I saw people threadjacking with this story and trying to claim all kinds of weird things. I don’t get it? The story: Prince William went to a charity event at a club in London a few days ago. The club is Oswalds, a members-only private club, one of the most exclusive in London. The trip was notable – I suppose – because Kate didn’t go with him, although William and Kate barely do these kinds of things together anymore. William ended up third-wheeling with James Blunt and Blunt’s wife Sofia Wellesley. Wellesley is the attractive blonde featured heavily in the photos published exclusively by the Daily Mail. I guess the Mail was trying to suggest that “William went to a club with a beautiful blonde.” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt that William tries to sleep with his friends’ wives. But I do doubt that he’d be this open about it. He’s too much of a secret squirrel for that.
Prince William enjoys a rare night out for a star-studded Christmas party at Oswald's https://t.co/H1Co3n2S7W
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) November 25, 2021
Here’s more about his “event.” Tatler even notes that it appeared in the Court Circular, and that William left at 7:30 pm.
As a 39-year-old father of three, not to mention second in line to the throne, it is a rarity to see the Duke of Cambridge out on the town. He made an exception last night though for a rare trip to a Christmas party, which took place at exclusive members’ club Oswald’s – though the sensible prince was on his way home again by 7.30pm.
The occasion was marked in the Court Circular with the note: ‘The Duke of Cambridge, Patron, Flora and Fauna International, this evening attended a Dinner at Oswald’s, 25 Albemarle Street, London, W1.’
The event was also attended by Sofia Wellesley, James Blunt, Nick Candy, Holly Valance, David Furnish and Minnie Driver. Oswald’s is owned by Sir Robin Birley, whose other club, 5 Hertford Street, Prince William is reportedly a member of. Birley’s father, Mark, famously opened Annabel’s nightclub in Mayfair, naming it after his wife, Lady Annabel Goldsmith.
Renowned for its discretion, Oswald’s (named for Robin’s grandfather) is popular with A-listers including Dame Joan Collins, David Beckham and Harry Styles, as well as society names like the Earl of Snowdon and Lady Annabel Goldsmith.
Yeah, it’s not anything scandalous in a romantic/affair way. William isn’t brazenly showing up to a nightclub with a blonde mistress. Again, he’s too squirrelly for that. His energy is more “carry on an affair with a woman he met at the gym” or “have a secretive relationship with an aristocrat’s wife in the country.” No, the true scandal here is that William barely works and he counts “showing up for dinner at a private club” as a work event.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
And as usual left his wife home. Those 2 don’t do anything together except for the cameras.
And I ” love ” how they are twisting it to be a work thing when we all know it wasnt . They should stop trying to explain it cos it only makes it more than it was
Which brings my curiosity to what does Kate DO away from hubby and kids. What does she do for her alone time?
She has no friends so I guess she hangs with her mum and sister or maybe shop
Kate’s free time has been documented by her own words or KP officially accounting for her time over the years in press releases.
She works out. She has a private trainer. She eats sometimes liquid, organic juices. She has weekly appointments for hours at a time for her cosmetic upkeep. Vacations. Photo ops. It fills up a day, but nothing of substance.
3X weekly blowouts at the salon prior to lockdown, etc.
Think the book/film ‘About a Boy’. She fills her microunits of time daily pampering herself, shopping in person, shopping online, getting her hair done by someone else for hours. The housekeepers, cleaners, cook, and army of nannies do the work and childcare.
She also watches You Tube videos, practices makeup looks, cooks, sketches, and works through her coloring books.
Kate basically hangs out, pampers herself, and spends time with her family.
I wonder if she’s allowed to have affairs?
@Kalana Doubtful on the affairs thing. It’s one thing if Will embarrasses her but he seems like the type who wouldn’t want it to go the other way around. She’d also know she’d be dumped faster than Fergie if she was caught out.
William never seemed to care when she slept with his friends before him or during their breakups. Can’t see him caring now.
During a breakup is different from when you are married and something hits the press. If it came out like Fergie’s did, she would know she was done so that would likely keep her from an affair.
I will add that she spends time online searching out Harry and Meghan.
Meghan to study and copy her look; Harry just to sigh and wish.
@osty: well if it was featured in the court circular than it technically is a work event. We all know royals don’t actually work though.
Deleted
Eh, its not like there is a review process for the events that go into the CC. My guess is it got added after the story got picked up by the DM to provide cover.
Its the end of the year so i guess they will use even a trip to the loo as an event to add to the court circular.
Oh, where’s the like button!! A trip to the loo…..if it weren’t so pathetically true, it would be truly funny.
Well many do refer to the toilet as the throne!
Yeah this isn’t half as juicy as the rose hanbury story. Although if rumors are to believed the woman he was cheating on kate with wasn’t actually rose
Agree. Have always thought the reason for the Kate/Rose breakup was that she
was the facilitator, enabler for his real mistress, not named Rose.
I feel like Willy would not have an affair with someone outside their aristocratic circles and certainly not with the wife of a celebrity, because if said marriage ended and he was involved, not even the RR could protect him from that.
But if we’ve learned nothing from the rose bushes, it seems the aristocracy keeps their mouths shut about this stuff.
(Or, if the person wasn’t part of the aristocrat set, it would be a married, non-famous person who might stand to lose everything if the story came out.)
Sofia Wellesley is the niece of the Duke of Wellington. So she is an aristo even if she’s married to James Blunt.
But let me make it CLEAR that I DO NOT think he’s having an affair with her.
@Sofia – I do not think William is having an affair with her either as I do not see Sofia having any interest whatsoever in Baldy.
Someone on here confirmed that one of the affairs WAS with Rose and it went on for years, but I don’t think that means its the only affair.
Yep, that was me. Definitely had an affair with Rose and yes, highly unlikely to have been the only affair.
Is it typical for a “charity” party to be so clandestine? Isn’t publicity the point for these events? Why did the Daily Mail take pains to note everyone else, but Willy was there with a significant other? Why are only Willy, the Chauffer and the blonde visible in the car pics? Did she not have a plus one? Also the blonde in the car pics does not appear to be James Blunt’s wife who we are supposed to believe Wills hung out with. Why is Willy riding with these people and not his own chauffeured vehicle with Royal Protection Officers?
So many questions…
Because he was hanging out with ultra rich which is usually what RR accuses HM of
As much as I wish this were more interesting, I think the chauffeur is driving, Blunt’s wife in the front seat and Blunt in the back with William. I’m laughing at how much overt effort the Mail is putting into making this sound like a rare event for such a hardworking father of three. So shady 😂
I agree – that’s what makes this an interesting story – enough to overcome Kaiser’s known admonition against thread-jacking (sorry, Kaiser!!). It is the furtive picture that DM chose to highlight. THAT’S the story. Why is DM publishing a picture of that, that implies scandalous behavior? When was the last time we saw a picture like that of PW? When he was partying out of the country? Can you think of any putative serious leader who’s had a picture like that?
@Aurora, I agree. Mystery lady clearly has brown eyes (Sofia’s are blue), the driver looks like he just swallowed a live goldfish and William didn’t come or go through the entrance where everyone else was photographed. This looks like a failed attempt to sneak out the back door. I’m just surprised that the story is still up.
@Tolly, I agree with you. In pictures of Sofia Blunt I’ve been able to look up on the internet, she has lovely blue eyes. Her irises are lighter blue and the outer rim of the iris is much darker blue. The mystery woman in the pictures seems to have light brown or hazel eyes and her irises are missing the darker colored outer rim. I also think the eyebrows don’t 100% match. I do not believe Sofia Blunt is riding shotgun in PW’s car.
The other thing that jumped out at me is that in just about every picture on that article, the women are identified. Except the ones with William. If you were blind and someone read the photo captions aloud, you wouldn’t know there were other people in the picture with him. That’s weir.
And lastly, the driver is not James Blunt: I cannot place him in the car and the woman’s face is in the shadow.
Mmm, no – it’s definitely Sofia, she’s wearing the same coat and her hair is the same (even the wispy bits around the hairline).
Was it clandestine? I saw lots of photos of the other guests.
@ Eurydice, I’m in the NL, so maybe not all of the pictures in the DM article show up for me? The only photo of Sofia I can see in this article is one with her husband, James, where they’re walking in front of a garland-wrapped white column. None of the other guests have that decor in the pictures. In this picture of Sofia with her husband, she’s wearing mascara and eyeliner. The woman in TOB’s car seems makeup free. To me, she looks like someone else, and as stated, the eye color in the DM picture seems different than other photos on the internet.
That’s not Sofia. This woman has brown eyes and wide set forehead.
@Eurydice, the woman’s eyebrows, eye color and nose shape are all different from Sofia. I’m wondering if we’ve finally gotten a glimpse of the London mistress??
Why are there no good pics of him anymore? He looks squirrelly in that pic.
Yes, William looks sheepish as hell in these photos. That’s the one thing I noticed. I have no idea why and I’m not making any hypothesis as to why, but objectively he looks shady. He’s very leery he’s being watched and glaring out of the side of his eyes.
He just looks very suspect and guilty of something here.
William was found out! He’s a cheat, a two-timer. That’s why Kate always looks so distressed whenever they’re together. Even when she’s garbed in the most expensive clothes and flashes her pearly whites her overall aura is a giveaway. She emits an aura of suffering, anguish, and misery. I wish she harnesses enough courage to divorce this man and finds her own happiness. She will only live once.
He perhaps feels he can have PR photos of happy families with his wife and children to offset this. Like at that concert.
I would think the invisible contract includes not publishing these unflattering pics of Burger King out and about with the London set minus his wife. It’s off brand for the pigeon lovers and the Fail is always busy telling us how great they are but this was …. different. And the photos are laughably bad. I think the MOS lawyers got some bad news last week. Also, if it was in the court circular, the Fail didn’t bother to include that fact. Some are saying it went in the circular after the photos came out.
“the MOS lawyers got some bad news last week.” – THIS!
This is my minor conspiracy theory – the last time Meghan won her suit I believe we were told that all parties find out in advance about the decision and there were some weird stories popping up critical of the royals during that timeframe.
Something is going on. I am not going to be convinced that everything about this was above board and it’s just a conspiracy to think otherwise. Maybe it’s linked to Meg winning her case again or chains are being yanked, but this is suspect. When was the last time William was pictured sneaking out the back door of an event? In fact, when has Will been pictured doing anything off duty that was not an arranged pap shot? For the past few years it’s been “totally candid, surprise” photos of him out with Kate and the kids. He looks like a dear caught in the headlights in these photos. The court circular bit was probably a last minute addition to make this look legitimate, because an ultra exclusive charity dinner without his wife is completely off brand for the happy father and devoted husband PR that he has going on.
The appeal decision won’t be released until this Thursday and these decisions are tightly locked down and so there is no way they actually know how it will pan out.
That said the MoS probably has other info about William they are sitting on and they are yanking his chain.
The Twitter announcement I saw about the appeal decision said both sides had been given a copy of the decision to read over and correct for any errors. The Mail lawyers already know the results. When I saw these pap pics I expected the decision to come down that day as a loss for the Mail … instead we got the announcement for Thurs. court date. I could be wrong, but I think it’s all connected.
But he went home at 7:30 pm ….. such a good boy
He left at 7:30, we don’t know if he went home.
I have never heard of a court releasing the decision to the lawyers to review for errors. First because the release date of the judgment matters for when the appeal starts. Second because typos are something a court clerk checks and factual errors get dealt with in an official way. This case is public record and decisions from the court have to be made public.
Maybe the lawyers are guessing how it will play out because of the comments of the judges made during oral arguments, but no court in any democracy releases appeal decisions in draft form to the lawyers.
It’s standard in the English system for judgments to be released early to the legal teams and embargoed until a specific date. Appeal deadlines don’t start to run until that specified date. It’s also standard for the legal teams to check for typos and accuracy. It’s contempt of court to reveal anything about the judgment until that date. There was a recent case about an environmental lawyer, Tim Crosland, who was found in contempt in such circumstances.
I definitely agree. I despise William but I wouldn’t begrudge him a night out. But William would never have wanted to be seen partying without his wife or at all. I’m sure he goes out a lot but is never seen entering or exiting anywhere. So for the daily mail to put this out there seems like a warning shot. It may be entirely innocent him leaving with some blonde, but I find it interesting that that’s the photo the DM went with given the optics of it. It would have gone over most people’s heads, but It would have most definitely p*ssed William off. It reminds me of the blonde he was seen with when he went skiing when he was caught dad dancing. It’s almost like the DM want the Sussex squad to pick up on it.
The daily mail have carried a lot of water for William this week after the bbc doc, so maybe Willie is late on repaying the favour.
Jt and Harper I agree with you. Anyone can see this pic is calculated to raise eyebrows. Even if it’s totally innocent.
And if it’s an official event, why not a pic of Willy standing outside, looking at the camera, with nothing to hide??
I definitely sense chain yanking. The DM is not on-pigeon-message here
Agree with you Gruey and others. Could this be exactly what we’re told – a charity event at a private London club? Sure. Seems weird that Kate didn’t go though, especially as she also was not present at the Tusk awards (I know she doesn’t always go, but its still notable that she missed again.) Also seems weird that these pictures are such old school paparazzi pics – William in the car, looking sheepish, etc.
Even if this is exactly what KP says it is, I think its clear the DM wants us to think its something else.
I think the daily mail are hoping that the Sussex squad run wild with this pic just to provoke William. They want the squad to bring up his cheating. Willie is clearly struggling to pay off his debt to them.
If it was official enough to be recorded in the court circular, why are there no official pictures of the prince at the event.
I’ll answer: There are none because this was a pure pleasure trip under the guise of work. Lazy work shy Walmart!
Kate put meeting with Jason and members of her staff in the CC, unlike anyone else. These two pad pad pad the engagement totals.
And if we look back to her meetings with Jason we can probably track down when certain stories were leaked to the media. Because there is no doubt that Kate meeting with Jason was them discussing how to trash Meghan, especially when the DM lawsuit was commenced.
@nic919
Now that would be very interesting to see done, and probably very incriminating for KP and Jason Knauf.
It wasn’t originally in the court circular was it? I couldve sworn in the first 24hrs after this “event” it was not in the circular. I also feel like if this was an event the RRs would have tweeted about it while or immediately after it happened but they didn’t. This looks like clean up on aisle five to not make it look as bad that a 40yo future future king went out on a school night to a secret club without his wife who was probably at home with their 3 young kids. Couples can of course do things separately but it’s so weird that there were all these other couples there yet he still left his wife at home.
@Chelsea Good point about the RRs not tweeting about this. Even when the Keen’s do embargoed engagements, the rota will start tweeting and writing stories about what was happening. There is no mention of what this “charity dinner” was about, if money was raised, or even pictures of inside of the event which would be normal for the average royal engagement.
Chelsea I think he lied and told her he was going somewhere else.
Wasn’t this the same night as the Tusk event? They certainly tweeted about that. I just assumed this was an after party event following the Tusk reception. That it suddenly becomes another charity dinner seems last minute and unusual.
I think what’s interesting here is the tone – the way the photo is positioned and enlarged invites the idea that it’s clandestine. That’s not the kind of coverage the Cambridges are used to from the tabloids.
I wonder if it’s a test balloon of sorts, both to see if this kind of story about TOB gets more clicks than the usual Future Statesman stuff, or to see if they can goad KP into responding.
Exactly, or a little reminder to put William in his place. Maybe he hasn’t been delivering on his end of the deal.
I agree with you @jay. I think william is a sleaze and has probably cheated on kate multiple times but even i don’t think that this event was anything but that. An event. The DM seems to be suggesting that there’s more to it and that is very strange. The dm usually doesn’t do that.
The story about the London lawyer and or banker, are coming from various media people talking to their friends and it sneaks out that way. Various members of the media have tweeted then deleted that they know so much more about William that isn’t being reported on. It’s just a matter of time.
It’s a win-win scenerios for the tabs just to get him to respond at all, I think. Thus the unecessary mention that he’s a “father of three” out on the town.
Either they will get a sudden surfeit of charming Xmas photos of the Cambridge kids baking gingerbread cookies to write about, OR William (ahem, a highly placed source at KP with knowledge of the situation) strongly denounces or denies there is any scandal. Then they can write further stories about the “embattled” prince fighting with the media, including the BBC, and maybe find a way to bring up the dad- dancing and any past affair rumours. You know, for context. They need content between now and Xmas!
@ Jay (and My3cents, Chloe, and Nic919), nice comment on the composition of the pictures. As noted above, the only person mentioned in Prince William’s photos is Prince William. These pictures absolutely seem to infer something shady is going on, but the captions beneath them do not. If something scandalous is going down, this puts TOB in a difficult position to do anything about it: removing the pictures after the fact if they only rightly refer to him or suing the DM for publishing the pictures? Tatler also refers to Oswald’s as being “renowned for its discretion,” which is an interesting choice of words to refer to “private.” Especially knowing that Turnip Toffs are Tatler’s main audience.
The pictures are only of him outside. He could have met up with a woman inside. The writer for Tatler really stinks at grammar.
Ikr? I actually thought an aristo-aristo adjacent group would have a much better education. It’s more like they have ‘Duke of Cambridge’ degrees.
I don’t think it was anything scandalous either. I know I was speculating on the blonde (which I now accept it is most likely Sofia Wellesley/Blunt/Blount) but I also didn’t think she was sleeping with him and thought she was most likely an RPO or a friend. But how nice that a party at a private members club counts as work for him.
So I’m almost positive in the original DM story, the writer made a point of saying James blunt and his wife stayed and left later than Prince William. So how would that be her in the car? Idk. I mean it’s the DM so could just be a lie. My favorite part though is how William’s face is half covered in shadow. Regardless of what really happened, the pic is symbolic of the true William: shady, secretive, and sneaky.
I feel like I remember that detail too — that Blunt and his wife left separately from William. Whatever the real story is, the whole thing is shady, shady, shady.
I believe I read that detail too about how Blunt and his wife stayed behind in the original version of the article.
That is not James Blunt’s wife in the car. Look at the forehead and eye, she has a Slavic brow. They left out of the private entrance, the driver and William look squirrelly af, and this “event” was not reported in the CC for at least a day.
This is absolutely the DM firing a warning shot.
@Jais they absolutely did. They were very clear that William left early at 7.30pm and James and Sophia stayed on and left much later together. There were photos of W in the car with blonde and separate photos of The Blunts leaving. Whoever the blonde was in the car it was not Sophia.
Thanks guys, I didn’t feel like going back and reading the DM article but was sure it had very clearly stated that Blunt and his wife had stayed later at the party. Which is a weird detail to include. The DM made a point to state that they were at the party later than William and made a point to not name the blonde in the picture with him. Thus, the only conclusion can be is that this is not James Blunts’ wife. Or at least that’s the conclusion that the DM is leading us to believe by including the fact that the couple left the party later than William. Doesn’t necessarily mean this blonde is someone he’s having an affair with but it does not seem to be Sofia Blunt. Assuming the DM is telling the truth in the details which…who knows?
Huh, what I read was that James stayed at the party and his wife left early. They also said that the Blunts were hosting a dinner/event afterward at their place. So I figured that Sofia left early to get that in order. I want to think badly of William as much as possible, but I just don’t see anything here except a bunch of rich people trying to juggle their holiday schedules.
What I’m getting here is that it looks like the original story has been edited – which, in itself, is verrry interesting. I sullied myself (sorry) and read the article on the DM Online. What I read and saw with pics is as I wrote above.
IF Sophia had left with William then she would not have been sitting in the front seat with the chauffeur like a member of staff. Unless someone else was in the back with Wills and nobody else was mentioned. Most likely the blonde is actually an RPO but, as others have said above, the DM is definitely throwing shade by the way they have reported this.
I agree, Kaiser.
“Work” for them is supposed to be public-facing engagements with the public or dignitaries. W&K have turned it into posting private meetings and dinners, saying it’s work, and getting away with it. It’s absolutely fascinating that the media does literally nothing to hold those 2 accountable to anything – WHAT is the secret deal here? It can’t just be about Meghan, it can’t just be about an affair. That doesn’t make sense. There must be something bigger going on, and I have a feeling it has to do with the government.
There is so much about Willie that we don’t know, but I’m guessing it’s all pretty bad. I’m guessing he’s got more kids out there.
It’s quite likely that Kate got the Victorian order to stay quiet about something like that and the Rose story was used as a cover. After all William cheated plenty of times and Kate never got orders prior to then. So it suggests that something more went on, because kate wouldn’t leave just for cheating.
Actually, work for them is whatever they want it to be. “Working Royal” is not a job dictated by the government. The Queen is the only one with a job. The rest are just making it up as they go along. So, work it’s basically whatever they say it is. It has and will always be a scam.
Well said. Charles’ role is waiting for his mother to die, and William’s role is waiting for his father to die and all they are required to do is keep a low profile and just bide their time.
Wow he is just so damn ignorant.
Willileaks is arrogant enough to be brazen, esp as the press has ALWAYS protected him.
I totally buy into that the Fail is squeezing his balls for a story, cue a ‘leak’ about TQ’s health in the next few days curtesy of FFK who has a beast to feed. He has nothing on the Sussex’s so his grandmother’s health is the next best thing to offer up.
This man once picked up a birthday cake for himself and added it as a work event to the court circular, so pardon me if I think this current “work” claim is BS.
Haha, I hadn’t heard that one. I’ve always wondered whether the RF have to “justify” the work they put on the court circular, or if anybody ever questions it.
Like most employees (especially those funded by taxpayers) would expect to have to justify that they went to a “work” event or even submit receipts. I doubt that happens with the royals.
It’s pretty much William and Kate who put the nonsense stuff on their list, isn’t it? We can debate the utility of the work that Charles, Camilla, Anne, etc do, but in this realm, what they do is more legitimate (and more numerous) than having dinner at a private club.
It’s sketchy that he was attending what was essentially a Christmas party without his wife of 10 years, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
People don’t just leave their spouse at home for holiday events. This may not be important re: the blonde in the picture, but it sure is saying something significant about the state of the Cambridge marriage.
It is 100% sketch and shady. He’s supposed to be SUCH a loving husband and family man — so why would you attend a holiday party, which is the perfect date night event to attend with your wife, alone? I know I wouldn’t be happy at all if my husband went to a fun party without me, and this is exactly the type of thing we’d look forward to going to together. They do NOT have the same issues us regular folk have as far as finding a sitter or anything like that. It doesn’t make sense to me at all either.
IKR? And we all know how much Kate likes hanging out with celebrities so her being MIA speaks volumes.
This is the take. My husband and I are coparenting and essentially separated and even we do work/ holiday events as a unit.
Also the call back of this photo style. It’s very early aughts “gotcha”. It does mean something, I just don’t know what. No conspiracy theory, but it’s certainly unusual.
It does remind me of all those photos of William & Kate falling out of nightclubs & into cabs. I agree, it’s a deliberate choice on the part of editors to use this particular photo.
He left at around 7:30. So, it’s not like he stayed long. If he had stayed for hours than it would be different, but I don’t think it’s that weird since he seems to have just made an appearance and the left.
True — although if he “attended a dinner” there, what dinner party is over at 7:30? Did he leave before the food was even served? The timing seems off there too.
Yes, that’s the kind of thing where you do a lap around the room during cocktail hour and then leave. I think we’re so used to Will’s incandescence that it seems weird when does something totally normal.
So he went to this dinner and only did a brief pop in for cocktails, avoiding the dinner? Rude. Also, why would other guests be leaving at the same time if he didn’t stay for dinner? Did those other guests also avoid dinner? Must be a terrible meal.
And if he left at 730, why would the hosts leave so early? That’s assuming that the woman is Emily Blunt, James’ wife, as some people are saying. Something’s not quite adding up.
This makes sense for a normal couple (that the H just took a lap and left) but not for the Cambs. If that’s all he was doing, why not bring Kate? Can you imagine the reaction from their fans (and the US press, which we know they are trying to win over) if they were papped on a “date night,” even IF it was for “work”?
I can see the headlines now – KEEPING THE SPARK ALIVE!!! DUKE AND DUCHESS MAKE MOST OF RARE PRIVATE EVENT!! CAMBRIDGE LOVEBIRDS OUT TO HELP OTHERS!!!
I mean. You all can see it. So why not bring her? If he was only staying for an hour, and this was such an easy opportunity to score some positive press re: their marriage, why not?
The only thing that makes sense to me is that one or the other of them did not want to be together.
Serious question. Is the court circular released post event sometimes? I noticed that it said Wills “attended” a dinner. If that is the case, then perhaps it wasn’t originally in the circular…
The royals, specifically the Keens, have been known to add events to the court circular after they have occurred or after blowback. I wish I could think of a specific incident as an example but it isn’t unheard of for events to appear out of nowhere.
I think the secret Scottish meeting they had over the summer that was revealed by the Scottish press was one where they added it to the circular after. They wanted to make it look like it was above board.
I was just about to comment that his posture is so weird that it it gives the impression he was trying to avoid being papped. This made me wonder if the Court Circular was updated after the photos were released.
@Myra I would also believe that this was added to the CC after it happened because this is not the type of event that William would want out there publicly. Exiting through the back door at an ultra exclusive club for a Christmas party is not an ordinary royal engagement. This was most likely done on his private time that he wasn’t expecting to be published because the BM has been covering for him for the past five years. This is the Workshy Willy type of coverage of days old. I’m thinking that it’s more scrambling to make this look like nothing by adding it to the CC.
They often appear after the event for Charles, Camilla, Will and Kate. H&M did this at times too when they were working royals. It’s said to be for security reasons. They are/were the only royals who still have/had 24/7 tax payer security other than the Queen. So, I can believe it. That doesn’t really work for Kate’s meetings at KP with Jason though.
The Queen and everyone else publish beforehand. The Queen might be obligated to and the other might not need to worry about their security all that much.
@Ainsley When this was originally reported, it had nothing to do with any sort of royal engagement and the CC certainly wasn’t mentioned before, unless I just missed that. I wish I remembered what event it was, but either William or Kate went somewhere, it was unusual enough for eyebrows to be raised, and then lo and behold, it was in the CC. This dinner feels like that.
@JT- I don’t disagree. I was just answering poppedbubbles original question. I agree that the Cambridges pull shenanigans with the CC, but they also don’t normally put things on in advance either way.
Thanks, everyone!
that’s a different blond in the car- she appears in another photo taken inside- chunky highlights and thicker eyebrows.
this is a pap shot of William- of the type that hasn’t been printed in a long time …
warning shot to be sure
I agree. I think ‘The Princes and the Press’ show on BBC has opened up Pandora’s Box as far as the tabloids are concerned.
I entered the rabbit hole and agree this woman is not Sophia Blunt, this mystery woman has light brown eyes while Sophia’s are blue. And even if it was an innocuous reason why they’re together, William looks like he got his hand caught in the cookie jar and the Fail is going to town with their innuendos.
The gloves are being taken off, one finger at a time, but it’s in motion. I actually went to the DM article (something I’ve avoided for years) to compare the blondes in question, and you are correct, the brows and eyes are completely different, as is the nose. This week will bring us some interesting gossip…
I wonder what Ma Middleton thinks about this? After hearing so much from them earlier this year, until the statue unveiling, this really has to have them concerned.
The Midds at the Variety show didn’t happen by accident. Ma would have had the heads up the moment tickets went on sale, just in case W&K were the royals going to the event. Keeing eyes on her 20 year manipulative investment.
Those seats were unlikely to be available to the general public and I’m sure Kate’s staff made sure to reserve the closest seats to the royal box for her family. I doubt they even bought tickets.
Just like the royal box at Wimbledon, anyone can get the seats if you have the heads up and money to get them.
So……let me see if i understand this correctly:
it was a “rare trip to a CHRISTMAS PARTY” for this very private prince who was caught in a pap shot.
This is supposedly merely a holiday event. Which he attended without his wife. Who, as far as we know, is not incapacitated in any way at the moment.
And, perplexingly, we’re told tht, “the sensible prince was on his way again by 7:30.”
(BTW, “on his way again” to where…..home?….the other, more private club?…..a tryst?) Who goes to a party , leaves within minutes?
Why are they trying so hard to get us to believe tht this is just a straightforward tale while at the same time, the subtext is so pregnant wth innuendo?
Agree – you said it better than my post above. And “again” ? Could just be the phrase or could be trying to signal something. If I were PW, I would see this as a serious sign. Again – when was the last time we saw a pic of him like this, certainly not in the last 2 years, post Sussexit.
The tabs have no loyalty to anyone. If they had William on video in a Matt Hancock type clinch with a mistress they would definitely circulate it. Maybe they are testing the waters a little for , separate lives drifted apart announcement, if they are still onside? May be Dai!y Fail readers could choose Will’s next bride like a “classy Xfactor” style promotion?! Fail and readership would like that to ensure, ahem, that FQ didn’t repeat H’s mistake? lLOL!
There is no more Harry & Meghan to stalk, so the DM has to make due with TOB leaving a Xmas party. Oops, I mean a work event.
And it would serve William right if now he has to take the heat. IMO.
The difference is that Geordie Greig is out at the DM, and Paul Dacre is back in. The reporting is not going to lean favorably towards W & K.
Dacre is friends with Carole though. So maybe the unfavourable coverage will just be against William when he goes too far astray.
Good point. The original DM caption read 7:30 am, and that’s why eyebrows were raised.
If the original time was changed, then what time did he actually leave? Because then it implies that he was out all night which is not a good look. So the story goes up, KP freaks out, the mystery blonde becomes James Blunt’s wife, private partying becomes a court circular worthy “work event”, and out all night becomes left sensibly at 7:30 pm. That, on top of the fact the William was pictured at all, leaving through the back door is shady as hell.
William’s photo is rather sinister, especially with that “smile”.
I know zilch about the DM and I also didn’t think this was some conspiracy. But if it is one, it’s definitely one of those Trump moves a. To cover up lack of work as Kaiser wrote and b. Favorable outlet takes fake potshot at something that’s not real so Prince Whines A Lot can cry fake news and favorable outlet can claim they go after everyone, when actually… they only go after *certain* people with actual harmful stories. Because this story isn’t harmful at all. Prince leaves at 7:30?
I don’t see DM going after Bill with anything real, ever. He’s got them whipped into line like Trump did our media.
What would make this story all the more interesting is if William told Kate he was going out that evening to visit HM the Queen for a private tea under special invitation, only for Kate to find out later that he was out at a party. Now that would make him urgently instruct the staff to update the circular to make it seem official.
I don’t these two even live together, so …
Also, he is just so unattractive. I can’t see all these affairs. Maybe one with Rose but who would want this decrepit, arrogant fool?
Oh there is someone for everyone. Who wants a decrepit and arrogant fool?
Charles found Camilla didn’t he?
Someone who is turned on by power and the prospect of sleeping with the FFK.
Especially after the pummeling Meghan is still undergoing and she did nothing wrong in marrying Harry. Can you imagine the Alice Evans type fury of Kate’s fanclub if the sidepiece was outed. Didn’t Cammiknickers get pelted with a breadroll in Harrod’s after she’d been outed as official mistress?!
They’re not sleeping with William. They’re sleeping with the future future king of UK
My standard comment whenever people ask why women would date “ someone like that” is that men on death row get engaged all the time…
I don’t think there’s anything to see here, but I have to laugh at the BM trying to make something interesting out of it.
Blunt’s wife is wearing more eye makeup than the woman in the photo, and her face looks fuller than Mrs. Blunt’s, so I don’t think it’s her. However she’s sitting in the front seat with either the chauffeur or William’s security goon so who knows. If she’d been pulled by William at the party you’d think she’d be in the back seat with him, not up front with “the help”, so I doubt it’s anything scurrilous. It’s telling, however, that Kate wasn’t there because she normally likes to hobnob with celebrities. It’s clear they’re living apart and only do “official” appearances together.
I agree that this is closest to the truth. I’m sure the mystery woman isn’t the London lawyer — they’ve gone this long, why get sloppy now and be outed this late in the game? But I 100% agree that Kate’s absence here is very odd. I don’t know that I fully believe the DM’s timeline that William left as early as 7:30 pm, either.
But there’s another photo of some billionaire in the backseat of his car while his wife is up front with the driver, so I don’t think that means much. Plus, as I said elsewhere, if it’s Blunt’s wife–why is she, the host of the party, leaving so early with William? Makes no sense. And if James is in the back with William, that makes even less sense–both hosts leaving the party at 730?
I just want to know if William snubbed David Furnish because he’s working with Meghan. And I agree showing up to a private charity party shouldn’t be counted as “work”.
I agree with those above that the blonde is not James Blunt’s wife–they look different. I’ll admit this is the first time in a long while that I gave the Mail a click. The story has some Easter eggs. James Blunt is pictured with a caption that says he “was seen leaving later,” so James at least left after William. Holly Valance (the blonde wife of a billionaire I’ve never heard of) is mentioned more than several other celebrities & is also pictured twice, including in a car lol. One pic of her appears immediately below an enlarged shot of William in the car with the “mystery blonde,” inviting the reader to draw comparisons. And there is a strong resemblance.
I think the Daily Mail is all but screaming that William turned up, partied a bit & decided to sneak out around 7:30 with Holly Valance. The DM is turning up the heat, so in the morning William yelled down the phone to KP to put something on the CC about charity. Everyone else looked like they were just at a swanky Christmas party.
There are a lot of pictures of Holly, but her hair is very slicked back, unlike the woman in the picture. It doesn’t look like Sophia Blunt either as her brow is far less defined. The DM is very confused though, as it keeps referring to Mrs Blunt as Emily, which she is not.
However, Holly Valence’s sister in law is a blond socialite named Emily.
@Original Penguin, Yes, her hair was definitely slicked back earlier. Since the woman in the car, she looks a little the worse for wear to me, I figured it was possible her hair was out of the sleek ponytail at some point. However, it is pure speculation on my part. And the Mail could be trolling William by suggesting several different party guests as the “mystery woman.”
I couldn’t figure out why they kept messing up Sophia Wellesley Blunt’s name, but the Mail makes mistakes all the time, so I guess they were thinking Emily Crompton or Emily Blunt.
Holly Vallence has eyelash extensions in the photos they provided of her, which I assume are at the party, and the woman in the car has shorter lashes. So I don’t think she’s been identified at all. The DM is clearly having fun with this.
Diana was my “role-model”, tall like me and the same age. Made it “OK” to wear flat pumps and still look good, and l lived in the drop-wasted and Puritan collars as a Brit working at the BBC in the eighties. Shattered when she died. I recently came across this footage….they would all have had a chance of happiness if not for the toxicity of “the Royal Family”. Makes me want to weep…https://youtu.be/C1-i-qRZADI
PW looks so happy there, and in cahoots with Diana
I’m fascinated that aristos and celebrities belong to the same club. I wold think aristos consider celebrities beneath them. They certainly don’t have the breeding to understand the private language and customs of the titled peerage.
Aristos and celebrities hanging out isn’t as out there as you. Aristos need cash to maintain their lifestyles so hanging out with/mooching off/marrying/dating celebs is how some aristos these days are doing it (instead of marrying a fellow aristo). Plus the celebs/new money people get access to the British upper class circles so it’s a win-win for everyone.
The celebs here are quite posh or rich ones, Sophia blunt is related to the Duke of Wellington. Stephen Fry, Andrew Lloyd Webber are quite establishment.
Holly Valence maybe a celeb but she’s married to one of the Candy brothers who are meant to be billionaires (though they are quite gauche)
Plus, James Blunt (or James Hillier Blount, more properly) is very posh himself. Long family history of military service, went to Harrow, served as an officer in the Life Guards (part of the Household Cavalry, which tends to be where the richer/posher officers end up), etc. It’s a pretty small community, so even before his marriage he would’ve been considered part of the smart set. The officer corps in the British Army tends to, even now, have more than its fair share of toffs.
I see. So would the same hold true if the celeb truly were new money who’d worked their way up from a working class home? Like, IDK, Bowie?
The aristos and royalty like to appear that they’re not enamoured of celebrities. They are. It’s why Jimmy Saville got away with so much. The Queen Mother liked Saville quite a lot-not just Charles. Disgustingly so. Which is why the complaints against Meghan and being ‘too Hollyood’ (though she actually isn’t) are so hollow.
@Bettyrose, I’m glad you mentioned Bowie, someone I have a lot of respect for. The monarchy wanted him to like them. Bless him (and Harrison and eventually Lennon, for telling them NO).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/e477656b-eed1-470c-ad56-3e06fa50901a
Will probably showed up to this thing to drum up $$$$$$ or talent for the Christmas show.
Hollywood, not Hollyood.
I don’t fully buy the charity dinner explanation. The court circular is phrased weirdly, it seems to imply the dinner is related to the Flora and Fauna charity but doesn’t actually says it. It just says “William, who is a patron of the charity, attended a dinner.” Not “William attended a dinner for the charity.” Are court circular entries written like that usually?
Also, if it was really an event for his charity, he wouldn’t just do the rounds and leave early, he would host the event.
The blonde woman in the photo doesn’t look like James Blunt’s wife. I could buy that she would be in the front and James would be in the back with William but there are no photos of him and as others have said, the initial reports said the Blunts left later.
I actually could see William thinking it would be better to put his secret mistress in the front seat, that way if photos ever came out he would have plausible deniability. Photos of him sitting in the backseat with another woman would actually be way more scandalous but these photos can be explained away as RPO or staff. Then again, the best move would be to go in separate cars so who knows
Hmmm.. I hope Willie get to suspicious going to the clubs and having fun after this.
Always lurking around for the paparazzi when he visits his mistress.
Worrying that the rotas will blow his cover that he is the spokeperson to get his SIL life miserable.
Such a wonderful life to be the FFK.
I see a lot of people questioning whether or not this was in the CC prior to the event. Based off the tense used in the excerpt it wasn’t. Does the CC always use present tense? Or change to present tense the day of?
Perhaps Kate was also invited and had good reason not to go; sick child, school event, business meeting, previously scheduled family event etc. Way back in the day when my husband was expected to attend evening business or charity events, it was not unusual that I needed to cancel and he would go alone. This doesn’t seem all that worrisome.
It’s gotta be worrisome for him from a tabloid “gotcha” perspective. This is not the image he wants to be portraying as a serious world leader.
(edited)
I think one of those reasons will be cited for “damage control.” I don’t think Will wanted her there much like she could not attend the Diana statue dedication.
LOL it always amuses me how commoners insist in using examples from their own working class lives to help them understand the lives of royals/the rich.
No, people. The royals?……the rich? Their lifestyle is NOT just like that of the working class or even the middleclass.
Stop it.
Exactly. Not one good, plausible reason that would make sense for you or me attending this event without a spouse applies to Will and Kate here — or anyone in their circle, really.
Commoner here. Thank you for the attempted insult. Bless your heart
What kind of business are we pretending Kate would do in the evening? Her “work” when it does happen is covered by the media. Let’s try a little harder with plausible excuses if we are going to spin some Cambridge PR.
The Mail obviously presented this story in such a way to let the Cambridge’s know that they can take any event and twist it to their narrative. They do it continuously with Meghan and they decided to try it with William as either a warning or just to mess with him. That’s his wheelhouse, let him deal with it.
This is an interesting take. I can see it, esp if they are starting to get impatient with him and his lack of info.
Seems like a red herring for something else a brewing or a warning notice to William that he’s being watched and they can drop information if they like.
Bet 2 dollars Kate and her mom learned of this from the paper…
I think the blonde in the car is platonic. I have a hard time buying that he has a current mistress. Sure, he wants someone in the role, but no one is applying for the position. Otherwise, he would be in a much better mood.
I think he went to this party without KKKate because: (a) he doesn’t enjoy being around her, and (b) she embarassed him at the last shindig by getting drunk and shoving bugs in everyone’s face.