CB and I have had an ongoing conversation about Duchess Kate over the years. CB tends to give Duchess Kate more of a break, her opinion being that Kate simply isn’t ambitious and having no ambition isn’t a crime. As you know by now, I do tend to take a harsher point of view – that Kate definitely has ambitions, but her ambitions are about “marrying a prince” and “wearing expensive clothes” and “living in a castle” and “going on ten vacations a year”. Anyone who basically puts her life on hold for nine years to wait for a dude to propose definitely has ambitions, in my mind, but those ambitions are not quite as admirable as, say, a medical student’s ambitions.
Anyway, Kate managed to funnel her ambitions and energy into two of her absolutely favorite activities over the weekend, and it’s notable because it’s taken her this long to realize that she could take a vacation AND go shopping AT THE SAME TIME. Happy days are here again!!!!!
As she looks forward to furnishing two new homes, the Duchess of Cambridge was on the hunt for bargains over the weekend. Kate and a group of friends descended on the antique shops of Holt and nearby Fakenham in north Norfolk on Saturday.
The towns are close to Anmer Hall, which has been widely tipped as the Duchess and Prince William’s home after the birth of their baby in July. At the same time the couple will shortly be moving into their new London base at Kensington Palace.
By visiting Holt, Kate is following in the footsteps of her stepmother-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall, who likes to shop there.
However, the six-months pregnant Duchess left Mews Antique Emporium, which sells furniture, books and collectibles, empty-handed. She spent 30 minutes looking in all 11 rooms, but failed to find anything to catch her eye.
A friend explains: ‘Kate has good taste but she prefers a more contemporary style.’
Says a spokesman for the Emporium: ‘The Duchess looked radiant and well. She was happy to mingle with other customers and security was very low key. No purchases were made by the Duchess, although some were made by her friends.’
Gosh, when was the last time Kate and William spent a weekend in Wales? Chuckle. Us Weekly also has a story about Kate’s shopping excursion, but they make it sound like she was taking photos so that some underling could come back at a future time to actually “purchase” (how peasanty!) the items:
Wearing a purple sweater under a brown-leather vest by the Really Wild Clothing Company, the 31-year-old Duchess browsed the wares at Sue Rivett Antiques, the Fakenham Antique Center, and Mews Antique Emporium. A source told Us Weekly she was looking at vases and snapping pictures of pieces of her phone. “She seems to be very organized in her home decorating,” the onlooker said.
Another eyewitness noted that Middleton’s baby bump was on full display. “She was showing,” the source told Us. “She didn’t have a coat on as it wasn’t that cold…She looked beautiful.”
Indeed, a spokesman for Mews Antique Emporium said Prince William’s wife “looked radiant and well” on her brief shopping trip. “She was happy to mingle with other customers,” the spokesman told Us, adding that “no purchases were made by the Duchess, although some were made by her friends.”
Meanwhile, in another part of the U.K., Middleton’s husband and his brother, Prince Harry, were spotted at a friend’s bachelor party at the The Feathers Inn pub in the village of Hedley on the Hill, Stocksfield, Northumberland. “It was civilized, but they were all drinking a lot after eating dinner there,” a local told Us of the fete. “William seemed quite rosy-cheeked.”
So, while Kate and some friends went antiquing in the country, William and Harry went to a bachelor party in Northumberland? One theory is that William and Kate have been together for more than a decade and there are no surprises, thus there are no worries or petty concerns about what might happen at a bachelor party. Another theory? Kate gets to decorate her multiple homes however she likes and that’s her priority and William gets to do whatever he likes and she doesn’t get to say anything about it.
Oh, and have you heard the latest rumor about the royal baby names? According to British betting firms, “Diana” and “Elizabeth” aren’t the sure-bet names everyone once thought they would be. Apparently, “Alexandra” has had a late surge. Other bets are being placed on Carole, Victoria, Mary, Margaret and Phillippa. How about this… Alexandra Diana Elizabeth Carole? If they called a baby girl “Alexandra” would her nickname be “Alex” or “Alexi”? Or something else entirely? Huh. Sometimes Alexanders and Alexandras are called “Sasha” too, right?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Kate has friends?
Bahahaha!
Does staff count?
It kinda reminds me of the tudor court. She has ladies who keep her entertained.
Maybe she’s friends with Taylor Swift, she loves antiquing as well.
PRECIOUS
The lady in the twitter pics looks remarkably like one of her bodyguards so the jury is still out…..
The headline should always read: Kate has Friends???!!!!
@ LAK. If you search for images of Kate Middleton shopping Zara, you’ll probably confirm that idea. The blond woman appears to be one of her protection officers. And, btw, she is the only person who managed to be photographed with KM. Where are the photos of all the “friends” who apparently accompanied her on this trip?
I saw the pictures of her shopping- she was with one person and it was an older women who looked more like an interior designer. There were no “friends” in sight.
Isnt it inapropriate for a married man to go to a stag party? I know the aristo set and they dont just drink and be done with it. Look up Peter Phillips stag do, they are wild and its not the place you want your husband at.
My husband was at a bachelor party over the weekend – I think it’s fine for married men to go to them – plenty of them do, at least in the States. Of course, I trust my husband. Not sure if I would trust Wills, though…
I’m in the states and I would divorce any man who went to one. I used to be a stripper and I know what goes on when guys get together in groups and the wives aren’t around. Just because the states do it doesn’t mean it’s right or great for a marriage.
Things must have changed because English stag and hen nights were always very tame in comparison to the ones I’ve heard about in the US … At my age it’s more funerals than weddings 🙁
Ouch! You would DIVORCE the hubs for going to a bachelor party??? Sounds like a fun marriage in store for some unfortunate man.
It’s the second theory , she has no say in his life.
I agree she have no say in his life which makes her even more pathetic for putting her entire life, personality and everything on hold for him.
i was surprised that she didn’t go to this particular bachelor party especially when you know that the groom is rumoured to have recommended Kate to William.
Yup, I’m with Banskygirl and Angelic. William does what he wants and Kate finds things to do.
‘Kate has good taste but she prefers a more contemporary style.’
If she likes contemporary styles, why is she shopping at an antiques show (*scratches head*)?
I used to be neutral about Kate, but I’ve sort of migrated over the years into mild contempt. It’s not a crime to have no ambition, I suppose, but to me, having every advantage in life, financially, socially, educationally, and choosing to do nothing productive with it -for yourself or anybody else- is sort of criminal, even if not literally. I volunteer for multiple organizations, and sometimes I meet people who I know are struggling a lot themselves, but still they make the time and effort to help others. So to me, she is incomprehensible. As my husband, who is British, says, “She just seems like such a waste of space and resources.” If she was just an average spoiled rich socialite it would be bad enough, but the fact that she’s the wife of a future head of state. . .I don’t know. It’s very sad to me.
As for William at the party, it wouldn’t surprise me if he does get up to shennanigans. He and Kate will probably have the same type of marriage most of the royals had — together for appearances and to continue the dynasty, but doing their own thing separately. Only difference is that, unlike Diana, no matter how much she is cheated on Kate will not leave.
I think that’s what pisses a lot of people off about Kate. She could do so much, and she chooses to shop.
Exactly, it’s the point everyone makes again and again. If she was your average rich man’s wife, no one would care if she vacations and shops all the time and doesn’t care about charity work. But she choose a position that has standards and requirements. A unique position that has the ability to literally make a huge impact – only she doesn’t care.
Anyways, isn’t it funny that she was Will’s “official” girlfriend for ten years and no one in the press gushed over her looks and style. But once the engagement was announced, she was suddenly a beauty and fashion queen. I have to admit once her engagement was announced, I found her a lot more attractive as opposed to average. (The minor work she had done over the years certainly helped too.)
When Will’s officially picked her as his wife, I admit I was disappointed. Of all the women in the world this was the best he could do? Then over the years I’ve learned any woman that was practically equal to him didn’t want him. Plus, him and Kate have a lot more in common then he’d like the public to see. So in many ways, they are well-suited for each other.
I also believe Kate came into this marriage with open eyes. She’ll never leave Will’s no matter what he does.
“Plus, him and Kate have a lot more in common then he’d like the public to see. So in many ways, they are well-suited for each other.”
100% cosign to this statement. William did grow up in some messy circumstances, to say the least, but he had the example of his mother regarding charitable involvement. I think he’s even worse for choosing the constant-partying way of many royals. One thing that irks me in a lot of Kate posts is that people rant about how she has dragged him down and made him into a lazy do-nothing. Come on. He does what he wants.
I think William is spoilt and used to getting his way. His mother, while a saint to us mere mortals, must have been really inconsistent, so I bet he has issues from that.
So mother who loved him, but had her own drama, plus dad with very public affair . . . I can draw some conclusions from that.
She didn’t just marry into her husband’s money. First of all, she receives an ‘allowance’ of, what, $400k/yr? Plus rent-free [multiple] housing. For all intents and purposes, this is her salary, for doing a job. Which she doesn’t adequately do.
If we’re embracing the ‘Kate the ambitious social climber’ theory then she knew she wasn’t just marrying the man, she was getting a job – in fact, WANTED that ‘Princess’ job – with expectations and obligations. She had 9 years to change her mind.
If you’re a proponent of the ‘epic love story’ narrative (hey, I love me a good real-life fairy tale) and Kate never cared about being a princess and everything that came with it, there are still options. She could have foregone the public allowance (this could have played very well in the media) in order to lead a quiet private life with no social obligations, even if it was till William became the Prince of Wales. At least she would have been legitimately off the hook and any public appearances she would have made would be the cherry on top.
Excellent point that Kate would be off the hook with British taxpayers if she were to forego her hefty pay + benefits package.
But she would not be off the hook with upper class Americans and Brits because volunteerism is so deeply embedded in their culture. Respectable rich wives volunteer period.
Years ago American Vogue skewered Paris Hilton for her trivial lifestyle.
I cosign with MinnFinn completely.
Volunteering is considered the duty, obligation, and JOB of the upper class in Anglo-American society. Importantly, its the wealthy who consider it to be that way. I would add that in general the Protestant faith encourages hard work, social outreach, service to the community, and charitable giving whether big or small. As the future head of the Church of England, William might want to learn about those traditions a bit…
@Bostonian & MinnFinn –
I half-agree. For all intents and purposes Kate was already the underdog with (beneath) the Brit elites, who value pedigree, breeding, history etc well above money. NYMag had an excellent piece about them a little before the Wedding. At least in the UK, she was never going to be one of the Blue-Bloods.
So they had to sell her as the Second Coming of the People’s Princess (and I say ‘had to’ because every public person has a media narrative and bc any monarchy only exists, in taxpayer-subsidized form, for as long as it sells itself as essential to some public purpose, even if that purpose is National Identity).
2nd Coming of the PP started out well – Kate was born a commoner, to parents who started out very middle class, perpetually dressed in Zara, met her Prince in a college classroom and not at a ski resort, etc.
But then, post-marriage, it started to unravel because she was half-@ssing it as a royal AND as a pretend-commoner.
In this day and age what we – the general pedestrian celeb-gossip-consuming public – say about her matters much more for her image and general goodwill than what the society mavens in NYC and Boston and London say about her.
Diana, though of proper breeding and exceptional commitment to charitable works, was looked down upon by the Society of her time because she acted too common, let her emotions show, talked about her personal life, did not maintain the stiff upper lip. But she revolutionized the way monarchy is ‘consumed’ today, and our expectations of it. And died an icon.
The point is, you cant win them all, but you gotta win some, preferably some that matter and Kate isnt winning any, at this moment.
Sorry for the long rant. I had no idea I had so many ‘Thoughts’.
Anna – your thoughts were not long-winded. They were incredible.
Someone get this woman a title, stat!
Dame Mich seconds the call for Anna to be titled!
Aww, you guys! I can’t believe I have my own Team Anna now! [takes a very deep and very posh curtsy all the while maintaining a stiff upper lip] No, seriously, I am blushing now 🙂
yes, where is Duchess Bluhare when a titling is required?!?
That would be ArchBaroness bluhare (i’m having to get inventive with the titles, especially since one person whose initials are LAK demanded a promotion).
Anna shall hereby be known as The Honorable Anna, because she doesn’t beg for things and writes really good posts!
I accept this honor with humility and promise to act in a manner which it demands.
Completely agree Faye! I would also like to add that my issue is also with the press’ treatment of her reputation. They build her up to be far more than what she actually is. Lest we forget, the press are the ones that dubbed her “Waity Katie” and “Wisteria Sister.” Yet, as soon as gets the ring it’s a Cinderella story! They paint her as a commoner when in all reality she had the wealth to go to some of the best schools, fund lavish vacations, and keep up with the lifestyle that is expected of a royal girlfriend. The British media is attempting to whitewash a reputation that was built up for nearly a DECADE!! Do I think that she should be condemned? Absolutely not. She seems like a nice enough individual, but you can’t erase the past.
.
The difference between Kate and other rich kids (esp. the ones from Old Money) is that many rich kids grow up under very high standards and expectations. They’re expected to be successful and uphold the family legacy, wealth, and lineage. That also means establishing an image of an upstanding citizen who has a successful career and a body of charitable work and volunteering.
Isn’t Paris Hilton considered an embarrassment to the rest of the Hiltons? She’s an “anomaly” for them, not the norm.
Kate, on the other hand, was raised with no expectations other than marrying well and being a kept/trophy wife. That is all her parents encouraged her to do. The past 10 years of her life has been spent molding herself to whatever it takes to get the ring and be a royal. That was the peak of her ambitions, set up by her parents.
Anything that didn’t help in getting the ring was of no importance, and that includes forgoing her own career, independence, confidence, self-worth, self-respect, dignity, and friends. It doesn’t help that her parents have turned a blind eye to William’s issues and shenanigans. They told Kate to stay put and endure all the jokes of the aristos about her family, William’s treatment of her as a doormat, and the press branding her lazy and “Waity”. IMO no good parent would want their child to be subjected to that all for the sake of money and title. Carole and Michael are no better than Pimp Mama Kris.
William can’t handle someone who would overshadow him and would be outspoken and independent. Kate is the perfect (or only?) candidate to be his wife. Nobody else would cater to his needs and flatter his ego like Kate has done for a decade. In that sense, they are perfect for each other. One is in need of a nanny to cater to him and the other is willing to be his nanny.
Sachi, will you marry me?
I don’t think bigamy is legal, bluhare…
Aren’t you and Prince Harry together? 😀
Isn’t the traditional expectation of an upper class English girl – even through Diana’s and Fergie’s time – to marry well and nothing else? Wasn’t Diana simply biding her time as a kindergarten teaching assistant – and at least she had some kind of a job – until she found an appropriate man?
I don’t know how much that’s changed since – hopefully it has.
Yes! He married his nanny.
I think Charles also married his nanny, but unlike Kate and Wills, Charles & Camillla seem to have real chemistry and to genuinely take pleasure in one another’s company.
@ya – yah! [LOL]……The grand tradition of marrying well and charitable works really took off during Victorian times. prior to that it was more a half a$$ed attempt if carried out at all. They didn’t necessarily do it every day or with as much dedication as shown today, but girls were expected to be good examples and do all sorts of charitable works even if that only meant giving the peasants a lecture on how they could improve their lives [and completely missing the servitude of the peasants!!!]
Re: Kate putting her life on hold and catering to Williams . . . Perhaps he is a Dom and she is a Submissive?
Hey . . . I’m just saying. Smile.
You’re right, Faye, no matter how often Willy cheats on her, she won’t leave.
Kaiser, I agree with you, she’s VERY ambitious. She wants to be the consort someday, live in palaces, shop, show off, vacation, and act like the rich “*itch” she is. So smug in many of her photos. Remember her wedding day? LOL. I guess she’s ‘earned’ her money – she’s slept with horse-face for over 10 years.
Back in the day, horse face was really good looking though.
In his late teens and early twenties William was actually hot….my, how things have changed.
I agree, Horseface was a great looking guy in his teens and early 20s. Now, though he is nothing special. I’m surprised Waity hasn’t had him in for some hair treatments…..and tooth bleaching………and a personality transplant.
@Vava – please would you explain why William is nicknamed seabiscuit on RD? i get the horse comparison but i wondered if there was more to the nickname.
My issue with that, vava, is she wants to be Queen Consort, but in photo ops and ceremonial duties only.
My God, the effort met have exhausted her! Schedule a vacation! 😉
Seriously though she’s fine, she’s inoffensive, she’s just not worthy of any admiration. I wish her no ill but I wouldn’t even cross the street to see her (or most of the royals to be honest).
+1. After Diana, I’m guessing the crown was hoping for someone bland.
@ Mia 4S. Some may agree with you on Kate Middleton being “inoffensive” – clearly others do not agree with that idea. Her actions, attitude, and general cluelessness are offensive to many. I definitely agree with you on her not being anything worth admiring at this point.
I think the Palace probably wanted someone who would do what they were told and not go public with any disagreements. They may not have wanted another rock star like Diana, but I’m fairly certain they didn’t want a woman that has many people convinced she is nothing more than a lazy work-shy WAG.
Her job isn’t difficult. Dress appropriately, do several hundred engagements a year (all arranged by someone else, all she has to do is show up), appear to care about other people more than you care about yourself, and stop rubbing your abuse of taxpayer funding in the faces of the taxpayers.
Maybe next time the heir gets married, they will get it right. Not too much [Diana] and not to little [Kate], but just right!!! LOL.
Absolutely love ‘Alexandra’. That’s quite a regal name, too – three Russian emperors, and a British and Russian Empresses Consort. Sasha is a Russian diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra that’s been adapted into English.
A lot English princesses are named Alexandra so I wont hold my breath. Plus, Andrea Casiraghi just named his son Sacha which is probably short for Alexander. I think if they go that route, it will be a version of Alexandra such as Queen Victorias real name, Alexandrina.
OOOOOOH Alexandrina! Love it.
To add to what m said, Princess Alexandra (the Queen’s cousin) is also very much alive and kicking, so I doubt they’d use the name. But perhaps they could use it as a nod to her…
I’m still rooting for Charlotte.
I think that name will forever be associated with Sex and the City, and I’m not sure that would be a welcome thing in the Royal Family. Esp. bc it would be too on-the-nose, based on Charlotte’s character. Kate is kind of the ultimate Char.
I love the name Charlotte! Have never associated it with Sex and the City. I usually think of Charlotte Bronte, or even Charlotte’s Web 🙂
I also like Caroline a lot… not Carole though, don’t know why that is.
Earl Spencer and his wife recently welcomed a daughter, Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, so i think that name is out.
OMG! Yet another daughter for Spencer? And isn’t this about his third wife?
Those Spencer men really must have some vigorous X swimmers!
I didn’t think royals actually bought furniture, just moved it from one country pile to another.
I thought it was actually declasse to *buy* that sort of thing – one must own it and have it passed down to them.
But what do I know?
As for Kate, in this instance, I don’t think there’s anything to disparage her for. She’s got the credit, she’s shopping, she’s just being Kate. Like a commenter above mentioned, I think she and Wills are quite well suited for each other. They let each other get on with things without much fuss.
I agree with Kaiser, this is one highly ambitious woman, who can play the long game. And she has been successful. Just not in the way many of us would like, but in her own way you can’t argue with her achievements.
I’m highly envious of all the mortgage-free real estate – this is one area where I could definitely be classified a “jealous hater”.
Remember what Lady Mary said (and I’m butchering the quote) “[We don’t buy] We inherit.”
I’m guessing Kate is shopping for the Middleton manor not her and William’s home.
Actually I remember reading a memoir by the Queen’s aunt, the Duchess of Gloucester, who said that she and her husband liked to go to antique stores in the country – and that would have been the 1930s! So I guess they like to top off the collections so to speak.
I think they are well suited for each other if they are never expected to change but if they are expected to change then they are in big trouble. These two bring the worst out of each other and not the best which should be the case with a good match. Calling them good match is like calling 2 drug addicts with unlimited money a good match IMO.
Duchess Kate will do what Wills wants her to do.
I don’t see her branching out on her own.
That said, I hope to be proven wrong. Who would have guessed that Diana would do the things she did?
You know what surprises me about her adventures in Antiquing? The continuous suggestion that she’s doing it for her own home. It implies that the royal stores/vaults/homes etc aren’t being opened for her to peruse at her heart’s content.
The stores are full of amazing antiques of all styles. Ditto art collection.
Does anyone remember Alan Clark dismissing Jeffrey Archer as the sort who bought his own castle/art/furnishings? It’s a completely entrenched attitude.
regarding Diana, i think @Faye is absolutely right in her various posts on Kate. The seeds are always there at the beginning. We all somehow fall for the whitewash and think differently when the seeds have always been there. Diana, before she married had a work ethic and had loads of empathy for people which led her to work and volunteer for children and old people’s homes. Kate by contrast has always been a party girl and at 30, only a crisis will force a change.
LAK, I think in this case the key word is “responsibility”.
Most people grow up with a sense of responsibility, whether that is to continue the family business or take care of your siblings by getting a job to help out your parents.
This is what I don’t see in Kate. I don’t see anything in her that speaks of a desire to be more than a Stepford wife and take responsibility for anything. Her only responsibility is to marry a rich man. Her parents never expected more (or less) than that. You can imagine them saying, “You just worry about keeping William happy, dear. Mummy will do everything else.”
Remember what Kate says when people ask her how she’s doing?
She says, “I’m being looked after” or “William treats me well”.
What is wrong with saying, “I’m doing great, thanks”? She always sounds like an infantilized adult.
Didn’t she reveal before, when she and William visited a new cancer ward at the hospital, that William calls all the shots? Says everything about their relationship IMO.
I think we’ve mentioned it before: she and her family are from the Victorian era. They behave like a merchant, middle-class family who all but sell their daughters for the sake of a title, no matter how much of a pr*ck the man turns out to be.
@Sachi – Yes, she did say William called all the shots. Do you remember how we all tried to explain it away as a somewhat guileless, but really in retrospect, she spelled it out for us.
I was thinking she could just as easily go “antiques shopping” in the family storerooms and estates! Almost definitely get better things as well.
Do bodyguards count as friends? The media must be so desperate. Hahaha!
Waity went shopping. You don’t say. With friends? Say what? What friends?
I often notice that with various celebrities too – they could be with their nanny, assistant, whatever, but oftentimes they are described as being with “friends” when the identity is not known.
She almost looks pregnant!
I’m not sure they will name their daughter Carole, even if it is a third name. It’s not very royal-y.
I agree. I think Caroline/Charlotte might be in the mix but not the prole Carole.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Smart money is on Charlotte.
Its a feminization of Charles, and it honors the Middleton’s too as it’s Pippa’s middle name, and is from the same name family as Carole. Plus it’s a royal name with history, and yet it’s recently seen an upswing in popularity. It’s posh, it’s perfect.
Charlotte Diana Elizabeth.
Charlotte is my fantasy baby name.I shall be really annoyed if they use it as i won’t be able to use it.
Aww, LAK.
Think positive. Maybe they’ll have a bunch of boys.
I don’t want to offend those named Carole.. but not a fan of it for a baby girl… love Caroline though!
I REALLY love Charlotte… and quite like the idea of Charlotte Diana Elizabeth 🙂
Dianas brother has a baby girl named Charlotte Diana so William wont be copying his cousins name. Charlotte is out.
Carole is very declasse in those circles. Definitely Caroline.
Too right. They are as likely to call her Sharon.
I like Georgianna.
Aww…I like Kate. I like that she great taste (to me) and that they seem very happy together. And yes she is still very little for 6 1/2 months. Plus I like to shop for antiques too. She is a winner in my book.
I’m guessing Kate’s not spending much time in Anglesey because of her pregnancy and the possible risk to the royal heir.
Last I heard there are OB/gyns on Anglesey, plus she travels by helicopter anyway so London is not far away. I call BS on that one.
She doesn’t go to Wales because she was rarely there in the first place. All of those reports of her living in Anglesey as a “military wife” most of the time was proven false when the reports came out that she was in London 3x a week for her shopping and hair appointments.
Remember when she went to Tesco right after her wedding to show how “normal” she is that she’s pushing her own shopping cart? She did that only three times, but since then has never been reported to go to a Tesco again. Once the paparazzi had been called and her image of a “normal, humble Duchess” was put out there for the gullible masses to eat up, she never made any trips anymore.
She and William only went to Wales again this year…their last trip there was June 2012, for William’s birthday.
Kate doesn’t socialize with other RAF wives in Anglesey, even before her pregnancy. She spends most of her time in London at her parents’ house, even now when she’s already married.
That is where she totally lost me, Sachi. It was reported she was going to join the Officers Wives Club and didn’t. I couldn’t believe it, and that’s when you guys started to make inroads to my brain.
I wonder if this is why Wills was reported to have “helped” the Middleton’s out with the down payment of their new house in the tune of a million or more. I’m beginning to wonder if it is some sort of arrangement between Will’s and the Middletons that their new house is Kate’s main home so it makes sense that Will would contribute.
I don’t keep track of Kate’s coming and goings but it sounds like a definite arrangement marriage to me if what Sachi wrote is accurate.
bluhare – It’s just on par with her flakiness. She drops whatever it is she’s promised or committed herself to doing if 1) William tells her to come to his side, or 2) It interferes with her overall laziness and lack of desire to broaden her horizons.
I think the RAF wives would have welcomed her had she indicated she wanted to be included in their circle.
But maybe it’s William, too? Maybe William doesn’t socialize with his fellow RAF officers and staff either, so Kate doesn’t feel the need to do it.
lin234 – I think it’s just Kate relying on her parents for everything, including a lot of emotional support and coddling. She doesn’t have many friends to spend time with, and she doesn’t seem to have any other interests and hobbies to occupy her time.
I don’t think Zara or Autumn and the other Windsor women have enough free time to go shopping with her or hang out. They are all busy doing one thing or another.
Wales isn’t some backwater with no amenities.
Exactly. Plus with her helicopter on call she could get to london in no time.
I wonder why she doesn’t spend any time in Wales. She’s bored? Lonely?
@bluhare – The shopping is not as good, her family isn’t there, and she can’t trust the local hairdressers.
Alexandra is one of The Queen’s names. Her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, so if they go with the other two names, they would still be honouring her [and various ancestors].
Now that I think of it, wasn’t Edward VII, Alexandra’s husband, the one who cheated with Camilla’s great grandmother?
Yes.
I adore the cheekiness of Camilla’s rumoured opening salvo to Charles that touched upon that history.
“Socially ambitious” is the sort of ambition Kate Middleton inherited, while comparatively her mother Carole appears to be simply ambitious, period. And meanwhile our donothing Duke of Cambridge lacks any sort of ambition, yet because of his birth station he will one day be King, a position he seems to resent, and without any interest or desire to carry it out. Ambition is a personality trait, but usually circumstances of one’s life can alter one’s personality. If Kate’s mother had not been so ambitious, and so motivated to make her children part of the posh set, then Kate would not have been so comfortable doing nothing. William may have been an ambitious man if he felt his ambitions would amount to something. Sadly, the lesson he learned from his childhood appears to be “the press is prying, malicious, and evil” rather than “with this much press, one person can change the world.”
I attribute some of Will’s sourness to the Charles influence. Diana was inherently an optimist, she was given spoiled lemons (Old Prince Chuck) yet made lemonade. This attitude is readily visible in Harry, the boy whose been publicly referred to as a “spare”; whose never given a pass for naughty behavior; yet the one whose actions are brimming with duty to others and true empathy. Charles as the heir, likely had more influence on William. I imagine Harry is less guided than Wills, allowed to make his own way a bit more (mistakes and all) whilst William is coddled and all misdeeds are covered up.
I think both William and Harry suffer from the inconsistency of their parents. Diana had her moods, and could be very difficult, but she spoilt them, I bet. Charles was probably more the disciplinarian who tried to instill the Windsor Way into them.
As the eldest, William would have got the brunt of that, and I think by nature he’s more serious than his brother. But he’s starting to annoy me with his increasingly obvious resentment of his position. I know it’s not easy to get out, but he could if he truly wanted to. But I bet Harry would pay him good money to stay put! He’d be a better King than William, though. Much more in tune with people.
Those two had such a strange upbringing, even before their mother’s death. Diana loved them to death, showered them with affection, but her press-baiting ways probably affects William to this day.
And it’s funny because back in the day the press was full of stories about how Diana was trying to bring them up normally and instill “normal = middle class” values in them.
And William still turns out to be one of the biggest snobbiest toffs on the planet.
@Suze – i read abit more of the comments on RD after @Angelic posted the weblink a few threads ago.
There was a comment on there which speculated that William’s version of normal has always been skewed even with Diana’s influence because whilst the older generations of royals were kept away for the most part from regular people, Diana took her sons to meet regular people, but the same regular people would on their best behaviour, best dressed, and if they went to an exhibition or to fun things like Disneyworld [as an example], William went straight to the front of the queue. So in his mind, his version of normal is doing regular things with all the perks of having the very best and your path eased as you do those normal things much like Marie Antoinette and her Petit Trianon. Further, she surrounded herself with privileged ladies who could afford the things the rest of the population couldn’t, even when they joined her at the Petit Trainon. And so with William.
There is a story about how he called up a friend who had a villa on Mustique asking if he could vacation there without having to pay since he didn’t have the funds to afford it, and they gave him the villa in exchange for a small contribution to charity. That’s the example of normal for him. His path being smoothed even when he can’t afford things.
Right, well, even now I can’t help but give Will and Harry the benefit of the doubt because they are Diana’s boys. Growing up in that world, in the public eye, and suffering such a tremendous loss… oddly, I do not think the inconsistency is what damaged them. I think that kids are remarkably resilient when circumstances surrounding change, so long as they have love and support.
Losing their mother, with her overwhelming capacity for love, that was a trauma. Having Charles raise them in the “Windsor way”, that stunted, aloof, bizarre version of parenting in the years that followed Diana’s passing… thats the damage. I’ve only begun to parse my thoughts on the matter, but having Dad replace Mom with his favorite used tampon, certainly would cause me to question what value a marriage really provides. Thus, William’s blond fetish gave way to a suitable bride, someone malleable and without fight.
Suze, isn’t that the truth. Diana made big public splashes (literally one time) taking them to regular spots and making them wait in line. But to them it was probably a novelty trip, especially when they were younger. If it’s true she took William to her charities on the downlow, I credit her. It’s too bad they don’t seem to have had much influence. But then, Diana’s been dead for 15 years now. Imagine what she could have done if she’d lived.
bostonian: I can give them the benefit of the doubt, but William is 31 now and it’s way past time for him to man up, rather than be the spoilt petulant person. Seriously, I think he’s emotionally stunted at the age he was when his mother died.
I understand Harry took it harder when she died initially, but it looks to me that he’s worked through it much better.
I agree LAK and Bluhare. No matter what Diana did their life was never going to be anything but extraordinarily privileged.
On one hand, they did visit hospices and warming centers and homes for the disabled. And Harry, at least, learned how to be compassionate and relate to others during those visits.
But on the other hand, Diana, like many parents, used her position to make her kids happy, particularly after the divorce. Remember when she invited Cindy Crawford to tea when William had a crush on her? Or took the boys with her to Dodi Fayed’s yacht and they raced around the Mediterranean on jet skis?
So they never did live a “normal” life. Even the normal outings were abnormal.
I just wish her work ethic and her ability to relate to others had been passed down more strongly to William than to Harry (who is so like her on his walkabouts it’s uncanny). Or that it passed equally to both, I guess.
Or, failing that, that William was a better actor who could at least pretend to relate to others and enjoy his public appearances. Because as goes William, goes Kate, and goes the monarchy.
I don’t disagree with criticism about Kate and Wills at all. But people should take a realistic view about Diana and the impact of her fragile, needy personality, including her desire to wreak public vengeance on the royals who wronged her, had on her children. She tried to do good, she truly loved her sons, but she grew up as a damaged neglected child who never never could get all the love she needed to fill the void.
Reading Tina Browns and Sally Bedell Smiths biographies are very illuminating in this regard.
Maybe Harry can relate more to others because he was held accountable for his actions when he messed up. That is the normal course of things. Who knows though, maybe William was also held accountable but his mistakes never made headlines.
Still constantly amazed at how even a day spent shopping with friends is just an excuse to rip her for everything from how many friends she has to whether her husband cheats on her. It’s bizarre how a bunch of mostly Americans are so emotionally invested in this.
Well, judging people who have better lives than we do is sort of an national – or maybe a generational? – past time 🙂
I can’t speak for the other commenters, but I *love* Duchess Kate threads because they give me a chance to talk about the dynamics of the royal family, which fascinate me.
And I admit it, I am emotionally invested in the gorgeous real estate they get to live in. Gah, I would love a grace and favor apartment in Kensington Palace. I don’t know if that is bizarre (well, yeah. It probably is!)
Thanks to Kaiser’s interest in Kate, I get to do these things here on CB.
I like the whole royal thingamagig – the palaces, the gowns, the tiaras. But my fave royals lately have been the immediate heirs to the thrones of Netherlands (Maxima!) and Sweden (Victoria!). Those two ladies are absolutely fab, and they maintain extremely busy social schedules (usually several appearances per week), don tiaras and other sparkles like no tomorrow all the time, and manage to come across as totally accessible. Vic, in particular, was taking engagements till like a week before giving birth, and went ‘back to work’ a month or two after. Now, the pressure on her is a bit more, bc she’s next in line to the throne, but still, she just seems cheerful and adorable and her hubby is cute, and her people love her.
Point is, we love to snark, but we love to love just as much 🙂
I like Max and Victoria, too.
Soon to be Queen Consort Max ; ). And someday Queen Vic!
This is hardly a thread dedicated solely to bashing. People are talking about lots of things – possible baby names, Charles and Camilla, Diana, how William and Harry were raised, the British class system, etc.
And on a gossip site, it is perfectly valid to talk about possible infidelity knowing how much he cheated on her when they were dating.
Mich
You are so right. The Kate threads are filled with history, royalty, and social class lessons. Initially I had no opinions on Kate and waited. Now i’ve educated myself and am just disappointed in her, but moreso William. Though, there are many repeats posters here, they offer a lot of insight and it is not an insult to Kate. She’s often praised here for very little. I think most of us reguars just pity her and are disappointed. Outside of that the threads are filled with more comments on how the royals are funded, hierarchies, and the royal PR machine.
I know this is really redundant, but the only reason I click on her stories is to see pics of Harry, and to read the comments.
Her Royal Duchess of Cambridge (or whatever her title is) is really budget and boring. I mean, I’ve heard/read nothing about her that would even make her seem like a good friend. Do you know what I mean? A person doesn’t have to have friends w/phds, but she, (like JA) are my two top “celebrities” that seem to only really articulate things about their clothes, hair, vacations. They just don’t seem people that you could have a fulfilling conversation with.
That’s just me.
That’s the same reason I click on her stories. I love me some Prince Harry!
She could be so productive and she doesn’t do anything. There are so many people she could be helping. How sad.
I grew up in a lower middle class family and had to work hard to be moderately successful lawyer and achieved my parents dreams. I studied because it was expected of me and I wanted my parents to be proud of me. I often wonder what it would be like if I was not pushed as I know I don’t have ambitions of my own. Is it bad not to have ambitions? Is it weird that I think people are being too harsh/ critical even nasty to Kate Middleton?
ahem. only alexanders are called “sasha”, it’s a boy’s name. what is more, “aleksi” or rather “aleksey” is a boy’s name as well.
sincerely, a russian student.