I can’t wait for the inevitable comments on this post: “WELL KATE IS GOING TO BE QUEEN!” Yes, we know. We know that in 20 or 30 years, the Duchess of Cambridge will be the work-shy Queen Regent Consort of the United Kingdom. We also know that it’s pretty interesting that the current queen, Queen Elizabeth II, seems to have a lot of time and affection for her new granddaughter-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex. The Queen has organized sleepovers and girls’ trips and invited Meghan to the palace. The Queen has shown a – dare I say – KEEN interest in showing Meghan’s the royal ropes.
Learning from the best! Since she wed Prince Harry May 19, Duchess Meghan has been learning the royal ropes from the ultimate expert: Queen Elizabeth II. Her majesty “has met Meghan on more than a few occasions, privately and publicly,” a source reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “It’s been a fantastic opportunity for her to get to know more about Meghan and where her passions lie.”
So far, the 36-year-old American has impressed her grandmother-in-law. Meghan “quickly demonstrated that she is intelligent, polite and keen to learn,” says the source, adding that her “enthusiasm towards living a life of service and humanitarianism excites the queen and it’s just the type of vim and vigor she likes to see in someone.”
The 92-year-old has impressed the former actress as well. “She has a brilliant sense of humor. That’s one of the first things that brought her and Meghan closer,” says the source. “It’s that warm side of her that has made Meghan feel so at ease.”
For those diehard Keen Defenders, let me share my theory with you, in the hopes that there will not be so many “but Kate will be queeeeeeen” comments: I think QEII would have done this with Kate too. I think Queen Elizabeth was probably willing and eager to spend time with Kate and take Kate under her wing. And it just didn’t happen, because Kate’s priority has always been William and whatever William wants. Kate hid away in Anglesey and then in Norfolk. Kate had no interest in being tutored on royal life by the Queen, because that would seem too much like “work.” So at some point, the Queen stopped trying with Kate. And now Meghan gets the Queen’s tutelage.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid.
I’m sure this could be true but Us Weekly (owned by National Enquirer) does not have sources at KP/CH/BP.
No one will ever know what the Queen is thinking but her actions say a lot.
What the eff is going on with Meghan’s hair / head in that last photo? Is she balding / thinning from stress?
That’s what hair looks like. She’s got a few pieces going one way, and a few going another. Wow, the drama!
It was windy and when she tucked it behind her ear she messed up her part.
The queen looks at Meghan like she could just eat her up.
The queen does appear to have taken a shine to Meghan. Look at how her eyes sparkle and she actually smiles around her. I, for one, think it’s sweet.
+1
I really cringe that commenters use the word hate. No one hates Kate. That is a very strong word. I am not a Kate fan. I don’t hate her. Simply pointing out her lack of work ethic, unwillingness to put forth any desire to learn and all at the expense of the people. Pointing out what we see doesn’t mean we HATE her. We don’t know her, we see her actions. And her actions speak very loudly. Just like saying MM has shown great interest and has been working hard doesn’t mean we love MM.
On a side note, how cool is that MM is learning the ropes from QE. Wow. Now that is something that is priceless and worth so much. Good on her.
I doubt anyone really knows how the queen feels or what she thinks of someone. And if anyone truly knows what she is thinking they arent sharing it with a tabloid or magazine. Its all made up speculation.
Gary Janetti posted a video where Meghan turned her back on the Queen at Royal Ascot and both the Queen and Princess Anne gave Meghan the side eye as she was doing it.
What was worse was that Harry was side shuffling away to avoid turning his back on the Queen and Meghan thought Harry was just being funny. So Meghan has made missteps, but I am sure expectations are low for the American too.
Looking through history, the Queen similarly invited Kate, Sophie and Diana to do events right after marriage, as a way to show newly royal brides they are welcome in the family. It is a good pr move.
Meghan needs to learn. I, too, would turn my back on TQ because I’m not used to that rule, especially if caught off guard. She will learn the more she is in those situations.
Also – I love that IG account. Makes me laugh all the time
Gary Janetti Instagram is creepy. He has a weird obsession with george that in my opinion goes beyond funny. Calling little kids bitches, making George to be gay etc.
The fact that you are using Gary Janetti as a source for anything lets me know all I need to know about what you think about Meghan. His Instagram page comments are a cesspool of hate, and it says a whole lot about the people who find him entertaining.
Gary Janetti’s instagram is soooo petty and bitchy, he hates Meghan so much and his weird obsession with George kind of creeps me out sometimes.
Janetti takes bitchiness all the way to a place of dark hatred. He seems pretty racist to me, and using little George as a mouthpiece cover for his vitriol is gross. I couldn’t stomach his page for more than a day.
Gary has said that he likes Meghan – the whole thing with his characterization of George and his jealousy / disdain for Meghan, Charlotte, etc. is just a parody. Wasn’t he an executive producer on Will & Grace? He totally writes George with a Jack vibe. I don’t really read the comments and everyone’s mileage varies on humor, but I definitely don’t think it is fueled in any hate for Meghan.
People keep saying that there is humor in Janetti’s posts. I personally don’t see it. I am curious if any Black women or other women of color see humor in his posts about Duchess Meghan.
As a Black woman, all I see is microaggression, nastiness, and dog whistles in his posts.
Janetti’s posts may be funny to some, but the few I know who thought so initially seemed hard pressed to explain why it was funny. Reminds me of the people who would forward pics of the Obama White House with watermelons on the south lawn then claim it wasn’t racism but a joke. Ok… then what’s the joke?
I agree with you on Kate’s willingness to “learn the ropes”. William didn’t want the Royal responsibilities, he wanted to “play normal”. And whatever William wants, he got. And of course Kate follows William’s lead. Even in the engagement interview, Kate said William’s opinion is the ONLY one that mattered. So she was never going to go out and “work” if he didn’t. And having never really worked as an adult, she was fine with that.
Don’t get me wrong. I do like Kate. I think she’s a great mom to her kids, and I think she really loves William. But I also think she had a prime opportunity to learn the ropes before the kids came, and she blew it. It will be a steep learning curve (if she *ever* does it!) to “learn” how to be a real, effective Queen Consort.
I agree with this exactly! I think Kate is a great mom and great wife. And I think in order to keep William happy is that she follows his schedule, and what he wants her to do, and what image he wants out there. And he torpedoed any training in the beginning because if she knew what to do, they’d be expected to do it all the time. And instead of pushing back, she went along with it because that is their dynamic. Which is fine for their personal relationship, but I think will make for a much harder adjusting period when Charles is King and William is Heir.
I do think the Queen is fine with them doing nothing, as it seems she may regret not having more family time with Philip and her kids when they were younger. I think her issue, if she has one, is that they should at least show they CAN do the work when needed at some time. Which they usually don’t.
Yes, I’m becoming more of the mind that TQ knows the job of Monarch is until death and this family seems to have longevity! I think she regretted not having time as a young couple/family and perhaps she has given much leeway to Kate and Wills and their young family.
Nothing that any of the BRF do is really “work”. They support charities by showing up, smiling and shaking hands. Some just do more of it than others. They are all pampered poodles!
enough with the lies about Malta. The whole idea that W&K were given two years off, after living together on-and-off for a decade, was fan fiction and fiction written by a confused press corps who couldn’t figure out why they weren’t working.
Whether or not you consider it work, this is what they do. That’s the rules of the game – take the perks, do the job.
I noticed when people marry someone with family around that their relationship with in-laws can be helped or hindered by how close a partner is with their family? I see William running from the firm and Kate has no choice but to follow suit while Harry has encouraged Meghan to make friends with the firm.
I spent some of last weekend watching the Diana: In Her Own Words documentary and I can’t help but think William choosing Kate was such a response to watching Charles and Diana growing up. IMO, he wanted, consciously or subconsciously, someone stable, someone family-oriented, someone discreet, and someone that he could more-or-less control. Anytime I read more about Charles and Diana, the more “sense” Will and Kate make to me.
So, I kind of find it hard to hate her as much as some do. She’s what William wanted and she’ll fulfill the role as he wishes. And that’s fine. We can’t expect her to wow us or step up like Diana did, because I think Will purposely picked someone who wouldn’t.
@Millenial I think this is a really interesting observation. Now that you point it out, it makes a lot of sense.
When is she going to put her keenly announced ” boots on the ground ” rather than stilettos? I’m not seeing anything but fluff and an empty future calendar except for self-indulgent grand and exotic world holitours. I don’t know how she is that much different from Kate except for the social skills.
Thank you for thinking of Ireland as grand and exotic, we are chuffed to bits!
Well, it’s only been a month and ten days since she became a “royal” don’t you think we can give her a bit more time?
According to the haters and internet royal experts, Meghan should have cured cancer and ended poverty in one month!
I personally think they will spend the next couple years having kids and we won’t see much of either of them.
The expectations put on this woman are absurd.
I agree with homeslice. I think after their holiday to Australia they’ll probably focus on having a family and keep a relatively light work schedule, just like WK.
She’s barely been married 6 wks! Let’s let the woman breathe and enjoy her honeymoon period! lol. Seriously, since the engagement, she’s done more than a LOT of married-ins in their first year lol Meghan is a lot of things, but she’s not Superwoman 😊 Also, Royals tend to go light over the summer, so I don’t expect to see a lot of any of them before fall.
Zapp
Well, having been to Ireland they are damned blessed to visit. I am envious.
Meanwhile, Meghan is the one who stressed boots on the ground. So eager. It was a promise. But it hasn’t happened. Y’all find excuses but that is not what she promised. In. Her. Very. Own. Words.
What is it you want from Meghan for pete’s sake? She’s only been a part of the family for a month. She has been doing public engagements already, including the overnight train with the Queen. What the hell else were you expecting? Go have a cocktail and relax.
She already did 5 times more than Kate did during the same period in their lives, and no, W&K were not “part-time” royals and not required to work. Let’s try dialing it back and waiting to see where she goes from here.
@ Mavenfirst
It would be amazing if you could be a bit more descriptive……..what exactly are/were you expecting to see from her?
At this point I feel the word “keen” has become the new #blessed and I want it gone.
There does seem to be a genuine warmth between them, and I hope Meghan lives up to all the expectations being placed on her.
As for Kate, maybe in the beginning she let her nerves get the better of her in the presence of THE QUEEN and it came across as reticence or reluctance (typed as a shy person that I think maybe sometimes reads as aloof to others) while MM as an actress finds it easier to interact with people. Trying to be positive on a Friday summer afternoon.
William was always the barrier and she would never challenge him. Her key to holding on to William during the dating years was to be submissive to his needs and desires and the Middletons, especially Carole, helped with that. She will continue with this approach unless it is something she really really wants, but doing more work is not something she wants.
I think the key is Meghan s enthusiasm for a life of service. I don’t hate Kate, but I don’t see that at all.
Was it nerves or was it the fact that her lack of work history or philanthropic activity put her at a disadvantage when it came to this sort thing? Honestly, looking at many of the women and men who married into royal families, the majority of the ones doing well are also the ones who held down some sort of job as adults. There are some really helpful life skills that you learn by doing that. At the very least, if Kate had found some charitable cause to put her time into she could have become more comfortable with all the glad-handing and people person-ing that is a big part of being a senior working royal.
Or, the queen assumed that Kate would learn the ropes from William … and since that didn’t happen, she’s taking Meghan in hand? Like any of this is real lolllll. Fun to speculate though.
Several offers of help were made but William stepped in and rebuffed them all. Sophie in particular was offered as help since she was a “commoner” herself. William thought he knew better and Kate didn’t care enough to challenge him.
We are not hearing that Sophie approached Megs.
I love that Meghan and the Queen seem to be getting quite close! Every picture of them together they always look very happy together.
However, gotta say, as someone who likes both Kate and Meghan for what they are (the entertaining and wealthiest housewives on social assistance in the world) – I don’t see how it was necessary to take something that could have been entirely about Meghan and her merits and her relationship with QEII and turn it into a dig at Kate? I think that’s petty and demeans Meghan’s individuality (they’re separate people! You can enjoy one or the other of both without it ALWAYS having to be a competition!).
Though in the end I suppose it leads to more hits and more comments so…
I find that many KM fans are the ones who are now crying 1) it is anti-feminist to compare them along with Kaiser’s mocked phrase 2) but Kate will be QUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEN.
These two married into a job. One of them works it, the other does. Comparisons will continue to be made, from how hard they work to how well they get along with their co-workers.
These two married men they love, on a very public stage and sacrificed a piece of themselves in the process.
Using one or the other as a bludgeon whilst providing anecdotal elderly ‘evidence’ has grown tiresome and is becoming increasingly distasteful…my own opinion of course.
The Talking Ed I agree. You summed it up perfectly.
There are years of celebitchy comments showing that Kate’s work ethic has been questioned well before Harry even met Meghan. It’s just that Meghan showing up and looking enthusiastic makes Kate lack of interest look more obvious.
TQ seems understandably fond of Meghan, who wouldn’t be?—but these tab reports are just so mushy.
I’m sure the Queen approves of Meghan’s charm and willingness to work, but at the end of the day, it’s politics. The Queen knows Meghan will have a harder time with the public than other royal brides, because of her background. So, in order to support Meghan, and in extension Harry’s marriage, the Queen puts it out there that she very much likes Meghan. So you get nice, “friendly” photos and mushy articles. It works too! People like both the Queen and Meghan better for it.
Meghan seems like a very nice young woman who is being allowed, like the rest of the RF, to live in lavish comfort for the rest of her life. I enjoy it vicariously but I don’t think anything they do can be classified as work.
With the amount of vitriol aimed at her during the engagement period, it makes good sense, the romantic in me hopes that there is a fondness attached that will deepen with time.
I agree. From the beginning kate did less then the bare minimum. Looks like Meghan wants to work. I cant wait until she gets out there on her own.
Kate did, what her husband, the future King, wanted her to do. I doubt MM is going to be a dynamo. I think, due to her age, they will spend the next few years having kids and by then all expectations of “hitting the ground running” will be dead.
I bet she will work while pregnant and after. She will have a Nanny and use her so she can get out there and work. That’s my prediction.
I get the same feeling as Mego. Meghan had a working single mother raise her. She knows what hard work looks like and I don’t see her hiding out in the country with her kids when she could be out working. She’ll find a balance there. I mean it’s not like they actually have 9-5 jobs. Their children won’t be scarred for life if their parents aren’t with them every second.
I could be wrong about how she’ll approach having a family but I don’t think I am.
Is this supposed to be a plus about Kate, homeslice? That she subjugated herself for 15+ years because she wanted to land-and-keep Prince Petulant? What an odd line of defense.
Pictures tell a thousand words and apart from the wedding when the Queen had her usual RBF, whenever we see the Queen interacting with Meghan, she is all smiles and looks delighted. I don’t think she is someone who fakes her emotions. If she is happy to be around someone, she shows it. Meghan is a warm person who just exudes positivity and the Queen responds to that.
Now the Queen with Kate–I don’t think the Queen dislikes Kate but the easy rapport and closeness just isn’t there. They respect each other, they are family, but you never see the Queen grinning around Kate the way she does around Meghan. Meghan has a certain charisma that Kate lacks. I also think William has always kept Kate at a distance from the royal family, maybe because he was so traumatized by watching his parents’ marriage? However Harry has encouraged Meghan to get to know his family and it shows.
To be honest it’s difficult to judge. Let’s not forget that Kate’s known the Queen longer so I think she does know the Queen better. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to be close to the Queen. She seems perfect for the job but seems so cold.
LOL Ah, US Weekly, one step up from the Star – as we all know, US Weekly would absolutely know what TQ is thinking, because Her Majesty is really well known for trumpeting her thought and feelings to people who would immediately call up US Weekly. Absolutely!
And oh they used the word “keen”! Now, what is Kate going to do?!”
And, yeah, Kate is going to be Queen. And in a few years we’ll know more about Meghan the Duchess, a persona that hasn’t even matured yet, mostly we know about Meghan the actress and Meghan the fiancee and Meghan the bride. She hasn’t yet been out on an engagement on her own. The Duchess is brand new.
Remember how she was going to hit the ground running as a feminist activist and a new style icon, too?
Exactly, I’m sure the Queen is leaking to the tabloids.
Let everyone be and let’s see in some time what happens.