The coronation portraits reveal the ‘slimmed-down monarchy’ & suspicious art

Buckingham Palace finally released the official coronation portraits on Monday. These were taken on Saturday, after the Westminster Abbey crowning service, and each photo was taken by Hugo Burnand. One of King Charles solo, one of Queen Camilla solo, one of king and queen together, and one of… the working royals and no one else. A few notes about the Charles pics… like, the crown is crooked, right? Am I imagining that? Is it some optical illusion? And Charles just looks like an old man in king drag. The whole thing (Camilla included) is absolutely giving off drag-queen vibes, like these are just ostentatious costumes. I’m pretty sure Camilla is half in the bag too.

As for the working-royal portrait… the palace made a note of everyone included, because I’m sure the average Briton has absolutely no idea. I remember when QEII died and there were those young, Cockney-accented podcasters wondering if Charles was QEII’s husband or her son, because they really didn’t know. So, from left to right: The Duke of Kent, The Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Princess Royal, The King, The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, The Duke of Edinburgh.

A few things. Sophie and Edward are literally holding up Princess Alexandra, who is 86 years old (bless her heart) and 56th in the line of succession. It should also be noted that Camilla really did ban the other women from wearing tiaras or headpieces – Alexandra, Sophie, Anne and the Duchess of Gloucester are all wearing no headpieces or just simple fascinators. Kate was likely banned too, which is why she pitched a fit and had McQueen make her sparkly bedazzled headpiece. Some have suggested that Kate changed dresses in between the Westminster service and the portraits. I don’t think so – I think it’s the same dress, but I do think she added the diamond necklace when she got to the palace.

Kate and William are the youngest people in Charles’s slimmed-down monarchy at 41 and 40. The next-youngest is Sophie at 58 and Edward at 59. The rest of them are in their 70s and 80s. The Good Ship Windsor will face some rough seas in the coming years, my goodness.

Last thing, and I honestly didn’t even see this at first, full disclosure – look at Camilla’s solo photo and what’s behind her. Those are blackamoor art pieces at Buckingham Palace, placed in the Throne Room. And Camilla wanted that to be part of her official crowning portrait. Update: I’ve genuinely enjoyed the conversation about the background sculptures and how they’re not technically blackamoor pieces. I get it, but I’ll say this – they still look enough like blackamoor pieces to be incredibly suspicious.

Photos courtesy of Hugo Burnand for Buckingham Palace.

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

225 Responses to “The coronation portraits reveal the ‘slimmed-down monarchy’ & suspicious art”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Dee(2) says:

    I really hope they don’t consider Princess Alexandra a working royal. I don’t have any snark it’s just sad to see. They are literally holding this woman up. What a family. Expecting you to work from 5 to 95 to make them look good.

    • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

      Alexandra does more engagements than Kate.

      • holly says:

        the photoshop is strong with these ones

      • theRobinsons says:

        I would say the scuptured candelabra to the left of Camilla…is some kind of Colonizer’s subjugation art. It looks likeblackpeople in chains mourning. Mourning, with their heads in their hands.

      • Well Wisher says:

        @Harla A
        This is interesting…..

    • tolly says:

      Shockingly cold to make her stand if she wasn’t up to it. She should have been given a seat on the other side of Edward.

      • SAS says:

        @Tolly, as well as taking away her dignity, the “Weekend at Bernie’s” pose just makes for an inelegant portrait. Between that and Charles not receiving any direction on sitting/ smoothing his tunic (?) and the weird framing (too far for the group shot, too close for charles), these portraits seem like a rushed amateur mess!

      • BeanieBean says:

        That really bothered me too. It seems like elder abuse, making her stand rather than throw off the photographer’s aesthetic by allowing her to sit.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Not just Alexandra, but also her brother the Duke of Kent who must be in his 90s by now and wearing his heavy Garter robes as well. It’s disgraceful how the queen’s elderly cousins are being treated. If they gave them both chairs, it would have balanced out the aesthetic and gotten them off their feet thus killing two birds with one stone.

      • BQM says:

        Letting her and the Duke of Kent sit would’ve been kind and kept it balanced. Instead the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are split and the Duke of Kent is lined up with Edward rather than his sister. And the Edinburghs would’ve been aligned with the Gloucesters. So making them stand threw the balance off.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Correction, the Duke of Kent is 87, but he still needed to have a seat as well as his sister.

    • Geegee says:

      Yup! Camilla is a racist old garden tool!

      • Mary Pester says:

        @gigi, I’m wondering if she’s Charlie’s blow up doll. I sure wish someone would stick a very large pin in her to check 😂

    • FancyPants says:

      They are giving big “Weekend at Bernie’s” energy!

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      She’s 86 and still does engagements thou not as many as she used to do. She puts the Wails to shame but then again they don’t feel shame.

      • Mary Pester says:

        @digital, I don’t think they “feel” anything unless it’s the feel of cold hard cash in their pockets or jewels on their necks.

    • Honeybee says:

      I wonder why it took 2 days to post this photo. Too much of photoshop needed? Waiting for people’s reaction? Whatever it is, princess Ann seems like snubbed. May be she was left behind lazy tower kate during balcony appearance.

      And they should have given a chair for the Alexandra. Few weeks ago we have seen how ill QE II was forced to take photos with her grandkids. Alexandra is treated the same way. It is very clear she can not even stand for a while. They care only about themselves.

      If i am not wrong a big royal drama is going to happen in upcoming days. Fight between kate and camila. Because it is going to be camila iron fits rule. Then can see princess royal being snubbed by kate and camila. Kent couples and Gloucester’s gradually lowering their engagements due to health conditions. Kate and william remaining the worst lazy working royals forever. Waiting for the drama.

      • Josephine says:

        I think it took two days because they are trying to draw out interest in this dull event that few wanted or cared about. I fully expect to see some photo releases every few days. I did not watch but it sounds like it was totally dull and they were unable to drum up any interest. The most exciting moment seemed liked Khate and company coming up late and super stoney-faced.

      • Gubbinal says:

        Princess Alexandra was very well-known in the last century. She and Prince Philip were especially close in many ways, including their connection to Greek Royalty (her mother was a Greek Princess). She was also the first royal I recall whose child went bolshie and had a baby out of wedlock–a baby who now looks the spitting image of Queen Victoria.

    • HeyJude says:

      It’s like a damn SNL sketch. I’m busting up over here. They didn’t want the gorgeous dynamic black women for racist reasons but have a dusty old royal no one knows they have to puppeteer into photos? And everyone else is like “yep this is totally normal, cheese!” Is this real life?! Good lord.

  2. ThatsNotOkay says:

    Camilla hates everyone younger, prettier, and more liked than she is. Thus, she punishes Meghan with racism and Kate with withholding crown jewels and balcony placements. It’s all about Camilla.

    Kate thinks she’s going to get the last laugh when she inherits the consort throne when Chuck bucket-kicks and she can punish Camilla right back. But Camilla’s going to get Charles to forgo tradition and leave all his estate to her, her kids, and her grandkids, taxes be damned! As long as it punishes anyone Diana-related. Watch out, William!

    • Nubia says:

      It’s interesting that after the Queen died it was like Christmas for Camilla AND Kate with the jewels, has Camilla got her own Angela Kelly by now? Is she going to be a hard ass on future accesso for Kate, that would be funny. I actually hope that Kate does get a taste of her own medicine via Camilla.

      • Chloe says:

        Kate is wearing a necklace that is prt of the royal collection now, so i think she has access to the jewels

      • Becks1 says:

        I’m not surprised she is wearing a royal collection necklace, it would have been more obvious if she wasn’t wearing ANY royal jewels on this day.

        She is obviously going to have some access to some jewels; camilla can’t block her out completely, that just looks bad. But Camilla is going to save the big guns for herself. And i do think its notable that Kate was not wearing royal collection earrings. It feels like they kept the necklace at BP and threw it on her for the pictures and that was it lol.

      • Harper says:

        @Becks1 you are so right about the necklace for the photo only. There was probably a security guard standing off camera, and another one guarding the Middletons until the necklace was back in its velvet case and under lock and key again.

      • CL says:

        There’s the necklace I was wondering about! It’s not an insignificant piece of jewelry that they let Kate wear. The necklace was commissioned for then Princess Elizabeth by her father, King George VI, using 105 loose set diamonds from the royal vaults. I think Garrard was the jeweler.

      • Feeshalori says:

        That’s the magnificent Festoon Necklace.

      • Tacky says:

        Kate will have access to the crown jewels. Camilla will just swap nasty gossip about her for favorable coverage in the tabs.

    • Geegee says:

      I think camilla just hates everyone who is not camilla.

      • Sugarhere says:

        The Consort might have a soft spot for her grandkids?

        I love this official portrait of the trimmed-down monarchy because it brings me comfort the decrepit freak show may hopefully end sooner than expected, and carry along that nefarious institution in its grave.

    • Josephine says:

      I don’t actually think that Chuckles the Clown can change who inherits. I honestly don’t know for sure but most families like this have ironclad clauses against such a thing precisely to defend against men whose greatest ambition is to be a tampon.

    • MaryContrary says:

      That’s not how it works. I’m sure her family will be well compensated behind the scenes. But they can’t inherit the BRF jewels or estates.

      • BQM says:

        *technically* Charles could leave Camilla anything that’s not state property. It’s only traditional for the monarch to leave it to their successor for tax reasons. He could leave her sandringham, balmoral, non-crown and royal collection jewels (including, I think, the lovers knot tiara).

        Now will he? No. She’ll be set up before he dies and she already has ray mill and a number of pieces of valuable jewelry.

      • Anance says:

        BQM – Yes all that jewelry Chuck and Cam received from Gulf States is probably part of Camilla’s personal collection. Including a hideous ruby bib that – well it covers wrinkles. That can be broken into several pieces.

        https://queensjewelvault.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-duchess-of-cornwalls-saudi-ruby.html

    • Cara says:

      I think it’s humorous that although Camilla forbade all others from wearing tiaras to the occasion, the historical photographic record will include Kate wearing what everyone will assume to be a tiara. I’m not a Kate fan but do enjoy the royal “up yours” to Queen-Bitch Camilla.

    • Lorelei says:

      If Camilla can’t stand anyone prettier than she is, she can expect to spend a lot of time alone 🐴

  3. Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

    The fact that Not One person, Camilla, aides, the photographer, his aides, no one noticed the statues and thought “let’s not pose in front of these” speaks volumes about the culture in the palace and palace adjacent. Meghan told no lies.

    • Michelle says:

      Agree with you 100%! The fact that the “queen” and her aides don’t even think that the Blackmoor art *might* not be a good idea for her first global portrait? Consider the stories M+H have not shared. She’s a nightmare and the family is a dumpster fire.

    • Pip says:

      God almighty, that’s terrible. I’m truly embarrassed most of the time – all of the time, pretty much – by this sodding country. Sorry everyone – a lot of us are really ashamed by this 🙁

      Can’t wait to flee over the Channel – been planning it for years & it’s nearly there.

    • Becks1 says:

      The fact that they’re still in the palace at all speaks volumes!!! donate them to a historical society or maybe a museum if you don’t want to get rid of them entirely.

      • Lux says:

        All the outrage directed at Princess Michael of Kent and her broach, and this whole time she’s been the rule, not the exception. Truly a nest of vipers. May they cannibalize each other before the inevitable fall.

      • BeanieBean says:

        They could always be put in storage. All museums–and the palaces are museums, really–have a small percentage of their total collections on display at any time. Just put them away.

    • Blithe says:

      Camilla’s gonna Camilla. I think they noticed — and thought about the message that they wanted to send….And all involved approved the message.

      It’s a fitting way to commemorate Charles’s “slimmed down monarchy” and “diverse” coronation. What you see really is what you get. I appreciate the open acknowledgment of who they really are.

    • Gabby says:

      There was some magazine spread a while ago on Crapmilla’s house and I recall some racist lamp in the foyer or hall. If that’s what she needs to feel superior, then deep down she knows what a sack of shit she is and the drinking only temporarily covers it up.

    • HeyJude says:

      If Camilla plans details down to the other women’s headwear I’m sure the statues were an intentional choice. It’s not the first time. Didn’t she immediately embrace the random old royal lady who had a racist faux pas a few months back? This all seems purposeful at this point.

    • Sketchy says:

      This I cannot agree with more. It has not been so very long since the “We are very much NOT a racist family” comment, yet still in the official photos they think this is an appropriate staging. They probably think it honors the citizens of the Commonwealth instead of insulting them.

  4. Polly says:

    The Blackamoor art thing was disproved by someone on twitter, apparent!y they’re “weeping woman” statues and based on some classical Greek thing. The pictures are still ridiculous though.

    • Josephine says:

      Appropriate, the entire country should be weeping for being stuck with these inbred losers.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      They are made from black marble which seems to be why people think its blackamoor art.

    • thaisajs says:

      Yeah, it’s not blackamoor but from a distance it looks like it. Which is why those pieces should have been replaced by something else shiny and gold. They opened up the blackamoor discussion again by not swapping those hideous things out for something equally hideous, but not racist-looking.

      • Queenie says:

        I agree @Thaisajs they should have swapped them out. Someone on Twitter linked an article from PBS about March 1857 when the largest sale of human beings too place in the history of the United States and how it is known as “the weeping time” because of all the tears that day and because it rained. “It was almost as though the heavens were crying.” I don’t really care that theyre technically not Blackmore and could be interpreted as whatever else. It shows poor taste, lack of awareness, lack of honestly giving AF. It’s gross. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2918.html

      • Princessk says:

        @Queenie…Can you elaborate on March 1857…largest sale of human beings??

      • Sallyhoo says:

        I mean, it would be even weirder and more racist if they sent down an edict that they had to hide any art that showed anyone with possibly darker than white skin. There’s enough of substance to criticize here, it seems silly to try to make these lamps into a thing.

    • AlpineWitch says:

      There aren’t black Greek statues…. not in the classical period, not before or after. Usually statues and figurines weren’t made of anything that could have been typically black (terracotta or marble).

      The colour is revealing the intention here.

  5. equality says:

    I bet by the time it was all done C&C were very tired of wearing those heavy, awkward crowns. I like that for them. KC with all his symbols of monarchy seems ridiculous in this century. I am surprised there is no KC-PW-PG photo to show the line of succession.

  6. Snuffles says:

    This is your royal family future England! A court so old that they literally need to be propped up. And the two youngest that need to be figuratively propped up to cover up their extreme laziness.

    Well, at least they’re pure white, right?

  7. Eurydice says:

    If these photos were in black and white, no one would guess this was the 21st century.

  8. Grace says:

    Kate’s diamond necklace really clashes with her odd headpiece. It’d work on a ballerina but not here.

  9. Rapunzel says:

    I think Kate’s dress had a little cape or something, like Charlotte did, to look better under the robes.

    And it was interesting Keeny got the festoon necklace to wear. Maybe Kate isn’t so close to gone as we think if she’s being lent such pieces.

    • Chloe says:

      I don’t know. To me it does look like she’s wearing a different dress. Wearing a cape under a cape makes no sense to me. The neckline on the dress to the coronation was all the way to her neck, whereas this one is a low V. And the neckline was also embroidered. The embroidery on this dress also seems slightly different than the one on the coronation dress.

      When it comes to the headpiece/ tiara debacle she definitely got back at Camilla because in these pictures it looks as if she’s wearing a tiara.

      • Becks1 says:

        The embroidery at the bottom of the skirt is the exact same, so my guess is that she did wear some kind of capelet under the robe during the ceremony and then took that off and replaced it with the necklace.

      • Rapunzel says:

        The shoulders look like the same dress to me. And her having a caplet makes sense. It’d match Charlotte. It’d cover the neck to prevent it being obvious she wasn’t wearing crown jewels (if she didn’t have the festoon necklace for the ceremony).

        It would also fit with my theory that the robes were a last minute addition. That Kate wasn’t expecting the robe when she originally planned the outfit.

        I have a tinfoil tiara theory that Kate got the robes last minute because Camilla (in charge of the event) wanted to take away Kate’s ability to upstage her with her clothes. Maybe that had something to do with W&K being late?

      • Ameerah M says:

        The embroidery is different and the neckline on the dress she wore to the ceremony is higher. All the way to the neck. Capes don’t fit like that.

      • Chloe says:

        I just looked again and it’s definitely a different dress. The picture in this tweet shows that there is absolutely no cape visible and it’s highly unlikely she wore one https://twitter.com/pagantrelawney/status/1655885282548260864?s=46&t=go8er6q0DFQzENlMjeLHGQ

      • Becks1 says:

        @Chloe I cant see tweets on here lol and I don’t care enough to look at my phone. It’s possible it was two dresses, they just look the same to me with a capelet, especially one like she wore when in Norway. But she would not be above commissioning two almost identical dresses that really no one is going to see (since the first dress is covered by that huge cape, and the second dress was only at BP for the portraits.)

      • First comment says:

        @Chloe , judging by the photo, I completely agree with you: it’s definitely a different dress!!! No detachable cape, no way…

      • Sam says:

        @chloe 👏
        Yes, they are TWO DIFFERENT dresses! Also: KP leaked the dress information to the press, if the dress had a cape then KP would have lied.

      • halfpint says:

        I read a theory that it’s the same dress for both… it’s just that she is wearing the dress backwards for the coronation. Apparently she has done this type of thing before? 🤷

      • MrsH says:

        If she truly had two different custom dresses for this crap show then that is absolutely ridiculous and wasteful. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if she did either because their whole motto around this event seems to be ‘let them eat cake’.

      • Lorelei says:

        It is so, SO on-brand for Kate to have two nearly-identical-in-most-ways, exorbitantly expensive dresses made, each to be worn for only a few hours.

      • Nic919 says:

        Amanda Matta had pictures on her IG and it is a different dress. They never describe a cape when they first describe her dress with the Royal Victorian Order cape and it wouldn’t make sense to wear a dress with a cape and then add the RVO cape over it.

        Plus the V neck is similar to a black McQueen dress she wore to a state dinner, I believe the first time she wore the family order. And the embroidery is different up top.

        Kate is going to spend as much Duchy money as she can. Seeing as how the actual queen only had one dress that day and Kate had two, it’s clear she thought she was doing something.

  10. Well either King Camzilla strikes again or the photographer didn’t know or they set her up. I would go with evil Camzilla but you never know.

  11. Nic says:

    Seeing Cam’s portrait made me breathe a huge sigh of relief for Meghan and her children. They are above this BS.

    But also came here to say that the portrait of Charles and Camilla is so ridiculous. Why are they smiling like it’s a Halloween party? Shouldn’t they look more serious? Regal? Something?!?

    • Seraphina says:

      That’s the cat that ate the canary grin they both have. And they look silly. All them. But jokes on them, the entire reign of Charles is plagued by and will be plagued by their karma. I hope they enjoy.

  12. HamsterJam says:

    What would we do without the black people to literally hold up the candles with their heads.

  13. SAS says:

    Wow, against C&C’s careful plans, Kate’s weird headpiece does actually look like a giant tiara, mission accomplished. They really must hate her lol.

    Weren’t those same lamps or whatever in that final pic of the queen and her white grandchildren? I’m sure they’ve been highlighted in pics before, these people dgaf!

    • Seraphina says:

      I was thinking the same exact thing: Kate looks like she is wearing a tiara here and well, yes, mission accomplished.

      • Lorelei says:

        This actually might be the first thing Kate has ever done that I admire! Camilla was petty to ban all of the other women from wearing tiaras, so Kate was petty right back and now it does in fact look like she’s wearing a tiara in the official photos. Well done, Kate!

        (Camilla will get her revenge, but for now, I’m enjoying it)

      • Nic919 says:

        The faux tiara reminds me of seagulls having digestive issues so I don’t know if she really won that one.

    • Jais says:

      I thought it was petty to restrict others from wearing tiaras. That said, the queen(Camilla😂) made that her wish and so Kate made her own. She looks like she’s wearing a tiara which would be going against Camilla’s wishes. I just don’t think Camilla would’ve cool with that but maybe she didn’t care.

      • Tessa says:

        Keen reminds me of Bette Davis as Julie in the film jezebel. Julie wore bright red when the rule was wearing white. Keen had to flout the rules

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Catty does whatever Catty wants – Cams plays the long game and plays it better than Catty and Ma so they’d better watch out. With this wannabe tiara and the lategate the knives are being sharpened. They’ve already trotted out the blame the kids excuse after trying to blame Chucky for being early. The fact that this story isn’t going away tells a lot – KP is scrambling and BP is keep their mouths shut for now.

  14. mia girl says:

    How can these get-ups be worn with a straight face in 2023? Charles and Camilla look utterly ridiculous. Like they picked up a couple of costumes at Party City.

    • JanetDR says:

      I don’t know why, but the photo of the 2 of them together looks the worst. Then the one of her alone.

    • Mary Pester says:

      To me, they have dressed them all in white (apart from Charlie) plonked some sparkles on them, dragged a couple of ornate rugs of the floor and plonked them on their shoulders. The men look asif they are playing at chocolate soldiers and the others look as if they have escaped from an old people’s home. I feel sorry for the dressers. They must have used a hell of a lot of wd40 to get those old bones moving.and Kates headdress looks like an old fashioned curtain tieback from the early 90s

      • Feeshalori says:

        WD-40, that truly cracks me up, Mary. After a certain age, you do need lubricant to get those joints working lol.

  15. Becks1 says:

    Like I said above I cannot believe they still have those statues on display at all at Buckingham Palace. BP where they hold receptions with world leaders and representatives from other countries on a regular basis, and they have those on display? What do you think some of the non-white visitors think when they see those?!?!

    I don’t think Kate was wearing the necklace at the ceremony, but it was hard to tell with that robe. I don’t think she changed her dress though, I think that’s the same one she was wearing. The necklace doesn’t quite go with the headpiece though and its hilarious to me because it just emphasizes that the headpiece isn’t diamonds.

    And again, in that portrait, its so obvious that Kate was going for the look of a tiara with that headpiece. She was really really ticked that it was a no-tiara event so she did what she could to get around it.

    why is Tim Laurence in the picture? he’s not a working royal.

    finally…..what an exciting and modern team supporting the monarch. The very picture of modernity!!!

    • Ohso says:

      They are not blackamoor candelabras

      https://twitter.com/sholamos1/status/1655805021232021505?s=61&t=VMkV890b08iz1m7h5WBWpw

      They are “weeping woman” in a classical style.

      • Becks1 says:

        1) I did not say they were blackamoor candelabras.

        2) the fact that so many people assumed they were is very problematic for the royals, especially considering that we know Camilla DOES have blackamoor statues in her house on display. So using something as similar in style to those statues in her official portrait is a choice. And it says a LOT (none of it good) that people were like yeah, racist art, that tracks.

      • Ohso says:

        You seemed to take it for granted that they were blackamoor candelabras since you were upset that they were on display for non-white visitors to the palace. I simply pointed out that they are not what you seemed to think they were.

      • Becks1 says:

        Okay – you did not respond to any other comment on here even though mine is about halfway down, so it seemed reasonable to think that you thought I said something I did not.

        Also see my point #2.

      • AlpineWitch says:

        They’re not strictly Classical reproductions either – the tweet you posted doesn’t lead to a museum curator or anything, it’s the BP website.

        Did you expect BP to admit they were made in black for some racist reason…. While the iconography is clearly inspired by a Classical Greek theme, there wasn’t any reason to have ordered them to be made in that colour.

    • tolly says:

      That headpiece does look like costume jewelry (which is what it is, to be fair) next to the crowns and serious jewels. This may be the most entertaining thing that Kate has ever done.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      Tim Laurence is not on the Royal Firm payroll but he does represent the Sovereign from time-to-time.

    • ArtFossil says:

      The candelabra in question were made for George IV when Prince Regent for Carlton House. The statues of the woman are black marble. https://www.rct.uk/collection/2717/the-weeping-women-candelabra

      To me, these are associated with Blackamoor art: the figures are subservient and supporting objects (the candelabra) and are weeping. The choice to execute them in black marble was both deliberate and anachronistic.

      But most importantly, the choice to display this art in a public state room and to feature them in a state portrait of the queen in 2023 is contemptible. To me, they are racist and should be in storage.

      • Jais says:

        Thanks for the perspective and the link@artfossil. You and alpinewitch are explaining this well

  16. manda says:

    That group shot is horribly framed. Why are they like 50 feet away? Why all that empty space around them?

    Also, why are Charles’s fingers soooooooooo sausage like? Like he was flying or just climbed a mountain, they look like they’re about to split open

    so many questions

    • lionel says:

      I wondered that about the group photo too, and then thought maybe the space is to accommodate the long robes? I agree that it’s awkward.

    • Dee says:

      Because they look better from far away?
      I skimmed an article about the photographer. Apparently, he had mere minutes to do all these shots and it shows. Should’ve done a full photo session in full dress the week of the coronation instead of having it on the day of.

  17. Malcolm says:

    It really does look like drag; expensive drag but drag none the less.

    The blackamoor statues are not a good look given the whiteness of everything else – but let’s be honest. Camilla has absolutely no idea they were there and I bet the consideration of why they might be deemed offensive is lost on her.

    I think this might truly be the beginning of the end.

  18. OzJennifer says:

    C&C look ridiculous in the Shiny Hats. The whole regalia just looks like poor quality dress-ups.

  19. Mirror says:

    Keen is cosplaying queen mother coronation outfit from brenda coronation. All of them look cheap including kate , kate cosplaying same jewelry as queen mother. One thing these rr whine about how royal photographer works and how they create timeless picture. This is huge embarrassment to see. In twitter they had side by side of brenda oh my goodness, brenda looks so regal and stunning. I cant believe I was looking at the picture from 70 years old. With the technology today this is not good picture plus Charles shade of purple is not good. He should go with dark purple like princess mary of Denmark outfit colour with white pants. Everything looks half ass. Camila hair with crown looks awful and its disgusting to see.

  20. Jais says:

    Any opportunity to repost this link of the guys who thought Charles was the queens man. One of my favorites.
    https://twitter.com/bookedbusy/status/1597554371528888320?s=46&t=Y0OeEXif8mMcMgPE2AExEQ

    • ThatsNotOkay says:

      “I thought it was going to…Harry’s brother.” lol!!!

    • Louisa says:

      That is fantastic!

    • Lorelei says:

      One of my favorite stories is how Meghan first thought that Andrew was the Queen’s assistant because he was holding her bag 😂

      These people HIGHLY overestimate how much anyone outside of the UK thinks/knows about them. Edward and Sophie could stroll down my block right now and I would be the absolute only person who even knew who they were.

  21. Miranda says:

    Princess Alexandra looks like her meds just kicked in. Good for her.

  22. Tessa says:

    Charles coronation garb does not fit quite right. The robes have a bathrobe look and the outfit underneath has a pajamas like look. Bad tailoring.

    • Renae says:

      C &C definitely look like they are ready for bed. He in pajamas (I bet there is a winnie-the-pooh thing somewhere on his jammies) and Cam has her nightie and robe on. One plus is someone put her in a better foundation garment than usual.

    • Lorelei says:

      Charles’s purple…thing reminds me of the door in Monica’s apartment on Friends. It’s the exact same color scheme and now I can’t unsee it.

  23. FancyPants says:

    Hypothetically speaking, who will be in this photo at Mad King Will’s coronation? Anne & the Edinburghs are likely going to be the only other working royals by then (or possibly living, as everybody else in this photo is >70 I think). He is gonna have to pull in random cousins and the Middletons just to fill the frame.

    • Duch says:

      Assuming it’s 10 years from now, I expect all his kids are in it, so that’s 3 right there. If it’s 20 yrs, there could be spouses too for one or more. Weird to think about.

      But yeah I don’t see how at least Beatrice is not looped in as a working royal. Maybe that’s why you didn’t see her talking to Harry, just Edo.

    • A says:

      I doubt it. He’ll probably be content to fill the frame with just himself, and Wiglet.

  24. Brassy Rebel says:

    Speaking as a 74 year old, “Let my people go!” This is just embarrassing. They should all be home with their feet up, having a pint or two. It’s not quite elder abuse, but it’s close.

    Good catch on the blackamoor statues. Pretty wild that it’s still being displayed. Even wilder that Camilla wants to proclaim her racism with her whole chest to the entire world.

    • Dara says:

      I’m guessing this is a “retirement photo” for all the elder peers. They served the Queen loyally for decades and they get one last hurrah with the new king before being thanked for their service with the royal equivalent of a gold watch and shuffled off stage into a quiet life. At least I hope that is what is going on. They’ve done their bit.

  25. Tessa says:

    Alexandra. The duke of Kent and prince michael are the only ones in the family who had parents who were both born royal. Their father was prince George duke of Kent and their mother princess marina. A royal in her own right
    Prince George’s brothers all married commoners

    • Blithe says:

      Well, Anne, Charles, and Edward. Glad that Andrew’s not in the pic. Prince Philip and QEll were both born royal — even if Elizabeth’s mother was not. Please correct, though, if I’ve got it wrong.

      • Tessa says:

        I was thinking more.in terms of the children of George v. Princess
        Marina was born a princess and stayed one. Philip was known as philip mountbatten and his family was exiled so he did not use prince title. Titles were bestowed on him later as princess Elizabeth’s family

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Phillip and Marina were both from the same Royal Family. Marina & Phillip were first cousins. Phillips father, Prince Andrew of Greece, and Marina’s father, Prince Nicholas of Greece were both sons of King George I of Greece and Queen Olga of Greece (born Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia).

        Marina’s immediate family was exiled at the exact same time as Philip’s immediate family.

      • BQM says:

        @tessa Philip was known as prince Philip of Greece until shortly before his engagement. He dropped it and took the name Lt Philip Mountbatten because of the xenophobia surrounding the queen marrying a foreigner. Despite his mother being born and raised in England, him spending most of his life in England, being in the British navy, his father being first cousin to George V etc.

    • Feeshalori says:

      Princess Alexandra is the most elegant royal lady in my book who could have taught a master class in dignity, grace and decorum. To see her propped up in that picture like she was an old drunk, and not given a chair befitting her age and frailty is so undignified and disrespectful to her. That is to say, if she wasn’t offered a chair but refused it.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Was offered a chair and refused it, is what I meant to say. And that goes for her brother the Duke of Kent as well who’s got to be in his 90s. Haven’t gotten through my 1st cup of coffee yet.

      • Sid says:

        ITA Fee. They could have come up with a more elegant solution than having the Wessexes hold her up like that. In the freaking official portrait! Chuck’s clowning was a circus from start to finish.

      • Princessk says:

        @Feeshalori….You obviously have not heard about the alleged 15 year affair she had with Prince Philip…..
        There was a reason she and Penny were two of the odd bods at his funeral.

      • Lorelei says:

        @PrincessK, what! I definitely had not heard the rumor about her and Philip!

        I was just thinking there are photos of her from not too long ago where she looks great, so either she deteriorated quickly, or she took too many meds or something that day. Either way, it’s gross and sad that they allowed these portraits to be released with her looking like that— let the woman retain some dignity.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        The Duke of Kent (born 1935) is 87 and will be 88 on 9 October 2023.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Actually, PrincessK, l heard ripples about that affair back in the day when I always thought Philip was faithful to the queen. Talk about your kissing cousins! But l always liked Alexandra nevertheless and am sad to see her in this state.

    • tamsin says:

      I think I said this on another post before this photo was covered, but I’m a bit outraged at the way they’ve allowed Princess Alexandra to be photographed. She is caught in a smile that makes her look gaga, and I think she is very poised and dignified. She is the late Queen’s cousin, and I believe she is the Duke of Kent’s sister. She spent her whole life as a working royal. These are obviously the “working” royals although I believe Princess Alexandra had announced either her retirement or that she was going to be doing fewer royal engagements some time ago- before the Queen’s passing, I believe.

    • Ohso says:

      Or as Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent referred to her sisters-in-law (daughters of the Earl of Strathmore and the Duke of Buccleuch) “those common Scottish girls” 😄

  26. ChillinginDC says:

    https://www.rct.uk/collection/2717/the-weeping-women-candelabra

    Doesn’t mention they are black.

    Also that official photo looks grim AF. Someone on Twitter said they look like Party City costumes and I cannot un-see it. All that money to look that cheap. They really should have gone modern for the coronation and none of this crap and just wear fancy crowns and tiaras later.

  27. MrsBanjo says:

    If she didn’t change dresses than she has some kind of dickie because the necklines are different.

    Of course, knowing she’s done this with blouses, it could be the same dress that she wore backwards for the service. It would be unsurprising.

    • SAS says:

      If I had to put money down, I would 100% choose option B as more likely: commissioned two bespoke embroidered McQueen gowns only with different necklines.

      Why get changed only to put the same dress on backwards when you could put on a whole new almost identical excruciatingly expensive dress. Not exactly a new move for her.

      • tolly says:

        Someone else pointed out that the portrait gown is an embellished white copy of a black McQueen gown that she already owns.

  28. Sid says:

    A mess. They should have had well-placed chairs on either side so that Princess Alexandra could sit, then have the Duke of Kent sit on the other side for balance. Or given Alexandra a nice pair of canes or something for support. Having the Wessexes prop her up like that looks goofy.

    • Feeshalori says:

      @Sid, I mentioned something similar upthread before I saw your comment. Totally agree.

  29. amyb says:

    I have always been fond of Princess Alexandra and it is very sad to her struggle so she could support the crown as she has for 70 years. The lazy Cambridges will wipe the Crown out – no one to work with them or want to enable them except an elderly Sophie and Ed.

  30. Amy Bee says:

    The pictures are terrible and Charles looks like he’s cosplaying a King. These photos have led people to say that there are too many old royals and that the Yorks and Wessex children should be drafted in. I love this for the Royal Family.

    • Princessk says:

      Charles normally dresses impeccably.
      I thought he totally missed it with this choice of strange clothing. He should have gone complete 18th century rather than half in half out.

  31. MoBiMom says:

    I don’t know, to me it is all channeling Monty Python, or a very special episode of “The Windsors”. The camera angle (and maybe the crooked crown?) in that official portrait of Charles produces a jaunty angle effect that really makes it look like a joke… including the slightly demented look on Charles’ face and that polyester purple schmatta he is wearing under his robe.

  32. Ohso says:

    I think you should remove the “blackamoor” comment as these candelabras are not depicting blackamoors. Here is a closeup

    https://twitter.com/ceebee_ceebee/status/1655691315726647298?s=61&t=VMkV890b08iz1m7h5WBWpw

  33. Chantal says:

    @Kaiser. C-Rex’ crown looked crooked to me too. Why didn’t anyone fix it?

    In the group photo, the Royals on one side are smiling more broadly (pretty much grinning) than the other side. Just saying… And what look is C-Rex going for – dazed and confused? His smile is better in the other photos. Special K’s tiara looks even more ridiculous.

    I hope whoever edited/photoshopped these pics got paid extra…

  34. Naomi says:

    I don’t think Camilla purposely had her portrait in front of the blackamoor art. If anything she simply didn’t notice it, or didn’t think it was problematic, or was just generally indifferent to where she was placed for the portrait. (It says enough that, whether or not she was pictured there, the blackamoor art is in the palace.) In this instance, I think it’s different than the situation with Princess Michael, who I think purposely wore that blackamoor brooch to the Xmas lunch when Meghan was there.

    To be clear: I’m not saying this makes the situation any better! Unintended or not, racism is racism!

    • Ohso says:

      There is also the fact that, as has been pointed out in a number of posts on this thread, those are not blackamoor statues.

  35. Sean says:

    That solo shot of Chuck looks like he drank a little too much at Medieval Times and decided to do the pricey cosplay photo opportunity because YOLO!

  36. AnneL says:

    To me Chuck and Cam are giving Weird Mardi Gras and not on a good way. Like they are on one of those parade floats sponsored by “secret societies” or whatever they are and the masks just turned out looking freaky.

    The least they could do is toss some beads.

    • Claire says:

      Lol you’re right on Charles, definitely Mardi gras vibes with whatever you call those purple and yellow pajamas

  37. Digital Unicorn says:

    As others have pointed out these are not blackamoor art, the are the Weeping Women candelabra in black marble:

    https://www.rct.uk/collection/2717/the-weeping-women-candelabra

    • Ohso says:

      Yeah it has been pointed out and is ignored. I do think she should add an addendum to the post.

      • Pozzolana says:

        (I’m replying to your comment responding to me below. My phone is glitching and won’t let me reply directly to that).

        My bad, you’re right. Looking at it closely, the weeping figures definitely look like the patinated bronze to me, and the gilt bronze is the gold looking part. The base of the candelabra (the cylinder-shaped thingy with the swags a bucrania) is the marble, I think.

    • Pozzolana says:

      Thanks for the link! It says they’re not actually marble, they’re patinated bronze– a very common material in Victorian-era dec arts (and also similar to the bronze sometimes used in the classical Greek sculptures these are emulating). From a distance they definitely look black (and even like Blackamoor figures), so I can understand people’s confusion. There is sooo much documented evidence that the British royal family is racist, but this argument about a candelabra ain’t it. Agreed that an addendum would show good faith effort in having a rational discussion.

      • Ohso says:

        They are marble and patinated bronze

        This is from the description:

        “patinated and gilt bronze with black marble”.

  38. Lili says:

    the stitching on Charles Lakers shirt is very poorly done, they had 6 months to get the clothing right

  39. SofiaInTX says:

    The crown looked crooked to me when I saw the photo to on the evening news. Camilla’s necklace is also off-center.

    • zinjazin says:

      Yep, where is all their staff and helpers? And otherwise even the photographer often helps if there is aomething off like hair in the face or the collar or something that needs to be adjusted.

  40. Margaret says:

    Alexandra being held up by Sophie and Eddie, is the happiest looking one up there. A couple of drinks and I bet she is the life of the party, she has the wild child look on her face.

  41. Wilma says:

    It looks like rich people cosplay. This coronation definitely killed off my positive feelings for the tradition (I used to research coronation rites back in the day). It’s just so ridiculous to me now.

    • MaryContrary says:

      I was a huge BRF nerd back in the days of Diana. I read all the books, knew who was related to who, could have beat everyone in the Jeopardy category of “Royals in the 20th Century.” And since Diana died, and then what happened to Harry and Meghan-ugh. I can’t believe I ever cared.

      • Wilma says:

        It’s the emperor has no clothes. When the ridiculousness and stupidity of it all hits you, you can’t ever unsee it. Petty, petty people trying to look important.

  42. Tate says:

    They all look so damn ridiculous.

  43. Chris says:

    Camilla is a racist. I’m fairly certain she was intentionally making a white supremist sign in one of those pictures at the garden party before the coronation. She is flagrant about it now because there’s nothing anyone can do. What a vile woman. She’s earned that face.

  44. Claire says:

    Ok so is it just me, or did anyone think this looks like a weird Mormon temple secret wedding ceremony attire at least from the women. Or like Handmaidens tale vibes. Everyone in the white shapeless gowns makes them look like they’re all about to be baptized or something. I think it’s worsened because they’re all standing in one row and also because other than will and Kate they’re all so old. I think it was a mistake not to have kids in the official photo. I guess because they’re not “working royals” and that is probably what they need to stick with now for cover to exclude Harry and Andrew, but leaving the kids out particularly highlights the monarchy for what it is – archaic and dying institution.

  45. Feeshalori says:

    Charles’ tunic reminds me of a purple pincushion I have.

  46. Lady Digby says:

    If KC lives as long as his mother then natural causes will winnow the “working” royals so by the time of the Wubbly , RF could just consist of WK plus offspring and white spouses living off the sweat of the workers(plus historic wealth generated by colonial exploitation and enslaved peoples.)
    Still an all white balcony in 2043?

  47. Lemons says:

    Could no one tell Charles that that horrid purple tunic looks like it came from Party City? Good lord…I despise it.

    • Princessk says:

      It is dreadful. What was Charles thinking? He is normally impeccably dressed.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        Charles needed to wear light grey trousers to get the maximum benefit of his cosplay costume.

      • Ohso says:

        Or the traditional white breeches and hose. If he didn’t want to go the whole way he should have come up with a different outfit altogether. He did wear the buckled shoes. He couldn’t have worn a uniform easily because he needed to strip down to his shirt for the anointing.

  48. Lionel says:

    The gowns are pretty, at least. Makes me wonder if the women’s robes at the service were a last-minute addition because of the rain? I’d want to protect that silk from raindrop spatters.

    • Lizzie says:

      I think K8 and Sophie’s robes were definitely a last-minute addition by the same person who banned them from wearing tiaras.

    • Ohso says:

      I like the Duchess of Gloucester’s gown. She usually gets it right.

  49. Plums says:

    God, it just looks and feels so pathetic. It’s like a senior care home went to a kingdom themed amusement park and put on costumes from a bin at one of those old timey photoshoot shops.

  50. QuiteContrary says:

    I was hoping that ArtHistorian would comment to clarify the statue thing. But no matter what, that background was a choice.

    And there are two ways this might have gone.
    1. It didn’t even occur to anyone at the palace that black statues might have sparked controversy and confirmed Camilla’s racism. Which is a problem, because they’ve now broadcasted their lack of concern for such matters.
    2. Or someone did say, “Hey, those statues might be confused for blackamoor figures, but who cares? It will be fun to troll everyone.” Which is also problematic.

    Either way, we know Camilla is a terrible racist, like others in that sorry excuse for a family. And the parchment-white photos do them no favors. Kate could have done a hundred costume changes and draped herself in all the royal jewels, but nothing would change how dreary these photos are.

    • equality says:

      Disregarding the statues, the background is busy. She has flowers coming out of her side, mirrors with reflected chairs and a crowded mantelpiece. All the other portraits have a simple background. Why not stay on theme?

    • Pozzolana says:

      I’m not ArtHistorian but I am an art historian. The figures are bronze. If you check the link posted above to the Royal Collection Trust you can see a close-up where they look, well, bronze in color. They definitely look black in the portrait of Camilla though. I find it the least surprising thing ever that nobody present for that photo stopped to think bronze statuettes might be questionable. They’re oblivious at best and pathologically uncaring at worst. And racist. We can all agree on that regardless of the candelabra.

  51. Mina says:

    Hahahah! These portraits look pretty sad and gimmicky, too over the top and outdated. I saw the pictures and wondered who would be in William’s “working” monarchy once Charles is no longer around. Harry won’t be, and all of these people will likely be dead or really old when the time comes.

    • Normades says:

      His kids. His poor kids.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Normades, I feel so sorry for them. I hope that somehow, over time, all three of them figure out a way to bolt and GTFO of that “family.”

        I know some people disagree or get upset at the suggestion of any of W&K’s kids fleeing to Montecito, but I don’t think Harry would hold it against his nephews and his niece that their parents were POS; Harry knows better than anyone that one can’t control the fact that a parent is an asshole. I think both he and Meghan would welcome any of them if the day ever came that they wanted out.

        These three kids are going to have access to SO MUCH information that previous generations never did, thanks to the internet. They’ll have options. Hopefully.

    • tamsin says:

      There’ll be just William and his three kids. He should thank Kate for having the third child. Of course he could try to conscript his cousins, like the Queen did, the her cousins weren’t all middle-aged when they started.

    • Claire says:

      Do we honestly think there will be much of a monarchy left by then? Even if there is, maybe they won’t need as many royal second cousins going around cutting ribbons. Maybe the public doesn’t even care about that anymore. If Beatrice, Eugenie, Louise, James etc. want a role, William should also prob let them have one – that’s what the queen herself did. She only had one sibling, and she basically enlisted her cousins to be working royals because at least at the time, there was enough interests in even minor royals showing up to events to call for it.

  52. Gabby says:

    I really detest that wallpaper behind them. Are they required to keep it for historical reasons or something? It’s what one would expect to see when visiting Satan’s whorehouse.

  53. Beach Dreams says:

    No that’s definitely a different dress on Kate. More pictures circulating show that even the embroidery at the bottom is different from that of the dress she wore at the ceremony. Also…yikes at how thin/frail she appears in that group photo. She looks like the slightest breeze will knock her over.

  54. BeanieBean says:

    Charles’ purple pajama top is so cheap looking. And I feel having Sophie & Ed prop up Princess Alexandra is so alarming–like dammit, you will stand up here & have your photo taken. She does have a big smile though, so I hope she’s OK.

  55. Rackel says:

    Camilla is accused of not respecting different cultures. Those statutes are meant to represent a sophistication and worldly view. All it does is remind us how much of a small fish she is. Has she ever taken a trip that went okay. The closes was Germany but I don’t think she did/went anything/where.

  56. Decowell says:

    When I saw the group picture my first thought was, “That’s odd, they’ve got Sophie & Edward seperated” but then I noticed they were holding up the elderly lady between them. That’s so bad that they didn’t give her a chair but tracks with this family. I hope she didn’t have to stand long.

    No one could fix Charles’ tunic when he was sitting? He’s the King! Where are his people to straighten him out? I don’t understand having all of those resources (money and human) and still getting it wrong for something like this.

  57. HeyKay says:

    The more pics I see of C&C in their costumes the more foolish it all becomes.

    C&C are both in their 70’s, a lot of the “senior” RF are close to that also.
    Anne, her hubby, Andrew is on the back burner, Edward and Sophie are seat fillers, their kids plus Andrews girls, Mike and Zara all not strong or charming like Harry. No star power.
    The Queens team are all elderly, 70-80’s
    Chuck is going to have few RF he can call up from the bench in 5 years time.
    Good! Serves C&C right. Karma is a bi*ch and I hope she comes after C&C both like a hurricane!

    Btw, no snark from me on G, C, L, or Zaras kids. Minor children are off limits, their just kids stuck in this odd situation.

  58. M says:

    So the statues are crying black women, and that’s better? Absolutely a message here.

  59. Normades says:

    So old, white and pasty. Imagine the pop this picture would have if H&M were sill in.

  60. Btek says:

    Charles is giving Prince John (cartoon version)

  61. Elizabeth Phillips says:

    I like the embroidered dogs on Camilla’s gown. Too bad neither are rottweilers, though.

  62. Well Wisher says:

    Clearly the idiom ” It is what it is” applies in the presentation.

  63. j.ferber says:

    Tessa, I love your Bette Davis reference (greatest actress of all time imo). BUT, Bette Davis was punished severely for her rebellion. Another woman married Henry Fonda AND when Henry got malaria, Bette had to go with him into the swamps of another country (I’m a little foggy on this part) to nurse him back to health, against all odds. I’d love that for Kate. Of course, she doesn’t deserve Henry Fonda sick or well, but she does deserve to nurse someone with malaria in the swamps of some mosquito-ridden country. Then she can truly say she SERVED.

  64. Fifty-50 says:

    This post is amazing. I’ve been refreshing periodically because I’m home sick and the people who’ve come out of the woodwork to defend Camilla’s portrait— I guess Charles and Camilla are still worried about the name of that royal racist.

    These aren’t your usual “kaTe iS sOoO reGaL!!!” commenters. Orders were given, it seems, to ensure the side piece is very much not identified as racist.

    • Fifty-50 says:

      You know what? I’m going to call it. I’m going to say Camilla is The Royal Racist.

      They are all racist and they are all royal racists. But she is The Royal Racist who is afraid of being officially outed by Harry and Meghan.

      Because if she had been outed as the Royal Racist, she would never have become Queen. She would have to remain Queen Consort. She wouldn’t get her victory lap. She would be the woman who tortured Diana AND Meghan, and the British public would have no problem believing that, and have no problem turning their backs on her.

      She’s taken great pains not to be directly associated with it, and this bizarre appearance in the comments section of random people defending her to the death about the blackamoor candelabra— I actually don’t care that they’re not “technically” blackamoor, I care that this accusation got someone so riled up they decided they needed to deploy people online to vociferously assert how Not Blackamoor it is. Charles would not have written a letter to Meghan about William. He would have written a letter for his dearly beloved side piece.

      So I’m going to cast my vote for Camilla as the Royal Racist.

      • SAS says:

        Yep, I’m here too. “The Queen” is THE Royal Racist. After not naming her in the Oprah interview, the press became rabid at the idea of Harry “attacking” her in Spare yet she barely rated a mention. Everything adds up.

    • Fifty, I think both of your comments are spot on!

  65. Julianna says:

    I just cannot believe this whole circus.

    Yes… not only does Charles crown look crooked but look how they “magnamously” layered Charles robes but then literally looks like they just flopped Camzillas on the ground and then let Louis straighten it and kick it around a bit
    They look like absolutele clowns in those costumes.

    And then can anyone seriously be surpised with the middleton woman showing up in a literal giant tin foil tiara???? How can this woman not be embarrassed??? And yes. I certainly think she purchased two gowns for this occasion. Someone said well why would she? Well, why would you go and have a huge tin foil sequined tiara specially made when they tell you “no tiaras” They all look ridiculous.

    The Wales running late to the coronation to make it all about themselves with their fan cam lol (desperately trying to copy the Sussex..) ???!!! The fact they were relegated off to the side of the balcony with camzillas family next to them.

    And did Camzilla purposely take the picture with that in the background? Was this intentional? These people are disgusting.

  66. K says:

    They all look so stupid to me. Adults playing dress-up, out of touch with the rest of the world.

    • Anna says:

      If someone managed to dress me like that and put a crown on my head I would not be able to pose for pictures with a straight face

  67. j.ferber says:

    Julianna, love how you called Khate “the Middleton woman.” I’ll be calling her that from now on.

  68. tamsin says:

    Yes, I do think Charles’s crown looks like it is not sitting straight.

  69. HuffnPuff says:

    I think the no tiara rule came from Charles via Anne. She hates wearing dresses and jewelry so a tiara was out of the question. And if everyone else had one but her, now how would that look? Her husband shouldn’t be in the photo according to the rules. He is not a working royal. See how they get caught in their lies? And right in public!

    Other than that, if this is the future of the crown, it won’t last long. Over half these folks are ancient. Plus, how could they possibly be relatable to the populace? Their generation is getting smaller year after year. Looking at the few “young” folks in the photo, they are so out of touch they don’t have much to offer either. Too bad their egos made them run off the only royal family members who could have shown them the way to modernize.

    • Claire says:

      To be honest, I don’t think Anne gaf whether or not other people wore tiaras. I think since she had this guard role or whatever it’s called she would have been wearing that uniform and hat with feather no matter if the other women worse tiaras or not.

  70. Klaw says:

    It looks like retirement home cosplay. Just entirely out of touch and silly.

  71. Carolind says:

    3The order about the banning of the tiaras came from the King. He banned them because of the straitened times in which we are living. He gave Princess Anne the greatest possible honour by letting her protect him and by having her standing next to him in the photos. Princess Alexandra might be an old lady now but on her honeymoon a photographer with long lens took some very interesting outside photos of the newly married couple. They were never published.

  72. j.ferber says:

    Carolind, Not sure of your tone: are you being serious or snarky? The king banned tiaras because of the straitened times they’re living in, yet spent 150 million pounds on his party? Really?

  73. ales says:

    What a motley looking bunch. Nothing regal or elegant here, more like a parody. Khate is definitely wearing another dress, the one under the cape had a high neckline. Nothing more enjoyable than rubbing the peasants noses in your superiority and your excessive spending. It was clever how she was placed one step down to stop her taking over and dominating the photo. Her sense of entitlement and belief in her own superiority above all others, seems to have been reined in for this photo.

  74. j.ferber says:

    ales, I agree– Kate was put a step down from William so her 12 inch heels wouldn’t have her towering over him, too, as she would have liked. What is WRONG with her? What is wrong with them all? It’s certainly a race to the bottom with this bunch– and the bottom keeps dropping lower.

  75. DrFt says:

    These people look crazy

  76. Bubblegum Dreams says:

    Why is his crown tilted like that. Looks like he is cosplaying an old ass gangster-pimp. That purple outfit fits right in with that image.