One of the most interesting parts of the Princess of Wales’s 2024 months-long absence from public life was that even after she “came back,” she wasn’t allowed to attend evening receptions or any event in which she could wear a tiara. It felt like she was being punished, like “no tiaras for you, Waity!” When the Macrons came to England for a state visit in July, it was the first time Kate had been allowed to attend a tiara-wearing evening event since early December 2023. Then last month, Kate once again wore a tiara for the Trumps’ state banquet. She was pleased as punch to look every inch the MAGA princess. Well, they’re letting her wear a tiara again in December. Her punishment is officially over, it seems.
Kate Middleton and Prince William are getting ready for a third dazzling evening of tiaras and jewels later this year. The prince and princess are likely to help host King Charles and Queen Camilla during another state visit scheduled for later this year, which means dusting off the royal jewels for another glittering occasion.
This time, it’s the turn of the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Frau Elke Büdenbender to visit Windsor Castle from December 3. They are in the country until December 5, Buckingham Palace announced on Oct. 13.
Not only is it the third such visit by a head of state to the U.K. this year, following that of the French President Emmanuel Macron in July and President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in September, it is also the first time for 27 years that a German President has been welcomed in this way.
While the details of the three-day visit have not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace yet, it is likely that, like in previous occasions, there will be a glittering state banquet at the castle and that William and Kate, both 43, will help welcome the German couple.
With Buckingham Palace undergoing renovations, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Frau Elke Büdenbender will stay at Windsor Castle, where nearly 1,000 years of royal history permeate the thick stone walls. It is a significant visit for the U.K. as Charles, 76, and Camilla, 78, undertook their first overseas tour of Charles’ reign to Germany in March 2023.
This sort of goes to show that whenever the courtiers sniff about how the royal schedules are set in stone for years in advance, it’s all bullsh-t. This was almost definitely something the Starmer government wanted, just like the Trump state visit. For the Trumps, Charles even had to change his summer holiday plans and return to Windsor ahead of schedule. Anyway, I’m sure Kate and William will be called upon to show up for the welcome ceremony and the state banquet. I doubt they’ll be called upon to do much else. Also happening in early December: the annual diplomatic reception, usually hosted at Buckingham Palace. I kind of wonder if they’ll make the diplomats trek to Windsor and Charles will just do the reception in the castle.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
Maybe the Wales will be welcomed under the tent for the German state visit. 🤷🏽♀️ 🤭
Will Charles and William mend fences and show unity? 🤔
I can’t stand them, but publicly humiliating your own child is the devil’s work. Charles is a terrible man.
If I was a betting person I would say for the sake of optics they would be allowed under the tent but, with William’s penchant for rage filled tantrums, you never know what might set him off in the days leading up to the event causing Charles to have him stand outside the tent. 🤭
It’s a soap opera worthy plot line. 😉
William turned against his brother and sister in law I have no pity for him.
Imagine if the highlight of your calendar was watching grown women wear tiaras and men wear matching suits. Especially during a cost of living crisis.
I think in these ‘modern’ times many see them as a reality soap opera and tune in for the drama. Much of the deference is gone and replaced with ambivalence or disgust. There are a minority of sycophants who still tune in for the perspective that you highlighted, but it is a minority. QEII took the last of the mystique and majesty with her when she died.
@MSJ totally agree. At this point, they are pure entertainment, nothing more.
Look out for new pieces from the British press about William and Kate having major roles in this event when all they will do is meet the German President at his hotel.
Will she be wearing red, gold or black or any combination of those colors for her German flag theme dressing? I bet she will.
This is so terribly outdated, and those who cling to this tradition are turning a blind eye to the human cost that all sides have to bear in order to maintain these things. My country had kings and emperors for a long time, and we appreciate that because our castles, fortresses and palaces are excellent history books and are visited by many people every day. But it is inconceivable to wish for a return to this in a democracy. Especially when you see the terrible family relationships that result from it. Who is protected and who is thrown under the bus every day. What the monarchy could be – unifying, humane, informed, gracious, eliminating injustices, modest, humble, serving – it will no longer achieve.
Good lord, Kate has horrible posture.
I was just about to post on her posture, it has finally morphed into the same round shouldered slump all the leftovers have. It is very noticeable and unattractive on all of them.
I truly have to ask if bad posture is an aristo thing. Rose Hanbury’s posture ain’t great either. They all need some yoga and pilates in their lives but maybe that’s too woke.
The tent picture makes me laugh every single time – for so many reasons! Thanks, Kaiser!
I imagine that as Charles’ second foot edges closer to the grave, Kate’s presence will be required even more.
These State visits are Charles way of introducing the heir and his wife to people they will need to know. William and Buttons need all the help they can get. They won’t leave any of their forever homes unless bribed with uniforms and tiaras. Statesman indeed.
After the PFW surprise I was thinking of all the contacts the Sussex’s have made individually and since they have been together just from the lives they have lived and work/causes they have done. Peggy and Waity have spent their lives avoiding work and cultivating these types of contacts, they are decades behind where they should be especially now that they are a heartbeat away from the crown. So maybe there is a push to establish some connections who knows with these people.
I still suspect the Windsors are jealous of Kate’s popularity and want to keep her as sidelined, dowdy and silent as they can, given her position. I also suspect she is a shit stirrer and not popular within the family, so unlike Harry she has no defenders.
She IS dowdy. She’s always been dowdy, because that’s what being royal means to her. But serious question: is Kate popular? People don’t rush out to catch a glimpse of her like they do Meghan. Her events look hella awkward. Being popular according to fake polls and the tabloids isn’t being popular. The only royals above wank are chucky and the bride. Camilla doesn’t give a toss about popularity because she’s never been popular. Charles appears to want wank to do more given his health and I doubt Kate’s fake popularity is a big concern at the moment. There’s no other members of the family whose opinions matter and they’ll all be beholden to wank sooner rather than later.
Kate is popular with ardent fans and those who don’t like Meghan. She has low work numbers, Kate is rather drab. She has not learned public speaking and is bad at that, and makes those faces with the jazz hands. Scooter holds the power, not Kate.
oh lordy, we know what that mean. another round of articles about what a global statesman William is because he met someone at their plane and how Kate is the lynchpin of the monarchy because she wore a dress, while both look awkward and out of place with the grown ups.
Imagine how awkward they will look when they become king and queen.
That picture of Baldy and Kant in the red thing is embarrassing. Certainly not the slightest hint of modernity. They don’t even try to stick to their own talking points. The monarchy is basically punching itself out with no assist needed from the republicans.
It always looks to me like a Scarlett O’Hara thing, she made the dress from red drapes.
Yesterday I was thinking that N.Ireland day trips are about as much travel as the Wales are willing to do. There was that 2 day trip to somewhere in the uk for their anniversary or something. But they really are not doing tours anymore are they. The Caribbean tour broke them. I can believe they would do an Australia/summer vacay for the kids at some point. But mostly these types of state visits are kind of becoming the rota’s highlights without the tours happening.
No need to dress up, Kate! For more than a hundred years now we Germans are neither into royalty nor into tiaras! We are literally “no kings”… Our president is the classic type “civil servant”, polite, sober, straight. The First Lady is a judge, intelligent, calm, friendly. Both completly unfussy. It will take a lot more than curly wiglets to impress them!
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Frau Elke Büdenbender …. those are very, very German names. Like the most German names ever to German.
The first lady and Kate have nothing in common, alas: Büdenbender was a judge.
I hope she puts her hair up and leaves the wiglets home. The hair hanging down behind her back looked atrocious. I guess there will have to be a moment where Scooter touches her that the media can make a fuss over.
Steinmeier was at the Invictus games in Düsseldorf 2023 giving a speech. Maybe he will remember how nice that was… Na, he will be to much a diplomat for that.