” and not by tax payers. To think they have to call a friend every time they want a helicopter ride was hard to swallow. This makes so much sense now. So, where’s the uproar? This will only get worse on the backs of those that work.
Oh, he just happened to be flying by, FLORC. You didn’t know that?
Bluhare
I knew something wasn’t right and not adding up, but not the full extent. The article explained it in a way that made me think any time they needed a ride a friend would make a call to charter a helicopter. Seemed odd! To the full extent the article goes into was shocking.
this blows the “royals only cost a few pounds per citizen” bit out of the water imo. Clearly they need more then they mind and are extremely harmful to their country. So again… Where is the uprising? Yes you can say they’re harmless if you’re well off, but to the poverty stricken percentage they seem to be the difference between a warm bed to sleep in and being cold and hungry. This is sick. I’m reaching a level of disgust with them that makes me very much hate.
And to clarify to those who think I personally hate Kate… Look at yourselves and how you love to hate Kim so much you need to post on other threads… Kate may be thinner, but is far more destructive in her actions.
The thing that stuck out for me with the helicopter ride is the Palace taking the trouble to point out that this was/is a gift.
Hello??!!! a gift?!! since when??!! The rules of royals receiving gifts are cast iron. or so the Palace and the law keeps telling us.
Several Royals have found themselves in hot water for accepting gifts, so how is this acceptable?
LAK
I did have that same thought too! You rightfully told me many times how the royals may receive discounts, but NEVER gifts for obvious reasons. That was crazy that they claimed it was a gift and the article I was reading said they royals rely heavily on gifts such as these. I think it was a link through a link here or on duchess or diva…
Either way they’re clearly abusing their position and still sticking out like sore thumbs as the ones not even doing the bare minimum.
Hadn’t thought of the “gift” aspect which I assume means something about taxation, right? Gifts have value therefore considered as income? That’s how it is in the US, but I don’t know about British tax law, much less Royal Tax Law.
Is it still a gift if he was truly flying by and picked them up? (Not that I really believe that, but you never know.) Not quite getting the correct words in here, but hope you understand what I mean. Would it be different than if he volunteered his helicopter to take them somewhere rather than picked them up on his way?
I can’t believe I’m trying to be charitable here.
Bluhare
It’s written as if William asked for a favor and the helicopter was chartered upon request. In the pics there’s no one there except the pilots. security, lupo, and a very grumpy and distant looking Kate and Will. The icing to this whole thing is no one was suppose to know about this chopper ride. The pics were taken by a random witness and the palace seemed to freak out with the time they had to issue a quick and completely defensive statement. Seemed like a mistake in their wording.
Infuriating. Charles, Camilla, William, Kate – the lot of them. Not one worth their weighty cost to the taxpayer, and all thinking themselves above the common person too. Nobody is born above anybody else, the monarchy should end with Elizabeth II, or carry on as a private institution living off the Duchys. Income from their expansive portfolios could keep them all in a very wealthy lifestyle. It’s simply SELFISH for the millionaires that make up the royal family to need taxpayers to fund their existence by way of travel, renovation, security, staff, clothing, etc.
It’s laws like this that allow William and Kate to lie about everything from “having no staff” to “working in Wales.” Then when they are caught lying, they just claim invasion of privacy. Absolutely no accountability. It’s disgusting.
The comments on here are ridiculous and mean spirited. Where is the Know it All Lak getting her info? Dreamt it up? It’s obvious William loves his wife. I’m excited to see if they are having a boy or a girl. They’ll make great parents. It’s just sad to think Diana wont be able to enjoy this baby.
You may find the comments here ridiculous, but they are almost never mean spirited. That’s one thing you can’t lay on us. We aren’t the ones calling names.
If you would like to state your position and be prepared for actual questions I would be happy to talk with you. But so far, you just appear to want to trash people whose opinions you don’t happen to share.
All you have to do is read through the comments.
Maggie, I will restate what I said. If you would like to make your position and back it up I’d be happy to discuss it with you.
Having read the thread I find your take on it a bit . . . um . . . ridiculous.