Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day. France is hosting a huge D-Day ceremony in Normandy, just yards away from what Allied forces called Omaha Beach. Donald Trump is there, as is Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and many other world leaders. The Queen attended a D-Day memorial service yesterday in England, with Donald and Melania Trump also in attendance, but the Queen did not make the trip to Normandy. She’s pretty much begged off all international travel at this point, so Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall represented the crown at the ceremony. Which begs the question… if we’re being told repeatedly that William and Kate (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) are “going to be king and queen,” isn’t the Normandy commemoration exactly the kind of event the Future King and Future Queen should attend?
Well, William did do something. William attended a D-Day event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England. His wife was not in attendance. Kate is… well, she’s the future queen, surely, she has some excuse. William did something interesting: he delivered the same speech his great-grandfather, King George VI, made on D-Day in 1944.
Prince Harry did a D-Day event as well – he attended the Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. He wore his uniform and spent a long time with the veterans. I do sort of wonder if this was less about “spreading out the princes to do different events” and more about Harry and William refusing to be at the same event as Donald Trump?
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Question for the protocol experts – why wasn’t William in uniform? Because its not a military event, rather a memorial?
I am actually genuinely surprised that Kate did not attend.
Kate will be attending the Household Division Beating Retreat and taking the salute later today.
Ah, that’s good to know, thanks.
Is that a joke? With Ben Ainsley? A euphemistic British way of saying she’s feet up on the couch with a trashy mag in hand?
It’s a military event that takes place every year. If you want to know more Google is your friend!
LOL jumpingthesnark – it is a real event, but the snarky person in me enjoys the double meaning of Household Division Beating Retreat, for Kate!
But yes Redburgandy you are correct and I’m happy she’ll be out today, and I hope maybe she’ll be on her own, I like her when she does solo engagements.
The Beating Retreat is happening now and the Fail has a story with photo’s but its not actually part of the D-Day commemorations – its an event that happens every year usually before Trooping the Colour. A member of the RF normally goes but this is a first for Kate.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7113439/Duchess-Cambridge-greets-troops-Beating-Retreat-ceremony.html
She looked nice but gf needs to work on her blending, you can see the makeup line in a few of those shots. Plus it looks like the botox has settled, her face is rather smooth looking.
I am really surprised at Kate not being there. Well, then again, not surprised, but it seems like she would be.
Surprised at William not in uniform as well, though there may be a reason. He is wearing his honors though, so I suppose that’s sufficient.
amending my comment as Kate will be attending the Household Division Beating Retreat! 🙂
Amending my comment – not surprised that Kate isn’t there anymore, she will be attending the Household Division Beating Retreat 🙂
sorry for double post 🙁
Thanks for the update, hope my silly joke did not offend! Prob just wishful thinking on my part, as I’m in the midst of one of THOSE days at work!
No it was hilarious! 😀
Harry looks like a Disney Prince. So handsome.
i agree. he is decidedly “not my type” but he wears that uniform so well
I think William giving George VI’s speech is a great commemoration. They both did really well today.
I think it’s a brilliant idea, him reading his great grandfather’s speech.
Wonderful idea. Kudos to the person on staff who thought it up.
William & Catherine are indeed “going to be king and queen,” but they are not going to be the *next* king and queen- Charles and Camilla are, and Charles and Camilla were thus at the Normandy events to represent Her Majesty.
This. The future King & Queen ARE in Normandy. As it should be
Kaiser’s comment is in regards to a lot of fans screaming that William and Kate are the FK&Q in order to dimish Harry and Meghan. Kaiser definitely knows Chuck&Cam are next in line.
“…isn’t the Normandy commemoration exactly the kind of event the Future King and Future Queen should attend?”
Yes, that’s why Charles and Camilla were there.
Given everything that the British people endured throughout WWII, it’s fitting to me that W&H did events at home.
Yeah, spreading the royals around is definitely the way to go for this sort of commemoration
+1000
Yep – given the impact of the war of Britain (most British people have parents or grandparents that served in the war in some capacity. Almost every family has a story of how the war changed their lives (those too young to serve were moved out of cities etc). As much as the war impacted America and Americans, the scale of impact here, on the ground, was completely different.
It is indeed wise to spread the royals around for this one – to honour and connect with as many as possible.
Yes exactly, our nation was fighting for its life, we faced annihilation. It affected everyone, it shaped our nation, our people, our cities and towns. The repercussions are felt through the ages. This wasn’t a war thousands of miles away, they were here, in our skies, in our seas, they bombed us to smithereens. And it was a war we entered to protect others, not because we had been attacked ourselves.
But wasn’t it still more removed than it was for people in the Continent? In school we tend to focus more on the events in Yugoslavia during WW2, and when we learn about Europe Britain isn’t mentioned as much, TBH. I’m genuinely asking.
And I kinda agree with the Russian ambassador who said that the Eastern Front tends to be ignored, when it was probably the main reason Hitler lost in the end.
Obviously, they did not want to chance being photographed with Cadet Bone Spurs. I hate that what is probably the last commemoration for the majority of these vets is being represented by the cowardly Orange Turd.
Charles and Camilla are the most senior royals after HM. It was appropriate for them to attend the commemoration. William and Kate are doing separate events in the U.K., as is appropriate for their rank.
I’m aware of all that and my comment that W & H do not want to be anywhere near Jabba the Hutt still applies..
“and more about Harry and William refusing to be at the same event as Donald Trump?”
Of course it was.
What I find really interesting is that I am beginning to believe Prince Charles really enjoys sparring with Old Bones Spur sorta like a fat Tomcat toying with an orange shrew mouse.
Chucky has never backed away from controversy which I respect him greatly for.
Why do they need to two royals for either event? William, Harry, and Kate are all doing separate events today.
I think W&H not being photo’ed with The Orange Menace is more than just thinking in the near term, but also very much a long term strategy.
In 20 years, I assume that the The Orange Pox will be considered the worst president in US history. He might be gone by then (thoughts and prayers!), but William will probably be king. It would look really bad to have pics of the king with the Orange Anal Prolapse floating around still.
Kate should have been there, too.
Kate is doing her own solo military event in London – the Beating Retreat ceremony. It is a big annual charity fundraiser for Army veterans and families.
There are many commemorative events taking place around the UK with Vets in attendance and I think it’s a good idea that the royals are all spread out to meet them rather than gather in one place. Charles is the next most senior so it’s right that he attends the event in Normandy.
I love the idea that William and Harry refused to go anywhere with Trump, so I’m choosing to believe it.
Me too!
Sorry, but this is more of a rank and royal protocol thing, not whom someone likes or dislikes.
The future King and Queen were there…
They spread out so there is royal representation at many different events. This is exactly what they should be doing.
EDIT: I didn’t refresh before I submitted this comment – ditto to everyone else who said this above me!!! 🙂
Harry looks so good in uniform. I think he’s handsome anyway but he’s extra handsome in his uniform.
I spent the last few days reading over documents from my gramps airforce career. The man lived so much more of a life by the time he was 24 then I will ever have lived. This time of the year always gets me emotionally. He was a rear gunner with bomber command during D-Day operations – which was one of the most dangerous (and isolating) positions to be in. He served with No. 489 RNZAF, No. 455 RAAF and No. 415 RCAF. He worked as a Canadian rep for the US Navy (Task force 80) establishing new radar on Ellesmere Island and resupply for Thule, Greenland. His crew rediscovered Robert Peary’s cairn up north. He worked with the UN. His career was just so prolific and interesting that I can’t even begin to imagine the things he witnessed – and he was the kind of man who ALWAYS looked out for the underdog.
Much respect to your grandfather. He sounds like a wonderful man. On June 6, 1944, my dad was sailing out of New York harbor, heading to the war. In December he was in St. Vith, Belgium with the 7th Armored Division, fighting the Nazis in the Battle of the Bulge. He received a Purple Heart for his service there. I can’t imagine what your grandfather, my father, and so many thousands of others went through. After the war, Dad stayed in the Army, so I had a peripatetic childhood and loved it. Next Tuesday would have been Dad’s 100th birthday.
Love your use of the word peripatetic! Also, kudos to your father, and I’m thankful for his service!
That’s what gramp did too – he spent decades serving different roles after the war. It’s insane. He would have turned 18 the month after the start of the war. I look back to what I was doing at 18 – 24ish and can’t imagine going through what he went through. Planes terrify me. And he spent SO many hours on much more dangerous planes, with Nazi’s firing at him – losing so many friends – than the kind of planes we have now. So many soldiers AND civilians went through absolute hell – it’s bone chilling. Looking back at different diaries or articles that he wrote over the years I still find humor in it. I don’t know how he managed, but he always had a sense of humor in spite of everything going on. I swear the man mentioned his meals SO many times which I completely get as someone who can lean towards hangry. He passed in 2012 – he would have been 92 about a week after that. I always thought he was a bit distant – but no wonder. At the same time though, there was not a single dog that would leave that man’s presence unfed. And he thought the world of his grandkids. I did a lot more saluting him (which he thought was hilarious) than hugging growing up because neither of us were touchy feely people, and I do wish I’d spent a bit more time hugging. Gramp, and your father were unquestionably heroes – and I’ll forever be thankful, and in awe of them.
I don’t believe the younger Royals’ lack of attendance is anything to do with Trump. It is normal practice for the Royal family to spread themselves about at these type of commemorations. When all the WW1 remembrance events were taking place between 2014 and 2018, they attended a variety of separate events on the same days.
Charles and Camilla are the future King and Queen so they attended the most high-profile event to represent the current Queen. I don’t normally defend William and Kate but they are both attending events today. Harry does a lot of military events so it would have been surprising if he was not involved.
Protocol or maybe security question: Would it be typical for only one “future king” to travel to the same place abroad? So if Charles went to an event in France, would it be typical or atypical for William to attend the same event?
I’m not sure about typical, but I think they did an event together in France maybe two years ago? It was for the commemoration of the Somme battle. (Actually I just googled, the battle was 2016 so I think they were together in 2016 there.)
Got it. Maybe I’m thinking of an old rule that forbade the current ruler from traveling with the immediate heir or something. Anyway – thanks for you clarifying!
Charles, Camilla, W&K, Harry all attended WWI commemoration events in France in 2016. One included Kate wearing the beige lace cosplay outfit that had Camilla giving her the side-eye.
Was that the outfit where she blended in with the gravel?
Yes. First she stood out against the navy and black of everyone else, then she blended into the gravel. Even Camilla wore navy that day, which is rare as she’s mostly in white, cream, pastels.
hahaha – i need to look up the side eye.
Never throw away your shot, Nota.
Does anyone else notice the Sussex instagram account seems to be capped at 8.4 million while the Cambridge’s has risen to 9.1million. It’s implausible given the number of likes and engagement on the Sussex account. I just find it so interesting.
Well, frankly, I follow both of those as well as the Royal Family’s Instagram (6.1 million followers).
Personally, I prefer the TRF IG the most.
What is more interesting is looking at actual activity from those followers. Many of the followers on KP look a lot like multiple accounts just to pad numbers. As around 80 percent of the Meghan hate comes from 20 people mostly in the US? No surprise if they create thousands of new dummy accounts to keep KP numbers bigger.
I like to believe people have better things to do.
While the landings occurred in Normandy, all the troops left from the English coast on the night of June 5th which a lot of people seem to forget. They didn’t just appear in the English Channel out of nowhere so I’m okay with Harry and William sticking to England. Charles is the future monarch and having William attend means added security measures. So no shade here.
By the way National Geographic has been having a great marathon this week of D-Day documentaries for anyone whose interested. My father is from Normandy, my American grandfather was a WWII vet (not involved in D-Day), and my French grandparents survived the war as young children. I’ve visited the memorial in Normandy a few times but would like to revisit as an adult.
Houses of Parliament keeps a box on permanent display that has sand from Omaha Beach and the other four D-Day landing beaches. I’ve seen it. Very moving.
I’m so glad that Trump was denied a photo op with the younger royals.
I believe that Kate is either pregnant or has been under the weather. Her face has looked drawn and tight the last few times I’ve seen photos of her.
Stress.