As we discussed on Friday, Cressida Bonas and Prince Harry are moving even further together. Last Thursday night, as Harry’s brother William and Kate were arriving at their Maldives resort destination, Harry made an appearance at WE Day, and Cressida and her family were there to support him. When Harry wasn’t on stage, he was in the audience, sitting right next to Cressida. I’ve included some more photos of the two of them together at the end of the post. This was their first big event “together” – because this is what “together” means in royal circles. It means showing up separately and only spending time together at the event. Still, Cressida is looking more and more like she will be Harry’s fiancée soon enough. There’s even a rumor going around the UK tabs that Harry plans to bring Cressida along to Balmoral this summer so he can introduce her to the Queen.
Cressida and Harry were also out and about over the weekend too – they went to Twickenham for… rugby, I think. Harry wanted to watch the action and Cressida was trying to distract him – go here to see those photos. According to Us Weekly, Cressida and Harry are also big on texting. And emojis!
Prince Harry totally hearts Cressida Bonas! A source close to the spare heir says he and his girlfriend of more than a year “text all the time. It’s very cute!” And Harry favors missives littered with smileys and icons. “It’s emoji central with those two,” says the source. “The chat window on his phone is incredibly colorful.”
In recent weeks though, the pair haven’t needed to flirt via mobile. Says the insider of the marketing employee, “She’s always at his place.”
[From Us Weekly, print edition]
When I read stuff like this, I feel super-old. I don’t understand the need to Emoji everything. USE YOUR WORDS. Harry has a beautiful voice – why not call up his girl and sweet-talk her? Why so Emoji? But they’re kids. Well, not really. Harry turns 30 in September and Cressida is 25. So they’re young but not really kids. I still think that they should use their words.
Also, I enjoy the fact that Cressida is now being described as “a marketing employee.” Adorable. It’s true we don’t really know much about her job but I suspect she puts in some hours per week and then spends the rest of the time shopping for pieces to add to her scrunchie collection. #blessed
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
I don’t get all the love for her but all the hate for Kate. They’re both from privileged families. They both barely worked after they graduated college. I’m the same age as her, so maybe I’m just cranky that I have to work at a sucky job while she gets to gallivant through life, while pretending to be a “marketing employee”.
Cressida is in the Honeymoon Phase with the British press — it’ll pass soon enough.
This. It’s because Kate is ‘waity’. Homegirl wanted her prince and so does this one. One in the same.
I don’t think Cress is ‘waity’ now, neither was Kate in the beginning of 5 years of her relationship with William. She became ‘waity’ after 5 years mark, so for now they are in a new, normal relationship that started about a 1 and a half years ago, so no waitying as of now.
@Angelic: Yup. The bad press for Kate, including her lovely moniker, happened after the big break up in 2007 and the desperation she demonstrated when winning him back.
Probably because Kate seemed so desperate to marry a future king.
Apart from that, I don’t get why it’s “cute” that Cressida texts him constantly, but Chelsy was described as “needy”, because she texted and phoned often. Apparantly it depends on what the palace finds convenient…
Again, it’s the Honeymoon Phase. Chelsy and Kate no longer get things spun in an endearing manner.
It’s just the press. It was clingy for Chelsy to call her boyfriend twice a day, but it’s cutesy for Cressida to text with emoji all day long. Give me a break. Still don’t think they are headed for the altar, but I will admit to finally believing they are dating. She’s the official girlfriend now.
Chelsy wasn’t being called clingy by press but by a particular newspaper’s editor in his personal email. It was 1 person’s opinion not what press was reporting.
There’s plenty of people here who don’t see a ton of difference between her and Kate, including me.
Haha Bluhare!
There are mana parallels between them. I see them plain as day.
The difference is Kate has given us years to see through the glowing pr. Her apathy towards anyone not in her immediate family is shocking and her lack of using her podium to help others, but rather drain more from those in need is terrible.
Cressida might do this. Until then she seems sweet enough and has shown she has a passion for something in life besides marrying well. When Cressida screws up i’ll be there with you.
Until then she gets the same slack I gave Kate.
They’re much more similar than different.
I’m giving Watercress some room, though. I did not start to snark on brunette duchess until it was pretty obvious that hard work was not in her plans.
She’s growing on me.
Growing on you huh? Maybe that’s her talent. She’s like mold or fungus. At first, you just think it’s unattractive and gross but then, gradually you accept it and ignore it for the most part. That seems to be Harry’s reaction too 🙂 Just Kidding although I don’t think they give off a very “in love” dynamic.
Lol, no I wasn’t really thinking of fungus, but now I can’t stop thinking about it, thank you Tulip.
I’m a sucker, really I am. I’m starting to see her the way they want me to see her. Shy and in love. But you sort of snapped me back to reality, and I feel unsure again. Maybe I want things to be soft and fluffy and sweet. That’s my problem.
Aaaargh, I’m such a b*tch! I really don’t want to be the nefarious villain taking away all of the soft, sweet, and fluffy things from all of us. I had to do it, GoodNames, for your own good! Don’t fall victim to palace/Bonas/tabloid spinning. While these two may be rabbitting away and enjoying each other, I don’t think they are the passionate/tender love story being peddled. Nor do I think Bonas is anything but what she appears: a privileged, party-happy, badly dressed aristocrat. Nothing wrong with that but in Harry’s world, they are a dime a dozen.
Hey, if he (and she) want to wed, I wish them all of the luck in the world. I just feel that for both of them, it’s about timing. Bonas is at somewhat loose ends having finished her education and Harry is probably tired of being alone (in the sense of no permanent girlfriend). Also, I think he wants to settle down and, maybe, make babies. It just seems to me that lack of direction in her case and the relief of finding a “suitable” candidate in his is a scary way to decide that you’ve found the “one”.
**Preparing myself for rebuttal/attack because, yes, this is all my guesswork 🙂
No, no, you’re not a b@tch! You are right. Everything you just said fits right into the gut feeling I had from the beginning. Exactly. I said from the beginning that he was just ready to marry and she was thinking, hmm… Pretty good gig. I just had a weak moment, and you snapped me out of it. Thank you! Lol
@Tulip @GoodNames:
The DM article is an interesting read. I posted it below and the quotes *seem* legit. Mind you, I’m still taking the ‘watch & wait’ stance but it shed some new insight on her and them.
Lol. I’m still meh on her.
So am I, but at least now I got to see some photos of the 2 of them together.
@blue marie: The lack of photos didn’t faze me and my feelings haven’t changed with the new ones. I’m still ‘meh’ but keeping an open mind.
Very interesting article, LadySlippers. Thanks!
@GoodNames:
You are welcome.
🙂
I just want him to find someone who is strong on her own. Someone that has her own life and someone who will challenge him. I think he can handle that type of girl and it would keep him interested.
I hope she is that someone. I don’t know much about her.
There was a really good article in the DM about her. Mind you — this contradicts a lot if other articles (even other DM ones). But these quotes sound pretty real. I could be wrong though… And this states (fairly clearly) that the two are serious but not yet engaged serious which is interesting.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2576502/Was-moment-countdown-began-Royal-Wedding-From-inside-court-Cressie-tantalising-clues-shes-finally-mind-Harry.html
I read that. In a hurry but here are the parts that give me pause:
*She’s not a socialite (like all non-socialites she just hangs with the Princesses of York)
*She has to save her pennies (doubt she’s ever seen a bank statement in her life or even thought about one)
*She is the boss (ha! I believe her say so is third in their relationship in this order: what the palace wants, what Harry wants, what Cressida wants
I believe the following:
*It’s getting serious (allowing photos at official functions prove this)
*She’s a good influence (single Harry is more likely to get photographed partying and, perhaps, pantless)
That’s all I got for now. It still doesn’t change my opinion about this relationship though.
AWWWWW . . . . I got all motherly when I read the part at Harry being overwhelmed with her family getting him birthday presents.
The comments under that DM story are interesting
The birthday story- it is plausible, but timing is off since he was shipped off to Afghanastan the @1st week of September (b-day on 15th).
He had just came back from his Vegas goof and she allegedly “dumped” him per reports along with her saying he was not her type and laughing him off. Later on it said she was unfazed- so which is it? Unfazed and had party? Or dumped and pure bs? So sad I know this stuff, but the PR blitz has made it has branded their image strategy everywhere!
Cannot the media get one story straight? If they are going to report do it right!
And who is leaking all of this 1 1/2 years later? PR? To build up so-called romance?
We get it- they will marry! She has wormed her way in and has lots of people supporting her and massive PR campaign. I highly doubt there ever was a true romance- love story given him leaving her to go f_____ @ Vegas and then take him back.
@fairy godmother: You are forgetting they were dating for his last birthday. Which makes more sense.
Does Harry have any friends who are not in the same upper class social circle? I mean, he was in the military, surely he met some nice guys there.
Oh, one question. During the rugby match, is he allowed to root for England when he’s also a prince of Wales?
It’s not ever been reported that he hangs out with his army buddies like he does with the aristo set.
Now that could mean several things 1) he doesn’t hang out with them or 2) he does and it never gets reported 3) a bit of both. And there could be other options but the military has people coming and going often — it can be harder to make long lasting friendships (harder but not impossible).
You’re not the first person to comment on his choice of team to cheer for with ‘Wales’ being his last name. Also, people get irked because he’s part of the BRITISH Royal Family which includes four countries and all the Commonwealth countries too. William has gotten this as well.
One problem might be the security clearance you need. I think I read that all people any of them hang with have to be vetted.
He isn’t a Prince of Wales. His father is. I don’t mean that in titles sort of way.
Let’s be pedantic for a minute.
Royal titles are dominion titles. The English Crown agreed to put the heir in Wales to be raised Welsh as part of agreement that keeps Wales tied to it.
If Charles was watching an England vs Wales game and visibly supported England, that would be a problem.
The way the peerage title system works, each son uses the lesser of their father’s titles in order of status, so William and Harry were incorrect in going by the surname Wales which is their father’s dominion title and not their own. It helps the rest of the world identify them as coming from the house of Wales, rather than going without surname or to distinguish them from all the other Mountbatten Windsors.
Technically, the sons should have been known as William, Duke of *Rothesay and Harry, Earl of Carrick all their lives per the peerage system of dolling out titles to the sons of title holders.
*POW and Duke of Cornwall are strictly the heir alone, so sons or daughters can’t use them as courtesy titles.
Daughters can use their father’s dominion titles as the Yorkies do (and a theoretical Charles Daughter is simply princess, no dominion element to their name) , but women aren’t important enough to have a title in their own right, and will marry another title anyway so the system has never been worked out to accommodate them. The few women who have had a title granted in their own right are an anomaly.
To see this in practise, look no farther than Edward’s son whose title is Viscount Severn (sp?) which is Edward’s lesser title.
In summary, Harry can support any side he wishes as long as it’s a realm. William, for now, has to support Cambridge over any other side, otherwise he is equally OK to support any side as long as it’s a realm.
It’s tricky in something like the Olympics/commonwealth games where most, if not all, 16 realms are present as they should support all of them.
You wear pedantic well, LAK. 🙂
Sadly bluhare I think their vetting has slipped up the moment the Meddletons were let in!
Actually friends aren’t vetted like that. They can bring guests into any of the palaces. And most pilots have at least a minimal security clearance via the military as it is.
Significant others do get vetted but that’s only after it gets more serious.
My dear LadySlippers,
Thank you for correcting me on my brain f_ _ _-up.
All this nonsense and scheming with these two has become such a blur. Now they are prepping to go into overdrive with their PR @ pending announcement.
One would think (hope) Harry was above all of the PR games, but it appears he is complicit with the media spin and PR. Sad really he dumped a few lovely ladies for commenting to the media yet somehow he has no problems with all of this. Hypocrisy is unbecoming of a prince.
@fairy godmother:
I honestly don’t think Harry is behind these leaks. Harry typically does not play this game. I think perhaps a few well meaning friends/ family might be giving the DM some news but this is really the first good info we’ve gotten for quite some time that isn’t a rehash of earlier tidbits. *The hard part for anyone is discerning what is truly new or just a rehash.*
~I think the DM is correct they are now comfortable and serious enough to handle the media/ press onslaught. However, I don’t think that means we’ll hear wedding bells tomorrow either. That’s 100% on the press for that speculation as all the leaks (good ones) state quite the opposite.
~ I think Cressida does want a ‘normal’ relationship (as would Harry) and Harry figured out the best way to do it is going under the press radar.
~I don’t think, at this point, there is much BRF involvement by which I mean the feared Grey Men. I don’t discount the possibility of meeting family members as that isn’t the purvue of The Grey Men. But The Grey Men don’t step in until there’s a ring on the finger or it’s a super duper serious matter impacting the long term health of the BRF. Cressida does not qualify in either category.
~As for Cressida being ‘good for Harry’ — eh maybe. He’s growing up and we’ve seen a huge change in him as compared to his early 20’s. So some MIGHT be her but it also might be he’s almost 30 too. And that isn’t factored in and should be. This also points to a friend or famy member (female too) of Cresdida’s vs Harry himself.
I would start really looking at articles to see if there is truly new info or a rehash. It makes all the other silly drip drip fluff pieces more tolerable because you start to see the games the press themselves play. I think the press has WAY more to do with people’s perception than anyone realises. And they are honestly a lazy and greedy bunch too and don’t give a hoot about the truth which is ways a shame.
Ladyslippers, i don’t know about the military, but Palace guests are vetted. of course that doesn’t mean that the royal listens to any discreet discouragement by the ‘grey men’ and stays away from undesirables, but it still happens.
Also, whatever negatives are found are weighed against the overall damage potential eg Andrew’s ‘underage girls loving’ friend was OK for a long time. As soon as he caused embarrassing headlines, and Andrew was drawn into the ensuing cluster mess, Andrew was extricated from the friendship. And the guy was frozen out.
@LAK:
It was my understanding that casual friends might have a simple background check but nothing as serious as what vetting to me implies. That would go into something like Cressida if she truly is allowed into KP without an escort.
The US military has different clearance levels that determine how in depth they look at the military member and possibly the spouse. The more general ‘secret clearance’ is not very in depth but a ‘top secret clearance’ and above is VERY in depth and very expensive. My guess, knowing the technology that goes into his job — Harry and his co-pilots prob have a top secret type clearance. William, since he was in a rescue squadron vs a fighter squadron, probably only needed the more basic secret clearance. Mind you — these are strictly guesses on my part.
Based on the expense and time required for a vetting or a top secret clearance is why I think there is a difference on how the RPOs screen guests coming into the palaces.
And your Andrew example is part of what I meant. Until things look bad The Grey Men are fairly hands off.
Ladyslippers: I doubt they go into the levels of vetting that top military clearance requires.
I’m 33 and I totally prefer emoji over words. My feelings are kinda complicated, and sometimes tennis ball/monkey/cast iron skillet is the only way I can properly express myself. (Man, I wish I could comment via my phone!)
Emoji often say more than words can. I find I usually mix the two…
😀
“…and sometimes tennis ball/monkey/cast iron skillet is the only way I can properly express myself.”
That . Is. Amazing. !!!
Oh my. Prince Hot Ginge has a bald spot! Never noticed that before.
Her family wasn’t there to support him. Her half sister is married to Sam Branson and Virgin sponsored the event. Cressida’s family is running a massive PR campaign. It will never get called out though…
She looks about 12 and acts the same so if Harry’s into little girls, more power to him…
Actually, if you see old articles of the Branson family — the only thing new is the increased interest in the bigger papers and celebrity blogs/sites that Cressida’s relationship brings. Other than that, there isn’t much that is different. People are not understanding that rich people and aristos (on both sides of the pond) get reported on frequently in society news that just isn’t noticed by the general public.
Yeah, I’m getting annoyed by her attendance being spun as supporting Harry. I’m sure that was definitely a big part of it, but in reality she is supporting her new extended family. That’s the reason she was invited in the first place.
IF this ends in a royal wedding, I can’t wait for the hippie wedding it’ll be. Royal style.
That said, i’m not prepared to judge her until she’s been waitying for 2-3yrs. So far she hasn’t made a year yet. She graduated in June last year.
I’m reserving judgement as well. It’s way too soon to know much of anything.
OT: Thanks for the suggestions for ‘In a World’ and ‘Snobs’. I watched the first and started the second. Also found the book ‘Dead Rich’ (supposedly similar to ‘Snobs’) but the writing seems immature but it’s very early on so hopefully it’ll pick up.
You and me both, my friend.
We may be the only ones, but I cannot wait to see the hippie Emoji bride wander up the aisle at Westminster, hopefully sporting bare feet, toe rings, dreadlocks festooned with flowers, and a crochet dress, a la Tatiana Santa Domingo.
I would burst with happiness.
Snark aside, I will reserve judgement too. I gave Kate a year. Watercress gets one too.
My first thought that “boho” bride will have to don footwear for her royal wedding! How very sad for her 🙁 Second thought was the dream beach or forrest wedding won’t be allowed either. What’s a boho girl have left to latch onto?
I know, the hair flowers! Plus any other accoutrement that will accentuate just how “easy, breezy” she is. Besides the flower and the crochet dress, any ideas?
Swarovski scrunchies.
@Dame
Love the Swarovski scrunchies idea. I would love to see how the court “gray men” handled that one.
@Tulip Garden, How about ankle bracelets? 😉
Suze….i want blonde duchess emerging from the glass coach in Tatiana Santa Domingo wedding finery complete with a pug on a rein instead of bridal bouquet with cherubic children in attendance!!!
Thanks LAK, I thought I was the only 1 who was giving her break just like I did with Kate. By next year I’ll also join the she is Waity 2 too with majority on this board.
Nope. Not the only ones. But we seem to be drowned out by others.
I’m here too… not that it means much, but she gets a pass for now from me as well. I will go a step further even, in that I think she would need to be waitying well beyond next year in order to fall into the same waity category as Kate. Kate waited and waited… and waited a lot more than a couple of years.
Edit to add: FLORC is around here somewhere too… I think she is giving Cressy the benefit of the doubt for now as well. 😉
I haven’t been a giant fan of hers, mostly because she seems so blah. Doesn’t have anything to do with Kate. If a more visible Cressida is a strong Cressida I’ll be all for it. Harry needs a good, strong woman, imo.
LAK_- Were you the one who suggested the book “Snobs”?
I just noticed someone else mention so I want to take the opportunity to personally thank you for recommending it. It was an interesting read. So thank you- and any other suggestions you may have!
yes i did. i’m glad you are all enjoyed reading it.
i’m currently reading a book called ‘darling monster’ by John Julius Norwich which i’d like to recommend. It’s a compilation of letters a socialite mother, Lady Diana Cooper, wrote to her boarding school stationed son, John Julius, in the 1939-52. It has fascinating behind the scenes anecdotes of the leading figures of that era including the royals. And it gives a very good and funny over view of the upper classes during that time.
‘Darling Monster’ was her affectionate nickname for her son.
extract which describes dinner with the duke and duchess of Windsor:
“”Papa and I dined with the Windsors. Wallis herself in fine repair, dressed in what might be the stiffest Persian black and gold kaftan, and some very fine diamonds worn negligently. The Duke looked his withered self and never made head or tail of anything I said. The stairs were flower-lined, rather commonly as for a wedding.””
OMG what’s with the two fingers pressed to her face? Why does that bother me? Where’s my coffee this morning? She just pushes my buttons. Run Harry RUN!
The Daily Mail let slip over the weekend that Cressida isn’t as rich as she might appear to be, like most titled families. Now, I don’t know what the DM’s definition of “not that rich” is, but I’m sure she’s still fine.
Part of me wonders if the Daily Mail writing ‘not as rich’ just means Cressida’s family is ‘living beyond their means’. Like they’re rich but they’re spending way more than they’re making. I can kinda see that with her family.
The little that I’ve read about Cressida’s extended family of siblings, half-siblings & step-siblings, none of them seem to be wildly successful in their careers yet they all live very fluffy jet-set lives.
Okay I was not able to explain why I think she is different then Kate but then I saw this message on a royal forum which explains my feeling about her perfectly.
So thanks to tgb from Royal Dish, my take on Cress
I don’t see much of Kate about her at this point, other than neither had to work, which could be said of lots of girls. Marrying royal will stifle Cressida’s life in many ways, whereas for Kate marrying Will opened up a whole new one. I think the current aristocracy sees joining the royal family as more of a burden rather than something to aspire to — their own lives come with a lot more fun and freedom.
And I doubt Cressida faces even remotely the same pressure to marry, as she could live forever in the social scene on her own money and connections just fine. She seems to have far more friends, which presumably means much more of some sort of personality and a lot less desperation. It’s hard to picture her posing stiffly at a royal christening at this point, where with Kate you could just smell the desire coming off her. IMO they were in totally different situations — If Cressida and Harry break up, she’ll be completely fine, whereas for Kate it would have been a huge social failure and she’d have been the Sad Jennifer Anniston of the UK for the rest of her life, left with some nondescript baron’s son and a trinkety family business.
Perhaps Cressida loves the attention she gets as Harry’s girlfriend, but she has the power and means and friends to launch herself to that without using him to do it and I think that makes a huge difference in how they approach the gig. Kate was well-connected through her schools, but never really enjoyed that same agency. I don’t peg Cressida to marry Harry in the end — she seems more of a social type than a princess — but as I’ll get to dish either way…whatever!
PS for the first time I thought Cressy looked beautiful and have a very soft, vulnerable look about her in the football match photos. I thought she looked really pretty in those photos.
@Angelic:
That’s a good summary. Kate apparently had a decent amount of friends prior to The Big Breakup too. There’s a debate on whether or not she still has that pool of friends.
And Charles, William, and Harry have had numerous women from the aristo set turn them down. Andrew did marry from the aristo set but he normally didn’t date from that pool of women. Edward too had to marry outside it. I think, as your summary stated, too many aristo women know the crap you have to put up with and decide it isn’t worth it.
The article from the DM paints Cressida as very level headed and not in a rush to get married. We’ll see how true it is in time.
They’re going full court in trying to distance her from Kate and paint her like the rest of us. When is her free pass phase up? They’ve been together for 2 years now, right?
That Daily Mail article never once mentioned that her “marketing job” is new and courtesy of her father’s company and she gave up her dance job for the royal-friendly marketing job she currently has. It wasn’t a necessity or a job she even wanted, other than it allows her time off whenever Harry comes calling. And her family or friends must’ve talked because that detail about the charity trip abroad organized by the Bransons was super specific.
She’s got to pinch pennies like the rest of us, please. I can believe her family isn’t nearly as wealthy as is assumed and that’s why her mother appears to encourage her children to marry into wealthy families. But not as wealthy is relative. Their wealth still allows everyone in the family to live as socialites and/or pursue a career in the arts (dance/modeling/acting) and never seriously pinch pennies like actual real people do. That’s still wealth, just not Branson or even Royal Family wealth.
! of her mother’s ex, Isabella and Jacobi father owns huge chunks of Birmingham and is a billionaire. Her father is also known to have millions and various companies that he was found to be hiding from another ex wife during divorce hearings (curtsy to DM), plus her father is a commoner and self made millionaire but obviously that is not as juicy as socialite mother with 4 husbands so no 1 mentions that.
No, they been whispered about for almost two years but according to several sources — he was single in Las Vegas. And those same sources state they only started dating for real once he returned from Afghanistan which was Jan 2013. That means they’ve been dating prob a little over a year now. Kate got anywhere from a three-four year window but blew her big chance to stay the darling of the press after The Big Breakup.
I can buy that she’s not totally living off her family but you’re right, their pinching pennies isn’t the same as our pinching pennies. And I don’t think every mother, including Mary-Gayle or Carole, is pushing their daughters to marry rich. Equally strong, but often ignored, is the desire of new money to marry into old.
I did not know her marketing job is courtesy of dear old dad. OK, now that looks like it’s on a par with Kate’s Jigsaw job, courtesy of her mother’s friends, which was only a job so she could say she had one.
Me neither, where did that come from? I thought she was working for a theater company, nothing about her Dad owning it. Can you please post a link?
I didn’t know about it either, Angelic. pleaseicu said it in her original post above.
I can’t remember where I read it now. I’m sorry. It was over a weekend when I was really starting to get into the royals and reading a bunch of stuff about them. I’ll look around for a link but I honestly don’t remember where I read that her new job was courtesy of her dad. I apologize. I should probably put allegedly until I know for sure.
I want to cut her hair and introduce her to a brush.
Huh, I think her hair is very natural and beautiful. I do not mind the undone look. It’s carefree. Maybe I’m of an affected opinion knowing it takes Duchess Dolittle 6 hours in a salon chair to obtain her perfectly coiffed tresses. I like how this shower-and-go look on Cressida indicates how unimportant perfect hair is to her (and to me!)… Maybe, just maybe, she isn’t as tied up in appearances at the expense of substance.
If Kate had attended an event and made the same faces throughout, we would be blasting her for being unattentive, unsupportive and classless. Cressida should know how to handle herself at events where she knows she is going to be photographed. At least act interested. Grrr.
Agreed Megan. People bashed Kate for her hair twirling on Remembrance Day yet Cressida braids her hair in the middle of We Day, look bored in many pics and none of the papers said boo.
She looked less than interested in some of the pics from their rugby outing as well. Someone should teach her how to fake an interested face when she’s out with the royal family. Because if professional entertainers and rugby matches visibly bore her the way they seem to, like I said previously, she’s going to be falling asleep in her seat when she has to deal with official dinners with (possibly) boring/dry dignitaries, scientists, historians, academics, politicians, etc. I look forward to those pictures and stories and the excuses the press comes up for her bored face at all these events.
No one said anything about Cress because she is not a royal and was not representing royal family or living off tax payers like Kate. So yeah I don’t give a shit about what her expressions are when she is just a girlfriend living on her own dime or her family’s.
Maybe because she wasn’t there as a participant, but as an observer. I know Kate was only watching as well, but she was watching on display if you know what I mean. Cressida was in the audience.
Not going to make a career out of making excuses for her, though.
Oh god, I can’t believe it, but I’ll defend old Watercress here.
Kate was twirling her hair while she was on-duty in her royal role. It was a somber occasion. She was working. There are Expectations when a royal is working.
Cressida is a civilian, a barely, recently acknowledged royal girlfriend in an unofficial capacity at a public event, one that was not remotely somber.
Completely different things.
All that said, Cressida needs to learn a good game face if she wants to get hired for the job. She is in the interviewing process and there are Expectations.
Valid points above, I’ll add: Cressida is all of 24. Kate Middleton is 32. If Harry has matured and grown up, it’s reasonable to expect the same from his elders.
@Megan: I’d hardly equate Remembrance Day to this event. One is very sombre and formal while this one was completely the opposite. People were in casual clothing and having fun which is so not true for Remembrance Day.
Different events call for different behaviours.
Not to mention, Kate is actually MARRIED to a future king, and attending events as a part of the RF. She has also been at this long enough that any grace period she may have had… for twirling her sausage curls, smiling like a maniac, stumbling through 30 second speeches with her fake accent, and wearing short dresses that fly up around her ears with the slightest gust of wind… is probably about up.
After the hacking scandal I would be terrified to text anyone if I were royal lol. Maybe that explains the over use of the emoticons – they can be inside jokes/contextual and not as interesting to hackers.
I’d keep my emoji to myself, for sure!
For a while I was willing to give this relationship a ‘wait & see’ but lately I’ve become suspicious.
Cressida on her own doesn’t bother me. She seems kinda flighty & bland. MEH. What gets my spidey senses tingling is the seemingly omnipresent & eager Branson Family in this relationship.
When Holly Branson was pal’ing around with Wills & Kate during their dating phase, it seemed like normal friends hanging out. But with Sam Branson & his wife Isabella pal’ing around with Harry & Cressida, it seems… forced.
It also seemed kinda grabby when the Branson’s announced that Harry was going to spend NYE with them on their island (he ended up not going). Then recently they announced that Harry would be joining them on one of their sporting charity fundraising thingeys. Again with the grabby by presuming to speak for Harry.
I hope I’m wrong because I really like Harry. But methinks Cressida’s side may be more interested in royalty than Harry.
I did like how the Daily Mail article managed to slip in that this upcoming quasi-official charitable event Cressida and Harry are doing, that may or may not come to pass, is being organized, run, sponsored, and led by the Branson family.
Yeah, it’s like the Branson’s are always just out of frame with these two. Just hovering. It just looks suspicious to me.
Do I remember some sort of rift between the Bransons and William?
There’s a bit of social climber in Richard Branson, but he has so much money that it isn’t considered tacky. He would LOVE for a family member (even by marriage) to marry into the royal family.
I am far more interested in what happened between Sam Branson and William. They were neither one invited to the wedding of the other. And before people drag out the old carcass about William pining hopelessly for the elusive Isabella allow me to point out that :
1. will, Kate and the Bransons have tons of mutual friends and partied together at country estates after Isabella showed no interest in dating Will.
2. will and friends used Branson residences/villas for vacations and getaways.
3. Will has long been friends with Jacoby, Isabella and Cressida’s playboy brother so there is no obvious bad blood there.
4. Ex girlfriends and an ex boyfriend attended Will and Kate’s wedding and are still a part of their tight circle so jealous Kate theories don’t work here.
I hope someone can weigh in here and help me figure this one out.
I think I just asked that very same thing, Snarky. I think I recall some sort of rift between the Bransons and William too.
Blu, we need Ladyslippers! As for the rift, does Jacoby side with the billionaires or the royals? Much more interesting than sausage curls, no?
I’ll take anyone who knows for $200, Alex.
And I’ll go with billionaires as far as Jacobi’s loyalties.
Sorry Snark dear! I don’t know much about the Branson’s — so that $200 from Alex should go to fairy godmother.
William never ever hang out with Sam, never! He even went ahead and never invited him specifically and invited everyone else in his family including fiancee Isabella to his wedding but none of them were invited to any after church activities. Branson kids, Sam and Holly are not friends with William as evident by him not attending either 1 their weddings. Will used to hand out/polite/friendly with Holly more so then Sam but that’s about it. All the upper class rich kids hang out at particular restaurants, night clubs etc, so I’m sure they bump into each other but Willy boy is not at all friendly with Sam. Also he or Kate never went on a vacation at a Branson property ever, it’s Harry who always hang out with them or York princesses. Harry is a very good friend of Sam with or without Cressy, so is Sarah and York princess but neither Will or Kate hang out with them or go on a vacation on their property. The only Branson they are friendly with is Holly but even that is more of a case of being polite IMO because neither attended her wedding.
I would promise to love Cressy if she only invites Ma and Pa Midds (no Pippa pr James) to the church service of her wedding with Harry and that’s it just like Kate and Wills did with Isabella. Royals are becoming too boring, Midds vs Branson will be very entertaining!
Yes, it will, Angelic. Carole Middleton vs. Richard Branson. Wow. Unfortunately, I don’t think Carole could keep up.
Am I the only one who thinks Carole would have enough smarts to not willingly go up against the Bransons? She seems like she’d try and ride their wave than try and one up them. Pippa, James, or Kate? Now, I believe they’re entitled and silly enough to get themselves in the middle of a PR or loyalty game, trying to take on the Bransons or someone of that stature.
But Carole seems shrewd enough to realize there’s only one outcome to playing any type of game against a family and/or organization like the Bransons. I could be way off but she seems more the type to try and get in good with them and encourage Kate to befriend and suck up to Cressida if that’s the way the tides are flowing than to start any type of unncessary antagonism.
No, I don’t think she’s that dumb either.
Lol true but I have to defend Pipa and James. Neither strike me as the type to care one little bit about a PR war with the Bransoms or anyone else. Pippa has a steady boyfriend, media attention, a fluffy socialite life with all the trimmings and lots of wealthy and aristo friends. A war to win what? And James is happy with his blonde model girlfriend(beard?) and building his gooey, sugary empire. Call me naive.
Dame,
That’s the point Pippa have all that ‘now’ when their are no Bransons or Cressy’s extended family/ siblings from various Dukes, Earls etc. Cressy siblings are far more good looking, connected, entertaining, attention seeking then Pippa, and British tabloids will have a field day with them if Cressy becomes a royal. Kate only have 1 middle aged looking sister and look how much attention she got. Now can you imagine how attention these aristo blonds, drop dead gorgeous half siblings of Cressy will get if she marries in along with Bransons?
I think Carole knows when to hold and when to fold. She won’t get involved in any PR wars with anyone.
She is the gran of the heir to the throne. That is her ace and she’ll ride with it. She needs nothing else.
My understanding of the real rift between Will and Sam was supposedly a result of Sam mocking Wills wedding by making an off comment about how it was looking more like a circus than wedding.
Sam really has some nerve considering his wedding was sold to Hello mag, in Africa with several days featuring parties! So by Sam’s standards if Will was a circus then one would think Sam’s was a zoo.
Wills was on friendly terms with Holly (some circles claim a brief romantic thing between these two) and Sam, but not the best of friends. Harry was some what friendly with them, but it is Yorks bff with the Bransons. That is how Harry became more intertwined with that family and lately involved with the company’s events for more PR.
Thanks for the info, didn’t know about Sam’s comments. I don’t personally know Sam Branson but he comes off really arrogant, spoiled, lazy, indulged, doing nothing but partying, taking vacations. In other words he comes exactly like I think William is in real life, so I can very imagine 2 spoiled, indulged, egoistic brats not getting along well.
the Billy Middletons are so uptight and can’t take any mockings. The *Goldsmiths were definitely off the invite list after Jemima mocked Kate’s wedding weight loss…she tweeted’ Kate those aren’t child bearing hips’ which apparently went down like a lead balloon.
i don’t put the blame here entirely on the Billy middletons for not inviting the Goldsmiths. They’ve been feuding with Camilla for years, so perhaps that was also a factor. it makes it all the more interesting, gossip buffet-wise, that Jemima, as VF’s European Editor, is effectively Pippa’s boss.
Sam Branson is a dilitante who has tried his hand at a lot of things, however, he seems really committed to challenges for charity [usually sponsored by Virgin]. He organises one big thing every 2 years. His most high profile challenge was the London Marathon 2010 where their gang of friends dressed up as a catapillar. The highlight being that a newly slimmed down Beatrice was part of it.
In 2012 the gang climbed Mont Blanc in the Alps. i guess this year’s challenge is the rowing thing in april.
Incidentally, cressida was in the marathon catapillar.
@LAK, do Sam Branson’s challenges for charity really raise much money for charity? They always seemed more like PR stunts than fundraisers, to me. There’s always a lot of media attention prior to the event but never much follow-up on how much was donated or what good was actually accomplished.
Like the posh boy version of a posh girl hosting a black tie charity ball. Just something fun & frivolous to keep Sam busy.
Mena, i always think the same too with regards the publicity angle especially because of Richard Branson’s presence.
The caterpillar marathon appears to have raised £200K. http://www.caterpillarrun.com/
The Mont Blanc climb appears to have raised £120K.
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=thebigclimb
Thanks for the figures LAK!
Sigh, just like those fancy pants charity balls, I have a feeling the money Sam raised for charity was less than the money spent for him & his friends to go on their adventures.
I guess maybe it’s just that way for that set.
I’m sure it costs a fortune to put on one of Harry’s charitable polo matches.
Does anyone else find it interesting the first two very public outings coincide with all the negative press the Duke & Duchess are receiving? If that’s not giving them something else to talk about I don’t know what is. It’s not working, but it is a good effort. Either way, Harry is still giving everyone something more positive to focus their attention on.
I think it’s a coincidence. Whenever William messed up Harry was trotted out as even worse than William. If this is to deflect from William and Kate’s vacation it’s showing Harry in a better light than William and that just won’t do. Why paint the spare as the lesser evil?
I don’t think anyone needs to paint Harry as the lesser evil, I think he *is* the lesser evil. The palace may try to manipulate the press as much as they want, but I’ve always been a big believer in actions speak louder than words. You can only label the heir one thing and the spare another for so long, eventually they will show you they ‘re not who you think they are, or want them to be. Which is exactly what I think has been happening in the last few years, Vegas trip aside.
What has William done exactly to prove he deserves this ‘Golden Boy’ image that’s been thrust upon him? At this point he and Catherine are making themselves look so bad I think the palace are grasping at any positive/neutral/non-negative press thrown at the RF, regardless of who’s outshining William.
It wasn’t a coincidence if we are to believe the middletons’ pap on speed dial. He had a very interesting twitter conversation with several journalists about this. They agreed/concluded that Harry’s romance was receivi9ng front page treatment to deflect the ‘wills/Kate on holiday again’ story.
Do you have a link to an article about that? The timing of it all is too convenient for me and the presence of the Branson family doesn’t help. There are probably more photos of Harry with Sam Branson from the last few weeks alone than all the years they’ve known each other. It’s almost creepy. Not to mention Harry looking stiff and uncomfortable while Cressida is trying to give him some love. It looked staged.
memme: here is the twitter feed. read and expand twits from 4th-7th march
https://twitter.com/IkonPictures
Thanks LAK! If nothing else it was a fun read. Who knows what the truth is, it’s all speculation, really. All the lovey-dovey perfectly-timed publicity makes me believe less and less in how real their relationship is..
I’m not really impressed with “Hessy”. Harry looks like he’s getting orders from the queen to pick a blue-blooded bride now that he is 30. Cressy and her family are trying to sell her as “The One” and not another young woman from a titled family that made it into the royal bedchamber – just like countless of noblewomen over the centuries.
Agree Aquarius! They (Cressida’s family) really seem to be trying too hard, aren’t they? A PR firm to spin Cressida as royal bride material??? Really ??? I hope that Harry is left to make up his own mind about who he will marry and I sincerely hope he’s mature enough to see through the BS and not be pressured into anything ! He doesn’t have to settle for anyone being steered his way by connivers – he’s a royal prince FFS!