These are some new photos of Duchess Kate and Prince William doing their THIRD public event within a 24-hour period. Amazing! Kate and William attended the a fundraiser for London’s Imperial War Museum. Kate wore this charcoal Amanda Wakeley dress, which retails for 450 pounds, and which (the Mail notes) Kate has in three different colors. She paired it with black Prada pumps! But the best part of this whole look is her hair. Look at how great she looks with her hair pulled back! This is positive reinforcement, y’all. We have to encourage her to start doing different things with her hair and when she does, we have to praise her. Her hair looks awesome here. You can see additional photos here. Here are some more of our pics:

In other Middleton news, the tabloids have some surprisingly negative stories this week. In Touch has a somewhat interesting piece about Kate and Pippa’s changing relationship. Apparently, Pippa has always been a “hard partying” girl but Pippa’s recent antics in Paris “pushed Kate over the edge.” It seems that “behind palace walls,” Kate is taking the heat for her sister, with a source claiming, “Kate’s already so stressed about adjusting to her new life… she’s tired of dealing with Pippa’s issues on top of everything else.”

But my favorite Middleton family story comes via The Enquirer. The Enquirer has a line on a new tell-all book about the Middletons, written by Nicholas Davies. Apparently, Kate and Pippa’s mom, Carole Middleton, comes across as a Kris Jenner-style pimp-mother:

Royal confidante Nicholas Davies is releasing a new book later this year, and Davies claims that Carole Middleton and Kris Jenner are cut from the same cloth when it comes to “managing” their daughters’ futures. Davies says that it was Carole who arranged William and Kate’s whole romance!

Davies explains: “What Carole did to Kate was no different than the way that Kris stage-managed her daughter Kim Kardashian’s life. It was Carole who made sure that Kate’s entry into University of St. Andrews in Scotland would coincide with Prince Willian being there. And it was Carole who made sure that her daughter formed a relationship with the prince.”

The plan worked to perfection for Kate! Davies added: “Carole has handled Kate’s romance to William masterfully. Just like Kris Jenner, Carole is a brilliant businesswoman with beautiful daughters. I think Kris would be very proud of what Carole has managed to achieve.”

[From The Enquirer, print edition]

To give Kate some credit, I think she definitely had her own plot to snag herself a prince, and it just so happened that Kate’s plot and her mother’s plot intersected. As for the Kardashian comparison… meh. Some people in the UK press deride the Middleton sisters as very much like the Bouvier sisters, Jacqueline (Kennedy) and Lee (Princess Lee Radziwill), and I think that comparison is much more apt and complimentary. Jackie and Lee came from a privileged, upper-middle-class family, and both actively sought out the highest echelons of society and power and culture, all through marriage. The Middletons ARE social-climbers – and in America, that upward mobility would be celebrated rather than derided. I don’t think Kate and Pippa are being “forced” into anything by their controlling mother – but I do think Carole wanted Kate to marry William, and Carole made sure that Kate was comfortable and “clean” (PR-wise) for the nine years it took for William to propose. Don’t forget – the Middletons bankrolled Kate’s nine-year-wait completely. I’ve got to wonder if Carole would have been gung-ho about financing her daughter’s lay-about lifestyle for nine years if Kate had simply been waiting for the gardener’s son.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame.

These are photos from Duchess Kate and Prince William’s public outing yesterday in London. Do you realize they haven’t done a public event together since January? Do you realize that it’s been five weeks since Duchess Kate has done any public events? The last time she had a public “royal duty” outing was March 19th, the time she made her first… public…(glances down at notes)…(blinks)… speech! In the past five weeks, Kate has been “off” of the public schedule because her prince finally came back from his six-week training mission in the Falklands. And once he returned, there was the much needed ski holiday and hair appointments and shopping and such.

Anyway, Will and Kate got all dolled up and came out (in the rain!) to the UK premiere of African Cats. It was charitable screening/premiere benefiting the Tusk Trust, one of William’s patronages. Kate wore a familiar silhouette – I actually wondered if she had just bedazzled the sleeve hems of one of her old dresses, but no – this is a new dress by Matthew Williamson. Thoughts on the dress? It’s just so familiar to me – it looks like several pale, muted dresses she’s already worn, with the exception of the bejeweled sleeves and neckline. That makes it “special” – but is it enough to stand out from Kate’s other ¾-length sleeved shift dresses in various shades of oatmeal heather and dusky oatmeal? Don’t even get me started on the peplum (dust ruffle) and the shoulder pads (dated!).

Things I like: Kate isn’t fooling with her hair as much. She must have realized that the rain was ruining her curls and she didn’t even want to fool with it anymore. I also like that William is very conscious of making sure Kate has enough umbrella coverage. That’s very sweet.

PS… Are royals not allowed to wear raincoats?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

OMG, two public events within 24 hours?! There won’t be a vacation long enough for Duchess Kate and Prince William after this grueling week is over! As I covered earlier today, Kate and William were at a charitable screening for the film African Cats last night. I wasn’t crazy about Kate’s familiar-seeming Matthew Williamson dress. And she decided to go with another familiar-feeling look today. Her suit/dress is by Rebecca Taylor – the textured blue reminds me of the Missoni coat she wore for a photo-op with the Queen last month. It’s not a repeat, and it’s not the same look, but Kate does love her blues, and she loves some nubby, textured fabric. Look, she’s got matching blue pumps too! I don’t think she’s a shoe person – I’m not either, so I give her a pass.

I was looking around for a good shot of Kate’s “blinged out” poppy pin, but her hair was covering the poppy in most of the photos. When you see British people wearing any kind of lapel poppy, it’s in honor of the Royal British Legion, or veterans in general. You can read more about Kate’s sparkly poppy pin here. The London event today was for a group of servicemen who “recreated the Scott-Amundsen race to the South Pole.” Later today, Will and Kate will attend an event for the Imperial War Museum Foundation.

Will and Kate’s first wedding anniversary is Sunday. They don’t have any public appearances for the day, and UK gossip says that they’ll be spending some of their anniversary at a party with friends. My guess? They’ll totally manage to find the time to take an anniversary vacation.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I just spent way too much time looking through Duchess Kate photos. I’ve tried to select some of the best shots of her jewelry. From my extensive research from the photo archives (about 15 minutes worth of research), I’ve come to the conclusion that Kate has two favorite pairs of earrings which she wears for nearly every public outing, at least over the course of the past three months. One pair – the pair she’s worn for nearly every public outing lately – is the pair she got for Christmas from Prince William. Those are the lovely drop earrings which are allegedly some light-colored green amethysts. But for one appearance, she wore sapphire drop earrings, and this report from In Touch claims that William gave her those as well. While the amethysts were bought new by William, apparently the sapphires are part of a whole set that was once owned by Princess Diana, and William is slowly giving Kate all of the sapphire pieces to go with his late mother’s sapphire engagement ring. Creepy? Or sweet?

He’s already given her something no other man could ever match – the adoration of an entire nation. But Prince William isn’t the sort to slack off when it comes to treating his sweetheart.

Last summer, he gave Kate Middleton a pair of his mother’s favorite diamond-and-sapphire earrings – and a royal insider tells In Touch that on their first anniversary on April 29, the Duchess of Cambridge will likely find herself in possession of a priceless heirloom.

“I expect William will definitely give Kate more jewelry,” the insider says. “Very likely a piece from Princess Diana’s extensive private collection.”

William’s already given Kate a pair of diamond-and-sapphire earrings which were Diana’s, and which match Kate’s sapphire engagement ring. It seems likely that Diana’s sapphire necklace is next.

And if the idea of being slowly covered in her later mother-in-law’s ‘80s-ear gemstones seems less than thoughtful, consider that William is always careful to tell kate she’s free to alter them at will, to make sure they suit her. In fact, she turn the earrings, originally studs, into drop earrings. No wonder she’s a fashion icon!

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

In Touch also says that Will and Kate plan to spend their anniversary alone. Alone except for all of the jewels! I seriously don’t admire much of Kate’s life, but I am extremely jealous of her current crop of jewelry, and all of the jewelry she’s going to receive over the course of her marriage. Not to mention all of the jewelry she simply gets to borrow and play with from all of the royal archives! GAH!!!!!!!! That is why you spend nine years Waity-ing. So that one day you can cover your bed with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, amethysts and more, and you can roll around on all of them naked. Or something. Well played, Waity.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.

Over the weekend, The Mail published this absolutely extraordinary piece of royal propaganda. I could scarcely believe my eyes. I snorted with laughter at several parts, especially when the “royal insiders” dared to claim that Duchess Kate has never enjoyed the London nightlife – of which there are years of evidence to suggest otherwise. What’s particularly interesting to me is A) the timing and B) how this propaganda is framed. This piece comes after Prince William and Kate have been on holiday yet again for the past week, a week in which they missed a royal memorial service for the late Queen Mum and Princess Margaret. As for how the piece is framed, the Mail makes it seem like William and Kate are being soundly criticized for their oh-so-humble, hard-working, low-key lifestyles. Seriously!

It was an understandably emotional reunion. After six long weeks apart, the Duchess of Cambridge drove to RAF Brize Norton to give Prince William the romantic welcome he would have dreamed of while serving in the Falklands. After such a tender homecoming, the couple might reasonably have been expected to take a romantic, secluded break with only each other for company. But although William has indeed gone away with his new wife – he also has the in-laws in tow.

The couple have spent the past week in the French Alpine ski resort of Meribel, along with Kate’s parents and her younger brother James. Sister Pippa and her friend George Percy were reportedly there, too – all sharing the same chalet.

It supports the idea – often jokingly mentioned by Prince Harry – that at 29 and 30 respectively, William and Kate are already becoming decidedly middle-aged, even dull. It is, they insist, just the way they like it, preferring DVDs and home-cooked meals at their Anglesey home to a night on the tiles.

They even turned down an invitation from their friends last week in favour of their holiday with the Middletons. Holly Branson, daughter of Sir Richard, had invited them to join her, Princess Beatrice and her boyfriend Dave Clark at a party at the Branson family chalet in Verbier, Switzerland.

A source said: ‘They were invited to join Holly and her friends on the slopes but William and Kate chose to go away with her parents instead. Their friends see a lot less of William and Kate these days.’

Indeed, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have holidayed with the Middletons before, going to Mustique together earlier this year. The couple have vowed to holiday with Kate’s parents at least once a year, as William enjoys a warm rapport with both Carole and Michael, whom he sometimes jokingly refers to as ‘Dad’.

But at a recent shooting party, Harry was bemoaning his brother’s quieter new life. ‘He was joking that William has become rather boring and has stopped going out since he got married,’ says the source. ‘William doesn’t really go out any more, and Kate never did. They are both just happy at home eating home-cooked suppers, curled up on the sofa watching movies.’

Next week, the couple will return to Anglesey for more of that ordinary life as Mr and Mrs Wales, as they like to be known. William will report for his search-and-rescue shifts at RAF Valley as usual, while Kate will be settling back into domesticity. To make the most of this life, William has insisted that his and Kate’s diaries are cleared of Royal engagements for the coming months.

He is especially keen that his wife, who has been thrust into the spotlight in his absence, should have some time to herself. A courtier confirmed: ‘You will not be seeing the Duchess now for some time.’

While her husband was away, Kate delivered her first public speech – at a children’s hospice in Ipswich – later admitting she had been ‘racked with nerves’. She was said to be shaking like a leaf at the event last month. The Duchess has apparently jokingly said that the ‘stress’ of recent weeks is causing her to turn grey and indeed, she revealed the merest hint of silver hair beneath her jaunty Lock and Co headwear on a recent public engagement.

Kate, who visits the Richard Ward salon in Sloane Square every six weeks for a trim and colour, saw her colourist before William’s homecoming, but she has been so busy lately that her regular grooming sessions have fallen by the wayside.

Not that such cosmopolitan trappings are important to a couple who prefer to live life below the radar in their five-bedroom cottage in rural Anglesey. They love to walk and dine alfresco, often using the sausage maker Kate bought William two summers ago. They enjoy DVD box sets, and Kate has the latest series of acclaimed Danish crime drama The Killing lined up for their next sofa session. They do not have staff in Wales. Instead, Kate does the cooking, stocking up on supplies at the local branch of Waitrose. Friends of the couple say they both joke about getting old together – but their current quiet life is, inevitably, only a temporary one.

When the couple married, the Queen agreed to give them a two-year grace period, but by next year the couple will move into the late Princess Margaret’s home at Kensington Palace, where they will raise their family. William will then have to decide whether to stay in the RAF or embark on a life of Royal duty. The decision will not be his alone, and the Prince, aware that his destiny is already mapped out, has described this as ‘borrowed time’. But the couple are determined to make the most of it – even at the risk of jokes about their premature middle-age.

William’s balding pate is always the butt of Harry’s jibes – especially while the younger brother continues to lead a busy social life as part of the ‘Brompton Set’, a clique of well-heeled young professionals who dine at the Markham Inn on Chelsea Green and drink at the private Brompton Club. In contrast, while at their London base – Nottingham Cottage within Kensington Palace – William and Kate keep a lower profile.

Their only excitement is playing tennis together at the Harbour Club in Chelsea, where Kate has been taking lessons from a coach. They are fiercely competitive on the court, which is one of the few times they do occasionally bicker, but Kate is determined to maintain her game, which is stronger than William’s. It is one more small piece of normality the couple will be keen to hold on to as long as they can.

[From The Mail]

Maybe Will and Kate got all of their partying and clubbing out of their system in their early and mid-20s, and they really do enjoy the quiet life at this point. A lot of people are like that – you get it out of your system, and then you figure out that you really do prefer quiet nights in. I just hate the white-washing of their pre-marriage lives. Kate and William both loved a night out, and they were often (almost exclusively) photographed stumbling out of nightclubs for years at a time. As for William “insisting” that Kate get some “time off” for the next few months after she slaved away, doing 2 events a week for six whole weeks – for real?!?!?! Dear God. I mean, they’re just so “normal.” I’m always astounded by how “normal” it is go on vacation constantly and have your extensive staff push propaganda about your work ethic to the press.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Just before Duchess Kate and Prince William married, there was a lot of discussion regarding where the new royal couple would live. At the time, William and Prince Harry seemed to share a large apartment in Clarence House, the residence of the Prince of Wales, and it was believed that when Will and Kate married, the Queen would make arrangements for them to live in their own apartment somewhere else. Well, all of those early reports were correct – Will and Kate will be moving into a newly refurbished apartment at Kensington Palace, and until the renovations are done, they stayed at William and Harry’s old Clarence House apartment for a time, and then they moved into Nottingham Cottage, which is KP-adjacent. I theorized that for the brief time when Harry, William and Kate lived together at Clarence House, it was going to be like a royal version of Three’s Company. What’s funny is that now Harry has moved in with Will and Kate at Nottingham Cottage!

Prince Harry has secretly moved in with his newly-wed brother and sister-in-law at their new official residence, Kensington Palace. The 27-year-old royal shipped his belongings over from his old room at Clarence House last week, shortly after returning from his hugely successful first solo tour on behalf of the Queen. And far from reminding the prince that ‘three’s a crowd’, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed Harry with open arms, the Mail can reveal.

William and Kate currently live in Nottingham Cottage, which is situated in the north of the palace grounds. Harry has moved into what is jokily being referred to as the ‘royal bedsit’ in a residential wing nearby, a modest one-bedroom former staff apartment with a small lounge, kitchenette and bathroom.

The apartment has been empty for some time meaning the third-in-line-to-the-throne, who used to share a suite of rooms with his brother at Clarence House, their father’s official London residence, was able to move in straight away.

When William and Kate eventually move into Princess Margaret’s old apartment, which will become their permanent Kensington Palace base, towards the end of next year, Harry will then take over their cottage.

A source told the Mail yesterday: ‘He has been really looking forward to getting his own place after living with his father for so long. Understandably he wants to spread his wings. Some people might find it strange that he is moving in next door to his brother and sister in law, but the three of them get on brilliantly and love spending time together. Prince Harry adores his brother and says Catherine is the sister he never had. They were so enthusiastic about the idea of living together that when it emerged that this apartment was free, Harry moved his gear in as soon as he could after returning from Brazil.’

A palace source described the prince’s apartment as ‘surprisingly modest’. ‘It’s a small, one-bedroomed apartment. Not what you might normally expect. But he is very happy with the arrangement,’ they said.

Royal sources have told correspondent Max Foster that Harry and his brother are determined to spend the rest of their lives working in partnership together.

‘Prince Harry and Prince William are a double act for the rest of their lives. They are very loyal and trust each other. Loyalty is key. Harry is very respectful towards William,’ said one.

The prince’s current priority, following his well-received inaugural royal tour to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, is his military career. Harry, who recently qualified as an Apache attack helicopter pilot, is currently undergoing pre-deployment training at his Army Air Corps base in Suffolk in the hope of being redeployed to the frontline in Afghanistan later this year. CNN have been told that unlike his first tour of duty, palace officials will not attempt to keep it under wraps, despite claims the news could make his regiment more of a Taliban target. Sources also reveal that the prince, who is normally guarded by a Scotland Yard police protection team 24 hours a day, will not have any extra personal security when on the frontline.

‘The thinking is that being an Apache pilot is quite an anonymous job and the Apache is already a target. They can’t be more of a target than they already are,’ the documentary is told. ‘The palace doesn’t see a need for Harry to have extra personal security in Afghanistan either, because his military base will, by its nature, already be secure.’

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: ‘Prince Harry moved into accommodation at Kensington Palace when he returned from the overseas tour. This will now act his official London Residence. He still anticipates moving into the property currently used by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge once they vacate it in the future.’

[From The Mail]

There’s more information about Prince Harry’s latest charitable works at that Mail link. As for the details on the living arrangements – I’ve said it before, and I shall say it again: there’s a good chance that Kate will end up giving birth to a ginger. I often wonder if Kate and William have any kind of sexual heat together (I don’t think they do), but you wouldn’t have to worry about Kate and Harry. THAT would be hot. Harry would bring the ginger fire (in his pants).

But yeah, it’s cute that William, Harry and Kate get along so well. Kate must feel like she married both of them sometimes.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Alright, correction time! The Mail was wrong! I was wrong too. Over the weekend, there were multiple reports that Prince William had whisked Duchess Kate away to Switzerland for a romantic getaway after he returned home from his six-week training mission in the Falklands. As it turns out, not so much. Yes, Kate and William are on vacation (again!!), but it’s different. They went to a ski resort in France, not Switzerland. And they went with Kate’s parents, on the Middletons’ dime, just like the vacation to Mustique just two months ago. Does that make it better?

Those Middletons sure love to hit the slopes! Weeks after Pippa Middleton completed a 56-mile ski race in Sweden, the 28-year-old’s parents, Carole and Michael, brought daughter Kate (with husband Prince William) and son James on a fun-filled family trip at The Three Valley’s ski resort in France, a source confirms to Us Weekly.

“This was a treat from Kate’s parents, as William and Kate’s budget is quite small for trips,” the source explains. “It’s not the first time they have taken them away. They have all been to Meribel together before.”

(Meribel is a valley of 100 miles of interconnected pistes.)

An eyewitness saw the family eating lunch at one of the slope-side restaurants Monday, telling Us: “They looked very happy together.”

Though Kate, 30, was only recently reunited with William, 29, following his six-week tour of duty in The Falklands, any chance of alone time will have to wait: the source confirms that the fivesome has decided to share the same chalet.

[From Us Weekly]

I think my favorite line ever is “This was a treat from Kate’s parents, as William and Kate’s budget is quite small for trips.” O RLY? Granted, I’d be willing to bet that Kate and William do cut corners when they’re traveling and vacationing. They get discounts, they fly commercial, they might use coupon packages and stuff. But… they’re still going on vacation all the time! And William and Kate’s annual vacation budget is probably ten times what I make in a year, and I‘m not even factoring in the cost of security and personal staff. But I guess we’re supposed to accept them as “living on a budget” because their income, as it is, is being supplemented by Kate’s parents and by William’s extensive inheritance? Must be nice. God, I’d love a vacation.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I told you this would happen! I said it would happen last week, and my predication came to fruition. As soon as Prince William arrived home from his six/seven-week training exercise in the Falkland Islands, William and his wife arranged for yet another vacation. Now, I actually understand why they felt the need for a vacation this time around – William is probably tired, and he wanted to spend some quality time with his wife. As for Duchess Kate… well, she worked her fingers to the bone while William was away! I’m only being partly factitious too – she had two to three public events a week while William was away, and that’s the most work she’s ever done. She needed a vacation too! The only thing that surprises me is that it sounds like they just went away for a weekend – I would have expected something longer.

It was on Switzerland’s beautiful, snowy slopes that Kate and William were pictured sharing their first public kiss. So a high-end ski resort in the Alps was the perfect place for the Prince to choose for a romantic weekend with his wife.

The Duke of Cambridge is whisking Kate away on holiday to make up for missing Valentine’s Day, following a long six weeks apart in which he has been flying a helicopter for the RAF in the Falklands.

The royal couple had a joyful reunion earlier this week at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

It ended a long spell apart, in which the Duchess of Cambridge has thrown herself into her role, making solo public appearances at military and charity events. The 30-year-old’s elegant poise has won widespread approbation, on outings that included two trips with the Queen, as part of the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and a hockey game with the GB squad at the Olympic Park.

Kate and William were first seen skiing in Switzerland in 2004, and they had their first photographed kiss there two years later, with both holidays taking place at the resort of Klosters.

This time, they will stay in an elegant chalet at Verbier, according to the Daily Mirror. The high-end resort has been popular with the royal family for years, with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward having celebrated birthdays there, and Prince Harry spending New Year’s Eve partying on its slopes. Princess Eugenie held a low-key 18th birthday party at Verbier.

William, 29, has been serving as a Sea King pilot in the South Atlantic, while his wife of less than a year has admitted to missing him ‘desperately’.

Last year the ski-mad couple reportedly cancelled a planned trip to the slopes over fears it would not be appropriate in recession-hit times. A Clarence House spokesperson yesterday declined to comment on their holiday plans.

[From The Mail]

A royal source told the Daily Mirror: “William missed Kate terribly when he was away. They spent Valentine’s Day apart and he has been thinking for some time how to make it up to his wife. He wants a reunion in the most romantic possible fashion. They’ve had some brilliant times skiing, and William decided a getaway in Switzerland, where they can wear goggles and hats and go around unnoticed, would be perfect. Kate was delighted when he eventually told her about his plans and cannot wait for the pair to spend some quality time together.” So maybe it’s not just for a weekend? Maybe they’ll be spending a week or so? As I said, I understand why this vacation, why now, etc. I’m sure they did miss each other, and I think it’s sweet and lovely that they are prioritizing spending time together. But… Kate and William take SO many vacations. They always have! In their nine-year courtship, I swear, they took about a dozen vacations a year. Substantial, two-week vacations at a time, which add up to quite a lot of “downtime”.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

I just realized that I spend way too much time wondering what Prince William and Duchess Kate’s sex life is like. But seriously, don’t you want to know?!? I ask because Prince William has returned home to his duchess after his six-week training mission in the Falkland Islands. And People Magazine says that Williams gets a few days off now that he’s home, and Kate’s schedule (as it is, haha) has been cleared for the next few weeks. So perhaps it’s time for Kate and William to get down to some serious baby-making after being apart for six weeks? Is it hot and heavy? Or is it prim and proper? Considering they spent their honeymoon hanging out with sea turtles instead of boning, I’m guessing it’s prim and proper. But I would love to know for sure.

He’s back! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been reunited – after being apart for seven weeks – when he returned from duty in the remote south Atlantic.

Early Wednesday morning, William, 29, flew back from the Falkland Islands to Britain with the rest of his Royal Air Force Search and Rescue helicopter crew.

As is normal for servicemen’s partners, Kate, 30 was not there to watch his return to an airbase in the English countryside.

The plan was for her to meet up with him at their cottage at Kensington Palace later. He will also see members of his family, such as grandmother Queen Elizabeth, and no doubt re-bond with puppy Lupo.

It is anticipated that William will have several days off, which the couple “will spend privately,” a spokesman says. Kate is not expected to be undertaking any public engagements for several weeks.

William will next have to report for duty at his airbase in Anglesey, North Wales.

[From People Magazine]

It’s odd to me that it’s “normal” in England for servicemen’s partners to NOT greet them when they arrive home. Here in America, we make a big deal about military arrivals. So William had to… what? Drive himself home? Catch a ride with someone else? Who am I kidding – his security detail drove him home. Where Kate was waiting! Wearing nothing but an apron and stilettos! Seriously, don’t you wish you knew what it was like between them in private?

As for Kate and how she’s “not expected to be undertaking any public engagements for several weeks.” I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she and William schedule another vacation, honestly. William deserves it, and I guess Kate does too. While William was away, her public schedule was grueling! She did, like, two public events a week. Time for a vacation!

Here are some photos of Kate from her Monday speech. Buttons!!!!!! While I like her in blue, this dress isn’t all that.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Headlines involving the words “Kate” and “Wait” are nothing new. In fact, there’s a decades’ worth of those headlines, but they all involve her waiting for the ring, Duchess Kate’s only career goal ever. So this is slightly new – The Mail reports that despite centuries of royal history and the expectations of a decade’s worth of waiting, Duchess Kate and Prince William aren’t going to try for a baby in their first year of marriage. In fact, they probably won’t even get to it in their second year of marriage.

Prince William and Kate are putting off having a family until next year so they can focus on the Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics.

Despite hopes of a Jubilee baby, sources close to the couple say they are in ‘no hurry’ to start a family and want to make sure that 2012 is a success for the sake of the Queen’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

‘Realistically there is not going to be time for a baby and they have said they are in no hurry. There is no urgent need for an heir – we already have two,’ says a source. ‘William and Kate want to take things in their own good time.’

The news comes as Clarence House confirmed that Kate, 30, will start solo official engagements next month, once William leaves for his first tour of duty in the Falkland Islands.

‘It will be a good distraction for her and take her mind off worrying about William,’ says the source. ‘At the moment, starting a family is definitely on the backburner.’

The Duchess of Cambridge – who married William last April – is the Royal patron of The Art School, National Portrait Gallery, Action On Addiction, and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. She has also said she will volunteer with the Scout Association.

‘The Duchess will have a handful of engagements while the Duke is away,’ a spokesman says. ‘She will visit all her patronages publicly at least once and continue to visit them privately. It will be a busy period. The reason she chose so few charities is that she wants to get to know them intimately.’

William and Kate will be apart for six weeks in February and March, then they will gear up for the Jubilee weekend in June. In September or October they will tour Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

[From The Mail]

I really don’t understand why Kate couldn’t be pregnant AND working as a royal? Princesses have done it for years and decades and centuries, fulfilling their royal duties at the same time, if you know what I mean. Like walking and chewing gum, actively being pregnant and making appearances on behalf of the monarch doesn’t seem like it’s something so grueling, no one has ever done it before. Anyway, I guess the British people will just have to WAIT as Kate is slowly, methodically eased into her royal role at a snail’s pace, and they’ll have to wait until Kate and William are well into their 30s for them to produce a royal heir.

Look, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with waiting until your 30s to start a family – there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I actually do think it’s very interesting to see that more “modern” trend happen in the royal family. But just know that in this, Kate and William really are breaking with tradition in a big way. Most royal brides produce an heir very quickly, and people were really expecting Will and Kate to start having babies, considering William made her wait so long for the ring. I also think Kate is misjudging her popularity – royal brides pop out babies quickly for PR reasons too, because everybody loves babies and babies “soften” the image of a princess and give her something to “do” (as in, “Kate is raising a family, that’s what she does all day.”). If Kate isn’t pregnant two years out from the wedding, I think there will be a big backlash against her, honestly. Because what the hell does she do with her time? “Kate gets her hair done, and goes shopping, that’s all she’s done during two years of marriage.”

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, WENN.