Well, well. The Duchess of Cambridge attended her first-ever state dinner last night at Buckingham Palace. Not only that, but Kate was given a place of honor beside Chinese president Xi Jinping (the Queen was seated on President Xi’s other side). For her big coming out as a diplomatic heavy, Kate debuted a new gown by Jenny Packham. It was a pretty good choice, considering it was red (that must have been why she chose it) plus a modest high neck and scalloped lace cap sleeves. I honestly don’t hate this look on her.
Kate tamed her wayward bangs trauma into an elegant updo, the best to feature her borrowed diamond earrings and borrowed tiara. The tiara is the Lotus Flower tiara and it was once owned by the Queen Mother. It was a favorite of Princess Margaret as well. Kate has worn the diamond chandelier earrings at least once before, and when she wore them the other time, it was widely believed that they were on loan from the Queen. Kate generally doesn’t have those kinds of heavy-duty diamond pieces in her personal collection, so it makes sense that every piece she wore was on loan. Oh, and she appears to be wearing two heavy-duty diamond bracelets as well. Wow, the Queen let Kate borrow a lot!
The Queen wore her sapphire suite, also known as the George VI Victorian Suite. The Queen’s father, King George VI, gave her the HUGE diamond and sapphire necklace and earrings as a wedding gift, and later on, the Queen had a matching bracelet and tiara made.
Other royals were at the state dinner too – the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Princess Royal, notably. Notably absent? Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. I might devote a separate post to their absence! Also, some food details: the Queen served “filet of West Coast Turbot with lobster mousse, roasted loin of Balmoral venison in madeira and truffle sauce and plenty of bubbly and wine.”
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Love the bling! But Kate’s lack of orders makes it look like something is missing.
Finally a tiara event, but to be honest I was little udnerwhelmed by Kate. But I don’t know why. The dress was OK with a good color (I would prefer if her skirt had more volume), her hair was mercifully up but something was missing. She looked pretty, but not stunning or amazing. It was just OK, too bad.
I think for me the “something missing” was a better neckline on the dress. This scoop neck is just so boring.
I think it’s her face.
Perplexed – hahah I laughed out loud. It’s true.
The style of the dress did not match the jewelry. That’s why something seems off. Too simple? Too understated? Cant put my finger on it. But there’s a mismatch. Good choice on the color of the dress though.
Lack of gravitas. You can dress up all you want with jewelry and gowns, but if you don’t have the confidence to own it, it shows.
@Deedee. Kate does lack the gravitas necessary to rock all the gems. I thought she looked very uncomfortable at this affair.
Gravitas, the “it” factor, charisma. Whatever you choose to call it, Kate does not have “it”. I think this is why she will continually underwhelm even if the outfit is right. This bold color would have looked stunning on Queen Maxima or Queen Rania, however, they have personalities for days. I doubt Kate will ever “wow” because behind the clothing, jewelry, and makeup it’s just “meh”. I don’t think she’s necessarily a memorable individual. Which is so sad, because she has the height to pull of sooooo many gorgeous pieces. If only the other half of the equation was there.
@ r-r
I am underwhelmed by Kate when I see Kate’s vacant expression during the Queen’s speech. And yes, she looked uncomfortable and lacking confidence. Like she was there but didn’t know what for.
And yes, the gown is too modern-simple for such old jewelry.
If the Queen invites her for such a dinner then they seem to be worried that Kate’s image is sinking too quick and too low so some of the Queen’s glory and her jewelry’s shine may rub off on her.
3rd pic: Kate’s expression
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3282469/Kate-Middleton-Prince-William-meet-Jackie-Chan-Chinese-president-Xi-Jinping.html
Prince Phillip’s amount of bling bling is ridiculous as it doesn’t even fit on the jacket any more. see link above 3rd picture.
Spot on!
Frumpy look, no regal-ness from both dress and hair and in spite of tiara, jewelry/dress colour (too many bracelet for her); other royal ladies with HM do look more regal in jewels …
Chan event is even more frumpy old looking on her.
President wife always elegant, warm.
The fullness of the skirt is about all you can easily handle in a dinner gown. Any more skirt would have bern hard to wrestle under the table.
That scoop neck does her upper body no favors and makes her look wide.
Hair and jewelry are lovely. Dress is frumpy. Looks old lady. Cap sleeve makes her shoulders look big and slouchy. Belted waist is dated. No good.
Yes, I agree. They need Order of the Shopper or something so she can qualify. I like the sashes, too. How come she doesn’t get any of that? Too soon?
LOL. Re: the orders I think Sophie waited a while to get any as its not automatic upon marriage. Saying that she still needs to prove her commitment to public duty.
I think the British royal family are a bit stingier than other houses when it comes to orders. I agree that she hasn’t put in the work like she should, but when you compare her status with that of royals of other countries, she should have something – just a token, perhaps, but something.
@ Gigi
Perhaps they could make a new order: “The lazy Royal with the Wiglet who waits for her proper bling”.
I see what you mean about the Orders but I don’t mind her overall look. I think the red was a very good choice (also it seems to me like she rarely wears red?) and I like the updo very much. She really ought to wear her hair up more often, it is a very elegant style on her.
She is wearing a plain (“sparkly”) bodice with cap sleeves and a ribbon belt. There is nothing about her gown that distinguishes her. She’s red like a siren, of course. One of my first thoughts was how Diana would have certainly upstaged the Queen. So boring. this middle class girl who thinks that dressing up is sort of like going to church, and desperately looking to her mother for tips…they are like peas in a limited pod.
She needed a sparkly diamond necklace. I think Princess Mary would have worn a short diamond one that echoed the neckline.
Oh, well.
I think the neckline is the main problem, it’s just too severe for the tiara. Maybe a necklace would have helped. I don’t like the earrings with the tiara, the colours of the diamonds don’t quite work together. Isn’t there a matching set of earrrings for this? Can’t we get the future queen a dang matching set HRH instead of making her scrape and beg for whatever tiara you don’t give a crud about? I jest, a bit, but seriously, Kate is young and beautiful, why should she have to wait 20 more years to get to wear some decent bling?
I thought Kate looked good and for Kate this look is great. She wore her hair up, showed the Tiara well, her dress fit the occasion, I wasn’t wowed by her in the way Diana use to wow, at these events , though, but it Kate’s look was suitable.
As far as Kate not getting the Royal Order yet? Why the Press and people seemed to feel the Queen would bestow it on her yet is beyond me. Kate Doesn’t deserve it yet. IMO
Kate has not done the work anywhere on the level of Sophie HRH The Countess of Wessex.
The Queen is not fooled by the press a–kissing done with Kate. The Queen probably knows about the lazy grumbling’s from much of the public concerning Kate.
Reading Twitter and RoyalReporter told the tweeters that Kate basically has to Earn it and she has NOT done that yet.
Tweet Quote: via@RoyalReporter @royalwhisper “She would have worn it if she had. These things have to be earned even by family. Cf Prince Harry and Garter.”
9:46am – 21 Oct 15
Also Anyone know why William looked so miserable in the very rare photo of him shown at the banquet? He didn’t seem to be chatting or engaging with the First Lady , Madame At all?
Suitable. Excellent description. That’s exactly how I feel. All the components are nice but it doesn’t add up to “wow”.
Interesting tweet about Harry and the Garter. Frankly, I think he deserves it ahead of his lazy brother, but that’s not how it turned out. Harry performs way more service to Granny than Billy.
JulieM. I agree…Harry deserves the Garter more than Lazy, complaining William.
On another thread (re: Sophia at the Christening, where she was already sporting hers), someone was mentioning how Diana got her royal order after about 18 mos of marriage. I havent fact-checked it, but that must kill Kate after 4.5 years of marriage and two babies and she still doesn’t have it, while Diana got it comparably fast! haha!!!
Interesting note about etiquette at Buckingham Palace state dinners. Apparently diners are instructed to chat their neighbor on one side during the first course, then the other side during the next course, then alternate. This ensures all guests will have someone with whom to converse. Regarding William not engaging Peng Liyuan, it is possible that the photographers simply caught him during the wrong course.
Of course, it is also possible that he is a grumpy bore with nothing interesting to say, but I choose to assume the best. (wink)
Diana received her RFO at less than the two year mark, Sophie at four years, Camilla not until 7 years. I think William getting the garter was symbolic not personal, as he was the 1000 person.
Nota, Camilla received RFO in 2007, two years after marriage. The one she got in 2013 was a different order (Royal Victoran Order, to be exact).
William received his garter due to status and a space had opened up ie someone in the order died. There are only 1000 members at any given time. Harry has to wait for a space to open up as well as earning his garter order.
In terms of earning HM’s personal orders, Harry has already earned her Knight Commander Order which William has not. Charles earned it before he was 30.
Halina, that makes a lot more sense to me, as I had the dates of RFO vs. RVO mixed up. Thank you! I think HM and Camilla are similar horse-and-hound types that probably get along very well.
LAK: Yes, I know there are a restricted number of Knights of the Garter, which is the most senior order. I’m just not sure how William has earned his, other than being born before his brother. His status, as you said. I hope Harry gets his Knighthood soon; in my opinion he has earned it way more than William, who has done nothing to deserve it.
I think there are a limited number of garters. Prob waiting for someone to kick off.
“The number of knights is limited to 24, plus Royal knights. For much of its history, the Garter was limited to the aristocracy, but today the knights are from varied backgrounds. If there are vacancies in the Order, appointments are announced on St George’s Day (23 April).”
To me that reads that the sovereign could add as many Royals as she wants on top of 24 non-royal members.
Bluhare, 1stave. Agree.
Suitable is accurate. She doesn’t “wow”, but thats not a bad thing.
Nota: I thought the numbers were higher. I wonder where I read that they were 1000. Must be thinking of something else.
JulieM: William has many baubles due to his status, including the garter order. He has yet to earn anything.
That ‘something missing’ is a work ethic.
Graceful VAVA! You got it right. WORK ETHIC.
That’s because it’s the same exact thing she wears all the time, just floor length and with a tiara.
She does wear the exact same thing nearly everywhere she goes – simple bodice with waist and a fuller skirt. Everywhere…
Yeah, it reminds me of when I was a kid & my mother would make me several variations of the one Simplicity pattern. And this gown looks very much like someone ran it up on the sewing machine at home. It’s a gorgeous red & the color is appropriate, but that’s about it. And I agree with other commenters–the jewelry far outrank the gown.
Does she even have a stylist? I feel like Diana had designers at her beck and call, designing endless things specifically for her all the time, whereas Kate is more conservative/stuck in a bit of a fashion rut. Enough with the Jenny Packham! She needs someone to just shake up her look a bit, stop her going for the same dresses over and over again.
Agree with you.
The woman’s posture is the worst. It feels like the bracelets are so heavy she can’t straighten her back.
I think that wearing bracelets on both arms were a mistake. They are both quite wide and heavy-looking – and they give the effect of Kate wearing extra blingy manacles. But then again, maybe that was the look she was going for 😉
A single bracelet would have worked much better. She just doesn’t know how to accessorize but that is not a new problem.
Jewelry is interesting -royal women seem to wear it to promote their rank. Kate is unaware of how grand ladies wear jewelry. She hasn’t been exposed to women with rank; and with the gravitas of that experience. She has “dressed up” for Sunday school for so long, that’s all she knows of jewelry (even with her degree – shame). Most women believe that jewelry is given by a man for rank on the love scale! (HaHaHa) Honestly, Elizabeth needs to help her out.
Aesthetically speaking, it is about showcasing a piece of high jewellery – one bracelet (the one from Philip, which is lovely) would showcase the piece: two is overkill.
Btw, showcasing high jewellery isn’t something that royal women have been known to master. In the past (thing Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra), royal women simply piled on the jewels, which created an image of opulence but did very little to showcase signature pieces because the individual piece got lost in all the other bling. It takes experience and a good eye to wear many pieces at once. IMO, Queen Margrethe, Queen Silvia and Queen Maxima are the masters of this particular sartorial “discipline”.
I hate the jewellery. It’s too much, to blingy, almost trashy looking. And she looks harsher with her hair up.
The neckline was pretty dull. It didn’t look like a proper dinner dress; they’re supposed to be ornamented from the waist up, since that’s all you see all evening when everyone’s sitting down. Could have had some draping or something more than a few scattered sequins.
I thought seating was based on rank. Since William is the next in line to the throne, Kate had to sit next to President Xi. I hope she studied her brief so she could talk to him.
It is – i think the protocol is Royal women to TQ’s left and men to right with quest of honor right next to HM but i could be wrong.
In a few shots, cannot seem to ignore HM protocol – she is pap grinning manipulating the President, while HM tried speaking to him …
Willnot grumpy as all learn cannot did not receive HM Order.
Look at the videos from live coverage and Kate is giggling right away in the first few words with the President. I wonder what she said that cracked herself up. He remained dignified , cordial.
Oh gosh, she looks so uncomfortable I can actually feel it just by looking at the pictures.
I watched the live stream and she was super awkward. You could tell she was working hard not to fidget. During the presidents speech (which was in Chinese) everyone else was following along in the program-and she was looking around for most of it. At one point she was looking at the ceiling-another just staring into space.
Yes the speech was long and boring-but she was sitting right there. She was clearly uncomfortable the entire time and not wanting to mess up. It was painful to watch
Agree. I watched the video, too, and it was *awkward*. She really needs to get out more, and I mean this in a serious, work-related way. She did look presentable, though–hair up, no weird hand movements or gaping grins, and the red dress complemented her complexion.
It is obvious she’s out of her element in these settings. Maybe not aware of why she should care or how to act overall. The prep for her might not have gone past when to walk, stop, sit, etc… If she had more exposure to these settings I’d have faith she’d catch on to the structure of it.
Yes! She looks bored silly. Not to mention, like I said in the other Kate post about the purple lace dress, you can really see how much work she’s had done in these pics, especially the nose job and veneers (and maybe a chin implant too?). I’ll say something nice: I do like her hair like this.
Im not sure if thats really fair. I find it hard to listen to speeches or lectures or people talking or television/movie screens when in a crowded room. I often stare at the ceiling or fidget with something on the table or on myself but its actually my way of focusing on one thing so I can listen to what is being said. I know I probably look ridiculously bored or rude but its the only way I dont get distracted and can actually listen to whats being said! Perhaps she is the same way? I guess as a Duchess its something she needs to work on though….
If that is how she listens to a speech, then she better find a new way. Her team needs to work with her on how she can look interested and focused on a speech someone else is giving.
…it’s a regal Royal banquet to the highest level – more informed of the guest/country -global (with all that time sketching-donothing hiding), participating with the royals would make this a wonderful Dinner of a lifetime to most.
Everybody there was given a pamplet/booklet with which to look at during the speeches. I guess they were the translations or transcripts. Other people were looking down at the booklets and Kate should have done the same instead of rolling her eyes, looking this way and that, and acting like she was being tortured listening to other people speak. Or she could have looked at each speaker and put on a dumb smile. Whatever which way, she should have practiced pretending that she was engaged and happy to be there. That’s what professional people whose job depends on how they act and react would do. But for someone who can never get fired (unless William wants a divorce) and who’s never worried about getting fired from any job ever, thinking a step ahead and acting like a true pro might be expecting too much from her.
She should try to develop some interests in these matters then it wouldn’t be so boring for her. Surely the president expressed something about his hopes for the relationship between Britain and China and stuff?
I would have been surprised if she didn’t show up as Normal Bill was going to be there. She looked good, didn’t flash anyone and put her best ‘I’m engaged and interested’ face on. However, she doesn’t look comfortable – will have to dig out video evidence to have a proper look. Saying that Normal Bill didn’t look comfortable when he met with the President yesterday or when he gave his ‘speech’ about protecting wildlife.
The Fail has an screen grab of the video feed of Normal Bill giving someone the side eye – wonder what upset the poor baby.
Kate looked nice. Well done!
No spark.
This. Looking at her pictures is always downright soporific, even when she is perfectly pretty and polished.
Yes. She looked nice, proper dress, no fly ups, no wedgie shoes , hair up, good colour of dress, tiara sitting properly…..but NO Spark and she looks worn out and tired today and in some candid photos last night.
P.s. William looked bored stiff or just miserable in the one photo someone took.
Very few photos of Pr.William last night, but he probably likes it that way. Lol
I’m floored at how tired she looks today. The glossy wiglet is making her look worse.
The sad thing is that she is back on the botox, though light application, and normally that lifts her face, but what is going on in her life to look this exhausted?
I agree – she looks old and worn must be the hectic whirl of her mega full programme. And you can’t blame it on the kids considering all the help she has – i think it has something to do with Normal Bill. He looked miserable and moody last night – something it not right.
Yeah… I almost can’t snark about how tired and disengaged she looks because it makes me sad. She looks very beautiful and occasion appropriate, but she also looks “off” IMO. Something feels wrong, and I genuinely hope she’s okay.
Someone on Twitter who saw them going to the last event when Kate wore this Tiara, said William HATES it, when Kate becomes all Royaled up, Tiaras, gowns, sitting w the mucky mucks. He likes her more when she’s away from these trappings. He doesn’t like attending these events and would rather not, but had to.
Basically what was said was William likes Kate when she’s more uh…downmarket in her look, fly up skirts, thongs showing, wedge shoes and skinny jogging so or jeans , etc…
Cripes, you guys! The complaining is OTT. Maybe she just doesn’t feel well? You know, under the weather? I’ve been really tired the last few weeks, for no good reason.
Poor muffin needs a vacation. We all agree she ought to be in Mustique getting some rest, so no complaints once she’s there! yours truly, jason
Agree. You can be dressed up as the prettiest belle of the ball, but if you are stressed or unhappy, it shows. She hasn’t had a genuinely happy look in a while. Not good.
WinnieCM
Kate has looked genuinely Happy within the last few weeks. It’s all in the photos presented to you.
She is happiest around celebs is the pattern, waving, Rugby and Tennis spectating. More Rugby lately ofcourse. She appears Genuinly Happy and Engaged. Where has she looked unhappy past resting BFace moments? We all get them!
Geez, I know she has nannies, but I’m guessing the reason she looks tired is because she has a baby and a toddler to raise. From what I hear that can be exhausting 😉
Love the red dress and the jewels. The queen’s suite of sapphires is divine.
No clue what poor Kate would speak about at a state dinner. I saw pics where she looked animated and others where she seems bored and out of it. The tough, tough life….
I sense sarcasm is that right? LOL
I don’t know, but I did not care for her look overall. The cap sleeves make her arms look mannish, particularly with the double bracelets. What really struck me was how tiny the Queen looks next to all of the giants at the table and the huge jewels look like they are weighing her down.
It’s not the most flattering dress, is it? She looks sort of out of place in a tiara, I think. She’s more comfortable in less formal situations.
I thought the top part of the dress was odd fit on the cap shoulder area.
The men in your life need to lift some weights!
Doncha know only men have muscle definition?
LOL!!!!
I was justgonna say….if those arms are manish, then you should meet my bf…lol
If those arms look “mannish” to you, hello, nice to meet you. Please, call me Dwayne. “The a Rock” is my stage name.
Well, Dwayne. I think we can agree that The Duchess very athletic and has broad shoulders. Cap sleeves do not play well on that and she appears to like cap sleeves or short sleeves, probably because she feels more comfortable like that. The red dress is okay, but I think she looks amazing in white or blue. Anyway, she is still figuring her style out and I do not envy her position.
She looks like she is playing dress up. Lack of doing anything in life shows in the photos.
Her hair and jewelry was great as was the color of the dress. But either she needed a necklace, sash (which she does not have) or a fancier dress. But it is not bad, it is just Swedish princesses for example would wear something similar to a much less formal event since they use their jewelry more often so she looks underdressed somehow.
I think a sash probably would have been fine now that you mention it, but she probably has not earned one of those yet.
She looks great. I love the dress.
Loved the bottom half of the dress but the top half looked like a sparkly t shirt to me. Would have been better at an event where she didn’t spend most of the time sitting down. Loved the hair and tiara.
She looked bored in all the pics I saw, but you would be wouldn’t you?
Btw – does this mean QE11 didn’t give her the order of the personal slave or whatever it is? She would have worn it otherwise, right? More evidence that the papers just make stuff up.
Also, I always thought with white tie you needed sleeves?? Protocol fail?!
I’m thinking the order was a trial balloon, like the annual Middletons-have-a-personal-invite-to-christmas-at-the-big-house or the perennial Middletons-deserve-a-title-coz-it’s-shameful-for-future-King-to-have-commoner-grandparents balloons.
RoyalReporter told tweeters he doesn’t think she has earned it yet, so no she wasn’t given it yet,
TwitterQuote: via@RoyalReporter@royalwhisper “She would have worn it if she had. These things have to be earned even by family. Cf Prince Harry and Garter.”
9:46am – 21 Oct 15
P.S.I think the Daily Mail or Kate fans must have thought they could impose their own wishes on the Queen LOL …the Queen is no fool. She knows Kate and how much work she’s hasn’t been doing…!
I’ve read that the Royal Family order is given for service to the Queen. Kate’s opportunity for service came with her Malta trip which she cancelled. She accompanies Will when *he* does service. It is required to wear the order at State Banquets, but Will and Kate are not full time royals. Diana received her order after 18 months, Camilla after 2.5 years, and Sophie became officially a full-time royal in 2002 and received hers in 2004, although she married in 1999.
@wolfie – Interesting!! You would think these historical facts would motivate Kate into working more and actually trying harder to prove herself. I bet the attitude stems from Wills, he wouldnt want his commoner wife outworking/outshining him.
There is no such thing as part-time royals. They are senior royals who continue to refuse to take on the work load but take all the royal perks.
You haven’t posted in ages – where have you been!!??? Or maybe I’m just reading the wrong posts?
“Sparkles” and jewels do not mix well.
They all look bored to death. They’d rather be home watching Lost reruns.
I saw some pictures last night and noticed that she appeared to end the only one in short sleeves. Is that appropriate? The first lady of China looked great in all of outfits. Hard to believe she was a rock star.
She wasn’t. She was a popular folk singer who used to entertain troops. She can also sing opera.
Judging by attire worn at past state dinners by other royal women (including the Queen), short sleeves and sleeveless gowns are perfectly acceptable. It’s likely that most other women at the dinner elected to wear long sleeves due to the season or personal preference. Kate could have worn long gloves, but I think that might have pushed this look too far into “Pretty Woman” territory.
Kate is sadly one of those people who makes even the most beautiful gown look ‘Pretty Woman’. She and her sister make clothes look cheap and nasty – not sure if it’s the hair, overdone fake tans or general demeanour.
She really really needs to get a stylist and stop sharing your clothes with your mother and sister.
So many times when I see pictures of her, I just want to yell “STOP SLOUCHING!”
That’s the first thing I noticed too. Her posture is horrendous. Maybe it’s a family thing though, her mother is the same way. Jeez.
That’s because Carole’s always wasted.
The seating was protocol driven NOT honouring Kate in some special way. As the 2nd lady in Britain present (due to William’s presence as the 2nd gentleman in Britain present), Kate took the seat designated for that status.
FYI: first lady/gentleman = HM and DoE.
Seating arrangement at the top table and eventually fanning out to the other tables is that HM is centre, flanked by guest of honour and DoE the seats after that are taken up by spouse of Guest of honour and 2nd Lady. The next set of seats are 2nd Gentleman and the second ranked guest of honour etc.
If Kate had attended without William, Anne would have been the 2nd Lady since her status as a Blood Princess outranks Kate on her own. In that scenerio, given the presence of the other royal ladies, seating would have been, Anne, Alexandra, Kate (Cambridge), Sophie (Wessex), Brigitte (Gloucester), Michael (Kent).
If Charles and Camilla had attended, Camilla would have taken Kate’s seat.
What was surprising was that Kate still doesn’t have the royal family order. This is one I actually believed the media since she’s fulfilled the function of womb bearer, and the order are the personal gift of HM, so you can never be too sure. Also, why would media/Middletons trial balloon that one? It’s ridiculous.
As for her outfit, I found it lacking and once again matronly. I wish she’d repeated the very similar lilac from the tour to Canada/LA.
As for the tiara, no surprises there. She only had 2 choices, and I guess the other one is still in the Cartier exhibition?
But I think if Kate is alone , William not present ,but Sophie present with Prince Edward, then Sophie actually is higher than Kate , because Prince Edward is the Son of the Monarch, while William is Grandson of the Monarch ,even though he’s heir to the heir. .
Sophie if attending with Prince Edward, would actually be higher ,if Kate is without William, because Pr.Edward is the son of the Monarch/Queen. That’s what I’ve read.
you are correct. I was thinking of it without the husbands present.
Oh ok. 🙂
I wish we had a separate post on CB about why Kate doesnt have the Royal Order yet. I mean, we know why lol..but it would be fun to discuss and compare with Diana, Sophie ..and Sofia of Sweden, who all received theirs much sooner than 4.5 years.. how perfect that she is Waity. Waity will have to wait all over again.
Apparently, one of the diamond bracelets Kate is wearing was once a choker worn by Queen Mary (the Queen’s grandmother).
Pretty much all of the really good baubles came from Queen Mary. She had a real love of great jewels and beefed up the collection.
Victoria courtesy of Albert, Alexandra and the QM were also royal magpies. They added lots to the jewellery collections. This Queen isn’t interested. Her few attempts at re-designing or commissioning jewellery have been disastrous. Plus she’s stingy with the jewels.
Charles loves a bejewelled woman, so both Diana and Camilla are encouraged to wear or purchase or gifted amazing jewels.
QEII really has a bit of a black thumb when it comes to (re)designing tiaras. The Brazilian Aquamarine, Tthe Burmese Ruby and the Modern Sapphire tiaras are all uniformly awful. Maybe she should have let Charles design them – he seems to have an eye for jewellery.
I think it’s fascinating and so fitting that she was wearing a tiara called Lotus Flower for an event honoring the president of China 🙂
The use of the stylized lotus motif in this art deco tiara is more likely inspired by egyptian art – it was a fairly common motif in the period.
I was thinking since this tiara is also known as the papyrus lotus tiara, it is also appropriate for any state visits from the Egyptian president.
Thanks for the info! While it had been inspired by Egyptian art, I’m thinking it was deliberately chosen due to the importance of lotus in Chinese culture :). (Someone upthread also pointed out Kate’s wearing a red dress).
I don’t think so – kate has worn the Papyrus/Lotus tiara before. I do find it interesting that the two tiaras that she has worn are both in the art deco style and quite lovely starter tiaras. I must admit that the Papyrus is one of my favorites. it is an exceptionally beautiful example of the art deco style.
I think the Queen is going to loan her this one or the one she used at the wedding for most formal events. I don’t think we’ll see her in any different tiaras for awhile.
Lotus tiara and gown of chinese red… girlfriend just loves a theme party.
That’s the Party Pieces plan bred into her. It’s gotta match and it’s gotta have a theme.
Olenna wins comment of the day!
@Olenna so true!
I thought I read that the color red would be seen as a sign of respect by the Chinese delegation.
Diana used to do it theme dressing for high-profile events and everyone LOVED it. She wore a Chanel dress on a French state visit and people went bonkers since she’d only worn British designers up to that point.
I thought she looked nice but it was definitely missing some royal element beyond the tiara. Long white gloves might have done the job… Or, you know, some sort of family order.
William had his stink face on in full force last night after they sat down…
Someone said he hates it when they have to put on the dawgs and he prefers Kate without all the hoopla of Tiaras and formal dressing. He likes her more down market was the word someone used who saw them at the last event when she wore a tiara. Someone said they were fighting in the car that night in the way.
Yeah. Gloves would have totally made her look Royal. She looks very nice but she looks like more Gossip Girl dressed up than future Queen.
But wearing gloves to a formal event would have required extra thinking about protocol on when to have them on and when to take them off. That might have been a little too much for her to handle.
she looks like she is in her mid 40s, that’s unfortunate.
She looks perfectly nice…the dress is bespoke though, so I have to complain that it looks a little cheap and prom-y to me considering that it was custom made for this event. I think it’s the material? Not sure. Red is a common choice when hosting Chinese diplomats, as Michelle Obama wore on the same occasion.
I believe the dress is bespoke, so no doubt it was specifically made in red for this event, given the significance of red in Chinese culture. Bright red hues often photograph cheaply, so I bet this looked richer and more elegant in reality. I’m not a huge fan of her style, but I think she looks nice here. It’s appropriate. A little pathetic, though, that at 33 this is only the first state banquet for William, the future King. He’s such a waste of space.
In some photos, she looked like CP Mary of Denmark. I was unimpressed with her look. The dress was too similar to the one from the LA gala.
I knew she wouldn’t get her hands on the Cambridge Lovers Knot. Hallelujah! And I was thrilled she didn’t get a family honor. She’s done nothing to warrant one.
While there were no major gaffes, she looked bored and spaced out at times. This is your life, Kate. Better get used to these on be regular.
She looked SO much like Crown Princess Mary. Which is saying a lot since CP Mary is ten years her senior…
Crown Prince Mary looks younger IMO and I think Mary’s face is softer , not as hard as Kate.
This hairstyle is quite similar to CP Mary’s recent tiara appearances, with the distinctive hair-swept-over-forehead look. Maybe KM’s hairdresser took notes?
Like this?
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660857571016/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660857345276/
From the recent Swedish wedding.
Does anyone know if they continue to have the cameras rolling when the dinner starts? It doesn’t seem appropriate to film people eating. Inconsequential I know, but I’m just curious about the protocol.
She looked bored most of the time, in some pictures she looks almost sedated. Definitely uncomfortable throughout.
I’m wondering what’s up with those huge veneers she’s sporting now. Just bored one afternoon and thought she’d get a new set of teeth? Her natural teeth were just fine. There’s a pap pic of her smiling widely from when they were driving into the event and they’re super noticeable and quite unnatural looking. If she was going to go that route, she really should’ve gone to someone who was willing to make them fit better and look more natural.
People were making similar comments about the chicklets (veneers) on another site, but she’s had those fake teeth for a while and I don’t see any difference. Maybe the changes to her face/lack of photoshop in some pics make the teeth look different to some people? I don’t know, maybe her face is more gaunt looking… Regardless, I concur that her original, natural teeth were perfectly acceptable and w-a-a-a-ay better than William’s yellowy beaver teeth lol.
Maybe she had them whitened and touched up again? Because in one set of photos they looked brand new.
Or it could be the lack of photoshop and airbrushing that’s being done to her photographs by editors and photographers these days.
I like her teeth, veneers don’t bother me. I think her smile looks great.
I love a nice smile , even with veneers. ..but I come from a family of natural Osmond family teeth, we were known for big teeth before veneers lol
Also I think she may have only had the front two done, which is done by many people in the public eye.
I think she looked good yesterday… but really she should reconsider her choice of make up.
Yeah! I thought the other day that she would look so nice if she tried “strobing”. You know where you highlight all of your facial features? It looks really nice, and softens the appearance of the face
she looks good here. Someone give me more close shots of hose gems! I need jewel porn if I have to look at Jenny Packham.
I have to disagree with criticism of the ensemble. I have no quarrel with it. Totes appropriate, the tiara isn’t over the top but looks stately, dress is simple and elegant, upswept hair works perfectly. I still don’t care much for her and she still can’t manage to look completely engaged, rather than looking like she’s doing what she has to do to keep her perks, but the outfit is faultless for the occasion. She isn’t supposed to “wow” at this but represent the UK with dignity. Luckily, she looks good in red – it makes me look like old cheese. Stuck with Easter egg and pastel colors and navy, cream, and black like any true Winter for the rest of my bloody life. I feel for Maxima of Holland, who looks ghastly in her adopted country’s national color: orange. I’d have had to turn Willem down just on that basis.
She is supposed to subtly sparkle: see the wife of the President of China who manages this perfectly. She is supposed to make everybody feel very very welcome as a junior co-host and a host who isn’t interested just won’t manage.
Kate is in her thirties and if she still doesn’t manage to pretend she had some interest in the job or the people or the possibilities then Britain has a problem.
There is no politician or senior state something advisor who wouldn’t take a call from her and give her some information about the Chinese-British relations.
Pondering
All valid, but I have to agree with sees
Kate showed up, dressed appropiately outside of personal opinion. She behaved in a manner that wasn’t stellar, but wasn’t horrible (again barring personal opinions on this).
Yes, she’s in her 30’s, mother of 2, college grad, and person who’s had over a decade to learn the ropes. She’s essentially in a state of self imposed arrested development. So as far as that goes she’s done welll enough.
To pick it apart is to build off facts with personal opinions.
Kate doesn’t care. Might she ever? I can’t say. I’m not raising or lowering a bar at this point. She stays at this level until she improves or worsens. By she I don’t mean her PR narrative.
@ FLORC
Basically you accept that she is in arrested development by her own choice. And then you measure her state dinner engagement against these very low expectations she has for herself and you say she did okay???
I don’t agree with that reasoning. It is like measuring a criminal against his own low legal standards and then the conclusion is that he did okay considering his own low legal standards. With such reasoning anything could be justified.
Kate needs to be hold to those standards she gets paid for and that is royal standards and high social status and socio-political influence. Measured against that makes Kate look pathetic.
She put her hair up, so points for that.
Maybe my nostalgic mind clouds my opinion, but she just does not have ‘it’. Nor does Will.
Diana had ‘it’, and Harry seems to have some of that spark and charisma. I would like to think it mostly requires just being genuinely engaged in whatever you are doing. Even Diana slipped a time or two (I recall some eye roll or staring upwards photos at events), but Kate just rarely seems to appear relaxed and genuinely present anymore.
I agree. She gets all dressed up but even with the gorgeous jewels, she just doesn’t have it. She does not have that charisma.
Even when Diana eye-rolled she had the “it” factor. Kate and Wills are boring.
It’s like Hillary Mantel’s essay, where she so aptly put it. Something about how kate is not allowed to show the slightest hint of character.
well, I will try to get to where that comes from:
In order to please William and schmoze oneself into the Royal Family one must have no character and no interests besides William’s interest. As William has no interests either except for hunting and partying and flying fly-things his wife adopts this as her own position.
And that is why it is hard to find her engaging and/or interesting. Her public persona is a completely blank cipher, which means that you can project ideals, fantasies and biases onto her without any problems – but it also prevents the public from cultivating a deeper investment in her as a public figure because all we get is a platicized facade without charm and personality. I think that the BRF want this but for all the wrong reasons: They don’t want a repeat Diana or Fergie but going in the opposite direction is not the answer either because it becomes very hard to like a public persona devoid of genuine personality or charm.
One of the reasons why I find my Queen Margrethe II endearing is that she lets the public get a glimpse of her life and her personality – i.e. we get the sense that we “know” her at a very limited level.
I don’t think this is coming from the ‘men in grey’ or the BRF but Willy and Carole – she used to have a spark but over the years its been squashed. In my opinion the blame for that lies squarely at the feet of William and Carole – THEY shaped her into someone that they can control, as lets face it both are control freaks.
It also feeds into Willy’s issues over his mother – I don’t think HE wants someone like Diana, someone who opened her life to the press.
The cultivation of this kind of bland and blank public persona may not come from the Royal establishment but I don’t think that they are unhappy with it either – for the reasons mentioned in my post above.
IMO, the BRF has never really been very adept at the PR game – and I think it hurts them that they appear so remote from the British public, if you look at the issue in the context of a long-term strategy.
It is, of course, a tough balancing act: not being too remote, but not being too accessible either. However, I do think that the remoteness is more damaging long-term.
If they appear too closed off and remote then why would the public be invested in them and that would put their position in danger. I think Charles is the only one that truly knows this since he allegedly has said that “the monarchy will only exist as long as the people wants it” – so they really need to build up goodwill and an emotional investment on the part of the public now! IMO, Harry is the one doing that at present. I like Charles and Camilla but I do think that they are hampered by their history and the press war with the late Diana. Sophie and Anne do good work but does not receive a lot of attention. It really is on Harry and the Cambridges, and the latter are fast sabotaging themselves in the PR game.
Dang, people are harsh on this woman. She looks lovely here. Red really suits her. Great look.
Yes, people have been harsh on Kate. Some people think she should have worn a necklace but then if she did she’d be criticized for wearing too much jewellery. I think the dress was a good choice, the hair looked fine and the tiara was pretty.
People just miss the sparkle and work ethic of Diana so Kate really pays the price.
I agree. As an American, I don’t follow her that closely but she always seems to look nice and I’ve seen plenty of charming personality from her.
Her face in the header photo… what?
I know right? So…sedated…..
I know she’s bored but she has to learn how to not smile without looking bitchy or bored. It’s an art truly.
She just had no sparkle last night and that’s saying something with all the blind she was wearing
“no sparkle” is a good description. I would add “not interested” because she seems to do polite meaningless conversation only.
Jesus, it is the probably most powerful person in China: that can’t be boring. And his wife seems so nice and friendly and ELEGANT and sparkly!
That’s her resting b!tchface – boredom. She was clearly trying to look serious and interested but came off as bored and spaced out. She is very expressive with her face and you can tell what she’s thinking (or not thinking in her case).
then why doesnt she have a bunch of advisors or something ? if I were entering the royal family like she did I woudl assume that there woudl be speech/image advisors to sit with me and practice appropriate faces, what to day topeople, stylists for appropriate dress…. whats happening? did they leave her on her own?
^^ I believe Normal Bill was going to ‘teach’ her how to be a royal – after the wedding an offer was made for her to shadow other members of the family. He turned it down saying he would do it.
I would say that the lights are on but nobody’s home, but in this case, the lights aren’t even on. I’ve seen gifs of her acting bored and tortured at charity visits when it was time to listen to other people do their speeches. I don’t know if this is her way of telling them to end their talk and get it over with. It’s what little kids do when they get bored and just want to have some fun and be the center of attention again.
It’s weird how her PR team says she’s doing visits to ‘learn,’ but then she can’t even bear to hear anybody saying anything about the charity. And in this case, there was a reason for this very important state banquet, yet she couldn’t hide her agonizing disinterest.
Like I said above, she could have just pretended to be reading the booklet along with everybody else or even smiled at the speakers while they spoke (ala Nancy Reagan) instead of rolling her eyes and looking around the room to see if anybody else was as annoyed as she was to have to sit through grown ups talking about grown up things.
^^ Very true, the lights fused out a long time ago.
I just watched the video of the Presidents speech, she looked bored and am sure at one point she rolled her eyes but then again she did look like she was forcing herself to stay focused on what was happening around her instead of her usual retreat into the royal mind palace.
She looked Okay. Not great but not Meh either. That’s a plus point for her in my book.
She looks nice.
I think she and William just had a fight. Aside from that, she really looks like she doesn’t want to be there. I think she’s really a homebody.
is it just me or does she have the worst case of resting bitch face?
Yep, when she doesn’t smile she looks no good. And in her case she doesn’t just look bitchy but also rather old and try-hard and depressed.
You really have to wonder where she got that face. Is she unhappy or what is going on?
Maybe she’s hungry?
As someone with rbf, I empathise but I’m not sure if she really has it because I don’t recall that she has always had a rbf during her single days. She seemed more of herself during those days. After her wedding, she just looks more sad and / or disinterested when she’s not smiling at official events, instead of having rbf. Her body language almost always looks closed.
If she is really unhappy doing royal duties and prefers glam or sporty events, there may be two reasons (out of many):
1) She and Mumsy did not think of the post-wedding strategy.
2) She does love William and thought she could handle the responsibilities of the position but once she is inside, it’s harder than she thought to be interested. And William doesn’t seem to be helping her. She will go along with his reluctance to spend time with his family, even though it doesn’t help her to be more comfortable with the royals and royal responsibilities.
Yeah, interesting that William doesn’t seem to be helping her when such a big deal was made of Charles not helping Diana.
So, I guess he can’t do any better a job than his poor, reviled papa.
I’m beginning to think that point 2 might be on the money – she persuaded herself and everyone else she could handle it but the reality is she can’t. If she had any interest in her causes etc.. that quickly went – the only time you see any spark in those eyes is when she’s hob nobbing with celebs, the rest of the time we get her bored bf.
What is also apparent is how Kate puts him first – everything she does it to please him. The way she dresses and behaves is all for him – hell she even put him before George when he was a small baby. They both snuck off for a post birth holiday to the Maldives leaving George with her mother and the nanny on her first week. So much for staying at home all the time as she needed to be around to breastfeed/look after her son. The only reason it got out was down to eagle eye members of the public on twitter who saw them at the airport.
I’m leaning toward Point 2. You know what they say; be careful what you ask for because you might actually get it.
Yes, she does have really bad rbf. She’s never had a job in which she had to pretend to be interested in what others were saying about something that wasn’t about her. It just seems as if the spotlight isn’t on her, she’s not about to act interested in being there.
Kate looks very elegant and put together nicely for this event. However, if I were going to nit pick, it would be her hair. Although she has lovely, healthy looking hair, she doesn’t have good “tiara hair “. It seems flat. I’ve seen other princesses and Queens wear this hairstyle with their tiaras and it worked for them. But not for Kate and not for Sofia either. Their hair lacked the volume. I’m not sure if its because these two are only rocking their own hair and the other royals added extensions to add volume as being the difference or not.
But on a whole Kate looks the part. She has her whole life to wear the big guns in the royal jewelry vault. Eventually they’ll all be hers to showcase. Until then, we have Queen Elizabeth to do the honors.
I agree that her hair is too flat for wearing a tiara. It looks more like it’s being worn as a crown instead. As you said, tiara hair needs more volume. It should look like it’s an accessory to a fancy hairstyle rather than just something you rest on your head, like one would do with a Burger King paper crown.
“I agree that her hair is too flat for wearing a tiara. It looks more like it’s being worn as a crown instead.”
Whishful thinking on Kate’s part.
Dread the day those two ascend…
The cap sleeve and pleat treatment look very very junior bridesmaid to me. Her taste is so banal. A quick google for “red cap sleeve gown” gave me several hits of lots of banal red gowns. She would have looked about the same in this $100 dress linked below.
It’s such a shame that her bespoke garments lack the sophisticated and beautiful design details that make wearing expensive clothes so much fun.
http://www.ericdress.com/product/Ericdress-Jewel-Neck-Cap-Sleeve-Sequins-Evening-Dress-11437697.html?tlz_from=paid_adwords_shopping&c=USD&tb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&adword_mt=&adword_ct=77515000715&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o14&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_id=7162179455_301332875_22285748675_kwd-133793834915&gclid=COGf6P_l08gCFQiqaQodfmoMBw
Wow, that $100 dress looks too much like the bespoke one. What’s really crazy is the model seems to have more charisma than Kate.
Oh wow, MinnFinn. Good find.
I thought Kate’s dress looked like something a 1950s/60s 20-something year old young woman would wear to a college-aged dinner party. You know, like a first time, grown-up dinner party dress.
I saw these pics at the D last night. The Duchess looks pretty.
All news sites I have read (about 6) have some subtly mocking description of Kate’s state dinner attendance. They call her “Kate Middleton” and forget her titles and such. some examples:
1. http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/news/fashion/2015/11/kate-middleton-tiara-state-banquet
Great, now we want a tiara!
The Duchess of Cambridge looked absolutely incredible last night as she hosted her first state banquet alongside Prince William and the Queen. What did Kate Middleton [<– sic!] choose for the occasion? An epic amount of diamonds on her head, that's what.
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/20/kate-middleton-tiara-state-banquet_n_8340182.html
On Tuesday, the royal, also known as Kate Middleton [<– sic!] , donned what looked like the Lotus Flower tiara (or what some call the Papyrus tiara) to her first state banquet at Buckingham Palace where, her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, hosted China's leader, Xi Jinping and Madame Peng.
3. http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2015/kate-middleton-china-showpiece-prince-charles-camilla-parker-bowles-stay-hidden-at-queen-elizabeth-command/
Queen Elizabeth has ordered Kate Middleton [yep, Kate Middleton had to be ORDERED] to attend a state dinner with Prince William for the Chinese President while forbidding bumbling Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles to show their faces. October has been a busy month for Kate Middleton. After her October 10 joint appearance With Prince William at Harrow College for World Mental Health Day Kate Middleton is slated to attend a State dinner at Buckingham Palace later this month for the president of China.
[…]
Duchess Kate Middleton has been called lazy, moody and ill-mannered [sic!!] because she has failed to accompany the Duke of Cambridge to several of his friends’ weddings and has shirked many of her other Royal responsibilities. But if Kate expects the Queen to pass over the Prince of Wales – if she decides to retire – as the next King and choose her and William as the next king and queen it is necessary for the Duchess to up her game.
“…..while forbidding bumbling Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles to show their faces.” Hmm..what? Why? Need details on this.
Charles is not a fan of the Chinese regime…or at least he wasn’t a fan of previous regimes. He has had some pretty strong words to say about them in the past. So it is nice to see he is not there playing hypocrite. Good on you Charles.
WinnieCoopersMom, IIRC celebdirtylaundry.com sources their news from a really bizarre tabloid named The Globe. The Globe’s entire shtick is making up outrageous “news” featuring politicians, random celebs and British royal family. Their narrative about british royals consists of
-Camilla’s being all about booze, hookers and blow, divorcing Charles since 1999 in a $100000000M divorce; also constantly trying to grab the crown
– DYING QUEEN forbidding Charles and Camilla from attending stuff; giving the crown to Kate
– Kate’s constant miscarriages; inbetween miscarriages she gets to have her revenge on Camilla
– it used to be random sightings of Clearly Alive Diana but these days it’s all about Diana’s Secret Daugher
Seriously, go to Google Image Search and type “the globe covers” Do it. I dare you.
I actually think her resting face is “bored face,” (just like some people have resting bitch-face), and she can’t really help it. I think that is why she tries too hard to smile and look super peppy even at times when it is not appropriate — she’s overcompensating. She also always looks tired lately, which makes the bored face worse. But she does have two tiny kids at home, and even with help, it’s not easy to get much sleep.
That said, she certainly doesn’t have much natural charisma. And the constant hair fidgeting in public is unacceptable at this point. While I sympathize with her discomfort in public situations, looking and sounding presentable is her job. She should train harder at it.
Her discomfort is what i don’t understand – she chased after this life for 10 years and mugged for the press the whole time so its not as if she’s unused to the media glare. I think that now she’s got where she wanted to be she’s intimidated by it – she realizes she bit off more than she can chew and she isn’t or doesn’t know how to adapt. She’s intimidated by the role, his family and the people she meets. She’s lived her whole life in a bubble created for her by her mother and now that she’s in the public eye where she’s expected to be out there promoting her country and the monarchy she’s clueless about how to do it – she’s not getting support from her husband or mother as they have her where they want her, under their thumb.
She seems to spend most of her time at public events either staring off into space, making awkward small talk or ginning in the background. We know she’s a bit of a dim bulb but i do wonder if there is more going on behind the scenes – Willy is no picnic and given his tantrums to the press recently you have to wonder what is he desperate to stop getting out. Is it how little he spends with his family, at his job or is there another woman? Me thinks possibly all 3.
Betti, I have the same thoughts. I don’t think she has a genuine rbf. She is miserable and William’s attitude doesn’t help her. No wonder she goes back to what’s familiar and comforting…her family and kids. She needs someone from the royal family to be her mentor and friend but maybe William doesn’t even want that. So, she really wants to be at home, dress up once in a while for glam events and do as little talking as possible.
i get the impression she’s intimated by the position, too. somethings off, anyway.
I think Willy is just a jerk and probably very hard to live with. Not that they live together all that much. Look how unreasonable he is with the press – can you imagine how he treats his “commoner” wife, and then her mother sides with him. I’d hate that.
There was a picture from their Australia/NZ trip last year where they were at the airport and Willy and Kate were alone waiting for the plane, maybe in a hangar or someplace kind of private, and it looked like he was ripping her a new one. He was furious. I’ve looked and looked for that picture and I can’t find it, but I KNOW I didn’t imagine it. I think he is terrible to live with: an entitled, spoiled, whiny man-child. But really, she dated him for years so she had to know what she was getting into. I still feel like her life sucks and I feel sorry for her. She lives in a gilded cage and I think her cage master is cruel.
@Jib, was this the pic? It’s a couple of photos down the page where they’re standing next to a helicopter. Looks like she got a talking-to.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2606617/Kates-bold-patterned-dress-day-two-Australian-tour-sells-online-just-EIGHT-MINUTES.html
Bored, you say? In one of the pics on the DM she looks completely like she is thinking about all the dirty clothes piled up at home that she has to wash right after the banquet. She was not in that room in that moment. Her gaze was so far away….
I am actually starting to think something is massively wrong with the Duchess. I hope she is well. We rag on her, but I do not like to see any human being decline the way she has in the last 3 or so years. Get well/help, Duchess.
Your comment reminded me of predictions I’d read about the Duchess. They weren’t good- one stated something bad involving her health after her second child and a psychic predicted something bad- an accident. Hope it’s not true.
I think that there maybe issues with both her physical and mental health – i never got the impression she was mentally strong anyway and given the way she’s been treated by both her mother and husband it can take its toll. Being that thin for a long time can also take its toll on your health. I’ve seen her in person and she is thinner than most A List celebs (very boney).
I know i rag on her as well but if she really is unwell they need to get her help.
That Lotus Blossom Tiara is absolutely gorgeous. Too bad it had to be displayed atop an empty head.
It is a gorgeous piece – one of my favorite art deco tiaras. Princess Margaret wore it beautifully:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472807660854648354/
She looks beautiful and I wish she’d wear her hair up more often because it looks good (with the added bonus being that she doesn’t fidget with or hide behind it).
But good God, she looks empty in the head. Not sure if she’s nervous, bored or sick, but come on. She chased this for 8 years and has been the DOC for almost 5, and she’s acting like she was dropped into this yesterday.
I don’t think Kate and William had a fight in the car. The DM shows Kate smiling. If they did, it was a minor disagreement.
She looks just fine. Everybody except the Chinese guy in the top photo look either bored or solemn, even the queen.
Love the tiara! I’m not a fan of the bracelets on both arms, a necklace would have looked nicer.
The dress looked better on video. The sparkle on top was really catching the light.
The Countess of Wessex was NOT in attendance. Just FYI.
Well, for what it’s worth, I love the color of the gown, Kate’s hair and jewels, and that lovely Papyrus Tiara which I actually prefer over the Scroll. But I didn’t think there was any flair or creative element to the gown. I disliked the high scoop neckline and cap sleeves; the sparkly material didn’t save the look for me and a long pendant necklace or brooch would have added some pizzazz to the overall look. I’d have preferred either to eliminating one of those diamond bracelets, although they are to die for.
Maybe Kate wanted a simply designed gown thinking she’d get a sash or an order last minute as a major accessory. Both would have looked great on that top!
😉
hmmmmmm…interesting….
how long does it take to make a bespoke gown? Maybe she thought she’d have a sash or an order when she ordered the gown?
Kate looks like she’s playing dress up… That’s the vibe I get.
The dress is wearing her. Overall, she just seems like a shell, a blank in an expensive red dress, borrowed jewels and heavy-handed make-up. She seriously underwhelming. The only positive was that her hair wasn’t loose and being played with. Someone must have spoken with her about this nervous habit. Someone needs to work with her on body language as well as what’s expected of her workwise – preparation, research, something to build up her confidence.. She desperately needs a stylist and make-up artist too. You’d never know that she’s 33 years old and a part of the BRF for almost 5 years. She seems so disinterested and out of her depth. Unreal!
Maybe if she gets really nervous, she takes beta blockers. I’m a classical musician, and classical musicians often do this to combat stage fright. That might explain the blank expression?
Red is her colour! She looks great.
The dress is pretty but it looks like something an office worker would buy from H&M for a nice evening out. I’d wear it for maybe a nice family Christmas party.
I think it has become obvious she has a problem, either depression or panic disorder. She is being kept at home as much as possible, her mother is staying with her, she appears medicated not to mention a wreck. All this started after the first baby. If she was the frivolous party girl too lazy to to take 15 minutes to snip the ribbon opening a child care center, you would see her out and about having fun and looking like a pampered rich girl – you know that look. Instead she looks increasingly rough and blank. When she does engage, it is desperately over done. Perhaps William is the way he is because he is fighting every minute to protect her and give her time to heal. If the queen demanded she get busy and attend events, Kate WOULD be. But the queen is not. Think about that.
Imaginary DuchessK: Oi! I loves me a good Chinese buffet! Look at me frock, mummy! A regular TOWIE firecracker, ain’t I? And I love me new diamond hat!
ImaginaryMrsM: Oi! Lovely, ducks! That’s the new hat? Aye, another old one! Cain’t they give you a proper crown then, havin’ ‘ad the second sprog after all! Me, wiv bloody yowlin’ German-like grandkids! I suffer fer it all! But so did you, my pet! So you ask old Gran fer a proper crown for the next buffet! My Diana was denied, but I won’t ‘ave our family name drug down in old hats! A crown that’s what we want, my girl, bespoke, wiv our own signet, three pigs in a trough starin’ at a Swiss ski slope, etched right on the solid gold!! You tell ‘em! You’re the practically queen!
iDK: oooh mummy! A gold one, wiv pointy bits! Not like this fat old hat! Look at me hair, stuck all up! Angelina never looks like this! Fat old hat!
Imaginary Prince W: I say! That was the Queen Mum’s hat, eh? Me old great gran eh? Queen of fun, great old bird, ho! Sparkler, wot? Dazzlers, big as a plate, eh, eh? Hiding the glue chunks, right there old thing, eh? Good enough, ho! Worth a packet! Crown weighs a heifer anyway, save it for old Camelchins! Uneasy lay the head that drops the crown, eh! We’re doin’ normal, eh, wot, so the old hat is just the ticket! Normal as truffles on toast, eh, wot!
iMM: Well if you say, me lad, you’re the practically King after all! but on the subjerkt of family, where’s yer own brother? Never called me littlest sweet gal back about takin’ ‘er to the buffet, an’ she left four messages and I left eight! An’ she in all her ‘eartbreak, wiv’ them tired legs from all ‘er sports wiv ‘er randy exes! Can’t he do ‘er a good turn, then?
ImaginaryPrinceW: I say! He’s not comin’ to the buffet! Sent back home in a car, didn’t I! Off you go, bloggy prong, said I! Not your buffet, lad, wot! Bad enough the old Chinese asked for him to visit, eh, when they should’ve meant me, then they sent me home with a box of jeweled tusks or some bloody great gold rubbish for him, ho! I won’t have him at my buffet, sucking up the camera! Vomitous oaf! Chatting up some egg rolls in high heels, wot! Havin’ all the bloody peasants saying he looks better in white tie than me! Quite the last bloke I want to see eatin’ kung pow across the planks from me! Banished him! Ho!
iDK: He’s mean to me anyway! He texts me whenever I dress up, says I look like I’m on Pound Shop Wars, but I may as get meself a loverly job modeling shoes for Oxfam! He says my natural public demeanor means every quid spent on me is an apple thrown under a bus! So I don’t want him ‘round! I want to be the only beautiful red thing at my buffet party! Not ‘im wiv his gingerness, in the way of me plans tonight! I am going to ask the Chinese missus to bind me feet after! I’ve me eye on such cute little boots!
iMM: Now now, me girl, poor ginger lad’s got no mum, does ‘e? No lovin’ guidance! but look how I turned yer poor Willy round! Make a king of ‘im yet! So you wait till we ‘ave that ginger sod in line, I’ll teach ‘im to mind ‘is manners, won’t I just? Less of a rogue, wiv some good family values! Now hold still, so the servies can finish wiv yer extra hair, nice big bun like a country loaf, there you go, no Swedish tart wiv a snake an’ no top is going to upstage me little climbing rose, is she! You, gal, spray some champagne on me face, I’m feelin’ slightly puckish! thatsa love! Oooh I ‘ope I’m at the ‘ead table! I want to ask about discounts on some poppers fer me party store! They makes the best over there, you know! Quite a discount I should think, being the practically king’s nearly mum!! Smile! That’s me girl! It’s nearly vacay time, remember!
I. Am. DEADED!! Bwaaaahahahaaaaaa!!
Noticed you stopped doing these for a minute, and I’m so glad you’re back!!! 😀 😀 😀
And, I am dying! “He’s mean to me…”! Throw some champagne on *my* face ’cause I’m ROTFL! So glad you’re back, Liberty.
Why am I now picturing her Mummy secretly trying on the tiara?
The part about “how I turned yer poor Willy round”. Yeah, that worked out so well! LOL
I’ll have the gold ‘un, wiv pointy bits, ta muchly.
She never looks sad, bored, or depressed when doing the fun stuff that comes as part of the Royal family. She only looks like this when she is attending a more serious affair.
There is likely nothing wrong with her, other than being lazy, out of her depth, and daft. I just don’t think there is a lot going on intellectually.
I think that’s a bit harsh, I can only imagine the drills she has put through on how to behave at theses things, I would be a stress bucket and down a couple of glasses of wine before the thing started! Looking effortlessly serene rather than stern is hard to pull off -of course Diana was born knowing how to do it, but I can’t hate on Kate, esp. seeing as the Queen herself has never mastered her resting b*tchface!
We don’t get to see shopping photos, but during the sporting events, she does look entirely different (more engaged, and downright happy). Granted, these events may be stressful or downright boring, but it’s part of what she signed up to do (and had years to consider and prepare for).
I think she is one miserable cookie!
I have recently started to wonder if she’s another Princess Masako of Japan. I know the Japanese Imperial family is FAR more conservative and controlling than the BRF but its clear Kate is not adjusting well to the role. Help and support was offered to her after the wedding to help ease her in but Willy refused it, saying he would teach her. Not doing a good job now is he. I believe other members of the family offered to spend time with her and allow her to shadow them but as I said Willy refused it.
How nice of her to show up for the free dinner. The colour looks great on her. It’s s pity her face is falling at such a young age. When she hits forty she’ll need a baggage handler to carry it for her.
Exactly Betty. I remember when she was supposed to give her first speech. She took weeks of lessons and still looked like she was about to faint. Nothing natural came through except for desperation. She cannot do something unless it is done perfectly. Literally can not do it.
Leading up to the wedding I remember story after story about Carole doing everything (everything) p.e.r.f.e.c.t.l.y. with, for and to her children. The looked perfect, dressed perfectly as babies, toddlers, and on up, they went to the perfect schools and took the right classes with very good grades, played the right sports excellently, and learned to cook, sew and keep a perfect house. Carole did all this and ran a business from home which started when other mums asked for her help putting together their own perfect children’s parties.
Other stories about Kate’s ultra organization and cleanliness and a routine for everything; every piece of clothing, make up, shoes kept, again, perfectly. I think she has no other mode than perfection, anything else is unutterable failure.
William may or not be understanding about this. I would bet anything that she is medicated and that has a great deal to do with the almost overnight severe deterioration in her looks. She is in the prime of life, rich, has a big happy family and a country that was ready to fall in love with her but look at her eyes – puzzled, tired, at times even in her own silent world. I wouldn’t change places with her.