Duchess Kate gets all of the royal jewels because she’s BFFs with Angela Kelly

The Queen's Diplomatic Reception

One of the nastiest royal stories last year – and that’s saying a lot – was the story from Dan Wooten at the Sun (who has sources deep within Camp Cambridge) about how the Queen cut off Meghan’s access to the Royal Collection jewelry. The wording of Wooten’s piece was particularly shady, and my interpretation of it was that William threw a tantrum about the very idea that Meghan would be allowed to wear any pieces from the Royal Collection, and that’s why we never saw Meghan wear a tiara after her wedding and why Meghan never wore anything from the crown-owned Royal Collection, which includes endless necklaces, earrings, tiaras, bracelets, etc. The only “royal jewelry” Meghan got to wear were pieces which were privately owned by Diana, and split up by William and Harry after their mom’s death.

So, perhaps the story was that *someone* had a hissy fit at the very thought that Meghan would wear any Royal Collection jewels, and he wanted to ensure that Kate would always have access to any and all jewelry pieces she wanted. This was right around the time when Kate really did start borrowing Royal Collection pieces at a steadier clip, and that’s when she started doing more “tiara-wear” events. Now a secondary storyline: Kate is allowed to borrow whatever she wants because The Good Duchess befriended the Queen’s personal dresser:

Kate Middleton is allowed to wear whatever she likes from the Queen’s stunning jewellery collection as she was ‘clever’ to befriend Angela Kelly, a royal author has claimed. The Duchess of Cambridge is often dripping with jewels at state functions, wearing glittering tiaras, necklaces, brooches and earrings – all borrowed from Her Majesty. The 93-year-old has a formidable array of jewellery, as part of the Royal Collection, and only she can give permission for another member of the royal family to wear a piece.

As is tradition, royal brides get to choose a tiara for their wedding day, with the 38-year-old opting for the Cartier Halo Tiara, while Meghan Markle wore the 1932 Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara, and Princess Eugenie chose the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik piece. But the mum-of-three is allowed free reign over the jewels, a royal author has claimed, as she made friends in high places.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Grazia that Kate has befriended the Queen’s personal dresser, Angela Kelly. A Palace source told Ms Nicholl: “Kate gets the pick of the jewels for big occasions and the Queen is happy to open up her jewellery box. Kate has been clever to befriend Angela Kelly, who is in charge of the Queen’s personal jewellery collection and oversees the loans. Generally, Kate is allowed to borrow whatever she fancies.”

[From The Sun]

What I don’t understand is… if the Queen already said that Kate can borrow almost anything she wants, and William made the moves to deny Meghan (and other royal women, presumably) any Royal Collection pieces, why was it necessary (or particularly clever?) to befriend Angela Kelly? Kelly isn’t the keeper of the jewels. Kelly is just the one – I presume – tasked with fetching whatever piece Kate wants to borrow. Kate probably doesn’t even do it herself, she probably gets one of her people to run over to the palace and pick up whatever necklace, earrings or bracelet she wants. So what is the point of the story again? That Kate gets all of the jewels she wants? That Kate “won”?

The Queen's Diplomatic Reception

President Trump state visit to UK - Day One

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

137 Responses to “Duchess Kate gets all of the royal jewels because she’s BFFs with Angela Kelly”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Andrew’s Nemesis says:

    Nauseating.
    What a tiny, walled-in, miserable little life

    • kelleybelle says:

      Yes, and the animated looks on her face since Meghan has left are way overdone and frankly, phony.

    • JULIE ju i says:

      Perfectly put Andrew

    • Ronaldinhio says:

      Jewels or not, as my grandma would say, ‘you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’

    • Beth says:

      Also what moron places a story about how Kate gets to wear a bunch of expensive jewels literally days after one of her patronages closes for not having the necessary 50,000 to keep its lights on

    • Smalls says:

      Fwiw this is maddeningly false. She has limited access to very few pieces, and that will continue until she is queen. Archival websites demonstrate that she has worn the same handful of pieces since her marriage, and only occasionally brings out new pieces. She also recieved jewelry as a wedding gift from various countries, and has only once worn a single item.

  2. Hope says:

    The Cambridge fans love the privilege, titles and jewelry. They don’t care about substance. This is exactly the kind of petty story that would make them happy.

    • Truthiness says:

      This is totally Carole Middleton going to the Sun. Of all the adjectives in the world to describe Kate, clever is not one to use. Only the Middletons would think she is ‘clever.’

      • BarbN says:

        I’ve always felt that to be called clever was something of an insult – something closer to conniving or cunning, with the implication of being manipulative.

  3. Digital Unicorn says:

    ANOTHER story aimed at embiggening Kate and stoking the flames of a family rift all caused by that gauche american divorce actress. This will blow up in the faces as the public see right through this PR spin by Cambridge mouth pieces. Its pretty obvious that the story about William making sure Meghan didn’t have access to the Royal Collection jewels has some truth to it – other members of the family wear those jewels (Anne, Sophie) so why shouldn’t Meghan.

    Stories like this make the Cambridges look like total and utter hypocrites. Esp when they get up on stage and preach to movie stars about diversity and racism. Jokes on them and they are too stupid to see it.

    • Maggie says:

      Sophie has 3 tiaras to wear whenever she wants, one of which the Queen bought her, and is with the Queen all the time. But sure, Kate’s her favorite 🙄

    • Lucy De Blois says:

      Digital: I agree. There are no limits for this horrible process of trying to transform Kate’s image in a mix of Madre Thereza and Lady Diana.
      I think the press is being fed by BP/KP on the same level they were being fed on those filthy stories of MM.
      That makes me think about Charles being a king or the place going to Will directly.
      Two options: either they are building the profile of the future queen consort, or they are solidifying the holy image of Kate to not let the public forget about the evil, bi-racial duchess.

  4. Grant says:

    I detest these people. They can all go and choke on their jewels for all I care.

  5. josephine says:

    I feel like they all look ridiculous and matronly in those tiaras. I don’t get the appeal at all. No one should be wearing a tiara let alone anyone under the age of 80.

    • Vava says:

      I think some of the Danish and Spanish tiaras are gorgeous.

      • Snappyfish says:

        I think some of the Russian pieces are lovely but my absolute favorite is the The Oriental Circlet. It was a favorite of the Queen Mother. I think it is stunning but I haven’t seen anyone wear it in ages

      • dynastysurf says:

        @Snappyfish If I’m remembering correctly, the Oriental Circlet is one of those reserved for queens/queen consorts. And since QEII has latched onto that awful Burmese Ruby tiara as her red stone tiara of choice, we likely won’t see the Oriental Circlet again until Camilla is wearing it.

      • Snappyfish says:

        @dynastysurf thanks for the Info. I didn’t realize it was a restricted piece. I saw it on display at the V&A museum & it was just stunning. I fell in love with it. Now that you mentioned it I have only seen it on the Queen Mother & the once on the Queen.

    • Mrs.Krabapple says:

      Yes, the jewels age her terribly. Kate always looked older than she is, but somehow the stuffy jewelry makes it worse. She just doesn’t have what it takes to show off expensive clothes and jewelry.

  6. Becks1 says:

    “So what is the point of the story again? That Kate gets all of the jewels she wants? That Kate “won”?”

    Yes, to both. Kate gets the jewels, and Kate “won.” Except that I think Meghan is going to be happier in the long run.

    The jewelry story was SO PETTY because it was such a blatant “the black duchess doesn’t get the nice jewels.”

    • Nahema says:

      It’s a really odd and silly story because it’s agenda is clean. Aside from that, I get the feeling that Kate probably doesn’t have a lot of interest in the jewellery anyway. Although she’s ‘won’ in terms of the agenda the press are trying to push, I’m not sure Kate herself has even noticed.

      • Hope says:

        Right from the first Canada tour, Kate has made sure to have some form of connection to the Queen through her jewelry. I think it does really matter to her.

    • Lucy De Blois says:

      Beckys1: Maybe your words are more true than you realize. I always found strange when, newly married, H&M didn’t attend an important state dinner, having a trip abroad alread prepared for them.
      I think it was the dinner for Trump (sorry I really don’t remember), anyway, a tiara event. Being very familiar with racism, my bells rang at once, but I said to myself I was being just paranoic.
      Even in normal families, big events are a good oportunity to introduce the new couple and those royal trips are planned well in advance, which means: the staff knew about the dinner day, knew MM would be a duchess by then and they knew about the trip. When DM put an article giving the idea that “Kate is going to use tiara and MM won’t” my bells rang full force and I thought it stupid because how could MM use a tiara if she wouldn’t be there?
      And later, it happened again. Big tiara dinner, Kate + tiara, no MM, another trip.
      Sorry. Like Miss Marple would say, I’m not that gullible.

  7. Keekee says:

    William really is a nasty evil insecure piece of work that I never suspected prior to Meghan.

    • HK9 says:

      Neither did I. I didn’t get that someone new in the family would bring out all this petty, because I thought he was a grown up who was able to process these things. I was so wrong. I think he needs to work through his own stuff from Diana’s death, and since no one seems to have called him on his shit other than Harry, we’re left with a grown toddler. Good luck to them-they’re going to need it.

      • Lucy De Blois says:

        I’m sorry but I think his problem is not Diana’s death: is the people around him, polishing his ego around the clock. And a natural disposition to have an inflated ego.
        Even if his mother was alive it would be nearly impossible for her to isolate William from the crew of léche bottes; maybe she would try to keep him in the real world, but if a person has a big ego, it’s hard to keep him/her on the rails.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      I agree. This just screams jealously about H&M’s overwhelming and *global* popularity.

      • Lucy De Blois says:

        Because he’s immature, insecure and entitled. Just look at his face and the way he talks. Compare with a Harry’s video and see the difference.

  8. BayTampaBay says:

    I need some help from my British friends here at the CB commentariat.

    It is my understanding that both Buck House and KP hate, detest and “choose your own word” The Sun. Their tabloid of choice is The Daily Fail. If my understanding is correct, why are “friends of the Cambridge’s” or anyone for that matter talking to The Dim.

    I believe it was The Dim that ran a story on Rose Hanbury aka “Rose Who?” that originated with her drunk brother talking to someone at his private club.

    • GuestWho says:

      Isn’t KPs communications guy close friends with Dan Wootton? Hard to keep their contacts straight.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        I think Dan Wootton’s partner works in KP communication now that you mention the connection. Agree with you that it is hard to keep all the hacks, contacts and leakers straight.

  9. Ann says:

    One thing I think is funny is that it’s supposedly a big deal to get a yellow ribbon pin something or another. Woo woo! Who cares.

    • Brandy Alexander says:

      Well, it has to go both ways though. Everybody on this site cackled with glee when she DIDN’T have one. Once she got it, the narrative changed to “who cares?”. Personally, I like both ladies, and thought they brought different things to the table. But the stans/haters on both sides just make up stories to bolster who they like. It’s so weird how people are so invested in people that they will never meet, like they are dear family members.

      • Becks1 says:

        I don’t think people “cackled with glee” because we thought it was a big deal objectively. I don’t think its a big deal personally, but I know its a big deal among the royals, which was the point. It was notable that it took Kate so long to get it.

        And there was some laughing about the RVO or whatever because that was so blatantly a “thanks for staying with your cheating husband” thing.

      • LindaS says:

        @brandyalexander. I totally agree with you. There is their story, their story and the real story. I realize this is a gossip site but people are so certain in what they believe its like they have the inside scoop.

      • Nic919 says:

        The lack of a family order was used as evidence that the Queen did not approve of Kate doing very few engagements as it took longer for her to get it than all other spouses who did receive one. And while Kate didn’t improve her workload, Meghan showed up and then suddenly we hear of the family order being given “months ago”. The RVO also was given right after the Rose story broke and she had disappeared from public view for close to two months.

        The entire thing is a joke anyway. The fake military medals worn by the men who never had active service is also pathetic.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        The only thing that would make me “cackled with glee” would be to know the WHOLE TRUTH regarding Normal Bill & “Rose Who” and the WHOLE TRUTH regarding the smear campaign against Meghan with names of all parties involved.

        The Daily Fail did not create the smear campaign all by there lonesome and really do not believe that Normal Bill is smart enough to devise and carry out a smear campaign all by his lonesome either.

        I am not sure I believe William was driving this bus, as he really does not have the skill set, but I do believe he paid for all the fuel charges and bought the driver daily lunch.

      • Brandy Alexander says:

        I would advise everyone to look at the comments before and after she received her “yellow ribbon”. The people who don’t like her here absolutely were gleefully pointing out she didn’t have it at every opportunity, and when she did get it changed the narrative to “who cares?” or “she got it because her husband cheated” (which nobody even knows if that is in fact true). I am sticking with my assessment that the haters and stans on both side over analyze every little thing, and could make a run against any of the tabloids with the stories they make up in their heads.

      • Nic919 says:

        Kate can be given all the ribbons in the world, it won’t make up for the fact that she’s lived a very shallow life and does the bare minimum when it comes to charities. That is a demonstrable fact when looking at what she’s actually done since 2011. The royal family is the best at giving themselves rewards for nothing. Now that the Queen has confirmed her support of her pedo sex trafficking son over a grandson and granddaughter in law who actually started initiatives to help others, there is no value at all in whatever nonsense order or award she provides. Kate can cling desperately to her jewels and tiaras, (stolen by the BRF from others) but it means nothing.

    • Ann says:

      My comment is from the perspective of someone who equates a yellow ribbon pin with a Hello My Name Is sticker. I don’t get it, to me it’s something that means nothing and ruins an outfit. That being said, I’m learning that to some, its presence (or not) DOES matter. Let’s ask ourselves why.

      • Agreed Ann. All those ribbon badges, sashes, miniature portrait brooches, and a great deal of that big ass jewelry is just outdated and I’ll bet heavy and uncomfortable to wear, but nice to look at in a display case. I like Meghan’s minalmist approach to jewelry. It’s a good look for her. And, who knows, she may have enjoyed the wedding tiara, but the rest of it is so not her style that she probably hasn’t asked to wear it — which would probably piss off Angela as she seems to really enjoy the ‘self proclaimed’ power she holds by being the Queen’s dresser. God, the back stabbing and nastiness with the various palace staff is hysterical at times.

  10. OriginalLala says:

    Ah yes the royal jewels…so many of which were stolen and pillaged from other countries..enjoy your racist and colonial jewels Kate!

  11. S808 says:

    I don’t think much of her as a person but I can only hope for her sake that the money and the jewels are enough.

    • HK9 says:

      Kate should have learned from Diana’s experience who had her own family tiara before she married into that family, that it’s not.

  12. TeamMeg says:

    Isn’t it just a wee bit anachronistic, to be a young person “dripping with jewels” in 2020? When we know full well how many people are suffering all around the world, all the refugees, the hunger and poverty that truly exists — in England and in all nations — everything. I don’t care if she’s the future Queen, the whole thing is gauche & disgusting. BLECHH!

  13. DS9 says:

    I usually don’t like to comment on facial features or how women’s faces read but Kate’s interested face rarely looks genuine.

    She often looks like a pageant contestant.

    • That’s a good comparison DS9. It seems to me that pageant contestants are encouraged to try and look as homogenized and bland as possible with very little originality. Kate seems to fit that description at least in her public life. Reminds me of a song Pete Seeger popularized called, Little Boxes…….”and they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.”

  14. Becks1 says:

    I went back and read the comments from the original story about this, and its funny how many gave the queen and the royal family the benefit of the doubt – “no way would the queen be this petty” etc.

    I think we all know now the queen would be exactly that petty .

    • Elisa says:

      Right? She could have easily shut this down, but…she didn’t. And IF Wills threw a tantrum (can he do that? He seems too phlegmatic) it makes TQ look weak AF if she gave in.

  15. lanne says:

    Like Meghan can’t borrow jewels from any designer in the world now! This is such a haha, see what you lost Megsy story. As if wearing tiaras is a reason to put up with emotional abuse. Big bling isn’t even to her personal taste anyway!

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      Jewelers will be lining up to ask Megs to showcase their work. Bet on it. No different than the Red Carpet events in Hollywood, only she’s a Royal Duchess, so extra prestige involved.

  16. Catherine says:

    MM didn’t do any state dinners or “tiara necessary” events, right? I never understood this story – there wasn’t an opportunity for her to borrow jewelry from HMTQ. Unless she wanted To borrow them for overseas tours? Which they don’t wear that kind of jewelry for tours.

    • Brandy Alexander says:

      That’s the thing that always got me too. She didn’t attend a tiara event other than her wedding. And I actually think if they had stuck around, those were looming on the horizon as Charles takes more power. She would have been allowed to borrow the jewels too. I think the original story was just a RR making things up.

    • lanne says:

      I was surprised she didn’t get any royal jewelry on the Australia/Pacific tour. On Kate’s 1st tour, she got some brooches to wear. And there are certainly Australia/New Zealand pieces that Meghan could have worn. In fact, she borrowed earrings from a HK jeweler for the Fiji state dinner. In hindsight, that was probablt the 1st clue that everything wasn’t copacetic. Also, the weird story that happened during the Morocco tour that Meghan would be denied royal jewels due to her “behavior”. That was seen as a William being petty story–because only he would have any interest, it seems, in denying Meghan jewels. Also, the “tiara fight” story that happened after the successful Pacific tour shows once again, how completely superficial the RF’s acceptance of Meghan truly was. Some RF adjacent people are really tetched at the idea of Meghan wearing royal jewels. Their acceptance of her was paper thin. This would be a great news article–the case of the Royal jewels.

      • Catherine says:

        Hmmm. Interesting, I forgot that Kate borrowed broaches for some tours. I can’t remember if she did during the first years of marriage, but their first tour was Canada, right? And I believe she borrowed the Maple leaf broach. I tend to always think “the truth lies somewhere in the middle” but this is interesting regarding the broaches during tours. TQ will and does “pull rank” – like when she forced a patronage on Kate at a family function. And how long TQ waited before giving Kate her sash, and royal orders. I really thought this was a non-story, but maybe something there with the tour jewelry.

      • Nic919 says:

        The maple leaf brooch is lent to every woman who does a tour in Canada. Sophie and Anne have worn it as well. Meghan likely would have been lent it as well.

  17. Guest with Cat says:

    When it comes to these royals and jewelry, it was the Duchess Meghan who made me fall in love with jewelry all over again, with her dainty gold pieces. She inspired me to get some dainty pieces of my own. I never owned a lot of real jewelry to begin with. But the few pieces I had were frankly dated and heavy looking. I’m now planning on getting them reset. The older styling is not necessarily flattering to my post menopause weight gain.

    The newer pieces are so flattering and will remain so even after I work off the weight, which I’ve started doing after healing from an ankle and leg injury. Oh and they’re so comfortable to wear!

    Don’t get me wrong, I love vintage jewelry. There are some dainty vintage settings I really love.

    But aside from the tiaras, which are nice, a lot of what I’ve seen of the royal collection looks heavy to the point it looks like costume jewelry. Kate’s shown in these photos with some that look nice, but I’ve seen some on the Queen that practically wear her.

    Megan made a real statement in one of her appearances, I forget which one it was, by not wearing any jewelry at all. It was just her beautiful face, front and center. I wonder now if the choice to wear no jewelry was a subtle farewell eff you to the RR’s, the whining racist members of the public, and William. Because it was among her last public appearances.

    • Hope says:

      I have the Adina Reyter teardrop pendant and I love it so much!

      • Guest with Cat says:

        Oh that’s a fantastic choice! There are some gorgeous rings in her collection I have my eye on. Luckily for me, going dainty is friendlier to the budget. I’ll still need go save up, though.

    • Kelly says:

      Camilla and Sophie are the only ones other than the queen herself who can wear pieces from the Royal Collection well without it coming across as too much. With Kate, it seems as though the jewelry is wearing her, especially Queen Alexandra’s wedding earrings. It takes a lot to pull off wearing them well, specifically presence, confidence, and the right hairstyle.

      The settings of most of the jewelry and tiaras date from the early 20th century, mostly under the oversight of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Elizabeth II has created new pieces from existing pieces not very frequently. Some pieces, like the heavier necklaces and earrings, seemed to have gotten more wear under Mary and the Queen Mother, and aren’t worn as frequently now due to both different fashions and more restrained looks for official work. I’m sure Queen Mary’s everyday look with diamonds, pearls, and tiara would be seen as insensitive during the current austerity climate.

      • Tessa says:

        Camilla tends to overdo it and she seems very content when she poses with the bling. She also picks out the larger tiaras. I think both Kate and Camilla tend to overdo the bling.

  18. Jay says:

    The misinformation is so nauseating! If she had such unlimited access to the royal collection, why has she primarily worn the lover’s knot tiara and not the many others in the vault? The article is indeed pointless drivel

  19. Murphy says:

    Well if she wants to keep access to the jewels she better start buttering up Camilla a little better.

  20. Guest says:

    Well hope those jewels are worth having a husband that doesnt respect you and being the white savior of the uk.

  21. Lexa says:

    Weird—I remember reading this about Kate and Angela Kelly in an article last year. I do think Will wanted certain pieces (worn by Diana) and privileges earmarked for Kate alone, likely because it bothered him Harry and Meghan were being treated as equal rank and Charles was apparently giving them more money than the Cambridges. Oooor it could be as simple as Meghan never asked to borrow anything.

    But anyway, reading AK’s book a while back was interesting and made me wonder if she was the “advisor(s)” who supposedly advised the Queen not to lend jewelry to Meghan. She’s responsible for the personal collection of jewelry as well as the Queen’s wardrobe.

    AK seems very no-nonsense and protective of the Queen and admits to ruffling courtier feathers… but she’s obviously talking about herself so who knows how true it is. I do think the Queen does listen to AK’s recommendations, and I have to admit that these claims about Meghan being denied access made me wonder if some of the rumors around the wedding were true and AK was put off by some of the alleged (and I stress alleged) behavior from both Harry and Meghan in the lead up to it. I don’t know that Will alone, even throwing a tantrum, would have the power to convince the Queen to deny Meghan the use of her own personal jewelry were Meghan to ask.

    Not to slander the woman as there’s no proof either way (and AK claims she doesn’t allow gossip in her work room), but a part of me does wonder if AK was the reason the tiara story/rumor got out as she would likely have been present at the selection.

    • Ainsley7 says:

      You are 100% correct. Angela Kelley has a lot of power because of her close friendship with the Queen. It’s why she was allowed to write a book. If anyone else did that then they would have been fired. The whole tiara thing happened because Meghan chose a tiara. She was planning away around this Russian Emerald tiara. Weddings are stressful and the courtiers were giving Meghan hell.The Russian’s poisoned a former spy in the U.K. in March. So, after some debate, Meghan was told she couldn’t use the possibly Russian tiara anymore. If everything hadn’t already been a messy struggle, everything would have been fine. She would have just chosen a different one. However, wedding stress got the best of Harry. Kelley leaked the story and got Meghan banned from borrowing anything until their “attitudes” improved. I don’t blame Harry one bit for being stressed out and Kelley has always enjoyed throwing her weight around. Kelley didn’t really like Kate until she decided she hated Meghan. Even though it was Harry who blew his top and understandable given the circumstances. It was the straw that broke the camels back kinda thing.

      • GuestWho says:

        I don’t think she chose any tiara except the one she wore. That Russian tiara wouldn’t have gone with the dress and is just not in keeping with Meghan’s style. There is a SLIGHT chance that she may have wanted the one that Eugenie wore and Andrew had a cow about that – but the one she wore was perfection with the dress. Truly, that russian thing just isn’t anywhere close to Meghan’s style. This was just the beginning of the lies to bring down the interloper – and look! It worked. People still believe it without any evidence at all and even though it goes against Meghan’s reputation prior to joining the fetid family.

      • Ainsley7 says:

        How do you know what the possibly Russian tiara looks like? It wasn’t the Vlad. That would never have been offered to her in the first place, but I agree that it’s not her style either way. The origin of Eugenie’s tiara is known. It’s from the greville collection. So, it’s not the right tiara either. The tiara in question was likely something Queen Mary got when she was buying up all the Russian jewels she could get her hands on and hasn’t been seen in a long time like the one Meghan wore instead.

      • GuestWho says:

        I did think it was the Vlad they were referring to. But as to what tiara is in question…there wasn’t one in question because this is all bullshit.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      “Charles was apparently giving them more money than the Cambridges.”

      Correct me if I am wrong. William because he is the heir of the heir gets a large portion of his funding from the Sovereign Grant and directly from QEII. If this is true then, he would not need as much money from Charles because he receives funding from different sources not available to Harry. If William has all the money he needs and/or wants, why would he care how much money is “given” to Harry?

      • Ainsley7 says:

        William doesn’t receive any money from the sovereign grant. He gets everything from Charles. That’s why there was such a big to do about the Queen giving money from the sovereign grant when Meghan and Harry moves from KP to BP. Charles had refused to fund an entirely separate office. So, the Queen chipped in for it.

      • Lexa says:

        @BayTampaBay That bit about Harry and Meghan temporarily receiving more money than the Cambridges came out during Megxit and was cited as a source of contention between the brothers. The impression I got was that they were receiving more money for personal use vs official use. It makes sense the Sussexes were temporarily receiving more to help furnish and do cosmetic repairs on their home. The Cambridges also benefitted in the same way when they were furnishing and repairing their own homes… though maybe Will’s perception was that Harry and Meghan were getting more out of Charles than what he and Kate got back then?

        I think is this the original source (from Jobson, so very pro-Charles): https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/charles-harry-meghan-funding-lifestyle-private-income-a4332986.html

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Ainsley7 and Lexa – Thanks for the clarification on the funding sources.

    • Or maybe Lexa — Meghan didn’t kiss Angela’s ass. Maybe, she treated Angela like a professional woman doing her job and didn’t try to ingratiate herself. Maybe Meghan didn’t take her advice or maybe — horror of horrors — Meghan neither asked for advice or asked to borrow jewelry. I think Ms. Angela thinks very very highly of herself.

      Heck, both Princesses, the Queen mother, and Elizabeth’s father ghosted Crawfie, the nanny, after her flattering book about the princesses. And Crawfie had permission from the Queen Mother to write it. This family is one complicated piece of work.

      • RoyalBlue says:

        @JA you are on the money again! It’s because Meghan did not kiss up and ingratiate herself to Ms Kelley. The article says that Kate was clever to do so as it brought her good favors and implies that Meghan ought to have done that to keep in the good graces and get all the nice things.

      • Nic919 says:

        Angela Kelly is the only person who released a book while still working for the Queen. If she does have power, then it’s more than usual and you have to wonder if she’s taking advantage of the 93 year old queen in some ways. Many old guard royal watchers noted this, so maybe Ms. Kelly should watch herself and not get too big for her britches. Charles will be getting the collection soon and he has opinions on jewelry. He’s not cheap like William in that regard.

  22. L84Tea says:

    Since the article was so petty, I’ll just throw some more petty in. Kate does not wear tiaras well. I will compare her to Diana specifically because of the fact that she wears the Lovers Knot tiara and that was the only one besides the Spencer that Diana wore. In my opinion, Diana could rock her tiara looks–she wore them, they never wore her. Kate always looks like she’s playing dressup in front of a mirror. She lacks the confidence to wear such statement pieces. When she’s all dolled up in her gowns and necklaces and tiara, it’s just….meh.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      @L84Tea – Camilla can rock a tiara and heavy statement pieces IMHO!

      • L84Tea says:

        You are definitely right, Cams can rock those big gun bad boy tiaras!

        But again, Camilla is a settled women who is, I gather, completely confident in who she is and doesn’t have an eff to give for anyone else. That’s what I’m mainly talking about. She WEARS her jewels, they do not wear her.

      • Tessa says:

        Camilla was getting jewels when Charles was still married to Diana and she to Andrew Parker Bowles. Camilla is of course “confident” since she schemed for years to get most of what Diana had. She was always in the Driver’s Seat IMO. I don’t admire Camilla not in the least. Camilla tends to wear the “larger” bling. And truly showy. Camilla is set for life but she did not get there in a good way IMO.

    • Brandy Alexander says:

      I think you need big hair to make a tiara look good. Diana had big 80’s hair, and Camilla has big hair too. Tiaras to me don’t look good with the sleek updos that have been in style for quite a while.

      • L84Tea says:

        They can if they do it right. IMHO, Letizia, Mary, Victoria, and even the former princess Alexandra of Denmark (who still wears her tiara)…(I leave Maxima out because she doesn’t usually do sleek hairdos) all manage to pull off looking polished and elegant in their tiaras even with their hair all slicked back off their faces. Not to mention, those women all exude confidence in their roles. Kate lacks a good deal of that.

      • Brandy Alexander says:

        I have not seen those women with sleek updos and tiaras, so I will take your word for it. I just know i have yet to see them on anyone and think they look as good as they did on different Royals with short but big hair, and especially Diana. I actually think whoever it was that decided that Kate should get the Lover’s Knot tiara did her a disservice. Nobody was every going to look as good in that tiara as Diana did. It should have went into the vault for a generation or two.

      • Tessa says:

        Camilla was and is the one with the big hair. Seventies style Big Hair. Diana had short hair and generally it was straight though she went for a look where the hair was more tightly curled. Diana was a teen when Charles courted her and the Farrah Fawcett seventies style was passe. Yet Camilla kept on wearing the “helmet” like hair.

  23. Belli says:

    I’m not sure the author meant to make Kate sound so scheming. She was “clever” to befriend Angela Kelly? That makes it sound like a strategic decision to get the sparkly things, not that Kate is just such a heavenly person that Angela Kelly naturally adored her and was falling over herself to drape her in jewels.

    • Hope says:

      It’s Katie Nicholl, who came up with Waity Kaity. She alternates between being syrupy sweet and a total b*tch.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Katie Nicholl: Vanity Fair should fire her ass for piss-poor royal reporting. I really believe she just makes things up.

  24. S says:

    She’s the future Queen. In a family all about rank and status, hers is extremely high among the women, so it only makes sense she’d get her pick—after the current Queen, of course.

    Hard to deny that Kate’s status is higher than Camilla’s, who it’s already been deemed will not be crowned Queen Consort. Not saying Charles might not try to change that when the time actually comes, as some have speculated, but in current royal ranks, other than QEII, Kate is the most visible and prominent of the women, and who wears the royal jewels is very much about rank and visibility.

    So, this (non) story is basically a “don’t you know who I am?” reminder (poorly) cloaked as gossip.

    • Bunny says:

      Charles has waited more than 50 years to be King. He won’t allow himself or his wife to be eclipsed by Carole Middleton’s dog and pony show.

      The last few years have seen well-placed speculation that Camilla will be made Queen consort (instead of the previously announced ‘Princess Consort’) when Charles ascends the throne.

      Camilla doesn’t seem to be one to play,”Don’t you know who I am?”. That doesn’t mean that Kate is “above” Camilla, or that Charles won’t quickly put Kate in her place if the need arises.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        I personally think that at the end of the day, Camilla kicks off her shoes, opens a bottle of wine, pours a large glass and laughs her ass off about all the ridiculous goings-on of the BRF.

    • HK9 says:

      When Charles is King, Camilla will have the title he wants her to have. Don’t underestimate him, he mounted a very careful and effective campaign for the public to accept her before he married her. If he think’s it’s important, it will get done.

      • Hi HK9. I agree with your statement about Charles and his communications team top knotch campaign re Camilla acceptance. Because Charles has such an astute team around him, this is why I believe he had a hand in what went down between the press and Meghan. His team certainly could have worked to tamper a lot of it down. The fact he and his comm team were silent tells me a great deal about his role in smearing Meghan. Charles hates anyone being more popular than him.

      • Lady D says:

        Do you think Charles was okay with Harry booking it out of the country? I think they all screwed up, but the last thing he wanted was to lose Harry. If you’re right and he had a hand in this, we’re going to have to change the name of Canada to Karma.

      • Tessa says:

        I don’t think his Camilla spin worked with everybody; She is not liked by all. But there is really no choice–Charles paid for all this PR and she will get to be Queen Consort. Some of the Spin about Camilla involved trashing Diana which turned off people.

    • DS9 says:

      Camilla will be queen consort by simple virtue of being the wife of the king. The question is whether she will use that title.

      And as wife of the king, she’ll outrank Kate as long as Charles is king.

      Swapping around styles doesn’t chance title or precedence.

    • Abena Asantewaa says:

      @S, Kate does not rank higher than Camilla, ones rank is determined by the heir, and since Charles is no 1 and William is no 2, that makes Camilla higher than Kate, who will curtsey to Camilla, when she becomes Queen Consort. By the way, Kate won’t become Queen in the same way as Queen Elizabeth, so let’s not mislead the reader. God forbid, if something should happen to William, Harry becomes King Regent, and Meghan Queen Regent, till George is of age to be crowned King.

    • Tessa says:

      Camilla is the wife of the Prince of Wales, she has a higher status than Kate. If Charles predeceases her she would be Dowager Queen. most likely. I do notice some posters on other blogs act like Kate is successor as Monarch to the Queen!

  25. Flying Fish says:

    What idiots.

  26. Sofia says:

    This is another “Kate is the future future Queen Consort!” story.

    Instead of the usual “The Queen is giving Kate advice because she’s FFQC”, it’s now “The Queen is giving Kate JEWELLERY because she’s FFQC”

  27. February Pisces says:

    Kate can wear all the jewels she wants, it’s not gonna stop Meghan outshining her. William getting dan wootton to put this story out only adds more weight to the fact the royal family ‘segregated’ the biracial duchess by forbidding her to wear any jewellery, whilst the white duchess is rewarded by being showered in jewels. he’s not really thinking about how this looks is he.
    Also I worry about he Cambridge’s kids, it seems both of their parents are screwed up and kids aren’t stupid, the pick up on everything. I seriously hope nanny Marie does most of the work in raising them, just so they have a chance.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      Kate may not be particularly bright but I do not believe she is “screwed up”.

      William, yes. William is a corkscrew. I wonder how this happened.

      Is it true that William was closer to his father than his mother? I think I read somewhere many years ago that William had a “closeness” with Charles that Harry did not have. I wonder how Charles feels about Cathy Cambridge.

      • GuestWho says:

        Unfortunately, while their marriage was falling apart, Diana used William as a confidant. There are some really squicky stories about how he would hand her tissues under the bathroom door while she sobbed her heart out, and how she would tell him details of what was going on. It was not a position a child should have been in under any circumstances. I think the poor thing wasn’t close to either of his parents because of that – her because she used him as an emotional crutch and his father because he caused Diana’s pain. I don’t think Charles was close to either boy, but I think that Harry was less resentful because he was younger when his parents split.

        I imagine that Charles doesn’t think much a Cathy.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “I imagine that Charles doesn’t think much a Cathy.”

        @GuestWho – I thought the exact same thing!

      • Hope says:

        Diana gave William her divorce settlement to review. She lacked appropriate boundaries with him. William grew up thinking he had way more influence than he did on his mother’s decisions because she would use him as a confidant and then go behind his back with the Andrew Morton book and Panorama interview which must have been terribly upsetting and made him feel out of control and powerless. It’s not surprising that he grew up to be a controlling person and that his wife has arranged her life around him.

        Charles treated any Diana-related problem with resentment and buried himself in his work and hobbies and his mistress. He seems like the type of parent who tries to solve problems with money. Both parents failed those boys.

        What concerns me is that both Kate and William were used by their parents so do they know how to not do that to their own kids? I am not saying at all that they want to use their children but do they know what not doing that looks like when they themselves were used? But Kate at least grew up in a close family and she and siblings seem close.

      • February Pisces says:

        Kate’s not as bad as William, but she doesn’t really posses any positive traits she can pass down to her children. She’s the sort of person who will try to destroy anyone she feels threatened by without provocation. But Kate is a product of ma Middleton, who instilled ruthless competitiveness in her daughters for the attention of rich men. She basically sold her soul for money, social status and power and she lives a miserable life because of it. Diana, with all her faults had some humility and a strong desire to give up everything and follow her heart, something harry now possesses.

        William is even worse than Charles. The royal family and the aristocracy in general don’t learn from their past mistakes, they just let history repeat itself from generation to generation. That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised if George turned out like William, although I sincerely hope he doesn’t.

      • Lexa says:

        I’ve already read that Harry had an easier relationship with Charles and was closer for many years. I think it’s possible that Charles and Will have too much in common personality-wise, including explosive tempers, so they’ve had some major blow out fights over the years. I think Charles involving William more in their planning for the future/family decisions/Megxit has brought Charles and William closer together, at least work-wise. It’s interesting Charles, Camilla, Will, and Kate are all doing an engagement together soon.

        I also don’t think Kate is “screwed up” and seems like a perfectly fine mother–and that’s not because of PR they’re putting out, but because of the way the kids interact with both her and Will. I also think it’s a gross exaggeration to say she has no positive traits to pass down to her kids, especially as none of us know her personally and see only her “public” face. That public face may not impress us, but good grief.

        And, frankly, I also think it’s great that Maria continues to be a long-term, stable presence in the kids’ lives–same with the Middleton grandparents, though I know they don’t have many fans here.

      • February Pisces says:

        @lexa I don’t think kate is ‘evil’ or anything like that, but is she the sort of mother who will encourage Charlotte to follow her heart if she falls in love with some poor regular joe with no status or money? No I don’t think so. I’m not judging her on how she is with them as children, but how they will be as adults. Kate is someone who is willing to bypass her own mental well being and happiness for status and power, values that were embedded by her own mother. So when her children become adults themselves, what is she gonna teach them when they’re torn between following their hearts and ‘duty’. She is also complicit in tearing Meghan down, so is she going to tell Charlotte to do the same thing everytime she feels jealous of another woman? Or is she going to teach her to be the bigger person and Overcome her insecurities?

      • I agree Hope. I think Diana had seriously major boundary issues. In my opinion, she ‘parentized’ and ‘husbandized’ William from a quite young age because of her extreme emotional needs. It would seem William also has boundary, anger, and control issues. The Apple has not fallen far from the tree.

      • Nic919 says:

        Kate has obvious body image issues and she is very likely to hold Charlotte to the same standard. Carole did a number on her that way.

      • Tessa says:

        Guestwho, that is Penny Junor talk and those who talk about Diana overconfiding in William. I am sorry Diana is not around, I think she would not have let William behave badly to Harry. She would have been nice to Meghan. I blame Charles for the mess, he put Diana in a horrible situation marrying her knowing he did not love her and she knew she was always second fiddle to the Mistress. Of course she’d cry! I can’t imagine how Diana stood that marriage–she was dumped right after she had the heir and spare for Charles and Charles flaunted Camilla. William behaved atrociously to his mother at times, he barred her from attending a picnic at Eton. The QUeen should never have allowed William to do that and read him the riot act. I think William was more pampered by Charles than by Diana. He could do as he pleased and Charles at times apologized for things that William did. And Charles used William to promote Camilla. A sad situation.

      • Tessa says:

        Hope, I never read that William read the divorce settlement. It was between Diana and her lawyers. SHe was upset with her mother who went to the media and gave an indiscreet interview to Hello Magazine about the divorce settlement. William was said to tell his mother that he would give her the HRH back when he became King. William though had a strange attitude at times towards Diana. There was a book about DIana’s charities and a reception where DIana’s sisters attended. Harry was then out of the country. William said he would not attend. But the photographers caught him blocks away coming out of a club looking somewhat worse for wear. I found that really strange. Charles used William to help promote Camilla and presented Camilla to William and Harry less than a year after their mother died. Both William and Harry no doubt heard the despicable things written by Charles friends, books and articles. And the elderly daughters of Mountbatten called Diana “damaged. Charles sheltered and protected William but threw Harry to the wolves. I remember how the military commander had to apologize when William commandeered a military copter to a stag party. All sorts of excuses were made for William. I think that did not help William since he became more and more self serving and did not take responsibility for his actions.

      • Tessa says:

        JA Low Country, I think Diana using William as “confidante” has been part of the propaganda from Charles camp. I find it very unfortunate and maybe this Diana bashing from Penny Junor and others had a negative effect on William. He had to sit back and know that Junor was trashing his mother and Junor is buddy buddy with Charles and Camilla. I think Charles did not supply any boundaries, He just cocooned William and cosseted him. William was the “good one” and Harry was thrown to the wolves. William I think is more like his father but invokes his mother’s name when it is useful to him. Charles main concern was Camilla to the detriment of his first marriage and the relationship with his children. Diana cannot defend herself and the insinuations that Diana “used” william by Junor et al to me are really gross. Charles not being able to admit he had some blame in the marriage demise show he is not one to admit blame and passes it on to others. I think William has picked up this trait from his father.

  28. AprilMay says:

    Since Meghan married there have only been 4 tiara wearing engagements. The Dutch state visit- Meghan was on tour in Australia. The us state visit- she was on maternity leave. And then the 2 diplomatic receptions which are only attended by the direct heirs. Queen + Charles + will and their spouses. In other words there has never been an event for Meghan to wear one (and no she wasn’t denied the chance to wear 1 on tour, only the queen gets state banquets abroad. It also took Kate years and years to start getting the big jewels.
    I’m all for criticising them all but can we please stick to the facts and not believe stories cause it says what we want. It just looks foolish when it’s easily disproven.

    • Becks1 says:

      It’s not just the tiaras though. I don’t think we saw Meghan wear anything borrowed from the royal collection, and it would have been completely appropriate for her to borrow some pieces for the Australia and Morocco tours.

      • lanne says:

        especially as precedent was set with Kate wearing jewelry from the RC on her 1st major tour. As a jewelry person, I noticed it was a glaring omission.

    • YaGotMe says:

      To use a sports analogy “middle”s open!” Any article about a Cambridge, regardless or veracity, is open season.

  29. sj says:

    Kate gets access to the royal collection because she will be queen someday. That’s all there is to it. No subtexts to be reached for here.

    • Nic919 says:

      Camilla and Sophie and Anne do as well and they all have worn more than FFQC Kate. It’s always up to the Queen. And I guess Angela Kelly according to herself.

  30. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    What I find ridiculous are the orders, medals and other insignia the royals wear. They just hand these things out to each other when they feel like it, so are we supposed to be “impressed” by them? That we’re supposed to think they “earned” these in some meaningful way? If I gave myself awards whenever I felt like it, I would be too embarrassed to wear them in public. But I guess the royal family has no shame. Ex: “His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, CVO, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC” etc. Yeah, we’re all really impressed.

    • carmen says:

      Ugh, good point. i can’t think of any of them actually earning anything – except Harry and his military service.

      • Abena Asantewaa says:

        Andrew , Harry and Prince Phillip are the only military ones among them. Every royal member will wear a tiara in Charles’s coronation, and William’s as Prince of Wales.

    • Hey Mrs Krabapple…. “ His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, CVO, KG, GCVO, CD, ADC” etc.

      I think you left off Prince Andrews’ most important new title: PEDO

  31. Guest with Cat says:

    I do think even if the stories are true and Kate was always meant to be the only one who could wear the fancy Royal jewels, that it’s fine. She is the future future Queen consort and all that. But I do remember palace officials denying this rumor very directly. I think Meghan just didn’t get a chance to stay for any events that would call for her borrowing any of the pieces.

    What always bothered me about “the jewelry situation” is that Meghan was the subject of such rage fueled remarks no matter what she wore from her own jewelry collection. I don’t mean the fun gossipy type remarks that something looked odd or badly styled.

    I’m talking about the remarks that meant to question her fitness for her role. Those showed people couldn’t accept Harry’s choice of bride. No matter what. We know why but people used everything to contrive reasons to hate her. Hate and rage were behind these remarks.

    When she would wear her fun signature thin gold stackable rings and pendants people were snarling about how her taste in tacky poor mall jewels proved she wasn’t fit to be a royal.

    But if she dared show up in something clearly out of the average person’s most aspirational wishlist price range, she would get nastily dragged for being greedy and robbing the poor tax payers.

    When she would wear anything of Diana’s she was said to be “no Diana” or accused of trying to be Diana in a creepy way.

    The poor woman could never win.

  32. Nomen est omen says:

    Kate did hardly borrow any jewelry from the Queen’s vaults for years. There were very few exceptions to that no-Queen-jewelry rule like that maple leaf brooch for their Canada visit. Otherwise she wore her own jewelry (acor earrings, Olympic hoop necklace, fashion jewelry or cheaper jewelry for Pounds 100 – 2.000).
    It is more recent strategy that Kate wears more pieces from the Queen’s jewelry collection.

    I guess that Meghan was expected to be equally patient as Kate: wait a few years before you get access to the Royal jewels.

  33. Awkward symphony says:

    I dont know if this is an insult or a new angle of the embiggening campaign!! How is her needed the Queen’s dresser’s help to get access to tiaras a good thing🤔
    Also it’s so embarrassing as it validates the old saying that she is in it for the jewels and titles!! I’d be embarrassed if I were her. It basically saying her whole existence or ambition is equated to wearing some colonial stolen stones

  34. Florence says:

    Some of her facial expressions are completely manic.

  35. blunt talker says:

    If this story is true-it shows the Cambridges racism and intolerance towards Meghan. I think William truly dislikes Meg especially her smarts not to put up with his BS. If he has done half the things said about him towards Meg-then all the photo ops with brown/black people is pointless. They just fronting for the cameras to get good headlines. I hope he is going to work on the racism in the sports-especially soccer since it bothers him so much. They really don’t have a clue how tackle such problems.

    • Tessa says:

      William supposedly was looking around for other women before settling for Kate. I don’t think strong women would have wanted him. Kate became an enabler and based her whole life on getting that ring.

  36. Dottie says:

    For starters Meghan wore a tiara from the Royal Collection on her wedding day. William has no say in who can and can’t wear pieces from the Collection. Princess Anne and Sophie all wear pieces when needed. There are rules to when you wear a tiara and the big jewellery pieces. Angela works with the Queen she has no say in who wears them either. In the end it is up too The Queen.

  37. Anony83 says:

    To be perfectly honest, I actually liked the daintier jewelry that Meghan wore as opposed to the larger (arguably gaudier) though still beautiful stuff that Kate borrows from the Royal Collection. I really don’t know how much Meghan would have really *wanted* to wear a tiara and huge diamond statement necklaces since her own personal style generally is more modern and simple.

    Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a load of cr*p and that (a) Kate doesn’t have nearly as much access to the collection as they make it sound and that (b) the Queen would likely lean Meghan at least some things from the Royal Collection for big events if Harry/Meghan pushed for it – I just don’t think they were interested in fighting that fight.

    Who knows though, maybe the Queen and William really are that petty. Wouldn’t be the first time.

    • Tessa says:

      In his early twenties William was lauded for being the “hope of the monarchy” and the People’s Prince. He really has changed for the worse. He looks unhappy when he has to do appearances and I think has become really petty.

  38. potatoe says:

    She is well liked by the Queen so I am not surprised. Plus, she is a senior royal.