Here are some photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today in London. They attended the 23rd ICAP annual Charity Day in the City of London, in which they acted as “brokers” organizing donations to charities close to their hearts, like SkillForce (one of William’s patronages), and SportsAid and Place2Be (two of Kate’s patronages). In the past, I’m pretty sure Prince Harry and the York princesses have taken part in Charity Days too. William has done it before, but this was Kate’s first time.
Kate wore a green suit by LK Bennett – according to the Daily Mail, this is the £395 ‘Jude’ jacket and £225 ‘Davina’ dress. This is a repeat of a years-old suit – we saw this on Kate back in 2012. I like the color, but I hate the peplum. Call me crazy, but Kate has gotten a haircut, right? She’s gotten several inches taken off since her last public event on November 20th. She wore her hair back for her event last night at Buckingham Palace, so we couldn’t really tell. Honestly, her hair looks so much healthier now that she’s gotten a good trim. I’ve been feeling the itch to take off a few more inches too.
The Kensington Royal Twitter also posted this video of Will and Kate playing ping-pong.
The Duke v The Duchess at Ping Pong @TeamSportsAid #ICAPCharityDay pic.twitter.com/JuQUrAu6BW
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 9, 2015
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I think the suit is nice. But that hair and makeup, ugh. Her blush is a straight line!
She desperately needs a hair and makeup makeover.
And she needs a hand-clutch makeover too. Look at the thumbnails overall. Preschool teachers everywhere are thinking, “Does she have to go to the bathroom?”
Also a posture makeover. UGH! Stand up straight woman!!!!
Oh my she has had about 3 inches off her hair did I just wake up from dreaming ….
Eeek! Somehow I didn’t notice the blush until I read your comment (I think I was too focused on the haircut!). That blush line is a tragedy. Maybe she was running late this morning or something…
@ Esmom
Straigt line blush: She wants to look sharp.
She can’t chop off more inches off her hair because she has a really bad posture at that part of the body where her neck joins her back. It is why she always wears it open or in half-up-dos or in low chignons.
She keeps whittling away at her nose – I wonder when she’ll be pleased.
I really don’t see it- nose job. People often said Diana had one too and again, I didn’t see it. The photos over the years didn’t seem to offer proof.
I agree that nude shoes would have looked great for this outfit, but for the most part I really like the way she looks. I had never noticed her posture, and her clutch-holding is fine. However, I wonder if the clutch helps to calm her or add tension.
I vote boring.
I’m struck by how bald William suddenly is on top/top back. I know he was balding, but it seems like a lot more suddenly fell out.
He needs to just shave that shit and rock the really close cropped look.
Maybe he was doing Rogaine and then stopped, which is what my husband did. I agree that he’d look a million times better and more mod with a shaved (or near shaved) head.
I have never understood why, with his resources, he never started doing Rogaine a long time ago when it first started thinning, so that it never would have gotten to this point in the first place 🤔
I think William considers the use of Rogaine as un-royal or below his class status.
Pondering thoughts – would that be why he doesn’t take care of yellowing teeth? It’s just so obvious, and we’re only talking good hygiene.
She looks nice here. The shoes are getting a bit repetitive though.
Diana often matched her shoes with her outfit (colour) and I thought it made the entire look better ie completed the look, esp if she also wore a hat.
Shoes in the color of her outfit is overkill. She could have done a nude to liven it up because I agree the black suede is boring already.
re- Diana, It was a bit of an 80s trend matching shoe colour to clothing, however there were also wild exceptions ie fire engine red shoes with all black clothing. Those were the 80s.
Citresse, those were the 80s! Your comment made me think of a pair of bright red slouchy boots I had in the 80s that I wore with a black dress and red belt. And I’m sure I had giant shoulder pads too.
I remember an office worker from 1985. She would wear black opaque tights with white shoes mixed with various garish coloured dresses throughout the work week and we all thought it was great! I can remember mixing a bright aquamarine coloured dress with black hose and red shoes in 1988. Diana though, often chose white hose with black shoes (early 80s) which I thought was a better look but it looks so dated now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of Kate wearing white opaque hose (tights) with black shoes.
I wonder if she ever looks at her own pics. One day hopefully she will realize that her forever pose of holding a clutch in front of her duchessy bits is really unbecoming. She needs a lesson in posture ain addition to work ethic and public speaking.
She’s still working on her new posh accent. It would take some time to feel comfortable giving speeches with it.
hahahaha.
Duchessy bits! Thank you! I was struggling to find the proper posh phrase for That Which Must be Awkwardly Covered and Supported At All Times.
I really think she must have been instructed by someone, at some point during her “Princess Lessons,” to hold the clutch like that, but the way she does it is just…I don’t know. She needs to find something else to do with her hands! I doubt she was told to clutch it *quite* so tightly…
I think she does it so she can keep her hands out of her hair.
Baby steps, I’m proud. The trim looks great, no Loretta Lynn hair in sight. Wiglets are managed seemingly.
Loretta Lynn!! On my…I’ll never be able to unsee that. 🙂
Just horribly ill-fitting.
ITA.
Things don’t fit/hang as well when you have no rump.
I think if she stood up straight and not have her hands clutched in front of her, her clothes might look better on her. Hunched shoulders make is look terrible. Also, I wonder if this outfit is lined. That could affect how it looks too. I’m glad she cut her hair. It looks less fake and overwhelming. Her makeup, as usual, is clownish looking. I looks like she let George apply it!
It hung better on her the last time she wore it in 2012, which leads me to the alarming conclusion that she’s even thinner now than pre-babies. The jewelry and hair are well done for once though.
Still boring. Perfect for BRF.
I’d like to disagree. The Queen and Sophie(and for the males, Charles) dress quite well with well-tailored clothes and occasional pops of colour(for the females). The York girls’ style has improved over the years, quite the risktakers. BRF fashion is good, but we are bombarded everywhere w/ Kate’s style.
I agree and disagree 😀 I think the Windsors are a mixed bag sartorially and compared to some other royals in Europe they’re not bringing much in general. Charles needs to buy his sons some new suits. I like Sophie and the York girls’ styles. But Sophie, who I kind of adore and always look out for, has a habit of overdoing it sometimes I think. But yes, when they (Sophie, Beatrice, Eugenie), get it right, they can pull together these types of outfits in a way that Kate can’t. And they’re more risky in their choices too. Kate though? *Sigh* I get messy and boring with Kate a lot. As well as either inappropriate or frumpy. At times it seems like her idea of looking mature and professional=matronly. She also still doesn’t quite seem to know what would be most appropriate for certain occasions. Like maybe don’t wear the lace cocktail dress, mid-morning for a business get-together. The “inappropriate” occasions (where she’s REALLY dressed too causally, flashes people, or looks like a college sophomore going to brunch) are becoming fewer. So, yay! But she still has a tendency to look unprofessional and just not very put together. Like the (constant) sloppy tailoring and her hair here.
Have disagree on the BRF fashion – I find it generally frumpy. It was better when Elizabeth and Margaret were young. Was never a fan of Diana – her clothes were awful in the 80s (though that decade is generally a dark age in terms of fashion).
The again, I love how QMII, Princess Benedikte and CP Mary dress – and the former two are most definitely on the flamboyant side, which requires a large personality.
AH:Her Marge’s fashion zenith is past, imo. Good,but bland. Mary is great, not the best but great. I’m still puzzled over the love the R. Parure. The rubies are the blandest I’ve seen but it’s got nothing on that pearl hideousness of a wedding tiara.
LOL, You notice I didn’t mention anyone else in the BRF @Art Historian? I also went out of my way not to directly compare them to other specific royals. I think the style of the 40s and 50s was elegant and appealing, and that saved QEII and Princess Margaret. The Firm’s been stuck in a rut for the past few decades though. You can pick any occasion where European royals have gathered and it’ll be better than the average Windsor wear. For example, http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/search/label/Margrethe%2075th
(Her Marge’s style is the zenith of all things fashion. Everything. Including things I could never imagine… In a million years… That no one else should attempt to wear, LOL.) Now, I think part of it is purposeful with the BRF. They seem allergic to any overt displays of glamour unless it absolutely can not be avoided. But it’s not as if they don’t spend tons of money on clothes anyway. So they have no real excuse to match up so poorly with, say, Letizia. She’s on a budget and is a fairly conservative dresser. But she’s consistently chic. Vickan has really come into her own. Princess Benedikte has Uh-MAHZ-ing style. When it comes to being polished, professional, never frumpy or even really excessive, I don’t think anyone can touch CPMary. She makes me head tilt sometimes. (She can be a tad fussy). But overall you can’t complain. In fact, I worship Queen Maxima. She makes me head tilt regularly. But it doesn’t matter. When you’re Maxima, with that personality and carriage, you can get away with it. I’d rather you try and get weird sometimes, than not try at all.
I always give Diana a pass. She tried, for one thing. For another, *whispers* I haven’t actually looked at much of what she wore. *Slinks away in shame* But she was young, it was the 80s, and (from the little I’ve seen) there was a marked difference in her style by the 90s.
I agree with you @COS – Historic significance aside, the rubies are just a wreath to me. Nor am I too crazy about the full parure outside of the stud version of the earrings. I’ve bitched about the Danish bling before. I’m not in the mood today 😀
I think the Ruby-Diamond Tiara is exquisite! However, I love floral tiaras as well as wreath tiaras since many of them have some asymmetrical features – the Spanish Floral Tiara is another favorite. The rubies and the Perle Poire are among my favorite tiaras. On the other hand, I find many of the BRFs tiaras to be less than interesting in terms of aesthetics. My favorites are the Lotus and the Boucheron Honeycomb but I think many of the others are rather clunky. I have caused gasps and pearl clutching by not liking the Girls of Great Britain, the Vladimir and the Fife. I guess I go for aestehtics over carat power. I am alo one of the few that really like the Midnight Tiara as well as the Naasut, even the dreaded Poppies! 😉
I actually went to see an exhibit of QMII’s dresses this summer, which included her wedding dress which is a particular favorite of mine. Sadly, it was a rather small exhibit that didn’t include some of my favorite dresses.
Benedikte is just quitely glamourous. I met her last year where she wore a understated grey skirt suit with fire-enginge red shoes and purse! She looked fab.
CP Mary wears a lot of clothes that I would wear myself if I had the chance so I’m quite partial to her style because it is so very close to my own.
I am another Maxima fan. Her sartorial record sverves between ab fab and “did she look in the mirror before she left the house?” However, her personality always outshines what she wears. I also love that she’s not afraid to dust off the royal bling and give it a proper outing.
AH: after Her Marge is gone, I don’t think we’ll see much of the Poppies. They are perfectly suited to her and her personality. On any else they’ll look ridiculous imo. The Naasut, however, takes the Danish cake with Marie’s Floral(I can’t stand that amethyst one) coming in a close second.
I really like the Naasut – it has a Hellenistic feel that is very appropriate since the tiara has its roots in the Ancient Mediterranean world. However, the gold clashes horribly with Daisy’s silver hair. I think it would look smashing on both Mary and Marie with their dark hair.
can’t stand Marie’s Flora Danics Amethyst Tiara either. It looks like the type of old-school silver ware that once was used to decorate dinner table among the social elite.
I think several of QEII tiaras are just downright ugly. I mean, The Burmese! The Aquamarine? (I love aquamarines too.) The Sapphire one is clunky as all get out. The Vlad is alright without the emeralds. (See we can be weird and make people clutch their pearls together.) But I’d prefer something like the Leeds. Aesthetically it’s something more pleasing, delicate, and thoughtfully designed. I don’t mind The Oriental on the young Queen Mum. But I’m convinced that it would look better without rubies and I don’t like it on Liz at all. The Greville is probably the best tiara in that collection. Design wise and bling wattage. It’s a freakin’ wall of diamonds. Camilla’s lucky she’s the only one with the head and the hair for it.
I love the Midnight tiara! I prefer it to the ruby. It reminds me of Victoria’s Orange Blossom, which I also love. The Naasut would look swell and right at home in Mary’s hair. So would The Poppies. There is nothing wrong with The Poppies, LOL. I think styling has been the issue there so far. http://mediacdn.disqus.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/159/9322/original.jpg At least they’re both different kinds of diadems. Anyway, The Pearl Poire necklace might be my most favorite thing in the universe. Spain’s Floral tiara is my favorite in their collection next to the Mellerio Shell, ‘cuz I’m weird like that. I don’t dislike wreaths or florals. But they’re like fringes. Every collection has one. So you have to be the best in comparison. In that category the Baden is my favorite and one of my favorite tiaras in general. Although I’m not huge on fringes, LOL. Some fringes–Like Sweden’s Modern Fringe, Marie-Chantal’s, QMary’s, and the Kent’s–are fine/lovely/wonderful. But I could do with fewer and they start to blur together. Maybe that’s why I like the Baden so much. It’s not a set of popsicle sticks. It’s also not spikey in the mode of QAlexandrine’s Fringe. Which I think belongs to Countess Sussie of Rosenborg now. Wah-Wah! A perfect example of why there needs to be excellent planning in inheriting these things nowadays. Another being the exquisite, unique and ethereal Alexandrine Drop Tiara. Which I actually believe looked best on Daisy. The loss of it from the RF makes my head hurt. Anyway, A British floral that I do like is the Nizam. Do you know what Elizabeth did to the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara? She dismantled it to make the damn Burmese! I think Mary’s original Surrey was more nuanced, less cluttered, and showcased the diamonds better than the Girls, which the Surrey was dismantled to create along with the G. Honeysuckle. *Insert Liz Lemon eyeroll here*
The Leeds is a very lovely tiara and I agree that it is better than the Vlad. That kind of circle-tiara (for lack of a better term) can be overwhelming in size. My favorite variation on this form is a lost Romanov Tiara:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660858051028/
Do you know that the Alexandrine Fringe is also known as the Sardine Tiara in the DK? Because a picture of Queen Alexandrine wearing it graces a brand of canned sardines.
I see a fringe tiara like a an all-purpose tiara – it goes with everything.
I’m not a fan of the Nizam Tiara – the design looked to bee too blocky for a floral tiara.
Liz’s modern tiaras are all horrors – and it does say something when the Burmese Ruby is the best of the lot! I love aquamarines but the Brazilian Aquamarine is horrendous. The problem lies with the size of the stones – they are simply too big for a tiara, perhaps even for a necklace as well. When it comes to jewellery design, bigger isn’t always better.
I love the Boucheron Honeycomb – I really like the geometric design, though I do prefer it in its second incarnation without the diamond spikes at the top.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660853835236/
I am very sad about the loss of the Alexandrine Drop Diamond Tiara and I have had fears that it might be sold off since Alexandra has had money problems. However, since she’s ditched her layabout, cheating second husband, her financial assets hopefully are safe. It would be such a shame for that tiara to be auctioned off.
Daisy’s Perle Poire parure is just out of this world. The size of those pearls!!!
I also share your love of the Mellerio Shell Tiara. It is such a beautiful and unusual piece. i really am a sucker for a unique tiara.
Like this Carnation Tiara by Chaumet:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660853042474/
Or the Henderskelfe Ocean Waves Tiara by Cartier:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660855118096/
The Boucheron Wave Tiara is also beautiful:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660854182897/
What?! The Burmese Ruby is quite the rip-off! The design is quite terrible and busy. The original Nizam tiara is pretty basic and in my mind it looks like the Swedes’ Braganza tiara had a baby that was shipped out to the UK.
Well, I’m not that keen on the Braganza either as I find it too big, heavy and the design somewhat blocky. I prefer a floral tiara that is a bit more airy and asymmetrical in its design like the Chaumet Carnation Tiara above – and if the flowers are sen en tremblant then that’s just perfection.
Other examples:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660856852473/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660854834130/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660854530271/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660851619867/
I think the suit is ok. The hair and makeup is just terrible though and why does she always hold her bag like that? It’s kind of creepy how she holds her bag the same way, the same place in almost all photos of her o.O
I’m with you. I said on another comment here that I swear she must have been taught in some etiquette lesson before the wedding to hold her clutch like that, because she does it so consistently exactly the same way. But the way she does it just looks ridiculous…like she’s clutching it too tightly or something? Maybe it is done out of nervousness…
The hair looks good. I generally dislike peplums, but this one doesn’t annoy me too much. The color is great on her. I do wish she would learn how to apply her make up better, though. She’s a pretty woman but is aging herself with her poorly applied make up, unfortunately.
I like the shorter length of hair on her.
Don’t mind the peplum because it does give her some shape, but I don’t care for the front part of that jacket. (I think it would look better with lapels and a different belt.) Also, it’s too high waisted for her, and ill fitting in the bust. This is one ensemble she needs to retire.
And the crotch clutching….ewww. I guess if I had to wear this outfit, I’d wear different jewelry, different tights, and definitely different shoes – but I’m not sure I’d like it even then.
Makeup is bad, as usual.
She is long waisted so the belt positioning is supposed to make her look more evenly proportioned I guess. She probably didn’t pick the right (HEAVILY) padded bra to fill out the jacket properly. I’ve noticed this with other clothes as well – something is off up there, even with the boulder bra on.
I like the hair too! The cut looks really good. I hope she doesn’t go back to the wiglet now that she’s gone out without it. But the outfit is just horrible — I didn’t like it the first time she wore it either (the front of the jacket is just too fussy/awkward). And even though it’s less obvious in these photos than it is in the pics of her in the tiara, her face is still looking really “worked on” these days. Maybe that’s why she got those godawful Pikachu bangs over the summer — to distract from the chin implant, new nose job, new veneers, etc?
I believe that this was what she was doing on maternity leave, that is, getting worked on.
I think she was getting worked on, too. The teeth look different. I’d love to see somebody do an expose on Kate’s changing looks between last year and this year. Subtle, but there (imo).
So now that people like her clothes and hair ok, they’re going to start screeching about how she holds her purses? JFC.
Try looking a pictures of her from various events. She ALWAYS holds her bag like that, it’s very strange.
Honestly as little as she works and gives back, I see no problem in solely discussing the superficial about Kate. That’s all she’s giving.
No, people have long commented on her crotch-shielding pose. Same with her mother.
It’s not like people haven’t noticed the awkward pose before today.
Oh, yes, the crotch clutch has been commented on from day one. That’s been a running theme all throughout her appearances.
@ Feeshalori – Yup.
Sara, do you have an opinion about Katie Cambridge? If so, why don’t you post it here and give other readers an opportunity to complain about you if they don’t like what you wrote.
I am being 100% hypocritical right now because I also commented on the crotch clutch upthread. But I do see what Sara is saying. No matter what she does, this site is pretty anti-Kate. Which…it is what it is, and god knows there are PLENTY of pro-W&K sites out there for people who adore them to gush. But for someone who is Kate-neutral, the commenters here are really very vicious when it comes to Kate no matter what she does. She can’t win here.
(I’m here and I’m reading the comments, so, not complaining — but I see where Sara is coming from.)
@ Charlotte
As for this site, I tend to see comments expressing praise and respect for hard-working royals like the Queen, Anne, Harry, Sophie, and usually Charles too. I think people see that they’re doing their best to be of some use to others and so people will mostly look past their outer appearances, especially as for these Royals, that’s not what they make as something that defines them and their lives.
What’s the difference between attitudes towards them and W&K?
It’s like W&K purposely do the opposite and then expect the same level of respect and platitudes. It’s just not happening. People aren’t stupid.
No, I don’t really care about her hair, or her teeth, or her clothes or purse. I just can’t stand that she is such a useless person. With all of the opportunities she is afforded and all of the gains she receives from marrying royalty, she is amazingly lazy and entitled. To be fair, I think her husband is a ManChild and is amazingly entitled too.
Although I did get a few laughs of that speech she did, with her throwing her head around like a horse in a too-tight bridle to get those bangs out of her eyes. Ridiculous!!!
Don’t forget though, Poor Jason has promised the world that Kate is ready to start working!
That most recent speech was absolutely cringeworthy. The message was OK, the delivery was atrocious. I hope she watched a video of herself…………….
I…don’t get the front of the jacket. Is it supposed to look like that, or does it fit wrong?
Peplums look so dated and 80s to me. Not everything should come back.
Next thing you know, we’ll see her in ‘acid washed’ denim. haha.
She definitely cut and removed the extensions. It looks fine. Needs a better shape, though. Didn’t like the suit before. Not much has changed, except she ditched that ugly black casual belt from 4 years ago.
but…but…but……that belt was McQueen!
ha.
I realize I am an oddball on these threads so I don’t usually comment but I like her clothes 90% of the time. I am not saying her choices always fit the situation but I would hate be judged 100% of the time.
I do not give her a pass for not stepping up. I do think that she is in a position between a rock and a hard place. She can not outshine her husband and let’s face facts that wouldn’t take much. Her Mother doesn’t help matters but has anybody else thought about that maybe William likes her around? I mean he adored his Mom. I don’t think he is trying to replace Diana but kind of filling in the role. I can’t express what I am trying to say. Hopefully someone will understand my random thought process. My hubs just deployed and my little has pneumonia. Sleep has been in small doses since Friday.
The problem ultimately is William. Carole’s involvement, Kate not working all comes back to William.
It is on William. He’s lazy and uninterested, and he doesn’t want his wife out there getting any attention. He saw how popular his mother was, and how it did not bode well with his father and so he is not going to let that happen again… I’m sure Kate is fine with that, she’s lazy, and a Stepford wife. She doesn’t care that all this makes her look as bad as her awful husband in the public eye.
I doubt that Kate having little work ethics all her adult life, even pre-marriage, is due to fears that she might outshine William.
Consider that she seems not to want to practice speeches before an appearance or doesn’t want to train to get better, that she rolls her eyes in boredom when she has to listen to charity workers explain the purpose of their charity, that she can barely get herself interested in conversations with other people when they mention something about their own lives, that she skiddaddles out of each visit in less than an hour while sometimes arriving late or very late – the one to the mental health facility for children, she was allegedly said to have arrived an hour late and then stayed less than an hour, the one in which little school kids (kindergarten, iirc) were sat outside on the concrete or asphalt or whatever for over an hour as she again showed up late iirc. She cannot stand people touching her or getting close to her and makes weird, extremely uncomfortable faces when it happens. The list goes on.
Simply put, unless it involves Sir Ben or other rich people at a fancy gala or movie premiere, she’s not must into ‘working’ otherwise.
@ANNE_000 you seem better versed in Royal issues than I am, and I am wondering what the “rules” are when it comes to touching royals; I’ve read contradictory statements on it.
If you look at group photos of W&K at their charity appearances, THEY don’t even touch each other, their arms are always straight at their sides. And Michelle Obama was once heavily criticized for something…was it hugging the Queen?
Yet in other photos, they seem to be reaching out and posing in a more normal, less stiff fashion, even with plebes touching them. Is there any set protocol for this? Kate seems all over the place with it, depending on the event.
The only times that I can remember of Kate being OK with being touched is when she voluntarily shakes hands with the plebs.
There’s a protocol for the Queen though about touching. Harry is very OK with touching. He’ll hug people at his charities and other events. He’ll put his arm around people and vice versa. As for Kate, I don’t think there’s an anti-touching protocol for non-Queen Kate like there is for QE2. The major look of being aghast and severely uncomfortable when she’s touched by a pleb other than touching their hands might stem from her own personal opinions rather than her love of protocol (because she has a history of breaking protocol when it comes to respecting the position of older royals).
^RE:touching. Royals,couples or not, are allowed to touch one another. However, us peasants can’t touch unless the royal initiates the action. E.g. Investitures, HM gives you your order while making small talk. She’ll hold out her hand and you’re supposed to shake her hand LIGHTLY(apparently some meaty bloke almost crushed the royal hand with a hearty handshake). You should note that the BRF is the least publicly affectionate compared to other houses.
Re: touching royals protocol……
Only the Monarch has protocol about that. Something about their body sanctified by the oil of coronation. You can’t touch them unless they initiate it. Definitely can’t put your arm around them like Michelle Obama did, HOWEVER, it is also driven by the Monarch. If they are OK with being touched, as HM was with Michelle, then that’s OK.
For everyone else, touch away.
I’ve always thought that Kate isn’t a touchy feely sort of a person. Physical interactions seem to make her uncomfortable. I remember their Canada trip where William spontaneously hugged her after a boat race and not only did she physically block him, she also pushes him back. The freeze frame of the moment is always a second before she pushes him away. Ditto that awkward hug at the Olympics.
She touches him by rubbing his back sometimes, but that seems to be the only physical interaction she’s comfortable with.
You also see how she interacts with children. It’s a very awkward physical interaction and in the few instances where she’s hugging a child, it’s usually the child who has initiated and simply hugged her regardless. And she always has a surprised expression on her face at these interactions. And usually never quite reciprocated.
Where William is concerned, he is quite touchy feely with his cousins. He also wasn’t so awkward in his body language with crowds. He has become awkward in the past 3-4yrs and it’s a mystery why. During the dating years, he probably didn’t touch her because he didn’t want to give the media anything. Perhaps that’s simply continued into their marriage.
The general idea that royals can’t touch in public is a myth. The older generation never touched because the older generation simply don’t touch each other in public. That wasn’t/isn’t the norm for that generation.
Charles and Diana’s marriage fell apart quite early on. And it went from frequent displays of touching to ice cold no touching. And the bad part lasted so long that people forgot the affectionate years. And so a myth grew out of that scenerio that royals can’t touch in public.
True, Anne_000. I suppose Kate being coddled from basic expectations in the little work she does is due to William and Kate takes full advantage.
Aww, cuddles to your littles, hope he/she feels better soon, its so hard when theyre that sick. And I totally get what you’re saying, and I am buzzing on 4 interrupted hrs sleep with my Mr. Toddler McTeether.
Take your coffee black? Me too! 🙂
Nothing exciting or impressive. Very dull.
I think the reason clothes look terrible on her is because she is so thin, they just hang there even after they have been tailored.
Should have gotten more layers to give to body. Now for the makeup and eyeliner of doom.
At least they r still out and about normally at this time of year there seen more often than big foot. If there is going to b a mustique vacation its not happening till Jan either that or it’s skiing in the Alps.
IKR? First thing i noticed, she is scary thin! Not just fit and thin, but really wafer thin…like a varry thin mint….(monty python reference anyone, anyone get that? no? uh, ok…it’s fine, it’s fine, i’m done)
Fitting into that suit means she’s close to her wedding day weight.
And she looks about engagement weight.
..not a good thing
@MinnFinn, not even just fitting into it, but in some pics the sleeves look downright baggy…
I think it’s nice that she wore a suit.
Btw, poor William having to go to this boring function. Sigh, it’s not easy being a prince.
You’re just reminding me of yesterday’s random posters converging on us all.
What did I miss yesterday, did a bunch of random pro-W&K posters show up? I have to go back and reread yesterday’s comments stat.
Charlotte 15
Yes. And converging from multiple blogs where the names are totally new. It’s an annual migration, but greater this year than previous.
There’s a convergence with every new PR effort, or when they do a tour – every single time. You have to be prepared, but some of the ladies on this site always are. Florc, you are particularly patient, explaining, ad infinitum.
Wolfie
Thank you! You also carry the same level of Patience IMO. I do have my breaking point though. You can only repost links and repeat only to have the listener ignore it just because they can so many damn times. Then as frisbee once put it, I get all shouty crackers.
@ Natalie 😀
Call me crazy but I love how she’s smiling at Will in pics above. Her face is lit up, you can tell she adores him.
She looks a lot like her mom in profile, but Carole doesn’t do the crotch-crutch. Body language-wise, that is super defensive.
Carole DOES the crotch-clutch that’s where she gets it from – Pips does it as well. Google Carole Middleton and the engagement announced press chat they gave,
Like Betti said, Carole does the crotch-clutch too. The most recent photos of her at the memorial charity event of William’s friend shows her doing this and she’s done it in the past too. I don’t know where the Middleton women picked up this idea that it’s such a lady-like, upper crust positioning.
I stand corrected on the other Middleton women doing the crotch-clutch but my sense is they don’t do it exclusively like DK does? Will research later.
I may be a bit of a Kate apologist but my honest reading on her is that she is an “omega” personality in a family of alphas. I think she lets her mom and her husband and others…dominate her. I think she tries so hard to keep the peace that oftentimes it creates MORE drama than just standing up for yourself. (I speak from experience if you can’t tell). I think she let her mom push her into this idea and while she may really love William….I do think this fishbowl lifestyle eats people alive and she’s not got the confidence and fire of even say young Diana to handle this life….and it’s really starting to show. She’s different than she was even during the engagement. Fire completely burned out.
Susan I think you nailed it. Kate has looked miserable for a long time now. Carole, on the other hand, has clearly never been happier 😒
Very true – she’s a follower. Whatever backbone Kate had in standing up to her mother and William was quickly squashed. They were on and off for years, there was one story (that someone on this board told) where Kate dumped William after he took someone else to a party and even thou her mother encouraged her to make up with him Kate didn’t. So Carole apparently took matters into her own hands and invited him to a Middleton party where Kate was pressured into kissing him in front of all the guests. Her climb in social standing was more important then the emotional well being of her daughter – the entire world could see how badly he was treating her, and still Carole seemed to encourage the relationship and kept throwing her daughter at him at every opportunity.
Its long been said that Carole is the draw for William, that and the closeness of the Middleton clan. She’s the alpha, helicopter mother that he never had, he has more respect for his MIL than his wife.
Carole reminds me of the father of Mary and Ann Boleyn, sacrificing his daughters on the altar of being part of royalty. I think there’s a lot of truth in these observations you are making. I think she got more than she bargained for, with both the Man/Child William (did you see his puss face in the limo going to the royal event? What a crab!!!) and in living a very public life. I don’t think she is genetically geared for this. Her expressions are always so self-conscious, like she says to herself, “Look concerned!” and furrows her brows and tries to look sad. And ,”Look excited!” where she guffaws like a fool. I think she is very uncomfortable with all eyes on her, whereas someone like Harry or Maxima thrives in the public eye.
Is it any wonder Chelsy Davy has no interest in being a royal wife (according to the rumour mill)? Sadly, because I love her and Harry together.
I don’t think anyone enjoys being picked apart constantly, with everything they wear, say or do. If Kate was railroaded into this as you suggest, I feel sorry for her.
Personally, I think she looks really nice here. I like this suit a lot.
I study nonverbal communication. She stands and walks as though she is nervous. The tendency to unconsciously try to take up less space by holding things tight to the body (arms, coats, purses) is not uncommon in women.
Calling it “crotch clutch” is gross and makes it sound like she is fondling herself.
Her body language is different if she’s at an event she’s actually interested in i.e. meeting celebs at film premieres. She’s a bit more open and relaxed plus she just has bad posture, her mother and sister are the same.
Kate has the same mannerisms as Carole but i guess most children do end up with similar characteristics as their parents.
Crotch-clutching with her left hand usually on top to show off prominently the Big Blue is her usual.
Her mother does it and so does Pippa though less so. And they do it at less public gatherings. So it seems as if it was discussed among them and then concluded to be what upper crust ladies do.
She should really invest in a good makeup artist, I mean it’s not like she can’t afford it. That black eyeliner isn’t doing her any favors
I love the color of the suit on her and prefer the shorter hair. Overall I think she looks very pretty and it’s cute the way she’s looking up at William. Well done Kate!
Hmmm…I like the suit, it may not fit completely right, but the colour is good as is the length of the skirt. She does need a tutorial on updating her makeup though.
I don’t get the hair hate. I don’t like her bangs (bangs are for people under the age of 10 and pop stars, sorry to those with bangs but I think they are awful) but she has gorgeous hair. I could be bias as I have hair past my bum that is all one length though. Is it because of the extensions? Maybe because she doesn’t wear it up enough? It has been mentioned that she is nervous about public stuff, so maybe she keeps it down as a security or maybe, like some of us with long hair, she likes to wear it down because it makes her feel more confident.
I think she wears her hair down most of the time because it’s too heavy when up. I wear mine down for that reason.
William has a documented history of being with girls with long hair. And once her hair grew 4 times its size overnight she touches it a lot more so having it down is also more available.
When she is looking into a mirror, I believe she is thinking about William. She’s not going to let him slip away – her nakitive appearance is how she caught his attention – and is possibly the way she believes she will keep it.