Roya Nikkhah at the Times of London got a full briefing from Kensington Palace, if not Prince William himself. It seems that there is some awareness in KP that their squirrelly non-disclosures about the Princess of Wales’s vague abdominal surgery and extended convalescence have not gone down the way they were expecting. That’s why so many friends-of-Bill have been called on to write overwrought columns about how William is Kate’s rock and he would move heaven and earth to protect her (and yet he refuses to visit her daily). It definitely feels like there’s been pushback on William in particular for his suggestion that he should also free his schedule entirely for the next three months. So William did what he always does: he pushed it all back on Kate. Per Nikkhah’s new piece, “Kate will work from bed while William does the school run.”
It is understood the King, who will have a “corrective procedure” in hospital this week for an enlarged prostate and will also be out of action with public duties for a few weeks, is fully supportive of William’s decision to prioritise family over monarchy while his wife recovers.
Unless they are on engagements or working overseas, William or Catherine always do the school drop-off and pick-up every day at Lambrook, in Berkshire. William, who visited Catherine in hospital on Thursday morning and over the weekend, is now doing both drop-off and pick-up for their three children, helped at home by their nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who has been with them since 2014 but does not live-in.
Weekends are usually spent at Adelaide Cottage because of the children’s sporting commitments, and they tend to visit Anmer Hall, their Norfolk home, only during the school holidays. Catherine’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who are attentive grandparents living in nearby Bucklebury and “regulars” at Lambrook for sports matches and school events, will also be on hand to help.
Once home in Windsor, Catherine’s diary will be cleared and replaced with rest — something the active princess may find a bit of an adjustment. Until her hospital admission last week, Kate’s days were usually filled with school runs, meetings and calls in Windsor or Kensington Palace with her private office, Royal Foundation team and charities and patronages, official engagements (she undertook 134 last year, William 175, the Duchess of Edinburgh 179, and Princess Anne, with 410, came second only to the King) and usually, some form of exercise. The exception is the children’s school holidays, typically about 19 weeks a year, when the Waleses fiercely guard their family time and aides are loath to disturb them.
Last week, Kensington Palace contacted Catherine’s 30 charities and patronages to confirm postponing and rescheduling engagements. She has been without a private secretary for more than a year, but her assistant private secretary, Natalie Burrows, who has stepped up in the interim, will continue to hold the fort alongside William’s private secretary, Jean-Christophe Gray, a Whitehall mandarin who will return to government in the spring. Kensington Palace is expected to announce a new “chief executive” to lead their team.
While Catherine is unlikely to be in action until after Easter, aides insist her work will not stall. Last January, she launched a campaign, Shaping Us, to raise public awareness around the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. Building on the work from the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood which Catherine founded in 2021, the campaign will continue to be her primary focus this year, and work driven by her will be continuing behind the scenes.
Those close to her say that while she will be out of sight for much of the next few months, her interest in her work will be undimmed and she is unlikely to be able to clear the decks completely. An aide said: “Knowing her, I don’t envisage that will be the case. Her passion for the early years is clear, there will be a huge continuation of that campaign and she will be keen to be out continuing that conversation with the nation as soon as possible.”
The Italians, who were set to welcome William and Catherine on an official visit in March, will need to be patient while that tour is rescheduled depending on the princess’s recovery and there will be a short wait for Catherine’s charities until she is back out championing their causes.
In addition to name-checking Shaping Us, Katie Keen’s Business Taskforce also got a mention, especially since they had a meeting at Windsor Castle last Monday, a meeting which Kate did not attend. They’re also fluffing up Kate’s Keen Early Years Center, which is funding some more pie charts and busywork studies. I appreciate how dramatic Nikkhah tries to make it sound, like Kate’s charities are used to being in constant contact with her and Kate’s absence will reverberate throughout Britain’s charitable scene. It’s also interesting that this medical situation happened when Kate has been without a private secretary for (by my count) fifteen months. Incidentally, KP still hasn’t hired a CEO either. Jeez. Quite disorganized over there, which might explain the briefings around Kate’s hospitalization. Hopefully she will be OK.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace.
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the Design Museum where she made a key note speech at the “Shaping Us” National Symposium in London, UK, 15 November 2023,Image: 822201109, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Richard Pohle / Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the Design Museum where she made a key note speech at the “Shaping Us” National Symposium in London, UK, 15 November 2023,Image: 822201197, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Richard Pohle / Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the Design Museum where she made a key note speech at the “Shaping Us” National Symposium in London, UK, 15 November 2023,Image: 822201229, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Richard Pohle / Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales laughs as she listens to Tony Blair and William Hague swap anecdotes as they speak at the “Shaping Us” National Symposium at the Design Museum in London, UK, 15 November 2023,Image: 822228646, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Richard Pohle / Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales hosts the inaugural meeting of her new Business Taskforce for Early Childhood at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London where they will discuss why Early Childhood is so critical for business. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales hosts the inaugural meeting of her new Business Taskforce for Early Childhood at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London where they will discuss why Early Childhood is so critical for business. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Dear British Media and Royal Family,
The FBI would still like to speak to Prince Andrew.
Sincerely,
Literally Everyone
💯
The bowel movement of the britshidt media are studiously ignoring that.
💯
Ah yes those goddamn school runs take up so much time each day .
No wonder they don’t have time for anything else poor over worked darlings.
The school run thing is to make them sound like a ‘normal family’, which is the narrative that KP are always pushing. They’re just like us.
KP needs a new strategy for the Wails. Wealth hoarding royals are not anyone’s idea of a normal family, and the Wails would rather eat sh!t than give up their lavish lifestyle of helicopters and multiple castles.
well… they are eating unseasoned food, so it’s almost that bad already!
They also spend a lot of time working trying to find ways to keep up with Harry and Meghan. And she has to keep up with her Meghan look book somehow. And she needs to do all the “shopping” aka approve outfits and jewelry for the Italian trip. whew..exhausting! (sarcasm)
I still think it’s an ED issue or mental breakdown with the weird way they are being squirrelly about it. they normally would use a diagnosis all for any chance at good PR to one up the Sussexes. Look at Charles.
A mental breakdown is something they would never admit to.
Putting my tinfoil tiara on I’m taking the ‘something the active princess may find a bit of an adjustment’ comment and later reference to exercise as hints being dropped. She’s a compulsive exerciser and the excessive exercise/restricted eating combo has done a number on her mentally and physically and this is the result. I hope she’s getting psychological as well as physical help if this is the case.
I agree. In recent months the pressure’s been building, which could easily trip-up someone with an ED, cutting or mental health issues: her parent’s embarrassing Party Pieces debacle, being named as royal racist, Peg icing her out and refusing to let her go to Singapore, Charles continuing to refuse her better lodgings on the Windsor estate, Peg making George go to rapey hazing Eton rather than Marlborough, the final season of the Crown, whatever has been going on with her injured fingers, and who knows what else. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not fishing for sympathy, but she doesn’t seem as thick-skinned in the way Camila is – I mean, she lost it when Meghan suggested she had ‘baby brain’, lol. All I can say is, if she’s going through something remotely resembling what Meghan went through, then I hope she finally has perspective enough to see she’s reaping what she sows, and has the grace to apologise.
@olivia completely agree. Her position would be a trial for even someone with a strong backbone and moral compass. It must be absolute hell for someone like Kate.
My tinfoil tiara theory is they had a really bad fight and…how do I put it…Peg really lost his temper and caused internal damage.
Kate has been under enough pressure to crack someone with way more characters, smarts, and self-esteem than she will ever have. She always reminds me of the young hero’s vapid aristocratic mother in The Chestry Oak, whom he compared to a gorgeous shattered china statue: “She was all hollow inside.”For someone who takes her entire identity from an institution that’s rotting from the inside, it’s no surprise she apparently has finally broken.
Very incisive and totally accurate post, Deering
M’y thoughts on the big secret. 1. Facelift as her face is falling fast. 2 hysterectomy although it is not a big deal anymore. Certainly doesn’t require 2 weeks in hospital. 3 colitis or colon rectal cancer as I read in a journal the other day there has been an up tick in C Rectal cancer n the younger group under 40s. Étiologie unknown. She looks depressed often so a little psych care for her with one or any of the above.
At least Roya pointed out that they have a round the clock nanny.
Who isn’t live-in!! Just next door!
As someone who rode the bus to school, their obsession with the school run is perplexing and obnoxious. Doing the school run twice a day every day doesn’t necessarily make someone perfect parents. It so performative the way they talk about it. The kids are going to be alright if someone else picks them up from school once or twice a week.
This is not someone recovering from “abdominal surgery.”This is the culmination of multitudes of issues .
The idea that William has to take these children to and from school is ridiculous.
Better would they have been to say nothing,no one would have noticed she’s not working.
That’s because the talk of the school run is performative and nothing else.
It has been well leaked before by parents that WanK never do the “school run”, it’s masses of RPOs and vehicles blocking everyone else from access and WanK are allegedly hard to get in touch with. I think this was all at the Battersea school.
With this leaked it is remarkable how many leaky pics there are of WanK at Lambrook.
Right?? George is what, 10? I know by that age my son was THRILLED when I didn’t go everywhere with him. How is it helping the FFK if his mom and dad can’t loosen the apron strings even a tiny bit?
This obsession with the “school run” irritates me. I, too, caught the bus to school and in those days so did all children, including those who attended private schools. Many travelled long distances by train and/or bus. Maybe the particularly privileged were chauffered to and from by a nanny but it’s not something that a mother would regularly do, and fathers were at work.
Nanny Maria has been a trusted fixture in their lives, all their lives, and I can think of no valid reason why she or one of her similarly qualified and trusted assistants could not drive the children to and from school. Frankly I think it is odd that the Wales children have been brought up thinking it is normal for parents to take their children to and from school, when it clearly is not for the majority of families and there is no need for it to be in their case. William should be working most days, not spending at least a couple of hours a day, every week day, on this task.
I agree. I suspect the school run is some sort of conservative dog whistle for the imbeciles that still support these grifters. But when you have no substance and don’t work, perfomative is all you have.
Maybe it’s a sort of dog whistle, I don’t know, but I do know it’s copy-keening Diana. Diana was always (and still is) praised for being the first royal to personally take her kids to school, how hands-on, involved and modern she was for that and WanK want the same praise.
That pie chart though 😀 I can’t, it gets me every time!
Same! I still can’t believe it’s real.
LOL me too. Every time!
Kate never works so this will definitely not be happening.
Exactly!! She doesn’t work. Also the only work she ever did (from bed) was to catch a prince.
Bahahah! 😂 Savage, Susan!!
Although it’s early, you’ve got my vote for comment of the day! *wiping tears away*
OMG <<<>>>
Haha! I always thought it was sooo weird that she lived in a house with all of William’s friends while they were sleeping together. I can’t understand Carole allowing that, or really how that was made okay in the press for a future royal. Imagine if Meghan had done that!
Working from bed….. No evidence of Kate working historically, when is she going to start ? Nothing to show, no achievements whatsoever, other than copying other womens clothes, flashing, and her extreme laziness other than to focus on developing muscles. Her bizarre teeth and wide open mouthed poses.. 19 weeks holiday every year to recover frm the stress of doing nothing. Over the years, I have read that Kate said she couldnt cook, and wasnt interested, now she says she is a cook. Nanny Maria is the senior nanny, there are others, at least one nanny for each child. There are teams of multiple servants who do everything for the family . Apparently the children rarely eat with their parents. What is it that K and W actually do for the children ? The “Normal just like all of us” is a joke. She is a victim of no one. yet verything is contrived to present her as a saint.
They always treat Kate with kid gloves like she’s made out of fine porcelain, so the recovery time being half the year doesn’t surprise me. But don’t worry, she’ll be working from her bed. To do what? Kate is a representative only – she doesn’t actually do any physical work herself. She doesn’t have proposals to write or spreadsheets to populate. And she definitely won’t do video calls from bed.
A large part of why she is in this mess is because she has been treated like a child for all these years. They still write about her as if she’s this little girl and not a 42 year old mother of three. No way would the palace allow her to take such lengthy time off if this matter wasn’t serious. The press need her as a weapon to bash Meghan, and the prospect of her being out of action till Easter at the earliest must send alarm bells ringing.
The silence surrounding what exactly is wrong with her is also suspicious. Either the rota pact know exactly what’s up, or KP is mismanaging the truth (which wouldn’t be the first time).
They definitely know what’s up. If they didn’t, they’d be pushing subtle queries about her health under the guise of concern. Instead, they’ve been acting like this is a crisis despite their initial parroting of what KP told them: planned surgery (and we know ‘planned’ could technically be a couple of days before), non-cancerous, etc. and they’ve also been waxing poetic about William’s family man facade. There’s a definite note of panic in their reporting, and I suspect that things are a lot worse and more complex than KP is claiming. If it was a matter the palace felt like they could use to milk sympathy, they would’ve done that from the start and been less vague.
Yeah, the press (at least some of them) absolutely know what’s up, its why they’re writing so sympathetically about her – not just because its a legitimate medical issue, but because they’re being kept in the loop so they’re rewarding KP by writing these kinds of articles.
The press is really sensationalizing for clicks. But they’re getting panned bc it’s so over the top. And while I think the press knows more, I wonder how much more. Who’s to say KP is being honest with the press?
Random but I don’t think the release of Saltburn helps either. @M&gan when they talk about “working” from bed, all I can think about is the delulus in that family “working” and “helping” and “being kind.” Rosamund pike’s character could have been right out of the turnip toffs.
And why would she need to work from bed, anyway? Why do they assume her months-long convalescence is going to be from bed? She’s going to be camped out on the couch, or more likely, doing her normal amount of daily exercise but under cover. Nobody will know otherwise, right?
Really loved how the article put her “work” engagements total and the fact that she and Willy take off half the year for school holidays in there. 🙄
The keens are so clueless and arrogant. Virtue signalling from the keens that William does school runs.
Nineteen weeks off a year excused by “the kids are on school break”.
No really because I was just at a kids bday party and all parents could talk about was how brutal winter break + snow days was because normal parents still have to work!
So they can’t work 19 weeks out of the year because the kids are on school break but they also can’t work when the kids aren’t on school break because of school drop offs and pickups? So when exactly are they supposed to work as the futures who are the second most senior royals and are getting the most homes, transportation and clothing allowances?
19 weeks! Which is wild!
Yeah that is a lot!
Noticed that!
Also, all 30 of her charities! QEII and Prince Philip had hundreds. They are definitely being shady.
Absolutely no one thinks she’s going to be working from bed.
I really lol’d at, “Last week, Kensington Palace contacted Catherine’s 30 charities and patronages to confirm postponing and rescheduling engagements.”. As if.
There’s a graph out there somewhere that shows how many of the charities/patronages that haven’t seen hide nor gopher of her for years.
Personally, I don’t believe she’s at the London Clinic. A video of William driving a car doesn’t sell me on anything. I know, I know, the BM would NEVAH use a different day’s footage/photos. /s
Yep, no one thinks she’s going to working hard from bed and she shouldn’t be. It’s important to recovery to be up and moving around if this was a planned procedure. Not saying hiking, just movement. Kate is a camera loving gal. Philip’s funeral glamour shot funeral shoot.
For what it’s worth, there’s something happening here, But, what it is ain’t exactly clear.IYKYK
The comments in the tabs about all this have been brutal to WandK – the general attitude yesterday was “these 2 don’t work” and commenting how out of touch the coverage was vs what the average person has to go through….
1. I highly, highly doubt she works from her bed. If she can’t be seen working then what’s the point? (in the eyes of the media)
2. Fifteen months without a private secretary feels like they’ve made a point not to hire one.
It’s comical that they think we will believe point number one when she barely works in public. And as for point number two, what happened to the equerry they were floating around late last fall? Wasn’t he just waiting on details to accept? It feels like the same thing with the ” ball buster” from this time last year. They throw names out every few months when they realize that people find it odd that someone that’s framing themselves as a Top CEO, can go for months and months and months without any senior management support to plan and execute their strategic vision.
I wonder if they’re going to release pictures of her jazz hands from bed. 🤔
It would be terribly amusing to have a snap of old Waity in an over the top bed jacket, full Wiglet and make up, pearls and sapphires, with loads of frilly pillows, holding court from her sick bed.
“Yes, it’s me, the Princess. I am calling you from hospital to tell you to remind everyone that the first five years are incredibly important to prevent homelessess, addiction, poor, marrying a commoner. Bye.”
@s808 – with regards to point 2. I still think her mother is her private secretary in all but name. It would be very interesting to see the books to see where the money for a private secretary and/or a secretary’s assistant is going. In the real world a top CEO’s PA would need an assistant. I’m sure the promoted assistant is doing a good job but, surely they wouldn’t expect her to do both jobs. My guess is there’s not enough work for two BUT, the books will show two salaries are being drawn.
I agree @Laura.. her mother acts as both her private secretary and her stylist.
To 1.: It’s not just in the eyes of the media, her “work” is literally public, be seen and raise awareness. There is nothing she could do or is qualified for “behind the scenes”. Her work is charity and even that only started some 100 years ago, when the Windsors had to justify their existence, so they were like “we are essential because of charity work!”
To bad modern studies show they aid in exactly nothing, but obvs have to continue to justify their position.
It’s literally all smoke and mirrors and the only person with a semblance of a job is the monarch because of the red boxes and some mandatory appearances. Which doesnt justify a monarchy either, but anyway.
Edit: Health issues suck for anyone and I don’t wish it on anyone, but for Kate one good thing for sure came of it: Have months off and no one should bat an eye.
What’s this obsession with the all-hallowed school run? If Carole took it over for a few weeks it wouldn’t be the end of the world. And working from bed? Hilarious. And 134 events in a year is pathetic.
I know. What is it? It’s normal. It’s the first bit of the day before work. What do they want for driving their brood to school, a balloon? But remember, isn’t the school drop-off when William starts chatting to the school mums trying to get on and get to the gym?!
Ok I’m a sahm who does school runs and I still get 8 free hours (meaning finally taking on part time work again—which im super excited about actually and I bet it’s going to be more than those moochers)!!
Snaggletooth – I was an on and off again stay at home mum for years. I work full weeks from home now, with flexible time built around the kids but it was inconsistent when they were little, due to their long private hols set against extortionately high childcare. I had days of free eight hours for long stretches. I was fortunate but at times frustrated. I would still love to go back to an office rather than WFH but it’s a minor concern. Good luck with your return to work life.
Thank you @sparrow! These 8 hour days did just start because we’ve finally gotten our special needs child placed in the right school. I’m happy to hear you’ve gotten back to doing work that is rewarding, even if the setup is imperfect.
I’m sure you’ve felt similarly, but this is one of the things I find frustrating about Kate. To have the cooking and (especially) cleaning staff supporting you, to have any leader of any charitable organization pretty much on speed dial, and in-house staff for your pet projects seems like a dream come true for a working mom. So many of us dialed back our careers because it is the only way we could balance family responsibilities. She has the perfect setup yet does so little!
Exactly. I lost traction on my career – in reality, I’ve lost hold of it almost completely and have had to change track and scale down – because I was a SAHM. I’ve taken a financial hit on a personal level as a result. Kate could’ve done so much with all that support. Like you say, I can’t imagine her rushing round doing the cleaning, cooking, and simply keeping the whole family on track and on time. Meghan must’ve brought her up sharp in terms of seeing what someone can get done.
Two of the hard-working managers in my department mostly WFH and generally do one or both of the school runs with their kids. They are still putting in a full schedule and have super quantifiable project results. They just don’t schedule meetings during the usual times.
(One is my boss. He would often call me from the car on his way back and we would talk about what I was up to/needed to do.)
I wish Kate well. I would like her to take her time recovering from whatever ails her.
They should just stop with the working from her bed thing…ridiculous…
I think the original press release spoke to William only cutting back while Kate is in hospital and that is understandable. He needs to be a presence for the children. However, there is a difference between cutting back and totally not working. All the children are at school. Drop offs take how long?
You drop off and go and take care of your responsibilities …this is what normal people do and they are always trying to convince us that they are ‘just like us’.
What is he going to be doing while the children are at school?
I have no idea how far Lambrook is from their house, but school drop offs can take a big chunk out of your day. I had kids at a camp that was 30 mins away from our house and it took 2 hours out of my day. It is not a pleasant hour with kids in the car either because they are usually fighting for some portion of the commute. This just seems like a lame excuse for William’s laziness. Any other parent with a high profile job would have a nanny do this.
Lambrook is 13 minutes from Adelaide Cottage. That was the whole supposed point of them moving there.
Even if we say 20 minutes each way and 10 minutes for saying goodbye/socializing with other parents (haha) it’s only an hour a day.
Does anyone think their car waits in line like all the other parents dropping off their kids? I’m sure they have their own designated entrance.
Agreed—and why wouldn’t William use this opportunity to take on Kate’s in-person appearances and duties, showing how necessary it is to have a whole family on the payroll AND looking like a hero/amazing husband for subbing in for his wife??
I used to be in PR and every choice they make confounds me. Will dropping out “for the foreseeable future” because Kate is out and he has to “care for the children” is such see-through garbage, and it’s SO INSULTING to working parents who have to manage these kinds of crises without nannies, housekeepers, best-in-class health care, job security and millions of pounds.
The “active princess”?? Hahahahahahaha! THE “ACTIVE PRINCESS”?! Hahahahahahahahaha
I stopped and laughed at that one too😂😂😂
I am interpreting it as because she likes to exercise-that’s her main activity. So yes, for someone who works out constantly, it would be a challenge to have to lay low.
I’ve been spending the last few weeks getting most of my 10k steps a day inside my apartment, because the snow & ice is too much for me. And I work from home, so I didn’t even have a copy room to stroll down to from time to time. I’m willing to bet that as big as Adelaide is–or Anmer, if she moves out that way–is so big that she can get half that just going downstairs to the dining room then back again. And do we think they don’t have an exercise room, complete with treadmill & pilates machines & yoga mats? She’ll get her exercise, all right.
@BeanieBean but she will need to wait until she is cleared to do things like that. After my double mastectomy, I couldn’t raise my heart rate for a period, couldn’t lift, etc. I’m a very active person (sadly, not a princess) and it was very difficult for me.
But yes, I have no doubt that the second she’s cleared, she’ll be back at the Adelaide gym.
Honestly, the whole “this is just an excuse to get plastic surgery!!!!” people are saying is just bad. She’s not using this as a cover for plastic surgery.
That’s about as polite I can be to people who say that.
If this is supposed to generate sympathy and make them sound like everyday commoners worrying about the school run and their children, I don’t see it happening. “Normal” families have to rely on grandparents, carpooling and juggling schedules to make school runs. “Normal” families also don’t get so much free time when their children are out of school with bosses and co-workers “reluctant” to call on them. When it is well known that they have a nanny and they are putting out that the grandparents are available and the children are in school during the day, why can’t PW “work”?
Exactly, this whole article is shady in places? Reminding everyone they have a nanny and the grandparents around to help, NINETEEN weeks of holiday (that they acknowledge), and explicitly numbering Kate and William’s work numbers in comparison to several older royals?? If it’s possible to be sycophantic and shady at the same time, this is it!
They think they are normal. Because the only people they hang around are all wealthy. And the school run is their entire lives. William doesn’t know that actual normal people take care of their kids and have full time jobs. Because he has never seen that. Charles or William have no clue what normal is. And they hope they never have to.
It is ridiculous. If William wanted to take the 2 weeks she’s in the hospital off, fine. I can see that for their kids. Once she’s home recuperating with all the staff and her mother right there-no, he should be back at “work” like everyone else in the world.
Do they have any idea how ridiculous they sound going on about the school run so much? This doesn’t make them sound relatable, instead it’s made them sound more out of touch than ever and tone deaf
Most parents do the school run and then go to work – shocking, I know!
IKR? Dropping the kids at school is the start art of the work day/commute for the rest of us. Taking a leave of absence is the most entitled thing I’ve heard of. They are the opposite of relatable.
She barely worked before when she could physically do things. She’s not going to work now when she’s genuinely in the hospital and can’t leave it.
The usual about Kate working behind the scenes. She still gives no credit to real experts in real childhood. The school r in spin gets tedious
Experts in early childhood
I agree. It is truly insulting to genuine academics and professionals who’ve been working in this field for decades. She’s latched onto something with no other experience than being a mother, plus an art history degree. Being a mum is helpful in terms of understanding kids at some level, but motherhood alone, and no other qualification, makes a mockery of the overall subject. If it were that simple, a high percentage of the global population could call themselves experts in early years without ever stepping foot inside a relevant university or children’s educational setting. How she sits in meetings with specialists is beyond me.
There’s some super cringe video of her talking w/Dr. Jill Biden, who begins the conversation with an assumption that Kate will know what she’s talking about? Aaaaand then Kate mumbles some confused platitudes and Dr. Jill realizes this is not a merit situation, it’s just Kate’s photo op and she actually doesn’t know shit
My guess is she won’t be doing any work from her bed.
Except of course for online shopping and checking up on what Meghan has been wearing!
Hidden in that article is another ridiculous statement: The Wales’ take 19 WEEKS A YEAR off with the children on ‘school holidays’. NINETEEN WEEKS? Is that a mis-print?
I don’t have kids myself yet, but I know from colleagues who do that it’s around 13 weeks. I don’t know where 19 came from!🤷♀️
I have no idea about the UK, but in our US district it’s 11 week summer break, 2 weeks winter, and another week in the spring, so 14 total. There are also at least 4 teacher workdays, so I guess that could be counted as another week off spread throughout the year, and then holidays like thanksgiving, MLK, President”s Day, Memorial Day would be another “week”. So I guess you could say they are off for 16 weeks per year, just not always in full week chunks. Our state mandates a minimum number of school days (which I think most do?) And 19 weeks off would no way fit into that! But I’m sure Kate and Will have to take a few days off before break to prepare for break and then recover for a day or two after, so their time off could easily go up to 19 weeks even if the kids are not off that long!
I think the Wales get 8 weeks off for summer break (maybe more?), two weeks off for fall break, I think another 2 weeks for winter break (maybe 3?) and then another two weeks off around Easter. And there may be another extended break or two that I am forgetting. So that’s 14 weeks right off the bat but I’m sure I’m forgetting some so the 19 adds up fast I guess?
But, if its not 19, then its funny that Roya is giving them more vacation time than they actually “use” lol.
The more expensive the school the longer the holidays. There is a big difference between state and private schools here.
UK private kids get longer holidays than state, which we know to our (slightly) bitter experience! Don’t get me wrong, it’s truly lovely having them home, but their extra weeks off impacted on our working and childcare when they were at prep in particular. This is something of course that Kate doesn’t have to worry about. AT ALL. Apart from this blessed school run they bang on about. What is it with the school run!
What’s ridiculous is that she only comes out once, maybe twice a “work” week anyway. And, a lot of that work is showing up to something glitzy, or a sports match, or walking into a church and sitting there for a service. Then there are the phone calls or meetings with JKnife or the warden from the Arly Years closet in KP that she wants credit for as work. So even when she’s working, it’s short hours.
“For 19 weeks out of every year they guard their private time so ferociously that aides are loath to contact them” is some primo, primo shade.
Basically saying their own office can’t get in touch with them for a full five months out of every year
Yes, and you can bet William explodes if any of their staff go against that rule.
In the UK we usually have: 6 weeks summer holiday, 2 weeks Christmas, 2 weeks Easter break, and then three ‘half term’ breaks which are 1 week each. So that makes 13. Not sure where the other 6 additional weeks are coming from.
Bingo!
Exactly. My kid may get those weeks off, doesn’t mean I do. Most parents have to figure out camps, babysitting, etc when their kids have holidays – they don’t get the privilege of joining them nor do they get the unbelievable privilege of cutting themselves off completely from work or even contact during said holidays.
Disney world and other family vacation resorts have gone way up in price. Some families can’t afford them or scrimp and save all year to pay for the vacation. Money is no object for the keens they get luxury trips at ten thousand a night or more. That family is so out touch. Keens have lots of time and money and don’t contribute much
And she will still ‘fiercely guard’ the remaining 19 weeks vacation in2024. What a joke. Let the Edinburghs fill in all 52 weeks, nobody cares.
The bigger issue here, beyond the RF shenanigans or work shy Will and Kate, is the expectation that women must constantly be working, even from a sick bed. I’m surprised that the message hasn’t received criticism. Women are constantly expected to put themselves aside in service of their partners, children, families, work, society etc etc, even if it risks their health. This is a bigger issue than Kate and deserves critique for the message it sends to all women and society’s expectation of us.
There is sick leave where workers in the real world get time off and leaves of absence where they are not required to work then.Kate working from the bed is so ridiculous. She barely works anyway and is a privileged royal. So patronizing to people in the real world. Kate never had a career nor supported herself and has no clue.
She has a nanny and staff so no not the same thing at all. And she barely works anyway. Nobody is expecting her to do anything.
Agree with this. If she needs to heal, let her heal. No one cares if she’s doing work from her bed. She doesn’t need to act a martyr. If she’s sick, the early years will still be there when she recovers. It’d be better just to say she looks forward to catching up on her work after she recovers. Not from the sick bed.
Eh. I think this is to counter the perception (which is the reality in this case) that she does nothing, and is going to be doing nothing for the next several months.
No, that’s not the message here. This is a reaction to the public’s consternation at all the time off that the rest of us just wouldn’t get in similar circumstances, because we have to work to pay bills. It’s not about women being expected to work 24/7 for their families.
From the gossip site Deuxmoi’s newsletter: “Worldwide well wishes for a speedy recovery are being sent to the Princess of Wales. Earlier this week, media outlets reported that Kate Middleton was to undergo abdominal surgery. As expected, people began to question why. An exclusive source filled us in on the details.
The source shared, “She’s been dealing with stomach related issues for most of her adult life.
So, she’s having a medical procedure done where they’re going to remove parts of her colon/bowl that are cause for concern. Press statements are frustrating because they’re vague, which lends itself to people trying to fill in the blanks with everything from a tummy tuck to hysterectomy. Both of which are not true.” Princess Kate has a long road of rest ahead of her. We hope she can resume her royal duties sooner than later!”
So…. 19 weeks of kids vacation, that almost 5 months vacation time. Most of us get 2-3 weeks a year. That doesn’t count all the empty time before, during and after all those show up and grin and gesture at props (oops, I mean bemused and startled usually black kids) maniacally.
Couples in the real world get a week or two vacation time going on family vacations with the children not 19 weeks.
People get 5 weeks vacation time in Denmark – but 5 months is almost half the year! It is absolutely insane that this is simply just dropped in there without question or comment!!!
In 2022 her year end total was 90 engagements and as she usually “crams” 3 into a day, I calculated 1*3* 30= 90. So I estimated one work day a week over 30 weeks leaving 22 weeks for holidays. I’d called one day a week dabbling rather than part time wouldn’t you?
The Walses “fiercely guard their family time” NINETEEN WEEKS A YEAR while the taxpayers are paying for them, and they freely admit to it! Over a third of the year! What kind of actual job gives you NINETEEN WEEKS vacation?
I’m envious! We American federal employees are not allowed more then six weeks a years; if you accumulate more than 240 hours of annual leave, you head into the ‘use or lose’ category.
Actually, I’m not envious. I’m good with my six weeks! I don’t take them all at the same time & I generally donate a week’s-worth every year.
These articles are not helping.
No they don’t at all, they could at least make it interesting.. how about a headline about “recovering Kate feels inspired wearing _________ tiara from her hospital bed she is brilliantly brainstorming new ideas” that I might read🤷🏻♀️
I visited Deranger Land over the weekend on Reddit and Insta and discovered several conversation where Kate’s fans are claiming she’s in a coma. That’s just really wild and interesting.
I think Kate is a lazy woman. However, if she’s had major surgery and has been told she mustn’t work for 3 months then she mustn’t. Why are they now trying to tell us the laziest senior royal is going to go against medical advice to break an habit of a lifetime and start working? Talk about over-egging it; working from her bed my foot. If anything she would be encouraged to get out of bed ASAP and to try to walk very short distances. She would also have to do very gentle physio. The truth is “they” weren’t expecting the backlash about the amount of sick leave she was given and are once again back-pedalling from their original statements.
I don’t know if I understood correctly (as English is not my first language) but the implication was that she will work from home so that William could continue to do the school-run… ? He won’t work even though he is perfectly fine physically so as to drive the children to school but she will, despite her condition? Bizarre..
@First comment – you understood correctly. 🙂
My point is if the doctors have signed her off for three months then there’s no way she should be going against their advice. In fact in the real world most companies wouldn’t even allow you light duties without some kind of “Fit Note” from a doctor. If anything this over dramatic “working from her sick bed” nonsense is further showing how out of touch these people really are with basic HR policies.
They are saying it because they want to create the impression that Kate being laid up for months is a severe hit to the charities and institutions that she supposedly works hard for. Her absence is supposed to create a huge hole, and the charities and institutions will be hurt badly without her. We know different.
My brother had open heart surgery, triple bypass and aortic aneurysm a week ago. They had him up walking the next day. He spent 3 days in the hospital. He has spent no time in bed since he got home. I don’t know if weeks or months of bedrest is a usual medical recommendation these days. This whole story and their timeline seems made up and uninformed.
Kate looks a great deal like Karen Carpenter. That’s the vibe I’m getting.
That’s the vibe I’m getting too. Karen Carpenter died of cardiac arrest after years of starving herself, over-exercising, taking a ton of laxatives and likely purging after eating.
I have unfortunately been getting Karen Carpenter vibes from Kate since that photo of Charles, Camilla, his kids, their spouses, and the three Wales kids (it was before Archie was born). Kate’s face was so drawn. She was wearing a dress with what I think of as a 70s collar which did accentuate it.
Karen (may God grant her eternal rest) was in the hospital for a couple of stints. Her heart wasn’t strong at the end of her life. Treating the consequences of ED was in its infancy then. Not a fan of Kate but hoping she is getting the help she needs.
This article is shady but is also going into overdrive to convince us that Kate is super busy on a regular basis, she sometimes exercises but her days are so busy with meetings and engagements and work!! Her absence will have a significant impact bc she WORKS SO HARD!!!!
no one believes that. No one believes she’s going to be working from her bed. The royals and RRs are just scrambling bc the overwhelming response to the news about her taking off from work is “so?” or “she works?”
and yes, this article is both pushing the St Kate, hardest working royal ever “behind the scenes” and being shady, with reminding us of how few engagements she did last year, and that she takes 19 weeks of vacation every year (19!!!)
I don’t know if it is sarcasm or not when they claim she will be working from bed.
I’m not sure it’s sarcasm. I genuinely think KP or William thought briefing that detail would make them look good. She cares so much that she’ll work from bed.
Perhaps, it’s their wishful thinking as they aren’t any interesting royals left to write about.
So she’ll continue doing nothing, but from bed instead of outdoors with photo ops.
This article was blasted by DM readers and rightly so. I haven’t kept up to date with William’s side of things, having had an emergency of our own over Christmas. I thought, well, yes, it’s brilliant he’s taking off a week or so. But seriously he’s off until Easter! Of all the families in the UK, Kate’s is primed to handle this with more ease than probably any other, what with its nannies, staff, clinicians on call, all kids at school. This whole charade shows just how lazy they are. There is no gap in family at this point; this is William’s time to step up, Mr King in Waiting. And there was also a Telegraph article about how Kate is irreplaceable. Very strange. Almost “we love you, Kate”. Is there something deeper going on, in that she needs a shout of support? Because the fact is she is not irreplaceable – this absence will show and has already started to prove that she is largely unnoticeable. She shows up for an hour, gurns, goes home. And the other point of the article was how beautiful she is across international monarchy. She isn’t. There are far more attractive royal women out there. It was almost insulting.
So KCIII has no problem with his son and heir prioritizing his wife’s health, but when it came to his second son and his wife, he had no compassion for what Meghan went through.
So whatever ails Kate is so serious she has to spend two weeks in the actual hospital and isn’t expected to return to her duties in public at all until April, 2+ months from now. Yet at the same time whatever ails Kate is mild enough that she can “work” from her hospital bed, which would imply to me that she’s not on any serious pain meds and can at least sit up. This does nothing to clear up the absolute swirl of uncertainty around what is actually wrong with her. It’s like Schrödinger’s abdominal surgery, it’s neither serious nor unserious. Madness!
Everything this 💯. Their messaging, as you say @carrotface, is absolute madness. It’s not serious and yet it’s serious.
I also wonder, why is she going to recover ar Adelaide if she is that sick/weak? Wouldnt that be cramped and stressful with supposed hospital staff /equipment and the kids and their staff and the school run etc. Would it not be better to relax at Anmer, when they have such a house, and maybe have her mother there and some nurses? And William and the kids could visit her there. I mean if she is so ill that she must be bedridden for 2+ months?
Personally I think it is psychiatric.
So does this explain the ‘light duties’ she’s been on for a couple of years? I don’t want to downplay her issues if she has inflammatory bowel disease as it’s just awful and killed someone I knew. Just a bit of advice love. Stop eating those horrible kale smoothies every day. Really not good.
Yes, I have a feeling this is genuinely “abdominal” and related perhaps to extreme dieting methods. If correct, I imagine she feels a measure of ‘shame’ (rightly or wrongly) in that she has potentially done this to herself and also because it relates to her bowels, which feel extremely private. She may also feel bowel problems age her. I say all of this because my dieting has given me, I am sure, IBS. I feel hugely self critical, as if I have let myself down. This is how I would interpret her washed-out physical appearance, which has gone on for years; her missed engagements or delays to arrival; and her low number of work commitments (although this paltry total seems to be shared by her husband).
Bowel problems can be exacerbated or caused by extreme stress and anxiety, along with insecurity, bitter jealousy, imposter syndrome, humiliation, embarrassment, depression… I’m sure they’ll soon find a way to blame the Sussexes for her issues.
What a weird article. It sounds like KP wanted to put some explanation out there, but The Times wasn’t buying it. So, we get this seesaw of “Kate will be working,” “No, she’s lazy, “Really, she’s so very keen,” “No, she isn’t and here are all the reasons why.” Peculiar.
For real.
I mean they never criticize the waleses work ethic otherwise, why start right now when she is in hospital for what seems to be something quite serious?
What kind of timing is that? hm
On which weekend day did Kate dearly devoted husband visit her bedside? I mean we got pictures from last Thursday visit so if there aren’t any weekend hospital visits pictures, then I say husband of the century did not visit. Kate not working now is no different to her regular days . Little exercise my ass.
What they mean is she exercises more than she works . That’s what she will miss the most, exercising. Work was fitted around her workout routine. Also I am so sick of these people boldly stating that while they are being supported by the tax payers, they think it’s okay not to work for so long meanwhile the regular joes can’t do this , no work , no pay to buy food and pay rent or morgage to support their families. The British media and William and Kate are the definition of entitled asses.
And I suppose Peg will be working hard from Keen’s bedside, phone calls & video meetings. That is if he has time between school runs and helping Keen with her convalescing.
OMG, even when they try and make inactive barbie and her kinky ken look like busy, busy people they fail so miserably.
What company would give a man 19 weeks a year of on full pay with all the perks!
What company would give a man 3 months of on full pay because his wife is “sick”.
Let’s face it neither of them “work” they pose, they wave, they shake hands, they make telephone calls or tag onto the coat tails of people who have done something remarkable like Rob has for mnd. They are a couple of third rate actors on a state funded stage, but, they have shot themselves in the foot, because no one is missing them!! Only the rota 🤣🤣🤣So sorry not sorry karma has decided the time is right bye bye wiglet and peg, the times they are a changing.
Lol, the “school run” to Lambrook is mentioned multiple times, just to make sure we get it. You know, the school that (as far as we know) all three children attend which is conveniently located close to their home.
Don’t get me wrong, dropping off and picking up the kids can be a chore, and if I could take a few days off from it, I would! But it doesn’t take the whole day! It’s like writing that I load my dishwasher every day (or most days) so I can’t possibly work. How would I possibly manage?!
Currently, I’m screaming at every mention of School Run.
I grew up in the States. The only time parents did a School Run was if something out of the ordinary was happening i.e.: dental appointment requiring leaving school early/death in family etc.
They live near the school. They have bodyguards. They are no longer babies. Walk or bike to school. Times are not that different. Even my son walked or biked to school.
Seems like there ought to be a better answer to accusations of laziness than to insist that a couple in their 40’s have the schedules of children.
And if they’re taking on so many domestic duties themselves, to such an extent that it supplants their job, why are the British public paying for their staff?
The truth of the matter is the Wales kids have far more demanding schedules than either of their parents, with school and homework. W and K are utterly pathetic.
I imagine there are plenty of couples in England trying to juggle work, child-rearing and the illness of one spouse right now. This must be appalling and enraging to them.
Is the press camped outside The London Clinic for the duration of Kate’s visit like they did awaiting George’s birth? In this case there is a timeline for Kate’s leaving the hospital. And do they really want Kate to be exposed to the press after an extended hospital stay? Have there been reports of the children visiting their mother in the hospital on the weekend? Because Kate is in London, I assume that it would be difficult doing the school week. In fact, has William even made a second visit? And why are they floating the image of Kate working from her bed? Wouldn’t it be sufficient to say that Kate will still be doing some work while convalescing? It makes it sound like she will be completely bed-ridden for months. It would be reasonable for people to conclude that this “medical” thing has permanent implications and that it will be a life-changing experience and Kate. It’s also odd that the Middletons are photographed visiting their family member- something that would seem normal. It gives the impression that Kate is isolated and alone with her medical team, no matter how many articles they write about her “support system.” I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if Kate will be convalescing at the Middleton home for weeks in the future.
First of all, one doesn’t “stay in bed” for months if you’re recovering from abdominal surgery. They get you up the very next day and get you walking every day to keep your lungs healthy and your internal organs getting the necessary oxygen and blood pumping through to heal. This just goes to show that the rota KNOWS what’s wrong with Kate but they’re covering up with these silly puff pieces of how hard-working she is and that she’s going to be “working from bed” like some simpering martyr. This just gets curiouser and curiouser.
They’ve been watching too much TV. Royal women don’t stay in bed all day anymore, if indeed they ever did.
You are right. But maybe she wants to stay in bed all day!
@CrystalBall — then she would have to do it at home, not in a hospital.
Poor pumpkin, who will she shake her jazz hands at if she’s laid up at home?
It depends on the abdominal surgery. Some have quite prolonged recovery periods.
The line about “other than the 19 weeks of holiday” has got to be shade.
Accurate, but shade.
Hello from an American. We have school buses, at least for the public schools. Some of the fancy, expensive schools have buses for kids who don’t board in. You’all don’t have school buses?
No school buses here in SoCal unless your kid is special needs.
Wow. And I did not know that. Loads of school buses in GA. Places are so different.
School buses don’t exist at all in Britain.
Facelift. #guaranteed. You don’t work from your bed with major abdominal surgery.
Nor do you go into hiding for 5 months. This article is pure BS fiction.
Face lifts can indeed take up to half a year to settle.
I don’t think that’s what’s going on here though.
This was my guess as well. Let’s see how she looks once she shows her face in public again. We might start reading about how “refreshed” she looks from her ”rest”.
Anyone needing major abdominal surgery and who needs up to two weeks to recover in the hospital and up to two months recovery time after that is not working from their bed. This isn’t Succession lol. The BRF is not trying to run a major corporation, even if they might try to compare themselves to one.
That statement from Roya Nikkah is so ludicrous, hahaha. I don’t care who you are, surgery recovery is painful and can be long and very few people could actually put all that aside and try to work at the same time. Given we already know Kate and William are light on their work schedules, trying to convince the world at large Kate is suddenly going to take on a heavy workload from her sickbed at home while in recovery is one of the most ridiculous mental images Kensington Palace has tried to foist on us.
We will never get to know the truth
Probably not – but my guess is she had a piece of colon removed: a right hemicolectomy. Both the hospital time and recovery time of up to six months would fit.
On another note, I can’t help thinking of a weight-loss regime every time I read about ‘Shaping Us’. It is one of her major issues after all!
As someone with Crohns I never put much stock in the IBD theory for a number of reasons but I am more and more convinced that an ED or diverticulitis has led her to get a bowel resection exactly as you described.
And let me tell you, as an ostomate I am fucking SICK about this hush hush bullshit. The time frame is lining up more and more with a temporary ostomy and reversal period. If her hiding away for fucking months is due to having a bag, she disgusts me. I was off work for 6 weeks after my surgery but live a full and functional life with the bag.
Ya’ll!!!! Angela Levin is on twitter implying that Kate is having mental health issues. That Levin woman is a pox on humanity.
Is anyone else in shock that they openly admit they take five months off work a year “for the kids”?
Me. Like, WTF?! Oh this is glorious!! 😂😂😂
19 weeks… i was shocked tol
The article mentions the Thursday hospital visit by William which we know about because KP suspiciously announced her location and how long she would be at the hospital recovering. Of course that would create a storm of photographers and press staked out in front of the hospital. So of course there was a photo of William, his bodyguards and maybe Christian Jones shortly after the announcement. So why then does this article mention a weekend visit with no photos at all confirming he was there? I first assumed it was probably because it was with the kids but they would have milked such a visit and I’m not even sure they would be allowed because they might be too young and it might be too hard for them to cope with. If there was an actual visit with no photos, how do they know about it and why are they hiding the photos of it? It seems suspicious that they are writing funny hype articles of lies like this but okay with not giving the public confirmation of what’s happening with Kate.
I thought “work from bed” was what she did to catch William?
It was. The mattress name /nature.
Now she’s working from bed but also works an hour a week plus 19 weeks holiday. Literally no one would notice if Kate was in hospital, in a coma, or working. It’s all the same thing
They can’t make up their minds , whether to paint Kate as a saint or a martyr. If we actually knew what was wrong with her maybe all this loony speculation would die down and give us all some peace.
Hm…that ED finally catching up?
If only we could have a Celebitchy pool (for charity of course) on when Kate makes her first public appearance
So 20 of the 52 weeks per year the kids are out of school, they are firmly committed to not showing up in ANY way. Did I read that right, did the press just actually admit that to the public in terms that stark?? OMG.
Willy is such a loser. I dislike Kate immensely but I do hope she recovers.