There has been a noticeable absence of “sources” proclaiming that Prince William and Duchess Kate’s move to Norfolk is a great thing. There are no “Buckingham Palace sources” or “sources close to the Prince of Wales” issuing statements about William’s choice and how it’s totally great. That’s interesting. Because I really do think the Queen – perhaps more than Prince Charles – is a little bit disgusted by William’s life choices. But for now, William’s press office is having to do the bulk of the positive press work, which is kind of funny. They’re trying to make everybody happy by saying that maybe William and Kate will get another dog and it’s all about how William wants to raise his son in the country, blah, blah.
Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, are reportedly looking forward to their country lifestyle in their new Norfolk home. The young royal couple, who welcomed their first son Prince George last July, recently moved to the British countryside in a house that was gifted to Prince William by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II for his 30th birthday two years ago. Anmer Hall is in Norfolk, which sits on the east coast of England. It’s thought that William and Catherine will stay there for two years.
“Kate and William are country folk at heart. While their London home will be their base in terms of royal duties, Norfolk is where they want to bring up their family,” a royal insider revealed to British magazine Grazia.
It was recently revealed that 32-year-old William has taken a job as helicopter pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance, which commences in spring 2015 and is based near the sprawling mansion. Anmer Hall is also where both William and his younger Harry spent a lot of their childhood.
“It’s where William spent his formative years, and is at his happiest, so it made sense,” the source added. “The couple will get another dog and hope to have another baby while there. When the two years are up they will spend weekdays in London, where George will go to school, but weekends in Norfolk allowing them to have a normal family life.”
The couple have a large circle of friends who live close by their new country manor, with plenty having young kids of their own. Catherine, 32, is also said to be completely taken with the relaxed atmosphere.
“William spent a lot of time in Norfolk growing up and has a proper crew there. All his old friends have young children who will be perfect playmates for Prince George. It’s very sociable in the area and Kate really loves the Norfolk lifestyle,” the insider said.
Um… William and Harry didn’t grow up at Sandringham. They grew up in London and Highgrove, the Price of Wales’ estate. But I do believe that Will and Kate have a lot of friends in Norfolk and that they enjoy the “relaxed atmosphere” of not having to do much work and living with millions of dollars of security, taxpayer funded. And I look forward to seeing a second dog.
Oh, and Duchess Camilla’s daughter-in-law, Sara Parker-Bowles, gave an interview about fashion and work and all of that, and she mentioned Kate. Sara has met Kate several times and Sara says: “We’ve talked about designers we admire in the past and she’s always very complimentary about what I wear but, clearly, she feels she’s got more important things to think about – and that’s what makes her so endearing.” What else does Kate have to think about? I’m not being mean, I swear. I would like to know what is more important to her than shopping and clothes?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Hair maintenance.
Eyeliner workshops
Lol
Procuring an associates degree in bum flashing.
@ homegrrrl – I think she already has her bachelors degree in that, lol!
LOL…..that was my first thought, too.
HomeGrrrl, LCharm, Vava;
I’m giving workless Waity a Phd in flash humping! Heck after a decade of Interning she earned this honourary degree!
Dany
BRoyals and celebrity clothes are in a total different expectation importance and stratasfare.
Only workless Waity doolittle ma caqrole and the muddletons hangers on are in celebrity field. VB and workless doolittle Waity should not be gifting, so unroyals like. Celeb spicegirl advertising her clothing business buying association with worthless Waity royal connection.
Genuine RF lead charitable work for the people for GB UK and Commonwealth!? The millions of taxpaying pounds on security need only use on work event schedules for these two lazy Wiil and CanNOT muddletons and at KP,
Redecorating .
Thinking about how many times she can fuss with her hair in an hour….
Where to vacation next!
Starving herself.
Extreme exercising to help the starving.
Checking on William’s activities with female companions.
Advising Pipster how to hunt a husband.
Talking strategy with Carole.
Practising wearing the Crown / a tiara.
Think: walking around balancing a book on the head.
Deciding on the precise amount of highlights and low-lights in her hair.
Figuring out what William would like.
Umm..
This thread is becoming more for blindly insulting and hating. No more balanced discussion.
A well, come one.
What DOES she do all day? She has at least one full-time nanny and a PA and … so how does she spend all that time?
TOWIE and Keeping up with the Kardashians receives the same kind of gossip.
The taxpayer funds Kate’s multi-million pounds lifestyle and hardly gets anything in return. Kate’s lifestyle is funded by Prince Charles who in turn receives some money from the Duchy of Cornwall which is owned by the state/taxpayer. So the taxpayer funds Kate and she delivers less than the Kardashians who – despite all their faults – do work and do (pretend?) to do charity at least.
I’m probably being optimistic, but… charity work?
Her child?
Hopefully that’s what she meant.
I hope and think that’s what she meant.
Decorating her houses. How to get out of work. Whitening her teeth. Y’all, she’s busy.
Don’t front–it’s back-breaking work.
Yeah, and I’m not that great at it.
I will buy that because as we have seen on this site she is known to repeat the same outfits. I like her for doing that, most celebs wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same outfit twice.
Yet she always clothes shopping so if she doesn’t care about clothes why is she always shopping for them?
You can´t compare a celeb on the red carpet with a royal wife. Kate (=Charles) buys her clothes for her engagements. All royals repeat their cloths to look thrifty. It´s their shtick to please the taxpayer LOL.
Celebs get their clothes for red carpet events/promos etc. loaned from the designers so it is no surprise we never see an A-list actress with the same on a red carpet again. In private they all reapeat their normal day cloths.
Actually her favorite things to shop for are housewares, antiques and casual wear for George. I think that is where she burns stress. I think her personal shopping for clothes is done primarily online. No one is there to snap pics or tweet about security having to carry 15 bags of clothes to the car. She impulse shops, imo but she has said herself that she is really not into fashion. The J Brand jeans and cork wedges have convinced me that she means it.
LOL on the cork wedges. So true………..!
She is papped a lot at Bicester shopping for clothes as she was frequently papped on Ken High street doing the same pre-pregnancy. Before the wedding, it was always Kings Road or Bicester. And always clothing.
She’s now added antiques/homeware and PGtips to shopping list, but it’s not the only thing she’s buying.
Shopping is a stress reliever as she heads straight to the shops (or as soon as can be arranged within a day) after each engagement. This has been her pattern from the day she joined the royal family.
Lol her shoe game is nonexistent. During the dating years Kate practically lived in riding boots. Even those would be better than the corkies and nude LK Bennets, imo.
Certainly she buys clothes, but without any degree of fervour….Bicester’s like online in 3 dimensions!
Sarah P-B was caught between a rock and a hard place….she could hardly say she and Kate have nothing in common.
Chris: Bicester is better live. The bargains to be had!!!!! Much better than TJ Maxx.
On a different note, I firmly believe Sara PB introduced Kate to McQueen (as a label). She was very good friends with Lee and wore a lot of McQueen – She is one of 3 people he agreed to design wedding dresses for.
That said, she doesn’t seem to wear a lot of McQueen these days. I wonder if that’s a comment on Sarah Burton’s designs.
LAK
I never knew that re Sara PB and McQueen! And yes indeed, I’d imagine it is due to the label’s new look that she no longer wears it.
(I should have googled before this comment but….is Sara Tom’s wife? I really enjoy his foodie writing, he really knows and loves his subject and of course his step-father has many wonderful organic ingredients to give him!)
I love the classic Alexander McQueen couture – the theatricality of his designs (and themed collections) is wonderfully imaginative (though perhaps not exactly wearable). It’s the same with Galliano’s glory years for Dior, where his 07 Japanese inspired collection was the highpoint of his creative work.
Chris: Yes, she is Tom PB’s wife. I love his writing too. I especially love that he claimed (ages ago now) that he is greedy. Not many people can admit to that where food is concerned.
AH: me too.
J’dore Dior as designed by galliano.
That said, I went to V&A’s wedding dresses exhibition in anticipation of Kate Moss and Gwen Stefani’s Galliano designed dresses…….very underwhelming. a case of the woman making the dress and not the other way round.
Kate’s dress was particularly horrible due to the material chosen. Close up it looked like dirty, cheap netting with gold sequins. That killed off the design skill involved.
The Stefani dress had a lot of skill, but it was deconstructed and had terrible finish to it. Fabric and colour was amazing though. And you don’t see the deconstructed parts in the photos.
On a tiara note, Lady Sarah Chatto’s tiara is exhibited along sode her wedding dress. I’ve always thought her tiara was unusual and it was. It is 3 antique brooches given to her mother, Princess Margaret, by her father, and welded together to form a special wedding tiara. It’s very, very pretty close up. Ditto her wedding dress.
So jelly :O
LAK
Ta for info there
Wow, I imagine you were in heaven at that V&A exhib. How interesting about close-up examination being a let down. I think if I had to wear a wedding dress, I’d like to see a few Vivienne Westwood examples….or take the Bianca Jagger approach and sleekly sidestep it! I must say though, I was quite surprised Kate even wore a dress! But certainly, she overshadowed it as you say.
I love the rethinking/setting of jewels, ArtHistorian’s mentioned a few inspired examples before. I must look up the tiara you mention.
I haven’t really had a chance to see a couture exhibit in years, though I loved the exhibit they did at Statens Museum for Kunst (the national gallery) in Copenhagen about 10 years ago. They exhibited couturier Erik Mortensen’s work (her worked for Balmain) in combination with the museum’s collection of Old Masters and you could really get to see the dresses up close.
And I still enjoy an exhibit I saw in Paris years ago about Orientalist influences in French fashion from the the 18th century to today. it had some wonderful couture from Dior, Gaultier, etc. I also still treasure the Cartier exhibit I saw in London about 8 years ago, which was amazing! Cartier jewels from 1900 to 1940, which was their best design period. I wouldn’t mind a job curating the Cartier jewelry collection. 😉
Chris: the dresses from older eras were far more interesting than anything from the past 50yrs. I especially hated everything from the 1960s. Too contrived and groovy. the dresses from 1920s-30s were dreamy and very sexy without being vulgar.
On a Vivien Westwood note, Dita Von Teese’s wedding dress was also in the collection. It’s glorious and huge. How she managed to walk in it is a mystery that requires solving because the volume, nevermind the weight, of it was amazing.
Bianca Jagger is my wedding style crush, though I remain a jeans and t-shirt + Vegas wedding chapel if we must!
@AH. I had the luxury of having the Fashion TV channel for a few months. Loads of documentaries about designers, behind the scenes at shows, runway collections, etc.
My favorite part of the Royal Jewels documentary: HM Queen M talking about secretly wearing the pearl necklace every day to return luster to the pearls. The pearls were each the size of hazelnuts!
LAK,
I’m in love with 30s fashion. I was just so elegant and understated. My paternal grandmother got married in a long, slim-cut dark gown, white gloves and a big hat and she was just so very elegant. My grandfather wore tails, waistcoat and a silk top-hat. Sigh. Whatever her character, one can’t deny that Wallis Simpson was a very elegant dresser in the 30s.
I also love von Teese’s purple Westwood wedding gown, would love to see it in person.
NaS,
I love that documentary. Queen Ingrid was the one that revived that antique pearl necklace by sleeping with it. The pearls were completely black before that because they actually need skin contact to keep up their lustre. I also loved the part of the documentary when Queen Siliva talked about the practical issues when it comes to wearing tiaras. Like the fact that the enormous Braganza Tiara is very heavy and very diffuclt to secure to the hairdo. It is on of the Swedish RF’s big gun tiaras and it does look very cumbersome.
Here’s a pic:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JNb4Ex-Bt1w/TnVCvciezbI/AAAAAAAADeQ/APG0wlDtsUg/s400/Braganza+Tiara+Close+Up.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OH2yZqPNhUM/UvLdcIfRa_I/AAAAAAAACLE/ElypngjXDLs/s1600/Braganza+Diamond+Tiara+(1820)+Empress+Amelie+of+Brazil+now+Queen+Silvia+5.jpg
LAK 11:49 – Shopping after an appearance is her pattern but is it for stress relief, self-reward, best time to minimize criticism? Maybe all three motivations.
But I’ve said it before, imo for certain one of the reasons she shops right after duty is because her hair is salon fresh. It’s another example of the Cambridge dissonance AH mentions. Kate wants to look good for the privacy-invading pap photos she and William despise.
I have nothing to contribute, but when you ladies get going on clothes, art, and or jewels i’m just sitting with my chin resting on my hands gleefully reading and looking at links. So, Thank You!
Thanks for the correction, Ingrid not M with the pearls. That Silvia part was really fun, especially when she talked about taking a certain tiara out of the country that is only for use in Sweden. She thought that the other queen would appreciate seeing it, Queen-to-Queen. Was that the Braganza Tiara she was talking about? And I liked that bit about a tiara that stores flat in a case, so it is a favorite for travel. I wish this documentary was still available online!
The Swedes really do the best tiara hair of anyone – I think because of Silvia’s influence.
LAK thanks for the info on Lady Sarah Chatto’s wedding tiara. I always wondered about that one.
NaS,
It was the Braganza that Silvia talked about. She only took it out of the country for QM’s 70th birthday because she thought that QM would like to see it. The Swedish, Danish and Norwegian RFs are really close. QM and the Swedish king are cousins . and the late Queen Ingrid mentored Silvia when she became queen upon her marriage, so there are a lot of warm feelings between them.
It was the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara that Silvia likes for travelling because it can be store flat. I guess that it can be removed from the armature, like many other convertible tiaras. It is the same with the amethyst tiara, which originally is a heavy necklace that Silvia had attached to an armature, converting it into a coronet. And yes, the Swedish royal ladies have THE best tiara hair!
Silvia wearing the Leuchtenberg Sapphires:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s8B5jwz9mlM/UR17xdjditI/AAAAAAAABLs/x1Rin50SMHs/s640/Untitled.jpg
The Amethyst Tiara:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660851611167/
CP Victoria wearing the Amethyst Tiara:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660851610741/
I think that Victoria has really beautiful hair, and her hair dresser really styles it wonderfully.
Though the Swedes have the best tiara hair, CP Mary’s hair stylist has created some interesting styles for her as well, especially after she’s started wearing hair ornaments. He was actually a commentator on the DR broadcast of WK’s wedding and he was very disappointed with Kate’s wedding hair. He said something along the lines of “when your marrying into an old, royal house you make an effort” and he though that Kate hadn’t made one with her hair style.
@V4real. “I like her for doing that, most celebs wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same outfit twice. ” Note: She is not a celebrity, she is a representative of Her Majesty’s government. Other working royals repeat their clothing frequently, but then again, they all work more than Kate Middleton so we have more opportunities to see their wardrobes.
V4Real
You were correct to call Kate a celebrity, at least according to the dictionary and especially in accordance with contemporary parlance. There are members of the royal family who are also celebrities and some who are not. Whether Kate should be known for more substantial works is a different matter. But celeb you called her and celeb she is.
+1
+2
To my fellow Royal-loons: I just watched an old doc called Elizabeth R – it was shot over 1990-91 and came out in 1992. And it basically follows ER around for the year. It may be the single best piece of propaganda I’ve ever seen. (It’s on Youtube in its entirety.)
Anyhow – one of the first lines of the film is QEII saying, “I never had an apprenticeship, I was thrown into this duty when my father passed away, much too young.” And over the course of the film she talks about how important this job is to her, that it’s her fate and that she must go out and meet the people, etc. She’s absolutely enchanting – fun, funny, etc. Toward the end of the film they’re all at Balmoral and she begins talking about how she thought more people should have jobs for a lifetime. She says, “You may not know what you’re doing in two months, but my schedule’s planned for two years.” And then she talks about how that the inescapable nature of the job is what the “younger generation” has such a hard time with. She was talking about her own children, obvs, as the grands were all quite small then, but it gave me a different perspective. Yes, I think she wants everyone to fall in line… when they must. But until then, I think she wants them to have active lives outside of the monarchy in a way she didn’t. So I don’t think she has a problem with Will & Kate at all.
@GiGi …I agree with all you have so very well expressed. I have to admit, I have a soft spot for the British. I grew up in a Commonwealth country, and to this day I am grateful for the primary, and secondary levels of education it afforded me. I am an unapolegetic Anglophile, and have zero problem with the monarchy despite its many flaws.
What is an anglophile?
It’s unusual for her to be so unconcerned about her appearance when all monarchs and other royals take the clothing allowance, as *part of their job*.
Bully for them for getting to do anything they want! The money they get to spend is incredible.
An anglophile is one who loves all things English. Phile being derived from the Greek philos or love. Someone who loves France or french culture would be a francophile, a book lover would be a bibliophile etc. if I am off someone please chime in lol.
Dame,
You’re spot on. Greetings from a bibliophile. -)
Arty
Very pleased indeed that we have that in common. Now if only I had your prodigious memory!
*i was going to add something here but I forgot lol*
Someone very keen on stationery is called a filephile, and, in keeping with the thread topic, the Queen is a Philphile.
:). 🙂
Chris,
Lol! I’ve learnt something new today 🙂
Dame,
That’s one of the reasons I haven’t succumbed to e-books. I just love the materiality of a book in the hand, and, if it is an old one, the smell. I do collect special editions of my favorite authors in a small way.
GiGi
Poignantly stated. Katie Nicholl has said that the queen wanted William and Kate to take a couple of years and enjoy marriage and the start of a new family. Some here don’t believe the queen ever said that. We can not know for sure but I would have to believe a royal reporter who hangs out with Harry and William et al before I believe a casual observer. Even if Nicholl is a crap writer lol.
The only problem is that I believe the queen only meant for the Cambridges to have two years or so, not the amount of time William clearly is going to take/steal. I also believe Charles wants William to delay serious work until his coronation.
Whether or not HM wants WK to have time to enjoy their family life, it’s a FACT that the 2yr grace period was made up by the media for several reasons all discussed ad nauseum in these threads.
KN is a Middleton mouth piece who writes positive pieces designed to make K look good plus she’s often the canary. She doesn’t hang out with WH even if she’s met them on several occasions. That’s as good as saying all the royal reporters are personal friends of the entire royal family seeing that they meet them all the time and hang out with them on occasion.
Also, Charles wants William to delay serious work until his coronation???!!!!
Ummmm that’s why he’s given all the necessary tools for official royal work like official car, helicopter, apartment, Equerry and so forth.
LAK
I base my belief on Nicholl’s proximity to the young royals, especially Harry on the nature and arc of their relationship. It is quite unlike that of any of the other royal reporters. This has given Nicholl lucrative, steady work and a reputation as an insider. As for her being a Middleton go to that fact alone wouldn’t be enough to discredit her. Honestly, her coverage of Kate is passive aggressive, at best.
I don’t know how or in what ways the story about the queen wanting to give the Cambridges a respite were discounted/proven to be false. Maybe I’m behind on that front but I sincerely don’t know how that can be proven.
As for Charles wanting William to take it easy until he is POW I do believe this. Charles is indulgent and known to be generous. He also has a reputation for being pompous, taking himself very seriously, demanding that everyone stand on strict ceremony and taking advantage of absolutely every conceivable perk his royal status can provige. He was dubbed ‘the king of freebies’ in a recent article. I have no doubt that Charles wants William to have everything he thinks his oldest and heir should have. Their collective sense of entitlement is not to be underestimated.these people want it all. At least Charles works hard but I don’t think Charles believes for a minute that the monarchy will exist for his great grandchildren. I’m not even convinced that he even wants it to. Anne also saw the writing on the wall. I believe they are all stashing away as much personal wealth as possible, with the help of the taxpayers, in lieu of the monarchy being dismantled.
Agreed, LAK. As you mentioned yesterday, Katie N reported on Kate Middleton being a lazy, rude, party girl for years. She’s one of the ones who published the bullying story with direct quotes from Beatrice, right? It wasn’t until she was “brought into the fold” that she started toe-ing the line, and she does so because it makes her money. Every line is being dictated to her by the Middletons and W&K, and she’s the mouthpiece for getting out “their side of the story” against any facts the Palace might produce. Anything she writes pro-W&K or about Harry is immediately suspect because of that.
HM believes in duty and work. Unfortunately, she also believes in letting people make their own mistakes. As Kaiser pointed out, there are no quotes coming out of Palace sources about how they’re all thrilled that these two lazies are running off to the country. I do think, at her age and with PP’s health, HM is even more afraid of Billy the Basher walking than ever before. William takes every possible emotionally-abusive advantage of that.
Charles needs W&K, plus Harry, being as popular as can be now. Harry is building himself an international reputation with his charity work, and Bill keeps horning in on the photo ops and PR rather than do the work himself.
Charles wants his family front and center – and only his immediately family – and it needs to be now. He knows that his reign will be short, and many people will only allow him to be king if they think it will pass soon to the wastrel (Bill).
Katie Nicholl doesn’t hang out with Harry or William, IMO she basically stalks their haunts or people around them. Katie Nicholl is the Middleton’s go to mouthpiece IMO. I believe they use her to get a positive spin out there for a Kate when she starts getting called lazy.
Notasugar
Emotionally abusive???
I have no words.
Notasugarhere
I don’t know about these mooted civil uprisings against Charles’ reign, or any other. We rise up in batches, as it were, against certain injustices like racism, the closure of the coal pits, the Poll Tax, and illegal wars….,but by gawd such active revolt ( ie marching through London, mostly) comprises a very small section of the mostly supine population.
LOL at “mostly supine population.” That supine population rose up around the death of Diana. There are those who insist Charles should never be king (because he was a lousy husband?). Once HM is gone, Charles will have a difficult time keeping the Republicans at bay. If William does not recognize he needs to man up and pretend to earn the privileged life through royal service, it is over.
Having W&K continue to drain the taxpayers coffers while living the life of Riley isn’t going to keep a monarchy in the UK, IMO. It may be a quiet revolution, but it will happen.
Notasugarhere
I think you coined a new name for William ” the wastrel” hahaha 🙂
Francis
That’s fine but what are you basing that on? It can be reasonably deduced that Nicholl has the Mids on speed dial but how do you know that she isn’t as close to Harry or Will as a source? Of course I don’t know for sure either but I do know and have explained what my opinion is based on. For the record I think Nicholl is not fond of William at all and barely stands Kate. But the fact remains that she is where she is in her career due to unusually close contact with the younger rf. And yes, she literally has partied with them. For whatever reasons they appear to trust her. If you are not fond of the Mids or Kate that is fine but that doesn’t mean that Nicholl is a liar because most of her articles about them are so sugary. And for the millionth time, half of her articles are so snarky and subtly shaded that I constantly wonder why they haven’t all told her to get lost.
Notasugarhere
The reaction to Diana’s death, and the RF’s response to it, was certainly enormous, but I still maintain that those crowds didn’t represent a really large part of the population, regarding the family.
I agree that the change of reign will necessarily provoke much debate, and will awaken republican sympathy that’s given up while HMQ is unassailable.
Even so, I honestly find it impossible to believe that the present arrangement will be much altered for at least another century.
(Btw…..I do hope it’s clear I’m English, and not chucking insults at the lack of revolutionary spirit in anyone else’s country!)
Dame: re: proof that the 2yrs’ grace didn’t come from HM.
Unfortunately, there has been retrospective whitewashing of negative internet articles in recent years, so I can’t post links or even youtube videos from around the wedding week to prove my point.
I can give you a narrative for timeline of this rumour……..
1. For the 6mths leading upto wedding, Palace and assorted PR plant stories in the media about how hard working K is. How she’ll ‘hit the ground running’. She ‘can’t wait to get started’. She’ the most prepared royal bride’. She’s ‘receiving princess lessons in extra preparation for her role’. All was about work, work, work and emphasis on her education with implication that we were going to be dazzled by K once she joined the family.
2. Day or two after wedding, the palace announces that Kate was going to be a housewife in Wales, join the RAF wives club and no work at all as far as royal duties go because she needed to settle in her marriage.
3. One or two editorials appear pointing out the contradiction.
4. By the end of the week, stories start appearing by regular (rather than royal reporters) columnists musing that K was merely coping HM and her time in Malta….no timelines given for length of Kate’s speculated copy of HM’s Malta stay. it’s merely a suggestion about K cementing the marriage much like HM did when Philip was stationed on Malta.
5. Within a fortnight, these speculations and musings have calcified into Kate definitely taking 2 yrs off per HM’s alleged 2yrs off in Malta – by now, HM had also been repositioned as having stayed on Malta with no duties for 2 consecutive years, immediately after her wedding.
6. The above was repeated ad naseum for several months.
7. Somewhere in those months the theory was floated by fans and repeated ad naseum that HM had granted them 2yrs off as a grace period to reflect her own 2yrs in Malta. This was taken up by main stream journalists, but oddly never by royal reporters. Sidenote: it’s around this time that journalists were caught snooping on royal blogs which as you know have all sorts of wild theories and access to obscure factoids about royals.
Simulatenously and officially, stories are being planted in main stream media about Kate being suzy home maker with tales of her cooking William’s favourite meals and drawing his bath after his shifts, making jam etc
8. This rumour took such hold that people repeat it as fact. The only statement released by the palace, with no additional plants to flavoured media was about the turnaround from ‘most prepared bride eva!’ to ‘suzy homemaker’
9. This rumour is on a par with Charles is holding back William because of his jealousy (why not Harry who is more popular than both?)
Chris,
Historically speaking monarchies have only fallen in conjunction with large political upheavals, most of them violent.
– The French monarchy during the French Revolution
– The Russian empire during the Russian Revolution
– The German and Austro-Hungarian in the wake of WWI
– The many eastern Euopean monarchies after WWII, during the Communist regimes under the Iron Curtain
There has never been a monarchy that’s been abolished in peaceful times, so I doubt that either the British or the European monarchies will disappear any time soon – unless something truly cataclysmic happens, and I’d rather not live through something like that.
LAK
As crazy as it sounds I believe in your timeline/run down but it still doesn’t proove what the queen wanted. Even less I don’t think it proves that the queen has been upset about W+K for their lack of duty. Going forward, however, it is hard to say. She might have been persuaded to see things Charles’ way. He and William have something up their sleeves, imo.
Either way, excellent explanation.
Dame: I also forgot to add that the 2yrs also constituted the time left on William’s contract with Wales SAR. It was already known that they were privatised or about to be.
There was a lot os media talking heads during wedding week about how he would see out his two years before deciding what to do next – at this point, no talk of whether he would leave military completely.
Ultimately, considering the proposed slim down of the monarchy, it’s inexplicable that Charles or HM would be OK with this move unless they have something up their sleeve.
My tinfoil hat theory on what the something might be is to do with Harry. So many things going on publicly with Harry that set my spidey senses tingling….only time will tell.
From what I can tell, the contract for privatisation wasn’t awarded until March 2013, but it may have been expected long before that. Privatisation wasn’t happening until 2015, with full roll-out by 2017. IMO William ditching the SAR contract early was not related to the privatisation, but that was used as the excuse (kind of like the Malta spin).
What if military bosses had had enough of covering for him and made it clear, “We’re only keeping pilots who really do the work through this transition period. William you’re out, publicly use whatever excuse you want.” If they were happy to see the back of him, is that why they justified waiving the £400,000 debt?
Notasugar: considering how much planning goes into the royal calenders, I think they knew ahead of time.
Personally I first heard it floated that it might be privatised as early as 2011. It wasn’t a dead cert, but W wasn’t expected to see out his full contract at Wales SAR. Mind you, there was also no suggestion that he would quit early at all. Even when the privatisation was finally announced. And in as much as he didn’t quit fully until late?mid? 2013, I remember that they started to speculate in earnest about his future in 2012. That’s why this latest gap yah is actually his second year and not his first as most people assume it is. It was already public in 2012 that he would transfer out of SAR, but he was considering his options. – Bluhare and I had a bet about where he would end up. We both lost since he quit completely.
On a different note, given the trouble he proved to be for the RAF, and the fact that they were willing to forgive such a large debt, I think they were glad to see the back of him. I remember when he first made it known that he would transfer out, possibly to a different service, some retired navy admiral gave an interview about the bother of having princes in one’s service. The take away was that it was more trouble than it was worth. The Army maintained radio silence when they were mentioned as a possibility for his transfer. And it is very telling that none of his commanding officers in any of the services had a public word to say about him on his retirement. Except to forgive the debt. Publicly.
In contrast, Harry has had many of his commanding officers praise him whenever he has transferred out and they did so when he transferred to his current post.
LAK
It was put round mid 2012 that the DOE’s health might result in William leaving Wales early. I have no idea what the benefit of that would be, honestly. Especially given the fact that he didn’t do anything much that year. Or the next.
I think William will take the throne for a decade at the very most. I think he will want George to be king at a younger age than him or his dad. Thanks to his grandmum he sees how much the commonwealth can love a monarch they have grown up with. Everyone gets a young, fresh king with a lovely bride and royal toddlers frolicing in the garden. William still has enough energy (and teeth) left to live regally on his own terms and quietly exits stage right. Harry? I will have to recharge my tin tiara for that one…
But yes, the rf is behaving strangely, to say the least.
Question: when the POW is a minor does income from the duchy accrue in trust for him? Also why wasn’t QE the Princess of Wales when her father became king?
Wasn’t there a rumor (2012?) about him transferring to a Scottish airbase? Comments about how they love Scotland, fell in love in Scotland, wanted to live there for a few years?
Dame: what a fabulous tinfoil hat theory! I’d never thought of that. Ten years? Given his flip flopping every few years, I think ten is too long. I think if he does indeed abdicate in favour of PGtips per your theory, i’d wager within 5yrs, possibly 3yrs of his taking the throne.
Re: duchy income to POW…..As soon as a DoC is granted, the income from the duchy starts flowing to them, whether in trust until they are of age or whenever the TPTB decide he can draw the income from it. However, there are stipulations. The income can only go to an heir presumptive.
HM was never declared heir apparent. She was always Heir presumptive meaning that there was always a chance that;
A) before the abdication, her Uncle David would marry and have children who would displace her by right of being born to the first born son of the monarch (as you know she is born of 2nd son of the monarch). This event was ruled out forever by the line in the abdication instrument that removed ALL his descendants.
B) after the abdication right through to her father’s death, there was always the chance that her parents would have another child, and that child might be a boy and thus displace her according to the rules of primogeniture that govern inheritance. That younger brother would become Heir apparent, POW and DoC with attendant income.
As a result, HM was never heir apparent, she was never POW and DoC meaning she not entitled to receive the income from it.
BTW: her father started his reign as one of the poorer monarchs to ever inhabit the throne for exactly the same reason. As a 2nd son, he didn’t have access to the DoC income which his brother David had received for most of his life as POW. He had a family trust fund per the usual financial arrangements they royal family makes for the family, but nothing like the fabulous wealth the duchy would have given him.
It’s simply ridiculous that when he took the throne, he had to pay off his already fabulously wealthy abdicating brother in order to keep assets within the family.
EDIT: correction: the income from the duchy can only go to the heir apparent.
Didn’t notice my mistake until too late to edit my comment.
LAK
Fascinating stuff. This could explain QE’s infamous penny pinching ways. I’d always attributed it to growing up as a Depression/War child but her father’s money woes must have had a lot to do with her tightness. It may also explain Andrew’s dubious financial wheelings and dealings. I hate to feel sorry for him about anything because he is a sleazeball but it must be stressful trying to build a financial legacy for your children without being allowed to do certain kinds of work. No wonder he so desperately wanted his daughters to do official royal work – many expenses paid by the taxpayers while their trust funds stay nice and cozy in the bank, gaining interest. But Andrew had no idea that the rift between him and Charles would extend to his children. I have read, however, that Charles asked Andrew to step up and commit full time to royal work by his and Camilla’s side. Apparently Andrew considered it but decided to take the trade ambassador job instead. Imo, Andrew gambled and thought he could make more money under the table than he could as a full time royl. Imo, he also overestimated his role as QEs favorite. When it comes to the throne QE is serious and Charles will be king = he will have his way and power must pass down to him. Sorry Andy. Charles, although making a mistake, imo, will not look back. But there is hope for the Yorks – Harry adores them and their public image overhaul is gradually working. Boy am I off topic again.
As for the Duchy income, William will have no problem stepping down in favor of George even if it abrogates his Duchy income – but he may wait until George has a son in order to lock down the Cornwall trust. After that George would probably earn more from the Lancaster trust.
How will Harry earn? Will Charles bequeath Harry a disproportionately larger share of his estate to compensate for the princes’ income disparity??
Mucho thanks in advance, LAK. Keep it coming lol.
Notasugar: yes. I remember scotland too.
On a different note: considering you are quoting almost word for word, isn’t it funny how their PR says almost the same thing depending on their latest decisions/intentions ie it’s what they’ve always wanted to do, it’s close to their hearts, they’ve fallen in love with X etc rinse and repeat with small adjustments according to situation.
Dame: I hope Harry receives a big share of Charles’s private wealth. No way to tell at the moment.
Charles takes POW and attendant appendages seriously so it is difficult to say whether he will have foresight about the disparity between his sons like Diana did though she was thwarted by the executors of her will.
As for william, as I always say, it’s not so much the money as the access. He might think he can live off his own wealth, but I don’t think he would live without the access. The wheels are greased for him in a way they will never be greased for Harry. Maybe he’ll leverage being King Father into having continued access…….
LAK
Well I know how William can be but he and Harry really are close. I believe he will help Harry financially if he needed it. Maybe Harry needs a better job before he finally marries lol. I just don’t want him to turn into a gross playboy in his 50s who has to confiscate his bride’s passport at the airport.
Get on with it, Henry!
Harry has to work? A prince of the UK doesn’t have the funds, to play only? William does not need to work, but his brother does? So unfair!
I agree, Gigi. I don’t think he has a problem with Kate either. I think she has learned some serious lessons from Charles’ marriage to Diana. I think she figures she must make the best out of her families choices. Camilla isn’t going anywhere and neither is Kate, so instead of giving them a cold shoulder, she seems to try to be helpful and give them some leniency that she never got in her royal role. I think th as tb ehind closed doors she is more of a help than hinderance to both Camilla and Kate. I doubt she wants to see either of them fail in the role. When I look at it like that, it makes me like The Queen.
I absolutely love, love love QEII – I have seen all those doc’s
She is adorable and funny.
I highly suggest watching
Neither Harry or William have dealings with Ms. Nicholl and are not her friend.
Katie Nicholl was quite instrumental in ripping Chelsy Davey to shreds on a constant basis during the years she dated Harry. Chelsy was used as a whipping board by the Daily Mail to build up Kate during the dating years and Katie Nicholls articles were some of the most scathing in battering Chelsy to shreds.
There have been known occasions where the Middleton’s were revealed to be talking and connecting to the Daily Mail, one reporter being Katie Nicholl where she said once she phoned Kate in the room on a holiday with William and talked to her. This was when no one in the press even knew where they were on holiday, but Ms. Nicholl conveniently had a direct line into Kate in the room. Another was a Daily Mail reporter said the Middleton’s( Carole&Pippa) opened the door to their home and talked directly to the reporter from the Daily Mail at their home. There is no way a reporter got past the gate and up to the Middleton’s door without approval from someone in the home. Another has been James w articles to the Daily Mail on new business ventures with quotes. Also how does the Daily Mail get first info on Middleton business ventures which is a private company. Someone is calling that info in. IMO
(Also Carole talked with Mandrake a columnist with another UK paper during the dating years.)
But the Daily Mail has always been the Middleton’s mouthpiece and always has been ,from almost the start of the relationship. My source for that is someone in the British media.
Francis
No one is arguing that the Mids have Nicholl on speed dial, which you have thoroughly cited. What I was hoping for, however, was evidence that Nicholl does not have close ties with the younger royals. The fact is she does. As gossipers we tend to draw bold lines between the royals we like and those we don’t. And even though reporters have favorites and contacts the lines are not drawn that clearly. The relationship between the royals, the palace and the press is not as simple as we think. There are overlapping boundaries and interests and angles that are anything but static. This explains why Nicholl can write a glowing, sugary puff piece about Kate one day and shade her as William’s college stalker the next. She will write an intimate article about Kate’s girl next door lifestyle one day and slam the Cambridges for being the capricious rich the next.
And just because the Mids trust Nicholl that doesn’t mean the young royals don’t also call/confide in her. She met Harry summer 2005 at a restaurant in Kensington. He asked her to join him and his dinner companions for drinks. They have been associated together every since. He later introduced her to William at a polo match. It was probably Harry who introduced her to the Yorks. She has written sugary articles about Bea and Eug for years. Nicholl was there at the now infamous skating party fundraiser where Kate supposedly made Bea cry. Nicholl witnessed and wrote about the event. Nicholl has partied with both princes, especially Harry and included details in her bio of Will, Harry and Kate. Incidentally, it was that particular book that favored Chelsy heavily and exposed Harry as a cheater so Nicholl doesn’t always trash Chelsy.
Nicholl is also the one churning out the articles about Harry’s personal life with lots of insider info. If you read all of her Harry/Cressy pieces you will have no doubt that at some point after the Pelly wedding everyone was calling in info to Nicholl. If she doesn’t currently hang out with Harry there is no way to be sure. But if you follow Nicholl stories over a period of time the proximity to the younger royals is undeniable. It has made her quite a bit of money, as well.
Yeah, she’s always thinking about how she can get out of doing any real work.
Keeping Big Willy happy.
More important things to think about? That’s rich. It really is simply because when she tilts her head in that angle she does, cocks open her mouth, and twists her earring, you can literally see the oversized fly moving and buzzing from ear to ear across the vast emptiness of her brain.
Question to FLORC and Dame Snarkweek, do you really consider the Duchess as smart? Dena’s comment may come across as less than gracious but based on everything I’ve read about Kate’s actions, judgement (hello upskirts) and especially after seeing her speak, I’m not getting much of a high IQ vibe. Frankly I think a higher intelligence would be a liability among the BRF, lol.
I always assumed kate got a free ride through Uni by virtue of her status with Prince Wills…what school would want to fail a future queen of england…? I’m sure the administrators would find it more in their interest to contribute to the sunshine and roses fairytale…pure conjecture on my part however. Interested to hear your thoughts.
“Less than gracious,” made me giggle a little–especially after the day I’ve had.
To clarify, I don’t necessarily think the Duchess is dumb as a box of rocks. What I think is that she is uninformed and incurious. And I think she was raised that way. Not deliberately or intentionally, per se. I think it just happened that way and that she was not encouraged to be or do more.
I think she maybe average slow. Like mouth hung open-eye blink-eye blink-oh-oh-what average slow. Make sense?
There doesn’t seem to be any overwhelming evidence that Kate is whip smart. But she does, however, have a certain determination that served her well during her academic years. She was known to be quiet and studious and spent a lot of effort to get good grades. But it wasn’t a situation where she could breeze through a term and make As just by glancing over the material. By all accounts Pippa was the one who easily made high marks and excelled without skipping a beat – earning her the nickname ‘Perfect Pip’ in school. Kate was considered the shy, gawky, too skinny girl who never got in trouble and was attached to mummy. She excelled naturally at sports, especially hockey. Kate didn’t blossom until she was 16 and it took everyone by surprise.
As for receiving an academic boost at St. Andrews it is possible but I doubt it. She could often be found in the library when others were hanging around. She took notes for William when he was *cough* absent from class and she reportedly drilled him when he was prepping for a big exam. She had to conscientously apply herself in order to succeed. But it worked because she had the grades to be accepted into Edinborough and St. Andrews which was well before she met the prince. Also, they kept their relationship quiet for awhile so I don’t really know at what point university faculty and staff were aware of it. I don’t rule it out but remember, Prince Harry, himself, came dangerously close to being expelled from Eton so Kate wouldn’t have stood much of a chance had she been unable to keep up.
Personally, I think Kate lacks some kind of instinctive sharpness. That can ve a good thing if it makes you kind, unassuming and naively fresh. Kate appears to have been all of these things pre-William. But when you add self-doubt, paranoia, stress, insecurity and a selfish partner it can leave you looking and feeling like a hot mess.
Agree Dame. As I was writing my response, I was thinking tenacity and determination as being attributes but I didn’t shRe those thoughts. I should have. However, there is some sort of “awareness”‘ she seems to lack IMO.
Perhaps she is simply an introverted woman of average intelligence who hasn’t learned the art of masquerading as an extrovert.
Kate’s inability to give even a short public speech astonishes me. She must have practiced giving presentations and speeches at university. So if she had practiced that why can’t she do it?
Maybe she had never practiced giving presentations and speeches at university? She wouldn’t be the first aristocrat (not-by-birth-but-by-association-with-PrinceW) to get her degree with a minimum amount of work.
I posted a long comment in response. It’s gone so i’ll paraphrase.
Kate got into St. Andrews on her own. She was accepted to a nicer school, but went there likely for William. To meet him. She didn’t get in because of him. He didn’t pull any strings as they barely knew eachother then.
And she was a good student. She, by all reports, had to study hard. It didn’t come easily to her. It never did to me either, but that’s no reason to consider myself less intelligent.
And she flashes her bottom. She always has. Long before William. I think she’s surrounded by sycophants. And has the understanding the press is beyond kind to her. Any bad pr photos will be blurred out and treated like the DMOnline treats her. Also, she doesn’t know what people say. Only what William and her family say. People forget how closed off from the world she is. Of her own doing though.
That kind of sheltered behavior explains her poor social skills and public speaking imo. Being so closed off and assuming you merely have to show up and people adore you can make a person stop trying. They begin to regress. No more improving and sharpening skills because you don’t need them.
It’s to be taken into account how we view Kate and how the only people that get close enough to her to tell her what they think, thinks of Kate. I think the only negative opinion she gets, ever, is William when he gets upset.
I would be very astonished if Kate was this isolated. She surely can handle a computer and browse the internet.
Also she has access to lots of PR staff and those guys will advise her. Sure there are many sycophants. But she has the Middletons as a family and they do play the press. If they play the press then they understand the press and public opinion. At least to some degree.
Additionally Kate is a big girl and if she allows the Royals to isolate her like this it is to some degree her own fault. Seriously. She ain’t no helpless hapless illiterate doll who were in desparate need of a legal guardian. Remember how calculating she was when catching and clinging to William? When the Middletons negotiated cheap car deals with car companies?
She doesn’t want to bother much with the outside world. Same with many other Royals. Unfortunately that makes them bad performers.
Also – I feel like Sara Parker-Bowles’ comment was some deep shade… like, “Oh, yes, Kate is soo endearing (pat pat on the head), but CLEARLY she has better things to think about, given the steady stream of meh fashion she rolls out daily…”
Sara is a fashion editor or something, right? Her fashion choices aren’t spectacular either.
Yes, exactly. Except I don’t think it’s a particuarly “deep” shade. 🙂
Maybe it just looked like a shade. I mean any seemingly positive comments about Kate’s work habits become pure satire automatically.
even worse “clearly, she FEELS she has better things to think about…” that was deep, deep shade. Don’t think this woman likes the dutchess…
It can definitely be read either way.
Sitting here sipping a mint julep under the shade of that comment.
AWEsome.
Either those “sources” and “friends”, like Sara Parker-Bowles, are just as clueless about PR as the happy couple – or they are, in fact, insidious. Because the majoritary response to that statement, “clearly she has other things to think about” was always going to be: “Huh… like WHAT?”, and I find it difficult to believe that she didn’t realise it when she said it.
Also, what the hell does “normal family life” even mean? I am not sure there is such a thing. But I am also sure that these two didn’t marry to get what many of their future (or not) “subjects” might deem a “normal family life”.
Underlying, there’s the narrative they are still trying to sell to the public, of two young crazy kids who fell madly in love and wanted to get marry and, aw shucks, just live a “normal” life.
Call me a cynic (I do), but I don’t believe that’s what happened.
I think that’s the most frustrating thing about them – the dissonace between what their PR says and what they actually do. People aren’t stupid. I actually think that they have done themselves a disservice with the narrative of normality that their PR spins. Firstly, their “normal” is in no way the normal life of most people of the UK – and that can definitey create resentment. Secondly, the royals have to take not to present themselves as too “normal”/ordinary because that interferes with the mystique of royalty – and why elevate someone “just like us” in a lifestyle of luxury funded by the tax-payers?
I actually wonder about their PR people, because it sometimes seems a bit haphazard. Do they use professional PR people?
I imagine that they have very experienced PR people working for them, they’d have to be do work for the BRF. The problem for the PR team and why it seems all over the place (with all the spin and back tracking) is they have ‘clients’ who don’t toe their own party line, a line that they approve and then chuck out the window when they decide they don’t want to play ball anymore. These 2 are the architects of their own bad press.
Word. I’ve never seen PR handled quite as badly – certainly not at a “state” level.
Iif I were their PR “handler”, I would resign sooner rather than later, lest my reputation is destroyed and no prestigious client employs me ever again.
Unless they really are employing like-minded people, meaning people who know nothing about the public – or who just don’t give a damn.
Unfortunately, they don’t tend to use professional PR people, but often ex-military with no experience in PR. Charles broke with this tradition in 2013 with the BBC hire, Sally Osman. I think this is part of why W&K keep using Katie N and Tanna to get out their “version” of events. They know it isn’t approved, but they get it out there before HM or Charles can say “No” to whatever plan they’ve come up with to dodge work next.
That’s how I think the AU/NZ tour and EAAA thing came about. Remember, it was stated by the Palace that the AU/NZ tour was completely W&K’s own idea. William made it known (through mouthpieces) that he would do X no matter what. The Palace had to do cleanup and make it happen (purchase new helicopter for EAAA, donate extra money to EAAA to pay William’s salary).
I asked beause I know that the DRF employs highly experienced and professional communications officer, Lene Balleby, who worked as press secretary at the Washington Embassy during the Muhammad crisis, which is probably one of the worst international PR crisis to hit the Danish Government in years. I always though that it was smart to get someone professional that has had her baptism by fire. And I definitely think that one can see the results of Balleby’s work. There has been a new openness, members of the RF participating in documentaries (on what goes on behind the scenes) as well as in programs that appeal to their knowledge (like the Royal Jewels doc). I also think that Balleby’s behind the raised international profile that the DRF has been getting lately. I have actually come across a few articles on CP Mary and Frederik in the Uk media, and CP Mary just made third on Vanity Fair’s best dressed list this year. This international focus is quite new, and I’m actually quite surprised by it.
Another question:
Do the BRF have a central PR office or do the different members have their own PR, because if the latter is the case then that could really prove to counterproductive in terms of the BRF having a general message/objective to promote.
Charles is managing the PR department. BRF always gets it wrong when it comes to PR. No matter how many professional people help them with their PR, it doesn’t work because they are so self-important and out of touch that they refuse to conduct themselves according to PR rules IMO. These poor PR people probably have to do opposite of it which doesn’t work.
AH: Charles is the only person who has hired a professional PR company. This was needed for project Camilla – forgotten the official name for it, but you can see the results today. Most people like Camilla these days or at the very least, tolerate her unlike her darkest days in the 90s.
All other offices have press officers who ‘handle’ the media, but aren’t in the business of promoting their royal personage. In working terms, it’s more about managing whatever press stories come out.
The Palace’s stance is that silence is golden so official statements tend to be few. As a result, they are treated as absolute truth since they only speak out to confirm or correct a story.
In reality, they leak stories via the royal reporters to push an agenda, but they aren’t as leaky as the individual offices which all have a press person (even the minor royals have such a person) who will leak to a favoured journalist to ‘get their side of a story out’ thus bypassing the official version. For that reason, whenever a story is sourced from the palace, or the office of, you have to look at the Palace source or office source. Only BP (HM’s office) is official palace statement. Charles has consolidated, but he is still using CH (his office) in addition to BP. Recently, KP (WK’s office) started releasing stories too even though they’d been shut down by BP.
Mel,
Sara was deep sarcastic, saying lazy workless Waity doolittle – ‘should’ have other things to think about (than so much shopping clothes for a royal representing HM)! She was is quite right.
!
Pippa:
yes, I thought so.
The “clearly” and the “should” were a dead give-away. 🙂
“Kate and William are country folk at heart.”
OMG. Just stop!
Haha! That’s so funny. They are “country” at heart until they get bored and change their minds and find a new place to live that is more exciting and novel than the last one.
And this more exciting, relaxing, better place to live is OF COURSE funded by the taxpayer.
Of yes, they are so pathetic! And I am tired of their stupid PR stunts that assume the average person is dumb as dirt.
I did a loud snort at the “country people at heart” statement. If they care so much about country life why did they move to Lindon as fast as they could and had millions spent on redecorating their London residence? When did Kate ever live in the country growing up?
Please these two lazy bones just want to escape royal work by hiding in the country. Just be honest about it.
T.C.
They actually do prefer country life over city life. Their time in Scotland and Wales were peaceful ones for them, by most accounts. Neither of them were thrilled about leaving Anglessey but they had not figured out a way to delay royal work yet.
But it is important to remember that for these two country life is in no way what it is for the rest of us. Country living consists of sleeping in, brunch with friends, long walks, shooting, fishing, riding to hounds, dressage parties, farmer’s markets, antiquing, drinks by the pool, picnics, high tea in the garden, arranging playdates for the children, relaying instructions for flower arrangements/music/menus for get togethers, zipping around on custom ATVs, casual dinners at the neighbors and the occasional themed weekend house party at the country estates of friends. All while being waited on hand and foot. All very normal, you see.
Dame
I was on board with how they loved the country life in Wales until it was noted Kate was spending weeks at a time in London and at her parents. Later confirmed from many pro kate blogs and civilian cell phone pics.
Outside of that I agree. It’s a more relaxed lifestyle and imo overall best for raising a young child.
The cynical part of me thinks a few months down the road stories will fly William has residence not in Amner Hall and Kate is spotted at Midds home. Or Midds are at Amner. Either way, William takes up residence elsewhere. Just like S&R and Cambridge bespoke course. He seems hard to keep still.
It’s almost as though the moment William is expected to be somewhere for a bit he grows restless or confined and breaks away.
FLORC
I believe Kate’s mom and dad will be at Anmer quite a bit. I don’t see anything wrong with that but I do think that was the whole point of the Cambridges having the drive rerouted to terminate behind the house instead of in front of it. Who knows who will be coming and going. Again I think it’s good for Kate to have her mom around and it is great for George but I also think the reason is because Carole holds things together and keeps Kate’s spirits up when William goes off on his own. Just my opinion.
They love the country life so much, that it won’t be long until they’ll be taking an island vacation away from it.
Dame
I agree with your opinion 🙂
And I’d rather Carole travel to Kate than Kate travel to Carole. Given the huge bump in security costs every time Kate strays from her fortified residences. Although, the Middletons did get their home fortified directly from the taxes that fund security. It’s still cheaper overall to have Kate in her homes rather than her family’s homes.
Bottom line. It’s safer and cheaper for Carole to visit Kate. Although, I think Kate prefers traveling to her family’s home. Personal touches and more family members around. I feel for her, but at the same time she’s made her bed.
It will be interesting to see the Middleton Family (with Uncle Gary in tow?) strolling at the head of the pap parade at Sandringham Christmas Day.
Notasugar
It must be exhausting to be negative about everything, lol.
I’m positive about royals who do their royal jobs and represent their countries well. W&K? There is precious little to be positive about with these two slackers.
So much for getting a laugh out of you.
*sigh*
But yeah, accurate assessment.
Dame, I thought the country life that you described, almost unbearably lovely; even a version of Eden. Life must be easy for them.
Wolfpup
When I think how they could so easily have that life and still give back to the very people who make it possible I die a little inside. All snark aside it truly is unfair.
Yeah, that was really piling it on a bit thick. Country folk at heart? On that note, I’d like to welcome any of those here who were born last night. *Side eye*
I think that’s always been the problem with their PR ie ‘piling it on a bit thick’
Every single time a statement is released about their intentions, the PR doesn’t simply give an explanation, but adds a line or two about how X decision is based upon something close to their heart, usually using a combination of those words. Talk about treacle.
There are country folk in England who consider themselves true rustics by virtue of living more than ten miles away from Waitrose/Daylesford Organic, in a Georgian house reclaimed from ruin and decorated with items ‘sourced’ from Retrouvius. Green Hunter wellies and a dog who scarcely ever sees them complete the picture.
Compared to that lot, the Cambridges do have better country credentials.
I would totally agree with her if she did more than the bare minimum of the job.
“Bare” minimum…bare *snickers*
Yes, I’m two.
@ wow,
I was thinking if that as I typed so pun intended, lol. 🙂
Her child?
“We’ve talked about designers we admire…”
Ok, there is one thing i don´t understand. Is Kate really into fashion? Yes, we see her constantly shopping, but judging by her outfits she is no fashion girl. I liked a few of her dresses, but they were hardly WOW or showed individual style. I would wear some of them as basics on a sunny day in the park or in the office. Not one screamed “fashion” or “designer” to me. She also has no idea how to use accessoires or how to combine different pieces.
It doesn´t look as if Kate has a clue about fashion.
Which is why I always thought the accessories job at Jigsaw was odd. Kate’s use of accessories is just not that great.
OK
Completely serious here.
What does Kate do?
I think the backlash is because we don’t know. We see and hear about her shopping habits. She’s spotted several times a week shopping for hours at a time. So, when she repeats outfits it seems false. We know she has enough clothes to fill our whole houses so why the repeats and thrifty headlines?
And yes, she’s a mom (with help, but still) that is busy and important. Here again, the backfire. She will cancel on every work engagement for months and months in advance to be a mom, but will leave drop of a hat for a baby free vacation, sometimes serveral times in maybe a 2 month period.
And she’s only really known for her physical appearance. Hair, clothes, weight. What else occupies her time? The press pushes so hard to make her sound busy that if she really was wouldn’t they be dragging that out? Whenever she goes on a 3 or 4 event week before the work silence those events are repeated over and over again to again make her appear like she’s earned that vacation.
I guess i’m really just lost. What keeps her occupied outside of appearances? If the palace is hiding something massive she’s doing they’re plaing this all wrong.
P.S. Was that comment awesome shade? Egging us on to stop and say “Hey! what does she hae to think about other than clothes?”
I think awesome shade.
Agree with the shade. I don’t yell as much about Kate these days because after the spring tour her press announced she was basically going to pull back. At least there was no disconnect between that statement and what actually happened. The funny part was that there was not a lot to pull back from. But I think that even with the shopping she is having a great time at home with George. I’m okay with that.
It is so unfair that Kate gets the biggest backlash. William is royalty and if he is not doing what he is supposed to do, why should Kate do and what can Kate do? Charles and HM seem to support WK’s vacant lifestyle. But isn’t living without any purpose or responsibility make them feel sick and depressed at all?
Well said.
Maybe
It is unfair. That is the topic of discussion here though. On this specific thread.
On borader threads including William he is not safe.
Although, I think is Kate’s purpose. Or rather 1 of them. Take the heat off of William. Look at Lazy Kate. Don’t look at lazy William. And William should have more of a grasp on direction given his life has been prepping him for 1 main goal while indulging and protecting him.
Florc that is exactly how media represents it to us. Kate and HM are at war (please…), Kate wants to be a full time mother etc. The magazines are going after Kate because they are not allowed to go after William. If public starts objecting to Will’s work-shy ways, we will be watching Kate’s downfall. All blame is going to be Kate’s and William will be the golden boy of Diana.
I drifted off from the topic at hand a bit. Kate is Will’s wife. Charles knows how being overshadowed by his wife feels. Will saw what happened to Diana. These all combined, Kate doesn’t have a chance to work without her husband’s permission. If Kate worked or works in future before Will pulls it together, the marriage won’t survive. I know Kate is allowed to make her own schedule in theory but in practice… I am not sure.
@maybeiamcrazy
My feeling as well. Charles, and by extension, William, and the BRF will take a lazy spouse over one that overshadows them like Diana did. they like to control the narrative, and if Waity’s press gets too bad, they’ll just roll her out for a crappy event, take lots of pictures and make sure it’s publicised.
William may be Diana’s golden boy, but he’s also a royal-in-waiting. Even if he’s lazy, he will view being a king as his right, his ultimate destiny. It’s as simply as this: a royal that goes against his rights is the exception, not the rule. He’s just a guy that wants his cake and eat it too. He will want to be king, but do whatever he feels like it until his time comes, and while he waits, he doesn’t his wife to overshadow him, he’s the “star”.
FLORC, I think the backlash is because we DO know. She shops, goes to the hairdresser, exercises, goes home to mummy, shops, vacations with the baby, goes home to mummy, vacations without the baby, shops, grooms, exercises, vacations, etc. All of it costing ridiculous amounts of taxpayer money in the form of security alone.
There are no secret charity visits and no behind-the-scenes work. Her staff basically admitted as much in this latest round of statements about their immediate future.
FLORC,
I have sometimes wondered about the same thing. I actually think it is abit of a shame that her public persona is such a cipher, I actually htink she would be more likable if she sometimes showed the public some of her personality. Fx Queen Margrethe is know for her multiple interests outside of her royal role – she’s an artist and has a room at her palaced dedicated to her art work (one of my friends has seen it). She has exhibited her painting, her work has been used in a movie of one of H.C. Anderson’s fairy tales (she even has a cameo role as an angry peasant!) and she has designed costumes for various productions for the Royal Ballet as well as illustrated an edition of Tolkien’s LotR. She also stated in an interview that she always try to have at least ½ hour a day/week to work on her art. Her husband, the Prince Consort, enjoys cooking and writes poetry in French (also published). Her father, King Frederik IX, liked sailing, tattos and classical music – often directing the Roycal Chapel Orchestra himself. Her mother, Queen Ingrid, who really was the matriarch of the family turned the gardens at her favorite residence, Graasten, into a wonder. I visited years back, and it is wonderful!
I don’t know much about QEII as a person, other than she likes horses, dogs and singing (I find that last bit totally endearing). William likes flying and hunting – but what does Kate like, what does she do, is there anything she’s passionate about? I just find her (and her public persona) puzzling.
ArtHistorian
The family is famously dull. (The Queen’s youthful hopes were to live in the country with lots of horses and dogs.) Charles, with his watercolours, enquiring mind, and lively spouse, is by comparison a ball of fire.
We are told that they are considered misdle-class by some of our ancient noble families, and HMQ admitted as much when speaking about the Devonshires. In addition to this they are seen as intellectually limited, by the ‘chattering classes’, and all of this makes them not so much despised as ignored, by many.
This is largely why I so look forward to Charles III….he’ll be shackled by his position but still, I’m sure he’ll create an interesting ‘court’, thinking, for example, of his namesake and the Royal Society in the 17th century. One can hope, anyway!
Chris,
I also get the feeling that Charles is the most interesting of the lot. Plus, love the reference to Charles II! He was an interesting person in a fascinating period with the revival in the theatre and the new science bursting forth, etc. I recently read Antonia Fraser’s biography on him – and he sure had a very “interesting” life before his 30s. In exile, a failed rebellion and evading rebulican troops by sleeping in an oak tree! He really had this wild, debauched side with all his mistresses, etc. but then he also had a keen interest in science. I alsways though he was a sly old fox, financing his reign during his last years with French money on a vague promise to covert to catholicism, which he did on his deathbed, so Louis XIV didn’t get much value for his money.
Sometime ago I read an interview with an artist who had portrayed both QEII and Prince Michael of Kent, and he stated that the latter was excellent company. Prince Michael is also something of an authory on Faberge. I get a feeling that he’s one of the more interesting (in a good way) personalites of the BRF.
Of course she has more important things to think about than shopping; she is a new mother and young married woman. Why is it so hard for people to accept she might want to be left alone to be a full-time mom and wife at this point in her life?
I agree with this. My only problem is that they sent out the wrong message in the beginning. William has no excuse and I hold him to a much different standard. It reminds me of a person who has promised to meet friends for lunch. Every fifteen minutes he calls you and explains why he’s running late. Finally after an hour he calls and says he won’t be able to make it at all. You realize he never intended to and that is not a good feeling.
sammi
Dame covered this well, but I have something to add.
If Kate wanted to suddenly be a full time mom and wife this was the wrong family to marry into. She was aware what was expected of her. I think William keeps her well sheltered though and she’s willfully ignorant to what the public and her inlaws are waiting for.
Be a mom and wife. Live in the country. Keep out of the public eye and no more pap calls. This is still possible for her. She will have to give up more of her leeching to get away with it.
Like it or not she’s a public figure supported by the public. She can’t continue to be private while accepting the publics money.
Golly, somebody should have told Maxima, Letizia, Mathilde, and Mary, since they all worked far more before and after their children were born than KM. And no, the place in the succession doesn’t matter. EVERYONE in the BRF works more than W&K and most of them are far far lower in the line.
Someone should have told Victoria too, seeing as she worked until the day before she gave birth, was home 4 hours after the baby arrived, and was back to work about 2 weeks later for a state visit.
Kate Middleton is not the first woman to have a baby to care for, nor even the first member of a royal family to have a baby to care for. She is just one of the laziest on record.
Accept public funding, work for the public. Refuse to work, no more public funding.
Look, Kate is a special snowflake. She can only be a mother. She can’t be a working royal and a mother. It’s just not possible. Not for a our dear, sweet Kate.
Dame,
They really made a PR mistake at their engagement – about her hitting the ground running. And they have repeated this position enough times that the dissonance between what their PR says and what they do has become quite glaring. The thing is, if you announce something publicly, you do have to follow through.
This, meet nutshell. No one likes being tricked, not even peasants.
Chris……Forest of Bowland is said to be one of her favourite places and, having spent some time there (during a particularly gorgeous autumn), who could disagree.
I felt like dropping her a single line…..”Dear Ma’am please adopt this loyal serf”.
The more I learn about their country life, the more I envy it. Dogs, garden strolls, leisurely lunches in town, spa appointments… yeah, I understand everything wrong about their lifestyle, but I’m not married to the future king, so I can fantasize.
So where are they living now and where were they living before? If Kensington is being renovated and so is Amner…I’m a little confused. Has Kate mostly been with her parents?
Stay in Norfolk and don’t come back! Just kidding.
How long will PHarry’s Invictus Games be? And I wonder if the Lazy Duo will go.
They certainly should go but critics will have a field day either way. It will be Cambridges Shy Away From Worthy Cause or Cambridges Steal Harry’s Spotlight.
It would be great if they held a private dinner to honor/reward the veterans who participated and worked behind the scenes with Harry but Will and Kate aren’t the type to make such a kind gesture, imo.
Harry really shines with those personal level interactions. And he doesnt appear to do it half way.
Side note. Being in the states if William or Kate or both were holding these games I think we would never hear the end of it. And every weekend would be a new story of how hard everyone is working to pull it together.
Because it’s Harry I’ve barely heard anything about it here from mainstream news sources.
And I was just at the grocery store and saw a headline. Kate fashion style for country living.
Actually lol at that. Sad but also hilarious.
They will go to the Invictus Games (at least opening ceremony/day 1/closing ceremony) because their names are on it … although Harry’s the one doing all the work.
These are the two who ditched the paraOlympians to go on vacation. They should not hold a dinner for the athletes, Harry should do that alone. Stealing Harry’s thunder, that’s how they garner positive PR. If W&K go it will be like this:
William, clenched fists, look unhappy to be working, snarky aside comments to his wife, public snarky comments about his brother, clenched fists, looking unhappy to be near his wife.
KM, giggle, hair flip, hair chew, jeggings and wedges, flirt, facial contortions, look extremely uncomfortable around people who have sacrificed limbs for their country.
And voila, all attention from the games will be taken by these two. We are talking about two pampered individuals who refuse to serve their country. To honor the athletes and their sacrifices, W&K should stay far, far away from these event.
When she said they talk about designers and clothes, I just thought, God their conversations must sound so vapid! And no, Kate doesn’t worry about anything, except maybe her extensions. Her work to date demonstrates that clearly.
I dont see anything wrong with her wanting to stay home and be a full time Mom. I was fortunate enough to be able to do that. William is going to work and give his paycheck to charity so good on them.
Well if they want to be normal, just give up the titles and go?
It seems that William is going to win either way: if the monarchy gets abolished he has plenty of personal money to live like (ha!) … a King and if it doesn’t get abolished and he gets to the throne, he’ll pay the down-to-earth King (translation – lazy).
Makes one a wee bit jealous doesn’t it? Maybe we should learn some things from him!
@Eggplant – he doesn’t strike me as a happy and content man. And he’s always pushing against this and that, whining, suing, demanding. His life must be exhausting.
William is a very fussy baby. I don’t think that he is the golden child of Diana; he is losing his hair, proving that he is simply a grown man who disturbs his handlers. It’s almost disgusting – grown men “man-up” to their responsibilities. We understand that he feels the need to fly. Can’t he do it on his off-time, like other hobbyists (as he’s always been an intermittent no-show for his previous flight job)? Who is being fooled by his display of manliness? It seems that would be almost everybody, due to royal PR, for example, only shining images of the BRF family are printed in the US (with the usual royal PR twists). I feel more sympathy for Harry. The Diana card should stop being played, William is not a child. Harry was younger, and still demonstrates greater courage and character.
And that’s basically how it stands.
@ Eggplant, no (IMO) there is nothing to be jealous about with regard to either Will or Kate.
But he’ll be known as the King who gave up the Throne or abolished the monarchy. For William not having to be King would be a win, yes, because I don’t believe he wants it, but in the history books it will be a big negative for him. He probably doesn’t care about the historical aspects of it though…..so yes I guess he wins in that respect.
I think Charles is laying off WK for now because their laziness does make him look hardworking in a twisted way. Remember all the initial hype that the popularity of William and Kate would make the people want him to be King and bypass Charles? Anyway, regardless of that and regardless of the Queen and Charles being ok with their inactivities, fact remains that they are still under the payroll of the public. So it’s really a shame that they don’t feel obliged to do some royal duties twice a week or something. Both of them are not the only working parents around and they do have a team of nannies and admin folks to help.
“I think Charles is laying off WK for now because their laziness does make him look hardworking in a twisted way.” Please check the listings of how many engagements Charles does every year, plus info on the Duchy and The Prince’s Trust. The Windsors are masters at looking like they work hard, as a courtier once said, but Charles really does work much harder than many in the BRF.
What are their constitutional roles exactly? Is there any accountability, or does royal mean doing whatever one wishes? Do the British still view royalty, as kings of yore with all the freedoms of those previous times; to be selfish and act upon whimsey? Are they respected primarily for this gift? I’m questioning the boundaries of these folks, as well as those who let them get away with it.