The Duchess of Cambridge chose a pair of Emilia Wickstead dresses for her departure from Jamaica and her arrival in The Bahamas. This fakakta Caribbean tour is finally over on Saturday, and William and Kate have left utter chaos in their wake. It’s amazing. For the departure from Jamaica, Kate repeated a green Wickstead which she wore to Wimbledon last year. It was theme-dressing – green for Jamaica. She also wore a hummingbird brooch which is part of the Royal Collection – it was a gift from Jamaica to the Queen for QEII’s Golden Jubbly in 2002. It was fine, it was whatever.
Kate changed on the private plane for their arrival in The Bahamas. She wore a custom aquamarine Emilia Wickstead which, again, was flag-cosplay. This too is Kate’s default style when she’s not single-white-female-ing another woman’s style. She loves this kind of dress.
Did you see this Washington Post guest column by Karen Attiah? “#SehYuhSorry: William and Kate’s cringeworthy, colonial Caribbean tour.” This is amazing:
To keep it real, this supposed charm offensive feels more offensive than charming. I’d say there’s never a good time for retro-colonial gallivanting, but the timing of this tour de faux pas feels especially bad. Just two weeks ago, Prince William, lamenting Russia’s imperial-style aggression in Ukraine, came under fire for saying that war was “alien” to Europe. Positioning the continent as a bastion of peace and good relations was quite a convenient way to ignore the brutal history of British invasion, colonization and enslavement of numerous peoples in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
Really, what is the point of royal tours to former colonies in our modern age? Should William and Kate just have stayed home and avoided the messy optics? There’s merit to that. The world is still in a pandemic. Heavily indebted Caribbean countries have long been especially vulnerable to shocks in the global economy. The idea that these countries are having to foot the financial and logistical burden of this young, privileged British couple’s working vacation in the tropics feels, simply, gross.
At the same time, maybe it’s good for the world to see the British monarchy for the symbolic mess that it is, an outdated relic of imperialism. And it provides us an opportunity to bear witness to Black and Indigenous rebellion against the spectacle.
Yep. All of this. No doubt that it’s amazing to see William and Kate get their asses handed to them abroad, to see them mocked internationally, but it’s also just sad that they honestly thought this tour was going to land, that they would be praised for their tone-deaf photo-ops and preening fashion show.
Photos courtesy of Instar.
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- North America Rights Only – Jamaica, Jamaica -20220324- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge depart Norman Manley International Airport, in Jamaica, to head to the Bahamas on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Nassau, Bahamas -20220324- The Duchess of Cambridge arrives for a private meeting with the Prime Minister of the Bahamas Philip Brave Davis, at his office in Nassau, Bahamas, on day six of the royal tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Jamaica, Jamaica -20220324- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge depart Norman Manley International Airport, in Jamaica, to head to the Bahamas on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Jamaica, Jamaica -20220324- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge depart Norman Manley International Airport, in Jamaica, to head to the Bahamas on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Nassau, Bahamas -20220324- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at Lynden Pindling International Airport, in Nassau, Bahamas, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee -PICTURED: Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Nassau, Bahamas -20220324- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at Lynden Pindling International Airport, in Nassau, Bahamas, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee -PICTURED: Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
“The idea that these countries are having to foot the financial and logistical burden of this young, privileged British couple’s working vacation in the tropics feels, simply, gross.”
THIS.
The fail, telegraph and other British news outlets are openly saying this tour has been an unmitigated disaster. The Camebridges have demonstrated the Peter Principle to the world. They’ve been promoted to their level of incompetence.
Love any reference to the peter principal. well done.
also her dress looks really heavy for the bahamas in spring.
The Washington Post is one of the premier newspapers in the US and the World and this will get a lot of play. I don’t think I can recall a tour in the past ever being considered this disastrous before. And Billy and Kathy have been coddled from day one so they really thought they were doing something here. A lot of the article discusses things we have been saying for years, but it seems to have crystallized in this tour.
Well, They aren’t actually paying for it. The country only pays for it if they invite the Royals there. That doesn’t seem to have been the case for any of these countries. So, the UK is probably paying for most, if not all, of this. I’m not defending anything. It’s just factually incorrect to say that the countries are paying for all this.
@Ainsley7, do you mean to say that Britain already wrote checks to all these countries to pay for the security being provided to the Cambidges and their entourage? I’m curious really, that’s why I ask.
What about their security? Who pays for it?
KP stated the costs would be shared by the host countries and the British. Other sources have alleged the host countries are picking up most if not all of the tab.
Which is a problem given that, no, they weren’t invited.
I’d argue that, given the state of the British economy, we as taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for this either. If the RF want to go to the Caribean they should pay for it themselves from their own millions.
According to the local Bahamian papers I’ve read, they are paying for all the accomodations and meals of the royals entourage, as well as security. The organizations hosting events will pay for it, whatever that means. The royals are only paying for flights according to the government. But hey, at least some roads are getting paved. I know the civic organizations are working hard to make them feel welcome and they’ve worked hard, and the royals have been treated graciously. However, the past two years with the pandemic, the racial reckoning, the current war in Ukraine, people are just tired. They did not approach this tour with these countries as equal partners and there is something so off about the whole tone. Also, we see how the royals treated a black family member in their circle, mocked her hard work and approach, and continue to blame her for their screw ups. These are independent countries with a lot of real world problems. They don’t need royals swanning about waving, they need investment and a seat at the table. What did they even bring to this tour, what type of civic engagement? These people are not subjects anymore, and are quite capable of having their own head of state. Those colonial cosplay photos made me so angry. They have no right to do that in another country. The arrogance of it. They really think these people are gullible fools. This tour has also exposed how pointless it is going around these countries just to dress up and wave for another countries celebrations. Come with purpose or don’t come at all.
L4frimarie
Just like how Kate’s patronages had to pay to accommodate her visits for her own PR. They shut down for a day in some cases and always lose money. This came out with one patronage early in her royal career after she skipped the visit and rescheduled a year later.
The host land does pay the bulk. It’s amazing the scams the BRF has been playing.
It is gross. I keep thinking of that word when it comes to this tour. It’s all just gross, gross, gross.
Also back to back boob darts.
Yoink! Those pointy boobs from her wedding dress are back in this otherwise gorgeous aquamarine suit.
Yeah, why choose clothes that look like your nipples could cut through glass. Also, did anyone notice her eyes in all the latest pics? It’s as if she’s extremely sleep deprived or has been crying a lot.
Why does it look like the dress is backwards? Fit is wrong and those boob darts are the only clue it’s the “right-way-around”. Anyone taking bets on when the smear campaign hits high gear to get these inept fools out of the headlines?
Bad boob darts and I thought it was on back to front.
It looks strangely heavy for a tropical island…
Is this aquamarine dress an exact copy of a dress already in Kate’s closet. I may be on drugs but it seems I remember Cathy wearing this exact dress in a shade of lavender.
@Bay – she has that dress in at least two other colors but without that collar. she has it in a purple and a green I think. And she wore a very similar one with a belt when she and William met with Zelensky last year.
That’s all I can see.
I wish somebody had snatched that ridiculous brooch off her scrawny little chest. Reparations!
It had been a gift to the queen, so I think it would have been disrespectful to return it? And while I hate brooches in general, I think that one is actually lovely. The green dress and brooch is the best look of the tour for her imo. But everything about this tour is gross and wrong, and her using it as a way to showcase her ugly wardrobe seems especially disgusting. It’s like a costume party for her. That light blue dress is especially horrific – it’s fussy, it doesn’t fit her, the color is awful, and it’s dated and depressing.
It’s a beautiful gift! But I’m sure there are other things the Jamaican government could have spent their tax dollars on than honouring an immensely wealthy monarch and a commonwealth that doesn’t value them. It’s particularly bad taste, IMO, to encourage countries that you have pillaged to continue to pay tribute in blood and treasure.
I’m saying ( in jest) that I wish a citizen of Jamaica had taken it back as an early advance on reparations owed. Of course in real life I imagine you’d be tackled before you set foot on the tarmac:)
It’s particularly disgusting when you realize that the BRF’s standard gift is a framed photo of themselves. All these years, they’re gifted jewels & etc., they give a photo.
BeanieBean nudges me to remember several years ago an artist from Oklahoma ( where I live) who did realistic paintings of dogs- his specialty. At the time QE had a favorite corgi. ( The story was written up in a local paper.) He told the newspaper that he was contacted by her people who asked him if he would like to GIFT her with a painting of her favorite dog. He told them he would. When he had finished the painting he and his wife traveled to England (I’m presuming on their own dime) and accompanied her immensely wealthy majestyness to church where she usually attended – wherever that was. Sometimes I think about that and how this enormously wealthy woman had the gall to ask a complete stranger for a gift. I wonder if he got a photo with her or just a photo.
The blue dress seems 1 size too big to me.
Too big and full of pointless seams. Or pointy seams, depending on how you look at it. And again with the matchy-matchy, even down to the earrings. She learned nothing in her art history classes. I don’t think she really looked at anything, let alone thought about anything.
The aqua color is my favorite color family The dart seams don’t bother me as much as the puckers on the sleeve seams. For the price of the dress, the tailoring should be perfect. (My mother was a masterful seamstress and would spend hours setting in the sleeves of a garment. I would *helpfully* point out any puckers as she was fitting me.)
the fit looks good to me. it’s not undersized. it’s good to have some ease in seamed garments. but the fabric seems overly stiff and heavy for the tropics.
Points for wearing a repeat, finally? Like what is she doing? Why are there no local designers? how much are her clothes costing for this tour? This is insane, even for her, and feels very deliberate IMO. That aquamarine dress is a pretty color but otherwise is such a boring typical EW dress that Kate already has in like 5 other colors (although the collar is different, but we all know the dresses I’m talking about.)
That WaPo article is what I was talking about in the other post and it was HARSH. this line – “retro-colonial gallivanting” and then everything after is just……wow. *chef’s kiss*
What’s the repeat? The teal dress? Lol. Can’t imagine that being the only thing an adult is praised for😏
No, the green dress is from Wimbledon from….last year? Two years ago?
The teal/aquamarine dress is new but she has so many EW dresses in a similar silhouette (some with a pleated skirt some with a skirt like this) that the dress might as well be a repeat, except Kate had to spend money so here we are I guess.
I think the green dress is the repeat. It was her tennis court matching dress.
I think it’s a different dress. The tennis dress is a thicker material with wide pleats in the skirt. This is a different dress in the same color and nearly the same silhouette.
I saw a side by side on Instagram and I don’t think it’s the same dress.
@Kalana – no, its the same dress. It’s because she’s walking and its windy that you can’t see the folds (not quite pleats) the way you could when she was standing still at Wimbledon. But if you look closely you can see the seams/stitching that create those folds/pleats. WKW says its from the EW resort 2021 collection, but she speculates that Kate had some of the fullness from the skirt removed (maybe one fold/pleat?) It looks like she lost weight between then and now somehow so having the dress taken in would make sense.
@Becks. Thanks, that makes sense. But what does it say about Kate that I just figured she had a near exact copy made?
@Kalana I honestly went and looked it up on WKW bc I thought your comment seemed perfectly reasonable (and its still possible its a new dress, I just don’t think it is.) But I did not think it outside the realm of possibility that she has almost two of the exact same dress, which, like you said, says a lot about Kate lol.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was a different dress that looked pretty closely to another previous one. Let us not forget that the infamous primrose yellow dress worn to the wedding was another one of those close but not exactly the same dress showing Kate’s egregiously wasteful behaviour. (They had to confirm the second dress was yellow because the other one was mostly definitely white).
That’s unfair. She keenly wore a bangle made by a local designer and demonstrated perfect recoil.
It’s unbelievable and frankly unforgivable that she has not made any attempt to wear designs with some connection to the region. Even a British designer with Carribean heritage would be better than brand new versions of existing pieces. This tour was always going to be lightweight, but Kate has always taken her role of modelling new clothes very seriously.
With unlimited access, time, and funds, it says a lot that Kate has not chosen a single piece of clothing from any of the countries that hosted them.
Yes, because the intention was never to celebrate other cultures but to ram it home that it was all about British superiority and imperialism. This was a very deliberate decision and Kate figured she’d toss these countries a bone by cosplaying their flags with British designs and just wearing a local bangle and clutch as accessories. Such a blatant slap. I just can’t even figure out the thought process here but nobody on their team read the room during this vanity tour.
You are not wrong. This is one of Kate’s only moves. She can’t be intellectual, or curious, or hardworking, or charismatic, but she can highlight local designers on her visits. The crickets from her wardrobe on this tour are telling. This was a choice.
If her outfits weren’t going to be local designers then they all should have been repeats. She’s certainly got enough clothes to do that. And it remains childish to have to dress like the flag and do a wardrobe change within a few hours just to get out of a plane. Kate is a wasteful spendthrift and has never been called on it. They wanted to blame Meghan for this, but the reality is that jobless Kate has spent millions on her sad wardrobe over the years with little to show for it.
And wearing something from the royal collection is not cute when you have been doing colonizer cosplay the whole time. She is wearing the spoils of colonization and doesn’t even get it. Total dummy.
That’s what gets me, the changing of clothes on these very short flights. [I just googled, Belize to Jamaica is about 2 hrs, Jamaica to The Bahamas is about an hour an a half.] It’s just preposterous. Profligate. And nobody would crucify her for not cosplaying their country’s flag. Nobody really cares about that.
@Nic919: “Kate is a wasteful spendthrift… jobless Kate has spent millions on her sad wardrobe over the years with little to show for it.”
Exactly! Plus, Kate has no sense of style or authenticity. She’s always all over the place sartorially. She constantly cosplays and she has no unique fashion sense of her own. It’s just always about the buttons, bows, copying other women, being keen to wear tiaras, and playing dress up.
Kate thinks being a Princess of England is hot stuff. She hasn’t figured it out yet that being a princess and a FFQ consort means nothing if you have no substance, no presence, no self-respect, and no clue!
Bring it up every day Becks1! The fact that she wore no local designers yet had so many outfit changes is gross.
The only thing this tour highlighted was and how Kate and William are charmless bores and highlighted how the Sussexes are sorely needed. This was a real wake up call to the royalists, monarchy and media that the William and Kate embiggening fest isn’t translating. The establishment really dropped the ball with the Sussexes. That will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
The Sussexes make it look so easy. The Cambridges make it look unprofessional and painful.
The beauty of this catastrophe is that W&K did it to themselves. We knew this tour would be bad, but the way they are being 100% leveled all due to their tone-deaf, very deliberate preening is something I just wasn’t expecting. There are so many cracks in the British monarchy, but this could potentially be the fissure that blows it apart. You can feel it–people are waking up!
Agree with you 100%. The monarchy is a joke and has no place in the 21st century.
I really wonder who thought this trip was a good idea. Movements to remove the queen as head of state have been gaining steam throughout the Caribbean for years. A so-called “charm offensive” isn’t going to divert sovereignty and national identity movements. Barbados was the tip of the iceberg, not a one off.
I’m thinking how different this tour would have looked if this was H&M. And its just hard to imagine because everything would have been different. Everything would have felt more authentic, would have been tied into the local community and the country more – even climbing the sky palace in Belize would have had a different vibe IMO. We would have heard the actual questions H&M had about it – how it was built, how it was used, how its maintained today, etc – not just “wow.” There would have been so many more activities/events. And Meghan would have dressed to respect the host countries.
Even Charles and Camilla don’t tour like this. They don’t rely on being youthful so their events have more substance. And Charles tends to be smarter about avoiding colonizer type events, as he skipped the throne carry went he went to Tuvalu.
And really that photo from 2012 was really just telling us that these two dolts love the old timey colonizer worship. They should have known in 2012 that being carried in on a throne was a bad look but both were too stupid and racist to see this. A decade later and they have learned nothing.
The aquamarine dress looks like an ill fitting school uniform between the faux collar, long sleeves and skirt length.
I hate the faux collar. It looks like she put a dress on backwards.
First the fashion — even W is getting in on the flag cosplay. Black tie leaving Jamaica, a not-quite-coordinated tie for Khate’s aqua frock for the Bahamas arrival. Khate’s dart situation lately has been really unfortunate and only serves to call attention to her shockingly thin chest. I’m not concern trolling because I have no sympathy for Khate, at all, but this tour has taken a hard toll on Khate, and even Bill is looking rough at this point. The constantly revolving wardrobe changes, with basically NO homage to local designers gets more offensive by the hour.
ETA (because I forgot I had another thought LOL) — the growing international attention to the consequences of this racist colonial gallivanting is awesome to witness. I think this whole extravaganza will go down in history as the point when the monarchy felt the last nail going into the coffin.
Thanks C-Shell. I noticed from the very start of this tropical tour how thin Kate is. At first I thought it was just those early photos, but with every new change of clothes it becomes more and more apparent. The more structured clothes such as the aquamarine dress- really highlight her thin frame. The darts give it away. She doesn’t have the chest to fill out the bodice of that dress. In some other outfits her neck and shoulders look positively skeletal. Maybe she’s taken the famous words of Wallis Simpson a bit too seriously… ?
@C-Shell, soooo many people who know I follow the RF but never have themselves are even texting me links like “What is this shitshow?!” People who have never paid attention to the existence of the BRF in their *lives* (except maybe fleetingly around H&M’s wedding and the Oprah interview) are now, and they are horrified. A couple of my friends have asked “What is the purpose of this tour? What do they even think they’re accomplishing??”
It’s great. Obviously only anecdotal, but I’ve heard from like five people over the past week who never know what the RF is doing, but even they were absolutely bombarded by the negative headlines coming out of this tour.
Fantastic. And finally.
I love the color blue/turquoise it’s truly one of my favorites to wear.
I deeply hate that dress and am pained my favorite color is associated with such a monstrosity. Both the dress and the wearer.
I would have liked red accessories with that dress. That blue + red is one of my favorite color combos.
But I think this particular dress has a touch of grey in it, which I don’t care for. It’s not a true turquoise, or maybe it’s just bad lighting in the pics.
Mine too. I love aquamarine and Kelly green, so I would love dresses in those colors. At least she only does them occasionally. Maybe I should look into Bahamian themed dresses 😂
I loathe Wickstead, and Waity’s penchant for the same ghastly frock my 83 year old mother wouldn’t be seen dead in. I see she has them all in Easter Egg colors, should make for some hilarious “repeats” come Good Friday.
She’s bland as a saltine.
Royal reporter Richard Palmer, I sh*t you not, tweeted a photo of Will &Kate in their white outfits and said “here’s a couple of crackers. ”
…
Crackers have a different meaning in Britain, it is actually praise.
Words have many meanings in the English language and the British like to pretend they are ignorant of the ones not on their island, but American media has certainly transmitted cracker to mean hick white racists in media and film by now. Palmer usually doesn’t post tweets blandly praising these two and so the chances he was unaware of the double meaning were slim.
He definitely should have thought twice before tweeting that to an international audience 😂
Palmer’s still salty about “mishearing” William. He knew what he was doing.
Haha yes I posted this on another section but his comment went viral a few places
https://mobile.twitter.com/cymrurouge/status/1507104838815203333
Yeah, of course he followed up with the british definition after seeing everyone’s reaction. If it had been me, I would have deleted it because of how loudly the American readers were laughing over it. I kind of love how he just left it for everyone to clown on.
Actually, I looked it up as British slang. It said:
crackers
adjective [ after verb ] UK informal
US /ˈkræk.ɚz/ UK /ˈkræk.əz/
(also cracked)
silly, stupid, or slightly mentally ill
Yup…fits the “Bill”…and the “Cathy”.
I refuse to believe that Palmer didn’t know what he was doing with that tweet. He mistweeted today, last week he misheard William, etc. He knows exactly what he is doing.
He’s getting payback, that’s for sure.
Palmer definitely did that on purpose: there’s no way in hell a “journalist” (so called as he is) wouldn’t be aware of the various connotation of that word, lol. I’m anticipating a lot of stone throwing and hand hiding from Palmer in these coming days.
Her wardrobe changes have all been an epic fail imo.
This “tour” is still going on? Why are these countries being force to foot the bill for vanity tours that do not help them in ANY way at all?
The dragging these two are getting on Twitter is phenomenal. There are a few positive posts here and there about Kate’s “style,” but evern those comments have a somewhat muted tone.
I’m really invested now. Can’t wait to see what the aftermath of this farrago will be, what with the RR finally turning on them.
It is like the roar of the dragging is getting so loud that the palaces can’t figure it how to even address it. I am enjoying every minute of this overdue comeuppance
The karma bus came in the disguise of that jeep cosplay ride.
When I was young I liked the pageantry—the ‘show,’ but this is all gross and it’s been gross for a long time. The past is the past and the future is leaving these stupid, awful people behind, the sooner the better.
The crime behind the fortune is now on full display.
Precisely this!
These couture outfit changes for getting on and off a flight an hour later are so ridiculous and wasteful.
Kate should take off her dress, hang it up, change into jeans then put the dress back on before landing. However, I have no doubt that all the couture clothes were part of the bribe or pay-off she received.
I had to check a map because I thought, “Aren’t Jamaica and the Bahamas like right next to each other?” Yes! (Separated by Cuba.) Why did she need to change on a one-hour flight? And then just from one boring solid color dress to another boring solid color dress? What a waste.
We don’t need to see her leaving the country and getting on the plane – that doesnt really seem necessary IMO. If they don’t have an event planned before leaving, just note that they left and have them post a thank you on IG. That takes away the need for a departure outfit and an arrival outfit.
All the clothing changes are too much and very old school. Definitely meant to symbolize something. The evening wear is over the top, but her looks are for the most part country club appropriate, and the sun dresses were cute. The clothing is almost secondary to the bad optics of this tour. Are the tabloids going on about the cost of her wardrobe down to the penny the way they do with other people who are private citizens? Anyway, this tour is soooooo long, like one of Dante’s circles of hell.
That blue dress is awful. Ill-fitting, not a good colour on her, and just a bad silhouette overall.
They both look a bit shell shocked in that second to last photo?
It looks heavy too; it’s hot there. Ugh.. I’ve lost count as to how many times she’s changed dresses & hairstyles. Ridiculous
Looks like Melania Trump’s blue “inauguration” dress, and I’m almost certain that’s on purpose.
Great article !!
On a side note, Kate looks frickin exhausted. I get wonky eyes like that when I’m cooked. Not surprising she looks tired, she’s bearing the brunt of Will’s rage.
Considering that, on average, Kate has been doing “work” maybe once or twice a week, this non-stop change of wardrobe and makeup and hair, meeting and smiling at people several times over several days – she’s out of training for this. Too bad all that time, energy and money went for worse than nothing.
Sassafras, there’s no doubt in my mind that Clueless and Keenless are both raging. I actually am starting to feel sorry for their staff–they’re trapped on the plane with them. I would give a great deal to know whether ANYONE on their staff tried to get these two to change course during their stay in Belize and then in Jamaica. I know we assume no one did, but what if there was a lone voice? I don’t believe either of these two entitled, racist nitwits would have been led from their course.
I really think PC finally has the power to give the Shamebridges marching orders and making them work was high on his todo list. I expected the tour to go poorly (and I believed PC did, too), but I never thought it would go poorly of epic proportions. The best part? They have to own this mess. There’s no one else to blame.
Neither of them is capable of being adult let alone ffk and ffq-c. Why would anyone think these two should stay married. Talk about dumb and dumber.
These are the two dipshits who at age 30 in 2012 thought that being carrying in on thrones by persons of colour would be a smart thing to do. So all of this stuff now is what they think is appropriate. They didn’t have the same staff as from a decade ago and the common element is W and K. They are the racists who arrogantly believe that they deserve to be treated like this. (Also they think it’s cool to have racist paintings in their home because persons of colour are things to be collected and displayed in their mind).
I frankly do not believe that Kate will make it to the throne.
I’m curious, do you think it will be because she bails, because William divorces her, or because the monarchy dissolves before it’s their “turn”?
Well, I do not think she will bail, not in a million years.
Kate will never bail. This rises and falls on what William wants.
Will is going to blame all the bad press on her. Expect a ton of horrible stories about her to start leaking once they return. They’re going to throw her under the bus to save the monarchy. This tour has shaken the elites up because how dare the blacks and browns not bow to their betters and demand reparations for their exploitation and mistreatment! Seriously. It’s going to be hilarious. No royal baby, just throw bones to the wolves.
@KFG – your post are my thought exactly!
I don’t think I own or have ever owned anything with a boob dart. Does anyone who works in fashion /tailoring care to explain the importance to me? Is it Fashun, dahling- a la shoulder pads, or are they actually important to a garment in some way I can’t perceive?
It is to add shape, to create the appearance of shape.
It’s flattering on women who have larger chests, like Salma Hayek or Christina Hendricks. The dart isn’t supposed to end directly on top of the nipple, it’s supposed to shape the fabric on the side of the bodice.
I have a large chest in relation to my waist and hips. In some styles of some dresses, the dress does not hang correctly from the shoulders to the waist if darts are not present.
Darts accommodate the human shape in fitted garments. Whether they’re needed depends on the style and the fabric. So, like, 1950s housedresses made of woven cotton with tightly fitted waists need darts to keep the woven fabric close to the skin; loose-fitting woven or knitted garments don’t need them.
this is exactly it.
I will give them this: the seams line up absolutely perfectly!
but yeah, darts are a style choice. it’s all about making flat woven fabric into a not flat shape.
the Jamaica sundress is the first and only thing from her wardrobe that I’d rock!
A lot of women’s clothing has darts — it’s one way to create a curve. But they’re typically subtle, and they’re not supposed to actually end around the nipple area. For some reason, Kate likes very prominent darts.
Making clothes since 1986. We use darts to make fabric curve over the human body- hips and boobs typically tho you will occasionally see darts at necklines.
The darts on the EW dresses are I think parallel to the ground (most darts are angled at least a little bit) and perhaps too deep for Kate’s figure.
Reminds me a lot of Prada’s pointy darts too- women’s bust lines are all different so we use darts and princess seams in all kinds of ways to account for that. This ain’t it.
Gah, I’ve started making my clothes in the 70s and I have to say I’ve never seen darts that go to the nipple–they’re shorter than that. I’ve often wondered why Keenless doesn’t wear more dresses with princess seems. I would be a much better look than what’s happening with the dresses she wears. I guess she wants to draw the eye to her nipple area? That gives me a very odd idea of her actually.
This is a woman with a long history of wearing dresses in public without slips or weights and thus flashes the crowd because she also doesn’t wear pantyhose or full undergarments on these occasions.
After a while we have to stop pretending it’s all a weird coincidence and more an intention to exhibit.
The turquoise one looks like a mash up of Eugenie and Meghan’s dress.
And I hate it.
Yes!! And wasn’t this designer bad mouthing Meghan’s wedding dress fit and this is…what? Supposed to be better? Both dresses look too tight around the arms/underarms giving a weird scrunch
Can anyone introduce her to wearing separates?
So many of her dresses are made from heavy fabric in a single color (and I understand being visible to crowds aspect) but a trouser suit in the aquamarine with a flowy, patterned blouse would be so so so much better.
The drag of the heavy fabric is so unflattering and matronly.
Agree! Separates would also fit her better.
Separates would not give her the long, lean look that a single color dress does. I believe this slim look is her trademark and she enjoys the attention it brings.
I’m around her age and I had to put long flowy dresses away. They’re not age appropriate. Sorry, it’s just too girly. It’s okay to dress as a mature woman when in a professional context. Wear whatever you want on your own time, though.
Okay, so why doesn’t she wear a crisp, well-tailored sheath dress? Lots of chic, modern looks with that silhouette.
Definitely wouldn’t be as draggy and dead looking as the put-it-on-backward aqua dress.
I agree with you, @candy. Frustrated by all of Keen’s $$$ bad fashion on this trip.
I know the Sussexes also danced with locals and experienced First Nations culture and food and were cheered on their arrival when they toured on behalf of the Queen – I suppose on the surface the question could be asked, “How is that different”? It just didn’t feel detached and abusive to me – it felt like they were there to listen, learn, observe, and walk alongside people with humility, but I also realize I have a serious bias for them, so I guess I’m vulnerably asking to check my own very pro-Sussex viewpoint – was it different when they did it?
To me, Harry and Meghan are different because they have something you cannot fake – real warmth, and enthusiasm for whatever they choose to do. They are interested and engaged with the world around them. William and Kate could do the exact same engagements they did and still fail because they just honestly do not care. It’s dress up and work for them. I am remembering their tours of 2012 – they had insane amounts of good press, but they still were never warm or friendly, just polite and smiling. I don’t even care so much that they are so unintelligent, but the unintelligence stems from their lack of caring at all which is why it is egregious.
I firmly believe if the Sussexes had been sent on this tour they would have pushed back on anything like the “military car parade” or similar events meant to evoke past Empire “glory”. And PM Holness may have had the same talk with them about moving on from the Crown, but I also believe Harry and Meghan would have been proactive in discussing it and possibly finding positive ways to move forward instead of standing there with sweating palms and clenched jaws pretending to be respectful.
I think the concept of the tour is the same in that it is the colonizer country visiting the former colonies. But the approach was different. There was less cosplay and more interaction with the locals as actual people. Plus Invictus was within part of the Oceania tour so that was completely different in itself.
And maybe these types of tours are just no longer a thing they should be doing, especially to far off locations.
Ultimately Harry and Meghan were going to face the colonizer criticisms doing these things, and Meghan attacked more because of her biracial background for doing so. It was probably only a matter of time when even their charisma couldn’t hide the ugly message of the monarchy. Pushing them out just accelerated the removal of the veil.
It was also a different time. A lot has changed in the world in the last few years and people are tired of token statements about diversity and inclusion. I think Harry and Meghan would do a tour differently now. They also both have more extroverted, engaging personalities, so they look more natural with people. That’s not W+K’s fault, but it doesn’t help on top of everything else.
I am not a huge Sussex fan, but I will objectively acknowledge that they are much more skilled and aware of the global context at play. Meghan’s clothing choices, for one, and her willingness to bring up hard topics and acknowledge human suffering. She’ll find important local angles on things, and highlight the plight of the little guy. She’s cared for years about these topics and she’s been consistent in her advocacy. As an example, when she went to place a ribbon for a murdered woman in South Africa. She will show the world what is really happening, and I truly admire that about her.
I think you have to look beyond the overall thought of a tour and look at the difference in the types of engagement, the topic of conversation, where these two couples visited and how they spoke about them during and just following.
I did no research before answering this question so I have no concrete examples but I recall H&M visiting charities and aid organizations, undeserved schools, historical sites, sites of healing and kindness.
When visiting they met with people who ran those facilities and then they spoke ably and capably about the challenged faced by those organizations, the importance of their existence, and the help they needed to be successful. Many of those places later benefited from H&M’s charity or at least, similar charities and patronages in the UK were given more attention by H&M.
These tours shouldn’t just be meet and greets and photo ops. There has to be meaningful engagement and should also highlight charitable endeavors in the area, pique tourism interest in those watching, and highlight local designers and art/culture in the nation.
The only thing you missed is Harry and Meghan always bring something meaningful, to every organization they promote. Whether it is washing machines and dryers to a school with an under-served population or a food truck to thank volunteers working the front lines, they never show up and expect their presence to be a gift.
The dresses are okay but my criteria is that if clothes are pricey, I have to LOVE them. For what she likely paid for her clothes on this trip, they should have been fantastic. There would have already been a complete reporting of cost if this were Meghan.
Do the host countries on these tours pay for wardrobe too? I’m wondering if Kate is just trying to get her favorite designers on someone else’s dime.
I’ve always read that Charles pays for her clothes, but it’s all the same pot. The people’s money pillaged over generations.
The flaunting of expensive outfits by Kate is just wrong on so many levels.
I would say I am shocked by these two but I would be lying because I expect nothing better from them and I am glad that the world is putting them on blast.
Serious question, no shade intended
How tall is Kate? I know she wears heels, but I was just curious. She looks like a giant next to some of the ladies next to her.
She’s around 5’9 but always wears very high heels which likely puts her over six feet.
She does this to feel superior to others because if she had any sense of diplomacy she would be wearing something to be more level to the others, especially the women. It’s even dumber when she does this to visit schools.
William is supposed to be 6’3 and if you look at pictures of them side by side at the formal reception in Jamaica, if Kate is wearing 4 inch heels, I think she’s probably around 5’8.
I think she’s 5’8″ or 5’9″. Some have her as taller than that, but William is around 6’2″ I think and even when she wears 4 inch heels, he’s still usually an inch or two taller than she is, which wouldn’t be the case if she was taller than 5’9″. So she’s on the tall side but not stand-out tall IMO.
I think she’s 5’9″ – she wears really high heels, so that would get her to something over 6′. I’ve read that Will is 6’3″.
Kate and I are the same height and you couldn’t pay me to wear heels that high. It just gets awkward, more so on a diplomatic overseas tour.
It sends a bad message. There is nothing wrong with being tall when you are born that way. But wearing four or five inches heels to tower over people and pretend that you are there for soft diplomacy just shows her trying to establish dominance which is not the message those tours are promoted as doing.
A slip, a slip, my kingdom for a slip underneath that dress!
The teal dress was terrible. As for the tour it has been a total disaster and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.
I feel like these 2 outfits are more on point with what she should have been wearing the whole tour. I personally wouldn’t wear the dresses but they seem more “her” and less look at me…let me pose for this picture to go on front pages of magazines like the other outfits have been.
As for the article phew wow!! That was an evisceration. I only started following the royals when Meghan came along and wow I’ve never seen such pointed criticism towards Kate and Will in the last 4/5years. Even post Oprah they didn’t get the brunt of it.
Its finally their time in the sun..I didn’t think it would happen this fast but I’m glad it’s happening.
i remember when they were announcing the Pakistan tour with the ambassador in London and all Kate could think to talk about was spicy Indian food.( which of her kids like spice) Like really? With everything that is happening in Pakistan the best she could do for small talk was curry? Such an idiot. of course this tour was going to be a disaster. They make no effort to understand or learn about the culture of any place they visit.
The fact is, they HAVE been praised for doing nothing or worse-than-nothing (while white) for their entire marriage. It must have come as a red-hot shock to them that their blandness and tone-deafness and casual racism did not fly this time. I honestly think they must be reeling with confusion.
Imagine the logistics and cost of bringing that stupid ancient LandRover over from the UK for that one cosplay photo. I bet someone was VERY proud of that idea.
Yes who exactly IS advicing them on all this??
Maybe its a tinfoil, but I can not help but always sensing ma Middletons hand involved in everything, advicing on both styling and stunts like this.
Why does William wear suits for travelling but not when he meets officials? His wardrobe for this entire tour has been dreadful.
Her clothing choices on the trip could have been an easy win. Maybe the only win. Instead, she went with overpriced British designers, and at least three looks that were downright politically incorrect.
Her looks for this tour were not good. Either she was overdressed with all those sparkly shiny dresses, looking like Eva Peron with the generalissimo, or to quote a gossip pod, dressed like she was going to Señor Frogs. Also, the tone on tone marchioness with some outfits did not work. William looked bad too. His clothes were ill fitting and rumpled, terrible shoes. He has zero style.
This hot mess is still going on? Good. It’s karma coming in hot for the Cambridges. The conservations about slavery and reparations would still have gone on if the Sussexes toured, maybe with less vitriol or more. Or not. Anyway W&K got a big wake up call: the press outside the UK will not kiss up to them; their press minions have no influence with international legitimate press (and will throw them under the bus when it’s a valid news story); Kate’s fashion shows and garbled speeches aren’t going to cut it; and when Bill gets the keys to BP the buck will stop with him. I doubt they’ll learn and do better.
That’s the thing, the RF and I presume most royalists, have ZERO self-awareness. They’re so deep in the bubble of privilege that they’re stuck in times when the presence of a royal and two words spoken would suffice and people would just ADORE them, because they exist I guess.
So when faced with actual issues the world is facing and/or they’re responsible for, they are unprepared and make utter fools of themselves.
“..An outdated relic of imperialism”.. couldn’t have said it better.
Her mouth still looks wonky on one side. Lay off the ‘tox Kate.
I am of the opinion that this was such an unmitigated catastrophe they won’t be seen again for ages. The American tour may very well be postponed, or at the very least only Wm will show up for a brief visit then hightail it home with his tail between his legs. This may very well spell the end of their marriage as well — their relationship is clearly circling the drain and disasters like this tend to push it over the edge.
Good riddance.
I think they are incapable of learning from this disaster. They’ll go full steam ahead, as per usual. Clearly Kate has missed buying new dresses & hats & shoes & getting all dolled up to have her photo taken. W, eh, nothing to say & nothing to see.
“Full steam ahead” doesn’t exist in their lexicon, more like a few feeble puffs of steam then nothing. The Cambridges have been living on borrowed time and this mess has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither of them is remotely capable of executing the duties expected of people in their privileged positions in this day and age. They totally phoned it in and are nothing more than performative cardboard cutout figurines. When the BM, the BBC and ROTA start turning against them you know it’s bad. Once Betty is gone it’s going to be open season.
Girl, bye…. 👋
Ooh, love the silhouette of the first green one.
I am still not getting why Kate flaunting her expensive wardrobe is getting praised by some in the media. Especially her stans.
Her looks for this tour were not good. Either she was overdressed with all those sparkly shiny dresses, looking like Eva Peron with the generalissimo, or, to quote a gossip pod, dressed like she was going to Señor Frogs. Also, the tone on tone matchiness with some outfits did not work. William looked bad too. His clothes were ill fitting and rumpled, terrible shoes. He has zero style.
In over 10 years of marriage Kate has learned many things it seems. She’s learned how to wear Diana’s ring of doom so that it always shows in pictures, how to be a mean girl to other women, how to spend a lot of money on clothes – she’s learned that lesson not so wisely but all too well. How come she never learned how to behave in other people’s countries?