Here are even more photos of the Princess of Wales on Monday, for all of the VE Day events held in London. Kate attended the military procession, then the Windsors had lunch with WWII veterans and there was also a stale AF balcony appearance. I have to say, Kate looked keen at the lunch with veterans. You know why? Because she’s better with old people. I will always point that out!! Kate should have a patronage portfolio full of charities for the elderly. She should be visiting nursing homes every week, she should be going to church bingo games. She’d much rather hang out with older folks than kids. Anyway, instead of talking about that, people are talking about Kate’s new earrings:
But among Kate’s recycled favourites, Kate was seen sporting a piece of jewellery that had royal watchers everywhere paying attention. Dazzling from the viewing platform, the Princess of Wales appeared to be wearing a never-before-seen pair of earrings – a drop ruby surrounded by diamonds, dangling from a trio of diamonds.
Could this new debut be a wedding anniversary gift from Prince William? The pair celebrated 14 years of matrimony during an official visit to the Isle of Mull last week, where their romantic overnight stay in a self-catered cottage would have been a prime opportunity for William to offer a bejewelled present to his wife.
If the VE Day rubies aren’t a gift from the Prince of Wales, could they be a matching pair to go alongside the ruby and diamond necklace that Kate wore on Monday? Fashion blog What Kate Wore notes that the pendant looks similar to a piece that the Princess wore previously, during her trip to Poland in July 2017, but added that the two necklaces have different bails. Perhaps these new earrings and new necklaces were given to the Princess as a set, or perhaps one was the inspiration for the other.
If the earrings were in fact an anniversary present from Prince William, they might not be the only pair that he bought for her. While marking the big day on the Isle of Mull, Kate was seen in a new pair of blue topaz pear drop gems by Kiki McDonough. If so, the Prince clearly knows his wife well: the jeweller is a favourite of Catherine’s, who reportedly owns 20 pieces from the British designer.
I have a theory about Kate’s private jewelry collection, a theory loosely based on interviews with various jewelers over the years: I think Kate has always picked out her own jewelry and she charges those pieces on the “company card” or whatever it is, and then people just assume that “William bought it for her.” I’m just saying that William has never struck me as a man who gives a sh-t about picking out jewelry for his wife. So she picks stuff out for herself, charges it and gives it to herself for major anniversaries or holidays. These earrings look a lot like the other pieces she’s picked out for herself too. That’s her taste, that’s not William’s taste.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte seen on the palace balcony to view the VE80 Celebrations and Red Arrows Flypast on Monday 5 May 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. . Picture,Image: 995381750, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 05/05/2025. London, United Kingdom. Kate Middleton watches a military procession outside Buckingham Palace in London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day .,Image: 995389989, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images. Magazines contact agency for fees before use. Images Single use only then repro fees apply. Info@i-images.co Tel: 07860204379, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / i-Images/Avalon
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- Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 05/05/2025. London, United Kingdom. King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton , Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis ,watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London at an event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day .,Image: 995390341, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Licenced to i-Images Picture Agency. All Rights Reserved. UK copyright law applies to all print & online publications. i-Images space rates apply to all images. Magazines contact agency for fees before use. Images Single use only then repro fees apply. Info@i-images.co Tel: 07860204379, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stephen Lock / i-Images/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales joins Second World War veterans at a tea party in Buckingham Palace, central London, following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay.,Image: 995398169, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales joins Second World War veterans at a tea party in Buckingham Palace, central London, following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay.,Image: 995399036, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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- Camera Press Rota 04734598. Members of the royal family and the prime minister join second world war veterans to watch the VE 80 Parade, military procession arrive at Buckingham palace,Image: 995421969, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joanne Davidson/Avalon
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- Camera Press Rota 04734596. Members of the royal family and the prime minister join second world war veterans to watch the VE 80 Parade, military procession arrive at Buckingham palace,Image: 995422311, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joanne Davidson/Avalon
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- Camera Press Rota 04734604. Members of the royal family and the prime minister join second world war veterans to watch the VE 80 Parade, military procession arrive at Buckingham palace,Image: 995422560, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joanne Davidson/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales joins Second World War veterans at a tea party in Buckingham Palace, central London, following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay.,Image: 995423376, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales joins Second World War veterans at a tea party in Buckingham Palace, central London, following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay.,Image: 995423407, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales joins Second World War veterans at a tea party in Buckingham Palace, central London, following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Monday May 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL VEDay.,Image: 995423528, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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what in the name of holy heck is she doing in that photo, gurning like a child actor in a silent film from the depression era? Like, when everyone had got their start in vaudeville and you had to play to a big loud boozy crowd, with exaggerated mannerisms, mocking expressions, whoop-it-up laugh-a-minute antics… it’s just so odd. Like, either she’s drugged or she’s …faking it. She must be exhausted by giving this performance. She is so ill at ease in her own skin. Meghan makes it all look so effortless. Kate is *working* — no sarcasm.
Parkrunmum!!!! This is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. I had to laugh out loud. I love the vaudeville comparison. Thank you. “gurning like a child actor in a silent film from the depression era”. Ah ha ha. And the working play on words. You should comment more often. And I meant to say again how haggard she looks, when you get a picture that hasn’t been touched up.
When the cameras are on Kate makes sure to make her expressions visible for them. It’s why she looks so fake in these photos because she is performing and none of it is sincere.
I can practically confirm that Carole reads this blog. We went from “Don’t ever talk about her clothing labels!” to “Please note that she still wears Kiki McDonough, just like she used to when she was first married!” …. after it was pointed out here that we haven’t seen the likes of Kiki McDonough in ages. Nor indeed anything bespoke.
Stop being such a try-hard, Carole, for goodness sake.
IMHO, not talking about her clothing is a cover for no clothing budget so quit mentioning that everything is a re-wear. Perhaps her clothing budget was sacrificed for Will to give financial aid to her parents after the humiliating bankruptcy and debts were made public.
There’s that crazy open mouth laugh that we haven’t seen in awhile. No pictures of her crazy jazz hands. She must not scare the elderly with that bit of hand gesturing lol.
This is where I feel a little bit (just a little) sad for Kate. I’m sure these seniors really appreciated her presence and it’s a shame that the press can only nitpick about her jewelry. Plus, it’s dismissive of the seniors, too.
Seeing as how William couldn’t be bothered to pick out an engagement ring for Kate, but went for the easy solution of reusing his mother’s cursed engagement ring, no William is not the type of man who would bother to select a piece of jewelry for an anniversary gift.
I’d pick out what I want too at the end of the day if I didn’t trust my partner’s taste. Or that my partner really knows my taste. Kate’s taste in jewelry is not mine. But I mean I used to get my stuff from catbird. So v different vibes.
Being good with the elderly is exactly why they set her up with children. They’re always setting each other up to fail to make themselves look good, its incredibly backwards.
William can barely tolerate standing next to her in public (see balcony) but we are supposed to believe he bought her jewelry for a non milestone wedding anniversary. Sure.
The media does so much free PR for these two.
New jewelry and big silly bows. That’s all they have to talk about with Kate.
Ok, yeah, I’m gonna pile on.
This jewelry set is a perfect demonstration of Kate’s taste, or lack thereof. A matchy-matchy set of a pendant too delicate for the strongly structured jacket and earrings that exactly match. It’s like something out of the Sears catalog Jewelry For Your Teen section.
I usually try to avoid comparing Kate to Meghan, because it seems unnecessary and not supportive of women in general. But the thought is inescapable: even if someone she loved gave Meg a set like this, she would never wear the pieces together. She’s just too elegant for that.
Hopefully the seniors enjoyed Kate’s company. It doesn’t seem like anyone else does.
For me, a pendant on a gold chain is just boring. I don’t want to insult anyone who likes that sort of thing, it’s just not for me. And leave it to Kate to have TWO ruby pendant necklaces that are pretty much the same but slightly different (although, sure, that necklace could have been altered to match the new earrings).
I’m with Kaiser on this. All Kate’s jewellery look the same. If William was buying pieces for her they would have some variation and look different.
The truth is that we have no idea what she has amassed as “private gifts” over the years. Soon after her wedding, she wore a ruby and diamond flower necklace and bracelet by Mouwad that was part of a parure that the Palace stated was a wedding gift. No other identification. We have no idea what gifts they have received that have been deemed “private” – those trips to Jordan, anyone? We have no idea if she was gifted loose jewels at her wedding, what was received from Charles’ friends, her parents’ “friends”, etc. Unless something is publicly presented to them on a state visit, all the Royals have no problem fudging the spirit of the gift disclosures and claiming such things as private gifts.
Yep. The Guardian had a great article in its series on the BRF billion pound fortune on how the BRF fudges the line between “private” and “public” gifts (eg gifts to The Crown, which is the UK people), particularly with jewelry.
And if William has any “taste in jewelry” I’ll eat my hat. Philip designed a few pieces for QEII but her taste was woesome, so we ended up with godawful pieces like the Burmese Ruby Tiara. The last Royal male with any taste was Prince Albert. I can see William shrugging “why should I bother buying Kate anything when she’ll have access to the Royal collection soon enough?” and then going back to typing furiously on Aston Villa forums
I doubt the stay in Scotland was romantic.
I get that some of the pictures used here are purposeful but I quite like that she is so expressive with people. She does look like a loon sometimes but she’s talking and smiling and I really like that. Her face isn’t frozen with botox or plastic surgery or her lips aren’t pursed into some stupid “sexy pout” pose.
I agree. It seems that she really does engage with them. She holds there hand and it looks like she actually listens to what they say. I think they really enjoy seeing her. Not like some of the looks that kids are always giving her. This generation is likely to support the monarchy and are thrilled to see the future Queen Consort.
So, I get what you’re saying and as kaiser said she’s genuinely engaged with the older generation. So I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt here. That said, most of the time, when you see the vids, it comes off differently. As in freeze framed smiles when she knows the camera is there, whether the context of the moment made sense for a smile or not. And then there are just so many still photos of Kate smiling or laughing widely when literally no one else in the frame is. So it often feels like pantomimes for photos. Although an argument could be made that her job is to provide these types of photos for the rota and apparently little else.
Kate engages with the seniors when there is a camera around. If she actually gave a shit about seniors she would visit them without the media.
Harry used to visit veterans as private visits. That’s someone who cares.
Kate does not, and never will. It’s all a show.
Her jewellery choices always seem Sears catalogue 2005 to me
She does seem quite comfortable with older people, doesn’t appear forced. Perhaps the Early Years focus should have been the Later Years.
Yeah, I’ll give her this — she does seem to enjoy being around older people. It would be nice if she could get off her bony ass more often to spend time with them.