Duchess Kate & William attend the Queen’s luncheon, Kate repeats a McQueen

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Here are some photos of Duchess Kate & Prince William making the trip from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace yesterday. They were attending the Queen’s annual pre-Christmas London luncheon. Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice were also seen arriving around the same time. There was some mixed information about whether Prince George came along? Some sites said George was definitely there, some said Kate and Will arrived alone. I’m sort of pleased to see William driving the car by himself – these days, it does feel like Will and Kate are driven everywhere and surrounded by a massive security phalanx. As for Kate’s look here – she repeated that gorgeous red McQueen suit which she wore for the first time in 2012 (go here to see some photos of the suit). Meanwhile, Radar/The Enquirer has this OMG SCANDAL.

The future King of England and his pregnant wife have been blasted as royal hypocrites for fooling Americans! During the couple’s whirlwind three-day trip to the United States, Prince William preached animal rights and wildlife conservation, telling attendees at the World Bank: “I am determined not to let the world’s children grow up on a planet where our most iconic and endangered species have been wiped out.”

But behind the expectant father’s defiant declaration is a deep and dark secret, The National ENQUIRER has exclusively learned. In a shocking act of hypocrisy, William and his 32-year-old wife, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, flaunt “trophies” at their 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate, including elephant tusks, a stuffed lion, a tiger rug, a rhino head and other exotic animals.

The menagerie of slaughtered animals at the private home of British monarchs since 1862 also includes a stuffed baby rhino and displays of animal heads with antlers.

[From Radar]

Well, that’s sort of old news. Sort of. I mean, I didn’t know the Queen has tiger rugs and a rhino head, but there’s always been a gossip about William’s insistence that all of the poaching wares must be destroyed, even if they’re part of the royal collection. Some of this stuff is really old, you know? But I get their point – William’s activism should start at home. If he feels that strongly about anti-poaching efforts, then convince his grandmother to stop displaying those tiger rugs and a stuffed baby rhino (good lord).

Photos courtesy of Getty, Pacific Coast News.

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100 Responses to “Duchess Kate & William attend the Queen’s luncheon, Kate repeats a McQueen”

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  1. Pri says:

    Whose decision was it to decree him the face of anti-poaching?

    It makes sense for him to lead a cause that he was more devoted to (homelessness, Centrepoint)?

    Also, not a fan of his frames, too small for his face. I will say this, Will can rock a cowboy hat!

    • megan says:

      William does want to destroy the royal ivory collection, but he seems to hold the minority BRF position on that matter.

      http://www.theguardian.com/environment/africa-wild/2014/feb/19/royal-ivory-prince-william-destruction

      • ArtHistorian says:

        The art professional in me find this idea an appalling form of vandalism. I’m never ever going to be in favour of destroying art for ideological purposes (that evokes all sorts of unhappy historical incidents where art and literature has been destroyed because of religious and/or political beliefs).

        I don’t really find the arguments of the article convincing either. Destroying old artifacts is not going to have any influence on the real problem – the market that demands ivory in the far east.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •ArtHistorian•

        I’m not a professional in the arts like you, and I still see it as horrific. if nothing else, let it collect dust (figuratively speaking) on a shelf somewhere.

        My son MasterSlippers (who wants to work as a wildlife biologist), thinks we are tackling the problem of poaching all wrong. Poachers often have no other way to support their family so one option that needs to be discussed is we need to find a legal and viable option to support their family.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        LadySlippers

        That’s what I’ve been thinking as well. People do what they have to do to support themselves and their families. I think that the biggest problem is the demand for ivory, rhino horn, etc. in certain markets – if there is a demand, then someone will try to fullfill it to make money. I think that poaching is as much an socio-economic issue as one of wildlife conservation.

      • FLORC says:

        This is no secret. The poaching to care for your family. When good people with good intentions are desperate there’s usually someone not so good willing to exploite their situation. Sad.
        Trouble is no one wants to invest the time or money to get to the root of the issue. Better to put a bandaid on it and call it a day. The animals become the issue. Not why the animals are the issue.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •Florc•
        •ArtHistorian•

        Rarely are the socio-economic issues addressed in anyway, shape, or form on any topic. I find that maddening as people will often make much better choices if they have a way to support themselves and their families. I am a huge believer in finding out the ‘why’ of an issue rather than applying a band-aid.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        It is why I try to support organizations that give aid to self-help. There’s a Danish aid organization that has different programs for help to self-help among people in Africa. The most popular one is called “give a goat” where you donate to a program where a family fx gets a nanny goat, instruction and so on. There are similar projects with other animals, school materials etc. The central idea is that you give people a boost and that the donated goat can become the basis for a steady income.

        LadySlippers,
        It is much easier to apply a band-aid. I met a guy a few years ago who had worked with a project that mad and distributed free water filters in Africa. He told me that just getting people to use those filters was a very long and frustrating process and that they operated with a 10 year horizon for actually influencing people’s behaviour.

      • notasugarhere says:

        AH, a similar one is Heifer(dot)org

        It is that teach a man to fish philosophy that can make the difference.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •ArtHistorian•

        Not only is it ‘easier’ to apply a band-aid, people can do it and still feel better/superior to the people they are attempting to help. Which to me is not really helping at all.

        Getting to the root cause takes a lot time, a sincere desire to help the people (while allowing them to retain their dignity), and a willingness to learn yourself. It’s more introspective and long lasting though.

      • SK says:

        Nothing is ever simple. Joan Root took that approach in Kenya, employing the poachers to do other jobs to give them and their families income and to protect the animals. It worked for a while and then those same men machine-gunned her to death in her own home.

        You also have the fact that not all poachers are poor. Rhinos and elephants often get hunted by guys flying in via helicopter. That’s not some poor locals. That’s well-funded criminal activity driven by greed.

        The rising demand in Asia for Ivory, rhino horn, shark fin, etc. desperately needs to be addressed too before any change will happen. Yes, poverty needs to be addressed (doesn’t it always?); but it’s just not that simple.

  2. Lama Bean says:

    Dare I say? Those glasses really work on William!

  3. Sixer says:

    You’ve missed the real big royal news of the day – British bookmakers have withdrawn betting for an abdication after a rumoured leak of Her Maj’s Christmas Speech. The Palace had to come out and officially deny it and all sorts. I thought poor Bill on BBC Breakfast was going to hyperventilate at one point (not really, but I was praying he would. All the other news was depressing).

    • LAK says:

      Since ISIL came to prominence, i’ve given up watching the news. Even sneak reading newspapers over someone’s shoulder on the tube.

      I.can’t.take.it.

      It’s giving me nightmares. Every day it’s something more depressing than the day before.

      The news channel has now been turned to BBC Parliamentary channel. That’s more upbeat than what’s going on in the news.

      On a different note, I was at an auction house last week end and one of the lots was 3 mounted animal heads. Stags, if I remember correctly, and they fetched a lot of money.

      I don’t know how a person can live in a house with animal heads staring down at you from the walls. Creepy, creepy, creepy.

      Ditto stuffed animals.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I’ve given up on news as well. Back to reading history books for me.

      • CuriousCole says:

        When you grow up in a house with stuffed/mounted animals, it really isn’t something you think twice about when you’re grown, trust me. I never found it creepy, though a few non-hunting friends did. I doubt any of the royal family are bothered by them.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •LAK•

        I gave up on watching the news ages ago — it makes me a lot happier.

        I like cute stuffed animals (teddy bears) but also dislike stuffed real animals. In the Midwest it’s a fairly prominent thing with families that hunt. I just prefer the animals that adorn my house to be alive. I know I’m a bit odd….

        *shuffles off to the odd corner*

        •notasugarhere•

        I love me some history books. Whatchya reading now? I’m almost through with a biography on Lady Randolph Churchill (good) but struggled to get interested in a book about Alice Keppel.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Nothing scholarly. Right now, Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer

        Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is a good Christmas-time read too (provided you like a serving of Black Death with your festive season)

      • FLORC says:

        LAK
        Way off topic, but it’s a carried oer question only you would likely know.
        Where did the nickname PGTips start? The DM, W&K, elsewhere?

      • LAK says:

        Notasugar/LS: i’m currently wading my way through a biography of Mai Ling Soong aka Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. It’s fascinating beyond belief and as I read I am increasingly ashamed to realise I didn’t know China ever had a democratic government. It’s full of fascinating details about China on the whole, the rise of communism as well as the lady and her family.

        Curiouscole: I shudder. It’s the eyes. They watch you no matter where you are in the room, or so it seems.

        Florc: someone on a royal forum made a joke about it which I can’t remember now. Something about PG (his initials) and PGtips tea. PGtips is a very popular brand of tea. Since then, many people, including me have used it. It seems fitting.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •LAK•

        Which biography are you reading? I’ve been eyeing the one written by Hannah Pakula… Asian history (actually ANY history) is fascinating.

        And totally agree about the eyes. *shudder*

        •notasugarhere•

        I have that book on the floor in my bedroom! But alas, not much in my personal library on the Black Death. Although I just picked up a memoir written by a medieval woman (The Life and Times of Margery Kempe) as I tend to read renaissance stuff or later…

        (Love Half-Price Books!)

      • notasugarhere says:

        Doomsday Book is helpful because the plague is explained as part of the story, so you don’t need a history background. It tugs at heart strings by personalizing what it could be like to experience that first hand. The Great Courses (Medieval and Renaissance series) are good if you enjoy audiobooks.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I’m currently making forays into historical fantasy, which is a lot of fun. Just finished “Valour and Vanity”, the 4th novel in Mary Robinette Kowal’s series of a Regency Europe with magic. It is a heist story that takes place in Venice. I’m in the middle of Naomi Novik’s “The Blood of Tyrants”, the 8th book in a series about the Napoleonic Wars – with (intelligent) dragons! Both books a light-hearted fun.

      • Sixer says:

        @ notasugar- I love Ian Mortimer! Did you see that he made the Time Traveler’s Elizabethan volume for BBC2. It made great telly!

        I think I’ve said on here before that Chris Skidmore wrote a great book on Edward VI. And he’s the oft-ignored Tudor, so double the reason to read.

        And if anyone’s looking for something a bit different try Remember, Remember by James Sharpe. It starts with the Gunpowder Plot and goes on to trace Bonfire Night traditions over time in the UK. Might be of interest to Americans – what with the differences and similarities with Halloween. It’s nice and lively and has a bit of dry humour about it.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Great suggestions, Ladies! I’m adding them to the long list of “To Read”

    • Sixer says:

      It really is a problem when you work from home and need some noise in the background. I tend to surf around the 24-hour news channels and go for whichever has the “unreported world” type of segment on at the time.

      I can’t abide stuffed animals of any kind.

      Perhaps that’s why Her Maj isn’t really abdicating?! She can’t bear the thought of looking at that all day long?!

      • LadySlippers says:

        •Sixer•

        I use the classical station for background noise. The local college does a great job or I listen to MN Public Radio (MPR). So I’m usually all set in that department.

        Hey, what made anyone start thinking HM would actually abdicate?!? The betting isn’t random is it?

      • Sixer says:

        I think there were several big bets in succession and this caused them to have kittens and suspend further wagers. Because it was withdrawn, and because the Christmas address to the nation got leaked once not so long back, the excitable amongst us put two and two together and got ABDICATION!

  4. lem says:

    I highly doubt that Will has had any luck getting the Queen to change her stance on the royal collection BUT that doesn’t mean that when it is his turn, he won’t have them destroyed. I can’t really hold it against him for the action/inaction of his grandmother.

  5. Talie says:

    Yeah, Sandringham isn’t their house. It’s almost a museum at this point, I’m sure.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •Vivee•

      William and Kate arrived alone but left with the nanny and George. At least that’s what I read.

      • The Original Mia says:

        So…George & Nanny Marie came by themselves. From where? Odd.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •Mia•

        I don’t think its unheard of though. Perhaps William and Kate needed/wanted George to get a nap before the lunch or he wasn’t there the whole time — just long enough for everyone to coo over him and leave with his parents.

      • FLORC says:

        Isn’t it also not safe for 2 heirs to travel together? I remember that was a big deal on the tour flight. Does that carry over to car rides? Not without special permission?

      • LadySlippers says:

        •Florc•

        As far as I know, the two direct heirs/heiresses in the same mode of transportation, is only applicable while flying.

      • The Original Mia says:

        Just read on Royal Dish that George was at a swimming lesson at BP. He was already there when W&K arrived for lunch and left afterwards. Mystery solved.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      George is so cute. He is just sooooooooooo adorable.

  6. EC says:

    Give any offensive old relics to George. He will destroy them in no time

  7. notasugarhere says:

    Sandringham is not their 20,000 acre estate, Enquirer. They are allowed to live in one house (Anmer Hall) on 1.5 acres or so on Her Majesty’s 20,000 acre Sandringham Estate. If it wouldn’t be so loathsome, one of the royal experts here should offer themselves as fact checkers for the tabloids. Ha. Facts and tabloids?

    p.s. PGTips was photographed in another car with Nanny Maria on the way out.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •notasugarhere•

      Royal Loonies should also edit a lot of royal biographies too! Lol. But yeah, facts and tabloids rarely meet one another….

  8. Elizabeth R says:

    Not intending to thread-jack, but in other royal news, I’d love to see Harry’s Lesotho / Sentebale trip covered – the DM has tons of pics and they are really remarkable. The contrast between Harry / WK is sharper than ever, especially in light of the recent US trip. I’d post a link but never have been able to get them through the filters. But really, worth checking out, and I’d love to see a story about Harry’s trip here.

    Kate’s McQueen seems to be a much cooler, bluer red in these photos than on its initial outing. Yeah, that’s all I got. The photos of the other guests arriving were interesting too – Beatrice looked fantastic!

  9. Vava says:

    I doubt that is the McQueen dress, I think it’s the one she wore a couple of weeks ago.

    She looks pretty in red, very festive.

    I don’t care for Will’s glasses.

    • Deedee says:

      Yes, that’s a Katherine Hooker dress. Also, the car pics are good ones for those who doubt she wears extensions.

    • FLORC says:

      I’m doubting it the original. Only because Kate is now pregnant and gained appropriate weight. The original was very tight on her when she was very thin. She’s known to have multiples of everything so it was propably a look she wanted to repeat no matter her size.

    • Bucky says:

      Yeah, I really doubt she could fit in the McQueen one right now. It had a very nipped waist.

    • Elizabeth R says:

      Yep – I don’t think it’s the same dress either, was trying to subtly get that across in my original comment, although why I felt the need to be subtle I don’t know. 😉 I do prefer this shade of red, both in general and on Kate specifically.

      • Bucky says:

        Agreed! She looks fantastic in blue reds. I think she typically looks great in jewel tones in general. I remember loving her in something purple at some point, and she looks lovely in saturated blues, too, and not super light ones (but also not necessarily so dark as navy).

    • LadySlippers says:

      •Vava•

      I actually like William in glasses as it breaks up his very Windsor face.

  10. megan says:

    Who cares about the McQueen or musty/dusty/icky old hunting trophies. I want MORE GEORGE!

  11. Angel says:

    Not that I like trophy hunting , but legal hunting is NOT poaching. All those animals were hunted legally with the royal families’ hosts at the time. Some of these animals might be endangered now but they weren’t then. It’s not like they snuck out to get a rhino or something. Peoples values and morals change over time, think if your ancestors pastimes were brought up to you all the time. Get a grip.

    • FLORC says:

      Well William said all should be destroyed during the drinks and mingling portion of an event.
      Even if it was legal when claimed the act of doing so is now looked upon as illegal and morally wrong so he said it should all be destroyed.

    • Hazel says:

      It’s just this kind of trophy hunting in the past that contributed to the endangerment of some of these species! It’s not all loss of habitat, nor can it all be blamed on the extremely poor, or eastern medicinal practices.

  12. Citresse says:

    I was wondering how many homes are on the Sandringham estate? I’d never heard of Anmer, so perhaps it went by a different name? William does look good with glasses.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •Citresse•

      Anmer Hall has a history, other notable people, including a few royals, have lived there as well.

      http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/515569/Anmer-Hall-Prince-William-Princess-Kate-Norfolk

    • FLORC says:

      Citresse
      Please search out your question. There’s just too much info to post. The quick answer is around 150 houses for private, public and commercial use. As well as many incredible gardens. And I think I recall Wiliam was given a cottage Wood something to use there, but he needed something bigger to house his family and any guests inlaws for the holidays.
      I’m sure you know that whole issue where Anmer was already occupied and leased when the cambridges claimed it.

      • LadySlippers says:

        •Florc•

        Wood Cottage is typically where Sarah goes for Christmas — so my guess is this isn’t one of the ones that were given to William and Harry (I could be wrong though).

      • notasugarhere says:

        Wood Cottage wasn’t leased to William but he might have used it sometimes. Darn this no links thing. Check Daily Mail, June 23 2014, Sebastian Shakespeare (tons of salt), Wills Gives Middleton’s a Right Royal Anniversary. W&K and Michael and Carole Middleton spent the weekend at Wood Cottage after looking at progress for Anmer.

      • FLORC says:

        I think William used Wood Cottage for hunting vacations then. That sounds right.

      • LadySlippers says:

        I’ll bet almost anyone (within reason) can use/rent Wood Cottage then.

  13. Someonestolemyname says:

    William and Kate and Hatry also took their staff to a Christmas lunch at a place owned by one of the ladies on the Ladies of London ,a Bravo tv show. I forget what the place is called.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •Someonestolemyname•

      Where’d you see that info? I’ve looked and haven’t been able to find it.

  14. Zombie Shortcake says:

    Mr. and Mrs. Blah go for a drive.

  15. notasugarhere says:

    Meanwhile in Sweden, happy news for Maddie and Chris! She should be heavily pregnant at the time of the snake wedding. Excellent timing, Madds.

    • LadySlippers says:

      •notasugarhere•

      I don’t wonder if Daniel and Victoria are struggling to get preggers again. That makes me sad if that’s the case.

      But Mazel Tov to Maddie & Chris! 😊

  16. Qatar2 says:

    I was at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday and saw them all 🙂