I wonder if People Magazine’s royal covers are consistently great newsstand sellers, because this feels like the 15th Cambridge-family cover from People Magazine for just this year. It is my belief – and feel free to disagree with me – that the Cambridges’ new (American) PR guy and perhaps William feel that they need to play to American audiences in particular. Like, Americans loved Princess Diana and Americans are interested in stories about princes, princesses and all of that and the media model for the Cambridges is very American-centric. I also believe that the PR guy – Jason – has been pushing certain stories and certain angles with People Magazine specifically, ahead of the UK papers. Anyway, here are some highlights from People’s latest cover story:
The “replicated” life in the country: It is at Anmer Hall in the Norfolk countryside where they have chosen to put down roots, replicating the cozy life they have experienced among friends and at Kate’s parents’ home in Bucklebury. “William likes nothing more than sitting around a table at mealtimes and having a good laugh,” a friend tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story.
Kate runs errands: Locals report that the couple is “settling in nicely,” while they come and go from the country estate, with Kate spotted out “driving through [the village] on her own,” carrying out errands.
Hour-long commute: For William, who will make the hour-long commute to Cambridge for his medi-vac work – he is the first senior heir to the throne to hold a civilian job – the role is a natural follow-up to his duties as a search-and-rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force.
Many of you have pointed out that William would have basically had the same commute to work whether they were living in Norfolk or London, as in he would still have to travel an hour to work. So the only reason they’re living in Norfolk is…? I’m still not sure about that. But the angle is still “Will & Kate are just like us”… nevermind the £60,000 tennis court relocation, etc, etc.
Some people are also still buzzing about William’s non-denial that he and Kate will have a third child. Sources close to Kate have been saying this for months, that she wants three children because she came from a family of three kids. William has always said that he just wants two. I suspect Kate will get her way. Hey, if she has a third kid, she can put off royal work (“whatever that means”) for several more years.
Photos courtesy of Mario Testino, Fame/Flynet, People Magazine, PCN.
Nothing says love like a forced baby. I’m getting a little tired of them being sold like they’re one of us. Also a commute to work is normal. It doesn’t make you special, it keeps you employed.
In a very vile way, her job is to have heirs to the throne.
No, there are hundreds of people in line. These two were not required to reproduce.
Actually, yes they were! The idea is that the throne goes down (now) from eldest child to eldest child. It is really better that it does not deviate. Kate’s only duty is to reproduce.
As for the American market, they could not care less about it.
Caroline, the throne has deviated lots of time or skipped a generation quite a few times.
In recent memory, HM’s father and grandfather were 2nd sons. Her great, great grandmother, Victoria, was the daughter of the 4th son of George 3, himself the grandson of George 2.
Goerge 3’s immediate 2 successors, George 4 and William 4, were brothers.
Not to metion how the Hanovarians came to power in the first place.
Of the Stuarts, James 1 was a cousin of Elizabeth 1(several times removed). Charles 2 and James 2 were also brothers.
And after them came Mary 2 and Anne (sisters)
Tudors…..from Henry 8 (2nd son) to Elizabeth ( 2nd daughter after a cousin and 2 half siblings), siblings or cousins.
Plantagenets….400+ yrs of game of thrones between cousins.
When you look at entire history of England, the throne has gone sideways more often than in a straight line.
So there was no need for William and Kate to procreate. There are 00s in the line of succession of whom at least 30 are very, very visible.
There might not have been a need, but it certainly was expected, wasn’t it?
Enough already!!
I sympathize!
I do somewhat fantasize about their “cozy” life. I didn’t come from a cozy home life growing up, and during my wild-child years that all seemed so suffocating, but now my weekends are totally devoted to my home life (bf & little furry ones). I don’t lust for great wealth, but I would love a country home near a pleasant town, going for long walks every day, running errands, and having fabulous meals prepared for me by my staff. Only working when the mood strikes. I’m not the target audience for People mag since I don’t read them, but they’re not far off on the appeal of that fantasy.
The “idea” of their cozy country life is lovely. How I wish I could live like that. But behind the Cambridges carefully manicured image are many questions regarding their uselessness, extravagant spending and lack of contributions to the society they are expected to “rule”.
Agree totally
bettyrose, I hear ya!
I, too, would like to have the kind of financial security that frees you from worrying about job loss, paying bills, losing a home or debating whether you can afford a home repair o r improvement. I also want that for my sisters and brothers and other people I care about. I like my job but for many, it is a never-ending treadmill that we must run in order to keep body and soul together, a roof over our heads and the bill-collector at bay.
Kate does seem to have been born under a very lucky star. Through some combination of the Middleton family trust, being bankrolled by the sketchy Uncle Gary, and some business acumen of her mother, she has had every material need met from birth onwards.
Now she is married to a man who has a never-ending stream of wealth and she has children who will be revered and whose financial future she will never have to worry. All without having lifted so much as a finger. I am Canadian but I understand the American ethic of work hard and prosper…that is why it ticks me off to think of Kate getting all she gets through no effort of her own.
For what it’s worth, here’s Adweeks’s 2014 sales wrap up for celebrity magazine covers. The Cambridge covers were big sellers for Star Magazine, but not for People. Hilary Clinton’s covers were the low sellers for People, but still beat out Kate for Star covers. http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/press/best-and-worst-celebrity-weekly-covers-2014-161939
Weird that they called Hillary’s issue a flop, when in actual numbers it outsold every other issue In this list, except the Robin Williams one they’re comparing it to.
If they have a good sex life, having another kid isn’t out of the question — they can afford it, afterall. I think if Diana and Charles were happier, she would’ve went for another. She and Charles wanted a girl, reportedly.
Willy and Waity are nearly the most unpopular royals in GB. Not suprising since they are still trying to figure out what a working royal is. Ordinary Brits are faced with austerity measures so I’m skeptical about a new mouth to feed, more nannies to hire, more RPOs to pay, more creepy baby clothes to buy…
Oh yes – i have been looking for a job the past few months and it hasn’t been easy. I wish someone would create a job just for little ole me – or just give me money to stay at home.
Is that an hour-long commute by Queen’s helicopter or….
I would only be really impressed if he cycled all the way to Cambridge. It’s the only way the British public would not have to pay for his transport.
It’s an hour by sedan chair, plebes included.
His chauffeur is going to have some long days…
“William likes nothing more than sitting around a table and having a good laugh.”
Based on his (ill-placed) jocularity at Wimbledon, and the various dead-pan deprecating humour he has used when speaking of baby George, you just know William fancies himself a rapier wit, with the dry, wry humour that the British admittedly do well.
He’s probably used to people (the Middletons and the Turnip Toffs) laughing uproariously at his jokes, tears streaming from their eyes, declaring him the wittiest of all witty wits.
Lots of people make transit jokes. Here is proof from people who communte on the same DC Metro line as me.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/07/15/delays-on-metros-red-line-27/
There’s is a difference between “we’re all in this together” vs. a man who has a chauffeur (paid by the taxpayers) to take him home. You’re welcome to think he’s funny, I’m welcome to think this 1 percenter is being tone deaf, inappropriate, and UnFunny as Mike Myers would say.
Nota – do you even use public transportation or are you just butthurt over a very meaningless joke that happen to get caught on camera because you dislike William? Does the man have to live his life without a single moment of levity among his friends because it might offend someone? I seem to recall Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Shumer complaining about this phenomenon.
5 days a week, sometimes six. Out of my own pocket, not subsidized by work in any way. You find his actions comical, I find them offensive. You think it meaningless, I think it is one more sign of how disconnected he is from the people who pay his bills.
Seinfeld earned his place in the world, William didn’t. Shumer pays her own bills, William doesn’t. Big differences.
Jeez, Megan, I’m surprised you didn’t see how his transit joke was tone deaf. It was a “Let hem eat cake” moment. He was getting up, pretending he had to leave early because of the transit strike. Unlike the examples you gave, he is not a professional comedian whose job is to be inappropriate and funny. His job is to help lead the nation with a good example, yet he mocks those who have a hassle to commute now. That was stupid and tone deaf, no matter how much you like him.
Can’t blame them for country lifestyle. They do live in a fishbowl as it is.
I’ve never doubted the fact Kate loves William.
I want to live in a town called Bucklebury. On a street called Thistle Lane. And imagine that Beatrix Potter lives down the road.
I just came here to say that Bucklebury Ferry is the name of the ferry which the hobbits took to escape the Ringwraiths in Lord of the Rings (also depicted in The Fellowship of the Rings movie). It gives me a strange amusement to see it mentioned in the title of a CB post. 😉
Lol-awesome.
That’s what I think of every time I hear that name!
Given that Prof. Tolkien taught/lived in Oxford(shire) I think he borrowed the name? It never stops giving me a chuckle.
I love the fact that Jason the PR Guy is now a thing. We see you Jason!
That made me LOL. Spot on.
I also read somewhere that the moneys given to the Queen and/or Charles, etc, each year can never be LESS than the year before. Like, none of this wage-freezing, or austerity measures, or budget cut-backs, or clawbacks of benefits, or any other consideration whereby your income is tied to how well or poorly the economy is performing.
Regardless of all, her budget increases from year to year.
Can any of the many posters so knowledgeable about history and royalty confirm this?
If you live a life where you don’t have to work for your living, and more money than you can spend comes in every month guaranteed, and you know that the amount will only increase over time….it wouldn’t be very long before you lost touch with what the other 99% face.
Most of us have an innate concept of fairness; a “This for that”. You give up your personal time to attend a job, and in exchange you get money. Work longer, harder and presumably, get more money. Work less, take more time to yourself, make do with less. We understand that is only fair. We choose what we choose and deal with the consequences.
The fact that these two grown adults are inured from facing the consequences of their choices ticks me off to no end.
Becks: sadly that is true. It’s one of the clauses (laws?) written into the original agreement that begat the civil list back in ye old times that has carried over as a permanent clause.
Every time people have pity about her lack of funds or what have you or how the money is given to her or which fund she has to take the money from, think about the fact that she can never receive less than what was doled out the previous year.
Even though 15% is tied into how well the crown estates do, she will still be paid above that sum during the bad years because of that clause.
Ye gads! How on earth is any of this right or just?
Well, this was good for a morning chuckle. I like nothing more than coming to Celebitchy “for a good laugh”. Now I’m going off to work – whatever that means.
I don’t think it’s a big deal if they live in Norfolk, Charles is more associated with Highgrove, his country home, than Clarence House, his London home. The Cambridges, William in particular IMO, comes off as flaky, underhanded and/or a ne’er do well and that is the real issue not that William and Kate like country life.
Meanwhile, all those expensive renovations to Kensington Palace to accommodate them are pretty much wasted.
“William likes nothing more than sitting around a table at mealtimes and having a good laugh…”
It was bad timing to have a statement out that the thing he loves doing the most is to slack off when the day before he told the press that he doesn’t know what ‘work’ is in terms of his family business and from which he and his family derive all their income and which pays for things like this comfy, homey, country lifestyle.
……………….
“… with Kate spotted out “driving through [the village] on her own,” carrying out errands.”
On her own? I doubt the bodyguards stay back at AH.
She’s not on her own. That was a red flag.
She does drive on her own if that is what they meant. No one else is helping her push the gas pedal down. She is always with her RPOs and staff that do carry some bags for her. And her shopping can be an everyday if not every other day and last 4 or 5 hours.
The photoshop on their eyes in the Testino photo makes them look like robots.
Yeah, all the photos look really bizarre.
Would someone please pass the Dramamine. People magazine always has that nauseating effect on me, pulp fiction rag that it is.
The photos from the christening are weird. They might as well had her father taken them.