For almost a year, we’ve been hearing about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s desire to move. Or rather, to take on a third home. They have their place in London – Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1 – and they have their place in Norfolk, Anmer Hall. But they want a country/suburban home closer to London, which means that they’ve been trying to tempt the Queen and Prince Charles into giving them a big mansion in the Windsor estate. They apparently hate being in London because they feel “very overlooked.” They’ve spent months looking at properties and new schools, and I also imagine that William and Kate have been whining constantly to the Queen and Charles about how much they want a big new place. Well, nothing has been given to them yet, but the Keens are still hellbent on moving this summer.
Kate and Prince William ‘will move to Windsor this summer to be closer to the Queen and are even looking at schools in the area’, according to reports. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reportedly looking at private homes after ruling out royal mansions, including Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge and Fort Belvedere, the former home of King Edward VIII.
Sources claimed the couple have also considered Frogmore Cottage, located in the grounds of Windsor Castle, and Adelaide Cottage, nestled in the heart of the Home Park in Windsor, which is currently lived in. They have also been said to be looking at schools in Buckinghamshire, Windsor and Surrey having looked around Lambrook School, in Ascot.
Earlier this month it was reported that the Queen had decided to make Windsor Castle her permanent home and main residence. There were concerns this week that Prince Andrew, who has been getting close to the Queen in recent weeks, is angling for a role at the Platinum Jubilee events this summer after he escorted her at the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service on Tuesday.
A source told The Sun that the need for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to move to Windsor was growing ‘more and more’ because Andrew ‘spends a lot of time with the Queen’. They told the newspaper: ‘There is not a man, woman or child who would not say he had every right to be at Philip’s thanksgiving. But the family have been adamant there’s no way back. There are real fears that despite being banished from The Firm in January, he is using his closeness to the Queen as a springboard back into public life.’
I’m not sure what William and Kate are meant to do to convince the Queen that her favorite son is a degenerate tragedy? I mean, sure, I can see how Will & Kate’s closer proximity in Windsor would be beneficial to the Queen… if you honestly believe that the Cambridges will pop over constantly. Which is doubtful. Besides, as soon as William and Kate are given a task, they get bored and find some way to get out of it. If you tell them that, actually, they do need to move to Windsor ASAP, suddenly it won’t be a priority for them.
The Sun’s coverage of this story included the leading contenders among royal properties: the much-discussed Fort Belvedere (a Gothic castle which still seems to be used by Galen Weston’s widow), Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor property (which doesn’t seem grand enough for the egotistic Cambridges), Frogmore House (very grand) and Royal Lodge (where Prince Andrew lives). Out of all of those, I could totally see them moving into Frogmore House, which is not the same as Frogmore Cottage. Frogmore House is a huge mansion, not a dilapidated servant’s quarters. The Sun also suggests that William and Kate might end up renting or buying a private property, although a local Berkshire realtor says that “There are many large properties around the area, but whatever level of the market you’re looking at, there is a severe shortage at the moment.” Ruh-roh, they might have to slum it at some 10-bedroom royal cottage for a year or two!
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How many bathrooms are in each of these properties? How much $$$ will be spent updating before William spends his weekends in Norfolk because there are too many eyes and work to do in London during the week? Can we compare size to HM House because that’s a key factor in Keens decisions?
It’s the Cambridges way of separating in plain sight. The world and its mother knows that these two lead separate lives. Why carry on with this farce? I suppose being seen as moving closer to the queen in her final years will score them brownie points.
Totally agree. I thought the “Going forward, Kate will be doing more solo tours” announcement would get more play – especially on this site – because it’s clear they are slowing rolling out a separation. They will be married in name only.
Not to mention the carbon footprint of these multiple massive estates. Didn’t they just say days ago that Baldy will focus on environmental issues? Waiting for the chorus shouting about hypocrisy…still waiting.
He’s supposed to focus on mental health too. The jokes write themselves.
I have always felt that this Windsor house hunting talk has mostly been about them bullying Daddy and/or Granny into buying them a nice big house in Windsor that will be Kate’s divorce home. No way will she (and the Middletons) be allowed to live in a royal owned home after the inevitable divorce (I think it will happen within a few years of Chuck’s coronation) and if they can’t get one of the posh royal mansions a big fancy house in the area will do.
All the PR around this issue def has a grasping Middleton feel about it – they want a very big house for Kate (and themselves). Lets not forget Kate’s siblings now all have houses in the area, close to Middleton Manor.
Oh, yes – Gid forbid that Karole share a bathroom.
I agree. It does make sense. A way to get Kate’s house without William having to touch his inheritance. Hmm I suppose it’s a grift within a grift.
I don’t know about that. She still will always be the mother of the FFFK. After all, Diana stayed in KP, though she didn’t like it as she felt watched/spied on. But she *did* have a royal residence.
I think Diana stayed in KP for various reasons, I read that one of the main reasons being that she originally wanted to return to her family home to live post divorce but her brother wouldn’t let her.
Also, diana already had the place at KP, right? that was where she and Charles lived “together” before the divorce. So that’s more similar to Kate getting to stay in 1A post divorce, not Kate getting a new mansion in the countryside so she can be close to her parents.
Diana didn’t get an extra home when they divorced, she simply kept what she had at KP.
This is Middleton grasping for more.
Diana passed on about a year after the divorce. She was said to be contemplating buying another home, perhaps in the US. She would though not live there all year because she would need to be with her sons in the UK.
Let´s remember Basher told one of his pals on the DM that they would not separate because they respect the Queen too much.
From this tidbit, we can infer:
1) Bill sees any separation as an offense not to Kkkate but to his grandmother, TQ and
2) once the Queen passes, all bets are off, as the respect Bill has for his grandma is a great part of why his marriage is solid, and since he does not respect Charles…
Let´s also remember that:
1) Kkkate has been denied a lot of things lately ( a fourth child; appearance at the Diana´s statue) ,
2) that the children are approaching a time they will be sent out to boarding school,
3)that their children and family image is not the shield it used to be ( Bill at the Eurocup; Bill and Kkkate colonization tour”)
Therefore, I say ther is a very great chance of a divorce in the horizon to happen after TQ passes and before William ascends as Prince of Wales: If Kkkate finds a way to survive this, she will be Queen.
I’m one of those who think they won’t divorce. These two deserve each other’s misery.
But I have to admit the PR of Bill navigating life and “duties” as a single dad would be refreshing gossip AS LONG as he stops dragging his brother into everything. I don’t believe an affair or divorce is the end for any public figure these days. Normal British people have other things to care about than his marriage vs Charles’.
The minute it is expedient to do so, Willyboy will ditch Keenie Kate. It’s just a matter of when the PR will get negative enough for it to be beneficial to toss her out and under the bus.
@Rapunzel, I wonder whether the move for Kate to do more solo tours is Will setting her up to fail…
When they got engaged the Queen said “no divorce.” Burger King’s vows are more to Betty than to Kate, and initially Carole was okay with the ten years two kids bargain. Burger King took the chance that Betty’d be gone in ten years, but her longevity is requiring a little creativity to keep the farce going now. I fully expect that behind the scenes he is saying “I did my ten years! You got three kids and all those clothes. I’m not doing this in private anymore.” Kate is done with Prince Incandescent too judging by how fast she dropped his hand on those stairs in Belize.
These tabloid articles about which royal property they will move into is all part of the farce to attach a royal reason to why they are moving and not into one of the Crown properties. I thought it particularly pathetic that they leaped on the Andrew is there in Windsor excuse so quickly. It was only last Tuesday Prince Pedo glommed onto Betty at the Memorial and this article was in the tabs by Sat. How is Burger King being in Windsor going to stop Andrew? Is there an Andrew alert on their WhatsApp? Will William hop in his gas guzzler and drive over to Windsor, jump out and run up whatever stairs or elevator he needs to get to the Queen’s private quarters to stop Andrew from doing what? Eating cucumber sandwiches with her? Nonsense.
Kate wants a stately home in between Windsor and Bucklebury. They will get her one. It’s most likely already a done deal and the new AGA is already installed.
Kate has repeatedly shown that she is not up to the task of ffqc. She is a liability, not an asset. Once the queen dies, if William wants to offload her, that’s exactly what will happen.
Then we’ll have several seasons of The Courtship of Georgie’s Father. Lol.
They will NEVER divorce because then Harry becomes the “ better brother with a solid marriage “ and Bitter Brother will NEVER let Harry “ beat him in his one sided contest.
@ModeratelyWealthy, wait, what? When did William say he’d never separate? I missed that and it is fascinating. I mean, how did that topic even come up? People who’ve never discussed separation do not go around announcing it! I need to know how this jackass somehow worked that into a conversation.
@Lorelei, if It’s what I’m thinking of, it was a fairly random story maybe 6 months ago or so? But there was this line in it about how William would never divorce Kate because of his respect for the Queen and I think the reaction here was “so after she dies, huh.”
@Startup Spouse, I think pushing Kate to do solo tours could simply be an effort to get as much “work” out of her as possible while she is still around, especially if there are plans to unload her after the queen dies.
I see no need to actively set up either Cambridge to fail. Just step out of the way and watch it happen on its own.
I’m in the “no divorce” camp. I’ve been speculating for a few years now that William will take over all the “important” events and direct Kate to do, separately, the family-friendly and less important events. But he won’t divorce her because (1) he doesn’t have to. He can lead a separate life as free as he wants to, without risking any bad press from a divorce. Kate has shown she is willing to put up with that type of treatment, so William has no motivation to divorce. And (2), a divorce would be an admission that William made a mistake in marrying Kate. And William isn’t the kind of person to admit to being wrong about anything. He will stick with Kate to the end (albeit, living separately) than admit he messed up. That’s why I think William is *generally* ok with the Kate embiggening stories, because pretending Kate is Great reflects well on *him* for picking her. The only thing Kate needs to watch out for, is not embiggening herself at William’s expense (like her missteps in pushing the “king-maker” narrative). William scolded Kate though banishment from the statue unveiling and refusal to throw a 40th birthday party for her, so I think she learned her lesson. I’m betting their marriage will move on as I speculated (and I’m willing to bet $ on that).
If william finds someone else that he really wants to marry and be with, he will divorce Kate IMO. He could not commit to anybody else he might want if he and Kate stay married no matter what the circumstances.
All William has to do is claim Uni romance gone too long, friends who shouldn’t have married, they’ll co-parent. If the Midds put up a fuss, he goes after them publicly for emotional manipulation just after his mum’s death. He’d also sanction hundreds of stories about how terrible Kate is at being a royal, she’s the reason Harry and Meghan left, she’s the family racist, the open Middleton/Goldsmith campaign against Meghan and against Charles.
Exactly. People are ready to believe anything weaponised against the Middletons in partcular. All that regal, classy, beautiful nonsense will be thrown out of the window. Plus we know that Kate actually made Meghan cry, so all they have to do is ask what kind of sneaky, underhand person will let a lie fester.
If they actually want to be at Windsor, fine. But, the other “reasons” don’t make sense. If they want to visit the Queen, they can do it now without setting up a new household. By the time they get a new place renovated and decorated to their standard, the Queen might very well be dead. And, at age 96, nobody’s going to change the Queen’s mind about Andrew now.
I like how they frame it as “W&K rejected Royal Lodge” — no, they didn’t; clearly the Queen is not going to kick Andrew out and I’m sure he has that in writing so that it remains that way even after she passes away. There’s just no way that she’d give in to William and force Andrew to move, imo.
Andrew has better-a legal lease with the Crown Estates.
Royal Lodge would be available if the price is right.
Here’s a question, if they decide to buy a private home, who foots the bill? I ask because the BRF seems very good at never spending their own money, but if they can’t find a castle or palace to their liking it shouldn’t fall to the taxpayers to pay for yet another home
Charles most likely, or the Queen out of her private funds, but we would just hear that it was purchased “privately.”
And it would be secured with millions upon millions in taxpayer funds and none of the RRs would mention that. The ‘cottage’ in Wales (4 bedroom farmhouse on private estate with 4 full-time staff) had a million pound security door installed with taxpayer money. After that was discovered, any more info about security installations for royals on private property (hey Middleton Manors 1 and 3) was denied.
I’ve become deeply cynical about Royal stories and the machinations behind them. This is starting to feel like the prelude to Kate getting a private house because she can’t have a royal one post divorce. So now we are getting the stories that none of the available, possible Royal properties will do for vague reasons thereby laying the ground for the purchase of a private property.
I agree.
Seconded.
I’m not sure how the BRF would *claim* it’s being paid for, but the taxpayers are ones who would actually be funding it. They’ll just do some ‘creative’ accounting, as usual, but the public will most certainly foot the bill.
Remember this is the same Queen who blew all of the ££ meant to renovate BP on other things, but instead of being held accountable, they just gave her a sh!t-ton more money each year so the renovations could go on as planned.
And IIRC, that is not a temporary increase just to cover BP; once the annual amount given to the monarch is raised, it’s never lowered again. I could swear I read that a while back, but Nota or someone else more knowledgeable than I am will know for sure. They fleece the taxpayers for EVERYTHING.
And let’s not forget things like security for them as well as having a local ambulance nearby wherever she is at. The locals in Buckleberry know how often she visits her parents precisely because the security ramps up so much when she goes. It’s also why they knew she wasn’t in Wales very much when William was in the RAF.
If they actually are moving by the summer, the house has already been selected.
They probably are moving to Windsor but these endless stories about it seem more about deflecting from their light workloads. What are they even doing for work?
Well if their latest “work” effort is anything to go by, it’s actually safer to not have them work.
So this is as good as it gets for the British press – a nice family story they can put in the paper without any of the inevitable blunders.
I agree, if the move is really on for this summer whatever house they are moving to is being renovated and decorated right now. I still tend to think Charles wants to make Sandringham into a museum or maybe a hotel and he wants them out of Anmer. They are angling for the biggest prize they can get in exchange.
Talk about tone-deaf. There’s a war on. UK inflation is at 6.1% food-wise and gas/electricity is sky high. The poorest are rejecting potatoes at food banks because they have no way to cook them. And this bunch of colossal failures, who swanned around in £37,000 of new garments while the Bucha genocide occurred, are keening over their third home. Their little games are pathetic.
This – THIS is the kind of thing that starts revolutions.
THIS!!!
The tide is turning on the RF, the British public are becoming quite vocal in their distain for them. In particular the Cambridges, karma has come for them and its only just started. The British Media won’t protect them for ever, once they see the public mood they will react in kind and spill all the tea. Being the heir won’t protect them, it didn’t protect Charles – they should not forget that.
The Caribbean tour was a sh!tshow of epic proportions and the RF are basically given them Cambridges all the rope they need. Why do you think the Cambridges are leaking stories about the York Princesses and stories like this – to feed the press beast.
@DU, this has puzzled me for so long. We do know that being the heir doesn’t automatically give you protection from the press as I remember seeing Charles being excoriated for most of my childhood.
So why is it so different with Bill? I know, the whole “invisible contract” thing, but that also would have existed during the War of the Waleses. It would be SO profitable for the BM to turn on Bill right now. Why is William being coddled and shielded so much more than Charles ever was? I’m sure Charles also had dirt on other family members that he could trade for favorable coverage, like the Cambridges did with H&M, but it didn’t matter, they ripped him to shreds anyway.
ETA: my understanding of the super injunction was that it was part of an EU law, so Bill will no longer be able to benefit from it once Brexit is finalized? But I’m not sure if that’s actually true or if I just read it somewhere.
With the super injunction I think that only protects him with regards to a certain ‘story’ or something – others have used it to hide affairs but in Bills case its much more than affairs, there is some serious financial shadiness around the Royal Foundation.
Then again I think BillyBoy and his lawyers likely abusing the super injunctions to hide the truth. It only takes a newspaper in another country to run a story and all bets are off.
I sometimes think what the press have on William is worse than Andrew.
@Lorelei I think the injunction was based on legal threats from William re: human rights violation, which was under EU law. So that’s gone now.
I am of two minds with why the press protects William. First, i think there are legal threats (beyond just the Rose/affairs stories) and so no one wants to be the first to fall on the sword, so to speak. Second, I think whatever it is that is being covered up is something very damaging to the monarchy, so the press is a little scared to break it open. I just am not sure what that would be.
I think they also are waiting for the right time to out William. Remember Charles was cheating for a long time and everyone knew before it became fodder for newspapers.
Boris and the government had parties and a lot of people knew but the information wasn’t released to the public until almost a year later.
When its politically/strategically convenient for whomever has the information on William it will come out.
Maybe when he’s no longer useful to or he can no longer give what the person who holds the secrets is asking for….
That’s why Harry says they are trapped.
Thanks, guys! @Becks I think I’d probably go with #2, combined with what @Polo said. I’m so curious as to when that “right time” will be, since the real moneymakers have been in California for a while now, and negative stories about them don’t generate anywhere near the same amount of traffic as they did two years ago.
I am hopeful that it will happen sooner rather than later, because the BM could *not* have missed how eager people were to gleefully trash William not just over the tour, but his comments about Ukraine, and whatever his last gaffe before that one was.
I know that Twitter/SM doesn’t represent the real world, but I do think it can serve as a barometer of sorts, and it is crystal clear (I believe that even the RRs can see it even thought they’d never admit it) that William is not at all popular, most people know he’s racist, and that people absolutely love to jump all over him any time he says or does anything stupid. So they must know that negative stories about him would gain traction and generate clicks and £££££
I believe the super injunction is separate from the EU human rights law that was made public. He wouldn’t be able to get a secret injunction for a story about an affair, so there is most likely a secret child in play. That’s been the usual basis for these super injunctions for other rich people in the UK.
That a super injunction even exists is such a farce. It is not democratic for the rich to be able to use this to hide their issues.
@lorelei
I wish they would leak it yesterday lol but I think the key time might be when he’s transitioning to the position Charles is in right now. If we go by the last few days of stories…it’s when they might be getting new staff..reorganizing. Not everyone will be happy with their new positions or possibly getting fired.
But I still hope it’s sooner than later.
Lorelei, it’s partially because the positions Charles was promoting – like the environment and talking to plants and being the protector of all faiths not the faith – go against right wing politics. William is increasingly openly right wing, having joined in the tories’ unfair assault against her BBC, hires the worst of Johnson’s government, and has never publicly taken a stance against a right wing position.
They are teetering very close to one but they are too tone deaf to notice. Their last tour is a prime example.
Yes.
*standing ovation*
The whole Frogmore House/Cottage debate feels like another Cambridge sneer at H&M — “we’re your superiors in every way; we live in grand palaces while you get the servants quarters! Neener neener!” I seriously doubt the Queen has any desire to spend much time with the Cambridges. Particularly knowing, as we do, that they are incapable of being a help to her, at all. Their conspicuous consumption is offensive.
100% agree with your post. Additionally, Charles knew Andrew would be escorting the Queen. I doubt seriously that The Queen consults baldy on anything.
@C-Shell, I have thought for a while that the only other royal residence that William would truly be satisfied with is Frogmore House, because he would see it as a slap in the face to Harry and Meghan, and, in his mind, reinforce his “superiority” over his brother. Which is why I hope he never gets it.
(I know it’s not currently used as a residence, but it’s not as if the royals couldn’t change this; they “repurpose” things all the time.)
It is also a slap in the Queen’s face and about Philip. Frogmore House had always been set aside as Philip’s home IF the Queen passed first. It was only when he retired, memory fading, that they hid him on private property at Sandringham. Otherwise *no one* was allowed to whisper they wanted Frogmore House because it was for Philip. He even moved decor from the former royal yacht to Frogmore House, ‘reserving’ it in a way for himself by filling it with some of his things.
Where is all the money coming from, for Won’t and Can’t to buy this residence? We all know Pedo can’t be thrown out of RL, even after Mummy Dearest goes, as he has a 75 yr lease. So that’s out. The Fort? Granny would have to buy out *that* lease for them. Frogmore? Isn’t that being used as a museum now? What historical society owns that lease?
It’d be really funny if Won’t sidles up to Liz and says, “YOU WIN …US! We’re moving in with you! “. And he becomes her “ear worm” against Pedo. Lol. Every time Pedo slithers over, up pops Won’t to whisper in Liz’s hearing aide, “Think of the chillllllllllldren!”
I don’t know… we’ve heard the Lamebridges are moving to Windsor for the last two yrs. I don’t think Bitter Brother wants to be under *that*close* scruntiny of his coming and going to his side piece.
@Jan, I’m wondering why they just don’t move into Windsor Castle. It is a castle after all, plenty of room. Is there a reason why, is only the sovereign allowed to live there? They’re all grouped up together at Kensington Palace why not Windsor Castle.
I wondered the same thing.
Windsor Castle has over 1000 rooms, 484,000 square feet, and its only resident is one old lady who can’t even walk around in her own any more. Surely there is plenty of space for the Cambridges to all move in there.
Neither Charles nor QEII want the Midds having the run of Windsor Castle. Bad enough they prance around Anmer and Sandringham for months on end around Christmas. The Windsors do not want Kate/Midds getting a toe-hold in the Windsor Castle proper, in case she tries to keep that residence in separation/divorce.
It’s a huge tourist attraction right next to the train station. I doubt it’s a remedy for being “overlooked.”
This seems on brand for them. Do a terrible job in the Caribbean. Then when most rational people would lay low publicly demand a new house (that will def require some cash outlay from taxpayers).
Exactly. Failing upwards. The Cambridges were spreading ill will on every island they touched. The rest of us would lose our jobs if we were that awful. I understand the RF wanting to stop Andrew from getting everything he wants from TQ but acquiring more mansions while being truly awful is a pretty offensive look.
I demand that the keenbridges hold out and refuse to move until they are given a house with 666 bathrooms and 999 bedrooms
Anything else is beneath them.
Aren’t some British having a very hard time heating their homes at the moment? Like how do these two who do nothing justify all this? I also want to add that since they returned from their Caribbean colonial vacation, they have done zero work unless Philip funeral number 5 counts as an engagement and I bet it does
I’ve had to seriously up my work hours. I have ME and chronic pain, and I get very exhausted. But needs must. I’m not a Kkkate. I don’t sponge off others in order to get (disastrously ugly) frocks and jewellery. And my work actually has a positive effect.
Still, it’s hard. Times are hard. I’ve noticed that my grocery bill is 25% more expensive for basic items than this time a year ago. And I’m really not extravagant.
Andrew- Nemesis, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through all this.I will pray for you. It makes me so angry that this is what a normal person has to do to survive and there is that family who because of accident of birth, doing nothing and not having to worry about anything
I’m in the US but grocery bills are absolutely killing me. I’m at the point where a (not over full) cartload of groceries that will last my family a week is $300+ And I don’t buy meat and I don’t buy organic produce. I’m not buying the absolute cheapest of everything, I like to buy the Fairlife milk because it has less sugar and lactose and I like to buy the free range, pasture raised eggs, but I’m still shopping at the regular person grocery store. A half gallon of Fairlife milk is like $5, 12 pasture raised eggs are like $7. And I’m not even going to the farmers market or a specialty store where things are more expensive. I hate that produce is SO expensive, a pint of blueberries is up to $5, a tiny thing of raspberries or blackberries is $4. Avocados are 2/$5 ON SALE. Even dried fruit like a package of dried mangoes that you would finish in 2 sittings is like $8. I recently noticed that a tub of my favorite plain yogurt went from $6 to $8 suddenly. My family is vegetarian and I want us to be able to eat fresh produce, and I want the dairy and eggs that we consume to be as cruelty free as possible.
Grocery shopping has become a huge portion of our budget now over the last couple of years. Prices keep going up but neither my husband or I are getting raises that at all match it. Gas is $4.20 a gallon where I am and that’s a lot of money, but food is really what’s hurting is the most. We’re living paycheck to paycheck and even have to get a payday loan recently and my husband has a college degree and makes decentish money, like $30/hour or something. We own our home, it’s in a bad part of town, the house is old and only has one bathroom, but thank god we have a mortgage because we would not be able to afford $1000+ a month in rent. I think that’s another thing that really hurts people: it would cost 2-3x more a month to rent out home than the mortgage payment and that’s so unfair to people who can’t manage to buy.
Raises hand too. Grocery bills are outrageous. I’m checking every sale, veggie sale bins, half-off sections. Dried beans, rice, lentils are becoming staples in the pressure cooker. No food going to waste for economizing – if the fresh veggies are going bad, they get cooked up, frozen, used for soup. Leftovers get frozen before they go off, to be used for lunches. I’ve found a warehouse type place that sells a box of random veggies/fruit relatively cheap each week. You take whatever they’re selling, no choice, but it is fresh. Do you have space for a veggie garden or some planters? Our vegetable plot isn’t large, but it provided tomatoes and much of the veggies we ate last summer.
I’ve been making vegetarian chili by the pot and freezing in containers so that helps with the grocery sticker shock. It’s been economical when my store has their “can-can” sale so l stock up on the canned goods. I make a lot of rice dishes as well as eggs. I spend more money on food for my kitties which has astronomically skyrocketed too when l can even find what they like on the shelves or online.
Edit: can’t even find
The cost of a basket of goods has gone up considerably for working people. Meanwhile…the Cambridges are playing in House Hunters: Royal Edition.
Aldi’s Supermarket has helped what budget I have a lot. Their prices make sense; they feature a lot of organics; and they have a lot of cool products from Europe, etc. that are often tastier than their American counterparts. My mom loves their brioche buns and bread, and their chocolate is killer. Lidl’s is supposed to be good, but I haven’t had a chance to shop there yet.
It’s interesting that this story keeps popping up every few months or so without any confirmation from KP or BP about whether its actually happening. And remember Angela Levin (I know I know) last fall made a weird comment, about George starting a new school in the winter or next fall. It kind of felt like she was saying “when they move to Windsor, he’ll change schools.”
I feel like if this wasn’t happening, BP would have shut it down by now, because it is a bad look for the royals, needing a third mansion for W&K after spending $$$$ to fix up KP and Anmer.
I said a few months ago that it feels like this is about the royals just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks in terms of a reason for the Cambridges to move, and this is just another reason – all about the Cambridges saving the Queen from andrew. That story kind of works though if they are angling for Royal Lodge.
The Cambridges could be using the stories to hint at their wants to Betty/Chuck. Speaking through the press is family tradition.
I definitely think that’s part of it – they are using these stories to get their wants across to the higher-ups, that’s why we keep hearing specific houses floated – and I also think they are using these stories as way to get the public used to the idea. When it’s announced in 3 months that they’ve bought a house in Windsor, anyone who cares will say “oh I thought they did that months ago.”
(I actually think there might be more pushback than that, but I think that’s their hope.)
@Becks, you’re so right. Honestly, at this point, I think even *I* would be like, “Oh yeah I thought that happened months ago” if they announce a new Windsor residence because they won’t shut up about it.
@Becks I agree. I believe the first reason was so that they wouldn’t use the helicopter as much to keep Harry from moving up in the line of succession should there be an “accident”. Then it became being closer to George for boarding school…then moving closer to the Queen because they feel ignored and now it’s to stop Andrew…
Yeah yeah.
I think they already have a third house and they are trying to soften the blow to the public with all these excuses.
How it goes down when they finally do move depends on how the press report it. Aka “Cambridges move into 3rd house which will now need taxpayer upgrades….” Vs “ Cambridges move closer to Queen for love and duty”
Kate’s ‘divorce’ house.
Absolutely. Those who think PWT won’t divorce Kkkate (Buttoned Mutton) are dreaming. The RF eats its own (apart from Noncy Drew) to protect itself. Buttoned Mutton’s recoil from the Jamaican Culture Minister was recorded, and will have been reviewed over and over again. Expect the Daily Heil to start the smear campaign on a low tempo now, and ratchet up to andante once Old Brenda snuffs it.
+1
Also I suspect that with the absence of black West Indians to force these two racist to stick together, they are right back to where they were before they left with Willy needing to be as far away from buttons as possible. Hence the urgency for that big big house now
Is this Kate’s divorce property? Probably
Do they not want Kate or the Midds having royal property after a divorce? Possibly, and that says nothing good about Kate, given Diana had a royal place.
I’m thinking it’s also likely nobody wants to mess with Frogmore House because it’s event space, Ft. Belvedere was not special enough or too remote, and they can’t get Andy out of Royal Lodge.
So now, private home. Once divorce happens, William will either move to the castle proper or Royal Lodge, if Chuck can get Andy out after Betty passes.
that Van Cleef necklace and matching earrings are so ugly
They really are! Is that enamel? With access to amazing jewels, she (or someone) chose this with that ensemble!? Makes no sense.
Well, the dress suits the jewellery. It looks ugly on her. The icy color on icy bony Kate… This decollete… Ugh.
they are mother of pearl. That style of jewel comes in a lot of different stones–malachite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, even just plain gold. The MOP are the ugliest version I think, and really didn’t match the dress.
She paid $18,000 for mother of pearl? Wow.
I like that necklace and earrings, actually, but not with mother-of-pearl. They’d be stunning with lapis lazuli, or maybe tiger’s eye.
When normal people house hunt, they don’t look at places that aren’t even on the market. Do they think if they get everyone up in arms about PA that will magically break his lease on Royal Lodge or that will excuse spending big money to buy him out of the lease? Maybe that is why W&K seem to be including B&E in things recently so they will convince PA to move? Or did the Queen tell them to show support for Will’s cousins?
I do think William and Kate will divorce. This is why there were so many insane articles about the perfect, wonderful Kate. She (and the Middletons) are desperate to protect her and ward off divorce. But we also have the different stories about them planning to go their separate ways on tours or Kate doing more solo tours and then these bizarre stories about a third home. All the messaging is there that they are headed for a split, imho.
I think you’re right. I also think they’re floating this idea of having Kate do more solo events as a way to keep her relatively in the fold when William and Kate separate, which I’d expect shortly after the Queen passes. William is going to dump her in Windsor, continue living in London and the kids are going to get sent off to boarding school.
This story is being put there to keep the press engaged and off the Cambridges’ backs.
With exports down by an average of over 60%, and food prices escalating to where some people in the UK have to choose between eating and having heat in their homes this winter/spring season it is good to become the weapon of mass destruction against the effects of the broken contract, better known as Brexit.
The art of the up one manship is being perfected in prime time, with ongoing demands and perpetual feuds intermingled with propaganda and PR for a position already assured by birth order.
These two are being ignored within the family because they demand deference from other members further away from the proximity of the throne, do not do the same for his higher ups.
His father has acknowledged that he was closer to Harry, his grandmother referred to him as “my son Charles’s heir” in her annual Christmas address.
He is participating in the odious “death watch” of his grandmother by issuing a neoliberal politician’s talking points for an inherited position. None of ideas discussed are theirs.
Needless to say this was not well received especically in the comment section of the tabloid world, even the bots turned on them.
Line 7 should read ‘ weapons of mass distraction’ not weapons of mass destruction.
@WellWisher, both actually work. I’m not even kidding!
So it’s happening somehow but perhaps the house hasn’t been decided or it has and the press isn’t being told for whatever reason.
And from the beginning, I always thought this move was more because W&K want to get out of the Norfolk social circle more than anything. They’ve been publicly embarrassed due to the whole Rose situation so it’s best to not hang around those people. Plus it’s a win for everyone: they both get to push “look how close to the queen they are” stories, William gets to be closer to London geographically so if he ever needs to leave for whatever reason he can and Kate is closer to her parents and she gets the “new money” social circle to be queen bee of.
I’m sure they will be given a 200 year lease somewhere suitable for a pittance. It is cheaper than a divorce and better for the incompetent Royal pr team to deal with. I personally do not care beyond the point that I’m sure the Cambridge’s have been salivating to have Frogmore house as their own while the Sussex’s have the servants quarters, that seems to be the only thing that makes these two happy. They like other people to know that they are socially beneath them because it is the only way they can win in their small minds. The Monarchy is going to cost the public a fortune for a lot less, maybe then people will wake up.
They couldn’t care less about living near Queen. Katie wants to live near her mother. All the talk about them living in Windsor Castle is laughable. They will not get their paws on that until William is king. I cannot see them getting Frogmore House either and as for the Queen chucking her beloved Andrew out of Royal Lodge…If they do go to Windsor it will be to one of the less known properties but it really is the wrong time for this. Even DM readers with rigged and deleted comments seem to be getting fed up of W and K.
@Carolind – I got the exact same feeling when comments on this “Move to Windsor” article in the Daily Fail. The commentariat was not at all happy with this news.
I know lots of people think divorce is inevitable but I’m not sure it suits either one of them.
If they split, William will have a lot more scrutiny on his private life, who he’s dating, who he’s sleeping with, speculation on who he might marry. He’ll also have to put on a show at being an involved father. He’ll have to make appearances with his children, be sure they are present at events or he’ll look like a deadbeat. And of course, there’s a return to the years before he “settled” for Kate where it was all but said out loud that no one else wanted him.
No, I don’t think Willy likes Kate, he never did. But I can’t fathom how or why he’d want to be single and lose the cover marriage gives him.
And of course we know why Kate would want to remain married. These two will be married filing separately until someone embarrasses the shit out of the other and not a minute before.
Agree. As much as I’d love to see them divorce because they’re so toxic together, theirs is a marriage of transaction and always was.
I do suspect Billy threatens her with divorce when she gets a shred of self confidence. But she’s no victim, they see in each other the same desire to have power and hurt others and together they are each even worse than they were apart.
RF press office can’t handle another *will she/won’t she be QUEEN CONSORT* debate if William were to get divorced. Everyone, including William, is entirely incentivized to keep them married.
@Molly, wouldn’t she definitely *not* be, if they were divorced? I thought the only reason it was an issue for Charles was because he made that promise that Camilla would never be called Queen so the public would be more accepting of his marriage to her?
But the often-complicated rules about titles & styles always confuse me, so I could definitely be wrong.
@Molly, if the Cambridges divorced before William should ever get to the throne, Kate would definitely not be QC. The question now is if she’ll ever be Princess of Wales if William doesn’t divorce her before Charles gives the title to William. At the very least, Kate’s title if they should get divorced before William becomes POW or king might possibly be Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. Or they may not give her a double duchess title afterward. She can’t get any new titles after a divorce that William gets because that would be only through marriage.
@Lorelei, @Feeshalori- I should have kept typing. If he divorced and remarried, which there would be a great deal of pressure to do, what would the new wife be called? Especially if their divorce included infidelity.
Whatever Camilla gets called, and how people eventually feel about the title and her, would set an interesting precedent.
Gotcha, Molly, l didn’t realize you were referring to a possible new wife and not Kate if there were to be a divorce. Whoever would be William’s supposed second wife in the event of a divorce would technically be queen consort since she’s the wife of the king. But it was interesting to figure out Kate’s title/s if there were to be a divorce.
If Kate and Wliam divorced now she would become Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. There is no guarantee that Charles will make William Prince of Wales if Charles becomes king. If he does and he was still married to Kate and they then divorced, she would become Catherine, Princess of Wales. I have no doubt a second wife of William’s would become Queen Consort.
Yeah I think its easier for Bill to keep Cathy around and just do what he wants
Most of the royals have multiple places that aren’t discussed. Hell Willy has a castle in Scotland his great grandmother left him. I’m sure he has something he could give to Kate if this was about a separation. Its not its about their one sided competition with Meghan and Harry.
The Sussexes live in sunny California. People shouldn’t underestimate the allure California has for the British. Before the Mexican war settled things both the Brits and the US were fighting for dominance and even now the largest population of British natives outside of the UK live in Southern California. In the British mind the Gold Coast is a much desired location. If you want to talk winning the break up a beautiful estate in California that even some of the rota rats described as looking like paradise will do it. If you recall after we all learned about the Montecito purchase “unnamed sources” popped up in articles talking about the 100 rooms Apt 1 has and photos of the interior of Clarence House started circulating. There is also a lot of anger from “sources close to the royals” whenever we get a glimpse of the Montecito property. The Time Magazine photos on their grounds, the interior that was visible in Meghan’s 40X40 video etc.,.
When it comes to real estate the Cambridge’s can’t win on beauty, location, or weather that leaves them with size. So they want the biggest property they can get in what is considered the best location on their gloomy little island.
He doesn’t have a castle in Scotland. He and Kate get priority use of Tam Na Gar, a three bedroom cottage on the Balmoral estate. William and Harry were given priority use of it when they were younger, now W&K get priority use over Harry or any other royal.
I don’t believe the British monarchy will survive the death of HMTQ, or at least it’s power and support from the government will be greatly diminished. I wonder how much that possibility/likelihood factors in to Will and Kate’s choices. Seems like they’d want to have their properties nailed down before that happens.
All of this “chatter” about another residence, proximity to schools, being overlooked, wanting to be closer to Betty, blah, blah, blah, is all about KP setting the groundwork for William jettisoning Kate. There are plenty of royal properties in the Windsor grounds they could move to but slipping in that one sentence referring to considering a private property is a dead giveaway. As many others have stated, Kate is an albatross around William’s stupid neck. As the years go by, as the Queen nears the end of her life, as Charles readies himself to become Monarch, Kate becomes more and more of an embarrassment and liability. She is only a married-in and, as such, doesn’t bear the burden of being a born royal with a distinct role to play, so it will be easy to throw her under the bus, pay her off and hide her away in some posh non-royal home. The difference between Kate and Diana is that Diana was still a draw, hard-working, and the people loved her. Kate…Lazy? Tick. Stupid? Tick. Spendthrift? Tick. Unpopular? Tick. This PR war of the Cambridges is going to keep heating up until she and her loathsome mother cross a line and get banished permanently.
ITA. I think the “overlooked” complaint means KP staff know W&K are either fighting, frosty, keeping separate bedrooms, overhearing W’s calls to lady friends and/or seeing Kate rebuffed and belittled by Will—all the cringy things that go on behind the scenes. It is barely contained at this point, hence why they need to act fast with the Windsor move.
I know I am alone in this but I just don’t see these 2 splitting up. I just think they are in it together for the long haul regardless of their levels of happiness. That being said, these 2 really need to make a decision and settle in already. I Googled the various properties mentioned and they are all beautiful. But Frogmore House seems more like W&K style. But here’s my very naive question, why can’t they just move into Windsor Castle with the Queen? She could certainly use the company and the Castle will be their home eventually anyways. Moreover, it would help to keep PA from manipulating the shit out of her and the sentiment of good will towards W&K for caring for granny would be a great PR move. As someone who has moved 5 times in the last 20 years, every place needs some sort of renovation to make it feel like home to your family. Why would they waste even more taxpayer money to renovate something that they will only be in for a short time? Seems pretty tone deaf to me…especially considering how poorly they were received in the islands. You would think they would be real cognizant of public opinion in these times.
You’re not alone – I don’t believe they will divorce. Kate doesn’t have it in her, and if William divorces her it would allow the press to report on all his affairs.
If William finds someone he loves and wants to marry that would be that. He would be serious about starting a new life and not just having a series of lady friends. At that point I think he will want the divorce so he could settle into a marriage and make a clean break. He would co parent with Kate.
You are definitely not alone. I don’t think they’ll split up, at least not anytime soon. Once the monarchy gets gutted after the Queen dies, I suspect things will change a lot for these two. I don’t think there’s much there once the titles and the money are diminished, but I think they’re in it at least until then, or until one of the two of them manages to grow up. A lot.
Royal Lodge?? Ewwwwww.
All the diamonds in the world wouldn’t get me to step foot in that place. I don’t care how much renovating or bleaching you’d do, it will never be enough to rid that place of Andrew cooties.
Lay my head in the same space that Andrew and Fergie have done it?? My skin crawls off the bone.
@Molly, SAME. Nauseating
@Alexanandria They will divorce if William finds a younger, English rose from aristocracy.
It is not that simple. Which aristo wants to give up her privacy and idle days to be QC? Kate is easy and simple minded and she just does what she is told. TOB is lazy AF. And if Willnot wants a confident partner who is hardworking and can speak well, what are the odds that kind of person wants to be submissive to him? I think he will enjoy his side pieces more when they remain as side pieces, with the temptation and thrills of forbidden fruit intact to make his affairs exciting.
The two ways I can think of this divorce happening is: a naive, younger, not so smart woman wants to be his wife (another Kate but younger) or an intelligent and ambitious woman who can manipulate him anytime, wants to be his wife. So let’s see.
Oh, no dear, not Purvis Lodge! The attics there are dreadful!
BW, you made me spit out my soda with that comment. Mrs. Bennett for the win!
Haye Park might do, if the Gouldings would quit it…
“Before you take any, or all of these houses, let us come to a right understanding. Into one house in the neighbourhood they shall never have admittance: Mr and Mrs Cambridge will never be welcome to Houghton Hall!”
The “these are two people who can never ever divorce” line was said almost verbatim like that by Tom Bradby in his pieces about conducting the engagement interview. Essentially critiquing people who were critical of how long it took them to get engaged. There is absolutely no rule preventing them from getting divorced; the press and courtiers just believe that the monarchy wouldn’t survive it
I’m in the camp that says they will never divorce. But the argument that the “monarchy will never survive it” is hilarious to me. The Church of England was created specifically so the monarch could get a divorce. Charles is divorced. Anne is divorced. Andrew is divorced. Margaret was divorced. Anne’s son is divorced. If the royals want to be modern, they should realize that the *public* accepts divorce as preferable to staying in an unhappy marriage just for appearances’ sake.
I don’t think Kate and William will divorce any time soon. William benefits from this marriage too. He has Kate and Carole and an army of nannies to handle the grunt work of taking care of the kids. There’s no way he’d do any of that work on his own. But in the event of an actual divorce, there would be no chance in hell that he’d ever be allowed to just be a weekend dad, who swans in and feeds the kids TV dinners in his bachelor pad.
He is the FFK, he is expected to have a proper hand in the upbringing of a FFFK. Especially since the Queen can’t live forever. Charles is hardly in a position where he can step in as a grandparent and monarch to help supervise George’s upbringing, the same way the Queen did for William after his parents divorced.
A divorce would also offer the monarchy an opportunity to show-off how modern they are, and to do that, it would mean William and Kate have a modern divorce, where they stay “friends”, and share 50-50 custody of the kids, and William is seen doing everything from driving the kids to school, to cutting up fruits for their afterschool snacks, to helping them with homework, and showing up for parent-teacher interviews and whatever else. These are all things that Kate and Carole “handle”, and deputize to their nannies to execute.
There is no way William will do any of this, nor does he want to. But he will have to if there’s a divorce. Otherwise, these kids won’t be brought up properly within the fold of the monarchy, and there is no way the people at the palace will allow a scenario where Carole and Kate move away from the auspices of the royal family to raise the FFFK on their own. A middle-class king? The horror. /sarcasm
William, right now, has the best set up for a man of his position. Him and Kate have a proper, by definition aristocratic marriage, the sort that his parents were expected to have, but never had. They had their three children, ensured the line of succession for another generation, and now they live separate lives from each other. William goes off on his own to Norfolk or wherever his latest girlfriend is, and Kate does her own thing. William doesn’t have to worry about doing daily childcare, or about needing to be by Kate’s side.
Kate gets her title, her role as the mother to a future king, and she doesn’t have to hang around William while he has his affairs, so she turns a blind eye to them like she did before. I think the move to Windsor is mostly all about this, and this alone. It’s an unofficial announcement that they are living separate lives from each other. Moving to Windsor has the added benefit for Kate in that she no longer has to spend time around the posh toff circle that burned her so badly. She can move closer to be with the only support system she has, her mother and her family, which she didn’t have closeby in Norfolk. She probably feels much more comfortable with that, and William gets the freedom to do whatever he likes with whoever he likes, wherever he likes.
How about buying a house in the Bahama’s? Take the kids a few times a year, go shopping, eat in restaurants. Expose yourselves and your kids to black people. It will do wonders for the whole family.
This sounds like Kate moving closer to her family?
If Will finds anyone that would marry him, he’d divorce her. He acts like she’s repulsive to him currently…
I vote divorce. These similar rumblings ings came out on Charles and Diana. Diana also took Charles to the cleaners in a divorce settlement; he had to hit up the queen. Will and Chuck will not want a repeat.
How much is personal jewellery for Kate? Bet she won’t be able to keep Big Blue.
I wonder if she’s wearing a replica and BB is tucked safely away where she can’t get it. That could actually answer the question of why she always wears it under the most improbable circumstances if it’s not the original ring. No way would William allow her to keep it in the event of a divorce.
I’m sorry if I missed this, but why would Frogmore Cottage be an option for the Cambridges?
IIRC it was widely reported that Prince Harry renewed the lease on that property as it’s the Sussexes UK base and Princess Eugenie and her family currently reside there?
These people are supposed to be “born leaders.” Do they not grasp the concept that when times are tough for the majority, it might be wise to do more with less? It would be PR gold – wearing normal clothes (I have $60 dresses that look better than Kate’s), volunteering for hands-on work, leasing out portions of the properties (hello, Ukrainian refugees?), etc. People would probably overlook the fancy private schools and fancy homes if they made an effort to skim down the rest of their budget like a normal family. Inaccessible is not the look anymore, not now that we see examples of leading among, rather than above people. It would not be hard for them to spend far less than they do, and trust me – kids grow up the same whether their meals are thrown together by a tired working parent or carefully curated by a chef.
Not a big surprise then to see W&K with their repurposed never complain, never explain motto for everyone but them, whined to their favorite mouthpiece media how their 2 fancy digs aren’t enough to house their supersized egos.
Want to know what the other European royal houses are doing? Royals from Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium are offering their palaces to house Ukrainian refugees. British royals OTOH are too busy stabbing each other in the back jockeying for power and money to take notice of anything outside their own petty neediness. Elizabeth might be Queen of the realm, yet all that breeding, power, and wealth didn’t help her family. They are complete shite as royals and useless as human beings.