Today is Duchess Kate’s 33rd birthday. According to People Magazine, she’s going to spend her birthday in Norfolk, at Anmer Hall, with William and George, I guess. Sources merely say she’s going to spend the time “privately.” We haven’t written about Kate since we found out that she’s still the least-working member of the royal family. No, let me say that another way: there are 15 “core” members of the working royal family that make the court circular every month, and one member is 88 years old and one member is 93 years old and both of the old ones manage to do literally hundreds of events more than Kate’s paltry 76. Why bring this up again? Because Kate and William aren’t in Mustique right now and I think someone is “forcing” poor Kate to sign on to do some work before the second baby comes (after which she will obviously need to take off for two years because “maternity leave”).
People Magazine details the slew of events Kate has signed on for just in the past few days. On the 15th she will “officially name” the Clore Art Room at a London school and on the 16th, she will visit The Fostering Network. She will spend Jan. 19 in London, visiting the Kensington neighborhood and spending the morning with the group Family Friends. Later that day, she will open a leisure center, also in London. A “palace source” tells People: “She thought it would be a good idea to visit organizations that work with families in the area and help celebrate those who help with leisure activities.” What initiative! Poor chica, she’s probably dying to go to Mustique. Meanwhile, People Mag notes, William “is in the midst of his theory.” Which is the fanciest way ever of saying that he’s studying for his commercial pilot’s exams.
Meanwhile, royal drama covers the new issue of Life & Style. Apparently, the Queen and Kate are constantly fighting about Kate’s gauche, peasant parents and how Kate isn’t gaining enough weight. Some highlights:
*Kate broke royal protocol by having her parents and siblings spend Christmas at Anmer Hall. We knew this already! Apparently, the Queen was pissed off because Kate invited her parents to church on Christmas day (the Mail said the Queen invited them, so who knows?) without the Queen’s permission. To make matters worse, Kate snubbed the Queen by having Christmas lunch with the Middletons at Anmer Hall rather than with the royal family at Sandringham.
*A source claims that Kate broke “decades of protocol” and “The Queen wanted Kate, William and George to have Christmas lunch with her, as they traditionally do… [But] Kate put her foot down and said she was eating with the Middletons instead.”
*Kate apparently asked the Queen to invite her family to Christmas lunch at Sandringham but the Queen refused. A source says the Queen has “banned the Middletons from staying at Sandringham even though she has plenty of room for them. She almost ruined Christmas for Kate.”
*The Queen has also been nagging Kate about working more while pregnant and putting on more weight while pregnant: “The Queen has told Kate to gain weight, but Kate says she would if she could! The constant nagging is not helpful.”
[From Life & Style via Inquistr]
Eh. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do think the Queen probably side-eyes a lot of what Kate does and says (and the Queen likely side-eyes a lot of what Kate doesn’t do, like work). But the whole reason why the Queen gave Anmer Hall to Will and Kate is so that they would spend Christmases at Sandringham and not at the Casa de Middleton. It looked bad that William consistently chose his in-laws over the royals, and Anmer Hall was the way the Queen bribed them into spending Christmas with her. I’m sure the Queen knew that the Middletons would just camp out at Anmer over the holidays and I suspect that’s the happy-medium that the Queen can live with.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.
I don’t think the Queen “nags” her about anything. Just made up nonsense.
Yes, this is way too petty for the queen. She has a lot of better things to do besides monitoring the Middletons.
I know! The very idea! She has people who do that for her. 😀
Lol. Really!
I think the Queen is much too busy, you know, actually working to nag her……
Ignoring all the rest of it (can’t we bring Andrew back to destroy the monarchy more quickly? Kate’s too slow a burn for me), I will say that “theory” isn’t a fancy way of describing the written part of any qualification Britside. We call the various tests “theory” and “practical”, whether it be driving, flying or anything else. In fact, I’d say it’s plebby lingo if anything.
LOL
Wait and see. They are going but she needs to do some pr work before.
That’s one thing you can count on with these two. There’s always another holiday on the horizon.
Kate Middleton won’t miss Mustique, it is Carole’s 60th birthday. End of January, start of February is their usual time. She has to get a handful of engagements in now. She disappeared around the 7 month mark last time, so that means no work after mid-February. She’ll take a year off after that. Wonder if we’ll learn of them hiring a second nanny.
Waity could very well be joining ma Carole and the middletons hangers on in Mystique. Waity is in part and expense to taxpayers GB UK CW as a marry in BRF, yet she is in hiding and takes P George where as heir (maybe) only seen by common middletons and people in buckleberry for the most part.
Waity few fun events last year -should not include the Tour downunder and should be counted as 2 events – not by each appearance. So Waity numbers down to 50+.
HM and the RF has lots to say considering Waity expenses -her lacking respect to HM RF Traditions the people – sources have stated HM is not please with Waity Doolittle – and P Will was ‘strongly’ reminded of his duties to HM the Monarchy Traditions (and leaving or alternating Christmas with common carole middletons climbers hangers on is unacceptable!). PW Waity argued (of course she want need to be in buckleberry with ma pa carolemiddletons) – P Wills did not budge in breaking HM RF Christmas Traditions. Sources stated – “HM was unsupportive of the middletons spending Christmas at AH when the BRF was in their Christmas Traditions at Sandringham, and they were NOT invited to join the RF at Church and Boxing Day shoot (that invite was done by obstinate P William).” Boxing Day shoot was with PW who took ma pa carole middletons hangers shooting – and not with the RF.
There are bets that divorce is coming – seems P Will realize this since Commonwealth Games and before – Waity is not appearing with P Will and stays away from his friends (who knew what she and middletons were doing stalking P Will) – the same friends and partying Waity her common ma carole, hangers on siblings were attending with Waity to spy on PW
This bump is to delay or extend the luxuries and wealthy life for her and her middleton family.
PA York is only a diversion of the real news – PWill* Waity Cannot.
Pippa
Something negative about the Midds? How out of character!
I still can’t understand your comments. I know this though. You placced too much personal stake in your opinions of the woman.
That’s why i’m pretty much giving up on this hate parade it’s turning into.
Ahem, FLORC. You’d better not give up. I came back for you!
I hope she means that she’s giving up on trying to understand what that one poster is saying, not that she’s giving up on CB completely!
Me too, nas!
Haha Correct ladies!
You can’t reason with illogical hate/dislike. H8ers gonna H8 and all that.
Also, when i’m tired/lazy I run a text translate program and Pippa midds comments crash it. And when it doesn’t crash it the translation I get is truly hilarious.
Plus, Pippa midds never response to my comments and that ruins a chance for them to explain their opinion.
Thanks for coming back bluhare! So many lovely posters here too!
Sometimes the comments are the best part of the threads.
Nota
Some of these threads are just horrible. They’re not smart. Just outlets to grow and nuture hate. These royal threads and a few others are smart. And that makes it so sad to see it sink to lower quality with these types of posters.
Remember when TulipGarden,Dame,LadddySlippers,ArtHistorian,LAK,wolfpup and a few others were all MIA? It was pretty much you and I defending Kate. The madness! I don’t want it to get that bad again, but I might have to just ignore it.
I don’t mean to butt into the conversation, but just had to chime in on this front –
I come here almost solely for the royal threads,
1) because I’m a longtime royal watcher and
2) for the knowledgeable and articulate posters who offer thoughtful critique and insight – I would be really bummed to lose posters like Dame, Ladyslippers, ArtHistorian, LAK, Wolfpup, FLORC, NOTA, Bluehare, et al, I’m sure I’m missing some of you. Anyway, my two cents!
Good, FLORC! I’d have to flounce off in a huff if you left and, while I enjoy a good flouncing as much as the next person, I didn’t really want to.
Elizabeth R, as the thread is about you and your treatment of poor, put upon Kate, I think you should butt in as much as you want. The rest of us do. : )
Now, what did you tell Andrew when he called you? And did you really banish Camilla from the realm for drinking your best gin?
Good observations aside, in defense of Pippa Mid…she is passionate and sometimes she makes me laugh! I have learned more from her, about how people think about class, than almost anyone else. It’s interesting.
With this Andrew occurrence, we will have so much to explore. Bill Clinton was almost impeached for his little fiasco in the Oval Office. I don’t see Andrew being discussed too much in mainstream media. Are Brit’s still thinking about it? – I haven’t checked the DM today. ‘God’ Bless his little girls; Beatrice, and her sister.
Elizabeth R,
I could not have said it better. I come and read but have only posted once. I really enjoy the lively dialogue from the CB royal experts. Thank you ladies!
You know what will make me flounce away (because flouncing is awesome!). Posting comments that never make it past moderation for no known reason.
A rather long post repsonding to all of you is gone. I shouldn’t have to copy/paste al comments as back ups for the ones that don’t make it, but are within the lines of commenting conduct here.
We’re still in ‘Hunting in Spain’ vacation time. It’s not Mustique vacation time quite yet.
Well, last time he was hunting in Spain while she was in Mustique. In Jason’s PR terms, does “hunting” equate to “studying theory”? “William’s standing in the middle of a private estate in Spain looking at the sky to sense wind direction before he shoots to kill. Let’s call that studying theory of air currents and cloud patterns.”
Is W studying for the test he was supposed to take last fall? Like, still? Because … that makes William sound like he’s not too bright,
How can you keep track of all the vacations?!?
He’s supposed to have 6 months of solid training, plus pass a series of tests. He was alleged to be starting this in September.
From Clarence House statement:
“The Duke will begin training for his Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (Helicopter) in September, which is estimated to take a minimum of five months to complete. The Duke will continue to undertake engagements on behalf of The Queen and his charitable affiliations during this time. Training for the ATPL (H) will culminate in 14 examinations and a flight test.”
Ah, thanks! Yeesh, sounds expensive. Here’s hoping William shows up for more than the occasional pr story for the Daily Mail.
Mustique time is definitely coming, rumours are swirling Carole is set to go and have a big 60th vacation party with the family, Kate included , Prince George too.
We’ll have to wait and see. Some Reporters are hinting maybe end of the month.
This wouldn’t be the 1st vacation where William would not attend or arrive later and leave early. It’s kind of a norm.
Don’t the Middletons have other family homes to visit during the holidays too,other Aunts,cousins,nephews, grandparents??? I know their daughter/sister is the future Queen of England but doesn’t Pipa want to host something with her man during the holidays, what about their brother does he not want to host something with his girlfriend Donna Air??Why are they always sniffing around Kate?
I think you answered your own question…future Queen of England.
Lol yeah but they should not seem so eager.
First grandchild. Future KING of England. 🙂
Well, when I was the only one with a child, everyone in my family came to spend time with me… Sure, part of it is them wanting to hang out around royalty, but their daughter did marry Will, and she is pregnant and has a toddler. Any normal, loving grandparents would want to be around at Xmas, I think. (Not a fan of Kate, so not defending her… I used to like her in the early days, now she just seems stupid, spoiled and lazy.) There is a lot of shading her family on this site which I don’t understand. If they disappear and spend less time with Kate, gossip will have it that they argued, or the queen black listed them. If they do spend time together, they’re social climbers. Can’t win. (Btw, being commoners, how could they avoid being labeled social climbers?)
Loopy
+1M
Ma carole found no other weak vunerable aristo Titled to stalk and chain.
Waity was ma carole sacrifice for carole middletons climbing and hangers on — if ma carole was allowed and by all these pictures of carole and Waity middleton during the 10 years stalking (present at aristos royal get togethers – Polo other events so strange for a married mum with her young daughter ); if ma carole would get away marrying P Will for herself, it seem she would have.
Waity immaturity as wife mother interacting with her extended family (common or…). Much less an Historical BRF is mind boggling – and concerning how a heir was and is allowed to make a mockery of such Institution of the British Monarchy .
If Pippa were dating Earl/Lord George Percy, whose family are a Duke and Duchess and the heir to the Northumberland Castle,(**I forget exact illustrious title right now, but it’s one of the “top gets for a title hunter”, like Pippa) ..then Carole would make some time for Pippa.
Donna Air although she appeared at a wedding around or with the Middleton’s last summer(I think in Italy?) is still not someone Carole is overly thrilled is sometimes seeing her son.
Donna although reported to be nice enough, is not titled and mummy Middleton wants a title for James too. Hence the orchestrated(according some by Kate, Carole who pushed on PW to see James was included in) football outing of James appearing along side Pr.Harry playing football over Christmas.
Correct me if I’m wrong, someone, but aren’t men at a decided disadvantage when it comes to getting a title? Women can marry one, but men have to be one, right? So James could marry the daughter of a duke but he’d still be plain old Mr. James Middleton and his wife would be Lady JamesWife Middleton, right? So James can marry up but he doesn’t get a title without a monarch giving him one.
It’s hard for me to understand why these titles are so important.
Yes…
James on his own would have practically no chance at getting a title unless William gives him one when he becomes Monarch or the Midds buy him one…..but that aside, Carole is rumoured to STILL Only want Aristos or Royalty floating or marrying her Chillin….
Thanks someone, and preaching to the choir, wolfpup!
bluhare, I’m only a puppy! – often clumsy, and with milk teeth. Let’s go play chase in the flowers!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_and_noble_ranks
If you scroll to the parts you find relating this is a good and easy read.
Why titles were given, what they meant, why they were important.
Count or Earl ruled a County.
Duke or archduke had duchy.
And stuff like that.
It lists every title and peerage so there’s a lot there.
Why this is still important I think is well answered by this. It’s still in a land where there is an active monarchy. As soon as those titles mean less and handle less power there will be a trickle down to the other titles meaning less.
Thank you, FLORC. Perhaps it is not governance that bothers me, but unrighteous rule.
Don’t worry, once that second one comes she’ll be begging to get out of the house on her own for a little while. Even if it means she has to work.
With two nannies and household staff?
Or she’s shoring up some good press and laying the groundwork for a trip to Mustique…
I hear Mustique is still in the plans, a big holiday party to celebrate mum Carole’s 60th.
P.S. Carole and Mike are still staying at AnMer since Christmas, they haven’t gone home yet.
According to latest reports.
If only all of us could call protocol during the Holidays. Can’t have you over for Thanksgiving, MIL, because protocol! You know I wish I could fit you in on Christmas Eve but I just can’t because protocol, Cousin! Because protocol, Neighbor! You know how it is. If only. That dang protocol but what can I do.
+1
Seriously? Where do they get this cr*p? They need to get some new “make something up” writers. The only story I might believe re: the Queen and the Middletons is one about the Queen constantly forget their names. “Merry Christmas Carrie, oh Carole. So sorry. The stress over the hols…you know how it is dear.”
Lol
gotta get those numbers up before they go to mystique.
As lifelong Anglophile and a fan of the BRF, I can’t believe I am saying this … But the Andrew scandal has completely put me off these people.
Yes, they’re starting to take on a Monaco-like tackiness.
The press was saying how ironic it was that Monaco was being covered for the appearance of the twins and public crowds happily gathering at the Palace in Monaco while the British Royal Family were the ones embroiled in a Sex Scandal.
Lol
I know what you mean, though since Andrew’s scandal and the history of Charles and Camilla, Will and Kate aren’t looking so bad now.
Exactly. I think the queen probably doesn’t care too much about how many appearances Will and Kate have made when this other scandal is picking up steam.
The Andrew scandal is potentially the most damaging thing the BRF has had to face in modern time – personally the whole thing makes me sick to my stomach.
It’s disgusting.
I feel so sorry for Beatrice and Eugenie; these poor girls will feel the repercussions of this sordid mess.
I missed something. A new Andrew scandal? This isn’t anything like a woman told to keep hush about being assaulted at BP?
Oh, they’ll squeeze in a vacation to Mustique with the ‘Meddle’tons (deliberate typo) before baby #2 comes. Poor William, studying is just SO HARD. And Kate is such a hands-on mom you know… she’ll be elbow deep in dirty nappies and sterilizing bottles before you can say “find me another nanny!”.
Monster-in-law won’t let her enjoy, I am sure. Happy Birthday, Duchess. You will have the last laugh in future, don’t worry.
Oh I see, so when she DOESN’T work she is in complete control of her own schedule and she could work more if she wanted to but is just lazy, and when she DOES work its only because someone is forcing her too and not because she has control of her own schedule.
Each member of the BRF sets their own schedule. Her working now? The expensive new American PR guy her husband hired may have said, “What about a few incredibly lightweight appearances before running off to the beach?” If Middleton doesn’t want to work, she won’t. The PR guy isn’t there to increase the amount they work, he is there to make their horribly light schedule look good.
Agreed. I don’t think the PR people or staff make Will and Kate do anything, either. A PR person could jump up and down and say “You need to ramp up your appearances,” but if they don’t want to – they don’t.
My comment is in response to Kaiser’s comment that someone must be forcing her to work. When it is suggested that she is not working because William/Charles/the Queen/whoever doesn’t want her to work more the response is always that she sets her own schedule. But when she IS working, the response is that someone must be forcing her to do so because she’s too lazy and doesn’t want to work. It is just an observation about the narrative.
I agree nota but with a small revision. If William doesn’t want Middleton to work, she won’t work. I am 100% convinced that Willy is the boss. So when Willy says “jump” she says “how high?”
LNG
The overall narative here and not in the tabs is Kate controls her own schedule. This is supported by several official palace press releases. She is seen more not working, but often spending in some fashion. So, we know she has free time for herself and away from her son. When she does work it’s seen as an effort to bump up numbers for pr. It’s never consistent. It’s bundled with a few events between long stretches of no work.
I think it’s more thought it’s suggested she do more and is offered alternatives and options for work related events. Not that she is being commanded to work or that she is marching herself into her office and wanting to work.
I’ve seen a pattern of her doing some work right before going on vacations.
It’s not that her schedule is being dictated to her, but that somebody got it through to her that if she doesn’t do something before going on vacations, she’d be heavily criticized because of her already light work schedule.
If someone was forcing her to work, you’d think they’d be able to force her to have a regular work schedule instead of working only just before vacations so she doesn’t look like a completely shiftless and lazy.
She gets criticized regardless of what she does. If she didn’t work before the vacation she would be criticized for not working and when she does work before the vacation she is criticized for just doing the work so she can go on vacation.
@LNG – If she worked constantly, then there’d be no suspicion of why all of a sudden she starts working right before going on vacations…. Just saying….
Agreed, Anne. Someone on her staff needs to get it through to her that a more consistent work schedule spread out over the year will look much better. And wouldn’t it be easier to do a handful of events every week instead of cramming it all in within a week or two?
I think I said this elsewhere, but does it matter why as long as she is?
Maybe she is just doing this because she’s taking a vacation, but it’s a vacation that happens every year with her family. I don’t see the big deal here. If she weren’t going maybe she’d be doing nothing. I call it a win.
I agree with you 100% bluhare. Her work schedule is actually pretty consistent in that it has always been sporadic, particularly since George was born. I personally wish that she she work more, because I like seeing her out and reading about her engagements. More engagements are good – I really don’t care what the speculated motivation behind them is.
I believe that she makes her own schedule with support from her husband and the other senior members of the royal family. I don’t believe or expect her to work full time until William does, and I really don’t have that much of a problem with him exploring other interests now. Presumably, they’ll be in their 80s still working like the Queen does now. There is no retirement, so I can see why he is taking time now, before he is the prince of wales, to explore other interests. If he was second in line and was working at the same level, then that would be a different story.
“Presumably, they’ll be in their 80s still working like the Queen does now.”
And presumably, Diana wasn’t going to die at 36.
William can “explore other interests” in his spare time, like the rest of us do our hobbies outside of work. William had his 20s to faff around in the military, jumping from one branch to another. His future job is not flying helicopters, it is being an unelected Head of State. He continues to make enormous gaffs (talking to Obama about gender of babies, not recognizing King Felipe, caught on video calling a charity donor a bore, stepping in it about fracking) because he refuses to put effort into learning his role.
He needs to be training for his future role, not hiding away playing helicopter pilot for the next decade. He is 32 almost 33 years old. He needs to be putting in the effort to learn his job in the family company – which happens to be a role on the global stage.
We do not know how long our loved ones will live, or when we will be needed to step up and lead in jobs or in our family. Considering the untimely, early passing of his mother, William should understand this more than most.
Thank you, LNG. I must confess that I don’t agree 100% with yours though! 🙂 I did enjoy your statement in that she’s consistent in her sporadic-ness.
I actually read an article last week (in the Mirror?) which said William and Harry have both said they had been encouraged to work more. It stands to reason that if they’ve been encouraged to work more that Kate would be as well, especially as she’s supposedly the #2 favorite royal after Harry. But I do think she lets William call the shots.
Where there’s a will there’s a way. Right?
If William had the will to work and educate himself for his role he would. As he ages he still sets off his commitment dates. It’s pretty shameful even what work he does now isn’t great.
I’m with Bluhare though. As long as Kate works what issue is there? Sure she should appear more consistently like she takes personal interest in her charities. Yes, her actions are seen more as a last minute cram session. It’s still something where she usually does nothing. Although, I will give the side eye to counting walking from plane to car and event.
They will go somewhere. It’s Carole’s birthday coming up. Have to be sunning for that. Or who knows? They may continue to reside all together at Amner since they reportedly haven’t left for the own mini-estate yet. One big happy family under one roof with Bill, Kate & George.
I’m curious to see if she completes the whole 3 hour day. That’s a lot of work for the Duchess.
It’s a Gilligan “three hour tour, a three hour tour”, and William hums to Kate “stuck in middle (ton) with you”….
I hear the vacation to Mustique is already a done deal, Mum’s big birthday party vacation.
Kate’s going.
I think that Kate and William wanted to go to Mystique but when the stories about sex abuse, Epstein and Prince Andrew broke lose there was a decision in the Royal Family to lay low for a while till the press storm has faded away.
I don’t believe Dolittle cancelled her holidays just so. She is the Queen of Holidays and she gets nearly one day of holidays / shopping for every charitable event of Royal Duty.
Besides I haven’t seen any pictures of the Middletons at Amner Hall yet. Maybe some Mystique pics will come out soon?
The year HM was rumored to ask all the family to “lay low” and not vacation? W&K went to both Mustique and Switzerland soon after. They’ll go to Mustique at the end of the month. Or Middleton will go with PGTips while William is working on his “theory” (nice try, Jason), and a few weeks later they’ll have a second beach holiday together without the baby.
Exactly! William doesn’t do anything to benefit the Firm. These appearances are solely for the Lamebridges’ benefit.
I’d say you’ve got them figured out.
How many holi-days are there compared to work days? I find it hard to see that she works at all – everything looks like a photo-op to me. That’s all she does, show up, look pretty, and smile.
Wolfpup
Work days or events? 1 event could equal 45 minutes. And by holidays do you mean days during a holiday or a holiday 1 week long still counts as 1 holiday?
That they’ve worked in holidays while touring is something.
The number still comes out they spend more hour to hour time on vacation han working.
(chuckle). Sounds fun to me!
They’re trotting her out to distract from creepy uncle Andrew.
Who writes this guff? The Queen has got much more important things to worry about…
Let’s be honest here, Kate was a healthier weight pre-engagement. If she were my friend, I’d encourage her to not be so weight-conscious especially whilst pregnant (you don’t need to go hog wild either, but she clearly is worried about her figure over the health of the baby). She reminds me of my coworker who claims in order to maintain her ideal weight, she only eats 1000 calories a day. I feel she has body dysmorphic disorder (my coworker).
Seems as if there can be a fine line between watching one’s weight and becoming obsessed about it. Kate has never been, or probably ever will be, overweight. Maybe her significant weight loss can be somewhat contributed to feeling stressed out – even though, granted it’s not as if she’s in the lime light all that much. When I am stressed, I lose weight, luckily not as much as she did, though. Some of the photos of her right after her wedding were downright frightening.
If limelight was the main contributor to her weight loss, I would think she would have lost weight pre engagement. Another reason why I believe her weight loss was motivated purely by vanity.
Running the pap gauntlet every day without palace security and making sure there was no fodder for gossip in my trash would give me more stress than prepping for that wedding. The wedding prep took her out of the every day limelight b/c she was behind palace walls and whenever she went out, she had at least 2 RPO’s with her.
I don’t discount her vanity either…..I think that is a large motivating factor as well. Always has been and always will be.
I do, though, think stress enters into it. Some people eat more under stress and others eat less. An old friend of mine recently lost her husband to cancer and put on 20 pounds in the process. I had the entire family here for several days and lost 5 pounds. So, stress, may be a factor with Kate. But granted, VANITY is probably a huge part of it too.
There are women who say that they cannot gain weight for trying. This is confusing for me because all one needs to do to gain 5 lbs., is to set aside three days, with three delicious pizza’s, candy bars/donuts, and a jug of cola. I know it sounds a little gross, but three days of sacrifice for the greater good will not hurt her health. Problem solved!
Isn’t the whole point of having a holiday lunch at Buckingham Palace to accommodate guests who can’t be included at Sandringham? Sandringham is crowded at Christmas. For the Middletons to be included, guests would have to be uninvited.
The RF should call W and K’s bluff: let them distance themselves.
I am sure it’s NBD to tack on a few extra chairs for the Middletons. I just wonder if the Queen doesn’t want to go down that route of inviting all ILs, even if it’s just for lunch. If you invite one set of ILs, then you might get everyone asking for an invitation. And even if you have the space, who really wants to accommodate that many more people?
The way I see it you either invite the inlaws or accept that they will be alternating years between the two families, like most married couples do. I would never expect the Queen to invite the Middletons to her Christmas lunch, so I think she accepts that Will and Kate will miss events in alternating years. Now that they have the house so close, they can compromise and not miss the entire Christmas celebration on the years where she is with her family.
True. I mean, Camilla has to be away from her children and grandchildren .
Actually, in general the RF have handled things well. They invited the Middletons to a few things and then as the Middleton self-promotion became more evident, the invitations petered off. If, after getting married and having kids, Harry doesn’t challenge the status quo, K and W will start getting more criticism for pushing the Middletons on the RF.
Diana’s family was never, ever invited to protocol Christmas events. There was very little, if any, socializing done between the two families.
Amazing amount of photoshop on the photos in this post. This is some of the most airbrushed/blurred I’ve seen of her since the engagement.
LAK has posted a few times pictures of Kate upclose before edits and she has deep forehead lines. I’ve seen cell phone pics a friend took of her when waiting behind a barracade and Kate came by to shake hands. The wrinkles were prominent. Like the mole just above her lip if you can’t see these little traits the photo is touched up.
Still, these photos are nothing compared to those family photos of George’s 1st bday with butterflies. All skin was blurred/blended out.
LOL Florc, your comment made me think about Elizabeth I and her insistence, especially in the second half of her reign, that she be painted as beautiful Gloriana.
And all the courtiers had to address her as though she was still the girlish beauty she had been at the beginning of her reign, nevermind the obvious white coat of lead face paint and the obvious wig, and some of her teeth had fallen out!!!
I’m not saying Kate will or even has that level of vanity, but in both cases, the extreme photoshop cultivates a positive image of the sitters.
The reaction to a fairly accurate portrait is always hysterically negative eg that portrait of Kate or the few unphotoshopped photos.
OMG, Elizabeth I would have just LOVED photoshop in her day if it existed back then. She’d have been the first to jump on the bandwagon!
Elizabeth I was undoubtly a very vain woman and she controlled her image almost obsessively. Fx she didn’t have a court artist but issued official face patterns (the white skin, the red hair) that artists then combined with clothes and jewels gleaned from books. However, I also think that this “vanity” has its roots both in the political unstability that an ageing virgin monarch posed (she also refused to officially name her successor for this very reason) as well as a larger cultural issue of the invisiblity of ageing women. If you look at portraiture through the centuries ageing women are virtually invisible and I don’t think that this is solely due to vanity. Even Queen Alexandra was portrayed as a young beautiful woman despite that she was in her 60s when she sat for that portrait.
I hate the way that ageing in women is still perceived as something shameful or embarassing. Grey hair in man is often seen as distinguished while in a woman it is seen as something that should be covered up. I’m closer to 40 than 30, and, yes, my hair has started to turn grey – but for now I have made the decision not to dye my hair. I love it when I see pictures of fx QMII or her sister Princess Benedikte with their beautiful silver hair or elderly, beautiful silverhaired women used in fashion shoots or on the catwalk. Because they are vibrant, interesting women who shouldn’t be invisible because they have become old. We all of us become old and your looks change if we are fortunate enough to have long lives.
Mature women who have the “audacity” to speak up in public are often critiziced on the looks (look at how Hilary Mantel’s odd looks was lambasted when she dared to mention Kate in a larger conversation about how royal women often has been perceived as broodmares whose bodies belong to the public. I have seen again and again that people used the “Kate is looking old”-argument to put her down – I have actually seen people saying that she looks 50, 60, even 80 simply to put her down!
*rant over*
Growing old doesn’t seem as exciting as say, puberty (!), or having a child. What growing old means to me is the sheer luck of having lived the questions (Rilke); then having x years of vastness, from where the answers echo.
Puberty was awful for me – I love that I have become more confident and less shy as well as more able to deal with the hard stuff with age.
Fee,
Elizabeth would have loved photoshop! I find it very interesting that she tried to control her image visually in a very different way than fx her father who had Hans Holbein as a court painter. Issuing officially sanctioned face patterns instead of having a court painter left her with much greater control because she didn’t have to clash with a brilliant artist who most likely would have his own views on portraiture.
growing old isn’t a bad thing…..I just don’t want to do it at 33. 😀
AH – your comments on aging have had me thinking. Puberty for me was sexual maturity, even if I didn’t understand that – it WAS exciting – the first period and all (and the twitterpation of sexuality and the hope of a first kiss). I noticed that the milestones that I mentioned above, in a woman’s life, did not include marriage. Thrice married and divorced, left me feeling that three strikes, I was out, and free to try other things. That’s when I went back to school for a woman’s studies degree – actually, I wanted to know what I was doing wrong – I had tried so hard to be all that I thought a man would want (blah, blah, blah), and it wasn’t working for me. I wanted to know what the women had to say about it all – I had been immersed in the male point of view.
In my forties, I went to visit my big brother with strands of grey (or whatever color, it’s hard to tell), but he immediately took me to a fancy stylist to get it colored. Apparently, all of the women fit to be wives of the wealthy had to look a certain way. So I played the game a few additional years, but it didn’t help me find a more suitable man, rich ones perhaps, but passive-aggressive, or with some other annoying trait. (Personally, I believe that it is my independence of soul that makes it difficult for them).
However, this year I felt that I had a right to know how I looked. I am faithful to my own vision (I am a wolfpup); and now I have four inches of my own color; I think it’s lovely. The men I know now see me as an equal, rather than a toy; and I have nothing to lose in having an opinion; that’s the gift of being older around men. Older women can be fierce in integrity (we can actually frighten men). Women are forced to acknowledge my ownership of the dignity that has always been mine – although there will always be predators of both sexes among us. Yet, I have become my own master. (Actually, I was hoping that with grey hair they would feel sorry for me, and help me across the street). But we are all on adventure, no? And helplessness doesn’t usually happen until we are ready.
Staying healthy and attractive is a plus – I find that it gives one additional influence; and fit and thriving older women will become the norm, in my opinion. I do believe that women will become more confident in claiming vitality and joy, regardless of illusions sold; because of old ideas will pass away, with vigilance. But I am experiencing my life, in the same way that I did when I was eight years old. I am me. The greatest gift of life is consciousness.
Whoa – that comment was long.
FLORC – it’s January 8th, and I haven’t begun my new exercise goals!
LAK
Lol! That lead paint really evens the complection though! Kate’s portrait was as she wanted it. And poor Emsley got so much hate. My friend who studied there sent that photo to me and had seen Kate several times since then (mostly shopping). Her disbelief from her own eyes to the printed photos was amazing and hilarious. And she’s a Kate fan.
Photoshop would have been used by many monarchs! To be seen forever as frail and older isn’t the lasting image/reference you’d want.
Wolfpup
Nooo!!! For 1 of my jobs i’m a trainer for some trying to lose weight or get fit as a resolution. The numbers are 8.5% finish their goals. And by the majority only 14 days are needed to reach your goals when you give your all to it. That said, I appreciate you have yet to start. Gyms right now are packed and people are getting discouraged to not see the weight fall off. That lack of results can breed like a virus on those areas. I wish you luck when you do begin wolfpup! It’s all about being better to your body and whatever that means for you:)
Well duh, Kate needs to work more to earn her keep. As for the Sandringham Christmas situation, I think that has more to do with William’s feelings towards his father and Camilla than to do with the Queen. A few weeks ago there was that interesting story from Charles’s own former PR guru. William felt used by his father, manipulated to make the press warm up to Camilla, and William never really got over that betrayal. I doubt they are close at all. Since William calls the shots in the Cambridge marriage, I would assume that he prefers to spend the holidays with the Middletons. They are probably more fun anyway.
The problem for the royal family is that Will and Kate are not keeping up appearances. If they disrespect the Queen’s traditions on her last Christmas days, they disrespect the throne, IMO.
Thinker
As far as Williams actions and public words towards Camilla there’s no hate. More hate from people holding the torch than from Harry or William. And Diana was on decent terms with Charles and Camilla towards the end of her life. There was a large reduction of animosity.
So, I think there’s no evidence to support that. Also given Camilla gets along well with Kate by all reports and her step sons. There’s just no evidence anymore. Not even body language.
I will say the Midds are likely more fun, but that’s not the point. Your grandmother and Queen gives you anything and everything. You should do her the courtesy of spending the little time she has off to do what she would like. What does that come to. 2 days out of the whole year and you get yuor own estate to stay in?
There’s simply no excuse to not do it. It just appears so ungrateful and entitled. Even as simply his grandmother. Purely shameful.
I must say, I’m a little envious. I haven’t seen my family in ages (we live in different countries), much less spending weeks together in an all-expenses-paid mansion for the holidays *turns green*.
She is very pretty! She’s a young mom and most likely wants to spend more time with her child than the Queen did with Charles or any of her other children. It’s nice that she has that opportunity. If I were her I would do the same.
She does not have that opportunity. If she paid for every penny of her privileged life, she’d be welcome to be a full time stay at home mom. As it stands, her life is paid for by the people that she is PAID to serve. The taxpayers pay for the full-time nanny so Middleton can do royal engagements. If she isn’t going to do engagements, no need for the full-time nanny and those two dozen office staff.
If they want to live private lives, fine. As long as every penny is paid out of their own pockets – houses, security, clothing, vacations, everything.
Really? The taxpayers pay for the nanny? I had never read that. Not saying you’re wrong, but I’ve never seen that said anywhere. I could see them writing off some of her salary when she’s taking care of George when they’re working (for the public not studying for exams or working on a tan) but not for the rest of the time.
This is where things break down. Every aspect of her life is covered by others. Mainly tax payers. The rest from her father in law and parents. In return she works the bare minimum.
Also, Kate wanting to stay home with her child instead of working was sed for George and busted very quickly. Kate cleared her schedule and was seen spending days at a time shopping and getting beauty treatments. I’m not shaming a new mom for taking personal time. More that she cleared her schedule for months and months claiming she wanted to stay with her child. Instead seen right away leaving her child with their nanny they claim to not have. If she had that much free time she could have fitted in 1 45 minute event at least once a month.
Or think of it this way. You’re on welfare. You have a new born. You claim you can’t look for a job or work because you want to spend as much time as possible with your child, but then seen spending those welfare checks on beauty and shoping trips. Is that justified?
She’s so overrated and photoshopped to within an inch of Barbie.
I honestly don’t believe Kate is ever going to develop a strong work ethic at this point, if she never had one.
There’s that saying that a leopard can’t change its spots and give Kate’s past history of poor work performance, I’d say it’s a strong possibility that she won’t ever develop a strong work ethic.
After Diana, I think the RF is pleased to have someone demure and compliant. William is the heir to the heir, therefore I’m not surprised they have a light workload of Royal engagements.
I tend to draw comparisons between Catherine and Diana. Diana hated going to the RF functions – did not get to spend time with her family because it just wasn’t done. My feeling is that William and Kate are trying to learn from the mistakes of the past as is the Queen. They are a young family needing to build a life for themselves and bonding takes effort and time. The Anmer Hall situation would appear to be the best solution to the family dilemma with how to spend the holidays. Also in recent pictures, Kate looks tired with dark circles under her eyes, painfully thin and I cannot help but feel empathy for her physical and emotional state. Diana was younger than Kate is now when she was carrying her babies and she had no support. Kate has the support her family and William, but is an older Mom and the toll of the pregnancy has been huge. She does not have to work at a 9-5 job and it is all to her benefit that she can rest as she needs to. These are wealthy people who can well afford to maintain their lifestyle choices. Yes, she has a nanny, but the pictures of her and George show a baby who loves his mommy, looks at her adoringly, and is delighted to play with her hair. Time will bring about the greater demands of the job with more appearances, but for now she needs the time and space to get a solid base underneath her private life and her public life so that she can be a RF performer. As for William, he also has to sort himself out as to the kind of man, father, husband, and future King he wants to be. That also is going to take time and criticism and second-guessing his decisions by the public certainly are not going to be hugely significant. I simply do not want to see a repeat of the circus that drove Diana to her untimely death.
I don’t think working for the RF is what drove Diana to her untimely death. I think that was a herd of photographers, poor security, and a driver named Henri Paul.
Which is really not what we’re talking about here.
In reading the various comments, in my point of view I see the same tone directed at Kate as was directed at Diana except that it seems to be building exponentially. And that is inherently dangerous as negative public interest leads to the media frenzy that leads to terrible choices, something I hope that everyone can realize from the events of the past.
We disagree. I am Diana’s age and there was no tone back then. I think if Kate did half of Diana’s workload the tone of the comments here would be much different. Kate doesn’t court the press like Diana did, so I really doubt she’d ever get the same media hullabaloo.
Granted Diana didn’t live during the blog era, and it would be interesting to read how things would have played out had that been the case then.
This revisionist history of Diana only serves to trap Kate in a reductive prison. Diana fought against being seen as a womb, a pointless airhead as described by Hilary Mantel and yet Kate is both accepted and revered for being those things.
Diana showed exactly how much agency a woman of the royal family can have. Ditto Anne and Sophie. Yet people are content to see Kate’s lack of agency as a positive…..SMH.
*Joins in head shaking*