As we discussed, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had a big idea to show the United Kingdom how keen they are. The big idea: a mini-tour where they traveled by train and personally “thanked” healthcare workers and frontline workers. They will, at best, be giant nuisances and time-sucks for vital first responders and overworked, underpaid doctors and nurses, all of whom have more important things to do besides make small talk with the Keens. At worst, this is a three-country (Wales, England, Scotland) super-spreader tour in the middle of a hard pandemic winter where every health expert has encouraged people to avoid unnecessary travel. This tour was apparently completely their idea, because they were “itching” to get out of their house. Good, so we know who to blame.
Will and Kate’s tour began last night at Euston train station. The station looked utterly deserted in photos (because the rest of Britain is smarter than these two) and they got a semi-private concert from Shakin’ Stevens on the platform of the station. This tour is being described as “landmark” by People Mag – that word is beginning to be the new “keen.” Kensington Palace people describe everything Will and Kate do as “landmark” these days.
As of this writing, Will and Kate have arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, and I’ll cover that stop separately. This post is just for the weirdness last night. As for Kate’s look – the coat is McQueen and it’s a repeat. She’s had that for a few years, I remember the boob flaps (which she’s trying to hide with the scarf). The colors here are pretty drab – I get that Kate’s a theme dresser and the theme is Christmas, but this would be a moment for a red coat, right? Her purse is a repeat too – it’s the Grace Han Love Letter bag. Remember how Kate used to always carry clutches? Then You Know Who began carrying those cute little purses with handles. *cough*
The Cambridges hired the Sussexes’ social media guy, but their new habit of these heavily edited videos is so friggin’ weird. The video where they’re boarding the train is downright creepy.
👋The Duke and Duchess are off!
This evening, The Duke and Duchess departed on the #RoyalTrainTour to pay tribute to the inspiring work of those who have gone above and beyond to support communities across England, Scotland, and Wales.
📍London pic.twitter.com/qcarRA9in7
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) December 7, 2020
As the #RoyalTrainTour was starting, Shakin’ Stevens ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ echoed Euston Station.
Before departing, The Duke and Duchess met with inspiring transport workers who have gone out of their way to help people feel safe & secure throughout this difficult year. pic.twitter.com/JXh5J7JKTs
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) December 7, 2020
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Who is this for? If we were coming out the other side of the pandemic, I might believe it was a genuine thank you for essential workers.
As it is, we’ve still got restrictions in place, the vaccine hasn’t been deployed yet and there might be another spike because restrictions are being lifted for Christmas.
Who does this benefit? Will and Kate and that’s it.
I can see the argument of “it’s a morale boost!” which is… fine but 1) yesterday someone (Lorelei I think?) said we can argue how many people are going to have their morale boosted by the Cambridge other than the royalists (and their fans). If it was the Queen then it’s another story and 2) while a morale boost is important and lovely, I would imagine why frontline workers would want is a raise, people to wear their masks, stay at home unless its essential and social distance
Belli you got COTW last week check the podcast post!
Omg yay! Thank you guys!
This would have been a better idea AFTER the vaccine has been rolled out and people are able to return to some normality but no, this is a pure PR ‘don’t forget about us’ stunt aimed at feeding the press beast AND giving the monarchy a PR boost. It’s failing as they are being dragged on UK twitter about it.
Agreed. Given the amount of work this tour takes – they have to adjust all other routes to accommodate it – they started this work weeks if not months ago, and now it looks so dumb, now that the vaccines are being rolled out slowly. That’s on them. They could have waited til the spring or summer.
Shakin Stevens, bless his heart, hasn’t had a hit since the 1980s. These two ain’t exactly the hippest cats out there. That, and probably a lot more contemporary acts don’t want to do an appearance during a pandemic.
It’s hardly work, is it? It’s “me too” after Meghan’s NYT essay and Harry’s backing of Water Bear. It’s as useless as the Pakistan tour, which was costly … and useless, and embarrassing. Even Wills looked like he wanted to be anywhere but present when she read that “speech” off of a card while barely looking up. Cringey. Stay home, please. They’re encouraging large gatherings while thanking healthcare workers? Ugh.
Yeah I always wonder with stuff like this it must have the blessing/encouragement from the government, right? Or is this totally the Royal Family deciding to do this? Like in America these touchy feely morale-boosting type events would be something done by the First Lady or Second Lady or something. So is this all planned in coordination with the PM or can they just do whatever they want?
I think it’s planned with the government. The Tories need a great, big distraction this week, and William can always do with some more publicity. Win, win. Nothing to do with frontliñe workers, I don’t think. What they need is a vaccine, people to behave sensibly, a raise and a rest.
I don’t know who the target audience for this is – the whole of Great Britain? – but its such a bad idea that it’s almost laughable in some ways. WHO is advising them?? Who decided a “pandemic express” tour was the best thing to do right now??
@Becks I am literally laughing at the fact that they’re referring to the Pandemic Express as “landmark” as well. First the survey was a landmark survey (it wasn’t) and now a two-day train trip is landmark? “😂” is all I’ve got for these people at this point.
I feel like Kate and William have insisted that their PR start putting out those kinds of statements – everything must be landmark! Prestigious ! Groundbreaking! People wont know how special we are unless we tell them!
And the irony of them doing this FOR the NHS. ‘Here you go NHS, we’ll do a tour and create a few more patients for you! You’re welcome!’
It’s not like W and K are wandering the streets by themselves – they need security, advisors etc. on that train, and they need a whole team of people at each stop to organise what’s going on. They might appear to be social distancing, but what about all the extra contacts they are creating from everyone attending or organising each event? It is ridiculous.
It’s a chance for them to show off their wardrobe.
And punch up their ‘work’ numbers. There’s probably at least two ‘events’ at the train station alone–greeting officials & listening to music.
Haha. Well, they need to justify needing those big allowances.
Who is this for? Whose faces are front and center of 99% of the pics, that’s who.
Her mask always looks too small.
This is all so dreary of them. Literally no-one wants this.
Yes re: the small mask! I’m glad to hear i wasn’t the only one who noticed that!
I went straight to that pic to see if she still had her tiny mask and of course she does! I know you want a tight fit round the edges but this is just small.
Its to show off all the expensive work she’s had done to her face – which is obvious now. And plus she’s wearing the same mask all the time, I was reading that a mask (esp the disposable ones) have a recommended lifespan of 4 hours and for the cloth ones they need to be washed after you wear it (which is why some people wear a disposable one underneath the cloth ones).
She has been wearing different masks for her appearances, and I’m sure she washes them.
Digital Unicorn
Wearing a disposable mask under your cloth mask is HIGHLY recommended! And living in a colder state masks can be great winter accessories! I’m hoping to see thicker masks soon even as just protection from the cold.
It’s so weird how small it is! That website she gets them from sells adult ones – surely these aren’t the adult sizes?!
If its the same mask she was wearing all summer, then its the kid size- we know that because when she first wore it, the site wasn’t selling adult masks in that particular pattern (I think they are now.)
I bought the same mask in April in adult size. Ironically, I bought it at London Drugs.
Lord, I see she brought back the sausage curls.
For people in the UK is the public wanting or caring about this? I find it hard to believe that with new lockdown restrictions in place Britons are estatic about these two traveling freely.
They are getting dragged on UK twitter for it, esp from people in Scotland where Edinburgh is in Tier 3 which means NO ONE from other tiers or within the UK are allowed to travel there but these 2 snowflakes get special permission.
My god they both look uncomfortable as well in the footage I have soon far. And the turnout is bad.
Plus I have NEVER EVER seen Euston train station that empty before and its nothing to go with COVID. Given the ‘little’ concert it was cleared specially for these 2. Either that it was done later in the evening when services were winding down.
This is one of my big complaints, the government is telling us NOT to travel between tiers (or at all if we can help it). This is as far from ‘essential’ travel as you can get. Ego-boosts are not essential.
@sarah, special rules for the royalty, of course. They’re anointed by God don’tcha know.
PWT and Keen are also getting nastily dragged in the comment of the Daily Fail in numbers have I have never seen before in that tabloid rag.
Once again: good idea but bad timing. If someone does get cheered by this then it’s good for them but I would imagine the vast majority want something practical like a pay rise. I’m not an essential worker but from reading comments and stories, this is the vibe I’m getting
Morale boosts aren’t unimportant and we should continue to thank them but again, I think they would fancy something they can actually use IN ADDITION.
Food is always a good morale booster. Always. Bring/send food. Don’t travel by train during a pandemic & make people come out to interact with your maskless face (I know they have them on here but they don’t elsewhere).
Nope, bad idea, bad timing. What NHS workers want is a pay raise. If the BRF were handing out checks to NHS workers (preferably if they were coming out of their own pockets), I’d be all over this. Otherwise, we’re in lockdown except for essential work. This is not essential; they should stay at home.
This was so ill-conceived. Tours like this only work when there are crowds. No one is going to risk infection to see these two.
Are there any newspapers going after these two?
Plus even if they do, it could end up leading to a rise in infections which could lead to a rise of hospitalisation = more work for the overworked and underpaid frontline workers they’re going on this trip to thank.
Right. If their idea was just to publicize it by videos on social media, then why not just do a series of videos from home? Why do they have to travel, flout the rules, and inconvenience/put at risk all the people they come into contact with if the point of this isn’t to be seen by people in real time in person?
“Are there any newspapers going after these two?”
No, but the commentariat of The Daily Fail is like there is no tomorrow.
Every once in a while the commentariat vitriol points in the right direction. I am sure it will be scrubbed soon though.
@Nic919 – Then the Daily Fail will have todo a hell of a lot of scrubbing as I would say that 85% of the comments are negative towards the Cambridges.
As soon as her stans catch word they’ll swarm in with Kate the Great comments.
Wait…NO BUTTON? WHO ARE YOU!
The coat is amazing btw.
That’s all I have.
oh geez.
These two are so thirsty. Please find some real work and do if without all of the fanfare.
When there wasn’t a pandemic these two are no where to be seen. And now that there is one they are just “itching to get out”?
And I love how Kate is looking all heart eyes at Will trying to be the next Meghan and Harry. Nice try. These two have zero chemistry.
I was thinking how bad it would look if Kate got covid after this. So my guess is she’s already had it.
Was it ever confirmed if Kate and/or the children did or didn’t contract COVID when Leaky Willy had it or not? Interesting that the press moved on so substantialy quickly from the story of the fture king’s virus coverup.
I’ve read that you can still get it even if you’ve been infected before! And you could certainly still spread it even if you don’t get reinfected yourself. All the more reason to stay home!
Not for five months after infection. No you are not infectious during the five months after your initial infection.
William could easily transmit the disease to other people even though he may not get covid again. That’s why people will still need to take precautions and wear masks even when they start vaccinating people. The virus wouldn’t instantly die as soon as it touches him and so if he manages to spread the virus from himself to others who never had covid, he’s gone and infected others.
Anonymous
Where did you read or hear this 5 months grace period between possible infections?
Having it once won’t stop anyone from getting it again.
All aboard the Pandemic Express 😂😂😂😂 🚝🚝
If they want to thank the front line workers, they could ensure they get a decent wage going forward.
What exactly is supposed to be landmark about visiting the same 3 countries that have are routinely been visited by the royals?
Bad idea, on so many levels.
Looks like these three-country, three-day tours will be her thing from now on. We got one with the Big Five questions rollout and now this. It gives the appearance of utter commitment, but it’s usually just a little over 48 hours. Leave late at night (that’s Day 1), a few stops on Day 2, and back home mid-day on Day 3. Completely frivolous.
This entire train tour seems self indulgent at best. I don’t live in Great Britain so I can’t even see how this could boost morale. As a nurse and frontline aka sacrificial worker in the United States, the only thing that would boost my morale right now is a raise or bonus PTO.
Bonus PTO would be amazing — or at least sick leave on top of PTO. My hospital recently implemented an emergency covid PTO because most of us don’t have enough in the bank to cover quarantine or an actual illness (since paid holidays, vacation and sick leave come out of the paltry PTO).
I will admit to being a teensy bit salty at the number of employees that came back from Thanksgiving and now suddenly have discovered an ‘exposure’ and are taking another week off waiting for a test.
Thank you for what you do. I’m playing the lottery tonight. If I win the first thing I will do is give money to front line health care workers.
I think it’s a combination of the government trying to distract from its protracted brexit negotiations and fact it may result in disastrous no deal, and royal PR to boost the Cambridges& the Firm after all the bellyaching about the Crown. I suppose they aim to show “see this is what royals do so well (boost the nation’s morale like during the war) and why you need us”.
As posters have said a great idea AFTER things have calmed down significantly. As it is the country is still subject to restrictions, people haven’t seen family for ages & it just looks like royals are being treated preferentially and travelling for a tour nobody asked for. So the news went down like a lead balloon generally but maybe the people they meet will appreciate it.
Yeah I agree – Boris needs a distraction from Brexit esp since the negotiations are going nowhere fast as both sides are not prepared to budge over the sticking points. I was reading that Belgium have said they will veto any deal regardless of whats in it and France has said they will veto any deal that doesn’t give them the right to continue to fish in British waters.
Why can’t France fish their own waters? They have two coastlines, one quite large, so what’s in the British waters that the French don’t have? Or is it the size of the catch that is creating the problem?
The EU countries have no reason to make it easy for the UK to leave the EU so that’s why France is demanding this. Brexit will be painful to make an example and not have other countries leave. The leavers lied about this to people but that doesn’t surprise me.
Lady D: I just googled that question. According to a Reuters story, the British fishing grounds are the richest in the NE Atlantic zone & is where most of the EU countries went after their catch. You gotta fish where the fish are & apparently that’s in GB’s waters.
I had a thought – could this also be their way of getting their numbers up before the end of the year/Christmas…like they do every year?
I think that’s definitely part of it, which I don’t fully understand because a flurry of zoom calls would get the same numbers and be a lot cheaper.
Plus, given the pandemic, this is the one year that lower numbers would be expected of all of the royals and not criticized nearly as much, if at all. But I guess W&K are so used to frantically padding their numbers in December so it’s a hard habit to break.
@Lorelei – or else they saw a chance to finally top Anne or Charles or the Queen and are taking it, lol. Cue a whole lot of stories in late December about how Will and Kate are the most hardworking royals EVER.
I doubt it’s their own desicion – Zoom-Zoom Queen and Bills are too lazy.
ButI am glad that after 10 years of marriage copycat finally can cool her ass in royal train. She might had butthurt when Meg traveled in Royal train with Queen just a month (ot two?) after wedding.
You do know that E2 is nearer 95 than 94? My 90 year old mother certainly could not match her.
UK was the first to make the vaccine, so WK are not going to miss their chance to milk it for all it’s worth, they’ll show up everywhere and crash the launching of the vaccine to make it seem like William developed this himself. They’ll do the train tour to show how much they helped the people during these struggling times. Kate will cosplay a nurse.
The UK did not make the vaccine. It was invented by a German-Turkish couple and produced in Belgium.
I can’t believe anyone thought this would be a good idea during the height of a pandemic.
A three day tour but it’s really two days? They left Sunday night (technically day 1) and most of the stops are on day 2 and day 3 right? So really a 48 hour tour so really a two day tour lol. I feel like they just wanted an excuse to finally get to ride the Royal Train. I think when Meghan did her engagements with the Queen on the train, they pointed out that not even Kate or William had had gotten that honor in all their years of being married. So they concocted this tour to get out of the house and to finally ride the Royal Train. Can you imagine if Joe Biden decided to do a tour on Amtrak up and down the East Coast to do the same right now?? (Which during normal times I could see Joe Biden doing because he used to ride Amtrak all the time commuting from Delaware to DC and he has been very effusive in his love for Amtrak)
My guess is Kate will wear mostly repeats. Nobody wants to see a $1000+ new coat or new dress during a pandemic. I noticed for her 5 Big Insights videos she wore mostly repeats with a new sweater or blazer here and there.
Yep the Wilmington Amtrak station here in Delaware is named for him. 🙂 Post pandemic I would love to see Amtrak Joe do something like that since they’re always battling for funding.
5 Big insights clothes:
New green Massimo Dutti blazer
New Massimo Dutti jumper/sweater
New jewellery
New navy trousers
New Gap red jumper/sweater
New Alexa Chung for Barbour green jacket coat
Rarely worn Zara blazer
Worn once M&S blazer
Worn once Massimo Dutti blazer
I can’t really get up in arms about a new Gap sweater. Gap isn’t that expensive, half of my wardrobe is Gap (I’m wearing a Gap sweater today actually). At most that sweater cost, what, $30? Massimo Dutti also isn’t that expensive either in comparison. Their prices are similar to Anthropologie. (I was familiar with the brand before she wore it as I used to live in Spain, it is owned by Inditex which also owns Zara). As for her jewelry, I barely notice it to begin with but I went through the What Kate Wore posts and I didn’t see anything about new jewelry but I’m not interested. Not defending her either but her new clothes weren’t that noteworthy during her PR blitz. It’s not like she debuted some clothes from Chanel or Gucci.
^They cosplay play Normal Bill the Plumber and his barefoot and pregnant wife when taxpayers get antsy. I guarantee you they’re spending that money on some other shallow thing, they sure aren’t giving it back to the taxpayers.
Gap and other lines have inexpensive collections. And they have inflated lines too. Just saying the name doesn’t mean inexpensive.
Kate’s Alexa Chung Barbour Edith jacket was £379 and she has loads of green jackets and coats such as a very similar Troy London (£350), a Dubarry jacket (£299) and a few other Barbours. The Dutti jacket was £179, even though she has a huge amount of blazers. The Dutti jumper was £129 and she has it in another colour!
According to British Royal Fashion Data, in October she had: 4 new pieces of jewellery, 1 new bag (£1,595), 1 new belt, 2 new coats, 2 new dresses, 3 new tops, 3 new trousers, 1 new blazer and 1 new skirt
All this while 1 in 10 Brits have no savings (at all) and a third of Brits have less than £600 in savings!
They couldn’t even wait until after UK vaccinations are supposed to start TOMORROW?
They’re just Dumb and Dumber at this point.
Who are they fooling. The wondering covid peen was joking about covid when thousands had already died and then he actually got it months later….they never explained how he managed to get it but his wife and kids didn’t get it, I guess the rumor that they live apart could be true. Then you have miss never put a foot wrong because her foot is always in her mouth. I do hope that if she does talk on this tour that she sounds clear and somewhat intelligent.
Apparently they broke cross border travel rules by going to Scotland so Nicola Sturgeon called them out. Not great when she’s itching for a new independence referendum and as mentioned in other post, people haven’t seen families etc because they’ve been complying with these rules
Breaking news!
(The First Minsiter of Scotland, Scotland’s ‘leader’) Nicola Sturgeon has said she tried to keep Kate and William out of Scotland. The SNP leader warned the Royals that their visit to Edinburgh may breach travel ban.
Scottish scientists have also urged police to investigate couple’s UK tour to thank frontline workers.
Did they not run this plan by anyone?? So baffling. I guess it really is just to pad the numbers at the end of the year.
Haha
Ooh, can they be fined, a la Rita Ora? I’d love to see that!
Good!
They are also travelling in a lavish train with all the amenities. With people out of work and having little money. SO out of touch
I don’t think the train is lavish inside. Single beds and a bath – no shower.
I for one am excited to see the Royal train wreck , I mean train tour as the Keens promote themselves, i mean cheer up the nation. Damn auto correct is wild today.
😉
I really don’t get it. Really don’t but I guess that’s what their people want. Maybe.
Not sure I buy the narrative “took it upon themselves” to go on a train tour. No one but the Queen can invite or offer the use of the royal train. Pretty sure this was not their idea. Did word come from on high “look busy”?
HOW much makeup is Kate wearing?? Even with the mask it seems overkill. At least we are saved from mid-cackle photos.
This people is so disconnected from reality. We are still in the middle of a devastating illness and is it really necessary to make a tour? Honestly? I think they deserve the flak they are receiving because of The Crown. Generations pass and they are still a bunch of narcisistic 1d10ts.
His engagement count is under 180 (176)for the year and hers is under 120 (118) as per one of the pro cambridge sites, namely teatimes with the cambridges. This is a mad dash to pump up their numbers at the end of the year that they do every year so they look busy.
All of this so they can finally say they rode on Granny’s Train just like Meghan.