Duchess Kate and her hair-touching nervous tic take the cover of this week’s People Magazine, as if our little Waity gets full credit for “conquering America”. Because all it took was a weekend, some polo and a snail photo to conquer California, and as California goes, so goes the nation? Nah, it’s just some harmless fluff, some royalist propaganda for Kate’s first-ever two weeks of consecutive “work”! Huzzah! And now she needs a holiday!
Yes, they are the future king and queen of England, but the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are also newlyweds – a fact that was on full view during the 11-day royal tour that took them from Canada to Los Angeles.
“They seem very close, very connected,” Steve Tisch, who hosted a benefit for the Duke’s TUSK wildlife charity in L.A. on July 10, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “It was beautiful.”
Also on display during the couple’s trip: their determination to chart a new, contemporary course – no curtsies, please! – for the royal family. From PDA to playful ribbing, “they were warm and nurturing,” says Cynthia Harnisch, president and CEO of Inner-City Arts, where the Duke and Duchess, both 29, visited on July 10.
Despite the couple’s warmth, they still managed to intimidate a room full of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters – including Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez – at a BAFTA gala for the British film industry on July 9.
Says Owain Yeoman, who stars on the CBS drama The Mentalist and was among the “Brits to Watch” honored at the event: “It was the first time I’ve seen major stars becoming like little school kids, going, ‘Um, when would it be a good time to say hello?’ ”
[From People]
That is one thing I will give both William and Kate credit for: they did seem genuinely connected, and like a nice, happy married couple. They seemed to support each other and have fun together, and I think they both looked like they were enjoying themselves throughout the whole trip. It might seem like a pretty dull and obvious point to make, but William’s parents tended to look like they hated each other during royal tours, and I don’t even know what to say about the Queen’s marriage (not that I would dare speak of it!).
I keep saying it, and I keep getting yelled at for saying it, but I’ll just say it again: while Kate seems like a nice girl, she’s not a “natural” at this, nor does she have the “star quality” that everybody seems to want her to have. All of this – the People cover, the thousands of articles about how Kate “conquered” America and Canada, it all seems like a full-on propaganda campaign to CREATE another “star” in the royal family. People are hungry for it, I get it. The years in between Princess Diana’s death and William’s marriage were exceedingly dull for the royal family, and people want Kate to be The Next Big Thing. I just don’t think she’s going to live up to those expectations.
Photos courtesy of Fame.
I think she did. She was charming and gracious. She completely won me over when she visited the little cancer patient. She didn’t have to do that. It was very sweet of her. She seems like a very nice lady.
As for her having “star power” or not, to me it’s enough that she’s a gracious and decent person. Goodness knows, the royals could really use someone who possesses those traits and seems like a regular human being.
of course! America loves anorexic humble fashionista!
Conquered America? Hardly. She needs to conquer a plate of nachos and build up those boney ankles.
I agree – she’s no Diana and the press is trying hard to make her a star (it does sell a lot of magazines of course – not to mention all the other royal stuff) but I think they are both doing a great job considering neither of them seem completely comfortable in this role (Who would be?!).
William has his right hand on her butt in that last photo, you just know it from the look on their faces.
More like they conquered Canada, IMO- they spent way more time there and did much more there, and won a lot more affection. Not that they arent deserving of it; they do a damn good job. But yes Kate has made the royal family more interesting again- yet not nearly as amazing as Diana. Im not trying to compare but if they want her to follow in those footsteps, I too dont see it happening.
I enjoy that she doesn’t have star quality. It’s quite refreshing to see someone normal in an abnormal position. She’ll become more comfortable in her role, but I hope she always keeps her precarious nature.
Well, people love a fairytale, and the Americans seem to be obsessed by royalty since they don’t have any of their own, so sure, I get why they like Wills&Waity. I hardly think they (W&W) themselves should be praised for that though, it’s just the circumstances. Seems to me they just have to show up and look decent and everyone goes nuts and proclaim they ‘conquered’ everyone and everything.
BTW, I cant believe those pics of Waity and Reese Witherspoon. Reese actually looks chubby in comparison to the ‘Disappearing Duchess’! I hate her (Kate’s) posture on these pics though. Stop slouching, girl.
Since the United States is on the continent of North America maybe the were including Canada also…..
I don’t believe the palace are trying to create another ‘star’ or should I say another Diana. I think they would like William and Kate as a couple to bring the royal family in to the 21st century.
On the other hand the tabloids and mags seem to be hell bent on putting Kate on a pedestal.
I do think she’s natural. She seems grounded and composed, not in constant need of the limelight.
I don’t know about conquered, but they certainly did charm us. Beautiful couple. Nothing to pick apart here.
meh, just not into the royals. but i agree, i do feel like they are trying to make her a star or something.
Meh, whatever. They came. They saw. They went home. It was fine.
I think she did great….it was her first trip, she can only get better!
Aww, I like Kate! I think what I like about her is that to me she does seem like she’s a natural about it, without being a “star.” It’s refreshing to see someone in the spotlight who seems cute, normal, and fun.
Someone (who knows someone who hangs with the William and Catherine set) told me “everyone knows Will is gay, they all cover for him.”
It had never crossed my mind before then, but ever since, I have not been able to shake that rumor every time I see a photo of them.
Wow. All she did was wave and smile. People can’t be that stupid, can they?
Lovely couple, but she is no DIANA. They did not need to make Diana a STAR, she was a star naturally.
Kate should have a heir(s)and zip it!
did not even know they were here in america. do not care one bit. did not watch the wedding. just not impressed
@Ell
“On the other hand the tabloids and mags seem to be hell bent on putting Kate on a pedestal.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exactly.
It is the media who is desperate to have someone new to build up. So they can destroy her in a few years.
With luck the couple will quietly go back to their normal daily routine. And avoid the media like the plague for the next 6 months.
Cause lord knows the British media is looking for someone new to pick apart.
Lets hope it is not William and Kate.
(I know I’m not supposed to say this, but haven’t we sort of been creating this “larger-than-life” version of Diana for the last few decades that’s different in our memory than she was in real life?
I mean, I know she wore the puffy-sleeved wedding dress that launched a thousand imitations, and I know everyone had their little feathered short ‘do for years afterward, but from what I can see, Kate’s crashing online shopping sites when she wears a particular dress, she’s selling out Burberry coats the second she wears them, every piece of fashion junk mail I receive seems to have knockoffs of shoes she’s worn….
I think we’re in the middle of her ascent, so it’s harder to see her as quite as dynamic in the present as Diana seems in retrospect….)
oops – guess I just outed myself as “Team Bill and Kathy!”
Well, she’s no Snooki but we’ll take her.
I’m not feeling very conquered, myself- just checked with the husband, and he isn’t either. But they seemed nice enough and I wouldn’t find any fault.
Good visit, nice clothes. More power to them.
“I think what I like about her is that to me she does seem like she’s a natural about it, without being a “star.””
I agree…she does seem quite “natural”, as was Diana…
and please, people, let’s give her a break on the Diana comparisons. Diana was not a “star” when she first married Charles. She built up her rep over time and became a “star”. The Duchess may become a star in her own right.
@carrie: LMAO
And I think they want her to be someone she is not. She’s not attention whory or whatever, and she’s definitely not like Diana.
‘Lovely couple, but she is no DIANA’
We don’t want another Diana, thanks. I always liked her but her life, marriage and death were tragic. It would be horrible for history to be repeated.
We’re quite happy with Kate and William here in the UK (unless you’re not in to the royal family or course) and Canada seemed impressed, they are a success where it matters.
It seems like the few people who don’t like Kate are finding fault with her not for what she is (what’s not to like?), but for not meeting their expectations.
It’s like saying you don’t like her because you think she should weigh 10 pounds more. Who are you to be the judge? It’s your problem, not hers. As Bridget Jones would say, most people love her, just as she is.
if conquering america means ‘everyone likes your frocks’ then yes she did!
This couple bores me to death. He looks terrible and she looks WAY to old for her age. Use sunscreen, Kate!
Her sister is not attractive, either. Only Hollyweird cared about them.
Give me more Lindsay “Crackhead” Lohan news!!
I never got the Diana appeal. I thought her hair and clothes were hideous and I hated how she looked through her lashes like a dear in headlights. Of course she was probably genuinely afraid but I was a tween what did I know.
I felt sorry for her having to wear those dowdy ensembles and being married off to that icky old dude… hmmm… sounds like Princess Charlotte.
Kate seems happy, albeit a little stressed (hence the weight) – she started dropping the minute she got near the wedding. I think she loves William but I’m not sure she is into what comes with William.
That said, I don’t think the Royals need a “star”. Kate is what they need. She’s relateable.
I don’t think the royals want her to be “another Diana”. The reason that Diana was so interesting was not because she did so much charity, so did Mother Theresa but she didn’t get papped. It was the fact that she came out and showed everyone how vulnerable she was. She openly talked about the problems in her marriage, her eating disorder and depression. Everyone was fascinated by the fairytale gone wrong that was her life. I think the royals would want Kate to be more guarded, but also not to go through all that heartache.
I agree that Kate won’t live up to Diana’s legacy, but not because Kate is lacking but because her circumstances are very different than Diana’s. Kate doesn’t have the emotional baggage Diana did when she married Charles and the resulting consequences of that emotional baggage. Their marriage was a problem from the start because Diana knew about Camilla before she went down the aisle. She was also only 21 (I believe) and had not known Charles as long as William and Kate have known each other. She also did not have support from the Charles she needed to navigate the royal waters.
I think Americans admired Diana for her independent spirit as much as the obvious things. She rebelled against the “firm” for years and was viewed as the underdog by many Americans. She eventually tried to make a life for herself away the royal family.
I just don’t think we will see any of that from Kate because she is a different person and the circumstances of her marriage are very different than Charles and Diana. She also seems to have the support and devotion of her husband, so even if there are problems, we probably won’t know about it and they will probably be resolved and resolved quietly. Kate has her charisma, just a different charisma than Diana’s.
Yeah – I am not impressed with them either. I kind of am less impressed with William since the wedding.
I didn’t see her over here on the east coast. So no, she conquered nothing.
On the surface they seem like a nice, innocuous couple. That’s because each, especially she, has no personality. No, she is not a natural, nor is he. She acts like she won the lottery- that perpetual grin; not a people person, just a role player.
Kate doesn’t need to be the second Diana. Diana was Diana, and Kate is Kate. She would never have been Diana if Diana was still alive, let alone after the tragic death of the previous crown princess.
The two of them look happy, loving, and connected, which is a lot more than what any other person is. It was a job well-done.
Also, I never understand why newspapers/magazines feels the need to say a person has “conquered” a nation. The two of them were lovely, and that’s all there is, really.
I think that Will and Kate together have charisma–a certain intangible that makes people want to watch them. Each by themselves is less interesting.
@Jane, it’s even worse, Diana was engaged at 19 and had just turned 20 when they married! I certainly don’t think Diana was perfect or a saint or anything, but I have to cut her tons of slack because she was so very young. When I think of what a dope I was at 19-20 I have a lot of sympathy for her.
@Heatheradair, I do wonder though, if the internet was around back then (like it is today), don’t you think Diana’s clothes would have been instant sellouts too? I think it was just a different time/technology so you can’t really compare.
I wouldn’t say they conquered America, but they certainly did a good job on their first big solo tour. Large crowds everywhere, magazines and websites talking nonstop about her thrifty fashion choices…I’m sure the queen is happy with the way things turned out…everyone is talking about the monarchy again! Huzzah!
Wills & Lettuce Leaf conquered America? Ohnoes! Where’s Paul Revere when you need him?
What a fugly, boring couple. One’s losing his hair and looks like his face has been hijacked by a ponderously large nose; the other looks like an anorexic drag queen.
These things could be overlooked if they had panache and / or charisma. Which they don’t. And neither of them seems to have that gift of genuinely connecting with people that Diana had. Harry has that gift (when he gets his arse away from the clubs, anyway), but not Wills & Lettuce Leaf.
If anything, their visit only strengthened my revulsion for the English royal family.
1) she needs to work on her crowd skills a little, whenever she does a walkabout she seems to be in a rush, just repeating “hello” over and over again, not really taking time to make a connection with anyone, or make people feel like she picked them specially out of the crowd. that will come with time though.
2) if she’s not going to do anything interesting with her hair, she needs to stop wasting tax payer money on a traveling hair stylist; surely she can wield a curling iron on her own.
most of all though i’m waiting to hear her utter a word, she just walks silently behind william. the media spent nearly two decades waiting for a new princess to come along for them to obsess over, no matter who william married they’d have been hailed her as the second coming, so the hype isn’t really her fault. but kate needs to decide whether she wants to earn the hype, or is content to be boring & do minimal work, all while enjoying the perks of royal life.
for now she’s the least interesting princess on the block, i’d take pretty much any of europe’s other royals over kate any day.
They visted part of Canada and one state in the US? Yeah, I don’t think they conquered the continent.
My version of “I danced with a boy who danced with a girl who danced with the Prince of Wales”:
a friend of mine who is very involved with a community service group got to meet the two of them. He was very impressed with how much the two of them knew about his group’s current project, how committed they seemed to be to community work, and how well they worked together/worked off each other. In fact, he was the one with nothing to say, because they quickly showed that they didn’t need the basic info that he had mentally prepared for in case the opportunity arose.
Maybe that sort of stuff doesn’t show well in walkabouts, where quantity of interaction rather than quality of personal connection seems to be the general goal. All I know is that my friend was not expecting to be too impressed, and to his surprise, he was.
It was like Blah…not hating but I dont really care..She will never live up to Princess Diana so the media needs to stop!
You’re exactly right about this one. Kate is a lovely girl – fresh and young and stylish. but those things do not equal magic and that magic can’t be invented by the media. No one will just come out and say it – you CAN’T duplicate princess Diana 🙁
Here’s the thing: the world watched Diana transform from a shy, enchanting maiden into a fairy tale princess adored by millions into a devoted gentle, caring mother into a heartbroken, disillusioned woman scorned into a newly divorced, confident, sexy, independent jetsetter and style icon. What a journey Diana took us on and we loved every minute of up until the very tragic end. Duchess Kate will transform from safe and appropriate into safer and more appropriate as the years pass. She’ll just throw in a few babies and lots more eyeliner. I do, however, think that she and Diana would have been close because Kate and William are a beautiful young couple and I wish them the best.
Thank you Ellegin!
I wish ppl would stop saying “she’s not Diana”. I highly doubt that is who she is aspiring to be. The 2 shouldnt be compared as they are TWO different ppl with entirely different backgrounds, personalities, and roles for the royals.
Diana became more of an icon after she was killed. she received a lot of criticism from the public prior to that even tho she also had tons that adored her.
Kate has only been in this role for a few months. I really think she’s going to do a lot of good work once she gets settled and accustomed to all of this.
I know a lot of ppl are so interested in her because she has a refreshingly classy aura about her. I dont know about other countries but here (US) all you see on sites are pics of half naked pop tarts like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and the gawd awful cracked out Linnocent. Its just nice and refreshing to see someone who looks naturally classy for a change. Its also nice to see the two of them together, you can tell they have a rock solid friendship behind them. They probably would not have that had they jumped the gun and married after only a cpl yrs of dating. Of course if they did Im sure there would be a whole slew of other names for her instead of Waity.
Ill take pics of Kate (& Will)over any of those others any day!
Diana started out as an awkward girl with terrible posture, slouchy & hanging her head, peering up through the bangs, saying little. She didn’t begin to develop any style or charisma until after she’d had her first baby. She also needed a lot of emotional support she never got from her hubby or in-laws.
Her charsima developed from her neuroses & rebellion, like Marilyn Monroe. She was a loving mother, passionate about her children’s upbringing & a staunch supporter of many charities as well as an activist in some areas, but remember, that came laer in her “royalty”.
It’s wrong to compare Diana & Kate. Her pursuit of public attention (yes, she both courted & teased the paps) glamourous single-again life & early death enhance our recollections of her appeal. We wouldn’t have been as interested in her if she’d gone home for a quiet & private life after she & Charles divorced. She conducted highly publicized affairs with very wealthy men in exotic & glamourous places which most of us will never see.
These 2 women & their men are very different. Kate is new to the job & has started out well. If she continues to improve, as Diana did over time, she will certainly be a better royal than her mother-in-law was.
The picture of her with Reece – the woman next to her, that purse looks like it is covered with Vanilla Wafers! Great. Now I want Vanilla Wafers – Banana pudding!!!
I dont get it. All she did was show up, look nice and smile. Were any of you actually there, because I certainly cant detect, “charisma” and “charm” in photographs. Did anyone really expect her to look haggard or bored! Can she actually DO something. Can she actually make a SOLID contribution to society as a whole before we give her all this praise.
I guess it will not come as a shock to anyone that I was not impressed. Waity will never conquer me. There’s just no there there. She did wear nice clothing, though. I’ll give her that.
Conquered? Not really.
I was ambivalent about them until the Canadian tour. Now I really like the couple and want them to be well.
JesikaB…I thought those were cookies on the purse also.
She seems like a good match for him, but I agree that she doesn’t have the same star quality that Princess Di had.
I wish she’d gain the weight back, but otherwise she seems to be coping well with her new job. (Yes, I believes she loves Will, but marrying into the British royal family is definitely a job!)
Kaiser: you’re right about one thing- Kate doesn’t get it right all the time but that seems to make the whole world root for her. People seem to identify with her because of her hit / miss dress sense. It’s disarming. There’s also no fire in her: I can tell by her ugg shoes – zesty people wear zesty shoes and her shoes almost doesn’t make the ‘amicable’ catogory. And please show me where in the world you find a hot blooded girl who wears the same beige shoes so many times by choice! She’s not a boundry pushing diva, and dammit that’s boring!
Great couple who look like they are really in love. Wish they could have stayed longer and came to NY. Does anyone remember how Diana was when she first got married? Give Kate time!
Diana and Kate have almost nothing in common, they have entirely different experiences and expectations. Diana was 19 when she met 30something Charles. Their partnership was not one of equals, she was being used and expected to stay in line and be a proper wife. As a result Diana grew disenchanted and deeply unhappy and then she charmed the world by breaking out of her gilded cage.
Kate’s going into her marriage eyes wide open. She knows what to expect, she knows whats expected of her. She’s a courtesan. Diana was very naive, her courtship was brief. Kate has been dumped and come back three times. I almost laugh when the press says “they act like newlyweds” – no, they act like best friends who’ve grown used to each others company over the better part of a decade. Diana rebelled against exactly what Kate has tailored herself to be – a perfect little wife who never speaks out or overshadows her husband. Besides their matching eating disorders (which probably says more about public expectations and pressure than it says about the women) and marriage into the royal family these two women have nothing in common.
Because California is suddenly all of America? Hell it wasn’t even all of California, it was LA which is in a world of it’s own. I doubt any Midwesterner would agree and say LA speaks for them all. Or a NYer (which is like the complete opposite of Lala land and those that populate it).
Question, who besides E! covered all of their trip? The Post or the Times, who were busy covering Obama and the deficit? I think Americans have more important things to worry about. I only noticed one or two mentions in the newspaper.
As for Waity. I won’t be impressed with her until she gets a job, a personality and becomes something other than a Stepford wife. This will probably never happen, so my opinion of her will stay the same. Blame it on the past 9 years of press in the British rags.
I don’t know if she conquered America but I know she sure won my heart. I have never been a royal watcher, though I did love Diana and cried for hours when she died, but Kate and Co. crept in while I wasn’t looking and captured my attention. I like her and am very glad she seems to be making one of Di’s boys very happy.
They conquered everyone’s checkbook here in Santa Barbara. It was a minimum $400 just to sit in the bleachers to get a glimpse at them…feh!
Have you ever noticed how much Prince William touched Kate in pictures during this tour? That’s certainly quite a departure from the royal family’s usual style, they tend to keep public displays of affection at a bare minimum, if at all. He seems much more physically affectionate publicly than she is, which I found somewhat surprising.
She’s totally lovely-a star,she’s got dimples for gods sake,there real chemistry between them and she will be bigger than Diana because she can handle it emotionally….
She has got really thin but on the other hand her clothes look great on her and once she gets knocked up that will change…
Her with that little cancer patient was completely natural and reminded me of Diana-shes going to be great…..
That’s taking it a bit far–conquer. After all didn’t the British monarchy “conquer” what were the colonies in North America and there was a war and all to get them out? So yeah, People magazine is trying to sell copies so they use words like conquer when it comes to a couple of British royals that came to LA and had people pay $50,000 to play polo with the “future King of England” to remind those in the USA what they’re missing out on. Believe me, you’re not missing out on anything!
That 11 day trip to Canada cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $15 million dollars if not more. Yes they’ve gone around saying it only cost $1.5 million, but that does not include all the gifts, all the fancy hotel rooms (yes, even that backcountry hotel room where they spent nearly $30,000 to add an indoor bathroom so *gasp* Catherine wouldn’t have to pee in the outhouse), all the vehicles, blocking off roads in the cities, all the security detail, all the police escorts, the private planes and helicopters criss-crossing a country larger than the USA, the military lessons (that was no free lesson!), city beautifications, flowers, red carpets, etc., etc. Everyone sends a bill to the Canadian government and they get reimbursed (according to my cousin who does the books for the Mayor of Calgary).
Their trip to LA was different. It was paid for entirely by the British government. All those CHP patrols, blocking off the city roads (and you know that’s a big deal in LA), the Secret Service detail, etc., is paid for by the British government, not the California government. And to top it off, you have all those rich people paying $4000 to have lunch with and $50,000 to play polo with them.
So yeah, it’s just a celebrity thing and Americans should remember they have it pretty good without a monarchy. 🙂
I love the way Williams face lights up when he looks at her.
@Cprincess- either you are dellusional or you work for the firm! Her moment with that “little cancer patient” was nothing to write home about. All she did was smile her same robotic smile. NOTHING like Diana, as you want to imply. If Kate were “such a natural” she would have requested alone time with “the little cancer patient” and not treated their moment as a photo opp.
Who cares about that sort of nonsense. What I find telling is that they genuinely seem to delight in each other – those sparkly eyes are very hard to fake (compare at those poor sods in Monaco). That will be the one thing that gets them through the nightmarish life of theirs. Leave them alone, and let them do what they do. It really doesn’t impact most people’s day to day.
Because its not about the sparkly eyes they make to each other. Its about the media trying to shove this vapid woman down our throats like she is the second coming of Christ, all because she plotted throughout her 20’s to catch a prince. And now, all she does is show up, a good 20 pounds underweight, wear designer clothes, shake hands and smile and suddenly she turns into this delightful, compassionate, charming person. Sorry, I’m not drinking the kool-aid. I ONLY give credit where credit is due, and she hasnt done anything. Oh, and lets not forget that at 30 she still has no idea what she’s interested in, never worked hard a day in her life. If she was all about the monarchy and making a difference she would have spent the better part of a decade chasing William thinking of what she wanted to contribute to society. But no! She got him and still doesnt have a clue. Wake up people.
I don’t dislike this woman and I will say that her lifestyle intrigues me but I’m surprised how much I didn’t care about her visit to North America. She didn’t make the mark as a fashionista and as far as the Mother Theresa angle, she is not convincing in that role either. Like you just know it’s not natural to her to gravitate toward to less fortunate, which is fine but you need something to set you apart when your job has a lack of particular function. Now I can almost see why the media tried to make a star out of Pippa instead. She looks healthier/feistier and is not ashamed of her social climbing ways.
living as a member of the royaL famiLy is..wow!thaTS aMAzING! I mean its not easy living as a princess…a dutchess like kate!I do like her but shes no DIANA!I like their wedding you can see that there really inLuv and there really connected…
more powers and looking forward to see their soon-to-be heirs!LOL!
CONQUERED! WOW….LET ME JUST SAY THAT SHE DID THE OPPOSITE FOR ME!
Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It if truth be told used to be a enjoyment account it. Look complex to more introduced agreeable from you! By the way, how can we keep in touch?