Following the Keenshot Prize flop, Prince William gave an exclusive interview and exclusive behind-the-scenes photos to People Magazine. It was all very curious, and the Daily Mail and other British outlets definitely noticed that Willy and Cathy are making moves to A) appeal to Americans and B) blatantly copy the Sussexes. The behind-the-scenes Keenshot photos were all black-and-white and they featured the Cambridges being more “affectionate” than usual. Carefully curated, of course. Some would say “posed.” Well, the Keens are at it again. They posted exclusive photos on their Instagram of their big trip to Glasgow, and wouldn’t you know, people are making a big deal about how Will and Kate are copykeening the Sussexes.
Kate Middleton and Prince William appear to be following in the footsteps of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by releasing photographs in their trademark style walking away from the camera. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 39, shared a behind-the-scenes shot as they arrived at the Clydeside Distillery to attend the Earthshot reception at Cop26 in Glasgow last night. In the snap, the couple could be seen with their backs to the camera as they greeted guests while entering the event together. The snap bears striking similarities to a style of shots which were often released by the Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, which saw them walking away from the camera.
It comes after Prince William and Kate last week drew comparisons to Prince Harry and Meghan by releasing photographs in black and white – and choosing to share their rare moments of public affection.
Brand expert Nick Ede predicted the public could expect to see ‘many more’ of these type of images from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, adding: ‘This behind the scenes almost candid image is one that we have associated with Meghan and Harrys most famous images. The rawness of the image gives the viewer an intimate insight into the Cambridges and I think that as they are stepping up their brand and visibility. This is just a progression that will engage fans around the world. We have seen behind-the-scenes shots from popstars coming off stage to actors taking a bow etc. These are always candid moments that have an enduring appeal and bring a human touch to the image, which is something Meghan and Harry have done on numerous occasions. This image creates a very strong narrative and I think we can expect many more of these types of images to be released in the future.’
Since I was around when the Sussexes did all of this stuff originally, I remember how Harry and Meghan were ripped apart daily for not being “royal” enough and for being too “Hollywood” and too woke with their black-and-white photos and too image-conscious. Guess all of that is totally fine when it’s Will and Kate. How sad that the Keens can’t develop their own work, personalities and imagery and they just blatantly copy whatever Harry and Meghan did three years ago. I do think it’s funny that the Keens are being called out on it though. Some keen chains are being yanked.
Photos courtesy of Instar Images, Avalon Red and Kensington Palace.
No sh!t Sherlock!
Kaiser kills me with the photo….look at the Keenbridges and that other couple with the fake laughs. Someone should tell them they are being laughed at not with. Look at Charles’s baggy suit, Camilla’s housedress and KeenKate’s used car inflatable man cosplay….yikes
Way too “try hard” and obvious.
I nearly died when I read the title in the Daily Fail… “Copy-Kate strikes again!”…. Even the Daily Fail knows the Fab 4 was a huge FAILURE
What could ever be so rictus grin funny?
Kate always had those big exaggerated grins. Too bad Carole did not instruct her to “tone it down.”
The most interesting part is this story is in DM. Something is up
@Chica1971 … I just read the DM article. You’re right! Something is definitely up. I wish more hand been made of the fact that William and Kate are holding hands in one of the photos. LOL! All the DM Saltines could say was “Ha, Ha! William and Kate copying the Harkles? Harry and Meghan are ‘pose, pose, pose whereas William and Kate are natural!” 🙂
Anyone ever noticed that in the “candid” shots of the Keens, she’s always touching him but he never is? I wonder if he remembers what her butt feels like?
@Rice … But aren’t they holding hands in the top photo? Yes, they are … I just took another look. Wow. Part of the ‘salty’ criticism about Harry and Meghan was how they were always touching and holding hands, which wasn’t Royal behavior or professional. My, how the tides have changed course.
Thats because of bullyiam’s extreme sense of importance; that others must make overtures to HIM and it must NEVAH! flow the other way. Its in his DNA. Its how he was raised. He was raised for kingship via the victorian era (by the queen mom) and he is completely oblivious to how he comes across in a 21st century world.
May he never realize it.
They aren’t holding hands. The photo makes it look like it until you see that both her elbows are bent upward. That’s how hard they have to work to make it like there is contact.
They’re not holding hands in any of these pictures. In the first one, on top, zoom in and you’ll see they both have their elbows bent with their hands presumably out in front of them at chest height. The hand that you’re seeing is a woman’s arm, she’s wearing a bracelet or watch and her arms are down in front of body. You can see she’s wearing a jacket, a scarf, and a skirt, so the different fabrics so of make it look a couple arms entwined but it’s not. Kind of funny that there’s enough distance between their bodies that we can other people through them.
@Nic919 and Amy Too … (Blinks after zooming) Ah, crud, you’re right! They’re not holding hands. Kate’s photographer friend is very good.
I’m sure that’s exactly why that photo was chosen though, it looks like they’re holding hands unless you actually zoom in an analyze it.
I’ve also noticed a few other pictures lately, mostly at the red carpet events they’ve done, where it looks like they’re holding hands but they’re not. It looks like it because Kate is walking around with her arms artificially extended further away from her body than normal so it looks like she’s reaching out towards William. From certain angles it looks like they’re holding hands.
Well, if they can’t even suck it up for the camera, it’s very fortunate that they have a good photographer who knows how to work the angles and trick the eye for artificial PDA..
@Yvette. No they’re not holding hands. Look more closely. It’s a camera trick meant to deceive the audience.
The minute i saw that picture on their IG it reminded me of the famous Sussesx one ,only this one they are not even in sync Lol
Yeah I know – all it needs now is a leak from the pipes above and voila!
🤣🤣🤣
The fake is NEVER better than the Original…NEVER
Notice how Harry and Meghan are looking at each other. William and Kate are turning away. It says everything about the two couples.
Sums both couples up.
“You must first hate; then you shall copy” – Translated from the Office of the Ministry of Propaganda, 1933 (/s).
They literally spent 5 years and counting attempting to ruin Meghan, drive her to suicide and mock everything she did yet now they follow what she does and get praised for it by their fans. It’d be funny if it wasn’t so infuriating.
And yet he can’t even look at her. And that from behind photo didn’t have them holding hands. Once again they fall short of displaying actual genuine affection.
They might be copying but its the people in the photographs that make the magic happen. There’s no magic with these 2.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The reason Harry and Meghan are so magnetic is their authenticity. And these pictures are a great capture of that. No William is rarely looking at Kate. Or positioned towards her. Or doing affectionate body language. You can see it’s so stiff. Harry was and is flat out obsessed and enamored of his wife. I used to love how he’d look around at other people almost like he was making sure they saw her like he did. It came through in pictures and interactions. The most appealing thing about Harry to me is on paper he should be the catch. Rich… prince… etc etc. but instead his whole attitude is look at this woman I landed who is way out of my league and I’m so disgustingly lucky.
100% agree Katherine. I love how Harry looks at Meghan. Like he can’t believe his luck, and he adores her. She looks at him with love and care as well. I notice this especially for Harry because while I completely believe Meghan adores him too, Harry is not and never has been an actor. I don’t think he knows how to modulate his feelings for the camera. Like when he was angry with William at that last ceremony they all did together. Harry had storm clouds over him and Meghan was super professional, smiling and being charming even though you know her heart was broken. I just think she has really good control over her facial emotions. Which is why seeing Harry so in love – you know this is a true and authentic emotion.
I hope this doesn’t come across as me criticizing Meghan. I love them both and I’m rooting for them!
Since denying they are copying Sussexes would not do, and the RR cannot come and openly criticize Cambridges for their single white female creepiness, they gotta spin it in the most absurd way.
Oh and does anyone else think it’s interesting that once again these bts photos are published outside of British Media? First People, now Instagram. How mad must the RRs be?
It appears the photos must have an outstretched hand in it too. Every one of them except the last one has a hand in motion.
Yes, that’s all l can see in that second photo, that splayed flapping hand stage right.
She is always so aggressive with the hand movements in photos. You don’t even notice that from William.
I can imagine Will-di Amin: “We need some goddamned rain! Where’s my umbrella! Where’s the raaaaaiiiiiinnnnn!”
(Later on): “Damnit. No rain. It’s not fair! How come Harry gets the rain and I don’t? It’s that bloody woman’s fault!”
Kate: stands vacantly, twirls hair.
LOL!!
He’d keep the umbrella for himself or take off with it and leaving her behind
Yes, he would. We’ve seen him do it before.
They can copy Harry & Meghan all they like, it still won’t become reality. Their marriage is dead, William is getting more and more agitated around his wife and their social media engagement numbers keep dropping (and that’s with bots included). That should tell you everything about the difference between the glowing Sussexes and the dull Cambridges.
The new urban dictionary word for rebranding yourself after brands you trash will be referred to as a Cambridge.. (that is as kind as I can be today 🤬🤬🤬)
Yeah, the thing that made that picture of H&M so iconic – the rain/umbrella picture – isn’t the posing, or the lighting, or the rain – thats all part of it, of course, but its the way they are looking at each other, the way their love just radiates from the picture that makes the picture iconic. They are just beaming at each other other with such happiness and pride in each other – we NEVER see that from the Keens, and that’s why these pictures will NEVER measure up.
They can try all they want but Sussexes they will never be.
The only thing I could see in these photos were Will and Kate doing their usual “let me lecture people on something I know nothing about while people politely pretend to listen to the bs I have to say.”
Also was the cop26 held in a pub???
OK I confess to having clicked on the DM link and giving them traffic!
But it was really quite a trip to read the comments section. Seems people are aghast at the DM making the comparison but also not nearly as positive as other “articles” in the past? Is the public sentiment actually turning on the Cambridges? The comments on the blue dress article were also not positive at all.
Lol im going to thank you for taking one for the team and going down that rabbit hole. The readers of the dm will always be positive about william and kate if they are being upheld against the sussexes and the simple reason for that is that the readers of the dm are, quite simply, racist. And they’ll make the most ludicrous excuses too: “with them its NaTuRAl, harry and meghan are fake” or something along those lines.
As for public mood turning on them… its hard to tell. I personally think they are generally well liked. But again, if you take the sussexes out of the equation people all of a sudden become more critical of the Cambridges.
Thank you NightOwl. The mood of the public ranges from mild irritation, to indifference to like which is not a bad thing on the face of it. However, it is the IDEA of the royal family that the public like, especially now that they’ve been ravaged by covid and Brexit. The Sussexes are hated by the DM readers and British press which actually worked in their favour as the negative exposure made many outside of the UK to feel sorry for them. But here’s the rub. The royals are not inspiring love or admiration in the general population because they are all about themselves. They are seen as hypocrites who hid away and let children starve during covid. They are seen as only being about the optics and nothing more. Also, some are thinking that if they can be so cruel to Harry who is their own flesh and blood, they can be cruel to anybody. Right now they are standing on the precipice. It takes the queen making an occasional appearance for people to reign in how they really feel. There are interesting times ahead for sure.
I find it bizarre that England’s future king and queen consort are at something as big and important as an international climate change summit, surrounded by world leaders, where ideas and counter ideas and dreams for the future and policy are being discussed, and the main DM articles about the FFK and FFQ are 1) look at these photos, the style is copying the Sussexes, but that’s good because branding and 2) Blue dress: Kate wore a blue dress
I think Charles should just have gone there by himself.
They simply cannot do anything inciteful and dynamic by themselves, can they? They’re empty suits of clothing stiffened and propped upright by hangers – there’s no originality, no soul. Pitiful.
Imagine going to this conference as a climate change activist or world leader and seeing these doddering airheads milling about as if they’re important or have anything consequential to say. That image of the four of them inappropriately laughing like hyenas at a global event highlights how much this is just a photo op for them.
It definitely makes the entire event seem much, much less serious. Like it’s just a PR game for the royals who want to have their picture taken with world leaders. Especially after the Dr. Biden and Kate round table event where it was so obvious that Kate had absolutely no qualms or reservations about using the First Lady of the United States to prop herself up as some kind of expert in the early years. That was recent, and that was a huge WTF moment that lots of people talked about. And now the royals want you to come back and pretend to talk to them about climate change? While they all stand against a wall laughing and posing for a picture together, or while Kate tried to shove bugs in your face so she can be photographed “having fun” hyena grinning with important people? Come stand in front a screen as large as a house and watch a MASSIVE image of the Queen tell you all how proud of her heirs she is. No. Absolutely not. They drag everything they attend down. They make everything suddenly farcical and fake.
It seems like that every event they attend together, Kate looks adoringly at him trying (desperately) to get that Sussex “money shot”. But William refuses to look at her. He’s always looking slightly past her. Pathetic.
He looks like he’s in mild pain trying to uphold this BS “happy and in love” narrative. Kate appears to have had about 17 cups of coffee and is in “I’m so engaged and interested!” mode. *yawn*
Biggest difference is, I’m pretty sure the pic they’re emulating got over a million likes when Meghan and Harry did it. They’re trying really really hard with the imagery, but is it actually paying off? They’re fans hypocritically love it, but I don’t think anyone else cares that much or is convinced.
@MariahLee said:
“I’m pretty sure the pic they’re emulating got over a million likes when Meghan and Harry did it.”
The huge difference is that M&H did nothing, but be their natural selves in-the-moment, walking into the Endeavour Awards ceremony in March 2020. And then, the photographer, the camera lens, the lighting, and the rain dripping like diamonds coalesced in one split second to make magic happen. No one set up that shot or that moment. It was not stage-managed at all. Like the photographer said, he made the right split-second decisions, and he was extremely lucky.
The stars just aligned, in the same way that M&H’s entire fated love story has happened: miraculously, magically, iconically, unexpectedly, and courageously.
I saw this picture earlier and de writer of the piece wrote that this is a deliberate attempt by them to look more engaged as a couple, with personality and looks !! The Sussex he wrote are leading de way here, leaving de other two behind !!!!!
Seriously, if they want to get into de ball game, they need new PR People and need to sort themselves out as a couple because at this stage they just look pathetic and if you look at them entering de reception last night pre cameras and media, they look pissed off with each other esp William. I think he is better off running solo now, Kate just isn’t a ‘fit ‘ for this position ‘sorry Kate, not goin to happen’and you know he might then even look ‘happy’ …….
That Blue dress is brutal on her !!!!!!
A little Mary Poppins for my taste
Matronly and ill fitting were the terms that came to my mind immediately.
Laura Ingalls Style.
Both William and Kate are obsessed with Meghan. It’s getting creepy now. Even the daily mail is talking about it. It’s getting hard to ignore. Both William and Kate want Meghan and harry respectively. What a strange pair.
Already proven:
1) they buy bot followers
2) there is a targeted social media campaign against Meghan
3) they copy HM pictures
And still the stupid BM refuse to call them out.
Facts dont stick with their audience, right? Just their fanfiction!
Good good, now try to get Baldimort to notice you are actually there.
The difference is that Harry and Meghan are really and truly in love and put each other first and are each other biggest fan. William on the other hand seems to really resent her
The two of them at this summit reminds me of Ivanka Trump pretending to be representative at anything during her evil father’s tenure. Vacant and well dressed and everyone laughing at them behind their backs while being polite to their faces.
Yes that’s all I see. Melania thinking if she wears Jackie O style she is Jackie O, Ivanka posing to look like a serious aide to her father instead of a thief using the presidency to enrich her family by manipulating other world leaders into giving her money/patents/etc.
Empty empty empty.
She’s Bride of Chucky. Seriously. Chucky with combed hair.
Part of why the rain photo of Harry and Meghan is so magical is that they are beaming at each other, it’s like they are entranced in their own bubble.
This picture from behind couldn’t be further from that. They’re ignoring each other and talking to a huge group of other people. It’s a pretty shot in some ways but it’s absolutely not the “glowing, head over heels in love, walking through a cloud of raindrops that look like stars” magical quality of that photo.
You know they’re going to do it until they get it right, but the problem is that William can’t stand the sight of her and any of his looks are of utter disdain so there goes that plan.
Is it just me or is the Cambridges in the basement and C&C is at least on one of the floors in the building
I’m a photo from behind chica too lol. I started doing this every first day of school for each kiddo. Mr. Mabs helps them put on their backpacks, takes their hand and starts the excited first day sidewalk trek to school. I lag behind and snap away lol. One day maybe I’ll get them on a canvas. I’m lazy though so probably not.
Is that Jason Knauf in the pictures, or does one of the Earthshot winners just happen to have an uncanny resemblance?
That is Jason knauff.
I see that “Bully-Crier” Knauff is still in the Keenbridges good graces. Can someone provide an update on those bullying accusations that warranted an official statement from Buckingham palace?
I wish the Sussexes would play dirty just once. Jason deserves to be publicly shunned with the likes of Piers Morgan.
@Lyds
Well its now November. The MoS appeal is set to be heard this month and a ruling made.
Just want to say that dress screams Take Me To The Milking Yard!
@maria
To me it’s the fact that William doesn’t mind everyone seeing his true expressions for his wife. Cause when they try to emulate H&M-will never be called out on it. Hence why the People exclusive came and went-look at the photo of him looking at Kate like she’s crazy for even speaking to the people at the table.
I agree if they want to enter the world series you need people well versed in that arena. The people around them now isn’t cutting it. Meghan wasn’t going to let the tabloids destroy her and then trouts out the Cambridges to let the public see the opposite and they get the free and good press for literally doing nothing. Now you have to work for good press and so far the Cambridges are still trying to get the tickets to come in
It’s like a car crash, you just can’t look away. I swear keen is demonic, wide stare, forehead vein popping, and the hands, the hands😳
Yep! They both look deranged and they’re trying soo hard to be something they’re not. Earthshit reception in a distillery where no one wanted to speak with them. They’re not even capable of having the conversations with leaders bc they’re so arrogant and ignorant. #abolishthemonarchy is trending.
“Arrogant and ignorant.” Spot on.
To show animation and life-likeness is a big job for these two. Animatronic robots would do it better. The fake hand-spreading, hand-waving around, the try- hard smiles, etc. are like a foreign species trying to learn how to look human. WTF is wrong with them? The only thing they CAN do is sponge up money from the kingdom they are purportedly serving . . . badly. They have zero charisma and zero love between them. It’s actually painful to watch them. Will has been taught to be a royal his whole life. He’s not even comfortable with the cameras. What a fail.
She has very manly hands. Crop that pic and take the ring off. Someone please tell me if you would be able to guess that it’s a female
That’s not relevant.
Kyle Richards is called man hands all the time. LOL.
1000% certain Kensington Palace has a Sussex mood board and the staff have been instructed to find ways that the Cambridge’s can mimic them with the least amount of effort on their part.
@Snuffle: KP has a Meghan lookbook and bookmarked Harry and Meghan’s website and old Instagram account. They’ve also realised that just hiring the Sussexes social media guy wasn’t going to get it done, they had to copy Meghan and Harry in every way.
This missing one of the basic rules of effective design: What’s most important is not what it looks like, but how it actually WORKS.
“Since I was around when the Sussexes did all of this stuff originally, I remember how Harry and Meghan were ripped apart daily for not being “royal” enough and for being too “Hollywood” and too woke with their black-and-white photos and too image-conscious”.
I do too. The real problem wasn’t the photos but the fact that Harry and Meghan were overshadowing and more popular than the Cambridges.
At the end of the day, the one thing they won’t copy is caring for people and working hard to help them.
Eurydice, perfectly said.
I mean they did hire Harry and Meghan’s former social media lead, David Watkins. They try to hard to be Harry and Meghan but they lack the substance and passion for their projects (and for each other!).
I’m so glad sometimes that H&M aren’t on social media. They do the work without constant IG posts patting themselves on the back. They are so far beyond caring about Instagram follower numbers (i.e., Caity Weaver’s brilliant NYTimes piece about the Cambridge bots). This is not even close to a competition for them.
Yes, because those pictures are what make H&M so popular. What a bunch of clowns.
Lol exactly!
Below is answer given by Prince Phillip, when asked about promoting monarchy or the image of monarchy.
“You make me sound like some sort of PR agency. I’m very doubtful about the whole concept of deliberately trying to create an image because I think it’s very easily rumbled. I think that an image develops out of what you do, if you’re not don’t..if you don’t wholly believe in what you are doing, you can’t create a different image, the only thing that you can do is get on, do the best you can with the facilities and circumstances and hope you make reasonably sensible judgment, but not to do it with a view of what effect is this going to have.”
William (and Kate) should listen to his grandfather
Yeah, imitation is the best form of flattery but not in every case. Not when they ripped into the idea before. How embarrassing. At this point i think it’s something in the water because I do not get how clueless the salty Isle can be. THE WHOLE WORLD IS LAUGHING BRITAIN….or at least 90 because I refuse to believe so many of us can be fooled in this century
In a world where so many people struggle just to keep their heads above water, the monarchy seems pointless. All I see is a bunch of mean, snobby, entitled, unhappy, racist people milling around, going to dinner parties and trying oh so hard to be relevant.
Agree 100%. I think the monarchy is on its way out.
It will take a while — I think William will be crowned — but William will be the last King of England.
No original bone in their bodies. Siiiigh.
I remember a time when the Cambridges were hailed because they modelled themselves on Philip & Elizabeth. Reporters like Camilla Tominey make it seem like Meghan& Harry’s PDA was a negative contrast to Kate & William lack of public PDA https://twitter.com/TvKhaleesi/status/1451047544918876164/video/1
I also remember when they kept saying Meghan was trying to create her own ‘brand’ which was awful self promotion & royals were meant to just represent the monarch not promote themselves& their own ‘brand’. How things change.
My guess is these copycat moves were decided by a focus group to attract more youthful fans. I can’t imagine William being happy being told to emulate his younger brother. Usually the younger sibling looks up to the older one so gotta be odd to be copying your younger sibling especially on something like PDA which is so personal
How must William feel when Kate is play acting, looking at him and trying to get an “adoring gaze” photo? If they really can’t stand each other in real life, wouldn’t that add to his contempt of her? I can’t imagine such a nightmare life.
That dress SUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKSSSS!!!!!!
Shawna, the hands comment may NOT be relevant, but it made my day.
Prince Charles looks like he’s telling Camilla a smutty joke.
The one big happy family photo of the Fab Four so called, seems so fake. Kate and Will with the braying laughs–it’s like they are performing. There is probably a lot of distrust among them in reality.
Kate again in her Little House on the Prairie long skirt outfit.
lol the insta pictures look like stock photos
😂 copying and failing miserably. That woman always looks deranged, manic or simply vacant. Her manic hands movements also doesn’t help. Someone told her to move her hands that way to appear engaged and interested but “ my kids love planes” “ I love visiting new places” or “ that’s fantastic “ warrants all those movements ? She never says anything of substance…. Smfh
Photo journalism has been around for decades. Presidents and politicians have used it as well as the wedding photography industry. My partner and I did wedding photography for years and we we were doing the “walking away” and candid shots 15 years ago. I don’t think that any of it is original anymore. That being said, the Keens expressions are annoying in most of these shots.
One more comment. I feel like every photo of the Cambridges is them talking / maniacal expressions and the people they’re talking to standing there politely. Like if you look at the photos at the top, it’s striking. Charles and Camilla are actively listening in their photos while will and Kate are talking in theirs. It’s always like this.
If we’re comparing with Sussex photos, it’s definitely them more listening to who they’re interacting with as well. It makes me think will and Kate show up, blabber, pat themselves on the back and leave.
That look on William’s face. Even in the days of the “war of the Wales,” Charles never looked at Diana like that.