On Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that Kate is due in April. For some reason, this was treated as breaking news, and exciting news or somehow remarkable. I mean, every time we got a confirmation about anything involving Kate’s first pregnancy, it was legit “news” because she was pregnant with “the heir.” But now that it’s the third pregnancy, it does feel like… interest has dropped off significantly. Here’s the BBC’s Simon McCoy trying to feign excitement over the breaking news story:
This BBC Breaking News alert where @BBCSimonMcCoy announces when Kate Middleton is having her birthday is PEAK SIMON MCCOY pic.twitter.com/GKb4nQOp7J
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) October 17, 2017
That reaction was pretty much my reaction in a nutshell. Like, “Oh, I guess I should write that down or something, I’m sure someone, somewhere will care… maybe.” It’s very exciting for Will and Kate and their family, for sure. I’m not saying that it isn’t. But it’s like the whole baby shower party for your second, third, or fourth child: do you really expect your friends, work colleagues and taxpayers to have the same level of interest? Us Weekly is really hoping that some people care. Us Weekly devoted this week’s issue to “secrets of the royal baby!” There are only a few interesting details:
Kate’s feeling better: Sources say “It was a difficult start to the pregnancy…She is feeling significantly better. Especially when you compare to how bad she was at the start. It was a worrying time for everyone.”
Will & Kate aren’t going to find out the sex: “They’re going to leave it to surprise this time,” says the insider — but they are working out other details ahead of the tiny heir’s expected April arrival. The royal’s OB-GYN, 54-year-old Alan Farthing, who delivered both George and Charlotte, has been tapped to handle the birth, says a source: “He’s postponed his retirement to do it.” And a suite in the ultra-exclusive Lindo Wing of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital has been reserved.
Everything else can wait: “They’re taking each day as it comes. After you’ve had two children, the third usually feels like somewhat of a breeze so they’re just focused on Kate and the baby’s health right now. Everything else can wait.”
A nursery in KP: Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A will have a new nursery. While the duo are likely to be showered with presents for Baby Cambridge, a Kate source says the room “will be filled with hand-me-down clothes and George and Charlottes old toys, of course!”
No new nannies: The new baby also won’t receive their own lady or gentleman-in-waiting. With nanny Maria Borrallo and a house assistant in place, Kate and William are set. Since George is in school and Charlotte is slated to start preschool in 2018, “they feel they can handle everything with the same arrangements as before,” says a source.
Pour one out for Poor Nanny Maria. I don’t think William and Kate have any concept of how hard they work some of their staffers. This is why they have such a high turnover rate with office and household staff – they want to be able to say they only have a “few” staffers, but then they expect those staffers to do everything for them and work 16-hour days. Anyway, I suspect it’s a lie in any case – months after Kate has given birth, I bet we’ll learn that she hired a bunch of nurses, nannies, etc. As for “Everything else can wait.” Yes. That’s the whole point of this. They were looking full schedules in the face and they were both looking for a reason to get out of it for one more year.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
If George hadn’t turned out so cute, I might not care. But now that I’ve seen that they’re capable of producing two cute children with personalities that seemed to have skipped a generation, I want to see how cute the third one will turn out to be.
I would put blame on the media rather than Kate and William for getting overexcited about the announcement. They confirmed the pregnancy, and then it was up to the media to do with that announcement what they would. Since Trump is so exhausting, maybe hearing some baby news warms editors hearts. And at least we know who Kate and William are. I saw a story on People magazine about two reality show people this week, and I had no idea who they were. It was troubling to me, since I have no life and know who most semi-famous people are.
Yeah, I feel that. I feel quite defensive of KM. Everything about her behavior reminds me of my own, and I’ve got a pretty severe panic disorder. I spent monday throwing up violently (no nervousness at all – I was totally calm and mentally prepared for an event, but my body treated itself like it was about to die) and it’s taken two days now to begin to recover. She says that she’s struggled with shyness, but her approach to dealing with that suggests to me that she doesn’t have shyness, she has anxiety. She’s not shy about introducing herself, she’s not timid about engaging people, though it’s apparent that she can occasionally look a little unsure of herself. The hostility people have for her astounds me. She’s a nice woman, she is a nice role model, and she is expected to constantly be in the limelight by *certain people* even though that is simply not how the BRF works. Overshadowing senior royals is a massive no-no. I cannot emphasize that enough. No matter how much they *should* be working, the senior royals, especially HRH Gramma Betty, dictate when they work and what they do. The queen really has done a good job navigating this bizzarro reality into which she was born, but she’s not a dumbass. It’s a confusing, stupid job and she’s had a lot of crap thrown at her simply for existing in the role she is obliged to fill. If the royal family “quit,” a lot of people would celebrate (myself included, though I love them and I have no connections to the UK) , but let’s not pretend that eradicating the monarchy would be an easy task. The entire political system is built around this. There would be generations of unrest solely because some overpaid public servants left their position. There would be a constitutional crisis. Hell, they’d have to completely redraft their constitution. Long ramble short: Kate Middleton may be everything people say about her, but I just don’t see it. I see someone struggling to reconcile the absurdity of her life path with her conception of reality and her own ability to continue on in her role.
No, the senior royals do not dictate when they work and what they do. The royals set their own schedules (except for some non-negotiables like Trooping the Colour). William and Kate’s laziness is on them, not anyone else.
Talking about Keen Kate: she has no excuses whatsoever. Morning sickness aside if that is true. Case she had/ has anxiety disorder she has access to the best practitioners in the world and absolutely no money problems. She has all the help in the world. Don’t you realize that?
Case she does not take pride in her role and improve her quality of life and live the part, that is way too sad. She’s been with William for over 16 years and her only care was to be fully available for him and avoid making mistakes and risk loosing him and the life that being his wife entails. And possibly future Queen Consort. Unlike in past centuries, the current royals are subject to a great deal of scrutiny and some sort of public accountability. Let Harry be King.
I have said in the past I thought she could have some anxiety. She might; I don’t know. But her office should quit pretending she’ll be out going gangbusters if that’s the case. She could be a very effective spokesperson for mental health and anxiety/panic disorders too, if she does and has learnt some coping strategies.
Although, I get what you say. I used to have panic attacks driving down the freeway for no discernable reason at all, and I might add that’s not the best place for your body to lock up!!
@Ann Valor,
I am really sorry that you suffer from a panic disorder. It’s awful for the
individual and it makes daily living that much more stressful. My youngest son suffers from this as well. And it’s been a tough road, although it’s much better. His therapy is work. He works 60 hours a week and has been successful in what he does, thus reducing his anxiety quite a bit.
However, I don’t assume Kate is suffering from this as well. She travels, goes skiing, shopping etc. And if she is suffering from this disorder, she had plenty of opportunity to back out of this bizarre life that is the royal life. And if the anxiety is that bad, then shame on Carole for pushing into a situation that she is totally incapable of handling.
But there is help available for anxiety/panic disorders. And Kate would have many specialists available to her to help her maybe not overcome but at least deal with aspects of the illness.
Diana was if you remember very anxious in the beginning but threw herself into work which helped her overcome aspects of the problem. And became the champion of very good causes. Let’s not take all blame away from Kate. She is not helpless even if she is not well.
Babies are all these Entitled WIllnot w-Keen use for PR – as well as sabotaging Prince Henry Couple announcement and stalk his IG events. Otherwise Throne Idle whiny willnot middleton lambridge would have nothing of substance in service Royal Duties for GB CW Duchy taxpayers.
Prince Harry Meg Sparkle is already an asset to the BRF – seem to be forcing snowflakey Kannot out from several weeks hiding with pretence of deathly pregnancy. Had prince Henry Sparkle not been here- and waity caught dancing – the Entitled snowflake would still be in hiding with ‘HG’ – Not out in tight unroyal looking jeggings for a 2/3d showing in a week.
More Power to Prince(ess) Henry Sparkle!!
This. It reminds me of myself too. I do the things I have to do in public and/or with new people I don’t know. I used to be a reporter and had to psych myself up for press conferences, certain interviews, dreaded making calls in front of coworkers. I’m a real estate agent now, and as I’ve gotten older those kind of things have gotten easier as I’ve gained confidence. But I certainly can’t blame her or call her lazy. I’d hate being in her shoes; some people have the personality for it and some don’t. Some have to force it and it’s very draining.
Yes, it can be draining to have to do extroverted things when you’re an introvert. You learn how to get through it or you find a job where you don’t have to do those things.
She didn’t work for a decade while she waited for a ring. Yes, she’s lazy, proven to be so for a decade. Post-marriage it is no surprise that she is lazy now, just as she was for all of her twenties.
She chose to chase this particular Prince, she agreed to his finally-given proposal, and this marriage comes with a job. She made a choice, but now that she’s made it, way past time for her to get to work. If she has anxiety, which magically never shows up when she’s hanging with celebrities or Sir Ben Ainslie, she can get the best of help – paid for by the taxpayers.
I’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I’ve had therapy. It has not stopped me from anything even though I still suffer from it and I have had a very public role in the past. I certainly am familiar with panic attacks- all my life.
Kate has awesome resources. Yet, once again, she’s treated as a special snowflake, coddled, excused- all to explain her sloth. Not buying it and no sympathy for this professional slacker.
Besides, anxiety didn’t seem to stop her from stalking and capturing her prey over 10 long years and keeping all comers away from him.
+1 I care, or I care just as much as I did with #1 of theirs. And I care almost the same for all my friends with their 2nd and 3rd babies. I think it’s exciting, I like new babies, and I like to see the pictures, hear the names and know the sex. Why is that considered rare?
I bet a dollar the announcement is about Meghan and Harry and the timing of their wedding. M quits Suits in Nov. They can’t announce in Nov. because it’s HM and Prince Phillip’s 70th wedding anniversary. They will announce early in Dec. so M can go to Sandrington for Christmas. They plan to marry in June I’m guessing. Royal wedding usually take six months to plan. They don’t want anyone to think they are stepping on the birth of a royal baby, so the announcement is made that the birth will be out of the way before the wedding. I’m wondering, do you think M&H plan to have a small wedding? Just friends and family and no heads of state or anyone they have never met for that matter.
Unlikely they would have a small wedding. Westminster Abbey or St George at Windsor (still seats 500). Harry has too many friends and acquaintances, especially important ones like the Obamas, for a small event.
I think 500 would be considered a small Royal wedding. How many did Anne have?
I was mostly thinking about how many people fit in which church. 500 would be small, but that was around the number of Edward and Sophie’s at Windsor (500-600). I don’t know how many were at Princess Anne’s first wedding; I think the Abbey fits around 2000.
Don’t they always say they don’t find out the sex in advance? I don’t buy it. I’m sure they know already. My gut says girl!
Saying they don’t know is the best way to shut down being asked.
The BBC announcement is so hilarious and sarcastic. Are these wrinkles I see on her face? And how old is she again? I still don’t see why the BRF still excites people. Besides the queen, if you take away the luxury and wealth you will be left with average folks from Charles down to Harry.
Nope, not today.
If she does have wrinkles, what the hell is wrong with something that it natural? God forbid a woman not be perfect.
(I’m sorry if I sound rude but I hate how so many stories become about flaws or how women look. It’s..harmful and uncalled for. If she has wrinkles so do many women)
The photoshop/wrinkles/botox discussion… ah I remember it well…
It was huge during the engagement and 1st few official outings as married. The different from print to reality was shocking. The botox was way overdone. That’s why it was mentioned. The discussion was reignited with the 1st official portrait. The difference was also fairly striking. Many attacked the artist for making her look haggered, but that was her naturally. No Photoshop.
And kate has awful skin. Just does. Dehydration, sun damage. It runs in her family with poppa and Carole. Not an insult. When publications are feeling less generous with see her deep forehead wrinkles, jowls, and gray roots. There will always be blemishes that get removed. Touchups. Blending. Why it sticks out with Kate I believe is more from fans defending every angle for the sake of it.
So, in case my point was lost. Kate is human with flaws. There’s beauty in flaws. Girl has wrinkles. She botoxes. Anything past that is a headline to manipulate thought.
But obvious wrinkles in her mid-thirties?? That’s dreadful skincare.
Huh, coming from someone who had obvious wrinkles on my forehead since a child, I remember getting bullied (by my own mom no less) in this same manner.
Wrinkles can happen to anyone, the best skin care or not. If she gets more botox to fix the issues people would be pissed about that, so..what do people want?
Her not to hide them? So they can talk about how old she looks? Her to get botox so they could complain about how unnatural she is?
Well, I think that Kate has been under a lot of pressure ever since she started out with William 1. Anxiety about whether he would marry her after putting in so much effort waiting for so long. 2. Anxiety about trying to be upper class 3. Anxiety about appearing in public as a perfect princess without any blemishes or in perfections 4. Anxiety about every minute detail being focused on with long lenses and forensic analysis, you even if you appear in public for just 10 minutes. 5. Anxiety about wanting to be popular but not the Princess Di type of popularity that would upset the senior royals. 6. Anxiety about public engagements, what to wear and making conversations with people.
Well if I had all these worries my hair would have fallen out and my face would be covered in spots.
I grew in second-hand smoke thanks to parents. I have fair skin and even though I wear SPF 50 + a hat every time I go outside, I still have residual sun damage from childhood.
So, I have some fine lines at 30 and a couple wrinkles under my eyes. I look at other women my age and see various signs of skin aging. It’s just life. Some people have great genetics. Some don’t. Some people have access/money for dermatologists and fillers and peels, and some do not. But, wrinkles in your mid-thirties is not “awful skincare.”
I think most of the attacks on that poor painter came from KM’s most ardent fans. They are the ones on tumblr who constantly Photoshop and blur all of her photos, until they are barely recognizable as her. They like their Barbie version (Hello, Hilary Mantel), and didn’t like to see the reality in paint.
Wrinkles means you’re a hag. Refreshed looking means you’re vain and not fooling anyone with the botox, injections and fillers. Can’t win.
“Why it sticks out with Kate I believe is more from fans defending every angle for the sake of it”
Since when, bad skin or not, her fault or not, has it ever became cool to talk about a woman’s, “grey hair, skin or jowls?”
People were defending her right to have these things and not be shamed for them. Millions of woman of all ages have them.
I’ve been picked at for my appearance all my life, so anytime I see it happening, I try to go out of my way to stop it.
It’s disgusting.
Her Entitlement with millions of taxpayers Duchy funding to perform service Royal Duties – instead we see her carol spending @spa – hair- shopping while hiding from Royal Duties in ‘HG’. Never mind the years of sunning -tan – smoking – clubbing/drinking that went down in the ‘waiting’ decade and beyond.
Part of the issue is the media and part of the problem is Kate herself. When people suggested she was wearing extensions, KP sent out a press release saying it was a childhood scar, which was an obvious lie. That shows vanity from day one. If Kate from early on had said ” I am going to age naturally without any botox etc” and actually did that then she would be applauded. The other part is the media putting her up as the most amazing beauty ever and implying it’s naturally, when we see forehead wrinkles sometimes and none other times, also adds to the mix. Or if Kate said “I am going to do whatever I can to stop ageing” then that’s an answer as well.
But really, if Kate really did something of value with her privilege then most people would spend time talking about the issues she supports and not her clothing and makeup. Did we go one about how Mother Theresa looked? No one really talks about Princess Anne like that because she is a workhorse.
Criticizing a person for having wrinkles is indefensible, no matter how lazy she is, no matter how many tax dollars she wastes.
+1. And criticizing someone for “jowls”?
Millen
Poor skin. Not awful. A lot is genetics. And smoking does no one favors with their complection.
With Kate because of photo edits we see wrinkles in 1 photo. Smooth flawless skin in another. Is what it is. Friends have seen her close up. Say the makeup was heavy and the wrinkles were deep. Possibly more noticeable because that’s not the image presented.
People are surprised that Kate has wrinkles or gray hair or jowls BECAUSE her images are routinely photoshopped since the engagement to remove them. As a result, the public is used to the fake image rather than the reality.
These days, the media isn’t as enamoured or trying to push perfect, hyper real version of Kate which means more unphotoshopped images are being posted or less photoshopped images.
For people that don’t follow Kate closely, it appears that all of a sudden she has wrinkles or grey hair or dehydrated skin etc, and express that surprise which may appear as criticism, but really it’s the media and overzealous tumblr fans who continually photoshop every ‘flaw’ out of Kate’s images and push them as the real Kate.
It’s the difference between a photoshopped image in a magazine and the reality of the model.
Sure Jan…
🙂
Who retires at 54? I wonder what that doctor will do for the next few decades…
I retired at 55. Not all that unusual.
Yeah I mean the first pregnancy is exciting for any family, new baby means starting a family, your life is going to change forever it is a big deal. Even the second is “Yay older sibling will now have a younger sibling!” But after that I’m kind of like “Okay cool you’re having more kids but please don’t make me feel like I have to be super excited for you and act like it’s so life changing, you already have two.” When my friend who never texts me ever texted me to to ask me for my email (which I thought was really odd), I immediately knew she was emailing me to tell me she was pregnant with her third. Half hour later I had an email in my inbox confirming it and I greeted it with more of an eye rolling sigh haha than “Woohoo!”
I’m happy for anyone expecting a new baby but I hope no one expects me to feign super excitement especially if it’s not your first lol.
Good to know she is feeling better. That illness has got to bed super nasty.
“Everything else can wait”. Does that mean no more engagements until the baby arrives?
I gotta wonder about that one.
Love the picture at the end of the story, Kate’s expression is the perfect end to this story
of course Duchess of Keeny Keeness will hire no nannies for her third child, because she already has two nannies one of which is a super nanny. That´ll do.
Ohh nooooo. She and Bill the Ordinary are full-time middle-class parents! They are hands-on and need no help! That’s why we barely see in public engagement, very scarce and short to say the least. They are busy being parents! Just ordinary parents.
+1000
Willnot waity – carol middletons are Full time normal hands on!
There is absolutely no way that the Middleton’s can have just two nannies with three children. The staff will have days off and will need to be covered, also W&K will have to leave the children at home at times when they travel. Maybe this is where Ma Middleton will be stepping in to fill the gap but they will still need more than two nannies, and there is no need for them to make all these arrangements public.
I like the wording. Leaves space to hire before the birth. Leaves space to hire someone under a different title like “night nurse.” Leaves space to have someone else hire… Like Charles did so WK could claim they only had a few staff members. Semantics.
Plus, these statements are always foumd to be false. It’s a nonstory at this point to feel out the mood.
Yes just like those stories that periodically get planted about Carole either moving in with them or the Mids getting a title – floating ideas to gauge public reaction.
Of course Mummy Middleton will be there. She will do whatever she did for the first two. Another pair of hands. Waity will have each child covered.
I will be curious to see what happens when Pippa has kids. Will she see her mum at all?
Lol! That’s a good question, Nic. Methinks poor Pips will be on her own when that time comes.
There are always stories about how they have no help, and then the truth comes out. They said no nannies, but then Nanny Webb was photographed in the car. Then we get Nanny Maria plus the night nurse, plus a big dose of Carole. Witnesses from the France skiing getaway said they had three nannies with them plus Carole.
As long as their kids don’t turn out to be criminals or people who hang out with criminals, I don’t really have an opinion on their nanny situation.
I vaguely remember her OBGYN “postponing” his retirement for George and Charlotte too.
The reporters really need to let that line of how important each of their children are that they are changing lives before they’re even born die.
I don’t think that they make public info about all the extra nannies
Is that because Wills only wanted two and made it clear that another would mean no extra staff –
Ayyyy she’s out and about again today – apparently a surprise. Good for her!
A nanny and house assistant. What’s the betting there will be another house assistant soon. Just like with George we were told there would be no night nurse, then found out with charlotte there was. We’ll find out in a year or so they do.
Of course they will hire more help. Duh. Carole may be there but I’m sure it’s as a grandmother and not a nanny (they’re not the same thing).
I am mostly just amused by this pregnancy bc I think Kaiser called it months and months ago – that she would get pregnant this summer, announce it just as they moved to KP full time, she would do a significantly decreased schedule because of that, and then two years of “adjusting” before she starts to work full time. It’s kind of funny how predictable it was.
We shall see. When George was born Kate wasn’t going to have a nanny. That changed quickly.