Before we get into the Prince William stuff, let’s just get through several minor Duchess Kate stories. You know her polka-dotted ASOS dress last week? The one that cost £35? Apparently, Kate bought it online after browsing the site and of course the dress is already sold out. Kate also went shopped a few days ago and after she got some stuff for herself, she picked up some baby booties for the new baby and some little kicks for George. There’s also a rumor – unconfirmed at this moment – that Kate actually will be going to her parents’ home in Berkshire after she gives birth, like she did with George. Like, she won’t be going to Anmer Hall.
Okay, now for the William stuff. Last week, there were some reports that the senior royals had warned about a possible electronic security breach and that they needed to change all of their passwords, etc. A few days later, William made a “secret” visit to the Government Communications Headquarters, which I think is like the equivalent of America’s NSA. The problem? William took a royal helicopter for what was a private visit?
Prince William has made a top secret visit to Britain’s most secretive building, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The Duke of Cambridge made the unannounced ‘private visit’ on Thursday to Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – the maximum security ‘listening station’ which tracks electronic traffic of terrorists and spy agencies around the world.
The Duke’s first ever trip to GCHQ, housed in a doughnut-shaped building in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that he and other young Royals were being advised to change their email addresses and cut back on social media activities over fears they could be targeted by foreign spies and hackers. But questions were asked last night about the Duke’s use of a publicly funded Royal helicopter to make the trip, as it was not an official public engagement and was not announced in the Palace’s Court Circular.
The Duke was flown from London’s Kensington Palace to Gloucestershire airport on the Queen’s helicopter Flight, funded by the taxpayer, and which is supposed to be only used for official engagements by the Royals. Under Government rules, the Royals have to pay for their own private visits. But last night Kensington Palace declined to comment on the reasons for the trip or confirm whether the Prince would pay back the estimated £8,000 travel costs.
A Palace source initially described the 200-mile round trip as a ‘private visit’ but later suggested it was ‘official’, and so could possibly be paid from the taxpayer-funded Royal Travel Budget.
Kensington Palace and GCHQ refused to say whom he met, or what he saw. But it is believed the Prince met the new head of GCHQ, Robert Hannigan, and also saw the agency’s code breakers at work, monitoring internet and communications traffic to pick up terrorist threats. Other members of the Royal family have previously visited GCHQ, which was opened by the Queen in 2004.
A GCHQ spokesman said yesterday: ‘Prince William paid a private visit to GCHQ on March 19. As it was a private visit we can’t go into further details of what his itinerary involved.’
For the love of God, this could have been so easier explained if William wasn’t so privacy-obsessed and obsessed with making the British taxpayers fund his every move. My guess is that this was a formal visit, that he was probably briefed on security and it was mostly work-related. Which means he was probably fine taking his version of “public transport” (taxpayer-funded private helicopter). But William is so GD squirrelly that he can’t even allow his PR guy to say “yes, it was an official visit but secrecy is very important so we won’t be issuing any additional statements.”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Squirrelly is EXACTLY the right word for him.
Is he being briefed on security or getting his own private data made private, unlike the rest of us being invaded by GCHQ? Man, that makes me sound like a conspiracy theorist. SIGH.
Who makes private visits to places like that? And why? And if future King stuff why not just say so? Nothing wrong with taking an interest in his country. Just a weird story. Would this story have even come out if there hadn’t been pics taken of him at the airport? Maybe this is like secret work, like Kate making secret charity visits in the middle of the night, don’t talk about them!
@Red Snapper – I just find those secret charity trips so sneaky, PR-wise.
She gets double news use from those. The first time when it’s leaked or announced. The second time when her PR team finally releases photos or news blurbs about them. Because actual official visits get only one news cycle while secret visits gets at least two.
I think William went there because he got to ride in a helicopter and because he had nothing better to do. I don’t know what he could have done there on what even the GDHQ labeled a private visit. I don’t think the GDHQ needed him to come. Imo, it was more just a joyride for which he had to pretend the visit was necessary for whatever reason.
Anne – I was being sarcastic. Kate doesn’t make “secret” charity vists. It’s a story that was put about shortly after the wedding when people were asking what she does all day, why can’t she work, etc. believe me, every single iota of Kates work is publicized.
@Red Snapper – Actually, she does ‘secret’ visits. Iirc, one came out in May or April and the photos were released in the Fall. Then there was another secret visit for which a news blurb came out much later. There maybe more, but who knows?
Some have cynically said that the news blurbs come out when her schedule is particularly light so that it makes her sound like her work schedule is more than it really is.
If those “secret” charity visits are in the news twice, then do they count as two appearances towards her work schedule? 🙂
He’s delusional if he thinks MI5 isn’t tracking his every move already.
He should get an email address from Hillary Clinton that server is protected by the secret service.
Watch his latest pr team quit 3…2…1.
lol Yup.
He will start doing things HIS Way and his PR Team will be on their last nerve.
I give the PR Team maybe two years though. They will want to bask in the glory of the new baby and young Cambridge family goodwill.
Shall we take up a collection for hair treatments for Jason?
If Jason is as smart as he’s said to be he has that built into his salary and exit package.
Charles can’t keep staff to save his life. Google it.apples don’t fall far from the trees.
If it was truly because of the social media issues they talked about, a visit there unofficially would seem like a bit of overkill. But if it was official, you’d think there’d have been more said about it. It’s not like people don’t know generally what’s done there.
Someone needs to take him (and his wife) to the side and give him a stern talking to. He needs to grow up and start acting like an adult instead of the spoilt princeling we’ve got.
Kate shopping – no surprise there.
The guy is very strange. His wife is, too. Going home to Mommy again?
Exactly. These two are so overly coddled, it’s ridiculous.
This behavioural pattern with her has been established for years and Carole being the ‘hands on’ and controlling mother she is won’t cut the apron strings – got to keep that marriage intact for them to reach the end game.
Kate can’t handle life and i suspect there is a reason why she doesn’t have much of a public profile – the lights are on but no one is home.
“the lights are on but no one is home”……..
I get that impression as well. She seems kind of vacant to me.
Vava
It could be worse. And makes sense.
If Anmer isn’t well staffed and William is planning to reside there for his upcoming job it won’t be the place for Kate and the kids/her family.
And the Midds home has already been extensively upgraded (via tax pounds) from Georges 1st 6 months of life. It’s equipt for a long term stay from a security and housing perspective.
It’s still sad William is virtually guaranteed to not be around for his 2nd child’s first few months of life like with George.
Still, the money is spent so the Midds house fine and getting more than 1 use given all the upgrades put into it. And more than 1 use is more than we can say for KP or Anmer so far.
It makes no sense to me! It’s high time these two grow up! So what if William loses sleep with a newborn – welcome to reality, Prince! He makes me sick.
FLORC you’re not counting in all the additional security it costs to have them there every day, including shutting down local roads, the ambulances on alert for them and not locals, etc. Did they lose the Italian housekeeper from KP as well? That was another rumor, that she walked away from Bill and Kate and back to HM. If she’s still around, why not temporarily transfer her to Anmer?
A father who cannot deal with both a new baby and a new job? How precious is William the snowflake?
Nota/Vava
I was trying to argue the other side. Haha it’s not easy! Poor Jason.
Good points though. There’s a heavy tax paid by local and surrounding emergency services because Kate and her children are top priority. That she could easily stay in one of her homes and not strain local services seems like such an easy approach.
And I can understand William needing to sleep through the night if he had a job and a busy schedule. That he was seen vacationing and skipping out on duties instead of visiting his new family would not fly by anyone if he wasn’t Prince William. If he was any celeb covered here it would be an all out riot.
In a 10 bedroom house with multiple staff to take care of the kids, William could find a quiet place to sleep AND be under the same roof with his wife and children. Or he could take over some of the staff quarters in other buildings nearby and be within a few hundred yards of his family.
I don’t see the Monarchy existing long after Charles is gone.
It’s strange to think that they created their own unpopularity because of their personal beliefs about privilege and responsibility… Kate’s new busier schedule (for a few weeks) is only because of the new PR guy – but this does not warrant a different characterization of their lives, or the principles that they live by. (eye-roll)
Yes, I agree. There is something very strange and not quite right about The Dynamic Duo.
So the GDHQ says it was a PRIVATE visit. The Mail Online says it was a PRIVATE visit. The Palace initially said it was a PRIVATE visit too. That is until they found out that William doesn’t want to cough up the $8,000, I’m guessing. Then all of a sudden, the Palace can only up it to ‘suggest’ it may have been an official visit. How awkward. Just cough up the $8,000 William. You got what? $17 million from your mom? What’s $8,000 to you?
So why go to the GDHQ to change his email and social media passwords? Couldn’t his private secretary have done that from KP or Anmer Hall? What was so important for William to go there in such secrecy that the Palace can’t seem to stick with one story about whether it was private or official? How ridiculous.
What am I missing? Was it a necessary visit that all the Royals have to do because they have some super-secret government accounts that require their physical presence in order to change the passwords to these particular accounts?
In other news, Kate went shopping again.
Edit: 8,000 pounds, not dollars. In dollars, it would be about $12,000. Even so, he can well afford to pay it and be done with this.
He’s cheap. Plain and simple. It’s fine if Charles is footing the bill (as he does with Kate’s many shopping trips), but it’s another thing if he has to open his own wallet to pay for his folly.
@The Original Mia –
I wonder if it’s not about cheapness but his belief in that he’s entitled so things should be free for him and paid for by others.
The list of things he doesn’t pay for including his own wife’s clothes: residences, renovation on residences, vacations, upcoming job’s donated salary and copter, this 8,000 pound joyride, office staff, etc. Are his PR team and his household staff paid for out of his own pocket?
I think Charles pays for it all, except for maybe security or maybe his & Waity’s staff. I’m not sure.
I think Charles pays for everything that’s personal (decorating, her clothing, jewelry, hair dresser). The Midds pay for the vacations but not the security costs or security airfares and meals (that’s taxpayers). There are staff at their homes that are paid by Charles I’d guess. The two dozen office staff (Deacon, Jason) and security come from the taxpayers. LAK, FLORC – is that right?
£8,000 is a lot of money, especially for a simple roundtrip! Just for comparison, I paid £3,000 for 1 year’s worth of education at the University of Leeds. Will’s heli-ride could almost finance the tuition fees for a 3-year ph.d.-degree. It might be a weird analogy but I tend to compare in education costs – I’m quirky that way.
The people that agree to work for them get it right. Work long enough to justify it on your resume and move on. These two will have turnover in staff for the rest of their life and be too dumb to realize it.
William repeatedly sends subliminal and not-so-subliminal messages to the unwashed masses that can be easily translated into two words: “F*ck you”. I feel sorry for the PR fart-catchers who now have to spin his latest gaffe into something positive.
His disdain for public duty and work in general is becoming legendary. His nose-thumbing of important events like the BAFTAS, of which he is president, in favour of extending his much-needed (sarcasm) vacation to Mustique is a real poke in the eye to the British and other Commonwealth citizens who fund him. The least he could do is show up and, if he deigns to show up, at least look like he’s enjoying himself instead of putting on his best pissy-face.
Don’t even get me started on his lay-about, shopaholic, mummy’s girl of a wife.
Harrumph.
Well said!
He needed to extend his vacation in Mystique, to finish his fight with Kate – they were unable to show up for Carole’s snob party there, either.
Oh right! I forgot about the not showing up at Carole’s party because he was too busy dealing with marital discord. Selfish wanker…..
Wolfpup
You didn’t used to be so snide. I know the Doolittles will bring it out of the best of us but I miss the way you used to look at everything from a humanist angle 🙁
Imo
Co-sign what you said. Wolfpup vrought a new angle out, but I understand we all have our snarky days.
Regarding the fight. Until we know what it was about it’s nothing big. Couples fight. To think they don’t fight isn’t normal. It’s a fantasy.
FLORC
Very true. I hope I didn’t come across as cynical, I just love wolfpup’s intuitive, lifecentric, almost poetic observations. Good points though.
Imo
I can’t speak for Wolfpup, but know i’ve had bad days and it’s really altered my outlook here. We all have those days. And we all look for certain posters comments to be a certain way. To add a new view/spin to things. LAK is straight forward facts, Nota is facts with fun snark, AH is ofcourse our goto Bling linker and Art Historian, Bluhare is hiding the keys for the Wiglet Wagon from me, Ect… We all bring something to these threads.
Bravo!
Ha! PR fart-catchers is exactly what they are :D.
I wonder if W & K know how bad they look, or if they even actually care? I’m guessing they don’t care. It’s mind-boggling to me how entitled William is.
He’s making the Duke of Windsor look good.
William and David have a lot in common, behavior and attitude-wise.
To me it looks like people are making a mountain out of a molehill as usual.
A misuse of £8,000 in taxpayer funds a molehill? Then you can pay all of it for William.
All William had to do was pay the 8,000 pounds and none of this would have made news.
It was really stupid of William to let it get this far that the press got hold of his non-payment and that the Palace had to go back on its initial statement of how the visit was categorized.
He’s a multi-millionaire and once the issue of payment came up, he should have paid it before it got any further. This is why some people think he has no sense of what would or wouldn’t go down well with the public.
Anybody astute enough with public perception would have known to end this issue at the start. But his stubbornness and sense of entitlement over this 8,000 pounds that he owes to the taxpayers is disrespectful and distances himself from the public. He should care more about how he’s perceived, but he doesn’t and that’s why he gets criticized.
He’ll blame his PR guy.
Rory
Think of it like this. A member of whatever goverment in whatever country you reside in is William. They are constantly dipping into public funds that are only to be used for official use to fund their private use.
Or like Former Congressman Schock claiming he needed those official funds to see a Katy Perr concert for official goverment business. And only claiming this after people question him on his use.
It’s not a 1 time thing and those “molehills” add up quickly. And maybe it wouldn’t be as bad if the Royals had always excess funds left over and did not ask for more, but they do.
Simply put. It’s wasteful and unethical. You cannot justify this actions without condoning many others who live off of the tax payer funds world wide for private use.
…am always in awe of royals exercising power…by which I mean Wills actions led to the long-running spectacle that was Levinson…which cost a lot more than a chopper ride to GCHQ…so grateful to live in a democracy…for those who watch GOT and see history.
This bit always gets lost in the chatter……….
Can either of you explain this further? What is Levinson??
Are we talking the NBA thing or the funeral they vacationed over.
Levenson is the name given to a public enquiry into culture, practices and ethics of the british press led by one Lord Levenson. It was sparked off by the phone hacking business which was driven by an initial private complaint by William. The revelation was made in that documentary Charles tried to suppress a few weeks ago.
It took on bigger scope of powers when it was found that the press had interfered in a murder investigation.
It’s difficult to say if it would have gone as far as it did if not for William’s complaint since our public bodies tend to have no teeth as far as these things go.
The main reason the british press are so restrained these days, particularly where William is concerned is due to this enquiry.
The outcome of it might still lead to complete loss of freedom of press. It’s a fine balance everybody is playing.
So are you saying that William should not have made a complaint about the press hacking into his phone and listening to his voicemails?!?
That phone hacking was outrageously illegal, William had every right to complain, anybody would’ve. It’s a shame that the Guardian has to pay for the News of the Worlds sins wrt sanctions, but Fleet street has brought this upon themselves. If they werent so frightened of Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Sun, News of the World (now defunct) and Fox News (Fair and Balanced!) then the world would be a vastly different place in so many ways.
LNG/ Red Snapper: The point, whether one takes it positively or negatively, is that without William’s complaint, the enquiry may have gone the way of all other enquiries. It’s a demonstration of soft royal power which people insist they don’t have.
It is what it is.
I thought that grandma had given him his own helicopter?
For what it’s worth, it sounds like a private security briefing based on his role as a public figure.
There are multiple helicopters in play here. One that he leaned on the government to donate to EAAA. Second is the larger helicopter that someone had to donate to EAAA so William could have his security guards on the flights. The third is the helicopter HM leased last year, for use by W&K for PUBLIC duties.
What makes you think the EAAA are getting two new helicopters? Pretty sure the government donated heli is the bigger one Will needs to be able to work.
@Red Snapper – notsugarhere said there’s only one helicopter donated to the EAAA. The first donation was money to help pay for William’s salary as it was a new position that was created just for him.
Nota
Has that larger Heli for the EAAA been confirmed?
RobN
Even if the helicopter was only for his personal use that does not explain why public funds were used. In fact it’s not the helicopter that is the issue. It’s the money that allowed the use and where that money came from.
That official outlets all called this private and then changed their tone to public to justify the cost and use highlights this as a bit of a slip up.
More research.
EAAA: Currently flies two EC 135 T2 aircraft
This helo allows for one pilot and no co-pilot. William will be a co-pilot first, as he’s not qualified as a pilot. He couldn’t have flown for EAAA if they didn’t have a helo with space for a co-pilot, whether or not it had room for a security officer.
Government pays for this one because of pressure from William.
A second new EC145T2 helicopter to be based at Norwich Airport
“The new helicopter will have extra room for the parent of an injured child.” AKA large enough to have both a co-pilot seat (William) and room for the RPO.
It appears Air Bond has three of these now, two in Scotland and one for EAAA Norwich.
I thought there was another of the larger helicopters donated last year as well, by the manufacturer. Can anyone else find this news story? That was the one rumored to be purchased by HM or Charles then donated to make this debacle happen, along with them donating his salary.
FLORC the larger helicopter is confirmed on both Air Bond site and EAAA.
Thanks Nota
Atleast something good is coming out of this. They way though is not good. And that money always has to be found where it currently doesn’t exist for William is extremely suspect.
His salary alone. Why take it if you’re donating it elsewhere. Why not work for free? Surely, he benefits as having it filter through his name and accounts.
The entire rf has access to the helicoptor the queen purchased. W+K aren’t the only ones to use it.
She didn’t purchase it, it is leased. Up until now, the royal family all used one chopper, now there are two. It was strongly suggested that this second one was for W&K. They’re the ones who have been seen using it.
Robn is right. Granny gave him his own flight for official royal business. It was given when it was thought he would be taking up royal duties, along with the refurb of KP as his official residency to take up royal duties.
The heli donated to EAAA is a completely different matter.
However, it appears that for this visit, he used the Queen’s flight which is a different fleet from his own royal business heli.
You can see how avoiding using his own heli would have been justified as private because it’s not logged, but unfortunately using the Queen’s flight *is* official because the fleet is overseen by govt and they do monitor costs minutely.
So to avoid the cost, William’s people have re categorised it as official private business.
Thanks LAK
EAAA helis aside, the helicopter the Queen leased for him is part of the Queens flight. It’s earmarked for the Cambridges use, but other members of the RF use it too.
That’s right Red Snapper, but he didn’t use the one earmarked for him. That’s what caused the kerfuffle. Apparently He used a heli that’s in the general fleet which is why the report specifically mentioned that part.
One of the York princesses used it last week. Any royal may use it.
He’s a jerk.
Yes he is, and it’s high time he get called on his behaviors. I like Kate more than him, and that isn’t saying much….
Anyone else enjoy the article Richard Kay wrote about Harry in the last few days, mentioned how Harry is so much better with the public than Wiiliam, he can speak easily off the cuff etc.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3007014/Prince-Harry-left-Army-honour-mother-s-memory.html
Although, Harry’s “Gap Year” is more of a “Transitional Period of Time”. I can’t find where anyone could state and confirm Harry was 1. Taking a full year. And 2. Doing nothing to justify the term “Gap” meaning a void between 2 points.
Good Article though.
Ricahrd Kay doesn’t hide his disdain for William. I don’t think i’ve read or seen a TV comment from him that is positive about William.
The article you mention was also naughty because it said repeatedly how Harry would make a better King, endorsed by the sainted Diana.
It’s one thing for random people to say that, quite another in a major royalist paper.
Thanks FLORC, that’s the one! Yeah, I can’t remember reading any article that laid out the next 12 months of Harry taking a ‘gap year’, but maybe ‘more will be revealed’? Not sure how long it will take for him to do that 1,000 mile/km trek around the UK?
LAK – I hadn’t noticed Richard generally coming down on William, I’ll make note going forward! I though this was sort of a new slant. He seems soft on Charles though, oddly, considering how close he was to Diana. But he is the heir. haha, yes I thought this article was a bit ‘naughty’ and glad you guys liked it too.
I love that Celebitchy covers the royals! I so enjoy the comments.
I doubt he ever becomes King but if he does he will probably be the last
Monarchies seem so silly.
I just don’t understand the hate towards Kate and her post pregnancy plans. Everyone gives out because her parents are at Amner Hall and everyone gives out because she goes to stay with them. And everyone would give out if she hired an army of people to help with the newest prince or princess.
I am days away from giving birth (ideally hours but that’s doubtful) and all I can think is how wonderful it would be to have one of our mothers here to cook and watch the baby so I could sleep for a few hours on my stomach or back again.
Don’t mind me, I hate everyone today.
1st Congrats! Hours or days, huh? Exciting!
And there’s so much to this topic that gets glossed over in casual converstion because it’s information that gets many repeats.
It’s not Kate’s post pregnancy plan alone. It’t that there’s several versions leading up to it.
1. KP had to be finished from renovations quickly because it would be where Kate would be with child post birth. No expense was spared and that was justification. Same with Anmer. And stories that Will and Kate would raise baby together as a family. It never turns out that way so far.
Numerous other details I don’t want to rip open. It all sums up to money spent for no reason and everyone else raising the future heir and spare expect their parents.
This isn’t a normal family and you can’t compare anyone’s normal circumstances to theirs. They’re lightyears apart.
FLORC
Agree with everything but it is a stretch to say that the Cambridge children will be raised by other people. We have no evidence that Kate is not a good mother or that she isn’t hands-on. Despite her irritating ways I believe she will be an even better mother than Diana was. And she is already a better mother than the queen. It’s just her Duchess A game that’s missing. As for William I think she will put her foot down about him being home more when the children are school aged. They will be old enough to tell their dad they miss him and Kate and Carole will find ways to use the children to shame William.
Imo
I’m refering to how every child raising article that comes out notes Carole as the caretaker or a nanny/staff. You’d think Kate would be the one, but it’s never her on either side of the fence. There were stories she needed extended time off to raise George and not be apart, but those soon vanished after shots of Kate shopping for hours and hours daily were released. Then people noted they did have a nanny. That’s how the nanny news came out.
It certainly comes off that Carole is very needed by Kate for simpe day to day tasks and that Carole is raising both her daughter and her grandchild.
And Diana and Carole are apples and oranges imo. Diana was damaging with her open drama. Carole is damaging that her daughter has never learned to live on her own. That Carole is still needed for everything.
Parents do their job when they have raised a child to survive and thrive after they’re gone. I don’t think Kate would thrive. That’s bad parenting.
I’m glad you have an optimistic opinion of the situation. Unfortunately, I do not.
There is so much we do not know and therefore infer from the tidbits we feel sure of. I said Kate is a bettr mom than Diana was, eventually. I didn’t speak to Carole’s abilities. But if Carole is there for her daughter then I will not find fault with that.
Imo
Devil is in the details here. The heavy stories of Will and Kate nesting to raise their child together and need extensive time off in KP. Only to find that was likely never the real plan with such extensive upgrades being made on William’s away from family housing and Kate’s parents home.
Then the need to raise the 2nd child together as a family in the quiet country. Needing another occupied home to undergo full and extensive renovations under a tight deadline only to now hear that too might not matter.
That alone screams counter to their PR claims.
Then the Kate is so hands on with George. And they’re super cute together. That he was rarely with the nanny and bonded so greatly with Kate. Then we see the nanny shots and George adores his nanny like they’ve bonded as well. Or he just enjoys being held (which is likely). There’s just mountains of stories and photos of Carole being with George nearly all the time. And Kate reads like a backround playerwho also needs Carole. Not for mother/daughter stuff, but because Kate hasn’t earned how to do things without her mother. IF that is the case than this is not your average mother and daughter relationship and certainly appears like Carole is a main player in the Cambridges marriage/homelife. You’d think Carole has no other family except Kate.
I think a lot gets lost when people relate Carole being there for Kate. If it was just that no one could say 2 peeps about it.
FLORC
The royals are like the famous drawing where one either sees a young, beautiful woman in a fancy hat or an old woman with wrinkles and unattractive features. Those who see one or the other are completely sure that what they see is the only thing the drawing’s details depict.
Big difference between “being there” and pulling the strings of the puppet, doing everything possible to duct tape this relationship together for 14 years. I agree with FLORC, a successful parent is one who raises self-reliant children and leaves them to get on with living their own life. We’ve seen that Kate is anything but capable or self-reliant. Carole keeps her (and William?) dependent. This isn’t a healthy family relationship.
I think Kate’s dependency on her mother is more than how she’s been raised. When I look at Kate I see shades of Britney – who also is incapable of managing her own life and needs her father to make decisions for her.
Kate is a child raising a child.
Private as in “secret” regarding what he saw, or private as in “personal, non-work-related”? In case he hasn’t noticed or realized, you often draw more attention to yourself by trying to be under the radar, than if you just quietly do whatever you do and look normal. My “friend” learned that in order to sneak cookies/candy/whatever from her mom’s kitchen, the more she tried to be quiet and stealthy about it, she was always caught. Whereas her sister, who would just waltz in and grab a handful as she was getting the popcorn and popper out, was never caught. Sometimes when you try too hard and too publicly to have privacy, it just looks like you’re hiding something and draws everyone’s interest. If he would just live his life and ignore everyone noticing him he would find privacy a lot easier to maintain. And we definitely need to see more of that little pumpkin, George!