Of all of the royal and royal-adjacent women, who would you consider the biggest people-pleaser? It’s the Duchess of Sussex, correct? Meghan tried so hard to fit in, she tried so hard to follow the rules and make everyone happy. The Princess of Wales is NOT a people-pleaser. She only “tries” when there are cameras around. She’s a follower who does what she’s told for the most part, and when she doesn’t do as she’s told, the institution tends to punish her severely. Kate is also not someone who bravely or resolutely pushes through anyone or anything. Her power is limited to getting away with the bare minimum and being praised for it – she’s spent years setting the bar lower and lower, and here we are.
Well, everyone’s still talking about Kate’s withdrawal from Ascot one week ago. Previously, a former royal staffer told the Daily Beast that Kate “has never found the public appearances, and the forensic attention and criticism that goes with them, at all easy to deal with, and it was just too much this week.” Well, now Ingrid Seward is chiming in about how Kate has suddenly decided that she can no longer be a people-pleaser.
Despite looking healthy and happy earlier in the week at the Garter Day procession at Windsor Castle, which came hot on the heels of her appearance at Trooping the Colour, it seems that a full day out in her finery may have been a little too much for the Princess when the time came.
“Kate might be back, but she’s doing it sensibly, and on her own terms,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, tells HELLO!. “Her priorities have changed and she’s listening to her body, instead of being a people pleaser. She’s absolutely got to be strict with herself and say: ‘No, I can’t do this.’ Maybe we’ve been lulled into a sense that we’ll be seeing her all the time again, because she looks so amazing. But it must be an effort to look like that when you’re not 100% full of energy.”
“Ascot is more exhausting than it looks; it involves an early start, and there’s a long process of hair and make-up and getting the right outfit. The royals have lunch at Windsor Castle; then there is a bumpy carriage ride while the whole world is looking at you. It was a very hot day, and she probably simply didn’t feel up to it. I’m sure she was disappointed and really wanted to be there at William’s side,” Ingrid adds.
“She loves racing and so does her mum. But this was a social event – for fun and pleasure – rather than an official or charity engagement, so I think it was a wise decision, even though it was probably a difficult one, too.”
I actually think if they had just come out and said “Kate’s exhausted and she didn’t feel like she was up to going to Ascot for hours on a hot day,” all of this would have gone so much smoother and everyone would have been able to latch onto a relatively easy explanation. Instead, we’ve had a full week of wall-to-wall melodrama from “royal sources” and royal reporters who are all making it sound like people are crazy to expect Kate to show up to an event which was announced and on her schedule. This is a reminder that Kensington Palace still sucks at handling any kind of emergency communications, like a princess pulling out of an appearance at the last minute. KP’s incompetence has led us to “actually, riding in a carriage for Ascot’s royal procession is absolutely EXHAUSTING!” And once again, they set the bar even lower for Kate.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images. Cover courtesy of Hello.
-
- A service for the Most Noble Order of the Garter is held in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Monday, 16th June 2025,Image: 1011411862, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Editorial use, commercial use may require additional licenses. We don’t use AI to make images which could be mistaken for news photos. AI use will be clearly indicated. Supplied on condition you ensure personal data is processed in compliance with DPA2018, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Tony Kershaw / SWNS/Avalon
-
- Ceremony of the garter Windsor castle . HM King Charles III attended by Prince William of Wales Princess Katherine of Wales and other royals . Kate William Royals Windsor,Image: 1011415970, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Ian Vogler/Avalon
-
- Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 16/06/2025. Windsor , United Kingdom. Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales , leaving the Garter Day service at Windsor Castle, United Kingdom.,Image: 1011424763, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images. Magazines contact agency for fees before use. Images Single use only then repro fees apply. Info@i-images.co Tel: 07860204379, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / i-Images/Avalon
-
- The Princess of Wales leaves St Georges chapel following the Order of the Garter service in Windsor castle ]The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago. The Order includes The King, who is Sovereign of the Garter, The Queen, several Members of the Royal Family, and up to 24 Companions. Companions of the Garter are chosen personally by the Sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally.,Image: 1011425685, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Richard Pohle/Avalon
-
- Members of the British Royal Family at the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle Featuring: Catherine Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 16 Jun 2025 Credit: Cover Images
-
- Members of the British Royal Family at the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 16 Jun 2025 Credit: Cover Images
-
- Members of the British Royal Family at the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 16 Jun 2025 Credit: Cover Images
-
- Members of the British Royal Family at the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle Featuring: William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 16 Jun 2025 Credit: Cover Images
Watch out keen Ingrid turned on a superior princess of Wales. Diana. Who does keen please excel her adoring fans
Edit except
I wouldn’t even say that she pleases her adoring fans. I think so many are just happy with a warm body taking on the role and don’t care what she does or doesn’t say or do. No one who genuinely admires the role of POW could look at her predecessor and see her as being comparable or spoken about in the same breath. She hasn’t accomplished anything and nothing about her makes her stand out from any other person. I remember when it was announced that they were engaged, my first thought was how unfortunate and unexpected that this is who he would choose from what he must have available. Then my next thought was that she must be very intelligent with an amazing personality that could compare to Diana. I didn’t pay attention to them beyond d that and have only learned since that my initial thought was dead on.
Perhaps Kate is quietly protesting the fact that her first born will be attending Eton College.
Kate is even more of a snob than william. I doubt she wanted their eldest son to go anywhere but Eton. She only cared that she get to keep the ‘school run’ excuse for at least one of the kids for more years.
In other words Meghan not playing the “prove it game” and being in her era of joy and sharing it on IG is really pissing the evil SIL off 🤣 so no more fake smiling everyone.
Right? Idk if it’s Kate, her team or the royal reporters or a combination but somehow they always seem to echo something Meghan has recently said. Meghan’s says she’s in her era of joy. Then we hear Kate will only do things that bring her joy. Meghan says she’s no longer in the prove it game. Then we hear Kate is no longer a people pleaser. And they try to say she’s irrelevant😂
Right!? Also, Meghan mentioned being able to share the content she wants on her own terms…All of a sudden Kaity is has a “On her own terms” headline 🙄. She’s never beating the copy keen allegations
This exactly. I think she’s slow because Meghan WORKs (shock horror) and has agency and choice in her life for her to have her era of joy. This lady doesn’t do squat but has chosen her era of joy? Your choices became severely limited when you married into royalty. The public and press wants their recompense for supporting your outlandish lifestyle…. Can’t have it both ways, yer highness. You in or out?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Kate is not only seeing the freedom that Meghan has but remembers when Meghan spoke up for herself when she was a working royal and now is pushing back on the Palace dictates. It’s pity she never saw Meghan as an ally and only saw her as an enemy.
My first thought when she canceled so last minute was that she and Pegs got into it and so she bailed so she wouldn’t have to pretend they like each other for a day. “Done pleasing” her man baby tantrum thrower.
Love the different views on a same event. I think it might just be the other way around. I believe she and the king/camilla are not in good terms. They know she DOESNT WANT to work and taking advantage of her post cancer status to lazy around. So BP is making it on purpose to put her on official schedules without her approval. That would be such a BP thing to do to put to work and she has to look bad if she doesnt come. This tells me she is fine to work and her health is fine too. No one would do this to someone who is unwell and fragile. They are purposely highlighting her laziness and Camilla (and her bullying gang, i imagine +Rose) has been laughing the whole time, watching Kate scrambling not to look like a lazy potato, which she is.
That’s how I see it, Douches. No Windsor likes kate, not even her husband or children. She is fine to work, they know it, and they will take advantage of her games.
@StillDouchesOfCambridge
It may be so, or it may be the other way around. It has been obvious for a long time that Kate is being pushed away from important events, maybe a divorce is coming, or maybe they are just hiding her in the basement. Carole’s mother, keeping her finger on the pulse, tells her daughter to inform and write everywhere that she is taking part, hence this information, but the king is furious at her willfulness and forbids her from appearing:)
I have to agree. If “they” (Charles, Camilla, William – take your pick) told her to be there, she’d be there. I’ve no doubt she’s lazy and spoilt and all the things – I just also think that she goes where she’s told and doesn’t go when she’s pulled from the lineup.
@Amy: but that’s directly opposite from her actions on that first day of the Chelsea Flower Show. Charles & Camilla had their thing, then Kate barged in with her thing & drew the press away. That doesn’t seem to be something a rule-follower would do.
I guess it pleases people to pay taxes to support the lazy one for doing little. Kate has no real power. I doubt c and c are pleased with kates p r
Can’t never ever understood the job. She bagged a prince and provided an heir and a spare and she thought she was done. She does like to wear the royal jewels and tiaras but that’s about it. She is just wanting the perks and she doesn’t wish to earn those perks by doing the job. Her “illness” has nothing to do with her laziness.
I’m no Kate fan but honestly isn’t that what Camilla does? Camilla helped kill off her competition so she could be queen. She did fuck all and stayed behind the scenes for years just drinking, reading, and gossiping with the tabloids. She didn’t do many public engagements and showed up to the fancy parties and events as Charles’s plus one. Sometimes she went overseas with Charles and sometimes she didn’t. For years Camilla got the perks without the work. Charles did all the work. That is the example they set for Kate. It wasn’t until Philip and Elizabeth died that Camilla was seen more often in public.
Charles and Camilla did not want a Diana 2.0 or anyone who could outshine them. They wanted a dimwitted and dull but somewhat attractive woman as a broodmare for William. Kate was informed of this and I think she really tried to fit that bill and it served her purpose because she thought she would get the Camilla treatment with perks and no work.
Unfortunately for her, Meghan arrived and Charles and William reneged on everything. Now she wasn’t Diana/Meghan enough and sometimes she was too much and getting too much attention.
The BRF could never figure out if she should be the next Diana (impossible), the next Camilla(eww), or Meghan’s twin. They wanted someone dull who wouldn’t outshine them and except on the days they didn’t. The British royals are a mess and they treat married in women like shit. No wonder Kate has an eating disorder and a mental health crisis. Eating disorders are about control and her food intake and body size are literally the only things she can control. She is Diana like in that way, Diana also had an eating disorder and struggled with her mental health.
I sincerely hope no woman marries into that family again until they start treating them better.
None of the Windsors wanted William to marry kate, they all worked to dissuade him from making this lazy terrible choice.
Camilla works more than Kate in spite of being 35 years older and having chronic health issues. She’s also from a generation where women of her ‘class’ didn’t work.
If you say, so what? Okay, why doesn’t Kate model herself after Philip? While the spouse of the heir and then the spouse of the monarch? He ‘worked’ his butt off doing royal engagements, tours, speeches, while also running both Sandringham and Balmoral and turning a profit.
Anne works more than Kate and Anne is no where near the throne. Sophie works twice as much as kate, always has in spite of nearly dying while having Louise. The year she was expecting and the year Louise was born, Sophie still worked more engagements than Kate has done in a year.
Kate chose this. Her issues with food, if she has them, would have started when she was at Downe and lost weight to rank higher on the Boys’ list of Favorites. She didn’t have ‘body issues’ when flashing her ass out the window so often the staff called her Kate MiddleBum. If she has those issues? They are not part of the royal life she chose.
As for her ‘mental health’? Funny how nobody thought she had mental health issues until after she was outed as a racist and started pulling these stunts like lying about having cancer. Sending her family out to lie continually about the abusive things Kate did to Meghan from the start. All of those were Kate’s choices.
There is no excuse for kate, no matter how many excuses her ‘fans’ want to make up.
Camilla was smart in focusing on a few causes like literacy and women’s shelters and she has been consistent in supporting them and doing events every single year.
She also can give brief speeches without sounding like a total embarrassment.
She may not be a workhorse like Anne, but Camilla also doesn’t skip expected events and she doesn’t flake out last minute.
“Ascot is more exhausting than it looks; it involves an early start, and there’s a long process of hair and make-up and getting the right outfit. The royals have lunch at Windsor Castle; then there is a bumpy carriage ride while the whole world is looking at you”
If Ingrid Sewards intention was to defend her and make her not appear to be lazy, entitled, and inconsiderate she failed. They need to just leave it alone. Every excuse that they make as an explanation just serves to make Kate look worse.
It’s wild how far this family has fallen in just 10 years. You have a petulant baby of a King with Mommy issues, a gin soaked lazy conniving Queen, an angry, vindictive, cruel, jealous heir, and the heir’s wife is a lazy, snobbish social climber who refuses to work and gets angry at the suggestion.
Yeah, the explaining is making it worse. Lunch at a castle?! Exhausting! Technically, I can see how the company might be exhausting but it’s not supposed to be for her, if she’s hanging out with her husband.
Yes, because everyone is focusing on how Lazy adds salt to her dish! 😂🤣😅
(She sprinkles to one side and not all over)
Hm, if there was a family lunch at the castle and they all met before, why were they all bowing and curtseing to the tampons? You only do that once in a day? Or not?
Who knows if there is even a lunch beforehand. Ingrid Seward was one who spoke about the fake donkey sanctuary so she has form for just making stuff up. There could be a lunch but it could be one that not all attend. I could see William and Kate never even going to that part anyways. Assuming it’s even real.
Of course it’s exhausting for Kant! She was probably locked away in the castle kitchen for days cooking every dish served, clearing all those dishes and washing everything herself. Poor Cinderella! Not!
Seriously. *Someone else* does her hair. *Someone else* does her makeup. *Someone else* picks out her outfit. All she has to do is put it on? Or, knowing this family, they have someone to do that job too 🙄 The bumpy carriage ride is only exhausting for the poor horses. These people suck.
Yes, that bumpy carriage ride really is so difficult! Must be nearly as difficult as going out and meeting the public with the she-devil American after the QE2 died! 😂😂😂
OMG the bumpy carriage ride.May the saints preserve all of us from ever experiencing such horror. And then the hair, the makeup, the absolute ordeal of actually getting dressed, the mind falters at the thought. This is the job that she spent literal years chasing, waiting, wanting, but it’s just too hard. The sad thing is that someone is needed. Someone with joy, energy, and the ability to easily and warmly meet people, to effect soft diplomacy. Someone who is beautiful, and who could have been a wonderful asset to the crown. But where oh where could such a lovely and elusive person be?
Right? Let me get this straight…she has to SIT while someone does her hair, SIT while someone does her makeup, SIT at the table to eat lunch, SIT in a carriage waving for 10 minutes and then have a couple of drinks in a tent.
Holy Crap.
yeah this defense is……not it.
Can you imagine reading this as a British citizen who has an actual job? Ascot is just SOOOOO HARD!!!!!
I just — does she know how ludicrous this sounds to normal people? How could she type that with a straight face?
Not just that but anyone who has a job and is expected to work even with a chronic illness or recovering from a serious illness. She’s still banking on how hard it is to work after treatment last year but… her work is getting her hair done and sitting in a carriage.
How difficult for her. When nurses in this country worked through exhausting COVID conditions for 2 years without fail, even getting facial cuts from the ppe. She’s a disgrace to the country’s work ethic.
By outlining all that needs to be done before the actual carriage ride, isn’t Ingrid only confirming just how last minute this cancellation was? If Kate felt exhausted she would have known well before one hour prior to the event.
What I got from the article is this phrase :”The royals have lunch at Windsor Castle”…perhaps, this was the real problem? Several cb have mentioned that she doesn’t appear to formal lunches, dinners etc. Because of her inability to make small talk? Because of her aversion in food or some kind of an ED problem? Because she’s shunned by almost everyone and all the royals know what we don’t know? Perhaps she couldn’t handle that and she just cancelled the whole appearance.
But if that’s always been the case – that there is lunch first at WC together – she would have known that. she’s gone to Ascot before obviously. She wouldn’t have cancelled an hour before she was scheduled to appear bc of the lunch.
Exactly. “Kate’s team” would have figured it out during hair and makeup, and Charles’ and William’s teams would have figured it out if she was a no-show at lunch. Which suggests that (a) her team failed to notify before the carriages were about to leave, or (b) something happened at lunch.
LOL. Stop making sense y’all. Logic and perspective are the enemies for these royal reporters, fr.
This garbage “explanation” would have been more believable if Kate didn’t go skiing.
I am sick of Kate using her non-cancer as an excuse to be lazy.
Right? Oh it must be really hard to sit in a chair while other people do your hair and makeup and dress you and drive you and wait on you hand and foot. Imagine being a non-royal with cancer and you still have to go to an actual job every day. Sorry, I’m all for people taking care of themselves, but this is a lot rich.
How exhausting it must be to have your hair and make up done and put on your latest expensive outfit which you never had to spend a penny on.
Much much more exhausting than having an early start to get ready to do a days work then go food shopping and cook a meal for your family afterwards.
Yes Cathy you deserve a long rest.Ingrid thinks we lesser mortals are stupid.
Screamingly out of touch. Oh my goodness, how could any of us imagine what it must be like to go to work when you’re not 100% full of energy?! Idiots.
I’m getting a lot of subtle vanity barbs across the coverage, methinks there’s some cosmetic shenanigans afoot.
People pleaser 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
They are making it worse with all the explanations. Having lunch prepared for you, getting your hair and makeup done and sitting in a carriage are not difficult tasks for anyone. She is just lazy and didn’t want to go,
The cover up is ALWAYS the worst for her.
And even if! Skip lunch, Kate, and the carriage ride. Make your security guys take you to Ascot by car, side with your Ma and grin for 2 minutes. See? Problem solved!
Blah Blah Blah Kate.
Every way they try to frame Kate and her actions just feels insincere and weirder than it need be.
I mean, whatever the truth is- how is it so bad that everyone has to do back flips to avoid making a plan, simple statement.
Though i will say, i believe any event that anyone has to attend as part of the royal family finds it to be EXHAUSTING.
Between the actual family members and the incompetent, petty mafia of men in grey suits who work for them, i would bet dealing with them in any way is exhausting.
They can spin and spin and spin, and it will always come across as insincere because everyone knows she’ll be at Wimbledon. Everyone knows the men’s final at Wimbledon will magically fall on one of her “good” days. Everyone knows that she’ll go despite it being “exhausting” to get up early and have her hair done and her makeup done and have a special outfit to wear and sit in the hot sun for hours while being the subject of public scrutiny (by both the in-person crowd at the match and the millions of television viewers).
They **could** have made a plain simple statement that she was feeling under the weather with a cold/headache/virus and gotten away with it. But because Cathy threw a tantrum and backed out at the last minute, they lost that chance.
I cannot wait to see the spin they put on things when she shows up to Wimbledon! And if she attends more than one day? Hooboy! That’ll take some twisting & turning to explain how she could do this & not Ascot. Especially if it’s sunny & hot.
Kate ‘s the new marie Antoinette.
Neither one of them people pleasers.
Katie Middletonette
Looking at past Ascot photos of Kate. She gets up at the crack of dawn for hair and makeup and THIS is the payoff? It can’t take more than a couple of minutes to pin that sad little wiglet in place, WTH is she doing with the rest of that time?
If that is the case imagine what she looks like without all the make up and wigs???
Also, ‘crack of dawn’ for them might be 9am. They live in a different world and the nannies get the kids out to school.
Why would she? Pretend by pleasing anyone anymore? QE gone, Charles in his last lap, Saint Catherine knows she’s soon to be crowned queen therefore why bother pretending anymore. Mask can come off! And she’s forewarning: you don’t do as I do, you do as I say!
She is ruthless and is beginning to show it now without reserve.
Like Catherine de’ Medici!
William and her deserve each other and Charles is already paying for his sins and treatment of both Diana and Harry.
She will be consort. William holds all the cards as actual monarch. If he wants a divorce from her he will get one.
“The royals have lunch at Windsor Castle; then there is a bumpy carriage ride while the whole world is looking at you.”
If this is the case, why do they pretend to see each other for the first time each day when they meet on the lawns of the pavilion? Waving at the carriage procession, bowing and giving curtesies, kissing and hugging each other like it’s the first time they’ve met for the day? Weird…. 🤷🏽♀️ Or is Ingrid Seward just making up shit for column inches? After all, she is one of four ‘Royal commentators’ that gave commentary on what they that about what the Sussexes said the Oprah interview before it even aired for her or anyone else yo have seen it. I think these tabloid articles should come with a bold disclaimer stating that the articles are based on the weird thoughts of people who enjoy fairytales and as such present their own imaginations for entertainment. These tabloids create entire scenarios off of tidbits they garner and present entire ‘Truman show’ scenarios that are sometimes so outlandishly obvious bus at other times mysterious. I think KP knows how they operate and leans into it at times to keep interest in their principals whenever they find it necessary to do so. This Kate Ascot no show is a prime example in my opinion. Hilarious 😂
I think this year KP is hoping to get away with the shenanigans as no illness was claimed with this lack of appearance by Kate. Thy learned from last year’s experience and made adjustments accordingly. Hats off to the ‘genius’ responsible for the execution of this stunt.
Soon, the headlines will read “Will she or won’t she go to Wimbledon?” Remember, Kate is most interesting when she’s gone missing.
Have you seen queen Maxima at the Nato summit, stealing the show? Im a staunch republican but if we must have a monarchy at all, let it be people who actually contribute and shine during moments like this. The fashion choices alone!
Max worked and continued to work…Lazy never did. So the choice of bride reflects the work ethic of the king.
Maxima deserves the title of Queen. Neither Camilla or Kate can compare.
It’s not even just the laziness, it’s that Kate has proven over the years that she’s simply not up to the job. Can you imagine Kate networking at freaking NATO like Maxima? She wouldn’t be able to have educated conversations with anyone about anything. She’s an embarrassment.
@Lorelei NATO has enough problems as it is. The last thing they need is the Lazy version of Ivanka asking how things smell.
But global statesman Willy wanted an idiot mattress for a wife who’d never overshadow him. So he got what he wished.
It’s amazing how Willem-Alexander and Harry share so much in common especially in the choice of a highly accomplished wife. No wonder they vibed at The Hague IG.
@Bee —no, I haven’t, and that article would be more interesting than some of the other stories tracked here.
All due respect given!
Queen Máxima is popular here in the Netherlands. She shines at social gatherings, unlike Kate. She is also a ‘people-pleaser’ like Meghan.
Unlike Kate, maxima had a real career and life before meeting w-a. She already spoke five (?) Languages before she learned dutch. And she was only a year or two older than Kate was at the time of their marriage.
Love the photo of all the heads of state in their dark colors and Maxima in her bright green/yellow jumpsuit.
That’s such a great photo! (except for trump). She looks absolutely beautiful & has all eyes on her! Katie Keen could never.
So from Top CEO to NOT a people pleaser.
Well she’s never been either. Yes, the bar is in hell for this lazy mattress. 🥱
Just quit Lazy. It will get worse when you become queen. They might lock you up like Juana La Loca. They won’t guillotine you like Marie-Antoinette but they will make your life hell.
Wow, not the bumpy carriage ride, poor Kate 😭😭 They are saying it like the ride lasts days. It is weird they are writing this much about this particular cancellation. Charles must be pissed.
That and there’s not much else for them to write about right now. At this point, as we’ve said before, her absence is providing more content than her presence. But I wouldn’t say any of the content has been very flattering for her despite some of the rota’s best efforts.
I want to be fair to Kate, even though she doesn’t deserve it. Spending hours working on your appearance because you know everyone is going to be looking at you, taking pictures, and having opinions on your figure, outfit, hair, etc. IS exhausting in a way. For people who have social anxiety or are just self-conscious about how they look, it’s a lot.
My son got married a month or so ago, and the bride’s parents planned a huge black tie wedding. It was lovely and obviously a very happy occasion, but the lead-up to it was pretty stressful for me. I lost 15 pounds – some intentionally, some out of nerves – because I was so worried about my dress, hair, makeup, etc. No one cares about the mother of the groom, I know. But if I looked sub-par people would have noticed, or at least I thought they would. And I knew there would be a lot of picture taking, too.
But Kate signed up for it. And as mentioned, she seems to have no trouble showing up for Wimbledon. Which she could always watch on TV if she really doesn’t want to be seen on TV herself.
Congratulations to your son and his wife!! The difference between you and Kate is that you were about to have an usual experience, but Kate has literally done appearances hundreds of times. Including Ascot. She knew before she got married that her life would include these events.
British Celebitches please tell us what is going on!
It is not the appearance or withdrawal that caused problem. The time of announcement and the way it was justified to the palace. Her attitude and behaviour towards her duties brings her the criticism.
Agree, social anxiety is real. She didn’t seem to have it in her Waity days when she was falling out of bars. But people do change and international press scrutiny must change you.
That said. A lot of the criticism is coming straight from Charles’ people. If Kate has a real physical or mental problem, he would have understood and we wouldn’t be hearing about this for a week.
When she was outed as a racist by Piers, that really changed perceptions of her. Damocles’ sword was hanging over her and when it dropped, she couldn’t handle the fallout. Everything she does especially photo-ops with POC were purely performative.
I *don’t* think Chuck would’ve “understood”. He is part of the group that denied a heavily pregnant Meg the mental health help when she was suicidal. He never cared that his boys were struggling with their mom’s death, and forced them to walk behind her coffin (forget about just making them go out for walkabouts to a grieving public feel better when their own grief was so acutely raw. He has that same mentality that Phil had, that you just suck it up. IMO, he’s got the mentality and attitude of a tweener: “If *I* can go out WITH CANCER and WORK, so can you!” I don’t think he’s understanding of anyone except himself. Even Horsesilla knows she has to placate his ego constantly; that allows her to go along her merry way, as she neighs out all his fragile manhood needs to hear (ie: the Tampon phone call where it’s all about what HE wants/needs).
@2131Jan, you’re right, Charles doesn’t get mental illness. He *might* have understood if Kate pulled out because of her ED, having lived through Diana’s ED. But then again, Kate using an ED as an excuse would probably infuriate him, given that he hated dealing with Diana’s ED, and anyway Diana didn’t miss work because of it. The only thing we could possibly rule out is cancer or chemo, because that Charles *could* understand, although, even then, Charles is working hard while currently undergoing chemo so he may not appreciatte Kate constantly using “but cancer/chemo” as an excuse. So more fingers are pointing to laziness and/or a last-minut blowup.
And @Blogger, did Piers also out her as a racist? I thought it was the Danish publisher of Spare who neglected to remove her name from the book before publication. But wow, Piers (who hates Meghan) is interesting.
It was the Dutch publisher – and then Piers Morgan confirmed it. The press knew who the royal racists were all along.
@MeAtHome It wasn’t Spare, it was Omid’s Endgame. Piers delighted in broadcasting her name and Chuck’s on TV.
Chuck got on with it, while Lazy was so focused on the skin colour of Archie. As a married in, Lazy should have kept her trap shut. None of her business lest the rats focus on the paternity of her own children. It’s a big WTF, why is your SIL concerned about your child’s skin colour?
Then again, it was Lazy who gave a “grow your own girlfriend” kit to Harry as a Christmas present during his Bridget Jones’s phase. And she and her mother had to broadcast to all and sundry to the tabloids about her present. What a cruel thing to do to Harry.
Haw-haw! What a laugh! What a joke!
Who has the last laugh now Lazy? Harry’s Meghan is so much more accomplished than you.
Kate loves attention, loves attention from tabloids and paps. That’s why she and her family have been close to paps and tabloids for years, including getting copies of pics from paps for their family album and hiring two Fail on Sunday editors as their PR consultants for two decades.
Kate doesn’t have social anxiety. Kate does have the desire to be the center of attention all the time, and she resents when she’s just one of the crowd. She pulled out of this event to get attention, that’s it.
Bingo. Kate loves the attention, always has. Nothing in her recent appearances indicates that’s changed. This mess has nothing to do with any social anxiety.
I bet she won’t miss a minute of Wimbledon in the hot, unshaded sun in full hair and makeup.
She wanted to avoid another event that started with food. Not surprised.
And watching from the royal Ascot enclosure is all about drinking and nibbling canapés.
I can’t think of one factual example of when “the institution tends to punish her severely”.
Good lord, who would have thought that ASCOT would be such a turning point in the kate coverage???
as someone pointed out a few days ago – there is absolutely no way she had a legit reason for missing Ascot, or charles wouldn’t be going so hard at her for it (and he is going hard. This article is in her defense because of that.) If she woke up genuinely feeling ill, or was wiped out as a result of the mysterious cancer that is in remission, or woke up with a stomach bug – whatever – Charles and the palaces would have understood and it would have been a non-issue. but instead, we got some nonsense about balance and recalibrating and “well she wasn’t actually supposed to go anyway!!!!!” Kate had a tantrum about something and refused to go and it really pissed Charles off.
i will point out another thing that Seward gets wrong – she says Ascot is a social event and its not an official engagement. could have fooled me bc Charles and Camilla put it on the CC as an official event every time they attended last week.
I’m picturing Kate like Ja’ime from Summer Heights High “why did I do that? omg I’m so random” lol.
I’ve lost hope that “turning points” in Kate coverage will lead to a consistent shift in press scrutiny/ accountability. She’ll be the beloved second coming of Diana again by Wimbledon.
True, the turning points never last long. But if you had told me last week that we would STILL be talking about her ascot non-appearance, I dont think I would have believed you. and we’re still talking about it bc she really ticked off Charles and/or Camilla.
Omg I love Summer Heights High!
We’ll see if it is but it’s a good turning point as any.
I’m still waiting for the payback for her crying lie on Meghan.
Still waiting Lazy…you can tell the truth anytime and apologise publicly too.
The way sources from presumably “Kate’s team?” were initially trying to shift some blame onto BP or Ascot by saying she wasn’t even supposed to be there might also be why Charles is going so hard. He said nope to that and wanted to be sure and circumvent Kate’s pr lies from going into overdrive. Even William made sure from the start to say no, this is on Kate’s team. They all said, nope, you are not putting this on us.
Seward should know better. It’s not called ‘Royal Ascot’ for nothing. Those royal carriages don’t roll for mere ‘social occasions’. They’re trying to rewrite history right before our very eyes. The Cheltenham races could be called a ‘social event’, but Royal Ascot is & always has been on the official royal calendar.
Why do I get the feeling this is statement and the refusal to go to Ascot at the last minute is Kate throwing a temper tantrum that she didn’t get her way on George’s schooling?
I don’t know if this is related to George’s schooling but I have no doubt Always Angry Bill and Kate had a nasty quarrel and Kate wasn’t in a fit state to go to Ascot afterward (not saying she was injured but too upset/disheveled/pissed off to be in public with William).
Of course she will be at Wimbledon because she goes without William so he will be at one of their many other houses with whoever and not there to be terrible and having “pillow throwing” spats before public events.
It’s a reasonable theory.
I was wondering.
Would it be possible she dropped out in a petty move because of George going to Eton ?
Considering he’s not set to start until the fall of 2026, I doubt it.
Did Kate not read the job description? The whole point of being a royal at the top table is that they are “people pleasers.” They are supposed to go out and about meeting the public, shaking hands with pensioners, cooing over babies, smiling for the cameras and doing their best to come across as “damn good eggs.” If ignoring the public is now part of the “modernizing” the monarchy then I’m afraid both Kate and her husband are going to be in for a rude awakening when they take the throne. The people might just take it from William because he is royal and like it or not there are still enough people in the UK who believe in the monarchy. But Kate? Kate is a married-in and therefore disposable. Until Meghan appeared on the scene the media didn’t like her at all. If she really believes that she doesn’t have to “please” the people then it won’t be long before the press turn on her. There are tiny cracks at the moment but, these will soon become gaping holes if she keeps trying to ignore her “duty”
100% agree. AND, to maybe give her the tiniest bit of benefit of the doubt, remember she is married to an extremely lazy and jealous man. (Owning that she chose this and knew what she was getting into)
I think William encourages and maybe even sometimes asks for her laziness. He never wants her to outshine him, and the more the conversation is around how lazy she is, the more he can get away with doing only slightly more than she does. Whatever her sickness was last year, and I am sure it was difficult at times, he still benefited enormously and was able to do so much less while garnering tons of sympathy. Just imagine Kate telling William (if they talk, if not, his team) that she was feeling a bit tired and didn’t really feel like going. (At least, this is the type of convo my husband and I would have) And then William being like – then don’t go, no big deal (while secretly celebrating that the pictures and story will help him look less lazy than her and therefore better).
Just watching how this narrative of the lazy do-nothing wife is helping William look slightly better. That man will do anything to look better and Harry isn’t there to throw under the bus. Trying to both recognize her terrible flaws, but also see how she is being chewed up by the system.
Exactly. Kate is always the most perfect princess in the press until William needs cover for his bad behavior and then she gets thrown under the bus. She’s lazy but he’s absolutely terrible and is I’m sure very unpleasant to deal with.
She said walking with Meghan after the Queen died was the most difficult thing she had to do. She took a step to Meghan in a threatening way. Sorry this woman does not get a free pass from me. William did not force her to do this. Kate was lazy before she got engaged to William. William’s laziness was enabled by Kate and vice versa. If he’s tired of her he will try to make her look bad. Kate does not seem to be pleasant to deal with. If she were basically polite, she would have been nice to Meghan and not put out fake stories about her.
They’re equally horrible. Lazy and her mother started off the hate campaign against Meghan and she eggs him on as revealed by that photographer where he was secretly filmed as being totally incandescent.
Kate was living with William off and on and especially in the months before the engagement. She knew who he was, it’s not like his temper isn’t something that was seen since he was a kid. She held on because she was prepared to accept his temperament for the title.
If she doesn’t want to deal with it anymore she needs to divorce him.
Kate is naturally lazy. She did not use her degree and idled away the time waiting for William to call. Her choice. She could have walked away at any time. She was going for the Queen title. She waited 10 years for this. Neither of the two look “better.” They deserve each other. And were horrid to Harry and Meghan. Kate did not have to let the lie about Meghan stay in the media. She would have corrected it right away if she had any sense of decency. Nobody has to ask Kate to be lazy, she does what comes naturally to her, being lazy.
Yup. She doesn’t get a free pass. She’s a willing actor in the current shambles that is the monarchy. She got what she wanted.
Oh no, not a bumpy carriage ride!
And the bit about the lunches reminded me of a Monty Python sketch.
Seriously read the room!
Seward doesn’t even use the words cancer or chemo. Just hair, makeup, getting dressed, and lunch with the family. And Kate listening to her body, which we’ve heard about for months while she skis and exercises intensely. But with nothing else to go with, Seward couldn’t avoid making it sound like Kate’s giving a big FU to her fans, the tabloids, and Charles.
Btw that lunch with the family before getting in the carriage—wouldn’t that be when they’d have known Kate wasn’t coming? Did she not turn up to lunch, or did she turn up but there was a bust-up at lunch?
@Me, good point about the lunch timeline there. It doesn’t make sense.
Maybe that’s why they were gritching about the Ascot org releasing the Order of Carriages? Like the folks attending the lunch knew she wasn’t attending for a couple hours (they don’t look at all surprised in the photos), but no one bothered to tell Ascot team, so they issued their Order as per the original plan.
I’m getting the impression that Kate doesn’t participate in events involving food. Apparently she didn’t go to the Garter lunch. Did she attend the state banquet for Korea?
Idk bc it really could be about Charles and Camilla not wanting her at the state banquets and tiara events. Just think Kate would go to a state dinner with a new tiara if she could. And weren’t some of their events in January centered around food? Different from a sit-down but still.
The Korean state banquet was a tiara event and she was specifically excluded.
Let’s not forget she still doesn’t have a family order from Charles, whereas Sophie and Anne do.
Skipping the garter lunch might have been something she chose to do.
She went to the south korean state banquet – that was before she was sick. She got a lot of attention for it bc she wore the strathmore rose tiara. It was the one this past fall that she missed – UAE maybe?
I seem to remember the Palace and press being upset that Meghan had her own ideas about doing things so how is ok for Kate to have agency now? Anyway, given that one of effects of having gone through cancer treatment is sensitivity to heat and the sun, I agree that KP could have just said that due to hotter conditions Kate will be unable to attend to day’s event as previously announced. That they didn’t means that this wasn’t the reason for Kate not going to Ascot.
They wouldn’t tell that lie because it would be called out when Kate goes out there to watch Wimbledon for hours. Also, didn’t she advice other patients to get sun at that hospital visit for cancer patients? It sounds like she doesn’t know what is good for cancer patients, doesn’t it?
So the Kate we’ve been getting to know since 2010 has been in “people pleaser” mode? Well it will certainly be interesting to see how her behavior changes 🙄
Her mask has slipped several times the last years, especially after H and M departure…we saw her real face in church, during the queen’s funeral towards Meghan but also, afterwards, during events with William that the press tries desperately to hide but social media keep the receipts… long gone the hyena laughs and smiles she had during the first years of her marriage…she obviously tired of pretending for the peasants…
If she has been I’ll sit here and wait until they can show me one person she has pleased.
Kate’s been in the public eye since 1999 chasing after William, and she’s never been a people pleaser.
I think the term they were looking for was ‘suck up’.
Wait. So, waking up for hair/makeup/being fed/ a short ride to the venue to sit on a balcony & sip liquor is too much?????
This is insanity! It’s also a play on Meghan’s
“Your urgency isn’t mine”. Kate doesn’t talk. Palace coutiers are her so-called mouthpieces.
There has to be more to this. She slipped down a mountain on vacation. What are they hiding?
What time do y’all eat lunch in the UK? If it’s around noon, why would she need an ‘early start’ to get to lunch? Even if she needs 3 hours to get ready, I don’t think 8 or 9 is so early. But I worked for decades getting up at 6 am to get my routine in and commute to the office.
I think 9AM is the standard start to the work day in the UK, which seems weird to this American.
Well, Chuck could threaten to take away her HRH. That would show Keen.
That’s not Chucks purview, it would take a divorce, and several readings by Parliament and the House of Lords to be approved.
Not sure Parliament needs to approve. As the Letters Patent stand now, the ones QEII put in place in 1996, any woman who divorces out loses the HRH automatically.
“The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 21st August 1996 to declare that a former wife (other than a widow until she shall remarry) of a son of a Sovereign … of a son of a son of a Sovereign and of the eldest living son of the eldest son of The Prince of Wales shall not be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness”.
Kate has had a cushy number since she joined the RF and the reasons keep changing but her output has always been minimalist. There are certain key events that Senior royals are expected to attend and Kate just blew out Ascot with 60 minutes notice? She’s had maximum leeway and consideration over her phased return. Given the negative briefing from certain Royal sources it sounds like she’s gone too far this time. Clearly as FQC she believes she can write her own ticket but KC’s troops appear to be reminding her of her current obligations to him! No more a people pleaser is flicking a V at all these folk. Both FK and FQC are doing it their way: both are careless about the feelings and plans of others. No respect or consideration for anyone else just self-absorption and pleasing themselves to the nth degree.
The rota has such an inflated sense of the importance of the BRF. The “whole world” would not be looking at Kate while on that intolerable, bumpy carriage ride.
The whole world doesn’t give a flying flip about Ascot or Kate or even England. Given the small crowd at Trooping, it seems that even English people are tuning out of the royal family show. And Kate’s laziness isn’t going to help.
This 100%. They are a tiny cult that imagines itself to be much bigger than it is.
Meghan said that she no longer wanted to prove anything to herself. After many years of hard work. Does anyone think an actress has it easy? Meghan has done it, she has overcome all difficulties and earned millions. Nobody in this billionaire family could have done that with their own abilities. Nobody except Harry, who has flown one of the most complex aeroplanes in the world. In combat.
Now another woman who lives on taxpayers’ money in palaces, has never worked, says she doesn’t want to prove anything now either.
Listen to the surround sound …., hear the drums?
So very much over Kate .. she’s nasty, she’s boring, she offers nothing to anyone of any warmth or decency.
I feel for those kids, honestly as they are surrounded by mentally ill adults whether they be Windsors, Wales or Middletons.
Nothing described in the article sounds exhausting. The only thing I can see as potentially exhausting about it is being in the public eye, if you’re introverted or socially anxious — I know it would exhaust me because I would find it kind of terrifying, as I don’t like being the center of attention, ever. But in Kate’s case, it seems to fly in the face of how she performed for the cameras when she was younger. I suspect this has more to do with her fear of criticism and humiliation after seeing the RF being booed in the past few days. Or, maybe being around other RF members and aristos is draining for her if they are difficult to socialize with … which is possibly the case if she and William aren’t getting along lately or if a separation is imminent.
I do think that Kate is performing at these events – all the expressions seem particularly put on for the cameras. I’m pretty sure she practices all her different faces in the mirror. Same for Carole.
That could be exhausting 😆
Also if she and William really are apart/sort of separated, then I can also see that being exhausting and her just bailing.
But what I don’t get is all the rigmarole around the excuse. Just say she’s too tired instead of basically saying that her duty brings her zero joy.
Got to save up the energy for Wimbledon, grass walking, and the next dozen vacations!
She’s “done people pleasing” indicates that at some point she had been people pleasing. Huh. Guess I missed it.
Maybe she’s done with people pleasing her and wants them to stop doing that?
She’s only ever pleased the anti-Meghan crowd.
The Spanish reporter Concha Calleja said in Fiesta that Kate was hospitalized. Notice none of the ROTA or tabloids are even whispering about it. I find that strange. If she’s sick then just bloody say it — something along the lines of “The Princess of Wales is experiencing some ongoing health issues and needs to take a few days’ rest to recover.” But KP runs around like a pack of chickens with their heads cut off changing the narrative to “It’s SO MUCH WORK to get ready and the carriage ride is bumpy and then there’s lunch and it’s hot and, and, and…” which actually makes Kate look even lazier and shows she doesn’t give a royal f*ck about her duties and responsibilities. If she is well and truly sick with something then tell the truth! But this piling on of meaningless lies and coverups and diversions and fake photos isn’t working, in fact it’s pulling them down even further in the public’s eyes.
True. Dancing around the truth makes the excuses ring so hollow. It just invites speculation.
I read that as well and I just think we would hear more if she was hospitalized. I also question her original coma story. I just can’t see every section of the British media staying quiet on that. We did see them refer to the car photo that William shut down in official British media.
Agreed, Nic919. That Spanish tabloid hack made up the coma story for attention. Nobody bit at it, so she’s lying again to get attention now.
This actually makes a lot of sense, if she were hospitalized, and then they want to really downplay any illness. Hmmm
The way they churn and spin over dressing up and attending the races. Sure, just listening to her body. Yeah whatever. These people are a mess.
I’ve never believed Ingrid Seward before and now isn’t a good time to start.
Perhaps Kate should just go full-blown Victorian and stay home all the time because of the vapours. I’ve read that women in those times used illness and “delicate constitutions” as a way to control. Is Kate slipping into that? All this continuous talk about fragile health while a 76 year-old is running rings around her. Even Camilla, who also has a reputation of being the laziest woman in England, apparently, bestirs herself more often than Kate. At least Camilla seems to have genuine interests- such as books, food, wine.
My secret theory is she got the sh!ts last min and was embarrassed – she can’t even talk about “baby brain” afterall
😛
When was she ever a people pleaser? Jesus, she had to read two sentences from a piece of paper to christen a ship. Come off it, she is pretty much useless. Maybe she wants to own that now?
Indeed!! I feel like we’re being pranked
Speaking of the carriage ride, I just saw a clip of the carriage ride from Windsor Castle to Ascot. It is halarious. More like the Beverly Hillbillies loading up and moving to Beverly! Nothing either modern nor dignified about a dozen idiots in top hats hanging on to an old fashioned cart as modern Britain passes them to and fro! These folks just don’t get it.
In fact a great deal of the lack of progress in the Middle Ages can be traced to exhausting carriage rides.
Princes were just too sleepy to spear any envelope of progress.
Thanks, Kate!
LOL!!
Zooming down the slopes was way More exhausting but she has no problem doing that. Enough with the excuses for the princess and the pea Kate is lazy as f , always has been and always will be because no one ever makes her do a thing
So, why is this useless grifter still being paid? I can’t understand why there isn’t more of an outcry, especially in light of the economic hardships the British people are experiencing.
Well, it’s good Kate doesn’t want to be a people-pleaser, because she pleases no one but herself. She’s not taking charge of her life as in some feminist narrative. She wants support for doing as she damn pleases, as if it’s a brave choice, rather than letting down the English people who are financing her cushy lifestyle. She is not Kim Kardashian, who made her own money. She is supposed to be a working royal, but both she and her husband have reneged on the royal contract. If hers was a real job (as it’s meant to be), she’d have been fired by now. She and Willy should both be fired, in fact. The worst is yet to come when they become king and Consort.
here’s my pet theory, just having read all the comments for the second time, as I find the kabuki theatre around their PR so fascinating. Dysfunctional, but fascinating, as normal functioning resists intrigue and scrutiny. Another commentator surmised the other day, as a divorce lawyer herself, that Kate has been ruled out of family functions. So she shows up to the segments of events where they are photographed to keep up appearances. All dolled up. Ready to grin for the cameras. But she’s not welcome behind the scenes. I think she had tried to pin the whole racist royal story on Camilla and Charles blew his top, like, for him, that was absolutely the last straw. There was a lot of speculation to that effect before Piers made his famous proclamation as if he had been briefed by someone inside the family. Then again, that might have been William. One of the anecdotes that shows how barmy this family is, is Piers Morgan’s lunch at KP with Diana and William, when William was — at most — fifteen. Apparently, he ordered a glass of wine from the staff, Diana objected, William overruled her, or the staff simply heeded his request, and Piers commented on it, as a sign of things to come, trouble brewing on the horizon. As perhaps the one incident in which Piers held the moral high ground, in retrospect, as William seems to have issues with alcohol, and possibly other substances, as many royals do. His mum was famously near-teetotal. But the point is, William might have a link to Piers, where Charles likely would not. Camilla definitely does. Who both want Kate off the list for family functions? Camilla and William, I would guess. Kate tried to play both of them, and neither of them appreciated being played. Hence, she’s not welcome at lunch, just for the ride in the carriages and the “happy family” photos. That’s my hunch. Maybe she didn’t even realise she wasn’t welcome at the lunch, maybe she arrived only to be turned away. Maybe she was just treated coldly. And stamped her feet on the way out, vowing not to participate in the rest of the day. All of which is kind of interesting, if you remember Diana in her day — she really played the long game. She never missed events where she was with the family, specifically the Queen, once she actually showed up late, which was not protocol, but that was the very early years, and the Queen was not petty and judgmental like Charles. She wasn’t thin skinned. Or neurotic. Or insecure. Like Charles. She was kind to Diana, and she welcomed her at family functions, even after her marriage had “irretrievably broken down,” to quote Charles. She treated her as a family member. The fact that Charles is clearly not willing to do the same thing, with Kate, speaks volumes. About Charles and Kate.
Thanks, @ParkRunMom. Agree that lunch, and all the timing and drama around it, seem key here. Also, she wasn’t doing what Charles expected/demanded or his team wouldn’t have briefed so hard against her. She may have not been wanted at lunch, only for the carriage ride, and when she showed up and figured that plan out at the last minute, she noped on the whole day. Or, she never wanted to attend lunch because she doesn’t eat in public, then she didn’t feel like coming (hello laziness) but failed to notify anybody, so the palaces didn’t figure out the carriage problem until after lunch. Or, she showed up to lunch, was given a seat, but there was a last-minute blowup about George going to Eaton, William being a dick, or something else, and she stormed out saying she wasn’t going to Ascot. Whatever happened with lunch, Kate doesn’t have a shred of Diana’s sense of duty (just attend Ascot and even the lunch if you’re invited, and despite an ED), nor Diana’s ability to play the long-game coolly.