One of the dumbest royal stories this week was about the photo above, where the Duchess of Sussex was photographed with her legs crossed. GASP. Clutch the royal-vault pearls! For whatever record, royal women can cross their legs and many of them do. Only priss-pots care about fictional rules about women not being “allowed” to cross their legs. But the incident and the subsequent tabloid hissy fit reminded everyone of the simple fact that the tabloids are going to jump on anything and everything when it comes to Meghan.
Which brings me to a royal-gossip story in this week’s Star Magazine. Most of Star’s story is about how the Queen secretly hates Meghan and how the Queen is putting all of this insane pressure on Meg. Sources insist that Meghan is already a nervous wreck after roughly five weeks of marriage, and that Meghan “is anxious all the time because she can’t seem to do anything right.” It’s all kind of dumb, because as we’ve seen repeatedly, the Queen seems very fond of Meghan and the Queen has gone to great lengths to be seen as publicly showing her approval of Harry’s bride. But my favorite part of this story is about how the Duchess of Cambridge loathes Poor Meg.
Sources say there’s someone else who’s snooping on the royal newbie – her sister-in-law, Duchess Kate. Kate has been “gleefully watching Meghan’s blunders from the sidelines,” sources say.
“You’d think that as a fellow commoner, she’s be sympathetic to how Meghan is struggling, but Kate feels threatened by Meghan’s popularity,” the insider reveals. “Kate takes potshots at Meghan every chance she gets and makes a point to tell the queen about all the things Meghan is doing wrong.”
[From Star Magazine, print edition]
Do you believe it or nah? I don’t believe that Kate is “gleefully” taking potshots at Meghan and reporting back to the Queen about all the times Meghan may have messed up some minor little piece of “protocol.” I don’t believe it because Kate has even protocol violations of her own, like the multiple times she’s refused to add weights to her hems and her skirt has “blown up.” No, Kate is not reporting back to the Queen. But ten bucks says that Kate is spending a lot of time planning out a course of action with her mother. Because the grain of truth here is this: “Kate feels threatened by Meghan’s popularity.” Mm-hm.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WENN, PCN.
Planning with her mother to do what exactly?
Probably to replace Meghan’s face cream with foot cream, cut holes in the breasts of her t-shirts, and give her Kalteen bars under the guise of weightloss.
Carole’s not like a regular mom. She’s a cool Mom.
You two just made my morning, love the MG references!! Thank you!!
Thank you for that great laugh, Shambles. 🙂
Dying. LOL!
I soooo needed this MG snark this AM.
Brilliant!
Meghan WILL make Fetch happen!!! Lol
That is awesome…hahaha…love MG!
Is Meghan, like, from Africa or something?
🤣🤣
Exactly. There is no evidence to suggest any jealousy. That’s sounds like complete fiction made up by those who just need to push a ridiculous story, The bottom line is Kate married the future kind of England and gave birth to a future king of England.
To think she’s jealous of a bright shiny new penny of the moment ……nah, as proven by her courtship with William, Kate’s already proved she knows and gets and has already run the long game.
There is nothing be jealous of, there is no evidence of it, and this is just thinking on the part of the Cult of Markle,
You make this type of comment with no sense of the blinding irony. I guess we can consider you a starring member of the Kult of Kate. All the buttons for InPurgatory!
KATE WILL BE QWUEEN!!!!!!
For the millionth time.
Kate seems to enjoy the time out of the spotlight. People keep trying to make her seem jealous because she went outside 2x after she gave birth, but if she really was she could be releasing photos, going on the tour with William, etc. MM takes a lot of pressure and scrutiny off of her.
She’s home with her babies, enjoying and recovering.
Exactly! All these stories about Kate feeling threatened but yet she has chosen to remain largely out of the spotlight since her baby was born. Weren’t some people saying how she would rush back from maternity leave to compete with Meghan, but she is doing what she has always done with her previous two pregnancies and that is taking a break with only a handful of sightings.
Ahhh….but that won’t sell papers or get ad clicks! “WE MUST GET A KRYSTAL/ALEXIS CAT FIGHT GOING! (Dynasty reference for you young’uns 😉). SOMEONE PUT A REFLECTING POOL BETWEEN APT 1 AND 1A!….STAT!!!!”
Honestly, they may never share soul-baring secrets, but I’m sure they’ll be friendly, cousins will play with cousins, and they’ll get along fine.
Stop with the rivalry already! Oy….can you imagine 40-50 more years of these headlines??
And wait, don’t forget, soon it will be the little cousins’ rivalries with George, or Char plotting to do away with George because she thinks SHE should have been first born and get the crown…. it will go on and on…..
I so agree with you, she is probably so relieved the spotlight is off of her.
Yes! The source for this is Star magazine- seems likely that the one thing painting Kate as a horrible person is as false as everything else that magazine prints. Why is it hard to believe Kate is happy for Meghan and rooting for her success? Meghan’s success is Kate’s success- they both have the job of carrying the monarchy into the future. They are different women, but they can learn many things from each other- if I were Kate I would be thrilled to have Meghan as a reference on public speaking (etc) and I am sure Meghan feels more comfortable asking Kate about protocol related things than she would Camilla or the queen (I mean, I would in part because Kate has been criticized for “breaking protocol” too). Kate, and her mother, gain nothing from undermining Meghan. Rather, as the original poster pointed out, they are probably thrilled someone is taking the spotlight off Kate and her children. The Cambridges understandably hate the attention on their children in light of the threats to George. I am sure they are happy to have Meghan and Harry have their early years in the spotlight. Kate is the one who will be princess of Wales, and eventually queen. She doesn’t need to get in a popularity contest with Meghan. She’s probably just happy Harry is happy, just like any of us would be if our brother-in-law found a spouse who suited him so well.
I completely agree, Eliza.
This! She could do anything yet she’s happy at home and we’re projecting she’s jealous.
Kate’s unpopularity stems from her laziness and doormat-like behavior which resulted in missteps being magnified. Meghan is not lazy but still learning, huge difference in my books. Yes, she likes Meghan taking the heat off of her but I’m sure it still stings..not being the most popular.
+10000….
@ Shelley
Kate is not unpopular. She has the 3rd highest approval rating within the royal family, just below Harry and the Queen and still polls higher than Meghan (although Meghan is catching up pretty quickly). HERE, on this website you though, Kate is definitely more unpopular.
And I’m saying this as a hardened and unrepentant Meghan Markle Sugar.
@Shelley as a complete neutral on Kate, Kate vs. Meghan and The Royal Family in general, I would have to say that this website may reflect your opinions but walking around London and living in the UK I don’t get a powerful sense of Kate as per your description…
Yeah, I like and defend Kate a lot, but here in the UK Meghan’s popularity is sky high, while Kate is reasonably well-liked and definitely has a lot of fans, but she doesn’t have the ‘shiny new toy’ thing Meghan has, and the whole workshy rep has definitely damaged her public image.
I think Kate would be jealous not because of approval ratings but because of Meghan’s relationship with the Queen. Let’s face it the Queen is the ONLY person that can name her successor. William and Kate have been so aloof and lazy. They also seem to go out of their way to spend lots of time with the Middletons rather than the Royals. I should imagine that Kate is a little concerned and jealous that the relationship between Meghan and the Queen is so close.
The Queen doesn’t name her successor. It is a matter of constitutional law, and it will be Charles.
That is what many ignore. The valid criticism of KM has been around for years, it had nothing to do with Meghan. The fact that Harry fell for an independent woman with a work ethic makes KM look even worse by association. As written by LAK many times (LAK, where are you?), Meghan isn’t doing anything out-of-the ordinary for royal spouses. Kate is the outlier.
Kate deliberately grew taller than Meghan so she could pull focus in their pictures together.
LOL good one! Kate’s the mother and wife of the future Kings of England. I doubt she’s sitting around wringing her hands and plotting a coup.
😁
@ Minx:
No….we said she wore stilts + a gigantic hat and planted herself front and centre of the balcony, to pull focus. 😘👍
Lolol, minx! It was painful on the stretcher-rack, but the added height does put her above Meghan and that’s all that matters.
@minx – ITA. The whole thing is nonsense, and Meghan is not going to be the shiny new novelty forever, and we don’t know yet what sort of work ethic she has since she got in, and it’s the Queen and I imagine the Foreign Office telling her and Harry where to go and when. They got assigned the Commonwealth position and now they have to do it – and as for Ireland it’s not as if Harry woke up one morning and said, “How about a trip to Ireland in July, love, it’s so wonderfully green there this time of year!” and so far what she really seems to be doing is buying more expensive day clothes than Kate with foreign luxury labels sewn into them. There’s always a backlash, sooner or later, and then rags like the Star will be running other stories.
Maybe Shelley meant “Kate is unpopular among her detractors because ion her work ethic
‘Look, both women Kate and Meghan are well liked elsewhere other than on this site and maybe on DM et al. And I don;’t believe Carol or Kate is lying awake plotting Meghan’s downfall, the British tabloids have that well covered. Just a day ago, the tabloids printed articles with headlines of “Meghan drives BRF costs to soar by over 1.5 million pounds” or something to that effect. With headlines like those, Kate doesn’t need to lift a finger.
I wouldn’t call the “The Daily Telegraph” who also ran this story a tabloid. If anything they are very pro royals.
@mrsbump, you entirely missed my point. It doesn’t matter whether paper that first ran the headline is credible or not, the fact that Meghan was singled out as single handedly being the cause of the increase in BRF spending is dog whistling. Couple that to a story that ran parallel to that that claimed that Meghan cost the taxpayer millions of pounds in renovation costs to apartment 1 in which she and Harry will live and you get the entire nation gang up against her. Moreover none of the articles are accurate, so Kate’s needn’t even hate Meghan.. Nuff said.
How was Kate ever popular? All I read is criticism of her. Anyway, clearly Kate and William were introduced to Meghan very early on so Kate welcomed her into the fold. As long as Harry and William remain as close as they are, it serves no purpose at all for Kate to resent Meghan. If anything is going on, it is probably that Kate and William miss having Harry to themselves.
When Kate and William hit Canada for their honeymoon tour, half the country turned out to greet them. There were huge crowds everywhere they went. For about a year and a half they were massively popular. Then their work ethic reared its ugly head and its been downhill ever since. The birth of young Georgie saw their popularity soar briefly, before their ‘forced servitude’ attitude became prominent again.
I sincerely hope they become good friends and publicly spend time together to put an end to these kinds of stories! There will always be the fashion comparison but at least that doesn’t make them sound like petty 12 year olds.
Kate has no close female friends; she sticks to her mother and her sister.
It was odd all her “friends” were people she employs and working. Decorators, protection, general staffers… at least her circle is small with no unintentional leaks.
Her friends are through william or her family.
Just wait… these stories are taking gradual turns. Soon it will be how Meghan is trying to intimidate kate and pushing harry to overshadow william. It’s coming. Because the spare’s wife has a target on her back no matter what.
Once we hear these stories through the Middleton’s preferred outlets it’ll be worth discussing.
My sister is my best friend.
Enn
Only friend? When it has come to kate and her female friends she has none outside of blood relation. Which isn’t a big deal until her own press made it a big deal. Much like how they screamed she wanted to be a modern day working mom keen on her patronages.
Her pr digs holes.
PR: kate loves working and wants to fill her calendar.
Kate: cancels last minute to months in advance for strings of vacations and days of shopping and beauty routines.
PR: kate has real friends. Just look at these lunch friend pap photos we aren’t going to scream privacy intrusion over.
Everyone: those are her staffers and they’re on the job. Never seen independent of billable hours.
It’s only worth the side eye because it was never a big or small deal until her image control made it 1.
FLORC – you are correct because the more Meghan shows up and does work, the less they can criticize her for that so next it will be she is too aggressive and spends too much on clothes. Sadly many in society prefer a submissive silent woman and Kate fits the bill.
Just because her friends are not in the public eye doesn’t mean she hasnt got any
Exactly @Daniell!, I’m sure she has some but they are loyal and discreet which is perfect given the interest in her and her position.
These “friends” have magically never been papped with her in 17 years? Not buying it. The Middletons stick to the Middletons, and that’s it.
I don’t know anything about Kate’s private life, but I’ve seen lots of Meghan-bashers making the exact same claims about her, and Meghan clearly does have lots of friends.
I agree daniell! The Middleton s may sometimes set up pap shots, but in general Kate keeps things tight. Most pap shots of her have always been in public spaces, if she visits friends indoors we would never know about it.
To Kate’s mystery friends.
Kate’s and Middleton’s preferred pr goes out of it’s way to make it appear kate has friends independent of William and her immediate family. Why? That’s odd. This isn’t a random pap shot. It’s all approved.
Where are Kate’s friends? We never asked until her pr pushed this and it was debunked by her friends being her staff paid to be there and appear friendly. For security purposes.
Kate’s long established history of befriending William’s circle, parting with her own, and growing openly distant to his friends.
And again. This was only ever mentioned because her press made a big deal about her lunching friends.
With meghan… she has friends. We see them. And her schedule hasn’t relaxed. Wait 2 years. Wait after the baby. See then. Short of that if Meghan isn’t seen with free time lunching no big deal. But the late stuff. That whole with so many others was dug by her own pr.
Meh. I bet Kate’s just relieved to have some of the pressure off her.
I don’t think this takes pressure off of her, although she and William will continue to be their lazy and abject selves regardless. Meghan doing 5X the work as KM during the engagement period showed that. W&K were not given two years off, they were supposed to get to work right away but ran away and hid instead. Meghan getting down to work from the get-go makes both of them look bad.
2 things.
This only adds pressure.
And pressure is nothing Kate appears to be concerned with.
Pinning two women against eachother, did not see that coming at all :eyeroll:
Seriously. What hogwash.
Kate is the future queen/queen consort (?). What in the world has she got to feel jelly about?
She has her spouse, her children, her close-knit family of origin, and her title.
Let Meghan be, for god’s sake.
Consort.
Next the Star will have Kate and Meghan in an Alexis/Krystal mud fight, because women can only be jealous and competitive with each other. It’s our nature, you know.
No, I don’t think it’s a question of pitting two women against one another. Meghan has embraced her royal duties with enthusiasm right from the get-go, while Kate (and William) – well, there’s a reason they’ve been nicknamed The Lazy Duo. Just a week or so ago, this website quoted a columnist from a British newspaper who remarked on their attitude of ”sullen resignation” whenever they Have to attend an official event. It’s inevitable that people will make comparisons.
I don’t think she feels threatened to be honest. I would think she is relieved that there’s someone else who is going to be picked apart by the media for everything.
I have the impression that Kate enjoys being a wife and a mother more than being a Duchess
Then she hounded the wrong man for a decade.
Just because she is a duchess does not mean that she cannot enjoy being a wife and mother more.
Listen to the hacked royal voicemails. Kate did not hound William for ten years.
CeeDee,
Point is that Kate always had the choice to be a wife and mother. She could’ve had Pippa’s life with any number of wealthy suitors. But she pursued the one man whose life meant never simply being an aristo wife/mom.
Just because I’m a lawyer doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy art more.
But if I stopped going into the office so I could sit in the garden and paint, I certainly wouldn’t get the salary and perks of being a lawyer. I’d be fired for not doing my job, despite having worked very hard for a long time to make damn sure I got exactly that job.
All of the other royals managed to work and have little kids at the same time, but her fans insist this is too much for Kate Middleton.
EA, I haven’t listened to them and have no intention of doing so. What we know is that she did nothing for a decade but be at William’s beck and call, was fierce to keep other women away from him, and kept going back to him no matter how many times he dumped her or strayed.
I am still shaking my head at the excuses made for Kate’s underwhelming performance as the heir’s wife. I don’t get it. Her whole life is funded by the public and it is acceptable to put in so little time?
This is why I believe Charles will be the last monarch. I just don’t think there will be a taste for them after Brexit.
What I’m pointing out is that motherhood and working, whether as a duchess or another job, isn’t mutually exclusive as Nota’s response to the original poster implies. The original post made an observation that Kate seems to enjoy being a mother and wife more than a duchess. And that could be true in any other profession or job. I was not saying that the amount of work she puts in is justified because that was not the issue in the original post.
I absolutely believe that Kate does not want to be outshined. I absolutely believe that Carole does not want Kate to be outshined. Poor Waity. She should have seen this coming. Everyone knew Harry would marry one day.
Why would kate even need to compete with meghan?
Kate will be Queen Consort and her son will be king.
If kate is smart she will let meghan as other have said take the spotlight in the short run.
*Nobody* has ever accused Kate of being smart. If she was smart she would have prepared better for joining the royal family. If she was smart she would have weighted her after the *first* time she flashed her ass.
Well sure but if Prince Charles lives as long as his mother (who may still have a good few years in her yet) Kate won’t be Queen Consort until she’s 60. If he lives as long as his grandmother, Kate will be nearly 70 when William is crowned. If she lives long enough to see her son crowned, she will likely be very elderly and of course will be a widow. And presumably not interested in playing competitive games with her similarly elderly sister-in-law.
I get the impression people have a mental image of the Royals as Game of Throne characters; young sexy people in crowns. The Queen of course was crowned very young. But barring tragedy we won’t see a non-elderly monarch for generations. It’s possible of course that Prince Charles won’t inherit his mother and grandmother’s longevity, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing King William any time soon.
She’s happy to have a press punching bag, just as William was happy to have Harry used as the PR punching bag for 20 years. Diana loved having Fergie to throw under the wheels of the bus.
exactly
If this was true she would have gone back to work from …let’s say from May 20th onwards. So far we have only seen her at Trooping and she didn’t even show her face at any of the other so-called easy “work” events like the Order of the Garter ceremony, summer garden parties or any of the 4 days of Ascot.
I don’t think Kate invests that much thought in Meghan. She has the bigger prize—Kate will be queen, she will be mother of the king, and her children will always have primacy over Meghan and Harry’s kids. What, exactly, does she need to plot and guard against?
I also hate this idea that these two women need to be catfighting all the time.
Agreed, why should Kate care? She’s got the bigger prize, and as you said, she’ll be queen, and unless the monarchy crumbles, nothing will threaten her position, no matter how popular meghan becomes.
Besides while im sure she’s lazy, she doesn’t strike me as someone who craves attention. Had she been, she’d be out there everyday shaking hands, giving interviews and doing photoshoots.
just the way that family (and monarchies) work in general tho “she has the bigger prize”, “her children will always have primacy over Meghan and Harry’s kids”, having to curtsy to “blood royals”…basically sets them up for competitive and nasty behavior. Imagine literally thinking you are better and more worthy (because in this family you literally are!) than your siblings and their family? what weird and awful family dynamics
Well, both Kate and Meghan willing gave up their previous lives and happily signed up for it. I’m not wasting tears on their competitive family life.
I don’t see marrying the heir as being the bigger prize. It has already been said that none of the younger royals want the responsibility of being King or Queen. Harry and Meghan get all the perks and benefits of being royalty without the pressure of being the head. Being King and Queen is not like a Disney movie.
Even Diana once said (back in the early to mid 90s) it was a much better deal for girls to set their cap for Harry than William. Because being with William came with much more pressure because he was the heir. (And if anyone would know of the pressure in marrying the heir to the throne, it was Diana).
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Harry doesn’t ever want to be king. He’s made that quite freakin’ clear more than once. And I think Meghan – being American – probably cares even less than him about being Queen Consort. (She’d probably rather be President of the US or Prime Minister – you know, jobs with real actual political power).
Sure it comes with bigger responsibility but in terms of the competitive family dynamics, Kate did get the bigger prize (if we can call it that). So, whether Meghan would have wanted to be Queen or not is irrelevant. Harry’s fate will be that of Andrew/Edward. Once the Cambridge kids grow up, they’ll pretty much eclipse all the secondary characters.
As an aside, if Meghan had wanted to be PM and have real political power etc etc she would have gone down that route instead of being an actress.
@MrsBump, Meghan DID go down that route when she went to Argentina and interned at the US Embassy after she finished school. (Remember, she has an international studies degree along with her degree in theater). She wanted to be a diplomat. Problem was, she failed the exceedingly difficult US State Department test to become one.
It was only AFTER she did all that, and failed the test, that she decided to focus on acting instead.
And if you notice, the moment she got some fame with Suits, she started moving right back into the political sphere with her humanitarian work, and working with the UN. It’s a clear sign that that was the work and field she was headed back into once she was done acting (which, given how Hollywood is, is when an actress hits 40).
By the time the Cambridge kids are more interesting to follow, Harry will be perfectly fine with it, since he HIMSELF said the exact same thing: that he was going to use the privilege he had to do good things until people found George more interesting to follow instead. So yeah, I think both he and Meghan have already thought ahead to such a time, and are likely already planing for it.
And personally, I see Harry and Meghan as more international anyway. I can see them quite happily going around the world in their later years, continuing on with Invictus or whatever other global endeavors they want to get involved in or be a part of.
Several actors, entertainers, and athletes have become politicians: Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Donald Trump, Manny Pacquiao, Clint Eastwood, etc. Power is taken and not just given.
I live in Brussels and I’m friends with many people working at the EU Parliament, many have failed the entry exam on the first try but did not give up. And being a diplomat isn’t the only way one can engage in politics.
I also dont see her role as UN advocate as signaling a desire to venture into that world, so many celebrities associate themselves to the UN, Sarah Jessica Parker is a UNICEF ambassador and i wouldn’t call her a humanitarian. It’s a win win situation for celebrities and the UN : they get exposure and positive press by hugging a poor African kid, and the UN hopes that they’ll attract more attention to whatever cause they are promoting.
Full disclosure, being African, i’m beyond tired of celebrities using us as props. The western saviourism leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
@MrsBump, well, maybe you should listen to Meghan’s own words because she herself has said she originally saw herself going into politics. She’s been an advocate and humanitarian ever since she was a little girl. Or do you not know the story about her getting the sexist ivory soap commercial changed when she was 11?
Activism isn’t a fly-by-night thing for her that she only discovered after becoming an actress.
Here in America, it is not strange at all for actors to move on into politics. (If it was, we wouldn’t have gotten the crazy man we have now for president). One of the actresses from Sex in the City in fact (Cynthia Nixon) is now running for Governor of New York. Along with politics, Meghan also had a love for acting. There is nothing wrong with her feeling discouraged after failing to become an Ambassador to try her hand at acting instead, especially since it was her other major. People CAN have more than one focus interest in life and what they want to do. Maybe that’s unusual for other places in the world (I honestly don’t know) but it isn’t here in the States.
Meghan’s humanitarian endeavours do not a long list make. At 36 she is still talking about a letter written when she was 11. Other than that, she’s done a speech at the UN, a charity trip for african kid hugging and a few trips of world vision. To be fair, she not the one claiming the humanitarian mantle, it is her fans who insist on aggrandising her achievements.
And yes i’m well aware of actors who venture into politics, but they generally do so via the democratic process of being an elected representative of the people. Marrying into the monarchy where she cannot even express an opinion on the political affairs of her adopted country is not the way to go if one wants to be politically active.
@MrsBump, she’s done more than the little you’ve mentioned, some of it not mentioned because they are not BIG things, which she has every right to be proud of and talk about. While she was still a pre-teen she organized protest against the first Gulf War AND regularly volunteered at homeless shelters in LA’s Skid Row. She continued to volunteer at homeless shelters while in college AND when she got her job on Suits as well. You also failed to mention her trip to India regarding girls and women’s mensural health.
See, some of us aren’t aggrandizing her achievements, because we actually researched them and know more of the little things she done over the years and not just the big things. Her humanitarianism is a clear thread that can be traced from when she was a child till now. THAT, IMO, is what is important and what makes her one. Not a long list of big flashy things. She did things to help in any way she could when she DIDN’T have power or fame (or money) to help get her in the position to do things. Even if they were just small things.
Yes, she married into a place where she must be politically neutral. But that doesn’t mean she can’t still have influence on the issues she cares about, what with the privilege her new position now gives her. Exactly as Harry himself said: use that privilege to do some good. And given her profile write up on the official Royal Family website, they are clearly not going to mussel her when it comes to talking about the issues she cares about, specifically women’s issues.
I didn’t fail to mention her India trip since it was part of world vision which i referenced.
(As an aside, the Indian govt is already actively working on promoting women health issues. One of the biggest Indian actors, action movie star, Akshay Kumar produced and starred in a film called PadMan to break the tabboo regarding periods especially amongst men. Countless male/female indian celebrities have also participated in these endeavours, which hold far more weight than any American actress/duchess could have in changing indian mentalities. )
And many, many of us actively volunteer in soup kitchens/shelters, it’s basic civic duty. If we waited for celebrities to turn up, not much would get done.
Sorry but i stand by what i said, while her charity work is commendable and 100% sure her heart is in the right place, it is hardly enough to proclaim her a humanitarian.
@MrsBump it may be a civic duty to volunteer where you live, but it is NOT in the US. (Hell, in the US it’s not even compulsory to VOTE). It’s not compulsory to volunteer your free time to help others here. You chose to do it, or you don’t. She chose to do it. And she kept on doing it, when she had no obligation to, and before she had any fame to her name. Comes from having a Social Worker mother who taught her to use any privilege she had to give back IMO.
(Oh, and BTW, I don’t think Meghan is looking to just change Indian mentalities regarding Menstrual Health if she can. Hence the writer up she did in Time Magazine about it. She was also aiming for a much wider discussion wrt the issue which, I’m sure, is an issue that isn’t limited only to India).
You can stand by what you think, and I will stand by what I’ve said and think. She’s given back all her life in little and big ways when she didn’t have to and was under no obligation to. That, IMO, is not only having a humanitarian mindset, but acting and being one.
@ Mrs. Bump
You’re trying really hard to diminish Meghan’s accomplishments just because they don’t meet your standards. Her resume speaks for itself, and I’m sure the people she helped appreciate her efforts. All of sudden volunteering is not a big deal because it’s about Meghan.
She did a 4 month intern job (likely just making coffee all the time) and then failed the exam… So instead of trying again she became a Deal or no deal suitcase girl.
Talk about goals LOL.
@missy – when did i say that volunteering is not a big deal? I said that this wasn’t enough to proclaim someone a “humanitarian” which is generally a term we traditionally bestow upon people who have accomplished significant actions in that field.
I’m not diminishing her achievements which are laudable but objecting to the magnification of every. single.thing. that she has done. Again, she’s not the one doing it, it’s more the work of her zealous fans.
@ Morrigano & Missy:
Great points. Thank you.👍👍
@ MrsBump
Here’s the dictionary definition of a humanitarian:
1) Dictionary.com’s definition: having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people. of or relating to ethical or theological humanitarianism. pertaining to the saving of human lives or to the alleviation of suffering
2) Merriam-Webster definition: a person promoting human welfare and social reform : philanthropist
3) Cambridge English dictionary defn: a person who is) involved in or connected with improving people’s lives and reducing suffering
The list goes on. None of these sources include any sort of artificial threshold or quantification of effort for qualification as a humanitarian. So, given Meghan’s consistent demonstrated interest in human welfare throughout her life so far, I think any objective mind would say she qualifies as a humanitarian by dictionary standards at least.
She doesn’t have to be Ghandi for her efforts so far to be appreciated by some of us.
As an actual Diplomat and Humanitarian (who steers away from using the word because of how it’s used and misused by celebs and businesspeople), I stand by MrsBump 100%
We see this all the time. Can confirm.
@ Diplomantee:
Well, without seeing a list of your own activity/achievements it’s difficult for us to critique your own qualification for the use of the word to describe yourself. 😘😘
On a more serious note, the fact that you’re a career Humanitarian is amazing, but does not mean you’re the only one who’s qualified to be described as such. As I said, I can’t find any definition that lists a quantitative threshold for qualification of the use of the word. (Otherwise, educate me please).
Meghan has a fairly consistent record of advocating for and promoting human welfare, and has done so from a young age, on her own time. I’m very happy to call her a humanitarian. ✌️✌️😘
Meghan had a full time job and did charity work as well. We can argue whether or not she was the next mother Theresa but she still did something. I would like to know what charity work Kate did before she was married at 29. We know she didn’t have a full time job or any job really, so let’s list the charities she volunteered for…. oh wait… that roller skating thing that one time… yeah ok.
@bella duponte
If the threshold for “saving human lives and alleviating suffering” is set so low, then i suppose we’re all humanitarians here.
Even the often reviled Kate is one given that she has visited a charity or two 😉
Mrs Bump
You’ve rather predictably picked the most exacting definition I listed and pegged that as your straw man. 🙄
Did you also take a look at the first part of 1 ? What about 2 or 3?
Truth is, she could donate her entire worldly possessions to needy strangers and it wouldn’t matter. Certain people would still find ways to belittle that and find reasons for why it’s not *quite* enough for them (hint: it never is).
Doing charity work doesn’t make you a humanitarian. Take for example Mother Theresa – that’s a humanitarian, this is all that she lived for. Don’t use this term lightly for anyone who volunteers or does charity once in a while. Good for her for being involved but really, she has chosen the high-life, neutral voice the royal life provides/requires. “I want to help you but won’t go in the mud without the boots”.
@Diplomantee, you steer clear from the word humanitarian, but call yourself a humanitarian. All that in a tiny post.
You don’t come off as interested in good work, but just as someone who wants to claim a title and not share it with others.
Yeah, and if she does care or find herself getting caught up, those around her can always bring her back down to earth by reminding her of the things you cited. However, I don’t think it can be said that Kate is not competitive and/or single-minded. And I also think there will be times when she will care and/or get caught up. If nothing else, simply because she’s human. It will get messy though if and when the Cambridges start pulling both rank and the rung out from under the Sussexes.
I read this often from the biggest Kate Middletons fans. “Oh but she wins, she’ll be Queen Consort”. Remember, only if William chooses to keep her around. See Diana.
Harry and Meghan do get the best of both worlds in many ways. Luxury life and an enormous platform. If they use that platform for good while W&K continue to be lazy as all get out? They’ll be set for life as humanitarians on the global stage, even if the monarchy crumbles because of the neglect by Throne Idle and his Keen Kate.
I’m far from being a fan of Kate. However what you said holds true for Meghan too, she’ll only be Duchess for as long as harry is married to her.
This is kind of crappy, to hint that W&K could eventually divorce and their marriage might end up like his parents’.
It doesn’t mean they will divorce, but those of us around when Charles and Diana were married also thought that Diana would be Queen as well. And look how that turned out. Nothing in life is a guarantee.
I mean, my husband and I might divorce at some point (we’re very happily married at the moment). I’d hate to think some people would speculate about it.
Kate’s not going anywhere. She lets William do whatever he wants and William likes that. He’d be hard-pressed to find that dynamic again, let alone with someone who’ll put up with anything to keep him.
As Nic919 writes, nothing in life is a guarantee. Kate has done nothing to endear herself to the people of the UK should William decide to leave her by the wayside. People won’t be voting her an annual stipend out of taxpayer money as they did for Alexandra of Denmark, Joachim’s first wife.
Harry and Meghan get the better deal IMO. 20 years to work for the firm, travel the world, do charity work, live in luxury, then retire to live however they want when W&K’s kids start doing royal work.
She wont necessarily be any of those things, for varying potential reasons, including politics and death. No one should count their chickens before they are hatched. The Queen wasn’t born to be Queen. Princess Diana was supposed to be Queen.
Lol. Meg the humanitarian in her 8k dresses. Sure.
True humanitarians should dress in rags, I guess. Maybe rich people can’t be humanitarians ever?
Wow! Both of these women are busy. I’m sure they don’t have time for a cat fight. The ridiculous tabloid stories are for the crazy Kate vs Meghan fans.
I think you’re spot on. There’d be no tattling to the Queen. That would so childish for a start and also while William will be King, Harry’s her favorite so Kate would have to tread very carefully.
But $10 says she’ll have had more than one conversation with Mummy about the Meghan effect. And I worry about what “advice” Kate might pass on should Meg ask for any. Problem for Kate is she has a lot of ‘muscle memory’ for a lack of work and so unless she’s prepared to up her game in that department she has her work cut out for her.
Kate and Meghan certainly don’t look like BFF (yet??), but I doubt that Kate has the stand to report to the Queen. Like said in the text, she has to watch her “own hems”.
I really am curious how Kate and Meg get along, in private? What do you celebitc**s think? 😉
I think they’ll probably get along just fine. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t. I think any problem Kate has (if any) wouldn’t be with Meg, rather the larger effect she’s having.
I think Kate and Meghan get along just fine as sister-in-laws but I don’t think they’ll become BFFs. Kate has her mother and sister along with her Norfolk friends and Meghan has Jessica, Lindsay and her celeb friends. Imho, Kate and Meghan are really completely different women, both unique and beautiful but with different styles, tastes, opinions, hopes and dreams. I can see them “having” to be “close” only due to their husbands supposed close relationship and being fine with that but not at all heart broken if they don’t see each other for extended periods.
Yup. This is what I see as well…..except that i think they probably struggle just a teensy bit for rapport. They put in as much effort as necessary, to keep that minimum level of exchange going but nothing more.
That would be my guess.
That’s how I see it. Harry doesn’t spend time with W&K and their kids; they obviously meet up at the time of engagements, do their thing, go their separate ways. I can see the same with him and Meghan. You don’t have to be chummy with your sister-in-law, nor do you have to be friends with your co-workers.
IMO these woman love their husbands and also love their lots in life, so they will be good sisters-in-law because William and Harry are close. At this point I think Kate and Meghan are still getting to know each other but I expect they will be just fine.
The ONLY part of this whole story I buy is Kate feeling threatened by Meghan’s popularity. However, even when it comes to that, I don’t think Kate is actively plotting or planning anything against Meghan. IMO, Kate’s not really and “active” person when it comes to such things.
If anyone is doing anything, it’s Carole, and even then I think it’s only in helping/being a source or whatever for tabloid stories and fodder. Like, I firmly think Carole – with help from tabloid reporters of course – were behind all those stories about Kate “helping” Meghan, or Kate and Meghan being BFFs, or how Meghan should look to Kate for help/advice/whatever. Or the stupid idea that Meghan would be another Fergie. (The ONLY thing Meghan and Fergie have in common is that they both married the second son – that’s it). I never believed a single one of those stories about Kate and Meghan being BFFs, or Meghan looking to Kate for advice.
(Plus, Meghan already has her squad of female BFFs, some of whom she’s been friends with for 15 years or longer. She’s only known Kate for a hot minute in comparison.)
And I swear, a lot of the wrong stuff about Meghan and Harry’s relationship that Katie Nicholl always seems to write (like Harry having a crush on Meghan for two years before he met her – I’m STILL laughing at how Harry let the world know how wrong that “exclusive scoop” was) came from the Middleton camp (ie Carole) as well.
Look, I think Kate and Meghan are cordial to each other. Friendly. Pleasant even. But these two women are SO freakin’ different. The life Meghan had before she married Harry is incredibly far removed from Kate, who more or less did very little with her life after graduating college. Meghan, OTOH, *spoke at the United Nations* to name one of her many accomplishments. If she wants advice on what to do now that she’s a part of the RF, we’ve already seen who she’s been getting it from, aside from Harry: the Queen. Meanwhile, I don’t see Meghan and Kate ever really being close friends OR rivals. Meghan would actually have to CARE about being Kate’s rival and, to put it bluntly, I don’t think she does, or even thinks in such a way about it.
I see Kate and Meghan continuing as they are: friendly, pleasant to each other, etc. But not BFFs. And it’s perfectly okay if they aren’t.
I agree, I think they’ll be friendly, if not great friends. They have so little in common, plus Kate’s relationship energy has always been more focused on her immediate family circle (parents, siblings, husband) rather than friends outside that.
And while Carole may be more actively minded and have had a direct line to the tabloids for years, I also agree that Kate is more passive. The press are keen to push a Diana/Fergie, classy Brit/trashy American, quiet conformist/outspoken feminist, saintly mother/divorced whore, wife of heir/wife of spare dichotomy, so I expect that at the moment she feels quite secure in her position and knows that there will always be an incentive to make her look better. And if it looks like that might start to change, all she and William need to do is wheel out the children and voila, they can do no wrong in the eyes of the public.
The tension, if any, would come once the two of them are working similar engagements at the same time. Imagine if they both gave a speech in the same week, for example. And attendees at Harry and Meghan’s events have talked about how much they knew in advance and how prepared they were, whereas William’s bragged about not reading his briefings and Kate’s comments have given away the fact that she doesn’t either. Now that H+M are being praised for doing their homework, I hope W+K do the same.
^This right here.
Carole is the one instrumental in getting William back during one of the break ups so I agree that it’s Carole who would do this and not Kate. Overall Kate is generally lazy and probably doesn’t care that Meghan is working because it’s never anything Kate cared about doing. She was perfectly fine with all the other royal women out working her since the marriage so why would it matter if it is Meghan. As long as she can still shop and go on holidays why would she care?
Nic919 – I think having Meghan around is a slightly different to having the other royal women around. Kate has had seven years of being the one who’s young, thin, pretty and married to one of Diana’s boys. That’s her “territory”, for want of a better phrase and she hasn’t had to share it, there’s been no one who she could be compared to because no one in the family is in the same position/role as her. Meghan coming in changes that. (And before someone says it, yes I know she’ll be Queen Consort one day, but I’m talking about now. Plus it’ll be 30 years before George, Charlotte and Louis start working, so the family are going to need Harry and Meghan pitching in heavily for years.)
She doesn’t care about the job, but I can see her getting wary if Meghan gets involved enthusiastically and does a good job. If that happens, I think we would see an even bigger push towards “Kate, Sainted Mother” rather than a change of heart when it comes to work ethic.
I think as Kate gets older and her marriage to William becomes more distant she will find herself. I do believe she feels out of sorts with Meghan around but I am not sure she is running around plotting.
I think her main problem is her stage mother who I absolutely believe feels threatened by Meghan. Hyacinth Carole is obsessed with aristocrats like she is straight out of an Anthony Trollope novel and that is what she wanted for her children. Some people think it reads like she just wanted the best for her kids but the problem is none of them have any personal achievements of note. She neglected to make them full and well rounded people.
For awhile–about 3 years ago as I recall– Kate and Harry were frequently photographed giggling together at many official events (especially those with extended family present.) I do NOT think there was something “going on” between them that should not have been. But it was a little weird and quite noticeable. Looking back, that “almost flirting” behavior seemed to stop once Harry began seeing Meghan. (I say looking back because he was seeing Meghan for months before the public knew it.) While I am sure Kate wants her BIL to be happy, I have wondered before this article appeared if she might be a little jealous. Along with being THE youngish thin pretty female royal who garnered attention, I wonder if at some level, perhaps even unconsciously, she also liked having Harry “to herself.”
First, what blunders?
Second, both women are just living their lives. I don’t believe any of these stories.
I know this is making the kate haters salivate but I really don’t see this as the case. Kate is lazy and focused on her four children—William, George, Charlotte and Louis. 😉
Hahahahaha! Awesome! If anything, I think William is jealous of Harry. Not because of Meghan but because Harry gets all the perks and luxury with less responsibility – and he doesn’t have to be King.
I agree Redgrl! Some of the mean (of course he’s just teasing *eyeroll*) things William has said about Harry in the past do point to him being jealous. Not only does Harry have less responsibility but he has all the charisma. Imho, William inherited the worst of both of his parents while Harry got the best.
Haha yes managing jealous teenagers is a full time job!
LOL
LOL
ha
This all sounds pretty “British” to me. I’m an American/canadian married to a Brit and let me tell you, in his families eyes, I can’t do anything right. We are happy though with three kids, but I wouldn’t be surprised if behind the scenes Meghan is being talked about mercilessly.
I missed your post the other day. That is tough! I have a hard to get along with MIL so I know it is exhausting. 🙁
These Svengali type stories about Carole is getting a bit farfetched! People are letting their imaginations run wild but I guess every story needs an evil figure!
Carole is nowhere as bad or as evil as some people try to portray. A lot of these stories were concocted by a British press that is still obsessed with social class.
I’ve never thought of CM as being mean or evil, but I *do* believe her to be calculating and ambitious. For both her daughter AND herself. Kate landing the “prize” that is Prince William allows Carole and the rest of the family to be directly royal adjacent…
IMO, Carole Middleton is a classic stage mother. Only, in this case, the “stage” in question is the British Aristocracy and getting into it (instead of Hollywood or Broadway).
It’s why Kate is so passive and can seem bland to a lot of people. She was so busy being pushed by her mother to get a specific status and life, she never really got a chance to discover all the things she HERSELF could like and be outside of that IMO
She’s definitely calculating and ambitious, and her children are her tools. If push comes to shove, Carole would likely pick William over Kate. And they all know to back off and just let him do whatever he wants re. Jecca.
Nah, I think she would pick Kate, nota. Partly because Carole loves her firstborn best, and partly because Kate is still the mother of the future king. She will also still have William adjacent to her life, and I doubt he would abandon Carole to tell the truth.
Well, push comes to shove, she’d pick PGTips over both of them. He is the sum of her greatest ambitions.
That’s funny, nota:) It’s probably also true and makes me feel a little sad for Kate. She doesn’t toe the line, both her husband and mother abandon her.
Do you think though that Carole and Mike would have supported Kate for 8 years, financially and emotionally, and had been okay with her not working or doing anything really during that time if she was waiting for the local mechanic or grocery clerk to propose? For all that Carole has achieved, and she’s done a lot, it’s amazing how her children have accomplished nothing of their own doing and frankly none of them has a tenth of her work ethic, what happened??
Because she raised her daughters to do nothing but angle, climb, and connive to marry well. Goodness knows what she’ll end up doing with Marshmallow James.
Now, how long is Carole’s list of potential suitors for James, and how many names has she already crossed off? They have to be attractive, very rich and probably malleable. I don’t think Carole could handle a d-i-l with a mind of her own. That ‘s not how the (younger) females behave in that family!
(not stalking you, nota honestly:)
There are many children who have successful parents but for whatever reason don’t inherit the same work ethic or success as their parents. You could say the same about William & Harry who compared to their father have been workshy and seemed to be running away from their responsibilities. It happens more often than we realize. I could list countless of well-off & powerful people whose children simply have no direction, but you can’t always blame the parents. Carole & Michael Middleton made sure they sent their children to some of the best schools but what they did after that was up to them.
I don’t for one second believe that Carole was the one who encouraged her daughters not to pursue a career especially when there was never any guarantee that either of them would end up marrying as well as they did. The men her daughters married were not brainwashed or had a gun pointed to their heads! Finding someone that you’re going to settle down with is essentially about luck & feelings have to be reciprocated
I wouldn’t recommend that you rely solely on marrying well as your future, but in the end her two daughters got what they wanted so, in their cases, I don’t know if it matters whether they have a work ethic or not. Or rather, I think the kind of work ethic they have in tending to their men is probably well-suited to the end goal they had in mind. I know that sounds terrible to say, but they’ve achieved the goal they were striving for — in the end, both got the lives that they wanted. I don’t think other people should be foolish enough to follow their path as obviously there aren’t 100 Williams or 100 moderately-wealthy-whoevers lying around to marry, but it did in fact work out for them (obviously luck was involved). Of course, if other people are stupid enough to try this route, I think that’s on them, not really Kate or Pippa or Carole for having it work out for them.
Not sure about James though. I don’t know what to say about him, but I also don’t feel compelled to worry about his future either. He probably has the same future as a lot of rich sons who try their hands at making companies and failing miserably, which I don’t think is rare among their set.
The only way I would find anything of what they’ve done problematic is if they whined about the lives that they wanted, but so far none of them have done that.
Lady D, I’m thinking she might want to point him towards the divorced Missy Percy. Except that family made clear they didn’t want Pippa, so cannot see them wanting James.
Pippa married into the wrong family for Carole’s ambitions. They tried hard for Pippa but she ended up with James Matthews with the scandalous family. Pippa isn’t captivating and aristocrats have no interest in being connected to the royal family anymore. Not in any meaningful way. I think Charles was the last of that set. They still tend to marry each other or someone rather glamorous or accomplished in something. There is nothing to gain from a royal connection when many of them have more money anyway.
Carole seems to live in another era.
@magnoliarose, it’s been said in a few documentaries that Charles and Diana were the last of the dynastic marriages, and it looks as if that’s true. Like Isabella Calthorpe turning William down and getting with/marrying Richard Branson’s son instead. In a previous era, she would have been probably more than encouraged (ie told) to chose William instead.
I think Charles and Diana’s marriage and the fallout from it took the bloom off the rose for many of that set on the idea of becoming royal.
Absolutely morringan.
What is the benefit nowadays? With social media and the internet, every single faux pas is covered and dissected relentlessly. The ones that still marry each other do it because they have loads in common and know each other. It is where they are comfortable but others aren’t constrained by the same dictates so feel free to find someone they love. A dazzling outsider is more interesting than a simple royal connection. Besides William lacks a dynamic exciting personality so there are no social perks that go along with being connected to him.
Many people outside of the UK don’t really understand about the British class system. It still exists even today.
Carole comes from a working class background, so the narrative in the press has been ‘how dare this woman who grew up in social housing create a successful business, send her kids to private schools, and is now the mother of a future Queen.’ Many of the stories written about Carole is driven by snobbery and a feeling that she ought to know her place.
There is nothing wrong with a parent wanting a better life for their kids. However portraying Carole as some sort of puppeteer controlling her daughters just reads like fanfiction similar to what you get in classic children novels.
Interesting, and I can believe it.
I don’t believe any of it but I will say-cross your legs or don’t, Meghan. Truly, I don’t care but whatever you’re doing up there-stop. It looks like you have two fake legs and didn’t set them up correctly to look real. It’s what I’m immediately drawn to and there are so many more interesting people to look at in that photo.
So you want Meghan to stop doing what she likes because it makes you uncomfortable?
Yes, you got me!!
No, I want her to have legs that look real instead of deciding last minute to try and cross them and do a lean-to all at once. I really doubt she ever intentionally sits like that. It looks awkward and ruins the picture. What website is it that you think you’re visiting, anyway? Have you noticed what this post is about? And you’re lecturing me on asking women to behave a certain way? That’s rich.
@ Marigold:
Here’s a picture of Diana sitting in *exactly* the same way, in a similar setting:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018062749790/meghan-markle-princess-diana-slant/%3fviewas=amp
Damn, Harry’s still wearing that suit:)
For someone who truly doesn’t care, you sound very passionate about it! JS
I’m not seeing Meghan’s huge popularity in the UK. She’s liked, but not worshipped.
That story is bull.
Yeah.
I’m a Brit and I’m not seeing any Meghan worship, or Meghan mania, either.
In fact, the country has moved on from the wedding sharpish.
I’d love it if we could just not do the Kate versus Meghan rivalry stories here. They are so predictable and will be endless, just like the tedious Jolie v. Aniston saga. I know it’s unavoidable, but ugggghhhhhhh.
Yeah, I agree.
In the video, she’s walking and talking with the lady next to her, sits down whilst still talking, crosses her legs out of habit, and then immediately puts them into “the slant”. You can see pictures of loads other Royals sitting this same way. Just like you can see pictures of Her Majesty’s shoulders in full on strapless dresses from when she was younger. HORRORS!!!
Eh, even Anne sat at a recent event with her legs crossed like Meg. It’s hardly a criminal offense! People need to stop nitpicking. It’s not like she was wearing a short skirt or was man spreading lol
This is going to sound harsh but As others pointed out Kate has the advantage because:
– she is married to the heir so that gives her power and prestige and frankly the ability to “phone it in” without much backlash from the firm because really what can they do?
– she is a white English rose and the racists and anti American English will always favour her over the biracial, American upstart
Meghan is going to have to hustle and cannot afford to phone it in regarding workload or the backlash and consequences would be tremendous for her from both the firm and the public. In a similar way that Edward and Sophie have worked hard since becoming full-time working royals because their position is tenuous (plus they likely have good work ethics too) Prince Charles, siblings with the exception of Anne, are in danger of being cut off when he becomes King. Harry will be safe from that under Charles most likely but when William is King all bets are off imo. The only potential saving grace for Harry if that there are no other siblings to compete with.
Harry has been handed the commonwealth and whatever they RF has stolen there. He will be fine
I call bullsh-t on the whole story. I don’t see Kate pointing out Meghan’s “blunders” to the Queen on any day period. I also don’t think she likse being front and centre all the time. Kate is going to be Queen, so I don’t think she cares about the rest.
Honestly, I think her mother cares the most about her being Queen. I don’t get the vibe from Kate that she’s very hungry for the spotlight. She does the minimum and seems to like the home life. She has a pretty sweet life IMO.
Yes, it Kate has also been the “thin, tall, gorgeous one” for the longest time…….this is the first time we’ll see anyone “compete” for that narrative within the family.
It’s interesting watching how they both navigate that.
If I were Kate, the thing I’d be most jealous of is that Meg appears to have married the less bratty brother. Will really seems like he’d be a chore to be around.
This +1,000,000!!! I wonder if she uses a rectal thermometer to take William’s daily emotional temperature?
Or is that Carole’s job? (meow)
Yep. Meghan and Harry seem to have more of an equal relationship – Harry obviously adores Meghan, respects her and considers himself extremely lucky to have pulled her. With Kate and William there has always been a different dynamic. Will has had the upper hand all along and Kate has been at his beck and call, even now as a married couple. So Meghan has the better deal in my opinion – she got BOTH a royal title and an adoring husband.
YESSSS!!!!
My less than adoring husband ended our 27 year old marriage and I think I’ve never been happier. Met someone recently, purely physical so far, but I have received more compliments and positive reinforcement during this very short affair than I EVER did in my marriage. My husband was loving and supportive, but he did NOT ADORE me, ever.
It was something I never thought I needed or wanted. In fact, I probably LIKED that part of the relationship. It was safer. After years of justifying our lack of physical relationship as MY fault, he was just not that into me and that is his huge loss. I have removed him from my heart and it is good. We have an amazing daughter and will always share something special, but NOT that spark Meghan and Harry carry.
🙂
My husband and I lost that spark for awhile and got mired in complexity but it is worth fighting for if it was ever there. I hope H and M keep the fire stoked and don’t forget it needs to be tended.
Good for you for finding someone who makes you feel good. Life is way too short to spend it with meh.
I mean, I think if we’re calling bullish-t on the story, we should call bullsh-t on the whooole story? I’m not really getting this “Kate is threatened” narrative. The long-time theory on this site was that after Meghan and Harry’s wedding Kate would be everywhere, making loads of appearances and “working” all the time. And yet we’ve only seen her twice? At an event she has historically attended and for a pretty “mandatory” seeming occasion (trooping). I don’t know guys, maybe we should lay off the crazy speculation and admit we don’t actually know the details of these women’s lives…
Of course we don’t. That’s why it’s called gossip. It’s a harmless irrelevant moment in time for some, for some it’s an escape, for some it’s idle speculation and they’re all okay.
I can’t see Kate and Meghan being friends at all.Civil but thats it.Meghan is so different from Kate and I’ll actually be surprised
I also doubt Meghan cares about Kate being Queen consort.And what is the point of Queen consort? More work for Kate which she already doesn’t even like
Meghan is new to all of this and seems to want to fit in and get things right.I bet thats what she’s more worried about.
People here also accused Meghan of being attention seeking and wanting fame yet you rarely ever see her unless she has events.So attention seeking
The media wants Meghan to fail and are trying to create a narrative about her.Every event and people find something to pick on /things are blow so out of proportion eg crossing her legs even though other royals even the Queen have done the exact same thing.Its getting absurd
I enjoyed the shade in the article, when it mentioned that Kate, as a fellow “Commoner”, should be more sympathetic to Meghan.
I registered that too. lol
I noticed that too. But then I wondered whether Meghan was ever a commoner. That distinction doesn’t exist in America, and we don’t have any “non-commoners” either — those “categories” simply don’t exist here. And when she married Harry, she instantly became a duchess (so NOT a commoner). Unless for a short period of time she became a British citizen prior to her marriage, in which case she would have been a commoner during that post-citizenship, pre-marriage period.
I thought we were feminists? How are stories like this productive? When is there ever a story about two grown men being jealous and competitive?
Stories about two grown men being jealous and competitive:
William vs. Harry
Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs
GW Bush vs. Bill Clinton
Any two men in tech
Any two leaders of drug cartels
Cain vs. Abel
World War I
Kanye vs. Jay-Z
Mozart vs. Salieri (fictional)
Montague vs. Capulet (fictional)
Trump vs. Trudeau
Trump vs. Kim Jong-Un
Trump vs. Obama
Shall I go on?
None of these guys get the cover of Star magazine though.
I also think the stories about Trump are one way since he’s jealous of everybody. And everyone else is glad they aren’t him.
Biggie vs. 2 PAC
When Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew were first married, Fergie was also Flavour of the Month.
And we know how that turned out.
I enjoy seeing what Kate and Meghan wear, but let’s face it:
Kate will be Queen, and Meghan will not.
Fergie was a very young 26 who only had 40 days a year with her deployed husband. Even Andrew recognizes he was largely at fault in the situation, which is why he let her live off him for 20 years after their divorce.
She will be Queen Consort if William chooses to keep her around. See Diana. Hence Carole the Helicopter Mother-in-Law.
Meghan and Harry have the far better end of the deal, plus they seem to enjoy working and using this platform. W&K ultimately will have far more responsibility and work – which both of them appear to hate and avoid like the plague.
I think this is partially true. In years to come Kate and Wills will have a far greater burden of duty. TQ probably figures let them have their time to enjoy their young family. After all, wasn’t that a regret of TQ’s…that she and Philip didn’t have that time as a young couple/family…
@nota……..but did all the other Navy wives go on toe sucking holidays with other men while their husbands were away??
The Malta story is complete fiction, fabricated by fans and press who had no idea why W&K weren’t getting straight to work.
princessk, they might have, I don’t know. But other military spouses have support networks whereas Fergie didn’t. From Fergie’s own words, she was isolated and alone, unable to even draw the curtains at BP because of tourists. She should have had Diana as a guide, but Diana was too jealous of the spotlight to help Fergie too much.
Although Fergie could have used a guide at times, I also times Fergie could have also exercised common sense. Neither Kate nor Meghan seem nearly as….dumb?
Also, Kate and Meghan are both conventionally attractive. To navigate the media landscape, that helps. I just don’t see the media pushing against them to the degree that they did with Fergie as long they remain beautiful, which considering their features and how they groom themselves, I think they will. That sounds incredibly shallow, but I think the fact that they’re both pretty enough helps.
Confession time: For years I had a jealous and competitive streak against other women, including my sil, because I was young and very insecure. It was all about me and not them. If we were to be completely honest it is a phenomenom among women more so then men so I could totally understand Kate feeling threatened by Meghan. I just don’t see these two becoming close friends because they are so different. That said it is entirely their business and not worthy of our attention. The tabloids will play it up because that is what they do.
Tale as old as time, pitting two women against each other, lol. I don’t think Kate craves the spotlight, like, at all. If she did, she would be a more dynamic person. I think she is enjoying the hell out of her summer, with her kids. I know I am. My favorite time is when they are out of school and we can hang as a family.
In order to “tell the queen about all the things Meghan is doing wrong.” she’d have to actually be around the Queen, which she hardly ever is and 90% of that time is in front of a camera so she can’t say shiz
Accurate.
of course she feel threatened, Megan tried to snatch her “Queen of Buttons” tittle LOL..
seriously, media should stop pitting these two woman.. its getting old
I actually feel like Kate has seemed a lot more relaxed since Meghan came along. That said, I’ve seen a lot reports trying to make Kate seem like the more “regal and conservative” of the two……. but only one of them has flashed onlookers multiple times in public, and it sure as shit ain’t Meghan.
There maybe some truth in it as Kate has been more visible since Meg came on the scene. While it might not bother Kate much, it will bother Carole and her plans to make her family a big part of Williams court when he ascends. This is a family who don’t know when to stop pushing. Remember the xmas 2 years ago with the cut price Boxing Day shoot that happened at the same time the RF one was. It was said at the time that was in response to the Middleton’s being refused to part of the RF Christmas celebrations in Sandringham.
And the kids were brought to church for a photo op even though they would have been too young to attend in Sandringham… Carole was right there holding on to the diaper bag.
That doesn’t even make sense. How does Meghan being popular have anything to do with the Middleton’s being a part of William’s court? All indications are that William is fully ensconced in the Middleton family. Meghan being popular isn’t going to make William suddenly hate his in-laws. Kate increased her numbers at the end of her pregnancy because she knew she was going to take a nice long maternity leave. I think they both get along fine, but that neither especially cares about the other,
Disregarding – just another attempt to pit women against each other to tear them down. They both are busy, married and have other things to do, frankly. Yes, they are strangers and will take time to get to know each other.
OMG have these people ever given birth? Do the words adult diaper mean anything to anyone? Women need recovery time after birth.
I think you have to make an appointment to see the Queen,. so this story doesn’t sound believable. I also don’t get why Kate would need to point out the blunders when the Daily Mail is there to point whatever blunder person X made for everybody else to see. I’m pretty sure the Queen knows how to read.
I don’t believe both women are plotting against each other in full jealousy mood. However I have the feeling that Kate might be inclined to have more kids, probably 2 more.
Body language says a lot. In most of the pictures, Kate is leaning away from Megan. That’s usually a pretty good sign that one person doesn’t care for another one.
Yes Kate’s body language post wedding with Meghan seems different from pre wedding and she seemed glum at the wedding. Could be just a case of post partum exhaustion and really not feeling up to doing much. She was quite radiant during this pregnancy I thought.
I think she’s sad to loose harry .they seemed to get on well and now he has a permanent replacement for her . She looks depressed.
Good grief. That this visible-from-the-moon, made up, galloping bollocks from Star Mag is being debated as if it has some basis in fact is, in almost equal parts, hilarious and disturbing, with ‘disturbing’ taking the 60%.
It’s a plotline that even ‘The Windsors’ would reject for its abject lack of creativity.
Seriously. And the people falling for it are just as annoying.
Well I fee that undoubtedly Kate is acutely aware of Meghan’s currently popularity, many attributes and photogenic face. I don’t think that Kate is especially mean but we will certainly from now in see her trying much harder to connect with the public. We are going to see her smiling and laughing much more she is going to revamp her wardrobe, and she will be using her children more to increase her popularity. I don’t really blame her, what else could she do? Should she just do nothing as Meghan effortlessly steals all the limelight and front covers?
Kate could try showing up to work a lot more often, rather than using her kids and her wardrobe for attention…
We get it.
Wearing bespoke does tend to garner attention. You know else else is fond of bespoke?
It is lovely you do get it, but will Kate ever?
I don’t know, Nota. Why don’t you pop on over to the palace and ask her?
Your disdain for her is clear. She’s lazy, she has bad eyeliner, she’s married to a big baby. We know. What a lot of us are saying is that it’s not cool to pit two women against each other for entertainment. It’s tacky and does nothing but lower them. If Kate feels so threatened by Meghan that she starts working more, then good! We should hope for both the sake of William and Harry and their children that the women get along and develop a friendship.
If Kate is anything, it’s loyal, steadfast and devoted to her family. She clearly doesn’t give a sh*# about being considered modern or cool or about the criticism she receives for choosing to devote more time to her family, so why would she care if Meghan is the shiny new toy? Yes, I am a obviously a Kate fan, but it’s because I appreciate those qualities in a person.
Meghan will grow into her role and be a fine addition to the family. Neither of them are Mother Teresa, but they at least help bring awareness to many worthy causes. Now, I love all fun and interesting stories about the BRF and especially all the fashion commentary, bitchy and all, but this whole Meghan and Kate rivalry that people are intent on pushing is really pathetic and tired.
You appreciate W&K being so selfish and self-centered they defraud the people of the UK? How odd.
Don’t twist my words. I clearly stated that I appreciate Kate’s loyalty and devotion to her family. What’s odd is that you take issue with me appreciating those qualities in a person. We are all free to form an opinion of them, so I’m not sure why you feel the need to zero in on me and attempt to belittle me for mine.
There’s no point in bothering with nota one lump or two she’s obsessed in her hatred of Kate its rather amusing she has accounts on most royal sites to feed her obsession with kate bless her 🙂
I highly doubt any of this. Kate seems pretty content being a mother to her cute children and being William’s wife and probably actually enjoys not having the glaring spotlight on her 24/7. I’m married, have 2 SIL’s and while I get along with them and we chat and are Facebook friends we are NOT bff’s. We are all very different. I’m a liberal, they are conservative. They both have kids, I have cats. We have very little in common. It doesn’t mean we don’t like each other. We are all just different. Kate and Meghan do seem very different other than that fact that they married into the royal family. I really wish that the media and people on every website would stop trying to pit them against each other.
THIS!
Feuds between Kate and meghan?
Look forward to years of tabloid stories.
I believe that the tabloids are looking forward to such a constellation. Imagine Diana and Fergie had been enemies. Bad. Meghan and kate? Worse. Why? Because Meghan is a poc who allegedly has merits and Kate is an entitled white brat allegedly without merits. all poc in britain will join meghan’s side and all white people in britain will join Kate’s side. Lovely. Divide et impera.
Diana and Fergie were both younger when they were “feuding.” They were also both bored out of their minds during their marriages. Boredom in a marriage most likely increases the desire to seek an outlet in some form of competition with other people.
I think Kate and Meghan’s age probably make a difference in how they approach each other and the media. Since they’re both more mature in age, I don’t know if they’d have the same view of “competition” as someone in their mid-to-late 20s. People relax a bit more as they get older (so long as there aren’t any recurring personality disorders at work, as in the case of Donald Trump). Heck, even someone like Gwyneth Paltrow seems more relaxed now that she’s older.
I think Diana was “competitive” but I don’t know if she would have been that way if she had been content in her marriage. Trying to one-up everyone gave her something to do to pass the time and get through her unhappiness. She was isolated, had only the bodyguards to talk to, was incredibly beautiful but couldn’t act on that beauty to the full, and her husband detested her. Duh, of course she was going to act weird. Neither Kate nor Meghan strike me as being anywhere near that unhappy at the present time. If they have issues, I think they’re more of the regular everyday first-world people kind (i.e “stress” from doing too much hot yoga).
Diana’s issues and negative behavior started years before her marriage to Charles.
Regardless, she was much younger when she was “acting out.” And she died extremely early. Holy cow, she was so young when she died. She was the same age William is now. We forget that we don’t know how she would have matured, because she was never given the opportunity to have a second chapter to her life. We really have no idea how she would have evolved later in life. She was struck down the moment she entered that arc of life where you’re able to overcome the mistakes you made earlier in life. Charles in a way got that second chapter and we see him as a better person now. Diana’s future trajectory will always be a mystery and unanswered question.
Kate and Meghan are now the same age Diana was when her life was cut short with no possibility of a rectification that the rest of us get.
Ultimately, I think their ages make a difference in how they behave. Had Diana lived, I think there’s a possibility she might have matured. Or maybe not.
HOWEVER, both Kate and Meghan are in their mid- late-30s and the advantage of age makes a difference in how people approach life. If they both devolve the mindsets of aimless and unestablished 25 year olds, I’d be shocked. Both women are established in different ways in their lives (work ethic levels aside), so there’s really no need for them to feel as competitive as people would hope them to be. The people who devolve into those feuding competitions are those boozy ladies you see on the Real Housewives shows who have nothing going for them except to create media headlines with strange behaviour, and neither Kate nor Meghan strike me as that unhinged or starved for attention, regardless of how lazy Kate is or Meghan might not be.
Exactly. Kate seems perfectly content to be a mum and spend her time playing with her kids, shopping, having her hair done, and hanging out with her family. Meghan is clearly ambitious and driven and has her own ideas about using her position to further those goals (eg humanitarian work). They’ve both found lives and lifestyles that fit their personalities. And they’re so different as people.
Kate could have done some engagement or staged pap photos. Instead she’s happy being at home. Yes, she might be lazy etc but she’s not doing anything to bring attention on herself. It must be deliberate on her part.
Oh the *horror*, the sheer and utter *horror* of a mother of an 8-week old baby, a three year old, and a 4 1/2 year old staying home with her kids. Calm down people of this planet. Once the kids are in school, Kate will do more public appearances.
The most important thing is for the kids to grow up to be well-adjusted humans.
“The most important thing is for the kids to grow up to be well-adjusted humans.”
That’s what I think too. Ultimately, the kids will be Will and Kate’s legacy (at least in this modern media driven age). They can make all the public appearances they want to show off their work ethic, but if the kids turn out to be total screw-ups that’s what we’re going to remember! The quote Jackie Kennedy made about nothing else mattering much in the end if you screw up your kids comes to mind.
True. But is there any actual scientific evidence that having a mom not work outside the home on even a part-time schedule results in children who are better adjusted? I’ve not seen it if there is. (Jackie was hardly at home with her kids all the time so I’m not sure her comment meant parents need to stay at home. I think she was talking more about the quality of parenting.) And no one is talking about either Will or Kate working 40 hrs a week away from home plus spending more hours in difficult lengthy commutes. Rather people seem to think it’s reasonable Kate regularly spend 10-15 hrs a week most weeks (much less than 10% of the 168 hrs in a week) doing royal work with those hrs largely arranged to suit her preferences. Whenever Kate’s very low hours are mentioned people seem to immediately switch to 1. Kate does SO much work for her causes behind the scenes (yeah, right) 2. But she’ll work alot when she’s Queen Consort (yeah, right. If she’s never worked before, it’s unlikely she’ll start at that late date.) Or 3. But she has to dress and get her hair done so a one-hour appearance in a week really takes longer than we know (as if most women with children who work 40 hrs a week away from home in a professional setting do it in their pajamas)
Actually there is evidence. Google! Its all there. Kids are much better off with a parent at home. Ever hear of latchkey kids?
I have heard of kids who are expected to fend for themselves after school while parents work @Joannie. So? I asked if there is scientific evidence that children with non-working mothers were better-adjusted. “Latchkey” kids are irrelevant as I wasn’t asking about the fate of kids left on their own many hours of each day without adult supervision. I’ve never seen anything remotely scientific suggesting children are harmed by having mothers work (even part-time) and are better adjusted if moms stay home 24/7. In fact, a quick Google shows exactly the opposite. If you have a link please provide it.
That is wrong. Your work ethic IS part of your legacy to your children. Their lives are publicly funded. So accordingly families who aren’t on the luxury dole but still subsidized should be given the same time to bond with their children because their children’s mental health is just as important as W and K’s. But that isn’t how it is though.
They have about 4 or 5 nannies and assistants and family to cater to their children’s every need. They have assistants, cooks, staff and a butler not to mention a driver and security and yet neither can tear themselves away from their children? No way on earth is that true.
To even link Kate’s at home status to the everyday mother is wrong and minimizes the struggles and agonizing choices women are forced to make every single day.
Children also do well to have other influences in their lives besides their parents and George is in school anyway.
I have no idea which type of parenting is better. And it’s certainly not a topic I feel qualified to offer an opinion on as I am not a parent And to clarify, I never thought Jacke Kennedy’s quote was about staying home to be with the kids. What I took away from her quote is that regardless of what you do for the rest of your life pretty much everything else is meaningless if your kids turn out screwed up. That was my take-away from her quote. In the end, I think that’s how everyone, not just Kate and Will, are or will be judged. Whether their parenting style is the right one, I have no idea. But I do think how their kids turn out in the future will be their legacy, just as it is with everyone else. Marlon Brando was a brilliant actor who innovated acting. But in the end we judge and pity him by how screwed up his kids turned out. The legacy of his screwed up children trumps whatever he accomplished as an actor.
Exactly. However, If she did an engagement however people would be furious that she only did it because of Meghan. You can’t win!
Until Megs Sparkle gets her family sorted out in the US (leg crossing) or protocol is the last of her worries because the latest tv interview debacle is causing a load of royal courtiers to try to alleviate damage to the British royal family
Interesting, Starlight! What actions are the royal courtiers able to take to alleviate damage?
“gets her family sorted out” — are you talking about Meghan’s in-laws? Because they seem to have their own problems (cheating scandals, naked pics, racist comments, etc.),
I don’t think that wanting to spend all your time at home / getting your hair done / shopping while making hardworking taxpayers pay for your MULTIPLE nannies and NUMEROUS servants is admirable at all.
I can’t help but wonder why some people find it praiseworthy.
I can’t wait to see the good that both of them do, as a team and separately, for worldwide progress. #teamkateandmeghan Love wins 🙂
Kate isn’t to blame for the existence of the BRF or the system that funds their very expensive lifestyles. If people take issue with the BRF’s use of taxpayers funds, then vote them out. However, for the time being, the majority seem content with the interest they generate, collecting the tourist revenue and the impact the BRF has on the economy, otherwise why would they still be around? They are the most watched royal family in existence and women like Diana, Kate and Meghan are a big reason for that. Regarding Kate, unless she has a contract out there specifying the number or hours she has to work and she is in violation of that contract, then she shouldn’t bear any guilt for her choices. She has the right to choose the level of work that makes sense for her family. Parents that can afford to stay home with their children shouldn’t be punished and forced to work more than they feel comfortable with because the masses can’t afford it. It’s also well documented that Kate has 1 nanny, Maria. And why shouldn’t she? It’s not like she can call up the local high school kid to babysit whenever they have an official event. If she had Carol doing all the babysitting then she would be ridiculed for that and I’m sure that Carol and her husband are also busy with their other children and managing the business they built.
We can debate the merits of their charity work all day, but none of these people are out at the soup kitchens everyday or digging wells in third world countries on the regular. They are all quasi celebrities and Kate is one of the most popular of them. So she is being adequately compensated for the value of her time. If I were hounded every time I stepped of the house and generated as much world wide interest as Kate and her children do, you better believe I’m getting generously compensated for it. I’m looking forward to seeing what choices Meghan and Harry make once they have children, but these constant comparisons between the two couples is just silly. They all need to make the choices that are best for their individual families and I hope that they are happy and fulfilled by those choices. #teamkateandmeghan
I wish Kate fans would make the effort to educate themselves instead of making other people do it for them. She even has NIGHT NANNIES.
https://www.eonline.com/news/930205/inside-prince-william-and-kate-middleton-s-first-days-with-prince-louis
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2934883/Kate-Middleton-U-turn-maternity-nurse-opting-one-new-baby-sleepless-nights-Prince-George-took-toll.html
And here’s a trio of pictures that show just how popular William and Kate are now. (I’m surprised you weren’t there to provide a “crowd” for them to wave at.)
http://royal-roaster.tumblr.com/post/173252376020
I’m not really sure what the purpose of this snarky remark is, but a night nurse is not a nanny. It’s a temporary solution to help get through postpartum. And here are better pics of the crowd waiting to greet them https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Prince-George-Princess-Charlotte-Hospital-See-Baby-44733562
“Now, having raised two babies with just the help of longtime nanny Maria Turrion Borrallo and a couple of night nurses”
It says nothing about the night nurses being only post partum here.
In the article in The DailyMail, it said Kate wanted a night nurse for Charlotte for a minimum of three months. Since the night nurses are now PLURAL…
But as for that photo in popsugar, I admittedly did not see that in any of the news sites that I read. Were there millions of foreign tourists who flocked to London to see William and Kate present their new baby?
I have to focus on work now so can’t check if you reply.
Just in case you still disagree that Kate has multiple caregivers for her children, we’ll have to agree to disagree.
It’s not a matter of opinion, a night nurse and nanny have different responsibilities, job titles and a different skill set. And yes, it would make sense to rotate nurses as it would be unsafe to have one working 7 days a week.
I have no idea how many tourists came to see Prince Louis and neither do you. His birth generated worldwide interest and was covered on many news sites because evidently people are very interested in their lives.