Prince William’s kitchen busywork shows that he’s back to ‘business as usual’

Prince William’s first event in a month keeps looking worse and worse with each passing day. Not only did Surplus to Supper’s head chef Mario Confait give William the stinkeye in nearly every photo, we can now see that every part of William’s visit to the kitchen was a complete farce. The stovetop was not even turned on, and a hairnet-free and ungloved William was fully grabbing one of the pots which was supposedly being used for cooking. William just turned up in a kitchen and posed for “action” pics where he pretended to know what he was doing. The only time Chef Confait looked happy was when the southpaw prince was handling a knife with his right hand. LOL. Anyway, this awkward busywork was declared a massive success by the royal reporters, and Dick Fitzwilliams even claimed that William’s appearance shows that Princess Kate is doing well and it’s “business as usual.”

Kate Middleton’s recovery is “going well” with Prince William sending the public a message by getting back to normality, an expert has said.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said the “well-timed” appearance proves the royals are on their way back to normality. He told The Sun: “Royals realise that every single thing they do sends a message in one way or another. It wasn’t just a question of appearing with George at an occasion that was enjoyable. It was a question of sending a signal that it was business as usual – as far as that was reasonable to be expected. If Catherine had been there, it would have been fantastic, but no one is expecting that. People wouldn’t expect that after her video message, which I think is the bravest ever on a health issue by a public figure in Britain.”

Royal expert Fitzwilliams said William’s appearance sent a message that he and Kate are well on their way to resuming royal duties. He said: “We know William is going back to royal duties shortly. The royal family obviously needs him. This was an important appearance, simply in the sense that it was what one would call normal. Obviously, with the royal family very little is actually normal at the moment. He is clearly looking after the children as far as feasible. I mean, it’s a burden William has. It sent this message that things some things are going on, more or less as normal. On the other hand, we know they’re not, and we know it’s a very difficult time.

“He and Catherine are attached to some 50 or so patronages – for example, mental health or homelessness, or the Earthshot prize. They know perfectly well there’s this tremendous cachet when either of them are attached to a particular institution or cause. Polls have made absolutely clear where the public support lies, and the fact that they are so highly regarded.”

[From The Sun]

It really shouldn’t be a situation where royal flunkies are trying to read the tea leaves and claim that Kate is on the mend. It’s been nearly five full months since Kate has been seen in public and they still haven’t figured out that the best strategy would be: William saying “Catherine is going to be fine, thank you for asking, she’ll be back in no time.” So the question is: why has William never done that? Even when the palace briefs that Kate is fine and William is just MIA for no reason, we find out later that they were lying. So are they simply trying to avoid William saying something on the record, because we’ll find out later that it was a lie? Related to that, William’s refusal to publicly confirm that Kate is recovering sort of leaves the impression that her condition has not improved whatsoever, or that her health is in serious decline.

Also: on Friday, William attended a private memorial service for Mike Sadler. There were very few photos of it, but all of the British outlets managed to get a couple.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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114 Responses to “Prince William’s kitchen busywork shows that he’s back to ‘business as usual’”

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  1. Anna M says:

    The bar is so low for this man so much so that he’s literally lying down. Since Meghan wore an Apron and wrote a best seller, William is stuck in the kitchen, many think he’s in competition with Harry but I think he is in competition with Meghan whom he sees at someone who came in and took his right wing man away. He seems to want to one up Meghan in the kitchen at every turn.

    • Tessa says:

      William bullied the wingman for years. He imo forced him out

      • Honeybee says:

        I literally thought you gave a new nick name for kate ‘wigman’. Wig + her feminine-free manly body = wigman. But within few seconds i realised my mistake.

      • BQM says:

        “Feminine fee manly body” seems a bit cruel towards someone dealing with a serious health issue.

    • Cessily says:

      The entire thing was just horrible.. he needs better stage manager. This man is president of the BAFTA’s surely he can find someone🤷🏻‍♀️. The world is now looking closely at every detail about this couple, and this is what they choose to put out there and then have the audacity to have the propaganda team member write about it as a success is hilarious, 😂 and the people on social media aren’t the only ones laughing.

      • Concern Fae says:

        But anyone good would expect him to actually follow their advice. That will never happen, so no one wants the hassle or the reputation hit.

      • Cessily says:

        @ConcernFae and that right there is what will destroy the monarchy faster than anything else.. his arrogance and incompetence are front and center on the world stage. IMO He has become the real life version of “The Emperor wore no clothes” to bad he hasn’t realized it yet.

      • PotatoPuff says:

        Yeah, the whole performance doesn’t deliver. Let’s presume that he hires an advisor who actually has their finger on the pulse and gives him sensible advice (a stretch of the imagination, given the palace’s track record, but go with me here).

        The main issue is that William believes he knows best, and is noncompliant to suggestions. Constructive criticism? Forget it. William’s ego takes center stage, always and forever.

    • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

      I agree Anna M! William has been obsessed with Meghan since Harry told him that he was dating her. I’ve long believed that William has an unhealthy “attraction” for Meghan which is why Kate copies Meghan’s style constantly and why he became so unhinged over her, he wants her and knows that he can never have her. IMHO, this also explains why William is in constant competition with Harry, he’s trying to prove to himself that he’s every bit the man that Harry is (he isn’t) and that Meghan would love him if only Harry weren’t around (she wouldn’t).

      • Anna M says:

        @Harla, well put. He’s obsessed with Meghan and jealous that she outshined the royals when it comes to work and productivity. The reason why he’s jealous with Harry too is that Harry ended up with his TV crush who is not only drop dead gorgeous but also an amazing woman overall. So, whenever he sees her doing anything, he gets out working and copying her hoping she’ll notice that he too is worthy of his love and affection. So, the heir is busy trying to please and impress his SIL, to win her adulation and hoping to take her away from his brother . Ain’t that something!

      • Anna M says:

        Trying to prove that he too (William), is worthy of her love (Meghan’s), and affection. Correction, lol

      • Jaded says:

        I agree, and I think his *attraction* went so far as him saying something vulgar or suggestive to her that she shut down in an instant and likely told Harry. The way Willbur looked Meghan up and down at her wedding was disgusting, like she was a piece of meat.

      • windyriver says:

        I agree about his overall attitude towards Meghan, but unlike FL, looks like it’s not yet polo season in England, so cooking it is. Note too Surplus to Supper meets the requirement of being within the usual distance the Wales have been willing to travel for appearances the last few years; less than 15 miles from Windsor, and only slightly longer to London (basically midway between the two).

    • Rnot says:

      Eh, he’s disturbingly obsessed with Meghan, but there are photos of him “cooking” in an apron dating all the way back to his teenage years. It’s a recurring theme from long before Meghan came on the scene. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/794020.stm

  2. Jes says:

    The chef was *not* playing along and kind of love it.

    • Did anyone notice that the burners were not on under the pots? Those are gas burners and you would see blue flame. Just one big photo op.

      • Becks1 says:

        No flame, he’s touching the pot (that should be hot), no hairnet or gloves as he’s handling food (I know gloves aren’t always required but would
        Have been a good touch), etc. just one big farce of a photo op and it’s getting called out as such.

        The royal sycophants can’t silence the people on social media laughing at him.

      • pottymouth pup says:

        if you look at the knobs on the range, it’s clear the burners weren’t turned on (so they can’t even claim the reason you can’t see the flame is because it was set low to simmer)

      • Eurydice says:

        I wouldn’t want him next to any open flames.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        He has gotten so brazen with the photo ops. The whole thing is a damn lie. He is just pretending to cook for the camera. The total lack of authenticity is just a smack in the public’s face.

      • Jais says:

        Ha! Yes, I don’t even think the people organizing these photos wanted him near an open flame.

      • CatMum says:

        They were probably concerned that he might catch himself on fire.

      • Gabby says:

        With no hairnet or gloves, his sloughing skin cells are leaking royal DNA into the soup so it’s “magical” (if that’s not an empty pot all for show, that is).

      • Caribbean says:

        Careful, you might be seeing too much…this might get the chef removed from the timeline and everything being altered, photos retaken, etc. We then will be told that we should apologize for seeing what we saw.

      • PotatoPuff says:

        OMG these pictures are so embarrassing!!!!!!!

      • goofpuff says:

        Wills wasn’t even holding the knife correctly and was just asking to cut himself.

    • Jay says:

      @Eurydice “I wouldn’t want him next to any open flames” OMG🤭

  3. Tessa says:

    More poor poor William stories. Carole and a nanny probably look after the children. He took George only to the game so the younger two were being cared for by someone else.

    • Jan90067 says:

      “He is clearly looking after the children as far as feasible. I mean, it’s a *burden* William has”

      Awwww poor widdle Willie! He has *such* a *burden*, being with his children… lolol. AS IF he’s getting them up in the morning, getting them out the door, packing lunches, etc. Frankly, I’m seriously doubting those kids even *are* at school at this point. I was a 3rd/4th Gr teacher for 30 yrs. I KNOW 8-10 yr olds. There is NO WAY a kid wouldn’t be talking to other kids about their mom if she was sick. Yet not *one* leaked* word* about Kate from a kid/parent/school worker etc.

      I’m still of a mind that Kate is not “with us” anymore… it’s just a matter of time before it’s announced she’s not doing well, and then…. we hear that she passed. I *know* I’m not the only one that thinks this.

      • Becks1 says:

        What does “as far as feasible”
        Mean?? He’s not doing anything else. Sorry even a one hour photo op doesn’t prevent him from being with the kids since they’re in school.

        The press has dropped a few crumbs over the last few weeks that really solidify the theory that William isn’t staying with the kids.

      • Libra says:

        @jan; it is extremely difficult to hide a dead body while the whole world is watching. Too many people are involved. Not even the king and POW have that kind of power. Laws, etc.

      • Libra says:

        Forgot to add that I believe Kate is alive and well and will not appear in public until she is good and ready. She is taking a page from Camillas’ handbook; how to play the long game.

      • Liz says:

        Jan I think you are totally right. This is exactly what’ll happen. They have unlimited wealth and power at their disposal to cover up what has actually happened.

        And people in their orbit will go along with it with various ‘deals’ put in place.

      • Eurydice says:

        @Libra – I agree, and I feel this way about grand conspiracies in general. Conspiracies require intelligence, intense coordination, limited access and a level of secrecy of which humans are not capable. The Kensington clown car can’t even manage one coherent story, let alone hide a dead body for months.

        The simplest answer is to extend W&K’s prior behavior to their current situation. Kate does the bare minimum even when she’s well, there’s no reason she won’t be that way now. The same with William – he’s always been lazy, erratic and scattershot. It just more obvious now because this is a time when he should act differently.

      • Angelica+Schuyler says:

        @Jan90067 I agree with you completely. Where is Kate? It all stinks. William acts like he should get a medal for looking after his own children (which I also doubt he is actually doing). Millions of people all over the world (including me) do the school run with their kids and then go on to their jobs and work a full day five or more days a week. He shouldn’t get accolades for that.

        Congressman Jamie Raskin was diagnosed with cancer and still served as a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee while undergoing chemotherapy and rarely missed a vote. So where’s Kate? If she’s even still alive, she’s a lot worse off than they are publicly saying. If not, why not have her do a brief live, in-person, public appearance? Not some AI, fuzzy, manipulated video of Pippa, or a look-alike, but KATE. Live in the flesh. For a few minutes. She could wave to the public, accept a few get well cards and flowers from some fans, and then get back in the car and be whisked away. But why haven’t they done this?

        Is it that they can’t? Was that Spanish journalist correct?

        William is a joke. Kate is sick and he can’t work? Please. – Unless he’s the cause of her incapacitation? Does he look so terrible because guilt is eating away at him?

        Honestly. Why does the BM & BRF think the public is so stupid that we can’t employ common sense to see that this story doesn’t add up…..

      • Jaded says:

        She is not dead, she has bolted post surgery/nervous breakdown/DV/whatever and is holding out for a fair settlement. If William was involved in some sort of DV *incident* with her you can bet she’s dangling that over his head in order to be treated like the PoW, wife of the FK and mother of the FFK. William is boxed into a corner — he clearly wanted out of the marriage but is now forced to bide his time until she recovers from whatever happened, and Kate will continue to not appear publicly for months to come until it’s safe to announce a mutually agreed-upon separation/divorce.

      • Mslove says:

        I don’t know about divorce, but I think Keen is negotiating for perks when she becomes queen one day. You know Carole wants to go to all the State Banquets and wear QEII’s jewels.

      • First comment says:

        As I posted yesterday, I don’t think Kate is dead but she’s definitely incapacitated because of something terrible that had happened back to December… and her life was probably online for a while, thus the lack of the usual embiggening during her birthday. Anyway, she’s probably recuperating too slowly and she’s needing special care and help…a few days ago, there was an article about renovations in adelaide cottage, necessary for Kate’s recovery…the article has been removed…the palace doesn’t want anything published close to the truth!

      • Tessa says:

        Libra. Kate is not at all clever to play long games. Imo.she is very insubtle.what is going on now seems very sinister.

      • DianaTheArcher says:

        The oldest profession is not prostitution, it is blackmailing.

        It’s useful to have a blackmailed person in a position of power. You yank their chain and they perform.

        A ton of UK & US politicians are only in power today because someone *more powerful* KOed their competition install a leashed person in the seat.

        Look up how Auzzie Murdoch came into such an empire compared to his industry peers and who invested. There’s a credible thesis there that his Tabloids were conceived from Day 1 as Blackmail Operation Infrastructure, and when it accidentally functioned as news that was just a bonus.

        I have no idea what’s really happening with Kate but I would not be surprised if the greater old guard is helping to cover up an enormous secret.

        Because the oldest profession inside gov, adversarial to gov, and in the private sector…

        is Blackmail.

      • rosa mwemaid says:

        First, comment, It doesn’t make sense, if they are back at Adelaide cottage because the children are back at school the last thing that Kate needs is the builders in. And how long do they expect her to be ill, Not until after the builders are finished?? The story itself has to be untrue.

  4. Islandgirl says:

    Fitzwilliam is totally correct. It is business as usual.
    Everything is fake and let’s pretend.
    This is their usual.

    • Interested Gawker says:

      This is the crux of the matter. The Frankenphoto was exposed as the most egregious example of KP faking an image/event said to have happened, not the only one. There were previous image pastiches palmed off as actually having occurred as royal family events given to the news wires.

      “Trying to move on.”
      “Business as usual.”

      This leaping over their sins as an institution caught falsifying information, I believe, will not last indefinitely. It dovetails with the harassment of Sussex projects and the Sussexes themselves as well as the various court cases Harry brought against the British tabloid newspapers. It’s interconnected which means the zeal to avoid a serious look at their behaviour might start unraveling EVERYTHING if they don’t succeed and multiple parties absolutely do not want that. I don’t know who will tease out the strand that blows it all up but Kate going dark is a part of this situation that I believe none of them anticipated happening and the attempt to mitigate the public’s interest in hat part may be the key to barreling EVERYTHING to the light of day.

  5. Anna M says:

    He’s not only cooking but cooking with a person of color, cosplaying as usual.

    • Lady Digby says:

      It was widely reported that this was FK’s first event in a month. Until Kate Mansby explained in an article about private schools having a month off at Easter instead of just 2 weeks that state schools allow, I had no idea that they had 19 weeks off for private school holidays instead of the 13 weeks at state schools. So these parents have a month off at Christmas and Easter followed by 2 months Summer vacation and a week off for each half term. It seems to be that with such an existing light schedule FK could take on some extra duties to fulfill his role as heir and provide cover her dad? Why is this article applauding him for doing so very little and having the gall to claim that looking after his own children must be a burden? Not impressed with all this film flam about an heir lacking substance and true grit being spun as God’s gift to the peasantry. Chef and Michael Steen giving Willie the stink eye are sufficient commentary for me!

      • Tessa says:

        It’s another case of blaming the children
        Like the photo shopping and Kate allegedly saying she wants the children to look their best

  6. Tessa says:

    William is lazy as usual. And the writer praising him for taking care of children is too much. Parents take care if children and not only that have real jobs to pay for food and housing and medical expenses and negotiations with medical insurance companies.

  7. A says:

    Leaning into the anxiety stories feels like the best way to go at this point. Let’s be honest Williams a control freak who’s completely lost control. He thought they could get away with putting out fake pictures, and videos of Kate while she recovers and that be the end of it. Turns out running around trying to be a global statesman, means dealing with the global media who won’t cater to your every demand, and might even call BS when your stories make no sense!

  8. Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

    Abolish the monarchy and release all of them from the awful “burden” facing them. Abolish the monarchy and let’s see what they would make of their lives, what career they would choose, how would they behave when no longer protected by laws enacted specifically for them and by a press who covers up their misdeeds. Abolish the monarchy and be done with all this nonsense.

  9. Jensa says:

    They have around 50 patronages between them? Isn’t that pathetically low?

    • Magdalena says:

      It’s also a blatant lie by Fitzwilliam. Kate had around 8 at the time when 2 went bust due to lack of funding. There’s no way she has gained a ton since then. And William has at most a dozen, if that. 50 is a pipe dream. It’s another way these royal reporters just drop seemingly innocuous lies into stories and the public accepts it as fact.

      • BQM says:

        It’s actually not a lie. William has more than 40 and Kate about 30. It’s pathetically low given what a non monarch like Philip had or Anne has and one can argue how much they actually *do* for them. But they definitely have more than 50 between them.

    • goofpuff says:

      It is really low compared to the other royals. And its not like Wills and Kate show up to them or do anything for the charities. Maybe once every 15 years.

  10. Miipmorp says:

    Legit question- what options do you have if you are born into a position like his, but absolutely do not want to do this sort of work and it’s killing your soul? Would you never have the chance to be happy as an actuary or something, if that turned out to be your thing that you liked doing?

    • Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

      I think it would depend on the institution structure, for instance, King Willheim of the Netherlands used to regularly pilot commercial planes because he loved flying. It wasn’t announced when he would be flying and I remember how shocked people were when it came to light. Queen Maxima used to work in finance and now as Queen works with the UN on micro loans and financial issues facing women. Personally, I think that the BRF has a set-up that forces its members, especially the heirs, to sublimate any personal desire and instead focus their efforts solely for the institution. It would explain why these people are so unhappy, so jealous and so nasty. If the institution could find a way for its members, especially the heirs, to follow their dreams while also doing their royal “work”, the British monarchy would be a much healthier institution.

      • Mairzy Doats says:

        Harla ABH — You’re spot on when you say, “ the BRF has a set-up that forces its members, especially the heirs, to sublimate any personal desire and instead focus their efforts solely for the institution.” In that context, this all makes sense (in a sick and sad way).

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I think the issue with the BRF is that it operates like a cult, not a firm/family. And there is no place for the individual in the cult.

      • Berkeleyfarm says:

        He still pulls shifts as a KLM pilot to keep his hours up for his license. I suspect he gets some cockpit hours when he goes out of country on business as well. But yeah, he has a side gig that would be a respectable and renumerative full time job.

        The Dutch have been good on keeping the “spares” occupied as very part-time royals. It helps that they have a lot of money so a lot of it can be administration/etc. related.

        The BRF isn’t super good at that kind of thing. The only current “working royal” who really trained to have an independent career is the Duke of Gloucester who was originally the younger son and qualified as an architect.

    • Blithe says:

      Honestly? There are certainly others in royal families who have pursued their interests, their passions, their educations, and even careers. “This sort of work” is pretty broad and flexible. So one option is to, well, flex it. William’s father Charles, for example, has pursued many interests in the guise of Kinging, and pursued very different interests from those of his mother Elizabeth. Elizabeth had Philip, who chose to take on many tasks and responsibilities that then freed Elizabeth up to be available for others. So one option is to be nice to your family members so that the actual things that are required of a monarch in a role somewhat determined by the monarch are limited to essentials. And, of course, there’s always abdication— which comes with a price and consequences, but then, most things do.

      Realistically, there probably are some careers that don’t mesh well with being a monarch, or that might even be unethical, but there’s also flexibility. In William’s case, IMO, some of the issues are less about being born into a position like his — and more about being born into a family like his, with the expectations that they have attached to the role. If William had chosen a serious military career, or wanted to be an actuary, he could have done his thing — albeit with modifications. An issue with William though, is that he doesn’t seem to be doing much work — or even much “work” — at all.

      • windyriver says:

        A big part of the issue is that Will, unlike Charles or Philip, doesn’t have any discernable interests outside of what would be categorized as lesisure time interests – supporting his favorite sports teams, drinking, and simply screwing around (literally and figuratively). Oh, and looking like he’s all that – your global statesman, for example – the operative word being, looking. In this regard he and Kate have had a lot in common, except he never had Kate’s need to have every camera pointed at her.

        Finding a way to make time for personal interests while also having to fulfill your designated role is a moot point if you don’t have interests to begin with. and what a boring life. I hope someone, be a nanny, teacher, or whoever is helping the children find things they care about in their lives.

  11. Amy Bee says:

    Kaiser’s analysis of William’s foodbank visit is hilarious. I didn’t pay enough attention to the video to see all the setups. It is a great example of how KP stages events. I can imagine the KP staff telling Meghan to do something fake like this and her refusing to do it hence being difficult.

    • SarahCS says:

      “Oh, you mean you actually want to HELP the peasants while you visit them? Err, I don’t think we’ve ever done that before. Let me check protocol.”

      (in a suitably posh and confused voice)

      • rosa mwemaid says:

        Nice one. I think you have hit the nail on the head, it is all for show, no heart in it for the Waleses.

  12. Mslove says:

    Poor Peg, he is burdened. He has to mix with the peasants, chop celery, dress like the common man and care for his children. It’s a lot. And Keen is so brave! She is the bravest sick person in all of Britain, not a racist. Gawd, these people, smh.

    • HeatherC says:

      Well, it’s well known that you can’t be a racist and undergo cancer treatment at the same time. And how could a racist possibly survive the burden of looking after his own children?

  13. Brassy Rebel says:

    I mean, but they’re not wrong. This IS business as usual for useless William. Not actually cooking with gas. Not following health and safety protocols. Not doing anything useful or helpful while being performative. Life as an endless photo op. It’s a royal tradition. And during rare public appearances, William follows it to the letter.

    • Lady Digby says:

      I wonder if Will via these let’s pretend work skits is reenacting Mr Benn, a much loved kids cartoon from the 1970 s? Mr Benn would go into a magic shop and try on a costume as either a chef, wizard, spaceman or cowboy then pass through a magic door and then have a twenty minute adventure.
      Why does he agree to doing these skits instead of anything meaningful?

      • SarahCS says:

        Aww I loved Mr Benn. He was always in my Pippin comic as a child.

        William would give anything to actually have the level of fondness people had for Mr Benn.

  14. JustBitchy says:

    This is how real royalty visit with respect for the situation/environment. Kings Philip and Willem Alexander last week. https://casareal.es/ES/Actividades/Paginas/actividades_viajes_detalle.aspx?data=854

  15. Anon says:

    Wow can I see Diana in William in some of the pictures for this story, esp in the facial structure, coloring and eyes!

    (For a moment I am going to put aside everything William has and hasn’t done for the monarchy and to Meghan, Harry, and Kate, etc.)

    The other thing I notice in looking at William in these photos and lately, is that he appears to be experiencing some kind of shock / trauma reaction, likely also related to Diana, at least partially, and it was probably double-triggered by having to face the very real prospect of losing not only his other parent, but also his very young children losing their mother. Coming on the heels of the stress and grief of him and his children losing not one, but two of his other parental figures who played a big role in at least his life AND a global pandemic, within a few years, that’s a lot. For at least half of those kids’ lives we’ve been dealing with this pandemic and that’s not normal, no matter who you are. Probably no one thought Charles would get sick for at LEAST another 10 years and it probably NEVER crossed anyone’s mind that Kate would. I think William is probably legitimately experiencing shock and PTSD being triggered at the same time, I think you can see it on his face. Put together with his erratic messaging and scheduling and behavior and back-and-forth and lack of commitment, even more than usual to things, and I think he’s really got some serious fight-or-flight going on and a lot of the time it’s flight, although if some of the articles are true, he may also be fighting his dad. Because with losing his mom being triggered, he’s probably also got all that ugly stuff leading up to it with the Charles and Camilla’s affair being triggered too. And he had to go though ALL of it in front of the WHOLE WORLD and he’s about to have to potentially go though a lot of it again AND/or watch his children have to go through it. And he may have never had the kind of therapy he needed for this, God knows Harry hadn’t, and now not having the tools is making it extra hard. If he’s also experiencing some depression, anxiety and substance mis-use, well that can also go with this territory.

    Even without losing his mom the way he did, the shock of either his father and Kate’s diagnosis, much less both at around the same time, would send any person into shock, at least initially. Then you throw that into the above circumstances of William’s life, and it is A LOT.

    I think people who are stumped by his behavior or messaging, etc. are maybe overlooking this context too much or completely. Maybe they’re not able to put aside the other stuff with William about the laziness, tone deafness, entitlement, the TERRIBLE way he and Kate seem to have treated Harry and Meghan and his frankly oftentimes displaying AT MINIMUM an unprofessional attitude towards Kate when in public. (Listen, even if Kate is secretly as bad to William as Charles supposedly was to Diana behind closed doors and William’s just fed-up, he should at least know enough about optics to be putting on a professional and positive front, not just because he should in his role, but also from a self-serving perspective, it would achieve avoiding making him look like the jerk he often does.) Like William or not, a lot of what’s going on with him lately seems obvious – or at least so plausible it’s hard to ignore – to me, and it explains a lot, especially if you’ve ever really known someone with PTSD. I think maybe some people just aren’t separating things and looking though this lens. Try doing it and watch going forward, and think back, you may start to see the signs and patterns and it may start to make sense. Unless both Kate and Charles are really just about out of the woods on the health front and stay there, and/or William gets help (and I hope he does, because it will be better for his children and better for the world to have him be a healthier human), then I think you’ll see more of this and it may even get worse. The good news is I don’t think he’s a lost cause if he puts in the work and he obviously had the means to do so. He should take the time to do it.

    As an aside, one thing Elizabeth, Charles, William (all of the windsors really, but definitely at least “the monarchs”) are really at fault at, in my opinion, is letting all the men in grey and bureaucrats and the whole institutional infrastructure come between them as a family – and frankly also probably even as a firm. It makes me think maybe they’re either not really running the show, or it’s been that way for so long they don’t realize how much things are being distorted, and they’re probably being manipulated and are really f*cling-up. So many times I’ve read stories about ~“Charles won’t watch H&M’s Netflix documentary, but he’ll get a report on what was said” and same for William, Elizabeth, etc. Well, even the best-intentioned of such reports (which I have serious doubts the ones from the men and grey are), are subject to personal bias, opinion, etc. and can also just turn into a game of telephone, especially by the time they’re reviewed and get to the top. For example, many times I read articles reporting on what was said in the Netflix documentary or the Oprah special and it was simply not true or taken completely out of context (I know because I actually watched them both), probably to serve an agenda like clickbait. If the Windsors are relying on news and reports vs. interacting with each other, there is no wonder things are getting distorted and their family continues to be so dysfunctional. They should really wake up and smell reality.

    • Mary Pester says:

      OK so Billy is saying “look chef, I’m the prince of Wales and I know a leak when I see one”! Chef says yeah, well in this kitchen I’m the prince and I know a fk wit when I see one.
      @Anon, sorry, but no, he is nothing like his mother now, and NO there are no excuses for his disgusting behavior or sheer bloody laziness

      • Mslove says:

        Righty-ho Mary Pester. I’ll save my pity for the people struggling to buy food so they can feed their children, not the world’s richest welfare family.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      I think you are probably right about how the courtiers manipulate their principals and how that interferes with the familial relationships.

      However, the House of Hannover/Saxe-Coburg Gotha/Windsor has been famously dysfunctional for 300 years. Reframing this as 3 centuries of generational trauma really is mind blowing. Add to that they live in a bubble of privilege and that the blood Royals have never ever lived i the real world, these people never really stood a chance.

      Harry fucked out with his military service and think him being deployed played a key part. That and the fact that Charles never used the vast Royal influence to cover up Harry’s mistakes, forcing him to deal with the consequences of his fuck-ups – that actually made Harry grow up. William has been insulated from the consequences of his mistakes for his entire life, someone else has always been there to take the blame for him. And thus he has never been forced to grow as a person. He has been allowed to live in a bubble where nothing affects him. But that bubble of privilege and power cannot shield him from the consequences of serious illness – and he simply has never had to develop the tools to deal with hardship. And the there is the (likely) untreated trauma of his mother’s violent and public death.

      I think it is very likely that he is spiraling and is unable to cope.

      • Tessa says:

        Harry did well in his military service

      • Lady Digby says:

        @Arthistorian yes it is possible that he’s spiraling and unable to cope. If he’s unable or unwilling to ask for help for himself surely there must be someone close who can stage an intervention? He has generous holidays surely therapy can be discreetly arranged so he can get help? Their ostrich approach is making things worse if he’s having a breakdown and needs treatment. We can only speculate about what’s really happening but those close to him need to him should intervene if they are worried about an escalation?

      • CC says:

        @Tessa I think it’s a typo for “lucked out.”

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I meant to say that Harry lucked out with his military service. Autocorrect is a bitch.

    • Tessa says:

      A first step would be that William apologizes to harry and his family
      He lost his connection to Diana looks wise and personality wise some time ago. He had his Diana s interview censored among other things

    • Blithe says:

      “Listen, even if Kate is secretly as bad to William as Charles supposedly was to Diana behind closed doors …”

      Have you also considered the even more likely possibility that William is as bad — or worse — to Kate behind closed doors? Not that this changes the impact of the rest of your comments, but that’s a critical piece that’s well worth looking at quite seriously. If you want to look at “patterns”, William’s reported life-long pattern of angry outbursts is a factor, along with any possible PTSD. (As is the possibility of sequelae from the childhood head injury— although it’s likely that none of us here will be able to comment accurately on that.)

      • Liz says:

        Also, Charles was vile to Diana. He had his cronies go on tv to denounce her as mad and delusional. For rightly thinking he was having an affair with Camilla.

    • Mairzy Doats says:

      @Anon — Whatever station in life, there are always external hurdles to self healing (trauma, dysfunctional families, uncontrollable events like death and ill health) but I don’t see him having the desire, curiosity, or courage to do the work to heal himself. At the end of the day he is a grown competent adult with personal agency to either continue to be a controlling, raging, narcissist blaming others for his unhappiness, or to explore ways of not being an entitled jerk. That he shows no empathy whatsoever to his brothers’s self journey suggests that he has no interest in introspection.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Anon, this is a good post; lots to think about. I do agree that most of us here dislike William so much — even if it’s for good reasons— that we do always automatically view him through an incredibly negative lens, no matter what he may be dealing with. I don’t feel *too* much sympathy for him because we know too much about the awful things he’s done, particularly to Harry, but I do have some sympathy for anyone born into this sh!tshow, and for anyone who loses their mother at a young age and in such a sudden, horrific way.

      William has had many, many chances to improve himself, do more with his role, further his education, have a real impact on people— and he consistently chose not to. He chose to hide away as much as possible, and he’s still doing it.
      I have no idea what’s going on BTS with W&K, but I do believe the media is doing William a real disservice by trying to portray him as the primary caregiver for three children (who are all in school full-time) as well as his (allegedly) cancer-stricken wife. He should be stepping up and working more than ever right now, but that’s not his style and it’s not going to change. He’s digging in his heels and making it known that he’ll work even LESS once he’s the monarch, ffs.

      I’ve always believed that William would never seek therapy because he’s the type of person who would feel as though it was admitting some kind of personal failure, and I also think his trust issues wouldn’t allow it. He’d be too afraid that a therapist or employee would record and leak his sessions or something. He’s so paranoid about the press, and I guess if my phone had been hacked, etc., I would be, too, but I don’t think he’ll ever get the help he needs in that regard.

      I guess that when it comes to this situation, only time will tell. There are so many rumors circulating and we don’t know which are true. We’ll see if Kate ever returns to public life, how much time Charles has left, etc.
      Right now, so much time has passed since Kate’s been seen, and since KP has mishandled absolutely every. single. thing. they’ve said and done since January, that the information vacuum they left has naturally been filled with conspiracy theories. Some of them might turn out to be true, but we just won’t know for a while.

      In any case, I think William is a disgraceful person, but your post was a good reminder that there were a lot of different factors that combined to make him that way, and to render him unable to handle his current situation better than he is. Especially if it’s true that his natural instinct is to “shut down” when things get tough.

      I’m not making excuses for him — he receives far too much from the taxpayers to have the luxury of shutting down and disappearing for weeks or months on end, but so far he’s been allowed to get away with it, and until someone or something intervenes and forces him to take some accountability, he’s going to do the bare minimum. The only thing we know for sure is that William is either getting good advice and ignoring it, or he’s being poorly advised by whoever he actually listens to.

      • Rnot says:

        William is both abuser and victim, just like his father. He’s stunted in a number of dimensions. He wasn’t a financially independent adult until age 40 in 2022. That’s the first time that he’s had any real freedom, unless he was willing to walk away like Harry. Until he inherited the Duchy money, all of William’s independence was at Charles’ whim. We saw how he was willing to use money and security to coerce compliance from Harry.

        Harry wrote that William was “beholden to Pa, who controlled the purse strings” and said that William “did as much as Pa wanted him to do, and sometimes that wasn’t much, because Pa and Camilla didn’t want Willy and Kate getting loads of publicity. Pa and Camilla didn’t like Willy and Kate drawing attention away from them or their causes. They’d openly scolded Willy about it many times.”

        These are the same people who told Meghan that it would look bad if she sought help for her mental health. That claimed that Diana’s “mental illness” harmed young William. Harry could get therapy, like Margaret, because the family scapegoat needed to continue in that role. Just how easy would it really have been for William to access the help that he’s needed since childhood? There’s a hilarious old movie called “The President’s Analyst” from the 60’s about the problems involved in having the president see a psychiatrist. Even as a child, William was a future head of state.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Anon, I read your comment with interest and realized you left out one thing which I think is really key. I’ve often wondered if he wants to be King. Oh, we all know he wants the wealth, but does he want the job? I think there’s a love/hate relationship there. Don’t underestimate his anger at Harry having a life free of the institution.

      I do think that Billy Idle has telegraphed his wish to be divorced. I also think that Bone Idle has not helped that. She was always putting her hand on his butt, when she KNEW that he didn’t want her to. Lots of stuff going on with those two. Her obvious treatment of Meghan in public doesn’t lead me to believe that the Idles have a serene household. I believe that she’s more than capable of keeping up with him when he gets angry.

      The other thing you have not addressed (because I don’t think at this point you can leave it out) is Bone Idle’s childhood trauma. I think that continues because of Ma Mids. Frankly, I keep thinking that if she would just get out of the brf, she could find some peace and, I hope, happiness. Will Ma Mids allow her to do that if that’s what she wants?

      • BeanieBean says:

        OK, let’s not overuse the word ‘trauma’. William, definitely, with the loss of his mother & the manner in which that happened, plus all that public outpouring of grief; but Kate? No. This word does not apply. Yes, she’s got a controlling mother (seems that way), but what traumas in her life? Death? No. Loss of a home, living on the streets, food insecurity? No.

        And while everything Anon wrote could be applicable–William has had plenty of time over the course of his adult life to address his issues, he hasn’t. Worse yet, he espouses mental health awareness but clearly has done no work on his own.

      • PotatoPuff says:

        I agree, Saucy&Sassy. But I’m curious about Kate’s childhood trauma, too. Do you mean the stories about her being bullied as a tween/teen at Downe House? Or dealing with press attention as a young adult?

        BeanieBean, totally. William HAS NOT done any substantial work redressing his own mental health issues. He’s probably a lost cause.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        BeanieBean, what trauma? The type that has stopped her development just as his development was stopped. I have a feeling we don’t know what all was part of her life particularly when it comes to her uncle. Just a vibe.

  16. Surly Gale says:

    Has anyone explained why a left handed person was using his right hand? That’s the biggest part of this set up I simply do not understand.

    • Lorelei says:

      @SurlyGale, I’m a lefty but I do everything else besides write with my right hand.
      IDK if this is an aberration or if other left-handed people do it too, but I always get annoyed when watching Dateline or something and it’s used as actual evidence in court that the accused must be guilty because they’re right-handed and the crime was committed using their right hand, as if it’s conclusive.
      I would definitely use my right hand to use a knife preparing food, to throw a ball— basically everything except handwriting.

      Clearly this whole cooking setup with William is a total scam for all of the reasons stated, but I wouldn’t consider whatever hand he’s using to prove anything either way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Eurydice says:

        My father was left-handed, but he was the opposite from you – he wrote with his right hand and did everything else with his left. In school, the teachers used to insist that everyone write with their right hands.

    • Rnot says:

      The world is built for right-handed people, so lefties get a lot more practice using their non-dominant hand than righties do and many of them end up close to ambidextrous.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Also curious about his wearing his watch on his left wrist. Most people wear their watch on their left wrist, but then most people are right-handed. I decided in junior high to wear my watch on my right wrist, to be different. I found out why righties wear their watch on their left–’cause you’re always knocking that watch into things & it’s getting ripped off your wrist. Just curious.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Also if the watch has a strap wristband or a latch that releases the band, righties can easy remove it with their dominant hand. At least, that’s the situation for me. I could probably wear it on my right and manipulated it on and off with my left hand if I practiced at it.

    • Beverley says:

      I’m left handed and can write only with my left, but do absolutely everything else with my right hand, including throwing a ball, ironing, using a blow dryer, and holding a racket. In my day, the teachers scolded you in school for not using your right hand. It was considered unacceptable to be left handed back then.

    • rosa mwemaid says:

      As a leftie I am far more ambidextrous than most right handed people, the world is made for righties and us lefties are forced to use our right hand far more than a right handed person is forced to use their left. It is convenient when painting windows to be able to change hands.

  17. Grace Yancy says:

    YO! TELL HIM TO TURN ON STOVE 1ST!
    IF HE WANTS TO LOOK CONVINCING: AN APRON AND HAIR CAP WOULD WORK! (EVEN THOUGH HE HAS SOME HAIR LEFT)!
    OH! MOST IMPORTANTLY… NEVER PUT YOUR SKIN ON A SUPPOSEDLY “HOT” POT!

    • ArtHistorian says:

      The obvious fakery with this photo op is just so shameless. They really think people are stupid.

    • Feeshalori says:

      William’s royal skin must be preventing him from getting burned, because he would certainly get a doozy of a burn holding his hand on a hot pot that way.

  18. BeanieBean says:

    Never trust a cook who doesn’t push up their sleeves.

  19. Mary Pester says:

    8@MSLOVE, exactly, the Royal cult never go to bed hungry, never go to bed because they are to cold to stay up and their bed is the only source of warmth, never have to worry about paying a bill, never have to worry about paying rent or a mortgage., and to think with all their massive wealth and many privately owned properties, they STILL dip their hands into the tax payers pockets every year. They are not people, they are parasites

    • Liz says:

      That’s so true Mary. And the rf have no real concern whatsoever for those who genuinely are struggling.

  20. Katie Beanstalk says:

    I think prince William is really hot.

  21. Michael P Cowtan says:

    Looking after your own kids is called parenting, not “a burden”

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Michael P Cowtan, well, evidently if you’re in the royal family (or adjacent to) it’s a burden. The number of articles that are written about the school run it’s become clear to me that these people feel like it’s a sacrifice of some sort.

  22. B4n4n4 Ph0n3 says:

    “the bravest ever on a health issue by a public figure in Britain.”

    F___ Freddie Mercury’s drag, I guess.