The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went to Scotland for the better part of a week in late May. Well, I should be specific: William was there for a full week, and Kate arrived in Scotland days after William, because (I think) they live completely separate lives. The Windsors were pretty blatant in saying that Will and Kate were being sent as part of a “royal charm offensive” to tamp down Scottish independence vibes. So that made it funnier when, throughout their extremely lightweight tour, Kate was bubbly and smiley and… William looked ill, dull and charisma-free.
There were already issues with the optics, but I still say they could have gotten away with a lightweight tour and gotten mostly neutral or positive press. But at the end of the tour, William and Kate apparently had a meeting with Gordon Brown and then they tried to cover it up. The former prime minister has organized some kind of anti-Scottish independence campaign, so this was Will & Kate blatantly throwing themselves into a sensitive political situation, one which neither of them are equipped to manage properly. By the end of the tour, the Scottish press was blasting them thoroughly and pointing out that the royals treat Scotland like “Tartan Disneyland.” Well, guess what? A new royal plan is afoot! Will and Kate are going to be forced to spend more time in Scotland now, because Keen Buttons and Keen Baldingham are very keen to save the “united” kingdom.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are to be sent to Scotland in a bid reportedly being drawn up by Buckingham Palace courtiers to save the Union. Royal officials are reportedly uneasy at the prospect of Scotland breaking away from the rest of the UK as Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP continue to push for a second referendum after sweeping the board at May’s Holyrood elections.
Kate and William would spend more time at Balmoral and strengthen ties with their former university town of St Andrews if the proposals go ahead, according to the Sunday Times.
A source close to the Royal household told the Sunday Times: “They think of it as their Union. It was originally a union of crowns. They think the politicians have been losing Scotland for them. What William is doing is a deliberately more muscular approach to the crown investing in the relationship with Scotland.”
Some in the royal household fear that politicians are “losing Scotland” – and officials believe the couple could serve as a “visible symbol of the bonds between England and Scotland”.
One source said: “Advisers want William and Kate to be in Balmoral a lot more and build on their St Andrews connection. They want them not to look like visitors but to look like residents. The feeling is that successive governments have let this drift and that the politicians are irreparably divided.”
[From The Daily Mirror & Sky News]
First of all, the reason that the language is all about how this is a “proposal” is because William, Kate, the courtiers and the government are seeing what the public thinks about it, which is why it’s being leaked this way. If there’s outrage and a firm “no, we don’t want them” from Scotland, then this plan will be shuffled off, never to be heard from again. Secondly, whether the Cambridges go to Scotland or not, they’re hanging this around William’s neck. Maybe it really is William’s plot – I doubt it, but who knows – but if the royals “lose” Scotland, it will be “William’s fault.” But on the other side, he’ll get “credit” if an independence vote falls short, just as David Cameron and the Queen both took credit for the results of the 2014 Scottish referendum.
I also wonder about all of the family dynamics at play here – Prince Charles possibly wanting his older son out of London AND out of Norfolk. The poor state of the Cambridges’ marriage too. What will happen if William and Kate are forced to spend more time together in Scotland, without all of those rose bushes in Norfolk, and without being able to live their separate lives? And this could be Charles quietly dealing with the Middleton problem, which keeps getting bigger too – send Kate to Scotland and don’t let her come back until the Middletons settle the f–k down?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
They’re never going to spend that much time there. This seems like more working visits rather than any kind of temporary or permanent move. Their kids are at school in London and I can’t see why Charles would want them out of London or Norfolk.
With all the talks of “charles must be skipped” coming from Camp Cambridge i can definitely see why charles would want his son out of London.
But you are right. The kids go to school in London so taking up any permanent residence in Balmoral is out of the question. Unless, william is going to Scotland alone in which case kate would be in london with the kids. Will make living separate look far less suspicious
That would make sense. Wording it like William and Kate are going and then in the end it just ends up being William because Kate has to stay in London for the kids. It would be a good cover.
I think this is a plot cooked up by Charles to reduce William’s popularity in relation to his own. He has seen how much bad press has been created every time the Cambridges go over there. They totally lack the charm necessary to endear themselves — or the idea of remaining with Britain — to the Scottish people.
@Golly Gee So you think Charles wants Scotland to become independent? Or he thinks it is inevitable and wants to be able to blame it on William?
Having the kids go to school in Scotland and taking permanent residency at Balmoral would be better PR and better results.
But no way would they want to give up London even to save the union.
@equality. Good point. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I’m imagining his most immediate concern is his own popularity and ascension to the throne. I honestly don’t think William and Kate could influence Scotland either way, but their receiving bad press would be a bonus for him. On the other hand, that bad press could feed into the PR of republicans wanting to abolish the monarchy. Tough call.
Scottish Twitter was not having it 😂
Lol
OMG — “Tartana McButtons”
Thank you for that.
….and I seem to have posted this response in the wrong spot. Whoops
10/10 photo selection again. That clenched jaw on Will could cut glass. The Earl and Countess of Strathearn won’t be happy to hear that they put on their tartan best and it still might not be enough to woo the Scottish independence supporters. I mean give Keen a break, she has enough on her decorative wall plate what with having to raise 3 children, run an innovative YouTube channel and think of which dead woman to use for PR, all while being the jewel in the crown of the monarchy. ‘Tis too much for the poor wee lass!
She will need to get her fashion designer Tartana McButtons to whip up some new outfits fast!
Indeed. My sympathies to Scotland for having to put up with him and the rest of them. I hope they gain their independence in spite of this meddling.
After the clusterf*ck of last week, the big plan is to send them back again? Good Lord these people.
They really don’t have two brain cells to rub together.
“The plan failed, sire. Shall we…just send them more of the same?”
Will:”And hope for a completely different reaction! Absolutely!”
LMAO @ Jay You know that’s exactly how it went too.
Goo gosh, I can’t believe a team of people make these terrible decisions!
Yes, without the other realms, who will the royals look down on? You can’t have a monarchy without peasants! Will and Kate should count themselves lucky that they haven’t been banished to Ireland or Wales. We already know the Commonwealth can’t be saved.
Please, pretty please, where do I sign up for banishment to Wales?
I think they will test the waters by spending the summer there.
They spent what, 3 days there last summer or the one before? They fly up, do a photo op getting ‘caught’ arriving, sometimes go to church, then fly home. These two do not enjoy spending time on the Balmoral estate. They want sunny beach holidays in the summer, together or separately, not Scotland.
@Nota it’ll be interesting to see if they try to act like they’re in Scotland – we don’t usually see them during the summer and we only know if they’re in Mustique if someone spots them, like any other time of the year Kate goes quiet for weeks on end – so wonder if they might try to act like they’re in Scotland for months on end the way they try to act like they just hang out in Norfolk and London and don’t really go on any posh vacations. You know, having photos of them boarding the plane, release some photos over the course of a month to make it seem like they’re there (kids fishing, hiking, etc) and then they come back to London….but really they were in the Caribbean the whole time.
Didn’t Diana hate Balmoral? Only a certain kind of person would like it.
@Isabella she did but I wonder how different it would be to stay there for extended periods without the queen in residence. Like, if I don’t want to get dragged out on a hike or hunt, can I just stay by the fire and read? If I dont want to have change 5 times throughout the day, can I just stay in my leggings? I think Diana hated it because it was cold (apparently they never really turned the heat up) and she didnt care for the activities they did – hiking, hunting, fishing, etc. But I wouldnt mind spending some extended time in a Scottish castle surrounded by land – I am sure it’s gorgeous – as long as I can do what I want, lol.
Man, I wish I had the option of spending a summer, a whole summer, in Scotland every year, castle or not. That sounds wonderful to me (sitting here in the midst of a desert heatwave hiding from the sun).
Scotland is gorgeous.
Honest question: could the Cambridges being shipped off to Scotland mean that the firm wants to make way for the Wessexes?
I know the notion is completely laughable but if the Cambs marriage is on the rocks, the firm will be in need of a new power couple. The Wessexes are truly the only ones they would have left and that little interview they did with CT tells me that the firm definitely wants them a bit more on the forefront.
The Wessexes as a power couple? At their old age? Edward will need to gain a personality first and he is the most likable of the bunch.
I never said that they are. I said that they would be in need of one and the wessexes are the only ones available.
Oh no, I got you. I was just laughing at the idea of them as a power couple.
It did seem like someone was pushing the Wessexes, specifically Sophie, the last couple of weeks. I wonder if that was all a cockamamie strategy from Charles, with this simultaneous attempt to banish the Cambridges to Scotland. We’ve been wondering why Charles has been so quiet in the face of the “skip Charles” PR offensive- maybe this was Charles response. A response that backfired after the Wessex DM interview because the royals can not read a room to save their lives.
I was thinking that Charles was silent in the fact of the Kate/Middleton “Skip Charles” offensive because he knows damn well that he CAN’T be skipped, and any overt response might be read as panic or anger on his part. He’s already the least unpopular working royal; why aggravate the situation by making moves that might backfire? But sending Keen & Peen (can’t remember who named them that here, but hats off to you) to Scotland might also backfire if Peen can’t muster more than a fidgeting grimace and Keen overdoes her usual rictus grin. There’s no winning side here …
Because nothing says let’s save the Union more than sending these two to a secluded castle or a private university. Sure Jan.
St. Andrews is a public university
…that is notoriously difficult to get into, unless you have the right connections/money.
St. Andrews is exclusive and racist AF, but sure. Let’s call it public.
I thought in UK the term “public” school does not mean the same as it does in the US. A public UK school is an exclusive private school. Perhaps someone can clarify.
@Sunnee – you are correct with regard to schools in the UK. Weirdly a “public school” is a private, fee paying school. Actually public schools are called ‘state’ or comprehensive schools and are non-fee paying. We also have state grammar schools which are also non-fee paying but require passing an entrance exam to get into so they segregate by academic merit rather than wealth.
Universities are all open to the public (save six private universities in the UK) subject to performing in an interview process, obtaining their required grades at A level and/or passing their individual entrance exams. Not all universities require the latter. Tuition fees across the board for all universities were introduced by Blair’s government in 1998 so they are all fee paying although you can take out student loans to pay upfront.
In Scotland we wouldn’t really use the term public school to refer to a fee paying school, we would refer to it as a private school. The term public is more widely used in England. But St Andrews is
Notoriously difficult to get into and most done from a wealthy background.
Does this mean the Queen won’t spend the summer at Balmoral or is she going to have to have W&K there the whole time? If the Queen spending summers there isn’t influencing people, would having W&K there do so? During the summer, I guess, they could stay there with their children and use the “cute kids” factor. “See we are teaching George as a future king to love Scotland.”
They don’t like holidays in Scotland. W&K spend the least amount possible there, a few days, before flying away for a beach holiday and separate lives. The Queen will be at Balmoral this summer unless the staff revolt again.
This is actually an excellent point:- If The Queen! who everyone knows spends every summer in Scotland at her beloved Balmoral Castle, failed – after all these years of staying at Balmoral every summer – to retain the loyalty of the Scottish people, how are peen & keen supposed to do it?
As someone said, theyre likely to try their usual scam of spending a couple of days doing photoshoots at several different places with the requisite change-of-clothing, to be doled out over several weeks if not months in an elaborate pretense that they were there all along.
Except that I would expect Scottish twitter to pushback.
Who’s being threatened with exile now? Balmoral is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere…
Indeed. If the idea is for Wills to be part of Scottish life and directly lobby the Scots, then Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh would be a more effective base of operations.
Lmao at the Cambridges getting shipped off they wanted to do to H&M even if only part time. I feel like the wessexes(?) were supposed to do this? H&M definitely would’ve had to if they were still there. If they’ve been living apart, living together in Scotland will be….interesting. Praying for the kids. Carole Jenner will only be a phone call away to mediate as usual.
They were but then:
1. The Scotts didn’t know the wessexes were and when they found out were quite insulted that the RF thought sending a low ranking royal could woo them.
2. The Scottish didn’t want them in Scotland.
Dear Courtiers/Will/Kate
READ THE ROOM!
xoxo
Hench
Balmoral trended when this news first came out and long story short, Scottish Twitter told them a resounding no.
And as someone said above, the kids’ school is in London and I can’t see them (especially Kate) uprooting them and taking them out of school. Perhaps more summer days spent in Balmoral or again, as said above, William alone goes.
Wow. The people of Scotland must be thrilled.
So the UK was a union of crowns & the politicians ruined it? Seems more like a union of clowns.
Yikes, everything about this is so tone deaf. So, Baldy McBaggyPants and the Plaid Hyena are going to get all muscular and claim “their Union”? By hanging around the castle and having drinks with their university friends? Somebody at the DM was having a good laugh while writing this.
Plaid hyena. Well said.
Tartan hyena, perhaps?
Katie keen said no. I am only here for the shinny buttons and the Botox . I am not moving to Scotland, I need my mummy.
What happened to making Edward and Sophie move to Scotland? Weren’t they slated to be the big charm offenders/offensive?
I think Scotland shouted in unison a large “NO”!
What’s interesting about this is that the byline for this is shared between Roya Nikkah and Tim Shipman who wrote their warring “The Sussexes are being shipped off to somewhere in Aftica” stories back in April 2019. The way those stories went last time was that Shipmans article was about William being such a jealous ragemonster that he wanted his brother and sister in lae off the continent while Roya’s was about how there were discussions to send H&M abroad to harness their star power The Firm. Two very different narratives that both got heavily changed within days after a huge backlash.
I dont ever click on the articles now but it seems they’ve done multiple bylines together as of late including an annoying one back before the Oprah interview attacking Meghan for not having more deference to an institution they both admitted wanted her deported from the country when she was 8 months pregnant with Archie. Curious as to what’s the purpose of them now doing a very similar story to Roya’s 19 Africa story on the Cambridges but together this time.
Very interesting, thanks. This article seems so weirdly written, sneering and anti-monarchy. Having read this, I can’t imagine anyone welcoming W&K with open arms.
I honestly think that this has charles’ fingers all over it.
I read the whole article online on The Times site. It was worded weirdly … like the courtiers were floating the idea but also as if it was William’s as well. But it clearly was presented as making Scotland more of a home for them, which is odd when you have children already established in school. Immediately it made me think that William is looking for legitimate reasons to set up another residence for himself. It will be very easy for them to grow apart while William is saving Scotland!
@Harper hmmm, that is interesting. Maybe this is more William’s idea than we realize, because he wants the separation? Maybe he starts spending more time in Scotland, and then it pave the way for an announcement about going their separate ways?
Sounds reasonable. It could be William’s initiative, because he’s still incandescent everyone found out about the dalliance with the next door neighbor. And he wants to get out of Carole’s reach. To get away from the gossip, move to Balmoral where he’d feel ‘safe’ from prying eyes. He moves up to Balmoral, ostensibly to forge stronger ties, while Kate stays in London. But that doesn’t give him the ‘single dad doting on his kids’ PR he might want.
The kids are not that old, I don’t think it would really be a huge upheaval for them to move to Scotland. If George were a teenager that would make more sense as an objection, but he’s not. Honestly I could see them (if they wanted to) spinning a move to Scotland as a way to have more privacy/normalcy for the kids, away from the hustle and bustle of London.
Or maybe it’s just another way to get out of work. “Oh, I’d come back to London for some boring event-or-other, but I have to stay in Scotland and save the union.”
🍿
Or also a way to give work? William’s work-lite schedule is usually mentioned here so who knows? Maybe this is to give him some work and a purpose, conveniently away from the midds? Popcorn always with this bunch either way🍿
“They think of it as their union. It was originally a union of crowns….”
So no one has told the colonizers that people don’t actually belong to them? Or being reminded of how they used to be independent, but now are keeping all the crowns for themselves isn’t how you make friends?
This “muscular” approach is so stupid. Way to remind everyone about what they don’t like.
Ba ha to those that believe it.Are Scottish people meant to be idiots?
My guess is that IF anything like this happens, it will be William going to Scotland for extended visits while Kate stays home with the kids.
Is Balmoral even fully staffed year round? The queen only lives from what, late July to late September/August? I know holyrood week is the first week of July (right?) and the Queen is usually in Scotland for that – does she come back to England or just stay in Scotland from that point on?
Regardless, it means that there are 3-4 months when the house is lived in full-time. So is it fully staffed the rest of the year? And if not, are they going to have to bring the staff back to run it whenever William and Kate are in residence?
And isn’t Balmoral pretty remote, and not that close to St. Andrews? So how is sending royals to live there more going to “strengthen ties” to the university?
You notice they aren’t floating the idea of the kids going to school there, so any kind of extended visit would be just that – a visit, with probably lots of new plaid outfits worn by Kate.
I think this story is being floated for a few reasons but one of them is to provide another reason for why William and Kate aren’t living in the same location. If the kids are in school in London, there is no way that Kate is going to be in Scotland that much. And so if William is going to be the one in Scotland more often, he will have to reside in Norfolk more, as it is closer to travel to Scotland.
I also think this is Charles exerting some of his regency power.
William is desperate for a win on his resume. The Crisis Managers may have decided to loosely link Prince Elegant the Incandescent to the Scotland issue. If Scotland stays, they will credit him for it FOREVER. If Scotland bolts, it was despite TOB’s best efforts.
Same @Nic919. I kind of doubt that either of these dimwits truly wants to spend more time in Scotland beyond the occasional tour. Feels like Charles (finally) making a power play after the *months* of shit-flinging from the Middletons. If, as some folks on Twitter speculated the other day, part of this plan is to try to cover up the issues in House Cambridge, then their marriage might be in an even worse state than we think. Either that or the media is getting dangerously close to losing all interest in covering up their problems.
He could stay at Birkhall, Charles’s home from the Queen Mum, instead of the massive Balmoral main house. There’s also the small Tam Na Ghar house, which William and Harry were given the use of years ago. No, the Queen Mum did not gift it to William before she died, no matter what some stans and tabloids might tell you. It remains part of the Balmoral estate and owned by Liz Windsor, like Anmer remains part of the Sandringham estate and owned by Liz.
William chooses to stay at Birkhall, even during his Uni days, not the cottage. I’m sure Birkhall has staff to dote on him, and is more plush.
Why is everyone thinking it’s the Cambridges being “tossed out”? I think the monarchy is terrified that Scotland might “file for divorce” from the UK… And that’s the real tragedy here (in the BRF and courtiers’ thoughts)…
Lol, they should be terrified. It’s a thankless job, because the Scots don’t want them.
To me, this sounds like battle stations. It sounds as though the Keens’ marriage has become so awful that they are being shipped off to get them away from the general public and the tabloids. It gives Charles the perfect excuse to deMiddleton England. And I bet that William will endure a week with the wife who fills him with rage; Kate will fill Balmoral with sunbeds and a spa and do extensive online shopping, and they’ll only communicate over the children.
I support the de-Middletoning of England.
💯
I’m with you. This could be in reaction to all those Uncle Gary interviews too. I think this is Charles flexing his floppy royal bicep.
Yes, and it’s about time!
Or as said above, Kate stays in London with the kids while William has ‘extended stays’ in Scotland. Allows William to get away from Kate and Carole, while having the cover of spending lots of time away from home for ‘work’. Doesn’t mean he’ll be in Scotland, like he frequently wasn’t in Wales, but it gives him cover.
I don’t think this is going happen for the mere fact that this will require William to actually do work.
Hmmm. Actually, this is also seems to be in lockstep with the Conservatives (Tories) telling the home nations not to refer to themselves as countries (Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland) beacuse the union is really coming to blows/ splitting apart due to the strains of Brexit and just the general Tory misrule.
So yeah, with this in mind, I can see why the Cambridges would be told to station themselves there. Everything’s interesting.
Well it’s pretty obvious that the genesis of this idea revolves around the Cambridges’ disintegrating marriage. William the Dullard and his vapid wife will NOT win over the Scottish people, in fact I can foresee quite the opposite happening, especially since the botched “secret” meeting with Gordon Brown is now all over the media. Between them and their so-called PR/Comms people, they’re like “The Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight”. And I’m sure if Keen stays back in London and Norfolk most of the time he’ll find some lassie to put a tilt in his kilt.
I’m dying at the “tilt in his kilt”!🤣
Sir, the Scottish people were insufficiently grateful for their brief glimpse of you and the duchess on the most recent charm offensive.
Our team has studied this problem carefully – was it your personal lack of charisma? Was it the prevailing attitude that you seem to believe that YOU are the best thing Scotland has going for it? Was it that you met secretly with someone who may be seen as a royalist puppet who wants Scotland to stay under your thumb? We’ve looked at this problem from every angle and concluded that you and the Duchess were just not wearing enough tartan. You were just too subtle with it!
These gormless yokels can’t appreciate your pandering unless it’s right in their faces. If you want to charm them, you’re going to have to go BIG. Let me show you my vision board with several screenshots from Braveheart. I don’t know what this movie is about, but Scottish people just love it. LOTS of tartan, see?
We are devising a way for every single garment you wear for this upcoming tour to have a plaid element, not MADE in Scotland, obviously, but something the peasants will still recognize. We’re calling it: Operation Scottish Charm II: More Offensive.
😂
Comment of the day!! 🏆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This scenario is completely plausible.
But Tartan Disneyland needs its Minnie and Mickey!
Am currently in Edinburgh and mentioned their recent visit to a few of the staff here at my hotel and their response was ‘were they?’ Lol. I don’t think it was well covered in the local reds and no one cared. All people care about it seems is recovery from the pandemic not these 2 twits.
Maybe Cain has himself a thistle bush that needs trimming and that’s why he’s going to be visiting Scotland more often at the taxpayers expense.
Lol to all of this
Look forward to all the Tartan Disneyland references. But also every time I hear concern with the union my mind jumps to their marriage.
And really, they make it sound like the Scottish people’s only issue is that they don’t get enough royal visits. Is that truly what the issue is on Scotland deciding their independence? Will more royal ribbon cutting, hand shaking, and plaid really sway the entire Scottish nation to vote against their own independence?
@Lowcountry Lady – cf. “gormless yokels” above. Sadly, it seems that’s how the overlords see the Scots.
Enjoy your looming independence Scotland.
Is this Charles’ version of “Ship ‘em to Africa!”?
I mean, I wouldn’t wish them on the lovely people of Scotland, but the idea of it is hilarious.
This is your comeuppance willie.
You are going to have more honest works on your shoulder.
Imagine if harry and meghan are still there in UK, you can unburdance all these works to them.
Unfortunately you and your coat hanger are too short sighted and jealous of their popularity.
If H&M had been sent to Scotland, the wildly positive reception and big crowds would only further the incandescent one’s jaw and fist clenching
Swear that dude is eventually gonna have a stroke
Yes, I love the idea of William’s banishment to Scotland. I think this is Charles’ punishment of William’s fantasies/feeble machinations of becoming king after Grandma dies. William will hate it there and the Scots will hate him. A dour and glum fate for the other son.
I love the idea of Harry (and family) living their best lives in California while, TOB is exiled to the wilds of Scotland to do penance for conspiring with his MIL to overthrow the rightful heir, his own father. This sounds like a royal soap opera or the new Phillipa Gregory novel. Charles is finally showing Wm who’s boss. And it only took decades!
does she have clothes on under that trench coat