We’re less than a week away from the christening of HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. I keep forgetting that William and Kate aren’t going to do the christening in London, which is where Prince George was christened. Charlotte is going to make her second public outing at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, which is close to Anmer Hall. It’s interesting to me that Will and Kate still insist on being full-time in Norfolk, even though they’ll drop everything to go to London to meet Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
Charlotte will be christened on Sunday, and royal-watchers are expecting this to be the first time we see the full Cambridge family together, because Will and Kate are apparently going to bring Prince George out too. Kate’s family – Carole, Michael, Pippa and James – are expected to come out, as well as William’s dad Charles, the Queen and Prince Phillip. Prince Harry will not be in attendance because he’s already left for his African summer. Hopefully, we’ll have photos of everyone because the “paddock” next to the chapel is going to open to the public. A spokesperson for Will and Kate said that they are “delighted” that the public will get to see their children.
Which brings me to something interesting – I mentioned this in the royals-post on Friday, but it’s worth discussing again. PopSugar and some American sites bought the paparazzi photos of Carole Middleton out in Berkshire with Prince George. No British site or paper bought the photos – there was an “informal” embargo in the British press about the pics. Because, you see, even though most people are pretty sure that Carole Middleton arranged to be photographed with her grandson, William still throws massive tantrums about his children being photographed. Unless the Middletons arrange it, I guess.
Speaking of William… he apparently told a polo player that he’s already planning for Prince George’s future in polo.
Just last week the MoS reported that Prince George may have inherited his father’s left handedness after he was pictured playing with a polo mallet. And now I can reveal that Prince William has already lined up George’s future polo instructor. But just like his father, he will have to abandon his favoured left side.
The Duke has apparently had a chat with England polo player Jamie Morrison, to ask him to teach the little prince the sport once he’s old enough. Jamie – who runs the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club – has been a friend of Prince William’s for many years and sources say The Duke of Cambridge had an informal chat with Jamie a few weeks ago about George’s polo education.
‘Obviously George is far too young to be learning polo yet,’ said a source. ‘It won’t be for quite a few years, but George will have to learn to play with his right hand, as you can’t play polo with your left.’
I don’t find the polo stuff interesting at all – I mean, George is a prince, of course he’s going to play polo. It’s a non-issue. It’s like saying Charlotte is going to be into hats and eyeliner. It’s in their blood. What I do find interesting is that left-handed-ness seems to run in the royal family. It’s kind of cool! King George VI was a lefty who was “trained” (cruelly) to be a righty. William is a southpaw and now it seems like his son is too. I think the Queen and Prince Charles are righties.
EXCLUSIVE: Prince George spends a sweet day with his Grandma Carole! http://t.co/6wvPgTbuxV pic.twitter.com/KwdaqFsRBI
— POPSUGAR (@POPSUGAR) June 24, 2015
Photos courtesy of WENN.
The pics with Carole are really cute.
cute of George, not of Carole though – she looked pretty rough.
Maybe she was tired. I don’t look my best and brightest after a lot of carrying my daughter around, and I’m a decade and a half younger than Carole.
Tragic
The Midds have these traits. Probably made worse from the years of sun damage and smoking.
Deep lines and wrinkles, under eye bags, and jowls. Kate pre engagement had lipo for her bags. Results were quite good. These traits can be seen in all Midd ladies.
Normally though images are retouched. It’s always a harsh image when you see them without retouching.
So they’re human, then. [/shrug]
No way Carole would risking pi$$ing off William by calling the paps.
The Middleton’s have been suspected of a relationship with Niraj Tanna for years. The Hello magazine photos of the skiing trip a few years ago – to show off the free fur hat that was given to Kate Middleton but worn by her mother? Odds are they were arranged to pay for the trip and to thank the company for the freebies.
These are not blurry photos. They weren’t taken from a cell phone that wasn’t confiscated by the RPOs. The person taking these photos was close enough to be seen, just like all the other sets of farm photos have been in the past few months. If they’d wanted the photos stopped, the RPOs would have stopped them or confiscated things like they have before.
Megan
To add to Nota
A while ago William blew up about Tanna getting photos (and tip offs) on the Midds and his locations and details. He insisted they sue. They did and he nearly lost everything. He must have had something because he was back in their good graces soon enough.
Even on Twitter for awaiting George being born other reporters looked to Tanna for information like he was an insider. And sure enough he knew all the details only someone in Kate’s inner circle would know. And he was coy about how he knew in a subtle bragging manner. The Twitter feed was pretty hilarious from him and the other reporters.
(Open to correction if there are any details I got wrong)
Im a leftie who was trained to write with my right hand at school (in 1995…!) because I was the only one in the class and the teacher couldnt be bothered having a left hander in her class. So now I can write with both hands, but mainly do everything else with my left.
George is a cutie – I hope he has an as normal upbringing as possible. Hes not even two yet and theres already so much pressure on him from the public. This is coming from someone whos not exactly pleased that 56p is spent on this family by every British tax payer every year, but give the children a chance to live.
My sister also born a leftie, my mother forced to become a right hander.
I am a lefty and my children used their left hands more when they were toddlers, even for scribbling, so I assumed they were going to be lefties as well. As soon as they started writing, they switched to their right hands.
Give George time, I’d say. He is too young to tell.
I can see exactly what you are saying but how do you define ‘normal’ for a Royal Family? They are entirely dependent on the goodwill of the public for their position and much of that goodwill will surely entail some exposure. Publicity is the only thing they have, there is very little in the way of accomplishment, their involvement in Charities and public duties are kept to a minimum so their workload is remarkably light considering their position and how expensive they really are. I can understand them wanting to protect PG and PC from constant press intrusion but there has to be a certain amount of public involvement lest the British public totally lose interest. It’s a difficult balance to strike between the natural instinct to protect their children and the necessity of appeasing the people who are paying for their upkeep and ludicrously lavish lifestyle.
Oh, and they are totally failing to strike that balance, if they got their fingers out and pulled their weight a bit more it would take the pressure off the kids.
Stories like this leave me more and more doubtful if we’ll ever have a truly tolerant and equal world, when people always go out of their way to find something to be worked up about and crucify every minor difference, including something as unimportant and inoffensive as left-handedness. I could never understand the hate towards lefties – it’s just so irrational and stupid. How can a person who torments a child over writing with the other hand, can be ever truly understanding of same-sex or mixed relationships, being pro-choice, or minorities? Not possible. Humans are the weirdest of creatures.
Because you don’t like left handed behavior doesn’t mean you hate everything else. Or because someone is against equal marriage rights they are also against those who are left handed. Or being against pro choice means you’re by default against mixed relationships.
Unless i’m not understanding your comment. It just seems like an odd point.
I think you didn’t. My point was that people always look for things to be offended by or to hate. When they don’t have anything major to hate, they look for some minor, unimportant things no one normal should even think about hating – like left-handedness. Being left-handed is to me the stupidest thing possible to be against – what difference does it make to other person that someone writes with the left hand instead of a right one? Yet there are endless stories like this one indicating that some children have been tormented just because they use their left hand. Ridiculous. And my point was – how can we expect the world to change for the better and for all people to accept the more significant differences, when there is so much hate even against the most minor and unimportant things. If the society as a majority would finally accept same sex relationships or abortion, they would still find something else to be intolerant about – a circle of hate. It was a general point about human tolerance levels.
Well said
As a leftie, I agree. It shouldn’t really matter if you write with your right, left… or centre! Diversity should be celebrated, even in such ‘small’ details as dexterity too!
I am glad my parents never tried to change my lefthandedness and instead, celebrated it.
Of course Carole set this up – couldn’t be outdone by the pics from the polo match with Chuck and Harry and Willy didn’t chuck a paddy over them. Both have been arranged but I’ll bet the British press are fuming that this went international again – another eff u from the Lazybridges to them. Those chickens are going to come home to roost if he doesn’t start playing the game. This is about them parading the kids in public (i don’t think they have or need to) its about them raising their low profile a bit more and living up to their duties.
When I look at Carole I see Kate in 20 years.
Yes this exactly (and better put than my long-winded ramble above) I must have been thinking about it and typing it out just as you posted!
Exactly. On a personal level, I couldn’t care less if I never saw a picture of George until he’s fully grown – other than the usual coo-ing over any picture of a cute baby. But to threaten British media with career-ending legal action and to allow ma-in-law to facilitate paps selling photos to US media? Jebus. PR fail. And it will bite them at some point. Hard, I hope. I’ll enjoy that particular type of bloodsport!
I meant to type ‘This isn’t about…’ – blooming auto spelling 🙁
And yes when it happens it won’t be pretty and the Mids will bear the brunt of it, but in a way they have put themselves in that position with they way they have used the paps over the years – it was them they have to thank for their daughters relationship. If they didn’t pap Kate on their ‘breaks’ with other men then Willy would never have gotten jealous and called her up.
Is anyone other than Richard Palmer making a fuss in the UK press? He went off on them about the early release of the baby photos plus the Carole-at-the-Farm ones. Anyone else?
I think the others will bitch privately – if they do it publicly they will be taken off the official list for access etc…
I only know what you guys on here tell me, NOTA. But, going by historical example, the British press say nothing, say nothing, say nothing – until suddenly there’s a mahousive upheaval like a domino topple and they all savage the royals at once. I expect they’re all rumbling away to each other but I don’t think we’ve reached crisis point yet.
I can’t wait for the Cambridge Crisis.
Sixer
What do you think it will take for action? They have been so mistreated and threatened in the past by William. Surely, a tipping point is coming.
I think all hell will break lose after QEII passes.
I really don’t know, FLORC. It’ll probably be something truly minor that sets it all off.
Sixer
That makes sense. The straw that broke the camels back.
LOL! Is George slapping his poor granny in that Popsugar photo?
Why is he not throwing a tantrum.
I think because the financials were released, he is not at work like he is suppose to be, the Jolie-Pitt visit is not giving them the goodwill they expected.
Just to name a few.
Agree.
CM rules him….I Kid…I think.
….but seriously, he has never thrown a tantrum where CM is concerned. He’s participated in CM arranged pap strolls.
I wonder what she whispers in his ear to make him so compliant where she’s concerned.
I agree – she’s the real power behind that marriage. But it won’t last at some point he will wake up and smell the coffee – when that happens that family is under the bus.
I think Carole is the strong mother figure that he missed out on growing up. William was Diana’s emotional crutch, even as a child.
I saw some pictures of George running amok at the polo match and who ran and saved him from being run over? Not Kate.
Autumn Phillips.
I saw those as well. If Autumn hadn’t gotten to him, he would have been trampled by the horses that came down the path. But those pictures weren’t sanctioned, so they weren’t released.
Where are those pics?
They were on a royal tumblr and Royal Dish.
@RobN, she was hovering. But that was for the released pics. As seen in the video of this incident, she was sitting on the hill, staring off into space, when George starts up the horse path. Summer & Peter both look to Kate and when they don’t get a response from her, Summer bolts to pick him up and carry him to Kate. 30 seconds later, the polo ponies start down the path onto the field.
Funny, because when the polo pictures were released, there were countless posts here about how she won’t let him play with the other kids and how she wouldn’t let him out of her sight. Another case of people seeing what they want to see.
RobN
To add to TOMia
Those Polo pics are simply an image created and not the truth.
Other sets were shown in a link on another thread.
To sum, Kate chatted with adults, played with other kids and George was largely not near Kate. Her dancing with him was trying to catch him after he hit another kid with his toy. She took him up the hill to discipline him away from others. Nothing wrong with that at all. She was being a mother raising her child. Now, why this had to be translated into Kate dancing/playing monster with George is for image only.
Another image created.. George was quite cute and comfortable with Charles and Harry. He clearly sees them often, but in many printed pics articles made note Harry and Charles made little time to see George.
So, I agree. Pictures and reality can often be different.
Can’t believe the comments about lefties being forced to use the right hand. I’m shocked that it still happens in this day and age!
When I started school I was a lefty, but each year the nuns forced us (there were two of us in class) to use our right hands instead, but not they said it was because the left hand belonged to the devil and it was evil if that was our dominant hand. To this day my penmanship is horrible. I still do most things as a lefty, or with both hands. I shocked a friend once while we were getting ready for a high school dance, because I used my left hand to apply my left eye makeup and my right hand to do the right side.
My first grade teacher told my mother my lefthandedness was a mental defect akin to retardation. And I’m 30, mind you, so this wasn’t all that long ago. My mother lost her shit, called her an ignorant gasbag, and had me removed from her class.
Good for your mom.
In kindergarten. I sat at the last table. When the box of scissors got to us, only left-handed scissors were left. The five us at the table were forced to use them and use them in our left hands. We were righties, and if we used our right hands, the teachers would scold us and force them back into our left hands. Our cutting was terrible as a result and they tried to send us to special remedial testing. Then they called my parents. I told my mother what was happening and my mom went NUTS. Haha, no more left handed scissors for us!
Thats his son. If he is okay with his son being photographed with his grandma, then so be it. If he has an issue with paps just randomly taking pics of his children, I see no problem with that. They know the public want to see their children. They probably prefer having control over when and where they allow access for pictures to be taken…a controlled environment. This way the press get their pictures to show the public and their children don’t get bombarded and frighten by multitudes of flashing lightbulbs from strangers jumping all in their faces.
I see it as him being pro-active in protecting his family, especially seeing how it affected his mother and how they persued Kate relentlessly during their years of dating. I think it’s smart to ease George into getting use to people wanting to take his picture.
wow – the point is that the BRITISH public don’t get to see these photos unless they visit AMERICAN websites. These people are supposed to serve the UK, not foreign gossip mags (no offence to foreign gossip mags or websites, especially Celebitchy. You know what I mean). It’s like Wallis Simpson all over again. And it won’t end well.
Amen, Sixer.
But legally there seem to be some sticky laws re publishing snaps of children in the press – that’s why the faces of many US & UK celeb toddlers are pixilated in Daily (hate)Mail. It’s applied in such a lackadaisical way it seems Fleet St is merely making a gesture. Surely though the anonymizing happens at the behest of in-house counsel — or whatever they’re called over there.
If it was a hot kidnap/IRA-eee! climate like 70s England, Kate’s baby royals would prob be masked like the young Jackson kids were, but it’s all about tourism now. Broadcasting the images across the pond is more fruitful anyway than doing so among already loyal, home-grown folk who have a case of Royal Wedding Teacups dating back to great-gram’s time, yes? ;).
The UK press freely publish photos of Zara and Peter’s kids, etc. Those are private citizens not funded to be working royals. They’re legally allowed to photograph those kids in public places and publish the photos, but not to publish photos of the publicly-funded heir and his kids? Nope, it is William threatening them that has them in this ridiculous state – by their own choosing.
The press pursued Chelsy D relentlessly, chased her down blind alleys, screamed obscenities at her to get a response. Kate Middleton wasn’t treated anywhere near as poorly as Chelsy was. There is proof KM had police help as far back as 2007 (illegal if paid by taxpayers). Did they write stories about her partying and her laziness? Sure, because there was day and night proof of it.
There are many stories of her and William courting the paps, choosing to use the front door for photo ops, etc. A lot of the extended protection and pampering from the press that William received (and Harry didn’t) was stretched to include KM as well.
Excellent point and i hadn’t thought of it like that. Poor Chelsy but she handled it all with grace but I guess that Waity was off limits except to Mummy’s hired pap.
Oh yes both courted the paps but Kate was notorious for it. She ALWAYS went out the front door – it was often said she’s spend an hour or so in the bathroom sobering up before leaving the clubs.
William has always been treated with kid gloves (by the family and the press) – poor Harry, even before they got married they threw him (and his gf’s) under the bus. I wouldn’t want to be Harry’s wife as am sure Kate will lord it over her – she has a mean girl streak in her.
Re William’s Edward VIII vibe: He’s been acting quite sketchily now for a couple of years. Almost as if he’s thinking it’s all a load of old cobblers and what’s the point? I wonder if he believes some of the conspiracy theories surrounding his mother’s death. He doesn’t seem comfortable with any of them now. Not even his grandmother, the Queen.
Or…Perhaps he’s just a lazy ass! 😂
Edit: Comment was in response to frisbee and betti.
I’m not to sure about ‘the effect the press had on his mother’. Diana played the press like a pro for reasons of her own. I’m not sure what those reasons were; to wage a war on Charles, to protect herself against her perceived ‘persecution’ from Palace Officials ‘out to get her’ – she appears to have been in a mentally fragile state throughout her marriage to PC (and possibly before). We will probably never really know why but the fact remains she was complicit in the media coverage when it suited her. William seems hell bent on punishing the British press without ever recognizing the complexity of the relationship his mother had with them. It’s as if he has never moved beyond adolescence to come to terms with the British press as an adult. That’s really bad news and as Sixer said above (waves hello!) it won’t end well because he needs them.
@ Sixer, it’s funny you should mention Wallis Simpson, I’m getting a distinctly Edward VIII vibe off Big (Tit) Willy I’ve been wondering for a while now if he’s in self destructive mode.
I think many people are getting the Edward VIII off Willy – if he does become King (and he will if Kate and her mother have anything to do with it) it won’t last. He’s not suited to that role.
*waves back at frisbeejada*
Pompous old bag that I am, I find it outrageous that I am paying for the Cambridges only for them to allow access to Johnny Foreigners (in the form of banning UK publishing of photos and actually organising foreign publishing of photos) that they won’t allow to Brits. And I am the least jingoistic person you could ever meet. It’s nothing to do with jingoism, honest. What I am is a consumer who knows her rights. And I don’t see why I should pay for a pig in a poke that magically becomes a nice roast pork joint for people who haven’t paid for it. (Again, no offence American friends!)
Oops. Rant over.
Exactly, Sixer.
Plus you’re giving us that piece of lust on a stick, Aidan Turner, right now. We owe you one. 🙂
PS I watched Last Tango in Halifax last night; didn’t know Derek Jacobi was in it!
@ Sixer, no not pompous and I love your little rants – saves me doing it, I just wonder why do they let the American press have the access? A future bolt-hole for when he scarpers methinks.
@ Betti – glad it’s not just me seeing a big fat Crisis in Willy’s future – bring it on!
@ Bluhare, even though I love your posts and envy your shock of white hair Aiden Turner? MINE allllllllllllllll mine (cackles maniacally)
I did a 3 day Last Tango binge… wow…
Bluhare
I’m finding that if a LOTR/Hobbit movie has a younger bearded male they’re very lkely a stud.
You guys can keep Turner. He’s cute but not my type. You can’t have national treasure Jacobi though, even if he is a Shakespeare truther!
Sixer
By the message of this thread it’s becoming clear.
You nurture and care for your national treasures while we in the states reap the benefits.
Turner looks like a dirty, dirty boy to me. Plus his voice is to die for and his smile! Very disappointed in the nude scene, though. You couldn’t see a bloody thing!
*wanders off in search of Mr. bluhare*
just found this picture on tumblr, showing young Carole Middleton modeling as Princess Diana for a knitting magazine:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/61a1708d137047cd652790ccac1c7bbd/tumblr_nbtby1fTMN1reqsvvo3_r1_1280.png
Does someone know if this is real? Maybe it´s photoshopped…if not then wow, just wow.
photoshopped.
Funny, though!
I’d guess the ad is fake, but in her younger years Carole did sport blonde hair and a Diana haircut.
notasugarhere
Not surprising at all. She was/is a real supporter of Diana. Carole helps to keep her memory alive.
I’m a lefty and in kindergarten my teacher tried to make me right handed. Just so happened my father was a teacher at the same school. He came in to see how his little girl was getting along on her first day & spotted the teacher attempting to change me. He promptly escorted her into the hallway & I have no clue to this day what he said to her but she NEVER attempted to make me right handed again. No other teacher I ever had did either. I’m still a lefty & proud to this day.
Ugh, enough with the polo! When will The Firm realize that polo is too patrician a sport in these republican times? It helps to have the princes out seen having a run at footie, but football, of course, is not a sport for a gentleman.
The choices for George are clearly cricket or rugby football, and I see the makings of a good wing forward in the tot.
Is Willie growing a stache?!