It’s been said/theorized many times that the rest of the royal family doesn’t really care for the Duchess of Cambridge’s family. As in, it’s the Windsors versus the Middletons. While the Queen and the Prince of Wales were initially quite welcoming to the Middletons, that welcoming attitude petered out after a year or two. Prince Charles has even taken to sniping to friends/the media about Carole Middleton’s presence and domination of William and Kate’s household. I strongly suspect that the Queen has not been happy about Kate’s over-reliance on her mother either, but the Queen bites her tongue… until she doesn’t.
Anyway, over the weekend, there were some photos of the Queen driving around Balmoral, her Scottish summer estate, with Kate in the car – you can see the photos here. The men were on a hunt, and the Queen and Kate went to meet them for lunch. It was interesting to me, but I didn’t find anything particularly notable about it, except that Will and Kate were basically on holiday again, this time with the Queen. But there was something notable: Kate brought her parents. And the Queen and (Queen) Carole spent some time together.
With a drive around her favorite Scottish estate, Queen Elizabeth rolled out the welcome mat for Princess Kate’s family in a very public way on Saturday – thought to be the first time the Middletons have stayed overnight at Balmoral Castle. The Queen was at the wheel of her Range Rover as she chauffeured Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton, from a picnic during a late summer getaway to the highlands hideaway of Balmoral. The families enjoyed one of their favorite pasttimes, a country shoot.
The following day, Carole and her husband Michael – who stayed with the Queen at Balmoral Castle – joined the royals for Sunday service at Crathie Kirk church on the estate.
Robert Lacey, royal historian and consultant to the upcoming Netflix series The Crown, says of having Carole in the front seat, “This clearly shows that the Queen is signaling her pleasure about the arrival in the royal family of humble origins. We have the grandest monarchy in the world embracing right into its heart a family of humble origins. Next year is the centenary of when the royal family gave up its aristocratic name for the plainer name of Windsor – and that set the tone for what’s happened ever since. It is one reason why the British monarchy thrives and flourishes. It has always been the family’s strength to adapt to changing times.”
Robert Lacey is an ass-kisser extraordinaire, correct? Carole might have been a flight attendant, but for goodness sake, the Middletons are middle class. As for the assumption that the Queen is somehow giving the Middletons her stamp of approval… maybe yes, maybe no. I honestly think Kate isn’t capable of doing much of anything without her mummy, so Carole just had to come to Balmoral or else Kate wouldn’t have bothered.
The Cambridges will be back to Anmer Hall this week, if they’re not already back. William has a solo event on Wednesday, then Will and Kate will do an event together on Friday at the Stewards Academy. There were also more details about Will and Kate’s Canadian vacation released – they confirmed that they are bringing the kids. They’re also going to be in Vancouver for a day.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, PCN, WENN.
Was wondering when you’d cover this. Its quite unusual for non family members to get an invite to Balmoral, Sandringham yes but Balmoral no. So i suspect this was a tantrum by Willy who said they’d only come with the kids if Queen Carole came too and had a pap stroll with TQ for the Fail to boot.
We’re going to be seeing a lot more of those kids – they need something to repair the dire image the have. Plus i just wish that they would STOP pushing the Middletons, we don’t like them and nothing you say with change that. Carole is just as much a fame ho as her 2 daughters.
Sorry for the rant but this lot get on my last nerve.
Wow!
Go for it, Betti!
I agree that the Middletons will never be liked. Each section of British society has a disposition to dislike them – snobbery, reverse snobbery, small staters, republicans, royalists. They’ll never find themselves a significant support base in public opinion.
Sixer, I have a question if you have time. I don’t completely understand all of the nuances of the British class system, but even an American philistine such as myself understands the Queen is at the very top.
My question(s): what do the Middletons get out of constantly and publicly chasing access to higher echelons of the BRF? I understand the cachet that must go with rubbing elbows with them but is it more? More financial reward for their business? Exclusive invitations to the “right” events? And so on.
I’m genuinely curious because from over here it just seems that they make themselves a laughingstock in the eyes of the people. They won’t ever get a title out of this right?
I suppose they get to lord it over the people BELOW them? And they are brazen enough to ignore all the arriviste mockery? I positively detest the British class system, so I’m where you are in this. It’s not a club I can even conceive of wanting entry to.
I think there was some earlier support from non-artisto circles. Oh Middle Class, except they might be worth 30 million. Inviting a bunch of shop owners from Bucklebury as wedding guests, oh how everyday. It turned out it was because they didn’t have friends to fill those seats and the shop owners didn’t even know them.
It was when the Middleton’s own snobbishness became clear that the tides turned. Criticism over creating a Coat of Arms with skiing at the center, signet rings, rumors of William giving them titles, owning shares of race horses, annual trip to Princess Margaret’s royal retreat of Mustique. That was when public criticism of them increased.
Stories about them chasing after entry into aristocratic circles for years, Carole calling only aristocratic parents to ask their daughters to befriend KM, the Wisteria Sisters, the family stories of the grandmother who always thought she was the top brick in the chimney? To many they are rubber stamping the class system. If they stood outside all of it proudly, they might have a chance of being liked.
Sixer, came to find you
‘Politicians are a good thing’: can satire show Unspun humanise our MPs?
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/12/unspun-matt-forde?
As per our prior discussion; there may be hope. Perhaps the satire may cover politics and the Royals.
How did I not know of this upcoming show before now?!
Red,
I wonder if their focus for climbing has always been for the children and grandchildren. Objectively, Kate and Pippa have done better than their parents, and Pippa and James’ children will be cousins to the king. By then, all slings and slights will have been forgotten. Mike and Carole’s grandchildren will have access to the best education, social, financial, and cultural contacts.
Dippit – OOH! Setting recorder now! Mr Sixer has just emailed me from Spain in high dudgeon because Labour has purged the Sleaford Mods… for being sweary. Um… being sweary is the POINT of the Sleaford Mods. And y’know… they are actual, real-life opinion-formers who could help bringing back UKIP defectors to the Labour fold. Honestly, the satire could just write itself at the moment. Grammar schools used as a dead cat. Concentrix. Labour losing its mind.
I am just happy to have the Paralympics and The Last Leg at the moment. I have the most almighty crush on Adam Hills.
CHEERS, Betti!! Rant on, sister!
Betti, you said it so much better than I could. IMO the Mddletons are so transparently fake, it’s pathetic. No one is fooled by their thirst.
Betti and Lisa. I could not have said it better. The Middletons are such blatant, thirsty social climbers. If she had lived, Diana wouldn’t have let them within a mile of Wills.
Us in Britain think they are dreadful snobs wysteria climbing into people with money they not interested in people who are normal.. they only want to be in aristo money circles they are thought of as very vulgarn
In all fairness, I think Carole Middleton’s constant presence next to Kate is fully justified in a way, meaning that Kate followed this Royal path in life with the enormous help and contribution of her mother. They were, by all accounts, partners in crime.
Keeping her mom away now, after ‘the objective’ has been achieved is like a mega athlete suddenly firing her/ his father as a manager (something that has happened often). Even worse, at some point athletes make a name for themselves and decide to go on their own path and are able to do so, I am not sure that Kate would be able to hold her own in the royal family without her mom’s silent or not so silent support.
Basically, being royal was a dream both for Kate and for Carole and now they insist on enjoying it together. The only problem is that it sucks for the taxpayers and it also sucks for the royal family’s reputation. At this point, it’s clear that the Queen will accept anything as long as Will and Kate stay married and make babies.
Hahahahahahah, this toady, Robert Lacey, is making a sad attempt at re-writing history! Does he not think people have memories? They gave up their “aristocratic” name indeed!!!!! They gave up Saxe-Coburg because it was a very unpopular German connection during a time of war with the Kaiser!!!!
Diana would have loathed these upstarts and do-nothings. The shade she would have thrown would have been epic. I have no doubt she would have adored those babies though. She would weep to see what has become of Willnot. When she married Chuck she was upgrading the so-called Windsors. The Spencers were a much older and more aristocratic family, the Windsors were lucky to be associated with them at the time.
I thought the rumor was Birkhall not Balmoral. Either way, I agree with the general “If you won’t let Mummy Carole come with us, we’re not coming and neither are the kids.”
Aside from one or two pap shots of them going to church over 5-6 years, W&K haven’t been seen spending time at Balmoral. Rumored but never proven. But let Mummy Carole come along? Grandkids, great grand kids, and pap shots galore.
Neither W nor K appear to be able to function without Carole’s constant presence. Can this relationship survive without her always being RightThere?
BTW, where’s the magic disappearing Mike?
Re church. Richard Palmer threw shade at that when he mentioned a ‘rare’ moment of worship by the Cambridges.
As we all know Carole is what has kept hat relationship going all these years. She wants a title before it falls apart, sadly chuck and TQ won’t be giving them one no matter how many tantrums Willy throws. They certainly hint enough at it every year is the Fail.
Re Birkhall. Chuck was at Balmoral the same time as well so he was staying there. Can’t see chuck being under the same roof as the Mids and same for the Dolittles and Chuck.
They stayed at Birkhall while C&C were gone, Nota. They returned in time for church on Sunday. So once again, Charles didn’t get to spend a lot of time with his grandkids.
Well Betti perhaps you should start reading mystery novels then. Why relentlessly follow ppl who get on your nerves? Too funny! Kardasians get on my nerves. I don’t even click on anything with them.
Honestly I think Kate and her family are close. The queen respects that and probably enjoys their company. I don’t see the harm. It’s nice actually.
Exactly. Why so much hate? If you don’t like them or they get on your nerves, don’t click on the reports. It’s funny that people have such a reaction to the fact that a woman enjoys being with her family.
Many people on here are the ones paying for the Lazy Duo and all of their perks. It isn’t like a group of celebrities you don’t personally like, although W&K act like celebrities most of the time.
When the lazy woman being “close to her family” means millions in added security costs foisted off on the taxpayers? They do get to protest and complain as much as they like. Royals serve at the will of the people, not vice versa. W&K have many lessons to learn regarding their situation.
Once again, as I feel like I have to point this type of stuff put a lot: imagine a scale from black to white with grey in the middle, you want to avoid being in the white and black because they are the extremes, and strive to be in the grey. To connect this to the Dolittles (I prefer Buchanans), never seeing parents is white, constant seeing of parents is black, healthy amount of time with parents is grey. Kate and Will are in the black part of that scale. Life is about moderation and those two aren’t practicing it. That’s unhealthy.
And you know all this because you were there….?? You must be insecure if you can’t understand the difference between “Hate” and actual criticism.
Oh to be naive again… Lol seriously rudeness like yours makes me sad for humanity, good luck ma’am.
I’ll believe Mike Middleton was there when I see a photo of him. I think it was only Carole. Not a fan of her by any means, if I was Queen, I wouldn’t want to be around her. In fact, I wouldn’t want to socialize with William and Kate, either! LOL
Hear hear Betti
so agree with all you say on this subject
Headline:
Prince Holds Breath Four Minutes, Queen Relents, Allows In-Laws to Balmoral Castle
Other Headline:
Mike Middleton Finishes Weeding Balmoral Flowers Beds, Carole Caught Raiding Tiara Room “For Our Wee Pippa”
Or:
Carole and Kate recce Balmoral planning extensive renovations that involve mood boards and new kitchens
Betti, THIS!!!! I think you hit the fail on the head.
For once i might be on board with Balmoral renovations, even beige upon beige ones and Kitchens in every teret.
Balmoral is L-o-n-g overdue a makeover. Most of it is still Victoriana married with chintzy 80s style as favoured by horders.
With fabulous portraits and hideous stag heads on the walls!!! 😲😨
It also needs some 21st century central heating to stop freezing the guests. We don’t want Tony Blair style accidents.
I mean, it *is* actually a feature of British democracy that the old institutions ceded ground and adapted each time advances in suffrage and governance were made. And over the centuries, it is likely that a great many lives weren’t lost because of this, one way and another.
But it’s not as though this was somehow heroic. They just didn’t want their heads chopped off by axe (England) or guillotine (France) or all their money and property confiscated (everywhere else).
Yeah, agree, they are and always have been clever at playing the long game. In one form or another they’ve had a thousand years or so practice in doing just that, it’s not even intelligence it’s the cunning born of long term survival…this is why they are going to be very, very difficult to get rid of – if we ever do…
It’s nice to see you here, frisbee. I miss you!
Thanks bluhare! At the moment I can’t think of anything particularly witty to say, definitely not on form, but hope to be back to normal sooner than later!
…..but one is being very brave to bear the common-garden-variety- middleclass Windsor name when one could be a Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Ps: i caught an episode of the itv series on Victoria. My take away was that the script writers were on a mission to remind the viewers of the royals’ German origins. And in case you missed it, it was referenced every 5mins or so it seemed.
Just saw the first episode. They were constantly going on about it. Do you know of any movie/tv show that examines Victoria and Albert being awful parents? All the ones Ive seen romanticize them
Mr Sixer is making me watch this. I don’t like Coleman and the whole thing is dire, except, obviously, Rufus Sewell being on my tellybox. I think you are right, LAK. I can’t quite figure out the angle but there’s certainly one there. Is this post-Brexit period drama or something?!
@phaksi. There is a 2 part documentary called Queen Victoria and her children that talks about just that. She was a terrible and controlling mother. She hated her first born, said he was too ugly to look at thou it has been speculated that she suffered from post partum depression during most of her child bearing years as she was pregnant quite often.
Phaksi: here you go
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=twVdS5dETIg
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2BWUmpp9jtQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r39sIhqLmug
Honestly, it’s a wonder any of her kids showed her any kindness. She hated all of them from birth and didn’t hide the fact. She was supremely selfish and self-absorbed and took it out on all of them.
She also hated them while she was pregnant (and while they were being conceived). She wrote about how being pregnant made her feel like an animal. Didn’t want to see any of the children until they were at least 3 months old and never wanted to see them unclothed because she thought them even uglier naked. Those personal letters of hers are very revealing, and those are the ones that made it through her daughter the censor.
I think the letters passed Beatrice’s censors because Victoria was a frequent letter writer to all sorts of people and was very opinionated about everything and never bothered to censor herself.
Beatrice censored her diaries and any letters that were in her residences, but had no control of letters received by Victoria’s correspondents.
I think we are getting a more revealing picture of Victoria from these sent letters.
However, based on the decor at Osborne House, V and A were very, very interested in sex and erotica. Though rumour has it that Albert was appalled by Victoria’s high sex drive.
I thought that Victoria very much liked the conception process.
ETA:
It was reported in her later years that Victoria had gynecological problems which is one of the reasons given to refute Victoria’s relationship with John Brown being more than platonic, but Victoria did like sex, and if she stopped liking sex, presumably it was due to her body showing the strain of multiple pregnancies.
Here’s the BBC4 documentary on the letters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO7yjvoyKag
Victoria published a book about her life in Scotland and Balmoral which had lots of references to John Brown. Beatrice removed all traces of John Brown from Victoria’s personal papers, but sadly for her, the Queen’s book sold over 100K copies and was reprinted several times and tells us all about John Brown.
I wonder if the day ever comes when Kate decides to grow up and let go of mummy’s hand?
She’s made it to her mid-30s and is still reliant on Carole for the tiniest things. If she hasn’t learned independence by now, it’s not likely she ever will.
But Carole won’t live forever, will she (unless she’s a vampire?). Who will our duchess lean on then? Pippa? William? Her own kids?
Carol is the dynamo in that family. Kate really wouldn’t be able to function without her mother helping her steer the ship.
Kaiser
Love the header pic and happy you’re using it for her posts…..its amazing!
Hopefully this was just a mini family get together before the Canada trip. Kate’s parents invited because they wont be seeing her and the kiddos for awhile.
We read when they got married that her parents concern was to be included in the young couple/family’s life. Not to be shut out, which seems to happen when the Firm takes over. A perfectly legitimate concern. People complain about apron strings and dependency, but I’d rather see a loving close knit family than an estranged relationship like Diana had with her mama.
Evidently William made this clear to his family when he married Kate. What we’re seeing is the commitment they’ve all made to this agreement.
Theres close knit, then theres controlling, suffocating. Kate and her family veer towards the latter.
Sophie was close to her parents. Her widower father has been welcome by the Queen at family events for many years. Yet you’d be hard pressed to find photographs, much less many news articles about him.
Sophie’s dad doesn’t have the paps on speed dial.
Doesn’t Carole have two other kids? Why is she always with Kate? And shall we see her help raise Pippa’s children as much as the royal grandchildren ? We will have an answer on that last question soon enough.
Headline: Obvious social climbers are obviously social climbing.
Alternate headline: Lazy 60 something and lazy 30 something too lazy to drive 90 year old
Most accurate headline: Will and Kate hold Queen’s corgis hostage until she opens her castle to the Middletons (you know that’s what happened)
Question: why do the Mids have to stay at the Castle? Don’t Will and Kate have room for them?
They don’t have a house of their own at Balmoral. In the past, William and Harry have been said to use a cottage called Tam-na-Ghar on the Balmoral estate, but it remains part of the estate and belongs to HM. Sometimes they stay at Birkhall, the house their father’s uses at Balmoral.
Just wondering if Charles and Diana stayed at the main house (castle) while at the end portion of their honeymoon? I can’t imagine them staying with the late Queen mother at Birkhall.
I can understand Diana’s disappointment with regard to the honeymoon. She really needed to get away after all the paps tracking her before and after the engagement, but it was hardly the case. A full crew with them on Britannia and then having to entertain others (it was kind of a working honeymoon when they hosted the Sadats), then spending the last part of a honeymoon under the same roof with your in-laws at Balmoral where it rained and rained. Diana was indeed a good actress when you consider the video where she said “highly recommended” with regard to married life. She was hiding a lot of disappointment for sure.
There is another 8 bedroom house on the Balmoral estate. Forget it’s exact name but it is called Craigdowan or something. The Queen always stays there for the first couple of weeks of her annual holiday when Balmoral is still open to the public. Apparently, when they were married Charles and Diana stayed there quite a lot but I do not know if they did on their honeymoon.
There is a famous story of Diana at Balmoral one summer. She was with the boys and the police told her to avoid going in a certain direction because the press were overlooking it. Of course, that was the exact direction Diana went in.
My personal favourite edited: “Alternate headline: Lazy 60 something and lazy 30 something too lazy to drive (lazy) 90 year old”. Royalty is overdue
Windsor name adopted during WWI to distance family from German heritage. Who are they kidding?
Similar change of Badenmount to Mountbatten.
It was Battenberg.
Do you actually not know that it was because of the German connection that the name was changed? I think the name before Windsor was Saxe-Coburg or something.
Wilhelm Kaiser (the German leader who was attacking the UK in WWI) was the King’s first cousin as they were both grandsons of Queen Victoria and German Prince Albert…. So yes the name change was to prevent being removed from power because this was a family fight with global repercussions. This name change only happened because of the obvious German connection and for their own self preservation.
Based on other information I don’t think we’ll see much of the children on CDN tour. They’ll be staying in govt house in Victoria much of the time. Probably just a couple photo sessions; one with PM’s family (of course).
I am pretty sure PM Selfie has made room in his photo book for a big photo of them all together.
Kate’s smile is as real as a wig. so forced, so fake. that’s the type of smile your dentist asks you to make when he wants to check his work.
She looks like she is ready to take a chomp out of that child!
I like the fact Carole was sitting in the front seat after all if Michael had been in the front seat everyone would have gone overboard about this class thingy. Anyway, did they look comfortable, not sure, the Midds are not farming stock so the Queen rabbiting on about Deer and grouse and land environment sustainability must have been over their heads. (Guessing). Unless they were talking about Harry putting n a bid on a property 17 miles from Amner which has a nice big swimming pool. As for the Balmoral visit weren’t they all ORF to the yearly country barbecue they always have by the loch – Phillip always does the sausages! LOL!
Kate needs to put some boundaries with her mum. This is a bit ridiculous now.
I agree we will be seeing more of the children – this is good not only for their image but for the kids. They will grow used to media presence, the attention, and a semi public role. Other royal families involve their children from a young age and no one grew up stunted (except maybe Willy).
I think Kate would be terrified if someone tried to create healthy boundaries between her and her mum. She’s let Carol(e) run the show for so long that Kate would be absolutely lost without her.
Of course they are bringing the kids to the tour. It’s great PR for William and Kate. Off topic but haven’t you guys noticed that the only time both William and Katw go to Sunday service is if they are in the presence of The Queen?
That Robert Lacey bit is over the top! And by the way Sophie Wessex, Edward’s wife, is from “humbler” origins than Kate and she is much closer to the Queen than Kate ever will be.
I think Sophie’s parents were of similar class but the difference being silently invisible.
The thirst is real with the Middletons. Question for the more knowledgable royal watchers. Ive read about The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret being the biggest snobs; also that Diana was a bit of a snob. If they were around would the Middletons or other similarly thirsty people have gotten to William?
Pure speculation and supposition on my part but no, I don’t think so.
I honestly doubt Diana of all people was a snob!
Diana had her moments.
Not to QM/Margaret levels of snobbery, but there are stories of her putting various people down based on her superior background. From that American lady she nannied for to Sophie to Philip.
@LAK, care to give examples how Diana was snobbish?
Kitty, she just gave three examples. Diana was known to be particularly nasty about Sophie in general, her and her family’s money, etc.
@notasugarhere, Really? I can not believe that about Diana. Now its making me wonder if all of the rumors about her manipulating the media and tipping the press where she is and ambitious about being a princess was all true.
Diana did have the common touch and generally cared about people but she had a dark side as well. Diana manipulating the media and tipping them off has been fairly well substantiated (IMO), I also think that she was ambitious about being a princess but that claim is more debatable.
P.S.
The Queen Mother can be similarly characterized as having the common touch and being caring but also having other qualities that were not so benign.
aaa I have heard all of this too and think it is right.
Apparently Princess Marina who was the mother of the present Duke of Kent thought that her family were more royal than George VI and Elizabeth who was “only” the daughter of a Scottish Earl. Marina, on the other hand, was a Princess of Greece and Denmark when she married George? the youngest son of George V,
Incidentally at the time of the abdication there were some people who thought that this youngest son should become King and not the future George VI. The reason for this was at that time, end of 1936, this son was the only brother of the abdicating Edward VIII who had a male heir.
If I recall reading somewhere Diana thought she was more Royal than the royals as her family were British aristocracy. Do I think she would have liked her sons in laws I think she would have been welcoming but I would stick my neck out and say I reckon she would not have been best buddies, might be totally wrong but that’s just a hunch.
Aw, if only I’d known they were in the neighbourhood, I’d have popped in for a cuppa and thanked The Middletons for their assistance with my daughter’s birthday parties when she was a child. Party Pieces really were very good, but their version of a pull-cord piñata style thing was poor. Perhaps they wouldn’t take well to discussion of that in front of HM though.
“the royal family gave up its aristocratic name for the plainer name of Windsor”
Does this guy know nothing? First, the name “Windsor” was chosen because it’s the name of the 1,000-year old Windsor Castle. And second, the royals changed their name not because of humbleness but because of anti-German sentiment during World War I.
+ 1
I can’t stand Carol’s thirst. Look at that pinkie ring she’s sporting with the new “family crest”.. Ridiculous.
Oh, the de trop new crest pinkie ring thing amuses me. I don’t know who they think they are to impress with that; as Sixer said above, they’re wide of the mark cutting it with any British demographic with that type of nonsense. It’s so Hyacinth Bucket.
Kate,
You’re in your 30’s. Time to cut the apron string.
I quite like Carole. She’s easily the most likeable and interesting member of that family and a hell of a lot more interesting and hard-working than most of the members of the family she’s apparently gatecrashed for her own ends.
Well good on them organizing family gatherings. Not that uncommon in many families. Also I have noticed that the queen does that time to time without much fuss with everybody involved with her family. And she always drives her car when in her proprieties (she did that with the Obamas as well).
As for the closeness that Kate has with her family it’s not necessarily a bad thing, I mean I am not married but if I will ever be and if i live near my mother she has promised to raise my first born till school age (health permitting) and I will hold her to that LOL. (I am lazy like that thank you very much)
IF the stories of her mother being the mastermind and the ambitious woman that pushed her daughter hard towards Willy for years are true than I wonder what will happen once she passes away? How will their relationship survive?? Also I wonder if Kate has some mental issues. Not saying she is useless but maybe lack some….social skills, can’t come up with the right terms. Others have said it better before. Maybe she is not capable of installing relations with other people, lacks empathy and isn’t capable of interacting properly that’s why she needs a guide through everyday things like running her house and life and having momy fixing things with Willy. I mean after years in this life she seems worse rather than better at her role.
I don’t see the fuss. Once youve had children it’s pretty common to want to spend more time with your parents.
She is known to spend a great deal of time with her mother, while we have Charles publicly begging to spend time with the grandkids. A handful of days in Scotland, dragging your mother along, isn’t necessary when you already see her All The Time. Unless of course, you refused to show up and see grandpa and great grandma until your mummy was allowed to come along and be papped riding shotgun.
I understand spending time with family,but Carole is always there.Kate is 34 year old woman not a girl with two kids yet she can’t cope without Carole.I for one do not think Carole will be at Pippa’s house and in her marriage like with Kate. Cause Pippa isn’t marrying a royal.I think Carole lives her life vicariously through Kate.Carole didn’t live through the Waity Katie & Doors to manual years not to live it up after Kate finally becoming the duchess of dolittle.
Lucky Pippa.
The minister of my Church was at Balmoral for a Saturday and Sunday night the middle of last month because she was preaching at Crathie Church on the Sunday.
She had her own maid for the weekend and was also looked after by a lady-in-waiting. She was the only non-royal there and because she was the “guest” was served first at all meals.
On the Saturday evening she went for a barbecue with the royals and, yes, she was told to sit in the front of the car which was being driven by the Queen.
On the Sunday evening she sat between the Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of York for dinner. She met Charles and Camilla at pre-lunch drinks on the Sunday. Apparently all the royals were there apart from Anne and, of course, William and Kate. Don’t know about Harry.
Now the minister spoke privately to a relative of mine about the visit. Obviously, she did not miscall any of them but my relative got the impression she did not think much of the Duke of York and the York Princesses.
Interesting!
I’ve read only good things about the Yorkies, with one exception… that once Bea was rude to her security guy in a department store. The store clerk, though, said that the security guy pointed her in the direction of a shoplifter. I am impressed by the multi-tasking security guy. I don’t think she’s in much danger, unless it’s from her father’s contacts, but it’s good to know that she’s got quality protection.