Back in August of this year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge “borrowed” the Duke of Westminster’s private jet to go on holiday in France. This happened a lot – the Duke of Westminster was close to many members of the royal family, and the royals often used him a wealthy friend who could be counted on to provide their perks. What was interesting about the Cambridges’ holiday was that just a few days after they returned on the Duke of Westminster’s plane, he passed away quite suddenly. One of his last acts in this world was providing his plane to two lazy jerks. It was sad. And now, more than three months after his passing, there was a public memorial for the late Duke and it was well-attended by the royal family. The Cambridges were there, as were Prince Charles and Camilla and Princess Eugenie.
For the memorial, Duchess Kate at least had the sense to repeat a black coat which has been in her closet for several years. This is a McQueen coat she’s worn a few times, notably to the Remembrance Day service in 2015. The coat was “bespoke” when Kate bought it, meaning it was made for her specifications. She has a lot of “bespoke” pieces and very few of them get re-worn. I also give Kate credit for understanding that she needed to have her hair pulled back. It should seem obvious, but she gets stuff wrong so often, we do need to praise her when she gets it right.
Incidentally, Hello Magazine ran a really cheesy and cloying piece about the Cambridges’ Christmas plans. Since it ran in Hello and not the Daily Mail or The Sun, it was just about how Will and Kate are going to have the most perfect and festive Christmas ever with their kids and how they’ll be fully engaged in all of the royal Christmas shenanigans, and then at the end of the piece, Hello mentions that of course the Middletons will be around for all of it too. I wonder if Pippa and Terribly Rich James Matthews are up for a trek to Anmer Hall for Christmas? If I was Pippa, I would be looking for a way to beg off. How many Christmases can you really sit through with Carole Middleton playing lady of the manor in her daughter’s home?
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Her coats are all so close fitting, I’m not sure how she gets a dress under them.
I’ve often thought that too. I have never seen such slim fitting coats on anyone.
She doesn’t they r coat dresses. She prob wears a slip or something underneath.
So if you get overheated you can’t even take them off? Why would anyone wear such a thing??
@Alix – it’s around 0-5 degrees in the UK right now… I doubt she’ll overheat!
Does she always? IIRC, there are some coats she wears as her actual outfit.
She wants to show off how skinny she is.
Light dresses are ok. I have a coat that fits me like a glove. I can wear a lot underneath but it looks better with something light. She doesn’t need to wear many clothes because she makes maybe 10-15 steeps in and out of a building so not a big deal. I envy her, I have to walk everywhere and it’s cold in winter. poor me
Ah the usual article angling for an invite for the Mids up to the big house to have Christmas with their new bessie mate, TQ. We get this fluff piece very year and it’s the same, the. cambridges/Middletons will have a better xmas than the stuffy German one that the RF have.
At least they turned up to the service. I likey her hat.
We were debating the timing of this one just the other day, weren’t we?!
If Pippa were smart, she’s spend Christimas with her fiance’s family. Don’t want to scare him away now.
Especially if they celebrate Christmas at their resort in St. Bart.
I don’t understand why William doesn’t shave off that peach fuzz in the middle of his scalp. He’s obviously balding, he should just embrace it.
Maybe he doesn’t want the shine?
William WAS handsome.
It’s amazing how much some hair can do for your looks.
It’s also amazing how being a bitter, resentful man-child also affects your looks. His grimace is his default face now. Pathetic as he is so blessed but refuses to see it.
They both look angry, bitter and resentful, and it shows on the outside.
Aging is inevitable, but it is crazy how completely William’s looks have changed.
Even when Wills is with her, Kate looks like a lost puppy.
Everyone complains about royalty but hereditary aristocracy is an equal scourge imo – the Duke of W was worth BILLIONS and tied it all up in trusts to avoid paying the death duties his heirs would otherwise have to (perfectly legal tax avoidance by people who do nothing but get born into the right family, yay!)
And that’s not even starting on how toffs get all the money and connections but have zero accountability.
+1
+1
THIS!
And let’s not forget Katie Bucket turning up for the memorial of a man she wasn’t related to but she did keep Uncle Gary out of the wedding and everything else royal although he has done A LOT for the Middleton family. Shabby.
I think this is just Kate’s way of showing she belongs.
Well, dear Mrs Bucket, you don’t belong. Your husband does.
As Kate ages, she seems to give off more of a granola vibe. I think that’s why these formal looks including jewellery are often a miss on her.
What is a granola vibe?
To me it means a “hippie” type that would be wearing birkenstocks, eschewing body hair removal, and of course, eating crunchy all-natural food. A sixty-ish lady who still wears her hair in that too-long, 1970’s center-part flower child style. Which looks great on some older women, but on others, impossibly juvenile and dated.
Starving off all the fat (especially the fat directly under the skin which essentially upholsters your skin) and therefore look old before time.
I’m at a point where I’d rather see what the York Princesses are wearing rather than what Katy is wearing.
Ditto. Yes they don’t always, some may argue often, get it right but at least its interesting and different. Its fun to discuss their style choices, unlike Kate. Though a small part of me thinks Kate is trolling us all with her wardrobe. It consists almost exclusively of coats in the same five colors, jacked up tailoring, and skin tight jeggings. Yet every outfit is still discussed ad nauseam.
I just wish we could discuss clothes w/o people bullying B&E.
I like Eugenie’s coat at this. It is simple and streamlined, which is good for her. B&E tend to choose lesser-known or up-and-coming designers, which makes their fashion interesting.
I like the York’s fashion choices, particularly B’s hats/fascinators. They at least show a bit of personality with the choice of clothes etc..
Maybe it’s just me but I still think Catherine doesn’t really fit into the royal world.
I doubt Ma will make herself Lady of the Matthews Manor – he’s rich but has no title. I’m sure Pippa & James have looked at country piles they can buy as their weekend McMansion.
I think, because she’s insecure, that she hates going to any occasion with real aristocrats-hence why she’s been skipping all of the weddings. But clearly she has to attend his memorial. She looks really uncomfortable.
She does look tense. Not crazy about the coat.
She always looks tense and uncomfortable, no matter what she is doing. I don’t think she’s in a good place mentally. Something is clearly wrong with that woman.
“Walking on eggshells” come to mind in case her darling husband rips her head off in public. She sure looks beaten down and yet, she chased this man and lifestyle, didn’t she? Ah, such a love story for the ages.
Poor Kate.
Dear mummy does relentlessly push her to secure and safeguard the status.
“Kate go attend the wedding!”
“Kate, this is about all of us!”
“Kate, remember, Diana divorced Charles and lost the title!”
“Kate, do everything on your heels and knees to keep the title!”
“Kate, you got the title, this is what you always wanted”!
And she isn’t really welcome in the aristo set which William loves so much, either.
And then I think nobody in the Royal family did really stretch out a hand to help her for real.
But nothing fazes Princess Kate! *snort*
I remember, for the Queen diamond jubilee, while on a boat (she was wearing something red i think) that people speculated that he got angry at her and called her a b…h and she blinked while still waiving to the crowd. Harry was near and he reacted to something he said for sure. I have watched the video, and I can swear he said something unpleasant to her.
Something keeps her away from the public and she seems…worse day after day, not used to public duty, not engaging, scared even. I don’t think she can’t get used to the aristos after all this years and living amongst them. Sofia, as far as I can tell, wasn’t an aristo and she seems fine interacting with them. In the end they are people no??? No, the problem is them not the other people around them.
There are several instances where he’s been caught on camera being mean toward her. Regardless that i don’t like either of them – the fact that he does that says everything you need to know about what kind of man he is. She puts up with it because she wants the lifestyle and wealth but he has never ever treated her well.
Interesting posts….do you guys have or know of any links? For some reason that relationship fascinates me. Her slow decline is sad, and I wonder if it’s due to said relationship.
Betti she goads him right back. The “loser” sign during yacht events, the rumors of fights of Scrabble, flirting with any attractive man in here sphere. This is a combative, passive-aggressive relationship on both sides.
Both William and Kate are very indebted to this wealthy family. The Grosvenors lend them hunting lodges for secret vacations and helicopters, so William can sneak away from work/Kate without the public knowing…
I really want to like Kate but there’s just something about her… I don’t know.
Why does she always suck her teeth like that??
I just don’t get why The Queen loans her some of her own personal jewelry when she is so lazy and workshy!
Off topic but I’ve read that the second largest apartment at Kensington Palace of course WK are the largest one is Apt 1 right next to Apt 1A. Duke and Duchess of Gloucester live there and has 21 rooms and 3 stories, but I think once Harry has a family and kids they should at least move it. I mean no offense but Harry is more important than them.
Kate looks so old
There is something weird
Whether it’s drastic dieting or something else but Kate looks like she is in her early 40s and not 30s
Women in their early 40s don’t have saggy faces like that… try early 50s or more. And even then a lot has to do with how much body fat they have.
I’m nearly 50 and have am just now noticing some forehead wrinkles and incipient jowls. I’ve never smoked, used Botox or fillers,do have a history of occasional but vicious sunburns, and maintained a healthy weight (until recently, when I ate my way out of a depression). Comparing Kate to celebrities is probably fair, but if you don’t, she looks about 45. A shellacked 45.
awww @Tan. Nooo. Gwyneth Paltrow is in her 40s. She does not look like Kate. Jennifer Garner is in her 40s. Does she look like Kate? Jessica Chastain, also in her 40s. These women look great and keep it tight, without looking like plastic muppets.
Kate has made, and continues to make, choices that have her face melting like she’s in Oz with a green face and a bucket of water over her head.
I don’t know why. I don’t understand why there is condensation on Mars, and I don’t understand why a woman married to a billionaire lets herself look like she’s turning the corner into 80.
Kate = An enigma, wrapped in a mystery, cocooned in yet another coat dress. Thanks Duchy of Cornwall!
Botox. No muscles to keep the parts of her faces in place ;-P
She always looks like she is on meds.
Maybe she is?
She looks more spaced out today than usual. Maybe it’s the lack of crazy smiles so we notice it more. …
@ Nic919
I know that spaced-out look from certain illegal substances which are used to create a recreational effect …. ;-P
When I saw pics of Kate’s wedding I really started wondering: is this just botox and make up or was there some little pill, too?
I doubt she would use illegal substances… but prescription drugs? Definitely. It wouldn’t surprise me she is going through some sort of depression which makes her comments about mental illness even more offensive.
Yep, that is what I tried to hint at. Some drugs to make her calm … . But that space-out look is the same as with recreational drugs.
I know it’s a funeral, but damn. That outfit is somber. The hat is stunning.
She looks somber and appropriately dressed. What more can we ask from our fragile Duchess?
There’s something missing and I think I know what it is. I’m looking for Kate to show a little personality. An appropriate brooch, a slightly deeper shade of lip colour, a fun clutch. Her outfit is lovely, but very sombre and she looks pale and not very ‘present’.
Well she is at a funeral, and by now she should know that’s not the place for ‘fun’ things to wear. But yes, her style is bland and not noteworthy at all.
Speaking of deaths, I’m actually heartbroken by the story of the Brazilian football club who were about to play their first ever international tournament final before their plane crashed, leaving only 5 survivors. So much senseless loss 🙁
I saw that. Just horrible. Those poor families.
I think she is dressed appropriate and looks quite beautiful. Am I looking at the same picture as eveyone else? Lol
The difference between the unphotoshopped and photoshopped (or out of focus) pictures is startling.
I know – its the bad skin and jowels that ages her. I sympathise as I have an issue with jowels but she can afford the best plastic surgeons so I can’t understand why she doesn’t get them fixed, I would be off like a shot. Either that or its the fillers sticking out of her too thin face.
She is the oldest-looking 34-year-old I know.
I work just around the corner from where the service was held. It was right in Chester city center. Everywhere was blocked off from the early morning and there were large crowds watching the arrivals. I must admit I was pretty excited myself. The other dentist that works with me even left work early to go and see Will and Kate. He did mention that when they were leaving the crowd’s view was blocked off by huge buses pulling up to hide Will and Kate.
It surely makes you think when a billionaire heir aristo tax fraudster (no self-made man) has the traffic stopping and MG-armed police to protect and Crown Prince and useless wife to attend not his funeral but his memorial!
Oh yes, and by the way: spit on the street and you get an ASBO and fined.
When did we start to define and persecute the wrong “crimes” like this
and no longer define and persecute the “right” crimes any more?
In the 90’s, when “broken window” policing became popular. Researchers noticed that in areas where the minor crimes were vigorously policed (like broken windows in a gang-infested area), the major crimes stopped being committed (as much/often). There’s a book called “Tipping Point”, I think, that explains it more completely.
Inheritance is not a crime. You may argue the finer points of tax law (the trusts do pay tax) but a society which criminalizes the ability to gift one’s possessions to one’s children would be a very different (and not necessarily better) one than that in which we live.
@ graymatter
The broken window theory refers to property but not to inheritance laws nor to other criminal areas other than petty crimes. Petty criminals simply keep away from well-repaired and well-cared for urban areas. That is all. The broken window theory can not be applied to finance laws and not even to anti-social-behaviour. It simply works against petty crimes. Nothing more.
That billionaire heir I referred to didn’t pay taxes on his inheritance and therefore should be called a fraudster. Same for his heirs.
Matter of fact: most rich people didn’t pay taxes on their inheritance nor will their children and that is hardly fair and it is not a good development for society.
And by “rich people” I mean multimillionaires.
@graymatters – and should society be lionizing and enabling these tax avoiders, whose fortunes (especially in the UK) are more often than not built or boosted by theft from lands the British colonised, and the suffering of the people in those lands? (two words: slave trade)
Re: the flurry of stories about them at the mo – when is the trial in France for the naked photos case? Must be soon.
The trial starts next year
That picture where her lips disappear, where she is pressing her lips inward? That is a body language giveaway for high anxiety. Living with William must be a living hell. And Harry’s wife is going to have an absolute ball. Poor Kate. She sold her soul to the devil. Literally.
The photo of her coming out of the church with gleaming eyes, lips pressed together and perhaps delighting that Princess Eugenie is walking behind her.
Did you see the story about Kate being a huge fan of coloring in books? Now I really don’t believe that Kate ever spent the summer sketching her children. If you enjoy making original art, coloring books will bore you tears – I speak from personal experience!