Here are some photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry at an event for Heads Together on Tuesday. Heads Together is their umbrella-organization, a conglomerate of about a dozen mental-health-related charities that now get vague royal support. The event was for World Mental Health Day (October 10).
I saw people on Twitter complaining about the Duchess of Cambridge’s dress before I actually saw the dress. When I finally had a good look, you know what I thought? It looks like… something Kate would pick out for herself when she wants to look “prim.” Keen Kate has a few different modes, and “prim, high-necked, school-marmish” is definitely one of those modes. Considering Kate was at an event in Buckingham Palace, it makes sense. I’m not saying she needed to sex it up, but does her dress choice really have to be dowdy lace, up to the neck, with Victorian-vibes? The dress is Temperley London and if you told me that they were calling this the “Cambridge dress,” I would believe you. It looks like it was designed with all of Kate’s favorite elements.
This was also Kate’s first public appearance (palace appearance, more like) since the announcement of her pregnancy. She hasn’t been seen since the end of August, when the Cambridges were commemorating the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. A palace aide told reporters last night “The Duchess’ condition is improving but she is still suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. She is delighted to be able to be here tonight.” She certainly looked perky enough. I suspect she probably is feeling a bit better as she’s probably out of the first trimester, which always seems to be her trickiest (and barfiest) time.
As for Heads Together and the Cambridges’ mental health crusade, the Will, Kate and Harry Foundation has just donated $2.7 million which will go towards a “new digital initiative that will help improve people’s mental health.” It’s basically seed money for a website start-up (???) which will help people the “tools to find help and information when they most need it.” Read this article and tell me if I’m going crazy, because it honestly feels like William (in particular) is taking credit for the work of a lot of other organizations.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
William’s grim face during every interaction with his wife says so much. The photo caption writers at the DM apparently agree with me, as they are hilarious. Seriously, I go there just for the captions.
The amount of money she spends on clothes, never to be worn twice, disgusts me.
It really makes me sad. I hope they’re just awkward in public, because I can’t imagine having to live with someone who so openly didn’t care for me.
Photos are split moments. A grimace could be picking food out of your teeth with your tongue. However, with these 2 there’s over a decade of evidence William appears and acts frustrated with public events and Kate. Only time he’s ever appeared completely at ease is in the great many vacation photos featuring the latest random blondes.
Man does not like his duty and it shows.
I saw the video clip of this one. He was hurrying her along because they were getting behind schedule. He was a bit irked with her.
He was also annoyed with Harry who was lagging behind Kate.
Absolutely, Red Snapper. It’s like she gives the finger to British taxpayers when it comes to her wardrobe. Give her a monthly budget, and let her work with that. If it runs out before the month ends, well, tough titties – reuse, recycle. I know, Shock! Horror!
Taxpayers don’t pay for her clothes, Charles pays for them with his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, which was established about 700 years ago.
Megan
This has been covered and cited at length…
Charles pays. Tax write offs cover her wardrobe for events. Other countries she visits cover her wardrobe.
The only truthful argument you can make that tax payers do not pay for her clothes are those she wears privately. And even then a few times lines were crossed. She rewore clothes paid for from tours, privately. Giving the appearance tax funds also fund her daily wardrobe. And that’s not a huge deal imo until you realize it’s an abuse of the system.
+1000
He may have be ordered to appear again and bring along Sniwflake.
Thank you, Megan – I stand corrected.
I don’t disagree but why then do we not criticize Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward for what they purchase and write off at the end of the year? God only knows what they push under the wire with a wink. I think Charles should reduce Kate’s clothing allowance but it’s his business, not mine, and he is known for his love of all things sartorial so maybe he is quite pleased by Kate’s reputation as a stylish, royal trendsetter.
*shrug*
In any event, the Duchy of Cornwall belongs to the Crown, which is the same thing as the state, or in other words, us, the British people. Charles is granted the use of the income from it, but it does not belong to him.
Tina, someone forgot to tell Charles!
This one’s sticky as the income is his. But he probably also takes deductions for business expenses, and he does support their office. So he’s not paying all the tax he could, but he is paying taxes. So I suppose like us. We take deductions we can too.
@Enough Already, Charles seems to have toned down his “brilliant idea” that the Crown Estates and the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster should be granted to the royals outright and that way the government wouldn’t have to get involved with the Sovereign Grant. He realised that when all of the lawyers and civil servants were laughing in his face (well, mostly behind his back) at the absurdity of it.
Tina
Lol well at least there’s that but he still spends lavishly, is amassing a fortune and no doubt is quite creative about what he declares as operating expenses. I personally think he works very hard but that’s not the point here. Charles does as he pleases with duchy funds, imo.
Charles can’t do as he pleases with Duchy funds (apart from the income, which he controls completely). The Duchy is managed by a board (of which Charles is chair) and the Treasury is responsible for ensuring that the long term value of the Duchy is not compromised by any individual POW. For this reason, annual accounts of the Duchy are presented to the House of Commons and House of Lords each year.
In photo #3 William looks just like his father.
OMG. I totally see it. He does. I bet he would hate that observation/compliment.
Or they could just pick particular photos to give that impression.
I’m glad she looks healthy.
I can’t figure those two out, but maybe that’s what William wants, he doesn’t want people to know how he feels. Ingrid Sewerd once claimed that William is sneaky, it’s hidden with him. I hope he’s happy behind the scenes with Kate. He must find happiness with her they’ve been together for well over a decade ,even more.
I just can’t understand why he usually looks so glum or tense when they attend things. Kate looks content.
Except that is not true.
How do you know? Even people who knew them personally would not necessarily know the true story.
She does repeat outfits though.
Google “Kate and William laughing” and you will find hundreds of happy photos. Confirmation bias strikes again.
Bee
This goes back as a discussion to countless articles here. About when someone leaves their abusive partner and how unhappy photos of them are shown with the thread. Then in co trast you can see loads of the same day, same event photos where the couple looks happy. It’s all in desperate need of context and often video provides it best.
So Florc, you are suggesting that William is abusing Kate? Tough stuff. I am no great fan but to me he looks like he loves her.
Am I accusing William of abusing his wife…. hmm.. fine line.
I believe that over the course of their relationship. Speaking as it unfolded and not how it’s since been whitewashed. William has a strong and known sense of entitlement and bratty traits. Kate has appeared to have endured it to remain. It was reported she once put her foot down after a paper/website published he was cheating. That lead to a breakup and also reported william announced he was a prince and could do what he wanted.
Also known. The games he reportedly plays with friends to test their loyalty is basic manipulation and a character trait found on abusers.
I believe strongly there’s no physical violence. And believe Kate was extremely submissive to avoid Williams temper. Now that she has the ring and 2 kids. Now that she’s been with him dealing with what she’s dealt with. I think she’s accepting of it. Knows the drill.
A lot of pics in which Will and Kate are laughing are set up for the press. Planned PR coups. I think they can’t be used to prove that this couple is happy. At best they prove that Will and Kate can play the pr game.
That is one ugly dress. Expensively tasteless. Like a Morticia Adams lace dress in baby blue.
I have given up with her fashion choices – they are as bland as she is. But at least she is doing something for her few patronages.
Yes, they do seem to be making some kind of effort don’t they, although they’ve set the bar so very low the little that they do now almost seems tolerable. I wonder if the extended lack of any real activity was all part of a cunning plan now 😉
He certainly has; understand she can’t if she’s that ill. But you might be right; I was thinking very kindly toward William for actually getting out and doing his job.
I think she looks like a church choirboy.
Go back and read Harry’s newsweek article.
Definitely a plan.
In between complaining about his life, he specifically mentioned the fact that William’s monarchy would not involve as many engagements as HM. Something about doing much, much less than the standard set by HM’s monarchy.
That little nugget of information put into context for me the reasons we see so few engagements from them.
They will endure being called workshy in the short term, but in the long term we will be been conditioned to expect little work from them.
Bluhare: “Church choirboy” – heeheehee! I was thinking she looks like that lady who’s a devoted housewife, never with a hair out of place, with a house as neat as a pin, her brood of six always in perfectly-ironed frocks and shirts, and who always brings THE BEST SCONES, cucumber sandwiches and lemon slice to the church social. But of course, we know that can’t be right…
LAK, I agree with you but are William, Kate and Harry still expecting to be funded so lavishly from the pubic purse for doing virtually nothing? Do they seriously expect the public to keep paying for their lives? Does it not occur to them that people might very well say, and NOT before time,”Who needs them?” They do rely very heavily on Palace PR and the sniveling tabloids to construct favourable narratives to keep them in the news aka people’s minds, as if they are actually part of the vital fabric of the country. Yet, they are not needed at all. The sooner Harry and co realise they are superfluous, the better.
Yes LAK, I too felt like Harry was telling everyone to lower their expectations in that Newsweek article; they won’t be ‘trying to fill the Queen’s boots.’ But on the flip side, Jason has told us a few times they would be really digging in and doing more by certain dates.
Addie: sssshhhhh!!!
Don’t mention the funding. No one ever mentions the funding in any (official) whispered talk of downsizing the family members or number of engagements.
It’s like fight club. First rule of fight (funding) club is don’t talk about fight (funding) club.
Meanwhile gaslight the public with the wrongly calculated 56p per annum per person figure, and keep pushing idea that crown properties belong to the family and they magnanimously give up all it’s income except for a fee.
Sharon Lee: the flip flopping is how they gaslight the public.
Every article about work mentions how hard thry work, how egaged they are blah, blah, blah. All in present continuous as if they are out and about every day.
People tend to believe it until end of year figures are released. That usually helps slap back the gaslighting.
LAK, it is as if Charles expects he and his six-member team will still get 600 million a year and no one will bat an eye. As we’ve discussed many times, it is the bread-and-butter engagements that keep them in their jobs. Stop visiting the local church fete, you lose your customers and your company goes under. We realize that but somehow Charles et. al. don’t seem to.
Duke of Kent celebrated his 82nd birthday the other day. He did more engagements last year than any of these three.
Good call LAK – I’d almost forgotten Harry’s interview.
See Qn Maxima in pink lace in Poetugal- so regal elegant and chic, as lace should be worn!
!
Queen Maxima in those Emeralds last night , That’s All….., ..she knows how to slay. I glanced at Kates photo quickly, then went right back to Queen Maxima, she Slayed!
I don’t care much about fashion in general, but I do think your personality/behaviors should over shadow your clothes.
As a prim and proper dresser myself I’m kind of into all the layers,covers,fabulous coats,sensible heels,proper lengths,muted colors aesthetic of Kate Middleton.
Not all of us can be a Cate Blanchett or a Celine Dion.
@ Luckyzegrand:
X100.
I usually like about 80% of Kate’s outfits. I just wish she accessorized with a bit more imagination and personality.
Will needs a wig asap. 😀
Thankfully, not all of us want to be Cate Blanchett, Celine Dion or any of their ilk. I’m quite prim and proper, too, Lucky ZeGrand, but wear mainly casuals in black and red hues. The Duchess’s position doesn’t really allow her to be a Nicole Kidman or any-model-you’d-care-to-name. Showing too much skin and private bits is seen as unseemly and frowned on in the BRF, and good on them. Her clothes sometimes are frumpy and Mumsy, but, ehh. I find it far more objectionable that she spends an obscene and inordinate amount of money on outfits that are worn once, and then never see the light of day again. That should be stopped, and they should be made to stick to a tight budget. It’s not as if they work their arses off, after all.
I agree. If Kate wore the same mumsy outfits at least 10 times a year, resulting in spending less money, it would be less of an issue. As it stands she spends over 200k in some of the ugliest stuff ever. The kiki jewelry is even worse.
Many 35 year olds can dress stylishly in a conservative environment and don’t wear this weird Little House on the Prairie nonsense. But Kate has never worked and has no idea what professional style means.
Sophie dresses to the same royal protocol and manages to be stylish and elegant (most of the time).
+1000
Totally agree!
Snowflake cannot middleton cant pull off lace, bow, paneling, etc – she just has NO style carriage elegance – to be seen as regal!
Willnot is giving out undeserved service medal of BRF-GB to Deacon – for doing nothing and following around Lazy snowflake keen.
I’m of the opinion that if anybody deserved that medal, it is Ms. Deacon. It would be miserable working for Kate and her mother.
Sophie looks okay but has that JC Penney sameness that is so meh to me. Kate doesn’t need to dress like Sophie to get it right. I like 75% of what she wears. Imo, the Spanish queen is the one who gets it right.
Well said RoyalSparkle. I know the press praises Kate as having style, but I don’t see it, never have.
I’m glad she’s feeling better though.
Eh, the royal dress code can be frumpy and somehow I like what andrew and sarah’s daughters (blanking on their names) wear better. They have fun with British fashion, whereas Kate has been seen in such boring stuff so many times, I can almost pick out what she will wear/like with my eyes closed.
Lacy, peter pan or other high collar, prominent buttons, all catch her eye – and it all has a kind of drab similarity.
It is like when people swear they do not have patterns, or consistency, and yet everyone else can predict them from simple observation.
i actually don’t mind the dress, but i love things buttoned up and lace.
I don’t usually like her TP dresses—too much froufrou, too much lace, too many ruffles, too many seams, just too much—but this one I like for some reason. Maybe it’s the color. That’s a lovely shade of blue.
It is a lovely shade of blue. Kate looks nice in soft tones- I thought lavender looked great on her when they did that summer Europe tour.
I’m agreeing. Not fond of the dress but the color is one she should consider in the future. It seems to have some purple shading in it and plays well with her hair, eye and skin.
I don’t mind it either but I wish the top was different…don’t like ribbons. William looks miserable, I almost feel sorry for her.
He doesn’t even pretend, and he keeps doing it knowing what it looks like. Petulant is what he is.
It’s a pretty awful looking dress. The top black ribbons have a saloon girl feel, but the dress overall is SO prissy. Really dislike this dress.
It is prissy. I suppose Kate added the black string ties to spice it up a little but if she really wanted to keep the overall look very conservative, a necklace set of white pearls matched with bracelet pearls would have looked better IMO.
The original has the same black ribbon, trim, and buttons.
You know… okay the dress is awful. But in the video on the BBC site, when she comes into the room, Kate keeps flicking her eyes at William – to me it looks like she’s waiting for a cue, to see if it’s safe to speak. If that’s representative of how she has to behave all the time around him, then I feel very sorry for her.
I find her shopping antics incredibly annoying (when she could be working etc) but she looks cowed and pinched around her own husband. It cannot be easy for her.
Ugh this dress. It looks a lot like the green one she wore to India last year, but uglier. That bowtie…..just….ugh.
Glad to see she is feeling better and I am impressed with Will’s work schedule over the past month or so, so maybe we ARE seeing them turn a new leaf.
It looks like she raised the wardrobe of Little House on the Prairie.
That tie–All is could think was, Colonel Sanders is looking lovely!
That is exactly what I thought! Looks exactly like the dress she wore on the street in India. Like, girl, get a personality, why does your style have such a weird boring sameness.
Sorry this dress looks too matronly and Kate needs to lay off the lace. If Meghan joins the Firm Kate will need to step it up. The queen has a better style game.
Meghan also wears lace. She and Kate have the same Diane von Furstenberg lace dress just in different colors and lengths.
Does Meghan have a dozen lace dresses paid by the taxpayers via the Duchy? Nope, then I’m not going to worry yet.
Give her time!
We don’t know if they will marry, do we? Given what we’ve seen of her style already, both personal and work? I wouldn’t expecting a lot of frills or lace, but rather streamlined.
But since it is Meghan, she can wear buttoned up lace, mumsy clothes and eventually work as seldom as
Harry does and it will all be fine with her fans here.
I don’t get why Kate gets crucified for a behavior that Meghan will almost certainly do too. Meghan and her charities – what has she done for them since hooking up with Harry? From what I can tell, nothing. But that is fine, cause it’s Meghan!
@notasugarhere
Whoever Harry’s wife is she will pay for her clothing the same way Catherine does. It’s not like Catherine is a special snowflake and everyone else is working a 9 to 5 to pay for their clothing. The Queen supports a lot of her family members the same way that Charles supports his family.
Funny thing, Meghan Markle is a private citizen who isn’t required to do any charity work at all. Kate Middleton is 6 years in to a job where she is required to do charity work and barely does any.
As long as MM didn’t waste $200,000 a year on new ugly clothing, I think she’d be many many steps ahead of Kate Middleton. HM doesn’t support her family members with her personal funds; she figures out how to hoodwink the taxpayers into funding them until she gets found out (P&P Michael of Kent in KP with popcorn rent, hiding one of her maternal cousins in an apartment in KP, etc.)
If I had squid ink pasta down my front, I’d really want someone to tell me.
Just snorted my drink on my cellie–thanks, needed the laugh today 🤣
That looks like the same colour as that dress that was making the rounds of social media a couple of years ago: the “is it blue or is it white?” phenom.
It’s nice, just a little boring, but at least she didn’t wear nude pumps with it
Err.. Miss Havisham called… 📞
ROTFL
That dress is hideous. Hope she’s feeling better.
Is the blue dress a secret code it’s a boy – I think so but hey I like the sleeves and the colour- Willie looks exhausted
You know, funny you say that I thought the same thing. And I think it is a boy, she seemed sicker the first go round (boy) than the second (girl). She almost seems sicker this time around which makes me think it’s the boy that makes her sickest.
Yes I know there is no science or logic here, I’m just bored.
If her illness is to be believed….she was fine looking at Diana Anni. KP Garden walkabout – just days before PR HG announcement and cancelled event.
Nothing to say how chatty, insincere fake she seem (trying to show Meg Sparkle she can interact (NOT); and quite the opposite from the PR of bedridden and dying (from pregnancy illness!). HG illness is curious, as willnot stated she is much far gone than thought (HG puzzle)!
Royal Sparkle, you seem to have an obsession about kate and hating her and totally approving everything Meghan does. No one is 100% good or 100% bad. Both are decent human beings with their flaws, I’m sure. Kate has just been in the public eye a lot longer.
Blue is the color for mental health awareness.
I didn’t know that, thank you.
I can’t believe some of the fawning comments over her turning up to this. ‘She’s such a fighter’, ‘we’re so proud she was able to make it’, etc. Whilst I don’t doubt St Kate probably has her fair share of morning sickness, is it really being a ‘fighter’ to be driven to a palace reception where she spent an hour or so (?) making small talk with some charity reps? And Stephen Fry?
Lol! I totally agree with you. Stop pampering the pampered.
IKR! She’s so brave!
She looks to have been suffering her “HG” somewhere sunny for the past month or so. She looks good here. That dress is something I had in the 80s — but I had polka-dots instead of lace. The cut and color, though, is flashback territory.
She skipped the conference type part earlier in the day, and showed up for the canapé reception. Lol how brave.
+100000
BRAVE – only the fun meet greet please – as I am HG I can interact (like Meg sparkle) and all; and showcase I am Prince willnot douchess!
Looks like she’s letting her hair grow again.
The extensions were back before the pregnancy announcement. Remember the shorter haircut, then “bang!” long hair again. Cue the sugars saying, “How lucky she must be to have hair that grows so fast.” Yes, it grows at a rate unknown among humans; it must be that she rinses it with unicorn tears.
LMAO. Wonder if those rose colored glasses only work while focused on Kate, or if it’s like that with everything in their world.
I really like the color of the dress with her skin tone, too bad she’ll barely wear it again, if at all, for all the money it cost her (which can be said of most of her clothes).
Well, it’s sort of all three. She is after all just out of a ghastly period of morning sickness, and while this may not be the height of glamor, it emphasizes that she is going to be a mother again. Yes, it’s a bit dowdy – but also sweet and prettily dull. And I like the bottom bit (I’m guessing the material is so fine it moves beautifully in person), and the black high heels relieve the dullness somewhat. The color is particularly lovely. She looks – appealing.
Sometimes I think Kate is cleverer than we give her credit for.
Don’t like the dress but do like the color. The shoes are predictable- the same old boring Waity. The bow tie, not a good choice. The slip was too short for the dress.
There are so many beautiful clothes and designers out there but Waity manages to disappoint most of the time. But I guess if she’s happy with mediocrity then that’s all we’ll ever get.
+1
I thought the slip was part of the dress. I was thinking how much better the dress would look if it ended with the slip.
Too much of everything. Cut back on the lace or the frilly layers or the high neckline or the buttons or the color or the bows. They do not all belong on one dress.
I know. It’s dreadful.
it is just occuring to me now…what if this is what WILLIAM likes? What if Wm is the lace guy. What if she’s trying to please him with her dowdy wardrobe? I wonder……
That’s even sadder, really, if he likes this Stepford wife clothing.
Was she wearing a see through lace dress in the fashion show , when he first thought she was hot at Uni.
Lol
I’ve been glad she’s been out of the limelight. And then she makes her entrance in this? UGH. I detest this dress, everything about it except maybe the color. It looks cheap with those stupid solid panels in the skirt. The lace looks itchy and like it’s polyester fiber, the prim school marm styling is just awful.
Can’t get behind her constant talking with her hands, either. Between that and her jutting jaw, the mannerisms are certainly not very regal.
She appears to have many nervous ticks, including over-the-top expressions and odd movements with her mouth. Could be partly due to the ridiculous fake accent. Bottom line, she’s 6 years in and still acts fussier than the average 4 year old. Estelle of Sweden has better public presence than this.
Oh such a nice try, but nope, you don’t get to turn her laziness and unprofessionalism against me. Are you under the impression that Kate Middleton suffers from a mental disorder? One that makes her incapable of acting like a professional adult for 30 minutes once a month? Then she and her husband shouldn’t have gotten married, or they should remove themselves from these position and move to private life if she cannot handle this job in a professional manner.
Funny how none of these nervous ticks show up when she’s hanging out “working” with Ben Ainslie.
Diana was a lousy public speaker until she took the time to apply herself, take lessons, and work hard at it. The same stands for anyone else in a public position – and all of us who have jobs that require it as well. I am a huge introvert, but I still get out there and give professional speeches in front of large crowds and work the room because my job requires it. I had to learn how to do that, and learn to discipline my own nervous reactions.
Kate Middleton needs to do that same, but actually working hard at this pathetically simple job is seemingly too much effort for her.
If Kate really does have social anxiety, then wouldn’t it be great for her to acknowledge it since she is all about having “conversations” about mental illness? What’s the point of Heads Together if she can’t acknowledge an issue like this? Will and Harry have admitted to needing help when their mother passed, yet she is portrayed as perfect, when it’s obvious she is not the most well adjusted 35 year old woman out there. It’s hard to take the cause of being open about mental health seriously from someone who seems to be a hypocrite about her own issues. Admitting to social anxiety would actually garner her a lot of pity from the public and she would be given even more leeway.
“…over-the-top expressions and odd movements with her mouth…” I have Aspergers syndrome and I do things like this. Maybe Kate can control it but I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate being let know that what I am naturally like is absolutely wrong. Thank for making me feel like crap today.
Nic
I don’t know if Kate suffers from debilitating/clinical anxiety or not but if she did it would not make her a hypocrite if she didn’t speak about it publicly. It would be nice if she did but she doesn’t owe anyone that. She only owes her patronages hard work and dedication. I’d rather criticize that than microanalyze her body movement.
Chell
Hugs to you for speaking out.
Enough Already,
Thank you. I also wanted to say I agree about focusing on her work habits.
To add to my original post, now that I have had a few minutes to collect my thoughts and calm my emotions a bit. It has become hurtful coming into the stories about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I usually avoid it because when I do I always leave upset. People are criticising things that Kate does that I see in myself. The exaggerated expressions and movements, the hiding behind her hair, and so on (I’m not going to list everything that people hate about me here). It is feeling extremely ableist around and while I know people are going to respond with “well Kate does not have -insert disability- so we aren’t being like that.” But that doesn’t change the fact that people like notasugarhere are not only slamming Kate but also the behaviour which leaves people like me with the patronizing platitude of “well, you can’t control it, so it’s fine for you, but if anyone ‘normal’ does it, it’s bad.” I’m just feeling fed up, I guess.
I’m sorry for the long reply now. And I wanted to add that I (truly) appreciate the kind reply I hadn’t been expecting. It made me feel a bit better, so thank you.
@nic
You mean like George VI who suffered most of his life from debilitating anxiety? He didn’t seek help until he was around Kate’s age. And even then the combo of chain smoking and stress led to an early death.
Chell
So eloquently said and you are right. I explain this to my friends and family when they don’t understand why I get upset about being infantalized by fully abled people. Lastly, the safety of anonymity turns us into keyboard perfectionists and we say things that don’t always reflect our humanity. But please know that all the you that is you is more, way more than enough. I hope you have room for one more virtual hug. And a cup of tea 🙂
Kate is supposed to be promoting mental health and how “having a conversation” about helps to create less of a stigma. A comparison to George VI is irrelevant because he was two generations earlier when any form of mental illness was hidden, although I wouldn’t put stuttering as a mental illness, unless you can find it for me on the DSM-V.
My grandmother was of that same generation and she and her sisters had mental health issues that were hidden and one of them committed suicide. My grandmother was bipolar and finally got medical help in her 60s when she had threatened suicide. My parents were open about mental health issues and how no one should be ashamed of them, but should seek help if they need it. I was a child when she threatened suicide and had to attend the psychiatric ward, but I was too young to visit her in the ward itself and could only speak to her in the lobby. So yes, I take umbrage with people who claim that “talking about mental health” but not actually walking the walk are hypocrites on this issue. This would have been in the 80s and the stigma around mental health treatment has been reduced since then. And since my great aunt killed herself when I was about 6 I know damn well the consequences of what happens when mental health issues are hidden and not addressed on time.
Nic
Your experience sounds heartbreaking. I’m sincerely sorry you took umbrage at my comment but I firmly believe that each individual must make the decision to go public for his own reasons and shouldn’t feel pressured or guilted into it. That would be like saying gay people can’t champion gay rights unless they come out of the closet. Despite the fact that mental illness is a disease and homosexuality is simply an organic preference the truth is that years ago they were both unjustly seen as shameful. Mental illness is a health issue and as such is a private concern, protected by law, unless the sufferer chooses to speak out. Diana brought a lot of much needed attention to eating disorders by speaking openly about her bulimia but she would not have been a hypocrite had she chosen not to. Regardless, it’s just crucial that we keep the conversations going about mental health so society doesn’t have to return to the dark ages of abyssmal treatment.
Chell,
I have always twitched, since about 8 years old, and I have never been diagnosed with Aspergers or anything like that, but I do get much worse when I’m tired or stressed out. I don’t think Kate has this, though. I think she just exaggerates her mannerisms and is very, very uncomfortable in the public eye.
And I have watched here a long time and read the criticisms of Kate for a long time, and said nothing. Now watching Meghan be crowned as the pinnacle of perfection while the criticism of Kate for everything continues, I feel like I should say something. I get that Kate has a horrible work ethic – no excuses for that. I also feel that she bit off more than she can chew, this was not what she expected at all, and her husband is a jerk. So I do have sympathy for her.
Chell, you are making assumptions about me and projecting when you have no personal knowledge of me. Kudos to anyone who stands up and deals with their problems (me included), and who faces adversity and discrimination because of it (also me included).
Kate Middleton doesn’t lack the ability to function in this role; her laziness is what leads to her unpreparedness and behavior. That behavior that only shows up when she’s being forced to do work she doesn’t like, like pretend to care about anyone other than herself. See her cousin’s comments about how she has no interest in other people or the world around her.
Neither she nor her husband puts any effort whatsoever into this job and it shows. Unlike CP Victoria who has face blindness, is dyslexic, and still manages to speak multiple languages and be great in her job.
notasugarhere,
I am making no assumptions about you nor am I projecting. I am pointing out your words clearly. If you wish to talk about Kate’s work ethic, talk about her work ethic. You bringing other things into it such as her, as you call them, “nervous ticks”, is not only borderlining but leaping fully into the realm of ablism.
You dislike her, that’s fine. I don’t care. You picking her apart for things that many people, including me, cannot control? That pisses me off.
I will repeat part of my last post, slightly edited, since you obviously didn’t read it through. This is what you’re doing, this sums up your whole post: “Well Kate does not have -insert disability- so I’m not being ableist.” Yes. You. Are.
You saying you face “adversity and discrimination because of” your problems is not a shield you can wear from being called out when you’re wrong. So stop trying to use it as one.
If you are not going to listen I am not going to subject myself to the anger and frustration of trying to explain because I get enough of this in the real world. If you won’t take responsibility that the words you use are hurtful and unhelpful, I can’t make you see it. You have the right to keep on with the words you have been saying but you have been told are wrong they are, so keep using them with full knowledge of that every time you type them.
I am not going to reply further. I’m frustrated and I’m done.
Totally agree with poor mannerisms.
What a waste of status and role.
Some people were upset about my remark on her mannerisms, and then there are a lot of folks out there who complain about Trump’s mannerisms and nobody says a word.
I wouldn’t want to stand in 4″ heels for any length of time, but if she can do it, all the more power to her.
One of the biggest indicators she doesn’t have HG.
Women suffering HG demand flat shoes, the most comfortable shoes resembling slippers. It’s bad enough getting out of bed, but HG is so consuming, the poor HG victim when forced to stand for any amount of time is aware fainting is a very real possibility. There is no way HG women would ever risk wearing 4 inch stilettos.
Kate has bad bouts of morning sickness, that’s all.
Diana did complain of bad episodes of morning sickness but she tried her best to keep up her schedule, she did cancel a few appearances, but for the most part, she got on with it.
Except every case of HG is different.
Wow, way to keyboard diagnose someone from one photo. Is this what they teach at google 101 or unnecessary bitterness 101?
I knew someone with HG – she could barely speak on the telephone, let alone stand and greet guests in stilettos. The HG woman had an IV and was taking meds for cancer patients. She lost 40 lbs her first trimester.
Mr. Fry made a point of saying Kate was still unwell but forced herself to be there hence my comment about stilettos.
My own opinion is she had some bad bouts of bad morning sickness the last 6 weeks or so and interestingly enough I suspect she and William took a little secret sun holiday together, another sign she doesn’t have HG.
HG sufferers are in and out of hospitals and the last thing they want is to go on holiday.
As FLORC (maternity nurse and now Nurse Practitioner!) has pointed out before, the visual indicators of HG haven’t show up in her for any of the pregnancies.
If they went on holiday together, it was rather short because Will has been doing events every week since the pregnancy was announced.
They’ve been known go on vacation together (with her entire family or a pile of friends in tow as buffers) and separately (Mustique while he was hunting with Jecca, separate skiing weekends, etc.).
Except the other poster specifically said she suspected they took a holiday together.
And I was pointing out they go on vacation together and separately, so the idea of her having gone off on a solo sunny vacation isn’t out of the question and fairly easy to extrapolate from what I wrote.
That’s an incredible talent, diagnosing women by the shoes they wear!!! Which university teaches that elective???
Hi nota!
This job leaves me with almost no time so apologies for late reply!
HG IS morning sickness. But very extreme and carries several indicators. Your system simply gets so depleted recovering isn’t as simple as eating some saltines.
That said… the timeline it’s said Kate was too I’ll to work, but fine enough to vacation and be seen eating comfortably in restaurants and shopping fpr hours on her feet contradicts itself. And those sitings take place in the early trimester. Early 2nd tri she has morning sickness. Late 2nd tri to delivery she appears active and healthy. Not of a woman that has struggled to keep food down. Very much of a woman having a perfectly heslthy and unremarkable pregnancy. Which is a good thing!
Furthermore, the timing when this was 1st announced not by any medical professional was during Williams guys only retreat. And that Kate drove herself passed 2 hospitals to get to the 1 with the midds goto pap waiting at a side entrance. What luck!
Plus, Kate gets the best care. They will always give her a hospital bed when she only needs a bandaid.
The most public gossipy example I can think of for photo documentation of hg is Kate Hudson. It was real and severe. She lost a lot of weight and once it was under control she started pounding Krispy cream donuts to gain back.
I believe Kate had morning sickness, but has shown no evidence of it being severe.
Citress
It varies. They don’t all want flat shoes;) like food poisoning. Standing upright. Smells. Even turning your head side to side can trigger the unrelenting nausea. What’s important to notice here thst anyone with 2 eyes can see is she gains weight normally and is active throughout her pregnancy with exception to a few weeks in the 2nd tri. She has normal and very healthy pregnancies.
Need to look at William’s face. He looks miserable. In the video he is looking at his watch. They must have been there for a big hour.
The dress is horrendous. The sleeves, the ribbon, the neckline. Kate views an event as dress up time. She just has no charisma.
Did William want to have another child?
There are reports William had to be “convinced” to have a third child. But who knows for sure? Maybe they want both want four children?
4 kids really? I don’t think the British public would like that very much.
Do you think they give a royal rats what any of the general public thinks?
People the SNP vote agaibst funding the royals and are uoset WandW pregnant a third time.
Potential King Henry Meg Sparkle need to have kids too.
.
I’m telling you they are going to be in shock once The Queen gets very old as well as pass away because the monarchy is not as popular as it was back in the day. Sad because I thought William and Kate were the ones to save it.
Every time you write potential King Henry, I think of all the people who have to die for that to happen, and I think it is really terrible. Please…stop with that ill wishing on people!!
I think she looks nice. I like the colour and the style. And her skin tone was lovely. If she really had HG then it must have been hard for her to do this.
As for lace, CP Mary turned up in a white lace dress yesterday in Japan that honestly looked like my grandmother’s tablecloth. So Kate is not the only one who wears lace.
Hideous outfits like this are what happens when you have a lot of money but no personal sense of style.
Others would be so regal and chic- SR Princesses – the stylish regal Queens – even closer, Meg Sparkle. This 30 something look like a frumpy aging grannie.
HM always is so regal younger looking wonderfully cheery at every appearance!
I’ve seen some pics on DF. Less grins from as far as I can remember but the hand gestures … What can I say. I’m trying to imagine what could she say to those mental health professional. In her uber-posh accent. And those hand gestures. LOL!
I think she looks nice. Nice dress, nice colour, and her ski tone is lovely. And you could see the little bump. If she had HG and I believe she did, it must have been hard for her to do this.
As for the lace, I like the way the dress fell. Blue suits her.
Based on seeing the little bump I would guess she’s due middle of March.
Dowdy. As of last night, I have given up expecting fashion of any kind from her.
Laura Ingalls called. She’d like her dress back. Still trying to wrap my head around that dress costing $1000.
I still don’t see why if she not going to recycle her dresses, she doesn’t just sell them and donate the proceeds to charity.
To me she looks like a sister wife at a 80s dinner party.
@Scarlett
Nailed it!
Is it Laura’s dress, or Nellie Olsen’s? Hideous either way…..
Nice to see her feeling better but that dress is so frou frou. I know Kate likes frou fou and fully embraces the style but the combination of prominent buttons, lace overload, awkward panels, the ribbon tied at the neck (that is a horrible look by the way and doesn’t look cute on anyone) and the bell sleeves (is that the terminology for it?) is just too much. The color is nice and the length is appropriate and she’s sticking with the shorter hair which is good. That’s all I’ve got!
It’s very her.
FYI, Rebecca (Deacon) Priestley was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order the other day.
I normally just skip over this poster’s comments, but this one is too far. Denigrating someone who was doing their job is no reason for such vitriol.
Thanks, the comment I referenced is gone,
She’s also set up her own PR consulting firm.
At first I didnt really like the dress until I looked at it closer up. It’s really quite lovely in it’s detail. I think she looks very pretty as usual. I think she may be somewhat shy but overall she’s a stable well grounded person and carries herself with class and grace. The above comments are predictable in their jealousy.
Yeah…I have trouble buying the HG for the third time in a row business. I think she was legit sick the first time, but I would wager for at least one of her other pregnancies it’s been used as a reason to hide out until she could safely color her greys before returning to her duties. She let her roots show for a couple weeks with Charlotte and it was a dead giveaway.
So… typically if you get it once you’re likely to have it again; like gestational diabetes and other pregnancy complications.
Gah. Her style is old fashioned and bland. But it sucks that she hasn’t changed the narrative. Don’t recall the last time I noticed what women like Angela Merkle or Ruth Bader Ginsbeg wore. Why? Because we’re too busy discussing their professional roles and accomplishments.
I can’t wait for Harry and Meghan to get married, I am so tired of seeing Harry tagging along with W & K like a third wheel! There are some fab pictures of Harry dressed up in an elegant dinner suit ( Americans would call it a Tux..hmmm) going to some fancy finance dinner to honour women. Meghan would have been great by his side. I am sure that she must have texted him a message of support to tell him that he looked DDG! I also see that people are moaning as usual about the ‘public purse’, don’t you people have more important things to get upset about?? If it wasn’t for the RF who would you have to moan about?
I don’t mind the ribbon so much as the flared sleeve, that kills it for me. It’s too much lace, and a terrible length for such a heavy dress. Maybe in a different colour it would look ok. And I like Temperley, I generally dig her ott feminine aesthetic. Also Harry is distracting me in the top pic with his smooth black suit and James Bond vibes!
Dowdy. The production company of Oklahoma! called, they want their dress back.
Another Kate article, another load of can’ t do anything right for some folks! 🙂
I just posted a fresh comment and it appeared at 40 instead of at the bottom?
I do wonder what William thinks of this dress – she certainly had a very different style for more than half of their time together.
Does anyone else wonder if the duchess will ever where Marchesa again? The brand is now tainted by the Harvey Weinstein scandal. For the last state visit Kate was decked out in pink Marchesa by Harvey’s wife. Various A-listers have reported being forced to where Marchesa by Weinstein or have their funding pulled.
And there sat the Duchess of C in a plunging front and plunging back(less) lace Marchesa with bell sleeves – not nescessarily a good or regal look.
A very prim look – nothing like the pink Marchesa gown by H arvey W einsteins wife she chose for the last state visit!