The Queen is a ‘fan’ of ‘unflappable’ Duchess Kate: ‘This has been Kate’s year’

Her Majesty The Queen, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge attends the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday 10 November 2019

Here are more photos of the Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in London. I’m still not a fan of Kate’s military-cosplay coat, but I still love her fascinator and hairstyle. She looks elegant from the neck up. There didn’t seem to be a ton of interaction between the Queen and Kate (or the Queen and Camilla for that matter), but that’s not significant. It was a somber memorial-type event, not a chance to gossip. Besides, by the time Kate and the Queen were standing side-by-side, Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair had already published her latest in the Embiggening Kate series. Incidentally, I’ll stop talking about “embiggening” when they stop treating Kate like Jesus walking on water for simply existing. Nicholl writes that the Queen is suddenly very keen on Kate. You can read the full piece here.

The Queen is known to have her favorites when it comes to royal women, among them the hard-working Sophie, the Countess of Wessex— and now, it seems, Kate Middleton. Despite reports that Her Majesty doesn’t have an “intimate relationship” with the Duchess of Cambridge, royal sources insist the Queen holds Kate in high regard and admires how she juggles her royal role with a busy family.

“The Queen is a fan,” said a source. “Kate is unflappable. Her mantra is very like the Queen’s keep calm and carry on approach in life, and she has the added benefit of making the Royal Family seem almost normal and in touch.”

Given some of the less positive coverage the royal family has had to endure over the summer, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Queen is so grateful to the duchess who remains one of the most popular members of the family. Having awarded her granddaughter in law the Royal Family Order , the highest honor the monarch can bestow on a female member of the family at the end of last year, the Queen was reportedly thrilled with the Cambridges’ recent tour of Pakistan, which saw Kate give her first-ever TV interview and make headlines around the world with her well-considered wardrobe choices and her unusual decision to stop the royal convoy so the couple could meet a local family.

The Queen’s seal of approval is merely the cherry on top for a duchess who has enjoyed a successful year. “It feels very much like this has been Kate’s year,” said her biographer Claudia Joseph. “She looks happy, in control and there’s a new confidence about her. I think Kate seems much happier than a year ago. She has three lovely children, has been honored by the Queen for her hard work and is really well liked not just here but around the world.” When it comes to popularity polls, Kate has always scored high largely because of her relatability. “She’s very much the girl next door, from how she dresses to how she behaves and interacts with people on engagements,” Joseph said. “ She is likeable and relatable and that has made her very popular.”

Certainly the Cambridges seem to be enjoying a high, something royal watchers credit to their relaxed chemistry and wholesome family image. “As a couple William and Kate seem stronger than ever , they are charming as a family and I think you can see how happy and confident Kate is,” Joseph said.

Kate has also found her feet in her royal role, and next year will see her continue the work she is doing with young people in the UK. The Duchess has chosen to focus on very young children and the importance of positive and healthy early childhoods. “It’s something she is passionate about and a long term project. You will see much more of this kind of work in the new year,” said a palace aide. “She’s very much committed to the cause.”

[From Vanity Fair]

I enjoy how they slid that in at the end – “next year will see her continue the work she is doing with young people in the UK.” Aha, so will she not launch Early Years by the end of this year?? Keen-baited again, drats! As for the rest of it… I have mixed feelings, quite honestly. On one side, Kate’s “just like us/normal person” branding has paid long-term dividends and honestly, good for her. On the other side, of f–king course she looks good these days and of course her popularity is high right now. She’s benefiting from a massive, multi-level smear campaign against her sister-in-law, and she’s being held up as the perfect (white) princess who can do no wrong. Of course she feels more confident these days.

Her Majesty The Queen, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge attends the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday 10 November 2019

Her Majesty The Queen, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge attends the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday 10 November 2019

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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146 Responses to “The Queen is a ‘fan’ of ‘unflappable’ Duchess Kate: ‘This has been Kate’s year’”

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  1. Oh No says:

    What comes up…

    • DarlingDiana says:

      Absolutely, that is what the British press does best with every royal: build up, tear down. The cycle isn’t going to stop for Kate or anyone else. One month of fawning coverage followed by the next month’s criticisms. Right now, Meghan as the new kid on the block is the once heralded and now belittled target. Typically, the press is holding one woman up to keep another down. It is ridiculous and transparent. It is a narrative that is stale and tiresome. You know who should be of greater interest? Prince Charles because he will be the next monarch but attacking him and comparing him to others just doesn’t get the revenue flowing like a “Waity Katie” or, worse, a gauche mixed race American. The negative narrative s will continue. It’s what they do best. Just ask Princess Diana…oh, wait, that golden goose is no longer here for them to feast on.

      • Abena Asantewaa says:

        Typical, K Nicholls, sounds like a made up stories from courtiers, to give the impression that Kate is a favourite of The Queen. Once Katie wrote a whole article questioning the fact that The Queen likes Meghan, and claiming, Meghan’s PR is putting it out there, that TQ is fond of Meghan. So why should we believe this pap this time around about Kate. Why this relentless, embiggening; to borrow Kaiser’s word. Something is up; there is a rat in the kitchen!

  2. Ariel says:

    The queen is a big fan of women who don’t say shit publicly after their husbands cheat, very publicly.
    As the queen herself is one of those women.

    • Belli says:

      “Unflappable” reads like code for “didn’t make a fuss about the affair(s)”

    • damejudi says:

      I thought it, you said it.

    • Hoopjumper says:

      Hit the nail on the head. It’s like Kate’s officially in some forked-up club.

    • Chelle says:

      It proves that Kate is “one of them”. Diana went against class norms when she couldn’t and wouldn’t turn a blind eye.

    • Nic919 says:

      The queen gave her a new order weeks after the Rose story came out. It’s not for her engagement count because she is still woefully behind the other women like Sophie and Anne and Camilla. But they do have philandering husbands in common.

    • My3cents says:

      Hmmm….wonder what she thinks of Georgina Chapman?

    • sue denim says:

      I was just thinking the same thing, like she passed an unspoken test by going along w W’s cheating, the internalized patriarchy…even from the quintessential matriarch/QE…

    • LahdidahBaby says:

      Yes. *Doesn’t make waves, and keeps smiling through her husband’s affairs and indiscretions.* Exactly like the Queen herself.

    • Nahema says:

      I really hate that we tear Kate down for turning a blind eye to her husband’s affair. Kate has many flaws but cheating was entirely Williams doing. In a perfect world, she would have left him but she didn’t. That’s her choice and a choice that many women make.

      If we are going to go down the lines of using Diana as a reference, look at the struggle William & Harry had. I doubt she wanted that for her children.

      • sue denim says:

        At least for me, I wasn’t criticizing Kate, I was criticizing the Queen’s and everyone else’s applause of Kate for not reacting, part of the whole patriarchy that gives men so much more free rein than women… and poss part of why H&M’s apparently more respectful, equal relationship is so threatening to their social order, that and M’s race, heritage, work ethic, etc.

      • M.A.F. says:

        ” In a perfect world, she would have left him but she didn’t. ”

        Whose perfect world? Some (men and women) don’t leave their cheating spouse.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Kate knew who and what William was. He cheated on her for 10 years, she chose to marry him anyway. The only time she complained was when his cheating became public. That may be the deal she accepted when they married, letting him live as a single man, but the deal is wearing her down.

    • Marigold says:

      Nailed it. She’s being given a pat on the back for not showing her upset at being publicly humiliated by her husband’s affair. It’s gross.

      I don’t criticize Kate (or Meghann, for that matter) for absolutely anything other than their clothing. I do, however, silently shake my head at how this family treats each other, and I have never understood why the women are supposed to pretend it doesn’t hurt and harm when their husband’s step out on them…or when the family doesn’t take care of them…or when they are otherwise eviscerated emotionally by the press and the family doesn’t close ranks. At all.

      You couldn’t pay me enough to be royal, and I’m so grateful to be a nobody that no one cares about. That family is a prison…and not a kind one. There’s no cushion anywhere for anyone to rest on or take refuge in.

      Kate has done a good job this year. She had three difficult pregnancies. She was sick and exhausted, and people made fun of her and said she had no ambition. All I saw was an overwhelmed woman who appeared to be something of a social introvert adjusting to three really hard pregnancies in a row with three very small children…getting hammered by the press as a lazy do-nothing. Some of that might have been fair assessment, but I know my one and only pregnancy was a nightmare, and after giving birth, it took me a full year to recover myself emotionally. For what amounted to two years, my life just stopped.

      No one called me lazy through that struggle.

      There was a photo of Kate at a public event during her most recent pregnancy, and I actually got choked up for her because I could tell by looking at her face that she needed to throw up. The woman was at some public thing shaking hands, and I could tell by looking at the photos that she was just trying hold down the bile. And the comments she got were actually making fun of her for being sick.

      So. I’m glad she had a good year. I wish that good year hadn’t come at the expense of her sister-in-law, who has been targeted by cruelty the likes of which I haven’t seen since Fergie was on the news when I was a child. They were cruel to Fergie–utterly cruel.

      Meghan, in contrast, has been hard-working from day one, and she has bent over backward to serve. They’ve never given her an inch of grace, and that’s profoundly sad, too.

      Now, we’ve got this situation where people are supposed to pick teams or something, and all I see is two women who will never catch a break. Kate had a good year this year, but they’ll find something to rip her to shreds over next year…and that will be sad.

      • Aliyah says:

        True.

      • cubby says:

        There have been photos of her out and about shopping/on holiday when she was supposed to be bedridden with HG. The HG-is-fake is a well-documented line.

      • ADS says:

        @Marigold, hear hear. You are totally right.

        And @cubby, going shopping or being on holiday does not mean you do not feel sick. And calling her condition fake is ridiculous. It is widely accepted that she has HG and she has actually brought a lot of awareness to it as a condition.

    • Anance says:

      Exactly what this article says. Because Kristie Nichols is associated w/the Middletons – I understood it to say:

      — Kate did not and will not say anything about Rose regardless of the state of that affair.
      –The Queen thanks Kate for her discretion and considers it of absolute importance.
      –Kate’s position as Will’s wife is secure, for now.
      –Were that to change, the Middleton have the press connections to destroy Will’s wholesome family image.

      Maybe I read too much into it.

      • Nic919 says:

        If the Middletons think that the media will side with them over William, they need to look at what happened to Diana. She was from the aristocracy and was being attacked quite often. It was in her tragic death that she was raised to an untouchable level. Had she lived she might have been treated more like Fergie.

        The media will protect William over Kate if a choice is to be made. He is the establishment with the power. She is the outsider if she goes against him. Kate also hasn’t built up the same goodwill that Diana did and so all the nice articles would collapse in a moment. William was able to shut the UK media down from talking about the Rose story and that is nothing to what he would do if he had to.

        I don’t disagree with your other points though. Kate being quiet and not rocking the boat is paying off for the moment, even if it might not make her emotionally fulfilled.

      • cubby says:

        Wills is Diana’s boy. The press will sanctify him if it comes to it!

  3. S808 says:

    I really wish Kate and Will hadn’t gotten involved with the press but I guess they had no choice after he cheated huh? KP and the press are doing a lot. the day this all comes crashing down is gonna be ugly. hope it was worth it.

  4. Becks1 says:

    Sigh.

    I know I keep saying this, but one of the things about these articles that drives me crazy is that Kate is considered perfect just for existing. She’s considered unflappable because she isnt divorcing William over his affairs.

    (and as a side note, the more we see these kinds of articles about how steady and reliable etc Kate is, the more convinced I am of the affairs.)

    I do give Kate credit though for selling the public on this idea of the “the Cambridges! Future kings! Mansions! Palaces! Tiaras! helicopters! We’re just like you!” because it has definitely worked, and people do think that she and William are just your average normal family.

    • Sof says:

      Wait, you mean girls next door don’t wear bespoke outfits all the time?

    • Belli says:

      The embiggening would feel less insulting if she’d actually done something in nearly 9 years as a royal. Ok, the hype and praise would be exaggerated, but at least have something solid to hype and praise!

      • Becks1 says:

        @Belli – yes, exactly! It is insulting at this point. And the more the press does it, the more you can see the contrast between these articles and coverage of the Duchess of Sussex.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      “(and as a side note, the more we see these kinds of articles about how steady and reliable etc Kate is, the more convinced I am of the affairs.)”

      EXACTLY! QEII is paying-off Cathy in the only QEII can pay-off Cathy for not doing a “Diana” against old & boring Normal Bill Cambridge and to some degree the BRF.

  5. stepup says:

    And this is the year I learned to DESPISE the Queen…

    • Sierra says:

      Me too.. in just 3 months, she has made me from admiring her to despising her…

    • Snazzy says:

      Gosh me too. I used to be ambivalent towards the monarchy but this year made me realise how wrong I was. This archaic institution needs to die

    • Belli says:

      Same here. The car ride with Andrew was the point of no return.

    • Purplehazeforever says:

      I guess none of you remember what the Queen was like when Diana was alive? Were you too young? I’m asking.

      • stepup says:

        Hey Purple…

        No, I’m an old. But, honestly, I was never a Diana fan, and thought the public reaction to her was a bit over-the-top. (Ducks) Plus, I fell for the excuses given for Queenie’s reaction.

      • Becks1 says:

        I was too young (I was born in 82) – I vividly remember Diana’s death and funeral, and the criticism of the Queen during that time – but that was kind of it. In the past 20 years though I have heard/read more things about the Queen during the 80s, but I’ll say that the image rehabilitation for her and Charles was enormously successful.

      • Mego says:

        We sang God Save the Queen at a Remembrance service yesterday and I sang it because I tend to do that mindlessly at these events. But I thought to myself why am I singing for God to save a person who is trying to cover up her sons crimes and who didn’t lift a finger to defend her innocent biracial dil from sexist and racial slurs in the media? Not singing GSTQ ever again.

      • Mtec says:

        I was 6 yrs old when Diana died, and in a developing country, so I knew nothing about royals or how the Queen handled it until i moved to Canada, and here where i grew up for the most part people really liked the queen. she’s on our money, and i thought she was cute cause she looks like my grandma, and i thought she was nice because of the way she seemed to publicly approve and embrace Meghan into the family.

        Boy was I wrong. Now I see her for what she (and most of that family) is.

      • Lady D says:

        @Mego, I thought of your comment this morning during the memorial service and I decided you were right and I’m not singing the anthem I in 1964 anymore. She no longer deserves grace from me.
        #pedointhepalace

    • Bella DuPont says:

      @ Stepup

      Yup. I’m getting there quickly as well.

      Although, I’m hoping this is made up and she’s not genuinely briefing against Meg + Harry. Most likely wishful thinking, but still.

    • Seraphina says:

      For me, it’s been more of a disgust that I feel
      For her. She stands for everything that is wrong in society. And she condones it and I believe, she really does believe that the ends justify the means. And the means is keeping the “Windsor” name in its cushy lifestyle.

    • Flying fish says:

      Right on.

      There is nothing to admire about the Queen nor Kate for that matter.

    • Giddy says:

      Anna, it was the Queen’s reaction to Diana’s death that was so horrid. The public was in deep mourning, bringing thousands of flowers to a memorial outside of one of the royal gates. People by the hundred were standing there publicly weeping and needing some sort of word from TQ who was at Balmoral. The public wanted her to return to London and there were headlines asking “Where is the Queen?” A kind of tension built each day she was silent and stayed away from London. Then, according to the press, PM Tony Blair went to see her to ask her to make a statement to the country. She said nothing for 5 whole days as it seemed the whole world mourned. She finally issued a fairly short statement, came back to London, and went to see the huge floral memorial that had sprung up. At the time it seemed distant and cold, but I have read that her concern was William and Harry. It was handled strangely. Recently I read that she wrote a six page letter to someone who had sent her a sympathy card when one of her corgis died. So Diana rated far less than a dog.

      • Bookworm says:

        She also refused to put the BP flag at half mast because SHE wasn’t present at the palace.

        I don’t believe it had anything to do with Will and Harry. She and Margaret just didn’t think it was a big deal.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I’ve always had the impression that QEII is a bit of a cold fish. I, too, remember Diana’s death and just how badly QEII handled the public reaction. Not that I liked Diana (I was too young to get caught up in the fairy tale illusion of the wedding but too old not to see through exactly how manipulative the Panorama interview were). However, the public made their sentiments known quite strongly – and the Queen just ignored it until she suddenly couldn’t afford to. Whether she ignored it because she didn’t care about Diana or whether it was due to protocol because Diana was no longer a member of the BRF, the issue was that the Queen was completely tone-deaf and couldn’t read the public mood at all.

        I never though that the Queen is either particularly intelligent or interesting. But like Queen Victoria, longevity on the throne can bestow a better reputation than what is deserved. Victoria was a poor monarch but longevity and the fact that she presided over an expanded empire lent her a fair deal of undeserved goodwill. QEII has definitely reaped similar benefit from her longevity – but it will be interesting to see how Brexit will come to impact her reputation/legacy because a monarch’s legacy/reputation is not just dependent on their personal qualities and their achievements but also on the general state of the nation, though the way they respond to times of instability and uncertainty does play a part – fx Christian X of Denmark completely turned around his bad image during the German Occupation because of his daily rides through the occupied city to the point that he became a symbol of passive resistance. 20 years earlier he almost brought the Danish monarchy to an end because he meddled in politics when he fired the government.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I’ll admit to my stanning of Margrethe again. You have a interesting, intelligent, artistic queen. Her last few years have been personally difficult, but she hasn’t let that stop her zest for her job or for living. My Christmas Wish is one day in a museum with her.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        @nota,

        QMII has recently worked on a new ballet (costumes and set designs) that have just premiered – “The Snow Queen” after the fairy tale of H.C. Andersen. I really would like to see it.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Now I am jealous. It is only running for three weeks? That short run makes the tickets even more difficult to get.

      • A says:

        I understand the Queen being hesitant because of wanting to protect William and Harry. But I will never not believe that a large part of her reticence came from anything except her distaste for frank and public displays of emotion. I think the response from the British people after what happened to Diana, the open and honest expression of grief, was something that she didn’t relate to. More importantly, she didn’t *care* to relate to it, which is the exact that she, as a monarch, was not supposed to do in this situation. She has to share in the grief of her people and be seen to openly validate their loss, and she refused for whatever reason, and it backfired on her.

        It sounds cold and cruel to say it, and I’m aware of that, but she is a monarch, and the country desperately needed her in that moment. I can understand if she truly wanted to be there for her grandsons, I do. But she could have made a really brief statement first, acknowledging what happened, and then asked for privacy as she tried to help William and Harry cope. People would have understood. But her actions made it seem like she was hiding or avoiding it all, and in that moment, it felt to people like they were wrong to feel like they did, and that’s where a lot of the criticism came from.

    • Jodi says:

      the horrible treatment of Meg and Harry and the ridiculous “embiggening” of boring Kate for “standing by her man” *eyeroll* aside, i truly dislike this woman for doing everything in her power to protect a son who has ties to a known pedophile and sex trafficker! conveniently this story continues to get buried by articles about how wonderful her perfect white Grand-daughter in law is and how horrible her Meg and Harry are…

  6. Digital Unicorn says:

    ITA that she’s looking more relaxed and confident these days and that’s mostly down to getting some of the best press she’s EVER gotten. She’s still as lazy and disinterested as she’s always been.

    I see she’s already moved on from ‘early years’ to ‘young people’ without fixing Broken Britain for children first – someone is positioning herself to ride on another’s coattails. Its not just the Sussex’s but Chuck does a LOT for young people via the Princes Trust as do the Wessex’s via the DoE Award Scheme.

    Also I read yesterday that she was doing a TV show (with the BBC I think) – GF doesn’t want to be left out since both Harry and Big Bald Baby are also doing TV shows.

    • Nic919 says:

      BBC is going to have a hard time to get her to speak without a lot of retakes. Maybe they can get Ed Sheeran to narrate whatever programme she is going to take credit for.

    • Chelle says:

      My one criticism of H/M doing stuff with Oprah and Apple TV was that it would look like they were doing stuff with outsiders and shunning the homegrown crowd. As a M/H fan, I hate that the Cambridges, by copying the Sussexes, can further their salt of the earth PR campaign in this way.

      I can’t listen to Kate speak. My eyes instantly go to what looks like unnatural jaw movement and positioning. Then, of course, their is the forced accent.

      In many respects, both women are self-created or created to be whatever (in Kate’s case) but Kate is just so 🤷🏽‍♀️ to me. I just can’t.

      • BeanieBean says:

        That jaw thing she was born with. It juts out & to the right. I’m thinking she may have had speech therapy when she was a kid. Just comparing her with a friend of mine in grade school whose jaw did the same thing. The tongue gets mixed up in there with the jaw & teeth in the wrong place, and without work, speech can be difficult to understand.

    • Devon says:

      There was a weird rumor on Twitter yesterday that Kate was going to get involved in SmartWorks. I hope that isn’t it.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        Well considering that there was a story around the time the capsule launched that Kate was behind Meghan getting involved in Smartworks I would not be surprised if there is an element of truth to this.

        Someone has been taking lessons from her husband about jumping on another family members bandwagon.

      • BeanieBean says:

        On their trip to Pakistan, I remember seeing a photo of Kate carrying a black tote & thought, aha! she bought one of the SmartWorks totes, good for her. But no, it was a pricey Smythson one.

    • Marcy says:

      Apropos of nothing, I just came here to say that Kate is seriously giving me 19000-era Queen Mary vibes in these photos. Anyone else seeing it?

  7. aquarius64 says:

    This is KP PR on overdrive. Kate is not making a stink about Bill’s alleged wandering scepter. RRs have her phone number. She and Bill trot out the kids for photo ops. She kept her mouth shut when the press were beating up on her and she didn’t sue: these are the only reasons the British press like her. Despite having the press’ favor it still has to kill Kate that Meghan has the respect and admiration of people of note: former first ladies (one also being a former secretary of state), women who are big names in entertainment, 72 female MPs. Some men have stood for Meghan too. Besides 3 politicians (2 were former MPs) how many people stood up for Kate? I think deep down Kate sees that people only respect her future title and not her; that she is only arm candy and heir producer for William. If she really didn’t care the campaign wouldn’t be raging and there would not be talks of a TV show involving her with the BBC.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      She sued a pap (Tanna) but that was a William’s insistence to prove she wasn’t leaking to the press (and she was, still is). Tanna was the Middleton go to pap for pretty much most of the dating years, they still used him even after Kate sued him but that relationship went sour. Tanna has a lot of dirt on Kate and her family – he needs to write a tell all book about it. I’d read it.

      The Middleton’s have been in bed with the tabloids and RR’s for years.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They were still giving Tanna exclusives during the first pregnancy. And let’s not forget their hired PR consultants running the weekend Fail.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        Really?!?! I did not realise that Tanna was still in their good graces then – when did it go sour?

      • notasugarhere says:

        When William pitched a fit about pics of their son. It was when the first child arrived that the Midd/Tanna coziness was cut off.

    • HK9 says:

      Yes, KP PR is indeed in overdrive. I know she didn’t sue but didn’t William sue over those topless photos of her? (Or maybe that was the European press…) anyhoo, I like Kate, but I also know this praising her for simply drawing breath is getting old.

    • Belli says:

      I’d be so insulted if the only things people could think to praise me for is that I was compliant, meek, had given birth and at some point in the distant future was going to get a title because of who I’d married.

      I’d be seething. I’d feel like I had something to prove. I’d want to stand up and shout, “No! I deserve praise on my own merit!”

      • Sam Louise says:

        No kidding! 🙂 Kate is “respected” by the Queen because she is doing her “duty”: breeding children, looking the other way when hubby cheats, working with proper charities (but not really starting anything new).

      • cubby says:

        This!! I totally understand being proud of being a mother though, I would say that lots of people’s kids are their proudest achievement 🙂 But otherwise… I wouldn’t like to be known for putting up and shutting up, and not having an opinion on anything that mattered to me.

    • notasugarhere says:

      The handful of politicians who ‘stood up for’ Kate as part of attacking Hilary Mantel? Once they read the full transcript of her Royal Bodies speech, they were outed as idiots. They’d reacted to comments the Fail took out of context and they fell for the bait.

  8. Guest2.0 says:

    Aside from a garden, I can’t recall a single tangible accomplishment of Kate’s for this year. So I don’t get the “ she has been honored by the Queen for her hard work.” What hard work?

    And that article had all kinds of passive aggressive shade thrown at H&M (Given some of the less positive coverage the royal family has had to endure over the summer).

  9. Sofia says:

    They like her because she didn’t go all Diana on them when Wills was allegedly cheating.

    They like her because she’s a “blank slate” for them. They can project any of their own thoughts and feelings onto her.

    They like her because she doesn’t push back. She doesn’t say or even DO anything.

    • Sunshine says:

      @Sofia…. and imagine the dirt she has on all of them?

      • Guest says:

        It doesnt matter what dirt. Kate isnt going anywhere. Her mama had this planned out and she will be queen consort period. This is her life. Smile, wave, shut up and look the other way.
        But hey at least she gets jewelry 🙄

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Yup. She’s the exact opposite of Diana and that’s precisely what the palace likes. She basically suppressed whatever personality she has to become a blank slate.

  10. Chelle says:

    I’m sorry, I stopped reading at “admires how she juggles her royal role with a busy family“. Year after year, according to the Court Circular, Kate is either at the bottom or near the bottom. This was prior to having children and remains consistent now that she has children.

    Does she appear to be maturing in that the sausage curls are gone, the inappropriate manic grinning has been reduced, and her skirts are no longer flying up? Yes. I can give credit where credit is due. Does she seem to be showing up for meetings more often, even for the ones held in her home? Yes. Catherine Quinn’s addition to the team was a good call by Prince Charles. However, many of Kate’s events have been embargoed though—probably as a hedge against the likelihood of her not showing up. Can and should most people look good in the face of the ass-kicking their SIL has taken? Yes, I would think so. But, somehow in the face of all of this, I still don’t think she merits a participation trophy. Perhaps if she can stay on course throughout next year with these same or similar types of “victories” and “achievements” then I might be convinced to that she should receive accolades for being clothed appropriately and masking what looks to be disinterest and indifference,

    • Nic919 says:

      Kate is the Queen of Participation Trophies.

    • Anance says:

      In all fairness, Kate does not like Kate Middleton anymore. She needs quite a bit of hair, skin and makeup work. Not to mention those long-sleeved dresses cut in ways that hide her thinness. Also, Kate needs the filters the tabloids apply to her face.

      Just saying that for her to show up anywhere is probably very time consuming.

  11. Sharonk says:

    Stepford wife perfection!!

  12. Betsy says:

    I came to the comments to say but was already beat here by a half dozen of youse – this is all about the affairs. Allllllll. Like they’re seriously hoping she doesn’t bolt. And they’re seriously hoping he doesn’t walk out on her – that’s they’re entertaining Will’s desire to banish his brother suggests that Willy was willing to abdicate or divorce Kate or something equally huge.

    Sorry, Meghan. You and your husband actually like and support each other and the Palace is betting that you’ll support each other during this time when you’re being thrown under the bus. It’ll loop back when the next big love affair Willy is having becomes public.

    • The Hench says:

      I agree. In The Times today they had part of the diaries of Kenneth Rose, a royal insider. There were several nuggets in there but one that stood out to me in relation to this story was that the then teenage Prince William was being described as difficult, spoilt and indulged. It would appear that nothing has changed. Kate’s accolades are for putting up with him.

  13. Mignionette says:

    The Queen is a fan not yapping about ‘Big Willy’s’ affair more like….

    Brownie points to Kate for being a doormat to secure the Consort Crown…

  14. Purplehazeforever says:

    There’s two people in the royal family that deserve harsh criticism & Kate is not one of them. Is she benefitting off of the good press? Sure. Somehow most of the people on here comment expect Kate to see what British press is doing when the majority of white people either don’t see it, ignore it, or try to justify it. Somehow, you expect Kate to do better? I always thought I could see it too but I admit what can seem innocent to me might not be. However, I’m saving my criticism for Prince Andrew & Queen Elizabeth after what’s been happening lately.

    • Sofia says:

      Yes I do expect Kate to do better. She is married to the second in line to the throne yet her work ethic is laughable compared to Sophie who’s husband is what? 11th in line. Or Anne who’s 14th.

      I’m not expecting her to bring in Anne’s numbers but she could at least try and do something

    • notasugarhere says:

      Yes Kate does deserve the criticism. She is choosing to participate in the attacks and glories in the PR she’s getting, knowing it is at Meghan’s expense. Kate has always been a meangirl, which is now directed towards her SIL. Kate’s work ethic is non-existent and has been for 15 years.

      • Purplehazeforever says:

        Kate deserves criticism for being lazy… & I’m not sold on the participation of the attacks. She has benefitted & done nothing to stop it, so if that’s participation, then I guess so be it. However, Queen Elizabeth doesn’t deserve any praise which I have seen you do many times notasugarhere.. She has thrown Meghan under the bus to protect Prince Andrew. One word from her & you don’t think this would stop? Please. She’s about protecting her pedophile son. Why hasn’t the British press been running stories on this every day? Why are there repeated stories about Meghan & what Kate does..Prince Andrew should be dominating the headlines. On every gossip site, newspaper, etc.

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        @Purplehazeforever you’re not sold on her participation in the attacks? You seem to be forgetting the photo op Kate participated in this past summer with her and William boarding a (empty!) budget flight with their kids RIGHT smack dab in the middle of the press attacks against Meghan and Harry for flying private (on a flight they didnt even pay for). You dont see that as participating or at the very least aiding and abetting?

      • February Pisces says:

        Kate has always been lazy, dull and a bit boring, but I never disliked her for those reasons. She always seemed nice enough. Ever since Meghan came along, a lot more of Kate has definitely been revealed. She’s just so passive aggressive. She plays the ‘nice wholesome girl’ but she has definitely got a nasty streak. That’s the thing with passive aggressive people, they have a way of expressing their hatred without ever really saying it. For example, they budget flight stunt, getting the Sun to give her credit for Meghans Smartworks project, firing her assistant and then blaming the Sussex split, her uni friend who edits Tatler naming Meghan and the no1 social climber are just a few examples. It could be William, KP or ma Middleton who are bigger culprits, but she does play her part.

    • Devon says:

      Of course she deserves criticism. She is lazy and spends a fortune on clothes only to do the bare minimum required.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Kate does less than the bare minimum.

      • Purplehazeforever says:

        Actually the numbers state otherwise but she could do more. The top 5 royals are Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, & The Queen in terms of work. William edges out Harry & Kate did more than Meghan…but that was due to maternity leave. So maybe look the numbers up first. No one can compare with Prince Charles or Princess Anne in terms of the work. No one.

      • notasugarhere says:

        The numbers show Kate is the laziest married-in in recent memory, starting from engagement period on.

      • February Pisces says:

        Kate has had to try harder this year, especially with Meghan being on maternity. It was her chance to prove herself. The thing with Kate is she always takes one step forward then two steps back, just when you think she’s finally going to step up, she’ll take a month long holiday. This year she did one engagement in a near two month period, and that was that regatta cup thing. Her garden was cute, not ground breaking but nice enough. The Cambridge’s don’t work to actually achieve anything for their charities, they only work to been ‘seen’ and to get good press. Announcing projects that never happen (broken Britian, early years) as well as putting out stories that your finally “going to hit the ground running” or that your “keen”, shows that most of what is reported regarding Kate’s work is merely hot air.

      • February Pisces says:

        Kate has had to try harder this year, especially with Meghan being on maternity. It was her chance to prove herself. The thing with Kate is she always takes one step forward then two steps back, just when you think she’s finally going to step up, she’ll take a month long holiday. This year she did one engagement in a near two month period, and that was that regatta cup thing. Her garden was cute, not ground breaking but nice enough. The Cambridge’s don’t work to actually achieve anything for their charities, they only work to been ‘seen’ and to get good press. Announcing projects that never happen (broken Britian, early years) as well as putting out stories that your finally “going to hit the ground running” or that your “keen”, shows that most of what is reported regarding Kate’s work is merely hot air.

  15. Mego says:

    I wonder if Willy is still visiting the Rose bush?

    • Anance says:

      All these articles giving Kate points for being unflappable and not saying anything regarding Rose make me think it is still ongoing.

      William is so entitled that I can’t imagine a mere newspaper making him stop. I’ve never been a fan of Prince Charles, but he at least tried making a contribution, however flaky and dissonant.

  16. lillibet says:

    Lol this could be summed up in one sentence: the queen is glad Kate doesn’t make a stink about her husband’s affairs.

    That’s it. That’s the story.

  17. My3cents says:

    Real question, do the British people really buy this BS? Don’t most of the public see through this?

  18. cubby says:

    Rewarding Catherine for her dignified silence, I see.

    • A says:

      Keeping calm and carrying on and stiff upperlipping your way through being disrespected and lied to and not having to confront a single uncomfortable honest emotion ever is what gets rewarded in this family. But being truthful and honest and vulnerable is the real sin for QEII and her staff.

  19. spookie says:

    Click

  20. Sarah says:

    I saw this headline and suddenly thought that The Embiggening sounds like the title of a horror movie.

  21. Beach Dreams says:

    Sure. For all of her being “unflappable”, she certainly hasn’t shown the consistent happiness that’s being pushed in this article. I can think of several moments since Rosegate where she looked anything but happy.

    And frankly, her weight really has become disconcerting as of late. She’s always kept a smaller figure since marrying in, but the difference is rather stark this year imo.

    • Mila says:

      Thank you! I thought I was the only one who noticed how incredibly thin she looks, and they say people look even thinner in real life, she must be frail.

      • Penguin says:

        But then if you look at the amount of scrutiny Meghan’s getting, only just being post partum, is it any wonder she’s rail thin?

      • Anance says:

        Yes, don’t forget she also got very thin right before the wedding. She’s a stress non-eater. Some people are like that, esp. if they smoke.

        That said, she appears to have gained a few ounces since the Rose stories appeared in the papers. The only thing that can stress Kate is the security (or not) of her marriage. Kate appears to have been reassured that nothing will happen to her.

    • Devon says:

      Yeah, I am not sure if it is the extreme weight loss or issues in her personal life but Kate has aged about a decade in the past year. She looks at least 10 years older than Meghan and drawn, wan and unhappy.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Look for unguarded moments of Kate at the Commonwealth service right before the Rose news hit. She knew it had happened, she knew the story was getting out.

  22. aurora says:

    I don’t think I would want someone who’s protecting her pedo son to be my fan.
    #abolishthemonarchy

  23. DS9 says:

    It’s easy to be great in a year where all she had to do is pretend her husband was faithful and stay white…

    • notasugarhere says:

      This, including the use of ‘great’ as so much of the Kate embiggening/Meghan attacking is coming from MAGAts.

  24. Murphy says:

    I think she appreciates that she’s been able to put up with William all these years.

  25. Marie says:

    It’s funny how it took 8 years and a bi racial duchess for The Queen to like Kate and for Kate to have confidence. I have zero respect for either of them. I do have a ton of respect for Harry and Meghan. The only two I like.

  26. PizzaLove says:

    Kate is happier. She has her kids, decided to stay with her husband (her choice), and now there is a new girl in town getting all the attention. I hate when people say there is racism involved, has everyone forgotten Diana, Fergi, and Kate? They were all ridiculed. The men get by with murder!

    • HK9 says:

      There is racism involved and it’s very plain. Yes, other royal ladies were given a hard time by the press but they didn’t have that to deal with. They were also left alone while they were pregnant. Turning a blind eye doesn’t make it go away.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Kate will never leave William no matter what he does. He cheated on her for a decade before they married, she knew that going in and accepted the deal. If he decides to leave her, he will.

    • Deedee says:

      When Richard Palmer lets conspiracy theorists spill their vile accusations in his Twitter feed unanswered, then racism is involved. Disgusting stuff like the pregnancy was faked, the baby switched, bleh.

    • Devon says:

      It’s racism. And of course Kate is happier, she and her husband have successfully smeared and cast aside the Sussexes and now no one is talking about Kate’s expensive clothes or her completely uselessness.

    • tcbc says:

      “There is racism involved” is the understatement of the year. And I for one would never bask in the praise of bigots.

      • Nic919 says:

        I am so tired of people pretending there is no racism in the attacks against Meghan unless the N word is literally used.

  27. bitchy architect says:

    I really think that people need to start singling out reporters like Katie Nichols by name when they talk about the racist bullying that they are responsible for. They need to know that the world is judging them on their racist bs- I wish the female pm’s had actually named named in their letter. Its not enough to simply call it out the bullying – names need to be named. Katie Nichols, Tom Sykes et all need to be called out personally.

  28. MellyMel says:

    Katie Keen is being rewarded for not leaving when everyone found out Wills was (and let’s get real…still is) cheating on her. She could have gone the route of her mother-in-law Diana, but she didn’t cause she waited too long to get the crown. And for that, the Queen is a fan. Pathetic.

  29. Peg says:

    It is annoying when someone, who never dealt with racism tells others what is racism.

  30. leigh says:

    The Queen likes that Kate/Carol were placated by the award of the Royal Order. The Queen is most likely terribly glad that she held the honor back for years, knowing it would make a very nice bribe one day should a situation arise.

  31. Guest says:

    The 90 plus year old woman likes the woman who looks like her soul has been sucked out? Of course. Kate isnt diana who had her own voice and wasnt afraid to stand up for people. The queen wants someone who supports the crown and since that’s William, Kate’s job is to be seen not heard. Backwards outdated institution, but England wants it, so go ahead.

  32. Guest says:

    All the cards will come crashing down one day. It may take a few years.
    It will probably be after lizzie dies but everything will eventually come out.

  33. Devon says:

    It figures the Queen is a fan of Kate. Kate who works as little as possible and when she does work she does nothing of substance. The epitome of vapidness is Kate. But that is what the RF is under Elizabeth – vapid so it makes sense Kate has the Queen’s approval.

  34. Cosmo says:

    Kate does not seem really happy these days. Maybe being a perfect princess is not all that much fun.

    • cubby says:

      I think she’s probably hyper aware than she can’t say anything remotely out of turn. How can she relax, even around her kids? What if she complained to her mum or sister, not realising she was being listened to by her kids, and then George innocently repeated it in front of William? It must be like living under Big Brother.

      Pippa got the good stuff – money and freedom from press scrutiny.

  35. BriannaP says:

    I don’t think Kate’s comfortable at all. I think Kate knows she’s a fraud and that she is benefiting from Meghan but at some point she knows she will need to deliver the goods. The British media isn’t doing her any favors.

  36. RoyalBlue says:

    Another not so subtle dig at Meghan of course. The unspoken word is that Meghan is too easily wound up and speaks to the press.

  37. kerwood says:

    The Queen is also a fan of Prince Andrew, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in who she approves of.

    I NEVER thought I’d feel this way about Queen Elizabeth and I have to admit it hurts. I never drank the Diana koolaid, so I didn’t think the Queen was in the wrong when Diana died. But this is horrible. To pin the prestige of her reign to a son who was NEVER worth much? And to watch as her grand daughter in law gets savaged by the press? Its shameful. I have to believe that Prince Philip must be out of it because he might be a racist old coot but he was no fool when it came to the monarchy.

  38. heygingersnaps says:

    The photoshop that’s going on, on most of katie keen’s photos are just obvious.

  39. Egla says:

    Well these two women; K and M don’t have it that easy do they? They will get criticized forever and for whatever they do, don’t do, say, wear, etc. Sure they live a cushy life economically but boy having your every move scrutinized and commented must be really hard. I don’t think I could do it. They must really love their men

  40. yinyang says:

    Yes well clearly Queen is becoming senile.

  41. A says:

    Of course the Queen is a fan of Kate right now. Both of them have their commitment to being emotionally constipated down pat by this point, no? Serves them just as well, given the types they’re married to. I imagine the Queen feels a great deal of empathy with Kate and is probably in the position to offer plenty of advice in case William’s pattern of behaviour continues.

  42. The Recluse says:

    Entrusting the future of this monarchy on such a mediocre couple bodies ill for it’s long term survival this century. Neither seems to have much character and their self interests define their actions.
    Perhaps it’s for the best that they end up being the ones to usher out the monarchy at long last.

  43. Jane'sWastedTalent says:

    Please never stop with the ’embiggening,’ Kaiser, it makes me smile.

  44. Jessica says:

    Word on every street is that Will not only cheated on Kate, but that his affair with Rosie was significant and is long-lasting. The Queen knows this and has rewarded Kate for staying with Will.