As we discussed yesterday, Ralph Lauren sponsored a lovely fundraiser event at Windsor Castle for Prince William’s patronage of the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital. I thought the event seemed to be a pretty glamorous affair, with a great sprinkling of celebrities (all clad in Ralph Lauren) like Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett and Emma Watson. The event seemed like a perfect intersection of celebrity, royalty, fashion and charity. But all was not well, apparently. Prince William even previewed this controversy in his speech that night, saying to RL: “I’m sorry my wife’s not here. You probably would far rather my wife [be here].” RL said something like “not at all” to William, but as it turns out, he really was extremely peeved that Kate was not in attendance:
How would you feel if you were a top fashion designer and you had pledged over a million quid to sponsor one of Prince William’s charities gala banquets at Windsor Castle – and then found out that Kate Middleton wasn’t going to be there? A little miffed, perhaps?
Well, apparently this is exactly the unhappy emotional state the designer Ralph Lauren found himself in and he is said to be to have been, “furious” when he discovered, less than six weeks ago, that Kate was not going to be at the dinner, in aid of the Royal Marsden cancer hospital, of which William is patron, attended by the likes of Emma Watson, Kate Moss and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch.
‘He considered pulling out but was told by his PR advisers that it would look terrible. The company thought they were getting Kate, the most famous clothes horse in the world, and also a runway show at the castle,’ a source tells Daily Mail diarist Sebastian Shakespeare.
Let’s face it, Ralph has a point. Lots of celebrities arriving at Windsor Castle in nice frocks isn’t that great a story with no Kate there.
Unfortunately for Ralph the two young royals have made a conscious decision to separate their charitable duties, in an effort to spread themselves across more causes. Also the reality is that when Kate and William appear together at the event, the press only really care about Kate.
However maybe in future it would be better if William stuck to the military and conservation events, and Kate represented at the fashion shows. That way everyone, including Ralph, would be happy. Ralph Lauren’s reps politely told the Mail: ‘Mr Lauren has only ever been enthusiastic about attending the event.’
The excuse given for Kate’s absence was that she was “babysitting”. Seriously, that’s how they describe a mother looking after her own child. It’s not babysitting, it’s being a mother! But beyond that… yeah, “mothering” is a weird excuse, especially given that they have two full-time nannies and that Kate loves an event where she can wear fancy clothes and play with her hair in front of celebrities. So is it any wonder that the Daily Mail’s gossip person (Sebastian Shakespeare) says that William has “apparent concerns about being eclipsed by his wife’s popularity” just like his mom and dad? The DM also says that back in 2012, William got a new PR woman because he wanted more focus on his charities rather than Kate.
As for Ralph Lauren being peeved… I can understand why and everything, but I agree that it would have looked worse if he pulled his sponsorship of the event. As it was, the event was lovely and I think they did get some great celebrities to turn out. The combination of Emma Watson, Kate Moss, La Blanchett and Bendy Cumber was more star power than Kate would have brought.
Photos courtesy of PR Photos, Getty.
I not judging her – maybe he was teething or sick and needed her?
She knew that six weeks in advance?
I was just going to say that myself.
This was planned a long time ago — my guess is she never planned on attending and RL & co knew that too.
Wow, talk about first castle problems. Hope Ralph is never alone in an elevator with Kate. Wills will just stand there gnawing on a fingernail dreaming of ways to detsroy Dad’s ivory teasures while the fashion gnome attempts to jump high enough to reach Kate’s face to deliver a stinging slap with some Lauren gloves.
@kri
OMG that would be amazing!!!
LOL at first castle problems!!
How would they know that a little less than six weeks in advance though?
She was never on the planned schedule to go. This whole ‘6 weeks’ thing is just the Daily Mail backpedaling because they just assumed she would be there and made all this noise about it-and once they realized she wasn’t attending had to make it about her and not about them.
•L•
This makes the most sense.
Not sure it’s the Daily Mail who was backpedaling.
Uh oh. I’ve tried to be a Kate fan but this is bad. She can’t show up for fashion and cancer? And she doesn’t even have anything else on her calendar? Yikes, that IS lazy! Can anyone defend her for me?
PS if Princeling was sick that’s a weak excuse but better than nothing
I honestly feel like William didn’t want her there
Me 2.
He never wants her anywhere.
What makes you think he doesn’t want her anywhere? They seem to be together at a lot of events.
@ Melly
I’ll give you the events of the NZ & Australia tour. But otherwise, William prefers to go places alone.
Hunting party in Spain: Stag. Wedding in Nashville Stag. Wedding in Scotland: Stag. There are countless examples of social events and charitable events where everyone else brought their wife/girlfriend/partner except William. Even Cressida was expected at the Nashville wedding until the big breakup just before.
They do tours and trips together but otherwise seem to almost always do events separately
Even before George though he’s now a convenient excuse for one staying home
Let me preface this by saying I’m not a Kate defender lol
I get why Kate wouldn’t want to go on a hunting trip, I know I wouldn’t! Also, I get why she wouldn’t want to fly across the Atlantic for a wedding especially when she has a young child. Will and Kate not going to every event together doesn’t seem like a big deal, every couple needs some time apart. These events are what royals consider “work” and most people work apart from their spouse.
That being said, they definitely need to “work” more, whether it’s together or separately.
They DO spend a lot of their personal time apart, as they have done since the beginning of their marriage. I don’t think this is an indication that things are any worse, or any different, from how they’ve always been. If this is what works for them, it’s what works for them.
Melly
George is now a reason to not fly to a wedding, but he’s often left with nannies for lengths of time while Kate shops or vacations. If we hear Kate wants to be with George it’s almost always used as a reason to avoid an event or working.
AM
William and Kate early on would spend weeks attached at the hip and then there was a look of animosity building towards the end. I’m in the group that thinks they need to spend time apart to be able to keep the peace. Even for just 1 party.
Remember when they vacationed in the falklands? They were there for a few days and Kate flies home while William stays another week. This happens more often than you’d think.
@ Melly
You might not hunt, but Kate certainly does:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1566021/Kate-Middleton-and-Prince-Charles-go-hunting.html
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/12/royal-watch-kate-and-pippa-middleton-christmas-plans-pheasant-hunting
Juliette, your first link about Charles states in the article that he is wearing plus 4’s. Do you know what plus 4’s are?
FLORC,
I honestly think William likes to playhouse/have the family man image but also still be able to do his own thing. They must have some kind of understanding about this after all these years (and frankly I hope they do, because the idea of Kate being unhappy about it is unsettling).
Also, re: George as an excuse – Kate seems to have no problem spending 5 hours at the hair salon, however often she goes. That’s about 5 times as long as she would spend away from George if she chose to attend an engagement. Not knocking her getting her hair done, just not a fan of the George excuse.
@FLORC
Leaving you baby with a many to do some shopping seems sorta harmless. How many hours could she be shopping?
Leaving your baby to go on vacation seems ridiculous. I’m not a mommy, but my parents never left my brother and I when we were young to go on vacation. Is that something people do?
@Juliette
Thanks for the links! I thought I read somewhere that Kate was anti-fur and anti-hunting, but I guess I was mistaken. I think it’s weird when rich people hunt…
@AM
I think both Will and Kate love the family image. I don’t think they will ever divorce because they are so ok with publicly pretending and privately turning a blind eye
LAdy D: plus fours are tweed knee length trousers worn in the country. Golfers also wear plus fours, but i don’t think they care materials and tend to be very brightly coloured.
http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=32393933
gentleman wearing plus fours
http://www.harristweedshop.com/classic-clothes/Harris-Plus-Fours-09.jpg
golf plus fours [an example]
http://www.slanjtrews.com/wp-content/uploads/plusfours_yellowblack.jpg
Agreed, Melly. I should have said that it goes both ways – Kate was papped shopping in London many, many times when she was still just an Angelsey housewife.
I agree that they’ll never get divorced. Diana thought it would be better on the outside, and I don’t get the sense that Kate would ever get to that point.
Thanks LAK.
@AM
Kate is not a stupid girl. She knows that for her aspirations things are WAY better on the inside. Diana had aspirations and needs that couldn’t be contained by the royals. Kate and Diana got married at different ages, Diana was much younger and more naive. No disrespect AT ALL to Diana.
This.
AM
I do agree William likely enjoys “playing house” as you put it. I’m sure he has love for Kate and George. And I agree he likely enjoys his freedom to leave for a length of time and do his own thing until he’s ready to come back. That’s why they seem to work as a couple. Kate gives William as much room as he wants.
Kate’s 5 or 6 hour hair appointments were more often or once a week when she saw her old stylist that favored extensions. She gets home visits now, but that makes it tougher to know how often without known expenses like her stylist on tour with her. And she was heavily criticized for spending full days at the salon. George is now around and caring for him was used to avoid criticism. Even when civilians caught George with only a nanny and Kate shopping no where near him. Luckily for them not all photos make it past the internet to publications.
It is unsettling to think she’s unhappy. 1 hand she made her bed. The other is she may have been pushed into a relationship with William to please her family. After making him her world it’s tough to see life outside of him. I’m not saying this is fact, but it’s possible. You would think we’d see more of them loved up like Canada when they spend so much time apart, but if there’s not a camera or vacation it’s rare theyre together. If she’s not on board with that it’s very sad.
Melly
The nannies George has are top notch. I’d wager they have more skill than a child’s mother at raising children from infancy.
Kate has been known to shop for full days. Her schedules at varying times have been released. few hours at the gym, maybe an event which is prepped with a few hours of dressing, hair and makeup before and sometimes after. And after that she’s been seen shopping for hours every other day. In and out of stores with those with her (maybe security) holding bags or items are shipped to her.
And I’m not currently a mom either. I can see myself wanting a vacation for a weekend maybe. Not for a whole week though. This is something people do though. That woman on E news and fashion police does this and says it’s important to keep a healthy and happy marriage so you don’t divorce and make life hard for the baby. The logic makes sense, but it also seems a bit selfish imo.
This vacation was noted because Kate just returned from a vacation without William (he was boar hunting with Jecca and Harry) to being the 1st people at a new resort.
I don’t begrudge these luxuries from Kate. I just expect more when you have so much rest and resources. Other royal ladies (both born and married) have done far better coming from lesser lifestyles.
The excuse given was they don’t do joint engagements for their charities so they can spread their influence further. Problem is Kate doesn’t have any solo engagements on her calendar as of this writing. So that sort of blows that excuse out of the water. Spreading influence only works when both are doing it.
I can’t believe the hospital wouldn’t want Kate there. She’d have been a draw indeed.
Do these royals explain themselves to anyone? Seriously, “RL, we do not explain (or complain)”. That feels so amateurish, and arrogant.
Compared to most celebrities is a child’s game. And they are not royals.
Whos’s that woman in the white frock standing next to RL?
His wife.
He dressed her atrociously.
•BW•
Ricky is a fairly strong woman in her own right and that’s her signature style.
Random thought: I bet Tilda Swinton would look amazing in this outfit
I call BS on the story.
I’m inclined to agree. I don’t understand why RL would expect Kate to be there if this was an event that Will sponsored. Will and Kate tend to keep their patronages separate.
•Melly•
All Royals have a mix of joint and solo engagements. If RL wanted Kate there all he needed to do was ask.
Melly
While I agree with your main point (this article is BS) Kate doesn’t ave a single patronage that is just hers.
Disagree, LS. I don’t think asking would have done it. First, his donation was to underwrite the cost of this benefit, right? The hospital was the beneficiary and organized it. Therefore, it would be the hospital that would have to be asked, and William and Kate would respond. If they aren’t doing joint charitable engagements then asking wouldn’t have cut it especially if Shakespeare is correct in his take on this. I don’t know if William is bothered by Kate’s popularity, but it wouldn’t surprise me. I’ve always felt that he considers himself the One Who Knows in their relationship and I can see it would tweak him if the questions started to revolve around “where’s Kate”. It’s human nature. In “first castle world”, he’s the “blood” and Kate isn’t. He’ll always win.
Bluhare: considering how royal diaries are planned, it’s so strange that a question of Kate’s attendance would arise only six weeks ago. And the same excuse given when the whole world knows they have an official nanny.
If they ‘only found out 6wks ago’, does that mean they were given to understand that her attendance was a possibility or a negative response wasn’t given upfront during the months of planning of this event and they were all playing a waiting game?
It’s very weird that this would be a story even if it’s BS.
•bluhare•
You’re correct that it’s William’s charity that was the focus of this event with everyone else supporting and promoting said hospital. However, my point is simply if *anyone* thought they needed Kate or it was vital that she attend, they had the ability to make that pitch to her (or her staff).
•Florc•
Are you sure about that? I think Kate does have some solo patronages. I don’t think it’s many though…..
*goes off to check*
What I found is two different BRF websites kinda say different things. The main one doesn’t list her patronages on her page but this one does.
http://www.dukeandduchessofcambridge.org/the-duchess-of-cambridge/charities
LadySlippers
Thank You for the info.
I think i was thinking of how and when Kate chose her patronages. Very much safe choices and some that had little need for her as a patron. Her short list was seemingly picked without passion. More she chose because William and Charles had some connection to it.
I am inclined to believe this one. As much as this was a charity event, it was also an opportunity for PR. The best philanthropists are self-interested.
Nobody reports the designer of William’s suits. Nobody really cares.
If Kate had shown up in a Ralph Lauren design it would have been featured in every international edition of Vogue, every tabloid in the US & UK, and all the publications in between. Kate’s PR potential for a fashion house is enormously valuable.
•Juliette•
If RL *really* wanted her there or felt it was imperative she be there — he could have simply asked. Kate still has the ability to turn the invitation down but I think that her not being there was a given from the get go.
I think this is BS because of how dramatic the wording is. I could see ‘disappointed’ but furious is a huge stretch.
Lady Slippers,
I highly doubt RL has Kate’s phone number to just ring her up. These things are arranged through Will & Kate’s public office (which they share). I’m certain RL doesn’t arrange these things personally himself either. RL is more than a person, he’s a corporation. His corporate PR and corporate philanthropy departments probably coordinated this event and assumed that when they were negotiating with WK’s office that the office intended WK would attend together. Some poor RL underling was tasked with being the messenger to deliver the news that only William would be attending and I think its completely believable that RL was displeased with the late-coming news.
•Juliette•
No, I don’t expect that RL (or his people) has any of the Royals’ numbers. But there plenty of coordinating people from all parties (hospital, William, & RL) to communicate the wants and needs of the core teams.
I wonder if it’s something to do with being seen as having nigh-on advertised a commercial business – as showing up in a Lauren outfit at a Lauren sponsored event, even if it was charitable could be seen to be? It’s one thing to promote designers by wearing them – but at that designer’s sponsored event? Perhaps a bit too commercial for the Palace?
•Sixer•
That is a possibility. But didn’t Diana do stuff like this before? Can’t remember but I thought she had. (It also might have been post divorce which then makes your idea plausible)
Perhaps they explained to RL, but why don’t they explain what they are doing to the masses?
It sort of has a ring of truth to me, despite me side-eyeing anything written by this Sebastian Shakespeare fellow. It makes sense that RL would find out 6 weeks before, and it makes me wonder if William mentioning Kate to RL was some kind of dig at RL.
•AM•
I honestly think this whole story has a desperate ring to it. I also think William was being genuine in that particular comment.
LAK, from what I understand she was never planning to go, the Mail and some other tabloids just assumed that she was once this got put on Williams’ schedule months ago. They all had to backpedal once they realized that assumption was wrong.
i agree with you completely.
what i find strange is that RL apparently only found out 6wks ago. That is what gives me pause. Makes me think everyone was hoping that she could be persuaded to go before they realised that she wouldn’t budge and so had to tell the RL office.
or one of the organisers falsely promised Kate because it made RL cough up the cash that much easier then waited until the last minute to inform them/him that Kate wasn’t attending.
+1. I’m waving the BS flag along with you, LS. Also, I don’t know what their relationship is like off-camera, but I recall reading comments in an earlier article that implied the “candid” pics of them holding hands in AUS were staged. I’m not a big fan of either of them, but I didn’t get that impression. They seemed like a fairly normal couple to me, close and comfortable in each others’ company. As far as Kate not being at this dinner, well, I believe she didn’t want to attend and that was that—she’s wearing the pants, not him. And, being the mother of his child, she’s got even more power because, IMO, he would anything to avoid screwing up that little man’s life like his parents did his.
It’s episodes like this one that make me wonder why more Brits aren’t opposed to the monarchy.
It was a really successful fundraiser, so I don’t know why this event would make Brits upset with the monarchy
I’m not talking about the fundraiser but about her object laziness. The British people are financing her lifestyle and she can’t even be bothered to put on a nice frock and do a bit of smiling and shaking people’s hands for an evening.
You would assume that she would WANT to go to the event if she could. It seems like something she would enjoy.
I think so too, Melly. The criticism of Kate has been known to focus on the fact that she only likes celebrity-like appearances so the fact that she missed one does make one wonder why.
I’m an American who lived in England for several years, and have also had the joy of working in non-profit. The amount of tourist money the royals generate actually outweighs the govt. monies they receive. Plus, a good bit of that goes to the upkeep of royal properties, which people line up and pay to see. At least, that’s what my research uncovered.
Now, you may all bash me as you please. 🙂
Emelu: the monies the UK generates from *heritage* tourism may well outweigh the Sovereign Grant, but those monies wouldn’t decrease if the UK became a republic. In fact, as we have discussed here many times, they would more likely INCREASE, since there would be better access to heritage sites (eg Buckingham Palace). France, for example, makes more tourist money from its monarchical heritage (eg the Louvre) than Britain does from its extant monarchy.
I’ve said many times hereabouts that there are good reasons for retaining the monarchy for my country (although I personally would prefer not to) – but tourism profit isn’t one of them.
It sucks that Kate can’t take a night out to be with William and enjoy the night but Lauren being furious because she was absent from the event is too much. Disappointed yes but furious? Really?
I’m not a big Kate fan, but I think it’s funny how she gets the blame always. What if Will wanted to go alone? I’m just saying there could be a legit reason and/or a reason that isn’t “her fault”
But I’ve been wrong before! 🙂
Me too Melly! And if she had gone the discussion would be about how the only events she wants to go to are the fancy party events!
Instead the discussion is how she doesn’t want to work? Just kidding, mostly.
She needs to work more, but a lot of the time she’s criticized no matter what she does. It makes me kinda sad. You never see royal men getting the same kind of criticism, and let’s not pretend she’s the first lazy royal
When she doesn’t work she gets criticized for not working. When she works some, but not enough, she gets criticized for the type of events she’s going to. When she is working she gets criticized for her speeches/lack of speeches, her facial expressions, her questions, etc etc etc. Regardless of too much/too little work she is often criticized for what she is wearing.
I’m not saying that there is nothing to criticize. I think she should work more and I think that they have made questionable choices. However, i’m not going to jump on the bandwagon of criticizing EVERYTHING because I can think of a way to make it Kate’s fault. She is on maternity leave. Regardless of whether you think she worked enough in the first place, it seems that the intention is that she will be home with George for the first (i’m guessing) year of his life. Its probably pretty good for George to get a lot of time with his mum right now.
This is Will’s patronage and Will’s event. I see know problem with her staying home hanging out with little Georgie.
I believe (and someone correct me if I’m wrong) that the British maternity leave entitlement is one year. I would have respected the situation so much more if they said up front that Kate was taking a year as entitled and may choose to make appearances from time to time.
LNG: i think it’s a combination of wanting her to work *more*, but also to be professional whilst working. I think Kate is or was given some leeway due to her lack of professional experience to draw from, but it’s frustrating to see the lack of progress. She seems to be on a neverending ‘trial’ period.
And she’s a woman in her 30s. Everyone is expected to have pulled themselves together by their 30s. That’s frustrating to many people because they are asked to think of her as an early 20s college graduate of no experience. Many people were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt when she first joined the family, but it’s 3yrs now and no progress.
As for PGtips spending time with her, she can spend all day with him and still do 3hrs [ 45mins for the engagement + 2hrs 15mins prep] ‘work’ per day or to be generous,once a week, if that is all she can manage.
LAK: I do think she has improved though. Longer, more conservative skirts, less hair playing, better public speaking (she’s no great orator, but i do give her credit for the improvement from the first one – you can tell she is really nervous when she does them, and some people will just never excel in that area), more and better engagement on her visits, etc. She is in her 30s, but she doesn’t have a lot of experience to draw from. Sure, she could have done something with herself before they got married to develop these skills, but she didn’t. She can be criticized for that, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still got to develop the skills. Everytime I watch them being bombarded by crowds or having cameras follow their every move at public events I think about how weird that must be. Not for Will, he grew up with it, but for Kate. It must be rather surreal and baffling. I think over the past three years she’s gotten a lot better at it, but we may have to agree to disagree on that point.
As for the work ethic – she certainly could have done more before George was born and I wish she had (because I think she’s got a great platform to do good things, and I think she would have improved more quickly if she had). However, I think her lack of work before George was more Will trying to hang on to the last bits of his lazy life before official duty takes over (and i’m not saying he shouldn’t be criticized for that). I doubt she will ever do more than he does. Now she’s officially on maternity leave – like it or not, most women don’t work at all during their maternity leave, so I give her a pass for not doing many official duties during the first year.
Do we have any real precedent for what a third in line should be doing work wise? I don’t pay any attention to any of the other European Royal families – is there anyone else in the same position as Will and Kate?
AM: We have 1 year in Canada. I think its the same in Britain, but I’m not sure.
I think they did say she was on maternity leave, but I can’t recall if they every specified how long it would be. I recall reading after the tour that they were reluctant to say that she was off maternity leave, but that she would be undertaking more duties over the summer. I can’t remember where I read that though.
When I worked in the UK my colleague’s mat leave was 6 months’.
In Canada we technically get a year, but I have friends whose company’s didn’t “top up” and they couldn’t afford to take the year and live off their EI (the small government portion) and their hubby’s income..
LNG: There is no precedent for any of them working, including Charles as POW. His prior POWs spent their wait partying up a storm.
The ones who work have said repeatedly that their is no manual to be followed. It’s all self motivation and self discipline.
Kate has all kinds of excuses (or reasons depending on POV) as to why she doesn’t work. She had them before marriage and she has them after marriage. It’s who she is. No self motivation for the kind of ‘work’ we’ve come to expect from royals nor is she trailblazing like her MIL or even FIL, BIL to carve out a niche for herself. Ditto William.
When you compare her to other members of the family who either married in or were criticised or publicly shamed, the excuses don’t stand up because it boils down to the strength of character of the individual who weathered a storm as Kate has done and responded positively and quickly.
Putting aside her work experience, Sophie dated her prince for 6yrs, and she had her charities list organised by her wedding day and visited/inspected within 6mths of her wedding.
B was publically shamed for being fat. She lost weight and ran a marathon for charity to celebrate her achievement within a year of the initial criticism.
Kate took 3yrs to lower her skirts. And after getting worse because her hemlines went UP rather than down during those 3yrs. Which is odd considering her hemlines weren’t particularly short when she was a GF. Exception media tour 2007.
Losing weight is a much harder prospect than lowering hemlines, no?
I feel like we are expected to baby a grown woman who is giving us the bare minimum. To extent that lowering her hemlines is a cause for celebration rather than anything of substance.
So here is a question for you LAK – why is Kate getting the blame completely separately from William? She’s got to take her cues from someone, and that someone is going to be William. I see no evidence that Kate is lazy/unmotivated/whatever. Perhaps you can argue that William is, but the argument will hold a lot more weight once he is a full time working royal. I honestly can’t blame him for wanting to put it off. He’s going to have to be doing the job until he dies.
As I said above, I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree on how she is doing. I don’t think she was doing that poorly in the first place, and I don’t think that the bar was set too low. She has been criticized pretty constantly since the wedding. Aside from a few notable exceptions, I don’t have a problem with her hemlines. Where I really think she has improved is in the areas of substance – engaging with people, speaking at events, etc. I think she’s working out how she wants to approach the job and how to deal with her public interactions. Where i see the most room for improvement is in the amount that they are doing.
I’m going to guess that Kate avoids reading any and all media about herself because she is criticized no matter what she does/wears/says, and good on her if that’s true. If she tried to fix everything that is wrong with her according to the internet she’d have a pretty serious job to do. The fact that B was so affected by public shaming of her weight that she publicly trained for a marathon is actually sort of sad. Its great that she did the work and lost weight, but I think having your actions be dictated by what the media/people on the internet say would be a terrible way to live. They’re public figures, but they’re still people.
I don’t compare her to Sophie because Sophie had a career in public relations. Her job was to help people present themselves well to the public, so of course she is good at it. She married a working royal with an already well defined role. Also, Sophie’s place in the ranks of working royals is not guaranteed. She’s got to work a lot harder to justify her position. I’m not saying that its right, but i think its true.
Anyway, I really am not saying that there is nothing to criticize, but I think she is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t at this point.
LNG, I agree with all of your comments here. 🙂
LNG: personally I don’t blame Kate more than William. Where the royal life is concerned, he takes up a bigger proportion of the blame because she is taking her cues from him and is learning from him. Kate is living proof that he is a bad teacher.
In terms of the general public, I venture to speculate that William had a legitimate job that he could say was occupying his time for some time. Which left the question of what to do about Kate. He attends to engagements from time to time, plus that course he did at Cambridge, but it leaves the Kate question unanswered. When people discover the staff help they have, that question becomes a roar and that’s why it seems like Kate receives the lion’s share of criticism. What does she do all day when she has all the help she needs isn’t answered when she shows up unprepared to engagements except for the grooming part.
Going into the past, Kate initially promoted as a quasi Sophie, someone who knew what she was getting into, had all her ducks in a row and would be working from day 1. In other words, whatever William was doing, Kate would be out and about doing something of substance befitting her new role. It really went into overdrive about her being ready.
Therefore, the blame is also on the PR, but the PR doesn’t always run without co-operation from the subject so we could say that she allowed this PR narrative of herself as a hard working person to be promoted. Heck, they speak about it in that engagement interview so she wasn’t unaware of what was expected from her.
I mentioned Sophie and B because I wished to demonstrate a point about Kate. Sophie, like Kate, knew there would be expectations of her irrespective of the pecking order. She did something about it before it could be a problem. Kate by comparison had to be pushed out the door before she came up with 4 charities she could support. That support has been risible at best especially because she’s not juggling so many of them like the others are. All the others are working for their charities and patronages, she isn’t. Have you noticed in her speeches that she’s taken to crediting the work to the royal foundation? No wonder EACH had to cancel a fundraiser due to lack of interest.
B was publicly shamed into doing something about her weight. How many times since the wedding has Kate been publicly shamed about something of no consequence eg hemlines before she did anything about it? And when she did do something about it, the public is made to feel this was forced upon her as opposed to something she might have considered as necessary for her new role.
I do not think a person should be publicly shamed in order to prod them into action, and I remain furious about B’s weight taunting, but i’m also very proud of her for doing something about it. And having the last laugh.
I don’t feel that Kate gives any consideration to what’s needed for her role beyond the clothing and grooming. She has no professional experience to draw upon, and it doesn’t look like she surrounds herself with people who will advise her on such matters, and so the public shaming happens.
I think everyone has some sympathy for anyone entering the royal family, but it’s the perpetual trial period with attendant excuses for Kate that are irritating.
LAK, that was great. I totally agree with you. As you know, I was a huge Kate fan but I got tired of all the talk but no action. I do think their PR has a huge part in this, and if they are allowing these people to put these stories out there without any intent of following through, they are just as culpable.
Personally, I wish she’d just come out and say she wants to be a stay at home mother. Who’s going to argue with that? Most mothers would stay home with their children if they could.
If you want to be a stay at home mom, marry a rich man, but not Prince William. Also, the messages that she’s going to hit the ground running, step up the number of appearances, get more involved, etc., ring hollow when none of it happens.
William doesn’t seem to be that bothered by Kate’s popularity, he knew that was to be expected.
RL should calm the f down, tons of other designers would have killed for that opportunity. But I do agree that Kate should be the one to go to more “fashion” type events because that’s where she shines.
IDK Melly,
I’m starting to think that William likes Kate’s popularity with superficial stuff like fashion, hand waving but not when it comes to charity or work. He is really lazy and wants Kate not to do more than him. Harry can do what he wants since he is a Prince in his own right but not his wife.
Tons of other designers would have killed to spend millions on cancer research?! I’m sorry I don’t see through the same glasses. Probably professional damage in my case.
That guy in the third pic needs some serious teeth whitening.
LOL! 😀
I’m going to get Kate the benefit of the doubt if she’s just home with her kid.
RL needs to get over himself. The only reason why he’s angry is because he didn’t get the opportunity to hustle his clothes to Kate.
He wanted to do a fashion show at the castle? I don’t really see that happening.
It’s been pretty well publicized that W & K try to keep their patronages separate. He decided to sponsor an event for Will’s patronage, so he gets Will. If he only wanted to do it if Kate was there, he should have cleared that before he signed up for it.
Exactly. Support Kate’s charities if her attendance is required.
I say no to invitations all the time because I’d rather be home with my young family (especially if it’s related to my husband’s job), why should Kate be any different?
If Ralph Lauren wanted Kate to appear, maybe he should have sponsored one of her charities instead of William’s.
Thank you! I hate when mothers or fathers announce they are babysitting their own children like it was some chore they were assigned that night! I didn’t know I should be getting paid when I have to stay with my children alone!
To be fair the word “babysitting” was not used by either Kate or William – it was the press which used it.
The problem with William and Kate (even though I just agreed with you in a post I just posted!) is that they are subsidised by public money. They don’t pay rent on their apartment, which is (and I’m not sure about the term of who owns it, so please don’t lay into me over it, people!) publicly owned and run by a charity that runs several properties. It was this charity that was relocated so they could move in. My understanding is that they don’t pay rent in exchange for “work”, which is why Prince/ss Michael pay rent on their apartment, because they’re so far down the list of royals they don’t have enough engagements to pay for their rent.
I don’t believe this story It was already said in advance that Kate would not be attending.
I have a hard time believing this story. Events like this get planned far in advance including the list of people attending. I’m sure Ralph Lauren knew that Kate wasn’t going to be there. It’s highly unlikely he didn’t.
I think maybe the point is that he was pissed off when he found out–far in advance. He didn’t show up and think she was going to be there. He was pissed months ago. And I kinda think he has the right to be. I know it’s Will’s charity, but if fashion is involved she should be there. No one considers Will fashionable–it’s what Kate’s wearing that is of most interest.
Then maybe RL should have made the donation to one of Kate’s patronages if the only reason he’s doing it is to get Kate in his clothes? Or put a condition on his donation that he get both the Duke and Duchess? I think its hard for him to be pissed off about this without looking pretty damn petty. “Oh man, it totally wasn’t worth it to help all of those people with cancer, since I didn’t get to play dress up with the Duchess!”
Technically, fashion is not involved – this is a fashion designer who happens to be making a wonderful donation to one of Will’s patronages and is being thanked for doing so.
Let me clarify. I meant “right to be” in a totally first world problem kind of way. Rich a-holes donating money for tax write off purposes.
And I agree with what @Melly said. Why the hell wouldn’t she wan to go? Seems like it would be fun with all the Hollywood types invited. Go as your husband’s date! It just seems like this would be more fun than 99% of all the other charitable events she has to go to.
It would make more sense if was a last minute back-out. The baby’s sick, Kate has cramps etc. But to say weeks in advance that you most definitely won’t be attending seems strange. But hey, I don’t get out much.
LNG
Spot on. All day long.
Thanks Dame 🙂
It says he found out six weeks ago. He could well have been angry then and calmed down about it since.
I think his wife had breast cancer at one point, which is probably why he underwrote the event.
Not his wife but a close family friend.
I stand corrected.
My favorite Kate WAS there!!!! haha
Much made over nothing.
The more you think about this, the weirder it is. This event seems tailor made for Kate — she didn’t even need William there. She may not be a style icon to most of us, but she does move merchandise and people look to her.
Why she was pushed out of this one is a head scratcher and it almost seems like Williams registers how odd it is the minute he begins speaking with Ralph. “Oops…”
I don’t think this has anything to do with her not wanting to work. Can we give that up, please? She would’ve attended this event.
I agree with you, I think this was odd. I can’t imagine Kate sponsoring a polo charity event and William not being there.
William and his staff learned a lesson on this one and I doubt we’ll see another solo fashion charity event without Kate again.
If this is true, I’d find it pretty gross if he was going to not sponsor it simply because one person wasn’t there. Was this to meet celebrities, or help a cancer hospital? Because if it’s the latter, be grateful for everyone who showed up, and grateful to have the means to help others.
He did sponsor it. He did not pull out…
Its not uncommon for philanthropic sponsors to have strings attached to their donations. I would not be surprised if six weeks ago, RL was informed Kate would not be there and he was furious. Kate is valuable PR for a fashion house, William is not. Clearly, RL got over the initial annoyance. He still held up his promise to sponsor this event and provide funding for the new hospital wing.
Its also not the first time William & Kate promised to co-host something, only for Kate to bow out at the last minute. I recall a big scandal about the Covenant House dinner, where the charity found out Kate would not be at the very last minute, long after the invitations had already been sent with her & William as cohosts. It was a big embarrassment for the charity and the palace threw them under the bus claiming Kate was never scheduled to attend.
Whose really acting gross here? The one promising and giving millions, or the ones making the false promises?
Where’s a preach gif when you need one? Well said Juliette.
Amen!
Juliette, I know he did come through, I’m only going by what this article, which very well may be false, said: “He considered pulling out but was told by his PR advisers that it would look terrible.”
The whole “strings attached” thing bugs me, the idea that a charity is only worth supporting if the fundraisers can get the right guest list and publicity.
As for Kate not attending, if she promised she would and bailed, that’s lousy. No argument there.
Sorry but this is not accurate. In this case Kate never said she would be there. She owes Lauren absolutely nothing. If he was using his money to rub elbows with the nobility then that is his affair. But should he actually look like a hero for going through with the donation despite Kate not attending? Pathetic.
RL’s only comment on the whole thing is that he’s always been enthusiastic about the event. None of RL’s words or actions are off base, and he DOES look like a hero to the many people who will be helped by the new hospital wing.
A good deed done. Is a good deed done.
You sound incredibly ungrateful. Pathetic.
Juliette
Ungrateful?
Lolol…you’re really reaching.
You are correct, Juliette. And indeed, it’s not the first time not only Kate but celebrities and high profile figures “change their plans”. It is not unheard of and says a lot about them. If Kate did step back or not, I can not say but if she did it wouldn’t surprise me. And, of course, we don’t know if she had confirmed in advance but as I said in the previous thread, her absense was plain stupid. I say it from my own professional point of view as a PR. Mr. Lauren can easily survive without her and I’d never believe he suffered greatly her absense (while she is good PR for his fashion house, he has been in the field long enough to have enough support without her) but she or her advisor were stupid. The good news is that with the more and more wobbly image Kate develops, the guests who were there are actually bringing enough to the event.
“….Was this to meet celebrities, or help a cancer hospital?…”
Maybe both?
If I’m understanding things correctly, Ralph Lauren made 2 donations: he paid for a new cancer wing AND he paid for this gala event.
So, the hospital has already received their generous donation.
This gala looks like it was just a frivolous party for William. Like the celeb-filled tea party in LA. Or his staff meeting on the Hogwarts set.
The gala was a fundraising event. It wasn’t a party for Will, he was there as the hospital’s patron to support the fundraiser.
Yeah and the Bafta Tea in LA was also called a fundraiser & William’s play date on the Harry Potter set was said to ‘raise awareness’.
I think you may be confused about the L.A. event: they went to the Brits to Watch BAFTA evening event in L.A. (Will is president of BAFTA), but the daytime tea was for Tusk Trust (which he has been a patron of for ages). And the Harry Potter thing was to officially open the studio; they were there to publicize the attraction and also brought several hundred kids from their charities.
These kinds of events are (a) the “job” of being a Royal and (b) raise a lot of money. I don’t really know what you think they should be doing if not that kind of thing.
Anyone else think Ralph Lauren looks like a goblin bankteller from Gringotts?
Hahahaha. Crabby peasant.
My guess is Ralph Lauren did not know Kate was gonna bail. According to the DM, He found out/was told only 6 weeks ago, which is probably when the invitations went out. For a corporate sponsor, that is awwwwwfuly late to be finding out a co-host is bailing.
For a black tie gala like this, sponsors are approached to pay for the thing months & months in advance. And if the Fashion Police have taught me anything, it is that choosing a ball gown for a gala event takes MONTHS. If Ralph Lauren thought they were dressing Kate Middleton to co-host a Ralph Lauren sponsored gala, you can bet they’d been working with Kate for months & months before this.
But it seems like this crap happens a lot to Will & Kate:
– word gets out that a W&K attended event was screwed up & the hosts/sponsors are upset
– W&Ks excuse is ‘It was never supposed to happen that way anyway. Hey, have you seen our baby, Prince George?’
I don’t blame RL for being mad either. It makes more sense for Kate to be at this event than William. Kate attending would be an opportunity to showcase one of his gowns, AND draw more attention to the charity being helped. Will alone isn’t a big enough press draw anymore.
And can we kill the idea of Kate being a regular housewife? She has a job, she didn’t just marry a man, she married into an institution. She has to do her part like the rest of them to maintain the cushy lifestyle that they enjoy as Royals.
Didn’t even think about the fact they probably were designing a dress for her. Wow. Something isn’t right in Lamebridge land.
•Mena•
Your points could also support the fact that Kate never planned to go at all. As you stated, finding a dress, getting it tailored, etc.etc. takes a lot of pre-planned work.
@LadySlippers, the thing is Ralph Lauren’s press release on the matter does not support William’s version.
According to William’s PR, Kate was never supposed to be there.
According to Ralph Lauren’s PR, “Mr Lauren has only ever been enthusiastic about attending the event.”
They are not on the same page on this mess.
•Mena•
Did RL actually put this story out OR is this the DM scrambling for a new story to generate hits?
RL isn’t exactly new to the business and my guess is he’s used to miscommunication and issues. Even made up ones by the press.
@LadySlippers, I don’t know who put the story out there, but the fact remains that William & a big money donor are not in agreement on how things went down.
Ralph Lauren is not new to the business & I don’t recall ever reading anything this messed up in connection to any of their sponsored events.
However, this is not the first time that something like this has happened to Will & Kate. If these screw ups keep happening, it can’t always be ‘miscommunication’ or the other party’s fault.
What Mena said.
•Mena•
Where have we seen this disagreement though? Only in the DM. Has RL actually put out an official statement stating that he was furious? To the best of my knowledge, the answer is no.
We’ve seen numerous times when the press was talking out of their a$$ so we have no real proof this is anything different.
@LadySlippers, IMO, the disagreement is in the omission.
If Ralph Lauren truly had never expected Kate Middleton to attend, their press release would’ve said so.
Instead, the company’s official response to the brouhaha about Kate being a ‘no show’, was “Mr Lauren has only ever been enthusiastic about attending the event”, which is a very polite & diplomatic way to distance themselves from this Will & Kate mess without agreeing with any of the excuses that William has made.
You can only ‘bail’ on an event if you said you were going and then changed your mind. If Lauren assumed Kate would be there and then found out he was wrong then he should learn not to assume.
How are you so sure that it’s Ralph Lauren that is assuming anything? They paid nearly $2m for this party. I doubt they would’ve done so ‘hoping’ that Kate would co-host.
And it’s been reported that William worked with Alexandra Shulman, the Editor of British Vogue, on the guest list. So, if anyone promised that Kate would be there, it came from William & Kate.
That’s what “if” means.
Since we’re throwing ‘ifs’ around, if William, while drawing up the guest list, led gala organizers to believe that Kate would attend to only back out after the donors had already agreed to pay for the party, then the donors have a right to be ‘furious’.
If that is what happened, it looks like William did a bait & switch, which is a shitty thing to do.
Actually the article says the Prince of Wales (Charles) got a new PR person back in 2012 – not William! And I think they only have one full-tie nanny. But yeah, even with one nanny, she easily could have gone.
Actually, there is Jessie Webb. The Spanish nanny was hired because Ms. Webb did not want to travel with the Cambridges anymore, but she was not terminated. In addition to 2 nannies, there is also a housekeeper who does all the cooking and cleaning. AND Kate has a personal assistant who probably moonlights as a nanny when nanny #1 and nanny #2 are not available.
I suspect that when it was “only” Jessie Webb, there was a younger nanny/helper to assist.
But generally speaking, they have quite a large staff. At Christmas the year before George was born, they had a staff party for 20+, all the while claiming to only employ the bare minimum.
•AM•
The number for that Christmas dinner was 27 staff, which includes their press offices and such.
With George on the scene that means they are well over 30 people working for them in one capacity or another.
Maybe its better that she didn’t attend; she probably wouldn’t have looked as good as all would hope. She is always just a hair off in her clothing choices and the other ladies did a good job representing. We would probably be talking about how Kate was the worst dressed of the lot if she had gone.
True.
This is all I have to say:
Not only is Ralph Lauren’s wife impeccably dressed for the occasion, but judging from her body language and smile, she is a really nice person as well.
Maybe Kate could take a few lessons?
^^^^PennyLane+++++++
He has no reason to be upset. If he wanted her there he should have had that detail worked out *before* he put his money down. Sounds crass, but if there were strings attached to his sponsorship, he should have been up front about those strings well before any commitment was made. No reason to simply assume she will attend since it is William’s charity. RL should have sponsored one of Kate’s charities if he wanted to make sure she was there.
agreed.
I’m still peeved at ralph for putting his polo logo huge and above the American flag on the Olympics opening ceremony uniforms.
what an uncool greedy dude.
Ralph Lauren was born in the Bronx during the Great Depression. Everything he has achieved is entirely through his own hard work. He’s an American success story. His Polo brand is internationally recognized as posh and exclusive, I’d say that’s very cool.
The underlying fact of this story is that RL gave millions of dollars to have a new hospital wing built and to throw this gala for its benefit. You consider that greedy?
And let’s not even start unpacking those pesky sweatshop rumors that won’t quite go away. Lauren is a successful entrepreneur and businessman. Not a hero.
Oh if it isn’t my favorite deluded noblewoman here to attack anyone not aristocratic enough to see that we should all be in awe of her beloved Middling Kate. Certainly, she must refer to the very true facts that the Party Pieces “fortune” has only been accumulated by the high margins the Middleton’s have placed on items that most definitively were produced by sweatshop AND child labour.
•Juliette•
Ouch. I don’t think Snark was saying anything other than he’s not a hero. Is RL a Titan in the fashion industry? Absolutely. Should we reflect and admire him for what he’s accomplished both personal and professionally? Again, absolutely.
But hero? That’s debatable regardless of the side you’d fall on.
Definition of hero:
“A hero or heroine refers to someone who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity.” ~from Wikipedia
Personally, I think we overuse the term (which isn’t to say Ralph isn’t one).
And when has Snark blindly adored the Middleton’s so much so that she became a stan?
Lol
Respect* not reflect.
Sorry for the goof!
Juliette
First of all, what?
Second of all, in order to respond fully to your comment I would have to be able to understand and contextualize it and frankly, I am at a loss.
Your dismissive, patronizing and combative tone puzzles me and seems jarringly out of place with the commentary.
I once had a delightful exchange with you on a thread discussing how Kate planned to decorate her residences and I have known you to be primarily knowledgeable and courteous. If I bring this level of disrespect out of you I think you should refrain from commenting on my posts. Or rather, in the interests of freedom of expression, I simply will choose not to engage you.
I am by nature a debater and I love discussing challenging ideas, but honestly, I’m not stoic or detached enough not to feel disappointed.
Lady Slippers
Thank you. I hope you don’t mind being my hero today, I think I need one.
No one, including Juliette, called Ralph Lauren a hero. She called him a success story. Sort of different.
When people debate and disagree, sometimes they get mad. Maybe it’s a bad day and something just rubs you the wrong way, and maybe sometimes you’d like to reach through your screen and choke someone out. I’ve got mad at a few people here, and rather than tell them not to respond to my posts, I just ignore theirs until I’m not mad any more.
He found out with plenty of time, and I do think it’s weird that Kate would voluntarily pass up this kind of event. Could this be Charles’ advice to his son?
When I first saw this story on DM, I thought they were publishing an old story, because isn’t this what happened before? And that time, it was at KP. She was thought to be attending but didn’t go even though she was mentioned on the promotions/invitations or whatever. And then the charity organizers had to apologize & say they made the mistake of believing Kate would attend (even though they believed they had gotten the official word that she would be attending)? And the excuse that time was spending time w/ George too or something?
Then this again? But this time at WC?
All charity organizers should from now on, make it clear that there’s no guarantee that Kate would attend because she’s flaky.
yep.
I have trouble thinking of Kate as that big of a deal. Do people really want to see her that much?
it’s corny, but I like to see pics. on their tour it was great, news every day.
**hangs head in shame**
I read all the comments, and flip flopped about what I thought.
I agree that if Ralph specifically wanted Kate, he should have targeted “her” charities.
However, I find it just plain odd she wasn’t there. Has she been seen in public since their return?
This Gala, to me, was a couples event. Ralph and his wife went, Willy and his wife should have attended.
I think she doesn’t want to set the bar too high. If she can do an event so soon after returning from Australia, then she certainly can do more and more each month (hope it’s clear what I mean here)
The BRF couples never do events together unless they are official state events or private events. If RL wanted the most famous clothes hanger in the world, he should have donated to one of Kate’s charities.
Also, Kate does not do events that involve eating. I don’t recall ever hearing about her attending a dinner and no dinners were held in their honor on the NZ/AU tour.
It’s not just a case of Ralph sponsoring a dinner, he is funding a whole new breast cancer wing for the Hospital. In fact he said we had several places in mind but we picked ‘Marsden’ William answered that he chose well. He is not British, why chose a UK hospital over an American one, they should be bending over backward to show their appreciation.
If Ralf wanted Kate he had a very good bargaining chip and it is just common courtesy to show your appreciation for that kind of commitment , the fact that William actually said ‘I know you’d prefer Kate here’ seems to indicate that there was some discussion behind the scenes. They has six weeks to iron this out, how hard is it to get Kate ready to go to a dinner for a couple of hours even with only a few days notice and what an absolutely rubbish excuse.
My money is on El Divo (William) not wanting Kate to steal his thunder.
And yet it could be “couple-thunder”, and so much more valuable and useful to everyone. Who is advising this couple, and what are they thinking? Are the masses just expected to speculate about their seeming rudeness? Their excuses are silly, period.
It interests me that Ralph Lauren, as American as they come, is endowing hospitals in the UK. It strikes me that he might be a bit starstruck when it comes to British royalty – so maybe he signed up not really paying attention to the particulars. But someone on his team should have read through the fine print and determined what was what before making commitments. So he might have felt foolish and a bit duped.
Everyone regrouped and behaved decorously though.
Suze, I had the same thought. Why London and not New York?
I will have to disagree. For example, the SickKids hospital in Toronto gets sponsorship and donors from all around the world because it is among the best children’s hospitals in the world and little patients arrive from many different places. Quality is what should be supported. Based on what I know about this particular London hospital is that they have significant background in amazing doings regarding cancer patients. May be there is a similar one in the USA but this should not exclude any other successful hospital in the world, regardless the donor’s origins. In this battle the overestimated patriotism matters least and that’s how it should be. I knew about SickKids from the other end of the globe years before I personally visited it and started supporting their work through my work.
I’m sure that’s a worthy cause, however we arent talking about patriotism here.
Ralph deliberately picked a charity with British royal patron for a reason.
I agree with Suze, and I don’t believe he was all that bothered about not seeing the duchess. I believe he’s angling for some recognition like an honorary knighthood, if that’s possible.
@Olenna
RL is seeking something for sure. I think he was probably annoyed and disappointed at not getting the duchess for the event at first, but getting support from any royal patron was even higher on his list. Once he found out, I think he adjusted his expectations and went on with the show. He is successful professional, and that is what they do.
I don’t for a minute believe that he was casting around for the best breast cancer charity anywhere in the world, as noble or altruistic as that would be. I think he was casting around for the best fit of any royal patronage – where his interests and royal support converged.
He’s starstruck by royalty!
Maybe we will see Sir Ralph somewhere, someday : ).
I know you don’t call it babysitting when it is your own kids – but to be honest there are times when it feels like it. I think every truthful mother will admit that. It’s not all unicorns and rainbows.
Ricky’s dress is awful. I hate that couture Wild West thing RL does. But I love that they have been married for 50 years.
RL has been doing that look since the eighties, and Ricky has been wearing it consistently.
I’m not fond of it myself. I’m more of a minimalist (as is everyone these days.)
I agree that they have had a strong and successful marriage.
I have to ask, if Daily Mail is considered a tabloid and pretty much looked down on in the UK why do publications use it as a source? Or is it just American publications that use it as a source?
According to the links, Ralph also thought he was getting a runway show? At Windsor castle? Previous articles claimed Kate turned down an invitation to attend (again, from the Daily Mail) so why would he have expected her?
I get a bit tired of all the Daily Mail slagging, Bwarf. I think they get picked on because they run the most stories.
Personally I liked the one today about Harry having a few and offering to buy a pub! Don’t particularly care if it’s true; it was cute.
We all complain about it and all read it. The last laugh is on us.
Let’s flip this and try a different perspective. If majority of the British population begrudgingly accepts the monarchy because of tourism mad money, then essentially the royal family is being pimped and will be until the well runs dry.
If ur looking for a hero in fundraising terms I give you stephen sutton, th boy who raised millions for th teenage cancer trust while he was himself dying from cancer who passed away this week. A real hero, a totally selfless indivual and inspiration to us all.
Wow…thanks everyone for the great posts regardless of whether I agree with all points or not. I am strangely curious the DoC because her public image and royal status puts her in a position to lead and influence people across the world. That can be said about only a small handful of young women world wide. Yet, as under-skilled as she is she continues to hide away in luxury. I find myself dumbfounded by many of the decisions about their charities, appearances, work, not work, etc. There is just something about the decisions they make that seems off or makes them look dishonest– like they have something to hide. It seems like they are really struggling as individuals and as a couple to hit their stride in terms of their role. It gives them the appearance of being reluctant or hesitant to be royals. PW didn’t choose this, but DoC did. I can’t imagine that this her “job” is easy–but somehow she has to get out there and do it. Her not being by PWs side at evening, formal events looks like missed opportunities to me. Again, may be they are trying to find their stride. Regardless, isn’t the DoCs 1 year mat leave up on June 13 (or thereabouts) since that was when she officially went on leave? Then I’m sure we will see TONS of her doing spectacular solo engagements.
Although women in the UK, at least some of them, get one year maternity leave, that has never applied to royal women. They are back at work much more quickly, and to be fair to Kate, she has worked, at least a little, in the last year.
I’m fascinated by what the plan is for the Cambridges. They are very successful when they do tours but seem to just disappear otherwise. Is it deliberate? Is it palace stupidity? Is it laziness? Who knows?
Ralph needs to spend less time worrying about Kate and more time worrying about what his wife is wearing. Crikey! HIgh ruffle neck, satin jacket AND tiered skirt ruffles??!!