I love these newish photos of Duchess Kate and Prince William so much. These are from Scotland, and the weekend wedding of William’s cousin Zara Phillips. I’m sure these photos were arranged, somehow, and a photographer knew that William and Kate were going to be walking by this part of the royal grounds at a certain time. So, this is the image they want to present, to a certain extent: Kate in skinny jeans (that look baggy on her), William in glasses. Both of them look… middle-aged! Right? They could pass for an attractive couple in their 40s. They also look totally dated, like they walked out of the 1980s. Like, is Thatcher still in office? Look at their matchy-matchy crew-neck purple sweaters. That seems like a Kate-Move, right? “Will, why don’t you wear your lovely lavender sweater, darling? We’ll co-ordinate and it will be lovely!” So maybe that’s their goal – William wants to look like a hen-pecked middle-aged husband, and Kate wants to look like she really, deeply cares about coordinating their casual outfits.

Kate and William also care about being seen to be caring about money. I’ve felt for a while that William is probably just as cheap as his notoriously penny-pinching father, and my guess is that William might have been behind this move – after the wedding, he and Kate took a discount flight from Edinburgh to Manchester. Reportedly, Kate and Will scored seats worth 16.50 pounds each, but they had to pay extra to check their bags.

Once they were home, Kate then recycled the same purple sweater (with a different pair of jeans) for an outing to her local Tesco in Wales. Styleite claims that Kate was out buying Frosted Flakes. Because the Duchess doesn’t do bacon.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

I have no idea why there are twenty pieces of news about Prince William and Duchess Catherine today, but here we go. First off: Will and Waity like raunchy American comedies! Tut, tut. According to multiple sources, Kate and Will went to a normal little Welsh theater and saw Bridesmaids – which CB and I saw together! We both liked it, but there were some kind of sad parts in there too, and it wasn’t gut-busting funny. There were some kind of raunchy parts, though, and I’d like to think that Will and Kate laughed and that they weren’t grossly offended by all of us gauche Americans. Will and Kate had to drive 40 miles to get to the nearest theater when they‘re in Wales, so that’s just what they did on Saturday, which must be their “date night”. A palace spokesperson even had to make an official comment about it too, telling the press: “They have the rest of their lives to be public figures and working hard on behalf of the Queen and want to keep things on a level and enjoy their marriage.” Tut, tut.

Meanwhile, it was announced today that Kate and Will have moved into an apartment in Kensington Palace. It’s doubtful that they moved into the same apartment where Princess Diana lived in the years after her split from Charles. People Mag describes the apartment as “a modest two-bedroom, one bathroom apartment [which] provides a perfect place for the couple to entertain friends and base themselves when in the capital, but their residence there is likely to be temporary.” Temporary = for the next two years or so, because the palace claims that they won’t get a bigger place until they start working as full-time royals, which is probably years away. Also: William is hoping to become a captain with the RAF, which would mean that he would be allowed to pilot the Sea King helicopters himself.

But the big story about the Cambridges is that the Queen has finally, at long last, decided to get to know poor Kate. It’s been more than nine years, you know, since Kate and William began dating and the Queen only gives a crap now. The Queen is so awesome.

The Queen has invited the Duchess of Cambridge to Balmoral to ‘get to know her’, Royal author Ingrid Seward has claimed. Kate’s wedding to Prince William earlier this year was seen as a triumph, while her recent tour of Canada as a royal bride was internationally hailed a great success. But now the Duchess of Cambridge faces what might be her toughest challenge yet – a family holiday with her new in-laws.

She is expected to join the Royals later this summer on their annual trip to Scotland. It is customary for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to spend several weeks on their Balmoral estate every August and September. Usually they are joined at Birkhall on the estate by Prince Charles and Camilla and they are frequently all seen together at the Braemar Highland Games. Now palace aides have confirmed Kate is likely to join her new family on part of their Scottish visit.

As well as the magnificent Deeside landscape of mountains, lochs and glens, the former Miss Middleton can also look forward to joining in royal picnics, home-cinema evenings with the Queen and the family barbecues where Prince Philip insists on personally cooking the sausages and steaks himself. Insiders say the get-together will also finally allow the Queen to spend some time with Kate and get to know her better.

Ms Seward said the forthcoming family holiday in Scotland would also allow Kate to meet all the staff at Balmoral in preparation for her possible future role as mistress of the house. Ms Seward, editor in chief of Majesty, said: ‘This is quite an important visit for Kate because, believe it or not, the Queen does not really know her very well at all. Kate has never had an invitation before to stay at Balmoral – but she is family now and the Queen wants to get to know her. It is an important visit in many ways – not least because the Queen will want Kate to meet all the staff – one day she will be responsible for them. There will be a three-line whip on to introduce her to everyone. The Queen needs to present Kate to Scotland. The time has come.’

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge broke with royal tradition by not spending some part of their honeymoon at Balmoral – unlike the Queen herself, Princess Anne and Prince Charles. However, the newlyweds are no strangers to the neighbourhood. When Kate and Wills were both students at St Andrews, they frequently used the Royal estate as a retreat, sharing an estate cottage called Tam-na-Ghar during their breaks from university. Latterly they have tended to stay at Birkhall, Prince Charles’ Scottish home. However, their forthcoming visit is likely to see Kate staying in the ‘big house’ at Balmoral Castle for the first time.

Ms Seward explained: ‘I think she and William will be expected to stay some of the time at the big house – and perhaps a night or two at their cottage. Balmoral can be an ordeal for Royal brides. Diana ended up hating it, she loathed it. Not Scotland – just Balmoral. She hated the cold, the wet and the formality. She could not bear all those picnics. You have got to like yomping across the heather. In contrast Koo Stark, Prince Andrew’s old girlfriend, and the Duchess of York loved it. But Kate knows Scotland and is a big walker and outdoor girl. It is also William’s favourite place.’

A Royal source confirmed that William and Kate are expected to be going to Balmoral this summer.

‘It is likely to be around the end of August, but the dates may change because of William’s shift patterns as an RAF search and rescue pilot,’ he said. ‘I think everybody at Balmoral is excited and looking forward to welcoming the young married couple to what will one day be their responsibility. One thing for sure is that they both love the estate and Scotland. It is where they met and fell in love.’

William and Kate are expected to attend the Edinburgh wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall on July 30 – which coincides with Balmoral closing its doors to tourists for the year the following day.

[From The Mail]

I got tired of Balmoral just by watching The Queen. I would imagine that for public figures, it’s a gift to feel so isolated and like you can just be yourself, and like you’re surrounded by wilderness for hundreds of miles on all sides. But I can’t stand that kind of stuff personally, and even though Scotland is where Kate and Will fell in love, I suspect that it might not be Kate’s favorite thing either. I’m sure she’ll do well with her one-on-one time with the Queen – Kate is a geisha, and she aims to please and be without controversy – but Kate always seems like she genuinely enjoys people, enjoys the city, enjoys the luxuries of being in a more metropolitan environment. We’ll see.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

All in all, I think Prince William and Duchess Kate’s Canadian and Californian tour went pretty well. I wasn’t all crazy-excited for it, but I wasn’t disappointed with it either. They met my expectations, and at times exceeded them. Kate’s fashion tour was decent but not in any way groundbreaking or trend-setting. She didn’t wear anything inappropriate, and I think she managed the superficial style part pretty well, especially considering that she does not employ a full-time stylist or wardrobe person. Considering that in the lead up to the wedding, there was quite a lot of talk of how Kate was going to be gently “eased into” her royal role, I’ve been surprised with the number of royal appearances Kate has made since getting married – remember how the Palace said it would “take years” for her to get involved with charity? Remember how they made such a big deal about how Kate and William wouldn’t have any staff? Remember how Kate “quit” her “job” to “prepare for her royal life”? Well, now Kate really, really wants people to remember all of that. She wants to go back home and not have her photo taken again for a while.

After their action-packed tour of North America, William and Kate have told aides that they want a break. The couple, who wowed Canada and Los Angeles over an 11-day visit, are determined to go “under the radar” and return to life as an RAF officer and wife.

The Prince, a search and rescue pilot, wants to concentrate on building up his flying hours and techniques, and Kate will start planning what kind of role she will take as a royal.

“Since they got married, they were on honeymoon and in London for most of June for family events and other events,” a palace spokesperson says. “They want to go back and have a married life together under the radar and enjoy their life in Anglesey – keeping things chilled.”

The spokesperson adds: “For the Duke, he is going for his flying captaincy which he hopes to get in early 2012 and will move from the right to the left seat. He needs to keep up his flying hours and there are some exams to get through, a lot of work needs to done and he has to dedicate himself to that.”

Meanwhile, Kate, whose interests includes “sports therapy and arts therapy,” is set to “determine what her interests are and whether she can actually make a difference,” the spokesman adds.

In the near future, they are facing a separation, as William is likely to be deployed on a two-month tour of duty to the Falkland Islands. And, in 2012, the couple will be busy representing Queen Elizabeth abroad to mark her 60th anniversary of becoming monarch.

The Queen has asked the younger members of the family to visit the realms of the Commonwealth at some point in the Jubilee year.

[From People]

This is another meeting-expectations game that the Palace is playing – they’re announcing that Will and Kate are going to now go into their low-key mode so that when they do deign to make an appearance somewhere, people will be thrilled to see them. Plus, I would imagine that Kate’s going to try to get pregnant. I’ve been surprised that there hasn’t been more talk about that – but maybe people just take one look at her itsy-bitsy waist and just think, “Yeah, she’s not knocked up.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Here are the last (?) photos of Prince William and Duchess Kate in the USA, I think. Yesterday, they went to LA’s Skid Row for the Inner City Arts Youth Project, where Will and Kate met lots of kids and worked on their own art projects. I’ve included Kate’s painting of a snail below. It’s… um… childlike. Kate wore budget! The rayon skirt is newish, from Whistles, and she paired it with a navy mesh top thing from 2007. The outfit is cute, sure. But Kate wore the same thing all day – I feel like she was phoning it in, style-wise, and if we were a commonwealth, she would have made at least one costume change. Also: it must have been really hot in LA, because this is one of the few times I’ve seen Kate sweat.

In addition to making a stop at the youth project, Will and Kate also launched the US branch of “The Tusk Trust” – an organization that does work to protect wildlife in Africa, as well as numerous community outreach projects. At was at this launch where Will and Kate met Reese Witherspoon, and Reese got a lot of face time with the Cambridges. Also, at some point yesterday, Will and Kate did an event for Service Nation: Mission Serve, which helps former and current military servicemen and women find employment. And then *poof* William and Kate were gone, zipping out of LA on their British Airways flight. Waity = Keyser Söze. Mark my words.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

When I heard that Prince William and Duchess Kate were coming to LA to meet some movie stars at a big gala, I was struck by this thought: “If I was Duchess Kate, what American actors would I want to meet?” I think I would really like to meet Angelina Jolie, of course, and Jon Hamm (and all of the Mad Men people – the show is huge in the UK), maybe Leonardo DiCaprio, and… then I got stuck. There aren’t that many “movie stars” left, and there aren’t that many people that I would get all hot and bothered to meet.

In the end, Kate and William did get a decent turnout for their BAFTA event on Saturday night, even mingling with some A-listers like Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks. And then there’s Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer came to the event with her mother, Guadalupe, not her husband Marc Anthony. Jennifer wore one of the most revealing and inappropriate dresses of the evening, a cutout Pucci gown which I hated. Jennifer isn’t what I would call A-list – she’s certainly a diva, and her career has been rejuvenated by American Idol, but she wouldn’t have made my top-ten list for “People I’d Like To Meet”.

In the end, though, Jennifer did get a lot of face time (and camera time) with Will and Kate, and afterwards Jennifer tweeted, “Good Morning Lovers! Had fun with my Mom! The Duke & [Duchess] were simply charming!” Like Her Royal Highness Jennifer Lopez deigned to meet Kate and William and she was in a position to declare them “utterly charming”. Too harsh? Jennifer didn’t mean it that way, I know. She was just trying to make sure that we knew she spent time with the Cambridges. Now you know!

Photos courtesy of Fame.

We have twenty million new photos of Prince William and Duchess Kate since they left Canada and flew down to California, so let’s just knock this stuff out in chronological order, shall we? First up: Duchess Kate in this lovely cranberry suit by Catherine Walker, back when she was still in Canada (on Friday, I think). Kate accessorized with the Queen’s Maple Leaf pin, which Kate also wore for Canada day. I love this color on Kate, and I wish she would wear red more often. Also: does anyone else think that Kate might have a button problem? She doesn’t seem to understand that enormous buttons are no longer en vogue.

Next up: this pale lavender/grey/blue by Roksanda Illinic. Kate wore this for her arrival in California, and for her first stop, at a tech conference in Beverly Hills. She and William even appeared on stage, and they were greeted like rock stars by all of the California tech nerds/billionaires. William even made a joke about Kate spending too much money shopping online. I think this is one of my favorites out of Kate’s fashion tour, honestly. I love the simplicity of it, I love the silhouette.

Yesterday, Kate and William headed to Santa Barbara so that William could play polo – it was a fundraising event for his charity. Kate wore a silk dress by Jenny Packham which I’m kind of meh on. Oh, and when someone asked her what she was wearing, she snotted, “I’m sure you know by now.” Well, well, well. Anyway, William’s team won, and Kate got to hand him the trophy and they kissed each other on the cheeks and it was all very racy.

Last look, which is Kate’s dress for last night’s BAFTA event in LA, with a lot of stars in attendance (I’ll get to those fashions later). Kate wore Sarah Burton for McQueen, this pale lilac gown with a full skirt. Too many pale colors all in a row? Perhaps? I’m starting to wonder if these shades of grey-blue-lavender aren’t as much of a style crutch as Kate’s beloved navy/sapphire blues. I like the gown, though. It just would have been more special if it hadn’t followed several pale ensembles. Also: look how tiny her waist is!

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

Here are some of the last photos from Duchess Kate and Prince William’s Canadian tour, their stop in Calgary. For her arrival, Kate wore this yellow dress by Jenny Packham, who is the same designer who did Kate’s memorable blush-pink, sparkly evening gown several weeks ago. I wouldn’t think Kate could pull off this butter-yellow color, being a brunette and all, but it works on her, and I even find it flattering. I like the full skirt too – it flatters her slender legs, and I’m not left wincing. The only part of the dress I don’t like are those enormous buttons. What the button?!?

After the arrival in yellow, Kate donned her favorite pair of skinny jeans, a cute cowgirl blouse, and an enormous cowboy hat, all for a photo op at a rodeo. Kate just has one of those faces where she can basically wear any kind of hat. Very few women have that kind of face, and it’s amazing that those ladies who can wear the hell out of any hat somehow find their way into the royal family. I wonder if it’s a prerequisite for royal girlfriends? “Must look good in a hat.” As for Will… he’s not a hat person. He looks like an ass in his cowboy hot. But the duchess was generous to him – apparently, she motioned to the men in chaps and whispered to Will, “We should get you in a pair of these!” OH BEHAVE, Duchess! Damn, girl. You like your men in CHAPS?

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

Here are some new photos of Duchess Kate and Prince William, camping in the “frontier town” of Yellowknife in Canada. The press is making this camping trip out to be like a second honeymoon, but there were lots of other people camping with them, and obviously, there were photographers too. Will and Kate spent their time “feasting on local cranberries, bannock bread and Caribou steaks cooked over an open campfire in total peace and solitude.” I might be more convinced if I saw photos of Kate actually putting food to her mouth, but seeing her with a fork in her hand, trying to look like she eats solids will have to be good enough:

The jeans and blouse combo that you see in these photos is actually a costume change – earlier in the day (yesterday), Kate was wearing a cream-colored linen dress by Malene Birger – you can see a photo here.

Meanwhile, many have begun pointing out the little fact that Kate is always in sheer hose and closed-toe shoes. Does our Katie have foot issues? Nope. According to The Mail, it’s royal protocol to wear hose at all times (when you’re wearing a skirt, that is). Naked legs are simply NOT ROYAL.

With her flawless fashion sense, radiant smile and bouncy, glossy locks, it is hard to find fault the Duchess of Cambridge. But a few quiet murmurs from the style set indicate that her look is not being as universally well-received as it seems.

The 29-year-old has not set a foot wrong when it comes to designer frocks, but in almost every single picture, there is the same telltale satin sheen of sheer hosiery. While it is true that nude stockings can hide a multitude of sins, they have not been in vogue since the Eighties and the result is a somewhat ageing look, at odds with her otherwise youthful style. But would Catherine actually be wearing these tights if she weren’t in the public eye? The fact that she is always wearing them, and closed-toe shoes for that matter, indicate that she is simply adhering to Royal protocol.

Indeed, one will never see the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall or the Countess of Wessex without sheer stockings and closed-toe shoes. Even fashion-conscious Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie comply.

And when Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson described the dress code for a recent white tie event at Buckingham Palace, the rules were the same. She told Harper’s Bazaar: ‘The palace dress requirements say that women… must wear closed-toed shoes – and get this: stockings! Sheer disbelief – I don’t even own a pair of sheer hose.’

[From The Mail]

That’s one of those protocols that could stand to be broken a few times, especially in the summer months. And it’s just absurd to never wear open-toed shoes! What the hell?

More photos from the camping trip:

Photos courtesy of Fame.

Here are new photos of the Duchess of Cambridge in Prince Edward Island, Canada yesterday. First up, she wore this “nautical” themed ensemble from Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, which I would never have guessed. Sarah Burton’s eye is SO much different than McQueen, and this looks like a years-old Ralph Lauren ensemble rather than a modern ready-to-wear piece from one of the most exciting British design houses. You may remember, Kate’s wedding dress was also done by Burton for McQueen too. While I think that this outfit – and Kate’s wedding gown – were appropriate and lovely and all, I still get stuck on “WTF happened to the House of McQueen?”

After that event, Kate did a costume change into a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt-like thing and a jacket, all for a dragon boat race in which she competed against her husband. For those who enjoy a little history with their fashion posts, in 2007, Kate memorably signed on for, and trained for a boat race. That was when she and William split up, and she was looking for something to occupy her time (not a job, silly!). When William persuaded her to take him back (i.e., he called her), she dropped out of the boat race. I do enjoy how handsy they are together. They seem like real newlyweds, and I think both of them are enjoying this tour so much because they get to do it together.

Meanwhile, according to ABC’s Bob Woodward, Kate told an older gentlemen that she “hopes” to have children. I have no idea why this is big news in royal coverage, considering if Kate did NOT hope to have children, she never would have been a royal bride (first rule of the royal family: create more royals). According to Woodward, Kate “walked over to this group of parents and there were these two little girls that wanted to give them these flowers, they handed them over to her as she squatted down and then one of the fathers told us he came up to her and wished her the best for when she ultimately has a family and she went back and said, quote, ‘Yes, I hope to.’ No timing about when she wants to do that and all that, but very interesting.”

Photos courtesy of Fame.

Above is a photo from the protests outside of an event in Montreal, where Duchess Kate and Prince William were doing some kind of royal visit to a hospital. It’s just a reminder, for those of you who think I’m too harsh on Kate – I’m really not that harsh. I do like the girl, but I just think she’s ripe for some gentle teasing. I would never stand outside of one of her events with a sign that said “PARASITE” though.

Anyway, on to the fashion! For Canada day, Kate wore Reiss, a British designer, and an outfit she had recycled and repurposed. Kate wore this dress, “The Nannette” last year for her engagement portraits by Mario Testino. In those photos, I didn’t really notice the odd boob-ruffle, though. It’s cute, but I kind of wish the whole ensemble wasn’t so matchy-matchy with the red accents. Red maple leaf hat (by Sylvia Fletcher at Lock & Co.), red pumps, red Anya Hindmarch clutch. It’s nice seeing Kate more away from her usual blues and whites, though. Red looks nice on her. Also: her maple leaf brooch is the Queen’s.

Next up: Kate in a grey dress (with some kind of bluish-green undertone) by Catherine Walker, a favorite of Princess Diana. The dress is called “The Kensington” – Princess Diana lived at Kensington Palace. This is Kate trying to look solemn, because she and William were visiting the Canadian War Museum. Kate and William also got to plant a tree (an Eastern Hemlock…?) symbolizing their love, and I don’t mind telling you, Waity did NOT know what to do with a shovel. She’s all “Er… what?”

There were other costume changes and events, but unfortunately, we don’t have those photos. If you go here, you can see William in a chef’s jacket, though. I have to admit something – I’m surprised that the royal tour so far hasn’t gotten more attention. I guess it’s because there have been no flubs, major or minor, but I also think it’s because neither William nor Kate are really that dynamic? Go on and hate me. While I think Kate is performing her royal duties with grace, the camera often catches her looking like she doesn’t really know what she’s doing. She’s not a “natural” at this, but she’s studying, and she’s trying, and good for her. I’m not bashing her for putting in the effort – although I will bash her for not paying attention to whatever task is at hand, and instead looking around for the photographers so she can turn her face to them. There are way too many shots of her looking in the complete different direction than everyone else – it’s not a coincidence. As for William, he’s been in the royal bubble so long, I get the feeling that he’s simply incapable of being spontaneous. It makes for a dedicated public servant, but not a terribly watchable one.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.