This was one of the weirdest royal stories to break over the holidays, and it really felt like the British papers were going overboard for no apparent reason. The rumor was that the Duchess of Cambridge’s well-liked stylist Natasha “Tash” Archer was leaving Kate’s employ. The rumor started because Tash was given the Royal Victorian Order at the end of the year – a common honor given to people who work for the royal family for a certain length of time. Apparently – and I didn’t know this – Tash has been working for the royal family in various capacities for the better part of a decade. I thought Kate was her first royal job, but I guess not. Tash has been working as Kate’s stylist for about four years. Imagine all of the buttons Tash has had to dutifully sew onto clothes. #CombatPay
Anyway, the RVO honor generally means that someone is about to leave their job. That was the leap that the British papers made, that “Duchess Kate is losing a trusted aide!” I’m sure the tabloids would have found some way to twist it into “Natasha leaving because Meghan made her cry too!” But in any case, Natasha isn’t leaving. She’s just on maternity leave, because she recently had a baby with her husband, a Getty photographer named Chris Jackson. Jackson has gotten so many plum royal assignments over the past few years, and I never put it together before now: Jackson is getting these assignments because he’s married to Kate’s terrible stylist.
Kate Middleton‘s trusted stylist ended 2018 on a high note! In addition to recently welcoming her first child, a son named Theo, Natasha Archer was named to the Royal Victorian Order in the Queen’s honors list.
The award – established by Queen Victoria to honor distinguished service to the monarch, members of the royal family or representative of the monarch – is often reserved for former staff members. However, Kensington Palace said that Archer (better known as “Tash” to Kate’s inner circle) has not left her position but is on maternity leave.
For now, I’ll believe the palace. I think Tash is on maternity leave, and she has no plans to quit her royal job. But I do wonder if Kate will hire a temporary stylist in Tash’s absence, or if a temp has already been hired. Perhaps a temporary stylist is the solution to the riddle of “Why did Kate wear honest-to-God trousers in December?”
photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram and Getty.
“Jackson is getting these assignments because he’s married to Kate’s terrible stylist.”
He was a royal photographer before he and Natasha even started dating. He’s always been one of the major photogs.
Indeed he was but he NEVER got this kind of access until they started dating. Royal pap’s do not get this kind of access, even Arthur Edwards doesn’t.
Arthur Edwards works for The Sun, that’s probably why we don’t see him being selected to take portrait type photos.
Chris Jackson works for Getty Images which means that he is no slouch in the photography department nor does he need to be dating a royal staffer in order to be part of the press pack. Several of Chris Jackson’s notable photos were taken when he photographed the royal as part of a pool of photographers at a royal event and in those instances he was not given special access.
C. Jackson is definitely one of the best royal photographers out there and he and Natasha met on their jobs, so none of them got their jobs because of the other…
I do believe that he has a closer connection to the Cambridges than other photographers. Those pictures of George’s first day of school last year showed just how confortable both William and George are with him.
+1
All hail Kate, our Button Queen!
Chris Jackson is a standout royal photographer. He has taken very good photos of Prince George, not only posed photos but candids as well, but it was his pictures of Camilla that got my attention and demonstrated how good he was at capturing members of the BRF.
Ditto others that Chris Jackson was a photographer before he was married to Natasha, but I still find the marriage to be a bit of a conflict. Like….he is going to get better access than other royal photographers because of it, and his marriage to one of Kate’s closest aides HAS to shape how he covers the royal family, even though he is a photographer and not a reporter. He still tells a story with what pictures he takes.
Catherine at RedCarpetFashionAwards had been wondering if she had a new stylist, and it appears she has! At least temporarily
She should keep the new stylist, they are making Kate look better than she has done in a long time. Archer is an amateur and it shows.
Thank you!! You can tell she’s an amateur because of the volume of Kate’s outfits that have no sense of proportion.
@HK9 yesssss that is one of the things about Kate’s style over the years that has irked me, because it is so amateur. Okay so the buttons and overly twee dresses etc – that’s likely just Kate’s taste and if so, whatever. but it bothers me when her proportions are off, because that is something that a good stylist should be able to fix very easily while keeping the actual clothes within Kate’s personal taste. I used to say this a lot on WKW but there would be so many outfits that were so close to being great, but weren’t, and it was because the proportions were off (or the accessories were poorly chosen, which is also something a good stylist could easily fix.)
To add, Archer couldn’t put an outfit together for sh!t. A good stylist can make a bin bag look great – Kate has great pieces but they are almost never put together well. That Channel suit she wore in Paris is a good example; great choice but the shoes and purse where tragic and ruined what could have been a chic look.
It would be good for Kate to try a new stylist. But she maybe has a relationship with her that is comfortable for her.
Tash and Chris are a cute couple.
I could see some of the Royal photographers being irritated about special treatment, but Chris has been the photographer for Getty for a number of years and I think he’s pretty well liked within that group.
i truly thought royals were not meant to have stylists but “dressers” lol
Tash and Kate have questionable taste. Tash is no stylist.