We’re finally at the end of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s exhaustive India-Bhutan royal tour. The tour did not go off without a hitch, although I have to say… it felt like Will and Kate kept up a tighter, busier schedule than they have for previous tours. They saved “the best for last,” meaning they saved the biggest photo-op for their very last day. They flew out of Bhutan early this morning and went back to India for the Taj Mahal photo-op. Several months ago, I wouldn’t have said this photo-op was any big deal – after all, most tourists moving through India try to see the Taj Mahal. But Will and Kate made such a big deal about Princess Diana’s connection to the Taj and how they were going there to “create new memories,” so it became a big deal, likely the biggest part of their tour.
Apparently it was 109 degrees Fahrenheit (aka hot as balls) in Agra today and both Will and Kate were sweating a bit, as we all would be. Still, Kate chose not to pull her hair up, because of course she didn’t. Kate also chose to wear a Indian-American designer, Naeem Khan. This dress has a STRAIGHT SKIRT, people! We’re on high alert! Kate realized that she couldn’t flash everyone at the Taj Mahal, so she consciously chose a straight skirt, not some light, un-weighted full skirt. Princess Diana also wore a straight-ish wrap skirt when she went to the Taj Mahal (alone). But… Kate didn’t attempt a redo/homage of Diana’s look, thankfully. Diana paired purple with red and white. Kate did blue and white.
You’ll also notice that the scaffolding still appears on the Taj Mahal, so the Cambridges didn’t get their way in asking for the scaffolding to be taken down for their photo-op.
PS… I missed a few outfits in Bhutan, but over the next few days, I’ll be doing some wrap-up stories on the tour and some of the minor controversies, so we’ll have those fashion pics in the coming days, don’t worry!
The Duke and Duchess at the Taj Mahal #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/ObrHIr5QUS
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 16, 2016
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
HALLELUJAH THIS DRESS!
this style of dress should have been worn more throughout this tour. for the first time in this tour she seems like an elegent grown up woman and less of a little girl lost.
also, did you see her carrying herself straighter here!
i don’t think the nude pumps work, but that’s minor. i think we should give her positive reinforcement so she’d choose this style of clothing more often.
Agreed, I wonder why she doesn’t wear this style more often–looks great on her. Will must be roasting in the suit.
+1000
The cut looks great on her, the print keeps it out of soulless businesswear territory, and the choice of an Indian-American designer is excellent given the locale.
+1, she looks lovely!
The only positive reinforcement she will ever get from me is if she begins to work consistently, frequently, substantially and meaningfully.
Frankly, those photos are really anti-climactic. Big deal. One more tourist snap of their holiday foisted upon us.
All caps are appropriate. She nailed it, even with the shoes, IMO.
Yep. I mean, the shoes are all wrong, but the dress is so great, the color, the cut, the perfect tailoring, makes the shoes forgiveable.
Actually, I like that dress so much I’m tempted to start getting my dresses tailored. I have to wear a cinch belt to get that kind of perfect fit on my waist (with hips/butt like mine, it’s hard to get a dress that fits the waist snugly).
I still have issues with her nude pumps. Bleh
The shoes could be better. I can understand the nude shoe thing, but Kate overdid it with this tour. It’s not as if she has to worry about her luggage, is it? LOL She needs to branch out!
Agree the dress is perfect, I love this designer and I wish she had worn more of his pieces. Blue shoes would’ve been better. It’s odd they flew back to India just for this photo shoot, why didn’t they do it before they left for Bhutan?
Because money is no object, you know? Seriously, maybe they left their mountains of luggage in India. Who knows…
She wore her hair down, she always does so what who cares. Wills wore a suit coat and that seems too hot to me. They both look great.
So they stood there like two strangers, each covering their privates with their hands. Gosh, so romantic!
Points for the dress, though.
Yes, the body language is weird.
the dress is cute.
the body language reads “Mr Wallering, Head of Marketing, and assistant Cath M. had a chance to see the Taj Mahal with other members of their team on their division’s recent trip to AgraFest: Horizons in Widgets 2016. Reports Cath: “It’s big!”
‘
LOL, Liberty! If Willie doesn’t stop showing off his Widget, he’s going to have the whole world exclaiming, “It’s big!”, too.
Awkward pose for a married couple supposedly so much in love. Even holding hands would have worked.
This photo might be more symbolic than they want it to be.
LOL @ Liberty
So true hahaha
@Liberty………………that was priceless! hahahahaha
Lmao at your comment Liberty!
LOL! Liberty, another flawless description from you. Classic.
Liberty Lols are great. I love naming her Cath.
Strange body language indeed.
@ Liberty,
LOL. A widget convention. Of course! ROFL! Most astute.
Cath says, “It’s big”. ROFL Nailed it.
@Liberty Yes, quite.
These pics are terribly awkward. There just isn’t much worth seeing, here.
They had weird body language all during the tour. I’m never really interested in her hair or clothes because obviously that’s all she brings to the table. The two of them together seem like cardboard cut outs, no connection or warmth.
Considering the Taj Mahal was built as a testament to love, they could have at least made the effort. Kaiser was right, so anti-climactic. Knowing these two, they probably don’t know the story behind the monument. Yawn.
Looks like she wanted to hold his hand, but he just wasn’t into it
http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Kate+Middleton+Duke+Duchess+Cambridge+Visit+4F3smNDZuOex.jpg
😀
http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Kate+Middleton+Duke+Duchess+Cambridge+Visit+8XB_NsUR7EOx.jpg
R-R, now those two pics gave me quite a chuckle. But it’s sad at the same time. A gilded cage indeed.
Yes. These photos do look really awkward. Makes me wonder who was the one pushing for this. William doesn’t seem to be into it at all. Odd vibe to them
They are ‘friends with benefits’. That’s what I’m seeing.
He comes off almost as cold as dad. That is a sad memory. Body language gives the appearance as she is more into him than he is into her.
It almost appears as if subconsciously son is re- enacting some of the same behaviors patterned after dad’s first marriage.
There I said it.
I could be wrong but I thought it was frowned upon for members of the opposite sex, even spouses, to have physical contact in public.
But- I just LOVE that dress!
The hike was chock full of fake PDA. But considering the significance of this monument to eternal love, Willy choked. The message is loud and clear, IMO. Only Waity doesn’t seem to get it. He’s a cruel bastard.
Yes, holding hands is paramount to a scandal.
I don’t know what ideas you guys have got in your heads – India is conservative, yes, but it’s not Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia.
A married couple holding hands is actually perfectly normal, and not the scandal you seem to think it would be. Sure, excessive PDA is frowned on, but no one is going to clutch their pearls because two married foreigners dared to hold hands.
(also, lest someone accuse me of being an outsider to the culture again, I should say this right at the outset – I’m Indian.)
Teacakes: i think the previous comment was talking about royals rather than countries.
Some people assume that royals aren’t supposed to touch in public, especially British royals.
This isn’t true of course, and WK don’t help dispell that assumption because they are so rigidly controlled in public.
Also, Diana and Charles stopped touching each other in public once their marriage disintergrated, but unfortunately, the happiness in that marriage was so short-lived that no one remembered it, and an assumption was made by the public that the frosty, rigid personas they took to presenting as a couple was the way of royals.
See, I see their pose as more polite-welcome-how-may-we-be-of-service than awkward, though none the less strange for a married, royal couple. It’s probably because the pose reminds me of Korean Air flight attendants or customer service reps/greeters at upscale Korean hotel/restaurant/stores.
It’s a strange pose because they sent out a statement ahead of the tour inviting prurient interest in it. Something about creating new memories around Taj Mahal to dispell the unhappy Diana one. They went as far as thanking the public for keeping his mum’s memory alive by visiting the place 0_o.
At some point today, they’ve realised that new memories weren’t created for the public, so a statement backtracking was sent out in which William is specifically quoted saying he has no memories of the Diana photo op and he’s just another tourist at the Taj Mahal.
To be honest, I’m glad it’s over with LAK. What a big drum roll for nothing.
And I can’t believe they’re backtracking now after all the statements their office has put out!
I heard that William said something to the effect of “people come here to honor Diana.”
He reminds me of the scarecrow from Wizard if oz-“if I only had a brain.”
Me too Bluhare.
That said, Kate’s intentions about the trip were somewhat fulfilled even if we didn’t always agree about the results . It was all about the outfits for her.
And i get bragging rights about Beulah London. I called that label!!!
Llamas: that saying about keeping your mouth shut so people don’t know how unintelligent a person is, really applies to William. Prior to his wedding, no one really knew much about him. The mantle of Diana was cast over him and as long as he remained in the shadows and didn’t do interviews or let out direct statements, he had benefit of the doubt. Especially if the public didn’t notice his partying ways.
Can’t say that anymore. The wedding brought him into the light and my goodness what a disappointment he is. In so many ways.
LAK, Bluhare, Llamas, and Mean Hannah……………
I applaud you all.
William is a huge disappointment. Kate is too, but he is much worse.
Thank god this road show is over. Although I will say I enjoyed following it – I just hoped I’d see something better than this.
Totally agree- they look uncomfortable with each other.
I immediately wondered what President and Mrs Obama did, so I found pics of them and other VIP couples. None of them embraced. The Cambridges always look extra-special uncomfortable next to each other, but even couples truly in sync like POTUS/FLOTUS looked a little awkward.
Maybe the site and the massive expectations make every couple look a little overawed. It’s like sticking yourself into the center of the world’s most famous postcard.
In regards to the cold awkward body language: it could be possible that he’s a bit overwhelmed with his mother’s attachment to the same place, and grieving. Kate tries to comfort and be normal for photos, but being cold and stiff in demeanor may be his way to keep emotions at bay.
He is a human, however annoying to many. A little boy that lost his mother. That kind of crap stays with you no matter who you are.
Who wants to hug when it’s 109*F? Genuine question. If that was me out there in the midday sun I’d fend my husband off with a stick.
Love the dress. Best of the tour imo. Terrible, awkward photos, like two kids being forced to stand next to each other by their parents. They do much better when they’re relaxed and playing sports or on the safari. Staged photos zap the chemistry right out of them.
yes to it all.
Love the dress! It´s beautiful, appropriate and perfectly tailored (take notice everyone else who dresses her). But sitting in front of Taj it´s very underwhelming. This was a great chance to show up in a strong color bright pink, canary yellow or a beautiful shade of orange would be lovely. This way she is blending in with the wall behind her.
I would have worn a solid color instead, but maybe she didn’t do that because that’s what Diana did with her color blocked ensemble.
Agree. Dress is gorgeous and, of course, on theme. This is the length I think that Temperley ( ? The black/white) would have looked better in. I think a solid orange dress should have looked nicer for photos, but yea im not going to be too picky. This is the nicest of her Indian themed dresses.And she doesn’t look like a sister wife.
Nice dress but a little yawn inducing for the great important photo op that they have been working toward for quite sometime.
Well William did not hear my psychic call about changing to briefs instead of boxers for the final day of the tour. He is still giving the ladies an eyeful. Gross.
I am seriously puzzled by comments like yours. Why do you find this gross? I quite enjoy my eyeful. 😛
I don’t see the big deal, either. He has a penis. Ooohhhh, boy germs!!
@ElisaTI, Gnat….well, to me, it’s more like seeing too much of your bank manager Kev’s bits, versus too much of Harry’s branch of the service, or too much of Idris Elba’s Golden Globe, or too much of Alexander Skarsgard’s fang. Though all should exercise caution, of course, I mean. Of course!
But that’s just me.
@Liberty – ha! Yes, there are bits and then there are bits. Got it. I just don’t think his case is that extreme. You see a slight bulge. Men bulge there (hopefully) just as most women bulge at the breast. I guess he could wear looser fitting pants, but it’s not a situation like that guy in MadMen where I think I could now draw a recognizable picture of his penis.
I’m not sure there really is too much of Harry’s service branch, Idris’ globes or Skarsgard’s fang. I don’t even mind Wil’s widget. I have not found my limit yet.
It’s really a case of seeing too much of a man I find lacking. Liberty got to it. I don’t want two packages at my door when the UPS man arrives when I only expected one.
I’m with Liberty and Magnoliarose on this. Don’t need to know that much about Willsy. Plus, isn’t it a bit like Kate having bits and pieces on “accidental” display?
He’s a man, and men have a bulge there. Just like we have two on our chest. I don’t see the big deal, it’s not like he’s walking around with his fly unzipped.
My issue with William showing off his bits is that I do not want to see the genitals of a man I find physically unattractive, and I find William very unattractive. I can, however, very happily stare at Skarsgard’s fang all day, every day.
Agreed, @sensible.It *is* gross, showing off his nether bits (what’s the masculine version of camel toe). TMI! He’s as immodest and careless as she. Why not wear a codpiece while he’s at it?
LOL!!! Don’t give him any ideas!!!
Moose knuckle is the term you are looking for.
I have to agree. I do not enjoy that bulge, especially in beige frickin’ pants. Contain the bulge! We give Kate sh*t for just about everything but what is her eyeliner in comparison to this? A few days ago on another thread someone got upset over her too tight pants.
On a positive note, the dress is gorgeous on her.
Her nickname for him is Big Willy…..
Maybe he is wearing boxers. Maybe the royal jewels are of such noble proportion that he can’t hide them without wearing a pancho.
That dress looks great on her
Yes, it’s a great style for her.
Yes, she looks fantastic. I wish she had worn more Naeem Khan on the trip.
Me too. Just thought the same.
They look very approriate.
I have to say, for his whole trip she chose much more interesting wardrobe than usual.
ITA and they both looked much more relaxed and in tune!
they look good and happy…
finally the ending of photo ops royal tour..
Letd just hope they dont extend their ‘vacation’ after arrive in London.
The shoes though. Why has she gone for another nude pair? It’s like she doesn’t know any other colours.
Exactly, some colour would be a nice touch and the outfit more memorable. Oh i also believe her jewellery choices were unfortunate or missing
I’m not defending her, because boring, but I just don’t think shoes are her thing. She plays that very safe.
I agree GNAT. She’s just not a shoe person. I also know I play it safer when traveling for packing purposes. The dress is fantastic and really suits her.
Mission accomplished – everyone’s sick of them.
Some thoughts:
They didn’t embarrass themselves as badly as I thought they wouldn’t but this was one huge photo-op and vacation, courtesy of the taxpayers. They did have some pretty bad moments, though.
Their arguing about private time at the monastery got national news, as it should have, considering they didn’t pay for the trip.
Everything Wills does seems to be to stick it to his father: the Taj Mahal seated pose, up at the monastery, the painfully obvious public displays of affection.
Kate seems thrilled to have a vacation with Wills – I am getting the feeling that she doesn’t get much attention from him usually, and it’s kind of sad to see her puppy-like joy when he actually looks at her.
They really are a Barbie and Ken doll set. Just clothes. Wills said the visit to the slum was the most significant part of the tour – let’s see of anything charitable comes from that, or if they’ll just go home to their two mansions and play-act Entitled Prince and Princess again.
These two will never be King and Queen.
But everything they do feels like a vacation, even when they’re in Britain. At least this isn’t as cringeworthy as when they visited the slums. I said this before, but if I was one of those underpriviledged people I would hate to be oogled like an animal in the zoo by these royals and their posse and the press , who are just here because they have to be, not because they cared. And even if they did care, I wouldn’t want my misery to be a show programme. Their visit did what exactly? What will change?
These people are useless anyway, glorified vacations or not.
Charles and Camilla visited my country recently. They did get greeted by the President, but no one here cared. People in Britain didn’t care. I doubt it will boost tourist visits. So what use was there, apart from Charles and Camilla having a vacation?
Royals are a spit in the face to every person who actually works for a living, no matter how “hardworking” they are.
Aw, but it was so CUTE when they visited the slums!
“Hello little boy, what do you do?”
“I forage in the garbage dump for scraps.”
“Oh how sweet! You should meet my sister Pippa, she does the same thing, only for men.”
You don’t like them do you?
I don’t like that they are supported by people who are having their benefits cut, and they do nothing to earn it. Do you?
I decided to say something nice.
I really, really, really like Barbie’s dress.
🙂
It’s more a case of criticise them for all sorts, but not every every sorts. I fully understand and sympathise withrepublican views but not absolutely everything they do is wrong, is rather the point I would like to make.
Jib, great comments, and I agree with you – and I hope your last remark will come true some day. Neither of them are fit for that role.
Good observations, Jib. Barbie and Ken–yes, the Cams have about as much charisma and sincerity of purpose as those two molded plastic dolls.
Very well said..
I don’t think they will make it to the throne. Maybe they are a symbol of how archaic the idea of the BRF is nowadays and they just highlight this fact.
This “tour” had an old fashioned tone when just photo ops were enough to hold public interest. In this day and age it isn’t. We aren’t isolated from the world as much and not as enthralled with the idea of royalty anymore.
Sometimes I read people’s comments and I often wonder why they consistently excuse them for their egregious behavior, it seems strange to me. Why make excuses for useless grifters who don’t want to earn their comfort? I don’t see the same compassion for hardworking people whose government benefits are being cut. Mind boggling.
Exactly my thoughts. People are so quick to come to their defense! Poor Royals! Some people don’t like them on Celebitchy! Oh how WILL they survive?
Why not save the compassion and understanding for someone with a real struggle? Be less impatient with a tired driver on the road, be nicer to the service people, etc.?
Seriously, reading about some of the benefits cuts that have been introduced disgusts me completely. And in the wake of all the tax dodging revelations in the Panama Papers,
it disgusts me even more – the big corporations pay nothing and the law keeps enabling their tax dodging, but the government would rather rob the poor and disabled of food, shelter and dignity than actually take the tax money of the corporations.
Yes, this confuses me, too. And why do people worship them? Hey, I may not like Reese Witherspoon at all, and I don’t think acting is that hard, but at least she has skills and goes to work and puts in the time for her exorbitant salary. These two do nothing! And the slums – just broke my heart, those stories of kids living at the rail station. Did they give it another thought? Would be nice to hear about it.
Meh. Glad this is over. Now Kate will go,back to missing functions and Wills will go back to playing pilot. As long as I avoid the Fug Girls anniversary post on them (it’s gonna be HUUUUUGGGGGGEEE!) I’ll be fine!
I’m smiling about William’s comment that visiting the slums was the most meaningful. The Daily Mail had an article yesterday about someone’s instagram — Savior Barbie — who goes to Africa to “help” people and takes slumfies. I may have to call William Savior Ken for that one.
‘Slumfies’ oh i love that one but lets not give #poorjason ideas thou.
What site reports these juicy tidbit? I tried googling but found nothing. I’d love to hear these realtime reports.
My guess is twitter. The reporters have all kinds of asides there.
Richard Palmer on Twitter talked about the blow-up about them not wanting reporters to do the hike with them. Kensington Palace relented when the news stories started talking about how this is a paid vacation for these two. Someone on Palmer’s Twitter feed said that the national news had the argument as their top (and only?) story on them. Another commenter said the sound of banging that you hear is #poorjason hitting his head against the wall. LOL!!!
@bluhare and Jib – I found a write up by Katie Nichols in the DM. I can’t tell if she worships them or is making fun of them. She says even the colors of the rose petals scattered were negotiated in advance, and even though this was one of the most expensive royal tours, they didn’t do even a single walkabout. I guess they couldn’t find enough locals who cared enough to be willing to wait in the heat for these two. Oh, and she sent someone to India in advance to photograph all the locations so she could decide what to pack.
I don’t know why the British people put up with this. So many resources that could be put to so much good use, to pay for her assistant to travel to India to take photos of some of the most photographed locales in the world, so the Duchess would know what to pack. SMH
I just went and read the articles, MrsK — thanks for the tip. I’m not quite sure what to think either, perhaps they’re being damned with faint praise.
MrsK, I Just read that, too, and it was weird. It seemed like the writer is a real sycophant, but but I can’t get the tone, as I’m not British.
I did hear no one came out to see them, which was surprising to them. I did see on group of men watching them, but they all had on matching plaid shirts. Probably glad to get a few minutes off from their work! LOL!!
I sometimes wonder if Prince Schlubbo here has secretly vowed vengeance for his mother by destroying the monarchy from within. to which end he married the most vapid, idle woman he could find, flagrantly wastes public money on glorified holidays and acts like a petulant brat to turn public opinion against them.
But then again I doubt he’s that interesting.
She looks ok. Love the cut of the dress but, I don’t love the stencils. It looks like a 2nd garden trellis motif to me on this trip alone, which is maybe a new obsession for her, similar to her Lace hangup?
I don’t mind the nude heels-
They are acceptable and appropriate for her position and a lot of diplomats, politicians, and PR people wear them.
I don’t own or wear nude heels but, I know that they are often worn to elongate gate the leg for those who feel their legs are too short, proportionally. So, they are not going away any time soon IMO.
They kept the peasants away from their big money shot. They don’t do that for every VIP. Lucky DoLittles. I suppose they claimed security risk?
Well this is seriously underwhelming given all the hype. I think I look closer and more ‘in love’ with my fellow bus commuters – we certainly sit closer together!
Just watched a video and I hate it whenever anyone calls him “Sir”. To my mind that’s a mark of respect and he just hasn’t done zip to earn it.
My final summation? Pointless, waste of time, money and effort. It’s given us lots to talk about so all good there but it’s not changed how I think about them and I still know nothing other than her clothes cost more than I earn. Who thinks they are for Amner via the Maldives? Poor snowflakes, such hard work wasn’t it!
Meh….except that she is finally learning something from Diana about how to dress in public. Straight skirts suit her very well.
Why is everyone obsessed with Diana? She was a mess with no class
She was definitely a mess, but she did a lot of good too. The optics of her holding hands with AIDS patients, at a time of incredible fear and misinformation, could not have been bettered. And her work with landmines was also excellent. For a person who was by her own admission thick as two short planks, she did a lot of good in the world.
She also did a lot of bad. She threw her support behind a lot of smaller ‘charities’ that weren’t actually helping people, but just glorying in their suffering. Bloody Mother Theresa and other sadists who didn’t just not help sick people, but who actively made them worse and made disease spread by ignoring basic medical guidelines. After Diana aligned herself with these people, they got 90% of the money pouring in, and they didn’t just waste it, they used it to expand, allowing them to kill and infect more people. Diana might have meant well, but she did an enormous amount of harm through her ignorance and naivete.
Which charities are you talking about specifically? She was patron or president of over 100 charities, so they may not all have been vetted as thoroughly as one would wish, but most of her charities were thoroughly reputable ones like the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Centrepoint, etc. She met Mother Teresa and they had a bond by all accounts, but Diana was not affiliated with her Sisters of Charity. Diana was the patron of the Leprosy Mission, which is a reputable charity that doesn’t do any of the things you mention.
Yeah, and what about that time when she threw herself down the stairs while she was pregnant? People tend to forget these things.
Yes, Kate doesn’t work with charities like Diana did, but she is pretty solid mom and wife.
And don’t understand why people think she should be more like Diana? I mean, Diana did so many bad things… She was not role model.
We have no idea what Kate is like behind closed doors (other than that she does a lot of shopping in London when she is supposedly being a “pretty solid mom and wife.”)
Agree with Tina. None of us know what Katie is like behind closed doors. And, there have been too many instances of Katie SWFing Diana and Willie using his mother’s image as a sympathy tool to blame the public for invoking the memory of his mother and eliciting comments about her goodness.
Exacly my point. We don’t know, yet people judge her on daily basis. So it’s ok to say she is bad mom or wife even though we don’t know, but we can’t say she is solid?
And i think it’s positive thing that she keeps her private life private, unlike Diana.
And since when being a good mum means you should be with your children all the time?
The point is, we judge on what we do know. And what we do know for a fact is that Kate does much less charitable work than Diana did. No one is saying that Diana wasn’t a mess in many ways, but she did a lot more good in the world than Kate has done.
We can judge them on what we can see. They claim they cannot work because they have to be hands-on parents, but they dumped their 8-month-old for a 10 day vacation.
As messed up as Diana was in some ways, she was a hard working royal. Things changed post-separation and divorce, which is understandable when she was exiting the firm.
The first thing I checked for this staged photo homage to Diana was if the scaffolding was left up and I’m delighted that the Indian government did not accede to them. Other than that, I’m very glad that Will and Kate’s traveling road show is over. So now back under wraps for them for the next several months.
I love that as well. The Taj Mahal is under construction, just like . . . their marriage.
The dress is good – the best of the tour. She does seem to be trying to stand up straight (finally) and she looks good. No crazy faces. Not a fan of the shoes. Glad to see Big Blue is being shown off, I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Body language. Such a contrast between this royal couple as compared to the Bhutan King and Queen. Will and Kate seem very awkward with each other here. Kate seems to try to move in, but William is stiff and keeps his distance.
It’s repair, not construction – they finished construction on the Taj 350+ years ago!
But I get what you mean. Unless this was a simple ‘when will the scaffolding come down?’ query that the reportage blew out of proportion, the scaffolding scandal is really not a good look for them.
And the Taj needs the work – it’s been going yellow for years, and the scaffolding is there for a reason.
I wonder if when he got to the Taj Mahal, he realized how awkward it all was trying to recreate Diana’s sad moment. He really does seem to dislike his father, doesn’t he? He looks kind of sad, not excited, like Kate looks. I said on the Daily Mail (and got jeered for it haha!!!!) but I hope he goes back home and gets himself a good therapist. He needs one.
Yeah, I know it’s repair. It was just a figure of speech.
I really don’t think this marriage is going to amount to much in the coming years. Kind of like it’s crumbling before our eyes.
@Jib, yes, William is in dire need of some therapy, but I’m sure he won’t seek it out. He’s so full of himself.
My first thought was the scaffolding, too. And, yes, I’m glad this dog and pony show, a la holiday for royals, a la Barbie and Ken show (nod to Jib, above), has come to an end. The DM crowd has done a complete about-face and are now madly in love with this pointless pair (they’ve ‘done ’em proud!), but it’ll be interesting to see how much and how often they *work* once they’re home.
I’m guessing paid astroturfers have been released in full flood across all pertinent sites in a last ditch attempt to turn round the Dolittles’ image. Meanwhile the Dolittles have validated and cemented the rising idea that these two are an entitled waste of space, willing to exploit royal, rich and poor alike, including their own children as well as slum children. Their end game is to keep draining the coffers dry with impunity, live in obscene opulence, with one hand on a beer and the other on the remote.
She looks great. I really like this dress on her. With the temperature right now,Agra must be boiling, the color seems like a very good choice.
And im damn glad the scaffolding wasn’t taken down. The govt/authorities would be blasted by the media and other people if they had listened and taken it down just for a max 30 minutes of photo op.
As for me, i had a enjoyable week on twitter with the hilarious memes of William and P.M Modi and scarcastic shady tweets towards the Royals that came up .Lol.
That scaffolding will be simple to photoshop out if they want. Quite ballsy to ask for it to be removed.
What’s up with the matching Ray bans? I would rather than face the sun than wear matchy matchy sunglasses with my husband!
I can’t help but think she’s trying to make a point with the wayfarers…
But what point?
Those glasses are extremely popular. Half of my family wears them, not because we want to match but because they’re nice sunglasses and pretty much go with everything.
Really, I wear them because we sail and they provide good eye protection. That’s the “point.” Sometimes my husband wears his at the same time. I guess we should be shot.
IMO, not as good as Vuarnets if you really want sun protection. I’m a very delicate flower, you know, and I have a pair of sea and ski Vuarnets that are the ugliest sun glasses of all time, but my god do they work.
I wear them too, I interpreted Clare’s comment to be wondering about the word wayfayer – not the sunglasses per se.
Mostly because I associate these specific sunglasses with Harry Styles and Jay Z rather than royals on tour. Where I live they are super popular with College kids and yuppies (including my husband, so no judgement) So far too hip for these two losers.
When I say trying to make a point, I mean play up the young, hip and down with the regular folks vibe – when they are clearly anything but.
Oh, sorry, Clare. I didn’t mean to be overly sensitive about my taste in eyewear. I’m probably too old for them. Off to look up Vuarnets.
I think Wayfarers are classic.
No one is too old for Wayfarers, GNAT! But for ugly sunglasses that make you feel you’re in a dim room, Vuarnets are the best I’ve found. I don’t like squinting!
Nah goodnames – I don’t think anyone’s too old for them (pretty sure my dad is still wearing his pair from when they first came out!). I reckon my opinion on anything they wear or do is coloured by extreme dislike for them.
Given that I’ve just paid for them to have a lovely holiday in India (this is what I pay 30% of my pay check for???) I’m just irked that they spend a bazillion £ on clothes and travel and homes and then pick up sunglasses or costume jewellery that is regular folk would wear to play up the ‘Just like us’ myth. Humph
If you want great sunglasses, go with Cocoons. I know they’re usually worn *over* regular glasses, but I got the Slimline as wear-alones, and had my optometrist pop out the lenses and put my Rx in. They’re so great because they have a “shelf” above the top part that doesn’t allow for sun to get in from above, MAJOR point when you’re driving with the top down, or just walking in the sun ☺️
They really do! They were my first ‘big’ purchase I saved up for, but now I aspire to a pair of Linda Farrows someday (in the very distant future). Good sunglasses are worth the money.
Are they sturdy? I’m incredibly clumsy so good sunglasses will be broken quickly by me.
I’m waiting to find out that there has been some kind of sponsorship deal put in place. For someone this photographed, on a tour with outfits planned down to the earrings, they only brought one pair of sunglasses? And however great they might be they look a bit naff, like they are watching a 3D movie. This has perplexed me for some days now, a nice pair of aviators could have rocked some of those outfits but no…
She’s worn that style for years. I noticed because I’ve been wearing that style for years, too.
For anyone who’s interested, the gold earrings she wore with the white dress that blew up were Temple of Heaven gold earrings by Cassandra Goad. A few of us were admiring them so I did some research. Too stupid to link, sorry.
The purpose of this trip was to pose with iconic bench,so much money and time are wasted for this duo..
Just coming to post this. How sad that this trip and the monumental expenses were all about photo ops.
William is trying to change his image again, by dragging his mom back onto the scene, just like he does with his children when he need some good PR. His method of redoing a Taj photo that highlighted her pain, brings the whole distressing story back to harm Charles reputation, and it suggests that he may have a bit of an Oedipal complex.
Interesting. I’m not 100% sure about the Oedipal Complex; I think William is simply a passive-aggressive A-hole. I really believe that if his mother was still alive his character would be unchanged, and he would be giving her just as hard a time as he gives everyone else.
This wasn’t anything but a pre-anniversary vacation.
The dress is nice. Better than the flouncy skirts she’s been wearing. William needs to buy new pants. Maybe the press should place pictures of her flyaway next to his moose knuckle/dick pics. Maybe they’ll embarrass him enough to dress better.
Their Taj Mahal photos were awkward. I was sure William would attempt to outdo his parents and show the world how different his marriage is to theirs. Sorry, I didn’t get the love story of the modern monarchy.
Yes i got that awkward vibe as well but then they have never really been comfortable with each other.
Yeah, the entire time I was wondering what the point of the trip was. Then Willnot slipped by letting the people of India know this is where Kannot wanted to visit.
I think their marriage is done. Married, but separate lives. They cannot even fake emotions with each other anymore.
You don’t need to be mystic meg to see that this was always going to end in tears – even the Queen was reported to have said that after they got back together in 2007.
And am not surprised Kannot wanted to visit there – she is setting herself up to play the victim of the media, husband and grey men when it all goes wrong. She’s wants to be Diana 2.0. Plus the fact that she asked to visit there just goes to show that they viewed this as a taxpayer funded holiday – they certainly dressed like they were on one.
I get the impression they are good friends, but they certainly don’t have the spark I see between other married couples. Maybe this is a BRF thing?
There is something strange about them and I think it hinges on William’s damaged personality. He wants to elevate his mother to sainthood, and he looks for ways to make jabs at his father. He can’t be easy to live with, and so perhaps Kate doesn’t mind if she doesn’t see him all the time? It’s probably a bit odd to be on a tour like this with him if they are living somewhat separate lives out there in the countryside. Of course, nobody knows what goes on except them and their household staff. I sensed that Kate enjoyed his attention on this trip, she seemed happier than previous performances back in England.
It doesn’t look good for them. But I don’t think they dated in a manner that would inspire devotion and love. I feel like they feel chastened at the moment but will be back to their brazen ways soon enough.
@Vava, I think it’s just them because Charles & Camilla seem to genuinely love each other. Even the Queen and Phillip seem to be a good match. Not to mention Sophie & Edward, Zara & Mike, and even Harry & Chelsy. I think W&K are just friends, but not great loves.
I don’t think this is the love story of the century by a long shot, but I do think there’s genuine affection there. How one sided it is? No clue, but I do think they are more than friends living separate lives.
I think Kate is really in love with him and needy, and maybe passive aggressive, too, and can you imagine a spoiled man tolerating a clingy woman with no interests of her own? Sadly, as dull as he is, he could probably have many women as a fling, just because of his position, and I doubt Kate holds his interest just because he is so entitled to whatever he wants in the world. He would need a real firecracker to hold his interest, someone who is her own woman, and who,can give as good as she gets. Kate isn’t that.
I swear, I’m not obsessed!!! But I love psychology and sociology (I’m starting my schooling for my second career after I retire from teaching next year at the age of 55, a MSW) and the psychology of all relationships fascinates me, and the sociological reaction to these two fascinates me, too.
Jib, that’s great you’re pursuing this. You’ll enjoy it, I’m sure.
“a spoiled man tolerating a clingy woman with no interests of her own………” This reminds me of my brother-in-law and his wife. It’s an odd situation, indeed!
I think William is so damaged, he has a difficult time with relationships. (Look at how he treats his father and brother.) He must have fooled Kate during their dating years into thinking he was emotionally OK. He isn’t, in my opinion. He needs therapy ASAP. I think he’s going to screw his life up in the next 10 years, if he doesn’t get a handle on this.
You really can see here – on this vacation trip – that they’re remote, and the body language says the relationship is cold.
Looking (way) back, there’s no way Kate would’ve waited and pushed forever to marry William if he wasn’t a famous royal.
I think it’s a mutually beneficial relationship. She wanted to be queen, and he wanted a doormat to prop up his ego.
I cried because i remember Diana sitting in that chair so alone and lonely.
I loved Diana. I really did. And I do think her marriage was a lonely one. But I think, in that particular situation, she was manipulating the press and the public to get sympathy. I don’t blame her. She had to use the tools available to her to fight back against a very powerful man. But I like to think that behind that sad face, she was thinking, “eat this, Chuck.”
With W&K its history repeating itself as I think its a lonely marriage for Kate. Wills was always to stupid NOT to repeat his parents mistakes.
I don’t think she was manipulating the press. It was her way of communicating that she was heart broken and very sad. I think she was not able or could not verbally say it.
GNAT, exactly. I think people sometimes forget that Diana didn’t have social media and the internet, so she had to use staged photos to send a message. Can you imagine how that marriage would have gone down today with Instagram, Twitter and so on?
@Betti — YOU are very insightful.
That’s why I don’t understand this “homage” at all.
Let’s go to a place where my Mom was lonely and sad and stand there all happy as a couple? I guess I don’t follow that emotional logic? To me, it’s just slightly less distasteful than going to take pictures in Paris where Diana died. Mind you, I’d understand if he went to lay a wreath of flowers, but not to pose for pictures.
It is odd. I’m not sure the Cambridges really changed the story, either. I did not get a big hit of love and warmth from William. Kate was obviously over-the-moon, but her husband was standoffish. That’s why I think he’s more messed up than I originally thought.
The reason for this photo op is for (Prince William and Harry) to tell their mom that they feel her and would like to console her since they could not be there during that present time.
This was everything i thought it would be, right down to her SWF’ing Diana with the way she posed, hands clasped on her lap, legs at an angle, All that was missing was the shy peeking from under the hair.
That aside – loved the dress, the style and cut it exactly the kind of dress she needs to wear when on engagements, not the flasher skirts. But i guess she didn’t want to run the risk flashing India again in the place that is ‘dear to William and his mothers memory’.
Am glad the scaffolding was still up. We now won’t see them for a while, need that long vacation to recover from the ‘hectic whirl’ for her and for him spending more time that he likes with his wife.
She looks so much better here. And the straight dress really compliments her. She needs to try this cut more often. She looks polished. That said, I think they could have done a more relaxed wardrobe for this last visit and photo op. They seem to ‘be on’.
And I have never seen them hold hands. I see other royal couples of Europe hold hands and look so happy and these two look like everything is forced.
And I can’t fault her for how she’s sitting. Not much she can do. She’d get shade for crossing her legs. Like I said, I think a different outfit may have helped with that. Linen trousers? She has the trim figure to carry different looks. It’s sad and annoying seeing her adamant to stick to a few styles.
They held hands on their hike yesterday, but for reasons unknown, it just looked awkward and staged to me.
I guess you missed a shot of them arms around each other as they ‘hiked’ for 3 hours up a mountain side. Its from a distance and an obvs photo op.
Betti, I was speaking specifically to this last visit at the Taj.
Did they close it down to other tourists? Normally there would be hundreds of people walking about.
Yes. There are some pics showing the preparations and you can see the area in front of the structure is filled with visitors, and some roped-off areas where people were waiting to see them (mostly tourists probably waiting to get back inside). It was *very* hot. One picture shows a groundspeaker thoroughly hosing down the famous bench immediately before they arrived, so they wouldn’t burn their royal heineys. Since it was dry by the time they sat down, you can imagine how hot it must be there.
Just a thought regarding their body language… It was 109 degrees. If I was in 109 degree weather I’d staying as far back as what would be acceptable from any additional body heat. Especially if I am sweating (which I would be, profusely). Try maybe for the pictures? Sure, but instinctally I’d move away from others.
It takes seconds to take a photo. This spot is also iconic and important to Willy, so he says. Who gets put off by a bit of sweat?
The heat could be part of it. Plus if they had held hands or been touchy they’d be accused of either faking affection or of being inappropriate.
OMG, hair down in 109 degree weather makes me scratchy.
No crotch clasping you two. No one is running up to punch you in your private parts. Just keep your arms relaxed.
Lol, I guess that explains it. In their defense, I never know what to do with my hands when I’m being photographed. I made that sound like I’m being followed by the paparazzi, but you know what I mean – at a wedding or something.
Kate would do better to take a page out of Claire Underwood’s fashion book.
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2651092/images/o-CLAIRE-UNDERWOOD-facebook.jpg.
I love that show and drool over Claire’s style.
This would be perfect. She tries to dress too young sometimes. I don’t like the flouncy silhouette at all. These sleek and monochromatic looks would work on her frame. I think she makes mistakes with her frame. She has a boyish athletic figure with broad shoulders and a very long torso. It’s longer than most I’ve ever seen. This is why I think a nice monochromatic two piece ensemble with pencil skirts and nicely tailored interesting jackets would suit her. Not those ugly long matron coats she favors.
I don’t like nude heels unless the clothing is darker toned, simple but interestingly draped to draw the eye to her and an interesting design.
The wedges have to go. I don’t think they work period.
I have always maintained a hairstyle can make or break a look and hers have been mostly fails. The coed 80s hot curler look is unsophisticated and inelegant. She wants to copy Di but Di was 19 and a girl when she married, but matured into a sleek, chic woman before her death. She’s missing the point.
She should just use this silhouette for any and all official day engagements for the future. It’s stunning, flattering, tasteful and this particular print is beautiful without being busy. No chance of the cameras getting a snap of the royal beav either so it’s a winner on all front(bums)s.
If something works, stick with it. Buy it in 20 different colors & rock the shit out of it.
I like this dress, but I have to ask: is it common to do themed clothing? It’s almost costume-y, and I don’t notice other royals doing that. I confess it drives me a little crazy…
No. It’s more common to honor the host country with a couple of nods. But Kate’s All Indian Look theme feels dilettante-ish. More like an ‘exotic’ va-cay wardrobe or Coachella than a state visit.
The gardens looked better when Diana was there.
1000 points to Kate! She looks great! Straight skirts look better on her than those flimsy, A line dresses she insists on.
However, would it kill William to hug or touch his wife? They’re standing in front of one of the most romantic places in the world and they just stand there side by side like I would with my parents or siblings. William makes everything awkward.
I agree–the perfect opportunity to put his arm around his wife. I’m suprised he didn’t.
Overall, a successful tour I guess, but it didn’t feel like an official state visit to me.
She still needs to get her hair under control. I’d like to see her have a “uniform” of simple sheath or wrap dresses. She looks great in them, fewer mishaps than with a billowy skirt
Eh, pretty dress, but a bit like that two-piece temperley she wore the other day. ITA with all the hair & shoe comments–but she’ll never change. What a lovely guided tour they had, even that brief bit through the slum. And all paid for by the taxpayers! Lucky Brits!
So, I’m assuming that’s the last of the 5th (?) anniversary / celebration vacation work tour.
Speaking of balls……….
Finally the tax payer funded jolly is over. I can’t quite see the point of this tour other than to get the Dolittles to mingle and be seen. They didn’t seem to be promoting Britain and its businesses anywhere. However this outfit was nice although I would have worn navy shoes rather than nude ones. Poor Will must have been roasting with his jacket on. Surely Royal men are allowed to take their jackets off in extreme heat?
I have to stop commenting because I can not stop crying.
Their body language reads awkward first date.
“Create new memories”, as if ANYthink they could’ve done would substitute or be paired with the image of Diana at the Taj Mahal. Good luck dreaming DoLittles!