Yesterday evening (in the UK), Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth would not attend the state opening of Parliament. This is only the third time she’s missed the state opening during her reign. The Prince of Wales stepped in for her, and the Duchess of Cornwall accompanied her husband (as she’s done many times in recent years). What was new about this state opening is that Prince William attended as well. William went solo – no Duchess Kate – and he walked behind his father and stepmother. What was fascinating is that William also walked behind Rose Hanbury’s husband.
Rose Hanbury’s husband is David, the Earl of Rocksavage, the seventh Marquess of Cholmondeley, and the hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain. Which means that the Marquess has the formal and honored duty of holding the actual Crown (which sits on a fancy pillow) and bringing the Crown into the parliamentary chamber. He is the Crown’s escort. The Crown goes ahead of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. Which is why David Rocksavage is front and center in all of these state opening photos. It might also explain why William looks so grim. Can’t even do some rose-gardening in Norfolk without it blowing up in his face in Parliament.
I’m including Charles’s speech below. Many people are saying this is the moment where Charles solidified his position as the de facto Regent. I mean… he’s been Undercover Regent for months.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.
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- Britain’s Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William proceed behind the Imperial State Crown through the Royal Gallery for the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, Britain, May 10, 2022.,Image: 690010344, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: HANNAH MCKAY / Avalon
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- Prince Charles reads the Queen’s speech next to her crown during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday amid ongoing mobility issues.,Image: 690017715, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WPA POOL, WPA+IPA+CPNA IN, Model Release: no, Credit line: Alastair Grant / Avalon
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- Prince Charles reads the Queen’s speech next to her crown during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Palace of Westminster in London, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday amid ongoing mobility issues.,Image: 690017789, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WPA POOL, WPA+IPA+CPNA IN, Model Release: no, Credit line: Alastair Grant / Avalon
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- Prince Charles processes along the Royal gallery with the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William during the ceremonial state opening of Parliament which The Queen was unable to attend due to her health.,Image: 690017831, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: RICHARD POHLE / Avalon
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- Prince Charles processes along the Royal gallery with the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William during the ceremonial state opening of Parliament which The Queen was unable to attend due to her health.,Image: 690017924, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: RICHARD POHLE / Avalon
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- Prince Charles processes along the Royal gallery with the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William during the ceremonial state opening of Parliament which The Queen was unable to attend due to her health.,Image: 690018043, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: RICHARD POHLE / Avalon
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220510- State Opening Of Parliament -PICTURED: Prince William -PHOTO by: PA Images/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 – London, UK -20220510- State Opening Of Parliament -PICTURED: Prince William -PHOTO by: PA Images/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 – London, UK -20220510- State Opening Of Parliament -PICTURED: Prince William, Prince Charles, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall -PHOTO by: PA Images/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
Brother husbands reunite 😀😀😀
LOL🤣
HAHAHAHAHHA
Hahahaha
Yes. Brosbands reunited indeed!
LOL 4 EVA
Can someone please get Willnot a pair of fitting pants!
The way his pants fit is obscene.
Willy always has the most smug resting bitch face with unkind eyes. No warmth emanates from his body. Such a shame that England is stuck with this future King.
I wonder if he always has half a stiffy. In which case, if that’s just a half, then, sorry Khate.
You cannot expect him to fit the royal codpiece in normal pants.
Its more of an underwear thing – we’ve had years of Keen flashing the royal biscuit, now its his turn to show off the royal sceptre in the hopes of attracting a new mate.
😂
I can’t 😂😂
More like the Royal badly stuffed doner kebab and a pickled gherkin.
Chile…., the shade.
He also need a jacket that fits him but before that, he needs to get into the gym to do some exercise to square off his rounded shoulders. He is looking more and more like an old man every day. It must have something to do with the weight of a guilty conscious.
Young Mr. Burns.
OMG MY EYES. I need to bleach my eyes. WHYYYYY hasn’t anyone stopped him from doing this? His staff must hate him and this is their revenge.
David >>>>>>> William every damn day.
yes. David is a good looking older man.
A very good looking older man.
Money and royal blood and status can’t buy you class or properly tailored clothes for the occasion, apparently. His father is always so well dressed for events. William did not inherit that, just his father’s petulance.
David Rocksavage has an amazing name and is way more attractive than William.
Money can’t cure a thousand years of inbreeding, but it damn sure can pay for tailored pants. There is no excuse.
Came here just to comment that David is most certainly a handsome older man. Whew!
This Jubbly mess has been WAY better than ANY episode of “Dave Allen at Large” or “Fawlty Towers”…I AM LOVING IT🥰😅🤣
LMAOOOOO
Why does William look like a teenager who’s been told to skip his football game in order to visit his elderly aunt? I get that it’s a solemn occasion but he definitely has an “I had other plans” face. Yikes!
Yes, his face in those pictures definitely says “I’d rather be anywhere but here.”😂
ikr? William looks like a sulky 16 year old whose father threatened to take away his Playstation unless he….erm, showed up for the opening of Parliament. His attitude is a disgrace for a man his age, let alone for one whose has been raised his entire life to perform the role (and for which he has received many, many, many perks)
He looks like an old British grandpa in that dated brown suit with the vest. Instead of sitting in front of the fire with his print edition of The Times, cigar and house slippers, he had to take the 7:05 train into London this morning for this Parliament nonsense.
I assume its because that’s pretty close to the truth most of the time. He was told he had to attend this, especially once it was announced the Queen had to be there, and he would rather be drinking a beer with football players(you know, work for him) or just not working at all and hanging out in Norfolk or Windsor or wherever his wife is not. So he always looks like he had other plans because he did so he’s sulking bc someone reminded him that he will be king one day and he has to get used to these events.
Maybe because he is looking at the back of Rose’s husbands head and wishing it was hers instead?
Maybe it’s because he has more hair, a better body and a bigger house than Wee Willy.
Absolutely crying at “I had other plans face” 😂
That made me actually laugh out loud! Best description of Will’s expression ever!
I hate to say it, but William would benefit enormously from some botox and filler. His face has sagged into a permanent scowl.
It really shows just how entitled he is, that he thinks his father should be skipped and he should be crowned instead, and yet he can’t even deign to FIX HIS FREAKING FACE and look appropriate for a few minutes. It’s baffling. I’m never one to defend keen, but if my husband had a perma-scowl or looked like he had just smelled something foul in every effing picture we ever took, *I* would be the one incandescent with rage. It’s a disney villain expression and it’s ALL. THE. TIME.
His facial expressions were awful. He was there on work experience to learn the ropes, and yet he looked totally bored. At least Charles and Camilla attempted to show warmth in their looks and mannerisms.
Sheesh, the look on his face! I can’t tell if he doesn’t care that the world knows he is bored, or if he truly doesn’t know how to convey polite interest in a sincere way.
I love that the rr is stuck with this 40 year old toddler, for the rest of their lives. You got your fondest wish, Meghan is gone and you have this sour face to keep you warm at night. Job well done!
Interesting article on David Cholmondeley and being the Lord Great Chamberlain.
https://www.tatler.com/article/who-is-david-cholmondeley-the-marquess-of-cholmondeley
Thanks! That was a fun read. Maybe I should check out Tatler more often.
It WAS a great read!
Thanks BayTampaBay
Does anyone know why the crown is carried and not worn?
QEII always wore up until last the couple of years then stooped wearing the crown due to its weight.
Dang, William looks rough and ragged. It’s really kind of stunning when you look back at his old photos (even from when he and Keen first got married). Ah well. Getting the face you deserve and all that. (Or worried how he looks in photos alongside his side piece’s main man)
The decline of prince williams looks will never cease to amaze me.
Apparently, ugly looks as ugly does 🙂
Yeah, he looks especially haggard in these photos. California dreaming keeping him awake at night?
Someone here or maybe on twitter once posted that Diana’s ghost saw all the ugliness he put out in the world and snatched those Spenser genes back. I have not stopped laughing since.
This is fucking GOLD, and it tracks!
“You act like your daddy, you look like your daddy.”
If you live well you look well. Doria looks great, Harry and Meghan too for 3 great examples, even the Lord Chamberlain here looks good for his age.
The 3 little pigs of shadiness walking behind him look how they’ve acted in life- wretched.
Wow, you nailed it here with these examples!
This looks like LARP. How on earth can they think they’re superior? I know I’m answering my own question, but like, how can RegularEverydayNormalWill be racist and be a white supremacist while doing this? It would be funny if it weren’t horrifying with actual consequences.
It may technically be a LARP at this point since these people serve no real purpose anymore.
All I was thinking looking at these pictures was “this is absolutely ridiculous” Someone carrying a crown on a pillow? And you have to be born into a specific family to do that?! What an absolute joke.
It is all so ridiculous. and the other article about the “royal” grandchildren being in a pageant. There should be no “royal” children. It’s ridiculous and disgusting and I hope that we see the end of the BRF and all royal families.
Yes, and all the pomp and stupid regalia/worthless medals are ridiculous.
Chuck’s chair looked fucking ugly and tacky af to me as well. Pasty, unattractive people talking nonsense afaik.
The Emperor’s not wearing any clothes, people! Wake up!
Yes, THANK YOU! This whole thing is so stupid. It’s dress-up make believe for grownups. None of this is real! It’s all just made-up pagentry nonsense.
Absolutely! Which is fine, just don’t pretend it’s anything serious, and don’t PAY THEM with my tax money to have the privilege of playing LARP with stolen jewels.
Side note, love your username 😀
William looks ready to combust. Harry saying that he is trapped is really starting to physically show. I wonder what the BMs reaction would have been if it had been William who fell in love with a biracial woman.
I would have some sympathy for William being trapped in his gilded cage, but then I remember all of the horrific things he did to Meghan and his brother just to ensure he could use Harry as his pack mule/scapegoat until the day he died.
He could always abdicate but he isn’t fit to do shit. And that is 100% on him because Philip, Charles and Harry all managed to do meaningful things with their positions. William has no excuse for laying fallow.
I had sympathy when he was younger, but a lot of William’s problems are of his own making. I don’t believe anyone was pressuring him to marry and produce heirs when he was young. He could have been single for awhile instead of constantly going back to Kate, gotten some therapy, figured out who he was beyond being the heir to the throne. I suspect if he’d done all that, he could have attracted a more compatible partner than Kate. I mean, even now, what is he actually seeking in a partner besides someone who annoys him less than she does? Does he even know? His father at least seemed to have an idea what would make him happy, even if he didn’t have the willpower to follow through on that.
And then there’s Will’s lack of interest in his work, which is all the more damning because he has a lot of leeway to define what that work is. I think almost all of us could find SOMETHING we cared about with 20 years and unlimited resources.
This is exactly why he WON’T abdicate — because what the hell would he be abdicating for? He has no discernible talents or interests to speak of. If “ain’t sh*t” was a person…
He simply is not very bright. He has little imagination and no patience to learn from those around him. To compound matters further, he is lazy.
I still wonder what exactly Harry meant with that. Trapped how exactly? Because from where i am standing it seems like when William says jump the Royal rota is more than happy to jump.
Trapped because the rota know sh!t about him. Probably even more than the Rose situation. Plus honestly, he can’t just up and leave, that would throw George under the bus, unless the whole monarchy ends. I get the feeling William doesn’t like the spotlight, that he’d just rather be left alone. He doesn’t come off as a “people” person, at least not to me.
@Chloe I dont know about living life knowing someone or an establishment rather has dirt on you. The Rota only jumps so as long as they have material(which he supplies)to sell their product. When that stops who do you think they will turn on. Infact it would drive me crazy.
@MsIam ~ about a week ago I saw a video of Wm w/Diana & Charles & the media. He was a baby and kept running away from the media. Diana had to keep getting him and bringing him back. He looked panicked and afraid, and his mum kept bringing him back to where he was panicked and afraid, tho she did try to reassure him. You could hear the clicking of cameras. This was before H was born, I think (he wasn’t in the video). It did break my heart a little that this baby (Wm) was on display like a show pony, and he was so obviously uncomfortable and trying to escape.
That said, when he became an adult he was meant to put away childish things and has never managed to do so. This man needs mental health help, there is no question in my mind about that.
I do think this is William’s “serious” face, as in, “This is a serious event for which I must look serious!”
Exactly my thoughts!
I rarely have anything to say about this family, they’re beyond words. But for some reason it just hit me like a truck that Chuck is … elderly. Sure, he’s younger than the Queen but we’re talking one senior citizen replacing another VERY senior citizen on the throne. It’s bizarre. I haven’t seen him in motion in a long time so it really hit home here. Oof.
Yeah they’d better get the show on the road or they won’t have any other choice but to skip Charles for William. Hopefully Charles is walking on his treadmill every morning.
Not going to happen, esp as it endangers the tax-free inheritance of all the private wealth. Charles will be king for 20+ years. His own father lived to 99, remember?
@NOTA So the TQ’s decision not to abdicate is really for tax avoidance reasons rather for the often mentioned service and duty?
@SURE, well my personal opinion (not that I’m the queen, lol) is that its a combination of things, including how the abdication impacted her, especially if her mother always blamed that for her father’s relatively early demise, but I am sure the tax avoidance plays a role. Its also why she’s just going to give Charles Balmoral and Sandringham, even though I don’t think anything requires that she give those properties to him. If she gives them to andrew for example, he has to pay tax.
My thoughts exactly. Betty waited for too long, and now the future king is as unappealing and uninteresting as possible.
The unexpected joys of sexism and attractiveness bias, hooray!
The camera angle doesn’t help at all. Has Charles always had those jowls?
He’s had them for at least a decade but they are much more pronounced from certain angles and with certain expressions. The collar is doing him absolutely no favors.
Charles looks like a sad site – maybe it’s because we all know how long he’s been waiting to take the reigns.
Camilla looks really good – love her outfit and how she put it together.
William always looks angry – as if he just had an argument and would be anywhere but there. Speaks volumes. As for walking behind Rocksavage, baw ahahahahhaha
It’s funny to see Cam wearing that modern hat next to all the thrones and pageantry. The dress flows but the hat just highlights the anachronism.
Same goes for me with the opening of Parliament in The Netherlands. Ballgowns worn with hats. Best was the year Maxima showed up in a gold beaded gown – and an Indiana Jones hat.
For once I think Camilla’s face looks a bit off – too much Botox before the Jubbly that hasn’t settled? – because she has the same weird expression in every photo, as if her face couldn’t move. I assumed her modern garb, which makes her look as if she dressed for a different event is because they wanted to avoid any suggestion that she was taking the Queen’s place. Therefore, no white/formal wear but it does make her look like she doesn’t belong there. Something like the coatdress she wore to her wedding with Charles would have been more appropriate.
If they were going for a daytime look, her long wedding outfit would have been too formal. This dark blue is one of her more formal coatdresses; maybe that’s the balance they were striking.
For someone who has waited his entire life for moments like this (cue Kelly Clarkson…), Charles looks and sounds like an uninterested student, nose buried in his notes giving a presentation he didn’t prepare. I get that the speech is written for him/the queen by the gov’t but still. At any point in the last several decades has he taken a public speaking course? Toastmasters? Anything?? He’s not even sitting up straight, even without the heavy crown. Another missed opportunity to make a kingly impression.
But did he have time to prep? The announcement that the Queen would not attend Parliament and Charles go in her stead came out only yesterday. If the Palace really is making these decisions about the Queen’s appearances at the very last minute, ChuckyBoy may not have known he was going to appear until a few hours before the event. Granted, he could have taken at least an hour or so to prep, and maybe the Palace could have provided him with the speech a week ago in anticipation of the Queen’s non-appearance — “just in case,” as it were. But if it all came down at the very last second, maybe Charles is just unprepped.
IMO being unprepared as head of state stand-in is infinitely worst than just being boring when speaking publicly, but I’m not convinced that this was truly a last minute decision (I mean, given her attendance record lately, you’d have to be pretty faithful and/or willfully naive to believe she’d make it and therefore do zero prep for contingencies). Even if he did find out the prior evening, it shouldn’t take weeks (or hours) of prep to sit up straight. I’m not saying he should’ve had the speech memorized, but I do firmly believe that someone in waiting for decades and decades should have a better command of cadence, impactful pausing, etc which are common, much-taught techniques that can be applied to any speech (regardless of prep time), versus just reading off a paper like any average joe. Not saying I wanted the Braveheart speech, but sitting up straight, shoulders back, chin up should be a given.
First thought: what is it with Willy and his pants? Embarrassing.
Second thought: what is it with Willy and his face? He looks like he wants to be in any place but here. He makes his “serious” face – we’ve seen it on various occasions when it was clear he wanted nothing but to get out.
Yeah, William’s pants in the third pic down. The fit IS obscene. Or maybe it’s the underwear? Because his nether region should not look like that in public, especially not next to the husband of his sidepiece. Or anywhere, really.
That moose knuckle is about to come for the Lord Chamberlain’s hand!
What if the affair was really between William and Rocksavage? Might explain the half mast. Titillating.
xD xd xd xd!!!
I am crying
You joke but there is gossip about Rocksavage that way, that he has a male partner in France, and he and Rose have a very bohemian relationship.
That’s a theory that would actually make a lot of sense.
Omg dying of laughter 😂😂😂
Everything is conspiring against WilKat lately. Perhaps it’s why Kate was not invited. This would not be the walk to church scenario where the KEENs are upfront.
Kate would just be inappropriately grinning like a lunatic, striking poses, and waving her jazz hands at invisible people in the room, anyway.
DAMMIT, WHY DIDN’T THEY INVITE HER?! Those awkward photos give me life!
With the way she’s being left out of select things more they are without a doubt getting sick of the Keen Preen show.
I think they announced previously that William would be doing important/government events, and Kate would go to child centers and fluff pieces (not in those words).
who picked that shade of brown for his suit? I mean, poo brown suits him but why was black or navy blue not an option?
I don’t think it is brown. It should be black or grey. The lighting and cameras can alter colours.
@souperkay You will never see a British aristo/royalty/upper class male wearing a black suit… unless it’s black tie/evening wear.
Bully looked bored and was not happy to be there – TBH am sure Chuck didn’t want him there either as it was TBH Chuck’s moment, with Bully tagging along as he didn’t want to be left out.
I fully expect to see a Keen solo event in the next day or so as you can bet she wasn’t happy at not being there.
Why wasn’t she there though? Do the FFQ’s normally not get invited the opening of Parliament?
I know Rocksavage wouldn’t be interested, but I’d definitely rather. Even with the lines and bags under his eyes, he’s many many times hotter than Baldimort. I said this on the other thread, but I’m constantly amazed that W is so bad at performing his public role(s). I guess all those private teas with the Queen Mum to prepare him to be the FFK were a huge fail.
I get a lot of people assume he’s gay but it doesn’t track. He and Rose dated for years, got pregnant out of wedlock before marrying quickly. If he was gay, they’d have married first and secretly done IVF or something. If his sidepiece is the fellow in Paris, why do people insist on making such a deal over him possibly being bisexual? She has her affairs, he has his, and they stay happily (and seemingly passionately) married.
I don’t get the gay vibe from him and also don’t see that it would be a big deal if he were bi, but I cannot picture someone who is happy and passionate in their marriage having an affair with William. An affair? Sure, some people’s marriages are like that. But it’s William! When I try to imagine the mindset in which he seems like an appealing sidepiece, all the results are pretty depressing.
Plenty of people have had affairs with heirs to the throne through the years for the cachet or future deals/favours. He’s convenient, next door, they’ve known each other for ever.
I know it’s how these people operate, but it all seems very sad and dull and position-focused. I can’t imagine having to socialize with people like William and Kate on a regular basis, let alone having an affair with one of them.
What good is having all that status and money if you end up spending your time with vapid bores instead of hot pool boys?
@nota, At most, I’d guess he might be bi because, yes, he and Rose clearly were busily involved before marriage and, hopefully, after (I hate to think that their second child might have different provenance). What Rose could possibly see in W is a mystery to me. I get the Royal Mistress caché in prior generations, but he doesn’t even have Charles’ aura of destiny.
David Rocksavage may be bisexual if anything as he has a trail of high profile ex-girlfriends from the international film community.
His ex-girlfriends were discussed in an article around 1995 promoting his directorial debut with the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s novel “Other Voices, Other Rooms”.
It’s not a big deal at all that’s he’s bisexual. Frankly, I’m sure there are many Brit/European nobles that we don’t know about probably are. They don’t advertise it they just go about it. Princess Margaret’s ex-husband the Earl of Snowden springs to mind as one of these fellows.
We can’t necessarily assume they are having “affairs” specifically though. If their relationship is an open one and both came into it consenting to that, no one’s having affairs. They just have an non monogamous relationship.
That seems fair, HeyJude, but I do think that it’s an “affair” if one of the people is in an open marriage and the other’s marriage is monogamous or is non-monogamous but has some rules that the new relationship is breaking.
Whatever the Rocksavages have agreed, Kate was clearly upset by William’s and Rose’s relationship. I suspect that she’s perfectly aware that William isn’t faithful to her and that her expectations are more along the lines of not doing anything that’s in her face or her social circle, but it seems like there was some rule breaking and sneaking around here rather than a bunch of non-monogamous people happily doing their non-monogamous thing.
Kate has agreed to the cheating for 20 years. This time it was her ego involved. She wanted to be queen of the toffs. The toffs responded by rallying around Rose and freezing Kate out. The only times she and mummy hold the cheating against him is when it goes public. Ski trip = third child William didn’t want. Rose = move to Berkshire so Kate can run home to mummy more quickly.
LOL, C-Shell, I agree! Rocksavage is a hottie. And I dig his embroidered coat, he actually makes that nonsense look good.
I have always found Davis Rocksavage handsome, baggy eyes and all. In the Rose/Kate wars, when it comes to homes, freedom, and husbands, Rose wins every round.
@L84Tea – I think it is intelligence. He has this look of intelligence and high culture that seems to “shine” through his eyes and facial expressions that make him look handsome in an elder distinguished kind of manner.
He IS handsome. He gives me my cool science teacher or best friend’s handsome dad who takes us to get icecream but doesn’t hover vibes
Gosh…I don’t find him attractive in the slightest.
@PrincessK – In a very British way, David Rocksavsge was quite a “hottie” in his younger years (age 20-45).
The bar for rich white men is uh, low.
He and his wife seem to benefit mostly by comparison to the Cambridges. Sure, they’re cooler and more attractive than those two, but that’s not exactly saying much. But I don’t envy most of the British aristocracy anything but their money.
It is very strange that Kate didn’t attend with William. When Charles went to the opening of parliament for the first time as a married man, Diana was with him. Could be they wanted the focus on Charles and Camilla, but doesn’t show much for the unity of the institution. Although, maybe two events in one day is too much for Kate.
Keen would have worn red velvet to match the crown pillow, even though it’s May, lol.
They didn’t want to bring her there because her freeze-frame open-mouth gaping laughs would have looked ridiculously amateur and out of place.
LOL! I picture her wearing red velvet with a gold paper crown on her be-wigleted head in order to grab attention away from the whole ceremony. She is that inappropriate and thirsty.
William was there because he is a Counsellor of State. Apparently there needs to be two Counsellors of State present for any official action in the Monarch’s absence. So William’s presence was required. He then had to go to Manchester for an engagement with Kate.
The Counsellors of State are the Monarch’s spouse and the next four adults in the line of succession. Currently that’s Charles, William, Harry and Andrew. If Charles is officially appointed Regent then Beatrice becomes a Counsellor of State. When he is King then Camilla will be a Counsellor as the King’s spouse.One requirement is that they have to be domiciled in the UK. That doesn’t mean living permanently in the UK but with someone like Harry who spends a lot of time out of the UK there might need to be a substitute. In this case also Andrew might be considered unsuitable.
Apparently there are discussions taking place about formally appointing some other Counsellors. These would most likely be Beatrice and Eugenie and possibly Edward.
She heard Parliament doesn’t have a slide.
Lol
Well, Charles was already the crown prince when he attended and Diane was the Princess of Wales, while Catherine isn’t. We will have to wait until William attends as the prince of Wales to make a direct comparison.
This just serves to highlight why Kate’s trying to phase out Rose was dumb and was never going to work. the position rotates to someone else during Charles’ reign, but its back to the Cholmondeleys during William’s (either david or the older son) so when Kate attends parliament openings in the future as QC, she’s going to be walking behind either Rose’s husband or son. rose was never going to be cut out, her position is secure. And Kate trying to force her out just opened a can of worms for her.
Khate’s really not smart, nor can she play the long game. She and CarolE are rooted firmly in their middle class, no matter how much they want to be part of the aristocracy. They played that situation very badly, indeed.
I think that was one of Kate & Carole’s worst miscalculations ever. Rose is the Queen Bee and Kate was stupidly arrogant to think she could knock her off the top tier so easily.
The thing that kills me about their social climbing aspirations is just how piss-poor they are at it. Granted I’m an American and what seems more crystal-clear than anything is that the high aristocracy has all these ridiculous customs that us commoners aren’t supposed to know, and I get that the Middleton could only get so far ahead of the game in that way. But like, maybe pay for some elocution lessons in your daughters youth if you’re trying to breed her to be the FFK’s wife?
It also serves to highlight why William choice of mistress was idiotic, presuming the rumors are true. These people. *eyeroll*
Well different rules, right? For William, his choice of mistress made sense – she was high ranking, she and her husband know the rules, etc. It does seem like an especially mean choice for Kate (in that she cannot ever escape Rose, not even at state dinners) but I don’t think William really considers Kate when choosing his next mistress/affair.
I don’t think it was idiotic. It mirrors what his father did. Andrew Parker Bowles is an insider and was happy to loan out his wife to a future King. This Rocksavage chap is also very much an insider and would never rock the boat. But it seems that Kate like Diana was not having it. It seems that Kate does not have Diana’s force of personality and she has been persuaded to keep quiet for now, I thought that trip to Church to show the world nothing was wrong must have been excruciating for both Kate and Rose. I still feel that caged Kate may still turn around and let loose…..early days yet.
Interesting. Yes, I can see it both ways.
@PrincessK
I think that Diana being an aristocrat herself also played in her favour as did the difference in ages between her and Charles. He was well know as a 30-something man with many public affairs under his belt while Diana was a relatively inexperienced and naive 19 year old when they got engaged. There is nothing inexperienced or naive about Kate and, given her and her mother’s known scheming to bag the heir to the throne, as well as her complete incompetence, laziness and lack of personal accomplishment, I don’t see her gaining much leverage in any kind of scandal between her and William.
She’s too petty and stupid to think any further than “A woman who is tall/pretty/thin likeme. I must mean girl her out of here.” Never mind it would benefit her to make friends and have allies. She doesn’t know how to play with other women, she just wants to be the only one standing (that’s why she was threatened by Meghan… instead of welcoming her with open arms)
Kate’s miscalculation in thinking she had the power to push Rose out and install herself as queen of the Turnip Toffs, really was the beginning of the end. Then CarolE’s insane contributions to the Tatler article finally crossed a line for William, and was likely exacerbated by the pandemic requirements which saw him actually have to spend consecutive weeks with his wife+children for first first time in his marriage. It was an absolutely daft move by Kate.
As some have said above, given the previously high level game shown by CarolE re: strategy/coaching/scheming – it is really surprising she didn’t find a lower tier uni professor or former Palace/govt aid to help the family/Kate get up to speed with basic Royal protocol. Guess they were already operating at maximum bandwidth what with facilitating the reconciliations/cheese toasties etc. They gave themselves a break post wedding, Carole thought she could finally divert some time to marrying off Pippa and James, take a bit of time to gloat, relax in Mystique, and somehow things never quite got back on track…
I can’t get over the irony of Charles’ speech about helping the poor and creating employment and growth against the backdrop of all that gold and pomposity and ill-gotten wealth. Ugh.
Eskimo brothers.
How is it possible that Willy looks the same age as David? I mean David looks good for his age, William looks bad for his.
Also Jesus lord will, wear some damm underwear.your nuts don’t need the opening of parliament spotlight.
I mean, this shouldn’t be unexpected for him. I was under the impression that all of these people were sleeping with each other’s wives. God knows that was certainly his father’s pattern. Probably still is. I doubt Camilla objects.
Anyway, all of these people seem rather pathetic, including the woman who has nothing better to do with her time than sleep with William and the man who’s married to her. I don’t blame anyone for wanting to escape.
The though of someone out there in this world wanting Chuck’s shriveled up dick makes me really thankful I haven’t had lunch yet.
The first time he’s sat up front, though, yes? Was he part of the procession before?
And did KM also attend, and part of the procession? I’m not remembering this, but maybe another Covid memory lapse
ETA – this was in response to a comment that it wasn’t William’s first time. Now I don’t see that comment.
I assume Kaiser deleted them as a t r o l l. This was William’s first time attending the Opening of Parliament. They knew it was likely QEII wouldn’t attend, have known that for months. They chose to schedule Kate far away in Manchester instead of attending Parliament. She’s still in the doghouse over her camerawhoring behavior at Prince Philip’s funeral. I’d say neither Charles nor William wanted her at this event.
Nota
Idk if it’s the doghouse for that reason, but I’m feeling the BRF beginning to make life harder for Kate (more work) and also phasing her out of the big stuff.
The messaging feels she is unnecessary and unwelcome to traditions.
The pics on Twitter of him sitting up front make it look like he is in a time-out. Which is long overdue, frankly.
All I’m gonna say is I’m all in for the name ROCKSAVAGE. It sounds like an early 70’s hard rock band. (Showing my age and favorite genre of music here)
Can we just talk about the SHADE Kaiser threw out?
“Can’t even do some rose gardening in Norfolk without it blowing up in his face in Parliament” 😆😆😆 D.E.A.D.
Also: The moment Charles has been waiting for all his life, yes??? I have a vision of him stroking the arm of the chair? throne? and crooning “yessssss, my preciousssssss….nasty cambridges… we won’t lets them have it…”
The screeching from Buckleberry must be so high pitched that only space stations can pick it up. No Kate, you know.
While I’m at it, Rocksavage ALSO looks like he would rather be anywhere else and I can’t say as I blame him
Yeah, I was thinking it was a great 80s hair band name. Or maybe Johnny Depp’s next perfume. He can caper around the red rocks, appropriate some more indigenous American culture, and stare into the distance whispering “Rocksauvaaaaage”.
@Malificent
I could see that. Yep. I can even hear it in my head now.
Hahaha! Chuck wishes he had Gollum’s flawless complexion! They’re both gray in the face, but Gollum #WoreItBest
Dear William,
There are ways to “look serious” and not also “look constipated.” Work on that.
Prince Cannot looks so stressed out and petrified. I think he’s shitting his pants at the thought of having to write and make those speeches in the future. It’s time to pay for the gilded privilege! And from his POV, his dad would no longer be of this world when he has to take this on, won’t have Harry to hide behind. I think he’s scared out of his mind.
My thoughts exactly; RR might enbiggen little Will but suddenly his destiny has gotten much closer. I genuinely think TQ was expected to last five more years andnow sadly it is obvious that big promotions are due and yes King Charles will expect Ug and Tugg to deliver because it is finally show time!! Call me resistible Will must be terrified because of his own inadequacy and that of his wife because they are not a formidable team are they? When Flop Tour started to curdle were they able to react, pivot and recover quickly? No they both ploughed on armored by colonial privilege and rich white entitlement. Will ain’t the only one who is panicking at the thought of THEM at the helm!!
Willie won’t write his own speeches – he has “people”for that. He just needs to be able to read them aloud.
The government writes the speeches. The sovereign’s job is to read it out loud in parliament, speaking for his/her government.
The speech is not written by the royals but by the incumbent government, all the Queen does is read what is put in front of her, she really has no input, it is purely ceremonial.
Ah ok. Kinda like doing the scripture reading in church. The reader doesn’t also have to prepare a sermon. Task sounds relatively simple, but does require practice for good phrasing. Chuck sounded ok.
For all of William’s training over the years, he still cannot do a decent poker face. He’s been grimacing and frowning his way thru events for the last 2 years. Hard to find an event where he doesn’t look like someone next to him just passed gas.
I listened to the speech. Charles has a wonderfully resonant voice but his reading was hard to follow. Here’s a summary of the 38 bills he introduced on behalf of the Queen for anyone interested in more than the poor fit of William’s trousers (not that there’s anything wrong with that): https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/queens-speech-2022-38-bills-23914801
It will be interesting to see what happens under Charles reign. Perhaps he will model good kingship, if that’s even a thing in the 21st century. Perhaps the monarchy will go under. It’s so weird to see people sitting on jewel-encrusted golden thrones, parading crowns on pillows, and all the self-serious pomp and majesty—throwback to the past, or future games?
Charles is absolutely marvellous at delivering speeches, much better than his mother. Harry is also good and getting better and better. William is boring and doesn’t show genuine feeling, even though I am sure they have all had the best people teaching them how to deliver speeches.
Heard the audio of Charles opening parliament on the radio this morning. Props to Josh O’Connor. He really got the accent and cadence right!
Also, the name Rocksavage is just so good!
William seriously looks so downtrodden here, like someone told him someone beloved died. The Opening of Parliament is a somber affair but surely he doesn’t have to look so morose? I’m wondering if this is the result of behind the scenes arguing about Harry and Meghan coming to the Jubilee. He looks so miserable and on top of that he has to walk behind Rose’s husband, so much bad news bears for him lately.
The Queen, his grandmother, isn’t there due to her precarious health. His grandfather died in the not too distant past. His father is showing his age as well. From a family-oriented perspective, there’s a lot about this event that might be hitting William and others hard.
William might be like a dog chasing a car — that never expects to actually catch it. Now he has to deal with some genuine responsibilities, and at some level, must know that he’s not up to it. He’s also chased off one of the few people who would genuinely be in a position to understand and be supportive. Oopsies.
I see genuine fear.
Although public speaking may not be his forte, he has had enough time to practice, to gain self confidence.
He simply pissed it away.
Fear of public speaking and being spontaneous, is the least of his problems.
All those Sunday afternoon teas with his grandmother, should’ve been more than adequate to prepare him for the inevitable.
He had her attention, could’ve asked questions, granted this is a learn on the job position.
The relative stories would have a wealth of information and wisdom.
Instead this cowardly person has succumbed to the idea that he needs his middle class wife with her added anxieties and insecurities.
Fear seemed to have had a paralyzing effect, whereas incandescent rage spurs him to action: action that requires his younger brother to hopeless, more fearful and immobilized.
To project, to blame shift and to gaslight – coping mechanisms??
In that instance , Bill can feel better than a familiar someone : he is comfortable being propelled with the good vs evil narrative, so necessary for BM’s disinformation and propaganda as news.
He has convinced himself that all he needs to be a good monarch is the appearance of a stable marriage (not about love) and good publicity – making him firmly dependent on the BTM – ‘Don’t Complain Don’t Explain’ be dammed.
@Well Wisher Such a spot on analysis 👏👏
PW has started working on those Jowls early with that fully downturned face I guess…
They all look so miserable all the time. Like, not solemn, but actually miserable. Especially Egg.
I’m old enough to remember when William was considered a heartthrob. Damn.
I’m two years younger than Will, so right in the age group who thought he WAS a heartthrob. And honestly, in his younger years, he really was gorgeous, he just aged a bit awkwardly.
A shame the way he turned out. His disposition did not improve with age to say the least.
What a beautiful crown. Abolish the monarchy.
Hear, hear!
I know we’re *supposed* to be impressed by the pomp, but I find these unaccomplished people, gaudy jewels, gilded pillows, self-anointed ribbons and honors, to simply be ridiculous.
It must irk William in every fiber of his being to have to walk behind the man he literally cuckolded. Kate must be gnashing her teeth and tearing her wiglets out at being left out of such an important photo op.
@Jaded I don’t know, based on the aristo/Turnip bro code (infidelity with the ‘right’ people and done discreetly), this is probably one of the few things he was actually fine with here.
I quite like Will’s scowl. His all-business attitude is appealing.
LOL!!!
I always hear Kate tried to squash Rose in the past, but I can’t quite remember how?
@JFerber You should still be able to find the original article online – it’s has the infamous ‘Rural rivals’ phrase in the headline. The subsequent paper-over it attempt by William via Richard Kay is also online. IIRC both subsequently had various paras mysteriously removed.
But you raise an interesting point, because the specific mechanics of Kate’s move to have Rose “phased out” remain hazy?? Like, how did she actually think it would be possible? Was she completely ignorant of the actual hereditary role attached to the Rocksavages? Kate thought she could somehow override hundreds of years of royal tradition/protocol because she was p*ssed about TOB’s mistress? She literally has to see Rose’s husband or eldest son at formal events for the entirety of TOB’s reign. Maybe she’s pretty clued in and had realised that crown may never actually materialise, so riding high on her success in ‘phasing out’ H+M, she decided the stakes with Rose were low…
They are fighting over who will be king next, who will be the best king. That has always been ugly, since they leak their every thought to the press. William salivates over the queen’s Windsor properties. He fights with the queen’s grandson Harry. He always looks constipated.
william looks so deeply deeply unhappy. so did Rose at the commonwealth function. i can see they could be if they hurt people they love. i bet they both love David. i also bet things are very sticky right now working things out. {rose is so much more appropriate than kate) bad typing. broke my right wrist badly
@Therese, sorry to read about your right wrist. Here’s to it healing well.
Agree that William looks deeply, deeply unhappy. The life he is living is perhaps not quite the one he envisaged, and he doesn’t seem to have the type of introspective nature that could turn inward and honestly examine his own role in that.
@Therese – my sympathies. Did the same thing about three months ago. Whole lot of no fun. Best of luck with your recovery.
thank you both
william looks so deeply deeply unhappy. so did Rose at the commonwealth function. i can see they could be if they hurt people they love. i bet they both love David. i also bet things are very sticky right now working things out. {rose is so much more appropriate than kate) bad typing. broke my right wrist badly. also, this is a picture of how will handles adversity…not well. he needs more servings of humble pie. cant but make him a better person, unless he lets it make him bitter. which kinda looks like it is. not a happy prince. why? because he is not going about thinking of others and trying to serve and make others happy. so sayeth i.😊
Love that Charles is in so much ridiculous gold braid that he’s basically camouflaged and looks like a floating puppet head.
I’d accept that, if Wills had genuine feelings for other people.
WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S!!!
Will does not look unhappy. That’s his serious face. The face he uses when he’s pretending to be interested.
I think Rocksavage should have eye work to remove the bags under his eyes. He’d look so much better. He is a handsome man.
I’m thinking about it, there is no one that has attempted to guide him for many years. Charles may as well been raised by aliens, he has no inclination to or idea how to be a proper father. Diana (despite her dysfunctional childhood) could have been a positive influence. There is nothing now that is going to change his behavior aside from maybe him falling in love with a partner that will inspire him to be different. Ain’t gonna happen with his current spouse.
Charles complained about his childhood to his biographer and to others. Diana IMO would have been a positive influence. William when allowed to think he was more special with his visits to the Queen and the fuss made over him by the Queen Mother, only got worse. DIana probably would not have allowed William to behave the way he did to Harry and Meghan. Even though Charles and Diana would just co-parent, her presence would have made a world of Difference, IMO.
Does it really make somebody feel important to have the job of marching in a silly-looking uniform to carry a pillow and crown?
A 4 year-old ringbearer at a wedding might feel “important”? But they usually grow out of it.
All very “civilized.” LOL.
The way William is holding his hands over his mid section, one would think the person ahead of him threatened to make an adjustment