Given the Prince and Princess of Wales’s efforts to overshadow King Charles and Camilla’s US state visit this week, there’s been precious little commentary about it. I think that’s because most of the royal reporters were part of the traveling press corps in the US with Charles & Cam – they couldn’t do two things at once. So it’s left to the B-team royal commentators to speak the truth and question what the hell William and Kate were doing this week. One Daily Mail columnist, Claudia Connell, picked apart William and Kate’s bizarre anniversary photo in a piece called, “Why this photo of Kate, William and their children makes me uncomfortable.” LOL. Some highlights:
The weird staging: There was Kate, looking like a glossy Boden mum in her Breton top and pristine white jeans, surrounded by her barefoot family and two spaniels. It’s a previously unseen photograph taken on a family break to Cornwall. There’s William with a golden tan, showing off his muscular thighs; cheeky Louis is linking fingers with his mum, while Charlotte is laughing and showing off her trendy blue-painted fingernails. Only George looks uncomfortable and unsmiling, a quizzical look on his face as if it ask ‘how much longer have we got to stay like this for?’ And if George was wondering that, who could blame him?
It’s certainly not a spontaneous image: It was taken by Matt Porteous, a professional photographer and favourite with the Wales family, and looks to be the result of a carefully thought-out and highly stylised shoot. The family’s clothes are all in complementary colours and every one looks as though they have been told to point their legs one way and look in a certain direction. In addition, the picture is taken from above. Was Porteous in a tree? (He has actually photographed the family in a tree before.) Did he have a stepladder with him perhaps? Or maybe he utilised a drone to capture the shot? Whatever the story, it certainly reveals that a great deal of time, effort and planning went into what is actually a tightly controlled ‘holiday pic’.
Why the discomfort? The reason for my discomfort is that it’s all a bit showbiz and buys into the damaging world of social media perfection. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see pictures of the couple in a messy house surrounded by muddy dogs and sulky siblings arguing with one another, just something a little more honest. Professional portraits that look like professional portraits? Fine. Professional portraits dressed up to look like relaxed, informal holiday snaps? No.
The Waleses are overdoing the glossy-family pics: A keen amateur photographer, Kate has previously taken many of the family portraits released to the media to mark family occasions. However, following the debacle in March 2024 when she had to admit to ‘editing’ a Mother’s Day picture taken by Prince William, I wonder if she’s decided that it’s safer to rely on the professionals. If so, it’s a shame because since then, we’ve been treated to a glut of glamorous, Hollywood-style photos and videos of Kate and her family, the videos often accompanied by some decidedly woo-woo voiceovers.
That horrible 2024 video: In September 2024 to celebrate the end of her cancer treatment, Kate released a three-minute video via the family’s official social media channels. The content was a complete departure for them in that it was truly personal and intimate. Filmed by videographer Will Warr, it showed the Wales family in Norfolk enjoying picnics, a game of cards and days out on the beach – there was even some decidedly fruity footage of Kate and William rolling around in the sand dunes. I say! It went down a storm and so far has garnered 2.1million views on YouTube and 2.4million likes on their official Instagram page. Ever since then, the Princess has taken to releasing nature-inspired videos to mark the arrival of each new season. I hate to say it, but it’s all become a bit cringey and ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ for my liking.
Kate is copying Meghan!! My other issue with this type of picture and video is that it’s all a little bit ‘Meghan’. It’s the sort of thing we expect from a Californian former lifestyle blogger fond of using phrases about ‘living authentically’, ‘speaking my truth’ and ‘thriving not surviving’. Harry and Meghan have a good eight years of form when it comes to these types of barefoot-on-the-beach, love-heart-drawn-in-the-sand snaps and oh how we’ve mocked them for it, too. It would be unfortunate if Kate and William continued down this path. At times it’s starting to feel like they’re one small step away from writing inspirational quotes on bananas. We love Kate and William because they’re not Meghan and Harry.
The bare feet: When Meghan revealed that, eight years ago, she had turned up barefoot for dinner at Kate and William’s Kensington Palace apartment and it hadn’t gone down well, most of us Brits thought: ‘Quite right too, put some shoes on woman!’ Today, I feel like I’ve seen enough of the Waleses’ bare feet to last me a lifetime.
Bring back cold, detached royalty: I understand that the Royal Family need to adapt to the times and update their way of communicating with the public, but surely there’s a limit? There are a million influencers we can follow if we want staged perfection. I want my royals to rise above it all and be detached. It’s hard to imagine no-nonsense Princess Anne rolling around on a picnic rug in the sand dunes.
This actually makes me feel sorry for Kate in a weird way, because she’s never going to be good enough. That’s the root of it too. She has no sense of self, which is why she dresses like other women in her orbit and why she obsessively watches and copies everything Meghan does and wears. That’s why she “edits” family photos and commissions these weird “commercials” and “family photoshoots” to publicly perform a wholesome-family image. Anyway, it’s amazing that the more William and Kate try to copy the Sussex aesthetic, the more the royalists f–king hate it.
Update: I didn’t even catch that this woman lied about Meghan’s bare feet. According to Prince Harry’s Spare, Meghan was barefoot in Nottingham Cottage, when she made dinner for William and Kate for the first time. Meghan didn’t show up barefoot at Will and Kate’s KP apartment.
Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace and Cover Images.
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- Handout photo provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales with the Prince of Wales. The Princess of Wales said she has finished chemotherapy and is “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months” Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales, William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 09 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Handout photo provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales. The Princess of Wales said she has finished chemotherapy and is “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months” Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 09 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
“… she had turned up barefoot for dinner at Kate and William’s Kensington Palace apartment …”
The way these people just casually LIE. Meghan was barefoot at Nott Cott, where she and Harry were living. She was casually dressed in her own home. She did NOT “turn up barefoot at KP”. Do they really think that M is so uncouth that she would visit someone’s home barefooted? Or do they just racistly want to continue to give their readers the impression that she lacks grace and manners?
Clearly WIlliam and Kate feel that they would be more popular if they tried to be “more Harry and Meghan” so good luck to the complainers. But it’s good of her to admit that they used to mock Meghan for being photographed in bare feet (even though they complained at the time that Meghan was the only one wearing shoes in that Christmas photo where Lilibet was first seen.)
So I go back and forth between wondering if they do stuff like that for real, because they’re bigots and want to make the worst impression they can, or if they just don’t actually know any of the details and complete stories because they really don’t care. Being accurate doesn’t matter because they’ve already reached the conclusion that they hate Meghan.
The only reason that I think that is because I know people that. They don’t like other people and will take two or three other stories about them and mix all the details up because in their mind it doesn’t matter. They already hate them getting the story right isn’t the point for them. It’s about how awful that person is, and why they are justified in their hatred. They also when corrected will just ignore the correction.
Yeah I think it’s possible she’s lying to make M look bad but also possible she just got the story wrong. I mean why would Meghan be traipsing between homes at KP barefoot?
But either way the bigger truth holds here – the press mocked M for daring to go barefoot in front of the future king and queen and since then Kate has discovered a love of barefoot pics.
I think it’s because they know that to tell the truth would expose their real reason for hating her which is because they are bigots and racists. The first thing that bigots and racists will do when confronted with how they treated a person of color is to say they aren’t racists because to them being called a racists is worse than whatever they did or said to be called it in the first place. So to avoid that they avoid facts and the truth because they know that there is no real justification for their hate for this POC and they also know that the truth would expose that the POC did nothing wrong and that their hate is centered on racism. They know that a woman casually preparing a meal for guests at her home while barefoot isn’t something to is worth hating someone for. The same way that they know that a bride who’s wedding is days away and is dealing with the betrayal of a father on the world stage, would reasonably be upset if someone was unnecessarily trying to add an impossible task on their plate. Especially when the person trying to overstep boundaries was completely disregarding all that you were going through over a dress that could have easily been fixed if she would have just taken her daughter to the seamstress who was at KP all day for that very reason. They can’t admit the truth because then we know that Kate is a racists who disregarding the woman of colors feelings. That is why the lie kept progressing to eventually include Charlotte because it’s almost impossible to see past the racism when there is a cute little girl blocking the view of her racists mom and the media who helped her press her lie.
IF MY HUSBAND WAS THAT OBSESSED WITH ANOTHER WOMAN, I WOULD TRY TO BE LIKE THAT WOMAN TOO 🤣🤣🤣
The BEST thing to come out of this hellscape 🔥 for H&Mis that a THRIVING internet industry has also sprung up to DEFEND H&M & they have been dragging TF outta “KopyKat Kate” 🫤
Keen was never a good photographer. She apparently did not take classes on how to improve her photography
It is ridiculous that they refer to the “kill notification” and pulling of that Mother’s Day photo released by KP as a “debacle”.. one thing the tabloids will always do is ignore and gloss over the very real crimes and scandals of these people.
Well, you’re lucky they didn’t refer to Kate’s photo as “an accidental booboo” after all, they keep referring to Andrew’s actions with young girls as his “friendship with Epstein.” The message is always “nothing to see here” with the leftovers’ scandals.
Yeah Meghan didn’t turn up barefoot at William and Kate’s house. She was at home at Nottingham Cottage and Kate turned up dressed to nines for a casual dinner. I don’t feel sorry Kate because she bought it and perpetuated the perfection look on herself which was then used by the Palace and press to bash Meghan. I agree that Kate is still doesn’t know herself and looks to Diana and Meghan for an identity.
Ever since reading Spare I’ve always wondered what Kate was wearing when she came to that dinner that Harry felt the need to point it out lol.
Evening gown, tiara, coat dress? Enquiring minds want to know.
Once when they were planning Pippa’s wedding, Kate was photographed I think leaving James Matthews’ house in London after a family dinner (according to the press). She was wearing one of those long sleeve midi dresses that were super popular a few years ago and white superga sneakers. So relatively casual overall.
I feel like she must have at least been in heels for this dinner. And when you compare the two you realize she was doing it as a power move, because she DOES know how to dress for family dinners.
She was probably wearing all of the diamonds and pearls that she could get her hands on, especially the ones linked to Diana, hoping to project an air of regal superiority 😀 .
And either something very starchy and lacy, or one of her Bafta ballgowns. And as Becks1 says, heels. Her highest ones.
I mean, Harry is good with descriptions: just look how he told the world that William and Kate’s home looked like a museum! 😀
Kitty heard “garden party” and dressed accordingly. Fancy dress, hat/fascinator, high heels. Because that’s how she dresses for a garden party with hundreds of guests. Jewelry? Very likely Diana’s pearl earrings and at least a necklace and brooch from the vault.
While garden party meant for Meghan “we will have a relaxed family dinner outside, picnic style, be comfortable and get to know each other a little better”. Hence the ripped jeans, walking barefoot. I bet Harry was in jeans and barefoot, too.
Wish we had pictures.
Good point! Maybe I’m unfairly comparing Harry to my own partner, but he it would have to be a pretty extremely formal ball gown for him to notice anything unusual.
Also, isn’t it kind of a middle class move to wear all of your fanciest clothes and bling to a dinner? Maybe Kate was hoping to impress Meghan with all of her finery and the California girl was like, barefoot and barefaced, not feeling the need to impress the royals at all. I can imagine for someone as status conscious as Kate that would feel humiliating.
@Jay yes it is very middle class lol (and nothing is wrong with being middle class but for Kate, there is in her mind.) And we know kate has no idea what jewelry is appropriate for what occasion.
Just the idea that Meghan was going to walk from NottCott to Keen and Baldemort’s apartment barefoot is ridiculous. And I can’t imagine she took off her shoes in their home without being asked, either.
He specifically remarked that she had on a full face of makeup. I think she dressed as for a public engagement because she and William decided long before that that Meghan was just there to sell stories to the press.
Kate put on a full face of makeup because she looks much older than Meghan when she doesn’t. She still looks older with it on, but Kate is not someone who can pull off a fresh barefaced look. That horse left the barn several years ago.
It is also one of the many reasons she’s resentful of Meghan.
Scooter looks uncomfortable as keen comes on to him. I don’t think he’ll agree to pose for pictures like that again
The problem is the Wales’ want the support of the hardcore royalist, and the people that follow and support Harry and Meghan. Despite what the British media tries to pretend when criticizing Harry and Meghan, those are two very distinct groups of people. So you’re not going to be able to do the ” influencer” aesthetic, and also do the cold, snooty, bound by protocol aesthetic with no pushback.
Now the issue could be that Kate has no sense of self, and neither of them have any real degree of innovation. However, if they just leaned into their own strong points ( as they may be) it would be less stressful for them, less weird for their kids, and wouldn’t come across so fake. It would be like if Harry and Meghan all of a sudden became incredibly formal, never made jokes, started bringing Archie and Lili with them everywhere, wore the most boring outfits, and posted basically press releases on Instagram. It would be fake, and unnatural to their actual personalities.
Despite what this lady appears to believe, it’s not bad that Harry and Meghan have the personalities that they do, it’s their personalities. Them not liking it doesn’t mean that Harry and Meghan should change, and Kate and William should realize that sooner rather than later. The people that like you, like you for who you are, not who you are trying to copy. And their supporters don’t like them for who they’re trying to copy. They like them for being people that keep up tradition, and are arrogant, and snooty, and believe that they’re better.
Whats crazy is the lack of identity/sense of self. Kate is in her 40’s and has access to everything in the world. We have said “there is no there there” before but its really glaring here.
Her sense of self must be non existent.
🎯 This is the real problem. Kate’s sense of self is entirely wrapped up in her children, in her supposed “fairy tale” romance, and in being future Kween. I mean, I get feeling insecure. But also, she could do something about it, like find a true passion and work hard for it. But unless and until she finds a core, she needs to project the perfect marriage and family.
This insecurity makes her vulnerable to wacky, trendy, and influencer- or Meghan-coded suggestions from staffers like Porteous and Warr (the guy behind that weird post-cancer video and the terrible seasons ads). Someone more sure of themselves would have said “no” to lying in the weeds in obviously fake spontaneity. In fact, it’s surprising Bulliam didn’t say no, but either he’s decided to be complicit with the “we’re a happy family because look at our fake spontaneity” thing, or he just DGAF.
Well said! And it also seems that she is just used to being told what to do. Meghan pushed back against the RF because she had a sense of self and boundaries. Kate has nothing. Her whole life has been preparing to be this photograph.
Not saying she doesnt have free will or the ability to drive narratives (ahem “meghan made me cry”) but even that is to service her identity as a fragile white rose. Its all smoke and mirrors.
I read she just exercises and shops all day. Im sorry but as nice as a few days of that sounds – i find it incomprehensible that she has no interests! Baffling. I started 3 new hobbies during the pandemic. Im constantly curious and trying to learn more and im also in my 40’s but i dont have nannies or cooks or anything that would allow me even more time to pursue these interests.
We are looking at someone who has EVERYTHING in the wold and ACCESS TO EVERY PRIVELEDGE and she said “nope!” To all of them. Thats what facinates/irritates me to hell. She literally could go to any museum in the world and say “id like to take an art class” or “teach me about X” and she never does a thing.
Its soooo bonkers to me. My brain cannot compute
Kate’s lack of self really drives so much. A lot of times I think her copying is deliberate, a way to steal Diana or Meghan’s shine, to hope that if she dresses like them she’ll be as popular as them. But sometimes I think its just because she doesnt know what to do with herself. What is her preferred fashion? How does she want to interact with people (like Meghan or like anne?) how does she want to acknowledge birthdays and the like? how does she want to use social media?
Meghan knows the answer to these questions bc Meghan has a strong sense of self. Sure she follows trends sometimes, shes playing mahjong like every other 40 something woman I know, etc. but she knows how she wants to dress, she knows what she likes, she knows what image she wants to portray on IG, all of that. And it comes through.
Kate doesnt know those answers and so she just goes from diana to Meghan to Jecca Craig and back again to try to find an image that works and none of them work.
Kate cannot have a sense of self, because she has to be whatever William wants her to be at that time. If he wants old fashioned stay at home mom, she has to be that. If he wants high fashioned arm candy, she has to be that. If he wants professional intelligent leader, she has to be that.
At least, she has to TRY to be whatever William wants, but doesn’t really succeed at most of them. My point is, if she were to find her “self,” and her true self isn’t what William wants, she could lose him. And she can’t risk that happening so she remains a “nothing” person, waiting to react to whatever William wants next.
There was an article about kates fashions going back to the early 2000. One of the pictures shows her wearing the same type of outfit jecca alread wore including the outback type hat
“ We love Kate and William because they’re not Meghan and Harry.”
Speaks volumes.
Imagine being “loved” just because you aren’t someone else. Not because of your character, achievements, personality etc.
This author let the truth out in this sentence, the whole truth.
She could have made it even plainer: We like Kate because she’s white.
We all know you want to say it, so just say it.
I never thought I’d agree with a Fail columnist, but yeah, these kinds of photos give me the ick, too. Not just coming from the Waleses, but in general. It reminds me of a snobby distant semi-relative (my dad’s first wife’s cousin) who would send these asinine family newsletters twice a year. She married a rich dentist and moved to Connecticut, and tried to pretend they lived in a Ralph Lauren ad or something. And they were members of a yacht club, so every damn newsletter had photos of the family in Breton tops, Bermuda shorts, and boat shoes, and Cousin Carolyn with her tacky anchor and ship’s wheel earrings. She was so determined to let everyone know how much better her family’s life was that she kept my dad on her mailing list long after he divorced her cousin. Ugh, f–king Carolyn.
I’m loling at this, thank you 😂. This is the correct level of ridiculous, and that’s exactly what Kate is doing 😂.
The headline also made me think of my brother describing an acquaintance. He said their house was very Live Laugh Love (like in 2008), and I still find it hilarious that it fully explained the person and the decor. Meghan isn’t in that category, but I can see how any optimism in the face of these grumpy cows would be taken that way.
Kate has no sense of self, and that’s sad. I don’t know if we’ll ever unwind how much of that is her mother vs her own manipulation vs her husband.
If you love someone because of what they are not — royal or civvie — then you don’t love them. You’re just using them as a stick to beat someone else. They’re an empty vessel. There is a funny misconception that the late Queen was a blank slate. She wasn’t. She was incredibly sharp, animated, and high-spirited, brisk, and empathic — indeed — in private. She just put on a game face to do her job. It’s the difference between a stoic resolve to show up, no matter what, and a point-scoring presenteeism. That’s what WanK bring to the table.
The plain fact of the matter is WanK are too fractured as a couple to behave as a united family. What ever has been going on behind the scenes with them, some of which is absolutely known to the BM, has been strictly embargoed but it is oozing out from them all the same.
This piece still can’t help themselves slagging off H&M but it is giving WanK sensible advice, get back to basics with staff that can assure they are turned out well and can meet their events with dignity, proper grooming, proofreading their missives, etc. Doing things in that staid correctness is a better situation if they can’t bring themselves to be truthful about their marriage.
I wonder if Kate sees herself as a creative type (History of Art, brief stint in fashion buying, photography, naycha videos…), in the way Billy Idle thinks he’s a global statesman.
It is all a bit basic, isn’t it.
She does and also in a Victorian maiden kind of way. Piano lessons and sketching and watercolors.
Two spaniels? Is the hair beside William’s head the second spaniel? The remark made me notice the photo more and there’s definitely plenty of things photoshopped! It’s a photo that can’t stand any scrutiny. It seems as there are 2 parts: William’s side with George and Kate’s side with louis and Charlotte. Were William and George photographed separately? The light is certainly different and in this case, Kate’s placement of her hand could be explained. The grass is different as well, not just the colour but the kind? I expect everything from them.
Yes, they got a new dog. They posted a picture of him today.
Yes, I know they have 2 dogs (I saw it’s birthday photo today, lol) but I can’t see them both in the photo as the article claims.
oh gotcha! yes I think its the clump of brown by William’s head. Its hard to tell but i think that’s him. The color looks right.
Good eyes. There’s definitely a strong light, maybe the sun, coming from the left side of the frame (from everyone’s right). Kate, Louis and Charlotte all show the corresponding shadows on the parts of their legs where this light doesn’t fall. But there’s practically no shadow on William’s and George’s left shins–why isn’t the unlit side of their shins as dark as the unlit part of Louis’ and Kate’s legs right just a few feet away?
Of course George is the only one next to William, he’s the only child that we ever see William spending time separately with. It also allows the photo to be cropped to just the two of them.
And poor Kate is (once again) grinning at children who are visibly uninterested in her.
I think the picture looks dumb with them lying on their backs. Meghan is the one who started the nature photos & black & white photography, both which Kate now copies. I’m glad actually that this copying is being called out. But anyway, who wants to see them lying on their backs in grass? No one. It’s too contrived for the younger generation & it’s too casual & unbecoming for the royalists.
William looks like he’s trying to push something out.
I agree, he always looks constipated to me.
My favorite bit is poor George wondering “How long do we have to do this?” He always looks so serious – if the monarchy survives long enough for him to be King, I can imagine him to be a throwback to the time when the royals showed dignity.
Kate had better enjoy these weird family photos now because the day is coming fast when George and Charlotte are going to refuse to participate.
Of course she lied. The real story, of Meghan being barefoot in her OWN HOME, is a non-story. It’s just nonsense. Lots of people don’t wear shoes in their homes.
I have to say, the Waleses bare feet have made me uncomfortable for awhile now, and I haven’t been sure why. I’ve always loved going barefoot.
It was strange-looking in the beach jumping photos last year, and in BillyIdle’s weird volleyball shoot in Brazil.
The whole family just looks wrong when they take off their shoes — like it’s totally performative for the cameras, and their poor pale tender feet don’t know what hit them.
Everything about the beach photo was wrong — it’s clearly photoshopped, George is not really jumping over that bush (one foot in front of the bush, but nobody else is?), and the size of the bush compared to the humans is all wrong. Everyone noticed it at the time, but of course the tabloids praised it effusively.
‘Poor pale tender feet’. That’s it! I spent the first eight years of my life in SoCal where we went barefoot year round. Our feet were tough! They were also tanned but dirty, with stubbed toes, blood blisters, etc. The first week of school was a nightmare, having to wear hard shoes. These kids? If they’re ever barefoot at all it’s inside one of their many homes. They probably threw themselves backwards onto the grass because their feet couldn’t take it any more.
The anniversary photo looks odd because it’s all about the kids, and there’s nothing about the marriage … because there IS no marriage. Kate and Will aren’t even lying next to each other. And I still think Kate is photoshopped into last year’s photo. And if you can tell that, it’s badly done.
Several correctly point out Kate’s “lack of self.” Not the same as being selfless.