Here’s something interesting: Duchess Kate, Prince William and Prince George didn’t leave Mustique until yesterday, Monday the 9th. The Cambridge family vacationed in Mustique a good long time, by my count… 17 days. So much for William leaving early to catch up on his pilot exams too – The Daily Mail had photos of Will, Kate and George leaving on the same flight yesterday. You can see the photos here.
Initially, it was reported that Will and Kate would only be in Mustique for two weeks, which was sort of true if two weeks includes three weekends. What’s also interesting is that William is the president of BAFTA and he was apparently loosely scheduled to host the big pre-BAFTA celebration at Kensington Palace on Saturday night. Instead, tons of celebrities came out to the event and there was NO royal host. Because William couldn’t tear himself away from his third weekend in Mustique. And you realize he hasn’t done one single event in 2015, right? This pre-BAFTA reception would have been fun too – lots of drinks, food and celebrities. And it would have counted as “work”. But Will just couldn’t tear himself away from his vacation.
So, at what point are we just saying that William is a lost cause? He won’t show up to work for one of his most fun patronages (BAFTA). He doesn’t have any scheduled charity-wise in the coming month either. Meanwhile, Will and Kate’s press office is working overtime to make Kate look like she’s booking things right and left. While Kate was sunning herself on a sandy beach, the KP Twitter account confirmed that Kate will be doing some events on the 18th. The press office has also been tweeting out older photos of Kate working, I guess hoping to make us forget about their long Mustique holiday.
Last Friday, People Magazine also had a propaganda piece about Kate’s endless charity work (ha), full of quotes from people involved with the charities Kate stops by one or twice a year. Go here to read it, and read carefully because People did break some news. You might remember that Kate waited nearly a year into her marriage before finally signing on to become a patron of anything, and when she did, she only chose a couple of charities and then just some museums which would have a lot of galas? We were told at the time that Kate would be adding more charities every year. That never happened. And People says it’s still not happening, that Kate “is not expected to add to any of her formal patronages in the short term.” A source also says that she will “pick up” her interest in charity “after a period of rest following the birth.” No word on how long that period of rest will be (two years, I’m guessing).
Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.
He skipped the BAFTAs themselves, he attended last year.
Rumor has it that they actually flew back last FRIDAY.
Since his tribute to Attenborough was prerecorded, I don’t think he ever planned to attend the party or the awards ceremony. I agree it’s bad form, but it wasn’t a last minute decision.
Also, as the host, I assume Stephen Fry knew he would not be attending. So I guess Stephen was just flat out trolling William when he said he would present the petition to him at the BAFTAs.
I think you are all correct. A Pre-recorded message in case he didn’t come back in time, but an expectation to attend all the same since many networks were carrying ads saying he was going to attend and having a pre-BAFTA party for the nominees at KP – they could have had it at BAFTA itself.
William simply didn’t show, and I think it wasn’t a last minute decision despite all bases being covered.
Ps: I agree with Megan that Stephen Fry was trolling William.
The original rumor about Fry planning the surprise attack came from Page Six.
Page Six.
My guess would be there never was a surprise attack planned. And William never planned on being at the BAFTAs, even if they did in fact fly home on Friday.
“an expectation to attend all the same since many networks were carrying ads saying he was going to attend and having a pre-BAFTA party for the nominees at KP”.
LAK, like the expectation that after his gap year he would get to work? Nope, back to helicopters. His team may have given the impression that of course the president of BAFTA would be there. Oops, Wm moved the goal post again after they’d insinuated he’d be there. Like the Winter ball event – easier to get sponsors and donors for the KP party with the carrot of royal attendance, and who is going to call them out? Even Ralph Lauren danced to their tune.
Word on the street says the only flight leaving Mon was a night flight, and because the pics showed them boarding thr plane in daylight, they MUST have left Fri. YMMV. It would be worse of course. It means he could have attended the reception and the awards, but instead said “f$ck it” and… Did whatever it is that William does. Who knows? Certainly not the people who fund these tropical vacays.
At least the pictures over at Daily Mail were clearly taken when it was already dark. They are grainy and the sky behind the plane is dark.
Sincerely yours,
The fun person at the parties, who insists on correcting others.
The lightness of the photos could be because of airport lights, which could fool you into thinking it was daytime, because the sky is dark. When I check the website for flights, all I see is Friday flights leaving at 8:45pm. Them leaving Friday and it being a night flight are both possible. If they left Friday night, he still could have made either the event at KP or the BAFTAs themselves.
Can’t stand the Cambridge pair anymore.
(Except love the little cutie Pr.George.)
So over expecting much from William. He looks bored , miserable and uncomfortable when he does do a royal event.
So disappointed in William the adult. I was looking forward to fun and interesting royals, not the whiny, work-shy type.
He and Kate just seem utterly useless.
The press loves to give them a pass.
They should be working more.
The holidays and the press makes them out as desperately needed for these two is so irritating.
Well said. I was hoping their mother (or even grandmother!) had had more of an influence on them. I think maybe Harry shows that same sense of getting out with various people, actually caring, but William is a huge disappointment who doesn’t deserve the crown.
They bring laziness to a new level.
It’s almost as if the effort it takes to avoid work is work in and of itself.
“My lack of work here has been successfully avoided” – *PW enters another notch into his Excel spreadsheet*
You need to adjust your spreadsheet formula, Abbott! You have it calculated to where two negatives make a positive, so change the last word to “implemented” and it will calculate beautifully. 🙂
Damn. Science makes my head hurt.
Ha! I know the type well. Seen it for years in the workplace–people spending more time and effort trying to get out of work than just getting the job done. These two sloths are no different.
If these stories are true and not that I condone violence,but the Queen needs to hit William to the back of his head with one of her handbags. When you look at how much work the Queen does and she is almost 90! Then look at the amount of work William and Kate do, it is just pathetic.
I love the idea of the Queen whacking people with her ever-present handbag!
I’m sure that if the Queen did it, she would do it with such class and grace that the act itself could never be describe as violent.
Really. I second this. A woman approaching 90 does hundreds of events a year, Kate does, what? 45 or so. William does even less. What a waste these two are. I wish William would step aside for Harry, but Carole Middleton would have a cow if he did that!! And I think Wills loves the perks, but hates the work, as does Kate.
Kate’s facial expressions are so weird. She’s trying to look interested in the person she’s talking to but her expressions are so over the top she comes off looking fake instead.
Heh, don’t mean this as anything other than a neutral remark, but it is very typically British, it’s not just her.
I disagree, Leftovers. You never see any of the other royals pulling faces like that. Diana didn’t, Charles and Cammy don’t, Harry doesn’t, the York sisters don’t, etc. etc. It’s really just Kate.
On a more “normal person” level, my husband is also British and he doesn’t make those OTT expressions. Neither does anyone in his family.
I am not comparing her against any royals, not really that interested. However, as a non British person living in Britain for 7 years, I can tell when people try so hard to pretend they are interested that it comes through crystal clear against their actual intentions. This can be seen in perfectly harmless things such as saying “Hi! Are you all right?” and then walking without waiting for an answer. I am told this is a lot of people’s way of saying hi, so in my experience she is showing a bit of her culture.
It’s not a bad thing, just an observation. And perhaps this applies to London, mostly.
Leftovers
This is how Kate shows emotion. She emots with exaggerated expressions.
I don’t think it’s fair to defend Kate bygeneralizing how she acts with just the British people. I have brit friends that do not do this and have noted Kate does.
It would have been better to argue the camera snaps shots at just the worst times and those unflattering pictures are used.
Although on Camera she’s 1 big ball of emotion with expressive face and hand geestures.
FLORC, I would argue that the over-the-top expressions are how she TRIES to show emotions she doesn’t feel. She thinks she’s supposed to be happy, so we see Crazy Kate. She thinks she should look like she’s concentrating, so she furrows her brow. She thinks she’s supposed to look sad, so we get the hair-in-hands, chin down, eyes up Diana impression of “look, see this is what I look like when I pretend to care.”
We’re seeing a person trying to pretend she cares, which results in the clown act. We’re not seeing the emotions of a person who really cares.
Nota
I agree to a point. Only because I have a coworker where a large part of their job is to read peoples “micro expressions”. This is a skill where you don’t need to see the person in the flesh to assess. They look for the subtle changes in the face you wouldn’t think to look for. Also the body, but that’s a much larger scope.
While I think Kate’s cousin and those that have met her are correct in that she doesn’t easily sympathise she’s not always faking it.
Carole and Pippa also have these expressions.
The end conclusion here was Kate is over the top. When she is truly touched, sad, happy, etc.. we all know it subconsciously. No one questions it. The rest of the time if it looks like it’s forced or not genuine that’s because it is.
I’m not saying Kate doesn’t care and she’s heartless. I want to clarify that because you know someone will read into the comment. I think Kate has lived such a sheltered and protected life with only a handful of endeavors she has never really focused on those outside of herself.
Some people just are that way. It doesn’t make them terrible or doing it on purpose. I think Kate is spotlighted and that’s why it sticks out more.
She’s acting for the cameras -so the average person who just glances at pictures in a gossip magazine will think they must have been having such an interesting, lively conversation.
She did this so well in 2007 when she and William broke up -those pictures of her in a blue jacket, scarf, skirt and boots at a horse show event -I think Cheltenham. She looked completely engaged and like she was having a great time -but trot out the same one trick pony too many times and the effect is diminished.
You can see it in the videos from the Tour de France crash. She is standing there, mouth agape doing her, “Gee I’m surprised, see me being surprised” look for 5 seconds. Acting all the way.
yes, she is acting for the cameras. Her facial expressions and hand gestues… over the top. To be fair she has to play happy in public. I think she overplays because she is a different person in private. Wasn´t there once a story about one of William´s friends bitching about Kate being “too serious, boring, hard, not easygoing and whatever”? So if the story is true and the guy was right then this explains why Kate overplays when people are watching. She´s just not natural with people and sadly the world press is watching
She isn’t natural, and it shows. The videos really do tell it all. And her horrid attempts at giving a speech, god forbid. Luckily they don’t make her do that anymore.
I always get the feeling Kate is playing for the cameras. ….Almost as if she’s half listening to the person, but mostly reacting for the cameras.
I thought PW was NOT supposed to go to Mustique.
The papers also said they wouldn’t be taking the nanny. And there she was in the photos on the island, but cleverly not in the airport photos.
So, does this mean William’s training will be pushed back? Shouldn’t he have been brushing up for his exams?
I think new rumor is summer or fall start for work, so training pushed back by 3-6 months. There’s the week-long trip to China at the end of the month too.
Will he abandon her and the kids for six months like last time? And the excuse will be, “Golly, had to move to Cambridge airport to train.” Later stories will emerge that he didn’t live on base, was rarely there for training, and we’ll see photos of him hunting with Jecca and skiing in France.
Have you seen the old (2008?) article that has been re-circling lately? It is about how he never went through full helicopter training and was rushed through in 13 weeks. So he’s never fully trained and took loads of shortcuts. Part of the training now has to be really getting him up to speed and he’ll be co-pilot not pilot.
Notasugar: I saw that article. The Baroness and I were discussing it’s implications.
Do you realise what a crock of rubbish we’ve been sold about his RAF life.
It explains so much and puts everything into context. I’d go as far as saying we should give him a small pass on his RAF life except for the fact that PR keeps selling the lies eg i’ll not be mad anymore that the RAF magnanimously forgave his £400K tax payer debt for his training because he was never trained in the first place.
I will be mad that he took up a person’s place when he wasn’t going to be trained in the first place.
I remember the articles about how William was able to cut corners in training. This is his MO it seems. When he gets around to it exceptions are made. I didn’t realise it was recirculating.
I won’t be shocked at what the future holds. Kate will move into her parents again with her children.
William will be seen vacationing or at pubs when scheduled to work.
He’ll live in his own private accomidations far from Kate and his children.
And I bet Tanna or another loyal to the Midds will catch William not where he’s suppose to be while snapping shots of Kate and her kids. While thse pictures will be set up and approved by the Midds and Kate William will have a melt down over.
I would give no shade if William had a true passion for being a pilot. That he pushes off his training, skips the actual position to vacation and sometimes informing his employers last minute, and to take on a charity that deals in some type of helicopter rescue there would be a sure sign of sincerity.
I don’t think this last paragraph is asking too much.
LAK, if we are ever endangered in the Norfolk area, we will have Rodger provide aid. Since we got him that video game thingy, I think he skills are as good as William’s now, and perhaps better. And he looks so charming in the hat and goggles!
Perhaps you could go make us a spot of tea while Roger practices his resuscitation skills on me.
😀
Of course Baroness. I forgot about Rodger. Mind he shows you the uniforms I got him for your pleasure. We couldn’t decide on tropical or No 1 dress uniform of the royals and Blues so I got him both.
We also decided they both looked better with the blue cap of the army air cops.
😉
Le sigh, LAK! I wonder if pilots wear kilts. Rodger looks so very nice in a kilt. 🙂
The British press also lied and tried to puff them up with the public,by saying they didn’t take a Nanny .
I don’t understand why the British press constantly tries to protect these two slackers , even to the point of lieing for them.
The Nanny was clearly there.
The photos with the nanny weren’t published in Britain. The photos of W&K walking up the stairs to the plane — with no nanny in sight — were published in the UK. Many people who only watch them casually may never realize the nanny was there. As shown frequently in the DM comments, some people believe these two are hands-on parents with no household help.
Yes…that’s sad, how the British press tries to puff up these two.
The good thing is the Kate,Nanny,George photos went viral on social media , Twitter , so it can’t be denied by Kate fans. Thank goodness the NY press, German Press and several of the other European press printed the Nanny photos.
Only when I see Kate’s curly hair I remember that it is not naturally straight. That must be one of the reasons why she is so obsessed with blowouts and sausage curls.
The photo of her in the blue coat, 2nd pic down – cut off 6-8 inches of hair, and I believe that she could look adorable.
I wonder if prince George and the one on the way will have the same work ethic as their parents. I don’t think they’ll have a lot of examples of what it’s like to be a working royal seeing as Kate spends all her time at Carole’ s house and that doesn’t seem like it’s about to change. I know Carole has a good work ethic but she seems to have failed to pass that trait on to her kids and William and Kate can barely lift their hand to wave without needing a vacation so who’s work ethic are George and the spare going to emulate.
Well, they’ll have their uncle who works pretty good.
Your comment makes me wonder the opposite i.e. maybe Carole’s goal was to provide her kids with a well-funded life of leisure.
That’s what I thought too. From family stories that have been leaked, it is Carole’s side of the family that has always wanted to move up up up up up the social ladder. That is why they worked hard, to leave their past behind and move up. Carole’s goal was to have her children marry well, so she worked hard to get them into the right schools and chummy with aristocrats. Them working wasn’t in her game plan, their “work” was fitting in and marrying right.
Maybe you’re right but what happens if Pippa and James don’t or can’t marry rich. Who’s going to pay for their expensive lifestyle once Carole and Michael are gone? I doubt party pieces makes as much as the press claims and I don’t think William would ever fund them. Kate is set for life now but Pippa and James still seem to be running around trying to latch themselves onto someone with money and it doesn’t seem to be working.
And James just closed 2-3 of the failing businesses.
Well, why does anyone get a job or work? Not simply to fill up your day but to gain something. And when everything is handed to you and no one pushes you to achieve something what reason is there? I wonder if George will have the same outlook on duty as William or Kate. If entitlement will simply be his normal.
My guess, YES.
The expression on that kid’s face says it all: his parents’ contempt for the public, before they put up their veneer of politeness, alas, cannot be kept hidden by this child.
Astrid
I’m completely against using an infant or toddler’s expressions againt the parents. It’s a baseless argument. This needs to stop.
Nothing can be read from George’s expressions in regards to what he thinks of his parents work ethic.
George will end like William IMO. William (and Kate) hate royal duties and do only the minimum. George and sibling will absorb this attitute. The Cambridge-Middletons just should fly back to Mustique and stay there forever.
That would be nice, I think…. I would love to see William and Kate retreat.
I can’t help but look at the pictures and be shocked that William, Kate and George are all on the same flight. I thought they travelled separately, or assumed they would not put two heirs on the same plane, just as a security measure.
I am so tired of Kate’s super-surprised, fake-engaged-in-the-world’s-most-interesting-conversation face.
It’s been too long since we had a good batch of pictures of Prince Harry with children and puppies!!!
I don’t think William and Charles fly together, but William and George are fine.
Are you sure? Wasn’t that the big issue when W,K,&G went to the AUS/NZ tour? William needed special permission from the Queen to fly with george because 2 heirs could not travel together like that incase of a disaster?
I’m pretty sure that was the case.
There was mention of them having to get permission. They’re on vacation so much, however, that would be a lot of separate flights. Difficult when there’s only one flight a day to St. Lucia.
Jacqueline – go to the RoyalDish website and look in the Harry thread – there is an adorable picture of Harry cuddling a tiny infant 🙂
I would try to link but my posts with links don’t seem to be getting through.
If I may jump in, that picture of Harry with the infant is completely adorable!
There is no confirmation of when these photos were taken (not listed in the DM article).
He’s president of BAFTA and this is their most important event of the year. He couldn’t be bothered to leave his two week vacation 2-days early to 1) show up at a party at Kensington where he has abandoned his 50+ room mansion and 2) attend the awards.
He knew he was going to ditch them, hence the pre-recorded message about Sir Attenborough. Does this mean the story about Fry planning to confront him with the letter was a sham, or a plant by Jason to deflect attention from the vacation? As host, one hopes he would have been warned that the President of the organization wasn’t going to be at their key annual event.
And yes, Kaiser, she’ll be MIA for at least a year post-birth. There will be statements about her getting ready to think about hitting the ground running, how she’s so excited to think about getting to work. She won’t work. Then she’ll get pregnant again.
I totally agree..I noticed his absence and was shocked .When Princess Anne was doing the awards she never missed them,and I am no great fan of hers,but it is true that she does put in the hours.
Their PR team always uses the word “keen” when it comes to her and her work ethic as in “very keen to work.”
I’m guessing there’s going to be a lot of the use of the word during these next couple of years.
Kate is always said to be ” keen” and “eager” when her pr is saying she wants to work. Then she gets well or returns from vacation and simply doesn’t work.
Keen and eager are over used.
@FLORC – Yup. It’s like the Ministry of Truth in progress here.
Don’t forget “hit the ground running”. That’s a favorite expression of their PR department. Oh and “intensive programme of engagements” meaning 3 hours in 6 weeks.
Personally I prefer Kaiser/CB’s description of her work flurries as ‘working her fingers to the bone’! Gets me every time.
LOL…………..
Okay….no joke….are they INTENTIONALLY trying to look bad? I don’t understand. The British press has been critical of their work ethic for a while and yet they continue to do the things that make people question their value to the taxpayers. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you…
Agreed, and I don’t understand it either. Besides, it’s not just press. Since these days you’ll get comments on articles, you’ll quickly find out what the people in general think. They should know that what they are doing isn’t well received, yet continue down that path anyway. It’s like a huge passive-aggressive middle finger towards the institution and the people.
Perhaps they do not care what people think since they would rather not be royals (just ritch people who do not have to work).
I honestly think that Kate takes her cue from Willy and Willy thinks he is untouchable, for whatever reason. I don’t think he worries the public will get sick of his lazy antics or MIA work history or his fake jobs where he trains forever and then leaves before his contract is over. And, I don’t think he gives two craps about the press, since (in his mind) they killed his mother. I almost think he is trolling them to a point, perhaps unconsciously.
What I am most shocked about is that he is allowed to get away with this lazy, middle-finger salute. Don’t his grammy and father care enough about the monarchy to want an upstanding and hardworking heir? Are they so selfish that they care only for their own legacies? IMO, Charles will be the last king. I think the public will tire of supporting such a lazy, work-shy duo (W&K).
If Kate really wanted to work, then she would be more prepared in giving her three-sentence speeches the few times she shows up at work. She would have shown it through the quality of her work even though she doesn’t have the quantity of work. Instead, what she shows the world is somebody who probably hasn’t read her note cards in advance, never bothered to remember even one sentence, doesn’t do her homework before chatting up the charity workers and recipients, and leaves about 45 minutes or less in.
It’s like a baker who can only make 5 cakes a year. If he was really ‘keen’ to bake, then he wouldn’t mess up those 5 cakes but make the best 5 cakes he can. Rather than showing herself to be a professional, she shows a lack of ‘keenness’ to work by the lack of quality in her preparation and outcome.
Anne
True enough.
When Kate is a (for her) work streak she improves before our eyes. Her speeches are better. Her interactions are better. Her wardrobe is better. She improves fast!
Then she stops and she loses all she gained.
It’s like Running. The more you do it the better you get. But if you take a week or 2 off you’re back to the first square.
Agree, Anne. For many years, Letizia was severely limited in what she was allowed to do. When she was at those few events, she showed up as the consummate professional.
I think William just believes he is entitled and doesn’t believe that the public will really ever do anything, except sit back and watch him behave this way for decades.
Most popular and well liked of all Royals all over the World supposedly is Prince Harry. I am not surprised at the choice looking at this lot and other Royals.
Harry should be king. Yes, he’s made his mistakes, but he seems to learn from him, and he seems to really care. Wish William would step down like his great-grandfather’s older brother did.
Lazy, lazy, lazy.
Sidenote – Having a very quiet day at work (WORK, yes W-O-R-K. no, don’t worry K+W, I know it’s a foreign concept for you). – So tweeted the KP twiiter, and asked if k and w were actually gonna do any work in 2015. No reponse. Possible they don’t feed the trolls, but still.
I always wonder how many people tweet them since they did that.
I did love the tweet sent to HM’s newly opened account purporting to be from Carole Middleton asking HM to follow her. That was witty and funny.
Unfortunately, it was taken down.
LOL!!! That sounds like something Gin O’clock would do!
The TV ads here in the US stated William would be presiding over the BAFTAs on Sunday. Umm, nope. I just cannot believe how disappointed I’ve become with Bill and Cathy. What a self indulgent couple; they deserve each other.
Gave up on William a few years ago. He doesn’t care. He’s not going to change and our opinion of him matters not to him.
As for Kate, a volunteer with EACH went off on her in the comment section of a DM article yesterday. She said everything we’ve been able to gleam from pictures and reports of her visits. And she admitted it’s much worse behind the scenes. Kate canceling 8 out of 10 scheduled visits. The lack of true interaction with the kids. Never asking to come. Always being asked/begged to show up. And then being treated in the press and by the parents as if she were the 2nd coming. It was fascinating reading her remarks yesterday. Was surprised the DM approved them & didn’t block her.
It was terrible how she was attacked by that other poster. She told the truth of how it made her feel. Another poster basically ordered her to examine her own bitter heart – because she’s just jealous of Middleton and doesn’t understand how royal patronages work. About how much Middleton does and how much she cares. The original poster is someone who has dedicated her life to working with dying children and a sycophantic Middleton fan attacks her for being jealous? Not surprised, those KM fans will attack anything and anyone in defense of their paper doll idol.
For those who want to slog through it, go the DM article. Click on comments. View oldest comments first, and click View All. The exchange shows up on page 9.
The truth hurts the sycophants. They can’t handle it. Therefore, they lash out at people for pointing out the obvious.
OMG, I read those comments too. True or not, i’m shocked that the DM allowed them. Or that ‘stephenKandy’ hasn’t weighed in to refute any and all this poster’s claims as they do for many such negative comments.
I think for me, the thing that rang true was the never hugging the kids, but simply shaking their hands at a distance. We see that all the time in public. She ALWAYS has any kids at a distance unless the kid is precocious and insists on hugging *her*.
Maybe stevenkandy is suffering from jetlag?
It does ring true, about the distance shown in photos. She uncomfortable and doesn’t want to be there. That’s why videos of her events are so interesting, vs. the split second photos, ie. the little girl on the tarmac photo vs. the video show a different story.
Link! I can’t find it for some reason. Was it taken down?
Edit: found it i think. Sunflower heart?
At first, I thought she might be a germaphobe, but after awhile it became obvious to me that she doesn’t want to touch the little people (kids, sick, people she deems beneath her).
Yes, Sunflower Heart is the poster.
I appreciate Sunflower Heart’s perspective.
And it seems very credible since it only echos what others that have had contact with her have said. She stays briefly, minimal contact, never engages or asks questions. This confirms what other works and her cousin have said that Kate can’t make small talk or ask the polite phrases of “how are you” and such without a foot in mouth situation.
Kate appears to an event she doesn’t have cancelled, is handed flowers and praised, then leaves. The 1st thought I had reading Sunflower’s comment was what kind of person would accept being thanked by the parent of a sick child for just showing up? That Kate didn’t turn around and deflect/share that praise wth the workers behind it is something.
I’ve stated me job here before. I’ve been thanked personally and have always thought it necessary to tell the person showing appreciation that others deserve the thanks too. What I did wasn’t alone and there’s a team of people that deserve more praise than I.
I’ve always thought it a narcissistic trait to accept praise for a job you have not done. Even if you think you deserve it it shows character to acknowlededge others involved.
Small Rant.
Kate is such a huge disappointment, as is her husband.
ok i often look at the Daily Mail comments. It´s my guilty pleasure, so i know the hardcore royalist Stephen Kandy. This “guy” comments on every royal post and always attacks negative comments against Kate and family. BUT when the Cambridge-Middletons are on vacation then Stephen Kandy is nowhere to be seen. I remember that because other posters often ask where “he” is. This “guy” could be Carole or so. That would be awesome 😀
Sounds like something James would do. Or maybe the Middletons share Stephen Kandy as family bonding.
@Elly, I’ve often thought the same thing about Mr. Kandy. His defense of Kate and Clan is so belligerent and pathetic, and he seems to be just as thick-skinned. Other commenters have openly accused “him” of being Carole or Pippa, or a paid astroturfer. But that doesn’t matter to him; he just keeps firing insults, excuses and denials back at them.
I’ve noticed that too about stevenkandy. Now that they’re back from Mustique, guess who is showing up (late) all over the DM thread?
Which article is it? I’m dying to read those comments! Was it the: Just another family on their way home after a holiday: Clutching their son and carrying their own bags, William and Kate fly back from Mustique
Yes. Click on comments. View oldest comments first, and click View All. The exchange shows up on page 9.
Thanks Notasugarhere, at this point that post is now on Page 5 for those looking, if you click View All. She has some other comments, but the main one is on that page with about 25 comments to it.
I believe Sunflower Heart’s posts about the work she does and what she saw up close. I keep saying it, but Diana was never like this, I can’t imagine her letting William & Kate acting this way towards their duties.
What story was that under….I’d like to read it.
I love when insiders or people who know them or have met them leave comments.
The title is:
“Just another family on their way home after a holiday: Clutching their son and carrying their own bags, William and Kate fly back from Mustique”
By RUTH STYLES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13:01 EST, 9 February 2015
Then click “oldest” in comment section.
Then click “view all.”
Then click page 9.
Then see the post by “Sunflower Heart.”
Then click “see all replies,” because she posts more in replies to her critics.
It’s the article in the highlighted link in the article for the dm.
I wish I didn’t start reading CB on my phone because I can’t cut and paste with it or add links, but that entire exchange needs to be cut and paste here. It’s really enlightening.
The comment posted by SunFlower Heart:
When kate was asked to come for 1 hour to visit the kids, I thought, okay, that’s nice. she arrived waving smiling,collecting flowers. She shook my hand, I said “hello, thank you for joining us today”. – for about 45 min she walked around the room talking to the kids + listening to staff explain the work we do. It was all fine until The parents of some of my patients walked up to her and told her “thank you for all your doing for the children”– that was the biggest stab in the heart I had ever felt 🙁 I put my heart into caring for those poor children, not once has any parent walked up to me or handed flowers or said something like that to me or other nurses. All the news papers called her “the children’s princess”- “she’s so amazing with children” – “she’s a great humanitarian”. we were the ones who called in + asked for her to stop by since she signed as a Patron. It wasn’t something she did “because she felt the dying need to” and she only made 2 visits out of the 10 scheduled.
Second Comment:
Sunflower Heart, london, United Kingdom, 21 hours ago
You don’t like it because it’s the truth. Most of the people fawning over william and Kate haven’t met them in person yet, I swear. It’s okay, I was the same way, until I got to actually see her in action and watch what she does, not once, not once did she reach over to hug any of the children, just cold hand shakes, and the children did all the talking, asking her funny questions, she just made faces and smiled. For people who aren’t actually there, all you see is the pictures and Gif’s and you automatically are fooled. Please. She’s going to visit a factory on the 18th, the factory is making mugs and vases, made by a company supporting our hospice. She will just be showing up for 35 min- to look at the mugs being made in the factory. I can’t belive the public is still gullible to call that sort of thing work or humanitarianism. Once again, we are the ones calling her in to visit because she is Patron, kate isn’t the one asking to come in, she’s yet to make a private visit… waiting
And her third comment:
I work part time as an aid in one of the hospice here in London that Kate has visited. I was explaining the reality of what takes place, versus the photos printed and pushed in your faces. She’s painted as mother Theresa / Angelina Jolie. But the reality is heat Kate doesn’t do much and of the 10 scheduled visits, she only made 2. It was a bit funny seeing photos of her on vacation after she turned down a previous visit, the palace excuse was “she’s very busy” than I just find out she’s been on vacation after only 2 events this January. Sad sad sad. You have to be very gullible to become a fan of the Cambridges
For me Sunflower doesn’t ring true.
She states she works at a children’s hospice in London. That Kate will be visiting the factory that is producing the product for the company that is supporting the hospice Sunflower works for. And that Kate is the Patron of her hospice.
The factory that Kate is visiting later today is making the tea cups etc in support of EACH (East Anglia Children’s Hospices). Therefore, by her own words, Sunflower works for EACH. Not only is EACH not in London, Kate is not Patron of any children’s hospice in London. EACH is in Norfolk, Ipwich and Cambridge.
So either Sunflower works at EACH, and therefore, not in London as she states or she works at a hospice in London and Kate is not their Patron.
Kate did visit a London hospice – Shooting Stars. But it is Sophie who is their Patron. So if this is the hospice that Sunflower is talking about then she woefully misunderstood Kate’s visit and who their patron is. Also there are photos and videos showing that there were plenty of hugs and cuddles at the Shooting Star visit (that was the visit where the little girl kept coming up to hug Kate. Kate was right down hugging her back along with other kids)
So, all in all, I just can’t put my trust in this posters story. There are too many holes.
That’s because the Daily Mail hates her . They are not trying to make her look good ,they are not her PR paper, no matter how much that view is uttered here .
You think the DM allowed freedom of speech on this article because they hate Kate Middleton? That’s an interesting perspective. What about all the times they remove negative comments about KM?
LAK, here’s your link;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2946134/William-Kate-carry-bags-baby-Royals-look-like-family-trudge-aircraft-steps-way-home-Caribbean.html
Now I’m going to go read it.
IMO the DM is not pro-Kate, they just play pro-Kate. They are passive aggressive when it comes to her and definitely throw shade. Between the lines you feel the shade and they try to get klicks from people disliking the Cambridges. Especially when the DM covers other royal women with careers, work ethic and style. The DM just needs to imply they are copying Kate and hell breaks lose in the comments section. In the end every comparision shows how little Kate is and does.
IMO they lift her up to destroy her when the time comes.
The last article about Kate and William flying to Mustique had the caption “It´s a hard life” on the sidebar…
Elly,
I think you’re quite right there. I have noticed it too. I have noticed that they often use hyperbole when reporting on Kate and that doesn’t necessarily mean that what they intend is unadulterated praise. When the hyperbole is over the top it is more likely sarcasm, but that is something that is notoriously hard to detect in print.
It also matters where they put the stories on K&W’s jet-set lifestyle. I recall seeing a newspaper front page the last time Kate was on Mustique (without Wills and with the “surprise” snapshot of her and George) – that article shared the front page with a story about the flooding in Britain as I recall – and that is no coincidence! The paper was IMO definitely making a statement about Kate’s luxury lifestyle versus the struggles of the average citizen – it just wasn’t spelled out for everyone to understand, it was something people had to suss out for themselves.
Strategies of communication like that are quite typical when something is “forbidden” or discouraged from being discussed openly. I have no idea how much influence the BRF has on the press in Britain though I know that Will in the past has sent people to lean on at least one columnist, Amanda Platell – whose follow-up column on Kate was a text-book example on the use of hyperbole (over-the-top exaggeration) as sarcasm. She also mentioned the visit from Will’s people in the column and thus clearly framed the text as a direct response to that experience, not with direct criticism but with the critique disguised as praise of such ludicrous proportions that it was quite clear to any moderately discerning reader that the intent was quite the opposite. So why did she use that strategy? it is more difficult to decode that a direct criticism. IMO, I think that she didn’t want a second visit from Will’s people or a direct complaint to her boss, which might threaten her job. Will’s tactics in this particular instance was those of a bully and I’m quite frankly appalled that he tried to interfere so directly and hostilely with the freedom of the press.
I agree; the press uses subliminal text and images to get its point across in a very deft manner. Many times it can be outright sarcasm couched in syrupy sweet verbiage.
Okay, I’m being a superficial jerk for putting this out there, but… Kate is not going to age well. Maybe it’s genetics, being a mother, or the overall stress of the palace. I’m sure she’s under an immense amount of pressure.
It may be superficial, but then again, so is her image.
She hasn’t really provided a lot of substance. She isn’t the warm mother-type nor is she showing any real passion or interest towards anything nor taking part in any discussions about the society or humanity. She also doesn’t seem to have personality nor character (I know I’m being the jerk now, but I really have never gotten any kind of impression of what she would be like as an individual).
Since some people equate youthfulness and pretty hair, face and figure with “goodness”, she can get away with a lot as long as she maintains youthfulness, pretty hair, face and figure. So, really, that could very well be an actual concern for her.
I do wish she would end up blossoming into a woman with some character.
I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. Kate strikes me as obsessed about William and also herself. She’s only going to these events to fulfill minimal requirements, she’s really not that interested in the topic of discussion. I think she is vain.
@vava, she strikes me as someone who never really grew up into a wholesome person. She’s like an empty shell, who just focuses on the shell, instead of making an effort to become her own person. As if she would just kind of float through life without any firm grasp on anything.
I admit that I almost see her as a victim of some sort, because it would be too difficult for me to admit that someone could really be that shallow and dull, without any interest in being anything else. So I’m hoping that it’s just a phase and she’ll eventually find herself and become a person of substance 🙂
vava/Wonderbunny
Kate had personality. She had friends. She had a healthy frame. She gave up a lot to be with William.
Wonderbunny
Many thought once Kate had a child she would mature. Maybe take on a charity having to do with expecting mothers or infant illness. I think that ship has sail. Something drastic would have to happen or Kate to find some purpose or respect for her station. I dooubt she’ll care about anything outside of her immediate and closed off life until she can’t turn away from it.
Shame really because she had all the tools to do so little and help so greatly.
@FLORC, I’ve only really started paying more attention to her very recently. I had one feeling about her, but decided that it was me projecting. I’ll share it now anyway, as you’re saying about her having had personality, friends and being healthy.
I once lived with a man who was acting like a petulant child. He also had the economic power in the relationship and I was quite lost during that time. I also think that I got together with him because of all the wrong reasons (hence not really respecting my gut feeling and choosing “safety” over my own happiness). In any case, being with him changed me. I stopped seeing my friends, my self-esteem completely dipped and I filled my life with escapism, because I couldn’t find the strength to do anything. I can’t help but to associate the vacant look and the lack of character in Kate to what I went through. I understand what it feels like when you want to limit all social engagements and would rather go shopping to fill the void. I also believed the “if only I were thinner, things would be better”. I cared about things and people, but felt that I wasn’t any good at anything and hence unable to really do anything worthwhile.
Part of me thinks that criticising her would make things worse, but then sometimes something might break the camel’s back and you’ll snap out of a bad situation and start fighting for your own existence again.
But like I said, I might very well be projecting, and she’s doing just fine and just doesn’t really care to go forth and do something really meaningful.
Wonderbunny – that is a heartbreaking account you have shared. I’m so glad that you recognized it and were able to find yourself again.
If you are correct, and you see that in Kate, then it is very sad indeed…I feel like she is so deeply entrenched in this life, she will never resurface. When your own family disregards the fact that your boyfriend treats you like crap, and only encourages you to get him back, and treats him like the second coming…well, I don’t imagine she has anywhere else to turn, or anyone to help her.
@Shazzy, you are right, that other people downplaying the bad stuff does a lot of harm. The worse thing is that it makes you question your own sense of reality, what is right and wrong, and your own self-worth.
However, there is a positive side to such experiences: if you do get through it, you’ll learn a massive amount about confidence and self-worth and can learn how to support and care for others. Bad experiences can be turned into gifts! We all have our own individual journeys and lessons to be learned. Who knows what it will be for Kate.
Wonderbunny
That’s terrible, but great on you for realising this and getting out.
And by the rest of my comment I want you to know i’m not belttling your experience. I can struggle with my word usage.
I do think you are projecting. Maybe not completely unjustified though.
Kate’s life has been extremely well documented in both pro, anti, and indifferent unbias coverage.
Maybe Kate pursued William over a crush. Maybe because she wanted to be cared for financially. No one can claim to know this.
Kate did however appear to put all her eggs in the basket of a man known to wander and no one of status wanted for a husband.
I just deleted a very long post so here’s a condensed version.
Kate’s life hasn’t really changed. She calls William to her side when he strays for too long by press manipulation. She has all her expenses overed by Charles. She can avoid work and live with her family uninterrupted.
If she wanted anything it could be hers. And Carole I believe would assist her. Carole can make it happen.
And I bet living with William is hell too. He’s been noted as having a terrible temper.
And Kate has looked at him almost like a lost puppy needing approval. It’s sad. But then remember she has a strong support system in her family and can manipulate press. I think Kate has more control than we give her credit for.
I think her life is not ideal, but it’s what she wanted. Not shopping to fill a whole, but shopping because it’s something to do.
And I would add, shopping (exercising, going to the hairdresser, watching TOWIE) because it is what she wants to do. She’s like William that way; she only does what she wants to do. She doesn’t want to work, so she doesn’t.
@FLORC & notasugar,
Fair enough. I do think though that even if one would seemingly have control over things, you also need to have the confidence to take hold of it (instead of being passive-aggressive).
Anyway, I hear you. I think that to protect my own world view, it is easier to believe that something would be wrong, rather than accept that they would both really just be bland, lazy and uninterested in anything. That would be too…infuriating 🙂
Interesting discussion here. Wonderbunny, I’m glad you were able to get out of Hell.
Kate won’t though. She likes the fame, the adoration, and she’s willing to put up with the Petulant Prince. Besides, her mother won’t let her escape and be a strong person. I don’t envision Kate having the backbone to do it, either.
Wonderbunny
Lots of people approach Kate like she’s not in the position she’s in. That she’s a working mom like anyone on here. That she would also go crazy if her life was just vapid pursuits, decorating, shopping, focusing on appearance because that’s how we would act.
Simply answer is that’s her life.She hasn’t made a move to break away from it. Even when she had to get a job after the Queen asked what she did the job was for show and even her boss admitted that.
Still, I bet she does feel sadness and insecure from William’s absence or presences.
And I don’t think she had much self respect to leave William after his cheating. Word was she said it made her feel cheap and to stop. His resonse was a textbook don’t you know who i am and he left her. After that she should have never returned if she had self confidence.
FLORC,
I don’t think it is merely a question of self-confindence but also a self-worth and that is much deeper and more important issue. Self-confidence and self-worth don’t necessarily go hand in hand. You can have confidence in your own competences in one arena (fx the professional) and still have problems with with self-worth.
I feel very sorry for her if she has issues of self-worth. It is something I have struggled with my whole life and no one should be made to feel that they don’t have any worth as a person.
Damn… can you imagine vacationing that long?!! The longest I’ve ever been away is 8 days and I was starting to get antsy.
Agreed! I’ve been off work for the weekend plus 2 days due to the crazy New England snowstorm and I am going stir crazy!
I also just can’t understand how she doesn’t get bored in her normal, everyday life! Literally, what does she do all day? And how is vacationing even different from that? Other than the weather, she is basically with the exact same people, doing the exact same thing – nothing. I guess it’s different now that she has a baby (even though she has a FT nanny), but before she got married, during her “honeymoon” period when she was supposedly living with Willy in the farmhouse in Wales…what on earth was she doing all day? It’s kind of mindblowing to me. We know now that the line we were fed about her studying hard to learn about her charities and all that other stuff was nonsense. How much nothingness can a person take?
Maybe she spends her time watching tacky television and reading romance novels. Shopping, primping, and working out?
Vava
Everything you’ve stated has been confirmed on several occasions. Her work out routine, diets, and shopping have been backed up officially or by bystander photos. All except reading. That can’t be confirmed.
FLORC: I’ve seen at least one photo of K&W during the dating years where they’re both sunning themselves by the pool, each with a paperback in hand. Don’t know the subject matter, but they do read…. But I agree with all that’s been said–same thing, same activities (or non-activiities), same people, just different location. And not really a different location, since they come back to Mustique time & again. I guess good, old-fashioned site-seeing is out of the question. Shame.
Hazel
Dating Kate and Married Kate are different Kates.
My comment wasn’t completely serious though. It had a touch of snark.
Snark aside though. It’s been in official pr Kate’s diet, workout routines, and what tv shows she likes. I wonder why books are left out. And she’s seen movies. That there was no comment Kate read a book and got excited to see the movie stands out. That seems common in regards to others.
She’s probably feverishly reading 50 Shades of Grey before the movie is released!
vava
I tried to read it and the structure of the story/sentences is horrific! It’s like 4th grade writing ability. I struggled through it.
I can do it. 🙂
I once went on a 2 week vacation with my husband to Kauai, HI, and yes, I could do it, too! It was the BEST vacation we have had yet.
Kauai is great. So laid back! I loved it there.
Wasn’t there a rumor that Stephen Fry was planning to approach Prince William at a BAFTA event to urge him again to sign the pardon for the 49,000 men? I wonder if this was just a play by the royal family to avoid the whole situation. He and Kate have already been so cowardly/disappointing about refusing to take part in it.
While I have no time for their work shy ways, the petition is definitely political and it would be horrendously inappropriate for them to go anywhere near it. That’s why back in the day, Princess Diana spent a lot of time insisting land mines were a humanitarian issue.
That’s why I think the rumor was a plant. The petition is real but the rumored surprise “sign this” on stage at the BAFTAs was made up.
William pre-recorded a message about Sir Attenborough so behind-the-scenes people must have known he wouldn’t show up in person. As host, Fry would have been warned that the President of the organization wasn’t going to be at their key annual event.
Or it was a low level threat that was latched onto to give justification?
Here’s what I don’t get: since they never do any work anyway, why do charities keep asking them to be a patron? they’d be much better off with a “minor” royal or celebrity patron, instead of courting these two twits and then not getting any real support from them. I don’t know what the RF costs the British public (or us Canadians, i should check!) but honestly, showing up at events in a chauffeured car, shaking a few hands, cutting a ribbon and making small talk for an hour while wearing couture chosen by a stylist, washed and pressed by the maid, and then going home to a chef prepared lunch does not strike me as that much work anyway. To skip on all of that is truly an insult to all the hard working, dedicated people who put their time and effort into all these charities, particularly all the thousands of unpaid volunteers who likely could use a vacay much more.
Do charities keep asking them to be patrons, though? I think the only patronage Kate’s taken on since her first batch is a YACHT RACING organization….right in her comfort level. She only has to associate with other rich people.
But if they don’t have patronages how they can even pretend to be busy? and the ones they do have, who need to beg them to show up… can’t they drop them from the list of patrons? Hell, I would issue a statement saying that due to lack of appearances, we have severed ties with so and so. They can’t send you to the Tower for that anymore, can they? I mean it’s visible that she does not care for kids or vets, and as for Will… if he can’t show up for the freakin’ BAFTAs, there’s nothing left to say.
vauvert – they take “private meetings” for their Foundation. Nobody speaks out as to whether those actually exist or not.
One of the recent “private meetings” was the annual meeting of their Foundation. William and Harry were there. She wasn’t. She was papped shopping. Excuse from many, “But she has morning sickness. Don’t blame her for that. She felt better later. She can go shopping if she wants! Stop being haters!”
IF she was actually sick, and IF anybody cared, they would have had the meeting in the afternoon if that was the only way she could attend. It was the annual meeting of THEIR Foundation and she missed it.
Simple answer: She didn’t want to attend and/or they didn’t want her there.
I think they get asked because it brings the charity publicity and makes fundraising a bit easier. The whole idea is to get visibility for the organizations of which you are patron which is why I shake my head that the wealthy sailors of the world need help.
I think it is a charity to get youth involved in yachting, tacked onto the political attempt to get a big yachting race to Britain. Will this turn out like the time she lectured underprivileged inner-city kids to turn off the tv and go to the country more often? That is the point of the charity you represent you drip (KM, not you bluhare). Giving children who cannot afford to go to the country the opportunity to spend time outdoors. After an hour at this event, she hopped into the helicopter and went to a polo match.
What’s next, telling underprivileged inner-city kids that they should turn off their tvs and go yachting, it is so much more fun? Someone really isn’t thinking through these patronages very well.
notasugarhere you´re cruel! Every kid should get a yacht and i adore Kate for her engagement! Yachts for everyone! Who needs food and education? NO ONE IF YOU CAN GO YACHTING! So, Kate is right!
As a Canadian I resent the $2.00 a year I pay to support these dolittles. I demand a refund!!! I’m going to send an invoice to Buckingham Palace today!!!
Seriously, this work avoidance is becoming epic. It’s as if William is deliberately taunting the public by swanning around doing less than the bare minimum on a very lavish stipend and, by extension, so does Kate because she’s a total doormat without 2 brain cells to rub together. He really has turned out to be a complete fail at everything, and can’t even be bothered to play down his arrogance and sneering attitude towards the unwashed masses. Miserable prick……
The taunting does seem deliberate at this point.
Well I’m Canadian and will gladly pay my $2.00. I don’t get the hate for these two. Some of the comments are so unfair and just downright mean.
Because they are lazy, entitled and don’t even do the bare minimum of work for the lavish lifestyle they lead. In a day and age where poverty, and lack of education and opportunity is so prevalent, a money-sucking monarchy is a complete anachronism and they both should be out there working hard to raise awareness for numerous organizations and charities. It’s called working for the money and privileges they enjoy instead of abusing it by their lack of work ethic, endless vacations and shopping. Diana must be rolling in her grave.
I don’t think the comments are unfair, they deserve them! They aren’t mean spirited either, sometimes the truth isn’t NICE.
I disagree. The comments are petty and mean. And some of them are complete bs! Especially the comments regarding Katherine. William couldn’t have chosen a better wife. She comes across as totally engaged, warm and enthusiastic.
The comments here are neither petty nor mean and definitely not BS. We are generally a well educated and well read group of commenters at CB. Even the UK media are starting to call them out. A mean comment would be “He looks like a balding bag of ferrets” or “She has a face like a leather handbag.” These comments are nothing but the truth. Things started out very well, they were popular until they proved themselves unwilling to pitch in like the rest of the BRF (the Queen & Prince Phillip both outstrip them despite being very old and, in Phillip’s case, infirm). They are both lazy, distant and unfocused (William is downright arrogant) and do very little other than show up at a few chi-chi events, then take more vacations.
Daughter of Jean
Please don’t lump comments that aren’t glowing of Kate into mean or bs. There are posters here that will do that, but by majority we are well informed.
And we respect your opinion, but when you state information we know is false we will challenge you on it. Not that you have. Just an example.
And I agree. Kate has come across engaged and warm. Those who have met her say otherwise. The press does a number on her image.
I encourage you to visit the dm article we’ve been discussing here. Where Sunflawer Heart did meet her and gave a detailed account of what the cameras avoid showing.
Sometimes it’s tough to view someone as wonderful and then having to realise you’ve been viewing a false image created by a pr campaign.
Not all about Kate is bad. But she is far from hard working and does struggle to find purpose in her charity work/meeting the workers and be engaging with them.
Much of the rest is just her pr trying to oversell her.
You’re here sharing your opinion, but please don’t belittle those who aren’t attacking and don’t share your opinions. We don’t agree, but that doesn’t make our comments bs, petty or mean.
Jaded, it doesn’t make any sense to me. Not only is the monarch an unelected Head of State, they don’t live in your country or share any of your experiences. How can they speak to your needs as a Canadian, when they aren’t Canadian themselves? They visit every couple of years and wave. At the very least, I expect the end of the Commonwealth when HM passes.
Doesn’t make any sense to me either ‘notasugarhere’, which is why I actually resent the fact that per capita Canadians pay more than UK citizens to support the monarchy. There’s a good article from MacLean’s Magazine that shows we pay well in excess of $50 million per annum to cover expenses incurred by the royals when they visit and wave at us, as well as expenses for our Governor General and 10 provincial lieutenant-governors. All useless positions by my estimation.
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/queen-costs-us-more-than-the-brits-pay/
Let’s hope that this useless bit of anachronistic pomp and circumstance does end when the Queen passes.
I don’t think it has anything to do with laziness. I think it’s all about the succession. They’re keeping a low profile on purpose. If these two actually put themselves out there, they would outshine Charles and Camilla in a heartbeat, which the Firm can’t afford right now. My guess is that they’ve been told to go about their business, make some babies, check in with the press now and again, and let Charles take over without the shadow of Diana looming over him. All Charles has going for him is his maturity and work ethic. If his heir gets tagged as a lay-about, he can’t help but look more kingly, and if William isn’t working the press has no other option but to train their attention on the fact that Charles is.
But articles are coming out that are pro-Middleton at the expense of Charles. Most importantly William does not want any press people that are connected to Charles. That makes it unlikely that what we’re seeing are Charles’ wishes.
Good point. However, if they were to put themselves out there and be hugely popular, it would be great for the Firm, just not great for Charles.
Agreed, Natalie. Charles is the one who allegedly wants to whittle down the monarchy. The only working royals will be Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry, Harry’s spouse. Charles needs these two out working, being popular, and connecting with people in the UK. His short reign will only happen if the people see William as a good future king. Otherwise it ends with HM’s passing.
The lingering affection for “Diana’s boys” is what is keeping William afloat. That affection has to be transferred to W&K as “W&K”, not as “Diana’s son and his bride”. 2017 will be the 20th anniversary of her death. When will William stop playing the Mummy Card?
Their laziness is ruining Charles’s plans, but he is incapable of dealing with his son. As I’ve said before, William is whiplash like Diana. Couple that with Charles’s emotional, reactive nature and things will go poorly.
I don’t understand this notion that Charles is behind the Lamebridges’ laziness. It benefits no one in the Firm to have the heir and his wife being this tone deaf and elitist. Yes, they are royal, but they are also expected to give back for the enormous wealth and privilege they have. These two take and give back very little in return.
We joke about King Harry, but since W&K have been swanning about in Mustique for nearly 3 weeks, Harry has been active with his charities. He’s been doing what is expected not only of a royal, but the heir, and he won’t get credited on the Court Circular for it. His actions only highlight how pathetic William is.
Charles could only benefit, but the Cambridges not being seen as lazy. Especially if Charles keeps the royals to only his offspring and spouse. Instead it will look like Charles, Camilla, Harry with the rest being dead weight.
Blaming Charles for William’s laziness is a colour.
Kate and William decide their own schedules.
They are already popular with the British press and Kate already makes tons of magazines.
There is no excuse for them not working.
William is a 32 yr old man, Kate is a 33’yr old woman, these two can work more if they choose to.
Notasugarhere
Remember, William is the heir to the heir. There’s still time to salvage. However, let’s hope year 2015 doubles the workload (appearances) for W&K and of course brings the new Royal baby.
Sarcasm, I presume? Both of them will decrease their royal engagements this year.
They take full-time perks. The heir-to-the-heir with the largest KP mansion for entertaining (but they keep dogging out on the events taking place in the same bloody building). The 10 bedroom mansion in the country. Commandeering the majority of RPO time so she can decamp to Bucklebury. All of the office and house staff (including nannies) to run everything so W&K can do royal engagements full-time.
Those perks are given to them because they are meant to be full-time working royals. None of the others of his generation get those perks. If they don’t want to do the work, then give back all the perks. Move to employee housing at Cambridge Airport and pay all their own expenses. WHEN/IF they ever do full-time royal work, then they get the full-time perks.
Interesting theory–william’s holding himself back to make his dad look better. Kinda doubt it!😃
“All Charles has going for him is maturity and work ethic” . . . . . how absolutely horrible! Maturity and work ethic? We don’t want that! 🙂
Well…..i solemnly swear that going forward I shall be completely immature and have no work ethic. someone needs to make me a Sovereign immediately.
LAK, someone needs to make you heir-to-the-heir STAT! If they made you the soon-to-be fifth in line, however, you’d have a double serving of work ethic.
I think they know that all will be forgiven when the next baby arrives – people won’t remember this period.
The British press basically looks the other way and gives them wonderful press, no matter how lazy or lacking these two are.
What we need eventually is something they do to take themselves down. I’d like to see William and Kate publicly humiliated by their own actions.
Wow, I didn’t realize William had backed out until you posted this article! His PR team have to be pulling their hair out. I can’t imagine Diana ever doing such a thing, never! This said both William & Kate were expected.
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/02/harvey-weinstein-grey-goose-baftas
The intersection of Hollywood and royalty is an ongoing theme for this year’s events, as Saturday sees Prince William and Kate Middleton host (alongside longtime sponsor Audi) an exclusive BAFTA nominee’s party at Kensington Palace.
Sounds more and more like the time Middleton’s name was on the invite to the Winter event at KP, but magically someone else was blamed when she didn’t show up.
+1
I predict that when Williams become King, he’s going to do what his father is doing and cut the Royal family straight down to include only his own descendants, which means Harry will be as out as Andrew is now and will be even more so when Charles becomes King.
Why? Because Harry is going to continue to do charity work and will always be more popular than William. Big brother King William doesn’t need Harry’s popularity to be a distraction to his own PR efforts to make him look good with the least amount of work. William is going to worry about his own legacy as King more so than being loyal to his brother. When things get real, William’s going to be looking out for himself, same as Charles is doing now.
If Harry’s smart and has any foresight, he’d find himself a wealthy heiress or a FIL who’s a captain of industry so he can get a high-earning career while doing charity work on the side.
Gee, Princess Estelle of Sweden does more royal appearances than the Cambridges – and she’s just getting out of a sippy cup.
I found a site where it tracks all the appearances the various royals do, not just European but Middle East and Far East as well. You learn about other cultures with that site. Sadly American press will only cover the Brits and Monagause (sp) royals because they are good tabloid copy.
That Estelle is going to be amazing when she can do events on her own.
The way her parents are exposing her to not only the crowds, but also her duties is genius.
And her hand shaking is adorable.
“SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Bafta stars put out over Prince who wasn’t there
Given that he is President of Bafta, his home Kensington Palace was used for an official party on Saturday and his Eton College classmate Eddie Redmayne was named Best Actor, Prince William might have been expected to put in an appearance at the prestigious film awards. The Duke of Cambridge’s absence from Sunday’s ceremony was, however, the talk of the Baftas.
(later in the article)
A Kensington Palace spokesman tells me: ‘Sadly, the Duke was not able to attend this year due to prior commitments.’
If anyone knows what those ‘commitments’ were, please do get in touch. ”
That last sentence!!!!! Ouch!!! Really, if people can’t see what the DM is telling them plainly, then people are really sheeple.
Sadly many of the comments are pro-William because they hate the BAFTAs, hate Steven Fry, etc. He states they came home four days ago. Interesting if that ends up being true. But hey, at least Middleton worked for an hour. Comments frozen on the article at 94 for the last few hours.
That’s pretty unbelievable. William got called out with a truck load!
Seriously, Sebastian’s last line is awesome. Dying to know what strategy their new PR flack is implementing, with this sort of thing getting printed more frequently. I’m guessing his tenure will be short-lived, given William’s intractability. Seems like a lost cause at this point.
The new strategy is to withhold even more info from the press and public until after the event has taken place. There were possibly two Middleton events, a short reception at KP and one with kids, neither of which was announced. Difficult to track if she’s helicoptering in from mummy’s in Berkshire if no one knows she going to have an event.
@NOTA: it definitely looks that way! (At least for the moment.) I’m just struggling to understand how that’s going to play out long-term with the public. Seems like it would be much more difficult to maintain public goodwill without the photos & stories that accompany official engagements. This new strategy is reversing the “show, don’t tell” rule, and I’m curious to see how well it will work.
I think William especially is acting like someone in a relationship who is already over it and hates the other person but doesn’t have the balls to say “it’s over” so they keep acting horrible so that the other party is the one to say “enough”.
Reading your comments here, I was tempted to go to the Daily Heil and see what everything was about. The one article I found on Kate is not what you are talking about here, but Lord, someone referred to WIlliam as ‘WIlliam the Weak’, hahaha! Why do I see that title sticking?
The cultural industry (arts, movies, music …) is an important part of British private business. It contributes a significant part to the countries GDP. If the Dolittle’s aren’t willing to support such things then the industry captains will start doubting the need for a royal family. The Royal Family will lose lots of support because of such last-minute-pull-out stunts.