The Duchess of Cambridge debuts chic new hairstyle and it looks just lovely http://t.co/1Wb0cm7NmP pic.twitter.com/OSLPOp1tjV
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) September 13, 2015
Here is Duchess Kate making a triumphant return to “royal duties,” or what you and I would call “going to church with our grandmother.” The Cambridges traveled to Scotland last week to spend several days with Queen Elizabeth after the Queen “coaxed” Kate with a promise of a shiny honor. The photo above represents the first time Kate has been photographed since July. And in that time, Kate got some bangs/fringe. She did something similar after Prince George was born too, she got some layers around her face which mysteriously disappeared just a few weeks later, but she doesn’t wear weaves/extensions, remember? Anyway, I’m not a fan – this look really ages her.
Meanwhile, some were curious as to whether the Cambridges brought their children to Scotland. They did. Did they travel by car? By train? By royal helicopter? Nope. Instead, they took a private plane. The plane itself is an £8 million Cessna, and some estimate that the cost of the flight would have been around £12,000 to rent. But the Daily Express doubts the Cambridges had to pay anything:
As any parent knows, travelling with a toddler and a baby is not easy at the best of times. But when you’ve been summoned to see the Queen, scheduled economy is not an option. And so it was the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge found themselves flying by private jet to Scotland last week, thanks to one of Britain’s richest men.
The Duke of Westminster Gerald Grosvenor kindly loaned the couple his £8million Cessna to make the journey from Sandringham to the Highlands with Prince George, two, and four-month-old Princess Charlotte. It is the second time George has flown on the eight-seater jet, which would cost £12,000 a day to rent. The future king took his first flight in the twin-engined “Citation X” when he visited his great-grandfather Prince Philip in Scotland when just a few weeks old in September 2013.
The Cambridge family were spotted disembarking the aircraft at Aberdeen airport last Tuesday on the eve of a celebratory dinner at Balmoral to mark the Queen becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch on September 9.
An onlooker said: “There were three cars waiting on the Tarmac for them as they landed. William and Kate got in one car with Prince George and then Charlotte, who was carried in a car seat, went in another car with the nanny. They had quite a few bodyguards with them.”
William splits his time between Cambridge and Norwich airports, where he is a rescue pilot with the East Anglia Air Ambulance. Scheduled flights to Aberdeen from either airport with BMI/ FlyBe would have cost about £150 per person and taken nearly two hours. It would have taken eight hours to make the 478-mile trip by road from their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall in Sandringham.
Kensington Palace refused to comment on the flight as it is classed as “private travel” but stressed it wasn’t taken at taxpayers’ expense. It is assumed the cost was covered by the Duke of Westminster, who is estimated to be worth £8.6billion, making him the UK’s ninth richest man, according to the latest Rich List.
I often wonder when the palace “stresses” that something extravagant by the Cambridges wasn’t at taxpayer expense. I mean, if they’re saying that William didn’t organize a government plane to take his family to Scotland, sure, I’ll believe that. But I do wonder WHO paid for the plane rental or if it was just a “gift” from the Duke of Westminster. We’ll probably never know. As for their insistence on traveling by private plane… I imagine that it was about having two young children more than anything else.
Photos courtesy of Twitter, WENN.
I like the bangs, they don’t bother me… What bothers me is that they took a private plane!!!
Why, celebrities,wanna be celebrities, all take private planes. The queen did all the time, I think the Queens plan on hate on Kate is working. Bawhahahaah.
William and Kate keep spouting how they are Normal, yet they borrow their friends Private jets for flights that would cost $12,000. William and Kate are hypocrites, they talk out of both sides of their mouths.
Kate’s face looks so worn, her skin, is aging so quickly.
As usual William looks like a unhappy camper.
The Queen and celebrities don’t blather on about how middle class and normal they are, do they?
because they are not “celebrities”. They are royals who live of the tax payer and are supposed to do charities and other “good things for UK”. But they don’t. Therefor it bothers me when they use a private plane, besides the cost or who it belongs to, it’s REALLY bad for the environment and they have not earn it nor do they deserve it, nor is there an actual need for it.
@evermore.
You beat me to it. The self-proclaimed “normal” middle-class Dolittles pulled some royal strings to borrow a private plane to visit Granny. I bet the excuse was because of “the kids”. Not to mention the nannies, PAs and a security team. The hypocrisy is ridiculous with these two.
Also, the fact that it’s news when Kate gets bangs/fringe only shows how little of worth she does with her days. And it looks like all the self-indulgent pampering this woman-child does is having the opposite effect. She looks so old. Ugh!
Wouldn’t the kids & nanny fit in a minivan?
Seriously? Who cares whether they flew or drove to Scotland?
Tammy
They aren’t paying for this so who is? More specifically is it coming from tax funds. Or is it a gift from a “friend”? If a friend it could be seen as buying favor. Sort of like what Fergie did. Cash or Service in exchange for something only a royal or insider to arrange.
And it goes directly against the PR narrative they’re normal and middle class. The PR talks them into corners so often.
The Duke of Westminster’s son Hugh is one of George’s god parents. The Duchess of Westminster is one of William’s god parents. The families are very close so I don’t think there is anything unusual about the Duke loaning them his plane. He is one of the wealthiest people in the world so I doubt he gave even the smallest thought to the cost.
You know if they had taken a BA plane though, we’d never hear the end of how “normal” they are by flying a commercial jet, “just like us!” The hypocrisy with them is stunning.
I think it was the Duke of Westminster’s private helicopter. Not that it matters which.
Wow, the bangs really do age her. I’m glad she finally tried something new, but just not sure of the outcome.
That was my first thought too… glad she’s changing it up a bit, but not sure the bangs are doing her any favors. Maybe as she gets more used to styling them?
My thoughts, too. Her bangs age her. In the first pic she looks as if she is in the same age bracket as her mother.
Also my first thought. The long, heavy hair and the bangs are not a good combo.
Agreed, my first thought was that she’s morphing into her mother. The infernal eyeliner isn’t helping, she looks so hard to me.
I laughed at the DM calling the hairstyle “chic.”
Oops
I think her eyeliner ages her. Or maybe it’s her skincare regimen. The bangs look fine to me (or least different from the same ‘ol ‘ol) but the way her eyeliner is done looks really weird for a “celebrity.” I wonder what it looks like in person…(maybe it looks better in person??? and that’s why she keeps doing it this way?).
Call me cynical on this lovely Monday morning, but now I’m really starting to think that her disappearing act *was* to recover from some sort of tweaking.
Covering up a scar, maybe, like that weave *AHEM* sorry, injury from her childhood?
Nah, definitely not. Go look at the close up, non-airbrushed pictures – she looks BAD. Not younger or refreshed in any way. Her huge, deep forehead wrinkles, eyebags, dried out skin, etc. are out in force. I don’t think she’s had any work done, but in fact now do think she may be pregnant again because she doesn’t even look like she’s returned to her botoxing.
(BTW, before anyone yells at me for saying I don’t find her attractive, I don’t care one way or another that she has wrinkles and dried out skin. I’m just replying to the idea that she’s had work done.)
So true.
….how do a pampered, entitled, rich, lazy donothing -sit at home and age so fast; with nothing to worry about – bills, mortgage, raising our kids- – only lift a finger to direct staff (or carol); all the nannies, cooks, housekeepers, personal assistance for hair, clothes (makeup?), trainer – carol supply of herbal/toast/etc ., manage to look so worn, tired and living in the country ‘air’?
Is she so devastated/overwhelmed and unprepared, to cut carol grasping cord – and deal with Orders from HM /The Firm/POW to get with royal duties – It’s amazing (childish and immature), after 14 years, to have no sense of what is expected of a royal marry in… at her position!
She waited /hunt almost 10 years for the post – deal with it!
My guesses: smoking and tanning. Even if she’s quit both, they’ve done their damage to her skin. My opinion only.
As someone with genetic eyebags, had them since as a child, yeah those aren’t always a good depiction of age. Also she is a new mother. Agree with you she doesn’t look like she has has work, she looks like a mom with really young kids. ITs probably stressful even if you have nannies because she has to keep up a very public appearance. Us normal mortals can wear sweats, not put on MU as new moms and its expected/ OK. She will be harshly criticized no matter what she does in the camera eye. She looks good, oh well she has had surgery “I’m a mom and how dare her look good because I don’t get assistants!”. She looks bad, “OMG why would she got out in public because she has help”!!!! We can so ridiculous when it comes to criticizing other women.
She smokes. Apparently a lot. She’s not gonna age well, in fact she already isn’t.
@isabelle – I have the same eye bags. I get Pelleve treatments and they make a huge difference. They are expensive, but I got so sick of hearing people tell me I look exhausted.
yall must be some pristine biatches that can fight the effects of gravity. Only hard work can defy this gravity. Seriously! Yes, having access to privilege, after years of earning it, is no excuse for common wrinkles! I commend her for not looking like a deformed person. She is the best representation of a mid thirties woman that I havr seen portrayed in the media. Why are we not celebrating this???!!
@ QWERTY has there been any evidence of her smoking recently? I don’t disbelieve you, it’s just that I haven’t seen any photos or read anything about her smoking for a number of years now. I remember she was spotted with some cigarettes in her handbag but I think that was in 2007? I would be surprised if she smoked while pregnant/breastfeeding/around her babies, but then again, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s surprised me! (unpleasantly, that is 😉)
She was smoking in the topless pics that were taken exactly 3 years ago. It’s mentioned in many articles but the pics have been removed from the net pretty much.
The scar from a childhood injury is referenced in her biography. Kate is vain but I doubt a surgery scar story was invented as an excuse for a weave rumor that would start years later.
Here’s the thing THE WEAVE STORY CAME DIRECTLY from HER Hairdresser to the Press.
The scar story was true, but the WEAVE STORY was TRUE TOO, Her hairdresser gave the weave story to the press directly and the press printed it, but within two hours of the printing Kate said it was just a scar and then the hairdresser was fired.
Her hairdresser just told the truth, that he had placed extensions in Kate’s hair, he did not think it was THAT big of a deal to mention a few extensions addedl, until she fired him or let it be known he was no longer wanted.
He even showed a video where he is doing a girl who wants Kate Middleton hair and he is shown adding exentions and doing a blow out, smoothing the natural hair and extensions together, then he cuts, trims and blends.
Further to Evernote’s comment, the palace never directly denied the extensions. Instead they deflected by putting the scar story correction such that the narrative changed from ‘that’s a weave you are looking at’ to ‘that’s a scar you are looking at’.
The two things aren’t and weren’t mutually exclusive, but by deflecting everybody started talking about the scar and stopped talking about the extensions.
Wow, the palace is fraught with lying liars who lie, dishing out half-truths and deflecting, deflecting, deflecting. Do you have to be a pathological liar to have this job?
It is f*cked up to fire someone for insinuating/saying that you have extensions in. WTF? Extensions are so ubiquitous these days
True and no one cares about something as inconsequential as weave (except Kate) but my point was that the weave cover up has wrongly caused some people to doubt the scar story. As LAK said, they are not mutually exclusive.
I’m still very curious on that scar. The statement said it was from a major childhood surgery. On her head! If that’s a deflection it’s a terrible one. What happened to er that she needed surgery near her temple and left a scar that large?
From a medical perspective this is very curious for me.
And ah… Wiglet Watch. Good time.
Florc: if you google pics of Kate around age 8-11 or thereabouts, she looks sickly, with huge dark circles under her eyes. My guess is that whatever the medical issue, it happened around then.
Hmmm: a good PR is a master at deflection. It’s all about changing talking points.
LAK
I’ve seen those photos and took a refresher look. I see the periorbital, but not anything sickly looking. Just very curious.
And you’re right. It was masterful deflection. That they added in the major surgery makes the ears perk up and forget all about the quadrupling of her hair.
FLORC – Daily Mail (or another UK tabloid) asked a plastic surgeon to look at the scar photos and he was pretty confident it looked like a scar from removing a large birthmark.
MinnFinn
My strongest opinion on it was a large birth mark too.
I just can’t think of a childhood illness that would call for a “major surgery” in that location leaving a scar that big unless it was for that.
And I can see a situation with maybe sensetive skin there causing hairbrushing to be painful so it would make sense to remove it. It’s not anymore more than a simple procedure.
i have a scar on the side of my forehead in my hair, i fell through a basement window when i was about 2
this is in response to someone down thread who said they couldnt think of an injury that would cause such a scar, not saying it happened to kate mids
lisa
Scar from injury and scar from surgery. Whoever said that went off bad information. Or confusing information.
@ EVERMORE do you happen to have a link to that video or remember the hairdresser’s name? I would LOVE to see how he put the extensions in!
@BURNSIE, agreed. Extensions are so common these days, I can’t imagine why she/the palace would have even cared enough to address it. I would get extensions if I could afford them plus the upkeep. This story is an excellent illustration of “the Streisand Effect.” If they had never said anything about it, it would have been long forgotten by now and we wouldn’t even be having this conversation! They unwittingly MADE it an issue by coming out with the story about a scar. SMH
And they jumped right on it too! That article was only up for a few hours on the night of Kate’s event.
Please note: these pics were taken by Tanna. FYI.
Thanks for pointing that out. It explains a lot.
And no complaints from cambridges.
Considering how much they complain about Tanna, it’s stupid to keep working with him.
Someone said the Cambridges don’t dare complain when the Senior Royals allow the papz to take photos when on a outing with them such as this. William just has to sit back and bite his lip and take it. If Charles, Camilla and Queen don’t complain, when on a outing , he can’t complain either or he would have to involve the Senior Royals and they aren’t getting into his dramas on events like these.
One of the Kate fans, mentioned photos someone had too of Kate and William arriving off the plane ,William and Kate got in one car and the Nanny took both baby Charlotte and George s to the other car. The nanny had the kids with her.
(But those photos were NOT professional, or papz photos, they were a Fan who saw them disembarking and had a cell phone)
Looks like he was biting his lip too!!
Of course. Anyone surprised?
Why would the Duke of Westminster pay for the flight? Will he pay for me to fly to Great Britain? I could use the vacation.
I suppose having rich friends pay for things is one way all the royals get around the perception that they are living high hog on the country’s dime.
I don’t hate bangs as much as Kaiser does, and I actually thing the bangs make her look much younger than the hair in face bottom photo. But I hate to harp on this woman’s looks when there is so much else….
Isn’t the Duke of Westminster a rich landowner and also owns lots of property which he rents out?
I more wonder which kinds of favour he gets for paying for their trip. It is disgusting.
Spot on.
Yes, where is the line – what deal/favour will he be given in return for the use of his multi million private plane…
Where is Petulant Jason Lawsuit threats against Tanna taking ‘private’ photos? Only ok when the PR suits Petulant middleton.
I don’t think this is that big of a deal. I know of a very wealthy couple in my area who are very generous about loaning out their private jet for worthy causes such as flights for organ transplant teams or the Make A Wish foundation. A friend used to work for them and as she said, it’s a good cause, good p.r., often tax deductible, and the pilot is on salary. So if the plane is just sitting there why not do a favor when asked? I may not admire the Cambridges, but he is the future king, so it’s just good business.
Dear heavens – a businessman loaning his plane to the Make a Wish foundation is very different from loaning your ride to the Cambridges. That said, I know why the Duke did it – grease the palm so your name is up front when you need a favor.
It’s the fact that Normal Bill and Cathy are still sending out PR on their middle class lives that makes me laugh.
suze, it’s good to have you back.
The Duke of Westminster is a long time family friend and very close to Charles. His son, Hugh, is a close friend of William and one of George’s god parents.
My godmother doesn’t loan me her car when I need to get somewhere. She figures that I am adult and I will sort it all out. Use my own, hire one if I really need to. Funny, huh?
She doesn’t even front me bus money – I guess I could ask next time.
Really, though, that’s not the point. It’s not the plane or the fact that it’s perfectly normal for his son’s godfather’s father to loan them the plane – I suppose in some convulated upper British class way, it is perfectly normal. But that’s the point. It’s only normal in the very upper echelons of society, where Normal Bill does not want to reside, right?
It is perfectly true that Diana did stuff like that all the time. She freely took holidays and trips on other people’s dime. The difference is that Diana also did her job and contributed to the greater good. Quite frankly, it went a long way that she owned who she was. She was always an aristocrat who married into the royal family and never pretended to be Diana from the block.
Unlike Normal Bill in the suburbs working his normal job just like normal folks. Who, according to some on here, we should leave alone as he goes about his normal business because there are no royal expectations of him at all.
Eh, you know what? I’m getting ridiculously het up about this nonsense. I think it’s the cognitive dissonance between the Cambridge PR and how they really live their lives. Just drives me buggy.
@ Giddy
A private plane the type which rich businessmen own and which has its own pilot on a regular unterminated employment contract :
– fuel costs a lot of money
– landing at an airport costs a lot of money
– legal administrative stuff costs a lot of money
So it isn’t as if you borrow Granny’s car and waste 3 or 6 gallons of gas.
Even with a small private airplane (Cessna) a single hour flight costs around 1.000 Euros and airport fees are additional. (quick google)
A bigger airplane which seats around 10 people would costs 6.000 – 7.000 Euros for a one hour flight and airport fees are additional.
I doubt that Mr. William Middleton and wife would use such a small airplane.
The Duchess of Westminster is Normal Bill’s Godmother –
“William had six godparents: former King Constantine II of Greece (his paternal second cousin once removed); Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (his paternal first cousin twice removed); the Duchess of Westminster; Lady Susan Hussey; Lord Romsey (his paternal second cousin once removed); and Sir Laurens van der Post.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William,_Duke_of_Cambridge
Which just goes to show how ‘Normal’ he really is (NOT)
I guess your whole life depends on what godparents you have.
Maybe Normal Bill and Cathy were remiss in choosing “ordinary” godparents for their kids. They should have thrown in a duke or a foreign royal in there, just to keep the favor machine going. Normal Bill really can’t think strategically.
The rich get richer and the rest of us struggle to tread water. Right now the gap between the very rich 1% and everybody else in the West is a wide as it was in the 1930’s.
“Just one of us” is a byline that was used for the Queen yesterday in the Telegraph. It must be catchy, but then again, they are speaking of her fellow aristos here. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11862072/The-Queen-is-just-one-of-us-at-her-local-Womens-Institute.html
The only thing to be bothered about is that this is considered work. How they got there is irrelevant, traveling with an entourage will be costly and on a commercial flight it would be very disruptive for security reasons. Sure they pretend like they are middle class normal, but we all know that is bull… No one is buying that, they are rich and royal and live like it, the end.
(Not being rich, never mind royal, I have been on private jets with family who are very wealthy, and yes, they do things such as “send the jet” or “send the Benz with the driver” or “here, take the yacht for the weekend”. Because they can, and why not if you are close?)
Wonder what happened to Kate? Thought she was keen to join the local WI!
Duke of W also leases the Spanish estate where William and Harry hunt. Normal people deal with taking kids on flights all the time, but these two had to take a private plane for what reason? Because they were so busy with royal engagements they didn’t have time to go to the regular airport?
They have two small children, nas. And all that security! Two small children!
Actually, I think I’d do it too, especially if someone else was paying for it. Unless I felt too guilty about the resources used.
Will you criticize eco-friendly Charles for taking a private jet to a sporting match a mere two hours away? There’s nothing wrong with using a friend’s private plane. People are more irritated by the normal family inconsistency. If I had two small children and were offered the same deal I’d take it.
I have no problem calling Charles out for his “Do as I say not as I do attitude.” I also recognize that Charles has done a great deal of good in this world, from The Duchy to The Prince’s Trust started at age 28. He works and he doesn’t keep crying Normal.
You are a private citizen not an unelected government representative. What you do isn’t going to be discussed. This plane ride adds to the constant tone deaf nature of WK Normal.
I like Charles, I think he will be a good King and I don’t hesitate to call him out on his environment hypocrisy and generally living large. However, Charles has also never pretended to be normal or one of us, so i’m irritated with him for different reasons unlike WK who are always pushing ‘being normal’ on us.
The problem is that the Royal Family are practically political representatives. And when political representatives take a private plane without paying for it there is ALWAYS a whiff of corruption and bribery.
Always.
Always.
And the problem with the Royal Family is that there is no transparency to their political meddling: even Prince Charles’ letters to the government on political matters are allegedly matter of certain privacy laws protecting the Royal Family. There is no transparency. So when Royals get favours from “friends” then the citizens don’t know how the Royals will pay back these favours.
It is absolutely inacceptable to simply say it were no big deal.
What’s aging is that long hair. Kate was made for a gamine Audrey Hepburn cut.
I don’t think Kate has a face for hair that short, but taking several inches off would do her a world of good.
Agreed, I son’t see her with a pixie cut, but I think a shoulder-length haircut would make her look less desperate to appear to be a 20-something?
GOTR is correct. A more gamine look is best for the AH haircut: doe like eyes, higher cheekbones and a longer neck. Kate has high cheekbones but small eyes and a more pronounced jawline.
Agree, that long hair doesn’t look modern at all. She needs about 4 inches off.
Ugh. No one-including Hepburn-was made for that horrible haircut she used to wear.
It’s a wonderfully flattering haircut but only on certain faces – heart shaped faces with large eyes look especially good, like Halle Berry who looks way better with short hair, and Wynona Ryder.
Halle Berry, Winona Ryder and Audrey Hepburn all looked good in that haircut. Very delicate, winsome faces, with long long necks.
And Mia Farrow!
I feel like her cheeks look different… Or maybe a brow lift? I’m really bad at this stuff
If that’s surgery and treatments, they aged her forward ten years into her mid 40’s.
I think it’s just her ageing.
Nose job! For sure. Look at the space between the tip of her nose and the top of her upper lip. The bangs are a distraction tactic.
I adore your user name and wish I had thought of it first!
Allegedly, The nose job was years ago, according to some who say..happened when she disappeared for a few weeks in the dating years ,one spring or summer?
Looked at the pics first before reading the post and gasped “She’s looks so old!” Props for giving something else a try, but keep on those pre-natal vitamins and grow that trauma out. Stat.
bang AND middle parting?
either one is a no no for most people, and she went with Both at the same time. courageous duchess.
Probably a gift. The Grosvenors are distantly related but super tight with the royals and have been since the 1800s. The Duchess is godmother to william, her son Hugh to George, one daughter was the godchild of Diana and one married to Edward van Cutsem, one of William’s closest friends.
These two need to stop their PR mantra of wanting to be normal.
It’s so offensive to REAL middle class people. Who pay for everything out of their own pockets!
The ONLY reportable deed by Katie Cambridge since July is that she had her hair cut to make it look as though her FRINGE* has grown out?
Is it a Cambridge double-bluff? “Look, press and adoring people, look! Katie is SO busy as a new mother, she hasn’t even had time to cut her fringe! It’s in her eyes and everything!”
* You can be as anti-BANGS as you like, Kaiser, but I don’t mind EXPLOSIONS (which is what BANGS are) and will forever defend the FRINGE. Jus’ sayin’.
Tee Hee hee
Honestly my mind goes somewhere smutty when I read ‘bangs’. It’s fringe fringe FRINGE!!!
I have a fringe so am with you on the ‘defend the fringe’ bandwagon. But that hairstyle in general just ages her – she’s determined to dress and style herself as a middle aged woman. Thou it does look like she’s back to starving herself again – you can tell by the damage to her skin which the thick make up only accentuates. I just wish she would at least cut her hair to shoulder length or get some decent layers – its look lank and lifeless.
The women in that family just do not age well.
Sun, sea, snow and midnight scheming will do that to ya!
Well I’m really glad you cleared that up, I’ve been vaguely wondering what the bl**dy hell ‘bangs’ are! It’s a FRINGE. GBS was right when he said we are but “two nations divided by a common tongue” 😀
And while we’re on the subject, can somebody please tell me what a ‘Collard’ is? Thanks.
Frisbee/sixer: we need a British vs American dictionary because seriously, what is a collard????!!! 🙂
Collards are delicious greens, similar in appearance to kale.
Thanks Imo, definitely not sprouts then.
Kale is the new spinach. Are collards the new or the old kale?!
I love transatlantic wordery!
PS: I think American collards must be British spring greens.
Collards are a rather bitter green, but they aren’t much like kale.
Stewing collards in a broth softens them and makes them less bitter (or more edible, depending on your point of view.
Collard greens are a traditionally Southern dish with long standing preference within the African-American community. They could be grown easily and virtually at no cost and was thus favored by the slaves. Ingenuity and superb attention to thrift inspired the slaves to flavor the common greens with ham, usually hocks, and pepper. The result was a tasty, iron and vitamin rich dish that kept well and had tons of flavor.
Over the years collards became a favorite in the South in general and enjoyed comfort/soul food status.
Lately, with the popularity of fusion cuisine paired with a resurgence in farm to table locally sourced cooking collards have had a spike in popularity outside of the deep South.
Imo, that sounds absolutely delicious. I braise cabbage (in it’s own juice) with onions and smoked bacon lardons, and a sprinkle of all spice, it’s probably not dissimilar.
Frisbee
Lol
Bangs is a nickmame for bang clip, a method of cutting a horse’s tail straight across. Fringe is co-opted from the hanging, decorative trim used on lamps or upholstery.
Frisbee
Omg can you and Sixer tumblr a cookbook? I mean, she has to do something with all the rhubarb, you know?
I’m going to crock pot your cabbage recipe. I roast fennel and smoked kielbasa throw in chopped cabbage, an onion, a chopped Granny Smith apple and some sliced potatoes. What do you do with brussels?
Imo, in the UK ‘to bang’ and ‘banging’ are colloquial expressions for having sex. Which is why LAK goes somewhere smutty when she see’s it and I fall about laughing at Kate “showing off her new bangs” right, ok then 😀
Collard Greens are delicious! I have them cooked and flavored with honey.
And Lol the Fringe! It couldn’t be called bangs.
BTW. Why are they called “bangs”?
Not many people can pull off this hairstyle. That’s why when people get it it looks awful. Kate is not immune to this. I can’t wear them either.
Brussells I treat the same as cabbage just sliced very thinly and saute them with the onions/bacon (or ham hock) and a sprinkle of caraway seeds. The roasted fennel sounds lovely. I tend to do red cabbage with apples, bacon and red wine and braised very slowly until it’s almost syrupy, traditionally served with Duck and roasted parsnips (roasted in Duck fat) and giblet gravy.
I am from the south and will clarify. There are three main types of “greens:” turnip, collard and mustard. I personally prefer mustard bc they aren’t as bitter. And this (yes, stewed/smothered) dish is best served with some cornbread which soaks in the juice/broth from the greens. Best also served as a side to fried catfish and coleslaw. Yum yum yum.
Imo – I do Brussels with chestnuts and bacon lardons. I like most of my veg lightly cooked so they are still pretty crunchy. With the exception of Brussels sprouts. They have to be overcooked and smushy!
Purple sprouting broccoli is gorgeous with an anchovy and olive oil dressing.
Do you American guys have runner beans? We eat platefuls of those. Just steamed. Then we fry up a load of thin slices of bacon to top them, and pour over all the bacon fat from the pan.
WHO SAID GIBLET GRAVY?! I’m hungry now.
@ WinnieCoopersMom, right all back to your place then. Wonderful food and a great accent (I love Southern Accents!)
Being American I say bangs. When I see fringe, I think of FRINGE, the TV show of the same name, or an ornamental border of tassels or threads on a curtain or dress.
Frisbee
You had me until Caraway seeds. Yuck!
My mom sliced up the Brussel sprouts and sauteed them in the bacon fat from just 1 slice of bacon. Then slicing the bacon strip to add to the dish. So good and simple. Or chicken broth and peppers. So many ways!
This food all sounds delicious!
Frisbee/Sixer/WCM/FLORC
Just yes to everything! I have brussels but no bacon. I wonder if pancetta would do until I get to market?
I don’t know what runner beans are but I love blanched green beans with butter and mushrooms. The contrast between fresh and earthy and crunchy and tender is heavenly.
Imo
I grow runner beans in my garden. They’re like green beans only they’re perennials vs string beans annuals.
Pancetta is very lean. It would work and the flavor would be a bit different, but the bacon provides a bit more fat for flavoring everywhere. And to me it would be a waste of good pancetta. Save that for a porchetta!
And mushrooms. If I could add mushrooms to everything I would, but FMORC hates them. We still go looking for “chicken of the woods”. I never got the chicken flavor, but I always drown it in seasoning and fresh olive oil.
I’m totally convinced that #poorjason told her to get that haircut. She’s SUPPOSED to look unkempt and dishevelled. Because she’s a hands on mother, harassed and a bit run down with the hard work of a toddler and a newborn. She doesn’t have time to look good. And because #poorjason has noticed that there is a very convenient cadre of royal sugars who, in the face of Katie’s complete abandonment of any public service role, are supplying lots of wonders about PPD and other armchair diagnoses, because then it’s not abandonment, it’s sick leave.
I’m not really totally convinced, but it’s an amusing fantasy!
On the Island, we shall act in sisterhood, supporting and nurturing any woman who enjoys wearing a FRINGE.
And yes, what is a collard?
Collard is a cabbage that does not have a heart. So says the Oxford Dictionary.
@ LAK, we need a general guide to translation for certain English words such as ‘plonker’, ‘numpty’, ‘prat’ and ‘pillock’ and their American counterparts like ‘doofus’, ‘douche bag’ and tool.
@ Betti, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve spent nearly 20 years, since reading ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ wondering what a Collard was. I thought it might have been a sprout.
@ Sixer – since bluhare, Florc, nota and anne_ooo are all potential wearers of ‘The Bangs’ (with added Tiara’s on top of the foil hats – it’s going to be so glamorous *sighs*) we really ought to support any sister of The Isle of Grunay in their search for enlightenment, inner peace, a decent interweb connection and call them either Frangs or Binges. (I have a swept Frang myself). I think the Sixlets might have to be exempt since a fringe with a foil hat on top could obscure their vision. they might fall off the bikes and ruin the connection speeds. Oh yes, and hurt themselves.
frisbee, you slay me. I really did laugh out loud. Those poor Sixlets will never survive!
The Sixlets have buzz cuts. No FRINGES. That’s the correct American term for a Number Four, right? They like this style because there’s not much washing involved. I used to like it particularly when they were at primary school because, well, nits. Less hair, less chance of nits.
Having now lowered the tone – or at least, taken it away from everyone’s favourite opinion that connectivity trumps child abuse! – I shall um… run away?!
The rattling back and forth between sick leave and maternity leave is dizzying!
Someone posted in the Daily Mail comments that if she becomes Queen after a certain age, she’ll use menopause as an excuse not to do royal duties.
Maybe it’s constant migraines from the weight of all that hair (real or not-so-real) pulling on her skull because we all know her skull is basically empty and may just collapse one of these days if she doesn’t lop off about 6 inches of dead weight.
@ bluhare – thank you – blushes/ 😀
For later, good romantic poetry –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwn6Xaz_uLM
(although I could do without the backing track)
Lord, Frisbee. I took a quick peek at that with the sound off. . . . phwoar, indeed! I think I can soldier through a bad backing track if I get to look at that.
I’m doubling down, settling in to my armchair. She’s got crazy eyes in those photos–glassy, not quite right. Takes one to know one. And she’s taking a private plane because she’s worried that her kids are targets and part of PPD is having flash forwards to terrible events.
…licks the royal sugar off my apple cider doughnut…
@ evermore
HA! No doubt she or her apologists will!
Frisbee,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyIKgFXjwDE
Frisbee
You have me in stitches here!
Anne/Evermore
You just know it’s coming. With Transition years filling in the blanks.
Carole Middleton looks good…
NO.
I don’t know if it’s the bang, or because she has started starving herself again, and has lost weight, or a combination of the two, but hell no.
I think it is a combination of several factors: weight loss and constant starving. Tanning or fake tan chemicals. Over-exercising. Formerly smoking. Stress due to clinging to the Royal Family with tooth and nails. Lack of confidence due to lack of career success and due to constant bending over for the Royal Family.
Why do you think she gave up smoking?
She was said to quit for pregnancy, but after George was noted as seen with cigarettes again. I don’t think she’s quit unless she’s had to.
Smoking curbs the hunger pain a bit. “Ciggy-instead-of-dinner” smoker.
Also many shy people who are nervous when socialising do smoke: ciggy in hand gives you something to do and something you can cling to.
A lot of the toxic stuff from cigarettes remains in the body. So stopping to smoke during pregnancy is good but not as good as somebody who never smoked.
Carole actually looks good for her age. Wonder what it is with her daughter who looks older than early 30’s. Maybe it’s all the stress from the hard work she’s been doing?
I know it’s all subjective, but I completely disagree about Carole. Her face is wrecked, IMO. Haggard, huge eyebags, tons of wrinkles. My mother is a few years older than her and looks 15 years younger. Some of it is genetics, definitely, but I always get annoyed when people praise Carole for looking great for her age…I just don’t see it, at all.
IMO, none of them – Carole, Kate, Pippa – look good for their age or even 5-7 years older than their age. I’m 45 and look younger than (or similar age to) Kate. I don’t have any wrinkles…but I also don’t smoke or sunbathe and am not underweight, like Kate.
Carole has a slamming bod, but looks 60 in the face. Which is her age, and it’s fine.
Carole in an attractive woman but doesn’t look youthful.
As for Kate, I just googled old pics and this is what she looked like in 2007… that is 8 YEARS ago http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2007.jpg
@qwerty – this is why I am not on board with criticizing Kates looks. I’m not sure what she sees when she looks in the mirror, but I see someone who has dieted and chiseled and Botoxed her way into a blank middle aged socialite. There’s something off there. She was such a pretty, healthy, sparkling woman in the earlier girlfriend years. She was practically sassy.
Her transformation has been all to the negative side, in my opinion.
Suze
With you. She had her flaws, but we all do. They were natural and hers. I can’t mock that. And that photo is awful. Like catching someone mid blink. It’s never flattering. i thought Kate looked her best early to mid 2000’s. Before she started going heavy on the botox and the under eye lipo/weight loss.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OUm2Y07RTU/UlZO-OTy3VI/AAAAAAAAA8o/tRf1Ab0n_eY/s1600/Z%2BKATE%2BTRASHY.jpg
Real hair too. Imo this was her default look and she owned it. Comfy and put together in a casual way. Also her natural weight. Fit and still able to have healthy fat. Overall lovely because it’s natural.
I think Carole looks fine enough for her age. Past a certain age, I would think there’s probably only so much you can do to look younger (although Halle Berry when she’s 60 will most likely prove me wrong).
I think Kate and Pippa, because of their youth, could look better though.
FLORC – good example of when Kate looked her best, but you didn’t even have to go back that far. Wasn’t it around the time of the engagement that she started starving & over-exercising? In any case, everyone has their natural ‘set-point’ – where without being heavy, they have a certain amount of fat on their bodies to keep everything working properly and have healthy skin, hair, etc. Clearly Kate has dieted down from her natural weight which I might add, was quite lean to begin with.
caitlin
I’d go no closer than 2006. Leading up to their last break up and Kate’s pr campaign showing the world what William cast aside she lost weight and fixed herself up a bit. Still good looking, but that was not her natural state.
And much after that was heavily touched up photos.
LOL Yes,, all I see is Carole now when I look at Kate in the car.
Highly doubt she is starving herself. More likely she exercises obssessively and consumes little to no fat in any form. She is underweight in my non-expert opinion but not gaunt or weak looking. I compare her frame to the overtaxed, too lean look of gym rat Madonna.
When I diet, I don’t worry about fats or carbs, only sugar (empty calories) and exercise. It keeps that fat layer underneath the skin healthy for me, and besides, I need fats to help eat all those vegetables. I’ve also learned that twenty minutes a day of Pilates or yoga is not hard – it makes every day feel better all day long. That’s what I do when I finish coffee and being here. There’s no need to try so hard.
Imo – the condition of her skin and hair is a good indication of her poor diet, but different eyes see different things I suppose. I concur that Madonna has that too lean, sinewy look (too many veins showing, bulging muscles etc.) but I wouldn’t put Kate in the same camp at all. When I look at Kate now v.s. before she lost a ton of weight, I see someone who is unnaturally thin and a shadow of her former self. She’d be much healthier (and younger) looking if she just went back to her normal set point weight — slim, athletic but not scrawny.
Wolfie,
Can you recommend any Yoga or especially Pilates videos I could find online?
HudsonGirl – I’ve not checked online for videos. I do one called “Windsor Pilates” and various yoga routines (Amazon rates their offerings). You only need something that will tug, stretch, and flex every muscle of your body – anyone can do twenty minutes! I turn off my brain and just do it – it’s better than any drug for feeling revitalized.
If you can handle her ‘Wai Lana-ness’, you can watch Wai Lana yoga on YouTube. Her videos have been on PBS in the US for years. They’re dated but the routines can be good, if you can deal with her strong New Age vibe and singing. You can also check your local library to see what DVDs they have. Try before you buy.
Thank you both so much!! I take yoga classes but, really need to find something I can do at home. The videos I have tried thus far have… not been great.
Candace
Good points. She looked great in her uni days.
Florc, that is a brilliant idea! I am going to try it. I find plain water tedious.
She looks so old
@Emma: Yes it is rather startling how old she looks. I cannot ever defend these too. But these pics of her make me feel sad for her. Duchess, you have an ordinary no social status worker mom who cleans her own home pitying you. Stop with the smoking and get thee to a spa!!!
I don’t think a spa will help. Her lips are always dry too. She needs to drink more fluids as part of her daily routine, preferably water if she’s worried about fattening content, and perhaps a daily spoonful of cod liver oil – seriously that stuff is amazing for rejuvanating skin as well as all the other good things it does for the body.
I’ll bet cod liver oil is even better than fish oil.
Cods might disagree…
Wolfie: cod liver oil specifically is better than fish oil. Fish oil tends to be subjective meaning it could be any fish or any number of different fish.
Listen, I swear by cod liver oil, castor oil, lemon juice and aloe vera. Also coffee and sea salt. Also liquid vitamin D (I rub that all over my face like I am possessed!).
saywhatwhen: your products sound great – but how and why?
@ wolfie:
aloe vera gel/castor oil/lemon juice– toned, clear skin (worked for me, within 1 week I saw results)
castor oil: thicker hair, eyelashes (used since childhood)
coffee/sea salt/coconut oil: dry kin, stretch marks, cellulite, blemishes, dark spots (definitely improves appearance of my thighs)
cod liver oil: brain health, collagen re-building for loose skin. also my obgyn told me it was great for my baby’s brain development (as in smarter children)
http://www.livestrong.com/article/375729-what-are-the-benefits-of-aloe-vera-gel-lemon-juice-castor-oil-hemp-seed-oil/
http://www.elle.com/beauty/news/a14975/diy-coffee-cellulite-scrub/
hydration is a wonderful thing. You end up retaining less water and bloat because you’re constantly flushing your system to function better.
Why people restrict their fluids or take lax makes no sense to me. Just consistently drink water.
saywhatwhen
I loooove freshly cut aloe. It’s all my skin needs. Coffee grounds if my skin needs a lift.
I would imagine you use the salt to combat oil and act as an exfoliant?
What a small world. I take/apply aspects of items listed by @saywhatwhen. To wit; water, lemon juice, coconut oil and cod liver oil. Every single day.
saywhatwhen: Thanks for the beauty/health info. I am curious as to why you love vitamin D on the face. I love Retin A and am *absolute* on sunscreen. I also love coconut oil in the bath with salts – you come out soft and moisturized, no need for additional lotion.
Florc: Totally agree about water. I love that Michelle Obama says that when you are drinking water you are drinking up! I carry a glass all day long, or drink green tea.
LAK: I am on *every single day* with 20 minutes of exercise – no bothering with excuses – and who can’t find 20 minutes? Just asking, you put the cod liver oil in your mouth, right?
Wolfie; yes. It’s an acquired taste, so you might use high strength supplements instead of liquid tablespoonful, but it is worth it.
I started using it 20yrs ago and I noticed the difference in my skin in a couple of days. I recommended it to my sister recently and she said it worked equally fast on her skin.
And i’m with you re: daily exercise.
cod liver oil is gross. I couldn’t do it!
That said i’m not reading anything that in proper doses can do harm to your body.
Something else, If plain water isn’t for you get a liter water bottle toss in a fruity tea bag and it’s refreshing and flavorful. You can refill with the same teabag atleast 1 more time. Celestial Seasoning Orange something with a “Zesty” on the packaging is my favorite.
And daily detox sweat. So critical to a properly functioning body.
Wow she looks 10 years older. In her defence, she likely has a lot of post partum hair loss she’s trying to cover up with the bangs *ducks out of way*
She needs zinc and biotin. Some folic acid for the hair loss. Also food. Just plain food.
If there’s hair loss it could simply be from extensions taking their toll. Lack of vitamins as saywhatwhen states. Or (and again this is all IF there’s hair loss) post baby for weeks and even months women can notice their hair that grew in so thick and full is still falling away.
It’s a spectacularly dated and frumpy hairstyle, but it lifts her face a bit. That long hair hanging over her cheeks just drags her face down, and that’s already enough of a problem for her.
She still looks about 45, but a fresh 45, not a worn out 45.
You hit the nail on the head…the style is dated and frumpy.
Those sorts of bangs always strike me as pretty pointless – it will be a few days and she’ll be trying to tuck them behind her ears. They don’t fall on to her forehead, they just sort of sit there being too long and too short at the same time.
I also think that most things Kate does with her appearance age her – she has an unfortunate ageing skin type, and Pippa always looks far older than she is too. I don’t know if it’s the excess tanning or the clothes.
Its a mixture of the tanning, smoking and extreme dieting. Clothes not so much.
and the stress, oh the stress.
not sure about extreme dieting. Neither of them looks unhealthy or emaciated. In fact, I bet they eat incredibly well, why wouldnt they – obviusly not some tuna from the can.
agree in terms of kate, but not pippa. pippa hasn’t lost a significant amount of weight and looks the same as always – fit, healthy, slim and appropriate weight. kate is several pounds lighter than she used to be and it’s weight she cannot afford to lose imo.
Actually Pippa looked remarkably young and fresh at this weekend’s Boodles Boxing Ball. I was shocked, but she did just finish another marathon and that usually bestows a glow.
It does help you glow after a day or an hour nap in the “napping field”. After a race you take your space blanket and flop down on the grass. An hour later you wake up for the beer tent to ease your sore muscles (hopps is a muscle relaxer) and you do glow.
I think I look my best post race nap and beer.
In case of Pippa it’s 100% tanning. Look up her pics before the wedding, she was always brown. She’s very young but in close up candid pics you can see she has really bad sun damagem her entire face is covered in brown spots like you see in old people who live in warm climate. She also runs a lot now which comes with its own problems – even more hours in the sun + so called runner’s face.
Am just sitting here wondering what the real aristos think about the Royal Family. I wonder if every time some crusty old Duke’s phone rings he is scared to answer because it may be the Royal beggars and favour-mongerers.
Lol!
LOL
Turn off the lights! Hide the brandy!
A royal just turned into the drive!
Ha, ha, ha, ha! (and hide behind the sofa till they’re gone)
They used to do that when Queen Mary? came to visit, only it was the fripperies they didn’t want to lose! QMary? was a woman after my own heart . . . . . I see it, therefore, it is mine!
I wonder what the aristos think of Kate. Have they become nicer to her? Or is she holding all the cards, now that she will be queen.
Has William ever paid for anything?
WK are such hands on parents that th nanny is in charge of the baby when they travel……
It never fails to amaze me how two people with such easy lives , compared to th rest of he world, look and age at the same rate as POTUS/PM…People with super, stressful jobs.
Nope – he never will either. He can and will trade off his name and connections for as long as he can and there is an idiot willing to oblige him.
Even the Engagement accommodations*when he proposed to Kate, were freebies on Jecca’s family Conservancy estate/land.
The engagement ring Free, from mum, but that’s fine , romantic. Still I always felt maybe he could have paid to update it a bit in a new setting.
Many of William’s Mustique holidays with Kate during dating years were free, borrowed home of friends of Middleton’s.
Ibizia holiday Free, borrowed Uncle Garys’ home and UG arranged for the Yacht, William and Kate used.
Holiday on Branson’s island Free, even one trip free air travel w Branson airline.
William’s Spain Holiday w Jecca in tow …Free… on Aristo-friend estate and land.
Nightclub outings during dating years Free…..most were managed or owned by friends….but He did have to pay for Drinks (supposedly?)
William once brought Kate back a wooden bracelet from a wedding he attended, it was part of the party favors. FREE!
And those jewelry gifts he gave Kate… Free or Kate bought them with the card Charles gave her.
I remember ages ago one of his school friends from Eton describing him as ‘mean as sin.’ The same person went on to describe the only outstanding thing about both William and Harry was how incredibly average both of them were.
I’m side-eyeing them a bit for driving separately from the kids too
Yes because the actual parents can’t seem to handle two kids in car seats so it is more convenient for the one nanny to handle them on her own. Totally what normal parents do when driving to grandma’s isnt it?
If it was for security reasons, William, PGTips, and CC should all have been in separate cars. Or W&CC in one, KM&PGTips in another. They all got on the same plane, so sometimes they don’t seem to worry about things like that.
Nota: security wasn’t an issue since W + PGtips travelled together in the plane or the car. So clearly in a situation where one has a 4mth baby and a toddler to deal with, the baby is th one handed off to nanny. In a separate vehicle no less!!!!
You know Prince William, the Golden Heir to the Heir, Ears Can’t take crying babies! Recall he mentioned how much George cried as a baby and Kate let on at a outing, that William didn’t see George much at all during the first (6?) months after the birth.
Smoking really catches up (wrinkling) but I think Kate looks better with the haircut. They both must smoke like chimneys esp William, his teeth are quite yellow as noted during the interview with him after Charlotte was born.
Yeah, William sure has yellow beaver teeth, but I thought smoking made your teeth brown?
Yellow to brown eventually. I hope they both stop smoking. The second hand smoke is very unhealthy. Think of the children.
but how do u know she smokes lol. Especially with all the pregnancies. We can as well suggest she s an alcoholic, while we’re at it.
Pap shots of them on holiday often show both of them with a fag in their hand. Classy!
There were pics of her out bar hopping in the dating years that showed her purse open and full of ciggies. Those pics might have been sponged off the internet, though. Also mention of her being papped smoking in France about the same time the nude sunbathing pics came out.
I wonder if perhaps Carole smokes too? She’s looking more haggard lately.
The France photos included shots of her smoking, at the airport and on the balcony, but those disappeared quickly.
Citresse, Carole supposedly quit but million to one she lit up to help lose weight for Kate’s wedding and million to one that she still smokes.
She volunteered that she was trying to quit smoking using nicotine gum after she was criticized for chewing gum at Willy’s military graduation ceremony.
Mike and Pippa also smoke. Mike’s teeth indicate he’s a heavy smoker.
Interesting that Pippa is able to smoke and run marathons.
Yes to all.
Kate caught in dating years with cigs in hand or in purse.
Caught with cig at Chateau vacation.
Caught smoking/holding cigs/cigs in purse often during wedding planning. Stressful for most brides.
Citresse
FMORC and I did a race. We’re in the starting crowd wating for the race to begin. This guy moves up next to us. His number tag was for the full marathon. He takes 1 big puff off his cigarette and then steps on it a minute before the race starts!
FMORC and I had our jaws on the floor! He finished well too. We made note to check his time and remember his number. So, it happens.
And no one was pleased he was smoking in the starting crowd.
FLORC
I guess if someone smokes a couple cigs a day they could do a marathon, but I don’t understand how they could do it as a heavy smoker.
Citresse
Maybe. I’m amazed someone who races can smoke like that at all.
There was a study that had finding supporting smokers deprive their bodies of oxygen. So when they stop smoking and breath in a pattern of a racer/runner/cardio enthusiast their bodies are more efficient with the oxygen needing less to do more.
This is ofcourse countered by the damamge the cigs have done overall to your body. Still! It was interesting.
She had the bangs at Wimbledon. They looked dated then and still do. Those cheeks scream pregnancy to me but surely she wouldn’t be pregnant again with an upcoming vacation…err tour coming up.
…strategic pregnancies – too soon… to stay on permanent excused vacations ( I mean leave). One has to space yearly, to have full impact of no royal duties.
@Citress 9:13
carol increase haggard look may be due to HM /POW revoking AH live in access, pass to the RF.
Notice carol made a one day pap in St. Barts, watching her two other adult – non working, permanent vacationing middleton children.
What’s aging her is that horrible, heavy eyeliner she insists on wearing. I’ve been wondering if she has postpartum depression. She looks cheery in that picture but that could just be for the cameras.
I am getting mighty sick of people using PPD as an excuse for her laziness. If she really had PPD she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed or have any interest in her appearance. Given that she’s got a new ‘do’ and new clothes i think that we can safely rule out depression. She’s all smiles her and you can see that she’s clearly not unhappy.
maybe she’s on meds? who knows, but unlike most sufferers of ppd, she has all the resources at her disposal to facilitate recovery – medical professionals, nannies, chefs & other household staff, on-call personal trainer (seriously!), grooming professionals, etc., etc.
PPD. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Keep in mind PPD was only mentioned by fans on comment forums as a reason why she’s not working again. No evidence is holding this theory up.
To play Devil’s advocate, her team of ppl could have easily bought the clothes for her/scheduled fittings at home and also scheduled hair/makeup appt at home right before this outing. A depressed person with money can still pay people to drag them out of bed and put them together enough for an outing. Just saying.
Winnie
True. Though her smile does appear genuine as did all her interactions with it. When it’s forced it’s very noticed. She doesn’t appear distressed.
And it’s dark, but true for some who suffer from PPD. As Devil’s advocate also.. some women with PPD could be a danger to their children. Maybe that’s why they traveled seperately. I mean if we’re looking for reasons to claim she has PPD that’s certainly 1.
*ducks*
Can you imagine Kate wearing the blue wedges around HM at Balmoral? Even worse, the thought of Kate gifting a pair to HM at the celebratory dinner.
ROTFL…yes. 🙂
I understand we expect celebs to look a certain way but the aging standard for women is so much harsher. They are either dragged for looking old or everyone is on botox watch. Renee Zellweger has to issue an actual statement because of an eyelid lift and meanwhile John Travolta’s face moves up a centimeter every year!
Perhaps you miss the general derision John Travolta’s efforts to pretend to youth are held by everyone.
Some things are so evidently ridiculous it’s not worth talking about them anymore. The offenders like John Travolta are not deceiving anyone.
I actually bookmarked this for my daughters. It is an interesting article about how Brit actresses have chosen not to do plastic surgery in comparison with their American counterparts, and good reason not to go plastic. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3232302/How-won-war-close-ups-stunning-portrait-Helen-Mirren-70-Brits-beat-stars-NOT-choosing-knife.html
I want to look like Helen Mirren when I’m her age. Still vibrant and earthy.
jocelyn-wildenstein – not an actress – but still the worst case of surgery I’ve ever seen:-
https://highsocietyplasticsurgery.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/jocelyn-wildenstein-womans-day.jpg
When it’s this extreme you have to wonder if it’s getting into a mental disorder.
Ageing is inevitable, I think it’s best to go with it, with humour and character rather than fight it. I think the beneficial effects show when all those women are in action – rather than in a photos – that’s when the real character (and acting) comes out.
@wolfie
If you watch a lot of European TV drama as I do, and not just British drama, but French, Italian, Belgian, Spanish and all the Scandi countries, you REALLY notice the difference. Mr Sixer Senior has actually stopped watching almost all American drama. He says “How can they act if their faces can’t move? And it’s not just the women now; it’s the men too”. I have to persuade him that there are moveable faces on the quality output from the US before he will watch!
And yet all the European countries still use attractive people disproportionately. They’re just non-intervention attractive, if you see what I mean.
I guess there’s just a massive divide these days on the cultural standard of beauty.
Sixer, there is something unique about Europe; it’s not merely a sophistication born of centuries of living together. I can only describe it as a simple humaneness; an acceptance of what it means to be human. To me, that is the largest factor in our differing standards of beauty.
Actually, she had this same exact haircut early in her pregnancy with George, not after his birth. I remember her having the long fringe when she appeared on the hospital steps to greet the press after being admitted for hyperemesis gravidarim (after that mentally disturbed nurse killed herself because of that cruel radio prank). She also had the layers and long fringe when she wore that fantastic green dress by Alexander McQueen to present at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. I was living in London at the time and got a little too into it and was an avid royal (esp. Kate & William) watcher before deciding that it was a waste of time. I thought the shorter length and laters flattered Kate at that time, but now I think what’s aging her is that she hasn’t yet resumed Botox injections, which she clearly stopped for her pregnancy.
I thought Kate looked nice when she exited the hospital for HG. The hairstyle and choice of clothing suited her.
I think she looked beautiful during both her hospital exits.
Normally, I think she’s attractive but not beautiful. She looked more normal and pretty after having both children, particularly so when she had George.
People like myself and Rihanna who come with forehead everlasting can look cute with bangs/fringes.
Foreheads so large they are known as Fiveheads?
Some people in the public eye with Fiveheads: Tyra Banks, Dakota Johnson (of 50 shades), Melanie Griffiths. Most do wear fringes.
We need to add Miranda Lambert to the forehead club.
That reminds me. Heidi Klum does look ok in Bangs! But she usually looks good so idk.
Does anyone look good with bangs and long hair after the age of 10? Serious question. When I see ladies like Kate, Reese, Jennifer Garner etc., I always think “Bangs, why, oh why?”
I think bangs suit some people – especially if they have a high forehead. Without the bangs they are all forehead.
I’ve had them all my life because I have a high forehead and a long face. It sort of breaks things up. But I do a side part and sweep them to the side, they don’t hang in my eyes, that would drive me crazy.
also if u have a very round face, like I do.
I think they look cute on Zooey D.
true, that’s a good example. She pulls off the chic 60s/70s fringe look, but similar cuts on Reese W and Jennifer G look overly girlish imo. Bangs with a short to medium length cut can look fabulous; I’m just having a hard time thinking of good examples with longer hair.
Well there is a resurgence of 70s fashion going on, maybe Duchess is trying to try that vibe! LOLOL. The hairstyle is bad. She should cut her hair to just below shoulder length, do a side part and if she must have a fringe, make it one that doesn’t fall in her eyes. This mess she has going on will just result in her fondling her hair even more than she already does. What an idiot.
William has lost more hair and he’s looking more and more like Uncle Eddie. Sorry Wills, you’re over the hill and you’re not even 35! Amazing!
If the 70s are coming back, I hope she doesn’t wear that awful green dress with PEACE SIGNS on it.
I think his Uncle Ed’s face may be a bit better than William’s at this point. Williams face seems to change with each outing.
Why can she not do a side part? And lay off the eyeliner? She needs a breakfast club makeover, someone call Molly Ringwald.
I did read the whole thread, but maybe I missed where anybody suggests the possibility of post-partum hair loss, and maybe Kate is using the bangs to hide the thinning or adjust to the baby hairs as they grow back in?
If that were the case I truly think she’d be using extensions. There were articles a few years ago saying how she spent 6 hours in a hair salon. I’ve had lots of processing done on my hair over the years, and they’ve never taken that long even if I had more than one at the same appointment.
Extensions can also cause hair loss.
I don’t think she does the full ones any more. I do think she’s used the clip on kind for volume since though. Hence the Wiglet Watch!
The glory days bluhare!
The clips seemed most obvious with the daily change of so much without the day long salon visits when she went to that former hair stylist before he outed her details (sort of).
“But when you’ve been summoned to see the Queen, scheduled economy is not an option”
WHY NOT?
Because it should be the Queen’s flight?
How far is Anmer from Balmoral anyway? I’m sure they could have driven without it taking days. Besides, wasn’t the other story that the Queen didn’t summon them, it’s just their normal September Balmoral vacation?
Not that I really care. If their friends want to lend them planes and boats and houses and vacations, who am I to say it’s wrong? I think that’s how the rich stay rich.
Just don’t try to float this normal Bill and Cathy storyline.
Anmer is in Norfolk and Balmoral is in the north of Scotland (near Aberdeen) and to drive it would take a good part of a day (7-8 hrs) so plane or train is the quickest option.
It’s 450 miles, take about 8 hours in a car. According to Wikipedia they couldn’t use the Royal Train anyway,
“To control costs, Parliament permits the Royal Train to be used only by The Queen with The Duke of Edinburgh, or The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
Hence the free plane ride. They are a pair of freeloaders in every sense of the word.
There was no good reason to take a private flight, they could have flown on a regular plane. Bill and Kate MiddleClass (who thought that up?) wanted a freebie private flight so they arranged one. #normal #whateverfulltimeroyalworkmeans #poorjason
I know a bit off topic but I was wondering how the Norfolk coastline compares to Devon? The Diana biographies mention trips to the beach when Diana was a child.
Is Devon viewed as a better location for swimming?
I mean, not that I’m looking to go swimming on a UK beach esp this time of year but when you research Diana’s life and how she loved water, swimming, it would seem she liked coastlines from an early age. It would add another strike against living at Highgrove I guess.
Diana later enjoyed the south Devon area with the cad Hewitt.
It was all the talk on this thread about distance from Norfolk to Balmoral which made me think of UK coastlines.
Citresse – both Norfolk and Devon are popular coastal areas for domestic holidays in the UK. Both have sandy beaches and sea you can swim in. Devon might be slightly warmer – but we’re talking British warmer, not anything remotely resembling actual HOT!
For some reason, I keep thinking that she may have postpartum depression. The timing seems right and her absence from not just public work events, but in general, gives me that vibe.
On yesterday’s thread, there was an extended discussion on why some people think PPD is an offensive excuse for her laziness.
I missed the discussion. I don’t see why it would be offensive, since we actually don’t know anything about her health or private life. But she seems to have disappeared much the same way she did during the first trimester of both her pregnancies. So I am pointing it this as a possibility. People can disagree or agree. I don’t really care. Thought I would share my 2 cents.
Good comment, SillySimone. IMO a reasonable person can suspect mental illness and another reasonable person can have a different point of view.
What I find bothersome is not the disagreement but the strong umbrage that some have taken at the suggestion/opinion that a (mental) health issue may be part of the equation.
SillySimone
The topic of PPD is part of a pattern. When Kate doesn’t work reasons are created by commentors and the thought spreads.
And she’s hardly vanished. She just doesn’t make time for honoring vets or visiting charities. What she has made time for are vacations, shopping, personal trainer, Dame Jolie and BPitt, Ben and the Yachts, etc… She’s not hiding from the world or appearing to be upset. She’s out doing things, but not what she should. So, as a defense PPD gets mentioned. There’s always a defense that gets revealed only when the press start questioning her lack of work. Not to be confused with her lack of outings, but her lack of royal duties.
And really, what people have done to assume she has PPD is to assume they know of her private life in ways to support PPD. That she’s gone “reclusive”. When infact we know she has not.
Lastly, Many women vanish during their 1st trimester. I’m a midwife and a nurse a OBGYN office that carries to a maternity wing in a private facility. So, this in my experience is not uncommon behavior at all.
Thank you for your 2 cents. It keeps these comments interesting.
I was stating there was a discussion yesterday so she could go read it. I cannot post links so could not post a link to it directly. There was a lot of good discussion there, from people with professional experience in the subject. The theme from the professionals seemed mostly to be, using PPD as an excuse with no evidence is offensive to true sufferers.
Richard Palmer tweets about the photos:
Very surprised to see so many people tweeting unauthorised photos of the Cambridges driving to church today. 😉
Hahaha – good for him. I should start following him in twitter.
Ha! Love it! I hope he keeps this up.
Sausage curls. Bang/Fringe. Sausage curls or bang/fringe. While it truly looks as if William is dating a much older woman (cause in the pic Kate looks anywhere from 37 – 45), I think the new hair style is much more age appropriate & even more stylish than the sausage curls.
I also imagine that RPO had to drive so closely to W/K not for their protection but just in case William decided to hit a hard right & floor it–driving fast & furious to who knows where but away from the public duties & responsibilities that come with such a burdensome (😒😙) life.
I wouldn’t call that “chic” though. She’d be better off with a long bob I’d say.
I don’t understand why KC threads get so many comments, she’s such an uncontroversial woman.
Most of it is about her hair and general appearance as well as her work-shy attitude. She’s done nothing meaningful with her life except marry a royal. Despite the fact that there are no accomplishments to discuss, I can understand why she generates all those comments, it’s interest and idle curiosity. Now, maybe you can tell me why that English actor Ben Cumberbatch & his Samantha Cameron lookalike wife generate so many comments…
A great many comments are generated by a dozen or so of us chatting. Upthread we’re discussing foods and beauty routines. Other threads, other royals or Tiaras.
And I could ask the same of several other threads. Why so many comments about someone who appears to do nothing.
KC threads aren’t only about her. Also discussed are laws and politics. Royal related items. And there are quite a few who do pay for their upkeep and are not pleased with how their money is being spent. Or what goverment funding gets cut to directly cover their bills.
Now, my ride is almost here to carry me off to our isand of poetry with our tinfoil tiaras. We’ve converted the Wiglet Wagon to be amphibious and funs off of Sixer’s Sixlets with Frisbee keeping them in the correct direction. I hear there’s been a request we add honorary “fringe” to our tiaras, but that’s not happening on my watch. But then again this is what happens when Liberty doesn’t keep us entertained. Minds run amok.
@Ally – when people see ridiculous headlines like this “Princess Kate Praised for Doing One of the ‘Most Important’ Jobs – Erasing Mental Health Stigma for Kids” (People Magazine of course) sites like celebitchy provide a fair forum for them to discuss, rant, rave and have a few laughs.
Because statements like this are so off the mark, they draw many people to comment and collectively scratch their heads in amazement.
Public figures who gorge from the public trough but refuse to work for their supper? I don’t find that uncontroversial.
I read somewhere that she, her mother, and Pippa are all into some type of very high protein, extremely low carb diet. That stuff’s really bad for you over the long run, even if you do tend to stay very lean. That’s why she and Pippa both look so “dry” in the face. Don’t do this at home, folks.
lol. This is a great post.
250 comments so far.
But I am number 35 on the list.
And we have recipes for brussels sprouts (I saute in little olive oil until browned and soft), collard greens and instructions on the magic of cod liver oil/lemon juice/coconut oil, water.
She is struggling. Perhaps post-partum, perhaps something else. The pain is there in that glance.
I love how everyone jumped on the PPD wagon seeing evidence where there is none. Everyone gives moments where we look sad or happy in glances. Smiling when sad, Looking sad when happy. You’re actually looking for something specific and your mind will seek out just that explaining a glance as a moment of deep sadness. While this can happen it’s incredibly rare someone untrained in person can pic it up. Much less online sifting through carefully chosen pr released pictures.
By this logic that unflattering picture that shows Kate in a link makes her look high. Same logic… Kate is a stoner.
Yeah. She looks brittle to me. She looks as if she’s losing it (herself, the thread, her bead on life) but is disguising it with that smile & probably quick furtive glances around. “Are they looking at me? Are they looking at me? Can they tell I’ve lost it? OMG. I think they can tell.”
It could just be that she built her ambitions around some very superficial values and now she’s still dissatisfied but directionless and sill too superficial to actually put effort into anything beyond her own comforts. Or there could also be something deeper. I think there are anxiety issues there and it influences her bizarre stubbornness against even token charity work.
I don’t think she has PPD though.
I don’t get why she’s so against charity work – thou she clearly doesn’t have a charitable/humanitarian bone in her body. I guess the only charity she’s interested in is the family one. Even Wills before he was married did charity visits – that stopped when the marriage happened. Guess he’s been influenced by her charities ‘bore and depress me’ attitude.
I don’t see pain in this pictures. I see someone happily smiling for her favorite pap. Her husband is busy clenching his jaw and pursing his lips. In other photos in the set they both look completely blank. In at least two others, they’re both looking directly at Tanna and they don’t look unhappy.
Apologies for being late to the party and off-topic, but I don’t know who else to ask other than the celebitches… was that not Kate sitting behind the Queen at the Braemar games? It must not be since she was not mentioned at all – but then who is this doppelgänger?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3223484/The-Queen-cabers-Majesty-makes-annual-visit-Braemar-games.html
No, that’s not Kate. If you scroll down you can see that the only similarities are the hair.
And if in doubt, know that the royal family are all about status. Kate, despite the absence of William, outranks Peter and autumn, and would have been seated in the front row not thrown several rows behind the royal family.
I think her smile in the picture looks awkward and forced, especially since William doesn’t look amused. Kate smiles always, even when it doesn’t seem appropriate. I don’t know if it’s nervousness or cause Momma Carole told her she looks better, but she always smiles and it’s a bit bizarre sometimes. But this doesn’t seem like a healthy smile.
I think she loves the perks of her life but hates the rest. And it has to be stressful – always being on display. I think she is a lazy do-nothing, but I also wouldn’t want her life. Diana handled the public part beautifully. Kate handles it by hiding. Anxiety or stubbornness, I don’t know, but she hates the job she is supposed to,be doing.
U can tell when she’s uncomfortable – she has a ‘grin’ made makes her look a bit demented and she’s sort of showing it in the above photo. They know Tanna is there and Willy isn’t too happy about the pap walk setup.
Meanwhile in other news, Fergie, Beatrice, and Eugenie were working at a NYC fundraiser at a 9-11 related relief fund (per the DM & including photos).
It’s too bad that Charles thinks it’s a good idea to streamline the Monarchy especially when it’s the other branches of the BRF that do more for charity than W&K does. And I’m including the elderly members too (60s & 70s), the Dukes and Duchesses who have been stepping in for the Queen in some of her duties.
Some W&K apologists have said that W&K don’t have to do much now because they’re not the PoWs yet, but you see Dukes, Duchesses, Princes, and Princesses (the elderly, the younger ones with children, the ones with other real-life jobs, etc.), all of whom will never be realistically the Monarch, stepping up to do the job and not allow rumors of unfounded illnesses to spread and thereby use these false excuses to shy away from work. And even those with ACTUAL illnesses or physical weaknesses STILL continue on to do the work.
I’m sure W&K and their PR team have heard these rumors going around of HG and PPD and whatever else. Yet they don’t quell them if they’re not true? I think it shows weakness of character on W&K’s part.
If you don’t want to do the work, then say so. STOP SAYING “KEEN” TO DO WORK. Stop allowing others to make up fake excuses for you and stop using those unfounded rumors to your benefit. Really.
Maybe she cut her bags because she has hair thinning issues apparently from well before re:extension issues….she probably had the extension in because of some balding, it happens to women. I don’t think that was a scar. Meanwhile, yes, she does look tired,, like any woman with a child under one and a toddler! I don’t think she just hands those kids over to the nanny..I get the feeling she is hands on, I think that how she and William want it ….as real of parenting as you can give/get with being a royal!
With two nannies. A parent who spends hours every week away from the kids shopping, at the hairdresser, and with the personal trainer. If she has time to spend away from the kids doing that, she has time to spend a few hours a week on charity work.
I also think there’s an arrangement..let William and Kate have a few (3-4) babies, let them have the pre-k years, and then the full time royal duties will begin.
This is a curious theory.
Are they waiting until the last moment to start working? I would think they would be prepping at least.
The desire to excuse these lazy action is common imo. It’s difficult to imagine being this disconnected from a work ethic when your life has no common man stressors.
If they were ever planning to start working I would think there would be prep on a light scale now. When they do events there are still repeated mistakes like there’s no effort going in and improve.
From a sociological point i find it interesting at our knee jerk reaction to explain who someone can have so much and care so little.
An arrangement that has not and does not exist for any other member of the British Royal Family? They all manage to have kids, do royal engagements, and have their kids out of the spotlight. And they’re all further down the succession and perks ladder than these two.
A whole lot of excuses are made for 1) a woman who has really never worked in her life pre-or-post marriage and 2) a spoiled man who has said he doesn’t want the job but he keeps taking the highest level of perks anyway.
So many excuses, so little time.
Meanwhile, I know I’ll get blasted for saying something positive and supportive! Every time I say something positive, I get blasted!
I’ll start. It’s good she is out being seen as a functioning member of the BRF. And she went to church with her Grandmother in law.
It’s not a good time for Middleton it seems. But I think if she puts in a lot more time with appearances and work involving charities etc between now and xmas, she can begin to rescue her reputation.
I’m kind of surprised William was allowed to fly with both kids on the same plane. I know this is normal for other families, but I thought two (or more in this case) heirs to the throne are not allowed to fly together. The reason being that if there’s (God forbid) a fatal accident they’d all be….well, gone. Or is that just commercial flights for the same (or maybe being targets for terrorists?) reasons? I just remember Harry and William not being allowed to travel together a few years ago for some reason, I think the above ones?
George flew with W and K when they went on the Aussie/NZ tour. I’ve heard of that “rule” but it seems there are exceptions. Perhaps because the royals are an anachronism of sorts and there is no shortage of possible heirs to the throne should something devastating happen.